Chapter 12
Cheonghwaru, known as Sichuan's Best Brothel.
As always, a man entered the establishment.
"Whew."
The lavish interior of Cheonghwaru came into view.
Its open structure allowed each floor to be seen from the central circular atrium that extended all the way to the ceiling.
It was incredibly opulent.
So much so that the man wondered if he had ever been to such a place in his entire tumultuous life.
"My, welcome. Are you alone... Oh?"
The woman at the entrance, who usually greeted guests warmly, hesitated.
The man who had just entered Cheonghwaru and was looking around wore a black mask covering his face.
...A robber? But surely no one would be foolish enough to attempt to rob Cheonghwaru alone, with so many people coming and going?
That couldn't be it.
"W-What brings you here?"
The masked man turned to look at the woman.
"I'm looking for someone."
"Someone? Who might that be?"
"Tang Gu-hwi."
In an instant, the atmosphere on the first floor froze.
The Sichuan Tang Family warriors tasked with guarding Tang Gu-hwi were stationed there.
One of them slowly stood up.
"It seems he's here. Where is he?"
At the masked man's words, the woman's gaze unconsciously turned towards the highest floor.
Yeo Un-hwi smiled faintly.
"Thank you."
"Hey, why are you asking about our Young Master..."
Just as the Sichuan Tang Family warrior was about to address Yeo Un-hwi,
WHOOSH!
His form shot upwards like lightning.
The woman, the Sichuan Tang Family warriors, and everyone present followed him with their eyes.
At the same time,
BOOM! BOOM!
Several bursts of force energy fired from Yeo Un-hwi's hands, completely destroying all the stairs and paths leading up.
It happened in an instant.
It was truly an incredible display of martial prowess.
And now was the moment.
"You say you have business with me?"
The masked man, Yeo Un-hwi, nodded at Tang Gu-hwi's words.
Was it a grudge?
But it was hard to recall who this opponent might be.
He had left quite a few grudges here and there wherever he went.
"Heh, do you know who I am to be doing this?"
Tang Gu-hwi said casually as he downed his drink.
"Well, I've heard a thing or two. The Young Master of the Sichuan Tang Family, a good-for-nothing who brings shame to his family's name. Is that right?"
"...You bastard."
"But it seems that's not all..."
Yeo Un-hwi's gaze turned to the Black and White Twin Devils.
Those were faces he knew well too.
He had beheaded them in his past life, after all.
Of course, he also knew full well what scum they were.
Trash who had long poisoned the Central Plains with human trafficking and drugs.
But to see those pieces of garbage drinking together with the Young Master of the Sichuan Tang Family?
This was truly something even Yeo Un-hwi had never expected.
"Haha."
"What's so funny?"
"Oh, nothing. I knew you were trash, but I didn't realize you were this far gone."
This was, how should he put it.
Saying he was beyond redemption didn't even begin to cover it.
He could roughly guess what was going on.
Tang Gu-hwi had either already joined hands with the Black and White Twin Devils or was about to do so.
And the condition and price for that contract was probably,
'Sichuan.'
That madman intended to lend a hand to the Black and White Twin Devils' vile drug trade and their horrific business of buying and selling innocent, powerless people.
At this point, he felt he understood.
The feelings Tang Gu-hwi had harbored for his wife.
It was neither love, nor revenge, nor resentment.
He had simply toyed with his wife's life as if it were a plaything.
As this realization dawned on him, his anger surged even more.
He made up his mind.
He would deliver hell to all the trash gathered here today.
"Hahaha!"
The Black and White Twin Devils, who had been quietly observing the situation, stood up.
"It seems you're someone with a grudge against the Young Master, but you've picked the wrong day to come here, heh heh."
"Young Master."
"Yes?"
"Today marks the beginning of our deal, so we'll take care of this one personally."
"I'm truly sorry to trouble you two seniors."
Tang Gu-hwi nodded.
Soon, the Black and White Twin Devils strode towards Yeo Un-hwi.
Their towering height and massive builds exuded an incredible aura of pressure.
"What do you say?"
The Black Devil, one of the Twin Devils, spoke as he looked down at Yeo Un-hwi with a contemptuous smile.
"If you beg for your life now, we might just spare you."
Yeo Un-hwi smirked.
He knew.
That these men had never once let an opponent live.
This was merely their way of toying with someone they perceived as weaker.
"I'll pass."
"It seems you truly have a death wish."
They were displeased by Yeo Un-hwi's continued composure in their presence.
The Black and White Twin Devils' eyes began to gleam.
"We'll make you regret this, you bastard!"
The Black Devil extended his massive hand towards Yeo Un-hwi's head.
Yeo Un-hwi raised his hand and grasped it.
"Are you trying to challenge me to a contest of strength?! Foolish bastard, very well!"
They began to grapple, hands locked together.
But then,
"...What is this?!"
Normally, his opponent's arm should have already been broken, his face smashed into the ground.
And the expected scene would be the opponent on his knees, crying and begging for his life.
But to their shock, Yeo Un-hwi was completely unfazed.
"No, how can this..."
"Brother! What are you doing?"
"No, brother, it's..."
"Is this really all you've got?"
"Y-You bastard!"
Provoked by Yeo Un-hwi's taunt, the Black Devil began to pour all his strength into the contest.
CRACK! CRUNCH!
The floor beneath Yeo Un-hwi's feet began to sink and crumble.
But Yeo Un-hwi's expression remained as calm as ever.
"RAAAAARGH!"
No matter how much strength he poured in, it was to no avail.
"Is it my turn now?"
"W-What? Ugh, urk!"
WHAM! BOOM!
Yeo Un-hwi suddenly lifted the Black Devil and began slamming him into the ground repeatedly.
CRASH! BANG! BOOM! BOOM!
"GUAAAARGH!"
WHAM! CRASH! BANG! BANG!
Before anyone could even think to intervene, the Black Devil was continuously smashed into the floor while his hand remained trapped in Yeo Un-hwi's grip.
It was an incredible display of superhuman strength.
"Urrrgh..."
A groan escaped the Black Devil's lips as his entire body felt like it was being shattered by the impacts.
"You bastard!"
Snapping out of his momentary shock at the unbelievable situation, the White Devil finally regained his senses and unleashed a palm strike.
As if he had anticipated this, Yeo Un-hwi simply threw the Black Devil's body at the White Devil, using it to block the attack.
THUD!
The White Devil's palm strike hit the Black Devil's back directly.
"Guheheh!"
"B-Brother! You, you dare to hurt my brother!"
The White Devil glared fiercely at Yeo Un-hwi as he cradled his fallen brother.
But Yeo Un-hwi merely grinned.
"Why don't you beg for your life now? I might just feel inclined to spare you."
Yeo Un-hwi threw the Black and White Twin Devils' earlier words right back at them.
Their faces flushed red with humiliation.
"You son of a bitch!"
"B-Brother, wait."
The Black Devil slowly got to his feet, composing himself.
"This is no ordinary opponent. We can't win if we lose our cool like this."
"Hmm."
They truly looked pathetic right now.
To end up in such a state after their big talk earlier.
It was a thoroughly embarrassing situation, especially in front of Tang Gu-hwi.
They couldn't just keep taking this beating.
Now that they knew their opponent was a master, they couldn't afford to be careless.
In that case,
The Black and White Twin Devils stood side by side.
CLANK!
The chains wrapped around their waists unfurled.
It was their sect's secret weapon, the Giant Strength Hammer.
As they began to swing the chains, the hammer heads viciously cut through the air.
WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOM! WHOOM! WHOOM! WHOOM!
As the hammers spun faster and faster, the sound of air being torn apart grew louder, until a whirlwind began to form in the room.
The Black and White Twin Devils' eyes had become incredibly calm.
Though they had briefly shown an unsightly display, they were confident that their combined attack, which had made them infamous throughout the Central Plains, could not be stopped.
"We'll tear you limb from limb, heh heh."
"You'll regret coming here today..."
THUD!
In an instant, the White Devil lost sight of the masked man.
And then a horrific sound reached his ears.
...Huh?
His head unconsciously turned to the side.
To where his brother had been just moments ago.
The masked man was now standing there, looking down at the fallen mass of flesh that had been his brother.
"The opening act dragged on for too long, you see."
The masked man smiled slightly at the White Devil.
"B-Brother?"
The White Devil trembled as he looked at the Black Devil's body, his head completely shattered.
His only blood relative, his brother, had just died.
"You bastaaaaard!"
The White Devil poured all his strength into the chain.
His chain writhed like a snake, then shot straight up before flying towards Yeo Un-hwi.
WHOOSH!
A barrage of attacks followed as the White Devil unleashed all his power.
But Yeo Un-hwi dodged the endless chain of attacks with incredible ease.
Then he suddenly thrust his hand into the midst of the chains.
CLANG!
As Yeo Un-hwi's hand entered the point where the chains intersected, their trajectories all changed at once.
"Ugh!"
The White Devil panicked as he lost control of the chains.
In that moment, Yeo Un-hwi spoke.
"If your brother's death grieves you so, you should have known to value the lives of others' brothers and families as well."
"Grrrgh! You bastaaaaard!"
All control of the chains had passed to Yeo Un-hwi.
And then,
WHOOSH!
The hammer that had been aiming for Yeo Un-hwi now flew towards the White Devil.
At twice the speed as before.
"N-N-N-Nooooo!"
SPLAT!
With a horrific sound, the White Devil's head was also crushed like a watermelon.
Instant death.
A demise not so different from his brother's.
And so, the two demonic leaders who had long plagued the Central Plains met their end.
In such an anticlimactic manner.
CLANK. THUD.
Yeo Un-hwi tossed the Black and White Twin Devils' chain to the floor.
Then he slowly turned his head to look at Tang Gu-hwi.
Tang Gu-hwi was now glaring at Yeo Un-hwi with an ice-cold expression.
"Did I keep you waiting long?"
Yeo Un-hwi's eyes, the only part visible above his mask, curved into crescents.