Chapter 1764
That’s why I am here. (4)
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Standing face-to-face with Baek Cheon, the expressions of the members of Sapaeryeon twisted strangely.
“…A chivalrous warrior?”
“A chivalrous warrior, you say?”
Then, they burst into incredulous laughter.
“Is he insane?”
They weren’t even angry. They were simply dumbfounded.
It wasn’t just the ridiculousness of the title ‘chivalrous warrior.’
A face marked by illness, arms as thin as tree branches. That alone was absurd, but to top it off, he had some bizarre contraption attached to one of his arms, something they’d never seen or heard of before.
Despite all this, his expression was somehow grimly determined, leaving the onlookers unsure whether to laugh or cry at his ridiculous appearance. It was hard to find even the slightest trace of harmony in that man.
He was nothing less than a crazed madman who had lost his mind, rushing in with eyes rolling back, unable to discern front from back.
By the look of things, some unlucky fool had gotten caught up in the path of that blind blade.
“He looks fine, but it seems like he’s completely lost his mind.”
“…Still, he keeps feeling oddly familiar. Like I’ve seen him somewhere before.”
“You’ve seen him? No way. Who would see someone like that and ever forget?”
“That’s true.”
The slight wariness they had felt quickly dissipated.
Indeed, the man’s appearance was so striking that it was impossible to forget once seen, though not in a good way.
“Alright, just go. Go. Even though we’re from the Evil Sects, we still have a bit of compassion in us. We’ll let you go this time, so just leave.”
The leader of the group waved his hand dismissively, as if finding the situation bothersome.
Of course, just because their opponent was a madman or a cripple didn’t mean they were inclined to show mercy. However, there were plenty of other prey around to satisfy their sinister desires. There was no need to waste time dealing with someone like this.
Yet, rather than appreciating the rare kindness they had shown, the bizarre figure before them struggled to lift his trembling arm, seemingly intent on doing something.
“Huh?”
The sight was so strange and arduous that their eyes naturally focused on him. Finally, the strange man’s index finger reached his ear, and he began to mumble.
“From where…”
Sapaeryeon’s members squinted and focused. Baek Cheon, who had lifted his head, sneered.
“Sounded like a dog barking.”
“…”
“No, that’s an insult to a dog. Should I say it’s the noise of some bastards who are even worse than dogs?”
The eyes of the members of Sapaeryeon sharpened instantly. It was clear from his tone alone that the man wasn’t actually insane.
“This bastard… Is he really so eager to die?”
The one leading the group twisted his face into a scowl and strode towards Baek Cheon.
His rough steps bore no trace of caution.
Filled with fury, he closed the distance in a few strides and, without a moment’s hesitation, slashed his blade diagonally, as if intending to cut Baek Cheon clean in half.
“Whoa.”
“Honestly, that brute…”
The onlooking companions either clicked their tongues or chuckled at the sight.
It seemed like an excessively severe attack against someone whose limbs didn’t even seem intact. In other words, they were all convinced that this strike would split the poor man’s body in two.
Since it wasn’t going to be an entertaining sight, they all turned away, disappointed.
But at that moment.
Crack!
“Huh?”
A strange sound hit the ears of those who had begun to turn away. It wasn’t the sound of a blade slicing through flesh and breaking bones.
It was a familiar metallic sound. A sound that shouldn’t have been heard in this situation.
Thud.
The following sound of flesh being pierced made everyone halt and turn back.
The sword that the member of Sapaeryeon had swung earlier was now stretched high, almost piercing the sky. The blade, which had just been fiercely slashing down from upper left to lower right, was suddenly pointing upwards.
But that wasn’t the only strange thing.
The blade of the bizarre contraption attached to the strange man’s arm – so absurd it looked almost laughable – was now embedded in the neck of the very companion who had been wildly swinging his sword moments ago.
“Wha..?”
“Guh… grrk..”
Drip. Drip.
The sound of blood trickling down and soaking the ground filled the air. The other members of Sapaeryeon, who had been staring blankly at the scene, finally snapped back to their senses.
“What the…!”
Thud.
As the sword was pulled out, the body collapsed and fell to the ground.
It was truly an unbelievable sight. If not for the body of their comrade lying there with a gaping hole in his neck and the blood dripping from the end of the madman’s blade, they might never have believed what they had just witnessed.
He was a comrade who had crossed countless deadly situations since they were Black Ghosts. And now, he had lost his life to a cripple who looked as though he couldn’t even catch a single rat with his own hands. It would be abnormal to believe such a thing easily.
“You…”
He could barely continue speaking. No matter how crippled that man might have seemed, if they had sensed even the slightest bit of internal strength from him, they wouldn’t have let their guard down so easily.
But now, with one life already lost, and another – whose life had just been severed – a moment ago, there still wasn’t the slightest hint of aura emanating from that strange man.
Third-rate. No, perhaps even lower. To lose a comrade’s life to someone who seemed to be at such a level – it left the rest feeling something truly peculiar.
Even those who didn’t particularly feel any comradeship were, at this moment, swept up in a mix of emotions. Absurdity, anger, shock, disbelief… and even a sense of inexplicable futility.
“What the hell did you do?”
The emotions, all jumbled together, created a discomfort they had never felt before.
They double-checked several times to see if there was something they had missed, but still, they couldn’t sense anything special from that man.
Moreover, his appearance was bewildering. There wasn’t a single symbol of any recognizable sect on him, and the sword he was holding with the aid of that strange device was nothing more than a cheap, common iron sword one could find anywhere.
“Answer me, you worthless bastard, not even fit to be dog food!”
One of the Sapas, unable to bear the discomfort any longer, let out a chilling roar and charged in aggressively.
“W-Wait!”
Sensing an inexplicable sense of unease, another tried to stop him, but by then, his blade was already a breath away from Baek Cheon’s head.
And this time, everyone could see it clearly.
Clang!
It was a sword move that seemed as if water were flowing up.
Of course, it defied reason. Water flows from a high place to a lower one. Yet, there was no other way to describe it.
The sword, moving up smoothly like flowing water, brushed against the side of the descending blade that was heavily charged with inner strength, effortlessly deflecting it.
Thud.
As the blade flew past the side of Baek Cheon’s head, the sword that had been pressing against the blade’s flat side [도면(刀面)] slid around to the back of the blade and added force to the descending momentum.
“Huh?”
The force of the blade was now stronger than the one that had been originally applied. Naturally, the enemy holding the blade lost control.
Boom!
The blade crashed violently into the ground, shattering it.
Swish!
Using the rebound from the blade embedding itself into the earth, the sword rose and slashed through the neck of the member of Sapaeryeon.
“Guh…”
Even as his neck was cut, disbelief flickered in his eyes. He stared intently at the one who had severed his neck, his mouth opening and closing as if trying to say something, but no sound could convey his dying will.
Only the hollow sound of air escaping through the gaping wound filled the void.
Thud.
Another life ended, and another body collapsed to the ground.
Amid the roaring flames, the sporadic screams echoing from all directions, and the fierce shouts filled with exhilaration, an eerie silence seeped in.
Within that silence, Baek Cheon gripped his sword even tighter.
‘It’s working!’
His sword had nearly pierced through the enemy’s neck.
To be honest, up until now, he hadn’t been entirely sure.
Even though he had been taught by Heo Do Jinin, actual combat was a different matter entirely. He couldn’t be certain that this desperate method of squeezing out everything he had left would work against the enemy.
But in this moment, the doubt faded, and confidence surged within him.
Pulling up the scant amount of internal energy each time he swung his sword, deflecting attacks that would shatter him if faced head-on, moving with dragging steps that were no longer swift, and still confronting his enemies – all of it remained challenging. Fear lingered too.
Yet, even so…
‘I can… still fight.’
As confidence settled in, his mind became sharp again.
“You bastard…”
Eyes so cold they seemed to pierce through him bore down on Baek Cheon.
Baek Cheon knew that the previous moments were merely strokes of luck. They were the result of exploiting the enemy’s hasty underestimation based on his disheveled appearance.
And now, they would no longer underestimate him. He could no longer hope for luck to save him.
However, no newfound fear crept in.
What mattered was that he could fight – that he could still swing his sword again.
“You looked so pitiful I thought l’d let you live… but now that it’s come to this, l’ll make sure you die a horrible death.”
“Even with this pitiful look, I think I’m still much better off than you.”
“You…!”
Murderous intent swirled in the eyes of the members of Sapaeryeon.
“I’ll rip that arrogant mouth of yours apart!”
With a fierce energy that seemed to pierce through flesh, the members of Sapaeryeon charged at Baek Cheon.
If this were the past, they would have been dealt with in a single swing of a sword… No, they would have been too afraid to even stand before Baek Cheon.
But now, to Baek Cheon, these opponents were formidable enough that he couldn’t guarantee victory, even if he risked his life.
If asked whether he was afraid, of course, he was. But wasn’t that natural? It wasn’t because he wasn’t afraid that he fought, but because he was afraid.
“Come!”
Baek Cheon shouted, raising his sword high with all his might.
❀ ❀ ❀
Through the charred trees and the ash-covered ground, sparse blades of grass struggled to grow.
In this place where the end and the beginning coexist, a group was racing down the slopes of Mount Wudang at breakneck speed.
“Hurry up, faster!”
“We’re running, aren’t we?”
“I said faster!”
“Damn it, I know!”
The disciples of Hwasan, their faces hardened, urged each other on as they desperately sprinted.
‘Damn it!’
In every village they passed below, black smoke was rising into the sky. Even without a closer look, it was clear what was happening.
Of course, it could all be a trap.
But so what if it was? Should they simply ignore the dying people just because it was obviously a trap?
They couldn’t. They mustn’t.
Even if the place ahead was a blazing hell, they had to go.
“I’Il kill every last one of these damned bastards from the Evil Sects!”
Someone, unable to contain their rage, roared. The faster they ran, the more their hearts pounded.
Their concern for the safety of the innocent villagers was as heavy as a mountain. Yet, at the same time…
“Sahyeong, do you think Sasuk will be okay? What if something-“
“Don’t say anything ominous!”
“…Yes.”
Yoon Jong, who had sharply cut off Tang Soso’s words, secretly bit down on his lip.
If Baek Cheon was still nearby, could he escape this calamity in his current state? No, could someone with his temperament truly lie low, suppress his spirit, and survive?
Wouldn’t it be fortunate if he hadn’t already rushed out ahead?
Whoosh!
Yoon Jong’s legs tensed with even more strength, and his speed increased. At that moment, Jo Geol asked Tang Soso.
“What about Chung Myung?”
“I don’t know. I don’t know where he is.”
“Why does that damn bastard keep wandering off alone these days!”
Listening to Jo Geol’s voice, filled with irritation, Yoon Jong silently pressed his tightly shut lips together even harder.
Countless matters remain unresolved and disorganized, continuously tormenting his mind.
These were things he had never needed to worry about before, but now, they were burdens he had to carry alone.
“Will it be alright? Or should we try to find Chung Myung Sahyeong first…?”
“Even without Chung Myung, we are still Hwasan.”
“…”
“And Hwasan does not turn its back on those in crisis. That is enough, isn’t it?”
“Yes!”
Hearing Tang Soso’s firm reply, Yoon Jong nodded.
Yes, that reason alone is enough.
“Let’s hurry!”
“Yes!”
Everyone responded loudly.
‘Please…’
Yoon Jong could only hope and pray that Baek Cheon had not gotten caught up in this incident.
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