Chapter 26
“That, that’s nonsense!”
Wi Sang-tak burst out shouting.
“It’s a scheme! There’s absolutely no way that item could appear!”
Sa Bigang glared at Wi Sang-tak with cold eyes.
“Didn’t you clearly say you’d acknowledge it if evidence came out?”
“There’s no way such a thing could be here!”
“But it came out, didn’t it?”
“Grr…!”
Wi Sang-tak clenched his fists tight.
That money pouch was certainly the one he had robbed.
But why did it appear here?
‘I definitely disposed of it! And that money too!’
Wi Sang-tak quickly ran to Wi Deok-cheon and shouted.
“Father! This is unfair!”
“What’s going on?”
Wi Sang-tak was just as flustered.
He suspected whether his son had perhaps kept the money at home instead of squandering it.
Wi Deok-cheon whispered in Wi Sang-tak’s ear.
The content was that he had definitely disposed of the money pouch and had squandered all the money inside over two days.
Wi Sang-tak stared into Wi Deok-cheon’s eyes.
‘Are you certain about that?’
‘I’m certain!’
Wi Sang-tak furrowed his brow deeply and turned to look at Sa Bigang.
“Instructor Sa. Are you certain you found that here?”
“Of course? Don’t tell me you’re planning to make excuses even after evidence has appeared?”
“But this child says he’s never seen such a money pouch.”
“Tsk tsk. Only listening to your own brat’s words and raising him so permissively—that’s how you end up with such a scoundrel, isn’t it?”
“What, what did you say?”
“If you truly wish to become a righteous person, scold your son for his wrongs and guide him to the right path even now. Otherwise, did the two of you father and son perhaps conspire together?”
“What, what? You old fool! How dare you run your mouth!”
Finally, Wi Sang-tak exploded in fury.
He snarled and shouted.
“I cannot acknowledge that evidence!”
“Tsk tsk. So that’s how you’re going to be. This is why people call you demonic sect dregs.”
“What, what? Dregs…?”
“So what are you going to do? Evidence has appeared, yet you won’t acknowledge it. And you still want to be recognized as a righteous sect?”
“Shut up! Speaking frankly, is there any proof that evidence wasn’t fabricated?”
“Ha!”
Sa Bigang burst into laughter.
“Listen here, Gang Leader. Proof is ultimately something prepared by the one making the claim. I’ve proven that you people took the membership fees. But if you want to claim this evidence is fake, you need to provide that proof, don’t you?”
Every word was perfectly reasonable.
Wi Sang-tak, left speechless, clenched his fists and trembled with rage.
Even so, he couldn’t very well shout that his son had squandered all that money, so the evidence was fake.
‘What kind of damned situation is this…!’
That’s when it happened.
“I can’t listen to your damn nonsense anymore!”
Wi Deok-cheon kicked off the ground and lunged forward.
Wi Sang-tak didn’t even have time to step forward and stop him.
The moment Wi Deok-cheon’s sword flew toward Sa Bigang.
Clang!
A streak of light shot up and struck Wi Deok-cheon’s sword away.
Go Jeok-san, who had appeared at some point, had drawn his sword to defend.
Immediately after, when Go Jeok-san threw a punch, Wi Deok-cheon, struck in the chest, screamed and flew backward.
“Keuheok!“
Thud thud thud!
Wi Deok-cheon, who had fallen sliding across the floor, barely managed to steady himself and get up, then coughed up a mouthful of blood.
“Cough!“
“Cheon-ah! Are you alright?”
Wi Sang-tak was startled and approached Wi Deok-cheon.
“What, what kind of behavior is this? Using martial arts!”
“He charged first.”
Go Jeok-san replied with an indifferent expression.
But Wi Sang-tak, having seen his son’s blood, also found it difficult to maintain complete rationality.
“You old fool! Since it’s come to this, let’s duel! The result will be the evidence and the truth!”
“You’re being unreasonable.”
Sa Bigang replied with cold eyes.
“Shut up! Since there’s no way to determine the truth, we have no choice but to reach a conclusion this way! What do you think, Instructor Deung?”
Deung Bu-hyeong fell into thought for a moment, then nodded.
“Since there’s no way to resolve the misunderstanding between you two, I think it’s not bad to decide through a duel in the manner of martial artists.”
Honestly speaking, he welcomed it inwardly.
Wi Sang-tak was still a gang leader who led a faction.
It would be a big mistake to underestimate his martial arts.
Wi Sang-tak shouted toward Sa Bigang.
“I challenge you to a life-and-death duel! If you don’t accept the duel, I’ll take it as acknowledgment of our innocence!”
Life-and-death duel.
Meaning that even if someone died during the duel, there would be no responsibility.
Yeom Ja-ryang, who had been just watching, suddenly stepped forward.
“That, that’s a bit strange! Deciding right and wrong based on duel results…!”
Sa Bigang raised his hand to stop Yeom Ja-ryang, then stared intently at Wi Sang-tak before smirking.
“Fine. But the conditions will change a bit.”
His eyes and tone had changed.
“Conditions?”
“I came to collect money and unexpectedly have to risk my life, don’t I? If I win, you’ll have to pay double the amount we mentioned earlier. In other words, it becomes four times the original amount.”
“Hmph! Four times, five times, take whatever you want! If you can manage it!”
Sa Bigang grinned and turned to Deung Bu-hyeong.
“Then will Instructor Deung be our witness?”
“Hmm. That’s right.”
“Good. Then let’s begin.”
Sa Bigang had Go Jeok-san step aside.
Wi Sang-tak also drew his sword from his waist and slowly assumed a starting stance.
‘Old fool. Don’t even think about walking out of here on two legs today!’
Whooom.
The blade trembled faintly as blue energy formed on it.
The next moment.
Thud!
Wi Sang-tak kicked off the ground and lunged forward.
Swiiish!
The sword drew a horizontal arc and flew straight toward Sa Bigang’s neck.
Giant Blade Wave (거도파랑).
One of the techniques from his unique martial art, Giant Blade Art (거도공).
The blade cutting horizontally was as fierce as a wave.
With blade energy fluttering about, it was truly a wave that seemed capable of crushing even rocks.
However.
Swoosh.
‘Huh?’
Sa Bigang in front of his eyes vanished without a trace.
Swiiing!
Wi Sang-tak, having cut through empty air, quickly turned around, and Sa Bigang appeared right in front of him with a grin.
Thud!
“Keuheok!“
Wi Sang-tak, struck by the fist, spurted blood from his nose and staggered backward.
“You bastard! Using petty tricks!”
A chilling killing intent emanated from his entire body.
Swiiish!
The attack that followed immediately.
This time it rose from below upward.
Giant Blade Heaven Destroyer (거도멸천).
Crackle!
With a blade cry like lightning striking, blade energy split the air.
But this attack too only cut through empty air.
Sa Bigang, who had disappeared like a lie from before his eyes, had already appeared right beside him.
Thud!
“Keuheok!“
This time Wi Sang-tak, struck in the elbow, staggered backward and barely maintained his balance.
When he spat, blood came out mixed with saliva.
“You damn bastard! Can’t you fight properly!”
“If I fought properly, you’d die.”
Sa Bigang’s eyes momentarily held killing intent.
Wi Sang-tak involuntarily flinched at that overwhelming pressure.
“Hmph! How dare you be so arrogant!”
Thud!
Wi Sang-tak flew forward using the Gold Carp Soaring Heaven technique and slashed his sword diagonally.
In that instant, Sa Bigang stepped back one pace, then spun his body and kicked the sword’s handle.
Thud!
“Huh?”
Swiiish!
The blade Wi Sang-tak had dropped flew through the air, cutting through space.
Wi Deok-cheon happened to be watching the duel with an anxious heart right in that spot.
“No!”
Wi Sang-tak shouted.
But it was such a split second that Wi Deok-cheon couldn’t even think to dodge.
The moment he saw the flying blade and widened his eyes.
Slice!
A burning sensation grazed past his ear.
Thud! Clatter clatter.
The sword that had narrowly missed his face embedded itself in the doorpost pillar and trembled.
“Uh…?”
Only then did Wi Deok-cheon feel his earlobe burning from being cut.
If the direction had been even slightly off, Wi Sang-tak’s sword would have embedded itself in his son’s face.
Meanwhile, Deung Bu-hyeong, who had witnessed this, trembled faintly.
‘Could it be…? It wasn’t intentional, was it? It must have been coincidence?’
But to call it coincidence, wasn’t Sa Bigang’s expression too unchanged?
“You old fool!”
Enraged, Wi Sang-tak deployed fist techniques and charged at Sa Bigang, but his fists kept cutting through empty air or being blocked by defenses.
Rather, as time passed, Wi Sang-tak was being hit by Sa Bigang’s punches and kicks, his injuries only deepening.
‘Father…!’
Wi Deok-cheon ground his teeth as he watched, then noticed the Seungryong-do in Deung Bu-hyeong’s hand.
‘That sword…!’
It must certainly be a gift his father had given him.
First, he needed to make it so his father could use a sword.
Since his father’s main martial art was Giant Blade Art, he needed to compete with a blade.
Wi Deok-cheon quickly ran over and said to Deung Bu-hyeong.
“Master Deung! Could I borrow the Seungryong-do?”
“Hmm? Ah, well…”
Deung Bu-hyeong handed over the Seungryong-do somewhat bewildered.
“Father! Use this!”
Wi Deok-cheon quickly threw the Seungryong-do.
Wi Sang-tak, who had just been pushed back after receiving Sa Bigang’s palm strike, quickly launched his body and caught Seungryong-do.
“Let’s see you block this too!”
Drawing the Seungryong-do in mid-air, he struck down with all his weight behind it.
Another technique from Giant Blade Art, Giant Blade Mountain Breaker (거도파산)!
The Seungryong-do fell like a meteor with the force to truly split even a mountain.
In that instant, Sa Bigang’s eyes sparkled.
Clang!
Finally, Sa Bigang drew Veritas and clashed head-on with the falling Seungryong-do.
‘Hmph! You’re caught, it’s over!’
To receive the Giant Blade Mountain Breaker technique head-on.
Even if he had blocked all the attacks so far, he should have dodged this one attack.
That’s how much this technique was unmatched in terms of power.
Giant Blade Mountain Breaker, filled with blade energy, boasted enough solid power to actually cut through rocks.
But the bastard had been dodging until now and only just drew his sword.
‘This is why instructor types who only run their mouths are weak in actual combat!’
The thought was long, but the actual time that passed was an instant.
“Die!”
With a shout, Wi Sang-tak landed on the ground.
Clang!
The sensation of cutting through something.
That smooth feeling thrilled through his fingertips.
‘I cut him!’
Inwardly cheering, he raised his head.
“Huh?”
Sa Bigang was quietly looking at him face to face.
He should have been spurting blood and falling by now.
Only then did Wi Sang-tak realize that the Seungryong-do he was holding had been shortened by half.
“The, the Seungryong-do…?”
Meanwhile, Deung Bu-hyeong, who had been watching this, felt his legs give way and nearly collapsed.
‘Damn, damn it! The Seungryong-do…!’
He looked like he was about to burst into tears.
That was natural since the Seungryong-do should have become his after this fight ended.
Although it was somewhat inadvertent, he had handed over the Seungryong-do hoping things would become even slightly favorable for the gang leader…
Not only did he fail to win, but he broke the Seungryong-do in half!
‘My, my treasured sword…!’
Sa Bigang pointed Veritas at Wi Sang-tak.
“Will you continue? Hehe.“
“Gr, grr…!”
“Even now, if you acknowledge all your crimes and apologize for your wrongs, I’ll stop here. Ah, of course I’ll still take four times the money.”
“You damn son of a bitch!”
Thud!
Wi Sang-tak spat curses and lunged forward.
Gripping the shortened Seungryong-do, he deployed Giant Blade Art techniques in succession.
Swish! Slash! Swish!
But with his mind already disturbed and even the Seungryong-do broken, proper martial arts couldn’t possibly emerge.
As Sa Bigang continued to dodge, Wi Sang-tak shouted as if making a last desperate effort.
“How long are you going to just dodge? Attack! You damn bastard!”
“Pathetic.”
Sa Bigang spoke coldly, then suddenly reached out and flicked the flat of the Seungryong-do with his finger.
“Kkeok!“
The Seungryong-do that shot up into the air—Sa Bigang caught it as it fell and mercilessly thrust it into Wi Sang-tak’s shoulder.
Crack!
“Keuaaaack!“
