Chapter 177
177
#1
7
7. <The Black Flame Dragon That Swallows the Sea of Blood (7)>
Martial Alliance Mantong Department.
“Hold your hands up properly!” (Jegal Somyeong)
At Jegal Somyeong’s frost-like command, Maeng Juwon’s trembling hands shot straight up again.
Seeing a man nearing thirty sweating as if he were about to die from a “hands up” punishment meant for children only made him look even more hateful.
He must have lost his mind beyond all measure, daring to issue an order from the Mantong Department?
Of course, procedurally, there was no problem.
In his absence, it was only natural that the next person in charge would be Maeng Juwon, the department head of the Mantong Department.
But if there was a problem, it was that the order was to make the Elder Council return, and furthermore, that Seungho Hall had been assigned as the personnel to carry it out.
Heavens…… Seungho Hall……
Politically speaking, this could even be interpreted as the Mantong Department considering the Elder Council a group of black path rabble.
It was the sort of matter that could be used, not only right now but at any point in the future, as a pretext to shake the Mantong Department to its core.
Even if the man had lost his senses over Jin Sowoon, he had crossed the line by far.
“There is no way you did not know that. Have you truly lost your mind?” (Jegal Somyeong)
At Jegal Somyeong’s question, Maeng Juwon could not answer and only mumbled with his lips.
“If you have a mouth, try speaking! Speak! Have you committed something you cannot even offer a single excuse for?” (Jegal Somyeong)
“……
No, the thing is…….” (Maeng Juwon)
“No? You say no? Are you saying there is room for you to make excuses in this matter!” (Jegal Somyeong)
When Maeng Juwon tried to explain after being told to make an excuse, he clamped his mouth shut.
“You bastard! What is that face full of complaints?! Are you saying you did well?!” (Jegal Somyeong)
“Um…… actually…….” (Maeng Juwon)
“You still have something to say?! A bastard who should have nothing to say even if he had ten mouths dares open the one mouth he has?!” (Jegal Somyeong)
“…….” (Maeng Juwon)
Already, for one whole shichen, the same scolding had repeated, and Maeng Juwon felt like dying. “Are you telling me to talk or not?” (Maeng Juwon) He would have felt better if he were simply disciplined instead, but that was not it either; every single thing was being picked apart, and he was being repeatedly chewed out.
At this rate, he would be picked on and scolded even for breathing.
“Then I will say just one thing.” (Maeng Juwon)
“You truly—” (Jegal Somyeong)
“It is not an excuse. I merely wanted Jin Sowoon to feel the authority of the Mantong Department. That is all. I acknowledge my mistake. Even so, please understand that my sincerity was that I wanted to bring in talent.” (Maeng Juwon)
Maeng Juwon spat out everything in one breath so that Jegal Somyeong could not cut him off.
Maeng Juwon breathed hard, as if he had said everything he needed to say.
At his shameless attitude, Jegal Somyeong was dumbfounded.
“Fine. But how did you move Seungho Hall? Those men would not have moved on the Mantong Department’s order alone.” (Jegal Somyeong)
“Ah…… that? It was nothing. I went and knelt down and begged. Desperately—.” (Maeng Juwon)
“…….” (Jegal Somyeong)
Maeng Juwon even rubbed his hands together as he spoke proudly, as if recounting a heroic exploit.
Huh, did this bastard truly have no such thing as face!
It was already infuriating enough that he would have to be checked by the Elder Council later, and now the prestige of the Mantong Department had been slammed into the floor as well.
“You are truly—” (Jegal Somyeong)
At the sight of Jegal Somyeong filled with rage, Maeng Juwon, who had been afraid, suddenly snapped his fingers. Then he took a pouch out of his sleeve.
“This is it!” (Maeng Juwon)
“Hm?” (Jegal Somyeong)
“This is exactly it, Chief Strategist.” (Maeng Juwon)
At the abrupt change of topic, Jegal Somyeong found himself unconsciously being drawn in.
“What is that?” (Jegal Somyeong)
“A pouch that will save me from danger.” (Maeng Juwon)
Had this bastard’s mind gone and escaped?
“It is an item Jin Sowoon asked me to deliver to you, Chief Strategist.” (Maeng Juwon)
At the three syllables “Jin Sowoon,” his excitement cooled completely.
There was no way that clever fellow had failed to anticipate the aftermath this current situation would bring.
Even so, he was curious about why Jin Sowoon had accepted both the Mantong Department’s order and Seungho Hall without refusing them.
With an unsettled expression, he opened the pouch.
Inside the pouch were two pieces of paper that seemed to be messenger letters, and a piece of wood.
Jegal Somyeong unfolded the messenger letter first, and his eyes narrowed at the unfamiliar format.
The Martial Alliance was the same, but information organizations had to fit condensed information into small messenger letters, so each used a set format.
The Mantong Department mainly dealt with the formats of internal information organizations and the Beggars Sect.
This new format he was seeing now meant, in other words, that it was not a messenger letter from the Beggars Sect or anywhere related to the Martial Alliance. “Does this bastard have some other place he receives information from?” (Jegal Somyeong) But as he turned the messenger letter back and forth, he remembered seeing it somewhere.
That was, what was it…… “……
Hao Clan?” (Jegal Somyeong)
A new information organization that had recently been growing while closely chasing the Beggars Sect from behind.
The Hao Clan’s growth had been so tremendous that people said the Beggars Sect was unable to involve itself with the Martial Alliance these days because of the Hao Clan.
But Jin Sowoon had a connection with the Hao Clan too?
Since he did not know the details, he unfolded the messenger letter first.
-Those who appeared in Sichuan are presumed to belong to a different affiliation from those who appeared on the Bokyang Plain during the same period.
However, there are commonalities in the aftermath of their martial arts disturbing a person’s mind and making them lose reason.
They had already investigated this far?
He could not help but be astonished that they had compared the culprits on the Bokyang Plain, whom even the Beggars Sect and Martial Alliance had yet to properly identify, with the culprits in Sichuan.
Jegal Somyeong quickly unfolded the second messenger letter. -Since ten years ago, people who lost their reason have been discovered in Sichuan.
They all commonly exhibited repeated signs of devastation, such as seeing nightmare-like hallucinations and foaming blood while asleep.
Physicians, including those of the Tang Clan, each examined only their own patients, so they were unable to find commonalities among the patients.
Symptoms of an ordinary person losing reason and seeing hallucinations were one of the representative aftereffects of evil arts.
Because the differences from ordinary mental illness were not greatly pronounced, physicians could not examine the illness from the outside.
The only difference was that even while sleeping, the inside was churned up, causing symptoms of internal injury.
This too was an intermittent phenomenon, so it was not easily identified. “They collected even individual illnesses in detail? Heavens……” (Jegal Somyeong) As Jegal Somyeong newly realized just how extraordinary the Hao Clan’s growth, which threatened the Beggars Sect, truly was, he felt that the current situation was somehow unfolding differently from what he had expected. “No, surely not……” (Jegal Somyeong) An uneasy feeling tickled his mind.
Even while thinking it could not be, he soothed himself that it surely was not.
Even investigating the people who had appeared on the Bokyang Plain right now was enough to make the Martial Alliance’s system scream.
If others appeared on top of that……
“Aren’t you going to look at the last one?” (Maeng Juwon)
“…….” (Jegal Somyeong)
When he raised his head, Maeng Juwon had somehow lowered his hands and was pressed close, reading the messenger letters together.
“When did you get up?” (Jegal Somyeong)
“I will just check the contents of the messenger letter and then raise my hands again.” (Maeng Juwon)
“…….” (Jegal Somyeong)
“In my view, hasn’t something quite serious happened?” (Maeng Juwon)
“…….” (Jegal Somyeong)
Jegal Somyeong, who had been fumbling with the piece of wood inside the pouch, finally took out his hand.
And with the heart of a gambler checking a bone tile, he slowly confirmed the piece of wood.
-Blood Cult Manifestation. Jin Sowoon.
After confirming the contents, Jegal Somyeong’s hand trembled.
Beside him, Maeng Juwon ran his mouth, unable to understand Jegal Somyeong’s feelings.
“Huh! The Blood Cult, you say? It really was a thousand blessings that I even knelt down to send Seungho Hall. If not, wouldn’t all our academy students have been in danger?” (Maeng Juwon)
It would not have been enough even to flee from reality by insisting that the news Jin Sowoon conveyed could not be true, yet he was trying to excuse his own mistake.
Could such a person truly be the department head of the Mantong Department?
Jegal Somyeong packed the piece of wood full of qi and threw it at Maeng Juwon.
“Die!!!” (Jegal Somyeong)
“Kkueeeeeek!” (Maeng Juwon)
#Gu Jeongryong was dumbfounded by the sight spread out before his eyes.
“What is this……” (Gu Jeongryong)
Dust was flying everywhere, and people were fighting fiercely.
“What on earth are you all doing! Your opponent is merely the Taeul Sect! The Taeul Sect! Are you not ashamed of the name of Kunlun!” (Gu Jeongryong)
The problem was that everyone fighting belonged to the orthodox path. “What on earth are they doing!” (Gu Jeongryong)
Nearly twenty disciples of the Kunlun Sect and its affiliated secular sects were sprawled on the ground, and another twenty were deploying Kunlun’s sword formation, the Thirty-Six Strike Cold Plum Sword Formation.
Absurdly enough, those facing Kunlun’s Thirty-Six Strike Cold Plum Sword Formation were three men who did not even seem to have reached twenty.
“Stop!” (Gu Jeongryong)
Unable to watch any longer, Gu Jeongryong launched himself and jumped between the two sword formations.
It was an extremely dangerous act, but one possible precisely because he was that confident.
“Ah! Hall Leader!” (Geumpyo)
“The Hall Leader is here!” (Eunho)
“Thank goodness!” (Dong)
When Gu Jeongryong intervened, the Gold, Silver, and Bronze brothers withdrew their swords and stepped back as if they had been waiting for it.
On the other hand, the Kunlun disciples who had not been able to withdraw their swords in time ultimately had to cross swords with Gu Jeongryong.
Chaechaechaechaechaeng.
Blocking the swords four people swung at him simultaneously, Gu Jeongryong clicked his tongue at the heavy weight he felt. “They say the Thirty-Six Strike Cold Plum Sword Formation is one of Kunlun’s special techniques.” (Gu Jeongryong)
At the tension that, with one wrong move, he could suffer not only great humiliation but also a serious injury, he quickly drew up his inner arts in haste and sent sword qi beneath the Kunlun disciples’ feet.
Papapapapapat!
The sword qi dug into the ground and scattered clods of dirt in all directions, and while Kunlun’s disciples flinched, the members of Seungho Hall, including Gam Cheonak, surrounded the academy students of Kunlun Sect and its secular martial sects.
“Who are you!” (Sangwon)
Kunlun Elder Sangwon shouted at the top of his lungs, his face turning bright red.
“I am Gu Jeongryong, Hall Leader of Seungho Hall, Elder.” (Gu Jeongryong)
When he revealed his identity, Sangwon’s expression changed sulkily.
Sangwon, who soon recovered his complexion, spoke in a solemn voice.
“This is not a place for Seungho Hall to interfere. Move aside at once.” (Sangwon)
Gu Jeongryong’s gaze turned toward the fallen academy students of Kunlun Sect and its secular sects.
Then it shifted to the Gold, Silver, and Bronze brothers standing perfectly fine behind him, though they looked somewhat tired.
The circumstances were enough to tell what kind of situation it was. “They took a hit, and their pride was wounded, is it.” (Gu Jeongryong)
Against disciples of the Taeul Sect, Kunlun and its secular sects had ultimately failed to win.
That was the reason Kunlun’s Sangwon could not step back even at the words “Seungho Hall.”
“I am sorry, but I cannot do that.” (Gu Jeongryong)
“……
What?” (Sangwon)
Sangwon’s martial arts uniform swelled as though it would burst.
Gu Jeongryong continued speaking as calmly as possible.
“This is not the time for us to fight among ourselves.” (Gu Jeongryong)
“……
Do you think this is a fight right now?” (Sangwon)
Sangwon did not seem to have any room to regain reason at all.
Gu Jeongryong spoke frankly.
“The earlier groups were attacked and suffered casualties.” (Gu Jeongryong)
“……?” (Sangwon)
No sooner had Gu Jeongryong’s words fallen than the excitement in the field cooled completely.
“According to the report, Elder So Chunghyun and Elder Jeong Saik were also struck down by the culprits.” (Gu Jeongryong)
“……
What nonsense……” (Sangwon)
“Elder Sangwon.” (Suheo)
At the call of Elder Suheo, who had arrived belatedly, Elder Sangwon turned his head.
“Is what that man just said true?” (Sangwon)
“I do not know yet. I am on my way to confirm that now.” (Suheo)
Elder Sangwon frowned.
“You followed along without knowing?” (Sangwon)
“They said this news was sent by Jin Sowoon and Cheol Sunjik.” (Suheo)
“Cheol Sunjik? You mean that one of the Twelve Peak Stars?” (Sangwon)
“That is so.” (Suheo)
Although Cheol Sunjik and Jin Sowoon were both of the One Hundred Eight Peaks, Jin Sowoon’s solitary lead had made it impossible for the two to be together.
The fact that those two had each provided the same information, unbelievable as it was, was equivalent to raising the credibility of the information.
“There is no way this news is true, but if so, I thought we could take issue with that.” (Suheo)
At Suheo’s words, Sangwon’s head also nodded on its own.
“There is no helping it.” (Sangwon)
Sangwon looked at the three Gold, Silver, and Bronze brothers.
“You bastards, do not think this is all there is to Kunlun.” (Sangwon)
“…….” (Geumpyo)
“…….” (Eunho)
“…….” (Dong)
As Sangwon turned around, he shouted at the academy students of Kunlun and its secular sects.
“What did you do so well that you are still lying there! Get up at once!” (Sangwon)
At Sangwon’s thunderous roar, the academy students groaned as they rose from their places.
Gu Jeongryong let out a long sigh and looked at the three brothers of the Taeul Sect.
“You all did well.” (Gu Jeongryong)
“……
We nearly died, but thank you, Hall Leader.” (Geumpyo)
“Even so, I cannot only praise you.” (Gu Jeongryong)
“Pardon?” (Geumpyo)
Gu Jeongryong spat out a bitter rebuke with an absurd expression.
“How could you think to stop them with force! It is fortunate you barely managed to stop them. If they had used the Thirty-Six Strike Cold Plum Sword Formation from the start, you truly would not have survived! Do you know that!” (Gu Jeongryong)
Gu Jeongryong shouted, but the expressions of the three brothers were strange.
“…….” (Geumpyo)
“…….” (Eunho)
“……
Ahem.” (Dong)
They glanced at each other, mumbling as if frustrated, and some shook their heads as if telling the others not to say it.
Gu Jeongryong opened his mouth with a thought that perhaps it could be.
“Surely…… are you saying they used the Thirty-Six Strike Cold Plum Sword Formation from the beginning?” (Gu Jeongryong)
Then Geumpyo smiled awkwardly and scratched the back of his head.
“They were pretty serious. Yes, so we cannot tell you how fortunate it was that you came, Hall Leader.” (Geumpyo)
Eunho, who had been listening silently beside him, raised his eyes like hatchets and glared at Geumpyo.
“That is why I said we should just get out in the middle!! We really almost died so many times!” (Eunho)
“Ah! It is fine as long as we did not die, so why are you making a fuss now! You should have pulled out then!” (Geumpyo)
“Ah!!! Hyungs, don’t fight!!!” (Dong)
The Gold, Silver, and Bronze brothers suddenly began bickering and fighting among themselves.
Watching the three, Gu Jeongryong could not help but be inwardly astonished. “Just three of them stopped the Thirty-Six Strike Cold Plum Sword Formation?” (Gu Jeongryong)
At that moment, Gam Cheonak approached Gu Jeongryong.
“Preparations are all finished. We can set off again.” (Gam Cheonak)
“…….” (Gu Jeongryong)
“Hall Leader?” (Gam Cheonak)
Gu Jeongryong asked Gam Cheonak, who was looking at him strangely.
“Cheonak, if you, I, and one Seungho Hall member took on the Thirty-Six Strike Cold Plum Sword Formation, could we stop it?” (Gu Jeongryong)
“……
What is that? Some new kind of suicide method? If you want to die, die by yourself.” (Gam Cheonak)
Gam Cheonak shook his head from side to side, as if asking whether he had finally lost his mind.
Right. This was the natural reaction.
“Yes. It is only natural that we cannot stop it……. But how……” (Gu Jeongryong)
“What do you mean?” (Gam Cheonak)
But judging by Elder Sangwon’s reaction, it did not seem like the Gold, Silver, and Bronze brothers were lying either.
What on earth was he supposed to believe?
“No…… that is not important right now.” (Gu Jeongryong)
The situation was too urgent right now for him to be losing his mind to curiosity. #Tong. Tong. Tong.
A strange movement.
Bloodless skin.
Blackened fingernails and sharp fangs like those of a beast.
Even after rubbing his eyes and looking again and again, it was definitely a jiangshi.
“Shit, shit, shit.” (Nam Hwaseong)
Nam Hwaseong dared to spew curses one after another with a monk beside him, but even the upright Ilgak also nodded along with Nam Hwaseong’s cursing because the current situation was that absurd.
“To think the Corpse-Demon Spirit Descent Art would appear again……” (Ilgak)
“I never imagined I would see a real jiangshi in my lifetime……” (Nam Hwaseong)
Just as with the Great Art of Star Absorption, they had never imagined there would be people who would dare use a heaven-defying art proudly listed among the Four Great Demonic Arts.
Eun Seollan awakened the two, who seemed to be in a daze.
“……
I, I do not think this is the time to just be admiring it! I, it is coming this way!” (Eun Seollan)
After staring at Moyong Jaehwa, the jiangshi moved quickly with ridiculous movements and was approaching their side.
“Patrons, all of you, step back!” (Ilgak)
Ilgak ran forward while joining his palms.
Golden Vajra force poured from his hands and struck the jiangshi.
Peopeopeopeopeok!
The jiangshi, which had not budged even at the thunderbolt arrows, flinched and was pushed back.
At that sight, those watching each exclaimed in admiration that Shaolin was indeed Shaolin, but before long, their voices gradually grew smaller.
The golden radiance gathered in Ilgak’s two hands was gradually growing faint.
“……
Monk Ilgak looks very exhausted.” (Eun Seollan)
At Eun Seollan’s words, Moyong Jaehwa nodded.
It could not be helped.
Ilgak had continued to use Vajra force, a higher form of vital energy, not ordinary qi.
No matter how much of a Shaolin disciple he was, he could not withstand this level of inner arts consumption.
However, Ilgak did not retreat even slightly.
“Patron Jaehwa! Take the people and evacuate!” (Ilgak)
“But, Monk……” (Moyong Jaehwa)
“I know! That is why I am telling you to evacuate. Until Patron Jin comes……!” (Ilgak)
Ilgak was startled by what he had said himself.
He pressed his sincerity down and continued speaking.
“……
Until Patron Jin comes, will there not need to be someone to protect those who remain?” (Ilgak)
The golden energy in the fist he thrust out while shouting gradually grew fainter.
In addition, the jiangshi pressured Ilgak and began slowly approaching the group, including Moyong Jaehwa.
A situation where they could do neither this nor that.
Even so, Ilgak endured, and endured again.
Nam Hwaseong bit his lip as he watched that sight.
“Shit, shit, shit, shit, that shit bastard Jin Sowoon……. He never said there was a jiangshi…….” (Nam Hwaseong)
Just as Moyong Jaehwa was about to speak to Nam Hwaseong, who was suddenly trembling beside him and cursing Jin Sowoon.
He snapped his head up and looked at Moyong Jaehwa and Eun Seollan.
“Exactly five techniques! I will buy that much time, so lead the people and run away!” (Nam Hwaseong)
At Nam Hwaseong’s sudden words, the two wore dumbfounded expressions.
“What are those faces? I cannot hold out any longer than that either!” (Nam Hwaseong)
“No, that is not it. Why would you specifically……” (Moyong Jaehwa)
Moyong Jaehwa, Eun Seollan, and Nam Hwaseong were, in practical terms, as good as having no connection at all.
Going further, they were no different from enemies.
It was only natural that they could not understand why such a Nam Hwaseong would suddenly say this.
Nam Hwaseong looked at the two and spoke seriously.
“Jin Sowoon said he would give me five Demon Subduing Talismans.” (Nam Hwaseong)
Moyong Jaehwa tried to question those words, which he could not understand, but Nam Hwaseong merely shoved the backs of the two.
“Anyway, move quickly! If even the jiangshi has moved, everyone here might really die.” (Nam Hwaseong)
As if trying to forget his fear, Nam Hwaseong deliberately slammed his fists hard against each other.
“Damn it, how dare they try to pollute the martial world with a jiangshi?” (Nam Hwaseong)
Nam Hwaseong screamed viciously and hurled himself down the hill.
Because if he did not do even that, it felt as though fear would devour him before he could even fight.
Tong. Tong. Tong.
It was a ridiculous movement he was seeing for the first time in his life, but Nam Hwaseong was so tense that he even swallowed dryly.
A calamitous being said to dye the world in blood every time it appeared.
A killing weapon created solely for the purpose of killing humans.
A dreadful being he had never wanted to encounter.
“Damn Jin Sowoon!” (Nam Hwaseong)
He did not know why he had said he would step forward.
Because Nam Hwaseong himself was not such a fool and idiot that he would stake his life on a mere five Demon Subduing Talismans.
“Just try saying later that you used them all up! I will not let you off!” (Nam Hwaseong)
What moved him at this moment was not a matter of petty gain and loss.
It was an emotion that even Nam Hwaseong himself did not fully understand.
Perhaps he had stepped forward in order to find out what that unknown emotion he felt toward Jin Sowoon was.
“Patron Hwaseong! Be careful!” (Ilgak)
Perhaps unable to withstand the jiangshi’s strength, Ilgak was pushed back for a moment and shouted.
“Uaaaaaaaah!” (Nam Hwaseong)
The Green Horn Iron Fist, which had raised the Samwon Sect to the head of the One Hundred Eight Peaks with a single martial art alone.
Through the space opened between it and Ilgak, that Green Horn Iron Fist stormed in.
The green fist force gathered in his fist stretched out tyrannically, as if it would crush the jiangshi.
The jiangshi, which had been moving ridiculously, changed its target from Ilgak to Nam Hwaseong, and, not even knowing what kind of dangerous fist force it was being attacked by, merely thrust out its fist clumsily.
“You stupid bastard, daring to face the Green Horn Iron Fist……” (Nam Hwaseong)
Kwaang.
A heavy reverberation spread in all directions.
The moment contact of fists occurred,
Nam Hwaseong swallowed down the words he had been shouting confidently. “Five techniques, my ass…… I cannot even last three.” (Nam Hwaseong)
How many techniques had that Ilgak endured against this kind of monster?
Ppudeudeuk.
His right hand felt as if it would break at any moment.
He moved his inner arts to his left hand and shot out the Green Horn Iron Palm.
Ppababababak.
Along with the sound of rough rock being scraped, the Green Horn Iron Palm swept over the jiangshi’s entire head, but just as when it had been hit by the thunderbolt arrows, the thing did not even blink.
“Damn it…….” (Nam Hwaseong)
The moment Nam Hwaseong withdrew his fist and palm and tried to unleash his final ultimate technique again, the jiangshi stretched its foot straight out.
Peok.
It was clearly an utterly ordinary kick, but as if struck by the striker of a temple bell, he was unable to resist in the slightest and was sent flying three jang, crashing into a tree.
“Patron Hwaseong!” (Ilgak)
“Keurk, uek!” (Nam Hwaseong)
At the same time as nausea surged up his throat, he vomited a bout of blood.
Certain proof of internal injury.
“……
Damn bastard…… He said he would come soon…….” (Nam Hwaseong)
Spitting out a curse without even knowing whom it was directed at, Nam Hwaseong rose from his place.
The jiangshi, which had seemed to have no reason, ignored Ilgak and was approaching Nam Hwaseong.
“I have to keep the promised five techniques.” (Nam Hwaseong)
Nam Hwaseong began forcibly pouring inner arts into his rampaging acupoints.
They swelled twice as much as usual, and he willingly accepted the danger of not knowing when they might burst.
Meanwhile, the damned jiangshi, as if deliberately taunting him, bounced tong, tong, and in an instant reached close range with Nam Hwaseong.
“Patron Hwaseong! Dodge!” (Ilgak)
Nam Hwaseong poured out the Green Horn Iron Fist wildly as if struggling desperately.
“Uaaaaaaaagh!” (Nam Hwaseong)
He poured out the Green Horn Iron Fist until a green radiance remained over the jiangshi’s entire body.
Peopeopeopeopeopeopeopeopeok!
The jiangshi, unable to keep up with Nam Hwaseong’s speed, could not even properly defend……
A hollow laugh leaked from Nam Hwaseong’s mouth.
“……
Haha.” (Nam Hwaseong)
The jiangshi, swept once by the green radiance, appeared again.
“No matter how much of a jiangshi it is, isn’t this cheating?” (Nam Hwaseong)
It had not failed to defend in the first place.
There had simply been no need for it to defend.
The jiangshi sharply raised its black-painted fingernails.
“Heup!” (Nam Hwaseong)
And unlike the slow movements it had shown until now, it swiftly pierced Nam Hwaseong’s heart.
“Hm?” (Nam Hwaseong)
No, it tried to pierce it.
Had it not been for the golden thread wrapped around its neck and hand.
“…….” (Nam Hwaseong)
Nam Hwaseong, raising his gaze along the thread, said,
“……
Damn it, why are you only coming now!” (Nam Hwaseong)
For the first time, a look of panic appeared on the face of the jiangshi, which had been as unmoved as a corpse.
The jiangshi quickly scratched wildly with its fingernails to cut the thread, but the thread only tightened around its neck more tautly.
And at the starting point of the thread, the man holding the jiangshi answered with an incredulous expression.
“Heavens, to think there really was an idiot stupid enough to body-slam an ‘iron jiangshi.’” (Jin Sowoon)
It was Jin Sowoon, who had made Nam Hwaseong behave strangely all this time.