Chapter 44
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 44
Chapter Title: Hundred Paces Divine Fist
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“You slimy bastard!”
Ma Hwan couldn’t suppress his irritation.
All his subordinates had scattered, yet this guy named Yu Hyun kept chasing him relentlessly, closing the distance bit by bit.
But this wasn’t the time to turn and fight.
The signal horns had sounded long ago.
If the Beggars’ Sect or Nangong Clan got involved, he’d be trapped with no escape.
And the moment he was cornered, he’d have only one choice.
To take his own life.
But Ma Hwan had no desire for such a meaningless death.
After coming this far...
He couldn’t give up.
The city walls were just ahead. A little further, and he could scale them.
“Stop right there, you fucker!”
“......”
If only this persistent bastard would back off...
No choice.
Ma Hwan pulled a small bead from his bosom.
It was far too precious to waste on some nameless kid...
Crunch.
He crushed it with force, and scorching heat rose from the surface as it shattered.
By the time his palm burned hot, Ma Hwan whipped around and hurled the bead at Yu Hyun trailing behind...
“......?”
It had definitely been there where he threw it, but now it was gone.
What the...?
KABOOM!
The moment confusion hit Ma Hwan, the bead exploded in midair.
But there was no time to hesitate.
He’d wasted the priceless Self-Exploding Thunder for nothing, but he had to hurry over the walls and flee.
That was when Ma Hwan turned toward the wall.
“Peekaboo!”
“......”
Yu Hyun, who’d vanished, suddenly kicked off the wall and swung a fist.
CRACK!
It was so sudden Ma Hwan couldn’t dodge or even defend—he took it full to the face, spun wildly, and slammed into the wall.
BOOM!
“Guhk.”
Tumbling down below, he took another impact and barely managed to stand, his face twisted in agony.
Crack, crack.
“......”
Regaining his senses, he looked up to see Yu Hyun approaching slowly, cracking his interlocked knuckles.
“I dodged because I figured you’d throw something, but I didn’t expect you to carry forbidden explosives. Makes me really curious now. Who the hell are you guys?”
“You... bastard...”
The punch to the face plus crashing into the stone wall left Ma Hwan struggling to stay upright; he leaned against the wall, gasping ragged breaths.
“Why not give up? No place to run anymore, and it looks like all your men are caught.”
“......What?”
“What? Too busy running to notice?”
“......”
Ma Hwan finally glanced around, following Yu Hyun’s casual flick of the eyes.
In the distance, ragged beggars and spear-wielding men were approaching.
The Beggars’ Sect and Nangong Clan they’d desperately tried to avoid.
In the end...
Killing intent filled Ma Hwan’s eyes as he glared at Yu Hyun.
“You...”
“Yu Hyun.”
“What?”
“Asked for my name, didn’t you?”
“......”
Who asks for that in a situation like this?
What a freakishly bizarre guy. Always had been, still was. Nothing could be felt from him.
There was a faint energy around his body, but it seemed no different from a novice who’d just started cultivating inner power.
Yet he’d taken down subordinates who were Hyeon-ki and Tan-ki masters.
And that speed...
“Hiding your power?”
“Nope, never done that.”
“Then how?”
“Heh, can’t spill that. Against the rules of fairness.”
“......”
“Asked me two questions, so answer two of mine, then I’ll tell you.”
“What?”
“Your name?”
“......You madman.”
“Mad... oh, Lunatic?”
“......”
“Alright. So, Lunatic, where’re you from? Affiliation?”
“......”
Ma Hwan let out a hollow laugh at Yu Hyun’s questions.
What kind of lunatic was this guy?
He felt so light, like a mere breath could blow him away.
“Hmm... Not gonna answer, huh? Fine, doesn’t matter. That’s how relationships work, right? We’ll get to know each other slowly, one bit at a time.”
Ma Hwan’s eyes twitched at the grinning face.
It didn’t matter what this guy was anymore.
The moment his men realized the tide had turned, they’d take their own lives. That’s how they’d been trained.
Of course, he’d do the same soon enough.
But before he died, this one at least—this bastard who’d ruined everything—would die with him.
Ma Hwan slowly straightened, gathering every last drop of his remaining inner power.
“Lunatic, don’t do it.”
“......”
“That look in your eyes? Not good.”
“......”
“Not thinking of some mutual destruction crap, are you? Don’t. I’ve done plenty of bad shit myself, so I’ll kill you proper. Why bother doing it yourself?”
“......”
“I hear guys like you always go for that. Mutual kill or suicide in a pinch to guard secrets. You don’t seem the type, but you never know...”
“......”
“And mutual destruction? Useless against me. Everyone thinks I’m weak ’cause I’m always smiling. But you saw it, right? I’m freaking strong. So just come quietly. We’ve run plenty already.”
“Khk, heh-heh-heh, HAHAHA!”
“......”
Ma Hwan’s sudden burst of laughter made one of Yu Hyun’s eyes twitch.
“What’s so damn funny?”
“......Huh?”
“Always yapping away like everything’s a joke. All this just a game to you?”
“......”
Yu Hyun stared at Ma Hwan for a moment before replying.
“Then should I cry?”
“What?”
“This situation forces a smile outta me. Gotta keep you alive, unfortunately. Get mad, and I might just kill you.”
“What?”
Ignoring Ma Hwan’s baffled stare, Yu Hyun glanced around.
Hm, no one’s here yet.
Guess it’s fine to use it.
“Lunatic. Enough talk. Let’s end this. One shot, done.”
“......”
As Yu Hyun spread his stance, Ma Hwan angled his sword obliquely and slipped his empty hand behind his waist.
No chance for probing exchanges now. Just like the bastard said, he’d lost all time advantage.
From what he’d gauged so far, Yu Hyun’s skill was impossible to measure.
So end it in one strike.
Give flesh to take bone.
Yu Hyun’s strength was speed. He’d surely close the gap in a flash and attack.
That instant would be the opening.
Even if he lost sight of the bastard’s form, he’d ram the dagger from behind his waist into his nape the moment he attacked.
Come on. I’ll kill you.
While Ma Hwan prepared his counter, Yu Hyun steadied his breathing.
The guy seemed to be prepping something, but standing stock-still like that brought a perfect technique to mind.
Great technique, but fatal flaw.
Too straightforward—no feints, no variations.
A bit flashy, maybe?
Only useful for ambushes; if the opponent caught on, it was utter trouble...
But with him rooted like that, and the distance... perfect fit.
“Huu...”
Breath calm, tension eased from his rigid body, he slowly drew his lightly clenched fist back to his waist.
Some did it from a horse stance, but not Yu Hyun.
He’d learned to harness every part of his body for maximum power.
Thud!
As Yu Hyun prepped his strike and Ma Hwan waited for his moment, Yu Hyun took a light step forward.
Even without stomping, the serene momentum pressed the ground into fine vibrations, his advanced foot firm as if supporting the heavens.
Ruuuumble.
The still air around swirled like thunder between gathering clouds...
Szzz.
The vigorous force from his thrust foot, like shoving a mountain, twisted through his waist, gathered into his fist, and slowly extended along his arm.
“......What the hell?”
Ma Hwan, who’d waited only for the attack, couldn’t hide his bafflement.
What was that supposed to be?
He’d thought the twisted air meant an imminent charge, but... he just extended.
From afar...
So that was... a straight punch?
Just a straight punch after one step?
As confusion swirled, something touched his abdomen; Ma Hwan looked down.
Thwack!
“......?”
His belly caved in, clothes and all.
Why?
Another question formed, then his face contorted hideously.
“Gah...”
He couldn’t even scream fully.
The immense pain from his gut bleached his mind white.
“Gurrk...”
Couldn’t even breathe.
POP!
The clothes on his back ballooned like a bubble then burst.
Crack, craaaack!
The force piercing through him cratered the wall behind and spiderwebbed cracks across it.
As if clueless to what hit him, Ma Hwan toppled forward, face twisted in agony, Yu Hyun’s distant voice in his ear.
“Pretty good, right? That’s Shaolin’s secret art, Hundred Paces Divine Fist.”
Took hundreds of thousands of punches to master this sucker, myself.
People misunderstand it.
Hundred Paces Divine Fist.
Think it shoots fist qi or fist gang or whatever, but nope.
Inner power only goes as far as extending the fist.
At my current level, barely ten paces, but it guzzles absurd amounts of energy.
For that punch, Yu Hyun had scraped every last bit of his spirit energy.
But inner energy’s job ends there.
The real key comes next.
The air shoved by the fist compresses at extreme density and smashes the target. Like getting hit by air itself.
That’s why even sharp senses can’t dodge if you don’t see the initial motion.
Sneak it from hiding, and it’s 100 out of 100—they don’t even notice and straight to the afterlife. That’s Hundred Paces Divine Fist’s terror.
Come to think of it, Shaolin monks ain’t all that saintly.
Worshipping compassionate Buddha yet crafting sneaky ambush arts...
Eh, whatever. It’s over.
Don’t know about the others, but this one’s definitely caught. The leader, no less.
Yu Hyun approached Ma Hwan, who lay ass-up, unconscious and vomiting bile.
Probably not dead. He’d dialed the power just right.
Now, what to do with this bastard?
Caught him, but can’t torture here... Take him to Nangong Clan?
As Yu Hyun pondered options—
“Hold it right there!”
A pack of Beggars’ Sect mendicants in white rags appeared.
The leader, with five knots on his sash, spoke up.
“I’m Baek Seon, Hefei Branch Chief of the Beggars’ Sect.”
“......”
“If it’s alright, may we take a look at him?”
“Sure, go ahead.”
Yu Hyun stepped aside, and Baek Seon nodded; the beggars rushed over and checked Ma Hwan’s face.
“......Matches the description Beom-i gave of the fiend.”
“Hm.”
At the underling’s report, Baek Seon straightened, clasped his hands in salute, and addressed Yu Hyun.
“Young hero, if I may make a presumptuous request—could you hand him over to our Beggars’ Sect?”
“......”
Yu Hyun cocked his head at an odd angle.
What the hell, these bandits?
Hand him over?
Late to the party, did jack shit, and these beggar punks think they can claim him?