Chapter 17
Chapter 17
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 17
Chapter Title: If You're Weak, You'll Get Eaten (2)
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"...You're here to pay back the money?"
Choi Ho was dumbfounded.
"Has this bastard lost his mind?"
If you're here to pay up, then pay up—how dare you trash my guards this badly?
"Do you have any idea how much it costs to train these kids every day? Even if you slaved away your whole life, you couldn't earn enough..."
Choi Ho trailed off in his bafflement, suddenly realizing the situation felt off.
'But how the hell did that guy take down my men?'
His scrawny frame hadn't changed a bit. So devoid of muscle that even his back was hunched.
He clutched a long wooden staff, sure, but the guards all carried edged short swords or real blades as standard. Weapons alone should have let the guards overwhelm Murong Bi.
'Forget that—even barehanded, does it make sense to lose to that punk?!'
At that moment, Murong Bi slowly stepped forward.
The guards rolling on the ground flinched and scooted backward even in their battered state.
Choi Ho's face turned grave.
'They're scared?'
Every guard in the Black Tiger Gang's main branch was a certified vicious thug.
Skill aside, none could match their sheer savagery. Hell, rumors said you couldn't even join unless you'd beaten down at least two of your own family members.
Yet stark terror clouded the faces of these hardened killers.
'No matter what, to that degree?'
Broken limbs and puking—enough to fear the enemy? These monsters?
Then Murong Bi spoke up.
"By the way, do you only recruit total lunatics for your underlings?"
"What?"
"That guy's name... ah, right. Ga Hang, was it?"
"...?!"
"He shows up at my family home in the dead of night, yapping about beatings if I don't pay, all that bullshit, so I go to see him—and suddenly he says no need to pay?"
"...?"
"Isn't that a joke? All hot air about paying up until I show up personally, then suddenly it's fine. Isn't that just insulting the debtor's sincerity?"
Why the hell is that insulting sincerity? Shouldn't I be grateful?
Choi Ho couldn't help himself.
"So?"
"No matter how I look at it, that's not normal. I cornered him for a serious talk, and out of nowhere, he starts shoving 'bribes' at me left and right."
Choi Ho's eyes bulged.
"Bri—bribes?"
"When someone's showing that much sincerity by giving, you can't just refuse. Thanks to that, I scraped together some cash and came straight here to settle up. But these guys say no prior notice, no audience with the gang leader."
Murong Bi let out a heavy sigh and shook his head.
"Isn't that ridiculous? Why not meet the guy here to pay his debt? You quit the moneylending biz in the meantime or what?"
"Not quit, but..."
"Even if you did. Since when does back-alley trash like me need an appointment? You think that's reasonable?"
Killing intent flared across Choi Ho's face.
"You mad bastard!"
He'd listened to the drivel out of sheer absurdity, but this guy was clearly insane.
For mad dogs like that, the stick works best. Crush his legs so he never walks again, hack off his hands so he can't even feed himself.
But first, confirm something.
"You the one who chopped off Ga Hang's fingers?"
"He was way too worked up, so I helped by letting a bit of blood for him."
"...And you the one who smashed his jaw?"
"He had a speech impediment. Figured it was better if he never talked again."
Choi Ho summoned his final scrap of patience.
"No matter how retarded Ga Hang is, he wouldn't pass out with valuables right there in plain sight. You looted his stash, didn't you?"
Murong Bi shrugged apathetically.
"Loot? Who you calling a thief."
"What? You didn't loot it?"
Surely he'd swiped way more than a few gold figurines or artworks?
"Not looted—received as a donation. He begged me to take it all."
"..."
"You know how much effort it took hauling those heavy bastards?"
"You goddamn mutt!"
The headaches that had him steaming resolved in one shot.
The culprit was Murong Bi. He'd ambushed Ga Hang, cleaned out every last asset, tossed a few valuables, and ghosted like a specter.
"You thought you'd rob the main branch and walk away unscathed?!"
"I told you, it wasn't robbing."
"Enough with the bullshit!"
"Woof woof!"
"...?!"
"Anyway, I came to pay my debt, but you lot owe us too, right?"
Choi Ho, on the verge of yelling to kill the rabid dog, faltered.
"We owe?"
"Yeah."
"Us? To you?"
"Precisely—you pay us."
"...Owe what?"
"For polluting this fine neighborhood with your garbage stench."
"..."
"Environmental destruction via enthusiastic littering. Roughly 100,000 nyang."
He couldn't hold back anymore.
"Drag this bastard to the gang leader's quarters!!"
The Black Tiger Gang's elite unit, thirty strong Black Tiger Squad members, drew their blades and closed on Murong Bi.
Choi Ho turned away without watching.
Looked like he'd picked up a trick somewhere, but no chance against the Black Tiger Squad. They were leagues above the downed Blue Tiger Squad.
'How utterly ridiculous.'
Furious, sure—but somehow deflated too.
'The whole Murong Clan didn't even move; just their eldest son toyed with the main branch?'
That was why the underworld was a no-go. Why he'd quietly reached toward the Ten Sword Sect.
'Anyway.'
After a few steps, a stray thought made Choi Ho cock his head.
'Why the hell did he pull that stunt?'
Stealing Ga Hang's money? Fine, whatever.
But dumping valuables in a pit and smashing the guy's jaw? Weird.
'Jaw I get—anger maybe—but why toss those treasures?'
If it were me, I'd haul every last piece. Couldn't fence 'em now, but someday they'd cash out.
'Hmm... Trying to stir chaos in the main branch?'
Only thing that made sense.
But that raised another question.
'If he's storming in personally, why bother?'
What could change in a single day to justify that effort?
Choi Ho couldn't understand—and why would he?
Nothing could change in a day. But to Murong Bi, that day was worth more than gold. He'd formed his dantian and built internal energy in mere hours.
Plus, he had to reassure Murong Sujing. Nothing mattered more.
'Whatever.'
Choi Ho resumed walking.
'Daring to rampage without knowing the heights of heaven—I'll rip your limbs off myself.'
That was when it happened.
Thud! Clang! Crack!
A sharp, brutal sound erupted—nothing like the Blue Tiger Squad's pathetic falls.
"See?"
Couldn't even last a few exchanges, no doubt.
Crunch! Crackle!
"Huh?"
Breaking sounds somewhere?
Choi Ho scowled and spun around.
"You idiots! Just tie him up and drag h—!"
Something hurtled toward him at blinding speed.
BOOM!
The thing that had shattered the main gate's doors grazed Choi Ho's shoulder and sailed past.
Thud!
The heavy impact hitting the ground felt like his heart dropping.
Choi Ho swallowed hard despite himself and slowly turned.
"Gasp!"
The flying object was a man.
A black-clad Black Tiger Squad member. But his body was grotesque.
Limbs twisted in impossible directions, neck wrenched at a wrong angle, chest caved in like it'd been smashed by a metal slab.
Instant death, clearly. Yet the corpse's limbs twitched.
Choi Ho dry-swallowed.
Thirty years in the back alleys, and he'd never seen a corpse that mangled.
'Wh-what the hell?!'
A dream...? His ears rang, drowning out all sound.
Choi Ho whipped his head around again.
And there—a raging lion butchering rabbits playacting as tigers.
Thud! Crack! Crunch!
Blood sprayed and bones snapped with every staff swing.
Not even that fast-looking, yet every arc struck true on the Black Tiger Squad members. Made it look like they were leaping onto the staff.
Crunch!
"Arrrghhh!"
Snap!
"My—my arm!"
Fifteen down in a blink.
Movements not swift, but unceasing.
Murong Bi plunged into the panicking squad, spun the staff in both hands, and lashed out in all directions.
Thud-thud-thud-thud!
Like a flower bud bursting into full bloom.
The staff extensions felled eight Black Tiger Squad members in one go.
None of them rose again. Every strike had landed on vitals: temples, philtrums, throats, solar plexuses.
Five dead on impact, the rest out cold.
Murong Bi turned his head.
One squad member, body rigid as he gawked at the scene, suddenly bellowed.
"Uwaaaah!"
Too feral for a human voice.
More shocking: he charged instead of fleeing, sword swinging. The remaining seven followed suit.
Desperate bid to eliminate the fear's source. Vicious to the end.
'St-stop!'
Choi Ho wanted to scream it. No voice came.
Murong Bi flicked his wrist with a bored look.
The staff traced a light circle in its wake.
Clang-clang-clang-clang!
The razor blades all bounced away.
Not even full swings—just light taps or grazes, yet they flew off pathetically.
"What a hopeless mess."
Swoosh! Crack!
A Black Tiger Squad member's skull caved from a head strike; he crumpled. Shattered cranium—no dawn for him.
"Classic moron martial arts: charge on brute strength alone."
Thud! Thud-thud-thud!
Now the "slow" staff trailed afterimages. Slow but infallible hits birthed optical illusions for the onlooker.
Jaws shattered, shoulders collapsed. Knees exploded, spines pulverized.
Strikes bare of true internal energy felled the Black Tiger Squad members one by one.
And the last.
"Kaaak!"
The moment the berserk squad member hoisted his two-handed sword—
Murong Bi propped the staff's end and back-kicked it.
Bang! Crack!
The staff rocketed straight, piercing the final member's lips and teeth.
Thud!
Skull-first impact; a few twitches, then limp.
"Tch."
He yanked the staff from the mouth and swung it lightly.
A few teeth and blood splattered off.
"Three-tenths internal energy, my ass. One-tenth was plenty."
Even that had gone into the Entwining Silk Strength he'd used to launch the leader.
His wrecked body couldn't manifest his Alliance Leader-era arts. He'd considered pulling out basic Martial Alliance staff forms, but their level was so pitiful, casual handling sufficed.
"Still, stamina's the issue. Driving me nuts. Gotta brew some tonics."
Grumbling, Murong Bi looked up at Choi Ho.
Choi Ho gaped, utterly lost, staring back.
Murong Bi twitched the staff.
"Come here."