Chapter 81

Chu Sajin and his warriors drew their swords, blocking the young man’s path.

“Insolent lackey, you don’t know your place!”

“How dare you mock us? You’re a suspicious fellow!”

At that moment, the young man turned around.

Seeing the drawn swords, a chilling murderous aura rose in Jin Ja-gang’s eyes.

At first, Jin Ja-gang thought Chu Sajin and his men were just after the bounty. If the conversation went well, he planned to make up an excuse and send them away.

But when Chu Sajin claimed to be part of the Martial Arts Alliance and drew his sword threateningly, the situation changed.

The Martial Arts Alliance, a gathering of so-called righteous heroes.

But what about Chu Sajin’s actions looked heroic?

Having been deeply scarred by the Martial Arts Alliance, Jin Ja-gang could not help but feel anger at even the mention of their name.

Chu Sajin, unaware of this, tried to pressure Jin Ja-gang by invoking the name of the Alliance.

In hindsight, it was foolish.

If those who destroyed Stone Forest Gang and Shadow Bureau feared the Martial Arts Alliance, they wouldn’t have dared such things in the first place.

Of course, Chu Sajin believed Jin Ja-gang was merely a “lackey,” not one of the true culprits.

Startled by Jin Ja-gang’s killing intent, Chu Sajin and his warriors hesitated. Jin Ja-gang spoke.

“I don’t know Ojo Sect, nor do I have any grudge against it. Please turn back now.”

But Chu Sajin was not one to retreat just from those words. He had never intended to back down. He only paused momentarily, feeling the chill of Jin Ja-gang’s aura.

‘For a mere lackey, his presence is…’

But some people who kill as easily as slaughtering livestock sometimes have eyes like that.

So it could be bluffing!

Thinking he’d been cowed by a mere lackey, Chu Sajin’s pride was hurt.

Chu Sajin signaled with his eyes.

Chu Sajin and his warriors, swords drawn, surrounded Jin Ja-gang.

“We have no grudge against you, but you must understand we cannot simply walk away. If you refuse to come with us, we’ll have to use force.”

Jin Ja-gang’s face turned cold.

“I already told you I refuse.”

Chu Sajin spoke firmly.

“We’re looking for the limping man who disappeared from Shadow Bureau. Come with us for a few checks, and if you’re not the one we seek, I’ll apologize as many times as you wish and let you go.”

Jin Ja-gang thought for a moment.

‘A few checks?’

Was the Martial Arts Alliance finally getting involved in the Poison Sect’s affairs?

But on reflection, Chu Sajin’s words didn’t sound official.

If the Alliance were formally involved, Chu Sajin would have said, “Ojo Sect’s business is the Alliance’s business.” Instead, he said, “We’re handling Alliance business on behalf of Ojo Sect.”

This meant it was likely Ojo Sect’s private matter.

A sect Jin Ja-gang didn’t even know was pursuing him… which meant-

‘Someone put them up to this?’

Chu Sajin said they were looking for the limping man who disappeared from Shadow Bureau.

The only one who knew Jin Ja-gang had been at Shadow Bureau was “him,” the one watching Jin Ja-gang!

Jin Ja-gang pressed his lips together.

He could kill them all right here. But if this was orchestrated by “him,” he must not get caught in the trap.

Perhaps killing them all was exactly what “he” or his organization wanted.

Jin Ja-gang was freshly angered by “him” toying with him, but until he understood “his” motives and identity, he had to act cautiously.

A sword hovered before Jin Ja-gang’s chest.

“So, what will you do? Will you come quietly, or must we use force?”

Jin Ja-gang suppressed his killing intent and calmly answered.

“I might be the one you’re seeking, or I might not. But I will not go with you.”

The sword was nearly touching his chest, but Jin Ja-gang showed no fear.

“So you intend to resist?”

“No.”

Jin Ja-gang looked at Chu Sajin.

“I’m just not sure you’ll be able to take me where you want to go.”

“What?”

Chu Sajin was so taken aback, he laughed.

“You say that with a sword at your throat? Where does such confidence come from?”

The warriors jeered.

“Don’t tell me you plan to break our legs so we can’t go… is that it?”

“We know you’re bluffing. Best come quietly before you lose a limb.”

Jin Ja-gang’s expression didn’t change.

“If you move carelessly, you’ll die.”

“…?”

“What nonsense is this?”

“Leader, I think this is our guy. He keeps trying to wriggle out with tricks.”

Chu Sajin shouted at Jin Ja-gang.

“You! Trying to talk your way out of this? Enough words!”

Chu Sajin pressed his sword closer to Jin Ja-gang’s neck.

But Jin Ja-gang didn’t flinch.

He tapped the ground with his chin.

“Look down.”

Unlike the seasoned masters Jin Ja-gang had faced before, Chu Sajin and his warriors glanced down without thinking.

“What’s down there…”

Jin Ja-gang had already drawn energy through his Baihui point, creating a handful of internal power.

He held his breath, circulated the energy, and used swift footwork. Lowering his body to avoid the sword at his neck, he spun and instantly escaped the sword’s range.

“Ah!”

Because Jin Ja-gang moved so close to the ground, his clothes whipped up dust.

Whoosh!

When Chu Sajin shouted for them to stop, the poison powder he’d scattered in advance was swept up by the wind. He’d pretended to dust off his clothes, but had actually been spreading poison powder.

“You!”

Chu Sajin saw the swirling powder but thought it was just dust, and swung his sword in Ojo Sect’s secret technique, the Flowing Whale Wave. The Ojo Sect’s swordsmanship was characterized by slow, heavy strokes, like a great wave.

Chu Sajin had trained systematically since childhood and was not lacking in skill, but he was not on the level of the masters Jin Ja-gang had faced before.

Compared to those who killed as a matter of course, his sword was almost too straightforward. The blade was slow, and there was no real killing intent at the tip. He even avoided vital spots.

Because the openings were so obvious, Jin Ja-gang dodged easily.

But then Chu Sajin’s sword cunningly changed direction, pursuing Jin Ja-gang.

‘Hmm?’

Jin Ja-gang was surprised as the sword came from an unexpected angle. He felt as if he’d been caught in a web-no matter how he dodged, he was being pressured more and more.

It was like being drawn to the center of a spider’s web.

In truth, this was Jin Ja-gang’s first time facing proper sword forms. The Poison Sect masters he’d fought before used practical, single-move strikes, not continuous forms.

Ojo Sect’s swordsmanship, with its long history, was deep. The blade’s path was relaxed, but there was little wasted movement, and what looked like an opening was not an opening at all.

Jin Ja-gang realized he was running out of space to dodge.

‘So this is the meaning of sword forms.’

He reflected on the techniques he’d learned from the survivors of the Medicine Sect.

Of course, with only a handful of internal energy, Jin Ja-gang couldn’t use continuous forms himself.

The handful of energy he’d drawn was already depleted.

Jin Ja-gang gritted his teeth.

Slice!

Chu Sajin’s sword grazed Jin Ja-gang’s shoulder, drawing blood-a deep wound.

If Chu Sajin had been more experienced, he would have realized the attack succeeded not because of his skill, but because Jin Ja-gang had deliberately changed direction, taking the wound to escape the encirclement.

Jin Ja-gang abruptly charged at Chu Sajin. Chu Sajin, caught off guard, was flustered.

“Wha-!”

He tried to switch forms, but his energy was scattered and his sword lost power.

Jin Ja-gang had fought many life-and-death battles-and won them all.

He seized the opening and jabbed his fingertips into Chu Sajin’s throat.

Thunk!

Chu Sajin’s face turned red as he clutched his neck, stumbling back. Jin Ja-gang hadn’t intended to kill, but the pain was considerable.

“Leader!”

One warrior shielded Chu Sajin while the other two attacked Jin Ja-gang.

Meanwhile, Jin Ja-gang drew another breath through his Baihui point.

He dodged left and right, evading the swords, then chopped down on one attacker’s wrist. The man tried to block, but Jin Ja-gang pressed down on the sword’s spine with his other hand, disrupting him.

Thunk!

The blow was powered by half a breath of internal energy, and Jin Ja-gang’s strength, honed by eight years of swinging a hammer in the mines, was formidable.

The warrior’s hand went numb and he dropped his sword. Jin Ja-gang ignored him and turned to the other.

That one swung for Jin Ja-gang’s waist. Instead of dodging back, Jin Ja-gang rolled forward.

The sword swung harmlessly over his head. Jin Ja-gang came up behind the man and focused the rest of his internal energy into his hand, stabbing his fingers deep into the man’s right side, under the ribs. He could feel the ribs lift under his fingers.

“Aaaagh!”

The man screamed, clutching his side and collapsing to his knees.

“Stay back!”

The last warrior, who had been protecting Chu Sajin, raised his sword in fear.

Jin Ja-gang didn’t approach, just watched.

Chu Sajin, seeing Jin Ja-gang’s skill, realized they were in danger. His techniques weren’t especially grand, but they were precise and practical-certainly not the style of the righteous sects.

“Who… who are you?”

“No need to know.”

“You think we’ll back down?”

Chu Sajin, gasping for breath, still lifted his sword.

The man who’d dropped his sword picked it up again, and the one with the wounded side, face twisted in pain, also raised his blade.

Jin Ja-gang ignored their bravado.

“Still don’t get it?”

“What are you talking about?”

Jin Ja-gang touched his bleeding shoulder.

“You’re all poisoned.”

“What?”

The poison powder he’d scattered had been swirling in the air throughout the fight.

They’d already inhaled a good amount.

But Chu Sajin and the others didn’t realize it. They didn’t believe they were poisoned-there’d been no sign, and no side effects had appeared yet.

“You’re lucky I have the antidote. Unlucky for you, after a while, even the antidote won’t help.”

Jin Ja-gang walked toward the warriors. They flinched and stepped back.

But Jin Ja-gang just passed them and went to their horse.

Whinny!

He stroked the horse’s mane.

“What are you doing?”

Jin Ja-gang took a small vial from his sleeve and put it in the saddlebag. Then he slapped the horse’s rump.

Startled, the horse took off running.

Thud-thud-thud-thud.