I Became the Genius Mage of the Martial Academy

Chapter 98 : Raid on the River (3)

‘Is it being drawn?’

Like a magnet, the Daoist Scholar’s Fan was responding to the destruction of the flexible sword. It seemed that since they were weapons made by the same creator, there was some kind of connection.

‘Come to think of it, was there a separate release condition?’

Divine artifacts and artifacts usually had their unique abilities latent.

It was a kind of safety device, but if a certain thought or the creator’s wish were to leak out incorrectly and the weapon itself were to wield its ability at will with its own will, it would become a cursed object or an evil object.

That’s why such power was usually sealed, and each had its own release condition. Usually, it was enough for the user to be recognized by the weapon or to increase their capacity.

However, it was a characteristic that there were sometimes faster and easier ways depending on the creator’s intention or the imbued wish, so there were also examples that were set differently according to the guide.

‘I’ve never played with the Daoist Scholar’s Fan, so I can’t know for sure. So I was just thinking vaguely…’

Claaang!

Just then, the flexible sword made a loud creaking sound, and the Daoist Scholar’s Fan vibrated once more. I instinctively knew that the way was to clash the artifacts together.

‘Now’s the time to try.’

If it was Sayurang, who had been pushed back by the shadow escort and had accumulated injuries and exhaustion, no, if it was the flexible sword she was wielding, it was worth a shot.

And most of all, I didn’t want to let such a villain use Zhuge Goya’s final work. I gathered my mana to look for an opportunity.

As the battle intensified, the dagger flashed, and the flexible sword, which was moving more unnaturally than before, blocked it. Sayurang’s body was pushed back due to her inability to properly deflect the shock.

I immediately rushed at such an opponent, flying a lightning bolt.

“How dare this thing!”

Sayurang raised one arm, which was wrapped in a red protective qi, and blocked the lightning bolt.

“Still, this one will sting a bit.”

I said, shooting an additional spear of flame lightning that had been compressed in a spiral. The other side, as if it were burdensome to block it this time, split the spear of flame lightning with a hand blade wrapped in qi.

I was aiming for that moment. The moment the spear of flame lightning was about to shatter into pieces, I exploded the mana from within.

A dense flame and the lightning that engulfed her upper body. Thanks to that, I rushed in, taking advantage of the gap where her vision was temporarily obscured.

Sayurang was still facing the shadow escort with the flexible sword in one hand.

For weapons that use elasticity to attack quickly, like a whip or a flexible sword, there is always a fixed point that acts as a center point in the process of bending.

When the sound of metal cutting through the air slowed down for a very short time and I felt the ominous premonition before the flexible sword, which had been pulled to its limit, was shot, my sharpened senses accurately captured it.

Before I knew it, I was aiming for the point where the flexible sword, which was full of cracks, was bending and was striking with the tip of the Daoist Scholar’s Fan.

Craaack-!

The sharp tip of the fan rib dug into the crack.

“You little worm!!”

Sayurang shouted, but it was already too late.

The strength of the fan ribs of the divine artifact, the Daoist Scholar’s Fan, was beyond imagination. There was no way that an artifact that had begun to break due to accumulated shock could withstand it.

Clang-!

Finally, the flexible sword broke into two pieces.

Pshhh-

At the same time, I could feel the Daoist Scholar’s Fan absorbing the lingering thoughts contained in the engraving on the flexible sword.

It wasn’t that surprising that something intangible was there. Because an artifact was not completed with just good metal.

Since it was an object in which someone’s wish, and the will beyond it, was imbued, it was natural for the Daoist Scholar’s Fan to absorb the power left by Zhuge Goya.

‘Is this the standard guide for the Daoist Scholar’s Fan?’

A powerful force was felt from within the Daoist Scholar’s Fan, which had absorbed the artifact.

As far as I vaguely knew, there were two release conditions for the existing weapon.

A way to forcibly release it later by increasing its capacity, and a way to aim for an easier and faster release of the Daoist Scholar’s Fan by achieving a hidden element like this.

‘If I absorb the other three evil artifacts left by Zhuge Goya, a complete release is possible.’

I looked at Sayurang, who was beginning to be completely pushed back by the shadow escort, and came to a conclusion.

At this rate, it seemed I could kill Sayurang enough. And so, as I was gathering my mana to prepare a spear of flame lightning, I heard her voice, which was filled with malice.

“It won’t end like this! I’ll definitely kill you!!!”

And then, when she threw something in her bosom onto the floor, a smoke quickly rose.

“It’s poison!”

Choi Mi-kyung, who had recovered from the poisoning to some extent, shouted.

At this, just as the shadow escort was about to attack the enemy, avoiding the poisonous smoke, Sayurang threw several poison beads in her bosom towards Namgung Bihwa.

Clang-!

While the shadow escort was striking them, Sayurang, who had escaped to the front deck of the boat, jumped towards the boat next to it.

“She’s running away!”

Choi Mi-kyung, who had noticed this, shouted. The Blood Cult’s boat, which was moving away from our boat before we knew it. It seemed they had even prepared to escape in advance.

But the shadow escort just stared at the enemy’s boat, which was moving away, and did not move.

‘As expected, he’s not chasing.’

The shadow escort’s purpose was, after all, Namgung Bihwa’s safety. Since Sayurang had escaped, there was no reason for him to intervene.

It was a pity. If the remaining peak-level masters had blocked the Blood Cult’s boat from leaving, they could have been dealt with here.

‘I guess it can’t be helped.’

Namgung Bihwa’s escort was protecting Namgung Bihwa, and Namgung Bihwa could not act as the shadow escort had requested.

And it was a problem to deploy Yang Ha-eun, who was treating the injured Escort Lee and Choi Mi-kyung, against the blood demons that would be left on the Blood Cult’s boat, so it had to be like this in the end.

[I’ll kill you next time…!]

Just then, a chilling voice was heard in my ear. Sayurang had sent a telepathic message.

[That’s what I should be saying.]

I also flew a telepathic message in commemoration of becoming a peak-level master. A murder notice as the first telepathic message. It was a very central plains-like use.

The boat, which had moved away by more than dozens of meters before I knew it, but I was furious to just let it go.

‘I won’t let you go easily.’

The greatest advantage of magic, long-range projection.

I flew a fireball and set the boat on fire, and I pierced a hole in the bottom of the boat with a spear of flame lightning. Thanks to that, the boat tilted quickly.

At that rate, it would sink before it reached a nearby pier. Of course, a super-master of that level wouldn’t die just by falling into the middle of a river, but she would have a hard time.

I looked at the tilting Blood Cult’s boat with a somewhat refreshed feeling.

Sayurang was glaring this way. Of course, since the distance had increased, the telepathic message was not heard.

“Let’s clean up and leave now.”

I wanted to chase her if I could, but that wasn’t the situation. Choi Mi-kyung was still poisoned, and Namgung Bihwa’s side would not respond.

Still, there was a harvest. I had found out the release condition for the Daoist Scholar’s Fan, and I had saved Yang Ha-eun while messing up the Blood Cult’s plan. And most of all, the Hainan Sect was a sect that could not live with a debt. With this, they would hold a grudge against the Blood Cult.

And so, after cleaning up the situation, I called the captain and the crew who had been hiding and ordered them to check the boat’s condition and to depart.

“That contact point stab just now, did you copy me?”

The shadow escort of Namgung Bihwa suddenly asked.

“Yes.”

The blow that had broken Sayurang’s flexible sword at the end was actually a stab that I had tried, following the posture of the shadow escort using a dagger that I had observed during the battle. Although it was a hastily imitated move, the form was quite plausible.

“…I see. But don’t put too much weight on your standing foot. Although the power of one blow increases, if you miss, it becomes difficult to make the quick transition that is characteristic of dagger arts.”

The figure of the shadow escort, who had been giving advice at will, disappeared in an instant.

‘What?’

It seemed that since he had received help during the battle, he had taught me dagger arts instead of a thank you.

Come to think of it, since handling a contact line was similar to handling a dagger, it seemed the subtleties matched to some extent.

Just as I was thinking about how to use the Daoist Scholar’s Fan well like a dagger, I heard the urgent report of a crew member who had run out from inside the boat.

“We’re in big trouble! As Mr. Zhuge Cheonwu had feared, water is leaking into the boat.”

‘As expected, did she have the same thought as me just now?’

Earlier, Sayurang had pierced holes here and there on the boat by hitting the deck with her flexible sword. Thinking of that, I had ordered the boat crew to check, and it seemed my prediction was correct.

“She’s troublesome until the very end.”

I clicked my tongue and headed inside the boat, following the crew. Water that was leaking from a few holes at the bottom of the boat was coming in.

Although the holes made by the sword were not that big, the problem was that the boat’s speed would slow down at this rate. If the operation continued for a long time, even this boat could sink, so it was not a good sign.

“Is there no problem at the bottom?”

“Yes. There are only about four holes pierced at the middle and lower parts.”

Well, no matter how long the flexible sword was, it wasn’t long enough to pierce the bottom of the boat. So what was needed now was to plug those holes.

The problem was that there was no carpenter to block them.

“It can’t be helped.”

There is a saying that a highly developed technology is like magic. So if there is no developed technology, you can just use magic.

I crossed the inside of the boat, where the water was up to my knees, and placed my palm right next to the pierced outer wall.

‘Freeze.’

The concept itself was not difficult.

First, I made a thick ice wall along the outer wall near the hole. And when the ice on the outside of the boat became large enough not to be broken by the water pressure, I controlled it and brought it to the hole.

Then the ice was sucked into the crack by the water pressure that was trying to pour into the boat, and it stuck to it, and at that time, I froze it along with the hole.

This was the same for the others. And so, when I had frozen the rest of the holes, the stream of water that was leaking into the boat stopped.

Of course, since this was a temporary measure, it didn’t last long. And the mana in my circle was not enough.

‘It can’t be helped. I’ll just have to endure.’

After pouring all the remaining mana in my circle and freezing it for a long time, the boat finally reached a nearby pier. When I barely got off the boat, exhausted, Yang Ha-eun and Choi Mi-kyung each came up and bowed their heads.

“Amazing. To think you could do this.”

“Thank you. If it weren’t for you, I would have been floundering in the river by now.”

“What are you talking about? I also survived thanks to you guys.”

“…To think that was a sorcery, it’s amazing.”

Just then, Namgung Bihwa also added a word. At that, I asked.

“So what are you going to do now?”

“Yes?”

“The Blood Cult has messed with not just the Zhuge family, but also the Namgung family and the Hainan Sect. Are you going to just let it be?”

“…I’ll contact my family.”

‘Good.’

With this, the Blood Cult became a public enemy. Although they were already a public enemy, they were now in a position to be much more vigilant. At least the Blood Cult branches in Hubei, Anhui, and Hainan would be crushed.

‘Let them have a taste of their own medicine.’

Sayurang, who had not been able to kill and destroy evidence even with that much strength, would surely be held responsible, so I decided to think of it as a good thing.

“So what are you going to do now?”

“From now on, the land route is better. We’re almost at Hubei Province.”

I said at Yang Ha-eun’s question. Thanks to being on the north side of the river, it was connected to Hubei Province by land. And so, just as we were about to inquire about a carriage and get on.

Thud!

“Master!”

Choi Mi-kyung collapsed.

“It’s poison!”

Pale skin and revealed dark red veins. I could see that Choi Mi-kyung’s energy veins were poisoned and swollen. It seemed to be a strong poison.

It was difficult to find someone who could detoxify such a poison nearby. In the first place, if even an experienced elder of the Hainan Sect and a super-master could not handle it, an ordinary physician would not be enough.

‘Although she’s enduring with her internal energy, at this rate…’

In the urgent situation, I recalled one piece of information. That the poison doctor of the Tang family, who had come to find Dang Surin, was in Hubei Province. Since she had said she was near the academy, if we moved quickly, we could get help.

“Let’s go to the academy quickly. The Poison Doctor of the Tang family is near there, so we can get a diagnosis.”

At my words, Yang Ha-eun nodded her head with tears streaming down her two eyes.

‘Even so, it’s urgent.’

I looked at Choi Mi-kyung, who was breathing heavily.

‘If only I could draw out even a little of the poison…’

Just then, it flashed through my mind. The Blood River Art, a sorcery that gathers or solidifies blood to strengthen it. If I used this, couldn’t I also draw out the poison?

‘Although it won’t be perfect…’

I examined Choi Mi-kyung’s wound. It was a sight where the flesh had melted due to the poison. If left like this, there was a high possibility that it would fester even more. I pricked my fingertip with a knife, drew blood, and then asked Choi Mi-kyung.

“From now on, I will use my blood to remove the poison attached to your wound. Is that okay?”

A rambling explanation. And what’s more, this side was a novice. Entrusting one’s life to an unlicensed doctor without any certainty was a huge gamble. But Choi Mi-kyung looked this way and then nodded her head faintly.

“Then, I’ll perform first aid.”

In this era where there was no Good Samaritan law, there was no need to act on an uncertain intuition. But I couldn’t let Choi Mi-kyung die like this.

I put a lot of my internal energy into it and manipulated the blood flow. And I brought it to Choi Mi-kyung’s cut wound. The blood spread like a sticky substance and began to absorb the poison of the wound according to my will.

At my current skill level, I could only manipulate the blood flow that had been discharged outside my body by about a finger’s length. And even that required a considerable amount of internal energy and a high degree of concentration.

‘After drawing it in so that it doesn’t enter the wound, I’ll throw it on the floor.’

It was a feeling like cleaning with the sticky liquid slime that children use. The key was to throw it away without touching the wound in the process of absorbing the poison.

I had done this to save her from the poison, but if I were to be poisoned myself, there would be no real answer. But if I were to use my blood recklessly, worrying about being poisoned, this time, I would be the one who would get tired and fall first.

In the end, I had to handle the blood to the very edge of the precarious area and absorb the poison.

‘This is no joke.’

Since the wound cut by the poison-coated blade was wider than I had thought, the consumption of blood was great.

Since it was not just a matter of excising the wound, but of uprooting the finely spread poison, a lot of mental strength and internal energy were required.

And so, after finishing the first aid to the extent that I could, I finally took my hand away.

“…I’m going to faint.”

My surroundings were now full of blackened blood. The extracted poison was creating a foul-smelling foam and was eating away at the ground.

“Zhuge Cheonwu!”

Yang Ha-eun supported my staggering back. Her two eyes were brimming with tears.

“Still, her condition seems to have gotten quite a bit better.”

I looked at Choi Mi-kyung, who was now sleeping with a slightly more comfortable complexion, and let out a dry laugh.

“The carriage is here!”

Just then, Escort Lee brought a carriage and a driver he had arranged. Although the driver asked for our understanding, saying that since he was leaving right away, there were other customers inside, now was not the time to consider such things.

“It doesn’t matter. Let’s move.”

Just as we were about to get on the carriage with the unconscious Choi Mi-kyung, we suddenly stopped. There were unexpected people inside.

“Huh, Zhuge Cheonwu?”

“Wow, it’s been a while, junior.”

What was inside the carriage was Baek Hasin, with his right arm wrapped in a bandage, and Cho Min-ha.

(End of Chapter)