Chapter 26
Chapter 26
Debts Must Be Paid (2)
'This is unexpected.'
Se-woon inwardly muttered as he watched Ha-yeong faithfully following his commands.
The Ha-yeong from his memories before the regression and the current Ha-yeong seemed like entirely different people.
-Beg for forgiveness with your death.
In his previous life, whenever she faced him, she would always swing her sword first, radiating nothing but murderous intent.
She had been a witch-like existence devoid of any discernible emotion.
Which was why her current flustered and awkward demeanor was completely unforeseen.
Whoosh!
At that moment, a sharp whistling sound tore through the air—like the air itself was screaming.
"Die!"
It seemed to be the sound of the whip currently assaulting Cheong Yeon, but—
'No, she's masking another hidden weapon with that sound.'
Se-woon distinctly heard the faint noise of a concealed projectile beneath the whip's crack.
Instantly, he focused his qi into his eyes.
"!"
He saw it—the iron bolt from Tang Ho-yeol's Forbidden Crossbow, this time aimed squarely at Ha-yeong's throat.
Swish!
There was no time for a Sound Transmission. Se-woon urgently stretched out his right hand.
Fwoosh!
Just as he had done with Cheong Yeon, he wrapped the Golden Threads of Heavenly Net around Ha-yeong's arm and—
"Kgh!"
—yanked her back, narrowly avoiding the attack by a hair's breadth.
Thunk!
The bolt embedded itself into the floor.
Ha-yeong's eyes widened in shock, as if she hadn't even sensed the danger.
Seeing her expression, Se-woon sighed inwardly.
'......Though I do miss her from back then just a little.'
Since she hadn't awakened her talent yet, her current skills were incomparable to her past life's prowess.
Swipe!
Fwip!
Se-woon, diligently pushing and pulling the two women with the golden threads, looked like a puppeteer manipulating marionettes with invisible strings.
'......How?'
Meanwhile, Tang Ho-yeol grew increasingly bewildered as his enemies continued to evade his attacks.
Though it had been close, he had clearly seen Se-woon detecting his assault and maneuvering the two women accordingly.
'......Tang Se-woon, was he really hiding his strength all along?'
An inexplicable unease crept up within him, but Tang Ho-yeol forcefully suppressed it and instead arrogantly taunted them.
"Keuk-keuk, you little rats. Seems all you've learned from your master is how to run away!"
"How dare you!"
"Come on, try dodging this one too!"
Crack!
The Silver Horn Snake Whip lashed out like a torrential downpour.
Its speed was so blindingly fast that it seemed as if the whip had multiplied through some illusion technique.
Slash!
Shrrrk!
With horrifying slicing sounds, every piece of clutter within the whip's range began to be severed.
Shockingly, Tang Ho-yeol had formed blade-like qi at the tip of his whip, akin to sword energy.
'What?!'
'Whip Qi!'
Their earlier assumption that he had reached the pinnacle of mastery was proven true.
The two Emei Sect disciples reacted with stunned disbelief.
But.
Se-woon's reaction was different from theirs.
[Tsk. Just a cheap trick. Stop getting distracted and focus on the fight.]
[?!]
He clicked his tongue in exasperation at their awestruck expressions, even slipping into a dismissive tone.
But Se-woon had good reason.
The more you know, the more you see.
Tang Ho-yeol's overconfident demeanor struck him as utterly laughable.
'A proper Whip Qi should envelop the entire whip, not just parts of it.'
The fact that he could only manage partial coverage was essentially an admission that he was barely scraping by at the pinnacle of mastery.
To be intimidated by something so simple—how did they expect to face the grotesque horrors of the Blood Cult's fiends in the future?
They still had a long way to go.
'Sigh. Well, I suppose I'll consider this early training for what's to come.'
The silver lining was that this effort wouldn't be wasted.
Not only Ha-yeong, who would become one of the Three Lords of the Anti-Blood League in the future, but Cheong Yeon would also play a significant role in the war against the Blood Cult.
[We're changing locations.]
[Huh?]
[The current terrain favors him too much.]
[......!]
Whoosh!
Before the two could respond, Se-woon swiftly moved outside.
The bewildered Emei disciples hurriedly followed.
The three exited the indoor corridor and relocated to the spacious courtyard of the estate.
"Haha! What difference do you think running outside will make?!"
Tang Ho-yeol, interpreting their retreat as cowardice, burst into mocking laughter.
Without hesitation, he pursued them.
Crack!
Snap!
The battle resumed in the courtyard.
But the longer it went on—
'......What?!'
—the stiffer Tang Ho-yeol's expression became.
Swish!
Fwip!
The sword techniques of the two Emei disciples were growing sharper and more lethal with each passing moment.
Naturally, this was entirely thanks to Se-woon's guidance.
[When facing a whip with a sword, you must choose terrain and tactics suited to the matchup.]
[......!]
The Emei Sect's martial arts were fundamentally sword-based.
But swords were inherently disadvantaged against whips.
The difference in range alone was overwhelming, and swords were far more constrained by space.
Unlike whips, which faced little hindrance even in narrow corridors, swords became unwieldy in tight spaces.
'Fighting in an open area does make movement easier.'
'And following Young Master Tang's advice, our counters are landing much more effectively.'
The two women recalled Se-woon's instructions once more.
[Don't try to clash head-on like you normally would.]
[Think of it as stabbing and deflecting the whip's momentum rather than blocking it.]
A direct clash wouldn't sever the whip—it would bend flexibly and coil around the sword.
Like a serpent, it would twist around the blade and sink its venomous fangs into its prey.
[Don't let your guard down after deflecting the first strike. The whip's return is even deadlier.]
True to his words, the whip lashed back with even greater speed.
Crrk!
The hook-like tip of the Silver Horn Snake Whip tore through everything in its path as it retracted.
The Emei disciples' spines tingled with dread.
Had they not heeded Se-woon's warning, it wouldn't have been the surroundings torn to shreds—but their own flesh.
'H-He's amazing!'
'......I have to admit, his combat knowledge is unparalleled.'
Se-woon's method for countering whips with swords seemed simple at first glance.
But putting it into practice evoked involuntary admiration.
It was clearly a technique born from extensive real combat experience.
Se-woon, too, was somewhat impressed by the Emei disciples.
'Hmm, the Emei Sect's Tempestuous Wind Swordplay is indeed a peerless technique.'
At first glance, the swordplay appeared chaotic and disordered.
But hidden within the gaps of its linked stances were razor-sharp killing blows, unleashing unexpected slashes.
It was a strength wholly distinct from the Wudang Sect's swordsmanship.
After Yoo Jin-hak's teachings, Se-woon's insight into the sword had deepened.
Clang!Clash!
Sword against whip, golden threads against whip—orange sparks bloomed in the air as the weapons collided.
Se-woon curled his lips into a smirk as he watched his opponent grit his teeth.
"Ghk!"
"You seem far more exhausted than earlier, Uncle."
"Shut your mouth!"
The trio's coordinated assault was progressing smoothly—so much so that Tang Ho-yeol could no longer suppress his frustration.
Ha-yeong and Cheong Yeon formed the frontline while Se-woon covered the rear, creating an inverted triangle formation.
'The people are different, but.......'
During his training with the Blood-Silk Demon Queen and the others, they had practiced joint attacks specifically designed to kill the Blood Demon.
Abruptly, Se-woon's gaze lingered on Ha-yeong.
The concept of regression struck him anew.
Who would've thought he'd ever fight side by side with her?
Just then, as the Sound Transmission cut off, Ha-yeong glanced at Se-woon.
"—!"
For an instant, her gaze—devoid of malice, pure and untainted—met his.
-......I'm sorry.
Se-woon's brow furrowed deeply.
The memory of her final moments before death resurfaced unbidden.
'Damn it. I avoided interacting with her as much as possible because I knew this would happen.'
Shaking off the distracting thoughts, he refocused on the battle.
Ha-yeong had already averted her eyes—so swiftly that he wondered if he had imagined it.
Fortunately, the fight was nearing its conclusion.
'Goddamn it. How did things turn out like this?'
Tang Ho-yeol's back was drenched in cold sweat as he desperately racked his brain.
His opponents had outsmarted him.
They were employing a foolproof strategy against a stronger foe—attrition warfare.
'They're using rotation tactics!'
By continuously cycling their frontline fighters, they were exhausting his qi reserves.
His assumption that a bunch of inexperienced youngsters would panic and make mistakes under pressure had been completely wrong.
'......There's no way out. I need to find an opening to escape.'
Realizing the battle was unwinnable, Tang Ho-yeol shifted strategies.
From annihilation to retreat.
"Kgh!"
Deliberately, he stumbled mid-step, throwing off his balance.
Though he didn't fall, the momentary vulnerability was glaring.
Whoosh!
Seizing the opportunity, one of them lunged forward.
'Perfect!'
Se-woon, who had remained in the rear, broke formation and charged at him.
Tang Ho-yeol's eyes gleamed viciously.
"Fool!"
"!"
Crack!
As if he had never faltered, Tang Ho-yeol instantly regained his posture.
He swung the Silver Horn Snake Whip ferociously at Se-woon while—
Click.
—pressing a hidden button on the whip's handle.
Hiss!
With an eerie sound, tiny pores along the whip opened, releasing a spray of venom.
This was why his weapon bore the name Silver Horn Snake Whip—Toad's Venom.
A lethal downpour of poison descended upon Se-woon alongside the whip's slash.
There was no dodging.
The venom covered every possible angle of evasion.
'Yes! Now I can flee—!'
But then.
Shink!
A razor-sharp slicing sound abruptly rang in his ears.
"Huh?"
Fwoosh!
Simultaneously, his ankles burned as if set aflame.
That wasn't all.
An indescribable agony wracked his entire body.
"—!"
Thud!
Tang Ho-yeol collapsed face-first onto the ground.
It hurt. It hurt. It hurt so much.
Writhing in pain, he looked down at his legs.
"......G-Guh?!"
To his horror.
Both his feet had been cleanly severed.
"That was too obvious, Uncle."
"!"
The voice of Se-woon, who should have been dead, echoed chillingly.
Completely unharmed, Se-woon stood holding a dark silk cup in one hand.
The moment the venom sprayed, he had unfurled the golden threads like a net, catching every last drop.
Then, he had woven them into a cup-shaped bundle, containing the poison entirely.
He already knew all about the Silver Horn Snake Whip's secrets.
[No matter how many times I think about it, this whip is truly my treasure!]
[Keuk-keuk. Thanks to its poison, I've escaped death at the hands of those orthodox fools yet again.]
Every time he replenished its venom, he had bragged about it being his lifesaver.
Se-woon smiled coldly at Tang Ho-yeol's dumbfounded expression.
"Ghhh......!"
"There's no rule saying only you can set traps, Uncle."
Se-woon had another reason for moving the battle to the courtyard.
To lay a trap for his prey.
Fwip!
He retracted the threads that had severed Tang Ho-yeol's ankles.
On earthen ground like this, the golden threads were nearly impossible to detect amid the chaos of battle.
Tang Ho-yeol trembled violently, his face pale as blood gushed from his stumps.
"Ghhh! P-Please, spare....... Ggk!"
"Hmm, you're begging for your life. But what to do?"
Crouching to his level, Se-woon tilted his head mockingly.
The cup in his hand sloshed with venom.
"You weren't part of my promise with Father."
"G-Guh—!"
Gulp!
Se-woon forced his mouth open with one hand.
Without hesitation, he poured the entire contents of the cup down Tang Ho-yeol's throat.
Gulp. Gulp.
He even helpfully tilted his head back to ensure it went down.
"GGAACK! GLURK!!"
Tang Ho-yeol convulsed violently, writhing on the ground in agony.
Veins bulged grotesquely across his purpling face as he vomited blood.
And Se-woon's gaze as he watched—
"......."
—didn't waver in the slightest.