Even the Sword God Needs Paternity Leave

Chapter 17: What White Path Cannot Overlook

The swordsman's interrogation continued quickly.

The leaders were Master Dongpae and Madam Cheolseon.

They were Black Path members who had committed robbery acts here and there.

The gathering place was an empty house two alleys away from the pharmacy.

They planned to have about seven or eight people gathered there as well.

"Are the pharmacy people also martial artists?"

If it were an ordinary pharmacy, this many people wouldn't be necessary.

The swordsman nodded weakly.

The wrist that had held his sword had flown off. He showed no will to resist.

"Their skills are outstanding enough to gather this many people?"

"No, their skills are mediocre, they said. They also have to move the medicine, and there are contingencies."

The swordsman's eyes turned toward behind me.

I also briefly looked back.

Yang Cheonjo was there.

He had stopped cleaning and stood staring blankly in this direction.

I deliberately asked the swordsman so the kid could hear.

"If that contingency happened, you would have used that kid as a shield, right?"

"What's the point of saying it?"

I asked Yang Cheonjo with my eyes.

Did you hear?

What you were getting caught up in and what you almost suffered?

Fortunately, Yang Cheonjo quietly nodded.

Good, that's enough.

It's fine if you understand now.

I turned my head from the kid to look at the swordsman.

"Last question. Why did you join this work?"

"What?"

"I'm asking why you joined this work."

"What are you saying? Because they said they'd pay money."

"Money earned from robbing children's medicine?"

Tension circled in the swordsman's eyes.

He seemed to realize what I was asking.

I wasn't asking for a reason. It was obvious what would happen after raiding the pharmacy. Sick children wouldn't be able to get medicine.

I was asking why he ignored such consequences.

"You're the Ink Sword Hero, right?"

The swordsman oddly confirmed my name again.

"Correct."

Relief spread across his face.

"I'm Black Path. I only think about what I want."

He spat it out carelessly.

"I see. Thanks for the honest answer."

I couldn't take the swordsman with me.

Like I did to Yang Cheonjo, I paralyzed his body and mouth with acupoint pressing.

And in addition to that.

"Consider this compensation for your answer."

Also like I did to Yang Cheonjo, I gifted him pain through acupoint pressing.

Painful acupoints that tear at the nerves—one, two, three, and even four I pressed.

Mm, I pressed one more than Yang Cheonjo.

The swordsman's eyes opened wide.

What pain was occurring inside his body vividly reflected in those eyes.

"We don't know when we'll come. Endure well."

If you can't endure, it can't be helped.

"Mm?"

Kwak Daebang made a surprised sound beside me.

"What's wrong?"

He looked as if surprised.

"You're not the Ink Sword Hero I know. You don't do such things. This guy seemed to speak honestly after hearing your name too?"

"Not from now on."

"Really?"

"Yes. You'll often see me doing things I didn't do before."

"Oho."

Kwak Daebang stroked his chin.

We had no more time to talk. The time when Black Path members were to gather was approaching.

"Brother Kwak, what will you do?"

"About what?"

"Will you participate in this matter?"

"Of course. Black Path bastards are raiding a children's pharmacy."

Kwak Daebang was usually blunt with me, but he was still affiliated with the Murim Alliance's Outer Hall.

He didn't overlook such matters.

"Let's go."

This inn was in the county outskirts. The pharmacy required going further toward the county center.

Kwak Daebang and I hastened our steps.

"Wh-what about me?"

Yang Cheonjo hurriedly followed from behind.

"Yang Cheonjo, I need to pretend to be you once more."

"Yes."

"You go home now."

"What?"

"You saw it, didn't you? What Black Path is like. Do you still want to do it?"

"No."

"Remember today's events well. And go home."

However, the kid didn't fall away and followed behind us.

"I won't even dream of things like Black Path anymore."

"Good, go well."

"But what about being a hero?"

"..."

We're busy—where's this wordplay coming from?

I swung my scabbard backward and hit the kid's arm.

"Ow! Don't hit me!"

While running forward, I just turned the scabbard to hit the other arm once, thigh once, shin once—whatever I could reach.

However, Yang Cheonjo stubbornly kept up even while hopping on one foot because his shin hurt.

"Ah, stop! Ow! Listen! If I don't go, you can't pretend to be me!"

"?"

"The person who recruited me said that. He said I'd see him again when everyone gathered later."

So they didn't have a separate recruiter.

These people who scatter and gather as their lifestyle take on any role depending on the time.

"That person knows your face then."

"Yes."

I couldn't pretend to be Yang Cheonjo.

It can't be helped.

"Just this once. Follow along."

"Yes!"

The kid somehow seemed excited and hopped to stick to my left side.

"I'm Yang Cheonjo, the Ink Sword Hero is an older brother I know, and that fat hero over there is an uncle I know. Perfect!"

Kwak Daebang walking on my right side flinched.

"Why am I an uncle?"

Yang Cheonjo stuck out his head to slowly look at Kwak Daebang.

"Uncle."

He simply delivered the verdict.

"Ink Sword Hero, what's with that cheeky brat?"

"There are circumstances. After the work is done, I'm parting ways with this kid."

"Really? He really looks like he won't listen."

Kwak Daebang withdrew his interest from Yang Cheonjo and looked at me.

"Oh right, after the work is done I have something to say to you too, so let's talk."

"Whatever it is, let's do that."

Right now, saving the pharmacy was priority.

There were medicinal ingredients there for our Taebok and other children.

***

"The pharmacy is visible over there?"

Yang Cheonjo said.

As he said, Oga Pharmacy was visible across the street.

"The alley first. If Black Path bursts into the pharmacy, there could be casualties."

"Right, the alley first."

"Did you memorize well the operation I mentioned on the way?"

"Of course. I just outright—"

However, the words were cut off by a small commotion ahead.

"Please, please get up."

In the middle of the road, a woman and child were bowing.

"Thank you. Thanks to you, our child recovered."

When the middle-aged man who was the target of the bowing hastily bowed back, only then did the mother and daughter rise.

"Pharmacist, thank you so much."

"Hehehe, it's all the child's fortune. Also thanks to the physician's efforts. I was worried whether the medicine would work well, but it was effective."

"Of course. If Oga Pharmacy's medicine doesn't work, what medicine would? Thank you so much. Thank you."

From the conversation, the woman was the mother of a sick child, and the pleasant-looking middle-aged man seemed to be the pharmacy owner.

It would be a waste of time to go into the pharmacy and speak, but since we met like this, a warning was worth giving.

We approached the owner who was about to cross toward the pharmacy after sending off the child's mother.

Suddenly men approaching in a group.

"Oh! I have no money."

"..."

Are our impressions that bad?

The three of us looked at each other.

The owner looked at me standing in the center and relaxed.

"Ah, I see not. Hehe, my apologies. You're upstanding people."

Both sides of me bristled simultaneously.

"Pharmacy uncle, what do you mean no? Why do you feel relieved seeing the Ink Sword Hero but not look at us?"

"Look here, what about me? Don't I look like White Path too?"

Small and cheeky brat Yang Cheonjo, large and snorting Kwak Daebang—both protested.

But now wasn't the time for that.

"Ink Sword Hero?"

The pharmacy owner also widened his eyes hearing my alias.

"Oh, the Divine Physician's letter was well..."

"Just a moment. That's for later."

I quickly and briefly conveyed what had happened so far.

"N-no, how can this be."

"Now, from this point I'll go with my companions to the Black Path. The pharmacy people should either hide yourselves or call White Path sects."

"However... there's so much medicine inside the pharmacy we can't move it. There are many children waiting for medicine..."

He looked at the pharmacy.

Even from outside, medicine boxes were piled full inside.

"White Path sects that can be reinforcements are somewhat far. Rather, we'll go and fight together."

A poor plan.

Medicine can be obtained again, but pharmacy people cannot be obtained again.

I bowed to the owner and paid respects.

"Thank you."

"Mm? Hero, why suddenly like this?"

"Because the pharmacy people are here, children can take medicine. They can be free from the illness to come."

"Ah... I only did what needed to be done."

"Thank you for choosing this work as what needed to be done."

It was sincere.

Because such people exist in the world, parents of sick children can hold a thread of hope.

"I'll also do what I must do."

"What the hero must do?"

"More accurately, what White Path must do."

"Protecting people?"

"Smashing Black Path."

"..."

Smashing Black Path to protect people.

Work that White Path can never overlook.

"So how about we each do what we must?"

In the end, the owner nodded.

"Understood. Hero, thank you."

"I'm just doing what must be done. I'll win and return, so don't worry."

"Mm, understood."

He hastily crossed the street and entered the pharmacy.

Watching that back, I spoke to my companions.

"Let's go."

To do what White Path must do.

***

Two alleys over, the house learned from interrogating the swordsman.

"Whew."

Yang Cheonjo was taking deep breaths.

At the inn, I had pretended to be Yang Cheonjo. Thanks to that, he just had to stick by my side.

Now directly stepping forward seemed to make him nervous.

"Don't worry. I won't leave you to die. There are two White Path people here. Brother Kwak, if push comes to shove, take this kid and withdraw."

"Got it. After taking this guy to a safe place, I'll come back."

"By then it'll already be over."

"Oh. You're not even being modest now?"

The tension left Yang Cheonjo's shoulders. The kid knocked on the door vigorously—thump, thud.

The sound of someone crossing the yard approaching was heard.

"Who is it?"

Yang Cheonjo answered confidently.

"I'm called Yang Cheonjo. Brother So told me to come."

"Wait. I'll go ask."

The voice seemed low-ranked among the Black Path group, so instead of shouting inside, he went in directly.

"Yang Cheonjo, if you enter Black Path, you have to start with errand-running like that."

"I'm not doing Black Path, so it makes me want to do it even less."

Of course, average Murim Alliance members or junior sect disciples were no different.

But I didn't bother telling him.

"Come in."

The one who opened the door was a young man with a hunched back.

The bent back only gestured to guide us.

The servant buildings on both sides of the yard seemed empty, and entering the main building in front, Black Path members were gathered.

"Hey, Yang Cheonjo. Good to see you."

The man who had recommended work to Yang Cheonjo had a long vertical scar on the left side of his face.

Yang Cheonjo saw him and acted familiar.

"Brother So, good to see you."

"What, who are those two beside you?"

"An older brother I know, an uncle I know. The older brother I know is this one and..."

"I can tell by looking. The uncle is that one, right?"

I felt Kwak Daebang flinch.

Scar thoroughly looked us over.

"Brother Jang said it was okay? But why are only you three?"

Yang Cheonjo continued speaking as I had instructed.

"You mean the one who uses a short spear?"

"Yeah, right."

"He said he's pulling out."

"What?"

The gathered Black Path members all poured out curses.

Right before carrying out work, forces numbering six had withdrawn, so irritation was understandable.

Good, you're doing well.

Yang Cheonjo, you're doing well without trembling. Keep talking.

"And he had words to convey to Master Dongpae."

"What?"

"Words to convey only to Master Dongpae."

"What? You can tell me."

Scar frowned and the long scar distorted along with it.

It became quite an intimidating face.

I stepped forward.

"Do you see us as idiots? The person to convey words to is decided, so why would we talk to someone else? Or do you plan to intercept the words in the middle?"

Kwak Daebang nodded his head heavily beside me.

I assigned him the role of adding weight since he didn't seem capable of improvised words by his awareness.

A dark-complexioned face with thick eyebrows on top was quite impressive and perfect for the role.

Scar couldn't look down on the three of us and engaged in a staring contest.

Now, what would happen?

This was the operation I had them memorize while coming from the inn to here.

If we can get in front of the enemies' leader with this operation, that's best.

Ink Sword Hero, what if we can't get to the leader?

It's fine. We just smash them starting from there.

Hehehehe, I like it.

Hehehehe, I li— Ow! Why are you hitting me!

How about it?

Starting from you, Scar?

Or from Master Dongpae?

Then.

A thick voice came from inside the house.

"Let them in. If they have words for me, they should see me."

Good choice.

I'll sweep them up in order starting from the leader.