211
The moment he entered the Tang Clan, Dan Sam understood.
"We're fucked... shit."
Not a single warrior inside the Sichuan Tang Clan showed any sign of injury. Aside from clothes lightly singed by flames, their skin bore no burn marks either.
You'd think at least one of them would have taken a torch to the face from the countless ones hurled from outside, yet no one was hurt. The flames blazed like a guardian spirit protecting the Tang Clan.
Whoosh.
The heat grazing his cheek made Dan Sam's skin sting. It was as if the torches they'd thrown had returned as flames meant not to burn the Tang Clan, but to scorch the attackers themselves.
"This is absurd...."
Dan Sam frantically scanned his surroundings. Every attacker's gaze was fixed on one man, and Dan Sam had no choice but to rely on him too.
There was only one path left to survive.
"Geomdam!!"
He had no choice but to trust and follow the man who had risen to dominate all of Sichuan, including the Sichuan Tang Clan.
"Kuh, huaaaah!!"
Drawing seven swords and gripping them in pairs, the man radiated Monstrous Qi like a beast as he aimed his blades at the Tang Clan warriors.
"Tang Clan... I'll kill you all!"
Geomdam's surging momentum was like a raging wave. The Tang Clan martial artists flinched and retreated several steps.
'As expected of Geomdam!'
Relief washed over Dan Sam. For an instant, it felt as if all his worries had scattered alongside the flames.
"Ho ho ho!"
A hearty laugh rang out as a middle-aged man with a magnificent mustache stepped forward to block Geomdam's path. The moment Dan Sam realized who he was, he nearly dropped his sword on reflex.
"Dok-gwi Dang O-dok!"
"Still calling me Dok-gwi, are you? Heh heh. It doesn't matter, but it seems you lot know your allies even less than your enemies."
Dok-gwi spread his long robe to the sides. From inside his clothes, he drew two short blades, seized the silk threads tied to their hilts, and began spinning them through the air.
"Calling this fellow Geomdam—there are limits to farce!"
"What... did you say...?"
Dan Sam's heart plummeted at Dok-gwi's words. The fervor of imminent victory that had blazed moments ago evaporated, and the blood drained from his entire body.
"Bwahaha! So he heard something somewhere and brought seven swords! Geomdam commanded all of Sichuan with just two swords! Are you trying to fool people with seven?!"
"Th-that's a lie!"
Dan Sam shrieked.
"There's no way he isn't Geomdam!"
It had to be true.
In truth, this entire raid had followed on faith in a single man—Geomdam. If Geomdam was a fake, then the odds of success plummeted.
With Geomdam, victory. Without Geomdam, defeat.
There's no way he isn't Geomdam—
'Why was I so certain that man was Geomdam?'
The hairs on Dan Sam's body stood on end. He had been blindly following the Lust Demons' raid with no clear will or judgment of his own.
He had been swept up by the incitement of that woman, Roe Yeon, and thrown himself into this attack ready to give his life for revenge on the Tang Clan.
'Why in the world?'
Dan Sam knew nothing about Geomdam's true identity. He'd had only a vague notion of 'a tremendous master who dominated the Sichuan region,' and based on circulating rumors, he'd assumed Geomdam was a Profound Realm expert.
"You fools, this man is not Geomdam! He's a reasonably strong master, but he isn't as powerful as Geomdam!"
"What... did you say...!"
"Tsk, tsk, tsk."
Dang O-dok hurled his short blades. The man called Geomdam frantically swung his swords to deflect the blades aimed at his eyes, but Dang O-dok's thrown daggers were faster, and the corners of his eyes were shredded by the blades.
"Gyaaahhh!!"
"Geomdam would never fall to my hidden weapons! Heh heh heh, this man is no Geomdam!"
"Shut up——!!"
Geomdam howled and infused his twin swords with Sword Qi. The attackers cheered at the sight of the Sword Qi, as if two dragons were ascending to the heavens.
"I am Geomdam!!"
Geomdam lunged at Dang O-dok. And Dan Sam lunged backward.
'He's not Geomdam.'
Dan Sam had never seen Geomdam fight. But he could clearly tell one thing: the figure before him was not Geomdam.
Geomdam never strikes first. As an arrogant being, how could a master ever throw the first blow against a lesser foe?
"Damn it...."
He'd been had. Roe Yeon had deceived him. She'd roped in a Peak Realm master who resembled Geomdam and believed himself to be Geomdam, and fooled them all!
'How am I supposed to tell the difference between Peak Realm and Profound Realm!'
Maybe if they were fellow Peak Experts—but how could he distinguish the realms of those playing in skies far above his own? Dan Sam spun to flee.
"I have to run—"
"It's useless."
Whoosh.
Walls of flame roared high into the sky. And then, like rain, they began to pour down upon those who had raided the clan compound.
"Rain of Ten Thousand Fire (滿天火雨)...."
It was not a rain of hidden weapons, but a rain of fire.
"Bwahahaha!!"
I ran. I pushed the Heavenly Demon Divine Art to its extreme and kicked off the ground with the fastest Movement Art I knew.
'She really is fast.'
Even though I'd kissed Lee Si-a and sprinted the moment I sensed her fleeing, Thunder Demon had managed to get quite far away. At this range, she shouldn't have even noticed my pursuit, yet she kept running as if she knew.
"Where do you think you're running?"
I had to catch her. Thunder Demon had gotten on my nerves, and she had to answer for it.
One—she had dared to copy my raid on the Hwangbo Clan as her own scheme.
Two—she had usurped Geomdam's name.
Three—she had attacked Flying Heaven Flame Demon.
Four—I had finally been about to tumble in bed with Flame Demon and Young Heavenly Demon together, and she just had to raid the Tang Clan at that exact moment.
'She deserves to die.'
The relationship between Sky-Soaring Lust Demon and Earth Qilin Thunder Demon meant nothing to me. What mattered was that if I let her go now, she'd cause even more headaches later.
"Bwahahahaha!!"
I deliberately let out a wild laugh as I ran. I closed the distance, stepping across treetops with Grass-top Flying.
Crackle!
A current of electricity flew at me. I infused my hand with Internal Energy and deflected the lightning-bolt that had shot toward me.
'Copper Needle (銅針)!'
For a split second I thought it was gold and felt a pang of regret, but unfortunately, the flying needles crackling with electricity were copper.
And the fact that she was throwing needles meant she'd realized I was chasing her. I bellowed boldly toward her fleeing figure ahead.
"You bitch! Where do you think you're running?!"
No matter how fast Thunder Demon's Movement Art was, she still had to kick off the ground to run. Whenever a hill appeared along the way, she had to plunge downward and climb back up.
She had to cover far more distance than I did, running in a straight line while treading the empty air, so naturally she began entering my visible range.
Pak, pak, pak!
More flying needles came to keep me in check. This time, I didn't bother dodging.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Wherever the needles struck, I concentrated Protective Qi Aura and deflected them. The needles aimed at my vitals fell to the ground harmlessly, and I planted my foot firmly against the air and leaped.
"Fly (飛)."
Breath short—use every ounce of forward-leaning inertia—and gather the impact at the tips of my feet!
"Heavenly Demon Tyrant Wheel Kick——!!"
I released the Zhongli Divine Fire Well behind my back. The immense heat erupted like an explosion, propelling me forward, and I thrust my leg out with all my might, carried by the blast.
"...What?!"
Thunder Demon, fleeing through the bamboo forest, spun her head around and recoiled in shock. The first shock was my overwhelming energy. The second was the explosive roar of Internal Energy detonating. The third was the distance—already close enough to reach her.
Smack!
I drove the Heavenly Demon Tyrant Wheel Kick into her back. Still in her forward-running posture, Thunder Demon tumbled headlong.
"Kuhuk, aaaagh!"
Thunder Demon coughed blood and rolled forward. On the downhill slope, falling face-first sent her body tumbling.
Thud-thud-thud!
As she rolled, Thunder Demon unleashed her Internal Energy in all directions. Seeing Thunder Demon's martial arts manifest through the Heavenly Demon Divine Art, I laughed.
"You think you can run? Not a chance!"
I sprinted ahead faster than Thunder Demon could recover. Just as she was trying to right herself, I closed in, and before she could roll again, I thrust my foot under her back.
"!!"
"Heavenly Demon Ascension Flying Kick!"
I kicked Thunder Demon high into the air. Her body shot up higher than the towering bamboo, nearly straight vertical. I bounded upward like lightning, kicking off the bamboo stalks on alternating sides.
"Kuh...!"
Thunder Demon flipped mid-spin, trying to right herself even while airborne as she prepared to attack me. I deflected her spinning flying needles with my hand once more, then reached for Thunder Demon's face.
"The chase is over."
Lick.
Thunder Demon's tongue swept across the palm gripping her face. The jolt of electricity that leaped from the tip of her tongue numbed my entire arm, but I only clamped down harder.
"Because of you, I became the man who ran away from the Hwangbo Clan out of fear of a woman."
"!!"
Thunder Demon's eyes flew wide with instant recognition. But whether she realized or not, I balled my fist and drove it toward her solar plexus.
"Heavenly Demon Divine Fist!"
Kwa——bang!!
The Thunder Divine Fist, imbued with the Heavenly Demon's power, sent Thunder Demon's body plummeting vertically down into the bamboo forest.
"Kuheok...!"
Splat!
Thunder Demon crashed into the muddy earth back-first and survived. Her black robes were smeared with filth, and no matter how much she protected herself with Protective Qi Aura, she couldn't stop the blood from bursting out.
'It'd be perfect to wash her off with the Zhongli Divine Fire Well.'
I could burn off the grime with the Zhongli Divine Fire Well, but if I used it now, it would publicly humiliate Dang Seo-hee. Setting the Zhongli Divine Fire Well aside, I seized Thunder Demon by the nape as she tried to crawl away and hauled her up.
"Kuh, kuuugh...!!"
Thunder Demon clawed at my wrist and struggled frantically. She gripped the wrist holding her neck with both hands, as if trying to scratch it, crackling with electricity.
"Ho ho, what fierce resistance."
I slammed Thunder Demon back into the mud. She fell face-first and ended up properly flattened, and I began sealing her acupoints, starting from her legs so she couldn't move.
"Y-you bastard...!"
"Well now, your face looks barely in your twenties, but you talk like an old crone."
"!!"
I'd hit the mark. While she was stunned, I grabbed her hips and lifted her, then pressed acupoints all over Thunder Demon's body to immobilize her.
"Ah, ha-ak...!"
Have you ever seen a criminal restrained by a constable? That was exactly how Thunder Demon looked right now. I pulled her hands behind her back, then tore a strip from her skirt and tied them up nicely.
"Let me go! Do you even know who I am?!"
"Don't care."
I knew too much already to need to care.
"H-how dare you! You're trying to violate me without even knowing who I am!!"
"Fuck, does a man need a reason to bed a woman?"
Smack!
I struck Thunder Demon's rear. Her chest was unremarkable, but her hips were wide and rounded—perfect for bearing children. Her lower body, at least, was truly worth appreciating.
'Movement Art masters always have beautiful backsides.'
Riiip.
I set my fingernails and drew a long vertical line along the cleft of her buttocks. The center of her skirt split vertically, and I tore it all the way through and spread it to the sides.
"Now that's a bit more worth looking at."
"Kuh, uuugh...!"
Had Thunder Demon ever experienced such humiliation in her life? Upper body planted in the mud, lower body starkly exposed, she glared at me with mortified eyes.
"I will... definitely kill you!"
"Do you even know who I am?"
"......"
Thunder Demon fell silent. From her perspective, some man who'd suddenly sprung out of nowhere in Sichuan had seized her and was about to rape her—that was the situation.
"Heh heh heh, I've been watching you for a long time. Ever since you were shaking that duck-tail rear of yours around the Heavenly Mountain."
—Future events, anyway.
"...! Y-you bastard, could it be...!"
I knelt down on her skirt spread beneath her. Once I straightened her lower body a little more, she was fixed in the perfect position to thrust into.
"W-wait! Why are you doing this?! If you're an elder, act like one!"
"Oh-ho?"
She seemed to be misunderstanding something.
An elder.
'Does she think I'm a retired demon just because I used the Heavenly Demon Divine Art?'
"Do we not have old ties?! C-calm yourself and listen to me! I am currently acting for the Demonic Cult under the Eldest Prince's orders!"
"Old ties? Heh heh, you really do seem to be misunderstanding something."
I pulled down my trousers and drew out my member. The moment I placed it on her rear, Thunder Demon's body went rigid and she couldn't do a thing.
"Eldest Prince this, whatever—I came to fuck you, all right?"
"W-wait! If you violate me, do you have any idea what will happen to y—"
Schluk.
The instant I thrust my member inside—
Cracklecracklecracklecrackle!!!
A tingling jolt of electricity began to surge around my manhood.