The Hao Clan
If you have even a shred of common sense regarding the Murim, you would have heard of them.
A sect counted alongside the Beggar Sect as one of the two great intelligence organizations of the Martial World.
Disciples?
The Beggar Sect boasts of being the largest faction in the Murim with one hundred thousand members, but they don't know what they are talking about.
The number of Hao Clan disciples is far greater than that.
Even the Clan Leader of the Hao Clan doesn't know exactly how many disciples there are. There are even guys who don't know they are Hao Clan disciples themselves, so that says it all.
With so many disciples, you'd think the Hao Clan must be impressive, right?
The reality is quite the opposite.
Among the countless sects of the Murim, the Hao Clan is the one evaluated as the bottom of the barrel and ignored.
So, what would it be like to be the Clan Leader of such a Hao Clan?
I was that damn Hao Clan Leader. Used here and there, only to meet a bitter end.
No, to be exact, that was my destiny. Until 'that day' came.
On 'that day,' which was so desperate that it wouldn't have been strange if I had died several times over, I survived.
And.
I became the 'Sword God (檢神).'
The 'Sword God of the Hao Clan'—what a contradictory yet cool phrase.
But what happened on 'that day,' you ask?
That day, the greatest crisis and opportunity of my life, was...
There is a somewhat wide vacant lot in the back alleys of eastern Changsha .
It is a place commonly called the 'Wave Market ' where over a dozen men with sturdy builds and fierce eyes are gathered.
I am one of them.
Midsummer. Everyone is sticking to the walls to hide in the small shadows from the scorching sun, but sweat still pours down due to the high temperature.
However, I am doing a handstand right in the middle of the blazing sun.
"Huk, huk, huk."
My upper body, of course, and even the ground are already drenched in sweat.
A man with a full beard who was watching me spoke up.
"It's been one gak (15 minutes), Viper ."
Only then did I lower my feet and stand upright.
"Whew..."
The man shakes his head from side to side.
"Couldn't you take a break on a day like this?"
"What are you saying? If I rest even for a day, it shows immediately. Uncle Sang-jung, you'd better do it every day too if you want to delay retirement even a little."
The man, Sang-jung, shakes his head.
"No. Even so, not today."
"It's no use regretting it later."
Having finished my daily training, only then did I go into the shade and drink water from the gourd bottle I brought.
Gulp! Gulp! Gulp!
"Pu-ha."
It's plain water that has become lukewarm in the high temperature, but it's sweeter than any Sweet Dew Water .
"Now I feel a bit refreshed."
Other men around us whisper.
"Wow, that tenacious guy."
"He's not called Viper for nothing."
The whispering was brief; no one opened their mouths again. The heat made everything annoying.
"..."
Having recovered my stamina to some extent, I muttered like I was talking to myself.
"Is it because of the weather? No customers, and it's a bit boring..."
It was then.
A man with a sword at his waist entered the Wave Market.
"Is this the Wave Market?"
He is wearing a bamboo hat, but judging by his smooth jawline and voice, he appears to be a young man in his early twenties.
Receiving the bamboo hat man's gaze, one man nodded as if annoyed.
Wave Market .
We who are gathered here are a kind of Ronin - wandering swordsmen/vagrants.
You know, wandering warriors who sell their martial skills for money.
Among those Ronin, the ones at the very bottom are the professional brawlers gathered here at the Wave Market.
We don't know martial arts.
We just train our bodies, roll around in actual combat, and learn fighting with our bodies enough to be somewhat capable.
To be blunt, there isn't much difference from thugs.
We can be called the lowest of the low lives, accepted by no one.
The bamboo hat man looked around and shouted.
"Is there no one to spar with me?"
His voice was quite loud, but no one responded.
I resented my mouth.
'My mouth is the problem, just the problem.'
I also slinked away from his gaze.
"..."
When no one opened their mouths, the bamboo hat man seemed a little flustered.
However, as if he couldn't back down like this, he shouted again.
"Is everyone here just a coward!"
A few people twitched their eyebrows, but I shook my head.
'Why react to something like that?'
Is this the first or second time dealing with a greenhorn like that?
At that moment, the oldest bearded uncle, Sang-jung, spoke up.
"Are you also a Murim-in (Martial Artist) who came here to gain combat experience?"
I opened my eyes wide and glared at Sang-jung.
'Bearded Uncle, don't do it.'
Feeling my gaze, Sang-jung shrugged his shoulders.
"Looking at him, he's not the type to just leave."
"Haa."
I let out a deep sigh and turned my head away.
The bamboo hat man nodded.
"That is so!"
The Wave Market is a place often visited by warriors just starting out in the Murim. Because they need real combat experience to do anything.
But since they don't have any reputation yet, there are no martial artists who would accept a spar. And they can't just blindly rush at anyone and ask to fight.
So, the easy target they find is the Wave Market.
Real combat experience is abundant here, but since we haven't learned martial arts, the danger is low, making it good for gaining experience. So everyone comes to the Wave Market.
'Damn it. Are we that easy?'
Sang-jung smiled fishily and said.
"We are brawlers who sell our fighting skills. If you want to do it properly, pay up."
"...What?"
The guy was clearly flustered.
"Did you think you could come here, grab anyone, and ask to fight?"
"..."
The guy hesitated for a moment before speaking cautiously.
"Ho-how much is enough?"
Clumsy, so clumsy.
'As expected of a Murim rookie.'
Sang-jung turns his head to look at me.
"Hey, Viper. How much?"
Ah, damn it.
'I knew he'd do that.'
But I can't just take it sitting down.
"What? Why ask me?"
"Would I or any other guy be a match for a Murim-in?"
"I don't want to."
"I know well that it's annoying because of the heat, but who else would step up besides you? If we're not careful, we'll get hurt, you know?"
Ugh, that old snake.
Why doesn't he retire yet and instead bothers people?
"You're the strongest here. Save our face a little."
Just giving the disease and then the medicine.
"Phew. Alright, alright."
"Kukuku. Good thinking. Show him that the Wave Market isn't easy."
Sigh, being too good is also a problem.
'My sweat just cooled down...'
"Heave-ho!"
Getting up from my seat, I approached the bamboo hat man with a crooked posture.
"How much money do you have?"
The guy flinches for a moment upon seeing my single eye.
'Punk, first time seeing a one-eyed person?'
Just answer, greenhorn.
"I asked how much you have."
"Two taels of silver..."
"What? For a Murim-in, you're pretty poor, aren't you?"
"..."
I held out my palm.
"I'll deal with you, so hand over one tael."
"Th-that is..."
"If you don't like it, just go. Anyway, if it's not me, no one else will step up."
"..."
The bamboo hat man, who was contemplating, seemed to make up his mind and took out silver from his bosom and placed it on my palm.
"Oh my, thank you. Customer."
Hehehe, sucker.
'With this, I'll be set for today.'
The guy widened the distance and threw off his bamboo hat.
His features are quite distinct, but overall, he was a young man with a weak impression.
'About... looks to be twenty-two or twenty-three.'
"I am Lee Yu-seong of the Iron Wolf Sword! I will face you with my family's sword technique, the Iron Sword Twelve Forms ."
Ah, yes. I get it.
'Just by looking, he's a rookie who just came out after learning his family martial arts.'
Iron Wolf Sword, my foot.
There's no way a rookie has a nickname.
I let my arms hang down and waited.
'Hey, come on in. It's hot.'
The guy's face, which had been tense at my seemingly careless posture, turns red. He feels ignored.
'Thinking you're a Murim-in, is that it?'
I smiled fishily as if to provoke him.
'Even so.'
Of course, I can't let my guard down. A Murim-in who has learned martial arts is never safe to deal with, no matter how careful you are.
Just as the angry guy was about to rush in, Sang-jung spoke.
"Wait!"
"Hm?"
The guy's sword moved slightly then stopped.
"That's a real sword. One wrong move and limbs will just fly off."
I nodded.
"Ah, right."
A clumsy sword isn't a threat to me, but there's no harm in being careful.
Lee Yu-seong looked back and forth between me and Sang-jung, hesitating.
"So what do you propose? Do I need to go get a wooden sword?"
Sang-jung threw a club at me.
Thwack.
As I lightly caught it, Sang-jung continued.
"It's a sturdy one made of rosewood. Even if it's a sword imbued with internal energy (Qi), it should be able to block a few times."
"What? Internal energy?"
Startled, I examined Lee Yu-seong's face. His temples are protruding sharply.
'Oh shit. It's real.'
If he's a Murim-in who has properly learned internal energy, the story is different.
Annoyance surges.
"No, what do you mean telling me that now?"
Sang-jung shrugs his shoulders.
"Because I saw his face just now?"
"..."
"That's why I even gave up my precious self-defense club."
"Rotten!"
This is actually a loss.
'I should have asked for both taels...'
No, honestly, even that is not enough.
Originally, second-rate warriors or higher who can use internal energy in earnest don't seek out the Wave Market even if they are Murim rookies.
Because the class is different.
I am confident enough to handle about a third-rate warrior. Of course, there are guys among them who have learned internal energy, but not enough to be a threat.
Just a bit stronger and faster, that much is no problem.
However, guys with internal energy above a certain level are hard to beat.
'Because the dimension of power and speed is different.'
That guy named Lee Yu-seong, judging by how much his temples are protruding, possesses at least second-rate internal energy.
'Did he just sit at home and cultivate internal energy?'
Even a second-rate warrior with some experience is someone a street brawler like me couldn't beat even if I died and woke up again.
The only saving grace is that he's a chick with no combat experience.
'Fuck! Spilled water already, let's just do it.'
Standing opposite, Lee Yu-seong's sword tip trembles slightly.
'He's nervous as expected. That's at least fortunate.'
I rested the club on my shoulder and beckoned with my finger.
"Bring it."
I spoke provocatively on purpose. I need to settle the match quickly before his tension eases.
Ta-at!
Lee Yu-seong kicked off the ground and extended his sword.
Swoosh!
"...!"
I widened my eyes.
'Damn, he's fast.'
Perhaps due to the tension and it being his first time swinging a sword at a person, the sword tip isn't very sharp compared to his momentum.
I nimbly dodged to the right.
'Backing away pushed by momentum is a amateur move.'
In times like this, it's much better to take some risk and dodge to the side to aim for a counterattack.
Pang!
The sharp sound of splitting air chills my guts.
'...If I get hit squarely, I'm a goner.'
Having dodged by a hair's breadth, I gripped the club tightly.
'I'll finish it in one breath...'
Just as I was about to swing the club, Lee Yu-seong's sword suddenly changed its path.
'Huh?!'
The sword path bent at a right angle, and the sword flew towards me.
'Dammit!'
I urgently raised the club I had lifted to swing.
Clang!
I almost dropped the club.
'Shit.'
It's much heavier than expected. With just muscle strength, you can't put this kind of power into a sword even if you die and wake up.
Unable to handle the internal force contained in the sword, I was pushed back. The only fortunate thing is that the guy's sword technique isn't one that can use Sword Qi (Sword Energy).
If it had been a sword imbued with Sword Qi, I would have been sliced in two along with the club.
"Haaap!"
Thinking he had seized the initiative, Lee Yu-seong even let out a shout and swung his sword again.
Cha-cha-chang!
Three consecutive strikes in a row. I was able to endure only because I was holding the club with both hands.
I blocked it, but it wasn't really a block. Every time I blocked, the club was deeply gouged.
'...I can't last long like this.'
Furthermore, even though he hadn't swung it many times, Lee Yu-seong's sword was becoming increasingly sharper.
'This guy, he adapts fast too.'
I have to settle this.
At the moment I made up my mind.
Slice!
The sword flying in again finally cut the club in two.
"Ah!"
Someone watching let out a gasp.
Lee Yu-seong, who tried to cut me down with that same momentum, has shaking pupils.
It can't be helped.
Because I had already escaped from his sword's range.
"...!"
Flustered, Lee Yu-seong tries to find me but cannot easily locate me.
The guy lifts his head and looks into the empty air.
'Right, usually in this case, people check the air a lot.'
However.
'Sorry, not there either.'
Belatedly, he looked down and met eyes with my single eye right in front of him.
"Heok!"
How did this happen, you ask?
Simple.
Judging that I could no longer block the sword, I let go of the club without lingering attachment and rolled on the floor just as I was.
Yes. It's the technique that Murim-ins find shameful just to think about, the 'Lazy Donkey Rolls on the Ground - Lai Lu Da Gun).'
I put considerable effort into this technique so I could roll more nimbly than anyone else.
'If I can catch the opponent off guard, that's enough.'
For a brawler like me, face is a luxury.
Even now, didn't I dodge Lee Yu-seong's sword strike with this Lazy Donkey Roll and even catch a golden opportunity?
Smirk.
With a cold smile, I ruthlessly planted my fist into the guy's face.
Though it may not look like much, it's a fist trained without missing a single day.
Thwack!
"Kuk!"
At the sudden impact, the guy fell backward just like that.
Thud!
I dusted off my clothes and let out a light sigh.
"Phew."
Cheers erupted from the surroundings immediately.
Waaaaah!
"As expected of Viper!"
"I knew it. I knew Viper would win!"
Lee Yu-seong immediately raised his body. His face flushed red, he shouted.
"Th-this is unacceptable! Lazy Donkey Roll! I haven't lost yet!"
I looked at the guy's face and snickered.
"Hey, wipe your nosebleed."
"...!"
Flinching, Lee Yu-seong wipes under his nose with his sleeve. Red blood smears out.
"You haven't lost yet? Surely you don't mean to say you want to continue after getting hit and knocked down by a brawler with no internal energy?"
If he has the pride of a Murim-in, he should know shame.
"..."
The guy couldn't say anything and hesitated.
I patted the guy's shoulder and said.
"Young Hero Lee, this is what real combat is."
Greenhorn, get it now?
"Go back and review the match (Replay the game in one's mind). It will be a big help."
Lee Yu-seong stares at me with intense eyes.
"I withdraw for today, but I will come find you again later, Viper."
"..."
Lee Yu-seong glared at me for a moment, then turned around just like that.
As he disappeared, Sang-jung spoke.
"Still, the guy has potential."
"Oh, I'm tired."
I rotated my neck and returned to my seat. I acted like it was nothing, but inwardly I was worried.
'...He won't really come again, right?'
If he gains just a little experience, he will soon know.
How unseemly it is for a Murim-in to hang out with guys like us.
'That was dangerous... anyway, glad I won.'
And without getting hurt.
'See if I ever get involved with a Murim-in again.'
But Sang-jung is staring at me intently.
"Why? What?"
"..."
He silently points to the club broken in two rolling on the ground.
'Ah.'
I flinched without realizing it.
"S-so what?"
"It's expensive."
"..."
"I'll only take one tael of silver."
I flared up.
"What nonsense! You're saying that club is worth one tael of silver?"
"I told you. It's made of rosewood. I bought it for two taels of silver. But since it was used and it's you, I said I'd only take one tael."
"..."
"If you don't believe me, go ask around."
"Forget it! Even if that price is right, why do I have to pay for it?"
"Because you broke it."
"What are you talking about! Everyone saw that guy named Iron Wolf Sword or Crazy Wolf Sword cut it!"
"You were the one using it, right?"
"I never even asked to borrow it!"
"If I hadn't given it to you, could you have beaten that guy?"
"Of course! Did you forget? I'm Viper!"
Honestly, I felt uneasy inside, but I absolutely cannot give him one tael.
'How hard did I work for this money!'
As I growled, Sang-jung smiles a good-natured smile.
"Alright. Instead, treat these guys here to a bowl of Liangpi (Cold Skin Noodles) each."
"...What?"
"You'd still have some left even if you do that, right?"
Kuk, that old snake. He was aiming for this from the start.
"Sigh. Alright, alright."
Cheers erupted immediately.
"Waaaa!"
"We'll eat well, Viper."
"Hahaha."
I had to lift my heavy butt again helplessly.
"Right now there are many customers so Grandma Jo said to wait. She said she'll bring it here soon..."
While returning from ordering and speaking, I could tell a new figure had appeared.
"..."
A man appearing to be in his early thirties was talking with Sang-jung.
I recognized him immediately.
"...Seven Stars Society ?"
Sang-jung looked at me and said.
"It's your customer, Viper."
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