A sickening noise erupted continuously from Cheonyeong's grasp as he dug into the gaps between the warriors.

"Kuaaaak!"

Screams filled the calligraphy and painting shop, and the path he left behind was littered with fallen warriors.

One warrior worth a thousand.

There was no more fitting expression.

The warriors who had formed a siege and surrounded him collapsed with holes punched through them by the sword fragments scattered from Cheonyeong's hand.

Those who rushed in alone were slammed into the ground by Cheonyeong's fists and feet, unable to even mount a proper counterattack.

"Keuk keuk keuk, good... very good."

Cheonyeong's smile, covered in blood as if he were enjoying himself, was truly chilling.

Age, young or old, didn't matter.

The number of warriors?

It was useless.

From the very beginning, they were no match for him.

How... how could he be so strong?

The siege was already failing to serve its purpose.

How could a tattered net catch a vigorously thrashing fish, no, a monster like him?

"Dammit! What are you all doing! Deploy the Miserable Squad!"

The Miserable Squad was the main force of the calligraphy and painting shop.

But at the shop master's urgent shout, a warrior next to him answered with a trembling voice.

"M-master... the Miserable Squad has already been... since a while ago..."

"What?"

At those words, the shop master's eyes widened and he stared at Cheonyeong.

"Kkeueu..."

A warrior in blue, his neck broken, was held by the scruff of his neck in Cheonyeong's hand, beaten to a pulp.

Miserable Squad.

It was a name personally bestowed by Lee Ilpyeong, telling them to give their enemies a most gruesome end.

They, who had reigned as demons over the people of Ganyang who had borrowed at high interest and couldn't repay, were strewn across the floor.

"Th-they're wiped out. The Miserable Squad master and below, all fifteen warriors."

He had seen it himself.

The warrior in blue who had just collapsed to the ground from the punk's fist was the last one.

"A bunch of nobodies..."

Cheonyeong sneered, picking out a broken tooth embedded in his blood-soaked fist.

The Miserable Squad, true to its name, had met a miserable end at Cheonyeong's feet.

Although there were still quite a few warriors left, they were already terrified and were backing away, unable to even approach Cheonyeong. The only one who could fight was the shop master, the strongest in the establishment.

But... how?

By what means could he face that monster?

His judgment was swift.

A shared fate with his subordinates who had treated him like a brother? 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

Crazy talk. Where was such loyalty in the Unorthodox Faction?

He had to run.

He had to escape quickly and report to the Chamber Master.

However.

"..."

The moment he twisted his body to flee, a flash of light passed in front of the shop master, and a pillar exploded with a loud bang.

Splintered wood fragments scattered in all directions and rained down before his eyes.

And amidst them, a gleaming blade... fragment?

Damp blood trickled down from his forehead.

The shop master, having only twisted his body and not taken a single step, swallowed hard.

What if it had been aimed at him, not the pillar?

His head, like that pillar.

"...Heo-eoh."

His blocked breath burst out all at once, and the strength drained from his entire body.

"Too bad, if you had taken just one more step, you would have been dead."

At Cheonyeong's words, the remaining warriors looked at the shop master who had collapsed powerlessly.

They had already lost their will to fight in the face of Cheonyeong's martial prowess.

And in that situation, they had witnessed their leader's attempt to flee.

Of course, they no longer had any thought of fighting.

The warriors' shoulders slumped, and the weapons in their hands fell to the ground, creating a loud clatter.

The fight was over.

No matter how many warriors were left...

Cheonyeong walked towards the shop master, who was only staring at the ground.

No one stopped him.

Wherever Cheonyeong's steps reached, the warriors moved far away, clearing a path.

As a straight path was created, connecting him to Cheonyeong without any obstacles, the shop master's hands trembled minutely.

One step, one step.

It felt as if the grim reaper was approaching to deliver death.

"P-please spare me!"

That was the only word and action he could choose.

To beg with all his might.

What did age matter?

In the martial world, skill was age, power, and justice.

It was even more so in the Unorthodox Faction's martial world.

"Big Brother! It was all my fault."

The shop master begged, rubbing his hands together until his fingerprints wore off.

Wasn't he a man who had no hesitation in killing people?

As if he had been through countless deaths...

Cheonyeong stood in front of the shop master, looked down at him blankly, and smirked.

"...You're a funny one."

"Pardon?"

"Why am I your big brother?"

"...Pardon?"

"Am I older than you? Do I look that old?"

"Th-that's not it..."

"And, don't beg. I'm someone who shudders at the very thought of the Yin Hand Chamber. I never had any intention of forgiving you in the first place."

"...Ah."

The shop master's begging hands stopped.

Right, he was the son of the Mandeok Estate.

He had incurred a huge debt due to the Yin Hand Chamber's conspiracy... and that fictitious debt was closely related to the calligraphy and painting shop...

Who the fuck would forgive him!

The shop master's shoulders slumped.

He was done for.

Wasn't he a man who had already walked over many deaths?

...But to die like this.

The shop master gritted his teeth.

His desire for survival boiled up, and he sought a way to live.

One step.

A distance reachable by extending his arm.

The punk's carelessness.

In that case?

The shop master's hand instantly went into his bosom and came out.

"Die! You little brat!"

A sharp dagger was held in his outstretched hand.

At such a close distance, it would be impossible to dodge... huh?

Why is it empty in front of me?

The shop master froze, his hand outstretched, and blinked his eyes.

"Why are you surprised?"

"...Huh?"

Cheonyeong, whom he was sure had been stabbed by the dagger, was now smiling from the shop master's left.

"Anyway, you can't give these bastards an opening. If you give them an opening."

"Uh, uh?"

The startled shop master's head was yanked back.

Cheonyeong's smiling face was clearly visible.

"But you know what?"

"...?"

"When it comes to ambushes, I know much more than you. I have more experience too."

"What does that mean?"

"Now... let's get hit. Until you die."

That smirking smile was so chilling.

"Kuaak!"

Cheonyeong's fist slammed down vertically.

Kwajik! Peok! Peok-peok-peok!

Several times, without rest.

In front of everyone.

The shop master's body, his hair grabbed and his face completely exposed, convulsed.

Even though he had already lost consciousness, Cheonyeong's fists did not stop.

He indifferently and cruelly repeated the motion of raising and extending his fist.

Peok! Peok! Peok!

Every time the sound of bones breaking and flesh being pounded spread with a strange echo, the warriors squeezed their eyes shut and trembled.

The sight of Cheonyeong was terror itself.

"Hyuu..."

And after a long while, his fist stopped.

Then he looked down blankly at the shop master who had lost consciousness in his grasp.

"Dammit... I didn't get an answer."

He should have asked for Andeukseong's location.

As he let go, the shop master collapsed limply to the floor.

"Still... I can't just end it like this, can I? A member of our Tang family was seriously injured."

Cheonyeong squatted down next to the shop master and grabbed his ankle.

In truth, Yongcheon's injury was minor.

Because he was so muscular, the arrowhead hadn't even penetrated deeply.

How little it must have hurt... for him to have single-handedly smashed the money-lending house managed by the Yin Hand Chamber.

However.

"A grudge is always repaid tenfold. If you made a scratch on my family member's body for no reason... you should have been prepared to give up a leg. That is the law of our Tang family."

Cheonyeong twisted and broke the shop master's ankle.

"Hyu."

And after dusting off his hands and standing up, Cheonyeong looked at the warriors of the shop who were standing blankly.

"What are you guys doing?"

"...?"

"If you're not going to attack... get lost."

A cold gaze and a single word were enough.

The frightened warriors, without anyone having to say anything, escaped the calligraphy and painting shop.

In the bottleneck created by the crowd at the narrow door, some fell and were trampled, and some made the wise choice of climbing over the wall.

No one helped the injured who were groaning in pain.

The calligraphy and painting shop was instantly emptied, leaving only... no, only corpses and those who were too seriously injured to escape.

"Now, shall we take a leisurely look around?"

Cheonyeong entered the main building of the shop.

"Wow, what is all this?"

What he saw as soon as he opened the door was not a room full of splendid decorations.

Bookshelves lined up, filled with documents.

Flipping through them one by one, they were all high-interest loan ledgers.

The lifeblood of the people of Ganyang.

He didn't know why, but he didn't understand how bad guys were so good at organizing and keeping records like this.

Well, would it be easy to take other people's money?

One must have that much ability.

"Hmph."

Cheonyeong's brow furrowed slightly as he looked through the books on the shelves.

This meant all of this was money...

He coveted it.

Greatly.

If he took all of this, he could build a grand hall covered with whale-backed tiles in one go.

However...

"It's not my money in the first place. And it's certainly not the Yin Hand Chamber's money."

It was the lifeblood of the people of Ganyang.

There was no way the Yin Hand Chamber punks had imposed high-interest loans on people through normal means, was there?

"Well, if you eat just anything, you're bound to get sick."

Smirking, Cheonyeong grabbed the end of a bookshelf and pulled.

The bookshelf toppled, and the books scattered in all directions.

Ah... money...

What a waste, what a shame.

"Hah..."

A sigh escaped him naturally, but Cheonyeong, with a hand full of lingering attachment, picked up the lamp that was illuminating the room and threw it.

The fire spread to the spilled oil, and the flames quickly grew stronger.

The burning sight was just like... the last sight of the Mandeok Estate he had watched in the past.

Yes, let's call it revenge.

Revenge on them for burning down the Mandeok Estate.

His heart full of regret, he couldn't bring himself to leave even as the flames spread to the main building. At that moment.

"Huh?"

In the light of the flames, a yellowish light was being reflected from somewhere.

Papakak!

He quickly ran to the spot, and there...

"G-gold?"

It was gold bars.

From inside a safe that hadn't been fully closed, those precious things were peeking out, looking at Cheonyeong.

This... the shop master's slush fund?

Or the Yin Hand Chamber Master's?

What did it matter?

It was gold bars.

"Umm."

Cheonyeong deliberated over and over.

That, it's definitely the lifeblood of the people of Ganyang... he had said he'd get sick if he ate just anything...

He couldn't bring himself to reach out and was still deliberating, when.

"Dammit! Put out the fire! Quickly!"

A commotion rushed in from outside.

"You crazy bastard! Put out the fire in the main building first!"

He was a really bad guy.

Putting out the fire was a given, but he didn't say a single word about taking care of the injured.

It looked like they were from the Yin Hand Chamber.

Their numbers would not be small, and there would be many skilled warriors.

This is it, then.

Cheonyeong secretly slipped out through the back door of the main building.

And from a distance, hiding his body, he watched the burning Yin Hand Chamber.

The newly appeared warriors tried their best to put out the fire, but they couldn't contain the flames that had already blazed up.

It was instantly burned down, and the roof collapsed.

"Th... th..."

And a man standing at the center, looking at the scene of the fire.

It was quite a distance, but how could Cheonyeong not recognize him?

The Yin Hand Chamber's Master, Lee Ilpyeong.

The enemy of his family.

He must be furious.

Because all the high-interest loan ledgers had burned.

"Right now! Let's go to the Tang Family's estate! I will never let them go!"

Lee Ilpyeong, seething with rage, left the calligraphy and painting shop with his warriors.

Stupid fools.

What if they go?

It was a ruin with nothing more to break in the first place.

And was anyone even there?

He had already told Hoyeon Brigade Master Baekgang to go to the forest with the children.

The fight had started after that.

The way for the few to win against the many.

Reduce their numbers.

Cheonyeong watched Lee Ilpyeong heading towards the Tang Family's estate and smiled coldly.

Lee Ilpyeong.

I will slowly tighten the noose around your neck.

In the hand of the departing Cheonyeong, with a sinister smile, was a pouch containing yellow gold bars.

If you eat just anything... you have to endure a stomachache.

It's gold bars.

(End of Chapter)