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Chapter 72. The ‘First’ Trial of the Hell Regular Exam (6)
A person who had spent his entire life abusing his position could not suddenly lower himself.
Moreover, if the other party was someone who had once diligently lowered themselves before him, he would feel not humility, but even betrayal.
Still, even so, I had not expected him to send the strongest experts he had hired over to this side at such an important time.
‘What an idiot.’
While I was thinking about the second matter I had asked of Hao Gate, Windless Demon Rod Han Geum-tak loosened a transparent thread from his Demon Rod and said,
“This is why quick-witted little bastards are no fun.”
Han Geum-tak’s specialty was to blur an opponent’s attention with his threatening Demon Rod while moving invisible thread and hooks separately from the Demon Rod, threading them through the opponent’s body before they knew it.
I sheathed the Black Dragon Sword and said,
“Is it all right for you not to follow your employer?”
“The Gyeryong Merchant Guild has already prepared more martial force than the mountain stronghold they targeted requires. And right now, that is not something you need to worry about.”
“What did the Guild Master order you to do with us?”
“He told us to bring him one right arm and a Dantian. If that is not possible, he said it is fine to cut off your head.”
“Is that not too cruel, even for wanderers?”
“Who knows? We are people who do our work properly for what we are paid.”
As we spoke, the distance between us grew shorter and shorter.
I said to the three brothers,
“Yama Axe Yeon Chu-ak is known for the tremendous power of his downward axe strikes. Maintain the Sword Formation, disperse his strength as much as possible, and think about how you can win.”
“…….”
“…….”
When trainees confirmed how much they had improved, they became able to devote themselves even more to training.
So I handed Yeon Chu-ak over to the three brothers.
The children, experiencing real combat for the first time, were trembling with fear in their hands, but their eyes did not grow clouded.
The moment I kicked off the ground, I unfolded the Unrivaled under Heaven Movement Art and closed the distance between myself and the three men in an instant.
“Hup!”
“What the……!”
“Damn it!”
At the same time, I unfolded the Ten Thousand Transformations Invincible Fist and created nine Fist Forms in the air.
THUD, THUD, THUD, THUD, THUD, THUD, THUD!
Han Geum-tak and Dam Cheol-gak frantically swung their signature techniques and retreated, while Yeon Chu-ak deflected the Fist Forms with his axe, circled to the side, and naturally charged at the three brothers.
The confrontation I had wanted had been created.
“Be careful!”
Along with those words, I unfolded the Ten Thousand Transformations Invincible Fist again and concentrated nine Fist Forms on the two men.
CLANG. CRASH—!
From inside Dam Cheol-gak’s sleeve, a Turtle-Shell Hand similar in shape to a turtle’s hand lashed out and struck the Fist Forms, while Han Geum-tak retreated frantically to widen the distance.
But the more he did, the more I stuck close without letting the distance widen.
“Damn it!”
Knowing that Han Geum-tak needed distance, Dam Cheol-gak dug into the space between us.
The moment Han Geum-tak tried to seize the gap that had opened and swing his Demon Rod to control the fishing hooks,
“Heavenly Silkworm Thread is not something only you use.”
“Urgh! When did you……?!”
I retrieved the Flying Dragon Claw I had embedded in Han Geum-tak’s chest along with the Fist Forms, lifted him into the air in a half-circle, and smashed him into a rock.
CRACK!
“Guhh!”
As expected of someone said to stand on the boundary between first-rate and peak, his nose was crushed and wounds were left on his face, but in that brief moment, Han Geum-tak offset the impact and pulled out the Flying Dragon Claw that had been lodged in his chest.
“You bastard! You are even more underhanded than the rumors say.”
“What rumors?”
“Does Black Flame not refer to underhanded thoughts?”
“……It means thoughts as deep as pitch-black darkness……”
“Shut up!”
A nickname I already disliked became even more hateful when interpreted that way.
“I will tell everything to the Peak Lord of Four Emperors Peak later.”
I drew the Black Dragon Sword and immediately poured out the Twin Heaven Sword Formula.
Illusion Swords and Variation Swords filled the space between the two men and me, beginning to cloud their eyes.
Dam Cheol-gak, who had initially tried to strike down every sword that appeared before his eyes, realized that illusions were mixed among them and began focusing on striking down only the real swords.
Han Geum-tak finally swung his Demon Rod and began whipping the fishing hooks in irregular directions.
BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM.
Each time the Black Dragon Sword and the Turtle-Shell Hand clashed, the air burst apart, and the instant an invisible fishing hook tried to pierce my nose, I unfolded the Taeul Eighty-Thousand Divine Steps and retreated.
“Gaaaaaah!”
At the same time that I withdrew, the Flying Dragon Claw I had secretly embedded in Dam Cheol-gak’s chest pulled taut, giving him pain.
“When in the world……?”
“When you focus on one place, other things become hard to see.”
I unfolded the Illusion Step of the Taeul Eighty-Thousand Divine Steps, avoided the fishing hook, and tore out the Flying Dragon Claw with all my strength.
CRUNCH.
Along with the sound of flesh being ripped away, a large wound the size of a fist appeared in Dam Cheol-gak’s chest.
“Urgh.”
——————
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Blood poured out like a waterfall and quickly dyed his martial arts uniform crimson.
The moment Dam Cheol-gak placed his hand on the wound, I stretched out my left hand and activated the Azure Dragon Bracelet.
“What is this?!”
Perhaps because his essence had been drained by the Azure Dragon Bracelet, the bleeding quickly stopped, and instead, the wound rapidly began to necrotize.
Toward Han Geum-tak, who charged in amid the chaos, I unfolded the Twin Heaven Sword Formula.
Toward Dam Cheol-gak, who was retreating, I unfolded the Ten Thousand Transformations Invincible Fist.
THUD, THUD, THUD, THUD, THUD, THUD, THUD.
BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM.
Illusion Swords and Fist Forms flew in every direction, throwing up thick dust.
“Cheol-gak! Are you all right?!”
Han Geum-tak searched for Dam Cheol-gak through the pale dust, but Dam Cheol-gak did not answer.
The moment I saw Han Geum-tak’s figure, I unfolded the Ten Thousand Seas Heaven-Earth Sword Formula, the ultimate technique of the Taeul Sword Emperor.
Seeing the three swords floating in the air, Han Geum-tak, who had been frowning, gave a sneer.
“Is that damned Illusion Sword of yours only capable of this much?”
Han Geum-tak swung his Demon Rod in every direction to oppose the sword forms.
It was the procedure to determine which was a real sword and which was an Illusion Sword.
However, not a single Illusion Sword disappeared even after being struck by the gust from the Demon Rod.
“W-What?!”
The sword forms he had thought were Illusion Swords were all real.
Having wandered about in search of the real sword to conserve his strength, he ultimately failed to distinguish between the real swords and the Illusion Swords, then belatedly pulled his body away.
But the Ten Thousand Seas Heaven-Earth Sword Formula had already exploded against his body.
SQUELCH, SQUELCH, SQUELCH.
Two shallow wounds stabbed into both shoulders, and one deep wound crossed his torso.
Han Geum-tak squeezed out his last True Qi and shot out his Demon Rod and fishing hook.
WHIRL. TING.
However, the fishing hook that passed through the afterimage left by the Illusion Step flew a little farther before striking a rock and bouncing away.
“Hah, how……?”
Standing behind Han Geum-tak, I said,
“There is something our Sojeong Squad Members say. Fooled once, it is a mistake. Fooled twice, you are a fool. Fooled three times, you are an idiot.”
As Han Geum-tak turned his head, both of his eyes trembled violently as if he had seen a ghost.
“This is the level between second-rate and first-rate?”
As if answering his hollow words, the Black Dragon Sword moved.
The pupils reflected in his eyes were filled with Illusion Swords and real swords.
“You underhanded bastard……”
The highest praise one could hear in the middle of battle.
I expressed my thanks lightly.
“Thanks for the compliment.”
***
After dealing with Han Geum-tak and Dam Cheol-gak, I headed to where the three brothers were.
CLANG, CLANG, CLANG, CLANG. CRASH—!
The Gold, Silver, and Bronze brothers were desperately facing Yeon Chu-ak.
They had gained many small wounds here and there, but as I had told them, they were deflecting Yeon Chu-ak’s axe as much as possible while fully exploiting the advantages of the Sword Formation to drag out the fight.
“You! Damned bastards!”
Yeon Chu-ak’s attacks kept being blocked, and the three of them, in contrast, seized those openings and attacked little by little.
The regrettable part, however, was that even when chances to attack appeared while they deployed the Sword Formation, they hesitated and failed to finish it.
“How long do you intend to keep fighting?”
“Eldest Senior Brother!”
“Senior Brother!”
When the three brothers called me, Yeon Chu-ak began paying attention to me.
“Already? Just how did…… Damn it!”
Yeon Chu-ak, who had been paying attention to me, showed an opening.
Geum-pyo thrust in his sword, then hesitated, and Eun-ho blocked Yeon Chu-ak’s axe in his place.
“Dam Cheol-gak! Han Geum-tak!”
Yeon Chu-ak called for the two of them, but neither of them answered.
Then, as if he had made his decision, he kicked off the ground and tried to run away.
At that moment, I soared up with him and poured the Ten Thousand Transformations Invincible Fist onto him.
THUD, THUD, THUD, THUD, THUD!
With Yeon Chu-ak, who had taken the Ten Thousand Transformations Invincible Fist with his whole body in midair and crashed into the ground, at the center, the three brothers formed the Sword Formation once again.
However, the skill they showed during training did not come out.
Even though they had enough inner arts thanks to Moving Circulation, they could not press the attack.
That was the gap between real combat and training showing itself.
“Will you do it properly only after one of you has his arm cut off and his Dantian shattered?”
“…….”
“…….”
The swords of the three brothers, who snapped back to their senses, became fierce.
Yeon Chu-ak’s speed was gradually slowing.
CLANG.
Eun-ho, who had the most inner arts, created an opening in Yeon Chu-ak.
Geum-pyo thrust in his sword.
‘But it is shallow.’
Killing a person was not an easy thing.
Even while attacking an opponent who bore hostility, they instinctively hesitated.
In the end, just as I was about to swing the Black Dragon Sword, Dong-ryong’s eyes turned red, and he shot out from between Eun-ho and Geum-pyo.
At the same time, a killing intent that could not be emitted by someone his age poured out from Dong-ryong’s body.
“Uaaaaagh!”
Yeon Chu-ak’s face turned white, terrified by the killing intent that suddenly burst forth.
‘Could it be……?’
While I stared blankly at Dong-ryong for a moment, Dong-ryong finally left a large wound on Yeon Chu-ak’s body.
“That is enough.”
When I placed my sword against Yeon Chu-ak’s neck, the bodies of the three brothers and Yeon Chu-ak stopped, and everyone breathed roughly.
Their entire bodies were soaked with sweat, and hazy steam rose from them in wisps.
“Haaah, haaah, haaah.”
While Geum-pyo and Eun-ho caught their breath, Dong-ryong was still looking at Yeon Chu-ak with eyes filled with killing intent.
Yeon Chu-ak feared Dong-ryong more than he feared me, even though I had a sword against his neck.
“Withdraw your killing intent now, Dong-ryong.”
“……Ah? Yes.”
No sooner had my words ended than Dong-ryong’s eyes returned to their usual innocent brightness, and at the same time, perhaps because his tension had loosened, he began gasping for breath.
“S-Spare me!”
I looked at Yeon Chu-ak, who was begging for his life.
“Did you not come to kill us?”
“I-I only did it to earn money. There was not even the slightest personal grudge involved!”
“If we had been the Wudang Sect instead of the Taeul Sect, would you have accepted this request?”
“…….”
CRACK.
I crushed Yeon Chu-ak’s arm in a single blow and shattered his Dantian at the same time.
“Guhh!”
Yeon Chu-ak vomited a handful of blood along with deep internal injuries.
“Remember this. If you recklessly raise your sword against the Taeul Sect from now on, your end will not be a good one.”
“…….”
“…….”
While we were eating a late dinner, Geum-pyo and Eun-ho were gloomy.
On the other hand, Dong-ryong, unaware that he had emitted an incredible killing intent toward Yeon Chu-ak during the day, was eating several bowls of porridge made with rice and jerky, saying it was delicious.
When I subtly released killing intent, the bodies of the three brothers holding their spoons flinched.
“!”
“!”
“!”
However, they did not retreat while having a fit.
They were already able to use Moving Circulation without discomfort.
As I smiled faintly at that sight, Geum-pyo carefully opened his mouth.
“I am sorry, Senior Brother.”
“For what?”
“For what happened earlier.”
Was he still thinking about that?
“We should have finished it quickly. In the end, we had to borrow your hand, Senior Brother……”
“Killing is not that easy. I think it was impressive enough that you did not break away from the Sword Formation in order to protect one another.”
“……But.”
“In any case, the three of you defeated Yeon Chu-ak in the end, did you not? I only finished it.”
Only then did the faces of the three brothers gradually relax.
“Senior Brother, since we defeated those three men, will Guild Master Gye Yeon-seok not send more people after us?”
At Eun-ho’s words, Geum-pyo and Dong-ryong gulped.
“There is no need to worry about that.”
“Yes?”
“I said I asked Hao Gate for two things.”
“One of them was to track Guild Master Gye Yeon-seok, right?”
I nodded and said,
“Correct. And the other was to send information to the mountain stronghold they were targeting.”
Gye Yeon-seok had used his wealth to choose the least powerful among the mountain strongholds designated by the Murim Alliance.
The Four Tigers Stronghold, located near Fuyang in Zhejiang Province.
Aside from the chief and deputy chief, who had learned martial arts, it was a mountain stronghold with no noteworthy experts.
I had them send word to that place.
Now that the Four Tigers Stronghold knew the escorts and wanderers of the Gyeryong Merchant Guild were targeting them, they might join forces with other mountain strongholds or perhaps request help from one of the Seventy-Two Green Forest Strongholds.
“Th-Then what will happen?”
“The Seventy-Two Green Forest Strongholds are practically outside the scope of evaluation. They are not places a mere academy applicant can face with a hundred martial artists.”
The Seventy-Two Green Forest Strongholds boasted a size and strength that placed them among the greatest of the thousands of large and small mountain strongholds scattered throughout the murim.
A single mountain stronghold was no different in size from a single faction, and though they were a ragtag lot, every one of them had learned at least a bit of martial arts.
At times, even martial artists from prestigious clans often avoided those mountain strongholds and went around them.
“Then……”
“If the Four Tigers Stronghold is smart, the Gyeryong Merchant Guild will not even be able to recover the corpses. If they are foolish, then they will at least be able to recover the bodies.”
“Hah…….”
The three brothers listened to me and opened their mouths.
“……Senior Brother, you really are a frightening person.”
Geum-pyo shuddered once and shook his head.
I looked at him and smiled faintly.
“That is what the murim is by nature.”
Having first imagined a rainbow-colored future for the murim, the guys said nothing for a while, as if crushed beneath the weight of the cold-hearted murim they had encountered for the first time.
Then Eun-ho spoke, as if something had suddenly occurred to him.
“……For some reason, I think people named Eldest Senior Brother’s epithet well.”
“……What, you brat?”
“Hahaha.”
At some point, the three brothers were sitting side by side and smiling.
Eun-ho asked me,
“Ah, right. Senior Brother, then which mountain stronghold are we going to face? You said Guild Master Gye Yeon-seok found the weakest mountain stronghold.”
When I stirred the campfire with a piece of kindling, embers scattered in every direction.
“It is the Twin Curtain Stronghold, one of the Seventy-Two Green Forest Strongholds.”
“…….”
“…….”
“…….”
***
While Eun-ho and Dong-ryong lay down and prepared to sleep, I approached Geum-pyo, who was standing guard.
“Senior Brother, that joke earlier went too far.”
“Hm? What joke?”
“……Is our target really the Twin Curtain Stronghold?”
“There are not many mountain strongholds left for us, who started late.”
“……No, but still. Hoo…… Forget it.”
Geum-pyo let out a long sigh.
“More importantly, why are you not sleeping…… What are you doing?”
“Geum-pyo.”
“Yes.”
“Listen without being surprised.”
“……When you say that, Senior Brother, it only makes me more uneasy.”
When I turned my head toward the campfire, I saw Dong-ryong curled up tightly to avoid Eun-ho’s teasing as he lay beside him.
“About Dong-ryong. It seems he may be the Heavenly Killing Star.”
“……Mmph!”
Geum-pyo’s eyes shook violently as my hand covered his mouth.