Aura of One Against a Hundred
Woo-gang caught a brief nap, then circulated his qi to sweep away his fatigue.
After devoting more than half a shichen to meditation, he rose with a refreshed face, tidied up the campfire that had burned down to mere ashes, and set off.
The post-meditation clarity didn't last long.
Before long, Woo-gang's expression darkened once more.
His mind was that tangled.
First, I need to learn about Master's sect...
If Yeom Si-woo's disappearance was tied to his sect, the priority was uncovering what he could about it.
But with Si-woo—the only one who could answer—gone, Woo-gang struggled to find a path forward.
"Grandfather said he was an extraordinary man... so his sect must be famous too, right?"
It was a simple hunch.
Knowing the name alone might open some doors.
Woo-gang decided to give it a shot.
It was the only move he could make right now.
With purpose in his step, strength returned to his stride.
"Everyone knows the Flame King, but no one knows his sect..."
"His sect? No idea. Probably no one does."
"Nothing's known about the Flame King's sect. The man himself is legendary, but everything else about him is tightly guarded."
Woo-gang asked every armed traveler he met about Si-woo's sect.
He figured murim folk would have heard something, even if villagers hadn't.
But the answers all fell short of his hopes.
"Haa..."
With a soft sigh, Woo-gang steeled himself and pressed on.
He'd ask elsewhere.
His head full of sect thoughts, he headed out of the village—only for someone to block his path.
A rough-looking man thrust his face close.
"This the guy? Kinda looks like... Hey! Get the sketch!"
Someone nearby handed over a sheet of paper.
It bore a drawn portrait.
The man scowled, comparing it to Woo-gang's face.
"They draw this crap and expect us not to mix people up. Spear matches, though."
"Who are you lot?"
Woo-gang frowned as he asked.
"You wipe out those bandits recently? The ones about a day's walk from here."
"Beats me. No idea what you're talking about."
The man's face twisted further at the vague reply.
Hard to tell yes from no.
"Hah... Answer straight! This is serious! You do it or not?!"
The Daewoongbang thug barked.
Woo-gang just smirked.
"I said I don't know."
"Hah..."
The thug sighed deeply and waved him off dismissively.
Woo-gang walked past nonchalantly, then paused.
"Oh, by the way—know anything about the Flame King's sect?"
"Flame King my ass—I'm about to explode! Scram!"
"Do you know?"
Ignoring the order, Woo-gang pressed.
The thug glared murderously.
"No, so fuck off. Before I kill you."
Woo-gang sighed softly and moved on.
No clear answer there.
As he walked away, another thug sidled up and whispered.
"Why not half-kill the punk now, drag him back? He's got the spear. Bash his face and mug, the gang lord'll buy it."
The lead thug's eyes lit up.
Solid plan.
Returning empty-handed meant a beating—or worse, given the boss's temper. Death, even.
Spear users were rare as hen's teeth these days. They'd lucked into one; time to cash in for survival.
"Hey! Asking about the Flame King's sect?"
The thug called out, halting Woo-gang.
He turned.
"You know?"
"Come closer, I'll tell ya."
Woo-gang sighed again and approached.
"What'll you give us for the Flame King's sect info?"
"Give you?"
"Obviously. You want something, you pay the price. That's how the world works."
Woo-gang scowled.
"What do you want?"
The thug signaled with his eyes.
His crew slowly encircled Woo-gang.
"Stand in for the guy we're hunting. Come with us nice-like."
"Hoo..."
Woo-gang sighed once more.
When they'd asked about the bandits, he'd pegged them as accomplices.
He'd played dumb because finding Si-woo came first.
No more delays.
Yet here he was, tangled up again.
"Doesn't look like a good place you're taking me."
Woo-gang scanned the Daewoongbang thugs.
They drew weapons, aiming at him.
"If you can take me, try."
Woo-gang's eyes and aura shifted sharply.
The thugs tensed, gripping tighter.
Clang!
"Gah!"
It happened in a flash.
Woo-gang had held his spear casually, unprepared to swing.
Yet he'd sent one thug's weapon flying far off.
The disarmed man reeled, arm throbbing with pain.
"Rush him! Take him to the gang lord, whatever it takes!"
Woo-gang's move was unnatural, but numbers would win, they thought.
They learned otherwise quickly.
He slipped through the encroaching weapons like a ghost, breaking the encirclement.
The thugs froze.
No one had tracked his movement.
Forgetting that, weaving casually through a tight net of over ten weapons was staggering.
But they weren't mere bandits.
Whether they belonged to the Black Dao gang or not, they were clearly practitioners of martial arts.
Individually outmatched, united? Unknown.
Better to die fighting than face the boss empty-handed.
Woo-gang sensed their difference from the bandits in their eyes and aura.
Clear of the ring, he regripped his spear for a proper swing.
The disarmed thug, pain eased, snatched up his weapon.
They charged as one.
Unlike the bandits' chaos, their coordination was decent.
Superior in speed and power, Woo-gang got serious.
Swish!
His foot softly scraped the ground.
Wind-Chasing Nine Illusions Step unfolded.
The thugs targeting him faced a flurry of afterimages, thrown into confusion.
Slash! Slash!
Meanwhile, Woo-gang's spear danced.
Its sharp blade sliced thugs mercilessly; the blunt end shattered joints.
Facing vicious foes, he struck without hesitation—decisively.
Whoosh!
A gritted-teeth sword swing cleaved empty air where Woo-gang had been.
Instead, he appeared where least wanted, thrusting.
Puke!
The spear tip burst from back to front, then vanished.
The thug glimpsed the hole in his torso before collapsing—his last memory.
Whoosh!
Woo-gang withdrew and swung again.
The horizontal arc halted sharply.
"H-heek!"
Halting his attack saved him; the spear stopped at his nose. He recoiled in terror.
"Tell them this: I could come wipe you out myself, but urgent business ends it here. Don't bother me again. Show up, and no mercy."
Woo-gang's tone was ice.
Gazing at slain comrades, the thug could only nod.
Woo-gang sheathed his spear, flicked off blood, and walked away.
Excluding the two or three dead, the rest bore grave wounds, unable to move alone.
The lone survivor trembled, then fled.
Woo-gang listened to the fading footsteps as he departed.
Sunset brought Woo-gang to a village.
Larger than the last, it bustled despite the dark.
At an inn, he entered cautiously.
Moderately crowded inside.
"Welcome! Staying the night?"
"Y-yeah."
"Right this way. Plenty of rooms."
Following the owner upstairs, Woo-gang remembered to request washing water first.
He unpacked simply, lay on the bed, and soon heard it was ready.
After a relaxing soak, he descended refreshed.
While he'd bathed, the first floor had emptied.
He ordered food, ate—then set down his chopsticks midway.
The owner approached warily.
"Food not to your taste?"
"No, it's fine. One favor?"
"What..."
"Got paper and brush? Bring some."
"Ah, sure."
Puzzled by the mid-meal request, the owner fetched them.
Woo-gang scribbled quickly and handed it over.
"People outside looking for me. Give this to them."
"Pardon? Oh, got it."
Utterly confused, the owner took the paper and went out.
"Eek!"
He jolted.
Dozens of Daewoongbang thugs swarmed.
Too shocked to breathe properly, he finally handed the paper to the frontman, hands shaking.
"What's this?!"
"The guest inside said to pass it..."
The thug snatched and unfolded it.
"'I'll come out soon, so don't make a fuss. Wait quietly...'?"
He crumpled and tossed it, storming toward the inn.
The owner fretted over potential damage to his business.
The moment the thug entered—
Thwack!
"Gurk!"
Crash! Clatter!
He flew back screaming, tumbling ignobly.
As eyes turned—
Swish!
Woo-gang parted the beaded curtain at the entrance, emerging slowly.
The thugs drew weapons en masse.
Spear in hand, Woo-gang eyed them coolly.
Far more than before, their aura thick with menace.
Whoosh!
He spun the spear lightly, holding it at an angle.
Then, an overwhelming presence erupted from him.
Aura of one against a hundred.
Though their skills paled and numbers fell short of a hundred, Woo-gang's aura was no exaggeration.
It alone dominated the dozens.
His gaze shifted.
There stood the thug he'd spared at dawn, averting his eyes.
The only one among them who knew: no matter the numbers, they couldn't take Woo-gang.
Returning meant a thrashing from the boss; no one would listen.
Couldn't flee alone, so he'd come reluctantly.
"I told you. Show up again, no mercy."
"Bullshit! You're the one dying here!"
The leader bellowed boldly.
Woo-gang's aura awed, but numbers bolstered him.
Woo-gang ignored it.
"I promised. I'll keep it."
"Charge!"
As his words ended, dozens of Daewoongbang thugs surged at him.