Chapter 71
Chapter 71
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 71
Chapter Title: Deployment to the Heaven-Ascending Pavilion (6)
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#071. Deployment to the Heaven-Ascending Pavilion (6)
“What in the world happened?”
Yang Gang asked.
“The Third Elder of the Blood Sect!”
I answered.
“Who the hell is that?!”
“The Twin Axe Killing Demon!”
As if not believing my words, Ha Jin-hyeong, who was running ahead, looked back with a horrified expression.
It was understandable. The Twin Axe Killing Demon of the Blood Sect was one of the most formidable masters in the Ten Demon Alliance.
“But why is he chasing us like he wants to kill us?!”
“Because I killed that old man's disciple!”
“You son of a bitch!”
“Less talking, more running!”
Even as I said this, my mind was in turmoil.
I might have been able to escape alone, but I had no confidence in getting away with these three.
‘Should we split up?’
I considered it for a moment, but soon shook my head.
No. I don't know how that old man will react.
If by some chance he goes after these three, there will only be more corpses.
“Damn it all!”
As I reached the conclusion that we had to fight, a curse escaped my lips unconsciously.
“We fight him here!”
It might be the worst possible choice.
The peak, where one reaches the limits of human potential.
The transcendent, where one surpasses those limits.
The difference between these two realms was stark.
Even now, I had no way of blocking Ju Gwang's energy.
If Ju Gwang's martial arts were based on speed rather than power, I would have been visiting the afterlife long ago.
However.
‘It's not like there's no chance of winning.’
If these three help, there's a possibility.
Besides, I have the incomprehensible martial art known as the War King Arts.
If I can seize just one opportunity, I'm confident I can penetrate his protective energy and land a blow.
Having made up my mind, I shouted to the three of them.
“Hold him off for ten seconds!”
“Are you crazy?!”
Yang Gang exclaimed in shock, raising his iron mace.
“Will ten seconds really be enough?!”
Ha Jin-hyeong swung the nine-section whip that was tied to his waist, and Lee Dang-pal placed daggers between his fingers.
Ten seconds.
It was the time I needed to draw out the Chain Ring Force.
Against Baek Mu-ha, there was no fear of dying in a single blow, so I could build it up while fighting him. But my current opponent was a renowned transcendent master.
A momentary lapse could get my head chopped off.
That's why I asked the three of them to buy me ten seconds.
*Crackle.*
I began to gather the wildly rampaging War King Energy into one spot.
Just as I was preparing to unleash the Chain Ring Force.
Yang Gang leaped towards Ju Gwang as if flying.
Ju Gwang swung his axe with indifferent eyes.
It was a sudden close-quarters engagement, and perhaps because he hadn't imbued it with energy, it looked like an ordinary axe swing.
*Fwoosh!*
But even such an attack held the power to split a boulder in two.
Seemingly aware of this, Yang Gang gritted his teeth and swung his mace.
A faint haze hinted at the level of his mastery.
But.
*Clang.*
His opponent was a transcendent master.
Even though Yang Gang had clearly summoned every last ounce of his strength, he only managed to slightly alter the trajectory, not block the attack.
*Squelch!*
The axe fell, slicing through Yang Gang from his shoulder to his chest.
“Gah!”
He let out a short scream and collapsed helplessly.
*Chwak!*
Ha Jin-hyeong unfurled his nine-section whip and caught Ju Gwang's axe.
At the same time, Lee Dang-pal's daggers flew towards the old man.
“Do not interfere!”
As if not wanting to waste time in a contest of strength, Ju Gwang threw the axe that had been caught.
“......!”
Ha Jin-hyeong, horrified, barely managed to dodge, but Ju Gwang's figure had already closed in beside him.
Lee Dang-pal threw his daggers at the old man, but.
*Thwack.*
The axe ultimately sliced open Ha Jin-hyeong's side.
If the daggers hadn't aimed for his eyes, Ha Jin-hyeong's body would have surely been split in two.
*Fwish!*
Three daggers cut through the air.
A chilling sound of them piercing the air proved that the power of each one was by no means weak.
At the same time.
*Pshhh.*
A murky smoke flowed from Lee Dang-pal's hands.
It was poison.
“I'll have to kill you first!”
The enraged Ju Gwang swung his hand and rushed at him.
The flying daggers were knocked down in a single move, and a red aura began to surge from his axe.
Lee Dang-pal stared at it with a hardened gaze.
And in that moment.
The War King Energy inside my body exploded.
*Crackle. Sizzle.*
The Chain Ring Force, erupting from my solar plexus, spread its power throughout my body.
“Graaah!”
It gave me an uncontrollable strength.
The pain of my whole body feeling like it was on fire?
The feeling of becoming a superman?
I had no time to feel anything.
I could only think of saving the three people in front of me.
And as if my feet understood my heart, they shot forward, unleashing the War King Step.
*Thud.*
I unleashed the Explosive Death Force with all my might against the aura that was about to cleave Lee Dang-pal.
*Boom! Kwarreureung.*
A blast like a grenade going off erupted before my eyes. The actual force was similar.
Ju Gwang's energy was knocked off course, splitting only the innocent ground.
*Fwing!*
Having escaped the crisis, Lee Dang-pal's daggers once again flew towards Ju Gwang's eyes.
“You little rat!”
Ju Gwang swung his hand again to block the daggers.
However, his opponent was me.
As my stomp overturned the ground.
*Shwaaak!*
The Ultimate Death Force erupted.
“Cheap tricks!”
Ju Gwang unleashed his aura and slammed his axe down, and the Ultimate Death Force was helplessly split apart.
*Chwarak.*
A nine-section whip flew from somewhere and snatched his axe.
I followed it with my eyes and saw a pale-faced Ha Jin-hyeong clutching his side, pulling on the whip.
*Fwoosh!*
A loud sound of displaced air was heard as a mace flew in.
*Ping.*
From the other side, a dagger flew.
Ju Gwang was enraged.
“I'll kill you all!”
He swung his axe vertically, deflecting all the attacks.
Watching him, I thought.
‘This is my chance.’
It was a relief that he only wielded one axe.
I stomped on the axe just before it hit the ground and released my power.
A move only possible because of the speed of the Chain Ring Force.
*Kwajik.*
Not just the axe blade, but its entire head was driven into the ground.
But Ju Gwang, without a hint of panic, simply let go of the axe.
*Fwoosh!*
With a terrifying sound, Ju Gwang's fist flew towards my solar plexus.
If it hit, my internal organs would surely be turned to mush.
But.
Close-quarters combat is my domain.
I used the War King Step to leap right in front of his nose.
It was to disperse the point of impact and reduce its power.
*Thump! Vmmm.*
The Dragon Scale Armor groaned from the impact of his fist.
“Cough.”
A dry cough burst out from the remaining, unabsorbed shock.
But, I had achieved my goal.
“......!”
As if unable to believe I had taken the blow with my body, Ju Gwang's eyes widened as he stared at me.
I poured all my strength into unleashing the War King Thirteen Strikes on his side.
Piercing, striking, smashing, kicking—every kind of blow a human could deliver exploded against his body.
“Hyaaah!”
*Paang!*
An utterly silent sound of displaced air.
But its power was anything but silent.
I had poured every last drop of War King Energy into the essence of the War King Thirteen Strikes I'd realized at the Heaven-Ascending Pavilion, detonating thirteen Explosive Death Force strikes on his body.
No matter how strong his protective energy was, he couldn't block all of this.
For all I knew, even Bukgung Baek wouldn't be able to.
I stopped moving and watched Ju Gwang, tense.
Having exhausted every last wisp of true energy, I had no strength left to attack.
If he had withstood my attack, I would die here.
The one second I spent watching him felt like an hour.
And then.
“Cough. Ugh!”
*Ptooey.*
Ju Gwang spewed a waterfall of dark red blood.
A sense of accomplishment and the relief of being alive washed over me at the same time.
As he vomited blood, Ju Gwang asked with difficulty.
“Keuk... What is the name of this martial art?”
“The War King Arts.”
“...Is that the truth?”
“What's the point of lying to a dying old man?”
“Keuk, kehehehe, heuuu...”
I said to the softly sobbing man.
“It's time for you to go. Your disciple buried in the ground has been waiting a long time.”
“Hehe, do you think you've won?”
The atmosphere changed in an instant.
“......?”
Ju Gwang straightened his back and looked at us.
“Haaah... It's regrettable that I can't see this to the end right here.”
“Even if I offer to kill you?”
“Thanks to you, the lineage of the Mad Killing Axe is about to be severed. I can't possibly die.”
Ju Gwang's expression became much more relaxed.
‘Is he bluffing?’
With a sideways glance, I signaled Ha Jin-hyeong, the only one of us still in decent shape.
He threw a dagger like a bolt of lightning.
*Thwack.*
But I couldn't help but be surprised when I saw the dagger embedded in Ju Gwang's body.
“He's mastered a superior external art.”
It was because Ha Jin-hyeong's dagger, thrown with first-rate skill, had only pierced the very tip.
This changes things.
Even if we fought again, I could no longer guarantee victory.
Moreover, I was about to pay the price for unleashing the Chain Ring Force.
In fact, with just a little more time, Ju Gwang could kill us all.
“In the martial world, if you want to live long, you must hide ten percent of your skill.”
“Wasn't it three percent?”
“I am a demon of the Ten Demon Alliance.”
“True...”
The demonic path is a place where assassinations due to power struggles are frequent.
You never know what might happen, so it's wise to hide as much of your skill as possible.
“I see.”
“What will you do?”
“It was I who killed your disciple. Don't you resent me?”
“I want to tear you to pieces this very moment. But, I must live for that to have any meaning, wouldn't you agree?”
“A wise answer to a foolish question. Let's end it here.”
“A wise choice.”
With those words, Ju Gwang turned and walked away.
Just as his back disappeared into the darkness, his voice was heard.
“We'll meet again. Next time, I will surely split your head open.”
“Bullshit.”
A short while after he disappeared.
Thinking enough time had passed, I called out to Ha Jin-hyeong.
“Jin-hyeong.”
“Yes.”
“I'm going to need you to carry me.”
And then I lost consciousness.
By the way, I'm worried about the medical bills.
* * *
“...How could it be this bad...”
“Is there a way...”
“The Cheong family's...”
“...I need a master.”
Whispering sounds tickled my ears.
‘Am I alive?’
I could feel my fingers and toes, so nothing had been cut off.
‘What a relief.’
When I opened my eyes, I saw physicians gathered around me.
Faces I vaguely recognized.
They were the physicians of the Heaven-Ascending Pavilion.
They saw me and shouted in surprise.
“Go get the Pavilion Master immediately! You, prepare a blood-replenishing tonic right now. Mujeon, are you awake?”
“...Physician... Yang... It's been... a while.”
I had no strength in my body, so my voice wouldn't come out properly.
“I thought you were going to die.”
“I feel... like I'm dying. Please save me.”
“You brat, who do you think I am? Am I not the best physician in the Heaven-Ascending Pavilion? I'll definitely fix you up, so don't you worry.”
I wanted to ask how he could rank himself when there were only ten physicians, but I just kept my mouth shut.
Right now, he was the only one who could save me.
*Bang!*
Suddenly, the door flew open and a grim-looking Taoist entered.
It was the Adept of Annihilation.
“Pavilion Master...”
“You're alive!”
“I went... all the way to the gates of hell.”
“Kehehe, I almost wouldn't have been able to face your master.”
“......”
“Thank you. Thanks to you, the talented ones returned alive.”
My energy was so depleted that I couldn't open my mouth anymore.
The Adept of Annihilation pressed on my acupoints and said.
“Sleep for a while. You'll feel much better when you wake up.”
What if I never wake up...
I haven't even sorted out my inheritance.
* * *
How much time had passed since then?
My eyes opened, perhaps because some of my energy had returned.
I saw a woman dressed in a bright blue robe.
She seemed petite, but she was a beauty with a pale face and delicate features that gave her a pure and graceful impression.
“Are you awake?”
“...Miss Cheong?”
Good heavens. To think I just thought Cheong So-so was a beauty.
The side effects of my internal injuries were this severe.
“Yes, it's me.”
“Where did Physician Yang go...”
“Him?”
Cheong So-so looked behind her.
Following her gaze, I saw him decocting a tonic in a corner.
“He's over there, preparing a tonic for you, Squad Leader.”
Just then, as if it was ready, Physician Yang brought the tonic over.
And he said to Cheong So-so in a suggestive tone.
“Ahem, what do you think? With this level of skill, don't you think I'm worthy of learning the medical arts of the Cheong family?”
“How can you judge medical skill just from brewing a tonic? I'll let you know later depending on the situation, so just go organize the medicinal herbs in the corner.”
“Ah, alright.”
Seeing him act like that just to learn a thing or two, it seems our Divine Healer Cheong has completely captivated him with her medical skills.
“How did you get here?”
“How else? Warrior Ha dragged me here. He said I was the only one who could save you, Squad Leader.”
I guess I'll have to buy him a drink later.
“How long has it been since I collapsed?”
“It's been two days since I got here, so it must have been about five days.”
“...How bad is it this time?”
“Huh? A serious injury, of course. Anyone else would have been dead and buried by now.”
“I'm asking about the cost of the medicine.”
“...Is that really what's important right now?”
“There's nothing more important than money in this world.”
Of course, it's important.
This is a world without worker's comp, let alone health insurance.
As I waited with a nervous heart, Cheong So-so gave an unexpected answer.
“Fortunately, the condition of your blood points and meridians is better than last time. Your internal organs are damaged, but not to the point of needing an elixir.”
“Th-then...?”
“We can treat you sufficiently with the medicinal herbs we have here, so I don't think you need to worry about money.”
After she finished speaking, Cheong So-so went outside.
‘Hehehe.’
I saved money.