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SERIES: Return of the Divine Thief
CHAPTER 3: Return of the Divine Thief
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Return of the Divine Thief - Chapter 3
In one way or another, everyone fears the dead.
But Jo Yangtae’s fear was extreme.
For that reason, after killing his enemies in the underworld, he always sought out Muryang, the tomb builder.
But who could have imagined that such a tomb-builder was a Master in hiding?
And that this Master would suddenly show up and declare he was taking over the Red Bridge Faction.
‘…Still, I never treated him poorly.’
At the very least, Jo Yangtae had never mistreated Muryang.
He didn't know what Muryang's complaint was, but there was a chance they could resolve this through conversation.
“It’s hard to look up at you. Sit.”
He didn't like being ordered around by someone younger than him, but in the underworld, power determined rank.
Besides, Muryang seemed willing to talk, so he silently complied.
As Jo Yangtae sat, Muryang opened the Peach Blossom Wine that Lop-Ear had brought.
“Mm. The aroma is certainly nice.”
True to its name, a wine brewed from peach blossoms, the scent of the flowers wafted up strongly.
“…It’s the pride of our Red Pavilion. Since we’re drinking, let’s have some food as well.”
He said it thinking that conversation would be easier once they were both a little tipsy.
While Jo Yangtae was telling Lop-Ear to prepare some side dishes, Muryang filled a cup and asked.
“Can you hold your liquor?”
“I can handle about seven bottles of Peach Blossom Wine. I’ve never been out-drunk by anyone.”
Muryang scoffed at Jo Yangtae’s answer.
“Seven bottles? You’re a terrible drinker.”
Jo Yangtae was taken aback by Muryang’s response.
Peach Blossom Wine was incredibly strong.
Even seasoned drinkers would be crawling home after just a couple of bottles.
To be told he was a terrible drinker when he could handle seven bottles of such a potent spirit.
“And how much can you drink?”
“Me? It depends on the drink, but I usually get drunk within two cups.”
“Two cups? Even a first-time drinker could probably handle more than that.”
“Tsk, tsk. Yangtae.”
“…Don’t be so familiar. I’m older than you.”
Ignoring Jo Yangtae, who had mustered the courage to voice his complaint, Muryang filled his own cup and replied.
“What does age matter? I’m the one who knows more. Now, listen carefully, I will tell you what the way of drinking is.”
“The way of drinking…?”
“Why do you drink?”
“What kind of question is that? To get drunk, of course.”
Muryang tossed back the Peach Blossom Wine.
Savoring the tingling sensation as it traveled down his throat, he continued.
“Ahhh… that’s good. Right, of course, we drink to get drunk. So, between someone who gets drunk after a small amount and someone like you who needs seven bottles, who is the better drinker?”
“…That’s just sophis-”
“Sophistry? Then how about this.”
Muryang cut Jo Yangtae off and refilled his cup.
“What does it mean to be good at studying? Is it the one who learns after reading a book once? Or the one who learns after reading it seven times?”
“…The one who reads it once.”
“See? The one who reaches the goal faster with less effort is the one who is ‘better.’ Isn’t that right?”
“……”
He wanted to refute the tomb builder’s sophistry, but he couldn't think of anything to say.
Jo Yangtae was not a man of eloquent words.
Still, he didn't want to be told he was a terrible drinker by a guy who got drunk after just two cups.
“The purpose of drinking is to get drunk, not to drink a lot. It’s because of people like you who muddy the essence of it that we have fools who mindlessly chug until they turn into dogs. In other words, you’ve also contributed to the world being in this sorry state.”
Just by saying he could hold his liquor well, Jo Yangtae had become an evil of the world.
As he stared blankly at his cup, the slurred shout of a drunken customer came from outside.
-Booze! Booze! Bring more booze! Hey! Hey! Do you know who I am?!
Jo Yangtae’s brow furrowed at the appearance of the troublesome customer.
“You’re saying I contributed to creating nuisances like that?”
“Yes. Go and pay your respects. He is your teacher, personally gracing you with a lesson on how to correct your wrongs.”
“…I can’t listen to any more of this.”
Jo Yangtae drained his cup in one go and opened his mouth.
“Let’s end the idle chatter. Why are you really here? To take over the Red Bridge Faction? If so, you should have gone to the Lodge Leader, not me. Or is this a personal grudge? Why? Didn’t I give you plenty of work and pay you more than the going rate?”
“I never received any money.”
At Muryang’s reply, Jo Yangtae looked dumbfounded.
“What are you talking about? The money I’ve given you so far must amount to at least 20 silver taels.”
“And I’m telling you, I never received it.”
At this point, Jo Yangtae roughly understood what had happened.
He glared at the two brothers standing in the corner with fierce eyes.
“Was it you two?”
At Jo Yangtae’s accusation, the two brothers dropped to their knees.
“We’re s-sorry. We were blinded by greed.”
“We’ll never do it again! Please forgive us just this once.”
“Silence!”
At Jo Yangtae’s roar, the two brothers slammed their foreheads on the floor, begging for forgiveness.
“Please, forgive us!”
“We’ll never do it again!”
As the two brothers cried out, Muryang spoke.
“What are you doing in front of a guest? Settle your problems later when you’re alone.”
The sheer audacity of his attitude, considering he had broken in without permission, was baffling, but…
“…We’ll talk later.”
Dealing with Muryang was the priority.
Jo Yangtae took out a money pouch and handed it to Muryang.
“I’ll return the money you were cheated out of, with interest. Not because of your skills, but because it’s the right thing to do. However, if you intend to strike at the Red Bridge Faction, that’s a different story.”
The Lodge Leader of the Red Bridge Faction, who had raised him after he was orphaned, was like a foster father to Jo Yangtae.
Even though he had recently learned of the Lodge Leader’s evil deeds, he couldn't betray him.
He believed it was his duty to correct his parent’s wrongs, rather than betray and oppose them.
“You’re rushing. I think I’ll be drunk after one more cup, so let’s finish drinking and then talk.”
He reached for the filled cup.
But then.
“…What?”
He suddenly realized something strange was happening inside his body.
The pure internal energy gifted to him by the old man in the scroll was moving on its own, beginning to purify the alcohol in his system.
“I didn’t poison it.”
“No, wait a moment.”
Muryang hurriedly tried to suppress his internal energy.
But the energy slipped through his control like water.
Soon, the effects of the alcohol completely vanished, and the internal energy settled obediently in his Dantian under his control, as if nothing had happened.
“This… damn thing.”
This time, he chugged the wine straight from the bottle.
“Kuhh……”
He groaned for a moment at the burning sensation in his throat.
Once again, the internal energy started doing what it wasn't told.
Before long, the effects of the alcohol were completely gone.
“Ah, damn it! What kind of energy is this!”
It was an absurd situation.
No, to be precise, he did get drunk.
The problem was that the drunkenness disappeared in less than half a quarter-hour.
“My pride, one of the few things I have, being a better drinker than anyone else…”
Along with getting on people’s nerves, getting drunk in one or two cups was also a point of pride for Muryang.
But now, because of this damn internal energy, he had lost his specialty.
No matter how he tried to control it, it slipped away and eliminated the alcohol.
Moreover, that wasn't the only strange thing.
After purifying the alcohol and returning to his Dantian, the energy had grown slightly in size.
It was a minuscule amount, less than a rat’s tail, but considering the ridiculous lengths martial artists went to increase their internal energy by even a single speck, it was astonishing.
“Have I gained power but lost my flair… Senior, how could you live like this?”
Muryang, who had just been pontificating on The Way of Drinking, suddenly flew into a rage, and then, as if that wasn't enough, sank into resignation.
‘He doesn’t look drunk…’
Watching him, a word popped into Jo Yangtae’s mind.
‘Is he crazy?’
Jo Yangtae watched Muryang’s demeanor, tense.
Muryang soon let out a deep sigh and spoke in a slightly weary voice.
“Right, I can’t keep wrestling with this mystery. Let’s just finish our talk.”
“R-Right.”
Muryang had suddenly chugged from the bottle, gotten angry, and then calmed down again.
Jo Yangtae had no idea what to make of him, but since they still had things to discuss, he silently went along.
However, he couldn't help but be stunned by the next question.
“Anyway. So, did you have a big fight with your father-like Lodge Leader?”
“How did you…?”
At that moment, a courtesan entered with side dishes.
“I’ll prepare the food.”
Jo Yangtae nodded with a bitter look in his eyes.
“Shall I clean up the floor?”
“No. You may leave for now.”
After the courtesan left, Muryang continued.
“You know, don’t you? How the Red Bridge Faction procures its courtesans.”
How on earth did this tomb-builder know that?
It was a fact Jo Yangtae himself had only learned recently.
“……”
“Through various fortunate encounters, I was given a chance to reflect on my life. After that, I had a lot to think about.”
Muryang emptied his cup, thinking of the past.
The sharp taste of the Peach Blossom Wine was fleeting as his internal energy once again began to purify the alcohol.
“Damn it. Anyway, in my past, I was a half-wit. Big dreams, but unwilling to take responsibility.”
Muryang briefly recalled his past life.
To build the strength to fight against great evil, he stole wealth from villains and invested it in the righteous.
To put it nicely, he was a righteous thief. To put it badly, he was a coward who lacked the courage to step onto the front lines.
But there was something he realized only after he failed.
“To think I could orchestrate the board without risking my own life—I didn't know my place. I confess, I didn't have it in me.”
Cho Muryang looked at Jo Yangtae.
“So, this time, I intend to step onto the stage myself. The Red Bridge Faction is the first step.”
Jo Yangtae, who had been silent, finally spoke.
“Your words… I honestly don’t understand them at all. But this much is certain.”
The Muryang before him was a Master of a much higher caliber.
If he fought back, he would die.
But for one who had stepped into the Gangho, there were times when one had to fight, even knowing death was certain.
“I cannot betray a man who is like a father to me. You and I are enemies.”
“Even if you’ll die?”
“I owe him a great debt. And I have no intention of dying easily.”
Jo Yangtae, who would risk his life to protect his beliefs.
He was no different from the man Muryang had seen in his past life.
‘Stubborn fool. Same as ever.’
Jo Yangtae, the Red Wolf Sword.
The one-armed swordsman who, after facing the truth and dismantling the Red Bridge Faction, hunted the wicked alone.
One of the hundred greatest Masters in the world, and one of the righteous men Muryang had supported in his past life.
Muryang sighed deeply and said.
“Yangtae, you stubborn fool.”
“If fulfilling one's duty as a son is foolish, then I suppose I am a fool.”
Jo Yangtae, clinging to his loyalty.
But Muryang's next words were shocking.
“Do you think courtesans were the only ones the Lodge Leader brought here after slaughtering their parents?”
For a moment, it felt as if the temperature in the room had dropped.
“What are you—”
“You heard me perfectly well.”
The corners of Jo Yangtae's fine eyes twitched.
“…Nonsense.”
“Why? You think you're any different?”
“I am different. Because I'm a man.”
According to Jo Yangtae's investigation, the Lodge Leader only kidnapped girls.
It only made sense.
It was all done to procure courtesans, so why would he bring an unrelated man?
But Muryang's next words pierced Jo Yangtae's heart.
“Do you ever look in a mirror?”
“…I do.”
“Then you must know. For a man, you're unusually handsome. Perhaps you were mistaken for a girl when you were young. Or maybe, there was a ‘client’ who enjoyed the company of men….”
“Enough!”
*CRASH-!*
Jo Yangtae shot to his feet and shouted.
“There's no proof for what you're saying! The Lodge Leader may be a villain, but I have no reason to listen to such slander from a stranger like you!”
The Lodge Leader may have committed unspeakable acts, but not to him, at least.
If he had truly been kidnapped for such a reason, why would the man have raised him and even taught him martial arts?
“Fine. If that's how you feel.”
Muryang downed the remaining wine in his cup and stood up.
“Where are you going?”
“I've said all I have to say. The decision is yours.”
“…Why aren't you killing me?”
“Because you sided with the Lodge Leader, I should weaken his forces now—something like that?”
Jo Yangtae couldn't bring himself to answer, but his eyes showed his agreement.
But Muryang just chuckled and replied.
“Well, whether I kill you now or then... I'll allow you some time to think it over.”
Then, snatching the wine bottle from the table, Muryang started to walk away.
“Let's go, you runts.”
The two brothers asked, startled.
“U-us, you mean?”
“Thanks to you two, my house burned to the ground, and I have nowhere to sleep. I'll be staying at your place for a while.”
“……”
The two brothers and Cho Muryang left the room.
But Jo Yangtae, lost in thought, could only stare blankly into space.
The night deepened, and the lamps went out.
Then the day broke, and night fell once more.
A full day had passed, and only the moonlight outlined the room's interior.
“…I just have to see for myself.”
Inside the room, Jo Yangtae was nowhere to be found.
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