Chapter 158: The End of Murim
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 158: The End of Murim
“More hollow words!”
The space warped as the plum blossom and violet magi collided.
Amidst the maelstrom of energies that seemed intent on devouring each other, Yeopyeonggang’s fist and Do Hwa’s sword crossed.
After a fierce exchange of techniques within the swirling chaos, both Yeopyeonggang and Do Hwa were thrown back simultaneously.
A single streak of blood marked Yeopyeonggang’s face.
Do Hwa, on the other hand, coughed up a mouthful of blood.
Befitting his title as the Great Slaughter Emperor, Yeopyeonggang had reached a higher realm than Do Hwa.
Yeopyeonggang pressed his attack without pause.
With each clash, more wounds appeared on Do Hwa’s body.
At that moment, a sickening crack echoed as bone shattered. Do Hwa’s eyes nearly rolled back into his head, but he managed to hold on.
He forced his body upright and gasped for breath.
It felt like he could die at any moment.
But he couldn't fall here.
He had insisted to Cheon Hong-ryeon that he would be the one to settle this matter.
Hadn't he been so adamant because he wanted his sister to no longer suffer from her ties to Murim?
Murim had to end in Murim.
Do Hwa’s plum-blossom-colored eyes shone with a clear light.
In response, plum blossom petals began to swirl around him once more.
“So persistent.”
Yeopyeonggang cracked his neck.
It seemed the boy was prepared to fight to the death, and it was taking longer than expected.
At this rate, he would lose Cheon Hong-ryeon.
Yeopyeonggang shot Do Hwa an irritated look and clenched his fists again.
An unconscious anxiety, born from Cheon Hong-ryeon’s presence, urged him to end this fight as quickly as possible.
“If you’re that eager to die…”
Then it’s only right that I grant your wish.
In that instant, a pitch-black magi, not violet, erupted from Yeopyeonggang’s grasp.
Fwoosh!
The black magi instantly transformed into black flames.
The roaring dark fire resembled the karmic flames of hell.
“This is a martial art I mastered specifically to burn Cheon Hong-ryeon’s camellias.”
Do Hwa sucked in a breath at the sight of the black flames.
The plum blossoms in the vicinity couldn't withstand the heat radiating from the dark fire and were already burning away.
“It’s a waste to use this on the likes of you, but have a taste.”
As he finished speaking, Yeopyeonggang, now wreathed in a conflagration of black flames, charged forward.
A trail of black fire blazed behind him as he rushed forward in a straight line like a runaway locomotive.
Facing him, Do Hwa took a deep breath, his eyes fixed on the single plum blossom blooming at the tip of his sword.
“You said you would burn the camellias with that flame?”
Do Hwa’s voice was quiet as he aimed his sword into the heart of the roaring inferno.
The black flames were undeniably a threat.
Intense enough to incinerate his own plum blossoms, they were clearly Yeopyeonggang’s trump card.
However, Do Hwa could clearly sense a critical flaw that the man was overlooking.
Yeopyeonggang was in an extremely unstable state.
The colossal wall he had nearly forgotten—the Heavenly Demon, Cheon Hong-ryeon—had begun to crush him once more.
His confidence, born from the belief that he had grown stronger over the years and might have even surpassed her, had been shattering from the moment he faced her again.
The thought that going all-out now would leave him with no strength to fight Cheon Hong-ryeon weighed heavily on his mind.
Do Hwa did not miss this opening.
With Yeopyeonggang’s flame-wreathed fist just before him, the plum-blossom-colored petals began to stain a deep red.
The crimson of camellias replaced the color of the plum blossoms, fluttering in the air.
Magi.
The Taoist, Do Hwa, began to emit not pure internal energy, but turbid magi.
It was a sinister, incredibly dense magi, equivalent to decades of cultivation.
“You! How can you wield magi?!”
“How many years do you think I spent in the Demonic Cult after being sold off by the Murim Alliance?”
Do Hwa was born a Taoist of the Hwasan sect.
But he had been forced to spend half his life in the Demonic Cult.
That was why he had followed in Cheon Hong-ryeon’s footsteps.
Her martial art, which made camellias bloom by infusing the Hwasan sect’s plum blossoms with magi, was truly the strongest of all.
And in tracing her path, Do Hwa had learned to wield magi, sealing it deep within his body.
Even though he knew the clash between his incompatible Taoist energy and magi would inevitably lead to Qi Deviation, Do Hwa had saved this power for this very day.
The explosively released magi consumed even Do Hwa’s Taoist energy as it blazed intensely.
Blood poured from every orifice, but for a brief moment, Do Hwa reached the state of the camellias that Cheon Hong-ryeon had made bloom.
Fwoooosh!
And the world began to be covered in camellias.
Endlessly beautiful camellia blossoms bloomed even within the black flames, their petals scattering through the air.
The black flames, created specifically to burn Cheon Hong-ryeon’s camellias, were powerless before Do Hwa’s.
The final spark of a Taoist who had wagered his life was just that tenacious and terrifying.
Realizing this, Yeopyeonggang’s rage exploded.
He tried to unleash his full power, but it was too late.
“You… the likes of you!”
“The camellias that bloom under the Heavenly Demon’s name cannot be burned away by any flame.”
As Do Hwa declared this, his eyes turned crimson.
Realizing how much those eyes resembled Cheon Hong-ryeon’s, Yeopyeonggang belatedly began to pour all his power into the black flames, but his judgment came far too late.
Yeopyeonggang’s fist and Do Hwa’s sword crossed one last time.
Crack! Craaash!
Struck by Yeopyeonggang’s fist, Do Hwa was sent flying, smashing through a wall and tumbling to the ground.
The black flames burning on his chest were a clear testament to the power of Yeopyeonggang’s strike.
On top of that, as the price for a Taoist using magi, Do Hwa’s insides were being torn apart.
Yet, Do Hwa felt not a single shred of regret.
“Guh… urk.”
Because blood was gushing from Yeopyeonggang’s neck.
It meant that death had finally claimed him.
The splattering blood, carried on a sudden breeze, looked almost like crimson camellia petals.
Watching this, Do Hwa quietly drew a breath as Yeopyeonggang’s eyes began to tremble.
His vocal cords severed, he couldn't even make a sound.
“Great… Slaughter… Emperor… This… is… your end.”
Killed by the very man he had so disdained, Yeopyeonggang’s eyes turned crimson with rage.
“Grk, ugh.”
At that moment, Do Hwa sensed something was wrong.
Yeopyeonggang’s body, which should have collapsed any second, was beginning to swell.
As Do Hwa watched the scene with confusion, he noticed a dark red needle embedded in Yeopyeonggang’s arm.
“Don’t tell me.”
Feeling the vile magi flowing from the needle, Do Hwa understood what was happening.
Yeopyeonggang was using his own death to summon the True Heavenly Demon.
Though his bloodline was distant, he was still a descendant of the Heavenly Demon.
This was his final, desperate act.
The moment he realized this, Do Hwa mustered his last ounce of strength and kicked off the ground.
His Taoist energy and magi were a twisted mess, but he could not allow the True Heavenly Demon to descend here.
“What are you doing?”
In the next instant, Do Hwa was lifted into the air mid-stride, nearly sent tumbling.
Cheon Hong-ryeon had appeared out of nowhere and grabbed him by the scruff of his clothes.
“Tsk, this is what happens when you use magi like that. Your training is lacking.”
Cheon Hong-ryeon clicked her tongue at him, then guided the magi out of Do Hwa’s body with a simple gesture.
As the Heavenly Demon, all the magi in the world moved freely at her command.
Thanks to her, Do Hwa could feel the turmoil in his body gradually subsiding.
But this was no time for that.
“Sis-Sister! The True Heavenly Demon!”
“I know.”
If you know, how can you be so calm?
As the bewildered Do Hwa tried to say something, a chilling sensation washed over him.
From a distance, he felt an explosive burst of internal energy so overwhelming that even he was stunned.
“Th-This is…”
“My husband-to-be.”
As Cheon Hong-ryeon said this with a smile, Do Hwa realized that Yeopyeonggang had vanished.
At the same time, he saw it.
Outside the window, a red bolt of lightning screamed across the sky.
KRRRA-KAAAA-BOOOOOOM!
The moment the deafening sound shattered the windows and assaulted his ears, Yeopyeonggang witnessed all the clouds in the night sky disappear.
It was a sight so overwhelming that Do Hwa had never seen anything like it in his entire life.
As he stared blankly up at the sky, a man and a girl walked in through the broken window.
It was none other than Ha-chan and Si-ho.
The moment Yeopyeonggang began to transform into the True Heavenly Demon, Si-ho had teleported him into the sky, and Ha-chan had obliterated him with a full-power Brain Thunder.
In an instant, Yeopyeonggang was turned to ash and scattered across the heavens.
His ambition to rule Murim had been completely shattered because of a single gaming guild meetup.
“See that? That’s the man who will be my husband,” Cheon Hong-ryeon said to the dumbfounded Do Hwa.
“You truly are amazing, Sister.”
Thinking about how much he had struggled with something so simple, Do Hwa finally realized he was completely free from Murim.
“Do Hwa-ssi!”
At that moment, Do Hwa turned his head toward another voice.
Rushing toward them were none other than Naek and Kkotbi.
Naek, who looked quite disheveled herself, suggesting her own fight hadn't been easy, saw Do Hwa, and her eyes widened. She ran over and threw her arms around him.
“Are you okay?! Oh my god! You’re hurt so badly!”
As Naek cried out and hurriedly tried to treat his wounds, Do Hwa let out a hollow laugh.
He had never had a woman worry about him so much in his entire life.
And for a long time now, he had wanted to spend more tender moments with her.
“Miss Naek.”
As Do Hwa spoke, Naek looked up at him.
Looking at the woman who had fought the Blood Demon for his sake, Do Hwa confessed his feelings.
“Would you care to have a cup of tea with me?”
At his very Do-Hwa-like question, Naek stared blankly for a moment before her face slowly blushed. She quietly lowered her head.
“Yes.”
Hearing her answer, Do Hwa felt a moment of supreme joy, having finally escaped Murim.
*
17
With the building in shambles from the invasion of the Great Slaughter Emperor Yeopyeonggang and the Blood Sect, the party had effectively fizzled out.
We took Do Hwa and Naek to the hospital for treatment.
Even as I felt a pang of disappointment that our long-awaited meetup had ended this way, I couldn't help but smile in relief, thinking that Do Hwa’s troubles were finally over.
“Domi-oppa.”
Hearing a voice beside me, I turned my head.
Ahyu was looking at me with a slightly bitter smile.
“Sorry, this was our first meetup in so long, and I ruined it.”
“What are you talking about? We can always have another meetup.”
Hearing that, I raised my hand and stroked her head.
My touch seemed to cheer Ahyu up a little, and she came closer, burying herself in my arms.
“Are you feeling a little less worried now, Ahyu?”
“...Hehe, yeah. I finally feel like I’ve escaped Murim.”
Seeing Ahyu’s silly grin, I smiled back.
I could see a hint of relief in her laughter.
That alone made today’s meetup worthwhile.
If we hadn't all been here together today, we never would have been able to resolve things so easily.
‘Though for the Great Slaughter Emperor, it must have been the worst possible timing.’
He was the enemy, but he had some seriously rotten luck.
To think he would attack when a group of people who could be considered the strongest in the world were gathered in one place.
He must have felt it was incredibly unfair.
But given what he’d done, I hope he considers it payment for his sins.
“How long are you two going to stay like that?”
Hearing Si-ho’s voice, I flinched and lifted my head.
The rest of the meetup members were standing outside the hospital.
“That’s right. Oppa, how long do you plan on holding her?” Ji-eun added with a pout.
I looked at Ahyu awkwardly.
In response, Ahyu glared angrily at the others.
“Can’t you read the room and know when to back off?”
“Nope.”
Si-ho refused flatly, then ran over and threw herself into my arms.
Ji-eun followed suit a moment later, and all hell broke loose.
This was getting embarrassing.
As Ahyu, Si-ho, and Ji-eun started bickering, the other two looked away with bitter smiles, and my eyes met Seol-hyang’s.
She gave a short laugh as if to say this was nothing to her, then shrugged.
Where on earth does she get that composure?
As I was thinking that, someone else approached me.
It was Kkotbi.
She had been inching her way over, and now that she was beside me, as if waiting for an opportunity, her face turned bright red when our eyes met.
Then she reached out her arms and hugged me tightly.
As I wondered what kind of mess this was, being mobbed by four women, I saw Hyeok-seo clicking his tongue.
For some reason, Eva-noona, who was standing next to him, met my gaze and then quickly looked away.
From her expression, it seemed she remembered everything she did when she was drunk.
How did the meetup end up like this?
“...Everyone, that’s enough.”
When I raised my voice, they all glanced around guiltily and pulled away from me.
My head throbbed for a moment, but I pushed through it, looked up, and said, “Let’s head back now. There’s nothing more we can do for the meetup.”
We had drunk a fair bit and talked, so no one should have any lingering regrets.
No one seemed to object.
Only Si-ho and Ahyu tried to stick to me a little longer, but I managed to peel them off.
Just as I was about to send everyone on their way, Baeksan walked through the wall.
“Hey, Kang Ha-chan.”
I turned to look at Baeksan, who was frowning with a troubled expression.
“Something’s wrong.”
As I processed his words with confusion, Baeksan continued.
“I think the ‘me’ from this world has returned sooner than expected.”
The Baeksan of this world had returned.