Chapter 166: No, Why Don't You Show Up! (5)
Chapter 165 – No, Why Don’t You Show Up!(5)
Baek Mu-geuk fought like a man possessed.
His saber technique could by no means be called clean.
After hacking the entire body, he would strike the head down to kill.
It was extremely cruel.
Because of this domineering appearance, the enemies surrounding Baek Mu-geuk felt a kind of anger and fear at the same time.
“That crazy bastard…!”
“Is that bastard really a cadet?”
“Are all cadets these days like that?”
Questions to who-knows-whom poured out of the enemies’ mouths one after another.
Baek Mu-geuk looked blankly at those enemies.
“I don’t see Namgung Cheon.”
However, as if replying to his own words, he shouted out loud again.
“You idiot, why have you been looking for that bastard since earlier!”
“Mind your own business.”
“How can I not mind? You aren’t concentrating on the fight!”
“You’re the one fighting anyway.”
“My mind is connected to yours! Your stray thoughts keep leaking in!”
“Ignore it.”
“Then stop muttering to yourself like a crazy person!”
“It’s my choice.”
“Tsk, you idiot!”
Baek Mu-geuk constantly babbled to himself like a man possessed.
The martial artists watching this opened their mouths wide and glanced at each other.
“What is this? Is he really crazy?”
“Yeah. Why does he keep talking to himself…?”
“That bastard is doing that on purpose. He must be trying to scare us!”
Opinions among the enemies were divided over Baek Mu-geuk’s bizarre reaction.
The next moment,
“You brainless bastard! Stop acting and take my spear!”
The martial artist who targeted Baek Mu-geuk’s back swiftly thrust his spear.
Stab!
‘It worked!’
He cheered internally, but quickly froze stiff.
“Huh…?”
Looking again, was the spear he had thrust not caught in Baek Mu-geuk’s hand after passing his flank?
“H-How…?”
He had clearly thrust it aiming for the heart, but how was it redirected and caught by the flank!
Of course, this was the effect of falling into an illusion the moment they made eye contact as Baek Mu-geuk turned around, but he could never know such inside details.
Whoosh!
The moment Baek Mu-geuk pulled the spear sharply, the man gasped and was dragged forward.
“Heugh!”
Swish, stab!
“G-Gyaaaaaah!”
In an instant, a wretched scream tore through the air.
It was because the blade Baek Mu-geuk mercilessly swung had cut halfway into the man’s flank.
Splat!
Gush!
As Baek Mu-geuk indifferently pulled out his saber, intestines spilled out along with bright red blood.
“Ugh!”
“Keugh!”
The companions watching paused and retreated.
How could the hand of someone who was supposedly a cadet be so cruel?
Even though it was not a thought fit for stronghold bandits who preyed on commoners, they felt as if Baek Mu-geuk were a Yaksha risen from hell.
Baek Mu-geuk began to talk to himself again.
“As expected, it isn’t this feeling.”
“What kind of nonsense is that again, you idiot.”
“The feeling is different.”
“Ah, so what do you mean by that!”
“You won’t understand.”
“Anyway, you idiot, talking nonsense.”
The martial artists who were hesitating at Baek Mu-geuk’s self-muttering gnashed their teeth.
“That crazy bastard seems to be mocking us!”
“Crush that guy!”
“Let’s go! Attack all at once!”
In an instant, the martial artists drew up their killing intent and threw themselves toward Baek Mu-geuk.
At that moment, madness seeped into Baek Mu-geuk’s eyes.
“Kihya! Moths to a flame! Good, very good!”
Baek Mu-geuk, sticking his tongue out long, began to perform a saber dance with a mad sneer.
Swish swish swish! Slash!
“Gyaaaaah!”
“Aaargh!”
Screams burst out here and there.
He avoided the flying weapons, thrust his saber again, avoided again, and kicked the belly.
The series of processes was extremely clean, but his hands were so cruel that the appearance of those who suffered was by no means normal.
One died with broken ribs and a protruding spine, another had his face twisted all the way to his back, others had limbs severed or bent backward, and one had his upper body bisected diagonally.
Truly a blood feast!
Even amidst that, the talking to himself continued.
“Kikiki! Come on! Attack, you sons of bitches!”
“Il-geuk, stop swearing.”
“Shut up, you bastard! I’m letting loose for the first time in a while, so don’t spoil the fun!”
“This is why they call us crazy.”
“We are crazy, you idiot!”
“Fight quietly.”
“I don’t want to! Hehehe!”
Just then, an enemy slipped behind Baek Mu-geuk.
Dash!
“You crazy bastard! Die!”
Swish!
However, just like his companion had earlier, he ended up thrusting at the wrong spot.
Swish!
The sword that was clearly aimed at the heart passed by, barely grazing Baek Mu-geuk’s shoulder!
Baek Mu-geuk wore his signature wicked smile and licked his lips with his tongue.
“Weak bastard.”
“Y-You…!”
Swish, slice!
The next moment, the man saw the world spinning round and round.
The world that spun for a long time hit his face, and he looked up from the ground at his body slowly falling over.
‘My neck… was severed…?’
That was the end of it.
The body that lost its head collapsed while bursting blood like a fountain, and the face with wide-open eyes completely lost its vitality.
Even after that, Baek Mu-geuk repeated cutting and stabbing.
“As expected, it isn’t this.”
Swish, splat!
“It isn’t this.”
Stab! Stab! Stab!
“Keugh…!”
“This isn’t it either.”
In the end, unable to hold back any longer, Il-geuk burst out in anger.
“No, what isn’t it, you idiot!”
“You don’t need to know.”
It was then.
A chilly sensation rose from behind his back, and when he spun around, was an arrow not flying in at a high speed?
Just when he thought it would be difficult to block this time,
Clang!
A clear metallic sound rang out, and Murong Gang suddenly appeared right in front of him.
“Huh…?”
As Baek Mu-geuk stood blankly, Murong Gang glanced back and coldly instructed.
“Stop babbling to yourself like a crazy person and look around properly.”
“Hehe. Who is an idiot who dropped out in the quarterfinals giving advice to?”
“What, you bastard?”
As Murong Gang glared back with fire in his eyes, Baek Mu-geuk returned to a blank expression as if he had never done so and said.
“I didn’t say that. It was Il-geuk.”
“This bastard…”
Murong Gang’s eyes trembled.
Although he had heard that Baek Mu-geuk had multiple personalities, confronting him directly like this made it hard to adjust.
Suddenly, Baek Mu-geuk asked.
“You’re angry, right?”
“What?”
“If you’re angry, can you beat me up with all your strength?”
The expression of Baek Mu-geuk, who spat out those words, changed wildly from moment to moment. He seemed to be fighting with the fellow named Il-geuk internally.
Regardless of that, Murong Gang frowned deeply at the incomprehensible words.
“What kind of nonsense is that in the middle of fighting the enemy?”
“Never mind. It would be difficult for you.”
Baek Mu-geuk let out a deep sigh and moved his steps somewhere.
“What is that… crazy bastard saying after I went out of my way to save him?”
Murong Gang trembled his cheeks while even drawing up killing intent, but Baek Mu-geuk had already disappeared beyond the mist.
Meanwhile, Baek Mu-geuk, who was walking with heavy steps while looking around, abruptly opened his mouth.
“Mu-geuk! What did you mean by that just now? You idiot. Asking to be beaten up? Are you crazy?”
“I told you, you don’t need to know.”
“This idiot. Why are you acting like you know everything by yourself again?”
“Think whatever you want.”
Baek Mu-geuk replied indifferently and looked somewhere beyond the smoke.
Just then, there was a shadow that looked like Bi Ryang dimly visible over there.
“Would it be possible if it’s Instructor Bi Ryang?”
“So what is! What is! What is it!”
“Quiet down!”
He really wanted to get quiet.
Actually, that was exactly what Baek Mu-geuk wanted.
To please get quiet.
The silence he felt while being beaten by Namgung Cheon during the finals of the Joint Conference.
He could not erase that desolate peace of that time from his head.
Il-geuk would absolutely never understand this.
Since at that moment, the only one who existed was Mu-geuk.
Mu-geuk sometimes thought.
Himself, Il-geuk, I-geuk, Sam-geuk… and so on.
Who among them was the real him?
He always thought about it, but could never come to an answer.
However, on that day.
The moment he was beaten relentlessly at the Joint Conference.
Yes, the expression ‘losing one’s mind’ was probably meant for times like this.
His mind had truly vanished.
At that time, when his head was cleared clean and only his true self remained.
Neither Il-geuk, I-geuk, nor any other personality existed in his head anymore. It was literally peace itself.
Mu-geuk thought.
Ah, I am the real one.
Because in that silence, he was the only one who was thinking.
‘I think, therefore I am.’
It was a deep realization.
It was also a moment where he could take a step forward in his martial arts achievement.
However…
‘It was only for that moment.’
Il-geuk had returned. And occasionally, I-geuk also appeared.
Nothing had changed.
That was why he wanted to become quiet again.
He thought he might be able to do so if he engaged in a fierce battle.
However, no one could find that silence for him again.
‘Namgung Cheon. In the end, does it have to be Namgung Cheon?’
Instructor Bi Ryang might also be able to do it, but… as expected, the proven Namgung Cheon was his favorite.
But… where is Namgung Cheon?
* * *
At that time, Namgung Cheon, whom Baek Mu-geuk was searching for so desperately, was diligently poking the ground.
Stab! Stab! Stab!
‘Damn it! It’s not here! It’s not here, and it’s not here either!’
He had already stabbed the ground so many times he did not even know. Just in case, he also stabbed the cliff wall and made a huge fuss, but the entrance to Madan Valley was not easily found.
Clang!
When the sword qi rebounded again, blocked by the hard rock, Namgung Cheon spat out curses.
“Damn it, that rotten bastard Do Jeol-gwi! If you were going to tell me, you should have told me the entrance clearly! You did this on purpose to screw with me, didn’t you?”
However, it might not be Do Jeol-gwi’s fault.
Because the map itself might not show details down to the entrance.
Still, thanks to the map, wasn’t he able to narrow down the range this much?
‘Since they said the entrance is in the gap between the ground and the cliff wall, I have no choice but to poke around diligently.’
How much longer did he poke the ground like that?
“Aaargh! My precious blade is going to get all damaged!”
Namgung Cheon lifted the Emerald Silk Sword and blew on the blade to blow the dust away.
Perhaps because it was a treasured sword, the edge did not chip and the blade did not wear down.
It was then.
Suddenly feeling a presence from the side, Namgung Cheon reflexively swung the Emerald Silk Sword.
Swish!
As the Emerald Silk Sword, flying like a beam of light, stopped precisely at the opponent’s Adam’s apple, Cha Mu-jin fell on his butt on the spot and gasped.
“Ugh, i-it’s me! Lord!”
“What? Was it the Vice-Captain?”
“Yes! Phew, I almost died.”
“Exactly. I almost killed you. Why on earth did you suddenly show up without a word?”
Letting out a sigh of relief, Cha Mu-jin smiled broadly and said.
“I found it.”
“What?”
“The hole.”
“What hole? Ah…! You found it? Then you should have called me right away!”
“If I shout, other people will hear too.”
“Ah… right. Well done, well done. Where is it? Let’s go!”
“I will lead you!”
As Cha Mu-jin turned around and took the lead, Namgung Cheon followed him with a broad smile all over his face.
‘Finally! I’m going to Madan Valley! Hehehe!’
Namgung Cheon was the only one who could not erase his expectant smile amidst the battlefield filled with screams and the smell of blood.