Chapter 188: Chapter 188
Jeok-geom’s expression distorted.
It was a moment when his head was dizzy from the terrible storm of murderous intent. But then, the seven Soulless Persons charging at them drew closer.
His internal energy began to run wild on its own.
‘…They are dangerous people.’
Unlike his internal energy, which began to run wild like a blazing flame, his reason was cold.
“Prepare the Flying Sword Formation.”
The eyebrows of the Flying Sword Squad members twitched.
Tension slowly enveloped them.
They were not easy opponents.
That was because the internal energy they poured out and the fatigue they felt from dealing with just one Soulless Person a moment ago were hard to express in words.
It was then.
“The Fire Spirit Squad will take the left.”
A lively voice was heard.
Turning his head, he saw Cheon-hyang smiling brightly at the seven people rushing in.
Unlike the Flying Sword Squad or the Fire Spirit Squad she led, she looked amused.
She even looked happy.
“We wanted to try fighting too.”
Cheon-hyang took a step forward.
Towards the rushing Soulless Persons.
Although it looked like nothing short of a crazy act in the eyes of others.
“It’s a bit much for only the Flying Sword Squad to deal with them. Isn’t it?”
A faint smile lingered on the corners of Cheon-hyang’s mouth as she whispered softly.
And.
Clang!
Rough sparks scattered in all directions.
Cheon-hyang’s eyes narrowed.
Her sword accurately swung at the forearm of the rushing Soulless Person, but the blade failed to leave even a small sword mark.
“They’re sturdier than I thought.”
Her expression slightly stiffened.
Her sword, which could cut through boulders, could not even leave a scratch on the forearm.
‘…Is it external arts?’
Her eyes headed towards the Soulless Persons.
Sayugok was an unorthodox sect that had only just begun to make a name for itself, and until recently, it was a place whose name wasn’t even known.
On the other hand, what about herself?
A first-generation disciple of the Mount Hua Sect and a Plum Blossom Swordsman.
Of course, right now there was Cheon-hwi who was superior to her, but still, until a few years ago, she was a rising star counted among the first-generation disciples.
But now, her sword failed to leave a single wound on the arm of a mere disciple, not even the Lord of Sayugok.
‘…I was a frog in a well.’
The corners of her eyes curved greatly.
The Jianghu, the world, was wide.
Her eyes emitted a cold light.
At the same time, she manifested the Plum Blossom Qi Art and slowly flowed it to the surrounding Fire Spirit Squad.
“I’ll leave the right side to you. Flying Sword Squad Leader.”
Her cold pupils, which spat out the words Flying Sword Squad Leader instead of Martial Nephew to Jeok-geom, swept over the Soulless Persons in front for a moment.
“Deploy the Fire Spirit Sword Formation.”
She spoke in a low voice.
Thump!
The Fire Spirit Squad simultaneously stepped on the footwork.
The combined attack formation that Cheon-hwi had taught them.
It was the beginning of the Fire Spirit Sword Formation.
At that moment, beautiful and vivid plum blossoms began to bloom from them.
The tip of Cheon-hyang’s sword trembled.
The sword flowers, the plum blossoms.
They were being led by her will.
No, it was not just her.
The wills of the Fire Spirit Squad members supporting her from behind were mixing into one.
“…?!”
The expressions of the Soulless Persons suddenly changed.
As if they too felt the change, they spread their murderous intent even more, giving up on the Flying Sword Squad and starting to persistently aim for the Fire Spirit Squad.
Swoosh!
The swords in the hands of the Soulless Persons swung like rays of light.
In response, the plum blossoms deflected the swords.
The sword strikes raging like a storm and the plum blossoms riding the wind aimed for each other.
A tense close combat without an inch of concession.
The swords of the Soulless Persons extended again.
Clang!
Cheon-hyang’s brow narrowed.
It was a simple sword path.
However, its speed and strength were enough to make that simple sword path look powerful.
‘Strong.’
Cheon-hyang’s eyes sparkled like stars.
They lost their reason, but the opponents were excellent.
Both their internal energy and their martial arts skills.
‘To become the world’s number one, I have to win.’
Strength was loaded into her eyes.
At the same time, her sword was drawn.
Slash!
As the sword imbued with her will swung, the front of the Soulless Person’s clothes was cut away.
And through that gap.
Trickle…
Vivid fresh blood flowed out.
The first blood trace shown by a Soulless Person.
The moment that wound was seen, a deep smile lingered on the corners of Cheon-hyang’s mouth.
And then, her sword moved dazzlingly and bloomed plum blossoms.
Twenty-Four Movements Plum Blossom Sword Art.
The sword art, which she had unfolded without missing a single day after she became a Plum Blossom Swordsman, presented a beautiful sword form as if promising not to betray the training she had done so far.
And it boosted the morale of not only her but also the Fire Spirit Squad members.
“Let’s go!”
“Assist the Squad Leader!”
* * *
Boom!
Thick dust bloomed in Sayugok.
And Cheon-hwi’s eyes, watching it from a distance, deepened like a bottomless abyss.
“They’re perfectly fine as real combat opponents.”
It was quite worth watching.
Especially the Fire Spirit Sword Formation, whether it was because it was real combat or because Cheon-hyang’s concentration and momentum had grown right now.
It was on a different level from what was shown before.
“This is why they have to experience real combat.”
Cheon-hwi’s lips slowly twisted.
He had blind faith in real combat.
That was because training was only training.
In the end, isn’t training also learned for when real combat occurs?
‘It’s the same just looking at Jeok-geom.’
His gaze headed towards Jeok-geom.
The sword that bloomed sword flowers was striking the bodies of the rushing Soulless Persons.
The appearance of Jeok-geom deliberately unfolding his martial arts was on a different dimension from before.
It was fast and sharp.
And the footwork and posture that unfolded it were now well harmonized.
From some point on, the Flying Sword Squad and the Fire Spirit Squad were overwhelming the Soulless Persons.
‘But it’s a bit regrettable.’
Cheon-hwi’s eyes narrowed like threads.
Their martial arts skills and combined attack formation were fine.
But they were too gentle.
The opponent was an enemy. They should have swung to thoroughly sever their lives, but their murderous intent was faint and rather dull than sharp.
‘Is it inevitable because they are Daoists?’
At that moment, Cheon-hwi’s gaze turned.
The place his gaze headed towards was where the martial artists of Sayugok were located.
‘Look at these guys.’
Cheon-hwi’s eyes narrowed.
They were slowly, very slowly stepping back and reading the room.
So that they could run away at any time.
Cheon-hwi’s body instantly disappeared.
“…The reinforcements aren’t coming.”
“Could they have all been defeated?”
“That’s right.”
They, who were whispering, were flustered by the voice that suddenly cut in and moved their heads.
“Y-You are…”
Their eyes widened.
“Trying to run away?”
Cheon-hwi asked with a grin.
Seeing that smile, their hearts sank, but someone furiously shouted.
“Everyone run…!”
Crunch!
“Keheok!”
The martial artist’s body floated into the empty air.
Grabbing the scruff of the struggling martial artist’s neck, Cheon-hwi moved his lips.
“Where are you trying to run away to?”
Cheon-hwi looked at him in a low voice.
As a terrifying murderous intent spewed out from his eyes.
‘…W-When?’
Fear lingered in the martial artist’s eyes.
At that moment, the martial artist next to him shouted.
“I-Ilgeom! Kill this guy!”
Then.
Swoosh… !
A man rushed in.
Drooling from his mouth like a starving beast, he was bristling the hair all over his body and throwing a punch.
“Oh, really.”
Cheon-hwi swung the martial artist he held in his hand.
Thwack!
“Keheok!”
A dull sound spread as the rushing man’s face and the martial artist’s crown collided. However, Cheon-hwi did not stop.
Puck puck puck!
He shattered the man’s entire body while swinging the martial artist as if he had become a weapon.
After doing that for a moment.
Thwack!
Cheon-hwi kicked the man’s abdomen.
In an instant, the man’s body rushed backward.
Swoosh…
Cheon-hwi’s figure also disappeared with it.
Catching up to him, who was flying rapidly, in an instant, Cheon-hwi raised his foot.
Crack!
He stamped down with his heel.
“Keheok!”
The man was planted into the ground as cracks formed on the floor. Cheon-hwi, who was looking at the shivering man, stared at the martial artist he was holding in his hand.
“To faint with just this.”
Cheon-hwi roughly threw the martial artist.
The martial artist, who was thrown helplessly, bounced on the floor two or three times before going limp on the ground.
“Heup!”
“Heop!”
The martial artists nearby trembled in fear while covering their mouths with both hands.
The monster who suddenly appeared and took down Ilgeom, who was considered the first among the Ten Swords of the Dead Soul, in one strike, was looking at them.
With eyes that were incredibly indifferent.
Facing those dark eyes like a bottomless abyss whose end could not be seen at all, they felt their minds going blank.
The action they took after grasping the current situation was one.
Thud. Thud.
One by one, they put down their weapons.
Realizing the reality that the majority of the Ten Swords of the Dead Soul had already fallen and that reinforcements were not coming, their morale was helplessly broken.
In the end, it was the limit of the Unorthodox Faction.
Because what was important to them was not the honor or fame of the sect, but their own lives.
“Martial Uncle.”
“Martial Junior.”
Jeok-geom and Cheon-hyang approached.
Perhaps the fight with the Soulless Persons was tough, as both of their Daoist robes were thoroughly drenched in sweat.
“It is all over.”
A moment later, Heavenly Ear Beggar arrived.
Looking at the bound and kneeling martial artists of Sayugok and the Soulless Persons for a moment, he frowned and let out a deep sigh.
“Have you already dealt with them all?”
He grumbled as he approached.
And then, he put down Manbyeonggoe whom he had been carrying on his back, stuck closely to the side of the sitting Cheon-hwi, and collapsed onto the floor.
It was then.
“…Cough!”
The sound of coughing up blood was heard.
Manbyeonggoe was heaving his chest and opening his eyes with a grimacing face.
“Have you regained your senses?”
Heavenly Ear Beggar turned his gaze.
He glared with a cold gaze at Manbyeonggoe, who had painfully opened his eyes.
“It worked out well. I had something to ask you anyway.”
At Heavenly Ear Beggar’s words, Manbyeonggoe swallowed his saliva without realizing it.
“…You will have nothing to gain from me.”
“We don’t know that.”
Cheon-hwi cut in.
“Heup!”
Seeing him, Manbyeonggoe instantly seized up.
It was because his indifferent gaze and sword, which had driven him to the brink of death, came to his mind.
Cheon-hwi chuckled.
‘He’s terrified.’
It was a state that was quite to his liking.
When humans are stained with fear, they tend to do anything to escape it.
Manbyeonggoe asked with trembling eyes.
“A-Are you planning to kill me?”
It was a question where his attachment to life could be seen.
“That depends on how you act.”
Heavenly Ear Beggar answered instead.
“You should know your condition, right?”
“…”
“If you answer the questions I ask properly, I will help treat you.”
Manbyeonggoe’s pupils shook greatly.
He would treat him? Me, who is a public enemy of the Murim?
His eyebrows furrowed.
The opponent was Heavenly Ear Beggar, who was famous in the Beggars’ Sect for being eccentric but also a chivalrous beggar.
On top of that, the person who had driven him to the brink of death was a Daoist of the Mount Hua Sect.
For the inflexible Nine Great Sects and One Gang to keep him alive was nonsense…
‘No…’
Manbyeonggoe frowned.
“Did you never say you would spare me…”
“You won’t die.”
Heavenly Ear Beggar’s expression coldly stiffened.
“Although you will rot in prison for the rest of your life.”
Manbyeonggoe’s expression distorted.
However, even in that situation, he racked his brain.
‘As long as I don’t die.’
For now, living was the most important thing.
Prison or other trivial things were later matters that would unfold after he survived.
“Alright. But after treating me, please let me rest a little.”
Just as Heavenly Ear Beggar was about to get angry.
“Wow. You’re quite confident.”
Cheon-hwi spoke as if he was dumbfounded.
Then, looking at Heavenly Ear Beggar, he spoke.
“Should we just kill him?”
At the chilling words, Manbyeonggoe flinched.
And the moment he looked into Cheon-hwi’s eyes, it was hard for him to hide his bewilderment.
Indifferent pupils.
It really seemed like he had absolutely no hesitation about killing.
“I will answer the questions! Just please treat me.”
“Look at this guy. You’re still confident?”
Cheon-hwi grabbed his neck.
At that moment, Heavenly Ear Beggar reached out his hand.
“Hold on for a moment.”
“Keck, keck!”
Manbyeonggoe stroked his neck.
‘I-I thought I was going to die.’
His eyes were terrified with fear.
“I will treat you as you asked.”
Heavenly Ear Beggar spoke in a low voice.
“So answer the questions.”
Manbyeonggoe nodded his head up and down so greatly that it seemed like his neck would fall off in order to live.
“Who is the one that hid you?”
“…T-The Ten Nights Sect!”
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