Chapter 33
Around the time I was just starting to make a name for myself in the martial world.
There was a rumor circulating in the world.
'To the one who catches the runaway from the Hebei Peng family, Peng Won-so, the Hebei Peng family will bestow ten taels of gold!'
Of course, there were few people in the world who sincerely searched for him for the ten taels of gold.
Because the Hebei Peng family had only revealed the name Peng Won-so and his appearance, but they had not revealed what crime he had committed and fled from the Hebei Peng family, nor what level of martial arts he possessed.
But, I had heard the story from a martial artist of the Peng family whom I had met by chance just before the war with the Demonic Cult broke out.
'What crime did Peng Won-so commit? You should be the only one to know this. That bastard... he raped our family head's only daughter. He claimed it was mutual love and then ran away from the Peng family, and our young lady, who originally had a lively personality, has been cooped up in her room ever since. She was such a bright person... tsk, tsk. The family head cherished Peng Won-so, who originally had a different surname, so much that he even bestowed the surname of Peng and taught him the family's martial arts... he didn't know that his kindness would be returned like this.'
Until then, I couldn't even imagine that Chae Eung-seok and Peng Won-so were the same person, so I just thought, 'There's a lot of trash like that in the martial world,' and let it go.
But, now that I've put several things together, I had a thought that Chae Eung-seok might be Peng Won-so.
'If he's a runaway from the Peng family, it makes sense that he would have that much skill and bother to create such a crude Unorthodox Faction to build up his forces, and that he would become a Green Forest bandit and live as a mountain bandit after this place was dismantled.'
In fact, if I were to pick something I didn't understand from his actions that I knew, it would be that he suddenly became a mountain bandit after Sura Gate was dismantled, but if he was a body being chased by a prestigious orthodox sect—and the Hebei Peng family, the hegemon of Hebei Province at that—it makes sense that he took refuge in the Green Forest.
Because the Green Forest doesn't care about the past of a Green Forest bandit at all.
"What was his name again... was it Peng Won-so?"
"N-No. What? The Peng family?"
Although he tried to act calm and ask back, his face was already full of awkwardness.
"If you're going to act, do it properly. But, is it okay for you to be here? The Peng family head must be looking for you desperately right now."
At my words, a flash of fear crossed his face.
It was an expression that was no different from confessing that he was Peng Won-so.
"You, you guys... are you guys sent from the Peng family? No, if the Peng family knew I was here, why would they send a martial artist from the Wudang Sect instead of sending Peng family martial artists?"
His subordinates, who were screaming and collapsing one by one, were already out of his sight, and he began to roll his eyes and his head at the same time.
His rambling seemed to indicate that he couldn't understand this situation at all.
'Yes. Keep being confused. I need to change my goal. Capture him alive.'
While Chae Eung-seok... no, Peng Won-so was momentarily unable to come to his senses, I quickly circulated my energy once and resolved all the shock I had received so far.
As expected of the energy of Taiji.
The feeling of high-quality internal energy warmly caressing my qi and blood feels good.
I feel it anew every time I circulate my qi, but the martial arts of Wudang are truly amazing.
If the Un Family Internal Technique I used in the past felt like rubbing with rough sandpaper, the Taiji Internal Technique I'm using now is as smooth as being wrapped in silk.
"Yes. What does it matter where and who sent them. If I kill them all here, it will all be resolved."
At that moment, Peng Won-so spoke as if he had made a decision.
I didn't even bother to answer, as I had expected him to come out like this.
Then, as if he thought I was scared, he glared at me and continued.
"Even so, I was just feeling that there was no more hope with these back-alley riffraff. No matter how much of a master you are, trash that can't even catch one person out of nearly a hundred is no longer worth being with."
"So what. Are you going to disband Sura Gate or something?"
"Yes. Sura Gate ends here. I will leave to find a bigger opportunity."
I let out a small laugh after hearing his story.
Because I could guess where he was going.
"Why. Do you know someone in the Green Forest or something?"
"......?"
I want to stop seeing that surprised expression now.
It was fun at first, but I think I'm getting tired of seeing it all the time.
"Unfortunately, you won't be able to go to the Green Forest. I'll have to take you to the Peng family head."
"What did you say?"
"Let's talk slowly about who you know in the Green Forest and how, and shall we start again?"
"You... what on earth are you...?"
Chwarara—
I didn't answer, but unfolded my sword like a fan and took a starting posture.
Until a moment ago, it was a fight to confirm how much stronger I had become compared to the past.
A fight to shake off the slight fear I had in the past and to confirm that I am now on the right path.
But, the fight I'm about to have from now on is a completely separate fight.
'A fight to win.'
Only now has my life-and-death struggle begun.
Kwoong!
I heavily stomped the ground and used that force to unfold my footwork.
The mysterious steps of the Chilseongbo will surely confuse Peng Won-so's eyes.
The distance of ten steps between me and Peng Won-so was instantly erased, and I came right in front of his nose.
I felt the energy that started from my dantian fill my arms and legs and shot out a sword strike.
Kaang!
My sword was blocked by Peng Won-so's saber.
As if he no longer even thought of hiding his origin, he blocked my sword with the saber art of the Peng family.
Jjirit—
The shock that started from my hand at that impact traveled up to my shoulder, but I rather felt a stimulus from that sensation. With that stimulus, I immediately sparked a flame and struck my arm down again.
Kagagak— Hoo-wook!
After blocking the sword that was struck down again, the internal energy that we had both raised to our limits resonated.
A so-called power struggle.
But, I have no intention of continuing to compete with him in strength here.
If you only count the time spent training internal energy, the age difference could be ten times mine.
Because there's no need to fight a battle that is advantageous to him.
Hwiririk!
I kept my sword attached and then flipped my body around once, using my left foot as an axis.
At the end of the circle my body was rotating, the sword that had been attached to his saber until a moment ago was following.
And, the tip of that sword was aimed at Peng Won-so's side.
Peng Won-so, who was on the verge of having his waist split by the sword, withdrew his saber, even going so far as to reverse the flow of his qi and blood.
He barely managed to bring the lower part of his saber to where my sword was aimed.
'Caught him.'
I smiled triumphantly inside.
Because I had taken all of his reactions into account.
Pook!
I stabbed the sword I was swinging into the ground with the same speed.
Peng Won-so's saber, which had lost its way after trying to deflect my sword, brushed past the front of my torso.
A saber that has lost its sharpness because its target has disappeared is no threat at all.
Binggeul—
This time, I held the sword that was stuck in the ground and then rotated like a windmill, extending my leg.
I had already withdrawn the internal energy I had pushed into my sword a long time ago.
And all that internal energy had been moved to my left leg.
My leg, which is full of internal energy, is closer to an iron club than a human body.
Pagak!
When my leg mercilessly struck Peng Won-so's temple, he collapsed on the floor like a rotten tree with a dull sound.
"Hoo—"
I bent and straightened my leg a few times and shook off the shock.
Because my shin was throbbing from how hard I had kicked.
"Th-The sect leader has been defeated!"
"It's over! Sura Gate is over!"
And, the surviving Sura Gate disciples were all watching that scene.
The fact that Peng Won-so had fallen was enough to make them lose their will to fight.
Because as Peng Won-so had said, they were a motley crew.
"If you drop your weapons and surrender, I will not kill you. And those who can run away, run away. But if you get caught, you will die."
Martial Uncle Hyeon Yang said, not missing the opportunity.
The first one to drop his weapon was the Sura Gate disciple right in front of the Martial Uncle.
If I had defeated the Sura Gate leader just a little later, the Martial Uncle's sword would have undoubtedly cut his body.
He didn't even think of running away and immediately surrendered.
"G-Great hero! Please spare my life!"
"Please spare me, great hero!"
"It was all done because the sect leader ordered it! I want to quit this Sura Gate quickly."
"I-I do too!"
Starting with him, the surviving Sura Gate disciples, as if competing to see who would drop their weapons and kneel in front of the Martial Uncle first, rushed over and knelt.
In the end, not a single Sura Gate disciple ran away and they all surrendered, and the Martial Uncle, after telling them that if they moved even a little, it would be death, approached me.
"Hmm..."
The Martial Uncle looked at Peng Won-so, who was lying on the floor, from side to side and then said, "It's a severe skull fracture, it's a miracle he's not dead. When did you learn such a leg technique?"
"Leg technique? I just swung my leg."
"Haha... well, you can swing a sword even if you haven't learned a sword art."
The Martial Uncle seemed to be amazed that I had really defeated Peng Won-so.
He looked back and forth between me and Peng Won-so with an admiring expression and then said, "For now, I'll have to call the Beggars' Sect. It would be best to hand them over to them to transport those guys to the Martial Arts Alliance."
"What about this guy here?"
"The Sura Gate leader? We'll have to send him along too, right? Why. Are you worried about future trouble by any chance? Shall we just cut his throat here?"
The Martial Uncle said with flashing eyes.
The moment our eyes met, I flinched without realizing it.
How can those eyes be called the eyes of a Taoist?
It would be completely understandable even if he were a great demon of the Unorthodox Faction.
"No, no. That's not it. There's another good use for him."
"A use?"
"When do we have to go to Shaolin? Still, I think we have quite a bit of time."
"We originally had a five-day leeway, and since we ran so hard, we saved two more days, so we have about a week's leeway."
"A week is more time than I thought. Martial Uncle. Can we spend a few more days here?"
"What are you going to do here?"
"There's someone I think it would be good to call here."
A question appeared on the Martial Uncle's face.
But, he soon returned to his usual stiff expression and then nodded his head.
"Alright. Let's do that. Instead, you have to explain to me in detail who you are calling and why."
"Yes. I'll tell you everything."
"And one more thing."
He hesitated for a moment and then opened his mouth again.
"From a while ago, you acted as if you knew this guy. And, you also showed behavior as if you knew the backstories of the martial world that even I don't know. How can that be... I would appreciate it if you could clear up my doubts."
As expected, he had heard everything even in the midst of that battle.
"Martial Uncle, that's..."
"Wait. You don't have to say it right now. For now, I'll go to the Beggars' Sect. Watch carefully to see if those guys run away, or if this Sura Gate leader wakes up."
The Martial Uncle, without even listening to my answer, immediately unfolded his footwork and disappeared.
I was lost in thought for a while until he returned with the Beggars' Sect members.
I contemplated how much I should tell the Martial Uncle, and if I did, whether the Martial Uncle would even believe me.
'I'll just tell the Martial Uncle the truth, whatever.'
To be honest, I also have this thought.
Wouldn't it be more advantageous to tell at least one person the truth as it is?
Of course, I could be treated as a madman, or he could just dismiss my words as a child's prank.
But for some reason, I have a feeling that the Martial Uncle would believe me.
'Anyway, it was lucky that I caught Peng Won-so here.'
The connection from my past life and the connection from my current life. And coincidence and inevitability gather to find a new path.
Peng Won-so is not just caught, but the benefits that will arise from handing this guy over to the Peng family will probably not be just one or two.
'Should I ask for something else instead of ten taels of gold? For example, a martial art or something...'
I continued to wait for the Martial Uncle while having pleasant imaginations.
The Martial Uncle returned half an hour after that. With dozens of beggars in tow.
(End of Chapter)