Villain Vs Villain (1)

A fierce spray of water shot up as if a waterfall were reversing.

At the same time, the palm wind that tore through the water struck the Blue Dragon Troops’ member solar plexus precisely.

Szzak-!!!

It was the intense Hundred Steps Divine Fist strike that Yu Seol had delivered.

“Gah!”

With a stifled scream, the opponent’s body was flung away.

Though originally a Shaolin’s martial arts, its speed and destructive power surpassed its usual force.

Thud-!

As the Blue Dragon member collapsed onto the sand, Yu Jinsan rushed forward as if he’d been waiting for this.

He then jumped onto the man’s body and began raining punches.

Whack-! Whap-whap-!!

The qi-infused fists turned the opponent’s face into a bloody mess in an instant.

Only after the man’s body went limp did Yu Jinsan stop his assault.

“You fool, didn’t I warn you? The one who was going to die was you.”

The panting Blue Dragon member wore an expression of deep injustice about what happened.

He couldn’t even understand how he’d been taken down. How could he have imagined he’d be felled by a single blow?

“…Ugh.”

He couldn’t even summon the courage to stand again—he was combat-disabled.

Yu Jinsan turned his head toward the lakeshore. His granddaughter was in the water, clutching a log and grinning.

“Little one, how did you know that rotten guy was an enemy?”

“A lizard on his neck!”

In that short moment she spotted the dragon tattoo on his collar and figured things out—truly sharp-eyed.

Yu Jinsan’s gaze shifted left again.

About thirty bandits sat in a row on their knees, wearing miserable faces.

They had been beaten so badly their eyes and lips were swollen, and several had lost teeth.

‘What on earth did they do to our Seol to deserve that beating?’

He had expected something like this to happen, but not such a brutal mauling.

But thinking of the crimes they’d committed, he felt no pity.

They’d disguised themselves as nomads, deceived people, kidnapped them, and sold them off.

They only lived because they ran into his granddaughter; had he intervened directly, none would have been spared.

He squatted again before the Blue Dragon member and asked.

“Tell me, hunting dog of the Murim Alliance. How many like you hide their identities and meddle in state affairs?”

“……”

As expected, no answer came. He only blinked, perhaps surprised at the information Yu Jinsan had.

Yu Jinsan narrowed his eyes at him.

“You wretches. The world of common people and the murim world are clearly different, why cross the line and muddy everything?”

“…You know nothing of us. Everything we do is for the murim world and this country.”

It was an infuriating piece of sophistry.

A tiny, raised hand snapped his cheek.

Smack-!

Because qi accompanied the motion, his neck snapped as if it might break.

“You! Helping bandits sell people—how is that supposed to be for everyone’s good?!”

“……”

How deeply brainwashed were they?

They all believed their actions were righteous.

“…It’s only sacrifice for the greater cause. We must secure funds to prepare for the dangers to come.”

“What greater cause is there in what you do…”

Yu Jinsan stopped mid-sentence and grabbed the back of his neck. Talking like this felt like it would drag him into obsession.

Even if he interrogated them, no useful information would come; torture would be useless.

But he couldn’t just let them go.

Yu Jinsan began slapping his cheek wildly.

Slap-! Slap-! Slap-!!

He beat him until his right hand was soaked with blood before stopping.

He wiped his hand on the officer’s uniform and glanced sideways.

“You lot—you know this one, right?”

At Yu Jinsan’s words, the kneeling bandits flinched.

Although he looked like a child, no one took appearances at face value.

“…?”

“I’ll give you one chance. Whoever wants to live, tell me everything you know about this man.”

No sooner had he spoken than several sprang up.

After exchanging glances, they all except one kneeled again.

An elderly man with white hair and a horribly mangled face.

He’d been beaten so badly by Yu Jinsan’s granddaughter that only two teeth remained, and his nose was crushed.

Looking closely, he was the leader of the bandits.

“T-that man is Bang Chung, the lieutenant military officer of the Protectorate!”

A ‘lieutenant’ is a commanding military officer who leads soldiers on the battlefield.

He would be like the right-hand man of the Protectorate lord who heads West Pacifying Protectorate.

“Good. Keep talking. What kind of man is he, and who is around him?”

At that moment the prostrate Bang Chung glared at the leader, his eyes warning that speaking further would mean death.

But in this situation, such threats held no weight—they’d already seen him fall with one move.

To the bandits, the girl swimming at the lakeshore was sheer terror compared to this man.

“He’s a rotten bastard. He forced kidnapping tasks on us and covered for the slave traders—a killer. There are a few like him in the Protectorate.”

The bandit leader chattered on without stopping.

Perhaps driven by the will to live, he had no hesitation in betraying a partner and an official who covered for them, spilling even what wasn’t asked.

The more they heard about Bang Chung, the more outrageous it seemed.

That brawny kid abducted people by any means, and otherwise agreed to send them as slaves to the western regions, pocketing the profits.

Putting the pieces together, one thing was clear: among the Protectorate’s officers acting with Bang Chung, at least three were definitely Blue Dragon members.

“Above them?”

“Yes. Of course there’s the Protectorate lord—scum of the world. Cruel-handed, a venomous snake.”

“If even you call him scum, I can imagine. That’s enough.”

“I’m honored to be of help.”

There didn’t seem to be any more information to extract.

Yu Jinsan nodded once with a satisfied look.

“Alright. Considering your effort, I’ll give you one chance. Now, pick up your weapons.”

Pick up weapons? A chance meant a duel? Their will to fight had long since faded.

“Y-you promised to spare us, didn’t you?”

At that moment Yu Jinsan’s gaze turned icy.

Under the overwhelming presence he emitted, the bandits had no choice but to obey.

If they were already facing death, they might as well try something.

The bandits awkwardly grabbed weapons and pointed them at Yu Jinsan.

“Are you out of your minds? If you truly want to fight me, then go ahead.”

“…Yes?”

They had completely misinterpreted Yu Jinsan’s meaning.

“Lead the way to the slave traders’ cave.”

“W-why there…”

“Because from now on you must fight those bastards. Remember: only by winning the fight can you live.”

“……”

The bandit leader’s face darkened considerably.

It wasn’t that he was reluctant to attack partners; their numbers were many, but compared to the warriors inside, they were inferior.

But the chances of survival were a million times higher than fighting the Yin-Yang Twin Monsters.

“May we discuss this among ourselves for a moment?”

“Do as you wish.”

The leader gathered his men and began planning how to efficiently attack their partners.

Leaving them behind, Yu Jinsan stepped aside and approached his granddaughter.

“Grandpa!”

As he drew near, Yu Seol sprayed water from the lakeshore.

Though her small hands pushed the water, the spray flew five meters and soaked Yu Jinsan’s clothes.

There was no need to dodge—the cool water felt good in the sweltering desert.

Yu Jinsan decided to delay their departure a little.

How could he miss a rare chance to play with his granddaughter?

“You little brat, how dare you attack your grandpa?”

“Hehehe.”

His new body surged toward the lakeshore.

No sooner had he dipped into the water than Yu Seol’s splashes crashed over him like waves.

“Eek!”

It had been at least fifty years since he’d played carefree in water like this.

Perhaps that’s why Yu Jinsan couldn’t stop smiling as he splashed his granddaughter.

There was no fear the bandits would flee—they were mere fleas. Knowing that, the bandits focused solely on preparing for the upcoming fight.

Below a sand dune about 3 meters from the entrance of an unnamed cave.

A group had gathered to form their ranks.

They were a band of bandits each clutching a curved saber.

Lieutenant Bang Chung sat down from his injuries, while Yu Jinsan and his granddaughter watched leisurely.

“Your only path to survive is to win. Begin.”

The mode of combat was free-form.

Yu Jinsan knew they wouldn’t fight fairly.

A rider on horseback crested the sand dune and approached the cave.

“Hyung!!”

As he drew near, the guard at the entrance looked at him with puzzlement.

“What brings you here? Alone?”

The bandit who dismounted carried something wrapped in cloth.

“I brought a gift from our boss. He paid handsomely this time, didn’t he?”

“He wasn’t an ordinary one. But he ran off, that bastard.”

The bandit feigned surprise as if knowing nothing.

“…What? How could that be?”

“Don’t worry. Lieutenant Bang chased him, he’ll catch him soon. But what’s with that face? Looks like he’s been trampled by hooves.”

“Just some trouble. Anyway, brother, please take this first.”

“What did you bring?”

At that moment Yu Jinsan, watching from afar, casually stepped in front of his granddaughter. There was no need to show her what would follow.

Sure enough.

A dagger slipped through the cloth and lodged in the guard’s left chest.

Plunk-!

“Guh!”

“Why keep asking the same thing? I said it’s a gift.”

Their skills weren’t remotely comparable—they simply bridged that gap with trickery.

Splat-!

As the guard fell, the ambushing bandit gave a signal.

As if awaiting the cue, the bandits waiting beside Yu Jinsan surged forward.

The swollen-faced leader at the rear spoke grimly.

“Keep your promise.”

“Very well. If you win, we won’t kill you.”

A fight between the bandits and the slave-trading syndicate.

The bandits had superior numbers, but the warriors hired by the slave traders were no pushovers.

As they disappeared into the cave, Yu Jinsan crossed his arms and said.

“Listen well, child. If possible, the best way is to win without fighting directly. In military strategy, this situation is called…”

At that, Yu Seol cut off her grandfather.

“Use the enemy to fight the enemy?”

Yu Jinsan flinched, surprised, and looked at his granddaughter.

She knew a strategy he hadn’t taught her. Though not perfectly, he couldn’t help but feel proud.

“How did you know?”

Yu Seol shrugged and smiled broadly.

“I know everything.”

Whether by nature or habit, she never forgot what she heard once. She’d likely overheard adults mention it vaguely.

“As expected, our Seol is amazing. We don’t need to dirty our hands on scum like them.”

“Heehee. Do you think those men will win?”

“I don’t know. The ones inside aren’t easy opponents for them. Likely whichever side is more vicious will win.”

“But grandpa, if they win and come out, will you really let them go? They’re bad people.”

Yu Jinsan immediately shook his head.

“I said I wouldn’t kill them with my own hands—I never promised to simply let them go.”

“Then?”

“I’ll tell you after seeing the outcome. I’ll go check the situation—you keep this one under strict watch so he can’t move.”

Screams and the clash of arms from inside the cave grew harsher—the fight between the Gobi Desert bandits and the slave traders had begun in earnest.

Yu Jinsan walked toward it at an unhurried pace.

Behind him, his lone granddaughter watched Bang Chung intently.

It was when the battered Bang Chung painfully turned his head toward the cave.

“Aha. Stay exactly where you are!”