Let Them Remember From Now On (5)
“Chung Myung!”
Jo Gul screamed before he even realized he was doing it.
Chung Myung’s body, flung through the air while spraying blood, looked as though it were moving in slow motion. The Law Enforcer seized the opening without hesitation and hurled himself after him like a madman.
To anyone watching, it was clear Chung Myung was being driven back.
But then—
Spinning suddenly in midair, Chung Myung flashed a wild, ferocious grin and raised his sword.
Gooooooo!
Red sword qi gathered around the blade lifted overhead. It sharpened by the instant, growing more and more distinct until it finally solidified and wrapped the sword in blazing crimson.
“T-That?”
“Sword Gang?”
Kwaaaaaaaaaang!
Struck head-on by Chung Myung’s descending blade, the Law Enforcer flew back like a cannonball and smashed into the ground.
Kuwoooong! Thud!
The earth caved in as if a meteor had fallen. The impact bounced the Law Enforcer’s body upward once more before he crashed back down limply.
And yet, he had not lost consciousness. He sprang back to his feet in a hurry.
“Urgh!”
Blood gushed from his mouth in a torrent. His insides had been shaken to pieces, and his torn organs were sending blood surging back up his throat.
But there was no time to worry about wounds.
Chung Myung was already charging toward him with the eyes of a blood-hungry wolf.
“You filthy heretic bastard!”
The Law Enforcer roared, scattering blood as he reset his stance.
Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa!
Black force crashed over Chung Myung like a raging current bursting through a broken dam.
Paaaat!
And Chung Myung’s sword answered, bursting into red plum blossoms.
The suddenly swelling blossoms bloomed like clouds, driving back the torrent of force. To those watching, it looked like a black flood bursting from a broken embankment and sweeping over a field of plum blossoms.
Are they even human...?
The Ice Palace warriors stared in stunned silence, their mouths hanging open before they even noticed.
It was clearly a man fighting a man.
And yet the energies spilling from their sword tips and fingertips were so overwhelming it was hard to believe such a spectacle had been made by human hands at all.
“Ooooooh!”
“Haaaaaaah!”
The torrent-like force smashed against the blossoms and shattered them to pieces.
But another, even greater and more oppressive surge came crashing in after it.
The blossoms that had bloomed were swept into the current and slowly began to lose their light.
But plum blossoms bloom again. Far more blossoms than those that had fallen rose anew.
Red flowers and black torrents.
The two forces swirled together, expanding and colliding.
Puk!
Driven back by the sword qi, the force that rebounded struck Chung Myung in the chest.
Blood surged up his throat, but he forced it down and kept unfolding his sword.
Swish! Swish!
Fragments of Maehwageomgi sliced across the Law Enforcer’s face and ankles.
Martial arts were originally created to protect the self.
And yet the Law Enforcer, as though proving with his whole body that martial arts existed only to kill the opponent, paid no heed to his wounds and continued to pour out attacks filled with nothing but killing intent.
Thud!
Even after exchanging blows that felt as though they were carving flesh and tearing soul apart, he seemed unsatisfied. He thrust force outward from the front and snapped his body slightly backward.
Then—
Wooooooom!
He brought his hands together before his chest, forming a strange hand seal. At the same time, black demonic qi erupted from both shoulders like flames.
It was such dark, dense power that it seemed to carry fear with it.
“Heavenly Demon Descends! Myriad Demons Rejoice!”
Kuwoooong!
Stomping down hard, the Law Enforcer hurled the demonic qi gathered in both hands forward.
“Haaaaaaah!”
The qi swelled, taking the shape of a beast.
Before long, a black monster the size of a house opened its maw and swallowed Chung Myung whole.
“Ch-Chung Myung...!”
Even Baek Cheon, who had been struggling desperately to keep his composure until now, shouted in panic. Just looking at it was enough to feel the monstrous power packed into that strike deep in one’s bones.
“S-Sahyuuuuung!”
Dang Soso’s piercing scream rang out.
Responding to that cry, Chung Myung’s sword drew a soft arc through the air. It was a motion that seemed to answer, Don’t worry.
His blood-soaked blade trembled faintly.
Against the Law Enforcer’s even fiercer onslaught, the sword looked far too fragile to withstand it.
But—
“Look!”
Baek Cheon shouted with a voice that seemed to seethe.
“That’s Mount Hua’s sword!”
Chung Myung’s sword tip traced a blossom.
One petal, then another.
Even as it faced the black beast that was swallowing the world, the flower continued to bloom.
Small, yet never truly small.
Blooming.
No great tree ever began as anything more than a single tiny blossom.
It blooms, it falls, and it blooms again, and from that cycle new life is born.
That is circulation, and also continuation.
The one becomes the taiji, the three powers unite into the four forms, the five elements form the six directions, and through the seven stars, the eight trigrams, and the nine palaces, it finally reaches completion.
Yet even that is circulation.
The principles of the world flow and flow again, but no current begins without blooming first.
A small flower never remains merely small.
Countless blossoms spread, and the view of Mount Hua in full bloom was carried intact to the North Sea. And with it, its spirit as well.
The Law Enforcer’s eyes flew wide open.
The plum blossoms that had already filled the world left him stunned.
What kind of sword is this?
Martial arts begin in human hands, and in the end they transcend humanity.
But the scene unfolding before his eyes had already surpassed even that.
A vast ocean filled with plum blossoms rolled and heaved.
The sea of dancing blossoms stole the breath from all who saw it, then in an instant changed its momentum into a monstrous wave that crashed down on the Law Enforcer.
Twenty-Four Plum Blossom Sword Art.
Plum Blossom in Full Bloom.
How strong could a single petal be?
A breeze would scatter it; rain would only crush it.
But when those tiny leaves gathered, and gathered again, they became a tree, then a forest, and before long they filled the world, their fragrance spreading beyond a thousand li, beyond ten thousand li.
The endlessly layered Maehwageomgi shattered even the aura of the Law Enforcer’s final, desperate Mara Devouring Life Palm.
The beast that had opened its maw and charged was crushed beneath the surging wave of plum blossoms.
The Law Enforcer clawed against it, pouring more power into his force. But no matter how strong a power was, it could not push back the sea.
At last, the wave of blossoms that had crushed the demonic beast filled his vision and came crashing down.
“Don’t screw with meeeee!”
The Law Enforcer screamed in despair and thrust both hands forward. Demonic qi burst from his fingertips and tore into the oncoming wave of plum blossoms with all his strength.
Shwaaaaaaaak!
But it was no different from fighting against a waterfall.
Crack!
Before his fingers even gave way, his knees buckled first.
Crunch!
Bones screamed. Flesh, unable to withstand the pressure, burst apart as if exploding. Blood spread out like sea mist.
“H-Heavenly Demon Descends...”
As he muttered the mantra, the Law Enforcer’s body began to tremble violently. Only then did he understand again.
This sword...
The sword that cut down the Heavenly Demon...
The sword of Mount Hua.
“Aaaaaaaah!”
The wave of plum blossoms completely engulfed the Law Enforcer, who was shrieking in madness.
Kwaaaaaaaaaaaaa!
The whirling blossoms swept over the North Sea’s white expanse with terrifying force.
It was a spectacle so majestic that even seeing it with one’s own eyes made it hard to believe.
Everyone watched with dazed eyes, as if trapped in a dream.
And then—
The feast of plum blossoms that had dyed the white ground of the North Sea red vanished as abruptly as an illusion, washed away in an instant.
“...”
After a long, suppressed silence, the onlookers finally managed to draw breath.
All their gazes were fixed on one place.
Plop.
Plop.
Blood slid down a hand and dripped to the floor.
The Law Enforcer, his body in no state to be called intact anywhere, knelt on one knee and gasped for breath.
“H-Hea... Heavenly Demon...”
Even now, the fact that he was still calling for the Heavenly Demon made the spectators sick to their stomachs, but there was no one left who felt fear at the sight of him broken so completely.
“Ptooey!”
Chung Myung spat out the blood filling his mouth carelessly and wiped at it with his sleeve. Then, as if he were about to say something, he suddenly coughed up another mouthful.
“Cough!”
After vomiting up blood in streams, he frowned and muttered,
“That bastard’s making me waste energy.”
He might have looked fine on the outside, but his insides were a complete mess. At his current level of internal power, unleashing sword qi of that magnitude was still too much.
But those guys were bloodthirsty hyenas.
If he didn’t seize the initiative completely, they would find some weakness and latch on like leeches. Even if it was a little excessive, he had to crush them properly.
Thanks to that, he didn’t really have any external injuries, but his internal wounds were twice as deep as when he had fought Seol Cheon-sang.
But...
Doesn’t matter.
Chung Myung walked slowly toward the Law Enforcer. It was time to finish this.
And then—
“Save the envoy!”
“Block him! Stop him no matter what!”
The Demonic Sect followers who had been watching from behind screamed and rushed forward. Some moved to block Chung Myung, while others ran to support the Law Enforcer.
“Where do you think you’re going...”
Just as Chung Myung’s face twisted and he was about to swing his sword, a tremendous burst of wind pressure exploded behind him first.
“You bastards!”
“Your opponent is us!”
The Mount Hua disciples began engaging the Demonic Sect followers, and behind them Hye Yeon sent wave after wave of golden Buddhist force surging out.
“...”
Chung Myung glanced back at them once, then fixed his eyes on the Law Enforcer again.
Swish.
In the next instant, his body vanished from the spot as if sinking away, then reappeared like a phantom directly before the kneeling Law Enforcer.
“Hah!”
“Dieeee!”
The Demonic Sect followers trying to rescue the Law Enforcer jerked back in alarm, but they were Demonic Sect disciples too. Without the slightest hesitation, they attacked Chung Myung.
Puk!
But Chung Myung smashed them away with the flat of his sword and immediately kicked the Law Enforcer.
Kwaaaaaaaaaang!
With a deafening boom, the Law Enforcer’s body shot into the air and began to fall like a kite with its string cut.
The direction his body was flying pointed straight over the heads of the Ice Palace warriors.
Having separated the Demonic Sect followers and the Law Enforcer with a single strike, Chung Myung kicked off the ground and chased after him.
Kururururung!
The Law Enforcer’s body flew over the Ice Palace warriors and smashed through the wall of the Ice Palace.
“What the hell are you all standing around for, you idiots? Can’t even handle the ones who’ve lost their heads?”
As Chung Myung barked at them, the Ice Palace warriors turned to one another, grit their teeth, and a moment later a series of fierce shouts burst out from all around.
“Drive back those evil bastards!”
“Kill them all! Kill them!”
Only then, finally finding their courage, the Ice Palace warriors charged the Demonic Sect members. Chung Myung swept them with a cold glance, then swiftly launched himself after the Law Enforcer.
“Sasuk! Hye Yeon! Don’t let a single one of them live!”
“Understood!”
“Amitabha!”
At incredible speed, Chung Myung closed in on the fortress and immediately leaped upward. Where he headed was not the place the Law Enforcer had broken into, but where Seol So-baek stood.
Tap!
He landed right beside Seol So-baek at the end of the wall.
“D-Daoist?”
At the very moment doubt filled Seol So-baek’s eyes—
Kwaaaang!
The floor exploded, and the Law Enforcer shot up from beneath it.
But as though he had expected this, Chung Myung simply kicked the rising Law Enforcer in the jaw and sent him flying away.
The Law Enforcer’s body slammed into the wall again.
Kurururung.
Watching the wall crack and crumble, Chung Myung let out a cold laugh.
“It’s obvious what you bastards would do. Idiots.”
Thud.
Roughly covering Seol So-baek’s head with one hand, Chung Myung didn’t even spare the child a glance as he strode toward the Law Enforcer.
“Cough...”
The Law Enforcer, blood dripping steadily from his mouth, had been coughing nonstop in the dust that had risen around him.
“Get up.”
Chung Myung looked down at him coldly.
“You’re not dead from that. This isn’t over yet, so get up.”
Despair flickered in the Law Enforcer’s eyes.
There were countless stronger people in the world. The fact that he could not defeat this one shouldn’t have been such a terrible thing.
And yet how was he supposed to explain this thick, suffocating killing intent and the terrifying persistence behind it?
The Law Enforcer looked down at his trembling hands.
I’m afraid?
Me?
Right then—
“You little—!”
Chung Myung’s head snapped sideways.
Suddenly the wall on the right caved in, and from inside it a sword-bearing figure shot out like lightning and attacked Chung Myung.
That clothing...?
Ice Palace?
Chung Myung bit down on his lip and quickly blocked the incoming sword.
“Run, envoy!”
At the intruder’s desperate shout, the Law Enforcer sprang upright.
“Like hell you will!”
Chung Myung’s sword qi shot relentlessly toward the Law Enforcer. But instead of retreating downward, the Law Enforcer shattered the ceiling and leaped upward.
“That bastard!”
Fury flared in Chung Myung’s eyes.
“You’re an elder of the Ice Palace... and you’re protecting the Demonic Sect? You fucking bastard!”
“H-Heavenly Demon Descends! Myriad De—”
“Shut up!”
Paaaat!
With a single slash, Chung Myung cut the elder’s throat clean off, then ground his teeth and turned back.
Seol So-baek flinched and shrank back.
The startled child’s eyes and Chung Myung’s flame-filled gaze met in midair.
“...”
Chung Myung silently turned his head away and shot upward in pursuit of the Law Enforcer.
Bang! Bang!
Meanwhile, the Law Enforcer kept blasting through the ceiling, climbing higher and higher.
I have to survive.
I have to report that monster to the sect, no matter what. And that he has the Ice Crystal.
If the Bishop himself doesn’t move, there’s no way to reclaim the Ice Crystal...
“Stop right there, you bastard!”
Kwaaaaaaaaaang!
Then sword qi flew up from below, striking toward the Law Enforcer’s body.
“Ngh...!”
He barely managed to block it with a hand soaked in demonic qi, but the force carried in that sword qi was enough to hurl him away.
Crash! Bang!
The Law Enforcer’s body blasted through the ceiling again and again.
Crack! Crash!
At last, flung all the way to the top floor, the Law Enforcer coughed up blood and rolled across the floor.
“Grrrgh...”
His hand, scraping against the wrecked floor, trembled uncontrollably.
Blood tears streamed from his eyes, and a vicious light flickered within them.
If I can’t make it back alive...
Kurururung.
He gathered every last ounce of life left in his body, even the final trace of innate qi still clinging to him, and his eyes gleamed eerily.
“Even if I can bring back just that arm...”
That was when it happened.
The Law Enforcer’s head snapped sharply to the side.
“...Where is this?”
The top floor of the fortress. The place where Seol Cheon-sang’s office was located. He had come here several times before.
Of course, the reason he was shocked now was not because this was Seol Cheon-sang’s office.
In the center—
The jade throne where Seol Cheon-sang always sat had been overturned and smashed, rolling across the floor. And beneath it, a box half-jutted out, the impact having cracked it slightly open.
“Th-That...”
Blue light kept spilling out from inside.
Delight lit up the Law Enforcer’s eyes.
“That bastard Seol Cheon-sang!”
He rushed in at lightning speed, grabbed the box, and without a moment’s delay threw himself toward the window in the wall.
Kwaaang!
The wooden window shattered helplessly as his body flew out into the air.
“Where do you think you’re going, you bastard!”
Chung Myung, who had arrived a beat too late, hurled red sword qi at him.
But at that very moment—
With an unnervingly bright smile, the Law Enforcer crouched and shielded not his own body, but the box.
“What?”
Chung Myung’s eyes flew wide open.
Swish!
One of the Law Enforcer’s arms was severed and fell away.
At the same time, one corner of the box he had been holding was cut off, exposing its contents clearly.
Inside the box was unmistakably an Ice Crystal.
“Farewell, Central Plains man!”
“What the hell are you talking abou—!”
Just as Chung Myung tried to throw himself from the window in pursuit, his eyes flashed and he twisted his body around.
Kwaaang!
From behind, another Ice Palace elder had rushed up and was desperately firing force at Chung Myung.
“Heavenly Demon Descends! Myriad—”
Paaaat!
Chung Myung, his face twisted with terrifying fury, cut the elder’s throat off with a single blow.
The head, eyes still wide open, slammed into the wall, then dropped and rolled across the floor.
“You—”
He hurried to the window and looked out, but the Law Enforcer had already vanished far into the distance. Watching his retreating figure, Chung Myung’s face warped like that of a demon.
“That fucking—”
Blood seeped down from Chung Myung’s tightly clenched lips, the result of rage biting down too hard.