Martial Arts Ain't Anything Special-Chapter 32: The Great Mating Operation (1)

When they returned to where Wang whatever was, they found him staring blankly into a campfire.

He had a complicated expression.

Seojun patted the back of the child in his arms.

“Go to your dad.”

“Mm...?”

The child who had been dozing off suddenly looked up, her eyes growing round.

“D-Daddy...!!”

Life immediately returned to the dazed man’s eyes at the sound of her voice.

“So...So-ryeong...!”

“Daddyyy...!!”

She jumped down and ran into the man’s arms. He hugged her tight and cried in the wide open without a care for his own appearance.

Watching their reunion from a distance, Seojun glanced sideways.

Chunbong was watching them with mixed emotions.

“Want a hug too?”

When he slightly opened up his arms, Chunbong snorted.

“...Stop with the bullshit.”

“Aww, my Chunbong.”

“...If you’re gonna hug me anyway, why even ask?”

He tried to scoop up little Chunbong as she grumbled, but she’d gotten heavier... a bit too much to just pick up like before.

Then again, I’m not done growing either. Who knows how things will turn out down the road, right?

“...Idiot.”

Chunbong snuggled into his arms and while patting her back, he checked on the women following behind.

“Do you still have energy left to walk a bit?”

“Y-Yes! Of course!”

Best case will be reaching a village before sunset, otherwise, we’ll need to camp in the mountains.

After organizing his thoughts, he looked at the father and daughter still crying and hugging each other. Even little Chunbong was quiet, perhaps feeling down about her own family.

“Hm.... guess there’s no choice.”

Family reunion aside, I need to ask if there’s a village nearby.

*“Thank you...! Truly, thank you, Young Expert...! This kindness of yours, I shall never forget it, not even unto death! Should you ever require this Wang Daesan’s aid, you need only call! I pledge my very life to helping you, Benefactor!”

Wang Daesan prostrated himself and bowed repeatedly. He might be a son of a bitch but this is getting a bit uncomfortable.

“First please stand up. Is there a village nearby?”

“Please speak comfortably! Such honor is wasted for this fool who dared draw his blade first!”

“It’s fine, I’m comfortable speaking this way... So, is there a village?”

“Ah! I shall guide you right away! There is a village merely half an hour’s walk from here!”

Wang Daesan jumped up, saw the women, and his eyes rolled back again.

“Ohhh! My blood boils from the atrocities of those despicable bandits! However, Young Expert has brought justice to those villains and saved countless lives! I revere the Young Expert! Nay, Great Expert!”

There’s definitely something off about this bastard. He quietly stepped back and whispered to Chunbong, who nodded in response.

“Seems like qi deviation. Not severe though, probably developed an inner demon when his daughter was kidnapped.”

“Is that so? Wow, qi deviation is scary, huh.”

“Speaking of which, you haven’t fallen in qi deviation, have you?”

“...Are you seriously asking that?”

“Yeah.”

Seojun glanced at Wang Daesan. Do I act like that? No way I’m that bad, right?

“Geum Chunbong, no piggyback rides for a day.”

“Huh? Well... whatever?”

“No wait! You’re supposed to hate it! Stop me quick!”

“Crazy bastard.”

Chunbong shook her head.

*After walking about an hour as Wang Daesan said, they began to see the village. It was small enough that you could see most of its boundaries from a slight elevation.

Seojun moved toward the village with his now considerably larger group.

Five women, So-ryeong and Wang Daesan, plus Chunbong and himself made nine total.

As this clearly unusual group approached the village, two young men came forward holding crude spears.

“Halt! Who goes there!”

When Seojun looked at Wang Daesan, he nodded and stepped forward.

“You fools! How dare you block our path!”

Maybe I should have handled this?

As Seojun was regretting his choice, Wang Daesan pulled out the blood-written letter.

“My daughter’s guard is inside. These women were kidnapped by Green Forest Bandits, and these two are the heroes who rescued them! We will not cause any trouble in the village.”

The guard youths seemed to understand his jumbled-up sentence.

“Ah, I’ve seen him before, the one staying at Granny Chun’s place. Go ahead.”

What a nice young man.

As he moved to let them pass, the other youth’s eyes went wide as he tapped his companion’s arm.

“H-Hey! Isn’t that the Seong family’s missing daughter?”

“What!?”

The nice youth jumped and rushed to check one of the women’s faces.

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“It is! It’s the Seong family’s daughter!”

“You go spread the word! I’ll guide these people!”

“R-Right! Got it!”

As the kind boy ran into the village, the other guided their group.

“If you need a place to stay, you can go to the village chief’s place or that building with the sign. I’ll let them know so you won’t have to pay.”

“Oh no, that’s not necessary.”

“How could we take money from the people who saved a villager?”

“Aha, I see. Then, thank you.”

This village really has that human touch. It’s a completely different world from the back alleys we lived in before.

Is it because it’s a small village?

But this is exactly what you need to be careful of. While village hospitality can be warm and all, things could turn batshit crazy at the drop of a hat.

“This is Granny Chun’s place. She’s the village’s only doctor.”

“Is Uncle Jang here?”

While holding her father’s hand, So-ryeong poked her head out.

Wang Daesan nodded with a fatherly smile.

“Seems so. Shall we go see if he’s alright?”

“Mm!”

So-ryeong nodded with a bright smile.

But Wang Daesan’s face contained both anger and joy. He probably can’t look kindly on the guard who fled alone without protecting his daughter.

Even if it was the correct choice, emotions are a different matter.

After watching them briefly, Seojun spoke to the women following quietly behind.

“Should we rest here for now? The villagers will probably come around too.”

The Seong family’s daughter flinched when he said that.

Seojun closely observed her before turning away, he was starting to get curious about this guard person.

*Wang Daesan knocked on Granny Chun’s gate when the young man who guided them left.

“Is anyone home?”

The gate opened revealing an elderly woman.

“What’s goin’ on here? Y’all look like outsiders.”

“We heard a man named Jang Yuho is being treated here, might we come in?”

“Ah, aah. So yer with that fella? Come on in.”

The white-haired old woman led the way, leaning on her cane.

“Um, Granny?”

“Hmm?”

“Is there somewhere these women could rest? They must be quite tired.”

The old woman looked at them after he said that and nodded.

“Tsk tsk. Y’all look terrible. I’ll give yer a room to rest in.”

“Oh, thank you.”

“Hyang, if your father acts up, come find me.”

“...Yes.”

It was the Seong family’s daughter from earlier. She guided the other women to the room with her head bowed. Seems she knew Granny Chun.

Seojun tilted his head curiously and followed Granny Chun with Wang Daesan.

They entered a room thick with the smell of medicinal herbs. Just like how he remembered traditional Korean medicine clinics smelling.

“Boy! Ya got visitors!”

“What? Visitors? Ah! Could it be...?”

A man was lying on the floor inside. His eyes widened upon seeing Wang Daesan, and when he saw So-ryeong beside him, tears started flowing.

“Y-Young Lady...! You’re safe!”

“Uncle Jang...!”

So-ryeong tried to run and jump on the man but Granny Chun stopped her.

“Child, ya shouldn’t jump on injured people.”

“Ah, uu... I’m sorryyy...”

So-ryeong bowed politely. What a well-mannered child.

As Seojun nodded with satisfaction, So-ryeong tiptoed to the man and grabbed his hand tightly.

“Sorry... Uncle Jang... I shouldn’t have said to go through the mountains.”

“No, it’s fine. It’s my fault for failing to protect you, Young Lady.”

“What? W-Wait a moment! Guard Jang, what do you mean? So-ryeong asked to go to the mountains?”

When Wang Daesan asked in shock, the man nodded.

“Yes... I thought it would be fine since there weren’t many demonic creatures or bandits in these mountains... I am truly sorry, Family Head.”

“Oh no, So-reyong! How many times have I told you not to be stubborn!?”

“Uuu... but...”

Seojun blinked at the situation that had devolved into complete chaos in an instant.

What? The hell was I thinking? Bandits saw the child’s beauty and came to the village to kidnap her?

Now that I think about it, no one in their right mind would do it to that child unless they’re a complete pedo bastard. I’d just jumped to a wild conclusion because the father’s a crazy daughter-con.

“I thought something seemed off.”

As he was processing that information, he felt eyes turn to him.

“Ah, then this gentleman...”

“Uh-huh! The handsome big brother saved me!”

Who am I? The handsome big brother.

He felt Chunbong glaring at him sharply when he smugly grinned, and smiled even wider just to show off.

“Ugh...!”

He was pinched on the side. That fucking hurts.

“I am truly grateful, Young Expert. That reminds me, I haven’t introduced myself. I am Jang Yuho, Young Lady So-ryeong’s guard.”

“Young Lady So-ryeong... Is she from a wealthy family?”

When Jang Yuho looked awkwardly at Wang Daesan, the latter answered instead.

“That is not quite so. We are but a modest family on the outskirts, yet as fate would have, our paths became intertwined with Guard Jang’s.”

“I see.”

Seemed so.

Perhaps because they were talking about her, So-ryeong carefully approached and tugged on Seojun’s clothes.

Does she want to be held?

After he picked her up and patted her back, she quickly fell asleep. Then he felt Chunbong blatantly stare at him. Cute brat.

“What’s wrong my Chunbong? Want big brother to put you to sleep too?”

“...Shut up.”

“Aww, are you sulking?”

“What are you on about. I’m not sulking.”

“This just won’t do! Tonight big brother will sing you a lulla—”

BANG BANG BANG BANG!

Someone was pounding on the gate. When he poked his head out, he heard an unfamiliar man’s voice.

“My daughter! I heard Leehyang is here?!”

“I understand how you feel but...”

“Shut up! Hyang! Come out right now! Where have you been all this time?!”

When the man said that, Granny Chun clicked her tongue and stood up.

“That fool’s acting up again. Y’all sit tight. I’ll chase him away quick.”

She went out leaning on her cane and opened the gate.

Two men stood beyond the gate, One with a red face and another trying to stop him.

“Who do ya think you are making such a fuss here! Scram!”

“My daughter is here, what nonsense is this!”

“Act like a proper father before looking for yer daughter! Stop this foolishness and get out!”

“Have you gone senile...!”

The man who was about to raise his hand stopped. He looked behind Granny Chun, then suddenly shouted.

“Seong Leehyang!”

“...Father.”

The Seong family’s daughter stood where the man was looking.

She approached Granny Chun with her head bowed and gently tried to dissuade her.

“Thank you, Granny.”

“...Hyang.”

“You wench! What have you been doing to crawl back only now?! If you’re back, you should be straight home instead of holing up in a place like this! Taking after your mother... are you disrespecting me as well!?”

“Father... That’s not it...”

“What do you mean that’s not it!”

Leehyang shrank at her father’s shouting.

“What happened was... bandits...”

“Bandits!? Hah...! Then you must have lost your chastity too! Why bother returning at all?! You should have died right then and there instead of making the whole village point fingers at us!”

“F-Fool...! What horseshit are ya spouting?! Is that any way to talk to yer own daughter?!”

“You’ve been testing my patience old hag...!”

As he raised his hand again, the man who came with him tried to stop him.

“What’s wrong with you!”

“Let go of me, damn you! To hell with this! A bitch like you would be better off dead! I wish I never had such a worthless daughter like—Aaargh!”

The enraged man screamed and clutched his hand when his hand had frozen over.

“It shouldn’t even hurt, damned drama queen.”

Seojun sighed as he handed the sleeping So-ryeong to Wang Daesan. Fortunately the qi barrier had blocked the noise so she hadn’t woken up.

“So fucking annoying, makes me sick to my stomach.”

He clicked his tongue and walked toward the man. The man cowered back while staring at his frozen hand.

Seojun let out a bitter laugh seeing this pathetic sight.

“I was trying to stay out of other people’s business, but... you just had to fucking go and ruin my Chunbong’s expression.”

Being the helicopter mom that I am, I can’t stand this! You made my baby cry!

This fucker’s really asking to die.

“Pick a number. How many times do you want to be hit?”

He started by wrapping his hands in fist qi.