Chapter 549: He Would Have Done the Same
Chapter 549: He Would Have Done the Same
‘Where are you?’
When Bi Sa-in returned from his fruitless search of the perimeter, Geom Mu-geuk and the Extreme Evil Smiling Demon had vanished. The Combat King and the woman in the carriage were gone as well. Since the carriage remained where it was, he surmised they must be fighting within a realm of dark sorcery.
The fact that they hadn't emerged despite the significant time that had passed suggested a desperate struggle was underway.
Furthermore, Jin Ha-gun and the Demon Extermination Squad, who had fallen into the formation earlier, had yet to reappear. Jin Ha-ryeong and the Heavenly Flower Pavilion Master were also nowhere to be seen.
‘We have to unravel the secret of that carriage.’
The enemies who had fought him while linked to that carriage had displayed truly bottomless reserves of internal energy. There was undoubtedly a secret hidden there regarding their power.
Yet, he couldn't simply destroy the carriage on a whim. The aura emanating from it was extraordinary, and there was a chance that Geom Mu-geuk and the Smiling Demon had disappeared because of the carriage itself.
“Should we expand the search area further?”
Bi Sa-in shook his head. He didn't believe that such a massive amount of internal energy could be transmitted from a great distance.
‘They’re definitely somewhere nearby.’
Bi Sa-in’s gaze shifted to a specific spot.
The one place they hadn't searched.
The one place they couldn't search.
It was the area where the martial artists stood shrouded in darkness, revealing nothing but their eyes. That was the only spot in the vicinity left unvetted.
As Bi Sa-in stared at them, a strange light flickered in his eyes.
“Don’t those people look suspicious?”
They were currently facing off against the Faceless Guests, showing only their eyes—eerie eyes with white rings around the pupils.
“I heard that those who master the Dark Heaven Night God Art develop eyes like that,” the 1st Wolf remarked.
Bi Sa-in nodded. He was already aware of that fact.
“It’s not the eyes I’m talking about.”
The 1st Wolf looked at Bi Sa-in with an inquisitive expression.
“Aren’t they gathered too tightly in one spot?”
Indeed, they were. Even the Faceless Guests confronting them, though appearing scattered, were naturally positioned to respond to an enemy attack. In contrast, those warriors were huddled together, lurking in the shadows. Everyone had been so preoccupied with those grotesque eyes that they had missed it, but Bi Sa-in had caught the anomaly.
“You’re right. A volley of hidden weapons would cause massive casualties in that formation.”
Beyond that, something felt off. They were triggering Bi Sa-in’s instincts in a strange way.
“Let’s check behind them.”
Bi Sa-in moved stealthily, approaching from the rear while maintaining enough distance to avoid detection.
Both Bi Sa-in and the 13 Wolves of the Unorthodox Path were stunned by what they saw.
It was entirely different from what they had seen from the front. No matter how far back they went, there were more of them. The glittering eyes they had seen from the front were merely a fraction of the total. Because the distance was great and the figures suppressed their auras entirely, no one had realized there were so many of them.
Like a deep-sea fish using a glowing lure to entice prey in the dark, their true body lay elsewhere.
“Are they a hidden force meant to strike us if things turn south?” the 1st Wolf whispered.
Bi Sa-in shook his head. “If that were the case, they would have hidden themselves better.”
They were too easily spotted to be an ambush, yet too tightly packed to be a combat formation.
“Usually, when a group of this size moves, there are sentries on the perimeter, but there isn't a single one here.”
They were literally just huddled in one place, like one giant, singular mass.
As they watched in silence, the 7th Wolf whispered, “The way their eyes blink is strange.”
The 7th Wolf had a sharp eye for detail and was well-versed in the bizarre martial arts of the Unorthodox Faction.
“There’s a specific rhythm to their blinking.”
At his words, everyone focused on the eyes. Once they looked for it, the strangeness was undeniable.
Closing, then opening.
Once closed, they stayed shut for a long time; once opened, they didn't blink for a while. It was a grotesque sight, but it followed a set pattern.
Just then, the moon, which had been obscured by clouds, briefly revealed itself. As the Dark King entered the Space-Time Displacement Technique, moonlight finally touched the world outside.
In that moment, the 7th Wolf discovered something.
“Look over there.”
Something was cutting through the air. A hazy energy, rising like shimmering heat, stretched from the darkness where the eyes were toward the carriage. It was a flow of qi that could only be seen under the moonlight with the most focused scrutiny.
“It’s them!”
The secret wasn't far away.
They were transmitting internal energy to the carriage. Those with their eyes closed were replenishing their energy, while those with their eyes open were transmitting it through some sinister ritual.
Now it was clear why they hadn't emerged from the darkness.
With the secret revealed, Bi Sa-in felt a surge of urgency. Right now, Geom Mu-geuk and the Smiling Demon must be in the fight of their lives, pitting their finite reserves against this endless supply of energy.
“Wipe them all out!”
At Bi Sa-in’s command, the 13 Wolves of the Unorthodox Path drew their swords in unison, preparing to strike.
“Hit them with Sword Qi simultaneously!”
After closing the distance as much as possible, Bi Sa-in lunged toward them.
Swoosh!
Bi Sa-in’s blade unleashed a wave of Sword Qi. The 13 Wolves followed suit, firing their own. Since the enemies were clumped together, they intended to sweep them all away in a single strike, but—
Whooooosh!
Black smoke billowed violently around the enemies.
Thud! Thud! Thud-thud-thud!
The pitch-black smoke blocked the incoming Sword Qi. It protected them much like Body Protection Qi shielded the Combat King. As if returning what they had received, Sword Qi suddenly erupted from within the smoke.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Clang! Clang!
The 13 Wolves scattered to the left and right, evading the counterattack.
“Close quarters!”
Bi Sa-in led the charge, rushing toward them. He instinctively felt that a long-range exchange of Sword Qi would turn into a battle of internal energy—a battle they were bound to lose.
The black-robed warriors in the front rank thrust their swords simultaneously. They hadn't been huddled randomly; they were in a formation designed to repel any assault.
Clang!
The internal energy infused into their blades was immense. The unexpected power nearly knocked the sword from Bi Sa-in’s hand.
“Everyone, be careful!”
Parrying the incoming blades, Bi Sa-in realized the truth. Just like the fight with the four black-robed men earlier, the energy in these swords did not belong to a single individual.
Slaaaash.
The enemies split to the left and right, allowing the warriors behind them to unleash more Sword Qi. Bi Sa-in leaped to avoid the blast. The black-robed men on that side poured out even more energy.
Risking everything, Bi Sa-in charged into their midst.
Swoosh!
Catching them off guard, Bi Sa-in plunged his sword into the chest of the warrior directly in front of him.
Stab!
The eyes of the man whose heart was pierced turned pure white for a moment, and his body turned pitch black as he collapsed. He was no ordinary human.
Whirrrrrrr!
As he fell, the crowd of black-robed men began to spin in unison. The corpse was swept away somewhere, and as they rotated, they sprayed Sword Qi in every direction.
Bi Sa-in leaped away to dodge. When he had first given the order to attack, he thought they could sweep them all away at once. He was wrong. These were not easy opponents. Above all, the internal energy behind their attacks was staggering.
‘Fine, if you’re going to use your energy, use it all on us!’
However, the flow of energy from the darkness to the carriage continued unabated.
Papat!
Running to dodge the Sword Qi, he glanced at the 13 Wolves. They, too, were struggling to break through.
“Fall back!”
At Bi Sa-in’s command, the 13 Wolves retreated momentarily. Bi Sa-in channeled his internal energy to its peak, executing the Overlord Heaven-Shaking Sword Technique, the signature martial art of the Alliance Leader.
First Sword: White Heaven Form.
A brilliant white Aura Blade erupted, swirling toward the enemies. The White Heaven Form tore through the smoke protecting them and swept over the group.
But the moment the aura struck, the singular mass of enemies split in half.
Boom! Boom!
Three or four black-robed men were blown away by the aura, but the rest merged back together as if nothing had happened. From the darkness, all their eyes turned to stare at Bi Sa-in simultaneously.
They watched together, and they blinked together. It was utterly bizarre. Their movements weren't a sword formation or a combined attack technique. Bi Sa-in could feel it—they were linked together like a single organism.
This time, they attacked first.
Like the tentacles of an octopus, a dozen branches shot out from the main mass, thrusting their swords in unison.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The 11th Wolf, whose shoulder had been injured in the sudden assault, found himself cornered. The other Wolves nearby tried to help, but the black-robed men clung to them tenaciously.
“Watch out!”
Just as the 12th Wolf, who was closest, prepared to throw himself forward despite the risk of injury—
Zip! Zip! Zip!
A rain of Finger Wind pelted the black-robed men. The warriors pressing the 11th Wolf were flipped backward and collapsed.
Bi Sa-in looked back to see the Faceless Guests. Seeing the Unorthodox Path warriors attacking the eyes in the dark, the Faceless Guests had stepped in to help.
Bi Sa-in shouted to them, “These things are sending internal energy to their leader!”
That was enough. It meant the Young Cult Leader and the Smiling Demon were in danger because of them. The Faceless Guests exchanged glances and drew their daggers in unison. Though Finger Wind was their primary skill, they used daggers for close-quarters combat.
The Faceless Guests surged forward like the white crests of waves on a midnight sea. With their entry into the fray, the scene turned into absolute carnage.
The Faceless Guests fought as if they were entirely devoid of fear. They swung their daggers like madmen, then suddenly used their free hands to blast Finger Wind into their opponents' faces. It was like watching a group of even stranger creatures hunting a massive, grotesque beast.
During the chaos, one Faceless Guest who had delved too deep into the enemy ranks was cut off from his comrades. The surrounding black-robed men launched a combined attack. It was an onslaught that small daggers and Finger Wind couldn't withstand. He held out desperately, taking down several enemies, but—
Stab!
Ultimately, he was stabbed in the waist. As he sank to his knees, a black-robed man brought a sword down toward his head.
Thwack!
Blood sprayed onto the Faceless Guest’s mask. A blade had erupted from the chest of the man trying to kill him. As the enemy fell, Bi Sa-in stood behind him. He had broken through from the opposite side to save him.
‘To think the day would come when I’d save a Faceless Guest!’
That was Bi Sa-in’s honest thought. Just then, other Faceless Guests broke through from another side. Bi Sa-in vanished back the way he came, and the Faceless Guests watched his retreating figure in silence.
As the battle raged on, the tightly knit mass of black-robed men began to fracture. No matter how well they knew the Dark Heaven Night God Art, their opponents were Bi Sa-in, the 13 Wolves, and the death-defying Faceless Guests.
Bi Sa-in saw it. The flow of energy through the air had been severed.
“The energy flow is broken! Push harder!”
The black-robed men tried desperately to resume the transmission. One group tried to send the energy while another tried to protect them, but Bi Sa-in and the 13 Wolves fought frantically to stop it.
‘That energy will be the death of Geom Mu-geuk!’
Whoosh!
Bi Sa-in charged like a bull, tearing through their ranks. Sword Qi flew at him, but he blocked it with his Body Protection Qi. Rolling across the ground and springing back up, Bi Sa-in rushed another group. When the one transmitting the energy died, the qi dissipated into the air before reaching the carriage.
“Block them over there!”
It was a desperate struggle between those trying to send the power and those trying to stop it. Realizing they couldn't continue like this, the black-robed men made a final, grim decision.
They gathered around a single focal point, and a sickening silence fell for a moment. The white rings in their eyes began to spin rapidly.
Whirrrrrrr!
Black smoke began to whirlwind around them. A sorrowful sound, like the wailing of ghosts, filled the air, and a malevolent aura exploded in all directions.
“It’s dangerous! Everyone, get back!”
Bi Sa-in had thought it wouldn't matter as long as they didn't send energy to the carriage, but—
Whoooo.
The whirlwind vanished, revealing a shocking sight. The black-robed men were all dead. Their eyes had turned white, and their bodies had blackened.
The energy flowing from their corpses began to move toward the carriage. This wasn't the ordinary internal energy from before. It was a grotesque, powerful force paid for with their lives, and it was encased in a swirling vortex of black smoke.
“No!”
Bi Sa-in swung his sword at the energy. The blade merely passed through it. Just as one cannot kill the air, he could not stop that energy. He unleashed Sword Qi, but that too was useless. If anything, the black smoke seemed to move more vigorously after being struck.
It flew slowly toward the carriage, as if moving along an invisible track. The sight was both terrifying and bizarre. Bi Sa-in leaped forward and stood in front of the carriage. He could feel it—if this power reached its destination, Geom Mu-geuk would die.
“I have to block it with my own internal power.”
Since that energy would eventually become internal energy, he believed only internal energy could stop it. The 1st Wolf ran up and tried to stop him.
“You can’t! You won’t be able to overcome that much power, and even if you do, that black energy will cause severe internal injuries! You might even die!”
“If this power gets through, the Young Cult Leader will die.”
“Why not just destroy the carriage?”
Did they think Bi Sa-in hadn't considered that?
“What if the Young Cult Leader and the Smiling Demon are inside?”
If they were, he would be killing his own friend with his own hands.
“We have to leave the fight inside to the Young Cult Leader and block this energy ourselves.”
Whirrrr.
In the meantime, the energy had drawn close.
“Then I will block it.”
The 1st Wolf stepped forward, and the rest of the 13 Wolves lined up behind him. But Bi Sa-in was not the type to stand in the back. He stepped in front of the 1st Wolf.
“Young Alliance Leader!”
“Il-rang, if the Young Cult Leader and the Demon Lord die, our lives aren't guaranteed either.”
It was true. If the ones who killed those two emerged and began to sweep through this place, they wouldn't be able to stop them. And then, he added the most decisive words of all.
“He would have done the same.”
The 1st Wolf knew better than anyone how Bi Sa-in felt about Geom Mu-geuk. He knew he couldn't stop him.
Bi Sa-in activated his Body Protection Qi and turned around. There was no time to argue; the energy was already right in front of them.
The 1st Wolf placed his palms on Bi Sa-in’s back. Behind him, the 2nd Wolf did the same, then the 3rd. All thirteen Wolves placed their hands on the person in front of them. A resolve to live or die together was etched onto their faces.
Whirrrrrrrr!
It was like a black meteor was flying toward them. Bi Sa-in pushed his internal energy to its absolute limit and reached out his hands. He hadn't known until this moment that he could risk his life for Geom Mu-geuk without hesitation—a man who made him dance and teased him at every opportunity.
‘I will definitely cut off this energy, so make sure you win and come out!’
Just as the flying mass was about to touch Bi Sa-in’s palms, an incredible sight unfolded before his eyes.
Sssssss.
Accompanied by an unknown sound, the incoming energy seemed to slow down for a moment. Then, the black smoke enveloping the energy turned transparent and began to shine like ice. He thought it had turned into white smoke, but it was something else.
Creeeeeak!
A bone-chilling cold that seemed to freeze his very lungs swept over him. As if time itself had stopped, the movement of the smoke surrounding the energy began to halt.
Crack, snap!
Everything that had been flying toward them froze solid in mid-air.