Chapter 42

<Return of the Martial God Chapter 42>

Whack-!

“Urgh!”

Out of nowhere, Dan Woo-hyun's palm flew and smacked the back of Hong Won-chang's head.

Hong Won-chang collapsed on the spot, grabbing his head with both hands and swallowing a groan.

Why did he have to be hit?

The villain who deserved to be beaten to death was right over there.

Having run since early morning to convey that fact, Hong Won-chang was so aggrieved that tears were almost coming to his eyes.

“What on earth is all this fuss about?”

“Ugh, that is…”

“No, you show up out of nowhere, talking about arresting this or that. Did something happen to your head after you went to Beijing?”

Jang Sam-tae also grimaced, perhaps annoyed by the sudden treatment as a criminal.

In his own way, he had been anxious about whether his past history of stealing had been caught, but to avoid getting caught, he put on a shameless expression instead.

“Ahem!”

Clearing his throat, Hong Won-chang took out a wanted poster from his sleeve and unfolded it.

Everyone's eyes fixed on that wanted poster.

“Th-This…!”

“Are you still going to deny it!”

“Jang Sam-tae? Isn't that my name?”

“Oho, you rascal, did you even deal in opium?”

“Mister, what does it say on there?”

Jang Sam-tae, whose face had turned deathly pale, stared intently at the wanted poster, but there was no way the name would change.

Looking at Hong Won-chang with an absurd expression.

“No way! It isn't me.”

“What do you mean it isn't you? The name is the same, and the appearance is similar.”

“I said it's not! No matter how desperate I am for money, I would never do things like opium smuggling or human trafficking!”

Shaking his head vigorously, he vehemently denied it.

He was not lying.

Although he had lived by stealing, he did not abandon minimum morality.

But human trafficking and opium smuggling? With even a murder charge clearly written on it, if things went wrong, it wouldn't just end with his head flying off… even being torn to pieces limb from limb would seem insufficient.

“Look at this. Where does this wanted poster look like me?”

Jang Sam-tae snatched the wanted poster from Hong Won-chang's hand and held it next to his face. Everyone's eyes began to shift back and forth, comparing the two.

The first to speak up was.

“Wow, it's identical to you, Mister! The drawing is really well done.”

“Putting it like that, they look even more alike.”

“Aren't they the same person?”

Jang Sam-tae's face froze solid.

‘No way!’

How could he resemble such a heinous guy?

He suppressed his rising annoyance and looked closely at the wanted poster.

Jang Sam-tae, who could not take his eyes off it for a while, muttered in a low voice.

“…They do look similar.”

Gwon Mu-jin chuckled seeing that.

The way Jang Sam-tae denied it must have looked amusing.

He had never imagined Jang would commit such crimes.

Even opium smuggling?

“No, look carefully! This guy has a very large mole next to his nose! I don't have something like that!”

Jang Sam-tae resisted wildly.

Since he knew that he had to prove his innocence to escape this ridiculous situation.

Of course, he admitted himself that the wanted poster looked similar, but he did not have a large mole next to his nose like this guy.

At that moment, Gwon Mu-jin, who had been breaking rocks, smeared the dirt on his hand next to Jang Sam-tae's nose.

Instantly, everyone's eyes widened in surprise.

Even Dan Woo-hyun, who had been watching silently, slowly placed his hand on Jang Sam-tae's shoulder and said this.

“It is indeed you. Hurry up and confess.”

“Agh, damn it! I said it's not! What is that crazy guy smearing on someone's face!”

It was unfair.

Really, he felt like he would die of injustice.

Even if he stomped his feet and screamed at the top of his lungs, these people would not believe him easily.

It seemed they truly thought Jang Sam-tae had committed all those crimes.

“No! Uncle Jang is not that kind of person!”

At that moment, the one who stood up to defend him was none other than Dan So-mi.

Standing between the people as if shielding Jang Sam-tae, the child looked up at Hong Won-chang and clenched her two fists tightly.

“But So-mi, if you look at this wanted poster…”

“The person who drew it made a mistake! Uncle Jang would absolutely never do bad things!”

“The name is also…”

“He could just be someone with the exact same name as Uncle Jang!”

Dan So-mi's words were not wrong either.

As vast as the Central Plains was, there were many people, and since the name Jang was extremely common, if one were to count people with the same name, there would probably be no end to it.

Hong Won-chang scratched his head.

He looked so identical and even the name was the same.

He felt certain that this guy was indeed the criminal without any need for doubt, but hearing So-mi's words made him confused again.

“No, but if things match up to this extent…”

As Hong Won-chang hesitated and could not continue his words, Jang Sam-tae, whose anger had risen to the top of his head, spat out, "Tui!" and raised his voice.

“Ah, damn it! I will catch this fellow myself!”

“So-mi will help too! Let's join forces and make sure to catch the real criminal!”

“As expected, our So-mi is the only one who thinks of me! Let's go, So-mi!”

“Yes!”

Turning their backs, Jang Sam-tae and Dan So-mi quickly rushed out of the manor.

‘Are they going with any plan of where and how to find him? What's more, taking a young child along…’

Dan Woo-hyun shook his head side to side.

“Seeing that there are so many charges, it seems he has been active for quite a long time, but he doesn't seem to have been very famous.”

“Yes, the wanted poster circulated recently only because an eyewitness happened to appear. Before that, we didn't even know such a heinous fellow existed.”

“Active in Hunan…”

“I haven't given the wanted poster to the officers yet, so he won't be caught… but since they look so identical, it's not a matter I can just pass over lightly.”

“I know. Go back without worry.”

Actually, Dan Woo-hyun did not think Jang Sam-tae would have done such a thing.

It was only about half a year, but having lived together and seen his character, he was certain.

While the fellow might steal, he could never do things like murder, human trafficking, or opium smuggling.

With a light chuckle, Dan Woo-hyun turned his head.

By the way, where did those guys go?

* * *

“But where are we going?”

Jang Sam-tae, who was moving while leading Dan So-mi by the hand, stopped in his tracks. He had rushed out without any thoughts because he was so angry, which turned out to be the source of trouble.

In any case, it was a task of finding a criminal.

There was no place suitable to go with a young child.

To get information, he would have to go to the Haomin in the red-light district, and if even that wasn't feasible, he would ultimately have to move in shady places like gambling houses.

“What is it, Uncle?”

Since he had spoken with such confidence when coming out, it was also awkward to go back.

They had walked for only about a brief fifteen minutes, so he could easily leave the child behind and return, but…

It was impossible to leave Dan So-mi behind when she had a face filled with such anticipation.

“What on earth do you want to do?”

At that moment, a familiar voice was heard.

Snapping his head up, he saw Dan Woo-hyun and Gwon Mu-jin standing blankly before them before he knew it.

“Ahem! F-First, we will head to a place like a gambling house…”

“With So-mi?”

Under the fierce gaze, Jang Sam-tae held his breath. Dan Woo-hyun always wanted to show Dan So-mi only good things and excluded bad things in advance.

If Dan Woo-hyun judged even for a moment that Jang Sam-tae was harmful to So-mi's education, he would throw him out without hesitation.

“Can't So-mi go too?”

“Let us go together later when you are all grown up.”

Dan So-mi puffed out her cheeks with a pout.

She had come with high expectations, so she was displeased when told she couldn't go anywhere.

Dan Woo-hyun patted So-mi's head.

“Go play in Yueyang with Mu-jin, and I will come find you.”

“Really?”

“Of course.”

With her face brightening completely, Dan So-mi reached her small hand toward Gwon Mu-jin who was standing blankly, and though he was slightly flustered, he soon smiled pleasantly and held it.

“Then we will be on our way.”

Bowing politely, Gwon Mu-jin led Dan So-mi toward Yueyang. Jang Sam-tae, who had been watching the two disappear for a long time, hesitated and spoke to Dan Woo-hyun.

“It… it really isn't me.”

“I know.”

“Then why did you say we look alike…?”

“It was a joke.”

‘Is this guy serious?’

Jang Sam-tae barely managed to hold back his face from turning red. Since he felt like he might truly curse at Dan Woo-hyun, he had to suppress it as much as possible.

“For now, let us look for that fellow. What would be the easiest way to find criminals?”

“Beating up their own kind?”

“Correct.”

Dan Woo-hyun grinned.

However, he couldn't just beat up anyone. They had to be of a decent class and have made a name for themselves with their fists to possess a certain amount of information.

“Are we going to Changsha?”

Changsha was the provincial capital of Hunan. It was a city so large it couldn't even be compared to Yueyang, and it was also a place where many people mingled.

However, Dan Woo-hyun shook his head.

“No. Although Changsha is large, shouldn't we search small places first so they do not know we are moving?”

Since they had no idea who the opponent was or who was backing them, if they went straight to Changsha and targeted a large place, they might lose him forever if information leaked.

Thus, if they beat up the hoodlums or gambling houses in small villages first, the spread of information would be slow, allowing them to buy that much time.

‘A small village near Yueyang with a gambling house?’

Jang Sam-tae fell into thought.

“There is no need to think deeply. Because I have no intention of going to a village anyway.”

“Yes?”

“He was said to deal in opium. Then who are the people buying opium?”

There were quite a few people who bought opium.

Starting from back-alley hoodlums to Haomin bands, or bandits, thieves, and horse bandits as well.

It was extremely rare for those who committed crimes not to use opium.

“Human trafficking, and opium. The ones associated with these two who are closest to us.”

“Ah! Bandits!”

“Yes. Though we do not know where horse bandits wander off to, bandits have fixed mountain strongholds, so they stay in one place unless subdued by the government.”

Bandits were fellows who did anything for money. If they beat them up, they would be able to obtain a good amount of information.

“Then… where would there be bandits…”

Dan Woo-hyun muttered softly and turned his head to the west.

A large mountain standing tall there came into view.

Mount Yuelu.

It was a mountain not very far from Yueyang.

It was also a mountain with rugged terrain and many places to hide. If Hong Won-chang had been here, he might have clapped his hands in joy at Dan Woo-hyun going to Mount Yuelu.