I Have Nothing to Do With This
Time flowed by rapidly, unbeknownst to Bukjin. He walked wherever his feet led him, eventually finding himself in a district where the impoverished resided. It seemed that no matter the world or the city, the gap between the rich and the poor was an inescapable reality. Just as Bukjin was beginning to feel a strange sense of poignancy, the sound of a sudden scuffle erupted from an alleyway ahead, accompanied by the faint, metallic scent of blood.
"Huh?"
Bukjin’s attention shifted toward the alley. In the world of martial artists, combat was a constant companion. While the public security of Unmong City was generally excellent, it couldn't entirely suppress the natural growth of small-scale gangs. Numerous mercenary groups and underworld factions lived within the city's shadows. They never openly defied the government or disrupted public order, but they created their own rules in the darkness, exerting significant influence throughout various corners of the city.
The authorities didn't underestimate these gangs either. Consequently, there was a long-standing tradition allowing exceptional members of these factions to participate in the Academic & Martial Arts Competition as representatives. However, many academy instructors and officials from the Education Bureau looked upon these gang representatives with disdain. Even Yi Cheong-hyeon, who had judged the preliminary rounds, harbored a deep-seated hatred for them.
Bukjin stood at the mouth of the alley, observing the situation. What unfolded before his eyes was a small-scale skirmish between rival gangs. The leader of a diminutive faction, a man of slight build, was fleeing alongside three subordinates, all of them drenched in blood. Pursuing them were roughly ten men brandishing weapons.
"After them!"
"Don't let those Gale Brotherhood bastards get away!"
"The Vice-Chairman said it himself! Whoever captures Bang So-baek alive will receive a reward of ten gold taels!"
Some of the pursuers were even hurling hidden weapons. The alley was about thirty meters long, flanked by three-meter-high walls on both sides. These geographical constraints made the accuracy of the projectiles exceptionally high. Several hidden weapons struck the three fugitives, causing their bleeding to worsen and their pace to falter.
Standing at the entrance of the alley with his arms crossed, Bukjin stroked his chin with his right hand, lost in thought.
"The Gale Brotherhood?"
The Gale Brotherhood was a faction that had managed to rank within the top tiers during the preliminary rounds of the Academic & Martial Arts Competition. Furthermore, the name Bang So-baek sounded strangely familiar.
"That’s right! Bang So-baek was definitely the representative for the Gale Brotherhood in the preliminaries! What was the rank again?"
Bukjin couldn't recall the exact rank. However, the name Bang So-baek remained etched in his memory because the individual was one of those responsible for destroying the stone tablets of over thirty students, causing their disqualification. That incident had occurred just two days ago. Because of it, even geniuses from the National Imperial Junior Academy, like Mo Yeom-dong, had been eliminated. Aside from Bang So-baek, members of the Hwarang Mercenary Group had also been primary instigators.
While Bukjin was contemplating for a brief moment, the three fugitives, including Bang So-baek, were already overtaken by their pursuers. A desperate struggle ensued.
Whish—!
A cold flash of a blade flickered. A few strands of Bang So-baek’s hair were severed and fluttered to the ground. The clothing on her left shoulder was torn, revealing skin as white as snow. The exposed skin was so pristine, like white jade, that it felt as if a ray of moonlight had suddenly illuminated the dark alley.
"Wait, was she a woman this whole time?" Bukjin thought, taken aback.
"Hahaha! Bang So-baek, you slippery little rat! You didn't think this day would come when you were smashing the tablets of other representatives during the preliminaries, did you?"
A bald man wearing a dark red leather breastplate and a black eye patch laughed loudly as he stepped forward. He appeared to be the leader of the pursuers. He swung a Ghost-Head Greatsword, the air around the blade churning with turbulence. It carried a heavy, oppressive aura that seemed nearly impossible to parry.
Bang So-baek remained silent, her slight frame moving busily as she retreated, narrowly dodging the heavy blade. As she raised her hand, three cold flashes of light shot forward in a triangular formation. The three glints struck two of the pursuers, sending them crashing to the ground.
"I'll hold them back! You two, run!"
Trusting her words, Bang So-baek’s two companions immediately turned and began to flee. Even in the face of crisis, she displayed mysterious footwork, busily wielding a thin Soft Sword in her right hand. Her blade moved like a serpent, clashing against the bald man’s greatsword. Even as the blades collided, Bang So-baek flicked her left hand, launching more hidden weapons that took down several other enemies.
"Hehehe, Bang So-baek, you won't be escaping today."
The bald man wore a chilling smile as he poured more strength into his greatsword. As the light of Hyeongi flickered along the blade, a powerful strike hammered against Bang So-baek’s sword. She was relentlessly pushed back by the fierce offensive, unable to find an opening to counter. Simultaneously, the bald man’s subordinates hurled thin needles coated in anesthetic toward her.
Clang—! Cl-cl-clang—!
Bang So-baek used her sword to deflect all the incoming needles before swinging it back to block the bald man’s greatsword once more. However, the power behind his strike was too immense. Her hand went numb, and she ended up losing her grip on her sword.
Even as she lost her weapon and tried to retreat, she struggled desperately to protect her two companions. Right then, the sound of multiple footsteps echoed from another direction. Six men, appearing to be more gang members, came rushing from behind Bukjin at the alley entrance. They brushed past him and blocked the path, completely cutting off the escape route for Bang So-baek and her comrades.
"Hahaha! You little rats. Today, this old man is going to pluck the Rose of the Gale Brotherhood." The bald man laughed boisterously.
"Captain, you have to give us brothers a taste too!"
"Shouldn't all of us brothers take a turn riding that plump little filly, Bang So-baek?"
The gang members mocked them with insulting and crude remarks. The battle between the two forces grew increasingly intense. As someone who had participated as a representative in the preliminaries, Bang So-baek was a talented individual. Her skill and combat instincts were remarkable. However, perhaps the numerical disadvantage was simply too great? Though she was still holding on, her wounds were steadily increasing.
"Sister So-baek, don't worry about us! Just save yourself!" her companions cried out in voices filled with pain.
Throughout all this, Bukjin watched the situation quietly. He could tell that if Bang So-baek abandoned the other two, she had enough skill to break through the encirclement and escape. Yet, she fought with a suicidal intensity, refusing to run. Several more clashes occurred, and as the fight progressed, the battlefield gradually expanded toward the alley entrance where Bukjin stood.
"Ugh..."
Painful groans filled the air as the scent of blood thickened. One of Bang So-baek’s companions took a sword strike to the shoulder, a wound so deep the bone was visible. Witnessing this, Bang So-baek gasped in shock and lunged forward to save her comrade. In that moment of distraction, an anesthetic needle flew through the air and embedded itself in her left chest. Bang So-baek felt her senses begin to numb starting from the point of impact. A feeling of weakness began to spread through her entire body.
"This is bad," Bang So-baek thought, her heart sinking.
"Hahaha! She’s been hit by the anesthetic!"
"Down you go!"
Seeing this, the bald man laughed loudly and halted his attack. He signaled his subordinates to step back, waiting for the drug to spread and for Bang So-baek to collapse.
"Sister So-baek, are you alright?" one of the companions sobbed as he rushed over to support her.
"Huh?"
In that instant, hearing that voice, Bukjin’s heart skipped a beat.
"That voice...? I've definitely heard it somewhere before."
Bukjin focused his vision, carefully examining the person who had just spoken. He soon realized that the owner of the voice was the young waiter he had met at the Yeolrae Inn. Unlike when he was at the inn, the boy was wearing tight-fitting martial attire. Because he was in disguise, Bukjin hadn't recognized him until now. He had never imagined the young waiter would be part of a small gang.
Bukjin stroked his chin, falling into a dilemma. Until a moment ago, he had been watching the fight between the two gangs like a fire across a river. He hadn't felt the slightest inclination to intervene and change the outcome. After all, gang members lived in their own world, and they weren't exactly ordinary or virtuous people. Furthermore, getting involved in such matters usually led to nothing but headaches.
He had planned to just watch for a bit, collect some debts with his IOUs, charge his smartphone, and worry about returning to Earth. But now...
"Should I step in?"
The impression the young waiter had left on Bukjin was very positive. He was a bright, upright boy. Just as Bukjin was weighing his options, the bald man spotted him.
The man raised his sword and shouted, "Get that guy too!"
"???"
Bukjin was genuinely baffled. He hadn't even decided whether to intervene or not, yet the opponent had provoked him first. The bald man sneered coldly.
"I saw you standing there watching from the start. You didn't look surprised or flustered at all, just stood there at the entrance taking it all in. Heh, judging by your age and the way you're dressed, you must be the leader of the Gale Brotherhood! Men! Bring me his head! I'll give a massive reward to whoever does it!"
Hearing this, Bukjin thought this was the most absurd situation he had ever encountered in his life.
"What the hell is inside that bald guy's head? How do you even reach such a baseless conclusion?"
Bukjin even began to wonder if his appearance was somehow remarkably similar to the actual leader of the Gale Brotherhood. Seeing the group approaching him with murderous intent, he realized he could no longer remain a bystander.
"What's your problem? I have nothing to do with this, so why are you trying to harass me?"
Bukjin spoke as if it were a chore, drawing his Blue Bird Sword. In an instant, his figure moved with startling speed. Simultaneously, a sound like the flapping of a bird taking flight echoed through the alley. It was the natural sound produced when executing Cloud-Piercing Rain, a top-tier 1-star movement technique. Like a bird soaring through the clouds, Bukjin’s form plunged into the center of the gang members at an incredible velocity.