Yangso-bang (2)

When I turned around, I saw Yang Gikang trying to forcefully embrace Songhee, who had been standing quietly to the side.

"Since your trash master won't play with me, I guess you'll have to."

At that moment, Gwangdu stepped in to stop him.

"Young master, she's just a child."

Yang Gikang's expression instantly turned vicious.

"How dare a lowly servant touch me?"

In his panic, Gwangdu had grabbed the edge of Yang Gikang's sleeve.

"I'm sorry. I'm truly sorry."

Gwangdu quickly backed away.

Perhaps thinking he had found a new target to torment, Yang Gikang released his grip on Songhee.

Even in a situation where he didn't know what might happen to him, Gwangdu felt relieved.

On the other hand, Songhee looked even more distressed than when she was being grabbed.

Can that damn bastard really not see the sincerity in how they care for each other?

Well, if he could, he wouldn't act this way.

"Huh? Now that I look at you…"

Only now did Yang Gikang seem to recognize Gwangdu.

He suddenly spat on the ground.

Then came the ominous question.

"What is this filthy thing?"

Gwangdu hesitated, unsure of how to respond.

Yang Gikang glared viciously and pressed in further.

"You bastard! Gonna make me beat you to death? I asked you what this is!"

"It's spit, sir."

"Why is something like that on the ground? Didn't I tell you before to keep it clean?"

"I'll clean it up right away."

As Gwangdu bent down to wipe up the spit with his sleeve, Yang Gikang pressed his foot down hard on Gwangdu's hand.

At my words, everyone's expression instantly twisted.

Seo Joong, especially, looked the most disappointed.

That Of course, I should've known look started with him and quickly spread among the other swordsmen of the Byeok clan.

Songhee's sorrowful eyes seemed to say:

Didn't I tell you? I said I couldn't trust you.

Only that naive Gwangdu believed in you.

You terrible person!

As for Gwangdu himself, his eyes reddened with hurt, but he soon calmly spoke.

"Yes, I'll clean it up."

He bowed his head and was about to stick out his tongue to lick the spit.

Just as Seo Joong, unable to endure it any longer, was about to step forward—

—I beat him to it.

"Not you."

"Pardon?"

"The one who spit should be the one to clean it up."

I jerked my chin toward Yang Gikang.

"I mean you. You bastard. Clean it. Now."

"You little punk—what did you just say?"

"Where did you learn your manners, spitting on someone else's property like that? You clean it up! With that filthy mouth of yours!"

The expressions on Seo Joong and the Byeok swordsmen brightened with delight.

I had voiced exactly what they all wanted to say.

Naturally, Yang Gikang's face crumpled like a sheet of wrinkled paper.

"You bastard… I heard you got smacked in the head by a woman. You must've gone completely insane."

I ignored his words and walked over to Gwangdu, helping him to his feet.

"Are you alright?"

"Why are you doing this? It's fine. I'll clean it up."

"Why should you clean this up?"

"Young master, please… don't do this…"

In the next moment, I changed my tone.

If there was one thing I was good at besides martial arts, it was this.

"As the heir of the Byeok Clan Sword Sect, I command you—step back."

My voice and gaze carried a heavy authority.

"Yes, young master."

Unable to disobey, Gwangdu quietly stepped back.

I turned to Seo Joong and spoke in the same tone.

"I'll handle this matter myself. Please watch until the end."

Seo Joong stared at me blankly for a moment, then slowly bowed his head.

"Sword Captain Seo Joong obeys your command."

The swordsmen of the Byeok clan were visibly shocked.

Seo Joong had never treated Byeok Ridan with such respectful formality before—

let alone spoken words like "I obey your command."

Caught off guard, the swordsmen instinctively bowed their heads, following Seo Joong's lead.

Yang Gikang mockingly mimicked my tone.

"As the heir of the Byeok Sword Sect, I command you! Ugh, damn. Say that twice and I might just die of fear. You childish little shit—keep acting like a clown. Hahaha."

He looked around at the Yangso-bang warriors as if to say Am I right?

A few forced awkward smiles.

I spoke firmly, like issuing a final warning.

"If you wipe it up with that filthy mouth, it'll just make the floor dirtier. Forget it. I'll give you one chance. If you apologize properly, I'll let it go."

Of course, I knew he'd never apologize.

Still, I threw the offer out there—for the record.

So I could say, later on, that I had given him a way out.

"And if I refuse?"

"Then you'll get beaten."

Yang Gikang sneered and stepped toward me.

"Let's see what kind of great skills the mighty heir of the Byeok Sword Sect has. Perfect—do you know how long I've been waiting for this day? You penniless beggar bastard! I'll turn you into a cripple, so you can go beg on the streets!"

Before his last word even finished, he suddenly lunged at me with a punch.

Naturally, there was no way I'd get hit by a punch like that.

He wasn't even worth using my martial arts on.

Each blow was powerful enough to leave a deep, bruised welt.

Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham!

My fists showed no mercy.

I aimed for his body more than his face—less obvious on the surface, but far more damaging underneath.

You need to know this.

The things you did as a joke left scars those children will carry for life.

But even if someone told you a hundred times, you'd never understand.

That's why you're getting beaten.

Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham!

By the time the Yangso-bang warriors came running and managed to pull us apart, the bastard was already a wreck—beaten so badly he'd need months of recovery just to dress himself.

Honestly, I wanted to break him even more.

But that would've been going too far.

"What do you think you're doing?!"

shouted the Yangso-bang's commanding officer.

I answered calmly.

"Didn't you see it all from the start? What that bastard did? Telling someone to clean spit off the floor with their mouth? Is that something a human does?"

At that, the man fell silent.

So did the other Yangso-bang warriors.

Even they were too ashamed to lift their heads.

Yang Gikang, twisted in pain, glared at me—his vicious eyes now brimming with killing intent.

"Kill him! Kill that bastard! That's an order!"

The subordinate who received the command looked flustered—clearly not expecting an order to actually kill someone.

At that moment, Seo Joong stepped forward from our side.

"Young Master Yang is giving that order in a state of agitation. You'd do well to ignore it—

think carefully about the consequences it might bring."

As he spoke, he placed a hand on his sword.

It was a warning—any rash moves would not go unanswered on our side.

The atmosphere grew tense, as if swords might be drawn at any second.

Even if the martial prowess on both sides was evenly matched, we clearly had the upper hand in spirit and momentum.

And we had the moral high ground, too.

Eventually, the Yangso-bang man stepped back.

"Senior, you're right."

Even without Seo Joong's intervention, no one could simply kill the heir of the Byeok Clan Sword Sect.

This was now a matter for the clan leaders to settle.

Just then, Yang Gikang shoved away the hands supporting him.

Clang!

He couldn't hold it in any longer and drew his sword, charging straight at me.

"No!"

Seo Joong shouted, but by then, the bastard's sword was already flying toward my chest.

Swish—

To the spectators, it looked like a moment of deadly tension, but to me, it was a laughable struggle.

Even if he had five years' worth of internal energy, I was once the man who stood at the pinnacle of the martial world.

Again, I easily dodged the sword, then—

Crack.

I mercilessly twisted his arm.

"Aaargh!"

As his arm broke, he screamed.

Everyone around recoiled in shock at the sight of his dangling limb, but my assault didn't stop there.

With a slanted strike, I brought my foot down on his knee.

Crunch!

His leg snapped like bamboo.

Bone burst through flesh, blood splattered.

"Aaaaaargh!"

Despite the agonizing scream he let out, my hands remained cold.

Smack! Smack! Smack! Smack! Smack!

I slapped his cheeks in rapid succession.

Broken teeth flew in all directions.

Not just one or two—but over a dozen were shattered completely.

Thud!

With the final blow driving into his stomach, the bastard collapsed on the spot.

From an injury that might've needed a month or two to heal, it had now turned into one that would take several years of recovery.

And still, I had shown mercy.

If this had been the old me, I would've killed him without hesitation.

The incident had happened so fast that the Yangso Clan's warriors hadn't even had time to react.

Only afterward did they start scrambling—check his pressure points, call a physician, inform the Clan Master, guard all the exits—they were flustered and scattered in chaos.

The first person to run up to me was Gwangdu.

With a face full of panic, he leaned in and hissed under his breath, just loud enough for me to hear.

"Are you crazy?! What do you think you're doing picking a fight with the Yangso Clan?! What now?!"

His worried expression looked like he might burst into tears at any moment.

He didn't even have time to thank me—he was far too frantic.

"You need to get out of here first. Leave the aftermath to the head of the house. If Lord Yang comes out and sees this, we're in serious trouble! Hurry!"

"No."

"Why not?!"

"Because if I leave now, they'll come after you instead."

Gwangdu flinched at that moment.

He knew full well it would come to that.

After all, everything had started because I stepped in to stop him from being humiliated.

"You're a little touched, aren't you?"

"Now's not the time for jokes! Please, just go!"

"Too late for that."

I jerked my chin toward the back.

In the distance, the building doors opened, and out came my father and Yang Gicheol.

"Don't worry. When I die, I'll make sure they bury you with me."

Gwangdu dropped to the ground with a groan and muttered to himself,

"…So all that memory loss was an act, wasn't it? You pulled all this just to start a massive mess. Just to stress me to death."