Chapter 55
I Can’t Hold Back Any Longer (1)
Clang! Tang—!
The moment Kang Yong-woon’s Cheonggang Sword collided with their blades, the men staggered back.
It was the power of Tanja Force imbued in his sword.
Ssak— Ssasak—
In that instant, Kang Yong-woon’s sword cleanly severed the wrist tendons of the men before him.
“Waaagh!”
“Kuugh!”
With screams, they dropped their sabers.
Clutching their bleeding arms, they could only stumble backward.
None of them could withstand even a single strike from Kang Yong-woon.
Swi-kak. Ss-kak.
“Kraaaahk!”
“Kuheok!”
One by one, wrists were sliced open, sabers falling from limp hands.
And the more they fell, the deeper Kang Yong-woon’s fury grew.
“So these are the ones…?”
Cha-cha-chang! Ssak! Ssasak!
“Gyaaahh!”
“My arm! My a-a-rm!”
“Waaahh!”
The cries came faster and faster.
“How dare you drive hardworking commoners into a hell worse than death?!”
Swi-kak! Swi-gak! Ssasak!
“Kuuaagh!”
“Kuhrgh!”
“Kuugh!”
At last, with final cries, every single one of the Gui-do Gang men who had come seeking Doctor Jang dropped their weapons.
All fifteen had their wrists sliced open.
Never again would they wield a saber—or any weapon at all.
[Well done, Woon-ah. It’s called ‘disabling evil at the root.’ Now, let’s storm their den—!]
No one among the elders of Gungchang objected.
“That was my plan anyway, Elder.”
Kang Yong-woon asked grimly:
“You said you were men of Gui-do Gang’s Great Continental Arena, yes?”
“Y-yes, g-great hero!” stammered the leading man under Yong-woon’s icy glare.
“Lead the way. I need to meet your gang master.”
“R-right now?”
“Yes. Now.”
“U-understood, great hero!”
The men hastily turned back toward the Arena.
Hee-juk. Ss-smirk.
As they walked, crooked smiles spread across their faces.
“Bastard. You’re finished now.”
“So you can swing a sword, eh? But the Arena’s our turf—!”
“The pain you gave me, I’ll return in full, you bastard.”
They trusted that allies from the nearby brothels, gambling dens, and wine houses would come rushing.
“In-incredible…”
“Shut the doors! Quickly!”
The shopkeepers nearby panicked at the sight of Gui-do men staggering past, blood dripping from their wrists.
“Damn it, we’d better warn them inside.”
“The ones who went to catch that zither-player and her daughter—ended up like this?!”
“What are you waiting for? Alert the gang, now!”
“Y-yes, squad leader!”
Some men scattered in all directions.
It was clear—this whole district was Gui-do Gang’s turf.
***
That same day, Constable Wang Jeong-ha, who had taken leave to nurse his ailing wife, laughed heartily for the first time in years.
“Hahaha! Is it truly that good, my dear?!”
His wife, bedridden for years with mysterious pain, had suddenly improved overnight—sitting up with color in her cheeks.
She even smiled at him.
How could Wang Jeong-ha not laugh?
“Yes, husband. After drinking the medicine you gave me, I fell into deep sleep, and when I woke… the pain was gone, and strength had returned!”
It was truly miraculous.
Though it had been a large and unusual root of Red Polygonum (He Shou Wu), he had never expected such swift results.
“Because of this wretched wife, you have suffered so much, husband. Forgive me.”
“What nonsense?!”
When she teared up, Wang Jeong-ha scolded her sternly.
“Your only duty is to recover quickly. The noble benefactor gave us precious medicine. I’ll decoct it twice, thrice if needed—so drink every drop and get well, do you hear?”
“Husband…”
Just then—
“Constable, sir!”
The urgent voice of the deputy constable came from outside.
“Forgive me, but you must come at once.”
“What is it?!”
The reply drained the joy from his face.
“Gui-do Gang is moving strangely, sir.”
“Gui-do Gang…!”
Wang Jeong-ha’s face hardened like stone.
***
At the Great Continental Arena,
the moment Kang Yong-woon stepped into the loan-shark den, the attack began.
“Kill him—!”
“Cut him down—!”
“Haaaah!”
Over fifty gang fighters rushed with sabers and cleavers.
The men who had lured him here smirked. Reinforcements had streamed from the gambling houses and brothels.
Swae-aek! Paek! Shwi-gak!
The air shrieked as a storm of blades rained down on Kang Yong-woon.
“Hmph! I won’t fall here.”
He drew his Cheonggang Sword and met them head-on—using the Three Talents Sword Style, with fundamentals of martial essence, combined with Tanja Fist, Palm Force, and Lotus Staff Arts.
Pakaang! Ssak!
“Krugh!”
With every stroke, another foe fell.
“What are you waiting for? Kill him!”
“An apprentice dares humiliate us? This is Gui-do Gang’s shame!”
“Whoever fells him will be promoted and rewarded—!”
From above, Master Chu-dam, head of the Arena, and his lieutenants screamed orders.
[Hmph! Do these mangy curs think numbers alone can challenge a tiger? Foolishness!]
Elder I-rae stepped forth, advising Yong-woon:
[The enemy is many, but their attack paths are only five: front, back, left, right, and above. Guard those, and their numbers mean nothing. Do you understand?]
Sparks flashed in Yong-woon’s eyes.
“Of course—!”
As the elder said, no matter the numbers, they could only strike from five directions.
“Come then, Gui-do Gang!”
Yong-woon roared.
“I, Kang Yong-woon, will deliver judgment! Haaaah!”
The Three Talents Sword Style unfolded with perfect clarity—slashes, thrusts, sweeping cuts, each infused with the subtlety of martial principles.
[Well done, our Woon-ah!]
The elder’s cheer fueled him.
Tanja Fist to swat foes leaping from above, Palm Force to redirect sabers, and Lotus Staff strikes to crush shoulders that slipped through.
[Heh heh! Taste the fist of our boy!]
[Indeed! That is Wudang’s Palm Force!]
[That’s how you beat scoundrels—thrash them like strays, hahaha!]
Even Dalma, Zhang San-feng, and Li Tie-guai roared in delight.
The other elders grumbled with regret.
[Tch. If I’d known, I would’ve taught him my art even if it killed him.]
[Same here—!]
[Next chance I get, I’ll make him my disciple, mark me.]
[Me too—!]
They longed for another chance.
“Kraaagh!”
“Kuheok!”
“Kuugh!”
Blood spurted with every cry.
Weapons fell, men staggered back.
Yet none died.
Kang Yong-woon struck only wrists, ankles, knees, shoulders—disabling, never killing.
Jjeo-eok! Pasak!
“Aaaargh! My back—!”
A few unlucky ones had spines broken by heavy strikes.
“Ughhh—!”
“S-scary bastard—!”
With their numbers halved, their courage crumbled.
The gang realized—this youth could not be overwhelmed by numbers.
“Huuuhh—!”
Yong-woon exhaled, halting his whirlwind of techniques.
The hall fell silent.
The thugs only trembled, gulping dryly as they stared at him like a mountain.
Ignoring them, Yong-woon turned.
New presences had appeared.
“So the real fight begins.”
Before him stood over a dozen martial auras—dim but heavy.
“One of them… nearly equal to So-baek’s level of inner strength.”
Behind him stood ten more, ranging from first-class to near-supreme. Alone he could face them one by one, but together… it would be perilous.
One man in particular—equal to Dang So-baek—was dangerous.
“But I will not lose.”
For he had the Thunder God Art—though he had refrained from using it to avoid killing.
“First, recover what little inner strength I can.”
Standing tall, he began circulating the Great Heaven Divine Art.
“L-Lord Gang Master—!”
“The master is here—!”
“You’re dead now, bastard—!”
Their morale revived at once.
From afar, safe from his reach, they hurled insults.
“Give up, bastard!”
“Kneel, now!”
“You brat! Throw down your sword if you want to live!”
But Gui-do Gang Master Ak Jin, who watched silently, finally frowned.
He waved a hand.
The lackeys immediately shut up and spread to the sides.
“You. Who the hell are you?”
His voice was cold, heavy with killing intent.
“You think you can cause this mess?!”
“You must be Gui-do’s master, then.”
Ak Jin’s frown deepened. Murderous energy seeped out.
“Insolent brat. Be grateful I’m even asking.”
“So it’s true.”
“Tell me—who sent you? Who’s backing you?!”
Backing, huh…
Yong-woon grinned, cold as steel. He pointed at the sky.
“They did. And my own heart commanded me.”
He declared it proudly.
[Heh heh! That’s right—I, Dalma, am his backing!]
[Pfft—! I, Zhang San-feng, as well!]
[Scum! I, Li Tie-guai, stand behind this boy—!]
[What’s this? Of course it’s me, I-rae of Shu—his true backing—!]
The elders’ voices thundered in his chest, setting his heart ablaze.
“What?”
Ak Jin blinked, then scowled, realizing he was being mocked.
“Break his arms and legs!”
At that instant—
Piiiiiit! Piiiit! Piiiiiiiiiit!
A piercing whistle froze his men in their tracks.
A squad of officials stormed into the Arena.
“Halt—!”
A commanding shout shook the hall.
What?
All eyes turned to the front gate.
“…That man?”
Yong-woon’s eyes widened. He recognized the figure.
“The constable from yesterday?”
It was none other than Constable Wang Jeong-ha, in charge of An-gang Prefecture’s law and order.
***
Meanwhile, deep within Gui-do Gang’s headquarters on An-gang’s outskirts,
in a secluded annex, a voice dripped with annoyance.
“Useless fools.”
The man in a silver mask scolded his subordinates in white and gray masks.
“Unable to handle a mere brat, and forcing the gang master to step out himself?!”
One of the white-masked men spoke cautiously:
“Whoever he is, should we not send in the White Phantoms to assist?”
“We should?”
“Yes.”
His words grew hurried.
“Because of that Kang Yong-woon, the Golden Phantom had to personally take men south to Sichuan. If, while she is gone, our base here is shaken by some random brat—”
“Hmm…”
The Silver Phantom fell into thought.
At last, he decided.
“Fine. Let’s see what kind of fool dares meddle with Gui-do Gang under our control.”
“Yes, Silver Phantom!”
Silver Phantom, White Phantom, and ten Gray Phantoms all left the headquarters, heading toward the Great Continental Arena.
