Chapter 441: The Only Cure for a Madman is a Beating
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 441: The Only Cure for a Madman is a Beating
Swoosh!
Salhon’s razor-thin sword lunged toward Kang Ha-yoon’s throat.
The movement was incredibly swift and concise.
Kang Ha-yoon simply threw a punch in response.
Boom!
The thin sword and her fist collided, triggering a thunderous explosion.
Slide!
Moments later, Salhon’s figure began to be pushed backward. It seemed he couldn't withstand Kang Ha-yoon’s monstrous strength.
Kang Ha-yoon did not miss the opening.
Whoosh!
Seizing the momentum, she began to pressure Salhon, throwing her other fist forward.
Salhon quickly raised his free hand to block the strike.
Crack!
However, the impact was so great that the bones in Salhon’s left arm were instantly shattered, exposed through the skin. Her punch was far too powerful to be blocked barehanded.
"Aaaaaagh!"
Salhon let out a blood-curdling scream as his arm was completely destroyed. The agony radiating from his left limb was excruciating.
'Now!'
Seeing this, Kang Ha-yoon poured even more power into her right fist.
Creeeak!
The thin sword, which had been locked in a stalemate with her right fist, began to crack. It seemed its durability had weakened as Salhon’s concentration wavered.
Crash!
Before long, the thin sword shattered completely, and the shards flew straight back at Salhon.
"Aaaaargh!"
Salhon screamed again as the fragments of his own blade peppered his body. He was in significant pain.
Watching him, Kang Ha-yoon quickly raised her leg.
Concentrating a massive amount of internal energy into her toes, she stomped down directly toward Salhon’s Dantian.
Crunch!
"Kuaaaaaaaaagh!"
A scream far more harrowing than any before erupted from Salhon’s mouth. As his Dantian was crushed, the cultivation he had spent his entire life accumulating scattered all at once.
"D-Dammit...!"
Salhon wept tears of blood. He wailed and wailed, unable to endure the extreme agony. It was the pain of a lifetime's worth of power dissipating into nothing. How could it not hurt?
After some time had passed...
Thud.
Salhon collapsed to the ground, looking utterly pathetic.
"..."
Kang Ha-yoon watched him in silence.
Crunch!
Then, she raised her foot and crushed his head, as if to make absolutely sure he was dead.
Brain matter and blood splattered in every direction.
Having burst Salhon’s head once more, Kang Ha-yoon stood still without moving. She spread her sensory perception to remain alert, preparing for any further attacks that might come.
After a while, she cautiously took a step forward. She could find no trace of any other living presence.
But after only a few more steps...
Vrooooom.
She felt a surge of murderous aura once again.
'Below!'
This time, it was coming from beneath the ground she stood on.
Thrust!
A long, thin sword shot up from the earth, stabbing toward Kang Ha-yoon. It seemed intended to impale her through the body.
She lifted her foot and stomped down directly onto the rising blade.
Bang!
A loud boom echoed, and the sword that had been emerging was forced back into the ground. It couldn't withstand her raw physical strength.
Boom!
Having driven the sword back down, she raised her other foot and slammed it into the earth.
Rumble!
The ground collapsed, revealing a man who had been hiding beneath.
Kang Ha-yoon raised her foot again, intending to trample him to death.
"Tch."
The man clicked his tongue. He propelled himself out of the hole and widened the distance between them. He had realized that staying in close quarters would not end well for him.
"Good reflexes."
The man, now at a safe distance, spoke with an amused expression.
"Are you a Salhon too?"
"That’s right. I am the fourth Salhon."
"Just how many of you are hiding?"
Kang Ha-yoon spoke with an exasperated look. No matter how many she killed, they kept coming. And every single one was an expert at the Upper Stage of the Transcendent Realm. How could she not be baffled?
In the Murim, the Upper Stage of the Transcendent Realm was a supreme level, often cited when discussing the second-strongest person in the world. How could a mere group of assassins possess so many masters of that caliber?
"More than you can imagine," the man replied with a smile.
"Why don't you all attack at once?" she asked, genuinely confused.
It made no sense. If they had so many Transcendent Realm experts, why didn't they just swarm her?
"Well... I wonder why?"
The new Salhon replied with a cryptic smile.
"Why don't you find out for yourself, Phoenix Hall Master?"
Salhon raised his thin sword.
"You really are a man full of riddles."
Kang Ha-yoon slowly raised her fists.
"Well, it doesn't matter."
She began to circulate her internal energy.
"No matter how many of you show up, I’ll just keep killing you."
She glared at Salhon with eyes full of fighting spirit.
"Until you're all dead for good."
Vrooooooom!
An immense amount of Kang Ha-yoon’s fighting spirit began to explode outward.
"Do try, if you can," Salhon said with a laugh, looking thoroughly intrigued.
Soon, Kang Ha-yoon and Salhon clashed once again.
*
Crunch!
"Haah... haah... haah..."
Kang Ha-yoon panted heavily as she stepped over Salhon’s crushed head. Her stamina was flagging after such intense movement in a short period.
"Haah... haah... whew... whew..."
After steadying her breath, she slowly turned her gaze to survey her surroundings.
The area was littered with corpses. There were bodies with burst heads, bodies with pierced hearts, bodies with punctured abdomens, and bodies with limbs completely mangled. A variety of causes of death were on display.
She thought to herself that surely, this had to be enough.
Clap, clap, clap.
Suddenly, the sound of light clapping drifted from somewhere.
"Impressive."
It was a man’s voice, laced with a playful tone.
Kang Ha-yoon turned toward the sound. There stood a fairly handsome young man, lightly clapping his hands.
"Are you... a Salhon too?"
"I am."
The new Salhon replied with a smile.
"..."
"By the way, you must have a hobby of crushing heads. My head has been burst over twenty times now; it still feels a bit tingly."
Salhon spoke with a mischievous expression, rubbing his head.
"Do you share the pain?"
"Heh, you could say that."
Salhon let out a soft chuckle at her question.
"...It’s amazing that your mind is still intact after having your head burst like that."
"Getting used to pain is a basic requirement for an assassin," Salhon replied proudly.
"Then I’ll have to give you a pain you aren't used to."
Kang Ha-yoon raised her fists once more.
"Go ahead and try, if you're up to it."
Salhon beckoned her with a finger.
Kang Ha-yoon lunged forward and threw a punch, aiming to shatter his skull.
Boom!
Swoosh!
However, her fist only struck the air. Salhon’s sword had parried her punch, altering its trajectory.
With her punch diverted, an opening appeared in her guard. Salhon did not miss the chance. He thrust his palm forward, striking her.
Thwack!
"Urgh!"
Kang Ha-yoon let out a groan as she was hit in the chest. It was the first effective blow she had conceded to a Salhon.
She immediately threw her other fist to keep him at bay. Salhon quickly kicked upward to intercept the punch, then extended his foot to strike her again.
Kang Ha-yoon’s body was sent flying backward, unable to withstand the shockwave.
Whoosh!
Thud!
Moments later, she slammed into a tree behind her.
"Cough!"
She spat out blood. The palm strike to her chest had caused significant internal injury.
"Hehe... what now? You’ve finally let a hit through."
Salhon spoke mockingly as he looked at the fallen Kang Ha-yoon. He seemed delighted to have landed a clean blow.
"Ugh... dammit..."
Kang Ha-yoon grimaced. Seeing his smug face made her blood boil with irritation.
Stagger.
She wobbled but managed to force herself back onto her feet.
"Why don't you rest a bit longer?"
"No need!"
Kang Ha-yoon glared at him and shouted.
"You should rest. You took a direct hit from my Black Evil Palm. If you don't meditate and stabilize your energy right now, your internal organs will begin to rot."
Salhon smirked.
"I’m not so fragile that I’d fall to such a petty technique!"
Kang Ha-yoon glared at him with burning eyes.
"Hehehe... how amusing."
Salhon chuckled.
"What’s so funny?"
"How can I not laugh when you're acting so tough with a body that’s completely spent?"
"What!?"
"You know it yourself, don't you? How exhausted you are. The sharpness has left your fists, your reaction time has slowed, and even that powerful energy of yours has been cut by more than half. So how can I not find this funny? How can I not find you pathetic?"
"..."
Kang Ha-yoon bit her lip in frustration. His words were true.
She had consumed a vast amount of stamina fighting over twenty Salhons. Even if there was a gap in their skill, having Transcendent Realm experts rush her one after another without pause was bound to be draining.
Furthermore, she had been keeping her sensory perception spread wide to guard against any sudden ambushes. As a result, her internal energy depletion had accelerated, and her physical strength was hitting its limit.
With her energy and stamina failing, her reaction speed and the power of her attacks were naturally diminishing—enough for the Salhon before her to mock her.
It was no exaggeration to say she was in the worst possible condition. She bit her lip because she felt that no matter how many times she killed him, she couldn't overcome this situation.
"Hehehe... Hahahaha!"
As if sensing her despair, Salhon suddenly burst into loud laughter.
"Why is the great Phoenix Unit Leader making such a long face?"
"...I’m not."
"Liar. Your eyes are full of despair."
Salhon spoke with a look of pure delight. He was enjoying this immensely. The woman who, just moments ago, had boldly declared she would kill him until he stayed dead was now showing signs of hopelessness. How could he not be thrilled?
"Hehehe... but I understand. Humans feel extreme terror when faced with the incomprehensible unknown."
Salhon nodded as if in sympathy.
"To you, I am the unknown, and soon, I will be your terror."
His eyes sparkled with a mischievous glint.
"So, feel free to be afraid. Be as terrified as you like! And then, beg pathetically! For your life!"
"...You madman."
Kang Ha-yoon spoke in a calm tone. She clenched her fists.
"The only cure for a madman is a beating."
She began to gather every last drop of her remaining internal energy.
Vrooooom.
Compared to the beginning, the amount was pitifully small. But she didn't care.
"You won't beg?"
"I don't have a hobby of begging. I’ll simply die like a martial artist."
She continued in a steady voice. She was well aware of how disadvantageous her situation was.
She had been lured deep into the forest, making it difficult for Jang Sun-woo to help her. Her stamina was gone, and her internal energy was nearly depleted. On top of that, she had internal injuries that made her feel as if her intestines were twisting.
In this state, facing an endless stream of Transcendent Realm assassins was practically impossible. To survive, her best bet might indeed be to beg for her life as he suggested. That would likely offer the highest chance of survival.
But she didn't want to. How could someone who lived by the Chivalric Code beg a mere assassin for their life? She would rather die.
It was unthinkable—at least, according to her convictions.
"Hehehe... well, a fine choice. I had no intention of letting you live even if you did beg."
Salhon smiled playfully. He slowly raised his thin sword and leveled it at Kang Ha-yoon.
Boom!
He then detonated his internal energy at his Yongcheon points, kicking off the ground with explosive force.
Swoosh!
His figure blurred as he lunged toward her. Seeing this, Kang Ha-yoon threw her punch, aiming to burst his head.
The thin sword reached her in an instant.
'Dangerous.'
Kang Ha-yoon sensed the peril. She hadn't been able to react in time to the sword, which was moving faster than she had anticipated.
'It’s over!'
The smile on Salhon’s face widened.
Crr-crack!
Fwoosh...
Then, something strange happened.
Cracks suddenly appeared on the thin sword, and it began to disintegrate into dust.
'What!?'
Salhon was stunned. How could a perfectly fine sword turn to dust?
Crunch!
But his confusion didn't last long. Kang Ha-yoon’s outstretched fist connected, and his head exploded.
Splatter!
Salhon’s brain matter and blood sprayed everywhere.
Thud.
The headless corpse of Salhon tumbled onto the forest floor.