Chapter 188
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 188
Chapter Title: In the Same Boat (5)
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This fox-like bastard had clearly noticed their strength fading. Knowing that, he had stepped forward with leisure. Even in this gut-wrenching situation, capturing him and using him as a hostage could let them subdue the young punk too. It was their final chance to turn the tables by exploiting the clueless fool's bravado.
Swish! Swish!
They signaled each other to drag things out as long as possible, recovering their strength while subduing Mujin. For them, it was the worst possible situation with no other choice.
'How did this happen!'
Such a turn of events was something they had never even imagined, making it a humiliating blow for Ak Jungpil and Ak Hyosang. But there was no other way. They had to endure and endure to overcome the crisis.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Thud! Boom!
However, the backlash from the Blood Drain Technique was far worse than they had anticipated. It was entirely different from the experimental trials they had run. Their inner energy drained faster than it recovered. To make matters worse, their bodies grew languid and listless. They couldn't muster their strength properly.
In that state, Mujin's fist strikes were stronger than expected. Normally, they would have dodged, blocked, or countered without issue.
They kept getting pummeled by his wild, blind swings.
Mujin threw punches haphazardly. His expression said, just land one, as he flung them wildly.
Thud! Graaah!
Those random fists caught them, swelling their eyelids and faces black and blue with bruises.
"Die!"
Furious from the facial blows, Ak Jungpil and Ak Hyosang ground their teeth. They twisted angles for a decisive spear thrust, but it didn't reach Mujin.
Whoosh!
His footwork was solid compared to his sloppy punches.
"How about it? My footwork that's near divine, eh?"
He darted here and there, mocking Ak Jungpil and Ak Hyosang. But they couldn't just defend either. The power in Mujin's fists kept tormenting them relentlessly.
"To challenge me with such pitiful skills—truly laughable."
"Shut your damn... Guhuk!"
Ak Jungpil and Ak Hyosang took direct hits to the face, shattering their front teeth and spraying blood. Their torn lips swelled, distorting their faces beyond recognition.
"Blame your worthless skills and foolish choices."
Mujin spouted utterly clichéd lines without hesitation, the kind you see in clashes between masters and novices—the master's smug combo. Real heroes never stooped to such cheap tactics.
But cheap tactics worked well.
Their mouths hurt more than the punches. They even wished he'd just beat them quietly—a ridiculous thought.
Pow! Pow! Pow! Thud!
Like getting soaked in a drizzle, the steady blows gradually eroded their rage. Fear that they might die if this continued replaced it.
Thud!
Their jaws snapped back, guts churning empty.
Thump!
In the end, Ak Jungpil and Ak Hyosang dropped to their knees. Their bodies were battered wrecks. Even their cherished spears lay pathetically on the ground.
Clink!
Mujin picked up the fallen spear and flicked the blade with his finger.
Ting! Hummm!
The clear, sharp ring stoked chilling dread. The anxiety of facing their own weapons flashed through their minds.
The fear of death cut deeper than rage.
Fear crushed their pride.
"...What do you intend to do with us?"
"Direct heirs of the Shandong Dongak Clan wouldn't beg for mercy out of fear of death, right? Nah. What's the point of groveling pathetically for your lives? If it were me, I'd bite my tongue and end it."
That was why he praised their autonomy for not using pressure points.
Ak Jungpil and Ak Hyosang were speechless.
He invoked their clan, urging them to meet a heroic end befitting a prestigious family's bloodline. But fear of death and unfulfilled desires left lingering attachments to life.
"If harm comes to us, you and your clan won't go unscathed!"
"Did I hear that right? Direct heirs of the Shandong Dongak Clan threatening out of fear? Say yes if that's it! Or I'll sever your necks."
Even in this state, Ak Jungpil and Ak Hyosang bristled with wounded pride. He'd never encountered such a madman in his life. No one had ever come at him like this. They should act with dignity, as he said.
As he raised the spear blade to their throats, they couldn't hide their inner panic.
"...Yes! So stop here! It's your one chance to save yourself and your clan!"
"Even prestigious families prefer this life to the next, huh. Fine, I'll spare you. But admit your crimes and beg forgiveness."
With a chance at life, Ak Jungpil and Ak Hyosang regained some spirit. Even if guilty, the Dongak Clan would protect them. They planned to pressure Mujin using their family's prestige.
Slash!
Mujin crushed their pathetic hopes.
He lightly scored their chests with the spear tip. Red lines welled horizontally with blood. A bit deeper, and it would have pierced their hearts. That chill was something you couldn't know without experiencing it. Want to find out? Slice your own chest.
Shiver!
Mujin remained calm.
To Ak Jungpil and Ak Hyosang, it felt eerie. A warning he'd brook no nonsense. Pride stung, but the threat silenced them.
"Don't make me say it twice. Beg if you want to live. Otherwise, I'll assume you're over life."
Ak Jungpil and Ak Hyosang couldn't even meet his eyes, let alone stand tall. This was their last chance. Humiliation and shame made them tremble, but reality demanded they grovel to survive.
Mujin gave no time.
He spun the spear, aiming at Ak Jungpil and Ak Hyosang. The vibe said he'd pierce their faces for any bullshit.
"...We were wrong!"
"That's it? Am I your buddy?!"
Dealing with trash, Mujin was a flawless bastard. The type you never wanted to meet if on the receiving end.
"You insult us... Heuk!"
"You chose to grovel? Then act like vermin! Drop the pride. Or I'll gouge your eyes."
The spear tip halted an inch from their faces. A bit closer, and their eyeballs would burst in bloody tears. The terror of blindness forever shattered their pride in an instant.
Truth was, the first bend was the hardest; after that, it got easy.
Hypnotize yourself, after all.
"...We were wrong!"
"Specifically."
"Blinded by greed, we lost reason and committed acts unbecoming of the righteous faction!"
"Missing the before and after."
Ak Jungpil and Ak Hyosang trembled with fury but complied as politely as possible. Once past this crisis, they'd repay the humiliation tenfold—they recalled the origins of such vows. The moment they escaped this hell, they'd crush him and his entire sect.
"Release us now!"
"Not kneeling properly. Again!"
"This is...!"
"Ease up that face. Don't wanna live?"
"You're humiliating us... Heuk!"
"Die if you want."
"Damn... Graaah!"
Ak Jungpil and Ak Hyosang's ordeal dragged on. It felt like it had just begun. He nitpicked everything from one to ten, looping back to the start. At this point, they'd rather die—but the will to live worked miracles.
"Live nicely from now on."
"...!"
"No answer? Wanna start over from the top?"
"We'll live nicely! We'll never forget your mercy, even in death!"
Better to die than repeat this.
The humiliation from Mujin would scar them for life. Without repaying this debt, they couldn't rest in peace.
'I'll crush you and your sect!'
'I'll make you weep blood!'
He expected no true remorse. Their inner thoughts didn't matter.
It had gone exactly as planned.
Mujin looked at Ak Jungpil and Ak Hyosang's backs and said,
"They promised to live nicely."
"Indeed."
Why was that voice here?
Ak Jungpil and Ak Hyosang's heads snapped around. The silhouette backlighted by the sun sharpened into focus. Their faces drained white as they recognized him.
Fist King Hwangbo Gwan-hyuk.
And not just him. Behind stood local magnates, prominent sect members, and merchant guild leaders. Their sour expressions deepened with heavy sighs. It was a sight they didn't want to see.
'Aiming for the Five Great Clans, and now the Shandong Dongak too.'
'To think they'd send those guys.'
'Better if it hadn't been exposed.'
'How the hell do we clean this up.'
The Shandong Dongak Clan might pale next to the Hwangbo Clan, but it represented Shandong Province as a prestigious family. With tight government ties, its influence there was no small matter.
Still, such a display furrowed brows. They were promised in marriage. Clan gains mattered, but this was unbecoming of the righteous faction. And they begged for life anyway.
Yet no one openly scorned them. Pathetic as it was, the Dongak remained Shandong's powerhouse. No gain in breeding enmity.
On the other hand, they knew this wasn't coincidence. The Fist King wasn't one for random outings.
"Did you see? I'm this impressive. The Heavenly Fist title isn't for show."
"Impressive indeed, my in-law."
Hwangbo Gwan-hyuk shoved aside his discomfort, praising his in-law as promised.
"Your fist arts have reached a profound realm."
"As expected of you, my in-law—your discernment is unmatched. I just hadn't shown it; when I do, it's like this."
He deserved a reminder to temper self-praise. Overconfidence turned poisonous.
But for the Fist King to egg him on too?
The local leaders, warriors, and merchants wore less than pleased faces. Anyone could see the staged act to inflate his value, proving him a match for the Hwangbo Clan.
Despite the obvious ploy, they didn't reveal their thoughts. Inferior to the Hwangbo, they still had experience and savvy aplenty.
"Truly impressive."
"The Heavenly Fist suits you perfectly."
"I've known it all along."
"What greater fortune for the Hwangbo Clan?"
They held back warnings against arrogance. With the Fist King approving, lecturing would challenge the Hwangbo authority.
They went further, cheering Mujin and the Fist King. Reiterating their eternal allegiance to the Hwangbo.
The Fist King was the strongest of the Twenty-One Stars.
His presence alone carried weight. Moreover, the Dongak's excesses had gone too far. Knowing they'd backed such deeds fueled wariness. Who knew when they'd strike from behind?
Of course, they wouldn't openly antagonize the Dongak now. They praised the Heavenly Fist King the Fist King endorsed, avoiding even eye contact with Ak Jungpil and Ak Hyosang.
"See how magnanimous I am, in-law? I even spare bastards who tried to kill me."
"Magnanimous indeed, in-law."
Mujin's left eyebrow twitched faintly at Hwangbo Gwan-hyuk's rote response. A hint not to jinx the done deal.
"A warrior as magnanimous as you is a first in my long life. Makes me wonder if you're Buddha incarnate. Ha ha ha ha ha!"
"As I've said many times, your insight is unparalleled."
The prominent warriors, leaders, and merchants swallowed protests that it was overkill. They had eyes too. His son had the girl in hand, only for him to snatch her at the end.
Who was he to judge magnanimity?
And more.
They'd witnessed the full extortion and torment of Ak Jungpil and Ak Hyosang. Even they wouldn't want to live after that sleazy stunt. Cleaner to die outright; survival meant no normal life.
"...It's all lies! The Hwangbo Clan set a trap with him!"
"They deceived us! This is all a frame job!"
Ak Jungpil and Ak Hyosang's desperate screams, grinding teeth, only seemed pitiful. That display screamed anything but normal.
Perhaps that's why they unanimously agreed: don't touch Mujin.
Like avoiding shit out of fear.
But was Mujin mere shit?