The moment Kanghyok saw the stranger first, he tried to figure out who he was, but he couldn't recall at all.

“Dolsok, do you know what that b.a.s.t.a.r.d is?”

“No, I can't see him clearly because of the torches…I've never seen him before.”

“Really? Who the h.e.l.l is he?”

If that stranger is a good guy, Kanghyok won't have to care at all.

'Is this guy on the side of Dorikke?'

Kanghyok quickly looked at Dorikke, but obviously the guy was not Dorikke's man.

'j.a.panese raider?'

It was impossible for j.a.panese raiders to come up to Hangyang without being caught.

'Oh, are they the acrobatic team guys?'

When Kanghyok looked at the guy's group close up, there were some faces familiar to him.

They were recently treated at Kanghyok's house.

“d.a.m.n it! How come you are so insensible of kindness?”

When Kanghyok shook his finger at him, the guy shouted back, pointing at his wobbly calf,

“Kindness? Did you mention kindness? You son of a b.i.t.c.h! I'm still limping in my leg because of you.”

“Shut up! Are you proud you were beaten up by them?” said another guy next to him.

“No, brother. That b.a.s.t.a.r.d over there is a master of martial arts,” he said, pointing at Makbong.

At that moment the guy with thick beards pushed him with a sudden jerk.

Though he was limping, he was still very strong enough.

Makbong got close to Kanghyok.

“Master, he seems pretty tough.”

“Yes, I saw him, too.”

The bearded guy looked like a master of traditional Korean martial arts taekgyon, which Kanghyok tried to master but didn't make much progress.

“d.a.m.n it! I see at least six in the group,” Kanghyok grumbled.

“If you count in a couple of them in the back, they are eight, all told,” said Yoni.

Compared with them, Kanghyok's party was only six people including Yoju.

In terms of fighting men, Kanghyok's party was only half the other party.

Kanghyok knew that he gave a shot to three of them in person, so they might not be able to move freely even now.

'They might still suffer from PTSD(posttraumatic stress order).'

As soon as they saw Kanghyok's syringe, they might run away.

“Dolsok, put some poison of fugu in the syringes.”

“What? Oh, okay, master.”

Kanghyok took out some syringes from the bag and handed them to Dolsok.

The bearded guy bothered him, though.

He looked like a 'great man.'

If that was the case, it would be reckless to fight against his gang thoughtlessly.

He came forward to the guy and shouted,

“Why did a strong warrior like you come here for a petty fighting like this?”

Then the bearded guy responded with a big smile,

“That's what I want to ask you, man. How come you raise your head before our master?”

When Kanghyok looked at him up close, he was far from an ordinary type.

'I wonder if that is hair on his chest.'

Kanghyok has never seen a man with hair on his chest chicken-hearted before.

“I'm Kanghyok Paek. Who are you?”

“I'm Sungbok Byon from Anak.”

“Sungbok Byon?”

“Yeah, you must have heard of me before. Kneel before me or you're going to get beaten up.”

His threat was for real, but Kanghyok never heard of his name.

“Did you guys hear of his name?”

Everybody shook their heads, except for Makbong.

“You know him, Makbong?”

“Yes, master.”

“Notorious?”

“Yes, he is, especially in Anak.”

“For what?”

Makbong pistoned his hips back and forth.

“Hmm… what you mean is that he is such a womanizer, right? Dolsok, are you ready?”

“Yes, but the syringes you gave me are too big.”

“Yep, they couldn't even breathe when they get a shot.”

“Really? Is this a poisonous shot?”

“I've no other choice if these guys attack us.”

Dolsok handed syringes with 10cc of fugu poison to Makbong, Yoju and Yoni.

All told, they were more than 20. With a correct shot, they could easily beat up the other party.

Kanghyok pulled a syringe before them, at which some of them instantly freaked out.

Obviously they had a bitter memory of the shot.

Sungbok slowly walked toward Kanghyok's party.

“Yoni, can you size him up?”

“Looks like he is pretty good at martial arts, but he can't beat me.”

“Really? How about other guys?”

“Looks like you can't beat them, master.”

While Kanghyok was putting his brain to work, Sungbok was approaching him with big strides.

He didn't seem scared about Kanghyok's syringe at all.

“Return to us Pyonsu that you took as hostage.”

“Pyonsu?”

“Yeah, son of a b.i.t.c.h!”

“Oh, that weasel-looking guy? I have no idea of where he is…”

That was true.

Since Hangbok took him to his house, Kanghyok was not aware of whether he was alive or not.

When he told Sungbok about it, Sungbok got more upset.

“How dare you disturb our Taedonggye project? Let me see how long you can insist you don't know about Pyonsu's whereabouts. Hey, guys!”

“Yes, boss!”

As soon as Sungbok shouted, his subordinates began to attack Kanghyok's party simultaneously.

Some of them were still limping, but Sungbok didn't care.

He was trying to go after Kanghyok.

At that moment Yoni threw herself to kick him in the b.u.t.t.

As she acted so swiftly, Sungbok had to roll on the ground to avoid her attack.

“You wicked b.i.t.c.h!”

“Shut up!”

Yoni beat him up, which left his body all covered with wounds.

Watching her brilliant fighting, Kanghyok felt much relieved and brandished his bag.

With a bang one guy fell on the ground while trying to attack Kanghyok.

Makbong and Dorikke ran wildly to beat them with cudgels.

Though Kanghyok's party was outnumbered, they were now winning.

In particular, when Dolsok approached them with syringes, some of them who had the shot began to freak out and run away.

Sungbok was so embarra.s.sed to see his men beaten soundly.

“d.a.m.n it.”

No matter how hard he tried to get out of the place, he couldn't because of Yoni's nimble attack.

At that moment he noticed an easy prey in Yoju, who was alone at a distance.

“Stay away from me, you wicked b.i.t.c.h!”

Sungbok shouted at Yoni and then ran toward Yoju.

As he moved so swiftly, Yoni let him go accidentally.

“Oh my G.o.d!”

Belatedly, Dolsok tried to catch Sungbok, but in vain.

In the meantime, Sungbok could take Yoju as hostage.

“Stop it, guys!”

He shouted at Kanghyok's party, grabbing her by the scruff of her neck.

Her white and slim neck could be broken any time now at the whim of that guy.

Kanghyok, who was brandis.h.i.+ng his bag wildly, had to stop, and so did Makbong.

“Look at that shameless and mean guy!”

“You bet. He was talking loudly about so-called Taedonggye, but he is no more than a scounderel!”

Kanghyok and Makbong grumbled, but they couldn't attack him because of Yoju.

He couldn't sacrifice Yoju at his hand.

With bag in hand, he slowly approached Sungbok, and so did Yoni, Dolsok and Makbong.

“Don't come near to me. This woman will be killed.”

As if to show his seriousness, Sungbok's voice was trembling violently.

His threat was real.

At that moment Kanghyok saw Yoju moving something with her fingers furtively.

It was obviously a syringe.

If Kanghyok could divert his attention, Yoju could give him a shot timely.

“Calm down, man!”

Kanghyok shouted at him and put down his bag.

He stepped back even at Kanghyok's small move.

“I told you not to come close to me. Are you going to see her killed before you?”

His face, revealed brightly by the torches, was full of resentment.

“You just keep saying you're going to kill her, but if you kill Yoju, I can make you disabled all your life.”

Kanghyok was not joking. As a doctor he was not only good at treating patients but also so maiming people.

“What the heck?” asked the guy in a trembling voice.

“Are your ears clogged, man? I'm going to maim you. Seriously.”

“No, no. What was this woman's name?”

“Yoju. If you kill her, I'm going to…”

“Are you Yoju?”

As he couldn't believe, he turned back to her all of a sudden. His face was filled with joy and longing.