Chapter 46
Chapter 46
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 46
Chapter Title: Desert Five Villains
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"It's been ten years since I last had meat... I'm really pissed off, you bastards."
Ak Muyoo poured water onto the handle of the Fear Demon sitting over the fire. It was water he'd set out to mix with grain powder for eating. Thanks to Seo Haran providing meat, he no longer needed it, but it had all come in handy anyway.
Sizzle!
A sound hissed from the Fear Demon's handle.
Ak Muyoo shoved a few pieces of meat from atop the Fear Demon into his mouth and placed the rest on the chair where Seo Haran had sat.
"Let's finish before the meat gets cold."
He stepped forward, facing the Desert Five Villains.
"You're not poisoned?"
Yagulop stared at Ak Muyoo like he was some exotic beast. The poison he'd sent on the wind was a paralyzing toxin mixed from blood ant and death centipede venom. Once afflicted, a person couldn't move for an hour. In that state, they couldn't even use internal energy.
When he intended to kill, he used stronger poison. But when he craved a different kind of pleasure, he used the weaker stuff. That pleasure was rape. Only then did he deploy the paralyzer.
The paralyzer didn't kill, but it felled even the strongest masters. Yet the weakest-looking one in their group was completely fine. It struck him as bizarre.
"I'm pretty resistant to poison."
"Ever think that might make you die before your comrades?"
"Wanna bet?"
"A bet?"
"On who dies first. Actually, I need the antidote, so I won't kill you. I'll just take one leg instead."
"Hahaha! Ugh! Hahaha!"
Yagulop burst into laughter. While talking, he'd gauged the man's internal energy. But no qi flowed around his body as it should for a master. That meant he was no master at all—a rank amateur.
The idea of such a fool cutting off his leg was laughable.
"Just grab the two on the left for me, and you can eat all the meat you want. I'll even let you bathe in the hot spring."
"Huh?"
The five men's faces stiffened.
Ak Muyoo had spoken as if someone were there. They quickly deployed their Heavenly Ear Divine Skill.
"The right..."
That was when Ak Muyoo moved.
Flash!
His form shot forward at terrifying speed.
"Gasp!"
"Heok!"
Yagulop and Eulmok Spearlord recoiled in horror.
They'd seen Ak Muyoo move and reached for their weapons at their waists. But before they could grip the handles, he'd closed in and swung the Fear Demon.
Ak Muyoo targeted their legs.
Aiming for the head or heart let them lean back or twist aside to dodge. But legs? The only escape was leaping into the air. He didn't even allow that.
Slash!
His left-hand Fear Demon sliced groundward first.
Slaaash!
"Arrrgh!"
A agonized scream erupted from Eulmok Spearlord's mouth.
"Keurgh!"
Then his right hand severed Yagulop's right ankle.
Thud!
The Fear Demon, after slicing the ankle, twisted direction and stabbed into the ground, becoming a pillar. Ak Muyoo yanked the pillar-like Fear Demon with all his might while kicking off the dirt with both feet.
His form surged forward like a fish slicing through water, at horrifying speed.
"Urk!"
Mokrichalhap panicked. Yagulop and Eulmok Spearlord hadn't even fallen yet. But the bastard was already right in front of him.
"But..."
Judging he had no time to draw his weapon, Mokrichalhap punched toward Ak Muyoo's back. He'd targeted the back because the torso was hard to shift side to side. Good intent, but Ak Muyoo had already predicted it.
In an instant, Ak Muyoo's right arm hit the ground.
He shoved his right arm hard to the left, extending his left arm straight.
Thwack!
Mokrichalhap's fist smashed into Ak Muyoo's left side.
"Keurgh!"
With a scream, he swung his left hand fiercely.
"Arrrgh!"
A gut-wrenching scream burst from Mokrichalhap's mouth. His right knee had been neatly severed.
"Chaha!"
Right then came Yurisa's shout.
A hand as clear as jade shot toward Ak Muyoo's heart.
Ak Muyoo hurled the Fear Demon from his left hand without mercy. He'd drilled weapon-throwing endlessly in the army—he could hit any spot he aimed for.
As the Fear Demon flew, Yurisa kept her right arm extended and swung her left.
"That ain't so easy."
Claaang!
"Argh!"
The force on the Fear Demon was immense; she screamed unwittingly. It made her falter.
That was when Ak Muyoo leaped in. He charged straight at Yurisa's jade hand, swinging his right arm.
A steel chain still dangled from his right hand—the shackle he'd used to attach the Fear Demon.
Thwack!
Whip!
The chain lashed Yurisa's head just as her jade hand struck Ak Muyoo's chest.
"Aaack!"
"Keurgh!"
Yurisa's skull shattered, and Ak Muyoo spat blood.
"I'll kill you!"
Chak Hong punched toward Ak Muyoo.
Thud!
Chak Hong's fist slammed dead-center into Ak Muyoo's chest. The strike was too fast to dodge.
"Keurgh!"
Ak Muyoo tumbled backward.
"You won't die easy!"
Flash!
Chak Hong shot toward Ak Muyoo.
Whoosh!
The fallen Ak Muyoo sprang up, charging back at Chak Hong. Chak Hong's fists turned pitch-black. A demonic art called Bone-Powder Demon Palm, said to grind bones to dust.
The two clashed head-on.
Thwack!
Chak Hong's hands battered Ak Muyoo's chest.
"It's over...?"
Chak Hong's eyes widened.
Ak Muyoo should've flown back, but he stood firm, unmoving. He looked at Ak Muyoo. Blood streamed from his mouth.
"You're dead."
A cold smile curled Ak Muyoo's lips.
Shing!
A blaze of white light exploded from Ak Muyoo's waist.
"Heok! Arrrgh!"
A wretched scream tore from Chak Hong's throat. His upper body, severed clean like a log, toppled sideways.
"Urk!"
Ak Muyoo collapsed to his knees right there, vomiting blood.
—Now's the time. Let's run.
Mokrichalhap sent a transmission to Eulmok Spearlord and Yagulop. Their legs were cut, so no lightness skill, but their internal energy remained—they could probably escape.
—If that bastard chases, we'll get caught quick.
Eulmok Spearlord replied.
—Yagulop, handle it.
Mokrichalhap messaged Yagulop.
—How?
—The bastard's poisoned, right?
—Yeah. He's just resisting strong; he's poisoned.
—Then he needs the antidote.
—You want me to give him poison instead?
—Yeah.
—What if he doesn't fall for it...
—We got no time to quibble. Try it, tricked or not. Otherwise, we die here.
—Fine. I'll do it.
—We're out.
Thud! Thud!
Eulmok Spearlord and Mokrichalhap slapped the ground with both hands. Their forms floated up lightly and shot into the darkness.
"Aaack!"
"Uwaaack!"
Soon, wretched screams echoed from where they'd vanished—the cries of fleeing Mokrichalhap and Eulmok Spearlord.
Ak Muyoo raised his head.
Truth be told, he'd focused only on Yagulop, with no spare energy to chase the runners.
Yet here came their screams.
Moments later, an old man emerged from the darkness. Ak Muyoo eyed him. The old man had no left arm, and half his face was a grotesque scar.
"Why'd you help?"
Their eyes met, so he asked.
"Didn't you say to take out just two?"
"That was bullshit to rattle them."
"I figured..."
The old man nodded.
Truth was, he'd been walking a hundred paces away. Then he heard: take out two, get food.
He'd checked with Heavenly Ear Divine Skill. The voice came from a full hundred paces off.
Wondering who could detect him walking that far, he'd come to see.
That's when he spotted Ak Muyoo fighting the Desert Five Villains.
"Now..."
Ak Muyoo stood, picked up the fallen Fear Demon, and approached Yagulop.
"P-please, spare me."
Yagulop begged.
"Give me the antidote first. Maybe I'll consider it."
"H-here."
Yagulop pulled a pouch from his bosom and held it out.
Ak Muyoo took the pouch, wedged the Fear Demon between his thighs, and dumped the contents into his palm. A dozen thumbnail-sized pills tumbled out.
"These the antidote?"
"Yes."
Yagulop nodded.
"Really?"
"In this situation, why would I lie?"
"Fair point."
Ak Muyoo nodded.
He pocketed all but one pill back into the pouch.
Then he approached Yagulop.
"Ah—try it!"
Yagulop's face twisted.
"If it's antidote, you can take it no problem, right?"
"Th-that's..."
Yagulop backed away hesitantly.
"Maybe this is poison too..."
Whoosh!
Yagulop lunged in a surprise attack, thrusting his right hand. Ankle severed, but internal energy intact—no issue attacking.
Thud!
His palm struck Ak Muyoo's chest.
"...?"
Yagulop stared at Ak Muyoo in bewilderment.
"You fuck! You saw it didn't work on Chak Hong earlier, and you still can't control your shit."
He tossed the pill pouch from his left hand and grabbed Yagulop's wrist. Then he yanked up the wedged Fear Demon and smashed it down mercilessly.
Thud!
"Keurgh!"
Yagulop's forearm severed; he screamed.
"Ah—I told you to try it, asshole."
Ak Muyoo scooped up the discarded pouch, forced Yagulop's mouth open, and shoved all the pills in.
"N-no..."
"Shut up, asshole."
Ak Muyoo rummaged Yagulop's bosom. Two more pouches emerged.
"Aaack! Arrrgh!"
Yagulop writhed, screaming.
"Which one's the antidote!"
He held up a pouch and demanded.
"Th-the middle one. That's it."
"One at a time?"
"Y-yes."
Ak Muyoo took one pill and swallowed it.
"You're dead now, bastard."
Yagulop grinned wickedly. Black blood bubbled from his laughing mouth.