The Beggar Young Master of the Namgung Clan

Namgung Il was mixed in with the beggars, quietly watching the situation.

Glare—

Even if Man Cheok-su acted rudely, he had tried not to step forward if possible.

No matter how much he was the former leader of the Beggars' Sect, his position had changed now.

So he had tried to watch the situation quietly, but when Man Cheok-su brought up the main gate of the Beggars' Sect, he finally couldn't stand it anymore and exploded.

"L-Lord! Are you alright?"

"Ugh...!"

Man Cheok-su hurriedly wiped the dog poop on his face with his hand.

But the stench still remained strongly at the tip of his nose.

No matter how much he wiped it with his hand, it seemed he would not be able to completely remove the dog poop on his face until he washed it with water.

"Who on earth are you!"

Man Cheok-su shouted at Namgung Il.

To dare to throw dog poop on his face.

He felt that his mood would not be relieved unless he held him responsible for this and received a suitable compensation.

"I am Namgung Il."

"...?"

When Namgung Il revealed his name, Man Cheok-su's gaze changed.

Looking closely, wasn't a young master with a rather noble air standing in front of him, not a beggar?

Also, that name, Namgung Il. It felt familiar from somewhere.

'D-don't tell me...!'

Just then, as if he had realized something, Man Cheok-su's eyes widened.

There would only be one place in this world that could use the name Namgung.

Man Cheok-su immediately knew that Namgung Il was from the Namgung Clan.

'No, but why is a person from the Namgung Clan here?'

Man Cheok-su immediately had such a question.

For a person from such a prestigious family to be in a beggar's den like this.

Of course, there was a possibility that those words were a lie, but since he wouldn't impersonate the name of the Namgung Clan unless he was crazy, Man Cheok-su's attitude had no choice but to become cautious for now.

"Did you say... Namgung Il?"

"Yes."

"Did you really throw dog poop at me, Young Master?"

"If you want, do you want to smell my right hand?"

"..."

For a descendant of the Namgung Clan to throw dog poop with his hand... it felt quite nonsensical.

Just then, Jong Seo-eon approached Namgung Il with a flustered expression.

"Why are you here!"

He was sure he had told him to wait in the room.

When Jong Seo-eon asked, Namgung Il answered calmly.

"Sorry, I couldn't just stand still."

"No... that's one thing, but why did you throw dog poop?"

"Because I was angry."

Is that the reason?

Jong Seo-eon was at a loss for words, dumbfounded.

"And if I hadn't thrown the dog poop, the situation would have become more complicated."

"What do you mean by that?"

"It's better for me to throw dog poop than for the leader to punch that brat in the face."

That was one of the reasons why Namgung Il had intervened.

If he had just stayed still, Gae Du-sik would surely have used force on Man Cheok-su, and that would probably have worked more to the disadvantage of the Beggars' Sect.

If so, it would be better for him, a third party, to intervene.

Of course, the biggest reason was that he was angry at Man Cheok-su's words and actions.

Thud—

"Don't worry."

"..."

"I'll take care of it, so you stay out of it."

When Namgung Il put his hand on his shoulder and said, Jong Seo-eon could not say anything for a moment.

Because a quiet anger was felt in Namgung Il's two eyes.

To be so angry for the sake of the Beggars' Sect... Jong Seo-eon felt as if tears of emotion would flow.

"...?"

Just then, he felt something at the tip of his nose.

At that moment, Jong Seo-eon's tears were sucked back in.

"W-wait... Captain, that hand...!"

"Ah, sorry."

"...!"

"Since it's already on me, I'll just wipe it off a bit."

Namgung Il said and wiped his right hand on Jong Seo-eon's clothes several times.

Man Cheok-su, who had been silently watching him from a while ago.

At that moment, a meaningful smile appeared on Man Cheok-su's lips.

'There's no need to be intimidated just because he's from the Namgung Clan.'

He had just come to get his money legitimately.

Moreover, wasn't it Namgung Il who had done wrong now, not him?

Man Cheok-su erased the smile on his lips and shouted at Namgung Il.

"For a person from the Namgung Clan to throw dog poop at a person who was just standing still!"

"..."

"How on earth are you going to take responsibility for this?"

"Weren't you the one who tried to smear poop on my face first?"

When Namgung Il answered, Man Cheok-su could not understand those words for a moment.

"To dare to say that you would touch the main gate, which can be said to be the face of a sect, don't you have anything to say even if you get hit with dog poop?"

"..."

"On the contrary, think of it as a relief that it ended with just dog poop."

A considerable amount of thorns existed in Namgung Il's tone.

As if Man Cheok-su had also sensed that, he said in a somewhat calmer voice.

"I will admit that it was my fault."

"..."

"But why is the Namgung Clan interfering in the problem between me and the Beggars' Sect? I don't think I've insulted the Namgung Clan."

If he were to get angry, the Beggars' Sect should be the one to get angry.

There was nothing wrong with the logic that Man Cheok-su had just put forward.

"Wait!"

It was then.

Suddenly, Gae Du-sik came forward and shouted at Man Cheok-su.

"That young hero is a guest of the Beggars' Sect. So it is right for our sect to take responsibility for him."

When Gae Du-sik said that, a slight curve appeared on Man Cheok-su's lips.

"If the leader says so, then I will not say anything more to the young master."

"..."

"Then, since you said you would take responsibility, I will demand a just compensation."

Man Cheok-su said and moved the abacus again.

"Well, let's settle for this much."

"...!"

"Just pay this amount in ten days, including today's."

The amount on the abacus was none other than ten thousand gold.

To think that the amount would increase by two thousand gold just because he had been hit with dog poop once.

Although it was a truly ridiculous demand, Gae Du-sik did not say anything more.

'It can't be helped. I have no choice but to endure it all...'

Namgung Il had acted like that for the sake of the Beggars' Sect.

In the first place, if Namgung Il hadn't stepped forward, wouldn't he have made a bigger mistake?

If he thought about it that way, two thousand gold could be considered a very cheap price.

"I understand... then in ten days..."

"Is ten thousand gold enough?"

It was then.

Suddenly, Namgung Il cut off Gae Du-sik's words and asked Man Cheok-su.

"Y-young hero?"

"I asked if ten thousand gold is enough."

Leaving the flustered Gae Du-sik behind, Namgung Il asked once more.

"Yes, it's ten thousand."

"..."

"But why are you asking? It's not like you're going to pay for it, Young Master..."

"Take it."

Namgung Il was now holding a piece of paper in his hand and holding it out.

Man Cheok-su watched him in silence and then ordered the man behind him to bring it.

"...!"

As soon as he confirmed the paper, the man's two eyes widened like lanterns.

"L-lord!"

"...?"

"I-it's a bank note! And it's for ten thousand gold..."

Wh-what did you say?

Man Cheok-su momentarily thought that he had misheard the man's words.

'...It's really ten thousand gold, isn't it?'

It was an unmistakable bank note from Songlim Bank. And it was worth ten thousand gold.

Only after receiving the bank note from the man and confirming it himself could Man Cheok-su believe that fact.

'As expected of the Namgung Clan?'

To pay such a large sum of money without any hesitation.

Even considering the Namgung Clan, Man Cheok-su couldn't help but be surprised by this fact.

"It's ten thousand gold."

"...I've confirmed it for sure."

"Then with this, the debt of the Beggars' Sect is all paid, right?"

Swoosh—

"Give me the IOU."

It was better to resolve such things right away.

Otherwise, that side might say something else later.

Just then, a meaningful smile appeared on Man Cheok-su's lips.

"I don't think I can give you the IOU."

"What? What do you mean by that?"

"Wouldn't it be strange to give you the IOU when the debt is not all paid?"

Didn't he say that the debt was ten thousand gold?

As Namgung Il was looking at him with an incomprehensible expression, Man Cheok-su continued to speak.

"What you paid today, Young Master, is only the interest, excluding the principal."

"..."

"Well, even so, you still haven't paid all the interest."

"Then how much is left in total, including the principal?"

When Namgung Il asked, Man Cheok-su grinned.

"Why are you asking? It's not like you're going to pay for all of that, Young Master, right?"

"Stop talking nonsense and just tell me."

"...Well, alright. It's not that difficult to tell you."

Man Cheok-su said and moved the abacus again.

And a moment later, holding out the abacus to Namgung Il, Man Cheok-su said with a wicked smile.

"In total, it's about one hundred thousand gold now."

One hundred thousand gold.

It was a truly unrealistic amount.

When Man Cheok-su presented the amount, Gae Du-sik immediately refuted in an angry voice.

"Don't lie!"

"Why would I lie about something like that?"

"The principal that the Beggars' Sect borrowed was surely fifty thousand gold. But for that to become one hundred thousand gold... does that make sense?"

One hundred thousand gold was twice the amount of the principal.

Moreover, hadn't the Beggars' Sect paid Man Cheok-su a little at a time over the past five years?

If all that money was added up, Man Cheok-su was now telling him to pay more than twice the amount he had lent.

"Then you should have paid it back on time."

"...!"

"Interest is something that snowballs over time."

"B-but..."

"If you want, shall I explain how I calculated it step by step in front of you so that you can accept it?"

Gae Du-sik could not refute those words.

For Man Cheok-su to say that meant that it was not a lie, but the truth.

At this very moment, Gae Du-sik was so angry at himself from five years ago.

"Hehe—"

Seeing that, Man Cheok-su laughed slyly.

"Now, I've told you the amount as you wished."

"..."

"One hundred thousand gold. Can you pay it right now?"

Man Cheok-su was sure that it would be absolutely impossible.

No matter how much Namgung Il was a person from the Namgung Clan, one hundred thousand gold was by no means a small sum of money.

Although the clan head might be different, Namgung Il would not have the authority to move one hundred thousand gold at that young age.

'When he paid back ten thousand, he must have thought he was some kind of hero.'

So Man Cheok-su showed him a bigger wall.

This is reality, and this is the martial world.

Thinking that he had made a descendant of a prestigious family feel such humiliation, Man Cheok-su was in a very good mood.

"I can't pay it right now."

Just then, such words flowed from Namgung Il's mouth.

At that moment, Man Cheok-su had a victorious smile on his lips and nodded his head as if it were natural.

"As expected, I thought you would say that..."

"Five days."

"...?"

"I'll pay it all back after that, so don't say anything else then and give me the IOU."

What did Namgung Il just say to him?

That he could pay back all one hundred thousand gold? Man Cheok-su was sure he had heard that.

"...Are you serious?"

Man Cheok-su asked with a face that had lost its smile.

And so, on the contrary, a curve appeared on Namgung Il's lips.

Namgung Il said in a slightly provocative tone.

"I don't really like to joke."

"..."

"If you want, shall we make a bet on whether I can pay it back in five days or not?"

What on earth was that expression and tone?

Man Cheok-su was still confused about whether that was just the vigor of a young man or a confidence with a basis.

'...It's absolutely impossible.'

After a rather long calculation, Man Cheok-su finally came to that conclusion.

He didn't know if there was more time, but to get one hundred thousand gold in just five days.

Just traveling back and forth from here to the Namgung Clan would take five days.

"...What kind of bet are you talking about?"

In the end, Man Cheok-su asked Namgung Il.

"Don't worry."

Grin—

"It's simple."

(End of Chapter)