“Can I take a look at your sheath?”
Upon hearing Kwak Hyung-jik’s request, the three of us went stiff.
We didn’t expect his guess to be this accurate. My sheath was a special sheath that was cleverly designed to have an extra slot to place the stolen Blood Demon Sword.
The moment he sees that we are done.
“Just show it, nothing much.”
“… why?”
At my question, he turned to the sheath holding his sword on his left, and pointed it to the ground. He then pressed the blunt end in front of it at a spot that looked like a button.
The top of the sheath opened like a shell, showing what was inside.
‘…’
Surprisingly, there were two swords inside. One was a long and thin blade, while the other was a shorter blade with a unique shape and a large round handle.
It was around the width of a human hand or foot. It was also strange as to why he had such a sheath.
“This is a custom-made sheath. Your sheath is wider than what the South Heavenly Iron Sword would need. I might be overreacting, but it looks like there is plenty of space in there for another sword.”
For such a variable to appear right now.
This was not a sheath that could be easily recognizable by many people. Imagining that there was space for another sword would be absurd. Yet the thought would make sense for a man who lived with swords and blades.
‘We need to drag this out.’
The moment I show him the sheath, we will be caught. That meant there were two options in front of us.
We either run or fight to the death here.
‘… can we escape?’
There was no way that all of us would be able to safely escape from him. One way or another, one of us would end up crushed or captured. To avoid that, we would have to resort to fighting.
It would be difficult for even the people of Murim to figure out the identity of a corpse after all.
‘It is fortunate that I am a bit better than last time.’
I had a tough time fighting Na Yuk-hyung alone last time. With the three of us together, we might have a chance.
“Are you not going to show it?”
He asked in a cold voice.
I gave out my command without taking my eyes off Kwak Hyung-jik.
“If you see a gap, then go for it.”
My orders for Sima Young and Cho Sung-won.
Srng!
Sima Young pulled out the sword on her back as Cho Sung-won clenched his fists.
And I drew Iron Sword.
“Haa.”
Kwak Hyung-jik sighed.
“Such a tragedy that Ho Jong-dae’s successor is a spy.”
He spoke in disappointment as if something didn’t sit well with him. The reality was that he had to fight someone that he had been kind to.
This man wanted to treat me as an ally rather than an enemy. He then said something unexpected.
“… can you not take this back?”
‘…!’
This was unexpected. I thought he would have tried to subdue me at all costs, yet he was making me an offer.
“I am not going to ask how you ended up helping that cult. If you are that man’s successor, having a relationship with the Blood Sect is not something the people would like to see.”
‘… ah.’
It seemed like this man misunderstood us as people who had a grudge against the Forces of Justice. That was why he decided to do something others wouldn’t even consider.
Well, I did mention a few things that no one else would know about when we talked.
Because of that, it seemed like he thought that I had something I needed from the Blood Sect.
“If that is what this is, I will also have to help you. But do not fall for them.”
He was genuinely trying to convince me. He had such deep affection for someone who would be his opponent.
Kwak Hyung-jik was a man with a good heart.
‘… such people existed too?’
What if I had met him before my first death? Would he have helped me then? He must be different from the two people that caused my death, right?
‘Haa…’
I hated to kill.
But I knew that if I didn’t kill him now, I would end up in a situation where I would be called a traitor to the Forces of Justice. With that thought running through my head, I then said to him.
“I am troubled too. I do not want my sword to be pointed at you.”
“Then put it down.”
At those words, he touched his chest and spoke firmly.
“I promise on my honor that I will protect you and your sajaes too.”
“It is impossible with just senior’s strength.”
“… can you not believe me?”
“It’s that I don’t believe you. It’s just that I cannot trust the rotten feeling I get from those who side with the Forces of Justice.”
He fell silent at this. Of course, as a veteran warrior, he would know the different sides of every group.
Just because they could not be seen didn’t mean they did not exist. That side wasn’t made up of only good people.
“Are you sure you want to do this?”
At his question, I replied in a voice full of determination.
“The path I am going on isn’t one of destruction.”
“Destruction?”
“I will not walk in a path bound to such emotions.”
His eyes shone upon hearing my words. The feeling behind them was different from disappointment.
“Not on the side of justice or evil… such sophistry.”
“Are there only two answers for anything in the world? Just as there are good people in the Forces of Justice, there are bad ones too, and just as there are bad ones in the Forces of Evil, there are good ones too.”
“… you talk about being in the middle.”
“If it is the middle, it is the middle. I will not be bound by it.”
I said this to show my sincerity. My words were sincere when I declared that I would not fall into the Blood Sect’s machinations.
“Phew.”
He sighed at my words but raised his blade.
“It sounds like you have your own circumstances. But as a person who walks on the side of justice, I, too, have my beliefs, and I cannot let you leave.”
Kwak Hyung-jik declared to me.
“How can a senior try to cut down the path of a junior, but…”
There was no reason for him to abandon his principles. If it came to a fight, it would be a fight to the death.
I moved towards him at that moment.
‘Tiger Tooth Sword!’
This was a technique to subdue the opponent using force. I had already completed the cultivation needed for this.
“As I thought!”
With that brief sentence, Kwak Hyun-jin’s blade appeared and lightly blocked my sword.
Chachachang!
‘Strong.’
His stance was so balanced that it was hard to believe he only had one arm. Typically, a martial artist who lost an arm would lose their balance and become weaker.
Despite losing one arm, this man was still strong enough to be compared to his heyday.
Chak!
‘Uh?’
An unexpected blow came towards me. Something that was spinning like a windmill moved in front of me from my blind spot.
What was this?
‘Foot?’
The blade was rotating with his right foot.
That round handle, it was for this! This was the first time I saw someone doing such a bizarre technique.
‘I need to avoid this.’
It was impossible to block his sword and his foot. I tried to widen our distance by swinging my sword and using footwork.
“Do you think I will let you leave?”
Swish!
Kwak Hyung-jik’s rotating blade, which had blocked my sword, was now aimed at my leg.
However, Sima Young stopped it in an instant.
“Huh!”
Sima Young immediately threw her body into the blow and pushed it away. The man was strong enough to block the blow easily but couldn’t maintain balance.
There I found a gap.
Thud!
Stepping forward, I moved my hand and slashed my sword.
Chasing Till the End Sword.
“It has been so long since I saw this.”
He recognized it. Well, my teacher was his long-time rival.
Kwak Hyung-jik swung his body back and stretched his sword forward to block my whirlwind.
Chacachang!
Blue flames sparked as his blade hit mine.
At the same time, Kwak Hyung-jik raised the sword in his hand and struck my sword like lightning.
His force shattered the whirlwind’s core, and I was pushed back.
Papak!
At that moment, Cho Sung-won appeared behind him and aimed for Kwak Hyung-jik’s exposed back.
I thought this would be the end, but that man did a somersault!
“Huh!”
After doing that, he used his feet, which were wrapped in qi, in an attempt to cut Cho Sung-won down.
Sima Young had to pull Cho Sung-won by the collar to avoid it.
Chak!
He barely managed to survive it and fell to the ground.
As the blade came for them, both used footwork to escape.
‘… he is amazing.’
I couldn’t help but admire this man.
Although he had once been a dominating figure in the past, I thought he would be weak now due to only having one arm. However, this man was strong.
Losing an arm seemed to only have made him stronger.
‘How can he be this good when facing three people at the same time?’
Even a slightly careless move would be dangerous for him. The moment I was about to move, I felt something.
[Vice commander.]
Sima Young looked at me as if she sensed it too, and Kwak Hyung-jik said,
“Did you think I am the only one after you? I was after you and, in case something happens, told my disciple to bring in warriors from the Alliance.”
‘Shit.’
I felt a sense of impending crisis in an instant.
“You have no chance of winning this. Stop. Give up.”
This was a worse scenario than my encounter with Na Yuk-hyung.
Even if the three of us worked together here, I wasn’t sure of victory against Kwak Hyung-jik. Now there were reinforcements.
Six men appeared through the bushes.
They were skilled warriors, as well as Jang Myung.
“So hyung?”
Jang Myung couldn’t hide his shock when he saw me. His expression was as if he desperately didn’t want to believe this was happening.
“I knew it. It was you, the spies!”
Among the warriors was the Hwangbo family’s Hwangbo Dong-hyun.
This man must have been randomly dragged in for help, but man, did I really hate him at this moment.
He also held this weird sense of resentment toward me.
“What are you all doing!”
“Yes!”
Pak!
At Kwak Hyung-jik’s shout, the six warriors and his disciples moved toward us at once.
I quickly glanced at them, and Sima Young and Cho Sung-won moved to intercept them.
This was the same scenario as before. Three each for my subordinates while I take down the strongest enemy.
Woog!
My body temperature rose and fluctuated as vapor rose from my skin.
‘…?!’
Kwak Hyung-jik’s eyes widened at this sight.
“True Blood Diamond Body? You mastered the martial arts of the Ghastly Monster?”
He recognized this at once. I moved in as he was in shock and swung my sword. He readily blocked it with his own blade.
Channg!
“Huh!”
I could see his feet digging into the ground as the strength in my body increased.
The moment he tried to push his blade further, it would break against my sword. Instead, he slightly bent a knee.
He moved his balance to one foot.
Chak!
The spinning blade at Kwak Hyung-jik’s feet flew towards my side. It was fast.
‘I need to avoid this.’
Pak!
I used the spinning blade as a means to move my body but didn’t manage to avoid it completely.
Chak!
That sound filled the air.
‘…!?’
The sheath on my back was cracked enough for the Blood Demon Sword to fall out. I stepped onto its blade quickly and sent it into the air. I tried to hold it, but Kwak Hyung-jik also went for it.
Srng!
Swish!
He had hit the sword and sent it flying toward the Alliance warriors.
“The Blood Demon Sword! Get it!”
Shouted Kwak Hyung-jik.
‘No!’
I couldn’t let them take it away, so I reached out for it. My silver thread missed it, however, as someone else grabbed it.
‘Ah..’
It was Jang Myung.
Sima Young and Cho Sung-won didn’t have time to catch it as they were fighting against six people. Jang Myung raised his hand and shouted.
“Teacher! I grabbed the sword… ahuk!”
He then groaned. Jang Myung, who had a troubled expression, tried to release the sword but could not.
His hand trembled, and it soon spread through his body.
“Jang Myung! Get your hand off the sword!”
“Kukukukkk.”
Kwak Hyung-jik shouted to his disciple, but Jang Myung could not do it, as if he didn’t know how.
It was a strange sight as his veins were bulging out on his face.
It looked as if he was under pressure by something and the other Alliance warriors moved in to try and help him.
“Jang Myung! Put that sword down!”
At that moment.
Chak!
“Kuak!”
With a sharp sound, one of the warriors was split in half.
‘…!?’
Everyone was shocked at this. The veins on Jang Myung’s face were still bulging as his eyes took on a red glow.
‘The talisman?’
I was even more shocked as I couldn’t see the talismans that were supposed to be on the sword. I had no idea what had happened after putting it in my sheath.
Everyone was shocked, and Hwangbo Dong-hyun shouted.
“H-he is possessed by the demon sword!”
As soon as he said that, Jang Myung rushed toward him.
Flustered, Hwangbo Dong-hyun tried to block it with his sword, but it was destroyed instantly.
Kang! Chak!
He couldn’t even scream as he died.
“He k-killed again!”
“Jang, Jang hyung! Calm down!”
The other three warriors were too shocked to know what to do. Jang Myung glared at them as he said.
“I will kill all of you.”
“Eik.”
This frightened the warriors and sent them fleeing, but Jang Myung was faster.
Chak!
Jang Myung used footwork and cut down two right away. Sima Young was his next target.
He tried to stab her in the neck, but she managed to block it.
Chang!
“Ack!”
She was pushed back, more like thrown around, by the force of his blow.
‘Miss!’
I flew to her and made sure she didn’t collapse.
Pak!
‘What strength is this!’
Even after enhancing my body, I couldn’t easily hold her and was pushed back by ten steps.
Sima Young had blood dripping down her lips from an internal wound.
“He got way too strong suddenly.”
She said this in a serious voice, and I could understand her meaning. This kind of sudden growth in ability was unbelievable.
“I will kill you!”
Meanwhile, Jang Myung continued to aim for the others.
“Jang Myung, stop!”
Kwak Hyung-jik stopped him in his path. He tried to use his blade, but then so did Jang Myung.
Chachachang!
Kwak Hyung-jik’s expression became grim as he realized that his disciple was filled with the desire to kill everyone there while holding that sword.
“Get yourself together!”
He tried to seal his disciple’s movements, but nothing worked. He used the same spinning blade technique, but Jang Myung simply caught it with his bare hands.
“Huh?”
The hand became stained with blood at contact.
It was terrifying.
It was impossible for a human to catch that blade with their bare hands. The moment Kwak Hyung-jik was filled with shock, Jang Myung went for his heart.
Kwak Hyung-jik, who noticed it, blocked the attack.
Chang!
The strength of the blow threw him back. That was enough time for Jang Myung to take down yet another warrior.
“Jang Myung, no!”
Kwak Hyung-jik shouted, but his words fell on deaf ears. Jang Myung was filled with only the desire for blood and murder.
“I will kill you!”
Five warriors had been killed in such a short amount of time by Jang Myung. The realization that this was all done by his disciple shocked Kwak Hyung-jik.
The next target was Cho Sung-won.
“Huh!”
Cho Sung-won immediately used footwork to escape. However, Jang Myung was different now and managed to catch up instantly.
The moment he was about to cut him, I blocked his sword.
Chang!
“Kuak!”
My body was forced back due to the weight of the blow as Sima Young tried to attack him.
She tried to cut him down, but Jang Myung stopped it without even looking at her.
“I will kill you!”
He kept saying the same words and tried to go after Sima Young. At that moment…
Puak!
A blade flew toward Jang Myung’s body and sent it flying back. It was Kwak Hyung-jik’s blade.
Usually, a blade thrown by a man of his skill would have killed Jang Myung. However, it was as if his body was made of metal.
He grabbed the blade and broke it with his bare hands.
Kwak!
‘…!?’
Calling him a monster wouldn’t be enough. Kwak Hyung-jik then said with a serious face.
“Help me.”
And I replied.
“I wanted to ask the same thing.”
