Chapter 16: People Do Not Change. -01
If it were a spiritual creature that someone he knew or someone whose life hung in the balance needed to obtain, he would have felt a twinge of conscience, but capturing that thing that lived here was the act of a disciple of evil.
Moreover, it had wagged its tail and surrendered the moment the Four Tyrants of the World invaded, so Ban Hojin could not hand over the spiritual creature all the more.
Rather than letting such a thing eat it and throw the world into chaos, it was better that he took it for himself.
“The problem is where it is.”
Spiritual herbs or spiritual creatures were not things one could meet just because one wanted to.
If fate did not align, even if they were right in front of one’s nose, one could not discover them—that was the nature of spiritual creatures and spiritual herbs.
Moreover, spiritual herbs and spiritual creatures fundamentally knew how to hide their own energy.
In a way, it was a contest between the seeker and the hider, like hide-and-seek, so Ban Hojin muttered as he broadly swept his gaze over the surroundings first.
“I have no choice but to move using the method I thought of for now.”
Ban Hojin had not come here recklessly without a plan.
In his own way, he had thought through the best possible method.
He did not know how effective it would be, but one fortunate point was that he had time to spare.
There was nothing urgent, and in his past life, he had discovered that thing a year later, so there was still time.
“I will never leave until I find it.”
Ban Hojin muttered as if making a vow.
Since it was not a spiritual herb, the difficulty was quite high.
It would have been nice if it stayed in one place, but that possibility was slim, so there was no choice but to continue searching.
But looked at another way, it was also endurance training and lightness skill training at the same time.
“Still, I wish it would show itself quickly if possible.”
Since he had come to forcibly tie a fate that did not exist, Ban Hojin thought it would not be easy.
That was why he intended to do his utmost.
Kwaaang!
Just then, a single explosive sound split the silent forest.
From not too far away came the sound of true energy colliding with true energy.
“What is it?”
At that sound, Ban Hojin tilted his head.
It was not a metallic clang but an explosion laden with considerable internal power, so Ban Hojin blinked his eyes.
As far as he knew, this was a wild mountain without even bandits.
Because of that, doubt filled Ban Hojin’s eyes.
Sssshk!
But soon, his figure cut through the air.
It was because a possibility crossed his mind.
What if someone had found the spiritual creature he was targeting first and they were fighting among themselves?
Before long, Ban Hojin’s figure disappeared without a trace.
“Damn bastard! So this was your plan from the start!”
“Of course. Did you really think I would meekly accept your proposal without aiming for anything?”
“Keugh!”
A refined young master clad in a long robe with splendid patterns ground his teeth.
But despite the ferocious gaze of the refined young master, the middle-aged man who exuded a beast-like aura was relaxed.
That was because he knew well that no matter how ferociously the refined young master radiated killing intent, it could not inflict any harm on him.
He was alone, while the refined young master still had more than ten escort warriors, but what mattered was not numbers.
“If you hand over your assets even now, I promise you. I will kill you cleanly, without pain.”
“You do not think I will hand them over meekly, do you?”
“As expected, you would come out like that? Tsk! To refuse the cup of persuasion and choose the cup of punishment. I heard the second son of the Geum family was smart, but it seems that is not the case either.”
“There is nothing you can take from this place!”
The refined young master, who looked to be in his mid-twenties, shouted as if growling.
Though his voice was filled with killing intent, the middle-aged man remained calm.
The threats of the weak were not threatening at all.
“Trying to run away? Just how far do you think you can run? You do not even have many people you can use to buy time.”
Crunch!
At the middle-aged man’s sneer, the refined young master ground his teeth.
His gaze then turned toward the corpses lying beneath the middle-aged man’s feet.
Just moments ago, they had been his limbs and aides, alive and breathing, but now they had become cold corpses.
All because of his foolish misjudgment.
“For someone called the Wolf King to commit such despicable acts! Do you feel no shame!”
“It seems you want to brand me a traitor, but from the beginning, I merely made a contract with the Third Young Master. You people simply did not know that. So from the start, betrayal does not even apply. Besides, just as you said, I am merely a wanderer. I am only doing my best for my employer.”
“How dare you spout such sophistry!”
“Right, it might be sophistry. But what is important is that the sophistry of the powerful often becomes the truth. And the dead have no words.”
Flinch!
The middle-aged man grinned.
Yet at that smile, the escort warriors stiffened.
Though he was smiling, the aura flowing from his entire body was anything but gentle.
At the sensation that invisible blades might tear their bodies apart at any moment, the escort warriors all swallowed dry saliva.
“Hngh!”
And the same was true for Geum Hoyeon, the Second Young Master of the Geum family, a major figure of the Central Plains commercial world.
No, it felt even more chilling to him.
He had learned martial arts, but since his level was the lowest among the group, the fear that swept over him was even greater.
Nevertheless, though his body trembled, Geum Hoyeon did not lose his nerve.
“So let us go about this nicely. There is no need for everyone to go in pain, right? You cannot take money with you to the underworld anyway. I will put enough travel money into your mouths, so let us finish this nicely, hm?”
The middle-aged man spoke as if coaxing him.
The money that the Third Young Master of the Geum family had promised to give was not small, but as the saying went, the more the better.
Moreover, since Geum Hoyeon was the Second Young Master, it was certain that the assets he possessed were also considerable.
“I will not give a single coin to a bastard like you. I would rather die here—”
Thud!
Geum Hoyeon’s words could not continue any further.
At some point, a single strand of wind energy scattered by the middle-aged man pierced a hole through the head of the youngest escort warrior.
When the escort warrior, killed instantly without even having time to scream, collapsed limply to the ground, Geum Hoyeon’s pupils shook violently.
“You seem to be mistaken about something, but I can kill the Second Young Master at any time. That means I can aim for any of the Second Young Master’s limbs.”
Sssshk!
No sooner had the middle-aged man finished speaking than the escort warriors moved to block the front of Geum Hoyeon.
It meant they would protect him even at the cost of their lives.
However, even at that sight, the middle-aged man wore a relaxed smile.
Because no matter what they did, nothing would change.
“You are still doing trash-like things. No, is it because you were trash to begin with?”
“Who are you!”
At the unfamiliar voice that suddenly rang out, the middle-aged man’s gaze sharpened.
At the same time, he swiftly swept his eyes in all directions.
However, there was no need to search so deliberately.
The owner of the voice revealed himself on his own.
“Iron King Samugung. I did not expect to meet you here.”
“You insolent brat who knows no manners.”
Samugung growled as he glared at Ban Hojin, who had landed lightly on the ground.
However, unlike his ferocious momentum, Samugung’s heart was filled with bewilderment.
It was because he had not sensed Ban Hojin’s presence at all as he came this far.
“For someone who knows no manners to lecture about manners, that is laughable.”
“Your insolence has invited your own death, so do not resent it!”
Sensing an inexplicable sense of foreboding, Samugung thrust out his hand.
Living up to the epithet Iron King, his right hand—filled with countless scars and calluses—aimed for Ban Hojin’s head.
He intended to seize it in one motion and crush his skull.
“Not all kings are the same just because they are called kings. You are not yet at the level of the Murim Ten Kings.”
Slash.
Samugung’s right hand shot in like lightning, but regrettably, Ban Hojin’s sword was just a little faster.
As if to demonstrate what striking after the opponent moves truly meant, Ban Hojin’s single strike precisely severed Samugung’s right arm.
“Kuaaaagh!”
Without even a tearing sound, the single sword strike that had shot forth sliced off Samugung’s right arm from the shoulder.
At the same time, horrific pain swept over Samugung.
It was pain he had never experienced since the day he was born.
“…!”
However, Geum Hoyeon was just as shocked.
Who was Samugung?
What kind of existence was the Iron King?
Though he might fall short compared to the Murim Ten Kings, known as the Ten Great Masters Under Heaven, the Wolf Kings still stood at the pinnacle of wandering warriors.
They did not bear the title of king for nothing.
Yet when one of those three, the Iron King, lost his right arm and howled, Geum Hoyeon could not believe it even as he saw it.
“You damned bastard…! How dare you!”
Clutching his right shoulder, from which no blood even flowed due to how cleanly it had been cut, Samugung charged forward.
Whether it was because of the pain or because of rage, his face twisted like that of a malevolent spirit as he rushed toward Ban Hojin.
From Samugung’s entire body, a terrifying aura surged and billowed.
Strands of force poured out from his whole body as he stretched out his only remaining left hand toward Ban Hojin.
Screeeech!
A murky silver aura gathered in Samugung’s left hand.
Then it flickered like flames.
It was not merely hand force—an overwhelming energy was erupting from his left hand.
With momentum that seemed intent on crushing anything it touched, Samugung’s left hand once again aimed for Ban Hojin’s neck.
“I told you it is useless.”
The wide-open left hand lunged forward ferociously, yet Ban Hojin was not even the slightest bit tense.
It was his first time meeting Geum Hoyeon, but Samugung was different.
Because he had encountered him in his past life, Ban Hojin was thoroughly familiar with the martial arts Samugung employed.
Moreover, despite having his right arm severed, Samugung was still underestimating Ban Hojin.
Slice.
The body of Samugung—judged by many warriors of the Central Plains to be among the most solid—was split apart once more.
This time as well, Ban Hojin cleanly split Samugung’s left hand up to the forearm in a single stroke.
Clearly, Samugung’s physical conditioning and internal power were far superior and deeper.
However, Ban Hojin’s realm was higher.
“H, how…!”
Samugung muttered as he alternated his gaze between his left arm, split nearly to the elbow, and Ban Hojin.
He stammered with an expression that said he could not believe it.
Yet unlike the horrified Samugung, Ban Hojin remained calm.
His internal power was lacking, but that did not mean he could not manifest the realm he had attained.
“How, you ask? Just as you see.”
“I cannot believe it!”
Having lost both arms, Samugung soon muttered as if denying reality, then charged again.
Though he could no longer use his hands, he still had his two legs.
Since there was nothing but death awaiting him if he could not bring down Ban Hojin before his eyes, Samugung charged in with the fighting spirit befitting a Wolf King.
He swung his log-like thick thighs in wide arcs.
Screeeech!
Even with both hands lost, Samugung’s kick was clean.
As if to show he was not called a Wolf King for nothing, he unleashed a concise yet ferocious blow.
Moreover, it was loaded with true energy.
As if there were no retreat, Samugung poured all of his true energy into that kick.
Puhak!
As a result, blood burst forth violently from his severed shoulder stumps.
The excessive use of true energy had caused the bleeding.
Even so, Samugung clenched his teeth and aimed for Ban Hojin’s side.
Kraaanng!
Unfortunately for him, Samugung’s kick was blocked by Ban Hojin’s sword.
Ban Hojin had received it precisely using the flat of the blade.
“Cha-hap!”
However, Samugung’s attack did not end there.
As if he had anticipated it being blocked, the moment his right kick was stopped, he lifted his body and raised his left knee.
Using the close distance, he unleashed a knee strike.
It was truly a seasoned move that only one who had endured countless battles could execute, but the problem was that Ban Hojin had experience fighting Samugung before.
Thud!
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