Chapter 202. All living beings, listen.

I looked at Won Gaseong, the subordinates of the Jecheon Alliance he had brought with him, and the riffraff from the wicked and unorthodox factions.

It was not difficult to lose my temper and kill them.

But it put me in a foul mood that the ordinary daily life of the inn, rare as it was, would soon turn into a scene of carnage.

All over mere money.

From where I sat, I shot up into the air and lightly landed on the roof of the Thousand Li Inn.

“……”

Not only those surrounding us, but the Four Great Villains, the Third Young Master, and Sambok all looked up at me.

They were probably wondering what kind of mad chicken bastard had climbed up onto the roof.

With a serious expression, I folded my legs into the lotus position and spoke to those gathered.

“All living beings, listen.”

“……”

“Know that never before has the boundary between death and life been so close. The man you are trying to take away right now is the third son of the Cult Leader of the Demon Cult. Are you doing this because you can predict the Cult Leader’s heart and thoughts? Do the Jecheon Alliance and the riffraff of the wicked and unorthodox factions think they can handle the Cult Leader? You cannot.”

“……”

“Whether the Eldest Young Master ordered it or the Second Young Master did, the fact remains that the fellow down there, picking up meat with his hands, is the Demon Cult Leader’s third son. If you can handle it, strike right now. Some of you may not know exactly who I am, but I am Lee Zaha, the Hao Sect Leader who attacked Alliance Leader Im Sobaek and the Southern Yue Green Forest Alliance. If Alliance Leader Im faces difficulty, I will join him, and if someone oppresses me, Alliance Leader Im will come. Do Alliance Leader Im and I look like a pair of neighborhood brothers to you? We are not.”

“……”

“The fellow sitting under the roof with that unlucky expression is the second son of the Fengyun Meng Clan. The Meng Clan is a household that produced a great general, so half its household are martial artists, and the other half are no different from private soldiers. He may be a good-for-nothing second son cast out by his family, but the Fengyun Meng Clan is not a clan that will laugh off his death at the hands of wicked outsiders.”

Won Gaseong of the Jecheon Alliance, who had been listening quietly until now, snorted with an incredulous expression.

I also mentioned the third, Master Liuhe.

“The frightening-looking man you are looking at is Master Liuhe. He is a man who trained the sword to avenge his sect, then single-handedly slaughtered three or four black-path sects. Some of you may never have heard the title Master Liuhe. But those who have heard the title Master Liuhe surely know that he is a man mad with revenge.”

I admonished the living beings, who had become utterly quiet.

“Living beings, these are the kind of men you are trying to attack. And only I know exactly what experts exist in the Hao Sect I created and how great its power is. I will acknowledge that the Jecheon Alliance is one of the strongest organizations on the black path. However, if you can handle the Cult Leader, the Fengyun Meng Clan, the Hao Sect, and a survivor of the Liuhe Sect, then by all means, attack us here.”

“……”

I looked at the living beings with a serious expression.

“I say this with certainty. You will be annihilated.”

Still seated in lotus position, I imitated the hand gesture of an Amitabha Buddha statue I had once seen in a shabby temple.

I joined the thumb and index finger of my right hand, then coiled the pale, shining flames of White Fire around them.

I lowered my left hand to my dantian, then wrapped a crimson blaze around its thumb and index finger.

Now, after reciting nonsense, I had become a man who had realized the meaning of Amitabha Buddha.

The final warning of Amitabha Buddha, who would bring down Sun-Moon Radiant Heaven upon those who would not heed sermons and warnings and beat them all to death—that was precisely this hand gesture.

Because if I pressed my palms together like this, light would burst out and everyone would die.

Come to think of it, Amitabha Buddha also seemed to have been a senior of the martial world filled with deep compassion.

I muttered as if chanting a sutra.

“……Senior, I shall carry on that will. Amitabha.”

Beneath the roof, the Lust Demon let out a sigh.

“When is that crazy bastard going to be only moderately crazy?”

The Lust Demon rose with his hand on his waist and spoke to the forces of the Jecheon Alliance.

“Hey. If that bastard brings his palms together, everyone here dies. The Hao Sect Leader is the most top-class madman I have ever seen in the martial world. He still hasn’t found a worthy opponent. I’m making a serious suggestion. Hall Master Won Gaseong, go back and report that you failed. This matter is not something a hall-master-level figure of Jecheon can resolve.”

The Lust Demon pointed at me with his hand.

“Third, calm down. Don’t do that. I’m going to get angry. I told you not to do it.”

At that moment, the Ghost Demon shot into the air and landed on the edge of the roof, drawing his sword.

Shhhk……!

The Lust Demon asked the Ghost Demon with a startled expression.

“What are you doing?”

The Ghost Demon answered.

“A hidden weapon might come flying at Third, so I’m going to block it. Or would it be better to just kill them all?”

I nodded.

“A-mi-ta-bha.”

“Ah, shit.”

The Lust Demon suddenly let out a short cry, sprang into the air, and joined us on the roof.

Looking at the Jecheon Alliance’s forces, I merged the flames of Sun and Moon into the light of Amitabha. From my two hands came a thunderous roar that seemed as if it would tear the eardrums apart.

Bzzzzzzzzzt!

The entire Thousand Li Inn began to shake as if it would collapse.

In that instant, the group from the wicked and unorthodox factions, having confirmed the light I held in both hands, began to flee, abandoning Won Gaseong. At first it was only one or two people, but fear spread like an epidemic, and the whole group joined in the escape. Only then did the screams of those running away grow louder and louder.

Even Won Gaseong, who had come as the leader of the group, was backing away with an absurd expression.

“No……”

In an instant, I withdrew the light of Sun-Moon Radiant Heaven through the principles of the light veil, then ordered the Four Great Villains and the Third Young Master.

“Catch that bastard.”

In an instant, the Lust Demon, the Ghost Demon, the Third Young Master, and I shot into the air at the same time. I chased the fleeing Won Gaseong together with the villains, driving him like hunted prey with palm winds, finger techniques, and thrown stones, then surrounded him in the blink of an eye and began pressing him as a group.

According to the Lust Demon, this fellow was a hall-master-level expert of Jecheon. Just how skilled a hall-master-level expert was, I could not immediately find out. Because the four of us had him surrounded and were attacking him fiercely together.

Did everyone understand my intent?

In any case, the Ghost Demon’s left palm first struck Won Gaseong’s shoulder.

“Keurgh!”

The Lust Demon jabbed Won Gaseong’s chest with a finger technique.

“Ugh.”

The Third Young Master kicked Won Gaseong’s chin upward.

Thud!

I seized that opening and smacked the staggering Won Gaseong’s head once.

Thud!

After kicking Won Gaseong in the shin and knocking him down, I stomped on his body as he flailed both arms to block.

“You come here trusting your numbers, ruining the mood, the mood, the mood……”

Thud! Thud! Thud!

“What the hell are you doing, acting all imposing and ruining the mood? You son of a bitch.”

When I lost my temper, the Ghost Demon and the Lust Demon also joined in and trampled Won Gaseong. Sambok, who joined late, squeezed into our midst and stomped on Won Gaseong as well.

“Because of you, I had to give a piggyback, a piggyback, a piggyback! You son of a bitch.”

After Won Gaseong became covered in blood, we stopped trampling him. That is how merciful we men are.

I gave Sambok an order.

“Drag him over.”

“Yes, Sect Leader.”

Sambok grabbed Won Gaseong by the ankle as he trembled, shuddering from the Lust Demon’s finger technique, and dragged him over.

Like the village idiots, we glared around us as we returned to Cheonri Inn.

Sambok threw Won Gaseong down.

Won Gaseong rolled across the floor before coming to a stop, and perhaps because he was having a seizure, his body could not stay still for even a moment as he shook.

Since we had inhaled a good deal of dust, we wordlessly poured liquor, rinsed our mouths with it, and drank.

I spat out the liquor, then approached Won Gaseong and grabbed him by the hair. Looking at Won Gaseong, who was half out of his mind, I said,

“Hall Master Won.”

“…….”

“What a merciful sight this is, isn’t it? Hall Master Won, Hall Master Won, Won….”

I slapped Hall Master Won across the cheek when he did not answer. With a thwack, a tooth flew from Hall Master Won’s mouth and rolled across the floor.

I called him again.

“Hall Master Won.”

Hall Master Won glared at me even as he breathed roughly. I reached out and checked Won Gaseong’s eyes.

“There’s still life in his eyes. This bastard’s still alive. He really was of the Black Path. Wow, he’s got spine.”

I slapped Hall Master Won, who was still keeping that spirited look in his eyes, across the cheek again.

Thwack!

This time, I must have hit him too hard, because Won Gaseong’s head snapped to the side and he collapsed to the floor, unconscious.

The Lust Demon asked in an indifferent tone,

“Is he dead?”

I reached out to check Won Gaseong’s pulse, then answered,

“He’s still alive. Sambok, give me some liquor.”

“Yes.”

I took the liquor Sambok handed me and poured it over Won Gaseong’s face. When the strong liquor flowed into his nostrils and mouth, Won Gaseong regained consciousness with a “Guh-huk.”

In a monotonous tone, I called him again.

“I can do this all night. Why? Because I have nothing in particular to do, and I’m bored. I shall call out yearningly once more. Hall Master Won.”

Won Gaseong answered as liquor dribbled from his mouth.

“……Yes.”

I pointed at Won Gaseong with my finger, then looked at the villains.

“Wow, look at him answering now. If you’d answered earlier, you wouldn’t have gotten hit. Are you stupid? Is answering that hard? What a funny bastard. Hahahaha.”

I left Won Gaseong alone for a while, then got up, poured myself some liquor, and drank.

We each brought over a chair and set them around Won Gaseong, then sat down, drank liquor, and occasionally stabbed at the completely cold meat with our chopsticks to eat.

“Buuurp.”

Only now did the Lust Demon, the Ghost Demon, the Third Young Master, and Sambok seem to have adapted somewhat to my behavior, naturally joining in without any particular sense of discomfort.

If we wanted to drink, we drank.

If we wanted meat, we grilled it and ate.

We chatted about whatever came to mind.

Taking in the scenery as well, we soon regained the ordinary daily routine of an inn.

Sambok asked me,

“……Sect Leader, shall I grill some more meat?”

“Grill some more. Didn’t you buy somyeon?”

“I forgot the somyeon.”

“What a shame.”

Sambok said with a smile,

“I’ll buy some later and make each of you a bowl of noodles.”

I applauded Sambok.

“This bastard’s sharp. Good. In all my life in the gangho, I’ve never seen a guard as outstanding as you. Sambok.”

“Thank you.”

The Lust Demon and the Ghost Demon also praised Sambok.

“You’re versatile.”

“You’re going through a lot.”

Sambok grinned, then asked the Third Young Master,

“Young Master, is there anything you’d like to eat?”

The Third Young Master answered with a stiff expression.

“No.”

“Yes.”

In the end, Sambok landed the follow-up blow.

“If you think of anything you’d like to eat, please tell me.”

“…….”

Only then did I look back at the trembling hall master of the Jecheon Alliance.

“What was this monkey bastard’s name again?”

The Lust Demon answered,

“Won Gaseong?”

“Ah, right.”

Since I knew something about the Jecheon Alliance too, I asked the Lust Demon,

“The Jecheon Alliance has the most hall masters, doesn’t it?”

“That’s right. If an outside force gets absorbed, they usually receive the position of hall master. That’s why the hall masters’ skills vary widely, and the work they do differs completely. It’s called the Jecheon Alliance, but it’s practically a Black Path coalition. The leader of the Jecheon Alliance is an impressive man, I’ll give him that. They all gathered under him, after all.”

There were small and mid-sized factions whose income would decrease, or whose businesses would have to shut down entirely, if they followed the laws of the Murim Alliance, and many of them had attached themselves to the Jecheon Alliance.

By this point, it would have been normal for Won Gaseong to threaten us by bringing up the leader of the Jecheon Alliance. But was it because we were such complete madmen? Won Gaseong did not so much as open his mouth. It seemed he had realized that if he misspoke, he would be beaten anyway.

I picked up my chopsticks, grabbed a piece of meat that was slowly cooking, and approached Won Gaseong.

“Hall Master Won, open your mouth. Ah….”

Won Gaseong glared at me with an extremely exhausted and weary look.

I said in a cold tone,

“Open your mouth. Before I beat you to death. This is your last warning.”

As soon as I saw Won Gaseong open his mouth, I put the meat into my own mouth. Chewing the meat, I glared at Won Gaseong with the most serious expression in the world.

“Hall Master Won.”

“Yes.”

“I told you that you’re not the kind of man who can order me around. Did my words sound funny to you? Whether I kill you now or not, the leader of the Jecheon Alliance will have it in for me either way. What do you think about this situation? Let’s hear it.”

I tossed the chopsticks aside and stroked Won Gaseong’s head with my left hand.

“Answer carefully.”

Depending on his answer, I intended to smash Won Gaseong’s skull.

Won Gaseong looked into my eyes…….

Then, with eyes roiling violently like the waters off the coast of Zhejiang, he said to me,

“Sect Leader, please spare me.”

I coiled palm force around my right hand and answered,

“I have to spare you? Why? Why does everyone beg for mercy only at moments like this? Is tormenting the weak and begging mercy from the strong what a man’s life is? Sons of bitches don’t change easily.”

I struck Won Gaseong’s forehead with a finger flick. With a thwack—Won Gaseong crumpled where he stood. He might have died, or he might still have been breathing, but I did not bother to check.

While I alone was dealing with a man like this.

I wondered whether the villains understood the meaning of my words and the significance of my response.

I turned around and looked at the expressions of the Lecherous Demon, the Ghost Demon, the Third Young Master, and Sambok.

“Second Son, Liuhe, Third Son, Guard. You must not live like these men, either. A man like this is no man at all.”

I had not said it expecting an answer, so they all remained silent and looked at me.