“Uh oh, I’m late, I’m late!”
Wang Yi hurried out of his house, barely washing his face. His face lit up with excitement as he quickly walked towards a crowded place.
“How lucky am I! I never thought I’d get to see the Sacheon Outcasts and the Brain Knife Outcast in action up close!”
Memories from yesterday flashed through Wang Yi’s mind— the Sacheon Outcasts, quiet yet decisive, taking down the subordinates of Jijik with ease, and the Brain Knife Outcast unleashing a thunderous attack on Jijik. And not to forget, the heartbreaking wail of Jijik after his lower dantian was destroyed!
Too thrilled to shake off the excitement, Wang Yi overslept. Although he was a bit late, he had to share the news as quickly as possible!
Arriving at his destination, halfway running, Wang Yi saw that people were already divided into two groups, each listening to different stories.
“The fists of Muk Gang-tan and Black Fist collided head-on! I mean, it echoed like a bang!”
“Oooh!”
“They exchanged blows one after another and eventually, the Black Fist started to fall back!”
“Right! There’s no way the Righteous Faction of Sacheon City would lose to the Evil Faction!”
Wang Yi’s jaw dropped. Wait, there had been a clash between Jijik and the Brain Knife Outcast yesterday, and at that same time, Muk Gang-tan and Black Fist had their own showdown?
Wang Yi approached the other group.
“And then, Yeon-yu defeated both of the sickles of the Tang Gang and claimed victory!”
“Oooooooh!!!”
“The crack in the Jarang Sect! I knew it!”
“With the Sacheon Faction led by Jarang Sect sweeping away the remnants of the Evil Faction! It was truly a refreshing sight!”
“Does this mean the Evil Faction has been completely wiped out?”
“Of course! I watched as they captured all those guys!”
“Hahaha! I knew they’d end up like that!”
Listening to both groups left Wang Yi utterly speechless. So, in just one day, the renowned outcasts and factions that had settled in Sacheon City had been wiped out all at once?
[Ah, those fellows will struggle to keep their own lives safe.]
The words of the Brain Knife Outcast lingered in Wang Yi’s mind.
“Brain Knife Outcast!”
Suddenly, Wang Yi shouted, causing the cheerful crowd commenting on the news of the Evil Faction’s destruction to turn their attention to him.
“This was all part of the Brain Knife Outcast’s plan!!”
“What do you mean?”
“Are you saying the Peak Experts of Sacheon City took down the Evil Faction as part of the Brain Knife Outcast’s plan?”
Wang Yi shouted to the crowd.
“Yesterday at the Video Tower, the Brain Knife Outcast took down Jijik! While doing that, they said something profound! That your companions will struggle to stay alive!”
“What?!”
“Explain it in detail!”
A rush of people gathered, and Wang Yi eagerly recounted everything he had seen and heard at the Video Tower the day before.
Only then did the people of Sacheon City realize that in just one day, the darkness that had seized their city had been completely uprooted. The news spread throughout all of Sacheon City faster than the wind.
*
The Brain Knife Outcast and the sects of Sacheon collaborated to cleanse the underworld in one fell swoop!
The Peak forces that had divided the underworld were uprooted, leaving the remaining outcasts fearful for their own survival as they fell silent.
Sacheon City was suddenly bustling with life again. The residents took pride in their sects once more, and crowds gathered at the Outcast Inn, eager to become sect members in front of Mukju Sect and Jarang Sect, who had subdued Shisik and the cart personally.
For now, only the Mukju Sect and Jarang Sect with clear achievements had regained their vitality, but it was only a matter of time before the other sects of Sacheon City regained their former energy.
Intermediaries cheered with glee at the influx of requests. They had expected a decrease in demand for requests, thinking that fewer people would be threatened by the Evil Faction after the sweep. However, the opposite occurred.
The value of the name “Sacheon Outcast” skyrocketed. With favorability towards the Sacheon Outcast peaking, people would buy things just because the Outcast was standing guard, and merely hiring the Outcast’s bodyguard garnered admiration, making the demand for the Outcast soar.
The Outcast Inn was bustling with activity!
An intermediary, hurriedly sorting through a mountain of documents, asked, “So? What request do you have for us?”
“I’ve come to pay my dues.”
Raising his head at the familiar voice, the intermediary realized the figure before him was a loan shark and sprang to attention.
“Oh, Lord of the Video Tower has graced us with his presence?”
All the intermediaries, preoccupied with clients, turned their gazes to the loan shark. It was only natural.
The condition the loan shark set when seeking to accept requests was his entire wealth!
The loan shark, who was from the esteemed Video Tower, one of the three major hubs in Sacheon City, had come to offer a request for an amount corresponding to his entire fortune. Who wouldn’t be curious?
“I intended to come right away, but it took me some time to organize my assets.”
The intermediary gulped at the loan shark’s words. Organizing assets? Was he really planning to use his entire fortune as a request fee?
“It’s my entire wealth, excluding the funds for operating the Video Tower.”
The intermediaries, who had been watching with keen eyes, dropped their jaws.
A thick envelope of documents!
Though they weren’t sure if he had truly brought his entire fortune, it was clear that the sum to be paid as a request fee was no small amount.
“Please convey my gratitude to the Brain Knife Outcast.”
“Lu, Lord…! Just a moment!”
The intermediary tried to stop the loan shark, but the loan shark confidently exited the Outcast Inn.
“Whoa…”
The intermediary stared at the remaining envelope in a daze and murmured, “Let’s just check it. Just check it…”
The intermediary exchanged glances with the sneaky gathering of other intermediaries and opened the envelope to verify the total amount written clearly at the front.
“Whoa!”
He couldn’t help but gasp.
*
The Video Tower gradually regained its former appearance. The expelled gamblers returned, the cheating devices were completely removed, and well-maintained gambling equipment was rearranged throughout the tower.
However, the scars left by Jijik ran deep. The gamblers had lost their sharp edge due to their significant break from gambling, and the high-quality gambling tools they had been particular about had long been sold out, replaced with untested products.
“It will take quite a while for the equipment and gamblers to return to their previous state.”
While pondering this, the loan shark chuckled.
The gambling tools had defects, and the skills of the gamblers using those imperfect tools were not what they used to be.
“Haha! A six-day game!”
“Aww! So close! I will definitely get my revenge in the next round!”
“Anytime is welcome!”
Still, the scene of everyone enjoying the gambling in their own ways felt remarkably similar to the past.
“Given that, it seems like a decent pass mark.”
Just then, commotion arose at the entrance.
“Brain Knife Outcast…!”
“It’s the Brain Knife Outcast!”
Ho Cheon-an lightly engaged with the Video Tower guests surrounding him, engaging in small talk.
“Great Hero! Do you have any business here at the Video Tower?”
“Today, I merely came as a guest.”
Having enjoyed his fame, Ho Cheon-an quietly surveyed the scene, eventually joining an empty game of Go.
“Haha, it’s an honor to be able to gamble with the renowned Brain Knife Outcast!”
“I hear you’ve cleaned out the pockets of cheating gamblers; today, you shall go broke!”
“Hahaha! But if I win even one round, won’t it be a story to tell for life?”
The crowd watching Ho Cheon-an’s gambling gasped in amazement each time he made a move.
“Wow, that’s incredible!”
“Such refined gambling skill!”
Having made a decent profit, Ho Cheon-an stood up and moved on to another game. After joining a few rounds with the guests, he began a serious duel against the gambling experts of the tower.
“I will not go easy on a benefactor of the tower!”
“That’s exactly what I wanted!”
Though confident gambling experts clashed with Ho Cheon-an, he emerged victorious each time.
“Ugh, I lost!”
In the end, Ho Cheon-an defeated even the top gambling experts known in the Video Tower, claiming victory over the revered expert, Jang-do.
The spectators, who had been enjoying the performance of Ho Cheon-an, sighed in regret as it seemed like he would finally leave.
However, instead of getting up, Ho Cheon-an lifted his head.
The guests followed his gaze upwards.
There stood the loan shark, the owner of the Video Tower.
“Lord, shall we have a round?”
“Hmm.”
The loan shark smirked.
Since establishing the Video Tower, the loan shark had never once joined a gambling table. They thought their identity as a loan shark had caused the death of their previous self as a gambler.
“Come on now, don’t hold back. If you just keep watching from above, you’ll itch to get involved, won’t you?”
“Right!”
“Show us the gambling skills of the loan shark!”
The guests agreed, curious about the gambling skills of the loan shark, the owner of the sacred ground for gamblers, the Video Tower.
“I haven’t stepped onto the gambling table for over ten years. I’m worried I might sully it.”
“Your instincts may dull, but skill is eternal.”
“Wow! What a saying!”
“Come on now, Lord, just join in!”
Eventually, the loan shark had no choice but to take a seat at the gambling table, pressured by Ho Cheon-an and the guests.
“To awaken your instincts, let’s start with Go.”
Ho Cheon-an and the loan shark began exchanging turns slowly. The loan shark felt his instincts as a gambler returning, and at the same time, he realized just how far Ho Cheon-an had come in his gambling prowess.
Even showcasing his rusty skills with all his might felt like tossing a pebble into the sea, leaving him with mere laughter.
The two enjoyed various games as they switched between different types.
During a dice game, Ho Cheon-an broke the silence.
“The Video Tower is gradually regaining its former self.”
“All thanks to the Brain Knife Outcast.”
At the loan shark’s words, the onlookers nodded. However, Ho Cheon-an lightly chuckled and disagreed.
“I merely acted per requests. By the way, are you aware?”
“Of what?”
“The request to save this Video Tower was not from one person.”
The loan shark’s hand, poised to roll the dice, suddenly froze.
