“Th-this…?!”
Crash bang!
Tables shattered and all sorts of furnishings flew through the air.
Do Wigyeong, who had wanted to show an exemplary response when facing an incomprehensible reality, fainted.
That wasn’t all.
The servers fled through the back door with cries of “Oh my!” while the cooks hurriedly hid in the kitchen.
The problem was the Mad Demon Squad members filling the second and third floors.
“Wh-what? A real fight?”
“Aaaah! Is Squad Leader really going at it with the Third Young Master?!”
“We’re fucked!”
Though rough, they all knew their normally quite benevolent Squad Leader became the world’s number one madwoman once she snapped.
How else could they confidently say Wi Hong-ryeon was the most suitable person for the squad’s name among all Mad Demon Squad leaders in history?
Even so, this is too much!
They never imagined she’d fight one of the Cult Leader’s disciples and potential successor candidates. That temperament that cursed even at the Nine Great Demonic Elders hadn’t gone anywhere.
“Kraaah!”
Wi Hong-ryeon’s face was truly a sight to behold.
One eye swollen shut and hair disheveled.
Seo Ryang snickered.
“A real madwoman indeed.”
Whoosh!
Wi Hong-ryeon charged.
Though Purple-Eyebrowed Tower was spacious, it was still a tavern. To charge with all her might in such a place – she truly couldn’t see anything anymore.
Seo Ryang’s eyes flashed.
Fast.
Different from before she took those few hits. As she ran with her Azure Jade Demonic Arts[1] raised to the extreme, broken furnishings flew in all directions.
Whoosh!
Wi Hong-ryeon’s eyes gleamed.
Her deliberately thrown punch was blocked by Seo Ryang’s hand. Quite easily at that.
“Good impact.”
Swoosh!
As soon as he finished speaking, her leg came up. A strike aimed at his jaw from the upper right.
A kicking technique emphasizing speed and sharpness over weight. A superb strike with outstanding single-hit power while also setting up follow-up attacks.
Would you look at that?
To execute such a strike even with anger clouding her judgment. It meant martial arts were embedded in her instincts.
In other words, she was someone who truly knew how to fight.
Their fists and feet moved like mad.
Bang bang bang bang!
Shockwaves created howling winds.
They threw dozens of strikes each capable of destroying stone walls. The intense exchange cracked the floor and crumbled the walls.
Woong!
A fine azure light rose from Wi Hong-ryeon’s fist.
Seo Ryang’s eyes flashed.
Crack!
“Kuk!”
Wi Hong-ryeon’s head snapped to the side.
Sparks flew before her eyes. The kick that impacted her jaw and ear made the demonic qi rising from her hands dissipate.
“Trying to manifest fist energy[2] in this narrow space? Have you lost your mind?”
“Kraaaaaah!”
Whoosh!
Seo Ryang stumbled backward.
But that was all. Wi Hong-ryeon’s mighty strike only made him retreat three steps without causing any damage.
Indeed.
Striking with palms while letting out what might be a lion’s roar or just a beast’s cry, she looked like a mad beast.
She’s quite useful.
Now he understood why the Hong Wi-moon gave her money.
If nothing else, she could be trusted with combat. Though building rapport would be difficult, once achieved she’d be useful in many ways.
Hong Wi-moon, I meant to use her as bait to catch you, but she’s looking more tempting the more I see.
Woong!
Azure light rose from Wi Hong-ryeon’s hands once again.
Seo Ryang frowned.
If only she knew her limits.
Crack!
“Urrrgh!”
The azure light disappeared again.
A peak master of this level wouldn’t have trouble circulating qi just from taking hits. It happened because Seo Ryang’s kicks had shaken her from upper to middle danjeon.
In other words, he could take her down anytime he wanted.
Though half-mad with anger, even she must know this.
“You bastard!”
Bang!
Seo Ryang’s body shook. This strike was quite powerful.
“Are you looking down on me, you son of a bitch?!”
Crash!
Seo Ryang’s body smashed through three tables and was pushed to the wall.
The strongest martial art he’d received so far. Unless going for the kill, it was quite burdensome to just receive such a strike.
As expected.
There’s always a reason something gets called the best. Though it was infamy rather than martial might, that too wasn’t something a powerless organization could achieve.
“…Good.”
Seo Ryang, who was about to loosen his stance and receive another strike, hesitated.
Wi Hong-ryeon’s face, which had been glaring at him, had suddenly become expressionless.
She’s completely lost it.
Just then, Seo Ryang saw Golden Fox sitting by the window, staring blankly at him.
Despite this chaos, the baby fox hadn’t fled but was watching the situation with curious eyes while wagging its body-sized tail.
That fellow, really?
What? When did it get there? Why had he forgotten about it?
Wi Hong-ryeon’s gaze followed Seo Ryang’s to the window.
She frowned.
What’s that?
Though it had been right beside Seo Ryang, she hadn’t noticed it, perhaps too shocked by the sudden appearance of the Third Young Master. That’s why she was surprised to see Golden Fox now.
Whoosh.
She swung her hand.
She was trying to drive it out the window using gentle palm force. Even in her maddened state, she didn’t want to take meaningless life.
Truly a person of proper sense. Though leading an organization infamous throughout the world, she still maintained minimal respect for life.
The problem was how her ‘action’ appeared in Seo Ryang’s eyes…
Flash!
The moment Wi Hong-ryeon’s palm force erupted, Seo Ryang’s body moved like a beam of light.
Bang!
The window frame shattered completely. A hole was punched straight through the sturdy tavern wall.
Even Wi Hong-ryeon was startled by the sudden shockwave. Was my palm force that strong?
Whoosh.
Wood debris and dust fell from the broken ceiling. The unlucky three or four Mad Demon Squad members who happened to be there quickly steadied themselves after leaping to the first floor.
Everyone’s gaze turned toward the window.
Whoosh.
As the incoming wind cleared the dust, they saw Seo Ryang crouched there.
With his back turned, his face wasn’t visible.
Wi Hong-ryeon’s lips twitched.
“Nice reflexes.”
Seo Ryang slowly stood up.
His disheveled hair looked similar to Wi Hong-ryeon’s. Though his back was turned, anyone could tell he was quite roughed up.
Wi Hong-ryeon shouted while wildly punching the air.
“You bastard! Turn around! If you face me half-heartedly again, I’ll kill…”
That’s when it happened.
Crash!
“Young Master! Are you alright?! Young Master! Young…”
Ma Dong-pil, who burst in breaking the first floor door in his urgency, froze in place.
Huh? Huh?
The first floor in chaos. More than half the tables broken and cracks all over the floor. Moreover, the atmosphere was several times more ominous than the scene before him. It was suffocating.
And there was a woman exuding madness, several men, and finally Seo Ryang standing with his back turned before the shattered window.
Wi Hong-ryeon’s eyes stretched upward.
“Who the fuck are you?!”
Ma Dong-pil didn’t even look at her.
“Young Master! Are you alright?!”
“…”
There was no answer from Seo Ryang.
Wi Hong-ryeon, who had been quietly glaring at Ma Dong-pil, suddenly shouted.
“I asked who the fuck you are, bastard!”
“Shut up!”
“What?”
“Do you know who he is while causing this chaos? He’s our Divine Cult’s Third Young Master!”
“So what?!”
“…Huh?”
What are you trying to do?
Ma Dong-pil was momentarily stunned by her ignorant response.
“You know he’s the Third Young Master and still act like this?!”
“Shut up! Stay out of this, you irrelevant bastard!”
Have you ever seen such a madwoman.
Ma Dong-pil’s eyes blazed.
“Mad Demon Squad Leader! Do you want to be executed immediately for blasphemy?”
Swoosh!
Suddenly killing intent poured from all directions. Not Wi Hong-ryeon’s killing intent, but that of the Mad Demon Squad members.
They had held back because the opponent was the Third Young Master, but some nobody wasn’t worthy of such patience. Moreover, blasphemy and immediate execution for their respected Squad Leader?
“What did that bastard just say?”
“Kill him! Rip out his tongue first!”
Rumble!
The surging killing intent caused hallucinations like thunder. Even Ma Dong-pil would struggle to endure the killing intent of two hundred people.
Normally he would have tensely considered retreat.
But not now.
Ma Dong-pil shouted.
“You retards! How dare you exude killing intent!”
Bang!
A shout filled with internal energy.
It was a force field mightier than any squad member present. The current Ma Dong-pil had grown strong enough to be little different from the combat unit commanders of the Inner Palace.
Internal energy and force field worthy of surprise.
But his shout was like pouring oil on a fire.
“Who the fuck are you to make a fuss?!”
“Kill him! Kill him!”
“Chop him to pieces, you dog bastard!”
Rumble!
The killing intent that should have calmed became even more terrible than before.
Even Ma Dong-pil couldn’t help but be flustered at this level.
These crazy bastards!
He’d heard about the Mad Demon Squad, but didn’t expect this level. Anyone with basic sense would understand how serious the situation was, yet these guys were causing even more chaos in such circumstances.
Wi Hong-ryeon glared at Seo Ryang and spoke.
“Boys. Make this new fool disappear.”
“We receive your command!”
Swoosh!
The Mad Demon Squad members poured forth.
They could no longer see anything, dinner gathering or whatever. As they drew their weapons and charged at Ma Dong-pil, sincere killing intent poured from their eyes.
Ma Dong-pil ground his teeth. He realized further dialogue was meaningless.
Shing!
A clean sword draw flowing into swift sword techniques.
It was truly admirable swordsmanship, but there was no one to express admiration.
Clang!
Weapons and three or four Mad Demon Squad members were thrown back.
Making multiple masters retreat with a single sword. It showed Ma Dong-pil’s martial arts had truly reached a high level.
The gap in power shown in a single exchange.
Naturally, it wasn’t even slightly threatening to the Mad Demon Squad members.
“Uwaaaaah!”
“Kill hiiiiim!”
They were truly like a pack of dogs.
Beasts surging forward like waves with reddish eyes gleaming. More frightening than their numbers was their madness united in one mind.
Ma Dong-pil shouted one last time.
“Mad Demon Squad Leader! Do you really want to see this through?!”
It was just an empty shout. He was no longer of interest to Wi Hong-ryeon.
Damn it! In this case, at least Young Master…
Ma Dong-pil turned his head slightly toward Seo Ryang.
His eyes suddenly widened to the point of tearing.
Tsu tsu tsu tsu.
A subtle radiance rose from Seo Ryang’s turned back. Not the usual flame-like red demonic qi, but demonic qi viscous like blood.
Wi Hong-ryeon smiled coldly.
“Finally going to fight properly, you little…”
“Get away!”
This shout couldn’t be ignored. The urgency and fear carried in the voice were too tremendous to disregard.
Wi Hong-ryeon frowned.
“Someone shut his mouth…”
“I said get away! You’ll die!”
“What?”
Bang!
Ma Dong-pil, who had recklessly thrown punches to send two Mad Demon Squad members flying, rushed urgently toward Seo Ryang.
“Young Master! Young Masteeer! Murder is still not…”
Just then, Seo Ryang’s body flashed.
Bang!
A sound intense enough to completely silence the Mad Demon Squad members’ clamor.
Wi Hong-ryeon’s body, spitting blood, flew and crashed through the kitchen. She was hit so hard she couldn’t even scream.
“…This bitch just had to keep pushing.”
Bubble bubble!
Dark shadow demonic qi erupting from his entire body rippled like boiling blood.
Holding the somehow completely unharmed Golden Fox in one arm, Seo Ryang roared like an injured mother tiger.
“You dare touch Golden Fox!!”
Whoosh!
Seo Ryang leaped toward the kitchen at tremendous speed.
And savage sounds rang out.
Bang bang bang! Bang bang!