Chapter 422: You Like the West?
Chapter 422: You Like the West?
Had anyone ever heard such a question on the brink of a life-and-death duel?
Asking which of the four cardinal directions he preferred.
‘This is psychological warfare.’
Ha Gyeol naturally assumed Geom Mu-geuk’s question was a ploy to rattle him. If that was the case, he would play along with perfect composure.
“I prefer the West.”
At that, another incomprehensible statement escaped Geom Mu-geuk’s lips.
“Oh dear. Why the West, of all places? There’s a handsome one, a clever one, and even a mysterious one over there.”
What on earth was he talking about?
Unable to make head or tail of it, Ha Gyeol simply snorted in derision.
“Young Cult Leader, enough with the tricks. They won’t work on me.”
Though he maintained an air of ease, Ha Gyeol was internally wound tight. The way the man had slaughtered seven subordinates in the blink of an eye earlier hadn't been done with words. The moment he let himself be distracted by that mouth, a sword would pierce his heart.
‘What is he planning?’
Geom Mu-geuk was attempting something he had never tried before.
He intended to manifest only the Evil Ghost of the West while activating the Annihilation Form of the Nine Calamities Demonic Art. Just a sudden appearance, without the strike! He didn't intend to kill Ha Gyeol immediately; he needed to keep him alive to find out where the Blood King was hiding.
‘Is it possible?’
As his mastery of the Nine Calamities Demonic Art reached new heights, he had gained considerable control over the evil ghosts. However, Geom Mu-geuk soon withdrew his sword.
“I’ve changed my mind.”
His martial instincts warned him against that choice. While it was possible to summon only one ghost, he felt that sparing the opponent was not what the ghost desired. Indeed, it would be disrespectful to summon a ghost of the Nine Calamities Demonic Art without the intent to kill.
Geom Mu-geuk felt it anew.
‘I’m starting to feel a bond with them.’
When he had summoned them during his training in Wind Valley, the ghosts hadn't vanished immediately; they had looked at one another. In that moment, he sensed they possessed emotions. One of them, who looked particularly clever, had even shown a hint of regret at their parting before disappearing.
“I was being thoughtless. I’m sorry.”
Ha Gyeol thought the apology was directed at him, but Geom Mu-geuk was speaking to the ghosts.
Regardless of what Geom Mu-geuk said, Ha Gyeol stirred the true nature that had been dormant deep within his soul—the nature he had suppressed while serving as Yang-seok’s guard in the North Blood Sect.
He was a violent and cruel man. He was the one who had implanted the Self-Destruction Art in his subordinates, ruthlessly detonating those who lacked talent during training to brainwash the survivors through terror. He was a man who achieved his goals by any means necessary.
“You should have killed me when you had the chance!”
Ha Gyeol lunged at Geom Mu-geuk. He would make him pay for underestimating him.
Their blades clashed in midair.
Beyond the crossed steel, Geom Mu-geuk’s eyes were devoid of emotion. The Young Cult Leader, who had been making nonsensical remarks and acting nonchalant, had transformed the moment the battle began.
The demonic energy erupting from the Black Demonic Sword was suffocating. Resisting it, an even stronger blood energy surged from Ha Gyeol’s sword.
Their blades struck repeatedly, sending sparks flying into the air.
Ha Gyeol was fast and powerful. His martial arts were a fusion of swordsmanship and Blood Arts, and even without the latter, his skill with a blade was exceptional.
“Die! You Demonic Cult filth!”
Ha Gyeol’s eyes narrowed into slits as he radiated pure killing intent. Reacting to the demonic energy, his emotions grew violent. A massive wave of blood energy poured toward Geom Mu-geuk.
Unfortunately for him, the endless torrent of blood energy was blocked by the Heavenly Demon Body Protection Art, which Geom Mu-geuk had mastered to the level of Great Achievement. In terms of pure swordsmanship, Geom Mu-geuk also held the upper hand.
Ha Gyeol increased his attack speed even further. Yet, no matter how fast he thrust his sword, Geom Mu-geuk parried every blow.
Each strike was infused with powerful internal energy. With every clash, Ha Gyeol felt a searing pain as if his arms were being torn from his shoulders. With every exchange, the realization that he was outmatched in internal energy grew clearer.
Unable to hold his ground any longer, Ha Gyeol leaped backward. Instead of pursuing him immediately, Geom Mu-geuk asked calmly:
“I told you, let me meet the person you serve. If you die here, who will protect them?”
Geom Mu-geuk saw Ha Gyeol’s eyes twitch at those words.
‘He’s not just a leader.’
They were either blood-related or shared a deep master-disciple bond.
The blood energy radiating from Ha Gyeol’s body grew even more turbulent. As the fight progressed, his very blood began to boil.
Swoooosh!
Blood energy erupted from Ha Gyeol’s sword. Geom Mu-geuk did not dodge; he unleashed his own sword qi to meet it.
Boom!
The collision of sword qi and blood energy kicked up a massive cloud of dust. Ha Gyeol unleashed his blood energy like a madman.
Clash after clash.
“Die!”
Ha Gyeol screamed, pouring his life force into his strikes. The force was enough to shake the foundations of the earth and overturn the soil, but Geom Mu-geuk stood his ground and blocked every attack.
Gasping for breath, Ha Gyeol finally stopped his onslaught. In contrast, Geom Mu-geuk slowly approached him with a serene expression.
There was a reason Ha Gyeol allowed Geom Mu-geuk to get so close. Suddenly, a red aura unfurled behind Geom Mu-geuk like silent wings.
Whoosh.
The red aura instantly enveloped and smothered Geom Mu-geuk like a predator snatching its prey. It was the secret technique of Ha Gyeol’s unique martial art, the Ten Thousand Evil Blood Art: the Blood Membrane Binding.
‘Got him!’
It was his trump card. Once an opponent was successfully trapped within the Blood Membrane Binding, they would suffocate to death. No matter what they tried, they could not tear through the membrane to escape.
Indeed, Geom Mu-geuk writhed inside the blood membrane as if trapped in an egg.
“Rot in there, Young Cult Leader!”
Ha Gyeol was half-consumed by his own blood energy. He was no longer concerned with his mission to find the Extreme Cold Body or the repercussions of killing the Young Cult Leader; he was possessed by a singular, primal desire to kill.
Ha Gyeol turned his blood-hungry gaze toward Yang-seok.
“Please spare me! I was wrong!” Yang-seok cried out.
It was no time for pride. Ha Gyeol looked as if he would charge over and slaughter him at any moment.
It was then.
A blue light flickered from within the blood membrane.
Puchi.
The blue light pierced through the membrane. It was the Black Demonic Sword, shrouded in sword force. The moment the membrane was punctured, Ha Gyeol let out a blood-curdling scream.
“Aaaaaagh!”
The Black Demonic Sword, imbued with blue sword force, sliced the blood membrane wide open.
Riiiiip.
Ha Gyeol shrieked, and the blood membrane thrashed as if it were a living thing. Geom Mu-geuk poked his head through the tear.
“I’ve never liked feeling cramped.”
With that, he grabbed the edges of the torn membrane with both hands and ripped it apart. Once breached, the membrane stood no chance against Geom Mu-geuk’s physical strength.
As Ha Gyeol’s scream reached its peak, the Blood Membrane Binding vanished with a dull pop. With a pained expression, Ha Gyeol gasped:
“How...? It is something that should not be cut, even by sword force...”
“When you pass on that martial art in the future, make sure to add a disclaimer. Tell them it doesn't work on the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult.”
At those words, the scent of blood around Ha Gyeol grew even more pungent, and his eyes began to fill with gore. It wasn't just a red glow; it was actual blood.
The blood energy was now consuming him. He realized that unless he became a perfect Blood Person, he could not defeat Geom Mu-geuk.
Beads of blood began to float from his palms. Dozens of them rose into the air, shifting into the shape of small daggers.
Swish, swish, swish, swish!
Another of his secret techniques: the Flying Dagger Blood Rain.
Dozens of projectiles rained down on Geom Mu-geuk. Geom Mu-geuk began to run.
Thud, thud, thud, thud!
Geom Mu-geuk displayed incredible lightness skill as he moved through the downpour of blood daggers. Watching from the side, Yang-seok’s eyes widened. The thought ‘How is he dodging that?’ only came after Geom Mu-geuk had already cleared the danger.
The way he evaded the blood-red daggers was almost beautiful.
When he landed after dodging them all, a new secret technique was waiting for him. The Flying Dagger Blood Rain had merely been a setup for this move.
Snap! Snap! Rip!
Red lines appeared in all directions around Geom Mu-geuk. The blood threads surrounded him like a spiderweb, trapping him. He was confined within the red lines as if in a dungeon.
The Split-Body Blood Net.
“Don’t move. If you touch a blood thread, you die.”
“Am I allowed to move my mouth?”
Yang-seok, watching the scene, almost let out a hollow laugh. To crack a joke in such a situation?
Meanwhile, the blood in Ha Gyeol’s eyes turned an even deeper crimson.
Sssssss!
The blood threads began to tighten around Geom Mu-geuk.
“I’ll shred you into dozens of pieces so they can’t even find your corpse!”
The blood threads closed in from all sides, poised to butcher him. Even in this hair-raising moment, Geom Mu-geuk remained calm. As he funneled internal energy into the Black Demonic Sword, a blue sword force flared.
“I don’t believe your martial arts can overcome my internal energy and the Black Demonic Sword.”
It was a statement born of absolute self-confidence.
Slash, slash, slash!
The Black Demonic Sword cut through the air.
Sizzle! Snap! Snap!
The blood threads surrounding him were instantly severed. In this unbelievable moment, Ha Gyeol unleashed his final secret technique—the last move of the Ten Thousand Evil Blood Art, which required sacrificing half of one's Innate True Qi.
A drop of blood rose from his hand and transformed into a butterfly, fluttering away. In front of Geom Mu-geuk, who was emerging from the severed threads...
Pop.
The butterfly exploded.
The Flying Butterfly Blood Poison.
His master had told him that the Flying Butterfly Blood Poison possessed power equal to Formless Poison. He said no one could block it, though it cost half of one's Innate True Qi.
As the blood butterfly burst, Geom Mu-geuk was completely engulfed in red smoke. Ha Gyeol was certain the Young Cult Leader could not survive this. Only then did his gaze turn toward Yang-seok.
“The Young Cult Leader is dead because of you.”
Yang-seok felt the injustice of it. He was the one who killed him, so why was he blaming Yang-seok? But he didn't dare talk back. Ha Gyeol’s eyes were still brimming with blood.
“Now the Demon Lords will swarm here and wipe out the North Blood Sect.”
Suddenly, Yang-seok’s expression shifted to one of shock.
“Did you commit this deed without even anticipating that?” Ha Gyeol sneered.
However, Yang-seok’s shock wasn't because of Ha Gyeol’s words. Geom Mu-geuk was walking out of the red smoke behind Ha Gyeol.
When Ha Gyeol finally noticed, he was struck with pure horror.
‘He survived the blood poison? How?’
Every absolute truth he had learned from his master was crumbling today. He had never felt so powerless in his life. He felt ashamed for having worried, even for a moment, about what would happen after Geom Mu-geuk’s death. The man standing before him felt like an insurmountable wall.
Then, a thought occurred to him.
“You know I won’t talk, don’t you?”
“I do.”
“You could have killed me long ago, couldn't you?”
“I could have.”
“Then why did you take the risk?”
He realized Geom Mu-geuk hadn't kept him alive just to ask where his master was. There was a reason Geom Mu-geuk had dragged out this fight.
“To get used to Blood Arts. Since your mastermind will likely use the same techniques.”
“!”
Ha Gyeol’s face froze instantly. The joking, the nonsensical talk... it had made him forget. He had forgotten how meticulous and terrifying this man truly was.
“I lose.”
Ha Gyeol bowed his head in resignation. His tone became respectful.
“If you spare my life, I will tell you who the mastermind is and where they are now.”
“You should have said that sooner.”
Geom Mu-geuk slowly approached him. When Geom Mu-geuk was only five paces away, Ha Gyeol’s expression changed.
“You fool! Did you think I would tell you so easily?”
A satisfied smile spread across Ha Gyeol’s face.
“At this distance, you can never escape my Self-Destruction Art.”
He was certain he could kill Geom Mu-geuk. And yet, Geom Mu-geuk didn't look particularly surprised. He looked as if he had expected this exact situation.
“And did you think I would just believe your words?”
“What? Then why did you come closer?”
“Why else? I’m still practicing. I don't know who it is, but your mastermind will probably try a stunt like this too, right?”
“You bastard! Let’s see if you can keep that composure while you’re dying!”
Ha Gyeol’s face instantly flushed red as he activated the Self-Destruction Art. He was faster than the other subordinates. The power would also be incomparably greater.
In that exact moment, Geom Mu-geuk vanished from before his eyes.
Startled, Ha Gyeol aborted the Self-Destruction Art. Because he forced it to stop, his qi and blood became entangled, causing him to vomit blood.
Then, Geom Mu-geuk reappeared. He had used the Space-Time Displacement Technique to vanish instantly. In terms of martial compatibility, these two techniques were at opposite extremes.
“No matter how fast you use the Self-Destruction Art, you won’t be faster than me.”
Ha Gyeol’s face turned red again. This time, he tried to trigger the art even faster than before. But by the time he finished the oral formula, Geom Mu-geuk had already vanished.
“You... what are you...?”
Unable to finish his sentence, Ha Gyeol vomited blood again. Because he had been forced to stop the Self-Destruction Art once more, the internal damage was severe.
But he couldn't just die alone like this, meaninglessly. In the end, the technique that had caused him the most injury was his own Self-Destruction Art.
“Aaaaaaaaagh!”
Ha Gyeol screamed at the top of his lungs. Before he knew it, Geom Mu-geuk was standing in front of him again.
“When a martial artist loses, they should just die. Why be so foul and petty?”
Geom Mu-geuk looked into Ha Gyeol’s eyes. His own face was reflected in the blood filling the man's pupils. Looking into that abyss, Geom Mu-geuk spoke calmly.
“Do you know why I’m looking for the mastermind so persistently? It’s because I don’t like people like you. I don't like people who don't know how to accept defeat and try to drag others down with them like water ghosts.”
Who in this Jianghu could stop those who used the Self-Destruction Art without hesitation? Most would avoid them because they were foul, petty, and terrifying; who would stubbornly hunt them down to stop them?
Those who sought to profit by making people utterly fearful—they, too, were evil. An absolute evil that had to be trampled and purged in the name of the Demonic Cult.
“...You have to keep me alive to find my mastermind.”
Struggling to speak, Ha Gyeol tried to seize one last opportunity. But his opponent was Geom Mu-geuk.
“You have no intention of telling me, do you? I’ll find them myself.”
Geom Mu-geuk spoke to him no longer.
“Did you say you liked the West?”
The moment those words ended, Ha Gyeol felt a chilling killing intent from his side.
And then he saw it. The most terrifying thing he had ever seen in his life. He saw that terrifying entity swing a sword without a moment's hesitation.
Shhhk!
Slice!
Ha Gyeol’s severed head flew into the air.
Many things were reflected in the blood pooling in his eyes. He saw the sky, and he saw Geom Mu-geuk looking down heartlessly. He saw Yang-seok’s shocked face, and he saw the terrifying evil ghost vanishing into thin air.
Then the ground, the grass, and the sky blurred past, slowing down until, finally, darkness arrived.