Chapter 259: The End of the Bloody Sword Demon.
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 259: The End of the Bloody Sword Demon.
Heavenly Thunder.
In the past, after the Thunderbolt Sect was destroyed, numerous Thunderbolt Bombs began to circulate in the market at exorbitant prices. This was because those who had annihilated the sect put the bombs up for auction all at once.
At the time, countless merchants and Murim clans scrambled to purchase them. A single Thunderbolt Bomb possessed enough power to blow even a first-class martial artist to bits. For merchants who knew no martial arts or clans preparing for war, they were the ultimate weapon.
Thus, the Thunderbolt Bombs passed through the hands of many sects.
Then, one day, a Thunderbolt Bomb fell into the hands of a master craftsman named Cheonlight. Rumors suggested that even the Tang Clan deferred to Cheonlight when it came to weapon-making; he was a man who had reached the realm of genius.
Having acquired a Thunderbolt Bomb by chance, Cheonlight became curious. He wondered if there was a way to compress its immense power to make it easier and faster to detonate. He soon began his research.
That curiosity-driven research began to consume everything he owned.
Once a renowned and promising craftsman, he purchased countless Thunderbolt Bombs in his quest to replicate their power within a hidden weapon, eventually squandering his entire fortune. Yet, even then, he did not stop. He began to incur debt to continue his purchases.
For thirty years, he researched nothing but the method to replicate the Thunderbolt Bomb, and finally, he achieved his goal.
That creation was the Heavenly Thunder.
The name, meaning "lightning from the heavens," was given because it produced a roar like a thunderclap upon detonation. Whether he had exhausted his life force in its creation or not, Cheonlight passed away immediately after completing it, leaving his final masterpiece to his son.
His son, a gambler in need of money, promptly put his father’s final legacy up for auction.
Numerous merchants bid on the legacy of the praised genius Cheonlight. It was obvious that the price would skyrocket just by owning it. Seok-gyu, the Chief Administrator of the Beijing Merchant Guild, was also present at that auction.
Before the bidding began, there was a demonstration of the Heavenly Thunder. The shock of what he saw then was still unforgettable. As soon as it was triggered, a sound like a thunderclap erupted, and a rock the size of a house was instantly reduced to powder.
Having witnessed its power, the Heavenly Thunder was sold that day for the highest price in the auction house's history.
Afterward, it vanished from the world—until now, when that legendary weapon finally revealed itself.
How could he not be shocked?
"L-Lady, are you alright?" Seok-gyu asked her, his voice trembling.
At his question, Neung So-hwa nodded. The palm of her right hand was completely raw and swollen from the recoil of the blast, but fortunately, it wasn't immobilized.
She slowly looked down at the Heavenly Thunder on the ground. She had prepared it just in case, but she never imagined it would be put to such vital use.
The Heavenly Thunder was an item the Emperor had once bestowed upon her father, Prince Yeon. It was a gesture born of the Emperor's worry that the physically frail Prince Yeon might be targeted by assassins.
And Prince Yeon had passed that Heavenly Thunder down to Neung So-hwa. No matter how much she was considered a pillar supporting the Imperial Palace, to her father, she was nothing more than a fragile daughter.
Thank you, Father.
She offered a silent prayer of gratitude to Prince Yeon. If not for his affectionate gift, she would have been in a dire situation. Though she had paid a price for using it, it was better than losing her life.
"My Lady, are you alright?!"
From behind, the voice of Chief Ma reached her. He was clutching his shoulder.
"I am fine. More importantly, kill that man for certain, immediately."
She answered urgently. Although she had aimed the Heavenly Thunder at his Dantian, the sound of the trigger had given him just enough time to raise his Protective Qi. Despite the devastating damage, he might still be alive.
"U-Understood."
Chief Ma quickly grabbed his sword and ran toward the carriage where Pi Sang-deuk had been blasted. He realized there must be a pressing reason for her urgency.
Bang!
Reaching the carriage, he kicked the door open, shattering it, and stepped inside.
Thud!
However, Chief Ma was immediately sent flying back out of the carriage with the sound of a heavy blow.
"Gah!"
Chief Ma groaned, clutching his chest as he tumbled onto the ground.
Crash!
Shortly after, the carriage exploded as a thunderous roar erupted.
"You whore...!"
Emerging from the wreckage of the carriage was Pi Sang-deuk, his mouth filled with blood. He was a mess. His once-neat hair was now a wild mane, and his groomed beard was matted with gore.
He was barely holding himself upright, using his sword planted in the ground as a crutch. His other hand was pressed firmly against his lower abdomen, but blood continued to pour out from beneath his fingers.
"Cough... hack... you... bitch... cough!"
He coughed incessantly, spitting up blood. It was clear to everyone that he was in no condition to fight.
The merchants began to grip their weapons tightly. They thought that in such a mangled state, they might actually have a chance.
"Charge!"
A merchant wielding a dagger shouted loudly and rushed toward Pi Sang-deuk.
"You insignificant gnat!"
Seeing this, Pi Sang-deuk's face contorted as he roared. Even wounded, his pride was stung by such a lowly creature daring to attack him. He swung the hand that had been trying to stem the bleeding and struck the merchant.
Splat!
With a sound like a bursting drum, the merchant's head exploded. Brain fluid scattered in every direction.
"Does anyone else want to die!"
Having killed the merchant in a single blow, Pi Sang-deuk glared forward and screamed. At his shout, the merchants froze in terror, their momentum halted.
"Pant... pant... you bitch. I treated you with favor, and you dare to crawl all over me!"
As the merchants stopped, Pi Sang-deuk vented his rage at Neung So-hwa. He had never imagined that such a lethal venomous fang was hidden behind an appearance as noble as a goddess from myth. If he had heard the trigger even a moment later, his Dantian would have been completely destroyed. The hidden weapon she had fired was far more than a mere threat.
"..."
Hearing his words, Neung So-hwa silently leaned down. She scanned the ground and picked up a stone. Then, she hurled it straight at him.
Whiz!
The stone flew toward Pi Sang-deuk's head.
"You bitch!"
Pi Sang-deuk cursed as he watched her. He felt as though she wouldn't give him a single moment to breathe. He quickly jerked his head to the side to dodge the stone.
Thud!
"Guh!"
But he couldn't help but scream at the sudden pain in his chest.
Clatter.
The object that had struck his chest dead-on fell to the ground. It was another stone.
Furious, Pi Sang-deuk whipped his head around. There stood Seok-gyu, stones held in both hands.
"Everyone, throw stones at him! He can't move properly right now!"
Finishing his shout, Seok-gyu threw another stone, and following his lead, the merchants began to pelt Pi Sang-deuk with stones one after another.
Thud!
Smack!
Crack!
"Aaaargh!"
Countless stones rained down on Pi Sang-deuk, and he let out screams of agony. He wanted to circulate his internal energy right this instant and pop all their heads, but he couldn't.
Having been hit by the Heavenly Thunder, he was currently focusing most of his internal energy on managing his wounds. If he drew even a little more energy now, the wounds he was barely holding closed would burst, and he would bleed to death. He was caught between a rock and a hard place.
Pi Sang-deuk had no choice but to endure the stoning.
Thud!
Smack!
Thump!
After being pelted for some time, the stones around the merchants seemed to have run out, as the barrage finally stopped.
"Aaaaaaaargh!"
Once the stoning ceased, Pi Sang-deuk let out a primal scream.
"I'll kill you... I'll kill you... I'll kill you all!"
His eyes were filled with blood-red killing intent. How could he, a man who had plunged the entire Murim into terror, suffer such humiliation? And at the hands of mere commoners who hadn't even mastered martial arts?
He slowly lifted the hand that was blocking his wound. As his hand moved away, the blood he had been holding back began to flow uncontrollably. He felt his mind grow hazy from the sudden blood loss.
But he didn't care. His desire to kill them was far stronger than his urge to give up.
Whoosh!
He gathered the internal energy he had been using to treat his internal injuries and ignited a flame using Samadhi True Fire. A red flame began to burn in his left hand. Pi Sang-deuk pressed the fire directly against his wound.
"AAAAAAAARGH!"
Sizzle!
The sound of searing flesh erupted, accompanied by a distinctive, acrid smell. Shortly after, the relentless flow of blood stopped. He had forcibly sealed the wound using fire.
Once the wound was somewhat closed, Pi Sang-deuk glared at the merchants.
Flinch.
The merchants who met his gaze trembled violently. They could feel the overwhelming murderous aura radiating from his eyes.
"You... had your fun, didn't you?"
Pi Sang-deuk took a heavy step forward. His gait was precarious and vastly different from before he was injured, but it was enough to reach the merchants.
Swish!
Pi Sang-deuk struck the heart of the nearest merchant.
Thud!
The merchant, his heart pierced, died instantly.
"This is for my chest."
He moved quickly to the next merchant and crushed his skull.
Crunch!
"This is for my torso!"
The headless body slumped to the ground.
Thud!
"This is for my abdomen!"
Having regained his mobility, Pi Sang-deuk began to slaughter the merchants who had stoned him in an instant.
"Kyahahahaha!"
He let out a roar of laughter. He felt the resentment from being stoned finally beginning to dissipate. Soon, he stood before Seok-gyu, the Chief Administrator.
Pi Sang-deuk raised his palm. This was the man who had first slammed a stone into his chest. He intended to cave in the man's chest entirely.
Whiz!
Crunch!
Just as he raised his hand, a stone suddenly flew at him. Pi Sang-deuk easily crushed the stone into powder and looked in the direction it had come from. Not far away, he saw the culprit who had started the stoning standing there defiantly.
"Right... you were first!"
Seeing her, Pi Sang-deuk rushed at her in a frenzy.
Grab!
He snatched her wrist and hoisted her up.
"Surely you don't have another trick up your sleeve?"
Just in case, Pi Sang-deuk grabbed her other wrist as well, pinning both with one hand.
"Unfortunately, I only had one shot."
At his question, she spoke calmly.
"Hehehe... what kind of confidence led you to provoke me? If you had stayed quiet, I would have cherished you."
Hearing her, Pi Sang-deuk spoke with a cruel smile.
"But I had no choice."
Neung So-hwa replied with a grim expression.
"This was the only way to kill you."
As she finished, she swung her leg up, aiming for the wound he had forcibly sealed on his lower abdomen.
Thud!
However, her attack was blocked by Pi Sang-deuk's other hand. He had caught it. Pi Sang-deuk broke into a bright smile, thinking he had completely neutralized her attempt to reopen his wound.
Squelch!
But then, an alien sensation and sound from behind made his eyes snap wide open. He slowly turned his head.
Behind him, the man he had blasted away from the carriage earlier was stabbing him in the back.
Thud!
Simultaneously, he heard the sound of an impact on his wound from the front. He quickly looked forward to see the girl striking him with her other foot.
Gurgle, gurgle.
Blood began to pour incessantly from his back and abdomen. Pi Sang-deuk felt his consciousness fading. He had already lost too much blood. There was no way he could survive such wounds in this state.
His eyes began to close, and he felt his body temperature drop rapidly.
Dammit.
Pi Sang-deuk cursed inwardly. And then, he lost consciousness.
Thump.
The unconscious Pi Sang-deuk collapsed onto the ground. He was dead.
The hypocrite who wore the mask of a hero while plunging the Murim into terror. The public enemy and thrill-killer who had murdered countless people, regardless of age or gender, for over a decade. The serial killer who had formed the Northern Wind Unit in the North Sea to massacre even more.
The Bloody Demon Sword, Pi Sang-deuk, was dead.
*
Collapse.
As soon as he died, Chief Ma, who had barely managed to stand, slumped to the ground.
"Pant... pant... pant..."
He was breathing heavily, showing just how tense he had been.
"You did well."
Neung So-hwa spoke briefly, looking at Chief Ma.
"No, My Lady. You were the one who suffered the most."
Chief Ma shook his head as he replied. He truly believed that. She was the one who had lured Pi Sang-deuk close enough to plant the Heavenly Thunder, and she was the one who had provoked him to create the opening for the backstab. If not for her, he would never have survived.
"Who among us did not suffer? It is only a great sorrow that some have died."
Neung So-hwa spoke with a somber expression. She felt that if only she could have released her seal, there wouldn't have been such needless casualties.
"It couldn't be helped, could it?"
Chief Ma spoke as if to console her. Her seal was a special one, incomparable to ordinary ones. To release that specific seal, one had to continuously circulate a small amount of internal energy for half a Shijin according to a specific formula. It truly was unavoidable. There was no way Pi Sang-deuk would have waited for an hour.
"Sigh."
Yet, her expression did not brighten. Chief Ma looked at her with pity, his worry growing. Just as he was about to offer more words of comfort—
Rumble, rumble, rumble!
Rumble, rumble, rumble!
Rumble, rumble, rumble!
Suddenly, the sound of the earth shaking began to echo from behind. Startled, Chief Ma quickly turned around.
He was struck with horror. There, dozens of Blood-Sweating Horses were galloping toward them in a tight formation.
"M-My Lady..."
"Speak."
"Didn't Pi Sang-deuk say earlier that the ones blocking the front of the merchant group were the vanguard?"
"He did say that."
Neung So-hwa nodded at his question.
"If there's a vanguard, that means there's a main force as well, doesn't it?"
"I believe that is likely the case."
"My Lady... I think we're in big trouble now."
Hearing her answer, Chief Ma spoke with a face turned pale as a ghost. It seemed the crisis was far from over.