Chapter 41 – The Brown Bear’s Roar (4)

Chapter 41 – The Brown Bear's Roar (4)

"Is it delicious?"

"Yes, Sister."

After devouring the noodles in an instant, So-so picked up the bowl and gulped down the broth. She couldn't afford to eat leisurely, not when she was thinking of the captured Cheong-ah.

It was then.

"S-So-so sister…"

At the terror-stricken voice, the child’s face drained of color. Sensing something was wrong, So-so turned around. A dozen masked men were approaching them.

They quickly surrounded the roadside eatery, blocking all paths of escape.

Those who practiced martial arts always left traces—a lesson she had learned well from her father. She could easily tell that their current situation was a crisis.

"You're prepared for this, right?"

"How dare you cripple our boss."

So-so looked around.

To deal with them, she needed a sword. The only close-quarters martial arts she knew were the first form of the Pasan Fist and a bit of the Sweeping Leaves Kick. But there was no way a sword would just be lying around here.

So-so spread her arms, blocking Ahae's path.

"Don't come any closer!"

"Stop playing house."

The leading masked man threw a sudden punch. If she dodged or counterattacked, Ahae behind her would get hurt. So-so raised both fists in front of her face, adopting the defensive stance she had learned from Il-gwang.

But the expected pain in her wrists never came. Instead, the sound of a heavy grip echoed.

*Grab!*

Confused, So-so lowered her arms to look. A palm larger than her own face had caught the incoming fist in mid-air.

"I'll rip your arm right off."

A massive man had slipped between them unnoticed. Taut, defined muscles rippled beneath his white robe, and his shoulders were as broad as a mountain range. It was Il-gwang.

The moment she saw him, tears finally burst from So-so's eyes. She threw her arms around his waist and began to cry bitterly.

"Wah… I was so scared…"

No matter how strong she pretended to be, she was still just a child. Now that she had someone to lean on, the facade she had forced herself to maintain shattered instantly.

"Keep your eyes wide open and watch closely. Your uncle will show you what a real fight looks like."

The masked man facing Il-gwang flinched. He couldn't help but feel a chill at the sight of the brute's bulging eyes and terrifying expression.

"W-who the hell is this guy?"

Instead of answering, Il-gwang yanked the man's arm toward him. As the opponent stumbled forward, Il-gwang's left fist shot up from below like an exploding volcano.

*Boom!*

There wasn't even time for a scream. The masked man's jaw was shattered, his neck bent back at an unnatural angle, and he crashed onto the ground.

It took only a single blow.

Realizing they were dealing with no ordinary opponent, the remaining masked men began to surround them in earnest. So-so quickly pulled Ahae back to a safe corner.

One of the masked men launched a swift strike toward Il-gwang's flank. The fist snaked through the air, changing angles in a way that made it impossible to predict its trajectory. Yet Il-gwang had no intention of defending himself.

*Thud!*

The strike landed cleanly, but Il-gwang didn't even flinch, let alone cry out. In exchange for the hit, the masked man found himself well within Il-gwang's reach.

With a grimace, Il-gwang grabbed the man by the back of his neck, lifted him into the air, and slammed him face-first into the dirt.

"Aaargh!"

Before the man's scream could fade, Il-gwang sank his stance and threw a reverse punch behind him. Another masked man, who had been attempting a sneak attack from the rear, took the hit full force.

It was the first stance of the Pasan Fist: Strike the Mountain.

*Baaaang!*

The impact rang out like the tolling of a massive bronze bell. The power behind the strike was incomparable to what So-so had unleashed earlier. The masked man doubled over like a shrimp and went flying backward.

At that moment, two kicks flew at Il-gwang from his left and right.

*Crack! Thud!*

Both attacks connected perfectly. Yet Il-gwang did not utter a single groan; his face merely contorted into an even fiercer scowl. Backhanding the man on his right, he delivered a crushing blow.

*Crack!*

The man's mask tore away as several teeth flew into the air. His neck whipped back, and he lost consciousness instantly, collapsing to his knees.

By now, the surrounding masked men were growing panicky. As they hesitated, Il-gwang lunged forward and grabbed another by the hair.

A crowd was already beginning to gather. Even the street vendors abandoned their stalls to witness the commotion.

Within moments, the spectators numbered over a hundred. Although it was late at night, a brawl in the middle of Hanzhong's main street was bound to attract attention.

The expressions on the onlookers' faces were grim.

These masked thugs… and the children who had been disappearing one by one… Recently, even young women had been vanishing without a trace.

Most of the townspeople knew who was behind it, but they had kept quiet, fearing retaliation. Seeing these thugs get thrashed was incredibly cathartic.

Just then, a middle-aged woman in tattered clothes broke through the crowd. Without hesitation, she grabbed the fallen masked man and began to wail.

"Give me back my child! Where is my baby?!"

She was a mother who spent every night wandering the streets in search of her lost child. Her cries were filled with raw, heartbreaking sorrow. The surrounding thugs glared at her, but she was too consumed by grief to notice.

"Give me back my child, you monsters! Oh, heavens…"

Sobbing, the woman shook the thug violently.

The pain of a parent who had lost a child was universal. The growing crowd seemed to draw courage from her desperation, and they began to shout.

"You absolute scum!"

"May heaven strike you down!"

Il-gwang, easily reading the situation, felt a hot rage surge in his chest.

Holding the thug he had grabbed by the hair, he strode to the center of the street. The remaining masked men followed, hesitating to strike.

Standing under the moonlight, Il-gwang yanked the thug's head back and ripped off his mask. A snake tattoo was clearly visible, wrapping around his jaw and down his neck.

"I am Il-gwang of Baiyang County! I've lived my life as a thug too, but even we don't stoop this low! You absolute bastards!"

Il-gwang's massive fist slammed into the man's face.

*Crash!*

The single blow shattered the man's nose, painting his face in blood. His eyes went glassy instantly.

"Even thugs have a code they must follow!"

Il-gwang's fist struck again.

*Crash!*

Though the man had likely stopped breathing already, Il-gwang did not stop, his fists continuing to rain down relentlessly.

*Crash! Crash! Crash!*

The sight was so brutal that some of the onlookers turned away, covering their faces. Terrified, the remaining masked thugs drew sharp weapons from their robes.

Using weapons in the markets of Hanzhong was a serious offense that would draw the attention of the local authorities, but they were in no position to care.

Il-gwang tossed the limp body aside and glared at them.

*Crack!*

The joints of his clenched fists popped menacingly.

With fury burning in his slit eyes, his hideous face was a sight of pure terror.

In a flash, Il-gwang lunged. Moving like lightning, he was not someone these low-level thugs could hope to block with their amateur martial arts.

Once Il-gwang went all out, it was no longer a fight. It was a one-sided execution.

The thugs were thrown aside one by one, their limbs broken and their bodies crushed. Agonized screams echoed through the streets of Hanzhong.

Before long, only one masked man remained standing. Il-gwang had spared him on purpose.

At that moment, the crowd began to part as a group of about twenty guards rushed in.

The lone remaining thug was the most relieved to see them.

"H-Help! This monster is killing people! Save me!"

It was a ridiculous sight—a masked thug holding a weapon, crying out to the authorities for help.

Il-gwang glared at the guards.

"No one steps in."

Hearing his voice, the guards kept their distance and didn't move a muscle. The thug grew desperate.

"Why aren't you helping me?!"

He couldn't understand the guards' strange reaction.

"Help who?"

"Looks like you're the bad guy here."

Before the bewildered thug could say another word, Il-gwang grabbed him by the hair.

"If you don't want to be beaten to death, take me to where the children are."

It was a promise, not a threat. The thug knew that if he refused, he would die.

Dragging the thug like a dog on a leash, Il-gwang began to walk.

Behind him, hundreds of citizens followed. Even the merchants abandoned their businesses to join the march, their faces flushed with anger. The crowd grew larger by the second.

Meanwhile, So-so, carrying Ahae on her back, called out to the guards.

"Uncles, I'll be back in a bit! I left something behind!"

With that, she spun around and bolted.

These guards were actually members of the Wolf Fang Squad, who had been scouring the streets to find the missing So-so. Left alone on the now-quiet street, they looked at each other.

"She'll be fine, right?"

"I don't think so. I've never seen big brother Il-gwang that angry."

"Well, he told us to pretend we didn't see him if we ran into him, so let's just head back."

"Tsk. At least we know So-so is safe."

Just then, So-so came running back toward them.

"Uncle Cheong-hae, lend me your sword for a second!"

"Huh? Oh… sure. But is that kid on your back a friend of yours?"

"He's my younger brother, Ahae!"

Cheong-hae, who had handed over his sword in a daze, watched So-so run off.

"Be careful…"

Even though he said that, he couldn't let a child run off alone with a weapon. To ensure her safety, Cheong-hae quietly tailed her from the shadows.

* * *

So-so sprinted toward the dilapidated hall where she had been held captive. She supported Ahae's buttocks with her left hand while tightly gripping Cheong-hae's sword with her right.

Cheong-hae's sword was heavier and longer than her own, making it awkward to handle, but it would have to do.

The place Uncle Il-gwang was heading was not where Cheong-ah was being kept. The thugs seemed to have multiple holding cells across the city. That meant it was up to her to rescue Cheong-ah.

This was the moment to use her martial arts without hesitation. Just as So-mu had told her: to protect those she loved.

"Ahae, do you want to go home?"

"No! I want to stay with you, Sister!"

Ahae's reply brought a smile to So-so's face.

"Hehe. Let's go save Cheong-ah!"

With a sword in hand, all her fear had vanished.

She already knew the way. If she used her lightness technique, it would take less than ten minutes to get there.

Soon, the familiar, run-down building came into view.

Perhaps because of the commotion earlier, about a dozen men were lined up outside, armed and waiting.

"Bad guys!"

At the sudden shout, the men turned their heads. A young girl, looking no older than seven, was running toward them with an even smaller child on her back.

Their initial amusement quickly turned to sheer terror. A milky-white glow was emanating from the sword in the child's hand.

"W-what is that?"

"S-Sword Qi?!"

So-so's eyes darted around, assessing the thugs. They were ordinary men who hadn't trained in martial arts.

She let the sword qi fade and twisted her wrist. She intended to strike them with the flat of the blade.

Closing the distance in an instant, So-so darted through the group like a flying squirrel. A series of dull thuds echoed in rapid succession.

*Thwack! Crack! Bam!*

"Argh!"

"Aaargh!"

"Ugh!"

In the blink of an eye, So-so was standing before the entrance of the building. Behind her, the thugs lay groaning on the ground.

"Don't look back, Ahae."

"Okay!"

So-so hesitated at the door, since neither of her hands was free.

Then, she delivered a sharp kick to the wooden door.

*Crash!*

Inside sat a fat man wrapped in bandages, looking like a bloated pig. Recognizing So-so, he gasped in panic.

"W-why are you back?!"

So-so thought for a moment about how to respond. Then, she remembered what Uncle Il-gwang had said to the thug earlier.

"If you don't want to be beaten to death, open that door!"