Chapter 46 |
“… They’ve arrived!”
The Embroidered Uniform Guards have arrived!
I was standing on the branches of a tree in the forest, keeping watch in all directions, when I sensed an unusual energy. This place was at the entrance of the path leading into the village, so I had to keep a continuous watch. Approximately 6 days after first arriving with Mang-ryang, just when I was beginning to feel a bit bored, suddenly, in the afternoon, I noticed the enemy approaching.
There were ten sources of energy. Judging by the magnitude of their energy, they were definitely Embroidered Uniform Guards.
‘There’s even a Thousand Tiger rank among them.’
They were about 70 to 80 zhang away from me. Quickly, I descended from the tree and concealed myself. They didn’t notice me and passed by. Confirming they were heading towards the village, I immediately changed direction and headed towards a secret passage at the back of the village.
“The enemy has come.”
Mang-ryang and Taoist Hyuncheon tensed upon hearing my report.
“Hmm, they’ve come!”
We were using a barn near the secret passage as a temporary base. Initially, we stayed at an inn, but due to lack of communication means, we decided to stay here to quickly return via the back of the village to the square if needed.
Mang-ryang spoke.
“Now is the critical moment. It’s not clear when the sorcerer will appear. Therefore, from now on, we must act swiftly to effectively separate them.”
“We need to head inside the village.”
“Hurry. The sorcerer will surely appear near the square, let’s wait there in advance.”
Clang
The three of us gathered our belongings and headed inside the well’s secret passage. While walking, Taoist Hyuncheon said,
“Our disciples must have passed Yeoncheon by now… It’s regrettable that we couldn’t synchronize with them.”
“This must also be fate. Let’s do our best with just the three of us.”
As we emerged from the well’s secret passage, a kitchen appeared. Having already confirmed the effective use of the secret passage, I unhesitatingly opened the kitchen window and jumped out. It was much better to head straight to the mansion than to perform a stealth operation while avoiding people’s attention.
Thud
Soon after, Taoist Hyuncheon grabbed Mang-ryang by the nape of the neck and jumped out of the building. Surprised by the sudden jump, Mang-ryang felt dizzy and said,
“Warriors of the martial world are truly monstrous. That must have been at least two zhang high, and yet they jumped without hesitation.”
“This is no time for grumbling. Are you ready?”
“Of course. Just take me to my position.”
It didn’t take us long to reach near the square, swiftly running across rooftops. Upon reaching the rooftop of the tallest six-story building, it seemed like the people below didn’t notice us. It’s rare for humans to look up to high rooftops. Mang-ryang smiled.
“This is a perfect spot.”
Then, Mang-ryang strode into the highest room of the building. Inside was the owner of the building, who also owned a certain commerce association, leisurely enjoying the view outside.
Thud
Before the man noticed anything amiss, I rushed in, swiftly targeted his pressure points, and knocked him out. After covering the eyes of the unconscious commerce association owner and laying him under the bed, Mang-ryang began to prepare his spell with the Five Fires-Seven Birds Divine Fan.
To use the artifact, a place for concentration was needed, and since the caster would be defenseless while manipulating flames from a distance, it was crucial to be in a safe location. The room on the rooftop of this six-story building perfectly met these conditions.
From here, Mang-ryang would control the flames with the Five Fires-Seven Birds Divine Fan to attack the Embroidered Uniform Guards, and further assist me and Taoist Hyuncheon.
Taoist Hyuncheon, observing the whole process, glanced at me disapprovingly.
“This isn’t good.”
“It’s unavoidable. Please understand. Didn’t I explain beforehand?”
“Hmm… I trust Master Mang-ryang’s words, but an apology to the party concerned is necessary.”
“I will make sure to do so.”
Yeah, right. As if I would.
I inwardly scoffed at Taoist Hyuncheon’s words. The whole point of this mission was to eliminate the threat of the Embroidered Uniform Guards, so why would we expose our identities and apologize? But I didn’t voice these thoughts out loud.
Taoist Hyuncheon, looking down, asked,
“Let me ask again. Is there a master of combined techniques among them?”
His gaze was fixed on a skilled martial artist mingling with the crowd in the village. Taoist Hyuncheon, too, could sense energy, so he realized that despite the man’s ordinary appearance, he was actually a first-rate martial artist. Of course, we were keeping our energy low to avoid detection.
“There’s a high probability that there isn’t. Those men seemed to be of quite high rank in their organization, and if our presence here hasn’t been detected, it’s unlikely someone of that status would come searching for us personally. Think of it as one or two peak masters and about ten exceptional first-class martial artists.”
“Hmm… That’s still an incredible force… Even the aura of that man alone is of at least the level of a top disciple of a main sect. With that kind of power, they could wipe out a mid-sized faction overnight. Where did such people come from?”
Taoist Hyuncheon’s sigh was understandable. The power of a single unit of the Embroidered Uniform Guards, led by a first-rate expert, surpassed that of an average martial arts sect. I had personally seen a first-rate expert and two guards fight evenly with Taoist Hyuncheon at full strength, all three of them alone. If those men were to attack a simple village of commoners, there would be no chance of resistance.
I asked Taoist Hyuncheon, “Taoist Hyuncheon, do you sense any evil energy?”
“I can’t tell. As of now, nothing feels amiss. It’s so peaceful and quiet that it’s hard to believe that a wicked sorcerer would appear.”
“……”
We might end up spending the day here in this state, preparing for a potentially long battle while calmly monitoring the situation in the square.
The anomaly occurred about an hour later, as the sun began to set. I was looking out the window, and Mang-ryang was ready to activate his spells at any moment. Taoist Hyuncheon, who was meditating silently, suddenly opened his eyes and exclaimed,
“No! How could something so evil…?!”
Kugugung
It was at that moment. A dark sphere appeared in the middle of the square, and a sudden fierce wind blew chillingly.
“Uaaah!”
“What… What is this?!”
Passersby screamed in surprise and fled. From the space where the dark sphere had disappeared, a familiar figure emerged.
“He’s appeared!”
I shouted as if screaming.
A yellow-clad man, a flute demon!
Literally, a monster, not a human, had suddenly sprung out.
‘So it’s true, he uses strange spells to appear suddenly!’
Even amidst the chaos and confusion in the square, his presence was overwhelmingly strong.
The flute demon slowly raised one arm and brought the flute to his lips, preparing to play. Knowing that those nearby would go mad as soon as he started playing, I thought we had to move immediately.
Paat!
“This evil fiend!”
Almost simultaneously, Taoist Hyuncheon and I landed on the ground like falling stones. In reality, it was a martial arts technique that increased our falling speed like a thousand-pound plummet but allowed us to land softly like a feather, immediately rushing into action. It was Taoist Hyuncheon who first attacked the flute demon, who flailed his arms in panic at the unexpected assault.
My and Taoist Hyuncheon’s figures almost simultaneously plummeted to the ground. In reality, it was a martial arts technique where we used a heavy falling technique to increase the descent speed, landing softly like a feather, ready to launch an attack. The first to strike the flute fiend was Taoist Hyuncheon, and taken aback by the sudden attack, the flute fiend flailed his arms in panic.
At that moment, there was someone who blocked Taoist Hyuncheon’s sword.
Clang!
“Hmph. Strong.”
The man in black, whose arm was numb from the collision of the sword strike, was trembling slightly. He had quietly entered the square, watching for the appearance of the sorcerer, just like us. His identity, given his actions similar to ours, was easy to guess.
A Qianhu (a captain)!
The leader commanding a team of ten Embroidered Uniform Guards appeared on the scene. Judging by how he blocked Taoist Hyuncheon’s attack, his skills were undoubtedly at the peak master level. Upon seeing his face, I frowned.
‘Captain Ryu.’
Coincidentally, the commander of the Six Bureaus I saw in my fifth life was present here. The flute fiend, having barely saved his life, staggered back, and next to him, the Embroidered Uniform Guards of the Six Bureaus had appeared without a sound. There were ten of them, all evidently waiting for this moment in the square.
‘It seems they also knew the sorcerer would appear in the square.’
Suddenly, it was a 2 against 11 situation.
Captain Ryu looked at me with a sly face and said, “That kid over there had a chance but didn’t attack me? Why is that?”
I responded to his question.
“If I had lunged, your ten men would have ambushed me.”
Indeed, like Taoist Hyuncheon, the moment I landed, I could have attacked the flute fiend. However, I hesitated because my intuition felt oddly soft, and upon closer inspection, the ten Embroidered Uniform Guards surrounding us were subtly emitting killing intent. Had I moved, they would have launched a joint attack on me or Taoist Hyuncheon.
“Ha ha ha… Impressive. To have such martial prowess at your age.”
Captain Ryu laughed heartily, but his eyes were not smiling. He looked around at the Embroidered Uniform Guards and said, “Change of plan. We annihilate these pests right here.”
“Annihilate… Will it be that easy?”
“Hmph. A mere martial artist dares to be insolent, not knowing who we are.”
Captain Ryu scoffed. From his perspective, it would seem like suicide for just two people to take on an entire unit of the Embroidered Uniform Guards. Even Taoist Hyuncheon could be overwhelmed and killed by sheer numbers.
But I just laughed in response.
“Don’t you think you’re the one being insolent, not knowing who we are?”
Whoosh!
Boom! Boom!
“……!!”
At that moment, Mang-ryang activated the Five Fires-Seven Birds Divine Fan technique. Outside the village, pillars of scorching heat, each dozens of zhang in size, erupted. It wasn’t just one; massive flames simultaneously erupted, lighting up the village. Captain Ryu’s perturbed expression was clearly visible, and it didn’t take long for the entire village to be engulfed in the raging inferno.
Fwoosh
“Uwaaaah!”
“Aaaaah!”
People, terrified, ran haphazardly in all directions. Although the fire hadn’t spread to the town and wasn’t too hot, the sight of massive flames rising like a wall outside the village was enough to create panic. Naturally, Mang-ryang was controlling the Five Fires-Seven Birds Divine Fan, so innocent people wouldn’t be harmed. In fact, it was convenient for us as it got rid of unnecessary distractions.
As the village became surrounded by flames, Captain Ryu shouted as if screaming,
“Retreat! The plan has failed! Secure the sorcerer and escape!”
“It won’t be that easy.”
Kaboom!
Suddenly, a spark fell in the distance outside the village, turning into a river of fire. A wall of flames rose, separating the formation of the Embroidered Uniform Guards. Three of them were trapped separately, and Captain Ryu seemed to realize it was artificial.
He glared at me and said, “Is this your doing…?”
“It’s the work of me and my ally.”
I wished Mang-ryang could have eliminated them with the flames, but that was impossible. Mang-ryang was paying a heavy price for activating the treasure beyond his limits: ten years of his lifespan, dozens of Qimen Dunjia formations, the constraint of non-killing, and immense concentration.
Setting a non-lethal condition was the only way to satisfy the spirit of the treasure. At best, Mang-ryang could only separate them to reduce their numbers.
“You’re insane. Do you realize whom you’ve drawn your sword against?”
“I’m well aware.”
I emitted an even more intense killing intent towards him and said,
“For 20 gold coins and an official rank, you’re willing to slaughter thousands, aren’t you, a murderous demon!”
“……!!”
Captain Ryu’s face hardened even more. The other Embroidered Uniform Guards also stiffened upon hearing my words, realizing that I knew their true identity.
“Even if you know or not, your fate is sealed.”
Captain Ryu burst out, as if no further words were needed. He had a motive for a murderous onslaught, now that our escape routes were blocked.
“Kill! If we can’t kill these pests, we won’t leave this place!”
I growled back at him.
“Won’t leave? More like you can’t!”
Kaang!
Simultaneously, Captain Ryu and Taoist Hyuncheon’s sword energies fiercely collided. I launched my body towards the remaining seven Embroidered Uniform Guards. It was up to me to deal with the rest while Taoist Hyuncheon was occupied with Captain Ryu.
I put strength in my legs and leaped forward like a tiger.
“Let’s have a go!”
The seven Embroidered Uniform Guards were each seasoned and refined elite martial artists, with some even nearing the peak. Therefore, they looked at me, charging without hesitation, with an air of disbelief.
“Ha ha?”
“Like a moth to a flame!”
The leading Embroidered Uniform Guard raised his swordsmanship and clashed with me. His swordplay was swift and agile, like a snake flicking its tongue. As I thought, he was a formidable opponent, not much different in skill level from me.
I clenched my teeth.
‘Let’s do this.’
Normally, fighting seven seasoned Embroidered Uniform Guards of similar skill at once would be suicidal.
Yet, I charged, trusting in Mang-ryang’s words.
I remembered discussing the strategy with Mang-ryang in the village a few days ago.
At that moment, recalling Mang-ryang’s words, I realized the true extent of my power.
“How do you handle a unit of the Embroidered Uniform Guards? Well, it’s just one unit, but depending on the situation, you and Taoist Hyuncheon can join forces and fight them. Even if not, it won’t matter much.”
“What do you mean it won’t matter?”
Mang-ryang chuckled and said to me, “Didn’t you notice? You’re overly cautious in everything, but when Taoist Hyuncheon faced you, he was quite wary. And my decision to come here was 80% because of you.”
“What are you talking about?”
Mang-ryang confidently stated, “You’re too tense for someone with your skills. You haven’t fully utilized your internal energy and capacity…”
“Hmm.”
“Just do your best as you always do when fighting the Embroidered Uniform Guards. You’re much stronger than you think.”
Kwakwang!!
“Aaaahhh!!”
“Aaaaahhh!!”
My Thunder Qi exploded. Simultaneously, the Embroidered Uniform Guard in front of me, who was deploying a snake-like sword path, was ripped apart from the upper body, and another wielding a dao beside him lost an arm.
My sword didn’t stop there; as it spun half a turn, it sliced another Embroidered Uniform Guard from the top of his head to his crotch. He didn’t even have time to react before he split in two, spewing a fountain of blood.
Pukwak
Even then, I had enough strength left to attack another head-on. The Embroidered Uniform Guard wielding a soft sword was blown back, managing to regain balance only after being thrown three zhang away, appearing stunned.
“……!!”
I had simply put all my internal energy into a full-force sword path. Surprised, I watched as three Embroidered Uniform Guards became lonely souls under my sword within just three seconds. My attack range, destructive power, and sword speed had increased exponentially!
“This, this, this?!”
Kaang! Kaang!
Captain Ryu, who was fervently fighting Taoist Hyuncheon but slightly losing ground, was shocked at my sudden prowess. Taoist Hyuncheon seized the opportunity to gain more ground. I smirked at Captain Ryu and raised my sword.
“Shall we finish this then!”
“This, this brat.”
“Don’t underestimate me!”
The remaining four Embroidered Uniform Guards, infuriated, rallied their fighting spirit. Despite being the elite of the royal forces and witnessing the absurd demise of their comrades, their spirit didn’t seem to wane. However, I no longer felt any fear towards them, realizing how strong I had become.
‘Yes. The five years I’ve spent weren’t in vain!’
For five years, I walked the path of a martial artist and pursued the essence of Thunder Dragon Breath Technique, practicing day and night. But eventually, my master Yi Guang gave up teaching me, disappointed, and Jin So-cheong felt pity. Since then, I hadn’t had a proper opponent to fight, only cultivating a sense of inferiority, not knowing my true strength.
But in reality – thanks to the training in the Thunder God Style, I could fully use my internal energy, becoming several times stronger than before! Combined with the secret techniques of a prestigious clan, I could conduct delicate battles, and most weaknesses were eliminated.
Pajijijik
My sword hummed with Thunder Qi. As Thunder Dragon Breath flowed through the sword blade, my eyes shone blue, enhancing my reflexes and speed. This was the realm of Thunder God Style, Thunder Spirit, the true way of wielding it.
Concentration and explosion of power!
A practitioner of Thunder Breath cultivation, even for a brief moment, gains incredible freedom in their movements, attaining speeds several times greater.
Paang!
For a brief moment, my body moved so swiftly it seemed to slice through the air. One of the Embroidered Uniform Guards rushing towards me was instantly cut into four pieces by my blade. As my feet lightly grazed the ground, flames erupted, scarring the earth.
Whoosh!
My sword dance continued. An Embroidered Uniform Guard, desperately trying to counter with his sword energy, found his blade split in two, his left arm severed, and finally his heart burst. Before the blood from his heart could even scatter, I had already moved on to the next target.
Swoosh, Clank
The sharp sound of wind slicing through air followed. The technique had accelerated to its highest stage, negating even the need for an explosion. As five flashes of my sword swept past, the two remaining Embroidered Uniform Guards standing there stiffened, unable to move. Moments later, fine lines carved across their bodies and they burst into fountains of blood.
Pa-pa-pa!
I turned my back on the mist of blood, flicking the blood off my sword onto the ground, forming a circular pattern of bloodstains.
The entire sequence had taken less than ten seconds.
Taoist Hyuncheon and Captain Ryu, who had been fiercely fighting, stopped their duel and stared at me, dumbfounded. Taoist Hyuncheon, in particular, was so shocked that his voice trembled as he exclaimed,
“What, what, what is that? Such swordsmanship exists in this world?”
“This is madness…”
Captain Ryu spat out curses with a trembling voice, realizing that facing me head-on meant a high probability of death. I didn’t respond to their reactions but simply let my sword hang.
‘It’s not me who’s crazy. It’s Thunder God Style.’
Until now, I had not been able to withstand a hundred moves against Jin So-cheong with my spear, despite possessing this strength. It was a moment of realization: the Thunder God Style sect itself was monstrous. Swallowing my bitterness, I addressed Captain Ryu.
“It seems the outcome is decided. Will you leave gracefully, or do you wish to see it through to the end?”
“……”
Captain Ryu, already isolated from his remaining three companions by the wall of flames and realizing he couldn’t win against both me and Taoist Hyuncheon, laughed maniacally.
“Ha ha ha! You fools! Don’t you see these flames? Does winning or losing matter now? We’re all doomed!!”
“That’s you.”
“What…”
I calmly said to Taoist Hyuncheon,
“This one seems to be a high-ranking officer. He might have much to tell. Let’s cut off his limbs and capture that sorcerer over there as well.”
Taoist Hyuncheon nodded.
“Let’s hurry.”
Mang-ryang could only control the Five Fires-Seven Birds Divine Fan flames for a maximum of half an hour. We needed to resolve this before then. Fortunately, the end seemed near. As Captain Ryu, slowly raising his sword, saw me and Taoist Hyuncheon approaching, he screamed in despair.
“You bastards!!! Resorting to joint attacks, how cowardly!”
I responded coldly,
“It’s none of your concern.”
Taoist Hyuncheon added,
“Evil beings like you aren’t worthy of humanity.”
Paat, Kaang!
“Uaaaak!”
As Taoist Hyuncheon and I began our joint attack, Captain Ryu was relentlessly pushed back. Despite his valiant efforts and using all his strength to defend, even my lightning-fast Thunder Sword strikes could only inflict superficial wounds. However, his desperate resistance didn’t last long; within thirty seconds, his right arm was severed, and his left leg exploded, leaving him sprawled on the ground.
Shuk, Puk
“Kuh… ahh…”
I caught Captain Ryu’s arm as it fell from the sky and said,
“Taoist Hyuncheon, please ensure this one doesn’t commit suicide.”
“Understood.”
Then, I approached the sorcerer in yellow robes who had been silently observing the battle. Knowing the face behind those robes, I frowned. The thought of seeing that face again was irritating.
‘If he utters useless things, I’ll make sure he suffers before dying.’
That’s when it happened.
The sorcerer flutist extended his hand forward and uttered something.
[…. %content%amp;*#(@*%content%amp;*@!!]
It wasn’t human language.
It seemed like a sorcerer’s incantation.
Paat!
Suddenly, a dark energy burst forth from the sorcerer’s hand, enveloping me. I tried to dodge quickly, but the attack wasn’t dependent on speed and hit me regardless.
He had been waiting for a chance to counter!
‘A mistake!’
Had I been too complacent, assuming he had no martial arts skills?
I had indeed given him too much time.
I gritted my teeth, bracing for a possible death. If it became too painful, I was ready to bite off my tongue.
[…..]
But nothing happened.
‘What?’
Confused that nothing had occurred, I blinked and stared at the sorcerer. He seemed incredulous, his long tentacles visible beneath the yellow robes, trembling violently.
[Impossible! My curse doesn’t work on a mere human! How can this be!]
I questioned the sorcerer.
“A curse? What is that?”
He paused, surprised, his tentacles momentarily freezing.
Then he exclaimed in panic,
[How do you understand our language? What kind of being are you? This shouldn’t be possible!]
“Language…?”
I realized that this situation was quite different from when I talked with this sorcerer at the end of my fifth life. Back then, he had reluctantly used a form of innate language to communicate because he didn’t want to be killed.
But now, I had understood his language mid-conversation. This meant I had unconsciously translated his language. Of course, I still couldn’t speak it.
Curious, I showed the sorcerer the Heavenly Tome of Dark Mysteries. I knew from experience that showing this had previously crushed his spirit, leading him to despair.
“Could this be the reason?”
[……!!]
Once again, the sorcerer’s tentacles froze.
After rolling his eyes, he finally spoke, sounding defeated.
[Khhhh… I see… a stronger curse prevails… no wonder my power doesn’t work…]
“Curse? What are you talking about?”
Suddenly, the sorcerer burst into a mad laughter.
[Kahahaha!! Thank you!! I’ve realized I must escape!]
Gurgle-Swoosh
“…ugh!!”
Right after his words, the sorcerer’s body burst into pieces of flesh, exploding violently.
‘He could self-destruct!’
I quickly dodged the flying tentacles and blue blood from his disintegrating body. Taoist Hyuncheon, who had been watching from the side, was stunned by the unexpected explosion of the bizarre creature, his eyes wide open. Even for someone who had experienced numerous battles, this was shocking. With a trembling voice, he asked,
“What on earth was that thing?”
With a somewhat drained voice, I replied,
“I’m not sure. But…”
“But?”
“One thing is certain – we won.”
Whoosh
Soon after, the wall of flames Mang-ryang had created disappeared, signifying the end of its duration.
The swirling flames outside the village also dissipated as if they were never there. Despite the ferocity of the flames, nothing in the village had been burnt.
Chop-squish
“Aaargh!”
“Ahh!”
The three remaining Embroidered Uniform Guards, trapped within the wall of flames, met a brutal end at our hands. With everyone else fleeing due to the flames, there were no witnesses, allowing us to eliminate them without hesitation.
Taoist Hyuncheon said, “We need to stop the bleeding and treat this one before the interrogation.”
“Just keep him alive.”
Captain Ryu, with his limbs severed and body ruptured, lay writhing in a pool of blood like an insect, his meridians also suppressed. For a moment, I felt a pang of pity for him, but then I remembered that had I not been adequately prepared, I would have been in his position.
I wiped away a tear, feeling a profound sense of relief.
“Sigh…”
Indeed.
For the first time in six lifetimes, I had successfully vanquished a heretical cult.
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