Episode 422

Learning how to rise from defeat (3)

“You… you shouldn’t be able to circulate your internal energy…”

 

Joo Shin-yoon stammered, too shocked to speak clearly.

 

Anyone who’s been poisoned by the Sun-Cutting Acid cannot utilize their internal energy. It wasn’t called the “Day Eraser” for nothing.

 

Until now, no one who had been poisoned by the Sun-Cutting Acid, no matter how powerful, had ever been able to circulate their energy. Not even the greatest martial artists.

 

So his shock was beyond words.

 

Whish!

 

Lee Gwak flicked his blade, shaking off the blood clinging to its edge.

 

The motion was so fluid that it bordered on elegance.

 

There was no trace of poisoning on him.

 

“You vile bastard! Did you deceive us?”

 

“I never deceived you. You deceived yourselves.”

 

Lee Gwak stepped toward Joo Shin Yoon.

 

The Sun-Cutting Acid did affect him—it disrupted the flow of his internal energy. But he could still wield his blade techniques thanks to the Eight Snakes Art.

 

The Eight Snakes Art operated on a different principle than the orthodox internal arts of the Central Plains.

 

While Central Plains martial arts relied on the dantian, the Eight Snake Arts were based on the Huiyin acupoint.

 

This gave Lee Gwak partial resistance to the poison. The Sun-Cutting Acid primarily targeted the dantian, hardening it like stone to block the flow of internal energy.

 

By relying on the Huiyin Acupoint, he remained relatively unaffected, for now.

 

He knew the poison would eventually seep into his Huiyin as well.

 

Lee Gwak half-closed his eyes and estimated the time.

 

‘At most, one hour.’

 

It wasn’t nearly enough to take on the entire Loyal Sword Squad that had infiltrated Sipyeon.

 

He had to move fast.

 

Tap!

 

Lee Gwak stomped the ground.

 

His target? Joo Shin Yoon.

 

His blade cut through space, aiming straight for Joo Shin Yoon’s head—but Goo Shin-chung’s sword intercepted it.

 

Clang!

 

The metallic screech sent Lee Gwak’s blade recoiling.

 

Goo Shin-chung, sensing the force behind Lee Gwak’s strike, shouted:

 

“Don’t falter! He’s not at full strength either!”

 

If Lee Gwak were truly unharmed, Goo Shin-chung would never have been able to block that strike.

 

That certainty fueled Goo Shin-chung’s confidence.

 

“He’s suppressing the poison somehow, but he can’t hold out forever! Keep pressing him—the Sun Cutting Acid will take effect soon!”

 

“Raaagh!”

 

“Die!”

 

Bolstered by Goo Shin-chung’s words, the warriors of the Loyal Sword Squad surged forward.

 

Clang! Clash! Boom!

 

The inn echoed with the chaotic symphony of clashing steel.

 

Amid the chaos, Joo Shin-yoon quietly made his escape.

 

‘No reason to stay and watch this dogfight. Time is on my side.’

 

Hundreds of Loyal Sword Squad warriors were already here, with reinforcements waiting in reserve.

 

Even if Lee Gwak fought for hours, it wouldn’t be enough.

 

Though caught off guard by Lee Gwak’s resistance, Joo Shin Yoon, like Goo Shin-chung, believed he was barely holding on.

 

The more Lee Gwak exerted himself, the faster the poison would take hold.

 

All they had to do was keep pushing.

 

Joo Shin Yoon gestured toward the inn, and the Loyal Sword Squad members hiding outside moved on cue.

 

Rustle rustle rustle!

 

Only the sound of brushing clothes echoed through the dark street.

 

They smashed through the windows and poured into the inn.

 

Slash!

 

Lee Gwak’s blade split the air.

 

Warriors fell, blood spraying—but their comrades instantly filled the gaps.

 

The Loyal Sword Squad was like an endless tide of ants.

 

As soon as one was killed, another would appear to fill the gap and attack, forcing Lee Gwak to move quickly, with no time to catch his breath.

 

Clang! Clash! Clang!

 

The inn trembled under the relentless assault.

 

Sweat drenched Lee Gwak from head to toe in an instant.

 

If he were at full strength, this number would pose no threat. Unfortunately, he wasn’t.

 

The harder he tried, the faster the Sun Cutting Acid would catch up to him.

 

He had to fight as efficiently as possible.

 

He had to minimize his internal energy usage.

 

With so many things to consider, his movements were inevitably restricted.

 

Screee!

 

A rain of swords came crashing down on him.

 

Deflecting the attacks, Lee Gwak thought:

 

“Being confined in a small space is a disadvantage. I have to disrupt their formation.”

 

The thought came swiftly, and the action followed just as fast.

 

Lee Gwak launched himself toward the ceiling.

 

Boom!

 

He burst through the inn’s roof and emerged outside.

 

Standing on the rooftop, he scanned his surroundings, and a look of dismay crossed his face.

 

Black-clad figures were everywhere.

 

The Loyal Sword Squad had completely taken over the streets. It was as if the entire city of Sibeon had fallen to them.

 

“Phew…”

 

 

 

Lee Gwak exhaled lightly as he searched for Joo Shin-yoon, but he saw no sign of him.

 

He had vanished among the sea of black figures.

 

If he wanted to kill Joo, he’d have to go through all of them.

 

Retreat wasn’t an option.

 

There was nowhere to run.

 

He had only one choice left.

 

Lee Gwak leapt toward the enemy.

 

Slash!

 

His blade tore through the night sky.

 

“Argh!”

 

A Loyal Sword Squad member screamed and fell, but another took his place quickly.

 

The Loyal Sword Squad overwhelmed him with sheer numbers.

 

They showed no fear of death.

 

Even as comrades fell before their eyes, they charged without hesitation.

 

As the night of Sipyeon ran red with blood, Oh Jung-gyeong appeared on the street.

 

“What the…?”

 

After the drinking party ended, he returned to the lodgings of the Jeongong Escort Agency, only to come out again when he heard the commotion.

 

There, he saw Lee Gwak battling the Loyal Sword Squad.

 

With every swing of Lee Gwak’s blade, warriors fell—but something felt off.

 

His movements were sluggish.

 

Without hesitation, Oh Jung-gyeong leaped into the chaos.

 

Crash!

 

Crash!

 

His powerful blow scattered the Loyal Sword Squad surrounding Lee Gwak.

 

Landing beside him, Oh Jung-gyeong asked,

 

“You okay?”

 

“How are you here?”

 

“I’ve got your back.”

 

“These are Jade Heaven Alliance’s men. Helping me will put your escort agency at risk.”

 

“And I can’t just watch my friend die.”

 

“Jung-gyeong!”

 

“We fight together.”

 

Oh Jung-gyeong stood back-to-back with Lee Gwak, guarding his rear.

 

A single ally.

 

Strategically, it wasn’t a massive reinforcement. But just knowing someone stood with him gave Lee Gwak tremendous courage.

 

Not being alone made all the difference.

 

He fought by instinct now.

 

With so many enemies, relying on fixed forms was pointless.

 

Strike. Retrieve. Repeat.

 

No patterns, just pure intuition.

 

Swish! Slash!

 

With each terrifying whistle of his blade, bodies piled at his feet. But wounds accumulated across his own body too.

 

No matter how many he killed, their numbers didn’t decrease.

 

On the contrary, their numbers grew as time passed.

 

The streets of Sipyeon were completely under their control. Any martial artist who hadn’t left the city was too intimidated to step outside.

 

“What the hell’s going on out there?”

 

“Where did all these martial artists even come from?”

 

Afraid of getting caught in the chaos, they peered through the cracks in the windows.

 

“You bastards—cough!”

 

“How dare you rampage in the Wudang Sect’s territory—urk!”

 

A few brave martial artists who tried stepping out were instantly struck down. After that, no one else dared move.

 

Huff, huff…

 

Lee Gwak panted heavily.

 

His fatigue level was much higher than normal due to his limited internal energy.

 

His body had long since turned red from both his own blood and others’.

 

Some wounds were deep enough to hinder movement, but he didn’t stop.

 

Clang!

 

Another Loyal Sword Squad martial artist fell before him.

 

In those dying eyes, Lee Gwak saw his own reflection. The blood they coughed up stained his chest.

 

His eyelids twitched.

 

He could feel his Huiyin point beginning to harden—the Sun-Cutting Acid was finally taking full effect.

 

“This isn’t working.”

 

No matter how many he killed, it was meaningless.

 

Unless he captured Joo Shin-yoon and Goo Shin-chung, the battle would never end. The longer it dragged on, the worse his odds would become.

 

Lee Gwak bit his lip until it bled.

 

‘If only I could use my full strength…’

 

With unrestricted energy, he wouldn’t be cornered like this.

 

If he could freely channel his internal energy into his blade, he wouldn’t be in such a tight spot.

 

This was the first time his reliance on blade arts alone had failed him.

 

A thought struck him.

 

‘How did I fight before?’

 

Before mastering the blade, he’d used anything at hand to compensate for his lack of skill. Because of that, Gwang Noh-ya had once criticized his martial arts as cluttered.

 

But ever since learning from Gwang Noh-ya, he’d abandoned all else, dedicating himself solely to the blade.

 

It had become his only ally, his sole weapon.

 

Now, he realized—he’d been too fixated.

 

If his energy was too restricted to wield the blade properly, then he’d use other tools.

 

Luckily, the ground was littered with them.

 

Lee Gwak snatched a belt from a fallen martial artist’s waist and coiled it around his left hand.

 

Whiplash!

 

The belt lashed out like a whip.

 

“Gah!”

 

“Damn it!”

 

The martial artists lost their balance when struck.

 

Lee Gwak didn’t miss the opportunity; he surged forward and took them down.

 

He used everything—belts, swords, daggers, even coins.

 

This was a far cry from his usual disciplined style.

 

He fought like a beast unleashed.

 

“What the hell?!”

 

“This bastard—!”

 

The Loyal Sword Squad, accustomed to his controlled movements, faltered.

 

They were still human.

 

Despite their training to dull emotions and suppress fear, they couldn’t erase it completely.

 

They were now afraid—not of his martial prowess, but of Lee Gwak himself.

 

“What are you doing? Attack him!”

 

Goo Shin-chung’s roar snapped them back into action.

 

“You think you’re getting away?”

 

Oh Jung-gyeong fought on behind Lee Gwak.

 

He, too, had long become bloodstained.

 

Some of his wounds were deep, serious enough to threaten his life. But he didn’t fall back.

 

Lee Gwak was his only friend.

 

He couldn’t abandon him just to save himself.

 

Jung-gyeong glanced over his shoulder.

 

“Even if I die, I won’t let you fight alone.”

 

He pushed himself for one final surge.

 

But the battle was still one-sided.

 

Just as Oh Jung-gyeong’s movements began to slow—

 

“Argh!”

 

“We’re under attack!”

 

Suddenly, chaos erupted behind the ranks of the Loyal Sword Squad.

 

A group of unknown martial artists had attacked them.

 

The sudden strike threw their formation into disarray.

 

“Who the hell are you?!”

 

Goo Shin-chung glared at the attackers.

 

And from their ranks, a young martial artist barely out of his teens stepped forward.

 

“Long time no see, Squad Leader Goo!”

 

“You—!”

 

Goo Shin-chung recognized him instantly.

 

The young man was Lim Ji-moon.

 

Fury exploded from Goo Shin-chung at his appearance.

 

“You dare betray the Jade Heaven Alliance and take his side?!”

 

“Even if your mouth is crooked, speak straight.  It was the Jade Heaven Alliance who betrayed us first.”

 

There was no trace of a smile left on Lim Ji-moon’s face. He looked at Goo Shin-chung and the Loyal Sword Squad with an expression as cold as ice.

 

Though he had always appeared carefree, laughing foolishly and indulging in drink, not once had he forgotten the death of his master, Yeo Jung-wol.

 

Lim Ji-moon raised his hand.

 

In that instant, the landscape around the inn began to shift.

 

Goo Shin-chung shouted,

 

“It’s a formation! Stop him!”

 

The disciple of Yeo Jung-wol had declared war on the Jade Heaven Alliance.