novelraw Chapter 78 : Go to Heaven (1)
Chapter 78 : Go to Heaven (1)
After the death of the Heavenly Demon, who was the number one demon in the world, three demons remained in the martial world.
The one who lived with the absurd purpose of annihilating all the martial artists of the martial world, the Killing Demon.
The number one in the world in the creation of poison. The one who had dedicated his life to poison, the Poison Demon.
And the one who lived only for his own amusement, the Explosion Demon.
Each and every one of their names were terrifying demons that shook the martial world, but among them, the Explosion Demon was a strange one in many ways.
He lived thoroughly for his own amusement. If there was something that seemed interesting, he would intervene in the incident, regardless of whether it was the orthodox or the unorthodox. He did not distinguish between good and evil, and he would intervene more actively and more broadly than anyone else, making the matter several times bigger. He would turn a matter that would have ended with one table being broken into one where an inn collapsed, and he would escalate a matter where one wall would have collapsed into one where a castle wall exploded.
Turning his fist, which had been aimed at Jang So-gil, to Byeokryeokja, Man Bakja shouted.
"Byeokryeokja, what are you doing here!"
"It's been a while, Man Bakja! You've gotten even older than before!"
'Kureureung, kwang'. The sound of thunder was heard.
He appeared with a tremendous sound befitting his nickname, the 'Thunderclap True Lord', as a background. This sound was surely the sound of something exploding and collapsing.
It was always like that. The 'thunderclap bombs' that the fellow used were explosives with tremendous power, but the fellow would throw such dangerous things around as if they were toys that children played with.
"This damn thing doesn't die and lives long, causing mischief."
"Hehe. What can I do if the day of my departure doesn't come because I eat only good things for my body and hear only good things? As for you, your appearance doesn't look very good."
Although Byeokryeokja and Man Bakja were martial artists of a similar age, Byeokryeokja looked much healthier and had a better complexion compared to Man Bakja, who had lived as a beggar. Man Bakja, who was looking at Byeokryeokja's purple silk clothes with an unpleasant eye, let out a sigh.
"So what did you blow up this time?"
"Uhehehe. Shall I tell you? Is it okay to tell you?"
"What?"
Byeokryeokja was clearly looking at Jang So-gil and letting out a frivolous laugh. What on earth was going on? The surprised Man Bakja looked at Jang So-gil, but Jang So-gil had a faint smile on his face and was feigning ignorance.
"Th-th-these bastards have conspired! What on earth have you done!"
"Man Bakja, Man Bakja. That is, that little kid, you see-!"
Oops. It would be troublesome if he told him everything. Jang So-gil quickly intervened.
"Oh my, Byeokryeok True Lord-nim. If you say that, wouldn't Man Bakja-nim misunderstand?"
"Oh? Oho."
"Isn't this the first time Byeokryeok True Lord-nim and I are 'officially' meeting? Have we ever met before?"
"Right! That's right, that's right! Uahahaha!"
Man Bakja was so dumbfounded that he couldn't help but shout.
"What misunderstanding? This damn bastard is treating me like a blind man! Confess quickly what you have plotted with Byeokryeokja!"
And whether Man Bakja was angry like that or not.
Jang So-gil nonchalantly picked his ear and said.
"Well, do you have any proof?"
"What did you say?!"
"I'm asking if you have any proof that I did something with Byeokryeokja-nim. Bring me proof other than your eyes, Man Bakja-nim. You don't have any, do you? It's annoying, so let's just end this story."
"Th-this fellow, with his open mouth..."
"In the first place. I am on public duty, and you, Man Bakja-nim, are a villain who has come to interfere with me, who is on public duty, after receiving a private request. I don't know what great thing you're doing to be so arrogant."
The fellow who had been friendly and polite until just a moment ago changed his attitude in an instant, like flipping his palm. It was probably because he trusted the Byeokryeokja behind him. But what on earth did he trust in that fellow to act like that?
But it wasn't just Jang So-gil's attitude, as if a reliable reinforcement had arrived, that was strange. Wasn't that Explosion Demon, who was rumored to be a strange fellow even among the three demons, watching Jang So-gil with his arms crossed with satisfaction, as if looking at a beloved disciple?
As Man Bakja was dumbfounded and dazed, Jang So-gil continued to grumble.
"The person who interfered with the execution of justice of a junior who was far behind him, without any justification, saying he was keeping his loyalty, what's so great about him to act like that? In the first place, it's a matter involving Po Chungryang, and he himself knows well that it's not the right thing to do, and yet he's being stubborn. Should a person act like that?"
"The person who received a favor from Po Chungryang can ask you, Man Bakja-nim, to repay that favor on his behalf. But you shouldn't grant it! What would that woman know? Would she know that Po Chungryang is a complete bastard, or would she know that you, Man Bakja-nim, are a pushover who will grant any request? She's a person who helped you, Man Bakja-nim, with good intentions. What would she feel if she knew this truth?"
"Who is happy if you break my limbs after receiving Po Chungryang's request? Evil is happy. While cooperating with evil, if you know shame, you should at least lower your voice, bow your head, and show some sign of apology. How can a person be so shameless?"
He couldn't come to his senses in the face of the storm of criticism that was raging.
'A fox borrowing a tiger's might'. There was a saying like that. Jang So-gil's current state was exactly like that, and he was so annoying and irritating that he wanted to beat him to death.
But what was infuriating was the fact that there was not a single wrong word in his speech.
'I'm going to die of anger. I'm going to die of anger!'
Man Bakja clutched his chest. Anger, a thousand fires were burning. It was a fit of rage.
At this rate, he would really have a qi deviation. He quickly came to his senses and was regulating his breathing.
"Man Bakja, you shameless beggar! How unsightly! How unsightly! You go around pretending to be good, but you're just taking requests. Eing! You've grown old in vain."
"Th-this fellow-! Can't you shut up!"
Byeokryeokja, who was clapping, laughing, and adding cheers from the side, was truly the most unlucky bastard in the world. He couldn't tell which was more hateful, Jang So-gil, who was fawning over Byeokryeokja with a pleased expression, or Byeokryeokja himself.
"No. No. Don't stop, please do more. Kyaa, what Byeokryeok True Lord says is so refreshing. I have always admired that magnanimous side of you, Byeokryeok True Lord-nim."
"Kehahaha! You know something!"
Similar bastards are putting on a show.
Man Bakja held back his curse and finished his starting posture.
"Anyway, I was wondering why that arrogant fellow was wasting time with such foolishness. So the one you were counting on was you, Byeokryeokja."
If Byeokryeokja was his backer, it was understandable that he would act so confidently. After all, if the opponent was the Explosion Demon, one of the three demons of the world, even a super-peak master like Man Bakja would have a low chance of victory.
But that didn't mean he was an opponent he would definitely lose to. If they fought twenty times, he would win once, lose fifteen times, and the remaining four times would end in a draw. That was the fight between Man Bakja and Byeokryeokja. Couldn't the one victory out of those twenty times be now?
It was worth a try. Man Bakja judged so and clenched his fist. Then Byeokryeokja's face lit up.
"Oh. Man Bakja, are you going to try to fight me now?"
"Since the orthodox and the unorthodox have met, isn't it natural to fight?"
"That's right, that's right. You've said the right thing. Isn't that right, little kid?"
Jang So-gil nodded his head and quickly replied.
"That's right. Byeokryeok True Lord-nim. Since the orthodox and the unorthodox have met, it is reasonable to fight, and if they fight, it is the principle of heaven that the orthodox wins. Of course, you will win, Byeokryeok True Lord-nim."
"Kehehehe. That's right, Man Bakja. It's a good thing to live long. Today, I am the orthodox and you are the unorthodox."
"Wh-what did you say!"
"Isn't it not wrong? It's the Martial Alliance's inspector who is executing justice, and the apostle of justice, Byeokryeok True Lord-nim, who has come to help him. Wahahaha! This is a masterpiece. I, I am doing the work of the orthodox sect today."
Man Bakja's face turned red with shame.
But if he were to back down at that, he wouldn't have come to this situation.
"Byeokryeokja-! Be prepared!"
"Let's play for a bit!"
Man Bakja roared and rushed in.
Shouting 'Alright!' excitedly, Byeokryeokja also rushed in.
'Kwang-' Half of the post station exploded.
* * *
In the midst of the commotion. Jang So-gil stealthily stepped back.
A gentleman does not go to a dangerous place.
Since the water they played in was different, he had no intention of getting between Byeokryeokja and Man Bakja.
The day would come when he would also become such a master, but it was not today.
The most valuable thing he had gained while on his heroic journey was an eye to recognize a master.
'There's no need to get involved with such a monster already.'
But it was even more so that he would not join that water.
The way Lee Dongpyeong and Yang Gwan fought was truly a spectacle.
"B-biting! How dirty and ugly, Ugly Dragon!"
"You pinched me too!"
"You pinched me first!"
"Even if I do it, you shouldn't!"
Grabbing each other's hair, biting, scratching, and pinching. To think that that was the fight of the Ten Dragons, who were among the most skilled of the rising stars who would be responsible for the future of the martial world. The future of the martial world was dark.
"Tsk."
Jang So-gil looked at the two with lukewarm eyes and quietly created distance.
As he had told Yang Gwan, Jang So-gil had expected that something like this would happen. Because it was time for even the slow-acting Po Chungryang to resist.
'But the level of the enemy I had assumed was up to Lee Dongpyeong. To think it would be Man Bakja.'
If he hadn't been able to win over a master of Byeokryeokja's level in advance, it would have been a big problem. He had dragged out the time with his three-inch tongue because he had arranged to meet him at this post station.
"Even this great Martial Alliance inspector's legs were trembling and he couldn't speak when he saw Man Bakja. Really, I never imagined that Man Bakja would pop out there."
How could one predict that a super-peak master who looked down on the world could be moved so easily by someone like Po Chungryang? Above all, if you thought about it calmly, this was by no means a good choice for Po Chungryang, so it was even more unpredictable.
Man Bakja was a symbol of the Beggars' Sect, famous for being just. If he were to break Jang So-gil's legs after receiving a private request because of a past favor, what would he do afterwards? In Jang So-gil's opinion, it was highly likely that Man Bakja would have smashed Po Chungryang's head as soon as this was over.
In the first place, there was no way Man Bakja would carry out a contract killing as it was. Po Chungryang had told him to kill Jang So-gil, but hadn't Man Bakja said he would not use a killing move and would just make him lie down for a month? But even if Man Bakja were to spare Jang So-gil, it was as clear as looking at a fire that an assassin would come for the neutralized Jang So-gil.
"Still, it was because it was someone of Man Bakja's level that he surprised me. There's no reason to be surprised or to run away from you bastards."
Just like now.
"Tsk, to think you noticed."
"Get him!"
"Be prepared!"
Three men rushed at the stopped Jang So-gil.
Jang So-gil gave a sneer.
"What a cliché line. And the attack is also cliché."
One aimed for his back with a dagger, another lowered his body as if scraping the ground and aimed for his legs, and another aimed for his head. An attack from the top, middle, and bottom at the same time. It was a formation that the assassins of the Beggars' Sect, who had specialized in assassination techniques, enjoyed using.
Their steps were staggering like a drunk person, but they were strangely fast and their trajectory could not be read. It was the 'Drunken Beggar Step', an advanced footwork of the Beggars' Sect.
Since they had occupied the position of a Three-Knot Beggar with their martial arts level alone, they could be said to be quite strong even in the Beggars' Sect. Such people were thinking of only one thing.
Kill Jang So-gil. And with that, shake off their own weakness.
An assassin should hide their killing intent, but that killing intent was so clearly felt.
Jang So-gil let out a shallow breath.
"You're treating me like a complete fool."
In an instant, Jang So-gil's body blurred and he vanished.
By the time the surprised three stopped their movements, it was already too late.
(End of Chapter)