Chronicles of the Mad Demon - Chapter 60

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 60. Between Confidence and Recklessness (5)

 

Moyong Bi spent a full hour walking around the streets, talking with many people.

 

He didn’t seem to get tired at all. Rather, as if his conversations with people were a source of vitality, he overflowed with energy as time passed.

 

Instead, the Red Sword Third Unit, who had been following behind Moyong Bi without even swinging their swords once, got tired first.

 

It was mental fatigue, not physical. For them, who had never aimlessly followed someone around, physical training would have been easier.

 

“Definitely good.”

 

Moyong Bi’s muttering as he returned to the middle point of the marketplace.

 

Hong In asked with a calm expression.

 

“What is?”

 

“Conversations with people.”

 

“Is that fun?”

 

“Thanks to it, I was able to gather a lot of information. What the atmosphere in Wuhan is like, what happened a few years ago, what kind of commerce has mainly developed, what’s trending lately…”

 

“Seems completely useless though.”

 

“How could that be?”

 

“What can you gain from such things?”

 

“Countless things.”

 

Moyong Bi tapped his wooden staff out of habit.

 

“A good atmosphere means people’s lives have improved. Since there are no oppressors, it’s vibrant and naturally merchants’ business methods become more diverse. This isn’t unrelated to the flow of commerce.”

 

“…Is that so?”

 

“Remembering trivial events from years ago means they were that impressive. You can understand what people like and dislike, what they view suspiciously, and what kind of attitude they find appealing.”

 

Hong In was inwardly surprised.

 

‘He was thinking about all sorts of things.’

 

Even he thought it was useless, but he didn’t know the guy could think so deeply.

 

“Trends are especially important. Trends literally mean the mainstream. Knowing the mainstream means reading changes in flow. Trends lead to clothing, food, and shelter, changes in clothing, food, and shelter lead to the flow of money, and the flow of money leads to the flow of the world.”

 

“…”

 

“Of course, knowing the flow of one city doesn’t let you truly glimpse the world.”

 

That’s what I’m saying.

 

‘Though it’s verbose.’

 

Honestly, he didn’t believe this guy really thought through all those things.

 

However, that kind of attitude was certainly worth learning. While he hadn’t thought of common citizens as lowly, he had thought there was a clear difference between them and himself.

 

‘Well, most of the world consists of lower-class people.’

 

Don’t they say a wise man must always be well-versed in society? It seemed like he shouldn’t just focus on training alone.

 

“So how about it? Do you feel like going?”

 

Moyong Bi chuckled.

 

“What do you think?”

 

“If there’s something you want, tell me.”

 

“You’ve become quite flexible.”

 

“It’s just a mission.”

 

Moyong Bi, who had been staring at him intently, pointed toward the mountain area with his chin.

 

“Go ahead.”

 

A cold smile appeared on Hong-in’s face.

“Good.”

 

And so the group left the marketplace and entered the mountain path.

How long had they walked?

 

As they entered the small path, magnificent forests appeared on both sides.

 

As we entered the small path, beautiful forests appeared on both sides.

“What a magnificent path. The scenery is beautiful.”

 

“What a beautiful road. The scenery is lovely.”

“There are few people around, so it’s quiet and perfect for enjoying the scenery.”

 

Hong In, who had been watching Moyong Bi’s back, opened his mouth.

 

“With so few people around, it’s quiet and perfect for enjoying the scenery.”

“What?”

 

“But here’s the thing.”

“So?”

 

“I’m twenty-five.”

 

“I heard you’re nineteen years old.”

“Still, there’s an age difference, so shouldn’t you show some respect to your elder?”

 

“I am twenty-five.”

“….”

 

“You’re quite rude too. On top of that, your mouth is filthy, so I don’t want to treat you as an elder.”

 

“Still, there’s an age difference, so shouldn’t we show respect to our elders?”

“Is that so?”

 

“At least you know you’re rude.”

 

“That’s why most people hate me.”

 

Hong In smiled faintly.

“Who knows.”

 

“Yeah.”

Moyong Bi spoke without even turning around.

 

“You’re taking a long time to say you want to beat me up.”

 

“That’s why most people hate me.”

“That’s why I’m going to strike first.”

 

“Well.”

In an instant, Moyong Bi’s body spun around at tremendous speed.

 

Crack!

 

Moyong Bi said without looking back.

The wooden staff that struck Hong In’s right cheek immediately drew an arc and then fell vertically again.

 

“Are you going to take it quietly?”

Hong In, struck on the crown of his head, lost consciousness immediately.

 

“That’s why I’m going to strike first.”

“What?”

In an instant, Moyongbi’s body spun at tremendous speed.

Crack!

There were no screams, no groans.

The wooden staff that struck Hong-in’s right cheek immediately traced an arc before dropping straight down again.

Thud!

Hong-in, struck on the crown of his head, lost consciousness immediately.

Thud!

 

Hong In’s posture with his face buried in the ground was truly hideous.

 

Kneeling with only his buttocks sticking up while his entire face was planted in the earth, thick blood was spreading around him.

 

“…!”

 

The squad members were so flustered by the unexpected situation that they could only gape with their mouths open.

 

Moyong Bi looked down at Hong In with a face full of disdain.

 

“Has ‘late-stage expert’ become synonymous with ‘who’s the biggest idiot among the young generation’ these days?”

 

Clatter clatter.

 

Five broken teeth finally fell to the ground, showing just how brutally he had been hit.

 

“Sharp energy, fine, I’ll give you that. But a moron who can’t even hide his killing intent dares to discuss swordsmanship? Tsk, what a bastard with no fundamentals.”

 

Gu Wol’s eyes widened.

 

“What the hell are you doing!”

 

Chaang!

 

The squad members drew their swords.

 

Even with twenty men performing quick draws, the sound overlapped perfectly. It meant they were well-trained.

 

‘Those guys, really.’

 

To the eyes of a former Martial Alliance Leader, they were pathetically inadequate, but still, watching that synchronized quick draw reminded him of the guys he had trained in the past.

 

‘Come to think of it, some of them must still be alive, right?’

 

The strongest killing unit in Martial Alliance history.

 

That unit full of deadly energy, personally trained by the Alliance Leader, was feared even by fellow alliance members. Yet everyone considered joining that unit an honor.

 

It wasn’t that their monthly salary was particularly high or their official positions were elevated.

 

However, the warriors who joined that unit all displayed martial prowess capable of taking on a hundred enemies, and no matter what mission was assigned, they always completed it and returned.

 

‘I wonder if I’ll be able to meet them again someday.’

 

Well, now isn’t the time to think about such things.

 

“Why are you so surprised? Didn’t you know your squad leader was trying to take me down?”

 

Gu Wol’s eyes wavered.

 

Actually, he wasn’t unaware. Hong In had given signals several times.

 

But those weren’t signals to kill. They literally meant to beat him to within an inch of death to vent their frustration.

 

Of course, knowing Hong In, he might have changed his mind midway and actually tried to kill him.

 

“That was…!”

 

Whoosh!

 

Gu Wol couldn’t continue his words. Moyong Bi had suddenly appeared right in front of him, just one zhang away.

 

He was startled. How could he be so fast?!

 

Whooom! Clang!

 

The sword blade snapped clean in half from a single strike of the resilient wooden staff.

 

Moyong Bi’s wrist moved like lightning.

 

The wooden staff that had broken the sword blade shot straight up, creating an air-rending sound.

 

Crack!

 

He couldn’t even react.

 

Hit in the jaw, Gu Wol rolled his eyes back and fainted on the spot. At least he didn’t suffer the humiliation of having his teeth fly out like his superior, but instead suffered the disaster of having his jawbone cracked.

 

“How hard it must have been serving the squad leader. You even perfectly copied his carelessness.”

 

One of the Red Sword squad members shouted.

 

“Attack!”

 

All members of Red Sword Third Unit, having lost their two leaders, charged toward Moyong Bi.

 

Moyong Bi smiled and gripped the wooden staff with both hands.

 

“At least show me as much spirit as Su Hyang did!”

 

A moment later.

 

“Uuugh.”

 

“Cough cough!”

 

“Uaah…”

 

The squad members collapsed throughout the small path looked no different from their fallen leaders.

 

Three or four of them were stuck upside down in the forest, their legs protruding above the bushes and trembling.

 

“Ah, how refreshing.”

 

Moyong Bi’s face was particularly fresh as he wiped his forehead.

 

“This is what you can truly call proper exercise.”

 

He had minimized his internal energy consumption through proper distribution of force. It was an attempt made possible by his significantly improved stamina over the past few days.

 

Perhaps because of that?

 

Despite fighting with such enthusiasm, it didn’t feel like he had fought at all. Rather, his body felt properly warmed up and he was in the mood to rampage some more.

 

“Uugh.”

 

“Hey.”

 

Gu Wol, who had been unconscious, staggered to his feet.

 

His jaw was cracked, causing severe headaches. Unable to grasp the situation, his eyes were filled only with confusion as he held his broken sword and looked around.

 

“Wh, where…”

 

He could barely speak.

 

Gu Wol, who was holding his jaw with his left hand, finally saw Moyong Bi.

 

And his subordinates scattered everywhere.

 

“Heoeoook!”

 

His mouth opened wider in shock, but there was no pain.

 

‘Th, this is impossible!’

 

The Red Sword Corps, praised as Wuhan’s greatest military organization, surpassing even the Hong Clan Sword Family.

 

Among them, all the swordsmen of Red Sword Third Unit, said to be the strongest, were lying collapsed and groaning.

 

At a glance, each one had something broken somewhere. Fortunately, no one seemed to be dead, but they had suffered serious injuries that would require at least three months of recovery.

 

“Th, this is…?”

 

Thwack!

 

“Kuhek!”

 

Gu Wol, struck in the abdomen by the wooden staff, fell to his knees again.

 

It was a blow that snapped him to attention, making it even more painful. He would have preferred to pass out, but as time passed, his mind became clearer.

 

“What’s your name?”

 

“Cough! Cough cough!”

 

“Nothing? Then just die.”

 

As Moyong Bi raised his wooden staff, Gu Wol desperately shouted.

 

“Gu, Gu Wol!”

 

“Yes, Master Gu.”

 

“You… do you think you’ll be safe after this?”

 

“A guy with a cracked jawbone speaks well? Must have only cracked a tiny bit.”

 

“You…!”

 

“And speak properly. You’re the ones who tried to take down a person. I’m not an idiot, so should I just sit there and take it quietly?”

 

“We, we belong to the Hong Clan Sword Family!”

 

Moyong Bi let out a bitter laugh.

 

“The Red Sword Corps is the best in Wuhan?”

 

“…?”

 

“How is it that when the so-called best get beaten, they all try to rely on their organization’s authority? Are all the Wuhan sects as petty as you guys?”

 

Gu Wol felt his face burning.

 

He was ashamed.

 

Though the words had come out unconsciously, didn’t it mean he had been unconsciously relying on the Hong Clan Sword Family’s reputation?

 

“Mediocre skills, mediocre character, and you can’t even accept defeat gracefully.”

 

“…”

 

“What trash.”

 

Gu Wol’s head drooped involuntarily.

 

Being hit with the wooden staff had been much better. The mockery from the victor was truly miserable beyond words.

 

Especially since it was mockery based on truth.

 

That’s when it happened.

 

“Urgh!”

 

Hong In, who had finally regained consciousness and gotten up while supporting himself on the ground, shook his head.

 

“Aaaaah!”

 

When he shook his head, his skull throbbed, his mouth felt bitter, and his broken nose bridge ached.

 

As Hong In struggled and rolled on the ground, Moyong Bi happened to come into his view.

 

“You, you bastard!”

 

Moyong Bi, who had been quietly looking down at Hong In, completely changed his expression and stomped the ground with one foot.

 

Thud!

 

“Huk!”

 

Startled, Hong In twisted his body.

 

Gu Wol made an expression of utter despair, and even Moyong Bi laughed in disbelief.

 

“I’m speechless, really.”

 

He walked toward Hong In.

 

“You bastard!”

 

Hong In, finally realizing his shame, quickly drew his sword.

 

Moyong Bi’s foot shot out in a straight line.

 

Clang!

 

The sword struck by a middle level kick to the end of its handle went in before it could even be fully drawn.

 

Hong In’s body, gripping the sword, spun along with the sword, and from that moment Moyong Bi’s beating began.

 

Thwack-thwack-thwack-thwack!

 

The wooden staff wasn’t even visible to the eye.

 

“Arghhhh… Gack!”

 

“Don’t show me your teeth since I don’t want to hear it.”

 

There was no mercy in the beating.

 

He had already been planning to turn that mouth that mocked Su Jeong, calling her “that girl” and talking about her beauty, into minced meat, so he was rather grateful that the fool had tried to attack first.

 

Hong In really felt like he was going to die.

 

It was like ten people swinging clubs simultaneously. He couldn’t dodge, and even when he tried to block, other parts got hit and his body naturally curled up.

 

The internal energy he had cultivated all this time was useless. With each blow, his internal energy circulation was cut off and returned to his dantian, and eventually his entire dantian became paralyzed.

 

Finally, even from the mouth of Hong In, who had lived wrapped in recklessness like silk clothes beyond mere confidence, pitiful words flowed out.

 

“P-please spare me!”

 

“I won’t kill you.”

 

Crack!

 

“But wouldn’t it be better to die?”

 

Thwaaack!

 

Hong In, who took a solid final blow to the jaw, rolled his eyes back and collapsed.

 

Not just his body, but his face was so swollen it had become twice its original size.

 

Moyong Bi pointed at Gu Wol with his wooden staff.

 

“You.”

 

“Y-yes?!”

 

“Guide me to the Sword Family.”

 

“Understood!”

 

“Good… where are you going, you fool.”

 

“Ah, the guidance…”

 

“He’s your superior, aren’t you going to carry him? Isn’t this guy from the family head’s bloodline?”

 

“I’m sorry!”

 

Moyong Bi let out a sigh so deep the ground might cave in.

 

“In this world, such lacking fools…”

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————