Chapter 150 : I'll Be the Older Brother

“Hyaaaak!”

Beomgang, who had suddenly come to his senses, sat up with a short scream.

He fumbled with his body and then looked around.

The world was dark, and trees and bushes grew thick around him.

And in front of him, a large bonfire was illuminating the surroundings.

“What… happened?”

He touched the back of his head and tried to recall his faint memories.

“I’m sure…”

Beomgang.

His real name was actually Igang.

Beom Utae, who had met Igang by chance one day, had noticed that Igang had outstanding martial talent.

After that, Igang became a disciple and the one and only son to Beom Utae, who had no children.

Thus, Igang changed his name to Beomgang and did his best to learn Beom Utae’s martial arts.

Then one day, Beomgang came face to face with his master, who was deeply wounded.

Beom Utae, who was dying from a deep sword wound, stretched out his blood-stained hand to give him his final lesson, saying that he had no time.

“There’s… no time… the wound on my body… will soon… kill me.”

“Father! Even now, the wound…!!”

Beomgang could tell.

That the sword wound that cut deep across Beom Utae’s chest was by no means a wound that could be treated.

“Hurry… sit down! I will perform… a body-to-body energy transfer on you!”

Beomgang sat down in a cross-legged position, holding back his tears, for his master’s final lesson.

Beom Utae transferred his final internal energy to Beomgang.

The body-to-body energy transfer proceeded smoothly.

But a problem arose.

The deep wound was eating away at Beom Utae’s life force faster than expected.

And at an unexpected moment.

Beom Utae, who had not been able to finish the body-to-body energy transfer, had closed his eyes in the middle of it.

Because of this, Beom Utae’s true ki, which was out of control, began to run rampant in Beomgang’s body.

The true ki swept through everything, destroying Beomgang’s pressure points, and in the process, a large amount of true ki rushed into his Dazhui point.

Kwang—!!

With a roar like a thunderclap exploding, Beomgang lost consciousness.

***

“…”

Beomgang, who had opened his eyes, felt strange.

First of all, his body was very light.

This was like.

“I feel like I’ve undergone a marrow cleansing.”

His body was light, as if all the turbid energy accumulated in his pressure points had been washed away, and the movement of ki and blood flowing through his pressure points was also very active.

Beomgang, who had naturally closed his eyes and checked his body, opened his eyes wide.

“Hm!?”

In fact, most of the turbid energy accumulated in his body could no longer be felt.

Could it be that he had really undergone a marrow cleansing?

This was a change that could be compared to the metamorphosis that only masters who had broken through the wall of the transcendent level could experience.

“Hooooo—!”

Beomgang, who had finished a short circulation of ki, breathing deeply, felt the flow of a powerful energy throughout his body.

At the same time, faint memories flooded into his mind like a surging wave.

“Ugh!”

He put his hand on his forehead and furrowed his brow.

Memories that he had not been aware of came to mind sequentially.

‘Master passed away… did he pass away after finishing my marrow cleansing? But why did I do that?’

If the body-to-body energy transfer and the marrow cleansing had ended successfully.

Why he had been so gluttonous, like a beggar from the Beggars' Sect who had starved for months.

Why he had acted like a fool and followed the mountain bandits, acting like their limbs.

There was nothing he could understand.

‘And who is this fellow.’

What appeared in his last memory was a handsome young man.

The man with long black hair had a handsome appearance that was surprising even to Beomgang.

And above all, he was strong.

‘No matter how out of my mind I was… to dodge the Tyrant Emperor’s Swift Heat Fist so easily.’

That man was as nimble as a loach in a mudflat.

And he was strong.

“It might be thanks to that man that I’ve come to my senses.”

“You’re awake?”

At the man’s voice coming from the side, Beomgang was startled and stood up.

‘I didn’t feel his presence!’

Beomgang stared at the man with a wary gaze.

Nevertheless, the man did not seem to care much.

He brought the hay piled up on the cart and fed it to the yellow bull.

“That’s a relief. I thought you would never wake up because I touched something I shouldn’t have.”

“Ahem. Well… I wasn’t in my right mind at that time. It seems that your handiwork, by coincidence, brought me to my senses.”

Beomgang did not remember that Jin Sohyun had cleared his blocked Dazhui point.

No, it was natural that he didn't remember.

Because at that time, Beomgang was unconscious.

“Thank you. I am Beomgang, the one and only disciple of the Fist King, Beom Utae, who is one of the Five Great Masters of the Central Plains.”

“Yeah. I’m Jin Sohyun. I’m glad you’ve come to your senses.”

“Haha. By the way, where were you taking me?”

“It’s nothing much, we were on our way to the government office.”

‘Was it to find my family?’

Beomgang said with a bitter expression.

“Unfortunately, I have no family. He wasn’t my biological father, but after my master, whom I considered a father, passed away… I became alone again.”

“That’s unfortunate. But it’ll be okay. I heard the prisons at the government offices are well-equipped these days.”

“The prisons at the government offices?”

“Yeah.”

“The prison… why?”

“If you’ve committed a crime, you have to go to prison. Even if you weren’t in your right mind, it’s a fact that you committed a crime. Besides, who knows if you were really not in your right mind or if you were just pretending?”

Jin Sohyun was planning to put Beomgang in prison.

Because he was worried that if he let him go, he would cause trouble here and there again.

Beomgang jumped off the cart he was riding on.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t do that.”

“No. You can.”

“The reason I committed a crime when I wasn’t in my right mind was purely because I was deceived and used by those mountain bandits.”

Jin Sohyun glared at Beomgang with half-closed eyes.

Beomgang, who felt the light of suspicion still lingering in his eyes, let out a deep sigh.

“I don’t want to use force on someone who can be called my benefactor, so please go back. On the day I follow in my master’s footsteps and become one of the Five Great Masters of the Central Plains, I will find you and repay you for today.”

“Stop talking nonsense and get on. Before I tie up your limbs and take you.”

“Ha!”

Beomgang found it ridiculous.

Although he had been defeated by Jin Sohyun, that was only because he had not been in his right mind.

Moreover, now he had washed away the turbid energy and even harbored a vast internal energy.

Now, no one among his peers could defeat him.

“I’ve said it time and again, but I’m not so rude as to use force on my benefactor. So please go back.”

“I thought we could talk since you’ve come to your senses… but this is tiring in its own way.”

Jin Sohyun was genuinely tired.

He wanted to return to the Jin Clan estate as soon as possible and rest comfortably, but now this glutton was the problem.

“Sigh. Let’s finish this quickly. I’m tired and annoyed.”

“If you’re going to be like that, then I have no choice.”

Beomgang, who had approached, stomping his feet quickly, threw a fist.

Of course, it was not a fist strike with all his might.

It was just for intimidation, and it was aimed not at Jin Sohyun, but behind him.

Beomgang’s fist strike, which stretched out valiantly, cutting through the wind, shattered an innocent tree.

Kwaang—!!

With a roar, Jin Sohyun’s brow furrowed slightly.

‘He must be surprised.’

Beomgang, seeing Jin Sohyun who did not move at all in front of the Tyrant Emperor’s Swift Heat Fist, mistakenly thought that he was frozen and couldn't even react.

Of course, the reason Jin Sohyun did not move was because he knew that his fist strike was not aimed at him.

“You’re probably doing this because you’re confident you beat me. But the me of yesterday and the me of now are completely different people… kek!”

At the dizzying pain he felt at the top of his head, Beomgang twisted his whole body like a worm.

It was a pain as if his skull was splitting in half.

“Keuk! How dare this bastard!”

Beomgang glared at Jin Sohyun, who was holding his fist tightly, with teary eyes.

“Listen when I’m being nice.”

“Do you know who I am!”

There was no longer any need or reason to go easy on him.

Beomgang stepped on his footwork, rushed at Jin Sohyun, and performed a series of fist techniques.

Still, he couldn't kill his benefactor, so he held back in his hand-to-hand combat.

‘One or two bones might break, but you brought this upon yourself!’

Beomgang’s fists rushed in fiercely.

They contained a speed and precision that could not be compared to when he was not in his right mind.

Nevertheless, Jin Sohyun was not particularly worried.

‘The martial art itself hasn’t changed.’

It had just become a little faster and more precise.

The martial art had not changed.

In that case, it was not difficult to dodge the fist technique that he had already adapted to.

Jin Sohyun dodged Beomgang’s attacks with minimal movement.

“Iik!”

As his fists showed no sign of reaching Jin Sohyun, Beomgang even felt a sense of frustration.

‘What’s going on!?’

Is he reading my thoughts?

If not, is he looking ahead?

As if he were seeing the future, Jin Sohyun dodged Beomgang’s fists in advance and rather came into Beomgang’s bosom.

Soon after, Jin Sohyun’s hand suddenly came forward.

The speed was so fast that Beomgang momentarily felt as if Jin Sohyun’s right hand had become transparent.

A strong flick followed.

Ttaak—!!

“Aak!”

Beomgang, who was hit in the forehead, staggered.

He couldn't come to his senses due to the shock, as if his entire brain was shaking.

Following that, Jin Sohyun’s angry voice was heard.

“I!”

Thwack!

As Beomgang, who was hit in the thigh, collapsed on the spot, Jin Sohyun’s kick came toward him.

“Even though you were hanging out with mountain bandits and plundering villages!”

Whoosh—! Thwack—! Thwack!!

“Ugh! St-stop!”

“Even though I let you go and told you to go to the government office on your own!”

Beomgang, who was being beaten like a dog on a hot day by the angry Jin Sohyun’s kicks, flailed his two arms to live.

“I… I was wrong! Stop, stop! It hurts! It hurts!”

“Then will you go to prison quietly?”

“Th-that’s…”

“You don’t want to?”

As Jin Sohyun raised his foot again, Beomgang’s face turned pale.

If he was beaten any more here, not only would his body hurt, but his pride would be greatly damaged.

But now was not the time to stand on his pride.

“Listen to me. I am the one and only disciple of the Fist King. If I am imprisoned in a government office prison, I will bring shame to my master’s name and face!”

“Then you shouldn’t have committed a crime.”

“You’re right about everything! But please forgive me for the prison. I will definitely atone for my sins!”

“Hmm…”

A sense of sincerity could be seen in Beomgang’s desperate face.

Having no choice, Jin Sohyun withdrew his foot and let out a deep sigh.

“Hoo.”

Jin Sohyun contemplated.

Beomgang was not a strong fellow, so he wouldn't cause a big problem, but he wasn't very weak either.

In terms of strength alone, he could be compared to Jong Ryeo'ak or Hyeok’ugun, who were playing a major role in the Blue Dragon Daoist Temple.

As Jin Sohyun was contemplating what to do, he patted his shoulder.

“I’ll let you go. But don’t cause trouble and don’t bother people. If you get caught doing bad things by me, then I’ll really tie up your limbs and throw you into the Martial Alliance’s prison.”

“Yes! Of course!”

“Then go now.”

Jin Sohyun let Beomgang go and got on the cart.

Now that he had gotten rid of Beomgang, who was nothing but a burden, it was time to go home.

“I’ve been moving too diligently lately, unlike myself.”

Jin Sohyun, who was grumbling and lying down on the hay, lowered his head.

There, Beomgang was standing blankly.

“What?”

“Let’s go together.”

Beomgang, who had stealthily climbed onto the cart, said with an awkward face.

“I have no money, and I have nowhere to go.”

“…”

“And since this is also fate, how about we become sworn brothers? Haha! I was beaten by you now, but in a little while, I will become a master who will make a name for himself as one of the Five Great Masters of the Central Plains! There’s nothing wrong with having such a master as a sworn brother, is there?”

“I don’t need it.”

“You don’t have to refuse! It seems I’m older than you, so I’ll be the older brother!”

Beomgang was a more shameless man than he thought.

As if he had an iron plate on his face, he smiled well with his bruised face, as if nothing had happened.

Jin Sohyun, who didn't even want to argue anymore, lay down as he was.

‘When we get home, let’s just give him some money and send him away.’

Jin Sohyun, who really didn't want to do anything anymore, closed his eyes.

“Hwanggu, let’s go.”

Moo—!

The oxcart carrying Jin Sohyun and Beomgang began to move slowly along the main road.

***

“The surveillance on me has increased even more.”

Bieunggaek, who was chewing on dried jerky and lying on his back on the floor instead of the bed, frowned.

“Is it time to leave soon?”

Ok Myeon did not openly suspect him.

In the first place, the recipe for the Formless Earth Killing Poison he had handed over was real.

So Ok Myeon could not easily touch Bieunggaek.

But.

‘About fifteen?’

Hidden assassins were monitoring Bieunggaek’s every move.

Of course, their stealth skills could not avoid Bieunggaek’s eyes.

Nevertheless, the reason they were openly placing surveillance was for a silent threat.

“It must mean not to move recklessly.”

But it didn't matter.

In any case, he had found all the major branches of the Hao Sect, and since it was meaningless to cut off the minor branches, there was no need to find them.

Nevertheless, the reason Bieunggaek was staying in the Hao Sect, risking danger, was because there was one last piece of information he had to find out.

“The Blood-Sucking Sword Demon, Ma Seongun.”

The number of masters of the Central Plains he had killed was not one or two.

Bieunggaek, looking at Ma Seongun’s name, felt a sense of unease for some reason.

Moreover, fortunately, the evil scheme of the Poison Sect and the Hao Sect had been thwarted by a man in black, and Bieunggaek had been able to deduce without much difficulty that that man in black was Jin Sohyun.

‘Only that fellow can show such eccentric behavior… so the fact that he lost his martial arts was a trick.’

Now that he knew that Jin Sohyun was alive and well.

Bieunggaek had to do what he had to do as a master.

And that was to find out about Ma Seongun.

And if he was judged to be a person who could be a threat to Jin Sohyun in the future.

“I’ll have to kill that bastard, no matter what it takes.”

Bieunggaek’s two eyes quietly sank.

(End of Chapter)