Chapter 162

Chapter 162

The cleanup was carried out quickly.

“Four hundred twenty-seven.”

“Quite a lot gathered.”

I ignited Threefold True Fire  to clean the yokai blood and flesh from my fists, then looked around at the now-clean surroundings. Baek Risan and Seonwoo Gang, who had lost their words, blankly swept their gazes across the ground. The yokai that had filled the area were now all dead and sprawled out.

“……Is that human?”

“Human. For now.”

Not yet strong enough to shed the human frame.

Pisik. I smiled and ruffled Baek Risan’s hair. He irritably shook his head free.

“You managed well. Well done.”

“……What. I just did what had to be done.”

“Anyone who fell behind along the way?”

“None. At least not here.”

“That’s fortunate.”

It was a fight where every second counted, but if someone had fallen behind, I might have had to go rescue them. Fortunately, it seemed there were no stragglers.

I nodded and removed my hand from his head. Baek Risan, who had been blankly looking around, bit his lip.

“The yokai don’t disappear even with the formation dispelled.”

“Well, naturally. This formation has no effect of creating yokai.”

“No effect of… creating yokai?”

“Right. The ones who made this formation are the Blood Cult . And the Blood Cult can’t create yokai from nothing. Though they can transform themselves into something yokai-like.”

Creating life in this world is nearly impossible. Even Moshan Sect , called the progenitors of such arts, can’t create life and must be satisfied with shikigami and crude jiangshi.

No matter how long the Blood Cult has operated in the shadows for hundreds of years, there are limits. Gathering yokai temporarily might be possible, but creating them is impossible.

“But then where did all these yokai come from……”

“They were summoned.”

“……Summoned?”

“Right. Unlike humans, yokai have vague existences, so they have less resistance to sorcery. Unless they’re Great Yokai  who can imprint their existence on the world, they can be summoned from far away.”

Moving great distances using darkness as a medium.

The Great Yokai Heukya  I met before also used such techniques. He even sent avatar bodies rather than his true form. Of course, it’s not easy.

But it’s certainly not impossible. After all, I witnessed it myself.

“Let’s hear the story later. The situation inside doesn’t seem good.”

Pajijik!

Sensing the energy waves from afar, I spoke while drawing up my internal energy. Only then did Baek Risan, realizing how urgent the situation was, open his eyes wide and drew up his internal energy. And the opinion that followed.

“I’m going too.”

“You stay.”

“Why? Are you looking down on me saying I won’t be helpful…….”

“Not just unhelpful—there’s a high probability you’ll be a burden. You’re exhausted right now. You won’t be able to keep up with the speed, and if you get surrounded by yokai, I’ll have to come back to rescue you. That would waste time.”

“And you’ve already helped plenty. Without you all, I wouldn’t have been able to damage the formation axes from outside.”

She seems to feel she has no role to play, but Baek Risan already fulfilled her role by destroying the formation axes. There’s no reason to push her further.

“Rest here. In any case, it’s not a situation where I need your help. It won’t be that difficult.”

“……Fine. Who does she think I am, her lover?”

“Well, you don’t really seem like a child anymore.”

At my words with a ssik smile, Baek Risan, understanding the situation, looked at me with narrowed eyes, then quietly held out the sword in her right hand. A sword with a pure white blade adorned with red tassels.

A sword I remember. Baekru . Baek Risan’s beloved sword, to which I had personally attached the tassels.

“……This?”

“You gave Uicheongeom  to Seohwa, didn’t you? What are you going to do without a sword? Swordsman.”

“Just this once. I’m lending it to you. Don’t break it, don’t chip it, use it well and return it.”

Grumbling, Baek Risan held out Baekru. I looked at her quietly, then burst into a *pisik* smile and took Baekru. Perhaps because she’d just been holding it, heat climbed densely up through my fingertips.

“I’ll use it well, polish it, and return it.”

Really not a child anymore. How impermanent time is.

“What happens after this?”

“When your internal energy recovers, come back inside. By then, I should be able to eliminate all the yokai in this area.”

Pajik! Pajijik! Jjijijijik—!!!

“……Got it.”

As I drew up Heavenly Thunder Body  and answered, Baek Risan stepped back at the overwhelming lightning energy flowing out. And Baek Risan’s final words.

“……Be careful. Oppa.”

“Huh? Sorry. I didn’t catch that. One more time.”

“Just hurry back!”

Irritably tapping my toes with her foot, I looked at Baek Risan with a *ssik* smile. Oppa, oppa.

“I’ll be careful and come back safely. San-ah.”

Right. When my little sister tells me to be careful, why wouldn’t I?

I kicked off the ground, pouring in the internal energy I’d fully drawn up.

The next moment.

My body turned into light again.

The situation gradually descended into the worst.

“Seohwa Sojeo! The flank……!”

At the warning cry of a Gyoryongpa  disciple, Seohwa turned her gaze to the side and gritted her teeth. Looking at the flank, she saw the wall of fire—not completely extinguished, but gradually dying down.

It wasn’t being extinguished by the enemy’s schemes. It was simply dying naturally because there was nothing left to burn.

“At least light an urgent fire!”

Understanding the situation, Seohwa threw the last remaining oil pouch while gripping Uicheongeom, continuing her words.

“How far will the fire go out?”

“I’m not sure exactly, but it’ll probably go out up to the main gate!”

“Who’s handling the main gate now?”

“Group 1!”

“Move Group 2 to the flank!”

This wasn’t a situation where they could rotate between Group 1 and Group 2 to conserve stamina. They had to block even a little more.

Keueoeoeo—!!!

“Sajae!”

As soon as she thought it, hearing the roar and seeing the yokai flying in, Seohwa immediately called Wangpal . And as if responding to that call, Wangpal jumped from the roof into the sky.

Uicheon Power Technique Art  Original Form 2

Cloud Sever

Sever it.

Wangpal, who drew his sword in a curve as if severing clouds hanging in the sky, struck through the air and sliced the bodies of the flying yokai horizontally before landing on the ground and staggering. At that sight, Seohwa gritted her teeth again.

‘Sajae’s condition… isn’t good.’

What is the part of the human body that should never be injured?

People often point to the neck, heart, or head, but actually, the body’s centerline is all similar. The chest, abdomen, and head—places where even a minor injury can cost one’s life are all along the body’s centerline.

Though relatively better among them, the abdomen is also not free from life-threatening danger. If the abdomen is cut by a blade and sewn with thread, even slightly vigorous movement could burst all the stitches and force one to witness one’s own organs.

From that perspective, Wangpal’s current condition was far from good. He had made several vigorous movements.

“Sajae!”

“I’m fine.”

At the sight of Wangpal raising his sword with an expressionless face while dripping cold sweat, Seohwa clenched her fist but couldn’t bring herself to tell him to withdraw. If Wangpal withdrew in the current situation, the battle line would clearly collapse.

‘……Seomun Cheok Hyeop’s meditation should end soon.’

They just had to hold out until then. Just until then, and she’d be able to remove Wangpal from the battlefield.

Having made her decision, Seohwa opened her mouth again.

“Group 1 will continue blocking without rotation from now on! The fire is starting to die down, so we’re short on manpower!”

“But Seohwa Sojeo! Yeongchun has reached his limit!”

“N-no, I can still do mo-mo-more…….”

“What nonsense are you spouting, foaming at the mouth! You bastard!”

At the sight of the Gyoryongpa disciple desperately blocking yokai while foaming at the mouth and stuttering, Seohwa glanced at her fingertips and drew up her internal energy. Cold energy immediately surged.

“I’ll take his place.”

“……Sojeo?”

“Yes. I’m the only spare personnel right now. There’s nothing left to command either……!”

In any case, there were no more resources to use in strategy. All they could do was desperately block the attacks before their eyes.

“Keureureurek.”

“Push them back! I’m going in!”

Immediately after, she grabbed the neck of the Gyoryongpa disciple who had reached his limit and collapsed, pulling him back. Seohwa grabbed the fallen disciple’s shield and began to hold the defense.

‘So heavy……!’

It’s heavy. Not the weight of the shield, but the weight of the battlefield pressing from beyond it.

Unlike when she was behind, the blood-red air of the battlefield flowing along her skin constricted her neck. Comrades with nerves on edge and yokai filled with killing intent.

Kieeeeek—!!!

Keueoeoeoeo…….

Ppiiiik!

Roars of various colors ran rampant across the battlefield. Seomun Cheok giving instructions while gripping a spear instead of Wangpal. The screams of yokai burning in fire. The shouts of Gyoryongpa disciples pushing back yokai with desperate cries. Even in this battlefield, the sound of her own heartbeat was clearly audible.

Suffocating.

Feeling as if she’d fallen into the middle of the ocean, Seohwa desperately flailed. Mechanically pushing back yokai, drawing up internal energy to protect herself from impacts, breathing, just hoping for time to pass. How long had it been? Was it still far off? How long must she endure?

A panorama of memories.

Silently, a Gyoryongpa disciple beside her collapsed. In the muffled sound, Seohwa picked up a second shield. But insufficient strength doesn’t just appear from nowhere.

‘Ah.’

The battle line gradually pushed back. She could feel yokai rushing into the hastily formed second line as well. A tsunami of flesh and carapaces rushed in.

It’s over. Everything. Without properly protecting it. Futilely.

Silence.

‘It’s over.’

Looking slowly at the yokai’s fist raised above her head, Seohwa quietly closed her eyes. The premonition of approaching death.

‘I’m sorry. Sect Master.’

Foreseeing the future three seconds ahead, Seohwa unconsciously curled her body. Like a year ago, when her hands and feet were frozen and she put them in the flames.

“I couldn’t protect it.”

She murmured quietly. What had she accomplished? Why was she so powerless? Would Baek Riyun have done better?

The fist came down. Can’t stop it. Then no regrets.

She did her best.

“──You did well.”

A familiar voice.

At the low tone that settled her heart comfortably, Seohwa opened her eyes without realizing it and took in the scene before her. The world that seemed like a hell of red flames turned white-hot.

Heavenly Thunder Body

Advance  Penetrating Heaven

Stars boiled up. Yokai stepped back in fear.

At the appearance of the Thunder God descended to the present world to burn away evil things, the wicked things trembled with fear. But regardless of that sight, Seohwa sat down on the ground and sobbed.

“Sect Master…….”

“Was I too late?”

“……No.”

You came right on time.

Saying that, Seohwa wiped the tears flowing down her cheeks.

Baek Riyun had arrived.

Right here and now.