novelraw Chapter 23
Chapter 23
Chapter 238. Red Dragon (2)Clang!!
No Gang-sak's Throwing Blade and Jeong-min's Heavenly Ascent Sword clashed in midair.
Fast.
This one is strong too. Maybe not as much as Gyeong Ga-ryeong, but at the very least strong enough to tear off one of her arms.
Not that he would.
Given the circumstances, it seemed this No Gang-sak was Gyeong Ga-ryeong's lover.
Why someone like that would be living in the Ten Thousand Mountain Range was a separate matter.
Jeong-min channeled Demonic Energy Hardening into the Heavenly Ascent Sword.
"Quite a sturdy blade. The edge didn't even chip without internal energy behind it."
"Mm."
Acknowledged. It had been Jeong-min's mistake not to channel demonic energy into the Heavenly Ascent Sword sooner.
And yet not a single scratch had appeared on the blade—truly worthy of being called the treasured sword passed down through generations of the Heavenly Demon Cult.
"Come at me."
As you wish.
Jeong-min stamped his foot and leapt forward. He overlaid the subtleties of the Nameless Sword Art onto the Heavenly Ascent Sword and swung it horizontally.
Nameless Sword Art, 1st Form—Rake!
Swoosh!
Clang!
No Gang-sak had already fitted Throwing Blades between each of his knuckles. He deflected the Heavenly Ascent Sword with ease, then launched 2 of those blades straight at Jeong-min.
Jeong-min swept aside the Throwing Blades flooding his field of vision in an instant.
"—!"
But he didn't see No Gang-sak charging right behind them.
For a split second, the massive No Gang-sak surged in before Jeong-min could block, and as Jeong-min stumbled backward, No Gang-sak's Throwing Blade pierced his side.
"Ugh!"
He sealed off the flowing blood with a sharp kiai, and Jeong-min raised the Heavenly Ascent Sword high and immediately drove it into No Gang-sak's shoulder.
Thud!
"You—!"
No Gang-sak reeled back in surprise.
In that moment, Jeong-min checked the wound on his side. Fortunately, it seemed the blade hadn't gone in too deep.
"To think of thrusting your sword at me in that situation."
"You came close, so I had to offer proper hospitality."
"You've got quite a bit of combat experience. You look young, yet how—"
While No Gang-sak was puzzling over it, Jeong-min slowly channeled internal energy into the wound.
The energy thickened and clotted with blood like glue, and the bleeding stopped in an instant.
"Blades alone won't be enough, it seems. Wouldn't you agree?"
Jeong-min raised his left hand. And within it, he concentrated his demonic energy.
Whooosh!
Even amid the howling wind, the Red Dragon No Gang-sak watched Jeong-min with a curious look, wondering what this young fool was doing.
At last, a black ring formed above Jeong-min's left hand.
Heavenly Demon Divine Art, 2nd Stage—Demon Bullet.
It went without saying that No Gang-sak's expression hardened.
"You're one of those Demon Cult bastards."
"Ah, you only realized that now?"
"If I let you go, the Heavenly Demon Cult will come to strike this mountain. Correct?"
"I hadn't thought about it that way, but hearing it now—not bad. If you let me leave, I'll bring the Heavenly Demon Cult's main hall and erase this mountain from the map."
A lie.
It was a provocation to push him further.
No Gang-sak flicked his hand, and from wherever they'd been hidden, the Throwing Blades reappeared between his knuckles.
"I'll kill you here."
Swish!
The blades fanned out like a spread of cards. Jeong-min had nowhere to dodge.
"Piece-Fly Gale Wind!"
Jeong-min didn't dodge—he deflected the Throwing Blades with the Heavenly Ascent Sword. It was threatening, but in reality only 1 or 2 of the blades were actually flying toward Jeong-min—
No. No, they aren't.
The blades that had been flying in other directions suddenly changed course and came surging at Jeong-min.
Could this be Sword Control Art? The so-called supreme pinnacle of swordcraft?
No.
Jeong-min's sharp gaze confirmed it—each Throwing Blade had a steel thread woven through its hilt.
The ends of the threads, naturally, were all in No Gang-sak's hands.
"Piece-Cleave Kill!"
Jeong-min couldn't block the Throwing Blades closing in on him in time.
Thud! Thud thud thud! Thud!!
He took a full 6 blades across his body.
"Kugh—!"
Blood dripped from the corner of his mouth, yet even so, Jeong-min once again pushed his internal energy out through his entire body.
The pain was pain, but stopping the bleeding came first.
It's fine. No Gang-sak can't attack yet.
Because, in the very moment the Throwing Blades pierced him, Jeong-min had fired the Demon Bullet.
"Kehk."
Fortunately, the Demon Bullet must have hit true—No Gang-sak clutched his left abdomen and collapsed face-down.
Jeong-min drew in a ragged breath, then pulled the blades out of his body one by one.
"Ugh. Hurts like hell."
Clatter—
Only after every last Throwing Blade had fallen to the ground did Jeong-min take a deep breath.
He'd managed to stop the bleeding, but his body was far from intact.
"One wrong move and I'll die on this mountain and become Blood Wolf fodder."
"One wrong move is an understatement, brat."
No Gang-sak forced himself to his feet despite the pain.
"I will finish you off here. That way, for the Blood Cult—"
He cut himself short there.
He clearly seemed reluctant to reveal any connection between himself and Gyeong Ga-ryeong—but Jeong-min had already figured it all out.
—Grrrr!
—Growl!
Just then, the Blood Wolves nearby could be seen gathering.
Jeong-min was in a bit of a bind. No Gang-sak alone was already wearing him down badly; having to deal with Demonic Beasts on top of that would drain his stamina something fierce.
Not planning to die in a place like this.
No reason to either.
Can't be helped.
"I was trying to save a bit more for the fight with Cult Leader Gyeong Ga-ryeong."
"What do you mean?"
"This."
Click! Ssssk—
Jeong-min drew a circular line with his foot.
In an instant, a circle 3 feet in radius formed with Jeong-min at its center.
"Heavenly Demon Divine Art, 3rd Stage. Shadow Stabilization Formation."
Jeong-min had achieved the 3rd Stage of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art in his earlier clash with the Great Forest King, Heo Do-yun.
Still raw and unrefined—but it was time to make use of it.
Jeong-min raised his hand. He was forming a Demon Bullet once more.
No Gang-sak let out a short laugh.
"That peculiar demonic art is certainly formidable, but I've already read it. Do you think one black ring alone is enough to beat me?"
"You're saying 1 isn’t tricky?"
"That's right."
"In that case—"
Whooooosh!
The number of Demon Bullets that finally formed was—
"I'll send you 2."
Boom boom!
The Demon Bullets shot out like arrows, and No Gang-sak deflected 1 with a Throwing Blade—but couldn't block the remaining one in time.
Thud!
The Demon Bullet tore through his abdomen and scattered into the air, and No Gang-sak collapsed.
"Kgh……!"
—Grrrrr!
And then—the Blood Wolves lunging in like a flood.
Right, so they're furious because their master was just attacked?
"Don't get cocky, you wolf bastards."
Bam bam bam!
Gone was any trace of the weariness from a moment before—Jeong-min moved his hands swiftly, driving the Heavenly Ascent Sword through the Blood Wolves one by one.
Heavenly Demon Divine Art, 3rd Stage—Shadow Stabilization Formation.
The Shadow Stabilization Formation—its power forms a domain of demonic energy within its radius, amplifying the strength of demonic energy.
What would ordinarily allow only 1 Demon Bullet could now produce 2, and even wounded and barely able to move, he could dart forward like he'd sprouted wings.
"Phew."
Only after every last Blood Wolf had whimpered and been sent flying did Jeong-min release the Shadow Stabilization Formation.
Whooo—
And then—
"Ugh."
Jeong-min clutched his head as dizziness overtook him, nearly keeling over.
Had he not braced himself with the Heavenly Ascent Sword, he surely would have collapsed.
The side effect of the Shadow Stabilization Formation was recoil—he had drawn out power he shouldn't have been able to use yet.
The Shadow Stabilization Formation's domain is still too narrow.
At best, it covered only the circular area he'd traced with his foot.
But with training, he would be able to expand its range further and further.
Thinking about it like that, Jeong-min found himself smiling warmly.
"You……"
No Gang-sak gripped his abdomen and tried to rise again.
Jeong-min gestured toward him.
"That's far enough. Spare me and I'll spare you."
"Spare me and I'll spare……what?"
What kind of phrasing is that?
As No Gang-sak's expression filled with bewilderment, Jeong-min plunked himself down on the ground.
But No Gang-sak seemed to have no strength left either—he tried to rise, then dropped his head back to the ground.
"Wh-why are you—!"
"You lost too much blood. I'd wager internal energy can't stop the bleeding anymore."
"Kch."
"Ah, right. I lied about being Cult Leader Gyeong Ga-ryeong's lover."
"Wh-what? Why would you lie about that."
No Gang-sak's face-down expression suddenly shifted to guilt.
Jeong-min looked at him and asked.
"It was you, wasn't it? The one who unleashed the Blood Wolves on the Ten Thousand Mountain Range."
It was less a question than a certainty.
.
.
.
The remaining Blood Wolves were slowly converging on this side as well.
—Grrrrr!
—Woof! Woof!
The creatures barked at Jeong-min, but they didn't attack first.
Strangely enough.
"Even though they're Demonic Beasts, they don't attack people first. But they do prevent people from crossing the Ten Thousand Mountain Range."
Which meant—
"Red Dragon No Gang-sak. You've been keeping Cult Leader Gyeong Ga-ryeong confined to this Mangyuan Prefecture. Why?"
It was No Gang-sak who had trapped Cult Leader Gyeong Ga-ryeong within the Blood Cult.
The reason?
"Do you think I'd tell you?"
A gravely dignified answer—yet watching No Gang-sak lying face-down on the ground, it only seemed absurd.
Jeong-min shrugged.
"Actually, you don't have to say."
"Guess you're not curious then."
"What I'm curious about is something else."
Shlink—
Jeong-min drew the Heavenly Ascent Sword again, the one he'd just sheathed away.
The Red Dragon No Gang-sak, who hadn't the strength to rise, panicked.
"Wh-what are you doing? Didn't I say let's stop?"
"I am stopping."
I promised Cult Leader Gyeong Ga-ryeong something, after all.
The Demon Vein needs to be sealed, and there's no telling when the Martial Alliance will come striking the Heavenly Demon Cult. I don't have time to waste in a place like this.
So the direct path it is.
"You see, I need to completely wipe out the Blood Wolves on this Ten Thousand Mountain Range."
"Hmph. Do you think that's possible? The Blood Wolves number in the hundreds—no, thousands—"
"Right. That's why."
He'd been asked, so it was time to answer.
"How would you go about wiping out all those thousands at once? Ah, you don't have to answer right now."
He'd hear it regardless.
.
.
.
Splash—
In the blood-soaked grounds of the Blood Cult, Cult Leader Gyeong Ga-ryeong stood.
Barefoot. Stained with blood.
"……"
Standing watch outside the room were her closest aides, Wi Un-heo and Seong Ju-gwan.
Gyeong Ga-ryeong traced the place where her eyes had once been. That place now bore only scars, not even the memory of eyes remaining.
"……"
Her thoughts only deepened and showed no sign of resolution.
Then she would simply cut out the root.
"As I thought—I can't keep going on like this."
At her words, Wi Un-heo gently opened her closed eyes.
"Cult Leader. What do you mean?"
"There is something you all held back out of concern for me. I intend to do it now."
"……What do you mean by that?"
Gyeong Ga-ryeong stepped out of the room with an air of resolve.
Leaving bloody footprints down the corridor, Gyeong Ga-ryeong spoke with firm conviction.
"I am going to the Ten Thousand Mountain Range."
"Pardon? Th-that cannot be. Are you not terrified of wolves?"
Flinch—
Gyeong Ga-ryeong's feet stopped.
A phobia. Yes, it was true. Shameful as it was for someone who had risen to the ranks of the powerful—Gyeong Ga-ryeong was afraid of something as trivial as wolves.
—Brother! No!
—Ga-ryeong, you must……!
—Brother! No! Aaaaah!
Snapping out of a brief, bloodshot flash of memory, Gyeong Ga-ryeong nonetheless gave a slow nod.
"I know. But……even so, I must go."
"How can you—"
At Wi Un-heo's question, Gyeong Ga-ryeong turned her head blankly.
"Before that child called Hyeok Jeong-min came to me, I should have climbed that mountain myself long ago."
She gave her reason.
"For I have always known—that the Red Dragon is there."