Episode 84. Because I’m a Man, Part 2
When I was a young errand boy, I thought martial artists always fought one-on-one—honorably, fairly. I believed that rushing in as a group and turning a fight into chaos was something only untrained thugs would do.
But once I stepped into the real martial world, I learned otherwise. Whether dark, righteous, or demonic, everyone mixed trickery, schemes, and numbers—doing whatever it took to win.
Men who fought like true warriors were surprisingly rare.
Those few proud masters who wandered alone, refusing to join any faction, often ended up dying miserably under sheer numbers.
It always bothered me.
The best fight is one-on-one—clean, certain, primal, and pure.
As we stepped out of the main hall and moved to a wider ground, Nam Yeon-poong restricted the spectators to officers only. At his command, everyone else quickly dispersed.
Nam Ga-rak took his place in the open yard, arms crossed, and asked, “Lord, what shall we use?”
I answered casually, like ordering bar snacks at a tavern. “Anything.”
“You choose.”
I crossed my arms too. “You choose. I’ve learned a bit of everything. Pick whatever you’re best at.”
He seemed to hesitate, so I helped him decide. “Looking at your face makes me want to hit it. You’ve probably never been punched since you became the leader of Nammyung. Let’s go barehanded—I feel like your men would enjoy watching me rearrange that unlucky face. What do you say?”
Nam Ga-rak let out a disbelieving laugh. “You’re insane.”
“If you’re scared, use a weapon. If you’re confident, fight barehanded.”
While he pondered, I tossed my sword, Black Cat Fang, onto the ground. Nam Ga-rak unfolded his arms and walked toward me in silence.
We were about the same height.
He closed the distance. “Ready to get beaten?”
I smirked, and his fist flew.
Whoosh!
I reached to catch his wrist with Golden Thread Hand, but he pulled back and swept a low kick across the ground.
I stepped back to avoid it, and he followed with a palm strike to my face.
I braced my legs and met his palm with a punch to test his internal strength.
Thud! His shoulder rocked backward, then he followed with twin palms.
I instantly saw through the feint and pushed off the ground, widening the distance by three jang (about nine meters) to observe him.
Now his expression turned serious.
If I had overwhelmed him right away, his men would’ve been furious. But now, the situation was different. I wasn’t here to recruit Nam Ga-rak—I wanted the entire Nammyung Society to follow me.
I realized something then. If I didn’t fight seriously, he’d sense it and take offense. So I changed my mind and focused on him.
Drawing up my entire Fighting Rooster energy, I wrapped both hands in blazing red yeomgye energy. Some officers seemed to notice something strange.
“Huh?”
“Mm.”
Feeling the heat course through me, I warned him, “Leader Nam, be careful.”
Then I stomped the ground and lunged forward, releasing twin palms in an instant.
Nam Ga-rak’s eyes widened, and he met my attack with his own twin palms.
I wreathed my hands in Blazing Lotus Energy.
KWA-AAAAAANG!
Nam Ga-rak’s body shot backward, flat as a board. I leapt into the air, raised my right hand, gathered flames around it, and prepared to strike him down—splitting the air like a sword without steel.
As I brought my hand down, a crimson blade of energy descended toward his head.
His face twisted, and he crossed his arms, channeling all his internal power to defend.
With a deafening crack like a drum exploding, his body flew back three jang again, rolling across the ground. His robe was shredded, and he tore the rest off as he staggered upright.
His expression had turned feral—like a wild beast. But to me, he just looked like an angry tavern cat.
Nice face.
I decided to finish this cleanly. Without giving him a moment to recover, I charged again, raining down flaming chops, straight punches, kicks, and strikes in a seamless flurry of palm, fist, and body techniques.
Nam Ga-rak blocked what he could, stepping back each time, his face twitching, eyes wide like a startled cat—but still refusing to yield. I followed with a left palm and used Absorbing Qi Technique to drag him closer, then unleashed a full Fighting Rooster Palm at his body.
He tilted his chin up, countering with twin palms once more.
KWAAAANG!
He barely deflected the blow but spat a mouthful of blood, tumbling across the ground. If I had used only Blazing Qi, it might’ve looked more even to the onlookers—but this was Fighting Rooster. Every counter left him coughing blood or rolling in pain.
My realm was simply higher.
To wake him up, I leapt and stomped downward at his face.
CRACK!
He rolled aside just in time, slamming his palm against the ground to rebound upright. I was already moving—angled midair, both legs together for a downward kick.
THUD!
I’d attacked in such an odd motion to give him time to react. He crossed his arms to block the kick, grunting as he stepped back. I blurred forward, whipping my right arm like a lash, slicing my hand across his throat like a sword.
Seeing a chance, he caught my arm with his left and thrust his right fist forward. I twisted my energy, changed the trajectory, grabbed his collar, seized his wrist, and hurled him into the air.
BOOOOM!
He spun like a ragdoll through the air.
I kicked off the ground and closed in on the spot where he would fall.
From midair, Nam Ga-rak shouted, “Draw your sword!”
He unsheathed his own midair, swinging wildly to buy time. When he landed, his body trembled from exhaustion. Pointing the quivering blade at me, he growled, “Lord, draw your sword.”
His breathing was ragged, eyes bloodshot, face flushed deep red. Pride ruled every inch of him.
“Draw it!”
I smiled, giving him a moment to rest. “Alright then.”
I reached out, summoning the distant Black Cat Fang with Absorbing Qi. The sword quivered, then flew into my hand like a storm wind.
Tack!
Without another word, I unsheathed it and infused it with blazing energy. The blade glowed red, swirling like a living flame. I spun it once near my head and raised it vertically, enveloping it with the fragrance of fire.
Whoosh!
Crimson heat shimmered wildly across the blade.
As I poured my external and internal strength into it, the chaotic red waves calmed into perfect order, and the sword turned a deep, wine-colored hue, as if soaked in blood.
I angled the blade slightly to my right and met his eyes.
“Lord Ja-ha, ready to die?”
“……”
His officers shifted nervously. “Leader?” Their tone hinted, Please, stop.
Nam Ga-rak stared hard at my purple-glowing sword. He knew that if we continued, the outcome would be far worse than before.
It was a moment demanding reason over pride.
He exhaled, calming himself. “No need to test your sword. I’ve lost.”
He sheathed his weapon, and I gradually withdrew my energy. The sword’s violet glow faded into pale white before I returned it to its scabbard.
“A cool head is a strength too,” I said. “You ended it well.”
I understood men like him. He’d need time to recover. Men of pride and responsibility always did.
I looked around the Nammyung grounds, then said to him and his men, “See you again.”
I didn’t demand anything, didn’t mock them—I simply turned and walked away.
After a few steps, his calm voice came. “Lord, have some tea before you go.”
“Next time.”
I stopped briefly and looked up at the sky. It had rained a few days ago, but today was bright and clear.
“The clouds…”
Behind me, Nam Ga-rak asked quietly, “What happens now?”
Still watching the drifting clouds, I said, “Who knows? Hao Sect is Hao Sect, Nammyung is Nammyung. We’ll meet again someday. If your men ever wish to test themselves against me, come find me. As long as they’re as bold as their leader, they’ll be welcome.”
I turned back toward them. The entire Nammyung Society was staring at me. I chose my words carefully.
“If the Sword Alliance or Southern Sun bothers you, contact Hao Sect.”
“And if we do?” Nam Ga-rak asked.
I rested my hand lightly on my sword hilt. “Then… it’s war.”
I could’ve said more, but didn’t.
The choice was his—stay as Nammyung and die as before, or join Hao Sect and change his fate. I wouldn’t force it. But if his heart changed, so too would his destiny.
Even Heaven, I think, would forgive such a change.
As I walked back toward the Black Cat Clan, my thoughts drifted.
To change one’s fate, you first have to change your heart.
Not just Nam Ga-rak—me, too.
But for men like us, changing our hearts isn’t easy. Still, who ever said changing fate was?
It’s supposed to be hard.
Nam Ga-rak was probably nursing his wounded pride right now. So was I. Acting like a proper martial artist instead of a madman left my head spinning.
Still, I handled it well enough, didn’t I?
Throughout the fight, Mo Yong-baek’s voice echoed in my head.
“Try to summon your madness only when facing a true strongman.”
Every time I wanted to smash Nam Ga-rak’s face, I remembered those words.
From raging madness to controlled madness—my heart needed that discipline. Like a river that remains calm on the surface even as fish tear each other apart below.
What I need now is that kind of peace—a river-like calm.
As I walked, I hummed like the inn boys sweeping the streets at dawn.
“Peace like a river in me, peace like a river in me, madness like the sea in me, madness ever-springing in me…”
.
.
Overflowing.