The Beggar Young Master of the Namgung Clan

"Huh?"

Namgung Il furrowed his brows slightly as he looked at the boy who had just opened the door and entered.

His attitude, which clearly looked down on him, was obvious at a glance.

A brat who hadn't even shed his baby fat was calling his name so casually, so Namgung Il couldn't help but feel displeased.

'What's with this arrogant brat?'

No matter how much he was ignored in the Namgung Clan, the only one who could call his name so carelessly would be someone from the same direct line.

The branch family brats might look down on him inwardly, but they wouldn't dare treat him so disrespectfully to his face.

That meant this brat was from the same direct line as him... Looking at his appearance, one person came to mind.

'Is that brat Namgung Ji?'

From what he had heard, that brat and he were the same age.

He was officially the third son of the Namgung Clan, and Namgung Ji was the fourth, simply because he had been born a few months earlier.

In other words, even though they were the same age, he was the older brother...

Namgung Il silently looked at Namgung Ji, making such calculations in his head.

"Hey!"

"...?"

"Shouldn't you answer when someone calls you?"

As Namgung Il continued to sit in silence, Namgung Ji shouted in frustration.

Was that what he called calling someone?

It was more of a bark than a call, so Namgung Il found his words absurd.

"Oh, right, right. What is it?"

"Whaaat is iiiit—?"

Was this brat really from the direct line of the Namgung Clan?

The way he stood with one leg cocked and dragged out his words made him look no different from a street ruffian.

"I was worried because I hadn't seen you at the training grounds for a few days, so I came to check on you myself. Whaaat is iiiit—?"

"Then what should I say?"

"Isn't it normal to bow your head and thank me?"

Hah—

An incredulous laugh escaped Namgung Il's lips without him realizing it.

'I think I know why he tried to commit suicide.'

Even his official younger brother was treating him like this, so how would the others be?

The words that he came here because he was worried were obviously bullshit.

In reality, he probably came here because his toy hadn't shown up for a few days.

Just looking at him now, he could roughly imagine how Namgung Ji usually treated him.

"You're laughing?"

Just then, Namgung Ji's face hardened as he spoke.

At the same time, he strode towards him and stopped right in front, lifting one leg.

Thwack—!

Crash—!

The dining table kicked by Namgung Ji rolled violently on the floor.

'Oh dear, Yeonghwa is going to freak out.'

Namgung Il wasn't scared at all, even seeing that.

Of course, the him who was now dead would have trembled at just such a threat.

But to the him who had lived as the Beggar King, it felt like a child's play.

"Are you messing with me right now?"

"Messing with you?"

"Since when did you laugh at me like that?"

Well, well, this is a very promising future gangster.

He was finding it increasingly hard to believe that this brat was from the direct line of the Namgung Clan.

"Get up."

"..."

Namgung Il got up as Namgung Ji told him to.

"Just by looking at you, it seems you've been faking sickness and skipping training. Or have you finally realized it? That no matter how much you train, you're still trash."

"..."

"This won't do. As a younger brother, I can't just leave my useless older brother like this."

Namgung Ji said as he drew the wooden sword from his waist.

"I'll give you special personal training."

"..."

"Just like always, you know what I mean, right?"

Personal training... Namgung Il knew immediately that it was a beating disguised as training.

The bruises all over his body were probably from this brat.

Of course, the current him had no memory of being beaten by Namgung Ji, but it seemed his body remembered Namgung Ji's violence.

'Surprising. To think it was this bad.'

Namgung Il was so dumbfounded he couldn't say anything.

He had expected it to some extent, but Namgung Ji was showing him more than that.

This was not on the level of a simple, trivial squabble between brothers.

"Why aren't you saying anything? Are you scared or something?"

"Fine. Let's do it."

Grin—

When Namgung Il answered, a smile formed on Namgung Ji's lips.

"But before that, there's something I want to say."

"...?"

"Why are you speaking informally?"

Namgung Il asked, his gaze suddenly turning cold.

Namgung Ji stood there with a blank face for a moment, as if he had heard an auditory hallucination.

Soon, with a disbelieving laugh, Namgung Ji spoke.

"Did you... just ask me why I'm speaking informally?"

"Yes, you disrespectful bastard."

Namgung Ji was at a loss for words again.

Were those really words that could come out of Namgung Il's mouth?

Namgung Il had never once said a harsh word to him, no matter how much he bullied him, so Namgung Ji was a little confused by the current situation.

"...Ha, that's funny. Should I be speaking formally to you then?"

"Didn't the adults teach you to speak formally to your older brother?"

"My dear older brother has changed a lot in the few days I haven't seen him. You've completely lost your fear."

The smile had completely vanished from Namgung Ji's face.

"I have no intention of speaking formally to someone weaker than me."

"..."

"An older brother should be treated like one only when he acts like one. Don't you agree?"

"I agree with that."

Namgung Il said as he walked somewhere.

Was he trying to run away now?

Namgung Ji was about to shout for him to stop, but seeing Namgung Il stop in his tracks, he asked with a puzzled face.

"What are you doing now?"

"What do you mean, I'm about to teach my ill-mannered younger brother a lesson."

"..."

"You're holding a wooden sword too. So it's fine, right?"

Hearing that, Namgung Ji understood why Namgung Il had picked that up.

To think he was trying to defy him with a bone.

It was beyond absurd; it was so ridiculous that he couldn't even laugh.

"You're going to fight me with that?"

"No, I just said it's a lesson."

"..."

"You said you were going to train me just now, right? So this isn't a fight, but a mutually agreed upon situation. Understood?"

"...Yes, I understand perfectly."

Namgung Ji muttered as his grip on the wooden sword tightened.

He had originally planned to go easy, but seeing him now, it didn't seem like it would end there today.

If he went easy, his foolish older brother would just crawl back up again.

Namgung Ji gripped the wooden sword with both hands and rushed at Namgung Il.

Swish—

Namgung Ji swung the wooden sword horizontally.

The wooden sword was aimed precisely at Namgung Il's leg.

He planned to break one of his legs first so he couldn't get up again.

However.

"...!"

Namgung Ji couldn't swing the wooden sword completely.

Because the bone held by Namgung Il was blocking his sword strike midway.

The fact that Namgung Il had blocked his sword strike was already dumbfounding, but the fact that he had blocked it with a bone, not a wooden sword, was unbelievable to Namgung Ji.

'H-how...!'

For his sword strike to be blocked by such a bone.

If he had imbued the bone with internal energy, he could understand his sword strike being blocked, but there was no way Namgung Il knew how to do that.

That meant he had really blocked the sword strike with just a simple bone... Namgung Ji couldn't understand how that was possible.

"What! How did you block it?"

"...!"

"You're thinking that right now, aren't you?"

"Sh-shut up!"

Namgung Ji hastily withdrew the wooden sword and swung it again in a different direction.

But no matter which way he swung the wooden sword, his strikes were frequently blocked.

Namgung Ji was even beginning to suspect that the bone was made of steel.

'What is that bone! You mean it wasn't just a simple bone?'

Of course, the bone Namgung Il was holding now was an ordinary bone that he had just finished picking the meat off of and discarded.

It wasn't the bone, but the person holding the bone.

Namgung Ji still hadn't realized that was the reason his sword strikes were being blocked.

'Is this all he's got?'

Compared to the Blood Demon, Namgung Ji's movements were not even at the level of a child.

Naturally, Namgung Ji's obvious movements were too clear in Namgung Il's eyes, and he could easily block them by bringing the bone to meet the sword before the strike was fully powered.

The so-called Dog Beating Bone Technique.

It was a technique Namgung Il had often used in the past when he had to deal with the disciples of the Beggars' Sect.

'A dog bone really felt better in my hand. It's a shame, but it can't be helped.'

Whether it was a dog bone or a cow bone, it didn't really matter.

After all, the point was to beat the opponent like a dog.

Namgung Il decided it was time to begin his younger brother's education in earnest.

Thwack—

This time, the bone struck Namgung Ji's wrist.

As a result, Namgung Ji couldn't help but drop the wooden sword from his hand, and at the same time, his body spun once in the air.

"Kuaaak—!"

With an unsightly scream, Namgung Ji fell flat on his face.

His wrist and ankle hurt more than his chin, which had just hit the ground.

He knew his wrist had been hit by the bone, but what was this pain in his ankle?

Namgung Ji still didn't seem to understand how he had ended up on the floor.

"Who told you to drop your sword?"

Just then, Namgung Il's voice came from above.

At the same time, he felt a weight on his back.

Realizing that Namgung Il was now on his back, Namgung Ji became furious and tried to get up.

However.

Thwack—!

"Kuaaaah—!"

With a scream, Namgung Ji had no choice but to become quiet again.

'Why does it hurt so much?'

Was he really being hit with a bone?

It felt several times more intense than when he was hit with a wooden sword.

"A swordsman shouldn't carelessly drop his sword."

"..."

"That's why you end up in this state."

"You bastard... How dare you on whose back..."

Thwack—!

A bone... a bone must have broken!

Namgung Il continued to speak to Namgung Ji, who was in so much pain that he couldn't even scream.

"Still not educated enough?"

"...!"

"You still don't see me as your older brother?"

His tone was light, but the atmosphere was incredibly cold.

At least to Namgung Ji, Namgung Il's words did not sound like a joke at all.

'I-I'm going to die!'

He couldn't even remember what Namgung Il was like in the past anymore.

Right now, he was only intensely aware that Namgung Il was superior to him.

Namgung Ji spoke to Namgung Il in a desperate voice.

"P-please spare me!"

"..."

"I won't be disrespectful anymore! I'll keep calling you older brother from now on..."

"No."

"...What?"

Namgung Ji's blood ran cold at Namgung Il's next words.

"A dog's habits don't change easily."

"Wh-what does that..."

"It means you need to be beaten more."

Thwack— Thwack—.

After that, the sound of dull thuds and Namgung Ji's screams could be heard continuously from the room.

How much time had passed?

Yeonghwa, who had gone to get the meat, was finally returning to the room.

"Uh...?"

Yeonghwa saw the open door and had a puzzled expression.

She was sure she had closed that door when she left.

Intuitively sensing something ominous, Yeonghwa rushed into the room.

"Young Master..."

Yeonghwa was about to call for Namgung Il but had to swallow her words.

Namgung Ji was lying on the floor, beaten to a pulp like a dog on a hot day, and Namgung Il was on top of him.

Seeing Yeonghwa, Namgung Il waved his hand as if pleased to see her and said.

"Oh, you're back? Wow—so much meat..."

At that moment, the plate Yeonghwa was holding fell to the floor.

She was so shocked that her hands went limp.

The plate shattered as it hit the floor, and the meat on it became a miserable sight.

"Aaaah—!"

Seeing the fallen meat, this time it was Namgung Il who screamed.

(End of Chapter)