[Untitled]
Ilgeolgae Ginam had been tailing Do Gwang on his branch leader's orders. The result?
"H-hiik...!"
The gruesome scene unfolding before his eyes made his legs give out, forcing him to slump to the ground.
'I knew he was a madman from when he crushed that Third Elder...!' But he never expected him to be this insane.
In the martial world, disputes and sword fights were an everyday occurrence. But turning a man into minced meat or slicing him into ribbons, and then...
'...acting like nothing happened and eating a meal!? Since when does that make sense!?'
Not even the beggars of the Beggar Sect would eat after that! How could anyone be so damn composed!
As Ginam was freaking out internally,
"Ginam."
I Pyo approached from behind and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"B-branch leader-nim? Yes! I'm here! He's inside!"
"Good, you've worked hard. But why are you making such a fuss abou—!"
I Pyo turned his head to peer into the inn and froze, his mouth hanging wide open. Because the inside of the inn was an absolute bloodbath, completely trashed.
Just then—
"Kkeuk!Keuhahaha!!!"
A hearty laugh echoed through the street. The owner of that voice was Gwon Taeo, the Great Elder of Paedomun, who had followed them.
"I already thought he was crazy just for taking down that Tang elder, but there's no madman quite like this one."
True, the Tang family had misunderstood and assumed things all on their own, but Paedomun's disciples had still gotten hurt because of it. That's why he'd also joined in searching for Do Gwang — partly to hold him accountable, and partly out of curiosity to see what kind of madman had dared to touch the Tang family in Sichuan.
Not to mention the Tang family elders who were arriving behind him, practically radiating venomous killing intent.
"What kind of vicious bastard is this! Not only did he cripple our Third Elder, but he goes around reveling in slaughter!"
"In the name of the Tang family, I will melt this bastard's bones and flesh!"
Dang Muntae and Dang Mundeok looked ready to smash the inn to pieces right then and there.
Moyong Jin hastily blocked their path.
"Please, both of you, calm down!"
He naturally understood their fury. However, their opponent was someone who could neutralize a Peak-level elder in an instant. They couldn't just charge in recklessly. Even for himself, a Hundred Great Master, crippling Dang Taebo so easily was impossible.
And above all—
"Branch Leader! It's exactly the same. Just like that scene!"
Because of the telepathic message Gwok Byeok had just sent, he absolutely had to stop the Tang elders. That "scene" was undoubtedly referring to the horrific massacre of the Cheongseongpa disciples near Oga!
And Gwok Byeok, who had sent the message, sighed inwardly.
'I should have suspected it the moment he told that ridiculous joke...!' No normal person would know such a bizarre, twisted joke, would they! If I'd thought about it even a little, I could have figured it out easily.
But what's done is done. For now, the priority was stopping the Tang elders.
"The Branch Leader is right. Please calm down first and..."
Gwok Byeok was about to suggest that they carefully surround the inn without provoking Do Gwang rashly. But where were they? This was the martial world! And in a major city like Seongdo, they hadn't exactly been moving!
"It's the Great Elder of Paedomun!"
"Even the elders of the Sichuan Tang family!?"
"What's going on! The Murim Alliance is here too!"
Onlookers swarmed like bees, raising a ruckus. Caution had long since gone out the window!
Meanwhile—
'Ah... maybe I should've just crushed all of them...'
Do Gwang looked outside at the commotion with an annoyed expression. He'd known from the start. That the Beggar Sect beggars were tailing him.
'Well, it's obvious what beggars do.' They live off selling information, so naturally, when a suspicious character appears, following him is second nature to them.
But from a modern person's perspective, being tailed felt like absolute garbage. That's why he'd briefly considered smashing the heads of all the beggars following him. But he'd dropped the idea.
'Because those bastards are even more annoying than the Tang family.' Weren't beggars the ones you kicked out of the way everywhere? If he touched even one, they'd swarm like ants.
'Still, they're not really a threat...' Except for the branch leaders and elder-level ones, most of them had combat power so pathetic it was embarrassing to even call them martial artists. Even a branch leader was barely First Class.
'But there's too damn many of them.' That's what made them truly irritating and troublesome.
'Plus they smell and they're dirty...' So he'd left them alone.
'...They really made things a hassle.' Not just the Tang family, but the Murim Alliance and even Paedomun had come along. He should've just smashed the heads of all those tailing beggars.
And—
'I shouldn't have let her go...' He was starting to regret letting Dang Aran off too. He should've just crushed them all right then and there.
'And then stormed straight into the Tang family.' As expected of the martial world. The thought that showing unnecessary mercy was a bad idea came naturally to Do Gwang.
'Aish... my heart really is too soft for my own good...'
As he was admiring and lamenting himself at the same time—
"Keuhahaha!!!"
Gwon Taeo burst through the inn door, practically smashing it open.
"So it's you! The bastard who crippled that old poison freak!"
Gwon Taeo stared at Do Gwang with interest, his massive greatsword slung over his shoulder. Behind him, the murderous Tang elders and Murim Alliance personnel flooded in.
"Great Elder Gwon Taeo! Didn't I say we should approach cautiously!"
Moyong Jin hurried in after him, yelling, but the water had already been spilled.
"You bastard! How dare you lay a hand on our Third Elder!!! Today, I'll cut off your head and hang it from the Tang family gate!"
You deserve to be torn limb from limb and it still wouldn't be enough! Drop to your knees and stretch out your neck right now!"
Dang Muntae and Dang Mundeok poured out their fury, shaking the inn to its foundation.
To which—
"Haa..."
Do Gwang let out a sigh and slowly rose from his seat, looking thoroughly annoyed.
"Kkeureuk~~"
Do Hwa also giggled brightly, gripping her dagger tightly as she stood up.
"Can I kill them?"
Once again, that clear, innocent girl's voice asked her usual bloodthirsty question!
At those chilling words, Dang Mundeok's face twisted grotesquely.
"This crazy little brat! How dare you spout such of nonsense in front of us! I'll melt that tongue of yours first!"
Dang Mundeok shouted and flicked his sleeve. He looked ready to unleash his poison technique right then.
But faster than him—
"Hey."
Do Gwang's icy voice cut through the air.
"If you pull that out, you die."
"Wha, what...?"
Dang Mundeok's hand froze. Hey? A brat who wasn't even twenty years old dared to say hey? And "you die"? Was he threatening him?
"A puppy doesn't know how to fear a tiger! Then I'll be the one to kill you!"
Dang Mundeok shouted and finally tried to unleash his poison technique. But at that moment—
Sseureuk—!
Do Gwang's form blurred like a heat haze—
—
KWAAAANG---!!!
A thunderous explosion ripped through the inn.
"Kkeoheok!!!"
Dang Mundeok didn't even have time to react. Fortunately, the Hundred Great Master Moyong Jin and First Elder Dang Muntae blocked it simultaneously, so Dang Mundeok only ended up tumbling across the floor, spitting blood, barely clinging to life.
And the two Hundred Great Masters had no choice but to be shocked. Even though they'd joined forces to block the attack, they'd been pushed back three steps!
'What kind of absurd power is this!'
'He didn't even use internal energy! No wonder Taebo got taken down!'
Do Gwang looked at the two who had been pushed back and shrugged.
"Whoa, you blocked that?"
He was genuinely impressed. As expected of those who ranked among the Hundred Great Masters. They were definitely different from the trash he'd dealt with so far.
But he didn't feel an ounce of tension. No, to be honest, he was actually too relaxed. Hadn't he consumed the deadly poison that Do Hwa almost drank, causing his internal energy to explode? Even without that, his body was already absurdly strong because of his traits, and now it was one level stronger.
The only pity was—
'I haven't learned many martial arts.'
The techniques Do Gwang had acquired were only the basic Cheongseong arts he'd learned from the late Jin Hun-seonsaengnim. Of course, even as he was now, he could still smash all of them. But these were the Hundred Great Masters. He really wanted to clash with some Peak-level techniques or martial arts.
So Do Gwang casually rested his iron mace on his shoulder and shifted his gaze to the other Hundred Great Master, Gwon Taeo.
"You don't feel like fighting, uncle?"
At that question, all the Paedomun disciples were horrified. The Thunder Tyrant Blade Gwon Taeo, Great Elder of Paedomun! And this bastard dared to speak to him with such arrogant, provocative words! He'd be split in half by the man's greatsword!
But contrary to their expectations, Gwon Taeo didn't draw his blade.
"Feel like fighting? Keuhahaha!!!"
Instead, he burst into loud laughter as if he found it amusing. Then, immediately killing the laugh—
Hwik—!
He turned around without a hint of hesitation.
"I... no, we, Paedomun, are out!"
True, he'd come along because of Do Gwang — to hold him responsible for the Tang family freaking out and getting Paedomun disciples hurt. But that single exchange he'd just witnessed had instantly changed his mind.
'Even if everyone here joined forces, we might not be able to do it.'
In that case, there was no reason to team up with the orthodox bastards. They hadn't even agreed to receive separate compensation from the Tang family.
'...Well, I don't know what'll happen to that Tang family from now on...'
He'd concluded that the main sect didn't need to take damage.
"We've seen an interesting show, so we'll take our leave now! Keuhahaha!!!"
With that, Gwon Taeo laughed heartily and walked out of the inn. But the way he looked to anyone — tail tucked between his legs, fleeing.
Watching his retreating back—
'Tch... I wanted to get that Thunder Blade Technique...'
Do Gwang clicked his tongue, savoring the disappointment. An opportunity to acquire a peak-level martial art through demonstration-learning had slipped away. The Thunder Blade Technique — a manly art of smashing down. If he applied it to the iron mace he was holding now, it would fit perfectly! No wonder he felt regret.
But that didn't mean he with Gwon and his Paedomun men, who had clearly stated they wouldn't fight and were going their own way. He still had to deal with these Tang family old farts right in front of him. He could visit Paedomun later when he had time or when he remembered.
Meanwhile—
'Ha! The bastard who said he'd split my head open with his greatsword if he saw me is cowardly tucking tail and running!' Dang Muntae could only grind his teeth. He didn't want to borrow the hand of those unorthodox scum, but that single exchange made him realize — without them, subduing the Do Gwang in front of him would be a struggle.
So by now, the Tang family's momentum, which had been ready to tear Do Gwang apart moments ago, had long since subsided.
Just then—
"Haaam..."
Do Gwang let out a wide yawn, looking annoyed, and walked out. He tapped his own shoulder with his mace, then shifted his gaze.
"Hey, Murim Alliance uncles?"
He gave a slight chin gesture toward Moyong Jin and Gwok Byeok.
"This is between me and the Tang family. So could you just back off?"
Before Moyong Jin and Gwok Byeok could even answer—
"You bastard! Not only are you arrogant, you're an utter fool! The Murim Alliance members here came with us to execute you!"
Dang Muntae shouted, his whole body trembling with rage.
"Branch Leader! What are you hesitating about! A demon like that needs to be struck down immediately with all our combined strength!"
Dang Mundeok cried out as if spitting blood.
At that—
Pssht.
Do Gwang let out a scornful laugh.
"No, demon? These old men are trying to frame me as the bad guy."
He thrust his mace toward Dang Mundeok's face.
"You guys were the ones who started shit first. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black."
"When did we ever start anything! If you hadn't crippled our Third Elder first!"
"How dare you try to flip black and white! You despicable demon!"
"You guys are fucking crazy."
"What!? Crazy!?"
"Yeah, you deaf? I said you're acting crazy."
Do Gwang's face scrunched up in annoyance.
"Why am I the bad guy? It's not like I tried to kill innocent people like that old man on the floor over there."
"Innocent, you say!? What kind of insane nonsense is that!"
"What nonsense, you crazy old man? Even if I was in the wrong — which I'm not — am I the only one in here?"
Do Gwang pointed his mace toward a corner. There, huddled together and trembling, were the innkeeper and some innocent civilians.
At this—
"...!!!"
Dang Mundeok's mouth snapped shut. In his momentary rage, he hadn't realized that if his poison technique spread everywhere, those innocent people would be massacred.
Just then, one of the onlookers shouted at Do Gwang's words.
"Are you saying the Tang elder just now was about to spread poison inside the inn!?"
At that question, the crowd's expressions twisted into shock. The atmosphere was starting to turn sour!
At this, the Tang family members' faces turned ashen.
"You bastard! How dare you throw the first strike and still spout nonsense! Stop inciting the people!"
Dang Muntae hurriedly shouted, his eyes bulging.
"Ha, inciting?"
Do Gwang let out a disbelieving laugh.
"You got dementia or something? You guys were the ones who tried to strike first. And not just at me, but at everyone else too."
"Don't make me laugh! You bastard! On what basis do you keep spewing such bull
Wasn't there a saying about the farter getting angrier? Dang Mundeok tried to raise his voice even more. But Do Gwang's next words left him utterly flustered.
"You were about to use the Hundred Steps Tang Smoke. Weren't you?"
"Wha, what!?"
Hundred Steps Tang Smoke! Dang Mundeok's signature poison technique — trapping a hundred steps in all directions with poisonous smoke, twisting the blood and qi. How the hell did this bastard know about that!?
To that question—
"How do you know about that!?"
Dang Mundeok stupidly blurted out the question instead!
"No, that's not...!!!"
He realized his mistake and tried to backtrack, but everyone around had already heard.
"Unbelievable! The Tang elder is flustered! That man's words are true!"
"I don't know much about his martial arts, but a hundred steps! We were all nearly in danger too!"
Murmur murmur!
"The Tang family, supposed to be orthodox, tried to use poison on civilians!"
"Not the Sichuan Tang family — it's the Sichuan Evil family! The Death family!"
Not just complaints, but insults started erupting from the onlookers. Calling them the character for "cunning" used for the unorthodox sects! And on top of that, the character for "death"! The faces of the Tang family members couldn't help but turn ashen.
Ignoring all that—
"Anyway, aside from the Tang family folks who said they'd repay their grudge tenfold..."
Do Gwang turned his gaze back to Moyong Jin and Gwok Byeok.
"Are you Murim Alliance uncles joining in too?"
He thumped his iron mace on the floor and continued indifferently.
"Not that I really care, though."
Right. He didn't care. If he smashed the heads of all the Murim Alliance members here, he'd become a wanted criminal of the martial world and things would get a bit more annoying — that was the only difference. So why did he keep asking? Because they were characters he'd had some favorable feelings for in the game, and because the Murim Alliance members were the ones who at least tried to keep the peace in Sichuan. He just didn't want to see them bleed for no reason.
Do Gwang's indifferent, relaxed attitude made Moyong Jin and Gwok Byeok's expressions harden.
'As if it wasn't hard enough that I can't gauge his martial arts...'
'How can the so-called Tang family elders be this foolish!'
Now they had to consider not just Do Gwang, but public opinion as well. Moyong Jin couldn't make an easy decision.
Just then, Gwok Byeok wiped his cold sweat and cautiously spoke up.
"Listen, young hero... we met briefly at the street stall, didn't we? I was really grateful back then."
"Ah, yes. Did you pass it on properly?"
"Pass it on? Surely you don't mean Gwok Byeok! You're talking about 'that next thing'!?"
"...Branch Leader, please shut your mouth."
Gwok Byeok gritted his teeth and jabbed Moyong Jin's side. Seriously, this crazy old man. Did he think a joke like that mattered right now?
"A-anyway, hero. No, first, can I get your name?"
Gwok Byeok wiped the cold sweat from his forehead again and asked cautiously.
"My name? Do Gwang. And this cute kid here is Do Hwa."
Do Gwang readily gave his name.
"Eheheh."
Do Hwa also smiled brightly at being called out, waving her dagger. The martial artists could only gulp at that terrifying harmony. Because blood was still dripping from the little girl's blade.
Gwok Byeok forced himself to ignore this and continued.
"...Right, Do Gwang. Was it you who attacked the Cheongseongpa disciples near Oga-hyeon?"
He cut straight to the chase. As Do Gwang had said, crippling Dang Taebo could be considered a matter between martial artists. But if he was a demonic head who murdered orthodox disciples for no reason, the Alliance had to fight with them on the line.
This answer would not only determine whether the Murim Alliance would intervene, but could also swing public opinion back in their favor.
But unlike Gwok Byeok, who was thinking all these complicated thoughts—
"Yeah, that's right."
Do Gwang nodded without a hint of hesitation. There was no need or reason to hide it.
At that answer, Dang Muntae and Dang Mundeok leaped like fish finding water.
"You bastard! So you really are a demonic head, evil to the bone! I will tear him apart myself, so the Murim Alliance, join forces immediately!"
"You filthy demon! You confessed your crimes with your own mouth, so there's no room for excuses now! Slaughtering Cheongseong's disciples for no reason!"
"Ha, for no reason? are having a seizure."
Do Gwang picked his ear and grimaced. They were seriously so loud he could die.
"They tried to hand me over to the authorities together with some bandit bastards even though I did nothing wrong. That's why. Why?"
An eye for an eye, a tooth. At Do Gwang's confident attitude that they had provided the cause first, the questioner was the one flustered instead. They wanted to ask if that was a reason to turn a man into ground meat, but—
"Where do you come up with such bullshit excuses! The Cheongseong elders would never do such a thing!"
"Don't lie! You must have conspired with the dark path scum first!"
The Tang elders were the first to raise a fuss, veins bulging as they cornered Do Gwang.
"Enough!!!"
Moyong Jin let out a lion's roar and restrained the elders.
"There's still more to ask!"
His sharp gaze turned toward Do Gwang.
"Then, if that's the case, were you also behind the disappearance of the Tang and Emei Sect elders?"
"Oh, that was me too, yeah."
"Was you... then both of them are..."
"Ah, yes. I sent them to the next world."
Do Gwang calmly pointed his finger at the sky.
"This crazy bastard!!! Are you saying you killed our Fourth Elder!!!"
"You heartless, tearless demon bastard!!!"
"Agh, seriously..."
Do Gwang felt his annoyance rise to the tip of his head. Why did these stubborn old fossils always have to throw a tantrum before even letting someone finish speaking?
"Those fucks were from the Blood Religion, so I killed them all. Happy?"
"!!!"
"!!?"
The Blood Religion! They said the Blood Religion!!! The streets of Seongdo were instantly colored with shock and horror. The elders of the Sichuan Tang family and the Emei Sect were spies for the Blood Religion!?
"If you don't believe me, go see for yourselves. Northwest of Oga-hyeon, there's a cave blocked by a giant rock wall. You'll find them there. I can't vouch for the others since I minced them, but you'll probably recognize the faces of the two old ones."
Do Gwang explained nonchalantly and tilted his chin. It was too specific and confident to be a lie.
Moyong Jin called Gwok Byeok in a low voice.
"Law Enforcement Head."
"Yes, understood. I'll send people to verify immediately."
Gwok Byeok quickly signaled his subordinates. Given the gravity of the matter, time was of the essence, so the Murim Alliance naturally did what they had to do.
But this resulted in pressing the Tang elders' meltdown button.
"What are you doing, Branch Leader!"
"Are you really believing the nonsense of that evil bastard!!?"
The elder of the Sichuan Tang family being a spy for the Blood Religion! What kind of absurd bullshit was that!
"He's clearly trying to insult our Tang family with some cheap trick!"
"The Murim Alliance should kill him right now!"
Dang Muntae and Dang Mundeok lost their reason completely, screeching and causing a commotion.
"Seuup... Ah, seriously, so fucking loud."
Do Gwang frowned and thudded his iron mace on the floor.
old bastards, shut your traps."
"Wha, what!? Traps?"
"Youuu baassttarrdd!!"
"Ha, sheesh..."
Do Gwang let out a hollow laugh as he looked at the Tang elders. They just kept shouting, but didn't actually attack. So it was only natural for him to make the first move.
But before that—
"Will you back off now? So I can smash these old bastards' heads in."
Do Gwang issued his final ultimatum to the Murim Alliance. Because he hated how the Tang elders were blatantly trying to use them as shields.
But if they interfered—their heads would definitely get smashed too.