Chapter 74: The Bloodbath of the Yangtze (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 74: The Bloodbath of the Yangtze (4)
“You’ll die if your head is cut off. Aren't you overestimating your recovery ability a bit too much?”
‘!!!’
The scarred man’s pupils trembled.
Beyond mere emotional agitation, the look he gave me was as if he were facing something utterly unknown.
When facing an unfamiliar enemy, people often feel a fear that goes beyond simple caution. From this reaction, I was able to confirm one fact.
As I thought, this man has recovery abilities too.
Certain masters in this organization associated with the Golden-Eyed Man possessed recovery abilities that transcended human limits. Such individuals do not die even if their vital points or vulnerable areas—what would normally be considered fatal wounds—are struck.
In extreme cases, it seemed they could even regenerate severed limbs. Perhaps that was why these advantages made them so overconfident.
“...Who the hell are you?”
At his question, I gave a thin smile and replied, “So Woon-hwi.”
“What kind of nonsense is—”
Before he could even finish his sentence, murmurs began to rise from the surroundings.
“W-what happened?”
“What on earth just took place?”
Those showing such reactions were the escort guards, the members of the Beggar’s Sect, and the disciples of the Zhongnan Sect. From their perspective, it must have been a shock. One moment they were dazed, and the next, more than half of the masked men were dead.
“How did so many of them...?”
“L-look over there! It’s the Sword Control Art!”
“It was Young Hero So!”
They cheered as the Namcheon Iron Sword and the Lesser Conversation Sword flew through the air, picking off the masked men.
On the other hand, the surviving masked men were filled with bewilderment. From their point of view, they had blinked for a moment, and most of their comrades were dead.
“How could this happen...?”
“W-what is he?”
Through the True Awakening just a moment ago, I had used sound to plant a suggestion in everyone on this ship. In other words, almost everyone, friend and foe alike, had fallen for it.
Had they been in perfect condition, those with strong mental fortitude or masters who had reached a certain level might not have succumbed to the suggestion, but they were all exhausted from the long battle. Even Taoist Master Do Uk, the Sect Leader of the Zhongnan Sect, had suffered a severe internal injury.
The confusion was evident on his face as well.
Biting his lip hard, the scarred man shouted urgently, “Catch his swords!”
“B-but how?”
“I said catch them!”
Despite his urging, nothing changed. The majority of the masked men were soaked in fear because of their comrades who had died in the blink of an eye. To them, it must have felt like the work of a vengeful ghost.
Perhaps that was why they were busy just trying to flee from the Namcheon Iron Sword and the Lesser Conversation Sword, which were still crisscrossing the deck.
“Now is our chance! Everyone, help Young Hero So and defend the ship!”
The quick-witted Jo Seong-won shouted to the crowd.
Encouraged by his words, the other martial artists responded with a roar.
“He’s right! Let’s defend the ship!”
“Strike down the enemies!”
“Follow Young Hero So!”
In an instant, the atmosphere on the ship was reversed. Before I appeared, the mood on the deck had seemed quite bleak. But now, with the enemy numbers significantly reduced and the presence of a peerless master like myself, everyone’s fighting spirit was rekindled.
“You brat...”
Reading the shift in the atmosphere, the scarred man could not hide his fury.
I looked at him and said, “I’ll give you a chance as well. Surrender and hand over all your information, and I’ll spare your life.”
At my words, the scarred man’s face twisted hideously, his pride clearly wounded. He gathered his internal power and screamed at me.
“Spare my life? Ha! A mere whelp like you dares to insult me!”
Clang!
He stopped clashing with me and used the counter-force to create distance. Then, he shouted to the masked men around him.
“Blow the whistles!”
At that command, some of the masked men replied in shock.
“But our allies are still on the ship!”
“Do as you’re told!”
“Ugh!”
Though flustered, the masked men pulled something from their robes. They were small whistles.
‘Stop them!’
—Got it!
At my command, the Lesser Conversation Sword and the Namcheon Iron Sword, which had been darting across the deck, simultaneously cut through the crowd to target the masked men trying to blow the whistles.
“Not so fast!”
However, the scarred man used his blade techniques to create a defensive net, blocking the two swords from attacking the masked men. Even in his flustered state, his martial prowess was that of a superhuman who had broken through the wall.
Puuuuuuuuuuu—!!!
In the meantime, the sound of the whistles echoed in all directions.
What were they planning that made the masked men mention their own allies?
Right then, I heard the sound of something flying through the air. Looking up, I saw bolts from crossbows—not ordinary bows—flying toward the ship from the cliffs.
‘Oh no!’
I leaped up and swatted away a flying bolt.
Clang!
However, the force was on a different level from a normal arrow, and my sword shattered the moment I deflected the bolt. An ordinary sword could not withstand the power of a heavy crossbow.
Swish, swish, swish, swish!
The sound filled my ears. A hail of countless bolts and arrows was raining down toward the ship.
“Arrows are coming!”
At my shout, the people who had been frantically fighting the masked men hurriedly swung their swords upward to block them.
Clang, clang, clang, clang!
The aspect of the battlefield changed instantly. While they could somehow block the arrows, those with weaker martial arts were being struck down by the crossbow bolts they couldn't parry.
Thwack!
“Aaargh!”
It was an utterly absurd tactic. Since arrows have no eyes, the masked men were also being hit by this indiscriminate attack. However, as if they had accepted this from the start, the masked men continued to attack our allies even while they were being hit themselves.
The battle was turning into a chaotic melee in an instant.
‘In that case.’
Landing back on the deck, I called for the Namcheon Iron Sword and the Lesser Conversation Sword. The distance was quite far, so I wasn't sure if it was possible, but I had to send them to stop the people firing arrows from the top of the cliff.
‘Namcheon, Sodeam. The cliff...’
But before I could even make the request, the rain of arrows suddenly stopped.
Unable to understand what was happening, both our allies and the masked men looked toward the cliff in confusion. Just then, screams erupted from the cliffside.
“Aaaagh!”
“Gah!”
The masked men who had been firing arrows and crossbows were now turning their aim toward something on the cliff and attacking. I wondered what was going on, and then I saw a figure on the cliff.
There was someone cutting down the enemies with twin swords.
“It’s the Wolf King!”
“Great Hero Hyeok is alive!”
The people let out cheers of joy. I had been wondering where he was since he hadn't been seen, but Wolf King Hyeok Cheon-man had appeared on the cliff and was sweeping through the enemy lines with his twin swords.
—What perfect timing!
The Lesser Conversation Sword chattered excitedly. Thanks to his timely appearance, the enemies who had occupied the high ground of the cliff could no longer fire their arrows.
“That damn Wolf King!”
The scarred man was also clearly flustered. He had tried some trickery, but it seemed it hadn't worked. As a result, with the appearance of Wolf King Hyeok Cheon-man, the momentum shifted back to our side.
Grab!
I gripped the hilt of the Namcheon Iron Sword, which had returned to me, and pointed it at him.
“It’s a pity things didn't go as you wanted.”
At my sarcastic remark, the scarred man’s face flushed red. He seemed truly enraged. Still, he was a master who had reached the realm of superhumans. I couldn't afford to be careless, as I didn't know what he might do.
“Hmph!”
Zip!
Suddenly, the scarred man kicked off the ground and leaped upward. I gathered my internal power and prepared my defense, thinking he might target my allies.
But that wasn't it.
‘Huh?’
I wondered what he was up to, but then he spun his body and unleashed sharp killing intent toward the ropes connecting the ship to the cliff.
Slash, slash, slash!
The killing intent cutting through the air severed the ropes. The ship began to rock.
Creeeeeak!
“The—the ship is moving!”
With the ropes cut, the ship that had been held in place tilted and then began to move again, carried by the rough current.
I think I knew why he pulled such a stunt. It seemed he wanted to prevent Wolf King Hyeok Cheon-man, who was on the cliff, from joining us on the ship. The enemy wasn't a fool; he would naturally make that kind of calculation.
Whoosh!
I lunged toward him. I had to settle this before he could pull any more tricks.
At that moment, the scarred man plunged his saber into the floor.
Thud!
Driven by sharp killing intent, a portion of the deck cracked around his saber.
“Stop right there.”
He shouted at me. Did he think I’d fall for such a trick? I was about to perform the first form of the New Path Life-Drawing Sword Technique, the Tiger Fang Momentum Sword.
Then he yelled at me again.
“You’d better stop before I wreck this ship!”
I halted mid-motion. If a man who had reached the realm of superhumans set his mind to it, destroying the ship would be child's play. No matter how sturdy a wooden ship was, there were limits.
I shouted back at him, “Do you think I’ll let you?”
“Hmph! You know well enough that if I’m determined to destroy it, even you won't be able to stop me entirely.”
Was he going for a double suicide? Now that he was at a disadvantage, he was threatening to destroy the ship. But regardless of whether he made such a threat or not, he was the type to pull some kind of stunt once he was cornered.
Then, he pointed somewhere and shouted.
“Do you see that?”
Where he pointed was the black-sailed ship remaining on the right side of the waterway. The ship on the left had self-destructed with gunpowder to kill me. There was no guarantee that ship wouldn't do the same.
The man pulled a whistle from his robe.
“If I just blow this whistle, that ship will explode on signal.”
‘!!!’
At those words, everyone who had been fighting froze in shock. The man gave a slimy smile and said, “Now you’re finally learning how to read the situation.”
He had prepared quite thoroughly. It seemed he had come with a grim determination.
I shouted to the triumphant man, “Don't you think I might go there first and blow up that ship?”
At my words, the expressions of the people who had been momentarily anxious turned to relief. But that changed again with the scarred man’s shout.
“I suppose you haven't considered that in the meantime, I could capsize this ship or kill everyone else here.”
‘!!!’
Everyone’s expressions shifted by the second as the words flew back and forth. His words weren't a bluff. The moment I left the ship, he certainly had the capability to slaughter everyone here.
The man chuckled and said to me, “But I, too, have my pride as a martial artist.”
“Pride?”
“Let’s settle this between us.”
“...What’s the catch?”
The man gestured with his head toward the black-sailed ship.
“Just you and me, settling this over there.”
It was clearly a trap. He was trying to lure me there.
“Young Master! It’s a trap! Don't listen to him!” Sama Yeong shouted to me.
“She’s right! We live together or we die together!”
“Don't fall for his tricks!”
The members of the Beggar’s Sect and the swordsmen of the Zhongnan Sect all shouted that she was right and told me not to fall for his scheme. This was one of the strengths of the Orthodox faction. In moments like this, they cared for one another with one heart.
However, if I didn't accept his proposal, as he said, that ship would either collide with this one and explode, or he would capsize this ship one way or another.
The scarred man said to me, “Does a rising star of the Orthodox faction—no, a man who would become one of the new Eight Great Masters—lack even that much courage?”
He was deliberately provoking me. In truth, provoking me with such talk of honor meant nothing to me. My absolute priority was nothing other than protecting my own life and the people I cared about. If it came down to it...
“Fine. Then let’s do this. If you fight me one-on-one and win, I’ll give you the information you want.”
“The information I want?”
“I swear it on my honor.”
“What honor is there when I don't even know your name or identity?”
At that, the man snorted and suddenly grabbed his ear and the area under his chin. Then, he peeled off the skin as if shedding a layer. I hadn't realized it because of the scar, but the man’s face had been a human skin mask.
Beneath the mask, a face with slanted eyes and a pale, chillingly sinister expression was revealed.
Upon seeing it, Taoist Master Do Uk shouted in shock.
“The—the Ghost-Slaying Fist Demon!”
‘!!!’
At the shout of "Ghost-Slaying Fist Demon," everyone on the ship was struck with horror. I was no exception.
—Why is everyone reacting like that?
‘He’s one of the Four Great Villains.’
—Four Great Villains?
Ghost-Slaying Fist Demon Jang Mun-ryang.
As one of the Four Great Villains, he was a notorious murderer who had slaughtered hundreds of civilians and martial artists in Fujian Province over five days using only his two fists. He was infamous for crushing and mashing his victims with his fists and piling them up like mountains; until Killing Fiend Jue Xin appeared, no one could match him in terms of murder and tyranny.
‘...To think they even recruited one of the Four Great Villains.’
No wonder his strength was extraordinary. It was truly a coincidence. On my way to meet the Yangtze River Waterway Eighteen Strongholds, not only did I get involved with Wolf King Hyeok Cheon-man, one of the Eight Great Masters, but now one of the Four Great Villains, the Ghost-Slaying Fist Demon, was trying to kill me.
“Since you know who I am, no further explanation is needed. I will crush you with these fists.”
He showed a strong fighting spirit toward me. Regardless of any schemes, it seemed he truly wanted to duel me. It also meant that what he had shown with the saber until now wasn't his true skill.
Everyone was watching to see how I would respond. Since the opponent was one of the Four Great Villains, the level of danger was entirely different, and they were filled with apprehension.
The ships were drawing closer.
After taking a deep breath and exhaling, I nodded.
“Young Master!”
“Are you crazy?!”
In addition to Sama Yeong, Song Jwa-baek also shouted. It was only natural to be worried about a one-on-one duel with one of the Four Great Villains on a ship full of gunpowder.
“Leave it to me.”
With those words, I gestured with my head toward the approaching black-sailed ship.
The man chuckled and said, “You don't lack guts. Follow me.”
Zip!
As the ships passed almost side-by-side, the man leaped across the gap in a single bound, as if boasting of his superior lightness art. I also performed my lightness skill and followed him onto the deck of the black-sailed ship.
Once I was on board, the masked men tried to surround me, but they all retreated at a single wave of his hand.
“I don't know how you know so much about us, but I’ll make you spill it with your own mouth.”
Thud!
The man plunged his saber into the deck, pulled out a pair of gloves made of silver mesh from his robe, put them on, and sneered at me.
“You’ll regret making me use my fists.”
He was certainly different from before. As he clenched his fists and took a proper starting stance, the sheer pressure he exuded was entirely different from when he held the saber.
I glanced back at our ship, which was drifting away.
The man gave me a slimy smile and said, “You won't be going back to that ship.”
At that, I also gave a thin smile and replied, “No. I am going back.”
“What?”
At that moment, I leaped lightly into the air. Then, the Namcheon Iron Sword slipped from my hand and flew under me, carrying me.
As I prepared to use the Sword Flight Art, the man shouted and lunged toward me, as if he had realized my true intention.
“Where do you think you’re going?!”
I wasn't just running away. I wasn't leaving empty-handed.
I opened the wooden case and pulled out the Evil Connection Sword. Simultaneously, I sent both the Lesser Conversation Sword and the Evil Connection Sword flying toward the ship. The two swords dived down, piercing through the deck and into the hull.
“What do you think happens when iron strikes iron with great force?”
Ghost-Slaying Fist Demon Jang Mun-ryang’s eyes widened.
“You... surely you don't...”
At that moment, with a massive roar, red light erupted from the ship.
BOOOOOOOOOOM!