Chapter 15
Chapter 15
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 15
Chapter Title: Seven Captures and Seven Releases, and Weeping While Executing Ma Su
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The moment Dongryong leaped forward...
“Hm...?”
Dongryong immediately sensed something off.
All four opponents who had leaped after him...
‘They’re slow...’
Slow.
Incredibly so—slower than he could believe.
At first, Dongryong thought they were probing, deliberately moving sluggishly to lure him into lowering his guard and gauge his strength.
‘So that’s it, huh...’
If they were probing, Dongryong needed to decide how to respond.
And he...
Flash—!
‘Quick and decisive.’
He resolved to strike one of them while they probed so leisurely, exploiting their opening.
His target: the weakest one.
The fifth-ranked guy wielding a saber.
‘Early in the fight, so I’ll use just thirty percent power.’
With four to face, stamina management was key. Keeping it light without greed, Dongryong casually swung his saber to meet the guy’s.
But...
Clang!
“Huh?”
“...What?”
With just one clash, not only did the guy’s saber fly from his grip—it soared high into the sky.
Both the guy himself and Dongryong were stunned.
‘What the hell’s this guy doing...?’
Dropping his saber from a mere casual swing? Was this what the fifth-ranked guy was capable of?
On top of that, he only now seemed to notice Dongryong’s sudden appearance, his face twisting in shock.
Stunned or not, Dongryong followed up with a light kick that sent the guy’s head flying several paces away.
Even this casual motion hurled him a good distance.
“......”
“......”
The remaining three opponents watched in dazed horror. Then, grasping the situation...
“...!”
They straightened their stances and aimed their swords and sabers once more.
Their bodies trembled visibly, eyes shaking wildly.
Dongryong knew exactly what those little reactions meant.
Fear.
These guys were gripped by terror.
Terror... gripped by terror?
Why?
Could it be... because of me?
Only then did Dongryong recall the boss’s words.
‘Believe in the me who believes in you.’
Ah.
He’d dismissed it as nonsense wordplay, but the boss had truly been certain.
“......”
Grip—.
Dongryong tightened his hold on his saber.
Now, at last, he chose to believe in himself and the boss.
‘I am strong.’
That thought made the trembling foes before him look utterly feeble.
“Hey, why’re you shaking like that?”
“......”
“......”
“Why not come at me first? If you won’t... I’ll come to you.”
Flash—!
A smile had crept onto Dongryong’s face before he knew it.
Toying with the weak was pure delight.
After a year as a bandit, Dongryong had grasped the law of the jungle: the strong prey on the weak. Heart light with joy, he charged.
**
“Non Wing Shin, looking good.”
I chuckled, tongue-clicking as I watched Dongryong drop the Mount Wuak Brotherhood goons, then took a swig.
He’d just realized he was stronger than them, and it had him all pumped up.
Realizing it now made him a total idiot.
A year ago, from the moment I first met Dongryong, his body already had a solid foundation.
The problem was his total lack of combat experience—bullied hard as a loser in whatever clan he’d come from.
But over the past year of bandit life, real fights had seeped into his body, knowingly or not.
And what? I didn’t teach him anything?
I’d passed on the breathing technique I use. Does he even know its worth?
Plus, I drilled him mercilessly on stamina training! Sparred with him now and then! Built up his toughness like crazy!
‘No... what has the boss even done for me...’
The nerve of him saying that shit to me?
“Sigh, ungrateful black-haired beast...”
Of course, it wasn’t all thanks to me that Dongryong had grown this strong.
As I said earlier, his body had that foundation from the start.
I knew he trained harder than any other subordinate—even harder than me.
Like clockwork, he rose before dawn and swung the saber style he’d learned in his clan slowly but surely until sunset.
The breathing technique I taught him was soft and free-flowing, synergizing with any martial art.
Now, his efforts were finally blooming.
Whoosh—!
Dongryong wielding his saber against them was like a tiger unleashed.
I’d suspected as much before, but now I could tell exactly which clan he’d trained in.
His saber style shone brighter the more confidence he had. Having awakened to his own power, Dongryong would grow even more from here.
“Urk...”
No way those bandit punks could beat the current Dongryong. They couldn’t last more than a few exchanges; even the last one dropped his saber and collapsed.
“Haha...”
Dongryong had taken down ranks five through two in one go, without a hint of fatigue.
If anything, he grinned like a kid on his birthday, utterly thrilled.
In contrast...
“......”
The Mount Wuak Brotherhood crew had lost all their earlier momentum, mouths agape as they stared at Dongryong.
Red Flame’s expression was especially priceless.
“H-How...”
He didn’t even care about saving face as his boss, shock plain on his face. Mouth hanging open, flabbergasted beyond belief.
“......”
“......”
They were too stunned to speak, so as I poured more booze, I shouted at Red Flame.
“Brother. Well... my guy Dongryong just wiped the floor with all your men?”
“......”
“Not just beating the number two... he took two through five. So, where should we rank Dongryong?”
“......”
Red Flame couldn’t find words. Could he take down two through five in just a few clashes?
He was clearly pondering that exact thing.
I landed the finishing blow on the guy, who looked busy racking his brain.
“But hey, Red! What now? I’m way stronger than Dongryong!”
“You bastard—!!!”
My final taunt snapped him out of it; Red Flame bellowed and grabbed his axe.
Then he ordered his dumbstruck subordinates.
“Everyone, weapons up—! Charge and cut those bastards down! Now—!!”
Telling them to take down the guy who’d beaten two through five in one go... naturally, the Mount Wuak Brotherhood faces filled with unease.
“I-Iyaaah—!!”
But they couldn’t ignore their boss; they all grabbed weapons and charged.
Dozens of bandits rushing with blades was a heart-pounding sight, but Dongryong—now brimming with confidence— just smiled coolly.
Amused by his sudden attitude shift, I smirked and told him.
“Dongryong.”
“Yes, Boss.”
“All those guys are gonna be your underlings. Go easy on ’em.”
Dongryong nodded vigorously.
“Of course, Boss. I’ll handle them so you don’t have to worry.”
Suddenly, dozens of bandits rising made things noisy.
Our own drunken subordinates staggered up, grabbing weapons.
“What...? A fight...? Hehehe, fight—!”
“Kill ’em allll—!!”
...They seemed a bit off, but whatever—they’d manage.
Our guys weren’t as sharp as Dongryong, but they’d do.
I relaxed and poured more booze.
But...
“You bastard—!! Starting a fight and just drinking alone? Taste my axe—!!”
“Shit...”
Mid-pour, Red Flame suddenly turned on me.
Unarmed at the moment, I had no choice but to block with the booze bottle.
Crash—!
Naturally, it shattered against his massive axe.
Fuck.
That was one pricey bottle. A premium Dugang liquor, gone.
“Ha, fuck... I just wanted to drink in peace...”
“You think I’d let you in this mess?!”
“Yeah... fair enough. Fine, bosses versus underlings it is.”
Whoosh—! Whooosh—!!
Spotting I had no weapon, Red Flame pressed with fierce axe strikes.
‘Hmm...’
His systematic, forceful assault surprised me a bit...
“Too many openings.”
It’d work fine on scrubs, but to anyone upper-tier, it looked heavy and slow.
I deflected his wrist and shoulder joints, stripping the axe away...
Tap, tap-tap—!
“Urk...!”
Boom—!!
“Gaaah—!”
“You? I can take you with one fist, punk.”
I slammed my fist into his solar plexus.
Boss versus boss or not, a guy weaker than Dongryong wasn’t my match.
“Ugh... urgh...”
Red Flame writhed on the ground after the gut punch. I grabbed his collar and commanded.
“Red, surrender. No need for pointless fights between fellow bandits, right?”
“Urk... shut up, you...! Think I, Red Flame, will yield to a punk like you? Kill me instead...!”
“Hmm...? Got some spine, I see.”
Red Flame was punching above his weight, looks-wise.
Guys like him needed one kind of lesson.
I snickered and asked.
“Red. You know ‘Seven Captures and Seven Releases’?”
“What...?”
Seven Captures and Seven Releases.
It meant capturing and releasing seven times—like Zhuge Liang conquering the Southern Barbarians, truly winning Meng Huo’s heart.
In short, treating foes with mercy and compassion.
Catching on, Red Flame gnashed his teeth and bellowed.
“Seven Captures and Seven Releases?! Think that’ll win me over? Dream on!”
“Oh, you know your idioms. Since you get the meaning.”
“Cut the crap—! No matter how you butter me up, I’ll never serve you! Rather, when I get the chance, I’ll kill y—”
Pow—.
“Gaaaaah—!”
Before he finished, I punched his face. Red Flame yelped in confusion.
“W-Wait... Seven Captures and Seven Releases! Why suddenly—!”
“I just asked if you knew it. Never said I’d do it.”
“You tricky bastard... urk...”
Pow—!
Pooow—!
Too chatty, so I shut him up with a few face punches, then spoke.
“You wouldn’t know, but I hate hitting people.”
“Urghhh...”
“But what can I do? When words fail a stubborn mule like you... even if it pains me to hit you, gotta do it.”
Pow—!
Sob sob.
I squeezed out non-tears and raised my fist at Red Flame again.
“I’ll educate you with the heart of ‘Weeping While Executing Ma Su.’”
“I’ll definitely kill you... definite... aaagh—!”
Judging by his state, this education looked set to last all night.