My Dad Is the Strongest Under Heaven
Chapter 40
Chapter 40
Episode 40. He Wasn’t an Incompetent Scholar?!
Thanks to Geugaksoma’s exclusive martial art, the Gyeoksalji, the entire White Wolf Troop had been rendered completely incapable of fighting.
No, in truth, they had been in that state ever since attempting the Five Rings Blade Formation.
If there was any fortune to be found, it was merely that none of them had died with their heads bursting open like the bandits.
“Originally, I intended to toy with you slowly, one by one each day, but I’ve changed my mind.”
Geugaksoma’s eyes gleamed with madness as he continued.
“From this moment, I will tear you all limb from limb. It will do you no good to beg for your lives. Kek-kek.”
“You think… I’ll let you?!”
Among those who had fallen, Oh Chae-mu pushed himself up with every ounce of his remaining strength.
If he did not stand in the way, every last man in the troop would lose his life.
Even if it was an insurmountable foe, that was his duty.
However—
“Guh… I’m… still here. You damned bastard.”
Though his body was already past its limit, Gu Tae-san shouted with raw fury.
It was the same for every other member of the White Wolf Troop.
“I’m still here…!”
“Me too…!”
“Haha…”
Seeing the relentless grit of the White Wolf Troop to the bitter end, Oh Chae-mu let out a hollow laugh despite himself.
Stubborn, unyielding bastards. Yet they were men to be proud of.
Who had brought them to die in a place like this?
‘It’s… because of me.’
It was he who had decided to come here today.
Oh Chae-mu was overwhelmed with regret over that decision.
Refusing to accept that man as the Captain of the White Wolf Troop—what did such a pathetic reason matter, that he would…
Hm? Ah. Where… where is he right now?
In the sudden chaos of Geugaksoma’s appearance, Oh Chae-mu had briefly forgotten Yeo Woonhwi’s existence.
‘Did he run away? If so, that’s for the best.’
He had no intention of blaming him.
For someone who had never learned martial arts, fleeing was only natural, and it was better for him to survive that way.
Just then—
Tap.
Someone placed a hand upon Oh Chae-mu’s shoulder.
“That is enough. I shall handle it from here, so step back.”
A familiar voice came from behind him.
A scholar who didn’t know a shred of martial arts, a pathetic human being who had simply gotten lucky and become the Captain of the White Wolf Troop.
Yet what was this man saying right now?
And strangely enough…
Hearing the man’s voice brought an inexplicable sense of relief to his heart.
Of course, it was utterly nonsensical.
He knew it made no sense, and yet…
Meanwhile, Yeo Woonhwi walked past Oh Chae-mu and stepped forward at a measured pace.
“Hm? What are you?”
Watching the man stride boldly toward him, Geugaksoma tilted his head.
He was a truly peculiar man.
Standing alone amidst this blood-soaked ground as though existing in an entirely different realm, he gave off the impression of someone distinct from the rest.
Soon, the man came to a halt directly before Geugaksoma.
“I am Yeo Woonhwi, the Captain of the White Wolf Troop.”
“Captain? So you’re saying you’re the head of these curs?”
“I do not know whether they will readily acknowledge it, but for now, that is the case.”
As Yeo Woonhwi nodded, Geugaksoma let out a scoff of disbelief.
Until now, he had assumed Oh Chae-mu was the leader of these insolent fools who refused to surrender.
Yet the real leader was this fair-faced young man?
“And such a leader remained quiet as a dead mouse until now?”
“Is that how you see it?”
“Ha, an utterly shameless bastard, aren’t you?”
Despite Geugaksoma’s heavy sarcasm, Yeo Woonhwi did not flinch in the slightest.
He certainly seemed fearless.
Or perhaps he had something to rely on.
“So, why keep your mouth shut all this time, only to step forward now? Seeing that you’re all about to die, have you come out to beg for your life?”
Even while speaking, Geugaksoma scrutinized Yeo Woonhwi closely.
He wondered if this man was the source of that immense killing intent he had felt earlier while receiving the White Wolf Troop’s coordinated formation.
Yet that did not seem to be the case.
He could sense no such formidable aura from this man.
Could he have concealed his presence deliberately?
‘Absurd.’
That was an utter impossibility.
Even the Sect Leaders of the Nine Great Sects could not hide their presence so completely before him.
He must have simply been mistaken earlier.
Toward Geugaksoma, who was drawing his own conclusions, Yeo Woonhwi offered a faint smile.
“Well, if I asked you to spare us, do you have any intention of doing so?”
“That depends on what you offer in return, doesn’t it?”
A lie.
Geugaksoma had killed every single person who had ever laid eyes on him, without exception.
That was the very reason he had managed to survive to this day despite being an enemy of the entire Murim.
Why, then, had he offered to listen to terms?
It was purely out of curiosity.
He wondered what this fearless whelp relied upon to act with such confidence.
Above all, planting hope in a person’s heart that they might live, only to slaughter them afterward, was an exquisite pleasure.
The expression human beings made when hope and despair collided was a sight he never tired of.
“Do not be deceived!”
Watching the exchange, Oh Chae-mu shouted.
Bargaining with such an arch-villain was sheer folly.
Even if words seemed to work in the moment, one would ultimately be used and murdered in the most wretched way.
It seemed only Yeo Woonhwi failed to see through Geugaksoma’s transparent intentions.
He had no idea what reckless notion had driven the man forward, but it was all completely useless.
In a voice choked with gravel, Oh Chae-mu tried to dissuade him.
“That monster has no intention of leaving us alive! He is merely—!”
“Shut up!”
Rumble.
Geugaksoma’s colossal killing intent bore down upon Oh Chae-mu in an instant.
He would not forgive anyone who dared interrupt his amusement.
“Guh!”
The suffocating pressure turned to pure agony, and blood vessels ruptured in Oh Chae-mu’s eyes.
Looking down at him, Geugaksoma bared a vicious grin.
“Or would you rather I skip the talking and slaughter every last one of you on the spot?”
“Khhh…”
Just as Oh Chae-mu’s body was about to reach its breaking point under the weight of that power—
Step.
Yeo Woonhwi shifted, stepping directly in front of Oh Chae-mu.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
“That is quite enough.”
“What?”
“Were you not in the middle of a conversation with me?”
Geugaksoma stared quietly at Yeo Woonhwi before giving a slow nod.
He decided to hear what kind of audacity this young man possessed, and what hand he thought he held to act so boldly.
If he didn’t like what he heard, it was simple enough to shatter this boy’s skull first without mercy.
“Fine. Very well. Tell me what you have to offer.”
“First, what I want is the lives of myself and the entire White Wolf Troop. That we return safely.”
“That is for me to decide after hearing your offer. I despise beating around the bush. Tell me what you can offer, and be quick about it.”
“Quite the impatient one. Very well. What I can offer is…”
Looking at Geugaksoma, who was urging him on with an irritated tone, Yeo Woonhwi smiled.
“…granting you, Geugaksoma, a slightly less painful death.”
“You… what?”
Geugaksoma’s face froze like stone.
He had expected Yeo Woonhwi to offer money or treasures.
Yet words entirely beyond his expectations had spilled from the man’s mouth.
They were words so utterly insane that one might wonder if his mind had broken.
Rendered completely speechless by the sheer absurdity, Geugaksoma stared blankly for a moment before his face twisted into a snarl.
“What did you just say? Kill me? Less painfully?”
“This is the best I can offer. What say you?”
“Are you mocking me right now?”
“How could I possibly? I am not one to joke about such matters. I speak out of sincere consideration for you, so I suggest you think on it carefully.”
“Why, you crazy bastard—!”
Expecting to toy with a desperate plea for life, Geugaksoma had instead been thoroughly ridiculed. His face flushed a furious, mottled red.
He had been humiliated in an instant—not by martial arts, but by a three-inch tongue.
“How dare you…! You dare mock me?!”
Consumed with rage, Geugaksoma flicked his finger.
Thwip.
With the single-minded intent to shatter the boy’s head like a ripe melon.
And yet—
Swoosh.
“Goodness, doing this right in the middle of a conversation?”
In that instant, Geugaksoma’s eyes widened to tearing.
The reason was simple.
“D-Dodged? My Gyeoksalji?”
And with effortless ease, no less.
“Y-You…”
“What is the matter?”
As Geugaksoma stammered involuntarily, Yeo Woonhwi flashed a nonchalant grin.
Until now, only two people had ever dodged the Gyeoksalji, Geugaksoma’s signature finger-flicking art.
Though that number had now become three.
The two men who had accomplished it held two of the seats among the Twelve Venerables of the World.
Aside from them, it was truly unprecedented for anyone to evade the Gyeoksalji.
‘Impossible… That cannot be!’
Geugaksoma’s gaze sharpened instantly.
Thwip, thwip, thwip.
Assuming it had been a fluke, he fired a rapid volley of Gyeoksalji. This time, there would be no dodging.
Once was more than enough for a coincidence.
However—
“Tsk.”
Thwip, thwip, thwip.
Crack-crack-crack-crack!
This time, his finger arts were completely destroyed midair.
Geugaksoma’s eyes bulged once more.
He had seen it clearly.
The Gyeoksalji he had unleashed had been neutralized by another finger technique fired from Yeo Woonhwi’s hand. No—it had been offset by the Gyeoksalji itself.
“How can you use finger arts… No, how can you use the Gyeoksalji?!”
“I merely watched you use it and copied along.”
“You expect me to believe that right now?!”
“Whether you believe it or not is entirely up to you, so suit yourself.”
“You… you damned bastard…”
A curse tumbled from Geugaksoma’s lips.
From start to finish, he felt as though he were being dragged along by the nose by this young whelp.
Yet what drove him most out of his mind was the fact that Yeo Woonhwi’s answer was not a lie.
He could tell.
Whether the person before him was speaking falsehoods or truth.
Without a doubt, Yeo Woonhwi was speaking the truth.
The light in his eyes, the steady cadence of his voice, his very demeanor—everything proved it.
Having excelled more than anyone in deceiving, killing, and reading people, Geugaksoma knew with absolute certainty.
That was precisely why it drove him mad.
This was an utter impossibility.
Replicating an ultimate technique with ease just by seeing it once? How could such a thing be possible?
Even the ten geniuses boasted by the Nine Great Sects, or the Six Dragons and Three Phoenixes, could never achieve such a feat.
Even the Twelve Venerables of the World could at best manage a crude imitation, yet this man spoke of it as though it were nothing.
A genius among geniuses? No, did he possess a martial skeleton unmatched under heaven, beyond what mere words could describe?
Where on earth had a monster like this suddenly appeared from?
Geugaksoma did not know.
He did not realize that the man standing before him possessed a martial skeleton unrivaled not just under heaven, but throughout all of history.
Before he knew it, Geugaksoma’s face had hardened to stone.
And within the heart of this great devil, known as one of the Absolute Great Evils, an unfamiliar emotion began to stir.
It was… fear.