2
2.
Surprisingly, Yeom Gwi-bi and Hyeol-du did not even speak to the members of the escort agency or the Murim Alliance, so there was no conflict.
However, because he came and sat next to me every time I ate, even the servants and escorts have started avoiding me.
Although a small wound remained in my tender heart, when has anyone ever cared about such things?
Anyway, there were no problems on the way to the camp.
Although I often sensed the presence of people whenever I crossed a mountain, no one dared to block my path.
It certainly seemed that a lot of half-baked bandits had sprung up. Every village we passed through was lined with emaciated people, and the inns sold nothing but thin noodles. ‘Well, even the most clueless person would surely have their hair stand on end upon seeing our group.’ The members of the delegation were already peculiar to begin with, but after Yeom Gwi-bi and Hyeol-tung joined in, they had turned into a group beyond compare.
Unless you’re completely insane, there probably isn’t anyone who would pick a fight with this group.
However, that doesn’t mean there were absolutely no problems.
There was a small commotion in Taegok, a large city that had to be passed through to get to the camp.
For some reason, my cheek started to sting, so I turned my head to look.
“Thump thump, can I establish justice now?”
Dang Seo-hui showed signs of excitement upon seeing the streets lined with Black Daoists heading toward Taewon and group fights breaking out at every intersection.
“ha…….”
I had no choice but to go into the most chaotic-looking inn and take only Dang Seo-hui to a different place.
Naturally, a bloody battle with Empress Yeom followed.
Fortunately, since no one in the party had their weapons visible to the outside as long as I hid my sword, it was an easy situation to become prey.
“Young lady, you possess extraordinary beauty!”
Sure enough, upon seeing Yeom Gwi-bi’s face, a man with a long sword slung over his shoulder suddenly approached and flicked Yeom Gwi-bi’s chin with his hand.
“oh!”
Yeom Gwi-bi blushed, showing surprised eyes like a young girl, and the Black Sword man licked his lips with his tongue as he watched her.
“Tonight, I want to show you some passionate lovemaking…….”
Don’t do it, you idiot, you’re getting your vital energy drained…
The man of the Black Path was voluntarily sticking his head into the tiger’s head, unaware that the woman he coveted was a witch of the highest caliber.
I looked back at Dang Seo-hui and nodded.
That guy seems like he’ll be fine.
I handed Dang Seo-hee the chopstick holder I had confiscated, and she snorted and quickly pulled out a handful of chopsticks.
Wait, are you planning to make a hedgehog or something?
Regardless of whether I gave her a bewildered look or not, Dang Seo-hee pointed at the man with a precise movement.
“Wait! You villain defiling the order of the martial arts world! It would be better for your own safety to stop…….
The moment Dang Seo-hui was about to throw chopsticks while delivering a line straight out of a martial arts novel.
Pow! Crunch.
“Aaaargh!”
A bizarre thud was heard, and the man twisted his body and screamed.
Wow! How does the arm bend like that? Oh, it looks so natural that I thought joints are supposed to move like that.
When the man with the black sword, whose arms were bent in directions where they should not have moved, was gurgling.
Yeom Gwi-bi snapped her fingers and created a small flame.
“The pleasures of lovemaking… Hehe, how cute! But I can’t let this go. Your vital energy looks too filthy.”
Whoosh.
The flames extending from Yeom Gwi-bi’s hand instantly spread to the man’s entire head.
Even with his arms twisted, the man thrashed them around trying to put out the fire, but the flames showed no signs of weakening, only intensifying the smell of burning.
“Aaaaaaaah!”
Even when people who appear to be a group rush at it at the same time, hit it on the head, and pour water on it, the flames do not easily go out.
And the flames subsided only after burning all of the man’s hair and leaving red burn marks on his head.
“…….”
“……
What on earth.
Gulp.
It was only a single move, but due to its overwhelming presence, no one in the inn thought to move easily.
Yeom Gwi-bi, the culprit behind this trouble, lightly pinches her nose with her slender finger and makes a tearful face.
“Phew… the smell is terrible. I don’t think I can eat any more.”
Do you think pretending to be a girl will work now?
Why go out of your way to burn it?
Despite my bewildered expression, Yeom Gwi-bi widens her eyes as if she knows nothing and smiles sweetly.
“You seemed like you liked hot things. The girl likes hot things very much, too! Hehe.”
If it gets hot twice, I’ll see the return of the fiery hell.
I turned my head with a sigh…
This time, I caught sight of Dang Seo-hui, holding chopsticks and wearing a look of indignation and injustice, like a child whose toy had been snatched away. ‘Oh no!’ If I go to the Saheukryeon and do strange things like ‘establishing justice’ or ‘performing chivalrous deeds,’ it will really cause a big problem.
That is why I intended to wear them out in advance… but my plan went completely wrong.
Moreover, among those who had witnessed the bloody battle and Yeom Gwi-bi’s tricks, none dared to attack us anymore. ‘What to do? It’s too late to go to another inn.’ Why are there always so many thugs around when it’s time for something like this?
Just as I was about to comfort Dang Seo-hee by suggesting we aim for the next opportunity, she asked with her characteristic blank, expressionless face.
“If a wicked person deals with another wicked person… is that also establishing justice?”
“hmm…….”
I’m getting curious too. They say that when a chivalrous hero performs chivalrous deeds, it is the realization of justice.
If a wicked person performs a good deed, can that also be called the realization of justice?
While I was lost in thought.
“No way. I was just taking out my anger. You touched my precious face with your filthy hands, didn’t you?”
I just chased away the gnats buzzing around me.
As if they had heard Dang Seo-hui’s question, Yeom Gwi-bi and Hyeol-tu answered on her behalf.
You’re really teaching the kid a good thing. Damn it. I observed those two lunatics for a few days to figure out their intentions in joining forces, but they didn’t do anything in particular.
I even pretended to be asleep at night to wait and see if they would ambush me, and I was on guard to see if they would pick a fight or harm me, but the two of them did not behave in any particular way.
It really seemed like they were just accompanying each other.
After losing interest in them, the road to Taewon became incredibly boring, and I began to think about the martial arts I had been putting off.
Even though direct training is not possible, you will be able to grasp the concept or practice mental imagery.
What I’ve been deeply engrossed in lately is the right of mutual destruction.
Exercising power by penetrating space through will.
A martial art similar to Void Manipulation, but with a completely different concept.
Murong Kang said he would let me know if I became a member of his family, but since that was an unrealistic idea, I had no choice but to think about it on my own.
First, I thought about the principle.
From the perspective that the manipulation of the void is an expansion of internal energy that has been materialized, the Fist of Mutual Destruction must be approached as a concept of the domination of external energy.
“So, controlling and moving energy that is not human through willpower. ‘But does that make any sense logically?’ From the perspective of a typical person of common sense like me, it must have seemed like complete nonsense, but thanks to seeing it with my own eyes and experiencing it firsthand, no matter how much I denied it with my head, I had no choice but to believe it with my body.”
I examined the mutual destruction technique, looking through the images of Murong Jiang in my memory one by one. ‘What on earth is this?’ Even as I tried to recall it again, I couldn’t quite grasp it.
Because the empty void suddenly distorts and simply takes on the shape of a large palm.
However, I felt that its power alone was tremendous. ‘What if it had been shaped like a sword and the blade sharpened?’ Even if I dodged it, I would have sustained serious injuries.
The more I thought about it, the more I coveted the martial art. ‘Again.’ This time, instead of the image of a scene from my memory, I recalled the image of a ‘sensation.’
In my past life, every day was a series of terrible days because of this memory that vividly brings back moments of nightmares, but I never imagined the day would come when I would use that curse in this way.
Just as I was sinking into such new emotions, a fragment of a somewhat strange sensation emerged amidst the flood of senses.
I quickly rewound the memory from just moments ago and focused on my senses once again.
Moyong Gang is chasing like crazy.
My figure running for my life in front of it.
In the meantime, a very faint and weak energy was passing me. ‘What is it?’ I paused my memory for a moment, then zoomed in on that area to examine it.
A small dewdrop harboring a spatial distortion like a circle of mutual destruction.
Small dew… … .
A small dew… … .’… … !’ I realized it in an instant.
“This is the very clue to uncovering the secret of the Mutual Annihilation Fist.” “The problem is, what is this?” I mobilized every memory and record I had, and even recalled my horrific experiences with the Demonic Cult, but there was no one using a similar energy.
They found a clue, but since they don’t know its true identity, there is no way to use it.
I also thoroughly examined Murong Gang’s teachings. And… … [The attempt to unite the Way of Nothingness and the Way of Nature into one. That is precisely the Empty Annihilation Fist]
am.]
I found something strange in what Murong Gang said.
It is ‘attempt’.
Murong Jiang said that the fundamentals of the Way of Martial Arts and the Way of Nature are the same.
At the same time, he used the word ‘attempt’.
This could be interpreted as meaning that the Fist of Mutual Destruction is not in a state of alignment with the Way of Nature. ‘If it were aligned, it would not have played hide-and-seek with me in the first place. It would have already been standing in front of me or able to subdue me.’ If so, this ‘small dew’ must be the very ‘Demonstration’ that Mo Yong-gang speaks of.
The Way of Nothingness moves by intention, and the Way of Nature flows by laws.
I gathered energy in my hand and materialized it, just like Murong Jiang.
A ball of energy with no intention.
I shoot it out here with strong determination.
pop.
The energy could not advance even a single leader and vanished with a small noise.
There was no distortion of space or alteration of nature’s energy like with the Mutual Annihilation Fist. ‘I mean, can you really just shoot a mental intent just because you want to? If so, that means I’ve reached the realm of the Heart Sword… … Crazy! Did this guy cheat me with the Heart Sword?’ As suspicion followed suspicion, naturally, everything about Mo Yong-gang came to be doubted.
However, I didn’t think he would have played a prank, of all things.
Just as I was frantically continuing my thoughts, a bloody battle approached me.
“What are you doing?”
Don’t keep getting so close. People will think you’re close.
I shrugged my shoulders as if it were no big deal.
It’s just that I’m bored.
But then, Bloody Battle suddenly started grinning.
What, was he even crazier than I thought…?
“To practice sorcery within the Murim Alliance delegation—you really have no nerve.”
“yes?”
“……!”
Akbyeongbi, who was walking far ahead, pricked up his ears at the word ‘sorcery’ and turned around.
That guy is seriously like a ghost.
The bloody battle clung to me tenaciously.
“Aren’t you going to tell me who your master is?”
However, I felt a slight flinch at the premonition that I might obtain an important clue.
“What do you mean? Sorcery?”
“Hmph! Are you going to keep pretending you don’t know?”
No, I’m asking because I really don’t know.
“Huh?”
Hyeoltu, who had been looking at me with suspicion, looked momentarily dazed at my serious expression, then quickly turned his head away.
“You won’t answer my question, so why should I answer you?”
Why is this guy suddenly acting like this?
I’m not a child.
Normally, I wouldn’t have even bothered to reply, but right now, my curiosity about the mutual destruction power was too strong.
“Then please ask first. However, you must answer my question as well.”
“good night.”
Bloody Battle, wearing a triumphant smile, suddenly sent a telepathic message.
How did you learn the Demon Sword’s martial arts?
As expected… … you knew.
Thanks to the telepathic message they sent, seemingly out of consideration for my situation, I also answered obediently.
-I took it away.
“what?!”
Seriously, why are you suddenly screaming after using telepathy just fine?
The sudden loud noise of the bloody battle startled the jaengjasu and the escorts, causing them to step back.
Akbyeongbi is caressing the steel spear.
Still, considering I’m the head of the delegation, it looks like you have at least a little bit of intention to protect me.
I stared straight at the bloody battle.
“Now it is my turn. What on earth is this talk of sorcery?”
However, the bloody battle contorts the brow.
You didn’t answer properly.
I answered correctly. If you don’t believe me, ask them yourself.
How would I know where that guy is?
It will reveal itself to the world soon.
At my answer, eyes of fierce determination flash.
“Is that true? If it’s a lie…”
“Please come visit anytime. Come to the Murim Academy and say you have come to meet the Academy Representative, Jin So-woon.”
Since the Demon Lord told me to say that, it’s not like I lied.
Even if I were to ask him to come, would Bloody Battle even be able to come to the Murim Academy?
The Murim Alliance is right around the corner.
Bloody Battle, who had been looking at me with suspicion, finally lets out a groan and begins to confess.
“Is what you used not a trick commonly used in sorcery?”
“A trick?”
“Right. Like this.”
Bloody Battle opened its palm and shot energy into the forest.
Shortly after, a strange phenomenon occurred in the forest.
“Aaaaaaaah!”
A spine-chilling scream that makes your hair stand on end.
However, no matter how much I spread my energy, no sign of anything could be felt in the forest.
“How did you do it?”
It captured the sound and released it in a different space.
You mean capturing sound?
“Yeah, that’s the method sorcerers use most often to trick people.”
Come to think of it, the sorcerers of the Blood Cult used to cast illusion formations even though they were quite far apart.
At first, I just let it slide, assuming they had installed some kind of mechanism. But now that I think about it, isn’t it incredibly strange?
“Did you really not know?”
The Righteous Path of the Baekdo Sect
How would I, a mere walker, know about such a left-wing pilgrimage?
“Hooo……!”
Bloody Battle looks at me as if finding it fascinating.
Why do you look at it that way? It is quite uncomfortable.
Bloody Battle nods his head and replies, “Indeed.”
“Doesn’t that mean you were instinctively drawn to the Left Path Sect’s magic? As expected, the Joint Master of the Black Path Alliance is truly something else.”
No, it’s not Shiba!
The righteous path of the White Path sect named Murong Jiang
Walking… … . Hmm, isn’t it? I suppose you can’t really consider him someone who walks the straight path.
It is a relief that he was born into the Murong clan, because he was originally someone who would have easily become a public enemy of the Jianghu.
“Then, can that energy only hold sound?”
“hmm…….”
As if he hadn’t anticipated a bloody battle, he fell into deep thought for a long time.
Just then, a clear voice was heard from the other side.
“Confucius is truly an interesting person. To think that he would contain something else within his breath… Would you perhaps like to discuss the theory of non-violence in detail with me tonight?”
Before I knew it, Yeom Gwi-bi had placed her fingers on my shoulder.
I showed my clear intention to refuse her words, which had an obvious ulterior motive.
That’s enough. Please take your hand away from me, too.
“Oh dear… I naturally assumed that a member of the Black Dao Alliance would be well-versed in the Yin-Yang Unification Technique.”
Don’t just take anything and call it ‘martial arts’.
And why do you keep acting like we’re close? It makes me uncomfortable.
At this rate, if Akbyeongbi really looks at me as a spy for the Black Sect, I won’t have anything to say.
As he watched the bloody battle regardless of whether Yeom Gwi-bi wore a sullen expression, he finished his thoughts and shook his head.
“There is no need to go out of your way to contain it. After all, the more energy is processed, the more its inherent characteristics disappear.”
The inherent characteristics disappear…….
For some reason, the words Bloody Battle left at the end keep lingering in my mind.
At that time, the escort officer made a proposal to Ak Byeong-bi.
“I think it would be better to take this way, even if it means going a little further. What do you think? I heard that Gakmunchae is making quite a fuss these days.”
Is that so?
“Yes. I hear that many other groups also use this road.”
Just as Ak Byeong-bi was about to answer the bodyguard’s words.
The bloody battle I was talking to shouted quite loudly.
I’d like to go this way.
Everyone’s gaze followed his finger.
No one could easily open their mouth.
The place indicated by the bloody battle is where the noisy Gakmunchae was located.
As this had never happened before, the escort officer seemed unable to hide his bewildered expression.
“But, Gakmunchae…….”
“Isn’t it strange for the Murim Alliance delegation to turn back just to avoid a single bandit stronghold? Don’t you agree, Commander?”
He even spoke to Ak Byeong-bi, whom he had been subtly avoiding… ‘What on earth is he trying to do?’ Given Ak Byeong-bi’s personality, he wasn’t the type to tolerate hearing something like that.
Even so, now that the Bloodthirsty One has spoken, he surely won’t think about backing down from his opinion… …
Eventually, a fight will break out.
I started racking my brains over who I should attack first, Bloody Battle or Yeom Gwi-bi, if a fight broke out.
Anyway, since I am an elite member of the Baekdo Sect, I must uphold ‘justice’.
Of course.
While I was thinking that.
-What do you want to do?
Suddenly, the telepathic voice of Akbyeongbi was heard.
What’s wrong? Why are you acting like this all of a sudden?
All this time on this journey, the only choice given to me was ‘when to drink water’…
You’re asking such an important question?
While I was still bewildered, I heard something even more absurd.
I’ll follow your opinion.
Damn, just the Bloody Battle alone gives me a headache, and now there’s the Evil Spirit Monument too—I honestly have no idea what he’s thinking. Seriously.
I answered while clutching my throbbing head.
“Let’s just go back. Meeting the mountain hideout is a hassle anyway.”
As I gestured to the opposite side with my chin, Hyeoltu crossed his arms and spoke.
I want to go this way.
Then you can go there with your party.
“Then, since you broke your promise to accompany me, I suppose I must kill all of you.”
Shit, what are you trying to do?
I looked at the Evil Spirit Monument, suppressing the urge to crumple my expression as much as possible.
“Director, I think it would be best to follow the elder’s advice.”
Well, no matter how scary Gakmunchae is, it’s probably less scary than a bloody battle.
Bloody battles break people, don’t they?
Bloody Fight smiles as if satisfied by my quick change of stance.
And Ak Byeong-bi’s eyes curve strangely.
So that’s how it is…
Ak Byeong-bi turned his body sharply with a telepathic sound of unknown meaning.
Leading a madman and an ideological interrogator, I feel like my lifespan is wearing away day by day.
Damn it, just try going back.
I will get something in return for the lifespan I’ve lost.
