Chapter 121: Taking Revenge-1
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 121: Taking Revenge-1
"Yorang!"
Sun-woo rushed toward the blood-soaked Yorang.
What on earth...
What happened here?
Why was Yorang covered in blood?
Sun-woo quickly pulled her into his arms, shielding her.
"Ha... ha... I... kept... my promise."
Cradled in Sun-woo’s arms, Yorang struggled to breathe, yet she held out her pinky finger toward him.
"You idiot! Who told you to just stand there and take it until you ended up like this!"
Sun-woo ended up shouting at her instead.
No matter what promise they made, if her life was in danger, she should have prioritized surviving over any promise.
So why did she let herself be beaten so helplessly?
"We... crossed... pinkies..."
At Sun-woo’s scolding, Yorang spoke with a hint of sadness.
She had expected a shower of praise for keeping her promise even while being covered in blood, so his anger made her feel sorrowful.
"I'm... sor...ry."
She whispered her apology to Sun-woo.
It was because Sun-woo looked truly angry.
Though she was ignorant of the world's ways, she was intelligent enough to know one thing: ever since they left the Tang Clan, she had been throwing tantrums and acting spoiled, constantly putting Sun-woo in difficult positions.
And she also knew that every time she did, Sun-woo would get angry but eventually give in and indulge her.
She liked that.
She liked how Sun-woo, despite her selfishness, would always lose to her in the end. She liked how he would always find a way to soothe her whenever she sulked.
Today was no different.
To cheer her up, he had stopped at a village he had sworn he wouldn't visit.
Yorang was happy. Sun-woo was taking her side once again.
And so, she had made a vow. She couldn't guarantee anything about tomorrow, but for today, she wouldn't cause any trouble. She wouldn't make things difficult for Sun-woo.
But it seemed she had caused trouble again.
She still didn't understand why things had turned out this way, but it must have been a mistake on her part, being so ignorant of the human world.
She had put Sun-woo in a difficult spot once more.
So she apologized. She apologized to the man who was furious because of her utter immaturity.
"...But... Sun-woo-yaaa."
She murmured weakly.
"Ha... ha... I... didn't... kill... anyone."
Gasping for air, she continued with a touch of pride.
"Praise... me..."
Sun-woo looked livid, but Yorang desperately wanted his praise. She wanted him to recognize her effort—how hard she had tried to keep their promise.
"You did well... You did so well, so please, don't say another word... Please."
Sun-woo stroked her hair repeatedly as he spoke.
"He... he... he..."
Satisfied with Sun-woo’s praise, a faint laugh escaped Yorang’s lips.
But the sound of her laughter grew smaller and smaller. Perhaps from the excessive blood loss, she felt her consciousness slipping away. It felt as though she would black out at any moment.
"Sun... woo... I'm... tired... I'll... sleep... just a bit... and wake up..."
She spoke slowly in a tiny voice. Even uttering a single word seemed to take everything she had.
"You've been through a lot. Rest for now."
"Mm... kay."
With those final words, Yorang closed her eyes.
Sun-woo placed a finger under her nose.
Hiss, hiss.
He had been worried because of the blood, but fortunately, she was still breathing.
Fwip.
Sun-woo took off his Black Dragon Robe and wrapped it around her. Then, he slowly turned around to face forward.
Standing before him was a woman holding a Dragon Tail Soft Sword.
"I take it you're her companion?"
She looked familiar. Where had he seen her?
Sun-woo began to sift through his memories. It didn't take long to realize who she was.
She was the daughter of Lee Jae-won, the man he had encountered on his first day in the Murim.
"......Lee Ye-seol."
Sun-woo growled her name in a low voice. Why was she here?
"Oh, so you know who I am?"
Lee Ye-seol replied nonchalantly to Sun-woo’s furious tone. If he knew her identity, this would be easy. She intended to demand an apology from this man for the "rudeness" of the lowly woman he was with.
Sun-woo looked Lee Ye-seol over carefully.
"Not a single scratch on you."
"Of course. I am the Heavenly Sword Phoenix. There's no way a lowly wench like that could ever leave a mark on me."
Sun-woo slowly shook his head.
Yorang had recovered about half of her strength. No matter how weakened she was, there was no way she could be defeated by someone like Lee Ye-seol, who was merely at the Upper Stage of the Peak Realm.
She must have simply stood there and taken the hits. Like a fool.
"Did it feel good, bullying someone who wouldn't fight back?"
"Wouldn't fight back? She didn't choose not to attack; she couldn't attack."
Lee Ye-seol spoke with absolute conviction. To her, the fact that the woman only defended herself was proof of the overwhelming gap in their skills.
"Why did you do it?"
"Because she's lowly. And weak. Despite that, she had the audacity to be rude to me."
"And that 'rudeness' warrants turning a person into that state?"
Sun-woo pointed to Yorang, who was covered by his robe.
"I simply wanted to teach her her place. If you're too kind to those low-borns, they start thinking they're the masters."
"Wow. Lee Jae-won and his daughter are both equally pieces of shit."
Sun-woo marveled at her sheer arrogance and spat out a curse. He couldn't believe how perfectly Lee Jae-won had managed to create a carbon copy of himself.
"What did you say?!"
Lee Ye-seol flared up. How could this man, who didn't even look thirty, speak of the Great Hero who saved the Murim as if he were some common friend?
"It seems the man is just as lowly as the woman."
Thump. Thump.
Sun-woo began to walk slowly toward her.
"What are you doing? Do you want to end up like that woman?"
Thump. Thump.
"You know, I don't really care what the situation was."
"Don't come any closer. I'll cut you if you do."
Thump. Thump.
"I don't even care what kind of 'rudeness' Yorang supposedly committed against you lot."
Whish!
As Sun-woo drew closer, Lee Ye-seol swung her soft sword without hesitation.
Screech!
The soft sword snaked through the air like a living thing, lunging toward Sun-woo.
Thud.
Sun-woo caught the incoming blade with his bare hand.
"That's... impossible!"
Lee Ye-seol was stunned. How could someone catch a blade coated in Sword Qi with their bare hand?
"But I'll listen to the excuses later. What I'm about to do now is just for my own satisfaction."
Whoosh.
Sun-woo yanked the soft sword, pulling Lee Ye-seol toward him. Her body was lifted off the ground, flying straight at him.
Slap!
Sun-woo infused a moderate amount of internal energy into his hand and backhanded her across the face with all his might.
CRACK!
With a sound like bursting flesh, Lee Ye-seol was sent flying, slamming into the wall of Pungcheonru.
"Keep that in mind."
Sun-woo spoke to the woman slumped against the wall.
It was then.
Clatter!
"What do you think you're doing!"
"How dare you strike Lady Lee's cheek!"
"Is that how a man of chivalry behaves!"
Several people who had been on the second floor came rushing down the stairs.
"And who the hell are you?"
"I am Hwa Un-san of the Mount Hua Sect! Do you have any idea who the woman you just touched is?"
Hwa Un-san shouted at Sun-woo. Even if his companion had been hurt, how could he lay a hand on Lee Ye-seol? She was the daughter of the World's Greatest Martial Artist. She was incomparable to some common girl he could treat however he pleased.
"Who is she?"
"She is the daughter of the Absolute Martial God, Lee Jae-won! The man who saved the Central Plains Murim from the Demonic Cult twenty years ago, the leader of the great Cheonmu Alliance, and the undisputed World's Greatest Martial Artist!"
"I know."
"You knew that and still dared to strike Lady Lee? You must have a death wish!"
"Hey."
"Kneel and apologize to her this instant! If you don't, the sword of Mount Hua will punish you!"
"The fist of the Hwangbo Clan is waiting as well!"
"The sword of Wudang exists to protect women."
"If we do not protect her, we are not of the Orthodox Faction!"
The group of men took turns shouting at Sun-woo.
"Hey."
Seeing this, Sun-woo began to release internal energy laced with thick, suffocating murderous aura.
Shiver.
The "Dragons" exposed to that aura felt a chill run down their spines.
"Where were you 'Orthodox' bastards while a woman was being beaten half to death?"
Sun-woo spoke quietly. In truth, he knew who they were.
Hwa Un-san of Mount Hua, Hwangbo Ak of the Hwangbo Clan, Cheongmyeong of Wudang, and Eon Do-tae of the Eon Clan. They were all the Rising Stars of the Orthodox Faction, honored with the title of "Dragon."
In the past, Jang Sam had also been a member of the Dragon and Phoenix Gathering, and he had traveled and drank with them. He didn't have particularly bad memories of them. Though they had looked down on him for lacking talent compared to other Rising Stars, they were at least the type to treat him with some level of friendliness.
They were the ones who used to stay up all night debating the future of the Orthodox Faction and the meaning of chivalry.
That was why the sense of betrayal was even greater. A defenseless woman had been beaten until she was covered in blood, yet not one of them had stepped in.
Rage boiled over.
"Sh-shut up! That's not what's important right now!"
"That's right! What you've done is no different from declaring war on the Cheonmu Alliance!"
"To strike the precious daughter of the Lee family... have you lost your mind?!"
Stung by the truth, they each added a word while trying to change the subject. It seemed they were at least aware that their actions had strayed from the path of chivalry.
"So you are capable of feeling shame?"
"You bastard!!"
It happened then.
The hot-tempered Hwangbo Ak charged at him. His shame at having stood by while a woman he admired was being attacked had turned into explosive aggression.
A significant amount of internal energy gathered in his Giant Fist, which began to glow with a blue light. It was Fist Energy.
Boom!
But his fist never reached its target.
"Gah!"
Before his punch could land, he was kicked in the stomach and sent flying.
CRASH!
The kick was so powerful that Hwangbo Ak smashed through the wall and was ejected right out of Pungcheonru.
"Wh-what?!"
Hwa Un-san was stunned by how easily Hwangbo Ak had been taken down. He reached for his Plum Blossom Sword.
But in the blink of an eye, Sun-woo was already there, gripping Hwa Un-san’s hand to prevent him from drawing the blade.
"Y-you cowardly...!"
"Fuck off."
Sun-woo balled his other hand into a fist and punched Hwa Un-san square in the face. He was sent spiraling into a wall.
Sun-woo opened his hand and casually flicked the blood off his knuckles. These bastards weren't even worth drawing a sword for. His fists would be more than enough.
Realizing that two of the "Dragons" had been defeated in an instant, Eon Do-tae and Cheongmyeong were gripped by panic. Who were Hwa Un-san and Hwangbo Ak? Despite their flaws, they were top-tier Rising Stars who held the title of Dragon. They weren't the kind of people who should be so helplessly overwhelmed by a man who looked to be their age.
Eon Do-tae gathered energy in his fists, and Cheongmyeong manifested Sword Qi. They intended to attack this monster of a man simultaneously.
"Take this!"
Eon Do-tae’s fists created a barrage of shadows that rained down on Sun-woo.
"Die!"
Cheongmyeong’s sword also created countless afterimages, whistling fiercely toward Sun-woo.
Since both attacks were infused with Fist Energy and Sword Qi, their power was truly formidable.
"Hyaaaah!"
"Graaaah!"
Eon Do-tae and Cheongmyeong shouted as they pressured Sun-woo.
But not a single one of their attacks connected. He moved with uncanny grace, parrying or dodging the sword and fists as he slowly closed the distance.
Five steps... three steps... one step.
Stopping right in front of them, he slowly raised both hands and grabbed Eon Do-tae and Cheongmyeong by their temples.
Thwack!
He slammed their heads together, knocking them both unconscious instantly.
The other members of the Dragon and Phoenix Gathering watching from the second floor were so shocked they couldn't even close their mouths.
It had happened in a flash. The time it took for those called the greatest Rising Stars of the Central Plains—the future rulers of the Murim—to be rendered helpless was mere seconds.
Sun-woo slowly looked up at the remaining Rising Stars on the second floor. Looking closely, he saw many familiar faces.
"Are you guys coming down? Or should I go up?"
At Sun-woo’s words, their faces turned pale.
It was then.
Crumble.
Lee Ye-seol, who had been embedded in the wall by Sun-woo’s hand, pushed aside the debris and stood up. It seemed she had briefly lost consciousness after the slap and had just come to.
She was a sight to behold. Sun-woo’s handprint was clearly stamped on her right cheek, which had swollen to an absurd size.
"You son of a bitch!"
Lee Ye-seol screamed at Sun-woo. How dare a lowly peasant touch her?
"I guess you've got some toughness in you. That's good."
Crack, crack.
Sun-woo began to loosen up his hands. He had held back his strength for fear of killing her, but it seemed she could take a bit more. Relieved that he didn't have to worry about holding back as much, Sun-woo felt at ease.
He would finish her off first, and then it would be the Dragons' turn.
"Do you realize what you've done? You've just declared war on the entire Orthodox Faction."
She spoke as she looked around at the fallen Hwa Un-san, Hwangbo Ak, Cheongmyeong, and Eon Do-tae. They were all Rising Stars representing their respective regions. Having been humiliated like this, their sects would never let it slide.
"So what?"
He didn't care. When had the Orthodox Faction ever been on his side? Besides, he was already destined to fight someone stronger than the entire Orthodox Faction combined. Adding a few more names to the list changed nothing.
"You really are stupid! You've made the entire Orthodox Faction your enemy. Do you not understand what that means?"
She scoffed at Sun-woo’s response. Becoming an enemy of the Orthodox Faction meant losing more than half of the places he could set foot in the Murim. Yet he remained so composed. It had to be a bluff. Surely, he was burning with anxiety on the inside.
"It's fine. Because behind me, there's someone far scarier than your 'Orthodox Faction'."
Sun-woo replied indifferently. What did the Orthodox Faction matter? Behind him lurked someone far more terrifying than any of them.
The true World's Greatest Martial Artist.