Chapter 109 : For the Orthodox Faction
Chapter 109 : For the Orthodox Faction
The white mist, which held a cool chill.
The chill that covered the surroundings obscured the vision and dulled the senses.
His enemy, trapped in the domain, became anxious, and his breathing became rough.
Although he would try to raise his internal energy to block the penetration of the chill, it would only eat away at his own strength.
Jin Sohyun did not raise his internal energy to chase away the chill.
Rather, he opened his qi pores and accepted the chill.
As he accepted the yin energy, his great meridians began to absorb the internal energy of the Cold-Blooded Grim Reaper that was contained in the white mist.
This time too, it was the Cold-Blooded Grim Reaper who first noticed the change.
‘The white mist is thinning!’
The Cold-Blooded Grim Reaper's heart sank as he met Jin Sohyun's eyes along with the words that he had found out.
As he had said, the white mist erased the existence of the Cold-Blooded Grim Reaper.
And by opening the path of qi, the palm force that the Cold-Blooded Grim Reaper had flown from his place flowed through the path of qi and killed the enemy from an unexpected direction.
This was the secret of the white mist and the reason why the Cold-Blooded Grim Reaper was called invincible within the white mist.
‘That brat has found out the secret of the white mist. And…’
He had begun to absorb the internal energy of the Cold-Blooded Grim Reaper that was contained in the white mist.
He could not understand how this was possible.
The problem was that the existence of the Cold-Blooded Grim Reaper was revealed due to the thinned white mist.
"As expected, you were here?"
"This is damn it!"
The Cold-Blooded Grim Reaper stepped back and flew the Cold-Blooded Palm with both hands.
Thanks to having withdrawn the white mist, he still had some leeway in his internal energy.
The two Cold-Blooded Palms that had been emitted from his two palms flew towards Jin Sohyun.
Jin Sohyun, who was watching this, extended his two palms forward as if he had been waiting.
"You fool! Do you think you can stand against the Cold-Blooded Palm!"
The Cold-Blooded Grim Reaper thought he had seized the chance to win thanks to Jin Sohyun's arrogance.
‘I need a follow-up!’
He concentrated the remaining internal energy in his right hand.
"Haap!"
At the same time as the Cold-Blooded Grim Reaper threw his body, Jin Sohyun's two palms clashed with the Cold-Blooded Palm.
Poof—ong!
A thick yin energy burst out from Jin Sohyun's two hands.
But the energy of the Cold-Blooded Palm, which was so cold that it could even freeze blood, instantly seeped into Jin Sohyun's two palms.
"Hmm!"
At first, he felt a chill as if his blood vessels were freezing, but now it was not.
Rather, it was refreshing.
The Cold-Blooded Grim Reaper rushed towards Jin Sohyun, who had absorbed the energy of the Cold-Blooded Palm as it was.
"Die!"
The Cold-Blooded White Flame Palm of the Cold-Blooded Grim Reaper was shot out from his right hand like a flame.
"This one will be dangerous."
Jin Sohyun unfolded the Shadowless Divine Steps.
A tremendous speed that even martial artists who had approached the peak could not catch.
The Cold-Blooded White Flame Palm of the Cold-Blooded Grim Reaper flew, burning the innocent empty air.
"Heop!"
The Cold-Blooded Grim Reaper, who had witnessed Jin Sohyun disappearing from in front of his eyes, took a breath.
At the same time, a flying sword flew in and stuck in his knee.
"Keuk!"
The Cold-Blooded Grim Reaper's body, whose one knee had been bent on its own, lost its balance and staggered.
‘If I fall like this, it’s the end!’
The Cold-Blooded Grim Reaper, a seasoned master, bit his tongue to keep from losing consciousness and squeezed out his remaining internal energy.
He hit the ground with his left palm and, with the rebound, rotated his body and then kicked the ground with his healthy left foot.
As he crossed the ground, the Cold-Blooded Grim Reaper's eyes moved busily.
‘Where is he! Where did he go!’
He looked for Jin Sohyun, who would be chasing him from somewhere, but.
Jin Sohyun's figure was nowhere to be seen.
‘There’s no way he’d just let me go. For now, let’s spread the white mist and plan for the future!’
He lowered his two arms and opened his qi pores.
He hid his body in the mist, emitting the white mist with the internal energy he had barely squeezed out.
His lungs were pounding as if they would burst.
He wanted to take a deep breath and exhale right away, but now he had to be careful even of his breathing.
‘I have to get out of here as quietly as possible.’
The Cold-Blooded Grim Reaper, who was moving secretly in the mist, suddenly raised his head at the strong energy he felt above his head.
Jin Sohyun was in the sky.
"This is called an Explosive Flying Sword! If you survive, let's talk again then!"
Jin Sohyun threw the flying sword he was holding in his hand towards the white mist.
Although it was slower than the Thunder Advance, a single flying sword, which held a strong power, stuck under the white mist.
In the next moment, a huge explosion occurred.
Kwa-aaaaang—!!
An explosion that shook the earth.
The shockwave created by the Explosive Flying Sword scattered the white mist that the Cold-Blooded Grim Reaper had created in an instant.
Jin Sohyun landed lightly on the deeply dug pit.
He looked around and then found the Cold-Blooded Grim Reaper.
The state of the Cold-Blooded Grim Reaper, whose body was torn by a third, looked so strange that it would not have been strange to call him a corpse.
"Are you alive?"
"Kkeu... ugh...!"
A painful groan flowed from between the Cold-Blooded Grim Reaper's open lips.
"Ah! You're alive."
Jin Sohyun ran in a hurry and squatted in front of the Cold-Blooded Grim Reaper.
"Is there anyone else from the Heretic's Path Alliance besides you?"
The Cold-Blooded Grim Reaper could not hear Jin Sohyun's voice.
His ears were deaf from the aftermath of the explosion.
His eardrums seemed to have been torn, as he could not hear any sound, and his vision was blurry.
‘It was my mistake. I should have requested support from the Alliance. That brat… is a monster.’
From the beginning of the fight until now.
Jin Sohyun had not used his full power against him.
Like a cat playing with its prey before killing it, Jin Sohyun had thoroughly played with the Cold-Blooded Grim Reaper.
‘I have to inform the Alliance.’
The Cold-Blooded Grim Reaper struggled to raise his head.
But he could not see anything.
‘Even if I have to use all the power of the Alliance, I must kill Jin Sohyun… for the great cause of the Alliance… I must…’
The Cold-Blooded Grim Reaper had realized from this one fight.
That as long as Jin Sohyun existed, the Heretic's Path Alliance could never achieve its great cause.
That they could not destroy the Orthodox Martial World.
But his empty shout could not come out into the world.
"This is..."
Jin Sohyun confirmed that the Cold-Blooded Grim Reaper's breath was no longer flowing.
The Cold-Blooded Grim Reaper, who had made the Central Plains martial world tremble in fear, had died in an abandoned farmhouse.
"I can't get any information like this."
Although he had failed to get information about the Heretic's Path Alliance, he was not disappointed.
This fight was quite special.
—To win against the unorthodox faction, you will have to go through many more fights than now. Fight with the strong, and learn their fighting methods, martial arts, and even their trivial habits, and make them your own. If you defeat the strong men of the unorthodox faction and make their power your own... in the end, you will win.
Gu Jucheol had advised Jin Sohyun to fight with the strong men of the unorthodox faction.
Not just fighting and winning, but learning their martial arts and fighting methods with his body and accepting them.
Experience is power.
Jin Sohyun, as per Gu Jucheol's advice, had fought with the Cold-Blooded Grim Reaper and had experienced his fighting style with his own body.
He had learned how to use the mist and his martial arts.
"Hoooo."
Jin Sohyun gathered the corpse of the Cold-Blooded Grim Reaper and the corpses of the dead shadows, put them in the pit created by the Explosive Flying Sword, and covered them with dirt.
This was the minimum courtesy for the dead.
"Although you don't have to be nice to bad guys, it's a bit much to just leave the corpses as they are."
Jin Sohyun, who had taken care of the Cold-Blooded Grim Reaper and his shadows, walked to the hut.
Jin Sohyun, who had retrieved all ten flying swords with a single gesture, stood in front of Ju Giltae.
He was still cowering, trembling all over.
"Giltae."
"Y-Yes!"
Ju Giltae raised his head.
He was looking around as if he were looking for someone.
"Are you looking for the black-clad men who came with you?"
"Wh-What happened to them?"
"I buried them over there. If you want to be with them, just say the word. I'll bury you with them myself."
At Jin Sohyun's overly calm face, Ju Giltae got goosebumps.
‘Did he kill all of them by himself!?’
The Cold-Blooded Grim Reaper was a strong man who had made the Saseong Sect tremble in fear and was a master of the Heretic's Path Alliance.
And yet, he had died without even being able to create a small scratch on Jin Sohyun.
‘This brat… no, this person is a great master!’
Ju Giltae, who had grasped the situation, knelt and smiled obsequiously.
"As expected, I had no doubt that the great hero would be victorious. I guided them here so that the great hero could hunt them easily."
"Weren't you trying to hunt me?"
"N-Not at all!"
"Good job, Giltae. Thanks to you betraying me as expected, things went smoothly. No one got hurt."
"Th-That's right?"
"But you have to pay the price for your betrayal, right?"
"Please spare me! Great Hero!"
Ju Giltae prostrated himself.
Jin Sohyun, who was wondering what to do with the traitor, helped him up.
"Giltae."
"Yes!"
"There's more you have to do."
"Just say the word! I'll do anything!"
"Really?"
"Yes!"
"Can I trust you this time?"
"Of course! Please trust me just this once! I will never disappoint you!"
As Ju Giltae shouted as if he were begging, Jin Sohyun smiled brightly.
"Then..."
***
"The opponent is the Saseong Sect. We must not be careless."
"Is this a fight we can even win?"
At Ju Gilseok's question, Ju Hyeol could not easily answer.
Although it was good that he had led the sect's martial artists and had run to the front of the Saseong Sect as Jin Sohyun had said, he could not guarantee victory or defeat.
Moreover, the Saseong Sect was a sect that existed in the fourth place among the minor sects that existed in Hebei.
It was a strong sect that was known to not care about anyone other than the Hebei Peng Clan.
And the Hongjung Sect had struck first against such a Saseong Sect.
"Anyway, there's no place to retreat now."
Ju Hyeol wiped the sweat flowing on his forehead and caught his breath.
At that moment, the gate of the Saseong Sect opened, and Go Palsak walked out from between them.
He fluttered his long robe and shouted with a voice full of strength.
"Hongjung Sect! You brats who are no better than stray dogs, are you daring to threaten our Saseong Sect!"
"Didn't the Saseong Sect also plan to discard the Hongjung Sect!"
"You foolish brat! If you had run to the Alliance and begged for your life, you could have protected that shabby sect... did you come running here, trusting Jin Sohyun?"
Ju Hyeol, who had been hit where it hurt, could not answer and hesitated, and Go Palsak laughed.
"Hahaha! You were fools, not just foolish. The brat Jin Sohyun, whom you trust and rely on, will now be a wandering ghost in the underworld."
"...What did you say?"
"You didn't know, did you? The fact that Ju Giltae, whom you sent, has surrendered to our Saseong Sect? Thanks to the information he gave, the Cold-Blooded Grim Reaper has gone to deal with Jin Sohyun himself. The outcome must have been decided by now."
"Ju Giltae... this brat...!"
At the unexpected betrayal of Ju Giltae, Ju Hyeol and Ju Gilseok ground their teeth.
‘The Cold-Blooded Grim Reaper has stepped forward himself!’
The Cold-Blooded Grim Reaper was one of the famous assassins of the Heretic's Path Alliance.
He was a master of the Alliance who was known to never let anyone he was after live to their natural lifespan.
No matter how much of a master Jin Sohyun was, with a power that did not suit his age, he did not seem to be able to survive from the clutches of the Cold-Blooded Grim Reaper.
As the one hope they had believed in was broken, the momentum of the Hongjung Sect martial artists also waned.
"Ju Hyeol. This is your last chance. Join hands with me and let's destroy the Deungho Sect. If you do, the Hongjung Sect, like the Saseong Sect, will be able to enjoy the blessings and glory of the Alliance."
At Go Palsak's proposal, Ju Hyeol's gaze wavered.
Jin Sohyun was surely dead.
Now all that was left was the four martial artists who had come with him.
"The situation is not good. Prepare for battle."
As the situation became unusual, the martial artists of the third group, including Un Bang, placed their hands on their weapons.
A heavy air began to flow, and Ju Hyeol looked back.
In his line of sight were the four martial artists who had come with Jin Sohyun.
‘Should I kill them here and join the Heretic's Path Alliance… or should I share my fate with them.’
The Heretic's Path Alliance or the Martial Arts Alliance.
The unorthodox faction or the orthodox faction.
Ju Hyeol, who was at a crossroads, suddenly saw the martial artists of the Hongjung Sect.
Their faces were full of fear.
They were the faces of livestock that had been dragged to a slaughterhouse.
‘Without Jin Sohyun, we are all dead.’
There was only one way to save the sect.
"...I'm sorry."
At Ju Hyeol's answer, Un Bang gritted his teeth.
"Get back!"
The four martial artists drew their swords and sabers and stepped back.
And in the next moment, something that no one had expected happened.
"You brat!! You dog of the Heretic's Path Alliance!"
At the thunderous shout, everyone's gaze turned to where the sound had come from.
There stood Ju Giltae, holding a sword.
"Why is that brat there...?"
Before the surprised Ju Hyeol and Ju Gilseok could say anything, Ju Giltae shouted confidently.
"This Ju Giltae and the Hongjung Sect will judge the Saseong Sect, which is disturbing the peace of the Central Plains martial world, here! Martial artists of the Hongjung Sect, draw your swords! We will cut off the branches of the unorthodox faction here!!"
The sudden appearance of Ju Giltae.
"What is that crazy brat doing!"
Ju Gilseok's urgent shout.
"Ju Giltae!"
Ju Hyeol's pitiful call.
Despite their efforts, Ju Giltae began to run, holding his sword.
"For the orthodox faction!!"
(End of Chapter)
novelraw