A distillery.

Also called a brewery, it was a place where alcohol was made and wholesaled.

To brew good alcohol, water was more important than anything else.

Thus, breweries were usually located where springs were found.

In Ganyang, there was only one place that brewed alcohol.

Okru-dang, located in Saemgol, where a tributary of the Jang River and a valley spring met to produce cold spring water.

How good must the alcohol be for its name to be Okru [Jade Tears]?

Okru-dang supplied all the alcohol in Ganyang.

From inns, taverns, and government offices to ordinary private homes.

There was no place in Ganyang that did not use Okru-dang's alcohol.

In other words, it was a monopoly.

There was no other place.

The reason for this was that the actual operator of Okru-dang was none other than the Yin Hand Chamber.

In the past, there were other places.

Because the water was good, there were three or four breweries located within Saemgol.

But how could powerless commoners withstand the pressure from the Yin Hand Chamber?

For places that did not receive Okru-dang's alcohol supply, the ruffians of the Yin Hand Chamber would step in and interfere with their business, so they had no means to endure.

Naturally, orders flooded into Okru-dang, and the distilleries in Saemgol closed down one by one.

Thanks to this, Okru-dang grew rapidly by swallowing up the closed businesses and came to supply all the alcohol in Ganyang exclusively.

And, the people of Okru-dang, who had to handle all the orders within Ganyang, had no choice but to be busy without rest.

Chiiiik!

The cauldron on the blazing furnace continuously let out steam.

Despite the intense heat, people were busy scooping out water with gourds, and in the numerous jars filling the yard, alcohol was fermenting.

The brewers, their hair tied up tightly, had to work without rest, drenched in sweat.

But there was no reward for their hard labor.

If it were run normally, would it be a business of the Yin Hand Chamber?

It was exploitation.

No matter how much they worked, what fell into their hands was nothing more than loose change.

Even if they wanted to quit because it was dirty and unpleasant, they couldn't.

"Aigoo..."

An old brewer carrying an alcohol jar lost his balance and fell.

The jar shattered into pieces, and the alcohol flowed onto the ground and seeped in.

Everyone looked at the commotion.

But their gazes were not directed at the fallen old man.

"You son of a bitch!"

The man, Jang Changsu, his face instantly contorted, picked up a short whip like a horse's tail and approached the fallen old man.

Then, the people's gazes turned towards the old man, filled with worry.

Because they knew the future that was to come.

"You crazy old man! You spilled the alcohol?"

Jang Changsu, his eyes glaring, roared thunderously and raised his whip high.

"...F-forgive me." 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

"Shut up! Do you know how much one jar of that costs? It's more expensive than your life!"

The whip drew an arc and fell on the old man's thin back.

"Aigugu..."

The old man, curled up, rolled on the ground and screamed, but Jang Changsu paid no heed and whipped him mercilessly.

Those watching frowned and were indignant, but no one could step forward.

Because they had already experienced it several times.

What happened to the people who tried to stop him.

And how much suffering others had to endure because of it.

"Kyak! Ptui! You damn old man. Do you still think you're the master brewer of Ganyang?"

"Forgive me..."

The old man, groaning sickly, only repeated his apology.

"Hmph! Forgiveness, my ass... If you broke the alcohol jar, you have to pay the price. That's right. For the next month! No pay. Got it?"

Jang Changsu, having laid down the threat, shouted at the surroundings that had stopped, watching him flog the old man.

"What are you doing? Is this a show? You want a taste of the whip too?"

At those words, the people flinched and resumed their work.

"Fucking bastards... they only listen when you curse at them."

Jang Changsu scowled in annoyance and called a nearby warrior.

"Hey! Chungro!"

"Yes, Big Brother."

"This old man, tie him up somewhere clearly visible. I need to make an example of what happens when you break an alcohol jar."

"Keuk keuk, I understand, Big Brother."

At Jang Changsu's words, Chungro laughed and grabbed the old man by the scruff of his neck, dragging him away.

The people could only glance sideways with pitiful expressions.

But then.

"Good heavens, what a bunch of bastards."

"...?"

A voice from somewhere stopped Chungro in his tracks.

"Hey! You, don't you know how to respect your elders? This is what happens when you're uneducated."

"...Which bastard is spouting shit?"

"Where are you looking, you bastard. Over here. Here."

As Chungro glared at the workers, the owner of the voice revealed his location.

The place where jars were lined up for alcohol fermentation.

A young man with a slender build and a height as tall as an adult stood on top of one.

"You... who are you? I haven't seen your face before."

"Tsk tsk, why are you stating the obvious? I'm not from around here in the first place."

The young man clicked his tongue, a sneer on his face, and looked at Chungro.

"When I'm being nice, let the elder go. And lay him down in a good spot."

"What? You fucking son of a bitch!"

Chungro's eyes shot up, his anger flaring at the lecturing tone, but the young man only laughed as if he were pathetic.

"Hah, so this is it. This is it. I never knew what the Family Head meant when he said that being stupid invites a beating. Thanks to you, I get it now."

"What are you, you bastard?"

"What do you mean, what am I? It's this."

Smirking, the young man curled his fingers and held something.

A small and even cute... stone?

It was a jackstone that little girls gathered at the alley entrance might play with.

But why that...

Just as the question arose, the young man carefully aimed at Chungro as if he were playing marbles.

"I'm warning you. Let him go now."

"You son of a..."

Ting!

As the curse erupted, the young man's finger flicked.

And then.

Swae-aek!

The small, cute stone that had been between his fingers... flew towards Chungro at a tremendous speed.

Peo-eok!

The colliding stone exploded as if it had burst, and Chungro's head was violently thrown back.

It was only natural that the hand holding the old man lost its strength.

"Keuuu..."

Chungro, who had been thrown back and slammed into the ground, groaned, bleeding profusely from the impact of the stone, and then his head drooped limply.

Silence...

The entire Okru-dang fell silent at the incident that happened in an instant.

The workers, and the few men who had been browbeating the workers...

"Chungro... ya?"

Jang Changsu, who had been blinking at the fallen Chungro, turned his head to look at the young man.

It was just a stone.

He had knocked down a person by flicking something no different from a jackstone.

He was tall, but his face was youthful, as if he hadn't even reached his coming-of-age.

Sensing that he was no ordinary person despite his young appearance, Jang Changsu asked, tense.

"Who, who the hell are you?"

"Me? Tang Chunil."

"Tang... what?"

"Tang Chunil of the Tang Family's estate."

"Tang Family... estate?"

"Yeah, of the Tang Family's estate... dammit, he should have given me a title like Baekgang. What is this?"

Chunil grumbled... and Jang Changsu was just dumbfounded.

Appearing out of nowhere...

But wait, if it's the Tang Family's estate?

"Mandeok Estate?"

"I said the Tang Family's estate! Are your ears clogged?"

Chunil frowned at Jang Changsu's words and corrected him.

The Mandeok Estate... is the Tang Family's estate!

"It's the Tang Family's estate now. Our Family Head said so. The Mandeok Estate is no more. So you call it the Tang Family's estate too."

Jang Changsu spoke irritably at his grinning face.

"You damn bastard! Why did the Tang Family's estate attack Okru-dang!"

"Huh? An attack?"

"Just now!"

"I was teaching you some manners."

"What?"

"You shouldn't do that to an elderly person. Why don't you know something that even I, who lived as a vagrant, know? Didn't you study?"

"This bastard..."

"Ah, enough. The Family Head told me to ask just one thing."

"..."

"Do you, by any chance, know someone named Andeukseong?"

"An..."

How could he not know?

He was one of the Seven Prowess of the Yin Hand Chamber and held the position of Patrol Hall Master.

"Why are you looking for him?"

"So you know him?"

"..."

"Where is that bastard? Tell me and I'll just leave."

Chunil grinned slyly.

Jang Changsu, glaring at him, rolled his eyes, looked around, and said.

"...But, are you alone?"

"Of course I'm alone, do you come in a group to ask a question? And our Family Head said I'm more than enough by myself."

"Is that so? You're alone, you say?"

At Chunil's ready admission, Jang Changsu's gaze turned sharp.

Hearing the commotion, the Yin Hand Chamber warriors staying at the distillery had gathered and were surrounding Chunil.

The punk was as good as surrounded.

"You young bastard... you have no manners, where do you think this is to come alone? You've got some nerve, don't you?"

"..."

"You son of a bitch. Beg for forgiveness right now."

Jang Changsu's attitude changed in an instant after finishing his calculations.

The bewilderment was gone, and his expression was full of triumphant and vile feelings.

"Hoo... twelve of you? That's a bit much."

"Why? Scared?"

"Scared..."

Chunil let out a small laugh and fiddled with the jackstones in the pouch tied to his waist.

Before coming to Okru-dang, Cheonyeong had said.

Don't be nervous.

No matter how many there were, they were no different from rabbits.

He said to think of it as hunting in the mountains...

He had said he understood in front of the Family Head, but he was still worried.

He had never fought with people before.

But now he was confident.

The first one.

He had deliberately acted cocky and taunted him, and threw the stone with his internal energy.

What if it didn't work?

But what do you know?

It flew swiftly and slammed into him... it was no big deal, was it?

Even the small animals in the mountains could dodge it, but that guy took it with his eyes wide open, didn't he?

Maybe... these guys... are weaker than rabbits.

His confidence soaring, Chunil grinned slyly at Jang Changsu and the Yin Hand Chamber warriors surrounding him and said.

"Our Family Head said, if you attack... I should mess you up. So choose wisely and act. Once a stone is thrown, even I can't stop it."

"...Bastard, what are you doing! Get him!"

With Jang Changsu's roar, the warriors who had surrounded Chunil rushed in all at once.

Kkarak!

Unlike before, Chunil wedged the stones between his fingers.

Eight in total, in both hands.

It was not enough to take down all twelve, but.

"Since you attacked, I'll mess you all up! You bastards who are worse than rabbits!"

Pa-ak!

As Chunil spread his hands wide to the left and right, the stones wedged between his fingers flew out at high speed.

"It's just stones! Don't be scared!"

At that shout, Chunil grinned slyly and launched himself quickly towards Jang Changsu.

The Family Head had said.

If a fight breaks out, get the leader of the group first.

The stones... are bait.

It doesn't matter if the other guys get hit by the stones or not!

Ppa-ak!

"Keuk!"

Ppabak!

"Keok!"

Some couldn't dodge the stones, and some barely dodged them.

But in that time, Chunil was already right in front of Jang Changsu.

"This bastard!"

Chunil ducked and dodged Jang Changsu's fist, who had responded in fright.

You guys don't know, do you?

What we learned... wasn't just stone-throwing!

His clenched fist shot up along with his foot that stomped the ground and his bent knee.

Kwadeudeuk!

"Keo-eok!"

Jang Changsu's back bent and shot up as his abdomen was struck by the uppercut.

Not yet.

And our Family Head also said, when you mess them up, do it for sure.

Kwadeuk! Ppababak!

Chunil's fists were like lightning, and Jang Changsu couldn't even put up a proper resistance and was mercilessly beaten.

Ppudeudeuk!

Of course, as soon as the fight was over, Chunil twisted and broke Jang Changsu's leg, just as Cheonyeong had instructed.

"Kkuaaaak!"

The punk's scream echoed thunderously through Okru-dang.

And watching this were only the five Yin Hand Chamber warriors who had barely dodged the stones.

"You guys too... want me to break them?"

"Hiiik!"

At Chunil's eerie smile, the Yin Hand Chamber warriors were startled like rabbits seeing their natural enemy and fled.

"Huh? This is a problem. The Family Head told me to be sure to ask where Andeukseong is..."

Chunil scratched his head and frowned.

"Well, can't be helped. I'll have to ask the remaining guys, as disappointing as it is."

When he glanced over, the face of Jang Changsu, who was in agony with his broken leg, turned white.

"You hit that elderly person with this earlier, right?"

Chunil picked up the whip that Jang Changsu had been holding.

Jjwa-ak!

"Keuk!"

The moment he swung it forcefully and struck.

"...!"

Chunil felt a tingling sensation.

Something, like he had met his fated partner?

Chunil looked at the whip in his hand and smiled brightly.

"This, this is pretty good."

And then, as if to feel that tingling sensation, he was about to start the interrogation.

"B-benefactor! Are you truly from the Mandeok Estate?"

People began to gather around Chunil one by one.

"Tang Family's estate."

"...Pardon?"

"Good heavens, how many times have I told people it's the Tang Family's estate."

"Ah..."

As Chunil frowned, the gathered people looked perplexed but couldn't hide their joy.

In their eyes... Chunil was a hero who vanquished villains.

And the Tang Family's estate was a name like a ray of salvation.

"Benefactor, a drink..."

"Huh?"

One of the people brought alcohol in a gourd dipper.

And Chunil's Adam's apple bobbed greatly as he looked at it.

Alcohol...

They said drinking in the daytime was the root cause of committing filial impiety... the Family Head told me to come right back after I was done... well, just one drink should be fine, right?

Come to think of it, my throat does feel a bit scratchy...

(End of Chapter)