Chapter 440: Kang Ha-yoon, Engaged in a Bloody Battle
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 440: Kang Ha-yoon, Engaged in a Bloody Battle
Crackle, crackle.
Kang Ha-yoon and Salhon stood in a long, tense confrontation, their eyes burning with murderous intent.
As masters who had reached high realms of martial arts, they were both searching for the slightest opening in the other’s defense.
After an indeterminate amount of time spent in that deadlock, one of them finally moved.
It was Kang Ha-yoon who struck first.
She threw a punch infused with her Fighting Spirit directly at Salhon.
Whoosh!
However, as if he had read the flow of her Fighting Spirit, Salhon lightly evaded the attack. Her fist merely cut through the empty air.
Salhon counterattacked instantly. He thrust his razor-thin sword toward her heart.
Swaaaaak!
Boom!
But this attack was also neutralized. Kang Ha-yoon kicked upward, forcing the thin sword off its trajectory. His blade sliced through nothingness, leaving only the whistling sound of cloven wind behind.
Thwack!
Without retracting her leg, Kang Ha-yoon extended her foot and kicked Salhon squarely in the chest.
Skid.
Taking the hit, Salhon was pushed back, his feet dragging across the ground. After that brief exchange of offense and defense, the two instantly widened the distance between them.
Tap, tap, tap.
"Heh heh heh. You’re quite something, girl."
Salhon, having been kicked in the chest, spoke as he brushed the dirt off his clothes.
"And you are a disappointment," Kang Ha-yoon replied, shaking her head. "To think the man once called the 'Terror of the Murim' amounts to only this."
She looked at Salhon with a face full of genuine letdown.
It was truly disappointing. Salhon was a legend said to have assassinated the leaders of numerous prestigious sects without leaving a single trace. Yet, meeting him in person, his skills didn't live up to the reputation. He had allowed her to land a clean hit far too easily.
"Heh heh heh... Don't you worry. That disappointment will soon turn into terror."
Salhon looked at Kang Ha-yoon and let out a smile thick with murderous aura.
Swaaaaak!
He then lunged toward her, his body blurring as he moved. It seemed he intended to bowl her over.
"Slow."
Thwack!
But once again, Kang Ha-yoon’s foot connected with his chest.
Whoosh!
"Aaaargh!"
Sent flying by the kick, Salhon crashed into the forest behind them. Kang Ha-yoon immediately gave chase, her figure blurring as she dashed toward the woods.
"I’ll take care of Salhon! Young Master Jang, please handle the remaining assassins!"
She didn't forget to shout a quick word to Sun-woo before her figure vanished completely into the trees. It seemed Salhon had been blown back quite a distance.
Scratch, scratch.
Watching this, Sun-woo scratched his head. The exchange had happened so fast he hadn't even had time to stop her.
I was going to handle Salhon myself.
Sun-woo felt a pang of regret. He had been curious about the man known as the Terror of the Murim. But in the blink of an eye, Kang Ha-yoon had snatched the prey away.
Well, nothing I can do about it.
Sun-woo shook his head. That ship had sailed. There was no point in regretting it now. Besides, it wasn't all disappointment; he had gotten to see Kang Ha-yoon’s exhilarating combat style with his own eyes. As a fan, it was a fine sight to behold.
"She really is cool," Sun-woo admired.
Swaaaaak!
Just then, the sound of tearing air reached Sun-woo’s ears. Glancing down slightly, he saw an assassin’s sword flying toward his heart.
Look at this guy.
A faint smile played on Sun-woo’s lips. It was just too pathetic.
Twist.
Sun-woo willed the trajectory of the sword to warp—in a truly bizarre direction.
Creeeeeak!
"Aaaaaaaagh!"
The arm of the assassin holding the sword snapped in a grotesque direction, and a scream began to echo through the air. Sun-woo frowned at the noise.
"Shut up."
He threw a punch toward the assassin’s head.
Bang!
An explosive sound erupted, and the assassin’s head burst apart instantly.
Splatter!
Splatter!
A massive amount of blood sprayed in every direction.
The other assassins stared blankly, stunned. They had lost their wits at the sudden, surreal sight. A man’s head had just popped like a balloon—and from a punch that looked incredibly effortless.
It was a display of martial prowess so overwhelming that the word 'domination' came naturally to mind. It was enough to make even the hardened hearts of trained assassins tremble.
But the most terrifying part was that they hadn't felt a single shred of energy from his punch. They felt nothing from him at all, as if he were a mere pale-faced scholar who had never touched martial arts. Yet, he was exerting such overwhelming divine might.
How could their hearts not tremble? He was a monster. They could think of no other word.
Tap, tap, tap.
"Damn it, blood got on me."
Sun-woo scowled as he brushed the blood off his clothes. He had worn quite expensive attire today, thinking he might have a secret rendezvous with Kang Ha-yoon. The fact that blood had splattered on such clothes made his irritation flare.
I should have used the Great Shift of Heaven and Earth to deflect the blood...
Sun-woo felt a belated regret. What was the point of learning the Great Shift of Heaven and Earth if his application of it was this poor?
"Sigh... I’ll have to get this dry-cleaned later."
Sun-woo shook his head and began to walk forward slowly.
Flinch.
The assassins surrounding him flinched in unison. They were paralyzed by his overwhelming power.
Step.
Sun-woo took another step. The assassins began to back away slowly. Their bodies were moving on their own, driven by pure, unadulterated terror.
"What are you doing?" Sun-woo asked, sounding genuinely puzzled.
Weren't they assassins who had come for his life? Why were they backing away from him?
"Why are you retreating?"
"..."
No one answered his question.
"If you're assassins, shouldn't you be lunging in to stab me?" Sun-woo continued, a sinister smile spreading across his face.
"..."
Despite his words, not a single person moved forward. They only stared at him with eyes full of fear.
"I guess I have no choice," Sun-woo said, shaking his head. "I'll have to come to you."
Sun-woo’s eyes gleamed. He lunged forward—straight toward the lambs paralyzed by terror. The fear in the assassins' eyes began to intensify.
*
Boom!
Kang Ha-yoon’s fist slammed into Salhon once again.
"Aaaargh!"
Salhon screamed as he was sent flying backward once more.
Boom!
Kang Ha-yoon concentrated her internal energy into her Yongcheon Point and let it explode, using the momentum to catch up to the flying Salhon.
Thwack!
She threw another punch.
"Gah!"
She struck him relentlessly, over and over. She crushed his chest, shattered his jaw, and pulverized his thigh muscles. That wasn't all. She broke his nose, smashed his right shoulder, and struck his abdomen with enough force to damage his internal organs.
She fought with the intent to break every bone and rupture every muscle in his body. She crushed and crushed and crushed him.
After some time...
Thud.
Salhon collapsed before her, reduced to a bloody pulp. It was a pathetic sight.
"Disappointing," Kang Ha-yoon said, looking down at him.
She was truly let down. She had held high expectations for this fight. Since he was a man who had once reigned as the Terror of the Murim, she couldn't help but be excited. But as they say, the greater the expectation, the greater the disappointment.
She was disappointed as much as, if not more than, she had been excited. Now that she had actually fought him, his skills were so subpar they didn't even come close to her expectations.
This is the 'Soul Killer' who was said to kill even souls?
She scoffed. Rumors in the Murim were always exaggerated, but this was extreme. With this level of power, even the White Tiger Hall Master could have suppressed him without much trouble.
I really can't trust Murim rumors.
She shook her head.
Crunch!
She raised her foot and crushed Salhon’s head. Brain fluid and blood splattered everywhere.
Tap, tap, tap.
Kang Ha-yoon shook the gore off her boots. she didn't want such filth lingering on her. Then, she turned around as if she had no further business there.
Vrooooom!
Murderous intent!
Suddenly, a massive surge of murderous aura erupted from behind her.
Swish!
She spun around instantly. And there, she saw it—a thin sword flying straight for her head.
Too late to dodge! she realized.
It was already too late to move out of the way. Lifting her hand to parry was also out of the question; the blade was already too close.
In that case—
"Ah!"
She quickly opened her mouth.
Crunch!
She bit down on the thin sword as it flew toward her head.
Grit.
Clamping her teeth onto the blade, she exerted every ounce of strength in her jaw. She knew all too well that if she let go now, her head would be pierced through.
Creeeeeak!
Kang Ha-yoon’s internal energy began to surge explosively.
Snap!
Finally, the thin sword she was biting snapped in two. It couldn't withstand her sheer bite force and shattered.
"Pah!"
She spat out the fragment of the blade remaining in her mouth.
Zip!
The shard of the sword flew forward and pierced straight through the face of the assassin who had approached her.
Thud.
The assassin, his head pierced through, collapsed instantly.
"...Haa... haa..."
Kang Ha-yoon panted as she watched him fall. She had been so tense she had forgotten to breathe.
What... what was that?
As she steadied her breathing, doubt began to cloud her mind. She hadn't noticed him at all until the sword was right in front of her face. She, who had reached the Upper Stage of the Transcendent Realm, found it impossible to understand. How could anyone bypass her senses like that?
Vroooom!
The murderous aura flared again. This time, it was from above. Kang Ha-yoon sent energy to her Yongcheon Point and triggered an explosion.
Boom!
Using the explosive force, she threw herself backward.
Thud!
An assassin landed exactly where she had been standing, his sharp sword gleaming.
"A shame."
The assassin who had struck the ground spoke in a voice tinged with regret.
"...Who are you?" Kang Ha-yoon asked calmly.
"I am Salhon," the man replied with a smile.
"What!?"
Kang Ha-yoon’s eyes widened in shock. It was unbelievable. Hadn't she just crushed Salhon’s head and killed him? How could the man before her claim to be Salhon?
"That... that’s impossible! Salhon is... I clearly..."
"Killed him... right?"
The man cut her off, a playful smile on his lips.
"And you did it by smashing him all over before popping his head."
The assassin continued in a casual tone. "It hurt quite a bit, you know?"
"It hurt?"
"Yeah. I didn't expect you to push me that hard." The man spoke as if impressed.
"What on earth is going on?" Kang Ha-yoon asked, staring at the man claiming to be Salhon with questioning eyes. She couldn't understand a word he was saying.
"Well? I wonder what it could be?" The man smiled. "Why don't you find out for yourself?"
Dash!
With those words, the man lunged at Kang Ha-yoon, thrusting his gleaming thin sword. His speed was incomparable to the Salhon whose head she had just crushed.
Boom!
Crackle!
Seeing this, Kang Ha-yoon threw a violent punch. A massive Dragon Tornado erupted, and the trees in its path were instantly uprooted and leveled. Even at a glance, the power was staggering.
"Tch."
But Kang Ha-yoon clicked her tongue in dissatisfaction. She had failed to hit the man’s head as intended.
A moment later, the man claiming to be Salhon reappeared a short distance away, looking completely unscathed.
"Impressive. To think a punch could conjure a Dragon Tornado."
The man spoke with an admiring expression as he looked at the fallen trees. He hadn't imagined a simple punch could carry such weight.
"This is getting interesting."
The smile on the man’s face deepened. Kang Ha-yoon watched him with a grim expression, her mind racing with questions about the man standing before her.