Chapter 30

Chapter 30: Neither Kindness Nor Grudges Are Forgotten (2)

The youth's legs gave way.

It was plain to anyone that the youth was in no condition to fight.

Bang Jin-bo watched the youth with tears in his eyes. The youth was someone he knew well.

So Cha-myung—that was the youth's name, and he was one of the few people who had treated Bang Jin-bo with genuine kindness.

"Brother!"

Bang Jin-bo called out. But So Cha-myung did not seem to hear; he stared at the merchant.

The merchant's name was Geum Ju-sang. He and So Cha-myung were personally close, like brothers. But now, the warmth of old and the bonds of friendship were absent from Geum Ju-sang's eyes.

He must kill So Cha-myung to survive.

That single thought consumed Geum Ju-sang's mind.

"I am sorry."

Geum Ju-sang raised his sword and charged.

"Nnngh!"

Though terrified, So Cha-myung instinctively raised his sword to block.

Clang!

The clash of steel rang through the air.

"Wahahaha!"

"I will bet on the older man."

"Hah! That is no fun. The younger one looks far too weak."

"Fine! I bet one silver tael on the young one."

The Blood Wolf Gang's bandits laughed and wagered.

The lives of Geum Ju-sang and So Cha-myung had become someone's amusement.

"Those… cruel bastards!"

"Brother!"

The captives and Bang Jin-bo wept at the hellish sight.

Not half a day ago, these men had been brothers, caring for one another. To see them now, fighting to the death—this was nothing less than hell.

"This cannot be. Why is this happening…"

Thick tears streamed down Bang Jin-bo's cheeks.

The world he had known was collapsing.

The world that had been his home, his shelter, was crumbling.

His father was dead, and his acquaintances were risking their lives to kill one another.

"This is a dream. It must be a dream."

Bang Jin-bo bowed his head and murmured.

He was retreating from reality, unable to bear what his sober eyes beheld.

Slash!

"Aaah!"

Geum Ju-sang's sword grazed So Cha-myung's wrist, and he screamed. Blood flowed freely from his arm. But there was no time to stanch the wound, for Geum Ju-sang attacked again.

"Die! Please, just die, Cha-myung!"

Geum Ju-sang's bloodshot eyes bulged as he screamed.

So Cha-myung cried out.

"Ju-sang! How could you do this to me?"

"I am sorry. But I have a family."

"I have a wife and children waiting for me back home as well!"

"Then I have already said I am sorry!"

Geum Ju-sang shrieked and swung his sword. He was a demon made flesh.

The bandits watching the spectacle burst into laughter.

"See? The older man is better, is he not?"

"Damn it!"

So Cha-myung was already a blood-soaked figure.

Deep wounds gaped on his shoulder and abdomen, and he staggered unsteadily.

Geum Ju-sang delivered the final blow.

"Nnnaaaah!"

His scream echoed through the night sky. So Cha-myung moved no more.

Geum Ju-sang collapsed to the ground and burst into tears.

"Damn it! Damn it!"

His hands trembled violently.

The reality of having killed the man he called brother finally struck him. Only then did Geum Ju-sang comprehend what he had done, and he fell prostrate on the ground, sobbing.

"I'm sorry, Cha-myung! I'm sorry! Uhhuhuh!"

He scrubbed his bloodied hands against the ground, but the scent of blood would not fade.

"Tch! Boring."

Dong Ja-chwi clicked his tongue.

His face was suffused with irritation. He had wanted a more entertaining fight, but Geum Ju-sang's victory had been too one-sided.

He looked at Cho Bok. Cho Bok nodded and returned to the cage where the captives were held.

The people shrank from his gaze. No one among them wished to kill a loved one with their own hands.

The anguish in Geum Ju-sang's cries tore at their hearts.

'Damn it! I will not end up like that.'

'I will not go so far as to survive.'

They did not wish to be chosen by Cho Bok. But the god of fate was cruel and ignored their pleas.

"This one and this one. Bring them out."

This time, Cho Bok selected two merchants in their early forties. Both belonged to the Silver Lotus Trading Company and shared a close bond.

Cho Bok threw them swords as well.

"Heh heh! Fight."

"You wicked bastards! I will never be your plaything!"

Of the merchants, Yeom Pyeong—a man of steadfast character—glared at Cho Bok. Cho Bok clicked his tongue and looked to another.

The merchant Ju Seol-cheon also shook his head.

"I would rather die than do something so inhumane."

When the two men proved unexpectedly defiant, Cho Bok looked to Dong Ja-chwi with an awkward expression.

Dong Ja-chwi laughed.

"Heh heh heh! Fine men, indeed. Yes, such men exist in this world."

He rose abruptly. The bandits watched with keen interest.

A strange heat burned in their eyes. They imagined what would happen next, and their voices rose.

"They dare refuse our entertainment!"

"Heh heh! How will the chief kill them, I wonder?"

"I bet one tael he takes their heads in a single stroke."

"Then I bet one tael he tortures them."

A gambling frenzy erupted.

The bandits' raucous voices echoed through the clearing, and the captives were gripped by even greater terror.

Roused by the noise, Bang Jin-bo lifted his head.

He saw Dong Ja-chwi approaching the merchants. The man's face was twisted like a demon.

"Heh heh! You dare defy me?"

"Is this the act of a human? To place swords in the hands of loved ones and force them to fight each other?"

"So you refuse?"

"I will die before I do."

Yeom Pyeong answered boldly.

Among the merchants of the Silver Lotus Trading Company, he was known for his exceptional fortitude. He did not cower even before Dong Ja-chwi.

A lesser man would have flinched at Yeom Pyeong's steadfast gaze. But his opponent was none other than Dong Ja-chwi.

As chief of the Blood Wolf Gang, Dong Ja-chwi had been raiding in this region for years. He had no reason to be intimidated by the gaze of a mere merchant.

"You have spirit. And so you refuse to fight?"

"That is correct!"

"Then you must die."

Dong Ja-chwi smiled.

Crack!

"Kugh!"

In that instant, Yeom Pyeong was struck on the temple by Dong Ja-chwi's massive fist and crumpled.

Yeom Pyeong foamed at the mouth, twitching.

Dong Ja-chwi seized him by the collar and lifted him.

"Having spirit is fine, but you should choose your target wisely. Heh heh!"

Dong Ja-chwi forced Yeom Pyeong to meet his gaze.

Yeom Pyeong was already unconscious and could not meet the stare. But Dong Ja-chwi tilted his chin upward with brute force.

"Not knowing your place—that is why you must die."

"I…"

Crack!

Dong Ja-chwi's fist sent Yeom Pyeong's head snapping to the side. But he did not fall. Dong Ja-chwi still held him by the collar with his other hand.

Dong Ja-chwi struck again.

These were not the fists of an ordinary man but of one trained in martial arts. They were no different from weapons.

Crack! Crack!

Dong Ja-chwi's fists hammered Yeom Pyeong's face in succession.

Flesh tore and blood sprayed. His face swelled grotesquely until it was unrecognizable.

Yeom Pyeong had long since lost consciousness. Yet Dong Ja-chwi did not stop.

"How dare you! You, of all people…"

Dong Ja-chwi's eyes blazed with madness even in the darkness.

At his frenzied appearance, the people held their breath. Even the bandits who had been wagering did the same.

The bandits sensed that Dong Ja-chwi had gone too far. They knew well the disaster that followed when his rage was roused.

"Stop! Please!"

Ju Seol-cheon, unable to bear it any longer, pleaded with Dong Ja-chwi. But Dong Ja-chwi was unmoved and continued his merciless violence.

His violence did not end until Yeom Pyeong ceased responding altogether.

Thud!

Yeom Pyeong was battered beyond recognition, like a slab of well-pounded meat. Only the faint rise and fall of his chest indicated that he still drew breath. No other sign of life remained.

Dong Ja-chwi turned his killing gaze upon the captives in the cages.

"Is there anyone else who dares defy me?"

"…"

Everyone held their breath.

No one had the courage to defy him.

"Heh heh heh!"

Dong Ja-chwi's laughter drove into the people's hearts. Their heads bowed lower still.

Dong Ja-chwi's gaze swept over the captives one by one. It stopped at the cage where Bang Jin-bo was held.

"Bring out that fat one."

"Yes!"

The subordinates dragged Bang Jin-bo from the cage and brought him before Dong Ja-chwi.

Dong Ja-chwi looked at Bang Jin-bo and smirked.

"Fatty, do you want to live?"

"Yes! I want to live."

Bang Jin-bo nodded. Dong Ja-chwi placed a sword in the boy's hand.

"Then kill him."

The one Dong Ja-chwi indicated was none other than Yeom Pyeong, who barely clung to life.

"I… I cannot do it."

"If you cannot, you die."

"How could I kill a person…"

"Heh heh! That lump of flesh cannot be more important than your life, can it? Kill him, and you live."

Dong Ja-chwi grinned.

Bang Jin-bo saw in that face the image of a demon.

Dong Ja-chwi gripped the hand that held the sword with both of his and thrust it toward Yeom Pyeong.

"No! I won't!"

Bang Jin-bo shook his head desperately and resisted with all his might. But a young boy could not withstand the brute strength of a martial artist like Dong Ja-chwi.

Shake, shake!

The hand gripping the sword trembled. But it moved ever closer to Yeom Pyeong.

"Please…"

Bang Jin-bo clenched his teeth and shook his head. But Dong Ja-chwi was unmoved and applied more force.

"Wahahaha!"

"Kill him! Fatty!"

"The boy is learning a fine lesson today."

The bandits laughed at the spectacle.

Under the grip of the terrible madness that ruled the place, the captives could only weep.

"This is hell."

Everyone prayed for this hellish time to end.

Swish!

The tip of the sword in Bang Jin-bo's hand touched Yeom Pyeong's throat.

One more push and Yeom Pyeong's life would end.

When Bang Jin-bo felt the human sensation at the tip of the blade and shuddered, closing his eyes—

Thud!

A strange sound suddenly rang through the air.

The sound was quiet but oddly sharp, setting every nerve on edge.

Dong Ja-chwi's expression stiffened.

He looked toward the darkness.

Thud, slide! Thud, slide!

The sound grew clearer.