Chapter 4
Standing in front of the Righteous King Pavilion, Moyong Gi grinned with a satisfied expression.
"It was worth running myself to death."
He had slept outdoors as if it were a daily meal due to lack of time. He had appeased his hunger with rice balls purchased from villages he stopped by along the way. Thanks to that, he had quite a bit of money left over. Once he entered the Dragon and Phoenix Inn, he wouldn't have to spend money for a while. So, he sought out the Righteous King Pavilion, a place he had frequented before his return.
"Welcome."
As he entered the Righteous King Pavilion, a waiter came running.
He did not make the mistake of looking down on him for being young or shabbily dressed.
This was Kaifeng, where the Martial Arts Alliance was located. It wouldn't be strange for a master to pop out from anywhere at any time. That's why they paid special attention.
As Moyong Gi took a table, the waiter rubbed his hands together.
"What can I get for you?"
"A steamed carp, please."
No matter how scary martial artists were, the bill had to be settled properly. Otherwise, his monthly salary would be cut in half. Usually, it was pay-after, but Moyong Gi's appearance was too shabby.
The waiter, sensing the situation, cautiously opened his mouth.
"Um... the payment?"
Moyong Gi took out a silver coin from his bosom.
The waiter bowed respectfully.
"I'll bring it right away."
After the waiter left, Moyong Gi turned his gaze.
"This place is still the same."
In terms of time, it had been less than half a year since his last visit.
Yet, it felt as if a long time had passed. It was because he had died and come back to life.
"The furniture, the crowd, and the famous painting on the wall are all the same."
Moyong Gi, who was looking around with nostalgic eyes, slowly closed his mouth.
Four large men, sauntering over, came into his view.
"The good-for-nothings are still the same, too."
Two of the large men took their places on either side of Moyong Gi. One of the men sitting in front showed a friendly-looking smile.
"Hey, little brother, what's the rush? Why did you come alone? You should have waited a bit for all your brothers to come so we could go together."
It was a typical scamming tactic.
Moyong Gi had also fallen for it once when he first came to the Orthodox Justice Alliance. He couldn't remember if those guys back then were these guys.
'What if they're not? They're all the same kind of people. I can just grab anyone and pay them back.'
Moyong Gi grinned.
A strange light flashed in the eyes of the large man with the friendly smile.
'Huh? Look at this kid?'
It was because the smile Moyong Gi had shown for a moment was chilling.
The large man observed Moyong Gi with eyes tinged with a strange light. Putting aside his shabby appearance, he couldn't find any trace of having learned martial arts from his frail-looking body.
The ones to be careful of didn't wander around alone at a young age looking shabby. They were either well-dressed or at least of a decent age.
Moyong Gi didn't fall into either category. There was no reason to be wary. He was a typical country bumpkin who had come up from the countryside.
'He doesn't look like much...'
Still, just in case, he carefully examined Moyong Gi again. The large man, who had widened his eyes to not miss anything from head to toe, finally felt relieved after confirming the cheap iron sword at Moyong Gi's side.
'I must have seen wrong.'
At that moment, the waiter who had first received Moyong Gi cautiously approached.
"Um... are you with them?"
Hesitation could be felt in his voice.
The waiter knew who these people were.
They were the famous ruffians of the back alleys, known as the Four Hounds of Henan.
In particular, the one with the friendly-looking smile was the eldest of the Four Hounds of Henan. He was connected to the Hao Clan and was quite well-known, so he remembered him clearly.
However, the waiter couldn't bring himself to help Moyong Gi.
If he got hit by mistake, he wouldn't be able to move for a few days. Even though this was where the Martial Arts Alliance was, they didn't care about such small matters.
Even if they were punished later, it would be after he was half-dead. Besides, if the eldest of the Four Hounds of Henan was taken away, he was also afraid of the Hao Clan's retaliation that would follow. So, it was difficult to step forward rashly.
Leaving the hesitant waiter, the third of the Four Hounds of Henan affectionately put his arm on Moyong Gi's shoulder.
"Of course. Little brother, you tell him. That guy is doubting us."
A strong grip could be felt from the hand on his shoulder.
Frowning for a moment, Moyong Gi looked back at the third man and grinned. Then, he raised his index finger and poked the man's shoulder. The arm that had been on Moyong Gi's shoulder dropped.
The third man was flustered.
"Hey! Hey! What's wrong with this!"
His arm had been dislocated. The fourth of the Four Hounds of Henan, who had quickly grasped the situation, threw a punch.
"You little brat!"
The fourth man's fist cut through the air with a whoosh, extending with a rather menacing force.
However, Moyong Gi was not fazed in the slightest.
He just slightly tilted his head back and gently caught the fourth man's arm. Then, he pulled it as it was.
Thwack!
The fist, guided by Moyong Gi, directly hit the third man on his right. It landed squarely on his temple.
"Ack!"
The third man went down.
"Huh? Huh?"
Before the fourth man who had thrown the punch could be flustered, Moyong Gi's arm wrapped around the fourth man's wrist.
With a slight application of force, there was a cracking sound, and the arm dangled in a direction it shouldn't have bent.
"Ack!"
The fourth man screamed in excruciating pain. Moyong Gi, unconcerned, struck his nose.
"Shut up!"
With a cracking sound, he spewed blood and rolled on the floor. The tables and chairs that were swept away crashed with a loud noise.
'The internal energy is good, as expected.'
It was worth the trouble of finishing off a fleeceflower root. He was satisfied.
Grinning, Moyong Gi leisurely rested his chin on both hands and met the eyes of the eldest of the Four Hounds of Henan.
"I'm the little brother?"
Cold sweat trickled down the back of the eldest's neck.
'I messed with the wrong person!'
Regret washed over him belatedly. He had tried to be so careful, but he had misjudged the person.
His face turned pale without him realizing it. But his mind was busy searching for a solution.
He carefully moved his fingers and tapped the fingers of the second man next to him. Then, he abruptly overturned the table.
"Run!"
The third and fourth men were subdued in an instant. It didn't even seem like he had used much force, just a few light movements.
This was a master they couldn't handle. In times like these, you had to run unconditionally.
"Huck!"
But even that was not achieved. The overturning table stopped in mid-air with a thud and flew at them with a terrifying force.
Crash!
The eldest and second men were sent flying.
"Ack!"
"Ugh!"
The eldest, who was hit squarely in the back, had his breath knocked out of him. It felt as if he had been hit by a heavy iron lump. The second, who had reacted late, was hit squarely in the head. He couldn't even scream and fell down, passing out.
'What... what kind of table is this!'
Such a thing was only possible for a master of internal energy. He had messed with the wrong person, and badly.
The eldest, barely controlling his trembling body, knelt and slammed his head on the floor.
"For... forgiveness..."
Moyong Gi, who had taken a couple of leisurely steps, stood in front of the eldest and grinned. There was no malice in it at all.
But the eldest felt a chill run down his spine. It was the same smile when he had dislocated the third's arm and when he had broken the fourth's arm. It even seemed to have gotten brighter.
The eldest's vision went dark. But a voice of salvation came from an unexpected place.
"Stop!"
***
So Moogyeol, who was looking down from the second floor, his eyes sparkled.
"Huh? Isn't that brat Moyong Gi?"
So Moogyeol had a good eye for people. He couldn't remember martial arts formulas well, but he remembered faces well. He accurately remembered Moyong Gi, whom he had seen only once at the Jinju Eon Family.
Woonhyun looked at So Moogyeol.
"Moyong Gi?"
"Yeah. The second son of the Moyong Family."
Woonhyun let out a hollow laugh.
"The Moyong Family... I haven't heard that name in a while."
It was a name that was almost forgotten now. It was safe to say that there was almost no possibility of them making a comeback. So he was about to laugh it off, but Joo Jinsung, who was next to him, muttered.
"He's pretty good, isn't he? To subdue them so easily, even if they are ruffians."
"Really?"
Woonhyun glanced at Joo Jinsung and then turned his gaze back to Moyong Gi with curious eyes.
However, Yoo Hojin's gaze towards Moyong Gi was not kind. A clear hostility could be seen.
"Pretty good, my ass! What's a cripple like him doing crawling in here?"
Joo Jinsung looked at Yoo Hojin with a "what's wrong with him now" expression. So Moogyeol clapped his hands.
"Ah. Right. They had a huge fight because Baek Unseol showed interest in Moyong Gi, right?"
Yoo Hojin glared.
"Who fought? A fight requires two people of the same level."
It wasn't a fight, he had beaten him one-sidedly.
"And is Baek Unseol even a match for a brat like that? He doesn't even know his place, who is he trying to covet?"
Yoo Hojin thought it was a good thing he had run into him. He planned to engrave his place deep into his bones this time.
Realizing his mistake, So Moogyeol reached out to stop Yoo Hojin.
"Hey! Don't! Hey, you!"
But Yoo Hojin had already jumped over the railing.
***
"Stop!"
A question arose in Moyong Gi's eyes as he carefully watched the figure dropping from the second floor.
"Huh? Isn't that the beady-eyed brat? What are you doing here?"
Yoo Hojin had small eyes. On top of that, they were slanted. That's why he hated being called beady-eyed the most.
His face turned beet red.
But Moyong Gi didn't care about Yoo Hojin's feelings at all.
"Anyway, it's good to see you. I was planning to pay you a visit anyway."
He had a few things to pay Yoo Hojin back for.
Thinking it was a good opportunity, Moyong Gi grinned, but Yoo Hojin gritted his teeth.
"You cripple, you're really rushing to your death!"
Woonhyun, who was looking down from the second floor, had a troubled expression.
"Hey, this is big trouble."
So Moogyeol sighed and stood up from his seat.
"What does that brat have to rely on to call Yoo Hojin beady-eyed."
Even he or Woonhyun, who were a step ahead of Yoo Hojin, didn't say such things to his face. It was because he would come at them as if his life depended on it, which was troublesome.
If left alone, it wouldn't end with just a broken bone somewhere. He had to be stopped.
"Aish, really."
Just as So Moogyeol was about to jump over the railing, there was a thwack, followed by a loud crashing sound of furniture breaking.
"Damn it! Am I too late?"
So Moogyeol hurriedly jumped over the railing. As soon as his feet touched the floor, So Moogyeol, who was about to grab Yoo Hojin, widened his eyes.
"Huh? Why are you standing?"
Moyong Gi grinned and raised his hand.
"Yo."
"Yo... is not the point, why are you standing?"
So Moogyeol, who had unconsciously raised his hand following Moyong Gi, looked at Moyong Gi with a dazed expression.
But he quickly scanned his surroundings.
"Then where's Yoo Hojin?"
From the pile of broken furniture, Yoo Hojin stood up with difficulty, using his sword to support himself on the floor.
The impact seemed to have been quite large, as he looked to have difficulty even keeping his body straight. But the fact that he was still gritting his teeth showed that his venom was still alive.
"You bastard! I won't let you get away with this!"
At Yoo Hojin's reaction, Moyong Gi laughed silently.
"Right. That's how you should be. I would have been disappointed."
Then, he tapped the floor. A line was drawn.
Woonhyun, who was looking down from the second floor, shot up. The other rising generation martial artists of the Nine Sects One Gang also had their eyes wide as saucers.
"Body-Shifting Illusion!"
Only Jeonggak shook his head.
'No.'
It wasn't Body-Shifting Illusion. Moyong Gi had not yet reached that level. The other rising generation martial artists couldn't recognize it because their martial arts level was low.
'Still, it's amazing.'
He was incredibly fast. It was to the point where even a decent master would have difficulty imitating it. It was a high-level lightness technique.
While Jeonggak was inwardly admiring, Moyong Gi, who had closed the distance in an instant, stopped right in front of Yoo Hojin. Then, he met Yoo Hojin's eyes.
"If you don't let me get away with it?"
Yoo Hojin reflexively raised his sword. Moyong Gi was faster.
Thwack!
"Ack!"
Yoo Hojin, who was hit with the scabbard, crashed into the wall with a loud noise.
Yoo Hojin instinctively flailed his arms and legs.
It was an instinctive movement to try to get up somehow. But it didn't work. His eyes had already lost focus.
Moyong Gi had made up his mind and put quite a bit of internal energy into it. The impact was great.
Moyong Gi took a bold step forward and grabbed Yoo Hojin by the hair. Yoo Hojin was pulled along helplessly. Moyong Gi growled in a low voice.
"What are you going to do if you don't let me get away with it?"
Moyong Gi trembled with rage just thinking about Yoo Hojin.
The memory of being brutally beaten in front of Baek Unseol at the Jinju Eon Family was unforgettable even after twenty years.
Before his return, he couldn't pay him back because Yoo Hojin had holed himself up in Diancang after he came out of the Demon Sealing Valley. He didn't have time to visit him.
'No. Since I returned, has it been less than a year?'
Whatever it was, it was fine. He planned to return what he had received.
Slap!
His cheek swelled up red in one blow.
Slap! Slap!
After a couple more hits, he spat out blood.
"St-stop!"
Yoo Hojin raised his arm and desperately covered his face. Moyong Gi ignored him and continued to strike.
Slap! Slap! Slap!
With a thud, blood splattered. His thick cheek had finally torn.
However, Moyong Gi's eyes did not calm down. They were still dyed red with excitement.
"Step back!"
But a fierce sword wind flew in and interfered with Moyong Gi.
It was Woonhyun.
Woonhyun jumped down from the second floor, drew his sword, and threw himself.
Moyong Gi spun around and threw Yoo Hojin.
"Th-this!"
A flustered Woonhyun lowered his sword and caught Yoo Hojin. That was his mistake.
Moyong Gi, who had quickly followed, kicked Yoo Hojin squarely in the back.
Thwack!
Crash!
Woonhyun and Yoo Hojin rolled on the floor as one lump.
"Gasp!"
Woonhyun's breath was knocked out of him.
Gasping, he forced his airway open. Yoo Hojin was already limp and unconscious.
Moyong Gi, who had slowly walked over, grabbed Yoo Hojin by the hair again. Then, he met Woonhyun's eyes.
"If you interfere one more time, I won't let you get away with it."
His red-dyed pupils gleamed dangerously. His limbs stiffened. Feeling a chill run down his spine, Woonhyun swallowed dryly.
'Ki... killing intent! This is killing intent!'
The energy Moyong Gi was emitting was definitely killing intent. Woonhyun couldn't even breathe properly and froze. He couldn't move, like a frog in front of a snake.
Moyong Gi averted his gaze from Woonhyun and pulled up the struggling Yoo Hojin.
"We should continue, right?"
Yoo Hojin couldn't even speak properly. Fear seeped into his faintly unfocused eyes.
"Ah... ah..."
Yoo Hojin didn't even dare to resist. His spirit was broken with just a few slaps. It was the most dangerous situation for a martial artist.
However, it had no effect on Moyong Gi.
"What are you going to do if you're like this already? We're not even halfway done. No. Not even a quarter of the way."
What was received must be returned. That was the family motto of the Moyong Family. Moyong Gi grinned.
"Stop!"
Four figures dropped down from the second floor and surrounded Moyong Gi. So Moogyeol and Woonhyun, who had finally come to their senses, joined in late.
Moyong Gi, still holding Yoo Hojin by the hair, slowly turned his gaze.
"Why? You guys want to jump in too?"
(End of Chapter)