LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 4 - The Mad Dog of Bingzhou, and Unryong (1)
Chapter 4. The Mad Dog of Bingzhou, and Unryong (1)
What the hell is this?
In the middle of peeing, not only did I flash my privates at a woman I’d never seen before, but now I was even being sexually harassed.
“Hey, are you inspecting my goods right now? If you don’t like it, you could just turn your head. Why bother making a comment?”
“You were the one who spoke first, weren’t you? Besides, I have no desire to inspect something like that.”
I pulled up my pants, leaving the woman staring at me with disbelief.
The humiliation was no joke.
I wanted to bury my head somewhere and die.
She shook her head in disbelief and threw the ragged cloak over her head.
Ugh, this is awkward.
I should leave quickly.
Just as I was about to walk away, she tilted her head, as if pondering something, then slowly spoke.
“…By the way, your tone is a bit informal, isn’t it? Haven’t you seen my face?”
“What are you talking about? Have we met somewhere before?”
“Well, no, but… You seriously don’t know who I am?”
If I had ever seen such a distinctive hair color in my life, I wouldn’t have forgotten it.
But she kept pressing me, asking if I really didn’t know her.
This felt strange…
Wait, could it be?
“Are you a scammer? Trying to extort a settlement fee from me?!”
“A… what?”
“Ha! I’ve seen women like you more than a few times. From that look on your face, it’s obvious you’re caught. You perverted woman!”
“P-p-p-perverted?! You bastard! Do you want to die?!”
“Where did that confidence go from when you shamelessly peeked at a man’s privates? Fine, you’ve been caught. If you want to see it that badly, I’ll show it to you again. Here, take a good look!”
As I moved to take off my pants, she quickly grabbed my wrist.
Wait, but…
How is she this strong?
It’s starting to sting…
Ow, ow, ow! It hurts so damn much!
In the end, her grip stopped me from showing off my “treasure.”
“This guy’s completely insane. Honestly, I’d beat you to a pulp right now if I felt like it…”
She covered her head completely with the large cloth and then sat down on the ground, pulling out a bottle of liquor from her sleeve.
“Consider yourself lucky. I’m in the mood to lie low for a while.”
Underneath the shadow of the cloth, her sharp eyes glinted.
And then silence.
…
Isn’t this just making me look like an idiot?
Flashing myself in front of a woman, then trying to pin the blame on her as if she were the aggressor… This was just pathetic, right?
“Well, uh.”
“You still have something to say? I’ll let it slide this time because I’m in a good mood, but don’t expect there to be a next time.”
“It’s just that…”
As she said, we could both just go our separate ways. But still, leaving without paying off this debt bothered my conscience.
“Since we’ve met like this, how about sharing a drink?”
***
“Why are you covering your face like that?”
“I told you. I just came here to take a quiet break. It’d be a hassle if people saw my face.”
“…Are you some noble family’s lady or something, by any chance?”
“Ha, don’t be such a scaredy-cat. Don’t worry. This is just a one-time encounter. I’m not the type to hold onto things.”
As we walked toward the tavern where my younger siblings were, I realized she was a very straightforward woman.
It was like she was even more of a man than me, with the way she talked.
“What about you? Are you a bandit?”
“I’m a righteous warrior who takes down those bastards.”
“Righteous warrior, my ass. Where are there righteous warriors in Bingzhou? You might as well call yourself a thug.”
“If I pursue righteousness, doesn’t that make me a righteous warrior?”
“Hah, you really are a crazy bastard.”
As we talked about this and that, we eventually reached the tavern.
When we opened the door, the noisy atmosphere greeted us.
The old man who looked like the owner was sweating profusely as he served snacks.
When he saw us, he hurried over.
“Welcome. It suddenly got crowded, so there might be a slight delay. It’s going to be noisy for a while, is that alright with you?”
As he said, the loud laughter kept pounding at my eardrums.
The old man looked at me with a bit of worry.
“Oh, brother! When did you get here?”
One of my younger siblings waved his hand from afar.
His face was already quite red—who knows how much he had already drunk.
“No worries, they’re with me.”
“Ah, what a relief. I’ll bring out the food as soon as it’s ready.”
I nodded and sat down in one of the available chairs.
“You’re here early? Normally, you’d be up in the mountains all night getting smacked around by Haryeong.”
One of my younger brothers, Gilsam, said this.
I shrugged lightly.
“Even I need to drink leisurely sometimes.”
“Well, well, maybe the sun will rise from the west today. Huh? Who’s this wrapped-up person sitting next to you?”
“Brother!”
Just as Gilsam was leaning toward the woman next to me, Haryeong dashed over at lightning speed.
“What a miracle you actually kept the time! Ah, put your stuff down first. And try these! Also, we have plum wine and plum liquor—what would you like to drink? Oh, really! Didn’t I tell you not to go too deep into the woods? Why is there so much dirt on your pants?”
Her rapid-fire speech was faster than a rapper’s flow.
“Just bring anything. Oh, and prepare one more spot for my guest.”
“Huh?”
With her arms full of food, Haryeong finally noticed my companion.
“Who’s that? Did you pick up another person again?”
“Well, it’s a bit complicated, but—”
The woman, who had been sitting quietly listening to our conversation, pressed down the cloth over her head and answered in my place.
“Are these your subordinates? Tch, they’re not even bandits, they’re just a bunch of bums.”
“…Who is this woman? Why is she suddenly insulting us like that?”
“The real rudeness is in the head of the guy who dropped his pants in front of a lady.”
Huh?
Wait a minute.
If she says it like that, it sounds like—
“D-d-dropped your pants?”
See?
They’re totally misunderstanding now. Haryeong’s face had turned pale from shock.
“No, damn it! If you say it like that, I sound like a complete lunatic!”
“He exposed himself while greeting me and even tried to proudly show off his precious goods. You wouldn’t say that’s a lie, right?”
Aha.
This woman was getting revenge for earlier.
“Y-you were the one who saw it first!”
“W-what are you so proudly shouting about?”
“No, Haryeong, I swear it wasn’t like that. I was just relieving myself on the mountain trail, and this crazy woman suddenly came by and saw my di—”
“Stop! Please stop right there! I’m mortified!”
Unable to take it anymore, Haryeong covered her face with both hands.
At some point, Baekrang, who had quietly joined us, nodded.
“They say even heroes can’t resist a beautiful woman.”
“Baekrang, stop talking nonsense and get lost…!”
“Well, let’s just leave it at that. Let’s say it was an accident on both sides.”
The very person who started this topic just shrugged nonchalantly.
It was the first time I genuinely wanted to hit a woman!
But arguing any further would only put me at a disadvantage.
Look at Haryeong, not to mention the others—they were all staring at me like I was some sort of trash.
I cleared my throat and decided to change the topic.
“…Now that I think about it, we haven’t introduced ourselves yet. What’s your name?”
“Oh, right. Hmm… let’s see.”
Why was she hesitating so much to reveal her name?
It was only after several seconds that she finally opened her mouth.
“Just call me Yeo. I don’t have a courtesy name.”
“Unryong. I also don’t have a courtesy name, since my background is quite humble.”
“Unryong (Dragon)…”
She stared pointedly at my lower body for a moment before nodding.
“That’s an easy name to remember.”
“W-where are you looking?!”
Haryeong, who had returned holding a tray full of liquor, blushed furiously and shouted.
Yeo didn’t seem to care and spoke again.
“So, Unryong, you don’t seem to be from Bingzhou. Why are you here, in a place like Manbo County, where the Xiongnu and bandits run rampant?”
“I’m here to hunt those Xiongnu and bandits.”
“Trying to play the righteous warrior you mentioned earlier?”
Yeo took a bottle of liquor from Haryeong, filled a cup, and downed it in one go.
“Well, something like that.”
“An unorganized militia is no better than a band of thieves. Righteous warrior? That’s laughable.”
“That’s a valid point.”
My younger brothers burst into laughter at Yeo’s remark.
I too, feeling the mood lighten, filled my cup and emptied it in one gulp.
Yeo looked at me oddly.
“Hah, so you all know you’re a bunch of bandits, yet still call yourselves righteous warriors?”
A righteous warrior, as the saying goes, is really just a glorified thug.
And, since we made a living by looting the loot of bandits, I couldn’t deny it.
I was merely trying to hold onto a sliver of decency in this mess.
“Well, call us bandits or thugs, I don’t have much to say in response.”
“…So bland.”
“So why did *you* come to such a dangerous place like Manbo County, Yeo?”
“Dangerous? I never said it was dangerous.”
“You said it yourself—this place is overrun with Xiongnu and bandits. Isn’t that the same thing?”
“Pfft… Ahahahaha!”
For some reason, Yeo burst into laughter, holding her stomach.
“That’s right. I’ve never been treated this way before. It’s a bit refreshing. I just came here to blow off some steam. Life’s been boring lately.”
Who comes to such a dangerous place for a mood change?
It’s surrounded by rugged mountains, and the scenery isn’t even nice.
I guess everyone has their own reasons.
I reached for my cup again, intending to pour myself more liquor.
Then, from somewhere, I heard a child crying.
I stopped my hand mid-reach.
Turning my head, I saw a woman who seemed to be the child’s mother, sitting and eating.
“Just a little more… I’m hungry!”
“Hush, Choryeon, you mustn’t cry…!”
It seemed like they didn’t have enough money.
There were only two small bowls of porridge on their table.
No matter where you go, the people are starving.
In these chaotic times, just a single grain of rice could mean the difference between life and death.
Poverty spread like a plague, taking people’s lives and bringing the nation to its knees.
And do the officials care for their subjects?
No, the Han Dynasty now only thinks about oppressing and exploiting the people even more.
In such circumstances, there was nothing I could do.
As Yeo said, we were no better than bandits, thugs, and beggars.
No matter how much I called myself a righteous warrior, that wouldn’t change the truth.
So the best I could do was this.
*Thud!*
I stood up and approached the child’s mother.
“What’s going on?”
“…Ah, I-I’m sorry.”
The mother flinched and shrank back.
“Oh no, did I scare you with my face? I apologize.”
I immediately bowed my head in apology and knelt down in front of the small girl.
“Little one, what are you crying for? What do you want to eat so badly?”
“…M-meat…”
“Choryeon…!”
The mother tried to stop her daughter.
“Oh, don’t worry about it. Hey, innkeeper!”
Just as I was about to call the innkeeper, Baekrang and Haryeong appeared, each carrying an armful of food.
They placed an array of dishes on the table.
“You were going to do this anyway, so we brought it all at once.”
Was I that easy to read?
The mother and child, stunned by the sudden gesture, tried to express their thanks, but my younger siblings kept bringing more food, overwhelming them.
“Well, I guess we’ll have to work hard again for a while.”
“Indeed.”
At Haryeong’s words, I smirked and returned to my seat.
I tried to act cool for once, but my siblings stole the spotlight.
Thinking about it made me feel a bit bitter, so I poured myself another drink.
“Is this what you call righteousness?”
Yeo asked.
“Do you think this kind of fleeting kindness will last?”
She seemed rather unimpressed.
When Yeo said that, the previously lively tavern fell silent.
Yet she didn’t seem to care at all and continued speaking.
“It’s laughable. Emotions are formless things. Do you think loyalty or righteousness can feed you?”
As she spoke, Yeo emptied cup after cup, and the once cheerful atmosphere turned awkward.
Damn it, what a disaster this turned out to be.
I was just trying to have a pleasant drink.
As I sighed without responding, Haryeong boldly stepped up to Yeo.
“Excuse me… I’m not sure what mistake my brother made, but don’t you think this is going too far?”
“I can’t help it. I have a condition where I can’t stand looking at idiots. Oh no, did I lose control just now? My apologies.”
Yeo sarcastically shrugged her shoulders, making Haryeong’s face turn bright red with anger.
“You have no manners, do you? I’ve tried to be patient because my brother brought you here, but if you find us so detestable, why don’t you just leave?”
“I was planning to. Staying here any longer might make me vomit.”
Yeo clicked her tongue and started to push back her chair.
I quickly grabbed it.
“…What’s this?”
“Hey, why don’t we all just calm down? Why are you so angry? I bet you’ve never even dated a guy, have you?”
“Huh?”
“Wow, judging by your face, I was right.”
From the moment I met her, I was sure—this woman had never dated a man.
Who would put up with this kind of personality?
Look, her eyes are already filled with murderous intent.
Typical of a bitter spinster.
“Brother! Are you seriously going to let this rudeness slide?!”
“Haryeong, what did Yeo do wrong?”
“…What?”
Haryeong tilted her head, confused by my words.
I simply smiled.
“Well, did she rob someone like other bandits? Did she threaten anyone? It’s true that we’re beggars, and pretty much just thugs, so it’s not surprising if someone finds our hypocrisy disgusting. She just stated her opinion.”
Saying that, I held onto her chair and refilled Yeo’s cup.
“So, if we’re feeling bitter, we should just resolve it. Isn’t that much better than another sword fight? Don’t you agree?”
As I joked, Unsam was the first to react.
“Exactly! Let’s drink! We can’t let the mood stay like this!”
He laughed heartily and began drinking again.
Soon, the others followed suit, and the tavern’s lively atmosphere returned.
Yeo rolled her eyes in disbelief, but I lightly patted her shoulder.
“See? No need to get so heated. Because of you, Haryeong scolded me for no reason.”
“You, are you an idiot?”
Don’t look at me like that.
For the record, I’m not an idiot. I’m a martial artist!
And as a martial artist, I believed that trivial quarrels should be easily resolved with a drink.
“Come on, enough nonsense. Drink up before it gets cold.”
“…What a joke.”
Yeo reluctantly sat down again and, revealing a sly grin, lifted her cup.
“You’re quite an odd one. In moments like this, you’re strangely manly.”
“Thanks for the compliment, spinster.”
“Bastard… Were you trying to pick a fight?!”
“Let’s just call it even. Why overthink it?”
A martial artist should be merciful, but they also never leave even the smallest grudge unpaid.
I shrugged as I teased her, and Yeo, flashing her sharp teeth, glared at me.
“You bastard…”
I casually ignored her insults and shifted the topic.
“I noticed you seem to know a lot about Bingzhou. Are you from here?”
She pursed her lips in annoyance before downing her drink.
“Yeah, I grew up here in Wuyuan.”
“Then you must know this place inside and out?”
“Wuyuan’s my hometown, but I don’t live here anymore.”
I was hoping to glean some information about the Black Mountain Bandits, but…
“Tsk, so you’re useless then.”
“You bastard… I take back what I said about you being manly! You petty scoundrel!”
.
.
.
And so, my drinking session with Yeo yielded no useful information, just idle chatter.
The conversation was simple. It was mostly me teasing her, and her getting angry in response.
As we kept talking, I realized just how simple-minded she was.
In the joy of teasing her, I ended up drinking a lot more than I intended.
The world spun, and I got so drunk I could barely stand.
“Why am I even doing this…?”
Yeo, who barely seemed affected by the alcohol, lightly supported me as I staggered.
For the record, my other younger brothers were all passed out.
This is why I shouldn’t drink all night.
“Ugh, I feel like I’m gonna puke.”
“If you throw up now, I’ll kill you. I’ll really kill you…!”
“Ugh… *gag*…”
“You son of a—aaaahhh!”
As the last of my consciousness faded, a woman’s desperate scream pierced my ears…