Chapter 11
An elderly man with white hair wore a red martial robe and a prosthetic on his right leg. The sound of his footsteps was regular yet somewhat unbalanced.
Clank, thud. Clank, thud.
As the sound filled the gambling hall, the rowdy atmosphere that had prevailed only moments ago cooled instantly, as if frost had settled.
The Fierce Sky Faction warriors who had been murmuring instantly fell silent.
Even Miryeong, who had just lost a great sum of money to Jaseong, began to sweat coldly.
Seeing this scene, Jaseong immediately recognized the old man's identity.
'That old man must be the Leader of Fierce Sky Faction...'
At this moment, Jaseong recalled the information Hyang-I had given him once more.
A master who, even with a prosthetic leg, had singlehandedly wiped out forty bandits in an instant.
That was what the Leader of Fierce Sky Faction was known for.
"Who are you?"
At last, the Fierce Sky Faction Leader, realizing that Jaseong was the cause of the commotion, looked him over and asked.
The spiderweb of wrinkles covering his face and his wild, beast-like eyes made him resemble an aged tiger.
Sensing the ferocity in his aura, everyone around them gulped nervously.
Yet the man at the center of it all, Jaseong, responded calmly.
"Just a lucky gambler."
At his reply, the Fierce Sky Faction Leader narrowed his eyes and scanned Jaseong from head to toe, then abruptly spoke.
"You've trained in martial arts to some extent."
"......"
"But your internal strength is at the level of a novice who has trained for a year or two... With that level of skill, how did you manage to constantly win at Shell Game against Miryeong?"
The Fierce Sky Faction Leader was a master capable of sensing his opponent's internal strength just by looking at them.
To him, Jaseong's internal strength was not even half a "60-year cycle".
Yet, Jaseong had won repeated victories over the Mantis Maiden, Miryeong, at Shell Game—that was perplexing.
"I'll ask again. Who are you and where do you come from?"
The Faction Leader's voice sank low.
His fingers impatiently tapped his own prosthetic—tap! tap!—as if urging a reply.
Goooo—
With this, the air grew increasingly taut.
The killing intent emitted by an old master of the martial world made the gamblers feel as though they could barely breathe.
But Jaseong remained unperturbed.
The next moment, he slowly rose from his seat and spoke.
"That's odd."
"What...?"
"No matter which gambling den in the Central Plains you go to, they never ask customers for their identities. But here at Fierce Sky Faction's den, do you ask for a name every time you gamble?"
"......!"
"I'd heard of Golden Hall's reputation as the largest in Guizhou Province, but here I am, being threatened over a mere two thousand five hundred silver coins... Even common street thugs wouldn't go this far."
"......!!"
Staring straight into the eyes of the Fierce Sky Faction Leader, Jaseong asked.
His confident attitude made the onlookers hold their breath.
'I've never seen anyone talk like that to the Leader of Fierce Sky Faction...!'
'But he's not wrong... Who would want to come to a gambling den if their background was always questioned...?'
'And to top it off, threatening someone just for winning some money...'
As the gamblers murmured inwardly, the Faction Leader's aura grew even deadlier.
The subordinates were the same.
Their faces bore the look of men wanting to draw their weapons and drag Jaseong into a dark alley right then and there.
But they could not act rashly.
Everything Jaseong said was entirely correct.
If customers were threatened just for winning some money, what gambler would ever return to the Golden Hall?
The surrounding gamblers kept a close eye on the Fierce Sky Faction warriors.
If they made a move against Jaseong here, the gamblers would never return.
That would tarnish the Golden Hall's reputation.
Thus, the Fierce Sky Faction warriors had no choice but to swallow their anger, stuck between a rock and a hard place...
It was just then.
"Young brat, you've got quite the arrogant tongue!"
Although all the other Fierce Sky Faction warriors remained still, the two rough-faced gatekeepers Jaseong had seen at the entrance earlier blocked his way.
They were known as the "Twin Tigers of Poisoned Eyes" within Fierce Sky Faction:
"Poisoned Eyes" meant "fierce eyes," and "Twin Tigers" meant "two tigers."
But that was only outward appearance.
In reality, both were men of little thought and acted with brute simplicity.
They prioritized emotion over reason and, if angered, would charge ahead without considering the consequences.
"The reason the gambling den asks for your identity is because you might be pulling some kind of scam,"
"A scam?"
Jaseong's eyebrow twitched.
"How could a brat like you beat our Mantis Maiden so many times in a row?"
"You must have used some kind of trick."
"Bow your head and confess your wrongdoing right now!"
"If you don't beg by the count of three, you'll be crawling out of the Golden Hall today!"
The first gatekeeper, poisoned Eyes, poked Jaseong hard in the chest with his finger.
The second gatekeeper, twin Tigers, clenched his fist and threatened him.
With their menacing aura, everyone expected that Jaseong would either bow his head or be beaten to a pulp.
Other Fierce Sky Faction warriors wore expressions saying, "What do we do about these reckless idiots?"
But in the next instant—
Thunk! Crack!
"Ugh!"
"Ghak?!"
An unexpected scene unfolded.
Incredibly, Jaseong flattened the Twin Tigers of Poisoned Eyes in a single blow each.
With one punch each, accurately striking their vital points using Samadhi Eyes, it was all over in a flash.
"Kuh-heok..."
Having been struck in the solar plexus, the Twin Tigers of Poisoned Eyes dropped to their knees before they realized it.
Even though Jaseong's victory was already complete at this point, he did not withdraw his fists.
'Once a fight begins, finish it thoroughly. Make sure they never dare rise up again.'
Thunk! Crack! Wham! Crack! Wham!!
Drawing upon all the internal strength he had gathered with the Heaven-Evading Breathing Technique, Jaseong's hands and feet moved as fast as lightning, turning the Twin Tigers of Poisoned Eyes into a bloody mess.
Not long after—
"Hoo..."
Jaseong lowered his fists and let out a long breath.
When he lifted his head to look around, the gamblers were dumbstruck.
The fact that a mere boy had knocked down two Fierce Sky Faction warriors was enough of a shock.
But what was truly astonishing was that, at the most notorious den of bandits in Gaeyang, Jaseong had gone and beaten up their gatekeepers.
Anyone could see that this was an utterly reckless act.
Still, Jaseong remained unconcerned.
'... In the world of the Dark Path, only strength gets you anywhere. To these people, fists speak louder than words.'
Besides, Jaseong had a way to prevent the Fierce Sky Faction warriors from daring to retaliate.
* * *
Swish—
Amid the increasingly dangerous atmosphere from the Fierce Sky Faction warriors, Jaseong took something from his robe.
It was a plaque of black wood engraved with a red '三' character.
This was the badge certifying him as a Branch Leader who managed a division of the Hao Sect.
"Since you're so curious about my identity, I'll tell you. I'm the Branch Leader who oversees a division of the Hao Sect."
"......!"
"If you lay a hand on me after I won fair and square at gambling, it's no different than declaring war on the entire Hao Sect."
"......!!"
"Are you really going to insist on picking a fight?"
Jaseong spoke.
The surrounding gamblers erupted with more commotion than ever.
"A boy that young is a Branch Leader of the Hao Sect...?!"
"A Branch Leader isn't like lower-ranking members, they say he's a powerhouse...!"
"So that's why the Twin Tigers of Poisoned Eyes were helpless against this boy...!"
Even the faces of the Fierce Sky Faction warriors showed their confusion.
Though the Hao Sect had the reputation of being the lowest sect, ever since a new Sect Leader appeared five years ago, its standing had utterly changed.
For a small Dark Path organization to challenge a Branch Leader of the Hao Sect would be sheer folly.
They didn't even have an excuse.
Jaseong had won the Shell Game fair and square. What right did they have to stop him from leaving with his winnings?
'... This Hao Sect background is truly a handy shield. Especially in underworld circles like this.'
But—why, then...
Fierce Sky Faction's Leader stared intensely at Jaseong.
Then suddenly—
Swoosh!
He charged at Jaseong, stirring up a tremendous gust.
'For an old man with a prosthetic right leg to be this fast...?'
Jaseong suppressed his surprise and did not show it.
However, the Fierce Sky Faction Leader did not attack.
He merely stopped in front of Jaseong and looked him over with eyes full of curiosity.
"So this brat's a Branch Leader of the Hao Sect... Interesting."
"?"
"Come with me."
"... Excuse me?"
"I have something to say to you."
* * *
The inner chamber of the Golden Hall, located deeper inside the gambling den.
Contrary to the establishment's grand reputation, the chamber was surprisingly modest.
Neatly arranged furniture and unadorned ornaments stood out.
A simple tea set was set up in one corner, and a concise calligraphy hung on the wall.
"Sit."
Once the Fierce Sky Faction Leader sat at his seat, Jaseong sat across from him.
Alone in the room, the Faction Leader let out a quiet laugh.
For some reason, there was no more hostility in his eyes.
"So you're a Branch Leader of the Hao Sect... Which district do you oversee?"
"I'm afraid I can't tell you that."
"I can guess even if you don't say."
"...?"
"Isn't it the Ansun district of Guizhou Province?"
Jaseong forced himself not to let his eyes widen.
'... How did this old man figure that out?'
But the Faction Leader's surprising commentary did not end there.
"The Lord of the Black Blood Hall came to visit recently."
'... Lord of the Black Blood Hall? Why does that name come up here...?'
"He said a boy singlehandedly took out twelve Iron Ring Fortress bandits in Ansun, Guizhou Province, all with one sword stroke each. Apparently he was trained by a reclusive master... That boy was you, wasn't it?"
Jaseong was at a loss for words, unable to respond to the unexpected turn of events.
At that moment—
Creak—
The Faction Leader suddenly pulled open a drawer in the chamber.
From it, he took something out.
'That's...?!'
Jaseong's eyes shot wide open in shock.
What the Faction Leader produced was a small plaque made of black wood.
Amazingly, it was identical in design to the badge Jaseong carried for the Hao Sect.
The only difference was the number inscribed upon the Faction Leader's badge.
[一]