Zhengxie Sect - 4
"Hmm?"
At the sudden shout, Sa Won-yang flinched and turned his gaze.
From the direction of the main hall, a young man was flying over, shouting.
"Lord Demon Army! The orthodox sect bastards have invaded! They—they've reached the main hall!"
At those words, Sa Won-yang looked toward the main hall and saw flames rising in the distance.
If it could be seen even from here, then it must have been quite a large fire.
"A diversion?"
As Sa Won-yang's eyes grew complicated, the young man continued shouting.
"It's Gwaeseon! Gwaeseon has come!"
At that, Sa Won-yang's expression showed rare surprise.
"What?!"
His narrow eyes widened enough to reveal his pupils.
The Absolute, Cheongseong Gwaeseon? The one who rarely moved from Mount Cheongseong?
But when he glanced at Hwa Yeongbin, he found it easier to believe.
Of course—if the disciple came, then the master could also appear.
It was then.
The man flying toward Sa Won-yang suddenly accelerated sharply.
Paaang!
An incredible footwork technique.
Even Sa Won-yang was slightly surprised at the speed.
Already at close range, the man launched a sudden sword assault.
"Haaap!"
But Sa Won-yang merely snorted.
"Hmph!"
From the beginning, he had been suspicious since this unknown brat called him "Lord Demon Army."
It was only because of the fire in the main hall and the talk of Gwaeseon that he had allowed the approach.
"Quite the cunning brat. A good ambush, but far too low a level to threaten me."
But just as he was about to strike, Sa Won-yang's eyes suddenly widened in surprise.
The man's sword suddenly split into dozens, hundreds, surrounding him.
Even for Sa Won-yang, who had seen countless phantom swords in his life, this was the first time seeing one like this.
"Oh?"
Sa Won-yang let out a small sound of admiration.
But in the end, they were still phantom swords.
With a single spin of his body like a top and one sweep of his hand, all the phantom swords were wiped away.
Fwaaah!
Then he immediately moved to strike the man.
But he found the man had already darted far away.
"Hm?"
At least, his movement technique was truly impressive.
But if he was just going to run away, then why attempt the ambush? Was it just to test him?
As Sa Won-yang looked on in puzzlement, he suddenly noticed the man's hand was empty—without a sword.
He immediately turned his head to look at Hwa Yeongbin.
And there, in Yeongbin's hand, was the black sword that had been with the man just moments ago.
So that whole exchange was merely to deliver the sword to Hwa Yeongbin.
The man shouted toward Yeongbin.
"Great Hero Hwa! Hold him until Gwaeseon arrives!"
At those words, Sa Won-yang's brow twitched.
Hm?
So the claim that Gwaeseon was coming wasn't a lie?
Sa Won-yang felt a flicker of confusion.
Given the man's scheming, it should've been a lie—but perhaps, perhaps not entirely impossible.
At that moment—
Hwa Yeongbin, now holding a new sword, charged straight at him.
"Haaap!"
As Sa Won-yang saw the sword aura spread out like a blazing sunset, he muttered:
"No matter. I'll kill you all and then confirm it."
From Sa Won-yang's hand, crimson energy flared out once more.
At that instant, Hwa Yeongbin's sword slashed forth at the speed of light.
Jeokha Sword Art – Ninth Move.
Falling Sun of the Sword.
Shhhhaak!
The crimson sunset-like energy split in two.
Like a strike that cut the setting sun in half—one of the simplest yet most powerful forms of the Jeokha Sword Art.
"Hmph!"
But Sa Won-yang merely blocked it with his palm.
His hand, wrapped in dense energy that looked like a giant's, lightly covered his upper body.
He intended to block Yeongbin's sword with one hand, then counter with the other.
No matter how hard Yeongbin tried, that level of energy could never pierce his.
But then—Sa Won-yang's face twisted in shock.
A searing pain spread from his palm, forcing him to leap back in alarm.
Looking, he saw his palm had been cut and was bleeding.
Impossible.
"How?!"
At that moment—
Sounds rang from behind him.
Pyu pyu pyu!
Hidden weapons?!
Spinning his body, Sa Won-yang struck the projectiles aside with his palm.
Tatata-tang!
It was that brat again.
He had rushed in from behind, flung the hidden weapons, then quickly retreated again.
"You little worm…!"
Then, Hwa Yeongbin attacked again from the front.
This time, a storm of thrusts.
"Haaap!"
And at the same time, the brat, having turned again, charged while firing more hidden weapons.
Like gears grinding from front and back, relentless attacks pressed him.
Sa Won-yang ground his teeth.
"Grhh!"
***
It's working!
I flung hidden weapons at his back and retreated again.
I wanted to test my newly improved skills, but even so—going against a transcendent monster like him was beyond me.
The underground passage I'd found, connected from the main hall pillars, led out to the outskirts of the Zhenghyupbang.
I had moved quickly there, dealt with the guards, entrusted rescuing the captive women to Bi Sa-yeong, and returned here at full speed.
And all the while, I prayed Great Hero Hwa had already escaped.
But as my worst fears proved true, he remained alone, facing Sa Won-yang.
"Damn."
A hopeless sight.
To face such a monster….
But I decided to be thankful.
Whatever had happened, it was partly because of my plan that he was forced to face Sa Won-yang.
If he were to die because of it, I could never atone.
So the fact that he was still alive was fortune enough.
From now on, my only duty was to ensure he lived and escaped safely.
…Even if that was the most impossible task of all.
"You insolent brats!"
Sa Won-yang spun like a top, blocking Yeongbin's sword and my hidden weapons.
Titi-ti-ting!
Then, with an annoyed look, he extended one hand toward me.
Shuuaak!
It was a Ganghwan.
A massive sphere of energy hurtled toward me at terrifying speed.
I swallowed hard.
But already moving swiftly around him, I used Explosive Step to accelerate out of its path.
Pah-pak!
"Not bad!"
Escaping what I thought was an unstoppable attack gave me a little confidence.
Maybe it wasn't so threatening after all.
But then I saw the faint curl of his lips.
At the same time, Yeongbin's urgent voice rang in my mind.
—Dodge!
Then I remembered.
How Bi Sa-yeong had once been caught by Gyeoryeokma.
At that instant—an explosion.
Kwaaaang!
Paaang!
The Ganghwan I thought I had evaded exploded.
At the same moment, I launched Explosive Step.
"Ugh!"
The blast flung me forward with even greater speed, barely sparing me.
The world around me blurred so fast it felt strangely slow.
A speed I had never felt before—yet with an odd sense of déjà vu.
"This is…"
I looked toward Sa Won-yang.
Convinced I was dead, he had already turned to attack Yeongbin again.
A chance.
I curved around silently, rushing for his exposed back.
His unguarded form filled my vision.
"Hup!"
From three jang away, I hurled my hidden weapon with all my strength.
Aimed at his left back—where his heart lay.
Shweee!
The weapon's flight seemed agonizingly slow.
It felt like an eternity before it would strike.
But Sa Won-yang flinched, turning at the sound.
Puk!
"Grh!"
Failure.
I had aimed for his heart, but his twist made it lodge in his left shoulder instead.
"Damn!"
Swallowing regret, I leapt back immediately.
At close range, if he flung another Ganghwan, I couldn't hope to dodge.
As I retreated, Yeongbin also pulled back while the chance lasted.
Then Sa Won-yang stopped, staring at the weapon embedded in his shoulder.
Slowly, he raised his eyes toward me.
And I clearly felt it.
The blazing flames of fury burning in his eyes.
He roared like a demon.
"You mosquito!"
Then both his hands slashed toward me.
Shwoosh! Shwooong! Shushung!
More Ganghwan.
Not just one.
"!"
Four spheres of terrifying speed came one after another.
Not in a line—but in a barrage calculated to cover my evasions.
"Damn!"
Startled, I moved at my utmost speed.
Even using Explosive Step twice in succession.
Pa-pang!
Kwakwa-kwaaaang!
Behind me, thunderous explosions tore through the air.
Fwoooosh!
Chills ran down my spine.
Barely escaping the blast zone, I still felt the aftermath shove at my back.
Grinding my teeth, I turned toward him again.
I had nearly died just now, and the fear of him was crushing—but I couldn't leave Yeongbin behind.
Then I saw—Jolhan Satae, collapsed unconscious with severed limbs, and a sword lying nearby.
It looked quite decent.
"Hm."
I turned.
Yeongbin was locked in battle, trying to block Sa Won-yang's storm of claw-like energy.
Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa!
"Ghhhk!"
I had to help him quickly.
Using Explosive Step, I darted toward Sa Won-yang's back.
From four jang away, I hurled hidden weapons, then slid past.
Pyu-pyu-pyung!
But by now, he was accustomed to such tricks.
At the sound of the projectiles, he spun once and knocked them aside, then pressed Yeongbin harder.
Titing!
"Damn."
Frustration burned.
If only the surroundings were dark, the hidden weapons would have been more effective.
It was indeed night, but the surrounding buildings were ablaze, lighting up the area brightly.
Pyu-pyu-pyung!
For the third time, I retreated and closed in again, throwing hidden weapons.
But now, as if he no longer considered me worth his concern, the man merely swatted the projectiles aside and pressed his assault on Hwa Yeongbin.
He must have decided to finish Yeongbin first.
Kwakwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwang!
"Ghhhk!"
A crisis.
Yeongbin was on the verge of collapse, holding on by sheer willpower alone. A different tactic was needed now.
"Damn, no choice!"
I closed in again, throwing three hidden weapons.
Pyu-pyu-pyung!
He spun naturally, deflecting them.
Titing!
So far, it was the same as always.
But the moment he completed the spin and returned to assault Yeongbin, I silently changed direction.
And I lunged at him like the wind.
Into a range I had never entered before.
Seonu Thirteen Swords – Third Move.
Divine Hawk's Descent.
With the sword I had picked up from Jolhan Satae, I dove down upon his back like a hawk.
Shweee!
But then—
The man, having just knocked Yeongbin away, suddenly turned and shouted.
"Got you!"
His face lit up with a bright grin.
At the same time, his crimson hand, enormous like a giant's, swung down at me.
Puuung!
"?!"
The instant his massive palm crushed my figure, his smiling face faltered in confusion.
My form scattered like flower petals, splitting apart.
Like petals scattered in the wind—Heavenly Wind, Scattering Leaves.
At that moment, Yeongbin surged in from behind.
He had withdrawn falsely, following my secret voice transmission.
"Haaaap!"
Yeongbin unleashed an all-out strike.
The blade that cut the sunset itself—Jeokha Sword Art, Falling Sun of the Sword.
Shhhhaaak!
The slash, thin as a silken line, split the crimson aura like the setting sun.
"How dare you!"
As Sa Won-yang hastily tried to defend, I too lunged in from his flank, stabbing with all my might.
Sa-il Sword Art, First Move.
One Strike, Four Deaths.
Shwiik!
Desperate, the man roared.
"Uhaaaap!"
Fwaaaah!
Crimson energy burst from his entire body, wrapping him in a transparent barrier.
It was the same technique once used by the Blood-Drinking Demon Lord Ji Gwang-ok.
Shocked, I cried out:
"Protective Gangqi?!"
My blade, thrusting like a beam of light, sank into the crimson barrier as if stabbing flesh—then was flung away by immense rebound force.
Yeongbin, attacking from the opposite side, was also hurled back.
As he was blown away, he shouted bitterly:
"Damn it!"
Such a shame.
We should have finished him just now. But such an ambush would not work again.
Still, retreating quickly, I forced myself to focus.
"If I give up, it's over. I'll make another chance!"
There would surely be another opportunity.
The expression on Sa Won-yang's face, after shedding the protective gangqi, showed clear strain.
As with Ji Gwang-ok, this technique must be a burden even for him.
Moreover—
Blood streamed down his forearm as he turned his wrath upon Yeongbin.
"You bastard! I'll tear you to pieces!"
He had been cut by Yeongbin's strike.
That was strange.
My "One Strike, Four Deaths" had been faster, yet my sword hadn't reached him—so how had Yeongbin's blade…?
My eyes fell on the sword Yeongbin was holding: Mukrang.
"Could it be Mukrang?"
It was possible.
Mukrang was a divine weapon hiding immense secrets, sharp enough to cut even demon beasts that could only be slain with sword aura or sword energy.
Perhaps it could cut even through gangqi.
I quickly sent Yeongbin a voice transmission.
—Great Hero Hwa! My sword seems to be able to pierce gangqi!
At my words, Yeongbin—struggling to fend off Sa Won-yang's attacks—glanced briefly at me.
Then he turned back and swung Mukrang against the surging claws.
"Haaaap!"
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
I too darted around, throwing more hidden weapons.
The man's face burned with rage, yet he did not press Yeongbin as relentlessly as before.
Whether wary of my ambush, or simply running low on strength, I could not be sure.
But his eyes were sharp, waiting for a chance.
I hurled another weapon, retreated, and sent Yeongbin a secret message.
We had to act before he did.
That had been my last hidden weapon.
"All right—let's go!"
Paaang!
Using Explosive Step, I charged.
His eyes snapped toward me, almost as if he had been waiting.
At that moment, I unleashed Heavenly Wind, Scattering Leaves to confuse his vision.
"Haaaap!"
Fssshhh!
My figure split apart like petals in the wind—but now, even amid countless afterimages, he locked eyes on my real body.
As expected….
Feeling lacking, I expanded into Phantom Sword Realm.
Chwaaaaak!
Along with my split afterimages, hundreds of phantom swords surrounded him.
Finally, he seemed to lose my true position.
"Pointless tricks!"
With an irritated shout, he swept his hand to clear them away.
At that instant, I flicked a flying dagger—this one strung with silver thread.
Shweeek!
"Hmph!"
He simply swung his arm to knock it aside.
But my heightened focus tugged on the thread, bending its path around his arm.
Shwooop!
Like a fish cutting through water, the dagger slipped past his arm, drawing his attention slightly.
"Petty tricks!"
Ping!
And then—the moment I had been waiting for.
"Haaaap!"
Seonu Thirteen Swords – Fourteenth Move.
Vermilion Bird Manifestation.
From my sword burst forth a violet-hued Vermilion Bird, flapping its wings.
It was the very technique I had once failed to use against Ma Yu-gyeom.
Piiiieee!
Like a living creature, the bird cried out as it soared.
Sa Won-yang's eyes widened.
"What?!"
But he was only shocked—not broken.
He swung his giant-like hand of energy at the Vermilion Bird.
Kwoooaaang!
A deafening blast resounded.
"Grh!"
Yet astonishingly, the bird did not vanish instantly.
It tangled with his massive hand, struggling in a contest of strength.
At that moment, Yeongbin—who had retreated briefly—charged at his back.
"Falling Sun of the Sword!"
Shwiik!
The strongest strike of the Jeokha Sword Art, the one that alone had pierced his gangqi.
Alarmed, Sa Won-yang hastily unfolded the protective gangqi again.
"Uhaaaap!"
Fwaaaah!
Crimson energy flared, snuffing out both my Vermilion Bird and Yeongbin's strike.
The rebound flung me back hard.
"Ugh!"
But even as I was hurled away, I watched closely.
Yeongbin had faked his Falling Sun earlier—only to unleash the true one just as the gangqi was fading.
"Haaaap!"
The dim crimson sword aura split apart like the setting sun itself.
With every last ounce of strength, the slash was as majestic as if it truly severed the horizon.
Pwoooosh!
As he struck, Yeongbin staggered, his legs giving way.
Exhausted from the Vermilion Bird, I too struggled to rise.
"Damn it…"
My gaze fell upon Sa Won-yang, who had retreated about ten jang away, blood gurgling from his chest.
His face was pale, yet he still stood. By shifting his body back at the last instant, Yeongbin's strike had only grazed him.
Failure.
Even after all this….
The sight of him still standing filled me with despair, like facing an unbreakable iron wall.
Then, Yeongbin's voice came to my ears.
—Brother Seonu. You should run now. I have nothing left—my stamina and inner power are completely gone.
I looked at him with aching eyes.
He spoke again.
—Thank you for fighting with me to the end. Now live on, and take my vengeance as your own.
For some reason, he smiled brightly—relieved.
As though happy to finally die.
It was the clearest, lightest expression I had ever seen on him.
Then Sa Won-yang, his face twisted like a demon, roared.
"You bastard, I'll tear you apart!"
He lunged at Yeongbin like a beast.
But Yeongbin was looking at me, not at him.
He tossed Mukrang toward me and smiled brightly.
—Please, in my stead, destroy the Blood Cult…
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