Chapter 447
## Chapter 447. The Definition of Justice (2)
—
“Are you all right……”
The final word died in my throat. Even as an empty gesture of comfort, the Mosan Sect was in no condition to be described as ‘all right.’
“Aaaaaargh!”
“Keu-heok!”
“S-Save…… save me……”
Structures were ablaze, and figures clad in dark attire were brandishing their blades. The weapons of these dark-clothed men showed no leniency and spared no one. Not a soul present could stand against their blades.
The combatants offered up their lives to shield the mystics, while the elders prepared to face demise to protect the youngsters.
Why was this happening?
Within my mind, a vision of the Tae-eul Sect—an event not even within my own recollections—enduring a terrible massacre began to take shape. The blades of the fiends, dripping with malicious force, showed no mercy and made no distinction among the people of the Tae-eul Sect. No member of Tae-eul possessed the strength to withstand those demonic weapons.
The martial artist threw himself in front of his kin, and the Hall Master welcomed death to save his student.
This was a recollection I had never personally lived through. The instigators of the assault and the circumstances differed. Yet, for some inexplicable reason, the identical fury boiled up within me.
“Mun-ju-nim!!!!”
Shaking off the nightmares that were rushing over me like an encroaching tide, I fixed my gaze on the Black Coffins charging toward Gu Song-baek, the Sect Leader of the Mosan Sect.
Three Styles of White Moon Ascending Heaven.
First Style.
Extreme Speed (*Geuk-kwae*).
Four Black Coffins had soared through the air behind Gu Song-baek’s head. The air fractured as I slashed across their chests.
*Kwaaaa-ek—*
Accompanied by the concussive sound of bursting air, crimson sprayed from the severed wounds. Right before the blood could spatter onto Gu Song-baek’s head, I yanked him backward toward myself.
“Are you…… unharmed?”
I barely managed to force the words past my constricted throat in a quiet murmur, studying his form. Having just skirted the edge of mortality, he stared intently at a single spot, entirely oblivious to his own injuries.
In that direction, disciples who were battered and broken lay shivering violently in absolute dread.
“Mun-ju-nim.”
“…….”
“Mun-ju-nim!”
Only after I shouted a second time did Gu Song-baek finally snap his head around.
“Jin So-un…… Jin So-hyeop…… are you truly Jin So-un of the Tae-eul Sect?”
“I am.”
“What brings you to this place……”
“I journeyed here after receiving word from Yu Ji-ryang Dae-hyeop.”
“Ji-ryang…… did Ji-ryang seek you out?”
“He did.”
A dark expression washed over Gu Song-baek’s features.
“Why, to the Tae-eul Sect……”
It was a look combining reliance and appreciation toward me, yet undercut by an inescapable sense of helplessness and regret. A countenance reflecting all of those conflicting emotions. Even so, I bore him no ill will. Anyone caught in this nightmare would naturally desire the backing of a faction that wielded true power.
“For the moment, please remain with your followers.”
“No! Absolutely not! I cannot allow you to be consumed by this conflagration as well. Please inform Ji-ryang. Urge him to flee this domain and never cast his gaze back here again.”
His entire frame trembled with desperation as he gripped my forearm. It was the frantic urge to preserve even a single soul.
“The Black Coffins permit no survivors to escape. Surely you realize that fleeing remedies nothing?”
“…….”
“If it offers any comfort, the Great Strategist Zhuge and the Alliance Leader are fully aware of the crisis facing the Mosan Sect. Furthermore, they were profoundly enraged by these actions.”
“……W-What are you saying!!!”
“However, a certain amount of time is required for the two of them to mobilize the Martial Alliance to intercept the Black Coffins.”
Gu Song-baek’s pupils quivered erratically. Yet, in this critical juncture, there was no luxury of time to explain the entire situation.
“If you hold the line, survival is possible. Therefore, will you persevere just a bit longer alongside the members of the Mosan Sect?”
The chaotic trembling in Gu Song-baek’s gaze gradually subsided, replaced by a resolute hardness. His shaking limbs grew steady, and a profound composure settled into his tone.
“Jin So-hyeop, what is your course of action?”
“My Sahyeong-je and Yu Dae-hyeop are currently moving to fortify the barrier network that was compromised.”
“Fortify the barrier?”
“I plan to deploy the Infinite Indestructible Soul-Destroying Formation across that sector to cut off the reinforcements trying to enter from the exterior.”
“…….”
“To achieve that, we must first contain the Black Coffins already within and those pressing inward from the boundaries……”
*Ku-gung!*
At that precise moment, a blazing structure yielded entirely and crashed down.
*Peo-peong!*
From the midst of the wreckage, a vibrant azure claw strike erupted outward. Geum-pyo darted forward like an arrow, intercepting the blue energy using his Geum-gang Shield.
“You wicked villains! How dare you……!”
A man with gleaming yellow eyes stepped forward. It was that individual, Heo Gwan-jung, whom we had encountered back in the settlement.
“What are you waiting for! The Tae-eul Sect is aligning with the Mosan Sect! Eliminate them all together!”
“““Understood!!”””
There was no more room for hesitation.
“Therefore, please hold out just a bit longer. Mun-ju……”
*Gwak—*
Gu Song-baek clamped his hand onto my sleeve.
“Allow me to fight by your side!”
“Pardon?”
“No one possesses a greater understanding of the Mosan Sect’s layout than myself.”
“But your followers……”
“I am blind to the specifics of your strategy, but I recognize that it represents our solitary path to survival. Therefore—”
Every trace of uncertainty or reluctance vanished from his expression.
“I will assist you.”
*Swaaaa-eaek—*
Heo Gwan-jung’s claw strikes tore through the air toward Gu Song-baek and me. Just as I prepared to unsheath the Red Light Sword to counter the assault, Geum-pyo stepped into the fray ahead of me.
*Peo-peo-peo-peo-peong!*
Ten successive waves of claw energy smashed against the Geum-gang Shield, resulting in a series of detonations. A fierce light gleamed in Geum-pyo’s eyes as the impact forced him back three paces.
“This front will be managed by Dong-ryong and myself.”
Gu Song-baek’s grip on my sleeve remained unyielding. If I had to accept an ally’s support regardless, it was only logical to accept the aid of the person who possessed the most local knowledge.
“Exercise caution. For someone to direct an attack at that age signifies he is a formidable anomaly.”
“If we are speaking of anomalies…… we possess one of our own.”
Geum-pyo glanced toward Dong-ryong. The Black Dragon Sword, which Dong-ryong habitually kept cradled close, had already cleared its sheath and was leveled directly at the adversary’s claws.
“See you shortly!”
“Yes!”
I immediately departed alongside Gu Song-baek.
Heo Gwan-jung intended to instantly employ his movement techniques to pursue Jin So-un and Gu Song-baek.
*Jju-pyeot!*
However, he abruptly halted his advance due to a sudden premonition. At that exact microsecond, a razor-sharp strand of sword-qi scraped past his skin, severing a lock of his hair.
‘What!’
When he whipped his head around, startled by a lethal strike that had come terrifyingly close to ending his life, he found Geum-pyo holding the shield and Dong-ryong wielding a dark blade that seemed disproportionately large for his frame, both glaring intently at him.
“You shall go no further.”
Dong-ryong declared, gesturing toward Heo Gwan-jung with the dark blade. A faint, mocking chuckle slipped from Heo Gwan-jung’s lips. Youths who managed minor achievements at such an early stage frequently underestimated him, assuming he was an uncomplicated foe merely because their ages appeared comparable.
However, once they witnessed his true capability, they would weep and beg for clemency, losing all control of themselves as if they had never put on such a brave front. It made no difference whether they were youths, mature warriors, or elders. He felt no pity, though there was a single point of regret: he was incapable of experiencing the terror that he inflicted on others.
“You do not even belong to the Black Flame Dragons, yet you presume the likes of you can oppose This Seat?”
The Eighteen Azure Claws, recognized as the premier lethal art of the Martial Alliance Inspection Hall, began to manifest its sharpest edges in earnest.
*Deu-deu-deu-deu-deu-deu—*
The claw energy, which had expanded to the width of a hand span, scraped across the terrain and surged forward. Shattered fragments of stone and earth were propelled alongside it like concealed projectiles, battering the Geum-gang Shield.
*Peo-peo-peong!*
*Ta-da-da-da-dang—*
Even if the primary claw force was successfully deflected, a compact Geum-gang Shield lacked the surface area to completely shelter both of their bodies.
*Ju-reu-reuk—*
Crimson droplets began to well from minor lacerations on the limbs of the two youths.
“You can safeguard nothing behind such a meager buckler!”
Following that boast, the Eighteen Azure Claws tore through the atmosphere once more, fiercely targeting the limbs of the pair. At that precise moment:
*Chaeng!*
A blade extended from beneath the rim of the shield, intercepting the claw force.
“We are armed with blades as well.”
“!”
At the remark tossed out by Geum-pyo, who had briefly peeked out from behind the Geum-gang Shield, Heo Gwan-jung suddenly realized that Dong-ryong, who ought to be positioned behind his companion, was nowhere to be seen.
‘Where is he?’
Right then, Dong-ryong’s figure materialized on the left flank. Heo Gwan-jung, preparing to unleash a claw strike in that direction, paused in brief confusion.
‘A phantom image!’
Immediately following that realization, Dong-ryong’s form lingered behind him and on the right side simultaneously. The instant he pivoted in a full circle:
“Are you looking elsewhere?”
He detected Geum-pyo thrusting forward aggressively with a blade from the rear.
“Ha!”
Heo Gwan-jung rapidly discharged a claw strike to clear some breathing room, but—
“This is precisely the reason I utilize a shield.”
*Ta-da-da-da-dang—*
The Geum-gang Shield effortlessly turned aside the azure claw strike. The moment Heo Gwan-jung raised both hands to intercept Geum-pyo’s blade, a piercing aura of lethal intent descended from above. He looked up to find Dong-ryong spinning mid-air, cutting downward toward him.
‘What sort of synchronized assault is this!’
Like a carefully choreographed theatrical performance, flawless actions materialized at the exact necessary moments.
*Peo-peo-peong—*
Just then, two newly arrived Black Coffins charged into the fray, striking at Geum-pyo.
“Are you harmed!”
“Eliminate that individual!”
“Understood!”
Leaving Geum-pyo to contend with them, he directed his claw energy toward Dong-ryong. Twenty arcs of azure force shot skyward, intending to shred Dong-ryong’s frame to ribbons. The ultimate vulnerability of aerial engagement was the lack of leverage or footing in mid-air.
Yet, as if he had calculated that exact limitation, a pale silken cord shot out from Dong-ryong’s left hand, dragging his body clear of the trajectory of the incoming claw strikes.
“I am well acquainted with the Flying Dragon Claw as well!”
Heo Gwan-jung pursued Dong-ryong, unleashing a chaotic barrage of claw energy. The trunk to which Dong-ryong’s Flying Dragon Claw had anchored was instantly severed. Just as he seemed on the verge of being torn apart by the converging forces, Dong-ryong contorted his body violently and discharged a volley of sword-qi.
*Peo-peo-peo-peo-peo-peo-peo-peong—*
The claw energies that had closed in on Dong-ryong exploded violently upon impact with the sword-qi, leaving numerous shallow cuts across Dong-ryong’s frame.
*Tuk—*
The corners of Heo Gwan-jung’s mouth contorted into a smug sneer.
“This marks your end.”
It was a coordinated effort that was reasonably impressive to witness, but in the end, still the clumsy work of a novice…….
“No, it does not.”
“What?”
The moment his feet touched the earth, the ground fractured as Dong-ryong’s form shot forward with the speed of a lightning bolt.
*Swaaaa-eaek—*
The instant he violently jerked his head aside, startled by the blinding velocity of the blade strike—
“Ugh……!”
His earlobe was sheared away, and blood began to trickle.
‘T-Too fast!’
Following that, before he could even attempt to execute the Eighteen Azure Claws, the Black Dragon Sword darted inward, tracking his lethal points with the fluid, undulating movements of a serpent.
*Chae-chae-chae-chae-chaeng—*
It was a straightforward blade, entirely devoid of advanced sword-qi, yet not a single chip appeared upon its impact with the Azure Claws. In fact, though he swung his Azure Claws in an attempt to discard the pressure, the Black Dragon Sword adhered to him relentlessly. The moment he retreated to break away from the weapon’s reach—
“Heok!”
Above his head, a tempest of illusory blades, formed without his awareness, was on the verge of consuming him entirely.
“Aaaaaargh!”
He summoned the absolute maximum of his internal reserves and unleashed the definitive posture of the Eighteen Azure Claws. Crescent-shaped waves of claw energy surged upward like a torrential downpour of arrows, colliding directly with the tempest of illusory blades.
*Peo-peo-peo-peo-peo-peo-peo-peong—*
He felt as though his internal organs were being violently disrupted by the sheer force of the counter-shock.
“Uwo-eck—”
After coughing up a glob of dark blood, he felt the constriction in his chest ease slightly. Even so, the bitter resentment swirling in his gut at the realization that he was being pressured by the youngest of the Gold-Silver-Bronze siblings refused to dissipate.
“How dare someone like you treat me……”
“You lack the capacity to triumph.”
There was no hint of stress in Dong-ryong’s expression as he regarded Heo Gwan-jung. Despite sustaining injuries and bleeding openly, he exhibited no trace of anxiety.
“You are inadequate.”
It was a look normally reserved for viewing an insignificant insect. Furthermore, the fact that he was checking on the safety of the Mosan Sect refugees without displaying an ounce of vigilance while spitting up blood only infuriated him further.
“I am your senior by a year! Watch your tongue!”
He recognized it was an irrational outburst, but Heo Gwan-jung was utterly stifled by the profound sense of inadequacy he was encountering for the very first time.
However, in that moment:
“……My apologies.”
arrogance against the Eighteen Azure Claws!”
Beyond merely ending his life, driven by the urge to hack the remains into unrecognisable pieces, the instant he prepared to unleash a torrent of blue claw energy—
*Swaaaa-eaek—*
Dong-ryong’s blade moved in a bizarre trajectory, striking directly at his digits.
‘……???!!!’
It was unmistakably an execution of the Small Heaven Sword Technique identical to his previous moves, yet an unfamiliar premonition flared within him, sending an urgent alert of extreme peril.
‘T-This is lethal!’
*Chae-chae-chae-chaeng—*
At the absolute final moment, Heo Gwan-jung violently altered the path of his assault. For some instinctive reason, he felt compelled to do so. And the instant he leaped backward with every ounce of strength he could muster—
“……You managed to evade that.”
Dong-ryong murmured with complete detachment. Then, recovering an object that had tumbled onto the dirt, he remarked further:
“I anticipated severing them completely.”
Those objects were none other than human fingers.
“……!!”
They were digits that had been detached from Heo Gwan-jung’s left hand. Fingers that had been cleanly lopped off before the sensation of agony could even register in his nervous system.
“H-How did you do that?”
“I am pleased.”
“What?”
Dong-ryong’s blade rose passively into the air once more.
“Since you appear intrigued. I shall demonstrate it for you again.”
“……!”
Heo Gwan-jung, who had been raised as a coddled elite of the Inspection Hall since infancy and had never known trepidation, finally understood for the first time in his existence what it felt like to be paralyzed with absolute terror.
