Inferno of the Rotten Seeds
Woo-gang strode forward with a face brimming with fury.
Directly ahead lay a dilapidated manor, its entrance guarded by a tightly formed line of men clutching their weapons.
They had closed ranks and lowered their stances in preparation—clearly, they'd put some thought into their defense.
But such preparations were futile against Woo-gang.
Especially now, with his heart ablaze in rage.
Gripping his spear, he closed in with swift steps that soon erupted into a sprint.
Thud—whoosh!
In an instant, he kicked off the ground lightly and shot forward like an arrow from a bow.
The guards flinched at his movement, far swifter than they'd anticipated.
Yet they didn't drop their weapons.
Boom!
Woo-gang swept his spear horizontally with devastating force.
The weapons blocking his path flew apart in all directions, as if caught in a massive explosion.
And it wasn't just the weapons.
The men holding them staggered back, overwhelmed by his power, some tumbling to the ground.
They'd thought their defensive line solid, but a single swing of Woo-gang's spear shattered their formation completely.
Still, his position wasn't ideal.
Even against weaker foes, dozens clustered within arm's reach—too close, even without fully extending.
"Stab him!"
A shout rang out.
Dozens of blades thrust toward Woo-gang in unison.
Clang-clang-clang!
The noise was deafening.
But not the sound they'd expected.
No fleshy pierce—instead, the chaotic clash of metal on metal.
Shock spread across the attackers' faces.
Woo-gang, who had been right there moments ago, had vanished in the blink of an eye.
Pfshk!
Gurk!
A sharp spear tip burst through one man's chest from behind.
Woo-gang had broken through the encirclement and struck from the rear.
The impaled man crumpled slowly.
As he fell, Woo-gang seemed to rise from the earth like a sudden apparition.
His eyes gleamed with a cold, predatory sharpness that could belong to a beast.
He hadn't shown such a gaze even against the bandits before—or Hwang Dae-ung of Daewoongbang.
This was how deeply enraged he was.
What had ignited Woo-gang's fury to this extent?
And who were these men?
The reason lay in the events of the previous evening.
Even as the sun dipped below the horizon, Woo-gang hadn't found a village with an inn.
Resigned to camping outdoors, he spotted a small hamlet ahead.
Not a bustling traveler's stop, but a quiet cluster of a few families, much like the abusive village of his childhood.
He hesitated upon noticing the lights, then paused.
Woo-gang wasn't the type to boldly—or even cautiously—ask for a night's shelter.
Moreover, such villages stirred painful memories, making him reluctant.
As he turned to leave, a villager who had stepped outside caught sight of him. Woo-gang froze, flustered.
He could have slipped away easily, but his feet wouldn't move.
He was that thrown off balance.
"A traveler, eh? Looking for a place to stay? The nearest village is a half-day's walk from here. You'd arrive at dawn. Spend the night at my home instead—it's small, but you'll sleep fine."
Though Woo-gang carried a spear, the villager saw not a fierce warrior, but a shy young man.
He led Woo-gang inside with a welcoming hand and treated him kindly.
This was the first such warmth from a stranger, excluding Yeom Si-woo and the apothecary owner.
A strange emotion stirred in Woo-gang—unfamiliar, yet not unwelcome.
He passed the night peacefully and slipped out early the next morning.
As the villager had said, the next settlement was far indeed.
Even at Woo-gang's brisk pace, it took over an hour—unimaginable for the villagers.
The new village was larger, with thriving commerce.
As he wandered, Woo-gang suddenly felt he should repay the villager's family somehow.
He couldn't say why the thought struck him.
Perhaps it was the warmth from the night before.
He bought some fresh foods they could eat right away.
Unsure what else to offer, food was all that came to mind after much deliberation.
An hour on foot meant nothing with his lightness skill—the food wouldn't spoil.
Elated, Woo-gang raced back.
Was it eagerness to deliver it quickly?
No.
His face was set hard, tinged with urgency.
The approaching village looked amiss.
Outwardly unchanged, yet shrouded in a sinister pall.
"You bastards! We know nothing! Why do this to innocent folk? No, we can't—absolutely not!"
The villager's anguished cry pierced Woo-gang's ears.
He dropped the food and accelerated.
Blurring into speed, he saw the villager clearly: face swollen from beatings, body battered.
Not just him—the whole village was in ruins.
One intruder reared back for another punch.
Whoosh!
Woo-gang hurled his spear.
"Aaaargh!"
It shattered the man's fist mid-swing.
Hand severed, he collapsed screaming.
Woo-gang appeared abruptly, shielding the villager, radiating lethal intent.
"Who are you?"
"That's him! Everyone, rush and grab him!"
A man peering at a paper shouted as Woo-gang spoke.
Only then did Woo-gang realize they were connected to Daewoongbang.
"What happened... No!"
A Black Dao warrior stumbled out of a villager’s house, his pants half-pulled up and his shirt left undone.
Woo-gang's eyes widened in horror.
The villager's face went slack, tears flowing.
No need to look inside—Woo-gang knew what had transpired.
Blood surged hot in his veins.
Rage he'd never felt, even from childhood abuse, exploded now.
"Don't think you'll leave here alive."
His voice was calm.
But the seething fury beneath was palpable.
"Block his spear! Everyone else, charge!"
The man holding Woo-gang's weapon barked. Georyongbang warriors—lackeys of Chilseongbang—surged forward.
Flames of wrath burned in Woo-gang's eyes.
In the end, the Georyongbang raiders couldn't lay a finger on Woo-gang.
Guilt washed over him for the villagers' suffering—struck by lightning from a clear sky because of him.
Rage toward Georyongbang boiled within.
Thus, he came straight to their lair.
As the sun sank westward, turmoil engulfed Georyongbang at the market's heart.
The guards at the gate fell without a chance to react.
Schlup!
Woo-gang yanked his spear from a fallen body, face icy as he approached the firmly shut main gate.
Creeeak!
A light push, and it swung open with a groan.
Beyond, dozens—no, far more—warriors awaited, weapons drawn.
Woo-gang didn't know, but alongside Georyongbang were fighters from other gangs under Pyo Ha-rim's orders.
Yet Min Gyo-ui and his Baekdobang subordinates were nowhere in sight.
Stepping inside, Woo-gang stared them down and reached back to close the gate.
Thud!
No one—neither he nor they—would leave alive.
"I was going to let you be if you stayed out of my sight. But I've changed my mind. You who appeared before me—and every rotten one like you—I'll dry up your seeds for good."
He spat the vow like a solemn oath.
The kidnapped by bandits hadn't witnessed it, only the aftermath.
Daewoongbang targeted only him, sparing others.
Not this time.
Innocents suffered to catch him—and he'd seen it with his own eyes.
This realization dawned: Sweeping the bandits was just the start. He hadn't finished it properly.
Without closure, the innocent paid.
Now, he'd end it right.
Even if it meant waging war against all of Black Dao.
Whoosh!
Woo-gang unleashed his full power.
Letting emotion fuel his surging energy without restraint.
A colossal aura erupted—something utterly unfathomable to these Black Dao warriors.
Like facing a world-engulfing inferno demon.
Tremors rippled through the gathered men.
Instinctual fear.
Step.
Woo-gang advanced.
They edged back, then parted left and right.
As if repelled by an invisible qi barrier.
Soon, he stood at their center.
Resolved, he'd do it thoroughly.
No dragging it out—no mercy.
More foes awaited beyond these.
From now on, he'd strike first.
To prevent more victims.
This was Woo-gang—martially trained but lacking a warrior's heart—truly stepping into the jianghu.
Though he remained oblivious.