novelraw Chapter 175 : Chapter 175
Chapter 175 : Chapter 175
Chapter 175. Time (7)
Within the range where each other’s sword edges reached, trajectories crossed incessantly.
The trajectory of the Master’s Blade moving toward the Unwol Sect Leader’s vital point.
Sword Qi sent secretly mixed with feints.
The strike the Unwol Sect Leader guy threw aiming for my neck.
Sparks flying as swords collided.
Clang!
Aiming for the moment the swords collided, I thrust my left palm by surprise.
The one-armed swordsman who had become a cripple didn’t have a left palm to clash with, so he forcefully twisted his body to dodge that blow.
A slightly twisted posture.
I continued to swing the Master’s Blade to push the guy.
“Damn brat!!”
The Unwol Sect Leader let out a scream full of malice and threw his body this way and that.
Slash!
A refreshing cutting sound rang out, but unfortunately, what the Master’s Blade cut off was the empty left sleeve of the guy.
“Tsk. Since you’re already a cripple, cutting it is meaningless.”
Sparks flew in the eyes of the Unwol Sect Leader running wild like a foal with its tail on fire.
“You son of a bitch, how dare you!! I will surely cut off your limbs one by one too!!”
I didn’t cut the left sleeve on purpose to mock him, but it was something that didn’t matter.
The Unwol Sect Leader, who spat out curses, swung his sword wildly in the air with his only right arm.
Bundles of sword Qi poured out riding the guy’s sword, but I willingly struck head-on.
Like that, after exchanging moves a few times with the Unwol Sect Leader who was throwing his body diligently.
The guy screamed with malice.
“You bastard!! How dare you steal this old man’s martial arts!!”
“Then why didn’t you kill me back then? Stupid old man.”
“If only it weren’t for that damn Fighting Venerable, you would have died long ago!!”
“Did your head get cut off along with your arm? If you guys hadn’t been wary of each other, you would have killed me before the Fighting Venerable even intervened?”
The three leaders who lived despicably all their lives could not do their best because they were wary of each other.
That’s why Black Way bastards were hopeless.
His cherished disciple. No, the pet dog Hyeok Ilso also died by my hands.
The Unwol Sect also suffered immense damage because of me.
The guy thinking of such calculations even with me, who could be considered a sworn enemy, in front of him was that one-armed old man.
“Eeek!”
Perhaps because he was hit on the mark, the Unwol Sect Leader couldn’t refute and just swung his sword making strange noises.
Dodging and striking away the guy’s sword, I examined his movements.
The flow of internal energy running through the guy’s body was reflected in the special two eyes that had opened long ago.
Since I had been examining that flow from earlier, I was slowly getting the hang of it now.
The Unwol Sect Leader didn’t get weaker compared to the time at Mount Pyeongwan.
The center of gravity collapsed from losing one arm.
Surprisingly, the Unwol Sect Leader gave a change to the Life and Death Blood Steps according to that center of gravity.
And that was all.
He didn’t get weaker, but he didn’t get stronger either.
Even the techniques the guy unfolded were all techniques tailored for a one-armed person.
It seemed there was nothing more worth stealing.
“Tsk. As expected, a useless old man.”
I dug in by surprise aiming for the moment the guy crumpled his expression.
Like an experienced master, the guy unfolded footwork and dodged my blow without a sign of panic.
It didn’t matter. Even that was anticipated anyway.
The trajectory of the Master’s Blade that cut the air twisted sharply and moved to chase the guy.
Already dozens of exchanges with the guy.
Although modified, the guy’s footwork was ultimately the Life and Death Blood Steps.
It meant it was a technique familiar to my eyes.
Now, just by looking at the flow of internal energy running through the guy’s body, I could roughly predict how the guy intended to move.
Clang!!
Sparks fly in the air as each other’s swords collide.
The posture of the guy who swung the sword urgently was slightly twisted.
I swung the Master’s Blade continuously to push the guy.
As expected, the guy tried to escape my offensive by unfolding the Life and Death Blood Steps, but it was meaningless.
Clang!
Every time the swords collided, the guy’s posture collapsed a little.
Slash!!
The number of times the sword strikes he couldn’t completely dodge cut the guy’s skin gradually increased.
As wounds piled up on his torso and legs, the guy’s martial arts uniform was gradually dyed blood-red.
“For a mere damn brat subject!!!”
The appearance of the guy shouting with bloodshot eyes was simply ridiculous.
What meaning would there be in making threats with a collapsed posture?
Aiming for the moment the guy moved, I swung the Master’s Blade again.
The energy circulating through the acupoints of my whole body flocked to the Master’s Blade at once.
The guy’s body and the Master’s Blade getting closer.
“Damn it!!”
Spitting out a curse, the Unwol Sect Leader hurriedly thrust his sword with a completely collapsed posture.
Matching that moment, the energy gathered to the extreme spewed out riding the Master’s Blade at once.
The Master’s Blade laden with strong Qi collided with the Unwol Sect Leader’s sword.
Slash!
Along with a refreshing cutting sound, the Unwol Sect Leader’s sword was cut off.
Following that, a second cutting sound rang out.
Slash!
A scar slashing largely across the guy’s chest. Blood burst out roughly.
“Cough…….”
The Unwol Sect Leader who groaned hurriedly grabbed his chest with his only right arm.
“Th, there is no way this me would lose to the likes of you!”
A snort flowed out automatically.
“Why are you babbling as if you are something when you are just a coward engaging in back-alley dealings hiding away?”
Did he live forgetting that he was just a Black Way nobody at best?
The Unwol Sect Leader’s eyes opened wide.
As if trying to say something, the guy opened and closed his mouth, but no voice flowed out.
Instead, along with a cutting sound, the guy’s head was cut off.
Slash!
Because there was no reason to converse anymore.
I turned my back as is and looked at the place where my companions were fighting.
The battle there had also reached its final stage.
Most of the dozens of Black Way bastards who came additionally were already sprawled on the ground.
Among them was a somewhat familiar face.
Golden Guardian Unit Leader.
A guy whom I didn’t even dare to deal with at one time.
But now, I could deal with him just with the power of my companions without me stepping forward.
Soon, the gazes of the companions who dealt with all the enemies turned toward me all at once.
“Senior Brother!!!!”
Junior Sister Baek Hyang rushed toward me shouting loudly.
The Junior Sister was laughing while crying.
Although her face was full of smiles, tears were flowing from her eyes.
Junior Sister Choyeon was also approaching this way carefully without presence, and.
“Hyung-ah!!!”
Nam Geon ran fiercely with the force to cause an earthquake.
Crunch!
With every step Nam Geon took, the corpses of Black Way bastards were exploding.
Nam Geon, who opened a blood path and approached, spread both arms wide and embraced me.
I hurriedly took a step back and dodged.
Nam Geon, failing to hug, looked at me with a bewildered tone.
“Hy, Hyung-ah?”
“Calm down. Do you intend to kill me?”
I felt it intuitively. That Nam Geon was not controlling his strength at all.
Probably if I were embraced in his arms, I would have had an interview with King Yama right then.
“Or are you trying to punish me for coming late?”
Nam Geon shook his head left and right urgently.
“N, no Hyung-ah! I, I’m glad you returned alive!”
Perhaps realizing it only now, Junior Sister Baek Hyang also let out a sigh of relief and said.
“That’s right. Senior Brother. It’s really, really a relief.”
On the other hand, Junior Sister Choyeon spoke in an indifferent tone.
“I am really glad to see you again. Senior Brother.”
A faint laugh flowed out.
I felt it was a great development just for that Junior Sister Choyeon to use the expression ‘glad’.
“I really missed you too. Everyone has truly improved unrecognizably.”
“Senior Brother also seems to have grown quite tall.”
“Ri, right. Hyung-ah bo, body also got bigger and fa, face got whiter.”
I didn’t know about the build, but the face deserved it.
Because I was trapped in a cave without seeing sunlight once for three years.
“Appearance is appearance, but I meant skills. Seeing you earlier, it seemed you learned the Heavenly Wind Sword Art very properly.”
Nam Geon, as if shy, scratched his head with a hand as big as a cauldron lid and looked at Junior Sister Baek Hyang.
“Thanks to Hya, Hyang-ie. Hya, Hyang-ie kept teaching me.”
I nodded thinking as expected.
Nam Geon was keeping the manual of the Heavenly Wind Sword Art.
It seemed Junior Sister Baek Hyang learned it first using that manual and then taught Nam Geon.
Since I even saw Junior Sister Baek Hyang unfolding the Heavenly Wind Sword Art during the battle, I was roughly expecting it.
“Junior Sister must have had a lot of trouble.”
Unlike the body given by the heavens, Nam Geon’s insight was regretful.
In addition, the Heavenly Wind Sword Art was a quite difficult and profound martial art.
How many times did Junior Sister Baek Hyang explain to Nam Geon until he memorized and understood the essentials?
Hundreds. No, maybe she repeated the same content over thousands of times.
At my praise, the Junior Sister smiled gently.
Perhaps because of the tears she shed earlier, her smiling eyes felt slightly swollen.
“It wasn’t hard at all. Senior Brother. I also learned a lot while explaining the Heavenly Wind Sword Art to Brother.”
“I am not talking only about the Heavenly Wind Sword Art. No matter how outstanding the Junior Sister’s talent is, growing that much in just three years means you didn’t neglect effort. I am talking about the effort of cultivating your own skills while teaching Nam Geon.”
“Ri, right! Hya, Hyang-ie really worked ve, very hard! Sh, she is weaker than m, me but worked ha, harder than me.”
Nam Geon nodded vigorously.
A smirk flowed out.
“Do not lie. Is there any way you were lazy? If you were really lazy, could you have achieved Dynamic Cultivation on top of learning the Heavenly Wind Sword Art in just three years?”
In the previous battle, Nam Geon continued Mighty Sword Arts incessantly. Even though he unfolded the Heavenly Wind Sword Art to kill supreme master bastards in between.
How could a guy who lacked internal energy because he only learned the Jade Cloud Divine Art continue such strong attacks?
The answer wasn’t difficult.
He operated the Jade Cloud Divine Art every time he inhaled and exhaled during the battle.
Whether my deduction was correct, Nam Geon laughed with a pure face.
“Hehe. A, as expected of Hyung-ah. S, seeing after a long time but knows everything.”
Right. I missed these appearances.
While smiling at the feeling of being overwhelmed for some reason, Junior Sister Choyeon’s calm voice was heard.
“How was I?”
“Hm?”
I ended up hesitating for a moment at the unexpected question.
I think Junior Sister Choyeon would ask something like this.
Recalling the previous battle, I answered Junior Sister Choyeon.
“The superfluity in movement disappeared even more. Not to mention stealth techniques or footwork, that secret and fast killing sword was also very excellent. One regretful thing was internal energy, but since time will resolve this, do not be impatient.”
Was it just my feeling?
As soon as my answer ended, it seemed the corners of Junior Sister Choyeon’s eyes went down very slightly.
Wait, the head and shoulders also looked slightly lowered.
It was a minutely gloomy-looking expression and posture.
Thoughts like ‘Even that Junior Sister Choyeon?’ occurred, but thoughts like ‘Did she come to feel emotions a little more now?’ also occurred together.
So I hurriedly added words.
“I thought Junior Sister Choyeon would be with your sister at the Seomoon Clan, but thank you truly for being with Nam Geon and Junior Sister Baek Hyang like this.”
It wasn’t just a feeling.
“I just did so because I wanted to.”
The tone was indifferent as expected, but this time I didn’t miss it.
The minutely lowered corners of eyes, head, and shoulders went up minutely again.
Then Nam Geon and Junior Sister Baek Hyang showed surprised expressions from the side.
“Yeo, Yeon-ie is smiling!”
“ seeing Junior Sister Choyeon smile is a sight one can see once or twice a month, we were lucky today.”
Is it because they got used to being together? Or does the standard become severely low when it comes to Junior Sister Choyeon?
Honestly, in my eyes, it just looked like an expressionless face, but to those two eyes, that seemed to look like a smile.
Soon, Junior Sister Choyeon lowered the corners of her eyes very minutely and opened her mouth indifferently.
“I did not smile.”
Indeed, I thought I roughly understood.
Those expressions were created for Junior Sister Choyeon.
The only problem was that the difference was minute so distinguishing wasn’t easy.
“Hahaha. Truly, many things have changed in three years.”
When I burst into laughter refreshingly, Junior Sister Baek Hyang asked carefully.
“By the way, how did Senior Brother spend the last three years and four months? And what happened to that person, the Fighting Venerable?”
Momentarily, very thick killing intent formed and disappeared in the Junior Sister’s eyes mentioning the Fighting Venerable.
It seemed really many things had changed in the meantime.
“Ri, right. How did that bad Fighting Venerable grandfather become? Di, did Hyung-ah scold him?”
Nam Geon also asked, and Junior Sister Choyeon was also waiting for my answer silently.
Thus, I briefly told them about the events there.
The reason the Fighting Venerable kidnapped me. And the lie the Fighting Venerable told me.
“Entering isolated training forcibly was displeasing, but anyway since I owed a life debt to that person, I felt I should do at least the minimum duty.”
The last duel and the event of obtaining manuals from the Fighting Venerable.
“Except for the last day, since I only trained while trapped, there seems to be nothing special. Rather, how have you been?”
Although I heard briefly at the Seomoon Clan, I wanted to hear it directly from them.
“Not about martial arts stages, I am truly curious about what things you went through and what thoughts you lived with.”
At my question, the three looked at each other blankly.
Then they told me one by one about the journeys the three had experienced together.
“Ou, our Hyung-ah wanted to continue what he was doing.”
“Yes. Senior Brother. That’s why we two traveled around the Jianghu looking for villains.”
“Co, continued training like when with Hy, Hyung-ah too.”
“Was there anything dangerous?”
“There wasn’t anything largely dangerous. Ah, come to think of it, we had to pass by Mount Hua once; have you been there by any chance, Senior Brother?”
Since I had been there in the past life but not in this life, I shook my head.
Then the Junior Sister smiled faintly and said.
“The scenery was really beautiful. I surely want to go there with Senior Brother someday.”
“Ri, right. Flowers were pretty.”
“Yes. The plum blossoms were excellent.”
Perhaps having an interest in flowers, even Junior Sister Choyeon chipped in and spat out a word.
After that, Junior Sister Baek Hyang and Nam Geon continued this and that story, and occasionally Junior Sister Choyeon added a word.
Although it was a conversation continuing without order, truly many stories followed.
Three years was truly long, and the memories the three spent without me were too many.
Unlike me who just swung a sword trapped in a cave.
After talking about that long time for a while.
As if realizing something belatedly, Junior Sister Baek Hyang smiled awkwardly and said.
“Ah. It doesn’t seem like a story to share standing in a place like this. How about going to a nearby village and finishing the talk. Senior Brother?”
“Hahaha. Let’s do that.”
Blood and corpses were filling all directions.
It didn’t matter much to me, but it seemed regrettable to the Junior Sister to share a moment of joy in a place like this.
On the way moving steps toward the village.
Junior Sister Baek Hyang asked.
“Senior Brother. Where do you plan to head now?”
“So, Sopyeong and Bandit Hyung-ah going to pick up. Ri, right? Hyung-ah?”
Smiling faintly at Nam Geon’s guess, I answered.
“There is a place I have to visit, but since the place where the Dang Clan guy is is also on the way, I plan to stop by.”
“Sa, Bandit Hyung-ah not going to pick up?”
“I plan to handle urgent business first. Anyway, since Hwangbo Ak is a guy with a long lifeline, it seems there will be no trouble even if we visit him a little late.”
“May I know what that urgent business is? Senior Brother?”
At Junior Sister Baek Hyang’s question, I turned my head and looked west.
Much farther than the place where the Dang Clan guy was in isolated training.
A place outside the fence called the Central Plains.
Tibet. Or the land called Tubo.
“I plan to visit the Potala Palace.”
One of the Three Disasters, the Blood Disaster, was there.