Chapter 36: From Now On, My Life Belongs to the Great Hero

After repeatedly receiving thanks from the Leader of the Lower Filth Sect, I was about to go down when I heard someone coming up the stairs.

I looked down to see who it was…

“Leader-!”

“Big Brother!”

…It was Moon-seok and our youngest.

As soon as we saw each other, Moon-seok ran to the Leader of the Lower Filth Sect, and our youngest ran to me.

“Leader! Are you alright-!”

“Big Brother! Are you safe?”

I patted our youngest’s head, which was full of worry, and said.

“The Poison Dart Frog leader has been dealt with on this side. How about you?”

Moon-seok, who was checking the Leader of the Lower Filth Sect’s condition, answered my question.

“There were some sacrifices, but thanks to you dealing with the Poison Master, we were able to subdue them more easily. But did you really take care of that Great Elder…?”

Moon-seok had a face that couldn’t believe it. Well, it was understandable.

It was fortunate that it was me. If it had been anyone else, no matter how skilled they were, it wouldn’t have been easy to kill that Great Elder.

Even if they managed to kill him, they wouldn’t have come out unscathed.

But seeing me come out in such a seemingly unscathed state, it was hard to believe.

However…

“I finished him for sure.”

“……”

Even if he couldn’t trust me, he seemed to trust the words of the Leader of the Lower Filth Sect, as his expression began to crumble.

“…Leader. Does that mean…”

“I’ve severed all ties with him.”

“Ah…”

Thud-.

Not only his expression but his body crumbled as well. In the end, Moon-seok collapsed on the spot, tears streaming down his face.

“Congratulations, Leader. Finally… finally…”

Moon-seok wept and touched the feet of the Leader of the Lower Filth Sect.

It seemed that Uncle Moon-seok had a deep relationship with the Leader of the Lower Filth Sect. Seeing him make such an expression towards someone else…

“The Sichuan Branch Leader has had a hard time.”

The Leader of the Lower Filth Sect patted the Sichuan Branch Leader’s shoulder and smiled. Then she looked up at me…

“…I have a lot to talk about with the Great Hero. Please rest for now, and we will talk later.”

“Hm?”

…The Leader of the Lower Filth Sect was looking at me with even more affectionate eyes than she had shown Moon-seok.

**

“Youngest, are you really okay?”

“Yes, I avoided all the daggers and hidden weapons they threw, so there’s no problem.”

After fighting with those who use poison, it’s important to check your body. If poison gets into any wounds, it would be a disaster.

Thanks to the Leader of the Lower Filth Sect’s consideration, we moved to the guest room we originally stayed in and checked our bodies.

I had already cut off the poison, so there was no problem, and the youngest…

“…You’re fine.”

“I told you, hehe.”

…There were no signs or traces of poisoning.

There were some shallow wounds and grazes, but it seemed that the poison hadn’t touched them.

Relieved that the youngest was safe, I lay down.

“Ah… I’m so tired… so tired…”

“Was it very hard?”

“Of course it was hard. I fought the Great Elder of the Tang Family…”

He was a particularly difficult opponent…

But it wasn’t without gains.

Swoosh-.

I took out the ring and the paper with the handprint that the Leader of the Lower Filth Sect had given me.

“Big Brother… that is…”

“Hmm… this is…”

An inedible persimmon?

What the Leader of the Lower Filth Sect gave me contained an indescribable, tremendous value.

If I showed this to someone with a significant position in the Lower Filth Sect, they would give me everything.

If I asked for the money or paper money they managed, they would give it to me.

But…

“…If I use this, I’ll definitely get indigestion.”

…The value of this was too great for a mere Mountain Bandit Boss to possess.

This was a genie’s magic lamp that could be used infinitely, and I could control the Lower Filth Sect with it.

However…

‘The problem is the traces it leaves…’

The martial world is a place where eyes and ears are open everywhere. If I controlled the Lower Filth Sect, my information would eventually leak out.

For someone who doesn’t want to be known to the world, that would be the worst.

“Phew…”

No matter how precious it is, if I’m reluctant to use it, it’s no different from a chicken rib…

‘I should keep it as insurance and use it in an emergency…’

Thinking that, I carefully kept it in my possession.

At that moment…

Knock knock.

“Sorry to disturb your rest. May I come in?”

“Come in.”

…Uncle Moon-seok knocked on our door and carefully opened it.

He bowed deeply, as if treating a benefactor. Helping the Leader of the Lower Filth Sect seemed to mean a lot to him.

Of course, despite showing such respect, he didn’t speak formally to me. We had spent a lot of time together, and I was comfortable with it.

“The Leader is looking for you. Is it possible?”

“Ah, sure. I had something to say anyway.”

The only person who saw me deal with the Great Elder of the Tang Family was the Leader of the Lower Filth Sect. She was also the only one who saw me use that martial arts technique…

I intended to ask her to keep it a secret once more. I was planning to visit her again, but since she called me first, I got up immediately.

I told the youngest to wait for a while and followed Moon-seok. Since the Leader of the Lower Filth Sect’s room was on the top floor of the Moon-gazing Pavilion, we had to climb many stairs, and we had a brief moment.

Taking advantage of that brief moment, Moon-seok spoke to me.

“I know I’ve said it countless times, but I want to thank you again.”

“……”

“I think the luckiest moment in my life was meeting you on the street a few years ago.”

At his words, I recalled the moment I met Uncle Moon-seok. He had shown me a small kindness.

It was when I was at my lowest, so that small sympathy from Uncle Moon-seok might still be unforgettable.

“It’s all karma.”

“Karma?”

“You weren’t a bad person, so you met me, and all this happened. Meeting me wasn’t just a coincidence.”

“…That’s quite a Buddhist thing to say.”

“I used to believe in Buddha.”

In my previous life, that is.

I used to go to temples with my parents on weekends and do temple stays.

Tap.

“…?”

Finally, when we reached the front of the Leader of the Lower Filth Sect’s room, Moon-seok turned around instead of opening the door and put his hand on my shoulder.

“I’ve always known you were a good person.”

“What nonsense are you talking about all of a sudden? Uncle Moon-seok, you’re too drunk on the atmosphere today.”

Since Uncle Moon-seok had been trying to create a warm atmosphere, I made a joke, but he continued speaking firmly.

“However, from now on, I think it’s a separate matter.”

“…What are you talking about all of a sudden?”

“The Leader has had a lot of pain throughout her life… Please make her happy.”

“…What?”

Make the Leader of the Lower Filth Sect happy…? Why is he telling me this…?

“Then I’ll be going.”

“W-Wait, Uncle! What do you mean by that all of a sudden!”

I tried to ask why Moon-seok was suddenly saying that, but he avoided answering and went straight down.

I had no choice but to open the door to the Leader of the Lower Filth Sect’s room with a puzzled mind.

Creak-.

“You’re here.”

As soon as I opened the door, I heard the Leader of the Lower Filth Sect’s welcoming voice. And…

“……”

…I could tell that the atmosphere was different from before.

**

During the past week, I had been going in and out of the Leader of the Lower Filth Sect’s room to play the geomungo. So I was quite familiar with her room.

But today, something was different.

The first thing that caught my eye was the table set with drinks. Although it didn’t seem like a lot, anyone could see that the snacks were high-quality, and the scent of Drunken Immortal Wine wafted from the bottles.

Well, this is fine. After finishing a big task, I also like to have a drink to celebrate.

But…

‘Damn, why did she set that up?’

…The white veil fluttering in front of me.

I could see the silhouette of the Leader of the Lower Filth Sect standing behind the translucent veil, but I couldn’t see her clearly.

No, it’s not like we’re suddenly strangers…

Feeling uneasy, I sat down at the table, and the Leader of the Lower Filth Sect spoke.

“You’ve taken good care of what I gave you, right?”

“Ah, of course.”

She was clearly referring to the ring and the paper with the handprint. They were still in my possession.

‘Surely she doesn’t want to take them back…?’

It didn’t seem like that kind of atmosphere, so I decided to wait and see what she had to say.

“As you know, the Lower Filth Sect is a network of many individual organizations. However, with that, you could become the great hand that controls the Lower Filth Sect.”

“Yes, I know this is an excessive item. But if you’re planning to take it back…”

“No, that’s not what I’m talking about.”

Swoosh-.

Saying that, Tang Weolhwa stepped out from behind the veil, revealing herself.

“……”

For a moment, I couldn’t continue speaking.

And for good reason… she was wearing clothes even thinner than that translucent veil.

Every time she took a step, the thin fabric fluttered, making my mind dizzy.

“I don’t think I can repay your kindness with just my ring and the paper with the handprint. The Great Hero has given me a new life.”

“Uh… that means…”

With a trembling heart, I cautiously looked up at her expression.

Pfft-.

Even she, who always had a relaxed expression, was blushing, embarrassed by the situation. Seeing someone who usually seemed so composed showing such a shy side made my heart race even more.

She hesitated for a moment, then spoke with a determined expression.

“You have given me a new life, so from now on, my life belongs solely to you, Great Hero. I will give you everything. My body… my heart… my first night… my chastity…”

“……”

“If you wish, even the depths of my soul.”