Sword God Reborn

Chapter 44 : When an Evil Man Meets the Light.

The situation outside the pavilion was not ordinary.

The number of masked men who surrounded the pavilion without a single gap was about thirty.

And there were ten Shaolin monks facing those masked men.

"Young Master Cheon!"

It was a young monk who still looked to be in his early twenties.

Cheon Mubaeck recalled the name Won-an from among the monks who had been following the head of the Arhat Hall, Master Muso, and bowed his head slightly.

"Please hurry and evacuate! It's an attack! We will block them here!"

Cheon Mubaeck narrowed his eyes.

The difference in numbers was clear. Moreover, the masked men were all exuding an unusual momentum, but in contrast, the fresh heads of the people facing them showed that they were still young.

At best, they would only be at the level of learning or practicing martial arts. Even from Cheon Mubaeck's perspective, they were barely above the third-rate, let alone the first-rate.

Only Won-an was at the second-rate, and if he was lucky, he could be considered at the first-rate.

Well, if they mastered it, the Shaolin martial arts could shake the world, but the process was incomparably slow, so it was the martial arts of Shaolin.

"Hurry and take the patients inside and evacuate! Shaolin will protect those who have come to the embrace of Buddha!"

But even so, at the sight of them speaking so confidently, Cheon Mubaeck nodded his head without even realizing it.

Although they were incomparably weak and lacking compared to the Shaolin of 40 years ago, their spirit was still the same.

"They probably came for me."

"Pardon? The attackers are after Young Master Cheon?"

Cheon Mubaeck walked forward calmly.

In fact, in a situation like this, no matter how much courage one had, it was natural to be flustered or feel pressured.

Although their rough expressions were not revealed because they were wearing masks, couldn't he guess for what purpose they had come?

The brutal atmosphere that filled the place was killing intent.

Cheon Mubaeck himself knew well that the intangible killing intent was focused on none other than himself.

Won-an looked at Cheon Mubaeck with a confused expression.

How could he be so nonchalant?

Cheon Mubaeck looked around with a calm expression and then frowned.

"That guy didn't come?"

Cheon Mubaeck narrowed his brow.

Of course, he had expected that something would happen soon. He had thought that the man in the red cloak he had seen before would be among them.

But he wasn't there.

Cheon Mubaeck stroked his chin.

"Monk Won-an."

"Yes?"

"Is this the only place that was attacked?"

"No, I, I don't know. We were also fighting against the attack and were pushed back all the way here...!"

"Hmm. Are they not just trying to kill me, but to wipe out Shaolin altogether?"

"...!"

Won-an's face turned pale.

"What do you mean by that? Young Master Cheon!"

"My goodness. They're crazier than I thought. How can they even think of wiping out Shaolin?"

To be honest, Cheon Mubaeck was dumbfounded.

'Are these guys really crazy?'

Even if Cheon Mubaeck had mentioned the Blood Ghost Valley to Shaolin, he had thought that the Blood Ghost Valley would only aim for him. In order to block the name of the Blood Ghost Valley from flowing out into the Central Plains, they would have to wipe out Shaolin itself, but was that even possible?

'Even the Heavenly Demon bastard had brought all his subordinates and had attacked with a plan.'

Of course, the Shaolin of that time and the Shaolin of now were different.

No matter how weakened Shaolin was. The thought of wiping them out just because they knew a little about their identity was something that even Cheon Mubaeck was amazed at.

'Then it means that they have that much confidence. I don't know if that's an arrogance that doesn't know its own limits, or a confidence that comes from real skill.'

If it was the former, it was fortunate, but if it was the latter, it was quite a headache.

Moreover, the Shaolin Temple was now full of pilgrims who had come to pray.

Cheon Mubaeck stretched out his hand.

"Monk."

"Yes."

"Please protect the patients in the pavilion. That guy Neung-heo is inside, but he's not very reliable."

"What do you mean by that? How can you, with a body that has not even learned martial arts... huh?"

Won-an's eyes widened as if they would tear.

"...!"

Although the lights were lit on the walls and on the side of the road, the world was dark.

It was a natural thing since it was late at night.

No matter how much fire was lit, darkness was not a kind that could be driven away.

But Won-an saw the scene of that darkness being lifted.

Ung-ung-ung!

With a strong resonance that was heard in his ears, a brilliant radiance poured out around Cheon Mubaeck.

It wasn't just Won-an who was flustered by that sight.

The momentum of the masked men who surrounded the pavilion also wavered noticeably. Because a strange sight that they had never seen before in their lives was unfolding before their eyes.

Evil men, demonic beings, have an instinctive rejection of brilliant light.

That rejection was expressed as a fierce violence.

They swung their swords at Cheon Mubaeck all at once.

The swords, which were focused on one point, collided with the radiance that surrounded Cheon Mubaeck.

Jjeojeojeojeong!

"...!"

The moment the sword attack with a powerful internal energy hit Cheon Mubaeck's radiance, it lost its direction and wandered powerlessly.

It was a strange sight, as if it were sucking in the internal energy contained in the sword.

A look of astonishment appeared on the eyes of the masked men who were rushing at him.

But they could not stop. On the contrary, it naturally came to their minds that it would be dangerous if they did not kill him right away.

The masked men swung their swords, letting out a silent cry.

"..."

Cheon Mubaeck threw himself into the forest of countless pouring blades.

Even in the face of the tremendous onslaught of thirty people pouring down at once, Cheon Mubaeck did not waver in the slightest.

On the contrary, he advanced step by step and silently swung his sword.

He lightly and quickly stepped on the footwork and lightly pushed away the blade that was coming straight at him with the tip of his finger.

At the same time, he swung his sword and cut the guy's shoulder.

Puak!

He couldn't see the face because he was wearing a mask.

But he could see the pupils.

Cheon Mubaeck clearly saw the terrible fear and pain engraved in the pupils.

Sometimes people ask.

Do even evil men who have no blood or tears feel fear and dread?

'Of course.'

If even evil men meet a truly intense light that they cannot dare to face.

The fact that the demons who had thrown the world into chaos had trembled before Buddha, and the fact that the demonic beings who had boasted that they would eat up the Central Plains had failed every time.

In the end, it was because there was a huge existence that they could not face.

And now, that existence was Cheon Mubaeck.

The moment he cut the neck of the man who was thrusting his straight sword, a pincer attack came from the left and right.

Swaeaek!

If he proceeded as it was, he could kill the enemy in front, but he could not avoid the attacks coming from both sides.

It was a weakness of the structure where one person was bound to be isolated in a fight against many.

But even so, Cheon Mubaeck did not stop and cut the neck.

Jjeojeojeong!

The fierce attacks that came from the left and right were once again swallowed by Cheon Mubaeck's radiance.

"This crazy!"

Someone among the masked men shouted so.

Cheon Mubaeck immediately spun his body and thrust his sword.

Puk-puk-puk!

A large hole was pierced in the necks of three people, and they fell, spewing blood.

Cheon Mubaeck did not stop.

He stretched out his sword to the three who were secretly approaching from behind, aiming for his back, waist, and ankles.

With just three thrusts, they spewed blood and fell back.

Cheon Mubaeck did not use sword qi. He just simply stabbed and cut with his sword.

That alone was enough. There was no need to use internal energy and let out a stream of sword qi.

Cheon Mubaeck swung his sword in a way that was so simple, yet they could not block it at all.

The attackers, who had been exuding a triumphant killing intent, soon fell, crying out like hunted beasts.

A fight is established only when there is a back-and-forth of offense and defense.

But now it could not be seen as a fight.

Cheon Mubaeck was only on the offensive, disregarding defense.

The fact that he did not have to defend in a fight. That was a huge advantage. Because it meant that he could concentrate all his strength, speed, and energy solely on the offense.

"Kkeuaaak!"

The masked men who were rushing at him were blocked by the radiance and collapsed, screaming.

"Na, Namu Amitabha."

Won-an chanted a Buddhist prayer without even realizing it.

Although he was watching a terrible scene of killing as a disciple of Buddhism, he was rather looking at Cheon Mubaeck with a gaze of awe.

Didn't the scene of the masked men, who were attacking with a brutal momentum, collapsing in front of Cheon Mubaeck's radiance look like the Eight Divine Generals of Buddhism who swallowed up the demons?

No attack could block that radiance.

"The Unhindered Light..."

The light of Buddha that cannot be blocked by anything.

It wasn't just him who felt that way. Because all the fellow disciples who were facing the enemies together were also putting their palms together and chanting Buddhist prayers.

* * *

The situation was not good.

"To think that there would be such an attack as soon as we lifted the seclusion!"

Hyeryang sighed and stretched out his hand.

At the palm energy that was stretched out from his hand, the masked man who was rushing at him let out a strange sound and fell back.

The people who had participated in the small banquet were fighting fiercely despite the sudden attack.

Master Muso and the Great Master Hyeryang were dealing with the attackers with all their might.

Cheonghyeonjin, who had come as a guest, also swung his sword. Whenever a plum blossom bloomed, the lives of three or four people were extinguished without fail.

"Chief, please stay behind me."

Cheon Mungyeong nodded his head with a pale face. Jang-no was also cutting down the masked men who were rushing at him one by one.

Although the corpses of the masked men who had fallen inside the pavilion were numerous, the fight was endless.

When he thought he had reduced the number to some extent, masked men from somewhere else would kick open the door and swing their swords.

"It's not just here, senior brother!"

Master Muso whispered with a stiff face.

Although a long time had passed since the attack had begun, no one was rushing to this side.

At least the Arhat monks of the Arhat Hall should have reacted.

If there was this much commotion. But the fact that there was no support meant that not only this place but also various places in Shaolin had been attacked.

"Senior brother, perhaps we should avoid this place."

"Head of the Arhat Hall..."

"I will hold out."

"That's not possible. If we hold out here and win, that's enough."

"...You know well that it's realistically impossible, senior brother."

For the most part, the masked men were no match.

No matter how weakened Shaolin was, the martial arts of Master Muso, who commanded the Arhat monks, and the Great Master Hyeryang, the abbot of Shaolin, were at a terrifying level.

Was that all? Cheonghyeonjin, who had come as a guest, was also powerful, as befits his title of the Guardian Sword of Mount Hua.

And surprisingly, Jang-no, who was protecting Cheon Mungyeong and holding out, was also showing a solid martial art that could not be seen as just an escort warrior.

However, the burden on their bodies was gradually increasing due to the continuous attacks.

As their internal energy was constantly being consumed, fatigue was added to their muscles.

And the enemies' attacks continued without a break, as if they were aiming for a gradual consumption, to the point where they felt that their internal energy was being depleted faster than usual.

It was unreasonable unless the number of enemies decreased.

"Abbot, this Taoist will open a path once."

At that moment, Cheonghyeonjin stepped forward.

"Jin-in!"

"I will be able to buy some time. Let's get out of here together and regroup then."

Cheonghyeonjin said so and held his sword upright.

Ung-ung-ung!

At the same time, the atmosphere around the sword boiled as if it were a whirlwind. A strong qi wave was concentrated in an instant, and Cheonghyeonjin thrust his sword straight out without hesitation.

Kwagwagwagwang!

A sword qi of a strong qi wave flew straight in a straight line as if a thunderbolt had struck.

"...!"

Not to mention the masked men in front, even the masked men on both sides who were grazed by the sword qi were scattered, spewing blood.

It was a tremendous power.

But as much as he had poured out that much internal energy, Cheonghyeonjin staggered with a pale face, with blood at the corner of his mouth.

"Jin-in!"

"Senior brother, I will carry the Jin-in! Please hurry and get out!"

But they had no choice but to stop as if they were nailed to the spot.

Among the fallen masked men, two men in red cloaks and one old man with white hair, who were different from the previous masked men, appeared.

"I see you are the Guardian Sword of Mount Hua. To have such an internal energy even when your body is not in a normal condition. It's very impressive."

The white-haired old man muttered as he looked at the tragic scene around him.

Although he spoke as if he were impressed, what was contained in it was a clear mockery.

The group, including the Great Master Hyeryang, bit their lips.

Because a violent momentum was felt from the old man who looked ordinary at first glance.

It wasn't just the old man.

The two men in red cloaks who were behind him were also not to be trifled with.

The old man glanced back and said.

"It could have been a dangerous thing. Eighteen Stars."

"...I'm sorry. I didn't know it would get this big."

"No, well, it's fine. It's better to just get rid of Shaolin. Besides, didn't you say that Shaolin also learned our name to some extent?"

At their conversation, the Great Master Hyeryang's eyes widened.

Because he had finally guessed who they were.

"The Blood Ghost Valley!"

At that, the old man grinned.

"Of course, it was clear that we would destroy Shaolin someday, but it wasn't now. Since you've learned our name, there's no choice. It would be a big problem if the orthodox sects found out about us."

The old man paused and then said.

"So, Shaolin will have to disappear today. Great Master Hyeryang."

(End of Chapter)