Chapter 89: Blood Incident of the Yangtze River (5)
Chui recalled a memory of the past.
It was a conversation he shared with Hong Gong on a rainy night.
‘You are lucky. When I taught another fellow before you, this martial art was in an incomplete state. Yes. Was his name Ga Jeong-maeng? I wonder what that poor water bandit is doing and how he is living now?’
Tiger Butcher Ga Jeong-maeng.
He was one of the seeds of blood calamity that Hong Gong had scattered before leaving the Central Plains in his past life.
One fortunate thing was that Hong Gong had completed the demonic art called Spear Ghost Calling only after he was chased by the Orthodox, Heterodox, and Demonic factions and completely left the Central Plains.
At that time when Hong Gong had perfectly refined Spear Ghost Calling through countless clinical trials, even mobilizing his own body as a subject.
It was at that point that Chui, who was rolling in the battlefields with savages in the frontier of frontiers, met Hong Gong.
Hence, Chui was practically the first and last disciple of Hong Gong who had been bequeathed the completed Spear Ghost Calling.
‘Though in truth, I was closer to a test subject rather than a disciple……’
Chui channeled and raised the power of Spear Ghost Calling.
The opponent on the opposite side was also raising the power of Spear Ghost Calling.
However, it was visible to Chui’s eyes.
‘At a single glance, it is an incomplete stage. It is nothing but a demonic art.’
In truth, the perfectly completed Spear Ghost Calling uses internal energy so pure that it would be embarrassing to even call it a demonic art.
Once one crosses a certain realm, the mind becomes clear, and the extreme abuse inside the body also becomes no different from standard orthodox martial arts.
Even more so in a situation where Chui was completely suppressing even the side effects of the early stages using the Miao tribe’s breathing technique.
Thus, Chui could judge even more accurately what kind of state the Tiger Butcher was currently in.
‘His eyes are bloodshot and blood is mixed in his sweat. He won’t be able to control his desires and impulses, rational judgment will be difficult, and he will overconfident in his own strength in every matter.’
At present, the Tiger Butcher’s state was not much different from a dog infected with rabies.
If so, how should one deal with an enemy in such a state?
On that point, Chui already knew very well.
“Beating him to death is the answer.”
Chui’s spear bent abnormally.
…Clack! …Clack! …Clack! …Clack!
The Plum Blossom Ghost Spear, divided into a total of four segments, wriggled its body like a snake.
Over the iron chain connected between the spear shafts, a crimson energy began to bloom like a haze.
Swish—
The dark red spear blade flew toward the Tiger Butcher.
!?
The Tiger Butcher hurriedly raised his curved barbarian blade.
Clang!
Sparks and fragments of internal energy splattered and mixed.
The blade curved, and the spear extended straight.
The Tiger Butcher struck the spear blade upward with the back of his blade.
A crooked smile hung at the corners of his mouth.
“I see, indeed…… Hong Gong, that old man, didn’t teach Spear Ghost Calling only to me.”
Chui retrieved his spear with an expressionless face.
Currently, Chui was using Sa Butcher and the Hundred-Heads of Tiger Fortress as his spear ghost.
The proficiency of Spear Ghost Calling was a level belonging to none other than the fourth tier of the Towering Vessel stage.
Had it been his life before returning, it was a realm he would have barely reached only after turning forty.
However,
“Kekeke—then what should I call you? Junior Brother? Do you also end up becoming my junior brother?”
The Tiger Butcher’s momentum was much larger and more powerful than Chui’s.
“Fine, Junior Brother. But that level is not enough to suppress me.”
The curved barbarian blade held by the Tiger Butcher swung rapidly.
A crimson slash flew, aiming for Chui’s neck.
Clang!
Chui twisted the spear shaft to deflect the Tiger Butcher’s slash.
On top of that, a heap of crescent moons from the slashes brandished by the Tiger Butcher fell down.
Crash-crash-crash-crash-crash!
The ground cracked open.
The terrain of the cliffside was being entirely transformed.
The Tiger Butcher burst into laughter.
“I transitioned through all kinds of battlefields to gather spear ghost. My headcount is different from a greenhorn like you.”
It was just as he said.
It was clearly visible to Chui’s eyes.
That a colossal number of spear ghosts were shedding tears of blood behind the Tiger Butcher.
And among them, Ja Butcher Seo Woo-hak and Chuk Butcher Woo Cheol-woo, who appeared to have become spear ghost not long ago, were also mixed.
“Is that all? Look at who I devoured.”
The Tiger Butcher exploded the internal energy of his entire body.
As if a fog of blood had set in, the vision was entirely dyed red.
Ch-ch-ch-ch-ch…
At the tip of the curved barbarian blade, red hazes bloomed and soon assumed a human form.
Giant Butcher Gong Je-hwan. The face of the peak expert who once ruled the entire Yangtze region was flickering.
The Tiger Butcher stared at the face of his old master that bloomed at the tip of the blade with an ecstatic gaze.
“Just by devouring Master alone, I was able to reach the Towering Vessel stage.”
“……”
“Seeing that, you also seem to have gathered quite a lot of spear ghost…… but you had bad luck. Since the opponent happens to be me.”
The Tiger Butcher raised his curved barbarian blade high.
Once again, crimson internal energy gathered and condensed at the curved tip of the blade.
Ziiiiiiiiiing—
The sound of the curved barbarian blade crying shook and echoed along the cliffside.
Flash!
Once more, slashes flew.
Every time the Tiger Butcher swung his curved barbarian blade from left to right, and top to bottom, corners of the cliff were sliced off piece by piece and fell into the river.
Before that formidable power, Jeok-hyang and Gyeon Sul clenched their teeth.
“We can’t win by force!”
“You must avoid a head-on clash, pretty boy!”
However, the advice of the two did not reach him.
Thud-thud-thud!
Tears of the Blade (刀淚) splattered from the Tiger Butcher’s blade tip cut and sliced various parts of Chui’s body, scattering fresh blood.
“……”
Chui continued to thrust his spear, but the irregular movements of the Plum Blossom Ghost Spear could also not overcome the Tiger Butcher’s power.
Slice—
Chui’s spear grazed past the inside of the Tiger Butcher’s elbow.
…Thud!
On the other hand, the Tiger Butcher’s blade sliced Chui’s chest long.
Slice—
Chui quickly twisted his body sideways and thrust his spear, but this time as well, it stopped at lightly grazing the back of the Tiger Butcher’s knee.
Thud!
The Tiger Butcher extended his leg and kicked Chui’s belly just like that.
…Crash!
A kick laden with internal energy could smash even rocks.
Since he was hit squarely in the belly by such a thing, it would be strange if he did not cough up blood.
Screeech!
Chui flew backward, and after smashing a large rock, he even caused a pine tree beyond it to expose its roots.
“Ah……”
A broken groan escaped Jeok-hyang’s mouth.
Even Chui, in whom they believed, had turned out like this.
The Tiger Butcher’s martial arts were now passing the Peak and rushing toward the Transcendence realm.
In front of the path of revenge, a colossal wall named impossibility was gradually being erected.
Step, step, step—
The Tiger Butcher walked in front of Chui, who was tumbling on the ground.
His leisurely footsteps and fishy smile showed well how he perceived the current situation.
Absolute certainty.
The Tiger Butcher was thoroughly intoxicated by the colossal power boiling throughout his entire body.
“No matter how wild you run, you cannot overturn the number of spear ghosts.”
“……”
Chui swung his spear once more for the last time.
Slight, whip—
The spear tip that flew like a whip grazed past the inside of the Tiger Butcher’s opposite elbow and the back of his knee.
The Tiger Butcher’s expression crumpled.
Chui had been stubbornly aiming for the parts where the skin folds and bones connect, such as the armpits or the back of the knees, from earlier.
But he himself had merely sustained minute wounds on the surface of his skin.
In return, hadn’t the opponent sustained deep sword wounds on his chest and waist, and even ended up backed to the edge of the cliff like that?
At this point, the Tiger Butcher was certain of victory.
At that time, Chui’s mouth opened.
“Incomplete Spear Ghost Calling is merely a demonic art.”
“Kekeke—I wondered what kind of nonsense you would say at the very end.”
The Tiger Butcher shrugged his shoulders.
He raised the curved barbarian blade from which internal energy dripped like drops of blood.
And then he brought out the words he had kept inside.
“Hong Gong. He gave me Spear Ghost Calling.”
“……”
“He gave me the power to crush Master who did not recognize me, and my senior brothers who were always ahead of me.”
“……”
“Under such circumstances, what is wrong with a demonic art? Whether it is an orthodox martial art or a heterodox martial art, what does that matter?”
Madness glistened in the Tiger Butcher’s eyes.
It was an attitude as if practicing a demonic art was of no consequence as long as he could rise to the top.
But.
“……!”
The moment he took a step forward, the Tiger Butcher’s smile vanished immediately.
His body did not move.
The Tiger Butcher hurriedly lowered his gaze.
Tremble, tremble…
His fingers trembled minutely.
His hands did not obey, as if caught by someone else.
‘What is this?’
The Tiger Butcher was flustered.
He wanted to withdraw his foot, wondering what was going on, but
“……!”
now his feet did not obey either.
Jeok-hyang and Gyeon Sul, who were watching from afar, also wore puzzled expressions.
“What is it?”
“Why is he acting like that?”
It was natural, since the Tiger Butcher, who had been running wild so well until now, was suddenly creaking with a stiffened body.
“W-What? What kind of evil art is this?”
The Tiger Butcher forced his unmovable body to move.
Creak—snap! Crack—rip!
The areas near his joints creaked, and the sound of flesh ripping was heard from various parts.
Only then did the Tiger Butcher realize.
The shallow wounds created as Chui’s spear grazed past.
Beginning from where those wounds had passed, paralysis had started.
For instance, after the inside of his elbow was cut, it felt like the entire area below his elbow did not obey.
The Tiger Butcher shouted fiercely.
“What is this! What did you do to my body?!”
“Did I not tell you so? That incomplete Spear Ghost Calling is merely a demonic art.”
At Chui’s words, the Tiger Butcher’s eyes flipped once more.
“I know it is a demonic art! What is wrong with a demonic art?! I obtained everything with this! And I will continue to do so!”
At the same time, fountains of blood exploded from various parts of his body.
…Splat! …Splat! …Splat! Bang-bang-bang-bang!
The minor wounds, from which only a few drops of blood had seeped at most, cracked open in unison, gushing an enormous amount of blood.
Creak! Snap! Crack!
The Tiger Butcher’s unmovable body began to move again.
The Tiger Butcher raising his curved barbarian blade with the momentum of a malevolent spirit.
Before that terrifying intent to kill, even Jeok-hyang and Gyeon Sul held their breath.
But.
“You are quite dumb.”
Chui’s subsequent words left the Tiger Butcher’s expression blank.
Before long, Chui’s spear pointed at the Tiger Butcher.
“Incomplete Spear Ghost Calling is merely a demonic art. What is important in this proposition is not that it is a ‘demonic art’.”
“……?”
At the same time, Chui’s body shot forward.
Chui’s spear, shooting like a harpoon, headed straight for the Tiger Butcher’s heart.
The Tiger Butcher tried to swing his curved barbarian blade, but
…Freeze!
his arm stopped once more.
“Urgh!?”
At that instant, the neck and jaw of the Tiger Butcher, who looked back at his arm, twisted bizarrely.
Once again, colossal fountains of blood exploded from every joint and bone connection in his body.
Chui’s shadow was cast rapidly before him.
“What is important is”
reaching right in front of the Tiger Butcher’s nose, Chui continued in a low voice,
“……the fact that it is ‘incomplete’.”
Unrivaled Spear Ghost