Headwind (4)
If he threatened them under the pretext of giving instruction, the Jeokgeum Merchant Group's young master would react in some way. Block it, and they'd engage him; stay out of it, and they could claim the moral high ground.
'Well, what will you do?'
With Go Gyeong setting the stage, No Baek-jeong and Na Jeong-hyeop unleashed their intimidating auras in full force. All that was left was to wait for the young master's response. They looked at him with smug, triumphant eyes.
But.
"Hesitating like that? Looks like you need more reps."
"Here we go!"
"I'm going too!"
Gu Cheon-woo hadn't heard a word they said. Gu Cheon-su and Ga-bok had leaped out the back door of the inner quarters with exaggerated cheers of "Long live the leap!" for all to see.
"One for destroying evil!"
“Two for the Overbearing Path!”
Their training hadn't been in vain—their voices rang out clear and strong. Not quite at the realm of perfect resonance, but booming all the same. To these warriors with acutely sensitive ears, it hit like thunder.
Twitch! Grind!
In an instant, they looked like ducks searching for eggs in the Yangtze River—utterly dumbfounded.
It wasn't so much intentional as a complete disregard, which only fueled their rage further. It was treatment worse than a dog's.
"You show no respect for your seniors!"
After sending Gu Cheon-su and Ga-bok off, Gu Cheon-woo slowly turned his head. He met their eyes, their anger barely contained.
Flinch!
Facing him directly, they froze for a split second before stumbling back. A chilling shiver ran through them, along with something rising like molten lava from the abyss.
Shudder!
They'd meant to lash out at the insolence, but words failed them. They hesitated, and a heavy silence fell.
'What the hell are these guys doing?'
Song Ji-myeong, the outer manager who had been watching the situation carefully, was baffled by the sudden silence. He'd expected an explosion at any moment, but it had devolved into a lame calm before the storm.
'Damn, my nephew's cool as hell.'
If it was intentional, it was calculated brilliance; if not, pure genius. Watching from the sidelines was one thing—being in the thick of it would have been unbearable. Yet they hadn't even drawn their weapons, which meant his nephew's presence was even more overwhelming than it seemed.
He vaguely recalled hearing that true masters could control even their aura.
'Whoa, better keep my distance.'
Even spectating a master's fight was dangerous. Maintaining a safe distance was the secret to a long life.
'Hope my brother makes it out okay. He probably will.'
What else could he do? The fact that his sister-in-law hadn't rushed to the branch office was victory enough. She'd spoiled her nephew rotten since he was a kid. No disaster meant the immediate crisis was averted.
'They chicken out?'
Why were they backing off like this? Shuddering!
As the outer manager wondered, they convulsed with inner turmoil. They couldn't pinpoint why, which only frustrated them more.
'Why am I so pissed?'
'I'm furious, but I can't speak!'
'He really used sorcery!'
Some faces just invited anger, but this reaction was over the top. It had to be some trick. That's when they finally understood what had happened to the Red-White Twin Heroes.
"Using sorcery? You think you'll get away with this?!"
"As a righteous wanderer, I cannot forgive you!"
"For the souls of the Red-White Twin Heroes, we must punish you!"
Strangely, they were perfectly in sync. No yielding three moves to a junior—they were all gearing up for a joint strike. It felt instinctively right.
"Die!"
No Baek-jeong, Na Jeong-hyeop, and Go Gyeong lunged with killing blows, unleashing their ultimate techniques without hesitation: Mookseong Wave Breaker Fist, Cheonsu Myriad Life Sword Form, and Heaven-Splitting Twelve Palms' finisher.
Whoosh! Swaaang!
Mookseong Striking Force, Cheonsu Sword Waves, and Thunderclap Palm Force sealed off three directions, targeting Gu Cheon-woo. Not quite Peak Expert level, but they'd squeezed out every last drop of inner energy. Infused with their life's essence, fist aura, sword qi, and palm winds took form.
Swish!
Gu Cheon-woo walked forward. To them, he vanished like a mirage, only to reappear right in front of them.
Gasp!
Ghostly pale expressions. He'd disappeared from the space of their full-powered ultimate techniques and popped up point-blank. They'd thought he'd lost his mind charging straight at them head-on.
It defied comprehension.
"...Sorcery again!!"
"...It won't go as you plan!"
"...Die!"
They didn't just stand there, though. They'd lost optimal range for their signature moves, but each had a life-saving technique in reserve. They drew hidden daggers and darts.
Confident this would turn the tide in an instant.
"Not sparing you this time."
Gu Cheon-woo's fists slammed into chins, temples, and solar plexuses. The reversal they craved never came. They saw the punches' trajectories, but their bodies lagged half a beat behind.
A mere instant, but enough for one-sided domination.
Cough! Gack!
All vital points. A measured strike could stimulate acupoints for health benefits; a hair more power, and they'd be off to the afterlife. Breath caught, strength drained from their bodies.
External force crumpled them like paper; inner energy offered no resistance. Both shattered in a flash, and they collapsed like deflated sacks.
Thud!
They barely clung to consciousness. Staring in disbelief, they couldn't accept it. They weren't Red-White Twin Heroes level, sure, but not weak enough to fold in one exchange.
"...Sorcery!!"
"...You vicious bastard!!"
"...We won't forgive you!"
It had to be sorcery. Otherwise, this kid was on a realm leagues beyond theirs—absurd.
Step!
Gu Cheon-woo approached. Eek! They shrieked in terror, scrambling backward on all fours. No trace of the proud wanderers' resolve.
"...Spare us!!"
"...We were wrong... sir!"
"...Please, just our lives!"
They covered their eyes with trembling arms, resisting fear. But nothing happened. He just looked down; they'd panicked, assuming death was coming, begging for mercy.
"...Doing this, and you call yourself a warrior...? Hngh!"
"Sorcery?"
"...Not me, it was him!"
"Really?"
"...You bastard!! My eyes must've been full of knots! Mercy, please!!"
"That's what he says."
"...I never thought it was sorcery from the start!!"
"And the Red-White Twin Heroes?"
"They must've deserved death!"
Gu Cheon-woo didn't debate sorcery. He just asked. Yet they turned on each other like thieves catching their own scent—far from the brotherly bond they'd shown arriving at the branch.
'What kind of idiots are these?'
Song Ji-myeong couldn't help a hollow laugh at their antics. They'd postured like righteous elders, only to sell out their dead comrades to save their skins.
'That desperate to live?'
Not even street thugs would stoop this low at home. If they'd cared, they shouldn't have picked a fight invoking warrior honor.
'It is weird, though.'
His nephew hadn't used any peerless technique or weapon. Just walked up and punched each one once. Their sorcery claim made sense—they judged within their limited vision. Even he couldn't follow it fully; no wonder for them.
'Not actually sorcery, right?'
But no omens or eerie energy. Not a warrior himself, he couldn't say for sure, but his nephew wasn't foolish enough to use it openly.
Hm.
Gu Cheon-woo paused in thought.
'Overreacting.'
To villains, Paewang Qi and Mireok Cheonri-an were lethal poison. But he hadn't reached Paewang realm yet. Short time since regression, no quick seclusion like past loops. Recalling hoarding elixirs and opportunities for pure training, their reactions seemed excessive.
'Coincidence?'
Paewang Qi asserted dominance; Mireok Cheonri-an pierced martial arts' flaws. Combined, even equals became one-sided. Yet they'd resisted slightly.
Were they impressive? Mere moths.
In past loops, he'd judged moths and vermin alike without mercy. Could be coincidence, but irrelevant now.
Gu Cheon-woo waved them off dismissively.
"Go."
"You're sparing us?"
"Want to die?"
"No! We'll never forget this grace!"
"Will you?"
"One word from us—you can trust that!"
"I'll hold you to it."
"The moment we leave, we'll proclaim it wasn't sorcery!"
Where did this strength come from? They'd seemed unable to stand, yet mustered nursling vigor and bolted without looking back.
Dadadada! Wheeee!
Speed that erased even their internal injuries.
Song Ji-myeong thought warriors' tenacity for survival was worth learning.
'Better than rolling in shit—still beats the afterlife.'
Separately, he didn't fully trust their promises. People changed entering and leaving the privy. Circumstances wouldn't let them stay consistent.
"Nephew! Not doubting you, just to be sure?"
"Of course."
"Unlike the deputy manager, I trust you completely—no suspicions."
"I know."
Even after halving Geumgang Chilgi's stock, he'd half-doubted. Seeing action eased his mind. They weren't top-tier, but Red-White's cronies. Fame or not, pride and face would bind them.
'As nephew said.'
A plan piercing human psychology—useful in murim or merchant world.
Reality differed from his conviction. Less psychology, more Mireok Paedo's authority aligning. To judge villains, Gu Cheon-woo had thoroughly probed their minds.
'Hard to control.'
Sparing kills made his hands itch. At least villains didn't reform—next chance would come.
***
Warriors visiting Jeokgeum branches all claimed Gu Cheon-woo used sorcery. Most had ties to Red-White Twin Heroes, but doubts arose.
Red-White were Peak Experts. Jeokgeum's young master? Barely twenty. Even with pampering, elixirs, and peerless arts from childhood, reaching Peak Expert was constrained.
Sorcery or demonic arts? Different story. Variables aplenty, and neutralizing Peak Experts suggested extraordinary power.
Emboldened, Hwajeong Merchant Group pushed harder. Championing Red-White's unjust grudge, they funded warrior recruitment and pressured Jeokgeum directly.
Pressure mounted; threats loomed.
Then came a beggar in patched rags, caked in grime, reeking foully, to the branch. Hearing this, the outer manager hurried.
Beggars got no respect usually, but in this climate? Handle carefully. Could be from Gangbang, rivaling the Nine Great Sects.