The Mad Dog Inspector of the Martial Alliance

Chapter 104 : Winter (4)

It was just a matter of clenching a fist and hitting the nose. Jang So-gil was a swordsman and had never learned fist techniques, so he didn't particularly use any martial arts.

Just a punch. A punch aimed at the nose. But that simple punch worked. The opponent was not a street ruffian but the Firm Dragon, who held the last seat of the Ten Dragons, yet it worked as simply as if it were a joke.

Jang So-gil followed Seomun Jung-u, who was pulling his waist back, and hit his nose again. His waist bent back again, and a nosebleed gushed out. Then he followed him again and hit his nose.

A persistent continuous attack. Seomun Jung-u's rather handsome face was mercilessly crushed by the unexpected series of nose punches. The onlookers wondered if the eldest son of the Seomun Clan had always been that ugly.

This was, although it had no particular name, a beating method that beggars enjoyed using. They would concentrate on hitting the nose to completely distort the opponent's face and make them ugly. If one was hit to this extent, even if they received treatment, the nasal bone would be twisted, and the blood that had collected inside would not drain well, causing the nose to swell and become large.

Since ancient times, the nose was the part that held the largest proportion in physiognomy. If his nose became that ugly, it would be better to give up on looking handsome in the future.

Since he had become ugly enough, Jang So-gil dusted off his hands and stopped his attack. Seomun Jung-u flailed his arms and then, belatedly, took an unsightly defensive posture and distanced himself.

"W-what kind of sorcery is this!"

His body wouldn't move. He couldn't even perform the motion of drawing the shield sword hanging from his waist. So he was helplessly beaten by Jang So-gil, who was swinging his fists. If this wasn't sorcery, then what on earth was sorcery!

The escort martial artists, who had opened their eyes like rabbits, alarmed by the word 'sorcery', blocked the space between Seomun Jung-u and Jang So-gil. It was right not to interfere in a one-on-one duel between martial artists, but if it was sorcery, the story was different. Seomun Jung-u, whose spirits were lifted by the escort, shouted, covering his nose from which a nosebleed was gushing.

"It's the Demonic Cult-! It must be the Demonic Cult!"

There were many onlookers. Who wouldn't come out to see the Ghost King and the Firm Dragon fighting over the Flower Phoenix in the middle of Luoyang? Everyone was watching the fight from the street, from the second floor of the building, from the third floor, with interested eyes.

The reactions of the common people who heard Seomun Jung-u's shout were greatly divided.

"Look at that, as soon as he gets hit, he starts spouting sorcery."

"Is there any way the Ghost King-nim would use sorcery? Tsk, tsk."

"Ugly, so ugly."

"The fame of the Firm Dragon will fall to the ground."

"Look at him with a nosebleed..."

Those who had harbored admiration for Jang So-gil while watching his usual actions.

"I knew it. He was a pawn of the Demonic Cult!"

"Of course, I knew it from the time a beggar's child suddenly started acting as an inspector."

"He must have bewitched people with his beauty and sorcery?!"

Those who had not looked favorably on Jang So-gil's actions from before.

Jang So-gil, watching the two reactions being sharply divided, took out a tobacco pipe and put it to his mouth. Ye-er naturally lit it for him. Since it was a cold winter day, white breath came out, and the tobacco smoke flowed along with that breath. Jang So-gil, who had let out a long breath and tidied his clothes, looked at Seomun Jung-u with a pitiful eye.

"Stop making a fool of your family and go in and get your nose bone set, how about it?"

"You bastard! Do you still not admit that you used sorcery!"

"You're talking nonsense..."

It was the nature of orthodox martial artists to always talk about sorcery when they saw something they couldn't understand. Did he really have to explain it, making his mouth hurt?

There was no need to boast about his martial arts level, and there was no need to deliberately teach his own techniques. It would be best to ignore it.

'No, wait a minute.'

Jang So-gil, who was about to just leave the ugly Seomun Jung-u, stopped his steps. Come to think of it, even if the Seomun Clan was not counted among the five great noble families, it was a rather successful family. If the eldest son of such a family were to spread false rumors that the inspector of the Martial Alliance used sorcery and was a puppet of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, it would become troublesome.

It took a tremendous amount of effort to catch a rumor that had once spread. Moreover, if the eldest son of a prestigious orthodox sect, the Firm Dragon who held the last seat of the Ten Dragons, were to claim so? It might have started with a single word, but to quell the rumor, several thousand silver taels would just be broken. The thing Jang So-gil hated the most was to block with a spade what could be blocked with a hoe.

'Forest fires and false rumors, early suppression is the best response.'

At this point, it wouldn't be a problem to reveal one or two of his own techniques. The speed at which Jang So-gil's martial arts level was rising was so fast that it was difficult to hide.

It would be better to explain. Jang So-gil, who had quickly finished his calculations, slightly took off his gloves and showed his white, delicate hands.

"You stupid fool, look here."

A white cold qi swirled around Jang So-gil's hand. The common people, seeing the inspector, who was always strict, rarely demonstrating his martial arts, let out a great exclamation.

It was an outstandingly beautiful hand. Seomun Jung-u, looking at that hand, spat out as if growling.

"I knew it! It's the 'White Hand Demonic Art'!"

The White Hand Demonic Art was a demonic art of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult that stored the qi of the extreme yin in the arm and emitted a strong cold qi. When one learned the White Hand Demonic Art, the arm would turn pure white, and a faint blue light like that of a jade would linger, making it not only beautiful to look at but also outstanding in its power. It was a demonic art that the female demon leaders of the Demonic Cult enjoyed learning.

Jang So-gil, clicking his tongue with a 'tsk, tsk', said.

"At a glance, it might certainly look like the White Hand Demonic Art."

"You're confessing that you're a member of the Demonic Cult!"

"Well, this is not the White Hand Demonic Art. It's the Soul-Stealing Ice Art."

"Soul-Stealing Ice Art?"

"Isn't it nothing new that I have learned the Soul-Stealing Ice Art?"

Gumen Long had bestowed the White Azure Divine Sword upon Jang So-gil as a token of the Martial Alliance inspector. And he had already announced that he had also passed on the Soul-Stealing Ice Art. This was a story that was widely known to the public.

"What's so special about the Soul-Stealing Ice Art!"

"I don't know how you became one of the Ten Dragons with that head of yours."

"Ha! What nonsense. How long has it been since you learned the Soul-Stealing Ice Art, and you're boasting about your ice art? It's definitely sorcery."

"Do I have to spoon-feed you for you to understand? It's the principle of the five elements, the principle of the five elements."

"The five elements... Ah!"

All things in the world follow the principle of the five elements. Fire, water, wood, metal, earth. Just as fire controls water and water controls wood, the principles of the world are interconnected.

This connection of principles is also quite important in the practice of martial arts. It is because martial arts have affinities.

"Hmm? He was beaten one-sidedly, so what's with the principle of the five elements?"

"That's right, isn't it not the time to discuss affinities?"

Someone among the onlookers who had some knowledge of martial arts muttered. He seemed to be a wandering ronin.

Certainly, Seomun Jung-u's level was several steps higher than those ronin. At the words 'principle of the five elements', he had quickly realized why he had been beaten.

Jang So-gil nodded his head.

"That's right. It's because it's winter now."

Do not fight with the water bandits of the Eighteen Fortresses of the Yangtze River on the water. It was said because the martial art they used, the 'Water Dragon Returning Bullet', became several times stronger when there was water.

Martial arts could become dozens of times stronger if the place and time were right. In a place with water, water arts became stronger, and in a place with fire, fire arts became stronger.

The Soul-Stealing Ice Art was also the same. If used in a cold environment, its function would become stronger.

It was for that reason that the martial artists of the North Sea Ice Palace possessed tremendous strength in the North Sea, where it was winter all year round.

"..."

The reason for his defeat was clear at a glance. His body had been dominated by the cold qi that the fellow emitted and had not been able to react.

Seomun Jung-u had also heard that a person who was not familiar with ice arts could not even bring out half of their true skill when fighting with the martial artists of the North Sea Ice Palace.

"The martial arts used by the martial artists of the North Sea Ice Palace are of that level, but the Soul-Stealing Ice Art I use is the best ice art passed down to the palace lord of the North Sea Ice Palace. Didn't you think it would be more than that?"

Jang So-gil's Soul-Stealing Ice Art had not yet reached the stage of 'soul-stealing' that stole the soul, but it had achieved enough to take away the freedom of one opponent's body in the middle of winter.

Seomun Jung-u, who had finally understood the martial principle, his face turned red.

He felt the difference in class. He also realized how foolish it was to have driven him to sorcery.

He would win a hundred times out of a hundred fights. He would win ten thousand times out of ten thousand fights.

Instead of hitting his nose, if he had taken out the White Azure Divine Sword and struck his neck, he could have struck him a hundred times.

He had gone easy on him. He had played around with the Firm Dragon, who held the last seat of the Ten Dragons, as if he were fighting a street ruffian.

"Keu, keuuu..."

"It seems you understand now."

Jang So-gil, looking at him as if he were pathetic, flicked his tobacco pipe. Seomun Jung-u closed his eyes tightly.

Should he hide the fact that he had realized, and incite the common people by shouting loudly to cover up this shame?

Or should he take out his shield sword and, once again, with a burning will, start a second fight?

"L-let's go!"

Seomun Jung-u chose the third path, escape. He led his group and hurriedly ran away.

Before his face was further disgraced. Before the rumor reached the Flower Phoenix, Namgung Yeohwa, he had to escape.

"Huh? Why?"

"Why is he suddenly running away?"

The common people, not knowing the reason, just watched the back of the fleeing Seomun Jung-u.

The red bloodstains left on the road he went were a very conspicuous sight.

* * *

The Firm Dragon, Seomun Jung-u, had challenged the Ghost King, Jang So-gil, and had his face disgraced.

The Seomun Clan released money to shut the mouths of the onlookers, shut the mouths of the waiters, shut the mouths of the ronin, and shut the mouths of the beggars.

But the central plains were wide, and there were many people. It was difficult to block all the rumors.

Yang Gwan spoke with a reluctant expression.

"They say that Young Master So smashed the Firm Dragon. Is that true?"

"Where did you hear that?"

"I hear it here and there. Actually, there's no one in Luoyang who doesn't know."

Around this time, Jang So-gil's popularity was soaring without knowing the sky was high. The story of the Ghost King, who punished the powerful and recovered wealth, was on the lips of the storytellers. It was made into a paper puppet show that children liked and was performed here and there. The lower class, beggars, and children who liked heroes couldn't help but like it.

It was also thanks to the Martial Alliance actively using the Sword Dragon Unit to make Jang So-gil a symbol of integrity.

"So, is it true?"

"It's true."

"No, that fellow is no ordinary fellow, so how did you smash him so easily?"

"He's no ordinary fellow?"

Jang So-gil, who had just made him unable to move his limbs with the Soul-Stealing Ice Art and then had just beaten his nose to a pulp, did not know his skill.

Since he was one of the Ten Dragons, he must have been strong?

"He's a very persistent fellow. Do you think his nickname would be 'Firm Dragon' for no reason? He holds a wide sword called a 'shield sword' and just defends to the death, waiting for the opponent to get tired before attacking. I've also fought with that fellow, and we fought for half a day. He's a really shabby fellow."

"Ah, ah. As expected, he was the kind of guy who fought that kind of fight."

A coward who, when things didn't go as planned, chose to flee right away instead of another action. It was not uncommon for such a coward to choose a defensive tactic.

"Please teach me. How did you subdue him?"

"I used the second form of the Soul-Stealing Ice Art, 'Permafrost'."

The first form, the Soul-Stealing Flash, was a flash that gathered and released cold qi.

The second form, Permafrost, was a technique that made the opponent sluggish by letting cold qi flow around the body.

"They say that when you reach the extreme, ice freezes and snow falls with every step you take, and people freeze and burst just by breathing. But I'm still far from that stage. If I just use the martial art, it's about to the extent of making the body stiff and the reaction sluggish... In winter, it's just that it works well, so it worked even on a guy like the Firm Dragon."

I see. He made him sluggish and then beat him like a dog.

Although he had heard the explanation, a feeling of doubt remained. Yang Gwan, stroking his rough chin, slightly pouted his lips.

"That's, it feels like a very sorcery-like martial art."

"To be honest, even I think this is half sorcery."

"As expected, right?"

"The martial art called Soul-Stealing Ice Art is just made that way."

All the forms of the Soul-Stealing Ice Art were like this.

A light that stole the soul. A cold that stole the freedom of the body.

It was a little different from other martial arts. The Soul-Stealing Ice Art was a martial art that would become sorcery if you insisted it was sorcery.

It was a word that the palace lord of the North Sea Ice Palace had heard all his life, so if Seomun Jung-u had dug into that point, it would have been quite troublesome.

But nevertheless, the reason Jang So-gil had boldly revealed his technique was.

"So what, the Martial Alliance Leader guaranteed it. How can he insist it's sorcery?"

It was because it was a martial art that the number one in the world, the Martial Alliance Leader Gumen Long, had personally passed on.

When the Martial Alliance Leader said it was okay, who on earth would insist it was sorcery?

Do you dare to question the words of the Martial Alliance Leader? You want to die?

Do you know martial arts better than the Alliance Leader-nim? Then are you the number one in the world?

Wouldn't he just hear something like this?

"Kikil. Selling the Alliance Leader-nim's name is always thrilling. It's new every time."

"Ah, Young Master So, please maintain your dignity."

"Shut up. You just do your report."

Yang Gwan, coming to his senses, grinned.

"I have confirmed that the spies are moving."

"Really? Then we'll have to start right away from today."

(End of Chapter)