—————————————————————–
Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator:Bobt
—————————————————————–
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Gam Sangchung’s two eyes were literally glowing red.
He was holding a sword and leaving behind the horse he had killed. He came trudging towards Jang Geon, stopping at a distance of about two arm’s lengths away from him. In those glowing eyes, Jang Geon could sense anger, hatred, and even some inexplicable sadness.
With his hair disheveled from riding frantically, his clothes stained with the blood of his subordinates and horses, and his body trembling from the surging internal energy, Jang Geon suddenly recalled that he had not confirmed Gamsundeok’s name with the author except for that one time.
So he abruptly asked, “Why was Jinyangsuk with you guys?”
“…you bastard, why are you curious about that? Are you stalling for time?”
Jang Geon placed his left hand on the sword sheath tied to his waist and stood with one leg propped out awkwardly. He then tilted his head slightly towards the fallen bandits who had tripped and died.
“He was among them. I thought he might have died too.”
Gam sangchung growled.
“Who cares if that scumbag lived or died? He was the one begging for help, saying his brother’s life was at stake. Right now, you should be worried about your own neck, not some trash.”
Jang Geon chuckled and spat out the dust that had accumulated in his mouth from the ride.
“How bleak.”
“My sword will be even bleaker when it’s at your neck, you bastard.”
As Gam sangchung said this, he began to lower his stance slowly. His left foot stretched out in front, his weight centered on his right foot, and his right hand holding the sword drew back towards his chest. His left hand formed a sword guard, pointing at Jang Geon. It was a thrusting stance.
Jang Geon’s stance was not as dynamic. He turned his body sideways, his head facing forward, and the sword in his right hand rested at his left hip, at the entrance of the sheath. Although he did not sheathe the sword, it was essentially a defensive stance.
Gam Sangchung, panting heavily from the internal energy coursing through his body, and the quiet Jang Geon, who had become as calm as still water, glared at each other.
Gam Sangchung’s breathing became more and more ragged. Along with it, the entire sword blade seemed to tremble with a faint, blurry light visible. The tip of his extended left foot was digging deeply into the ground, leaving a deep footprint. As his low stance became even lower, he growled like a beast. His two red eyes looked dangerous.
In the middle of the high sky and the vast wilderness, only the glaring sun and the wispy clouds slowly drifting as if detached from all worldly matters looked down upon the two.
At one point, unable to contain the surging internal energy, Gam sangchung let out a roar.
“Aaah-aaah-aaah!”
In an indistinct moment during or after that roar, the two men brushed past each other.
A long gash opened on Jang Geon’s left cheek, and blood gushed out. He glanced at his own sword blade. A deep notch could be seen in the middle of the elongated blade.
“Damn it.”
He muttered a curse and quickly turned around, gripping the sword with both hands. It didn’t seem like he had lost, but he also hadn’t managed to cut Gam Sangchung. Gam sangchung was also turning his body quickly, and a reddish line could be seen on his neck. It was shallow.
Unlike Jang Geon’s calm expression, Gam Sangchung, having unleashed his internal energy, had an excited look on his face, baring his teeth. Frothy saliva was dripping from the corners of his mouth, and the exposed parts of his face and hands were flushed with bulging veins.
And now, the blurry light on the sword that had been faint before was distinct. It was the reddish glow running along the blade – the sword energy.
“You crazy bastard, how much internal energy do you have?”
Jang Geon muttered this, but his mouth unconsciously formed a sinister smile. In this land, even those called masters rarely used sword energy. The reason was that they didn’t need to expel their energy like that to kill people. Some even cursed those who did as incompetent fools who couldn’t control their own energy.
In the end, whether during Jang Geon’s martial arts training in the central plains or in the few years since he had come to this land, he had never actually seen sword energy before. Facing the formidable manifestation of internal energy, he couldn’t explain why he was smiling. His heart was just pounding.
Gam sangchung roared again. Then, he dashed forward and swung his sword down. Jang Geon gripped his sword tightly with both hands and deflected the blow. Where the sword blade and sword energy met, sparks flew. Another large notch appeared on Jang Geon’s blade.
Gam Sangchung, with flames seeming to spill from his eyes, swung his sword wildly, pouring out his overflowing internal energy. His attacks lacked the swiftness and accuracy of the first exchange, but they were powerful, more than enough. However, his movements were too simple and had forgotten even the basics, so Jang Geon, gripping his sword with both hands, was able to deflect them with difficulty.
“Uhahaha! Uhahaha! Hahahahaha!”
Gam sangchung laughed recklessly as he swung his sword, as if he had lost his mind. Blood tears streamed down from his burst blood vessels in his eyes, an unsightly sight.
After deflecting a few more of Gam Sangchung’s frenzied attacks, Jang Geon realized that, unlike the momentary thrill he had felt earlier, there was nothing much to see. The attacks of this merely strong madman were too easy. Although his sword had lost some teeth, the sword energy couldn’t cleave through the steel infused with internal energy.
Jang Geon saw no need to waste any more time.
He immediately aligned his blade with Gam Sangchung’s downward swing and pushed it forward. As Gam Sangchung’s sword slid along Jang Geon’s blade, the blade deeply pierced towards his neck. Startled, Gam sangchung instinctively raised the back of his sword and caught Jang Geon’s blade, a basic defensive move in swordsmanship.
As a result, Jang Geon and Gam sangchung ended up facing each other, their arms holding their weapons forming the Chinese character “ren” (人). In the midst of his surging internal energy, Gam Sangchung’s round, wide-open eyes, filled with bewilderment, met Jang Geon’s gaze. Seeing those eyes, Jang Geon smiled wryly and, letting go of his sword, struck Gam Sangchung’s side with his left fist.
“Ugh!”
A rapid series of blows followed, striking his other side, his jaw, and his solar plexus. Their swords clattered to the ground, having lost their support. Gam Sangchung, clutching the areas he had been struck, staggered backwards, seemingly unable to regain his senses. Jang Geon stood calmly where he had attacked, watching him.
Gam sangchung raised his head, his body hunched over.
“You… bastard! How dare you drop your sword – such a despicable move- Kuhuk!”
Suddenly, he coughed up blood, even though Jang Geon had not attacked. He raised his hands to block the gushing blood, but it poured through his fingers. Feeling the warm blood and the jolting of his internal organs, he stared in shock and said,
“You… you! This is… the Thunder Sky Fist, the fist technique of the Imperial Army…!”
“It’s not the Thunder Sky Fist. It’s my own internal energy technique Called The Inner Crushing Hand Technique which i have created.”
“What kind of nonsense is that…?”
Jang Geon had no intention of explaining further. After shrugging his shoulders, he spun and delivered a roundhouse kick. Gam Sangchung’s jaw, struck by Jang Geon’s foot, made a dull thud as it twisted around. His eyes went blank.
Jang Geon brushed off the dust from his raised trousers as he listened to the thud of Gam Sangchung’s body collapsing. Looking at the fallen corpse, he could see the blood slowly spreading. It was as hot and sticky as the heated ground.
After gazing at the corpse for a moment, Jang Geon turned and picked up the fallen sword. The jagged teeth made it seem more suitable for sawing than cutting. He brushed it off and sighed.
“I’ll have to get a new one.”
Jang Geon sheathed the sword and examined his body for any fatal wounds from the cuts. He sighed again, then looked at the corpses scattered from the distant hill. Having single-handedly defeated thirty bandits, two of whom were masters, was truly an achievement worth boasting about for any martial artist.
But at the same time, it meant that he had killed thirty people in one place. He was a mass murderer, no doubt about it. Gazing at the wilderness with sunken eyes, Jojo approached and playfully nudged Jang Geon’s arm.
This action brought a chuckle to Jang Geon’s previously grim expression.
“Why are you being mischievous again? Are you tired from the little ride earlier?”
He patted Jojo’s mane, then approached Gam Sangchung’s corpse to behead him. As he grasped the sword hilt, he suddenly noticed something in the distant western wilderness. Jang Geon focused his internal energy into his eyes despite his fatigue.
Two riders were approaching, kicking up a hazy cloud of dust. Wearing large bamboo hats and wide windbreakers, he couldn’t identify who they were. However, Jang Geon had a feeling they weren’t new bandits.
But he couldn’t let his guard down based on a hunch alone, so he held the sword sheath with his left hand and faced the approaching riders. Squinting against the dusty haze and piercing sunlight, he waited briefly, and the two quickly drew near.
They stopped about three arm’s lengths away. Jang Geon thought they seemed a bit bewildered, which was understandable. There were already more than ten corpses scattered around them. The two looked around, as if searching for Jang Geon’s companions.
After a moment, the one with a sword on their back stepped forward slightly and asked,
“Did you kill all of them?”
It was a low voice for a woman, but not unpleasant to listen to. Jang Geon spat out the dust in his mouth, his face still scrunched against the sunlight, and replied,
“Yes.”
Jang Geon sensed the woman’s gaze flick briefly towards the sword at his waist. After silently regarding Jang Geon from atop her horse, she suddenly dismounted.
“Senior!”
The other person called out in surprise, but she approached Jang Geon with unwavering steps. One arm’s length – a master’s striking distance. Without hesitation, she walked right up to him and stopped.
Then, with a decisiveness matching her steps, she untied the strings and removed her bamboo hat. A large scar crossed her face, and there were scars on her cheeks and jaw, revealed under the bright sunlight. Despite the scars, she was undoubtedly a beautiful woman with striking features.
Like Jang Geon, she squinted her eyes against the sunlight as she looked at him. For a moment, they silently regarded each other.
Finally, the woman spoke.
“I am Juk Sae-In of the 71st Patrol Squad of the Martial Arts Alliance. And you are?”
“Jang Geon.”
Juk Sae-In glanced at Gam sangchung’s fallen body.
“Gam sangchung?”
“But before that, shouldn’t you show some proof if you’re from the patrol squad?”
Nodding, she took out a hexagonal badge from her robe and showed it to Jang Geon. It had the words “Martial Arts” written on it, with the number “71” below. After Jang Geon confirmed it, Juk Sae-In put the badge back and immediately approached Gam Sangchung’s corpse. She turned him over and began rummaging through his blood-soaked robe.
“…What are you doing?”
“I’m looking for the evil martial arts manual. That’s why we were dispatched to chase these guys.”
The young man who had dismounted and approached with a wry smile answered. He had small, squinty eyes that drooped down, giving him a sullen look. While Jang Geon pondered the situation, Juk Sae-In found a thin book in Gam sangchung’s robe.
She flipped through it briefly, then tossed it to the man.
“It’s the one we were looking for. Burn it.”
The man nodded, placed the book on the ground, took out a small metal canister from his robe, and poured its contents onto the book. From the smell, it was oil. He then struck a fire steel, immediately setting it ablaze. The rancid smell indicated it was not high-quality oil, so the flames did not spread quickly.
After confirming the book was burning, Juk Sae-In approached Jang Geon again.
“You must also be the one who killed the three leaders of the Evil Faction a day’s journey west of here. If Gam sangchung is dead, then Lee Mang-Gyeong must be too.”
“Lee Mang-Gyeong?”
“The second leader of the Evil Faction.”
Jang Geon tilted his head towards the hill.
“He’s over there.”
Juk Sae-In nodded, then called out to the man burning the book.
“Sanho. Go check if there are any other manuals.”
“Yes…? Oh, yes. If you say so, Senior.”
The man called Sanho reluctantly mounted his horse again. Like his demeanor, the horse also seemed lax, neither running nor walking but ambling towards the hill.
Jang Geon watched Juk Sae-In shaking her head slightly and said,
“So you were chasing them?”
“Yes. We’re from the Martial Arts Alliance Patrol Squad. Ah, thank you for taking care of those wicked masters before we could. We were a bit late in our duty.”
“Thanks for the gratitude, but since you’re from the patrol squad, let me ask something.”
Juk Sae-In nodded.
“Go ahead. I’ll answer faithfully.”
“Is there perhaps a bounty I could collect from you?”
“…A bounty?”
Jang Geon raised his right hand and stroked his chin.
“Weren’t there bounties on their heads? But I don’t know where the Martial Arts Alliance is around here, and it would be crazy to carry their severed heads around, wouldn’t it?”
“Ah… That’s true. Fortunately, I have that authority. But I only have promissory notes right now… To exchange them for cash, I’d have to go to a merchant guild or an imperial city later.”
At the mention of promissory notes, Jang Geon nodded after a moment’s thought. If he carried them, he could exchange them eventually. Even if he visited a Martial Arts Alliance branch, they would give him promissory notes if they lacked cash on hand.
Juk Sae-In took a thick stack of papers from her saddlebag and handed them to Jang Geon.
“This is the bounty for hunting the masters, as well as compensation for taking on the patrol squad’s duty. You’ve done a commendable deed, Martial Artist Jang.”
Martial Artist Jang? Jang Geon found the title amusing as he roughly counted the papers. They were low-denomination promissory notes issued by the empire and merchant guilds – paper money. Jang Geon could indirectly feel the power of the empire that had endured for a thousand years, withstanding all the wars raging in and around its capital, even here, thousands of miles away.
In any case, he had earned quite a sum from bandits whose value he had not known initially, putting him in a good mood. After tapping the stack of notes against his other palm, Jang Geon put them in Jojo’s saddlebag and turned to Juk Sae-In.
“Is there anything else you need from me?”
“…It doesn’t seem so.”
“Good. Then…”
Jang Geon immediately turned and mounted Jojo. Before Juk Sae-In could say anything else, he swiftly departed. Seeing him leave so abruptly, even coldly, Juk Sae-In opened her mouth in bewilderment, then chuckled at the absurdity.
His receding figure could be seen heading eastward across the wilderness, moving at a pace neither too fast nor too slow. Given the circumstances, he looked more like a traveler than someone who had just slaughtered thirty bandits.
“…Should we just let him go like this? Shouldn’t we at least search him? He might have taken an evil martial arts manual for himself.”
Sanho, who had returned from confirming the hill, regarded Jang Geon’s departing
After watching Jang Geon’s departing figure, Juk Sae-In shook her head slightly.
“There’s no need. His martial arts were stronger than that evil manual. Would he learn an evil art that corrupts the mind after destroying it with his own hands? He wouldn’t. Instead, we should look for a Taoist hermit in this area.”
“Huh? A Taoist hermit? Will they just let us use their services? And what else are you trying to find out?”
Juk Sae-In smiled, seeming intrigued.
“When I checked Gam sangchung’s corpse earlier, his internal organs seemed to have been crushed.”
“…Crushed internal organs. But that guy was holding a sword, right?”
“He also had two hands.”
Sanho furrowed his brow.
“Two hands for crushed organs… The Thunder Sky Fist? Are you saying he’s from the Imperial Army?”
“That’s what I want to find out. And before that, there’s somewhere else we need to go.”
Sanho gave an ambiguous grin.
“What’s with all these tasks? Let’s take it easy, Senior.”
Without a word, Juk Sae-In extended her hand towards Sanho. From her sleeve shot out a piece of paper like an arrow. Sanho calmly caught it and unfolded the paper.
“What’s this? I can barely read our Alliance’s maps, let alone outside ones…”
“It’s a map of the Evil Faction’s hideout found on Gam Sangchung.”
“…Aha. You want to raid their loot, huh?”
Juk Sae-In replied as she mounted her horse.
“The Evil Faction killed all the adults and kidnapped the children to sell. There are likely many kidnapped children from their recent raids. We’re going to rescue those children.”
Sanho instantly sobered up, hiding his face under his bamboo hat, seeming embarrassed by his earlier remark about loot. Before following after him, Juk Sae-In looked back east one more time.
“Somehow, I feel we’ll be seeing Martial Artist Jang again soon.”
She murmured to herself, tying the strings of her removed bamboo hat, and then spurred her horse westward. All that remained in the forsaken wilderness were the rancid ashes from the low-quality oil and the scattered corpses of the slain villains, casting low shadows.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
