Dokmaeuiseon - Chapter 139
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 139
A chicken rib – too good to throw away, too little to eat.
The area before their eyes was exactly like that.
“Why is it a chicken rib? Don’t you see the spacious area that’s livable? There’s no other place in Hangzhou that’s this empty.”
“That’s true! Land this size. There really isn’t anywhere else like it!”
It was indeed spacious. Even more so than the land of most branch offices.
One might wonder why a Beggar’s Sect branch would need so much land.
But the Beggar’s Sect competed with quantity as well as quality.
Moreover, since they also accepted those who weren’t formal members first, their numbers would quickly swell.
In that sense, it was miraculous that such land existed here.
The problem was who was letting this land sit idle.
This place, not too far from Hangzhou City Center, was practically prime real estate.
Considering that Jung Myeong’s Medical Clinic was not far away, its value was even higher!
“Didn’t the Government Office say anything?”
“I already got permission from the Government Office.”
But he said the Government Office had given permission too.
“That Government Office gave permission for beggars to move in?”
He wondered what bait had been offered.
“If public safety improves, shouldn’t they give permission?”
“How does public safety improve with beggars around?”
“Beggars come in different types. Haha.”
“Huh…”
He had clearly used the Beggar’s Sect as an excuse outright.
‘He’s crazy!’
Didn’t he know about the non-interference between government and martial arts? No, setting aside non-interference.
Even Strange Madman hadn’t expected him to openly say that the Beggar Sect Way would maintain public safety.
“Then would you just stand by and watch injustice?”
“…Who said that?”
“Right? Even when you see our Medical Clinic’s Defense Leader, people talk about his past and say he’s a guy with bad hands, but how could you stand by when injustice unfolds before your eyes?”
“Mmm…”
When he even brought along the Defense Leader whom he had been toying with, there was no way to deny it.
If he denied it here, wouldn’t he have to completely change everything he had said about medical chivalry?
“Fine. It’s all good. All good, this is! We need to protect it too. It would be nice if public order improved as well. Yeah… that’s right!”
In the end, Strange Madman had no choice but to acknowledge it.
That land of this quality would be hard to obtain under normal circumstances.
That even as beggars, they had to uphold something called ‘public order.’
However, there was still a problem remaining.
If the Beggar’s Sect established itself here, there was someone else who would receive the greatest benefit.
“No matter how I look at it, isn’t this the edge of your medical clinic’s boundary?”
“So what?”
Right there before his eyes was Jung Myeong, the one who would receive the greatest benefit.
“This… from another perspective, it feels like we’re becoming the axis that guards one side of your medical clinic!”
“Hmm… I suppose you could think of it that way?”
“Why are you pretending not to know anything! Anyone can see you’re telling us to guard this place!”
Establishing themselves here like this?
On the surface, it seemed like they were helping Jung Myeong establish himself.
The problem was what came after establishing themselves.
Then it would look like they were protecting Jung Myeong.
It was a position where they would be completely responsible for one side!
‘I knew he was sharp with profits, but to come out this blatantly!’
Here, Strange Madman called it a dilemma.
It was a position that would be regrettable not to take.
But if they took it, they would seemingly have to become Jung Myeong’s vanguard forever!
Establishing themselves immediately would be good for now.
But looking at it long-term, wasn’t this wrong?
It wasn’t strange that he would lash out about this.
“Instead of just offering a place and acting like this, give us something more. Isn’t this too underhanded!”
At that, Strange Madman lashed out as if he had grabbed a good hand.
‘Right. Let’s press the advantage and get more out of this. That would be better!’
The calculation that regardless of the future, they should first obtain what they could obtain now.
There was certainly a calculation that if he pressed this far, Jung Myeong would feel embarrassed and give him something.
However, Jung Myeong went even further.
“Wouldn’t it be fine to protect the medical clinic?”
“What, what!?”
“I mean, wouldn’t it be fine for the Beggar’s Sect, which reveres justice, to protect such a good place as the medical clinic?”
“What kind of nonsense is that!”
Jung Myeong spoke beyond being blatant, directly and openly.
“It’s not some wicked facility, but a medical clinic, isn’t it?”
“That’s true, but?”
“My medical clinic does far more relief work than even the distant Uiseonmun, doesn’t it? Would protecting such a medical clinic be an unjust act?”
“!!!!!”
However, this was difficult for Strange Madman to refute.
The more he spoke, the more he felt bewitched.
‘This, I’ve lost!’
Wasn’t this an even greater cause than the public safety he mentioned before?
Could the world-renowned Beggar’s Sect refuse to protect a place that widely cared for countless patients?
Impossible! Absolutely not!
“You’ve been thinking about this from the beginning…”
“Haha. What would I be thinking? Elder, don’t you remember? The debt I’m asking you to repay now is one you personally imposed on me, isn’t it?”
“Grrrr…”
Even beggars of the Beggar’s Sect who had no possessions lived and died for righteous causes.
Especially for Orthodox Sect members, such righteous causes were important.
Sometimes more than life itself!
From a modern perspective, one might ask why risk one’s life for a cause.
‘Sometimes, even if you don’t understand it, there are the values of that era.’
In the current Murim, this righteous cause was greatly important.
“Grr… I’m being had even though I know it. Even though I know it!”
“However, doesn’t that direction align with the Beggar’s Sect’s justice?”
“That’s what makes it more problematic! Tsk… If I had known this would happen, I wouldn’t have made the request.”
It was too late to regret it now.
The moment he incurred a debt to Jung Myeong. He should have anticipated that debt could return to him magnified hundreds of times.
Strange Madman realized this far too late.
Though he tried to blame himself, the cards had already been dealt.
Toward him, Jung Myeong performed a deep cupped fist salute.
“Hahahaha. I look forward to working with you.”
To anyone watching, it was a perfectly courteous gesture.
But behind him, it seemed like there were nine fox tails swishing.
* * *
“Ooooh! No other branch office will have a place this good!”
Geol Gae. Now officially a Successor Candidate, he exclaimed as soon as he arrived at the branch office.
He had just arrived full of determination after receiving the crucial mission of the Hangzhou Branch.
He had thought it would be difficult to even establish a foothold, but a place this good!
How could he possibly fail?
Just as he was about to laugh so heartily that his uvula would show.
Swiiish-!
‘Killing intent!’
Sensing the killing intent from behind, Geol Gae hastily moved his body.
It was to get far away from the killing intent.
Rather than turning his head, he first avoided the source of that killing intent and prepared his stance.
Swish-!
After dodging the killing intent that actually flew from behind, he immediately turned his head.
Geol Gae’s eyes saw the owner of the killing intent.
“You stupid fool!”
“Why are you doing this again as soon as I arrive, Elder!”
It was Strange Madman.
Until just moments ago, Strange Madman had been making rounds outside. It was to survey the area around the branch office and gather information.
It was a kind of patrol.
The reason he finished that patrol earlier than usual was one thing – because of Geol Gae standing before him.
He had some expectations too.
Recently, hadn’t he gained enlightenment and become an official Successor Candidate?
When that guy said he would come to Hangzhou even after becoming official.
This guy still remembers the Elder who raised him, he thought to himself with inner satisfaction.
During the busy month of establishing the Hangzhou Branch, he had grown and even learned to care for others.
He was about to offer him the remaining chicken leg, but what he heard was foolish talk!
“The guy who became an official Successor Candidate is stupid! Stupid!”
“Where am I being stupid? This place is good for defense and has a good location!”
“What good is just a good location! You need to look far ahead!”
“What else should I be looking far ahead for?”
“Don’t you see we’ll have to protect this Hangzhou!”
“Well, if we established a branch, won’t we protect it? The Beggar’s Sect Way!”
“Oh my…!”
This frustrating fool. Shouldn’t he be looking far into the future?
But he can’t see that and is just cheerfully optimistic.
“You fool!”
“Ugh!”
Right. You fool. You always needed to be hit once before receiving any teaching.
Strange Madman held back tears(?) for the sake of teaching.
Whoosh-!
He moved his feet to instantly close the distance with Geol Gae.
Then he raised the pig bone he was holding and swung it toward his head.
The pig bone shot out with tremendous force!
It looked like his head would be smashed to pieces.
Swoosh-!
But the Successor Candidate successfully dodged it.
“Oh?”
This guy doesn’t get hit easily anymore.
“Did you think I’d keep getting hit forever?”
“Huh…”
Looking at him, the Guild Leader must have given him teaching.
His movements had become more refined than before. The depth infused within them was deeper.
Since he became an official Successor Candidate, he understood that teaching was given for his sake.
‘Of all times, now…!’
Strange Madman became even more furious at this.
From Geol Gae’s face, Jung Myeong’s annoying expression could be glimpsed for no reason.
Perhaps that was why.
Whoooosh-! Puhwaaaaak-!
Some sincerity was put into that movement.
“Ugh! Elder!”
“You bastard! Die!”
With rough movements, continuous strikes came in to beat down Geol Gae.
In an instant, over ten seconds.
Thwaaaak!
He dodged and dodged again, but.
One move from a cunning master contained hand techniques beyond what met the eye.
“Kuk…!”
Thwooooook…!
In the end, Geol Gae couldn’t dodge the last one and allowed a hit to the back of his head.
“You deserve a beating. A beating!”
“What beating! Kuk… Stop, please stop!”
With this, Geol Gae’s unjust screams were thoroughly coloring Hangzhou City Center.
It was the moment when Geol Gae’s declaration of entry into Hangzhou began with untimely screams.
* * *
Around the time when the declaration of entry substituted with screams became known around Hangzhou.
“Have you arrived?”
“Yes. I’ve finally come.”
Jung Myeong was meeting with another Orthodox Sect Martial Artist.
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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