#1
7
4.
“……
Amitabha Buddha.
Ilgak, staring at the red energy with fierce eyes, unlike the benevolent voice that voiced disapproval.
Powerful energy condenses in his clasped hands.
As he extended one hand and moved it slowly as if pushing away space, the massive Thousand-Hand Buddha Palm unfolded in accordance with the shape of his hand and began to repel evil spells.
Although it was clearly a collision of insubstantial things, a huge golden hand and a red space compete in the void, emitting a strange sound of flesh breaking.
Zzz
head wall
and silence
Detachment through deep practice
I thought I had tasted it, but I was deeply disappointed in myself for being violently shaken by even the slightest wickedness. ‘How did it come to this…?’ Anguish I rarely feel fills my mind. However, that wicked voice surely cannot be the cause.
Only deep regret over the past he had overlooked.
“No, contempt for myself for not facing the truth, having felt relieved that everything would be alright. ‘They say regret is always too late, no matter how early it comes…’ I glanced around and saw countless Shaolin disciples and disciples from secular sects clutching their heads while chanting Buddhist scriptures.”
The sight of desperately resisting to push away the strange sounds and hallucinations invading the mind.
At least they are decent.
Jeomchang and the disciples of his clan who were accompanying him were foaming at the mouth, rolling their eyes, and convulsing.
Seeing even Hye-seong, my only hope, clutching his head along with Myeong-hyeon, a sense of helplessness washed over me, making me feel like I could do nothing more. ‘Could there be a miserable year like this?’ There was a chance.
When Jin So-un’s letter was delivered.
At the very least, I should have seriously considered the ‘dangerous being’ he was talking about.
Even if Myeonghyeon and Hyeseong showed contempt and resentment, it should have been taken into consideration.
If they couldn’t go against that, they should have at least maintained strict vigilance.
And all those anxieties are suffering
The price for shaking it off is right now.
“Amitabha Buddha…….”
Repeatedly chanting “I dislike it” is not a solution at all.
Nevertheless, all I could do right now was shake off all distracting thoughts and shout out my dislike.
Amitabha Buddha.
It draws up the power of the Dharma Muscle Strengthening Sutra to further amplify the energy of the Thousand-Hand Buddha’s Palm.
A golden light like radiance spreads in all directions, but the evil things show no intention of being driven away.
His energy was already running low, making it impossible to spread the Thousand-Hand Buddha Palm even more powerfully, yet withdrawing it could not guarantee the safety of those behind him.
Chuck, chuck, chuck, chuck.
The sound of sudden, disciplined footsteps.
Anxiety intensified. ‘Surely not…’ Through the red spaces, people clad in blood-red robes from head to toe began to emerge in a single file.
The red space was obscured like a curtain, making it impossible to tell how many people were there. ‘Is this the end…?’ Ilkak, who had never once expected such a long life while living as a disciple of the Shaolin Temple.
His heart was filled not with the desperation of survival, but with regret over a life in which he had failed to properly put into practice what he had realized.
Chaechachachachachang.
The Blood-clad men all draw their greatswords at once.
It was only natural for Il-gak to choose the former when weighing his own death against the deaths of others.
The Blood Men approached slowly, as if trying to slit the throat of prey struggling in a trap.
At the sight of death approaching leisurely, Il-gak was unwavering.
Even though I had achieved it, I had no choice but to close my eyes.
Soon, you will feel the sensation of a cold blade piercing the nape of your neck… … .
The moment I thought that.
Bang! Crash!
A shocking sound is heard along with the sound of a drum being torn apart.
As Ilgak opened his eyes, he saw that the formation of the Blood-clad men approaching in a single file had been completely shattered. ‘What on earth…’ Whoosh—a sound of wind tearing through echoed in Ilgak’s ears.
His large earlobes flushed hot as something flew past his gaze. ‘An arrow?’ The Blood Censors seemed to have seen it as well, raising their greatswords and drawing up their energy to deflect the arrow.
The arrow, which should have naturally been cut by the sword imbued with the bet, pierces the body of the Blood-clad man who swung the sword and flies away.
Penetration power so great that you can’t believe it even when seeing it with your own eyes.
“Monk, are you alright?”
“…….”
When I turned my head, Mo Yong-jaehwa, with his blood-red eyes, was looking at me with a worried expression.
He appears to be the one who shot the arrow, as he is holding a bow in his hand.
How on earth did you not get caught in the illusion circle?
While Ilgak was absentmindedly having such thoughts.
“Donation of wealth…….”
“Ah! Oh no, the monk’s ears….”
When Ilgak felt around with his hand, he found a small wound on his earlobe that was bleeding.
I apologize. It was such an urgent situation that I couldn’t aim properly.
“I-I’m fine.”
Jaehwa looked at the Blood People and spoke.
“I will drive them back for now. Please wake the people up, Monk.”
“Wake me up? What do you intend to do by waking me up?”
The opponent uses evil sorcery, and it is impossible to know how many of them there are.
Those whose minds had been shaken by sorcery were not opponents who could rise again and fight.
We have to avoid it and hold out.
“To think you’re holding out…….”
Seeing Mo Yong-jaehwa’s face, with the blood vessels in both eyes burst from fatigue and her lips cracked and even bleeding, I suddenly feel my own foolishness.
Even if we manage to gather the people here, there is no way we can escape.
Just looking at their numbers, that is already an impossible story.
I am sorry, Jaehwa. It is all my fault.
Moyong Jae-hwa shouted angrily at Il-gak’s words expressing guilt.
“Monk! Snap out of it. How can you collapse like this now?”
Some feel even more ashamed at the sight of Moyong Jaehwa speaking of even vain hope.
You just need to hold on a little longer. If you just hold on a little longer, everything will be resolved.
“What is that…….”
Moyong Jaehwa speaks with a confident expression.
Brother So-un will be coming.
“Sowoon? You mean CEO Jin So-woon?”
They are already surrounded by unidentified bloodthirsty men.
Probably the second
Seondo, Sam (Three)
The same would likely be true for the leader.
No one can make it through this chaos.
However, Moyong Jaehwa’s gaze is firm.
Didn’t you clearly say in the letter that you would come?
“Well… but… this place is already…”
Il-gak spoke with a look full of skepticism, but Jae-hwa shook his head firmly.
“Brother, you said you would come! Then you will surely come.”
Moyong Jaehwa spoke repeatedly, as if he himself had been chanting his dislikes.
The difference between him and me is that he firmly believes what he said as if it were the truth.
At the sight of Moyong Jaehwa drawing the bowstring while staring at the Blood Censor with unwavering eyes, Ilgak could no longer voice his disapproval. I recalled in my mind the paths the Shisan Blood Cult had taken in my past life.
At the same time, it overlays and draws the paths the students of the Murim Academy took in their current lives.
When the two maps drawn in different time periods interlocked, a pessimistic result emerged. ‘Damn it…’ First
Sun is facing the main force of the Shisan Blood Sect.
There must be a moving Blood Cult unit blocking the path ahead of me as I head toward it right now.
Jumping into it is no different from smearing oil all over your body and jumping into a fire pit.
My head became even more complicated. ‘No more help(?) from the Green Forest
I can’t get it either.’ Already received help(?) from the Green Forest Village once.
Since we have overcome the crisis, expecting anything more from them is like having a thief’s mentality.
And I’m not a thief like those guys.
Just as I was desperately trying to come up with a way to break through, Nam Hwa-seong spoke to me.
I have a question.
Did this bastard really leave his common sense at home?
“now?”
“Yeah. Now.”
“Do you really have to ask a question at this critical moment?”
“I have to.”
“You damn bastard…….”
The guy nods with a face stiffer than ever.
Let’s hear it.
“Tell me.”
“Moyong Jaehwa and Eun Seol-ran aren’t even members of your sect. So why are you going to such lengths?”
“What kind of bullshit is that again?”
“You know it, don’t you? With an enemy of this caliber, they have already… to the enemy…”
“What? You mean he’s dead?”
Nam Hwa-seong nodded without answering, as if what I said was correct.
Well, for others, giving up at this point would be a natural thing to do.
But, it hasn’t been confirmed that he’s dead yet.
“Maybe they are desperately resisting right now while waiting for a rescue team?”
Isn’t that too optimistic?
“If I haven’t seen the body, to me, they aren’t dead yet.”
I looked at Namhwaseong and spoke.
“And unless they are dead, I will definitely go rescue them someday.”
Nam Hwa-seong continues speaking.
Is that because you are four people?
“You rascal, you’re not tired, are you? Should I speed things up?”
“Jin So-un!! That is an important question.”
Seeing that he still hasn’t come to his senses despite being put through such hardship, it seems he has just as much guts as So Jeong-dae. In the end, I raised the white flag and answered.
Yes, it is because he is my person.
Nam Hwa-seong had a look on his face as if he still couldn’t understand.
You probably won’t understand. No, you probably can’t understand it even if you try.
To understand this, you must have gone through terrible solitude.
In the Great War of Jeongma, Sojeongdae had no one to rely on.
I was the same way, after the Taeeulmun was destroyed.
That is why, even when dropped alone in enemy territory, I couldn’t even harbor the hope that someone would come to rescue me.
Were we the only ones?
Moyong Jaehwa was like that, and Eun Seol-ran was like that too.
All those who had dedicated themselves to the Murim Alliance from behind the scenes were all alone and lonely.
I saw him die alone and lonely.
That is why I do not want to repeat them again.
Because he is my person.
To avoid leaving them lonely.
To avoid being lonely all alone.
So that I would not be afraid alone, even if the martial arts world were to be destroyed by the Demonic Cult once again.
I don’t let my people die alone.
A brief silence.
Nam Hwa-seong opened his mouth heavily.
“Then why did you save me?”
This bastard is really… … .
“I won’t be satisfied unless I throw you back into the illusion circle…….”
Nam Hwa-seong shouts angrily.
“Answer me! Jin So-un! You could have left me behind. So why did you save me?”
Why are you suddenly getting angry and making a fuss? You’re making things awkward.
I looked at the guy’s face.
And, seeing the look in his eyes as he stared at me as if yearning for something, I had no choice but to tell him the truth.
“Following my orders means you have entrusted your life to me, doesn’t it? Then, as long as you follow my orders, you are my man.”
Nam Hwa-seong finally closes his mouth tightly with a serious expression.
And the Blood Cult units began to appear in the front.
Have we already come this far?
Perhaps some of them had noticed us, as a sound echoed among the Blood-clad men and some drew their weapons.
No matter how great the skills of the God of the World are, breaking through that encirclement is no different from saying you will get stabbed with a knife and become a hedgehog.
“So, in the end, it means one person has to throw the unit into chaos while the other crosses that death trap… … ‘Why doesn’t the Taeeul Jingyeong have anything like a clone technique?’ Just as I was engaging in such extreme escapism.”
Nam Hwa-seong spoke up again.
Leave that burden to me.
What are you talking about? You’re a loser with no strength left.
I just need to hand that over to Moyong Jaehwa, right?
Nam Hwa-seong carried the loads strapped to my back.
What are you doing?
“Shouldn’t one of the two of them go through there?”
Nam Hwa-seong points at the Blood Cult unit in the front.
It is frustrating, but I have neither the confidence to stay here and fight those damn bastards nor the confidence to avoid falling for their sorcery. ……
Instead, I will run like crazy and hand those items over to Moyong Jaehwa.
Did this guy suddenly take some medicine or something? Why is he acting like this?
If you go alone, you might die. No, you should consider it practically certain death. Are you sure you’ll be okay?
Nam Hwa-seong said, frowning deeply.
I will make sure to deliver this, even if I become a ghost.
Nam Hwa-seong nods his head as if making a resolute vow.
I didn’t know why he suddenly wanted to throw himself into a death trap, but for now, there was no other way.
In times like this, even if you don’t trust them, you have no choice but to trust and move forward.
I even trusted those bastards Sojeongdae who were rigging the gambling, so why can’t I trust Nam Hwaseong?
“Alright. I’ll make a huge fuss to grab everyone’s attention.”
“Alright. See you in front.”
I was grateful to the guy who willingly stepped forward, so I offered him words of encouragement.
“If you survive this time as well, I will give you five talismans.”
Nam Hwa-seong, who was running ahead, glances at me once, runs again, and shouts angrily.
“You foolish bastard!”
Nam Hwa-seong, spewing profanities as if quite motivated.
Did you want the Horseman’s Shield that much?
I started running in the opposite direction of Namhwaseong.
“Bastard sons of the Blood Demon Sect! Here it is! Here stands a promising swordsman of the White Path!!”
I’ll make a real fuss.
