Cold Outside, Warm Inside
There are grades even among bandits.
The mountain strongholds formed by groups of martial artists were called the Green Forest Seventy-Two Villages.
Among them, Giyeon Village was dismissed as the lowliest in the border province of Gansu, but it boasted considerable strength.
Above all, its leader, Hwang Woong, was a master known as the Giant Bear Ring Blade.
People said that if only his head worked a little better—if he were even average—he could have made a name for himself across the Central Plains.
His greatest asset was senses sharper than a wild beast's.
And right now, those senses screamed at him.
Cut him down! You can slice him perfectly!
Hwang Woong swung his massive ring blade and roared.
"Die!"
Slash.
The clean sound of severing flesh delighted him.
Hah. Not even worth a full swing... Huh?
The brat's blurry form sharpened again.
Body Shifting Substitution? Then what was that sound just now?
His jaw felt strangely cool.
Hwang Woong slowly raised a hand to stroke it.
Smooth!
Jeong Gwang, having sliced off the man's beard-like whiskers with a single stroke, wore a satisfied grin.
"Now you look a bit human. No more misunderstandings about you dragging a bear around."
"...You cut my beard?"
"Yeah."
"...Unbelievable!"
"Sure, whatever."
Jeong Gwang couldn't care less.
He liked the bearish brute in front of him.
Decent swordwork. Nice. This guy's the one.
Running an organization was tough.
Even more so with trash like this.
And when it was a coalition of gangs, the easiest way was to subjugate the strongest among them.
Hwang Woong fit the bill perfectly for Jeong Gwang.
"Let's go."
"Where?"
"To the Governor of Gansu."
"You're insane! Die!"
The ring blade cleaved vertically toward Jeong Gwang.
His body blurred again.
Hwang Woong yanked the blade from its floor-stuck position and swept it horizontally in a wide arc.
Jeong Gwang was already far off, fiddling with his hands expectantly.
"Strong grip."
"Damn it! What the hell's so fast!"
"Bet your body's tough too, right?"
"Of course! Stop running and fight fair!"
Jeong Gwang grinned.
"Sure."
His qi-infused fists moved slowly. Faint afterimages hung in the air, forming grand, thick clouds.
Kunlun Secret Art: Thunder Cloud Fist!
Thunder clouds always bring stinging showers. Jeong Gwang's fists poured down like a fierce downpour.
Hwang Woong's eyes bulged as he blocked with the flat of his ring blade.
Clang-clang-clang-clang-crash!
"Urghhh!"
The blade wobbled as if it might snap.
Hwang Woong's body slid back.
Even then, he bellowed defiantly.
"That all you got?!"
"Nope."
Lightning cracked from the thick clouds.
Boom!
"Gah!"
Struck in the chest, Hwang Woong smashed through the wall and tumbled.
Jeong Gwang followed, scratching his head. It reminded him of the Youngest Elder.
"Oops. I held back, but you're weaker than you look."
"Urk... Y-You bastard!"
"Oh! Up already? Born tough, and you've trained outer qi arts. I can hit harder, right?"
Hwang Woong's face turned yellow.
"Ah. You two, don't run. If you do, I'll... Nah. Now's your chance. Run."
Seo Do-han and Twin Blade Guard froze like ice.
Jeong Gwang encouraged the paralyzed pair.
"I won't kill you, so relax."
"..."
"Go on, try. Hurry. You with the twin blades—you ran once before. You can do it again."
Twin Blade Guard replied as if addressing an ancestor.
"How could I dare? I know you let me go out of annoyance last time. I won't move a step. I'll await True Jade Dragon's judgment."
Jeong Gwang sighed.
"Sigh. No spirit at all. Guess bandits can't help it?"
Hwang Woong, a fellow bandit like Twin Blade Guard, bristled.
"You said harder? Come on! I'll take your feather-fist punches gladly!"
"Great! Perfect!"
"I hate your guts!"
"Even better! Warriors live on that fighting spirit, right? Here I go!"
"Come at—Huh? Huh? Ack!"
Thrilled, Jeong Gwang swung both hands like striking lightning: Lightning Flash Hand.
Crack! Pow! Snap!
"Gaaaaah!"
Hwang Woong lived up to expectations, tough as nails. He screamed but didn't fall.
"Taking that too? Haha."
"Khuhk... N-Not a scratch!"
"Then try this!"
"You devil worse than a demon!"
Jeong Gwang's arsenal was endless. From palm strikes like Cloud Crane Palm to finger arts like Great Void Finger, and kicks like Cloud Dragon Kick, he unleashed a barrage.
Hwang Woong, battered and ragged, still hunted for openings with sharp eyes. He was that strong and tenacious.
But.
As if he'd get one.
He just kept getting pummeled.
Until his soul nearly fled.
Jeong Gwang, meanwhile, was in high spirits.
Standing firm like this!
What endurance!
Hwang Woong was dying inside, but that was his problem. All that mattered was he took every hit without collapsing.
Greed kicked in.
"I'll crank up the internal energy a bit!"
"Wait! If you do... Gaaah!"
"Haha. Knew you could handle it. A little more!"
"No! Please stop... Kuhuk!"
"See? You did it. Upping it again! Might be risky, so pull out all your hidden tricks! Oh. Can't use 'em with witnesses?"
"...What?"
Jeong Gwang vanished, reappearing behind Seo Do-han and Twin Blade Guard to smack their napes.
Thwack!
"Eek!"
"Guh!"
With them out cold, he was back in front of Hwang Woong in a blink.
"Good now? Exciting."
This wasn't human.
D-Demon!
Hwang Woong snapped alert. At this rate, he'd die like a dog. He had to unleash his hidden ultimate art, as Jeong Gwang said.
Old man! I'm using it right before death! Don't blame me!
He recalled the elder who'd taught him as a boy. Use only in mortal peril—no betrayal there.
"You son of a whore! Eat this!"
"Yes! That's the spirit!"
Hwang Woong poured lifelong qi into his gripped ring blade. It hummed oddly, coated in sticky black energy.
"Huh?"
Jeong Gwang's excitement turned to bafflement. Whatever it was, it'd be fun—or so he thought.
Isn't that... my old technique?! Why here? Sloppy execution, but it looks just like it.
The blade spat black energy, forming a massive net that constricted Jeong Gwang.
It is! Who the hell taught it?!
Sloppy due to low realm, but definitely that art.
Stunned, Jeong Gwang watched, then relaxed.
Ah. Cozy. Been a while?
Soon, the sticky black qi bound him tight.
"Kuhahaha! It's over!"
Hwang Woong raised his blade triumphantly and swung down.
As the surging black qi split the world—
Rooooar!
A golden dragon burst from Jeong Gwang's waist!
The dying, coughing elder's aura was gone. A true murim master stood before the boy.
But the old man died soon after.
Hwang Woong kept his promise.
Not out of honor, but rolling in the jianghu taught him how dangerous that art was.
Damn it! Should've never learned it!
Even against winnable foes, he had to flee if using it.
Fear of exposure forced him into hiding.
Thus, he became a bandit.
Days filled with rage.
His desire to unleash everything grew.
Then he met Kunlun's sacred True Jade Dragon.
Every bit the legend—and stronger than imagined. Untouchable.
Still, he bet that art could land one cut...
That damned golden dragon!
"Cough! Huff. Huff."
Hwang Woong's eyes snapped open. Bolting up, he scanned around. Seo Do-han and Twin Blade Guard lay unconscious.
Ah! My ring blade!
It lay in two clean pieces.
The sword drawn from True Jade Dragon's waist had shredded the qi net and bisected his blade.
That speed! Why spare me? Where'd he go?
His dulled senses sharpened. Beyond the stockade, weapons clashed and screams rang out. He staggered toward it.
Peering out, Hwang Woong's eyes bulged.
"Insane!"
White-robed Taoists in jade headdresses soared, swinging a golden sword still sheathed.
Golden clouds embroidered on fluttering robes sparkled in the sun.
Same style as True Jade Dragon?
He hadn't noticed on the handsome Jeong Gwang, overshadowed by his looks.
But that wasn't important now.
How are they this strong?
His men fell like autumn leaves. Before the Taoists' elegant, graceful, yet overwhelming arts, all he'd built crumbled.
What the hell are they... Ah!
A faction soaring in fame lately popped into mind.
"K-Kunlun Sect!"
Jeong Gwang dashed around the stronghold. Too many fleeing bandits left him no choice.
His captives encircled it, but he hadn't expected them to fight the furious bandits.
They thought differently. They'd block to repay him somehow.
I'm worse than a dog, but debts must be paid!
And test my new skills!
Initially bound and dragged, they soon moved freely.
Jeong Gwang taught the bewildered lot. Not ultimate arts, but fixed bad habits, taught lethal strikes.
Even formation tactics from small to large scale.
Trash who preyed on the world, but still warriors who'd trained. Martial arts were sacred. Who'd flee such selfless teaching?
That turned grudges to goodwill.
Itching to test improvements, this fight was perfect.
"Don't just block—attack!"
"Yeah! Charge!"
As they surged with killing intent, Jeong Gwang bellowed.
"What do you think you're doing?!"
"J-Just trying to help a little..."
"Fall back now! You're precious—can't have you hurt!"
Whoosh—
It felt like clouds parting, sunlight flooding in.
Aah! True Jade Dragon!
To care this much!
Cold outside, warm inside! Cool exterior, hot heart!
The moved men retreated. Jeong Gwang nodded.
Can't lose a single one. Took effort gathering and teaching them.
Giyeon bandits were the same—too valuable to injure. Jeong Gwang and the Kunlun Taoists knocked them out with sheathed swords.
To sell... no, provide as many skilled ones as possible to the Gansu Governor.