Chapter 106: Empty Bravado (5)
The Ice Blood Scholar chimed in agreement, and the Black-Clothed Killing Gale pointed westward with a finger.
"Now, let's head home."
"I'll be returning to my hometown."
The Ice Blood Scholar pointed north.
"Your hometown... you don't mean..."
"Yes, back to the North Sea. After everything that's happened, I feel like I've abandoned too much. I'll go wrap things up there and return."
"Hmph, I can't go with you. That okay?"
"Yes, it's fine."
"Sorry about that. I just can't handle the cold too well..."
The Ice Blood Scholar's eyes grew misty as he watched the Black-Clothed Killing Gale trail off.
He knew it wasn't that his companion didn't want to follow—he was stepping aside out of consideration.
The Ice Blood Scholar took the first step.
That initial footfall looked unusually heavy.
And so, the Three Killers of Shansi became the Two Killers of Shansi from that day onward.
The remaining Black-Clothed Killing Gale and Sideways Flesh Wolf turned their heads toward the spot where Han Bin and the Remnant Blood Demon had vanished.
"Little brother, I want to see their final showdown."
"Brother, let's tail them secretly."
The pair set off not toward home, but to the site of Han Bin and the Remnant Blood Demon's decisive battle.
Meanwhile, contrary to their expectations, Han Bin had barely shaken off the Remnant Blood Demon and was now checking his own condition.
Combining his innate inner power with what remained, he had about twenty-three years' worth of energy left.
Thirty years from his core, plus ten from the foundational Yongrin Sword Art.
He'd burned through seventeen years of it.
And that was after exhausting the formulas inside him by pushing Gugeol Ship-pal-bo to its limits.
Han Bin was at the edge of the mountainside.
Beyond the ridge lay a sheer cliff, with a river raging below.
He'd come here as a contingency.
If the Remnant Blood Demon showed up, he planned to leap into that river.
Most demonic cultists were weak against water.
The Heavenly Mountain range where the Demonic Cult was based was infamous for its treacherous peaks.
But water was scarce there too.
Rivers existed, but most weren't deeper than eight cheok.
That was when it happened.
A presence stirred behind him.
From the thick scent of blood, it had to be the Remnant Blood Demon.
Hwagyeong masters were no joke.
Without Quick Sword Tribulation Demon, he wouldn't have lasted even a single exchange.
Grinning fiercely, Han Bin turned toward the underbrush.
"Remnant Blood Demon, come on out."
At his words, the Remnant Blood Demon emerged slowly.
"Couldn't get far, huh? I figured you'd bolted farther away."
Han Bin kept his smile even amid the taunt.
Now was the time to pry information out of the Remnant Blood Demon.
If history had changed, he'd need to prepare countermeasures.
This was as crucial as the plot brewing in the Henan Jeong Family.
After flashing his grin for a long stretch, Han Bin finally spoke.
"Isn't the Demonic Cult in seclusion?"
"How'd you know that?"
"That's my little secret. But why'd you come all the way to Henan? It's no short trip from Heavenly Mountain."
"Hmph, you're gonna die soon anyway. I'll tell you."
"Yeah, spill it."
"Two wolves we were raising in the cult escaped. They were carrying inner pellets meant as tribute to our young cult leader."
A demonic beast flashed in Han Bin's mind at those words.
The Heavenly Mountain Blood Wolf.
A beast said to inhabit Heavenly Mountain, raised by the Demonic Cult?
And they planned to harvest its inner pellet once grown?
One snag, though: two of them.
Han Bin grinned.
"I know where one got off to..."
"You do?"
"The imperial family took one. Though now I'm not sure if it was one or two."
This much was public knowledge if you asked around.
Plus, he'd subtly twisted the info. A key tactic in dealings with enemies.
Mixing truth with lies to confuse foes was essential in the jianghu.
"Hmph."
The Remnant Blood Demon coughed awkwardly, caught off guard.
If it wasn't a martial sect but the imperial family, that changed everything.
The court granted the jianghu autonomy, separate from officialdom.
But crossing the throne? That was a different story.
Even when Han Bin had landed that blow earlier, he hadn't shown such unease.
Han Bin had a rough sense of it now.
If he hadn't caught the Heavenly Mountain Blood Wolf last time, the Remnant Blood Demon would've come later and snagged it.
Which explained why no traces remained in Absol Valley.
Looks like he'd altered Demonic Cult history a bit.
But no big deal.
They wouldn't break seclusion anytime soon.
Then the Remnant Blood Demon's gaze shifted.
He stared at Han Bin with a strange, piercing look.
Han Bin said, "That look's making me uncomfortable."
"You're Demonic Cult too, aren't you?"
"What're you talking about?"
"No orthodox cultivator could master Reverse Blood Divine Art."
"Reverse Blood Divine Art?"
Han Bin narrowed his eyes.
Reverse Blood Divine Art—a Demonic Cult technique that reversed qi flow to explosively boost power short-term.
One only the cult leader's personal guard could learn.
Looks like his earlier bluff with empty bravado had sparked the misunderstanding.
That was when it happened.
The Remnant Blood Demon leveled his Blood Cleaver Blade at Han Bin.
"Why play dumb? One of the direct guard fled to the Central Plains—that's you, right?"
"......"
Han Bin gaped, speechless.
He desperately wanted to peek inside the Remnant Blood Demon's head to see how he'd reached that conclusion.
Well, better than his Hebei Paeng Family identity getting exposed.
That was when it happened.
Another glowing point revealing a formula appeared in Han Bin's vision.
Newly emerged or overlooked before? Either way, Han Bin wasn't one to flee at the sight of a formula.
Especially against a Hwagyeong master.
High chance it was a human-grade one.
His plan was simple: clash once more, then dive into the river if things went south.
Just one extra fight from the original scheme.
Han Bin drew his sword.
Shing.
Moon Fang gleamed, catching the midday sun.
"Come on, you pussy!"
Provoked, the Remnant Blood Demon charged again.
Clang!
In their first clash, Han Bin narrowed his eyes.
The Remnant Blood Demon's strikes were noticeably slower.
Han Bin's lips curled unconsciously.
The Remnant Blood Demon knew something was off with his body too.
But he chalked it up to energy depletion and pressed the attack.
Clang, clang!
Instead of Lightning Flash, Han Bin chose his new human-grade technique, Self-Imprisonment.
No point in ultra-fast strikes if they couldn't land.
With the foe slowed, he'd exploit the openings for damage.
Executing Self-Imprisonment, his remaining energy now?
"Eighteen years left."
Han Bin murmured low, and the Remnant Blood Demon's brow twitched.
"You've insulted me! Eighteen years, you dare?!"
Misunderstanding fueled, the Remnant Blood Demon lunged ferociously.
Clang!
As their blades met, he furrowed his brow.
Some of his sent power bounced back.
He leaped back swiftly and shouted.
"Plum Blossom Grafting?"
"You got it, Plum Blossom Grafting. Sounds like some girl's boyfriend, huh?"
It was pure mockery, plain as day.
"Today, I'll have your head to sate this rage."
The Remnant Blood Demon's grin vanished.
His Blood Cleaver Blade whistled forth.
Ignoring defense, Han Bin thrust Moon Fang at his chest.
Whoosh!
That was when it happened.
The Blood Cleaver Blade coiled around Moon Fang in a bizarre twist.
Like a python forming rings.
It was his signature ultimate: Golden Sword One Blade.
A technique specialized in shattering swords.
Han Bin adapted Moon Fang in turn.
Slink!
If the foe's blade was a massive serpent, his became a lithe viper, slithering into the gap.
The Remnant Blood Demon recoiled hastily.
Countering Golden Sword One Blade was deceptively simple.
Just bull right through.
But who'd charge head-on at a Hwagyeong master?
As Han Bin broke the technique, the Remnant Blood Demon's eyes flickered.
A Hwagyeong expert showing doubt.
Han Bin seized the moment and pressed in.
Pa-pa-pak!
Moon Fang relentlessly targeted vital points.
Not just the formula points, of course.
He deliberately avoided the flickering point on the left chest.
Aiming only there would be too predictable to defend.
Han Bin wasn't handing him an easy out.
Clang! Clang!
The clash of weapons echoed across the ridge, drawing unorthodox warriors straight to them.
The woman leading the pursuit halted.
"They're over there. We'll watch from here—don't interfere with the great hero's sword."
"Yes, let's."
The other unorthodox fighter nodded.
To them, Han Bin's duel with the Remnant Blood Demon bordered on sacred.
The man they called Red Dragon Great Hero was tirelessly swinging his blade near the cliff—for the sake of unorthodox warriors like them.
Against a Hwagyeong master, no less.
Clang!
As exchanges piled up, Han Bin's smirk grew.
Under Self-Imprisonment, Remnant Blood Demon Im Gil-tae was accumulating internal injuries.
Plus, his condition was deteriorating for some reason.
Im Gil-tae halted his swings.
Thud!
Retreating, he demanded, "What did you do to me?"
"Do to you? I didn't do a thing..."
"This is poison, clear as day. Coating your blade? Coward. You're no disciple of ours anymore—just filth."
"Think what you want."
Han Bin grinned.
Misunderstand all he liked—Han Bin had gotten what he came for.
Of course, he'd never poisoned Moon Fang.
So why was the Remnant Blood Demon so sure?
The reason was simple.
He'd poisoned himself.
Not just once, either.
Two pills, right in front of Han Bin.
Those were the fake Qingming Pills.
When crafting them, Han Bin had added beneficial spirit herbs.
But inside? A nasty poison only Jang Ja-myeong of Baekdokmun could antidote.
Different kinds in each, too.
That was what Jang Ja-myeong had fretted over.
These fakes were made to be stolen.
What chaos would ensue if they hit the jianghu?
Han Bin had foreseen this outcome.
Who could prove he tampered with the Qingming Pills?
Besides Jang Ja-myeong, only Baekdokmun in Baekdok Valley or Sacheon Dang Family could likely detox it.
That was when it happened. The Remnant Blood Demon's eyes turned bloodshot.
Han's shout rang out.
"You lunatic, who told you to gobble up random junk?!"
Despite the yell, his eyes reddened further.
To Han Bin, it looked like he was circulating Reverse Blood Divine Art.