Chapter 75

“Captain Ak and the Longevity Ten will form the Great Ghost-Mask Formation, and Guard Im and the rest of the guards will form the Guard Sword Formation!”

At my command, our group’s formation shifted.

An eleven-man great formation, and a five-man small formation.

I planned to use these two formations in concert to deal with that old man.

Seeing this, the old man burst into hearty laughter.

“Heh heh heh. When an outcome is already decided, sometimes all you can do is accept it. Do not waste your strength struggling.”

The old man bent both knees as if crouching.

He was gathering power to push off the ground.

Gulp. I swallowed hard.

This was the man who had shattered the Four-Quarters Confusion Formation with his internal energy.

His hands and feet were bound, but he would still rush me in an instant with some astonishing technique.

“Offer up your neck quietly, haha!”

The old man kicked off the ground with a terrifying force.

I was incredibly tense.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

With both arms stretched forward, he bent and straightened his knees as he bounded toward me.

Like a jiangshi¹.

“…This looks kind of pathetic though?”

The criticism slipped out of my mouth before I knew it.

Beside me, Hwang Seung-jong spoke in a grave tone.

“Pathetic or not, he’s insanely fast. Looks like he’s jumping a full three meters at a time.”

Just as he said, a few more hops and the old man would be right in front of me.

‘I can’t just let that happen.’

I immediately gave my order.

“Ghost-Mask Formation, move six meters forward and three steps to the right! Do not let him plant his feet on the ground so easily!”

Because of the shackles, the old man’s movements had no choice but to be simple.

That he could jump just over one zhang, and that I was his target.

With those two pieces of information, predicting his landing point was more than possible.

“Out of the way!”

Kang!

A sharp metallic clang rang out.

The chains attached to the old man’s shackles had collided with Ak Mu-jin’s saber.

Mm.

Ak Mu-jin let out a frustrated groan as he fell back a couple of steps.

But he neither suffered internal injuries nor collapsed.

In a good formation, members always cover one another’s weaknesses.

The Longevity Ten supported Ak Mu-jin’s back, dispersing the impact he had taken.

At the same time, two attacks dug in from the old man’s left and right.

Captain Go, not that side, aim for the other! Captain Ak, do not slow the offensive!

Following my orders, the Ghost-Mask Formation held firm against the old man.

Watching this, Im Yeon asked anxiously.

“Young Lord, shouldn’t we join in as well?”

“Not yet. Stay on standby.”

The Guard Sword Formation’s level was far below the Ghost-Mask Formation’s.

If I sent them in head-on, casualties were inevitable, so I had to look for the right moment.

Not yet, not yet.

At that moment, a gap appeared in the Ghost-Mask Formation. The old man tried to slip through it.

Pointing in that direction, I shouted like thunder.

“Now! Hit his flank in a wedge! And Ghost-Mask Formation, keep his feet tied up!”

Yes, sir!

Im Yeon answered energetically.

The Guard Sword Formation under her command drove in at the old man’s flank.

“Persistent brats!”

The old man tried to pull his body free, but the Ghost-Mask Formation tenaciously blocked his front.

Swords and sabers poured in from all sides.

Skeog. Im Yeon’s sword grazed the old man’s side.

His worn clothes tore as a faint line of blood was drawn.

Young Lord! We did it!

Good job!

Since they had never trained together, I had worried their coordination would be off.

Fortunately, they were all performing well.

‘It would be nice if things kept going like this.’

It might be a pointless thought.

Even ten late-peak experts cannot defeat a single early transcendent master.

And this old man looked to be at least at the late-stage transcendent realm.

We only had the upper hand because his hands and feet were bound and he was internally injured, and there was no guarantee how long that would last.

“Ah, watch out!”

Sure enough, the old man was not just taking hits.

He spun violently, like a whirlwind.

The Ghost-Mask members who collided with the flailing chains groaned as they stumbled back several steps.

“Guk. Krrr-ha-ha-ha!”

The old man spewed even more blood than before, the result of forcing his internal energy while wounded.

Yet he burst into wild laughter without the slightest sign of shrinking back.

I suddenly grew curious.

What kind of story did this man have that led him to be used by Heuk Jin-pung like this?

‘Pointless thoughts.’

“Fall back!”

I shouted loudly.

Backing off meant giving the old man space.

I would be the one in danger, but I could not just let my people get hurt.

“Good. I like what you’re doing. Hahaha.”

The old man leaped toward me with great force.

Unlike his earlier three meter jumps, he cut twice that distance in a single bound.

As expected, he was disregarding his internal injuries.

“Don’t overdo it too much. You will end up dying away from home at this rate.”

“That’s something you should be worrying about, not this old man. Check!”

Check, he says.

Is he playing chess by himself?

I used Soul-Extinguishing Flash Step to get away from the old man.

“What check are you talking about?”

“You have quite the knack for running away.”

Koong!

When the old man bent his knees, spiderweb-like cracks spread out from beneath his feet.

Gulp. I swallowed.

Just how hard is he planning to jump, gathering that much power?

Paang!

The old man shot forward like a cannon shell.

“Check again!”

Ay, damn.

I snapped my waist down in a hurry.

The old man’s chains swept past where my upper body had just been.

There was so much power behind it that I could feel the gust on my back.

“Young Lord!”

The Ghost-Mask Formation and Guard Sword Formation rushed over.

I had wanted to give them a short breather, but it had ended in just two exchanges.

My dignity was in tatters now.

‘He just keeps coming and coming.’

The chase went on for a while.

The old man, obsessed with killing me, chased me like a madman, and I barely clung to my thin thread of life with the help of the Ghost-Mask and Guard Sword Formations.

Gkeo-heok.

“Hrrp, my chest…!”

In the meantime, we started seeing dropouts one by one.

A sense of crisis washed over me.

I knew he wouldn’t be an easy opponent, but I hadn’t realized he was this crazed.

He said he would kill me and go to the Western Regions, yet he was charging in like a man with no tomorrow.

‘Well. He must’ve been locked up for a very long time.’

It looked to be at least for twenty or thirty years.

That’s more than enough time for anyone’s mind to wear down.

I must have taken that too lightly.

Heo-up.

It was when I was barely staying alive, even ending up rolling along the ground while using my footwork.

“Monster, get away from the Seventh Young Lord at once!”

A shout came from behind my back.

“Oh!”

A cry of delight slipped out on its own.

The outer patrol squad had finally arrived.

At a glance, there were about thirty of them. That meant they had probably brought everyone in the vicinity.

The old man clicked his tongue.

“Flies are swarming the bowl just as the meal is done.”

“We should pull back for a bit.”

While the old man’s attention was scattered, we quickly retreated back.

The spot we vacated was taken up by the outer patrol squad.

A middle-aged man at the very rear of their group spoke to me.

“Rest easy, Seventh Young Lord. We will swiftly take care of this man.”

“You need to be careful. He is a transcendent master.”

“He looks like a half-dead corpse to me. In any case, you need not worry.”

The patrol squad leader answered full of confidence, but I felt uneasy.

It felt like he was looking down on the old man simply because of his appearance.

“Kill that monster!”

Before I could add a word, the patrol squad clashed with the old man.

I frowned, then quickly started reorganizing our side.

“Anyone injured, fall back, only those still fine stay. From this point on, we will run the two formations as one. And—”

“Aaaaargh!”

Before I could finish speaking, a chilling scream tore across the battlefield.

The moment I turned my head that way, my breath caught in my throat.

“Hahaha!”

Each time wild laughter exploded out, the chains drank in more blood.

Blood sprayed like rain.

The outer patrol squad members collapsed in wretched states.

Their necks were torn off by the chains, their torsos crushed, or their bodies split vertically.

It was a situation where resistance meant nothing.

This was not a battle.

It was a one-sided slaughter.

‘This won’t do.’

My original plan had been to quickly regroup and then attack together with the patrol squad.

But the outer patrol squad was weaker than I expected. No, it would be more accurate to say the old man was strong.

I had assumed he would gradually weaken from his internal injuries, yet there was still no sign of that.

If anything, seeing more blood only seemed to fan his ferocity, and the cruel smile never left his face.

‘What should I do?’

Watching the patrol squad get cut down in real time, my mind went blank.

Should we run?

The thought flashed through my mind.

I shook my head hard.

If we ran now, he would catch up in no time.

And running away did not suit my temperament.

In that case, what should I do?

I had only prepared for melee chaos, not learned how to deal with a master like this.

‘…Is that really true?’

At that moment, something flashed through my mind.

A martial art that would let me cut down a master if I staked everything on it.

The Heavenly Demon had definitely taught it to me.

Not in my past life, in this one.

‘I’ll make it so you can’t run or jump.’

I rapidly formed a plan in my head.

The old man’s martial skill, condition, mobility, and the strength my group had left.

All those pieces led to a single conclusion.

That conclusion was the old man’s death.

I immediately shouted at the top of my lungs.

“Everyone fall back! Fall back in a “□” shape with me at the bottom!“

The eyes of Ak Mu-jin, Im Yeon, and the others widened.

They looked like they were wondering what I was suddenly talking about.

“There’s no time for detailed explanations. Just do as I say, now!“

“Y-yes.“

“Understood. Ghost-Mask Formation, everyone fall back following the Seventh Young Lord!“

Their doubt was brief.

Soon, everyone turned and ran back.

They knew.

That even if they didn’t understand what I said, they had to follow it unconditionally.

“Who said you could retreat as you please?“

Thud, thud. Hearing his pursuing steps, I looked back.

I saw the old man, now spewing blood not only from his nose but also from his mouth and eyes.

A sight so ghastly I feared it would appear in my dreams.

“Is it really okay to go this wild when you’re planning to head to the Western Regions?“

“Stop. For this old man to close his eyes in peace, your neck is required. As the junior, fulfill your senior’s long-cherished wish!“

“You’re telling me to offer my life?“

“That’s right.“

“Have you lost your mind?“

“Do you know what life this is, that I would hand it over so easily?“

Once I stop the Heavenly Demon from becoming a true demon, I plan to live the rest of my life at ease.

Leaving the Demon Cult, resting wherever there is shade, drinking whenever there is wine.

I cannot throw away such a precious future in a place like this. Not here, not anywhere.

If someone tries to kill me, that person will be the one to die by my hand.

Just a little closer.

I gradually slowed my pace.

The distance between us shrank rapidly.

Paang!

He bent his knees with all his might.

He was going to vault over the people behind me and pounce on me in one leap.

At the very instant his shackled feet left the ground, I shouted to everyone.

“Attack the ground under my feet with everything you’ve got!“

Even as I yelled, I felt uneasy inside.

Would they really understand what I meant? Would they follow such a ridiculous order?

I twisted my body backward.

I met the eyes of Ak Mu-jin, Im Yeon, and the rest. Their wavering gazes steadied after meeting mine.

‘I’ll trust them.’

With that thought, I cast Soul-Extinguishing Flash Step in reverse. My body slid sharply backward.

As if answering that trust, Sword Qi and Saber Qi poured down upon the very ground I had just been standing on.

Kwa-gwagwang!

The dirt ground caved in deeply.

The old man’s brow furrowed as he flew through the air.

He had been trying to pounce on me and land exactly where I had been, but that spot was now a wreck.

For the old man, whose movement was restricted by shackles, this was far from ideal.

He twisted his body sharply in midair, trying to find a new place to land.

‘Just as expected.’

That was exactly what I was aiming for.

The moment he changed posture in midair would be the moment his biggest opening appeared.

Wastrel, Flash Talisman!

Shouting to Hwang Seung-jong, I infused my internal energy and used Soul-Extinguishing Flash Step once more.

Unlike just before, this time it was forward.

Paat!

Like a streak of light, I shot toward the old man.

At the same time, the Flash Talisman Hwang Seung-jong threw exploded right in front of the old man’s eyes.

This was not enough to completely blind him, but so long as it caused even a small disruption in his senses, it was enough.

Because even a tiny increase in the odds of success mattered.

‘Got you!’

Sure enough, the old man’s balance wavered ever so slightly as he tried to land in his new spot.

Ever since I took the Ice-Spirit Cold-Soul Grass, both Perfect Demonic Qi and Chaotic Demonic Qi coexisted in my body.

I roused both types of Qi at once.

The struggles of the weak are desperate. But that is why they can be fatal.

The Heavenly Demon had taught me a way to kill masters.

Insect Courage.

With it, I had subdued Ak Mu-jin and cut off Heuk Un-hwi’s arm.

“I-it’s too dangerous!“

“You’re being reckless, Seventh Young Lord!“

Ignoring the voices ringing in my ears, I put everything I had into the Cold-Iron Dagger.

Six meters, four meters, three, one.

I dove straight into the heart of the killing intent radiating from the old man.

Nothing else was visible. Only the old man filled my vision.

Maybe because I was so focused, it felt as if time were slowing.

The old man twisting his body in midair, a faint light of shock flickering across his eyes, his body curling like a shrimp as he extended both legs toward my head as I charged in.

Every one of these moments came into my eyes, piece by piece.

“Too late!”

By then, I was already spinning my body horizontally with the momentum of my charge.

Spinning once, I let the old man’s attack slide past.

When I completed that turn, I was to the old man’s right.

Pouring all of my internal energy and strength into it, I drove the reverse-gripped Cold-Iron Dagger into the old man’s fully exposed back.

Kwaduk!

Whether it was thanks to the Cold-Iron Dagger, or the combination of Perfect and Chaotic Demonic Qi.

The Cold-Iron Dagger sliced through his solid spine like paper and went straight through to his sternum.

The tip of the Cold-Iron Dagger burst out of the old man’s chest.

Kreuk.

The old man fell helplessly and rolled along the ground.

His already shabby silk clothes grew even filthier as they were smeared with dust.

Panting heavily, I looked down at him.

“Guk!”

The old man spat blood.

But for some reason, he wore a relieved expression.

“So it ends like this… twenty-six years of resentment… ke-ke-keuk.”

With that bizarre laugh, the life faded from the old man’s eyes.

“Hoo.“

I collapsed on the spot.

As the tension drained away, deep exhaustion rushed in.

‘I survived.’

He had truly been a terrifying opponent.

Normally, super-peak masters are wrapped in protective qi.

If the old man had been able to do the same, this outcome would have been impossible. It was a thousand times fortunate that he could not form his protective qi due to his injuries and overexertion.

And even with both his hands and feet bound, we had still struggled this much.

“Wooooaah!“

“The Seventh Young Lord has slain a transcendent master!“

“Ha. As expected of the Seventh Young Lord. How did he do it?“

“Young Lord, are you unharmed?“

Hearing all these reactions pouring out, I felt a real thrill.

I had survived once again.

I wondered what kind of face Heuk Jin-pung would make when he learned his plan had failed yet again.

I was smiling at the thought when.

…!

All of a sudden, everyone fell silent at once.

Someone had appeared like a phantom only a bit of a distance away.

Heuk Jin-pung.

The head of the Hundred-Succession Heuk Clan himself had appeared at the scene of the ambush.

‘…the real one has shown up.’

“Y-young Lord. Please get behind me!“

Hwang Seung-jong and Im Yeon spoke in turn.

Im Yeon, her face pale as a sheet, tried to move in front of me.

“It’s fine.“

I gave her a small shake of my head.

This was a situation where I had to step forward.

Honestly, I had not expected him to show up in person.

Up till now, Heuk Jin-pung had tried to carry out assassinations while keeping his clan as uninvolved as possible, and now he was throwing that away?

‘That shouldn’t be possible.’

This was behavior that went beyond what Heuk Jin-pung could smooth over.

‘Either way, I can’t show weakness.’

In the Murim, you act strong when you are weak, and look lively when you are exhausted.

Even if the opponent is a foe you absolutely cannot handle, that does not change.

I steadied my rough breathing, forced strength into my trembling legs, and pushed myself to my feet.

Then I stared straight at Heuk Jin-pung.

“What brings you here?“

“…”

Heuk Jin-pung didn’t answer.

“What exactly do you plan to do, showing up here like this? Even with the outer defense squad present, are you going to wipe us all out, root and branch?“

“…”

“Come on, say something.“

Heuk Jin-pung only stared at me in silence.

Then suddenly, his pupils shifted away from me and toward empty air. At the same time, his body froze like a statue.

“What are you doing? Did your meridians suddenly twist up or something?“

He didn’t react even to my provocation.

Cold sweat broke out on his temples in an instant, and his pupils began to tremble violently.

There was clear fear in those eyes.

I couldn’t fathom why a man who, just moments ago, had looked ready to kill me was suddenly like this.

Grit. Heuk Jin-pung clenched his teeth so hard it made a sound.

Then, after glaring at me one last time, he turned around.

His figure vanished quickly, as if he were fleeing.

‘What in the world was that?’

Could it be that he had only now realized the weight of what he had done?

Even so, it was too late.

Heuk Jin-pung had committed a mistake far too great today.

I spoke inwardly.

Soon, I will drag you and your clan down together, so just sit tight and wait.

“Whew. Thank goodness, Young Lord. I thought something terrible was about to happen.“

“I know right?. Is everyone okay? Check the injured and send them to Ink-Needle Hall.“

“Yes, understood!“

Im Yeon replied vigorously.

A stretch of road that should have been quiet had become busy.

They tended to the wounded and collected the dead from the patrol squad.

It was then.

‘Hm?’

I suddenly turned my head.

I silently stared at the spot where Heuk Jin-pung’s gaze had been directed just moments ago.

I felt as if I had sensed a familiar energy from over there for a brief moment. Was it my imagination?

“…No way.“

I let out a short laugh at the absurd thought.