Chapter 182
Chapter 182
＃1
8
2. <Rewriting the Sichuan Blood Massacre (2)>
Piyung──A signal flare suddenly shot up from inside the Blood Cult’s unit.
At the flare that flew into the night sky with a clamorous sound, the Blood Cult members were thrown into chaos.
“An intruder!” (Blood Cult member)
“Over there!” (Blood Cult member)
“Kill him no matter what!” (Blood Cult member)
Hundreds of people began rushing toward me like mad.
The reason I fired the signal flare despite risking the danger of doing such a thing in the heart of enemy territory was only one. ‘Go! Moyong Jaehwa!’ Pong──A small explosion barely rang out from a place two hundred jang away.
Then, with a sound that tore through the wind, an arrow dropped into the middle of the Blood Cult’s unit.
Bang!
It was not an original Thunderbolt Arrow, but an incomplete Thunderbolt Arrow that used the arrowhead’s explosion.
But the power of the arrow fragments that scattered into dozens of pieces was enough to pierce holes through fragile human bodies.
“Kkaaaak!” (Blood Cult member)
“Keuhuk!” (Blood Cult member)
“Kyahak!” (Blood Cult member)
They were holes as small as millet grains, but they had enough penetrating force to stop the body from functioning.
The thunderbolt that had suddenly fallen from the sky gave horrible terror to the Blood Cult members who had been aiming for the intruder with seething killing intent.
“Sh, shields! Bring shields!!!” (Blood Cult member)
“Run! Another one’s coming!” (Blood Cult member)
“Dodge!” (Blood Cult member)
Bang!
Another Thunderbolt Arrow fell, and the unit was truly drenched in chaos.
All around, blood-robed men fell while bleeding, and the sorcerers who could not flee in time also suffered grievous injuries from the pieces of metal. ‘Uh…… Huh?’ Then one arrow dropped toward me.
I, feeling horrified, used the Heavenly Solitary Divine Walk and got away from the spot.
Bang!
Pieces of metal flew among the Blood Cult personnel who had grasped my presence and were approaching, and they collapsed on the spot like falling reeds.
I had avoided it by truly a hair’s breadth.
“…… (Jin Soun)
She didn’t do that on purpose, right?” (Jin Soun)
Unease crossed my mind, but I soon shook it off.
“Of course, our Jaehwa would never do that to me. Maybe Eunho or Geumpyo would.” (Jin Soun)
Jaehwa had followed me especially well ever since our first meeting.
She was different from those ill-mannered children, Geumpyo and Eunho.
Yes, that had to be it.
In any case, thanks to Jaehwa driving the Thunderbolt Arrows into appropriate places, had I not escaped the Blood Cult bastards’ field of vision and become able to move freely?
Inside the Blood Cult’s encampment, where screams ran rampant, I sought only the shadows as I unfolded the Turtle Breathing Walk.
And I approached the unusually shaped tent in question.
A tent made entirely of red cloth.
Golden stripes ran along the corner spaces, and, decisively, a golden grotesque bird symbolizing the Blood Cult was placed at the top of the tent.
“Right here…….” (Jin Soun)
Just as I moved my feet with an excited heart, I stopped dead at a sudden commotion.
Dozens of people were running this way. ‘No way, did they notice the Turtle Breathing Walk?’ I quickly unfolded the Great Art of Turtle Breathing in addition to the Turtle Breathing Walk and hid my presence as much as possible. #Byun Hoseong, who had spread Blood Sea Genuine Qi throughout the entire encampment, snapped his eyes open.
The alien presence he had felt until just a moment ago was slowly disappearing.
“I caught him.” (Byun Hoseong)
Clearly, a being with a presence different from that of the Blood Cult had appeared inside the encampment.
Then, as though trying to expose the location of this place, it had fired a signal flare and disappeared a short while later.
“What a foolish act. Even if they know this location, there will be no one who can pass through the Blood Sea Illusion Endless Formation.” (Byun Hoseong)
According to the analysis made within the Divine Cult in the past, it was said that even the Mechanism Formations of the Jegal Family, called the cleverest group among the hypocrites of the white path, could not compare to the Blood Sea Illusion Endless Formation.
Those who could not properly pass through even the Jegal Family’s Mechanism Formations would never be able to pass through the Blood Cult’s Blood Sea Illusion Endless Formation.
At that moment, a great explosion rang out from outside the tent.
Bang!
After the explosion burst, the wretched screams of the proud Blood Cult members were heard. ‘Those bastards…….’ But that damned arrow made him grit his teeth.
It was only a single arrow falling, yet because of that arrow, at least three or four people were rendered unable to fight.
Moreover, unlike yesterday, when they had at least been able to estimate where the enemy was, today they could not even tell from where it was being shot.
Because of this, the blood-robed men, who were braver than anyone, were voicing fear.
Crunch.
A corner of the desk turned to powder and piled on the floor.
More than anything, he was furious that he could only express his anger like this.
At that moment, the sound of dozens of people rushing toward the tent was heard.
“Young Cult Leader!” (Blood-robed man)
“Are you all right?!” (Blood-robed man)
As dozens of people entered at once, the large tent quickly filled up.
Byun Hoseong spoke with his brow deeply furrowed.
“What is this commotion! Did you think I would fear arrows of that sort?” (Byun Hoseong)
At Byun Hoseong’s shout, the blood-robed men showed troubled expressions.
“Th, that is not so, sir.” (Blood-robed man)
“Have you captured that damned archer?” (Byun Hoseong)
“That is currently being searched for, and…….” (Blood-robed man)
Bang-!
Before the report was even finished, Byun Hoseong slammed his fist down on the desk.
“You useless things! You cannot even properly carry out that one order!” (Byun Hoseong)
“N, no, sir! Young Cult Leader. More importantly, there is currently an intruder within the unit.” (Blood-robed man)
“What?” (Byun Hoseong)
At his subordinate’s words, Byun Hoseong’s face turned sour.
“You had not captured him?” (Byun Hoseong)
“Yes! Th, that is correct. He escaped the encirclement amid the chaos, but that…… we have no way at all of knowing where he disappeared to…….” (Blood-robed man)
“…….” (Byun Hoseong)
Byun Hoseong once again drew up his Blood Sea Genuine Qi.
His inner arts, which had already reached two cycles, were enough that he would not miss even a single ant within an encampment of this size.
As Byun Hoseong concentrated for a moment, his brow twisted. ‘He is not there……?’ But no matter how thoroughly he searched the encampment, he could not feel that alien presence in question.
Bang!
Kuaaak!
Keuk!
S, save me!
Meanwhile, outside the tent, the screams of blood-robed men once again rang out.
Veins stood out clearly on Byun Hoseong’s forehead.
“Catch the bastard shooting those damned arrows first, right now!!!” (Byun Hoseong)
“B, but Young Cult Leader!” (Blood-robed man)
“Do I look like someone who would be done in by a mere assassin?” (Byun Hoseong)
“…….” (Blood-robed man)
The Young Cult Leader was one who had reached a realm incomparably higher than those his age, not only within the Blood Cult, but even within Tibet.
Even in the distant martial world, it was often said that only someone on the level of Yong Soa could be compared to him.
The blood-robed man finally nodded.
“Understood. Then we will leave only the minimum escort personnel and have the rest immediately pursue and kill the one shooting the bow.” (Blood-robed man)
“Do not kill him in a single blow. Slice him into pieces, one piece at a time, and after making him witness all the flesh of his own body vanish, kill him.” (Byun Hoseong)
“As you command!” (Blood-robed man)
Even after all the blood-robed men left the tent, Byun Hoseong’s anger did not subside.
“How, how did it come to this……!” (Byun Hoseong)
If his father at the main mountain had seen this, what furious scolding would he have given?
“Uaaaaak!” (Byun Hoseong)
The table, which had been trembling with a drrrrr, finally failed to withstand Byun Hoseong’s force and turned to powder.
“Damn it…… Damn it…….” (Byun Hoseong)
He had absurdly lost one of the Steel Corpses his grandfather had brought with him when he left the Divine Cult in the past.
Now, only two Steel Corpses remained at the main mountain.
More than anything, the point he could not swallow his anger over was that, contrary to his expectation that they would only suffer difficulty upon meeting at least the Martial Alliance’s main force, the Steel Corpse had been neutralized at the hands of academy students.
“What on earth was that bastard?” (Byun Hoseong)
He knew that Ilgak used Vajra Power.
But no one within the Blood Cult had expected that the bastard who appeared late would use Ascending Qi Power.
“Wudang did not participate in this event, so it cannot be Taiji Power…… Then, the Samcheong Sect?” (Byun Hoseong)
He had never heard that there was a descendant of the Samcheong Sect…….
It felt as though every plan, from first to last, was going awry.
At this rate, the grand design for conquering the martial world might all be shaken.
Byun Hoseong calmed his excitement and quietly called his subordinate.
“Chuhyeol…….” (Byun Hoseong)
A man in black who had been standing guard came forward and knelt.
“Yes!” (Chuhyeol)
“Tell them to reorganize the unit.” (Byun Hoseong)
“…….” (Chuhyeol)
Toward the subordinate who could not easily answer, Byun Hoseong commanded in a firm voice.
“While the pursuit force catches the archer, we will strike Shaolin and Diancang from behind.” (Byun Hoseong)
The man called Chuhyeol still gave no answer.
As though he understood this, Byun Hoseong continued speaking.
“We still have the Blood Sea Jade and the Illusion Ring. As long as we catch that unidentified bastard, we will be able to kill them all here.” (Byun Hoseong)
Chuhyeol raised his head for a moment and looked at Byun Hoseong, then nodded.
“As you command!” (Chuhyeol)
At the same time as his answer, Chuhyeol vanished without a trace.
But no one inside the tent found the sight strange.
Byun Hoseong looked at the red grotesque-bird ring fitted on his finger and muttered.
“No matter how much he may be a descendant of the Samcheong Sect, he will not be able to withstand the Blood Sea Illusion Endless Formation and the Corpse-Blood Four Spirits World-Confounding Formation.” (Byun Hoseong)
He planned to kill the bastard who had ruined the Blood Cult’s grand design even more painfully than that damned archer.
No, going further, he would slice up that bastard’s family and friends as well, one by one, and kill them all.
He would surely watch with his own two eyes as they writhed in pain…….
“Really?” (Jin Soun)
The instant Byun Hoseong, startled by the sudden unfamiliar voice, raised his head.
He saw it.
The sight of a long black sword that had appeared in the air piercing through the escorts’ backs.
“Kkeoeok…….” (Escort)
“Eok…….” (Escort)
“Keup…….” (Escort)
Whether their lungs had been pierced in one blow, the escorts died prematurely without being able to let out even a mouthful of screams.
Then came the chill energy of a blade stabbing toward his neck.
And a voice even colder than that burrowed into his ear.
“Mm-mm…… Don’t move. If you move even a little, I’ll stab you to death right away.” (Jin Soun)
“…….” (Byun Hoseong)
Byun Hoseong struggled to maintain his composure and asked the stranger who had drawn close to his ear.
“Who are you?” (Byun Hoseong)
“I’m not certain, but I’m probably the person you were just talking about, something about a descendant of the Samcheong Sect.” (Jin Soun)
At the calm voice, Byun Hoseong gulped.
It meant he was the bastard who had killed the Steel Corpse?
“There’s something I’m curious about too. That Blood Sea Illusion Endless Formation you just mentioned, is that the thing spread over this encampment?” (Jin Soun)
“That is correct.” (Byun Hoseong)
“Oh! Is that so? But while you were talking about that Blood Sea Illusion Endless Formation just now, you looked at that strange ring. Is it related to that?” (Jin Soun)
“You saw well. This is the Illusion Ring, a divine object of Our Cult.” (Byun Hoseong)
“How do you use it?” (Jin Soun)
“Why are you curious about that?” (Byun Hoseong)
“If I become its owner, I should know how to use it, shouldn’t I?” (Jin Soun)
At the brazen answer, Byun Hoseong let out a faint laugh.
“With any Mechanism Formation, you only need to infuse the Illusion Ring’s energy into it.” (Byun Hoseong)
“Really?! That’s an incredible divine object.” (Jin Soun)
“It is an object that has been with Our Cult’s history.” (Byun Hoseong)
The bastard who had killed the Steel Corpse asked as if puzzled.
“But is it okay to tell me so easily?” (Jin Soun)
“Heh-heh, do you think you can take this?” (Byun Hoseong)
“Huh?” (Jin Soun)
Along with his words, Byun Hoseong drew up Blood Sea Genuine Qi.
The owner of the unfamiliar voice immediately drove his blade into Byun Hoseong’s artery.
However.
“Huh?” (Jin Soun)
The blade that should have easily cut through skin and wounded the artery would not sink in any farther.
No, rather, the wound was quickly recovering and pushing the blade out.
“Have you received the Berserk Blood Person procedure?” (Jin Soun)
At the words that burst from the intruder’s mouth, Byun Hoseong let out an exclamation.
“How do you know about Berserk Blood People?” (Byun Hoseong)
It was not information an ordinary person of the white path could know.
But the intruder spoke calmly.
“Just looking at your skin and hair turning red makes it obvious you’re a Berserk Blood Person.” (Jin Soun)
“…… (Byun Hoseong)
No, I am asking how you know that…….” (Byun Hoseong)
However, Byun Hoseong could not continue speaking.
At some point, genuine qi had begun being sucked into the hand touching his neck.
“Keuhuk…… Wh, what is this…….” (Byun Hoseong)
“It’s a little flustering, right? This is a secret just between us.” (Jin Soun)
“A, a Bloodsucking Breed? Did the Demonic Cult send you?” (Byun Hoseong)
“No, I’m not from the Demonic Cult. To be exact, I’m from the side that hates the Demonic Cult.” (Jin Soun)
When one turned into a Berserk Blood Person, one’s latent power exploded and one’s inner arts increased threefold.
But the intruder before his eyes was endlessly sucking in the vast inner arts that were like the Yangtze River.
Thanks to that, even his skin, which had been turning red, was returning to its original color.
“Anyway, thanks for the explanation. In my past life, there wasn’t an object like this. Looks like it’ll be a big help in this life.” (Jin Soun)
Through his darkening vision, he saw the bastard wave his hand as though annoyed.
“Goodbye, and go ahead first and save us seats in hell. After you Blood Cult bastards, the Demonic Cult bastards will follow soon too.” (Jin Soun)
“Eueu…… Eueu…….” (Byun Hoseong) #After cutting off the neck of the bastard who had been turning into a Berserk Blood Person in a single blow, I activated the Azure Dragon Ring until he became a mummy. ‘Blood Sea Genuine Qi is still easier to absorb than demonic qi.’ Moreover, perhaps because he had inherited inner arts through Dual Origin Genuine Qi generation after generation, while I was absorbing his inner arts, I also felt as though the quantity of my own inner arts itself was increasing, as though I had consumed spiritual medicine.
“If I’d known he would give me this much, should I have at least listened to his last words?” (Jin Soun)
It seemed as though he had wanted to say something at the end…….
“Anyway, I hit the jackpot.” (Jin Soun)
Not only the Blood Sea Jade, but also the absurd divine object called the Illusion Ring had fallen into my hands.
Thinking of what had happened at the proper hour, I could not even estimate how much help it would be in battles and wars to come.
“As expected, people should live while doing good deeds.” (Jin Soun)
I raised the Sacred Fire Demon-Extinguishing Hand and placed one on the mummy’s corpse and one each on the bodies of the escorts.
The Sacred Fire Demon-Extinguishing Hand, using the evil energy in their bodies as fuel, raised flames even fiercer than usual and began spreading in all directions.
“F, fire!” (Blood Cult member)
“Fire!” (Blood Cult member)
“The Young Cult Leader’s tent!” (Blood Cult member)
People began gathering one by one in horror.
I once again unfolded the Turtle Breathing Walk and escaped from the bastards’ encampment.
“Hehe…….” (Jin Soun)
Only after I had put a long distance between myself and the bastards did I finally burst into the laughter I had been holding back.
“Umhwahahahaha! You damned Blood Demon Sect, this is only the beginning! Demon God bastard, wait for me!” (Jin Soun)
I roared so that my voice rang thunderously through the night sky. #In a faraway place where Jin Soun’s thunderously ringing voice could not reach.
A man standing atop a cliff looked at something far away that could not even be seen and let out a faint laugh.
“What a funny bastard. Does he think the Blood Demon Sect is the Divine Cult’s strength?” (Man)
The man standing proudly let out a faint laugh.
A voice flowed out from the air.
“He is a bastard who dared insult the Demon God. Shall we capture him and bring him in?” (Unseen voice)
Clearly, there was no one there except the man, yet the voice could be heard distinctly.
The man shook his head as if to say it was fine.
“Forget it. It was originally something I was supposed to do, but he did it for me.” (Man)
“But the Illusion Ring is a divine object of the Divine Cult.” (Unseen voice)
“If it were a true divine object, Our Cult would already have it. You know too, don’t you? That a half-baked thing like that cannot compare to Our Cult’s true divine object.” (Man)
“…….” (Unseen voice)
The man smiled as if he could see someone in the empty air where nothing was visible.
“Still, it’s fascinating. He uses the power of the Samcheong Sect, and when he infiltrates, he kills his presence like a dead man. Have you ever seen anything like that?” (Man)
From the still-empty air, an answer flowed out.
“Our Cult’s darkness…….” (Unseen voice)
“Come on, that leaves behind demonic scent. Can it erase its traces like he does?” (Man)
“…….” (Unseen voice)
When silence settled, the man tilted his head as though genuinely curious.
“What is his identity?” (Man)
“I will look into it.” (Unseen voice)
“Huh? Goodness, what is this? Am I someone who makes the Heavenly Demon Black Sword Unit do tasks like that?” (Man)
“If it is something the Young Cult Leader desires, then anything is our task.” (Unseen voice)
The man called Young Cult Leader waved his hand toward the empty air and laughed leisurely.
“Haha, forget it. If he is a person of that level, information will come in even if we don’t go out of our way. Let’s take our time finding out.” (Young Cult Leader)
“As you command!” (Unseen voice)
Along with those words, the man once again looked into the empty air where nothing was visible and smiled.
“I hope he’s still alive until we meet again.” (Young Cult Leader)