novelraw Chapter 71
Chapter 71
Chapter 71
“If only these people weren't here, I wouldn't care if a hundred came at once.”
Cheon Ha-seong said it to reassure them, thinking they were worrying for no reason.
“But Head Instructor, we know you are amazing, but the rumors about the martial artists of the Azure Sea Sect are widespread.”
At Ma Won-chang's words, unable to erase his worry, Cheon Ha-seong smiled and replied.
“Do you remember the mnemonic verses written in the later gates of the Martial Arts Academy? I have made some progress.”
“You've continued to train in the Heaven-Shattering… Will Art?”
He couldn't bring himself to say he had mastered it, but that alone seemed to dispel their worries, and they all trusted Cheon Ha-seong and disappeared like the wind.
In the meantime, the martial artists of the Azure Sea Sect had thought they would have several opportunities. Wasn't it a situation that made no sense in the first place? It didn't make sense that they were exchanging greetings in the middle of a fierce battle, no matter how pleased they were to see each other. So they had tried to attack several times, but they couldn't find an opening at all.
It was as if he were completely off guard, but they all felt as if they were being thoroughly protected by a solid fortress wall. In the meantime, a few men who had been looking for an opening were instead killed by the sharp tip of Cheon Ha-seong's sword. And yet, he finished his conversation to the end as if nothing had happened. Thinking, 'As expected of the demonic path,' the martial artists of the Azure Sea Sect glared at Cheon Ha-seong.
Now, the only follower of the Divine Cult in that place was Cheon Ha-seong.
They wanted to believe that another opportunity had arisen now that the masked people had appeared and then vanished, but their bodies were frighteningly rigid, as if they knew the ominous future.
From then on, Cheon Ha-seong swung his sword and ran rampant with the intent to cut down every single breathing thing.
“Each of you, cut off your own right arm and reveal to the people that everything that has happened so far was your doing. And apologize to the followers of the Divine Cult in the name of the Azure Sea Sect and go into seclusion for the next ten years. If you do so, you and the Azure Sea Sect will be able to avoid annihilation. However, if you refuse, then you, and the Azure Sea Sect, will completely disappear from people's memories.”
Had they ever heard such arrogant words in their entire lives?
“Do not let that bastard be! I'm ordering you to cut off that bastard's head at once! The Azure Sea Sect will bestow a great reward upon the one who cuts off that bastard's head!”
A person appeared, encouraging them in a loud voice, but not a single martial artist of the Azure Sea Sect could easily step forward.
Feeling the ferocious energy pouring out from Cheon Ha-seong, they were all terrified and busy sneakily retreating. However, there was nothing they could avoid by doing so. A regret that was already too late only lowered their fighting spirit and morale and made them face an even more miserable end.
Cheon Ha-seong could easily imagine what would happen in a few moments. No living thing other than himself would be left, no screams or sounds of clashing weapons would be heard, and the place would be filled only with the stench of blood.
“Resent your own sect. And you can take responsibility with your own swords that trampled on the innocent while carrying out the orders your sect gave you.”
A sharp sword slit one man's neck, and his wail spread for a long, long time.
“Everyone, get out of the way!”
Suddenly someone shouted and then launched their body towards Cheon Ha-seong. It seemed to be the first time Cheon Ha-seong had seen a martial artist of the Azure Sea Sect tell others to move aside since he had arrived. Thinking his courage was commendable, he turned his head, and saw the man charging with his sword held out in front.
The peculiar thing was the fact that something mottled was smeared on the blade.
It looked like a liquid that had been applied not long ago, and it was probably poison.
Cheon Ha-seong wore a ridiculous expression at the thought that the bastards of the Azure Sea Sect, who claimed to be of the Orthodox Sect, would cowardly smear their swords with poison and charge at him.
“So the Azure Sea Sect is merely this kind of place. Still, not giving up until the end is a good attitude. If you're going to come at me like that, then I too will face you more diligently.”
“Do you know what kind of poison this is! A mere graze will cause all the blood in your bastardly body to rot!”
It was a wonder what he was spouting while charging with his sword raised. If he had thought he could kill him, he would have done so without such a warning.
But since it seemed he couldn't, he must have been trying to intimidate him.
Cheon Ha-seong launched his body to meet him. Then he pressed the man's paralysis point.
It was an act that would have been unimaginable if Cheon Ha-seong's speed had not been incomparably faster than the man's.
The man who had been charging at Cheon Ha-seong was greatly flustered as his movements suddenly stopped, and he just darted his eyes around.
Perhaps because of the fact that the man's sword was coated with a potent poison, the other people did not even approach his vicinity.
Seeing their reaction, Cheon Ha-seong thought it must be quite an effective poison, and he snatched the sword from the man's hand.
Then he brought the sword to the man's neck.
In the immobile face, only the pupils trembled madly.
And Cheon Ha-seong realized why the man had been so afraid.
He knew that the number of steps was sometimes used as a standard to classify poisons according to their toxicity.
The standard of toxicity was set according to how many steps one could take before dying after being poisoned.
What the martial artist of the Azure Sea Sect had thrust at Cheon Ha-seong was a poison strong enough to bring a person to their death in just five steps.
But the strange thing was that the poison was drying up quickly.
“It seems to be a rare poison, but it would be a waste to just let it fly away like this after it's dried up and can't even be used, wouldn't it?”
As Cheon Ha-seong spoke and turned around, the faces of the Azure Sea Sect martial artists turned ashen. It was a different kind of terror from the fear they had felt while watching Cheon Ha-seong's sword strikes until now.
And for good reason; a person who had been hit by that poison a moment ago was writhing and making a horrific sound.
That bloodcurdling scream and wail continued until the very brink of death. After meeting such a death, it seemed one would never be able to enjoy a peaceful rest even after death.
Cheon Ha-seong ran rampant with a cruel expression on his face.
The efficacy of the poison was considerable. It wasn't just that it could kill a person. At the thought that they might be hit by that poison and die, the movements of the Azure Sea Sect martial artists became extremely restricted and rigid.
That's why Cheon Ha-seong was able to clean up the place so easily, as if he were the only one fighting with his eyes open.
“We will do as you say! So please, just don't kill us!”
Someone suddenly raised their sword and cut off their own right arm. At that, as if it were contagious, people cutting off their own right arms began to appear here and there.
Cheon Ha-seong looked at them and smiled.
“No. No. You can't just end it by offering up your right arm now, after testing the waters for so long. How could I possibly accept that.”
The men had already cut off their own right arms. Cheon Ha-seong walked towards them.
“Wouldn't the bastard who smeared poison on his sword and charged at me have been more plausible than you lot?”
Cheon Ha-seong approached the men who were plunged in confusion and fear and sent a palm strike flying towards their abdomens.
With horrific screams, blood scattered, and the martial artists of the Azure Sea Sect collapsed.
Their dantians had been destroyed.
If there had been anyone among them with a mind to think properly, they would have known just how difficult a task it was to destroy an opponent's dantian with a single palm strike.
Having been turned into such a wretched state, it might have been better for them to live in hiding, avoiding people's eyes, for the sake of their own safety in the future. They must have committed deeds trusting in their strength, but now their dantians were destroyed and they had lost an arm. It was a state no different from a predator that had tormented herbivores being thrown out onto the road, unable to move.
Herbivores, because of their nature, might not even touch an injured predator, but humans would absolutely not do so.
Their enemies would not stand still, but the people who had suffered at their hands would try to take revenge even more tenaciously.
Those who were there were terrified by the unimaginable situation. However, the fact that they could be terrified was also only possible because they were still alive.
They looked at each other with faces that asked what they should do now.
Until the moment they had mercilessly cut down and beaten the followers of the Divine Cult and hung them on pillars, no one had imagined this current situation. But in the end, the deeds they had committed had come back to them.
They had no other thought than wanting to flee this place as quickly as possible, if only Cheon Ha-seong would allow it.
“Where else do the Divine Cult followers live?”
Cheon Ha-seong asked in a cold voice at the backs of those trying to flee.
They flinched, then each began to pour out what they knew. As if thinking Cheon Ha-seong would show them mercy if they were even a little cooperative, they were hell-bent on speaking first.
He had asked just in case, but the result was good. It was to the point where he would have felt it was a shame if he hadn't asked.
As he was leaving the place, Cheon Ha-seong marked his destination on a pillar.
Since it was a secret script used at the Martial Arts Academy, he did not worry that others would notice it.
After his figure disappeared, only the vicious smell of blood remained, revealing the atrocity of the massacre.
***
“Father, it seems they have no intention of just leaving. What should we do?”
At the loud sound of knocking on the door, the inn attendant asked with a terrified face. At that, the inn owner shook his head with a resolute expression.
“If they break down the door and come in, we'll have an excuse, but if we open it for them, we'll have nothing to say to that man. Didn't you see how cruel he is? If we open the door and the people here get hurt, he really will find all of our relatives and kill them.”
“I understand, Father.”
The attendant hadn't asked because he particularly wanted to open the door, but just because he wanted to know his father's wishes, so he quietly held his ground.
However, the sound of the door being shaken grew more and more violent. Then, a booming voice was heard from outside.
“We have come on Head Instructor Cheon's orders. If you do not open the door at once, we will report it to Head Instructor Cheon!”
At that, the attendant looked at his father, then quickly ran and opened the door.
The whole reason he hadn't intended to open the door was because of Cheon Ha-seong's command, but they said he had sent them. He thought that if he said he had opened it believing them, that man wouldn't say anything, but as soon as he opened the door, a grim scene unfolded.
Hadn't the people appeared, each carrying a corpse slung over their shoulder?
It was a little later that he realized they were not corpses, but living people.
“Sorry for barging in suddenly. It was because the situation was not favorable.”
One person spoke and then came inside.
As the others also hurried in, the attendant quickly bolted the door again.
“What is all this?”
The attendant broke out in a cold sweat, wondering how such a thing had happened.
However, the Divine Cult followers who were on the first floor quickly grasped what was happening and moved the tables amongst themselves to make space.