Don't Even Bring Up Fifty-Fifty! I'm the Five Anyway
"The Water Dragon Stronghold, huh..."
The Yangtze River Waterways League—a massive coalition formed when river pirates operating across the Yangtze banded into twelve quasi-independent river forts to consolidate their power.
Among those twelve, the Water Dragon Stronghold held considerable sway within the league.
Truth be told, whether mountain bandits or river pirates, they all loved tossing around grand titles like 'league' or 'alliance,' but the vast majority were pathetic nobodies. You didn't have to look any further than our boy Hocheol right here. Shocking as it sounded, he was the Supreme Chieftain of the Nokrim Eighteen Forts, which pretty much told you everything you needed to know about the caliber of these outfits.
Even so, a handful of them were the real deal. Former government soldiers or veteran escort masters and guards who had turned to banditry usually possessed second-rate or even first-rate martial arts, earning them genuine renown in the criminal underworld.
My gaze drifted toward Hocheol, whose face was swollen like a bloated melon from the non-stop beating I had dished out.
...Wait, now that I think about it, how the hell did this weakling become Supreme Chieftain in the first place? Did they hand him the title just because he's a cunning little swindler who brings in coin? Hmm.
Questions kept piling up, but I could interrogate him later. Right now, I had to deal with the clowns standing in front of me.
"Supreme Chieftain, I trust you have been well... Huh? Why are you on the ground...?"
"Ahem. As of today, I'm the Supreme Chieftain. If you've got business, take it up with me. Isn't that right, Hocheol?"
"Y-Yes, Big Brother...!!"
Though taken aback for an instant, the man quickly smoothed his expression and spoke in a solemn voice.
"Greetings to the new Supreme Chieftain. I am Gil Chae-san, leader of the Water Dragon Stronghold. The reason I have journeyed here is to demand restitution for the damages suffered yesterday—"
"Hocheol, did my ears deceive me? I could've sworn he just said 'restitution.'"
"You heard correctly..."
"So, how should we answer that?"
"Uh... maybe hand over a portion of—"
Smack!
"Aargh!"
"Is that something an ex-Supreme Chieftain should be saying? Your head's gone completely soft while I wasn't looking, hasn't it?"
"Th-Then... should we declare all-out war...?"
The moment I raised a hand slightly, Hocheol winced and squeezed his eyes shut.
"Eek!"
I patted him lightly on the shoulder. "Well, that's not wrong either."
At those words, an icy wave of killing intent washed over me.
Whoosh—
"Are you declaring that you intend to wage war against us?"
Judging purely by the pressure of his murderous aura, he was around the first-rate realm. The lackeys flanking him appeared to hover around second-rate as well.
"What I'm saying is, I'd prefer a peaceful resolution. Which brings me to an idea: how about we settle this with a wager duel?"
"...A wager duel?"
"Our interests clash, so a fight's inevitable anyway. But it'll just be you and me, one-on-one. Winner takes the entire cargo. How's that sound?"
He stared at me for a beat, then slowly broke into a grin.
"I accept your proposal."
Internally, he was probably dancing for joy. His original plan had been to extort a slice of the cargo under the pretext of 'compensation,' only for me to step forward and dangle the entire haul before his eyes. How could he not jump at the chance? On top of that, since my internal energy registered as meager third-rate, he must have been overflowing with confidence, certain he could crush me with one hand tied behind his back.
Smile while you can, pal. It's hard to keep smiling once your teeth start flying.
Meanwhile, Jegal So-yeong looked utterly dejected over what had transpired earlier. Throughout the carriage ride, she did nothing but stare blankly out the window.
In stark contrast, Yu Cheon-ryong seemed completely unfazed. If anything, he was struggling to suppress the smirk rising to his lips at the prospect of eliminating a political rival. Smoothing his features into an easy, nonchalant expression, he feigned concern in his voice.
"So-yeong, are you alright after what happened back there? You seemed terribly startled. Once we return, I'll speak to the Clan Patriarch—"
"Why... why are you smiling?"
He had tried to conceal it, yet a faint, mocking curve still lingered at the corners of his mouth.
"...Haha, you caught me. I thought I hid it rather well, but I suppose not."
"You find this amusing, don't you?"
Silence was his only reply, but the look in his eyes spoke volumes.
"You were like this even when we were children! Whenever someone displeased you, you did everything in your power to ruin them! That's what you did to Ji-hee, too...!!"
Yet Yu Cheon-ryong paid her fury no mind, casually smiling as he always did.
"So-yeong, do you know why I took on this escort mission? By now, my father is likely proposing our engagement to the Patriarch."
"Ha! You think my father would ever agree to such a thing without my consent—"
"Naturally, he will make an offer that cannot be refused. Not to him as your father, but as the Patriarch of the clan."
"Even if that happens, do you honestly think I will simply bow my head and accept it?"
"Ah, and as for your brief distraction with that brute, I'm willing to overlook it. After all, such fleeting diversions are meaningless in the grand scheme of things. However..."
He rose from his seat, moved over to sit beside her, and gently ran his fingers through her hair.
Rustle—
So-yeong slapped his hand away and shot to her feet, her expression icy with rage.
"What do you think you're—"
"What do you suppose will happen if Jeong Ho-yeon fails?"
"...!"
"He declared he would take full responsibility. Even if he doesn't bear the full brunt, he will inevitably have to shoulder part of the escort mission's failure. When that happens, we will ensure an astronomical sum of compensation is extracted from him by any means necessary. An amount so staggering that even you could never hope to repay it on his behalf."
"......"
It was not that she lacked faith in Ho-yeon. In truth, she believed in him more than anyone else in the world. Yet 'what if' has a cruel way of unraveling a person's resolve, and her mind began painting vivid, terrifying pictures of a ruined future.
M-Master...!! Please, wait—
...It's all your fault. If only you had agreed back then, none of this would have happened.
In her imagination, his eyes looked down upon her with bitter condemnation. Her knees buckled beneath her, and she collapsed back onto the seat.
Thud—
"...What do you want from me?"
"Heh. As I said, it's quite simple. Agree to the engagement with me. Do that, and I'll ensure the matter concerning him disappears entirely."
"Keep your promise... You must keep it..."
Hearing her broken plea, Yu Cheon-ryong merely let a chilling, triumphant smile carve across his face.
Meanwhile, ahead of the duel, Ho-yeon pulled Hocheol into a private room to issue instructions.
"Go right now and tell the other mountain forts to assemble. Understand?"
"W-Why...?"
"Just say yes before I decide to beat the living daylights out of you instead of him."
"Understood...!!"
"Now get lost."
As the man turned to scurry off, I clamped a hand down firmly onto his shoulder.
Grab—
"...Hocheol. If you betray me again, remember this: no matter where you flee in the Central Plains, I will hunt you down and slaughter you. I don't bluff. But if you do as you're told, I'll put in a good word with the Jegal Clan so you get paid. How's that sound?"
I casually flashed the clan token in my grip.
Gulp—
"...O-Of course! I'll be back in the blink of an eye!"
The corners of his lips were already twitching upward at the mere thought of pocketing coin.
As if anyone in their right mind would pay bandits, you gullible bastard.
After sending Hocheol on his errand, I strolled outside for the duel.
"I believe we are ready to commence. What say you, Supreme Chieftain?"
"Suits me fine. Felt like I went too easy on people yesterday, and my fists have been itching ever since."
Encircled by a crowd of watching bandits, Gil Chae-san drew his blade from its sheath.
"That draw looks pretty crisp. Former government soldier, by any chance?"
"I was once a head constable. By the way, do you truly intend to fight barehanded? It is not too late to forfeit and surrender the cargo."
His shoulders puffed up with pride, clearly intoxicated by the thought of his own magnanimity.
"What's so tough about dealing with a punk who splashes around in river water all day?"
"...I offered counsel out of genuine concern, but your tongue is remarkably foul."
"Oops, my bad. Meant to keep that thought to myself, but it slipped out. But hey, it's the truth, isn't it? You're just a brat playing in the river."
"......"
He said nothing more, but the veins bulging on his forehead spoke volumes. Moments later, a faint, shimmering haze of sword qi wrapped around his blade, prompting a chorus of gasps from the surrounding bandits.
"Whoa, is that sword qi?"
"First time seeing it with my own eyes... Isn't that bad news?"
"Looks like we're gonna get cleaned out..."
For backwoods brigands who spent their lives shaking down merchant carts on dirt trails, such awe was only natural. Bumping into a first-rate master capable of manifesting sword qi was hardly an everyday event.
Hmm. Decent form, but... maybe because he learned it in the military, it's a bit crude.
Generally speaking, stepping into the first-rate realm meant reaching the stage of Injuring with Sword Qi, where one could coat a blade in internal energy. Compared to a true master, however, his sword qi looked hastily cobbled together.
I crooked my index finger in a lazy taunt.
"Come on then, scrub."
"Insolent cur...!!"
Kicking off the ground, he surged forward and brought his sword crashing down in a fierce overhead cleave.
Whoosh—
His movement was so telegraphed that dodging it was child's play.
Swoosh—
"Whoops, so close! Honestly, I think I could've dodged that standing dead still."
Perhaps because of his military discipline, my taunts no longer threw him off balance. He unleashed a relentless flurry of slashes, but the clumsy swordcraft made evading every stroke effortless.
Still, considering he never received proper orthodox training, he's surprisingly sharp. His only crime was picking a fight with someone way out of his league.
Phew, guess it's been a while since I brought that out.
Though it was only a meager trickle, the internal energy pooled in my dantian began coursing swiftly through my meridians. As he charged in for another strike, I slipped casually past his blade and drove my right fist forward with everything I had.
Iron-Piercing Will
Boom—
Infused with a faint whisper of fist qi, my knuckle slammed squarely into his solar plexus.
Crack!
"Ghk...!!"
Collapsing to the dirt, gasping desperately for air, he looked so pathetic that for a fleeting moment, I saw a reflection of my younger self.
"Hey, don't sweat it. Get beaten up a few more times, and you'll get used to it."
Step. Step.
"*Cough*... W-Wait... Stop. *Gasp... pant...* Let me make... a deal... The cargo—"
I waved my hands dismissively.
"Hey, hey, hey! Don't even bring up fifty-fifty! Either way, I'm the five."
"What...?"
"What do you mean 'what'? It means shut your mouth and take your beating."
Whoosh—
Thwack! Smack! Crunch!