One-on-One Duels Are True Wuxia
> Query: Summarize the Great Galaxy Orthodox-Demonic War of 250 years ago in one sentence.
> Answer: Beneath his grand ambition to usher in the Age of Demons, the unparalleled Heavenly Demon of the Space Heavenly Demon Sect known as “Heavenly Treasure Demon Prodigy,” who had plunged the entire galaxy into shock and terror by freely unleashing Heavenly Demon Divine Art, smashed countless planets, slain innumerable masters, and finally come within a hair’s breadth of fulfilling the Demonic Sect’s long-cherished wish in the decisive battle against the Orthodox Faction—had his head cut off and died at the hands of Jeom So-i.
“This fucking mercenary trash is laying hands on Jeom So-i? You really wanna die that bad?”
“Wh… What!”
“You son of a bitch actually put internal energy into that hand when you raised it? Wanna hit me? Go on, try it. But if you’re gonna swing, you’d better make damn sure you kill me. You have any idea how the payback’s coming?”
Jeom So-i’s upturned eyes flashed.
“Where the hell does a brat like you get off—!”
“Because I’m young, you should be careful, dumbass. Right now you could probably still beat me somehow, yeah? But what about later? I’m an exchange student who came all the way to a private school on the capital planet of Daylaskos. What are you? Just a mercenary scraping by day to day, right? How long do you think it’ll take me to surpass your realm? You think five or ten years from now I’ll still be at the same level as you? When that day comes and I show up to slaughter every last one of your family, neighbors, and distant in-laws, you think you’ll be able to stop me?”
“You crazy little—! Hey, you bastard! No matter how promising you are, you’re still weaker than me right now! Who’s the one who needs to watch their neck here!”
“So you’re gonna kill me? Go ahead and try, you fuck—I’m a full official member of Haomen. A spontaneous murder in broad daylight with no justification? That’s breaking the iron rules of the underworld by a country mile. Think you’ll survive after that? Every time you pass an inn, flying daggers will come for you. Every meal you eat will be poisoned. You think the Mercenary Sect will protect you? Even if they do, the Mercenary Sect isn’t even in the same league as Haomen. You ignorant fuck. If you can’t kill me, don’t even bark. Got it?”
“No…! So I mean…!”
“What era do you think this is, laying hands on Jeom So-i? You wanna end up like the previous Heavenly Demon?”
“Khh…!!”
“Hey. Get your hand off my shoulder, you bastard.”
“…S-Sorry…”
The man from the Northern Mercenary Sect let his hand fall limply from her shoulder.
“Hmph! You should’ve done that from the start!”
Only then did Jeom So-i drop the murderer’s glint from her eyes and return to her cute expression and tone.
An astonishingly fast personality switch. Probably an occupational hazard from working in customer service.
In the end the Northern Mercenary Sect was thoroughly humiliated, and the Southern Mercenary Sect’s momentum soared.
The Southern kids crowed with delight.
“Kyahahaha! Just like an uncultured mercenary bastard—he goes and digs his own grave!!”
“I’m embarrassed just watching!!”
“He let his guard down because it’s a small inn!! That Jeom So-i is an outstanding graduate of a prestigious high school!! She’s only still here because she’s a filial daughter helping her frail grandfather!!”
“He fell for the hidden-powerhouse cliché!!! His murim literature studies were lacking!!!”
“You idiot! What were you thinking, messing with Haomen?! Do you even know who their ‘Honorary Sect Leader’ is!!!”
Un-rang too laughed heartily with a look of pure schadenfreude.
The inn stayed noisy for a while.
Gong Ryun was curious what would happen next. A group brawl was off the table, so would they just disband like this? Or take it outside? Maybe rent a sports field or something?
Amazingly, the answer these unorthodox bastards came up with was completely unexpected.
“We settle this with a one-on-one duel!!!”
One-on-one duel. A method of combat in which a representative from each camp steps forward and decides the outcome through single combat.
If the representative wins, the entire camp wins.
If a group fight wasn’t possible, they simply changed the event to a life-and-death duel of one versus one.
What a world.
“It can’t be helped. Finding a separate venue is a hassle, and we can’t drag this out any longer. Everyone here is like a bouncing ball that might fly off in any direction, so it’s only proper to settle the match as quickly as possible and reach a conclusion today.”
“Mercenaries, I swear… The Haomen kids even hold regular martial arts study groups among themselves, but for us just gathering with one heart is hard enough…”
“I hesitate to say this, but most of the people who become mercenaries are the uneducated sort. Hehehe.”
“True enough. So, who’s our representative? All the top-tier mercenaries like the Three-Sword Style types are away right now, so we’re short on talent.”
“It’s the same for them. The truly skilled ones never get involved in petty rights squabbles like this. Named commissions come to them even if they just sit still.”
“Then it’s just you, Un-rang. Among our people here, you’re the strongest.”
“Ah. I’m currently attending this gathering as the acting sect leader of the Southern Mercenary Sect, so I can’t fight myself. The rule of one-on-one duels is that each camp’s leader (general) selects a champion from among the soldiers and sends them into single combat.”
“Hmm. I see. Then who the hell goes out?”
And Un-rang planted both hands firmly on Gong Ryun’s shoulders.
“You.”
“?”
“San-gong-dok Goe-in!!!!!! You’re the one!!!!!!!!”
“?????”
Un-rang’s booming shout.
Immediately a roar erupted from their camp.
Everyone wore faces of pure excitement and went wild.
“Uoooooh!!! The San-gong-dok Freak!!!”
“That famous lunatic!! The one who sprinkles San-gong-dok on his rice!!!”
“Woo-hyo! Damn it! The most vicious named fighter in the southern part of the city is going!!!”
“Just hearing the name is terrifying!!! I already feel like we’ve won!!!”
“I believed in you, Big Brother San-gong-dok!!! Show those bastards what’s what!!! San-gong-dok Punch!!”
Gong Ryun was speechless.
He grabbed Un-rang’s head and shook it violently back and forth.
“Un-raaang!! What the hell is this!! What do you think you’re doing!!”
“Hgek-gek!! It’s only Gong Ryun!!! Among the people here Gong Ryun is the most solid choice!!! Solid fundamentals, sturdy body, and under the assumption he can close the distance, quite strong attack power! There’s no one but Gong Ryun! Everyone else has a hole somewhere and can’t be trusted!!”
That was true. Gong Ryun was the most reliable option—the solid rice-bowl pick.
This inn was in the southern part of the city, so it was Southern Mercenary Sect home ground. By iron rule the home side chose their champion first, and then the opposing side chose. The second pick was more advantageous, so the home ground made the concession.
From the perspective of the side choosing first, they had to send the most reliable person—someone with solid basics who didn’t have bad matchups.
“What! I’m only strong when I get close! What if the opponent is the type who runs around with light-body techniques!”
“Exactly that! This is a cramped inn! The space to dodge is limited! Unless the opponent is an exceptional speed type, they’ll have to close in at least once, won’t they?”
“Then at least talk to me before deciding! Who just decides on their own and dumps it on me!”
“Ahem, Gong Ryun! A man does not run from a fight that comes to him!!”
“This crazy bastard for real!”
“And Gong Ryun’s advantage isn’t just that! In these things seizing the initiative is important—look at them now! It’s a complete funeral over there!”
Indeed, when they looked at the Northern Mercenary Sect side, they were thoroughly flustered.
They were murmuring among themselves and watching this side warily.
“The San-gong-dok Freak? What kind of psychopath naming is that?”
“Just hearing the name makes me want to piss myself.”
“Does that bastard detonate San-gong-dok if things go south? Considering the average personality of mercenaries, it’s not impossible…”
“To think we’d meet one of this city’s most infamous vicious freaks whose reputation alone is enough…”
“He uses San-gong-dok? Whether you win or lose against that guy you’re fucked. Your internal energy just disappears. Who’s gonna fight him?”
The northern kids’ faces were rotting. They had already been cowed by Jeom So-i earlier, and the atmosphere was growing even more grim.
“Hehehe. You saw that, right? How vicious Gong Ryun’s naming is. We’ve already driven them into a psychological corner, so now it’s an easy win.”
“Hmm… Is that so…”
“Like the solid reliability of two pair. Oh, my hole cards feel so safe! Hehehe!!!”
“??? You bastard, don’t tell me you’re approaching this with a gambling mindset…?”
“Come! Gong Ryun! Let’s hold a strategy meeting while we have the chance!!”
“Don’t dodge the question, you bastard!!!”
Anyway, the two held a rough strategy meeting of their own.
In truth there wasn’t much of a strategy to speak of.
1. Close the distance as much as possible. If he succeeds in grabbing hold, finish it with Geumna-su.
2. Pray that the opponent is not a master of light-body techniques.
That was all. Parangjang didn’t produce enough firepower to finish an enemy in one blow. It would have to be used for checks and defense in between.
There didn’t seem to be any major problems, but there was still one thing Un-rang didn’t know.
Namely, that Gong Ryun had learned claw techniques.
Un-rang was skeptical about claw methods, so Gong Ryun hadn’t mentioned it yet, but this was a good chance to reveal it.
“Heh. Un-rang. Actually, I’ve learned a new technique.”
“Ohh! What is it! Don’t tell me you’ve finally learned footwork?”
“Brace yourself. Here, look.”
With that, Gong Ryun casually pulled artificial nails from his inner pocket.
“Hkieeek!!!!!”
But just as those tools were about to fully emerge from the pocket and see the light of day, Un-rang, letting out a horrified shriek, shot his hand out at the speed of light and shoved them straight back into Gong Ryun’s inner pocket, foiling the attempt.
“Go… Gong Ryun… W-w-what was that just now…”
“Artificial nai—”
“Kyaaaaah!! Gong Ryun!!! How many times have I told you!!! Do not learn claw techniques!!!”
“Come now, my friend! Where is there man or woman when it comes to learning! Making such a politically incorrect remark—isn’t that shameful for a monk!”
“…Gong Ryun. Listen carefully.”
Un-rang pressed a hand to his forehead and spoke with a pained sigh.
“The moment you use that, Gong Ryun, your career as a mercenary is over.”
“Hmm??? Why? For what reason?”
“Because your nickname will become something like ‘San-gong-dok Bottom Boy’ or ‘San-gong-dok Pink Man,’ that’s why.”
“?????”
“Absolutely. Do not use them. The mercenary world is cold and merciless. If you don’t want to be dragged through the rumor mill for years, put them away this instant.”
“What the hell.”
Gong Ryun had no choice but to put the artificial nails away again.
These bastards. They went on and on about political correctness every damn day, so why was this not allowed? Gong Ryun was completely baffled.
While that was going on, the Northern Mercenary Sect finally decided on their champion.
A silhouette could be seen walking out from behind their group.
“Please, just not a speed type…! Amitabha!”
Un-rang pressed both palms tightly together.
What was this, a prayer meta? Gong Ryun looked at him with a fed-up expression.
Right then, someone nearby with a loud voice provided commentary.
“The San-gong-dok Freak~~~ His opponent is~~~”
—Thud. Thud.
The opposing champion parting the crowd. That name was.
“‘Green-Marked Poison Dagger Woman’!!!!!”
A woman with long, one-block-style green raw hair. She wore gothic-style leather clothes. Tiny daggers were strapped all over her—pockets, waist belt, thigh leather straps, the tops of her leather boots. Judging by the name, the daggers were surely coated in poison.
And her right arm was a mechanical prosthetic; green steam seeping from the gaps made it obvious at a glance that it had poison-related functions. Vivid green marks were painted all over the prosthetic.
“I’ve wanted to meet you. San-gong-dok Freak.”
She spoke in a husky voice.
“My daggers will tear you to pieces!”
Poison versus poison.
The opposing camp had chosen the strategy of fighting poison with poison.
Truly, this could only be called a big match.