Revenge (4)
The sun hung high in the midday sky after a long time without sight of it, but his mind was far from at ease.
As expected, the Demonic Cult rabble hadn't managed to catch up. It was the path they themselves had struggled through with great hardship. For a larger group to overtake them by taking an even longer route was practically impossible.
That said, the fact that only three enemies stood before them offered no comfort whatsoever.
'Only three came... which means they think that's all they need.'
Moreover, the one in the center was on par with Jegumhak. If the two flanking him were of similar caliber, it only meant they were all the more confident.
"Captain!"
The Sahwal-dan members who had caught up behind him hardened their faces at the sight of the three figures. Jin Sowoon issued orders swiftly.
"Pull back all the wounded and anyone who can't fight."
"...But there are only three of them?"
Of course, on numbers alone, they held an absolute advantage. But if the central figure was at the level of the Seven Demon Envoys... then headcount meant nothing in their current state. Over half were injured, unable to fight at full strength, and the rest couldn't perform at their peak either.
"Krrk, Jin— Sowoon— I'll kill you—!"
At that moment, the hideous man on the right spat his hatred toward Jin Sowoon, startling the squad members.
"D-Do you know him?"
"No."
Even an ordinary person wouldn't forget a face like that. How could he?
It was truly an unfamiliar face.
"Then why's he calling you like you're his parents' murderer?"
"Beats me..."
He had no idea. But thinking about it, one possibility came to mind.
"'Cause he's a villain?"
"..."
"Bad guys always hate the righteous ones, right?"
Yeah, that had to be it. With no response, he turned to see Go Aryeom—the one who'd asked—staring at him with a look like he'd seen a living Buddha.
'Why's a Daoist sect disciple making that face?'
Then, that grating metallic voice rang out again.
"You dog— bastard— pretending not— to know me! I'll drag you— away— and peel off— krrk, your flesh strip— by strip— until you think— dying's— better—."
After calmly hearing out the ragman's furious curse laced with venom, Jin Sowoon asked,
"Uh... who are you, really?"
He was genuinely curious. He'd escorted plenty in his time, but could someone who didn't even know their own crimes hate him this much?
"Kwk! You— dog bas—..."
"No, I really don't know."
As the ragman lunged toward him, the woman on the left gestured in the air. Suddenly, he twitched as if seized by an invisible force, his body refusing to obey.
"Kikikiki. They said you were a lunatic, but you're worse than our craziest kids."
The beauty with unusually large canines giggled. Unlike the ragman's speech, her words made the academy students stiffen.
"Nngh... W-What's...?"
"My heart... my heart..."
Men and women alike began showing abnormal physical reactions.
'This is...'
Definitely symptoms of the Devil Bewitching Art. But in the chaos, they hadn't fully grasped their own conditions.
'Even exhausted, to affect academy students this much...'
His unease deepened. The Devil Bewitching Art couldn't be her primary technique. He didn't know every Demonic Cult art, but he'd never heard of anyone mastering it as their specialty. The sheer power of this mere side skill chilled him to the bone.
On top of that, the lack of info on her was maddeningly frustrating.
'Why was I such a homebody in my past life?'
From the vibe, she held considerable rank and skill even among the Demonic Cult. Without prior sightings, he couldn't gauge her identity or level.
"Anyway, you all must've had it rough getting here. Not easy thanks to us. Still, pretty decent for Central Plains scum."
After insincere congratulations, she got to the point.
"Truth is, we're looking for something. Figured you might have it."
These bastards are always "looking" for something. And committing murders along the way—busy little bees.
"Hand it over, and we'll leave."
Bullshit. Not a word of it rang true.
"What's that?"
Still, worth hearing what they wanted. Maybe he could use it. Last time, that monster skipped the All Spirits Soul Blending Oil over a ring, right?
The oddly alluring woman traced her lips with a finger and smiled.
"Taeyanghu's Fire Core. Turns out it's more important than the Ice Core."
"..."
"Give it back, and we'll really leave. I swear."
...As expected of Demonic Cult filth—promising what they had no intention of keeping the moment they opened their mouths.
He pierced their true intent.
"If that was the goal from the start, you wouldn't have pushed us this far."
"..."
Look at that—flustered expression.
"More importantly, what the hell are you doing in Mukrim?"
"Huh?"
"I'm asking why you'd dare pull this against the Murim Alliance."
He emphasized Murim Alliance deliberately. The surefire way to etch their terror into the academy students: show the enemies' utter lack of fear.
"Murim Alliance? Big deal?"
As expected, she brushed it off nonchalantly, tightening the students' nerves with the unforeseen response.
She added with a bizarre smile,
"Mukrim's an important place for us. Can't just let you lot mess it up."
"So you tried to 'exterminate' us?"
"Can't have you taking something vital you can't even handle properly, right?"
Curses erupted from all around at her words.
"Crazy... all this over one item? Trying to wipe us out?"
"Who the hell do these bastards think they are...?"
As planned, their danger sank in without direct mention. The mood grew restless, but she shrugged indifferently.
"Anyway, hand over the Fire Core, and we won't pursue."
"What if we don't have it?"
"...Lying's no good. We already found Taeyanghu's corpse. If you'd eaten it, your whole body would've burned up, leaving just a bloody mess and the Fire Core. So one of you has it."
Damn, it was that dangerous? He needed to quit popping random "healthy" stuff in his mouth.
Anyway, that was beside the point. No way he'd confess to absorbing it now. He didn't believe they'd honor the deal anyway.
"You think we'll buy that nonsense?"
"Hmm. Even with the situation changed, no dice, huh."
As she muttered to herself, the ragman twisted his mouth and head wildly before speaking again.
"Jin— Sowoon—!!"
With the woman and ragman causing a ruckus, the central man frowned and took charge.
"Doesn't matter. We'll find the Fire Core after killing you all anyway."
"...Aw, you were almost convinced."
She gestured, and red fabric swirled around her. Her fluttering palace robes tightened into martial attire.
The moment he saw it, Jin Sowoon realized her identity.
'Blood Army's Binghwasa.'
The witch infamous among the Seven Demon Envoys for her filthy hands. In his past life, battlefields she passed left only torn-apart corpses and mummified husks.
"More numbers than expected."
Her eyes scanned the academy students climbing the hill with no emotion. Despite her words, she exuded confidence in handling any number.
"So—how about it? Spar in your favorite one-on-one style? Or your specialty, one-vs-many? I don't care either way."
Crack, crack.
As Binghwasa spoke, the central man's skin and bones twisted. His ordinary height shot up, his snout protruded like a beast's, and sharp weapons like those of a Millennium Flower Bear sprouted from his hands and feet.
"Hope there's something tasty among you. Otherwise, this mission's a waste."
Unlike the trio's nonchalance, the academy students panicked. Each grotesque, bizarre form shattered their sense of reality—unimaginable in the Central Plains.
Jin Sowoon infused his voice with qi.
"Battle stations!!!"
Those lost in chaos snapped to attention, drawing swords with a chorus of shing, shing.
Yeah. No time for questions about this unbelievable reality.
Just fight—now.
"Charge!"
The final battle began.
#
Though only three, the overwhelming pressure each exuded defied imagination—like a one-man army.
Academy students, raised amid praise as experts with ample support, now faced these foes who casually embraced outnumbered fights.
And at the eerie sight, the students shrank back.
"...They're really planning to fight us all with just three?"
"What the hell are they?"
Unable to gauge the enemy's level was fatal for any warrior.
"Squad leaders, front and center! Squad members, link up with your sect mates!"
His orders made those eager to charge hesitate. Overkill for just three, they thought.
But no time for explanations. He had to demonstrate their level first.
He rushed the strongest-looking central beast.
'Transformation Beast Demon Art.'
One of the Demonic Cult's Seven Great Monstrous Arts. Even among their abnormals, this stood out for its freakish abilities.
Boom!
Claws met sword aura—not slicing, but exploding.
"I told you last time."
Fluent human speech from the beast's maw felt alien. But more alien was its strength.
Grind.
The raw power shoving back his entire sword aura was utterly irrational.
"That's gross!"
He barely dodged the claw grazing his throat. Channeling Jade Pure Heavenly Star Force, he unleashed Twin Heaven Sword Conclusion.
Shrrrk.
A storm of golden sword aura surged toward the beast, but it crouched and kicked off, evading in an instant.
Thud!
Dodge and done? He poured out Twin Heaven Sword Conclusion even faster.
Shrrk.
Flashing sword aura sliced its hide.
"Kwk, stings."
Bursting through the storm, the beast hammered down a fist. He extended Lianhua to yank it, but felt no real pull.
It spun midair, landing steadily.
"Lotus Flower Connect? You've got all sorts of tri—"
Before it finished, it kicked off and leaped high. A mighty fist strike followed.
"Captain Jin!"
Ilgak, now at the front line.
"You need to head that way."
He urgently pointed to the ragman.
"He's targeting your group."
Damn that cursed bastard. But as he hesitated, leaving Ilgak alone, Nam Hwaseong charged the beast with a punch.
Clang!
"Argh, you damn meat tank...! How're you this tough?!"
Right, this guy had scrapped with an Iron Corpse before.
Glancing back, academy students were splitting off and rushing in.
This should hold here. He shouted to Ilgak and Nam Hwaseong,
"Its defense and attack are beyond imagination. Stay sharp!"
"You too, Captain Jin."
"Hurry! Before we all croak!"
Croak? That guy's tougher than anyone.
Ignoring Nam Hwaseong, he bolted toward his squad. Explosions erupted behind.
Kaboom, kaboom.
Each swing of Blood Army Binghwasa's hand unleashed deafening blasts of terrifying force.
His steps faltered. Was it right to leave?
"You filthy seed...!"
"Fall back a bit, then strike!"
"Tch! You'll see!"
But the enraged students responded aptly. Regrouped by sects, they followed squad leader orders calmly.
Yeah—trust them now. He dashed to his squad.
Squads Five and Six handled support and wounded evacuation. If the ragman hit there, casualties would skyrocket.
In his frantic sprint, the ominous ragman came into view, exuding murderous intent.
"You half-baked jiangshi wannabe!"
Rumble.
He gathered Radiant Heaven Divine Palm in his palm and detonated it point-blank.
Kaboom!
Shattering the rock wall, the Radiant Heaven Divine Palm roared toward the ragman, poised to shred him.
"With that— puny— thi—"
The ragman raised a hand.
Kwang!
A massive ice shield materialized, twisting the elder's blast whole.
Then—
Pop, pop, boom.
The Radiant Heaven Divine Palm sprayed into the air and detonated, shattering the ice shield into orbiting shards around the ragman.
In that instant—
"...!"
The ragman's form matched a figure from memory.
Damn—he survived? Jin Sowoon stared at the disgustingly patched face.
"Jegumhak."
"Finally— recognize me—"
The ragman smirked crookedly. Grotesque and freakish.
Recalling his once pretty-boy face made the current one pitiful.
He offered a brief assessment.
"You've changed a lot..."
Uh, too curt? Might hurt.
"Er, um... better than before, maybe?"
"Ki— Kill— I'll kill you—!"
Meant as comfort, but Jegumhak's killing intent thickened all the same.