Swordless Demonic Path

Chapter 70

Jo Geom-ok quickly swung her sword and flew low, kicking off the roof.

Whoosh!

Jo Geom-ok, who had approached like a swallow skimming the water, swung her sword, aiming for Jin Sa-wol's lower and upper body at the same time.

In that instant, Jin Sa-wol's hand grabbed his waist and moved.

Papapat!

With a sharp flash, Jin Sa-wol's figure passed Jo Geom-ok. The two had swapped positions in an instant.

Pfft!

Blood splattered from her neck and shoulder, and Jo Geom-ok's eyes widened as she looked at Jin Sa-wol's flexible sword.

A drop of blood was flowing from the tip of the flexible sword.

'Dodge?'

Jin Sa-wol recalled Jo Geom-ok dodging his sword.

When the sword pierced her neck, her figure had flowed slightly to the side. It looked like an instinctive resistance that occurred when something touched the flesh.

It was the first time he had experienced it.

'Is it the footwork of Wudang?'

It could be. She was a disciple of the Alliance Leader and also possessed the martial arts of the Wudang Sect.

But she had never shown the martial arts of the Wudang Sect until now.

Jo Geom-ok stared blankly at Jin Sa-wol with wide eyes.

'Death? I'm going to die?'

The tension that wrapped around her entire body and the fear that she might die struck her chest.

She felt that if she continued to fight with Jin Sa-wol, she might die.

That couldn't happen.

She couldn't die here now.

That thought covered her mind and pressed down on her.

'Coward...'

Whoosh!

She jumped towards Jin Sa-wol. Although her neck was cut, her face was indifferent, as if she did not feel the pain.

Shwaak! Shwik!

With a sharp sound of cutting through the air, a dozen or so silver flashes pushed in diagonally. Behind them, awl-like sticks flew in.

Parreut! Thwack!

Jin Sa-wol's flexible sword shook, cutting and stabbing Jo Geom-ok's sword qi, and then extended forward.

Flash!

The sword qi of the One-Sword Annihilation Ghost flew towards Jo Geom-ok's Tiantu acupoint like an arrow.

Jo Geom-ok spun her body. In that instant, her long black hair appeared in front of Jin Sa-wol's eyes.

She swung her hair for an attack, and immediately after, she moved her sword and cut Jin Sa-wol's waist.

But her sword only cut Jin Sa-wol's afterimage and brushed past the empty air.

Thump!

Jin Sa-wol, who had landed on a roof three zhang away, raised his left hand with a hardened expression.

A dozen or so small hairs were embedded in his left palm. They were needles of the same shape as the steel hair needles that had come out of his own head before.

Jin Sa-wol's eyes widened when he saw the unidentified needles.

'This is...?'

Those needles were what had poured onto Jin Sa-wol's face as he was retreating, when Jo Geom-ok's hair had blocked his vision.

The needles were hidden in Jo Geom-ok's hair. If his eyes had been stabbed, he would have been blinded.

Because he had instinctively extended his left hand and blocked it, his eyes were safe.

Jin Sa-wol raised his left hand and asked.

"It's a peculiar needle. What is it?"

"Soul-Stealing Needle."

"Its use?"

"A lock that seals the original power I have."

For the first time, a smile hung on Jo Geom-ok's lips. Although she was originally a beauty, when she smiled, she was noticeably pretty.

"It seems you've definitely hidden your power. You're a beauty."

At Jin Sa-wol's honest words, Jo Geom-ok touched her own neck and said.

"There is not a single guy who has wounded my body and lived."

Jo Geom-ok, who had confirmed the blood flowing from her neck, looked at Jin Sa-wol with cold eyes and then disappeared with a whoosh.

Papapat!

A dozen or so afterimages made Jin Sa-wol's eyes dizzy. It was a completely different movement from before. It was light and fast.

The sword shadow that Jin Sa-wol had created stabbed Jo Geom-ok's afterimage. But Jo Geom-ok was not there.

Jo Geom-ok appeared on Jin Sa-wol's left and right at the same time.

'Different Form, Same Position.'

It was an extreme speed that he had never experienced before. He felt that Jo Geom-ok's martial arts had greatly improved.

It was then that Jo Geom-ok's voice was heard.

"I already know your movements."

Papapat!

Dozens of sword shadows cut through Jin Sa-wol's body. But it was just an afterimage.

Jin Sa-wol had already flown to a garden five zhang away.

Jo Geom-ok followed him.

Jin Sa-wol, who had landed on the ground, examined the blood lines drawn on both his arms. It was a situation where both his arms would have been cut if his reaction had been a little slower.

The one who was surprised was Jo Geom-ok. Her eyes widened.

"How did you dodge it? You're the first to dodge my Soul-Stealing Sword. How strange."

As if she were a completely different person from before, Jo Geom-ok was very talkative.

"Hmm..."

Jin Sa-wol frowned, holding his side.

Although he had thought it was just a slight cut, quite a lot of blood was flowing.

As Jin Sa-wol's expression changed, Jo Geom-ok showed an eye-smile and a smile full of ridicule.

Jin Sa-wol said.

"Your personality seems to have changed too. I thought you were a woman like a stone. You look like a different person."

"That's right. The Soul-Stealing Needle also gets rid of unnecessary emotions. For people like us, emotions are trash."

In that instant, Jo Geom-ok's eyes widened.

'Us?'

She couldn't understand for a moment why she had said such a thing. She smiled again.

"This is my original self."

"How many people can handle the Soul-Stealing Needle? And when and where did you get hit by the Soul-Stealing Needle?"

"A guy who's about to die has a lot of questions. Why are you so interested in the Soul-Stealing Needle?"

"Because it's strange. I was just thinking that there are all sorts of things in the world."

"If you're curious, die. I'll tell you in the afterlife."

Whoosh!

As Jo Geom-ok's figure disappeared, dozens of bundles of sword qi descended upon Jin Sa-wol like a net.

"How heartless."

Thump!

In that instant, a hole was pierced in the bundle of sword qi, and a strong wind raged.

Jo Geom-ok, who was surprised, twisted her body. A colorless, transparent piece of sword qi brushed past her limbs.

The two began to exchange swords, facing each other.

* * *

Clang!

Namgung Wi and Murong Bao stood facing each other with their swords crossed. A faint, grayish-white smoke was rising from their swords.

They were having a battle of internal energy, and both were pouring out all their power.

If they were pushed here, the moment they were pushed, their qi and blood would flow backward, and they would suffer internal injuries.

"Hah!"

Murong Bao let out a shout and struck his sword hard. Immediately after, Namgung Wi's figure was pushed back five zhang.

Namgung Wi, who was staggering, frowned and held his chest.

If he hadn't fought so hard with Woo Jeong-bong yesterday, he wouldn't have been pushed so easily today.

'Woo Jeong-bong, you son of a bitch.'

Namgung Wi, who had cursed Woo Jeong-bong, who was not even here, held his sword. Although blood was flowing from between his lips, he did not care.

Murong Bao looked at him and said.

"I'm not in a good mood right now. I might kill you."

"Hahaha! You'll kill me? Then try to kill me."

As Namgung Wi opened his chest wide and spoke, Murong Bao frowned.

Namgung Wi was the second son of the direct line of the Namgung family. Murong Bao also knew well that if he killed him, things would get big.

"You cunning bastard."

As Murong Bao muttered, Namgung Wi smiled mockingly.

"Hurry up and give me the Red Spider Sect Master."

"That guy is dead."

"What?"

At the words that he was dead, Namgung Wi's expression hardened. Just then, a clear female telepathic message was heard in his ear.

-As Murong Bao said, the Red Spider Sect Master is dead. We took care of it. Hohoho!

Namgung Wi, who had heard Jo-rim's telepathic message, moved his lips.

-I'll send three hundred nyang.

-Thank you.

Namgung Wi, who had finished the telepathic message, sheathed his sword. Since the Red Spider Sect Master was dead, there was no reason to fight with Murong Bao.

"If the Red Spider Sect Master is dead, I should retreat. Murong Pavilion Master, you've worked hard. Hahahaha!"

"Even if the Red Spider Sect Master is dead, I have the contents of what the Namgung family and the Red Spider Sect exchanged."

"What are you going to do with a piece of paper that anyone can write? Before you return to the Alliance, I'll buy you a grand drink."

Namgung Wi raised his hand and then turned his body without any lingering feelings and went outside.

As he moved away, Murong Bao thought of Namgung Wi, who had been exchanging telepathic messages. But there were no noticeable figures around.

'You unlucky bastard.'

Murong Bao frowned and then ran to the back garden. There was still work to be done.

* * *

Clang!

Jo Geom-ok, who had retreated with a spark, looked at Jin Sa-wol with a face full of annoyance.

Although they had already exchanged about thirty moves, she was filled with anger because she could not kill him.

"How can this be?"

Jo Geom-ok looked at her own sword. Jin Sa-wol's blood was definitely on it. But Jin Sa-wol was standing.

Jin Sa-wol dragged out the time as Jo Geom-ok's movements became faster and her use of sword qi became more frequent.

Since sword qi consumed a lot of internal energy, it could not be used for a long time.

As expected, the silver sword qi that had been wrapping around Jo Geom-ok's sword disappeared.

"Hoo..."

Jo Geom-ok, with a face soaked in sweat, readjusted her grip on her sword. In that instant, she saw Jin Sa-wol approaching.

"You should have come out like that!"

Shwik!

Jo Geom-ok's sword, which had used all its power, multiplied into two. She blocked Jin Sa-wol's stabbing sword and then stabbed his neck.

Ting!

The flexible sword was thrown up with a strong impact. With her chest empty, Jo Geom-ok's sword flew towards her neck.

Jin Sa-wol, without hesitation, parried Jo Geom-ok's sword with his left hand and changed its direction.

Thwack!

Jo Geom-ok's sword dug into Jin Sa-wol's left shoulder. In that instant, Jin Sa-wol's flexible sword turned and flew towards Jo Geom-ok's neck.

Jo Geom-ok looked at Jin Sa-wol with wide eyes.

Jin Sa-wol still had an indifferent expression. No emotion could be read.

"You stubborn bastard!"

Jo Geom-ok, with her eyes wide open, let go of her sword and at the same time grabbed Jin Sa-wol's arm and wrist and twisted them.

Papapat! Thwack!

Hearing the sound of bones dislocating, she flew to the right and looked at Jin Sa-wol with a triumphant face.

Jin Sa-wol, with his arm twisted, grabbed his left arm with an indifferent face and slowly moved it.

Thwack! Thwack!

After setting his forearm and putting his wrist back in place, he swung his sword, whoosh! whoosh! here and there.

Even in the midst of that, his face was still expressionless.

Jo Geom-ok, seeing that, was surprised and her eyes widened.

"Who are you?"

"Jin Sa-wol."

Whoosh!

Jin Sa-wol pulled out Jo Geom-ok's sword, which was embedded in his own shoulder, and threw it.

Although Jo Geom-ok's own sword flew, it was not a situation where she could receive it.

She quickly twisted her body and dodged. In that instant, a whitish shadow appeared and struck Jo Geom-ok's abdomen with a palm strike.

Thwack!

"Keok!"

Jo Geom-ok, who had been pushed back five zhang, staggered and collapsed.

"Ugh!"

Jo Geom-ok, who had vomited dark red blood, wiped her lips.

"Murong Bao, you son of a bitch. You're crazy."

Jo Geom-ok showed a strong killing intent towards Murong Bao, who was standing with a smile. Since she had already used up her internal energy by frequently using sword qi, she had almost no strength left to fight.

In that situation, Murong Bao's palm strike had hit her abdomen, causing internal injuries.

Although a pain that made her mind go blank rushed in, Jo Geom-ok clenched her teeth and endured it.

"Seeing that you're cursing, you must be another crazy bitch."

Murong Bao seemed to know that Jo Geom-ok's personality had changed.

Jo Geom-ok shouted, exploding her killing intent.

"Why are you hitting me, you bastard! The one who should have his belly split is not me, but that guy! Jin Sa-wol."

"Tsk! It's less troublesome to take care of them one by one than to kill them both at once."

"What are you talking about?"

As Jo Geom-ok's expression hardened, Murong Bao showed his white teeth and sneered.

"It's the Alliance Leader's order. He said to kill you after this is over. It's a common case of being thrown away after being used. It means your usefulness is over."

Jo Geom-ok trembled all over with her eyes wide open.

"That's impossible..."

(End of Chapter)