[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
Chapter 286: The Student Surpasses the Master (2)
"Oh... fifty million?"
"How are we supposed to come up with that money now...?"
"They said installments are possible. Let's just try to gather some money first."
The citizens frantically searched their pockets with bewildered expressions.
After all, they had stopped kneeling, assuming that Hong Jingbai was about to die soon.
However, as Hong Jingbai began to stand up, nearly recovered, the atmosphere in the hall became tense.
"Hurry, take out your money!"
"If we don't, we're really all going to die!"
The citizens of Tongliao started urgently collecting money, their voices almost screaming in fear.
Huang Seongli, the second sword of the Tongliao's Three Swords, glared at Yeongwoo.
"Isn't Fifty million too much? Earlier, it seemed like the money collected by Beijing wasn't even close to that..."
She was implying that it wasn't even forty million, let alone Fifty million, which was true.
Yeongwoo quickly raised his finger to cut off Huang Seongli's words.
"That's right. I lied."
"What did you say?"
"But wasn't it too much for three of you to attack one person? Let's call it even."
"What... What kind of nonsense is that...?"
"If my martial arts weren't advanced, I would have already been killed by your swords before I even had the chance to lie."
"..."
"And isn't it possible that I got angry and raised the price because you attacked me without any warning?"
"But that's not true, is it? You were planning to extort a huge sum from the start."
"Hah."
Yeongwoo chuckled wickedly at Huang Seongli's rebuttal.
"That's something you'll never know. But what is certain is that the price might have been different if you had tried talking first."
"..."
In any case, the fact remained that he had intended to extort millions from the beginning.
But the powerless three swords of Tongliao couldn't argue any further.
Meanwhile, Hong Jingbai, now fully recovered, shook his neck from side to side, his expression filled with anger.
"You lunatics are just spewing nonsense."
Hong Jingbai's words were full of rage.
Yeongwoo pointed at him and spoke.
"You're the second executive, which means you're the second in martial ranking, right? So how weak are the rest?"
As Yeongwoo no longer used honorifics, Hong Jingbai's face twisted in a menacing way.
"This little pup thinks he can do whatever he wants just because he's gained some power."
Of course, Hong Jingbai was 68 years old.
He was a veteran who had lived twice as long as the ‘Strongest Sword' in front of him.
To be exact, he was a veteran of the previous world.
So Yeongwoo made this clear.
"Whether then or now, you're just a dog doing Im Dupyeong's bidding. And don't forget, the world has been reset."
Swish.
As Yeongwoo said this and took up a fighting stance again, Hong Jingbai unsheathed his sword, his eyes gleaming.
A second round between the second-ranked warrior of Beijing and the representative of the Korean Peninsula.
Most of the people in the hall already had a good idea of how it would end.
After all, they had all seen Hong Jingbai's shoulder get shattered by Yeongwoo's strike.
"Is the money ready? How much have you gathered?"
Still locking eyes with Hong Jingbai, Yeongwoo only opened his mouth to ask the question.
The citizens of Tongliao, despite looking overwhelmed, dutifully responded.
"Around ten million."
"Hmm, ten million."
Yeongwoo mulled over the amount.
It was far short of the fifty million karma he initially demanded, but given the number of people present, it was clear they had put in a considerable effort.
It meant each person had contributed at least ten thousand karma.
"Very well. I'll collect the remaining forty million tomorrow."
As Yeongwoo nodded, the citizens finally breathed a sigh of relief.
They had managed to move this killing machine with just ten million, when it should have required fifty million.
At this point, it was unclear whether it was better to continue paying fifty million daily to the Korean national treasury or to hand over forty million daily to Im Dupyeong in Beijing.
'Hah, but since we've already stopped kneeling, Hong Jingbai won't let us live.'
'There's no other choice. Hong Jingbai has to die for now.'
As the citizens alternated between looking at Yeongwoo and Hong Jingbai with conflicted eyes, Hong Jingbai, who had somehow read their thoughts, widened his eyes.
He was using all his strength to withstand Yeongwoo's force.
In response, Yeongwoo looked down at Hong Jingbai with a calm expression and said,
"A match detector."
"...What?"
"If you can't block this sword, it means you're not my match."
With these words, Yeongwoo added more strength to the arm holding the sword, causing Hong Jingbai's eyes to widen.
"Stop it!"
This was because Hong Jingbai's arm was being forcefully bent.
It was a simple power struggle, but he was losing completely.
Crack.
As the tip of the sword neared Hong Jingbai's forehead, he spoke a problematic line.
"You're not just a human, are you...?"
"Not 'just'? Then who else isn't just a human?"
Yeongwoo asked, and soon realized.
This referred to Im Dupyeong, who had given power to the Standing Committee members.
"Im Dupyeong? What about Im Dupyeong? Who's behind him?"
Yeongwoo asked, twisting the sword threateningly, but Hong Jingbai did not easily open his mouth.
He knew that the battle was over and that his death was certain.
"Hah... The world is being toyed with by demons."
Hong Jingbai suddenly pretended to be indifferent.
But Yeongwoo didn't listen to any more unnecessary words.
"If you have nothing to say, just die. I'll find out who Im Dupyeong's sponsor is myself."
"...!"
As Yeongwoo exerted all his strength, the sword, which had been barely hovering in the air, immediately pierced Hong Jingbai's forehead.
Crunch.
The sound of the blade piercing a watermelon was heard, and soon, the blood-red blade protruded from the lower back of Hong Jingbai's head.
"Ugh..."
Seeing this, Tongliao's Three Swords realized anew.
That strength is always relative.
Who would have imagined that Hong Jingbai, who was so mighty, would be so helplessly defeated?
"Ugh."
Hong Jingbai, with his head pierced by the sword, let out a brief groan and then his pupils stopped moving.
"..."
He was dead.
"He's already gone."
Whether this departed soul would be absorbed into the void or go to Lemu's Lustful Garden was still unknown.
As Yeongwoo watched, he pulled the sword out, causing Hong Jingbai's emaciated body to fall sideways.
Thud!
Then, a violet aura from his body began to rise into the sky.
Swoosh!
Beijing was probably reclaiming the power given to him.
"..."
Seeing this, Yeongwoo thought it might be a good time to deal with Im Dupyeong.
The Standing Committee members, who had received power directly from him, were much weaker than expected.
‘Im Dupyeong might not be that strong either.’
Despising the weak.
Yeongwoo looked in the direction of Beijing with the same cunning eyes as always, when suddenly, he sensed something above his head.
Swoosh...!
Something was falling at high speed.
The presence was threatening enough that Yeongwoo instinctively swung his sword and cut the object in question.
Slash!
The object that had been falling toward Yeongwoo's crown split in half, and soon a piece of paper inside floated down as if dancing in the air.
Flutter.
"Huh? What's this?"
As Yeongwoo frowned and grabbed the paper with his hand, he saw ink-written characters come into view.
「I wish to meet the Master of the Skyscraper, Mr. Jeong.」
"...Suddenly wants to see me?"
Many thoughts crossed his mind, but Yeongwoo first checked the seal at the bottom of the paper.
And then, the name Yeongwoo most wanted to see appeared clearly.
『Northern Beijing Evil』 Im Dupyeong.
[Translator - Night]
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