Chapter 35
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 35
Chapter Title: Chapter 10. Each One's Stories (2)
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"By the way, Flying Tiger. Did you really take down the fifth of the Eight Evils?"
"Ah, when I woke up later, Ma Yeop told me. I had no idea at the time. In the heat of the moment, I charged in without even knowing who it was and got flung back pathetically. Then I passed out."
"Whoa, so you're saying you killed the infamous Black Face Deung An-gil of the underworld in a fluke?"
"I was curious too. My skills are obvious, so how could it have happened? When I asked Ma Yeop after waking up, he said Deung An-gil was already half-dead at that point. His body was skin and bones, rotting away. He looked like he'd croak any day even if left alone. So, in other words, it wasn't the Black Face you know. More like catching a rat while the ox steps backward."
Only then did the group nod in understanding. 'Flying Tiger didn't know, so he was brave, and Deung An-gil happened to be in ruins.'
Flying Tiger glanced at Ma Yeop, who nodded back. The two had agreed to keep quiet about Deung An-gil's death that day, downplaying Flying Tiger's feat appropriately.
Of course, Deung An-gil's weakened state was a big factor in Flying Tiger taking him down. But that day's outcome was far from some 'ox stepping backward' fluke.
Yes, when Ma Yeop asked why, Flying Tiger said he didn't want the spotlight. He also added that the method he used to kill Deung An-gil was his secret ultimate technique, which he wanted to keep hidden if possible. To someone who lived by the blade, an ultimate technique was like a spare life, so Ma Yeop easily accepted it.
Back in the underground stone chamber then, Flying Tiger had overexerted himself by repeatedly drawing unstable lightning strikes, and the clash had pushed him to the brink of qi deviation.
The trigger had been Deung An-gil's demonic eye.
The sequence of the clash, sparked by Flying Tiger's shout just before, went like this.
Ma Yeop attacked the Seotak Formation with full power, and Deung An-gil ambushed Ma Yeop from behind. Then Flying Tiger hurled himself at Deung An-gil, slamming into his side.
It was possible because he'd anticipated this from the start and moved preemptively. This was exactly the 'counterattack using the enemies' ambush' that Flying Tiger had envisioned.
The problem came when Deung An-gil belatedly sensed Flying Tiger's ambush and turned his eyes toward him.
Their eyes met in an instant.
The eyes of Deung An-gil that Flying Tiger saw then were faintly red, like bleached fabric, but remarkably refined instead.
Flying Tiger felt a chill.
Could this man's demonic arts have reached the absolute peak? Because eyes that should be extremely unstable and ominous for a demonic cultivator were that clear...
Of course, it was such a brief moment that he might have seen wrong.
Or it could have been a misunderstanding.
But Flying Tiger didn't ignore the instincts honed over years as an assassin.
'You've faced death.'
'And right now, while you can still exploit the element of surprise, this might be your absolute best chance to strike.'
'What choice do you have?'
It was truly a split-second decision.
Flying Tiger had no time to second-guess or deliberate; he gritted his teeth and unleashed a lightning strike.
Crackle.
Shortening his strides, he unleashed a flurry of swift sword strikes, pouring out the 'Sixty-Four Paths Wind Water Ring' in rapid succession.
Five and a half steps.
These were the tight steps Flying Tiger took before colliding with Deung An-gil. It was also the maximum he could currently manage out of the technique's total eight steps.
The layered sword strikes, stacking eight times per step, erupted all at once. Thus, forty-three sword strikes surged toward Deung An-gil like raging waves.
Deung An-gil twisted his body in response, swinging his palm force fiercely, and a dark crimson energy billowed from his hand.
The sword strikes clashed with the palm force.
Boom boom boom—
Flying Tiger's sword strikes shattered and rebounded upon contact with the palm force.
But they gradually whittled it down.
By the thirtieth strike, the Blood-Clot Black Rock Scripture enveloping Deung An-gil's palm finally crumbled entirely, leaving his strike unobstructed.
Then the remaining thirteen strikes engulfed Deung An-gil's entire body.
Kaboom!
The aftershock of this intense collision sent Flying Tiger flying back, while Deung An-gil couldn't budge and took the full brunt.
That was the full account of the duel between Flying Tiger and Deung An-gil.
Afterward, Ma Yeop fed the fainted Flying Tiger a rare Pure Clarity Sect elixir and performed emergency acupoint sealing treatment. At that time, the Pure Clarity Sect's secret heart method, the Nine Cauldron Elixir Art, that Ma Yeop channeled temporarily roused Flying Tiger from his delirious state.
This pure Daoist internal energy soothed and calmed the rampaging lightning energy inside Flying Tiger that was on the verge of exploding.
As Flying Tiger downplayed it humbly, Ye Dok-du cheered loudly.
"Hahaha, luck is skill too! You did a huge thing, didn't you?"
"I don't know if it was huge, but the good part is the big money coming in because of it. Still feels unreal, though."
"Come on, man. For folks like us, isn't a big deed the same as big money?"
Ye Dok-du burst into laughter, and Flying Tiger chuckled along.
It was pointing out that Flying Tiger had earned the bounty for taking down Deung An-gil. He deserved it, so enjoy it proudly.
But in truth, Ye Dok-du's encouragement applied to himself as well. He too had landed the finishing blow on Sang Gok-bi by fluke.
That day, the Face Pursuit Unit Jeong had taken on one of the Eight Evils each at three locations. Among them, the seventh, Ung Yacha Sang Gok-bi, had been handled by Hwa Yeong, Choi Ong, and Ye Dok-du as a team.
But Hwa Yeong got too eager from the start and fell for Sang Gok-bi's trap, getting himself killed outright. The remaining two had to suffer for it.
Sang Gok-bi then pressed hard, cornering Choi Ong and Ye Dok-du.
But that was the end of it.
Jin Ga-yong and A Jeok-gang, who had killed the second, Nima Paengjo, arrived right on time.
Choi Ong, exhausted from overexerting himself, immediately dropped out of the fight and collapsed. Meanwhile, the durable Ye Dok-du, bolstered by his comrades' arrival, went berserk.
This hot-blooded man had taken plenty of beatings alongside Choi Ong and hurt like hell, nearly dying, but his surging rage overshadowed it.
'You fucking bastard, daring to beat me like this? Fine, die by my hand now.'
With that fighting spirit, Ye Dok-du smashed Sang Gok-bi's face as he staggered from A Jeok-gang's axe to the side, then swiftly grabbed his neck and snapped it clean off—a brilliant feat.
Iron Arm Ye Dok-du had taken down the seventh of the Eight Evils!
However...
Jin Ga-yong and A Jeok-gang had essentially handed him the credit.
They had thoroughly tenderized Sang Gok-bi first, then subtly shoved the kill opportunity to the money-eyed Ye Dok-du to finish it.
Why?
They liked the unyielding spirit he'd shown, so it was like, 'Here, take this and vent your pent-up anger.'
Jin Ga-yong was that way, and A Jeok-gang wasn't one to cling to bounties either.
There was a woman present too.
Her elegant attire and vibrant aura didn't suit this rundown tavern at all, yet she'd been quietly listening to Flying Tiger and the others' exchange the whole time.
Then she whispered something to Jin Ga-yong beside her and spoke to Flying Tiger.
"Flying Tiger warrior."
"Yes, Captain."
It was the Face Pursuit Squad's captain, Mountain Night Gwak Nan-hoe.
Considering her high rank and the busyness it entailed, it was an unexpected appearance. But seen another way, it showed just how massive the Face Pursuit Unit Jeong's achievement was this time.
In any case, Gwak Nan-hoe showed interest in Flying Tiger.
"I fully agree with Warrior Ye Dok-du's words. In the jianghu, deeds speak through results. And Warrior Flying Tiger produced results."
"Ah, yes..."
"So personally, I feel a bit regretful. It's a shame that such a chance to make a big name for yourself ends with just a bit of money as reward. Isn't it?"
"Hm..."
What was this about?
'When officially announcing this operation's results, leave out the fact that the Eight Evils' fifth, Black Face Deung An-gil, is dead. Or rather, treat him as nonexistent from the start.'
This was the proposal from the Martial Qin Alliance's higher-ups to the Face Pursuit Squad, and Flying Tiger and the involved parties had agreed.
Thus, the record of Flying Tiger killing him was erased. Of course, they'd promised to pay the corresponding bounty amount, but Flying Tiger lost his shot at major fame.
The 'reputation' every jianghu denizen coveted.
Why?
It was a political move to save the Pure Clarity Sect's face. If the claim that a high elder representing the entire sect had personally killed him was overturned, wouldn't they lose massive face among the Nine Great Sects and orthodox factions?
That was why.
In short, Gwak Nan-hoe's question boiled down to 'You really okay with this? Doesn't it hurt?'
It was a sort of probe.
"I've already heard a full explanation from the squad leader, and we've settled it. Wasn't it Ma Yeop who saved me when I nearly died or became crippled that day? How could I let a handful of flimsy fame blind me and bring shame to his sect? Hm..."
As Flying Tiger answered while secretly observing Gwak Nan-hoe, her expression suggested his reply fell short.
So he made a troubled face, paused, then spoke as if confessing from a guilty conscience.
"Well, they're giving me the promised money, so that's fine."
"What if, due to various circumstances, we can only give half the bounty and ask for your understanding?"
"That would be a problem."
Flying Tiger cut it off sharply. It was a declaration with no room for negotiation.
A faint smile flickered across Gwak Nan-hoe's face then vanished. Most wouldn't catch it, but Flying Tiger was certain.
Right answer.
Gwak Nan-hoe teasingly pressed again.
"Ho~ So you can yield honor, but not money?"
"Wrong. In a world where fame turns into money, if you're only after cash, you wouldn't yield fame either."
"...True. I admit it. Then?"
"Because it's the promised money. It's my rightful due. On the other hand, claiming fame for taking down Deung An-gil isn't fully my merit, and pushing for it could stir up trouble."
"Take what's yours, but no excessive greed?"
"Yes. Not crossing the line. That's my iron rule as a bounty hunter."
"Why?"
"Because trust holds when both sides keep their promises."
"...!"
Flying Tiger didn't bother secretly watching Gwak Nan-hoe anymore. He knew without looking that this was exactly what she'd wanted to hear.
Instead, he caught Jin Ga-yong's subtle gaze.
Jin Ga-yong's eyes were stark black and white, long and slit, with a flowing elegance. The so-called 'dragon eyes.' It was said owners of such eyes were clear, pure, and thorough. From what Flying Tiger had observed, Jin Ga-yong fit perfectly.
Flying Tiger nearly stared right back. He was curious about Jin Ga-yong's thoughts, even if it meant his own being read in turn.
At that tempting moment, A Jeok-gang slapped his knee and spoke up.
"Crystal clear. And a fine mindset. Warrior Flying Tiger's words carry integrity and loyalty. I heard you were badly hurt—how's your body now?"
"Thanks to everyone's concern, I'm almost fully recovered."
"Music to my ears. You worked hard."
A Jeok-gang raised his cup in praise of Flying Tiger, then downed it in one go.
Then, as if he'd finished his duty for the day, A Jeok-gang started heartily digging into the side dishes. His hands moved busily. The food was getting cold while everyone chattered away, ignoring it, so he'd been impatient.
From there, the gathered members began enjoying the drinks with food and drinks, livening up the gathering.
The seven at the table were, starting from Flying Tiger: Choi Ong, Ye Dok-du, A Jeok-gang, Ma Yeop, Jin Ga-yong, and Gwak Nan-hoe.
And each had their own large and small circumstances.