Chapter 333: Chasing the Evil Demon-1
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 333: Chasing the Evil Demon-1
"Aaaaaargh!"
Sun-woo let out a blood-curdling scream.
A sudden, excruciating pain had surged through his entire body, feeling as though he were being hacked to pieces.
What the hell is this?!
Sun-woo was thrown into a panic.
Setting aside the fact that his sword had been stopped, this agony wracking his body was inexplicable. Lee Yeon hadn't laid a single finger on him. Sun-woo was the one who had attacked.
So why was he the one feeling the pain?
It was incomprehensible. In such a situation, it was impossible not to panic.
'Damn it.'
Sun-woo spat out a curse.
Thwack!
"Guh...!"
Suddenly, a heavy impact struck his lower abdomen.
With bloodshot eyes, he looked down to see Lee Yeon’s right foot planted firmly against his stomach.
Sliiiide.
Sun-woo’s body began to be pushed back relentlessly.
Thud! Crash! Bang!
Unable to withstand the force, Sun-woo was knocked off his feet. He tumbled across the ground several times before finally slamming face-first into the dirt.
"............"
Lee Yeon looked down at Sun-woo with indifferent eyes before turning his gaze away, as if the boy wasn't even worth his time.
"Cough!"
Face-down in the dirt, Sun-woo coughed up a mouthful of blood. The metallic tang of iron filled his mouth as blood began to leak from his lips.
'Dammit...'
Sun-woo grimaced fiercely.
Stab.
Using the Dragon Tail Soft Sword as a crutch, he slowly forced himself up. He looked down to inspect his body. Aside from his red, swollen abdomen, there wasn't a single cut to be found.
Sun-woo was bewildered. The sensation of being sliced apart was still vivid, yet there were no wounds on his skin.
Soul Link!
Then, it clicked. He realized he had been struck by the effects of Soul Link.
But how?
He couldn't understand it. The pain of Soul Link was supposed to be felt only when touching the opponent's spear, wasn't it? So why did he feel that agony when he was the one lunging for the man's throat?
It made no sense.
"Sun-woo! Are you alright?!"
The voice of Bukgung Yeon, who was still confronting Lee Yeon, reached his ears.
"Cough... I'm fine."
Sun-woo spat out another glob of blood before answering.
"Your attacks won't work on him."
"What?!"
"He has clad his entire body in Soul! Just touching him will inflict damage upon your own soul!"
"You should have told me that sooner!"
"You didn't ask."
"..............."
"I naturally assumed you knew."
"......I can't see souls."
Sun-woo spoke with an awkward, sheepish expression.
"I was inconsiderate. My apologies," Bukgung Yeon said, offering a brief mea culpa. "Regardless, your attacks are useless against him. It's best if you don't get close."
"........"
Hearing her words, Sun-woo felt a wave of embarrassment. He had stepped forward boldly, intending to be the weight that tipped the scales, but instead of a decisive factor, he had become less significant than a speck of dust.
Shit... I'm supposed to be at the Upper Stage of the Transcendent Realm...
Sun-woo was once again forced to realize his own inadequacy.
It was while Sun-woo was drowning in self-deprecation that it happened.
BOOM!
A massive explosion erupted from behind them. Startled, Sun-woo whipped his head around.
There, he saw it.
Un-jeok-ja was flying through the air, vomiting blood.
What?!
Sun-woo’s face twisted in shock. Who was Un-jeok-ja? He was the man hailed as the First Sword of Qingcheng, a master who had reached the Transcendent Realm—the stage of the Absolute.
How could such a man be swatted away so helplessly?
That wasn't all. He could see several members of the search party strewn about the area.
"Un-jeok-ja!"
Sun-woo shouted, his voice rising in alarm. However, Un-jeok-ja lay motionless on the ground, seemingly unconscious.
'Damn it.'
Sun-woo took a step forward, intending to rush to his side immediately. But he was forced to stop. He was worried about leaving Bukgung Yeon and Neung So-hwa behind.
As he hesitated, a voice reached his ears.
"Go."
It was Bukgung Yeon.
".......Are you sure?"
"It's not like your presence here makes much of a difference anyway."
Bukgung Yeon spoke bluntly.
"............"
Sun-woo shut his mouth tight. Her words were sharp, and though they were true, hearing them directly stung his pride.
"The Ice Palace is currently occupied by the Demon Troops. The villagers are all being held hostage."
Bukgung Yeon’s eyes flickered with a spark of suppressed rage.
"Go save them."
She continued in a calm tone.
"Even if we defeat this man, it will all be for naught if we lose the villagers."
Having finished her piece, Bukgung Yeon glared at Lee Yeon with eyes as cold as the northern frost.
"I will hold him back."
Sun-woo nodded. As she said, staying here was of no help. His attacks couldn't even reach the man. He needed to do what he was actually capable of.
Boom!
Sun-woo kicked off the ground with explosive force. He blurred toward the spot where Un-jeok-ja had fallen, his form streaking across the battlefield like a bolt of light.
'Whew.'
Feeling his presence vanish, Bukgung Yeon let out a small sigh of relief. Knowing he was taking action eased the knot of anxiety in her chest. Even while facing Lee Yeon, she had been worried about the Evil Demon and the Demon Troops.
Knowing Sun-woo was on the move gave her peace of mind. Surely, he would be able to save the villagers.
Bukgung Yeon’s deep blue eyes shimmered. With her distractions cleared, her mind felt lighter. Now, she could focus entirely on the man before her.
Whoooooosh!
Bukgung Yeon’s ice storm began to rage even more violently, exerting immense pressure on Lee Yeon’s Soul Link.
*
Sun-woo reached Un-jeok-ja in an instant.
"Un-jeok-ja!"
Sun-woo called out to the fallen man.
"Cough... cough... Hero Jang..."
Un-jeok-ja replied, spitting out more blood.
"What on earth happened?"
"The... the Evil Demon..."
"The Evil Demon?!"
Sun-woo asked in surprise. Having eavesdropped on Neung So-hwa’s conversation earlier, he had guessed that the man with the spear wasn't the Evil Demon. But he hadn't expected the real Evil Demon to actually show up.
"Cough... the Evil Demon... took Lady Seol."
Un-jeok-ja spoke through painful coughs.
"What did you say?!"
Sun-woo’s eyes widened.
"While you and the Palace Master were confronting Lee Yeon, he slipped down from the walls and snatched Lady Seol. I'm sorry... I tried to stop him, but I was no match for him."
Un-jeok-ja squeezed his eyes shut in frustration as he spoke.
"Which way did he go?" Sun-woo asked, his face turning cold.
"He went straight through the castle gates. I suspect he's heading toward the Ice Palace through the village."
"I understand."
Sun-woo nodded and immediately turned around.
Boom!
He launched himself forward. With Seol-hyang taken hostage, he didn't want to waste a single second. Since the sound of the struggle had only just occurred, the demon couldn't have gone far.
Sun-woo’s body shot forward like a ray of light.
*
Step, step, step, step!
The Evil Demon ran and ran, Seol-hyang slung over his shoulder. His leg muscles were screaming and his internal energy was steadily depleting, but he didn't stop. He knew the situation was dire.
He had realized things were going south the moment the girl on his shoulder was rescued by Bukgung Yeon. He never imagined Bukgung Yeon would exert herself for this girl at the cost of her own safety.
Because of that, her shoulder had been completely pierced, and at that moment, the Evil Demon had rejoiced. He thought Bukgung Yeon would surely be killed by Lee Yeon.
But his expectations were completely overturned when that reckless brat showed up. The boy had lunged in at the exact moment Lee Yeon was about to finish her off, saving her life. Not only that, but he had even managed to land a blow on Lee Yeon by coordinating with Bukgung Yeon.
The Evil Demon had been stunned. Who was Lee Yeon? He was a monster known as the butcher of the northern tribes and the First Sword of the Imperial Palace. How could a mere boy land a hit on such a man?
From that moment, a small seed of doubt began to sprout in the Evil Demon’s heart—the doubt that Lee Yeon might actually lose.
That doubt grew even larger when another woman joined the fray. Just as Lee Yeon was pressing Bukgung Yeon and the brat with thousands of spears, another enemy appeared.
A peerless woman dressed in red.
Normally, he would have been drooling, wondering how to bed such a woman, but he was so overwhelmed by the massive flames she radiated that he didn't dare entertain such thoughts.
Seeing the flames she unleashed, the Evil Demon thought: Lee Yeon might actually lose.
There were now two women who commanded powers akin to natural disasters. How could Lee Yeon, who was merely throwing a few spears, possibly win against them?
Having reached that conclusion, the Evil Demon immediately looked for a way to escape. He had lived his entire life as a coward and a cheat. He had no intention of gambling his life on a losing hand.
He mapped out an escape route in his head and prepared to move. The sooner he left, the better.
But leaving empty-handed felt like a waste. He had taken so many disciples of the Emei Sect hostage, yet he hadn't even gotten a taste of a proper virgin. That lingering regret led him to make a choice he shouldn't have.
He decided to target Seol-hyang, who had been rescued by Bukgung Yeon.
Feeling regretful, the Evil Demon glanced down at Seol-hyang. She was a beauty by any standard, and unlike most Emei disciples, she had hair as fine and black as ebony. Moreover, she still had a hint of baby fat, radiating the aura of a fresh virgin.
He felt that if he didn't have his way with a woman like this, he would regret it for the rest of his life.
The decision was quick: I'm taking her with me.
He rationalized it by telling himself he could use her as a hostage if things got hairy. Once he decided, he acted immediately and succeeded in recapturing her. A certain Taoist had clung to him persistently during the process, but he had simply trampled over the man and made his move.
With dreams of escape in his heart.
Tatap, tatap!
The Evil Demon’s pace quickened. He had made it through the castle gates, but he knew he wasn't safe yet.
After running for a while, he finally reached the entrance to the village.
Tatap, tatap.
Stop.
Only then did the Evil Demon come to a halt. He lowered Seol-hyang from his shoulder and set her on the ground.
"Huff... huff... huff... huff..."
He began to pant heavily. He had pushed his internal energy to its limit and run at full speed without even pausing to breathe, and it was taking its toll.
"Huff... damn it... huff... I guess... I really am... getting old..."
The Evil Demon cursed the passing years as he tried to catch his breath. He thought to himself that in his youth, this would have been nothing.
After a few moments...
"Whew... whew... whew..."
His ragged breathing slowly began to stabilize. He turned his gaze down toward Seol-hyang, who was lying on the ground.
"Hehehehe."
A lecherous grin spread across his face.
"It seems I really do need some rejuvenation."
The look in his eyes as he stared at Seol-hyang became oily and predatory.
Shake, shake.
But he quickly shook his head violently. What was he thinking, considering such things when he needed to escape as fast as possible? If he started the deed here and was interrupted, it would be a disaster. There was nothing worse than being cut off in the middle of the act.
He wanted no part of such a misfortune.
Stroke, stroke.
The Evil Demon slowly reached down and began to caress Seol-hyang’s soft cheek.
"I'm sorry, little girl. This lord is a bit pressed for time right now. I don't think I'll be able to deflower you just yet."
His eyes were filled with genuine regret.
"But don't you worry. Once I've made my escape, I'll plow you fiercely, even if it's on a sheet of ice."
The Evil Demon continued to spew lewd comments as he stared at her with lust-filled eyes.
Grab.
Having finished his monologue, he picked Seol-hyang up again. He had rested enough; it was time to move.
Flash!
Suddenly, a piercing murderous aura stabbed through his torso.
"Urgh!"
Startled, the Evil Demon whipped his head around. He surged his internal energy, coating his body in a defensive layer.
"Where do you think you're going in such a hurry?"
A very familiar voice reached his ears. Hearing it, the Evil Demon began to break out in a cold sweat. He had run into the one person he didn't want to meet.
Slowly, he turned his head toward the source of the voice.
There, he saw him. A man as solid and immovable as a boulder, with an impression as hard as rock.
".........Kang-pae."
The Evil Demon muttered the name under his breath.