Chapter 193: The Courage To Be Cowardly (1)
Chapter 192 – The Courage To Be Cowardly (1)
“Ho, you have good mettle.”
Jin Cheon-rang slowly walked forward with a wide smirk.
Bi Ryang took a deep breath and his thoughts raced.
‘There is no hope if I am preemptively attacked. I must strike first no matter what!’
The Great Killing Star before his eyes was truly a monster.
Although he had faced many enemies so far, he had never felt fear like this. It was not a fear felt simply from a difference in skill.
How should I put it?
It felt as though the pattern of the human itself was different. What he felt was not killing intent, but death qi.
Literally, it was the energy of death.
A chilly sensation that one might feel only in a pile of corpses.
‘Is this… the energy of the Great Killing Star?’
Jin Cheon-rang striding through the heavy downpour filling the canyon.
His two eyes were shining coldly like a beast. Madness even fluttered from his flashing eyes.
Step.
Bi Ryang, who took a step back without realizing it, flinched.
‘I… retreated?’
He was completely overwhelmed.
It was the first time.
Being suppressed by an aura.
Though his life was not long, he had crossed the jaws of death countless times.
Yet it felt like facing a terror worse than death.
A hollow laugh escaped him.
“Tsk, this feels awful.”
“Hehe. Your words to a person’s face are rotten.”
“Are you even human?”
Bi Ryang glared with the most toxic expression possible.
Jin Cheon-rang twisted his lips and made no response.
It was something he had heard so much that his expression showed he was too bothered to reply to each one now.
Just like that, the two stood facing each other once again, only breathing.
Inhaling and exhaling could be felt.
Raindrops beating against his entire body could also be felt.
As all his senses became extremely sensitive, the weight of each single sheet of rain was immense. It was to the extent that he wondered if he might sink into the ground like this.
As a supreme level of concentration was displayed, his mind actually became comfortable.
Yes, competing against an opponent of this caliber at the last moment of his life would not be bad.
The moment he hardened his resolve!
Flash!
As lightning struck, the two flew toward each other simultaneously.
Swish-swish-swish!
Clang!
Whoosh!
Crash!
As a gust of wind blew out in all directions, the canyon split and the pooled water splashed everywhere. The fallen corpses were also pushed away while drenched in blood.
‘How can his strength be like this…!’
While Bi Ryang grit his teeth, Jin Cheon-rang spun his body and deployed a second sword strike.
Clang!
“Keu-heup!”
Bi Ryang’s eyes widened.
‘Th-This is…!’
Was it not the Fighting God Sword martial art practiced by the Secret Line Division Leader who died just a moment ago? As a heavy impact was transmitted, Bi Ryang’s body was pushed far back.
Skrrr!
Clang!
“Keu-eup!”
There was no opportunity to counter. He was too busy blocking the pouring sword strikes.
However, the sword strikes Jin Cheon-rang deployed shook Bi Ryang’s mind completely without exception.
‘This too is…!’
It was the Mid-Azure Divine Sword practiced by the Vice Leader who had died first. And…
‘Clang!
‘This is the Team Leader’s Iron Heart Sword! And this is…!’
Clang! Clang! Clang!
‘Senior Jo’s Leisurely Flowing Palm! Brother Lee’s Seven Strings Sword! Senior Jeong’s Sword-Breaking Stance…! What absolute bullshit…!’
As he frantically blocked the pouring sword strikes, Bi Ryang’s eyes became bloodshot.
Amazingly, Jin Cheon-rang was using the sword arts of Bi Ryang’s Secret Line Division comrades, with whom he had shared life and death, one by one in turn.
Even though he had only exchanged blows a few times today for the first time, did he not mimic them at almost the exact same level?
At this rate, it felt like fighting dead comrades.
The feeling of continuously receiving comrades’ sword strikes in the midst of not being able to see the enemy properly due to the rain pouring down at night.
“Damn it! This is bullshit!”
Bi Ryang spat out curses, kicked the cliff wall, and shot forward like an arrow.
Boom!
It was his first proper counterattack.
Of course, Jin Cheon-rang deflected Bi Ryang’s sword without difficulty.
Instead, he rushed at Bi Ryang while deploying the Leader’s sword art once again.
Whoosh!
“Fine, let us die! You crazy murderer!”
Bi Ryang threw himself, letting out a scream filled with malice.
Instantly, a peculiar light shone in Jin Cheon-rang’s eyes.
It was a sword strike prepared for mutual destruction. No, it was closer to the mindset of carving the flesh even if it meant giving up his bones.
However, the moment the swords brushed against each other, Bi Ryang instinctively realized that he would not be able to carve the flesh even if he gave up his bones.
‘It is impossible.’
Sure enough, a hot sensation penetrated his abdomen and burst out through his back.
Stab!
“Keu-huk!”
Clang!
Bi Ryang weakly dropped his sword.
The sword blade was quickly submerged in the pooled water.
Blood trickled down over it.
Stagger…!
Once again his legs were about to lose strength, but he did not fall.
He endured with the mindset of dying standing even if he died.
The facing Jin Cheon-rang let out a bitter smile near his ear.
“Chuckle. You were decent, kid. I was surprised you were younger than I thought.”
“Even if I become a ghost, I will pursue you.”
Bi Ryang spat out words venomously, but the response that returned was unexpected.
“Quiet, you can become a ghost later.”
“…?”
“Seeing your young mettle suddenly put this big brother in a good mood. I will let you go, so do not pursue me again.”
“…!”
As Bi Ryang’s eyes widened, did Jin Cheon-rang not turn around without regret and stride away?
“What is the meaning of this? Do you intend to insult me!”
“Insult? Sparing you also an insult?”
“A life spared by the Heavenly Great Killing Star is an insult in itself!”
“Geez, human speech is indeed quite strange.”
Jin Cheon-rang chuckled and spun around. He twisted his lips and strode back.
The weight of each single step was extraordinary.
Reaching right in front of him, Jin Cheon-rang looked down at Bi Ryang with lowered eyes and growled in a low voice.
“I have heard the name Heavenly Great Killing Star until I am sick of it. But hearing it from such a green kid makes me feel awful again. I thought I would be indifferent by now.”
“Should I call the Heavenly Great Killing Star by another name then?”
“Tell me. Why am I the Heavenly Great Killing Star?”
“What?”
Bi Ryang was so dumbfounded that he wore a blank expression.
Why the Heavenly Great Killing Star?
Are you asking because you do not know?
When the corpses scattered in this canyon alone reach hundreds?
As if reading those thoughts, Jin Cheon-rang said, gesturing with his chin.
“Ah, those things charged to kill me, so it was unavoidable.”
“What absolute bullshit…!”
“Do you have the generosity to spare someone who charges targeting your life?”
“…!”
“I do. That is why I spared you. But it is only very occasionally. So know that you are lucky, young friend.”
“Just because you do not kill me does not mean you cease to be the Heavenly Great Killing Star…”
“Think what you want. But try thinking for once. Judge for yourself. Am I, whom you swear to pursue even as a ghost, really the Heavenly Great Killing Star? Am I someone you must risk your lives to kill while roaming in groups like that? Well, how about it? Am I that kind of fellow you think I am?”
Jin Cheon-rang asked, spreading his arms wide.
Drenched in the pouring sheets of rain, Jin Cheon-rang’s appearance looked somewhat mournful.
Why?
Why was Bi Ryang unable to say anything here?
It was the first time.
He had lived as the hilt of the Martial Alliance’s sword.
He was praised as a well-honed blade, and that in itself became the purpose of his life.
Yet his mind was suddenly shaken.
Jin Cheon-rang lightly slapped Bi Ryang’s cheek with his large palm.
“I stabbed you while avoiding all the vital acupoints. Amazing, right? That is just how I am. Sometimes, this amazing ability makes one a public enemy without reason in this world. Curious why I spared you?”
“…”
“Normally I would just say, ‘It is my choice, you motherfucker,’ but well… looking at you, I saw myself. My younger self. Of course, you do not even reach the soles of my feet when I was young. But you seem to have decent talent. And even your own venom. So I am curious. How someone with talent like you would live in a normal environment without being rejected like me.”
“To try to bewilder me with such… nonsense…”
“Hahaha! What use would I have in bewildering you? Believe it or not, it is up to you. But keep one thing in mind. If you pursue me again, you die. Although I am quite warm-hearted if you get to know me, I am also cold-hearted. In any case, I am someone who does everything good and cool.”
“Madman.”
“Yes, that is also me. So if you return alive, look into me.”
“Of course I know you. The Heavenly Great…”
Slap!
Instantly, Jin Cheon-rang forcefully grabbed Bi Ryang’s cheeks with both palms.
His face burned as if it would explode. Jin Cheon-rang got close to Bi Ryang’s face and shouted.
“Not the Jin Cheon-rang the world speaks of! See with your own eyes and think with your own head! Got it? Adding one more reason to spare you! From now on, you study me! A human is someone you cannot know even if you dig, dig, and dig! Got it? Still, study. As for me, I am a person who can only be understood through studying.”
Was it because it was a shout containing internal energy?
It felt as though a storm had swept through his entire body.
When Bi Ryang stood blankly for a long time, Jin Cheon-rang clicked his tongue, spun around, and walked away.
Staring blankly at that back, he opened his mouth without realizing it.
“Even so… what if you are someone who must be killed?”
Jin Cheon-rang paused.
“Come. I will kill you as much as you want. But if you study me properly, you will feel sorry to me. When that happens, bow your head and swear loyalty.”
Jin Cheon-rang walked away, snicker-giggling.
Bi Ryang stood like a wooden statue for a long time with the sword stabbed in his abdomen.
* * *
“I do not know well why your father spared me that day. Since he spent his life as a fugitive, it might have been a kind of madness.”
Having finished the long story, Bi Ryang lowered his gaze and looked at Namgung Cheon.
Namgung Cheon quietly fell into thought.
‘Ho, listening to it like this… I was quite cool in my past life. By the way, he was indeed one of the fellows I spared.’
Honestly, there were fellows he spared from time to time. But when an exceptionally brutal battle took place and he wiped out the enemies, he always spared at least one guy.
Bi Ryang was probably one of those.
‘Well, although I seemed to attach all kinds of fancy words when actually sparing him, in fact another reason was greater. Ahem.’
Since I spared him to report the scene of death to the Martial Alliance as vividly as possible.
In any case, that old snake of an Alliance Leader is a human who regards chasing me as his fate, so he will not give up.
If so, I intended to pack the Martial Alliance with fear. That way it is easier to fight when encountering pursuers.
But in any case, it seems Bi Ryang took it a bit more specially.
Indeed.
Because there were quite a few fellows I spared like that, I did not remember them, but after hearing the story, it seems to dimly come back.
‘Yes, it was a rainy day like this. I feel like I might remember a bit.’
Just as Bi Ryang said, he had indeed been curious what kind of life such a talented youth would live if he walked a normal path.
However, after that, he was too busy running away to think of observing someone else’s life.
“Since that day, I really began to study your father. Because your father who spoke to me that day was by no means like the Heavenly Killing Star.”
“So, have you reached a conclusion?”
Bi Ryang stared intently at Namgung Cheon.
Whoosh.
The rain filled the silence again.
“Yes. Your father was not the Heavenly Killing Star. No, perhaps I had already felt it from the moment I met your father. That he was not the Great Killing Star.”
“I see.”
“You are not surprised.”
“Because I already heard it from someone.”
“Your grandfather?”
What? Are they already acquainted with the old man too?
Indeed, there would be nothing strange. No, is it strange? No. He might have met him while studying me.
Anyway.
“So did you bow your head?”
“Hmm?”