Martial Wild West

The confused outlaws were caught off guard by Gam Sang Cheong’s yell and started to pursue Jang Geon. Gam Sang Cheong, having shouted, also mounted his steed and trailed Jang Geon from the rear.

“Hold yer horses right there, ya varmint!”

“Do ya reckon I’m jest gonna freeze?”

Jang Geon laughed and touched the wound on his forehead. It appeared to be a superficial scratch. Although it wasn’t a serious injury, blood was streaming down and impeding his sight. He quickly wiped it with his hand and flicked it off. He had no time to address such a minor wound with nearly thirty men hot on his heels.

“Stop! Stay put, you wretch!”

“Stay yer ground!”

As he sprinted enthusiastically, Jang Geon sneakily looked back and saw the bandits chasing him in a disarrayed fashion, according to their individual equestrian abilities. They indeed seemed like outlaws with limited training.

Jang Geon heard Jojo’s labored breath in his ears, which began during the uphill dash. He gently tugged on the reins, and Jojo, sensing his intention, gradually decelerated.

“That’s it! That scoundrel’s horse is tuckered out!”

“Get ‘im! Round ‘im up an’ take ‘im down!”

The man leading the pursuit raised his sword high, closing in on Jang Geon’s back. The serrated, tooth-like edge was no ordinary threat. It was a blade designed to tear flesh, not just cut it.

At that moment, Jang Geon suddenly pushed against the saddle with both hands and spun around. The bandit was so shocked that his eyes bulged.

“What in tarnation?”

A burst of light emanated from Jang Geon’s waist, and the bandit’s raised right arm and head separated from his body, suspended in midair.

“No, he done killed Ah-yong!”

The other outlaws trailing behind were taken aback and hesitated. However, some courageous ones urged their horses and closed in on Jang Geon.

“Jest snag his boot! Then Brother Dae will wrangle the rest!”

“Rope ‘im in!”

A bandit armed with a medium-length spear and one with a long-handled axe approached Jang Geon from both sides, aiming to attack beyond the reach of his sword. The spear-wielding bandit launched his weapon at Jang Geon in an eerily fast and menacing strike, owing to the spear’s characteristics.

Jang Geon, however, lifted his sword and deflected the spear to the side, barely missing the spear shaft with his blade. When the bandit’s attack failed, he attempted to quickly retract his spear, but Jang Geon’s left hand gripping the spear shaft was faster.

The bandit laughed, being one of the top five strongest members of the gang. He yanked the bridle forcefully, intending to throw Jang Geon off the horse and give the mounted bandits the advantage.

“Eh?”

The bridle remained motionless. Instead, something seemed to crawl up the bridle into the bandit’s palm, causing a prickling sensation. Unable to withstand the pain, the bandit released the bridle, which snapped with a crack.

Clutching his bleeding, lacerated palm and his aching arm, the bandit stumbled back. The axe-wielding bandit, alarmed by the bridle’s breaking, momentarily lost sight of Jang Geon.

When he refocused, Jang Geon’s blade was already at his throat.

“What in Sam Hill is that? What kinda magic is this?”

The wounded bandit retreated, murmuring in terror.

“Yer coward!”

Suddenly, a man from behind crushed the bandit’s head with his bare hands, splattering blood and brain matter, shocking the other bandits. He bellowed,

“Git after ‘im! Take a shot at his horse if you have to! Bring that low-down snake to heel one way or another! Any man fails to put the hurt on ‘im will die by my hand! Those who turn tail and run will face the same! And that son of a gun is sure as shootin’ gonna meet his end by my hand!”

Terrified by his ferocious demeanor, the bandits quickly spurred their horses, screaming to quell their fear. Jang Geon, sitting back, murmured,

“What sort of madman is he? He’s lost his mind.”

Jang Geon noticed the man’s eyes glowing with a dark red light and nodded.

“All three gang leaders have mastered the demonic arts. Insane fools.”

Initially, the demonic arts increased aggression but eventually led practitioners to consume human blood and flesh.

Since the time of the ancient Demon King, numerous individuals have sought the demonic arts for rapid power gains. The demonic arts accelerated inner energy growth far beyond that of ordinary inner energy, tempting many martial artists.

Yet, most practitioners ultimately succumbed to the demonic arts’ madness, transforming into monstrous, non-human entities. What use is the power to shatter mountains and traverse seas if one becomes an unrecognizable monster to one’s own family?

Furthermore, practicing the demonic arts exposed one to being hunted by martial arts sects and ancient families, as well as the empire and its imperial army. The New Continent’s weak imperial influence meant demonic beings surfaced more frequently, which imperial officers had to manage.

Usually, demonic beings caused a handful of casualties before martial arts sects captured and killed them. The inability to practice demonic arts in secret for years in the mountains, like other martial arts, led to their discovery.

As Jang Geon’s thoughts drifted, the infuriated bandits charged at him, yelling. Jang Geon gently nudged his horse’s side with his leg, and the horse, sensing his intention, slowed down slightly.

The bandits, sprinting at full speed, reached Jang Geon one by one. They couldn’t all attack him simultaneously while running at top speed—only two or three could strike at a time.

Moreover, Jang Geon’s martial arts prowess was far from weak, and he wouldn’t be defeated by these bandits unless all thirty of them surrounded him.

Their unstable stances and feeble attacks were easily deflected, countered, and met with a slash. Heavy weapons like axes were prevented from striking altogether, as Jang Geon attacked first. When one bandit tried to rush in, he was met with a punch to a vital spot. Mercilessly, his internal organs were crushed by the force, causing him to cough up blood and collapse.

“Dagnabbit!”

“Die! Please!”

The faces of the pursuing bandits twisted in fear of their leader. Though they appeared pitiful, Jang Geon showed no mercy. They were responsible for slaughtering innocent, kind-hearted people to amass wealth. There was no reason to spare them.

Consequently, the bandits charged one by one, each sustaining a deep gash on their necks or bodies before falling lifeless from their horses.

To the leader watching, his subordinates were picked off one after another, each accompanied by a rustling sound before thudding to the ground. Jang Geon’s clothes bore small slashes from the barrage of attacks, but they seemed to cause little harm.

The leader yelled.

“You bunch of buffoons! Strike together! All at once!”

At his command, the bandits who had been running haphazardly slowed down, attempting to form something resembling a formation. Jang Geon, riding backward on his horse, flicked his sword and observed them. Then, gripping the saddle with his left hand, he lifted both legs and crouched on the saddle.

Before the bandits could react, he leaped.

“What?”

“Damn!”

Jang Geon landed on a horse that had lost its rider and had been running aimlessly among the other bandits across the wasteland.

He didn’t stop there. He immediately kicked the saddle, jumped again, and swung his sword. A bandit with a dumbfounded expression had his throat sliced, and Jang Geon kicked his body away while jumping to the other side.

This time, a bandit gritting his teeth was struck by the sword and fell. His foot caught in the stirrup, and his body was dragged along. Jang Geon kicked another horse’s saddle and climbed onto an empty horse.

For the bandits, it was a shocking sight. Leaping across galloping horses like stepping stones while swinging a sword was a feat reserved for the top martial artists of the imperial palace.

Terrified by Jang Geon’s spectral abilities, the bandits glanced back, eager to flee. But behind them, their monstrous leader pursued with fire in his eyes.

Seeing their glare, the leader shouted.

“You numbskulls! When he’s airborne, attack as one!”

The bandits had an epiphany and raised their weapons, congregating together. They were determined to stab Jang Geon as soon as he leaped in.

However, Jang Geon didn’t act as they anticipated. Instead, he pulled the reins of the horse he was on and stayed on the periphery of the assembled group.

“He ain’t takin’ a leap?”

One bandit mumbled in confusion as he saw Jang Geon’s face up close. Jang Geon smiled at him and thrust his sword into the bandit’s side. The bandit let out a single grunt and collapsed. The horse following behind him trampled the bandit and fell as well. The bandit atop the horse fell headfirst and groaned.

After swiftly dealing with the two, Jang Geon urged his horse forward. The bandits who were running closely together attempted to chase him but became entangled.

Jang Geon quickly unsheathed his sword and pulled up both legs to crouch on the saddle once more. However, this time he wasn’t focused on the bandits but looked straight ahead. He mumbled briefly to the horse, “I’m sorry.”

Subsequently, Jang Geon took a deep breath and channeled his inner energy into both legs. He then leaped up, forcefully expelling his inner energy beneath the saddle.

Hee-hee-hee!

As Jang Geon soared into the air, the horse beneath him crumpled, its legs buckling under the immense force pressing down on its back.

“Darn it!”

“Argh!”

The pursuing bandits stumbled and fell over the collapsed horse. Some managed to leap over it, but others toppled with their horses. For those whose heads were crushed and died, it was a mercy compared to being stranded with a broken leg in the wilderness, where they would either starve to death or be slowly consumed by wild beasts.

Jang Geon gracefully landed on Jojo’s saddle, naturally grabbing the reins. Jojo neighed as if questioning his delay. Jang Geon grinned slyly and gave the reins a gentle tug. Jojo followed the signal and galloped ahead at full speed once more. When they were a certain distance from the bandits, Jojo smoothly turned in a curve.

In a flash, Jang Geon and the remaining bandits faced each other, charging forward. Seeing Jang Geon’s face as Jojo turned, the bandits instinctively raised their weapons. However, Jang Geon, who had already harnessed his inner energy, gripped his sword with both hands and deflected all of the bandits’ poorly swung weapons.

As expected, the bandits, each bearing a deep gash, fell off their horses one after another.

“You low-down polecat!”

The last bandit, Gam Sang Cheong, yelled with a contorted face. Jang Geon didn’t rush towards him. He had just knocked down the horse and cut down the other bandits in succession, and his inner energy was unstable. It wasn’t a suitable time to fight.

Understanding his intentions, Jojo circled around Gam Sang Cheong at a distance. The bandit leader tried to keep up with Jojo, gripping the reins with a flushed face and glaring eyes, but he couldn’t keep pace.

“Freeze, ya no-good varmint!”

Jang Geon took a breath and glanced back. The thirty bandits had all vanished, and only Gam Sang Cheong pursued him. There was still one remaining, but he had overcome thirty-to-one odds. Jang Geon couldn’t help but smile with satisfaction.

After catching his breath while riding, Jang Geon pulled Jojo’s reins to a halt. Gam Sang Cheong, who had trailed him, stopped as well. Then he growled.

“You godforsaken sidewinder… How dare you rough up my gang…”

Jang Geon asked incredulously, “Who was it that went and cracked their valued boys’ noggins and left ’em broken?”

“You snake in the grass! If it weren’t for your meddling, none of this would’ve happened! Those fellers were like my kin!”

“Ah, hogwash.”

At Jang Geon’s exclamation, Gam Sang Cheong’s anger flared up again. He smacked his horse’s side, but the horse refused to move forward. Exhausted from the earlier chase, the horse wouldn’t run.

“Dagnabbit! Now even this sorry excuse for a steed’s givin’ me the cold shoulder!”

Infuriated, Gam Sang Cheong struck the horse’s head. With a loud thud, the horse crumpled without even a whimper. Jang Geon’s expression shifted from disbelief to disdain. How could he give chase after killing his horse?

Since ancient times, lightness skill hadn’t evolved beyond its use for marching. While it was faster than a horse for a brief moment, once the horse started running, the skill couldn’t catch up with a horse. If Jang Geon were to take Jojo and flee far away, Gam Sang Cheon would be left to watch helplessly from a distance.

“You! Git down here! If you got any grit, face me with some backbone!”

After slaying his horse, Gam Sang Cheon seemed to grasp his predicament and yelled, unsheathing the sword he had fastened to his saddle. The truly amusing thing was that while he had smashed the horse’s head and had been meticulously carrying Gam Sun Deok’s head, which had now fallen and rolled on the ground, he showed no sign of concern about it in his bloodshot eyes.

“Well, I never planned on lettin’ you off the hook nohow.”

Muttering that, Jang Geon dismounted from Jojo. In a short time, his turbulent inner energy had sufficiently calmed. It was now time to put an end to this gang of bandits.