Chapter 216: Sleeping on Brushwood and Tasting Gall (4)
Read more at Nineheavens.org
Gang-ryang’s eyes opened wide as if they would tear.
‘Who is it?’
It was a truly splendid appearance.
The hem of his clothing was torn and ragged, showing how explosive the momentum he ran with was. It meant that he had run while solely focusing on speed without caring for his body.
‘Moreover, this strength is……?’
Flash! Flash!
He used a tremendous amount of internal energy to collapse the Black Sheep Squad, but it seemed he had not yet been able to relieve the remaining internal energy. The true qi swaying from his entire body emitted a lightning-like radiance and scattered.
Gang-ryang’s eyes shook.
‘This person, he is incredibly strong!’
He was a master transcending imagination. It was to the point where the martial prowess of his deceased father came to mind momentarily.
Looking at Gang-ryang, who was looking up at him with eyes full of astonishment, Yeon Ho-jeong was soaked in an unspeakable sentiment.
‘We meet like this.’
The Five Great Divine Generals all served Yeon Ho-jeong politely. However, most of them were older than Yeon Ho-jeong.
Saying what did age matter in making friends, and that if he was someone worthy of serving, they should naturally serve him as an older brother, many people called Yeon Ho-jeong older brother.
However, Gang-ryang was actually younger than Yeon Ho-jeong. Was it because of that? Even in private settings, the person who was uniquely polite to him was Gang-ryang.
He ended up meeting him like this in this life as well.
Yeon Ho-jeong turned his head.
“Stabilize your breathing. Before recovering your internal energy, you must return your breathing first.”
“Yes……?”
“Close your eyes and focus on your blood circulation. You must make the blood circulate down to every single strand of muscle.”
“W-Wait! You are……?!”
“If you fall behind, I will abandon you.”
Gang-ryang swallowed his saliva.
A coldhearted majesty was felt from the lowly sunken voice. It was a powerful presence that made him feel like he had to follow those words unconditionally.
‘Damn it.’
It was not a situation to consider the front and back. Numerous questions came to mind, but Gang-ryang immediately closed his eyes and evened out his breathing.
He did not trust a person he saw for the first time. However, he had no room for choice right now.
Huuuuk.
Yeon Ho-jeong, who realized that Gang-ryang was stabilizing his breathing, glared at the Black Leader.
‘……!!’
The Black Leader felt goosebumps rising on his spine.
‘A tremendous master!’
It felt like the invisible wave of qi harmoniously coming out of his entire body was swirling as it pleased.
‘Where did a master of this level come from?!’
At that time, the five Black Sheep Squad members who survived the reckless attack staggered and stood up.
Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes flashed.
The Black Leader shouted.
“Scatter!”
Peobeobeobeok!
It was merely a belated shout.
In an instant, Yeon Ho-jeong’s figure disappeared, and all the surviving Black Sheep Squad members vomited blood and collapsed.
Yeon Ho-jeong shook his hand. The blood smeared on his hand dripped down to the floor.
Paaaak!
The Black Leader unfolded his movement technique towards the north.
‘An opponent I cannot win against!’
He could not even attempt to figure out who the opponent was.
If caught, he dies. Even the Black Leader, who was the strongest master under Black Sheep, could not help but feel fear in front of Yeon Ho-jeong’s martial arts overflowing with killing intent.
Pabababak!
The Black Leader’s movement technique, advancing while kicking off the valley water, was surprisingly fast.
‘I must escape from him first! Before reporting to the Lord…….’
It was then.
“Heok!”
Tadadak!
The Black Leader hurriedly stopped his movement technique.
“……!!”
Before he knew it, Yeon Ho-jeong was standing with his hands clasped behind his back five zhang away in front of him.
“Your skills are good.”
“…….”
“But.”
Yeon Ho-jeong tilted his head.
“That martial art, no matter how I look at it, it does not seem like a martial art of the Unorthodox.”
The Black Leader’s eyes shook.
“Why is it? I feel like I’ve seen it a lot somewhere. The bizarre true qi coming out from your movement technique……. It seems to follow a different path from the martial lineages of the Central Plains entirely.”
Seureureureu.
The internal energy that was running wild slowly subsided.
However, the killing intent lingering in his two eyes slowly amplified.
“You, where did you learn that martial art?”
Uuuuung.
A faint radiance rose from the Black Leader’s both hands.
He was an opponent he could not run away from. If so, he had no choice but to fight.
‘I will die.’
He was realizing death at an unexpected moment. He truly had never imagined he would meet his end on such a stage.
However, if this too was his destiny, he would have no choice but to accept it without complaint.
‘Lord. Although this lowly one is to die in a foreign land ten thousand li away, please accomplish your great cause and take your place as a great pillar of the Cult…….’
Hwaak!
‘Heok!’
A giant hand approached, completely filling his vision.
It was a hand, but it did not look like a hand at all. It was as if a giant tiger was rushing at him with its maw wide open.
Paak!
The Black Leader, who lowered his head, grabbed Yeon Ho-jeong’s wrist with both hands.
‘Cleaving Severance Strike!’
Holding the wrist and forearm, he folds the opponent’s arm as it is and strikes into an ultra-close distance. While striking up at the crotch with his right knee, he aims for the opponent’s face with his trained forehead.
It was a clean and natural movement like flowing water. It was a physical art perfectly acquired by training thousands and tens of thousands of times.
Peok! Ppagak!
“Keok!”
The Black Leader felt his vision flashing.
A severe pain that could blow his mind away in an instant was transmitted. He felt as if his forehead, which should have crushed the opponent’s nose bridge, was rather split in half.
“Oho.”
A broad smile appeared on Yeon Ho-jeong’s face.
“I thought it was a martial art I had seen a lot somewhere.”
Ududuk.
“Keueuk!”
His mind that had flown away returned in an instant.
It was because he felt a terrible pain. His knee that aimed at the opponent’s crotch was completely broken by the exact same knee strike.
Even in the midst of that, he was holding onto Yeon Ho-jeong’s forearm until the end with one hand. It was an incredible will.
Yeon Ho-jeong roughly rotated his arm.
Udududuk!
“Keuaaak!”
The right arm that was forcibly gripping the forearm was broken from the elbow.
He did not break it with internal energy or strength. He tore the ligaments and broke the bone through a reverse joint. It was a fantastic move that could not be displayed unless one was extremely knowledgeable about the structure of the human body.
“Did you say its name was the Cleaving Severance Strike?”
The Black Leader, who was staggering in reckless pain, was startled.
‘He knows the Cleaving Severance Strike?!’
Teoeok!
“Kek!”
The Black Leader’s body rose into the air and dangled. Yeon Ho-jeong grabbed his neck and lifted him up.
‘Danger!’
It was the moment he tried to strike his head with his intact left arm.
Cheucheucheucheu.
An insidious killing intent flocked like a dense fog.
The Black Leader’s body froze as it was. The tremendous killing intent pouring into his eighty-four thousand pores had bound the movement of his limbs.
At that time, Yeon Ho-jeong’s voice dug into his ears.
“You, which of the three are you?”
“……?!”
“Are you Evil Lust, or are you Mad Blood? Or perhaps Divine Fire?”
“Heok!”
The Black Leader’s eyes opened wide as if they would tear.
Yeon Ho-jeong’s smile deepened even more.
“So you are, right?”
“H-How did you know us?!”
“Well. How did I know.”
Hwareureureureuk!
Before he knew it, the killing intent covering the surroundings became rough like a burning flame.
Yeon Ho-jeong’s brightly smiling face distorted like an evil god and wicked demon.
“It’s because the damage I suffered because of you dog-like bastards wasn’t just a little.”
Burning hatred. Anger soaring right to the point before exploding.
He adjusted his internal energy so that it could only be heard by the Black Leader’s ears, but because he was so glad and angry, his voice almost grew louder for a moment. He had almost made a mistake, unlike the usually cold and calculating Yeon Ho-jeong.
“I am really so glad to see you.”
Yeon Ho-jeong slammed the Black Leader down just like that.
Kwaaang!
Unable to overcome his soaring anger, excessive force was put in. The Black Leader felt his mind growing distant from the pain as if all the joints in his entire body were being crushed.
‘Who is he.’
In his blurring mind, the Black Leader forced his eyes open and looked up at Yeon Ho-jeong.
‘Who in the world is he to know us…….’
At that moment, the Black Leader gasped and inhaled a breath.
Hahahaha!
An incomparably hearty laughter was heard faintly.
It was the mad laughter of the Grandmaster of the Unorthodox who could not hold back his joy and anger. Even madness could be glimpsed from Yeon Ho-jeong’s figure as he burst into a roaring laughter while looking at the sky.
The Black Leader’s face turned pale.
Behind the bursting laughter, a terrifying wave of qi poured down like a volcano erupting.
‘Crazy!’
He was a Mad Demon. There was no other crazy demon.
The unit of demons said to be the most violent and cruel in the Cult came to his mind. Even those mad slaughterers seemed to have their minds screwed on straighter than this young man before his eyes.
Yeon Ho-jeong, who burst into loud laughter for a long while like that, looked down at the Black Leader with a smiling face.
A smile was full on his entire face, but lava was erupting in his two eyes.
“It seems we will have a lot to talk about.”
Yeon Ho-jeong stepped on the Black Leader’s dantian just like that.
Peoeok!
* * *
Gang-ryang gulped down his saliva.
“Have you evened out your breathing completely?”
In the hand of Yeon Ho-jeong, who approached with an expressionless face, was the Black Leader who had become a rag.
‘Crazy.’
The Black Leader’s physical body was horribly smashed. He had been beaten so terribly that if not for his clothing, one would not even be able to distinguish whether he was a person or a beast.
Yeon Ho-jeong gave a bitter smile and put down the Black Leader.
“He was quite an unyielding guy.”
Teolseok.
A bizarre groan leaked out from the mouth of the collapsed Black Leader.
Gang-ryang swallowed a vain breath.
‘He isn’t dead?!’
Even after becoming that state, his lifeline was still attached. He was an enemy, but it was to the point of feeling sorry for the opponent.
“Your body?”
“Yes? Ah!”
Gang-ryang hurriedly bowed his head.
“I do not know who you are, but I have received a great grace. I will definitely repay this grace.”
“Of course you must repay it. I am not a person who moves without a price.”
It was a voice full of arrogance.
Gang-ryang felt strangely relieved at the opponent’s words. If he said he did it out of goodwill, he would have been suspicious instead.
“Please tell me your esteemed name. When my business is finished, I will definitely seek you out and repay…….”
“What is that business of yours?”
“Yes?”
“That business of yours, isn’t it catching and killing Yang Cheon who annihilated the Ghost Iron Sword Sect?”
Gang-ryang was startled.
“H-How did you know that……?”
Come to think of it, this person called out his name immediately as soon as he intruded into the battlefield.
‘He knows about me?’
It was a part he should have thought of earlier. It seemed he had momentarily forgotten because he was distracted.
Vigilance was cast on Gang-ryang’s face.
Looking at that expression, Yeon Ho-jeong chuckled.
‘He is truly honest.’
The emotions he harbored were revealed intact on his face. He was a guy with no talent for deceiving someone in the first place, but he did not know he would act like a greenhorn to this extent.
“Stop spouting nonsense and gather the corpses in one place. I must erase the traces.”
“……May I ask you just one thing?”
“Do so.”
Gang-ryang’s eyes flashed.
“You, are you a person from the Black Dragon Manor’s side?”
Yeon Ho-jeong tilted his head.
“If I were a person from the Black Dragon Manor’s side, would there have been a need to go out of my way to kill all these guys?”
“You never know. It might be an intention to monopolize the merit by catching the successor of the Ghost Iron Sword Sect…….”
“Even while placing the unreasonable move of killing allies? With my skills, it would just be a matter of kidnapping you?”
“……!”
Gang-ryang hesitated. Come to think of it, it was true.
Yeon Ho-jeong said while gathering the corpses in one place.
“I am not a person of the Black Dragon Manor. Rather, I am someone trying to find out something from them.”
“Yes?”
“Detailed talk for later. Hurry up and gather the corps…….”
It was then.
Yeon Ho-jeong, who straightened his waist, looked towards the south.
“Look at these guys?”
Gang-ryang’s eyes changed sharply.
“Why is that?”
“…….”
“Benefactor?”
“It seems the Black Dragon Manor sent people again. The killing intent is quite venomous.”
“Yes? Heok! By any chance, enemies again?!”
Yeon Ho-jeong smiled.
“I like it.”
“W-What do you mean?”
“The festival of idiots fighting to snatch away the merit. That idea, I like it very much.”
Seureureuk.
Yeon Ho-jeong put on the mask of one of the Black Sheep Squad members.
“Things will become easier than I thought. You, follow properly. If you cannot chase me, I will abandon you and go.”