The World's Greatest Countryside Martial Arts Academy - chapter 7

The Black Tiger Gang. It was the name of the faction that had unified the underworld within a few years of entering Yichang, reigning over the nearby area like tyrants. They were also the creditors to whom the Jeong Manor owed money.

“Get out here right now!” “We know you’re in there! Come out immediately!”

Jeong So-so rushed into the yard, muttering urgently, “The repayment date for this month hasn’t even come yet, so why on earth…”

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The sound of pounding on the gate grew louder. Sorrow clouded Jeong So-so’s face. Jin Cheong-un, who had been following her lazily, sighed.

Is the debt not just a few coins?

Things were truly twisted. Wasn’t this too severe?

“Uncle.”

Perhaps she was about to ask for help. Jeong So-so called to him carefully. But she said something completely different from what Jin Cheong-un had expected.

“Please go inside. It’s okay if you don’t help.” “Huh?” “This is a matter for our family.”

Jeong So-so forced a smile. She now knew that Jin Cheong-un wasn’t a complete stranger, but that didn’t change the fact that their relationship had just begun. She couldn’t drag him into money problems like this. This was the Jeong family’s business.

“I heard you were a Jianghu person too… but the Black Tiger Gang leader is a true expert who made a name for himself in the Jianghu. If you get tangled up wrongly, it will be hard for you to stay in Cherry Blossom Village.”

Jeong So-so lifted her arm and grinned.

“And I’m okay with these guys. I’m actually quite sturdy, more than I look!”

Jin Cheong-un pretended not to notice that Jeong So-so’s hand was trembling slightly. He then said with a determined face:

“I will keep that in mind. No matter what happens, I will not intervene. Absolutely!” “……”

Jeong So-so’s expression turned bitter.

No, there was no need to be that dramatic…

The tension dissolved. Jeong So-so, who let out a sigh, put force into her eyes and placed her hand on the gate.

“Wait! I’m opening it now!”

Clatter! Creak!

No sooner had the door opened than four fierce-looking men strode inside.

“I thought you ran away like your father, but you were inside.”

The man who had been standing with his hands behind his back turned around and laughed in an arrogant posture.

“……What business brings you here?” “A debtor comes to collect money; is there any other reason?”

The man turned his head slightly.

“By the way, who is that over there?”

The man glanced at Jin Cheong-un, who was standing blankly at a distance. When he felt their eyes on him, Jin Cheong-un cupped his hands to his mouth and shouted:

“Ah! Don’t mind me and do your work! I’m just a bystander!” “……?”

The Black Tiger Gang members looked at Jeong So-so with bitter expressions. She averted her gaze.

“……I don’t know him.” “He’s inside your house?” “Forget about that!”

Jeong So-so changed the subject.

“More importantly, we should have already paid for last month!” “The situation has changed a bit.”

The man took a debt book from his robe, unfolded it, and acted haughty.

“Let’s see, as of today… with interest, it’s 673 and 3 nyang of silver, right?” “What?! W-we borrowed 300 nyang, what are you talking about!” “You should have paid the interest steadily. Do you think the ‘King of Hell’s Residence’ (Yeom-wang-chae) is called that for nothing?”

She had paid. She had definitely paid the interest steadily, but Jeong So-so couldn’t understand their calculation method.

“Enough with the long talk.”

The man folded the book and put his hands behind his back.

“I need you to pay everything back this time, including the overdue money.”

Jeong So-so was momentarily flustered.

“The repayment date is still far off, yet you want me to pay everything back?” “Our gang has been expanding our business lately, so we are raising funds. We’ve been lenient with your situation until now, but I don’t think that’s possible anymore.”

When on earth were they ever lenient? Jeong So-so, her expression hardening, shouted:

“We can’t pay such a huge sum so suddenly!”

The man sneered.

“That’s not our situation.”

Jin Cheong-un inwardly admired him.

Is he a bit educated?

What a typical line for underworld debt collectors. Judging by his posture, he seemed to have learned martial arts, and he wondered if the Black Tiger Gang leader might be a more deep-rooted underworld figure than he thought. As the Murim Alliance days came to mind, he felt nostalgic and a bit sentimental, and a smile spread across his face. Still, it didn’t seem like the situation would pass easily…

“Why would you have no money? Wouldn’t it be fine to sell this manor?”

Jeong So-so bit her lip and glared at him.

“……Do you think I wouldn’t know?” “What?” “Raising interest rates higher than the state standard, hindering business, threatening people to make it impossible to pay back… everyone in the village knows that you’re doing this to take people’s houses and fill the neighborhood with taverns!” “Ha. Look at this girl?” “Do you think I’ll sell the house just because you do this? I’ll absolutely not sell it! I’ll pay it back on time, so know that!”

The man let out a mocking laugh as if it were ridiculous.

“Are you stupid because you’re young, or are you pretending to be stupid?” “Wh-what did you say?” “Even if you say that, what can you do? Even if you hold out, you’ll only end up in a sorry state.” “……!” “If, by chance, you meet some crazy person on the road and get into trouble, or if this house coincidentally catches fire… wouldn’t that be a very big problem?”

It was a threat no matter how you looked at it. Jeong So-so’s complexion went deathly pale.

“Wh-what did you just say.” “Well, I’m just saying it could happen. Hahaha!”

The man sneered and scanned Jeong So-so up and down.

“If you really have no money, should I introduce you to a good job?” “……” “Why aren’t you saying anything? Don’t tell me you’re crying?” “……You.”

A small voice leaked out from between Jeong So-so’s teeth. And.

“Hey, you bad bastards!”

At the very least, Jeong So-so was not the type of character to be broken even when trampled.

“Where do you get off saying such ridiculous things! Are you even human after acting like that?!” “What did you say?” “Just try touching me! I won’t let it slide! I’ll report you to the government office, the Murim Alliance, or anywhere!” “No, but look at this girl? Do you really want to die!” “Try it! Just try it! Let’s see what happens if you lay a hand on me!”

Slap! Jeong So-so pushed the man forcefully.

“This girl?”

The man’s twitching face distorted completely.

“I was being nice, so you don’t know your place and are crawling up!”

Bang! The man kicked the wall that enclosed the inner courtyard.

Cr-r-rack! Thud!

Part of the wall collapsed with a crash.

“……!”

Jeong So-so, who had been shouting, froze for a moment.

“You girl who lost your fear. I was trying to just let it pass…”

The man approached Jeong So-so with his face twitching. That moment.

“You’re the ones who lost your fear, you bastards.”

At the voice that suddenly came from behind, the man snapped his head around.

“Who are you?”

Jin Cheong-un said indifferently:

“Who am I? I’m the owner of this house.”

“Uncle!”

At Jeong So-so’s desperate voice, the man, Song Woon-chan, hesitated for a moment.

Uncle? Was he really acquainted with them?

Slouched posture. Scars all over his hands. And… the chilling gaze.

Are they on our side?

Seeing him up close, he was no ordinary guy. It was the eyes of someone who had already buried a few people.

“……Who are you? Come to think of it, I haven’t seen your face around here.” “Jin Cheong-un.”

At his indifferent attitude, as if he weren’t nervous at all, Song Woon-chan asked cautiously:

“Are you a Jianghu person?” “No, I’m the head of a martial arts academy that will open just in front of here.”

Is he just crazy? Then, Jin Cheong-un pointed at the collapsed wall and demanded:

“I’ve been listening from the side, and by whose will are you selling someone else’s house? And this wall, what are you going to do about it?” “You say this is your house?” “If you don’t believe me, ask the government office.”

Song Woon-chan looked back at Jeong So-so.

“Then what about that girl?” “She’s the land owner. And my senior brother’s daughter.”

Song Woon-chan narrowed his brow and spoke with an unpleasant face.

“How on earth can there be a house owner and a land owner separately? Moreover, with a niece? What kind of idiot would end up in such a situation? What kind of ridiculous nonsense…”

Song Woon-chan couldn’t finish his sentence and flinched. Because Jin Cheong-un’s face had distorted like a malevolent god.

“If a person lives, such things can happen, so what do you know to say such things… How dare you…” “……”

He’s a crazy person, alright. Song Woon-chan scanned Jin Cheong-un up and down. Looking at his old sword and shabby martial arts robes, he felt he had made some calculations.

I was unnecessarily nervous because his atmosphere was weird.

He snorted and changed his expression in an instant.

“I don’t know where you’ve been rolling, but it seems you’re our kind, too… how about just watching like you did before?”

Shing. At Song Woon-chan’s signal, one of the gang members drew his sword and approached Jin Cheong-un with a swaggering gait.

“Frankly, are you going to become an enemy of our gang over that girl and a shabby house? Whether you’re an uncle or an academy head, back off.”

By then, the gang member arrived in front of Jin Cheong-un and tapped his chest with the tip of his curved sword. Jin Cheong-un looked down at it and let out a deep sigh.

“Phew. Is my luck really that bad? I retired thinking I’d live a relaxed life just drinking daytime alcohol, so how could heaven do this to me…”

Did he mistake that complaint for backing down? The gang member who had pushed his sword forward let out a snickering laugh.

“A coward with no guts. Just putting on a show…”

WHAM!

In an instant, everyone’s eyes widened.

Thud!

The gang member was slammed into the ground and went completely limp. The curved sword that had been in his hand was now in Jin Cheong-un’s hand.

“……”

The surroundings fell silent. For a moment, all gazes were concentrated on Jin Cheong-un.

Clatter!

Jin Cheong-un threw the curved sword aside and said:

“Go while I let you.” “……?” “If you pay for the wall repair and apologize to the kid, I’ll let you go nicely.”

At those words, Song Woon-chan snorted as if it were absurd.

“Crazy bastard.”

Shing-shing. The Black Tiger Gang members simultaneously drew their swords and began to slowly surround Jin Cheong-un. Jeong So-so shouted urgently at Song Woon-chan:

“St-stop! That person has nothing to do with this!” “Shut up! I’ll bury this guy and bury you, too.”

Clang! Song Woon-chan also drew a blue-honed blade.

“You seem to have one trick up your sleeve, but you have no eye for people.”

Jeong So-so’s complexion turned pale. She heard Jin Cheong-un had retired because he was injured. She didn’t want to let him experience something like this because of her.

“U-Uncle! Don’t do it!!” “Oh my, why is your voice so loud?”

Jin Cheong-un shuddered and scratched his ear.

“Wh-why on earth… It’s not Uncle’s business…” “I told you not to call me Uncle.”

He turned his head with a stern expression. Then, he said with a calm and lukewarm expression:

“I’ve thought about it, and ‘Teacher’ is better than ‘Uncle’.” “Yes?”

Jin Cheong-un smiled faintly.

“Since I’m going to be the head of Cheong-un Martial Arts Academy, call me Teacher from now on.”

And there is no teacher in the world who just watches while their trainee is about to be stabbed. It was then.

“You bastards are going crazy as a pair.”

Song Woon-chan growled.

“I won’t kill you because of the leader’s strict orders, but you’d better be prepared to lie in bed for a few months.”

At this moment, Jin Cheong-un suddenly walked toward the main gate. The action was so sudden that everyone stared at him, dumbfounded.

Creak! Bang!

Soon, Jin Cheong-un slammed the main gate shut.

Clatter! Click!

He even firmly locked the latch.

“Right, I won’t kill you either.”

He turned his body slowly.

“I won’t kill you.”