~Chapter 06~
. The Visitor of the Hundred Men Society (1)
It didn’t take long to clean up the manor that had been little more than a ruin.
The tall weeds that had grown rampant throughout the grounds were hacked down in large clumps with each swing of Heukpyo’s sword.
Though the roots were not pulled out and small shoots remained across the ground, it would take at least a few months before they grew back.
The heaps of grass that Heukpyo cut down were set ablaze by Seokdu using his blazing internal energy.
The fire rose spectacularly high, spreading to the manor’s walls, but luckily it only left a light scorch.
Meanwhile, the flock of crows that had filled the roof was completely “slaughtered” by Baekryeong—heads and wings severed, their corpses strewn everywhere.
But since none of the bodies fell inside the manor, the courtyard within the fence looked relatively clean.
Of course, outside the fence still looked as if it were cursed.
“Now clean up the main hall.”
“Elder brother, can’t you help a little? What are you doing just standing there?”
“I’m holding the baby, aren’t I?”
“Is holding a baby some kind of official rank? Hand him here, then, I’ll— oww!”
As usual, Heukpyo was sent flying by Gwangpae’s kick, tumbling toward the hall.
Baekryeong and Seokdu, swallowing their words after witnessing the scene, simply began tidying the hall.
“Elder brother, it’s better inside than expected.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Just a lot of cobwebs and the floor is dirty— cough! Damn, the dust is worse than I thought!”
Grimacing and coughing, Heukpyo threw the old windows wide open and stood by the door.
Then he thrust out a palm strike toward the open windows.
BOOOOM!
With the sound of an exploding cannon, a tremendous gust blasted through the room, sweeping everything away.
All the spiders, tangled in their webs, were blown outside, and most of the dust scattered out as well.
“Ah, the windows broke.”
The walls also cracked here and there.
He had tried to restrain his strength, but clearly the old building was weaker than he thought.
Similar cannon-like sounds soon echoed all over the manor—clearly, the others had judged no differently than Heukpyo.
“You lunatics! Don’t overdo it! You’ll bring the whole house down!”
Only after Gwangpae roared profanities did their so-called cleaning finally stop.
Though one could hardly call the place tidy, for the Black Heaven Four Freaks, a “house” was just somewhere to keep the rain out and to sleep. That was enough.
“Ugh-ehhh! Ugh-ehhh!”
“Oh? What, awake again already?”
“Shall we feed him something?”
“Do that. Baekryeong, you prepare the meal… Heukpyo, do we have food left?”
“Enough for one baby’s meal.”
“And us?”
“We’ll skip, what else? One meal won’t kill us. Or… shall we visit a bandit den nearby?”
Heukpyo gestured casually, but Gwangpae waved it off.
“No. We came all the way here to stay out of the Martial Alliance’s sight. We can’t make a commotion right away.”
“Then food? Should I hunt?”
“No. It’s late today. Feed the baby and rest. I also have things to discuss with you.”
“Huh? Elder brother wants to discuss with us?”
The self-willed warlord who always decided alone? Suspicious, Heukpyo placed his hand on Gwangpae’s forehead—only to have his wrist twisted, howling on the floor moments later.
While he rolled in pain, Baekryeong prepared baby food, and Seokdu changed the diapers.
Once the baby was clean and fed, he drifted to sleep.
Only then did Gwangpae gather the Black Heaven Four Freaks and speak.
“What should we do… with that?”
“Huh?”
He pointed at the baby.
Heukpyo raised an eyebrow.
“What do you mean, elder brother? I objected so much, and you ignored me, deciding to raise him. That’s why we came here, isn’t it?”
“I’m not asking whether to raise him. I mean—how should we raise him?”
“Oh, that’s it? Why fuss over that? Babies grow on their own. You’re wasting time—oof!”
THUD!
Once again kicked into a corner, Heukpyo groaned while Baekryeong and Seokdu shielded the baby behind them.
“Keep quiet, Heukpyo. You’ll wake him.”
“At your age you still can’t land properly?”
“You… heartless bastards…”
Heukpyo nearly wept—how could they treat him so coldly for the sake of a baby they’d just met?
Still, he straightened up and argued.
“Listen, elder brother. You said you’ll keep him only until he’s twenty because of the secret manual, right?”
“That’s right.”
“Then why worry? Just feed and house him, he’ll grow. Did any of us grow up with normal parents in a normal home?”
“No.”
Gwangpae admitted it easily. If they had, none of them would have ended up as outlaws risking their lives every day.
“So you mean… raise him like us? As a member of the underworld?”
“Eh?”
“…”
“Well, not exactly…”
Heukpyo avoided his gaze.
The outlaw’s life was harsh—mocked, shunned, crawling before the strong, killed for prestige by righteous sects.
Even though the Black Heaven Freaks had climbed high in this brutal hierarchy, none of them would recommend such a life.
Heukpyo fell silent, and Baekryeong spoke.
“Let’s just raise him… normally?”
“Normally?”
“Yes. Don’t teach martial arts. Just… normal. Elder brother, you clearly don’t want him to be outlaw, and surely not righteous sect either.”
A child of the Black Heaven Freaks, becoming righteous? Unthinkable.
Seokdu scowled.
“Righteous sect—absolutely not.”
“I agree. Never righteous.” Heukpyo nodded.
“Better outlaw than righteous. At least outlaws are freer, and we could protect him.”
“I also reject the righteous sect. Then it’s either ordinary life or outlaw life.”
“Whichever elder brother chooses, I’m fine with both.”
“Me too.”
Baekryeong nodded silently.
With their opinions gathered, Gwangpae spoke.
“Then… ordinary it is. But there’s one problem.”
“What problem?”
“What does it even mean to raise someone ‘ordinary’?”
“That is…”
Heukpyo, flustered, glanced at Baekryeong—the one who had suggested it.
All eyes turned to him. He hesitated, then said:
“…What about raising him as an assassin?”
“…”
“I’d do a good job at that…”
“…”
“…Sorry.”
Another assassin? One Heukpyo was already more than enough.
Gwangpae smiled sweetly, clenching his fist.
Baekryeong quickly slid over to shield the baby.
“You little—!”
This was grounds for punishment.
Just as Gwangpae’s fist, imbued with internal energy, was about to strike—
“Ugh-ehhh!”
“Ah… awake again. Seokdu, check the diapers.”
They were already used to the baby’s timing.
Seokdu checked.
“Huh? Diaper’s clean, elder brother.”
“Already hungry again? Give him here.”
He examined the baby—no oddities, no fever.
Then—
Grab.
The baby’s plump little hand clasped Gwangpae’s finger.
“Oh? Look at this one.”
“Heehee…”
As if satisfied with that alone, the baby laughed, gazing up at the terrifying outlaw leader with bright, innocent eyes.
Everyone stared in silence. Finally, Gwangpae muttered:
“…For now, let’s rest.”
None of them even knew what “ordinary” meant. Thinking together tonight would be pointless.
“Tomorrow at dawn, we’ll go down to Xingguo and find a wet nurse.”
“A wet nurse? How do we do that?”
“Either hire someone, or post notices. Whatever works.”
The path forward was now clear.
“We’ll get the very best wet nurse. After all, this is the child raised by the Black Heaven Freaks.”
“Yes, elder brother!”
Their eyes shone with conviction, echoing his words.
***
Xingguo in Jiangxi.
There lay the Hundred Men Society, the largest outlaw force in the region.
Though the underworld usually earned only scorn, this group was never short of customers.
Why? Because their leader’s business creed was simple: a guest is heaven, no matter who they are.
Thus even those with poor relations with the society would seek them out when in trouble. As long as they came as guests, they were treated with utmost courtesy, and their requests handled perfectly.
Even the officials—difficult enemies to most outlaw groups—received their regular bribes, earning the leader a strange reputation: “If only he hadn’t chosen crime, he could have been great.”
So within the region, the Hundred Men Society feared little.
But today, their leader sat pale-faced, staring at the man before him.
“D-damn… is this a dream or reality…?”
A beard like a bandit’s, fierce tiger-like eyes.
The stranger had swatted aside twenty of his men like flies—and his face matched exactly one of the ten monsters he had memorized never to offend.
One of the Ten Never-Oppose Demons of the martial world!
“M-m-martial world demon Wi Sopyeong, the Seven Battles, Seven—”
Ah, mistake!
He must never be called Seven Battles, Seven Defeats…
CRAAAASH!
The table before him exploded, shards flying.
One piece sliced the string tying his hair, another grazed his cheek.
Fwoosh! Shaaash!
“Ah…”
Facing Gwangpae’s fury, Wi Sopyeong’s face drained completely of color.
