Do Pyeong-su was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed from a distance the Yamen could be seen.
Rumble!
He was hungry to the point his belly and his back were stuck together.
“I should’ve given him just two hours.”
Since he was hungry he even hated to keep standing.
He crouched down and buried his face in between his knees, and he heard a sound as if something was falling in front of his feet.
As he lifted his head he saw a yellowish one-mun coin.
Yes! A one-mun coin for free!
Do Pyeong-su who reached his hand and grabbed the coin faster than the speed of light raised his head even more.
“This fellow with completely fine limbs is begging…. tsk tsk!”
The old man who threw a one-mun coin towards Do Pyeong-su clicked his tongue and distanced himself.
“Wait a minute!”
The old man flinched at Do Pyeong-su’s sinister look.
“Why, why?”
Do Pyeong-su asked while placing the one-mun coin in between his thumb and index finger.
“How many dumplings can I buy with this?”
“You can buy one.”
Suddenly Do Pyeong-su bowed slightly and a servile smile appeared on his face.
“Hehe! Good old man, can you give me two, no, one more one-mun coin? As I don’t think one dumpling will be enough.”
If Do Pyeong-su could, he would ask him a hundred coins, but he realized it was instinctively embarrassing to do so.
Do Pyeong-su was quick at learning although he doesn’t know to write.
“Oh dear, what a shameless beggar.”
Fortunately, the old man threw another coin and quickly disappeared.
It was the first time he knew that a two-mun coin he had in his hand could make a person this happy.
As Do Pyeong-su was about to run towards the restaurant that was at a distance, he happened to see Kang Cha-sik.
Kang Cha-sik was grabbing someone by his nape, and three gangsters were following him.
‘Do I meet Kang Cha-sik first? But, I’m very hungry.’
Do Pyeong-su who was lost in choosing between Kang Cha-sik and the dumplings, eventually, chose Kang Cha-sik.
As Do Pyeong-su suddenly came in front, Kang Cha-sik who was startled took a pratfall.
“Mas, master!”
“You wait here for a while.”
Then, he went to the restaurant and bought two dumplings.
Ah! This chewy wheat flour that spread inside the mouth and the fishy smell of the poor-quality Chinese vermicelli dish which didn’t have a single piece of meat in it! The vegetables in the middle were slightly off.
Burp!
Do Pyeong-su finished off a satisfying meal and let out a long burp in front of Kang Cha-sik.
“Did you catch the culprit?”
“Sorry? Ah! Yes! Of course!”
Kang Cha-sik made the guy who looked like he was in his mid-twenties to kneel.
He was a guy who had a small build, thin lips and the corners of his eyes were lifted.
“His name is Yeo Pil-sang. He’s twenty-five years old. He’s a jobless guy who’s idling around having nothing to do while going to gambling rooms frequently. He doesn’t have the mindset to kill, and he was trying to steal money, but it turns out an accident occurred where he had sexually assaulted the woman, as he did so, he somehow happened to kill her as well.”
“Accidental rape and murder? Is there even anything like that in the world?”
Yeo Pil-sang apologized trembling.
“I seriously had no intentions to rape and murder.”
As there were quite a few scars on his face, he seems to have been hit by Kang Cha-sik beforehand.
“What about the evidence?”
Kang Cha-sik took out a circular blue Norigae made of Jade from his pouch.
“It’s the Norigae that was worn by the victim on that day. I think the victim’s parents would recognize it.”
“You speak exactly like a government official.”
“Hehe! As I’m a little quick at adapting….”
Do Pyeong-su said while carrying Yeo Pil-sang up into the air by grabbing him by his nape.
“Are you sure he’s the culprit? You’re not making it up, are you?”
“Is, is that even possible? He’s the culprit for sure.”
“It’s alright even if you say you made it up. After all, it’s the money earned by clearing up a human scoundrel, so it’s the money I’ll be earning fair and square.”
That’s how Do Pyeong-su felt.
If Kang Cha-sik wouldn’t have caught the criminal Do Pyeong-su would’ve surely turned him into a criminal.
“I’m a person who thinks life is precious, will I ever deceive you, master? Hehe!”
“When I take him to the Yamen and he evades by any chance saying he’s not the culprit, I’ll meet you again.”
“Sorry? Can, can you send him to me for a while?”
For some reason Do Pyeong-su thought he can’t be the real culprit. Kang Cha-sik took Yeo Pil-sang to the other side and said something.
Do Pyeong-su who has a sharp hearing, heard all of it, but it was a typical threat that was nothing of much. Of course, the classic threat works well.
A classic isn’t a classic for nothing.
“Hehehe! This fellow will not talk nonsense at the Yamen.”
Do Pyeong-su took Yeo Pil-sang and went to the Yamen.
After several procedures, as it was revealed that Yeo Pil-sang was the culprit who killed Cha Dae-in’s daughter, the Yamen became a mess.
The regional administrative division was nagging the government officials daily to catch the culprit, and finally, the culprit was caught.
Of course, the process of identifying the criminal was needed.
One of the officials took the Norigae which Do Pyeong-su brought as evidence to Cha Dae-in’s house.
In the meantime, Do Pyeong-su had to fill out the paperwork.
“What should I write?”
“Your name and address over there, please fill out your occupation.”
He wrote the name.
Although he hasn’t learned from Geom Woo-bin yet, he was at least able to write his name. And then, he placed the pen down.
“You will have to fill out the rest.”
“Sorry?”
“What are you surprised about? Is this the first time you’re seeing an illiterate?”
“Ah! That’s how it is, I see. Then please read it out to me.”
As he read out his occupation and the address, the official asked secretly.
“Are you by any chance, the person who brews the Sagi…?”
“I brew the Hwagog wine among that.”
The official has turned inside out once again.
It was a justifiable reaction because, the person who brews the Hwagog wine among the Sagi wine, which was widely known in Hangzhou, had caught the culprit.
As the rumor that the Sagi wine brewery is sweeping out the silvers of Hangzhou is going around, it was also confirmed that he was not a scammer aiming for the ten silver taels.
Just at the time, the official who went to Cha Dae-in’s house returned and confirmed that the Norigae belonged to the victim.
When he came out receiving the ten silver taels, all the officials came up to the gate to see him off.
“This is not bad either. Humph….”
“From where did you steal this?”
Do Pyeong-su yelled at Yeon Geum-hong who questioned him.
“What do you mean steal! It’s the money I earned fair and square by shedding sweat!”
“I’m sure you did. No matter how much we have zero sense of money, we know that it’s not possible to earn ten silver taels even by working for a whole day at any field office. Tell the truth. Then, we will negotiate for you to be the youngest priests and we’ll not tell the abolition.”
If it is the money that was stolen for real from somewhere, he would’ve been conflicted with that sweet whisper of Yeon Geum-hong, but just this time he was confident.
“It’s a bounty.”
“A bounty?”
Do Pyeong-su explained the whole story word by word about how he earned ten silver taels.
As if he was a protagonist.
As the three of them listened to Do Pyeong-su’s story, they stared blankly at him and burst out laughing at the same time.
“Hahaha! Do Pyeong-su, you became a bounty hunter?”
“Hahaha! Even if one stains the face of the world’s blood-lion, he’ll be getting a bounty from the Yamen even if he’s the wrong one! Is that something to be proud of that you’re saying so confidently!”
“From now onwards we’ll call you bounty hunter! Hahaha!”
“Hahaha!”
Even the laugh of Jang Man-dok who doesn’t speak much was strange.
“These fellows for real! I’ve been wondering around crazily to earn ten silver taels!”
At that time, the door suddenly opened and Geom Woo-bin peeped.
“Priest Do Pyeong-su, you’ve got a visitor.”
“Sorry? Me?”
The blood-lion’s face hardened. Good people do not come, and those who come are not good.
People with good intentions do not come easily, and those who come on their own do not come with good intentions.
If they’re here looking specifically for one of the blood-lions, then, there’s no way they’re here for a good reason.
Yeon Geum-hong was the quickest in action.
“Jang Man-dok, you protect the abolition!”
As soon as she said so, Jang Man-dok took away Geom Woo-bin and the three of them rushed out to the yard.
A man and a woman were waiting for them in the yard.
A middle-aged guy who had a good impression, and his beautiful wife of the same age as him were standing with their hands clasped together in front of them.
“Who are you?”
The middle-aged guy, startled by the question bowed down.
“I’m Cha Seong-ro of Yangga-ro.”
None of them have ever heard the names Yangga-ro or Cha Seong-ro.
‘Did we ever have a grudge with a person who had such a strange name?’
However, as there were way too many incidents, they couldn’t even remember most of them.
“Wait! If you’re Cha Seong-ro of Yangga-ro, are you by any chance Cha Dae-in?”
At Do Pyeong-su’s question, Cha Seong-ro answered holding in his smile.
“Yes. I’m also known as Dae-in.”
“Do Pyeong-su, he’s the father of the murder victim, isn’t he?”
“It, it seems so. Why did he come looking for me?”
Soon the reason was explained by Cha Seong-ro.
“Thank you very much for satisfying my dead daughter’s grudge. Since my daughter died unjustly at that time, I and my wife had been lying down without eating or drinking anything, but this is similar to saving our lives. Thank you very much. Thank you very much.”
The couple bowed down with tears streaming down their faces.
“Ah, no, that’s… I, I just…. for ten silver….”
Geom Woo-bin showed up when the blood-lion, who could even kill one thousand people but didn’t have the skill to comfort two people, was at a loss of words and actions.
“As the grudge is satisfied, even your daughter would be peacefully reincarnated in paradise. You two should also now stop, and see your daughter off.”
“We have to. We have to.”
The couple who thanked them repeatedly left the place leaving behind a handful of gifts.
Squeak!
One of the chicken legs was torn apart by Geom Woo-bin. Now the blood-lion’s fierce fight began.
If a chicken is caught, one leg is, of course, Geom Woo-bin’s share. At first, Geom Woo-bin was extremely reluctant, but now he is also tired of fighting, so he just considers it as his share.
And, there is a four-to-one competition on the remaining leg.
To be precise, not all of them liked the chicken leg. But strangely, there was a feeling where they felt like the person who owns up the leg would be the winner, so they were aiming desperately.
‘Today I must win it!’
All of them had such a mindset, but Geom Woo-bin who held the chicken leg turned towards Do Pyeong-su.
“Today Priest Do Pyeong-su will have one….”
Then, the 2nd leg was also placed on Do Pyeong-su’s bowl.
“The next one is also priest Do Pyeong-su’s share.”
That warm gaze of Geom Woo-bin looking at Do Pyeong-su!
“Abolition, why are you showing favoritism towards Do Pyeong-su?”
Geom Woo-bin grinned broadly at Seo Seok-san’s question that showed dissatisfaction.
“Priest Do Pyeong-su caught the wicked one and satisfied two people’s grudge. I want to do something even better, but right now I have none other than the chicken leg to give him.”
Do Pyeong-su was literally grinning ear to ear.
“Hahaha! If there’s a bad fellow, of course, one has to knock him off! Isn’t that the duty of an unmanned?”
“Are you talking about the duty of an unmanned? Not to put too fine a point on it, were you trying to do something good? It was for the ten silver…!”
The chicken leg that went up through the air, faster than the speed of light, blocked Seo Seok-san’s mouth.
“You’re offering a chicken leg to the priest. Our priest Do Pyeong-su has become kind for real.”
The director who received ten silver taels was grateful and he even shed tears.
He’s bringing in and raising the orphans who have no place to go, but it was difficult to the point he had to be concerned about their daily meals.
Many kids’ parents died or abandoned them, so the hungry mouths kept increasing.
He even sold the jewelry he brought when he got married, so, he had no more place to get money from. At that time, Geom Woo-bin showed up.
“My aunt and uncles gave this to you.”
“Please convey my thank you message to them.”
Geom Woo-bin donated ten silver taels each not only to the orphanage but also to the places where disabled and sick people were gathered.
He was able to donate to nine places by adding the forty silver taels he received from the priests and fifty silver taels of his own money.
Of course, all the contributions were made in the names of the priests.
“It’s time to go to the Western Transportation Company.”
He still didn’t know the reason the Western Transportation Company chose him as the delivery person.
Geom Woo-bin took hurried steps towards the Western Transportation Company carrying the bag that had the Sagi wine.
The Western Transportation Company was located massively in the center of the town, like Hangzhou’s number one transportation company. Today of all days, the Western Transportation Company was crowded with people which was as large as the ten houses around it when combined.
It is because that day was the owner’s birthday.
The power of the Western Transportation Company alone is great, but as the relationship with the Namgung Se-ga family is also combined, there were also customers coming from Anhui province.
Geom Woo-bin went towards the person who was filling the guestbook and revealed the purpose of him coming here.
“I came to deliver the Sagi wine from the Wolha Kisaeng house.”
He thought he’d be just told where to go.
“Oh! You must be Soju-seon Geom Woo-bin. Come here.”
The person who was writing the guestbook himself guided Geom Woo-bin. Just by looking at it, it wasn’t the place Geom Woo-bin would take up.
In front of the podium, there were dozens of tables covered in red cloths, which were the VIP seats.
“I’m just here to deliver the wine.”
The guy with a goatee said, ‘I also just do what I’m told to do.’, And left.
Among the people who wore fancy clothes, Geom Woo-bin was like an island floating alone.
“Why are they making me feel so uncomfortable?”
It was better off going home and learning martial arts than to waste time in a place like this. When he was right about to stand up, the people around him stood up and started applauding.