Flight Prohibition
A collision, or perhaps an explosion, had occurred right before our eyes.
Our vision was still obscured by a grey haze of dust.
It was one of two things: either something had blown up around us, or something had come hurtling towards us at high speed.
One thing was certain: we were under attack.
“Fuck, fuck! What the hell is this?”
-Whoosh!
Yuryeon, who had been stroking my cock, scanned the surroundings with a fierce glare.
The cloud of dust slowly began to clear.
Debris rolled across the floor, and from the gaps between it, something was emerging.
“How nice. To keep your distance from an old fox like me.”
The shadow slowly raised its head.
It was a masked man, his entire body drenched in pitch black.
‘...You, who are you!’
‘Hmm? So there was a fire-chicken brat here too. If the first step of the grand plan had succeeded, you’d already be dead.’
...Surely not.
“Are you... part of the same lot as those blokes who tried to kidnap Yuryeon?”
“Let’s see... a fourth-rate opponent like you’s no bother... I’d best just get this over with quickly and be on my way.”
“You bastard, aren’t you going to answer?!!”
He didn’t seem to have the slightest intention of listening to us.
In that case, I’d simply have to make him listen.
From the moment I sensed the anomaly, I’d begun to gather energy within my body.
It was a shame I didn’t have a sword, but it was fortunate that I could still utilise the subtleties of the Hwangguk Sword Technique through my fist techniques.
“Ooh, so you really are a descendant of that one. You’ve got quite a presence about you.”
‘Bullshit. Just come at me.’
‘...’
The bastard fell silent.
Then,
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-Squeak-squeak-squeak!!!
A sinister, black aura seeped from his body.
It was something vastly different from Jin-yul’s black mist—something incredibly viscous and impure.
| Haha, what do you think? The power of the one destined to become the master of the new world. |
‘...Bloody hell. What the hell is this...’
It was a sensation similar to what he had felt inside the gate.
The feeling he had received from the Morgrian he had encountered at Hyunmu Hall was returning to him now.
[Hwangguk Sword Technique, Second Form: Pilleung (Splitting Thunder).]
He violently condensed his energy into his fist. Though the energies of the Five Elements were tangled chaotically, they nevertheless moved in a regular pattern, following a single overarching framework.
He also wrapped energy around his body. Recalling what Seo-yeon had taught him last time, he simultaneously activated physical enhancement and a barrier against great magic.
| Hmm... Is that all? Come to think of it, I heard you shattered a sword this time. |
“How on earth did you find that out?”
The more I dealt with him, the more curious I became about his true identity. Calling her ‘Yeoryeong’ suggested he was an old fox, and he seemed to have a rough idea of what had happened to Yuryeon last time.
Above all, the power he wielded bore a striking resemblance to the Three Elements and Twenty-Eight Stars of the Four Gods Sect.
| One arm, to start with. |
-Kkkkkiik!!!
Suddenly, his energy surged towards us.
It attacked us as if black tentacles were lashing through space.
‘Yaaah!!’
I thrust out my fist. The energy I’d packed into it spun ferociously, bursting forth with the force to devour the creature’s energy.
-Boom!!!
“Guh...!”
In the past, I might not have been able to withstand it. But perhaps thanks to the growth I’d achieved through training over the past few months, my arm wasn’t seriously injured.
| So the third-level attack has been blocked, has it? In that case, this time... |
-Gg-gg-ggkkkk!!
‘...What on earth is that?’
An energy of a completely different calibre to the previous one could be felt. Dozens of thin, tentacle-like strands shot out from the creature’s body.
| Do your best to block it. I have no intention of killing you. |
‘...Run, Lee Hyun-ah.’
‘What?’
‘We’re going back the way we came. Got it?’
‘What are you on about? Are you telling me to run away?’
That was out of the question.
‘I’ll hold that thing off. You find the Fox Lady, no matter what.’
“What about you?”
“Don’t you know? It’s Jujak. The woman who’s even taken the position of heir.”
“So you’re telling me to just leave you there as a shield and run away?”
“Don’t worry, I won’t die. Even if my arm gets cut off, it’ll grow back just fine.”
“...”
“If you’re that worried, go and fetch her quickly.”
It seemed Yuryeon was determined to save me.
| Hahahaha!! The Grand Marshal using his retainers as a shield to flee? Have you no sense of shame? |
-Whoosh!!
‘Bloody hell, he’s here this fast?’
Even though he didn’t reply directly, it seemed he’d heard every word of our conversation.
He attacked us without giving us a moment to escape.
[Hwangguk Sword Technique, Form 2: Pilleung (Splitting Thunder).]
I channelled my spiritual energy again, just as I had moments before. With dozens of clusters of tentacles flying towards my limbs, it seemed best to simply strike out into the air and cut them down.
And so, aiming at the creature’s attack, I thrust my fist forward once more.
Or rather, that was my intention.
[Western Style, 7th Form: Opening of the Three Stars (Samsu).]
-Squeak!
Strange.
The tentacles were clearly flying towards me and Yuryeon.
We were just about to respond accordingly,
which is why the anomaly before our eyes was so hard to comprehend.
Our bodies suddenly stiffened, and the creature attacking us suddenly split in two.
-Crack!
A solid line runs from the crown of its head to its groin.
Just as its body was about to collapse, other lines also appeared.
-Crackle!!
One line, two lines. Four lines. Eight lines.
The results of countless slashes were etched into the body of the creature that had been overwhelming us just moments before. Their number kept increasing, to the point where they now looked like a single surface.
-Whoosh!!
A gust of wind arose.
Just like that, the body, struck by countless slashes, scattered like dust and vanished.
‘...’
-Thud.
The strength drained from my body, and I slumped to the floor. Whether it was due to the ongoing mysterious phenomenon, or because my body had frozen whilst watching what had just happened, cold sweat continued to pour down my face.
‘...Lee Hyun-ah, are you alright?’
‘...’
I couldn’t even answer Yuryeon’s question.
For something new had caught her eye.
“I’m glad I kept a close watch, as I heard my daughter was coming. To dare trespass the heavens so recklessly—did you think I wouldn’t see you just because you were fast?”
She raised her head to look at the moon. To be precise, there was a figure obscuring it.
“Where on earth did such a monstrous thing come from...”
-Clang!
That person... the sword she held was now pointed at me.
“Answer me. Are you lot in league with that thing too?”
I couldn’t reply straight away.
...My gaze had been stolen by the sight of her pussy peeking out from between her fluttering clothes.
Fortunately, the misunderstanding was quickly cleared up.
“Mother!”
“So-young!”
My women, who had come seeking me after sensing her powerful aura, came to my defence.
“You said you were going to the shrine, so why have you come here? And Harin, why are you with Seol-hwi?”
“How could I possibly go on ahead when I could sense your presence, Mother? I’ll explain everything, so please sheathe your sword first.”
Thanks to Seol-hwi waving his hand as he spoke, the cut to my neck was limited to a mere scratch.
However, the sword had not yet been fully sheathed.
“Phew…”
“Explain everything in detail. Do you know who these young men are?”
“I’ll explain. This lady is...”
Ms Harin stepped forward to introduce us. She explained who I was, why we were travelling together, and how I’d ended up here.
“So, this communist here is the heir to the Juak Party, and the man is his descendant?”
“Yes. I’m following Lord Lee Hyun now, too.”
‘...Then the fact that I pointed my sword at you...’
Her snow-white hair, glistening in the moonlight, trembled slightly.
-Thud.
Then, suddenly, she knelt before me.
‘I feel truly guilty for failing to recognise a noble person. I humbly beg you to forgive my disloyalty with a generous heart.’
‘...Eh?’
It was obvious that she was Seol-hwi’s mother, the Head of Baekho Hall. The foremost figure of a shrine was now kneeling before me.
“Oh, please don’t do that. Get up. What’s wrong with being wary of a strange fellow?”
-Shaking my head.
“For the crime of daring to defy Heaven, I deserve to die a thousand times.”
“...”
Is this really worth going to such lengths?
As I tilted my head in puzzlement, Cheonghwa spoke from beside me.
“Master, it seems you still do not fully understand what kind of being you are.”
“It just means I’ve got a bloody brilliant lineage. What else is there?”
“Please always remember that the Divine Tree cannot exist without you. You are aware, aren’t you, that this world exists solely because of that single great tree?”
“…If I die, will the Otherworld really perish?”
“Exactly.”
What the hell.
So it wasn’t pleasure without responsibility, but pleasure with a massive amount of responsibility, was it?
“Anyway, get up. Consider it payment for saving me, I suppose.”
“…I’m ashamed of myself.”
She rose from her seat.
Her hair was pure white, unlike Seol-hwi’s mix of black and white, and the mole at the corner of her mouth was striking.
“My apologies for the late introduction. I am Baek So-young, Head of the White Tiger Clan.”
With a completely expressionless face, Baek So-young introduced herself.
It was impossible to tell whether her emotions simply didn’t show on her face, or whether she had no emotional fluctuations at all.
“My apologies for disturbing you at this late hour. I grant you permission to use flight and shape-shifting for a swift journey.”
Thanks to her consideration, we were able to arrive at our destination quickly by riding Cheonghwa and Yuryeoni.
“Hehe, what do you think? I’m not too bad at riding, am I?”
“…It’s a bit hot, though.”
Fortunately, there was no risk of being burned by Yuryeon’s flames.
“…A demon has already appeared? I hadn’t anticipated this.”
Just as everyone’s attention turned to the White Tiger Clan Leader and Hwan I-hyeon, Elena, clutching the remains of the man who had been sliced apart in an instant, muttered to herself.
-Elena! Get on quickly!
A voice calling her came from atop the firebird.
“Yes, my lord! I’m on my way!”
She decided to put her complicated thoughts aside for the moment.
After all, everything was for the sake of being with him.