Chapter 20
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: Blood Gu
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At Gyo Jong-yeo's words, Beom Jung-cheon rose from his seat.
The atmosphere, which had been as dead as a doornail, came alive again at his participation, and the crowd erupted in cheers.
"Beom Jung-cheon! It's the revenge match for Bang Won!"
"Win this!"
Deep down, it seemed everyone hoped Ga Ui would get a proper thrashing from Beom Jung-cheon.
But just as he was about to head straight to the arena, he turned toward the Dragon Pearl Gang's camp and locked eyes with Yi Ho-chang.
Yi Ho-chang met his gaze without flinching.
With that, Beom Jung-cheon turned his head and climbed onto the arena.
That was when it happened.
"Squad Leader Yi...!"
It was Chun Seom.
Chun Seom began scolding Yi Ho-chang for suddenly speaking up to Yi Chan-seong.
He lectured him on how dangerous such behavior was.
But at that moment, Bok Jung-ho, who had been listening silently, spoke up.
"Enough. Actually, Squad Leader Yi wasn't wrong, was he?"
"But...!"
"I'm grateful, in fact. When everyone was cowed by the Great Benevolence Gang Leader's presence, who else could have dared say such a thing? Well done, Squad Leader Yi. No, I'm thankful you spoke up in my stead."
"Not at all, Gang Leader."
It was right after Bok Jung-ho had praised Yi Ho-chang.
Thud!
A heavy impact echoed.
Turning toward the sound, a Three Response Gang martial artist lay sprawled on the ground.
Standing before him was Beom Jung-cheon, gripping a massive wooden greatsword at least seven feet long with both hands.
The match was decided in a single exchange.
An overwhelming victory that hadn't even lasted a single breath.
At the sight, everyone roared in cheers.
"Woooaaahhh!!"
"That's Beom Jung-cheon for you!"
"Yes! This is it!"
"Great job!"
The next two opponents fell in a single clash as well.
The subsequent matches all looked like Beom Jung-cheon venting his frustrations, but thanks to his control, the losers only suffered minor injuries.
Watching the fights, Chun Seom marveled at his ruthless greatsword techniques.
"They say the Red Tiger Gang Leader's greatsword style is something else... It's truly flawless."
"It really is."
The Three Response Gang warriors couldn't even block his sword path before passing out, making it a domineering style worthy of the name.
Beom Jung-cheon, advancing unstoppable like a tidal wave, finally spoke as if he'd been waiting.
"Your turn at last, you bastard."
The last one remaining was Three Response Gang Leader Ga Ui.
As he climbed onto the arena, the audience showered him with boos.
"Booo! Get lost!"
"A guy like you needs a beating!"
"Red Tiger Gang Leader! Show him what for!"
Fueled by the earlier incident, the crowd was cheering for Beom Jung-cheon.
But Ga Ui seemed utterly unfazed, sneering instead.
"You look worn out. Why not call it quits and rest?"
"Shut your mouth!"
With those words, the duel began.
Beom Jung-cheon closed the distance in an instant and swung his greatsword.
But the seasoned Ga Ui leaned back to dodge, not forgetting to taunt even as he evaded.
"I can hear the wild boar panting all the way from here."
Beom Jung-cheon didn't respond.
Instead, he moved even faster, thrusting the flat of his greatsword straight into the man's gut.
Krunch!
The sound was so heavy it was hard to believe it came from striking a human body.
Ga Ui, struck in the abdomen by the greatsword, was sent flying back.
If it had been a real steel blade instead of wood, he would have been dead without question.
Beom Jung-cheon smirked at Ga Ui, who had been pushed far away.
"Why not run that fancy mouth of yours some more?"
At that moment.
Drip—
Blood trickled from Ga Ui's mouth.
He had sustained internal injuries from that blow.
Ga Ui's expression hardened.
He wiped the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand and fell silent.
Then he muttered softly.
"...I'll kill you."
And then.
Boom!
With an explosive stomp, he closed the distance to Beom Jung-cheon at a speed incomparable to before.
He then dug his fingernails into Beom Jung-cheon's left forearm.
Beom Jung-cheon tried to shake him off but couldn't.
It felt like being hooked by a barbed snare.
In that instant, Beom Jung-cheon felt a burning sensation in his forearm.
'This...!'
A searing pain.
This was the classic symptom of poisoning.
Startled, Beom Jung-cheon tried to pry Ga Ui away.
To use deadly poison in a sacred duel!
Just as Beom Jung-cheon was about to shout something, he locked eyes with Ga Ui and froze in shock.
"You...!"
But Beom Jung-cheon's words never finished.
Kaboom!!
The moment Beom Jung-cheon tried to speak, a massive explosion rocked the area, filling it with dust.
When the dust began to clear, the revealed outcome left everyone aghast.
Beom Jung-cheon's head buried in the ground.
Ga Ui was pinning it down by the hair.
Bok Jung-ho shot up from his seat, yelling in disbelief.
"Beom Jung-cheon!!"
"Gang Leader, calm down...!"
"Ga Ui! What the hell did you do?!"
To Bok Jung-ho, this was an unbelievable result.
He knew their skills were worlds apart from the start, and Beom Jung-cheon hadn't even shown signs of fatigue.
Yet this outcome?
Sensing the gravity of the situation, Gyo Jong-yeo quickly checked Beom Jung-cheon's condition and shouted.
"Take the Red Tiger Gang Leader to the infirmary! Hurry!"
His injuries were worse than expected.
After sending Beom Jung-cheon to the infirmary, Gyo Jong-yeo immediately inspected Ga Ui's body.
To check for hidden weapons or foul play.
But nothing was found on him.
Gyo Jong-yeo shook her head at Yi Chan-seong, who nodded gravely in response.
Then Gyo Jong-yeo announced to everyone.
"...The final quarterfinal match has been decided as a victory for the Three Response Gang!"
An unbelievable result.
Not just the gang leaders, but all the spectators reacted the same way.
At that moment, Ga Ui bowed toward Yi Chan-seong and said.
"Great Benevolence Gang Leader, since my opponent was a formidable foe, I got a bit carried away. Please forgive me."
It hadn't been long since the warning, but his words held some truth.
As Ga Ui said, the Red Tiger Gang Leader was no pushover.
Thus, Yi Chan-seong replied with a furrowed brow.
"...I hope there are no more incidents."
"Of course not."
Ga Ui covered his rising smirk with his sleeve as he exited.
*
After the quarterfinals ended and before the semifinals began.
The venue entered a brief intermission.
Of course, during this time, spectacles like sword dances and food were provided to let the martial artists rest, boost morale, and keep the audience from leaving.
"Great! More of this!"
"Bring out more booze here."
Everyone got caught up in the lavish entertainment and abundant food, forgetting the earlier events.
In the meantime, Bok Jung-ho slipped out of the venue and headed to the infirmary.
When Bok Jung-ho appeared in the infirmary, the physician applying acupuncture jumped in surprise.
"Dragon Pearl Gang Leader? What brings you here? You know you're not supposed to do this during the assembly."
Bok Jung-ho clasped his hands in a solemn fist salute and said.
"I know the rules say no. But the Red Tiger Gang Leader and I have been old friends for years. So please make an exception just this once. I promise nothing will happen."
The physician nodded reluctantly.
"...Understood."
"Thank you. How is the Red Tiger Gang Leader's condition?"
"No danger to his life. I've treated him, and he's just fallen asleep. However..."
The physician hesitated before continuing with difficulty.
"His condition resembles poisoning."
"Poison?"
"Yes. Though I'm not certain, as no toxins were detected in his body. Just in case, I've administered herbal tonics and acupuncture, so he should be fine."
"What could it be...?"
"I don't know the cause either. The good news is he's inherently tough, so in this state, he'll recover in at least two days."
It was a relief.
Then the physician noticed the large gash on Bok Jung-ho's arm and said.
"Since you're here, Dragon Pearl Gang Leader, take some golden sore salve with you."
"I'd appreciate that."
"Yes, please wait a moment."
As the physician left to fetch the salve, Bok Jung-ho watched over Beom Jung-cheon for a while before quietly speaking.
"You look pathetic."
"......"
"They said it'd be quite the spectacle, and sure enough, losing to a guy like Ga Ui was pretty amusing."
"......"
"Same as before—you couldn't rein in your temper and nearly got done in by some nobody, and now nothing's changed."
"......"
Bok Jung-ho kept talking to the unconscious Beom Jung-cheon lying there.
But contrary to the words, his tone was the opposite of Ga Ui's sneers—like speaking to a friend.
"While I'm at it winning the whole thing, I'll avenge you too. Be grateful."
As he spoke, Bok Jung-ho's eyes fell on the prominent veins bulging unnaturally around Beom Jung-cheon's wound.
It was where Ga Ui had struck.
But no matter how he looked, it didn't resemble a typical strike wound.
To him, it looked exactly like poisoning.
'What the hell is this?'
Without evidence, he couldn't press Ga Ui, which was frustrating.
Just then, the physician returned with the salve. By the time Bok Jung-ho took it and headed back to the venue, Gyo Jong-yeo was announcing the start of the semifinals.
And the first semifinal matchup was announced: astonishingly, Dragon Pearl Gang versus Three Response Gang.
Perfect, he thought.
Before anyone could say a word, Bok Jung-ho stepped onto the arena first.
Pointing directly at Ga Ui, he said.
"You'll come out, won't you?"
The provocation sent ripples through the Grand Reputation Hall.
Ga Ui chuckled and climbed onto the arena.
"Heh, resorting to childish taunts. What, you wanna end up in the infirmary too?"
Bok Jung-ho didn't answer.
Instead, he gripped his wooden staff firmly.
At that instant, Ga Ui kicked off the ground ferociously and charged.
But Bok Jung-ho remained calm.
The moment Ga Ui entered striking range, he swung the staff with all his might at his head.
Crack!!
A heavy thud.
But then.
'What is this...!'
Bok Jung-ho's brows furrowed.
He had clearly struck the head solidly.
Yet his hand throbbed as if he'd hit a rock.
Had he trained Iron Head or something?
No, impossible.
The Ga Ui he knew wasn't that skilled.
Ga Ui, stepping back a pace, grinned ear to ear.
"From your face, you seem pretty shocked?"
"Nonsense!"
Bok Jung-ho bellowed and lunged first this time.
Knowing the man used some strange sorcery, he judged he couldn't drag it out.
And finally, he found an opening.
With the intent to end it, Bok Jung-ho channeled his inner energy into the staff.
Using the first form of his signature Demonic Staff Steel, he struck Ga Ui's abdomen like ringing a bell.
"Guhk!"
It worked.
Ga Ui, hit in the gut by the unexpected force, retched up bile and writhed.
Looking down at Ga Ui twitching on the ground, Bok Jung-ho narrowed his eyes.
"You look like it hurts a lot."
"You bastard...!"
"Don't think this is the end."
Bok Jung-ho's Demonic Staff Steel exploded from within, impossible to block with external arts.
That's why it landed effectively.
As if avenging Beom Jung-cheon, Bok Jung-ho began pummeling Ga Ui like pounding dried fish.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The crowd cheered at the meaty thwacks.
Even Yi Chan-seong watched with satisfaction.
It was clear how much the man was despised.
After a long beating, as Ga Ui huddled, he suddenly clutched his head and began muttering strangely.
"Ah, no...! No! Don't do that...!"
Ga Ui thrashed about.
Sensing something off, Bok Jung-ho straightened his staff to finish it.
But in that moment, Ga Ui convulsed wildly, and a chilling energy began emanating from his body.
"That’s...!"
Bok Jung-ho's eyes widened like saucers.
He was close enough to see it clearly.
Something unnatural—not veins—wriggling at Ga Ui's temples.
And Bok Jung-ho knew better than anyone what it was.
"Blood Gu...!"
The thing wriggling at Ga Ui's temple.
It was none other than a Blood Gu.