One Strike, Certain Death (3)
I took a seat a little distance away from Yeomhwa and ordered a drink.
“Bring me some drinks and snacks, please.”
The innkeeper hesitated, glancing at Yeomhwa for approval. When Yeomhwa nodded, he hurried off to the kitchen.
The Yeomhwa I knew was impulsive and unpredictable. There were only two reasons someone like him would act this way: either he planned to toy with me before killing me brutally, or he sensed an instinctive threat.
Yeomhwa looked at me and asked, “Who are you?”
“Just a passerby. I stopped by the inn because I was hungry.”
Yeomhwa scoffed at my answer. “This isn’t the only inn around here. Why this one?”
“And why are you drinking here in front of everyone? If it were me, I wouldn’t be able to swallow a bite.”
Yeomhwa’s eyes narrowed. He sensed it—something about me wasn’t ordinary. That’s why he was using words instead of his usual fists.
I smiled slightly. “I get it. Some people just can’t resist showing off.”
Lee Woo, who was standing nearby, lunged at me, grabbing my collar. “You want to die, punk?”
The innkeeper, who was just bringing out the drinks and food, was startled.
“Let him go. Even a dog isn’t disturbed while eating,” Yeomhwa said, and Lee Woo released me, stepping back.
I addressed Lee Woo in a lazy tone, “Touch me again, and you’re dead.”
“You little—!” He was about to charge again, but Yeomhwa raised a hand to stop him.
I began to eat the food the innkeeper had brought. “Delicious. I see why you’d want this place all to yourself.”
“What do you want to say to me?”
“Why do you think I have something to say to you?”
“You seem too calm for someone who’s just here to eat and die.”
I glanced at Maerang and Ho Yeon-sook, who were sitting nearby. “There seem to be braver souls than me here.”
Maerang sighed. “We women were dragged here.”
Samwoo, sitting next to her, sneered. “Shut up, you old hag!”
His vile words made the onlookers frown. Throwing money around was one thing, but verbally abusing an elderly woman was another.
I voiced their thoughts. “What a bastard.”
“What did you say?”
“Just talking to myself.”
Samwoo, enraged, was about to lunge at me, but once again, Yeomhwa stopped him with a gesture.
“Are you from the Ho Yeon family?”
“I heard about it. You said all the disciples present that day should be killed, didn’t you?”
The crowd murmured. This was news that hadn’t yet spread among the general public.
Yeomhwa didn’t hide it. Instead, he declared loudly for all to hear, “That’s right! It’s better to get rid of useless people.”
“That’s nonsense!”
Maerang shouted, but Ho Yeon-sook held her back.
I asked Yeomhwa, “Why, when it’s all over? Is it your useless pride?”
“What?”
“Is your pride worth the lives of so many young people?”
“Of course. How dare you compare me to such insignificant things?”
I couldn’t even imagine how many had died unjustly for him to earn the name “Butcher of Cheondo.”
Just yesterday, Ilwoo had been the same. He followed me to kill me just because I interfered in his affairs.
These people didn’t lack the ability to control their anger. They simply chose not to. Because they didn’t have to.
“To me, you seem more insignificant.”
Before Yeomhwa could react, Lee Woo grabbed my collar again.
“You think you can just run your mouth like that? You’re dead.”
“I warned you, didn’t I? Touch me again, and you’re dead.”
I grabbed Lee Woo’s wrist and lightly kicked his leg from the side.
Whoosh.
He lost his balance and spun in the air as I directed him.
Thud.
He landed on the ground as if performing a stunt. It looked like child’s play.
“Hahaha.”
The onlookers outside burst into laughter, but it quickly died down.
Lee Woo lay motionless on the ground.
Samwoo rushed over to check on him and shouted in shock, “He’s dead!”
In the next moment, my hand sliced through the air like a snake striking its prey.
Swish.
My hand struck Samwoo’s neck with precision.
Crack!
My hand returned to its original position in an instant, having shattered his neck. The movement was so fast that the onlookers only heard the sound.
Thunk, thunk.
Samwoo’s head wobbled before dropping forward.
Thud.
He collapsed to the ground.
Samwoo, too, was dead in a single move.
“You bastard!”
Sa Woo shouted, lunging at me.
Whoosh!
He flew past me and landed outside the inn.
“Aaah!”
The onlookers outside screamed.
A dagger was embedded in Sa Woo’s forehead, his body now lifeless on the ground.
The speed at which I threw the dagger was impressive, but embedding it in the forehead of a skilled martial artist required immense skill.
In the time it took to take a single breath, Samwoo had become a cold corpse.
Yeomhwa stood up abruptly, his eyes a mix of shock and a desire to fight.
“You!”
I finished the drink I was holding and asked, “Do you only use those fists to scare women?”
My taunt made Yeomhwa’s eyes blaze.
“Of course not.”
“Then you won’t be using them as hostages in a dirty fight.”
I gestured for Maerang and Ho Yeon-sook to leave. They hurried outside.
The onlookers stepped back, but no one left. This was too good a spectacle to miss.
Yeomhwa extended his hand to the side.
Crackle.
Energy surged from his hand. Despite being drunk, he quickly expelled the alcohol from his system. He was skilled enough to do that.
With clear eyes, he approached me.
“What is your goal?”
“A goal? Of course, I have one. Would I cause such a scene in broad daylight otherwise?”
“What is it?”
“You don’t need to worry about that. It’s something I’ll deal with after I kill you.”
“You bastard!”
Yeomhwa’s killing intent surged.
I was slightly excited. Yeomhwa was a martial artist. This was my first time facing a martial arts master with my Seonhak technique.
Whoosh!
His fist flew at me with a tremendous gust of wind. Underestimating a bare fist could be fatal. A master like Yeomhwa could shatter a large rock with a single punch.
Whoosh! Boom!
His attacks were so fast they were almost invisible, like massive iron balls flying at me in succession.
Everything his fists touched turned to dust.
I continued to dodge, channeling my energy into my fist.
Instead of dodging, I met his punch head-on.
Bang!
Our fists collided directly.
I staggered back, sliding across the floor. Yeomhwa was pushed back as well.
The Seonhak technique wasn’t meant for direct attacks. It was a martial art that used the opponent’s strength against them to deliver a more powerful blow.
But I wanted to test it head-on, just once.
To see the destructive power of the Seonhak technique. Facing someone like Yeomhwa was a rare opportunity.
Boom!
Our fists clashed in mid-air, shaking the surroundings.
The impact traveled up my arm. Yeomhwa’s martial arts sought the ultimate power, and its force was immense.
Of course, Yeomhwa wasn’t having an easy time either. He was punching with a face that showed he was enduring pain.
At first, I thought my energy was overwhelming him, showing equal power.
But the more we clashed, the more I realized there was a hidden destructive element in the Seonhak technique.
I understood. The destructiveness wasn’t inherent in the Seonhak technique itself, but in the temperament of the person who created it.
The creator of the Seonhak technique must have been someone who used a more tyrannical martial art. But in their later years, they gained new insight and created the elegant Seonhak technique. They succeeded in creating a completely different martial art, but in the process, their martial artist’s temperament naturally seeped into it.
Ah, so this is possible!
It was an insight I wouldn’t have realized if my martial arts hadn’t reached a certain level.
After a few more clashes, we separated briefly.
Yeomhwa glared at me, panting. He was genuinely surprised.
It had been a long time since he’d faced someone head-on like this, and he was astonished that I withstood his punches.
In truth, my arm felt like it was about to fall off. So, enough of this brute testing.
“Shall we get serious now?”
My words made Yeomhwa flinch.
From his perspective, he hoped my words were just bravado to shake him, but my fighting style had completely changed.
Whoosh!
I dodged his powerful punch, filled with immense energy, and closed in on his chest. My movements became faster and more precise.
Thud!
My shoulder slammed into his chest. It wasn’t just the speed of my movement; it was the sheer unpredictability that caught him off guard.
If he were an ordinary master, his chest would have been shattered. But he merely staggered, seemingly unharmed.
“Not a chance!”
Twice, his fists flew at me, and a third time, his elbow aimed for the center of my forehead.
Whoosh.
The attack grazed my brow.
I didn’t miss the opportunity that came with his failed strike.
Thud! My elbow struck precisely under his armpit.
As he staggered, I seized the moment to kick his arm, targeting the elbow joint. Crack!
“Ugh!”
For the first time, a cry escaped his lips.
Thud! Thud!
My fists landed repeatedly on his pressure points.
Enraged like a wounded beast, he charged at me, his eyes blazing with the intensity of his inner strength.
But anger only serves as an advantage in battles among the less skilled.
Swish.
I spun around, wrapping his arm with mine.
Crack.
I heard the sound of bones, but it didn’t break completely.
“Ugh!”
I exerted all my strength.
Crack.
His arm finally gave way.
“Aaaargh!”
I swung around, wrapping my legs around his neck, spinning like a windmill.
His massive body spun with me, crashing forward. In another fight, this move would have been fatal, but he survived.
He sprang up and bolted outside.
The onlookers screamed.
He was heading for Maerang and Ho Yeonsuk. Instinctively, he knew that taking them hostage was his only chance for survival.
Just as he was about to leap at them, he froze.
His legs wouldn’t move. Like a shadow, I had struck the pressure points in his legs.
“I told you, didn’t I? You look even more pathetic now. Look at what you’re trying to do. This is who you truly are!”
The eyes of the warriors were fixed on him.
Eyes filled with contempt.
For someone who thrived on admiration, this was his worst moment.
“Aaaargh!”
He let out a guttural scream.
In the next instant, I leaped up, wrapping my legs around his neck, spinning like a whirlwind. His massive body twisted in the air with me.
Crack.
The terrible sound marked the end.
Thud!
He crashed to the ground. His neck was twisted grotesquely, eyes wide open in death.
In the silence that followed, everyone stared at me in shock.
I spoke in a low, resonant voice, infused with my inner strength.
“The Cheondo Clan, which has produced a leader, is sending successors across the land to amass power and seize local interests! Let this be a clear warning to them. Underestimating the martial world will come at a price.”
I could feel the silent jubilation of the onlookers. Though they remained quiet, aware of the attention, they were inwardly celebrating.
Had this not been the stronghold of the Martial Alliance and the domain of the Cheondo Clan, they would have cheered and applauded.
I turned to Maerang.
“This man came here to investigate the death of a grandson who was a disciple of the Ho Yeon family. Yet, he couldn’t even meet the leader. Who is this leader for? The Cheondo Clan? The Ho Yeon family? Today, he stepped forward to show the Martial Alliance and the Cheondo Clan that justice still lives in this world. That is all.”
As I turned to leave, Ho Yeonsuk called out to me.
“Please, tell us your name.”
I gave her a faint smile and leaped into the air.
Bounding across rooftops, I vanished from sight in an instant.
My purpose today wasn’t just to save Maerang and Ho Yeonsuk.
From this moment on, an unknown warrior would become the talk of the martial world.
I didn’t eliminate Yeomhwa in secret but in broad daylight, in front of everyone, for a reason.
I felt the need to create a hero.
The Byeokridan would quietly grow in strength, and when the time came to act, this Nameless Guest would step forward. The more the Nameless Guest appeared, the more the Byeokridan could grow powerful, unnoticed by enemies.
When it is eventually revealed that the Nameless Guest is the Byeokridan, the martial world will be taken by surprise once more.
There was another reason. The forces behind the scenes, the Martial Alliance, and the Cheondo Clan would all seek to uncover the identity of this Nameless Guest. I intended to use that to my advantage.
Now, I would become both light and shadow, fighting against them. At times, I would drive out darkness with light, and at other times, I would smother darkness with an even greater shadow.
Step by step, I advance toward the unknown enemies.