Chapter 7. How About Friends?
Facing Wang Ki-pyo, also known as the One-Eyed Demon, on the central stage, I realized he was even more imposing than I had imagined. True to his nickname, one of his eyes was covered with a patch, and he stood at least six and a half feet tall, making him tower over me despite my own considerable height.
Seeing him up close for the first time, instead of just looking up at him from the audience, I could truly feel the pressure he exerted.
“Not bad. He hasn’t neglected his training. If he had, he wouldn’t still be alive.”
It was no coincidence that Wang Ki-pyo reigned as an absolute power in the Black Market. Especially when considering that his signature techniques, “Black Wolf Step” and “Black Wolf Twelve Strikes,” were entirely based on barehanded and barefooted combat.
Even though the use of internal energy was suppressed in the Heavenly Martial Alliance Tournament, he maintained his position as the top fighter without the aid of weapons for years, which spoke volumes about his skill.
However, that was as far as my acknowledgment went.
“Many possess great martial skills, but few use them for the right reasons.”
Throughout my past life as the Heavenly Murderer, I had seen countless examples of this.
As martial artists advanced in their training, they often lost sight of what was truly important. Family, comrades, humanity, and dignity—all these were forgotten in their obsession with strength.
They ignored the fundamental reason for practicing martial arts, which should be more altruistic than selfish.
In my previous life, I, too, lost sight of this. But in this life, I was determined not to make the same mistake, especially when it came to those who had a connection to me in my past life.
Wang Ki-pyo would be the starting point.
“Kid, are you starting to regret this?”
As I prepared for the match, surveying my surroundings, Wang Ki-pyo sneered at me from up close.
“Regret?”
“Yeah. You must’ve thought you could use me to draw attention, gain popularity, and make more money. But now you’ve actually met me. That was your mistake.”
“Mistake…”
“You even wagged your tail at Ma Jung-hyuk. I didn’t think a nobody like you would go to such lengths to become the sword of the Black Market, while a supreme master like me remains still. Ma Jung-hyuk is too naïve, giving you precious elixirs after only a few days here.”
It seemed Wang Ki-pyo was under several misconceptions about why I was here.
For a moment, I considered correcting him, but I decided against it. My mind was preoccupied with something else.
“How should I kill him so that Bang Yak-rip can find some peace…?”
Initially, I had thought about crushing his remaining eye first, but then it occurred to me that it might be better for him to watch himself fall apart.
“Hmm…”
But it seemed Wang Ki-pyo had no intention of leaving me alone.
“Kid, beg for mercy. Crawl between my legs. Maybe then the spectators will ask me to spare you. They say you’re quite popular. If you do that, you might survive. Hahaha!”
• That’s right, Wang Ki-pyo, give it to him!
• I’ve bet everything on you, One-Eyed Demon.
• Don’t spare him! Kill him and dance with his intestines around his neck!
Wang Ki-pyo mocked me, completely convinced of my defeat, while engaging with the spectators.
I glanced up at the stands. Bang Yak-rip was there, clasping his hands in a desperate prayer, his eyes fixed on the arena. He was the only one rooting for me. I mentally asked him,
“How should I kill him?”
There was no answer. So, I would have to decide for myself.
But first, for Bang Yak-rip’s sake, I needed to shut that mouth.
It wasn’t that I was weak at verbal sparring. In my past life as the Heavenly Murderer, my comrades had nicknamed me “Cuckoo” because I was so taciturn that they often plugged their ears, saying I spoke too much.
“Hey, One-Eyed.”
“What? Are you talking to me?”
“Shut up. Your breath smells like a sewer, so close your mouth. Why does a man talk so much?”
“…What?”
“Shut your yellow teeth, too. And why are you bald? Already losing your hair?”
“Wh-what the hell…”
People often use logic when arguing, but that’s a tactic for amateurs. Personal attacks are the best, especially when targeting appearance.
“And turn around.”
“Why?”
“Looking at your face, which is uglier than a pig mask, makes me want to vomit.”
“You crazy bastard!!!”
It was certainly effective.
• That bastard’s nuts.
• This is why I like you, Heavenly Murderer.
• You really are something else. You talk even when you know you might die.
• Wang Ki-pyo is pretty ugly, though.
Even the audience erupted in cheers.
Wang Ki-pyo trembled with rage and growled.
“Don’t expect an easy death.”
“And how are you going to kill me?”
“I’ll peel your skin off layer by layer and dry you to death. No mercy. No one will stop me. They’ll want to see it.”
“Sounds like a good idea. Thanks.”
“What are you thanking me for?”
“For giving me the idea on how to kill you.”
“You son of a…!”
Wang Ki-pyo’s eyes flipped in fury. It would be a problem if he died too quickly.
I was already debating how to kill him, and now he had given me the answer.
Thankfully, the announcer signaled the start of the match before Wang Ki-pyo could collapse from rage.
[Thank you all for waiting! Now, we have a match between the reigning champion of the Heavenly Martial Alliance Tournament, the One-Eyed Demon, Wang Ki-pyo, and the rising star, the Heavenly Murderer, Jang Man-bok. I hope you’ve placed your bets wisely. Let the match begin!]
As soon as the announcer finished, Wang Ki-pyo launched himself at me, his bulky body moving surprisingly fast. The speed was likely due to his anger.
However, I didn’t panic. I rolled under his outstretched fist, dodging it easily.
Wang Ki-pyo curled his lips into a sneer.
“Kid, now do you realize who you’ve messed with? Groveling on the ground already.”
This is why martial artists are hypocritical. They sell their souls to become strong but consider groveling a disgrace.
From my perspective, that’s completely wrong. I could have dodged with just a bow of my head, but I rolled on the ground deliberately.
Rolling on the ground has significant advantages when facing a martial artist.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Wang Ki-pyo lifted one leg and stomped on the ground, giving me no chance to get up.
If you roll on the ground, nine out of ten fighters will use similar tactics to Wang Ki-pyo. They’ll stomp or kick at you.
But by doing so, they expose a critical weakness.
As Wang Ki-pyo stomped down, I grabbed his ankle and wrapped my body around his leg.
“……!”
Wang Ki-pyo was momentarily stunned, unsure how to react to this unfamiliar technique. And for good reason—I had learned it from a Japanese samurai.
Twist! Crack!
With his ankle wedged under my arm, I twisted it the wrong way, causing it to snap.
“Ah, this reminds me of the Jang brothers.”
“Arghhhh!”
Wang Ki-pyo screamed in agony as I finally got off the ground.
His ankle, twisted and broken, left him unable to plant his foot on the ground.
See? Rolling on the ground has its benefits.
“I’ll… I’ll kill you!”
Wang Ki-pyo was still swearing to kill me, but with his ankle twisted, the match was effectively over.
There was nothing more he could do.
I had planned this from the start, knowing that my internal and external martial skills couldn’t match his, but my experience and technique could.
Now, it was my turn.
“What did you say earlier?”
“Wh-what?”
“You told me how you would kill me, didn’t you? Something about peeling off my skin, one piece at a time?”
Wang Ki-pyo’s face contorted in fear as he realized what I was about to do.
“Bullshit. My skin is as tough as steel.”
“The bullshit is yours.”
“Damn it. This isn’t over yet.”
Wang Ki-pyo still believed in his external martial arts training, thinking his toughened skin would protect him. But that was another mistake. While his skin was indeed tough, it was nothing the Yama’s Hundred and Eight Techniques couldn’t handle.
“Let me return the favor. Watch closely.”
“….”
“Oh, and if you want to live, why not bark like a dog? You never know. The spectators might beg me to spare you. Of course, I won’t.”
“Shut up!”
Wang Ki-pyo, his pain slightly abated, charged at me on one leg.
But how could I fall for such a straightforward attack?
I sidestepped half a step, letting his charge miss, then extended my arms and executed the “Whip” technique from the Yama’s Hundred and Eight Techniques.
The Yama’s Hundred and Eight Techniques consist of 108 fatal techniques, but they are far from simple.
The core of the Yama’s Hundred and Eight Techniques lies in replicating the effects of weapons using the human body.
Among these, the “Whip” replicates a whip’s effect.
Crack!
My arm, moving like a whip, lashed across Wang Ki-pyo’s shoulder. He must have thought his shoulder would be fine, but that was not the case.
Rip!
A palm-sized chunk of flesh flew through the air.
“Arrrgh!”
A whip might not pierce through stone or break walls, but it can tear through any tough skin.
Moreover, my weapon was the precious meteor iron bracelet on my wrist.
In terms of toughness, it rivaled black iron. While I couldn’t fully harness its power due to the suppression of internal energy, it was still effective.
“Why are you screaming already? I’m just getting started. I’ll have to work hard to strip all your skin.”
“You… you bastard. I’ll kill you.”
“You still have some spirit left, I see.”
Wang Ki-pyo charged at me again. I responded with another strike from the Yama’s Hundred and Eight Techniques.
Crack! Rip! Crack! Rip!
Each time Wang Ki-pyo lunged, more of his flesh was torn away.
How many times did I repeat this?
Once, five times, thirty-two times.
Before I knew it, the ground was soaked with blood. The spectators, instead of quieting down, were whipped into a frenzy by the sight of the crimson splatter.
At long last, Wang Ki-pyo stood trembling, his body finally spent.
“P-please spare me.”
He whispered, finally sensing his impending death.
His once-yellowish skin was now stripped away, leaving only a layer of raw, bloody flesh and exposed bone. His former arrogance was nowhere to be found.
But life and death were not his to decide.
I looked up at Bang Yak-rip. Tears of blood streamed down his face.
I silently asked him if he was satisfied.
Bang Yak-rip shook his head, signaling he wanted an even more gruesome end.
• Kill him! Kill him! Kill him!
• Let’s finish him off!
• Today’s the day we see the end of Wang Ki-pyo. Hahaha. What a delight.
• Finish him off brutally!
Even the spectators, noticing me looking up, misunderstood and shouted their approval.
Yes, this is the fate of the Black Market fighting pits.
Life is never granted to anyone. Even I won’t win forever.
“Please, spare me. Or at least give me a quick death. You can stop now.”
Wang Ki-pyo begged in a small voice. But—
“Sorry, but I can’t kill you yet.”
“…Please. I’m begging you.”
“Sorry. And actually, I’m not done yet. You’ve done things that need to be repaid, haven’t you?”
There are levels of wickedness.
The things Wang Ki-pyo had done were among the lowest and vilest.
I had no intention of forgiving him.
If I could use internal energy, I would have incinerated him with the Yama Divine Technique.
“Please…. Please….”
“No. And you still have some skin left.”
“……!!!”
My arms swept down in a curve, like a whip.
Swoosh!
The remaining flesh peeled off as my strike connected, chunks of red skin flying off his body.
Rip!
Scarlet patches of skin, mixed with blood, painted the arena.
Crack!
It wasn’t until three more layers of skin were peeled away that Wang Ki-pyo finally closed his eyes.
When I looked up at the second-floor stands, Bang Yak-rip was no longer there.
• That was incredible! Wooooaaaaah!!!
The audience was more than satisfied.
“Did Bang Yak-rip find satisfaction as well?”
I didn’t know the extent of Bang Yak-rip’s satisfaction until long after the match ended.
The match must have been taxing, considering I fell into a deep sleep afterward. It wasn’t until Cho-ryeong woke me up that I realized I had been exhausted.
“Sir, wake up. You have a guest.”
I couldn’t even wake up on my own. If Cho-ryeong hadn’t roused me, I would have slept the entire day.
And now she was calling me “Sir.” What a cunning girl.
“Who is it?”
“He smells like the apothecary. Said his name is Bang Yak-rip. Everyone else was sent away, but he’s been waiting in front of the pavilion for several hours.”
“Oh, damn. Bring him in immediately!”
Seeing my expression, Cho-ryeong hurried to bring Bang Yak-rip into the room.
When I saw him after several days, his eyes were swollen, but the stiff, expressionless face I was used to had softened slightly.
As soon as Bang Yak-rip entered the room, he dropped to his knees in front of me.
“Savior, thank you.”
I was taken aback. There was no need for him to be this grateful.
“No need for that. Please, get up.”
“I cannot. And please, speak to me informally, Savior.”
In my previous life, our relationship had been ambiguous, neither enemies nor friends, but in this life, I intended to become his friend. However, it seemed I had hit an obstacle.
I never intended to become his savior. In my past life, I had received several favors from him.
Although I couldn’t stop my evil deeds because of those favors, they had allowed me to survive, and it’s because of them that I am who I am today.
I was the one who owed gratitude.
I spoke firmly.
“If you don’t get up, I won’t say another word. There’s no need to thank me. I was just fulfilling a contract.”
“If you insist, I will rise.”
“And stop with the formal language. It’s unsettling.”
“I… I cannot. How could I possibly…”
Bang Yak-rip, still kneeling, finally sat up straight. Though he kept his knees bent, I couldn’t force him to change that. That was just who Bang Yak-rip was.
He was a man who would repay a favor, even if it meant going against his nature and principles. That’s why he had followed the Baek family.
He was a man who bore the weight of gratitude like a mountain. That’s why I trusted him, and why he had come to me now.
“I heard you waited a long time. I apologize. I was exhausted after the match and fell asleep.”
“No need to apologize. I understand. I didn’t wait long. I had other matters to attend to as well.”
“Matters?”
“Now that my grudge has been settled, I needed to properly lay my family to rest.”
“Oh…”
“I went down the mountain last night to scatter their ashes in the river and then came back up. Now they can rest in peace.”
Bang Yak-rip smiled through his tears. I couldn’t fully grasp his emotions.
I had been the one causing harm.
“So, have you found some peace?”
“How can it be complete? Losing family is like losing oneself.”
“Is that so?”
“It is. But I no longer feel as trapped in the past as I did before.”
“I’m glad to hear that.”
I could somewhat understand. In my past life as the Heavenly Murderer, I had lost my family and returned, filled with regret, harboring similar emotions.
In the end, it’s the feeling that everything happened because of you.
A moment of silence passed between us.
Emotions have inertia, and it takes time for them to subside.
After a long pause, Bang Yak-rip spoke.
“Savior.”
“What is it?”
“I want to live by your side from now on.”
I looked into Bang Yak-rip’s eyes. There was a firm resolve etched in them.
He still wanted to repay his debt to me. But that wasn’t what I wanted.
I said,
“Do you know something?”
“What is it?”
“I have committed evil deeds in the past. Because of that, my family suffered. But perhaps by divine grace, I was given a chance to correct my wrongs.”
“….”
“I plan to atone for my past by hunting down villains. But I don’t want any rewards for it. This is merely a path of repentance. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
“You’re rejecting my offer.”
“Yes. I want you to live for yourself, not for me.”
This was my heartfelt truth toward a long-standing relationship. Although I had come here intending to recruit him, I had no intention of binding him.
I simply wanted to form a bond and draw on it when needed.
I wanted him to live free from the constraints of the Baek family or anyone else, unlike in the past.
But it seemed Bang Yak-rip had different thoughts.
“Then let me assist you in that mission.”
“You didn’t understand…”
“That is the path I’ve chosen for myself.”
The resolute determination in Bang Yak-rip’s eyes told me there was no changing his mind.
“In that case, let’s do this.”
“What do you propose…?”
“You can stay with me, but let’s not be in a debtor-savior relationship. I’m just atoning for my past.”
“Then what?”
“How about friends?”
I took this opportunity to express what I had always wanted from him, both in this life and the previous one.
Not a relationship where we reflected each other like mirrors, but one where we walked side by side, looking in the same direction.
“If that’s what you wish… I cannot refuse. I would be honored.”
Fortunately, Bang Yak-rip smiled back at me.
“How about a drink?”
For the first time in a while, I felt like I could drink and actually enjoy it, so I asked.
“Today might not be the best time.”
“Why not?”
But Bang Yak-rip declined. Just as my expression began to stiffen,
“You have something better to consume.”
Bang Yak-rip untied a bundle and handed it to me. Inside the bundle were three wooden boxes.
“Inside are Bi-cheong-yu, Cheon-nyeon-seol-sam, and Ma-nyeok-gwa. Each of these can grant you at least five, and up to eight, years of internal energy. As your friend, I will continue to assist you in acquiring such treasures.”
A wide grin spread across my face—
It seemed I had found myself a good friend.
“Lock the door and stand guard. I’m going to consume these right away. It won’t take long, and then we can have that drink.”
“It would be my pleasure.”
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