Chapter 90 : Chapter 90
Chapter 90: A New Fight
That's right.
I had killed him before.
- Heeheeheehee! Jin Yeomyeong!
The flames, raised by pushing the Li Trigram Technique that handles the natural energy of fire to its limit.
Thanks to the oil and rice straw I had scattered everywhere, it gained more strength and blazed high.
We were fighting inside the fire.
- Sword Hero! Get out! If you don't come out now, you'll be in danger too!
- The Lord of Heavenly Slaughter is not someone you can cut down now! Live to fight another day!
Voices laced with inner energy shouted for me to get out.
- What do you say? Why don't you listen to them? Are you planning to burn to death with me?
I was facing the vanguard of the Beast Meridian, Lord of Heavenly Slaughter Gihakcheon.
He was protecting himself with demonic arts.
I, too, was pushing away the fire and smoke by manipulating natural energy.
But it seemed difficult to maintain the manipulation of natural energy while fighting the Lord of Heavenly Slaughter.
Still.
By the time I set this trap, I had passed through five villages that he had massacred.
Five was just the beginning.
After the Demonic Cult rose, the Lord of Heavenly Slaughter, as the vanguard of the Beast Meridian, burned and killed wherever he went.
He was doing so even now, which was how his line of advance was read and how we caught up to him.
If I let him go here, there was no telling how many more people would die in the future.
- Let's have a go.
- What? Are you serious? You want to fight me here?
- Whether we die by each other's weapons, or our strength gives out and we burn to death, let's see this to the end.
- Heeheeheehee. Is that so? I'd love that! I heard you’ve been a nuisance here and there anyway!
His spear flew through the flames.
I advanced forward with Mukheun.
In the end, I killed him.
Thanks to the great merit I achieved, I was even able to obtain a spiritual medicine said to have been acquired in Chang'an.
At that time, that was enough.
A large, indelible burn scar was left on my back.
And as Jayeong applied a poultice to it, she wept silently.
At that time, that was enough.
It was enough, and yet.
“Aaaaaargh! I’m so angryyyyyy!”
Thinking about it makes me angry.
Back then, I had told the Alliance that I needed more forces.
I know there was a reserve unit.
Why didn't they send them, letting a man get his back burned?
If I had missed that bastard back then, what would they have done about the sacrifices that followed?
“I’m so angryyyyyyaaaargh!”
It's something that hasn't even happened yet, but to me, it has happened.
A directionless anger that I can't even speak of to anyone surges up!
“What, what's with him?”
As I suddenly shouted, the Lord of Heavenly Slaughter, who had been walking out majestically, stopped in his tracks and asked Han Sanha.
“I'm not sure. He was speaking to me perfectly fine just a moment ago.”
“I heard that. I was listening while waiting to see if I could ambush him. Wasn't he the one who told me to come out?”
“That's right. But he's suddenly acting like this.”
Because you suddenly appeared, I suddenly remembered the past, and I’m suddenly angry.
Do you know this feeling?
“Uuuugh! Just thinking of the Alliance makes me fume! I told them to send more forces! They don't even listen to the people working in the field!”
They should listen to the voices of those in the field.
But the Lord of Heavenly Slaughter heard my words and then.
“Alliance… send more forces… I see!”
He suddenly had a look of realization.
“No wonder you were foiling our cult's plans so easily.”
“?”
“The Alliance was behind you!”
“?”
What…, the Alliance?
If you say Alliance to me right now, a fire rages inside me.
“Uh, wait a moment.”
Could I… use this?
“I knew it!”
I couldn't answer for a moment while I was thinking, which seemed to the Lord of Heavenly Slaughter as if I was speechless after being hit on the mark.
“Yes, that's right. I thought it was strange when some swordsman suddenly started causing a ruckus in Luoyang. The Alliance secretly instigated it.”
The Lord of Heavenly Slaughter's head was spinning furiously.
I can see it.
I can see the gears turning in his eyes.
“If so, then all those other things make sense. You must be-”
The conclusion was drawn from the ultimate brain-rotation.
He pointed his finger at me and declared.
“The Alliance's Secret Inspector. You must be the Alliance Leader's right-hand man.”
“Ah.”
He missed the mark.
He missed it by a mile.
And here I am, on childcare leave.
“You must have nothing to say now that your cover is blown! Since you were in charge of the Alliance's internal purges, you must be an inspector, and a direct subordinate of the Alliance Leader. Ha, what are the other guys doing? They couldn't even figure this out!”
The other martial artists seemed busy fighting, but Han Sanha stood next to the Lord of Heavenly Slaughter, staring at me with his mouth agape.
“The Alliance’s Secret Inspector…? Does that mean I was also within the Alliance's sights?”
No, there's no way I'm a Secret Inspector, and there's no way the Alliance has a grasp on you right now.
The Alliance isn't that competent.
“Precisely. Since it has come to this, I will reveal it. The Hwangbo Alliance Leader is an extremely competent man. He has a grasp on all of you.”
If it had been just an elder and not the Lord of Heavenly Slaughter, I wouldn't need to do this.
The Demonic Cult's eyes might focus on me too much.
If I spin it as the Alliance making a direct move at this point, I should be able to disperse their attention.
…Aside from that, I want to put some pressure on the Alliance.
It feels like that would cool my anger a bit.
“The Murim Alliance has dispatched Secret Inspectors to every region to monitor you.”
“Indeed. It wouldn't be just Luoyang and Kaifeng.”
“Lord of Heavenly Slaughter, I know your identity as well. Are you not the sworn brother of the Water Demon?”
“Keuk! That far?”
The Lord of Heavenly Slaughter was more than an elder of the Beast Meridian.
He was the younger of the Water Demon's two sworn brothers, a man who had been with the Water Demon since their youth.
There was a reason he was in charge of the Beast Meridian's vanguard.
“I was wondering why my sworn brother was rushing things so much. So the Alliance was involved. There must have been an unavoidable reason.”
But right now, vanguard or not, he was playing right into my hands.
He seemed to be convinced of something on his own.
“M-My Lord…”
Han Sanha, with a look on his face as if he were being choked, said to the Lord of Heavenly Slaughter.
“I-I will retreat for now. I will return and prepare for the next grand plan.”
It was obvious he wanted to get out of here.
From the looks of it, rather than preparing for any grand plan, he was about to bolt.
But I wasn't the only one who thought so.
Thwack.
The Lord of Heavenly Slaughter threw a punch at Han Sanha. Han Sanha crumpled to the ground on the spot.
“Shut up. You've been exposed as a traitor, what use could you possibly have to prepare a grand plan? Get into the fight.”
“What? Me?”
“Go cut down the Rogues' Guild Leader who's standing over there like bait. You need to at least cause some chaos in the Rogues' Guild, hm? If you don't even have that much merit, the cult's punishment will fall upon you.”
At the words 'cult's punishment,' Han Sanha's body trembled.
“M-me, the Guild Leader… Then, My Lord, you will…”
“I will join you after I defeat this Alliance Inspector.”
“How could you…”
But there was no other choice.
In the end, Han Sanha drew his curved blade with trembling hands and threw himself into the fight.
The Lord of Heavenly Slaughter watched his back and laughed, then turned to me.
“Now, I must capture you. I need to confirm how much the Alliance knows about us.”
His eyes scanned the surroundings.
“Where is the Grand Elder with Divine Ear? He should be the top master left in the Beggar's Gang right now?”
“Didn't you send Demonic Cult members all over Kaifeng? He is likely dealing with them.”
“Damn it. You know our methods inside and out.”
Then he glared at me fiercely.
“All the more reason I must capture you.”
I glared back at him.
The Alliance is the Alliance, but my grudge against you is also deep.
Wooooong-, the drawn Mukheun cried out.
What is his level of martial prowess right now?
He didn't suppress the physical changes caused by his demonic arts.
It's not as much as when we fought in the past, but even now, he's no different from a beast walking on two legs.
His snout, which had already transformed into a long, beast-like shape, opened.
“I will make you pay the price for ruining the cult's work!”
Shuuuuuk.
The spear shot out straight.
“You are the ones who must pay the price!”
I moved quickly, parrying the spear.
A battle between a long weapon and a short one.
Each has its own advantageous distance.
He tries to maintain the spear's distance, and I try to close it.
Xun Trigram Technique.
I moved, imbuing my footwork with the Xun Trigram Technique.
The ink-black sword rode a single gust of wind to strike the beast.
However.
“Grrrr.”
With a small growl, the spear flew like the beast's fangs.
It tore through the wind and pushed Mukheun away.
“Hmph!”
In the brief exchange of techniques, we both realized the other was not an opponent to be taken lightly.
“Tear apart the shackles of man with the fangs and claws of a beast.”
A cold murmur, different from just moments ago.
The demonic arts began to bloom in earnest.
Chwahahak.
The afterimages of the spear covered all directions.
It was clearly a spear thrust aiming for a single point, and yet.
Countless attacks dominate the plane.
No matter which direction I move, I cannot avoid the beast's fangs.
“Sword Hero!”
“Be careful!”
The shouts of martial artists, without distinction, could be heard.
Forward.
I slashed Mukheun down between the points.
A single ink-black line.
My reliable friend Mukheun secures that space.
And.
“Hoh?”
From that single line of space, the sword extended.
It erased the beast's fangs that had embroidered the surroundings in an inky color.
Kaang, kaang, kaang, the spear thrusts and sword strikes clashed in succession, a shrill sound ringing out.
The beast used swift footwork to move outside Mukheun's range.
“You have the skill to be a secret inspector.”
The Lord of Heavenly Slaughter's eyes watched me as he launched another attack with his spear.
An attack where he infused demonic arts even into the iron shaft of the spear and swung it in a long arc.
If before it was a point.
This time, it dominates the line.
Dominating the plane with a line.
“The Alliance Leader didn't just appoint me as an inspector for nothing!”
I spat a lie and thrust a sharp strike with Mukheun.
I go the complete opposite way.
If before it was a line, this time, it's a point.
Thrusts aimed at the spear exploded one by one.
Chaeng, chaeng, with a metallic clang, the line wavered.
“Hmph.”
He once again slipped out of Mukheun's range.
“Well, well.”
Then he looked at me again.
“You… aside from being an inspector, you’re quite skilled.”
“The same goes for you, Lord of Heavenly Slaughter.”
I thought his level of demonic arts wouldn't be high since it was before the Demonic Cult's great outbreak.
But this was a considerable level.
“That must have required many sacrifices.”
“Heeheeheehee.”
He laughed as if he found it amusing.
“Is that a bad thing? Hm? Isn't that how it's supposed to be?”
He looked around.
He wasn't watching the fight.
His gaze was further away. He was looking inside this complex.
“Look. See how disgusting it's become from making rules. Perfect control? The moment I heard it, I felt nauseous.”
“Is that so?”
“Humans, you see, are beasts. We should live following our instincts. Hm?”
A smirk, and killing intent spread across his face.
“It's hard because you can't do that. You can't do it because you're weak. Isn't that right?”
“To me, your side sounds more nauseating. So what are you trying to say?”
“Heeheeheehee. If you're strong, you can do whatever your instincts tell you. So, here, I'm going to do as I please. Take this.”
With those words, his demonic arts began to surge violently.
A sweet stench first hit my nose.
Followed by an ominous and dangerous energy.
Even though there was a considerable distance, it felt like he was right beside me.
Dangerous.
My instincts warned me of danger.
Wooooong-, Mukheun cried out as well.
That will be difficult to block.
No.
Dodge it.
I took a deep breath.
Against that bastard.
I had entered the flames.
I had not dodged.
And I had won.
If so, this time too-
“I don't want to.”
The words came out on their own.
I don't want to, no.
It's different from back then.
To play with Taebok properly, my body needs to be healthy.
“A new life, a new fight.”
Prrrr- I loosened my lips.
Prrr, prrrr, prrr.
“What are you doing?”
“I am not afraid of your demonic arts.”
“What? Such bravado-”
I have the memories of the past.
Meaning, I know what words get him the most riled up.
“Because you are the weakest of the three Water Demon sworn brothers.”
A moment of silence fell, and then.
“What? What did you just say?”
The 'taunt' had exploded.