Chapter 26 – Let's Talk
"Ah, damn it!"
"Let's talk!"
"Talk!"
Yun Ji-woong sheathed his sword first.
Nearly ten men still remained.
Yeong-woo spoke calmly.
"If you don't kill me today, you'll all die later."
"So do it now."
"A man dragging things out is pathetic."
"You said you couldn't live because of me."
"So end it here."
Human fears rarely unfold as expected.
The crowd retreated.
Even while retreating, they picked up the fallen.
They had no intention of attacking again.
They had already realized something.
Their skill could not match his.
They had tried ganging up.
They had tried numbers.
Neither worked.
There was nothing left.
Yun Ji-woong withdrew quickly.
He already had a story ready.
He's a master.
He's good with a sword.
That would be enough.
Then someone stronger would be sent.
On the way back, Yeong-woo looked around.
Baek In-gyeom was nowhere to be seen.
But as long as that man was watching,
he felt he would not die.
Then he looked down.
Blood.
At first he thought it was someone else's.
But it was his.
He lifted his uniform.
A slash along his side.
He did not remember when it happened.
An attack had slipped past his vision.
It had been chaos.
Still—
his chest went cold.
He stopped along the road and examined it.
A palm-length cut along the left side.
Fortunately shallow.
It had not reached the organs.
Pure luck.
I won't live long like this.
He did not show pain.
If spies were watching, weakness would be fatal.
Men like them attack weakness.
People like us help the weak.
But they are different.
Blood ran down his waist.
If only it would run into the boots.
He crossed the town toward the north.
Toward the physician who had once treated him.
"Oh! Long time no see."
"I thought you had forgotten us, Captain."
"I had."
"But I'm injured again."
"Then we'll fix you again."
"Come in."
Yeong-woo stopped before entering.
He removed his cloak.
"Blood will drip."
"In a physician's clinic, blood is common."
"Come inside."
The room was surprisingly clean.
A bed stood inside.
Something only nobles usually owned.
It must be for treating patients.
He sat down.
The weight of his life sank with him.
I won't last long like this.
His eyes grew wet.
"My left side."
"Yes."
"Not deep."
"But you lost a lot of blood."
"You should have stopped it."
"They might see it as weakness."
"You pretended to be fine because of that?"
"Please check it."
"I hope it didn't reach the organs."
"What about the others?"
"They'll come here too."
"They're worse off."
"How many?"
"Four Daejeongs fell."
"This is becoming serious."
"Yes."
The physician murmured to himself.
The wound had opened widely.
"This… may need stitching."
"Then stitch it."
The physician closed his eyes tightly.
He had never stitched a wound like this.
"Are you sure?"
"Do it."
"I've never done it."
"What kind of physician hasn't sewn a wound?"
"Just do it."
"Even if I die."
The old physician panicked.
He tried stopping the bleeding.
But the cut was too wide.
Fortunately the organs were safe.
But if left like this, they might spill out.
The physician spoke seriously.
"I have never stitched a wound."
"No physician does this."
"But if we leave it, the organs may spill."
Yeong-woo answered the same way.
"Even if I die."
"Stitch it."