Chapter 90
Chapter 90
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 90
Chapter Title: To the Victor Go the Spoils
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CLAAANG!
The clash of metal echoed thunderously across the mountainside.
“Hoo…”
The two men, now standing a good distance apart, caught their breath as they stared each other down.
“Waaah! Kill them!”
Thanks to the Waning Moon Brigade joining the fray, the surroundings had descended into chaos, but Jeon Il-seok didn't even turn his head.
The man before him. He looked to be barely past the age of twenty.
But his skill was extraordinary. No, if it were just skill, he wouldn't have been this surprised, nor would he have been so desperate just to defend.
His opponent seemed far more experienced than his age suggested.
He was just so incredibly adept at combat.
On top of that, his movements were so fast that it was impossible to discern what techniques he was using.
If he could just identify something, he might at least be able to guess where the man came from.
*Grind.*
Jeon Il-seok ground his molars hard and looked down at his greatsword.
It was so dented and nicked that it could hardly be called a sword anymore.
A crumpled piece of metal? Or perhaps a bizarrely twisted iron club?
That was the object now held in his hand.
All because of a young brat who looked barely twenty.
“Who in the world are you?”
Jeon Il-seok scowled, glaring at Neung Un-bi.
“I should be asking you the same thing. What are you? A mere bandit leader with this level of skill? Are you the sworn brother of the King of the Green Forest or something?”
Neung Un-bi taunted, rotating his wrists.
But… or something?
Could it be that he didn't know who he was?
Even after hearing his name?
Did it make any sense for someone escorting a merchant caravan between Shaanxi and Gansu to not know of Jeon Il-seok of Mount Cheonghwa?
This wasn't mere arrogance.
Although he was a bandit, he held exceptional pride as a martial artist.
He believed his name was reasonably well-known in the world.
But this guy didn't know?
“Well, well. I thought a young pup with such impressive skills would be someone famous… but your knowledge of the world is shallow, I see.”
“What? My knowledge is shallow? Who does a bandit think he is, spouting fancy words? And what's wrong with not knowing your name? Why the hell should I have to know some bandit bastard's name?”
“…”
“Cut the crap and come at me. I'm not done venting yet.”
“…”
Watching Neung Un-bi slowly clench and unclench his fists, Jeon Il-seok, who had been on the verge of losing his temper, narrowed his eyes and asked.
“You, what's your name?”
“What?”
“I am Jeon Il-seok.”
*Does this bastard think I'm that stupid? Why is he repeating a name I've already heard?*
*Is he trying to show off because his parents gave him such a great name, or because it has some profound meaning?*
“As you said, I am the sworn younger brother of the King of the Green Forest, and I lead the Mount Cheonghwa band.”
“Huh?”
That part was surprising.
“You're really the sworn brother of the King of the Green Forest?”
“Yes.”
“…Damn it. That damn Taoist. He said it was a shortcut, but of all places, he led us to a mountain with the Green Forest King's sworn brother.”
“What?”
“Nothing, just talking to myself. Don't mind me. But whether you're Jeon Il-seok, the sworn brother of the King of the Green Forest, or Jeon Il-seok, the sworn brother of the Beast King, nothing changes.”
“…”
It was true.
*Doesn't this demonic energy really make you lose all fear?*
Someone called the King of the Green Forest must be far stronger than him…
*So what? If he hears about this and comes looking for me, we'll just have a go at it.*
*What's the worst that can happen? I'll die? I've already died and come back once anyway.*
“Oh, right. You asked for my name earlier, didn't you?”
“…?”
“But you know, what's so important about that?”
“…?”
“I'm all fired up right now. It's a good thing you're strong. I was worried that if you went down in one hit, beating up the rest of your lackeys wouldn't be satisfying… so thanks for holding out.”
“You madman…”
“Yeah, I'm mad. This demonic energy does that. It drives you crazy. Once a fight starts, it makes it hard to stop until blood is drawn.”
“…?”
As Neung Un-bi grinned, feeling the demonic energy filling his body, a strange light glinted in Jeon Il-seok's eyes.
“Demonic energy… you say?”
A name suddenly came to mind.
The Third Young Master of the Demonic Cult.
“…Could you be Neung Un-bi?!”
But he received no answer.
*Shwaaak!*
The moment Neung Un-bi lightly lifted and stepped forward, his face was right in front of Jeon Il-seok's.
*Th-this is insane!*
How could anyone's movement technique be this fast?
He had never even heard of a movement technique that could close such a distance without a preparatory stomp.
And if this man truly was Neung Un-bi of the Demonic Cult, he couldn't fight him.
Hadn't the order come down from the Green Forest—no, from even higher up—to never cause friction with them?
That's why he had confirmed it was a merchant caravan multiple times before coming down, but to think the Third Young Master himself was with them.
“W-wait…”
“Shut up, you bandit bastard!”
“…!”
Jeon Il-seok tried to talk, but it was too late. Neung Un-bi, having already closed in low, was thrusting his twin palms upward.
*I had no idea you were the sworn brother of the King of the Green Forest.*
*But that just means you're the worst of the worst among skilled bad guys.*
*The kind of guy you have to crush on sight!*
*How many people must you have troubled to reach that position?*
*Don't you have anything better to do than pick other people's pockets?*
*So, I'll take this chance to utterly destroy you so you can never do bad deeds again.*
*In the name of justice… Lunar Eclipse, Heaven Shatter!*
*Fwoooosh!*
Sensing the sinister power in the rising twin palms, Jeon Il-seok hastily extended both hands to block the attack.
*Kwaaang!*
A sound like striking a boulder erupted from his hands.
“Keuk, this damn bastard…”
His upper body pushed back, Jeon Il-seok kicked up toward Neung Un-bi's face.
*Thwack!*
Neung Un-bi, who seemed to be pushed back while blocking with both arms, quickly darted to the left.
Three Nothings Footwork, Shadow Clone.
“You cur! Do you think you can escape!”
Jeon Il-seok's greatsword came down vertically, following Neung Un-bi's movement.
But he used the flat of the blade.
After all, he couldn't just kill the Third Young Master of the Demonic Cult, could he?
So, Jeon Il-seok intended to strike with the flat of the blade and knock him unconscious.
But it was a miscalculation. He had overlooked the fact that the flat of the blade, with its greater air resistance, would inevitably be slower than the edge.
And that single miscalculation had a massive impact on the outcome of the fight.
*Fwoosh!*
“…?”
For a moment, Neung Un-bi's form blurred and vanished.
The surprise was fleeting. Neung Un-bi had already reappeared on Jeon Il-seok's other side, raising his hands menacingly.
*Grab.*
“…!?”
One of Neung Un-bi's hands grabbed a fistful of Jeon Il-seok's hair and yanked hard.
Simultaneously, his other hand swung fiercely.
*Hey! W-wait, let's talk first…*
*Craaack!*
Contrary to his thoughts, Jeon Il-seok couldn't speak.
His jaw had been snapped to the side by the incoming fist.
Neung Un-bi, holding him by the hair, had gleaming eyes.
*I finally caught him.*
*I can't let him go now!*
“Hah! You're dead today!”
“…!”
Though he seemed to have lost consciousness after the first punch, Jeon Il-seok flailed his arms instinctively.
But it was a meaningless struggle.
True Lunar Eclipse. Fist and Foot, Moonlight Killing Dance!
*Thwack! Bam! P-p-p-bam!*
Neung Un-bi's hands and feet began to pummel Jeon Il-seok's body, following the trajectory of a sword form.
Jeon Il-seok's body, unable to even fall, convulsed in mid-air. At the brutal sight, the bandits' faces turned pale.
Their reliable leader, the man famous in the Unorthodox Faction as the sworn brother of the King of the Green Forest…
…was being beaten to a pulp.
And by a young martial artist who wasn't even twenty.
There was no way they could muster the will to fight.
Weren't they already outmatched by the martial artists they were fighting in the first place?
*Clank, clatter.*
The bandits, their strength completely drained, began to drop their weapons one by one.
Many collapsed to their knees, so the fight could not continue.
“Hoo, hooh…”
How long had the beating continued?
When Neung Un-bi finally stopped his fists, the thing he held in his hand—Jeon Il-seok, or what was left of him—hung limp, a battered mess.
“My lord!”
“…?”
Just as Neung Un-bi's fight ended, Wang Cheon approached.
“Finished already?”
“There was nothing to finish. As soon as you started beating the leader like that, they all gave up…”
At Wang Cheon's words, Neung Un-bi looked at the bandits kneeling here and there.
Well, it's not like they would have been a match for us even if they had fought.
After all, Wang Cheon and Ju Seung, who were only slightly weaker than him, were also here.
And they were all injured…
But Un Hak was nowhere to be seen.
*What the hell is he doing? A Taoist brimming with a sense of justice should naturally be fighting against the bandits… huh?*
For a moment, Neung Un-bi blinked.
A short distance from the battlefield.
Hyang-i was sitting comfortably, and next to her was Oh Deung, who seemed to be bowing repeatedly while attending to her.
And…
“Why is that guy lying over there?”
Un Hak was sprawled out at Hyang-i's feet, spread-eagled.
“Th-that is… the maid, no, *she* beat him up.”
“What? Why would Hyang-i beat up Un Hak?”
“It seemed like she was stopping him from interfering.”
“…”
Leaving Wang Cheon to whisper quietly while glancing nervously at Hyang-i, Neung Un-bi stormed over to her, his face contorted.
“Hey!”
“Is something the matter, Third Young Master?”
Hyang-i replied with a smile, chewing on some beef jerky that Oh Deung had brought her as a snack.
*Is something the matter? Is something the matter!*
*Is she really asking because she doesn't know?*
“Have you forgotten you're a maid right now?”
“That's why I'm using honorifics and staying out of the way, isn't it?”
“What I mean is… damn it, why did you beat the kid up!”
“Hmm, because he wouldn't listen?”
“You little…!”
She was so brazen that he was momentarily speechless.
*She beat him up because he wouldn't listen?*
If it were Wang Cheon or Ju Seung, or even one of the Waning Moon Brigade, I could understand.
But that guy… he's a member of the Orthodox Murim Alliance!
“So, what are you going to do with the bandits?”
“…What do you mean?”
“Well, obviously… now that the subjugation is over, you should kill them all.”
“…”
Neung Un-bi shuddered at Hyang-i's words, spoken with a bright smile.
*Don't say such bloodthirsty things with that innocent smile.*
*Am I some kind of butcher? What do you mean, kill them?*
“Tch, and here I thought I'd get to see some blood for a change… What a shame.”
*Don't be disappointed!*
“You're most charming when you're being cruel, Third Young Master…”
*Shut up!*
Neung Un-bi shook his head at Hyang-i's disappointed remarks.
To look at her, you'd think she couldn't even kill a fly…
It made him wonder just what kind of upbringing could produce such a personality.
“By the way, you need more practice.”
“What?”
“From what I saw, your form is good, but your flow is unstable.”
“…Huh?”
Neung Un-bi immediately fell into thought at Hyang-i's critique of his fighting style.
Form—the strikes and cuts are good, but the flow leading up to them is not.
In other words, the trajectory isn't concise.
“Hmm… I see.”
“If you can properly channel your power into the flow, you'll become much faster.”
“…I see. Thank you.”
“Don't mention it. A maid should at least do this much.”
“…”
Hyang-i grinned.
What maid in the world would critique one's martial arts like she did? But Neung Un-bi felt he learned a lot in that moment.
“Could this also help with transcending the five senses?”
“Hmm, should we talk about that later, just the two of us? I think it would be better to clean this place up first.”
“…Ah, right. I understand. But you have to tell me later.”
“Of course. How could I dare make an empty promise to you?”
“…”
Hyang-i smiled again.
At times like these, she was the spitting image of a maid.
*Just how many personalities does she have…?*
“Uhm, my lord?”
“Yes?”
“What were you discussing with the maid just now? Did you perhaps learn some martial principles?”
“…”
Neung Un-bi furrowed a brow at Wang Cheon's question.
*Forget the martial principles, do something about that honorific speech.*
*Either don't add 'nim' to her title, or stop whispering just that part.*
“Learn what? Stop talking nonsense and clean up.”
“…”
Neung Un-bi cut him off with a single phrase, but behind him, Wang Cheon and Ju Seung were whispering about something.
*Hmm, anyway, what to do now.*
The bandits have all been subdued. All that's left is their stronghold and the few guys guarding it.
*In that case… we should obviously raid the stronghold!*
Since we went to the trouble of subjugating the bandits, shouldn't we at least collect a service fee?
“Everyone.”
“Yes!”
“What are you doing? After taking care of the bandits, we need to collect all the extras.”
“Yes?”
*What do you mean, 'yes'?*
Let's go! Time to loot the stronghold.
They've always been the ones taking, so it's time they experience being taken from.