Chapter 327: The Foolish Man

Cheonpae Gwak Jidal arrived near Samgu Village and took a moment to survey his surroundings.

“I remember running into Tuhee around here back in the day.”

But unlike the past, Tuhee did not come out to greet him this time. He hadn’t expected her to. With a determined stride, Gwak Jidal headed towards the village nestled on the hillside.

As he entered the small village, a strange excitement bubbled within him. It felt as if he was here to clear away something that had been weighing on him for a long time, or perhaps he was on a quest to find the woman of his destiny. Gwak Jidal walked with the confidence of a king.

The first to notice him was an old woman from Samgu Village. She held her breath the moment she saw him. Anyone could tell from his appearance that he was a martial artist.

Whenever Tuhee succumbed to her madness, she would retreat into a cave, leaving the villagers to occasionally face wandering martial artists alone. Such encounters rarely ended well.

The more restrained martial artists would extort money or valuables, but the more violent ones would harm people indiscriminately. To ordinary villagers, martial artists were nothing short of calamities in human form.

The old woman tried to hide before Gwak Jidal could spot her. But it was impossible for an ordinary person to escape the keen senses of someone like him.

With a swift movement, Gwak Jidal vanished from his spot and reappeared in front of the old woman.

“Hey, old lady.”

“P-please, spare me!”

Fear gripped the old woman. Even to someone with no knowledge of martial arts, Gwak Jidal’s skills were clearly beyond those of an ordinary martial artist.

She glanced around desperately, hoping someone would move the boulder blocking the cave and bring Tuhee out. It was a slim hope. Even if they hurried, it would take time for Tuhee to appear, while Gwak Jidal could snap her neck in a single breath.

But Gwak Jidal stepped back a pace or two and spoke.

“I have no intention of killing you. I’m not one to boast by taking lives.”

Gwak Jidal had a principle: there was no reason to associate with those who claimed to enjoy killing. In his experience, none of them truly enjoyed it.

Their goal wasn’t the act of killing itself but the fear and unease it instilled in others. They lacked the skills to earn respect, so they sought to secure their place through intimidation.

In a way, they were the most cowardly, barking louder than anyone else. Gwak Jidal, on the other hand, didn’t need such disgraceful methods to earn respect.

He had the skills to be generous to those with whom he had no quarrel.

The old woman sensed that Gwak Jidal was telling the truth, but that didn’t mean she could relax. Even a gentle tiger is still a tiger.

“What do you need…?”

“Tuhee. Where is Wi Jinan-hyang?”

The old woman felt a glimmer of hope. Wi Jinan-hyang, once a demon when she first appeared in the village, had become its most reliable guardian.

No martial artist who had come to Samgu Village with arrogance had survived a confrontation with her.

“Over there, in the cave.”

The old woman pointed with her wrinkled hand to the boulder blocking the cave entrance.

Gwak Jidal chuckled at the sight of the boulder.

“Living like livestock in this tiny village with such skills. How amusing. Oh, and old lady, go home. Don’t rush and trip.”

“Y-yes…”

Leaning on her cane, the old woman made her way home on trembling legs.

Gwak Jidal stood before the large boulder, contemplating for a moment. He placed his palms on its side and took a deep breath.

“Huuuup!”

With a surge of strength, his face turned red as he pushed. His immense internal energy, accumulated through near-monopolization of southern elixirs, combined with his natural physique, began to move the massive boulder with a grinding sound.

The old woman, who had been retreating, was startled by the sight and nearly fell. How could a person move such a colossal rock?

Finally, the boulder shifted nearly ten feet, revealing the entrance to the cave.

Gwak Jidal stepped into the dark cave. He hadn’t taken more than ten steps when he heard a growling breath.

From the shadows, a woman crouched low and charged at him. It was Wi Jinan-hyang.

She didn’t even check who he was. Her left arm swung towards Gwak Jidal’s neck, driven by instinct to target his vital points.

Gwak Jidal drew his sword and deflected her arm. Despite her beast-like actions, her nails were neatly trimmed, a detail that caught his eye. Whether she did it herself or someone else did it for her, he couldn’t tell.

Wi Jinan-hyang didn’t resist the force with which Gwak Jidal blocked her. Instead, she spun in mid-air, launching a kick. It wasn’t a precisely honed technique, but a large, flamboyant roundhouse kick.

Though it didn’t aim for maximum efficiency, the kick carried tremendous power. Her legs could easily kill a large man in one blow.

However, Gwak Jidal noticed a slight instability and awkwardness in her movements.

He smirked.

“Looks like you’re injured internally, aren’t you?”

He ducked under her leg and leaped back.

He saw her right hand twitching at her waist, as if searching for a sword that wasn’t there.

Gwak Jidal took a moment to observe her. Through her disheveled hair, he caught glimpses of her face.

Time had not spared the once-renowned Tuhee. She was no longer as fresh as before. To be blunt, she was past her prime.

Yet she was still beautiful, and the aura of the Tuhee of old lingered. That subtle difference stirred something in Gwak Jidal’s heart.

Despite living a rather indulgent life as the leader of the southern martial world, no woman had ever made him feel this way.

“Good, very good…”

With his beloved sword, Cheonam, longer and broader than most, Gwak Jidal slowly pressed Tuhee back. The space she occupied in the cave grew smaller.

When her back finally touched the cave wall, Wi Jinan-hyang suddenly changed direction and lunged at him, her hands curled like animal claws.

Even in her crude technique, the insights of a supreme master were evident. An ordinary opponent wouldn’t have lasted more than a few moves.

“Haha!”

But Gwak Jidal not only blocked her attacks but also prevented her from escaping to a wider area. Even in her instinct-driven state, she was visibly flustered, like a cat with its fur standing on end.

Gwak Jidal’s heart swelled with excitement.

“My skills are superior.”

Her tension seemed to blur even the martial insights ingrained in her instincts. Though her attacks grew wilder and faster, Gwak Jidal’s defense became more relaxed. In martial arts, the most important elements aren’t strength, speed, or momentum.

Finally, Gwak Jidal made his move. He feigned an opening to lure her attack.

As expected, Wi Jinan-hyang threw herself at the opening. Her attack came precisely as he had anticipated.

With a swift step back, Gwak Jidal dodged her strike. He then drove his knee into her abdomen.

“Ugh!”

Had she been in perfect condition, she might have minimized the damage with her internal energy, but she couldn’t. Her internal injuries hadn’t fully healed.

Before she could hit the ground, Gwak Jidal’s elbow struck her back. She coughed up blood and tumbled to the floor.

Gwak Jidal quickly moved to pin her down, attempting to seal her pressure points.

Wi Jinan-hyang’s internal energy, accumulated over years of drinking from a mystical spring, resisted on its own. But Gwak Jidal’s internal energy was far greater. He had practically hoarded the southern elixirs.

He didn’t seal her vital points or render her unconscious. Instead, he only immobilized her limbs, allowing her some movement.

Gwak Jidal straddled her, pinning her with his weight. She screamed and thrashed like a wild beast. Though she seemed purely instinctual, he sensed a faint glimmer of reason and fear within her.

His head spun with exhilaration.

Gwak Jidal pressed his left arm against Wi Jinan-hyang’s neck, while his right hand fumbled at his waistband. But before he could lower his pants, he sensed a deadly intent approaching from behind.

”···!”

He was too excited to react quickly, but he managed to avoid a fatal blow. Gwak deflected the incoming blade with his forearm, leaving a small but deep cut. Yet, no blood flowed; the wound had frozen over.

‘Is this some kind of dark energy technique?’

The person who appeared behind him was Seolhwa. She hadn’t gone to gather herbs as expected but had been hiding, avoiding work. Hearing the old woman’s plea for help, she had come to the cave.

Gwak studied Seolhwa. Despite his broad experience, he found her unusual. While he had occasionally encountered practitioners of the Yang energy technique, Seolhwa was only the third person he’d met who mastered the Yin energy technique. Her skill was far superior to the other two he had encountered.

And she was a rare woman with such abilities. Her achievements were impressive for her age, though her talent was still unripe. She was far behind Gwak and even the frenzied Tuhee.

Yet, Gwak found her intriguing, though not as much as Wi Jinan-hyang. He pointed at the struggling Wi Jinan-hyang.

“You came here knowing you’d end up like her if you challenged me, didn’t you?”

Seolhwa didn’t respond, merely adjusting her stance and glaring at Gwak. He interpreted her silence differently.

“They say women of your kind are naturally promiscuous. Seems like it’s true. Ha!”

With that, Gwak stomped the ground. The floor trembled slightly, and his energy swept through the area, momentarily freezing Seolhwa in place. Gwak seized the opportunity and lunged at her.

Seolhwa swung her sword, barely managing to parry Gwak’s attacks. They exchanged three rapid strikes. Her swordsmanship wasn’t particularly threatening, but Gwak was intrigued by something else. Frost began to form on his blade, and his forearm felt as if it were submerged in icy water, growing stiffer. His energy flow was slowing. Seolhwa’s sword was one that constricted its opponent gradually.

“Interesting!”

But unique techniques alone couldn’t bridge the vast gap in their skills. Gwak crouched low, then launched himself at Seolhwa with full force. She tried to block him with her sword, but his overwhelming strength and size were too much.

With a thud, Gwak’s shoulder slammed into Seolhwa, sending her tumbling across the ground. He quickly followed, pinning her down and immobilizing her limbs, just as he had done with Wi Jinan-hyang.

Now he had two women at his mercy. But Seolhwa’s reaction was different from Wi Jinan-hyang’s. She didn’t struggle or tremble in fear. Instead, she stared directly at Gwak.

Since declaring himself the “Heavenly Defiler,” no woman had ever looked at Gwak like that. Not one.

Gwak met her gaze and laughed.

“Did you come here hoping for this? You’re quite something! Well, women do desire strong men.”

Seolhwa finally spoke.

“I wasn’t expecting you.”

“Then who were you expecting?”

Gwak was unaware that someone had just arrived at the cave entrance.

Hyun Gong stood there, observing the scene inside. Neither Gwak nor Seolhwa had noticed his presence. Seolhwa had only hoped he would come.

Earlier, Hyun Gong had been struck by a strange intuition, prompting him to abandon his search for rare herbs and return to the village. The open cave entrance confirmed his instincts.

As Hyun Gong peered inside, the first thing he saw was Seolhwa being thrown and immobilized. That alone was enough for him to gauge Gwak’s formidable skills.

A flurry of thoughts raced through Hyun Gong’s mind.

‘Someone with such skill is rare. Is it the Heavenly Defiler, Gwak Jidal?’

‘He’s much stronger than me.’

‘The situation is dire. There are two hostages.’

‘If I fight, I’ll lose.’

‘Could I win if Namgung Myung and Hong Geolgae were here to help? Probably.’

‘But they don’t know about this. I can’t count on them. I have to think without them.’

‘How long could I hold out against the Heavenly Defiler?’

‘Is there anything to gain by winning?’

Winning seemed nearly impossible, and even if he did, there was nothing to gain. Only losses to prevent. And those losses weren’t even his own. The ones who would suffer were Seolhwa and Tuhee.

‘I barely know Tuhee. We’ve only just met.’

The only thing that weighed on his mind was Seolhwa.

But Seolhwa had never shown any affection towards him. Hyun Gong only assumed she didn’t dislike him because she hadn’t rejected his kindness.

Yet the world was vast. Surely, there were many women better than Seolhwa. Women who would express their affection for him first. After all, Hyun Gong was a man who stood out anywhere.

If he ran away now, his friends might see him as a coward.

They probably would.

But if he was lucky, they might never find out.

His friends didn’t know he was watching. He could just pretend he arrived late.

It took only a breath to reach this conclusion.

Hyun Gong’s legs began to inch backward.

But he couldn’t flee as easily as he usually did.

It wasn’t because Seolhwa, the woman he had invested so much in, was in danger.

It was simply because there was no one else to clean up the mess for him.

Hyun Gong stopped his retreat, taking a deep breath.

The calculating man, Hyun Gong, fell into thought once more.

This time, he approached it differently.

Before, he had predicted the best outcome from the given situation and made his choice.

But now, he set the best outcome first and tried to fit the current situation and possibilities into it.

‘If I’m lucky, my friends might arrive in time. Maybe the villagers will go fetch them.’

‘Do the villagers know where Namgung Myung and Hong Geolgae are? Probably not. But if I’m lucky, they might bring at least one of them.’

‘How long will it take? Can I hold out until then?’

‘If I’m lucky, maybe. I’m confident in my defense.’

‘Maybe my martial arts are well-suited for this.’

He linked one stroke of luck to another.

It was a flimsy optimism, and Hyun Gong knew how foolish it was. He wasn’t as naive as his friends.

But the certainty was that the possibility wasn’t zero. There was a sliver of a chance. Definitely.

Hyun Gong couldn’t turn away from that possibility.

Another breath. In that time, Hyun Gong organized his thoughts once more.

When he stopped thinking, he was already inside the cave.

Hyun Gong had deliberately thrown himself into a situation where he couldn’t back down.

That’s the courage of a coward. Act first, then figure out how to deal with it.

The Heavenly Defiler and Hyun Gong locked eyes.

Hyun Gong took a deep breath and spoke in a deliberately casual tone.

“Think about it logically. Do you really think Seolhwa was expecting someone like you? Of course, she was waiting for me.”

The Heavenly Defiler asked, “And who are you?”

“I am—” Hyun Gong replied, “Hyun Gong of Mount Wudang.”