The Mad Dog Inspector of the Martial Alliance

Chapter 107 : A Windfall (3)

A bamboo hat pressed down to hide the face. A half-drawn sword and a fierce momentum. Thirty martial artists were clearly running with killing intent.

Even in the snowfield, their ranks and files did not waver. Their stable lightness skill and aura were comparable to the first-class martial artists of the Martial Alliance. They were on a different level from the beggars of the Beggars' Sect, who were like a disorderly mob.

Yang Gwan, filled with caution, took a step forward and aimed his spear.

"Stop-!"

The running martial artists quickly stopped their steps. It was a moment when Yang Gwan would have thrust his spear if they had approached a little more. It was a very skilled positioning.

The thirty martial artists were crouching with their swords half-drawn. It was a reckless posture as if they would rush in at any moment if an order was given. Yang Gwan asked again.

"Who dares to aim a weapon at the Ghost King's face!"

"..."

"I asked who you are."

"..."

There was no answer, and instead, they looked around as if looking for a moment to close the distance. Then Yang Gwan's spear, with a 'buung', shook once. At the same time, the snow at the martial artists' feet disappeared, and a flame blazed up.

Yang Gwan, with killing intent, said.

"If you are also martial artists, you should not be ignorant of the laws of the martial world. I will ask one last time. Who are you?"

The law of the martial world meant that a person who approached armed without revealing their identity was implicitly defined as an 'enemy'. It was not for nothing that martial artists greeted each other and exchanged names when they met. It was because if they did not announce that they were not an enemy, it would call for a fight even if they did not want it.

A martial artist was like a weapon, one by one. They had no hesitation in killing a person, and they had the ability to kill a person at any time. That was why just by someone approaching, one's nerves would become very sharp, regardless of the opponent's intention.

It was like that just by approaching closely. If a large number of people approached armed while hiding their identities, that was already a threat by the action itself. Originally, it would not be strange to attack and strike their necks right away.

Their actions were very rude and aggressive. It was a situation where it would not be strange for Yang Gwan to swing his spear right away. And yet, Yang Gwan had asked for the opponent's identity three times. It was a very orthodox martial artist-like response.

The shoulders of some of the bamboo-hatted men trembled. They felt shame at Yang Gwan's action. The largest among them replied.

"We are a nameless ronin unit. We have committed this rudeness because we have something to ask the Ghost King-nim."

Although he had asked three times, they had not given their names in the end.

Yang Gwan glanced at Jang So-gil out of the corner of his eye.

A ronin unit referred to wandering martial artists who lived by selling their skills. So there could be no such thing as a nameless ronin unit. Because if they had no name, they could not do business.

A person who sells something must have a name. The only class that could do business without a name was the wicked.

The Demonic Cult. Or the assassins of the Black Way who took on dirty work.

Then it was right to attack right away. But didn't they say they had something to say to the Ghost King?

Since Yang Gwan could not make a judgment himself, he was asking with his eyes what he should do.

Jang So-gil replied nonchalantly.

"For a nameless ronin unit, you're quite something. You all look useful. Like the martial artists of a prestigious noble family."

"You praise us too much."

"So what is it you want to ask?"

"Do you have any intention of saving the face of the Seomun Clan?"

"The face of the Seomun Clan..."

As soon as the giant man said the words 'Seomun Clan', many were surprised and looked back at him. It seemed that mentioning the Seomun Clan was not part of their plan.

Well, if he mentioned the Seomun Clan like this, any fool would know that they were the martial artists of the Seomun Clan. The meaning of covering their faces with bamboo hats and rushing in blindly was lost.

The original purpose must have been to fight to the death without exchanging words. And yet, he had attempted a conversation and started a negotiation. It was clearly the giant man's own decision. That giant man, as an orthodox martial artist, had responded to Yang Gwan's goodwill with goodwill.

Yang Gwan smiled, and Jang So-gil frowned as if he were in trouble.

"Even if the eldest son is a fool, a prestigious family is a prestigious family. He has a rather decent martial artist as a subordinate."

"I am grateful for the praise, but I would rather hear the answer to the question."

"Heueum..."

The rumor that the Ghost King and the Firm Dragon had fought in Luoyang City had already spread as much as it could. Even if they tried to block it with the power and wealth of the Seomun Clan, the stage was, of all places, Luoyang.

If it had been Xuchang, where the main house of the Seomun Clan was located, they might have been able to block it. But in Luoyang, the power of the officials, the Martial Alliance, and the Namgung Clan was much stronger. In Luoyang, the Seomun Clan could not wield that much power. So the rumor that the Firm Dragon had been beaten one-sidedly by the Ghost King and his nose had become as big as a king's fist had spread widely.

The Seomun Clan was a genuine prestigious family that possessed both wealth and martial power. They had been bragging so much that a Ten Dragon had come from their family, but for the eldest son of such a prestigious family and the next head of the family to be beaten by an inspector was a tremendous shame. It had to be repaid.

A martial artist speaks with a sword. It was not strange that the Seomun Clan had sent their household retainers to kill Jang So-gil.

'A part of the money that put my name on that damn extermination list must be from the Seomun Clan. To make a justification and disguise their actions at the same time.'

He had wondered what the secret was to gathering a bounty of five thousand taels and even a bribe in a short period of time. Jang So-gil, whose question was answered, grinned.

In the end, the reason for all this fuss was to vent the anger of the beaten eldest son. Inspector or not, if he was killed during a business trip, what would they know?

Committing a great murder for a light grudge. This was the way of the martial artist, and the way of the martial world.

"If you ask me to save your face, what method are you talking about? Are you asking me to write an official letter of apology? Or do I have to get beaten by that fellow just as I made his nose as big as a king's dumpling?"

"An official letter would be enough, I think."

"That's what you think. Do you think the 'Dog Dragon' would think so too?"

Not the 'firm' of firm, but the 'dog' of dog.

At the words that insulted their master, the atmosphere of the crowd changed completely.

Through the bamboo hats, their eyes flashed. They scattered their killing intent in all directions without even thinking of hiding it.

The falling snow melted in that heat.

'To know that they are doing the wrong thing, and yet to get angry when they hear their master being insulted. What well-trained hunting dogs. Yes, loyalty is the most important thing for a dog.'

As Jang So-gil was admiring the underlying strength of the prestigious noble family, the giant man raised his hand to calm his companions and then spoke again.

"Are you going to kick away the opportunity to not fight because of face? If you just bow your head once, there will be no need to fight to the death."

"That's right. What is that damn face that so many martial artists have to fight to the death for? You look like you have the skill of a first-class martial artist, and how much effort and tears did you swallow until you got that skill? It's a great waste for such people to die so easily."

The wind blew. The sleet scattered. Jang So-gil flicked the White Azure Divine Sword at his waist and held it.

His words were gentle, but his actions were like a person preparing to fight. The giant man took half a step back and lowered his body.

"A person who knows that speaks like that?"

"I'm saying it because I know. It was you who kicked away the opportunity to not fight because of face. After being beaten and becoming a laughingstock, you could have just brushed it off, saying, 'Ah, I fell and broke my nose.' But it was you who made it such a big deal."

"The Seomun Clan is a prestigious noble family. A prestigious noble family has the face of a prestigious noble family."

"That damn 'prestigious noble family' talk. Is a prestigious noble family so great? Is it so great that you have to make such a fuss just because your face was disgraced once?"

Jang So-gil, as if he were very displeased, frowned.

The face-saving of a prestigious noble family. The situation of the martial artists of the Seomun Clan who had to risk their lives for that face-saving. He felt displeasure at their attitude of taking it for granted that Jang So-gil should yield.

If it came to this, a fight would be unavoidable. Yang Gwan, who had hardened his resolve and gripped his spear firmly, was passed by Jang So-gil, who strode forward.

"Go back and tell them this. If you retreat here now, I can make it as if it never happened. But if you continue, then from now on, be prepared for the nameplate of that great Seomun Clan to be shattered."

Jang So-gil, who was walking on the snow with a 'sabak, sabak' sound, stood in front of the giant man at some point. With this, Jang So-gil had given the giant man a fourth chance to escape. His words were rough, but he had yielded once more.

Meeting Jang So-gil's proud and upright eyes, a feeling of shame welled up. It was the shame of an orthodox martial artist. Suppressing that feeling, the giant man placed his hand on the hilt of his sword.

"I don't think I can deliver that message."

The negotiation was the giant man's own decision. If he died, he would die here, and if he lived, his mission was to kill the inspector and return. 'We just wasted a chance for a surprise attack because of the captain,' the giant man, brushing off the complaints of his grumbling subordinates, drew his weapon.

The negotiation had broken down.

"Then it can't be helped. Go to heaven."

The Ghost King twisted the corner of his mouth.

And at the same time, swords flew from all directions.

* * *

The first to die in the battle was the giant man. The giant man's thick sword had no way of blocking Jang So-gil's lightning-fast move. The first form of the Sun-Shooting Sword Art, 'First Shot Appears', made a small hole in the giant man's neck.

Without even being able to properly send the signal to start the battle, they had lost their captain, but the martial artists of the Seomun Clan calmly formed a defensive formation and continued their attack.

The 'Firm Wall Defensive Formation' of the Seomun Clan. They made a wall with their swords and bodies to pressure the enemy and forcibly pushed them into a dead end. If their breathing and proficiency were even slightly off, a crack would form in the wall, and the enemy would escape.

The difficulty of operation was so high that it was not a very outstanding defensive formation. But these were skilled people who could more than make up for that disadvantage. There were no cracks in the defensive formation, and their breathing was thorough. If the giant man had not died, they would have shown an even more perfect appearance.

"These guys, they've prepared thoroughly."

The second form of the Soul-Stealing Ice Art, Permafrost, emitted cold qi to slow the enemy's movements and inflict internal injuries.

But their movements did not slow down, nor did they suffer internal injuries.

'Why is that?'

Jang So-gil, who had kicked off the air and soared into the sky using the Cloud Dragon Nine Steps, spun around in the air and looked down.

Those guys were exhaling hot breath from their mouths. To say that it was because it was cold and their breath was coming out, the amount was too much, so it looked as if they were smoking tobacco.

'I see. They must have eaten some 'Hot Yang Grass'.'

That wasn't all. Steam was also rising from their bosoms. They were carrying dozens of heated stones on their bodies.

If they carried that many, they wouldn't be slowed down by the cold qi, but they would be slowed down by those stones.

'Oh-ho. So they're filling the lack of mobility with a defensive formation.'

The Firm Wall Defensive Formation was not a defensive formation that required agile movements. It was a defensive formation that required honest stubbornness, a mentality that overcame fear, and courage.

In such a situation, it was much better for the body to be slowed down by the stones than to suffer internal injuries.

'Wise fellows. That's why they're easy to read.'

Every action had a meaning and an intention. There was no opponent as easy for Jang So-gil to read as a rational enemy.

The Firm Wall Defensive Formation was a defensive formation that killed the opponent after pushing them into a dead end. That was why their movements showed the intention of gathering Yang Gwan and Jang So-gil in one place.

Jang So-gil, who had read the enemy's intention in one go, once again did a big somersault in the air.

He kicked the sky several times like a dragon soaring through the sky. It resembled a legendary realm.

"Void-Treading Steps!"

"My goodness-!"

Someone shouted. In the eyes of the martial artists of the Seomun Clan, who had not known fear, for the first time, a little fear was lodged.

(End of Chapter)