Chapter 20
Chapter 20
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: The Trap is Sprung
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*Whoosh.*
Hesitation flickered in the eyes of the boys wielding the White Horse Whips.
Judging by the footsteps, the approaching group numbered at least a dozen.
If they lingered here fighting Bu Eun-seol, they too could become prey for that group.
*Fwish. Thud.*
The crisp sound of movement slicing through the air and the thudding of feet grew closer.
“You're a lucky bastard!”
Having made their calculations, the White Horse boys hurriedly broke their formation.
“Let's go!”
With a short cry, the boys coiled their whips and vanished into the forest, their movements as swift as a gale.
*Shk.*
Bu Eun-seol retrieved the iron sword from the ground and calmly watched the spot where the White Horse boys had disappeared.
“They haven't properly mastered the White Horse Whip.”
Trapped in the Jade Scale Golden Snake Formation, Bu Eun-seol had deliberately refrained from counterattacking, merely dodging their assault.
He had been carefully observing the whip techniques of the White Horse Company, renowned as one of the Murim's finest, to identify their weaknesses.
“Maybe I should have just killed them.”
A strike from a White Horse Whip could rupture not just flesh, but muscle as well.
Though a few hits would have been enough to immobilize him, Bu Eun-seol, a practitioner of the Ya-su-do, had predicted every move and avoided any fatal blows.
“No, another chance will come soon.”
Bu Eun-seol was certain.
They had judged him an easy opponent and would surely track him down.
Avoiding the strong and hunting the weak—that was the way to survive a battle to the death.
*Th-thump.*
Just then, the sounds of movement he'd been hearing drew right up to him.
*'No need to overexert myself.'*
Having endured the Jade Scale Golden Snake Formation without once striking back, his stamina was considerably drained.
With so many participants still remaining, there was no reason to engage in a bloody battle with a large group.
*Fwoosh.*
As Bu Eun-seol threw himself into the darkened bushes,
*Thud. Swish.*
a group of a dozen or so figures sped past the very spot he had just vacated.
“...”
Once the group was gone, Bu Eun-seol rose to his feet and was suddenly struck by a fierce hunger.
Three days had already passed since the start of the third trial.
All he'd had to sustain himself was clear water. The trial wasn't going to end in a day or two; he had to eat.
*'I have to go there.'*
A location came to mind, and Bu Eun-seol set off at a rapid pace.
*Thump, thump.*
Even as he ran, Bu Eun-seol would occasionally stop to strike a rock or press his ear to the ground.
Running blindly to escape the murderous fiends could leave him open to an ambush. Thus, he expanded his sensory domain through the Ya-su-do to survey his surroundings.
*Whoosh.*
A cool breeze swept past his ears.
Emerging from the forest, Bu Eun-seol arrived at the training hall of the Fire Rain Sword Sect.
*Creeak.*
Opening the gate revealed a large training hall divided into three sections, a practice yard, and training chambers.
After surveying the empty hall, Bu Eun-seol walked without hesitation into the largest building.
Passing under the plaque, he saw a long corridor. Deeper inside, rows of densely packed rooms lined the hall.
These were the private training chambers where disciples of the Fire Rain Sword Sect could practice their martial arts in solitude.
*Clang.*
Bu Eun-seol forced open the iron door of the chamber in the farthest corner.
He then pushed aside a table and pried up one of the wooden floorboards.
The space beneath was filled with dried meat.
*Shk.*
Bu Eun-seol took out a piece of dried meat and began to chew slowly.
He had scouted the terrain of Hell Island, occasionally hunting small animals and making jerky from them.
He chewed methodically.
The dried meat was unseasoned, but it was more than enough to quell his hunger.
Bu Eun-seol chewed slowly with the solemnity of a high monk chanting scriptures.
After eating his fill of the dried meat, he leaned against the chamber wall and closed his eyes.
How much time had passed?
“Hoo.”
Feeling his mind clear and vitality return to his stiffened body, Bu Eun-seol slowly opened his eyes.
Though he had lost a lot of blood, the wounds were only skin-deep. With a short rest, Bu Eun-seol had fully recovered his stamina.
*'The sun should be up by now.'*
Slowly rising, he tucked a few more pieces of meat from the floorboards into his robes.
Then he walked back out of the training chamber.
Looking up, he saw the distant sky beginning to brighten.
Life-giving light poured down upon the earth, yet only a murderous aura lingered here on Hell Island.
“The end of this slaughter... is still a long way off.”
There wasn't even a guarantee that there would be ten Sip-ma-jeon-in.
The Chong-gyo-du, Hyuk-ryeon-eung, hadn't even specified how many had to be left standing.
He could order them to kill until only one remained, or perhaps five.
*Th-thump.*
Just then, the vibration of someone kicking off the ground reached Bu Eun-seol's ears.
Four of them. Judging by the consistent distance they kept, they were clearly part of the same group.
“It's them.”
The corners of Bu Eun-seol's lips lifted slightly.
From the sound of their footsteps alone, he guessed that the approaching figures were the White Horse gang.
*Shk.*
He unconsciously caressed the hilt of the black sword on his back.
This black sword was not only extremely light, but it also served its purpose well as a backup weapon.
And now, Bu Eun-seol intended to acquire another weapon.
***
On the peak of a rocky mountain with a panoramic view of Hell Island.
a muscular old man with a solemn expression and a middle-aged man dressed as a scholar stood side by side.
They were the Chong-gyo-du, Hyuk-ryeon-eung, and the Lord of Manbak Hall, Baek Jeon-cheon.
“What is the situation?”
At Hyuk-ryeon-eung's question, Baek Jeon-cheon unfolded a parchment map of Hell Island and spoke respectfully.
“Of the eighty-six disciples, forty-one are still alive.”
“Forty-one after three days...”
“With so many talented prospects gathered, it seems they anticipated this situation. Few are engaging in fierce battles; most are moving in groups or establishing bases.”
Hyuk-ryeon-eung nodded with a leisurely expression.
“I see.”
“To be honest, I don't quite understand...”
Baek Jeon-cheon's gaze deepened as he looked down at Hell Island.
“If you had restricted the area to the vicinity of this mountain from the start, things would have been settled quickly without dragging on.”
“You're asking why I'm dragging this out by gradually shrinking the area instead of gathering them all to fight at once.”
“Yes, sir.”
Hyuk-ryeon-eung turned his gaze away, looking down at the landscape of Hell Island instead of answering.
At a glance, it seemed peaceful, but battles of life and death were erupting all over.
He took a deep breath and thought he could smell the scent of blood mixed in the wind.
“If we did that, we'd get the same result as the second trial. Someone who hasn't even properly learned martial arts might survive.”
“Bu Eun-seol... Are you talking about that child?”
“Yes. Thanks to him, I learned that it's difficult to properly assess skill in a chaotic battle confined to a small area.”
Hyuk-ryeon-eung snorted softly and narrowed his eyes.
“This was the conclusion reached after a long meeting with the elders and the leaders of the Ten Demonic Sects.”
Recalling that time, Hyuk-ryeon-eung spoke coldly, a look of displeasure on his face.
“Instead of just culling them indiscriminately, we decided that even if it takes a little longer, we should let them display all their abilities... martial skill, wisdom, leadership, adaptability, improvisation, and so on.”
“So that's what happened.”
Baek Jeon-cheon nodded.
Despite being the Lord of Manbak Hall, he was not permitted to attend the meetings concerning the Sip-ma-jeon-in competition.
Only the Demonic Lord, the elders, the leaders of the Sip-ma-jeon-in, and finally, the Chong-gyo-du, Hyuk-ryeon-eung himself, could attend.
“Now that only the worthy children remain, it's time to make them reveal their true skills.”
Hyuk-ryeon-eung pointed to a spot on the parchment Baek Jeon-cheon was holding.
“First, restrict this area so they can no longer enter.”
The place Hyuk-ryeon-eung pointed to was the vicinity of the Fire Rain Sword Sect's training hall.
***
Back at the Fire Rain Sword Sect, Bu Eun-seol's eyes shone with an unusual light.
He had never learned stealth or movement techniques, but his mastery of the Ya-su-do made him adept at concealing his presence.
His silent, creeping approach toward the training chambers was like that of a predator that had spotted its prey.
*'They found the trail I left.'*
Bu Eun-seol had left a trail of his own blood to make it easier for the White Horse boys to track him.
And just as he'd expected, they had followed the trail all the way to the Fire Rain Sword Sect.
“That bastard, I think he went this way.”
Following the scattered bloodstains, the boys finally entered the corridor where the training chambers were located.
At that moment, Bu Eun-seol slowly emerged behind them.
There was only one way out of the training chambers.
By blocking the exit corridor, he had trapped the four boys like rats.
“You crazy bastard.”
But the boys only scoffed at the sight of Bu Eun-seol.
“Did you think you could win by luring us into a narrow corridor?”
*Whoosh.*
Summoning their thirty-foot-long White Horse Whips, they wore confident smiles.
“You die today!”
There was no more need for words. All that remained was a contest of blood and flesh.
“Take this!”
With a thunderous shout, the four boys surrounded Bu Eun-seol and swung their whips.
*Fwish!*
The four White Horse Whips repeatedly extended and retracted as they cut through the air.
The terrifying thing about the White Horse whip technique was its ability to freely change length, sometimes unleashing fluid movements that even the wielder couldn't predict.
*Fwing! Crack!*
Moving like living snakes, the whips danced through the air, aiming for Bu Eun-seol's vitals.
“What?”
But Bu Eun-seol didn't move from his spot.
Or rather, while he appeared to be standing still, he was perfectly evading every attack.
Ya-su-do.
The profound abilities of this mysterious art were being displayed in full.
*Shing!*
As Bu Eun-seol dodged the whips by a paper-thin margin, his sword was finally drawn.
“Aargh!”
With a desperate scream, a fountain of blood erupted from the neck of one of the whip-wielding boys.
“What kind of swordsmanship is this?”
What Bu Eun-seol had unleashed was the second form of the Fire Rain Thunderclap Sword: Ascending Heaven, Entering Earth.
But when combined with the Ya-su-do and his killing intent, it transformed into a sharp and brutal style of fast sword.
*Flash!*
With a brilliant gleam, Bu Eun-seol's iron sword created another bloom of blood.
“Keuk!”
Once again, a scream tore through the air.
He had pierced the elbow joint of a boy who was moving in time with his whip.
It was the only joint not protected by the whip.
*Fwoosh!*
In a continuous flurry of fast sword attacks, the black sword that had pierced the elbow now sliced through the boy's carotid artery.
*Spssh!*
As another fountain of blood erupted,
“You bastard!”
the two enraged boys shortened their whips even further, pressing their attack on Bu Eun-seol.
But without the use of the Jade Scale Golden Snake Formation, the power of their whips was significantly diminished.
Their individual skills were not that great.
“Ugh!”
Another scream rang out as one of the whip-wielding boys collapsed.
No matter how fast or frantically they swung their whips, they couldn't land a hit on Bu Eun-seol, who predicted the direction and path of every move.
—*This bastard lured us here on purpose!*
Only then did the boys realize.
They hadn't cornered Bu Eun-seol; he had lured them here.
That he had been hiding his true skill, merely observing their whip techniques.
“Get out of the way!”
They swung their whips frantically but couldn't touch a single hair on Bu Eun-seol, who was blocking the exit.
*Tssst!*
Suddenly, with a strange sound, something shot rapidly toward Bu Eun-seol's side.
*Whoosh.*
Bu Eun-seol quickly spun his body in mid-air.
What grazed past his shoulder was a white whip.
*Tsst!*
In that instant, the whip that had just grazed him suddenly changed direction and struck Bu Eun-seol's back.
*Clang!*
He blocked the whip with the iron sword he'd drawn while spinning, but since he was airborne, his body was sent flying to the end of the corridor.
“Now's our chance!”
The two boys who had been trapped in the corridor quickly dashed for the exit.
“Hmph.”
Just then, a large shadow lunged out, blocking their path.
“You two, what do you think you're doing?”
The shadow belonged to a large-framed boy with White Horse Whips coiled around his waist and arms.