I'll Make You Pay!
In the heart of Seongdo, Sichuan's great city.
CRUNCH—!
"KYAAAAAAAAAAH—!"
A crisp sound of breaking bone joined by a juicy scream echoed through the streets.
"Wh-what the hell! Elder Dang Taebo's arm just snapped!"
"No way! He took down an elder of the Tang family in a single blow?!"
The crowd was in shock. A veteran master of the Tang family—claimed to be Sichuan's finest—was writhing in agony, squealing like a pig being slaughtered.
But that wasn't the end!
"This old bastard's got some serious ego issues."
Do Gwang tapped his greatsword against the ground with a mocking thump.
"A third-rate elder throwing around 'this old man' like you're somebody? Fucking pathetic."
"Grrrk... Y-you son of a bitch...!"
Dang Taebo's eyes bulged with fury even through the pain as he hurled abuse. How dare this punk say he was acting pathetic! And calling him a mere third elder!
"After this, you think you'll—"
His bloodshot eyes flared with venom as he tried to curse Do Gwang out.
But before he could finish the sentence.
"Shut your trap."
Do Gwang casually cut off the old man's words.
Then.
CRUNCH—!
He mercilessly stomped down on the other arm, pulverizing it!
"KYAAAAAAAAAAH—!"
Dang Taebo's scream rang out through central Seongdo once again.
"What, you'll be crippled and crawl on the ground for the rest of your life? You crawl, you old fuck!"
CRRRUNCH—!
"GUAAAAAAH—!"
This time one of his legs was shattered!
"Don't worry, I'll mercifully let you live."
"P-please... stop...!"
"But just like you said, I'll stop at making you a cripple!"
CRRRRUNCH—!
"KYAAAAAAAH...!"
With his last remaining leg smashed to pieces, Dang Taebo couldn't bear the agony any longer. His eyes rolled back white, his head lolled, and he lost consciousness.
"Gasp! He just crushed a man alive!"
"G-good heavens... an elder of the Tang family...!"
The crowd had no choice but to be utterly horrified! Right here in central Seongdo, the heart of Sichuan, he'd taken on a member of the Tang family! Not just any member, but Third Elder Dang Taebo himself—and not just beaten him, but completely and utterly demolished him!
The shocking sight made people's eyes bulge like frogs' and their jaws drop to the floor!
Meanwhile.
"H-hiiiiik...!"
Song Pyeong's legs were trembling like aspen leaves.
'F-fucking lunatic!!!'
He couldn't help but regret it bitterly. He'd picked a fight with a lunatic who wasn't your ordinary crazy—this one was off the charts!
Just as he was wondering what to do.
"Kyahahaha~"
A bright, innocent laugh struck his ears.
"Daddy! Can I kill the water buffaloes now?"
Do Hwa held up her dagger and looked at the water buffaloes... no, at Song Pyeong and the young masters.
At that.
"H-hiiik! I was wrong! Please spare me!"
Song Pyeong led the way with a ridiculous squeal.
"Aaaaaah! I-I didn't do anything!"
"M-my stomach hurts! Gotta go!"
All the young masters, without exception, turned around and fled as fast as their legs could carry them!
"H-hey! Where are you all going! Aren't you going to save great-uncle...!"
Dang Aran shouted urgently, trying to stop them.
But.
"MOOOOOO—!"
"BAAAAAH—!"
The young masters were making animal noises—genuine water buffalo sounds—as they ran away!
"Wh-what the...!"
Dang Aran was dumbfounded.
"Lady Aran! For you, I'd give my life without hesitation!"
"Even if the Black Lotus Lord himself appears, don't worry! I'm here!"
The men who had spouted all kinds of grandiose boasts were now fleeing without even looking back!
But she didn't run away like those pathetic men. Her own flesh and blood—her great-uncle—was lying there beaten to a bloody pulp right before her eyes!
"You there!!!"
Dang Aran glared at Do Gwang with eyes burning with venom.
"What exactly do you think you're doing?!"
"What do you mean 'what'?"
Do Gwang snorted dismissively.
"You people started shit first."
"Th-that's...!"
Dang Aran was struck speechless.
Moreover.
"Well... that's true..."
"That young master over there did start yelling at them out of nowhere..."
At Do Gwang's words, a few people unconsciously nodded.
Dang Aran's pretty face flushed red and pale by turns.
"'Started shit'?! We only called out to you, and yet you're the ones who insulted us and used violence first!"
At her cry, the people nodded again.
"Now that I think about it, that's also true."
"Hmm, crushing his arms and legs was a bit excessive!"
Classic martial world, wasn't it! The crowd had absolutely no backbone! But unlike Dang Aran, Do Gwang wasn't affected at all by the murmuring extras!
He just muttered, looking baffled.
"The hell is she on about? I guess a queen bee's gotta queen bee."
But it was basically said loud enough for her to hear!
"Wh-what did you say...?"
Dang Aran's face stiffened instantly.
'Queen bee?'
The word "queen" was in there, but this was the same man who had openly mocked the fleeing young masters as water buffaloes. It couldn't possibly be a compliment!
So.
'I don't want to know!'
Dang Aran decided not to ask what it meant!
But.
"Daddy!"
Do Hwa tugged insistently at Do Gwang's sleeve.
"What's a queen bee?"
Her eyes sparkled as she asked!
"Ah, well..."
Do Gwang scratched his head again. He'd accidentally let out another bad word without thinking!
So.
"It's..."
He leaned down and whispered quietly into Do Hwa's ear.
Then.
"Kyahahaha~"
Do Hwa laughed brightly.
Dang Aran felt a bad premonition and every hair on her body stood on end.
"D-don't you dare!!!"
She shouted, trying to stop Do Hwa.
But as if she would listen.
"Kyahahaha~"
Do Hwa laughed again, cheerfully pointing her little hand at Dang Aran.
And then.
"It's a queen bee!"
Her clear, ringing voice echoed through the streets of Seongdo!
"A loser who plays princess while dragging water buffaloes around!"
It was a ruthless, perfect jab that cut straight to the bone!
"Y-you little brat! Shut your mouth right now!"
"Ah, hold on—!"
"What 'hold on'?! I am NOT a queen be—!"
"Your water buffaloes all ran away! You're not even a queen! You're just a bee! Bzz bzz, a bee!"
Do Hwa's combo attack struck Dang Aran's solar plexus with brutal precision!
"Kyahahaha~"
"You, you... hiiik...!"
Dang Aran trembled with humiliation.
"Pfft..."
"Ahem, ahem!"
People covered their mouths, struggling to hold back their laughter.
In that humiliating atmosphere, finally.
Tears welled up in Dang Aran's eyes.
"Who the hell are you people?! What grudge do you hold against us that you'd act so rude and cruel?!"
"Ha..."
Do Gwang let out a hollow laugh.
"No, you started the shit."
"When did I?!"
Dang Aran was indignant. It was that oblivious idiot Song Pyeong who had butted in on his own to show off and started yelling!
'I didn't do anything!'
As if reading her thoughts.
Do Gwang curled his lips into a bitter smile.
"You were laughing it up behind the scenes, and now you're playing innocent?"
"What are you talking about...! I never did such a thing!"
"Don't act like you didn't. You put those water buffalo brats in front and had fun watching from behind."
"N-no! I absolutely never...!"
"Never my ass. And when things looked like they'd get big, you were about to step in and play the good girl, weren't you?"
"...!!!"
Dang Aran was speechless.
His words had hit the mark perfectly. She had planned to extend a hand to this man—whom she hadn't even given a glance—when he was in trouble, making sure he knew her noble standing.
'But if I'd known he was this crazy...'
She would never have touched him, that was certain!
Anyway, with so many eyes on her, Dang Aran couldn't back down now. She gritted her teeth.
"F-fine! Let's say everything you said is true!"
She forced her voice out.
"But this is way too much! Reducing my great-uncle to such a horrific state!"
"Ha... seriously..."
Do Gwang let out a hollow laugh and shook his head.
"Who was it that first called me an unorthodox bastard and threatened to tear me apart?"
"Th-that's..."
Dang Aran's voice trailed off.
It was true that Dang Taebo had first slandered them as bloodlines of Paedomun and issued a bloody threat. But that was just a simple warning from an elder of the martial world, and from Dang Taebo's perspective, he was actually trying to be merciful by telling them to leave quietly!
As if reading her mind.
"If I were really some unorthodox bastard, this old man's head would already be gone. Got it?"
Do Gwang sneered, tapping the unconscious Dang Taebo's cheek with his greatsword.
"I'm really such a nice guy. The bastard said he'd tear me apart and kill me, but I ended it this mercifully."
His greatsword swayed dangerously close to Dang Taebo's neck, grazing it.
One wrong move and it would really slice his head off!
"Gulp...!"
"H-hiiik...!"
People gasped in shock.
'He's not unorthodox? That's mercy?'
'If he's a nice guy with mercy like that, then I'm Buddha himself!'
'He says he ended it this mercifully—the old man is already DONE, sir!'
They had so much they wanted to say!
If they had to pick the best one, it would be:
'This crazy motherfucker!'
But if they said the wrong thing, they'd be the next one on the ground like that old man! So the smart move was to get out of here, like those young masters who made animal noises.
But where was this? The martial world! Watching something this stimulating was only human nature!
So no one left. Everyone held their breath and watched.
Dang Aran bit her lip hard.
She was in trouble. There were too many eyes watching!
If she admitted fault or showed weakness here, she couldn't allow that!
So she!
"Do you have any idea where you are?! This is Sichuan!"
Oh dear! She'd ended up spouting the kind of cliché line a third-rate villain would say!
"And I and my great-uncle are the Sichuan Tang family! Do you really think you'll get away with this?!"
Dang Aran shouted with venom in her voice.
"Not only did you dare insult me, but you reduced my great-uncle to this state! Don't you dare think you'll get off scot-free!!"
Pfft.
Do Gwang snorted derisively.
"Want me to show you what really doesn't get off scot-free?"
He lifted his greatsword.
"Y-you! What are you doing!?"
Dang Aran flinched backward in terror.
"What does it look like? Showing you what really doesn't get off scot-free."
Do Gwang casually raised the greatsword higher.
"S-stop!!!"
Dang Aran's face turned white as a sheet.
Was he really going to behead a Tang family elder right here in Seongdo? No, with this crazy bastard, he just might!!!
"Please, stop!!!"
Dang Aran shouted desperately.
But.
"Don't want to."
Do Gwang tightened his grip on the greatsword. He looked like he was about to bring it down any second!
At that.
"Ah, no!!!"
Dang Aran finally dropped to her knees with a thud.
BAM—!
She even slammed her head roughly against the ground.
"I'm truly sorry for picking a pointless fight and being rude to the two of you!"
She didn't care about the onlookers' stares anymore. This was her great-uncle, who cherished her more than anyone. This wasn't the time to stubbornly cling to pride. His limbs were already shattered beyond repair, but he was still alive! The Sichuan Tang family's medical arts could treat him somehow.
She had to prevent the beheading of a Tang bloodline in the middle of Seongdo, no matter what!
"Please, I'm begging you! I'll do anything, just please!!!"
Dang Aran rubbed her forehead against the ground, pleading desperately.
But.
The sound that struck her ears was.
CRAAAAASH—!!!
A deafening explosion!
"Ah, no...!!!"
She squeezed her eyes shut in despair. She couldn't bring herself to lift her head. If she did, she'd see her great-uncle's severed head.
'I should never have come out to the streets...!'
She should have listened to the clan head and the elders. They'd told her not to go out because things were dangerous lately!
But how was she supposed to know it would be this dangerous?!
As she sank into a pit of despair.
"Hey."
Do Gwang's indifferent voice came through.
"Take him and get lost."
"..."
Dang Aran slowly lifted her head. She thought with resignation that even a cruel monster would at least let her collect the body. From the sound of it, the body probably wasn't intact, but at least he was showing mercy.
She lifted her head.
And couldn't believe her eyes.
"Uh...?"
Her mouth fell open.
Contrary to her pessimistic expectations, Dang Taebo was intact. Well, his limbs were shattered and he was a wreck, but his head was still firmly attached! Do Gwang's greatsword had only smashed the ground right next to Dang Taebo's head.
"Sigh... I'm really too soft-hearted for my own good..."
"...?"
Dang Aran thought she must have misheard.
Soft-hearted...?
After shattering her great-uncle's limbs into pulp?
"I'll let you off just this once."
"Wh-what...?"
At her reflexive question, Do Gwang frowned.
"Deaf? I said I'll let you off just this once."
He had originally intended to send Dang Taebo's head flying. But Dang Aran—who in the game always acted haughty—had performed a dogeza to protect her family member, and Do Gwang found himself showing mercy.
"I'm letting you off because I'm a really good person. If I were a crazy bastard from Paedomun or something, this old man would be dead for real."
Do Gwang warned in a cold voice.
"If you start shit again, there won't be any 'Tang family' or anything else. Got it?"
"Ah... yes!!!"
Dang Aran nodded frantically. There were a hundred things she wanted to argue about, but there was no need to say anything reckless and provoke this crazy bastard's temper.
But then.
"Uh... Daddy..."
Do Hwa tugged at Do Gwang's clothes and muttered regretfully.
"Can't we just kill him?"
It was an innocent yet bloody disappointment.
Do Gwang's voice was gentle as he replied, completely different from how he'd spoken to Dang Aran.
"No, we can't. We need to go eat."
He even patted her head softly.
"Okay!"
Do Hwa finally shook off her disappointment and beamed brightly.
Then the two of them turned around and walked away leisurely, as if nothing had happened.
Once they disappeared, the spectators who had been holding their tongues finally began to speak up.
"I-I can't believe it! The Sichuan Tang family actually kneeled!"
"They're heading west! So that young master really was a hidden dragon that Paedomun had been keeping all along!"
"Whoa! This is huge! If things go wrong, all of Seongdo might end up in Paedomun's hands!"
"What?! Then there's going to be a war here in Seongdo soon! I need to pack my bags!"
Murmur, murmur—
The people were horrified among themselves, misunderstanding things and worrying on their own.
Meanwhile.
"Great-uncle...!"
Dang Aran hurriedly supported the unconscious Dang Taebo.
But even so.
'How dare they touch the Tang family...!'
She ground her teeth as she looked in the direction Do Gwang and Do Hwa had gone.
'I won't forgive this...!'
Kindness twice over, revenge tenfold! That was the Tang family's iron rule.
'Just you wait...'
Dang Aran bit her lip until it bled, making a vow.
I will make you pay!
"I won't forgive this! The Mad Young Master of Paedomun!"