Unrivaled Spear Demon
Chapter 14 - The Staff Fiend (2)
Hair like a sliver of the night sky, skin as white as jade, black eyebrows shaped like half-moons, eyes as large and clear as a lake, and a gaze like starlight.
A countenance of jade that compelled those before it to composure.
…Was that why?
Ptooey!
When the Staff Fiend’s sputum landed squarely in the center of Ho Yeyang’s face, those who watched were aghast.
It was a reaction that transcended mere etiquette, the kind one would have upon witnessing the defilement of a priceless treasure.
Drip—
The yellow sputum trickled down Ho Yeyang’s forehead, soon dangling in a long strand from the tip of her elegant nose.
The Staff Fiend watched and chuckled.
“It looks just like a runny nose.”
“…”
“This is what happens when you have beauty but no strength, child. You get spat on for no reason.”
In that moment,
Shing—
Ho Yeon-am, who was beside her, drew his sword.
A rage like a wildfire blazed in his eyes.
“If you have come to spill blood, I shall fight you till my last breath.”
“Hahaha! Do you think you can handle the consequences?”
“Whether I can or not, I must. A father cannot stand by while his daughter is shamed before his eyes.”
Ho Yeon-am continued, spitting out the words.
“Step outside. Let us not involve the innocent.”
“I doubt there's any need to step outside. Let us settle this right here, Gate Master,”
The Staff Fiend, too, gripped the black staff he had brought with him.
Ho Yeon-am’s and the Staff Fiend’s gazes locked.
Just then.
“Sheathe your sword, Father.”
Ho Yeyang spoke.
She lifted a handkerchief and wiped the sputum from her face.
Then, with a smile even more serene than before, she lifted the wine bottle.
Gurgle—
The Staff Fiend’s cup filled.
Ho Yeyang extended the cup toward the Staff Fiend.
“Thank you for the valuable lesson. Please accept this as payment.”
“You pour wine for the one who spat in your face? The daughter of a martial family, acting in a way even a tavern wench would not.”
“I am not shamelessly fawning over the one who spat in my face. I am offering a token of respect to a senior who has reached a supreme state, a state you must have striven relentlessly to achieve.”
“They sound like the same thing, yet they are subtly different. So, what you mean is, after I busted my ass training to obtain this power, the best I can do with it is... spit in the face of a little slip of a girl like you? Is that it?”
“This young lady's eloquence is lacking, so while you may misunderstand, I pray you do not misconstrue my intent.”
Ho Yeyang smiled sweetly and gestured toward the cup with her eyes.
“So. Will you not drink?”
“Hahahahaha”
Even the Staff Fiend was taken aback by Ho Yeyang’s audacity, her ability to act as if nothing had happened.
He drained the cup Ho Yeyang had poured.
Then, he rose and offered a fist-and-palm salute to Ho Yeon-am beside him.
“I apologize for my earlier discourtesy. Therefore, Gate Master, you too should sheathe your sword.”
“…”
“I am saving you face, Gate Master. So you, in turn, must save mine. Let us call it even.”
Having spoken, the Staff Fiend tossed the staff he was holding behind him.
Thump
As the black staff hit the ground, a heavy thud echoed and dust plumed into the air.
Ho Yeyang gave Ho Yeon-am a look.
Finally, with a long sigh, Ho Yeon-am sheathed his sword.
As if he had never radiated such killing intent, the Staff Fiend smiled at Ho Yeon-am.
“Your daughter is quite clever. Must be a joy to raise her. What say you? To a son-in-law like me?”
“Where in the world is there a son-in-law older than his father-in-law?”
“True enough. A pity. If only I had been born a little later. Say, fifty years or so.”
The Staff Fiend stroked his beard and sighed.
Then, as if he had just remembered something, he spoke.
“Ah, right. I almost forgot.”
“?”
As Ho Yeon-am looked up, the Staff Fiend spoke in a sly tone.
“Well, in any case. Now that I can no longer collect the tribute the Black Way Guild was meant to pay, I find myself in quite a predicament.”
He said it casually, as if it had just occurred to him.
“If I return to the Federation empty-handed, the Federation Master will surely give me a harsh reprimand. I might even get a caning. Goodness. My hands feel far too light.”
In truth, this was the Staff Fiend’s main point.
Money. Tribute.
That was his purpose for coming to the Hojeong Gate and raising hell today.
A cold, blue light once again emanated from the Staff Fiend’s eyes.
“Here in Anhui Province, there is no Unorthodox Faction on the scale of the Black Way Guild. I’ve already swept through the minor ones... but it was woefully insufficient to meet my target.”
“So, what is your intention?”
“The Black Way Guild is gone, and I can no longer collect my due. What choice is there? I must take it from the pockets of the great heroes of the Orthodox Faction, who stand to profit from the Guild’s demise.”
The Staff Fiend grinned at Ho Yeon-am and continued.
“Frankly, I have no interest in who massacred the Black Way Guild or who annihilated the Jo family. I just need to collect the target amount.”
“…”
“I saved your face earlier, Gate Master. Now, it is your turn to save mine.”
Ho Yeon-am scowled, glaring at the Staff Fiend.
“So you intend to collect tribute from the clans of the Orthodox Faction.”
“Tribute? Call it a consolation fund. Let us be civil with our words, Gate Master.”
“That consolation fund. Did you also request it of the Nangong Clan, the symbol of the Righteous Path in Anhui?”
“Them? Are you mad? I came to collect money, not to be torn to pieces.”
The Staff Fiend laughed and waved his hands dismissively.
He continued in a languid tone.
“I hear the Hojeong Gate earned a tidy sum from that escort mission, no? That should be the perfect amount for a condolence offering to the poor souls of the Black Way Guild. It would also be a small comfort to me, who came all this way for tribute only to have my efforts come to naught.”
“...I can give it to you. However, I need time. We must first set aside the compensation for those who died or were injured on the mission.”
“Alas, time is a resource no one has enough of. Just as you are short on time, so am I.”
The Staff Fiend’s stance was firm.
Ho Yeon-am’s attempt to buy time had failed.
Ho Yeon-am squeezed his eyes shut.
If the Staff Fiend had ill intentions, everyone in the Hojeong Gate would be massacred this very night.
There was not enough time to request aid from the nearby Nangong Clan, and it was questionable whether they would even offer any meaningful help.
In the end.
“...Bring the entire payment.”
As the Master of the Hojeong Gate, Ho Yeon-am had no choice but to make such a decision.
Soon, the escort guards brought the payment received from the recent mission.
Ho Yeon-am clenched his jaw.
“I will hand over the payment. Do not lay a single finger on the people of my Hojeong Gate.”
“Hahaha! Why the hostility, Gate Master? I have a daughter of marriageable age myself. And even if you had not given me the money, nothing would have befallen the Hojeong Gate. For someone giving a voluntary donation, your aura is quite sharp. Well, in any case, my thanks.”
The Staff Fiend grinned as he looked at the money in the large leather sack.
Jingle— jingle— jingle— clink—
The sound of coins being counted echoed loudly through the courtyard.
Finally, the Staff Fiend nodded.
“The count is exact.”
Then he picked a gold ingot from the sack and tossed it.
…Clang!
The gold ingot thrown by the Staff Fiend landed in front of Ho Yeyang’s table.
“Here you go, girl. Payment for spitting on you earlier.”
“…”
Ho Yeyang did not look at the gold ingot.
She merely bowed her head silently toward the Staff Fiend.
“Well then. I leave well-consoled, Gate Master.”
The Staff Fiend laughed heartily and put on his bamboo hat.
Then, slinging the money sack over his staff, he trudged toward the main gate.
His demeanor was as composed and unhurried as when he had first appeared.
* * *
Whoooooosh
A cold wind blew through the courtyard of the Hojeong Gate.
The aftermath of the feast was wretched.
A limping end to the festivities.
All the guests had departed in silence.
Only the members of the Hojeong Gate remained in the empty space, submerged in a gloomy atmosphere.
“...I will be heading in first.”
After Ho Yeon-am returned to the inner chambers with his wife, Sa Ji-won, and daughter, Ho Yeyang, the other members also scattered to their own quarters.
Among the departing crowd, the stablehands shivered as they headed for the stables.
“Did you hear? They said that baldy monk's moniker is the Staff Fiend. He must be some terrifying martial artist.”
“I heard the escort guards talking earlier. They said that old man could have killed everyone gathered here all by himself.”
“We're damned lucky it ended with just giving him the money. A person's life is what matters most, isn't it?”
“I was scared of that baldy monk the moment I saw him. He had the distinct air of a human butcher...”
Just then, U Dong-won popped out from among the stable boys.
“Where is that bastard!?”
He had a bundle of leftover rice cakes and meat wrapped in the hem of his clothes.
The stable boys’ faces lit up.
“Whoa! Boss! When did you pack all that?”
“The party broke up, so I thought we wouldn't get to eat anymore! What a relief!”
“You’re the only one who thinks of us, Boss!”
“Come on! Let’s all share!”
However, U Dong-won aimed a flurry of kicks at the rumps of the boys crowding around him.
“Not you guys! Where's Chui?!”
U Dong-won searched for Chui, the rice cakes and meat still in his hands.
“Chui! My beloved Chui! Where have you gone!?”
He shivered, recalling his first encounter with the Staff Fiend earlier.
He had nearly met a dog’s death for failing to recognize a master and treating him with disrespect.
The one who had prevented it was none other than Chui, the very person he had ignored and mistreated.
‘Live the rest of your life in gratitude to this little one. You owe him a debt for saving your life.’
The Staff Fiend’s voice still sent a chill down his spine.
What would have happened if Chui hadn’t bravely stepped forward and blocked his hand?
“Chui, you bastard! You were a real man all along! I’m a real man too, so I know how to repay kindness! Here, take all these rice cakes and meat! You hear me?”
U Dong-won and the other stablehand boys began to look around.
But it was strange.
“Come to think of it, where did he go?”
“Huh? He was here just a moment ago?”
“…Did he go to the outhouse?”
For no one knew where Chui, who had been right there until a moment ago, had gone.
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