Yang Sobang (2)
Just then, Gwangdu stepped in to intervene.
“Master, he’s just a child.”
Yang Gikang’s eyes turned fierce in an instant.
“This lowly brat dares to stop me?”
In his panic, Gwangdu had grabbed Yang Gikang’s sleeve.
“I’m sorry. Truly, I’m sorry.”
Gwangdu quickly retreated.
Perhaps seeing a new target, Yang Gikang released Songhee from his grip.
Even in the uncertainty of his own fate, Gwangdu felt a sense of relief. In contrast, Songhee was more anxious than when she was held.
Does that wretched fool not see the tender exchange of emotions between us? Then again, if he did, he wouldn’t act this way.
“Wait a minute, who are you?”
Yang Gikang seemed to recognize Gwangdu belatedly, then suddenly spat on the ground.
A foreboding question followed.
“What is this filth?”
Gwangdu hesitated, unsure of how to respond, and Yang Gikang pressed him with a menacing glare.
“You little punk! Are you going to answer before I beat you to death? What is this?”
“It’s spit.”
“Why is this filth on the ground? Didn’t I tell you to keep it clean?”
“I’ll clean it up right away.”
As Gwangdu moved to wipe the spit with his sleeve, Yang Gikang pressed his foot down on Gwangdu’s hand.
“Aah!”
“What do you think you’re doing?”
“Huh? I’m trying to clean it.”
“Idiot! It came from your mouth, so clean it with your mouth.”
Gwangdu’s face hardened at once. The expressions of the family guards watching also turned grim.
Especially Seojung, who was exuding a cold aura. He was likely contemplating when to step in, worried that any rash action might provoke the fool further.
Even the guards of Yang Sobang frowned at the behavior.
Songhee rushed forward.
“Brother, I’ll clean it. Let me do it.”
Gwangdu shouted in frustration.
“What are you talking about! Go to the master and see if he needs anything. Go! Go now!”
He was trying to get Songhee out of the situation.
Songhee bit her lip and looked at me.
Gwangdu’s gaze followed hers to me. Naturally, the other guards’ eyes followed suit.
Finally, I spoke.
“Filth should be cleaned up.”
Everyone’s expressions twisted in disbelief. Seojung’s disappointment was the most pronounced. His expression of ‘I knew it’ spread among the guards.
Songhee’s eyes, filled with sorrow, seemed to say:
Didn’t I tell you? I don’t trust the young master. Only naive Gwangdu was fooled. You scoundrel!
Gwangdu, the one involved, reddened with disappointment but spoke calmly.
“Yes. I’ll clean it.”
Gwangdu bowed his head and was about to stick out his tongue when Seojung, unable to bear it, was about to step in. But I spoke first.
“Not you.”
“What?”
“The one who spat should clean it.”
I gestured towards Yang Gikang with my chin.
“You, I’m talking to you. Clean it up, now.”
“This punk?”
“Where do you get off spitting in someone else’s house? Clean it up! With that filthy mouth of yours!”
The expressions of the guards from the Byeok family brightened. I had said what they all wanted to say.
Of course, Yang Gikang’s face crumpled like a piece of paper.
“You punk, did you lose your mind after getting hit by a girl?”
Ignoring his words, I went over and helped Gwangdu to his feet.
“Are you alright?”
“Why are you doing this? It’s fine, I can clean it.”
“Why should you clean it?”
“Young master, please don’t…”
In the next moment, I changed my tone. It was something I was good at, second only to martial arts.
“As the heir of the Byeok family, I command you. Step back.”
My gaze and tone carried a heavy authority.
“Yes, young master.”
Unable to defy, Gwangdu stepped back.
I addressed Seojung in the same authoritative manner.
“I will handle this matter. Please watch until the end.”
Seojung, who had been staring at me in a daze, bowed his head.
“Seojung, leader of the sword unit, will follow your command.”
The guards of the sword unit were taken aback. Seojung had never shown such respect to the heir of the Byeok family, nor had he ever spoken of following orders. The guards, caught off guard, bowed their heads following Seojung.
Yang Gikang mocked, mimicking my voice.
“As the heir of the Byeok family, I command you. Oh, scary. If I give two orders, I’ll die of fear. You childish brat, stop acting up. Hahaha.”
He looked around at the Yang Sobang guards for agreement. A few forced smiles.
I delivered my final ultimatum firmly.
“Cleaning with that filthy mouth will only make the ground dirtier. Enough. I’ll give you a chance. Apologize formally, and I’ll let it go.”
Would he apologize? Of course not. But I had to offer a chance for the record.
“What if I refuse?”
“Then you’ll get beaten.”
Yang Gikang scoffed and approached me.
“Let’s see the great skills of the Byeok family heir. I’ve been waiting for this day. You penniless beggar! I’ll make you a cripple so you can beg in the streets!”
Before he finished speaking, he threw a punch. Naturally, I wasn’t someone who would get hit by his punch. He wasn’t even worth using my martial arts on.
I dodged easily and landed a punch on his jaw.
Thud!
His jaw turned, but he didn’t fall. Was my punch weak? Not at all. I didn’t want to end it in one blow.
Sure enough, Yang Gikang charged at me with fury in his eyes.
“You punk!”
He swung again, this time with a punch infused with inner strength. A hit could be fatal, yet he swung wildly.
Yes, this is how a madman should be.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
The punches, filled with inner strength, sliced through the air with a threatening sound.
Seojung, alarmed, was about to jump in but stopped.
He saw me easily dodging the attacks. Not only that, but my punches flew even more lightly than my dodges.
Thud!
His jaw turned the other way again.
Thud! Thud! Thud thud!
I landed consecutive blows to his stomach and chest. It looked like light hits, but they were bruising strikes that would leave deep marks.
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
My punches were relentless. They targeted his body more than his face, causing internal damage that wouldn’t show on the surface.
You need to understand. The harm you caused as a joke will leave those kids with lifelong scars. But no matter how much I tell you, you won’t get it.
That’s why you’re getting hit.
Thud thud thud thud thud!
By the time the Yang Sobang guards rushed in to separate us, he was already a wreck.
He’d need months of recovery just to dress himself. I wanted to do more damage, but that wasn’t an option.
“What is the meaning of this!”
The Yang Sobang leader protested, and I calmly replied.
“Didn’t you see from the start? What that fool did? Telling someone to clean spit with their mouth? Is that something a human does?”
The man had no response. The other Yang Sobang guards were the same. They were too ashamed to lift their heads.
Yang Gikang, twisted in pain, glared at me with murderous eyes.
“Kill him! Kill that bastard! That’s an order!”
The man who received the order was flustered. He hadn’t expected such a command.
At that moment, Seojung from our side stepped forward.
“Young Master Yang is giving orders in a state of agitation, so you can ignore them. Consider the consequences of following that order.”
He placed his hand on his sword, a warning that we wouldn’t stand by idly if they acted foolishly.
A tense standoff formed between the guards on both sides, but our side had the upper hand in spirit. We had the moral high ground.
Eventually, the man stepped back.
“The senior’s words are correct.”
Even without Seojung’s warning, they couldn’t kill the heir of the Byeok family. This was a matter for the family heads to resolve.
Just then, Yang Gikang shook off the hands supporting him.
Clang!
Unable to hold back, he drew his sword and charged at me.
“No!”
Seojung shouted, but the sword was already flying towards my chest.
Swish.
To the onlookers, it was a moment of crisis, but to me, it was a pitiful struggle. No matter how much inner strength he had, I was someone who had stood at the pinnacle of martial arts.
Once again, I easily dodged the sword.
Crack.
I mercilessly twisted his arm.
“Aaaargh!”
He screamed as his arm broke. Everyone was shocked by the dangling arm, but my attack didn’t stop.
I brought my foot down diagonally on his knee.
Crunch!
His leg snapped like bamboo, the bone protruding and blood spurting.
“Aaaaaargh!”
Even as he screamed in agony, my hands remained cold.
Slap slap slap slap slap!
I slapped his cheeks repeatedly. Broken teeth flew everywhere. Not just one or two, but over a dozen shattered.
Thud!
The final blow landed squarely in his stomach, and he collapsed on the spot. What was once an injury that would take a month or two to heal had now become one that would require years of recovery.
I was still showing mercy. In the past, I would have killed him without a second thought.
The whole thing happened so quickly that the warriors of the Yang Clan couldn’t intervene in time.
In the aftermath, they scrambled around, shouting to check his pulse, call a doctor, inform the clan leader, and guard all the exits.
The first to rush to my side was Gwangdu.
He leaned in close, speaking in a hurried whisper only I could hear.
“Are you out of your mind? What were you thinking, messing with the Yang Clan? What on earth are you planning?”
His face was a picture of worry, as if he might burst into tears at any moment. He was too frantic to even thank me.
“First, we need to get you out of here. Leave the rest to the clan leader. If you stay, it’ll be a disaster when the Yang Clan leader arrives! Hurry!”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Because if I leave, they’ll come after you instead.”
Gwangdu flinched. He knew it was true. This all started because I stepped in to stop the humiliation he was facing.
“Are you a little touched right now?”
“Are you seriously joking at a time like this? Just go already!”
“I think it’s too late for that.”
I nodded toward the building behind us.
In the distance, the doors swung open, and my father and Yang Gicheol emerged.
“Don’t worry. When I die, I’ll make sure they bury you with me.”
Gwangdu sank to the ground, muttering to himself.
”…So you were faking the memory loss all along? Just to pull off something this big. You’re going to be the death of me.”