Chapter 49
Chapter 49
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 49
Chapter Title: Light and Darkness Living in One Body
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Gu Cheon-se chuckled as he spoke.
"Heh heh heh. After that... just as promised, I'll burst your balls. That ought to be quite entertaining."
Han Ibi couldn't help but cringe at the thought.
'Where the hell is Jong Ri-hyeok...?'
Han Ibi was stalling for time, sweat beading on his brow, but there was still no sign of Jong Ri-hyeok.
At that moment, a sharp whoosh cut through the air.
Han Ibi whipped his gaze forward in alarm. It was the Black Ink Whip slicing through the wind toward him.
He tried to dodge in panic, but the whip was too fast, closing in instantly.
With no other choice, Han Ibi rolled across the ground.
Screeech!
A massive ripping sound echoed.
Amid the excruciating pain—like being sliced by a blade—Han Ibi glanced down at his left shoulder.
His clothes were torn, the fabric staining red.
The flesh near his shoulder had clearly been shredded along with the cloth.
Gu Cheon-se laughed as he spoke.
"Heh heh heh. As long as I don't get close, no matter how masterful your poison arts are, they won't do you a bit of good."
The Black Ink Whip lashed out again.
Without a moment to think, Han Ibi hurled himself to the right, tumbling once more.
Riiip!
His pants tore near his right thigh, blood welling up and soaking through in an instant.
'This is bad...'
Han Ibi had never faced a weapon like this before.
The overwhelming martial prowess combined with this unfamiliar weapon.
For Han Ibi, little more than a novice in the martial world, it was an matchup beyond his capabilities.
That was when it happened.
Han Ibi's mind flashed like lightning at the advice.
'That's right. The Step God, Step King Hong Pang-nam!'
He bolted away, putting as much distance as possible between them.
Of course, Gu Cheon-se pursued in an instant.
At the same time, he selected Bagua Steps from his status window.
It was a skill he'd never used before.
Not that he'd ever had much occasion to...
Treating it like a gamble, Han Ibi mentally shouted Bagua Steps!
Ting!
With a crisp sound, the Bagua Steps Window activated.
A row of rod-like symbols appeared, reminiscent of the Taiji emblem.
Qian, Dui, Li, Zhen, Xun, Kan, Gen, Kun.
They pointed in the eight directions, forming an octagonal shape like something out of an old hopping vampire flick.
Han Ibi realized these trigrams corresponded directly to the eight directional steps.
At that moment, the Black Ink Whip slithered toward him like a serpent.
Suddenly, the Kun position on the octagon lit up.
'Huh? W-what's this?'
No time to think.
Without hesitation, Han Ibi stepped toward the Kun direction.
The whip slammed into the ground to his left with a thud, sending dirt flying everywhere.
'It works?'
This time, a large needle-like hidden weapon hurtled toward his ankle.
Gu Cheon-se had flung it.
Seeing him resort to projectiles confirmed he was wary of close combat.
The Xun trigram on the octagon ignited.
'That spot looks like it'd be perfect for getting hit... Ah, whatever. Follow it for now.'
Han Ibi hurried his steps toward the Xun direction.
The projectile stabbed into the ground with a thunk.
It had curved mid-flight like a breaking ball.
'Dodging by sight alone would get me killed.'
A chill ran down Han Ibi's spine.
From his ten years grinding rhythm games...
Unlike knife-shaped darts, needle-types were more likely laced with poison.
Maybe even little Eun-ri had fallen to one.
Laced with Yin Soul Poison, that is.
Han Ibi evaded a couple more attacks as directed by the Bagua window.
He was surprised anew at how adeptly he handled the footwork.
'This thing's pretty useful. Bagua Steps! But it feels so familiar... What was it...?'
Dodging the whip this way and that, Han Ibi racked his brain for the memory.
It hit him like a bolt.
That's right!
This was just like that old hit rhythm game Pump It Up, or Pump for short.
But true to form, he was the type to stick with something "until it stuck or he dropped dead."
Memories flooded back of calluses forming on his soles from endless practice.
The crowds that gathered, gasping and cheering whenever he played!
'Piece of cake!'
Yes. The directional cues were a joke.
He could play this blindfolded.
Gu Cheon-se, who at first dismissed Han Ibi's dodges as luck, grew increasingly frustrated as his opponent evaded effortlessly.
He unleashed a frenzy of coordinated whip and projectile assaults.
The Bagua steps escalated beyond basics—now demanding Li and Kan simultaneously, or even triples like Dui, Zhen, and Qian.
Still just double or triple steps.
For Han Ibi, who could casually pull off five-steps using hands and knees, it was child's play.
By now, Han Ibi looked like he was straight-up dancing.
His footwork swirled around the Bagua directions, evolving from cool to downright elegant.
One thing grew more intense alongside it: Gu Cheon-se's mental state.
Fury boiled over; he was on the verge of exploding.
A far cry from his initial smug composure.
"You filthy rat!"
Every dirty trick and Black Ink Whip lash—yet Han Ibi always slipped away by a hair's breadth.
With stylish flair, no less.
Enraged, Gu Cheon-se unloaded his projectiles like cannon fire.
The interspersed whip strikes were mere seasoning.
The Bagua step difficulty climbed endlessly, but Han Ibi dug deep into his old skills to counter.
'What if I hadn't gotten Bagua Steps...'
Han Ibi shuddered at the thought.
Still, his stamina wasn't infinite.
The steps looked easy but drained immense mental focus and inner energy.
He began sensing his footwork slowing, anxiety creeping in. Right then...
Gu Cheon-se pulled a large, verdigris lump from his robes.
Yes. Gotta know what it is to find a way out.
Fortuitous Encounter DB Search Result
Name:Sima PillClass:Tier 4Type:Illusion Pill
Description:The Great Radiant Thunder of the Southern Barbarians is poison among poisons, its fruit at the core of its toxicity, but its root harbors latent venom capable of claiming thousands of lives. Diluted long-term with other antidotes into a pill, it can neutralize all poison arts instantly. Effects last half to one shichen depending on the user. Created by an unnamed imperial physician during the Great Dynasties. Hard to obtain due to the plant's finicky growth.
Whatever. It didn't matter anyway.
Han Ibi didn't even know his blood was cycling Ma Dok-woong's deadly toxin in endless regeneration and annihilation.
'Talk about a massive misunderstanding... But now that he's popped that illusion pill, he'll want to close in for melee. The real trouble starts now!'
And sure enough...
Having struck out with projectiles and whip, Gu Cheon-se slithered toward Han Ibi.
His once-proud longsword hung limp like a deflated balloon—proof he was dead serious now.
He untied something from his back and gripped it.
It was long and sturdy iron, forked in a 'Y' at the tip, sharpening to spear-like points.
'Quite the unique weapon... Feels familiar... Oh yeah! It's like the brace that keeps a shoulder pole from tipping...'
But before the thought finished, Gu Cheon-se's rod thrust forward.
Dui and Li lit up simultaneously on Han Ibi's Bagua window.
He scrambled through the steps, dodging the rod.
At the same time, he drew the Mysterious Frost Blade from his robes.
Gu Cheon-se's eyes gleamed faintly.
"Ho ho. What a peculiar fellow... That blue aura on the blade betrays it—a famed sword disguised as something crude. Two birds with one stone... Heh heh heh. Perfect."
Han Ibi smiled bitterly.
Gu Cheon-se's specialty was rape; side gig, thievery. No surprise he had an eye for fine weapons.
That was when it happened.
'Ugh... Why's my chest so tight...'
Han Ibi suddenly felt constriction at his solar plexus.
He quickly opened his status window to check his inner energy flow.
A black aura bloomed at his core...
Undoubtedly from the Crimson Dream Great Law.
This had never happened before.
Though alien to the righteous Zhongli Pure Heart Method, the two energies had always coexisted peacefully.
But today... it was different. Very different.
Fear gripped Han Ibi in an instant.
'Master said the Crimson Dream Great Law tries to rampage and enslave its host... But it's been quiet till now... Did attempting self-harm blood technique earlier awaken it...?'
Half right, half wrong.
The Crimson Dream energy had stayed dormant due to constant duels with Ma Dok-woong's fierce poison, day and night.
But its demonic power strengthened with use.
The self-harm attempt had unleashed its potential, now expanding its influence.
Sensing the evil qi, the Zhongli Pure Heart energy naturally pushed back— their silent, fierce battle raging right at Han Ibi's solar plexus.
That was when it happened.
"Heh heh. Daydreaming mid-fight? You're brimming with leisure, so you haven't shown your true power yet! Come on, let's go all out!"
Gu Cheon-se shouted, thrusting his shoulder-pole rod fiercely.
(To be continued in the next chapter)