Surviving as the Villainess’s Servant in a Martial Arts Novel - Chapter 87

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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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Episode 87

It was the hunchback.

The hunchback who had been sitting in the corner of the inn even before the man and his colleague arrived, the hunchback who had burst into giggles when the man mentioned Tam Hwa-jo.

The man looked at the hunchback in surprise. Without realizing it, he sighed inwardly.

‘That guy is Tam Hwa-jo?’

The hunchback’s appearance was more hideous than expected.

His back was hunched and his spine protruded like Namsan Mountain, while his disheveled hair covered half his face. Even the slightly visible part of his face was covered with bumpy boils.

There had always been talk of him being ugly, but his appearance was more hideous than expected. The man frowned as he thought.

‘With such a hideous face, all women would turn away from him. Now I understand why he’s so lustful.’

While the man was inwardly evaluating the hunchback, the group had gradually surrounded the hunchback in a semicircle.

Shortly after, someone shouted in a rough voice.

“Hey, you bastard. How can you swallow noodles after pulling such stunts!”

Tam Hwa-jo answered.

“Yeah.”

The man was surprised once again. Because Tam Hwa-jo’s voice was clear, unlike his face.

“The noodles here are excellent. They go down the throat smoothly.”

“What?”

“You came quickly.”

Tam Hwa-jo continued speaking cheekily.

“Why did you rush here so urgently? I was planning to fill my belly and then come find you, but I didn’t expect you to personally come all the way here.”

“This bastard…?”

“Give me a break. I just broke a sweat slaughtering that pig bastard and hanging him at the main gate. I don’t know what he’d been eating, but he was so fat that even his head was incredibly heavy.”

“…”

“Why are you standing there so uncomfortably? Sit down first. Have some noodles, drink some alcohol, and when we’ve filled our bellies properly, then we can talk…”

Bang!

“Do you think we’re joking around!”

Unable to bear it any longer, one of the men finally slammed his fist down on Tam Hwa-jo’s table. Splash, the half-eaten noodles spilled across the table.

Silence fell in an instant. Suffocating tension flowed through the inn.

At that moment, Tam Hwa-jo growled lowly.

“Do I look like I’m joking around too?”

The men flinched.

“Even when I try to be nice to you bastards, damn it, do you chew up my words through your assholes? Even if you can’t understand, there should be a limit. Don’t you understand the situation? Why did you come here?”

“…”

“If I asked a question, answer it, you bastards. Didn’t you come running here like dogs after seeing your Cheongsa Faction brothers get smashed and your Third Leader die? For revenge. Right?”

‘Cheongsa Faction?’

The man was surprised for the third time.

The Cheongsa Faction was an evil sect group that had been dominating this area lately. From what he’d heard, the leaders’ skills were quite good, making even their subordinates arrogant.

But he had smashed that Cheongsa Faction? Even going so far as to kill the Third Leader?

“If you want revenge, hurry up and get your revenge, or draw your swords the moment you see me and fight to the death. You don’t even have that courage, yet you just stand there stupidly singing ‘bastard, bastard.’ Hey, are you my parent? Should I really become your bastard and commit some proper filial impiety?”

“…”

Even at Tam Hwa-jo’s harsh curses, the men couldn’t say anything. Rather, they were glancing at each other, wondering if his words were true.

Tam Hwa-jo spoke in a mocking tone.

“Or maybe…”

“…”

“Are you waiting for someone?”

“As expected of Tam Hwa-jo.”

Suddenly a voice came from behind.

Everyone’s gaze turned toward the back in unison. Before they knew it, a man was standing at the inn’s entrance.

The man wasn’t as burly as the other Cheongsa Faction members, but he was quite tall. With his rat-tail mustache and fan, he looked somewhat scholarly.

“It’s Leader Yi!”

The rough-looking men’s expressions brightened instantly. The scholarly-looking man smiled gently and said.

“Shall those who aren’t involved step outside?”

It was a clear order to leave, as if he were the owner. But as if they had been waiting for those words, everyone in the inn got up in unison and hurriedly rushed out.

The man and his colleague looked around nervously before mixing in with the crowd and going outside. However, despite his colleague’s attempts to stop him, the man stuck close to the window and secretly peered inside.

Just then, the scholarly-looking man was speaking to Tam Hwa-jo.

“Brother Dan, how have you been?”

“Do you know me?”

“How renowned is Tam Hwa-jo’s reputation in Jianghu? I’ve always wanted to meet you, so it’s truly an honor to encounter you like this. I am Jin Se-ha, Second Leader of the Cheongsa Faction.”

The scholarly-looking man, Jin Se-ha, cupped his fists in greeting and spoke in a friendly manner. At this, Tam Hwa-jo also smiled slightly and returned the greeting.

“I didn’t expect such a warm welcome. As you know, I am Tam Hwa-jo, Dan Yeon-jeong. But what brings the second-in-command of the Cheongsa Faction all the way here?”

“Doesn’t Brother Dan know?”

“Revenge?”

At Tam Hwa-jo’s direct question, Jin Se-ha burst into hearty laughter.

“Of course, it’s true that there was an unfortunate incident between Brother Dan and our faction. But as men, I don’t want to get red-faced over such matters. If there’s a misunderstanding, wouldn’t it be good to resolve it with words?”

“Misunderstanding?”

“What brought Brother Dan to our faction?”

Jin Se-ha continued speaking without waiting for an answer.

“I know the answer. It must be because of the women our faction brought in this time. Isn’t it famous that Tam Hwa-jo goes around plucking fragrant flowers?”

“…”

“I’m not trying to blame Brother Dan. It’s natural for a hero to have an eye for beauty. However, there probably weren’t any women where Brother Dan went, and Brother Dan, having come up empty-handed, couldn’t contain his anger and took it out on our Third Brother, didn’t he?”

Tam Hwa-jo said nothing. Jin Se-ha thought he had hit his true feelings and smiled broadly.

“It’s true that Brother Dan’s actions have put me in a difficult position. Regardless of wanting to become friends with Brother Dan, I must settle matters of grudges clearly to maintain face.”

“…”

“However, I don’t want to have a meaningless fight with Brother Dan. So I came to make a proposal this time.”

Only then did Tam Hwa-jo react.

“A proposal?”

“I’ll give Brother Dan all the women our faction brought in this time.”

Tam Hwa-jo stared directly at Jin Se-ha. His eyes were unreadable. However, Jin Se-ha continued confidently.

“No, if there’s anyone Brother Dan wants among all the women in our faction, I’ll give you as many as you want. Except for my sister-in-law, they’re all Brother Dan’s.”

“…What do you want from me?”

“I’d like Brother Dan to join our faction.”

“The Cheongsa Faction?”

“To be a bit more greedy, I’d like you to become sworn brothers with me. I happen to have lost a brother, and if Brother Dan becomes our Third Brother and leads the Cheongsa Faction together with me, wouldn’t that resolve our grudge and make our faction even more powerful?”

“Aha.”

At Jin Se-ha’s true intentions finally revealed, Tam Hwa-jo exclaimed in admiration. Then he giggled as if something was very funny and tapped the table.

“I see, so that’s what you meant.”

Jin Se-ha took that reaction positively.

“How about it, my proposal?”

“Well, it’s not bad, but…”

“But?”

“You’re misunderstanding a few things.”

At the suddenly changed tone, Jin Se-ha slightly frowned. Jin Se-ha asked patiently.

“What do you mean?”

“First, I didn’t kill your Third Brother to vent my anger. That bastard was evil among the evil. He was trash who killed the weak when things didn’t go his way, and kidnapped and sold off any decent-looking woman he saw, so I killed him.”

“…”

“Second, you’re talking as if you’re generously giving me your women, but let’s be honest – didn’t you kidnap and bring all those women? Is there even one who joined the Cheongsa Faction of her own will?”

“…”

“Third.”

Tam Hwa-jo held up three fingers and grinned wickedly.

“It’s true that I have an eye for women. But I didn’t attack you because I coveted women – I attacked you to rescue the women you had kidnapped.”

“….”

“Is there anything more to ask?”

Jin Se-ha’s expression hardened stiffly.

In an instant, a dangerous atmosphere began to circulate inside the inn. The men surrounding Tam Hwa-jo moved their hands to their weapons one by one, and just as Tam Hwa-jo suddenly reached out to grab the bowls.

“Attack!”

Crash-!

It was the beginning of the fight.

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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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