It'll Hurt Quite a Bit
“How long do you plan to skulk around like a rat?”
The moment Yeon-hoo's voice pierced his ears, Garak kicked off the ground and leaped upward.
'Damn it...'
A chill ran down Garak's spine. The fact that Yeon-hoo knew of his presence yet had simply passed by meant the man was utterly confident in his own power.
Of course, Garak was more than willing to clash with Yeon-hoo one-on-one and settle things. But with Seobaek and Seo-wi-ryang there too, his only option was to flee.
Whiiish!
The air whistled sharply.
Bam! Bam! Bam!
Branches erupted wildly from Garak's left side. Without even a moment to glance back, he burst out of the forest. He judged that, if he was dead set on escaping, the open area beyond the dense woods would be more advantageous. It would be the same for his pursuer, but Garak was confident in his superior internal energy.
'Even if he's been cultivating since the womb, he can't surpass me.'
But that was Garak's grave miscalculation.
Yeon-hoo possessed internal energy beyond imagination—gained from the thousand-year gateway, the Blood Prison. And his speed surpassed Garak's as well.
After running for a good while, Garak glanced back, thinking he'd shaken them off sufficiently.
“......!”
Garak's eyes bulged wide in shock.
Twenty zhang away, Yeon-hoo was closing in.
'Impossible!'
The silver lining was that the other two weren't in sight. Calming his pounding heart, Garak racked his brains.
'One-on-one, there's no reason to run. Martial arts aren't just about lightness skill.'
Garak kept running. Even if he could finish Yeon-hoo, he needed to put as much distance as possible between himself and Seobaek and Seo-wi-ryang first.
How long had they run like that? The gap narrowed to ten zhang.
It was close enough to launch energy strikes, yet for some reason, Yeon-hoo merely pursued without attacking.
Boom!
Garak kicked off the ground and soared high. Twisting in midair, he landed atop a sheer cliff five zhang tall.
Hummm!
The instant his foot touched the rock face, Garak whipped his sword toward Yeon-hoo in a lightning strike. He'd anticipated Yeon-hoo leaping up in pursuit and timed it perfectly.
But Garak's blade sliced only empty air.
Contrary to his expectation, Yeon-hoo hadn't jumped onto the cliff—he simply stood on the ground below.
His face flushed hot with humiliation.
Yeon-hoo looked up at him impassively and asked, “From the Blood Family?”
“What makes you think that?”
“One of the guys I killed had the same energy as you.”
“If you don't believe me, rip open my mouth and check for yourself. Go ahead, if you're so sure.”
“That's exactly what I plan to do.”
Garak glanced toward Yeon-hoo's rear. Noticing this, Yeon-hoo added, “No need to worry. Those two won't come here.”
“Is that so?”
Garak bared his teeth in a grin. Yeon-hoo smiled coldly in return.
“Looks like you're confident in a one-on-one.”
“Not absolute certainty, but I'm damn sure I won't be the one dying. Heh heh heh.”
Yeon-hoo backed away a few steps without a word. Then, slowly, he drew his sword.
Shing.
“If you want a proper fight, you'll have to come down... Though if you think that spot's better for you, I can come up.”
Garak's eyebrow twitched sharply at the blatant disdain bordering on mockery.
He leaped lightly into the space Yeon-hoo had vacated.
Staring straight at Garak, Yeon-hoo continued, “You know who I am... So before you die, at least give me your name.”
“If it looks like I'm dying, then I'll tell you. Heh heh heh.”
Whoosh...
As Garak unleashed his power, dust whipped up like a storm around them. Torn foliage joined the whirlwind, forming a wall that obscured the narrow space between them.
Yeon-hoo slowly lowered his sword.
'If my instincts are right, he's no weaker than Wi Yeon Gwang. In that case...'
He glanced down at his drooping blade. Fixing it to its pre-snapped strength would take at least half a year more.
Yeon-hoo's original sword had shattered killing Wi Yeon Gwang, so he'd been carrying a mundane iron one as a stopgap. His skill had long transcended reliance on weapons, but in a clash between absolutes, the smallest detail could tip the scales.
Still, he had no intention of backing down. Worst case, he'd switch to Moon Fang.
Whoosh...
The dust vortex intensified. Yeon-hoo fixed his gaze on the wall-like swirl, waiting for Garak to strike first.
Right then—
Flash!
A streak of light pierced the vortex. Yeon-hoo didn't swat it away but flowed aside with footwork, sending it glancing off. Simultaneously, he plunged into the swirl, sword flashing.
Boom!
The roar scattered the vortex. Garak stumbled back, his face etched with surprise.
'Shocked, huh. He must've been confident in his raw power.'
Thud!
This time, Yeon-hoo attacked. Prioritizing pure speed over flair, his swift blade seemed poised to sever Garak's head.
But Garak was formidable indeed.
Boom!
Their swords clashed, the resultant energy blast shredding nearby brush. Yeon-hoo pressed relentlessly.
Kaboom!
Three exchanges in a blink—Garak was pushed back five zhang. Alarm thickened in his eyes, but suddenly, they gleamed.
Clunk!
Yeon-hoo saw half his sword drop to the ground.
Garak's lips split in a ear-to-ear sneer. “For a lord of two factions, that's a pathetic blade you carry. Heh heh heh.”
“Don't worry. I can kill the likes of you without a sword.”
Clank! Clank!
Moon Fang emerged. Garak's eyes widened—not in mere surprise at the unexpected weapon.
'Does he recognize Moon Fang?'
But Yeon-hoo shook his head. No one could identify the demonic blades unless they'd cleared the thousand-year gateway. He might know the name from legends, but none had seen them in a millennium.
Meanwhile, Garak couldn't tear his gaze from Moon Fang. He wasn't startled—he was thrilled.
'Moon Fang, the demonic blades... So he broke the Blood Prison.'
Garak knew of Moon Fang. Not the real thing—this was his first—but countless replicas. In the Blood Family, in Patriarch Jeokhon's chambers.
'At last, the Blood Family's treasure has appeared.'
Greed flared in Garak's eyes, but he quickly regained his composure. Channeling energy into his sword, he advanced on Yeon-hoo.
Yeon-hoo hadn't missed that fleeting glint of avarice.
It made no sense. 'Greed for something he doesn't even recognize?'
Illogical. Unless...
“You know what this is.”
“Heh heh heh.”
Garak laughed coldly without answering. Before the echo faded, he shot forward like an arrow loosed from a bow.
Flash! Flash!
Two streaks at a whole new level of speed—but they couldn't fool Yeon-hoo's eyes.
Kaboom!
Moon Fang parried Garak's sword. Using the recoil, Yeon-hoo feigned retreat, then altered trajectory to slash at Garak's flank.
“Hmph!”
Garak snorted and twisted away. Just then, Moon Fang, poised to cut empty air, extended nearly a chi.
Its reach grew a full chi without Garak needing to step closer.
Thud!
Blood sprayed from Garak's side.
“......!”
Boom!
Caught off-guard, Garak rolled across the ground, scrambling back. But Yeon-hoo gave no quarter.
He had no desire to repeat the mistake against Wi Yeon Gwang—holding back out of pointless pride and taking a wound.
Clank! Clank!
Another Moon Fang unfurled from Yeon-hoo's left wrist as he charged ferociously. He crossed his arms upward, then thrust them toward Garak with full force.
Whirrr!
“......!”
Garak hastily erected his body-protecting aura and sword barrier.
Kaboom!
“Ngh!”
A heavy groan escaped as Garak was hurled back to the cliff like a ragdoll. Blood erupted from his chest again.
Yeon-hoo had predicted his landing and struck with a palm wind—perfectly on target.
Splat!
“Gah!”
Another groan burst from Garak's lips. He staggered, clutching the cliff face.
Splatter!
Blood poured from his chest, staining the ground crimson. His eyes trembled fiercely.
'This can't be...'
He couldn't accept it even after it happened. He could concede inferiority in technique variation or execution, but being outmatched in raw power? Unthinkable.
But he had no time to gape. Though he should be tiring, Yeon-hoo charged again.
Garak gritted his teeth, pouring all his energy into his sword.
That was when—
Whiiish!
A fierce blast hurtled from behind Yeon-hoo. He'd lowered his stance to sever Garak's legs, but sensing the incoming energy's blinding speed, he abandoned the attack and dodged left.
Krunch!
Dust exploded where he'd stood, carving a thin, deep furrow. Then, someone landed before Garak.
It was Ilho.
'Right on time!'
Garak sighed in relief. Suppressed greed resurfaced. Wounded, but it wouldn't hinder him. With Ilho joining, crushing Yeon-hoo would be child's play.
“That's the Iron Blood Family patriarch our lord wants, Ilho.”
At Garak's words, Ilho's corpse-gray eyes flashed blood-red.
Garak stepped beside him, spitting blood pooled in his mouth.
“Pah!”
Meanwhile, Yeon-hoo retreated, eyes locked on Ilho. That single move confirmed Ilho was no slouch—on par with Garak.
But Yeon-hoo's attention was elsewhere.
'There's one more.'
In the forest to his right. Someone lurked there. When Ilho struck from behind, he'd sensed the ki flow for a split instant. Unmistakably human.
That's the Iron Blood Family patriarch our lord wants, Ilho.
Garak's words made it clear.
'The Blood Family's gone all-in to eliminate me.'
With their goal confirmed, no reason remained to stay. Two he might handle, but fighting with a third in the woods? Reckless gamble.
Yeon-hoo stared at Garak. “You've got nine lives.”
“I do tend to stick around. Heh heh heh.”
“Don't get cocky. It'll hurt like hell.”
“......What?”
Boom!
Yeon-hoo kicked off and shot southward. Ilho pursued.
“Not a chance, brat!”
Garak hurriedly leaped after them—but excruciating pain from his chest and side surged with dizziness. He curled like a shrimp, tumbling to the ground. He hastily sealed pressure points to numb the agony.
“Urgh! Damn it all...”