Chapter 49
Chapter 49
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 49
Chapter Title: The Red Hand Killing Ghost
-----------------------------------------------------------------
“Red Hand Killing Ghost?”
At those words, Hyeok Gyo-jin's gaze shifted to Deung Hwang's hand.
The tips of his fingers, which had unleashed the palm technique, were stained a vivid red.
‘It's real!’
Hyeok Gyo-jin stared at Deung Hwang in shock, and the man scratched his head as if annoyed by the fuss.
Red Hand Killing Ghost, Deung Hwang.
Born an orphan of heaven and earth, he had spent his childhood in the beggar dens of Gui Province City.
Then, at the age of ten, he caught the eye of the Super Killing Ghost—who had wandered into the beggar den and massacred them all for sport—and was taken in by him.
Having learned his master's palm and finger techniques, Deung Hwang pierced the Super Killing Ghost's heart around the time he reached adulthood, making his name known throughout the martial world.
But if he had stopped there, he could have remained a righteous faction martial artist with his head held high. Instead, Deung Hwang took it one step further.
He crashed an gathering of promising young talents from Gui Province City—without an invitation—and, under the guise of a spar, slaughtered the most promising ones in a single blow.
Due to his ruthless hands, Deung Hwang naturally fell in with the unorthodox factions.
‘I thought he had gone into hiding.’
Having earned himself countless enemies, Deung Hwang had killed two elders of the Emei Sect a dozen years ago and become a fugitive hunted by the Nine Great Sects.
Word was that he had vanished completely, so no one could have imagined he had disguised himself and hidden away in Shin Gang Province.
“Then... that swordsmanship couldn't be...?!”
Hyeok Gyo-jin blurted out his suspicion, then widened his eyes.
To him, Deung Hwang's swordsmanship had seemed quite advanced.
That was likely how he had established a sect and gathered disciples.
But if he wasn't the Power Sword Demon but the Red Hand Killing Ghost, it was easy to guess where he had obtained that sword art.
“Hmph, it's the sword art of the guy I killed. He had a sword manual on him, so it was easy to pick up.”
“You shameless bastard! Founding a sect with someone else's martial arts!”
“He died by my hand anyway—what does it matter what I do with his skills? He wasn't passing them down to anyone, so shouldn't I be the one receiving gratitude for preserving them?”
Hyeok Gyo-jin gaped at the brazen response.
“But.”
Meanwhile, Deung Hwang furrowed his brow and addressed the hooded man.
“Who the hell are you to interfere in the affairs of the Power Sword Sect and the Hyeok Clan? This doesn't concern outsiders—get lost.”
Hyeok Mulin replied flatly.
“I'm on the inside.”
“......?”
If he was an insider, why hadn't he joined the others from the start?
Unable to make sense of it, Deung Hwang shook his head.
“Whatever.”
He scooped up three pebbles from the ground, then hurled them at Hyeok Mulin with blinding speed as he continued.
“Now that you know my identity, I have no intention of letting you leave alive!”
Shuu-shuu-shuk!
The three stones flew straight for Hyeok Mulin's forehead in succession.
Each carried infused internal energy—lethal blows that would kill on impact.
But Hyeok Mulin casually tilted his head side to side, letting them whistle past.
However, just as he deflected the last one, Deung Hwang—hidden behind it—darted right up to his face and unleashed a barrage of palm strikes from over his shoulder.
‘Got you!’
Stretching out to seize his nape for a swift kill, Deung Hwang was certain his attack had landed.
But it was merely an illusion.
He had clearly snagged the hooded man from the front, yet his hand grasped only empty air.
‘Huh? It didn't connect?’
That couldn't be.
Tilting his head in confusion, Deung Hwang kicked off the ground once more.
Whoosh!
He pursued the leaning Hyeok Mulin, swinging his crossed palms in a grand arc.
But that was a feint too. For his final move, he drew a circle and slammed his palm diagonally toward the shoulder blade to dislocate it.
The fingertips extending to the right were once again dyed red.
Deung Hwang's signature technique: Disaster Rending Hand.
‘He's putting on quite the amusing show.’
Tracking the movements, Hyeok Mulin glanced at Hyeok Gyo-jin.
He was leaning against the wall, injured but watching the fight with clear, focused eyes.
Yes, watch like that.
Feel it.
And take it in.
Hyeok Mulin drew his sword, tracing an elegant arc.
Heaven-Comparing Nine Souls Sword.
First Section: Three Forms.
Soul-Swapping Sword.
The blade moved in a cross, then drew a circle.
It mimicked Deung Hwang's palm technique exactly—but executed with a sword.
Replicating a technique with a different weapon was exceedingly difficult, yet Hyeok Mulin's Soul-Swapping Sword matched the Disaster Rending Hand perfectly.
Chaaak!
Caught off guard by the identical motion he hadn't anticipated, Deung Hwang failed to defend properly. The sword was already slicing diagonally.
A long gash tore through his clothes from collarbone to waist, blood erupting from the flesh beneath.
Had he not instinctively pulled back, his torso would have been cleaved in half.
Clutching his shoulder at the chilling realization, Deung Hwang retreated three zhang.
‘He's no pushover.’
Thinking he might really die if he got too close again, he brought his thumb and index finger to his lips.
Piii—
At Deung Hwang's whistle, about ten subordinates hidden in the brush and behind walls burst out.
They charged at Hyeok Mulin from all directions simultaneously.
But regrettably, before they could even close in, Hyeok Mulin's sword sent their heads flying, blood fountains spraying.
Thud-thud-thud!
In truth, Deung Hwang hadn't expected them to do much.
A hand pierced through a dead subordinate's back and out his chest, hurtling fiercely toward Hyeok Mulin.
His crimson fingertips brimmed with peak internal energy, aiming to impale his heart with Iron Piercing Finger.
Yet Hyeok Mulin countered with effortless grace.
He aligned his sword tip with Deung Hwang's index finger using the Soul-Swapping Sword.
Mid-execution of the finger technique, Deung Hwang's motion froze abruptly, as if stricken by paralyzing poison.
His body stiffened rigidly, unable to move.
In that halted state, Hyeok Mulin flicked his sword upward, severing the fingers.
Only then, feeling his body respond, did Deung Hwang grit his teeth.
‘Damn it! Who the hell is this guy?!’
Deung Hwang had poured everything he had into this fight so far.
Yet his opponent was handling him with casual ease, revealing only a fraction of his power—like a leisurely stroll.
This guy was a monster.
Deung Hwang knew putting distance wouldn't let him escape.
Retreating would only lead to death.
‘I have to push forward somehow!’
Crouching low, Deung Hwang closed in rapidly, baiting ultra-close quarters combat.
His hands struck in rapid succession at vital points: solar plexus, heart, throat, eyes.
But at point-blank range—close enough to touch noses—Hyeok Mulin parried effortlessly with hand, sword aura, flat, and blade.
Deung Hwang's face twisted in utter frustration.
‘At this range, my palm arts should give me the advantage!’
Yet paradoxically, up close, attack paths seemed even scarcer than before.
Gnashing his teeth, Deung Hwang unleashed his dual palms with full focus, but it felt like clawing at an iron wall—utterly maddening.
“Young master, are you alright?”
Meanwhile, Hyeok Wi approached Hyeok Gyo-jin, who had been watching the fight.
Fresh blood stained Hyeok Wi's uniform, but it didn't appear to be his.
“I'm fine. What about you, Division Leader?”
“Yes, no serious injuries.”
With Deung Hwang engaged by the newcomer and Hyeok Gyo-jin safe, Hyeok Wi had fought calmly without rushing, dispatching the Twin Crimson Heads without major bleeding.
“Who is he?”
Having just finished his own battle, Hyeok Wi now took in the hooded man versus Deung Hwang. Surprise filled his eyes.
The mysterious hooded figure was overwhelming Deung Hwang.
No—overwhelming wasn't enough; he was toying with him.
“Can't you tell from that swordsmanship? He's our ally.”
How could he not recognize it?
Hyeok Gyo-jin had known his identity from the first glance.
“No way...?”
Shock beyond mere surprise crossed Hyeok Wi's face at the glimpses of family martial arts.
He turned to confirm with Hyeok Gyo-jin, but...
“......”
Hyeok Gyo-jin was utterly absorbed in the fight, not missing a single motion.
After watching for a moment, Hyeok Wi turned back without disturbing him.
“Damn it! Damn it! DAMN IT!”
Facing an insurmountable wall, Deung Hwang unleashed his hidden trump: Hundred Fingers Strike.
A hundred thrusting fingers converged on one point, hurtling toward Hyeok Mulin's chest.
But Hyeok Mulin angled his sword and flicked it away effortlessly, then twisted the blade up, down, left, right at invisible speed.
Deung Hwang tried blocking with defensive palm arts, but cumulative wounds left his right arm mangled.
Clutching one shoulder, he demanded in a trembling voice.
“Who the hell are you?”
His spies in the Hyeok Clan had never reported a monster like this.
Yet he claimed to be an insider, fueling Deung Hwang's injustice at this sudden powerhouse.
“You don't need to know.”
Even Hyeok Mulin denied him that final curiosity.
“Goddamn it.”
With one arm crippled, Deung Hwang now had only his left for palm arts.
He had been utterly crushed with both—now halved, victory seemed impossible.
“Dying like this is too unfair. I'll drag you to hell with me at least.”
Deung Hwang gathered every strand of internal energy in his body.
Along with his innate essence, his hair turned white in an instant.
Capture meant death anyway, and escape was impossible.
So Deung Hwang resolved to mutual destruction, detonating all his power in a final blaze of life.
Tak!
Kicking off, he circled Hyeok Mulin at lightning speed.
His movement art was now three or four times faster, his form blurring.
Then, closing in at point-blank, he unleashed his ultimate technique from the front: Heart-Shattering Palm.
His five fingers curled into a fist.
‘This time, you're dead!’
Deung Hwang thrust confidently.
Hyeok Mulin seemed oblivious to his approach, eyes not even on him.
But at that moment—when he truly believed it was over.
Swish.
Using Extreme Swift Shadowless's Extreme Swift Step, Hyeok Mulin instantly stepped backward.
All prior approaches became meaningless; distance opened anew.
Facing the advancing Deung Hwang, Hyeok Mulin leisurely raised his sword.
Moments later, sword strikes rained down like a downpour.
Heaven-Comparing Nine Souls Sword.
Middle Section: Four Forms.
Flying Soul Sword.
Sgeek-sgeek-sgeek!
Rain fell, and holes riddled Deung Hwang's body.
One can't block rain with hands.
Skin, organs, dantian—dozens, hundreds of deep punctures accumulated, until his form was unrecognizable as human.
And finally, one last raindrop fell.
Tracing his neck, his head slid diagonally amid the blood.
Thud. Splatter.
Deung Hwang's severed head hit the ground face-up.
His vacant eyes stared emptily into the void.