Chapter 37: Death Plum Blossom (2)
A dozen small boats anchored by the riverbank.
As many as seventy water bandits, armed with spears and swords, gleamed with murderous eyes.
They were those who had come upon seeing the signal flare sent up by Gongson Hap right before his death.
“It was definitely a red signal flare, right?”
“Yeah. It means to sweep forward in a line and kill everything in sight.”
“Whether they are alive or dead, kill them all and kill them again.”
The water bandits seized the silver grass field in the blink of an eye.
However.
Despite this, the two men kneeling in front of the grave did not show any particular reaction.
The conversation continued calmly.
“What was your relationship with my father?”
“No relationship.”
“Then how did you know to come find this place?”
“By chance.”
“Bamboo Leaf Green liquor and monkfish jerky were my father’s absolute favorites, though?”
“They are also things I like.”
“You expect me to believe that?”
“I didn’t particularly tell you to believe it.”
The two men conversed, completely unconcerned about their surroundings.
It was truly a situation that could only be described as audacious.
The water bandits drew their swords and rushed toward the grave.
“You fearless bastards! I will beat you to death!”
One water bandit charged while swinging a Horse-Slaying Saber.
He was a giant of a man, whose height exceeded seven feet and neared eight feet.
However.
…Slice!
The one-armed man, the Death Plum Blossom, drew his sword and swung it.
A red thin line drawn in the air painted five petals.
The man’s neck was cut halfway through, and the blood that erupted forcefully blossomed like a red plum flower.
At the same time, Chui also raised his staff.
Crack!
The head of the water bandit, who had leapt into the air trying to strike down with his spear, was instantly smashed to pieces.
Thud— Thud—
The decapitated corpse and the corpse with its head blown apart collapsed onto the ground simultaneously.
The expressions of the water bandits froze stiff.
“W-what are these bastards?”
“Damn it! Kill them all! Overwhelm them with numbers!”
“Since the red firecracker has exploded anyway, there is no retreat!”
“If we retreat, we will be caught and killed by Hundred Heads Gongson!”
Over seventy spears and swords descended upon Chui and the Death Plum Blossom.
Yet, the conversation between the two men was still calm as flowing water, not interrupted in the slightest.
“Where were you on your way to?”
From the tip of the sword that the Death Plum Blossom struck down, a second blood plum blossom bloomed.
Without fail, the neck of a water bandit became fertilizer for the flower.
Chui replied while swinging his staff.
“Henan.”
No sooner had the words ended than a water bandit’s head cracked open like a gourd.
The Death Plum Blossom said as he drew a third plum blossom.
“Near the Mount Hua Sect. Why are you going there?”
The air was dyed crimson by the blood mist generated as both arms of a water bandit swinging an axe were severed.
Chui replied as he pulled out the hammer from his bosom.
“To seek revenge.”
The hammer thrown by Chui lodged into the mouth of a water bandit who was about to shoot a bow.
Needless to say, his teeth as well as the bones of his upper and lower jaws were completely ground to dust.
The Death Plum Blossom scattered a fourth plum blossom.
“Whose revenge is it?”
The entire body of a water bandit about to throw a dagger was cleanly split into two pieces.
Chui scattered caltrops on the muddy ground.
“Someone like a master.”
The rushing water bandits stepped on the caltrops, their feet pierced from the soles to the insteps.
The tip of the Death Plum Blossom’s sword drew a fifth plum blossom.
“If he’s a master, he’s a master, but what is ‘someone like a master’?”
Intestines spilled below the upper body of a water bandit whose waist had been severed.
Chui raised his staff and impaled the belly of a water bandit right in front of him.
“In this world, there are relationships that cannot be cut-and-dry defined.”
A gaping hole was blown into the belly of the water bandit hit by Chui’s staff.
The Death Plum Blossom caressed a sixth plum blossom.
“So. Who is that master?”
That beautifully bloomed in succession from the chests of water bandits who were nocking arrows to their bows.
Chui swept his staff horizontally along the ground.
“No need for you to know.”
Stone fragments buried in the mud flew fiercely, battering the heads of the water bandits in front.
Eventually, the Death Plum Blossom bloomed a seventh plum blossom.
“……”
A beautiful plum blossom with five petals.
The seventh blossom.
It fell straight down toward Chui.
“……”
At the same time, Chui also brandished his staff.
The staff drew a whirlwind like a black dragon, savagely tearing apart the surrounding silver grass.
Clang!
The tip of Chui’s staff and the tip of the Death Plum Blossom’s sword collided.
On the battlefield where the seventy water bandits lay completely dead, the two men fiercely tangled with each other.
Clang! Clang! Screeech!
The Death Plum Blossom’s sword scraped down the surface of the staff Chui swung, crafting countless sparks.
“Tui—”
Chui, who bit the inside of his mouth to draw blood, spat toward the Death Plum Blossom’s eyes.
Pft-
The Death Plum Blossom deflected Chui’s spit with the back of his blade and drew one more blossom just like that.
Along with the scent of blood, a thick fragrance of plum blossoms was spreading.
Chui stared at the tip of the Death Plum Blossom’s sword that brushed past the tip of his nose and said.
“Indeed a Plum Blossom Swordsman.”
“……”
At this, the Death Plum Blossom’s expression distorted.
Originally, ‘Plum Blossom Swordsman’ referred to the swordsmen of the Mount Hua Sect who had realized the ultimate essence of the Plum Blossom Sword Technique.
A realm where one could draw at least four or more plum blossoms simultaneously with a single swing of the sword.
The realm that all Mount Hua martial artists dreamed of and trained for was precisely that of a Plum Blossom Swordsman.
However.
“Do not call me by such a disgusting title.”
The Death Plum Blossom felt anger at this honorable title.
Of course, Chui knew the reason well.
“Is the name of Mount Hua burdensome?”
“……”
“Because you are on your way to join the Demonic Cult after raping and murdering your junior sister?”
“……!”
Instantly, the Death Plum Blossom’s eyes rolled back.
Terrifying murderous intent erupted from his eyes, and as many as seven plum blossoms vaguely covered Chui’s front.
Staring at the rain of petals that completely filled the sky, Chui admired him purely.
Death Plum Blossom, Oh Ja-woon.
A one-armed Plum Blossom Swordsman who had lost an arm after getting caught in the inescapable net.
To have this level of skill despite being pursued by countless teams, unable to eat or sleep properly.
Chui did not face the fragrance of plum blossoms head-on but twisted his body sideways.
…Rip-rip-rip!
His collar was torn into several pieces and fluttered.
Each plum blossom possessed five petals.
There were as many as seven such plum blossoms.
As many as thirty-five petals pursued Chui.
It was a sword skill so fast and exquisite that it was hard to believe he was one-armed.
“That is a lot.”
Chui raised his staff toward the wave of petals in which illusory swords and chaotic swords were intermingled.
Boom!
The staff, struck down from top to bottom, overturned the muddy ground entirely.
A wave of silver grass and mud rose, swallowing the beautiful plum blossoms.
However.
Creeeeeak!
The plum blossoms that the Death Plum Blossom bloomed were not just beautiful, but also strong and ferocious.
The silver grass and mud were torn to shreds as soon as they touched the plum blossoms, bouncing off in all directions.
Chui quickly pursued the shadow of the Death Plum Blossom amidst the dark red, profusely blooming blossoms.
‘Plum Blossom Blood Rain, Plum Blossom Spewing Splendor, Plum Fragrance Penetrating the Bone, Plum Wandering in Green Bamboo, Plum Blossom Butterfly Dance, Plum Enduring Snowy Cold, Plum Fragrance Drunken Butterfly, Plum Blossom by the Wayside, Plum Blossom Falling Scatteredly, Plum Blossom Opening to Guide, Plum Blossom Falling in the Sun, Falling Plums Fluttering Down, Falling Plums Forming Rain, Nine Changes of the Plum Blossom, Plum Blossom in Full Bloom, Plum Blossom Enduring Winter, Plum Fragrance Forming a Stream, Dotted Plum Blossoms, Plum Blossoms in Wild Profusion, Plum Shadow Creating a River, Plum Blossom Gradually Opening, Plum Blossom Frequently Fluttering, and again Plum Blossom Blood Rain, Plum Blossom Spewing Splendor, Plum Fragrance Penetrating the Bone, Plum Wandering in Green Bamboo, Plum Blossom Butterfly Dance……’
Amidst the endlessly fluttering orthodox and heterodox moves, and solid strikes and feints, Chui accurately found the Plum Blossom Swordsman hidden behind the plum blossoms.
Swish!
The staff Chui thrust flew in like a dark venomous snake and bit the waist of the Death Plum Blossom.
“HN!”
The Death Plum Blossom hastily scattered petals to deflect Chui’s staff, but he could not avoid the tip of the staff, whose trajectory was bent, brushing his thigh.
…Splat!
The Death Plum Blossom, brushed by Chui’s staff, rolled onto the mud flat just like that.
There was no way Chui would miss that opening.
Whoosh-
The staff, struck down from top to bottom once again, struck the shoulder of the Death Plum Blossom.
Clang!
The Death Plum Blossom hastily raised his sword, but the strength of a single arm could not fully block the weight loaded onto Chui’s staff.
“Khg!”
Hit on his thigh and shoulder, the Death Plum Blossom retreated using the Lazy Donkey Roll.
His entire body was already covered in mud, and the wounds from the staff throbbed with pain.
Chui approached with leisurely steps and stood before him.
The Death Plum Blossom furrowed his brow.
And he gestured with his chin toward his empty left shoulder.
“If my left arm had been properly attached, the one rolling in the mud right now would have been your head.”
“But it’s not attached.”
“……”
The moment the Death Plum Blossom was about to say something to Chui.
…Bang! …Bang!
Two firecrackers exploded in the sky.
Blue and yellow.
Seeing that, the Death Plum Blossom’s expression froze stiff.
At that moment, Chui opened his mouth.
“Blue is the signal for discovery, and yellow is for encirclement. Have the dogs of the Martial Alliance arrived?”
“……How do you know that?”
Before the Death Plum Blossom could even ask properly, a new wind arose in the silver grass field.
Rustle, rustle, rustle—
The pursuit squads of the Martial Alliance dressed in black clothes began to approach from the left.
Rustle, rustle, rustle—
Those approaching from the right were wearing blue clothes.
It was the Purple Moon Special Task Force of the Namgung Clan.
“It seems the Death Plum Blossom and the Three Calls of the Yellow Springs are both in one place!”
“A large number of water bandits of the Yangtze River Water Bandit Union are dead at the same spot!”
“It appears they were in the middle of a three-way battle!”
The Death Plum Blossom narrowed his eyes and scanned the faces forming the encirclement.
And then he cast a sideways glance toward Chui.
“The Daoists of the Mount Hua Sect came chasing after me, but the hunting dogs of Namgung are a bit sudden. Did you bring them along?”
“……”
Chui laid the staff horizontally across both shoulders and rested his hands on it.
He looked quite composed.
Rustle-
The encirclement was felt tightening.
It was a momentum that could not even be compared to the encirclement the water bandits had made earlier.
In the distance, through the silver grass forest, the eyes of beasts aiming for prey were seen burning in various colors.
At that time, the Death Plum Blossom said.
“Wu and Yue in the same boat. It seems we are both in a chased situation. What do you say?”
He was pointing at the dozen or so boats lined up at the riverbank behind them.
They were what the water bandits had come on.
Nod-
As soon as Chui nodded his head, the Death Plum Blossom turned and ran.
The moment he leapt toward the nearest floating boat.
Chill-
A chilling sensation was felt from behind.
“Are you insane!?”
The Death Plum Blossom hastily turned his head, but.
Thwack!
It was after Chui had already struck the back of the Death Plum Blossom’s head with his staff.
…Splat!
The Death Plum Blossom face-planted into the mud flat once more, and this time, he could not get back up.
Chui grabbed the back of the Death Plum Blossom’s neck, lifted him up, and slung him over his shoulder.
“The Staff Ghost was also caught by this move.”
Chui, murmuring in a low voice, raised his staff and smashed the boats anchored next to him one after another.
Crash! Crash! Crash!
The red energy extending from the tip of the staff left large holes in the middle of the boats.
Chui left only one boat for himself to ride and boarded it.
At that moment, the warriors of the Martial Alliance and the Namgung Clan descended upon the riverbank by a hair’s breadth.
“Ah! He is escaping by boat!”
“No! We must catch him!”
“We must never let him cross the river!”
However, Chui was already rowing and going far away.
“……Damn it!”
Just as Namgung Yul gritted her teeth at the thought of losing the target.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Daoist Nangwa Bi Mu-geuk rushed like an arrow and kicked off the water’s surface.
A peak movement technique reaching the realm of water-skimming was unfolded.
…Thud! …Thud! …Thud! …Thud! …Thud!
Bi Mu-geuk leapt like a stone skipping over the water and reached his hand toward the gunwale.
However.
Splash!
Because Chui’s staff, which was being used as an oar, kicked up from the water’s surface, Bi Mu-geuk could not grab the boat.
Clang!
Instead of grabbing the gunwale, Bi Mu-geuk drew his sword and blocked Chui’s staff.
“How dare this fellow try to help a public enemy of the martial world……!?”
Bi Mu-geuk tried to continue with consecutive attacks immediately, but he could not put it into action.
……
The moment he met Chui’s eyes flashing through the water spray, an anomaly that made his hair stand on end froze his entire body’s muscles stiff.
Chill-
With goosebumps burning down his spine, Bi Mu-geuk immediately backed away.
‘……What was that just now?’
Does cold sweat flow even for a cold-blooded, ruthless pursuer?
However, there was no time to think for long.
Due to the recoil generated by the collision of the sword and staff, the boat surged even further forward, and Bi Mu-geuk had to fly backward and retreat all the way to the riverbank.
“Dammit!”
Bi Mu-geuk, whose lower body was completely wet because he landed incorrectly.
While he was huffing and puffing, the boat ridden by Chui was already drifting along the river.
“Pursue him! The flow rate of the Li River is slow!”
By Namgung Yul’s quick response, the pursuit team began to move once again.
By the time the long fortress wall of Hubei Province was visible ahead.
Unrivaled Spear Ghost