Sichuan's Mad Dragon (Novel) - Chapter 25 - A Benefactor

Chapter 25 – A Benefactor

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Translated by Heavenly Cat

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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Ju-seong felt like a lump of old rice going down, looking at Red Beggar’s dazed expression.

Red Beggar had chased him all the way from the snowfield, and had unreasonably charged at the bandits like a madman to start a fight.

He was casually saying to just leisurely kill them all and go.

Meanwhile, Ju-seong had a condition where his life would get twisted if he killed too often.

Anyway, having deliberately poured out criticism that was hard to get angry about to get one over on Red Beggar, Ju-seong turned back to Deung-pyeong.

In any case, from Ju-seong’s view, Red Beggar was indeed a righteous man. It was not common to see someone with that level of power wearing such shabby clothes.

“So you are a pathetic fellow whose belly is empty but has power, and cannot suppress the wicked thought of stealing others’ things. No excuses are needed for that.”

Red Beggar suddenly interjected.

“But if there is family to support, it is a different matter.”

Deung-pyeong had absolutely no idea which of them was trying to beat him to death and which was trying to defend him.

Just earlier, Red Beggar had been trying to kill him, but now he was suddenly mounting a defense.

Ju-seong looked back at Deung-pyeong and asked.

“Do you have dependents?”

“Ah, yes, yes. All the men here have dependents.”

“Hmm…”

“Hmm.”

Ju-seong and Red Beggar stroked their chins and fell deep into thought. Deung-pyeong thought they both seemed like total lunatics, but in truth, the two were having a sort of discussion.

About how to deal with the bandits.

Red Beggar had only recently left his home region, and Ju-seong also did not have much experience in the martial world.

In a way, both were newcomers to the martial world.

So they had to write their precedents for future conduct from now on.

Ju-seong and Red Beggar moved some distance away so Deung-pyeong could not hear, and exchanged words.

Ju-seong opened the discussion.

“If we leave now, those fellows will continue their banditry.”

Red Beggar responded.

“Right. If life stays hard, the level of their robbery will escalate, and one day an innocent traveler might die. Just because they have not killed until now does not mean they never will. We should finish this properly. The finish. You know?”

Red Beggar mimed snapping limbs with wobbling hand motions, seemingly still drunk. Ju-seong shook his head.

“If we shatter their dantians or break their limbs so they can never be bandits again, what about the families they support?”

“That is also true. Now that I think about it… the problem is that life gets hard and banditry escalates. Let us ask why banditry has become so difficult lately.”

Both Ju-seong and Red Beggar were busybodies.

Meanwhile, the two felt they could communicate with each other.

Not many people would agonize this much over how to deal with bandits. Both knew well that they were fussy people.

Those who would not tolerate even a single oversight. People who, even if the result turned out wrong, deliberated over and over to make the best choice at each moment.

Whether the world called it hypocrisy or righteousness mattered little to either of them.

Of course, Deung-pyeong, who knew none of this, watched the two exchange heated glances and muttered to himself.

‘Crazy bastards hitting it off.’

Crazy guy number one approached. Of the two crazies, at least he was sober and in his right mind.

Of course, the fact that he was this erratic while sober was quite something in itself.

“Now, our dear Deung-pyeong. Ah, looking at you, I am getting fond of you. I want to spare you. But I cannot just spare you because I feel like it.”

‘What do you mean you cannot?’

Deung-pyeong wailed internally and asked.

“What should I do?”

“You said life is hard. Can you explain why?”

Deung-pyeong felt like he was getting goosebumps at Ju-seong’s affectionate tone.

On top of that, Ju-seong was even stroking Deung-pyeong’s back.

Now he was certain. That beggar was dangerous, but this young stranger of unknown origin was even more so.

Deung-pyeong felt his lower lip trembling as he spoke.

“The trade route from Yunnan to the Southern Barbarian lands has been blocked, so the merchant groups that profited from trading with the Southern Barbarians have started running deficits.”

When Ju-seong continued to listen, Deung-pyeong went on.

“To recoup their losses, they proposed to the tea merchants who export to the Central Plains that they share the interests. The route from Yunnan to the Central Plains was not blocked. But do you think the existing tea merchants accepted?”

“Of course not.”

The tea business was a golden goose. Why share it? No matter how large a sum was offered, a one-time payment and continuous profits were worlds apart in value.

“So the merchants who traded with the Southern Barbarians harbored resentment and bribed the Provincial Administration Commissioner to impose enormous tariffs on the tea trade. Turns out the Commissioner was related by marriage to one of their families.”

The Provincial Administration Commissioner was the position overseeing all politics and administration of a province. Being the apex of that province, he was a tremendous power.

Ju-seong nodded and said.

“So that is why tea prices have been high lately.”

“Correct. As I said, the route to the Southern Barbarians is blocked, so merchants who used to pass through Yunnan to sell goods to the Southern Barbarians have disappeared. Then with taxes on tea making it expensive, the merchants who traded in tea have also disappeared.”

“So Yunnan Province is headed straight to ruin.”

“Correct. Unless the tea merchants compromise and give up some interests, but from the current atmosphere, both sides seem determined to go to the end… These days they are even hiring martial world forces and there is knife fighting, a complete mayhem.”

To summarize the situation:

The route to the Southern Barbarians was blocked, panicking those who profited from it. To reduce losses, they proposed sharing interests with the tea merchants.

Obviously, anyone who was not an idiot would refuse, and the rejected party got offended and used the government’s power to pressure them.

In the end, tea prices rose, Yunnan Province became poor, and the merchants whose pride was hurt were at each other’s throats, even hiring mercenaries.

Ju-seong suddenly grew curious.

“But what caused the route to the Southern Barbarians to be blocked? Has a new Meng Huo appeared? If Meng Huo has appeared, only Zhuge Liang can stop him.”

Deung-pyeong looked at Ju-seong with cold eyes, wondering why he was suddenly babbling about the Three Kingdoms, then explained.

“A monster has settled in the path leading to the Southern Barbarian lands. They call it the Sleeping Demon Moth.”

“Sleeping Demon Moth… Hmm.”

The name meant a moth that brings sleep like a demon, but something was already flashing through Ju-seong’s mind.

‘Heavenly Silkworm Moth…’

It was the very Heavenly Silkworm Moth he was pursuing. Ju-seong met Deung-pyeong’s eyes and asked.

“If the Heavenly… I mean, if this Sleeping Demon Moth creature is dealt with, the route to the Southern Barbarians will reopen, and though it will take time, Yunnan Province’s commerce will normalize. Then you lot will be able to do healthy banditry like before, right?”

“Ah, yes. Of course. But surely you are not saying you will catch the Sleeping Demon Moth…”

Ju-seong smacked Deung-pyeong who was raising doubts and said.

“That is none of your concern. So you are saying you will do healthy banditry? Forever? Until you die? Will you take that pathetic sword and welcome guests until you are smearing crap on walls?”

Deung-pyeong glanced at Ju-seong nervously, then shook his head.

“If life just stabilizes a bit, we will gather herbs here on Diancang Mountain, hunt, and clear fields to farm on. I swear.”

“How can I trust your oath?”

At Ju-seong’s question, Deung-pyeong’s previously servile eyes suddenly turned grave.

“…I will swear on my departed comrades.”

Ju-seong met Deung-pyeong’s eyes.

Behind him, Red Beggar met eyes with each of Deung-pyeong’s subordinates one by one; anew, they were eyes full of hardship.

Ju-seong nodded slightly, then pulled a gold ingot from his bundle.

It was something he had taken from the Full Moon Tower treasury in Fujian Province, one of two gold ingots he had brought as travel funds for this journey.

Common folk might never see a gold ingot in their entire lives. For such a thing to appear before them, Deung-pyeong and his men felt dizzy.

“Th-that, you, you, you, sir, really…?”

Ju-seong raised one eyebrow and looked at Deung-pyeong, then concentrated the energy of the Flame Crow Six Stage Art in his thumb and twisted the gold ingot in half.

“This should be enough for the stronghold to all get through winter together?”

“More than enough! My goodness, gold…”

Ju-seong placed the split gold ingot in Deung-pyeong’s hand. He grabbed Deung-pyeong’s chin and lifted it, looking him straight in the eyes.

“Whether you swore on your comrades or whatever, I only believe what I see with my own eyes. Sorry that I cannot trust a promise made between men, but that is a different matter.”

“Yes, yes. I understand.”

“I will come back. After I finish my business in Yunnan, I will pass through here again on my way back to Sichuan. Be here until then. If when I return, you have not kept our agreement…”

Ju-seong’s lips curled up crookedly.

“Your family will resent having you as their head of household, Deung-pyeong. I mean it.”

Ju-seong was not the type to harm others’ families. So he did not mean it, but he said it with conviction.

Hoping the man before him would be afraid.

Fear was one effective tool for changing people.

The threat seemed to work perfectly.

Deung-pyeong’s pupils were trembling again. Those with something to protect become this vulnerable.

Ju-seong placed both hands on Deung-pyeong’s shoulders and closed his eyes, breathing deeply.

From Deung-pyeong’s clothes, patched in many places, came the sweat of a hard-working wife…

And the smell of blood drops that had seeped from a pricked finger.

From his broad chest, befitting a bandit chief, came the smell of spit, snot, and tears of young children, a boy and a girl.

He had wandered the village below at night like a bat to learn to distinguish all these smells.

These smells of family were very familiar. The village below had been full of such smells.

Ju-seong opened his eyes and stared into Deung-pyeong’s constricted pupils, thinking.

‘How is it that people start families and have children even though they are not the greatest under heaven?’

It was a thought he had harbored ever since losing his troupe family.

It was also why his relationship with Lady Wol-hyang had not progressed at all for over two years.

Even if you build a family, some martial artist who has forsaken human decency might come and scatter your mirage-like happiness, could he not?

Ju-seong felt fury boiling in his chest and quickly severed the thought. He glanced around and said.

“I am not telling you to stop banditry immediately. But draw a line. I gave you money to make that possible, right? Right? Appropriately. Just do it well. Got it?”

“Yes.”

“Yes sir.”

The bandits answered chaotically without order. Ju-seong nodded roughly and said.

“Hmm, anyway. Everyone take care of yourselves. The clown is leaving now.”

Ju-seong pushed off his knee to stand and jerked his chin at Red Beggar, who had been watching.

“The beggar is leaving too.”

“Oh, so now you permit me as a companion.”

“No hugging and sleeping.”

“Then let us sleep back to back. That will be warm enough.”

Ju-seong considered Deung-pyeong’s proposal deeply before finally answering.

“Hmm… Alright.”

Now that the booze had worn off, the beggar seemed to be about at Ju-seong’s level. Ju-seong was not sure if this mad beggar was first-rate or peak, but anyway, he judged he was not a bad person.

With a skilled person like this, he would not die meaninglessly from getting stabbed somewhere.

Deung-pyeong prostrated in the direction the two had disappeared.

One subordinate with a swollen face stumbled over.

“Boss. What just happened? Who the hell are those crazy bastards?”

Deung-pyeong raised his head, watched the two figures disappear along the mountain ridge, and spoke with difficulty.

“Have we ever encountered a benefactor in our lives? I thought precious connections only came to precious people.”

“…”

The subordinate also struggled to raise his bruised eyelids and watched the retreating figures of Ju-seong and Red Beggar.

Deung-pyeong continued.

“Could you subdue bandits who tried to rob you and then throw them a gold ingot?”

“Ah, that makes no sense, boss. Not chopping them all up is already very restrained.”

“They are rare people in this world. That is why they are benefactors. We met benefactors. We lowly bandits…”

Deung-pyeong could not finish his words. His subordinate also quietly bowed his head. Thanks to them, people who had been living only for today could now look toward tomorrow.

They were once men who had risked their lives for their country on the battlefield.

How could they not know shame?

Ashamed once that their standing had fallen so low that they had to be grateful for a precious connection.

They were ashamed again that two people much younger than them had such depth of character.

The benefactors’ hems disappeared through the mountain terrain.

And those who had prostrated rose with new hearts to prepare for tomorrow.