Chapter 317:  Dang Cheolgi, Becomes a Hero (2)

Yong Hwarin couldn’t underestimate Zhao Qiansheng.

He had no room to show off against a master like Zhao Qiansheng. This was a life-or-death struggle, so he had to decide the outcome with his most confident lethal technique.

Yong Hwarin drew the White Tiger Demon-Subduing Sword and immediately entered Unity of Sword and Mind.

Unity of Sword and Mind was the pinnacle of Yong Hwarin’s current capability.

Until now, he had unleashed the Soaring Dragon Emperor Sword through Unity of Sword and Mind and had defeated numerous masters. On top of that, by wielding the energy of Hoi Eulshin, there were few who dared to oppose him.

Entrusting himself to the aura of the Immovable Mountain and entering Unity of Sword and Mind, Yong Hwarin was no different from a colossal sword.

Facing Yong Hwarin, Zhao Qiansheng was seized by a suffocating sense of despair, as if staring at a massive iron wall.

‘This can’t be… how did that brat I saw in the Bamboo Forest grow this strong?’

Come to think of it, even in the Bamboo Forest, he hadn’t overwhelmed Yong Hwarin.

And it wasn’t just Zhao Qiansheng.

All the warriors and hostages of the Dragon-Slaying Blood Sword Unit could feel Yong Hwarin’s aura.

The hostages, who had lost their internal energy, felt their qi and blood tremble under his overwhelming presence.

It felt as though a mountain was crushing down on them.

Afraid he might vanish from existence if he stood still, Zhao Qiansheng moved first under the weight of Yong Hwarin’s presence.

Zhao Qiansheng did, after all, possess one final desperate technique that could break through such pressure and kill Yong Hwarin.

Wi Oh could sense that Zhao Qiansheng was wavering.

And it was true. If Zhao Qiansheng lost to Yong Hwarin, what came next was as clear as day.

“Kill Yong Hwarin!”

As Wi Oh gave the order, the Dragon-Slaying Blood Sword Unit charged toward Yong Hwarin. Then, Deuksang could no longer remain hidden in the forest.

“Protect Young Master Yong!”

Since Yong Hwarin was focusing all his energy solely on Zhao Qiansheng, if his attention was diverted elsewhere, an opening could emerge.

Fearing that, Deuksang leapt out of the forest to intercept the Dragon-Slaying Blood Sword Unit.

Seeing Deuksang burst out of the forest, Mo Baek drew his sword.

“I’ll be your opponent.”

Deuksang felt his fighting spirit surge at the sight of Mo Baek.

Back when he served as the Guardian Captain of the Hidden Saint Cult, nothing pleased him more than facing strong opponents—even if they were enemies.

If his aide Baekseom were here, he would’ve surely nagged at the sight of him charging in with a smile.

‘Captain, this isn’t the time! You should be giving orders, not fighting! If you get caught up in battle, who will lead the troops?’

Just as he always said, Baekseom would end up leading in his place.

‘Baekseom, even if you were here, you couldn’t have stopped this boiling blood.’

Upon seeing an opponent of similar strength, Deuksang couldn’t just let Mo Baek pass.

With the Blood Green Unit joining the battle in earnest, Jeong Minji’s role began to diminish.

Relieved that threats to the hostages had lessened, she could breathe easier.

Yet Jeong Minji remained uneasy.

Yong Hwarin was engaged in a deadly duel against Zhao Qiansheng, one step away from the edge.

“Will Young Master Yong win? His opponent is the former Protector of Blood Demon Castle. Zhao Qiansheng is known to be a master who surpasses even the Six Demonic Clans. I’m worried.”

Gunwi too couldn’t take his eyes off the duel between the two.

“I believe in my betrothed.”

At Jeong Minji’s words, Hwangbo Mak nodded.

“Well, who else could achieve Unity of Sword and Mind at that age? His reputation is well earned. And with that mountain-like presence… I’ve heard of Young Master Yong’s name, but I didn’t expect this. Now I understand why Miss Jeong seemed at ease even after becoming a hostage. If someone like that is your beloved, what’s there to fear?”

Hwangbo Mak spoke as if voicing her heart.

Jeong Minji hadn’t been uneasy even after becoming a hostage.

That was because she firmly believed that Yong Hwarin would come to save her.

So even as a hostage, she felt nothing but peace.

‘My beloved…’

She had no doubt that Yong Hwarin would defeat Zhao Qiansheng.

There was a distance of about five jang between Zhao Qiansheng and Yong Hwarin, but in an instant, the two collided.

Within the space where they intertwined, only sword light flashed.

As if thunder exploded, a dozen bolts of lightning surged, and then, as if by prior agreement, the two leapt back to a five-jang distance once more.

They repeated this three times.

And it wasn’t merely an exchange of hands and feet.

Undoubtedly, sword qi had clashed, and nascent qi had collided several times. Yet no resounding booms erupted, which was uncanny.

It happened because they were neutralizing each other’s strength. In truth, their speed was so great that to the eyes of an outsider, it might have seemed like they were sparring playfully.

The more Zhao Qiansheng fought, the more he realized he was being overwhelmed.

‘He’s blocking all my attacks.’

Zhao Qiansheng could sense that Yong Hwarin had been using him as a training partner all along.

And he was right. Yong Hwarin, sensing the pattern of qi, wanted to test if it would work against a master like Zhao Qiansheng.

Not only through the sword but even through fists and palms—by feeling the pattern of emitted qi, he could predict its flow and direction.

At first, he missed the pattern due to the sheer speed. But Yong Hwarin soon realized that the pattern of qi resembled breathing, and no matter how fast, he could sense it.

Though breath couldn’t be seen, it could be felt through warmth, letting him know where his opponent’s breath was.

Reading qi followed the same principle.

“Let’s finish this!”

Through the duel with Zhao Qiansheng, Yong Hwarin had fully mastered the stage of Qi Revelation Realm. And now, he knew it was time to end the fight.

Harnessing the aura of Dongyeo Thunderquake, Yong Hwarin moved.

Zhao Qiansheng mistook the approaching sword, infused with thunder qi, for a giant blade flying toward him.

Just as no one thinks to dodge a lightning bolt falling from the sky, Zhao Qiansheng was seized by the same terror.

But he wouldn’t go down so easily.

He drew out all his internal energy and prepared to unleash nascent qi.

‘Even if I die, I’ll take you with me!’

As Zhao Qiansheng raised his sword, resolved to die, Mo Baek was startled. It was the first time he had seen his lord fight with such resolve.

Breaking away from his battle with Deuksang, Mo Baek quickly redirected himself and hurled toward Yong Hwarin, who was charging Zhao Qiansheng.

He infused it with his ultimate technique.

It was a desperate act of loyalty to save his lord with his own body.

As Zhao Qiansheng’s nascent qi clashed with Yong Hwarin’s thunder qi and vanished in a crimson flash, Mo Baek sensed his end was near.

Thud!

Yong Hwarin’s White Tiger Demon-Subduing Sword mercilessly pierced through all that blocked his path.

“Urgh!”

It was impossible to tell whose groan it was.

All that was certain was that Wi Oh’s body shattered under Yong Hwarin’s Unity of Sword and Mind.

Mo Baek had thrown Wi Oh to blunt Yong Hwarin’s momentum and used his own offensive to suppress Yong Hwarin’s strength.

Even so, the White Tiger Demon-Subduing Sword pierced through both Mo Baek and Zhao Qiansheng simultaneously. It passed through Mo Baek’s right shoulder blade and embedded deeply into Zhao Qiansheng’s left chest.

His lungs ruptured, and Zhao Qiansheng coughed up blood.

As Wi Oh’s body exploded, scattering blood and flesh, Mo Baek took Zhao Qiansheng and fled.

“Stop Yong Hwarin!”

At those words, the warriors of the Dragon-Slaying Blood Sword Unit and the Homa Heavenly Corps nearby all rushed toward Yong Hwarin at once. Unable to restrain his surging killing intent, Yong Hwarin unleashed a lethal technique.

Infused with the energy of the Qi of Graceful Breeze and Dongyeo Thunderquake, Yong Hwarin moved like a flash of lightning, cutting down the warriors of the Dragon-Slaying Blood Sword Unit.

It looked just like a starving wolf ravaging a flock of sheep.

“My beloved!”

As Yong Hwarin’s killing intent grew too fierce, Jeong Minji approached him from behind and embraced his waist.

“Huff! Huff!”

Fear filled the eyes of the surviving warriors of the Dragon-Slaying Blood Sword Unit. Then, forgetting even their orders to block Yong Hwarin to the end, they began to flee.

All that remained where they fled was a field full of corpses.

And absurdly, they left behind Lightning-Faced Madman.

Mo Baek, barely able to support Zhao Qiansheng, couldn’t manage to bring Lightning-Faced Madman along.

Lightning-Faced Madman, sitting down and watching the earth-shaking duel between Zhao Qiansheng and Yong Hwarin, realized many things.

In his twilight years, he had gained insight into martial arts, and the joy was indescribable.

Watching the two fight while displaying a realm he hadn’t reached, he finally broke through the Wall of Martial Understanding that he had never been able to overcome.

But soon, Lightning-Faced Madman let out a hollow laugh.

“Hahaha! What a damn joke, life truly is empty!”

He could no longer train in martial arts.

His right arm, the one meant to hold weapons, was severed, and even his dantian was destroyed.

Though he had to give up the life of a martial artist, the realization he gained was too precious to lose.

Deuksang came face to face with Lightning-Faced Madman, who was grinning like a madman.

“We can extract a lot from that bastard if we rough him up.”

Lightning-Faced Madman instantly understood from Deuksang’s gaze.

Deuksang’s eyes were those of someone who wouldn’t flinch from torturing a person.

They were the same eyes as his own, not those of someone who could be called a righteous person. It felt like he could see the future in them.

“Ah, to think it ends here. I could’ve broken through and reached the Transcendence Realm.”

Seeing Deuksang approaching, Lightning-Faced Madman crawled forward.

And he slammed his head into a rock.

Thud!

White brain matter splattered and dripped down the stone.

Deuksang frowned as he watched it.

“Damn it, I should’ve sealed his pressure points first.”

Yong Hwarin calmed himself and spoke.

“First, tend to the wounded nearby.”

He wanted to leave the place filled with the stench of blood, but just as Yong Hwarin said, treating the injured was the top priority.

Yong Hwarin had learned a lot from watching his father, who always cared for the wounded after every battle since he was young.

Even a grievous injury could be survived with prompt treatment.

“My beloved, are you okay?”

Yong Hwarin felt relieved that Jeong Minji was unharmed. He gently embraced Jeong Minji, who had rushed into his arms.

Even with many eyes watching, the two paid no mind.

They couldn’t hold back their emotions enough to care about others’ gazes.

“Yes, I’m okay. You’ve been through so much. I came too late, didn’t I?”

“I missed you terribly. I’m not leaving your side again. Not even in death.”

“Right. Stay by my side always.”

Despite being in the view of many, the two exchanged affection. Then, startled by the groans of the injured, Jeong Minji snapped back to her senses.

Feeling ashamed for putting her emotions ahead in front of the wounded, she quickly pulled away from Yong Hwarin and began tending to the injured around them.

After treating the wounded to some extent, they gathered and buried the bodies. It wasn’t an easy task, but Yong Hwarin paid attention even to the corpses until the end.

If left alone, they would become food for wolves, so they buried even the enemies’ bodies. Then they searched Lightning-Faced Madman’s belongings and found the antidote to the Seven-Day San Gong Poison, administering it to the hostages.

After spending one full hour doing so, they began preparing to leave the area.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep