Chapter 233: Ghost-Destroying Six Harmony Sword Array and Ha Won-dal-gi-1
Chapter 233: Ghost-Destroying Six Harmony Sword Array and Ha Won-dal-gi-1
Mukrang asked.
- To encounter enemies from three directions at once, how strange. What do you plan to do now?
He was right.
As far as their expressions went, it didn't seem like they had arranged this among themselves, yet it was almost miraculous how they all converged here at once.
I turned my head to look at the other members of my party, and saw that all of their faces had grown dark.
They seemed to feel the pressure, as if they were being besieged from three directions.
But unlike the rest of them, Seonwoo Jin's expression wasn't dark at all.
He slowly scanned the two groups of enemies, Hawondalgi and the Six Harmony Swordsmen of the Hengshan Sect, and chuckled.
Then he said to Mukrang.
'It's certainly an odd timing... but aren't those two not exactly on the same side either?'
- Hm?
Seonwoo Jin first spoke to Hawondalgi Yeon Tae-jin.
"You said you are Senior Hawondalgi Yeon, yes? I've heard the rumors often. That you enjoy a fiery, decisive match. I've also wanted to have a fiery bout with you, Senior Yeon, for some time now. But as you can see, the situation has turned out like this. What will you do? Now that the Hengshan Sect has arrived, will you simply give up?"
Going by the words alone, it was an extremely serious question.
But his expression was anything but.
Seonwoo Jin had asked her with a faint, sardonic grin, as if questioning whether someone of her level could possibly handle the Hengshan Sect.
At that, Hawondalgi Yeon Tae-jin, famous for her short temper, bristled and shouted.
"What nonsense is that?! I arrived first, so obviously it's my turn first! Tell those who came late to wait!"
It was exactly the reaction he had been hoping for.
Seonwoo Jin inwardly applauded her, then spoke to the Six Harmony Swordsman Un-dang, who had seemed incredibly arrogant from the first impression.
"Senior Yeon says she has no intention of yielding. Then the Hengshan Sect should wait a little."
Needless to say, he accompanied his words with a sneering smirk, as if dismissing his opponent.
At that, Un-dang's eyes twitched, and he spoke firmly.
"No one can make the Hengshan Sect wait."
Seonwoo Jin cheered inwardly.
The situation was unfolding exactly as he had conceived.
And he glanced sideways at Yeon Tae-jin.
Upon hearing Un-dang's words, Yeon Tae-jin had her eyes wide in fury, glaring at him.
But she couldn't bring herself to retort on the spot.
It looked as though she wanted to overturn everything out of sheer temper, but even the reckless Yeon Tae-jin found the name of the Hengshan Sect burdensome.
So instead of her, Seonwoo Jin decided to get angry on her behalf.
He gave a scoff of disbelief and roared toward the Hengshan Sect in an angry voice.
"How utterly arrogant! What is so great about the Hengshan Sect that you dare to disregard Senior Yeon?! Have you not even heard that Senior Yeon is a strong candidate to succeed Senior Yeoryeongsaengma Son Eun-sang one day?!"
"What?!"
At those words, the Hengshan Sect's Un-dang showed a slight sign of bewilderment. It was because the name of Yeoryeongsaengma Son Eun-sang was somewhat burdensome even for him.
But he soon scoffed and shouted.
"I have never heard such a thing! And even if it were true, it would be the same! No one can make the Hengshan Sect wait!"
It was only natural that he had never heard such a thing.
Because Seonwoo Jin had also never heard that rumor.
But having lived a life before, he had heard different news.
The fact that Yeon Tae-jin, who had followed Son Eun-sang in his past life, eventually threw away her position as leader of Hawonbang and followed her around.
Seonwoo Jin stole a glance at Yeon Tae-jin's expression.
He could easily see that her face was now filled with delight and deep emotion.
She murmured as if entranced.
"I... am a strong candidate to succeed Senior Son?"
Seonwoo Jin answered with a serious expression.
"That is what I heard. Did I perhaps hear incorrectly?"
At that, Yeon Tae-jin hastily shook her head.
"No! How could that be! You definitely heard correctly! I am Hawondalgi Yeon Tae-jin, the one who will succeed Lady Yeoryeongsaengma Son!"
Seonwoo Jin smiled faintly and said to her.
"So I heard correctly. Then, in my view, it makes sense for the Hengshan Sect to wait for you, Senior. For the likes of the Hengshan Sect to make you wait is rather...."
As he said that and clicked his tongue, 'Tsk.', the two leaders of the Six Harmony Swordsmen, Un-dang and Un-gyeong, finally stepped forward with enraged faces.
"How dare you!"
"Are you looking down on our Hengshan Sect?!"
Seonwoo Jin smiled inwardly.
Then he drove the final nail in.
"Why? Can't I look down on the Hengshan Sect?"
Those words finally made them explode.
"You bastard!"
"This is unforgivable!"
Shouting in fury, the two squads of the Pasan unit, the Hengshan Sect's secret weapon, lunged toward Seonwoo Jin.
Their movements were so precisely synchronized they moved as a single person.
Syu-haak!
At that, Seonwoo Jin retreated like the wind.
The place he stepped back to was right next to Hawondalgi Yeon Tae-jin.
"Senior! How about we each take on one group and compete? The one who handles them first wins!"
Yeon Tae-jin sensed that things had gotten twisted in a slightly strange way.
But it didn't matter.
How could she, the successor of Yeoryeongsaengma Son Eun-sang, back down here?
And more than anything, she absolutely could not avoid this contest she had wanted with Inparang.
Yeon Tae-jin shouted boldly.
"Good!"
Then she immediately charged toward the Pasan Seventh Squad.
"Haaap!"
Her two fists, wreathed in crimson fist aura, shot toward the Six Harmony Swordsmen like a meteor shower.
Seonwoo Jin's sword was faster.
Chuckling at the sight of Yeon Tae-jin rushing in, Seonwoo Jin took a step toward the Pasan Fourth Squad, which was charging at him.
Seusuk!
Then, the next moment, as if he had performed a phantom shift, Seonwoo Jin's form appeared before Un-dang, the leader of the Pasan Fourth Squad.
"!"
At that instant, Un-dang could see a cross-shaped sword light tearing through space.
Syuh-haaak!
Seonwoo Jin was hoping that this surprise attack would allow him to take his opponent down easily.
His calculation was that no matter how fearsome a sword formation was, it would be useless if he struck before it was activated.
But the Ghost Extermination Six Harmony Sword Formation was indeed not so easy.
Although Un-dang, who commanded the formation, clearly seemed unable to react, the two Six Harmony Swordsmen on either side of him closed inward, each swinging their swords to deflect the Southern Cross Sword.
Cha-kang!
Seonwoo Jin marveled once at their reaction speed, and marveled again at the heavy repulsive force he felt in his hands.
It seemed the activation of the sword formation happened not by command, but in the realm of instinct.
Additionally, the repulsive force felt through the sword was no ordinary matter.
The sword force of these men, who were clearly at the peak level, was as heavy as that of transcendent peak masters.
Perhaps while forming the sword formation, they also shared each other's internal energy.
Seeing the two who had deflected his sword strike bounce backward, and another two cycle forward to thrust their swords, Seonwoo Jin hesitated briefly before retreating like the wind.
Hwiiiik!
Then the very next moment, the sword strike of a swordsman who easily stood over a head taller than the others launched a surprise attack where Seonwoo Jin had just been standing.
Shwiiik!
If Seonwoo Jin had tried to block the sword on that spot, it would have been an attack he received right over his head.
Seonwoo Jin admired inwardly.
'Truly impressive.'
Then Mukrang also agreed in an admiring voice.
- Indeed. The six swordsmen are moving exactly like the limbs of a single person. It's like facing an octopus wielding swords.
It was exactly as he described.
Un-dang, who assessed the situation and controlled the swordsmen, was positioned in the center like the head, manipulating the remaining swordsmen like his limbs.
Now, instead of directly engaging, Seonwoo Jin began to circle around them like the wind, seeking an opening.
Then, as if sensing that Seonwoo Jin was no easy opponent either, the five swordsmen centered around Un-dang rotated continuously, preparing for an attack.
***
Meanwhile, the situation for Hawondalgi Yeon Tae-jin was not very good.
Perhaps it was only natural.
Since even Seonwoo Jin's surprise attack hadn't worked, there was no way Yeon Tae-jin's attack could have landed.
Her fierce barrage, which had surged like a meteor shower with crimson fist aura, was far too easily blocked by the swords of the two swordsmen who closed in from the left and right of the squad leader Un-gyeong.
Teo-teong!
When her reasonably confident offensive was blocked far too easily, Yeon Tae-jin was slightly taken aback.
"Hm?!"
But from then on, it was more a crisis.
As the swordsmen who had blocked her fist strike bounced backward, another two swordsmen cycled in to attack her.
Shwiiiiik!
At this point, the wise choice for Yeon Tae-jin would have been to retreat backward like Seonwoo Jin had done.
But she didn't step back.
She gritted her teeth and, even if it meant overexerting herself a little, she used her twin palms to block the sword strikes of the two swordsmen right then and there.
"Hyaaap!"
Chachang!
The very next moment followed.
From above his head, another sword came thrusting down like a ray of light.
Shhhiiik!
"!"
It was a startling ambush.
Having already blocked the sword strike in a cluster, Yeon Taejin couldn't possibly block this one.
In the end, Yeon Taejin, gritting her teeth, had no choice but to use a desperate measure.
She released a kihap and burst out her inner power through her entire body.
"Hyaaap!"
Hwaaaak!
Twoong!
The sword strike aiming for her head was deflected by the crimson membrane that suddenly erupted from her body.
She had used protective strong qi.
Yeon Taejin, barely managing to block the sword strike, ultimately had no choice but to retreat backward.
Because it seemed the protective strong qi she had just used consumed roughly a quarter of her inner power in a single burst.
Eudeuk!
Grinding her teeth in a frustrating battle that refused to go her way, she stared forward.
Before her, the five swordsmen were circling like spinning tops around their commander, Un-gyeong, and advancing toward her once more.
***
Seonwoo Jin circled around the sword formation like the wind, waiting for an opening.
However, even after several circuits, he couldn't easily spot a gap to slip into.
'Tricky bastard.'
Of course, he felt like if he just muscled his way in, he could create an opening somehow.
But to do that, he would have to use martial arts other than the Southern Cross Sword.
'A picture forms where I shake the sword formation with 'Opening Heaven,' slip inside with 'Heavenly Wind Flower Petals,' and pry open a gap with 'Illusion Sword Mirror' and 'Emptiness is Form'....'
However, Seonwoo Jin decided not to use that method.
As long as he was still assuming the guise of Inparang, he thought it was premature to reveal his true martial prowess.
So, for a moment, he mulled over the options he had while acting as Inparang.
Then, in a flash, he suddenly thought of something and abruptly smiled a sly grin.
It was his characteristic mischievous smile.
Seonwoo Jin sent a series of telepathic transmissions, first to Seol Pung who was hiding nearby and then to Son Dae-su who was watching with worried eyes, and suddenly began to unleash a fierce flurry of attacks toward the sword formation.
"Hyaaaap!"
Chwaaaaak!
Over a dozen cross shapes were drawn in the air.
They were powerful sword strikes that looked capable of splitting boulders with ease.
But Un-dang, the one controlling the Six Harmony Sword Formation, snorted.
"Hmph! That level of skill is hopeless!"
He was right.
Pasan Fourth Squad not only easily received Seonwoo Jin's sword strike, but they even began to drive him back with a counteroffensive.
Shhhiiik!
Shuhaaak!
"Keuk!"
Seonwoo Jin hastily retreated, barely dodging the sword strikes that poured in from all directions like cogwheels.
But he couldn't escape completely unscathed.
One swordsman's strike forcefully grazed Seonwoo Jin's leg.
Shaaak!
"Euk!"
In that instant, Un-dang's eyes flashed.
It was hidden by his clothes, so he couldn't tell exactly how severe the injury was, but judging by the way he staggered upon landing, it seemed he had taken a significant hit.
They had succeeded in crippling the feet of the opponent whose overwhelming movement technique had been the most troublesome.
Un-dang grinned fiercely and shouted.
"Now's our chance! Go!"
Then the Six Harmony Swordsmen simultaneously descended upon Seonwoo Jin from left and right, from above and below.
It seemed they intended to seize this opportunity and finish him.
Shuhaaak!
That was the moment.
Seonwoo Jin, his expression having turned into one of dismay, abruptly turned his back and began to flee.
"Eit!"
Pabak!
The moment he saw that, Un-dang's expression went blank for an instant.
Turning one's back and fleeing before the enemy just because the situation was disadvantageous was something Un-dang, as a disciple of Mount Heng Sect, could never even imagine.
He scowled and yelled.
"Miserable wretch! Catch him! Do not let him get away!"
The Pasan Fourth Squad members, led by Un-dang, began chasing the fleeing Seonwoo Jin.
However, the escaping Seonwoo Jin was failing to widen the distance between them.
Clearly, his leg was bothering him, as he couldn't display that overwhelming movement technique he had shown earlier.
Un-dang gritted his teeth.
'As I thought! We absolutely must catch him now!'
If they let him escape this time and he recovered the use of his leg, it felt like they would never be able to catch up.
So, they had to capture him now, no matter what.
But even with an injured leg, Seonwoo Jin's movement technique was still outstanding.
Pasan Fourth Squad just couldn't manage to close the distance with him.
It was then.
A village up ahead began to come into Un-dang's view.
'A village in a place like this?'
***
The assassins of the Blood Rain Pavilion began tidying up the village after Seonwoo Jin's group completely vanished from sight.
The fact that all their painstaking preparations had gone to waste left them feeling dispirited, but waiting and repetition were inevitably all too familiar to them as assassins.
The assassins showed no dissatisfaction and were silently carrying out their assigned tasks.
The first things they had to clear away were the traps.
The Blood Rain Pavilion's assassins began carefully collecting the throwing weapons and poisons they had laid throughout the village so they could be reused later.
Once all of those were collected, their next plan was to erase all traces of the village.
But that was when it happened.
Just as they had nearly finished removing the traps, Seonwoo Jin's figure reappeared in the distance.
And he was leading some martial artists behind him.
[He's coming back! He's bringing six martial artists with him!]
[He's coming back!]
[He's coming back!]
Once again, the echoes of urgent telepathic transmissions began ringing out within the village.
Then Sa Ho of the Blood Rain Pavilion, the one in charge of this operation, hurriedly issued a command.
[All assassins, stop the cleanup and return to your positions! Quickly!]
Having given that order, Sa Ho, breaking habit, left his position at the inn and came outside to observe the man's actions.
It wasn't entirely unheard of for someone who had passed by once to return, but he had never once before brought martial artists in tow behind him like this.
This felt far from ordinary.
'Could he have truly figured out our identities? And thus is bringing reinforcements?'
Sa Ho chewed his lips in frustration.
'Should I have given the order to attack instead?'
But his worrying was far too late.
At that moment, Seonwoo Jin, who had entered the village with the Six Harmony Swordsmen behind him, swung his sword without a shred of hesitation.
Shaaaak!
Puhaak!
"!"
After he swept past, fountains of blood were rising.
The villagers, unable to put up any resistance, were dying, spraying blood.
They couldn't even scream.
"Wh-What is this?!"
Un-dang, who had been chasing Seonwoo Jin, contorted his face at the man's unimaginable atrocity.
"Killing innocent civilians to save his own skin!"
But at that very moment.
Sa Ho of the Blood Rain Pavilion screamed out at the top of his lungs.
"Attack! Everyone, attack!"
In that instant, the villagers who had been ordinary civilians just moments before suddenly transformed and began swarming them.
Shuhaaaak!
Hwiriririk!
"!"
Un-dang could do nothing but recoil in horror.
From all sides, villagers were throwing themselves at them, and concealed weapons were raining down from every direction.
Because the assassins of the Blood Rain Pavilion, thinking they were conspirators with Seonwoo Jin, had launched a full-scale assault on them.
Thanks to that, they were receiving far more concentrated attacks than Seonwoo Jin, who had quickly swept past them.
"What is this?! What in the world is going on?!"
Un-dang simply could not comprehend what sort of situation this was.
A bizarre circumstance where the man seemed to be killing innocent people, and then suddenly those innocent people turned into demons and attacked them.
The causal relationship was completely nonsensical.
But escaping this situation was more urgent than trying to figure it out.
Un-dang clenched his teeth and shouted.
"Kill them all!"
Then the Six Harmony Swordsmen began fending for themselves and dealing with the assassins.
Titing! Shuhak! Puhaak!
Concealed weapons bounced off in every direction, and blood spurted out.
Standing at the center of the formation and watching the scene, Un-dang couldn't help but feel that something was strange about this situation.
Even though a tremendous melee and slaughter were underway, not a single scream or kihap could be heard.
The villagers made no sound whether they were attacking, or even when they were dying.
Only then did Un-dang realize who these people were.
'They were assassins!'
And in that moment, he came to another realization.
The man who had led them into this very mess was nowhere to be seen.
"!"
He was gone.
Neither Seonwoo Jin, nor the assassins fighting him, could be seen anywhere.
The man had pushed them into this place and slipped away by himself.
Un-dang let out a furious cry.
"You baaastard!"