Chapter 156: The Last Card
Chapter 156: The Last Card
It was just when the Flower-seeking Lust Demon Hwa Sa-yu was unleashing his ferocious aura.
Seonwoo Jin abruptly asked Gu Yu-sang.
"Why don't you come in person? Isn't the one who actually has business here your side?"
At the sight of Seonwoo Jin suddenly speaking to Gu Yu-sang, Hwa Sa-yu paused his actions and looked at Gu Yu-sang.
At Seonwoo Jin's question, which somehow carried no sense of crisis whatsoever, Gu Yu-sang frowned and asked back.
"...What did you say?"
At his retort, Seonwoo Jin grinned and asked again.
"That gentleman over there only seems interested in the pretty Jegal Sojeo, not particularly bearing any grudge. The one who seems to bear a grudge is your side, so I'm asking why you don't come in person. As a martial artist, shouldn't you resolve your own business yourself? Ah, perhaps you're not a martial artist?"
Gu Yu-sang glared at Seonwoo Jin with sharp eyes.
The bastard was daring to mock him, a man counted as a successor to the Blood Demon.
Killing intent surged up instantly.
But as if he could not even feel such killing intent, Seonwoo Jin continued to speak with a grin on his face.
"Hmm, judging by your gaze, you do seem to be someone who has learned martial arts. But asking someone else for revenge like a little child who gets hit and then tattles to a friend... Ah, perhaps you're easily frightened? Do you tremble and cry when you clash swords with an opponent yourself? Tsk tsk, you look decent, what a pity."
Gu Yu-sang knew full well that Seonwoo Jin was trying to provoke him.
And that he could just ignore it.
But he couldn't.
Because for the first time, he, who always looked down on others and manipulated them at will with schemes, was being toyed with by someone else.
And on top of that, the man was now mocking and ridiculing him.
"Don't agonize too much over it. A person can be timid. What can you do? Still, hyeongjang is fortunate to be handsome. If you were cowardly and ugly to boot, you'd be utterly useless. Hyeongjang is at least a gi... hmm...."
Seonwoo Jin got as far as 'gi' and then smiled as if he had made a slip and closed his mouth.
But Gu Yu-sang understood immediately what that word was.
Because 'gisaeng-obi' — a male prostitute — was the phrase he hated most.
He had never let anyone who called him that live, in any way.
Fury surged up violently.
Gu Yu-sang's face now twisted like a demon's as he spat out his words.
"You insolent bastard... you're itching to be torn to shreds!"
But once again, Seonwoo Jin's reaction was completely unlike anything Gu Yu-sang expected.
Seonwoo Jin suddenly beamed brightly and said this.
"Oh! That was cool just now! You almost looked like a real man. Of course, a real man would have acted first rather than spoken. It was a good try, but be careful always. A proper man knows that a barking dog doesn't bite. You might end up getting beaten up like a dog yourself."
At those words, Gu Yu-sang felt so furious that his mind seemed to go blank.
There was no way he couldn't know who the barking dog referred to.
Moreover, the part about getting beaten up like a dog was enough to make even Hwa Sa-yu, who was listening, let out a chuckle.
"You, you, you son of a bitch...!"
Gu Yu-sang shouted, his face red as if steam would erupt from his head.
But even though he clenched his fists, he couldn't bring himself to act directly.
Because Seonwoo Jin's martial prowess, having killed the Hell's Blood Monk Chuk Ho-tak, was an unknown quantity.
Grappling with an opponent when the odds weren't certain was not to Gu Yu-sang's taste.
In the end, Gu Yu-sang had no choice but to shout at Hwa Sa-yu.
"Hwa suk! That bastard, in front of me right now...!"
At that, Seonwoo Jin's expression suddenly shifted, and he said with a sardonic smile.
"You still can't do it yourself even after I've said this much — you really are quite the coward. Are you even a man, let alone a martial artist? A seven-year-old brat would be braver than you."
To those words, Gu Yu-sang retorted with a face burning crimson.
"Hmph! It's avoiding because it's dirty, not avoiding because I'm scared! I simply don't wish to sully my hands directly with a low-class scoundrel like you! Hwa suk, what are you doing?! Cripple that bastard immediately and force him to kneel before me!"
At that, Hwa Sa-yu, as if he had no choice, chuckled and extended his hand toward Seonwoo Jin.
But Seonwoo Jin did not look at him.
He simply kept looking at Gu Yu-sang and spoke mockingly.
"You'll regret what you just said. Because in the end, you will cross hands with me."
At that moment, Hwa Sa-yu lightly swept his hand toward Seonwoo Jin and murmured.
"Shall I cut off an arm first?"
Then an invisible energetic force rushed toward Seonwoo Jin in an instant.
It was a ganghwan — a sphere of condensed energy — created from Hwa Sa-yu's colorless energy.
***
Shiiik!
I concentrated my senses, with the Moonlight Illusion Sword Dance's Flying Moon technique already activated.
Then I could feel something invisible flying at me with terrifying speed.
I couldn't help but admire it inwardly.
'It's practically a beam of light.'
Of course, the speed was tremendous, but if it were just that one, I felt I could dodge it somehow.
But I knew full well that that alone meant little.
The fact that he could casually fling a ganghwan like that meant he could launch several of those at once.
But with my current level, I felt I absolutely couldn't handle even two or three of those invisible ganghwans if they came at me.
A hollow laugh escaped me.
'I'm still this powerless.'
Indeed, the gap between me and the Thirty-six Stars of the World was this vast.
The distance to my goal of destroying the Blood Cult suddenly felt equally vast, and a sense of futility washed over me.
At that moment, the colorless ganghwan descended upon me.
Kwaaaaang!
A massive explosion erupted, and I smiled at the back of the person who had appeared before me and blocked the ganghwan.
"Thank you, seonbae-nim."
At that, she turned around and smiled brightly at me.
"What words. You placed your trust in me and acted so relaxed — how could I betray that trust?"
The woman who spoke thus was a crimson-robed woman who looked so young she could barely have passed twenty.
At the appearance of the woman who had blocked his colorless energy, the Flower-seeking Lust Demon Hwa Sa-yu, who had been watching with startled eyes, suddenly brightened.
Seeing her beautiful appearance, he had reacted instinctively.
But when she smiled at Hwa Sa-yu and addressed him, his expression began to stiffen.
Because she had said this with a provocative expression.
"You're a Lust Demon, right? I'm a lust demon too. Shall we two lust demons have some fun together?"
"...A lust demon?"
Hwa Sa-yu's mind spun rapidly.
A beautiful woman who looked barely past twenty, yet was a master who could easily block his colorless energy.
And moreover, calling herself a lust demon.
There was no way there were many such people in the martial world.
Finally, Hwa Sa-yu's face hardened stiffly as he recalled her name.
"Surely not... the Bewitching Lust Demon, Son Eun-sang?"
At that, Son seonbae nodded with a radiant smile.
"That's right. That's me. I've wanted to meet you for a while, and now I finally see you. Nice to meet you!"
The Bewitching Lust Demon Son Eun-sang.
A member of the Four Demons of the World, she was one of the absolute beings of this era, ranked on par even with the Blood Demon — the supreme one of the Blood Cult and the lord whom Hwa Sa-yu served, who was also one of the Four Demons.
So no matter how much the Flower-seeking Lust Demon Hwa Sa-yu was one of the Thirty-six Stars of the World, he could not be a match for her.
No, it was no exaggeration to say she was an existence of an entirely different class.
At that, Hwa Sa-yu's face, having realized her identity, finally went white as a sheet.
And the one who went white as a sheet alongside him was Gu Yu-sang as well.
"Wh-What! Wh-Why is Son Eun-sang here?!"
To the bastard's scream-like question, I clicked my tongue and answered.
"Tsk tsk, you dare to address Son seonbae-nim by her esteemed name so carelessly. Not just cowardly, but ill-mannered as well. Seonbae-nim, leave that bastard to me. I'll discipline him myself."
At that, she smiled gently and nodded.
"Alright, Jin-i, I'll leave him to you."
I had thought of calling the Bewitching Lust Demon Son Eun-sang when I received the report about the situation in Guizhou Fortress at the Hao Gate's Sichuan branch.
Because, anticipating that the Blood Cult's demon heads who would be in Guizhou Fortress were no ordinary foes, I judged I had to play the strongest card I could use.
So back then I had sent two letters.
One to Lady Dang of the Sichuan Dang Clan explaining the situation and that I might not be able to return, and the other was a letter seeking help from the Bewitching Lust Demon Son Eun-sang, who was staying with the Life-Death Strange Doctor Ma Jong-hwan.
Of course, I hadn't been certain that she would come.
'If Son seonbae didn't come, I had planned to seek help from even the Sword Saint Elder, who was at the frontline...'
Fortunately, the Bewitching Lust Demon Son Eun-sang had received my letter and willingly and swiftly come to the Seonwoo clan.
So when I had emptied the Seonwoo clan this time and the Hell's Blood Monk Chuk Ho-tak had attacked, the situation hadn't really been all that dangerous.
'What I'd been worried about was the possibility of the Blood Demon himself showing up, or two or more of the Blood Cult's Five Demons coming — not some punk like Chuk Ho-tak.'
In the end, both Gu Yu-sang and I had been hiding our strongest cards until the very last moment.
And I, who had deliberately leaked information through No Sam-ryong of the Hao Gate to make him come find me, had finally met him face to face and could now flip over our final cards and compare them.
'I've waited a long time for this.'
And now that both our cards were finally revealed.
Whose hand was stronger was obvious just from looking at his expression.
Gu Yu-sang's handsome, jade-like face had gone utterly pale, as if drained of all blood.
I couldn't have been more satisfied by his dumbstruck look.
I slowly rose to my feet and spoke to the bastard.
"I told you, didn't I? That in the end, you'd have to face me and Son face to face."
In the eyes of the bastard, who looked like his soul had fled, clear terror was now rising.
KWAKWAKWAKWAKWAKWANG!
Off to the side, Son Eun-sang and Hwa Sa-yu had already begun fighting.
As Son Eun-sang lunged at Hwa Sa-yu with cackling laughter, Hwa Sa-yu frantically retaliated by launching invisible energy spheres using his Colorless Energy.
But Son Eun-sang's response to that was remarkably simple.
She simply emitted her Protective Strong Qi and blocked them outright.
Protective Strong Qi was something even transcendent peak masters struggled to use freely due to the enormous internal energy consumption, but for her, an absolute being of the martial world, it seemed to be no trouble at all.
"Kyaha-ha-ha-ha! You really can't see them, can you?! Your energy is seriously peculiar! Do it more, more! More!"
"Kheuk!"
Emitting her Protective Strong Qi, she hurled her own body like a cannonball, slamming straight into Hwa Sa-yu.
Hwa Sa-yu, not daring to clash with her head-on, was desperately fleeing while flinging energy spheres.
I, who had been watching them with a relaxed expression, now grinned fiercely and slowly drew Mukrang.
"Alright, now let's have a go at it too. Gu Yu-sang."
According to what I'd heard from the Chaos Soul Witch So Nan-so, this bastard was the Blood Demon's successor and was considered the prime candidate to become the next Blood Demon.
So if I could eliminate him right here and now, it would be tantamount to erasing the future of the Blood Cult itself.
PAAAAANG!
My body, using the Explosive Advance Step, shot toward him like a cannonball.
Sail Sword Technique, Seventh Form.
Black Heaven Sword Rain.
Through the mist-like haze of sword qi, sword shadows like torrential rain poured down in a deluge.
SHWAAAAAAK!
But the bastard who was said to be the Blood Demon's successor couldn't possibly be an easy opponent.
Gu Yu-sang gritted his teeth and drew his sword, swinging it.
"Impudent fool!"
Then his sword, crackling with red lightning, surged upward like a thunderbolt.
CHYOO-HAK!
"What the?!"
It was an astonishing sword strike.
In a single instant, the red lightning had split apart the dense mist of sword qi and the dozens of sword shadows, crashing down toward me.
I had to hurriedly alter my sword path to block his blade.
Sail Sword Technique, Fifth Form.
Whirlwind Slash.
In an instant, my sword spun fiercely, forming a circular shield, and his lightning-like sword strike collided against it.
KWAAAAAAAAANG!
After that single clash, we split apart to either side and briefly halted our swords.
I glanced down at my hand gripping Mukrang.
The moment it had clashed with his sword, my hand had been jolted as if electrocuted, and it was still tingling.
At that unfamiliar sensation, I abruptly asked him,
"Is that the Blood Thunder Sword Technique?"
The Blood Thunder Sword Technique was a sword art that the Blood Cult had obtained by stealing and modifying the Emperor Sword Technique, the ultimate sword art that only the heads of the Namgung family could learn.
That sword art was currently one of the Blood Cult's strongest sword techniques, and it was also infamous as the greatest disgrace in the history of the Namgung family.
At that, the bastard, who seemed to have regained his confidence, shouted with a furious expression.
"You dared to mock me with such paltry skill! You son of a bitch! I'll tear you to shreds!"
I smirked and replied,
"Oh! So you really were scared earlier, huh? Tsk tsk, learning such a splendid sword art only to cower like that — aren't you sorry to the sword art you've mastered?"
At that, his face flushed bright red and he immediately lunged at me.
"You bastard!"
His sword became red lightning once more, crashing down upon me.
It was a menacing sword strike that possessed both speed and power.
KWARURUNG!
But despite my nonchalant expression, I was actually quite tense inside.
Because the bastard was a coward, yes, but it was also true that his martial prowess was outstanding and his sword art was threatening.
Heavenly Wind Divine Art Secret Technique.
Heavenly Wind Flower Petals.
PASASAK!
When his sword strike stabbed at me like a crimson lightning bolt, my body became flower petals scattering in the wind and dispersed with a rustle.
Since I now knew that contact meant electrocution, I figured it was best to avoid clashing swords as much as possible.
At that, the bastard sneered and scattered his sword in all directions.
"Heh! You think you can run away?!"
PAJIJIJIK!
As he swung his sword, red lightning began scattering outward in every direction in countless tendrils.
And that was a move perfectly suited to counter the Heavenly Wind Flower Petals.
Because each individual tendril of lightning didn't have threatening power, but they were more than enough to destroy my afterimages.
In an instant, the bastard burned away all of my afterimages and immediately found my real body.
"There you were!"
But I had no intention of just letting him keep landing hits either.
The moment he pinpointed my real body, I unfurled my sword form first.
Seonwoo Thirteen Swords, Eighth Form.
Sword Wing Barrier.
SHWAAAAAAA!
My sword shadows became layers of small wings, obscuring his vision.
It was a form meant more to disrupt sight than to serve as an offensive technique.
"Futile tricks!"
CHWAAAAAK!
Soon, the red lightning simply tore through the layers of wings and burst forth.
But for just a brief moment, he had lost track of my position in his field of vision.
In that instant, my sword, which had moved to his flank, thrust toward him at ultra-high speed.
Sail Sword Technique, First Form.
One Strike, One Kill.
SHWAAAAK!
"Kheuk?!"
The startled bastard's eyes widened enormously.
He hurriedly swung his sword to deflect mine, but it was already a little too late.
CHWAAAAAK!
"Kkeuuuuk!"
Fortunately for him, and unfortunately for me, his hastily swung sword barely succeeded in deflecting my blade slightly off course.
So my sword merely sliced across his face as it passed by, and the bastard let out a scream-like ki shout and frantically unfurled a sword form.
"KKIYAAAAAP!"
PAJIJIJIJIK!
In an instant, the red lightning overlaid upon itself and formed a massive crimson wall in the empty air.
I had to retreat backward, unable to press the attack further for fear of being electrocuted by that wall of lightning.
PABAK!
But as I stepped back, I looked at his face and grinned, saying,
"Well now, you look a lot more manly like this, you pretty boy gigolo."
The left side of his once jade-like face had been split open in a long diagonal slash, and blood was streaming down.
At that, the bastard touched his own face with a trembling hand, and then his expression became that of a demon as he roared.
"You bastard! I'll kill youuuu!"
And then he charged straight in.
Even more ferociously than before, crackling red lightning enveloped his sword as it swung at me.
SHWAAAAAAK!
'Incredible.'
I couldn't help but admire it inwardly.
His martial prowess was truly formidable.
It was probably a level comparable to ninety years of internal energy, on par with Squad Leader Seol Pung, the strongest peak master in his twenties that I knew of.
But that was equally true of me now.
All this time, as the Sword Saint Elder had instructed me, I had been focusing not on sword forms but on the principle of the sword strike, training relentlessly.
I had thrust and slashed with my sword thousands, tens of thousands of times, picturing that elder's form in my mind.
And not long ago, when I pierced through the Bloodsucking Demon No Jo-song's Protective Strong Qi with the thrusting technique I'd been training all along, and right after that, when I became the wind itself and ran all the way to the Seonwoo family in a state of selfless trance — that was when I finally realized it.
That I had crossed yet another wall.
Of course, when I'd fought Chuk Ho-tak, I had crossed the wall but hadn't been able to replenish my internal energy, so I'd had to fight at a level similar to before.
But now it was different.
Because immediately after the fight, I'd downed all the spirit medicines I had on me and filled up my internal energy.
So now I was in a state completely equal to Gu Yu-sang in terms of martial prowess.
Equal to a bastard brimming with ninety years of internal energy.
'And besides, I still hadn't given it my all yet.'
I grinned at the bastard charging at me like a madman, then immediately activated the greatest technique I could use.
Moonlight Illusion Sword Dance, First Form.
Flying Moon.
HWAAAAAAK!
Then the world surrounding me was veiled once more in a dreamlike curtain.
A sense of omnipotence, as if I could do anything, filled my chest.
In my current state, I felt like I could even fight one-on-one against Hell's Blood Monk Chuk Ho-tak.