Chapter 81: Once More! (2)
Chapter 80 – Once More!(2)
“Ugh!”
Gasping for air, Yun Jong-seung quickly raised his arm.
Clang!
“Guh!”
It felt as if his arm would fall off.
Even the armguards, which had absorbed most of the impact, were of no use now.
It felt like his bones were shattering into pieces.
However, there was no time to be in pain.
Kwi-aaaaang!
The blade fell once again, letting out a scream-like roar.
It was as if an eagle was swooping down on its prey.
“Eek!”
Yun Jong-seung quickly raised his right arm. Blocking it this time was not that difficult either. However…
Crash!
“Aaahhh!”
Yun Jong-seung screamed as he was blown backward.
Crash!
Having collapsed onto the floor, Yun Jong-seung rolled for a long time.
The spectators who had been cheering for Yun Jong-seung now shut their mouths, as if they were struck dumb.
Step, step…!
Baek Mu-geuk walked over with an expressionless face.
Yun Jong-seung barely stood up, trembling violently. His arm was shaking uncontrollably, as if it did not belong to him.
Stopping right in front of him, Baek Mu-geuk slowly raised his saber again.
As if telling him to try blocking it this time as well.
Ssshhht!
Finally, the blade fell once more.
It was not that fast, but it was not very slow either.
But to Yun Jong-seung, that split second felt as long as an eternity.
Should he block it? Or not?
Under normal circumstances, he should have blocked it with the part covered by the armguard.
However, because it hurt too much, he did not want to block it.
‘If I block it one more time, my bones will break!’
The moment fear dominated his mind, Yun Jong-seung quickly kicked off the ground and retreated.
Crash!
As the blade struck the floor, fragments exploded in all directions once again.
Screeech…!
Dragging his saber, Baek Mu-geuk walked toward Yun Jong-seung with heavy steps.
Yun Jong-seung swallowed hard, still staring only at Baek Mu-geuk’s chin.
‘Right, he’s a guy who only uses orthodox methods anyway. If I can’t block it, I just have to dodge it. It’s not even hard to dodge!’
Then, when the opportunity arose, he could launch the Red Lotus Palm just like before!
Thinking about it again, it was a real shame earlier.
‘Tsk! It was a match I had already won!’
According to the rules, one was disqualified only when they completely fell off the arena and their body touched the ground outside.
However, the moment Baek Mu-geuk fell, he had stabbed his saber into the arena and hung onto it.
In any case, that was already in the past.
Since he had cornered him like that once, there was no reason he couldn’t do it a second time, was there?
Even though he was strong, he stubbornly only used straightforward, orthodox methods.
Besides, as long as he didn’t look at his eyes, that strange agitation wouldn’t happen.
‘Alright, come at me! I’ll deal with you as much as you—huh?’
Swish!
At that moment, Yun Jong-seung blinked his eyes wide.
Exclamations burst out from the spectator seats as well.
“Huh! What is that?”
“What? He was someone who could do that sort of thing?”
“It’s completely different from his orthodox methods, isn’t it?”
It was just as the people said.
Baek Mu-geuk suddenly rushed forward in a zigzag pattern, wielding his saber and swinging it so dazzlingly that it made one’s head spin.
Swish! Swish-swish! Swish-swish!
One saber became two, two became four, and four multiplied wildly into eight.
“Gasp!”
Yun Jong-seung’s eyes widened.
Which one should he block?
Variations and feints ran rampant.
He wondered if this was really the same guy who had stubbornly used only orthodox methods until just a moment ago.
It felt like fighting a completely different person from before.
Clang!
“Ugh!”
Clang-clang!
“Ugh!”
Even amidst the confusion, Yun Jong-seung managed to block the saber attacks.
But…
‘Did he just smile?’
He couldn’t confirm it properly since he wasn’t looking at his eyes. However…
‘I’m sure his mouth split into a wide grin and he even had his tongue sticking out…’
Shiver!
Just thinking that Baek Mu-geuk, who usually had such an expressionless face, was swinging his saber like crazy while making such a bizarre face made his spine crawl.
Furthermore, because he couldn’t see his eyes, he grew even more curious, yet a wave of fear washed over him.
“Kihah!”
At that moment, a bizarre battle cry burst out, and the saber flew in, curving like a crescent moon.
It had not actually bent, but because it rushed in so fast, it created an optical illusion.
Clang!
Colliding with the armguards, Yun Jong-seung almost collapsed on the spot.
“Kgggh!”
His arms trembled violently.
However, Baek Mu-geuk’s attack did not end there.
Kwi-aaaaang!
Once again, a ghost-like roar arose as the blade bent like a bow and fell down.
‘I-I can’t block this…!’
Yun Jong-seung’s face turned white as sheet.
As he quickly kicked off the ground and retreated,
Crash!
the blade slammed into the floor, scattering fragments in all directions.
The power was so great that the spectators gasped softly.
Yun Jong-seung quickly crossed his arms to block the flying fragments.
Clatter!
Swish!
Blending back into the fragments, Baek Mu-geuk swung his saber toward Yun Jong-seung.
“Urrgh!”
He was scared. So scared.
Did this guy really defeat Tang Wu-gi by luck?
No.
At least right now, this guy had become a presence far more terrifying than Tang Wu-gi.
The murderous intent, close to madness, that he radiated penetrated his entire body.
“Damn it!”
Yun Jong-seung spitting out curses, dug into Baek Mu-geuk’s chest.
Because he felt there would be no answer if he kept dodging like this.
However, he regretted it the moment he took a step.
“Ugh!”
Swish-swish-swish!
Dozens of blades filled the air, descending upon him.
‘I’m-I’m going to be hacked to pieces…!’
Sure enough, the dozens of blades sliced Yun Jong-seung just like that.
“Aaahhhhh!”
Yun Jong-seung froze on the spot, his back arching like a bow as he let out a scream.
The watching spectators opened their eyes wide.
“Wh-what? What’s wrong with him?”
Yun Cheom-san, who was watching from the VIP seats, also jumped to his feet and shouted.
“Seung! Seung-ah!”
He strained his eyes.
For Yun Jong-seung was screaming as if he was dying even before Baek Mu-geuk swung his saber.
Only after that did Baek Mu-geuk’s blade descend toward Yun Jong-seung’s chest.
“No!”
Yun Cheom-san shouted, but the blade ruthlessly slashed Yun Jong-seung’s chest.
Slash!
In an instant, Yun Jong-seung’s body soared into the air, flew for quite a distance, and crashed to the ground.
Crash!
Even then, Baek Mu-geuk did not stop, rushing like a gale and swinging his saber with deadly momentum toward Yun Jong-seung.
In that sudden moment!
Flash! Clang!
A streak of light intervened, blocking Baek Mu-geuk’s saber.
The one who extended his sword to block it was none other than Murong Sin.
“That’s enough.”
As Murong Sin spoke with a cold face, Baek Mu-geuk, whose eyes had been rolling with madness, returned to a calm state as if it had all been a lie.
“Hooo.”
Exhaling a long breath, Baek Mu-geuk walked back as if nothing had happened.
The crowd had now fallen into complete silence.
Namgung Cheon, who had been watching silently from among them, also knit his brows and uncrossed his arms.
‘Baek Mu-geuk…!’
For a moment, it seemed like Baek Mu-geuk glanced at Namgung Cheon, but he soon walked to the edge of the arena and turned around.
Murong Sin shouted toward the outside.
“Physician!”
The physicians and medical apprentices, who were already prepared to rush in, ran up in a swarm.
The physician quickly poured a disinfectant solution and wiped the wound clean.
“Argh…!”
Yun Jong-seung, whose chest had been slashed wide open, let out a groan filled with pain.
None of the physicians spoke.
It was clearly a very serious injury at a single glance.
Murong Sin did not ask about his condition either.
For the physicians’ expressions were simply too dark for him to do so.
Baek Mu-geuk, the cause of this incident, bowed his head deeply and did not budge.
At first glance, he seemed to feel a great responsibility for causing this situation and was reflecting on it.
The physician who stitched up the wound quickly shouted.
“Stretcher!”
The medical apprentices hurriedly brought up the stretcher.
“We must move him to the Virtue-Preserving Pavilion immediately! The situation is critical!”
“How serious is it?”
“If we’re late, he might die!”
As Murong Sin nodded and turned away, the medical apprentices hurriedly carried Yun Jong-seung.
Even as his consciousness faded, Yun Jong-seung narrowed his eyes as he passed by Baek Mu-geuk.
“…!”
At that moment, Yun Jong-seung’s face turned pale, and he suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood.
The physician gasped in surprise and shouted.
“Oh dear! Calm down!”
However, Yun Jong-seung did not stop coughing up blood, his body trembling violently.
“Kwheeekk! Khwwek!”
He seemed to be in an extremely unstable state of mind.
Tap, tap, tap!
The physician reluctantly tapped the fainting acupoint and put Yun Jong-seung to sleep.
In fact, tapping the fainting acupoint incorrectly on such a patient could be even more dangerous.
However, since he kept spitting up blood in a critical condition, it was a desperate measure.
“Hurry! You, run ahead and inform the Medicine Heaven Hall Master of the situation!”
“Yes, Physician!”
One of the medical apprentices ran off quickly.
The spectators watching this sighed and silently wished Yun Jong-seung good fortune on his path.
Namgung Cheon glared at Baek Mu-geuk with burning eyes.
Baek Mu-geuk still did not move, keeping his head deeply bowed.
‘Was it still too much for Yun Jong-seung…? By the way, that bastard… did he really bow his head because he felt sorry?’
Yun Jong-seung, carried on the stretcher, happened to turn pale and cough up blood just as he passed by that guy.
He must have seen the face of the bowed Baek Mu-geuk…
‘Could it be… that bastard is smiling?’
Grit…!
As Namgung Cheon clenched his teeth, Murong Sin made the announcement in a dry voice.
“Baek Mu-geuk, wins!”
However, there was no response from the crowd.
No voices of congratulations or support, nor any criticism or blame, could be heard.
Only silence continued, as if they did not know how to process the situation.
Baek Mu-geuk quietly walked down the steps.
He still could not lift his head.
Since he was showing such regret, the people could not blame him even more.
Having left the arena, Baek Mu-geuk left the Grand Martial Arena through the East Gate.
Entering a quiet back alley, he stumbled and placed a hand on the wall, then covered his mouth.
“Pfft! Hehehe…!”
His shoulders trembled slightly.
Surprisingly, he was letting out a mad laugh, with his mouth splitting into a wide grin.
“Keke. Acting so high and mighty… in the end… kekekek…! Serves you right, doesn’t it?”
But at some point, he suddenly stopped and rolled his eyes.
As he turned around with his usual expressionless face, Namgung Cheon, who had approached at some point, stood there with one corner of his mouth curled up.
“Is it that good, you son of a bitch? Now that I look at you, you’re a complete lunatic.”