Bachelor Swordsmanship Remastered [EN]: Chapter 277

277. Stop It Now

As Ho Yeon-gi began to harass Woon-hyun, Ha Young-ryung watched with a sense of wicked delight.

“He’s being quite rude.”

When Ho Yeon-gi made such remarks to Woon-hyun, she even cheered him on in a small voice, exaggerating her tone.

“Brother, you’re so cool!”

Ho Yeon-gi seemed to know exactly what she wanted to hear, saying only things that pleased Ha Young-ryung.

While suppressing Kang, the Chief Manager, made her slightly uncomfortable, watching Woon-hyun’s expression harden was genuinely amusing.

“Hmph. If you make others shed tears, you’ll bleed tears of blood from your own eyes.”

With that thought, Ha Young-ryung gleefully observed Woon-hyun’s expression, which grew more and more severe.

Thwack!

Ha Young-ryung flinched as Ho Yeon-gi punched Woon-hyun in the face.

Seeing the blood flow, she frowned involuntarily.

“Hmph.”

But Ha Young-ryung forced a snort.

“Well, it’s his own fault.”

Ha Young-ryung muttered to herself, trying to justify her amusement.

However, from that moment on, Ha Young-ryung’s interest waned.

“…Is that enough now?”

Woon-hyun’s voice was cold and devoid of emotion.

Somehow, the voice sounded as if it were directed at Ha Young-ryung herself, not Ho Yeon-gi.

Ha Young-ryung suddenly felt uneasy. Very uneasy.

“Tch.”

Crash.

Woon-hyun was knocked down by Ho Yeon-gi’s kick, but she didn’t want to watch any longer.

Assuming it would end like that anyway, Ha Young-ryung started to close the curtain.

But the situation began to unfold in an unexpected way.

“Prepare yourself, you rascal!”

Ha Young-ryung turned her head at Ho Yeon-gi’s murderous tone.

Even to her, who knew little about martial arts, Ho Yeon-gi’s fist technique looked formidable.

‘Ah!’

Ha Young-ryung was startled and tried to rise from her seat.

But then.

Surprisingly, Ho Yeon-gi faked an attack [a feint].

Even more surprising was the terribly distorted expression on Woon-hyun’s face.

“Is that all you’ve got!”

Woon-hyun shouted.

“Is that all it took for you to think there’s nothing to fear in the world?”

He seemed to be mocking Ho Yeon-gi, but Ha Young-ryung could clearly hear the anger and despair in his voice.

“With such skill!”

The person being mocked was likely Ho Yeon-gi.

But it was Woon-hyun who seemed to be crying.

“You thought you were such a great person!”

That fierce cry, no, that scream, shook Ha Young-ryung’s heart.

‘Ah!’

Ha Young-ryung finally understood.

Woon-hyun hadn’t ignored her, nor had he lectured her.

He hadn’t looked down on her with a conceited attitude.

He simply didn’t have the余裕 [yoyuu – leeway, capacity] to be considerate of her.

Although he appeared like a noble scholar on the outside, Woon-hyun’s heart was already bleeding.

“…With such ability.”

Woon-hyun raised his fist and slammed it into the floor.

Bang.

Ha Young-ryung’s chest resonated with the impact.

“You stupid bastard! Idiot! Moron!”

Bang, bang.

Every time Woon-hyun’s fist struck the floor, Ha Young-ryung felt like her chest was collapsing.

What had she done to that poor man?

Bang.

“You trash!”

At that scream, Ha Young-ryung could no longer remain seated.

Thud.

Ha Young-ryung got up from her seat.

Roughly pulling back the curtain, Ha Young-ryung ran towards the lower floor.

The ornaments on her wrist and clothes shook, creating a loud noise, but she didn’t care.

Tat, tat, tat.

The maid near the stairs stood up with surprised eyes.

“Ah, Miss!”

But Ha Young-ryung didn’t stop.

Holding onto her skirt, she hurriedly ran down the stairs.

“P, please wait, Miss!”

The maid shouted something from behind, but she couldn’t hear it.

She pushed through the crowd on the first floor and ran blindly.

And then she saw it.

The sight of Ho Yeon-gi approaching Woon-hyun, who was still motionless with his head down, with a gruesome knife.

Tat.

Ha Young-ryung didn’t hesitate.

She immediately jumped between Woon-hyun and Ho Yeon-gi.

“That’s enough!”

Thwack.

Ha Young-ryung turned her back to Woon-hyun and spread one arm.

Still holding onto her skirt with one hand, Ha Young-ryung said, gasping for breath.

“So please stop now.”

“H, Ha Miss!”

Ho Yeon-gi looked at Ha Young-ryung with surprised eyes.

Ha Young-ryung bit her lip and turned her head.

Woon-hyun was still sitting there.

As if he didn’t care if someone killed him.

“…Please stop.”

Ha Young-ryung said, looking at Woon-hyun, not Ho Yeon-gi.

Her voice was completely trembling.

But because of that, Ha Young-ryung didn’t see Ho Yeon-gi’s expression twist.

“Get out of the way, Ha Miss.”

Ha Young-ryung turned her head towards Ho Yeon-gi.

“Please don’t!”

Ha Young-ryung said in an earnest voice.

“Isn’t it enough now!”

“Enough?”

Ho Yeon-gi’s eyes gleamed eerily.

“…What do you mean, enough?”

Ha Young-ryung flinched.

Ho Yeon-gi’s eyes were filled with jealousy, defeat, and anger.

Only then did she notice the gruesome light flashing from the knife in his hand.

“You wanted this, didn’t you.”

Thud.

Ho Yeon-gi said, slowly moving his feet.

Ho Yeon-gi wasn’t a fool.

He had started impulsively, but now he knew that Ha Young-ryung had incited him.

“So we have to finish it. Don’t we?”

But now it was no longer just Ha Young-ryung’s problem.

Besides, the sight of Ha Young-ryung blocking his way rekindled the jealousy and desire that had subsided for a while.

“Ah ah……”

Ha Young-ryung, terrified, stepped back without realizing it.

For her, an ordinary young lady from the merchant guild, Ho Yeon-gi’s momentum and the flashing blade were too much to handle.

Thud.

Someone’s hand was placed on her shoulder.

‘Ah!’

Woon-hyun was standing in front of her as she turned around.

“Please step aside, Miss.”

His voice was so cold.

Ha Young-ryung almost burst into tears because Woon-hyun’s eyes, which were looking at her as if he were dead, were so heartbreaking.

Ho Yeon-gi was glaring at the sight with fierce eyes.

‘……That bastard!’

Despite the seething anger, Ho Yeon-gi was afraid.

Woon-hyun’s bizarre tricks, and the fact that his shameful rumors would spread like this.

So when the opportunity presented itself before his eyes, Ho Yeon-gi did not hesitate.

“H, but……”

“Step aside.”

At that moment, Woon-hyun’s gaze towards Ha Young-ryung was completely devoid of any emotion, as if he were already dead. Ho Yeon-gi was no longer in his mind.

Ho Yeon-gi’s eyes flashed.

Tak.

“Take this!”

Taking a big step, Ho Yeon-gi swung his sword down.

Ha Young-ryung could have been hurt, but there was no time to think about that.

“What……”

Ha Young-ryung turned her head at the sudden shout.

In an instant, she turned pale and froze.

Swish.

The sharp blade was rushing towards her.

Ho Yeon-gi was also surprised.

‘Gasp!’

Ho Yeon-gi realized.

His sword wasn’t as precise as he thought.

The blade, which was trying to aim for Woon-hyun’s weakness, was already falling towards Ha Young-ryung.

At this rate, he would surely cut down not only Woon-hyun but also Ha Young-ryung.

It was at that very moment.

Whoosh.

Ha Young-ryung was roughly pushed aside.

As she was pushed away, as if falling, Ha Young-ryung turned her gaze involuntarily.

What came into her sight was Woon-hyun, who had pushed her away, and his eyes, which were indifferently watching the rushing blade.

‘Ah!’

Woon-hyun was just standing there.

He didn’t avoid it, nor did he try to block it.

Woon-hyun’s eyes, looking at the falling blade, were like those of a dead man.

‘No!’

Just as Ha Young-ryung was about to shout urgently, a sharp metallic sound echoed through the building.

Clang.

Ho Yeon-gi’s rushing sword was blocked by something.

And soon, a heavy shout burst out.

“Hap!”

Chee-ing, thud!

Ho Yeon-gi’s sword left his hand and flew into the air.

“Eek!”

With someone’s scream, Ho Yeon-gi’s sword flew and was accurately embedded in the pillar of the building.

Thud.

The sword embedded in the thick pillar trembled.

And Ho Yeon-gi groaned, clutching his hand.

Blood was flowing from Ho Yeon-gi’s torn fist.

“What is the meaning of this!”

Thud.

Hang Jang-ik, a large man, said in a rather loud voice.

Already standing between Woon-hyun and Ho Yeon-gi, he was holding a sword in his hand.

He had knocked out Ho Yeon-gi’s sword with his own sword.

“Are you going to kill a young lady who doesn’t even have a weapon!”

His voice, filled with inner strength, echoed through the building.

Ho Yeon-gi also came to his senses.

Only then did the surroundings come into view.

The sight of Ha Young-ryung, who had fallen under Woon-hyun’s feet, trembling with a pale face, and the guests of the building looking at him with fear and contempt.

“N, no! I, I……”

He tried to deny it, but Ho Yeon-gi couldn’t continue.

It was a situation where anyone could see that he was trying to kill Ha Young-ryung.

“What’s going on!”

“Step back! Step back!”

With a loud noise, a dozen or so warriors rushed in.

They were the escort warriors responsible for protecting the Orchid Bloom Building.

The warriors who came in pushing through the people were startled by the sight before them.

“Third Young Master!”

They were the warriors sent by the Ho family to this Orchid Bloom Building.

“I, it wasn’t me!”

Ho Yeon-gi shouted urgently.

“It’s them! Catch them!”

The Ho family warriors immediately surrounded Hang Jang-ik and Woon-hyun with fierce eyes.

It was at that moment.

“Stop!”

Thud, thud.

A middle-aged man with a plump physique, wearing luxurious silk clothes, stepped forward.

Ho Yeon-gi’s face lit up for a moment.

“M, Manager!”

“The reason I have treated the Ho family well.”

The middle-aged manager said with cold eyes.

“Is to prevent unnecessary disturbances, not to cause trouble.”

“N, no, that’s not……”

“Daring to cause a commotion in the Orchid Bloom Building and even wielding a sword against a young lady from a subcontracted merchant guild, how do you intend to take responsibility for this!”

The manager’s tone was quite stern.

This is none other than the Orchid Bloom Building.

All the prominent families and powerful people had connections with this place.

The reason why the martial families that spread their influence in Gwangju cannot swallow the Orchid Bloom Building and are only satisfied with the protection contract is precisely because of that.

“I will definitely hold the Ho family accountable for this!”

Ho Yeon-gi’s complexion hardened in an instant.

His father, the head of the Ho family, had put a lot of effort into the Orchid Bloom Building.

Ho Yeon-gi knew exactly that he had made a huge mistake.

“There’s no way our young master would have done that!”

One of the Ho family warriors said.

But the manager snorted.

“All the dignitaries of Gwangju here have seen it. Is the Ho family still going to deny it?”

The manager spoke quite forcefully.

This was a good opportunity for him as well.

Not only could he reduce fixed expenses, but he could also break the Ho family’s arrogance.

“Get out of here! I will strictly question this matter later!”

At the manager’s roar, the Ho family warriors bit their lips.

But since Ho Yeon-gi, the person involved, couldn’t say anything, there was nothing they could do.

The Ho family warriors supported Ho Yeon-gi and left the building, and the spectators also returned to their seats.

While the manager apologized repeatedly and offered free drinks and food to the guests, Hang Jang-ik slowly turned his head to look at Woon-hyun.

“Were you planning to just take the sword?”

Woon-hyun said in a calm voice.

“I already knew your sword was coming.”

Hang Jang-ik frowned.

He had knocked out Ho Yeon-gi’s sword very narrowly.

If he had been even a little late, Woon-hyun would have been cut down.

“What if my sword had been late?”

Woon-hyun let out a bitter smile.

But that was it, there was no answer.