Chapter 55: Tragic Loss (6)
Clang! Clang!
The sound of metal clashing against metal, finely scattering like falling flowers.
Oh Ja-woon and Hae Baek-jeong, sword and axe, were fiercely contesting for supremacy.
And Chui was listening to that sound from a distance.
‘He will handle it well on his own.’
It was none other than Oh Ja-woon.
Although his internal energy was quite depleted, it was unimaginable for him to lose to anyone at this point.
‘Since he was someone who broke through the Martial Alliance’s inescapable net and went all the way to the Demonic Cult in his past life, there is no way he would fall in a place like this.’
Since there was no need to worry about others anymore, he only had to focus on his own business now.
What a load off his mind this was.
“…….”
Chui slowly turned his head aside.
There, the hem of a black cape fluttering in the wind was visible.
Hegemon Society Leader Do Mak-saeng.
The apex of those who carried swords in this region.
Looking at the guards scattered on the floor, he spoke in a cold voice.
“……Insect-like bastards. No, insects would at least bite their opponent.”
Do Mak-saeng stared at a head that had rolled to his feet.
“They deserve to die. For guys who are supposed to be special-grade guards, they didn’t even notice that an outsider had mingled among their colleagues.”
And then he stepped on it firmly.
…Crunch!
Do Mak-saeng’s foot was so large and heavy that a human head burst and caved in like an egg.
Chui suddenly thought of the Six Tigers of the Hegemon Society who had died at the Fuchai Pavilion.
The hunting dogs that had died to protect their master.
And the head hunting dog that had led the five hunting dogs below him.
‘……Did that guy receive this kind of treatment too?’
Chui looked at the head crushed under Do Mak-saeng’s foot and asked.
“What did you do with the corpse of Il-do?”
“Il-do? Who is that?”
“I mean the leader of those who escorted your son.”
“……?”
Do Mak-saeng tilted his head in bewilderment.
Then, after appearing to ponder over something for a long time, he soon gave an answer.
“Ah. There indeed was such a fellow.”
His tone was casual.
It felt as if he had lost a trivial item bought cheaply at some shoddy shop and then happened to find it again.
“I held him accountable for failing to escort my son to the end.”
“…….”
“His corpse was dismembered and fed to wild dogs, and his family was completely wiped out. Ah, did I sell his two daughters to the water bandits?”
“…….”
Chui was silent for a while.
He merely watched Do Mak-saeng’s two eyes quietly.
Soon, Chui moved.
“You will die today.”
“Hahaha—those are words I have heard countless times until now.”
“You will die and become dog food.”
“…….”
Do Mak-saeng also raised his sword.
The staff and the great saber. Both were heavy weapons that would be difficult to lift even if three or four grown men clung to them.
They began to clash tensely once again.
Boom!
The iron and iron clashed, but a roaring sound like exploding gunpowder burst out.
Sparks flew as Chui and Do Mak-saeng exchanged dozens of blows once more.
…Thud!
The tip of Chui’s staff grazed and stabbed Do Mak-saeng’s shoulder.
His clothing tore, and a bit of flesh and blood splattered in a curved arc.
Slash—
The tip of the giant saber sliced thinly past Chui’s cheek.
Along with his fluttering hair, a line of blood formed on Chui’s cheek, and bright red blood trickled down.
Do Mak-saeng spoke as he pushed Chui back.
“Strength is one level higher on my side. Of course.”
Soon, he fiercely swung the sword upward from below.
Clang!
Chui lost his grip on the staff.
The staff spun round and round, bouncing upward.
“Haha! It is the end! Die……!?”
Do Mak-saeng intended to strike down with the sword he had raised upward.
He judged that he had seized the opportunity since Chui had lost his staff.
However, Chui had several more weapons.
Stab-stab-stab-stab-stab-stab-stab!
Chui repeatedly hacked at Do Mak-saeng’s chest with the awls rolled in his hands.
“Keuhak!?”
Do Mak-saeng quickly took a few steps back, but bright red dots were already stamped all over his chest.
‘It was shallow. His body was thick.’
Chui shook off the blood on the awl with a look of regret.
Quesioningly, Do Mak-saeng lowered his posture and tilted his sword sideways.
A big blow is coming.
Chui felt it intuitively.
“This time, I will surely chop you to pieces.”
“…….”
Chui hesitated.
If Do Mak-saeng attacked with full strength, putting his power and weight into it, it would be difficult to block even if he had a staff.
Much less with these two thin awls, which was out of the question.
Slide—
Chui shifted to the side, but.
…Tap!
Do Mak-saeng blocked his path.
“Where do you think you are fleeing to?”
“…….”
For Chui, who had no weapon, it was a highly problematic situation.
Right then.
Slide—
While looking for a retreat path, Chui discovered something strange.
…Flinch!
Do Mak-saeng’s reaction had changed subtly.
Slide— slide—
Chui tried moving his toes in several directions.
Do Mak-saeng was maintaining a relaxed attitude like a cat watching a cornered mouse, but the moment Chui attempted to head in a specific direction, he instantly showed intense wariness.
Chui observed what lay in the direction Do Mak-saeng was guarding.
“……!”
In that direction was the central pavilion.
There was a building that remained intact without being destroyed despite this chaotic battle.
‘Come to think of it…….’
There were moments when Do Mak-saeng occasionally showed strange reactions.
The first was when he fought Chui inside the central pavilion.
At that time, Do Mak-saeng went out of his way to suggest leaving the building.
The second was when Chui fought with his back to the central pavilion.
At that time, Do Mak-saeng had stopped his attack even though he could have pushed Chui further.
The third was when Hae Baek-jeong was up on the roof of the central pavilion.
At that time, Do Mak-saeng got angry at Hae Baek-jeong, telling her not to interfere pointlessly.
And now, the fourth time.
Do Mak-saeng was desperately blocking Chui’s attempt to flee toward the central pavilion.
‘There must be something over there.’
If so, there was all the more reason to go toward the central pavilion.
The problem was that Do Mak-saeng was glaring intently at Chui’s toes with burning eyes.
Chui slightly tilted his body and turned his back to the central pavilion.
At that.
“…….”
Do Mak-saeng put on hold the massive blow he had been preparing until just now.
He seemed wary that the damage from the slash would reach beyond Chui to the area behind him.
Slide—
…Tap!
The tip of Do Mak-saeng’s sword reacted immediately if Chui moved his body even slightly.
Breaking through that to flee to the central pavilion did not seem easy.
“Wake up from your dream. You can never escape.”
Do Mak-saeng sneered, looking at Chui.
But Chui was still calm.
“I am going.”
“Bullshit.”
“You stay right there.”
“……?”
Do Mak-saeng knitted his brows.
He wore an expression that asked what nonsense he was talking about.
Right at that moment.
Wheeeew—
A strong and fast wind sound was heard from somewhere.
It was a sound blowing very rapidly from above Do Mak-saeng’s head.
“……!”
Do Mak-saeng did not even have the gap to raise his head upward.
Crack!
Chui’s staff fell down.
The staff that had flown into the empty air after being hit by Do Mak-saeng’s sword earlier had fallen to the ground as time passed.
The staff fell straight down, perpendicular to the ground.
For Do Mak-saeng, who had been looking only at Chui, it was like a bolt from the blue sky.
“Kee-aaaaaaack!?”
A black thunderbolt hit him without him knowing why.
It began by tearing Do Mak-saeng’s forehead skin, completely crushed his nose, tore off a chunk of flesh from the middle of his lips, ripped his outer garment and chest skin in a straight line, and then embedded itself deeply into the ground.
…Splat! …Splat! …Splat! …Splat! …Splat! …Splat! …Splat!
Along with the pain, a massive blood fountain erupted.
Blood surged out enough to completely block his vision.
Taking advantage of that exact gap, Chui dashed in the direction of the central pavilion.
“No!”
He could hear Do Mak-saeng shouting from behind.
As expected, he was afraid of Chui heading to the central pavilion.
Chui ran toward the pavilion, leaving the staff behind.
Crash!
After smashing through the front door and entering, he immediately climbed the stairs leading to the second floor.
“Kyaaaack!”
A few maidservants screamed, but Chui ignored them and headed straight to the upper floor.
Right then.
“……Stop!”
Do Mak-saeng chased after Chui.
He swung his giant saber and sliced the waists of the maidservants on the stairs in a single instant.
Like red orchids blooming on a white canvas, the lives of the maidservants splattered against the wall.
Do Mak-saeng’s thoughts on this were:
“Nuisances!”
It was just this one word.
Even Chui could not help but shake his head at the ruthless methods of Do Mak-saeng, who chopped up all the maidservants in his running path.
Soon, Chui entered a certain space on the third floor.
And from that moment, Do Mak-saeng’s attacks abruptly ceased.
“……?”
Chui turned his head.
There, Do Mak-saeng was seen running with gritted teeth.
There was no one in this space.
Only a thin layer of dust had accumulated, as if it had not been cleaned.
However, it was not that no one lived here.
Leftover food and half-drunk tea were coldly chilled, and the bedding remained disheveled.
Instantly, Chui recalled something.
The dead son’s room.
This must have been the space where Do Jwa-yoon resided.
Do Mak-saeng, longing for his deceased son, had left the space where his son stayed completely untouched.
Tap—
Chui bumped into a teacup on the table while running.
…Clatter!
As the teacup fell to the floor and shattered.
“No! No!”
Do Mak-saeng’s urgent shout was heard from behind.
It seemed he could not bear to see his son’s space, which had been preserved exactly as it was after the son’s death, being ruined.
Of course, that was none of Chui’s concern.
Crash! Boom! Crack!
Chui went through, smashing all the obstacles in his way.
“No! Do not do that!”
Every time, Do Mak-saeng let out a beast-like cry from behind.
‘He kills maidservants without hesitation, yet clings to such objects?’
Thinking that Oh Ja-woon would surely have said something like this if he were here, Chui continued to run toward the upper floor.
Soon.
Arriving at the top floor of the pavilion, Chui was able to discover something.
“S-Stop! Stop! Not there! Really not there!”
Do Mak-saeng shouted from behind.
It was a voice imbued with urgency and desperation that had never been heard before.
But regardless, Chui entered the room.
And he reached his hand toward the coffin placed in the center of the room and dragged out what was inside.
A corpse lying as if asleep in a coffin filled with flowers and gold ornaments.
It was indeed Do Jwa-yoon.
Soon, Chui dragged out Do Jwa-yoon’s corpse and drew a precious sword that was lying beside him.
By that time, Do Mak-saeng came to stand before the room door.
“W-W-What are you doing!? What are you trying to do!?”
“Exactly this.”
Chui tilted the sword and placed it against Do Jwa-yoon’s neck.
The neck of the coldly stiffened corpse.
The joints were stiff, making it hard to even bend.
The blade slightly penetrated the skin, but not a single drop of blood flowed out.
Do Mak-saeng was at a loss, only his lips trembling.
At that point, Chui spoke.
“Drop your sword. Unless you want to kill your son twice.”
It was truly a bizarre hostage situation, threatening the living by using the deceased as hostage.
Unrivaled Spear Ghost