There’s No Chance Of Winning.

Yu Hyeon also unleashed the Plum Blossom Sword Art.
However, no plum blossoms bloomed from his sword.
The form might have been the same, but the intent contained within it had already been twisted.
That made it no different from another martial art altogether.
Instead of plum blossoms, a violet haze rose from Yu Hyeon’s sword.
Meanwhile, Gyo-ha licked his lips as he watched the beast charge toward him.

‘I don’t know what’s going on, but…’

At least it did not look as though the fight would end too easily.
Its sharp claws came for Gyo-ha.
He twisted his upper body aside and drove his fist toward the beast’s abdomen.
Its larger body gave him plenty of places to strike.
Kung!
The beast’s body jolted.

“Jjir…”

The beast flinched briefly before swinging its arm again.
However, Gyo-ha moved first.
Gyo-ha slammed his forehead directly into the beast’s head.
Kung!
Its body jolted once again.
The impact seemed greater this time, and it shook its head.
However, Gyo-ha hadn’t emerged unscathed either.
He wiped the blood from his forehead. Gyo-ha’s own skin was just as tough, yet his forehead had still split open.

‘…I guess I can’t absorb its Yokai Qi once it transforms.’
Gyo-ha’s eyes sparkled.
Its body had certainly become stronger after transforming. However, the Yokai Qi he could sense had diminished.
That was because Gyo-ha had already absorbed most of it.
The beast quickly recovered and roared.
Gyo-ha grinned at the sight.
The beast swung its tail like a whip.
Gyo-ha caught the incoming tail,
pulled it toward himself,
and then slammed his head down once more.
Kwang!
The sound was even louder than before.
Hududeuk, blood spattered across the floor. However, the beast’s scalp had also split open.
The beast tried to swing its arm.
But Gyo-ha’s head came crashing down again.
Kwang!
Only then did the beast stagger backward.
Fear and hesitation appeared in its eyes.
But that was a mistake.
It should not have given Gyo-ha any time.
Kung.
Gyo-ha stamped his foot.
At the same time, his body spun.

Radiant Burst Strike¹.

Kwagagagang!
An explosion erupted inside the beast’s body.
Its back split open, sending bone and chunks of flesh flying.
Even Mok-geum, a yokai immortal, had avoided that attack.
A newly transformed yokai had no hope of enduring it.
The beast collapsed with a thud.
The sound echoed through the small shrine.
Gyo-ha slowly turned his head.
Jeon Pyeong and Namgung Hyeok were still fighting, but they were not being pushed back.
If anything, they were gradually pressuring their opponents.
Gyo-ha clenched and unclenched his hand as he watched their opponents.

‘Would those two transform too if I hit them?’

There was a good chance he could absorb their yokai power if he attacked them.
However, he soon abandoned the idea.
It was rude to interfere in someone else’s fight.
Besides, they were winning.
Gyo-ha plopped down in a corner of the shrine and watched the fights.
Namgung Hyeok was the first to finish.
Namgung Hyeok’s lightning tore through the Diancang Sect Taoist’s body.
Namgung Hyeok was more skilled than Jeon Pyeong, but that wasn’t the only reason.
Both the Namgung Clan’s and the Diancang Sect’s martial arts excelled at ending battles quickly.
Naturally, their fights could not unfold in the same way.
In contrast, Jeon Pyeong and Yu Hyeon came from the same sect.
Since they could read each other’s moves, their battle was bound to last longer.
Namgung Hyeok sat down beside Gyo-ha.
Gyo-ha glanced at the fallen Diancang Sect Taoist.

‘…As expected, he isn’t getting back up.’

The earlier transformation was clearly connected to Gyo-ha.
Meanwhile, Yu Hyeon’s momentum was gradually faltering.
His companions were already dead.
Moreover, the two responsible were staring directly at him.
Even though they had stepped aside, there was no way he could ignore them.
He naturally became wary, and that wariness inevitably showed in his sword.
Puk.
Jeon Pyeong’s sword pierced Yu Hyeon’s shoulder.
Seureureuk, Yu Hyeon’s sword slipped from his hand.
He reached for it again, but couldn’t reach it.
Yu Hyeon’s eyes trembled.

“This cannot be. It cannot be. I was chosen. How could I lose to someone like you, Jeon Pyeong?”

Jeon Pyeong’s eyebrow twitched.

“We can discuss the details once we reach the Murim Alliance.”

Jeon Pyeong snapped coldly. Yu Hyeon raised his head and looked at him.
His face was severely contorted.

“…I was chosen…”

Urgh!
He suddenly vomited blood.
Gyo-ha’s eyes lit up as he watched, and he quietly rose to his feet.
Namgung Hyeok had also placed a hand on his sword hilt.
However, Yu Hyeon slowly collapsed after coughing up blood.
Contrary to one man’s concern and the other’s anticipation, Yu Hyeon didn’t get up again.
Jeon Pyeong examined Yu Hyeon and shook his head.

“His qi and blood have become tangled.”
“Could the shock of losing have caused it?”

Such things occasionally happened.
However, Jeon Pyeong shook his head.
He could not determine the cause.
Of course, he had some suspicions.

‘…Was it because he used a power that didn’t suit him?’

Mount Hua’s martial arts only displayed their true power when paired with Mount Hua’s internal cultivation method.
Alternatively, it might have been because he wielded a power humans were not meant to possess.

‘It could be both.’

Jeon Pyeong raised his head.
He saw Gyo-ha pouting.
Now that he knew Gyo-ha, he understood exactly what that expression meant.
Gyo-ha kept glancing at the fallen beast yokai.
It had a rat-like form.

‘It must have ended more easily than he expected.’

Had Jeon Pyeong faced it himself, he probably wouldn’t have been able to end the fight so easily.
In the end, they had failed to take any of them alive.
However, they had not come away empty-handed.

“…He said that an Apostle is somewhere nearby.”

Namgung Hyeok nodded calmly at Jeon Pyeong’s words. Gyo-ha, in contrast, immediately came alive.
The two had also heard Yu Hyeon’s words while remaining alert to their opponents.

“Anyone holding a position called Apostle won’t be ordinary.”

It was likely a yokai rather than a human wielding yokai power.
A genuine yokai.

“It’s probably either where the Unit Leader went or where Great Sahyung went.”

Those two locations had the most people.
That was why the two strongest among them had gone to those sites.
However, because the enemies were scattered, the investigation team’s strength had also been divided.
They might need support.

“…We need to split up.”

Jeon Pyeong wanted to go to his great senior brother.
Even if he helped Moyong Hwi, the man probably wouldn’t appreciate it.
Even so, he couldn’t ignore him.
Jeon Pyeong looked toward Gyo-ha and Namgung Hyeok.
The two of them had already clashed with the Moyong Clan.

‘It would be better if I went…’

Just as Jeon Pyeong was about to speak, Gyo-ha spoke first.

“I’ll go to the Unit Leader.”
“Brother Gyo?”

Jeon Pyeong gave him a questioning look, asking whether he would be all right. Gyo-ha scratched the tip of his nose.

“I have a good feeling about that one.”

Even his eyes were sparkling.
It was a decision based entirely on instinct. However, the two who knew Gyo-ha understood what it meant.

‘…The Apostle is where Moyong Hwi is.’
‘So the real target is where the Unit Leader’s group is at.’

Gyo-ha’s instincts were reliable.
Though they tended to lead him toward danger rather than away from it.
Jeon Pyeong looked at Namgung Hyeok.

“Brother Namgung, go with Brother Gyo.”

For the sake of balance, Gyo-ha should’ve gone alone while Jeon Pyeong and Namgung Hyeok traveled together.
However, they trusted Gyo-ha’s instincts.
No matter how strong Gyo-ha was, he was still injured.

“Then let’s move.”

Namgung Hyeok nodded at Jeon Pyeong’s words.

“Taoist Jeon, you should also…”
“Brother.”

Jeon Pyeong cut Namgung Hyeok off.
Namgung Hyeok cleared his throat before speaking again.

“Brother Jeon Pyeong, please be careful as well.”

They trusted Gyo-ha’s instincts, but there was no telling when something unexpected might happen.
Jeon Pyeong nodded solemnly.
Gyo-ha then left with Namgung Hyeok.
There was a reason why they left first.
They were giving Jeon Pyeong some privacy.
Jeon Pyeong stood before the dead Yu Hyeon.

“…Martial Uncle, please remain here for a while. I won’t be long.”

With those words, Jeon Pyeong pressed his palms together before Yu Hyeon.
He hesitated briefly before speaking.

“…Thank you for everything.”

After looking at Yu Hyeon for a moment longer, Jeon Pyeong turned away.
It was time to do what had to be done.

Gyo-ha and Namgung Hyeok hurried onward.
The map they had been given was a fresh copy drawn by Jegal Yeon.
Naturally, it only showed their own destination.
The two were navigating from their memory of the original map.
They had seen it only briefly, but neither showed the slightest hesitation.
That brief moment had been enough.
As they ran, Gyo-ha sniffed the air.

“Looks like this really was the right place.”

Gyo-ha grinned.
Namgung Hyeok looked at him and asked.

“Is it a yokai?”
“Yeah.”

This was not a martial artist wielding yokai power.
This scent came from the real thing.
The clash of metal rang out in the distance.
However, the sound soon disappeared.
The two looked at each other.
The battle had ended. That was not good news.
The two accelerated even further.

An old cabin stood halfway up the mountain.
However, not even its shape remained now.
The trees had been shattered, and the ground was gouged out in several places.
A figure stood at the center of the devastation.

“…I had some expectations after you defeated my subordinates, but is this all?”

A man muttered in a low voice.
He was as massive as a bear.
Both his hands were covered in fur and sharp claws like those of a beast.
Moyong Hwi’s face twisted with humiliation at the man’s words.
Moyong Hwi understood now.
That man was not human.
It wasn’t because of his grotesque arms. It was that the way he moved was fundamentally unlike a human.
His movements followed principles entirely different from martial arts.
They were abilities he had possessed since birth.
When Moyong Hwi glanced aside, he saw Peng Seon-ho lying on the ground.
A blood descendant of the Hebei Peng Clan, famed for its monstrous strength.
Yet he had been defeated in an instant.
Jegal Yeon stood as though shielding Peng Seon-ho. However, she was in no condition to fight properly either.
Her clothing was torn from being thrown across the ground several times, and blood ran through the gaps in the fabric.
She could barely remain standing.
She still had to face the remaining enemies and had no opportunity to assist Moyong Hwi.
It had not been like this from the beginning.
When the three had first raided the base, they had overwhelmed their enemies.
The enemies had been subdued in an instant.
Then that man appeared.
From that moment, everything began to go awry.

“Then again, expecting anything from mere humans was foolish.”

The man mocked not only Moyong Hwi’s group but even his own subordinates.
Yet his subordinates showed no reaction, as though his contempt were only natural.
Moyong Hwi swallowed dryly.
His opponent was not even fighting at full strength.
He had toyed with Peng Seon-ho and Jegal Yeon before driving Moyong Hwi into a corner.

‘There’s no chance of winning.’

Moyong Hwi shifted his stance.
At that moment, his eyes met Jegal Yeon’s.
Jegal Yeon stared at Moyong Hwi with trembling eyes.
As intelligent as she was, she understood the situation and read his intentions.
There was no emotion in Moyong Hwi’s eyes as he looked at her.

‘He plans to abandon us.’

Jegal Yeon bit her lip.
As Jegal Yeon had expected, Moyong Hwi had no intention of sacrificing himself to protect the two of them.
He was not fleeing.

‘I’ll gather our scattered forces and return.’

He could not win alone.
Their sacrifice was only natural.
There was still a chance if he survived instead of the two of them.

‘This is my only chance to withdraw.’

While his opponent still had his guard down.
Moyong Hwi adjusted his grip on his sword.
He swung his sword, then shot sideways.
The movement flowed as naturally as water.
The man’s eyebrow arched, caught momentarily off guard.
But he soon let out a mocking laugh.

“You dare try to flee from Lord Myeong-gong!”

The man drew in a deep breath.
Then he exhaled.

“Awooooooooooooo!”

Moyong Hwi’s fleeing body was blasted away.