Chapter 1112: Can I Do Well? (Part 2)

"Ku, cough."

Baek Cheon's body trembled uncontrollably.

His hand, soaked in poison, was experiencing spasms.

However, even if there were no poison invading his body, he would still be shaking. That's how exhausted he was, with barely any strength left.

"Cough!"

Baek Cheon, struggling against the surging poison, coughed dryly several times and raised his head to look at the darkening sky. Exhausted and with almost no strength left, he managed to lift the sword he was holding over his head.

And with a voice that sounded like the last breath, he shouted.

"I won..."

Before he could finish his words, Baek Cheon's body slumped forward.

"I won..."

Thud.

The last remaining opponent collapsed like a decaying tree. It was a scene that could be seen as tragic or comic, depending on how you looked at it.

Among those who fought fiercely, using their utmost strength to bring down the altar, no one was standing anymore. Everyone, regardless of belonging to Mount Hua or Tang Family, lay scattered on the ground, either groaning or losing consciousness with froth on their mouths.

"Ugh..."

"Son... bitch..."

"Kill me..."

Even among the groaning, there were occasional swear words mixed in. Should it be called amazing or pathetic?

Chung Myung, who had been quietly observing the scene from a corner, turned his head subtly.

"It seems to be over, right?"

"..."

"Gaju-nim?"

"..."

"Hey?"

Tang Gunak's eyebrows were trembling. Even the corners of his eyes and lips were shaking slightly.

"Well..."

As Tang Gunak was about to speak, his teeth clenched involuntarily.

"...it seems so."

Despite his efforts to appear calm, the sound of bitterness inevitably seeped through. The fact that, despite their determination to fight back, they had ultimately lost was clearly displeasing.

"Hmm. Seems it wasn't enough."

"...Looks like they're going to die."

"Not something you should say."

"...Even I think it's severe."

At that remark, Tang Gunak's forehead visibly furrowed. It seemed that he would go all out and take action today as well if Chung Myung didn't intervene. 

'He's really not normal.'

Chung Myung stepped forward, shaking his head, and stood in front of the fallen individuals. He then opened his mouth.

"So, originally..."

He absentmindedly scratched the back of his head.

"We were planning to train until dawn on our side."

"Ugh..."

"Oh, my... Oh, my... I'm dying..."

Looking at the pitiful figures of both winners and losers sprawled on the ground, Chung Myung shook his head.

"...It doesn't seem like the right situation for that. So, let's call it a day for training. As agreed, the Tang Family will come out tomorrow morning, and Mount Hua will come out tomorrow afternoon."

"..."

"Are you listening?"

"..."

"Hey?"

There was no response. Chung Myung turned his head, his head hanging low.

"...What's going on over there?"

Sighing deeply, he walked towards the place where Nokrim and Namgung were grappling.

* * *

"I'll carry it!"

"No, I'll do it!"

"I heard that you're still not fully recovered..."

"I'm fine! Give it here!"

Madam Choo snatched the tray with refreshments as if taking it away. 

"Oh, no, you don't have to exert yourself so much already. We can handle it."

"No, it's not a free service. I'm getting paid for it, so I should do my best."

"Well, then..."

Madam Choo smiled and walked inside.

Since Hyun Jong's visit, she had been working in the manor's kitchen. Still in the process of adjusting, she focused more on menial tasks than cooking, but she gave her best in everything.

'I must never become a burden.'

She was well aware that she currently wasn't of significant help. However, even though she could hear that she wasn't helpful, she didn't want to hear any insinuation that she was casually doing her job relying on sympathy.

Without gratitude, humans were no different from beasts.

Her responsibility here was not only to take care of the disciples of Mount Hua who provided her with a place to stay, but also to ensure their comfort. Not a single bit of negligence could be tolerated.

For the sake of the growing child as well.

The work wasn't as challenging as she expected, and those who were aware of her circumstances were considerate, making everything comfortable. There was only one issue.

Walking into the restaurant with a tray, Madam Choo's steps slowed slightly. With an unwilling stride, as if approaching an uncomfortable place, she carefully placed the tray on the table.

Then, she subtly glanced at the seated individual.

A man who, under normal circumstances, would attract attention just by going outside. But Madam Choo's reason for stealing a glimpse of his face wasn't because he was handsome.

It was because his once handsome face was now so ruined that the term "haggard" wouldn't do it justice.

"Enjoy your meal."

"...Thank... you."

Yes, there was only one problem. The place called Mount Hua seemed to be far from ordinary.

'... The appearance of these people...'

If she had seen this sight for the first time, she might have thought she had encountered a gang of thugs and fainted on the spot. Why wouldn't she? Every person, with bandages tightly wrapped around their entire bodies, sat in front of the table like corpses.

"Please... you should eat."

"Yes..."

Baek Cheon weakly nodded towards Madam Choo and feeble lifted the chopsticks. Confirming this, Madam Choo left the dining area.

In a voice that seemed on the verge of dying, Baek Cheon spoke,

"Let's eat. We have to eat, everyone."

"Yes... Sasuk."

"We... have to eat..."

Mount Hua disciples laboriously moved their bodies and lifted the rice bowls in front of them. The movement was so slow that even an eighty-year-old man's tongue would have clicked.

Honestly, it wasn't a situation where they had to eat. But Mount Hua disciples knew it from experience. If you refused a meal now because you didn't want to eat the food, it only meant more significant pain awaited you tomorrow. It wasn't about eating to live but about eating to survive. That was Mount Hua's implicit rule.

"Ah, ah, ah..."

"Ugh, my mouth is all torn."

"Ugh. It's so bitter..."

Groans came out of the mouths of Mount Hua's disciples as they chewed their food. Swearing involuntarily erupted where the pain had burst open. However, the pain felt in the mouth was nothing.

"Ugh, ugh."

"Ah... I feel like I'm going to throw up."

"Sasuk. My stomach is so upset I can't swallow...."

"Ugh... What kind of poison is this."

Mount Hua's disciples frowned with a look of disdain. Because of the poison, their stomachs turned upside down, making them nauseous and uncomfortable even at the smell of food.

"No. Dirty bastards, do you want to win that badly? Using poison in hidden weapons..."

At one side of the large restaurant that had been converted from a warehouse originally built to store the goods of merchants traveling along the Yangtze River, the gazes of the people from the Sichuan Tang Family, who were just watching without daring to eat, turned towards them. It was a response to the conversation among Mount Hua's disciples.

"What? Dirty?"

Baek Sang, who belatedly realized what he had said, covered his mouth with his hand.

"Ha. Haha..."

Yoon Jong awkwardly laughed and tried to mediate.

"Ah, I'm sorry. We got excited..."

"Are you saying you can't control your words? If we had really used poison unfairly, do you think anyone would have survived in Mount Hua right now?"

"...Zhan!"

Tang Zhan, who had jumped up to his feet, heard Tang Pae's shout and sat back down hesitantly.

"I apologize, hyung-nim."

"Be careful. No matter how correct your words are, you shouldn't make the other person feel bad. After all, they won, didn't they?"

It was a very proper thing to say. However, if the listener's heart is twisted, even those right words can sound bitter.

"...Correct worrrrds?"

Jo Gol blinked his eyes and glared at Tang Pae and Tang Zhan.  [Omg, the resemblance...]

"Oh my, we didn't know this. We were celebrating the victory, thinking we survived thanks to the mercy the Tang Family showed us."

"Ahem. No. It's not like that..."

"If you feel so wronged, use poison properly and win. Why let your tongue hang out after losing?"

"What?"

"Gol-ah! Your words are harsh."

"No, Sasuk! The truth is like that, isn't it? Those bastards are subtly ignoring us, saying one thing after another!"

"..."

"If they are prestigious, let them be prestigious! Even the Namgung Family, who are truly prestigious, doesn't behave like that. Since when did the Sichuan Tang Family become more prestigious than the Namgung Family?"

"Well, this bastard?"

At that moment, Tang Pae couldn't hold back his anger and stood up from his seat.

The Sichuan Tang Family had always been second-in-command in the Five Great Families. Along with the Hebei Peng Family, it inevitably had a subtle sense of inferiority compared to the Namgung Family. But now, touching on that aspect directly, the tension could instantly escalate.

"No. Did I say something wrong? Isn't that right? Namgung So..."

He was planning to gain the upper hand by bringing in the Namgung Family's Sogaju, but Namgung Dowi's condition was a little strange. His usual neat appearance was nowhere to be found, and with bloodshot eyes, he stared at someone as if he were about to kill.

"Namgung So-hyeop?" [idk "남궁소협?"]

"Oh my. You might even kill someone with your eyes."

And right in front of Namgung Dowi, of all places, almost lying in his chair just across from him was Im Sobyeong. He had his feet up on the table, fanning his face gently with a fan.

"Will the outcome of the fight change just because you say that?"

"This…"

"Ah, if you're upset, then win. What did I do wrong? Nokrim! Our Nokrim! Insignificant bandits who are now stronger than the Namgung Family. Ah, what should I do?"

Euddddeuddeuk!

Namgung Dowi's grumbling echoed throughout the entire restaurant.

Of course, Im Sobyeong, who spoke like that, wasn't in great shape either. Every time the fluttering fan moved away from the face, blue-stained eyelids were visible.

But regardless of his condition, Im Sobyeong exuded the composure of a victor.

"Aha, there's no need to feel so unjustly treated, right? It's not that Namgung is weak; it's that Nokrim is strong. Uhuhuhuhuhuhu!"

"Uh... Uh..."

A bloodshot gaze filled Namgung Dowi's eyes.

"If I had competed with my skills, I would have won!"

"Who... who?"

"I just wasn't used to all-out battles. It's just a matter of experience...!"

"Yes, yes. Well then. Is there any doubt?"

"This...?"

Seeing Namgung Dowi's trembling hands, Jo Gol instinctively shrank his neck.

'If he keeps this up, someone might die.'

Normally, someone like that would be even scarier when their eyes turned, but the Nokrim King had no fear. He scratched where it itched... But why did the atmosphere over there become like that?

At that moment, Im Sobyeong turned his head, looked toward the Tang family, and smirked.

"Oh, even the formidable Sichuan Tang Family seems to have enjoyed getting themselves beat up. This, this is truly a spectacle."

"That bandit?"

"Do you really want to lose?"

"Die?"

Im Sobyeong chuckled.

"Oh. Can you handle that? The ones who got beaten by Mount Hua?"

"Uh... Agh!"

When the Tang family couldn't bear it any longer and rushed toward the table, Tang Pae shouted.

"Calm down!"

"But, hyung-nim!"

"Did you not hear? Gaju-nim and Mount Hua's Chivalrous Sword said that those who draw their swords for personal reasons will be punished! Endure it!"

"Uh...."

Although everyone expressed their enmity toward each other, no one dared to rush forward recklessly. At that moment, a clear voice echoed.

"But that."

"Hmm?"

Everyone's gaze turned back to Yoo Iseol, the one who spoke.

"...It means you just don't draw your sword."

"..."

"..."

Madam Choo increased her pace. Holding plates in both hands, she quickly opened the door to the restaurant.

"Here's more food...."

However, in that moment, someone flew in next to her, crashing through the wall.

"Aaaah!"

"I never liked you from the start! You son of a bitch!"

"Who are you to say that!"

"You damn bandit!"

"Who does this guy think he is calling a bandit! Dieeeee!"

The carefully prepared food was scattered in all directions. Tables, chairs, people flew through the air, and someone climbed on top of someone else, swinging fists. The chaos was so great that it was impossible to tell who was who, and they were biting and tearing at each other.

Madam Choo stared at the scene dumbfounded, unable to bring herself to escape.

"Allies or enemies! You're all bastards!"

"Since when have you been equal to us!"

"They're even worse than bandits! Let's kill them all!"

"Aaaah! Bring it on!"

Watching the chaotic scene in front of her, Madam Choo involuntarily closed her eyes.

'Me... Can I handle this...?'

For the first time, Madam Choo wondered if she hadn't received a favor, but rather a heavy burden.