Chapter 98: The Chief Magistrate of Wuyang
Read more at Nineheavens.org
The sword was floating as if it had sprouted wings.
It felt as if it were truly alive and moving.
Not just Du Cheong but Yuk Tong and the others also wore expressions of utter disbelief upon seeing that sight.
Sword Controlling Technique.
A supreme-level sword path study of releasing the energy inside one’s body like an intangible string to connect with the sword, then moving it without touching, as if handling a horse.
However.
If the executor’s amount of internal cultivation wasn’t vast, the extreme inefficiency made it difficult to use as a main martial art.
It was because of the weakness that each time one moved the sword, cultivation consumption was great, so the duration couldn’t be sustained long.
That was why in martial world history, excluding cases of momentary execution, everyone who had featured Sword Controlling Technique prominently and achieved great fame was a supreme master of their era, and their number barely reached or didn’t reach ten.
As the closest figure from the past, one could cite Flying Sword Divine Mother, an ultra-first-rate female swordsman between orthodox and unorthodox factions from thirty years ago.
She, who had made Sword Controlling Technique her main martial art, was one of the Thirteen Seats of the World, boasting the position next to the era’s unrivaled strongest, Ascending Heaven Sword Dragon.
However.
Setting aside such history or weaknesses, merely being able to grasp the essence of Sword Controlling Technique and personally display it was itself no different from something tremendous.
It was sword arts so abstruse that ordinary first-rate swordsmen couldn’t even dare attempt it.
Some might say the profound use of Sword Controlling Technique, moving while leaving the hand, was identical to Grasping Objects Through Air.
Of course, there were parts in common.
But the fundamental essences of the two studies were slightly different.
Simply put, Grasping Objects Through Air wrapped objects with released energy to move them, whereas in contrast, Sword Controlling Technique injected energy to connect as one with the main body before handling it.
That’s why whenever controlling the sword, cultivation consumption from the connection and continuity was inevitably great, but at any rate, it was certainly a terrifying level of skill.
Ju Yu-gang opened his mouth again.
“Are you frozen?”
In that instant, the hearts of Du Cheong and party began wildly racing.
THUMP-THUMP.
The loud sound in their chests seemed like it would leak out.
Wasn’t the opponent before them a powerhouse who could execute Sword Controlling Technique?
Even without exchanging blows, one could easily tell.
The gap in martial prowess.
It was an incomprehensible situation.
An upper military command’s highest-ranking martial officer might be a different matter, but how could a mere local chief magistrate perform Sword Controlling Technique…?
Silence descended on the green-shaded space, heightening tension.
Only the chirping of birds was heard in their ears.
GULP.
Yuk Tong, having swallowed his saliva, asked barely audibly.
“Now… What do we do?”
However, Du Cheong couldn’t readily answer.
Just then.
FWAP!
One Thousand Snake Gang executive rapidly spun around.
Gripped by fear, he was trying to flee.
PING-
The sound of air being sharply sliced.
Following that, the fleeing executive fell to the ground and let out a sharp cry of pain.
“AAAGH!”
At some point, Ju Yu-gang’s sword had flown and driven deep into his left side.
WHISH-WHISH.
When Ju Yu-gang lightly waved his hand, the government-issue iron sword was SCHUCK pulled back out, then moved like a bird to stay beside him.
“Guh-huh… Damn…!”
The moment the wounded executive spat out a groan and curse.
“Escape? Don’t bother. My sword can reach ten jang away.”
Along with those words, Ju Yu-gang firmly gripped the hilt of the iron sword floating at his side.
Indeed.
The reason he had deployed Sword Controlling Technique from the start was because he knew something like this would happen, and to give a warning that no one should think of fleeing carelessly.
Aghast Du Cheong and Yuk Tong exchanged glances.
Had they read each other’s minds?
Du Cheong stepped one pace forward and opened his mouth in a fluster.
“Ch-Chief Magistrate! We’ll surrender!”
Not to be outdone, Yuk Tong and several other executives hurriedly bowed their heads and added words.
“Yes, yes! We all feel the same!”
“We’ll go and receive judgment and pay for our crimes!”
“Please show leniency!”
Ju Yu-gang’s reply differed from the party’s expectations.
“Too late.”
Meaning that no matter what they said, it couldn’t be undone.
Du Cheong, Yuk Tong and the others repeatedly stiffened their expressions.
“…!”
Surely he didn’t mean to summarily execute all of us?
For some reason, Ju Yu-gang’s cold face seemed to say so.
Suddenly, fighting spirit and bloodlust so murderous it was indescribable swept through this space.
Simultaneously, Du Cheong’s party instinctively stepped back several paces hesitantly.
A truly domineering intangible aura.
Thrills similar to when they had witnessed Cheol Ryu-heun’s outstanding martial prowess, which had overwhelmingly crushed White Snake Twin Swords Gul Ma-hun, coursed through their bodies.
They were suffocating.
It was unprecedented pressure.
It was to the point of evoking the likes of the Five Supreme Martial Experts of Hunan.
Ju Yu-gang’s lips moved.
“There are two paths.”
“…”
“One is to defeat me and flee; the other is to meet death beneath my blade.”
“…!”
“In other words, you have no choice but to fight me here.”
Those words Ju Yu-gang arrogantly hurled became intangible daggers that dug into Du Cheong party’s hearts.
‘Urk, damn…!’
The moment everyone wore troubled expressions, a sharp sound burst out.
PI-PING-!
The iron sword, flying as if galloping through the air, drove deep into the body of the executive who had been injured and fallen earlier.
PU-SCHUCK!
This time it was the opposite side.
“AAAGH!”
That wasn’t the end.
Following Ju Yu-gang’s hand gestures, the iron sword continuously moved rapidly and stabbed into the opponent’s body.
SCHUCK, SCHUCK- PU-SCHUCK- SCHUCK-!
Along with the hair-raising sounds, the executive’s screams echoed long.
“AAAAAAGH, AAAAAAAGH…!”
Thus, his back was covered in honeycomb-like bloody holes in an instant.
A trembling, convulsing body.
The smell of blood spreading on the forest wind.
He was still breathing.
But now, movement would be difficult.
The iron sword that had shown off cruelty had already returned to its owner Ju Yu-gang’s grasp.
Du Cheong, Yuk Tong and the others no longer had a choice.
Escape was impossible, surrender was impossible… Then the only possible way out was to resist, whether it worked or not.
CHA-CHANG, CHANG-!
The swords rang out clamorous.
Everyone including Du Cheong drew their swords and raised their internal cultivation to the fullest.
Before the matter of life and death, survival instinct raised its head.
They displayed desperate courage.
No.
Could that truly be called real courage? Who knew.
It was struggling.
Yes, to somehow survive.
In a flash.
FWAP.
When Ju Yu-gang extended his arm straight out, the sword that left his hand rushed like lightning toward their front.
PING-!
When startled Du Cheong’s party scattered left and right, the iron sword passed that spot and CRASH! drove into the middle of the large boulder.
CRA-CRA-CRACK-!
The moment spider-web-like cracks spread from the heavy sword power.
Du Cheong’s eyes lit up.
Now!
“Attack!”
At his cry, two executives kicked off the ground and targeted Ju Yu-gang’s left and right.
A decisive move to attack him before his sword was recovered.
SHWING, SHO-SHWING!
A horizontal sword attack rapidly approaching while blocking both sides.
But.
Just when the two blades seemed about to touch the opponent’s body, a crisp explosion struck their ears.
KA-KA-KA-BOOM-!
Immediately after, the two executives who had swung their swords were flung flying to either side wrapped in haze and THUNK! collided with large old trees.
“Keck!”
“Uugh…”
Moreover, they had suffered internal injury that shook their heart meridians, and blood trickled from their mouths.
It was the effect of hitting some kind of intangible barrier wrapped around Ju Yu-gang’s body.
Body Protection Repelling Energy Technique.
Not merely protecting the body, but a truly transcendent method that also displayed the profound use of fully reflecting the opponent’s power.
In other words, the two executives who had been slammed into trees had suffered that internal injury because the energy laden in their slashes had been inversely flipped back at them.
Du Cheong and Yuk Tong faintly realized that was Body Protection Repelling Energy Technique, and goosebumps spread all over.
If those two had loaded maximum power when swinging their swords, the cultivation gap would have endangered their lives.
Ju Yu-gang’s Body Protection Repelling Energy Technique was fully capable of that.
Perhaps ordinary martial artists would have lost all will to fight upon witnessing that scene.
PA-KWAK!
Du Cheong and Yuk Tong, still covered in goosebumps, charged at the opponent without further thought.
They wanted to live.
To do so, they had to fight.
The two spread out left and right at an appropriate interval and shot long sword energy.
An offensive mindful that pressing close could get them hit by Body Protection Repelling Energy Technique.
Suddenly.
WHOOSH!
When Ju Yu-gang rapidly raised his left hand overhead, intangible energy wind rose like a fierce whirlwind, sucked in both sword energies at once, and scattered them into the air.
Following that.
‘Wh-what!’
Du Cheong and Yuk Tong’s complexions drained completely pale.
Because their bodies had suddenly been drawn by tremendous power and floated one jang into the air.
At some point, Ju Yu-gang had cut the energy connected like a string to the sword embedded in the boulder, and waved his right hand to execute powerful Grasping Objects Through Air.
“My turn, is it.”
Ju Yu-gang’s right arm dropped rapidly as he uttered the brief words.
WHOOSH!
Immediately Du Cheong and Yuk Tong’s bodies plummeted headfirst.
THUD- THU-THUD-!
Thus the two hit the ground and let out groans.
“Guh-haaah…”
“Guh-guk…”
The heavy impact penetrating their bodies had shaken their entire bodies’ energy meridians, delivering tremendous pain.
Just then.
The screams of the executive whose back had become like a bloody honeycomb from Sword Controlling Technique struck their eardrums like an echo.
“AAAAH, AAAAAAGH!”
Ju Yu-gang had moved there in the blink of an eye and ripped off the opponent’s right arm entirely.
Fresh blood pouring like a fountain.
Next, the left arm was torn off entirely too.
“AAAAH, AAH, AAAAAGH!”
The executive struggled madly in tremendous agony, but Ju Yu-gang, expression unchanging, made the remaining limbs exactly the same.
That wasn’t all.
CRACK, CRA-CRACK, CRACK-!
The sound of the executive’s spine being continuously stomped and broken by one of Ju Yu-gang’s feet.
It seemed to have been completely pulverized joint by joint.
Moreover, from that impact, ribs from both sides pierced through skin and spurted fresh blood.
The executive had no strength left even to make an agonized sound, and trembled with convulsions while steeping in the terror of death.
Please end it.
His moist eyes said so.
But Ju Yu-gang completely ignored it and moved both arms rapidly as if clapping.
Simultaneously.
WHISH-WHISH-
The two executives who had been groaning with backs slammed into old trees in different directions were drawn floating by Grasping Objects Through Air, then violently collided with each other.
CRA-CRACK-!
Along with a dull sound, both their faces caved in.
FWAP, FWA-FWAP, FWAP…
Each time Ju Yu-gang’s arms moved rapidly, the two executives repeatedly collided then separated.
CRACK, CRACK, CRACK, CRACK, CRACK…!
In an instant, bones throughout their bodies shattered and skin tore, and having become drenched in blood, the two soon fell limply onto the ground.
THUD, THU-THUD…
By Grasping Objects Through Air deployed again, the iron sword embedded in the boulder returned to its owner’s hand.
“Gang-raping women, forcibly impregnating them, trading those babies like goods on the market… So, was that fun for you?”
The moment Ju Yu-gang spoke coldly while walking forward with trudging steps.
Du Cheong and Yuk Tong barely gathered themselves and stood, then looked at the opponent approaching from the front and were once again gripped by chilling thrills.
‘Uuugh…!’
Fear of Ju Yu-gang’s terrifying martial prowess created an illusion in Du Cheong and Yuk Tong’s vision.
A sheer cliff, and one person standing solemnly atop that dizzying height of a thousand, ten thousand feet.
Ju Yu-gang.
It was him.
An overwhelming presence.
A dignity that none could approach.
Like the high sky that couldn’t be reached no matter how one tried.
Reflection, regret, lamentation… Such emotions didn’t exist in the two’s heads.
Only unprecedented terror swirled around.
“Who… What on earth are you…?”
Du Cheong couldn’t help but harbor doubt about his true nature.
The position of Wuyang’s Chief Magistrate was clearly a disguise identity to conceal his real appearance.
“Me?”
Ju Yu-gang said that and quietly stopped walking, then let a cold voice drop.
“One who punishes evil. Sometimes one who acts as evil for that purpose… One who holds not a shred of mercy or compassion for your kind. As you can see, currently I am Wuyang’s Chief Magistrate.”