Chapter 573: Side Story 73

Chapter side_73

In fact, he had known.

That no matter what he did, he could never win.

Boom!

“Ugh?!”

The Golden Heaven Water King retreated two steps while spitting blood.

He had thought he had blocked Sa Do-hak’s lightly swung blade precisely, but the residual force pressed down on him. The force and momentum were so strong and magnificent that his entire body trembled.

He was the second-in-command of the Potala Palace.

He was the Golden Heaven Water King, whom no one in the Western Regions except the Great Dharma King could rival. However, even though over twenty exchanges had already passed, no way to seize victory came to mind.

The Heavenly Demon Divine Art unleashed by Sa Do-hak was just that overwhelming and strong. No matter how he blocked, it could not be blocked, and even if he tried to avoid it, it swallowed him beyond that range.

Spurt!

Once again, blood erupted from his entire body.

He had blocked it by raising equal or even greater power, but the result was utterly disastrous.

Was this the power of the Demonic Cult?

Was this the capability of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art?

No.

Historically, many Great Dharma Kings had experienced fighting against the Cult Leaders of the Demonic Cult, and when he heard those stories, they were either similar to the Great Dharma Kings or slightly superior.

Did he know how big the gap was between the current Golden Heaven Water King and the Great Dharma King?

It was a mere hair’s breadth.

But now, Sa Do-hak was overwhelming him completely. This meant that not even the Great Dharma King could defeat Sa Do-hak.

Slash!

Soon, his chest was sliced open and blood splattered.

Stepping back, the Golden Heaven Water King spat blood and made a troubled face.

“They said you are the Cult Leader closest to the Three Heavens since the creation of the Mount Tian Demonic Cult… It seems those words were not wrong, hahaha.”

“Uhahaha! Knowing that, why do you risk your life?”

“…As you know, if I had not blocked you, everyone would have died.”

In that moment, Sa Do-hak smirked.

He neither affirmed nor denied, but his gaze was clearly affirmative. Perhaps Sa Do-hak would first clean up the troublesome Lama monks and then leisurely deal with Gu Jagok.

Boom!

At that moment, a massive sound heard from a distance.

The explosion, which sounded as if Heavenly Thunder Bombs were unleashed, naturally turned the gazes of the two toward that direction. Having realized something, Sa Do-hak shook his head.

“It seems there’s no point in going any further. Do you want to continue?”

“Ha… Hahaha. I think so too. It is about time… for the Great Dharma King to arrive as well.”

“What?”

“Did you really think… that this Golden Heaven Water King moved alone when chasing those who stole the Potala Palace’s important item?”

“You didn’t?”

Sa Do-hak asked, widening his eyes.

Until now, the Great Dharma King had not revealed himself, and the Golden Heaven Water King had directed the entire situation. Thus, Sa Do-hak had also been thinking without considering the existence of the Great Dharma King.

“No matter how… the Mahyeong Squad is, they are meaningless before the Great Dharma King. It is just like… the situation between you and me now.”

“…”

“With this, I can heave a sigh of relief… Hahaha.”

The Golden Heaven Water King slumped to the ground.

A fight of just over twenty exchanges.

Yet his internal organs were already in turmoil, and his outer appearance was no less of a mess. Conversely, Sa Do-hak was no different from when they first met, so it was an absolute defeat.

Was this the Demonic Emperor Sa Do-hak?

The Golden Heaven Water King felt like he finally understood why people called the Central Plains the true Murim.

Since Shaolin’s martial arts had been transmitted from the Potala Palace and spread to create the Central Plains Murim, they had taken pride in their own martial arts.

But now, the Golden Heaven Water King’s pride was thoroughly trampled and crushed.

“But… you miscalculated again.”

“What?”

“Over there… it seems our Family Head is present.”

Sa Do-hak looked toward the direction of the sound and shook his head. He didn’t know for what reason he was stepping forward this time, but he could definitely feel it.

That this gently blowing wind was surely his.

It seemed to tell him that he was there.

“I also feel like I’m beginning to understand what the wind is.”

Sa Do-hak smirked and slowly began to move. He knew there was no need to rush since Dan Woo-hyun was already there.

Thus, his steps walked leisurely, following the wind.

* * *

“What did you do?”

Dan Woo-hyun asked, looking around.

There had been an impact large enough to gouge and tear up the ground on both sides of him, but the spot where Dan Woo-hyun and Namgung So-hye stood remained exactly the same as before the sword was swung.

They seemed completely unaffected by the violently raging sword wind.

“Wh-What is this?!”

Thus, Gu Jagok’s bewildered expression was evident.

It was a strike into which he had poured all his internal energy with all his might. No matter how strong they were, there should have been at least a small wound, and the surroundings must have been affected, so he could not understand this situation.

And in that instant.

Dan Woo-hyun lightly swung his scabbard.

Thud!

“Ugh?!”

Struck in the chest, Gu Jagok’s body flew back.

Thud! He crashed into a tree, and perhaps because the force was so strong, his head shook violently. He could barely collect his senses.

Groaning, he barely raised his head.

And in that instant, he saw Dan Woo-hyun picking up the bamboo slips scattered on the ground one by one.

“…?!”

Gu Jagok quickly searched his chest pocket.

Indeed, the bamboo slips he had put in his pocket could not be felt. Due to his strike, all the bamboo slips had slipped out and fallen to the ground.

“This shouldn’t be all, right?”

“Ugh! You!”

Gu Jagok charged forward, grinding his teeth.

As if he could not let what Yuk Cheol-wan desired most fall into someone else’s hands, he rushed forward, ignoring his disadvantage.

Thud!

“Argh?!”

But the situation did not change much.

Dan Woo-hyun lightly swung his scabbard and struck his abdomen. Gu Jagok, his body bent like a shrimp from the pain that made it impossible to even stand, vomited.

“Guaaargh?!”

“I will ask again. This shouldn’t be all, right?”

In Dan Woo-hyun’s hand were only about twenty bamboo slips. Although it was a considerable amount with dense writing, considering that guy’s personality, it was somewhat insufficient.

Thud!

“Ugh!”

Striking his chin once more, he sent Gu Jagok flying.

At that moment, the members of the Mahyeong Squad fiercely gathered around, radiating a resolve to protect him no matter what.

But Dan Woo-hyun did not care in the slightest.

He merely scanned the surroundings with half-closed eyes.

“This really won’t be all.”

“I… I don’t know…!”

“So you do know.”

Smirking, Dan Woo-hyun slightly moved his foot.

Thud! When he strongly kicked the belly of the fallen Gu Jagok, he spat out blood with a harsh groan. It was dark blood, enough to show that his insides were in ruins.

“Stop there. You’ll kill the boy.”

“…You are late.”

At the voice that heard then, everyone froze. In particular, fear was engraved on the faces of the Mahyeong Squad members, as they recognized the voice they could never forget until the moment they died.

It was Sa Do-hak.

The moment he revealed himself, parting the bushes, a complex expression appeared on the faces of the Lama monks, and the members of the Mahyeong Squad looked as if they had abandoned everything, like people who had accepted death.

“Why the hell did you have to step in too? Where did the Great Dharma King go? I wanted to see his face…”

“I didn’t see him.”

“Hmph…!”

Sa Do-hak snorted and passed by the Mahyeong Squad.

In that instant, he felt them flinch, but Sa Do-hak didn’t even pay attention and approached Gu Jagok. He quietly looked down at his face, which had become a mess.

“Ugh…”

“You fool… Tsk.”

Sa Do-hak clicked his tongue and sighed.

His eyes were no different from usual, but a darkness could be seen in their depths. The phenomenon commonly seen when one was brainwashed by spells was visible in Gu Jagok’s eyes.

“For someone who is the Leader of the Mahyeong Squad to go around getting brainwashed… The Demonic Cult has fallen to the ground.”

“Ugh?! Wh-What are you saying! You are the one who abandoned the Demonic Cult and left, so with what face do you return?!”

Gu Jagok shouted, raising his voice.

At that moment, the faces of the Mahyeong Squad members turned pale, because there was no one who could not spit such words at Sa Do-hak.

Was he crazy?

Had he lost his mind?

No matter how obsessed he was with the Cult Leader of the Heaven and Earth Cult, should he not bow his head to Sa Do-hak whether he liked it or not?

“This rotten bastard?”

Sa Do-hak, with an absurd expression, reached out and grabbed his head. In an instant, his energy flowed into Gu Jagok’s head.

“Ugh?!”

A groan leaked from Gu Jagok’s mouth, and his body trembled violently. Foaming at the mouth, it would not have been strange if he stopped breathing right then.

Soon, the moment Sa Do-hak’s hand came off his head.

Gu Jagok’s body collapsed.

Slowly rising, Gu Jagok was silent.

However, his eyes looked clearer than ever before, as if the darkness cast inside them had been lifted. But his entire body trembled as he shed tears.

It was because the memories of that time flashed through his mind in an instant.

What had he done?

What had happened because of him?

What the grand Leader of the Mahyeong Squad had done, after being brainwashed by a mere heretical cult, was indeed too disastrous to put into words.

Furthermore, the greatest thing was.

“C-Cult Leader…”

That he had betrayed Sa Do-hak before him.

From childhood until now.

He had endured and endured, looking only at him as his sole lord. He had trained solely to assist him and become a useful person to him, eventually breaking through walls to rise to the Leader of the Mahyeong Squad.

Yet, he himself had abandoned Sa Do-hak.

Without realizing it, he knelt before Sa Do-hak.

He could not control the tears flowing. Thoughts arose of how he could be forgiven, and whether his subordinates would survive even if he offered his own life.

But more than that.

The shock of betraying his lord.

That he had blocked his own sun and turned his back on it came to Gu Jagok as something unforgivable.

“Are you alright?”

Sa Do-hak’s voice heard then.

That single word, spoken so gently to admonish his betraying self, shook Gu Jagok’s heart even more violently.

Ah, yes. This was why he had always followed this man.

For this man, he would not even spare his life.

Therefore… this man was indeed…

“My… eternal… lo-“

Thwack!

As he knelt, wept, and opened his mouth, Gu Jagok’s body flew back with absurd ease. He bounced and crashed against the ground several times, sliding away until finally his head slammed into the earth and his movements stopped.

“Where do you think you’re spouting that crap, you rotten bastard!”

Sa Do-hak ground his teeth hard as he glared at Gu Jagok.

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