The Mad Dog Takes the Bait
At Jang Muhwi's words, everyone began murmuring among themselves.
But Jang Muhwi's expression remained completely unchanged.
To anyone looking, he was smiling.
Ma Uiryong's eyebrows twitched.
He had finally shown emotion.
He believed Jang Muhwi was mocking him.
The only person allowed to mock him was his father.
A few days earlier, Ma Uiryong had received a letter concerning the results of the Dragon Gate Assembly.
After reading its contents, he could not contain his rage.
Passing the Dragon Gate Assembly meant being recognized as a true martial artist.
Those who emerged from it received the Murim Alliance's full support.
If the young talents who failed the Dragon Gate Assembly were mudfish leaping from a stream, then those who earned the emblem were imugis preparing to ascend and become dragons.
That was how much weight the Dragon Gate Assembly carried.
Yet the greatest dullard in all of Qinghai had passed it?
Using money and connections, no less?
It was an insult to every young talent who had legitimately passed the Dragon Gate Assembly.
Ma Uiryong stared at his own hands.
It looked as though a black pebble were embedded in his palm.
They were the scars of training, where flesh had torn away and regrown again and again.
Gripping his spear once more, Ma Uiryong fixed his gaze on Jang Muhwi.
After scanning him from head to toe, Ma Uiryong burst into laughter.
“Haha.”
It lasted only a moment before he bit his lip.
To master his spear, Ma Uiryong had thrown everything away.
He had cast aside emotion and appearance alike.
There was only one reason for his obsession with strength.
In the gangho, the instant you looked ridiculous to your opponent, they would tear you apart.
Ma Uiryong had learned the laws of the gangho as a child through his mother's death.
To survive, anyone who might become an enemy had to be thoroughly crushed.
Of course, Ma Uiryong worshipped the strong.
He also despised those who revered martial arts only with their mouths while hiding in the shadows.
Ma Uiryong looked at Jang Muhwi.
It was like watching a rabbit wearing a wolf's skin and roaming the mountains.
In his eyes, Jang Muhwi was nothing but a hypocrite.
What was even more absurd was that this same opponent had dared to refuse the duel after appearing so boldly before him.
A hypocrite who had bought his honor with money and connections was refusing a duel?
It was beyond shameless.
Narrowing his eyes at his opponent, Ma Uiryong bared his white teeth like a fighting dog.
He tightened his grip on the spear.
Bwooong.
The spear resonated with Ma Uiryong, letting out a bizarre sound.
Without a word, he simply stared at Jang Muhwi.
Everyone around them had drawn their weapons, preparing for any sudden move he might make.
At that moment, Jang Muhwi clapped his hands.
Clap!
Naturally, every eye turned toward him.
The people of the Jang family.
The warriors of the Ma clan.
As everyone swallowed nervously, Jang Muhwi showed his palm to his opponent and continued.
“You’re in too much of a hurry, Young Master Ma.”
“What did you just say?”
“Why the rush?”
“Is that something a coward who refused a duel should say?”
As Ma Uiryong sneered with bared teeth, Jang Muhwi spoke.
“When did I ever say I refused to fight? It’s just—!”
Jang Muhwi paused for a moment and looked at Ma Uiryong.
Ma Uiryong’s eyebrows twitched in anger.
Jang Muhwi shook his head as he regarded him.
How could that face belong to someone who had only just passed twenty?
It looked like it could belong to the examiners he had seen at the Dragon Gate Assembly.
In truth, Jang Muhwi had never seen Ma Uiryong in his previous life.
Ma Uiryong had vanished before the Demonic Cult had even set foot in the Central Plains.
He only remembered the description of his appearance from rumors.
Seeing him now, the condition was serious.
His opponent possessed the oldest-looking face in the entire gangho.
Then Ma Uiryong took a step forward and unleashed his aura.
“Your tongue is quite long. Go on, finish your excuses.”
“I have no reason to avoid a fight. However, I prefer fights that offer real benefit. Whether the fight has meaning or not doesn’t matter to me. The only thing that matters is the profit I gain.”
“Profit, you say…”
Ma Uiryong’s spear trembled again.
The warriors who had come with him swallowed dryly, certain an incident would erupt before the duel even began.
Of course, Jang Muhwi was missing none of it.
He had merely placed the bait on the hook. The opponent had not yet bitten.
Now that he had finished assessing his foe, it was time to slowly reel in the line.
In his previous life, it had not been martial arts but his perceptiveness that had kept Jang Muhwi alive.
He decided to point it out clearly here.
“To be exact, I believe it would still be a loss even if I win.”
“A loss?”
“Have you ever accepted defeat before, Young Master Ma? After losing a duel, don’t you tenaciously pursue your opponent and force them to their knees? Isn’t that why people call you a fighting dog?”
Pausing, Jang Muhwi looked around.
Jang Yuseong in the back was nodding as if it made sense, and the warriors from the Ma clan were watching with cautious eyes.
Their expressions showed that Jang Muhwi’s words were at least partially correct.
Of course, none of them believed Jang Muhwi could actually defeat Ma Uiryong.
A few of the quicker ones were opening their eyes wide in surprise.
No one had ever spoken to Ma Uiryong in such a manner before.
This was, in short, a major incident.
To provoke the temper of Ma Uiryong, who already struggled to control his nature!
That was what the Ma clan warriors were thinking.
Sure enough.
Ma Uiryong glared at Jang Muhwi with clear displeasure.
“So what do you intend to do about it?”
“If there is no compensation to offset the loss, I will not accept the duel.”
The way Jang Muhwi extended his hand toward Ma Uiryong was so natural he looked like a merchant hawking goods.
The Ma clan warriors were equally flustered by his bizarre behavior.
They had not come to escort Ma Uiryong.
They had come to monitor him and prevent a major accident.
Yet their opponent kept provoking him.
It was like an ignorant child blowing on a mad dog’s snout.
The price for such a prank would surely be severe.
The Ma clan warriors exchanged glances, signaling they would rush in if necessary.
Jang Yuseong was also swallowing dryly.
It was clear Jang Muhwi had changed lately.
As a result, he had even received an invitation to the Dragon Gate Assembly.
But that was as far as it went.
He did not know the outcome, but he assumed Jang Muhwi had failed and simply fooled around before returning home.
Whatever the reason, Jang Muhwi was still a newborn pup.
His current behavior was that of a puppy charging forward without knowing the fear of a tiger.
Even so, Jang Yuseong could not intervene.
The moment he stepped forward, it would cease to be a duel between young talents and become a clash between families.
A clash between families?
There was no way the Jang family could defeat the Ma clan no matter what methods they used.
In just a few months, they would have to worry about paying their retainers’ salaries.
A war between families was different from a duel.
What decided the beginning and end of a war was capital.
The Jang family’s current situation was utterly hopeless.
Jang Yuseong bit his lip hard.
As everyone remained tense, Ma Uiryong’s dry, emotionless voice rang out.
“So you’re demanding a price for the duel?”
“I do not participate in fights without benefit.”
“Looking for profit in a warrior’s duel…”
“Does that not suit you?”
After speaking, Jang Muhwi crossed his arms and looked off to the side.
There stood Cheolwoo, frowning as if he might die at any moment.
Jang Muhwi jerked his chin at him.
Cheolwoo glanced around, reading the atmosphere.
When Jang Muhwi jerked his chin again, Cheolwoo shook his head and disappeared somewhere.
But no one paid any attention to Cheolwoo’s movements.
Jang Muhwi’s gaze had already returned to Ma Uiryong in the blink of an eye.
The corner of Ma Uiryong’s mouth lifted slightly.
“What is the price you desire? If it is reasonable, I will grant it.”
“I want a simple wager. How about the winner gets to make one demand of the loser?”
“Simpler than I thought. For me, knocking out your two front teeth would be enough.”
“Please wait a moment. I need time to think.”
When Jang Muhwi tapped his temple, Ma Uiryong sighed in frustration.
“Think about it slowly after the match is decided.”
“You don’t know what kind of demand I might make, do you?”
“It doesn’t matter what demand you make.”
As if defeat were not even a consideration, he smacked his lips.
It was the look of someone staring at a perfectly prepared feast.
At that attitude, Jang Muhwi shrugged.
He had finally taken the bait.
That was how terrifying arrogance could be.
In war, nothing was more dangerous than one’s own conceit.
Wasn’t that why the ancient sages said that knowing yourself and knowing your enemy meant no danger in a hundred battles?
The core was that knowing yourself came first.
Jang Muhwi quietly lifted his head.
“How about conducting the match according to the Three Rules of No Restrictions? Isn’t that what you wanted, Young Master Ma?”
“The Three Rules of No Restrictions…”
As Ma Uiryong narrowed his eyes, Jang Muhwi continued.
“Until the opponent submits. Without regard for location. And without regard for time.”
“I know them. You’re digging your own grave. I accept, so draw your sword already.”
Ma Uiryong nodded with satisfaction.
At that moment, Jang Muhwi picked up his sword and looked around.
“I need someone to act as witness.”
“A martial artist does not go back on his word… Are you saying you cannot trust me?”
“Because the dead cannot keep their promises.”
Instantly, Ma Uiryong raised his spear.
“You damn one-day puppy! My spear shall be the witness!”
At the same time, the flying spear!
As always in the gangho, strength came before etiquette.
When one side launched the first attack, that marked the beginning of the duel!
Ma Uiryong’s spear flew in a graceful arc.
His spear dug in brilliantly, like the brush tip of a master painter.
The spear point was aimed directly at Jang Muhwi’s chest.
Within that dazzling technique that could leave mouths agape was hidden clear killing intent.
Flash!
The light reflecting off the spear tip resembled a viper’s poisonous fang.
Everyone’s eyes widened at Ma Uiryong’s technique.
A lethal move right from the start?
The orthodox sects’ duels had at least one basic rule.
The rule that one must not take the opponent’s life.
But Ma Uiryong’s spear was aimed precisely at Jang Muhwi’s heart.
It was a stance that perfectly fit the phrase “one strike, certain kill.”
The final form of the Ma Clan’s Eighteen Demonic Spear Techniques. In a single movement, it deflects the opponent’s weapon, coils around it, and thrusts forward—containing the essence of Luan Na Cha in one strike.
Someone who saw the spear cried out.
It was a technique that could be considered the final form among the Ma Clan’s basic spear arts, the Eighteen Demonic Spear Techniques.
The Eighteen Demonic Spear Techniques were based on Luan Na Cha like other spear methods.
However, the final technique deflected the opponent’s weapon in an instant, wrapped around it, and thrust forward.
In other words, it contained the essence of Luan Na Cha in a single move.
It was easy to say, but containing three variations in one attack meant it could not be considered basic spearwork.
It was a technique that rookies in the gangho would find difficult to block.
Jang Muhwi quickly retreated a step and drew his sword.
It was a spear technique so flashy it was difficult to follow with the eyes.
But the important thing was Ma Uiryong’s gaze.
The viper eyes hidden behind the brilliantly moving spear blade.
It was crucial to read that look.
Jang Muhwi blocked the spear that came boring in like a viper.
Clang!
Using the rebound from the collision, the spear came in from the opposite side.
Jang Muhwi barely managed to block it using his scabbard.
Slice.
However, Jang Muhwi’s sleeve was slightly cut away.
To anyone watching, the sight appeared dangerous.
The Ma clan warriors observing the situation all tightened their grips on their weapons.
One of the warriors who had exchanged glances spoke.
“We must prevent any tragedy at all costs. This is the family head’s command.”
Everyone nodded.
That tragedy referred to the opponent’s death.
Even in a legitimate duel, killing between members of the orthodox sects was not something that could be easily overlooked.
Meanwhile, Jang Yuseong was just as tense.
Even if stepping forward turned it into a family conflict, he wanted to at least save Jang Muhwi’s life.
It was a promise he had made with the family head, Jang Yujung.
Jang Yuseong gripped his scabbard tightly.
Ready to draw his sword and rush in at any moment, he watched the situation without blinking once.
Then Jang Yuseong tilted his head in confusion.
“Huh?”