Return of the Heavenly Sword

Chapter 6. It's Nothing So Grand (2)

“Like an idiot. Hahahaha.”

As I continued to laugh, the expressions on the three ruffians’ faces crumpled completely.

“What the hell is wrong with this beggar? Did he eat something bad?”

As if one of them couldn't hold back his temper, he approached with his ugly face scrunched up, and a foul stench pierced my nose.

“Get lost. You stink of shit.”

“This bastard really wants to die…”

Before the man could finish his words, I preemptively swung my sword, scabbard and all, and shattered the bone in his shin.

Crack.

“Guheok…”

The man’s eyes rolled back as he collapsed, letting out a stifled groan.

Chang!

Only then did the other two dimwits hastily draw their weapons and block the entrance. A sigh escaped me on its own.

“Haa. Because shit-like bastards are blocking the entrance, only flies are buzzing around the inn, aren't they?”

“You son of a bitch!!”

Another one charged, swinging his dao.

As I lunged toward the man, a sharp scream that could tear one's eardrums erupted from the girl behind me.

“Kyaaaaaak!!”

It seemed she mistakenly thought I would be cut by the dao, but of course, that was never going to happen.

Immediately after dodging the black dao man’s blade as if brushing past it, I swung my scabbard and struck the face of the dimwit who had left his head wide open.

Crack!!

“Kuaaaaaak!!”

With his nose crushed and a few teeth broken, the man screamed while dripping blood.

I turned my head and looked at the last one.

“No. Shit can be used as fertilizer, but you bastards are useless, so you're worse than shit. It would be better for the world if you died, so let's just die today.”

The man trembled as he spoke.

“We, we have co, committed a dis, discourtesy without re, recognizing the young master from the Be, Beggar's Gang.”

The Beggar’s Gang was one of the Murim factions composed of beggars.

Until just a moment ago, they had treated me like a common beggar, but now they were treating me like a beggar who had learned martial arts.

However, such a trivial misunderstanding was not important right now.

“Why are you apologizing to me?”

“Yes…?”

The man with the black dao, who had asked back with a dazed expression, hastily gathered his wits and spoke again.

“Tha, that's because we, we committed a di, discourtesy toward the young master…”

“I’m asking. Why are you apologizing to me?”

“Th, that’s because… we didn't know you were a young master from the Beggar's Gang…”

Did he even understand the nonsense he was spouting?

“Is there some law that says it’s okay to be discourteous to a regular beggar, but not to a beggar from the Beggar’s Gang? I have no memory of hearing such a law.”

“N-no. Th, that is not it.”

“More importantly, you wronged them, so why are you apologizing to me? That’s what I’m saying.”

Seeing the man unable to answer and looking confused, I was certain.

“It seems you were taught manners incorrectly. I shall personally teach you.”

As I preemptively used my movement technique and closed in, the man frantically swung his dao.

After lightly dodging it, I swung my sword, scabbard and all, and struck the man’s left knee.

Crack.

“Kuaaaaaak!!”

The man screamed and rolled on the floor.

“You bastards are always like that.”

Crack!!

“Guheoooook…”

“Being polite to the strong.”

Crack!!

“Kuaaaaaak!!”

“And acting arrogant to the weak.”

Crack!!!

After breaking the bones in both his arms and legs, one by one, I looked down at him and spoke.

“Now that all your limbs are crippled, everyone in the world will be stronger than you. From now on, live your life being polite to everyone.”

It could be called eye-level etiquette education, perfectly suited for the mental level of the black dao bastards.

But unfortunately, the one who needed the education was already foaming at the mouth and had passed out.

“Tsk. Such manners.”

An elder was personally giving a lesson, yet he was lying on the floor sleeping. This was why there was nothing to be done with those who were uneducated.

Turning around, I looked behind me to see the inn's father and daughter staring at me with pale faces.

I performed a clasped hands greeting to them and spoke as politely as possible.

Not oppressing the innocent and treating them kindly. That was true courtesy.

“I apologize for startling you.”

I showed my utmost respect, even offering a bright smile.

“Hiccup.”

But why she hiccuped at my smile was a mystery to me.

***

A chilling silence flowed through the inn.

The inn's father and daughter were speechless, and the two black dao men, with their faces and legs smashed, were gritting their teeth to endure the pain.

It was because they felt that the moment they caught the eye of that madman, they would end up like their comrade whose limbs were shattered.

It was Jin Yuseong who broke that awkward silence.

“By the way, what are these bastards who are worse than shit?”

Cold sweat trickled down the innkeeper’s back.

‘He’s asking that only after putting them in that state…?’

While he was lost in a daze, the girl behind him spoke up first.

“They’re from the Qui, Quick Blade Gang!”

“What is the Quick Blade Gang?”

When Jin Yuseong asked again, she added.

“The Qu, Quick Blade Gang is a faction recently established by a man named Seo Gyu, who started living here three months ago.”

The story that followed was similar to what Jin Yuseong had expected.

The man named Seo Gyu came to this Limhwa Village and spent his time hanging out with the village’s idlers who did no work.

Then, after getting close to them, he drew in the local idlers and established the Quick Blade Gang, and began to harass the residents.

They were sucking the lifeblood out of them under the pretext of protection money and had been scaring away all the guests who came to the inn in order to seize it.

“They were trying to take the inn and use it as a brothel!”

Perhaps having calmed down a little, the girl now shouted energetically without stuttering.

Naturally, a certain phrase the black dao men had shouted earlier came to Jin Yuseong's mind.

‘Did they tell that girl to work as a courtesan?’

To think of using a girl who was only in her mid-teens as a courtesan.

Chang.

“As expected, I should have killed them.”

As Jin Yuseong drew his sword and approached the fallen black dao men, the girl, her face turning deathly pale again, cried out.

“P-please don't kill them!”

Jin Yuseong turned his head again to look at the girl. With an expression that said he couldn't understand.

“What is your reason for wanting to keep this trash alive?”

“Th-they are bad people, but not to the point of de, deserving death…? We’ve, we've known each other since we were young…”

Seeing her rambling, Jin Yuseong let out a faint sigh and put his sword back into its scabbard.

Occasionally, while roaming the Jianghu and fighting villains, he would see such sights.

Those who would moderately subdue the villains, and then, seeing the villains beg for forgiveness, would ramble on with sermons or lectures before leaving.

It was a behavior often seen in those from the so-called prestigious orthodox sects of the Daoist or Buddhist factions.

Every time Jin Yuseong saw that, he wondered if they were insane.

The common people were the ones who had been exploited, threatened, kidnapped, confined, raped, assaulted, and murdered. What right did those third parties have to forgive the villains on their own accord?

Therefore, Jin Yuseong had resolved to prioritize the victim's stance above all else.

Regardless of what the villains babbled, whether they begged for forgiveness or not.

As long as there was no forgiveness from the victim, he would kill them unconditionally.

If the victim was already dead or had suffered near-fatal harm, there was no one to grant forgiveness, so naturally, he would kill them without asking any questions.

But this time, since the girl had forgiven these vermin, it was difficult to swing his sword.

‘It would have been better to ambush them after leaving the inn.’

Many common people were fainthearted and feared seeing someone die, even if the person dying was the one who had been tormenting them.

Jin Yuseong thought that perhaps the girl was also one such case.

“Tsk. A pity.”

As Jin Yuseong clicked his tongue with a sullen expression for not being able to kill the black dao men, the innkeeper unknowingly swallowed dryly.

‘He, he is a dangerous person.’

Just then, Jin Yuseong smiled again and asked the inn's father and daughter.

“Come to think of it, where is the Quick Blade Gang located?”

“I-if you go straight that way, you will see their sign.”

At the innkeeper’s kind answer, Jin Yuseong responded with a kind smile of his own.

“Then, could you please leave this as it is without cleaning it up? I think I'll be hungry after the cleanup.”

The finger of Jin Yuseong, who had said so, was pointing at the chicken that was still about half-eaten.

“I, I will do so.”

At the innkeeper’s reply, Jin Yuseong turned his steps and left the inn.

Limhwa was a small village, so it wasn't long before he arrived at the manor of the Quick Blade Gang.

“Who are you and where are you from?”

“Can’t you tell by looking?”

When Jin Yuseong confidently asked back, the man guarding the entrance rolled his eyes and asked.

“Are you from the Beggar's Gang?”

“I am Gray Ghost.”

“Gray Ghost…?”

Towards the man who had an expression that said 'what is this bullshit,' Jin Yuseong preemptively swung his scabbard.

Crack!

“Gack…”

Passing by the man who let out a stifled groan from a broken bone, Jin Yuseong threw open the doors of the Quick Blade Gang.

“Who goes there!!”

As expected, a stereotypical shout was heard.

Tired of introducing himself, Jin Yuseong first charged at the closest man.

“How dare a young brat!”

The man who shouted ‘young brat’ swung his dao with shabby skill.

Jin Yuseong clicked his tongue as if disappointed.

‘As expected, the eyes aren't opening.’

He thought it might be because he had been forcing his concentration on the way to Limhwa Village.

Even now, while fighting a life-and-death battle, he felt somewhat detached.

It was as if the tension that had been forcibly stretched taut for a long time had lost its elasticity and gone limp.

However, since the opponent's level was as shabby as the Black Serpent Gang ruffians, it didn't matter.

After dodging the man's dao with minimal movement, as if brushing past it, Jin Yuseong once again swung his scabbard and struck the man’s elbow.

Crack!

Since the girl had requested it, unlike with the Black Serpent Gang, he was planning to end it with just a few fractures this time.

‘Damn it! Come to think of it, the other villagers might think differently!’

Just as that thought occurred to him.

Crack.

‘Tsk. Still, since I heard her say she forgives them, I guess it can't be helped.’

Remembering the girl's words, he didn't bother to remove the scabbard.

Crack.

‘Still, wouldn't the other villagers have wanted these guys dead?’

As he fought with himself like that, he swung his sword, scabbard and all, several times.

Before long, cries of mourning were echoing from all over the Quick Blade Gang's manor.

Was it because with every swing of his sword, someone's bone was shattered?

“I-insane.”

“L-like a monster.”

The Quick Blade Gang members, who had been charging forward trusting in their numbers, began to retreat with terrified expressions.

The emotion of fear was slowly blooming in their eyes.

Just then, a man who had been leisurely watching from the very back shouted and stepped forward.

“Tsk! Get out of the way!!”

A gratingly sharp voice and a rat-like mustache.

Seeing that his appearance was similar to the description he had heard from the innkeeper and the girl, it seemed he was the leader of the Quick Blade Gang, Seo Gyu.

“Just because you learned to swing a sword somewhere, you've lost all fear, you little brat!”

Seo Gyu stepped forward with a confident attitude, despite all his subordinates collapsing with broken bones from a single strike.

It was because he had something to rely on.

‘Tsk. To be defeated by a guy from whom I can barely feel any internal energy.’

Moreover, the boy's limbs, who was standing still, had been trembling for a while.

It meant his muscles had already reached their limit.

Jin Yuseong's gaze was also somewhat dazed, but at a certain moment, life began to stir within it.

To be precise, from the moment the Quick Blade Gang's leader stepped forward.

‘I can kill that one, can't I!’

It was because of that man that the Quick Blade Gang was formed, and because of that man, ordinary country idlers had turned into ruffians and committed atrocities.

‘Right. The inn's waiter said so. The ruffians were a bit of a problem because she had known them since they were young. Doesn't that mean it doesn't matter if I kill that guy!’

Realizing that fact, the corners of Jin Yuseong's mouth curled upwards.

“For a bastard who looks like a rat, you're quite brave.”

At Jin Yuseong’s mocking smile, Seo Gyu's face turned beet red.

Because of his appearance, the words he hated most since he was young were ‘rat-like bastard.’

“Alright! Today, I'll carve your flesh until you beg me to spare you!”

Shouting so, the leader of the Quick Blade Gang drew upon the internal energy of his dantian and, from the very beginning, unleashed his most confident technique.

The leader of the Quick Blade Gang lunged towards Jin Yuseong as if performing a movement technique.

The moment he reached the range of his dao, he stomped his right foot hard on the ground as if taking a firm stance, and at the same time, concentrated his internal energy into his right hand holding the dao, drew it, and swung.

Watching the clean sword-drawing technique, completely different from the men he had faced before, Jin Yuseong was engrossed in only one thought.

‘Kill. Kill. Kill.’

Was it because he had cleared away all distracting thoughts and focused only on his killing intent?

The trajectory, which had vanished for over an hour, once again adorned the empty space.

A clear trajectory was drawn along the dao held in the Quick Blade Gang leader's right hand, and a single beautiful trajectory that pierced through its gap caught Jin Yuseong's eye.

Jin Yuseong held his breath and, at the same time, drew up the single speck of internal energy he had.

A sensation as if the flow of time had momentarily slowed down enveloped Jin Yuseong.

Fwoosh!

Following the beautiful trajectory, he drew his sword and thrust it out at the same time.

Slice!

Following that, a clean cutting sound echoed.

Thud.

The rat's head fell to the ground, and a dull noise filled the manor.

As blood spurted from the neck of the Quick Blade Gang leader, who stood there unaware of his death, drenching the boy's face.

“Hahahaha.”

The boy burst into innocent laughter.

“You could do it again, yet you were pretending to be weak.”

These words were meant for his own eyes.

‘He, he's a madman.’

The ruffians of the Quick Blade Gang, who knew nothing, could only stare at the boy with faces filled with terror.