The leader of the alliance stood in the center, with higher-ranking warriors lined up to the left and right.
“It has been a long time since I have seen someone challenge me so boldly.”
Words of flattery were spoken.
“Alliance leader, I will compete with Low-Down Sect Leader first.”
The alliance leader gives a brief response.
“I already agreed.”
“Yes.”
The leader of the alliance removes his thick coat, which a servant promptly takes away. Then he turns to me and asks,
“I prefer not to use blades, what about you?”
I nod.
“Sure, let’s do that.”
A corner of his mouth turns upwards as he smiles while approaching me. The name Ju-guk gives off the impression that this unworthy guy might actually be holding a skewer in his hand.
Ju-guk looks at one of the members and says,
“Make sure no outsiders interfere and be alert.”
“Yes.”
“Everyone step back. There is a risk of Low-Down Sect Leader deliberately going haywire to destroy this place.”
“Yes, leader.”
The alliance leader glances over at me.
“Since the area is spacious, I prefer you not to engage in combat while on the move. I’m forewarning you. Is this sufficient?”
Ju-guk had anticipated any possible obstacles. It has been a long time since I’ve seen a man use their brain.
“Do whatever you feel like.”
“Even if you speak with politeness, I will not fall for your deception. And if I observe anything that unsettles me, I won’t hesitate to take action against you either.”
In such a soft manner, he was advising me to stay within my boundaries.
Has he figured out all of my tendencies?
Maybe it’s because he’s the man who trampled on the unorthodox people and worked his way into his position that he must have dealt with people like me very often.
I accept everything he says,
“Let us do it. Since you’ve said your piece, let us just get this over with.”
“Do you behave like this even with Alliance Leader Im?”
“I am a little more polite. I cannot speak carelessly to the Murim Alliance Leader.”
Ju-guk sighs and says something unexpected.
“Satisfy your curiosity and then move on. If one always kills subordinates for failing missions, how can one lead properly? The one who died was because he was commissioned by the young lord of the Demonic Cull and caused trouble without even reporting about his mission right.”
“Aha.”
“When I investigated the matter, your name came up. The rumors surrounding you had reached my ears. You get it? You’re the one who runs things too loosely and that causes problems. However, there are rules in my alliance. Keeping secrets and not informing me lead to significant issues. And even if one of them crosses the line, I can’t intervene. Do you comprehend what I’m saying?”
“I confirm.”
“Good. Even so, your words had crossed the line too. I wanted to see for myself. First, believe that you are not working with the Demonic Cult. A person who doesn’t like being below someone else. Isn’t that why you are a leader on your own without joining the Murim Alliance? Low-Down Sect Leader, Lee Zaha?”
I nod.
He came at me with such sound logic that I have nothing to say. And when I have nothing to say, my fighting spirit falls down.
Well, he managed to land an attack on me.
“That’s good. The case is accepted. Then, now we just need to confirm one thing.”
“One thing?”
“Confirming my threat to kill you shouldn’t be a problem anymore.”
The alliance leader laughs.
“It is simple to prove.”
“How?”
“If you don’t die in my hands. If you are a man who I cannot kill then it means you can take down half my alliance. Wouldn’t that be enough proof?”
It’s unfortunate that he wishes to kill me in a dignified manner. I eagerly rubbed my hands.
“I confirm.”
As I rub my hands together and activate the White Lightning ten Dantian technique, a crackling sound emerges. It resembles the peaceful thunder one hears on a rainy day.
That was when one of the elders shouted,
“Alliance leader, he is a man with a wild spirit, so do not spare his life. He’s rumored to be insane. We can’t expect him to play fair.”
Ju-guk raises his hand as if telling him to not speak anymore. And in the silence, alliance leader says again,
“From what I’ve heard, it sounds like you learned things to avoid being hit with damage. It will be a bit difficult. It is a one-on-one fight between us two. Do not use your head too much. Low-Down Sect Leader, do you get it?”
At this point, I am shocked.
“…”
It was as if he had figured out what I was planning. If that is the case then this guy is a genius.
But why does this situation seem so funny?
I laugh and chuckle at his words. It is more fun to laugh during a serious situation. Some random elder was able to accurately grasp my condition.
“Insane?”
He evaluated me from a third-person perspective.
“I suppose so. Looks genuine. I get it, so stop mumbling and challenge me, alliance leader.”
I could see his anger causing his nerves to stand on end, he loses his composure and charges at me.
‘Fist? Palm? Kick?’
I was forced back by his strength. Realizing the futility of fighting him, I stepped back. I leaped backward and took a tumble in the air, but when I landed, the guy was right in front of me.
‘Palm or Fist?’
His hand fly towards my neck, and I kick his stomach. It was at that moment that I noticed his Fist Wind, and I could see the flow of movements. The moment I hit the Wind with my Dual Palms, I realized that my form wasn’t good enough and I got pushed back.
‘Palm? Fist? Ah, flying kick then?’
I hear the sound of the wall collapsing as I begin to avoid his attacks and he attempts to hit my throat.
Was I getting enlightenment here? This suddenly?
I come to the realization that if I could endure this, the martial arts of the alliance leader would be so powerful that the entire land could be destroyed.
So, while living in the world, it is proof that I’m not the only violent person. The alliance leader is quite violent. In an instant, the fist of alliance leader goes straight for my stomach.
I crossed my arms in defense and barely blocked the punch, feeling the coldness penetrate my body.
Pak!
I just need to withstand it!
Fortunately, without thinking, I block the kick, break through the wall, and arrive without warning at the place I had previously passed through.
This wasn’t my intention.
Covered in dust, I roll over and stand to look at the alliance leader.
Is this the cave I just came out of or went into? Instead of a man, a tiger emerges from the cave with a relaxed attitude. I speak calmly to prevent the tiger from advancing.
“Pretty good. Huhuhu.”
I brushed the dust off my body, allowing myself enough time to breathe. It wasn’t a good decision because the dust I was brushing off was entering my nose. At this moment, he appears and lands on the collapsed wall. The wall is already quite damaged and if he stands on it, it is certain to collapse. As he lands on the ground, an elder scolds me intensely.
“You fool, you keep ruining everything. Won Ga-song made a mistake and died, but since you destroyed the alliance’s wall, you’re going to die here too.”
I say to the elder,
“Shut up.”
I glance at the alliance leader, feeling calm.
“Given the circumstances, it would be proper to kill that man first and then proceed with the battle. I’ll wait until then.”
The alliance leader sighs before answering.
“… Sect Leader, are your skills just limited to this? With these skills, you can’t handle me at all.”
“What? No? I haven’t even shown my full skills yet. You fucking idiot who doesn’t understand, come at me.”
I pull out the wooden sword to buy myself some time. As I draw the sword, he says,
“Wouldn’t the odds of you dying increase if you pull out a weapon?”
“You think so?”
I slowly put the sword back in.
“…”
I bought enough time to stabilize my breathing. It has been difficult to get a proper breath in. One should have fighting experience equivalent to mine to be able to endure so many battles, but he was handling himself well.
As I continue to widen the distance, I rub my hands again and look around. Of course, with both hands charged with lightning due to my martial arts, a roaring noise like this was expected.
While rubbing my hands I ask the alliance leader,
“Shall we proceed to the inner garden and carry on?”
“There’s no point. It won’t be effective.”
“You’re so smart.”
In an instant, one of the elders burst into laughter and hastily brings a hand up to cover their mouth.
“Hmm…”
I look at the executive with a startled look.
“Smiling? How dare you smile when your alliance leader is engaged in battle?”
Fortunately, this causes the alliance leader to divert their attention with a displeased expression and glare at the person who had covered their mouth.
“…!”
I interpret the inner thoughts reflected in the alliance leader’s eyes.
“You’re finished. No chance of a promotion anymore. What a shame. It’s tough to accept that all those years of loyalty have gone to waste. The decision is in your hands now. I understand because I’ve been there, but your alliance leader is a terrifying individual. Won Ga-song lost his life because he got caught in a similar situation. Now that I think about it, I said that, but why did that subordinate have to die? The alliance leader is truly a frightening man.”
The alliance leader, glaring at his subordinates, turns his head and shouts at me.
“Shut up!”
The tiger roars.
In that momentary gap, I had already rubbed my hands, but not to demonstrate martial arts. No one noticed that I was behaving strangely by rubbing my hands.
Of course, the sound of rubbing was similar.
However, this is a peculiar sound resulting from combining Strolling Golden Tortoise and Shadow Moon martial arts.
Of course, it’s on a different level from when I practiced the martial arts. As soon as I learned it, I always created a sphere and used it to escape from difficult situations. But I never expected to use it to open the gate of the alliance castle.
Jjjkjkjkj!
What is this amazing sound?
The condensed qi of Yin Qi and Lightning Qi is wriggling in my hands like the oil that rises to the surface in pork bone soup. It is full of interesting things to see. At first glance, it looks much better than Light Sky of Sun and Moon.
“Light Sky of Sun and Moon has arrived. This means that the non-fun things are starting.
His jokes were not funny at all, and the atmosphere was so scary that no one even smiled. Actually, I don’t care because I am a person who has experienced many situations in which no one laughed at my jokes.
The alliance leader who takes a step towards me, stops, and his eyes widen. I warn him.
“I’ve always had a bit of luck with this technique. This is the technique that had blown away the elders of the Demonic Cult at that time. Too late. What do your words mean? That I too cannot handle this?”
I can feel the atmosphere shift as he babbles to me. And he cautions,
“Do that and you will die.”
I nod.
“If I die, you will die too. And those close by will surely die too. It cannot be avoided. Although we were not born on the same day, we will certainly die on the same day. Let us venture into the afterlife to find a resolution. The Demonic Cult as well. Only the fortunate few that are lucky enough to have been shielded by the corpses will manage to survive, albeit barely. Perhaps this is enough of a sufficient explanation? I shall reiterate. No matter what opposing force appears, I will personally put an end to it. Whether it is the Demonic Cult or your alliance, it matters not in the least.”
The alliance leader shouts as if someone is coming up behind me.
“Stop!”
The man with hands eager to demonstrate his technique in the enemy base, that is me. I survey my surroundings and say,
“If you are confident, then come at me.”
Just then, a voice chimes in.
“I cannot let you die.”
An old man in shabby clothes appears in front of the alliance leader.
I locked eyes with the leader of the Beggars Union.
“Senior…”
It was Shin Gae, who asks me,
“You want to kill yourself? I will not allow it.”
Of course, I never had any plans to die, but I wasn’t sure what to say. Luckily, the Beggar’s Union Leader, who didn’t recognize the leader, asks,
“Who are you?”
Without hesitation, the Beggar’s Union Leader turns around and strikes the alliance leader with the back of his hand. The startled alliance leader raises his right hand high and uses his forearm to protect his face.
Kwaaaaang!
I think I just saw a flash of lightning. And even after he defended against the attack, the alliance leader was rolling around.
The Beggar’s Union Leader looks around. All the men in the alliance have similar expressions, as if they had been hit with ice water.
And the Beggar’s Union Leader says,
“Ju-guk.”
The guy, who had jumped over the wall, bounces up and runs with his hands joined in front of the Beggar’s Union Leader.
“Yes, senior.”
And the Beggar’s Union Leader continues.
“So long.”
“I thought you had taken a step back.”
“Retiring is easier when we step back into the scene. And to be exact, I wasn’t retiring. Why would I do that alone?
“Yes.”
“Wait.”
He comes closer, hands extended.
“Sect Leader, you cannot die in such a manner. Be still now.”
I had already opened the Light Sky of Sun and Moon with both hands, but he comes closer and seizes my wrists.
“Zaha, what does this mean?”
“…”
The man known apart of the Three Disasters chuckles as if this is trouble.
“If this explodes now, you will get hurt, so let us try something. I will help too.”
I had nothing to worry about as I could recall it without injury, well, I’ve done it once. However, this unexpected appearance of this man surprised me.
I gazed at him calmly and reply,
“… I confirm.”
