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Chapter 9
As a heavy killing intent began to seep from his body, Jo Munhak flinched when his eyes met Geum Gyo-du’s.
‘What a fool. He blurted out something he couldn’t even take responsibility for….’
Words should always pass through one’s head before leaving one’s mouth.
Wasn’t the martial world a place where one careless slip of the tongue could cost you your head?
And it wasn’t limited to the martial world.
If anything, one had to be even more careful with one’s words in the imperial court, where the Emperor and all the civil and military officials resided.
Haegang shook his head at how reckless a scholar preparing for a career as an official could be.
‘That’s what happens when you don’t get beaten enough.’
Only after making a mistake with his words and getting beaten until he was covered in dust in the streets would someone learn how to keep his tongue in check.
No one had ever disciplined that brat’s mouth, either at home or outside, so he had apparently developed the foolish courage to say such things today.
“Oh? You’re saying Geum Gyo-du was unfair?”
Jo Pungdo approached with an amused expression. Jo Munhak, who had been watching Geum Gyo-du’s reaction, nodded.
“Yes….”
“Why? Did Geum Gyo-du receive a bribe from someone?”
“That’s not it, but….”
“Then… did he show favoritism toward someone?”
“…Yes!”
After briefly gauging the situation, the brat answered energetically.
Perhaps his answer gave the others courage.
“You’re right. It doesn’t seem to be the instructor’s fault, but… that fellow’s evaluation will obviously be the highest. However, that evaluation is wrong!”
Baek Yeongjun added his voice, and the remaining two nodded and joined in.
“That lowborn bastard only acted deliberately throughout the training period to curry favor with Geum Gyo-du.”
“Yes! It might have looked like he was training hard, but that was nothing more than a cheap trick. Meanwhile, we worked hard on our training away from the instructor’s eyes! Naturally, our evaluations cannot be fair when compared with someone who only pretended to work hard whenever he was being watched.”
At the fools’ words, Jo Pungdo looked toward Geum Gyo-du.
“That’s what they’re saying.”
“The evaluation of martial talent had nothing to do with who trained the hardest. A mediocre talent does not become a genius simply because he works hard.”
At Geum Gyo-du’s answer, Jo Pungdo turned his gaze toward the fools.
“That’s what he says.”
“Then… are you saying that the evaluation of that lowborn bastard wasn’t the highest?”
At Jo Munhak’s question, Jo Pungdo unfolded the papers once more.
“Hmm…. That’s not the case. I originally had no intention of showing these, but… see for yourselves.”
With those words, he casually flicked his hand holding the papers, causing the five evaluation sheets to fall in front of them.
- Jo Munhak. Martial Talent: Byeong-Ha. Physical Strength: Byeong-Jung. Eyesight: Eul-Ha. Willpower: Byeong-Ha.
- Baek Yeongjun. Martial Talent: Byeong-Jung. Physical Strength: Byeong-Sang. Eyesight: Eul-Jung. Willpower: Byeong-Ha.
- Mo Yeonchan. Martial Talent: Byeong-Jung. Physical Strength: Byeong-Jung. Eyesight: Byeong-Ha. Willpower: Eul-Ha.
- Bang Judeok. Martial Talent: Eul-Jung. Physical Strength: Eul-Sang. Eyesight: Eul-Jung. Willpower: Eul-Sang.
- Mun Haegang. Martial Talent: Gap-Sang. Physical Strength: Gap-Ha. Eyesight: Gap-Ha. Willpower: Gap-Sang.
!!!
The faces of the fools who directly saw Geum Gyo-du’s evaluations twisted as though they had forced something they should never have swallowed into their mouths.
They had expected Haegang to receive a somewhat favorable evaluation, but seeing the actual scores made the difference look devastating.
Even Bang Judeok, who had entered a martial sect two years ago, had not received a single evaluation higher than Eul.
How could that lowborn bastard have received a Gap in every single category?
Unable to believe the evaluation, the fools fearlessly glared at Geum Gyo-du.
Geum Gyo-du did not avoid their piercing gazes.
His utterly unfaltering attitude made the fools feel as though they had somehow become inferior beings compared to Haegang, causing their insides to burn even hotter.
“Geum Gyo-du has never once given a Gap-Sang evaluation for martial talent. Not even to my own sons.”
!!!
At Jo Pungdo’s words, the fools stared at him in surprise.
“A man who evaluates even the sons of the family head as Eul-Jung or Eul-Sang supposedly showed favoritism toward a child he had only just met? That’s quite an amusing claim.”
“T-That….”
“We didn’t mean it that way….”
“Enough. If the parties involved cannot accept the evaluation, then we should reconsider it. I have no desire to hear people saying that the Blood Claw Family’s Yeongseo Chochin is unfair.”
At Jo Pungdo’s words, the fools’ expressions brightened.
“Then….”
“Are you going to reevaluate….”
Jo Pungdo cut them off with a smile.
But Haegang noticed the faint killing intent hidden within that smile.
If one had not known Jo Pungdo for a long time, it would have looked like nothing more than the smile of a good-natured man. The fools, however, seemed completely oblivious to the killing intent in his expression.
“Originally, I intended to determine the results by combining Geum Gyo-du’s evaluations with the evaluations that the two elders and I would personally give after watching the Manggeumjo you have learned so far. But… that seems likely to leave room for controversy.”
There was no real reason for controversy even if the results were determined solely by the evaluations of the family head and the two elders, excluding Geum Gyo-du’s assessment.
Nevertheless, Haegang could guess why Jo Pungdo was saying this.
‘What a nasty old man.’
Jo Pungdo might appear straightforward and refreshing at first glance, but he was still a man of the unorthodox path who had survived in the dark world.
A man who could only feel relieved after shedding blood over even the smallest grudge would never simply let some immature brats who had dared to complain about the fairness of his evaluations leave the Jo Family unharmed.
“How about this? If you cannot accept Geum Gyo-du’s evaluation, why don’t you prove yourselves with your bodies?”
“That means….”
Bang Judeok trailed off as he glanced at Haegang.
Jo Pungdo nodded.
“The martial world does not listen to powerless words. If you want to give strength to your words, you must show your strength.”
As though they had been waiting for those words, the fools curled their lips into smiles.
And Haegang was no different.
He, too, had spent decades in the unorthodox path and had raised the Blood Claw Family into one of the most prominent martial families in Guizhou.
“It seems both sides have agreed, so it’s decided. I like things simple! Then, who will go first?”
Their opponent was only Haegang, while there were four of them, so Jo Pungdo asked the question.
Baek Yeongjun stepped forward first.
“I’ll fight him. There’s no need for this to even reach Bang-hyeong’s turn.”
At the brat’s confident words, Geum Gyo-du shook his head slightly.
In his eyes, even if the remaining three attacked Haegang at once, excluding Bang Judeok, they would not be his match.
It was simply absurd to see such a person confidently acting without knowing his own limits.
Wasn’t it said that the weaker a person was, the less capable he was of recognizing his opponent?
Jo Pungdo understood the situation simply from Geum Gyo-du’s expression and smiled coldly.
“Good. Then the remaining three should wait outside.”
“What?”
At Mo Yeonchan’s questioning, Jo Pungdo frowned.
“Four people taking turns fighting one opponent is already unfair enough. Are you planning to watch the fight as well and figure out his techniques?”
“Ah! I was ignorant of the customs of martial families…. Understood.”
Mo Yeonchan lowered his head as though he had finally realized his mistake, and the other two followed him out of Cheongryongjang.
Jo Pungdo stepped back with a cold smile.
‘He really is a nasty old man. Well, if he wants me to show him, then I’ll show him.’
Haegang likewise smiled coldly, his eyes gleaming.
—Begin!
At Jo Pungdo’s shout, Haegang charged without hesitation toward Baek Yeongjun, who had assumed the starting stance.
Baek Yeongjun was briefly flustered when the conventional martial-world courtesy he had clumsily learned did not apply.
—Papapat!
Haegang rapidly thrust his hands forward, and Baek Yeongjun attempted to defend himself.
Throb.
They both knew the same techniques, so he thought he had blocked appropriately.
But the moment pain shot through his forearm, he gritted his teeth and impulsively thrust his hand toward Haegang.
The three bent fingers resembling an eagle’s talons shot forward with the Geummaeng-a technique, as if they intended to gouge out Haegang’s eyes.
But something about it was strange.
The instant he thrust forward, he twisted his elbow and shoulder, adding rotation to the technique.
Haegang likewise extended his arm using the same Geummaeng-a.
—Pap-pat.
Their arms intertwined, and their hands simultaneously seized each other’s shoulders.
“Urgh! You bastard….”
Unlike Haegang’s indifferent expression, Baek Yeongjun’s face twisted as he failed to hide his pain.
Geum Gyo-du watched them as though the result were inevitable.
Haegang had already reached the fifth stage of Josu Dallyeon, while Baek Yeongjun had not even properly reached the second stage.
There was no way their grips could possibly be equal.
—Crack!
“Gaaah!”
Haegang tightly seized the boy’s shoulder, then slightly twisted his elbow upward.
Baek Yeongjun’s mouth fell open as his shoulder joint popped out.
The arm he had thrust forward while twisting according to the incorrectly learned technique had become entangled around Haegang’s fully extended arm.
With his grip and arm strength inferior as well, merely twisting slightly was enough to dislocate his shoulder.
Had he simply swung his arm widely and stepped back instead of grabbing his opponent’s shoulder from the beginning, this would not have happened.
It was a textbook mistake made by an inexperienced fighter with little understanding of martial arts.
But even after dislocating his shoulder, Haegang did not let him go.
—Crack-crack!
“Urgh!”
Haegang’s hand traveled downward from the shoulder toward the elbow, and the arm screamed once again as another groan escaped Baek Yeongjun’s mouth.
“Oh? Bungoljoh. That isn’t a technique that’s easy to use properly like that.”
At Jo Pungdo’s words, the elder standing beside him nodded in agreement.
“Indeed. His understanding of the technique is exceptional. It shouldn’t be easy to use it like that after learning it for only half a month….”
The elder trailed off as he briefly glanced toward Yeonhwa.
Yeonhwa did not notice his gaze.
She was too absorbed in watching the fight, both fists clenched tightly and her eyes sparkling.
Even as a brutal fight unfolded, with joints being dislocated and arm bones screaming in pain, Yeonhwa remained innocent and clear-faced as she focused entirely on the match.
One only had to look at her face to know whom she was cheering for.
The other elder also studied Yeonhwa’s expression before adding with a smile,
“His movements are remarkably decisive for someone so young. Using his hands like that at his age is no easy thing. He has excellent compatibility with our Jo Family’s techniques.”
Breaking a person’s bones directly with one’s hands was not exactly a pleasant experience.
Especially when a fracture was caused with a hand technique, the sensation of the bones dislocating and breaking could be felt directly through the fingertips.
That was why even the martial artists of the Jo Family rarely used the Bungoljoh technique carelessly.
Yet the young Haegang used his hands without hesitation, making the elders like him even more.
‘It isn’t completely broken.’
Haegang wanted to crush the boy’s upper arm completely and cripple him for life, but his current grip strength was insufficient.
He would need to reach at least the seventh stage to produce that kind of power.
For now, he had to be satisfied with merely creating cracks in several places of the boy’s upper arm.
—Crack!
“Oh? Even the elbow….”
Jo Pungdo’s smile deepened as Haegang continued holding the arm and ruthlessly dislocated Baek Yeongjun’s elbow even after the boy had collapsed to the ground.
Perhaps he could no longer even produce a groan.
His mouth and eyes were wide open, while saliva and tears streamed down his face.
Haegang continued running his hand down the boy’s arm.
—Crack!
Unlike the upper arm, the two bones of the forearm crossed over one another.
Haegang’s grip alone was enough to cleanly break them with a sharp crack.
Only after dislocating the boy’s wrist did Haegang finally release his arm.
Though he was a scholar, he had just destroyed the arm he relied on most.
It would take at least a year of recovery before he could use it properly again.
“His elbow has been dislocated. He won’t be able to practice martial arts again.”
Jo Pungdo spoke calmly and withdrew the barrier of qi he had erected.
With a glance to one side, he signaled two martial artists, who carried the unconscious Baek Yeongjun toward the building behind the training ground.
‘He lowered the qi barrier?’
Haegang had already vaguely noticed that Jo Pungdo had erected a qi barrier around them through the subtle change in the density of the air.
It was undoubtedly meant to prevent the boy’s screams from leaking outside Cheongryongjang.
Perhaps it was a precaution in case the others heard the screams and withdrew from the duel.
Certainly, Jo Pungdo was not exactly a kind-hearted man.
“Next opponent, come in!”
At his shout, Mo Yeonchan ran into Cheongryongjang and tilted his head.
“Where did Yeongjun go?”
“Ah. He suffered a minor injury and was moved to the infirmary in the back. No matter how minor the injury, a physician should examine him. He is a precious young man, after all.”
At Jo Pungdo’s words, Mo Yeonchan glared at Haegang.
“Tsk. To think he would….”
He trailed off.
Jo Pungdo smiled and removed the qi barrier before speaking.
“Then begin.”
This time, unlike before, Mo Yeonchan charged straight at Haegang.
He rushed forward confidently, as though he intended to finish things quickly.
But the result was no different from before.
His Geummaeng-a, thrust forward with a twisted arm, became entangled with Haegang’s identical Geummaeng-a.
His shoulder was dislocated as well.
—Grind! Crack! Crack!
Haegang dislocated his shoulder and ran his hand down the arm, performing the same Bungoljoh.
“Aaaagh…. Please…. I….”
Unlike the Baek Family brat, he did not faint.
Mo Yeonchan rolled around on the floor clutching his mangled arm and looked pitifully up at Jo Pungdo.
Jo Pungdo clicked his tongue and looked down at him.
“Tsk, tsk, tsk. Looking at this, it seems Geum Gyo-du’s evaluation wasn’t far off at all. Wouldn’t you agree?”
“Yes…. That’s…. Please, just….”
“Don’t worry. I’ve never heard of anyone dying from such a minor injury.”
With that, he gave another glance, and Mo Yeonchan was carried away by two martial artists as well.
Next came Jo Munhak, the former magistrate’s son.
He, too, asked where the other two had gone.
“They unfortunately lost and suffered minor injuries. I had them taken to the infirmary in the back.”
This time, Jo Pungdo deliberately added the word ‘unfortunately,’ making sure Jo Munhak would not realize what had happened.
—Crack!
—Krrrk!
—Snap!
Wasn’t it said that the difference between victory and defeat could be decided in a single move?
All three had extended the same incorrectly learned Geummaeng-a and had fallen victim to exactly the same counter.
The difference between Jo Munhak and the two before him was that Haegang ran his hand all the way from the shoulder through the upper arm, elbow, forearm, and wrist in a single breath.
The suffocating pain struck in rapid succession.
Having already felt the bones of the first two opponents, Haegang had quickly become accustomed to it, allowing him to destroy his opponent even more efficiently.
“Oh? He adapts incredibly quickly.”
“He is able to handle Bungoljoh so naturally. Even among our own martial artists, there are few who can use it like that…. It seems Geum Gyo-du did not give him a Gap-Sang evaluation without reason.”
At the two elders’ words, Jo Pungdo’s grin stretched from ear to ear as he repeatedly nodded.
At first, he had simply arranged this fight because he wanted the arrogant brats to vent his frustration for him.
But as he watched Haegang’s precise and decisive movements, a new desire gradually began to stir within him.
How could such a pleasing child, from his speech and conduct to his martial talent and ruthlessness, have been right under his nose all this time?
Jo Pungdo looked down at Jo Munhak, who was grabbing at his trouser leg, as though he were looking at a bug, then gestured for someone to remove him.
“Last one, come in!”
And so the final remaining opponent, Bang Judeok, stepped forward and stood before Haegang.
