novelraw Chapter 114 : Chapter 114
Chapter 114 : Chapter 114
Chapter 114 - The Highest Praise
“An advantage? What hidden advantage do I have?”
In the room where everyone was gathered, Danseol asked Biyoung.
“The reason I didn’t assign you to the Ghost Face Four Shadows isn’t because of your injury, nor is it because your skills are lacking. It’s simply to maximize one of your outstanding advantages, Senior Brother.”
The more he heard, the more incomprehensible it became.
A large question mark popped up above Danseol’s head.
And it was the same for the other colleagues.
Gwangyo spoke on behalf of everyone.
“Hehe. This one’s head is bad, so it’s hard to guess what you’re saying. Say it simply.”
“Hmm. Simply… Senior Brother. Can you give me your sword?”
At Biyoung’s words, Danseol untied the flexible sword from his waist and handed it over.
In one hand was Biyoung’s sword, and in the other was Danseol’s flexible sword.
“Watch carefully.”
After making a mischievous expression, Biyoung imbued his sword with internal energy.
Then he suddenly blew out the candle flame.
“What are you doing now?”
“Just be quiet and watch.”
Woooong…!!
Soon, a bright blue energy formed on the sword’s blade, illuminating the darkened room.
“…………!”
“Wow…”
Exclamations of admiration burst out from the rising talents.
Bluer than the sea, more brilliant than jade, and deeper than the eye-searing blue sky.
Among the rising talents of the Diancang Sect, there was no one who couldn’t use Sword Aura anymore, but the Sword Aura that formed on Biyoung’s sword was on a completely different level from theirs.
‘It’s beautiful.’
Unlike when watching the battle from a distance, Biyoung’s Sword Aura, viewed quietly from up close, was more beautiful than any treasured sword.
Since the lights were all out, the blue light felt even more dazzling.
While everyone was admiring the color of the Sword Aura, Biyoung moved the other flexible sword.
“Yoink.”
The light of the Sword Aura was reflected by the flexible sword and directed in one direction.
As the blade of the flexible sword was smooth and glossy, the brightness of the Sword Aura was transmitted as it was.
“Ugh…!”
Eung Gajin, who had been staring blankly at the Sword Aura, frowned and turned his head.
“You bastard. What are you doing now?”
“Yoink.”
Instead of answering, Biyoung passed the reflected light to the next person.
“Oh my.”
“Ugh.”
“Ugh…!”
Every time the light turned, the swordsmen turned their heads and closed their eyes.
It was a light that one would have to look at with half-closed eyes even in broad daylight.
It was not a light to be faced head-on in this darkness.
Eung Gajin couldn’t stand it anymore and shouted.
“Why are you doing this, you punk! Is this the time to be fooling around?”
“Yoink.”
Biyoung paid him no mind and turned the direction of the light to the last target.
However,
“…………?”
The reaction that should have appeared was not seen from him.
Far from turning his head, he was facing the light of the Sword Aura head-on.
He didn’t even squeeze his eyes shut like the others.
No.
To be more precise, it was impossible to confirm.
Because he always had slitted eyes that made it difficult to tell whether they were open or closed.
“Huh?”
Solbo’s voice was full of doubt.
How could he face this light head-on?
Eung Gajin, who had just snapped at Biyoung, was also staring at Danseol with wide eyes.
“Danseol. Are you okay?”
“Yes, well… my peripheral vision is a bit disturbed, but this much is fine.”
“Good heavens…”
Even if the amount of light entering his eyes was small, was it possible to face this light head-on?
The colleagues, who had been captivated by the beauty of the Sword Aura, now showed interest in Danseol’s unusual eyes.
“I see…!”
Eung Gajin, who had been continuously questioning Biyoung’s strange behavior, clapped his hands as if he had realized something.
“A flash bomb! You’re planning to use a flash bomb!”
At Eung Gajin’s words, Biyoung smirked.
“The Sect Leader’s grandson is a bit better, I see. Senior Brother Eung-ga is right.”
Biyoung withdrew his Sword Aura and lit the candle.
“I’ve been watching for a while, and Senior Brother Danseol doesn’t seem to be very affected by light. The reason for that, of course, would be those unreadable slitted eyes.”
“Then… my strength is my slitted eyes?”
Danseol let out a hollow laugh as if in disbelief.
He had secretly been expecting an advantage related to martial arts, but to think that the advantage was just being insensitive to light?
“What’s with that reaction?”
“Hmm?”
“You don’t seem to realize how big of an advantage this is, but in a fight with swordsmen, ‘senses’ are absolute. The fact that you can completely eliminate one condition that others find difficult is a truly huge advantage.”
“……Really?”
Danseol asked in a very, very skeptical tone, but Biyoung nodded his head, even snorting.
“Absolutely. And there’s another advantage why Senior Brother Danseol must handle the Green Killer Squad.”
“What is it?”
“Your sword is very underhanded.”
“U-underhanded?”
Danseol, who rarely lost his composure, couldn’t help but stutter this time.
His sword, which he had honed his entire life, was underhanded?
“Pfft.”
The clueless Solbo couldn’t hold back his laughter and his shoulders shook.
For the first time in a while, a red hue colored Danseol’s pale earlobes.
“When the swordsmen are flustered after being hit by a flash bomb, we need a swordsman who can pick out only the openings and stab them. The blade needs to be soft, and the tip of the sword must be moved freely. It’s impossible if the sword isn’t underhanded.”
“……There are also words like delicate or precise.”
“No. No, no. Underhanded is a perfect match.”
Slitted eyes.
And being underhanded.
To think that these two were his advantages.
Danseol found it difficult to distinguish whether Biyoung was praising him or teasing him.
He didn’t show it, but he was already feeling downcast about being the only one injured.
For Danseol, he couldn’t just hear it as praise.
At that moment, a soft voice tickled Danseol’s heated ear.
“Certainly…”
“?”
Jeong-i smiled sweetly and continued.
“It’s something we can’t do.”
“………….”
It wasn’t particularly different from what Biyoung had said.
But perhaps it was because of her warm voice.
For some reason, Danseol was able to compose himself.
‘…Right.’
What did it matter if it seemed insignificant, and what did it matter if the expression was regrettable?
The important thing was that it was a job that ‘only I can do’.
As long as he could achieve his goal, he didn't care if it was called underhanded or an even worse modifier.
Sreung.
Danseol slowly sheathed his flexible sword and tied it to his waist.
The bitter smile on his lips and his heated earlobes had also returned to his characteristic expressionless face.
As if to say not to worry, Danseol looked at his colleagues and said firmly.
“I’ll do my best.”
Because that was something only he could do.
***
Seogeok!
Seogeok!
“Keuleuk…!!”
One assassin per sword strike.
Tonight, Danseol was committing the greatest killing precept of his life.
He didn’t feel any particular resistance to killing people.
Considering how many lives these bastards would take if they lived, it was something to be considered a good deed.
Flash!
“Damn it!”
“Again… this time again…!!”
“Don’t stop your swords!”
The swordsmen felt a great sense of defeat from the flash bombs that exploded like thunderbolts just as they were getting used to the darkness.
When a flash bomb went off with a flash, the screams of the Green Killer Squad would invariably fill the forest.
Chwaaaak!
Hearing the screams, Biyoung let out a low laugh.
Underhanded.
What was wrong with that expression?
The word underhanded was unpleasant to hear, but in reality, it was nothing less than the highest praise for an opponent.
Words like cowardly or underhanded were just empty complaints spat out by losers.
If they could win that way, why didn’t they just do the same?
But it seemed there were no swordsmen as ‘underhanded’ as Danseol in the Green Killer Squad here.
In other words, there were no swordsmen worth praising.
“You despicable bastard! Euaaargh!”
Another assassin fell to the ground, leaving behind the highest praise.
Already, the number of Green Killer Squad members that Danseol had subdued was in the dozens.
Aside from the efficiency of the tactic, it was a brilliant military achievement worthy of spreading throughout Jianghu.
“Don’t break formation! Close the gap!”
Even in this chaos, the Green Killer Squad captain, Dok Gyojin, made the best judgment he could.
The Unceasing Net was an effective formation for pursuing someone, but it had a weakness in defending against an opponent’s attack.
If attacks came from both the left and right, it was wiser to narrow the target area and counterattack together.
Of course, whether the Green Killer Squad could launch that counterattack was another story.
Cheok.
On the opposite side where the flash bombs were going off, Biyoung held his sword in a reverse grip.
A blue Sword Aura was already emitting a dazzling light from his sword.
Paak!
Biyoung, who leaped with the Vast Sky Eagle Body Method, instantly soared above the trees.
Biyoung’s figure and Sword Aura, standing with his back to the moon, all turned into black shadows.
Pabababak!
With a terrifying sound of tearing through the air, slashes as fast as streaks of light poured down on the Green Killer Squad’s group.
An absurdly enormous amount of internal energy was emitted from the blade.
Biyoung’s sword, held in a reverse grip, shook destructively as if to slash the entire space.
Kwakwakwakwa!
It was less like a sword strike and more like a single disaster.
Like the talons of a huge, dragon-like hawk grabbing its prey, Biyoung’s slashes clawed at the entire area where the Green Killer Squad was gathered.
Peobeobeobeobeok!
“Kuaaaaaaaargh!”
“Kehek!”
The slash of a huge talon, like a flash of lightning.
A form of the Sun-Shooting Sword Art specialized for wide-area attacks,
It was the Shooting Flash Ambush Strike.
“!”
A nightmarish scene once again entered Dok Gyojin’s vision.
The members of the Green Killer Squad, chosen from the elite of the elite, were scattering blood in the air with a single blow.
“Grr…!”
He didn't know if it happened by chance or if it was intentional.
When he looked around, he was the only one left.
The hundred-strong Green Killer Squad.
A powerful force that could bring down a small-to-medium-sized sect in one night was annihilated in less than half an hour.
The forest was already reeking of blood, and the blood shed by the assassins was gathering to form small streams.
Dok Gyojin’s bloodshot eyes were filled with the corpses of the dead assassins.
“This can’t be… This can’t be…!!”
How much effort had been put into raising this Green Killer Squad.
Under the Gang Leader’s murderous gaze, he had dedicated a whole ten years to expand their power.
With all that effort turning to dust, there was no way Dok Gyojin’s mind could be sane.
“Show yourselves! You despicable bastards!”
Dok Gyojin shouted towards the front as if coughing up blood.
However, the voice actually came from behind him.
“Wow… Senior Brother. Is it okay for an assassin to say something like that?”
“I know, right. Anyone would think we’re the ones going around killing people.”
“L-let’s not let our guard down.”
The genius of escape.
The underhanded swordsman.
The owner of the great talons were standing together, glaring at Dok Gyojin.
All three of them, with eyes burning with revenge.
***
“Hmm…”
At this time, in the main hall of the Jangil Escort Agency.
After Biyoung had lured the Green Killer Squad outside, four figures slowly entered.
Three of them were wearing deep navy blue martial uniforms.
Not only Dancheong, but all of the Ghost Face Four Shadows knew the identity of that uniform well.
“Leaving four people behind on purpose means… you plan to take us on one by one? Us?”
The man with the triangular chin looked down at the swordsmen of the Diancang Sect with arrogant eyes.
The one called the second of the Ghost Face Shadows, Jin Galsa of the Nine-Serpent Shadow Whip.
He was truly displeased with the current situation.
“Well. That’s about right.”
Sreung.
As if taking Eung Gajin’s words as a signal, the other swordsmen drew their swords.
“Well, well…”
Jin Galsa let out a hollow laugh, as if finding the situation absurd.
In a situation where it wouldn't be enough to team up against one of them, they were going to come at them one-on-one?
“These youngsters who still have milk on their lips…”
Shwaaaaaaaek!
However.
Jin Galsa’s words were not finished.
A sword strike as fast as a flash of lightning flew in, enough to make his frowning expression harden.
Kang!
“?!”
The sword was so fast that he could barely block it with the area near the hilt, let alone use the weapon he was holding.
“Hey.”
“…………?!”
“Why the hell are you talking so much? If you’ve drawn your sword, you should fight.”
The man who looked more like a villain than anyone else present.
Still aiming at Jin Galsa’s heart, Uma showed a vicious smile.