Chapter 303

Chapter 303

In the martial world, various aliases are scattered about, but among them, the aliases representing sect names are special.

Wudang Three Swords. Spear Window Five Swords. Qingcheng Seven Swords.

Those called by such names serve as pillars within their sects and are active.

Of course, in reality, if you look into it, there are so many within the sects who are stronger than them that they’re difficult to count on one’s fingers. In the first place, those who receive such aliases are those actively operating in the martial world, and a sect’s true strength usually comes from the previous generation that doesn’t actively operate.

However,

Even so, it’s not wrong to say they shoulder the sect’s surface-level power. In other words.

The Spear Window Five Swords, who are now dead, also possessed skills by no means insufficient to bear the name of Spear Window Sect martial artists.

Seogeok!

“…Tsk.”

Watching the silhouette staggering backward while clutching their arm, Jeokyeol clicked his tongue. Though he had inflicted damage, it was a strike that didn’t penetrate as deeply as he wanted.

‘Tough. And persistent.’

At the silhouettes filling the surroundings, Jeokyeol involuntarily frowned and put strength into the short sword in his hand as he melted into the darkness to assess the situation. The current situation wasn’t very good.

The Demonic Cult’s Chilryun are comparable to the Central Plains’ Sipcheon.

That statement was also consistent with meaning that Jeokyeol’s skill wasn’t inferior to the Sipcheon either.

Though he showed weakness in frontal combat, that was when compared to other Sipcheon or Chilryun, and in ambush situations, he could even gain the upper hand over other Chilryun and Sipcheon. Jeokyeol’s martial arts had clearly divided compatibility depending on the situation.

Of course, it’s called All Streams Return to One—the way of all things in the universe ultimately converges into one in the end.

No matter how much Jeokyeol revealed weak points in frontal combat, he could show an overwhelming appearance to the Spear Window Five Swords or others. An assassin at Jeokyeol’s level could steal the neck of someone right in front of them without anyone knowing.

Right.

That’s what it meant in normal situations.

‘How troublesome.’

While searching the surroundings and confirming the silhouettes flashing their eyes, Jeokyeol gripped the bottom of his short sword strongly. A situation where not a single one could accurately locate Jeokyeol’s position.

‘They can’t pinpoint where I am.’

Whether disappearing from before their eyes or moving quickly to vanish from sight.

‘These things’ couldn’t see through Jeokyeol’s concealment technique. Though the main body was Muhyeong, naturally these things summoned by Muhyeong could only use abilities from when they were alive.

Originally, they would have stupidly met death one or two at a time, then fled in terror with their morale broken. Things that wouldn’t even be obstacles to Jeokyeol.

However,

‘It’s troublesome because they have no fear of death.’

Right. That’s the problem. Because the main body is Muhyeong and they exist as the concept of split bodies, there’s no fear of death.

“””Ha!”””

Seogeok!

At the sight of the Five Swords spreading energy waves while making sounds like battle cries, Jeokyeol frowned and soundlessly drew his short sword to cut the throats of the riffraff whose eyes had been shining. And at that moment, the sword wielders pulling their arms.

“There you are!”

Divided Light Eighteen Hands

Divided Light Chasing Glory

The trajectories of swords extended by five sword wielders faintly cut through the light. Speed so fast it was hard to follow with the eyes.

At the strike like light shining beyond clouds, Jeokyeol frowned and stood his short sword vertically while simultaneously releasing internal power. A stance enveloping the sword strikes revealed by converting from Shadowless  to Red Shadow .

Mutual Law Combat Prohibition

The sensation of stabbing a cotton ball.

Chwaaaaaaak!

Confirming that the swords shot at tremendous speed lost their power and momentum due to the action of internal power, Jeokyeol spun around to take the neck of one martial artist standing before him and took a deep breath. His mind spinning rapidly.

‘The reason these bastards can form an encirclement is because there are many of them.’

Those gathered here to catch Jeokyeol numbered at least several hundred.

Because there were so many, they could block Jeokyeol’s escape just by bursting energy waves once from their positions without needing to search meticulously. Not that being able to block escape meant they could do anything to Jeokyeol, but it meant they could annoyingly grab his ankles and cling on.

‘In any case, escaping this encirclement in a short time is difficult.’

If they had positioned masters and strategically formed an encirclement instead.

Then he could have penetrated those gaps and somehow escaped. Jeokyeol was literally second to none in concealment techniques, and could be called the martial world’s number one assassin.

But in a situation where they were overwhelming him with human wave tactics like this, there was no answer. If they had composed tactics with low-level people, he could have waved his hand before their eyes and left, but it wasn’t like that either.

‘No choice.’

In the end, there was only one method.

Jeokyeol, who had steeled his resolve, slowly brought the short sword to his lips. And the low sound of wind that followed.

Piiiiik—!

“…?”

A ringing sound that seemed like a whistle and also like a bird chirping.

Everyone turned their heads looking for the source of that small sound. And.

“…Where is it?”

The moment the first of the Five Swords took a step forward and the assembled personnel tried to burst energy waves again to locate Jeokyeol’s position.

Jeokyeol revealed himself in midair.

Falling Life Flute

King of the Underworld’s One Sound Arrives Together

The necks of everyone standing to the left with Jeokyeol as the center were silently cut away.

“Seuuuup.“

A deep breath.

At the sight of those looking emotionlessly at their group that had been swept away by half, Jeokyeol tilted his head and drew his short sword once through the air. Soon followed Jeokyeol’s low voice.

“If the goal was to drain my stamina, you succeeded. Muhyeong.”

“…”

“But you won’t be able to grab my ankles. Because.”

I am an assassin.

And above all, an assassin must know how to put everything into one strike.

Jeokyeol, who burst into a smirk, gripped his short sword horizontally. And.

The next moment, once again.

“Let’s finish quickly.”

A blood-red moon rose.

***

—Move.

“Hm?”

Has time already passed like that?

Hayul, who had been lying down comfortably with a reed leaf in her mouth swaying it back and forth, twitched her eyebrows at the voice echoing in her head and gauged the time by the sun’s position. The sun’s appearance seemed subtly tilted, or maybe not tilted.

“I don’t think the time is fully up yet.”

—Move quickly. Ghost King is dead.

“Ghost King? Ho. Seems there was someone quite capable among the opponents. That guy was pretty useful too.”

If Ghost King died, it meant the other side was also equipped with some preparation.

Then she had to move. In the first place, she hadn’t waited giving time because she intended to let them escape, but merely to give them at least a minimal chance.

“Uuuu—ha.”

Hayul, who stood up whistling, stretched fully and took a deep breath.

“Direction?”

—Straight ahead. They’re fleeing in a straight line toward Daeri.

“Once they get into Daeri, it’ll become troublesome. I don’t need to kill everyone, right?”

—Just killing the brat and the exceptionally outstanding ones will suffice.

“Confirmed.”

Tok. Tok.

Hayul, who touched the ground with her toes, tilted her head back and forth, threw a few straight punches to test, and nodded.

“Condition good, situation not bad either.”

Ending the lives of her junior colleagues with her own hands.

It wasn’t a pleasant thing. Though she didn’t go around killing yokai to save people, as someone who had made yokai slaughter her profession, the sense of disconnect was great. It felt like standing half a step aside from what she should originally be doing.

However, even so, she had no intention of giving up. The reason her current self could maintain life was because of Muhyeong’s ability, and if she didn’t follow Muhyeong’s purpose, she would ultimately only meet death.

‘I can’t die in their place.’

Hayul, who breathed deeply, inflated her lungs to the point of bursting. And.

Next, the moment Hayul stepped on the ground and strongly exerted force.

Thousand Li Meteor Step

Hayul’s form stretched out like a beam of light.

Kung! Kwang! Kwaaaaagwang—!!!

Whether what blocked her way was rock or tree, it didn’t matter.

Without even thinking of avoiding them, just swinging her fists to pierce through everything in a straight line while deploying lightness skill, Hayul burst into a grin. A small sensation caught at the end of her tremendously spread energy sensitivity.

“You didn’t even run far?”

Because they didn’t know of her existence? Or because they couldn’t flee far carrying the injured?

Neither. The opponents she had seen through Muhyeong’s eyes were people who knew how to move rationally. So they had instinctively realized.

That even if they fled far, they would eventually be caught.

That it would be better to prepare and fight at a place of their choosing.

“I like your mindset. Not like kids these days.”

—…

“Wouldn’t it be fine not to kill them? After all, you just need them to follow orders, right? Couldn’t you put a restriction on them and use them as subordinates?”

—Fist Spirit.

“Got it, you bastard. I was just saying.”

Hayul, who burst into a smirk, stepped on the edge of the cliff and looked down toward where she felt the presence while whistling. At the bottom of the gorge, those glaring at her who had suddenly appeared while forming a circular formation.

“I pay my respects to Senior Fist Spirit.”

“Mm, your name?”

Looking at the white-robed man who stepped forward and took a cupped fist salute, Hayul smiled and asked a question. And the man answered matter-of-factly.

“I’m called Sobaek.”

“Looking at your attire, you’re from Spear Window Sect. Are you a first disciple?”

“I’m the sect leader.”

“You? Not Ungak?”

“My master passed away three years ago.”

“So you were Ungak’s disciple. Has time already passed like that…”

It had been decades since she wandered the wastelands to kill yokai. It wouldn’t be strange if the sect leader had changed several times during that period.

“Well, fine.”

When Hayul nodded and lightly approached forward as if taking a walk, Sobaek raised his sword as if on guard. And words followed.

“Senior. Do you have no thought of showing mercy?”

“Mm. Can’t do it.”

“…”

“If I let you live, I die. Waiting one moment—that’s the maximum mercy I can give. As you know, what’s maintaining my body is a very ill-tempered yokai bastard.”

Not one or half shichen, but allowing only one gak of time was also because of that. It was possible because Muhyeong himself judged that much wouldn’t become a variable.

“Do you know why I wander the wastelands?”

“…”

“Because a yokai killed my beloved.”

Not just her beloved. Her parents-in-law who had treated her, an orphan, like their own daughter; her sister-in-law who had followed her around calling her elder sister; even her daughter who had only been born two years ago and whose toddling steps were adorable.

All were taken away by a yokai that had hidden in the village. One yokai massacred all those fragile people who didn’t even know the first letter of martial arts.

From then on, Hayul set her life’s goal.

To kill yokai.

“Saving people is important, but it’s not more important than killing yokai.”

“…”

“If I could erase every yokai from this world without leaving a trace, even if it meant exterminating humanity, I would definitely do so.”

Killing yokai.

That’s something possible only if she remains alive. If she let these children live, of course they too would contribute to killing yokai, but wouldn’t it be less than her killing yokai while alive?

“Unfortunately, you can’t survive here.”

“…Is that so.”

At Hayul’s firm attitude, Sobaek sighed and infused internal power into his sword. And.

“Then, we will also resist with our utmost effort.”

“Yes.”

At Sobaek’s resolute appearance, the moment Hayul, with a smile, took a step.

“Like this.”

Kwang—!!!!!

With a fierce sound.

…

……

………

Urururururu—!!!

“…?”

The gorge began to collapse.