Chapter 27
Wi Sang-tak finally collapsed, spraying blood.
“Father!”
Wi Deok-cheon screamed and ran toward him.
But Go Jeok-san quickly stepped in front of him to block his path.
“What, what’s this? Move aside!”
“……”
However, Go Jeok-san only stared at him with stern eyes, unmoving like a rock.
This was a life-and-death duel.
There was no way he would tolerate interference.
Meanwhile, Sa Bigang walked step by step toward the fallen Wi Sang-tak and crouched down in front of him.
“How about it? Why don’t you admit it now?”
“Admit what!”
“The fact that you robbed money from our student.”
“I told you no such thing happened!”
“Hmm, are you really willing to stake your life on something like this?”
Thud!
“Gurk! Aaahhh!”
Sa Bigang stabbed Veritas into Wi Sang-tak’s stomach with an emotionless expression.
Not only Wi Deok-cheon, but even Deung Bu-hyeong’s eyes widened.
‘To go that far…!’
Wi Deok-cheon wailed.
“Father! Father! You bastard! Let go of my father!”
“If you’re so worried about your father, why don’t you confess the truth instead?”
Sa Bigang turned to look at Wi Deok-cheon with a coldly hardened expression.
In that moment, Wi Deok-cheon gulped down dry saliva and couldn’t utter a single word.
‘That guy… is he really an instructor? What kind of eyes are those, like a monster’s…!’
Right now, Sa Bigang’s eyes held no emotion whatsoever.
They were like the eyes of a wolf that had looked up while devouring a hunted deer.
In the dark, deep abyss, no meaning or thought could be read.
Only the instincts of a predator burned there.
Slice.
“Aaahhh!”
As the blade was pulled out of his stomach, Wi Sang-tak screamed as if he was going to faint.
This was a life-and-death duel.
Even if one side died, there would be no responsibility to bear.
But that didn’t mean he could just watch his father die.
Wi Deok-cheon shouted at the top of his lungs.
“What, what are you all doing! Kill that bastard right now!”
Then the Black Gratitude Gang’s martial artists each drew their weapons.
Clang! Claaang!
At the same time.
“If anyone moves even a single step, I won’t let it slide!”
Go Jeok-san shouted thunderously with a voice infused with internal energy.
Soon after, the black-clad martial artists surrounded Sa Bigang and Wi Sang-tak from all sides, standing guard.
Tense tension filled the air.
Go Jeok-san coldly declared.
“This is a duel that both sides agreed to. I will behead anyone who interferes.”
Wi Deok-cheon gritted his teeth but had no choice in the matter.
He looked at Deung Bu-hyeong, but he too had no justification to step forward.
‘Damn it! Is Sa Bigang really that strong?’
Deung Bu-hyeong bit his lip hard.
Even when he shattered the Purple Dawn Branded Blade, he had thought it was just luck.
Even when he left Instructor Yeo Un-jin in that state, he hadn’t seen it directly.
But the martial prowess he showed today was not at a level that could be ignored.
It was clear skill.
He was overwhelmingly strong.
But it still didn’t make sense.
How could someone who had been so weak become this strong in such a short time?
And what about those black-clad martial artists?
Was it acceptable for someone who was an instructor to command such people?
Meanwhile, Sa Bigang raised Veritas to point at Wi Sang-tak’s throat.
“Usually I give three chances. But I mostly only give two. So this is your last chance. If you don’t confess the truth, you die.”
Wi Sang-tak flinched and glared at Sa Bigang.
It wasn’t a lie.
This man would definitely kill him.
It might seem foolish to throw away one’s life for mere pride.
But that pride was the driving force that had led the Black Gratitude Gang all this time.
If he yielded here, who would obey and follow him?
Having lived wickedly all this time, he would go wickedly to the end.
“I have nothing to say.”
When Wi Sang-tak spoke stiffly, Sa Bigang nodded faintly.
“I respect that pride of yours, at least.”
Just as Veritas was about to pierce Wi Sang-tak’s throat.
“I stole it! Damn it! I stole the money pouch from that student! Is that enough now? So please let go of my father! Damn it!”
Wi Deok-cheon wailed.
***
Whoooosh.
The still-cold night wind grabbed and shook the tree branches.
At a glance, the tree on the hill seemed to stand alone.
But if you looked carefully, you could see a woman in black light armor standing upright on a branch.
However, her stealth technique was so excellent that an ordinary person would not notice and would just pass by.
The woman was none other than Soul-Stealing Heavenly Maiden Mae Seol-lan.
She, who had been looking down at the Black Gratitude Gang from afar, smiled bitterly.
“So it ended up like that after all.”
Indeed, Sa Bigang was not someone to be taken lightly.
Did Cheon Se-myeong know that his abilities were at that level?
Probably not exactly.
From the first time she saw him, she had thought he was a strange man.
Mae Seol-lan looked at her own delicate hand.
As she gently rubbed her fingers, she recalled the handshake she had exchanged with Sa Bigang.
Having learned absorption techniques, she could sensitively read an opponent’s energy sense during physical contact.
But Sa Bigang was truly mysterious.
Should she say he was like a pond whose depth couldn’t be fathomed?
To the eye, he roughly seemed to be at the level of a pond.
But that depth was completely unguessable.
The breadth revealed on the surface was merely that of a pond, but could the depth be as deep as the ocean?
She didn’t know.
What kind of man Sa Bigang was.
So….
‘That makes it even more interesting.’
Dealing with such a person was quite an enjoyable thing.
It was like approaching unfamiliar food with a curious mind.
“Now, what are you going to do, Instructor Sa? You really are more and more intriguing the more I see of you…!”
Mae Seol-lan, who had been muttering quietly, suddenly flinched and opened her eyes wide.
“Just now…?”
He looked this way!
Could it be…?
But clearly Sa Bigang had turned his head slightly and briefly smiled toward this place.
‘That can’t be! What? How?’
That’s impossible!
Had she seen it wrong?
Her stealth technique was perfect.
Even if someone came close to look, unless they had learned martial arts, they wouldn’t notice.
But from the Black Gratitude Gang’s main building to here was quite a distance.
And it was a dark night now.
‘Right, it can’t be. It must be my imagination.’
She must have just mistaken Sa Bigang looking this way.
In reality, he might have just glanced at empty space for a moment, right?
But that smile….
Mae Seol-lan shook her head.
It was an impossible thing.
***
The venue became quiet as a mouse.
Only Wi Deok-cheon’s pitiful sobbing continued.
“I… I stole that student’s money pouch. Please, please forgive me.”
His voice gradually lost strength.
Even the Black Gratitude Gang’s martial artists looked down at the ground with devastated expressions.
It wasn’t because of what the sub-leader had done.
The Black Gratitude Gang had been committing such acts all along.
It was just devastating that the leader and sub-leader had knelt before one instructor.
Sa Bigang sheathed Veritas.
“Tell me in detail!”
“Cheon-ah! There’s no need for that! You fool!”
Wi Sang-tak quickly got up and tried to swing his fist.
But before he could even fully stand up.
Thwack!
Wi Sang-tak, kicked by Sa Bigang’s foot, rolled his eyes back and collapsed flat.
“Father!”
“He’s fine. He’s not dead. He just fainted.”
“I already confessed the truth!”
“That’s true, but when he tries to kill me, should I just stay still?”
“Urgh…!”
“Now, since you’ve confessed, tell me in detail. Why did you commit such an act?”
“That, that’s….”
From now on, he had to choose his words carefully.
If things got bigger, he could end up in an even more difficult situation.
He couldn’t tell clumsy lies either.
“Because I found out that the student had a large sum of money.”
“How?”
“I heard other students talking about it at the inn.”
“What were they saying?”
“They were saying that student would come to the pleasure district with a large sum of money.”
“So you robbed this guy’s money pouch?”
“Y-yes.”
“But why would you, who has more than enough money?”
“Is there anyone who dislikes big money? I was going to take my subordinates and have a good time with women.”
This was also true.
He had actually done that.
Sa Bigang stared at him.
“Then why didn’t you do that?”
“What do you mean? I actually did that! I squandered all that money with my subordinates for two days! We spent it all on playing, eating, and drinking!”
“Is there not a single lie in those words?”
“Of course! I can swear on my life! However, I don’t know why that money pouch appeared here!”
Only then did Sa Bigang grin.
“Ah, I know about that. Actually, this was something we prepared on our side.”
“What? Then that evidence was fake!”
“The evidence is real. We found what you gave to the courtesan. However, it was a lie that we found the money and money pouch that was in it here.”
“Where is there such a law! You swindler-like…!”
“Hey!”
Suddenly Sa Bigang’s eyes darkened.
In the unapproachable atmosphere, Wi Deok-cheon, who had been raging, gulped down saliva.
“Compared to what you guys did, I consider this level of deception to be decent.”
“B-but…!”
“Or do you want to stake your life and overturn your words again?”
“Urgh…!”
Wi Deok-cheon ground his teeth.
He spoke in a finely trembling voice.
“Since I’ve confessed the truth… can I tend to my father now?”
“Do as you please.”
When Sa Bigang’s permission was given, the Black Gratitude Gang’s martial artists quickly ran over, carried Wi Sang-tak on their backs, and moved him.
Sa Bigang gestured with his chin to Go Jeok-san.
“Bring those guys.”
“Yes, my lord.”
The black-clad martial artists dragged over Yeon U-gyeong and Gok Bo-ok, who had sacks covering their heads.
“Remove them.”
When the sacks were removed, the two people’s faces were revealed.
Meanwhile, Deung Bu-hyeong and Wi Deok-cheon, who saw the two people, flinched and opened their eyes wide.
Sa Bigang asked Wi Deok-cheon.
“Are these the guys who were blabbing at the inn?”
“Y-yes, but how did you…?”
“…So he says. Shall we hear what happened?”
Sa Bigang glared at the two people.
When Go Jeok-san quickly released their pressure points, Yeon U-gyeong looked at him with a cold gaze.
“I merely said that I would meet Ja-ryang at the pleasure district. Is that such a big mistake?”
“It’s a mistake.”
“What did you say?”
“If you openly go around blabbing that Ja-ryang is going outside the academy with a large sum of money, naturally Ja-ryang could be in danger, couldn’t he?”
“I just didn’t think that far.”
“Right, that can happen. So today you’ll sweetly accept punishment and from next time think more deeply before running your mouth.”
“Punishment?”
“Why? Did you expect me to praise your short thinking too?”
“That’s not what I…!”
“Get down.”
“I refuse!”
“Get down.”
“I said I refuse! I did nothing wrong!”
Then Go Jeok-san strode forward and grabbed Yeon U-gyeong by the scruff of his neck.
But Sa Bigang waved his hand and made him step back.
“Just putting Ja-ryang in danger is a big mistake.”
“Fine! Even if that’s the case, this isn’t the academy, is it? Why should I be beaten in a place like this?”
“Are you only a student at the academy?”
“That’s…”
“Don’t your parents acknowledge you when you leave the house?”
“That’s different from this, isn’t it?”
“Teacher and student are one body. There’s no difference. Get down. While I’m being nice about it.”
“Urgh…!”
Yeon U-gyeong ground his teeth.
Unable to watch any longer, Deung Bu-hyeong cautiously stepped forward.
“L-look here, Instructor Sa. Still, if you’re going to punish him, at the academy…”
“Stay out of this. This is a Special Purpose Class matter.”
Deung Bu-hyeong closed his mouth and stepped back.
He felt an irrefutable sense of intimidation from Sa Bigang’s expression.
