Okgyo.
Two days’ distance from Gonmyeong, where the Dark Dragon Sect has settled. I arrived in Okgyo with nineteen elite martial artists as the head of the Seohwa Sect.
“A group of twenty martial artists going around is way too conspicuous. Split into four groups of five. Each group must stay at a different inn on the main street to avoid overlap.”
“Yes, understood!”
The frozen newcomers replied with sharp discipline. For some reason, they were incredibly afraid of me.
We weren’t exactly best buddies, but we had shared meals together – so I didn’t get why they were so scared. The only incident they could’ve heard about me would be when I fought Chang-ung during a match.
Sure, I did create a stir back then, but I didn’t swing my sword at them; they were just watching a match.
These newcomers were elite experts themselves. They must have endured the rough tides of the Outcast Faction to reach that level, so could they really be intimidated just by watching a match?
There would be other opportunities to bond with the newcomers later, so I decided to be satisfied with them listening to me for now.
After reasonably distributing the groups and scattering them, I led U-reung’s companions into Okgyo.
“…Captain, the atmosphere feels off.”
“Looks like it.”
Just glancing around, the ratio of armed individuals seemed odd.
You could easily encounter martial artists armed to the teeth anywhere you went. Merchants’ faces were full of worry, and I noticed some trying to salvage their broken stalls.
“Have you ever been to Okgyo?”
“Yeah, it’s not that far from Gonmyeong, so I’ve visited a few times… but it seems like the street vendors have definitely decreased in numbers…”
Anyway, it was clear that the air in Okgyo was definitely uneasy.
“Um, brother. Where do you plan to start?”
“Well, of course, we’ll start with the gambling dens. Just rolling the dice, I could conquer all the gambling spots in Okgyo.”
It seemed like the newcomers wanted an easy ride.
While I was busy gambling, they were planning to just watch from the sidelines.
When I shot a glare at them, their faces turned pale, and they kept lowering their heads.
Aren’t you a bit too scared?
If someone saw this, they’d think I was a crazy guy who enjoys picking on others.
While it’s true that destroying the gambling dens or brothels would hit the Sokryeong Sect where it hurts, it was really like uprooting their foundation.
Ultimately, it was a suicidal act.
Even if I stole a hundred gold at Seongrakru, I’d still have assassins swarming around; doing such a thing in the territory of the Outcast Faction meant death.
“Hmm.”
More importantly, I started to smell something fishy.
Ignoring the newcomers’ pale expressions, I prowled through Okgyo. It wasn’t like there was only the Sokryeong Sect here; yet, there were hardly any local martial artists to be seen anywhere I went.
It seemed like other forces that were sent ahead of us might’ve been attacked.
As I wandered the streets, my head began to spin.
I, Ho Cheon-an.
What is the action I’ve invested the most time in since I fell into this Martial World?
Martial arts training?
I certainly risked my life to learn for several years, but after hitting the wall of bloodlust, I put my sword down for a long time.
Gambling practice?
I did work hard at it. I reached great heights, so I undeniably put effort into it, but still, there were flaws if I claimed it was the thing I spent the most time on.
What shall I hide?
I, Ho Cheon-an.
The action I’ve invested the most time in during my life as Ho Cheon-an… is undoubtedly ‘performing.’
Overwhelming success rate of requests!
Highest customer satisfaction!
Top preference among intermediaries!
The reason I became a chosen outcast in the Sacheon Outcast industry with merely the skills of Iryu was precisely… because of my unique performing abilities.
The sensation of the performing artist dwelling within me screamed as I held my imaginary compass.
This is “angle.”
“It looks like a plan is set.”
The newcomers looked at me with puzzled expressions.
I returned their gaze.
These kids were like fledgling actors. If asked to perform, they’d probably put on a show even worse than Gang Jun, who made a fuss at Gyeongsu Market.
But these kids could indeed display method acting for this ‘role.’
Most of the newcomers in the Seohwa Sect came from the back alleys as flunkies.
What’s so special about method acting?
Just pouring what you usually do into the performance is method acting.
Nineteen outcasts, or rather, great actors, given to the performing artist Ho Cheon-an.
This was not something I could fail.
* *
“Hmm.”
It had been a long time since I opened a martial arts novel. Leaning against the alley wall with a book in one hand, looking at the main street, it felt like I had returned to my days as a Sacheon Outcast.
Unconsciously, I began to wave my hand in the air.
…I was pressing down on the non-existent Black Rib to block the sunlight.
Feeling embarrassed about my clumsiness, I brushed off the dust stuck to my backside.
Sacheon Outcast.
It was a term that should now fade away.
Once I stop Jeong Cheol and defeat him, I will declare myself the representative of the Sacheon Outcasts and announce their official dissolution.
The meaning of Sacheon Outcast would vanish, leaving only martial artists who use the nickname Sacheon Outcast No. XX in personal matches to prove their abilities by displaying their faction colors.
Yu Sa-yeon’s Outcast Inn would probably get a decent name change too.
As I was thinking this way, a familiar voice reached my ears.
“Uhhahahahaha!!”
“Brother! Haha!!”
It seemed the newcomers had arrived as planned.
Armed and with fierce glints in their eyes, the Seohwa Sect’s newcomers were approaching, swinging their limbs as if they had nothing to fear.
I too surveyed the surroundings, pretending to read my martial arts novel.
“Cheap! What a bargain! Discounts upon discounts! Buy ten items and get one free! Baskets! Unbelievable discounts!”
That guy really can’t sell. Who could possibly carry ten heavy baskets? It’d be better to do a 10% discount on one basket.
People like that should just get knocked on their heads and kicked out of business.
“Amitabha! The pot made of soil from the temple where the Buddhist disciples stayed! Just buying this pot guarantees your afterlife!”
Selling the Buddha like that – the youth didn’t seem to know the dangers of the world. He’d probably be struck down by divine wrath.
I tried to assess the risks, but with merchants like that around, the situation seemed like a green light.
I tucked my martial arts novel back into my robe. A signal to group two of performers. Immediately, group two emerged from the alley.
The first group, walking in a line on the main street. And the gap closing between them and the second group quietly passing by.
BAM!
“Ugh!”
“What the heck! You punks!”
A shoulder collision occurred between the two groups. The newcomer who bumped shoulders immediately let his arm dangle, wailing in agony.
“Aah! My arm! My arm! It popped out!”
Wow, this is method acting. The performance by the newcomer, who used to live by being a self-harming scam artist before joining the Dark Dragon Sect, was truly as smooth as a fish in water.
“You! You bastard! You made my brother’s arm like this!”
“Apologize now!”
Surrounding travelers halted at the tense situation, widening the gap. Merchants hid behind their stalls, peeking with anxious expressions.
A finely tuned, tense situation!
“How ridiculous.”
“Heh! Brother! It’s because you’re too strong! I knew your skills were strong, but looks like these scoundrels are getting wrecked just from brushing against your strength!”
In such a situation, the second group of performers calmly laughed at the first group.
“You bastards! Not only did you hurt my brother, but you dare to insult him?”
“I’ve heard rumors about the low level in Okgyo, but I never expected even flunkies like these to strut around… heh heh heh!”
“You dare to block our Great Dark Dragon Sect’s path! You have guts!”
On one side, there were self-harming con artists. On the other side, a self-proclaimed big establishment using the term ‘great’ with a name I had never heard before.
It was truly a collision of the flunkies of flunkies!
“Attack, everyone!”
“Show the power of the Great Dark Dragon Sect!”
Immediately, the two groups began to entangle in a brawl.
The fight between the two groups resembled a total mess! Even though they were armed, they were swinging their fists wildly at each other while throwing everything they could grab!
Clang, crash!!
Creak!
“Ouch, ouch!”
The performers enthusiastically threw pots and overturned basket stalls, smashing items. The faces of the youth who exaggeratedly advertised their wares and the merchants lacking any talent were turning pale with fears.
Merchants nearby, watching the mess unfold, wore sympathetic expressions for the two unfortunate souls getting smashed to bits. The pots crashed without exception, and the discarded baskets scattered across the ground were stomped upon or rolled over by the performers in real-time destruction!
But another emotion was surfacing in their expressions.
That was relief.
How fortunate that they narrowly avoided such misfortune!
However, it was too early for them to feel at ease.
“Uh? Uh?”
The clash of the two brawling groups naturally started to shift position. The face of the fruit vendor turned pale. As she tried to get her fruits away in desperation, the situation escalated.
“Ha-ha-ha! Dragon Swirling Kick!”
“Ahhh! So powerful!”
CRASH!
A person was sent crashing into the fruit vendor’s stall! The booth shattered, dispersing fruits and juice everywhere!
“You scoundrel! You scoundrel!”
In a panic, the soaked performer threw fruit to block the follow-up attack following the Dragon Swirling Kick.
The group of performers moved again!
“Oh no!”
Now, it was to the fabric shop! Fabrics in the shop flew through the air, wrapping around the performers’ bodies as they wiped their faces with the dripping fruit juice!
Crash, crash!!
From the farming equipment store, tools were scattered, and as the performers, using them as weapons instead of their own, broke them one by one, a hairy artisan in despair made an expression as if his heart were shattering.
Bang, bang!
Crash!
Continuing their chaos, the performers swept through the main street’s shops, wreaking havoc!
“Great Dark Dragon Sect technique! Dark Dragon Shockwave!”
“Throwing Soil!”
“Ouch! Ouch!”
“What to do!”
I found myself amongst spectators watching their destructive antics, and secretly…
Whoosh!
I threw a few gold or silver coins into the shops that had suffered losses. It wasn’t hard to toss in money while avoiding the watchfulness of the shop owners with expressions like ghosts.
How would the owners who witnessed this wave of destruction and received compensation feel toward the Sokryeong Sect?
If a somewhat capable martial artist appeared and threatened them for money, they could at least rationalize it with ‘it’s because my life was in danger.’
But now, having their shops ruined by such self-harming con artists and self-proclaimed figures of the Great Dark Dragon Sect – how furious would they feel?
The current performers were a bunch of unidentifiable lowlifes. Ultimately, the merchants’ anger would have to be directed at the Sokryeong Sect.
Distributing covert compensation to the merchants was part of stoking their anger toward the Sokryeong Sect.
Sokryeong Sect was the Outcast Faction.
It was natural for them to squeeze their merchants in their territory, and even the stores on the main street likely weren’t in such good standing. But since everything was wrecked? They’d be left without any means of livelihood.
Usually, when pushed into a corner, one might think they’d retaliate against their oppressors, but only few could throw everything away to seek revenge.
When one’s own life is at stake, who would have the leisure to criticize the Sokryeong Sect? They’d have to desperately seek a way out; would they have the peace of mind to slander someone else?
Thus, compensating was essential.
So that they could curse the Sokryeong Sect without worrying about their livelihoods!
“Stop!”
Just as the performers had wrecked a dozen shops, a booming voice echoed through the chaos. Merchants, whose expressions had turned grim watching this storm destroy everything, looked as if they had found their savior.
Yet their expressions twisted immediately.
The five martial artists who appeared with a loud voice were greeted with bright cheers by the lowlifes.
“Brother!”
“How dare you attack my brothers! Everyone! Get them!”
“This is overwhelming! A strategic counterattack!”
“The Great Dark Dragon Sect will not be defeated! We will simply vanish!”
“Chase them!”
The Dark Dragon performers fled down the alley, with the self-harming con artists and their senior group trailing after them, disappearing into the alley.
A clean exit.
Some newcomers who understood the terrain would likely circle around and spread out at an appropriate location.
I let out a satisfied chuckle.
The newcomers’ method acting was superb, and considering it was their first real situation, it was expected for something to go wrong or a dissonance to arise, but truly there weren’t any flaws.
It felt like putting a fish into water!
Once we return, I should praise the newcomers a bit.
As I was thinking this and sneaking out through the backdoor of the herb shop, I heard:
“Ouch! Ouch!”
“You nasty little bastards!”
Hiding a silver coin beneath the cushion and avoiding the elderly person crying out in distress, I slipped away.
“Ha.”
Now that I had delivered compensations to all the shops, I too took my exit.
Perfect.
Feeling delighted with the flawlessly executed play, as I was walking out of the alley, I suddenly sensed a presence.
Step by step.
If it weren’t for the Barley Lotus Pool clearing away my body’s filth and enhancing my hearing, I wouldn’t have been able to pick up such a tiny sound.
Though I heard the footstep, I felt no presence.
An expert.
At least one who surpassed me by more than a level was tracking me with a well-concealed aura.
