Chapter 648: Utilizing the Killing Method
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 648: Utilizing the Killing Method
"I'm sorry."
Sun-woo spoke up, looking awkward. He had realized he’d just tormented an innocent man.
"I told you! I told you so!" Salhon screamed, his face contorted with rage.
Salhon was beyond furious. How many times had he said he wasn't lying? Yet this man had completely ignored his words and tortured him by injecting that godforsaken Scorching Poison. How could he not be livid?
"I said I’m sorry. I thought you were trying to pull something on me," Sun-woo said, scratching the back of his head. "I panicked because the killing intent wasn't moving according to the Killing Method."
"Then you should have looked for a reason why, you son of a bitch! How could you just inject poison without even checking?!"
"Hey, I said I’m sorry."
"Do you have any idea how I felt when I handed that Killing Method over to you? Do you know what it felt like to give the fruit of centuries of effort to a bastard like you?!" Salhon raised his voice, his heart practically bleeding.
The more he spoke, the more the sense of injustice piled up. When he had handed over the Killing Method to this piece of work, Salhon had felt unbearable shame and humiliation. He had surrendered his life's work out of fear of the Scorching Poison. He, who was once known as the God of Death and the terror of the Murim, had succumbed to a mere poison rather than death itself.
And yet, without even verifying the facts, this man had reinjected him with that poison—a pain worse than death. It was preposterous. It was utterly nonsensical.
"You are a demon! A fresh demon who just crawled out of the pits of hell!" Salhon glared at Sun-woo with eyes full of stinging resentment.
"Alright, alright. I said I’m sorry."
"If an apology solved everything, why would we need guards or judges?!" Salhon continued to vent his grievances.
This is getting annoying.
Sun-woo, who had been putting up with Salhon’s indignant protests, felt his patience wearing thin.
"So what do you want me to do? Should I call a guard or a judge?"
"At the very least, offer a sincere apology that satisfies me!"
"And what kind of apology would satisfy you?"
"Kneel and put your head to the floor! Also, you must release all my restraints!" Salhon shouted confidently. He felt this was only natural given the agony he had endured.
"Kneel and apologize with my head on the floor?"
"That’s right!"
"And release all your restraints?"
"Indeed."
"You’re crossing the line."
Sun-woo’s face crumpled into a scowl. He had been humoring the man out of guilt, but Salhon was starting to forget his place.
Vroooooom.
Sun-woo activated the Yin-Yang Harmony Divine Art. Then, using the poisonous qi within his body, he synthesized the Scorching Poison once again. He began to channel the poison into his palm. Soon, his hand turned a deep, angry red.
"W-What are you doing?!"
Salhon’s expression turned to one of pure bewilderment. He was stunned by Sun-woo’s sudden shift in behavior.
"I think you’ve forgotten your situation," Sun-woo said, flashing a smirk at Salhon. "I’m going to help you remember."
Sun-woo slowly reached out his hand toward the bound Salhon’s heart.
"W-Wait! I was arrogant! Forgive me! I only said that because I felt so wronged!" Salhon began to plead desperately, his voice rising in panic. The mere thought of being subjected to the Scorching Poison again filled him with overwhelming terror.
"Too late, pal. A murderer like you should be grateful just to be kept alive."
Thud.
Sun-woo struck Salhon directly over his heart.
"I was wrong! No, I mean, I am sorry! I won't overstep again! Please, please, take the poison out! Lord Sun-woo!" Salhon begged and pleaded. He implored Sun-woo to remove the poison before it could spread.
"Fuck off."
Sun-woo coldly rejected his pleas.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!!!!!"
Before long, Salhon’s screams began to echo through the torture chamber once more.
*
"To use the Killing Method, you must be in a state where you are emitting killing intent. It seems that for you, Lord Sun-woo, the killing intent only emerges when you draw your sword and circulate your internal energy."
Salhon spoke to Sun-woo with an attitude that was now exceptionally polite.
"I see. So that’s why it didn't move according to the technique."
"I believe that is the case."
"Well, I’m sorry about that. I misunderstood."
"Not at all. How can a human be perfect? Everyone makes mistakes and errors. Hahahaha!" Salhon let out a jovial laugh. "My, Salhon, you have quite a broad mind for an assassin known as the terror of the Murim."
"I hear that often." Salhon maintained a friendly expression.
You absolute bastard.
Of course, internally, he was cursing Sun-woo to high heaven.
"Salhon."
While Salhon was busy insulting him in his head, Sun-woo suddenly called his name.
"Yes, please speak." Salhon replied politely, a smile even plastered on his face.
"With your Killing Method, do you think I can control all of my killing intent?"
"My Killing Method is the best in the Central Plains—no, the best under heaven. There is no killing intent that cannot be controlled by my technique."
"Is that so?"
"It is. So you can rest easy and release as much killing intent as you wish." Salhon boasted confidently. He was overflowing with pride in the martial arts he had honed for centuries.
Whish!
Hearing Salhon’s words, Sun-woo drew the Dragon Tail Soft Sword from around his waist.
Vroooooom.
He then activated the Yin-Yang Harmony Divine Art. Nature qi from the surroundings began to seep into his body, quickly filling his dantian. From that state, Sun-woo began a Full Circulation of the nature qi according to the mnemonics of the Yin-Yang Harmony Divine Art.
One rotation... two rotations... three rotations...
With each rotation, the nature qi was converted into Yin-Yang Harmony Qi and began to accumulate in his dantian. After some time, Sun-woo’s dantian was completely filled with the converted energy.
Alright.
Swoooooosh!
An immense amount of killing intent began to erupt from him. Sun-woo immediately began to recite the mnemonics of the Killing Method. The killing intent, which had been erupting chaotically, began to swirl around Sun-woo’s body as if to protect him.
"This is interesting."
Sun-woo felt a sense of wonder as he watched the murderous aura envelop him. The killing intent he had previously used only to pressure his opponents was now surrounding him like a shield. How could he not be amazed?
At this rate... I can... release a bit more...
Sun-woo closed his eyes. He began to recall the memory of when he first established his Killing Sword.
He had wanted to kill. He simply wanted to kill.
Lee Jae-won, who had tried to kill him.
Lee Jae-won, who had framed him.
Lee Jae-won, who had tried to take away everything precious to him.
But he had lacked the strength to kill him then. That was why he needed it—the power to kill him. He imagined that power. A sword that could kill anything that stood in his way, anything that tried to take away those he held dear.
Swoooooosh!
A chilling sound echoed, and an incredibly dense killing intent, far beyond anything approachable, began to explode from Sun-woo’s body.
"Ugh!"
Sun-woo let out a groan. The thick killing intent wrapped around his entire body, and his mind began to be consumed by bloodlust.
I want to kill... I want to kill... I WANT TO KILL!!
Swoooooosh!
The concentration of killing intent radiating from Sun-woo’s body grew even darker.
Shit, this is dangerous, Salhon thought. He realized the situation was far more perilous than he had anticipated.
Even though Sun-woo was overflowing with killing intent, he wasn't even thinking about utilizing the mnemonics of the Killing Method. He was simply emitting a murderous aura of terrifying density. It was dangerous. At this rate, his mind would be corrupted by the bloodlust. If that happened, a Great Killing Star, the likes of which the Murim had never seen, would be born.
He had to stop it.
"Recite the mnemonics of the Killing Method!!" Salhon screamed urgently.
From Salhon’s perspective, this had to be stopped at all costs. If Sun-woo became a Great Killing Star, he would be driven by an impulse to murder and would start looking for victims. And there was a high probability that he, Salhon, would be the first victim. He was tied up and completely defenseless. Who would be an easier target? He had to stop this to save his own skin.
"Haa... haa... haa..."
Despite Salhon’s desperate shouting, Sun-woo showed no signs of calming down. It seemed he was unable to control the killing intent he had released at full power.
Damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it!
Salhon cursed incessantly as he watched. He felt as though his death was inevitable.
To hell with that! You think I’m just going to die?!
But then, Salhon snapped to his senses. His survival instinct, the refusal to die like this, surged within him. He couldn't die. He didn't want to die. Hadn't he barely clung to life through all sorts of humiliation? Even if his life was a tattered rag held together by scraps, he didn't want to die.
"Get a grip, Jang Sun-woo! Didn't you tell me yourself? That you wanted to control your killing intent! If you get consumed here, you’ll never be able to control it!" Salhon screamed with all his heart. "So wake up! Wake up! You’re supposed to be the World's Greatest Martial Artist—don't let yourself be defeated by a little bloodlust!"
Swooooosh!
Grip!
Sun-woo gripped the Dragon Tail Soft Sword with all his might.
Drip.
Blood began to flow from his palm. He was gripping the sword so hard that the skin of his palm had split.
"AAAAAAAAGH!"
Sun-woo let out a roar. An unbearable urge, driven by the bloodlust corrupting his mind, surged within him.
Swooooosh!
The incredibly dense killing intent began to concentrate into the sword. The white blade of the Dragon Tail Soft Sword slowly began to change color, turning into an ink-black darker than the abyss.
The Killing Sword had revealed itself.
I’m screwed.
Cold sweat began to pour down Salhon’s face. He was completely overwhelmed by the mass of killing intent that was clearly extraordinary.
I’m going to die...
He was certain his death was sealed. The ink-colored sword emitted a terrifying aura that felt like the concentrated malice of hundreds, thousands of souls. Sun-woo’s desire to kill must have skyrocketed in proportion to that intent. And it was obvious that he, the easiest prey, would be the sacrifice.
"Hey, you crazy bastard! Recite the Killing Method, you piece of shit! Do you really want to die? If you get consumed by that, you’ll never be able to return to your original self!" Salhon screamed at the top of his lungs, desperate to live. "You’ll never recognize the people you hold dear again! You’ll become a monster obsessed with murder! Is that what you want? Can you really live like that?!"
Salhon babbled whatever came to mind.
Twitch.
And those desperate words made Sun-woo’s body flinch.
It’s working!
Salhon didn't miss it. He caught which words had moved Sun-woo’s heart.
This guy is weak to the emotional stuff!
Hope began to sparkle in Salhon’s eyes.
"If you are consumed by bloodlust, you will kill everyone you cherish! Just to satisfy your urge to murder! You will destroy everyone you love and care for with your own hands! Is that really what you want?!"
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!!!!!"
As soon as Salhon finished speaking, Sun-woo let out another roar. Salhon could tell—Jang Sun-woo was resisting the bloodlust.
"Jang Sun-woo! Recite the Killing Method! Recite it and make that killing intent yours! If you do, you will gain a massive power incomparable to anything you had before!" Salhon screamed until his throat felt like it would burst. "Hurry! Recite the Killing Method, you bastard!! If you get consumed now, you’re a loser! Do you want to be a loser?!"
"AAAAAAAAAGH!!!!!"
Sun-woo screamed.
Slap!
He raised his left hand and struck his own left cheek.
Slap! Slap!
As if once wasn't enough, Sun-woo began to strike his left cheek repeatedly.
"Fuck that! I won't lose!!!!!"
He roared once more and then began to desperately recite the mnemonics of the Killing Method.
Swooooooooosh!
The killing intent that had been swirling madly began to falter. Sun-woo didn't miss the chance. He began to recite the Killing Method even more desperately.
He continued to control the killing intent according to the mnemonics for what felt like an eternity. Then, a change began to occur.
The sword, which had been stained ink-black by the killing intent, began to fade. The pitch-black sword began to glow with a gray light, and the gray sword gradually began to turn pure white.
And then, the white sword began to shine with a brilliance that was blindingly radiant.