The World Does Not Change (4)
‘……?!’
Yeon Hojeong lifted his head and gazed at the sky.
‘What is it?’
The sunset blazed with an intense red hue. In less than half a shichen, the world would plunge into darkness. A hazy moon was already peeking from the far horizon.
‘The atmosphere is churning.’
Just a little farther, and he'd reach the outskirts of Jangsa. But the air drifting from that direction felt off.
‘Too chaotic. Did something happen?’
Jangsa was the fortress city of Honam. Even as night fell, it teemed with people. No—thanks to those flocking for revelry, it would be even more vibrant.
But this wasn't the mere bustle of crowds. It was something else.
Kyaaaat!
The Vermilion Bird Qi lodged in his heart let out a savage roar.
‘Killing intent?!’
Yeon Hojeong's eyes blazed with fury.
Kwaaang!
His powerful stomp shook the earth. Sensing the dire situation, he began awakening every ounce of power he'd suppressed for the mission.
Tzztztz!
Flames of qi erupted from his body, which had been running with minimal internal energy to mask his presence.
Hwarrrruk!
The awakening Vermilion Bird Qi set his heart ablaze. His heart rate surged, pumping blood furiously through his veins, sharpening every nerve in his body to a razor's edge.
Fuuuung.
The inhaled White Tiger Qi maximized his lung capacity. His cardiopulmonary functions exploded in potency. Strength flooded his limbs, senses heightened, the flow of air tangible in his grasp. His muscles hardened, joints loosened with perfect flexibility.
Wuuung!
The Bi-ra Jin-gyeol, perfected to the tenth seong, minimized the strain on his body. Yet the Vermilion Bird and White Tiger Qis—fiercest in the world—still pushed his muscles to the brink, even with its protection.
Then, the Azure Dragon Qi surged.
Chiiiik!
His liver activated, instantly purging accumulated fatigue. The divine energy of the East reached its peak restorative power.
The power of the Three Divine Beasts, drawn to the utmost limits of body and qi efficiency.
But it wasn't enough.
His body was primed for explosive martial arts, but wielding such overwhelming force risked losing finesse. A single misstep could shatter his balance and cause internal injuries.
Hwaaaaa.
From the shadows, the divine energy of the North restored equilibrium. It was the Black Tortoise Qi.
As it flared, it swept away all nascent impurities and perfectly realigned his internal balance.
Yeon Hojeong drew a deep breath.
‘Good.’
Until now, he'd only tapped one or two powers as the situation demanded. But the true might of the Four Gods Martial Arts shone when all energies danced at his command.
‘No more holding back.’
Four colors of qi flashed sequentially in his eyes. The legendary Four Gods Qi, unseen for so long, at last descended upon the land of Honam.
Yeon Hojeong kicked off the ground.
Kwaaaang!
The earth cracked and upheaved.
Paaaang!
His speed nearly doubled. The Yeon clan's supreme movement art, Heaven-Soaring Cloud-Treading Step, empowered by the cycle of mutual generation, granted unprecedented velocity and boundless freedom.
Pararararak!
His long robes whipped wildly in the wind, fringes fraying at the edges. Pushing further might shred them entirely.
He plunged into Jangsa's outskirts in a breath. His qi sense immediately locked onto the task force's presences.
‘West!’
Paaaang!
Astonishing footwork. He kicked off the air mid-leap, accelerating further. He streaked like a comet.
Unleashing his long-suppressed power in an instant, all his pent-up energies roared in unison, elevating his martial prowess another level.
And at last.
Leaping from several rooftops into the sky, Yeon Hojeong spotted the task force.
Peueueok!
Three warriors spewing foul qi collapsed under a fierce sword strike. It was Paeryul.
His Piercing Sun Sword seemed refined further; the explosive power in each stroke had grown fiercer. The most standout performance among them.
His mid-stance sword forms were simple yet brutally practical—heads and necks tumbled with every slash.
Strong enough to forgo Point Cang techniques entirely. Indeed, the youngest elder of Point Cang Sect, his transcendent killing sword, honed through countless battles, ravaged the foes.
Papapapapang!
Dang Sang-a's martial arts were equally astounding. As the Tang clan's top prodigy, her skills rivaled seasoned masters who'd weathered every storm. And she fought without hidden weapons.
Swift, nimble palm strikes. No poison qi deployed, yet every palm felled a man.
Her footwork slithered like a serpent, her palms soft yet targeting lethal acupoints. Flexible yet chilling kicks and punches danced a deadly waltz, toying with the Cham Baek Dan thugs.
Kwaang! Kwaaang!
The biggest surprise was Jegal A-yeon.
She always hung back in battles or missions, relying on wits over fists, ever scheming alternatives even in defeat.
Not now.
Ppakak! Peueok! Kwang!
The refined Jegal clan arts twisted into savage killing moves, slaying enemies outright. Astonishingly, her combat prowess was exceptional.
Honed commanding the Moksa Army, perhaps? Her killing techniques outshone even Dang Sang-a in versatility.
Furious at the slaughter of innocents, Jegal A-yeon unleashed a terrifying martial display Yeon Hojeong had never witnessed.
And Gadeuksang.
If Jegal A-yeon was the surprise, Gadeuksang was the worry.
“Die!”
Ppakak! Peueok! Peueok!
Excitement bled into his strikes. Capable of one-shot kills, he instead battered foes over three hits, mangling them.
Clinging to a thread of reason, perhaps. He unleashed Beggar Clan arts' erratic rhythms and deceptively crude yet ferocious punches—but mercifully, no flying fists.
“It's these bastards! Call everyone!”
“Contact the Captain! They're all here...!”
Paaaang!
Gadeuksang closed the gap in a flash, kicking one Cham Baek Dan thug square in the chest.
Ppakak!
The man flew back without a scream, ribs caved in—likely fatal.
“Yeah, call 'em all!”
Thick killing intent burned in Gadeuksang's eyes, fierce enough to pierce even Blood Wind Ghost's helm.
“Call everyone! I'll slaughter the lot!”
Fearsome momentum. Rage amplified his power but eroded precision and balance. Each heavy blow drained stamina rapidly. His breaths grew ragged.
The Cham Baek Dan Third Company's Captain, Ghost Blade, bellowed.
“Fall back! Don't approach rashly! Surround them until reinforcements...!”
Then, a finger wind pierced the air.
Peueueueok!
With a gruesome sound, Ghost Blade's eyes rolled back. His head lolled, body crumpling.
Hwarrrruk!
Intense heat radiating everywhere seized all gazes. Every martial artist turned toward the finger wind's origin.
Kwaaang!
A monstrous gust tore through the battlefield's center. Not from the sky—from the ground.
Yeon Hojeong, masking his presence with explosive fire qi, unleashed max White Tiger Qi and charged the clustered Cham Baek Dan.
His twin fists unleashed a storm of blows.
Peubeubeubeubeok!
Strong and fast. Precise and refined.
The fangs of the Western sovereign beast, King of Beasts, accurately pulverized the hearts of fifteen Cham Baek Dan warriors.
Puhwaaaak!
They vomited blood and fell. Panicked survivors turned to him—but he was already gone.
Unlike the others, he wore no hood; exposing his face was too risky. For maximal efficiency in minimal time?
Peueueong!
Explosive solar qi propelled him to divine speed.
Peubeubeok! Ppakak! Kwaaang!
The reincarnation of the Fire God rained merciless fists and palms. Killing intent maxed, he became an invincible general storming the enemy heart, sweeping the justice-forsaking villains like autumn leaves.
Flustered Cham Baek Dan tried retreating, but Yeon Hojeong denied them. He moved at extreme velocity.
They couldn't even glimpse his face or eyes.
Peubeubeubeok!
The moment his kills surpassed the group's combined tally.
“Euk?!”
Surprise flickered across Gadeuksang's face, the most excited of them.
‘Young Master Yeon!’
Among the group—save Jegal A-yeon—he'd seen Yeon Hojeong fight most often.
Jegal A-yeon shouted.
“North!”
Paaaak!
Paeryul and Dang Sang-a bolted north without hesitation.
Kwaaang!
Yeon Hojeong's twin palms unleashed Crimson Flame Six Kills Art, incinerating six or seven Cham Baek Dan on the spot, then shot toward Gadeuksang.
Paaaak!
No time to panic. In a blink, Yeon Hojeong hoisted Gadeuksang over his shoulder, his footwork a dizzying blur.
Gadeuksang yelled.
“Two left!”
Ready to slaughter all. His face twisted demonically at the fleeing pair.
Yeon Hojeong shouted.
“More enemies are coming from behind! Time to create distance!”
“Fuck! Do you know what those dog bastards did?!”
“Staying means turning that into a warzone! Better to lure them!”
“……Damn it all!”
Utter frustration. Moisture welled in Gadeuksang's eyes.
‘Damn! Damn it!’
Regardless of reason, dozens of innocents died for the Murim Alliance's mission. Even children not yet ten.
‘Sorry.’
Self-loathing and regret outweighed rage. He'd never imagined such atrocities.
“Huigae.”
“……”
“Focus only on escape now. No other thoughts.”
Yeon Hojeong grasped the unfolding chaos instantly. He was furious too, but lingering helped no one—the task force or civilians.
Gadeuksang ground his teeth.
“If those bastards do it again...”
“Yang Cheon knows his duty. So do his men. They know this chaos profits them nothing.”
“……”
“Regain your cool.”
“……Put me down.”
Yeon Hojeong inhaled and hurled Gadeuksang away.
Pararak!
Gadeuksang landed gracefully with elegant footwork, matching Yeon Hojeong's pace as they ran.
“Young Master Yeon.”
“Speak.”
“……Thanks.”
“Save it for after we escape.”
Yeon Hojeong's eyes flashed with fervor.
“They're swarming from all sides. The mission's far from over.”