Chapter 244: The State of So's Number One Guard (2)
The Shadow King, Baek Ri-hyeon. The whip clutched in his left hand coiled like a serpent, wrapping around the neck of the foremost Crimson Tiger soldier.
Rattle—!
Snaring the soldier from a distance, he spun his left arm with all his might.
In that instant, the airborne soldier swung in a wide arc, sending the other soldiers flying.
The moment the four soldiers collided with their comrade and tumbled down, another group of Crimson Tiger soldiers appeared above them.
Five Crimson Tiger soldiers loosed their sword qi from midair. Yet, Baek Ri-hyeon did not perform a single defensive maneuver until they drew close.
And a moment later. The moment the distance to the Crimson Tiger soldiers closed to within one zhang, his figure suddenly spun like a hurricane.
Whoosh—!
The whip, tracing a massive circle as it spun, moved faster than the Crimson Tiger soldiers could react.
Among all weapons, the whip possessed the most explosive destructive force. Infused with his immense internal energy, its power defied imagination.
Wherever the whip struck, the waists of the Crimson Tiger soldiers were severed clean along with their armor.
Thump! Thud!
In an instant, he brought down five more, but the surging enemies were endless.
Before he knew it, another opponent rushed forward. This one moved differently from the rest. Judging by the cape he wore over his crimson armor, he was likely an officer.
Retrieving the whip in his left hand, Baek Ri-hyeon drew the longsword in his right hand back to his waist.
At that moment, the Crimson Tiger officer reached him and thrust his sword forward.
Having trained extensively in the fast sword style, his blade was as swift as a bolt of lightning, yet Baek Ri-hyeon’s expression did not change in the slightest.
The moment the sharp sword qi reached his neck, his clenched fist moved like a flash, striking the officer’s lower jaw.
Crack!
The officer’s jawbone shattered in a single blow, and he collapsed limply, losing consciousness.
The moment his body sagged, the Crimson Tiger soldiers launched their coordinated assault in earnest.
As if by agreement, a crimson wave surged forward simultaneously.
Surrendering his body to his reflexes, Baek Ri-hyeon whipped his weapon frantically.
The whip lashed through the air, preventing anyone from approaching within one zhang of him.
Crack! Snap!
Spinning along with the whip, Baek Ri-hyeon moved like a shaman possessed, weaving through the Crimson Tiger soldiers.
No soldier could breach the whip’s range to reach him.
As time passed, the corpses of the Crimson Tiger soldiers piled up rapidly.
Those struck by the whip were horribly mangled, and their numbers reached nearly fifty in just fifteen minutes.
Despite this, Baek Ri-hyeon’s expression grew grimmer. The enemy numbers did not seem to decrease at all.
The battle was dragging on.
And as time went by, his movements also gradually slowed.
The internal energy cultivation method of the Shadow Gate brought out explosive power by pushing one’s potential to the limit, but it consumed energy so rapidly that it was ill-suited for a prolonged battle.
This was exactly what the Crimson Tiger soldiers were waiting for. Seizing the right moment, the strongest soldiers of the Crimson Tiger Corps began to step forward.
Whoosh!
Finally, a soldier managed to bypass the whip, closing in on him.
His movements were different from the Crimson Tiger soldiers he had faced so far. Altering his angle in midair, the tip of his sword aimed straight for Baek Ri-hyeon’s throat. Another strike was also closing in from behind.
Gritting his teeth, Baek Ri-hyeon activated his footwork. His figure glided like a ghost, escaping to the right. Though he narrowly dodged the blow, he could not stop his movement. Another streak of sword qi had already reached his chest.
Whoosh—!
Kicking off the ground, his body spun upward.
Releasing the whip, he gripped his longsword tightly. In that instant, his entire body dissolved like mist.
“…?”
Finding their target vanish right before their eyes, the Crimson Tiger soldiers looked around in bewilderment.
“He has not fled! Do not panic and maintain the formation!”
It was the commander of the Crimson Tiger Corps. Unlike the other soldiers, he wore a helmet adorned with a crest.
Before the commander could finish speaking, a dense mist began to rise around where he stood.
Out of nowhere under the clear sky, a thick mist appeared. Moreover, it was a bizarre phenomenon manifesting only in a specific area. Caught off guard within it, the twenty-odd Crimson Tiger soldiers faltered in panic.
Just then, a dull sound echoed from within the mist.
Slash!
“Agh!”
That was only the beginning. Soon, thunderous sounds echoed continuously within the grey mist.
Slash! Slash! Slash!
The severed limbs of the Crimson Tiger soldiers began to fly out from the mist one by one.
He had unleashed the All-Encompassing Killing Mist, the secret technique of the Shadow Gate.
Bright flashes of light sparked incessantly within the thick fog. Simultaneously, the agonized screams of the trapped Crimson Tiger soldiers echoed through the palace.
A moment later, the mist gradually dissipated, revealing Baek Ri-hyeon.
Not a single living thing remained around him.
“Phew…”
His ragged breaths showed how exhausted he was.
And the Crimson Tiger Corps was not about to leave him to rest.
Two soldiers who had been circling, waiting for an opening, launched a surprise attack from his left and right.
Although the sharp blades were closing in on him, he did not even look at them.
Swish—!
As his longsword, fully infused with internal energy, spun in the opposite direction, the heads of the charging soldiers flew into the air.
Spurt!
At that moment, two streaks of sword qi emerged from between the falling heads and torsos. They were Crimson Tiger officers.
Sensing danger, Baek Ri-hyeon spun his body hastily, dodging the incoming sword qi. However, his body was in no condition to dodge completely.
A streak of sword qi grazed his shoulder.
Splat—!
The fabric on his left shoulder was torn away, and blood sprayed into the air.
Though it was not a fatal wound, a significant amount of muscle had been torn, and excruciating pain washed over him.
“Ugh!”
He had to move again without even a moment to stop the bleeding. A fiercer onslaught was closing in.
No matter how many he cut down, the number of Crimson Tiger soldiers did not seem to decrease. Swinging his longsword frantically while retreating, his stance gradually broke down.
And the commander of the Crimson Tiger Corps, who had been watching from a distance, seized this opportunity to move.
Whoosh!
Trailing black smoke, he closed in like a bolt of lightning. Surprisingly, he was in the Extreme Demonic Realm.
His sword showed no mercy, seeking to end the battle in a single stroke. The sharp tip of his blade traced a bizarre angle, unleashing a lethal strike.
Baek Ri-hyeon also gathered his internal energy to swing his longsword, but a technique executed from an unstable stance could not be perfect.
CLANG—!
“Ugh!”
Although he succeeded in blocking it, his longsword snapped. He had been unable to infuse it with sufficient internal energy. Furthermore, his face turned pale, suggesting he had suffered internal injuries.
Having delivered the blow, the Crimson Tiger commander retreated to the rear. At the same time, the Crimson Tiger soldiers swarmed forward like hornets. They looked like a pack of wolves rushing to finish off a wounded beast.
“Come.”
Discarding the broken longsword, Baek Ri-hyeon clenched his fists.
A streak of sword qi rushed toward his throat. Just before it struck, his upper body tilted sharply as he slid to the left.
At the same time, his fist drove into the opponent’s side.
Crack!
He had no time to worry about the falling enemy. Another attack was closing in before he could even catch his breath.
Engaged in a frantic close-quarters battle, he could not collect his thoughts. The moment his stance broke, a sword slipped toward his flank as if it had been waiting.
It was too close to dodge. Moreover, it was a swift and devious strike. It was undoubtedly the work of the Crimson Tiger commander.
Squelch!
“Argh!”
The tip of the sword pierced through Baek Ri-hyeon’s left side.
An overwhelming pain washed over him, but he could not afford to stop. Keeping the sword impaled in him, he spun his shoulder and struck the commander’s face with the back of his hand.
Smack!
Although the attack did not land cleanly, he succeeded in pushing his opponent away.
Blood flowed relentlessly from the wound where the blade had been withdrawn.
But before he could brace himself, another streak of sword qi grazed his thigh.
Slice!
A blade slipped through his back as he stumbled.
Spurt!
“Ugh.”
His black robes, which had been neat, were turning into tattered rags. The rabbit drawing on his back was stained red with blood.
Although he struggled to stay on his feet, his back finally pressed against the wall of the hall. It was Min-gong’s office.
Surprisingly, Jang-yang had walked out on his own.
A warm hand gently patted his shoulder as he leaned against the wall.
“That is enough. You have already done more than enough.”
Panting heavily, Baek Ri-hyeon murmured with unwavering eyes, “Stand back. I have not fallen yet.”
“I know your body can barely even stand. But since I am with a good friend, the road to the underworld will not be lonely.”
“Do not give up. It is not over yet…”
Jang-yang did not understand his words. What hope could there be in this situation? He stared quietly at the crimson soldiers surrounding them.
“Why do you hesitate? Finish it.”
Two Crimson Tiger soldiers charged. They seemed intent on cutting them down in a single blow.
At that moment, something unexpected occurred.
From the roof of the hall, two small shadows leaped down.
Whoosh!
Moving as swiftly as squirrels, their synchronized actions showed a coordination born of long training.
It was Yeong-yeong and Baek Sang, protectors of the Black Cat Sect, who had been watching in silence.
The two lunged at the charging Crimson Tiger soldiers like hawks, delivering side kicks to their chests. It was the Shadow-Killing Kick, which they had learned directly from Baek Ri-hyeon.
BOOM!
“Ugh!”
The charging soldiers were sent rolling back three zhang.
The Crimson Tiger Corps stared at the newly arrived children. They realized at once that despite their youth, these children were not to be underestimated.
Yeong-yeong had taken the Saengyu Pill, a treasure of the Shadow Gate, and undergone a physical metamorphosis. And Baek Sang was a boy whose exceptional talent and grit had been recognized by So-mu.
“Master…”
“Are you alright?”
Their tearful voices and welling eyes shook Baek Ri-hyeon’s heart. They had grown deeply attached to each other over time.
Drawing their swords from their waists, the two stood in front of Baek Ri-hyeon and Jang-yang.
“…You rascals, did I not tell you not to get involved?”
He had told them not to show themselves no matter what, but they had ended up appearing anyway.
“But Master…”
“I promised So-so that I would protect Grandfather.”
Jang-yang was equally bewildered. He tried to push the children back, but Baek Ri-hyeon raised a hand with difficulty to stop him.
Panting heavily, Baek Ri-hyeon barely managed to squeeze out a sentence.
“Hold on… just a little longer… Something… something immense is coming this way.”