Chapter 78. Only the Mad Are My Match.

The ruffians who had been guests outside the Hellish Inn had surrounded me. Among them were even some familiar faces.

Behind me, Dongfang Lian was eyeing the back of my head.

I stood still, as if inviting them to make a surprise attack, and took the opportunity to look at the familiar faces I hadn't seen in a long time. I confirmed, pointlessly, that this one was a gambling king's subordinate and that one was also a gambling king's subordinate.

Someone among the ruffians asked Dongfang Lian,

"Are we going to kill him?"

Dongfang Lian replied as he passed by me,

"At the arena. Gather everyone there."

"Everyone?"

Dongfang Lian shouted,

"Every single one of them!"

Dongfang Lian turned to me and said,

"What are you doing? Let's go."

I stood next to Dongfang Lian and headed for the arena.

Some went to call more people, but a considerable number of people surrounded me and headed for the arena. In the meantime, a group from the alley, the drinkers outside the inn, and the remaining ruffians mixed in with the regular guests all joined in, filling the street in an instant.

As the numbers grew, Dongfang Lian laughed.

"It's too late to regret now."

While walking next to Dongfang Lian, I spotted a familiar street vendor and, after clearing a path by hitting a few heads, took out a silver coin from my bag.

"Uncle, one rock sugar candy, please."

The street vendor, surprised, handed me a stick of rock sugar candy. When I gave him the silver coin, he hurriedly opened his change purse.

I said, with the rock sugar candy in my mouth,

"Keep the change."

"Ah, yes."

I followed Dongfang Lian, sucking on the rock sugar candy.

"Hey, how long has it been since I had rock sugar candy?"

As the sounds of sucking, smacking, and slurping came from my mouth, Dongfang Lian sighed and cursed.

"Stupid brat."

I didn't pay much attention to the words of a man who was about to die.

By the time we arrived at the arena, even ordinary spectators and gamblers unrelated to the gambling king had gathered. A Pingjunsoldier, who had appeared from somewhere, followed and said to Dongfang Lian,

"What's going on? We agreed to fight tomorrow."

Dongfang Lian replied,

"Shut up."

I also pulled out the rock sugar candy and added,

"Shut up, ordinary soldier."

Dongfang Lian told those following him,

"Kill this man at the arena, members of the Hellish Assembly."

I responded to Dongfang Lian alone,

"Why? You appear last? Stupid moron. Just because everyone slaps the title 'king' onto their names, it ends up like this. Is this the trend nowadays?"

I passed by, slapping the cheek of a ruffian who turned around with a frown.

"Move. You brat."

The man, after spinning in the air and hitting the ground, immediately fainted.

I had subtly taken care of one.

As soon as we entered the arena, the ruffians spread out to the sides, and I headed to the center, loosening up.

While doing the stretching exercises I named "Jianghu Gymnastics" and looking at the entrance, fireflies disguised as people swarmed in.

Not only the arena but also the stands were filled with gambling-obsessed ghosts. Then, as if the beacon fires were connected, the arena gradually brightened.

I fight alone, so darkness is advantageous.

However, after the beacon fires circled the arena, it was as bright as midday.

This way, everything is clearly visible, making it easier to fight.

I am a man who can find the positive in any situation.

A gambler in the stands asked the Pingjunsoldier,

"Pingjunsoldier, what's going on? Explain it to us."

The Pingjunsoldier, who had heard a rough account from his subordinates, replied to the gambler,

"Just watch today. This fight isn't about money."

"What kind of fight is it if we're just supposed to watch?"

I clapped my hands to draw attention.

"Everyone, listen up. Some of you might know, but the supreme power here is the gambling king."

Dongfang Lian shouted,

"Shut up!"

I am the one who talks more when told to shut up.

"The gambling king is the owner of the Hellish Inn. I will fight the entire Hellish Assembly, including the gambling king. If I die, you can continue to be played by the gambling king. If I win, everything the gambling king has is mine."

Dongfang Lian's face turned bright red when I revealed the gambling king's identity here.

I pointed at Dongfang Lian.

"That brat is also a subordinate of the gambling king. How can a king be someone else's subordinate? If he had fought with skill, he would have lost long ago... but he has a long life."

I pointed at the gambling king's subordinates, who numbered over a hundred.

"I'll give you one chance to live. The scary ones, go to the stands. None?"

I scratched my nose.

"Fine, then."

In fact, I won't kill them all. If they were part of a sect, alliance, or a higher-level black society organization, I would fight to the death. However, a group formed around gambling is unlikely to be that ruthless.

For those weaker than me to fight to the death, they would have to be mad about religion, pride, or the black society.

Therefore, only the mad are my match.

Seeing the fireflies as numerous as plum blossoms, I suddenly drew Heimiao and slowly performed the Plum Blossom Sword Technique I had learned under the plum tree.

Since it wasn't yet a fully refined and detailed sword technique, I moved as I wished.

Suddenly, I realized that the mindset I had when thinking about the Plum Blossom Sword Technique was light and pleasant, which didn't fit the current situation.

Another realization.

I concluded that I shouldn't use the noble Plum Blossom Sword Technique to kill gamblers. There was no particular reason for this.

Dongfang Lian's voice was heard.

"Kill him."

Turning my head, I saw the fireflies gathering like a swarm of ants. I looked at the approaching ruffians, put Heimiao back, and faced them with bare hands.

"Bare hands and empty fists" usually means having nothing, but it's different in my case.

I wrapped my left hand with Yanji to make it a "red hand" and lightly clenched my right hand to make it an "empty fist."

Although my family was poor from a young age,

I am a man who succeeds with bare hands and empty fists.

I calmed my mind and began to strike my opponents with the insights of a fighting cock.

The insights of a fighting cock are simple yet profound.

If I must explain, it's like fighting wildly but at a high level.

Avoiding swords and spears, I struck pressure points when I saw an opponent's shoulder and poked their eyes with my fingers.

Bending my head, if I saw someone's foot, I struck the top of it.

Crack!

"Ah!"

For attacks that seemed impossible to counter, I pushed them away with a palm strike. Leaping up, I stepped on someone's shoulder, then on someone's head, and kicked the face of a man who looked surprised, before landing.

It was still busy.

I often had to duck and pull my shoulders back to avoid swords, then unleash a palm strike to the front and kick the approaching ones from behind.

They lacked experience in group fighting.

'Pathetic.'

Moreover, since the experts didn't step forward, those who attacked first only received a kick or a punch, but they rolled on the ground dramatically. However, their screams were realistically terrible.

"Ah!"

"Ugh!"

One man, after being hit in the stomach, clutched his belly, knelt down, and had a look of fainting.

He didn't faint immediately, but his intention to faint was clear. When I gently pushed his head, his eyes rolled back, and he performed a fainting act by falling to the side.

I sighed.

What should I call this atmosphere?

The ruffians were fighting half-heartedly because they valued their lives.

It was also because I was only giving them a light hit each time.

The enlightenment under the plum tree had somehow turned into a telepathic understanding. The ruffians, realizing I wasn't killing them cruelly, started fighting messily and fell to the ground.

They were surprisingly decent.

Dongfang Lian, perhaps finding the scene amusing, shouted,

"Everyone, get out."

Next to where Dongfang Lian stood were the top-tier experts who had excelled in martial arts gambling.

Only about thirty to forty people were rolling on the ground, but they already looked anxious, thinking it was their turn.

I even knew most of them.

I knew how they fought and what their personalities were like. The important thing was that some of them were those I needed to kill.

When I suddenly drew Heimiao and charged, a few of them started to run away. I looked at the fleeing ones and chased after a man who had often committed violence and rape in my past life, known as Evil Face.

I clearly showed my intention to beat up one person.

The frightened ones quickly cleared a path, and a chase between Evil Face and me began.

Evil Face, pushing people away, shouted loudly. His question was why no one was helping him, but his actions were so despicable that even his comrades frowned, and no one responded.

I leaped into the air, stepped on someone's shoulder, and swung Heimiao at Evil Face's back near the entrance.

I deflected Evil Face's saw-toothed saber with Heimiao.

Then, I instantly struck his shoulder pressure point with my left hand. Following that, I beheaded Evil Face with a single stroke of Heimiao and turned around.

Hearing the sound of Evil Face's headless body hitting the ground, I looked around the arena.

"...There were more to kill. Hey, move out of the way. You, get out of here, you brat."

Holding the blood-stained Heimiao, I looked around. Unlike before, the ruffians, like fish avoiding a predator, huddled together and moved around.

When I suddenly charged like a madman, they all screamed.

They were more afraid because they didn't know why I was picking specific people to kill. I couldn't explain the reason for picking them.

I found Yixiazi, who had often killed fellow gamblers for trivial reasons. This time, I unknowingly pointed at Yixiazi with my finger.

"Hey, you with the small eyes. Come here."

Yixiazi, widening his small eyes as much as possible, started to use light body techniques towards the nearby stands. As I ran, I picked up a fallen Willow Leaf Blade and, leaping into the air, threw it like a hatchet. Instantly, the Willow Leaf Blade, glowing red due to Yanji, pierced Yixiazi's back and stuck into the wall.

A crack sounded, and Yixiazi collapsed.

Only then did Dongfang Lian realize that his subordinates were all incompetent and flew over with dual swords in hand.

Only then did I swing Heimiao over a dozen times without stopping. Sparks flew in the air each time our weapons clashed. Then, Pingjunsoldier's fan approached my waist.

After deflecting Dongfang Lian's dual swords and stepping back, a palm strike from behind pushed me.

I kicked the ground as if it were my enemy and leaped high into the air.

Evil Face and Yixiazi's comrades had joined.

When I leaped vertically, Dongfang Lian, Pingjunsoldier, and the two who had ambushed me gathered near my landing point, weapons in hand.

I clicked my tongue at the sight.

Did I look ridiculous?

I held Heimiao with both hands in the air, crouched, and spun like a top caught in a whirlwind. I channeled Yanji into both hands and into Heimiao. Flames in the form of sword blades rained down like a shower of flowers.

The two who had ambushed me were already dead, their bodies riddled with red holes.

Dongfang Lian and Pingjunsoldier desperately deflected the sword-shaped qi that rained down like hidden weapons.

This was an attack technique I had created spontaneously while raging madly, but it was just a fit of rage, so I didn't give it a special name. After shaking off the madness, maintaining silence helps set the mood.

I landed, touching the ground with my left knee and left hand, and held Heimiao horizontally with my right hand. I slowly raised my head.

I stood up, as if about to say something, and slowly sheathed Heimiao. Without a word, I used a sword technique to sever the neck of Pingjunsoldier, who was bleeding all over.

Plop!

Pingjunsoldier's head soared high into the air.