Chapter 84: The Great Demon (4)
Clang!
The sound of metal clashing echoed all around.
Clang! Clang!
Every time the swords collided, sparks flew.
The charged sword left a mark as it sliced through the air.
The light trailing the blade resembled flowing water.
Furthermore, the footwork was swift and diverse.
In order to embody the essence of the swift and furious sword, Namgung’s Blue Dragon Steps added force to her moves.
It was reminiscent of a dragon’s fluid form.
Namgung Bi-Ah maintained the form of the Sword Emperor while continuously swinging her sword.
Her energy was gradually running low, yet she had no other choice.
How long had she been swinging her sword?
It probably hadn’t even been a few minutes.
Even so, Namgung Bi-Ah could already feel her body reaching its limit.
It felt as though she had been wielding her sword for an entire day.
Each movement of her previously injured arm sent shockwaves of pain coursing through her.
And her body, stiff from the tension of actual combat, wasn’t responding like she wanted.
I can’t… reach him…!
How immense was the gap between her and her opponent?
So far, Ya Hyeoljeok hadn’t used his weapon, focusing solely on dodging.
She bit her lip to regain her fading focus.
She bit it so hard that blood trickled down.
Her energy was diminishing, and her sword was becoming increasingly weak.
The brilliance of the sword’s trail faded gradually.
With her dwindling stamina, her movements became slower.
Seeing that opening, Ya Hyeoljeok swung his arm, sending Namgung Bi-Ah sprawling backward.
Ugh!
With just a light jab, Namgung Bi-Ah found herself rolling on the ground.
“It seems like my dear little girl has never killed anyone before.”
Ya Hyeoljeok remarked, while Namgung Bi-Ah gasped for breath.
In response to his words, she could barely muster a reply.
Looking at her, Ya Hyeoljeok pondered.
Is she over 20? With such smooth skin, she might be, or maybe not.
Whatever, it didn’t matter much to him.
What mattered was that with that stunning appearance, she must have a delectable body.
He simply found it a bit surprising.
He had heard rumors about the son of the Namgung Clan.
It struck him as odd—and laughable—that the child of Namgung was referred to as the “Lightning Sword” instead of the “Sword Dragon.”
The leaders of Namgung and the Lord of Heaven,
They hadn’t managed to let their clan thrive in this era, that much was clear. But seeing this girl made him reconsider.
Sword Master, was it?
Namgung’s clan art radiated an overwhelming aura that pressured everyone nearby.
He knew that the art drained considerable energy from the user.
Even attempting to maintain the art was no small matter for the body.
Yet this girl moved so gracefully while wielding such power.
Are all the prodigies of this era like this?
Ya Hyeoljeok thought that names like “Dragon Sword” or “Sword Phoenix” belonged to kids who were all style and no substance, but his impression changed after witnessing Namgung Bi-Ah.
He was certain that if time passed, monsters like her would soon fill the world.
Well, that’s one thing.
Ya Hyeoljeok moved towards Namgung Bi-Ah.
I’ve already wasted more time than I should have.
He had taken too long trying not to damage her beautiful face.
It would have been much easier to slice her in two, but that seemed too wasteful for someone so lovely.
Since she was at a level where she wouldn’t age for years, keeping her around for a while seemed appealing.
“So I need to treat her delicately.”
He thought of enjoying her company a bit more, but then he recalled the girl who had managed to escape earlier.
He wondered how long it would take for his presence to reach the Mount Hua Sect.
He figured it would take about thirty minutes for the news to reach them.
“Hmm, thinking about erasing all traces is a bit bothersome.”
Saying that, Ya Hyeoljeok touched Namgung Bi-Ah’s neck to mark her.
…!
“Just hold still, big brother has something to do first.”
Although she had no energy to flee, he marked her just to be safe.
Ya Hyeoljeok then approached the barrier.
As he got closer, an invisible barrier stopped him from advancing.
Seeing it, a smirk formed on Ya Hyeoljeok’s face.
He could feel the Taoist energy radiating from the barrier.
And after seeing it up close, he realized,
This barrier was set up by the Celestial Plum Blossom.
Just as Baechong had said, nobody from Shaanxi could construct a barrier of this magnitude except the Celestial Plum Blossom.
“To think there isn’t a single guard standing by… What’s the plot here?”
Hoping to find anyone else, Ya Hyeoljeok checked around with his Qi, but he couldn’t sense anyone.
If no one registered on his senses, it was safe to conclude he was alone here.
He couldn’t understand why Mount Hua was acting so carelessly, but for him, it was a good thing.
Unless, of course, the Immortal Healer was present.
“I’ll find out once I smash through it.”
To see if the Immortal Healer was present, all he needed was to break through the barrier.
Gradually, he infused energy into his greatsword.
The air around it began to distort as the Qi accumulated.
Namgung Bi-Ah, witnessing this, gasped.
The amount of Qi was unfathomable.
The sheer compression of that Qi into a single point was something she couldn’t comprehend.
Uu…
Thanks to the mark, Namgung Bi-Ah couldn’t project her voice.
Had she any energy left, she might have at least attempted to escape, but now she was incapable.
She had been fortunate to let Gu Ryunghwa slip away, but she had no idea when help might arrive.
At this rate, it seemed inevitable that doom awaited her.
She understood that this man desired her.
Even if she was naïve, Namgung Bi-Ah knew that if she was captured by him, terrible things would occur.
What do I do…
Desperation flooded her thoughts.
Reviewing the sensation of Ya Hyeoljeok’s fingertips tracing her cheek while she felt exhausted made her shiver.
It was both disgusting and foul.
The mere thought sent chills coursing through her body.
That was how it felt to be touched by that man.
Unlike the other man.
Namgung Bi-Ah felt an unexpected wave of self-pity.
…Here I am.
For just a fleeting moment, she wondered why, during such dire circumstances, her mind had drifted toward those thoughts.
In a situation where she was uncertain of her fate, all she could think about was another’s face.
Please…
Despite her fading Qi, Namgung Bi-Ah desperately fought against his mark—yet it was to no avail.
Nevertheless, she kept struggling.
Although she risked irreparably damaging her body, she had more important matters at hand.
The thought that she might never see that person again if she continued like this compelled her to persist.
As she attempted to muster more strength to resist the mark while enduring the agony—
…Don’t be so reckless.
At the sound of that voice, Namgung Bi-Ah froze, halting her efforts.
The mark, which had gripped her tightly, relinquished its hold in an instant.
Ah…!
Not fully released from the mark, Namgung Bi-Ah realized that her voice still wavered, preventing her from forming coherent words.
Gazing at Namgung Bi-Ah, the boy spoke.
“Stay quiet. Even if you tell me to run, I wouldn’t listen, so just stay put and hide.”
As he finished speaking, he gently patted Namgung Bi-Ah’s head.
Not too roughly, but soft enough to avoid hurting her.
…Thank goodness.
After releasing the pent-up words, the boy advanced toward Ya Hyeoljeok.
Namgung Bi-Ah gasped and tried to stop him, but by then, the boy had already become a burst of flames.
Ya Hyeoljeok felt a chill coursing down his spine and immediately released his energy, twisting his upper body.
Thrust—!
He had narrowly escaped the worst thanks to instinct, though he hadn’t completely dodged it, and pain radiated from where something had penetrated his stomach.
He attempted to concentrate his Qi on his abdomen, but sensing the impending danger from the thrust, he retreated.
Using the momentum from the blow, Ya Hyeoljeok skidded back.
Skid!
His feet scraped across the grass, making a rough noise.
Ptooey…!
Finally coming to a halt, he spat out blood.
Despite his late attempt to infuse energy into his stomach, the site of the attack remained tremulous.
He detected the scent of burning—
From his belly.
Ya Hyeoljeok directed his fierce glare toward the one who assaulted him.
Feeling nauseous and with a quivering abdomen, Ya Hyeoljeok began to smile.
“You little bastard…”
Flame—!
Upon witnessing the flames that enveloped the area, Ya Hyeoljeok instantaneously recognized who he was dealing with.
“…I had intended to visit the Young Master soon, yet you chose to come to me directly?”
He had planned to comprehend the boy’s location by employing the lowly minions.
However, the actual individual stood before Ya Hyeoljeok.
Surrounded by blazing flames emanating from his body.
“Are you going to introduce yourself?”
It was as if he was broadcasting to everyone that he was a direct descendant of Gu.
His appearance mirrored that of the Flame Demon, who had once ruled the battlefield.
So bloodline is bloodline, is it?
Ya Hyeoljeok noted that with tension escalating within him.
His visible youth was more evident than anticipated.
While the Gu before him seemed barely older than a boy taking his first steps into martial arts,
That attack he had unleashed was undeniably legitimate.
Ya Hyeoljeok had been concentrating on feeling the area with his Qi, unable to detect any presence.
This implied that the boy had hidden his energy intentionally in preparation for the ambush.
He had concealed his Qi so effectively that Ya Hyeoljeok hadn’t sensed a thing…
Are there more monsters than I initially considered?
The earlier enchantment was one matter, but the boy in front of him was quite a tier above her.
The peak level seemed out of his immediate grasp, yet it wouldn’t take long to reach it.
Though Ya Hyeoljeok himself had remained in the same spot for over a decade without advancement.
…I’m not fond of the idea.
Those sprouting early on with such brilliance tended to grow into formidable forces.
And with enough time, one would easily surpass him.
That was why Ya Hyeoljeok found immense satisfaction in trampling on budding flowers.
To squash them before they could blossom.
Especially those glowing so brightly—like this one.
The issue lay in the fact that now wasn’t the best time.
I wanted to bring this to a swift close.
Tsk.
Ya Hyeoljeok had initially intended to savor the defeat of the child of Gu, but he found himself short on time, needing to grant a quick death instead.
Disappointing as it was, there was no alternative.
Ya Hyeoljeok grasped his greatsword and assumed a stance.
Though he had let his guard down once and was hit, he figured the opponent was merely a gifted youth.
So, as long as he maintained vigilance—
What the? Where did he—
The flames that had once danced in front of him had abruptly vanished.
There was no way such glaring flames could have extinguished so swiftly.
Ya Hyeoljeok quickly extended his Qi in search of the boy’s whereabouts.
Once he identified the location, he immediately lashed out with his sword.
For the boy stood behind him.
Crackle!
The air around the greatsword had no resistance.
Simultaneously, a powerful blow crashed into Ya Hyeoljeok’s side, launching him away.
Rolling across the ground with his considerable bulk, heat and dust engulfed his vision.
“You little…!”
Fueled by indignation for being struck, Ya Hyeoljeok wielded his greatsword, clearing away the dust.
Whooooosh!
Once the haze dispersed, the previously blazing inferno was gone, leaving only the boy standing there calmly.
The flames that had encircled him vanished as though they never existed, leaving only a whisper of warmth trailing behind.
“I remember now.”
Ya Hyeoljeok growled at hearing Gu Yangcheon’s voice.
His pride was wounded due to letting two attacks from an opponent who hadn’t yet peaked land on him.
Gu Yangcheon looked at Ya Hyeoljeok and spoke.
Ya Hyeoljeok felt a prickling unease upon seeing the boy’s crimson-tinted eyes and hair.
A mere first-rate martial artist.
“Ya Hyeoljeok… that was your name, if I recall.”
The boy slowly yet firmly declared.
“Don’t carelessly spout out an adult’s name like that, you brat.”
Ya Hyeoljeok was taken aback, wondering how the young one knew his name.
While the name ‘Giant Oni’ had circulated widely, it wasn’t renowned enough for someone like him to know his true identity.
Moreover,
Fuck, what the hell is this sensation?
The instant Gu Yangcheon uttered his name, chills raced down Ya Hyeoljeok’s spine.
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