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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 6
Chapter Title: Disciple Yi Pung - [4]
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Yi Pung muttered.
"The gunshot rang out, but since there are no goody-two-shoes around here who'd bother reporting it, they probably didn't call the cops... The fake cops have no clue about this mess, right?"
Heo Pung-gae was about to say he probably had no idea but held his tongue.
The Dongincheon cops he knew were the sort who'd go beyond ignoring officials to straight-up ignoring civilians. Even if someone reported artillery fire instead of gunshots, they'd brush it off as fireworks. Dispatching for that kind of call doesn't line their pockets.
The local police were idiots obsessed with prowling red-light districts and shaking down bar owners for cash.
But that was five years ago. Who knew how things had changed? Punks whipping out pistols now, of all things.
Heo Pung-gae glanced gloomily at the guy whose teeth he'd just shattered.
They'd said the ones chasing them weren't cops? Turned out that was true. Damn it.
Yi Pung asked.
"So these guys shot at you with a gun? Chased you when you bolted?"
Yi Pung's finger pointed at the bound gunman and his crew sprawled on the floor.
The toothless man replied.
"Yes..."
"How the hell did that happen? What'd you do to make 'em pull triggers?"
"No idea. Saw some unfamiliar punks slinging weed nearby... Tried snapping photos for proof, and suddenly they whipped out guns..."
It lined up with the situation. Seemed legit.
This was a disaster.
His assumption that they'd been shot at by cops—and thus were vicious criminals—had been dead wrong. These weren't hardened crooks, so all those points for punishing villains? Wiped clean. The Merit-Demerit Ledger only credited "guiding villains" for taking down major offenders.
In the end, he'd racked up massive deductions for excessive force. What could he do? Treat them thoroughly and claw back whatever merit he could.
Heo Pung-gae silently devoted himself to patching up the six downed men.
He realigned shattered bones, stanched the bleeding, and spared no expensive herbs. He earned 3 merit points per treatment logged, but the assault penalties dwarfed it all. Net negative.
Small mercy: those three wouldn't run to the cops crying assault and torture.
They were thugs too, scared of police, and right now? Utterly terrified.
Heo Pung-gae spoke up.
"Teeth are soaking in solution—hospital can reimplant 'em. Want me to send you now?"
The toothless guy recoiled in horror, whipping his head away. Then, in a trembling voice:
"No... I'm in the life. Big injuries mean designated hospitals only..."
His panicked reaction made sense. He'd just witnessed a bullet snatched midair with bare hands.
He couldn't grasp the martial essence in that simple move, but no one could deny it was beyond human limits. An unreal master.
Meanwhile, Yi Do-hyeok eyed Heo Pung-gae with a similar look.
Probably thinking something like: Knew he was Invincible BB Bullet's disciple and a master, but not this level. How's a guy my age this good?
Of course, now wasn't the time to dwell on it.
"So, what now?"
Yi Pung's question drew a retort from Heo Pung-gae.
"What do you mean?"
"These three gun nuts. How should we handle 'em... This mess won't hit the 9 o'clock news, right?"
"Doubt it. Still no sign of the fake cops."
"Illegal firearms possession, plus shooting at people—if we report 'em, it's guaranteed jail time. So..."
"We blackmail 'em for cash."
"Exactly!"
One of the men cut in.
"How about... reporting to our organization instead?"
He was one of the three who'd fled here. The one who'd mouthed off threats, got knocked out, and just woken up.
"What? Why your outfit?"
Yi Pung's eyebrow twitched. The man explained.
"Our mission's sniffing out drug dealers in this turf. Spot gun-toting guys? Report immediately. Solid evidence gets rewards..."
"Hunting gun holders separately? Why?"
"Not sure exactly. Lately, tons of punks packing heat? Nab one to trace... arms smuggling routes? That's the word..."
The "lately more guns" bit was news to both Yi Pung and Heo Pung-gae. Still, they played it cool.
"Noble work. So, your organization's...?"
The man declared solemnly.
"O Family Manor. Ring a bell?"
"Sure. Mansu-dong..."
"O Family Manor's our higher-ups. We're their underlings."
His haughty tone screamed: I've got powerful backing—ain't you treating me rough? Time to bow a bit?
But Yi Pung and Heo Pung-gae just kept chatting casually, infuriating him.
"O Family Manor—Martial Alliance affiliate, right?"
"Yeah, probably. So the gun routes are Alliance-level too."
"But snitching for a reward's chump change compared to shaking 'em down ourselves... Thoughts?"
Heo Pung-gae pondered briefly before answering.
"Just report 'em."
The man smirked.
Yi Pung whispered.
"But that punk's scheming."
"Scheming? Calling in reinforcements?"
"Bet. He was out cold when you snagged the bullet—didn't see. Figures calling backup lets him jump us..."
"Eh, whatever."
Yi Pung nodded.
In the end, the man got his phone back and dialed his org. Long call, then he shot Yi Pung and Heo Pung-gae arrogant glares. Delivered the ultimatum.
"Crew's coming in an hour. Don't go anywhere."
Heo Pung-gae had nothing pressing till then. Clinic ops on hold, surrounded by thugs—no carefree training.
Idling around? No thanks. Anything else?
Something came to mind.
Heo Pung-gae turned to Yi Do-hyeok, still hanging around.
"Yesterday—you asked me to check your martial arts?"
Yi Do-hyeok froze stiff, replying a beat late.
"Uh? Y-yeah..."
"Let's do it now."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Yi Do-hyeok looked tense yet thrilled at the offer to critique his arts.
From what he'd just seen, Heo Pung-gae was a master beyond expectations. Way past "disciple of Invincible BB Bullet." That fact cowed him even as it excited him.
"What arts you got?"
Yi Do-hyeok answered Heo Pung-gae's question.
"Practicing Flicking Finger Skill and Maoshan Taijiquan. Not great at 'em..."
"Internal method?"
"Jade Sword Formula."
Heo Pung-gae eyed him. Fanboy, huh?
"All from my master."
"Obviously! Been grinding to learn 'em all from him!"
"Virgin Boy Skill? Master trained that too."
Yi Do-hyeok clammed up. After a pause, he muttered.
"Nah... Should I?"
"If you're dead set on ditching all sex. One ejaculation, poof—all your built-up energy scatters. No wet dreams allowed."
Most bailed at that, but Yi Do-hyeok seemed dead serious about emulating Invincible BB Bullet. Eyeing that skill hungrily.
"Periodic libido blockers might make it doable..."
Heo Pung-gae inwardly recoiled as he clarified.
"Virgin Boy Skill needs yang energy—eunuchs or low-libido types can't train it. Snip or not."
"For real? So Invincible BB Bullet hero just... holds out?"
"Yep."
"Damn... Hero's a legend. Holding back past sixty... You too?"
"Yes."
Yi Do-hyeok's eyes bugged out at the flat reply.
"Rough..."
Yeah, rough. Return to Youth's aftereffects had wet dreams restarting lately. Pure hell. And tamping down the surging urges? Torture.
Since picking up Virgin Boy Skill at seventeen, it'd been nonstop agony. That flavor of pain? Never got easier.
Heo Pung-gae grimaced.
"Anyway, show me. Taijiquan, right?"
"Yeah? Wanna see?"
"Go for it."
After Yi Do-hyeok's quick fist demo, Heo Pung-gae nodded.
"Solid."
"For real? No form fixes?"
"Stick with your method. Consistency matters more than fancy teachers."
"Then Flicking Finger Skill?"
"I'll check that close. Proper teachers are rare."
"Seriously?"
"Yeah."
"Invincible BB Bullet hero's version is world-class. You're really teaching it?"
No reason not to.
Heo Pung-gae had pushed to spread Flicking Finger Skill far and wide. More experts meant less chance he'd get fingered for crimes via it. No one in Korea—or the martial world—had matched Invincible BB Bullet's level, though.
Plus, this kid was Yi Pung's disciple.
Yi Pung was Heo Pung-gae's. Caring for a grand-disciple? Master's duty. Wouldn't shell out cash, but still.
Yi Do-hyeok beamed visibly.
"Call you master now? Boss is my master, though..."
Heo Pung-gae mulled it over, then said.
"Call me martial uncle."
"Martial uncle? Master's junior brother, right?"
"Yeah."
"Wait, Invincible BB Bullet hero's disciple means same rank as boss... Treat you as senior?"
"Nah. Skip it in public. Boss isn't officially his disciple."
An hour of instruction later, an S-Class Benz pulled up outside the clinic.
Out stepped four men and one woman.
That one woman? A martial artist.
Her flowing qi gave it away. Several times a normal person's. A young expert respected in the martial world.
She spoke.
"So... Teacher here doted on our boys, huh?"