Chapter 7

I Obtained Guan Yu’s Martial Arts

Who Is the Winner? (2)

Crackle—

It was a dark night.

Even the moonlight was hidden behind the clouds, and beneath the cloud-covered sky, a single campfire burned brightly, doing its best to illuminate the surroundings.

Firewood had been piled up in the middle of a shabby manor, and flames greedily consumed it.

It was an unusual sight to see at an ordinary residence.

Unless someone was insane, they wouldn’t start a fire in the middle of a manor overgrown with weeds.

But the stubborn young man with white eyebrows who had lit the fire didn’t care about such things.

He would be leaving soon anyway, and to him, this was nothing more than one of the many abandoned homes he had passed through while running away.

“I suppose it’s about time to leave this place too.”

The Little Lust Demon, Mak Pyeong, frowned as he stared into the flames.

“Ha. It’s a shame I didn’t get to taste that woman.”

He had originally planned to leave last night.

However, the eldest daughter of the head of the Yunseong Merchant Guild—known as Lord Ji—had kept him from leaving.

She looked remarkably similar to the woman he had assaulted in the past, which had stirred up his lust.

Of course, there were many people pursuing him, so it would have been wise to flee immediately.

But Mak Pyeong was the kind of man who couldn’t feel satisfied unless he took whatever woman he desired.

In other words, he was reluctant to leave while he still had unfinished business.

“Should I try again?”

Mak Pyeong’s gaze turned toward the large building standing prominently to the northwest.

The five-story building, clearly visible even from a distance, belonged to the Yunseong Merchant Guild.

“What if I kill the guards quickly and take her?”

Yunseong City was basically a remote backwater.

The strongest martial artists there had only reached the First-Class realm, and there were merely two of them.

That made it an ideal place for someone like Mak Pyeong, whose cultivation had stagnated at the peak of the Second-Class realm.

Aside from those two, everyone else was beneath him.

And when it came to escaping, he was more confident than anyone.

“Ha. That’s a tough one.”

After pondering for a while, Mak Pyeong clicked his tongue in annoyance.

“No. They doubled the number of guards. It won’t be easy. I’ll go for her next time.”

Although Mak Pyeong was an expert at the peak of the Second-Class realm, fighting dozens of Second-Class martial artists would still be difficult.

Of course, he had a trump card that would allow him to win.

But he would have to accept considerable injuries in the process.

“Tch.”

Clicking his tongue regretfully, Mak Pyeong flopped backward onto the ground.

“When the hell are those bastards coming?”

Mak Pyeong was waiting for members of the Hao Clan.

He needed them to give him the location of his new hideout.

“Bring it already! I need to get out of here!”

Mak Pyeong shouted loudly enough to make the old manor shake.

He wasn’t worried that someone might hear him.

He had already killed every commoner within a radius of roughly four hundred meters.

About twenty people, perhaps?

Honestly, he couldn’t remember the exact number.

When killing bugs, you don’t bother counting them.

“Tsk.”

Sensing someone’s presence, Mak Pyeong turned his gaze toward the entrance.

“Those Black Faction bastards really are lazy, aren’t they?”

He had been grumbling and complaining when his footsteps suddenly stopped.

“What are you?”

The person who entered Eunpyeongwon Manor wasn’t a member of the Hao Clan.

He was a giant standing over six cheok tall, with a sturdy physique.

The man had a beard beneath his chin and was clearly a martial artist.

The killing intent radiating from his eyes and his fierce, oppressive aura proved it.

“Where did you come from?”

Even though a man who was a head taller than him had appeared carrying a silver guandao, Mak Pyeong remained calm.

He could sense from his opponent’s aura that the man was weaker than himself.

“Seriously? They sent someone like you?”

The sinister smile around Mak Pyeong’s mouth deepened.

Judging from the energy he was unable to completely control, the man had only just stepped into the early Second-Class realm.

He was nowhere near a match for someone like Mak Pyeong, who was on the verge of reaching the First-Class realm.

“Hmm.”

Mak Pyeong turned his head and looked around.

“Don’t tell me you came alone?”

Gwan Hwi tightened his grip on the guandao instead of answering.

“You’re going to capture me by yourself? Don’t even think about it.”

Mak Pyeong snorted and leisurely rose to his feet.

“I’m letting you off because I don’t have a hobby of getting men’s blood on my body. So leave while I’m asking nicely.”

Mak Pyeong wore an indifferent expression.

Gwan Hwi looked at him and raised his guandao to chest level.

“Gwan Seo-wol.”

“…?”

“That was the name of the woman you violated and brutally murdered.”

“Oh. You came for revenge?”

The corner of Mak Pyeong’s mouth twitched upward until his grin reached his cheeks.

“There have been so many that I don’t really remember. She must have been your lover or something, right?”

“She was a member of my family. She was a very diligent girl.”

Gwan Seo-wol was one of the few people around Gwan Hwi’s age in the Gwan Family Manor.

She was the woman who understood Gwan Hwi’s efforts better than anyone.

To Gwan Hwi, she had been his one and only friend—the only person with whom he could openly share his true feelings.

“You raped her and killed her.”

Shing—

Under the moonlight, the guandao emitted a razor-sharp silver gleam.

“Did I? I guess she wasn’t very enjoyable. I usually remember the ones I enjoyed. Heh heh.”

“Today, you will pay for that with your life.”

“Pfft. You?”

Just as a mocking smile spread across Mak Pyeong’s lips—

Bang!

Gwan Hwi’s skin suddenly turned the color of a red date, and he charged forward like a bolt of lightning.

“…!?”

Even Mak Pyeong momentarily lost sight of his movements.

His speed was astonishing.

Despite his enormous body, his movement was as fast as lightning.

“W-What the?!”

Mak Pyeong hurriedly stepped backward to create distance.

But every time he retreated, Gwan Hwi ferociously closed the gap.

“W-What kind of speed is this?!”

It was truly monstrous.

The man charged at him like a wild boar.

This can’t be happening!

The internal energy in his dantian was, at best, at the Second-Class level.

Yet his movements were already far beyond what a Second-Class martial artist should be capable of.

How?!

Unable to understand what was happening, Mak Pyeong’s pupils shook violently.

---

Bang!

Pushing off the ground with his toes, Gwan Hwi charged forward and swung his guandao in a wide arc.

Whoosh!

The enormous guandao drew a horizontal line of razor-sharp silver light.

“Argh!”

The front of Mak Pyeong’s robe was sliced open, spraying blood into the air, and his face turned pale.

His eyes continued trembling in disbelief.

In a way, his reaction was only natural.

The martial artists of the current era looked down upon external martial arts and placed all their emphasis on internal energy.

The important thing is to cultivate both external and internal martial arts.

Watching the battle, Guan Yu lightly clicked his tongue.

He was displeased with the current attitude of placing all importance on internal energy.

They didn’t understand how important harmony between the internal and external aspects was, and instead insisted on easy methods of cultivation.

That was probably one reason martial artists had grown weaker with each passing generation.

Even so, that man is an expert above your level. Do not let your guard down.

In battle, one’s cultivation realm did not determine everything.

In actual combat, it was entirely possible for a weaker martial artist to kill a stronger one.

But Mak Pyeong was undeniably an expert of a higher realm.

For Gwan Hwi, who had only just entered the Second-Class realm, he was quite a formidable opponent.

I’ll teach you the technique again, so simply perform the blade technique as I instructed—…?!

Guan Yu couldn’t finish speaking.

A baffling situation had unfolded before his eyes.

Contrary to his expectations, Gwan Hwi was overpowering Mak Pyeong without any assistance.

“Gah!”

Mak Pyeong staggered as his thigh was deeply cut.

The guandao rose into the air, trailing drops of red blood.

Gwan Hwi gripped the guandao with both hands and brought it down in a vertical line as if he intended to split the entire world in half.

“……!”

Mak Pyeong hurriedly raised his sword horizontally to block it.

His thigh was injured, making escape impossible, so he intended to endure the blow using his internal energy.

But—

Whoosh!

Gwan Hwi’s guandao curved like a snake and targeted Mak Pyeong’s thigh rather than his head.

……!

Guan Yu, watching from the middle of the sky, widened his eyes.

That movement was clearly one of the techniques the Soul Medicine Hall Master, Gwang Sa-heun, had used during their previous battle.

He already learned that movement?!

Although Gwang Sa-heun was a member of the Black Faction, he had reached the First-Class realm.

The blade strike he had used was an advanced technique containing considerable martial principles.

It wasn’t something that could easily be copied after seeing it only once.

Especially not by a martial artist who had only just begun learning the guandao.

It would be impossible unless he possesses a Heavenly Martial Constitution.

A Heavenly Martial Constitution was a physique that possessed every form of energy—Extreme Yin, Extreme Yang, the Three Powers, the Five Elements, and Taiji—allowing its owner to harmoniously learn all kinds of martial arts.

Guan Yu began to wonder whether Gwan Hwi might have been born with the Heavenly Martial Constitution.

His innate physical strength.

The incredible instincts he had just displayed.

If he possessed a Heavenly Martial Constitution, every piece of the puzzle would fit.

Of course, he would need to observe him for a little longer to be certain.

“Huff. Huff.”

Rough breaths escaped Mak Pyeong’s mouth.

Blood pouring from his deeply wounded thighs had formed a small pool on the ground.

Moving his legs any further was impossible.

That meant his greatest strength—his ability to escape—was no longer an option.

“How could trash like you possibly… defeat me?”

Mak Pyeong still couldn’t believe it.

As a final attempt, he squeezed out the internal energy he had left and spread his senses.

But Gwan Hwi’s realm was still exactly the same.

He was still only at the early Second-Class level—the kind of opponent whose throat Mak Pyeong could cut even with his eyes closed.

“Heh heh.”

Finding himself so thoroughly beaten by someone at the early Second-Class level, Mak Pyeong couldn’t help but smile.

“For me, Mak Pyeong, to end like this…”

Mak Pyeong bared his bloodstained teeth and laughed.

“There are still mountains of women I haven’t violated. What a shame.”

He looked toward the sky as though blaming the heavens, then spread both arms wide.

“Kill me! You damned bastard.”

Shing—

Gwan Hwi dragged the silver guandao across the ground as he slowly approached Mak Pyeong.

He stopped in front of him.

But instead of striking Mak Pyeong’s neck with the guandao, he placed it on the ground.

Thud—

The heavy guandao, made entirely of metal, fell onto the training ground.

“……!”

Mak Pyeong’s face twisted in bewilderment.

“You bastard… what the hell are you doing?”

“Death like this would be too merciful for you.”

Gwan Hwi put down the guandao and clenched both fists.

After that bastard had brutally violated Seo-wol and caused her death,

many members of the Gwan Family had left.

The fact that the family had been incapable of even dealing with a single Little Lust Demon.

The miserable state of the family, which didn’t even possess the strength to fight him.

The family’s financial situation, which made it impossible to hire a martial artist capable of killing him.

All of those things had driven the family members into despair and caused them to turn their backs on the Gwan Family.

But that wasn’t why Gwan Hwi wanted to kill him.

“You’re the reason Seo-wol died.”

The family members leaving.

The family’s situation sinking even further because of it.

Gwan Hwi believed all of those things were his own fault as the head of the family.

But Gwan Seo-wol was different.

The reason she died was entirely because of that filthy bastard’s lust.

So, even if it was only to avenge her resentment—

“You deserve to die as horribly as possible.”

Gwan Hwi raised his foot and kicked between Mak Pyeong’s legs.

Thud!

With a sound like pigskin tearing, foam burst from Mak Pyeong’s mouth.

“Ugh!”

The pain was so severe that his eyes rolled upward as he collapsed.

Gwan Hwi grabbed him by the collar and drove his fist into his face.

Thud! Thud! Crack!

“P-Please… spare me…!”

Even after his teeth were shattered and his nasal bone crushed, Gwan Hwi didn’t stop.

Gwan Hwi possessed monstrous innate strength.

Even without using internal energy, his fists smashed Mak Pyeong’s face apart and crushed his bones one after another.

“……”

Every bone from his eyes to his nose and mouth had been shattered and driven inward.

Mak Pyeong died standing where he was.

His face had been destroyed so thoroughly that it was impossible to tell whether the corpse was even Mak Pyeong anymore.

Gwan Hwi calmly looked down at him before picking up the silver guandao he had left on the ground.

Swish!

With one hand, he casually swung the guandao, drawing a horizontal line of silver light.

Mak Pyeong’s head, which had been pathetically begging for his life until the very end, momentarily blocked the moon in the sky.

“……”

With a bitter expression, Gwan Hwi walked past and tossed the head into the campfire.

Whoosh!

As the face of the evil criminal began to burn with an unpleasant smell, Gwan Hwi raised his head and looked toward the sky.

“I’m sorry it took me so long to avenge you, Seo-wol.”

Perhaps it was too late.

Gwan Hwi wondered if Seo-wol resented him.

And it wasn’t only Seo-wol.

He had repaid his debt to Lord Ji and taken revenge on Mak Pyeong.

In a single day, he had resolved the two biggest problems connected to the Gwan Family.

But perhaps it was far too late.

Wouldn’t those who had already died because of his shortcomings resent him now, asking what the point was in doing all this?

“……”

Gwan Hwi’s head slowly lowered toward the ground.

He was too ashamed to look toward the heavens because of his regret for those who had already departed.

Thinking about those who had suffered and died because of their inadequate family head made him feel as though guilt were crushing down on both his shoulders.

That isn’t the case, so don’t worry.

Guan Yu’s calm voice reached his ears.

The Middle Heaven is a place through which all souls pass. I have met every one of your descendants who came here.

“……”

What had they said?

Gwan Hwi wanted to ask, but he couldn’t bring himself to.

He was afraid of hearing the answer.

They were all worried about you.

“……!”

They said your shoulders must be unbearably heavy. They cried, saying they were sorry they couldn’t help you.

Just as Gwan Hwi worried about his family members as their head, the family members worried about Gwan Hwi as well.

Those who had died unjustly.

Those who had died from overwork.

All of them, even from beyond the heavens, had done nothing but worry about Gwan Hwi.

“So… that’s how it is.”

Was it raining?

Hot tears flowed from beneath Gwan Hwi’s eyes.

He bit his lips tightly and tried to calm his trembling heart.

“I… I’m really glad.”

Don’t push yourself so hard. You did your best given your circumstances.

“Thank you.”

It was the first time in his life that he had received such recognition.

Perhaps it was because the words had come from his most famous and glorious ancestor.

A feeling of warmth seemed to surround his body.

It felt as though he had shed a layer of something weighing him down.

His body felt lighter.

Then claim your reward.

“My reward…?”

I sensed something unusual in that man’s pocket.

Only then did Gwan Hwi look at Mak Pyeong’s headless body.

Just as Guan Yu had said, something bulky was protruding from around Mak Pyeong’s waist.

“What is this?”

Gwan Hwi tilted his head and reached into Mak Pyeong’s sleeve.

Inside was a small wooden box about half the size of his palm.

“……?”

Gwan Hwi opened the wooden box without much thought.

“This is…!”

The moment he saw what was inside, his eyes widened until they seemed ready to tear apart.

“Is this… a spiritual medicine?!”