Chapter 249: Blood Rain Yeon-ju
Chapter 249: Blood Rain Yeon-ju
"What a fool!"
Watching Jin So-eun's battle from halfway up the mountain, Mak Jong-gi, the leader of the Blood Rain Lotus, burst out in a furious shout.
The fact that Gok Mussang, one of the Three Elders, had been brought down by such a young girl was something he simply could not believe.
How in the world could such a thing happen?
Those who had been raised as weapons against Am Hyeol-hyang, defeated and killed by a mere child — was that girl a master on par with Am Hyeol-hyang? One of the Thirty-Six Stars of the World?
Mak Jong-gi abruptly shouted aloud.
"There is no way that could be true!"
Of course, it was an undeniable fact that Jin So-eun possessed remarkable skill for her age.
If she did not, she could never have endured the combined assault of the Blood Rain Lotus assassins this long.
But that was only saying she was impressive for her age.
He could not sense anything overwhelmingly powerful from her, nothing like the Thirty-Six Stars of the World possessed.
And yet, this outcome — Mak Jong-gi simply could not accept it.
He continued to vent his rage.
"And furthermore! What were the First and Third Elders doing while the Second was being reduced to that state?! Why were they doing nothing?!"
It was then.
A reply suddenly came from behind him.
"Because they're already dead."
Mak Jong-gi was so startled his eyes nearly popped out.
It was because a voice he had never heard before came from the very spot where his subordinate had been hiding just moments ago.
"!"
Swish!
He frantically flung his body forward and turned to look behind him.
There, he could see a young man in white robes standing with his arms crossed and a smile on his face.
Upon seeing his face, Mak Jong-gi screamed in a horrified voice.
"Y-you are?!"
Mak Jong-gi could not believe his own eyes.
Because it was none other than Inparang, Seonwoo Jin.
But that was impossible.
How in the world was he here?
Then, as if he had read his mind, Seonwoo Jin told him.
"That old man who uses poison told me. That you were here."
"Wh-what?!"
If he meant an old man who uses poison, he was clearly referring to Nusantu, the Third Elder of the Blood Rain.
But there was no way he would have revealed his own location.
Even under torture, as one of the Three Elders of the Blood Rain, he would never have divulged information to the enemy.
"Such nonsense! Do not make me laugh!"
Mak Jong-gi, standing at the edge of the cliff, shouted desperately.
But even as he shouted, a deep suspicion was rising in his heart.
'But if he didn't talk, then how is that bastard here? Could it be... he really did betray me?'
If that were true, it was a serious matter indeed.
It meant the Blood Rain Lotus's greatest power had not died but had sided with the enemy and betrayed him.
But Mak Jong-gi decided to set that matter aside for later.
'The fact that the bastard came all the way here is one thing, but I can't sense any presence of my subordinates around. That probably means he killed them all in the meantime.'
That was an astonishing thing.
No matter how focused he had been on the Second Elder's battle, it meant that he, a top-grade assassin himself, had failed to detect the bastard approaching this close and killing his subordinates.
To Mak Jong-gi, that fact told him only one thing.
'He must have come killing my subordinates while in stealth. The fact that this was possible means his stealth technique truly is on the level of Am Hyeol-hyang!'
Having inwardly lamented, Mak Jong-gi suddenly glanced at the cliff located right behind his feet.
One more step back and he would fall into that dizzying abyss below.
But Mak Jong-gi did not fear that.
Because that was exactly what he wanted.
The cliff was certainly very high, but at least it seemed better than fighting that bastard right now.
Besides, were his subordinates not also lying in ambush down below?
Having made up his mind, Mak Jong-gi spat at Seonwoo Jin.
"Do not think the might of the Blood Rain Lotus is only this much."
Then, without even waiting for Seonwoo Jin's reply, he immediately threw himself off the cliff.
Whoosh!
Using the Thousand Catty Drop to increase his weight, Mak Jong-gi's body accelerated at a terrifying speed.
But even so, he did not let his guard down and kept his attention focused on the top of the cliff.
Because he thought the bastard might follow him down or at least attack him from above.
But when he looked up, Seonwoo Jin on the cliff above did not come down after him.
He simply stood there with his arms crossed, staring blankly down at him.
It seemed like he was muttering something, but he took no action whatsoever against him.
'Is he being careless?'
It was a bit strange for a man like that to be careless.
But if he was letting him go, Mak Jong-gi could not have been more grateful.
By the time that thought crossed his mind, the ground beneath the cliff was already right before his eyes.
Mak Jong-gi hurriedly used the Light Body Technique to make his body lighter, then rotated his body to urgently reduce his falling speed.
Then, with his weight drastically reduced relative to his bulk, his body received air resistance and rapidly decelerated, finally allowing him to set foot at the bottom of the cliff.
Thud!
The Light Body Technique he had just demonstrated was truly remarkable.
But even so, the cliff was so high that the impact he received from the fall was by no means small.
As soon as he touched the ground, he tried to bend his legs and roll forward to absorb the impact.
But he could not.
Because someone was standing right where he had landed.
"Ugh!"
Mak Jong-gi grimaced and let out a groan.
It was because he had failed to execute the breakfall in time, and the impact of the fall was transmitted straight into his legs.
It was a pain as if his legs and waist were being twisted apart.
But Mak Jong-gi had no time to spare for that.
As if they had been waiting for him to fall, those standing around him — five figures who all appeared to be swordsmen — were surrounded by countless corpses strewn everywhere.
They were all corpses of the Blood Rain Lotus assassins, his subordinates.
Mak Jong-gi frantically surveyed his surroundings.
He did not know who they were, but seeing that they had killed his subordinates, it was certain they were his enemies.
"Who are you people?!"
Mak Jong-gi demanded of them.
It was not so much that he expected an answer, but rather a ploy to draw their attention and create an opening.
But those five seemed not to care about his words at all.
They merely raised their swords and aimed them at him with expressionless faces.
'That won't work.'
Mak Jong-gi instinctively knew he could not shake these people with words.
It seemed he would have to break through by force.
He glanced upward — far away atop the cliff, Seonwoo Jin stood with his arms crossed, looking down at him.
His heart grew urgent.
He could not waste any more time here.
He had to escape this place before he came down.
'I'll have to break through. Fortunately, these people seem to be at the peak level at best, so even if there are five of them...'
Mak Jong-gi did not wait any longer and scattered throwing weapons in all directions.
Whirrrrrick!
Then he charged toward the one among the five who was a woman.
His plan was to break through as quickly as possible toward the woman, who looked the weakest.
Mak Jong-gi's signature weapon, the transparent glass sword of the Blood Rain Lotus leader, was thrusting toward the woman — Un-yeong of the Six Harmony Swordsmen — as if to pierce her body.
Shiiiiik!
At that, Un-yeong lightly stepped backward.
It seemed she intended to retreat rather than defend in place.
Mak Jong-gi inwardly cheered.
'That's it!'
If that woman stepped aside, there was no need to continue the attack.
Because he could simply slip through that opening and escape.
But that was the moment.
As Un-yeong stepped back, swords from the other two on either side of Mak Jong-gi came thrusting in.
It was a combined attack technique as natural as the turning of cogs.
"!"
Seonwoo Jin stood atop the cliff with his arms crossed, watching Mak Jong-gi's movements below.
Suddenly, Mukrang spoke to him.
- For mere assassins, there are quite a number of them who have reached the transcendent peak. Truly worthy of their pride as the greatest assassin group under heaven.
At his words, Seonwoo Jin smiled faintly and agreed.
'That is true. But now they will become not the greatest, but the greatest assassin group that once was.'
Mak Jong-gi was certainly a transcendent peak martial artist.
But perhaps because he was an assassin, he did not seem to possess the close-combat ability of an ordinary transcendent peak master.
So there was no way he could withstand the Ghost Extermination Six Harmony Sword Formation with such ability.
Thunk!
Below the cliff, the sight of Mak Jong-gi's back being pierced by two swords could be seen.
The match had been decided in an instant.
After seeing his head, severed by Un-yeong's sword, cleanly fall away, Seonwoo Jin suddenly raised his head and looked far into the distance at Jin So-eun's battle.
And there, the sight of Jin So-eun — who had changed as vastly as heaven and earth from just a day ago — massacring the Blood Rain Lotus assassins entered his eyes.
It was to the point where the assassins now looked pitiful.
Seonwoo Jin abruptly said to Mukrang.
'Miss Jin's growth is truly remarkable. Perhaps this time, the number one under heaven might truly emerge from the Jin Family Stronghold.'
At that, Mukrang laughed and replied.
- How can one predict what a chick that has just broken out of its egg will grow into? And more importantly, how can you say such things when you are the one who will inherit my ultimate techniques?
At those words, Seonwoo Jin smiled bitterly and asked in return.
'Has it not yet been decided whether I can inherit them? And... there are still many mountains to overcome.'
When he suddenly cast his gaze far away, a blue horizon faintly caught his eye beyond the forest.
That place was Shantou in Guangdong Province — the harbor located at the easternmost edge of Guangdong, bordering Fujian Province.
The very Fujian Province where Daenam Island, the stronghold of the Southern Sea Demon Sovereign Man Hak-sung, was located.
Therefore, taking a boat from there would be the fastest way to reach Daenam Island.
And everyone else who was watching Seonwoo Jin's path would, of course, know that fact as well.
The Hainan Demon Sword Jin Tae-do, and the Hengshan Sect too.
Seonwoo Jin abruptly murmured.
"The Hainan Demon Sword, Jin Tae-do. I will finally get to meet him."
Now, the revenge drama for Inparang was also rushing toward its final act.
***
About a quarter of an hour earlier.
Nusantu, the Third Elder of the Blood Rain Three Elders, who had been unable to do anything and was captured by Seonwoo Jin through acupoint sealing, was dragged to a secluded place and subjected to interrogation by Seonwoo Jin.
Seonwoo Jin immediately unleashed the ten stages of the Bone and Sinew Separation technique upon him.
Then, a pain as if the bones and muscles of his entire body were being torn to shreds swept over him.
"Uuuuugh!"
It was while Nusantu was trembling all over from the horrifying pain.
Seonwoo Jin abruptly asked him.
"You three are probably the strongest force in the Blood Rain Lotus. The fact that even you have come — does that mean the leader of the Blood Rain Lotus is also nearby?"
At his question, Nusantu sneered even amidst the agony.
The idea of torturing him with such paltry pain to extract information was utterly preposterous.
How laughably did he regard an assassin of the Blood Rain Lotus, and one of the Three Elders at that, to have such a thought?
Moreover, even as the bastard claimed he would torture him to extract information, he seemed to have even forgotten to release his mute acupoint so he could speak.
Clearly, this was a novice who had never conducted torture before.
But it was while Nusantu was having such thoughts.
Seonwoo Jin suddenly nodded as if he had just realized something.
"Hmm, so it was as I thought. Then where is he right now?"
Nusantu was dumbfounded even as his consciousness grew hazy from the pain.
He had not said a single word, so what exactly had he heard to say such a thing?
But Seonwoo Jin's actions were unhesitating.
After slowly surveying the surrounding terrain, he asked this.
"Since he's probably somewhere he can watch over this area... is it on that mountain?"
The place Seonwoo Jin pointed to with his finger was the mountain on the opposite side from where the leader of the Blood Rain Lotus was.
But Nusantu gave no reaction at all.
Neither affirmation, nor denial — no reaction whatsoever.
But then Seonwoo Jin said this as well.
"Hmm, so it's not there? Then is it there? Ah, not there either? Then over there?"
Nusantu was now beginning to wonder if this man was perhaps insane.
But in that moment, Seonwoo Jin said this.
"Then is it over there? Ah, so it was there."
The place he pointed to as he said that was precisely the mountain where the leader of the Blood Rain Lotus was.
Even amidst the pain, Nusantu could not help but be horrified.
What was more, Seonwoo Jin's questions were still continuing.
"Which part of that mountain? The summit? Ah, not there. Then halfway up? Hoh, halfway up. Perhaps near that cave I can see over there?"
It was only when Nusantu saw him smile faintly after asking that question, as if he had heard the answer he wanted, that he finally sensed something.
'Th-this bastard, could it be he's reading my mind...?'
In truth, it was simply Mukrang confirming Nusantu's reactions to whether the questions were right or wrong, but from his perspective, he could only think that.
And by the time he realized it, it was already too late.
Because he was undergoing the Bone and Sinew Separation technique and had no leisure to think deeply about it.
'I should have let no thought arise at his questions...!'
It was while Nusantu was having that thought.
Without any lingering attachment, Seonwoo Jin pressed his death acupoint.
It was the moment when Nusantu, the third of the Blood Rain Three Elders who were said to be the strongest force of the Blood Rain Lotus, lost his life in vain.