Chapter 79
“Me? Why me? And why go out of my way to do that?”
If someone asked him why… well.
There wasn’t a big reason. I was simply curious to see how strong—or rather, how weak—Je Gal Hae-su’s martial arts, plagued as he was by stagnant meridians, really were.
And watching two weaklings desperately flailing at each other sounded like it would make for an amusing spectacle.
“And besides, I don’t even know who those guys are.”
“They’re from the Black Society. They’ve been running wild around Yangyang lately. And they’ve been looking down on the Je Gal clan.”
“……”
“If you take care of them, I won’t ask you to return the money I gave you.”
“But I…”
His lack of confidence was unexpected.
I’d heard that Je Gal Hae-su had charged at Soma-gi with his life on the line.
Was that just because of the ten-thousand-year snow ginseng?
“And earlier they tried to cling to Baeksam, so I taught them a lesson. Looks like they came to get revenge.”
“What? They dared throw flirtatious looks at Sam?”
Amazing how someone could change so quickly.
Je Gal Hae-su suddenly burned with fighting spirit, as if he’d never hesitated.
“Right. So go give them a beating yourself.”
The moment I egged him on, Sa-u’s body flickered—and disappeared. He reappeared behind Je Gal Hae-su.
Then came what looked suspiciously like… a beating.
Sa-u’s fingertips rained dozens of strikes on Hae-su’s back.
Whack, thwack! Thwack-thwack!
“Argh! Why are you hitting me? Are you trying to kill me?! Ugh!”
“Get it together and focus.”
“Why are you doing thi—huh?”
Je Gal Hae-su finally realized.
The suffocating stagnant qi clogging his body had vanished.
“I struck the blocked pressure points. It’ll only be temporary, but it should work for now.”
Chugung Gwahyeol—using internal energy to press acupoints and restore qi flow.
Just as Sa-u said, Je Gal Hae-su felt his body suddenly light. It was the first time since Sami had breathed golden energy into him that he’d felt so light.
Come to think of it, even when he’d lived at the Je Gal estate, he had memories of being smacked around under the name of Chugung Gwahyeol—by his father, no less.
Of course, Sa-u’s technique was much more precise—and much more painful.
Back then too, my body did feel lighter… for a moment.
But the damned body of his refilled with stagnant qi almost immediately. Impurities accumulated faster than they were cleared.
Sa-u nudged the chair he’d been sitting on with his foot.
“Hurry up. That guy looks ready to charge with his sword.”
Je Gal Hae-su finally stood.
The opponent was just one man—not a master, either.
He also didn’t seem capable of using sword qi.
Looks like I actually have a chance?
The moment he finished assessing his foe, Je Gal Hae-su grinned.
“A wicked sect runt dares interrupt our meal?”
“I’ll rip that mouth off.”
“A vicious mouth is a bad mouth! It must be disciplined!”
“You little brat!”
Je Gal Hae-su intentionally provoked him.
An excited fighter never shows his full strength—and exposes plenty of openings.
As expected.
The enraged man rushed in, full of openings even Hae-su, not particularly strong, could see.
The man’s sword swung sluggishly. Je Gal Hae-su blocked it with his fan.
Clang!
That single clash filled him with confidence.
I really might be able to do this…
Je Gal Hae-su took a proper stance for the first time in a while.
Low posture, fan raised high.
When the sword came again, he swiftly executed the Je Gal clan’s fan technique.
The fan lightly flicked the blade aside, flowing seamlessly into the next motion.
His body spun gracefully in place, and the fan sliced through the air horizontally—
Shweeek!
A small whirlwind formed at the fan’s edge.
Small, but fierce and solid.
It struck the man’s Hoonhyeol—a pressure point that induced fainting.
The man collapsed without even screaming.
Heh. How’d you like the Whirling Wind Fan Technique? Tsk-tsk.
Je Gal Hae-su snapped the fan shut with flair.
His movement had been fast and precise thanks to the temporary clearing of stagnant qi.
If only the stagnant qi vanished completely… he could perfect the fan arts.
But already, the stagnant energy was beginning to refill.
Je Gal Hae-su felt both pleased and bitter that he’d defeated the man.
But swallowing the bitterness, he shone even brighter outwardly.
“Sami! Wasn’t I cool just now?”
“You were amazing! I see you in a new light!”
As expected, Sami was the only one who appreciated him properly. The other two men looked on without much reaction.
Well, to a true master, my skills must look endlessly lacking.
Just as Je Gal Hae-su turned to head back, murmurs echoed from the few patrons in the inn.
“That—that’s the Je Gal clan’s martial arts!”
“Was there a young master who used fan techniques?”
Oops. He hurriedly covered his face.
He’d forgotten this was Yangyang.
Being under Je Gal clan influence, some people here could recognize their martial arts—especially since the fan arts were uncommon.
Je Gal Hae-su quickly strode back to his group.
“Let’s go. Quickly.”
They packed up and prepared to leave.
Before stepping out, Je Gal Hae-su paid the inn boy for the damages the Black Society thugs caused.
“Thank you, noble sir.”
“Noble sir… heh. If the Black Society comes again, tell them this: the Je Gal clan will not overlook any disturbance here.”
“Sir, actually—thanks to the token your companion gave us, we were able to keep them away several times.”
“My companion’s token?”
“Yes. Isn’t he also from the Je Gal clan?”
The boy’s gaze shifted to Sa-u.
“May I see the token?”
“Of course, sir.”
The boy pulled out a golden medallion. The design on it was unmistakable.
It bore the seal of the Je Gal clan head—his father.
“This is…”
Father’s personally bestowed gold token.
Not something just anyone could have.
Father’s standards were extremely high; the number of people he recognized personally could be counted on one hand.
Which meant he rarely bestowed a gold token at all.
So how did Sa-u have one?
And to nonchalantly give such a hard-to-obtain token to an inn servant…
Of course, that token would protect the inn.
If the inn boy had it, it was like the clan head himself was watching over this place.
The Black Society wouldn’t dare provoke the Je Gal clan unless they were ready for war.
But giving something so valuable to someone who might not even understand what it meant…
Je Gal Hae-su tilted his head.
“Thanks for showing me. We’ll be going now.”
“Yes! Thank you!”
Je Gal Hae-su quickly caught up with the group outside.
He placed a hand on Sa-u’s shoulder, stopping him.
“Sa-u.”
“What?”
“I saw the token you gave that inn boy. How are you in possession of that?”
