Chapter 249
A thick-grown tree trunk. Leaning my back against it as I sat, I spoke.
“It is a common thing, is it not. When you end up fighting an unexpected strong foe, getting separated from your party.”
Previously, when I faced the Bloodflame Fist Demon, something similar happened, and, though I cannot say this to Seo Mun-Hwarin, before regression, in the days I fought the Demonic Cult, defeat often led straight to every man for himself.
So compared to those times, when we have merely fallen into a brief lull, is the situation not far better now.
“You were fortunate.”
“No, is not the very fact of fighting an unexpected strong foe itself bad luck?”
I let Seo Mun-Hwarin’s reasonable question in one ear and out the other.
There was no special reason. It was simply that the toxin I took from the King of Assassins had my senses reeling and I did not hear well.
Truly.
“By the way, Senior Seo Mun-Hwarin. It seems I need a little more time for my condition to recover, so, where are we?” “Ehew. We were swept up in the landslide you set off, so obviously somewhere down the mountain, no.”
“So we cannot confirm exactly where. The same likely goes for the enemy. That is fortunate.”
“Mm. Put that way, that is true.”
Seo Mun-Hwarin nodded and let out a sigh of relief.
If we do not know our exact position, and the Baekak Mountain King and the King of Assassins likewise do not know theirs,
then the chances are high they will not be able to locate Seol Lihyang and the others I sent to flee first.
“There is no need to worry too much. The last thing This One confirmed was those two falling to the side opposite Lihyang.”
“Yes. It is probably right to worry about us first. Fortunately the two of us fell together like this, so even if we run into the Baekak Mountain King, we can handle him without issue, but…”
“That sounds like the King of Assassins would be difficult.”
“Yes. At least until my body fully recovers.”
Faced head-on, the King of Assassins was, frankly, about on par with, or slightly below, the Baekak Mountain King.
In other words, an opponent I could well take on as I am now.
But the King of Assassins is not an ordinary martial artist, he is an assassin. If he hides with stealth arts and aims for a blind spot at the most careless moment, then no matter how Flowering Stage one is, one will not escape serious injury.
He did not earn the epithet King of Assassins for nothing.
In fact, the epithet came because in the past, a Flowering Stage warrior was assassinated by his hand.
“This One is rather more surprised at you. How did you discern the stealth of someone on the level of the King of Assassins, and in the middle of focusing on battle at that.”
“It was possible because I was focused on the fight. As you know, Senior Seo Mun-Hwarin, my Qi-sense is quite sensitive.”
Even before, my Qi-sense was not broad but extremely keen.
When I scattered killing intent, I could grasp plainly, as if in hand, everything moving within it, especially those who bore killing intent.
And this became all the clearer upon reaching the Flowering Stage.
Killing intent is the most basic application of willpower. Now then, what happens if one comes to handle willpower itself.
Naturally, one can discern the surroundings far more keenly than before, though the range is ordinary.
“Of course, it was not easy. Unlike middling assassins, the King of Assassins hid his killing intent perfectly.”
“Then…???”
“The minute discord that arises precisely because the stealth is perfect. And noticing the flow of air change as he sets his stance with the intent to attack.”
“???”
Seo Mun-Hwarin tilted her head, as if she could not understand what she had just heard.
For her sake, I explained in slightly simpler terms.
“You know, that thing. How your nerves stand on end for no reason when you see a blade, how smelling blood makes you wary of your surroundings even when you do not realize it is blood, I trained that feeling to the extreme.”
“What sort of beast are you.”
Seo Mun-Hwarin tilted her head the other way, still seeming unable to understand.
You have got to be kidding me. I cannot explain it any more clearly than this.
Seo Mun-Hwarin tilted her head for a while, then nodded as if convinced.
“This One still does not quite understand, but understood anyway. Unlike This One, you handle energy delicately. After reaching the Flowering Stage, that tendency has only grown stronger.”
“Ah, that is true as well.”
The willpower I realized upon reaching the Flowering Stage is a sword that cuts what cannot be cut.
And to cut what cannot be cut, one must see what cannot be seen.
Naturally, as I realized willpower, my Qi-sense grew keener, making this possible.
“Well. For now, it is impossible.”
“Come to think, you said your condition was not normal. Did you suffer internal injury.”
“No. Poison.”
“Hmm? You were poisoned?”
“Surprising as it is, that is the truth. I did not expect there to be a poison that would work on me as I am now.”
“I, it must not be an ordinary poison. Are you truly all right?”
“Nothing to make a fuss about. My senses are dulled, and sometimes my vision reels. It’s just…?”
“What???”
“As you said, Senior Seo Mun-Hwarin, perhaps because it is not an ordinary poison, it is not easy to burn it away with inner power or gather it and flush it out.”
It is certainly an extraordinary poison, to the point that the King of Assassins was surprised. It just does not truly work on me, who thanks to Tang Sowol has something close to immunity to all poisons.
“That is at least fortunate… then, if you drive out the poison entirely, will you be able to pierce the King of Assassins’ stealth again?”
“Likely so. Perhaps even a little better. I have done it once already.”
“One of the few good tidings. How long until you naturally detoxify?”
“We will have to wait for natural recovery… it will take about a day.”
“Then we had best hide ourselves for a while. This place… is good for resting, but not suitable for hiding.”
I nodded and rose with Seo Mun-Hwarin.
Then we began walking the area carefully so as to leave as few traces as possible.
With earth and rock, and broken trees piled here and there from the landslide, it was not hard to find a place to hide.
Finding a suitable spot, we poked air holes, and only after blocking the entrance at the end did Seo Mun-Hwarin speak.
“This One says this only now, but did not expect the King of Assassins to suddenly appear. You, did you perhaps incur some grudge.”
“I have earned many grudges, but there is no need to worry.”
“Why is that???”
“Because everyone holding a grudge is no longer of this world.”
Seo Mun-Hwarin looked up at me as if to say, Is that really how it is, and I shrugged.
“It will be so this time as well.”
“That is not what This One meant…”
Seo Mun-Hwarin sighed once and continued.
“There may be those who bear a grudge against This One, but not to the degree of moving the King of Assassins. What on earth is going on… did the Green Forest hire him, perhaps. The price would not have been ordinary.”
“It is not because of the Green Forest. The Baekak Mountain King is not the sort to pay that kind of money just because a few subordinates died. Of course, he may have preened to his men as if he spent the money himself.”
“This One thinks so as well. Then why on earth…”
“Mm. You may not know, since I learned this before meeting Senior Seo Mun-Hwarin, but in fact, Sal Valley was absorbed by the Demonic Cult long ago.”
“What?!”
“It was probably the Heavenly Demon who sent him. Telling him to help the Green Forest and kill me.”
“This is why demonic men are the way they are. An assassin, you say. Is he now taking the wound from that time as an affront. How can a master of that level act so despicably.”
“I do not know. I think a little differently.”
If the Heavenly Demon had intended to kill me, there were far better chances.
If he is a regressor more seasoned than I, he would know various methods, and even if not, he could simply come deal with me himself.
But the Heavenly Demon did not. He sent the King of Assassins, a subtle move among the methods he could take.
Someone on the level of the Heavenly Demon would know there is a chance I could pierce the King of Assassins’ stealth.
All the more so if he is a regressor.
Yet the Heavenly Demon sent the King of Assassins at me, as if tossing me a suitable opponent to hone my sharp senses, my strength.
In truth, I only retreated briefly because I was poisoned and Seol Lihyang was behind me, had I fought to the end, I am confident I could have Killed the King of Assassins somehow.
As a result, I would certainly be more advanced than before.
I have considered the Heavenly Demon my enemy thus far, a great foe to topple someday.
Yet the Heavenly Demon, knowing of my existence, was moving as if to raise me up instead.
I do not know his aim. There is only one thing I can know for certain.
That to further grow my Qi-sense, my strength, and topple the King of Assassins is the quick and sure path… but it is the path the Heavenly Demon wants.
So I need to walk a different path on purpose. If I dance to the Heavenly Demon’s tune, it will be no different from before regression.
Then how do I slip past the Heavenly Demon’s expectations, and overcome the immediate threats of the Baekak Mountain King and the King of Assassins.
After a brief thought, I reached an answer.
“Senior Seo Mun-Hwarin.”
“Mm? What is it all of a sudden, with such serious eyes.”
“Within a day, the Thunder Heaven Divine Art, let’s complete it.”
“.?”
“Even if the King of Assassins’ blade is fast, how could it be faster than the lightning of the sky. Also, no matter how well he hides, how could he evade the sound of thunder.”
“Geh… This One understands what you are trying to say. Theoretically possible, but in practice…”
“Of course, I am not saying I will perfect every form.”
Not the first half we had been restoring until now, but the latter half, where the true killing forms enter.
And not perfectly restoring the forms, but understanding the core subtleties and folding them into my sword, that much should be possible somehow.
My weapon is not only sharp Qi-sense. Dismantling others’ martial arts and adding them to mine is also an excellent weapon.
I do not know what the Heavenly Demon saw in me to be so pleased, nor what he seeks that he sent the King of Assassins, whom I could overcome with a bit more growth.
Whatever the reason, I must do something he does not expect, if I do not want to be led around by the Heavenly Demon going forward.
And it is also true that I felt my shortcomings while crossing blades with the King of Assassins.
No matter that he reached the Flowering Stage far earlier than I, in the end, he is still an assassin.
Against such a King of Assassins, even after cutting his Qi membrane and exchanging blades head-on a few times, I could not seize the advantage even once.
At best I fought him to a draw, and in the end fell to poison.
Had I gone to the end, perhaps with sharpened Qi-sense I would have succeeded in fully seeing through his blade…
but that would be keen eye, not overwhelming him with swordsmanship.
So this time will be different. It must be different.
I gripped Seo Mun-Hwarin’s shoulders firmly and stared into her eyes.
“I, in a situation like this, suddenly what are you…”
“I cannot explain in detail, but will you help me.”
“In a situation like this, of course it is fine, but the question is whether it is possible to begin with.”
“Of course it is possible. In truth, while restoring the Thunder Heaven Divine Art with Senior Seo Mun-Hwarin, I had something in mind. Only…”
Only, this is entirely different from helping Seo Mun-Hwarin restore the Thunder Heaven Divine Art as before.
It is to make the Thunder Heaven Divine Art a part of my martial arts.
What Seo Mun-Hwarin permitted was only to take hints of realization in the process of helping her restore the Thunder Heaven Divine Art.
But what I now intend to do is no different from ripping apart and refashioning the Seomun Clan’s legacy to make it mine.
If it were someone else’s martial art, I would have simply taken it without a word, but in the case of Seo Mun-Hwarin’s art, I cannot do that.
“If you permit it, I will grant you any one thing I can do.”
“A, any one thing, you say?!”
Seo Mun-Hwarin’s eyes widened for a moment. Soon, she fidgeted her fingers and nodded.
“Then it cannot be helped. This One will permit it, so go ahead and do as you please.”
“……?”
Her face flushed red to the ears. A furtive glance. The corners of her mouth slackening and then going stiff again, as if imagining something.
Borrowing Seo Mun-Hwarin’s words, one would wonder what kind of reaction this is in a situation like this.
At any rate, I had her permission.