Chapter 195
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 195
Chapter Title: Awakening (1)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Mujin moved quickly because he missed his wife.
He had brought a carriage and wagon saved from the Continental Battlefield. The wagon was spacious enough. The luggage wasn't much—just cherished household items, books, and a few keepsakes.
His elderly mother with limited mobility, Yong Mugil's wife, and the children rode in the carriage. It was Mujin's consideration to make the journey comfortable.
As they left the village entrance, Yong Mugil's gaze turned wistful. Despite the unfortunate events, including bad incidents, they were leaving the home passed down through generations. He felt a deep regret for failing to honor his father's dying wish.
"Once you step into the martial world, it's hard to come back."
"I know."
"Knowing and experiencing are different. If you think martial artists are just common thugs, you'd be gravely mistaken."
"I'll discard prejudices and observe with fresh eyes."
"No need to see them differently. Some of it is true. Watch closely from now on."
"Pardon?"
Yong Mugil tilted his head at Mujin's meaningful smile. He felt a chill, ominous aura for a moment.
"People, once looked down upon, seem like endless pushovers."
The bait he'd tossed yesterday had multiplied on its own among them. These types were usually cautious, but their haste likely meant they skimped on checks.
If they wanted to survive, retreating now was wise. No need to agonize—avoiding uncertainty was best.
The problem was greed.
The prey looked too tempting to let go. When it came to money, these scumbags didn't care about consequences. Their response was predictable.
"In the martial world, you can't give them an inch. It'll always come back as poison."
"Not just the martial world. The imperial court is no different from the marketplace."
"How would you know without experiencing it?"
"Not everything requires personal experience."
"But hearing and living it are worlds apart."
To mark their entry into the martial world, he needed to show them how it worked.
So he'd thrown plenty of bait to these vermin. As the saying goes, the belly exceeds the bowl—overreach, and they forget their place.
By the time they reached a deserted path outside the village,
Mujin halted the carriage and wagon, then walked ahead alone. As if on cue, men surrounded the area. Some were the ones he'd seen yesterday mixed in the group.
The leader of the Akgeum Gang, Jang Bong-su, stepped forward.
As his name suggested, he was the older brother of Jang Bong-pal, the enforcer. The Akgeum Gang mainly ran usury in the village, draining people's blood dry. Once local thugs, they'd grown into a faction of over two hundred now.
"No farewell? Where are you rushing off to without a word?"
"Cut the nonsense. I already paid up."
"What are you talking about? You can't just leave without paying."
"Will ten more taels do it?"
Mujin pulled out money and tossed it to him. It was obvious extortion, yet he paid willingly.
'Shut up and take it.'
'That's your way out!'
Namgoong Yeon-hwa and Yuk-chil knew they were pulling a shakedown but hoped they'd take the money and scram. But would these thugs back off after coming this far?
"Have a drink with the extras."
He was laying out circumstantial evidence: he'd done enough to justify killing them.
After all this effort, it's fine to slaughter them, right?
"Can I go now?"
Mujin asked, knowing the answer.
"Didn't you hear? Pay up."
"I just did."
"No memory of it. What now? Boys, did we get any money?"
Everyone denied it at Jang Bong-su's question, exuding murderous intent. Their intentions were clear by now. Whether paid or not didn't matter. Since Mujin had yielded easily, their greed only grew.
'Bong-pal caught a real mark.'
Men called wanderers were stubborn, rarely compromising. If they did, they were likely third-rate martial artists who boasted without skill. A bit hasty, so he'd tested with bait—and it worked perfectly.
"No need for Great Hero to step in."
"Do as you like, but no discounts."
Jang Bong-su had hired top ronin Gui-do Salgaek Jeong Cheol-gi as backup. Among ronin, he was notorious for cruelty, taking any paying job without qualms. He called on Jeong as a last shield when needed.
"Capture the woman, kill the rest."
"Yes, Boss!"
At Jang Bong-su's order, fifty men charged Mujin. Watching from behind, Yong Mugil trembled at the brutality. These men would kill over money without a second thought.
'These bastards, aren't they afraid of heaven?'
Having sworn loyalty, he didn't want deaths on his account. Yong Mugil had to stop their evil—even if it meant his own gruesome end.
"It's fine. Just watch."
"There are too many!"
"Numbers don't matter in the martial world."
"Even so!"
Steeling himself, Yong Mugil couldn't move. Absurdly, his lord's son gripped his shoulder, rooting him in place.
How? As doubt rose, an unbelievable scene unfolded before his eyes.
Thud, crunch!
The thugs charged with daggers and crude weapons. Mujin merely extended his fist lightly toward them.
That was it—ten attackers met pathetic ends, their heads smashed.
Tap, tap!
Not even hard swings. He clenched lightly, then jabbed like dotting an i. Corpses piled up unfailingly. Rolling thugs lost heads, formless messes.
Tremble!
Triumphant encirclement turned to terror in their eyes. Too late to realize their mistake. Mujin spared no runners—black threads shot from his hand at the first sign, slicing necks.
Slash, slash!
Clearly hidden weapons, yet invisible. Sharp lines cleaved space. Those on diagonals split vertical, horizontal, or angled.
Clang, clang!
Such clean human dismemberment was alien to them. Human bodies don't sever so neatly.
Gasp!
In that temporal disconnect, Mujin stood before Jang Bong-pal, whom he'd seen yesterday. While underlings fell, he'd barely breathed.
Smirk!
Mujin's smile chilled Jang Bong-pal to the bone. A far cry from yesterday; he despaired. He'd thought an easy rich mark.
Only now did he realize he'd touched death.
Third-rate wanderer? Far from it. He slaughtered soullessly, like an emotionless doll. Corpses multiplied amid the fray.
Resistance? Futile.
Beyond third-rate thugs' grasp. Yesterday's mercy was just laziness to squash ants.
"...Spare me!"
"You know."
"...Damn you, die... Ack!"
"Don't let your guard down."
Jang Bong-pal, hurling a hidden dagger in desperation, had his head explode like a sandcastle.
Should've used it before your boys died.
Swish!
As Jang Bong-pal fell,
Fearsomely swift draw. Worlds apart from thugs' blades. A trained martial artist's sword.
Gui-do Salgaek Jeong Cheol-gi unleashed Gui-sal-in from Gui-hyo Do-beop. Sensing Mujin's unnatural speed, he'd waited for an opening.
Shing!
Jeong's ambush was swift, concise, battle-honed. He never missed gaps—top ronin for a reason. He'd slain countless stronger foes.
So this should be no different.
"...Nothing."
Twang!
No feel of blade parting flesh and bone. Icy thrill pierced his lungs; Jeong sensed death.
But he couldn't die like this.
"Kill me, and Black Dragon...!"
Too late since that twang. Sharp blood threads had long passed. Turning, Jeong gazed at his diagonally slashed body separating. He hadn't known till then.
"You dog...!"
Remaining riffraff fled in panic, but Mujin let none escape. All fell to blood threads.
Few tools beat blood threads for slaughter. Once mastered, endlessly versatile.
Um-sal's fine gift. Fused with Mythic Horse Spirit Armor, blood threads were far handier.
Shudder!
Left alone, Jang Bong-su despaired at death's return.
Unbelievable carnage. Testing per his brother's words, he'd thought a fat fool hooked. But this amateur wanderer-pretender was a yaksha from hell.
Stagger, stagger!
Through corpse chunks, he strolled leisurely.
Jang wanted to flee, but legs failed. Fighting or running—impossible. Amateur escape meant bisection.
"Great Hero, please spare me!"
"Yeah, too late."
In the slaughterfield, Mujin seemed relaxed—eerie to friends and foes alike.
"A hundred taels! Please!"
"Think money fixes everything?"
"I'll give everything! Just my life!"
"I don't compromise for cash."
Sounds hollow to Namgoong Yeon-hwa and Yuk-chil. A non-compromiser extorting crates everywhere? Huangbo and Guo hauls alone could sustain generations luxuriously.
Crunch!
Cornered rat bites cat—even usurers honed decades in shadows don't yield easily.
"Do this, Black Dragon Fortress won't let you live!"
"Black paths always invoke Black Dragon Fortress at death's door."
"...Stay back! Kill me, officials will hunt you!"
"Don't worry about me."
Mujin's will dominated space. Flesh piles levitated, igniting instantly. Terrifying flames swept, leaving ash to wind.
"Better now?"
Chatter!
Jang Bong-su's jaw dropped. Beyond imagination. Crushing pressure transcended human limits. Void grasp and true fire? Awe-inspiring.
Though versed in third-rate arts, he knew such realms: inhuman transcendents, absolutes, outlaws.
Shinju Twenty-One Strong.
He'd touched such a monster.
"Spa... Gack!"
Fleeing Jang was snatched by Mujin's grip. Natural—void-lifted masses burned; one man sucked in instantly.
Squeeze!
Not perfect fit, but forced. Jang flailed pointlessly, neck crushed.
"Look in my eyes."
Sensing oddity, Jang shut eyes. Mujin pried lids with thumb and finger. Lazily sliced twigs to prettily adorn Jang's eyes.
Flash!
Soul-Piercing Demonic Eye activated.
Prey tossed, bored Demon King stirred. Developing Soul-Piercing Demonic Eye's realm. Thought plateaued, but new domains beckoned. Testing needed fodder.
Shudder!
Hiding info futile; Jang spilled all, from unknown childhood to now.
Fizzle!
At limit, mind and body crumbled. Drained, Jang mummified, then powdered to scatter.