Chapter 167: Do You Know Who I Am (1)
Chapter 166 – Do You Know Who I Am (1)
At the time when the Biwol Gate and the Jangheung Escort Agency were engaged in a fierce life-and-death battle, there was a group of people quietly watching the scene from a hill about a hundred zhang away.
“Ho, they sprayed smoke bombs. At this rate, we won’t be able to tell how Bi Ryang is moving.”
As the Black Daoist, whose entire body was pitch black, let out a raspy voice, Young Master Jade Flute, who stood beside him fluttering his fan, said softly.
“Still, shouldn’t we go for now?”
“Go where?”
Young Master Jade Flute folded his fan with a snap and pointed to the canyon covered in thick smoke.
“There. To catch a tiger, shouldn’t we enter the tiger’s den?”
At that, Red Crone smirked and replied in a shrill voice.
“Looking at it now, it’s more like a fox’s den than a tiger’s den.”
“If there is a tiger skin in a fox’s den, that’s even better.”
“Let’s go and check. Whether we’ll see a tiger skin or fox dung.”
Having finished speaking, Red Crone kicked the ground and dashed forward like an arrow.
At this, Red Robe Gang Leader Yo Chung frowned deeply and muttered.
“That old hag is trying to hog all the good stuff for herself! This is why people get greedier as they age. Let’s go!”
As Yo Chung kicked the ground and flew off, his subordinates from the Red Robe Gang followed him, shouting, “Understood!”
Seeing that, the Black Daoist sneered and clicked his tongue.
“They aren’t novices, yet they brought kids along and are making a fuss. Tsk.”
“Haha. Well, I suppose everyone has their own way. Shall we go then?”
Whoosh!
Young Master Jade Flute threw himself forward first and ran like the wind.
Watching him quietly, the Black Daoist smirked.
“Indeed. Everyone has their own way. And everyone probably has their own ulterior motives.”
Leap!
Finally, the Black Daoist kicked the ground and flew off, turning into a streak of black wind.
As soon as she plunged into the smoke, Red Crone, who was in the lead, grabbed the throat of a Black Mountain Stronghold martial artist blocking her path with her fingers.
Crunch!
“Keugh!”
“Child, do not block my way.”
Spurt!
The martial artist, whose throat was torn out completely, could not even scream before crumpling like a rag.
Another stronghold martial artist nearby looked at Red Crone with a look of shock.
‘W-Who…?’
And for good reason, since she was an old woman who looked like she did not belong in such a battlefield at all.
However, her fingernails were blood-red, and her hands, scrawny like tree branches, were also entirely crimson.
At that chilling sight, he pointed his sword forward reflexively, but Red Crone wore a bizarre smile.
“Since you did not block my path, I will forgive you.”
Whoosh!
Instantly, Red Crone’s figure vanished from before his eyes like a lie.
“Huh…?”
The Black Mountain Stronghold martial artist, blinking for a long time, tilted his head.
‘A ghost…?’
However, his thoughts were cut short in the next moment.
Slash!
As a streak of light brushed past his neck, the man’s head floated up into the air.
Thud, roll roll…
Spurt!
The head fell, and as blood erupted like a fountain, the corpse collapsed with a thud.
Yo Chung, who sheathed his saber, clicked his tongue as he looked at the fallen corpse.
“Tsk… why the hell are you blocking the path.”
Glancing around the surroundings, he instructed his subordinates.
“There is no need to get involved in the melee. If there is an entrance, it is highly likely to be near the cliff wall, so scan from the edges.”
“Understood!”
Simultaneously with the reply, the Red Robe Gang martial artists quickly seeped into the smoke.
* * *
“Die!”
A sickle flew in rapidly, cutting through the air.
Swish swish swish swish!
Just hearing the sound of the rotating sickle tearing through the air was chilling.
However, Bi Ryang leisurely bent his waist backward to evade the sickle, then quickly raised his sword and hooked the ring of the sickle.
Clang clang!
The sickle hooked on the sword spun round and round.
Spin!
Instantly spinning and standing upright, Bi Ryang sent the sickle flying back in the direction it had come.
Swish swish swish swish!
The rapidly spinning sickle embedded itself deeply into its owner’s chest this time as well.
Stab!
“Ugh!”
As the man clutching his chest slowly collapsed, Bi Ryang walked heavily toward him.
“When the smoke is this thick, if you throw things like this just to save yourself, don’t you think your allies might die?”
“Keugh… you son of a…!”
The man did not give up and painfully drew a dagger from his waist.
However, he could not continue his actions any further.
For Bi Ryang stepped firmly on his head and muttered with an unprecedentedly cold expression.
“Tsk… since you’re on your way anyway, you should have gone peacefully.”
“Gyaaaaaah!”
Thud!
Following the dull sound, the man’s head burst open, and Bi Ryang turned around with an expressionless face.
“Hmm.”
It looked like it would be a rather long fight.
The martial arts standard of the enemies was not at an extraordinary level, but there were a few individuals who could not be ignored mixed in.
Above all, the enemy’s numbers were too high.
Combining the Three Peaks Sect and the Black Mountain Stronghold, they numbered in the hundreds, so the fight would not end quickly.
“Well, it will certainly serve as training.”
Muttering to himself, Bi Ryang scanned the surroundings with calm eyes. When he circulated his internal energy to enhance his vision, a certain level of visibility was secured even within the dense smoke.
Conveniently, he saw Yu Hyeon fighting with the enemies over there.
Indeed, Yu Hyeon displayed dazzling swordsmanship, fitting for a disciple of the Mount Hua Sect.
At a glance, it almost looked like scattering flower petals.
The flowing sword forms were elegant and dignified enough for the description that each path of the sword was beautiful.
The plum blossoms scattering in the wind flew into the enemy’s vital points.
The changeability was enough to leave one spellbound.
However, that was it.
The plum blossoms were not fatal.
The plum blossoms that reached the vital points lost their way as the wind stopped at the crucial moment.
The plum blossoms that fell to the ground faded away.
Every time that happened, Yu Hyeon’s expression stiffened noticeably.
‘Still…!’
Yu Hyeon bit his lips tightly.
Every time the ever-changing sword stances unfolded, the enemies retreated in fright, but it did not work every time.
‘Even though Namgung Cheon said so!’
He also felt frustrated with himself, who could not take the opponent’s life despite displaying overwhelming skill.
Fighting while keeping the enemy alive was difficult even for masters.
Therefore, Yu Hyeon, who was facing numerous enemies without executing killing strikes, had no choice but to fight using several times more internal energy.
Clang! Clang!
Swish! Splat!
“Tsk! The young brat is quite decent!”
“It’s only flashy on the outside anyway! Attack all at once!”
The Three Peaks Sect martial artists gnashed their teeth and rushed in.
At first, they had flinched and remained cautious of Yu Hyeon’s martial arts, but after realizing that it was only flashy without substance, their attacks became bolder.
As three or four people executed joint attacks, Yu Hyeon felt his hands and feet slowly getting disordered.
Among the enemies, there were also those with quite high levels of martial arts.
‘Why…!’
Clang! Slash!
He deflected swords and cut flesh.
Blood splattered, but it was not a fatal wound that would cause loss of life.
‘Why am I still…!’
Clang! Clang! Slash! Swish!
Deflecting two swords simultaneously, he cut their flanks and shoulders respectively.
However, that had only bought him a brief moment.
‘Am I not prepared!’
Crash!
Slide!
As a heavy striking sound resounded, Yu Hyeon slid back.
“Keugh!”
His hands tingled and his arms grew stiff.
Fresh blood dripped from the corner of his mouth.
Although minor, he had suffered a slight internal injury.
That was only natural.
At a moment where he should have been deploying killing sword strikes with all his might, he was instead anxious that his internal energy would overflow too much, so it would be stranger if he did not suffer internal injuries.
Moreover, wasn’t Yu Hyeon practically a newcomer to the Jianghu?
Just then, a thunderous roar was heard from behind him, followed by the sound of tearing air.
“Don’t run wild! Kid!”
Swish!
Spining around, Yu Hyeon sensed death on the spot.
‘Am I going to die like this!’
Confronting death right before his eyes, he suddenly felt it was unfair. Skepticism also arose about the point of showing mercy to them.
However, just before the heavily falling battleaxe could split Yu Hyeon’s forehead,
Clang! Swish!
A clear metallic sound rang through his eardrums.
Slide!
The deflected opponent slid back three zhang while holding the battleaxe.
Yu Hyeon’s eyes widened.
“I-Instructor!”
“If you don’t concentrate…”
“Instructor! Are you alright?”
Yu Hyeon shouted, cutting off Bi Ryang’s words.
And for good reason, because blood was flowing from the left shoulder of Bi Ryang, who had blocked the strike just now.
Although he was able to save Yu Hyeon’s life by a hair’s breadth, he had not been able to perfectly deflect the heavily falling battleaxe.
“I’m fine…”
Slap! Slap!
Before Bi Ryang could even finish his reply, Yu Hyeon suddenly slapped his own cheeks hard.
Bi Ryang asked with a bewildered face.
“Uh? What’s wrong?”
However, Yu Hyeon was in no mood to answer.
Even as his lips burst and blood dripped, he slapped his cheek once more with a resentful expression and clenched his fists tightly.
‘I still haven’t come to my senses!’
His eyes, looking down, were now filled with venom.
Had he not almost lost his own life as well as his companion’s life due to a moment’s hesitation?
How could he become a person of the Jianghu with such a mindset?
To realize justice, not only must one have that much power, but also that much determination!
Bi Ryang patted Yu Hyeon on the shoulder.
“It’s fine. It just grazed me. Actually, I didn’t tell you guys, but I was once from Biseon Land… Huh?”
Dash!
Without even listening further to Bi Ryang’s words, Yu Hyeon kicked off the ground and dashed out.
Soon, a killing sword form unfolded along with a shout from Yu Hyeon’s mouth.
“Haaat!”
Plum blossoms scattered sharply and penetrated the enemy’s vital points without hesitation.
Stab!
At the end of the chilling sound of flesh tearing, the enemy who lost his life trembled and fell flat.
Swish!
Yu Hyeon did not stop there and dashed forward fiercely, targeting the next opponent.
Watching that scene, Bi Ryang smirked and muttered.
‘It’s a good effect for giving up a bit of my shoulder.’
But… he should have finished things off before leaving.
Behind the warmly smiling Bi Ryang, the battleaxe fell down again, drawing a half-moon.
Whoosh!
Unexpectedly, without even turning back, Bi Ryang reached out his hand and caught the blade of the battleaxe.
Grab!
“Heh…!”
The giant man who swung the battleaxe opened his eyes wide.
‘H-How…?’
Bi Ryang tilted his head and looked back at the giant man.
“Although he is a fellow who ran off after dumping the clean-up on me, he is still a pretty good guy. Don’t you think so?”
“W-What…?”
Bi Ryang smiled faintly.
“As the price for awakening my disciple, I will send you on your way peacefully.”
Slash!
In an instant, a beam of light seemed to soar vertically, and the giant man split precisely into left and right before falling over.
Thud, crash!
Bi Ryang, who swung his sword to shake off the blood, looked around again.
“By the way, where did Cheon-i go?”