The Burning Madman
The giant's face was in a state where his eyes could not be seen even when open.
His skin was mangled as if burned, and his gaze was hazy. Even from a considerable distance, a foul stench emanated from the giant. The low-ranking warriors on guard plugged their noses and stepped back. Not out of fear, but because it was disgusting. Being close to the giant felt like one might catch a disease.
He was not just a beggar. At a glance, he seemed insane. Otherwise, he would never be wandering around in that condition.
It was then, while the low-ranking warriors were backing away, that the madman stopped walking. He looked around with his hazy gaze. As he surveyed his surroundings without hostility, his eyes fixed on one spot—the carriage containing the escorted cargo.
Upon seeing the carriage, the madman twitched his nose like a beast that had found prey. He approached the carriage, revealing both hands through the blood wind. At the same time, the Murim Alliance's low-ranking warriors raised their weapons.
The madman held axes in both hands. The axes had a reddish tint, as if rusted. The weapons he carried were in equally poor condition.
Jang Muhwi, who had been watching the situation, quietly gripped his scabbard. At that sight, Jung-yong of the Kunlun Sect burst into laughter.
"Haha. It's your first mission, so you're all tensed up. Don't be too nervous."
"He's not an opponent to take lightly, Taoist."
"Even if he's grotesque, such drunkards are common on the roads, aren't they?"
"Madmen who emit a blood scent are rare."
"It's not blood scent, it's stench. It's good to be cautious, but if you worry about every madman you encounter, how will you meet the schedule?"
Jung-yong shook his head. He looked around. Everyone nodded as if his words made sense.
"I'll go check it out, so rest assured. I'll chase him away. Even if mad, one should go mad gracefully. A whip is the medicine for a mad dog."
Jung-yong patted Jang Muhwi's shoulder and walked toward the madman with a confident stride. Now they were within sword's reach. Jung-yong extended his scabbard.
"If you come any closer, I will punish you severely according to the Murim Alliance's rules."
It was a gentle tone befitting a Taoist. But the giant did not answer. Only heavy footsteps drew nearer.
At this point, Jung-yong furrowed his brow. With a grim expression, he drew his sword.
Shring.
"If you're drunk, leave quietly."
"Heh heh."
Instead of answering, the madman let out a bizarre laugh and suddenly thrust his axe. Whoosh! Jung-yong blocked the flying axe with his raised sword. A thunderous boom echoed.
Boom!
With the impact, Jung-yong was pushed back five steps. It was clearly a disastrous sight. His expression twisted. It had been a simple clash, yet the power he felt from the opponent was immense—not a difference in inner energy, but pure physical strength.
Jung-yong raised his head. In that instant, his eyes widened. The opponent who had pushed him back had vanished.
Then Galmu-ryang's voice rang out.
"Be careful, Taoist!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, wind whistled past Jung-yong's ears. He ducked quickly. Whoosh. A gust brushed over his head. Wind pressure descended from above.
Bang!
Flustered, Jung-yong rolled away. Rising swiftly, he confirmed the madman's position. The giant stood like a mountain five steps away. No inner energy could be felt, but in terms of strength and speed alone, no one in Qinghai could match him.
Jung-yong could no longer underestimate the opponent. He raised his sword high—a signal to attack together. Originally, their pride would have forbidden such a choice. But protecting the cargo was now the top priority.
At his signal, Galmu-ryang rushed forward. The other two warriors moved to Jung-yong's sides. They quickly surrounded the madman. Jung-yong glanced at Galmu-ryang.
"Where did Jang Muhwi go?"
"I don't know either."
"He must have run away in fear."
"That friend wouldn't run away."
"I'm not blaming him. If a warrior new to the martial world isn't scared, that would be stranger. Let's deal with this guy quickly and look for Jang Muhwi."
Jung-yong gripped his sword. Galmu-ryang moved to the madman's rear while the remaining two warriors took the left and right flanks. Jung-yong charged.
At the same time, the madman's axe flew toward his crown. Jung-yong twisted aside. The most important element in a combined attack was coordination. His strike was a feint. The real attack came from behind.
Galmu-ryang's Bloodless Blade cut through the wind toward the madman's waist.
Bang!
Seeing the blade rush in with a piercing sound, Jung-yong's lips curled upward. This single strike would surely bring the madman down. In truth, he had not wanted to go this far. But there was a saying—even a tiger does not neglect its prey when catching a rabbit. The opponent was no rabbit, but a wolf.
Another boom echoed.
Boom!
When the sound of clashing weapons rang out instead of flesh being cut, Jung-yong quickly adjusted his grip. The madman had blocked Galmu-ryang's Bloodless Blade with his other axe. In that moment, attacks came from left and right. Swords flew toward the madman.
But he did not dodge.
Thud.
With swords embedded in his waist, the madman groaned.
"Hoo hoo um."
Seeing him tremble as if in pain, Jung-yong sighed.
"Whew. It's over."
"You've worked hard, Taoist."
Galmu-ryang, who had been speaking, narrowed his eyes. He felt an unknown energy from the madman. A strange heat flowed from the giant's body.
Sizzle.
Suddenly, the blood wind wrapping the madman's body began to burn. At the same time, his eyes turned red. It was no illusion. They burned fiercely, like molten iron in a forge. The madman raised his axe again and struck down the two swords embedded in his waist.
Thwack!
The axe severed both blades. Thud! The two warriors retreated, half-broken swords in their hands. The madman casually pulled the broken blades from his body. Jung-yong shouted.
"Everyone, dodge!"
Before the words finished, the madman extended his hand and hurled the swords he had pulled free.
Whoosh. Whoosh!
Two silver lines crossed the air toward the swords' former owners. The two warriors fell without a scream.
Thud!
The broken blades were embedded in their abdomens. At the same time, the madman charged toward Jung-yong like the wind. In the blink of an eye, he closed the distance and thrust his axe. Jung-yong blocked.
Crash!
The axe and sword met in midair. Jung-yong's blade turned red from the heat radiating off the axe. Red energy traveled along the sword to his hand. Pain like thrusting his hand into a furnace forced him to pull back. In that gap, the axe flew again.
Swoosh!
The blade grazed his sleeve. Sizzle. Soot appeared on the fabric. Just a graze had set it alight.
Jung-yong was the most experienced among the Murim Alliance elites on this escort. Even he struggled against the madman's suddenly changed aura. He could not understand how such a warrior had appeared. It was an unimaginable extreme yang martial art. The strong energy formed from extreme yang inner energy seemed capable of burning everything. Now the burn marks on the madman's face made sense. A martial art that trained by burning one's own body? He had never heard of such a thing.
The axe flew again—left, right. Jung-yong was busy dodging. Galmu-ryang attacked from both sides, but it was useless. As time passed, their wounds only multiplied.
Sizzle.
Galmu-ryang, aiming from behind, widened his eyes at his burning lapel. One word came to mind upon seeing the madman: impregnable. If this continued, they would be annihilated.
Jung-yong looked at Galmu-ryang.
"Galmu-ryang! You take the cargo."
"In this situation, me alone..."
"There's no time. I'll buy time, so go quickly!"
At those words, Galmu-ryang grabbed the box and ran toward the entrance of Paryun Valley. Jung-yong thrust his sword at the madman, but the giant ignored him. His eyes were fixed only on Galmu-ryang fleeing with the cargo. Jung-yong struck again to buy time, yet the madman swatted the blade aside without looking.
Bang!
Jung-yong's sword broke in half and fell, spinning through the air. The madman turned and began chasing Galmu-ryang. It was the worst possible situation. Jung-yong gritted his teeth, trying to gather his last strength. The effort was brief. His energy drained, and he staggered before collapsing.
The fallen Jung-yong rummaged through his robes. In the blink of an eye, the madman stood before Galmu-ryang and thrust his axe. Galmu-ryang instinctively raised his Bloodless Blade. But the red axe split it in half.
Thud!
Galmu-ryang squeezed his eyes shut. He felt wind pressure from the opposite side. Even so, he instinctively blocked the flying axe with one arm. It was an instinctive choice—blocking mattered more than losing his head.
Then it happened. Galmu-ryang's body moved on its own. Like a beast caught in a trap, he was yanked downward. He looked at his ankle. Someone had grabbed it and pulled. In an instant, he escaped the madman's reach. Catching his breath, Galmu-ryang's eyes widened.
Before him stood Jang Muhwi, whom everyone had thought had fled.
"How..."
"I went to check if there were other enemies. There's nothing more painful than getting hit in the back of the head by mistake. You rest for now. I'll handle this."
"Take this and escape quickly! That guy is stronger than you think."
"Don't worry. I'll take care of it."
Jang Muhwi turned and looked at the madman. The giant stared back with blazing eyes—the gaze of a beast that had lost its prey. Jang Muhwi quietly drew his sword and handed the scabbard to Galmu-ryang. Holding the blade, he walked slowly toward the madman.
Jang Muhwi had left his position in case the madman had comrades. It was an incident whose details he had not known even in his previous life, so he wanted to be thorough. Fortunately, there was no one around. Even the wild beasts had fled, perhaps startled by the madman's aura.
Jang Muhwi looked at the madman's axe. It glowed red, filled with heat. The warriors had struggled because of the fire energy the madman possessed. It was enough to understand why most had been slaughtered in the previous life and why Galmu-ryang had lost one arm. Even one of the Murim's top 100 experts would face the same situation. Warriors who used fire energy as their base were that troublesome.
But Jang Muhwi had recently reached the state of Yangyeolbulchim thanks to the Yeolhwacho. Although he could not freely use fire energy, he had been reborn with a body unaffected by certain levels of it. In other words, he was the natural enemy of the madman before him.