Chapter 56
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 56
Chapter Title: Even a Tyrant Can Be a Hero (1)
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Whoooosh!!
A figure shot through the air, the sound of tearing wind echoing all around.
Hong Wi-mun's eyes went wide.
‘This is insane!’
Seo Ryang's charge was nothing short of a tempest.
A speed, a movement art, the likes of which he had rarely seen. Even at such a breakneck pace, there was a sense of freedom, as if he could change direction at will, and the aura he exuded was as fierce as fire.
This was the Divine Step of the Nine Heavens Earth-Shrinker—the movement art of the King of Slaughter, said to kill his targets before they even saw the hem of his clothes.
Panicked, Hong Wi-mun hastily unleashed a palm strike.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The entire area before him was blanketed in palm afterimages. It was an incredible counter, unbelievable for a technique executed in such haste.
A glint appeared in Seo Ryang's demonic eyes.
Boom!
“Ugh!”
Hong Wi-mun's body was sent flying back once more. His hand was still red and searing, but his once-full sleeve was now torn to shreds.
‘That madman! He actually attacked to kill?!’
The Adamant Cleaving Hand of the Heaven-Lifting Technique.
But that wasn't the end of it. Seo Ryang's hand, having shattered Hong Wi-mun's palm art in a single strike, had already balled into a fist. He had compressed his overflowing power, turning it into a veritable iron hammer.
Thud!
Stomping the ground, Seo Ryang thrust his fist forward. His target was Hong Wi-mun's solar plexus.
To swing a fist capable of crushing boulders at a man's solar plexus. It was a strike one would never dare attempt without murderous intent.
‘Hngh!’
Crash!
Back, and back again.
Hong Wi-mun, who had done nothing but retreat, looked utterly ravaged in just a few moments. He had managed to block the final killing blow, but having pushed his ki so forcefully, he could no longer control his internal energy.
If he could just have a moment, just two or three proper breaths, he could set everything right.
‘He'll never give me an opening! I have to prepare for his next attack…’
Suddenly, Hong Wi-mun's eyes wavered violently.
To his astonishment, Seo Ryang, whom he had expected to press the attack, was standing at a distance, casually tapping the ground with his toe.
“…?”
Why? Surely he knew this brief opening was the moment that could decide the fight.
Just then, he heard Seo Ryang mutter.
“My overall hand-to-hand combat, especially my hand techniques, is definitely second nature. But just as I thought, it's lost its finesse. I'll have to work on that later…”
“...!”
“Maybe I should draw my sword? No, I'm confident I can control it, but if the fight intensifies, I can't rule out the possibility of innocent bystanders getting hurt… Hmm?”
Seo Ryang blinked.
“Ah, have you caught your breath?”
“…What are you trying to do?”
“I think I've waited long enough. This time, you come to me.”
Fwoom.
A thick killing intent gathered in Hong Wi-mun's eyes.
How dare he use me to test his own martial arts?
Pssssst!
The Serpent King Demonic Art flared to life, and a sinister demonic ki poured from his pupils, which were now tinged purple.
Hiss!
The foul, reptilian stench of a snake seemed to waft from somewhere.
A crunching sound echoed, as if his joints were being crushed, and Hong Wi-mun's fingers began to lengthen and thicken. His razor-sharp nails lost their natural color, turning a deep black.
Seo Ryang smirked.
“That art of yours sure takes a long time to prepare. No wonder you were pushed back so easily by a surprise attack.”
“You must truly have a death wish!”
“You were going to kill me anyway, you son of a bitch. So I'm supposed to just let someone who'll obviously be a future threat walk away?”
He truly couldn't imagine someone being so reckless, even in this situation.
Hong Wi-mun gave a cold, mocking smile. His purple pupils dilated, exuding a bizarre and wicked aura.
“I suppose I can consider this self-defense. I should be thanking you.”
“I'm the one who should be thanking you. For politely accepting my invitation for a drink.”
Krrrrr!
Crimson lightning crackled around his right hand, where his Dark Shadow Demonic Ki was concentrated.
Not flames, but lightning. It was a completely different manifestation of ki from what he had shown before.
“Enough talk. If you're ready, come at me.”
Sssss!
A sound that sent an involuntary shiver down one's spine could be heard.
The sound of a snake slithering across the ground. Hong Wi-mun had finally made his move.
Fwip!
His approach was fluid, yet incredibly fast. Then, at the perfect moment, he leaped and swung his hand, his attack mimicking that of a viper striking its prey.
Seo Ryang's eyes glinted.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!
Their hands clashed a dozen times in mid-air. The exchange was over in the blink of an eye.
Shk!
Seo Ryang retreated three or four steps.
It wasn't because he couldn't withstand Hong Wi-mun's assault. It was to get a proper look at his opponent's technique and to acclimate his body to the footwork.
‘This bastard!’
Hong Wi-mun's skill was not so low that he couldn't read his opponent's intentions.
Fwoom.
A purple current of ki spread from the tips of his jet-black nails.
Simultaneously, a musty yet cloyingly sweet scent filled the air. It was the smell of rotting leaves.
‘I'll shatter that composure.’
Hong Wi-mun swung his hands like lightning. It was the ultimate technique of the Red Snake House, performed with the Serpent King Demonic Art: the Black Bone Serpent Shadow Hand.
Seo Ryang swung his own hand to meet the attack.
Claaaaang!
As their hands met, a metallic clang rang out, as if steel weapons were colliding.
Clash! Clash! Clash!
Shards of purple true ki scattered into the air.
‘So it's not working, just as I thought.’
The Black Bone Serpent Shadow Hand was, in itself, one of the supreme martial arts of the realm.
But what made this art truly terrifying was its vicious serpent venom.
It wasn't a fast-acting poison, but a neurotoxin that was incredibly difficult to counteract. Because only a small amount was needed and it left no trace, it was also highly effective for assassinations.
A poison that even the most skilled masters found difficult to overcome. And that very purple serpent venom was now being dispersed by Seo Ryang's demonic ki.
‘It's only to be expected. His demonic ki is a potent art of pure Yang energy. Most poisons won't affect him.’
Then what?
Ssssss.
Moving twice as fast as before, Hong Wi-mun had already positioned himself behind Seo Ryang.
His movements were so fluid it was difficult to read their path. Seo Ryang couldn't help but admire his footwork.
‘He really is on another level.’
Just seeing him use footwork of this caliber at his age proved he hadn't become Lee Cheonsang's disciple for nothing.
Zing!
For a moment, the back of his neck prickled. He had read the precise direction of Hong Wi-mun's killing intent.
Whoosh!
Hong Wi-mun's leg swung out, aimed at Seo Ryang's neck.
The upward kick of the Great Serpent's Fang was, unlike his footwork, incredibly direct and powerful. Its synergy with his footwork was also remarkable.
Whoosh!
But Hong Wi-mun's foot only cut through empty air.
His combination of the Flood Dragon Steps followed by the Great Serpent's Fang had never failed until now. He wasn't panicked, but he was certainly surprised.
Seo Ryang's counterattack was immediate.
Thwack!
The Flood Dragon Steps were equally effective for both offense and defense. Seo Ryang's short upward palm strike missed its mark.
Was it now Hong Wi-mun's turn to counterattack?
Thud! Wham!
A look of surprise crossed Hong Wi-mun's face.
As he deflected the palm strike aimed at his face with a forearm, a fist followed through. He wouldn't have been surprised by a block or a dodge, but to think he would attempt both at the same time.
Thud!
‘Ugh!’
Even though the palm strike had only thrown him off balance, his chest ached as if it had been struck by a sledgehammer.
It wasn't an internal injury, but he could feel his defensive barrier of true ki falter.
‘…?’
As Hong Wi-mun tried to use the Flood Dragon Steps again, his eyes widened.
‘How?!’
He had moved left and was about to smoothly shift to the rear, but his path was blocked.
Somehow, Seo Ryang was already there, blocking his path with a grin, and his foot shot out.
Crack!
“Hup!”
Pride alone allowed him to swallow his scream. Hong Wi-mun's body slid backward.
His chest, already struck by a fist, had now taken a kick. Thanks to the demonic ki he managed to muster, he avoided broken bones, but his insides were rattled.
Staggering, Hong Wi-mun lifted his head.
‘…!’
Seo Ryang had vanished from his sight.
No sound, no presence. He couldn't even be detected by his ki sense, so there was no way to know where he had gone.
Flustered, Hong Wi-mun pushed his Serpent King Demonic Art to its absolute limit. A sense of crisis sent a chill down his spine.
Just then, he felt a terrifying concentration of demonic ki gathering to his rear right.
Craaash! Boooom!
Sent flying by the explosion, Hong Wi-mun crashed through a tree and collapsed.
Seo Ryang lowered his outstretched hand and grinned.
“Good. This should be enough.”
The harmony between the Heaven-Lifting Technique, the Divine Step of the Nine Heavens Earth-Shrinker, and the Dark Shadow True Demonic Art was perfect. He'd had his suspicions, but he had never confirmed them in a real fight. Now, he was certain.
Pssssst!
The splinters of the shattered tree turned to dust.
As Hong Wi-mun slowly rose to his feet, a vivid purple demonic ki erupted from his entire body.
Tsssssss!
His Serpent King Demonic Art, pushed to its extreme, had activated the very core of its serpent venom. The deadly purple aura billowed out, turning the entire area into a death zone.
Seo Ryang frowned.
‘Poison.’
Assassins are also proficient with poisons. Poisoning is, after all, an excellent way to kill a target.
‘It's no problem for me, but…’
Swish.
The billowing purple aura was slowly but surely expanding its reach.
He glanced around.
Drawn by the brutal exchange between the two masters, a crowd of cultists had gathered at a distance, murmuring amongst themselves.
They were far enough away not to be caught in the shockwaves, but poison was another matter.
Flash!
Hong Wi-mun's eyes turned completely purple. With the whites of his eyes gone, they looked almost mystical in a way.
“Haaa…”
Even his languid exhale carried a violet smoke.
The aura he exuded was like steel, and the overflowing waves of ki were utterly venomous. His soaring demonic ki reached its zenith, and the fully unleashed Serpent King Demonic Art became one with him.
Sliiiide.
Hong Wi-mun slowly lowered his upper body.
Assuming a stance like a four-legged beast, his eyes locked onto Seo Ryang.
Thud, thud.
Seo Ryang slowly walked to the right. Hong Wi-mun simply turned his neck to track him.
Thump.
The moment Seo Ryang stopped walking, Hong Wi-mun's neck, twisted completely to the left, also froze.
“…”
A silent conversation. A dialogue of nothing but silence.
Sllllurp!
Hong Wi-mun's forked tongue darted out, licking his chin. He looked exactly like a great serpent.
Watching him with an expressionless face, Seo Ryang slowly lowered his stance.
His left hand grasped the scabbard at his waist while his right arm hung loosely. A smile touched his lips.
“Shall we end this?”
“Kyaaah!”
Craaash!
His speed had doubled. His hands, now longer and harder, swung wildly, as if to tear Seo Ryang to shreds.
At the same time, Seo Ryang's left thumb moved.
Shliiiing!
Crimson lightning wreathed the blade as it was drawn in a flash.
Seo Ryang's blade met Hong Wi-mun's hand head-on.
Boom!
* * *
“What did I do that was so wrong!”
“Silence.”
“Silence? Who the hell do you think you are, talking down to me! Do you know me? Do you, you punk!”
“Cause any more trouble and you'll have obstruction of official duties added to your sentence. Keep that in mind.”
“Are you insane?! I'm already set to rot in prison for thirty years, what's a few more years to me, you bastard! Enough! Just call the Head of External Affairs! What kind of justice catches the accomplice but lets the mastermind go free? I'm telling you, I didn't even know!”
On the way to the Hall of Punishments.
The sight of the man in his early fifties screaming his head off, juxtaposed with the stoic members of the Hall of Punishments, was a curious one.
The man yelled frantically.
“You bastards! I'm innocent!!”
Craaaaaash!
“Gasp!”
The man, along with the members of the Hall of Punishments, started in surprise and turned toward the source of the explosion.
Their faces paled.
“W-What was that?!”
Two masters, having completely demolished a building, were now locked in a frantic battle in mid-air.
The leader of the group shouted quickly.
“What are you all standing around for! Go to the Hall Head and get the order to deploy the Black Sun Guard! I'll handle the suspect's transport!”
The man, his face now pale, stared at the two masters.
“What in the world is this mess…”
Suddenly, his eyes went wide.
“Huh? Huh?!”
His gaze was fixed squarely on Seo Ryang.
“…That saber art?”