The Mad Dog Inspector of the Martial Alliance

Chapter 127 : Lamp of Enlightenment (1)

There are four types of Byeokryeoktan: Plum, Orchid, Chrysanthemum, and Bamboo. The one Jang So-gil had detonated was the weakest of them, the Bamboo-grade. It was a natural judgment since he did not want to commit suicide.

But even if it was a Bamboo-grade, its power was not to be underestimated. Although he had protected his body with protective qi, Jang So-gil's internal organs were not protective qi, and as he had hastily raised his internal energy, its strength had also decreased.

To think he had detonated a Byeokryeoktan in his own bosom, trusting in such protective qi, the damage was not just a little.

Even after vomiting a large amount of clotted blood, his qi and blood were still boiling. The pain in his flesh and bones was bearable, but the internal injuries were truly difficult to endure.

His intestines were twisted, and his head was spinning. The pain continued, making him want to roll on the ground right away.

But even while groaning, Jang So-gil smiled bitterly.

'At least I'm alive.'

In a fleeting moment, after thinking of and discarding dozens of methods, the remaining answer was the self-destruction of the Byeokryeoktan. It was a foolish method, but the result of having endured the sincere attack of the Black Killing Hegemon King, Ha Hu-yeong, was important.

Even if he looked like a madman, it was a gain in the end. Compared to having his neck and head separated, what wouldn't be a gain?

Ha Hu-yeong had a slightly empty expression.

"You have quite some backbone. Your guts are also very thick."

It was a tone as if he were genuinely impressed. Suppressing the rising nausea, Jang So-gil narrowed his eyes.

"You also have very thick guts. Even though you know full well that the Alliance Leader-nim won't leave you alone if you kill me."

"Haha. That's right. The anger of the Thunder and Lightning Sword Emperor is frightening. Just thinking about it, the chills in my body won't stop."

"Then what are you counting on to do this?"

"Of course, I have something I'm counting on, but is there any reason I have to tell you?"

"Of course not."

The Black Killing Hegemon King, Ha Hu-yeong, indeed acted like a martial artist representing the Black Way. This was the decisive difference between a martial artist of the orthodox sect and a martial artist of the Black Way. He missed the martial artists of the orthodox sect who would willingly tell their inner thoughts after exchanging a few words.

Ha Hu-yeong calmly threw away the sickles he was holding in his hands. Due to the continuous use of the Black Killing Heavenly Gang, Jang So-gil's resistance, and the shock of the Byeokryeoktan, the two sickles had become a mess. It was because they were cheap sickles that a farmer would use.

But for him, who did not make unnecessary investments in weapons, there were plenty of substitutes. When Ha Hu-yeong took another sickle that he had been carrying at his waist in his hand, Jang So-gil, who had become dumbfounded, let out a hollow laugh.

"If I die from such a rusty sickle, I'll be a little embarrassed."

"There's no need to be embarrassed. Many people die like that. Rather than that, to be so calm even though you're about to die soon, you're a fellow with really thick guts."

"Ah, it's because it's not my fate to die yet."

"Fate to die?"

"Why do you think I detonated the Byeokryeoktan?"

"I don't know. I'm quite curious, but I won't ask."

It was a waste of time to talk. He had already made him breathe twice. Ha Hu-yeong, for whom every moment was precious, cut off his words and once again wrapped his sickle in saber gang and swung it at Jang So-gil's neck.

But in an instant, Jang So-gil's figure blurred and then disappeared. Ha Hu-yeong, his eyes wide, looked around.

"......!"

Something was standing among the collapsed ruins. A crane-like figure standing proudly with a white Daoist robe and beard fluttering. It was the sect leader of the Huashan Sect, the Lamp of Enlightenment.

While Ha Hu-yeong, wary of him, took half a step back, Yeondeung grabbed the back of Jang So-gil's neck with his right hand and shook him as if he were handling a child. Naturally, Jang So-gil, getting angry, said.

"Let go of me."

"Heo, for your first words to be that. I'm disappointed."

"What are you talking about, coming so late, do you expect me to thank you?"

It was too late. He had crossed the line between life and death dozens of times.

He was a body that would have died long ago. It was a wonder he was alive.

The Lamp of Enlightenment readily nodded his head.

"Well, I have nothing to say to that."

"I'll ask. Why were you late?"

"The sight of you holding on was so amazing that I ended up watching and it became like this."

"Are you saying that now!"

"But I couldn't help it."

The sight of Jang So-gil holding on against an overwhelmingly stronger enemy, a formidable foe that was hard to face even in the world, was truly fascinating. He had intended to help after watching just one move, but he had ended up wanting to keep watching.

With Jang So-gil's martial arts level, he could not withstand the Black Killing Heavenly Gang. But he had endured. He had endured not just one or two exchanges, but several, and the total number of moves was one hundred and thirteen.

"There are not many masters who can fight a hundred and thirteen moves with the Black Killing Hegemon King. But if that's a brat of a young age, and even a person who has only learned martial arts for a year, isn't he a talent worthy of admiration?"

"So?"

"If such a talent is fighting a life-and-death battle, it would be the role of an old general to watch. The experience learned in a desperate struggle is valuable. Each and every move was a field of learning, so it must have been a good experience."

"You son of a bitch, are you spouting that as a reason for being late now? Are you kidding me?"

"My, my, you're having a hard time being polite."

He couldn't help but curse. Because he had roughly read the thoughts in the Lamp of Enlightenment's eyes.

Those were all just empty words. The Lamp of Enlightenment didn't really care whether Jang So-gil lived or died. If he died, well, it was Ha Hu-yeong's fault, not mine. He was thinking lightly like that.

Jang So-gil, if you were to be picky, Yeondeung was a person whose disposition resembled Jang So-gil's. If Ha Hu-yeong ran away, was it my fault, or the fault of the ones who were breached? Jang So-gil's own appearance, who had said so, overlapped.

What would it mean for a person to resemble Jang So-gil? It meant that he was an incredibly sinister and shady person. To think that a martial artist of the orthodox sect, and even the sect leader of Huashan, would be so unlike a Daoist.

As Jang So-gil was shocked, the Lamp of Enlightenment, laughing 'heoheo', said.

"But in the end, didn't I come to help you like this?"

"Speak correctly. You came late because you had to help, didn't you? If you had ignored the explosion of the Byeokryeoktan, you would have died at the hands of the Alliance Leader-nim later!"

"That is also true. This sinister fellow, to think you would try to escape a crisis in two ways by using a Byeokryeoktan. Your scheme is quite something."

"Who's the sinister one, are you calling me sinister now!"

"Hahaha. Let's talk later. The person we were talking to first is awkwardly taking his foot out and waiting, isn't he?"

The Lamp of Enlightenment put Jang So-gil down and drew his sword. In the short time they had been talking, Ha Hu-yeong's figure had disappeared. But Jang So-gil had not even realized that he was running away. Because there was no sign of him raising his lightness skill.

Yeondeung, as if it were no big deal, swung his sword. Then the ground split open along the trajectory of the sword. Ha Hu-yeong's figure was visible in that crack.

Ha Hu-yeong trembled in great shock.

"Heok-!"

"Although it is said that a martial artist hides three-tenths of his strength, to think you were hiding the Earth Hiding Art. You're quite something too. But you can't run away in front of me."

Ha Hu-yeong's eyes, which had been shaken for a moment, regained their composure. He calmly grasped the situation.

The Earth Hiding Art was a secret art of an immortal. If he was the sect leader of the Huashan Sect, the head of a huge sect that vied for the top among the Daoist sects, it might have been natural for him to know the secret art of seeing through the Earth Hiding Art.

Then there was no choice but to fight and break through with force. Fortunately, Yeondeung had a weakness called Jang So-gil, whom he had to protect. Attacking a weakness was a common thing for a Black Way martial artist, not something to be avoided as cunning or cowardly.

"......!"

Ha Hu-yeong leaped out from the cracked ground with the momentum of a dragon ascending to heaven. The Black Killing Heavenly Gang was demonstrated again.

As the name of his signature supreme skill suggested, the Black Killing Heavenly Gang was a martial art that represented Ha Hu-yeong. Since it was a martial art that he could perform with the most confidence at any time and had always guaranteed him victory, it was only natural that it would be performed skillfully even in this urgent situation.

Dozens of black saber gangs scattered. The Lamp of Enlightenment, reading that the direction of the saber gangs was heading towards Jang So-gil, his eyebrows twitched.

The purpose was too clear. To draw attention with an attack aimed at Jang So-gil and run away in the meantime. It was a shallow trick that even a third-rate martial artist would notice.

Then should he not give him a chance to run away and strike his neck as it was?

But he could not help but block the attack coming at Jang So-gil. If Jang So-gil were to die while under Yeondeung's protection, the Huashan Sect might really disappear. The enraged Thunder and Lightning Sword Emperor was a person capable of that.

'It's troublesome. Shall I just protect this fellow's life?'

It was when Yeondeung had made up his mind. Jang So-gil said in a low voice.

"Let's each do our own thing."

There was no time to wait for a reaction. Jang So-gil, holding the White Azure Divine Sword, jumped into the middle of the Black Killing Heavenly Gang.

Although his qi and blood were boiling and his internal organs were injured, Jang So-gil was confident. There was no reason he couldn't block an attack he had blocked once, a second time.

Yeondeung, seeing Jang So-gil who had jumped in confidently, clicked his tongue.

"Eing. I'm envious, Sword Emperor."

Jang So-gil was not now committing a reckless act with only overflowing spirit, without being able to gauge the difference in skill between himself and his enemy. The fact that he had calmly judged that he could do it and had calmly put it into action was amazing.

It was not that he had no fear. His trust in himself was greater than his fear. It was not a transparent mentality like a 'clear mirror and still water', but a calculated and judged fighting spirit and perseverance.

It was a talent that was not easily seen. The desire to covet talent was so great that a hand seemed to be about to pop out of his throat. As his envy for Gumen Long, who already had Jang So-gil, grew, the Lamp of Enlightenment's sword also shook violently.

A single streak of flash flickered through Jang So-gil's fierce resistance, which was receiving the blackly shining Black Killing Heavenly Gang.

Soon, a single plum blossom bloomed.

Neither Jang So-gil, who was busy receiving the gang qi, nor Ha Hu-yeong, who was busy swinging the gang qi, knew.

Only the Lamp of Enlightenment knew that he had already taken Ha Hu-yeong's neck.

With a 'tuk', the head fell.

For the death of the Black Killing Hegemon King, who had made the Black Way tremble, it was too shabby a death.

But who would call this death shabby?

That the Sword Saint of Huashan had personally drawn his sword.

"Farewell. Your defeat was due to your absorption in bullying an underling."

The Lamp of Enlightenment softly recited the name of the Primeval Lord of Heaven.

* * *

The Black Killing Hegemon King, Ha Hu-yeong, was dead. The war with the Four Black Alliance was also heading towards its end. The martial artists continued to fight to subjugate the remaining forces.

In the meantime, Jang So-gil was receiving emergency treatment from Yang Gwan in a safe place.

The bones in his chest and left arm were cracked. It was fortunate that the bones were not broken thanks to his protective qi, but the internal injuries were quite severe. To recover, he would have to rest for at least a month.

Even while Yang Gwan was applying a splint, Jang So-gil continued to growl.

"That damn old man."

"Y-Young Master So, you should be careful with your words..."

"I want you to know that it's my best effort not to curse."

"In the end, didn't he take the Black Killing Hegemon King's head and save your life, Young Master So?"

"That old man is acting like a complete dog."

In Jang So-gil's view, there were one or two things about the Lamp of Enlightenment's actions that needed to be pointed out.

"He came late to help, and he was just half-heartedly checking the situation!"

"He was late to help, but he was half-heartedly checking the situation?"

"That old man is an old man who can chase and catch Ha Hu-yeong even if he attacks me and runs away."

Ha Hu-yeong had tried to run away while attacking Jang So-gil with the Black Killing Heavenly Gang at the end.

But let's think about it calmly. Ha Hu-yeong's lightness skill was slower than Jang So-gil's.

But the Lamp of Enlightenment was much faster than Jang So-gil. Even if Ha Hu-yeong ran away, it would not be difficult to chase him.

"But he was putting on airs as if he were going to let him go. It seems he was too lazy to chase."

He was about to lose the fish he had already caught. Jang So-gil had no choice but to overdo it. It was impossible not to curse.

Jang So-gil, who had been chewing over the situation several times and had become angry, finally, snorting, walked towards the Lamp of Enlightenment. Pushing away Song Baek, who was approaching urgently, he stood in front of the Lamp of Enlightenment and rolled up his sleeves.

"I tried to endure it, but I can't stand it anymore. Let's hear the rest of your excuses from before."

If he made an excuse, he was ready to refute it. He would completely strip him bare, not leaving even a single grain of rice.

The Lamp of Enlightenment, who was carefully looking at Jang So-gil's murderous eyes, stroked his beard.

"I have nothing to excuse."

"Aha, really? Then let's see you at the Martial Alliance meeting? Fine. Let's see who defends you."

"Don't be hasty. I admit I was wrong, and I'm thinking of paying the price."

"The priiiice? The priiiice!? Hah, let's see."

He was planning to smash him to pieces if he offered something trivial as a price.

But Jang So-gil, who had seen the small box that the Lamp of Enlightenment had taken out of his bosom, finally closed his mouth.

"Will this satisfy you?"

"..."

He had no choice but to close his mouth.

Because on the box that the Lamp of Enlightenment had taken out, it was written 'Plum Blossom Divine Pill'.

(End of Chapter)