Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Dan Woo-hyun had not committed a single murder from the moment he opened his eyes until just a short while ago.

It was no exaggeration to say that this was the pride of the strong, and of a martial artist.

The strong must know how to show mercy.

They must protect the weak but also know how to scold them.

However, the blood being spilled now was not of that kind.

These people had given up on being human.

Therefore, he cut.

The screams of those whose limbs had been severed filled the air. They were breathing and alive, but none of them would ever be able to live like humans again.

In that sense, they were as good as dead.

Slash!

"Argh!"

"Cough, cough!"

With a light gesture of his hand, two or three men collapsed. It was something that could neither be blocked nor avoided, and anyone who saw it was cut down before they could even feel it.

Although he did not hold a sword, his hand movement was a blade itself.

"P-Please spare me…! Please… please!"

Thud!

As he thrust his right hand forward, the launched palm force severed the man's limbs.

Thus, many men rolled on the ground, screaming in agony.

The number of fallen men could not even be counted.

There were also people watching blankly.

They were probably the people who lived in this village. They could not take their eyes off this blood-splattered scene.

Instead, they stared with burning eyes at the falling men.

Was it a look of satisfaction? Or was it a sorrowful gaze?

There was no way for Dan Woo-hyun to know what was in their hearts. He did not want to care, nor did he want to give them his heart.

Those who gave up on resisting.

Those whose hearts were broken and who accepted reality.

He did not like such people either.

Step, step!

Dan Woo-hyun walked.

Watching the people in front of him one by one, he walked forward like that.

He did not hold a particular grudge against them, but a heart already dyed black could never be restored no matter what was done.

If so, it was more comfortable to make them into bodies that could never stand up again. Even if they fled from this place, they would surely live on repeating such deeds.

"Who are you!"

A loud shout was heard.

He turned his head instantly and reached out his hand.

Crack!

Dan Woo-hyun sneered as he confirmed that a large hole was made in the body of the man who shouted. Behind him, numerous men in black appeared.

Their gazes were shocked as they looked at their dead companion, but every single one of them glared at Dan Woo-hyun with murderous eyes.

"He's an expert! Do not let your guard down!"

It was the moment when the figures of the Black Alliance, who had been hiding until now, revealed themselves one by one.

Dan Woo-hyun let out a small sigh.

To crawl out only now.

Aren't they too late?

* * *

"L-Leader! S-Something terrible has happened!"

"Did you find the location of the children?"

"N-No, it is not that… an attack!"

"What?"

Sama Chan jumped up from his seat.

If his ears were not mistaken just now, he seemed to have heard the word attack. It had been five years since they took control of the village, but they had never been attacked. There were only a few minor incidents that occurred.

Sama Chan chuckled and brushed it off as nothing.

"Did some martial artist wander in and cause trouble again?"

"N-No, they have truly launched an attack."

"What on earth is happening for you to make such a fuss!"

Hum!

Sama Chan's internal energy vibrated loudly throughout the surroundings.

His internal energy, which proved he was a peak expert, carried a strong resonance that seemed to gouge out his subordinates' ears.

A few men clutched their ears and collapsed.

"W-We do not know. There is only one enemy, but our boys are all being defeated!"

"Defeated by a single fellow? What nonsense are you talking about!"

"He is truly an expert beyond imagination! We cannot block him! The number of those defeated already exceeds a hundred!"

"This is crazy! Do you expect me to believe that now!"

The Black Alliance was currently confronting the Murim Alliance. Therefore, the level of most subordinates hovered around the first-rate. They were composed only of those who would not be easily defeated anywhere.

Yet such men were being helplessly defeated?

It was an absolutely unbelievable story.

Then, the reporting subordinate beat his chest as if he were frustrated and reported.

"It is true, Leader! The entire village is truly covered in screams, and that fellow… is coming here!"

"What kind of fellow…!"

Boom!

At that moment, a massive roar that shook heaven and earth was heard.

It could never be called a simple sound.

Sama Chan, who heard the sound, trembled. Although it was a far distance, he could feel the opponent's momentum.

'W-What is this momentum…'

Sama Chan was flustered.

It was because the momentum he felt was all too powerful. It was like the sky, or like a giant mountain… making his own existence feel infinitely small.

Boom!

He gasped at the scream that was heard once again.

His hands trembled violently.

Sensing someone approaching, his breathing grew heavy.

"Who on earth…?"

Sama Chan stared ahead with a tense gaze. The footsteps grew closer and closer, and before he knew it, they had arrived right nearby.

Sama Chan watched the front with a trembling gaze.

Soon, the moment a man revealed himself.

"Gasp?!"

With a shocked groan, his entire body trembled wildly.

The man was covered in blood all over his body.

It was an amount that would never be washed away even if it rained. Even look at that red glow in his eyes.

It was a fierce gaze that felt like it would steal one's very soul the moment one looked at it.

Sama Chan collapsed to the ground without realizing it.

He tried to gather his internal energy to resist, but even that was impossible due to fear.

In that moment when he barely tried to steady his trembling body and gasped.

Step, step.

Dan Woo-hyun walked over.

Those were the footsteps of a grim reaper.

"W-Who are you…?"

"Agyang."

"…!"

With that single word, Sama Chan realized everything.

'It was this fellow.'

This fellow was definitely the one who had touched the Black Alliance.

The moment he realized that, Sama Chan's fury surged. Gritting his teeth, he ignored the fear and raised his internal energy. In an instant, the internal energy surging from his dantian quickly traveled up his hand.

"You bastard-!"

Embodying a massive momentum, Sama Chan rushed toward Dan Woo-hyun.

Winning or losing was a secondary matter.

Sama Chan felt that if he did not rush forward now, he would just spit blood and die as he was.

At that moment, Dan Woo-hyun's sneer echoed.

* * *

"What are you doing! Bind those fellows immediately!"

Leading all the constables into Cheonzasan village, Hong Won-chang shouted with a pale face as he looked at the men collapsed here and there.

It was the same not only for him but also for the constables.

What on earth happened here.

Not to mention those who looked like martial arts experts, even those who looked like thugs were collapsed and barely breathing. The limbs rolling around here and there created an even more gruesome sight.

Surely, some of these fellows would die.

Even though they knew that, the constables roughly bound them. Considering what these fellows had done, they deserved to die.

"Magistrate! I hear a sound over there."

A constable shouted, pointing in one direction.

From the large manor located at the entrance of the village, loud sounds were heard one after another.

'It must be that place.'

Hong Won-chang shouted as he walked toward the manor with an excited heart.

"You guys follow me, and the rest bind these fellows!"

Binding the fallen men was enough with just the remaining constables. Since their dantians were destroyed and their limbs were cut off, it was only natural.

"B-But who are these men…"

"They are the villains of the Black Alliance! This is where the headquarters of the Black Alliance is located, so never let your guard down. Not a single fellow must escape!"

"Gasp?!"

"T-The Black Alliance? These guys?"

At the magistrate's words, the constables could not hide their shock.

The magistrate, who had returned after going missing, suddenly gathered all the constables and ran to this distant place. But they said the place they arrived at was the headquarters of the Black Alliance.

Even more, the figures of the Black Alliance were scattered everywhere, collapsed without any need to fight.

Should they believe this, or not.

The constables kept their mouths wide open, unable to speak.

'You can't believe it, can you, you guys. Neither can I.'

Hong Won-chang barely held back his laughter.

Although he had vaguely guessed it from the moment the man said he would go alone, he had never expected him to truly cause such a thing.

'Hero Dan is truly a sky beyond the sky…'

What martial artist in the world could pull off such a feat?

What was even more surprising was that he had not killed anyone. Although limbs were cut off, there was not a single person who had suffered a blow to a critical spot.

That meant he had completely dominated the fight.

Hong Won-chang confirmed that the large gate was broken and stepped inside. Inside, he could see quite a few people collapsed.

They were different from the ones before.

Just by looking, they were experts of a considerable level.

"I-Isn't that man Chu Hyeong? The bandit leader who committed wicked deeds…"

"The man over there is Bang Manjung!"

It seemed that the people the imperial court had been searching for for a long time were gathered in one place.

Those who were trembling with their eyes rolled back in white were undoubtedly criminals who committed wicked deeds, and they were also worth considerable bounties.

Hong Won-chang gulped.

Then, the moment he looked ahead.

Thud!

Suddenly, a doorpost was blown away, and a figure flew out and rolled on the ground.

"Urgh!"

The man who flew out groaned heavily and clutched his chest. But he could not stop the rising blood, and spat out dark red blood.

And from inside, Dan Woo-hyun revealed himself.

"Gasp…? H-Hero…!"

Drenched in red blood, he could not be described as human. However, one could immediately tell that the blood did not come from Dan Woo-hyun's body, but from those who had fallen.

He appeared to have not suffered a single wound anywhere.

Dan Woo-hyun slowly approached the fallen man, then roughly swung his foot and kicked his abdomen.

Thud!

"Urgh! Argh!"

"I destroyed his dantian."

Seeing him curl up like a shrimp, Dan Woo-hyun reached out his foot again. With a thudding sound, Sama Chan's head was slammed into the ground.

Having struggled violently, he stopped in an instant.

"His tendons are intact, but it will be difficult for him to move for the time being. You can take him like this."

"W-Who is that man?"

"The leader of the Black Alliance."

The shocked Hong Won-chang and the stunned constables.

They looked at Dan Woo-hyun like mute spectators and lost their words.

The leader of the Black Alliance was a formidable power, counted as one of the hundred experts of the Central Plains.

Although he was at the bottom, because he was notorious for his vicious nature and bizarre schemes, he was by no means an opponent to be easily defeated.

Yet Dan Woo-hyun had not only subdued him so easily, but also appeared to have not suffered a single scratch in the process.

"It seems my work ends here."

"T-Thank you! Thank you, Hero!"

Dan Woo-hyun nodded slightly.

For someone who had crushed a massive organization like the Black Alliance, his expression was so peaceful that everyone cast respectful glances.

Turning his back and slowly disappearing, Dan Woo-hyun suddenly stopped in his tracks.

"I will return to the manor."

"I-I see. I will visit you as soon as the matter is sorted out."

"Yes, and… do not forget."

"Yes?"

After a moment, Hong Won-chang understood those words and bowed his head.

He probably meant that he should not let it be known that he was involved in this matter.

Although it would be somewhat complicated when reporting to the superiors, he would be able to handle it with his discretion.

Just as he was about to send Dan Woo-hyun off with a gentle smile.

"Ah, the bounties on these guys are mine."

"…"

Hong Won-chang furrowed his brow.