Chapter 168
Chapter 168: Bukgung Ri (1)
The eastern and western official roads.
Dong Bong-soo simply quietly examined both sides alternately.
Massive ten-story pavilions towered on both the eastern and western official roads, each rising far higher than the government office in the center. Around them, flags of large and small subordinate sects and societies fluttered.
"The government office here doesn't care about public order or anything. As long as there's no war with Northern Yan, that's enough."
It was certainly as she said.
Even now, disputes among martial artists were breaking out throughout the streets.
"Die!"
"Kill!"
Dozens on the 'die' side, dozens on the opposite 'kill' side.
All together, hundreds of shouts mixed together, making the streets ring noisily. The sounds of combat were natural, and even weapons were running wild.
Nevertheless, merchants calmly conducted business, courtesans casually solicited customers, and officials laughed and chatted while drinking in inns.
No matter how vicious the bloodshed, no matter how many corpses rolled around, the government army didn't intervene.
Instead, before long, warriors from the Seven Star Immortal Assembly and Iron God Society appeared and 'cleaned up' the corpses and wounded on the eastern and western official roads respectively.
"Still, there is one rule."
Jeon Ra-hwa pointed toward the walls they had passed earlier.
"When mobilized for border defense, you must respond. Martial artists, merchants, even servants or slaves. That's the price of living in Gangdo."
On top of the walls, government soldiers and martial artists patrolled together.
Though they usually growled at each other, when the Northern Yan army invaded, they became one to fight—that was this city's long tradition.
"The government gets military power, the martial world gets freedom."
At Dong Bong-soo's summary, Jeon Ra-hwa nodded.
"That's why Gangdo is also called 'Paradise of Outlaws.' As long as you don't collude with Northern Yan, that is."
A bell rang in the distance.
Not the bell announcing noon, but something different—a low, heavy sound.
"That's...... a kind of Northern Yan army appearance alert."
In an instant, the atmosphere of the streets changed completely.
The martial artists who had been fighting just moments ago simultaneously put away their weapons and turned north.
At the same time, merchants quickly began organizing their goods, and courtesans withdrew their smiles and efficiently gathered their belongings.
"There are small-scale battles about seven or eight times a year. Each time, a total mobilization order like that is issued."
It truly befitted a border city.
A place where blood and freedom coexisted.
Where the government's incompetence and neglect, and the martial world's tyranny were justified under the pretext of war.
Dong Bong-soo already liked this city.
Because the 'rules' were simple and clear.
Where else would it be so easy to be heroic?
But one question also arose.
"Small-scale battles?"
"Yes, small-scale battles break out from time to time like now. Very occasionally large-scale wars happen too, but those rarely occur. Once every few decades? Anyway, hearing the bell, it seems a very small force has invaded now."
Dong Bong-soo walked back toward the gate they had passed through earlier and said.
"That's considered small-scale here?"
The gate officials, recognizing Dong Bong-soo and Jeon Ra-hwa as martial artists, casually cleared the way for them. They were saying something or other, but it wasn't particularly important in the current situation.
Naturally, the view opened all the way to the distant plains outside the gate.
He had already sensed their energy, but now he could confirm it directly with his eyes.
The meaning of 'small-scale' in this world.
Hundreds of flags with the words Northern Yan written in black characters.
And military strength dozens of times greater than that.
Jeon Ra-hwa raised her hand above her eyebrows to make a hand telescope and said.
"Today only a tiny bit invaded?"
"Looks like thousands to me?"
"Yes. Sooooo few came."
"......"
"Usually it's at least tens of thousands."
Tens of thousands.
It was a large number without much thought needed.
That much was quite substantial 'experience points.'
The 'What is Hero' system was important, but he also needed to steadily strengthen the existing 'Murim Online' system. Of course, if they were ordinary soldiers they'd be weak so it might not be much, but still, many a little makes a mickle.
"Coming here was definitely the right choice."
When Dong Bong-soo, having already familiarized himself with this place's rules, tried to step forward, Jeon Ra-hwa tapped his back and said.
"Don't go out."
"Why? You said martial artists are mobilized at times like this?"
"Ordinary martial artists can't participate in small battles like this."
"What do you mean?"
"Those guys are clearly all soldiers composed of ordinary people."
"So?"
"They're already contracted prey for the government."
In this respect, it was quite convenient.
Originally, Dong Bong-soo would never have had such conversations, wouldn't have asked questions, and would have figured everything out himself, but now wearing the mask of Kim Rae-won, he could comfortably gather information without much worry or consideration.
"What prey?"
"The Assembly Leader and Society Leader take turns eating them."
Jeon Ra-hwa looked at the Northern Yan army, still distant but soon approaching, and added an explanation quietly.
"Both the Seven Star Immortal Assembly Leader and Iron God Society Leader are monsters on the verge of Core Formation."
Core Formation?
"I don't know whose turn it is today though."
***
The low, heavy bell continued to ring.
The signal announcing the Northern Yan army's appearance.
Seven Star Immortal Assembly headquarters, top floor, the Assembly Leader's bedroom.
"Ah, fuck."
A young man with long, glossy white hair spat out a vulgar curse and rose from the bed.
Bukgung Ri.
Perhaps the one with the greatest power and martial force in Gangdo—precisely the Seven Star Immortal Assembly Leader.
As he stood, the silk bedding slid down. Beneath it, three women lay sprawled naked. It was impossible to tell whether they were unconscious or dead.
"My turn again? Fucking annoying."
He dressed while looking out the window.
In the distance, the Northern Yan army swarming like ants could be faintly seen.
"It'd be perfect to just fuck all day. Having to go deal with Northern Yan dickheads instead of pussies."
Outside the door, the Chief Steward cautiously poked his head in.
"Assembly Leader, the Northern Yan army......"
"I know, you bastard."
Bukgung Ri glanced at the Chief Steward's face.
The Chief Steward instinctively twitched and convulsed as if trembling like an aspen.
"By the way, Chief Steward."
"Y-yes?"
"Why have you been bringing only tasteless bitches lately?"
The Chief Steward's face went pale. One of the women on the bed twitched slightly. She was still alive.
"Th-that's...... the supply of women who've learned martial arts has run dry......"
"Run dry?"
Bukgung Ri snorted.
"Then go kidnap the Iron God Society Leader's daughter or something."
"......A-Assembly Leader. That's too......"
"Too what?"
Bukgung Ri approached the Chief Steward. The Chief Steward stepped back by the same amount.
"When can I form my Core if I only eat trash like this? Fuck."
Core Formation, or Golden Core.
The stage of forming an Internal Core and the first step to becoming a true Cultivation Seeker.
The bridgehead to the 'human above human' stage that only one of his ancestors had reached—not just some martial artist.
It was a realm difficult to reach even dedicating one's entire life to ordinary martial arts training.
However, Bukgung Ri's family, the Seven Star Immortal Assembly, knew another method and had been faithfully following that path for several generations.
Fundamentally, absorbing women's Primordial Yin.
Additionally, though far less efficient, inhaling ordinary men's Yang Energy.
Therefore, the most effective method was directly sucking out the Primordial Essence of women who had learned martial arts through Bedroom Arts.
"No women who've learned martial arts?"
"I-I'm sorry."
"Then at least find someone with an unusual constitution. Special Eight Meridians, or strong Yin Energy."
Bukgung Ri turned to look at the bed and clicked his tongue.
"Ordinary things like those are meaningless. Just fucking around, that's all."
One woman breathed roughly. Still unconscious, but strange patterns were carved on her body. Red marks resembling the Big Dipper.
"If you bring only bitches like those next time—"
Bukgung Ri stared at the Chief Steward's lower body.
"—I'll tear off your lower parts and open up your asshole."
"Eeeeeek!"
The Chief Steward squeezed his legs together. Bukgung Ri's threat wasn't a joke. Actually, the previous Chief Steward had......
"Anyway, I'll go and come back. Just clean up properly."
Bukgung Ri headed toward the window. Though it was a height of dozens of meters, it meant nothing to him.
"Oh, and."
Just before jumping down, he turned back and said,
"If any of those bitches are still breathing, send them to a physician and keep them alive."
"Y-yes?"
"Idiot, even shells like those are a waste if they die."
"......"
"Sell them as slaves."
At those words, the Chief Steward nodded.
What he meant by 'waste' was of course not the women's lives, but their value as 'money.'
Bukgung Ri threw himself out the window.
Only after he disappeared did the Chief Steward breathe a sigh of relief.
Only then did he examine the women on the bed. Two of the three were still alive.
'The Assembly Leader is getting worse and worse.'
Before, it was one or two per month, but lately he demanded new women every day.
Was it impatience to form his Core, or was there another reason......
The Chief Steward didn't know, and didn't want to know.
Survival was his only goal.
***
Outside the walls, the desolate plain.
Over ten thousand Northern Yan soldiers surged like a black tide. Drum sounds shook the earth, and dust clouds created by their footsteps covered the sky.
Having climbed the wall together with Dong Bong-soo, Jeon Ra-hwa said.
"Now it begins."
Just then.
[Crackle, the activation conditions for Spirit Eyes...... cr-crackle...... have been met, and Spirit Eyes will automatically...... crackle, activate...... crackle......]
A man was seen leaping over the wall as if flying. It was a graceful Movement Technique like a butterfly.
And.
Since falling into this world, this was his first encounter as a human with someone more than 10 levels higher than Dong Bong-soo himself.
[......An enemy with a level difference of 10 or more from you...... cr-cr-crackle...... has approached within 20 meters...... crackle...... 19, 18, 17, 1, 20.]
"Is that him?"
"Yes. This time it's the Seven Star Immortal Assembly's turn."
The 'Murim Online' alert jumped from 17 meters to 1 meter at once, then shot back to 20 and turned off. That was how fast that person's Movement Technique was.
Thud.
Landing lightly outside the gate, he yawned once and slowly advanced toward the Northern Yan army.
Seven Star Immortal Assembly Leader Bukgung Ri.
A slender build in his mid-twenties. At a glance, he looked like a scholar, but his gait held a strange intimidation.
"These fly bastards came again without doing any training."
He muttered as he walked. It looked like an ordinary stroll, but with each step, a faint light rose from under his feet and disappeared. Seven points of light were being carved on the ground in the shape of the Big Dipper.
At that, the Northern Yan army's vanguard commander rode his horse forward.
"You filthy Great Viet bastards! This time for sure we'll......"
Before the words could finish, Bukgung Ri lightly raised his right hand.
The first star, Heavenly Hammer, glowed blue beneath his feet. Simultaneously, transparent Sword Energy extended from his fingertips.
No, calling it Sword Energy seemed somehow wrong.
Ordinary Sword Energy extends in straight lines, but this curved and split in the air as if alive. It penetrated the vanguard commander and the hundred soldiers around him in an instant.
Thump. Thump-thump.
With faint sounds, small holes opened in their foreheads. And through those holes, something sparkling was sucked out. It was a blue light that might have been souls or vital energy.
Bukgung Ri pulled them toward him with his left hand. As the blue lights were absorbed into his palm, his pupils briefly glowed blue.
"Disgustingly tasteless. Even if they're barbarian slaves captured from the west, this is fucking shit."
Thud. Thud-thud.
The corpses collapsed. They looked fine on the outside, but their Dantians were already empty.