chapter 275

The Great Fire (3)

Clang! Clang!

The swords of Namgung Jin and Seop Yeol clashed countless times.

In terms of overall martial prowess, Namgung Jin was vastly superior. Yet Seop Yeol held his own.

Had he been alone, Seop Yeol would have been utterly overwhelmed, but he had subordinates who were like extensions of himself.

They intervened at critical moments to assist Seop Yeol. Because of this, even with his superior skills, Namgung Jin couldn’t easily overpower him.

“Ugh!”

“Gah!”

While Seop Yeol and the Blood Martial Squad held off Namgung Jin, the experts of the Dark Moon Pavilion were steadily killing off the Nameless Iron Sword Squad.

As time passed, the disadvantage grew for the Nameless Iron Sword Squad.

Go Jeon-ok watched with a satisfied smile.

At that moment, a dark shadow appeared silently beside him.

“You’re doing well.”

The man in the black robe with the deep hood pulled down was none other than Gal-no.

Go-Jeon-ok was not surprised by his appearance and nodded.

“Even if I was caught once, I won’t be caught twice.”

“That’s how it should be. Otherwise, helping you would have been pointless,” Gal-no smirked.

Go Jeon-ok and he were bound by a shared fate.

That’s why he had gone to great lengths to protect Go Jeon-ok. As a result, his internal energy was greatly damaged.

It was the price of forcibly activating an incomplete ultimate formation.

Moreover, using poisons and sorcery had left his body in a terrible state.

Especially, the sorcery he had unleashed put a massive burden on his body. Whenever he used sorcery, he needed several days to recuperate.

Therefore, he had no choice but to watch the battle without directly intervening. The fortunate thing was that it seemed he didn’t need to intervene.

“Looks like I chose the right person after all. Heh!”

Gal-no smiled inwardly with satisfaction.

He and Go Jeon-ok shared many similarities.

Among them were innate feelings of inferiority and a relentless ambition for success.

Although the fundamental reasons were different, in those two aspects, they were like mirror images of each other. That’s why he chose Go Jeon-ok.

“With his help, if I can just eliminate Ki Jin-hwi completely, I’ll become the true master of the  ‘Chaos Illuminating Spells.”

The ‘Chaos Illuminating Spells’ was a secret book filled with mysterious spells and magic arts.

Written by Ki San-wol, the founder of the Ki family, it contained all sorts of mysterious incantations and sorcery that defied the common sense of Jianghu.

Gal-no’s real name was Gyeong Chu-wol. He was merely a servant doing menial chores in the Ki family.

When he first learned of the existence of the Chaos Illuminating Spells, he was shocked beyond belief.  It fuelled his vain ambitions, and he was consumed with the desire to obtain it.

His desire grew uncontrollably, and eventually, he set fire to the mansion while the master was away and stole the Chaos Illuminating Spell. Then he fled to escape Ki Jin-hwi’s pursuit.

He hid in a remote place to study the spell book. However, his talent was ordinary, and the Chaos Illuminating Spells was by no means an ordinary book.

To master it completely, one had to progress step by step. Without fully mastering the sorcery in the first chapter, one could never learn the sorcery in the second chapter.

There were over thirty such sequentially sealed sorceries.

No matter how talented one was, it would take a lifetime to perfectly learn all those arts. Moreover, Gyeong Chu-wol lacked exceptional talent.

Even though he had been fortunate enough to steal the spell book, the magic arts within were not accessible to him.

Gyeong Chu-wol despaired but did not give up.

Even if his talent was ordinary, his perseverance was anything but.

Recognizing that he could not master Chaos Illuminating Spells through normal means, he went to the Jade Heaven Alliance.

He thought that no matter how unconventional the books’ magic arts were, they ultimately didn’t stray from the realm of martial arts. So he joined the Jade Heaven Alliance, which had the most martial arts in the world.

Fortunately, he was lucky enough to enter the inner circle immediately, and afterward, he hid his presence while searching for a way to master the book.

Years passed, but he couldn’t find any effective method. However, he found a clue in an unexpected place.

On the day when, for the first time in a hundred years, the Celestial Demon Troupe and the Jade Heaven Alliance joined forces to assassinate Gwang Noh-ya, Gyeong Chu-wol also participated in the battlefield to serve the Divine Blood Executioner Squad.

He was just annoyed about participating in a dangerous battle; he didn’t think he himself would be in danger.

After all, the top elites of the Celestial Demon Troupe and the Jade Heaven Alliance had joined forces. With that level of power, they could wipe out any sect in the Jianghu without a trace.

Gyeong Chu-wol naturally thought that Gwang Noh-ya would be brutally killed. But the situation turned out contrary to his expectations.

Gwang Noh-ya mercilessly massacred the alliance of the Celestial Demon Troupe and the Jade Heaven Alliance.

An individual’s martial prowess overwhelmed two groups that held the strongest forces in the Jianghu.

Gyeong Chu-wol witnessed that unbelievable scene with his own eyes.

Gwang Noh-ya slaughtered the martial artists of the Celestial Demon Troupe and the Jade Heaven Alliance as if killing ants, and among them was Gyeong Chu-wol.

Struck casually by Gwang No-ya’s palm, his chest was crushed, and he almost lost his life. But he did not die.

When he regained consciousness, he found himself lying in the middle of a pool of blood, and the Chaos Illuminating Spells he had cherished in his bosom had absorbed the blood fully.

At that moment, a change occurred in the spell book.

A new chapter opened, separate from the existing ones.

The newly opened chapter was entirely different from the previous ones.

Unlike the existing chapters, the new chapter was filled with sinister sorceries.

It was something even Ki San-wol, the author, had not anticipated.

Ki San-wol thought it was a pity to destroy the sinister sorceries, so he sealed them. Among them were contents that should never be released to the world. So he sealed them with a blood seal.

Unless soaked with the blood of hundreds of people or more, it would never open.

Considering common sense, the probability of a book being soaked with the blood shed by hundreds of people was almost nil. Thus, the chosen seal had been opened by chance.

Only then could Gyeong Chu-wol learn the spell book’s magic arts.

Among the new arts, there were those that could be learned as long as one had evil energy and human blood. Fortunately, obtaining those two was not difficult.

The Jade Heaven Alliance was at the center of war, always bringing death and evil energy. Gyeong Chu-wol gradually mastered the spell book from within the shadows of the Heavenly Alliance.

Although his talent was ordinary and he couldn’t learn much of the original spell book, he was able to learn some of the newly opened sinister arts.

Even with just this, he could make a name for himself in the Jianghu. But to reveal his identity and become active, he had to eliminate Ki Jin-hwi, the legitimate successor.

“This is the perfect opportunity to eliminate him. I must find and remove him before he awakens from the 100 days’ cursed dream.”

He believed that Ki Jin-hwi had not yet awakened from the curse.

A deep smile formed on Gyeong Chu-wol’s lips.

A mere servant doing menial chores kills his master and becomes the true successor.

Just imagining it sent a thrill through his entire body.

No matter how he thought about it, joining hands with Go Jeon-ok was the best decision.

If today’s situation was resolved smoothly, Go Jeon-ok would rise to a higher position, and he too would achieve greater success by his side.

“Hehehe!”

Gyeong Chu-wol chuckled as he looked over the battlefield.

Clang!

“Ugh!”

At that moment, along with a sharp metallic sound, someone’s stifled groan echoed.

It was Namgung Jin.

He was kneeling on one knee, supporting himself with his sword. Dark red blood flowed from his mouth.

It was evidence that he had suffered a serious internal injury.

“How cowardly…”

He muttered as he wiped the blood from his mouth with his sleeve.

Seop Yeol was no match for him.

That is, if they had fought fairly.

But Seop Yeol had his subordinates with him.

Namgung Jin’s martial prowess overwhelmed Seop Yeol, but not enough to overpower the entire Blood Martial Squad.

The Blood Martial Squad was accustomed to hunting masters like Namgung Jin. Using that experience, they pressed him hard, and eventually, he suffered severe injuries.

Namgung Jin forced himself to stand. Blood gushed from the stab wound on his back.

“Whew!”

He took a rough breath and raised his sword.

Seop Yeol and the Blood Martial Squad were forming an encirclement, closing in.

Even though they had wounded him and gained the upper hand, they did not let their guard down. They knew all too well from countless experiences that a wounded beast is even more dangerous.

So they didn’t rush.

They planned to methodically attack Namgung Jin, even if it took time.

Seop Yeol’s cold gaze became even more chilling.

Their opponent was Namgung Jin.

One of the top talents in the Jianghu and the young master of the Namgung Clan.

There weren’t many martial artists in the world who held more value than him. Just thinking of capturing such a person with his own hands sent chills down his spine.

“Heh heh!”

Seop Yeol chuckled.

Following him, the Blood Martial Squad also laughed.

They looked like hungry wolves laughing at a wounded tiger. But Namgung Jin didn’t even have the luxury to feel shame.

“Ugh!”

“Young… master!”

Even at that moment, the Nameless Iron Sword Squad was being killed.

The Nameless Iron Sword Squad was strong.

They were strong.

Although not invincible, they could handle several enemies at once. But the number of foes was beyond their imagination.

Like disturbing a hornet’s nest, martial artists of the Jade Heaven Alliance poured out from everywhere, attacking them in unison.

Unless one was an absolute master, there was no way to withstand such overwhelming numbers. The Nameless Iron Sword Squad was no exception. They fought valiantly, but in the face of the Jade Heaven Alliance’s overwhelming numbers, they were helpless.

Grit!

Namgung Jin ground his teeth audibly.

‘I made a mistake. I should have waited a little longer and taken advantage of the opportunity.

The surroundings were already a sea of flames.

While battling the alliance’s martial artists, the fire had spread further. All around, all he could see were crimson flames.

It felt like he was in the middle of a fiery hell.

The scorching heat reached him even from a distance. His face flushed red, and sweat poured endlessly.

The disaster was brought about by his rash decision.

He should have abandoned Chaohu.

He realized this too late; it was already irreversible.

Namgung Jin gripped his sword tightly.

“Whew!”

Although the situation was absolutely unfavorable, his spirit was not yet broken.

“Everyone, be careful.”

Seop Yeol sensed something was amiss and shouted.

Swish!

At that moment, Namgung Jin moved.

His target was Seop Yeol.

“Huh!”

The momentum in his sword was extraordinary.

Whoosh!

Namgung Jin’s sword suddenly extended over four feet.

“sword qi?”

Until now, Namgung Jin had hardly used sword qi. The thought of him using it now made Seop Yeol’s hair stand on end. But he too was a master who could unleash sword qi.

Sword qi appeared on his blade.

“Take this!”

He thought he just needed to endure once. While he bought time, his subordinates would pounce like hungry wolves and tear Namgung Jin apart. So he confronted him head-on.

But that was his fatal mistake.

Namgung Jin’s previously faint sword qi became sharp and clear, extending over three more feet.

“S-Sword Aura?”

Seop Yeol’s eyes widened.

At that moment, his sword qi and Namgung Jin’s Sword Aura clashed.

Boom!

“Gah!”

With an explosive sound, Seop Yeol’s body was flung backward.

The sword in his hand was shattered, leaving only the hilt. His chest was nearly split in half, exposing bone.

Seop Yeol lay sprawled on the ground, motionless.

The sword aura had destroyed all his internal organs.

“Captain!”

“shit!”

The Blood Martial Squad rushed over, but Seop Yeol was already dead. His wide-open eyes reflected disbelief at his own death.

Namgung Jin spat out blood.

Using sword qi to deceive and then converting it into sword aura had placed immense strain on his meridians. But without this tactic, the quick-witted Seop Yeol would never have confronted him directly.

It was a desperate measure he had no choice but to take.

Fortunately, his plan worked brilliantly, but at the cost of serious internal injuries.

Normally, he should have retreated at this point to preserve his life. But Namgung Jin couldn’t do that. He couldn’t abandon the Nameless Iron Sword Squad and flee.

Better to choose a glorious death than live as a coward.

His eyes were fixed on Go Jeon-ok.

“Even if I die, I’ll make sure you come with me.”

Forcing down the blood rising in his throat, Namgung Jin charged at Go Jeon-ok.

The Blood Martial Squad belatedly followed to stop him, but the distance between them and the accelerating Namgung Jin grew wider.

“Die!”

In an instant, he reached Go Jeon-ok’s side.

They were close enough to hear each other’s breathing.

Go Jeon-ok, perhaps not expecting this, widened his eyes and couldn’t react. Even Gyeong Chu-wol beside him was at a loss.

What made Gyeong Chu-wol frightening was his sorcery; his personal martial arts were insignificant. For someone like him, confronting Namgung Jin head-on was impossible.

“Got you.”

Namgung Jin rejoiced inwardly as he looked at Go Jeon-ok, whose eyes were wide like a rabbit’s. If he just extended his sword a little more, Go Jeon-ok’s heart would be torn apart.

At that moment.

Go Jeon-ok pulled out a cylindrical object the size of a child’s forearm from his bosom and aimed it at Namgung Jin. The cylinder had about ten small holes drilled into it.

“What the…?”

Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew!

At that moment, tiny silver needles shot out from the cylinder.

Namgung Jin instinctively swung his sword to protect his entire body.

Ting! Ting! Ting!

Most of the needles were deflected by his sword, but one pierced through his defense and lodged into his shoulder.

“Ugh!”

As soon as the needle embedded itself, Namgung Jin staggered greatly.

In an instant, his mind became dizzy.

“Poison?”

“It’s the Deadly Soul Sucking Needles. Once it hits you, your bones and flesh will melt away until you’re nothing but a pool of blood. Heh heh!”

Go Jeon-ok discarded the cylinder and grinned slyly.

The Deadly Soul Sucking Needles was the last legacy of the now-extinct Sichuan Tang Clan. It disappeared from the world after the Great Heavenly Blood War a hundred years ago, but Go Jeon-ok had acquired it at great expense.

He had prepared the needle as a trump card to be used only once in a life-or-death situation.

The Deadly Soul Sucking Needles was a secret weapon prepared to be used only once in a life-or-death situation.

Last night, when Namgung Jin had infiltrated, he hadn’t had time to prepare the needle. He hadn’t expected the young master to attack so directly and had been careless.

But this time was different. When setting fire to Chaohu, he had anticipated such a situation. So he had prepared to fire the Deadly Soul Sucking Needles at any time, waiting for the optimal moment.

“Ugh!”

Namgung Jin’s body collapsed.

He tried to circulate his internal energy to expel the poison. If he had enough time and the right conditions, he might have been able to do so. But this was a battlefield.

He didn’t have the leisure to calmly circulate his energy.

Srrng!

Go Jeon-ok drew his sword and walked toward Namgung Jin.

His swaggering gait resembled that of a street thug.

Go Jeon-ok placed the blade against Namgung Jin’s neck.

“Now, tell me. Who’s the insect? Who’s less than a worm?”

In just one night, the victor and the vanquished had switched places.

Namgung Jin couldn’t answer due to the poison, and Go Jeon-ok savored his victory. But only for a moment; Go Jeon-ok pressed his sword to finish off Namgung Jin for good.

At that moment.

Whoosh!

A fierce gust of wind blew.

The flames that had painted the world red wavered precariously like candlelight and were suddenly sucked up into the sky.

“What the—?”

Go Jeon-ok blinked in surprise.

As if water being sucked through a straw, the sky absorbed the street’s flames, extinguishing them in an instant.

Poof!

With a small sound, silence returned to the street that had been burning.

Faced with this unbelievable phenomenon, Go Jeon-ok and Gyeong Chu-wol stood frozen like statues.

Tap. Tap.

At that moment, footsteps echoed on the ground still warm with residual heat.

Someone was approaching them, stepping over the charred ashes.