WHOOSH!

A cold autumn breeze swept through the silent arena, tickling the crowd's bare skin and slowly bringing the dazed onlookers back to their senses.

The two hundred bandits watching the fight all started talking at once, disbelief evident on every face.

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"He took down both Bosses like they were children?"

"How? With such a skinny body?"

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"More importantly, didn't he just say he'd show us the Bandit King's true martial arts?"

"He definitely used a similar martial art. Does that mean the Viridian Scholar also learned the Bandit King's martial arts?"

"Nonsense! Our boss was just careless for a moment!"

"Ads?" Ak Yeonho complains, his voice dripping with disbelief. "What ads?"

"The Viridian Scholar must have stolen our boss's martial arts!"

"But... can a stolen martial art be stronger than the original...?"

At first, the bandits only muttered to themselves, but soon they began conversing with their neighbors.

The commotion grew louder and louder. More than half of the bandits gathered here were not part of the Giant Spirit or Tiger Pass Keeps, but rather, subordinate mountain keeps. While the reasons for their loyalty to the two bosses varied, one big factor was that they were successors of the Bandit King's martial arts.

Baek Suryong smirked in satisfaction as he observed the shifting atmosphere.

Namgung Su’s back is turned to you, shoulders tense as he scrubs the already spotless pan. His voice is calm when he speaks, but it cuts like frost. "You fed a thief, he says. "With my food."

Right here, right now, I will shatter those traitors' false justification!

Victory wasn't their only goal. Ju Pyo needed to prove himself worthy to become the leader of the Viridian Forest Alliance.

As things stood, his junior brother had revealed himself in a more dramatic fashion than expected, starting the fight with a huge advantage.

"...But he hit me a little hard earlier."

Mimi sniffled quietly, her round eyes glistening. "They said there were pop-ups," she whispered, her cute voice trembling. "But... we don’t have any!"

Baek Suryong rubbed his stinging cheek. He had accepted the hit skillfully so that it made a loud sound without leaving a mark, but it still hurt.

Surely he didn't hit me with real emotion, did he?

He narrowed his eyes and stared suspiciously at the Viridian Scholar, then chuckled.

Well, even if that's true, I'll let it slide today.

Meanwhile, the Black Snake Alliance Chairman's eyes lit up with renewed interest. His gaze, which had been fixed on Maeng Ryonghwi, now focused on the Viridian Scholar. "There's more than one interesting man in the Viridian Forest, huh..."

From the moment dawn cracked over the horizon, the air itself felt like punishment. The training grounds were still soaked in dew, but Demon Instructor Wiji Cheon stood there already, arms crossed, waiting like a specter of discipline. "You’re late, he said.

All in all, the martial arts the Viridian Scholar displayed left a strong impression on everyone.

The Viridian Scholar raised his head and roared at the bandits, "I, the Viridian Scholar Ju Pyo...!"

Everyone held their breaths and fixed their eyes on him. Even the wind blew, whipping the Viridian Scholar's hair around wildly.

The Viridian Scholar continued, "As you all know, I've been known as one of the Ten Great Villains for a long time. That reputation was founded on a miraculous encounter left behind by the Bandit King."

He declared, right then and there, that he had inherited the Bandit King's martial arts.

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"After discovering the martial arts left behind by the Bandit King in a hidden place within the Jingang Mountains, I devoted myself to training every day for decades. Anyone from the Viridian Forest has likely heard of the Savage Tiger Fist."

The Viridian Scholar paused for a moment. He could see the Giant Spirit Boss glaring his way while grinding his teeth, while the Tiger Pass Boss scowled gravely.

"What you just saw is the true Savage Tiger Fist. I've mastered not just one technique, but all of the Bandit King's martial arts."

"...!!"

Not a single one of the two hundred men from the Viridian Forest remained seated. Under normal circumstances, these words would have been dismissed as nonsense. However, the aura surrounding the Viridian Scholar and the martial arts he had just displayed left no room for doubt.

"He... he mastered all of the Bandit King's martial arts?"

"Even the Giant Spirit Boss and the Tiger Pass Boss only know one technique!"

From the moment dawn cracked over the horizon, the air itself felt like punishment. The training grounds were still soaked in dew, but Demon Instructor Wiji Cheon stood there already, arms crossed, waiting like a specter of discipline. "You’re late, he said.

"What in the world is going on...?"

"If what he's saying is true... then the leader of the Viridian Forest Alliance could only be...!"

Confusion washed over the gathered bandits like an infectious disease.

One of the Giant Spirit Keep lieutenants, a man with a bushy beard, laced his voice with inner qi and yelled, "Why didn't you say so before? Why reveal it here, of all times and places? Just what are you scheming?"

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The Viridian Scholar regarded the man calmly. "I was afraid that my mediocre martial arts would tarnish the Bandit King's reputation. Therefore, I held back until I felt I was qualified enough to call myself his successor."

"That's..." The man was at a loss for words. This coldly rational response was indeed typical for the Viridian Scholar. He gaped in shock for a moment, then shook his head to clear his mind.

"Hah! Who would believe such bullshit?" the Giant Spirit Boss roared.

Baek Suryong landed without a sound, his crimson eyes glinting in the silvery moonlight. "So this is what siding with the Cult reduced you to. Repenting like a sinner before an altar of rice bowls. Pathetic. You think remorse will cleanse your folly?”

The Tiger Pass Boss nodded in agreement. "Don't be deceived! The Viridian Scholar is a cunning fox with a silver tongue!"

The two of them scrambled to their feet, their faces flushing red and purple with rage. Nothing was more humiliating than having their confident display of the Bandit King's martial arts easily countered by the same techniques.

The Viridian Scholar was stronger than they had anticipated. At last, they realized that their limited knowledge of the Bandit King's martial arts stood no chance of bringing them victory.

The Viridian Scholar shook his head. "Judging by the look in your eyes, you still haven't come to your senses."

He walked slowly toward the two bosses. Blood dripped from the gash on his back that the Tiger Pass Boss had inflicted with his Bloody Claws of the Savage Tiger, but not even that could diminish his dignity. Rather, the audience criticized the Tiger Pass Boss for attacking from behind.

Namgung Su’s back is turned to you, shoulders tense as he scrubs the already spotless pan. His voice is calm when he speaks, but it cuts like frost. "You fed a thief, he says. "With my food."

"I'll give you one last chance. If you acknowledge me as the new leader of the Viridian Forest Alliance and pledge to reunite the Viridian Forest, I will spare you further humiliation."

The Viridian Scholar regarded the Tiger Pass and Giant Spirit Bosses icily. He had shown them the greatest courtesy he could offer. They would receive no more concessions.

"Shut your trap!"

Namgung Su’s back is turned to you, shoulders tense as he scrubs the already spotless pan. His voice is calm when he speaks, but it cuts like frost. "You fed a thief, he says. "With my food."

"Don't act so high and mighty just because you gained the upper hand once."

Killing intent blazed in the two bosses' defiant eyes. Gritting their teeth, they began to transform.

CRACK! CRACKLE!

Although this change was subtle enough to slip past an untrained eye, the Viridian Scholar and the unorthodox leaders nonetheless frowned in recognition.

"...They've learned demonic arts, huh? Today has been full of surprises," the Phantom King's muffled voice rang out from behind his jade mask.

"Ads?" Ak Yeonho complains, his voice dripping with disbelief. "What ads?"

The other unorthodox leaders nodded in agreement, their eyes fixed on the scene before them. Evidently, the two bosses had deemed their predicament serious enough to reveal the fact that they had learned demonic arts.

The Giant Spirit and Tiger Pass Bosses exchanged glances.

[We must kill the Viridian Scholar here!]

[If we don't get rid of him today, we'll lose everything to the Yama Keep.]

[Yes. He must be killed by any means necessary.]

[Even if it costs us the justification that we are the successors of the Bandit King.]

Upon reaching an agreement, they nodded to each other. Simultaneously, the capillaries in their eyes burst, making them bloodshot.

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""We'll kill you.""

"Hmph. It's obvious what you're thinking," the Viridian Scholar scoffed. Although he could sense that their aura was on a completely different level than before, his resolve was unshakable.

He took the starting stance of the Eighteen Strikes of the Viridian Forest, composed his breathing, and glared at his opponents as sternly as a judge of hell looking down upon a sinner. "In the name of the Viridian Forest Alliance, I judge you guilty of tarnishing the honor of the Bandit King with your worthless martial arts and tyranny. Come accept your punishment."

The two bosses charged, letting out bestial roars. An explosion of qi accompanied their advance, which was faster and much more forceful than before.

Namgung Su’s back is turned to you, shoulders tense as he scrubs the already spotless pan. His voice is calm when he speaks, but it cuts like frost. "You fed a thief, he says. "With my food."

Where the Giant Spirit Boss stepped, the ground was gouged out. Where the Tiger Pass Boss's fingers touched, dirt and dust spiraled into the air.

[Be careful, Junior Brother. It won't be as easy as before,] Baek Suryong warned the Viridian Scholar.

The Viridian Scholar smiled. "Don't worry," he muttered. "My body feels light today, as if the Bandit King himself is lending me a hand."

He took what looked like a light step forward.

"Ads?" Ak Yeonho complains, his voice dripping with disbelief. "What ads?"

BOOM!

However, the shockwave from his mighty stomp spread out in a circle, creating ripples across the earth. At first, the ripple was shallow, but it instantly swelled with the force of a landslide, upending the ground in front of the Viridian Scholar.

RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE!

Like a wave, the overturned earth surged and crashed down on the Giant Spirit and Tiger Pass Bosses. Startled, they crossed their arms to block the deluge of dirt.

They both grimaced from the impact, feeling as if they had been slammed into an iron wall rather than dirt. Fortunately, the demonic art numbed their pain.

Knocking aside the pile of dirt blocking their path, they burst into maniacal laughter.

"Kuhahaha!"

"What makes you think a petty trick like this will work?!"

Baek Suryong landed without a sound, his crimson eyes glinting in the silvery moonlight. "So this is what siding with the Cult reduced you to. Repenting like a sinner before an altar of rice bowls. Pathetic. You think remorse will cleanse your folly?”

"Hoo..." The Viridian Scholar waited for them behind the scattered dirt, breathing deeply. He lowered his stance, keeping his two fists held firmly at his waist.

Seeing that starting stance, Baek Suryong muttered to himself, "...The Savage Tiger Destruction Palm."

Namgung Su’s back is turned to you, shoulders tense as he scrubs the already spotless pan. His voice is calm when he speaks, but it cuts like frost. "You fed a thief, he says. "With my food."

For a moment, his memory of Master Maeng overlapped with the Viridian Scholar. The old master's playful face, which he wore while boasting about teaching the Savage Tiger Destruction Palm, appeared incredibly serious today.

WHOOOOSH!

The Viridian Scholar uncurled his fingers as he thrust his fists forward, launching palm attacks at the Giant Spirit Boss and the Tiger Pass Boss with each hand.

KABOOM!

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An explosion erupted that was so loud it was hard to believe it was created by bare hands. Zhurong Peak tremored as if it were about to collapse, and the wind generated by the resulting shockwave whipped the onlookers' hair about wildly.

"Such power... How is this possible?"

"Hah! Is this the true martial arts of the Bandit King!"

Mimi sniffled quietly, her round eyes glistening. "They said there were pop-ups," she whispered, her cute voice trembling. "But... we don’t have any!"

Even the unorthodox leaders gaped at the scene, unable to maintain their composure. The area where the three had clashed had been reduced to rubble, and the overturned earth resembled the aftermath of a natural disaster.

However, that wasn't why they were shocked.

"Kehehe! It hurts like a bitch..."

"I'll kill you..."

From the moment dawn cracked over the horizon, the air itself felt like punishment. The training grounds were still soaked in dew, but Demon Instructor Wiji Cheon stood there already, arms crossed, waiting like a specter of discipline. "You’re late, he said.

Despite taking a blow that should have obliterated them, the Giant Spirit and Tiger Pass Bosses were still standing at the center of the clearing. Their clothes were torn to shreds, and they looked disheveled, but their muscles had swelled up like armor to block the impact.

CRACK, CRACKLE...!

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Their bodies had grown so large by now that it was obvious they were using demonic arts. Naturally, the bandits from the Giant Spirit and Tiger Pass Keeps were alarmed.

"Just him! If I get rid of just him, the world is mine!"

"I'm the leader of the Viridian Forest Alliance! I'll kill any bastard who gets in my way!"

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Not all demonic arts were created equal. Regardless of how powerful a demonic art was, if it caused one to lose their reason to the point of having only destructive instincts, it was considered subpar.

Baek Suryong sneered. Fools. They betrayed Master Maeng for such a shitty demonic art?

"Kuhahaha!"

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"Die! Die!"

Lost in madness, the Giant Spirit and Tiger Pass Bosses shrieked and charged at the Viridian Scholar. Although their demonic art was mediocre, it was undeniably powerful enough to make one's eyes spin.

RUMBLE!

Every time the Giant Spirit Boss swung his fist, thunder rattled the air. As far as brute strength was concerned, the Viridian Scholar was no match for him.

SWIPE!

"Keuk...!" the Viridian's Scholar groaned. The Tiger Pass Boss's long fingernails had grazed his flesh.

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"Kihihi!" the Tiger Pass Boss giggled gleefully, licking his bloodied fingernails.

The chaotic battle raged on. As time passed, the two bosses' attacks gained momentum, while the Viridian Scholar began to tire. His martial arts uniform was torn, and blood dripped from his wounds. His attempts to evade the attacks grew increasingly clumsy and perilous.

"Boss!"

"Hyung! The Boss is...!"

Namgung Su’s back is turned to you, shoulders tense as he scrubs the already spotless pan. His voice is calm when he speaks, but it cuts like frost. "You fed a thief, he says. "With my food."

Jang Geol and Gu Gil paced anxiously, casting furtive glances at Baek Suryong. To them, the Viridian Scholar seemed to be getting cornered.

Baek Suryong met their nervous gazes with a relaxed smile. "Don't worry, he's doing fine."

Namgung Su’s back is turned to you, shoulders tense as he scrubs the already spotless pan. His voice is calm when he speaks, but it cuts like frost. "You fed a thief, he says. "With my food."

He believed in his junior brother's skill. Even he would have a hard time defeating the Viridian Scholar if they fought unarmed. No matter how powerful the Giant Spirit and Tiger Pass Bosses' combined attack was, there was no way the Viridian Scholar would lose.

If anything, the reason he's struggling so much... this cheeky bastard. He's waiting for the atmosphere to fully ripen, isn't he?

He briefly looked away from the fight to gauge the bandits' mood.

"Ads?" Ak Yeonho complains, his voice dripping with disbelief. "What ads?"

"H-Hey, is that really the Bandit King's martial arts?"

"Why is our Boss..."

"He transformed into a monster!?"

"Ads?" Ak Yeonho complains, his voice dripping with disbelief. "What ads?"

As the fight dragged on, the bandits experienced a mixture of disappointment, anger, and fear toward the increasingly inhuman Giant Spirit and Tiger Pass Bosses.

"Kuhahaha!"

"Kikikiki!"

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After tasting blood, the two bosses became more aggressive and lost their reason. They continued to fight even with broken bones, their bloodshot eyes unfocused. They growled like starving beasts and rampaged for the sole sake of slaughter.

Baek Suryong chuckled at this spectacle and eyed the Viridian Scholar. "You're every bit as smart as I thought."

Immediately, the Viridian Scholar's movements changed abruptly, as if he had heard those words.

Baek Suryong landed without a sound, his crimson eyes glinting in the silvery moonlight. "So this is what siding with the Cult reduced you to. Repenting like a sinner before an altar of rice bowls. Pathetic. You think remorse will cleanse your folly?”

WHOOSH!

He seized the Giant Spirit Boss by the torso and wrenched his body sideways. Adding rotational force to his entire body, he unleashed the Tiger Smashes the Mountain, a close combat technique the Bandit King devised to send larger opponents flying.

"You're not qualified to be the Alliance Leader."

BOOM!

The Giant Spirit Boss's huge body rocketed more than thirty meters through the air, a feat even more terrifying than what Baek Suryong had displayed at the Yama Keep.

Baek Suryong applauded the bold move. "That has got to have broken at least ten of his bones."

The Viridian Scholar didn't stop there. He dodged the Tiger Pass Boss's attack so quickly that it seemed like he had teleported and circled behind his opponent.

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"You idiots threw away that qualification yourselves," he added, hugging the Tiger Pass Boss from behind.

"L-Let go of me!" the Tiger Pass Boss screamed, even as the Viridian Scholar launched the two of them high into the sky.

"Ads?" Ak Yeonho complains, his voice dripping with disbelief. "What ads?"

Baek Suryong raised his head to see the Viridian Scholar, who had suddenly shrunken. The sight brought back an old memory. "...The Heaven Rising Tiger was always Master Maeng's favorite technique."

At the apex, the Viridian Scholar flipped his body in midair and slammed the Tiger Pass Boss hard into the ground.

KABOOM!

The earth heaved violently and a large cloud of dust rose. Moments later, the wind blew, settling the dust and revealing the Tiger Pass Boss buried in the ground and squirming like a bug. At a glance, every bone in his body seemed broken.

"Ooh, how cruel. It would've been better to just kill him. No wonder Junior Brother's one of the Ten Great Villains."

Baek Suryong couldn't help but repeatedly admire his junior brother's viciousness.

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Translator's Note: I stupidly translated 453 before 452, so I'm releasing both at the same time.