Monopolizing Fortunes (15)
Monopolizing Fortunes (15)
"That bastard's got some skill."
As soon as Hwang Chan-seok spoke, the Black Dragon Society thugs who had belatedly come to their senses pulled out the weapons they had put away.
"You little shit!"
Hwang Chan-seok raised a hand and calmed his subordinates, who were ready to charge at any moment. He glanced at the three martial artists.
He had spent a fortune hiring them, so there was no need to let his own men get hurt for nothing.
Judging by the way they uncrossed their arms and pushed off from the pillars, they seemed ready to step in.
"Everyone just enjoy watching what real masters can do."
After sending his subordinates back, Hwang Chan-seok asked Do Tong-dal.
"Can we take our boys with us? They should at least keep breathing."
When Do Tong-dal nodded, three thugs came over and carried off the three fallen men.
The three martial artists in blue martial robes moved into the hall with slow steps. The sight of blood had set Do Tong-dal's senses on edge, and his tension climbed all the way to the top of his head.
Then Jang Yu-seom's calm voice reached him.
"There's no need to overestimate the opponent."
That voice loosened one of the bolts that had been locked tight inside Do Tong-dal. His nerves, wound so taut they had seemed about to snap, settled back into place.
Accurately grasping the opponent is the most important virtue on a battlefield. You must not overlook the enemy's skill, but if you rate them too highly, tension will keep you from using your own abilities.
Shing—.
The three martial artists drew their swords at the same time. The chill radiating from the blades was on a completely different level from that of the thugs.
The killing intent of the steel made the skin of those standing even two jang away turn cold.
Even so, Do Tong-dal bit back a faint smile at the corner of his mouth.
"Should I take two of them?"
"I'll take two. I have to earn my keep too."
"Yield, please."
"I said two from the start."
The gaunt middle-aged man in the center of the three martial artists asked.
"What are you lot doing?"
Do Tong-dal answered.
"Cutting you down looks like it'd be satisfying. A chance to really test my hand against opponents like you isn't common."
The three martial artists' faces filled with rage.
"Are you—are you joking around with us right now?"
"We're being pretty serious, actually?"
"You bastards, I'll tear you to pieces!"
Masters who had made names for themselves in the martial world had been disrespected by mere underworld thugs, so they had every reason to be angry.
The three martial artists rushed Do Tong-dal and Jang Yu-seom at the same time.
Their movements were clearly different from the thugs'. The distance closed in an instant, and the incoming swords gave no clear sign of where they were aimed.
Do Tong-dal stepped back half a pace and deflected the sword thrusting at his throat with his dagger.
Clang—!
He nearly lost his grip on the dagger.
Slash—.
He ducked under the sword slicing at his neck, and a clump of his hair was cut off.
This was the first life-or-death duel he had fought since beginning this life.
'Good!'
More than fear, exhilaration awakened the Jeonsalgwi of his past life.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Do Tong-dal deflected the incoming swords while backpedaling continuously. The martial artists' swords were fast and sharp, and their attacks shifted through many variations.
Come to think of it, this was his first fight against martial artists in both this life and his past life.
On the battlefield, there had only been swordwork meant solely for killing. The forms of martial arts and flashy techniques had been nothing but a luxury.
After twenty moves, he began to understand a little of what forms were: following prescribed patterns to find the optimal path for attack and defense. It was not much different from the martial arts used on the battlefield, except that battlefield martial arts were more aggressive.
He spun to avoid a sword thrusting at his stomach, and Jang Yu-seom came into view.
Jang Yu-seom had already finished his fight and was watching Do Tong-dal. This much experience was enough.
"You slippery bastard!"
He let the sword thrusting at his face slide past over his shoulder. The blade grazed his ear with less than half a chi to spare.
Do Tong-dal's dagger licked across the martial artist's shoulder, then his side, then his back. In that brief moment of contact, Do Tong-dal brought him down with three attacks.
Tap!
The tobacco Hwang Chan-seok had put in his mouth to enjoy the show at his leisure fell from his lips.
When Do Tong-dal's gaze reached him, Hwang Chan-seok flinched. This was something that would be hard to see even in a dream—and if it was a dream, it was the worst nightmare.
Those martial artists might not be first-rate masters of the martial world, but the Blood Three Swordsmen were quite famous in Zhejiang Province.
They were absolutely not people that Underworld thugs could handle. Yet two thugs who had appeared from nowhere had taken down the Blood Three Swordsmen far too easily.
Hwang Chan-seok's trembling hand pointed at Do Tong-dal and Jang Yu-seom.
"Wh-who are you people?"
"Do Tong-dal, squad leader of the Baekdong Branch."
Jang Yu-seom simply kept his mouth shut. He had made up his mind to join the Underworld, but he did not think of himself as belonging to the Red Tiger Society.
"Don't lie to me! How could Underworld trash beat the Blood Three Swordsmen! What sect are you from!"
Do Tong-dal picked at his ear with his pinky and said.
"Loud, aren't you. If we were martial artists, being that rude wouldn't be acceptable, would it?"
Hwang Chan-seok made an "Oh?" face, then put on a servile smile.
"Which sect do you hail from, honored guests?"
"Red Tiger Society."
Hwang Chan-seok stared at Do Tong-dal and asked.
"Um... are you really with the Red Tiger Society?"
Do Tong-dal called Jang Baek-dong.
"Baek-dong."
Jang Baek-dong jumped to his feet in surprise.
"Yes!"
"Who am I?"
"You are Do Tong-dal, squad leader of Squad Five of the Red Tiger Society's Baekdong Branch, sir!"
"What's with the 'sir.' You heard?"
"Why are people like you in the Underworld?"
"Because the pay's good? Well, not right now, but it'll get better later."
It made no sense. With that level of skill, they could make it anywhere in the martial world.
'So they chose practical gain over honor?'
It was a path hard to choose unless one was Underworld to the bone. If that was the case, then it was actually a good thing.
"For people like you to be mere squad leaders makes no sense, no matter how poor the Red Tiger Society Leader's eye for people is."
He had suddenly become polite.
"Our Black Dragon Society Leader welcomes talent widely, and for two people like you, not as squad leaders but..."
"No."
"Pardon?"
"No need to drag this out. Pick one of two. Fight, or surrender?"
For a thug, surrender is the last resort, chosen only when fighting is utterly impossible.
Hwang Chan-seok let out a thin sigh.
"Please show some mercy in your hands. Boys, don't draw your weapons. Let's go!"
There were more than thirty of them, but since the opponents did not use weapons, Do Tong-dal and Jang Yu-seom also sheathed their blades.
They were bare-handed, but the result did not change. The sounds of blows, the occasional crack of breaking bone, and screams filled the air.
In barely one ke, not a single Black Dragon Society thug was left standing. Hwang Chan-seok, who fell after taking Do Tong-dal's fist, was the last.
"Nngh—!"
Do Tong-dal liked that Hwang Chan-seok tried to get up even after his nose bone was broken.
In his past life, he had only heard that the man had a cruel personality, but seeing him today, he was quick to read the situation and, above all, he cared for his subordinates.
Do Tong-dal crouched down to meet Hwang Chan-seok's eyes.
"Brother Hwang, let's have a drink next time we meet."
Hwang Chan-seok, who had been staring at Do Tong-dal, let out a short laugh and lay back spread-eagled.
"The drinks are on you, Squad Leader Do."
Bang! Bang!
The sound of pounding on the door rang out loudly. Startled, Jang Baek-dong dashed over and unbarred it.
The door burst open and more than twenty Red Tiger Society thugs came rushing in.
"Huh? Wh-what the?"
Faced with a scene they had not expected, they could only stand there awkwardly.
"Mr. Jang, let's leave the cleanup to the boys and go."
The thugs who had belatedly arrived as backup parted to either side to make way for Do Tong-dal and Jang Yu-seom.
They were just about to step out the main gate of Manhwaru when Jang Baek-dong came running after them.
"Squad Leader Do!"
"Hey, when it's just the two of us, just call me by name."
Jang Baek-dong suddenly took off his upper garment. Beneath it, a leather chest guard was revealed.
"You told me to wear it today."
Jang Baek-dong showed him the back of the clothing. The torn part, where he wiggled a finger through, was a cut mark.
"I survived thanks to you."
"You survived thanks to listening to me well."
"From now on, if you say the word, I'll carry a load of firewood and jump into a fire! I mean it!"
With that, Jang Baek-dong ran back into Manhwaru.
"What was that just now?"
There was no need to tell Jang Yu-seom about something like his supposed spiritual gift.
"I told him to wear protective gear because it's dangerous. Anyway, I'm glad the fight wrapped up this well."
Do Tong-dal lit a match and set fire to his tobacco, and Jang Yu-seom said.
"If you're worried about me, I'm fine."
No matter how firmly Jang Yu-seom had resolved himself, a bloody back-alley fight would still come as a shock.
Jang Yu-seom continued as if speaking a monologue.
"After leaving the military and coming out into the world, living turned out to be more of a war. Since this is a battlefield, it's only natural that there are enemies. A soldier who can't kill the enemy is useless. And I don't want to be a useless person."
Jang Yu-seom snatched the tobacco from Do Tong-dal's mouth and said.
"You don't need to worry about me. I'm already part of the Underworld."
Jang Yu-seom drew in the smoke and swallowed it, then broke into a fit of coughing.
"Cough! Cough!"
Watching Jang Yu-seom's face flush red, Do Tong-dal laughed.
"To take down a master like Mr. Jang in one blow—tobacco really is something. Hahaha!"
* * *
By rule, only the Society Leader, the two Protectors, and the four Elders attended the monthly leadership meeting.
Yet Wang Chil was sitting in the lowest seat. It was highly unusual for a branch chief, rather than someone from headquarters, to attend a leadership meeting.
But no one objected, because of the fight that had taken place the previous night.
"This is a declaration of war by the Black Dragon Society. We absolutely cannot sit idly by."
"Of course. If we show weakness here, the Black Dragon Society will keep coming at us."
Protector Hwang and Elder Jeon took turns raising their voices until the veins stood out on their necks.
"Honestly, this fight at Manhwaru came down to luck."
At Han Dong-san's words, Society Leader Jo Chi-un asked shortly.
"Luck?"
"What would have happened if Squad Leader Do Tong-dal hadn't been there?"
No one could deny that the Red Tiger Society would have been smashed to pieces and left reeling.
The Red Tiger Society, the weakest of the four great Underworld societies of Hangzhou, was constantly targeted by the other three Underworld societies like this.
"Branch Chief Wang."
"Yes, Society Leader."
"What kind of man is this Squad Leader Do Tong-dal? I hear you cherish him like an adopted son."
Wang Chil scratched his cheek.
"He's a hard one to sum up in a word. I knew he was good at keeping the books, but I didn't know his fighting skill was that outstanding. No—I knew, but I didn't know it was to that degree."
"It hasn't even been two months since he joined, has it?"
"No."
"He's a fellow who dropped out of the sky."
"That's exactly the right way to put it."
Han Dong-san spoke.
"We need to reward him properly."
"He only did what was expected. Aren't we building him up too much?"
Hwang Seon-jung, who held the Protector position as the Red Tiger Society's greatest master, did not like Do Tong-dal drawing more attention than himself.
"That expected thing—Squad Leader Do did it, and you didn't."
"Elder Han!"
"You should keep an open mind. For someone who's a Protector, trying to step on a branch squad leader who's just now rising doesn't look good."
"Step on him? Who's stepping on anyone? I'm simply stating facts!"
"Then you're not opposed to rewarding Squad Leader Do either."
Once the conversation reached that point, Hwang Seon-jung had nothing left to say. Jo Chi-un asked Han Dong-san.
"Elder Han, have you met Do Tong-dal?"
"Yes. I've seen him once or twice, and he's a truly outstanding young man."
"If Elder Han, who is sparing with praise, speaks of him that way, there must be something to it. Handle the reward matter yourself, Elder Han."
"How far should I go?"
Jo Chi-un thought for a moment, then said.
"Enough that the others won't get jealous. If a newcomer receives too lavish a reward, it might hurt the boys' morale."
That was the reason he gave, but the truth was he hated seeing money go out. And since he didn't want to be called stingy, he shoved the responsibility onto Han Dong-san.
'That's why I quietly line my own pockets. Tsk tsk tsk...'
Jo Chi-un asked Wang Chil.
"Who was the man with Do Tong-dal? I hear he's an even greater master than Do Tong-dal."
Wang Chil did not say that Jang Yu-seom belonged to the Red Tiger Society.
"He's a warrior with a personal connection to Squad Leader Do."
"Then why did he get involved in an Underworld fight?"
"Tong-dal asked him, apparently."
"If he's willing to grant a request like that, they must be close."
"I don't know about "intimate," but they're very close."
"That's the same thing. Your ignorance never seems to shrink."
Wang Chil had heard he was ignorant more than once or twice, so he just scratched his head.
"Branch Chief Wang. There's no worry of Do Tong-dal going elsewhere, is there?"
"Of course not. I'll vouch for that boy's loyalty."
"Then Do Tong-dal is a fish already caught, so my interest turns to the fish not yet caught. That friend who came with Do Tong-dal—where does he live?"
* * *