Chapter 9: Specially as a token of our apology.

The Black Tiger Bandits’ secret weapon and the unrivaled master of the Gansu region, a Hwa-kyung realm martial artist.

Kali.

Known as the Black Beast Kali, she gazed at the man before her, a faint tension creeping into her smile.

‘A worthy opponent after so long?’

He had an ordinary face, unremarkable at a glance, with the only notable feature being his sharp, wolf-like eyes.

But despite his appearance, Kali, a Hwa-kyung master, could clearly sense it.

This man’s strength was on an entirely different level from the veiled woman she’d just faced.

‘At a glance, his power is at least upper-tier peak-level, maybe even Hwa-kyung like me.’

Of course, this was merely the aura she sensed—only a real fight would reveal the truth.

There were limits to gauging strength through intuition alone, and he could be weaker or stronger than she estimated.

Regardless, recognizing he wasn’t an opponent to underestimate, she addressed him.

“Who are you? I was just starting to have fun with that girl. It’s rude to interrupt like this.”

“Sorry, but as her older brother, I can’t just watch my sister in danger. As an apology, I’ll let you leave with your limbs intact if you quietly run away now.”

“!…”

His casual tone, laced with a chilling edge, carried an almost excessive confidence. For a moment, Kali’s expression stiffened.

But soon, she flashed an arrogant smile and responded.

“! …Haha, what kind of nonsense is this? You seem pretty confident in your skills. Don’t tell me you don’t even know who I am?”

“No clue. You’re just some passing bandit, right? No need to bother remembering.”

“…”

His taunting reply was delivered with such nonchalance.

Kali had initially considered exchanging a few words with this intriguing opponent, but now she gripped her dagger tightly, abandoning that thought.

Having faced countless martial artists and claimed numerous victories,
No one—not even in all her years—had ever openly disrespected her like this after witnessing even a fraction of her power.

Not even that man, her long-time target.

This blatant disregard ignited a desire in Kali to instill despair in this arrogant, ignorant fool.

“Oh? Is that so? Well then, make sure to remember this on your way to the afterlife—that I, Kali, was the one who ended you.”

With those words, she infused her dagger with explosive inner energy and charged at him.

In an instant, her body shot forward like an arrow, closing the distance at a speed invisible to the eye.

No time for defense, no chance to anticipate the attack.
Not a probing strike typical of high-level duels, but a near-full-power blow from the start.

Her target was his neck.
Her tool, the black dagger in her hand.

No mere martial technique—this dagger, honed to perfection, could turn even a fallen twig into a blade capable of slicing iron.

No matter how skilled a martial artist, blocking it was impossible.
She was certain the only outcome would be his head falling, blood spraying.

With that certainty,
Anticipating his smug face twisting in horror,
Hoping to make him realize the brutal cost of underestimating her, Kali swung her dagger at his neck.

As always, her strike should have claimed her opponent’s life, scattering crimson blood.

It should have.

“!”

“…”

The scene that followed required a moment for Kali’s mind to process.

A fleeting instant that felt like an eternity.

And the emotion that surged within her was one she’d never experienced in her life—utter shock.

‘What… what is this?’

Had he dodged her attack, she wouldn’t have been this stunned.

The world was vast, with many masters, and some, like that man from her past, couldn’t be felled by a single strike.

If he had deflected or evaded her attack, she could have accepted he was simply stronger than expected.

But at this moment,
What her eyes clearly saw—yet couldn’t believe—

Was the man stopping her dagger with just two fingers.

“H-How… is this possible?”

“I told you. Leave quietly, and I’ll let you live with your limbs intact. When someone offers kindness, maybe listen?”

Still holding her dagger, he spoke in the same casual tone as before.

But now, it hit her with an entirely different weight.

He then flicked his fingers, lightly brushing her dagger aside.

Crack!

“Ugh!”

A tremendous shock coursed through her.

Kali nearly dropped her dagger, tumbling pathetically to the ground.

Not from a direct strike, but from a mere flick of his fingers—a heavy, overwhelming sensation.

In this shocking moment,
Staring at the man before her, Kali muttered in a voice trembling with dread.

“M-Monster…”

“I hear that a lot.”

He responded lightly, as if tossing aside a pebble, his voice devoid of concern.

Even in her overwhelming fear, Kali felt her lingering pride being provoked.

‘Damn it… Don’t underestimate me! Just because you blocked one attack…’

But deep down, she knew her spirit was already crumbling.

For a fleeting moment, the word escape crossed her mind.

Yet, despite this, she rose, gripping her dagger once more.

Or rather, she managed to grip it.

“Haaa!”

With a shout to steel herself, she unleashed her inner energy and charged again.

Faster than her previous attack, which she’d already considered near her full strength.
Moving quicker than her voice could carry, she swung her dagger at him again.

This time, she aimed not for his neck but his abdomen.

If he anticipated another vital strike like before, she’d exploit that gap.

Or so she told herself—though in truth, her choice stemmed from an instinctive fear that targeting a vital point would lead to another humiliating block.

Ignoring that truth,
Kali focused all her inner energy into the tip of her dagger, as she always had.

With the force to pierce even a mountain, her strike shot toward his abdomen.

‘I can do this! I’m Black Beast Kali! Soon to be Qinghai’s greatest martial artist! I won’t fall in a place like this…!’

Rallying her pride, she swung with all her might.

But…

“!”

The next moment, what Kali saw…

As if it were fated from the start, her dagger was caught effortlessly in his hand.

Not once, but twice, her full-power strike—
Caught by mere fingers, in a scene so devastatingly pathetic.

Her face froze, becoming almost unbearable to look at.

And then,
Looking at her with a calm expression,
The man—

The monster—

Spoke in an utterly composed voice.

“So, what’s it gonna be? It’s not too late to run.”

“A… ah…”

His words, so plain and simple,
Yet so cruelly shattering her last shred of pride.

Kali’s body trembled uncontrollably, and she let go of the dagger.

And then…