Chapter 91. The Entire World is My Home (12)
So Geom-Rak felt himself sober up a little.
"Ha! Haha! Hahahahaha!"
He suddenly smiled and slowly looked back at Woo-Moon
“You’re pretty strong, aren’t you, kid? How fun, really, how fun! Then, I should get a little serious now, too. Right?”
He finally drew his saber out of its scabbard without any hesitation. His favorite long saber, Midnight Moon, finally made its appearance. Its long, thin, and oddly-shaped blade was eye-catching.
Even in the midst of the gentle lamps of the brothel, the steel of the saber was matte, almost as if it were just some ordinary unpolished metal cutlery.
The moment So Geom-Rak circulated his qi, the drunkenness that had taken over his mind disappeared.
Shing!
In response, Woo-Moon also drew his sword.
As if they had both reached an agreement in advance, the two men rushed forward at the same time using their respective movement techniques.
So Geom-Rak attacked first with his long saber. However, Woo-Moon simply sidestepped, and So Geom-Rak’s attack cut through empty air. Woo-Moon, whose Divine Phantasm Steps had already reached the eighth level by now, couldn’t be touched by this level of skill.
Woo-Moon shortened the distance in an instant!
The tip of his sword quivered as it flew toward So Geom-Rak in an erratic and violent pattern, as if the blade was writing the name of the technique in the air.
Raging Wind!
It only took an instant for So Geom-Rak’s expression to shift from conceit to surprise and then to embarrassment. Woo-Moon’s Raging Wind wasn’t just fast; it also moved extremely irregularly. It was impossible to know when or where it would change directions.
So Geom-Rak had never experienced something like this in his life.
He didn’t know where to look or how to respond! He couldn’t even figure out where the sword was aiming.
However, Raging Wind still blew over to him, leaving him no time to think.
“Tsk!”
Clang!!!
Midnight Moon moved three times, fast enough to take one’s breath away. However, even at that speed, he was barely able to keep up with the irregular movements of Raging Wind.
‘It’s not only fast, but it has such strange transformations!’
So Geom-Rak barely blocked the first blow. However, that was to be expected, as Woo-Moon didn’t think this would have been solved in a single clash.
‘One more time! Raging Wind!’
Woo-Moon’s Raging Wind took center stage.
The second time, the technique seemed to have become even more subversive than the first, and Woo-Moon’s blade flew at So Geom-Rak with the determination to break and cleave through anything.
‘Damn it!’
While cursing inwardly, So Geom-Rak hurriedly raised Midnight Moon, blocking Woo-Moon’s descending sword from cleaving through his left shoulder.
However, that was not where things ended
Riip!
Woo-Moon’s sword swept in an unexpected direction and cut a long gash across So Geom-Rak's abdomen. Fortunately, he was able to avoid any serious injuries by hastily bending over backward. However, his clothes and skin were cut.
‘Here we go again! Try this!’
Without stopping, Woo-Moon used Raging Wind for a third time. This time, So Geom-Rak gave up on defending against it and just rolled across the ground.
His clothes, face, and hair were covered in dirt.
One of the most shameful things a martial artist could do was roll on the ground to avoid an opponent’s attack. However, So Geom-Rak had used precisely that shameful move.
The Lazy Donkey Roll!
Blood flowed from So Geom-Rak’s clenched fist. His mind seemed to swirl with anger and shame.
‘He used the same technique three times! That must be the only thing he can do. Fine, use it again! No matter how great a technique it is, I refuse to let it beat me a third time!’
Contrary to what So Geom-Rak thought, Woo-Moon had already decided to use Heavy Rain the moment he finished using Raging Wind for the third time. As So Geom-Rak tried to think about how to deal with Raging Wind, the tip of Woo-Moon’s sword pointed at the sky.
And then, it descended.
A rain of neverending swords!
So Geom-Rak’s eyes widened so wide it seemed as if they would tear at the seams as he watched the endless sword rain descend before his eyes.
‘H-he still had a sword technique like this?!’
Just Raging Wind had been so frightening and indecipherable that it made his stomach churn. However, before his eyes, he could see another exquisite sword technique that wasn’t inferior in any way to the one before.
So Geom-Rak could swear that he had never even heard of a rumor that such a sword technique existed.
Still, he refused to lose like this! No, he couldn’t lose like this!
As So Geom-Rak’s saber resonated, a clear saber qi wrapped around Midnight Moon like armor.
‘I have to block it. Myriad Demon Execution Saber!’
It was the best among the martial techniques he had learned!
Imbued with all the qi he could muster, Midnight Moon slashed forward, leaving behind a long trail of saber qi.
The two wide-area attacks, Heavy Rain and Myriad Demon Execution Saber, clashed as one slashed to cleave the heavens while the other descended from the heavens.
Clang, clang, clang, clang!
Vivid sparks flew as sharp metallic sounds rang out through the dark and quiet street.
‘I can stop it... I have to stop it!’ So Geom-Rak thought.
However, his full-force Myriad Demon Execution Saber couldn’t block the rain that seemed to never end.
The moment when the divinely descending sword was about to cleave So Geom-Rak in half, Woo-Moon turned his blade and just smacked his head with the flat of his sword.
Bonk!
So Geom-Rak momentarily lost consciousness due to the shock.
However, Woo-Moon’s Heavy Rain didn’t end with a single blow. If it was about beating someone with the flat of one’s blade, there was no better art than Heavy Rain.
Bonk, bonk, bonk, bonk!
Woo-Moon had mastered six techniques of the Gentle Celestial Sword: Raging Wind, Heavy Rain, Raging Storm, North Wind, Cold Snow, and Impenetrable Golden Wall.
However, he had only used two to defeat So Geom-Rak, who was close to reaching the Transcendent Class. Moreover, he hadn’t even used all of his strength, either.
In an instant, his opponent was filled with bloody bruises everywhere.
Hong Mae’s cold expression gradually began to waver, and tears soon started flowing from her eyes.
“Stop hitting him!” she screamed, running forward and covering So Geom-Rak’s body with her own. “T-there’s no need to go this far!”
Woo-Moon had already guessed something like this would happen.
He shrugged his shoulders as if there was nothing he could do, sheathed his sword, and stepped back.
“Fine, let’s end this here, then.”
Woo-Moon hadn’t really wrecked So Geom-Rak. If he had taken it seriously, So Geom-Rak’s head would have been crushed by the first attack, and the man would have died even if Woo-Moon had used the flat of his blade.
He had just hit his opponent with moderate force, inflicting just enough damage to make it look horrendous. So Geom-Rak would be right as rain after resting for a couple of days, but from the outside, he looked as if he had been beaten within an inch of his life.
Hong Mae, the courtesan of the Red House, was not terribly pretty by any standard, but she was kind-hearted and had the voice of an angel. She held So Geom-Rak in her arms as tears streamed down her face.
“Are you okay? Does it hurt?”
So Geom-Rak responded with a smile, "Hahaha. It doesn't hurt at all now that you’re hugging me like this. If I had known this was all it would take, I would have gotten beaten up a long time ago.”
Tears welled up in Hong Mae's eyes.
“You foolish, idiotic, stupid man! Why do you keep coming even after I rejected you? Why can’t you forget me? We don’t suit each other in any way. I’m just an ugly courtesan, I cannot...”
“I think we suit each other perfectly. A foolish and stupid idiot needs a woman like you, Hong Mae, someone who is warm-hearted, wise, and has a more beautiful singing voice than anyone else.”
The extremely sensitive girls of the Distinguished Swords had tears in their eyes even though they didn’t know the full story, while Ma-Ra frowned slightly.
“Weird. Gives me goosebumps. Am sick.”
Woo-Moon nodded sharply in response.
“It’s not weird, I feel the exact same way as you.”
The boys of the Distinguished Swords limped and stood behind Woo-Moon.
Fortunately, much like Woo-Moon, So Geom-Rak hadn’t used much force, so they all seemed like they would be fine soon.
“Are you feeling better? Can we go now?”
Seeing So Geom-Rak being beaten by Woo-Moon made them feel a little better, while finding out that So Geom-Rak really did have a close relationship with Hong Mae made them understand why the man had acted the way he had.
Woo-Moon walked out the brothel’s door with a yawn.
“What a love story! Transcending the social statuses of the son of a noble family and a courtesan! I could write a novel about something like this.”
Although the Distinguished Sword girls wanted to watch things develop a little more, they had no choice but to turn and follow Woo-Moon when they saw him move to return to the inn.
At that time, So Geom-Rak suddenly hit the ground with both hands.
“Wait a moment!”
Startled, Hong Mae quickly helped So Geom-Rak stand as Woo-Moon looked back.
“What?”
“... Please tell me your name. I am So Geom-Rak.”
“Song Woo-Moon.”
Some of the Distinguished Swords heard the name So Geom-Rak and were surprised. However, they soon shook their heads, thinking there was no way it was the person they were thinking about.
Meanwhile, So Geom-Rak nodded his head after Woo-Moon’s response before calling out again.
“Good, good. Then, big brother, I have a favor to ask!”
The way So Geom-Rak referred to Woo-Moon somehow shifted from “kid” to “big brother,” yet there wasn’t even a hint of shame on his face.
“What is it?”
“Please lend me five hundred taels!”
“Oi, aren’t you kinda shameless? Five hundred taels isn’t a small amount of money. And weren’t you cursing left and right just a moment ago?”
“Isn’t that what life is supposed to be like? Fighting before comradery? Please help me. If you lend me just five hundred taels, I’ll definitely pay you back more!”
For some reason, Woo-Moon didn’t feel like So Geom-Rak was an eyesore. He grinned.
“It’s the cost to free Hong Mae from the brothel, right?”
“Yes. My family hasn’t given me a single crumb since they found out I planned to do this.”
‘Wait a second.... He needs five hundred taels? Why, that’s awfully convenient!’
Coincidentally, the Baek Family had given Woo-Moon exactly five hundred taels as travel expenses. With that in mind, Woo-Moon instantly began to hatch a devious plan.
He nonchalantly drew five bank notes from his pocket and threw them forward.
“Pay me double in the future. No matter what,” Woo-Moon said, putting emphasis on the last words.
Seeing Woo-Moon lending him such a large amount of money without even blinking, So Geom-Rak bit his lip and shouted with firm resolve.
“I am So Geom-Rak of the Hegemon Clan! I will never forget this grace, big brother!”
‘The Hegemon Clan!’
Among the three great forces that held authority in the gangho, this clan was the one closest to the Evil Faction.
“The third young master of the Hegemon Clan!”
“The Drunken Moonfall Saber So Geom Rak!
The Distinguished Swords shouted in shock, realizing that this man was, in fact, the one they were thinking of when they heard the name. With that, Woo-Moon also found out his real identity. He felt much better now—not only had he handled a future thorn in their side, but he had also shot another rabbit with the same arrow, hehehe.
“Well, I see. I’m Song Woo-Moon of the Baek Family,” Woo-Moon said before quickly departing from the brothel along with Ma-Ra and Eun-Ah.
The reason they were even going to the Justice Coalition right now was to resolve the dispute with the Hegemon Clan through a series of spars. Thus, the Distinguished Swords glanced over at So Geom-Rak with a bewildered expression before hurriedly following Woo-Moon.
So Geom-Rak shook his head with a bitter smile.
“The frog in the well turned out to be me. I never thought that there would be such a strong person in the younger generation. The Iron Sword Baek Family... is this them marking that they’re still kicking after producing the Palm Martial Emperor?”
***
The next morning, as they departed from the inn, Woo-Moon hinted to the others about their next steps.
“We need to save some money from now on. We’ll only be eating noodles for meals now.”
The Distinguished Swords were shocked by his words.
“Huh? Why?”
“Didn’t the elders give us money for travel expenses? Wait, there’s no way...”
As Jeong-Woo started to have an ominous feeling, Woo-Moon nonchalantly responded, “We only have a couple of taels left. I gave all of the money I received from the elders to So Geom-Rak when we left last night.”
They all had thought that the money he had given So Geom-Rak was from his personal savings. As it turned out, it was their money.
“This is too far, Uncle!”
“We have so many mouths to feed; what can we do with a couple of taels?! What do you plan on doing?”
“I mean, I understand the situation last night, but how could you do this?”
As he faced the very justified anger of his peers, Woo-Moon’s back was instantly soaked in sweat.
Of course, it wasn’t that Woo-Moon had no money; he still had the three hundred taels that Si-Hyeon had given him before leaving. However, he knew he wasn’t allowed to tell them that, as he still had a role to play—namely, to guide them down the path of a homeless wanderer.
Seeing the resentment in their eyes, Woo-Moon cried in his heart.
‘Damn it. Why do I have to be the target of their anger? Hmpf.’
“W-well, what did you expect me to do in that situation? You guys won’t be able to grow your mindset if you act like that. We’re the Righteous Faction. Aren’t we supposed to help others? Plus, he’s going to pay us back double later! Then, I’ll give each of you a hundred taels. Wouldn’t we be making a profit? Ah... hahaha.”
“I’m sure, but that will be then and this is right now!”
“Who cares? Whatever. I don’t know anything anymore,” Woo-Moon said, covering his ears and walking forward as the Distinguished Swords followed him, grumbling.