Chapter 615: Stop Acting Like Idiots in Front of My House and Get Lost, You Bastards
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 615: Stop Acting Like Idiots in Front of My House and Get Lost, You Bastards
[Come out! Come out!]
[The sinner Jang Sun-woo must come out!]
The voices of the enraged crowd began to drift in from outside.
"Ugh, do those bastards ever sleep?"
Sun-woo scowled deeply as he spoke. The protesters' shouting, which continued day and night, had become an unbearable level of noise.
"What are you going to do?"
Joo So-yang, standing beside him, asked with a worried expression. It had already been three days since the protesters had set up camp in front of the residence. They showed no intention of leaving, even going so far as to pitch tents to continue their demonstration. All of this was done under the pretext of "uncovering the truth."
"I know... I’m starting to get really annoyed..."
Sun-woo told her, his brow furrowed. His irritation with the protesters had reached its limit. At first, he had left them alone, thinking they would leave after a day. But one day turned into two, and now it was the third, yet they hadn't budged an inch. They were protesting with their whole bodies, living in those tents. It was impossible not to be annoyed.
"Should I go and forcibly disperse them?"
"And have you get cursed at too?"
Sun-woo let out a short laugh and asked her back. The crowd was currently projecting an immense amount of hostility toward him. If Joo So-yang were to forcibly disperse them in this situation, that hostility would be redirected at her.
"I’d rather be cursed at than see you uncomfortable, Sun-woo."
Joo So-yang spoke with a calm face. To her, Sun-woo was the first, second, and only priority. She couldn't stand to see him bothered like this.
"Don't bother. One person getting cursed at is enough. Why should more of us join in?"
Sun-woo waved his hand dismissively. It was enough for him to take the heat alone. He didn't want to drag Joo So-yang into it. Unlike him, she carried the weight of the Heavenly Moon Palace and her daughter, Lee Ye-seol, on her shoulders. He didn't want to do anything that would isolate her from the public. If that happened, she would be the one to suffer.
"Then what should we do? We can't just stay like this."
"What else? I’ll have to kick them out myself."
Sun-woo spoke in a flat tone.
"...But... if you do that, public opinion might get even worse."
Despite Sun-woo's resolve, Joo So-yang still looked at him with concern.
"I’m not afraid of public opinion."
Sun-woo replied with a nonchalant expression.
"Publicly, I’m a man with no foundation anyway. Even if I’m insulted, I have no family, no lover, and no master who would be shamed along with me. So what is there to fear?"
A smirk played on Sun-woo's lips. Officially, Sun-woo was a disgraced disciple who had been expelled from the Tang Clan. Furthermore, since his engagement to Tang Seo-yoon had been broken upon his expulsion, he had no lingering ties. No sect, no family, no lover. In short, he had nothing to lose. That was why he could be so bold. He didn't give a damn about public sentiment.
"Right now, Lee Jae-won is... waiting for any chance to find fault with you. If you take action here, he might use it as an excuse to try and intimidate you."
"Even if he tries to intimidate me, the most he can do is issue an official condemnation. As long as he is weaker than me, he can't actually impose any real sanctions."
Sun-woo continued with a composed face. Lee Jae-won was playing games. He was working to ruin Sun-woo's reputation by spreading all sorts of rumors. The protest in front of the house was likely his handiwork as well. He was creating a spectacle and gathering people to blow things out of proportion, all to socially bury Sun-woo. If Sun-woo took action now, Lee Jae-won would probably be delighted, as it would accelerate Sun-woo's isolation.
But there was no need to be intimidated. The limit of what Lee Jae-won could do was insult him and tarnish his honor. Lee Jae-won was weaker than him. And Lee Jae-won surely knew that fact better than anyone. That was why he had to stop at mere insults. He knew that if he crossed the line and became too much of a nuisance, Sun-woo wouldn't just sit back and watch.
Therefore, there was no reason to be afraid. To someone like Sun-woo, who didn't possess a shred of public ambition, the loss of honor was a trivial matter.
"I... I hate the thought of you being criticized and insulted by people who don't even know you. When I see them attacking you without knowing what kind of person you are... how kind you are... how warm you are... it makes me so angry I can't stand it."
Hearing Sun-woo's words, Joo So-yang let out a small, petulant complaint. She hated that people who had never even met him were criticizing him based on rumors.
Pat, pat.
"It's okay."
Sun-woo gently stroked Joo So-yang's hair.
"The people who know me are far more precious than the people who don't."
Sun-woo spoke with a warm smile. He could feel Joo So-yang's sincere worry for him. After stroking her hair for a few moments, he spoke again.
"So-yang."
Sun-woo called her name in a soft voice.
"........Yes?"
Joo So-yang answered weakly.
"I'm going out."
After giving her hair a couple more strokes, Sun-woo began to walk away. Toward the outside. Joo So-yang simply watched his retreating back, her eyes still filled with worry.
*
In front of the residence.
"Jang Sun-woo, come out! Come out!"
"Jang Sun-woo, the sinner who brought shame to the Shandong Blood Massacre, come out!"
"Sinner Jang Sun-woo, come out!"
Numerous martial artists were still glaring at the residence with eyes full of rage, shouting at the top of their lungs. They seemed to have no intention of leaving.
"You don't even deserve the title of World's Greatest Martial Artist!"
"Because of you, the souls of those killed by the Demonic Cult will never find peace!"
"We shouldn't just stand here! Why don't we storm in, everyone!"
"That's right! It seems our 'World's Greatest' is shaking in his boots! We should go in ourselves and show him we aren't afraid!"
"Hahahaha! Well said!"
Professional agitators were going back and forth, inciting the crowd.
"Waaaaah! Let's go in right now!"
"Let's drag Jang Sun-woo out this instant!"
Swayed by the instigation, people began to move forward one by one. They looked ready to drag Sun-woo out by any means necessary.
Creeeeeak.
It was then. Suddenly, the main gate began to open with the sound of rusty hinges. A man revealed himself through the opening.
Hair tied back tightly. A handsome face. A solid, well-built physique. A rather intimidating aura. He was a man who, at a single glance, exuded an extraordinary presence.
Thud. Thud.
The man who appeared began to walk forward slowly.
Thud. Thud.
With every step he took, a massive presence began to envelop the entire area.
"................"
The martial artists, who had been shouting at the top of their lungs, couldn't even open their mouths. They were completely overwhelmed by the man's crushing presence. After walking a short distance, he stopped.
Stop.
He stood tall, right in front of the protesters.
"Did you call for me?"
The man with the overwhelming presence—Sun-woo—asked as he looked at the crowd with an utterly cold expression.
Whirrrrrrr.
A chilling energy, like the bitter cold northern wind, began to wrap around the scene.
Shiver.
The martial artists who had been protesting began to tremble. Their bodies shook involuntarily at the freezing aura.
"Why is there no answer?"
Sun-woo asked again, his expression remaining perfectly calm.
"Are... are you... Jang Sun-woo?"
Finally, a man with a sly face at the front of the crowd managed to endure the chill and speak up.
"I am."
Sun-woo nodded slowly.
"We... we... demand... an explanation... from you!"
"You have no manners."
Vroooooom.
Sun-woo began to release a domineering pressure.
"Ugh... argh..."
"Gah..."
"Heeek!"
The protesters began to let out pained groans all at once. They were already trembling from his mere presence; now that he was actively releasing a crushing aura, they couldn't handle it.
"W-Why... why..."
The sly-looking man asked Sun-woo with a look of grievance. He felt it was unfair to be subjected to such pressure after saying just one sentence.
"When you come to someone else's house uninvited, isn't it basic etiquette to introduce yourself first? You have no manners."
Vroooooom.
Sun-woo began to press down on him with an even denser energy.
"Grrr... ugh..."
The sly-looking man began to foam at the mouth, clearly in agony. The intensity of the aura felt like it would snap his mind.
"I'm... s-sorry... please... withdraw... your energy..."
The man apologized with a face full of pain. He felt like he would lose consciousness if this continued.
Snap.
As soon as he heard the apology, Sun-woo released the pressure.
"Hah... hah... hah... hah..."
"Whew... whew... whew..."
"Gasp... gasp..."
The man and the rest of the protesters began to breathe heavily. The pressure Sun-woo had emitted was so heavy they hadn't even been able to breathe properly.
"Say it again."
Sun-woo asked him in a calm tone.
"..........Hah... hah... I am... Cho Poong. In the Murim, I am known by the title 'Lightning Kick'."
The sly-looking man, Cho Poong, answered hurriedly.
"I've never heard of that title in my life."
Sun-woo spoke as if it were of no consequence.
"..........It is but a small reputation...... I suppose it's possible you haven't heard of it."
Cho Poong frowned slightly. He felt blatantly insulted. However, he didn't dare protest, having felt Sun-woo's pressure with his entire body.
"So, why did you come looking for me?"
".....I wish to demand an explanation from you."
"An explanation?"
Sun-woo asked, sounding puzzled.
"What exactly do you want an explanation for?"
"I heard that you not only defend the Demonic Cult but also refuse to participate in the Great War of Righteousness and Demons. We demand to know the truth and your reasons regarding this."
"And who the hell are you people?"
"We are righteous martial artists of the Murim who have gathered in anger at your atrocities."
Cho Poong spoke after regaining some of his composure.
"You people really must have nothing better to do."
Sun-woo spoke with a mocking expression.
"Running all the way here to demand an explanation for such trivial nonsense."
"Trivial nonsense! Do you not realize the impact your words have!?"
"I didn't, but I think I do now. They had enough impact to attract weirdos like you bastards."
Sun-woo continued his mockery.
"What! Are you insulting us right now!?"
"Should I be praising you instead?"
"Look here! Young Master Jang! Show some respect! We are all seniors of the Murim who are older than you!"
"Don't give me that bullshit."
Sun-woo spoke with an incredulous expression.
"The bastards who showed up here without a shred of manners are asking for respect?"
Sun-woo scanned the crowd with cold eyes.
"Age isn't a prerequisite for respect, you people. If you've eaten that many years, you should have aged gracefully to earn respect. How can you expect respect when you've been eating your age through your anuses?"
Sun-woo began to criticize them scathingly. It was a demeanor that showed absolutely no regard for the traditional etiquette of a junior addressing seniors.
Tremble.
His words were enough to make the protesters shake with rage. They were overcome by an immense sense of shame and humiliation. Although they might not possess great martial arts, they were people who had traveled the Murim for a long time, building their reputations through righteous deeds. Yet, a brat who was barely out of his teens was openly insulting them. How could they not feel shamed? How could they not feel humiliated?
Soon, the shame and humiliation they felt began to transform into pure rage.
"Have you said your piece!?"
Cho Poong shouted, his face flushed red with anger.
"No, I've got more."
Sun-woo spoke in a flat tone.
"Stop acting like idiots in front of my house and get lost, you bastards."
He glared at them with cold eyes. Hearing those words, every single person in the crowd looked aghast. They were stunned by Sun-woo's speech, which was rougher than that of a common street thug. How could the man called the World's Greatest Martial Artist speak so vulgarly?
They had no choice but to be shocked.