Chapter 209
Chapter 209
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 209
Chapter Title: War Against Demons (2)
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A face like that of a malevolent god of slaughter.
Muscles so firm they looked ready to burst.
And a massive axe the size of a grown man.
His appearance was a blatant advertisement to the world that he was Jo Gwang, the Twin Axe Killing Demon.
“It's been a while. Your face is glowing, so you must be doing well. It feels like just yesterday you got beaten like a dog at the Heaven-Ascending Pavilion and fled.”
“Kekeke, seeing you bring subordinates like this, it seems you've made something of yourself. But that vulgar tongue of yours is still the same.”
“Well, you could say I'm doing a little better now. By the way, what will you do, old man? Your disciple died at my hands before he could make a name for himself. I wonder if you've saved up enough money to live on in your old age.”
“I have more than enough without your concern.”
Having spoken, Jo Gwang pushed past his subordinates and stepped forward.
“Oh, what a shame. I was going to chip in if you were short. It's sad to be a beggar in your old age.”
I, too, walked toward him.
Unable to use my internal energy now, if I fought him, I would lose nine times out of ten.
He was a master who had perfected both internal and external arts.
But if I stalled and the effect of the Energy Dissipating Powder wore off, it wouldn't be just me who lost, but all of us.
A smirk.
“Seeing that mug of yours, I almost feel glad.”
“I don't know if you've heard, but I also sent the Blood Killing Hegemon to the afterlife with my own hands. You know him, right? The Blood Killing Hegemon who was one of the Seven Hegemons.”
“...You're a bastard I can no longer let live.”
“Ah, but I forgot to mention one thing.”
“...What is it?”
“I also killed the Vice Sect Leader of the Killing Sect. Hyeon San-wol, was it?”
“I heard the Combat King killed him.”
“That's also true. You could say I did the seasoning, and my master did the grilling.”
Fwoosh!
As soon as those words were spoken, Jo Gwang's axe moved.
A pressure that felt like it could split a great mountain, even without internal energy.
I twisted my body to dodge and simultaneously closed in, right under his nose.
Dragon-Slaying Thirteen Strikes.
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
Blows powerful enough to pierce wood struck his solar plexus, throat, and philtrum.
Waaaaah-!
At the same time, both sides clashed again.
The warriors of the War King's Gate maintained their formation, thrusting their spears forward.
The demons of the Ten Demon Alliance charged, swinging their respective weapons.
And.
“That tickles.”
Fwoosh!
Seemingly unfazed by the Dragon-Slaying Thirteen Strikes, Jo Gwang casually swung his axe.
*Tch.*
I had expected this to some extent.
I rolled to narrowly avoid it and kicked at his groin, but I immediately realized something was wrong.
*Crack.*
“Keuk.”
The sheer hardness sent a jolt of pain up my shin instead.
*No way.*
What kind of external art did he practice to train even *that* part?
Fwoosh! Thwack.
As I dodged the falling axe and landed a middle kick to his side, Jo Gwang moved his left hand and swung the axe horizontally.
*BOOM!*
“Cough.”
The impact was strong enough to make me cough, even though it hit my Dragon Scale Armor.
The bastard shouted as if pleased.
“You're still wearing that precious armor!”
“You got your ass kicked because of this, have you forgotten already?”
“Take good care of it. I'll be taking it myself after I cut off your head!”
A huge foot flew straight at me.
*WHAM!*
I barely blocked it with both hands, but I couldn't stop my body from flying backward.
Fwoosh!
At the same time, two axes fell, aiming for both my ankles.
I lifted my feet to dodge and, in a handstand, kicked at Jo Gwang's face.
Thump, thump.
There was no way to put proper power into it from such an unstable position.
Jo Gwang didn't even bat an eye and kicked me straight in the solar plexus.
*POW.*
My breath hitched, but I couldn't just stay down.
The moment I regained my footing, I charged at him and saw him swing his axe.
Fwoosh!
*Grit.*
Gritting my teeth, I dove inside his attack range.
*Rip. Shunk!*
A sharp pain shot through my shoulder where the axe had grazed it.
“Die, you motherfucker!”
The thirteen strikes of the Dragon-Slaying Thirteen Strikes hammered him.
But.
A smirk.
I had forgotten.
To survive in the martial world until old age meant you were a master of strategy.
*Thwack!*
He extended his forehead to deflect my fist and then struck my ankle.
*Thud.*
As I lost my balance and fell, he seized the opening, and an axe flew toward my head.
*CRASH! Crack.*
I barely rolled away, and his axe slammed into the ground.
The stone floor struck by the axe's blade was completely shattered.
“...”
To have that much power without internal energy.
I almost pissed myself at his imposing presence, like Zhang Fei at the Battle of Changban.
But I couldn't just lie down and die.
I had no choice.
I had to use my trump card.
As he was about to swing his axe again, I threw a small pouch at his face.
“Hmph!”
The moment he swung his hand to knock the pouch away, red and black powder rained down on his face.
“Cough! Cough! Ugh!”
Pepper Bomb ver 5.
My secret weapon, developed on my own after receiving the technique from Cheong So-so, had just gone off.
How could I miss this chance?
*Whoosh! Whoosh! THUD!*
I blocked the wildly swinging axe with my back and climbed onto the bastard's neck.
“You bastard! How dare you!”
Strikes didn't work, vital point attacks were useless.
If the enemy's body is like steel, there's only one answer.
A Battle Lord Arrow.
I had to use a blade that could pierce anything.
I plunged the Battle Lord Arrow toward the crown of his head.
“Die, you motherfucker!”
*Shunk!*
That wasn't the sound of the Battle Lord Arrow.
“Keuk.”
It was the sound of a dagger, flown from somewhere, embedding itself in my thigh.
I had stuck as close to him as possible to avoid this very thing, but it seems I wasn't close enough.
*Grip.*
Jo Gwang, having come to his senses, dropped his axe and grabbed my hand.
*Squeeeze.*
A contest of strength against strength.
And the result was.
*What kind of strength is this!*
My defeat.
I never imagined an old man over seventy could have such a powerful grip.
Sensing I couldn't beat him in a contest of pure strength, I jabbed my thumb straight into his eye.
*Squish!*
No matter how much of an external arts master he was, he couldn't have trained his eyeballs.
“Gyaaaah!”
A scream echoed along with the feeling of a lens bursting.
*Thwack! Thud.*
Jo Gwang swung his other hand and struck my waist.
The moment I fell from his body, I immediately righted myself.
“Urgh.”
My whole body felt like it was shattering, but now was the time to move.
“Everyone, retreat!”
To escape.
In truth, I had somewhat anticipated things would turn out this way.
I knew full well that Jo Gwang was a master skilled in both internal and external arts.
That's why, when first drawing up the plan, I had considered a worst-case scenario like this.
Unfortunately, my prediction had come true, and now we had to do our best to escape Lanzhou.
To open the path to survival I had prepared there.
Hearing my shout, everyone from the War King's Gate began to backpedal while maintaining their formation.
“Just run for your lives!”
*Rumble.*
At my second shout, they all quickly turned and ran toward the fortress gate.
I could see the enemies looking bewildered by the sudden turn of events.
And.
“Haa... haa... I'll kill you!”
Jo Gwang said, digging out his own burst eyeball with his hand.
*Seriously?*
Is he Xiahou Dun or something?
The moment I saw his state, I ran without looking back.
I could feel his rage boiling over even from here.
"Catch them-!"
"Kill them all!"
I felt an intense killing intent from behind.
My steps, imbued with the principles of the Flying Heavenly Wind, were supposed to widen the distance between us... but that was bullshit.
“Yikes!”
My right thigh, with the dagger stuck in it, wouldn't move properly, and the distance only continued to shrink.
“Got you now, you bastard!”
Fwoosh!
I heard the sound of an axe flying from behind me.
“Hup!”
Fortunately, the axe missed me.
Perhaps his aim was off because one of his eyes was gone.
“Hehe... now that you're a one-eyed cripple... yikes!”
“Die!”
But he didn't have one axe; he had two.
Alarmed by the second axe flying at me, I threw myself to the side.
*Damn it.*
The axe passed precariously over my head.
*Thud!*
“Yikes!”
If I stay down, I'm dead.
I immediately started running again, but the distance had already closed significantly.
Jo Gwang picked up the fallen axe and immediately brought it down.
*Whoosh!*
“...!”
I heard the sound of it cutting through the air once more.
I turned my body to somehow block it, but.
*Too late!*
I couldn't get the timing right.
At this rate, it was obvious I'd get a limb chopped off.
I tried to block it with a part of my body covered by the Dragon Scale Armor, but.
*Swish.*
The War King's Gate members running ahead of me threw their iron spears first.
“I told you to just run!”
Thanks to them, Jo Gwang faltered, and I was able to escape a life-threatening crisis.
I grabbed my trembling legs and ran again.
Just ten steps.
If I just pushed a little harder, I could escape Lanzhou.
Nine, eight... five... one.
Just when there was only one step left.
*Snatch.*
A hand like a turtle's shell grabbed my face.
I had expected it.
There's nothing that feels as foul as a man's breath right behind you.
*Thwack! Thwack-thwack!*
A stormy three-hit combo.
I struck his solar plexus and his injured eye.
“Keuk.”
Jo Gwang let out a groan but didn't loosen his grip.
Instead, I felt an overwhelming killing intent, as if he meant to end it here.
*Squeeze.*
But.
*Fwoosh!*
A blade aura, flying from somewhere, sliced off both of Jo Gwang's arms.
*Spurt!*
At the same time, iron spears imbued with internal energy flew in and pierced his body.
*Thuk-thuk-thuk-thuk!*
It was the path to survival I had prepared in advance: Yuk Hak and the Iron-Blooded Elders.
That's right.
From the beginning, I hadn't let Yuk Hak and the Elders participate in the battle.
For this very moment.
“Keoheok!”
He collapsed futilely.
Sparks flew from Yuk Hak's eyes.
“Charge!”
The Iron-Blooded Elders beside him raised their spears and advanced.
All the warriors of the War King's Gate, including myself, who had escaped Lanzhou, followed the Elders and re-entered.
It was the moment a fierce battle turned into a one-sided massacre.
* * *
*Whoosh.*
Lanzhou had become a sea of blood.
Among the nearly one thousand enemies, there wasn't a single survivor.
On our side, the casualties were forty dead and twelve seriously injured.
It was a loss that could be considered both small and large.
If I hadn't positioned Yuk Hak and the Iron-Blooded Elders outside the fortress.
If I had failed to provoke Jo Gwang.
The casualties would have been several times greater.
That's how terrifying a figure Jo Gwang, the Twin Axe Killing Demon, was.
But the plan worked perfectly, and in the end, the War King's Gate was able to eliminate all the enemies at the Ten Demon Alliance's Gansu Branch.
This meant we had also burned down the war supplies the enemy had gathered.
We had perfectly achieved our mission's objective.
As huge flames shot up from the Gansu Branch in the heart of Lanzhou.
“Haa... haa...”
Jo Gwang gasped for breath, his one remaining, bloodshot eye wide open.
I was shocked. I thought he was surely dead, but he was still alive. His life force was beyond impressive; it was miraculous.
“You're not dead yet?”
“Haa... Not being able to kill... the successor of the War King Arts... haa... is regrettable...”
“...It seems you know something about the War King Arts.”
“...Only the Killing Sect... knows.”
“It seems there's a bad blood I'm not aware of.”
*Nod.*
Covered in blood, Jo Gwang gave a small smile and nodded.
“...”
In truth, it was entirely possible.
To inherit a martial art means inheriting its grudges along with its teachings.
It's like inheriting debt along with an estate.
With an inheritance, you can at least choose limited acceptance, but with martial arts, if the pros don't outweigh the cons, your only option is to refuse the inheritance altogether.
As I nodded, Jo Gwang sneered and spoke.
Sitting there with both arms gone, he was a truly grotesque sight.
“Do you... want to know?”
“Of course not.”
“...?”
“What's the point of hearing about old stories? It'll only sour my mood.”
*BOOM! Splatter.*
I shot a Battle Lord Arrow and blew his head apart.
As his head vanished without a trace, his nearly two-meter-tall frame collapsed lifelessly.
“You won't be reincarnated as a human anyway, so instead of a tiger or a bear, I hope you're reborn as something useful to people, like an ox.”
I clutched my trembling legs and looked up at the sky.
*Fwoosh.*
Smoke rising from the crimson flames obscured the moonlight.