CDF Chapter 56

Whoosh!

The air split with a piercing sound as a figure streaked through the empty space.

Hong Wi-moon’s eyes widened in shock.

This madman!

Seo Ryang’s charge was nothing short of a tempest.

It was a speed and martial technique rarely witnessed before. Despite moving at such velocity, there was a sense of freedom suggesting he could change direction at will, and his emanating energy blazed like fire.

This was the Nine Heavens Ground-Shrinking Divine Steps^[1], the lightness technique of the Assassin King who was said to have slain his targets before they could even glimpse his robes.

Growing desperate, Hong Wi-moon hastily unleashed his palm force.

Bang bang bang bang!

Palm shadows^[2] covered most of his forward field of vision. It was an incredible counter for a technique deployed so suddenly.

Seo Ryang’s eyes flashed.

Boom!

“Kugh!”

Hong Wi-moon’s body was forced backward once again. His hand remained flushed red, but his voluminous sleeve was now in tatters.

This crazy bastard! He actually attacked with killing intent?!

The hand attack of the Heaven-Raising Technique^[3].

But that wasn’t the end. After demolishing Hong Wi-moon’s palm technique with a single strike, Seo Ryang’s hand had already transformed into a fist. He had compressed his overflowing power into something akin to an iron mace.

Whooom!

Seo Ryang stepped into a true stance and drove his fist forward. His target was Hong Wi-moon’s solar plexus.

He unleashed a punch capable of crushing rock straight at a human body’s vital point. It was a strike that one wouldn’t dare attempt without the intent to kill.

Eek!

Crash!

Back, and back again.

Hong Wi-moon, who had been continuously retreating, looked terribly haggard in just that brief moment. Though he had managed to block the final killing strike, he couldn’t control his internal energy due to the forceful use of his qi technique.

If he could just get two or three proper breaths, he could fix everything.

He absolutely won’t give me an opening! I need to prepare for the follow-up…

Suddenly, Hong Wi-moon’s eyes shook violently.

Surprisingly, Seo Ryang, who he thought would immediately launch a follow-up attack, was standing far away, tapping the ground with his toe.

“…?”

Why? He must have known this brief gap would determine the outcome of the fight.

Then, Seo Ryang’s muttering reached his ears.

“The hand techniques and overall striking arts are certainly well-ingrained. But as expected, they’ve lost their cleanness. We’ll review this part later…”

“…!”

“Should I draw my sword? No, though I’m confident I can control it, if the fight intensifies, I can’t rule out the possibility of innocent people getting hurt… Hm?”

Seo Ryang blinked.

“Ah, have you caught your breath?”

“What are you playing at?”

“I think I’ve waited long enough. This time, you come at me.”

Whoosh.

A thick killing intent settled in Hong Wi-moon’s eyes.

You dare use me to check your martial arts?

Hiss!

The Serpent King Demonic Art instantly flared up, and a sinister demonic energy burst forth from his pupils, which had turned purple.

Whoosh!

A pungent snake-like stench seemed to waft from somewhere.

With a crackling sound as if joints were being crushed, Hong Wi-moon’s fingers grew longer and thicker. His sharply honed fingernails lost their original color and turned pitch black.

Seo Ryang smirked.

“Well, that’s quite a time-consuming martial art. No wonder you got pushed back without being able to do anything from just one surprise attack.”

“You must be absolutely desperate to die!”

“You were planning to kill me anyway, you son of a bitch. Should I just quietly let go of someone who’s clearly going to be trouble later?”

He truly hadn’t expected such brazenness even here.

Hong Wi-moon’s lips curled into a cold sneer. His purple pupils visibly enlarged as an eerie and malevolent energy poured forth.

“Then I’ll consider this self-defense. I should thank you.”

“I’m more grateful. You did agree to join me for drinks after all.”

Rumble!

Crimson lightning surged through his right hand, concentrated with shadow demonic energy.

Not flames, but lightning. It was completely different from the qi techniques he had shown before.

“Enough talk. If you’re done preparing, come at me properly.”

Hiss!

A sound that caused listeners to feel an inexplicable chill rang out.

It was the sound of a snake slithering across the ground. Hong Wi-moon had finally moved.

Pak!

His approaching movement was both smooth and incredibly fast. Then, at a sublime moment, he leaped up and swung his hand, mimicking how a viper strikes its prey.

Seo Ryang’s eyes flashed.

Pa-pa-pa-pak!

Their hands clashed more than ten times in mid-air. It was an exchange that happened in the blink of an eye.

Swish!

Seo Ryang stepped back three or four paces.

It wasn’t because he struggled to withstand Hong Wi-moon’s attacks. He wanted to properly observe his opponent’s martial arts and integrate the footwork into his body.

This bastard!

Hong Wi-moon’s realm wasn’t so low that he couldn’t read his opponent’s intentions.

Whoosh.

A purple energy current spread from his pitch-black fingertips.

Simultaneously, a stuffy yet somewhat sweet smell wafted through the air. It was the smell of decaying leaves.

I’ll shatter that composure of yours.

Hong Wi-moon swung his hand like lightning. It was the Black Bone Snake Shadow Hand^[4], the supreme killing technique of the Serpent King Demonic Art.

Seo Ryang swung his hand in response.

Clang!

Their hands collashed with a metallic sound as if steel weapons were meeting.

Pa-pa-pa-pak!

Purple true energy fragments scattered into the air.

As expected, it’s not working.

The Black Bone Snake Shadow Hand was itself a peerless martial art in the martial world.

But what made this technique truly terrifying was its vicious snake venom.

Though not an instantly acting poison, it was a neurotoxin difficult to cure. It was effective for assassinations as it required only a small amount to be injected and left no traces.

Even exceptional masters struggled against this poison. Yet that very purple snake venom was being dispersed by Seo Ryang’s demonic energy.

It’s only natural, I suppose. His demonic energy is a considerable yang-based energy. Ordinary poisons won’t work.

Then?

Hiss!

Moving twice as fast as before, Hong Wi-moon suddenly took position behind Seo Ryang.

It was so smooth that reading its flow was difficult. Seo Ryang couldn’t help but admire his footwork.

It’s definitely different.

Just seeing someone his age freely utilizing footwork of this level showed that he hadn’t become Lee Cheonsang’s disciple for nothing.

Zing!

Suddenly, the back of his neck tingled. He could read exactly where Hong Wi-moon’s killing intent was aimed.

Pa-ak!

Hong Wi-moon’s leg swung toward Seo Ryang’s neck.

The Great Python Fang^[5] kicking technique that struck upward was unlike his footwork – extremely linear and powerful. Its coordination with his footwork was remarkable.

Woong!

However, Hong Wi-moon’s foot sliced through empty air.

The combination of the Flood Dragon Steps^[6] and Great Python Fang had never failed before. While not quite shocked, he was certainly surprised.

Seo Ryang’s counter was immediate.

Pa-ang!

The Flood Dragon Steps excelled equally in both offense and defense. Seo Ryang’s short upward palm strike missed futilely.

Would Hong Wi-moon counter-attack now?

Puk! Pa-ang!

Surprise flickered across Hong Wi-moon’s face.

He deflected the palm technique aimed at his face with his forearm while a punch came in simultaneously. He wouldn’t have been surprised by either defense or evasion, but to attempt both at once…

Puk!

Kuk!

Even though he had disrupted his center with the palm strike, his chest hurt as if struck by an iron hammer.

While it wasn’t internal damage, he could feel his true energy barrier being disturbed.

…?

Hong Wi-moon’s eyes widened as he attempted the Flood Dragon Steps again.

How?!

He tried to move left and then smoothly to the rear, but his path was blocked.

Seo Ryang, who had somehow taken position to block his movement path, grinned and moved his foot.

Pak!

“Hup!”

He barely swallowed a cry with his pride alone. Hong Wi-moon’s body slid backward.

He had allowed both a punch to his chest and a kick. Thanks to the demonic energy he had barely managed to gather, his bones weren’t broken, but his internal organs were shaken.

Hong Wi-moon, who had been staggering, raised his head.

…!

Seo Ryang had vanished from sight.

There was no sound, no presence. He couldn’t even be sensed through qi detection, making it impossible to know where he had moved.

The panicked Hong Wi-moon raised his Serpent King Demonic Art to its extreme. A chill ran down his spine from the sense of crisis.

Then, he felt demonic energy being concentrated at terrifying speed from his right rear.

Kwang! Pung!

With the explosion, Hong Wi-moon flew through the air, destroying a tree as he fell.

Seo Ryang lowered his extended hand with a grin.

“Good, this should be enough.”

The harmony between the Heaven-Raising Technique, Nine Heavens Ground-Shrinking Divine Steps, and Shadow True Demonic Art was perfect. Though he had been confident, he hadn’t confirmed it in actual combat until now, but he felt he could be certain of it now.

Hiss!

The shattered tree fragments turned to powder.

Clear purple demonic energy rose from Hong Wi-moon’s entire body as he slowly stood up.

Chiiik!

With the Serpent King Demonic Art heated to the extreme, even the core of the snake venom was activated. Dangerous purple energy currents surged, turning the area into a zone of death.

Seo Ryang frowned.

Poison, huh.

Assassins were also proficient with poison. Poisoning was excellent for killing target subjects.

Though it’s no problem for me.

Rustle.

The surging purple energy currents were slowly but surely expanding their territory.

He looked around.

Many members of the demonic cult were now gathered at a distance, murmuring among themselves, having been drawn by the fierce exchange between the two masters.

While they were far enough away to avoid the shock waves, poison was a different matter.

Flash!

Hong Wi-moon’s eyes had completely turned purple. His eyes, having lost all trace of white, were in some ways mystical.

“Haah…”

Even his languid exhale carried purple smoke.

His emanating presence was like steel, and his overflowing energy was ruthless beyond measure. His surging demonic energy reached its peak, and the fully unleashed Serpent King Demonic Art perfectly aligned with him.

Slide.

Hong Wi-moon slowly lowered his upper body.

His eyes, now in a stance reminiscent of a four-legged beast, fixed on Seo Ryang.

Step, step.

Seo Ryang walked slowly to the right, while Hong Wi-moon only turned his head to track his position.

Stop.

As Seo Ryang’s steps halted, Hong Wi-moon’s head, now completely turned to the left, also stopped.

“…”

Silence without dialogue. Dialogue without words.

Slurp!

Hong Wi-moon’s tongue, split into left and right halves, licked beneath his chin. He truly resembled a serpent.

Seo Ryang, watching him with an expressionless face, slowly lowered his stance.

With his left hand gripping the scabbard at his waist and his right arm hanging naturally, he assumed a relaxed stance as a smile formed on his lips.

“Shall we end this?”

“Kyaah!”

Kwang!

His speed had doubled. Both hands, now longer and harder, swung wildly at Seo Ryang as if to tear him apart.

Simultaneously, Seo Ryang’s left thumb moved.

Ching!

Crimson lightning surrounded the blade drawn as fast as lightning.

Seo Ryang’s sword and Hong Wi-moon’s hands clashed directly.

Bang!

***

“What did I do so wrong?!”

“Shut up.”

“Shut up? Who are you to speak informally to me! Hey, do you know who I am? No, you don’t, you bastard!”

“If you continue this disturbance, your sentence will be increased for obstruction of official duties. Keep that in mind.”

“Are you crazy! Like I’d be scared of a few more years when I’m already going to rot in the Black Prison for thirty years, you son of a bitch! Just hurry up and call the External Palace Lord! Where in the world is there a law that lets the main culprit go free while punishing only the accomplice? I didn’t even know about it!”

On the way to the Criminal Court.

The scene of a man in his early fifties shouting wildly and the expressionless Criminal Court members created a strange impression.

The middle-aged man shouted frantically.

“You goddamn bastards! I’m innocent!!”

Kwang!

“Huk!”

Both the middle-aged man and the Criminal Court members turned their heads in shock toward the source of the explosion.

Their faces turned pale.

“W-what’s that?!”

Two masters were engaged in a frenzied battle in mid-air, having completely destroyed an entire building.

The leader of the hall members quickly shouted.

“What are you doing! Quickly go to the Court Leader and get orders to deploy the Black Watchers! I’ll handle the suspect’s transfer!”

The middle-aged man, his face pale, stared at the two masters.

“What kind of mess is this now…”

Suddenly his eyes widened.

“Huh? Huh?!”

His gaze was fixed precisely on Seo Ryang.

“…That sword technique?”