Side Story 65. Yi-gang, Cheongho, Ahim (4)

“Hey, old man! Did you hear the news?”

There were not many in the Heavenly Realm who spoke and acted with such shameless lack of propriety.
And there was only one monkey who could behave so frivolously and remain unharmed.
His name was Sun Wukong, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven who shook heaven and earth, the Victorious Fighting Buddha, the Handsome Monkey King.

Sun Wukong opened the door of a small pavilion built somewhere in the Heavenly Realm and made a great fuss as he entered.

“That Yi-gang bastard! I heard he drove out the lion monster of the desert in the land of Egypt.”
“Hooh, is that true?”

The old man sitting before the table in the pavilion answered casually.

Yes. That monster’s rank was extraordinarily high. Even if he did threaten it with Indra’s vajra, still. Apparently, it got completely scared and fled to the Yokai Realm.
“That boy must be tremendously popular.”
“Of course. Right now, in the land of Egypt, that Yi-gang bastard is a hero. A hero beyond heroes. I heard the Pharaoh acts like the Son of Heaven there and is treated like a god. It seems Yi-gang is almost at that level.”
“Incredible. How astonishing.”
“He would not be going around doing such things without thought. He must be trying to accumulate karma. Clever little thing.”
“Yi-gang was always smart. Who do you think he takes after?”
“He has built up several myths now. He was already like that before, but now he can no longer be called an ordinary person. He has become someone like the Conqueror-King Xiang Yu or Guan Yunchang.”

Sun Wukong grinned.

“How about it? Now, before your descendant’s fame, you are like a firefly before the sun.”

The one who had Yi-gang as his descendant.
And the person who had attained Buddhahood, eventually earned the qualifications of an Immortal, and entered the Heavenly Realm.
There was only one such person.
The Immortal Divine Sword, Baek Seong-cheon, was right here.

The Immortal Divine Sword grinned.

“What a pathetic attempt at provocation.”
“What?”
“What old man would envy his own grandson’s success? Hehe. You have never married, so you would not know that feeling.”
“Kkeung… you old geezer.”

The Immortal Divine Sword asked as if dumbfounded.

“And why do you keep calling me an old man? You are far older than I am.”
“Why else? Because you are bald, your white beard has grown long, and your face is covered in wrinkles.”
“You have wrinkles too.”
“I’m a monkey, so that can’t be helped.”

Sun Wukong sat down across from Baek Seong-cheon in a delinquent posture.
They often bickered, but their relationship was good.
To begin with, there were few people who could speak so casually with Sun Wukong.
It was all because Sun Wukong liked the Immortal Divine Sword.

Sun Wukong paused for a moment before speaking.

“And it seems the offering ritual succeeded.”
“…Is that true?”
“Yes. They called Yi-gang, who was in Egypt, from the Central Plains.”
“It seems that has finally become possible. Yi-gang must have worked very hard.”
“Should we not start preparing soon?”

Sun Wukong smiled like a mischievous child plotting a prank.
The Immortal Divine Sword also smiled and nodded.

“I should make myself presentable and call that child over.”
“You are taking good care of her, right?”
“Of course. Do you think I would mistreat her?”
“Your personality is eccentric, old man, so who knows.”
“Good grief!”

Sun Wukong burst into laughter.

“Can I go too?”
“Forget it. Yi-gang will suffer.”
“Do you not know me? Whether it is the Heavenly Realm, the Yokai Realm, or the surface, there is nowhere I cannot go. I can just go on my own.”
“If that is the case, then do as you please.”
“Good. Heuheu.”

Sun Wukong was delighted by the Immortal Divine Sword’s permission.

“By the way, they say the Demon King has called Guihon back to the surface. Yi-gang can handle it, right?”
“Is this fellow called Guihon very strong?”
“Only a little below my sworn brother, the Bull Demon King.”
“Then it is an opponent I wouldn’t be able to handle.”
“Keuheum, do not worry.”

Though he had brought up the matter himself, Sun Wukong spoke as if he were the one giving assurance.

“If that Yi-gang bastard has grown properly, he will surely be able to handle it.”

And Dam Hyun.
He was blazing with anger.

“Hey, you bastards! Does it make any sense that you left Cheongho alone and came back!”

Standing before him were the warriors, including Baek Ha-jun. All of them wore troubled expressions.
When Cheongho was dragged away and the cave passage was blocked, they had tried to break through it and enter.
But the cave walls were far harder than ordinary rock, and even if they barely managed to break through one wall and enter, dozens more walls kept appearing.

Retreat for now. That was the decision Ha-jun had made.

“Please help us, Taoist Dam Hyun.”
“Damn it. Ehyoo…”

Dam Hyun was about to get even more irritated, but held back.
It was because Baek Sang-ye was silently shedding tears.
If she had been sobbing loudly, he might have snapped at her and asked what right she had to cry, but her expression was resolute while only tears kept falling.
She had lost both her Sis and her Senior Brother at the same time, and she must have felt that it was her fault, so there was nothing to be done.

“A way to dig through the walls…”
“Do not worry.”

Dam Hyun answered while waving his hand.

“It will all be resolved now.”
“How will it be resolved?”
“Because I called your brother.”

Ha-jun wore a puzzled expression.
And the moment he let out a quiet “Ah.”

Kugugugung!

A roar rang out from underground.
A vibration followed, strong enough to make them worry that the valley might collapse.

“Uh.”
“W-what the!”

The warriors quickly regained their balance.
Then the roars began to ring out again.
This time, continuously.

Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!

The sound drew close in an instant.
Something was breaking through the cave walls at a fierce speed and coming out.
All the warriors except a few gripped their weapons tensely.
Soon, something burst out, breaking through the blocked rock.

Kwaaang!

The waiting people were shocked by the figure that appeared.
A person was carrying a giant fox on his back.
And that giant fox was holding a limp woman in its mouth.

“Euhahahahaha!”

Dam Hyun laughed heartily.

“B-Brother!”

Baek Ha-jun also recognized Yi-gang.
Yi-gang had carried Cheongho, and Cheongho had been holding So-ryu in his mouth.
He landed lightly and set down Cheongho and So-ryu.

“Cheongho is injured. As for So-ryu, it seems she lost consciousness because her Honhyeol acupoint was struck.”
“Hey, you! Good job!”
“The offering ritual succeeded, did it?”
“Yes. The offering is postpaid.”

Yi-gang smiled bitterly.
Dam Hyun had called Yi-gang in order to save Cheongho.
Naturally, Yi-gang had no desire to receive an offering, but it was not something he could refuse simply because he didn’t want it.
In order to perform a certain deed, he had to receive a corresponding price. It was due to causality.

“Did you beat down that Guihon bastard?”
“Not yet. I have to take him down now.”
“Where is he?”

Yi-gang raised a finger and pointed behind him.

“He’ll reveal his true form now.”

And that was truly the case.
A vibration that could not be compared to the one from a moment ago began.
In fact, the mountain began to collapse.

Kugugugugu.

Even several Transcendent masters lost their balance and staggered.
Only Yi-gang did not shake in the slightest.
As he slowly floated into the air, his hair began to flutter.

Kwaaaaang!

Something slowly revealed itself while breaking through the mountain.
It was the form of a giant human.
A gray humanoid figure rose up, scattering stones and boulders.
Its eight eyes glowed red, and its skin shone like a carapace.

“Y-youuu!”

A voice rang out so loudly it seemed to tear the ears.
It was clearly Ahim’s voice.

“That is definitely Guihon.”
“Right?”

Dam Hyun laughed hollowly.
The Guihon they had subjugated before had looked like a spider, and the difference was that this one stood on two legs like a person.
But the gray carapace and red eyes were unmistakably signs of Guihon.
Ahim shouted as if accusing Yi-gang.

“Y-your power. You ate Guihon Jade toooo!”

At those words, people looked at Yi-gang in shock.
Floating in the air, his hair fluttering, his eyes emitting blue light in contrast to Ahim.
Honestly, he didn’t look human.

Instead of answering, Yi-gang flew up into the air.
It was far too exalted to simply be called a movement technique.
Someone shouted in admiration.

“Martial Sky Flight Art!”

Since a person was flying freely like a bird, it was surely the legendary movement technique said to be used by Immortals.
Even after that day when he brought down the Evil Cult and the Emperor, Yi-gang had grown further.
Five years had passed since then, so now…

“To eat Guihon Jade and oppose meee. D-dieee!”

Ahim pointed at Yi-gang with a giant finger.
To those who had eaten Guihon Jade, that would become an irresistible Word Command.

But Yi-gang didn’t even flinch.
He landed directly on Ahim’s outstretched index finger.
The finger was large enough for him to run on it.
So he ran along it.
Without slowing his momentum, he advanced to Ahim’s elbow, then his shoulder, and kicked his cheek.
It was like an ant kicking a person’s cheek, but.

Kwaaaaang!

The head of that giant Guihon snapped back.
And Yi-gang spoke firmly.

“I didn’t eat any, you bastard.”

There was no way Yi-gang would have picked up and eaten something like Guihon Jade.
Dam Hyun also affirmed that.

“That guy has liked spiritual medicines since long ago, but he had a ghostly sense for avoiding anything bad for the body. There is no way he would’ve eaten something like this.”

Saying that, Dam Hyun opened the heavy pouch Yi-gang had set down a moment ago.
Inside it was a large chunk of Guihon Jade.

“M-mineee!”

Even while being beaten by Yi-gang, Ahim noticed the presence of the Guihon Jade.
He tried to throw his giant body toward where Dam Hyun was.

“H-hey! Stop him!”

Dam Hyun, aghast, shouted that.
Yi-gang jumped down below Ahim’s shoulder.

Of course, he had no intention of jumping down to his death, so in midair, he fiercely swung his long blade.
Aura Qi rose to a length of no less than three meters.
It was a length ten times greater than the Saber Aura the Twin Tigers of the Peng Family had shown earlier.
It was certainly an attack suited for facing a giant yokai rather than a person.
The Sword Aura tore through Ahim’s right leg.

Kagagagagak!

It broke through that tough carapace and shredded the muscles within.
On Ahim’s long calf, a wound remained as if a giant snake had crawled across it.

Kwajak!

Then Yi-gang’s blade finally sliced through Ahim’s right ankle.
Since the tendon had been severed, Ahim could not throw his body forward and began to fall.
Dam Hyun shouted in triumph.

“Eight legs are better than two!”

If it had been the original Guihon, it would not have fallen like this just because one ankle had been cut.
Jin Li-yeon dragged away the delighted Dam Hyun.

“It is dangerous!”
“Uaaak!”

He could not throw his body, but Ahim was plenty huge.
The arm he had stretched out greedily struck the earth, and dust rose like a mountain.

Kwaaaaang!
“Kraaaaaak!”

Ahim let out a beastlike roar.
He could not believe the current situation.
The power of Guihon living and moving within his body remained intact.
As if he had become a god, even at this moment, he felt as though he could destroy everything and reign over all.
But what was this state he was in now?
Crawling on the ground like a worm…

The moment he tried to force himself up by pushing against the ground.
Yi-gang’s sword cut across even his right wrist.
Once again, Ahim slammed his chin into the ground.

“Keoheok!”

And before his eyes stood Yi-gang, holding his sword.

“Are you starting to come to your senses now?”
“Y-you baaastard!”
“You stutter quite a lot. I suppose you must be the shy type.”

Yi-gang raised his sword once more.
Fear bloomed in Ahim’s heart.