Chapter 40
Chapter 40
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 40
Chapter Title: Seven Hundred to One! (2)
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I didn't wait for them to form their encirclement.
*Tududuk!*
I slung the Fire Dragon Sword over my shoulder, then with both hands, gathered a clump of grass, tore it from the ground, and trimmed the ends.
*Tuduk!*
Then, I cut it in half, then in half again, and a third time, gathering the pieces in my hands until they overflowed. I launched myself towards one side, employing the Sky-Striding Heavenly Ladder.
*Shuuuuut!*
The enemies in my path spotted me and, in their shock, scrambled to attack in utter confusion.
Among them were first-rate, second-rate, and third-rate masters, all jumbled together and getting in each other's way.
‘Heh heh heh! This is what I was aiming for!’
I gathered my internal energy in both hands, invoking the secrets of the Grass Arrows from the Record of Ten Thousand Secrets, and transformed the hundreds of finger-length grass blades into hidden weapons.
*Fwoosh!*
The hundreds of grass blades, infused with my energy, became hard and sharp. This was the Grass Arrow technique of the Record of Ten Thousand Secrets, which turned flimsy, swaying blades of grass into terrifying projectiles.
The Record of Ten Thousand Secrets was a secret manual left behind six hundred years ago by a man known as the Emperor of Ten Thousand Wonders. It contained methods for creating hundreds of types of hidden weapons and eighteen techniques for launching them.
Among them, I unleashed the Divine Throwing Art, hurling all the grass blades I held in my hands.
*Swaaaaa!*
The grass blades fanned out before me, spraying forward. They didn't just fly; each blade of grass—no, each Grass Arrow—spun violently as it sought its individual target with perfect accuracy.
The enemies were greatly alarmed to see the glittering green streaks of light shooting toward them.
The sight was breathtakingly beautiful, like a dazzling green carpet unfurled in the air.
The startled enemies tried to dodge, but it was a futile thought. To evade the Grass Arrows of the Record of Ten Thousand Secrets, one would need to be at least a supreme master.
*Papak! Papapak!*
“Kuaack!”
“Gaaah!”
“Heuk!”
In the area swept by the hundreds of Grass Arrows, some thirty enemies tumbled to the ground in a tangled heap.
Just because there were hundreds of Grass Arrows didn't mean they could kill hundreds of people. I hadn't aimed each one individually.
It was like a localized downpour, striking down anyone within its range.
The enemies hit by the Grass Arrows all had their bodies pierced or torn apart.
The Grass Arrows spun violently, small at the tip and widening towards the back, so they punched fist-sized holes—*thwack! thwack!*—wherever they struck, and severed limbs—*snap! snap!*—from bodies.
“Aaargh!”
“Uwaaah!”
Those with perforated bodies and severed limbs writhed on the ground, spilling blood and screaming in agony.
It was a scene of pandemonium so horrific that those who died instantly were the lucky ones. If hell existed, this was it.
The enemies, shocked and horrified by the sight, didn't dare to attack me.
Even watching this, I didn't bat an eye. During my time as a low-ranking warrior in the Martial Alliance, I had participated in countless battles and had seen my fill of all kinds of gruesome and ghastly sights.
I once again gathered a handful of grass, broke it into pieces, and, infusing it with my energy, charged toward the enemies using the Sky-Striding Heavenly Ladder.
*Shuuuuut!*
“Waaah!”
“Ugh!”
Seeing me hurtling toward them, the enemies scattered in terror.
I forcefully scattered the energy-infused Grass Arrows from left to right.
*Swaaaaa!*
The green carpet spread wide across the air and shot forward.
*Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!*
“Kuaaack!”
“Gak!”
A fresh wave of pitiful screams erupted.
I had no time to count how many had fallen after two volleys of Grass Arrows, nor did I care.
From among the enemies, someone shouted urgently and fiercely.
“What are you all doing? There's only one of them! Attack!”
“Don't retreat! Attack!”
Those who had just shouted didn't know the terror I could unleash.
‘That’s right! There’s only one enemy, but that one person is me, Ak Bi-ryong!’
Before the enemies could reform their ranks, I gripped the Fire Dragon Sword and charged.
*Shuuut!*
Whether the opponent was strong or weak, this was a real battle.
Therefore, I would fight with all my might.
*Tak!*
“Keck!”
An enemy struck in the Adam's apple by the Fire Dragon Sword fell backward, his head snapping back.
Normally, a blow from the Fire Dragon Sword would have decapitated him, but by infusing only the minimum amount of energy to strike a vital point, I could kill the enemy instantly without wasting my own power.
Right now, I was systematically killing the enemies by precisely striking their vital points with the Fire Dragon Sword.
To others, it might look like I was in a perilous situation, surrounded on all sides, but in reality, I was completely at ease.
Whether they were first-rate, second-rate, or third-rate masters, the techniques and weak spots of the enemies attacking with their swords and sabers were all laid bare before me, making it incredibly simple to stab and strike with the Fire Dragon Sword.
It was no different from splitting logs neatly arranged on a chopping block.
My eyes and movements were as fast as light, while my enemies' were unbearably sluggish.
*Stab!*
“Heuk!”
Another man, stabbed in the chest, his face turning deathly pale, collapsed.
There were two reasons for fighting this way. First, to conserve my internal energy, and second, to observe the techniques my enemies employed and broaden my knowledge.
Even a supreme master would eventually tire and deplete their energy fighting against seven hundred men. That was why I chose this method.
*Crack!*
“Guk!”
However, using only a fraction of my power, I steadily struck down the enemies without the slightest bit of strain.
If my memory served me right, I had killed about two hundred enemies so far.
Initially, when I crossed the Tianmu River on the ferry, I had no intention of slaughtering the enemies indiscriminately like this.
I had thought that the leader of Zhejiang's Unorthodox Heaven, its Lord, would be leading this group, so I planned to find and kill him first.
My plan was that once the leader was dead, the enemies would falter. I would then kill a few more of their officers to completely break their morale and drive them all away.
My purpose is to fight the strong, not this rabble.
But as I walked alone across the plains to meet the enemy after crossing the river, my thoughts changed.
If I let all seven hundred members of Zhejiang's Unorthodox Heaven live, they would just come back to attack again later.
In that case, it would be better to slaughter all seven hundred of them and make an example of them.
It would serve as a clear message to the Demonic Emperor's Grand Union and the Ten Heavens of the Unorthodox Path that sending hundreds or even thousands of men against me is useless.
It would be establishing a new rule in the martial world.
—Go to Dong-ro County, and you die.—
Once they realized that sending a mob would only result in a massacre, the Demonic Emperor's Grand Union and the Ten Heavens of the Unorthodox Path would have to send carefully selected, formidable masters who might actually stand a chance of killing me.
I must become the strongest, so I must face the strong.
That is why I intend to annihilate all seven hundred men here.
Eventually, the enemies stopped their attack, maintaining a distance of over a hundred feet as they formed an encirclement.
The ground within the encirclement was a gruesome sight, littered with the corpses of those killed by my Grass Arrows and the Fire Dragon Sword.
To kill the enemies who had retreated to a safe distance and were now warily watching me, I would have to go to them.
That was a bother. It would be better if they all rushed me at once, but even after I stood still for a while, they remained motionless.
Just then, the enemies in front of me parted to the left and right, and several figures appeared in the opening.
‘The leader finally makes his appearance, does he?’
A long time ago, thirteen years ago to be precise, during my time as a low-ranking warrior in the Martial Alliance, I had been transferred between several units.
First, I was in the Sixth Team, then the Eighth. Both team leaders always fought at the forefront, ahead of their subordinates.
Perhaps because of that, both of them died early. I was last assigned to the Ninth Team.
The Ninth Team Leader was a cruel and despicable man. He always stayed at the rear during a fight and was the first to flee during a retreat. Yet, he would mercilessly kill any of his subordinates who tried to run.
Thirteen years ago, as I was fleeing toward the entrance of Requiem Valley just before a hundred thunder-bombs exploded, the Ninth Team Leader had struck me with a hidden weapon, tearing my right cheek.
That bastard, the Ninth Team Leader, was none other than Cheol Ryu-yeop.
And now, the leader of Zhejiang's Unorthodox Heaven was only showing himself after more than two hundred of his men lay dead. He was just like the Ninth Team Leader, Cheol Ryu-yeop.
Therefore, my feelings toward this leader were not favorable.
For now, I decided to wait and see how he would act.
A total of thirteen men walked slowly through the path cleared by the enemies.
The leader and his top officers.
There were three in the front row, and two rows of five behind them.
It was obvious at a glance that the leader was the portly, pot-bellied man with a large frame in the center of the front three.
The two men beside him were likely his protectors, and the ten behind them were probably Hall Masters and the heads of the unorthodox factions from Zhejiang Province.
The man on the left of the front three, aged around thirty-five or thirty-six and wearing a gaudy, colorful robe, spoke with a scowl.
“Who are you?”
He was a rude one. In that case, I would respond in kind.
“And who are you?”
“I am the Ghostly Saber, Left Protector of Zhejiang's Unorthodox Heaven of the Ten Heavens of the Unorthodox Path…”
“Is the lump next to you the boss?”
“…”
Not only had I cut him off, but I had also referred to the man in the center as a 'lump', causing the faces of all three to contort.
“You insolent bastard…!”
The Left Protector, Ghostly Saber, roared in anger, but the man in the center raised a hand to stop him and addressed me.
“And who might you be?”
The leader, at least, was a little different. He was showing respect to the man who had killed over two hundred of his subordinates.
Not that he truly respected me; he was only feigning respect to elevate his own dignity.
I rested the Fire Dragon Sword on my shoulder and spoke arrogantly.
“Aren't you all here to kill me?”
At that moment, they were utterly shocked.
“You're the Fire Dragon Sword?”
“You mean to say you're the Azure-White Jade Hand?”
The two men on either side of the leader exclaimed in surprise, each using a different moniker.
One said ‘Fire Dragon Sword,’ the other ‘Azure-White Jade Hand.’
I had heard someone call me Fire Dragon Sword recently, but Azure-White Jade Hand was a first.
Not long ago, I had killed Nu Jin-sang, the Lord of the Demonic Emperor's Grand Union's Sword Demon Branch, with the Azure-White Ice Flower. I had also used the Azure-White Ice Flower in conjunction with the Five Elements Divine Finger technique to kill several unorthodox masters hiding in the estate in Dong-ro County.
The rumors must have spread, leading them to call me the Azure-White Jade Hand.
Jade Hand refers to a hand as white as jade.
‘Azure-White Jade Hand, not a bad moniker.’
I focused on the man in the center.
“Are you the Lord of Zhejiang's Unorthodox Heaven?”
He nodded.
“I am. Are you the Fire Dragon Sword?”
It seemed Fire Dragon Sword was the more well-known name.
“I am the Grand Branch Master of the Martial Alliance's Dong-ro Branch.”
Whether it was Fire Dragon Sword or Azure-White Jade Hand, the title of Grand Branch Master said it all.
I was likely the first person in the world to hold such a position, and there would never be a branch master more powerful than me.
There was something I had always wanted to say before a fight, and now was the time to say it.
“State your name.”
“I am Gu Am, the Black Killing Sword's Ruin.”
‘Black Killing Sword's Ruin?’
I had heard that moniker before.
It was one of the names I had picked up during my two years and five months fighting as a low-ranking warrior in the Martial Alliance.
A moniker familiar to my ears meant he wasn't someone who sat on the sidelines, but a man with plenty of real combat experience.