Chapter 4

Chapter 4

On the opposite side of the pavilion, there were two martial artists sent by the Northern Heaven Alliance.

One was a middle-aged man with a thick, rough beard. As if he had no interest in the duels on the sparring stages, he lay back with his clasped hands resting behind his head.

The other was a woman with a slender build and twin swords strapped to her back, whose large eyes were charming.

She, too, seemed to have little interest in the sparring stages, and simply sat there blankly.

They were the Captain and Vice-Captain of the Iron Soul Unit under the Northern Heaven Alliance: Mountain-Breaking Spear Yeom Baek and Silver Flash Yu Seol-ah.

Their mission was also to find useful martial artists at Sword-Selling Street, but for some reason, they did not seem very interested.

“…….”

Yu Seol-ah’s ears pricked as she sat there blankly.

‘Ghost-Faced Wolf?’

Ghost-Faced Wolf Ha Il-do.

He was a fairly famous wanderer, and his skill was something even she acknowledged.

However, whether his opponent was weak or strong, he used any means and methods without hesitation. Because she disliked those despicable tactics, she had excluded him from the recruitment candidates.

Yu Seol-ah glanced toward Woo Gwang and Do Gyeol.

‘He is exactly the kind of person those bastards would like.’

As expected, she had heard that the Red Blood Gang had chosen him.

In truth, Yu Seol-ah had not simply been sitting still. She had been secretly eavesdropping on Woo Gwang and Do Gyeol’s conversation with the Clear Hearing Art.

‘They are using that guy to test him?’

Yu Seol-ah poked Yeom Baek in the side with her finger.

“Captain, wake up.”

“……What is it?”

When he asked back without even opening his eyes, she said,

“It seems a fairly decent martial artist has appeared. The Red Blood Gang says they will test him with Ghost-Faced Wolf.”

“Is that so?”

At last, Yeom Baek sat up.

“Those bastards’ judgment is obvious enough…… but there is still a need to check.”

“Right?”

The two rose from their seats and looked down from the pavilion.

Just then, one man was leaping onto the sparring stage.

It was none other than ‘Ghost-Faced Wolf Ha Il-do.’

Yeom Baek’s gaze turned toward Dokgo Jin, who was already standing on the sparring stage.

‘The one being tested is…… that man?’

Even though the distance was considerable and he could not see him in detail, he felt something strangely alien about him.

‘……Something is different.’

Yeom Baek’s expression grew a little serious.

***

Ghost-Faced Wolf was a man in his late thirties. He was not tall, but he had a compact, lean physique.

Unusually, he always moved in a hunched posture. That was because he was ready to spring toward his opponent at any moment.

Even now, he used the elasticity of his hunched body to spring up onto the sparring stage.

With his gloomy impression, Ghost-Faced Wolf looked at the announcer and said,

“I will be his next opponent. That is fine, right?”

The announcer frowned, but nodded as if he had no choice.

“Do as you like.”

He knew that Ghost-Faced Wolf had already been recruited by the Red Blood Gang.

The fact that such a man had appeared here meant that this duel was the will of the Red Blood Gang, and he could not go against that.

‘Tch.’

After the announcer stepped back, Ghost-Faced Wolf faced Dokgo Jin.

A strange light appeared in Dokgo Jin’s eyes.

‘A well-trained body. He is a skilled man rarely seen in Sword-Selling Street.’

“Isn’t that Ghost-Faced Wolf?”

“Huh?”

“It really is him!”

The spectators began to murmur.

He was already an infamous expert in Sword-Selling Street, and people had been wondering why he had not been seen recently.

Ghost-Faced Wolf opened his mouth with a fishy smile.

“I am called Ghost-Faced Wolf. Have you heard of me?”

Dokgo Jin quietly shook his head.

At that, Ghost-Faced Wolf shrugged.

“To think you have not heard my sobriquet. Are you new?”

“My apologies. I have no interest in small fry.”

“What did you say?”

Ghost-Faced Wolf was dumbfounded.

“You arrogant bastard. Do not think you will die peacefully.”

“I will look forward to it.”

Grit!

Ghost-Faced Wolf ground his teeth and crouched low. He was like a taut bowstring just before release.

‘I will make you remember exactly who I am. I will carve it into your very flesh.’

BANG!

With the sound of him kicking off the ground, his figure shot forward like a bullet.

In the blink of an eye, Ghost-Faced Wolf had already burrowed right in front of Dokgo Jin’s nose.

‘Faster than I thought.’

It would have been natural to be flustered, but Dokgo Jin stepped back as naturally as flowing water and widened the distance.

It was a cold-headed response, without the slightest hint of disturbance.

However, Ghost-Faced Wolf’s true aim came next.

His left hand seemed to brush past his waist, and then a chilling tearing sound burst out.

WHIP!

A silver snake shot out, aiming for Dokgo Jin’s neck.

It was a flexible saber disguised as a belt. On top of that, it was a left-handed saber strike, which was difficult to predict.

The blade bending in from an angle that defied common sense was extremely sharp.

“Ooh!”

The spectators inhaled in shock.

‘It is fairly good, but…….’

At Dokgo Jin’s level, this much unpredictability posed no threat at all.

CLANG!

A clear and powerful metallic sound rang out.

Dokgo Jin had flicked his index finger and struck the side of the flexible saber with perfect accuracy.

A heavy hidden force rippled at the tip of his finger.

“……!”

At the destructive vibration transmitted through the blade, Ghost-Faced Wolf’s face twisted.

‘Keuk!’

The sensation in his entire left arm was blown away.

He had nearly let go of the flexible saber.

With beastlike reflexes, Ghost-Faced Wolf caught the flexible saber, which was about to spring upward, with his right hand.

Originally, he was right-handed. The left-handed saber was nothing more than a minor trick he had learned for the sake of one surprise attack.

‘As expected, the left hand was a smokescreen.’

Dokgo Jin’s eyes narrowed.

His opponent had brought out a hidden move, but rather than surprise, all Dokgo Jin felt was a stirring of interest.

WHIRRR!

The flexible saber, now transferred to his right hand, writhed strangely and this time rushed toward Dokgo Jin’s heart.

It was an attack incomparably sharper than before.

‘It has gotten faster. But…….’

Within Dokgo Jin’s pupils, the movements of the flexible saber thrashing like a snake broke down into dozens of fragments.

The blade tip was filled with killing intent, and the place it would reach was clear.

‘Too honest.’

Dokgo Jin reached his hand into the air.

SNAP!

The world seemed to stop in silence.

With that one simple motion, the dancing silver flexible saber stiffened as if it were a lie.

“……!”

The spectators’ eyes widened as if they would split.

Dokgo Jin’s index and middle fingers.

Just those two fingers were gripping the writhing blade with perfect accuracy.

“T-this is……!”

“Empty-Handed Blade-Catching!”

An old man who knew a fair amount about martial arts shouted as if screaming.

It was a peak technique of catching a blade with bare hands. Moreover, he had not even caught the back of the blade with his palm.

He had plucked the blue-edged blade with nothing but the strength of his fingers.

Feeling the vibration of the flexible saber at his fingertips, Dokgo Jin sneered.

‘There is plenty of force in it, but its sharpness has dulled. In the end, it is only a crude method.’

Not a single drop of blood flowed from the fingers holding the blade.

It was a perfect suppression.

Fear appeared in Ghost-Faced Wolf’s eyes.

Instinctively, he struggled to pull the blade free.

“Y-you bastard! Let go of this!”

But it was useless.

His flexible saber did not move in the slightest, as if it had been embedded in Mount Tai.

‘You are destroying your own balance. What a foolish thing to do.’

Far from letting go, Dokgo Jin lightly pulled the hand holding the blade toward himself.

Stagger!

Ghost-Faced Wolf’s body, which had been contesting strength with the flexible saber, was pulled in helplessly.

‘Heuk!’

In front of Ghost-Faced Wolf’s defenseless face as he was dragged in, a large fist was waiting.

CRUNCH!

A horrific tearing sound shook the sparring stage.

“Kkuaaaak!”

Ghost-Faced Wolf’s nose bone caved in completely, and a fountain of blood gushed out.

A single blow.

The man once called the ‘ruler of Sword-Selling Street’ rolled backward with a scream, then lost consciousness and went limp.

“…….”

Only then did Dokgo Jin release the flexible saber he had been holding, dropping it to the ground as if throwing away trash.

Tuk.

His gaze turned toward the announcer, who was standing there blankly.

“That was somewhat better, at least. Is there anyone more skilled than him?”

“……!”

The announcer did not dare answer.

***

Do Gyeol’s shoulders twitched as he leaned so far over the pavilion railing that he seemed about to hang from it.

He was covering his mouth with his feather fan, but he could not hide the strange laughter leaking out.

“Heeheehee! Unit Leader, did you hear it? That sound just now?”

Do Gyeol’s eyes narrowed as if he had fallen into ecstasy.

“The sound of bones being crushed was truly clear. And look at those fingers. Not a single drop of blood on them. He let the filthy blood spray only onto the floor while he stood there so loftily…… Ah, so clean. So beautiful!”

Do Gyeol twisted his body as if he had fallen in love.

Beside him, Woo Gwang was tapping the railing with eyes sunk coldly, as if flicking beads on an abacus.

However, in the depths of his eyes, an even thicker greed than Do Gyeol’s was blazing.

“He is a finer talent than I expected.”

Woo Gwang’s gaze was fixed on Dokgo Jin’s ‘two fingers.’

“Catching a wavering flexible saber with bare hands is not something one can do with eyes and courage alone. Instantly focusing inner arts at the fingertips to blunt the blade is impossible with ordinary control.”

Woo Gwang’s eyes glittered.

“He properly learned the martial arts of an outstanding martial school. I am very curious about his lineage.”

“Why does that matter? We only need to take him to the main headquarters.”

“That is true.”

“You have decided, right?”

“Of course.”

Woo Gwang glanced toward Yeom Baek and continued,

“Those bastards saw it as well. So we must take him first.”

On the railing opposite them, Iron Soul Captain Yeom Baek, who had been standing with his arms crossed without moving, let out a heavy exclamation.

“Hoh!”

He had focused on Dokgo Jin’s lower body when he pulled the flexible blade.

“Combining the force carried in the flexible saber and the strength Ghost-Faced Wolf used to resist, it should have been enough weight to uproot even a boulder. Yet that man’s soles did not budge even an inch, as if they were rooted into the ground.”

Yeom Baek’s thick fingers gripped the railing tightly.

Creak. The wood screamed.

At the rough gemstone he had found after such a long time, he felt exhilaration.

“Excellent. He is a talent perfectly suited to our Iron Soul Unit.”

However, Vice-Captain Yu Seol-ah’s reaction was a little different.

She narrowed her sharp eyes and swept her gaze over Dokgo Jin’s entire body.

“Isn’t it strange?”

“What is?”

“He did not use the weapon on his back until the very end. Even when an expert like Ghost-Faced Wolf came rushing in to take his neck, he deliberately subdued him bare-handed. That is……”

Yu Seol-ah’s eyes shone coldly.

“Either arrogance, or a thorough calculation to avoid showing his signature supreme art.”

“You mean he is hiding something?”

“The fact that a mere wanderer used Empty-Handed Blade-Catching so calmly is suspicious enough.”

Yu Seol-ah crooked the corner of her mouth.

“Well, where would you find a man with no story? His skill is certain, so for now, we can bring him to our alliance and make sure he receives proper discipline.”

It was just as Wi Geum-seong and Dokgo Jin had guessed.

Their prediction had been correct: if it was the Northern Heaven Alliance, which stood between the orthodox and unorthodox sides, and the Red Blood Gang, which was close to an unorthodox faction, they would value Dokgo Jin’s ability over his origins.

“Let us go quickly. We need to make contact before the Red Blood Gang does.”

“Yes.”

They jumped down from the pavilion almost simultaneously.

***

After defeating Ghost-Faced Wolf, Dokgo Jin left the sparring stage just like that.

That was because he had already sensed that they had begun to move.

‘As expected, Ghost-Faced Wolf was sent by them as a test.’

Dokgo Jin had defeated him easily, but looking at Sword-Selling Street as a whole, he was one of its leading skilled men.

There was no reason for such a Ghost-Faced Wolf to suddenly appear before Dokgo Jin.

‘Both sides moved, did they?’

Dokgo Jin wore a faint smile.

‘Good.’

He deliberately entered a deserted alley so that they could approach him more easily.

By a strange coincidence, representatives from both sides appeared before Dokgo Jin almost at the same time.

“…….”

In the alley, where darkness lay thickly.

The two shadows that walked out from either side stopped with Dokgo Jin between them, as if they had made an appointment.

On the right was Yu Seol-ah, with sharp eyes and twin swords at her waist.

On the left was Do Gyeol, dressed in splendid silk robes and holding a fragrant feather fan.

The auras of the two people, who did not suit each other at all, filled the narrow alley.

‘They certainly feel different up close.’

Their presence was incomparably stronger than what he had sensed from the pavilion.

The first to break the silence was Do Gyeol.

He covered the tip of his nose with his feather fan and smiled with his eyes narrowed.

“Oh my, who is this? Isn’t this the Northern Heaven Alliance’s fussy Vice-Captain Yu Seol-ah? What brings such a noble personage to a gutter like this?”

“I wondered where that nauseating stench of blood was coming from. So the Red Blood Gang’s clown bastard was here.”

It was a conversation that made it seem as though they had not seen each other at all on top of the pavilion.

Yu Seol-ah glared at Do Gyeol like she was looking at an insect, her arms crossed.

“Are the Red Blood Gang’s eyes for talent attached to the soles of their feet? To think they sent a madman like you.”

“As expected, ordinary people never recognize artists.”

Do Gyeol shrugged and turned toward Dokgo Jin.

His eyes gleamed strangely, like a child in front of delicious food.

“Darling, I saw that earlier. Catching a blade with your fingers was absolutely ecstatic. The sound of bones being crushed was wonderful, too.”

Do Gyeol took one step closer and whispered softly.

“It will be boring if you go to those prudes of the Northern Heaven Alliance. Come to our Red Blood Gang. I will treat you very prettily. I can let you kill, break, and enjoy pleasure as much as you want.”

“…….”

Inwardly, Dokgo Jin thought that this was indeed fitting for the Red Blood Gang.

“Shut your mouth, you pervert.”

Unable to endure it any longer, Yu Seol-ah coldly cut him off and stepped forward.

“Listen. Do not lend an ear to the nonsense of rootless bastards like him. Those bastards cannot even be called martial artists.”

Unlike Do Gyeol’s, Yu Seol-ah’s gaze was clear and unwavering.

“The Northern Heaven Alliance is a place that gives strong people the treatment they deserve. The martial might you possess is too precious to rot away here. I will let you make your martial fame known throughout the realm as a member of the Northern Heaven Alliance.”

“Martial fame? Puhaha! How grand. You are just telling him to obey orders like a well-trained dog, are you not?”

Do Gyeol shook his feather fan and sneered.

“Playing stiff martial artist with them will be much less fun than playing with me. Isn’t that right?”

In an instant, the narrow alley filled with suffocating tension.

As Yu Seol-ah’s hand grasped the hilts of the twin swords on her back, Do Gyeol also secretly released the invisible Thousand-Change Blood Threads from between his feather fan.

It was an explosive situation where they seemed ready to cut each other’s throats at any moment.

Yet Dokgo Jin, the actual person concerned, simply watched the two with indifferent eyes.

‘I suppose I should step in around now.’

Having decided, Dokgo Jin opened his mouth.

“That is enough.”

Do Gyeol’s and Yu Seol-ah’s gazes fixed on Dokgo Jin at the same time.

As if he had no interest at all in their killing intent, Dokgo Jin pushed himself off the wall he had been leaning against and continued speaking.

“The owner has not even put the goods out, yet the guests are grabbing each other by the collars, each claiming they will take them.”

A crease formed between his brows.

“You have the order completely wrong.”

At Dokgo Jin’s provocative words, Yu Seol-ah’s eyes narrowed, and Do Gyeol’s eyes curved even further, like crescent moons, as if he found it even more interesting.

Just as they were about to say something, a sudden laugh rang out.

“Hahahaha!”

Do Gyeol and Yu Seol-ah flinched and turned their heads, only to find that Iron Soul Captain Yeom Baek had appeared at some point.

“To show no interest even when two of the Four Hegemons of the Central Plains make you an offer. You truly are a man of unusual capacity.”

Dokgo Jin’s and Yeom Baek’s eyes met.

“Would you hear me out as well?”