0046 : Demon Subduing Hall
“… They’ve arrived!”
The Golden Eagle Guards have invaded!
As I stood on a tree branch in the forest, keeping a watchful eye all around, I sensed a suspicious energy approaching. This area marked the entrance to the road leading into the village, so I had to remain vigilant. It had been about six days since I first arrived with Mangnyang, and I was starting to feel bored when, all of a sudden, I realized that my opponents were closing in during the afternoon.
There were ten of them in total, and judging from their energy levels, they were certainly members of the Golden Eagle Guards.
‘There’s one at the level of Ryu Cheon-ho as well.’
They were roughly 70 or 80 paces away, so I quickly climbed down from the tree to conceal myself. I managed to hide swiftly, and they passed by without discovering me. I confirmed that they were heading toward the village and quickly changed direction toward the secret passage behind it.
“The enemy has arrived.”
Upon hearing my report, Mangnyang and Hyun Cheon Do-in tensed up.
“Hmm, they’re here!”
“The sorcerer will surely appear in the village soon.”
We were using the barn of a building with a secret passage as our temporary base. Initially, we had stayed at the inn, but due to the lack of communication methods, we decided it would be best to eat and rest here, ready to return to the plaza at the back of the village if necessary.
Mangnyang spoke.
“From now on, it’s crucial. The exact timing of the sorcerer’s appearance is uncertain. Therefore, we must act quickly and effectively to divide our opponents.”
“We need to go into the village.”
“Rush. The sorcerer will appear near the plaza, so let’s wait there.”
Clunk.
The three of us organized our belongings and headed into the inside of the well’s secret passage. As we walked through it, Hyun Cheon Do-in said,
“Our disciples must have passed Yancheon by now… It’s unfortunate we couldn’t align with their timing.”
“This must also be fate. We’re sufficient as three; let’s do our best.”
Emerging from the secret passage in the well, we arrived at the kitchen. Since we had already confirmed the effective utilization of the secret passage, I opened the kitchen window and jumped outside without hesitation. It was far better to make a direct escape to the mansion than to carry out an infiltration mission one step at a time to evade people’s attention.
Thud.
Soon after, Hyun Cheon Do-in grabbed Mangnyang by the nape of his neck and jumped out of the building. Caught off guard by the sudden drop, Mangnyang spun his head around, feeling dizzy, and said,
“Martial artists are truly monsters. That height must be around this high, yet you jumped down without hesitation.”
“This isn’t the time to complain. Are you ready?”
“Of course. Just take me to my position.”
It didn’t take long for us to dash across the rooftops and reach near the plaza. Once we climbed to the rooftop of the highest six-story building, the people below didn’t seem to notice us. It’s rare for people to look up at such tall structures. Mangnyang smiled slyly.
“This is just perfect.”
Then Mangnyang stepped boldly into the room set up on the highest building. Inside, the owner of that building, a master of some merchant association, was leisurely enjoying the view outside.
Thud.
Before the man noticed anything amiss, I rushed in and swiftly struck his acupoint to render him unconscious. After covering the merchant association owner’s eyes and laying him down under the bed, Mangnyang began preparing his sorcery with the Five Fire Seven Bird Fan.
To use the treasure, a place to focus one’s mind was necessary, and while manipulating flames from a distance, the sorcerer needed a secure location to remain unguarded. This rooftop room on the six-story building perfectly met those conditions.
From here, Mangnyang would control the flames with the Five Fire Seven Bird Fan and attack the Golden Eagle Guards, further assisting me and Hyun Cheon Do-in.
After witnessing this series of events, Hyun Cheon Do-in cast a disapproving glance at me.
“This is not right.”
“It can’t be helped. Please understand. Didn’t I explain beforehand?”
“Ah… I trust Mangnyang Seonsa’s words, but this matter must be addressed with an apology to the party involved.”
“I will do so without fail.”
What a load of nonsense. I couldn’t care less about that.
Secretly, I rolled my eyes at Hyun Cheon Do-in’s remarks. The reason for this operation was to eliminate the potential fallout from the Golden Eagle Guards, so why should I expose our identity just to apologize? However, I didn’t voice this thought.
Hyun Cheon Do-in looked down from above and asked,
“Let me ask again. Is there a peak expert among them casting that spell?”
His gaze was on a master who blended in with the crowd in the village. Knowing how to sense energy, Hyun Cheon Do-in discerned that despite the ordinary appearance of that individual, they were a remarkable peak-level expert. Of course, we were keeping our presence low to avoid detection by them.
“It’s highly likely there isn’t. They seem to hold very high positions in that organization, and if they hadn’t uncovered our hidden location, they wouldn’t come looking for us one by one. Think of it as one or two peak experts with more than ten superior-level masters.”
“Well… even hearing that again, it’s an astonishing force… Just their presence rivals that of our top disciples. With that level, they could wipe out a mid-sized faction in a single night. Where on earth did such individuals come from?”
Hyun Cheon Do-in’s lament was entirely justified. The strength of a single unit of Golden Eagle Guards, led by Ryu Cheon-ho, surpassed most martial sects. I had personally witnessed how even Ryu Cheon-ho, along with two guard members, fought evenly against Hyun Cheon Do-in at full strength. If those guys were to attack a small village, there would be no chance of resistance.
I asked Hyun Cheon Do-in,
“Hyun Cheon Do-in, can you sense any evil energy?”
“I cannot tell. As of now, nothing seems to be felt. It’s so calm and peaceful that it’s hard to believe such a malevolent sorcerer could appear.”
“……”
It seemed we might spend a day here like this. Preparing for a protracted battle, I began calmly observing the scenery of the plaza.
The unexpected turn of events came about an hour later, as the sun began to set. I was looking out the window while Mangnyang was ready to cast his sorcery at any moment. Then, suddenly, Hyun Cheon Do-in, who had been sitting quietly in meditation, opened his eyes and shouted.
“No! Such vile…?!”
Boom!
At that moment, a dark sphere appeared in the center of the plaza, and a sudden tempest roared fiercely.
“Ahhh!”
“What… what’s going on?!”
The passersby screamed or fled in shock from the sudden chaos. Emerging in the area previously occupied by the dark sphere was a familiar figure.
“He’s out!”
I shouted in alarm.
Dressed in yellow, it was the Flute Phantom!
Literally, a creature that was anything but human had suddenly appeared.
‘So it’s true that he used some strange sorcery to show up out of nowhere!’
Even amidst the turmoil and confusion in the plaza, his presence was overwhelming.
It seemed he intended to spread madness once more, slowly raising one arm to bring the flute to his mouth. I understood that if the performance began, those nearby would go mad instantly, so I knew I had to move immediately.
Bang!
“You evil one!”
Hyun Cheon Do-in and I plummeted to the ground almost simultaneously. In reality, we accelerated our falling speed using the Heavenly Weight Technique and gracefully landed like feathers, yet our martial prowess propelled us forward.
The first to strike the Flute Phantom was Hyun Cheon Do-in, who seemed caught off guard by the sudden attack and flailed his hands.
In that moment, a figure blocked Hyun Cheon Do-in’s sword.
Clang!
“Phew. Strong.”
It was a man in black whose arm trembled slightly after the impact of the sword clash. He had been watching from the plaza, observing when the sorcerer would appear. It was easy to guess his identity based on his actions.
Ryu Cheon-ho!
The leader of the Golden Eagle Guards’ ten-member unit had shown up here. Given his ability to block Hyun Cheon Do-in’s attack, it was clear he was a peak expert. As I recognized his face, I frowned.
‘Ryu Cheon-ho.’
Coincidentally, he was the captain of the Six Groups I had encountered in my past life. After saving himself, the Flute Phantom hesitated and backed away, but to his side, the Golden Eagle Guards’ Six Teams silently appeared. They were ten in total, and I realized they had planned to target the plaza.
‘So they also knew the sorcerer was going to appear in the plaza.’
In an instant, the situation turned into a 2 to 11 showdown.
With a sly grin, Ryu Cheon-ho looked at me and said,
“That little one over there had a chance to attack me but chose not to? Why is that?”
I replied to him,
“If I had done that, all ten of you would have ambushed me.”
That was true. Like Hyun Cheon Do-in, I could have attacked the Flute Phantom the moment I landed. But something about the situation felt off, hesitating as I noticed the subtle murderous intent radiating from the ten Golden Eagle Guards around us. If I had made a move right then, they would have launched a full assault on me or Hyun Cheon Do-in.
“Hahaha… how surprising that someone your age could reach such a level of martial skill.”
Ryu Cheon-ho laughed heartily, but his eyes showed no signs of amusement. He glanced around at the Golden Eagle Guards and declared,
“The plan has changed. We’ll eliminate these pests here.”
“Is it really that easy?”
“Ha. A mere martial artist dares to speak while not even knowing who we are.”
Ryu Cheon-ho scoffed. From his perspective, two of us confronting a well-prepared unit of Golden Eagle Guards must have appeared like a suicidal act. Even against Hyun Cheon Do-in, he probably figured that sheer numbers would suffice to overpower us and kill him.
But instead, I chuckled.
“Aren’t you the one who’s overestimating yourself without knowing who we are?”
Boom!
Crackle!
“……!!”
At that moment, Mangnyang activated the Five Fire Seven Bird Fan. Massive columns of scorching heat erupted outside the village. Not just one, but multiple immense flames erupted suddenly, brightening the village to an overwhelming extent. Ryu Cheon-ho visibly agitated, and it didn’t take long for the entire village to be engulfed in flames.
“Ahhh!”
“Ahhh!!”
People were paralyzed with fear, fleeing in every direction. The town itself wasn’t ablaze, nor was it excessively hot, but the sight of colossal flames rising like walls outside the village was enough to send anyone into a frenzy. Of course, since Mangnyang was controlling the flames with the Five Fire Seven Bird Fan, innocent lives would remain unharmed. Instead, it conveniently cleared away unnecessary obstacles for us.
As the village became surrounded by flames, Ryu Cheon-ho bellowed,
“Retreat! The plan has failed! Secure the sorcerer and escape!”
“It won’t be that easy.”
Bang!
Suddenly, a spark ignited far from the village, flowing like a river of flames. The flames soared high, separating the ranks of the Golden Eagle Guards. With three of them trapped separately, Ryu Cheon-ho sensed the unnatural change in the situation.
He glared at me and demanded,
“Did you do this…?”
“It was my actions and those of my companions.”
While I hoped Mangnyang would eliminate these pests with his flames, that was an impossible task. Mangnyang was sacrificing ten years of his lifespan, numerous talismans, and bound by the ‘no kill’ restriction while maintaining tremendous focus to activate the treasure.
Due to the non-lethal condition he placed, he could only satisfy the spirit of the treasure. All he could do was restrict their movements to reduce their numbers.
“You madman. Do you even realize whom you’re pointing your sword at?”
“I know perfectly well.”
I exuded a fiercer murderous intent as I spoke.
“A murderous demon aiming to massacre thousands for a mere 20 taels of gold and a promotion!”
“……!!”
Ryu Cheon-ho’s face hardened further. The other Golden Eagle Guards standing beside him also stiffened at my words. They realized that I knew their true identities.
“Whether you figured it out or not, your fate is sealed.”
Ryu Cheon-ho spoke casually, as if feeling no need to elaborate further. His motives to eradicate any threats emerged as his escape route was cut off.
“KILL! If we don’t eliminate these pests, we won’t leave this place!”
In defiance, I roared back,
“Not leave? You meant can’t leave!”
Boom!
At that moment, Ryu Cheon-ho and Hyun Cheon Do-in’s sword energies clashed violently. I propelled myself toward the remaining seven Golden Eagle Guards. While Hyun Cheon Do-in dealt with Ryu Cheon-ho, I needed to finish off the rest to resolve today’s chaos.
I pushed with my legs, leaping forward like a tiger.
“Let’s have a go!”
The seven members of the Golden Eagle Guards were all seasoned elite martial artists, honed through real combat. Among them was at least one who had surpassed the peak realm. They regarded me, rushing at them without an ounce of hesitation, with expressions of disbelief.
“Ha ha?”
“What a moth to a flame!”
The Golden Eagle Guard standing at the front raised his sword skillfully to clash with mine. The trajectory of his sword was swift and agile, akin to a snake flicking its tongue. As expected, he was a strong opponent who matched my martial skill to a significant degree.
I clenched my teeth.
‘Let’s see what happens.’
Fighting against seven seasoned Golden Eagle Guards, who typically possessed skills comparable to mine, all at once—
It was something I wouldn’t even attempt under normal circumstances; a suicidal act.
Despite that, I decided to trust Mangnyang’s words and charge in.
Memories of the discussions with Mangnyang about our strategy in the village a few days ago surfaced in my mind.
[How will you deal with a single unit of the Golden Eagle Guards? Well, then, in certain situations, you and Hyun Cheon Do-in might be able to jointly fight them. Even if that doesn’t work out, it won’t matter much.]
[How could it not matter?]
Mangnyang had chuckled softly and replied.
[Haven’t you noticed? You’re the only one being overly cautious; when Hyun Cheon Do-in faced you, he was quite wary as well. And my decision to come this far was 80% because of you.]
[What do you mean by that?]
Mangnyang spoke confidently.
[You’re too timid relative to your true abilities. It seems you’ve never used your internal energy and capabilities to their fullest extent…]
[Hmm.]
[When you fight the Golden Eagle Guards, just do your best as you normally would. You’re way stronger than you think.]
Boom!
“Ahhhhh!!”
“Gaaahhh!!”
Thunderous energy exploded. Simultaneously, one of the Golden Eagle Guards who had blocked my path with a serpentine sword path had his upper body obliterated, while another guard using a blade next to him lost an arm.
My sword didn’t stop there; during its rotation, it cleaved a Golden Eagle Guard vertically from the crown of his head down to his buttocks. The guard, perhaps taken aback by my incredible speed, didn’t even think to evade, and moments later, his body split apart, spewing blood.
Boom!
Yet, I still had strength left and attacked a guard head-on. The Golden Eagle Guard wielding a blade was knocked back, struggling to regain his balance after being hit directly. Bewilderment washed over him as he realized three of his comrades had been dispatched in mere moments.
“……!!”
I had only channeled my entire internal energy to execute the sword technique. Yet, seeing three Golden Eagle Guards become mere echoes of their former selves in mere seconds shocked me. My internal energy was radiating outward, and my range, destructive power, and sword speed had reached an entirely different dimension of strength!
“W-What?!”
Clang!
Clang!
While he was somewhat on the back foot battling Hyun Cheon Do-in, Ryu Cheon-ho’s expression shifted to shock when he caught sight of my sudden prowess. Hyun Cheon Do-in seized the opportunity to gain further dominance. I gave Ryu Cheon-ho a slight smirk while raising my sword.
“Time to finish this!”
“Y-You brat.”
“Don’t underestimate me!”
The remaining four Golden Eagle Guards roared in anger, their morale bolstered despite being part of the esteemed royal guard. Their comrades’ absurd deaths hadn’t broken their spirits. However, I no longer felt fear toward them; I had realized just how strong I had become.
‘Yes. Everything I’ve trained for over these five years wasn’t in vain!’
I had walked the path of a martial artist, mastering the intentions of the Thunder God lineage day and night. Yet, my master, Lee Kwang, had eventually abandoned his teachings, disappointing me, and Jin So-cheong had expressed concern. After that, I had merely harbored feelings of defeat, unaware of my true capabilities.
However, the reality was—thanks to the training of the Thunder God lineage, I had become several times stronger than before! Coupled with the traditions of a prestigious school, I could execute intricate combat techniques, with very few weaknesses left.
Crackle!
My sword brimming with thunderous energy rang out. As the Thunderous Spirit coursed through the blade, my eyes glowed a vivid blue, enhancing my reflexes and speed even further. This was the true method of harnessing the Thunder God’s realm and Spirit.
A focus and explosion of power!
For a brief moment, anyone who achieves the Thunder Spirit gains an extraordinary degree of freedom, accompanied by a massive increase in speed.
Boom!
For an instant, the sound of tearing through the air was heard. Then, in the blink of an eye, the head of one of the Golden Eagle Guards charging at me was shattered into four pieces. As my foot delicately touched the ground, flames erupted, creating scars on the earth.
Swish!
The sword dance resumed. The Golden Eagle Guard who had desperately tried to counter my sword energy found his blade shattered in pieces. Subsequently, his left arm flew off, and finally, his heart burst. Before his heart had even splattered blood, my figure had already darted away to the next target.
Swish!
Swish!
A sharp whistling sound cut through. Once the Thunder reached its peak, there were no more explosions. As five beams of light streaked past, two Golden Eagle Guards who had been standing there froze, unable to move. Moments later, lines of crimson painted their bodies, and blood gushed forth.
Boom…!!
As the blood mist dispersed, I turned my back and spilled the blade’s blood onto the ground. Circular streams of blood splattered onto the ground.
The entire process hadn’t taken even ten seconds.
Hyun Cheon Do-in and Ryu Cheon-ho, who had been engaged in fierce combat until then, had forgotten their duel and stared at me in disbelief. Hyun Cheon Do-in’s voice trembled as he exclaimed.
“W-What was that? Such swordsmanship actually exists in this world?”
“This is insane…”
Ryu Cheon-ho cursed in a trembling voice. He too must have instinctively realized that facing me directly meant high chances of death. I did not respond to their reactions and simply let my sword hang down.
‘I’m not the mad one. It’s the Thunder God lineage that’s insane.’
I realized that even with this power, I had been unable to endure for a hundred breaths in my previous duel with Jin So-cheong. The Thunder God lineage itself was a monstrous force, and at that moment, I felt the harsh realization of that truth. Swallowing my bitterness, I spoke to Ryu Cheon-ho.
“Looks like I’ve won. Will you leave quietly, or shall we go all the way to the end?”
“……”
Ryu Cheon-ho, separated from the remaining three by a wall of flames, understood that he could never win against both me and Hyun Cheon Do-in in a two-on-one fight. He also couldn’t break through the raging flames. Despair overcame him as he shouted frantically.
“Haha! You crazy fools!! Can’t you see this fire? Does it even matter who wins or loses? We’re all going to die!!”
“That applies to you.”
“What…?”
I said calmly to Hyun Cheon Do-in.
“This one’s an officer; he must have a lot to say. Let’s cut off his limbs and deal with that sorcerer over there as well.”
Hyun Cheon Do-in nodded.
“Let’s hurry.”
Mangnyang’s manipulation of the flames with the Five Fire Seven Bird Fan would only last for half a gong at most. We had to settle things with these guys before that. Fortunately, the resolution was looming before us. As Ryu Cheon-ho watched me and Hyun Cheon Do-in approach with weapons drawn, despair overtook him; he shouted in frustration.
“You bastards! Are you teaming up cowardly?”
I replied coldly.
“What does it matter?”
Hyun Cheon Do-in added a remark.
“Those without humanity are not truly human.”
Swish!
Clang!
“Ahhh!!”
As Hyun Cheon Do-in and I began our joint attack, Ryu Cheon-ho fell into a relentless defense. Even so, he was skilled enough to desperately wield all his strength to defend himself, trying to avoid fatal wounds as I accelerated with Thunderous Spirit. However, that desperate stance didn’t last long; within thirty seconds, his right arm was severed, and his left leg burst as he collapsed to the ground.
Swish!
Thud!
“Ugh… aah…”
I snatched Ryu Cheon-ho’s falling arm and said,
“Hyun Cheon Do-in. Make sure he can’t take his own life.”
“Understood.”
Then I approached the sorcerer in yellow clothes, who had been standing idly, observing the battle. Knowing the face hidden behind his disguise made me frown. I was thoroughly annoyed at the thought of seeing his face again.
‘Hmph, if you utter any nonsense this time, I’ll torture you until you die.’
It was then that the Sorcerer Flute Phantom extended his hand and said,
[…. $&#(@$&@!!]
It wasn’t human language.
It seemed to be his sorcery language.
Boom!
Suddenly, a dark energy burst from the sorcerer’s hand, enveloping my body. I tried to evade quickly, but this attack seemingly had no relation to speed, and it inevitably hit me.
It seemed he hadn’t just been idly watching but had prepared to retaliate!
‘Uh-oh!’
Had I let my guard down, thinking he had no martial arts?
I had indeed given him too much time.
I gritted my teeth, preparing for the impending death. I was ready to bite my tongue if the pain became too overwhelming.
……
Nothing happened.
‘Huh? What?’
I blinked in disbelief as I observed him. He seemed in disbelief himself, trembling, revealing long tentacles from beneath his yellow clothes.
[Impossible! My spell doesn’t affect this mere human! How can this happen!]
I retorted,
“A spell? What do you mean?”
He seemed taken aback, momentarily halting his tentacles.
Then, flustered, he shouted,
“How do you understand our language? What are you? This can’t be happening!”
“Language…?”
I realized that the situation was quite different from when I had spoken to him before during my fifth life. At that time, he was forced to convey his will to me in the format of Heart Language to avoid being beaten to death.
But now, he was speaking his own language, and I had unconsciously interpreted it mid-sentence. This meant I had unconsciously decoded his words. Of course, I still didn’t know how to speak his language.
Curiosity seized me as I subtly displayed the Heavenly Secret Secret. Knowing that it had previously broken his spirit, I asked,
“Could it be because of this?”
[……!!]
Once again, the sorcerer’s tentacles froze.
He rolled his eyes and finally spoke in a defeated tone.
“Ah… I see… With a curse stronger than mine… my powers cannot prevail…”
“A curse? What are you talking about?”
Suddenly, he erupted in mad laughter.
“Haha! Thank you!! You’ve made me realize that I must escape!”
Boom!
“… Ugh!!”
As soon as he finished speaking, the sorcerer’s body turned into a mass of flesh, splattering everywhere.
‘This bastard could self-destruct!’
I quickly dodged the tentacles and blue blood spewing from his body. Hyun Cheon Do-in, watching from the side, could only stare in wide-eyed shock at the sudden display of self-explosion. Even he, who had experienced all sorts of hardships, found it astonishing, murmuring in a trembling voice,
“What… what was that?”
I answered, somewhat dejected.
“I don’t know. But…”
“But?”
“What’s certain is that we won.”
As the flames laid out by Mangnyang dissipated moments later, it seemed the casting time had ended.
All the flames swirling outside the village were extinguished as if washed away. Despite the raging fire, nothing had burned in the village.
Boom!
“Gaaahh!”
“Ugh!”
Then, the three remaining Golden Eagle Guards within the flaming barrier met a gruesome end at my and Hyun Cheon Do-in’s hands. With everyone having fled due to the flames, there were no witnesses, allowing for the executions without hesitation.
Hyun Cheon Do-in remarked,
“We need to stop the bleeding and treat him before interrogating this one.”
“We just need to keep him alive.”
Ryu Cheon-ho, with severed limbs and severe injuries, twisted in a pool of his own blood like a pitiful insect. I felt a momentary pity for him, but I couldn’t shake the thought that had I not prepared thoroughly this time, I might have been in his position.
I felt overwhelmed and wiped the tears from my eyes for a moment.
“Ha…”
Yes.
For the first time across six reincarnations—I had succeeded in exterminating the evil cult.
