episode_0228

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“Then please!”

“…Okay, senior.”

The black cat was overcome with an uneasy feeling as he watched Hocheonan disappear in the raincoat.

Ho Cheon-an divided the party into two. On one side are Heukmyo and Yeoilyejo, who will convey the current situation to the Sichuan people. And on one side is the Hocheonan Tang Soyeol group to go to see Sima Yan.

Obviously, there was nothing wrong with the name, but… it didn’t feel good.

“Why do I feel like this is happening..?”

“Hehe, come on in.”

As Heukmyo and Yeo Il-ye entered, the attention of the ronin people was focused.

“It looks like Ho Cheon-an is back.”

“Welcome back.”

The black cat looked around the guest house. Black Cat also spends quite a bit of time at the guesthouse for one reason or another. It wasn’t that difficult to recognize the ronin. It seemed like everyone was going to have a busy day these days.

“Well, I heard there was a big smoke coming from Dangata. What happened?”

In response to Jeongsam’s question, the black cat nodded and said.

“I still have something to say about that incident. Could you all please gather together?”

The ronin, who looked puzzled at Black Cat’s sincere request, took the ronin out of the room and made them sit in the dining room.

“So what’s going on?”

“If you see Sojeo, a black cat, and not just Hocheonan, making such a fuss, it looks like something big has happened!”

Heukmyo smiled bitterly at Ja So-gyeong’s joke.

“It’s a very big deal.”

Heukmyo relayed everything that happened in the Tang family without exception. The Tang family was attacked. Nangya Sword Jeong Cheol was the culprit. I relayed what Ho Cheon-an said in anger… and so on.

The Ronin who heard the whole story were silent for a moment…

“That Hocheonan bastard says what’s wrong with me!”

“Tsk tsk. There was a major accident!”

It exploded.

The black cat was embarrassed and looked around at the ronin. Jeong-sam and Yeo Jin-sang, who can be said to be closest to Ho Cheon-an, are running wild.

“Here, give me some alcohol! Oh my, I’m so pissed!”

“Here too!”

Suddenly, the ronin started looking for alcohol, and the two people, confused by the completely unexpected atmosphere, looked around and were caught by Yoo Yu-yeon’s hand.

“Oh, yes, you two had a hard time.”

“Hmm…I’m perplexed.”

I expected one of two reactions from Heukmyo, Yeoilje, and the Ronin. I was either moved to hear that Ho Cheon-an was so angry at Jeong-cheol for trying to use Sacheonangin as an excuse, or I was seriously worried about what would happen because of Jeong-cheol.

But it was neither.

Yoo Yu-yeon smiled bitterly as if she understood the two people’s thoughts.

“Have you ever heard a proverb floating around in the ronin world?”

“What…?”

“Good people die first.”

Although they had never heard of it, Heukmyo and Yeo Il-ye seemed to know what the proverb was trying to convey.

“Sacheon ronin is not to that extent, but the ronin profession is truly one that swims in half blood and half mud. Those who are good and weak-hearted are quickly taken advantage of by wildcats or bitten to death.”

“…is that so?”

“That’s right!”

Jeongsam, who was sitting at the table next to him, screamed.

“That bastard’s liver must have swollen because he suddenly reached climax! What are you doing to protect us? ”

“I knew Hoga was a bastard, but look at how he lost like this because he knew he would be criticized!”

Yoo Yu-yeon shook her head as she looked at the ronins who were so excited that they were tearing up Hocheon-an.

“Everyone is doing this because they care about Hocheonan. Because I want to live a long life as a ronin. So it’s like they’re pushing their backs to become poisonous… Hocheon-an… hmm, there’s a lot of lingering emotions.”

“Who is worried about Hocheonan…”

“Shut up, you bastards! Because I’m crazy!”

There are a lot of leftovers. Yeo Il-ye and Heukmyo inadvertently sympathized.

Meanwhile, Yoo Yu-yeon, who had subdued the rampaging rogues with merciless swearing, brushed her disheveled hair past her ears and continued speaking.

“Now, the two of you probably know to some extent. What kind of person is Ho Cheon-an?”

“…Yes.”

Yu Yu-yeon clicked her tongue and looked around at the ronin.

“You two can’t even imagine how bloody this romantic guesthouse was before Ho Cheon-an came, right? Even indoors, their black lips are curled up, and even children who are already crying are crying all day long with expressions as if they are rolling a knife in their mouths…”

“Kuhm…”

“Hmm…”

“A 16-year-old baby came in with the intention of becoming a Sichuan ronin…and changed that bloody atmosphere and created the current scene. Well, everyone probably thinks they owe Ho Cheon-an something. Although he probably won’t admit it.”

Yoo Yu-yeon hits the ronin who tried to refute them with the axe-eye.

Looking at that scene, Heukmyo and Yeo Il-ye could feel a little bit the feelings of the ronin who could not be honest.

They are worried about Hocheon-an in their own way.

“Me too, and these guys too, but I don’t want Ho Cheon-an to shoulder that burden.”

“That’s right.”

Yeongjihuyeol rarely raised his voice.

“The situation has already reached an irreversible point…but please tell Ho Cheon-an that we will try to find our own way to help ourselves.”

Ja So-gyeong also raised his voice.

“If you just shut up, everything will work out somehow. Isn’t that how everyone survived and became a Sichuan ronin?”

“That’s right!”

“That’s right!”

Yoo Yu-yeon shrugged her shoulders.

“That’s right?”

“…is that so.”

Heukmyo and Yeo Il-ye just rolled their eyes awkwardly amidst the suddenly opened drinking scene and the rampaging Sichuan people.

‘It’s…difficult to understand.’

These were Yeo Il-ye’s honest feelings. Yeo Il-ye, who was born and raised in a clan, did not really understand why the Sichuan people were angry now. Yeo Il-ye also agreed that he had jumped into something too big compared to Ho Cheon-an’s current level.

I also understand that this may make you worried and angry. But this doesn’t feel like…that kind of thing, does it?

Yeo Il-ye looked at the black cat’s expression. Even the black cat, a Sichuan wolf, is closing its eyes, unable to understand their fierce opposition.

The two people were unable to assimilate into the emotions of the Sichuan people and were floating around.

However, Yeo Il-ye and Heukmyo did not leave the place.

“Two people! Listen! That guy! Do you know what I did when I came here to become a Sichuan ronin?”

“That bastard! What about the first request!”

The old stories of Hocheonan, led by Jeongsam and Yeo Jinsang!

Because it was the perfect bait to lure Heukmyo and Yeo Il-ye.

Black Cat and Yeo Il-ye looked at each other and nodded.

‘Listen to what you can and let’s go!’

Stories of the past and dark history pouring out of the mouths of Sichuan people!

This is a story about someone who threw his body around thinking he could pass through the dog hole, but got stuck without being able to get it out! The story of a courtesan who attacked a courtesan and got kicked! A story about being tied upside down to a tree when a goal card fell out of your sleeve while trying a trick when you were a novice at gambling, etc…

Heukmyo and Yeo Il-ye listened to the whole story with their ears wide open as they read the story of Ho Cheon-an, which was truly full of youth.

“Kkeuuh…!”

thud!

Jeongsam, who was continuously telling stories and pouring himself alcohol, hit his head on the table. Yeo Jin-sang giggles while looking at Jeong-sam, and Yoo Yu-yeon shakes her head.

Yeo Jin-sang said, looking at the two people with mischievous eyes.

“Please take care of me.”

“Yes?”

“That guy. That guy…what a strange guy.”

The two realized that the guy Yeo Jin-sang was talking about was Ho Cheon-an.

“I hate to admit it, but wow, that guy was born differently. It’s literally improved day by day! I thought this guy would become a legend like Nangya Sword Jeongcheol… but this guy is on the wall of first-class! Remember! It got stuck and it was just like that! Aren’t you going to fall asleep?”

“Yes, I did.”

Ja So-gyeong, who was very drunk, joined the story. Ja So-gyeong, who was as strong as a monk, was also fond of drinking. Ja So-gyeong, who was organizing those who had stretched out on the overheated drinking table, lifted up the stretched out ginseng and added,

“If you had that level of talent and age, you could have become a disciple of a wealthy school, so why did you want to become a ronin?”

“That’s what I said!”

When Ja So-gyeong, who added a word, carried Jeongsam up without any hesitation, Yeo Jin-sang turned his head and started complaining to the two people again.

“I thought it was stagnant for two years, but then suddenly I fell down. When you become a fan of martial arts, don’t you start snooping around and suddenly become obsessed with gambling?”

“Umm…”

“The guy who could climb higher was lying down on his back as if he was going to live as a Sichuan ronin for the rest of his life. My stomach exploded and I thought I was going to die! under! That son of a bitch is very talented at making people throw tantrums even when they reach the top and peak!”

Then he blew on a bottle as if he was really having a tantrum.

thud!

I just fell backwards.

“….Hmm. Honestly, I don’t understand it a little.”

Yeo Il-ye stroked her eye patch with a dull expression.

“It may be presumptuous for me, who pointed my sword at the ronin, to say this, but… living as a Sichuan ronin may not be a bad thing.”

“That’s….”

“It’s not a good thing.”

On rare occasions when Yoo Yu-yeon was speechless, Yeong Ji-hu-yeol held Yeo Jin-sang’s back and spoke.

“The stories of how you became a Sacheon ronin are different, but do you have a resolution in mind? It’s because I want to throw off the shackles of being a ronin and move up. To practice martial arts and save money to live a new, better life rather than as a ronin. Sacheonangin should not be a final destination, but a stepping stone to a new leap forward.”

“…is that so?”

“You said earlier that Gaekju was in an atmosphere of chewing on blades even before Ho Cheon-an showed up. That was natural, considering the purpose of the ronins coming here. I came here because I wanted to work my way up without getting blood on my hands, but would other people do the same? After all, they are just like Seungnyang, and even if they achieve their goal here, if they show their face or reveal any gaps, won’t these beast-like guys come out to bite me on the back as I start anew?”

“So, even in the guesthouse, we were in a situation where we kept our lips closed and did not talk to anyone, just being wary of each other like hedgehogs. The reason why no one has reformed such a bloody atmosphere…is probably because of the mindset that once you achieve your goal, you will leave without looking back.”

Heukmyo and Yeo Il-ye blinked.

Because it was a story filled with deep distrust that cannot even be imagined in the current atmosphere of the guest house.

Yeongjihuyeol smiled bitterly as he looked at the two people’s faces with the question, ‘Is it right for me to listen to Roningaekjan’s story right now?’

“Ho Cheon-an changed that kind of ronin guesthouse into a space that smells like people… Hocheon-an was the guy who lived the life of a ronin, acting as if he was going to live as a ronin for the rest of his life. That’s why everyone is drinking and getting angry. I thought Hocheonan would be there at least until they got rid of their ronin life, but they suddenly left like this…”

Yeongjihuyeol closed his mouth. There was a look of disappointment on his face.

“You’re leaving.”

“…I made a mistake. Please take care of me, Gaekju.”

“Hey, hey!”

Yeongjihuyeol, carrying Yeojinsang, jumped out.

“Sigh, why did this normally silent guy suddenly flap his mouth…”

“Senior Ho is leaving the guesthouse. What does this mean? Why?”

Yu Yu-yeon looked at the black cat questioning her as if she was in pain and held her head.

“How are Sichuan people treated in Sichuan Province?”

“I am being treated poorly, but what does that have to do with senior Ho leaving…”

“Yes.”

Yu Yu-yeon sighed lightly and said.

“Why didn’t Sichuan people flock to Sapa when they were treated the same way as Sapa?”

The black cat’s expression hardened. Yoo Yu-yeon, who felt that the black cat had realized the correct answer, continued speaking.

“Because there is no representative. This is because it remained an individual, not a force. Head, leader, owner, chairman… In reality, I was treated as the representative of the Sichuan ronin, but that was the reason why I insisted on the title of ronin guesthouse owner.”

“…Jeongcheol is trying to strengthen his power by bringing the Sichuan Rongin under his command…and Eunkong is the other runner to oppose him.”

“Yes.”

Only then did Yeo Il-ye realize the contradiction of the current situation.

Jeongcheol had already united the Sichuan people into one force.

…If Jeong Cheol claimed to be the official representative of the Sichuan people, Ho Cheon-an, who defeats the representative, also gains the qualifications as a representative.

Symbolism.

If we defeat the legend of the Sichuan Longin named Nangya Sword Jeongcheol, Hocheonan will gain a powerful symbolism that can represent the Sichuan Longin.

In reality, Ho Cheon-an may not be the representative of the Ronin people. That wasn’t important.

Everyone in the world will regard Ho Cheon-an as the representative of the Sichuan Long-in, and as long as Ho Cheon-an remains a Si-chuan Long-in, people will think that the Sichuan Long-in have gathered into one force.

And the result is…

“I guess this is not the ending Eungong wants.”

Hearing Yeo Il-ye’s words, Yoo Yu-yeon raised her glass without saying a word.

Only then did Yeo Il-ye and Heuk Myo understand Ho Cheon-an’s determination and feelings.

Even if Hocheonan succeeds in stopping Jeongcheol, he cannot return to Sacheonangin.

What Hocheonan truly wants is for the Sichuan people to follow the path he envisioned.

If Jeong Cheol had tied the ronin into one group through his symbolism, Hocheonan had to break the chain that bound the ronin.

Only when Ho Cheon-an, who defeated Jeong Cheol, gives up being a Sichuan Rongin, and the central point of Sacheon Rongin’s power disappears, can he escape the suspicious gaze of people and become an individual.

Yeo Il-ye and Heukmyo understood why the ronins were so angry and drank.

The alcohol they drank was a farewell drink to send off Hocheonan, and making noise and anger like this was their own way of saying farewell.

“Anyway, he’s stubborn, there’s no one in the world who can break him…so it’s useless to try to stop him. Please leave a word.”

“…Yes.”

“I won’t throw away the martial arts skills you cherish so much, I will keep them for you. Come find me someday.”

Yeo Il-ye and Heukmyo nodded silently, and Yu Yu-yeon smiled and held out a glass.

“Please take good care of me in the future.”

Three people’s glasses clink together.

The clear liquor was flowing.