Chapter 241: It's Late, You Bastard. (2)
Chapter 240 – It’s Late, You Bastard.(2)
“Ur-Urination!”
The pockmarked old man was about to go mad, his anger surging from deep within his gut.
Never in his life had he imagined he would meet a bastard who pissed on his pants.
However, since he was in the middle of a duel of internal energy, he could not rashly turn around and argue, and had to constantly calm his mind to maintain composure.
‘I must not play into his trick! Hold back, hold back!’
Yet, even as his mind began to calm down, whenever he felt that warm sensation flowing from his buttocks down to his thighs…
‘That damn bastard…!’
Rage surged up abruptly, and killing intent blossomed. Of course, it went without saying that his internal energy fluctuated and his mind shook each time.
“Tch, cough!”
The pockmarked old man clicked his tongue and coughed suddenly, causing a stream of fresh blood to flow down the corner of his mouth.
Seeing that, Namgung Cheon scowled deeply.
“Ah… how dirty. Drooling and bleeding.”
“You bastard! Was the urine you pissed clean then?!”
“My word, why are you making a fuss over physiological phenomena? Can a person live without urinating? Although one can live without drooling or bleeding.”
“Grr…! What nonsense sophistry…!”
The pockmarked old man glared at Namgung Cheon with smoldering eyes.
If he could, he wanted to rush over immediately, grab Namgung Cheon by the collar, and wring his neck.
That smirking mouth and sarcastic look as if teasing him.
“Whew…!”
He had to be calm.
There was nothing good about losing his reason by getting caught up in the fellow’s tricks for nothing.
For one thing, if the kid also wanted to live, he wouldn’t rashly intervene in a duel of internal energy.
‘Fine, once this duel is over, I will separate your flesh from your bones!’
Gritting his teeth, the pockmarked old man began to concentrate again.
Although he had suffered slight internal injuries from falling for the provocation momentarily, this internal energy duel was already highly advantageous to the pockmarked old man.
As expected of an old veteran who had gone through all sorts of trials, the moment he began to concentrate, a fire-like internal energy surged out, traveling along the blade to strike Namgung Geom.
“Hup!”
Namgung Geom took a sharp breath and took a step back.
His face turned bright red as he struggled to resist the internal energy seeping into his body along the blade.
At the same time, he focused all his attention to ensure that the clashing tips of their swords did not slip.
Usually, a duel of internal energy was decided by palm strikes, but this time, it was a case where the swords they thrust had clashed.
A situation where if even one person slipped, the tip of the sword would pierce their flesh.
“Mmm…!”
Namgung Geom let out a faint groan and grit his teeth tightly.
The hand holding the hilt trembled slightly.
‘This is dangerous.’
Sensing that the time he could hold out was running short, Namgung Geom stole a glance at Namgung Cheon.
While maintaining maximum concentration, he let out some words.
“Listen carefully. From now on, you must lead the clan in my stead…”
“Do not speak.”
“Huh?”
As Namgung Geom stole another glance back, Namgung Cheon strode up behind him.
“You must concentrate. We will talk later.”
No, he was trying to leave his last words now?
Namgung Geom was about to open his mouth again, only to hesitate.
Because Namgung Cheon’s behavior was very suspicious.
He spoke with half-doubt.
“What are you trying to do? We are in the middle of a duel of internal energy, and if you rashly intervene, all of us…”
“Just trust me.”
“What do you mean trust you…”
Namgung Geom winced, and then chuckled with an absurd expression.
“Fine, try doing whatever you want.”
“…!”
Seeing that sight, the pockmarked old man’s expression twitched.
No, have those two gone crazy together?
Daring to intervene in the middle of an internal energy duel? And to just let it happen?
They couldn’t be ignorant of the fact that unless one could clearly peer into the internal energy flowing inside the body, rashly intervening in a duel of internal energy would lead to self-destruction!
‘Hmph! Are they prepared for mutual destruction altogether!’
Even so, isn’t it truly foolish?
Even if he himself suffered some internal injuries, those two would have to risk their lives. To think the Clan Leader and the Young Patriarch would do something that might end the lineage of the Namgung Clan?
‘How foolish and reckless. Rather, this works out well. If that fellow intervenes, I might suffer some injuries, but I can dispose of both at once!’
While the pockmarked old man harbored such thoughts, Namgung Cheon narrowed his eyes and used the First Sight Skill-Breaking Eyes to examine the flow of internal energy.
Although internal energy seemed to flow like blood or water inside the body, it showed a slightly different aspect in martial artists because they regulated it.
Especially when engaged in a duel of internal energy like now, gaps were bound to appear.
Namgung Cheon was looking for that gap.
And at this very moment, he discovered that the flow of internal energy momentarily cut off at the Shenzhu acupoint of the Governing Vessel.
‘Found it!’
Namgung Cheon stretched out both hands and began to funnel internal energy into Namgung Geom’s Shenzhu acupoint.
‘Ensuring that the internal energies never clash! Join them naturally!’
Swish…!
The internal energy Namgung Cheon infused began to blend naturally with Namgung Geom’s internal energy. Soon after, Namgung Cheon infused energy even more strongly.
Instantly, Namgung Geom snapped his eyes open.
Could it be described as the feeling of a sweet rain falling on parched land gradually growing heavier until it became a downpour?
Until just moments ago, the pockmarked old man’s internal energy had become a wild demon of fire, sweeping across the parched paddy field.
It felt as if the vital acupoints throughout his body were burning up like that, when suddenly, didn’t the internal energy flowing in from his back pour down a heavy rain?
The pockmarked old man’s energy, which had been pushing in relentlessly, could no longer exert force.
It was a natural logic.
Since the Fire phase energy was blocked by the Water phase, no matter how much massive internal energy the pockmarked old man poured in, it was bound to lose power.
‘Ugh!’
When things did not go as planned, the pockmarked old man widened his eyes and raised his internal energy even further.
However, just because the volume of an already conflicting energy increased did not mean the tide could be turned.
The Water phase energy Namgung Cheon poured in extended relentlessly, eventually traveling along the blade into the pockmarked old man’s body.
‘Ugh! H-How can this be!’
Namgung Cheon’s energy gouged through the pockmarked old man’s energy like an awl. As the waterfall-like internal energy stirred the vital acupoints throughout his body, the pockmarked old man felt as if his internal organs were twisting.
“Ugh!”
The pockmarked old man suppressed his rising nausea and grit his teeth tightly.
It was a situation that required so much concentration that he had to spare even a single word!
The pockmarked old man took another deep breath and regulated the internal energy drawn from his dantian.
‘I cannot understand! How could it be so natural yet meticulous…!’
Was it not an internal energy that penetrated like a ghost? It was as if Namgung Cheon clearly saw the flow of all internal energy.
Of course, Namgung Cheon actually did, but there was no reason for the pockmarked old man to know such a fact.
Finally, didn’t the internal energy, which had become a massive tsunami, take control of the pockmarked old man’s vital acupoints one by one and even penetrate his dantian?
He hurriedly recalled all his internal energy to his dantian to set up a final line of defense.
However, Namgung Cheon was regulating the internal energy freely, like a commander leading an army of hundreds of thousands.
Unable to tear down the great fortress of the dantian, Namgung Cheon scattered the internal energy and sent it to the vital acupoints throughout his body.
‘Oh no…!’
The pockmarked old man was extremely flustered.
Did that child Namgung Cheon not handle his body as if it were his own?
Becoming urgent, the pockmarked old man spat out the internal energy that had resided in his dantian back to the vital acupoints throughout his body.
Grasping that the opponent’s energy belonged to the Water phase, he quickly emitted the conflicting Earth phase energy.
However, Namgung Cheon noticed even that like a ghost and sent the Wood phase energy as reinforcement.
It was truly a maddening situation.
Until just a moment ago, the battlefield had been inside Namgung Geom’s body, but now the battlefield was inside the pockmarked old man’s body, being turned into a complete mess.
If he tried to protect the vital acupoints, the dantian would be attacked; if he tried to protect the dantian, the vital acupoints would be in danger.
Could it be compared to a well-trained grand army fighting a ragtag group of bandits?
‘What a persistent fellow! Do I have to abandon one in the end!’
If so, he had to abandon the vital acupoints.
He would suffer a fatal injury, but if his dantian were destroyed, it would be worse than death!
Making up his mind, the pockmarked old man focused all his internal energy on his dantian once again.
Then, as if he had been waiting, Namgung Cheon moved the internal energy and directly struck the Juque acupoint.
Thud!
Instantly, the pockmarked old man’s solar plexus bulged out, and a dull sound was heard.
Immediately after, the pockmarked old man staggered back and coughed up a dark clot of blood.
“Agh! Ugh!”
Since he had prepared for injuries of this degree, the pockmarked old man quickly retreated and adjusted his stance once again.
Namgung Cheon smirked as he looked at the old man.
“You hold out better than expected.”
“Y-You…! How is it as if you clearly saw the flow of my internal energy…!”
The pockmarked old man, who was speaking, winced and widened his eyes.
A thought flashed through his head.
Namgung Cheon! The one who inherited the blood of the Heavenly Great Killing Star.
Was the Heavenly Great Killing Star not known to possess the talent of the First Sight Skill-Breaking Eyes?
“Could it be that you also…?”
He had heard that the talent was not passed down, but what if it was?
The pockmarked old man looked at Namgung Cheon with shaking eyes.
Namgung Cheon laughed coldly and slung the Emerald Silk Sword over his shoulder.
“This… since you seem to know something, I can’t let you leave alive.”
“Did you truly… the First Sight Skill-Breaking Eyes…!”
By this point, Namgung Geom also looked at Namgung Cheon with a slightly surprised look.
Only then did he understand the whole situation.
‘So it is indeed as I thought. Cheon had the First Sight Skill-Breaking Eyes.’
It was not that he had not harbored such suspicions recently.
He had thought, ‘Could it be?’ from Namgung Cheon’s occasionally shown behavior.
However, since the First Sight Skill-Breaking Eyes was not such a common talent, nor was it passed down, he soon erased it from his mind.
Yet, when things turned out like this, Namgung Geom’s thoughts were no different from the pockmarked old man’s.
As Namgung Cheon strode forward, the pockmarked old man faltered and retreated in accordance with his steps.
Knowing that the opponent had the First Sight Skill-Breaking Eyes actually made him even more intimidated.
Should it be said that it felt as if he had been stripped naked?
When he thought that Namgung Cheon would already notice no matter what way he responded, his view went dark.
As the pockmarked old man slunk back, Namgung Cheon narrowed his brow and asked.
“You aren’t planning to run away, are you? Since you came all this way, you should at least take the item.”
“You bastard…! You inherited the blood of the Great Killing Star.”
“Oh, why bring that up now. It is a fact the whole world knows.”
“Today’s failure is by no means your success. As of today, you will become the public enemy of everyone!”
“I really hate hearing those words.”
“Regardless of whether you hate hearing it or not, you will become so!”
Finishing his words, the pockmarked old man instantly directed his internal energy to the soles of his feet. It was the fastest movement he could manage.
Finally, at the moment the internal energy was about to explode at the Yongquan acupoint!
‘Oh, damn it…!’
In his eyes, he saw the Emerald Silk Sword flying and tearing through the morning air. The Emerald Silk Sword, having left Namgung Cheon’s hand, aimed directly at the pockmarked old man’s chest.
Although this series of events seemed very slow, the pockmarked old man could not make any response.
Because his response was even slower.
Since he had already consumed a significant amount of internal energy and suffered internal injuries, it was an unavoidable situation.
Finally, the Emerald Silk Sword sliced directly through his heart and protruded from his back.
Squish!
“Cough!”
The pockmarked old man widened his eyes and froze like a rock.
Thud!
As the pockmarked old man fell to his knees, Namgung Cheon strode over and grabbed the hilt of the Emerald Silk Sword.
“So why get greedy when you are all old? How ugly.”
“Ugh…! Do you think that killing me alone… will change the fate of the Namgung Clan…”
“Quiet. An old man who pisses his pants saying such things isn’t threatening at all.”
“Ugh…! Th-That was you…!”
“What is this smelly look when you are all old?”
“You all will face… greater trials in the future…”
“I told you, the words of an old man who pissed his pants are not threatening.”
“Ugh! That was pissed by you…!”
“Hey, old man. Is that important right now?”
“…!”
“Anyway, the truth belongs to the victor. Anyone who touches our clan will piss their pants and die by my hands. Got it?”
“…”
The pockmarked old man did not say anything.
There was no longer any life in his kneeling eyes.