Chapter 712: Pierce My Heart!
Chapter 712: Pierce My Heart!
The creature possessed a sinister intelligence.
The Flying Blood Snake, which had been relentlessly assaulting his heart, suddenly shifted its tactics.
It began to feast on Geom Mu-geuk’s meridians. At first, it nipped at minor vessels to test his reaction. When Geom Mu-geuk ignored the provocation, the creature moved on to increasingly vital pathways.
It was a calculated move. The snake knew that if he dispersed his internal energy to protect his meridians, the power guarding his heart would inevitably weaken.
Of course, it didn't attack enough to kill him. It knew that if Geom Mu-geuk died, it would perish along with its host. It was a spiritual creature of high intelligence and even higher malice.
Because it moved with such lightning speed, he couldn't catch it. In the end, he had no choice but to offer up his heart as bait to trap it.
He yielded half of his heart, mobilizing every drop of internal energy to prevent the creature from invading the remaining half.
Once the Flying Blood Snake entered the heart, it did not leave. Initially, it simply remained coiled and still.
He had thought that was a relief, but he was wrong.
The creature began to absorb power directly through the heart, becoming far more formidable than when it was merely circulating through his meridians. Conversely, Geom Mu-geuk grew weaker by that same margin.
Having replenished its strength, the Flying Blood Snake began to assault the remaining half of his heart. It pushed inward with a force incomparable to its previous efforts.
Geom Mu-geuk poured every ounce of his internal energy into the defense.
He endured, and then he endured again.
First, it had been a struggle to keep his meridians from being shredded; now, it was a battle to keep his heart from being obliterated. The mental and spiritual drain was immense. It was agonizingly difficult to hold on, straining every nerve and every fiber of his being.
He wanted to scream, but he refused. He knew Cha Yi-ran was also giving her absolute best. If she realized the dire state he was in, she would panic and make a mistake. Thus, Geom Mu-geuk endured in silence.
When the pain reached its absolute peak, Geom Mu-geuk saw a vision.
He was alone, straining to hold back a massive, encroaching wall.
Inch by inch, he was being pushed back. It felt as if the muscles and bones of his entire body were melting away. He wanted to let go. He wanted to give up.
But Geom Mu-geuk did not surrender. He was not the kind of man to quit just because the world grew heavy.
How long did he hold on like that?
Thud.
Geom Mu-geuk turned his head at the sound of footsteps. He was momentarily startled.
Someone was helping him push the wall. It was the handsome wraith of the Four Directions, a manifestation of the Nine Calamities Demonic Art.
‘How are you here?’
Thud.
Then, another ghost appeared on the other side—a terrifying, hideous specter. It shot Geom Mu-geuk a glance with its monstrous face and began to heave against the wall.
Thud.
Next, a mysterious-looking figure appeared beside the handsome wraith, and finally, a clever-looking one joined the terrifying ghost.
With the four of them pushing together, the wall no longer moved backward.
Geom Mu-geuk was overjoyed.
And at the final moment, something blocked the light, casting a massive shadow over him. When Geom Mu-geuk looked up, a gargantuan entity began to push the wall.
The Heavenly Demon Soul?
Yes, it was the Heavenly Demon Soul. Though it was hard to see in the darkness, there was no mistaking that presence.
With the evil ghosts and the Heavenly Demon Soul united, the wall began to move forward again.
‘Ah... now that even the Heavenly Demon Soul is here, I can let go.’
Strength began to drain from Geom Mu-geuk’s arms.
However, this vision was a Heart Demon—a hallucination conjured by his subconscious because he was so utterly exhausted. In reality, the wall was being pushed back. Heart Demons often shake one's resolve by using the images of those the target trusts most.
Yes, I can rest a little now, can't I?
Just as the strength was about to leave his hands entirely, a voice calling out to him echoed from the darkness.
...Young Cult Leader.
Whose voice was this? A familiar voice, whispering from afar.
At first, the call sounded distant, but the next words pierced the darkness as sharply as a streak of light-imbued Sword Qi.
“I have arrived, so open your eyes!”
The moment he recognized it as the voice of the Smiling Demon, the world around him shattered.
One by one, the evil ghosts vanished. Finally, the Heavenly Demon Soul disappeared. As the shadow it cast faded, his surroundings brightened. The Heart Demon was broken.
“Young Cult Leader!”
At the Smiling Demon’s call, Geom Mu-geuk’s eyes snapped open.
The Smiling Demon was right in front of him, looking down. Only then did Geom Mu-geuk realize that everything he had seen in the vision was a lie.
“Are you alright?”
The eyes behind the mask were filled with worry. He had sensed that Geom Mu-geuk’s condition was critical.
Geom Mu-geuk squeezed out his final bit of strength.
“Pierce... my heart!”
“!”
The Smiling Demon’s eyes widened. He realized that the moment of the prophecy had finally arrived.
The Smiling Demon had considered many possibilities regarding that prophecy. Would I only pretend to kill the Young Cult Leader? Or would I kill a double disguised as him?
But he had never imagined he would have to pierce the heart of the real Geom Mu-geuk.
Geom Mu-geuk’s hand gripped the Smiling Demon’s wrist. He pulled that hand toward his own chest.
‘Trust yourself and strike.’
With that final action, Geom Mu-geuk closed his eyes. By the time he had fallen into the Heart Demon, the Flying Blood Snake had already invaded the remaining half of his heart. The more of the heart it occupied, the stronger it became.
The moment he heard Geom Mu-geuk’s command, Hwa Do-myeong screamed.
“No! Stop him!”
He mistakenly thought Geom Mu-geuk was trying to commit suicide—that he would rather die than be completely controlled by the Flying Blood Snake. If Geom Mu-geuk died, failing to kill the Unorthodox Path Alliance Leader would be the least of their problems; they would be unable to recover the immense energies contained within his body.
Over twenty of Hwa Do-myeong’s subordinates lunged forward simultaneously.
The Faceless Guests drew their daggers in unison to meet them.
Swish.
Dodging the sword of the first warrior to reach him, a Faceless Guest drove a dagger into the man's chest.
Clang!
The warrior who blocked the next attack was no amateur. He was clearly more skilled than the thugs they had faced in the alleys. However, the ten strongest Faceless Guests of Villain Valley were a breed of enemy they had never encountered before.
Just as the warrior thrust his sword again—
Shuck! Shoo-shuck!
The Faceless Guest’s Finger Wind flew toward his face. Not expecting a melee fighter to fire Finger Wind, the warrior barely dodged the first, but the second took off his ear.
Splat!
As the enraged warrior’s movements grew wild—
Thuck!
The Faceless Guest’s dagger buried itself in the man's heart. Pulling the blade out, the Faceless Guest charged sideways.
Just as an enemy was about to ambush the back of an assassin woman—
Swoosh.
The Faceless Guest snatched the opponent and drove a dagger into his neck.
Stab.
The warrior who tried to attack the Faceless Guest who had saved the assassin was struck down by 1st Gyo.
The Faceless Guests and the assassins were in perfect sync. They fought like lifelong comrades, covering each other's blind spots.
Seeing that the opposition was stronger than expected, Hwa Do-myeong barked an order to the three Bamboo-Hat Men standing behind him.
“Kill them all!”
At that, two of the three—a man and a woman—leaped forward. The woman wielded a sword and the man a blade; their skills were extraordinary.
Swoosh! Slash!
Fast, powerful Sword Qi and Blade Qi flew toward the Crescent-Moon Faceless Guest and the spider-patterned Faceless Guest beside him. It was a surprise attack, and they were too close to dodge.
At that very moment!
Boom!
Another wave of Gang Qi surged forth, colliding with the incoming attacks.
Crash!
The person who landed in front of the Faceless Guests was Cha Yi-ran. She had unleashed the Heavenly Maiden Night Rain Palm with both hands to save them.
“Your opponents are me.”
The two Faceless Guests glanced at Cha Yi-ran once before leaping back into the fray. There was no time for gratitude.
Cha Yi-ran’s gaze turned toward Hwa Do-myeong. His eyes were not on her; he was looking past her, at Geom Mu-geuk and the Smiling Demon. She could feel his desperation. Perhaps the reason he had hidden behind his fan for so long was to prevent this very desperation from being discovered.
Hwa Do-myeong personally leaped forward, landing in front of Cha Yi-ran. The final Bamboo-Hat Man followed him—a warrior tasked with ensuring Hwa Do-myeong’s safety.
Hwa Do-myeong had no intention of talking. He knew she wasn't the type to step aside.
Whirrrr!
A powerful stream of Gang Qi whipped out from his fan. As Cha Yi-ran leaped into the air to dodge—
The other two Bamboo-Hat warriors lunged in for a pincer attack.
She parried the incoming sword with her dagger and unleashed a continuous barrage of palm techniques. Cha Yi-ran fought with all her soul, determined not to let a single person past her.
However, facing three masters at once, including Hwa Do-myeong, was too much. Amidst the relentless assault, she failed to dodge a streak of Blade Qi from the Bamboo-Hat man.
Thwack!
The Blade Qi struck her. She managed to manifest her Body Protection Qi at the last second, but the impact was massive. Yet, she did not budge. Even in that state, she fired a palm strike at the man who had attacked her.
It was then.
Flash!
The Bamboo-Hat woman appeared in the air before her. It was a magnificent Lightness Movement Method that made it seem as if she had teleported.
Swish!
The sword was already flying toward Cha Yi-ran’s face. Had she been in peak condition, she could have dodged it, but she was currently battered and exhausted. She wouldn't die, but a severe facial injury seemed unavoidable.
Right then—
Zip!
A single dagger flew toward the Bamboo-Hat woman.
Clang!
The sword that parried the dagger in mid-air still managed to graze Cha Yi-ran, but she had already moved out of the direct line of death. The person who had thrown the dagger was the spider-patterned Faceless Guest she had saved earlier.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Gang Qi poured toward Cha Yi-ran without giving her a moment to breathe. Since the assassins were fighting behind her, Cha Yi-ran did not dodge, instead meeting the palm techniques head-on.
Boom! Bang! Crash!
With the Bamboo-Hat warriors on her flanks and Hwa Do-myeong in front, the attacks of all three were concentrated on her. As her form wavered from the internal injuries—
Someone threw themselves forward to save her. This time, it was the Crescent-Moon warrior. He caught the injured Cha Yi-ran and retreated.
The female assassins rushed over to protect her. The Faceless Guests formed a tight circle around Geom Mu-geuk and the Smiling Demon. These men, who did not fear death, had looks in their eyes that said they would not budge an inch.
“Wipe them all out!”
As the two Bamboo-Hat warriors stepped forward at Hwa Do-myeong’s command—
Squelch!
The sound of a blade tearing through flesh rang out. It came from the center of the circle.
As the Faceless Guests looked back, Hwa Do-myeong saw the scene through the gaps in their formation.
The Smiling Demon’s dagger was buried in Geom Mu-geuk’s heart.
Hwa Do-myeong’s eyes nearly popped out of his head.
‘He really stabbed the Young Cult Leader?’
He knew that the Demon Lord closest to Geom Mu-geuk was the Smiling Demon. He had thought that while other Demon Lords might do it, the Smiling Demon would never be able to kill him.
The Faceless Guests watched with shocked faces before turning back to face the enemy. The female assassins looked between the two men with expressions of horror.
The Smiling Demon had truly pierced Geom Mu-geuk’s heart.
While the others were in the heat of battle, the Smiling Demon was concentrating with his palm pressed against Geom Mu-geuk’s chest. To him, all surrounding noise had vanished; he felt only the beating of Geom Mu-geuk’s heart. In this moment, the Smiling Demon was a Divine Doctor—a Demon Doctor.
He felt the foreign energy within the heart. He could feel the Flying Blood Snake seizing control. He knew instinctively: to kill the snake, he had to pierce its skull with pinpoint accuracy.
But the Smiling Demon hesitated. If he struck incorrectly, Geom Mu-geuk would die. The problem was that the Flying Blood Snake was moving in unpredictable directions, pushing toward the other side of the heart.
He had only one chance. The very moment the creature occupied the final portion of Geom Mu-geuk’s heart. The moment it filled that last void!
The Smiling Demon waited for that exact second. Though a fierce battle raged outside, he focused solely on the parasite.
And finally!
The moment the Flying Blood Snake completely took over Geom Mu-geuk’s heart!
The Smiling Demon’s dagger silently cut through the air. The character for "Smile" (笑) engraved on the blade sliced through the void. With the dagger Geom Mu-geuk had given him, using the martial arts Geom Mu-geuk had taught him, he pierced his master's heart.
Thuck!
It wasn't a feint; he drove it deep.
A sudden silence fell over the area. Everyone stared.
As the Smiling Demon withdrew the dagger, Geom Mu-geuk’s head slumped, blood spilling from his chest. Geom Mu-geuk did not move. He truly looked dead.
Hwa Do-myeong was the one who screamed.
“No!”
He believed Geom Mu-geuk was dead.
But the one that had died was the Flying Blood Snake. The Smiling Demon’s dagger had successfully pierced the creature's vital spot.
Sizzle.
The Flying Blood Snake, its head pierced, writhed once.
Fshhhhh.
Then, the creature's body began to slowly dissolve.
The energy of countless elixirs, rare herbs, and divine artifacts filled the heart. That mystical energy began to knit back together the wound in the heart torn by the dagger. Geom Mu-geuk’s body began to melt that energy down.
It was a first. Never before had any elixir been dissolved starting from the heart. The energy, pumped out by the heart, flowed through his meridians and into his entire body. It was a massive power, unlike anything he had ever felt before.
Geom Mu-geuk began to convert the energy of the Flying Blood Snake into his own internal energy.
The Smiling Demon watched Geom Mu-geuk in silence. Geom Mu-geuk’s aura was so faint that only he, being so close, could barely sense it.
But the Smiling Demon could tell. Geom Mu-geuk’s expression had become peaceful. A faint smile even played on his lips, as if he were having a pleasant dream.
‘It worked.’
He had struck correctly. This was the first time in his life he had ever been this nervous. Even if it had been his own heart, he wouldn't have been this tense.
The prophecy was fulfilled. The unbelievable prophecy that he would stab Geom Mu-geuk had come true exactly as foretold. The fact that the location had changed from a stage was likely due to that assassin woman. Because she had changed her mind, the stage for selecting the World’s Most Beautiful Woman had vanished.
Then, Hwa Do-myeong’s furious voice rang out.
“You madman! Even so, how could you kill the Young Cult Leader?”
The Smiling Demon slowly turned his head to look at Hwa Do-myeong. The eyes behind the mask smiled coldly.
“Then you must realize it now.”
Geom Mu-geuk’s blood dripped from the dagger in the Smiling Demon’s hand.
“That there is no one I cannot kill.”