Even the Sword God Needs Paternity Leave

Chapter 21: White Path Also Opens Safes

"White Path! White Path has appeared!"

One of the estate's retainers shouted.

Though called a retainer, he was Black Path. Someone who had helped Master Dongpae couple's evil deeds.

"How did they know to come here?"

"Inform the Young Manor Lord!"

When the couple left, they took most of the retainers, but some remained with the Young Manor Lord to guard the estate.

Those retainers moved busily.

Amid the chaos, gardener Jeong Nosam embraced his wife and eight-year-old daughter.

"Oh my. Jeongi, come here."

Three years since being dragged here to work—with the child so young, he hadn't dared attempt escape.

Perhaps now an opportunity to flee...

"There are only two of them!"

"Two? They have no fear—do they know where this is!"

Jeong Nosam sighed.

"Just two..."

His daughter Jeongi looked up at her father.

"Father, two is even better."

"Hm? Why do you think so?"

"Because they're confident in their martial arts, that's why two came."

The child's eyes sparkled brightly.

A child whose speech developed quickly and whose thinking was sharp.

But this time was wrong.

"Jeongi, no. The estate has many traps installed. Even masters can't display their skills if they don't know beforehand."

At that moment, shouts were heard from afar.

"How do these bastards know all the mechanisms!"

"Don't rely on mechanisms. Compete with martial arts!"

"..."

Jeongi looked up.

"Jeongi, still, the retainers' numbers are quite many. Master Dongpae has been especially concerned about the estate's defenses lately."

It was heard again.

"Just run away! They're too strong!"

"What the hell are these guys... Kraak!"

"..."

Jeongi kept looking up.

Jeong Nosam was at a loss for words and hesitated briefly, then suddenly realized this wasn't necessary.

"Let's flee."

"Flee? Without asking those who attacked for help?"

"What if those people are even stronger Black Path? We must flee."

"That's true."

"Right?"

"But it's too late. He's behind you, dad."

His heart sank. His body trembled.

But he couldn't stay still. His wife and child were here.

"P-please spare us. We were just captured and made to work..."

Turning back to quickly kneel.

"Please stand up."

A tall, well-built man extended his hand to hold up Mr. Jeong.

"We knew everything before coming. Don't worry. We are White Path."

Words contained in a low, calm voice.

White Path.

Nosam's tension simply released with a thud.

"Ink Sword Hero! I told all the other employees to come too."

A large man with dark complexion approached.

Behind him, Old Man Hwang, Aunt Yang, and cook Jang Chil were all following.

The man called Ink Sword Hero handed out cloth pouches one by one.

"This is money Master Dongpae had."

Jeong Nosam was shocked.

Regaining freedom was already unbelievable, but to give money too.

Unrefined Jang Chil opened the pouch to check how much was inside.

"This much?"

Indeed, the pouch was heavy.

"Please think of it as compensation for the hardships you've endured."

Jeong Nosam looked down at the three pouches in his hands.

"Why?"

Daughter Jeongi suddenly threw out a question.

"Hm?"

"Why are you releasing us? Why give us money?"

The Ink Sword Hero tilted his head, not understanding the question's intent.

Jeong Nosam hastily opened his mouth lest the benefactor's feelings be hurt.

"Hero, the child grew up watching Black Path, so she's like this. She can't yet distinguish well between what should and shouldn't be said. Please don't pay attention to an unknowing child's words."

A regretful groan flowed from the Ink Sword Hero's mouth.

"Ah... I see."

He bent down to meet Jeongi's eyes.

"What's your name?"

"Jeongi."

"Jeongi, does it seem strange that uncle is releasing you and giving money?"

"Yes."

"What's strange about it?"

"..."

Jeongi thought briefly then answered.

"The uncles here wanted to take more money too..."

"Yes."

"They didn't give mom and dad money and kept making them work..."

"I see."

This time the Ink Sword Hero pondered then opened his mouth.

"How old is Jeongi?"

"Eight years old."

"Oh, I see. But you speak so well."

"Hehe."

After the Ink Sword Hero nodded several times, he spoke with emphasis.

"Those uncles are bad people."

"Bad?"

"Yes, didn't Jeongi also dislike those uncles?"

"Yes. I disliked them a lot."

"Right? Such people are called bad people. And bad people receive punishment."

"Heee..."

"Even if you meet other bad people, Jeongi will feel unpleasant. Then avoid them. You just need to avoid them."

"I just need to avoid them?"

"Yes. Then people like uncle will appear and punish the bad people."

Jeong Nosam nodded.

He'd forgotten because his daughter was so smart, but she was only eight years old. He just needed to tell her what was good and what was bad.

"Then is uncle a good person?"

At those words, the Ink Sword Hero laughed lowly. He patted Jeongi's head, stood up, and turned his back with his companion.

"White Path."

And he told the adults.

"If you have nowhere suitable to go, go to Golden Cloud Trading in Luoyang and say the Ink Sword Hero sent you. They'll give you work."

Old Man Hwang shouted at their backs.

"Heroes, I saw earlier that only retainers came out to block you and the Young Manor Lord wasn't visible. You must be careful!"

The two turned their heads to express thanks and faced inside again.

Old Man Hwang who saw their faces let out an ah, a sigh of relief.

"They don't seem concerned."

"Well, having cut down all the retainers, what's one Young Manor Lord?"

The gathered people all began walking toward the estate's main gate together.

It was truly a sunny day.

Autumn sunlight draped over the entire estate, and the road leading outside was well-maintained.

***

—KWAAAAANG!

The main building's wall collapsed.

"Wow, quite impressive? Demonic arts?"

Kwak Daebang admired.

The Young Manor Lord was slightly smaller in build than Master Dongpae.

No, had been smaller.

"Krrrrrr."

His entire body had swollen greatly under the demonic arts' influence.

His face exactly resembled Master Dongpae's, like a small catfish, but now had changed to a large catfish.

"It's demonic arts of the Beast Meridian lineage. Looking at the appearance, he took a bear's strength."

"A catfish growling like a bear is irritating."

"I agree."

Kwak Daebang and I conversed leisurely while scattering to the Young Manor Lord's left and right.

The Young Manor Lord's demonic arts were superior to the Demonic Cult spy I'd cut down at the Dragon Sword Gang.

Not his whole body, but coarse hair sprouted in places.

From experience, the skin beneath that hair was also tough. Looking at his swollen body, the enhancement of strength went without saying.

"Krrrr, who are you bastards? Do you have a grudge against my father?"

"Father? Master Dongpae?"

About to answer, I suddenly felt something strange.

"Why do you think it's not about you? Even after learning demonic arts."

"Krrr, I've only been home, so what grudge could arise? I haven't completed martial arts mastery for long."

Ah, he liked staying home.

"Then you must have obtained and learned the demonic arts from books too?"

"That's right. Obtaining the secret manual through painstaking effort—"

"What secret manual? It's nothing but a low-grade demonic arts book the Demonic Cult scattered everywhere."

"Shut up!"

No.

The one who should shut up wasn't me but the Young Manor Lord.

"Shut up! You instigated parents to commit acts yet have no reason to earn grudges yourself? The parents you sent to attack the pharmacy all died by my hand!"

"What? Don't lie!"

"If you hadn't pestered your parents, they at least wouldn't have encountered me. What drove your parents to death was your greed."

"I said shut up! What's wrong with bringing some medicine! Just buy it again!"

"Then why don't you buy it?"

"Rare medicinal ingredients are hard to gather!"

Communication failed.

Master Dongpae couple were Black Path.

Even without me, they would have met White Path.

But if not for the Young Manor Lord, they at least wouldn't have died yesterday.

"All because of that damn low-grade demonic arts."

I lifted Mukheun.

Wuuuung—it hummed with low vibration.

"Young Manor Lord. What did you eat?"

"Krrr, what?"

Quite some time had passed since we attacked this estate.

"While retainers died, you didn't come outside. There's no reason not to come out. Unless you couldn't."

"..."

"Being this confident yet couldn't come out earlier—why?"

Oho, Kwak Daebang admired from the side.

"Did you gain some enlightenment in the midst of this? No, what enlightenment while learning demonic arts? Rather, it's more reasonable to see that you hastily ate a Demonic Pill and enhanced your demonic arts. Thinking in that context, telling your parents to raid Oga Pharmacy also makes sense. Not just about money—some medicinal ingredient handled at the pharmacy must help raise demonic arts. Of course, you failed."

Ohora, Kwak Daebang's admiration continued.

"Krrr, so what will you do about it?"

The Young Manor Lord answered in a voice rumbling like a bear.

"What about it?"

"?"

I looked at him with deeply sunken eyes.

Just moving his parents to plunder children's medicine already crossed the line far.

Much less because of his own demonic arts.

When the Demonic Cult rampages across the world, such people lend their hands first.

They kill children.

"Exterminating the Demonic Cult."

"Kuhaha! What do you take me for!"

He extended beast claws that had grown long. With hair thick all over his hands, cutting would be quite troublesome.

Slash.

But Mukheun and I weren't ones who couldn't cut such things.

"Kraaaah!"

"Your parents also died by my hand. Do you think you can manage with your skills?"

"What? Kraaaat!"

The Young Manor Lord attacked with his other hand.

Slash.

This time too, the same.

Both his hands fell to the ground.

"I heard that pharmacy attack then was because of your demand. I kept thinking I must punish you."

The final blow struck down on the Young Manor Lord's crown.

"How fortunate you stayed at the estate without going anywhere. Truly fortunate."

Because if he'd been outside, he might have attacked another pharmacy.

Me cleaning things up here was best.

"I had no chance to intervene."

Kwak Daebang clicked his tongue and approached from the side.

"This is low-grade demonic arts. No need to even intervene."

Where we faced the Young Manor Lord was a study.

Behind his corpse, an overturned desk could be seen.

Right where that desk had been.

"Is the safe One-Eyed Ghost mentioned under here?"

"Correct."

Anticipation surged.

No good.

If there's nothing much, disappointment will surge as the opposite of anticipation.

"Whew... whew... Let's open it."

There was a stone slab with a dragon pattern drawn in a round circle.

"What's with the dragon again?"

"What do you mean?"

"Talking to myself."

The dragon's pupils were empty.

The peculiar point—the pupils that should be round were carved square.

I took out from my chest the bronze daggers Master Dongpae had used.

"As you said. Good eye? To think of bringing these daggers."

This was a secret even One-Eyed Ghost didn't know.

Fighting Master Dongpae, the two daggers strangely caught my eye.

"They just looked too prestigious for mere weapons."

Safes required keys.

I'd brought them just in case, and indeed. To use these as weapons—was there thought in it?

Click.

The sound of mechanisms fitting together was heard as the entire dragon pattern sank down. Applying force to push it sideways, about seventy percent went into the hidden space.

"If this closes, it'd be trouble, so keep watch."

"Yes, Brother Kwak, you go down."

Kwak Daebang inserted his body.

"...Uh."

"...Are you stuck?"

"No, that much... ah, this really..."

"Why when you train martial arts diligently... give me your hand."

Coming up, he gazed briefly at distant mountains outside the window.

"Stay here."

"Got it."

While muttering.

"Did that Master Dongpae bastard manage his weight normally too..."

Going inside, there was a small stone chamber about one zhang in length, width, and height.

What first caught my eye was a small desk without drawers.

On it lay one booklet and one letter.

The booklet was a third-rate demonic arts book of the Beast Meridian lineage. Flipping through once, there was nothing special. I tore it up without hesitation.

Next, the letter.

[To the esteemed Young Manor Lord.

Your Young Manor Lord's sincerity has been accepted.

Congratulations on obtaining the secret manual.

I hope you train ceaselessly to acquire skills to be used for the Black Path King.]

There was no sender's name.

'Black Path King?'

A name I'd never heard.

Another Black Path leader?

Seeing the Young Manor Lord tried to pledge allegiance, he must have power or formidable martial arts.

How strange I've never heard of him.

'Looking at the Young Manor Lord's state, he might have been hooked by a strange person.'

For now, I'll just remember clearly.

Only then did I look around the entire stone chamber.

Carefully.

Every corner.

There were some jewels and one hundred taels of silver.

"Strange."

One hundred taels was a large sum to me.

But for Black Path committing big acts like Master Dongpae, there should be more wealth.

Besides wealth, there was just that fur over there—

"Mm?"

I rubbed my eyes and looked again.

"What's wrong?"

Kwak Daebang asked from above.

"Brother Kwak."

"Speak."

I slowly picked up the fur and felt it.

"I think I found something extraordinary."