“Poison King Hall Leader, Jeok Su-yang…”
If it is the Poison King Hall Leader, he has to be the head of the warriors.
The fact that he came out showed the possibility of the warriors in the sect and the elders being summoned.
“Hmmm.”
Jeok Su-yang looked around. He had bold looking eyes and long white hair. Those young features did not seem to suit him.
That was proof that he was a warrior and a skilled one among those here.
Step
With a leisurely pace, he passed the other warriors standing and approached Ma Taryong, who recognized him.
“Ughh…”
“Kuak…”
This overwhelming energy which rose as he just got close, some of the Hidden Truth Corps’ members could not stand it and stepped back.
“How familiar. Did we know each other…?”
Jeok Su-yang stopped a distance from Ma Taryong and stared at him, asking whether he was talking to himself.
“I have seen you attending the meetings with the Earth Demon.”
“Ah, is that so? Right, I remember it as well, such a well natured and clever young man.”
At Ma Taryong’s answer, Jeok Su-ryang nodded with a smile on his lips, and then he sighed, thinking of the old days.
“A wrong meeting can be called fate too. Still, we had good times… I thought of giving you another chance.”
“…”
Ma Taryong waited without speaking.
The next thing to be said was, “I will kill you without causing much pain.” Or “give up everything,” it had to be that.
“Go. You alone get to live.”
“…”
However, the option he gave was quite unexpected. Seeing Ma Taryong shocked, Jeok Su-yang continued,
“It is my own decision to give you this chance. You should know it right? That you cannot stop us.”
“…”
“So what will you do?”
At the repeated question, Ma Taryong responded in a quiet manner.
“Thank you but I refuse.”
“And the reason?”
“…Taking death seems easier than to live as a traitor.”
Jeok Su-yang said he could leave without having a thought about the future, to not get involved in the safety of his lord, Earth Demon.
To someone like Ma Taryong who lived an upfront life, this was nothing less than betrayal.
“Such a nice nature. We need cool young people in our camp too.”
Jeok Su-yang nodded.
He did not push further. He just quietly turned and calmly gave orders to his men.
“It is a pity, but it cannot be helped. Go ahead.”
The work which had been held off for a while.
Papapat!
First, three old men stood ahead, waving their bloody clothes. And like they had been ready for this moment, they rushed for Ma Taryong and Seo Ryeong.
Ma Taryong was shocked.
What?
The opponents had a great advantage over him and the others in numbers and in martial arts, so he thought they would be wiped out immediately, but just three were being used?
In particular, the two recluse warriors who came forward did not seem that exceptional.
Pat!
But still, Ma Taryong also did not have much time to figure this out.
As soon as the old man rushed at him and swung his sword, sword shots were fired at a swift speed.
“Tsk.”
Ma Taryong had to retreat. The sword shots which were condensed sword energy said the opponent was Peak Demon.
Which meant he was around the same skill as himself or a little above.
Papat!
Two of the three old men turned for Yong Jin, Jeok Song, Yorim, and Seo Ryeong.
Jaaackkkk!
Sword and blade energy came from multiple directions, but the two old men avoided any attack thrown at them, and instead of retreating, they were rushing in. Yong Jin now realized it was dangerous.
“How dare you!”
Jeok Song quickly recognized it and unleashed his sword energy. The sword energy he released was a bit slow, but it was spreading wide.
“Hoh.”
The old man who sensed it dodged to the side and then charged ahead again.
Kwang! Crack!
And this time, he went for Yong Jin head on and continued to want a fight there.
Swish!
Meanwhile, Seo Ryeong was releasing daggers at the other old man. It was an attack which was difficult to avoid, but the man continued to move making it tough to hit him.
“Haha. It wont work.”
Plop! Crack!
But the man jumped up and did many tumbles in succession and easily avoided the attacks.
And so—
Clang!
“Haha. You are better than you look.”
No matter how high in the air they were, the moment you came down from the air, you would be in a defenseless state.
He was a little impressed at Yorim’s attempt to attack the spot he would land at.
Swish! Pat!
It was the place where the weapons collided, there was this impact sound which resembled metal clashing.
And by the time the old man was in position to fight again, he clicked his tongue because of the dagger and stepped back.
“Seriously that wench!’
Swish!
It was because as Yorim was in danger, Seo Ryeong continued to throw daggers.
Even if there was a difference in skill, it felt too much to have things being thrown at him.
It felt burdensome to deal with, having this woman throw daggers and the man attack.
Chachachang!
There were fights all over the place, but the most intense and dangerous battle was the fight for Ma Taryong.
Swords collided and sparks were in the air, constantly pushing both of them back.
And then through the footwork, their movement would get swifter and their attacks would become close range ones.
Kakakang!
In one breath, there felt like it was around five or six clashes, and even when they jumped into the air, they were still fighting.
Not just with their swords, but sword energy, and energy shots, anything they could use.
The old man was skilled, but Ma Taryong was equally amazing. He had already made up his mind to die there, and the old man was stepping back one step at a time.
Clank!
Would it be uncomfortable to see these bright blue young robed ones running around?
The old man in black robe lifted his shoulders.
Chak!
“Do not act out.”
“But the elder…”
When Jeok Su-yang said so, the old man frowned.
It was a time when the fight was reaching its peak. In particular, the other two old men were fine, but the one going against Ma Taryong felt very different.
He was an elder in the first place, and the level strength was still Peak Demon because he just turned into an elder recently.
If he made a mistake, he would fall to Ma Taryong, a warrior of the Earth Demon.
“Wouldn’t it be possible to die somewhere?”
“You need to be prepared for that kind of damage. That way, you will end up stepping into the net.”
Jeok Su-yang said and looked around. He looked at the battlefield.
In particular, towards the roar of the fights, the shadows began to quietly approach. They were impatiently waiting for something.
Srng! Puang!
“Kuaak!”
The elder fighting Ma Taryong was pushed back. The palm technique changed the direction and he got hit.
“You… uh?”
And that surprised Ma Taryong too.
The attack which the old man did not expect.
“Kuak!”
After that, each elder who fought against the Hidden Truth Corps retreated with an arm blown off.
The same with the one fighting Seo Ryeong. He got hit with a dagger in a vital point.
“Kuak!”
Tak. Tak!
And there, the shadows came with the wind and poured out attacks to help Ma Taryong.
Three of them.
“That…”
“I guess we aren’t too late yet. Good.”
“The shadow warrior!”
Ma Taryong recognized at once who the people were.
The warriors under the Earth Demon, how did they know for them to show up here?
“Is everyone alright?”
At the question of another masked man, Yong Jin and Jeok Song exhaled and answered with bright looks.
“Thank you.”
“We are lucky to be helped.”
But Seo Ryeong who watched them did not find this nice.
Something seems odd. This…
There are just three elders who they have been fighting, not to mention the Poison King Hall leader and the two others who seemed equal to him.
And the appearance of three people pointing them as secret warriors did not shock the other side.
No.
One thought passed through her head.
Seo Ryeong groaned, but it was a voice which anyone could hear,
“To divert and attack!”
“…?”
“…?”
She spoke again to those who could not understand.
“It is a trap!”
To scare snakes by hitting on the grass.
It was usually said that the enemy was brought in for another reason and the actual reason was different.
Chase
To hunt by surprising the snakes and surrounding them in a trap.
“They never aimed for us. They put the Hidden Truth in chaos and had a fight and while doing so, they called for Ma Taryong. That…”
She looked at them with miserable faces.
“Now, three more joined. They are intentionally calling the warriors of the Earth Demon here.”
To cut them down.
Getting rid of the grass was done by pulling the roots out. They wanted to bring down the troops under the Earth Demon and strike them down.
“On purpose? But why?”
One of the secret warriors said so.
“To capture you,”
Seo Ryeong spoke confidently.
“To use the ones loyal to the Earth Demon to intimidate him. To manipulate him by killing you or taking you hostage.”
“This.”
“Ugh…”
They reacted to her words.
Indeed, as she said, the old men who are stronger did not move yet. And even the Poison King Hall Leader was approaching them.
Step
“We are too late…”
Seo Ryeong fell into despair.
If they thought about killing them, it would not be much. Therefore, it was to attract the Earth Demon’s troops, his core and hidden warriors, by using them as bait. Humiliation or worse, death.
And she could not lift her head because of the trouble the Earth Demon would be put through.
“I guess you realize your fate now.”
Jeok Su-yang said. His face shone in red. It looked like he was ready to take them down.
“But it was late. You worms. Killing you all at once… I will make sure to discipline the sect!”
Pat!
At his cry, the old man at the back rushed forward.
Not just that, but the two warriors who seemed better joined in too.
“It is the end…”
Seeing the recluse warriors cover the sky, Seo Ryeong stumbled.
How could she fight against so many when they could not even win over just one?
Tuk!
Someone helped her as she was about to fall to the ground.
“Sorry…”
She lowered her head.
While reflecting on how she looked weak at the sight of death—
“Do not get anxious before it ends. It isn’t over until it is over. Am I wrong?”
‘…?’
Seo Ryeong’s eyes flickered.
It was because this was a voice she heard before, someone she knew well.
“Baiting us, a good idea if you put the bait in and shake it in the water, the fish will come to it. Looks like they even prepared the net…”
“C-commander…?”
A man with a calm face smiled with his black robe fluttering in the wind.
“If a whale jumps into that net, how do you plan to lift it?”
It was Seol-Hwi.
The man who put an end to the long struggle of the Demonic Sect and had huge accomplishments accumulated under him was standing in front of her.
“Watch closely.”
