Chapter 40
Chapter 40
Youngho looked at the charging Water Bandits and said,
“Horyeung! I leave the children to you!”
“Go and return safely!”
With those final words, Youngho’s figure was quickly swallowed by the rushing Water Bandits and disappeared from sight.
Horyeung turned his gaze back to where Kang Hosan and Kang Chowon stood and sent them a voice transmission.
-Our objective is to stall for time. It will suffice if we simply endure.
The two nodded.
-And do not worry. Even alone, I can hold out for a Quarter-Hour.
“Yes?”
The moment Kang Hosan answered aloud without thinking—
Thud—!
Not only Kang Hosan and Kang Chowon, but even Hwangbo Nyeong felt, for a fleeting instant, as though they had already died.
They could not move. If they moved, they would die. No matter how they imagined escaping this overwhelming martial presence, every outcome ended in death.
KWAHHH—!
A chilling Killing Intent burst forth from Horyeung’s entire body. Overwhelmed by it, the Water Bandits realized their bodies would not obey them, and they stared at Horyeung with pale, horrified faces.
Some even lost control of themselves.
Step. Step.
Horyeung walked toward the frozen Water Bandits, then stopped and swung his sword once.
Baaak!
With Horyeung at the center, a circle roughly three zhang wide was carved into the ground. The Water Bandits glanced at the circle once before looking back into Horyeung’s eyes, which brimmed with dreadful Killing Intent.
“A wolf remains a wolf, even when old. The moment you step inside this circle, you die.”
An aged yet powerful wolf issued his warning. At that instant, Kang Hosan urgently asked,
“What about the Young Master?”
“You need not worry about that.”
“Shouldn’t we assist the Young Master?”
“That cannot be done.”
“Why not—?”
KWAANG—!!
In that moment, the bodies of the Water Bandits were sent soaring into the air like torn rags. Turning toward the source of the thunderous explosion, they saw Youngho and Taemyeong facing each other.
Horyeung smiled cruelly and said,
“If anyone interferes over there, they will die.”
Thump.
What in the world was this?
Thump.
Why was he feeling such emotions?
Taemyeong was someone who enjoyed battle. Even when cornered, if he could fight, he would die laughing.
And yet—what was this?!
Clang!
Each strike pressed down on his trident like a falling bolt of lightning.
Krrrkkkk!
His wrists tingled, and the muscles throughout his body tightened. No—that was not the most important thing.
‘I’m afraid.’
It was as though he had encountered an overwhelmingly powerful opponent against whom he stood no chance. His entire body was being consumed by fear.
Fortunately, his mind had not been completely overtaken, but his body—tense to the extreme—did not move as it should.
‘I feel fear? From that mere brat?’
Unbelievable. No—unacceptable.
“Uaaaargh!”
Taemyeong slammed his trident into the ground.
KWAAANG!
It was a strike that did not even care if his fellow Water Bandits died. Yet as though he had foreseen the attack, Youngho stepped slightly out of range and smirked.
Seeing Youngho’s cold, deeply sunken eyes, Taemyeong bit his lip.
The metallic taste of blood spread in his mouth, but he had no leisure to care. All his focus had to be directed at Youngho.
Otherwise, he would be struck down.
The moment he sharpened his concentration to its limit, Youngho’s form vanished. The other Water Bandits could not even perceive the movement, but Taemyeong could barely trace it.
Clang!
As dozens of strands of Sword Qi flew toward him, threatening to shred his entire body, Taemyeong hurriedly unleashed dozens of spear energies in response.
Kakakakang!
Youngho’s Sword Qi and Taemyeong’s spear energy collided repeatedly, neither yielding. And long before the clash ended, both had already moved away from where their energies collided.
KWAAAAAA—!!
As Taemyeong swung his trident imbued with overwhelming Internal Energy, he resembled a natural disaster. With a single sweep, mountains were shaved away and the earth split apart.
Youngho answered by releasing the black flames coiled around his sword.
Kaang! Kang! Kaang!
Though it appeared evenly matched at a glance, Youngho sensed that if this continued, he would lose. His Internal Energy was inferior in quantity.
He immediately changed tactics. Instead of wielding a heavy sword style, he switched to a flowing sword.
Like the sword of Mount Wudang, it was soft yet firm, repeatedly deflecting Taemyeong’s trident.
Though an enemy, Taemyeong could not help but admire Youngho’s astonishing technique.
The precise distribution of strength, the refined use of Internal Energy, and the subtle rotation of the wrist that redirected attacks.
Had even the slightest aspect of physical force or Internal Energy control been off, Youngho’s body would have long since been cleaved in two.
But through that exchange, Taemyeong realized something. Youngho was still young; his Internal Energy was far inferior.
He would not be able to drag this into a prolonged battle.
‘Even if he stretches it out, it will end within half a shijin.’
All Taemyeong had to do was endure until then.
Kagagak!
The moment their weapons grated against each other, Youngho twisted his wrist sharply.
Kaang!
As the trident slipped briefly beyond his control, Taemyeong started in alarm and spun it back into position.
Youngho did not miss that fleeting opening and immediately launched a kick at Taemyeong.
Ppaak!
Taemyeong managed to block it with his arm through quick thinking, but something felt wrong with the bone. Otherwise, he would not be feeling such dizzying pain.
Looking back to where Youngho had stood, Taemyeong saw that he had vanished from sight once more and immediately sharpened his senses.
‘Above?’
KWAAANG!
Youngho attempted to crush him using the Thousand-Catty Weight technique from midair, but Taemyeong barely evaded it. Youngho clicked his tongue.
From that moment on, Youngho’s overwhelming Martial Might became evident.
In the aftermath of the Thousand-Catty Weight, the earth split apart with cracking fissures. Revealing a dreadful Killing Intent across his face, Youngho charged at Taemyeong like a bolt of lightning.
Taemyeong hastily widened the distance, lowering his stance as he watched Youngho charge toward him. Fear crept into his heart.
How could a human wear such mad, frenzied eyes?
KWAANG!
As Youngho’s sword collided with Taemyeong’s trident, sparks scattered in all directions, and Taemyeong was blown backward.
Youngho kicked off the ground again and, with a tremendous roar, chased after the airborne Taemyeong.
Taemyeong stabbed his trident into the ground to halt his body, which had been helplessly pushed back. The moment he yanked it free, he swung it down in a massive arc from above.
KWAAANG!
Youngho tried to deflect the trident with the flat of his blade, but Taemyeong drew up even more Internal Energy and strength, pressing down with crushing force.
Thud—!
Youngho’s legs sank into the earth up to his knees. As if intent on crushing him to death, Taemyeong squeezed out every last ounce of strength and bore down upon him.
Overwhelmed by Taemyeong’s monstrous physical power, Youngho sharply twisted his wrist and knocked the trident aside.
The recoil from Youngho’s counter caused Taemyeong’s body to lurch. He immediately pivoted and launched a spinning kick at Youngho.
Taemyeong’s attacks were slow but devastating. Only because Youngho had once stood at the pinnacle could he judge them to be crude and lacking.
Even Horyeung, watching from afar, was astonished by the sheer power and speed behind Taemyeong’s strikes.
Crack!
After striking down the incoming leg with the sword hilt, Youngho slipped into Taemyeong’s embrace. The distance became too close to swing his blade, so he slammed his body straight into Taemyeong.
Thud!
Urk!
Taemyeong forced down the blood rising in his throat and threw a punch at Youngho. Yet as if reading every movement, Youngho lightly evaded it.
He could not land a hit. He could not evade. It was as though Youngho saw a moment into the future, precisely targeting where he would move while effortlessly avoiding where Taemyeong aimed.
Was such a thing even possible? He was being toyed with by a brat who had not even lived half his lifetime.
Kagagakang!
Youngho’s Sword Qi and Taemyeong’s spear energy collided and scattered in all directions. The dispersed energies shot toward the Water Bandits or grazed past the bodies of Youngho and Taemyeong.
Where Sword Qi and spear energy passed, flesh split and garments were stained red. The only difference was that Youngho had anticipated the incoming spear energy and withdrawn half a step in advance.
The result, however, was far from trivial.
Taemyeong’s leg split open grotesquely, revealing white bone beneath.
“Ghk!”
A pained groan escaped him. Even so, Youngho pressed forward even more fiercely, allowing not the slightest lapse.
“Uaaaaaah!!”
Realizing he would lose at this rate, Taemyeong unleashed a lion’s roar and wildly swung his trident. It lacked any form or technique, but precisely because of that, it was far more dangerous for Youngho to close in.
Now that Taemyeong was swinging not to strike but to defend himself, there was no opening for Youngho to exploit.
Huff! Huff!
Sweat streamed from Taemyeong’s temples into his eyes, yet he did not even think to wipe it away as he glared at Youngho.
“I admit it, brat. You are stronger than I am.”
“Yeah.”
“You’re not as surprised as I expected.”
“Do I need to react to something that obvious?”
At those words, blue veins bulged along Taemyeong’s forearm.
Grit.
His teeth ground together on their own.
Youngho regarded Taemyeong with the same cold eyes and thought,
‘He lacks real combat experience. His adaptability is far too poor. How did he become Chief Stronghold Leader?’
It was at that moment Youngho’s doubt arose.
“I should not have sent those men out.”
“Hmm?”
“Let me tell you one thing. You will die here, brat.”
“I won’t.”
“Aren’t you curious how I killed the Chief Stronghold Leader?”
“You must’ve joined forces with the other Stronghold Leaders. With you and the others together, it would’ve been possible.”
“Yes, just as you say. But there was someone else who fought alongside me.”
“What?”
“The Demonic Cult.”
At those words, Youngho’s face twisted violently. At the same time, a faint demonic energy began to seep from Taemyeong’s body.
Since when had this foul and loathsome aura felt like an old companion that had followed him all his life?
Now that he had unleashed demonic energy, that brat would no longer be his match. Their very levels were entirely different.
“Now that you’ve seen this power, you must die here.”
The moment Taemyeong took his stance—
Sssaaak!
Slash!
Youngho’s Sword Qi streaked forward at terrifying speed, grazing Taemyeong’s cheek. He could not even react to the chilling sight.
He had not seen it—the instant Youngho swung his sword, nor the moment the Sword Qi flew toward him.
“So you colluded with the Demonic Cult.”
From Youngho’s mouth flowed a voice as dreadful and vicious as the incarnation of Asura.
The ghostly, frigid tone instilled fear in everyone present.
Yet Youngho’s eyes were calmer and more deeply sunken than ever.
“Ha… ridiculous.”
A faint, mocking chuckle escaped him.
“Of all things, you joined hands with the Demonic Cult?”
Youngho stepped forward.
“Well, even so, you probably never once caught the Heavenly Demon’s eye…”
Step.
“I want to kill you, but I need to subdue you…”
A dangerous glint flashed in Youngho’s eyes.
“Come at me prepared to die. Otherwise, you really will.”
At some point, Youngho was already standing before Taemyeong.
“Let’s have some fun.”