The Lazy Young Master of the Jin Clan

At the mention of the Heretic's Path Alliance, the faces of Kang Cheon and O Yoran hardened.

"So, according to Elder Kang's words... the Nameless Pavilion... no, the Heretic's Path Alliance has touched the White Moon Palace."

"It's the testimony of Bieunggaek, who became lopsided after being directly hit by the Cheon Family's sword, so it's probably true."

"Hoo!"

Gu Yong, who had taken out the second volume of the Encyclopedia of Central Plains Martial Artists from his bosom, found the part with information about Bieunggaek and then took out a brush and wrote down the newly learned information.

"Bieunggaek's butt is lopsided. The reason is..."

At the sight of Gu Yong, who was recording even a man's secret secrets, Kang Cheon thought he should behave himself well.

'By the way, to think that the Heretic's Path Alliance would use assassins against the White Moon Palace.'

To see it as the Nameless Pavilion's sole act, their target was too dangerous.

The White Moon Palace.

Called the number one under heaven, and evaluated as the strongest of the current era, the White Moon Divine Lord Cheon Yusin's main house and an existence that even the Martial Arts Alliance could not dare to challenge was the White Moon Palace.

For the Nameless Pavilion to use assassins against such a White Moon Palace meant that some existence comparable to the White Moon Palace had moved them.

'It would be possible if it were the Heretic's Path Alliance.'

The saying that the Heretic's Path Alliance was above all the evil sects in the Central Plains was already famous.

In particular, there was a rumor that the Heretic's Path Alliance Lord, Ju Cheon, was a strong man comparable to the White Moon Divine Lord.

He had single-handedly killed renowned masters belonging to the evil sects and established the Heretic's Path Alliance, becoming its master.

'Whether the rumor is true or not, it's a fact that he's a troublesome guy.'

Kang Cheon felt his head throbbing.

It was not Kang Cheon's concern that the White Moon Palace and the Heretic's Path Alliance were fighting each other, but the problem was that the place they fought was the Ghostly Wail Forest.

At that moment, Gu Yong cheerfully moved his mouth as if to wash away Kang Cheon's troublesome worries.

"We, the Beggars' Sect, will handle this matter."

"You mean the Beggars' Sect will handle it?"

"Yes! Since it's a matter related to the White Moon Palace and the Heretic's Path Alliance, it would be better for us to clean up the mess ourselves. We will also take care of the matter concerning the Ghostly Wail Forest."

"Oh..."

The faces of Kang Cheon and O Yoran brightened at once.

If the Beggars' Sect stepped up to clean up, there was nothing to worry about.

But Kang Cheon's voice had to be more cautious.

"It won't be for free, will it?"

At his question, Gu Yong's lips curled up into a long smile.

"Of course."

"Tell me what you want."

Kang Cheon was willing to grant whatever Gu Yong wanted.

He had powerful martial arts, and he was backed by the immense wealth of the Jin Family.

"What I want is... for me to live on this mountain with you for a month."

***

Bieunggaek, who had returned, pointed a finger at Gu Yong, who had already taken a spot in a corner of their dwelling and was lying down.

"So, that guy is going to stay here for a month?"

"That's what happened."

"Damn it! That guy is...!"

"I don't know, but he must be quite high up in the Beggars' Sect."

At Kang Cheon's calm answer, Bieunggaek's eyes widened.

"How did you know that?"

"How did I know! If that guy were just a beggar, could he have promised to clean up the mess between the White Moon Palace and the Heretic's Path Alliance? It must have been possible for him to make such a promise because he's no ordinary guy."

In fact, Gu Yong had called beggars and given them various instructions without going down the mountain.

If he were an ordinary beggar, he would have had to go to the branch himself or to the Beggars' Sect's headquarters and explain what had happened in the Ghostly Wail Forest with his own mouth.

But Gu Yong did not move himself.

It meant that the beggar's butt was heavy, and in the martial world, a heavy butt meant that one was in a high position.

"Hah... dammit!"

"So tell me. Who is that beggar?"

When O Yoran also joined in and asked, Bieunggaek shrugged.

"I don't know."

"You don't know? Does that make sense? You were just talking as if you knew everything!"

At O Yoran's angry voice, Bieunggaek frowned.

"That's why it's tricky. He doesn't even have the knot that a beggar of the Beggars' Sect should have, but he's ordering the beggars around like his own limbs."

"Come to think of it..."

For a beggar of the Beggars' Sect, Gu Yong had no knot.

"He's a famous guy among us dark people. There's almost no information he doesn't know. And he's a guy who has never once revealed his own identity."

"He was a trickier guy than I thought."

Kang Cheon scratched his head.

—Yes! I want to stay here for a month and observe the every move of the three heroes. Hahat!

On the surface, he said it was to obtain vivid information about Kang Cheon, Bieunggaek, and O Yoran, but Kang Cheon knew Gu Yong's true intentions.

'The one he's after is Sohyun.'

Gu Yong had intentionally approached them to find out about Jin Sohyun, who was receiving the teachings of the three.

"Should we kick him out now?"

"No. Since we've already made a deal with the Beggars' Sect... we can't break the agreement first. For now, I've told Sohyun to do what he does best, so it should be fine."

"The thing he does best?"

As O Yoran and Bieunggaek looked at him with curiosity, Kang Cheon smirked.

"You may not have seen it, but the thing Sohyun does best is not martial arts."

"Then what is it?"

"Have you already forgotten what his title was?"

Soon, the two could recall Jin Sohyun's title.

"The... Slothful Young Master of the Jin Family!"

***

—Sohyun.

—Yes, Master.

—Do you know what you do best?

—Of course.

—For the next month, do what you do best.

—...Are you serious?

—Y-Yes...

He didn't know the exact reason, but since Kang Cheon's permission had been given, Jin Sohyun had no intention of just letting this short vacation given to him pass by.

'With all my might! I will laze around!'

Jin Sohyun went to a sunny spot where the sunlight came in best and lay down there.

The spring sunlight that warmly caressed his whole body and the cool breeze that still held a chill blew pleasantly.

"This is the best... I've been living too busily, not like myself, until now."

From that day on, Jin Sohyun lay in place for a whopping three days without moving a muscle.

And when the morning of the fifth day dawned, a man in beggar's clothes approached.

His height was average, and the features on his grimy face were clear.

His eyes were large, but it felt as if he were deliberately squinting, and his upper lip was thin, but his lower lip was thick.

"Hello."

"Hello."

"I am a beggar from the Beggars' Sect named Gu Yong."

"I am Sohyun of the Jin Family."

Gu Yong plopped down next to Jin Sohyun.

"What are you doing here, Young Master Jin?"

"I'm lying down."

"As far as I know, it's been five days since you've been lying down, Young Master Jin... how much longer are you going to lie down?"

"Hmm... come to think of it, I should probably get up soon."

"Oh!"

Has the time for Jin Sohyun to learn martial arts finally come?

Jin Sohyun, who slowly got up from his spot, changed his posture and then lay down again.

Gu Yong, who was dumbfounded at the sight, asked again.

"Didn't you say you were getting up?"

"My posture was uncomfortable. If I lie in one posture for more than five days, I strangely get a stiff neck."

"..."

Gu Yong's eyes narrowed.

'He's wary of me. Alright, let's see how long you can deceive me!'

He was confident.

How many martial artists had he chased after to fill the Encyclopedia of Central Plains Martial Artists, monitoring and recording their every move?

Because of that, there had been more than one or two times when his life was in danger from a killing move thrown by a martial artist who had mistaken him for an assassin.

Compared to that, this young brat who wasn't even an adult yet was no match for him.

'Hehe... I will definitely uncover your identity.'

Fifteen days passed.

'Crazy bastard!'

Gu Yong felt like he was going crazy.

For the past ten days, all Jin Sohyun had done was lie down and laze around.

"Haaam—!"

The guy who had spent a whopping fifteen days sleeping was lying down, using a wolf the size of a bison as a blanket, as if he were tired.

'Why is that wild dog so big?'

For a wild dog, it looked like a giant wolf.

Not only that, its fur was overflowing with gloss, as if it had eaten and slept well.

"Hello, mister."

Jin Sohyun, who had spotted Gu Yong, waved his hand.

"Are you lying down again?"

"Again? I've always been lying down."

"..."

"But I have something to do today."

"Oh!"

Jin Sohyun, who was lying down using the wild dog as a pillow, crossed his arms and stared into the air with a serious expression.

Gu Yong, thinking this was his chance, quietly sat next to him.

"What are you thinking about so hard?"

"A contemplation on a martial art that doesn't require one to go to the privy."

"Wh-What did you say?"

It was a bizarre combination that could not be expressed in words.

Privy and martial arts.

How could these two words be in the same sentence?

"Wh-What... do you mean by that?"

As Gu Yong asked, stammering, Jin Sohyun said with a very serious face.

"Did you know that if a human minimizes their movement and does nothing, eating one meal every two days is enough?"

'How would I know.'

Gu Yong was a beggar, after all.

For a beggar, every meal was precious, so three meals a day was like a sacred ritual of the beggars that they had never once skipped.

But eating only one meal every two days?

"Why should I do that?"

At Gu Yong's question, which seemed to show he couldn't understand at all, Jin Sohyun nodded and said.

"The reason is... because that's the only way to go to the privy once every three days."

"..."

"But then a thought occurred to me. How can I not even go to the privy? It would be possible if I didn't eat anything... but a human has to eat something to live."

"That's true."

"So I'm in the middle of contemplating how to not go to the privy. Isn't there a martial art like that among the martial arts?"

"As far as I know... there isn't."

'And there shouldn't be.'

If someone had created such a martial art, Gu Yong was confident that he would bet everything he had to burn that martial art to ashes forever.

No, he had to.

"Hah... as far as I know, the history of martial arts is quite long, but no one has invented such a groundbreaking martial art?"

'Who would invent something like that!'

Gu Yong had words he wanted to say rising up to his throat, but he had to exercise patience.

"That's right. By the way... aren't you learning martial arts from the three masters, Young Master Jin?"

"They're all martial arts I don't need. What would I do if I became strong?"

"Well..."

"Ah! But I like that I learned the daegeum from Master O."

'That's it!'

Realizing that the moment he had been waiting for had finally come, Gu Yong suppressed his excitement and said in a suggestive voice.

"Can you give me the opportunity to listen to your daegeum performance, Young Master Jin?"

"Oh!"

Jin Sohyun, who had been showing exactly why he was called the Slothful Young Master until now, showed a lively appearance for the first time.

"Of course."

Jin Sohyun took out his daegeum and cleared his throat.

Then, the leader wolf, who had spotted this, was startled and ran away like an arrow.

'What was that?'

Until then, Gu Yong did not know.

Why the leader wolf, which had not left Jin Sohyun's side for fifteen days, had run away ten li in a hurry.

"Ahem."

Jin Sohyun, who was contemplating what piece to play in his head, brought the daegeum to his lips.

Gulp—!

'I can finally see the true face of Young Master Jin!'

Gu Yong looked at Jin Sohyun with a face full of anticipation.

Jin Sohyun, who was also excited by his heated gaze, smiled broadly.

"I'll begin!"

"Yes!"

***

"Ugh..."

At the sight of Gu Yong, who had collapsed on the ground and lost his mind, Bieunggaek, who had returned from a night walk, tilted his head.

"What's wrong with that guy?"

At his question, Kang Cheon giggled, and O Yoran shot up from her seat and disappeared somewhere, saying she would go wash up.

"What's wrong with O Yoran too?"

"That beggar guy appreciated Sohyun's daegeum performance. And right in front of him, too."

"What!? Aish... tsk tsk! Foolish guy. Even I dare not listen to Sohyun's performance right in front of him... he's been hit hard!"

"Kekeke!"

"Kikiki!"

At the laughter of the two masters, two streams of tears flowed down the beautiful cheeks of O Yoran, who had shot up from her seat saying she would go wash.

"Heeuk..."

And there was another person who was shedding tears...

"Why on earth?"

Jin Sohyun couldn't understand at all.

The daegeum performance was certainly beautiful enough to be satisfying, but why did Gu Yong foam at the mouth and collapse?

It was truly an incomprehensible thing.

(End of Chapter)