Chapter 88: Chapter 88
Ja-un endured the pain in his shoulder and thigh, opening his mouth with difficulty.
“…What… is it that you are curious about?”
“First, how did the situation in this city’s back alleys become like this?”
At Jang Geon’s question, Ja-un hesitated for a moment. But looking into Jang Geon’s quiet eyes, he soon let out a small sigh and began speaking,
“…Starting about a month ago, the Martial Alliance Gamsan Branch suddenly ceased all patrols in the back alleys. It was as if they were saying \”do as you please.\””
“Did they give a reason?”
“No. They simply withdrew all Alliance members and closed the branch doors tight. Because of that, the back alley organizations that had been holding back until then began clashing to expand their turf.”
Jang Geon stroked his chin with his thumb.
“The Martial Alliance suddenly stayed silent, and the back alley organizations started clashing…”
“Yes. At first it was simple turf wars, but recently a new organization called Hoe-ryong Gang appeared and began wiping out the existing organizations one by one with overwhelming force.”
“Hoe-ryong Gang?”
“They are a group that suddenly appeared recently. Their leader and deputy leaders are three brothers named Wang, and they operate with extreme cruelty and secrecy. Our Black Blood Gang is currently cornered by them and hiding in our stronghold.”
Jang Geon listened quietly to Ja-un’s explanation.
“Where is Hoe-ryong Gang’s stronghold?”
“…That, even we do not know accurately. Their upper echelon moves so secretively that no one knows where their main base is located.”
“You do not know?”
Jang Geon’s expression chilled slightly. Seeing that, Ja-un hurriedly added,
“B-but our leader Gang Pa-yang might know! He was investigating Hoe-ryong Gang to survive!”
“Then take me to your leader.”
“Pardon? Right now?”
“Is there a reason to delay?”
Ja-un gulped, looking at his elder brother Ja-myeong who was slowly regaining consciousness on the floor. Ja-myeong groaned while clutching his side, looking up at Jang Geon with fear in his eyes.
“Get up. You will carry your brother and guide the way.”
Ja-myeong had no choice but to nod hurriedly. Though his ribs ached terribly from Jang Geon’s kick, he hoisted Ja-un onto his back with strained effort.
Jang Geon finished his liquor, put on his bamboo hat, and picked up his sword resting against the window. He motioned with his chin for them to lead the way.
The two brothers limped out of the special room, leading Jang Geon down the stairs of Great Peace Pavilion.
As they descended to the lower floors, the bustling atmosphere of the courtesan house quieted down in an instant as guests noticed the state of the two brothers.
“Isn’t that the Twin Blood Gauntlet Tigers of the Black Blood Gang?”
“They look like they got beaten to a pulp.”
“Look at them hobbling. They aren’t blood gauntlet tigers, they’re gauntlet hounds!”
Drunken guests snickered and whispered, but Ja-myeong dared not turn back or utter a word of protest under Jang Geon’s silent presence behind him.
At the entrance of Great Peace Pavilion, Gwan-ryang and Jang A-yeong watched them leave. Gwan-ryang looked worriedly at Jang Geon.
“Warrior Jang-nim, where are you going?”
“Just stepping out for a moment. Keep an eye on my saddlebags and feed Jojo a carrot.”
Jang Geon tossed a silver coin to Gwan-ryang, who caught it with wide eyes. Jang Geon gave a slight nod to Jang A-yeong and stepped out into the rainy night.
Rain was falling steadily over Gamsan City, washing the muddy streets. Ja-myeong carrying Ja-un led Jang Geon through twisting, narrow back alleys, deeper into the dark underbelly of the city.
After navigating through several dark alleys, they arrived at the rear door of a quiet inn.
Ja-myeong knocked on the rear door firmly. A small peep-window opened, and a suspicious eye peered out.
“It’s me, open up!” Ja-myeong called out.
The door opened, and Ja-myeong carried Ja-un inside, with Jang Geon following close behind.
Inside was a large courtyard-style inn, but instead of regular guests, it was filled with armed men of the Black Blood Gang. The windows were boarded up, and the atmosphere was tense and dreary.
Absurd as the story sounded, the Martial Alliance would eventually wipe out Gamsan’s unorthodox factions. For even if a few small thug bands were ignored, a massive unorthodox faction with dozens or hundreds gathered would never be tolerated.
However, Jang Geon didn’t bother pointing that out. He wanted to hear this man’s information, not change his thinking.
“So, the Martial Alliance branch is silent for unknown reasons, the Imperial Army pulled back from Gamsan a while ago, and the back alley organizations that fought furiously until recently are currently being dominated by the out-of-line Hoe-ryong Gang. And that’s why instead of deploying forces they can’t spare, you two came to handle me fast and secretively. Is that right?”
Ja-un nodded blankly at Jang Geon’s clean summary.
“…Correct. That is… all of it.”
“Not all of it. Where is the main base of those Hoe-ryong Gang guys?”
“Hoe-ryong Gang’s main base?”
Ja-un’s blank expression didn’t change.
“…Even I don’t know that?”
“Why don’t you know? You said they’re the most dangerous guys right now.”
Cold sweat dripped down his blank face.
“That’s… because their leadership moves extremely secretively. If we could find their main base, the other back alley organizations would have united and struck them first. Those guys grew too fast. But no matter how many kids we sent out, they only returned as corpses without finding Hoe-ryong Gang’s main base. Why do you think we’re gathered in one place holding out?”
Jang Geon’s expression hardened slightly.
“You really don’t know?”
Seeing that change in expression, cold sweat poured down Ja-un’s face *jureureuk*. He stammered with fluttering lips, then seeing Jang Geon’s face lose all expression, he spoke hastily,
“The leader, the leader might know! At least he will have clues!”
“Is that so? Then I must go to your leader.”
“P-pardon?”
Squatting in front of Ja-un, Jang Geon stood up from his spot, approached goatee Ja-myeong who was still out of it, and kicked his ribs *peok-peok*. Thereupon, whether from that pain, Ja-myeong groaned *eok-eok* and regained consciousness, sitting up.
“Wh-what is this…?”
“Explain. This guy carries you on his back and takes us to your organization’s leader.”
Jang Geon spoke thus to Ja-myeong who was looking at him blankly, and walked toward the open window. And while walking, his hand searched his chest fold and adeptly rolled a cigarette. Lighting it with his index finger, Jang Geon blew smoke while looking out the open window at the street. A damp smell came from outside. It seemed night rain would fall.
* * *
When Jang Geon, wearing his bamboo hat and sword, descended to the first floor leading the Black Blood Gang’s Ja brothers, the courtesan house went quiet in an instant. Ja-myeong carrying Ja-un on his back hastily lowered his head to hide his face, but drinkers who had already identified them began whispering.
“Aren’t those two… the Black Blood Gang’s Twin Blood Gauntlet Tigers?”
“They look like they got beaten to pulp.”
“Look at them hobbling. They aren’t blood gauntlet tigers, they’re gauntlet hounds!”
“Heh. Right. Now instead of Twin Blood Gauntlet Tigers, we should call them Twin Gauntlet Hounds.”
People with plenty of alcohol spoke carelessly. Hearing the voices while walking ahead, Ja-myeong tried to raise his head to check the owners of those voices, but Jang Geon raised his hand before his eyes, pointing straight ahead.
“Go.”
Ja-myeong couldn’t say a word, lowered his head, and ambled toward Great Peace Pavilion’s door. Seeing that, the drunken guests chuckled *kkeol-kkeol* and tried to mock them louder. However, when Jang Geon stopped walking and slowly surveyed the inside of the courtesan house, they all shut their mouths and went quiet. The eyes beneath the bamboo hat held that kind of power.
As Jang Geon was about to leave the quieted courtesan house behind, he saw someone standing by the door. It was Gwan-ryang.
Seeing the Ja brothers leave first, the kid turned to Jang Geon and asked,
“…Where are you going?”
“I’ll be out briefly. Look after my luggage well, and feed Jojo a carrot.”
Jang Geon spoke thus and flicked a coin to Gwan-ryang. The kid received the coin with worried eyes, but seeing Jang Geon’s faint smile, he soon nodded. Jang Geon also bowed lightly to Jang A-yeong beside him and stepped outside the courtesan house.
Whether the damp rain smell he noticed before coming out was no illusion, raindrops were falling *tuk-tuk*. carrying his younger brother, Ja-myeong took that rain with a sullen face. Getting beaten up, his brother badly hurt, and having to escort a dangerous person to the organization while rain fell from the sky. It was a picture completely unexpected before entering Great Peace Pavilion. It was natural for his face to twist.
He looked back at Jang Geon who followed behind, bowed his head low, and began walking ahead. The rainfall quickly strengthened. Ja-myeong’s head and Ja-un on his back quickly got soaked.
Just then, Ja-un on his back whispered in a tiny voice into Ja-myeong’s ear,
“This person seems to be an expert sent from the Martial Alliance headquarters. He seems to have come to purge the Gamsan branch. Let us quietly do as ordered for now.”
Ja-myeong didn’t answer, nor did he give a slight nod signal. While his brother’s whisper could be buried in the rain sound, his could not.
Of course, Jang Geon walking a step behind heard everything despite the rain sound, so he merely smirked softly. If they mistook him for a Martial Alliance expert, it was fine to leave it at that. At any rate, if they feared his identity, they wouldn’t try any foolish tricks.
For a long while as raindrops fell *tududuk* onto Jang Geon’s bamboo hat, the three passed people running to avoid the rain and people holding umbrellas, moving toward the inn street.
The Ja brothers walking ahead soon entered a narrow, secluded alley on that street. Navigating dark, narrow alleys with muddy rainwater pooling beneath their feet for quite a while, Ja-myeong soon stood before the rear door of a certain inn. And knocking on that rear door *tung-tung*, he spoke,
“It’s me! Open the door!”
Without secret signals or anything, it was quite a plain shout. Soon a small window on the upper part of the door opened *deol-keok*, and a pair of eyes looked out. Seeing the soaked Ja-myeong and Ja-un, those eyes blinked in surprise, then discovered Jang Geon standing behind them wearing a bamboo hat.
“…What happened? Are you alright?”
“Just open the door and tell the leader we’re here!”
The eye behind the door blinked at that shout, then closed the window *deol-kang*. After that, something rattled, and soon the door opened.
“What’s there to convey? You two can just go in and talk.”
“…What an idiot…”
Ja-myeong’s intention was to first convey a message for leader Gang Pa-yang to prepare for an unfamiliar guest, but the dumb subordinate simply opened the door with a dumb face. Ja-myeong had no choice but to step inside carrying his brother. Behind him followed the dull-faced Jang Geon.
Past a short corridor from the rear door, a standard courtyard-style inn unfolded. Numerous tables, stairs going up to the second and third floors, and rain falling *chu-jeok-chu-jeok* from the open central sky.
What made this place different from other inns was that the ones seated inside were not ordinary guests but Black Blood Gang members, and all windows were closed and boarded up with planks, making the overall atmosphere dim.
“Leader! We have arrived!”
At Ja-myeong’s shout, gang members lounging here and there slunk upright. Among them was a large-framed man stripped to the waist, a middle-aged man with colorful tattoos drawn all over his exposed upper body. He turned toward Ja-myeong casually, then froze short.
Ja-myeong looked like a soaked rat, and his younger brother Ja-un looked in bad shape. Yet behind them stood a tall swordsman wearing a bamboo hat, so it was natural for him to freeze like that.
“Ah! Th-that guy!”
Just then, a thug with his hand tightly wrapped in bandages pointed his bandaged hand at Jang Geon while trembling. Not only him, but two thugs with bandages on their chins were trembling as well. Seeing that, the tattooed big man, Gang Pa-yang, could guess who that bamboo hat man was.
With a sunken face, he spoke,
“Ja-myeong, Ja-un. What is this? A betrayal?”
“It’s nothing like that, Leader. There was just a slight misunderstanding between this gentleman and us. We can resolve it nicely through conversation.”
Gang Pa-yang frowned and tilted his head. He looked as if asking what nonsense these bastards were talking. Seeing that face, Ja-myeong and Ja-un sent signals with their eyes to refrain from fighting as much as possible, but far from recognizing it, he twisted his face even more.
In the end, he took his eyes off the brothers and glared at Jang Geon.
“You’ve got quite some nerve, mister. Entering here so boldly all by yourself? Seems you beat those Ja brothers somehow.”
At those words, Black Blood Gang members began gathering toward Jang Geon in a semicircle *seuleum-seuleum*. They spat on the floor or growled in a threatening manner.
“Heheh, shit. Are you by chance an Imperial Army expert? There are fifty people here, yet you don’t even look flustered?”
Stepping forward through them, Gang Pa-yang rested his hands on his waist and asked. For indeed, Jang Geon facing that crowd showed no expression change at all. He actually smirked *pisi-k*.
“If I am an Imperial Army expert? Will you believe me just because I say so?”
Speaking thus, Jang Geon raised a hand and beckoned lightly as if provoking him. It was a gesture like beckoning a dog to come here.
“…This fucking guy. What is this bastard?”
Coursing out curses, he motioned with his chin toward his subordinates. It meant attack him. At that, gang members who were casually warming up shouted *uaaa!* and rushed at Jang Geon in a crowd.
“…Should we have just told him straight?”
“It’s their choice. At any rate, the leader will only give up fighting after seeing a bit of combat.”
Withdrawing to a corner of the inn, the Ja brothers sighed looking at the charging gang members. And before that sigh ended, Jang Geon began to move.
Standing naturally, the moment the first two charging thugs drew near, Jang Geon lowered his posture slightly and swung both fists. A lightning-like blow struck each of their chins. Hit on their chins, both men fell in the momentum of their run. Before those two could even collapse fully onto the floor, Jang Geon’s fists moved to find new targets.
Afterward, with extremely short and concise movements, Jang Geon struck the chins or thrust into the solar plexus of the charging thugs, swiftly neutralizing them. For targets at a further distance, he extended a leg and delivered kicks. Thugs kicked in the stomach or head collapsed one by one *pik-pik*.
The thugs couldn’t even use tactics like numerical strength or pushing with bodies. The moment anyone got close, something flashed past their chin or solar plexus, and they collapsed with a *teol-seok*, leaving no solution.
Seeing fifteen of his subordinates collapse in the blink of an eye, Gang Pa-yang’s face turned completely pale. He shouted,
“Stop! Fall back! Fall back, you idiots! He’s an expert!”
The thugs whose faces had already turned pale fell back in a rush at their leader’s shout. Jang Geon stood in a relaxed manner amidst the fifteen collapsed thugs, lightly adjusting his bamboo hat.
Seeing that, Gang Pa-yang asked with a stone-stiff face,
“…Wherever you came from and whoever you are, what do you want from us?”
“Hoe-ryong Gang. Their main base.”
“…Hoe-ryong Gang’s main base? Why that?”
“None of your business. Just say whether you know or not.”
Gang Pa-yang looked back and forth between Jang Geon, the collapsed subordinates, and the withdrawn subordinates with heavily furrowed brows, then slowly opened his mouth,
“That… there is something like a clue…”
Seeing that ambiguous expression, Jang Geon showed a dull look and raised his right hand. Judging by how his eyes rolled, he seemed to want to make a deal or get information, but Jang Geon found going that far bothersome. So he decided to simply subdue that leader guy and use meridian-severing bone-dislocating art.
“…”
However, he had no choice but to freeze short. It was because of the sound heard from the rear door corridor he had entered and the presence beyond the firmly closed inn door.
“Hey, information has value, doesn’t it? Just barging in and demanding it while causing a riot—”
Just as Black Blood Gang leader Gang Pa-yang was blabbering nonsense like that, at that very moment, the firmly closed inn door suddenly shattered, and people stepped inside. Along with that, men holding blades also rushed out from the rear door corridor.
Gang Pa-yang, the Ja brothers, and Black Blood Gang members all looked around in shock with dumbfounded expressions. Seeing that it wasn’t something they had planned, Jang Geon let out a hollow laugh.
Just then, the person who shattered the main door and appeared rested a large broadsword on his shoulder and spoke,
“Now, Black Blood Gang bastards? It’s time for all of you to die.”
“You guys are… Hoe-ryong Gang!”
Jang Geon smirked *pisi-sik* with a dull expression.
“They come looking on their own. Tremendous.”
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