Chapter 91: Chapter 91
The Branch Head quietly stared at Jang Geon with a contorted face before asking.
“Who is this person?”
Jo Won-sik, who had covered his mouth over his slip of the tongue, slyly lowered his hand and answered.
“Well… he is someone holding a Martial Alliance medallion… When I received the report and arrived at the scene, he had already subdued the members of the Returning Dragon Gang…”
“A medallion? What I am asking is who this man is. Not about some medallion that could be forged at any time.”
The Branch Head reprimanded Jo Won-sik without taking his eyes off Jang Geon. Even after receiving such a scolding, Jo Won-sik merely scratched the back of his head, unable to offer an answer. In truth, flushed with excitement over disobeying the Branch Head’s orders to catch the thugs, he had guided Jang Geon all the way here without properly checking his identity. Thinking he would be reprimanded even further if he mentioned that, he simply kept his mouth shut.
Instead, Jang Geon parted his lips.
“Jang Geon. A wanderer.”
“…A wanderer?”
The Branch Head’s expression turned odd. Normally, martial artists wearing swords and possessing a bit of skill would make up nonexistent titles for themselves when introducing who they were, or chatter about whom they had learned under, or which clan they belonged to.
“A wanderer. Considering the current situation in Gamsan City, I cannot lightly pass over such a humble response. Did you say you have a medallion? I would like to take a look.”
Jang Geon submissively pulled out the medallion and handed it over to the Branch Head. Frowning as much as he could, the Branch Head accepted it and examined it from every angle. His eyes resembled those of an appraiser looking for flaws.
Watching that sight, Jang Geon crossed his arms, tilted his head slightly down, and asked.
“What did you mean when you said your son was in danger?”
Examining the medallion, the Branch Head stopped turning it around in his hands, slowly raised his head, and met Jang Geon’s gaze.
“…That is currently confidential information of our branch. There is nothing more to tell an outsider like you. Also, I will arrange lodgings inside the branch for you, so stay for a few days.”
The Branch Head said so as he returned the medallion to Jang Geon. Tucking it back into his robes, Jang Geon asked again.
“Are you saying you intend to detain me?”
“Do not take it so harshly. Within a few days, the whole situation will be wrapped up. Then I will see to it that you receive a generous reward, so just relax and stay comfortably. Do not think of going anywhere outside.”
Jang Geon slowly shook his head. Seeing that, the Branch Head twitched his eyebrows and continued speaking.
“…Do you think catching half a dozen thugs makes you the protagonist of this incident? Those thugs are nothing. Just three or four senior warriors from our branch stepping up could clean them out in no time. The reason we are not taking action right now is simply because we have more important matters than those hoodlums, not because we lack the power to deal with them.”
While Jang Geon remained silent upon hearing those words, Jo Won-sik standing beside him quietly interjected.
“Um, it wasn’t half a dozen. Since the Black Blood Gang and the Returning Dragon Gang were in a conflict, the thugs brought in exceed fifty.”
Hearing that, a hint of surprise surfaced on the Branch Head’s frowning face. However, he quickly erased that expression.
“Even so, they are just thugs in the end. The Returning Dragon Gang accepts all sorts of riffraff without distinction, so their numbers already exceed a hundred. What is truly important is the leader of the Returning Dragon Gang and his brothers. Those are the ones who are genuinely dangerous.”
“Um… among the ones captured, there’s also Wang Sam, the vice leader of the Returning Dragon Gang.”
The Branch Head whipped his head around and glared at Jo Won-sik.
“…Wang Sam is among them?”
He turned his gaze back toward Jang Geon and asked.
“Are you saying you captured Wang Sam? Along with fifty members of the Returning Dragon Gang?”
Strictly speaking, the ones Jang Geon personally beat down were only Wang Sam and the members of the Black Blood Gang, but in a broader sense, it was true that he had captured them. Thus, he casually nodded his head to signify as much.
The Branch Head fell silent in thought for a moment, then suddenly cupped his fists toward Jang Geon.
“I am Gal Woo-seon of the Martial Alliance Gamsan Branch. Just call me Branch Head Gal. To think I would meet a hero of the Jianghu like this.”
“…Pleased to meet you, Branch Head Gal.”
Jang Geon offered a bitter smile at that abrupt shift in attitude and returned the cupped-fist salute. Seeing that he appeared to be a greater master than expected, the Branch Head seemed to have decided to treat him with due respect.
“Did you say Warrior Jang? Judging by your earlier introduction, you do not seem to be a native of Gamsan. For what business are you staying here?”
“I have someone to find.”
Branch Head Gal let out a hearty laugh.
“Looking for someone led you to resolve a dispute among back-alley thugs? What a remarkable leap. Tell me whom you are searching for, and our branch will assist you.”
“You will assist me just like that?”
“No. Did you not capture the Returning Dragon Gang members and Wang Sam for us? Consider it your reward.”
Still wearing his bitter smile, Jang Geon shook his head.
“Well, there is no need for that. I believe I can get the information out of that fellow named Wang Sam.”
Branch Head Gal’s expression hardened once more.
“You intend to interrogate Wang Sam? With your own hands?”
“If you wish, you may watch.”
“Look here, the entity responsible for public security in Gamsan is our Gamsan Branch. Yet you expect us to just sit back and watch while you capture and interrogate someone as you please?”
Jang Geon quietly stared at Branch Head Gal’s hardened face, let out a soft sigh, and spoke.
“Cut out all that nonsense. From the looks of it, your son appears to be in danger, so this is hardly the time to be weighing regulations like that. Besides, the matter I intend to uncover is something you people need to know as well.”
“…A matter we need to know?”
“That’s right. You people, the Martial Alliance.”
Branch Head Gal and Jo Won-sik looked at each other with bewildered eyes.
* * *
The night rain that had begun in the evening showed no signs of stopping easily. The soaking dirt ground turned muddy, clinging to shoes, while the air turned past cool to downright cold despite its dampness. The world was utterly dark, perhaps due to the dark clouds blanketing the night sky. Swaying torches here and there failed to expand their reach, obscured by the steadily falling drizzle.
Cutting through the dark rain, Jang Geon, Branch Head Gal, and Jo Won-sik sought out a building that remained noisy even in the dead of night. That place was the dungeon of the Martial Alliance Gamsan Branch.
Branch Head Gal swung open the door and entered, shouting out.
“Why is it so noisy here! Can’t any of you do your jobs properly!”
The Martial Alliance warriors, who had been herding a crowd of thugs into narrow iron-barred cells, immediately bowed their waists at the sudden appearance of the Branch Head.
The situation was comical. To begin with, the iron-barred dungeon itself appeared fairly spacious. However, there were so many thugs crammed inside that their sight, huddled closely together, looked pitiful. On top of that, the warriors standing before the bars seemed to be taking them out one by one, bringing them to the desk set up in front to log their personal details, and then shoving them back inside.
Confirming that scene, the Branch Head snorted softly and spoke.
“Since they have been brought in, thoroughly uncover all their crimes without omission. Depending on the severity, they must be sent to the penal camp or face execution by hanging. Since many died during the gang dispute, make sure to be thorough.”
“Yes, Branch Head.”
“Ahem. And where is Wang Sam?”
The warrior filling out paperwork answered in a low voice, perhaps guessing why the Branch Head was looking for him.
“He is in the underground dungeon. Even while binding him in shackles and throwing him into the cell, he failed to regain consciousness. Should we bring in a physician?”
“I will inspect his condition first. If a physician is needed, I will call one then. Resume your work.”
Saying so, Branch Head Gal led the way to the entrance leading underground. A warrior standing at the entrance unlocked the door for them, and the three descended into the underground dungeon.
Picking up a torch, Jo Won-sik spoke.
“If he’s unconscious, we can’t even interrogate him, can we?”
“This is not a situation where we can accommodate such circumstances. I will beat him awake if I must to learn my son’s location.”
Descending underground, the three passed through a long corridor of cells and arrived before the innermost set of bars. Inside, Wang Sam, who had been knocked unconscious by Jang Geon’s fist, sat slumped against one wall with shackles around his wrists and ankles.
Even as the Branch Head unlocked the door with a clank and stepped inside, he appeared unconscious. However, the moment the Branch Head stepped inside first, Wang Sam, who had been holding his breath, sprang up and charged at him with a shout.
“You bastard! Where do you think you’re going!”
However, Branch Head Gal unleashed seven quick punches toward the lunging Wang Sam, pummeling his face and upper body in an instant. Bound at the wrists and ankles and unable to move freely, Wang Sam took the flurry head-on and tumbled backward, whereupon the Branch Head immediately approached the fallen man, grabbed him by the collar, and began beating his face.
“You bastard! Where! Is! My! Son!”
Yet Wang Sam gritted his teeth and endured his fists while squirming. When Branch Head Gal, panting for breath after raining blows for a long while, stood up, Wang Sam opened his eyes, offered a smirk, and spat onto the dungeon floor.
“Are you finished? Your fists are quite soft.”
“…This bastard.”
Branch Head Gal tried to step forward again, but had to stop when Jo Won-sik held him back. Sitting with his back against the dungeon wall, Wang Sam chuckled as he watched them.
“Ha, really. Why are you looking for your son with me? This is quite a bewildering situation.”
He gestured with his chin toward Jang Geon, who stood quietly behind them, and continued speaking.
“I remember clashing with that guy over there, but where is this place? And why is our Martial Alliance Gamsan Branch Head standing here?”
“Why else? Because this is the Gamsan Branch.”
Jang Geon answered casually as he approached him. Then he squatted down in front of him.
“Your skin was quite tough. Did you have some secret method?”
“…Intriguing, isn’t it? This is the Iron Skin Golden Tendon Art, perfected over three generations starting from my master’s master. If you want, I can teach you the cultivation method as much as you like. Though even if you knew it, a bastard like you couldn’t cultivate it anyway.”
Even while bound hand and foot inside a dungeon cell, Wang Sam spoke with a face unable to hide his pride. Squatting there, Jang Geon stroked his chin as he looked at him, then asked again.
“Knowing the method but unable to cultivate it… Why?”
“Heheh… This martial art is completed by tearing one’s own skin and muscles and applying a special medicine to heal them. And the secret to making that medicine was known only to my master.”
“Then one would just need to seek out your master.”
“That’s what makes it impossible. Because that old man died at my hands.”
Watching Wang Sam casually speak of patricide with a laugh, Jang Geon showed no particular change in expression. As if he had never been interested in conversing with Wang Sam from the beginning, he simply looked down at his body. Just then, Branch Head Gal, who had stepped back slightly, shouted out.
“Wang Sam! I know that you and your brothers are the culprits who kidnapped my son! Even if you do not speak now, the Alliance’s secret network will locate the place where my son is hidden! So if you wish to lessen your crimes even a little, speak now!”
“I have no idea what you are talking about, Branch Head Gal. Why look for your son with me and my brothers? Wasn’t he originally a fellow who relied on his handsome face to play around dissolutely? From what I see, he’s probably holed up in some courtesan house, out of his mind.”
“You bastard!”
Branch Head Gal’s face twisted fiercely at Wang Sam’s slick retort, and he tried to step toward him. However, Jo Won-sik blocked him once again.
“Please wait a moment. Didn’t Warrior Jang say he had something to interrogate him about?”
“Oh? You have something you’re curious about with me? I have something I’m curious about with you too.”
Hearing Jo Won-sik’s words, Wang Sam shifted his gaze to Jang Geon. Looking into Jang Geon’s calm, emotionless eyes, he abruptly asked.
“What are you? Why did you butt into our fight with the Black Blood Gang?”
“The one who butted in was you.”
“…Ha, fine. Let’s say it was me who jumped in halfway. So what are you?”
“I am Jang Geon.”
“…Did anyone ask for your name?”
Jang Geon raised his right index and middle fingers together and spoke.
“That is all you need to know about me.”
“What…”
Just then, Wang Sam’s eyes caught a faint, shimmering haze squirming at the tips of Jang Geon’s fingers. As he knitted his brows to look closer at what it was, those fingers jabbed into Wang Sam’s body like lightning.
“Keuk!”
Jang Geon’s jabbing did not end with a single strike. From the perspective of Wang Sam receiving the blow, the movements were so fast and concise that he could not tell where or how many times he had been struck. Watching that, Jo Won-sik asked Branch Head Gal.
“…Isn’t that the Block Meridian Technique?”
“Mmm, it looks that way to me as well… But he is not even wielding an edged weapon, how could he…”
At that moment, Jang Geon’s fingers gave a light tap to Wang Sam’s solar plexus as a final blow and stopped. Despite the power of his Iron Skin Golden Tendon Art, Wang Sam, who had felt immense pain with every jab, looked at Jang Geon with bewildered eyes. Meeting those eyes, Jang Geon pulled his fingers back and spoke.
“Thank you. Thanks to you, I even tried performing Sword Qi Acupoint Striking with my fingers.”
“What? What do you mean by… Eok!”
Looking dazed, Wang Sam soon stiffened in all four limbs and began trembling violently. Simultaneously, sounds of something snapping crunchily and tearing violently resounded from within his body, his eyes rolled back, and white foam leaked continuously from his tightly clenched jaw.
Watching that gruesome sight under the swaying torchlight in the dim dungeon, Jo Won-sik and Branch Head Gal faltered back. However, Jang Geon watched with a serene expression and spoke.
“Since his body is sturdy, it seems he will endure for quite some time. Branch Head Gal?”
“…I-I am listening, Warrior Jang.”
“While I instill some manners into this fellow, please explain what happened to the Gamsan Branch. What became of your son?”
Branch Head Gal felt flustered seeing Jang Geon ask without even looking back at him, then rechecked Wang Sam’s shivering face and swallowed hard.
“T-That is confidential information of this Gamsan Branch…”
At those words, Jang Geon glanced back slightly, and Jo Won-sik standing beside him promptly nudged his side. Flinching, Branch Head Gal swallowed his saliva again and spoke.
“…To put it briefly, my son was kidnapped.”
He let out a deep sigh alongside his words and continued his story.
“At first… I did not think it was a kidnapping. As that fellow said, I thought he was holed up in some courtesan house idling about. He is my son, but he loved women and gambling far too much… However, when five days passed and no one could find him anywhere, I thought he had died. That he had picked a fight with some passing master, or got stabbed in the back while drunk…”
His hand covered his eyes.
“…However, it seems he was not dead. Because a severed toe arrived before me, along with a letter telling us not to meddle in the upcoming full-scale war of the underworld.”
“A toe?”
At Jang Geon’s question, Branch Head Gal nodded.
“That was the first. A week after that incident, the toe on the other foot arrived, and a week later, this time a pinky finger. After that, when it seemed like we could endure no more and were about to make a big move, a left hand arrived. So… I could not move. Instead, I tracked their movements using the Martial Alliance’s secret network… The other members of the Gamsan Branch are blameless. They only followed my greedy desire and orders hoping my son was alive.”
“You mean that happened over several weeks?”
“I know. I know well that my son could hardly be alive after that much time. But every body part of my son that arrived was less than a day old. What father could abandon hope seeing that?”
After the brief story, Jang Geon glanced back at the slumped Branch Head Gal, then turned to Jo Won-sik.
“So you mean you moved even while knowing that.”
“…As the Branch Head already said, the possibility of Gal Won-myeong, the Branch Head’s son, being alive is extremely slim. In that case, rather than being harassed further by those kidnappers’ threats, shouldn’t we capture the culprits and take revenge now? And thanks to that, we have placed one of the primary suspects, the youngest of the three Wang brothers, right before our eyes.”
Jo Won-sik answered with a hardened face, and Jang Geon, the very person who had captured that suspect, merely curled his lips into a faint smirk before turning his attention back to Wang Sam, who was still trembling with crunching noises. He then raised his fingers again and jabbed various spots on his body to unblock the acupoints.
“Heok, heok… Keul-look, heo…”
“Do you feel like answering quietly now?”
At those words, Wang Sam, who was panting with a dazed face, slowly moved only his pupils to look at Jang Geon.
“…That’s right. We kidnapped the Branch Head’s son, locked him up, and cut off his fingers and toes to send them. We did it all… To delay the Martial Alliance’s intervention, that’s why we did it…”
“Not that. I want to know about those colorful snakes.”
Having worn a dazed expression, Wang Sam smirked as if he had given up everything at Jang Geon’s words.
“Snakes? I don’t know what you mean by that.”
At that answer, Jang Geon raised his fingers again. As if telling him to answer unless he wanted to be jabbed by those fingers again. However, Wang Sam’s expression did not change. He was looking straight back at Jang Geon.
“…I am Wang Sam, vice leader of the Returning Dragon Gang. The youngest of the three Wang brothers, and a cultivator of the Iron Skin Golden Tendon Art. To tie down the intervention of the Martial Alliance Gamsan Branch, we kidnapped his son, and taking advantage of the absence of intervention, we were unifying the underworld of Gamsan City… I am Wang Sam, vice leader of the Returning Dragon Gang. The youngest of the three Wang brothers, and a cultivator of the Iron Skin Golden Tendon Art. Of the Martial Alliance Gamsan Branch…”
With sweat and saliva dripping down his pale face, he suddenly began muttering the exact same words over and over. Seeing that, Jang Geon squinted his eyes slightly and looked closely into Wang Sam’s eyes. In Wang Sam’s eyes, which had suddenly begun repeating the same phrase, lay pain, fear, resignation, and a strange fervor. And that fervor was something called conviction, which Jang Geon had rarely seen while wandering this wilderness.
Standing behind, Jo Won-sik asked in surprise.
“W-What is it? Why is this guy suddenly acting like this?”
“…It seems torture was of little use from the start.”
“What? No, what does that…”
Jang Geon slowly stood up. Branch Head Gal, who had stepped back, looked back and forth between Jang Geon and Wang Sam, who was still muttering the same words, then suddenly rushed at Wang Sam and grabbed him by the neck.
“You rascal! Stop talking nonsense and tell me where you hid my son!”
“…We kidnapped his son, and taking advantage of the absence of intervention, we were unifying the underworld of Gamsan City… I am Wang Sam, vice leader of the Returning Dragon Gang…”
Branch Head Gal gritted his teeth at the sight of Wang Sam muttering the same words, and began pummeling his face repeatedly.
“Do not speak nonsense! Do you truly want me to slash your flesh and sprinkle salt on it! Where is my son!”
“…The youngest of the three Wang brothers, and a cultivator of the Iron Skin Golden Tendon Art. To tie down the intervention of the Martial Alliance Gamsan Branch, we kidnapped his son, and taking advantage of the absence of intervention, we were unifying the underworld of Gamsan City…”
Yet Wang Sam’s muttering did not change. With bloodshot eyes, Branch Head Gal beat his face recklessly, but no matter how much he was struck again and again, Wang Sam merely repeated the exact same words.
Watching that sight, Jang Geon rolled a leaf of tobacco, placed it in his mouth, and asked Jo Won-sik.
“That Martial Alliance secret contact you said was searching for information, where can I meet them?”