Chapter 67
Chapter 67
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 67
Chapter Title: Bing-seol's Counterattack
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“Is that why you told me to pick up Dang Yak-ran and run?”
“Yes.”
“Why bring it up now?”
“Fortunately, that moment of choice hasn’t arrived yet. When it’s imminent, you’ll know naturally. Which path leads to survival. I wanted to tell you in advance.”
“A choice always means gaining one thing and losing another. If I pick the other path, I’ll lose something as great as death itself, right?”
“Probably.”
Looking back, his life so far had been a endless series of choices. He couldn’t know what life awaited had he chosen differently, since he hadn’t walked those paths.
In any case, the results of his choices up to now had always been a life of grueling suffering without any rewards.
He had studied diligently for over ten years, even spilling nosebleeds, yet couldn’t even climb the lowest rung of officialdom. Whenever he gambled, he always lost. At least he had no money, so he paid with his body.
His fateful meeting with Mo Yong-ak, that one ray of light, had ended up like handing meat to a dog. And because of a drunken slip of the tongue, he had wandered battlefields for a decade.
‘Let’s see what kind of outrageous bastard is waiting for me this time.’
“Got it, so go check the past room where the internal injury medicine is.”
“Internal injury medicine all of a sudden?”
“In the corner of the stone chamber is the space that old man uses as a bedroom. Look closely, and you’ll see a chamber pot. Kick it with your foot.”
“Huh?”
“There’s a mechanism connected to a secret space. I saw some unidentified crates there; maybe there’s some useful medicine. If not, nothing we can do.”
“Got it.”
Bing-seol jumped up and rushed to Snow Mountain Old Man’s bedroom.
Heuk Do-san’s thinking was simple.
As a martial artist, wouldn’t Snow Mountain Old Man have hidden at least one dose of internal injury medicine somewhere for emergencies?
Heuk Do-san glanced at Snow Mountain Old Man.
He remained motionless, leaning against the wall. But his eyes blazed fiercely, glaring at him.
“I’ll kill you soon enough.”
Heuk Do-san stood again.
Dragging his body, heavy as wet cotton, he approached Seop Dae-gang. Surprisingly, the bastard still clutched his sword in his right hand.
His obsession with the sword was at least admirable.
“Tenacious bastard.”
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
Heuk Do-san ground down on Seop Dae-gang’s wrist mercilessly. Unable to endure the ruthless violence, Seop Dae-gang finally let go of the sword. His fingers, crushed underfoot against his will, straightened involuntarily.
Heuk Do-san picked up the sword. Then he pointed the tip at Seop Dae-gang’s mouth.
“Open.”
“What do you plan to do?”
“The mouth is directly linked to the Tianzhu acupoint on the back of the neck, a vital point. We were once fellow students, so I’ll kill you quick and clean.”
“Fellow students... Heh heh heh. So that’s always gnawed at you. That’s the limit of scum like you.”
“In a world where virtue means mercilessly cutting down your beloved woman and subordinates, I’ll never live in your world.”
“I must look like a freak to you.”
“Freak? You’re worse than a dog.”
“There are plenty worse than me in the martial world. Most of them are in positions you can’t even imagine. No matter what gutter trash like you scream, the world turns by those people. They control your lives too.”
“I don’t care who’s at the top. I don’t know about the past, but from now on, I won’t let them dictate my life. For today, though, I’ll be satisfied killing you. So stick your neck out already. If you hate opening your mouth, I’ll cut your throat.”
Heuk Do-san moved to Seop Dae-gang’s side and stood. Then he raised the sword high above his head.
Seop Dae-gang quietly closed his eyes.
Heuk Do-san swung the sword down with force.
Clang!
The sword was blocked by an unexpected force. Astonishingly, one person had blocked it with the iron rods Heuk Do-san had discarded.
“Hong Gong-tak...!”
How had this man, who had lain like the dead moments ago, awakened?
In that instant, Hong Gong-tak swung his remaining iron rod at Heuk Do-san’s head with full power.
Startled, Heuk Do-san hurriedly bent backward and retreated five or six steps before stopping.
“Are you alright?”
Hong Gong-tak asked Seop Dae-gang.
“Kill him. Hurry!”
“What’s going on?”
Turning at the sudden voice, he saw Mo Yong-ak had also regained consciousness and was standing.
Unlike Hyeon-gak or Gong Cheon-ak, the two hadn’t fallen to the formation. They had merely fainted from Snow Mountain Old Man’s palm strike.
It seemed the chaos of the successive battles had roused them from unconsciousness.
“Sword Lord, what’s happening?”
“Explanations later. Hong Team Leader, kill Heuk Do-san now! He’s badly wounded. Hurry and finish him!”
Anyone could see Heuk Do-san was injured. Even when blocking the sword with his iron rod earlier, Hong Gong-tak hadn’t felt much power behind it.
Hong Gong-tak spoke with ample leisure.
“What about the others?”
Seop Dae-gang glanced around.
Hyeon-gak, Gong Cheon-ak, Yeom Jin-sang, and Dang Yak-ran stood like jiangshi, oblivious to events.
“Kill every last one without mercy.”
“And the old man...?”
Hong Gong-tak nodded toward Snow Mountain Old Man.
Snow Mountain Old Man still sat bloodied against the wall. But he had set down the lantern he’d held in his hand.
Apparently, it was too heavy to hold with his broken hand. Sensing the situation, Snow Mountain Old Man quickly reached to pick up the lantern again.
But unlike before, his hand only trembled; it wouldn’t move.
“Kill him too!”
“Understood!”
Hong Gong-tak clasped his hands in salute to Seop Dae-gang and advanced on Heuk Do-san. He had decided to eliminate Heuk Do-san first.
“It won’t be that easy.”
A sharp voice rang out from somewhere.
Everyone turned toward the sound. Bing-seol emerged alone from the corner of the stone chamber. She held something strange in her hand.
It resembled a thick rod fitted with small arrows—a crossbow. With superior penetration and accuracy, the crossbow was far deadlier than a bow. Moreover, the one Bing-seol held had a blackened stock, likely an iron crossbow.
“One more step, and I’ll put a hole through your heart.”
Bing-seol said, aiming at Hong Gong-tak.
Her voice held considerable resolve.
Hong Gong-tak sneered.
“Do you even know how to shoot?”
“Easier than a bow.”
“That’s just one shot. You sure you can take me with it? If you fail, I’ll tear your limbs apart right here—neither dead nor alive.”
Hong Gong-tak’s threat was brazen.
It wasn’t mere bluffing; a martial artist’s hand was faster than an arrow.
No matter how powerful the crossbow, a master like Hong Gong-tak could plausibly deflect the bolt with his iron rod.
Bing-seol panicked visibly.
But only for a moment—she suddenly shifted aim to Seop Dae-gang.
“How about this?”
“...!”
Unlike Hong Gong-tak, Seop Dae-gang’s arms were shattered in multiple places; he couldn’t defend. At such close range, a miss was unlikely, and a hit would surely be fatal.
Hong Gong-tak’s face finally paled.
Bing-seol warned again.
“Drop the iron rods!”
“...!”
“Hurry! This is do or die for me too!”
Hong Gong-tak hesitated and looked to Seop Dae-gang. Seop Dae-gang’s eyelids twitched as he suppressed his rage.
“Hurry!”
Bing-seol shouted sharply.
Heuk Do-san thought to himself.
‘Moments ago, Seop Dae-gang tried to kill Hong Gong-tak to obtain the Hundred Thousand Great Heaven Palm manual. Knowing that, can Hong Gong-tak bring himself to drop them?’
Even if told, Hong Gong-tak wouldn’t believe it, and for now, ignorance favored them.
Heuk Do-san kept his mouth shut.
Clang! Clang!
Hong Gong-tak finally tossed the iron rods.
‘Foolish bastard.’
“Kick them this way.”
“What trick is this?”
“You think I’m easy prey?”
Bing-seol’s eyes flashed menacingly.
The arrow aimed at Seop Dae-gang looked ready to fly at any moment.
Hong Gong-tak eventually kicked the rods with his foot, and the two clattered across the floor to Heuk Do-san’s feet.
Heuk Do-san picked them up to keep them from Hong Gong-tak or Mo Yong-ak’s hands and tucked them into his belt.
Then, aiming his sword at the now-unarmed Hong Gong-tak, he asked Bing-seol.
“What happened?”
“I did as told and went into the secret storeroom—found this. Couldn’t find any medicine. Didn’t have time.”
“Good job.”
“What now?”
“Keep aiming at Seop Dae-gang. Shoot anyone who acts suspicious in the throat.”
“Why the throat?”
“Even a glancing hit kills.”
“Got it.”
Bing-seol advanced another five or six steps, aiming at the prone Seop Dae-gang. Her eyes sharp, she looked ready to fire at the slightest provocation.
Heuk Do-san said to Hong Gong-tak.
“Go sit beside Seop Dae-gang.”
Hong Gong-tak sat next to Seop Dae-gang as ordered. Heuk Do-san gave Mo Yong-ak the same command.
“You too.”
“Why are you doing this?”
“You know he used you as bait?”
“I do.”
“You knew?”
“He said he’d re-enter the cave to save you all. Hong Team Leader and I gladly volunteered as bait. So why are you doing this to us?”
It was absurd.
How could she be so blind to Seop Dae-gang? Heuk Do-san wanted to expose every hypocritical detail right in front of her but held back.
‘Not my concern.’
And right now, they needed to stay united.
“Get the details from him yourself, and for now, do as I say. You don’t still think we’re allies, do you?”
“How can you do this to me?”
“Shut up and sit!”
Mo Yong-ak finally went and sat beside Seop Dae-gang. Bing-seol widened her eyes further, aiming steadily at him.
She even maintained three zhang distance in case Hong Gong-tak counterattacked.
The situation had reversed. Heuk Do-san, who had intended to kill Seop Dae-gang outright, decided to postpone. To restrain Hong Gong-tak and Mo Yong-ak, he had no choice but to hold Seop Dae-gang hostage.
Having sorted the chamber, Heuk Do-san approached Snow Mountain Old Man. Aiming his sword, he said.
“As you see, my patience is gone. Let’s make this short and sharp. Answer, and you live; don’t, and you die. Understand?”
“...?”
“How do I wake the hypnotized people?”
“Search my collar; you’ll find a flute. Put it in my mouth. As you see, my hands are like this.”
“What trick is this?”
“Didn’t you ask to wake them?”
“...?”
Snow Mountain Old Man chuckled lightly.
With no choice, Heuk Do-san flipped his collar, revealing a blackened flute about a foot long.
“It’s a bone flute made from a human shinbone. Blood Bats are fierce and savage; only this one can control them.”
So those mysterious bats in the cave were Blood Bats. He had thought they were just mountain bats surviving the cold caves, but apparently not.
“How exactly are they savage?”
“If you don’t toss them a corpse a day, they devour anything in sight. They especially love the scent of human blood.”
“...!”
“Don’t worry. As long as I have this bone flute, I control them perfectly. It took ten years to train them to complete the formation.”
Imagining thousands of bats swarming and tearing into living flesh sent chills down his spine.
“Is there a guarantee they won’t attack us when summoned?”
“If so, I wouldn’t tell you honestly. Just blowing it would end things simply. Right?”
“...?”
“Decide.”
Heuk Do-san glanced at Bing-seol. On the verge of deciding, he wanted to borrow the witch’s foresight.
But Bing-seol looked even more tense than him. She couldn’t judge either.
Mo Yong-ak, Hong Gong-tak, and Seop Dae-gang stared at Heuk Do-san with pale faces. Heuk Do-san turned back to Snow Mountain Old Man and said.
“If anyone dies in this stone chamber now, you’ll be first. Get started.”