Episode 84: The Back Alleys

It’s a fact of life: when someone becomes the center of attention, it’s only natural for others to start resenting them. In this world, when one person gains, another often loses, and that breeds discontent.

The medical prowess of the Tang Family Clinic was highly praised, and as a result, other clinics in the city saw a decline in patients, leading to some resentment. Similarly, the city’s other blacksmiths were disgruntled as their business slowed.

While the dissatisfaction of the doctors and craftsmen was understandable, there were others whose grievances were harder to comprehend, yet even more intense.

A group of young ruffians, aged around twenty to twenty-five, gathered in a back alley. They were too unruly to be left unchecked, yet not skilled enough for the martial artists of the Cheongseong Sect to bother with.

Their conversations were the usual mix of trivial gossip and crude jokes. But when the topic of Tang Mujin came up, it sparked something.

“I just can’t stand him,” one of them grumbled.

“Who?” another asked.

“Tang Mujin, from the Tang Family Clinic.”

“Ah, him.”

Everyone understood without needing further explanation. Though they hadn’t spoken of him before, Tang Mujin had been on their minds.

Just last year, Tang Mujin was a nobody to them. Pale and scrawny, he spent his days idly fanning the herbal concoctions in the clinic’s backyard. If you happened to catch his eye, he’d awkwardly look away.

Back then, neither the ruffians nor the young women of the city paid him any attention. If he had been out in the fields, shirtless and working, he might have caught some eyes. But sitting there, fanning himself, he was invisible.

Then, one day, rumors spread that Tang Mujin had left the city with a renowned physician and martial artist known as the Eccentric Healer. People thought he’d be back soon, having been kicked out for lack of talent. But days turned into months, and Tang Mujin didn’t return.

That was when people first started talking about him.

“Do you think Tang Mujin really became the Eccentric Healer’s apprentice?”

“No way. The Eccentric Healer is one of the top three physicians in the land. Why would he take someone like Tang Mujin as an apprentice?”

“Maybe he saw something in him. You never know with eccentric people.”

“Or maybe he just used Tang Mujin for some new treatment experiment. If it worked, great. If not, he could just dispose of him.”

“Could be.”

People laughed it off. But when more than half a year passed, and blacksmiths from distant lands began gathering at the Seok Forge, things took a turn.

Unlike the scholarly Tang Mujin, Seok Jiseung was strong and fiery, so the ruffians didn’t dare mess with him. Being the son of the famous Seok Blacksmith, they assumed the visiting blacksmiths were there for him.

But it turned out they were there for Tang Mujin, speaking of him as if he were the reincarnation of a legendary blacksmith. It was laughable, but the blacksmiths were dead serious.

They had never even seen Tang Mujin, but they had their reasons. They pointed to the acupuncture needles from the Tang Family Clinic and the unimpressive daggers lying around the Seok Forge as evidence. To the ruffians, they looked no different from any other needles or daggers.

It was all a joke until something happened that really got under the skin of Ban Yonggweol, the leader of the ruffians.

In winter, a girl named Dan Seolyeong appeared and settled at the Tang Family Clinic. Her sun-kissed skin and lively personality caught Ban Yonggweol’s eye.

At first, he thought she might be a young concubine of the clinic’s owner. But it turned out she had followed Tang Mujin all the way from distant Hanam.

If it were anyone else, it might have been a challenge. But with Tang Mujin as the rival, Ban Yonggweol thought he could easily win her over.

He tried to catch Dan Seolyeong’s attention by hanging around the clinic, but she always responded with indifference. Ban Yonggweol’s frustration simmered.

“What does she see in him?”

He considered dragging Tang Mujin to a secluded spot to teach him a lesson or slowly winning Dan Seolyeong over. But as winter turned to spring, Tang Mujin returned to the city.

He looked the same as before, but there was a newfound confidence in his demeanor.

The blacksmiths who had come to see him were in awe, clinging to his every word. Martial artists began to hover around the clinic and forge, hoping to acquire a sword from him.

Even the young women of the city, who had previously ignored him, started to take notice.

Ban Yonggweol found the scene unfamiliar and felt a pang of isolation and inferiority.

He had always taken pride in being someone others avoided, but Tang Mujin’s ability to draw people in was something else entirely.

To make matters worse, the reputation of the Tang Family Clinic continued to rise. It was clear that Tang Mujin had achieved something significant as a physician.

The ruffians’ resentment boiled over.

Human nature is strange. When someone who has always been exceptional achieves something, it’s not surprising or enviable. Like when blacksmiths came for Seok Jiseung, it wasn’t shocking.

But when someone you considered beneath you accomplishes something, you want to belittle their achievement. Jealousy and envy flare up, and you want to drag them down.

It’s one thing for someone above you to advance further, but it’s entirely different when someone from below tries to surpass you.

That’s exactly how Ban Yonggweol felt.

Tang Mujin had always been beneath him and should remain so.

Ban Yonggweol spoke up.

“Are we sure Tang Mujin really went with the Eccentric Healer?”

“That’s what Master Jin Song said. It was definitely the Eccentric Healer, Lee Chung.”

“No, I mean, did he really become the Eccentric Healer’s apprentice?”

“Huh?”

“Think about it. Could he really learn medicine in just a year?”

Neither Ban Yonggweol nor the other ruffians knew much about medicine.

They knew that physicians had to memorize medical texts, and only two of the six ruffians present could even read.

But from what they understood, becoming a physician wasn’t something you could achieve quickly.

“Doesn’t seem likely.”

“Plus, Dan Seolyeong came from Hanam, right? Why would he travel so far to learn medicine?”

Physicians typically stayed in one place, treating patients who came to them.

If the Eccentric Healer had truly taken Tang Mujin as an apprentice, there was no reason to take him all the way to Hanam.

If he wanted to teach him, he would have done so in the city, Ban Yonggweol reasoned, and his argument was quite convincing.

“Maybe he taught him swordsmanship instead? The Eccentric Healer is a master, after all.”

“Swordsmanship? Why would he teach someone like Tang Mujin? If he wanted to teach someone, he should have picked someone like me or someone with basic skills like you.”

“But Tang Mujin came back with a sword. He still carries it around sometimes.”

“That plain-looking sword with the simple hilt and scabbard? It’s just for show. You can get one like that anywhere for a few coins.”

The ruffians pondered.

In truth, it was almost certain that Tang Mujin had learned some medicine from the Eccentric Healer. The clinic’s improved reputation after his return was evidence enough.

But it was also clear that the sword he carried was just for show.

Learning swordsmanship wasn’t easy. It took months of tedious practice just to grasp the basics, and years of meditation to build even a tiny amount of inner strength.

Only after relentless effort could one become a third-rate martial artist, capable of holding their own and traveling the land as a guard.

With more years of dedication, one might rise to second-rate status and lead a small caravan. That would be considered a success in the martial world.

Yes, unless Tang Mujin had consumed some miraculous elixir, he was at best a third-rate fighter.

He might hold his own, but he wasn’t someone who could strut around with a sword at his waist. Meanwhile, Ban Yonggweol, with his talent, had reached the level of a second-rate martial artist last year.

Then, someone muttered quietly.

“Maybe we should just beat him up and put him in his place.”

No one was surprised.

The rough and untamed world of men who have yet to mature is often like this: if someone tries to climb up, they get beaten down, ensuring they can’t rise again.

Even the cocky ones who used to strut around with their chins held high would lower their eyes meekly after breaking a limb or two.

For the ruffians who had been trained in martial arts since childhood, maintaining the pecking order was nothing out of the ordinary.

Someone voiced a concern.

“But he did come back after following the monster. What if it retaliates after we beat him up?”

“That’s not going to happen. I’m sure he got kicked out after trying to become a disciple.”

“How do you know?”

“Like I said earlier, he came back after just a year. It takes at least five or ten years to learn farming or trading. They probably took him in to see if he was useful, and when he wasn’t, they tossed him out. I bet he didn’t even last six months. If he was really with the monster, would he have had time to flirt with girls?”

Ban Yong-gweol’s explanation seemed plausible enough.

Just as everyone was about to nod in agreement, one of the more perceptive ruffians expressed his unease.

“Setting everything else aside, the guy’s skill with metal is the real deal. Didn’t they say that even Hwang Ryeong-ja from the Cheongseong Sect went to him for a sword? And Jin Song, the head instructor, is all excited about being next in line. What if we beat up Dang Moo-jin and the Cheongseong Sect comes looking for him?”

The mention of the Cheongseong Sect made some nervous, but others, like Ban Yong-gweol, were more annoyed at the thought of Dang Moo-jin gaining fame through his association with them.

“Why worry about that? Just wear a mask and beat him up. If they can’t see your face, how will they know who did it? If you’re really worried, leave his arms alone and just break a leg. He can still swing a hammer, right?”

“Hmm.”

The ruffians pondered Ban Yong-gweol’s suggestion.

Was it really necessary to break a leg just because they didn’t like him?

But backing down now would surely label them as cowards.

The direction was set, but there was still a hint of hesitation.

Ban Yong-gweol knew how to lead a group in such situations. By framing the plan as a done deal, everyone would follow along without thinking too much.

“Think about it simply. Do you want to keep seeing Dang Moo-jin strutting around with his head held high?”

“Well… not really.”

“Then grab a mask and meet by the well tonight. Let’s beat him senseless and break a leg.”

The ruffians nodded, albeit reluctantly.