Chapter 99: Chapter 99
* * *
The air in the dark alley of Gamsan City was thick with tension and the heavy scent of blood and rust.
Jang Geon stood quietly with his hand resting lightly on the hilt of his newly acquired sword. In front of him stood the remaining enforcers of the Hoe-ryong Gang, led by Wang Sam, the youngest of the three Wang brothers whose skin was hardened like iron.
Wang Sam sneered, flexing his thick, dark arms that glinted with a unnatural metallic sheen.
“You think you can cut through my Iron Body Technique with an ordinary blade? Many swordsmen have tried, and all their weapons shattered against my skin!”
Jang Geon offered a faint, unbothered smile.
“Is that so?”
Without another word, Wang Sam lunged forward, his fists whistling through the air with ferocious force. His movements were heavy, aiming to crush Jang Geon’s head in a single strike.
Jang Geon didn’t step back. Instead, he executed subtle footwork, shifting his weight by half a step to let Wang Sam’s heavy fist pass harmlessly by his ear. Simultaneously, Jang Geon drawn his blade in a fluid, circular arc—Jang-Style Tai Chi deflecting internal power while drawing blood.
CLANG!
A metallic ringing echoed through the alley, followed by a sharp gasp of pain.
Wang Sam’s hardened skin was sliced open at the wrist, blood spurting out as his internal energy flow was severed.
“Wh-what?! My Iron Body… shattered?!” Wang Sam stumbled back, his face pale with horror as he gripped his bleeding arm.
Jang Geon sheathed his sword with a clean click.
“Physical hardness is useless if your meridians lack fluidity. You relied too much on raw toughness.”
Before Wang Sam could react, Jo Won-sik and the Martial Alliance patrol officers arrived, surrounding the remaining gangsters and taking Wang Sam into custody.
*
With the Hoe-ryong Gang’s influence crushed in this district, Gwan Su-chan, the master of Great Peace Pavilion, expressed deep gratitude to Jang Geon and Jo Won-sik.
Inside Great Peace Pavilion, Gwan Su-chan served fine tea and brought out a wooden box.
“Martial Artist Jang, without your intervention, my establishment and my son would have fallen into the hands of those demonic thugs. Please accept this small token of appreciation.”
Opening the box, inside lay several heavy silver ingots and a rare maps of the eastern waterways.
Jang Geon accepted the map while declining the excess silver, leaving enough to help repair the damage to the tavern and support young Gwan-ryang.
“Keep the silver for your son’s education,” Jang Geon said calmly. “The road ahead is still long.”
Leaving Great Peace Pavilion, Jang Geon, Jin Seo-ha, and Jojo prepared to set off toward their next destination across the river.