Chapter 366
Chapter 366
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 366
Chapter Title: As Long as Breath Remains (4)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
As if seeking permission, Chae Hyang muttered those words.
At that sight, I instantly realized what she was trying to do.
'She's going to swallow the Manin Blood?!'
It was at that moment that my master spoke up.
- ...Is that thing trying to consume an elixir pill right in the middle of fighting you, Yong-un?
I dashed toward Chae Hyang in a hurry as I replied.
'...It seems so.'
- Trying to do that while exchanging lethal strikes? It's like inviting qi deviation upon herself with her own hands—what an idiotic move.
I gave a curt reply to my master's words.
'You can't judge demons by the standards of ordinary murim folk.'
With that, I launched an assault, prepared to take on some risk myself.
Screeeeech!!!
It was a single sword strike extended with the resolve to offer flesh and take bone.
Depending on Chae Hyang's choice, it could deal me a massive blow in return.
- You fool! Her left side is completely exposed!
At that instant.
Instead of counterattacking me, Chae Hyang pulled a crimson pill from her left hand and dumped it straight into her mouth.
Screeeeech!!
However, Regret, laden with lethal intent, was already carving a vicious straight line through the air.
As the price of that choice, Chae Hyang offered up her right wrist.
Splatter!!!
Her wrist, severed with a spray of blood, fell to the ground with a thud.
Having lost the hand gripping her sword, the situation looked favorable for me.
But an ominous chill made me instinctively pull back my step.
Thud!
Immediately after, Chae Hyang's languid voice followed.
"Your instincts are sharp, Eon Yong-un. You found this place too... If you'd taken just one more step a moment ago, I could've shredded that handsome face of yours to pieces."
She grinned at me like that for a moment.
Then, her eyes seemed to flush blood-red.
Gurgle.
From the stump of her severed right hand, blackish blood oozed out, forming the shape of a sharp awl.
That was when Chae Hyang let out a roar.
"Die!!!"
Kieeeek!!
A voice overlaid with a ghastly wail, different from her original tone.
Chae Hyang kicked off the ground right away.
Thud!
In that brief instant, Chae Hyang had become an entirely different person.
The murderous intent laced with eerie energy pressed stingingly against my entire body.
Her movements themselves had changed drastically.
'Fast.'
Movements so swift they felt like teleportation.
Led by that speed, Chae Hyang thrust the blood awl sprouting from her right hand at me.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
I readjusted my grip on Regret, retreating frantically while swinging it.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!
After enduring one exchange like that, Chae Hyang abruptly halted her advance.
- She's slightly surpassing you in skill, that demoness called Chae Hyang.
My master was right.
At this moment, Chae Hyang was clearly overwhelming me, who had reached the Transformation Realm.
'Yes. It's like she's leaped several stages in one go.'
- Calling out your assassin for a joint attack... Do you lack the inner energy for it?
'I still have some leeway.'
- Then do it!
'Assassins specialize in striking moments of carelessness. That advantage is gone now... And judging by Chae Hyang's momentum, summoning one would just get it scattered by her hand. Better to hold off for now.'
- Scattered? Does that mean complete annihilation?
She wasn't a disciple of the Ghost King Sect, so she likely hadn't learned such arts.
But Chae Hyang was clever and quick-witted.
It was the same in the original story—abandoning her brother and fleeing, or just now offering her right hand. It was obvious from actions like those.
'Not quite, but theoretically, a forced recall could injure me. Unlike her brother, Chae Hyang rolls with the punches using her wits.'
And sure enough.
While I caught my breath and exchanged a few words with my master.
Step by step.
Chae Hyang had already moved back to where her hand had flown off, picked up her sword again, and opened her mouth.
"...By the way, I've been wondering since you scratched my brother's face earlier. What was that black shadowy swordsman you summoned? Why aren't you calling it out now?"
"Does a guy about to die really need to know?"
"Pfft. You retreated in fear, but now you're bluffing? Well, there must be a reason you can't use it. Drains a ton of qi, maybe?"
"Think whatever you want."
"Hmm. Can't read your expression... Well, once I poke a few holes in you, you'll change your tune. How about we get to know each other a bit?"
"Once your head rolls, you won't be spouting that crap."
That was when Chae Hyang swung both hands at me.
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
Thanks to training exchanges with Chae Gyu, she wielded the sword adeptly even in her left hand.
And the blood awl on her right hand shifted shapes unpredictably, targeting me.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
It thrust at me in rapid succession like a repeating awl, then morphed into a sickle and slashed down.
Clang! Clang-clang!!
The moment I thought I'd blocked it, it branched out like a trident and came at me again.
Swish! Swish!!
While I focused solely on defending against Chae Hyang's onslaught.
My master, observing the enemy's movements alongside me, spoke up.
- ...Something's off.
'Chae Hyang?'
- Yes. Even you, Yong-un, with your innate body and spirit, need guardians and multiple Great Circulations to properly absorb even one elixir pill, right?
'That's right.'
- But no matter that she swallowed Manin Blood, how can she produce such power just from that? Their heart arts are branches split from our Heaven-Splitting Divine Art... How is this possible?
I retreated busily as I replied.
'As Master says, the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult's martial arts started as offshoots of the Heaven-Splitting Sword Sect. But we must consider they've steadily developed them in their own way over the past century.'
- So you're saying they're no longer mere offshoots?
'Yes. Even the same Reverse Blood Great Law—I believe the Heaven-Splitting arts are based on orthodox heart methods.'
- Even so...
'Plus, the Manin Blood's uniqueness plays a part. Isn't there a saying that where resentment gathers, frost falls even in May?'
That elixir pill born from resentments clumping together was the Manin Blood.
'It's the crystallization of those grudges. Chae Hyang's studied it, so she's probably attuned to such energies.'
However, my master's point was valid too.
Regardless of her intent to kill me, eerie energy was leaking from her profusely.
'She hasn't fully digested it.'
And even with half her face covered by the black mask, I could infer Chae Hyang was gradually turning monstrous.
'Eyes turning blood-red, skin turning bluish.'
Putting it all together, there was one conclusion.
She couldn't maintain this state indefinitely.
'If I can just weather this downpour, a path will open.'
But to reach that moment, I had to survive first.
I pushed the flashing thoughts in my mind to the periphery of my consciousness.
And focused on the attacks extending from Chae Hyang's hands, swinging Regret.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Meanwhile, in a cavern far above the one where the two were clashing.
"That bastard who even my little sister abandoned dares to act up?!"
Here, Cheon Jang-ho's roar echoed.
Acting up.
Acting up.
In response, Chae Gyu ground his teeth.
"You filthy beggar... I'll carve out your tongue for sure, you and Eon Yong-un both."
"Big dreams. If it were just me, maybe, but the moment I tied down Yong-un hyung, it became a pipe dream. Stupid bastard. No learning ability? Well, with a head that doesn't turn, no wonder your mouth ended up like that."
He unleashed a fierce barrage at Cheon Jang-ho.
Clang! Cha-clang-clang!
Reeeeng!!!
After the two exchanged several bouts like that.
Dang Ok-gi, who had been waiting for an opening to help, flinched and spoke up.
"...Cheon Jang-ho, you...?"
At her voice, the gazes of the Eon brothers swept over Cheon Jang-ho.
They could see blood spreading from his right side.
The moment the Chae formation briefly dissolved to rescue Jeong Hyeon.
Cheon Jang-ho had shouldered the roles of Eon Yong-myeong and Paeng So-cheon alone and gotten slashed.
"!"
Among the Eon brothers who confirmed Cheon Jang-ho's wound, the first to speak was Paeng So-cheon.
"Cheon Jang-ho! You hurt?!"
At Paeng So-cheon's voice, Paeng So-jin gritted her teeth.
"Pig. You idiot. You just handed them 'Attack Cheon Jang-ho first' on a platter. It's commendable you stepped up for our big sis and all... but think before you act."
"...Ah."
As Paeng So-jin predicted, excluding those facing Jeong Hyeon, the other demons focused their attacks on Cheon Jang-ho.
Swoosh! Screeech!
However, Cheon Jang-ho didn't go down easily.
"Come on, you bastards!"
Even injured, he narrowly dodged such assaults.
Rumble!!
Boom!!
And to one of them, he properly landed a Flying Dragon Palm, buying time for Eon Yong-myeong and Paeng So-cheon to reform the Chae formation.
"How's that taste! Hurt my ass? This was all part of Sir Cheon Jang-ho's stratagem to lure in you dimwits!"
With the five directional guards reassembled, Paeng So-jin, who had been holding the array's core, swapped places with Dang Ok-gi.
Since Cheon Jang-ho's injury was exposed anyway, the intent was to move him to a relatively safer position.
"Let me see it."
As Dang Ok-gi approached and asked, Cheon Jang-ho nonchalantly replied.
"Just a scratch."
"...Not just a scratch?!"
"Saliva'll fix it."
Dang Ok-gi grimaced as she sprinkled golden wound salve on his side.
"Cut the crazy talk. You catch it from Eon Yong-un?"
"Speaking of Yong-un hyung, kinda worked out for the best?"
"You're nuts. Best how?"
"Nah, after we beat these demon bastards, we head back to the academy, right? Then I whine about being hurt, skip all training—full exemption. Heh heh."
"Not thinking about how he'll torment you the whole way back? You'll get your soul fleeced for playing dumb and getting hurt?"
"......"
"And just for that thought, I'll make sure you're all healed up before we go."
"...Huh? Then it doesn't balance out?"
And there was one watching that scene with regret.
Jeong Hyeon, who had seen Cheon Jang-ho get injured because of her own mistake.
'...Young Master Cheon's injury is entirely my fault.'
Jeong Hyeon despised herself for getting greedy in her stubborn resolve to cover Eon Yong-un's share.
But she had no desire to repeat the same mistake.
'...Chasing a false path and forgetting my place—once is enough.'
Injured Cheon Jang-ho.
Chae formation with a wounded member.
Eon Yong-un gone chasing the Black Mist Lord.
Mount Tai-like worries piled in her heart, but Jeong Hyeon decided to set them all aside.
'I'll trust Eon gongja. And the other comrades.'
Eon Yong-un would prevail.
Cheon Jang-ho would endure.
The moment she let go of those inner turmoil one by one.
"...Hoo."
A slender breath slowly escaped Jeong Hyeon's lips.
That breath pierced a hole in the dam-like fullness of her mind.
"......!"
In that instant, silence descended upon Jeong Hyeon's world.
A silent world.
An eon-passing moment.
Within it, Jeong Hyeon gripped her Pine Gate Sword tightly.
The strength in her hand gripping the hilt was the same as before when she overreached, but the sword strikes unfolding from it were entirely different.
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
Screeech!
The taiji drawn by Jeong Hyeon, who had reclaimed her tranquility.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!
Jeong Hyeon's taiji, flowing without break or pause, became a massive wave.
That wave endlessly swallowed the demons' assaults, returning them to nothingness.
Claaang! Clang!!!
Those robbed of momentum by the taiji she drew met death helplessly.
Splatter! Splatter!
Splaaatter!!!
A while after Jeong Hyeon entered a trance and drew her taiji.
Splaaatter!!!
The tip of Jeong Hyeon's sword finally devoured even Chae Gyu's desperate flailing, carving a vivid red line across his nape.