novelraw Chapter 67
Chapter 67
67. The Buddha Without Mercy
Lesser Immortal Sect.
The sign was written in a strong, confident hand.
But the place itself was small.
There wasn’t even a proper main hall—just two buildings and a single training ground.
As Sun Wukong stepped in, he frowned.
“There’s not a trace of life here.”
His ears twitched constantly, and his nose flared.
He couldn’t sense anyone.
Namgung Mu-yeong’s face also hardened.
“Blood Scent...”
He turned to Sun Wukong, his expression grim.
It was the smell of blood.
The closer they got to the manor, the thicker the scent became. By the time they arrived, it was strong enough to make them instinctively cover their noses.
Sun Wukong gave a bitter smile.
“Looks like we’re a step too late.”
Mu-yeong and Seo-Wol immediately split up and searched every corner.
No one was found. Not even a corpse.
Only bloodstains on the ground and signs of destruction scattered about.
“It’s clear something terrible happened here.”
But where had all the bodies gone?
Sun Wukong found them without much trouble.
“Over here.”
“Ugh...!”
Mu-yeong swallowed hard. Seo-Wol’s face was expressionless, but a subtle anger flickered in her eyes.
Near the wall by the well, a pile of corpses was stacked high.
Mu-yeong ground his teeth in fury.
“Who would dare do something like this...”
Sun Wukong calmly examined the bodies.
“They couldn’t even resist. All killed in one blow.”
All thirty-nine corpses had their chests or heads crushed.
“They died in a single strike from a palm technique.”
They hadn’t even had a chance to draw their swords.
That meant the difference in skill was overwhelming.
“There must be a reason a Martial Master of this level would target a rural martial sect like this.”
“It’s probably because of that Blood Scent you were tracking, right?”
Given the situation, Mu-yeong had no choice but to trust Sun Wukong.
The Blood Scent he’d noticed even before they arrived in the village.
“But with everyone dead like this... For now, I’ll look for other clues.”
“No.”
Mu-yeong tilted his head at Sun Wukong’s words.
Sun Wukong looked around and spoke.
“There was a woman’s room inside that building.”
“Ah, yes.”
There were traces of a woman having stayed there.
Sun Wukong gestured at the corpses.
“There’s no woman among them.”
“...!”
“And the bodies—they tried to burn them, but stopped halfway.”
Mu-yeong’s pupils trembled slightly. Sun Wukong remained calm.
“They probably tried to burn the place to erase any evidence.”
“If it’s the ones who attacked the Wudang Sect, that makes sense. Burning is the surest way.”
That would explain why they bothered to pile the bodies together.
Sun Wukong pointed with his finger.
“There’s a puddle of water here. These corpses are damp, and there’s dirt all over them.”
“So that means...”
“Someone survived, and after the killers left, put out the fire.”
Just then—
Sun Wukong suddenly drew his iron staff and swung it.
Crash!
“Urgh!”
With a faint groan, someone was sent flying and slammed into the wall.
Sun Wukong clicked his tongue.
“Tsk.”
Startled by the sudden attack, Mu-yeong and Seo-Wol drew their swords and stood on guard.
But Sun Wukong waved his hand.
“She’s a survivor.”
The woman who had survived here. She must have been the one who put out the fire burning the corpses.
The woman, pale as a ghost, pointed her sword at them.
Her stance was decent, but the tip of her blade trembled.
“You... What’s your connection to those bastards who killed my father?!”
“At the very least, we’re not with them. Put the sword down.”
“...”
Still wary, Mu-yeong stepped forward.
“Please look at this uniform—we’re from the Namgung Clan.”
“Namgung Clan!”
The woman’s face lit up as she cried out. Her sword clattered to the ground, and she nearly collapsed. Namgung Seo-Wol quickly rushed over to support her.
“They... they slaughtered us...”
“Calm down. Before the attack, did anyone come to the Lesser Immortal Sect?”
“A Taoist from the Wudang Sect came—he was covered in wounds.”
Mu-yeong’s head snapped around. He locked eyes with Sun Wukong, who was gripping his iron staff.
Sun Wukong grinned.
“See? Told you I was right.”
“...”
Mu-yeong’s pupils trembled. Sun Wukong suddenly spun his iron staff through the air in a dazzling display.
“They’re relentless—they chased their target to the very end.”
Sun Wukong’s voice dropped to a low growl.
“So it’s likely some of them stayed behind to see if there were any survivors.”
“...!”
Sun Wukong cracked his neck from side to side.
A faint smile played on his lips.
“Come on, stop lurking in the shadows and show yourselves, you rats.”
His Lion’s Roar echoed out.
* * *
From behind trees, rocks, and the ground itself, black-clad figures suddenly sprang up.
It was like a flock of sparrows startled from thick branches.
The woman, who had collapsed into Seo-Wol’s arms, went deathly pale.
There was no need to ask. These were the fiends responsible for this massacre.
Sun Wukong didn’t panic—he simply leveled his iron staff.
He’d sensed their presence the moment he entered the manor.
He’d even counted their numbers.
‘Eleven.’
Only one of them seemed skilled enough to be worth noting.
The other ten were just small fry.
Sun Wukong’s eyes darted quickly.
But what happened next caught even him off guard.
“They’re running away?”
Sun Wukong let out a hollow laugh.
The black-clad men bolted in the opposite direction the moment they were discovered.
Sun Wukong glanced sideways.
“Is it because of the Namgung Clan?”
Mu-yeong and Seo-Wol were both wearing the Namgung Clan’s uniforms.
Sun Wukong concluded that the black-clad men recognized the Namgung Clan and decided to flee.
‘If they dared attack the Wudang Sect, what would they be afraid of here?’
Most likely, the ones left behind were just the grunts.
They wouldn’t waste their elite on watching for survivors.
Sun Wukong already knew from his senses that these black-clad men were nothing special.
And he wasn’t the type to let fleeing enemies escape.
“I am the Buddha.”
Sun Wukong muttered quietly. His voice rang out clearly.
He drew his arm holding the iron staff far back.
“...!”
Mu-yeong’s eyes widened.
That massive iron staff looked too heavy to swing with both hands, yet Sun Wukong held it in one hand, pulling his arm back as if drawing a bow.
He closed one eye, judging the distance and direction.
“And so, I show no mercy.”
“...”
For a moment, Mu-yeong thought he’d misheard.
He’s the Buddha, but has no mercy?
But the question vanished instantly. The overwhelming Air-Splitting Roar that pierced his ears wiped out all thought.
Sun Wukong’s right arm swelled with power as he drew it back and hurled the iron staff.
No—he didn’t just throw it. He fired it.
Whoosh—!
A tremendous Air-Splitting Roar and swirling Qi Wave erupted. The vortex of energy and air at the tip of the staff was clearly visible.
Boom!
“...!”
The iron staff struck one of the black-clad men, tearing off his right shoulder.
If it had hit a little more to the left, his entire upper body would have been ripped off.
The faces of the black-clad men turned ghostly pale.
They glanced at their fallen comrade, then ran even faster.
Like rabbits fleeing a predator, they bolted in a panic.
Sun Wukong leapt after them.
Mu-yeong and Seo-Wol quickly followed.
As Sun Wukong, Mu-yeong, and Seo-Wol gave chase, the black-clad men ran for their lives.
‘What the hell...?!’
Their leader, Red Tiger, trembled.
‘Why is the Namgung Clan here?!’
Of course, this was Anhui Province.
The Namgung Clan ruled Anhui.
But even so, Joined Jade was far from here.
The Lesser Immortal Sect wasn’t even a proper town—just a rural sect in the middle of nowhere.
There was no way the Namgung Clan would come all the way here just because of a massacre.
And even if they did, it would be long after the incident.
‘How did they know?’
How could they have known to come here?
The massacre of the Wudang Blood Warriors happened far from here.
They’d left no clues pointing this way.
“Aaaargh!”
His thoughts were cut short by a scream behind him.
The chilling sound of flesh being torn and screams of agony made his hair stand on end. Red Tiger didn’t even turn his head.
He was afraid if he did, his legs would freeze up.
‘What is that guy with the Namgung Clan?!’
His eyes twitched.
A man with golden hair and a sturdy build.
‘He’s not even wearing the Namgung uniform, so why is he with them... Is he a retainer? I’ve never heard of a foreigner being a retainer, but now they’ve got a monster on their side!’
He’d noticed the man’s exotic appearance, but hadn’t paid much attention.
All he could think about was escaping the Namgung Clan.
He’d planned to hide his presence and slip away quietly once they left.
But that monster had sensed even their hidden presence.
Boom!
“Urgh!”
Another explosion and scream rang out.
Red Tiger’s legs began to tremble as he ran.
‘Who throws a staff the size of a house pillar like a spear?!’
Unbelievable strength.
Even if it was just Internal Qi, it was a problem. The energy consumption must be enormous!
Wouldn’t it be more efficient to use a quick Martial Form rather than showing off like that?
The fact that he could flaunt his Internal Qi like this meant he was a true Martial Master with overwhelming power.
‘A real monster I can’t handle!’
Even when they attacked the Wudang Sect’s Taoists—
None of them had given off this kind of terror, pressure, or sense of dread.
Before he could even react, his superiors had slaughtered the Wudang warriors.
‘I need to get out of here and report this. That some monster came with the Namgung Clan!’
His whole body was drenched in cold sweat. The screams drew closer and closer. The sound of flesh tearing. The terrifying Air-Splitting Roar. The endless, sickening noise of bodies being ripped apart.
He endured it all as he ran.
At some point, Red Tiger realized the screams were fading, until finally, they stopped altogether.
Even the swirling Air-Splitting Roar vanished.
He couldn’t hear his subordinates breathing, nor the footsteps of their pursuers.
Thanks to the sacrifice of the other ten, Red Tiger managed to get far ahead.
...Or so he thought.
Until he heard a whisper in his ear.
“How long are you going to keep running, hmm?”
“...!”
Goosebumps erupted all over his body. Red Tiger reflexively drew his sword, spinning around as he did.
He poured a faint trace of Internal Qi and the force of his waist into the blade as he turned.
If someone had been right behind him, it would have been almost impossible to block or dodge.
Clang!
Red Tiger’s face hardened. Drawing the sword was one of his specialties.
Despite his shallow Internal Qi and lack of deep Martial Art Skill, it was the reason he had his position.
Even his superiors had been impressed by the sudden flash of white light when he drew his blade.
He’d swung with confidence, but his sword was blocked by an iron staff shrouded in inky blackness.
Not just blocked.
His wrist felt like it was about to shatter. The finely honed blade lost its edge in a single clash.
“You bastard!”
“Sorry. I blocked with the tip.”
The end of the iron staff was wrapped in pitch-black energy.
Red Tiger’s sword was now worthless.
But he wasn’t the type to surrender so easily.
Red Tiger brought both fists to his waist and struck out.
A barrage of powerful, forceful punches rained down.
“So you’re not just a grunt—you’ve got the basics, at least.”
Countless Fist Shadows flew at Sun Wukong’s face.
Sun Wukong smirked.
From within the shadows, a streak of red energy surged forth.
Like molten lava from hell, ready to devour him.
Red Tiger’s face twisted in horror.