Was He Always This Strong?
"Your name is So Byeong-gam, right? What's your relationship with that guy they call So-jang?" Bukjin asked, as if a sudden thought had just occurred to him.
So Byeong-gam didn't hesitate for a second. "So-jang is my older cousin, sir. He’s a total degenerate of a young master, shameless to the core. *Sigh.* To be honest, Brother, I don't actually look down on degenerates. As you might have guessed, I have a dream of my own. My dream is to become a successful degenerate, just like you. My cousin So-jang got his ears boxed by you a few days ago, and he came to me afterward. He offered me a 100-gold reward if I could get revenge on you during the team matches..."
At the harbor, in the VIP seating area.
So-jang, who was sitting behind his father, turned a sickly shade of blue. Dammit! Is he really selling me out like this? That bastard So Byeong-gam! He clearly took 500 gold from me, and now he’s lying and saying it was only 100? You absolute subhuman piece of trash!
Nearby, the lips of So Un-ryong, So-jang’s father, were trembling violently. He turned his head and glared at his son.
"F-Father... please, calm down," So-jang stammered, his face shrinking in terror as he felt the literal killing intent radiating from his parent.
"Is that boy the child of the Chun-hwa family? He certainly has a... strong personality!" the elderly Great Elder of the So family, sitting in the very front row, suddenly exclaimed in admiration.
The Elder nodded slowly. "Mm. Good. He has a unique character and a powerful sense of self. It’s been three years since Chun-hwa and her son arrived? Why haven't I seen them once? Once this competition is over, bring him to me for an audience."
"Yes, Father," So Un-ryong replied instantly.
Back on the Flowing Colored Jewel Merchant ship.
Bukjin stared blankly at the chubby boy. How does this guy manage to give a ten-sentence answer to a one-sentence question? But since he’s trying to leech off my popularity, I’ll make sure he pays the price.
Just as Bukjin was about to make a move, So Byeong-gam spoke up first, as if he had read Bukjin's mind.
"Brother! You don't have to say a word! I understand everything! I know how it works... Since I gained something thanks to you, I should share the spoils! Haha! Since I boosted my popularity thanks to you... I’ll give you a cut of the money!"
With that, So Byeong-gam pulled out 50 gold coins and offered them to Bukjin with both hands.
What the? Can this guy read minds? What kind of freak is he...?
Bukjin signaled Han Bul-bu to take the money. Then, he fell into deep thought. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't find a single excuse to beat up the boy in front of him. It was hard to spit on a smiling face, especially when that face claimed Bukjin was its idol.
"Take your flag and get lost," Bukjin said.
Hearing this, Baek Geum-un shouted in frustration, "What does that mean? Are you saying I don't get a chance to show off again!"
"Well... you should save your strength for—"
Before Bukjin could finish, Ak Hong-hyang suddenly frowned. "Wait a minute! This is strange! This flag... I think it's a fake!"
"What?!" So Byeong-gam let out a scream that sounded like a pig being slaughtered. He looked utterly wronged. "How could it be a fake? Do you know how careful I was when I hand-stitched this flag myself? It's perfectly identical to the real—"
The teammates standing behind So Byeong-gam all raised their hands to cover their faces.
Is this the 'Great Wisdom' you were talking about?!
A grown man hand-stitching a fake flag...
Just how thick is his skin!
Bukjin, hearing the confession, roared in anger. "You son of a dog! You dared to try and play me with a fake flag?"
Bukjin turned to look at the proctor. "Sir! Isn't forging a flag a violation of the rules? Disqualify this cheater and give me the real flag!"
The proctor looked away as if he hadn't heard a thing, refusing to answer. At that moment, So Byeong-gam's eyes widened as he looked at Bukjin.
"Brother! You truly are my idol! Your shamelessness is at a level I can never hope to reach! To think you would make such a pathetic request without a hint of hesitation!"
Bukjin snapped, "Stop the nonsense and bring out the real flag. Otherwise, I’ll show you what happens when you cross me."
Baek Geum-un cheered happily. "So Byeong-gam! Don't you dare bring out the real flag! A real man should be able to endure for at least fifteen minutes! Come on, let's fight! Wahaha!"
"*Sigh.*" So Byeong-gam let out a deep breath. He spat on his palms—Tui!—slicked back his hair, and put his hands behind his back, shouting gallantly.
"I gave you a chance to pass by quietly without a fight, so why won't you just follow along? Do you really have to force my hand? I promised my mother that I would never use my strength recklessly. If I do, I might accidentally beat someone to death again... *Sigh.* Im Bukjin! Why do you seek your own demise!"
BOOM—!
The deck of the Invincible Im Bukjin ship shuddered. Using the recoil, So Byeong-gam's body shot forward like a cannonball, crossing a distance of thirty feet in a single bound toward Bukjin, who was perched on the mast.
Bukjin's pupils contracted. Thirty feet in one jump? He’s no amateur. The physical strength in that body is at least at the level of the Strength of Nine Cauldrons! Was he just acting weak before?
Bukjin didn't let his guard down for a second. He dropped into a horse stance, circulated his Mystic Energy, and unleashed dozens of palm strikes in rapid succession. It was a 3-star martial art, the Hundred-Step God-Cleaving Palm!
Invisible waves of force flew toward So Byeong-gam like a raging tide.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Explosions rang out. So Byeong-gam let out a strange cry, grabbed a rope hanging from the mast with one hand, and swung through the air with surprising agility to dodge the palm strikes. Bukjin's attacks missed by hairsbreadths, exploding harmlessly in the air.
In the next instant, So Byeong-gam had leaped high into the air, reaching a point directly above Bukjin's head.
"Take my fist!" So Byeong-gam gave a mischievous grin and threw a punch downward. A massive pressure, as if a five-ton iron mace was falling from the sky, crashed down toward Bukjin.
Startled, Bukjin let out a sharp kiai and threw his own punch upward.
BOOM—!
A thunderous impact echoed in all directions. Powerful shockwaves rippled through the air like waves in an ocean, distorting the space between them. Colliding head-on with that massive force, Bukjin was blown backward, flying off the mast and falling toward the deck.
So Byeong-gam also wobbled in the air before steadying himself and landing on the deck. Both men wore identical expressions of shock.
How the hell is this dog-like bastard's physical strength so high?
As he fell, Bukjin snatched a rope, swung himself around to change direction, and shot back toward So Byeong-gam like an arrow.
"You're stronger than I imagined!" So Byeong-gam shouted, his own fist stinging from the impact. He also grabbed a rope and leaped into the air to meet Bukjin.
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
A series of explosions erupted between the two. It was a pure contest of physical might, fought with bare fists. Their knuckles collided repeatedly, and with every clash, the air between them seemed to burst. Visible ripples of energy spread out, warping the vision of anyone watching. It looked as if two giant iron hammers were constantly smashing into each other.
After exchanging roughly a hundred blows, the two landed back on the deck.
THUD—!
The sound was like two massive boulders being dropped onto the wood. So Byeong-gam bared his teeth in a wide grin and massaged his knuckles.
"Brother, how are your bones so hard?!"
Bukjin laughed loudly as well. "My Sword Bone has already reached the level of—"
So Byeong-gam cut him off. "Brother! I don't think we need to talk much! Let's just clash fists a few more times!"
This son of a dog dared to cut me off? I’ll blow his head off!
Infuriated, Bukjin raised his fists and charged. So Byeong-gam met him head-on. As if they had reached a silent agreement, neither drew a sword or used any other complex martial arts; they relied solely on raw strength and their fists. Fists crossed, and neither gave an inch.
BOOM!
Bukjin's fist shot out, and So Byeong-gam twisted his body to dodge. The invisible True Qi grazed So Byeong-gam's ear and exploded behind him. The air within a thirty-foot radius of the punch's path surged with a roar as if a bomb had gone off. Birds flying in the distance were swept up by the pressure of the punch and plummeted straight into the water.
BOOM!
So Byeong-gam threw a punch of his own. Bukjin used the Fragrant Jade-Breaking Steps to evade it. The birds within thirty feet behind Bukjin were also caught in the shockwave of So Byeong-gam's fist and fell from the sky.
The white bird perched on Baek Geum-un's shoulder watched the scene and began to tremble violently. It tucked its head under its wings, cowering in fear.
So Byeong-gam's four teammates were just as paralyzed with terror as the bird.
"That guy... was he always this strong?" one of them muttered.
Baek Geum-un turned her head and asked, "What do you mean? You guys didn't know his true strength?"
"We had no idea!" another teammate said with a dazed expression. "The four of us each paid 200 gold coins to join his team. He never told us who he was or what he could do!"
"What?" Mi Yeo-yeon asked, unable to believe her ears. "200 gold? You actually paid a membership fee?"
The teammates nodded as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "That big guy is a leader-qualified student who ranked in the top 10 during the individual trials. He has the right to select his own teammates. And the four of us... well, we were at the bottom of our respective rankings. No other team wanted us. If we could participate in the team matches just by paying 200 gold, isn't that a bargain?"
Hearing their explanation, Han Bul-bu and Ak Hong-hyang lowered their heads. It felt strangely familiar—the kind of scheme someone they knew would come up with. They realized that if Bukjin hadn't had friends like them, he probably would have recruited his team in the exact same way. After all, Bukjin was famous for his obsession with money.