Chapter 200
Chapter 200
2
0. <The Uninvited Guest Who Visited the Academy (5)>
I asked Blood Star (血星), Ak Byeongbi, once again.
"Did you come as a Hall Lord of the Inspection Pavilion?" (Jin Soun)
"Is that important?" (Ak Byeongbi)
"The one who came to find me yesterday said he came from the Inspection Pavilion." (Jin Soun)
"……." (Ak Byeongbi)
"Someone who does not even belong to the Inspection Pavilion dared to pretend to be the Inspection Pavilion……. Is that not a very serious crime?" (Jin Soun)
Even in the air stretched taut with tension, when I continued saying what I had to say, Ak Byeongbi's face twisted further.
"That is not important." (Ak Byeongbi)
He growled, his chin raised, his eyes lowered.
"The most important fact right now is that I have come to find you." (Ak Byeongbi)
As he said, the fact that I had caught the eye of the Inspection Pavilion was no different from saying I had entered a dangerous situation.
Because the Inspection Pavilion had the authority to investigate the other party and dig up additional crimes.
The nickname they were called within the Martial Alliance was ‘messengers of the underworld.’
It was a nickname given because those who were dragged to the Inspection Pavilion once never returned in a normal state.
However.
"That is why I am asking. Right now, did you come as a Hall Lord of the Inspection Pavilion?" (Jin Soun)
"……." (Ak Byeongbi)
"Or are you, like Oh Woongyeong of the Ak Clan, privately using the authority of the Inspection Pavilion?" (Jin Soun)
"You dare……!" (Ak Byeongbi)
No matter how much it was the Inspection Pavilion, if proper justification had not been established, it was impossible to drag off just anyone and frame them with crimes.
And I had not the slightest intention of becoming ‘just anyone.’
"Even though the Inspection Pavilion has been dispatched, I do not see a single member of the Enforcement Pavilion. Why is that?" (Jin Soun)
"……." (Ak Byeongbi)
"In the end, I can only see this as you using your position in the Inspection Pavilion to pressure your opponent." (Jin Soun)
He had not even taken out the common order document or identity plaque.
In the end, this meant he had come here not as the Third (三)
Hall Lord of the Inspection Pavilion, but as Ak Jupyeong’s uncle.
A light of arrogance appeared on the bastard’s face.
"You seem to be mistaken about something." (Ak Byeongbi)
"……." (Jin Soun)
"I myself am the Third Hall Lord of the Inspection Pavilion. The order document can simply be issued later." (Ak Byeongbi)
"……
Is that so?" (Jin Soun)
They said that if no order document was issued in the Inspection Pavilion, they sometimes kidnapped the target first and extracted statements through torture.
Had that rumor been true?
"As expected, there is no way you came here without a plan." (Jin Soun)
Even the matter of sending Oh Woongyeong yesterday while impersonating the Inspection Pavilion had all been exposed to me.
From Ak Byeongbi's position, he would not be able to let it pass like this.
It seemed his intent was to take me away first, then deal with the aftermath.
What to do about this.
I was no longer the fool who simply suffered as before.
Tap
-I stepped on the Taeul Eight Myriad Divine Step and created four illusions, confusing Ak Byeongbi’s gaze.
"……." (Ak Byeongbi)
However, for some reason, Ak Byeongbi stood solidly in place without moving.
Then, the moment I immediately unfolded the Lone Step Under Heaven and tried to run toward the Principal’s office…….
Ak Byeongbi struck the spear shaft against the ground with a thud.
Crack.
The training ground floor made of solid marble broke apart like dry leaves.
The vibration that began from Ak Byeongbi was transmitted as a strange wave, and the marble I was about to step on popped up with a thud.
Blood Star even used a method like this?
When I tried to untangle my steps, which had lost their footing and become tangled, and leap again, Ak Byeongbi muttered impassively.
"Where are you trying to go?" (Ak Byeongbi)
At the same time as his words, rustling sounds came from around the training ground, and I sensed presences.
One by one…… martial artists revealed themselves.
Before I knew it, they surrounded Ak Byeongbi and me.
"The only place you will go is the Inspection Pavilion." (Ak Byeongbi)
The speed of my steps, which had been about to accelerate, slowly decreased again. ‘To think they prepared this seriously…….’ (Jin Soun)The Ak Clan’s martial artists might not all be experts, but if they attacked at the same time as Ak Byeongbi, there was no way I could deal with them.
As I turned my head, trying to figure out how I could escape this place.
Ak Byeongbi turned around and said,
"However, I will give you the chance to choose." (Ak Byeongbi)
His spear pointed at the Ak Clan’s martial artists.
"Either break through the Ak Clan’s spear formation, or escape from me. Choose one of the two." (Ak Byeongbi)
"……." (Jin Soun)
Ak Byeongbi presented options that did not even sound like options.
"There is not a single one I wish to choose." (Jin Soun)
"Is that so? Losers always flee from choices." (Ak Byeongbi)
"I do not normally drive myself into unfavorable choices." (Jin Soun)
"What a shame. But the affairs of the world do not flow only according to one’s tastes." (Ak Byeongbi)
While Ak Byeongbi spoke, my gaze had quietly turned toward the roof of the hall. ‘Yaryulgeuk.’ (Jin Soun)Yaryulgeuk, who had attempted a surprise attack today as well to aim for the back of my head, was slowly creeping over the roof.
I immediately sent him a voice transmission.
-Yaryulgeuk! Cause a disturbance right now and draw their attention. Then I will go straight to the Principal’s office…….
But before my words could even finish, Yaryulgeuk moved. ‘That bastard!’ (Jin Soun)As if he had sensed the strange atmosphere, Yaryulgeuk was retreating while making his movements as small as possible.
I trembled with a sense of betrayal.
"Yaryulgeuk! Go to the Principal’s office right now and tell them the Inspection Pavilion has appeared here!!" (Jin Soun)
When my voice rang out thunderously, the bastard was startled and glared at me as if he would kill me.
That cowardly bastard.
What if you glare? What are you going to do?
One of the Ak Clan’s martial artists immediately approached behind Yaryulgeuk, subdued him, and threw Yaryulgeuk down in front of Ak Byeongbi.
Even in this situation, the captured Yaryulgeuk glared at me.
"……
Jin Soun! You filthy, cunning……." (Yaryulgeuk)
"You bastard! This is all because of you!" (Jin Soun)
"……
Because of me?" (Yaryulgeuk)
"Yes! Because everyone here came from the Ak Clan." (Jin Soun)
With his mute acupoint sealed, Yaryulgeuk moved only his eyes and glared at Ak Byeongbi as if he would kill him.
"The Ak Clan……! Jin Soun, release this. I will kill them all……." (Yaryulgeuk)
"Shut up and stay curled up." (Jin Soun)
I kicked the guy and pushed him into a corner of the training ground.
Ak Byeongbi, who looked once at Yaryulgeuk shouting at the top of his lungs, said,
"Are you finished?" (Ak Byeongbi)
I could no longer avoid it.
Because even the final bastion, Yaryulgeuk, had ended up like that.
What a useless bastard.
I adjusted my grip on the Black Dragon Sword.
If I could not run away, I simply had to break through.
"Have you given up now?" (Ak Byeongbi)
I glared at Ak Byeongbi.
"You will pay the price for what you have done today." (Jin Soun)
"They say Jupyeong was left with a disability……." (Ak Byeongbi)
Qi gathered at the tip of his spear.
Not the clumsily scattering qi I had seen the previous day, but spear qi (槍氣)
with a perfect shape as if it had been carved straight and precise.
"You will be the first to pay that price harshly." (Ak Byeongbi)
To begin with, measuring martial might against Blood Star was a foolish thing to do.
I also raised my inner arts and unfolded the Manhae Heaven and Earth Sword Art.
"Try it if you can." (Jin Soun)
Six myriad swords.
And sword qi gathered on them.
An absurd amount of qi was drawn out, but now was not the time to think about what came after.
Because I could not be dragged off to the Inspection Pavilion right now.
"……
I understand why you had a conflict with Jupyeong. You are an ill-mannered bastard." (Ak Byeongbi)
"Look who is talking!" (Jin Soun)
The six myriad swords began to move.
The myriad swords spewing sword qi began unfolding the Twin Heavens Sword Art once again.
And in the sky above the small training ground, countless swords were now embroidered without a single gap, aiming at Ak Byeongbi.
However, there was not even the slightest sense of crisis on Ak Byeongbi's face.
"Come!" (Ak Byeongbi)
"Chaht!" (Jin Soun)
Ak Byeongbi prepared to swing his spear in a great arc.
I stepped on the Taeul Eight Myriad Divine Step and charged at him.
Swoosh──swoosh──swoosh──The Lesser Heaven Sword Art that charged in, tearing the air to pieces, aimed for his vital points.
The Great Heaven Sword Art confused his two eyes.
Ak Byeongbi, who had opened his starting stance with great momentum, repeatedly retreated to avoid the swords.
Then, when his feet could retreat no farther.
"Blazing Fire Spear!" (Ak Byeongbi)
Absurdly, the name of a martial art burst from his mouth. ‘Insane…….’ (Jin Soun)Was shouting sword arts or calling out techniques not only effective when neighborhood children played war games?
I wondered whether he was perhaps performing an act of deception, but the spear qi gathered at his spear tip heated up bright red and began giving off heat. ‘He is really unfolding it as he shouted?’ (Jin Soun)Whoosh.
The burning spear qi, along with scorching heat, swallowed the Twin Heavens Sword Art.
Boom-boom-boom!
Pressure burst out between the collision of qi and qi, pushing my body back.
I endured with the Thousand Pound Drop technique, and at the same time used the other myriad swords to pierce into his five directions (五方)
.
Rumble-rumble-rumble-rumble-boom!
When the myriad swords struck down, Ak Byeongbi avoided them with movements unbelievably agile.
At the same time, I unfolded the Myriad Flower Invincible Fist with my left hand and blocked his retreat.
"Firelight Soaring Fist!" (Ak Byeongbi)
"……." (Jin Soun)
This time as well, Ak Byeongbi stretched out his hand while shouting the martial art’s name.
His right hand flashed brightly as it poured in.
Papapapapapapak!
After exchanging three techniques in an instant, we were pushed apart from each other by the qi wave.
Scrape-scrape-scrape──I stood while enduring the force pushing me back as much as possible, but in the end, I had no choice but to retreat seven steps……. ‘I was pushed back in inner arts?’ (Jin Soun)Unbelievably, he had only retreated three steps.
Ak Byeongbi looked at the fist that had just exchanged fist arts, then pierced me with his usual sharp gaze.
"You bastard……. To think a disciple of Taeul Sect has inner arts to this degree. You are indeed suspicious beyond measure." (Ak Byeongbi)
Even if he was one of the Seven Stars (七星)
, it was difficult to easily believe that he possessed inner arts above my level.
"Does the Ak Clan drink Millennium Stalactite Milk instead of water? You are also suspicious beyond measure." (Jin Soun)
"……
Yes. All stories can be told underground at the Inspection Pavilion." (Ak Byeongbi)
He once again gripped the spear with both hands and took a charging posture.
"Black Cloud Lightning Spear!" (Ak Byeongbi)
The representative spear art that had made the Ak Clan a renowned house of the spear.
They said the only ones who had seen its true martial might were the northern barbarians or the villains of the Black Dao murim.
Hah, and now I was seeing it.
Thud.
He must have kicked off the ground with extraordinary force, because the marble broke apart and stones scattered in every direction.
Even though he was running straight at me, I could not easily think to dodge. ‘If I dodge, I die…….’ (Jin Soun)The true terror of the Black Cloud Lightning Spear came from the hidden trap inside its simple attack.
The moment the target avoided a frontal confrontation, through the second step, it would pierce through the opponent’s body no matter where they dodged.
A martial art that utilized the length of a spear, longer than a sword.
I gave up on the thought of dodging, gripped the Black Dragon Sword in my opposite hand, and rushed toward the bastard.
"Foolish bastard!" (Ak Byeongbi)
Thud!
With his second step, the marble broke apart, and clumps of earth scattered everywhere like sprays of water.
Ak Byeongbi’s form became completely one with his spear and charged in as if to pierce my body in a single breath.
I lifted the Black Dragon Sword held in a reverse grip and desperately blocked the spear.
Kiiiiiiik.
I attached the entire surface of the blade to my forearm and dispersed the impact, but even the remaining shock alone made it feel as if my arm would break.
Then, with my other hand, I grabbed the spear shaft and unfolded Lotus Flower (蓮花)
to the extreme.
"Hup!" (Ak Byeongbi)
As if he had not expected the sudden move of shifting flowers and grafting wood, he could not disperse the force of his charge and was pulled toward me along with the spear shaft.
I then unfolded the technique of Snow Flower (雪花)
and threw his massive body with all my strength.
Rumble-boom!
Ak Byeongbi fell outside the training ground.
The moment he crashed into the wall, scattering sand dust from the ground in every direction.
I wildly fired sword qi toward the sand dust.
Boom-boom-boom-boom-boom-boom-boom!
Nearly twenty sword qi shots fired and exploded in a single breath.
The moment a few Ak Clan warriors who had been establishing the encirclement nearby flinched and moved toward Ak Byeongbi.
I immediately unfolded the Lone Step Under Heaven and broke through the encirclement.
"Deploy the formation!" (Ak Clan Warrior)
However, an Ak Clan warrior quickly blocked my way.
I scattered the Twin Heavens Sword Art and tried to shake him off in a single breath and run out, but……. ‘Already?’ (Jin Soun)At the enormous qi wave felt behind my back, without even time to turn around, I desperately unfolded the Taeul Eight Myriad Divine Step.
Rumble-boom!
Along with a sound like a Thunderbolt Bomb exploding, the ground caved in deeply.
At the edge of the pit, Ak Byeongbi stood tall after striking down with his spear.
"Why are you not calling out the name of your martial art this time? How cowardly." (Jin Soun)
"……." (Ak Byeongbi)
He wiped away the fresh blood on the corner of his mouth.
"There are not just one or two things I am curious about regarding you. How can an academy student’s skill be to this degree?" (Ak Byeongbi)
"If it is something like that, I can answer even without going to the Inspection Pavilion." (Jin Soun)
"……." (Ak Byeongbi)
With that one move, I knew for certain.
He was not an existence with inner arts as enormous as I had expected.
He had merely been absorbing and deflecting the shock of qi waves with outer arts until now.
In addition…….
He was clearly afraid that the disturbance would spread outside. ‘It should have been a golden opportunity for him.’ (Jin Soun)When I had shown my back to deal with the Ak Clan warrior.
I had clearly let my guard down.
Though I knew it, I could not prepare, and because it was an unexpected situation, I had simply trusted the Heavenly Silkworm Treasure Garment and remained complacent…….
Ak Byeongbi let that golden opportunity pass. ‘Because…… if we fought here, even those outside would be able to notice what was happening here!’ (Jin Soun)The fact that he had been calling out martial arts and shouting techniques until now must also have been an extension of that concern.
To make me focus on him and keep me from turning my gaze outside.
"……
So that was it." (Jin Soun)
A smile formed at the corner of my mouth.
The bastard’s thoughts were completely visible.
"You pretended to be bold and honest. But you were a cunning fox wearing the mask of a bear." (Jin Soun)
As if he disliked the look of me, Ak Byeongbi deeply furrowed his brow.
"……
What are you saying?" (Ak Byeongbi)
"As expected, you do not want this disturbance to grow outside, do you?" (Jin Soun)
"……." (Ak Byeongbi)
"That must also be why you did not unfold the spear formation and capture me." (Jin Soun)
For the first time, Ak Byeongbi's face hardened stiffly.
It was not an expression of holding back anger, but a desperate expression to hide his panic.
"……
Nothing will change just because you noticed that." (Ak Byeongbi)
"Do you really think so?" (Jin Soun)
This was why I liked fighting bastards who acted arrogant so much.
Those bastards were complacent, so they did not investigate their opponent at all.
And when, while they were careless like that, you struck the back of their head once……. ‘Nothing could be more thrilling.’ (Jin Soun)Whooooo.
The atmosphere shook violently, and the wind blew strongly.
As if wind were being sucked into a cave, the airflow gathered roughly into my hand.
Seeing me concentrate on the flow of the atmosphere, Ak Byeongbi ground his teeth.
"What are you plotting……!" (Ak Byeongbi)
There was no way Blood Star under heaven would fail to avoid the Radiant Heaven Divine Palm.
But it did not matter.
Because if the Radiant Heaven Divine Palm exploded in the Murim Academy, people would look here whether they wanted to or not.
Rumble-rumble-rumble-rumble-rumble-boom!
A bold explosion burst out in every direction.
It was a signal flare announcing that the Ak Clan and I were here.