Sichuan's Mad Dragon (Novel) - Chapter 19 - A Hero of the Small World
Chapter 19 – A Hero of the Small World
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Translated by Heavenly Cat
Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net
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Ju-seong assumed the opening stance of the Three Yang Fist. A very simple and intuitive posture.
The left leg was forward, with the right leg back. The left forearm was guarding his face, while the right arm was held against his ribs.
The momentum was quite unusual.
“So you were a master.”
One of the dark path men said in a serious voice. Ju-seong had trouble holding back laughter upon hearing that.
“What bullshit.”
If he at second-rate was a master, how much of a master was he supposed to be? These dark path nobodies seemed to be dying to play martial artist.
“If you wanted to play martial artist, you should not have been slapping a powerless waiter.”
Saying so, Ju-seong charged in first. He had sold off caution long ago; anyway, from the moment he heard the name Black Dragon Gang, he felt like he was losing control.
Three Yang Fist first technique, Yellow Crow Golden Whip Fist.
The names of the Three Yang Fist’s techniques were prefixed with the name of a level. This referred to the stage required to fully draw out the technique’s power.
The first technique was a movement of thrusting the fist like a whip to deliver a strike before the opponent even realized it, consisting of five consecutive attacks.
And to draw out the full power of this technique required the Yellow Crow level, meaning second stage.
Ju-seong was at one stage, the Black Crow level, but his understanding of the techniques was quite high.
-Tat.
Pushing off the ground with his rear foot and advancing as if flying, there was the subtle principle of the White Phoenix Nine Heavens Movement Technique.
The left hand that had been guarding his face whipped out, striking the face of a dark path man holding a sword.
-Jjak!
A sound like a whip cracking rang out, and the dark path man’s face snapped back.
Continuing attacks followed. His right elbow came out first, followed by the forearm to throw a fist.
His right hand looked like a flopping whip.
His right hand, now like a whip, lashed the dark path man’s forearm, making him drop his sword. The man’s forearm was broken at an odd angle.
Then he closed the distance to strike ribs with his left hand and the throat with his right.
Finally, a short snap of the left hand shattered the man’s jaw.
One of three was now crippled, but having realized it was do-or-die now, another one charged in.
But the remaining one seemed to have been planning to run while his comrade bought time.
The man whose wrist was grabbed while thrusting a dagger at Ju-seong cursed at his fleeing comrade.
“Haa~! That fucking bastard…”
“…”
The remaining dark path man and Ju-seong locked eyes. He was a fairly gutsy, masculine fellow. He did not cower even in this situation and glared right back.
Ju-seong thought it was even more irritating when a bad guy was manly.
The one trying to shake off his wrist grip hard to thrust the dagger again.
-Kwadeuk!
The moment the weight he had felt against his wrist lifted, the dark path man thought his technique had worked.
It was a mistake.
Ju-seong’s grip was like a stubborn snake biting down on his wrist, refusing to let go.
When the dark path man tried the cheap trick of shaking his wrist, Ju-seong instead followed the movement once, then at the instant the motion stopped, he clamped down hard and crushed the man’s wrist.
The Three Yang Fist was a complete fighting system encompassing fist, palm, finger, leg, and grasping hand techniques, but among them, the overwhelming portion was made up of palm techniques and grasping hand.
In particular, leg techniques comprised not even one in ten, giving the impression of surprise attacks that struck the blind spot.
Anyway, since grasping hand made up a large portion of the martial art he learned, there was no way Ju-seong would lose in a hand battle.
The reason the dark path man thought the weight on his wrist had lifted was none other than because his wrist had been crushed.
Belatedly realizing this fact, the fellow said.
“Damn, I am screwed…”
-Peopeopeopeong!
The Red Crow Fluttering Red Lotus Palm technique was unleashed, striking the dark path man’s upper body.
Fist techniques excelled at breaking bones, finger techniques were advantageous for pressing pressure points, and palm techniques specialized in inflicting internal injuries.
Palm shadows scattered as if cotton wadding was flying, hence the name Fluttering Red Lotus Palm, but Ju-seong could only unleash four attacks.
Ju-seong’s level was low, so there were not even afterimages.
That was why this technique required Red Crow, meaning fourth stage, to use properly.
Ju-seong watched the dark path man collapse coughing blood and felt anew that there was a long road ahead.
He stood still, closed his eyes, and silently recited an incantation.
“Anarulyulbulmokjeukcheonan…”
The killing intent that had been surging in his head slowly subsided. The fallen men watched this and felt fear.
Was he not simply a madman?
The dark path man who had lost both eyes felt the greatest terror. In the midst of seeing nothing, he heard a strange incantation.
After suppressing his killing intent, Ju-seong looked around at the fallen men. He had gotten excited upon hearing the name Black Dragon Gang and had used his hands too roughly without realizing.
He sighed briefly and began rummaging through their belongings.
“Hey, turn your body a little. Yeah. That is all you have in your money pouch? Why is a dark path man so poor?”
Ju-seong muttered to himself like a crazy person while searching the dark path men’s possessions.
He said as he took their blades.
“Carrying things like this makes you feel tough and want to show off. When you have a blade, the human heart wants to draw it and swing it.”
Ju-seong was searching the man’s belongings when he found a peculiar item. It was a description drawing on yellow paper, and unexpectedly, it was the face of someone he knew.
“Master…?”
The Divine Physician’s face.
Of course, since it was crudely drawn based on witnesses’ hazy memories, the resemblance was not great.
But it was a picture that someone who knew him might be able to recognize.
“Hey, hey.”
Ju-seong woke the man who had collapsed last after taking the Fluttering Red Lotus Palm. He was in the best condition.
The man spat out bright red blood continuously but quickly came to his senses under Ju-seong’s prodding.
“Did you eat sundae soup from Fujian Province last night? Why are you coughing up so much blood?”
Ju-seong berated the dark path man with absurd words while shoving the description drawing in his face.
“What is this? Who are you looking for?”
The man’s lips trembled before he replied.
“We do not know either… The gang master just told us to find him so we are looking.”
“Why did you creep into this area?”
“…We are wandering dark pathers. We move around every year or two, consuming an area, then relocate before the authorities or righteous path sects notice us.”
“Then the name was not always Black Dragon Gang?”
“Before, in Guizhou, we were the Old Tiger Stronghold.”
So these people were rootless guys who sometimes posed as street dark path gangs and sometimes did banditry.
When their banditry showed signs of being noticed by the Green Forest, they would close shop and relocate to another base.
Being rootless people, they would take any job, and searching for the Divine Physician must have been part of such a commission.
Ju-seong thought for a moment, then grabbed a fistful of chopsticks from the chopstick holder and tucked them into his clothes.
“Where is your headquarters?”
The dark path man’s eyes wavered at the madman’s incomprehensible antics.
* * *
Luckily, this Sichuan Black Dragon Gang he found was not situated on a hillside.
They had merely occupied a small manor on the street, and whether it was not originally theirs, the signboard was removed.
Originally, martial world sects cared a lot about face. So they should hang a signboard with a soaring brush script bearing the sect name.
But being rootless people, they probably felt no need to spend money making signboards. Plus, the sect name changed all the time, so making a signboard would be pointless.
There happened to be a butcher shop on the way, so rather than making two trips, he bought the pork.
Ju-seong stood before the Black Dragon Gang, carrying one seom of rice and one hundred catties of pork on his back. The gatekeeper looked Ju-seong up and down and said.
“Did you come from Gu’s grocery? It is not delivery day yet.”
These damned bastards were not only collecting protection fees but also squeezing food supplies. Ju-seong immediately threw wooden chopsticks to skewer both cheeks of the gatekeeper.
His technique was so swift and vicious that the gatekeeper could not even respond and had his cheeks skewered.
“Heoeu…!”
The gatekeeper trembled with a horrifying pain that made his hair stand on end.
Ju-seong threw a short punch to break his nose, then grabbed his hair and threw another right punch to smash one eye.
Ju-seong, gripping the now one-eyed man’s hair, flung open the manor gate.
Sure enough, it was the familiar scenery of a Black Dragon Gang. Men sprawled about like beggars. Some had ruddy faces, likely from drinking.
A man who seemed relatively sober glared at Ju-seong and asked.
“Who are you? Why did you leave Myeong-jin in that state?”
Ju-seong glanced at Myeong-jin in his hand and, having nothing particular to say, just shrugged.
“He had bad breath, so I drilled a hole to let the smell out.”
The dark path man who had spoken first laughed mockingly.
“Dressed like a peddler, you are completely insane.”
Ju-seong’s A-frame was loaded with pork and rice sacks.
“Oops.”
Ju-seong scratched his head sheepishly and set down the A-frame. He was so used to wearing heavy things that he had forgotten he was carrying it.
Ju-seong put his hands on his waist and shouted.
“Gang master! Black Dragon Gang master! I have come to see you! Show your face!”
-Kkiiik.
At Ju-seong’s call, the gang master opened the hall door and appeared. His image overlapped with the moment he first met the Divine Physician.
However, the Black Dragon Gang master before him now was the real Black Dragon Gang master.
Judging by his appearance as he adjusted his waistband, he had apparently been calling a woman for indecent activities.
Ju-seong had not only trained in Celestial Hearing but had also received transmission of the Divine Physician’s Celestial Nose.
A stench of mixed powder fragrance, blood, and the odor from male pleasure wafted over.
On top of that, Ju-seong smelled, layer upon layer in the creases of the gang master’s clothes, the smell of the weak and of women’s blood.
The smell of forced laughter. The smell of real screams. Ju-seong’s brow furrowed. Must one be strong to become a demonic head? No.
Not just those with grand titles who were masters, but one like that was also evil.
The world of the weak.
In the tiny world that the good masters and evil masters did not bother to care about, there were also evil spirits.
If so, there should also be a hero of that tiny world. Ju-seong thought his current level was just right for that role.
While he was lost in thought, the gang master babbled.
“Who are you now? Why did you crawl in dressed like that and just stand there awkwardly?”
Somewhat graceless speech. His voice was just as glib and shallow. One dark path underling beside him reported.
“He killed Myeong-jin.”
Ju-seong quickly retorted.
“I did not kill him.”
The gang master picked his ear and said irritably.
“Myeong-jin? Who was that again? Anyway, that guy barged into the Black Dragon Gang and committed hostile action, is that it?”
“Correct.”
“Then subdue him first and ask questions later. Why are you just standing there staring blankly? Kids, that is not what I pay you wages for.”
“Understood. Boys, get him!”
Somehow, he had a feeling of deja vu. But Ju-seong was a different man from back then.
Back then, he was a man who had lost family, but now he had gained new family. He was weak then, but now he was strong. Then, he had no hesitation about taking human lives, but now he thought he should not do so if he could help it.
So a smile formed on Ju-seong’s lips. Experiencing the same situation twice was not something that happened to just anyone.
“Grab him!”
Ju-seong saw a net swimming through the air toward him like a jellyfish and thought, indeed, these were more proper dark pathers than before.
The dark path or evil path commonly used many strange weapons like this. The net, in particular, was a prime example.
This was because, compared to orthodox martial arts, their traditions were shallow and emphasized practicality. Ju-seong did not think it was particularly bad.
Many masters of the righteous path looked down on hidden weapons and dismissed strange weapons like scythes or meteor hammers, but who knew?
Someday, the greatest under heaven using nets might emerge.
So rather than mindlessly dodging the net, Ju-seong chose to try using it once to see if it suited his hand.
Ju-seong instead ran toward the net and extended his hand. His hand went into the gaping jellyfish’s maw.
His hand, curved like a tiger’s claw, grabbed the net’s center firmly. When Ju-seong stepped back using the subtle principle of the White Phoenix Nine Heavens Movement Technique, the jellyfish flipped inside out, its inside becoming outside.
Now the one holding the net was Ju-seong.
When he swung the net and spun around, a large circle formed with him at the center. The dark path men backed off all at once.
This was because the weights attached to the net’s edges were threatening.
Ju-seong spun a couple of times, then suddenly released all fingers except his middle finger from the net.
Supporting the net with just his middle finger, the centrifugal force made the circle the net created grow a little bigger. In that moment, it struck.
-Pak…!
One weight struck and passed a dark path underling’s nose bridge with a small cracking sound.
“Aueueu…!”
The man whose nose was split in two clutched his face and collapsed. Watching this, Ju-seong declared.
“The nail that sticks out gets the hammer, and that guy was foolishly standing at the very front, so his nose got smashed. You lot should fight timidly and carefully like the dark path rats you are.”
He was still spinning the net while saying this long sentence, making him look like a thoroughly mad fisherman, stirring fear.
He spoke, spun the net, and made eye contact with each dark path man one by one.
Ju-seong was spinning like a top and starting to feel dizzy, so he flung the net in one direction.
“Ah!”
“You bastard, stop squirming!”
Three or four people were caught in the net. When one side struggled to get out, the net on the opposite side naturally tightened.
They were holding sharp blades, a dangerous situation.
Dark path men were usually selfish, so trying to run first, they twisted, which caused the person on the other side to get more tangled in the net.
Then the trapped side, angrily, pulled on the net for revenge, causing naturally everyone to get even more entangled. This was a vicious cycle of selfishness.
Ju-seong watched the scene for a moment, then said as those who were not caught in the net approached.
“Should you not save your comrades first?”
“Your behavior is so pathetic that I will kill you first.”
Ju-seong immediately pulled chopsticks from his clothes and threw them to stick in the lower belly of the one who had flapped his mouth.
“…!”
The pain of having the breath knocked out of him was so great that he could not even scream and just collapsed to his knees.
Ju-seong charged in like a mad bull and unleashed the Red Crow Threading-One Hand technique.
Compared to his charging momentum, the technique that unfolded was sinister and quiet.
It was a grasping hand that wrapped around and climbed up the opponent’s arm, nullifying defenses to attack desired vital points.
-Kkwadeuk!
When he jabbed behind the collarbone, the dark path man began gasping, suffering from dyspnea.
Ju-seong swung the paralyzed man like a shield to the left.
The man who had been swinging an axe down looked flustered but did not change direction. Suddenly altering the trajectory of a weapon during a fight strains the body, and this is more true the heavier the weapon.
So the man’s axe ended up deeply embedded in his comrade’s back. It was lodged deep in the spine, making it difficult to retrieve.
Ju-seong struck a palm to the forehead of the grimacing flat-nosed man.
-Peoeok!
The man’s brain was instantly pulped, and he rolled his eyes back and died. Blood streamed from his nose. It was murder.
“Ah…”
‘Damn.’
Ju-seong briefly thought.