Episode 376

“… he won?”

The eyes of Mount Hua’s disciples, including Yoon Jong, were shocked.

When they watched Baek Cheon be endlessly pushed around, their heart sank so much that they closed their eyes.

“Oh god… Yeop Pyung.”

“Ha… haha. This is absurd.”

Everyone couldn’t stop their heart from trembling.

Yeop Pyung, the Red Snake Blade.

The leader of the Red Snake Group was a bandit whose reputation was strong enough for even the most skilled people to think before engaging him.

And it was Baek Cheon who had taken him down.

This was different from winning over Jin Geum-Ryong in a tournament with an audience.

Of course, neither Chung Myung nor Hae Yeon mentioned it, but for the others, this was amazing!

And the moment Baek Cheon defeated Yeop Pyung, this proved that he was stepping into a higher plane.

How amazing this was could be understood from the reaction of Mount Hua’s disciples. Normally, they would all rush at him after each win… but this time they were seemingly unable to move.

“Huh…”

Hyun Young was feeling the same way.

His eyes were already wet with tears.

“Huhuhu. Baek Cheon… our Baek Cheon against Yeop Pyung…”

While this moved everyone, one wasn’t so impressed.

“What amazing thing did he do?”

“How can that not be amazing? He defeated Yeop Pyung.”

“That was bound to happen.”

“Hm?”

Chung Myung shrugged,

“Growing talent doesn’t always mean growing a name for oneself. Those who do make a name for themselves usually announce their starting line by defeating someone famous, right?”

“Hmm. Doesn’t that mean that the name of Baek Cheon will shake the word?”

Uh?

Will that happen?

Chung Myung looked at Baek Cheon with a little terror in his eyes.

Sensing the gaze on him, Baek Cheon hurriedly walked to them. Seeing how proud he was walking made Chung Myung want to puke.

“I won.”

“…”

Chung Myung felt his cheeks hurt with the pain.

“But you are all messed up.”

“I am not dead, though.”

“Your sword is broken, though?”

“A sword is a sword. We can always get a new sword.”

“… if that idiot wasn’t careless he would have been the one to win.”

“Isn’t that all just a type of skill?”

Chung Myung’s cheeks trembled as he answered him back.

To put it bluntly, Yeop Pyung was at least one step higher than Baek Cheon, and Baek Cheon of all the people here took him down, and what?

Carelessness?

Don’t make me laugh!

Taking advantage of the opponent’s carelessness was a skill, and being careless was also a skill. In any case, if the two people with such skills got together, then, no losing side could make any excuses.

“Ughhh!”

Chung Myung groaned as Hyun Young tapped Baek Cheon on the shoulder,

“You did so well.”

“No, Elder. I couldn’t hold back my excitement and ended up looking horrible out there. I will reflect on it.”

“Yes. Yes.”

Hyun Young tapped him again.

And in that moment

Swish!

“Ah!”

Behind Baek Cheon, a blade flew, rotating fiercely.

Baek Cheon, who felt something terrifying approaching, turned around.

“Well.”

Kang!

The red blade qi was bounced away by Chung Myung’s sword and fell to the ground.

The blood drained from Baek Cheon’s face.

Yeop Pyung, whom Baek Cheon thought of as unconscious, had returned to his senses and threw his sword at Baek Cheon’s back.

‘This…’

If Baek Cheon were alone, then he might have been struck down and dead by now.

“Yes, yes. You ended that so neatly.”

“…”

“Tch.”

Chung Myung shook his head as if Baek Cheon had underperformed. And while holding his sword, he mumbled at Yeop Pyung,

“Do you know why you bastards are called evil?”

“…”

“Because you use any means to reach a favorable end.”

Chung Myung didn’t look back, but Baek Cheon nodded as if realizing this.

“Not one or two people died after being careless around them. So either don’t fight with them and if you do…”

Srrng.

Chung Myung’s sword was pulled from its’ sheath.

“The basic thing to do is dispose of them so they cannot attack again.”

It was creepy how he spoke in a playful tone.

Chung Myung rarely showed a serious or cool attitude, but every time he did, Baek Cheon felt his hands go cold.

“S-stop!”

“Protect the captain!”

Perhaps the other side also realized something had changed in Chung Myung, as they then desperately tried to block the path of Chung Myung.

But Chung Myung just looked at them with ice-cold eyes.

“H-he is!”

“Stand back!”

Chung Myung growled lowly at them.

The only emotion that showed on their face was fear. It was obvious what would happen to them if they returned without their captain.

However, if they drew their blades here, then they were sure that Chung Myung wasn’t going to show them even the slightest mercy. His form as he walked forward made them all flinch.

“Eik!”

But one of them still decided to do something and stood their ground,

“If you come any closer…”

Slash.

“…”

Immediately, a waterfall of blood spurted from their neck.

He stared blankly at the blood spouting from his neck and covered the wound with his hands until he…

Thud!

He fell onto his knees as he gasped for air, still holding onto his neck with both hands. He knew it. The moment he let go of his throat, he would die.

“Haah! Haaah!”

He couldn’t even feel any pain rising from the wound. No, right now, he was stuck between life and death.

Crunch. Crunch.

Chung Myung passed by him, not even sparing another look.

“If it were the past me…”

He said,

“All of you would have been dead before you could even utter anything.”

“…”

“But well. I cannot live like I used to. Those who stop me will die. And those who take a step back will live.”

This was the harshest voice ever heard from Chung Myung.

“Simple, right?”

“…”

“So decide. If you want to live or die.”

The eyes of the men trembled.

They knew. They had proof that this wasn’t a bluff.

‘We didn’t see it.’

None of them saw Chung Myung even swing his sword to cut the guy. They thought something had happened, but before they realized anything, blood was gushing out.

In other words, no one here could handle Chung Myung.

Furthermore.

They could tell because they were beings who prided themselves on their experiences, and they understood just how vicious the sword of Chung Myung was.

Gulp.

The sound of people gulping in fear could be heard…

No one could try to touch this man.

All humans would die when their necks were either cut or cracked. But right now, no one here had the confidence to walk forward and wield their blades. They knew that this guy would wield his faster.

So, no matter how confident they were with their in-field experience, most of them were sure they would die here.

And this young man seemed to be the kind to kill someone without hesitation.

That meant…

‘He is used to killing.’

A guy who could kill his opponent without blinking.

They couldn’t understand how a sect like Mount Hua could harbor such a person, but this wasn’t the time to dwell on such logic.

“He…”

Chung Myung did give options to the people who were unable to make a decision.

Of course, not with words but with his sword.

Slash! Slash!

“Kuak!”

“Ack!”

The ones in front, who watched Chung Myung approach, were already on their knees, grabbing their necks.

And…

Eventually, the others who witnessed this gave up being stubborn.

“Eik!”

“N-No!”

Most of the people blocking his way backed away and opened up a path for him to move.

Of course, those who had pride and honor stood their ground, but most didn’t even stand in front of Chung Myung.

Step.

A truly bizarre sight.

Men with menacing blades created a fearsome sight, and a young man dressed in the robes of Mount Hua casually walked through them.

Where in the world would one see this?

Chung Myung was calm through all of this, but the disciples who were watching him were the ones with clenched fists and halted breath.

And one of the men who realized the back of Chung Myung was open quietly moved in.

It was as if a large blade was going to slash his back.

But…

Kang!

The blade collided with a sword and flew back.

And…

Slash!

With a clean cut, a body fell down, and the rest were now even more terrified.

Not one, but four.

Four times, they saw their colleagues get cut down, and they couldn’t even see the sword move. This was even more than what their captain could do.

“No more?”

“…”

“If there are, come forward. Because you are still alive now. I am not the kind to keep those who aim for my back alive. Just like now.”

“…”

And these words broke down their remaining will.

They turned into half-dead people as they avoided the gaze of Chung Myung.

Chung Myung’s gaze was now fixed on Yeop Pyung, who remained down.

“Kuak….ack!”

The guy was down on the ground, unable to even get up due to his back injury, and trembled when Chung Myung approached him.

One could tell just by looking.

The one called Baek Cheon was a Taoist and could not kill someone. Cause if he had used a little more force, then Yeop Pyung’s waist would have been crushed beyond repair.

And yet, he hit low enough for him to be able to recover after the fight.

But this guy was different.

‘Why is he on the side of justice…’

How could this young man feel so vicious compared to the good-natured people from Mount Hua?

The Taoists of Mount Hua were people who never saw blood…

Step.

Finally, Chung Myung reached right in front of him.

“You… what will you… do…”

“I am thinking about it.”

Chung Myung groaned,

“In the past, I wouldn’t have worried about anything, but right now, I am someone who has a lot of things to be concerned about. In the past, there were people who could take care of me even if I acted as I pleased, but now I am the one who takes care of things.”

Yeop Pyung couldn’t understand what Chung Myung was saying.

But he didn’t care; there was just one thing he could say,

“L-let me live.”

“I am thinking.”

“If you spare me, I will…”

Puak!

Chung Myung’s feet were put into the mouth of Yeop Pyung, who was trying to speak.

“Acckkk!”

He screamed, and a broken tooth came out.

Chung Myung sternly said,

“Shut up, I am thinking.”

“… uh…”

“Actually, I don’t need to worry so much. In the first place, you people were trying to kill the others here, and if we lost you would have cut off our heads and strung them up on the trees over there.”

“…”

“What would you have done if we asked to be spared?”

“Uh…”

Yeop Pyung looked up to Chung Myung with desperate eyes, and Chung Myung came to a decision,

“Let’s do this.”

Tak.

Chung Myung kicked Yeop Pyung and turned him over. And without hesitation, he swung his sword.

Slash!

With a terrifying sound, the sword severed the tendons of his wrists and ankles, finishing with…

Puak!

His dantian.

“People reap what they sow. If you have been a good person to someone, you will be able to live, even with no arms or legs or martial arts. And if you have not…”

Chung Myung shrugged his shoulders.

“That isn’t my problem.”

Chak!

He lightly swung his sword and splashed the blood on the ground, and pushed it back into its sheath.

And he turned away without regrets.

“Go back and tell your higher-ups.”

“…”

No one even looked at him.

“If you set foot in Shaanxi once again, you will have to deal with Mount Hua and me.”

Chung Myung walked away without even looking at the rest of them.

“Get lost before I kill you all.”

At his cold voice, everyone shut their eyes. It was at this moment the long event of the short night had finally drawn to a close.