There are people you can deal with using words. (3)

A hint of tension flashed across Ilho Shin Gae’s stern face.

He had never doubted that he was the best in the Beggars Sect. Why else would his nickname be Gungu Ilho [the tiger among dogs, if someone forgot]?

However, even he could not afford to underestimate the fierce young challenger rushing towards him. After all, that youth was none other than Hwasan Geomhyeop Chung Myung.

Boom!

From Ilho Shin Gae’s palm, who had firmly planted his feet, a brilliant blue energy burst forth.

Taap!

With a short burst, the energy collided head-on with Chung Myung’s advancing sword.

Kwaaang!

The tremendous impact forcefully surged in all directions. The energy unleashed by Ilho Shin Gae was split sharply to the sides, like a swift current meeting a towering cliff.

Chung Myung dashed through the opening created by the split. His gaze was chilling.

Paaaat!

In an instant, an eerie light surged, and the white sword flew straight towards Ilho Shin Gae’s throat.

“Ugh!”

Ilho Shin Gae hastily twisted his neck to the side and struck the flat of the incoming sword with his palm. It was an act of evasion and defense executed simultaneously. Nonetheless, Chung Myung’s sword, infused with pure internal energy, left a red wound on Ilho Shin Gae’s neck.

Seark!

A burning pain spread across his neck. Yet, before he could fully register it, Chung Myung’s Dark Plum Sword twisted like a snake, aiming for his heart.

Ilho Shin Gae twisted his body without even having the time to cry out in pain.

Seark! Seark!

Chung Myung’s sword barely grazed his chest and back. But crimson blood sprayed forth from both front and back. At this rate, it was clear he would be completely overwhelmed.

“Haaap!”

Ilho Shin Gae poured all his strength into a palm strike aimed at Chung Myung.

But at that moment, what he saw between the bursts of energy was Chung Myung’s sinister grin.

Paaaat!

In the brief instant when the energy hadn’t fully extended, Chung Myung’s sword pierced through like lightning. Ilho Shin Gae’s eyes widened.

‘What?’

Despite such an intense frontal attack, he didn’t retreat?

Crunch!

Chung Myung’s sword plunged into Ilho Shin Gae’s shoulder.

The unbearable pain surged through him, but Ilho Shin Gae clenched his teeth, summoning even greater strength. He was determined to repay the wound to his shoulder with Chung Myung’s life.

But at that moment.

Crack!

With a terrible sound, the sword embedded in his shoulder twisted. His extended arm was forcibly twisted along with it.

Kwaaaa!

Thanks to this, the direction of the energy was subtly redirected. Chung Myung met it with his left hand, deflecting it and retreating without resistance. He swiftly moved back like a leaf carried away by a rapid current.

Тар.

Chung Myung spun once in midair and landed on the ground, leisurely cracking his neck from side to side. Crimson droplets fell from the Dark Plum Sword he held in his right hand – it was none other than Ilho Shin Gae’s blood.

Ilho Shin Gae stared blankly at Chung Myung, as if in a daze.

‘How..?’

How could a person move like that?

He had seen it with his own eyes and experienced it with his own body. Yet, he couldn’t comprehend what had just happened.

How could someone charge towards a force that could tear a person apart with mere contact? How could he not only survive but also escape unscathed? How was any of this possible?

Realizing this, Ilho Shin Gae couldn’t help but acknowledge it.

‘He is on a different level..’

This wasn’t a matter of comparing levels of internal strength or the intricacy of techniques. Chung Myung’s swordsmanship was beyond the dimension he had imagined.

‘Is he really this strong?’

Who in the world didn’t know that Hwasan Geomhyeop Chung Myung was strong? As an elder of the Beggars Sect, it was impossible for him not to know, and it was unacceptable not to be aware.

But the issue was the level of that ‘strength’.

The movement Chung Myung had just demonstrated far exceeded the martial prowess known to the world.

At that moment, Chung Myung’s indifferent voice brushed past his ears.

“That palm technique, is it the Eighteen Palms Pursuing Righteousness [추의십팔장(追義十八掌) – chuuisibpaljang]?”

“How… how do you know that?”

Ilho Shin Gae responded instinctively, prompting Chung Myung to click his tongue in displeasure.

“Tsk. A technique that only the Sect Leader should master is being used by an elder? Beggars Sect is really falling apart.”

– What about Hwasan?

“Argh! Shut up and mind your own business!”

Does he ever know when to stop? Is this comparable to that? The Purple Mist Divine Art of Hwasan is different! How dare he compare us to those beggars!

Sighing, Chung Myung flicked his sword tip in annoyance.

“Well, whatever. If the one who mastered it disappears, it won’t matter.”

Scrape.

Chung Myung dragged his sword along the floor as he took a step towards Ilho Shin Gae. At that moment, Ilho Shin Gae unconsciously stepped back.

“What? Are you planning to run away?”

Realizing his cowardly retreat, Ilho Shin Gae’s face flushed with embarrassment. Chung Myung smirked at him.

“Your words and actions are quite different, aren’t they?”

“You…”

“Who can’t talk big?”

Chung Myung’s voice turned chillingly calm.

“You said you would restore Beggars Sect to its rightful state, that you could do it, that you were different…”

“…”

“It’s easy to talk big when you’ve never stood on the edge of life and death, never felt the pressure. All you have done was scheming behind the scenes.”

“You bastard!”

“Gungu Ilho? You seem to think that’s an impressive title. But from another perspective, it just means you’ve never had any real competition except for some dogs.”

Chung Myung pointed his sword at Ilho Shin Gae.

“A tiger that ruled among dogs will be torn apart when it meets a tiger that fought fiercely in the mountains. At that point, it’s no longer a tiger, just a dog in a tiger’s skin. Just a loud barking dog.”

“Shut up, you bastard!”

Ilho Shin Gae knew that all these words were meant to provoke him, but he couldn’t contain his anger. When had he ever been insulted like this? And from someone of the same Just Sect, no less.

“Look at you now. Tigers don’t bark, they bite. That’s why you’re just a dog.”

Chung Myung approached Ilho Shin Gae with a mocking smile.

Ilho Shin Gae watched him warily, biting his lips until they bled. How he wanted to crush that arrogant snout. But Ilho Shin Gae wasn’t a fool. Just from exchanging a few blows, he knew the difference in their levels. Astonishingly, he couldn’t match this young swordsman from Hwasan. The renowned best of the Beggars Sect couldn’t defeat this youngster.

What should he do now?

At that moment, other elders who had been observing the situation flew in and positioned themselves protectively around Ilho Shin Gae.

“Elder!”

“We’ll help you!”

In that moment, Ilho Shin Gae bit down harder on his lower lip. The other elders had realized it too: Ilho Shin Gae alone couldn’t handle Hwasan Geomhyeop. This was a humiliation like no other.

“Oh?”

Naturally, Chung Myung seized the opportunity to mock them.

“The esteemed elders of Beggars Sect hold their much younger junior in such high regard that they’d even team up against him. I’m so overwhelmed, I don’t know where to put myself.”

“Shut up, you bastard!”

The elders’ faces turned crimson. Even in this urgent situation, they knew their actions were shameful and would never be spoken of proudly.

“Well, I suppose it’s understandable for the elders, but…”

Chung Myung’s gaze fixed on Ilho Shin Gae among the elders.

“You boasted about being a tiger among dogs, but it seems hiding behind dogs doesn’t bother you. With this, who’s the dog and who’s the tiger?”

“Agh…!”

“Elder! You must calm down!”

“You know his nature and cunning tongue well, Elder. Please remain composed!”

Chung Myung chuckled. He then spun the Dark Plum Sword in his hand and gripped it again.

“So what if you know? What difference does it make? What have you ever been unable to do because you didn’t know? Isn’t it obvious you couldn’t do it even though you knew?”

“You….”

“You want to restore the honor of Beggars Sect, but in doing so, you resort to ganging up on a junior. You don’t want to make Beggars Sect seem cowardly, yet you can’t avoid covering up the truth and assassinating the Sect Leader.”

“You bastard! What do you know…?”

“Such nonsense.”

Chung Myung let out a derisive laugh. His tone suggested he wasn’t even angry anymore.

When people are at ease, they manage to maintain appearances. But when pushed to the edge, their true nature inevitably surfaces.

“This stench… it doesn’t seem to be just because this place is a den of beggars, does it? Don’t you think?”

Ilho Shin Gae, eyes bloodshot, shouted at Chung Myung.

“Achieving results by any means necessary – that’s the truth! I will endure this humiliation.”

“Oh, really?”

Chung Myung laughed as he reversed his grip on the sword. At the same time, the smile disappeared from his face.

“You won’t understand even if I explain it, but I’ll give you a piece of advice.”

Chung Myung glanced sideways.

He saw his comrades fiercely fighting against dozens of Beggars Sect’s elders. Despite knowing they were outnumbered, they did not retreat.

“Righteousness isn’t about the outcome, but the process.”

“…”

“You wouldn’t know that, would you?”

Swish!

Chung Myung kicked off the ground and flew straight towards the elders.

“Kill him!”

The elders also gathered all their strength to counter his attack.

Kagaang!

“Ugh!”

Jo Geol bit his lip tightly. His sword had been deflected by a short staff that suddenly surged up from below. The strikes that had been effective moments ago were now being consistently blocked.

‘Damn.’

He had initially managed to catch them off guard and gain the upper hand, but unfortunately, that advantage didn’t last long.

Although the Beggars Sect is considered the weakest among Gupailbang, these were still elders he was facing. Moreover, with the elders teaming up in numbers several times greater, maintaining the upper hand was impossible from the start.

“This is so unfair! Why are we always in these kinds of fights?”

“Shut up and fight, you bastard!”

“I know, I know!”

Jo Geol gritted his teeth.

‘But we can still hold on!’

They weren’t surrounded yet, and the elders couldn’t fully concentrate on their fight with them.

While they could fully trust Chung Myung’s skills, the elders didn’t seem to have complete confidence in Ilho Shin Gae.

“Take this!”

Jo Geol quickly ducked to avoid the incoming short staff. A few strands of his curly hair, caught by the blue energy surrounding the staff, were cut and scattered in the air.

“Haaap!”

At that moment, Yoon Jong stepped forward swiftly to take Jo Geol’s place, noticing that Jo Geol was momentarily out of breath. Thanks to this, Jo Geol was able to catch his breath and quickly survey the surroundings.

‘We can’t hold out much longer!’

But it was fine. Their goal wasn’t to win. As long as they could keep the elders occupied, Chung Myung would surely deal with Ilho Shin Gae.

Just as he reaffirmed his resolve and prepared to charge forward, Jo Geol suddenly hesitated.

“Hm?”

Something caught his eye, and a look of suspicion crossed his face.

‘What is it?’

He sensed something oddly out of place in the other fight happening beside him.

Kaang!

An incoming staff and the Plum Blossom Sword clashed fiercely in midair. The Plum Blossom Sword, overpowered, was pushed back forcefully.

‘Pushed back?’

Why?

Jo Geol had already experienced the strength and weight behind the staffs wielded by the elders. They were strong, but not strong enough to push back the Plum Blossom Sword so easily.

But that Plum Blossom Sword could not withstand the power of the staff. Its movements lacked sharpness and strength.

“Sasuk…?”

Moreover, he was shocked because the wielder of that faltering sword was Baek Cheon.

“S-Sasuk!”

This wasn’t Baek Cheon’s sword. Baek Cheon’s sword Jo Geol knew was consistent, precise, and exquisite.

However, before the stunned Jo Geol could rush to him, it happened.

Kaang!

The sword, unable to withstand the rebound force from the staff, was momentarily flung upwards.

“You bastard!”

The blue energy-infused staff seized the opportunity and struck mercilessly.

Thud!

Jo Geol saw it.

Baek Cheon’s body crumpled to the ground as if in slow motion after being struck in the chest by the staff.

“S-Sasuk…”

He saw the staff descending straight towards the back of Baek Cheon’s head as he fell forward.

“Noooooo!”

A desperate scream erupted from Jo Geol’s lips, but it was already too late.