Chapter 225: Blood Sea Demon Yun Sak-3
Chapter 225: Blood Sea Demon Yun Sak-3
Yun Sak decided not to drag things out any longer.
He had to settle this before his physical condition deteriorated further.
He moved beneath the surface like a dolphin, searching for the corpses sinking into the water.
Then he stripped the heavy objects from them, infused them with internal energy, and began hurling them upward with all his might.
'Hup!'
One.
'Hup!'
Two.
And at the end, he launched three corpses almost simultaneously, with virtually no time gap between them.
'Hup!'
Shu-a-ak!
A moment ago, Yun Sak had confirmed that the bastard couldn't precisely detect things beneath the water.
Because he'd shown that he only judged whether something was a corpse or not after it rose above the surface.
So even if he knew they were bait, the bastard wouldn't be able to ignore these corpses.
Of course, he'd be more careful not to leave any presence as he had earlier, but even so, there was no doubt he'd react in some way.
'But by then, it'll already be too late.'
Watching the corpses shooting up toward the surface, Yun Sak's eyes gleamed.
And he began to move.
Shu-u-u-uk!
Yun Sak clung to the rear of the fourth corpse he sent upward.
When the bastard was confirming the repeated bait, when he concluded that the fourth was bait too — that was when Yun Sak intended to strike from behind.
At that moment, the first corpse shot up above the water's surface.
Pu-hak!
'The first one.'
The corpse soared high above the surface.
But unlike earlier, he felt no reaction from the bastard.
It was exactly as he'd anticipated.
And right then, the second corpse shot up.
Pu-hak!
'The second one.'
Again, no reaction.
But Yun Sak wasn't disappointed.
Because it was exactly what he'd expected.
'But probably from the third one onward...'
At that moment, the third, fourth, and fifth corpses shot up above the surface almost simultaneously.
And finally, a reaction came.
'Found him!'
Yun Sak, who had hidden behind the fourth corpse and risen above the surface, could confirm the bastard's figure beyond the corpses.
The sight of him directing his gaze toward the fifth corpse.
He had finally created an opening.
Without even having time to inhale the air above the surface, Yun Sak immediately drew his blade with all his strength.
'Hup!'
Sha-a-a-a-ak!
His blade split the world horizontally in an instant.
And then Yun Sak could confirm it.
That the line of light which had divided the world had also divided the bastard's waist before he could turn around.
Sha-a-a-a-ak!
"!"
Yun Sak clenched his left fist tightly.
He had finally caught the bastard.
'It's do—!'
But at that moment, Yun Sak's eyes froze solid.
Because the bastard's body, split in two by his blade draw, had suddenly vanished like a ghost.
Seu-reu-reuk!
"!?"
Yun Sak couldn't know, but Seonwoo Jin had just deployed the secret art of the Heavenly Wind Divine Art, Heavenly Wind Flower Petals, to its absolute limit, creating a single illusion indistinguishable from reality.
It was an illusion that could move and had a presence, and Yun Sak had no choice but to be deceived by it.
And at that moment, the first corpse Yun Sak had shot up above the water was soaring high into the air before falling back down.
And from behind it, Seonwoo Jin appeared like a ghost.
Seu-eu-euk!
With a sword that tore through space itself.
The first move of the Mukrang Sword Technique.
Opening Heaven.
Chwa-a-a-a-ak!
"!"
Watching space split apart before his very eyes, Yun Sak's vision grew distant.
He had lost yet again in the battle of wits.
But Yun Sak did not give up.
Somehow, he tried to thrust his katana forward and block the Opening Heaven.
Kka-deu-deuk!
But there was no way his katana could withstand Seonwoo Jin's sword strike that tore through space itself.
With a clamorous sound, Yun Sak's katana shattered into pieces.
And his body as well...
Pu-ha-ak!
"Keu-euk!"
From his left shoulder down to his leg, Yun Sak's entire side was torn away by Seonwoo Jin's sword strike.
The only reason his head hadn't been split first was that he had sacrificed his katana and barely managed to shift his body slightly aside.
Peo-eong!
Struck by the recoil of Opening Heaven, Yun Sak was hurled back into the river. With a quarter of his body lost.
***
Pu-hwa-ak!
Landing the Opening Heaven squarely on the bastard's torso, Seonwoo Jin could feel the euphoria.
He had finally caught Hyeolhae Mado Yun Sak — one of the Three Demons of the Southern Sea and a master of the Thirty-Six Stars of the World level.
But the moment the torn Yun Sak was flung back into the water, his expression hardened once again.
'?!'
Seonwoo Jin could see it clearly.
The bastard's eyes, flashing with venomous energy from his bloodied face.
He realized it instantly.
That those were not the eyes of a man who had given up.
Seonwoo Jin landed on a piece of floating debris and briefly hesitated over what to do.
He wondered what the bastard could possibly do with a body reduced to rags, but the fight wasn't over yet.
No, if the bastard somehow ended the fight here and escaped, that might be an even bigger problem.
Because if a man that vicious survived this, there was no telling what he might do next.
Somehow, he had to finish him here.
So after hesitating for a moment, Seonwoo Jin shouted in his heart at Mukrang and ultimately plunged into the water.
'If I die, it's Elder Mukrang's fault!'
Peo-eong!
In an instant, the sensation of cold water struck Seonwoo Jin's entire body, and a darkness far deeper than outside swallowed his vision.
It was his first time experiencing the dark waters of night.
Until now, Seonwoo Jin had been learning the Southern Cross Sword in his dreams and training in water techniques as well.
Thanks to his coming battle with the Hainan Sect, he had realized that without knowing water techniques, one could do nothing at all at sea.
But no matter how similar it was to reality, that had only ever been within a dream. This was his first time actually entering the water.
It was, quite literally, a life-or-death gamble.
'Hu-up!'
Unlike in his dreams, Seonwoo Jin was momentarily flustered by the thick darkness that suddenly descended upon him.
The water was excessively dark.
The faint light that had been visible outside the water felt as though it had been devoured beneath the surface, leaving only darkness in its wake.
If Seonwoo Jin had been a martial artist who relied on his eyes, he likely would have been able to do nothing in this darkness.
But fortunately, he had trained in the Mind's Eye, the siman, which allowed him to perceive his surroundings more precisely than with his eyes through the flow of air.
And that ultimately saved his life.
"!"
Hwa-ak!
Sensing the flow of water, Seonwoo Jin flipped his body around and immediately blocked the bastard's arm.
Teok!
The bastard's broken katana had come right up to Seonwoo Jin's neck.
He had nearly died just now.
A chill ran down his spine.
'This demon, truly!'
Just as he'd expected, Yun Sak had not fled.
He had been waiting for an opportunity right below the surface, and the instant Seonwoo Jin dove underwater — the moment he felt disoriented by the sudden sensation of the water — Yun Sak had lunged at him.
Truly, he was a terrifyingly tenacious and persistent man.
But now that Seonwoo Jin had grabbed his one remaining arm, there didn't seem to be much the bastard could do.
Holding the bastard's arm with one hand, Seonwoo Jin thrust the sword in his other hand into the bastard's stomach.
Shu-uk!
Even underwater, it was a sword strike like a ray of light, thrust with the force of One Strike.
Seonwoo Jin hadn't thought for a moment that the bastard could dodge One Strike at this range.
But the bastard accomplished that difficult feat.
Seu-seu-seuk!
"!"
Yun Sak flowed sideways as if he had become the water itself, evading the sword.
It was monstrous water technique skill.
Eu-deuk!
Seonwoo Jin gritted his teeth and thrust his sword at the bastard once more.
'Heup!'
Shu-uk!
But the bastard flowed aside to evade the sword again, then released the katana from his one remaining hand and grabbed Seonwoo Jin's arm tightly with that hand.
"?!"
Seonwoo Jin couldn't understand what the bastard intended to do, now that they had each other's arms locked.
Underwater, he wasn't about to use a kicking technique with his one remaining leg, and after dropping his katana, there wasn't much he could do.
But Seonwoo Jin's expectations were off the mark.
Even after discarding his weapon, there was something the bastard could do with his one remaining arm.
Huk!
"?!"
In an instant, Seonwoo Jin was yanked forward and dragged down deeper into the river.
And at tremendous speed.
Seonwoo Jin realized what the bastard was trying to do.
'This bastard! He means to drag me down into the depths and drown me!'
The bastard apparently intended to stake the fight on his overwhelmingly superior water techniques.
'Impressive indeed!'
Seonwoo Jin was awed by the bastard's quick thinking, which he never saw coming.
It was truly incredible tenacity and persistence.
But just because the bastard was impressive didn't mean Seonwoo Jin could quietly oblige him by dying.
Seonwoo Jin began stabbing again with a hint of urgency.
Syuuk! Syuuk! Syuuk!
But the bastard's Water Technique was truly formidable.
Even while dragging Seonwoo Jin with one arm, he had evaded every strike as fluidly as flowing water.
'Ha!'
Seonwoo Jin let out a silent exclamation of admiration inwardly, then glanced at the arm that held his own.
He intended to cut it off.
The bastard might be able to dodge with his body, but he couldn't evade with the arm gripping him. And if he severed it, the bastard's plan to drag him to the riverbed and drown him would be thwarted as well.
But after glancing at that arm for a moment, Seonwoo Jin gritted his teeth and began stabbing at the bastard's body once more.
Syuuk! Syuuk! Syuuk!
In his mind, he recited the core principles of the Water Technique that Mukrang had taught him.
Mukrang had said this when teaching Seonwoo Jin the Water Technique:
'The most crucial essence of the Water Technique is to read the flow of water and assimilate with it. In that respect, it shares a lineage with the Heavenly Wind Divine Art. That is why I believe you will learn the Water Technique very quickly as well.'
And so it was.
Seonwoo Jin was becoming accustomed to the space beneath the water with remarkable speed.
Syuuk! Syuuk! Syuuk!
The speed of the One Strike thrusting forward grew faster and faster.
His breath was growing shorter, but paying it no mind, Seonwoo Jin fell into a state of near selflessness, continuing to extend the One Strike.
Syusyuuk!
Now, stabbing Yun Sak wasn't even the priority.
He focused solely on assimilating just a little more with the flow of the water.
Syusyusyuuk!
Then it happened in a single instant.
Seonwoo Jin's sword suddenly unleashed eight simultaneous One Strikes in a single sword stroke.
Syuhwaaaaak!
It was the ultimate final technique of the Sail Sword Technique—Houyi Shooting the Sun.
Houyi Shooting the Sun, which had been blocked by the seventh wall until now, had climbed one step higher in this moment.
'It worked!'
A euphoric thrill of breaking through a wall surged within Seonwoo Jin's heart.
Now, if he could shatter just one more wall, he would be capable of perfectly executing the legendary Houyi Shooting the Sun.
Seonwoo Jin looked at Yun Sak with a face full of elation.
There, with his stomach pierced through by the eight One Strikes, Yun Sak was staring at Seonwoo Jin with eyes full of shock.
And the light in those eyes rapidly faded.
Gurururuk!
Finally, Yun Sak's body went limp as he expelled the last of the air from his lungs.
The Blood Sea Demon Blade Yun Sak, one of the Three Demons of the Southern Sea, was finally dead.
Chwaak!
"Puha!"
Seonwoo Jin shot up above the water's surface, took a great breath, and then lay upon the river, floating idly as he rested for a moment.
His entire body screamed in protest, proving just how fierce the battle had been.
Recalling the fight, Seonwoo Jin suddenly let out a hollow laugh.
"Ha, haha, hahaha!"
He had truly survived by a hair's breadth.
A difference of a single sheet of paper.
The line between life and death had likely been divided by that narrow a margin.
"Haaa!"
After staring blankly at the night sky for a while, Seonwoo Jin abruptly turned his head to look toward the White Shark Sect's direction, which was blazing with fire.
Now it was time to go to the White Shark Sect and meet his sworn brothers.
***
"What did you say?!"
Jin Tae-do, the Hainan Demon Sword and Sect Leader of the Hainan Sect, roared in extreme fury at the news his subordinate brought.
"The White Shark Sect... what exactly happened to it?!"
His subordinate, crushed under Jin Tae-do's killing intent, answered while trembling violently.
"Th-they attacked the Guangdong Jin Family Estate but were routed, they say. After that, even the White Shark Sect's main stronghold collapsed..."
"The main stronghold? At the hands of the Jin Family Estate?!"
"Th-that part is unknown. But given that it burned right after the assault on the Jin Family Estate, the circumstantial evidence points to the Jin Family..."
"What nonsense..."
Jin Tae-do simply could not believe it.
Though the Guangdong Jin Family Estate was known as a prestigious house in the martial world, he had never imagined they were strong enough to defeat the Blood Sea Demon Blade Yun Sak.
He quickly demanded again.
"Then what of Yun Sak? What happened to the Blood Sea Demon Blade Yun Sak? And his young son?"
"Unknown. His whereabouts after fleeing from the Jin Family Estate have not been reported. Perhaps he perished when the White Shark Sect's main stronghold collapsed..."
Jin Tae-do's expression finally became one of utter desolation.
Though only a few close confidants knew, the Blood Sea Demon Blade Yun Sak was a sworn brother and fellow disciple who had trained alongside Jin Tae-do since childhood.
Jin Tae-do could never forget the face of that scrawny, dirty pirate boy when his father first brought him.
The venomous glare from his gaunt, sun-blackened, worthless face.
After that, the two had secretly trained and grown together.
And when they came of age, Jin Tae-do's father had sent Yun Sak out to sea.
Telling him to become a pirate and serve as Jin Tae-do's strength in the future.
He had carried out his father's orders magnificently.
He had ultimately grown into the Demon Blade of the Southern Sea.
Only a few years ago had they reunited, promising to become the rulers of the Southern Sea together...
Jin Tae-do murmured absently.
"That bastard is dead? Impossible."
That tenacious bastard could not have died so vainly.
Jin Tae-do thought that he must surely be alive somewhere.
Alive, preparing to take revenge on the Jin Family Estate.
Having reached that conclusion, Jin Tae-do recovered a measure of his composure.
The combat strength of the White Shark Sect was a great loss, but if Yun Sak was alive, he believed he could rebuild it, even if it took a long time.
He barely suppressed his rage and asked his subordinate.
"Is there any news of Yun Sak's son?"
This was a secret unknown to anyone else, but Yun Sak's son was in fact Jin Tae-do's child.
When he had sent a woman to Yun Sak, Jin Tae-do had sown his seed first.
It was an act done partly as a special gift to Yun Sak, and partly out of a perverse amusement to watch him dote on his own bloodline.
Thus, even if he had never raised him, it was impossible not to be concerned for his own flesh and blood.
But the subordinate's answer was not clear this time either.
"No information regarding the child has come in yet. Since there is no intelligence at all on how the White Shark Sect collapsed..."
"Hmm."
As Jin Tae-do nodded silently, the subordinate cautiously spoke again.
"And, there is one more thing you should be aware of."
"Hm?"
The subordinate drew his neck in, as if afraid of Jin Tae-do's reaction, and carefully began to speak.
"It is said that this bastard Inparang also meddled in the fight against the Jin Family Estate. That he joined forces with the Jin Family Estate's people and defeated Yun Sak..."
"...What did you say?!"
Those words enraged Jin Tae-do once more after he had barely managed to calm himself.
And the subordinate's words were not finished.
"A-and, the bastard even proclaimed to the martial world that the White Shark Sect belongs to the Sect Leader..."
"You insolent wretch!"
Jin Tae-do could no longer contain his fury.
That slippery eel of a bastard called Inparang was continuously interfering with him.
First the Hapsan Sect, and now the White Shark Sect.
Didn't it seem likely that the White Shark Sect had collapsed at the hands of the Jin Family Estate precisely because that bastard had meddled?
He had to eliminate him at all costs.
As quickly as possible.
Jin Tae-do began listing off the names of those he had previously marked as blades to handle Inparang.
"What became of Am Hyeol-hyang?! Have you still not made contact with him?!"
"Y-yes. Strangely enough, his whereabouts have been unclear for some time now."
Jin Tae-do had previously issued an order to contact Am Hyeol-hyang to commission the assassination of Inparang.
Among the blades Jin Tae-do had considered, he was the cheapest yet most certain.
But for some reason, Am Hyeol-hyang was not appearing.
Even though the man was known to make contact like a ghost whenever rumors that he was being sought circulated.
Jin Tae-do ground his teeth and roared again.
"I can wait no longer! Put in a request to the Blood Rain Lotus! Though slightly expensive, those bastards will surely eliminate him! And send a letter to the Hapsan Sect as well! Ask them what they are doing if not eradicating that bastard!"
"Y-yes! Understood!"
If Am Hyeol-hyang was the greatest assassin in the martial world, the Blood Rain Lotus was the greatest assassin organization in the martial world.
He had deferred them due to their high commission fees and complicated procedures, but now it seemed he had no choice.
And Jin Tae-do, who had been lost in thought for a moment, suddenly voiced one more name.
"Try commissioning Dalgi of Hawon as well. That bitch will likely show interest too."
"Yes! Understood!"
Jin Tae-do ground his teeth and thought.
At least one of these three blades would surely sever that bastard's life.