Chapter 169: Chapter 169
The Divine Brush Scholar, who was biting his lips tightly, pulled out the weapon at his side.
The blade was a thin and flexible blade.
The flexible blade swayed refreshingly according to his hand gestures and let out a clear sound.
Seeing that, Cheon-hwi opened his mouth.
“Huh? You were called the Divine Brush, so I thought you used a brush art, but I guess not.”
After Cheon-hwi readjusted his grip on the sword, he pointed at him with the tip of the sword.
Ta-at!
The Divine Brush Scholar rushed forward.
Narrowing the distance with Ascending Qi Flight, he swung the flexible blade with all his might.
The flexible blade in his hand vibrated and bent greatly as if it were going to break.
Ka-ang!
Sparks flew, and the Divine Brush Scholar’s body, holding the flexible blade, bounced backward.
Kwa-deu-deu-deuk…
The Divine Brush Scholar put strength into his feet to land, but he continued to be pushed back by the impact, digging up the ground as he slid backward.
A long wrinkle formed on his forehead.
It was the Sound Tragedy Blade, unfolded with two-tenths of the internal energy of the Qilian Divine Art.
To think it would be shattered so vainly.
“…I have to kill him before he grows any further.”
The Divine Brush Scholar’s eyes turned cold.
He must absolutely not be left alive.
It was obvious as watching a fire that if he grew like this, he would become a huge stumbling block to the plan.
Just as it seemed he was raising his internal energy.
Pa-at!
He disappeared in an instant.
More accurately, he caused the illusion of disappearing due to his surprisingly fast footwork.
It was probably an astonishingly fast footwork that would be counted on one hand even in Jianghu.
‘He is fast, indeed.’
However, Cheon-hwi was seeing it clearly.
His movements, and where the footsteps he took were heading.
Cheon-hwi swung his sword to the left.
Chae-aeng!
Sharp sparks flew.
The Divine Brush Scholar, revealing himself, spread his left hand that wasn’t holding the flexible blade wide open.
And then, he spewed out palm energy.
Seuk…
However, Cheon-hwi avoided the palm energy just by tilting his head to the side and smiled broadly.
It was an enormous reaction speed.
‘To think he blocked this…’
The Divine Brush Scholar’s eyebrows wriggled.
It was an attack aimed at a gap in a split second, but the opponent avoided it very easily.
‘He’s not someone I can win against easily.’
Thinking the odds were low at this rate, the Divine Brush Scholar loaded internal energy into the flexible blade.
He had to reveal everything.
Even the martial arts he had never unfolded while wearing the mask of the Divine Brush Scholar.
Bu-reu-reu…
Instantly, the flexible blade trembled finely.
And then eventually.
Woo-woo-woong-woong!
A sound that felt like it would burst the ears erupted.
“Hmm?”
Cheon-hwi’s eyes turned toward the flexible blade.
The Divine Brush Scholar was using his internal energy to vibrate the flexible blade and produce sound.
And very precisely at that.
‘Is it a sound art?’
The Divine Brush Scholar took a large step.
Jjeo-jeok!
Cracks formed in the space, and the flexible blade drew a trajectory in the empty air.
It was a beautiful trajectory that suited his title, the Divine Brush.
Ka-a-a-ang!
A shockwave swallowed the surroundings.
The Divine Brush Scholar’s eyebrows wriggled.
He had attacked even mixing in a sound art, but the opponent seemed fine.
‘Did he protect his eardrums with internal energy?’
When he looked at Cheon-hwi, who was calmly blocking the attacks despite the continuous sound art.
“Keuk!”
A groan came from somewhere else instead.
Heavenly Ear Beggar, covering his ears, glared at the Divine Brush Scholar with frowned eyes.
“S-such a cheap trick…”
“Where is there a cheap trick in a life-or-death battle?”
The Divine Brush Scholar spoke calmly.
The dead are losers, and those who survive are the true victors, aren’t they?
At that moment, Cheon-hwi’s mouth opened.
“Right. Winning is everything. Even if it’s cheap and cowardly, history doesn’t remember the losers. But you know what?”
Cheon-hwi’s pure white teeth were revealed.
“It means that if you use any means and methods to win no matter what, and still lose after doing so, it’s even more embarrassing.”
As soon as those words ended.
Pa-a-at!
Cheon-hwi’s figure rapidly expanded in the Divine Brush Scholar’s vision.
No, it was because he got closer.
“…!”
The Divine Brush Scholar swallowed his breath.
Sswae-ae-aek!
Goosebumps rose down his spine at the footwork that shrunk the space in an instant.
‘Was there such a footwork in the Mount Hua Sect!’
Numerous footworks of the Mount Hua Sect flashed and disappeared in his head.
But there was no such footwork among them.
Naturally, because the footwork Cheon-hwi unfolded was the Flying Heaven Footwork.
“Ugh!”
The Divine Brush Scholar hastily drew up the internal energy of the Qilian Divine Art and put it into the flexible blade.
The softly bent flexible blade stood stiffly and shot out streams of Blade Astral Qi.
The flexible blade swung greatly.
It was the Giryeon Divine Blade.
Jjeo-jeo-jeo-jeok!
Not stopping at tearing the atmosphere apart, the sharp Blade Astral Qi split the ground.
It was a blade art of powerful might.
It was a blade art that showed the secret behind how he had defeated numerous masters of the demonic path.
However, of all people, the opponent was Cheon-hwi.
Cheon-hwi laughed as he looked at the Blade Qi flying toward him as if to cut him as he charged.
And then he confronted the Blade Qi head-on.
Jjeo-jeok!
The Blade Qi was miserably crushed by the heavy sword swung by Cheon-hwi and slowly broke apart.
“…!”
The Divine Brush Scholar’s two eyes opened wide as if they would tear.
‘Where did…’
Cheon-hwi, who had swung the sword just a moment ago, had disappeared from his vision before he knew it.
“Where are you looking?”
The moment he hurriedly tried to turn his head at the sound coming from the side.
Peo-eok!
“Keo-heok!”
His body bent greatly to the side.
Cheon-hwi had kicked him in the side. It was the Sweeping Leaf Kick Technique, properly delivered enough to break ribs.
“Keuk!”
The Divine Brush Scholar groaned at the terrible pain spreading like a net.
Bones were broken, and the five viscera and six bowels were twisted by the impact, screaming in pain.
But he couldn’t control his body.
“Heup!”
The Divine Brush Scholar instinctively swung the flexible blade from bottom to top.
Jjeo-jeo-jeo-jeong!
The sword and the flexible blade collided.
“Keu-euk!”
The Divine Brush Scholar stumbled and retreated.
He barely managed to block the attack, but the Divine Brush Scholar’s insides were in a worse mess than ever.
‘Where did such a monster…’
As he was trying to collect his body.
“There’s nothing more to see.”
Cheon-hwi loaded internal energy into his sword.
Instantly, thread-thin energies extended into several strands from the blade body, transforming into plum blossoms and blooming fully.
“Sword Flower…!”
Astonishment appeared on the Divine Brush Scholar’s expression.
He had seen the Sword Flower of the Mount Hua Sect a few times in the past.
But it was different from those.
It was clearly the same Sword Flower, but he absolutely couldn’t say they were the same.
‘Such a vivid and red plum blossom.’
His gaze was fixed on the beautiful plum blossoms floating around Cheon-hwi.
Dozens of plum blossoms exuded vitality as if they were real and scattered their petals.
It was a sight that was too beautiful.
By the time his eyes were stolen away.
Seu-euk…
Cheon-hwi raised his sword high.
The moment the tip of the sword pointed to the sky, a light wind blew and tickled the tip of the nose.
When the plum blossoms blooming from the sword began to dance in the gently rustling wind.
Sswae-ae-aek!
The sword slashed downwards.
The First Move of the Seven Absolutes Plum Blossom Sword.
Wind Heaven Plum Blossom Dance.
Plum blossoms covered the sky.
‘N-No!’
The Divine Brush Scholar urgently lifted the flexible blade.
Internal injuries, severe pain, such things were not in his head right now.
Only one thing came to mind.
That he had to block those plum blossoms!
Even though his internal injuries were worsening, he drew up all his internal energy and vigorously swung the flexible blade left and right.
A fierce storm raged.
The storm created by the flexible blade seemed to swallow and scatter the plum blossoms.
However…
Whether it was too much to eliminate all the plum blossoms even for a storm, just a single plum blossom slowly sank down.
And the moment that single plum blossom collided with the flexible blade that created the storm.
Pa-a-at!
The plum blossom disappeared in an instant.
At the same time, the raging storm quieted down, and eventually, even the wind stopped.
“How could this be…”
The Divine Brush Scholar stood in despair, dropping the flexible blade limply downwards.
It felt like he was dreaming.
‘No, it might really be a dream… To unfold such a sword art at that age…’
He denied reality.
But that didn’t last long.
Because the cruel and cold reality he had wanted to avoid arrived.
Pit…
His hat split cleanly in half.
Following that, the clothes he wore were cut, and shallow bloodstains were carved all over his body.
Pu-syu-syuk…
A massive amount of fresh blood surged in all directions.
The Divine Brush Scholar looked down at his body.
On his forearms, on his chest, on his shoulders… no, blood poured out like a waterfall from his entire body.
Following that, his vision turned red.
“Ah…”
A sky dyed in blood entered his eyes.
Kung!
His body that collapsed backward was miserable.
He was covered in blood, his entire body hacked to pieces by the Sword Flower bloomed by the Wind Heaven Plum Blossom Dance.
He hadn’t died yet, but his flame of life had already almost completely burned out.
“For the Divine Brush Scholar to fall so easily…”
Heavenly Ear Beggar looked at the Divine Brush Scholar with a face of disbelief, then shifted his gaze to Cheon-hwi who was standing straight.
The Divine Brush Scholar was someone counted on one hand in Yunnan, a master in the Limitless Realm.
Yet he had defeated him.
And without a single scratch at that.
‘No matter how much he was compared to the Zhongnan Sword Saint, I thought it was mixed with a bit of flattery… I guess it wasn’t.’
It was an astonishing matter.
Throughout all ages, was there ever anyone with such martial prowess at that age?
‘Even they would find it impossible. Could he be a disciple they secretly raised…’
At that moment, a question that seemed to reflect thoughts similar to Heavenly Ear Beggar’s came from below.
“…Are you a disciple of the Eight Martial Gods?”
The Divine Brush Scholar, collapsed on the floor, slightly moved his head and looked at Cheon-hwi.
“Eight Martial Gods?”
At the title that sounded like he had heard it somewhere, Cheon-hwi tilted his head and replied.
“I’m not.”
“Then how are you so strong without being their disciple…”
“Beats me.”
The Divine Brush Scholar’s pupils trembled. Then, with a meaningful look in his eyes, he slowly moved his blood-stained lips.
“…What do you think of this Jianghu?”
It was a voice carrying subtle internal energy.
‘What trick is he trying to pull this time.’
As Cheon-hwi blankly stared at the Divine Brush Scholar.
“Don’t listen to him!”
Heavenly Ear Beggar hurriedly interjected.
But Cheon-hwi ignored his words and squatted down.
“Jianghu is Jianghu. Is there anything different.”
“No. The current Jianghu is not Jianghu.”
The Divine Brush Scholar cut him off firmly.
“Jianghu is a place where individuals fight fiercely and compete with each other’s martial arts. But how can it be called Jianghu when the Nine Provinces Three Supreme Powers rose up and only peace continues!”
“Oh, you put that quite well. I think so too.”
Cheon-hwi nodded and agreed with his words spat out in lamentation.
“We just have to fight. What’s this about maintaining balance with each other or whatever. Tsk, just walking on eggshells. There’s really no romance.”
The Divine Brush Scholar’s eyes sparkled.
“You know well. That’s why I, no. We are trying to end the era of the Nine Provinces Three Supreme Powers and return Jianghu. A Jianghu without giant factions…”
Following that, he proposed to Cheon-hwi.
“You seem to have many complaints about the current Jianghu too, so won’t you join hands with us?”
“Me, with you guys?”
Cheon-hwi pointed at himself and the Divine Brush Scholar with his index finger and asked.
“That’s right.”
The Divine Brush Scholar nodded faintly.
‘If he is someone who sympathizes like this…’
The Nine Heavens was a place where those who were sick and tired of the current Jianghu, or those burning with vengeance towards the Eight Martial Gods, gathered.
If the young man in front joined, the Nine Heavens’ plans could be advanced even further.
As he waited for the answer in anticipation.
“I don’t want to.”
“Didn’t you have complaints?”
“That doesn’t mean I have to join hands with you guys, right.”
“…”
“And if you’re going to do something like that, you should do it alone. Why pointlessly create a faction.”
“…That’s impossible. How could one alone against those giant factions…”
Cheon-hwi smirked.
“Isn’t it the Jianghu and romance you were talking about only if you pull that off? If you build up a faction like that, how is it any different from the Nine Provinces Three Supreme Powers?”
“…”
Having spat out words sharply, Cheon-hwi looked down at the Divine Brush Scholar who shut his mouth.
“You don’t have anything else to ask now, right?”
Cheon-hwi’s eyes flashed eerily.
“I kindly replied to everything, so let me ask a question now too. That sound art…”
It was that moment.
The Divine Brush Scholar’s body shivered, and blood began to pool in the whites of his eyes.
Following that, his chest heaved upwards heavily, and he vomited a mouthful of blood.
“Oho? Look at this guy. Who said you could die without answering my question.”
Cheon-hwi quickly moved his hands.
He quickly tapped his acupoints at a speed hard to follow with the eyes, but…
It was of no use.
Tears of blood flowed from his eyes, and his face quickly lost its vitality.
“This is a tenacious guy.”
Cheon-hwi clicked his tongue as he saw him foaming at the mouth and convulsing like a madman.
“To commit suicide by severing his blood vessels completely so that tapping his acupoints would be useless.”
A hollow laugh escaped at that tenacity.
For a martial artist, severing one’s blood vessels was incomparable to any kind of pain.
‘I heard it’s more terrible than burning to death, to think he would actually do it.’
As Cheon-hwi was looking at him, who was still quivering and unable to die yet.
“G-Grand Supreme Elder!”
With a loud shout, there was someone rushing frantically into the Blood Dragon Sect.
It was a familiar face.
‘Junior Beggar?’
Junior Beggar came into the Blood Dragon Sect and was terrified when he saw the corpses around him.
“Wh-what’s with these corpses…”
But that was only for a moment; discovering Heavenly Ear Beggar, he came to his senses and shouted loudly.
“The joint operation has failed!”
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