Chapter 103: Abyss Valley (2)
Things that were once human flailed like insects.
Since it was not a struggle to yearn for life in particular, it looked even more bizarre.
“When fighting a Jiangshi, you can pierce the crown of the skull like this.”
Chui looked down at the two Jiangshi and said in an emotionless tone.
“Because though you cannot kill them, you can at least make them unable to fight any longer.”
“…….”
“Did you understand?”
“…….”
The calm expression and relaxed voice, which did not suit the situation, sounded even more terrifying instead.
Namgung Yul and the prisoners could not say anything.
Chui’s strength and experience were sinking in all over again to their very skin.
However, Gyeon Sul had a flushed face as if he liked Chui even more.
“I won’t be able to pierce as delicately as our pretty boy, though. Instead, I’ll just chop off their limbs! That will do.”
The Dog-Head Guillotine was brandished roughly.
“What are those puny things going to do if they don’t die? When they have no limbs!”
Gyeon Sul was tenaciously aiming only at the opponent’s wrists, ankles, and neck.
One Blue Yaksha wrapped a whip around the joints of its own body, blocking Gyeon Sul’s Dog-Head Guillotine.
…Thud! …Thud! …Thud! …Thud! …Thud! …Thud! …Thud! …Thud!
Every time the guillotine blade struck the Blue Yaksha’s body, the sound of an axe chopping wood resounded.
Crack! Crunnnch!
The Blue Yaksha hit by Gyeon Sul’s final stance lost its body balance in an instant.
The left knee, hit by the guillotine blade, was half torn off.
…Thump! Flail, flail, flail!
Even while lying face down on the ground, the Blue Yaksha moved its two arms to brandish the whip.
Gyeon Sul recoiled in horror.
“Wow, these bastards really have no fear! Is it because they are Jiangshi? Pretty boy—I think handling one is my limit.”
Chui had eliminated two Blue Yakshas, but four more remained.
Among them, Gyeon Sul was holding down one Blue Yaksha, so three were left.
Chui was currently dealing with those three all at once.
Clang, clang, clang, clang!
Sparks flew from the four swords and one spear entangled with the Plum Blossom Ghost Spear.
Two Blue Yakshas held twin swords, and one Blue Yaksha held a deformed spear.
They formed a triangular battle formation and were thoroughly pressing Chui.
“…….”
Chui leapt without hesitation between the three Blue Yakshas.
Normally, if one entered between a triangle, they would become the target of endless continuous attacks and be helplessly defeated.
…However, that was only the case when one focused all attention on defense.
Chui thrust his spear, disregarding defense.
Squish!
Chui’s spear was driven into the chest of the Blue Yaksha opposite him.
The Blue Yaksha’s body was pushed by that force and blown far back.
Meanwhile, two Jiangshi thrust their twin swords in both hands respectively.
…Thud, thud! Sqch!
Two of the four swords dug into his shoulder and stomach respectively, but there was not the slightest change in Chui’s expression.
Clack! Chrrrrrr!
The Plum Blossom Ghost Spear, segmented into three joints, was brandished like a whip.
…Thud, thud!
The spear blade at the very tip bent like a snake, severing the necks of the two Blue Yakshas in a single blow.
Crash!
The two solidly frozen heads hit a rock and shattered.
Blood and brain matter in the form of thin ice sprayed thickly onto the white snow.
However, the headless Blue Yakshas continued to move.
It was a sight just like a fish or insect whose head had been chopped off continuing to flop around.
…Creak! …Creak!
The Blue Yakshas pushed the swords lodged in Chui’s body with even more strength.
But.
“Push it in tighter. Only then will it be deeply embedded.”
Chui did not stop the Blue Yakshas’ swords from carving into his body.
Rather, he even made way for the blades to be driven deeper inside his body.
Soon, Chui exerted strength where the blades were embedded.
Crunnnch…
The muscles contracted, tightly gripping and constricting the blades.
The Blue Yakshas hurriedly pulled at the swords, but they were already firmly lodged in Chui’s body and would not budge.
Spin—
In that state, Chui twisted and spun his body forcefully once.
…Crack!
The wounds tore open greatly, but in return, the two Blue Yakshas lost one weapon each.
Chui backed away with two swords lodged in his body.
And he threw his spear with all his might.
Shweeeeeeeek!
The Plum Blossom Ghost Spear flew through the air, heading toward the Blue Yaksha on the left.
Crimson spear qi surged, tracing a red trajectory.
The Blue Yaksha tried to block the spear by crossing its twin swords, but because it was missing one sword, it could not defend perfectly.
Crack, crack! …Clack!
The spear thrown by Chui shattered the Blue Yaksha’s sword and plunged straight down, severing its waist.
Thud!
The upper body and lower body of the Blue Yaksha were completely separated.
Through the cut surfaces of both sides, frozen bone fragments and pieces of entrails were being sprayed.
At the same time, Chui pulled out the two swords lodged in his body and threw them toward the ankles of the other Blue Yaksha.
The two swords flew spinning through the air, passing straight through the ankles of the right Blue Yaksha and lodging in the snow.
Slash! Slash! …Thud!
The Blue Yaksha, with both ankles severed, fell directly onto the ground and began to flounder.
Right at that moment.
“……!”
Chui faced the last Blue Yaksha leaping toward him.
It was the individual that had been blown back after being hit by his spear earlier.
Swish—
A long spear shot forward, aiming for Chui’s neck.
Chui furrowed his brows.
“…….”
He had neither a spear nor a sword in his hand.
Even the two awls had left his hands earlier.
‘It will be difficult to avoid this completely.’
The back or the stomach. Perhaps he might have to give up one of the two.
Just when Chui was contemplating which way would at least reduce the damage.
“Now! Throw it!”
Namgung Yul’s voice rang out resoundingly.
At the same time, something black spread out wide between Chui and the Blue Yaksha.
It was the net that the prisoners, including Xu Se-chi, had brought from the cart.
Chrrrrrr!
The wide net swept over the Blue Yaksha.
While the Blue Yaksha was floundering, tearing at the meshes of the net, Namgung Yul threw her sword toward Chui.
“Catch!”
The Fish Gut Sword, the treasure of the Namgung Clan.
It was once again grasped in Chui’s hand.
Chui reached out and snatched the Fish Gut Sword.
“It reminds me of the Blood Oath Ceremony.”
“A-are you in a position to joke right now!?”
At Namgung Yul’s shout, Chui turned his head slowly.
And then.
…Slash!
He sliced off the neck of the floundering Blue Yaksha right through the net.
[……! ……! ……!]
It seemed that even for a Jiangshi, the presence of the head was important.
The Blue Yaksha’s movements slowed down to a degree that could not even be compared to earlier.
“Haat!”
Namgung Yul picked up the spear the Blue Yaksha had dropped and thrust it straight forward.
Thud—
The Blue Yaksha fell backward, struck by the spear Namgung Yul thrust, and although it flailed, it could not rise again.
“Ugh, what kind of things are these?”
From afar, Gyeon Sul’s horrified voice resounded.
He, too, had just split one Blue Yaksha in half, albeit in a ragged state.
“Crazy things. I sliced off the neck and limbs completely, yet they are still flopping around. Ugh—I’m afraid they’ll appear in my dreams.”
“Pour oil over them and burn them. After that, they must be buried in the ground.”
Chui spoke briefly.
Soon, the prisoners began to move busily.
They threw the still-flailing Blue Yakshas into a pit, poured oil on them, and burned them.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Crackle, crackle!
The wriggling of the Blue Yakshas inside the fire was visible even from outside the pit.
Severed heads clattered their teeth, detached arms and legs crawled like spiders using fingers and toes, and snake-like tendons throbbed and writhed in the torso left isolated.
Those things, which moved for a while even inside the fire, stopped moving only after about half a quarter of an hour had passed and soon burned away like ordinary flesh.
Only then could the prisoners fill the pit with dirt.
Meanwhile, Namgung Yul was looking at the wounds on Chui’s body.
“What should we do about these wounds… Even the Golden Sore Ointment is all gone…”
With a face that looked ready to cry at any moment, she was caressing Chui’s shoulders and stomach.
It was the first time she felt pain herself upon seeing someone else’s wound.
She reached out and swept over Chui’s body.
The skin as fair as white jade was entirely burst and cracked, revealing red flesh.
The muscle fibers were torn and fluttered like skeins of thread, and through them, yellowish and bluish entrails and blood vessels were visible.
“Leave it. It will heal if left alone.”
“Leave it? Why would you leave it! Doesn’t it even hurt?! It will fester if left like this!”
Namgung Yul raised her voice as if she could not understand Chui’s nonchalant reaction.
Right at that moment.
“Excuse me…”
Someone spoke up carefully from behind Namgung Yul.
It was Xu Se-chi.
“If it is alright, would you like to use this?”
What Xu Se-chi held out was precisely the Golden Sore Ointment.
It was the medicine he had bought for twenty parigas not long ago, saying he couldn’t go on with blistered feet.
Namgung Yul said hurriedly.
“Give it! I will pay you double the money! Hurry!”
She seemed ready to spend all her money if it was to treat Chui.
But, the words that came out of Xu Se-chi’s mouth were somewhat unexpected.
“M-my treat. Please do not feel too burdened.”
“…….”
At that, Chui stared blankly at Xu Se-chi.
Written on his face was, ‘Why bother?’
Xu Se-chi smiled bitterly and continued speaking.
“Actually, you see. I received a letter via carrier pigeon the other day. It seems my family has completely turned their backs on me.”
“…….”
“Well, it doesn’t matter. I had no parents originally, and my wife only married me for my money. I heard that as soon as she received news that I had set off on a merchant trip to the Ba-Shu Snowy Mountains, she immediately hooked up with the gigolo next door. Or maybe they had been sleeping together even before that.”
“…….”
“It seems the children all went with their mother too. All this time I embezzled money so diligently to let my family live in luxury, but now it has all become useless. Hahaha—”
Xu Se-chi squeezed the Golden Sore Ointment into Namgung Yul’s hand.
“So please use this medicine for the Thousand-Head. Since it was all bought with the money gathered from embezzling public funds anyway, it is rather good that it is used like this. Although I have never directly harassed the common people… still, it must have had a bad influence indirectly. Since it is such money, at this point in time… Huh?”
Instantly, Xu Se-chi stopped speaking.
Tssssssss…
This was because the wounds on Chui’s body were healing on their own.
Seeing that sight, both Namgung Yul and Xu Se-chi gasped in surprise, their mouths half open.
G-ooooooooo…
It looked as if the crimson blood boiled up in Chui’s wounds, and soon it rose like red haze.
Every time that happened, the wounds fused, scabs formed, bruises and swelling subsided, and healthy color returned.
Soon, Chui’s body returned to an unblemished, smooth state just like before.
Sliiiide—
Chui blew off the dried scabs clinging to his skin, dusted them away, and threw the blood-cape over himself again.
Then, he spoke toward Xu Se-chi, who was standing awkwardly holding the Golden Sore Ointment.
“No need, just pull the cart.”
“…….”
Even after repelling all the Blue Yakshas, there was nothing in particular that had changed about Chui.
With an extremely calm expression, as if he had merely brushed off a clinging insect.
Unrivaled Spear Ghost