Chapter 36
Chapter 36
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 36
Chapter Title: I Have Too Much (1)
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'What is it?'
Murong Suhyang, fully immersed in cultivating her heart method in her quarters, halted her training amid the commotion and headed for the patriarch's chambers.
'What the hell is going on now?'
The moment she arrived near the patriarch's chambers.
Chaaang!
Yi Jeong drew his sword.
"You crazy bastard, who do you think you are!"
At that instant, Murong Bi's eyes underwent a drastic change.
"Dogs only bite targets that look easy—they never bark."
"......"
"Want to get bitten? Or bark obediently and back off?"
"Hah!"
"I advise barking in moderation. The main family hates noise."
He was so flabbergasted that his soul nearly ascended to the heavens.
"What kind of thunderbolt bald-headed freak are you?!"
Unable to contain his rage, he drew his sword, but he refrained from acting not out of fear of Murong Bi, but because of Lady Hwang Inhwa.
Yi Jeong spoke in a cold voice.
"Lady Hwang, do we need more conversation?"
Though he addressed Lady Hwang Inhwa, both his eyes remained fixed on Murong Bi.
"Just grab them and strip them bare. We can't let these guys walk away."
Her tone had grown markedly calmer.
Lady Hwang Inhwa knew it. Yi Jeong's fury had reached its zenith.
Frankly, she wanted to do the same.
"Step back."
Yi Jeong, who had been glaring at Murong Bi with murderous eyes, retreated three steps.
In his silence, he conveyed much. He was utterly enraged but would withdraw. However, next time, not even an order from the sect leader's daughter would make him yield.
Yi Jeong's silence signaled that he had used his final chance. Lady Hwang Inhwa understood his intent.
"That's not the kind of remark you laugh off."
"I don't laugh much."
"I won't listen to any more of your nonsense. Escort us to the acting patriarch. Unless you want to see blood."
"You kneel first if you don't want to see blood."
"What did you say?!"
"Or just charge in if you prefer."
Murong Bi tilted his head.
"Didn't you come here to poke around—from the ledgers seized from the Black Tiger Gang to my martial arts and everything else?"
"......!"
"Better than your sister, but blood's blood—same old shit. Is this something you figure out with chit-chat? Drawing swords outright is the fastest way. You really didn't know?"
"You right now......"
"Or what? Wanted to strut around and make threats? You need power to threaten. Or did you want to fight with your tongues instead of swords? But with brains like yours, ever won a war of words?"
"Hey!"
"No strength, no smarts. Thought shoving in on reputation alone would work, but even that's a bust."
Murong Bi shook his head pitifully.
"Since when did Hubei murim's standards drop this low?"
Murong Suhyang, overhearing Murong Bi from afar, unconsciously gaped in shock.
What? That blockhead—did he always talk like that?
Hwaaak!
Fierce killing intent erupted from Yi Jeong's body.
It was so overwhelming that every member of the Flower Sword Squad flinched and swallowed hard. Even Murong Suhyang instinctively shrank back a couple of steps.
"Lady Hwang."
"......"
"No more holding back."
Lady Hwang Inhwa had no intention of stopping him either.
"No killing. Cripple them—that's enough."
A cruel smile crept across Yi Jeong's face.
"One arm do it?"
"Add a leg. Only then will he realize how worthless his judgment was."
The resolute Lady Hwang Inhwa proved more ruthless than expected.
"Heh heh, fine."
Yi Jeong let out a sinister chuckle as he advanced step by step.
"That tongue of yours dared insult me and the main house. We'll slice it off bit by bit—along with your limbs—and see if you can still yap."
Murong Suhyang cried out involuntarily.
"No!"
At that moment.
Pueoeok!
Everyone's eyes went wide.
"......?"
Yi Jeong, mouth agape, stared down at his abdomen.
Incredibly, right below his solar plexus, a foot was embedded.
The entire heel had sunk in so deeply that the skin and muscle remained intact only by a miracle.
"Kuheoeok!"
Overcome by agony, Yi Jeong dropped his sword and collapsed on the spot.
Lady Hwang Inhwa's eyes widened.
"Elder?!"
At that instant, Yeong stepped forward.
"Be careful!"
Bbang! Pueok!
"Kraaak!"
There was no time to react.
Yi Jeong's fallen sword shot forth like lightning, piercing straight through Yeong's thigh.
Yeong's face drained of color.
'Huk!'
No time to wonder when the sword had flown.
It had sliced through muscle and bone, severing even the inner artery.
'D-dying!'
He could feel the severed artery slipping upward toward his upper body. In panic, Yeong collapsed to the ground and circulated his qi, desperately trying to pull the artery back down.
But it wouldn't work.
Unless one was a peak expert, precisely manipulating a single blood vessel with qi was impossible. The artery was large enough to somewhat contain, but forcibly reconnecting it was beyond Yeong's capabilities.
"Y-Yeong?!"
"Uwaaaaak!"
The terror of death surged in an instant.
This wasn't a wound he could survive even with suturing. Blood pumped vigorously by his heart was gushing out from below the severed artery.
He could slow the flow, but that wouldn't stave off death.
Only then did Yeong register Lady Hwang Inhwa's presence.
"Miss! Run... Huk!"
Lady Hwang Inhwa, startled and distracted, spun around at the approaching presence and assumed a stance.
'Hik!'
Murong Bi was right in front of her.
Instinctively, she threw a punch. She didn't even think to draw the dagger hidden in her sleeve.
Pueoeok!
Stars sparkled.
The night sky was exceptionally beautiful. His ears rang, and his mind grew hazy.
Kung!
Struck on the chin with a palm strike, Lady Hwang Inhwa crumpled backward.
Murong Bi immediately struck her pressure points.
Her trembling body jerked to a halt.
"Kraaak! Uweeeek!"
Yeong couldn't even groan as his body stiffened, while Yi Jeong clutched his belly and vomited blood amid screams.
'Whew.'
Murong Bi's face was also pale.
'More idiots than I thought—too easy.'
Taking them down one by one would just waste stamina needlessly.
To neutralize enemies, end it in one strike. That was the way of the Martial Alliance Leader with twenty years on the battlefield.
"Damn, this is ridiculous."
Murong Bi shook his head.
"No matter how easy I looked, aren't there too many openings?"
He could have won a straight fight.
But he had no desire to expend his painstakingly accumulated qi on trash like this. That's why he provoked them, drawing out their openings as much as possible.
Yet their openings were so plentiful he wondered if provocation had even been necessary.
"Kuhok!"
The recoil from his explosive movements finally hit his body.
Covering his mouth with his hand, Murong Bi coughed repeatedly.
"Y-Young master!"
"Are you alright?"
The startled subordinates rushed over, but Murong Bi couldn't easily open his mouth.
'Damn it!'
Worse than at the Black Tiger Gang.
His qi reserves were full enough to suppress much of the recoil. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to twitch a finger for at least an hour.
With his head bowed, Murong Bi circulated his Mixed Origin True Qi and slowly rose to his feet.
"I'm fine."
He shook out his hand casually, and drops of blood from his cough soaked the ground.
Murong Suhyang was utterly shocked.
'No way.'
It was her first time witnessing Murong Bi's skills.
She couldn't even track his movements. A flash, and Yi Jeong was down; another flash, and a sword was embedded in the guard's leg.
The only thing she clearly saw was the uppercut to Lady Hwang Inhwa's chin.
'H-how?'
Sudden or not, Lady Hwang Inhwa's punch had been lightning-fast.
Yet he dodged it and felled her in a single strike. Beyond martial prowess, his very movements were on another level.
Was this truly the skill of that notorious troublemaker brother?
'Sister was telling the truth?'
Sister had said their brother was strong.
All the past incidents had their reasons, and the truth would come out soon enough.
She hadn't cared about any reasons. What mattered was her sister's health and the clan.
But witnessing her brother's martial arts firsthand left her jaw on the floor, her thoughts frozen.
Amid everyone's shock.
Murong Bi yanked the sword from Yeong's thigh.
Seureuk.
Yeong's body twitched.
He wasn't dead yet, but he might as well have been.
Murong Bi didn't spare him a glance. Whatever his circumstances, he had been nothing but an enemy.
"Kuuh."
Yi Jeong, clutching his belly and shuddering prone on the ground, lifted his head.
Bloodshot eyes. His crimson face looked ready to burst.
"You... you bastard!"
Ppakak!
Yi Jeong's body tilted sideways.
One kick shattered his nose bridge and sent three front teeth flying.
"Kuluk! Heok! Heok!"
"One arm, one leg, was it?"
Murong Bi swung his sword with full force.
Puk! Kwadeuk!
The qi-infused blade pierced Yi Jeong's calf and buried into the ground.
Yi Jeong let out a silent scream. The abdominal impact, broken nose and teeth—it was pain unlike anything he'd endured.
Drawing the scabbard from Yi Jeong's waist, killing intent finally flickered in Murong Bi's eyes.
Huuuuung!
The cold air turned scorching in an instant.
It was utterly different from Yi Jeong's crude killing intent.
An aura so horrific it defied description—Murong Suhyang and the subordinates unknowingly retreated all the way to the wall.
"I never planned to let you go in the first place, but you crossed the line too far."
Murong Bi turned to Old Man Gwak.
Unlike the others, Old Man Gwak hadn't budged an inch. He seemed accustomed to such killing intent.
But shock filled his eyes as he looked at Murong Bi.
"Gwak No."
"Y-yes! Young master!"
"Where did this punk hit you?"
"M-me, sir?"
"Yes."
"This servant... I'm fine, young master."
Murong Bi stared at him silently, then suppressed his killing intent and spoke.
"I'm sorry."
"What do you mean by that, sir?"
"When you first went down, I noticed something off. But I didn't come to your aid."
Everyone was shocked once more.
"I believed you had your reasons. But I still wanted to see. People change, after all."
"......!"
"Forgive me for testing you in such a petty way."
Gwak No knew exactly what Murong Bi intended with those words.
His expression complex, Old Man Gwak bowed his head deeply.
"I'm grateful you believed in this worthless old man. If anyone's forgiving, it should be me."
"No. I never should have tested family—no matter the circumstances. Especially not true family who's devoted their life to the main house."
"......!!"
"Under the pretext of the clan, I crossed a taboo. I'll live the rest of my life atoning for today."
"Young master."
Tears finally welled in Old Man Gwak's eyes.
Murong Bi turned back to Yi Jeong.
Terror filled Yi Jeong's face.
Chiiiiiik!
Semi-transparent haze surged from Murong Bi's body.
Not an illusion—a real haze, stained dark like black smoke from a fire.
"You dared lay hands on my family."
The Brain Gate Heart Technique ignited its master's madness.
"Dared!"
For the first time since his return, Murong Bi exploded fully and swung the scabbard mercilessly.