Chapter 197: Chapter 70

It was clear that the person hurling insults and shaking his finger at others was Makbong.

And it was Yoju who was staring at the guy in the back.

It looked like those around Makbong and Yoju were the members of the Aeogae acrobatic team.

“They’re going to have a big fight anytime soon. Do you know anyone there?” asked Hangbok.

“Well, I know that group who are outnumbered there,” replied Kanghyok.

The situation was not in favor of Makbong’s group.

His group had only five including Yoju was five, all told, while the other group numbered more than ten.

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No matter how good Makbong was at martial arts, it would be difficult for his group to beat them.

“Why are you guys coming all the way here to do performances? You have your own territory, right?”

Then a guy who kept silent up to now came forward.

Given his rough bamboo hat, he was obviously from a low-class.

But the way he talked and acted was somewhat majestic, as if a nobleman was rebuking a commoner.

“How can you son of a bitch get on your high horse?”

Naturally Makbong got upset, but the other party burst into laughter at that and said, “Son of a bitch? You must be crazy to shoot off your mouth.”

“Crazy? Yeah, we are. You arrogant little sh*ts!”

“Hey, teach him some good manners.”

“Yes, sir, Pyonsu!”

At his order, more than ten members of his group stroke at Makbong’s group.

“Please go inside,” said Makbong, pushing Yoju among the crowds watching them.

Then, he ran wildly to fight against them.

Three guys fell at the same time when Makbong hit them by head-butting and kicking as well as smacking them up.

“Can I help him, master?” Yoni asked, with the basket in hand.

She was dressed like a medical doctor.

“No, you can’t, with a dress like that. Dolsok, why don’t you help Makbong?”

“Me?”

“Yeah, you can do some taekgyon martial arts, right?”

“Oh…”

In fact, Dolsok was not good at taekgyon. Though he faithfully followed the motions of taekgyon, he couldn’t apply them properly in action.

“Give me that basket, Dolsok.”

Kanghyok forcibly took it from him and pushed him to the side of Makbong.

Actually, Dolsok wanted to disappear into the crowd when he was caught by Kanghyok.

“Hey, Welcome, my friend! Strike at these bastards, Dolsok!”

But it was the other party that charged toward him and began to beat him soundly.

As he was a big and well-built guy, Dolsok didn’t fall, fortunately.

While he was resisting strongly, Makbong beat them one by one.

Though outnumbered initially, Makbong now crushed them all except for their leader Pyonsu and a guy standing beside him.

“You mean rat!” shouted Makbong

Moving back, Pyonsu shouted back, “You bastard! Do you know who I’m?”

“Of course, I do. You are imitating acrobatic performances in this little town, mean rat!”

“What the heck, you little punk!”

As the leader or Pyonsu of the acrobatic team, he was far from Wolbaek, the leader of Yoni’s father who was dignified and honorable.

‘Wolbaek was pretty much honorable in front of me,’ Kanghyok thought.

“Don’t come near to me, you bastard!”

“Who charged toward me first, you mean rat!”

While Makbong and the head of the gang were in a war of words, Dolsok came to his senses and joined Makbong.

As he was soundly beaten by the other group, Dolsok lost his temper as if to kill them.

“Hey, you bastards!”

Pyonsu pushed the guy defending him to deal with Makbong.

Pushed along, he stood before Makbong.

“You want to be killed???”

“Oops…”

Giving a moan, the guy flinched on the spot.

At that moment Makbong hit him in the crown of his head with his big fist.

The guy immediately fell to the ground with a bang.

And Dolsok trampled on him with his feet.

“You bastard, you must have felt great when you beat me a moment ago.”

“Don’t approach me!” shouted Pyonsu, who kept stepping back.

But Makbong had no reason to listen to him.

He was walking toward him with a big step now.

Then the guy, who fell to the ground, raised himself urgently and said, “You vilain! Do you know who our guardian is?”

Kanghyok and Hangbok narrowed their brows when he mentioned ‘guardian.’

Makbong asked, holding Pyonsu’s with both hands,

“Who the hell is your guardian, bastard?”

Though Pyons was wriggling with both legs, he wouldn’t reveal who he was.

But the other guy who Dolsok was trampling down was different.

“His name is Lord Yorip Chung!”

“Who?”

“Yorip Chung!”

Pyonsu urgently tried to stop him, “Hey, stop it. How come you reveal his name here?”

At that time, Yorip Chung was quite a famous nobleman. Until a few years ago, he was a rising star of the political faction Tongin. Though he was from its rival faction Soin, Yorip even criticized Yi Lee and Hon Sung, the founders of Soin.

There was no way that the illiterate Makbong would know this.

“Who the hell is he, bastard? I am serving my master Kanghyok Paek!”

Then, he began to beat Pyonsu again.

Now, Hangbok could not let the name of Yorip Chung go out through his ear.

How could he form his own faction in Hanyang when he went down to his hometown long time ago after resigning from his government post and formed an armed group Taedonggye?

Hangbok hurried to him and tried to wake him up, but Pyonsu already passed out with beating.

“What did he say at the end of his remarks?”

“He mentioned something like Chung…”

Dolsok, who had a good memory, said, “He mentioned Yorip Chung.”

“Can you take responsibility for your reply?” The way Hangbok asked him was stern and straightforward in a clear departure with his happy-go-lucky attitude a moment ago.

Dolsok just swallowed saliva in his dry mouth without replying immediately.

“Why won’t you reply quickly?”

“Oh, yes, that’s right. He clearly mentioned Yorip Chung.”

“He said that?” Kanghyok cautiously cut in.

Though he heard of Yorip Chung in a history textbook, he could not remember exactly who that person was.

“Why are you so sensitive at his name?”

“No, nothing. I just know him personally…” Hangbok slurred.

Obviously Hangbok was hiding something, given his slurring.

“Oh my god… I think my men made a mistake if you personally knew Yorip Chung.”

Kanghyok apologized to Hangbok, looking at Pyonsu’s men who fell to the ground here and there. Some of them were severely injured as a result of Makbong’s merciless beating.

“Never mind. Let me take this guy with me.”

Hangbok said, pointing at Pyonsu who passed out.

“Sure, sir.”

“Yes, you don’t have to be in a rush to treat my wife. Let me give you the date later.”

“Got it. Actually, I needed some preparation time, too.”

“Good. Enjoy that fugu. Hahaha.”

“Yes, sir.”

Hangbok was now back to his relaxed moods as usual.

Carrying Pyonsu on his horse, he disappeared in no time.

“Whew!”

The tense atmosphere created by Hangbok’s tough questioning didn’t disappear instantly.

In particular, Dolsok, whose eyes met with Hangbok’s directly, was still reeling from shock.

Hangbok was happy-go-lucky until the name ‘Yorip Chung’ was brought up.

“Who the hell is that nobleman?” asked Makbong, who was breathing out roughly.

“Oh, his name is Hangbok Lee, currently senior director with the education and cultural ministry.”

“Oh, I see…”

Though Makbong didn’t know how high Hangbok’s title was, he felt it was quite a high government position.

“Looks like this is a big deal, with names like Hangbok Lee and Yorip Chung,” said Yoju, who were holed up in the crowd while the fighting was going on.

“Oh, it’s you, Yoju. You might know something more about this. Why is Hangbok so sensitive about Yorip?”

“Don’t you know Yorip Chung?”

“No idea.”

“Originally Yorip was from a commoner’s family. He was on close terms with Yi Lee and Hon Sung, and held many important government posts thanks to his erudite learning.”

“Really? What kind of position?”

“He held the title of jwarang, a high-ranking HR position with the education and cultural ministry. Oh, he also held the post of suchan, a high-ranking position Hongmunkwan (Academy of Letters).”

“Come to think of it, my father also mentioned his name several times.”

Kanghyok didn’t listen carefully at that time because he was not interested.

“Anyway, Yorip was affiliated with the political faction of Soin, but he began to mingle with those of its political rival Tongin, and even began to criticize Yi Lee and Hon Sung, the giants of his own faction Soin.”

“Oh, I see.”

As far as Kanghyok could remember, Hangbok was affiliated with Soin, and that devout discipline of Yi Lee.

Kanghyok felt Hangbok must have bad feelings about Yorip Chung.

“Because of Yorip’s turning coat, he got the support from many members of Tongin. Of course, he was attacked by Soin.”

“Got it. He might be regarded as a betrayer to Soin.”

“He was forcibly sent down to his hometown after he lost favor with the king, and I hear he is staying in Cholla Province. He doesn’t seem to mingle with Tongin people because of this political persecution.”

“Got it.”

If that’s the case, nobody had to worry about Yorip because he was forced out.

“Then, why is Hangbok so wary of Yorip?”

“I hear that Yorip has formed Taedonggye in Jinan and currently he is actively involved in its activities.”

“Taedonggye?”

“Yes, what I heard from my father was it was kind of an armed guerrilla group.”

“Armed group?”

While he was hearing Yoju’s explanation, something flashed into his mind.

Yorip Chung. He was a revolutionary man in his time.

Though Kanghyok didn’t remember exactly what it was, Yorip was involved in a serious coup known as the Purge of Yorip Chung’s gang in 1589.

“Hmm…”

“I think I could understand why Hangbok was so sensitive to his name.”

Kanghyok nodded quietly.

Some of Pyonsu’s members began to come to their senses, moaning.

“What should I do?” asked Dolsok.

“Take all of them to that house.”

“Are you sure?”

“No, what I mean is that house in Hanyang that the mayor rented to me for free.”

“Oh, I see… Are you going to test them as a guinea pig?”

“Yes, in return for my treatment of their injuries.”