Rescue (4)

179. Rescue (4)

Having confirmed the talismans were ineffective, the Wudang Daoist returned to us with swift lightness skill. As if the talismans hadn't even tickled them, the jiangshi paid him no mind whatsoever and simply continued their endless battle against the four heroes.

"Nonsense! If Taoist arts don't work on them, then face them as a martial artist! Draw your sword and fight at once, before that young Daoist—who's been fighting for more than two tea intervals without a single chance to regulate his breathing—runs out of true qi!"

At the Mount Hua Daoist's bellow, the Wudang Daoist quietly drew his sword.

"You're Baek Eun-hyeok of Jilin, aren't you? I am Rin's granduncle. You should regulate your qi for a while. Whether it's you or those jiangshi, I can scarcely believe my own eyes even as I behold them, but in any case, since this situation doesn't seem likely to end quickly, you must recover your internal energy fully."

Murong Guk came over to my side and spoke.

"Thank you. Mount Hua Daoist and Shaolin Venerable. Murong Elder and Heroic Beggar Elder, please face the jiangshi for a moment."

I had no risk of exhausting my internal energy, but to produce talismans I had to avert my gaze, and if I did, I wouldn't be able to maintain the Spirit Vessel Art. When I asked them to take on the jiangshi while I produced the talismans, the four elders shot out like shooting stars as if they'd been waiting for it. But suddenly, Tang Woo shouted at me, his face contorted with fury.

"What are you thinking? Why aren't you asking me to face the jiangshi? Even if the Tang Clan's poisons are utterly ineffective against jiangshi, the power of the Sichuan Tang Clan is never inferior to anyone under heaven!!"

His eyes blazed with rage. Seriously, why was this old man bitching again? Since jiangshi were corpses, of course poisons wouldn't work on them. He must have had a harder time against the jiangshi than the first-rate martial artists from the other sects before I arrived, but why was he taking that inferiority complex out on me?

"That's not what I meant, Elder. You must be entrusted with the most critical task."

"The most critical task?"

"Let's hurry first. Wudang Daoist, sir. You are accustomed to using talismans, correct? I will produce the talismans, so please copy them as well."

There was no time to explain. Those elders were tremendous masters, but their Sword Aura wouldn't last long. I swiftly had Hwangseong possess me and prepared to draw talismans. There was no paper or ink. I tore strips from my white Daoist robe to substitute for paper and cut my ring finger with a blade to use blood as ink. Hwangseong's hand raced without hesitation through the dazzling, primitive geometric patterns. I had expected a simple talisman, but the workload was enormous. More than three minutes passed, and as the white cloth gradually turned red, I even began to worry that I might become anemic.

And then, at last, the first Nullification Talisman was barely completed. The Wudang Daoist stared at that metaphysical talisman, his mouth agape.

"Th-this is...? Is this not a talisman produced through the Wind Trigram? Could it be derived in this fashion as well? Do you know a new Nullification Method?"

"I just discovered it. Wudang Daoist, sir, you are familiar with talismans, are you not? I ask that you copy this."

Now understanding at last why he had been summoned here instead of to face the jiangshi, the Wudang Daoist nodded. He did not crudely make talismans of his own clothes and blood as I had, but instead drew out yellow paper and a brush from his bosom and stylishly copied the talisman. Just as I thought. This old man. When I saw that, unlike the other martial artists in that hopeless situation earlier, he couldn't let go of his attachment to talismans even though he already knew they didn't work, I had guessed he'd be carrying a talisman-production kit around with him, just like my master.

The martial artists gathered here were all masters of high caliber. To begin with, if they were Martial Alliance permanent elders or the guide elders for the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering, they had to be among the very top elders of their respective sects. Especially that Mount Hua Daoist and the Heroic Beggar. Those two were undoubtedly among the Top Hundred Masters. With their internal energy, they could probably sustain their Martial Aura for roughly over ten minutes, but that was under normal conditions. Before my arrival, they had expended considerable inner power and had only managed to recover the bare minimum of internal energy through brief qi regulation. They were being driven steadily toward their limits. Right at that moment, the Wudang Daoist finished copying a single talisman.

"It's done."

He handed me the completed talisman and then, without even being asked, continued writing a third talisman. I had thought he merely liked Taoist arts, but he genuinely seemed to be the most outstanding human in Taoist arts I had ever met.

"Everyone, please withdraw! I will face them again!"

Their true qi was just reaching its limit. The moment they heard me, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠they swiftly pulled back, and the four heroes took their places. Even if the attacks were simple, throwing a talisman to slap it onto the abdomen of such a fast-moving jiangshi was an impossible feat for me. But—the demon's ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠third gift that had felt truly useless, so much so I'd never once used it. Unerring Shot. Once per day. A power that defied all reason, able to hit any target within two hundred ninety-seven meters without fail.

Caught up in Heosan's Taiji, the jiangshi fell backward hard, its guard with both arms thrown open, and for the first time I used that power to hurl a talisman at its Spirit Gate Acupoint. I thought the jiangshi would stop in its tracks with some kind of cool effect, but the instant the talisman made contact, the jiangshi crumbled to powder on the spot and scattered like smoke. Dammit. They screwed over the laws of physics again. Fine, the jiangshi. But did that ragged sackcloth have to disappear along with it?

"De... destroyed it!!!"

The Shaolin monk shouted at the top of his lungs, even forgetting his qi-circulation exercises.

"It's... truly real! Wasn't the Nullification Method said to be ineffective?"

The Mount Hua Daoist's face was a picture of disbelief.

"No. He said it's a new Nullification Method. But, Young Master Baek, so then what exactly is my role?"

Tang Woo, who had been utterly dumbfounded, asked calmly what he should do, a far cry from his earlier demeanor.

"What do you think? You're to throw the talismans, aren't you? To be perfectly honest, since I mainly use Qi-Guided Sword, my skill in the fine Concealed-Weapon Art is absolutely terrible. Something that isn't a solid throwing knife but a flimsy, fluttering piece of paper like this is completely out of the question for me. That just now was pure luck, so from now on, Elder, you must do it. The location is the Spirit Gate Acupoint. I trust an elder of the Sichuan Tang Clan would not also call it impossible?"

Only then grasping my meaning, Tang Woo let out a triumphant roar, his face beaming like a child's.

"If the Sichuan Tang Clan were not confident in its Concealed-Weapon Art, what else would we have trusted to venture out into the Martial World? You're right. Poison is not all there is to the Tang Clan."

Ah... what a hassle. Martial artists had to protect their pride even in a situation like this. But whether I liked it or not, Tang Woo was far too well suited to the task, so I yielded the glory of the finishing blow to him. To make the talisman easy to attach, I assigned Heosan alongside Moon Immortal and had them expose the jiangshi's weak points. The talisman flew like a literal flash of light. Perhaps because Tang Woo had infused the scrap of cloth with Martial Aura, just watching its trajectory made my heart drop. So this was the Sichuan Tang Clan's Concealed-Weapon Art. From the front, I could fully block it with Taiji, but if it came flying from behind my head, could I truly stop it?

When the second jiangshi was destroyed, Tang Woo clenched his fist and cheered. This old man. Had I not let him do this, he might really have cried. Now down to two jiangshi, with two of the four heroes on each one, they engaged them with genuine ease. And once the Wudang Daoist completed his talisman, Tang Woo hurled it and destroyed the third jiangshi as well.

Fuck. I panicked over nothing. We could win this so comfortably. But while I was leisurely waiting for the last talisman, something unbelievable happened. The Flame Emperor's attacks gradually picked up speed, and his familiar Flame Aura shifted from a crimson like the sun to a scarlet like blood, and sliced through the jiangshi's neck. Like when the talisman was used, the jiangshi turned to dust on the spot. What... what was that?

—What... what is this?—

To Geo Am, who was thinking the same thing as me, the Flame Emperor answered indifferently.

—Hm. Because my inner power has no limits, I considered it possible in theory. I did not know it would actually be possible. This is a good thing. Yeongmok. I have reached a new realm of martial arts to teach you.—

—I-impossible! Flame Emperor! We're dead spirits! No matter how infinite our internal energy is, how can an already dead spirit develop martial arts?—

Moon Immortal must have felt the same, for she shouted, even stammering.

—You may not know this well, but Hwangseong also improved the Spirit-Binding Art to bring you aboard. Even the dead can grow stronger. In my case, training must be the reason. Do you not already know? Even now, do I not continue to train ceaselessly through Yeongmok's body? Hm. This realm requires a new name.

Heosan. You are skilled at naming, so I ask you for a fine name.—

—For naming, that would be Hwangseong.—

—M-me? That scene just now was the very embodiment of King Yama of hell, sending the dead back to where they belong. What about the Yama King Sword?—

—Yama King, is it. How absurd. In truth, are we not the dead who linger in this world unable to let go of our ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠attachments? It will not matter. The Yama King Sword will someday reveal its light to the world through Yeongmok, not me. And Yeongmok truly does possess the power to rule over the dead.—

Ah... no. Master. What you just did—wasn't that a realm of nonsense that even the Four Heroes of Dong-o found utterly absurd? You couldn't possibly be telling me to do that?!

I wasn't the only one with a stupefied expression. The other old men had also lost their wits and were merely staring blankly at the remnants of the vanished jiangshi.

"With the full strength of you four, you destroyed even jiangshi! I've witnessed that exhilarating martial prowess clearly. I am late in introducing myself, am I not? I am Iseong of Mount Hua."

Iseong of Mount Hua greeted me with a face full of goodwill. So he was indeed Reverend Iseong. A supreme master representing Mount Hua; seeing him far more excited at the jiangshi the Flame Emperor had destroyed than the ones destroyed by talismans, unlike that Wudang Daoist, this old man seemed to have no interest in Taoist arts and was single-mindedly devoted solely to martial arts.

"I was late as well. I am Hye-gwang of Shaolin."

Unlike the gentle-seeming Hyesang, Venerable Hye-gwang looked every bit the martial artist. He gave an impression that would be a little frightening if you met him on a dark street at night.

"I am Ok-cheong of Wudang. The destruction of the jiangshi is cause for the whole world to rejoice, but now is not the time to linger. We must go at once to rescue my Senior Martial Uncle."

Huh? This Wudang Daoist looked quite young, so I had assumed he was of the Myeong generation like Myeong-jin, but he was the same generation as the Wudang Sect Leader? I could never guess the ages of these true master old men.

"Haste is well and good, but look at the state we're in. We rushed in unprepared and nearly sent over a hundred men to their graves. Well, since we have three Daoists here, wouldn't making a sufficient number of talismans before we go also help Reverend Hyeon-gang? There's no guarantee all the jiangshi are here, is there?"

At the Heroic Beggar's reasonable suggestion that the Daoists among us should produce enough of those complex talismans before departing, Iseong's face reddened. As I thought. This old man truly seemed to have zero interest in Taoist arts.

"No. It's all right. I, too, am ashamed as a martial artist, but I have spent far more years on talismans than on the Taiji Wisdom Sword. I have completely memorized the Nullification Talisman. I, for one, can write talismans even while executing lightness skill."

The person we were rescuing was Hyeon-gang of Wudang, so naturally Reverend Ok-cheong was the most desperate. Even so, I already knew that first-rate masters had transcended humanity, but when he claimed he could draw talismans while using lightness skill, neither I nor the other old men could do anything but laugh in resignation. So this was what happened when an otaku succeeded.

We had obtained a weapon with which to face the jiangshi. We also had the Flame Emperor's new realm, which could destroy them without talismans, and six first-rate masters to assist me. There was nothing left to fear. Hoping only that Reverend Hyeon-gang would be safe, we shot like arrows toward the location Drunken Beggar had described, driving our lightness skills to their limits. According to him, his party had encountered the jiangshi around lunchtime. More than six hours had already passed. Even so, Hyeon-gang would be safe. I could only hope so, because if anything happened to him, Master would be deeply grieved.

The fervent wishes of humans seemed to hold no meaning, yet I believed in the power of earnestness more than anyone. I had actually met a demon that way in my previous life. Perhaps because of that, as the place Drunken Beggar had described drew nearer, I felt Hyeon-gang's pure energy.

Reverend Hyeon-gang was backed against a large boulder and under one-sided attack by three jiangshi. The Daoist robe that had remained spotless, without even a drop of blood splattered on it, even when we had raided the Great ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Sun Association, and that dashing white beard that had made him seem an immortal—both were in absolute tatters. It was a considerable shock. At first glance, he might have appeared to be pinned down defensively, helplessly taking hits, but he had purposefully set his back to the boulder to confront the jiangshi alone, limiting the direction of their attacks to his front.

Moreover, according to Drunken Beggar, the attack had begun around lunchtime, and Hyeon-gang had been fighting a defensive battle against the jiangshi for more than six hours. He did not confront them with the crude, brute Martial Aura I had used. He continuously sustained Taiji, releasing only a momentary flash of Sword Qi at each collision to conserve his stamina. Heosan was one of Hyeon-gang's ancestral masters and a hero from a much earlier era, so I had assumed that no Wudang martial artist except the legendary Zhang Sanfeng could surpass him. Yet after witnessing this, I could no longer confidently say which of Hyeon-gang and Heosan was stronger.

Heosan was three parts offense and seven parts defense. Hyeon-gang was one part offense and nine parts defense, enough to make even Heosan look aggressive by comparison. Hyeon-gang was the mightiest fortress wall of this era.