A Splendid Outing (3)

“Hehe! Chief, don’t be angry, okay?”

Majil’s flesh trembled at Neung Je-gang’s expression. So he resorted to acting cute. It was absurd for that face to attempt cuteness, but what wouldn’t a man do to avoid being beaten to death?

In the end, Je-gang reluctantly let himself be swayed by Majil’s pitiful antics—if only because at least the man hadn’t clung to his pants hem. Otherwise, Je-gang had the uneasy feeling he might have been forced to cough up even the tea he’d drunk days before.

“What happened?”

At Je-gang’s question, Majil recounted everything that had happened since they parted—without leaving anything out, except of course any admission that it had been his fault. He emphasized that it had all happened because Je-gang hadn’t given him money before leaving.

Je-gang could not deny it. He really hadn’t given him any money.

But the real problem arose after the story ended.

“Chief!”

“What?”

“Sniff! Let’s spar, just once.”

“What?”

Je-gang looked at him like he’d eaten something foul.

“Let’s fight, you and me.”

“You joking with me? And you’re getting cheeky with your words, too?”

“What’s wrong with you? I’m older than you, you know. And I’m no pushover anymore. Or are you scared you’ll lose?”

It wasn’t exactly provable, but it was believable that Majil was older. His skin betrayed his age, whereas Je-gang’s looked much smoother. Even illusion arts couldn’t fully disguise a man’s skin.

So Je-gang couldn’t argue the point and decided to just let him talk freely.

“Scared? Ha! Hearing people call you the Blazing Flame Master or the Cremation Master must have burned away your sense completely.”

“It’s Blazing Flame Master! Blazing Flame Master, that’s my proud nickname.”

“Fine, Blazing Flame Master. Should I start calling you that, so you get hauled away immediately?”

“Huh? Chief, why would I get hauled away?”

“Because Blazing Flame Master is the proud nickname of a wanted man. Did you think torching rich men’s houses was no big deal as long as you didn’t get caught? Didn’t you think your nickname and face might be printed on warrants and spread across all of the Central Plains? Funny, isn’t it? Not a single constable here in Zhengzhou has tried to catch you even though you’re strutting around. Back when I was in the East Depot, I memorized every wanted man’s face.”

“Wh-what should I do?”

Even back when he was Human-Faced Majil, he had become a wanted man and ended up caught in Beijing by Je-gang himself. He seemed to have forgotten that detail.

“What else? You can never use the Fire Lotus Energy again. And you can’t ever use the nickname Blazing Flame Master either.”

Majil’s face twisted bitterly at Je-gang’s words.

Inside, Je-gang laughed to his heart’s content.

In truth, he had no way of knowing if Majil was actually wanted. If the constables of Hangzhou and Deokcheong had any sense, they wouldn’t issue a warrant against someone who had displayed such righteousness. But if they were the kind who took bribes, then perhaps they had. The world was like that.

For now, Je-gang had cowed Majil with just a few words, and, satisfied, he moved on with him. Thanks to Majil’s recent haul in Hangzhou, they had plenty of money and no need to go hungry anymore.

“Let’s eat.”

“……”

Majil, looking worried, lowered his head slightly and followed behind Je-gang.

Just north of Zhengzhou, the mighty Yellow River rolled in its ocher waves. Flooding every year, it killed countless people.

Now, on its wide banks, two men stood facing each other.

“I’ll only dodge. You use every attack you’ve got.”

Je-gang said this to Majil.

“You’ll regret this, Chief! Don’t you dare change your mind and hit back.”

“Of course not.”

“Hehehe!”

Majil’s joy overflowed. Je-gang had promised not to counterattack. And a fight you couldn’t win by dodging alone was already half lost. This was as good as victory.

Whoosh!

Two blazing fireballs formed in Majil’s hands.

“Go!”

He threw one first, aiming low at Je-gang’s feet so he wouldn’t hurt him badly.

Thud!

Je-gang kicked the fireball aside. He cultivated Guangyang Blazing Flame Divine Art, far stronger than the Fire Lotus Energy. Such a fireball was no threat to him.

Majil’s eyes went wide.

“Wh-what? Those fireballs ignited anything they touched—how is the Chief’s foot unharmed? This is cheating!”

While Majil fumed, Je-gang spoke.

“Is this a joke? You wanted to spar with me with this? Is that all your Blazing Flame Master title amounts to?”

He struck at Majil’s pride.

Being mocked as Blazing Flame Master set Majil ablaze with determination.

“Now I won’t hold back, Chief!”

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

Fireballs poured from his hands in a stream, flying at Je-gang like flocks of birds.

But Je-gang simply stepped lightly through them, strolling as though on a leisurely walk. When one came close, he swatted it aside with his hand.

With the Yellow River at his back, the fireballs fell into the water, filling the air with thick mist.

“Huff! Huff, huff!”

At last, Majil collapsed, gasping like he would faint.

“Is that it?”

“Ch-cheap trick… Huff, huff! You could’ve at least let one hit you. Huff!”

Too exhausted to talk further, Majil lay sprawled on his back.

“Tsk, tsk. Who throws fireballs so wildly without realizing he’s wearing himself out?”

“That’s only because you dodged everything. Huff!”

“Exactly. That’s why it’s foolish. Here, look at this.”

Je-gang raised his hand.

Fwoosh.

A tiny fireball appeared in his palm, even smaller than Majil’s, but burning far brighter.

“Y-you can make fire too?”

“This is called Sammae Jin Fire. Only martial artists who have opened their Imdok and Yang meridians can create it. Even making one this small consumes immense energy. Now, do you know why you couldn’t land a single hit?”

“Because of that weird footwork of yours.”

“True. That’s part of it. But most martial artists learn such movement techniques. Didn’t your master teach you?”

“I learned some, but I thought they were useless…”

Majil looked sheepish.

“Well, you can always burrow underground when things get rough, so I suppose you didn’t need them. But without movement skills, your attacks will never land. And your fireball technique has two fatal flaws.”

“Two?”

“First, your fireballs are too big. They’re slow. Even without special steps, anyone quick can dodge them. With attacks like that, you’d have trouble hitting even a dog.”

“Then… what should I do?”

“Make them smaller and denser. Then you can throw them faster.”

“Oh, I see.”

“Second, they’re too simple.”

“Simple?”

“You just throw them. How can you hit a moving opponent that way? Didn’t you feel it?”

“Yeah… I kept wishing you’d just stand still. But of course you didn’t…”

Majil wilted. His proud boasting now seemed hollow. He had been overjoyed to frighten mere household guards, but in real combat, he wasn’t even third-rate.

“There’s a way.”

Je-gang’s words snapped Majil’s head up. His eyes shone eagerly.

“Watch.”

Je-gang tossed his fireball.

“Ahh!”

Majil screamed, shielding his face. But the pain never came. Peeking through his arms, he saw the flame still resting in Je-gang’s palm.

“Idiot! Watch closely.”

This time Je-gang threw it aside. The fireball twisted, spun, and veered of its own accord—then curved back into his hand and died out.

“Whew.”

Je-gang exhaled heavily. Maintaining Sammae Jin Fire was taxing.

“See that?”

Majil nodded furiously.

“If the enemy moves, then your fireball should move too. By changing how you throw it, you can control its path. I’ll teach you a useful hidden weapon technique. It doesn’t depend on inner energy, so you’ll pick it up easily. Practice it.”

“Chief!”

Majil shouted with gratitude.

But Je-gang wasn’t done.

“By the way, is that all the Fire Lotus Energy can do—just make round fireballs?”

“Huh?”

“If you can shape it into a sphere, why not something else? Unlike other flame arts, your style actually creates fire itself. So why not?”

“What do you mean?”

“Imagine shaping the fire into a sword or saber. Wouldn’t that look impressive? A flame blade, a flame saber… wouldn’t that be something?”

Majil pictured himself brandishing a blazing sword. Indeed, it looked far more heroic than a plain weapon.

“Hehehe!”

He grinned in delight. To find happiness even in fantasy—such was Majil’s enviable nature.