RHD Chapter 120

Gal Sa-ryang thought it was over.

He knew better than anyone what kind of beings the Maddened Blood Painless Army were. Three or four might have been manageable, but their number was around thirty.

Even if Byeok Ri-dan fought normally, he wouldn’t be able to win, and he had to protect Gal Sa-ryang as well.

‘So this is how it ends.’

He wasn’t afraid of dying. But it was too regrettable to die without avenging Cheon Hajin. He had planned to complete his revenge and then leave the martial arts world with a hearty laugh towards the heavens. He had wanted to die alone in style, if he had to die.

“I’m sorry. I’ve caused you to die because of me.”

I could feel that Gal Sa-ryang was genuinely sorry.

“Do you remember what I told you before?”

“What was it?”

“I asked you to trust me when danger strikes.”

“I remember.”

“That time is now.”

Gal Sa-ryang looked puzzled for a moment before nodding and saying,

“Alright, I’ll trust you.”

That’s right. How can you wear such a desperate expression when you’re with me? Even if there were three thousand instead of thirty, you shouldn’t make such an expression by my side.

Anyway, the main objective of this fight was to protect Gal Sa-ryang safely.

Swish! Swish!

Two men who had exchanged glances rushed in from both sides.

I dodged the attack from the left and swiftly swung my sword. Drawing a flawless arc, the Asura Bright King Sword beheaded the opponent. At the very moment the sword cut through the neck bone, my body was already rotating in the opposite direction. Having achieved its primary goal, the sword flew towards the opposite direction.

Shick!

Just as cleanly as the previous beheading motion, I severed the neck of the man on the opposite side. Two heads fell to the ground in succession.

I stopped one of the rolling heads with my foot. I tapped the other head, rolling it to a stop on one side. I pushed a nearby stone with my foot, moving it to the other side.

Not only Gal Sa-ryang but also the watching enemies looked on with puzzled expressions, wondering what I was doing. They could never have known that the heads were taking the place of stones.

This time, I drew out a dagger from my chest.

Shick! Shick! Shick! Shick! Shick! Shick!

Thud! Thud! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!

The daggers didn’t fly towards the enemies. They embedded themselves in the ground around Gal Sa-ryang. Both Gal Sa-ryang and the enemies were startled.

The moment the heads, stones, and daggers all took their designated positions.

Swish swish swish.

As if a fog was settling, Gal Sa-ryang’s figure instantly vanished.

“Don’t move from that spot. It’s a formation technique that conceals your body for a very short time. I’m still unskilled, so it probably won’t last even half an incense stick’s time.”

That was the last message I transmitted to Gal Sa-ryang.

This formation technique was one I had learned from the The Treatise on Ghost Clan’s Evasion Techniques. I had properly memorized one formation that could be used immediately in emergencies, and I was using it now.

It was my first time using it in actual combat, and it was truly amazing. As expected, the Demonic Cult’s formation techniques are truly extraordinary.

Since it was deployed with my still unskilled abilities, it could dissipate faster than expected, so I had to hurry.

This fight didn’t need grace or elegance. I had to eliminate the enemies accurately and quickly.

Since Gal Sa-ryang was watching from within the formation, and there might be observers from afar, I couldn’t use the Soul-Devouring Asura Sword Technique.

I used the White Moon Sword Technique, my family’s unique martial art. Having already mastered it, and with me using it, the White Moon Sword Technique was more than sufficient.

I lightly beheaded a man charging from the front while dodging his attack.

Despite their comrade’s death, they showed no fear at all. Ordinary martial artists would have been paralyzed with fear at such a sight.

They were beings that wouldn’t die immediately even if stabbed in the heart. Even with their hearts pierced, they would take a long time to die. The only way to kill them instantly was to cut off their heads.

As their comrade who had charged ahead died, they rushed in from all directions simultaneously.

The first person I faced was the man in front. Moving faster than the incoming attacks, I rushed towards the man directly in front of me.

Shick!

After lightly beheading him, I hid behind his headless body. The attacks flew towards the corpse.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Using that corpse as a shield, I pushed forward and launched my body.

Swish! Slash!

This time, the neck of the man behind flew off. Changing shields, I charged towards another man along with the corpse.

The moment the man dodged to the left, my sword precisely severed his neck as it passed by.

Slash!

From the beginning, I hadn’t just blindly pushed the corpse forward. It was a charge anticipating that he would dodge in that direction.

I narrowly avoided a sword flying in from the left. The reward for taking such a risk was great.

Swish! Slash!

The head of the man who had launched the attack fell to the ground. Before it could hit the ground, I kicked it.

At the same time, I charged forward along with it. Caught off guard by this unexpected method of attack, two men standing in that direction were bewildered.

Shick! Swish!

My sword sliced through both sides in succession, and as I landed on the ground, the two men’s necks were severed as they collapsed.

Fear could be seen on the faces of those remaining. Originally, since they couldn’t feel pain, most of them didn’t feel fear.

This emotion now wasn’t fear from seeing their comrades die.

The method of killing was so exquisite that their bodies were instinctively feeling fear.

The enemy’s fear was my chance for victory, and I didn’t miss it.

Quickly and calmly, without letting my guard down, I faced the enemy.

Each time the Asura Bright King Sword left a sharp arc in the air, another corpse was added.

The men in the back simultaneously drew out hidden weapons.

At that moment, the Asura Bright King Sword released the sword energy it had been holding back.

Swish!

A single stream of sword energy swept through them, simultaneously severing their necks. Cutting off multiple necks precisely with a single sword energy was no easy feat.

I faced the enemies with optimal movements.

Their movements became slower. Originally, they should have gone berserk at the smell of blood, but they were trembling with fear.

Suddenly, I was reminded of the past. When I fought them before, even though I had more inner force than now, their reaction wasn’t like this.

Back then, I had fought by indiscriminately sweeping them away with the Soul-Devouring Asura Sword Technique. Even when more people died at once, they didn’t fear like this.

Has my skill improved? Or is it because my fighting style has changed? I couldn’t tell what it was, but they were more afraid of me now.

Swish.

Slash!

The neck of the last man fell.

As I retrieved my sword, my gaze lowered. Seeing the thirty-nine headless corpses, I truly felt the reality that they had revived these beings.

I could face them without surprise because it was me, but ordinary martial artists would have found it difficult to face them. I didn’t know how many there were, but something like a calamity had been created.

Fortunately, the formation was still maintained.

“Phew.”

A sigh of relief escaped me. Although it seemed like an easy fight, I had expended a lot of mental energy. It was because I had to be very careful, not knowing when the formation might break.

Standing still and circulating my energy for a moment, I waited, and then there was a change in the formation.

Swish swish.

As if mist was rising, the formation dissolved.

Gal Sa-ryang was standing there, exactly as he had been at the beginning. He had watched me fight from within the formation. He must have been very surprised.

“You’re a far greater master than I thought.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

I admitted it straightforwardly.

“I have already mastered my family’s unique martial art, the White Moon Sword Technique. I’m probably the first to do so at my age. And I haven’t even told my parents about this fact.”

“Why did you hide it? It’s a glory for your family.”

“I’ve heard it since I was young. To survive long in the martial arts world, one must conceal their strength.”

“When did you learn the formation technique?”

“I’ve only learned the basics that can be used in emergencies. I believed that study would also help me survive longer in the martial arts world.”

Gal Sa-ryang, who had been quietly looking at me, realized one thing.

“You didn’t enter the Righteous Thought Pavilion to become a military officer.”

“Yes, that’s right. I was a martial artist from the beginning, and I will continue to be one. I apologize, but the reason I entered the Righteous Thought Pavilion was as part of my learning. I thought a smarter sword would survive longer.”

Gal Sa-ryang stared at me silently. His gaze wasn’t particularly displeased or suspicious.

From the beginning, I hadn’t said I didn’t know martial arts. I had shown my martial arts in front of him several times before. I was just stronger than he had thought.

Rather, Gal Sa-ryang was pleased. Apart from everything else, there was one crucial fact.

“Thanks to you, I survived. I’m truly grateful.”

Once again, I had saved his life.

“Well, shall we depart now?”

“Let’s do that. I’m worried about the Alliance Leader’s safety.”

Together, we searched the village and found two horses, quickly leaving the village.

***

Fortunately, Ma Bong-gi and his group were safe.

They had been waiting for us about ten li away.

“Why were you so late? We were about to go look for you.”

“We were attacked.”

“Attacked?”

“Demonic soldiers attacked us.”

Everyone was startled at the mention of demonic soldiers.

“Yes. In the process, the martial artists protecting us were killed.”

Ma Bong-gi said with relief,

“It’s fortunate that we broke through as we did.”

He meant his carriage breaking through. Everyone remained silent but wore bitter expressions. His words were correct. Of course, the Alliance Leader’s carriage should have broken through.

But in the current situation, what he should have said was a word of condolence for the two dead martial artists. Weren’t they the ones who had come forward to protect him?

Ma Bong-gi ordered Lim Jung-tae,

“Request help from the Alliance.”

“Yes, I’ll send an urgent message.”

A Alliance Protection Regiment martial artist released a messenger bird. Although it was well-trained for urgent situations, it was uncertain whether the bird would safely deliver the message in this situation.

Ma Bong-gi asked Gal Sa-ryang,

“What should we do now?”

“We don’t know if this attack is related to the person we’re supposed to meet.”

Whether it was a trap set by the person behind this or if the Demonic Cult had appeared in this area.

“What if it is?”

“Then we’re in big trouble. If not, we should go immediately and seek their help. The decision is yours, Alliance Leader.”

After pondering for a moment, Ma Bong-gi asked Gal Sa-ryang,

“What do you think?”

“If this meeting was a trap set by them from the beginning, I think there’s no way back now. In that case, considering the possibility that this might not be their doing, I think it’s better to go to the agreed location. The journey ahead is one day, while the return journey would take at least four or five days even if we rushed.”

Gal Sa-ryang believed this incident was their trap. Yet he spoke this way because he felt somehow that they should go there.

“Hmm.”

Ma Bong-gi’s expression contorted. He was only thinking about his own life. The impact of the Demonic Cult’s appearance on the martial arts world wasn’t in his mind at all.

“We’ll follow your suggestion.”

***

A middle-aged woman wearing a black robe sat at a table, drinking tea.

She had a plump face and figure. If she wore an apron and carried a dishcloth, she would look perfectly suited for kitchen work.

Her robe was plain black without any decorations or patterns. The martial arts uniform underneath was also all black. Her shoes were black, and the iron disc at her waist was black too.

She was Heuk Seok (Black Stone) of the mysterious organization.

Along with Baek Seok (White Stone), the man in the spacious room, she was one of the most important figures in the organization.

A subordinate entered and prostrated himself. He too was wearing a black martial arts uniform.

“Ma Bong-gi has passed through that place as planned.”

“Did they kill Gal Sa-ryang?”

Gal Sa-ryang had been the original target all along. It was no coincidence that they had let the first carriage pass and targeted the second one.

“No, it failed.”

“Failed?”

“The Maddened Blood Painless Army was all killed.”

The woman’s eyes trembled slightly. She put down her teacup and asked again,

“Did Ma Bong-gi turn back?”

“We can’t know the details since all those deployed were killed, but that seems to be the case.”

There was no other reason they could think of in this situation.

“Didn’t you place separate observers?”

“We never expected them to be completely annihilated.”

She didn’t get angry about that part. It was a result she hadn’t anticipated at all either.

“It’s unlike Ma Bong-gi.”

“There’s one thing that comes to mind.”

“What is it?”

“There was speculation that Elder Go died because of Gal Sa-ryang. I’m starting to think that speculation might be correct.”

“So Ma Bong-gi saved Gal Sa-ryang?”

“Yes.”

Indeed, Gal Sa-ryang had been producing unexpected results lately.

“By the way, we lost thirty Painless ones? What a waste.”

It took enormous amounts of money to create one Maddened Blood Painless soldier. To be precise, it was the cost of the method to create the Maddened Blood Painless state. Not only were the materials expensive, but it also took a year of time.

“We should consider it a sacrifice for the great cause.”

For other matters, it would have been a significant loss, but this was a matter worthy of being called a great cause.

“So what about them?”

“They’re still heading towards Namhyeon Escort Agency, it seems.”

“At least things are going according to plan.”

“Yes.”

“Proceed with the next phase.”

“Understood.”

The subordinate quickly disappeared from the place.

The first button had been fastened wrongly.

But it was alright.

This wasn’t a garment meant to be worn with all buttons fastened anyway. It would end when the second button was fastened.