Chapter 85
The Great Demon (5)
BANG!
The tremendous sound sent Ya Hyeoljeok reeling backward.
“Fuck!”
Struggling to regain his balance, Ya Hyeoljeok furiously swung his sword.
SWOOSH!
His blade, filled with an overwhelming amount of Qi, unleashed a whirlwind arc, yet the very target it aimed at dodged effortlessly.
A brief backstep, followed by a leap.
Ya Hyeoljeok’s sword cut through the air without pause.
With innate strength and the physique of a peak martial artist, his strikes were anything but slow.
Yet, they merely sliced through empty space.
I swiftly closed the distance and slammed my fist into his abdomen once more.
“You!!!”
Despite the solid muscles, my fist sank deeply into him…
BLAZE!
…and ignited, sending flames surging within him.
“AGHHHH!”
Overwhelmed by the burning agony, Ya Hyeoljeok immediately tried to push me away.
But by that time, I had already distanced myself.
“Huff… Huff…”
Gasping for air, Ya Hyeoljeok struggled.
“…You little shit…”
Judging by the way he embraced his belly, it seemed he was feeling the pain quite well.
“I heard you were from Gu. Why are you butting into my business?!”
I chose to remain silent in response to Ya Hyeoljeok’s inquiry.
BLAZE-!
In retaliation, my flames erupted, spraying sparks everywhere as if to say, “This is my answer!”
Ya Hyeoljeok swung his enormous greatsword in defense, but it was not enough to shield him from it all.
The erratic flames danced around him, eager to leave nothing in their wake.
Seizing the opportunity amidst the chaos, I reached through the flames and grabbed Ya Hyeoljeok by the neck.
With my hand enveloped by fire, I intended to roast his head.
But in a flash, Ya Hyeoljeok retaliated, releasing his Qi to break free and create distance.
Feeling the scorching heat on his neck, he instinctively rubbed it with his hand.
“Huff… Huff…”
After lingering in the flames for too long, smoke began to rise from my body.
‘…I missed my chance.’
“Calm down!”
Elder Shin’s frantic voice echoed in my head. But…
‘I’m calm.’
“I can feel the rage boiling inside you! What do you mean you’re calm?!”
This was strange.
I was certain that I was indeed calm.
Just a bit frustrated.
The lingering sensation of his neck remained in my grip.
I should have burned him right then and there.
But it appeared he had more tricks up his sleeve than I anticipated.
‘Ya Hyeoljeok.’
That was the name of the man glaring at me, sword poised for action.
I recognized him.
A commander of the direct army of the Heavenly Demon, part of the Black Palace’s elite forces.
With his mouth covered by a mask and one eye concealed by a patch, he looked more like a terrifying beast than an obedient soldier.
He seemed a world away from the subdued image I once knew.
‘Was he from the Black Palace?’
I never showed much interest in the histories of demonic beings.
After all, I was too busy dealing with my own survival to bother with others’ backstories.
I shook my hand.
‘Namgung Bi-Ah…’
When I glanced to the area where she had been, I found it thankfully empty—she had moved.
When I first arrived, she had been lying on the ground.
That sight reminded me of the last moments spent with the Demonic Sword.
I recalled holding her in my arms as her final breath slipped away quietly.
Had I been a moment late, I might have had to relive that heartbreaking scene again.
BLAZE!!!
My emotions igniting, my Qi swelled immensely, causing the flames around me to grow fiercer and larger.
“Kid!”
Taking a step toward Ya Hyeoljeok, I unleashed my destructive flames, spinning them rapidly.
Channeling all my strength into my feet, I leaped forward as fire erupted in my wake.
Ya Hyeoljeok swung his sword fast.
Thanks to his peak martial strength, he could swing even the heavy sword with impressive speed.
I amplified my own speed by flooding my muscles with Qi, blocking his vision with swirling flames.
Despite his swinging, which seemed to brush the air with ease, the hastily executed movements revealed many openings.
If there were no openings, I’d just create some.
A shallow cut grazed my body as I moved…
But I could handle that much.
THRUST!
“Ughhh!”
Since Yaeoljeok’s hard muscles resisted breaking an arm or leg, I focused on one target.
“Stay calm!”
His sword barely brushed my clothes.
But it left his side exposed, and with a flaming fist, I struck him hard.
“Cughh!”
Ya Hyeoljeok staggered heavily.
Not wasting a moment, I kicked his leg to trip him.
With a loud thud, he fell to one knee.
He flailed with his arm to push me away; however, my fist reached him first.
POW!
His thick neck twisted from the impact.
But I pressed on, refusing to stop as I struck once more.
POW!
After taking two blows, Ya Hyeoljeok’s eyes turned a dangerous shade of red.
In a desperate attempt to gain distance, he released his Qi again.
“Y-You!”
SWOOSH!
With that surge, my body was pushed away.
Yet, there was no real damage; it was merely a means to create space.
I brushed the dust off my body and returned my focus to Ya Hyeoljeok.
‘…How much longer have I got?’
“…”
I was inquiring about my Qi levels.
Elder Shin remained silent.
Probably because I had recklessly utilized my Qi, I could sense my reserves running low.
Just as Ya Hyeoljeok regained his footing, he spat out something.
A tooth!Along with it came the pooled blood in his mouth.
Ya Hyeoljeok, now utterly humiliated and outraged, was on the verge of a meltdown.
A kid had just thoroughly crushed his pride!
The Great Oni, Ya Hyeoljeok himself!
‘…What kind of bullshit is this?!’
GRIND!
He clenched his teeth tightly, the grinding sound echoing.
Then he grasped the hilt of his greatsword.
He knew he didn’t have much time, but still, the kid before him had to go—no matter the cost.
The Immortal Healer and the Namgung girl? Neither mattered to him anymore.
Ya Hyeoljeok concentrated his Qi into his feet, leaping forward directly at me.
Seeing him charge, I engulfed myself in flames once again.
A sudden pain shot through my abdomen, but I ignored it.
Somehow I felt out of sorts, like a fog had settled in my mind.
But focus, I must! I had to break the charging momentum right in front of me.
I pushed away the sword aiming for my head with flames.
As his speed decreased, I aimed straight for his solar plexus.
The punch went deep, and I felt the bone crack beneath my fist.
Ya Hyeoljeok expelled blood immediately after.
Attempting to clasp onto me with his massive hands, I struck him again to push him back.
The flames spinning wildly began to spiral faster around us.
And with that, the discomfort in my abdomen intensified.
The pain coursing through me now reminded me of the struggles I faced while traveling toward Mount Hua.
Back then, I lost consciousness from the pain, yet now I could move freely.
I pondered the difference.
Unsure, but somehow grateful, I found myself relieved that I still had my movements intact.
“Hey…”
In an instant, a voice resonated in my mind, causing my eyes to widen slightly.
‘Elder Shin?’
For a fleeting moment, I believed it was Elder Shin, who had been silent for so long.
It made sense as only Elder Shin should be able to converse with me internally.
“Eat it…”
But that wasn’t Elder Shin.
It sounded youthful yet carried a weight that hinted at long experience.
The ebbing pain coursing through my body vanished as the voice reverberated in my head.
“…Hungry.”
That gentle voice.
‘You…’
I wanted to question who it was, but my mind went blank.
Then, everything faded away.
Namgung Bi-Ah leaned against a tree, gasping for breath.
The energy-draining mark had left her exhausted, one arm broken, and completely out of Qi.
Yet, she thought…
‘…I have to go help him…’
To Namgung Bi-Ah, Gu Yangcheon was a formidable fighter.
She had witnessed him defeat her little brother effortlessly and overcome the likes of Yung Pung with ease.
Thus, she believed he might be even stronger than herself.
No, she was certain he was.
‘…But still.’
This was an entirely different scenario.
Based on the acrid stench thick in the air and the ominous aura radiating from the giant, he was no ordinary foe—certainly not someone Gu Yangcheon could take down easily.
They needed to wait for reinforcements from Mount Hua.
SLAM! SLAM!
The fierce sounds of battle continued to echo.
Though it had lasted a mere moment, to Namgung Bi-Ah, it seemed like eternity.
At last, mustering the strength to move, she stumbled towards the source of the noise.
“Ugh!”
The overwhelming stench nearly knocked her off her feet.
Was this foul odor truly emanating from that giant?
It seemed worse than before.
‘…It’s unbearable.’
Her first encounter with such a wretched smell.
The odor was nauseating to the point where the world around her felt dizzy.
POW!
Hobbling, Namgung Bi-Ah finally reached the battlefield.
What awaited her was something unfathomable.
She didn’t know what transpired, but it looked as if a demon had ravaged the area, leaving it a wreck.
In the middle of it, Gu Yangcheon was seen—
He was repeatedly crushing Ya Hyeoljeok’s body beneath him with a furious barrage of strikes.
POW!
Each hit resulted in blood splattering everywhere.
Ya Hyeoljeok’s face had long since lost all semblance of humanity.
‘The… the stench.’
The foulness that previously permeated from the giant had vanished long ago.
Because the deceased do not produce such odors.
So that meant the repugnant smell filling the area was from…
“…N…No!”
Ya Hyeoljeok halted after hearing Namgung Bi-Ah’s voice.
Slowly, he turned to face her.
“…!!!”
When their eyes met, Namgung Bi-Ah felt a scream boil within her yet she couldn’t let it out.
For Gu Yangcheon’s eyes were now a haunting shade of purple.
A beautiful color in its own right, but as she met those eyes, a chill ran down Namgung Bi-Ah’s spine.
They radiated a deeply foreboding aura.
Gu Yangcheon regarded Namgung Bi-Ah for a moment before reverting back to his relentless assault.
Pummeling the already lifeless figure beneath him.
Witnessing this eerie display, Namgung Bi-Ah grasped her trembling shoulders, trying to steady herself.
The reason for her fear eluded her.
Only the horrific, violent sounds reverberated in her ears, juxtaposed with the putrid stench that made her throat constrict.
Ignoring the cold fear that gripped her heart, Namgung Bi-Ah hurriedly approached Gu Yangcheon and embraced him from behind.
She felt an overwhelming need to connect, to bridge that gap.
Though she grasped his arms tightly, Gu Yangcheon remained fixated on the giant’s corpse, intent on his traumatic task.
“Please…! He’s… already…!”
Did he hear her?
In response, Gu Yangcheon’s silent fists suddenly paused.
Then, he collapsed.
With trembling hands, Namgung Bi-Ah caught him as he fell.
“Huff… Huff…”
That moment seemed pivotal, as the overwhelming stench began to dissipate rapidly.
Holding back the nausea that threatened to rise as she gazed upon the shattered form of the giant’s corpse was no easy task.
It was hard to fathom that such devastation could be wrought by human hands.
Namgung Bi-Ah clutched Gu Yangcheon’s bloodied hands with her quivering ones.
Despite the stains, she pressed on.
Because she felt that without this gesture, she wouldn’t find peace within.
As moments passed, the disciples of Mount Hua finally arrived.
Deep within the cave of the Black Palace’s branch leader, Baechong waited anxiously for the return of Ya Hyeoljeok.
His heart fluttered, not out of concern or longing, but out of sheer desperation.
‘It’s almost time for my medicine…’
Only the branch leader held the antidote capable of quelling the seal within Baechong.
With the end of the fourth day nearing, his urgency escalated.
Soon the sun would set, and if Ya Hyeoljeok didn’t return, he knew his life would become a wretched spectacle.
As Baechong squirmed anxiously, he suddenly sensed a presence near the entrance of the cave.
With a jolt, he rushed toward it.
STEP-
The footsteps sounded quieter than usual, but Baechong was too fraught with anxiety to care.
Just then, the door creaked open, revealing someone stepping inside.
“Lord Branch Manag—”
Baechong swiftly drew his sword.
But it wasn’t his branch manager.
‘An old man…?’
The figure was a frail old man.
He slowly scanned the room.
“You… who are you?”
“…So this is the place.”
“Who are you, I asked—”
Before he could finish, Baechong’s vision blurred.
In a shocking instant, he found himself staring at the ground.
His own head, once shouting at the old man, now rolled away—severed cleanly.
The old man didn’t wield a sword, yet he had just delivered the death blow with a technique unseen.
The old man’s name was Wi Hyogun.
He was the Sword Emperor, sent on a mission from the Celestial Plum Blossom.
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