~Chapter 02~
. Strange Kidnappers (1)
A small inn, located about one shichen’s distance from Mount Heng in Hunan.
In a dimly lit room, where only a single oil lamp flickered, four men sat in silence, each in their own posture, with a baby wrapped in silk lying asleep at the center.
“Mm…”
The pale-faced man with long bangs covering half of his face let out a low groan. Normally cold and expressionless, he now seemed unsure of what to do. His long finger tapped absently against the floor.
Tap, tap, tap.
“……”
Tap, tap, tap, tap.
“Hey! Cut that out already! You’re driving me crazy!”
The constant tapping finally pushed Gwangpae to the edge, and he barked at Baekryeong.
“If you’ve got something to say, then just spit it out! Why keep…!”
“Waaahhh!”
“…The baby’s crying again, big brother.”
The infant, startled awake by Gwangpae’s loud voice, burst into tears. Heukpyo, with his cropped hair and tanned face, sighed heavily.
“Didn’t you say you were going to finish your duel with the Sword God?”
“I did.”
Gwangpae, answering gruffly, picked up the crying baby with a frown.
“And when we offered to follow you, you said a whole crowd would be disgraceful, so you left us behind to wait here.”
“Well, that guy’s probably alone too. Makes sense.”
“Then either you come back having beaten him fair and square, or we hear news that you died an honorable death in battle…”
As Heukpyo’s eyes twitched, his gaze shifted to the baby in Gwangpae’s arms.
“But then you went and brought back an infant? What’s the plan here? Are you saying the Black Heaven Four Fiends should stop wandering and just hole up in some mountain, raising a kid?”
“I told you already, didn’t I? I made a deal with that Sword God bastard.”
Gwangpae’s voice was gruff, and his authority among them—already shaky—seemed even more disordered these days.
“I promised to raise the baby until he’s twenty years old. In exchange, I’ll get the second volume of his supreme martial arts manual. The Supreme Manual.”
“The… the manual?”
As if afraid they hadn’t heard properly, Gwangpae repeated “Supreme Manual” over and over. Heukpyo picked up the book lying beside him.
“You mean this manual you got for taking care of someone else’s baby? And what exactly are you going to do with it, huh?”
“Why, you idiot! That’s the Sword God’s martial arts—!”
“Exactly! And you don’t even know how to use a sword!”
Heukpyo’s neck veins bulged as he shouted back, unwilling to yield. Gwangpae’s eyes widened as if struck by something unexpected, then slowly narrowed back to normal.
And then—
Tap, tap, tap.
Just like Baekryeong earlier, Gwangpae nervously began tapping the floor.
‘Knew it… damn it. He hasn’t thought this through at all!’ Heukpyo screamed inwardly, while the bald, scarred giant who had been silently crossing his arms finally raised a hand.
With no hair or eyebrows, and scars etched across his face, he was intimidating enough to make most people’s legs buckle at first sight.
“I…”
“Seokdu, you got an idea?” Heukpyo asked eagerly.
Seokdu slowly reached out a massive scarred hand toward the baby’s face. His index finger alone was large enough to cover the infant’s cheek.
“…Good.”
“…What?”
“…Cute.”
With his lips trembling as he looked tenderly at the baby, Seokdu’s fearsome face seemed almost comical. Heukpyo tilted his head back toward the ceiling with a mutter: “Yeah, of course. I’m the only one here who thinks straight.”
“Anyway… big brother, why’s the kid so quiet all of a sudden?”
Baekryeong, who’d been staring at the baby, pointed toward Gwangpae’s arms. Gwangpae grunted and showed them.
“Can’t you see? The little guy’s calmer than he looks. He stops crying if I hold him.”
“…You mean he’s asleep?”
Baekryeong tilted his head. But when he looked closely, the baby’s face seemed paler than before, and his breathing was faint and labored.
“Huh? W–what’s wrong with him?”
Just before arriving here, the baby had been tugging at his beard, playful and lively. He had cried a few times, but mostly he’d slept peacefully, especially since Gwangpae had secretly pressed his acupoints to help him rest.
But now—
“Hey, come on, wake up. You’re just sleepy, right? Huh?”
Flustered, Gwangpae brought the baby’s tiny hand to his beard.
And then—
Grab.
“See? Knew it. He’s fine—”
Thud.
The baby’s hand slipped limply from his beard and dropped. Gwangpae felt something heavy sink into his chest. He looked at his brothers in panic.
“W–what do we do?”
“Uh, well…”
“Uwaagh!”
Baekryeong tapped the floor frantically, eyes darting everywhere, while Seokdu yanked back his finger from the baby’s cheek, startled. Completely useless. Heukpyo rubbed his forehead and groaned.
“Haah… See? You can’t even handle this, and you thought you could raise a baby? Just bring in a doctor—”
“Then shut up and go get one, you bastard!”
Bang!
“Ugh!”
Heukpyo went flying, smashed through the door, after a kick from Gwangpae.
“Bring a doctor back within one ke! If you’re late, I’ll kill you!”
“Why me?! And how am I supposed to find a doctor in the middle of the mountains within one ke!”
“Go to the nearest village and find one! You’re fast on your feet, aren’t you?!”
“Fast feet don’t mean I know where to find a doctor in some random village! Why don’t we all—”
“Gentlemen! What’s all this commotion?”
Clatter!
As Heukpyo argued from the hallway, the inn boy with a large mole on his forehead rushed over, alarmed.
“If something is wrong, you only need to say so. Breaking down doors and making a ruckus—”
“Hey.”
Grab.
The boy froze as Gwangpae suddenly appeared in front of him, gripping his shoulder. He hadn’t even seen him move. Realizing this was no ordinary man but a martial master, the boy trembled.
“Wh–what do you want? I was only—”
“Enough. Where’s the nearest doctor?”
“A… a doctor?”
Hearing no anger in Gwangpae’s voice, the boy quickly racked his memory.
“This… this is the mountains, sir. There are no doctors here. The closest one would be in Nanyue, further down the slope.”
“Where in Nanyue? Be precise.”
“If you go about a hundred li southwest, you’ll reach the northern gate of Nanyue. Just a little further in, across from the grand estate of the Hyungdo Sect, there’s a medicine hall run by Physician Heo.”
“Across from the Hyungdo Sect? You’re certain?”
“Yes, sir. Once, a badly injured guest here needed him, and I fetched him myself. But it’s far… if you don’t want to lose your way, you should go in daylight—huh?”
He looked up. The man who’d been gripping his shoulder had vanished without a trace.
“My heavens… when did he disappear?”
In all his years working at inns, he’d seen men boast about being martial experts, but never anyone who could vanish like a ghost. Staring dumbfounded, he suddenly remembered the cost of the broken door. When he peeked back into the room, it was already empty.
Physician Heo had practiced medicine in Nanyue for seventy years. He never claimed to have great skills, but after so many decades of experience, he believed he could hold his own against most.
But now—
“Hm…”
…this was a first.
He studied the burly man seated before him, brows knitted. His beard was wild, scars covered his skin, and he sat with one knee up, an arm resting arrogantly across it. At a glance, he looked like a bandit chief or the head of some outlaw sect.
But the way he watched the baby—there was genuine worry in his eyes.
‘From his eyes alone, he doesn’t seem like a kidnapper…’
Still, nothing about this man suggested he was the child’s father.
Physician Heo cautiously asked:
“What is your relation to this baby?”
“…The child of someone I know.”
“Someone you know? And why are you the one with him?”
“…Had something to receive. I’m keeping the kid until I get it.”
…Just as he thought. Not a simple kidnapper—he was holding the baby hostage to claim something owed.
“I see… I think I understand the situation.”
“Have you found the cause?”
The burly man—Gwangpae—leaned forward.
“Why did he suddenly become like this?”
“…Exhaustion.”
“…Exhaustion?”
“Yes. He hasn’t been fed or rested properly, cried himself out, and collapsed.”
Physician Heo didn’t bother hiding the blame in his tone. If this man had truly kidnapped the baby, such words should sting. If he cared at all, guilt would show.
Instead—
“Ah…!”
Gwangpae clapped his palm with his fist as if enlightened.
Physician Heo, speechless, cleared his throat and stood.
“Ahem… very well. I’ll prepare some medicine to bring down his fever and restore his strength. But…”
Rustle.
“Where is the child’s mother? It seems he hasn’t been fed properly for quite a while.”
Trying to keep his tone casual, Heo picked out herbs. Gwangpae leaned against the wall, arms crossed.
“Don’t know.”
“You don’t know? Then what do you intend to do with him?”
“Don’t know that either. Still thinking.”
“Mm…”
The answer made it clear he didn’t want to be pressed further. Heo sighed, nodding, and quietly gathered his herbs.
Meanwhile, the whispers of the Black Heaven Four Fiends continued:
“Big brother, let’s just leave the kid here. If we get caught with him, we’ll be the ones hunted.”
“Heukpyo’s right, boss.”
“I want to keep him. He’s cute.”
“Shut your mouths! I made a promise to get something in return. You want me to break my word now?”
“That’s not a promise, that’s just your greed—ah, fine, fine! I’ll shut up, put your fist down!”
…Yes. They were definitely kidnappers.
If he let them leave freely, who knew what fate awaited the child? He had to report them somehow.
Physician Heo, hands trembling, pulled gently at the door.
“Well then… I’ll just go boil these herbs—”
“Seokdu, follow him.”
“…Me?”
“Yes. Help him with the herbs.”
“Ah…”
Nodding, Seokdu scratched his bald head and got up.
“I’ll come too.”
“Eh? N–no need, it won’t take long—”
“I’ll come too.”
“……”
“…Big brother’s orders. Hehe.”
…The heavens were merciless indeed.
Physician Heo closed his eyes tight. Reporting these kidnappers would not be easy.
