Chapter 168
But no sooner had Jaseong sensed the ambush than something unexpected occurred.
"Woo! Woo-woo-woo!"
A bizarre, inhuman howl burst forth, breaking the silence of the canyon.
Next came—
Thud! Thud-thud!
Massive men tumbled down from the cliff above, falling like rain.
They were all draped roughly in animal pelts, their faces painted with wild, colorful patterns.
In their hands were crude but heavy axes or clubs.
"Woo! Woo!"
They roared in unison, encircling Jaseong's group in a tight ring.
The wild aura pouring from dozens of these savages filled the entire canyon.
"Wh-what are those things?"
Lee Rin, flustered, drew the treasured sword of the North Sea.
Her pupils quivered.
She had never seen such odd-looking people in the Central Plains before.
Gu Janghu also drew his twin swords, wary of his surroundings.
His instincts as an assassin screamed a warning.
These people, regardless of their martial prowess, were like beasts with an extreme survival instinct.
At that moment, Gal Seo-ryeong spoke.
"Everyone, be careful. These are the Wildlings of Southern Barbarians."
"Southern Barbarians...? You mean those Southern Barbarians, one of the Four Heavenly Kings Beyond the Wall?"
"That's right."
At Gal Seo-ryeong's words, everyone's gaze grew tense.
There existed four powerful factions outside the Central Plains—the Four Heavenly Kings Beyond the Wall.
Among them, Southern Barbarians was infamous in the Central Plains for being especially belligerent and brutal.
"But this is the road to the Western Regions. Why on earth would Southern Barbarian Wildlings be here...?"
"Who knows. The important part is, the Southern Barbarian Wildlings are rough but strong. Rather than practicing the forms of martial arts, they revere instinct and strength and possess the 'purest strength' of any people."
Just then—
From the highest cliff above the canyon, a colossal shadow blocked out the sun and plummeted down.
Kuuuuuu—!
The earth screamed.
With a tremendous weight, the ground trembled and a thick cloud of dust billowed upward.
As the dust slowly settled, a man emerged from within.
He was easily over seven feet tall, his entire frame clothed in rock-hard muscles.
His bronzed skin bore countless scars, like medals of honor.
A fierce red tiger pattern was boldly drawn on his face.
"Woooooo!!!!"
He roared to the sky.
The air around him seemed to vibrate, ready to split from the force.
It was an incredible lion's roar.
In that moment, Gal Seo-ryeong's face froze solid.
"That's... the Southern Barbarian Beast King!"
The Southern Barbarian Beast King.
The ruler who commanded Southern Barbarians, one of the Four Heavenly Kings Beyond the Wall.
If the North Sea Ice Palace ruled over the extreme cold, Southern Barbarians dominated the sweltering heat, venomous mists, and the deadly forests teeming with wild beasts.
It was he who conquered countless tribes in that land with nothing but strength, ascending to the throne.
The Southern Barbarian Beast King slowly turned his head, glaring at Jaseong.
His eyes blazed with undisguised hostility.
"So, Blood Cult scum."
He growled in a deep, rough voice.
It sounded like an animal growling.
Jaseong furrowed his brow.
"Blood Cult? You think we're from the Blood Cult?"
The Southern Barbarian Beast King clenched his fist.
With a crunch, thick veins bulged along his forearm.
"No one can have this much energy unless they're with the Blood Cult. I smell it—the filthy stench soaked in blood and slaughter."
Jaseong found it hard to understand why the Southern Barbarian Beast King was mistaking them for members of the Blood Cult.
"You're mistaken. We're not with the Blood Cult..."
But the Southern Barbarian Beast King didn't wait for Jaseong to finish his sentence.
"No need for excuses! Die!"
He roared, charging straight at Jaseong.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Stampeding across the ground, he resembled a furious tiger.
It was a simple charge, but its speed and destructive power defied imagination.
Jaseong quickly drew the Wicked Flame Sword.
Changrang!
The Southern Barbarian Beast King's fist collided with the sword.
Kwaaaang!
The immense shock traveled up Jaseong's arm.
His bones rang and his muscles screamed.
Even though it was a strike imbued with inner force, Jaseong's body slid backward.
'What incredible power...!'
Jaseong's eyes widened.
This was not mere brute strength.
It was a pure destructive power, perfectly harmonized from both inner and outer strength.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The Southern Barbarian Beast King unleashed an unending flurry of attacks.
Fists, feet, shoulders, knees—his whole body was a weapon.
There was no form nor fixed technique.
He seemed to attack chaotically, guided purely by instinct.
Watching this, Jaseong thought,
'No doubt he's strong... but a martial art without form or technique is nothing but a street thug's brawling. There are plenty of ways to catch him off guard.'
Martial artists who rely solely on power will eventually kneel before more refined techniques.
Jaseong activated the Samadhi Eyes to find gaps in his foe's assault.
However.
Bang! Kwagwang! Thud!
The Southern Barbarian Beast King's attacks defied Jaseong's expectations.
They appeared wild and unfocused, but the speed and strength were at the level of a supreme peak master.
No, even beyond.
Whenever Jaseong tried to evade, a fist was already waiting for him; whenever he attempted to block, a kick bypassed his defense.
Just barely avoiding the barrage using the Samadhi Eyes, Jaseong realized—
'I was mistaken. It's not that there's no form or technique. He's reached a realm of natural motion that transcends form and technique...!'
That was one of the ultimate truths of martial arts.
A state unconstrained by forms, flowing and adapting like water to the situation.
The Southern Barbarian Beast King moved as a beast would, striking precisely at his opponent's weaknesses with pure instinct.
There was nothing superfluous about his movements—just a single-minded intent to destroy his foe.
Kang! Ka-ang! Kang! Chae-chae-chaeng!!!
Jaseong blocked the attacks with his sword, but was continuously pushed back.
The Wicked Flame Sword's Sword Ki grazed the man's skin, but could not penetrate his steel-like muscles.
'At this rate...'
Jaseong knew he had to make a decision.
Pure skill alone—conserving his inner force—would not be enough to face the Southern Barbarian Beast King.
To subdue him, he'd need overwhelming power.
'It can't be helped. I've been saving this to protect my meridians... but now there's no choice but to use the Celestial Gate Opening Art.'
Jaseong prepared to open his inner gates.
The energy in his dantian began to surge.
Just then—
"Wait!"
Lee Rin dashed in between Jaseong and the Southern Barbarian Beast King.
Of course, Jaseong's eyes widened in shock.
This was reckless and extremely dangerous.
But Lee Rin remained calm for reasons only she knew.
She sheathed her sword, then offered the Southern Barbarian Beast King a respectful cupped fist salute.
"Southern Barbarian Beast King, I greet you. I am Lee Rin, young Palace Lord of the North Sea Ice Palace."
Halt.
The Southern Barbarian Beast King's fist stopped right in front of her nose.
Panting heavily, he studied Lee Rin closely.
His beastlike eyes narrowed, then widened as though in recognition.
"You... aren't you the daughter of the North Sea Ice Palace Mistress, Lee Rin?"
"Huh, you know me...?"
"Of course! I met you when I visited the North Sea Ice Palace to see your mother. You were just a little girl back then, but now you're quite the lady!"
Lee Rin didn't remember clearly, but she smiled and continued,
"Thank you for remembering. My mother always spoke highly of you. She said that Southern Barbarians and our North Sea Ice Palace are sworn blood allies."
With those words, the murderous tension vanished in an instant.
The Southern Barbarian Beast King, at a loss, stepped back in confusion.
"But why is the Little Palace Lord of the North Sea Ice Palace with Blood Cult people? Don't tell me the North Sea Ice Palace has joined hands with the Blood Cult?"
"Beast King, these people are not with the Blood Cult."
"What?"
The Southern Barbarian Beast King's expression was one of disbelief.
Lee Rin calmly continued.
"Why did you mistake us for Blood Cult members?"
"I chased the Blood Cult all the way to the Central Plains. They invaded my domain and kidnapped my tribal people."
The Southern Barbarian Beast King ground his teeth as he spoke.
"But for three whole months after arriving in the Central Plains, I haven't encountered anyone with the kind of energy those Blood Cult people had. Then I found you. With strength like yours, I thought for sure you were with them. And you wear those black robes, just like the Blood Cult did."
He pointed at the black cloaks worn by Jaseong and company.
It was almost comical.
Lee Rin sighed and shook her head.
"Beast King, these black clothes are common attire in the Central Plains. And if you went to Sichuan and not Gansu Province, you'd find plenty of peak-level masters there, too. Just because someone has a strong energy doesn't make them a Blood Cult member."
"......"
The Southern Barbarian Beast King's face reddened.
He realized that his hasty judgment had caused a misunderstanding.
"... I was mistaken. My apologies."
He scratched his head and coughed awkwardly.
His voice remained rough, but it was now tinged with genuine sincerity.
He was forthright in acknowledging his mistake.
Jaseong, a little bemused, sheathed his sword and replied,
"It's fine. It was just a misunderstanding."
The Southern Barbarian Beast King gestured to the surrounding wildlings.
"Stand down! They're allies!"
The wildlings all sheathed their weapons and withdrew.
The deadly tension in the canyon melted away in an instant.
The Southern Barbarian Beast King looked once more at Jaseong.
His gaze had changed.
There was now a curiosity and respect for a fellow mighty warrior, not simple hostility.
"You're quite strong for your age. And, you're hiding something, aren't you?"
"......?"
"If you unleashed your hidden power, you'd match me—or maybe even surpass me."
Jaseong was inwardly surprised by his words.
'Did he sense my innate true ki? Or did he feel the Celestial Gate Opening Art...?'
He truly lived up to being one of the Four Heavenly Kings Beyond the Wall.
His instincts were not those of an ordinary expert.
"I must go, for I still have Blood Cult to track. Their scent continues to the west."
The Southern Barbarian Beast King turned away.
He leapt up onto the canyon's cliffs.
His enormous body soared away light as a feather.
The wildlings vanished after him in an instant.
It was an absurd but unforgettable encounter.
Lee Rin approached Jaseong with a sigh of relief.
"Great hero, are you okay? Are you hurt?"
"Thanks to you, I'm fine. You cleared up the misunderstanding with ease."
"I'm glad it worked out as a misunderstanding. If that big oaf had actually hurt you, I wouldn't have let it go, you know."
"Uh...?"
"I don't know what my mother was thinking, trying to marry me off to that guy's son."
"You almost married into Southern Barbarians?"
"My mother thought highly of them. She always said they looked rough, but didn't know how to lie and doted on their wives."
"......"
"And that Southern Barbarian Beast King's sons, every single one of them was head over heels for me. Who could blame them—their minds were muddled by my looks. Hoo-hoo."
Jaseong let her last words go in one ear and out the other.
He looked out at the spot where the Southern Barbarian Beast King had vanished, deep in thought.
'The Southern Barbarian Beast King...'
Though their encounter was brief, the man's might and character left a deep impression on Jaseong.
'It would be wise to forge a bond with Southern Barbarians in the future.'
Jaseong murmured inwardly.
For revenge, and to rid the world of the giants of evil, he would need more strength and allies.
Thus, adding Southern Barbarian Wildlings to his side after the North Sea Ice Palace would be ideal.
Of course, what mattered most now was the forthcoming opportunity—the Heaven-Transforming Creation Elixir that would appear at the Ten-Thousand-Mountain Range.
"Let's go. We need to hurry as well."
With those words, Jaseong mounted his horse.
There was still a long way to their destination—the Ten-Thousand-Mountain Range.