Jang Myung, Kwak Hyung-jik’s disciple, was possessed by the Blood Demon Sword and forced the two of us into an unexpected alliance.
Even with the two of us, however, suppressing him felt like a difficult task.
“It was almost at the level of body hardening. What should we do?”
“I am not sure if it is a technique.”
“Uh?”
“The blade isn’t a sword. It wouldn’t cut through that unless a proper sword is used. The blade isn’t as sharp as a sword, so if we have to pierce through his body… We can’t throw it, but applying force with the blade might do it.”
“Ah…”
If it was him, wouldn’t he be able to do it? Kwak Hyung-jik could do this. Did that mean that he threw the sword without internal qi?
“That’s not the problem. I tried to wound my disciple, but it didn’t work.”
Ah, so he did try to use qi.
It wasn’t because the weapon he used was a blade but because he aimed to inflict an internal wound.
This was definitely something that only those who were as skilled as him could do. Even if I reached his level, I wasn’t confident I could do the same.
“Whether through piercing or using internal energy, that guy’s a monster, right?”
Cho Sung-won mumbled this, and he was right.
The fact that our opponent was still in good shape despite our attacks showed that he could probably handle everything.
‘But is this really fine?’
I was filled with a question. I admit that Jang Myung was skilled.
But his skills were lower than mine, yet he was still unscratched?
Kwa Hyung-jik continued to speak without taking his eyes off Jang Myung.
“Help me.”
“I don’t exactly have a choice here.”
If we could not defeat him, we would be in danger. However, Kwak Hyung-jik shook his head.
“No. I am asking you to help me remove the sword from my disciple.”
This meant that he had yet to give up on his disciple. Well, he must have been someone who concentrated his all into one disciple. It was only natural for him to act like a teacher.
Sima Young then said.
“Great Warrior Kwak. If he isn’t using a body-enhancing technique, how about if we cut off the arm or wrist holding the sword?”
A very typical Sima Young solution to which he responded.
“… if nothing works, I will do it as a last resort.”
After all, if the arm had to be cut, it would mean that his disciple’s life as a martial artist would end. Kwak Hyung-jik knew this better than anyone.
He would need to start from the beginning to make up for the lost balance and learn how to hold a sword with his other hand.
“Then we can handle it.”
Cho Sung-won replied calmly as Kwak Hyung-jik pointed to Jang Myung.
“No. There is a chance, and I was shocked too.”
“Uh?”
“Do not attack right now.”
Just as Kwak Hyung-jik said, Jang Myung’s movements were stopped.
He was mumbling the word ‘kill’ with his mouth, but he was standing still.
“It might be that he doesn’t feel pain.”
“You thought the same as me.”
There were plenty of possibilities.
Because Kwak Hyung-jik could understand this, this was now a problem that could be solved.
Even if Jang Myung didn’t feel pain, the constant attacks from Kwak Hyung-jik should rupture muscles or something.
When an internal wound was inflicted, the entire body would feel off.
At that moment.
Pat!
Jang Myung suddenly decided to attack me. His speed was as quick as ever as the gap between us narrowed in a second.
‘Loach Shaped Sword Technique.’
I unleashed the third technique that I have become all too familiar with.
My sword moved like a soft willow branch, spreading out and creating a dense mesh. The Blood Demon Sword then made its move.
Chachachang!
‘The alternative…’
I tried to move the sword in the opposite direction, but everything was swept away.
He was entirely possessed by the sword.
“Die!”
The Blood Demon Sword moved towards my forehead.
Sring!
The sword bounced up as Sima Young reacted fast enough to deflect it.
“Be careful… ack!”
Jang Myung kicked her in the side. As she was about to be blown back, she stuck her sword into the ground to ensure she didn’t move and returned a kick to Jang Myung’s face.
“You should also get hit!”
Phat!
And he grabbed her foot.
‘This is bad.’
Seeing the veins on his hand twitch, I aimed a blow to his chest with my left fist.
Jang Myung, who was hit, was pushed back slightly.
‘Ha!’
Jang Myung continued to survive every hit.
At that moment, someone wrapped their arm around Jang Myung’s neck.
It was Kwak Hyung-jik.
He pushed one leg between Jang Myung’s legs and wrapped his right leg from the inside out to stop his disciple from moving.
“Hurry up and move!”
At Kwak Hyung-jik’s shout, I grabbed Jang Myung’s right arm to ensure his sword couldn’t be wielded.
“Me too!”
Sima Young also didn’t miss her chance and immediately sealed the blood points at his wrist and feet.
“Kuak.”
When the three of us managed to catch him at the same time, he was unable to move. However, it would be difficult to hold him down like this for long.
“Take the sword out of his hand!”
Cho Sung-won rushed in at my shout and tried to straighten Jang Myung’s fingers. However, his grip was so unbelievably tight that it wouldn’t budge.
“Ah, it isn’t working!”
“The blood points!”
Kwak Hyung-jik told Cho Sung-won.
“Okay!”
Cho Sung-won tried to press the inner part of Jang Myung’s index finger.
However, as the blood vessels bulged constantly, something was changing.
‘…!?’
I’ve heard that there are sometimes beings that could move despite their blood points being sealed, but this was the first time I saw it. When this didn’t work, Cho Sung-won decided to strike.
“Damn it!”
Since Jang Myung’s arm was immovable, it looked like Cho Sung-won was trying to cut off a finger to get the sword out.
“Huh!”
Cho Sung-won struck the sword with all his might. However, the moment his punch made contact with the blade, his arms began to twitch.
“Ack!”
Realizing that something was going wrong, I immediately kicked Cho Sung-won to send him flying back.
“Ack!”
Sorry man.
I wasn’t sure if the sword was trying to corrupt him as well. If coming into contact with the sword was what did this, then sending them away was the quickest method to recover.
At that moment, Jang Myung’s body began to shudder. I could feel his qi rising, and just like before, I realized that this would be a mess.
Kwak Hyung-jik shouted.
“Get away…”
Pang!
“Kuak!”
“Ack!”
At that moment, a repulsive dark energy sent Kwak Hyung-jik and Sima Young flying away.
To maintain my grip on him, I had to push my body into the ground for strength. Yet still, I was thrown back by ten steps.
‘His power went up?’
I didn’t think someone’s strength could increase after so much constant fighting. No wonder we were all sure that he was a monster right now.
‘What do we do to subdue him then?’
We needed a plan to subdue Jang Myung and the Blood Demon Sword as the three of us could do nothing.
“Are… are you fine? Sahyung?”
Sima Young’s hair was a mess, and I noticed her hands trembling more, indicating that her internal wounds were worsening.
And yet she was worried about me.
“Haaah….”
Shhh!
I hurriedly dispelled the body-enhancing technique as if I used it any longer, it would make my body become overused and render me useless for the fight.
Thankfully I could feel no side effects for now.
‘Maybe we should just kill him.’
But if we did that, both sides of the fight would incur damage.
It felt an unreasonable task to try and halt his movements any longer. Jang Myung was also showing an abnormal increase in strength.
Psssh!
The veins on his hands and head were growing to the point as if they could burst at any moment. His clothes were also stained with blood as if he was bleeding all over.
“Sahyung!”
Sima Young’s eyes widened as she called to me. I also noticed that Jang Myung’s body could not hold on much longer.
‘Am I right?’
No wonder I thought that it was strange.
Even if it was a demon sword, the body it controlled would have a limit. There were obviously side effects, but a possessed Jang Myung wouldn’t have any control to let go of the blade.
“Kill. I will kill you all!
Despite his body being at its limits, his words didn’t change. It was as if he couldn’t feel the pain. If the fight continued just a bit more, he would inevitably die.
“Jang Myung!”
Kwak Hyung-jik called out to him with sadness. There was no way such an experienced man wouldn’t notice it.
‘He really cares about his disciple.’
I could see his eyes turning red with unfallen tears. He held his sword and said.
“I managed to come back despite my arm being cut off. That child can do that too. I am sorry to ask this again, but help me.”
“Great warrior Kwak…”
Now that we didn’t have to fight to subdue Jang Myung, there was another problem of the race against time. There was a high chance that we would need to cut off his hand just to make sure he lived.
But even if we did that, it was unlikely that Jang Myung could survive like Kwak Hyung-jik due to the degree of his body’s overuse.
As I gave him a sad look, he said.
“He is like a son to me. Shouldn’t I make sure he lives?”
As I thought, he realized that the odds of Jang Myung surviving as a warrior were low, yet he still wanted to do it.
We could hear Jang Myung’s body cracking as his veins began to burst.
“Insane!”
Cho Sung-won cursed at the sight. It seemed like the sword was further adjusting the body of the host that had already been pushed to the limit.
‘Are you trying to kill everyone, even with a dying body?’
Such a horrible sword.
It wasn’t called a demon sword for no reason, after all. I was curious to know how Baek Hye-hyang was going to control this.
Kwak Hyung-jik then said.
“If you three can hinder its movement, I will try to cut off the arm.”
He was determined about this. His heart must be racing to save his disciple, who was on the brink of death.
I looked at Jang Myung and then at the sword as I pondered the insanity of it all.
Anyone who touched the sword would get their personality erased and fall under its control. Now that the talismans were removed and the sheath was broken, would I be able to carry it back?
Even I, who could hear the voices of swords, almost fell under its control.
‘… phew.’
Maybe this was my chance now.
With someone like Kwak Hyung-jik with us, maybe I can talk to the sword. If the ego was eroded, I might be able to stop it.
‘This sounds insane even for me.’
There was no way for me to take the sword back without reaching an understanding with it.
“Great Warrior Kwak.”
“Are you ready?”
“Can you trust me once and try to subdue Jang Myung once more?”
“Uh? Again?”
Cho Sung-won was the one more startled by my words. He was too shocked that I spoke about subduing the man instead of cutting the arm off.
“Haven’t we already failed?”
“Isn’t that better than the disciple’s arm being cut off?
“The arm goes, either way, right?”
“If we suppress it and it doesn’t work, then go for the arm. Cutting the arm is the last resort.”
“… what are you thinking?”
“If I succeed, you owe me one.”
Pat!
With that, I flew towards Jang Myung.
“You!”
I was faster than Kwak Hyung-jik because he was still shocked at my proposal.
“I will kill you!”
As I moved, Jang Myung, who seemed to have been waiting for me, moved the sword covered with chaotic energy.
It felt like a rain of stones was falling, pressuring me to fall.
‘Hidden Clam Sword Technique!’
A sword technique capable of countering the opponent’s attacks.
Chachachang!
‘Kuak!’
I could feel my arms holding my sword being ripped up as my knees were bent to avoid being pushed back.
My feet dug into the ground due to the strength I was blocking.
Chachang!
I have almost reached the end of my technique.
‘I have been waiting for this!’
I released the qi that I had been holding.
Chang!
Blue flames exploded out. The swords and both of us bounced back as I swung upwards again like a jumping frog.
Jang Myung tried to swing his own sword down.
“Now!”
Pat!
The three of them rushed in without missing the timing. This time, Sima Young held his right arm, Kwak Hyung-jik held his neck and leg, and Cho Sung-won grabbed his left arm.
“Kuaaak!”
Jang Myung screamed and tried to shake them off.
“Ughhh!”
Cho Sung-won was holding on with his life on the line.
I placed Iron Sword to the side and grabbed Jang Myung’s wrist. As I clenched down on it, he stopped moving.
I gulped as I began to release my innate qi.
-I will kill you all!
Unsurprisingly, I heard the same words repeated by the sword inside my head.
“Kuak!”
It was as if my head would explode, but then I could hear my own two swords.
-Wonhui!
-Enough! It is dangerous!
It was nice to hear such caring words, but there was no other way. With trembling hands, I moved my hand to the sword as Iron Sword told me.
-Wonhui. It is not good. The sword isn’t the ego.
‘What are you saying?’
-There is one ego with killing intent alone. And you might be controlled by it.
‘You are saying it has two egos?’
-That self is not something that can be dealt with only words. If that ego emerges, then your body will be taken away.
The result would be the same as Jang Myung.
But it was impossible to give up on this sword. We would have to abandon the sword here if I could not talk to him.
Then everything up to now would be in vain.
‘… you guys help me so that my ego doesn’t waver.’
At the same time, I grabbed the Blood Demon Sword that Jang Myung was holding.
“Sahyung!”
“So sahyung!”
Sima Young and Kwak Hyung-jik were shocked at my actions. They knew I had a plan, but they didn’t expect this.
“It is fine, continue to hold… kuk!”
I could feel a cold energy run through my mind. This was something entirely different from innate or internal qi.
The veins on my right hand were already bulging.
“Huh!”
I began to release more of my innate qi. If I became engulfed in this, I would end up just like Jang Myung.
Raising my innate qi to the maximum, I spoke to the Blood Demon Sword.
‘Blood Demon Sword. Can you hear me?’
If I couldn’t figure out the sword’s intentions, I hoped that we would be able to talk and hear its voice.
Jang Myung’s body began to tremble.
“We need to cut it!”
Kwak Hyung-jik shouted.
“Not yet!”
I shouted back and continued to speak to the sword.
-If you hear me, answer!
At that moment, the convulsions stopped, and the bulging veins began to recede.
‘So he hears it.’
I was sure that he could hear me.
‘Blood Demon Sword. Let him go. Talk with me.’
I could feel a killing intent rip through my mind.
‘Stop…’
I was about to talk, but a suddenly creepy voice filled my head.
-A body like this exists? I like this.
‘What?’
At that moment, my eyes were stained red.
“Uh?”
“Put his hands down.”
Kwak Hyung-jik and Sima Young were surprised. Just a moment ago, they were unable to control Jang Myung.
Now they were able to take his hand away from the sword.
“Ahhh!”
The sword was released from his grip.
The attempt was successful. The sword in his hand was pulled away, and Jang Myung’s body immediately collapsed into Kwak Hyung-jik.
Seeing this, Kwak Hyung-jik spoke to So Wonhui in a happy voice.
“Disciple So, just how…”
It was then.
Pat!
A strange energy circled around So Wonhui’s body, blowing everyone away. As this was unexpected, everyone was pushed back.
“W-what is this?”
Cho Sung-won became lost at this. The Blood Demon Sword that Wonhui held felt entirely different from when Jang Myung had it.
“The hair color…”
Wonhui’s hair was originally black. Now, however, it looked bloody red. It was not just his hair, but his eyes also glowed red.
Kwak Hyung-jik, who saw this, mumbled in shock.
“This cannot be…”
So Wonhui’s appearance now reminded him of the image of that strongest being from twenty years ago.
‘Blood Demon!’
