Chapter 159. Flower (5)

After facing the shaman with Senior Sister Baek Hyang for a while.

A strange sense of unease lingered in my head.

This was a small village.

The Emerald Crossing River was not that far away.

And yet, there was still no news.

Nam Geon had not returned, and the shaman’s power had not diminished.

Following the shaman’s waving staff, arrows formed of blood energy poured down again.

Every time I swung the Master’s Blade to block them, my palm and forearm holding the sword tingled.

A faint stream of blood surged up, and an arrow I couldn’t properly parry grazed my thigh.

An intense pain was felt in my thigh.

It wasn’t just because of the wound. It was because of the turbid energy that was digging into the wound.

In the meantime, the shaman was waving his staff again.

As expected, his power had not diminished.

As I focused on that unease, a memory suddenly came to mind.

Just before we were trapped in the formation. When I had aimed for the shaman and shot a sword Qi towards the Emerald Crossing River.

An assassin had appeared without a trace and parried that sword Qi.

Come to think of it, I had not encountered an assassin of that level while fighting so far.

What if he was guarding the Emerald Crossing River?

And what if he had skills that were far superior to Nam Geon’s?

Damn it.

I quickly turned my head and sent a Sound Transmission to my Senior Sister.

– Head towards the Emerald Crossing River right now!

Perhaps because it was an unexpected instruction.

My Senior Sister flinched for a moment.

Aiming for that Senior Sister, the shaman waved his staff again.

I unfolded my movement arts at full power.

As I barely managed to grab my Senior Sister and rolled on the ground, blood poured down like rain on the spot where she had been standing.

A terrifying sight came into view as the ground touched by that blood melted away.

I quickly stood up and whispered in my Senior Sister’s ear.

“Nam Geon is in danger.”

“B, but, Senior Brother.”

My Senior Sister’s eyes turned to the shaman who was waving his staff.

It must have meant that it would be difficult for me to face him alone.

It was difficult.

But if we continued like this, everyone would be in danger.

– So go quickly. If you just destroy that, I can kill him even on my own!

Only then did my Senior Sister nod slightly.

A shamanistic spell flew at us again. We scattered to the left and right at the same time and dodged it.

Pat!

And to draw his attention, I charged forward.

I swung the Master’s Blade in the air and shot a sword Qi.

The sword Qi was easily blocked, and another shamanistic spell poured down.

“Damn it.”

Some of them were aimed at my Senior Sister.

I somehow managed to unfold my movement arts, fly my body, and swing the Master’s Blade to block the shamanistic spell, but it was not easy to block the wide range all by myself.

In the end, my Senior Sister’s steps, which were trying to head towards the Emerald Crossing River, were blocked.

At this rate, we would either die of exhaustion, or Nam Geon would die at the Emerald Crossing River before that.

While I was wondering how to solve this.

A familiar voice was heard from behind.

“Uahahaha! He looks very strong at a glance!!”

Hwangbo Ak’s voice. Following that, the Tang Clan guy’s voice was also heard.

“Brother Hwangbo! Please stop!!”

The Tang Clan guy’s shout was truly futile.

Because with the sound of the ground exploding, Hwangbo Ak’s presence was rapidly approaching.

The shaman’s gaze turned to Hwangbo Ak.

The moment the shaman swung his staff, my Senior Sister’s eyes and mine met.

My Senior Sister, who nodded slightly, boldly threw her body backward.

An explosion erupted.

Kwang!!

Hwangbo Ak, who had brutally struck the shamanistic spell with his iron fist, was sent flying backward.

“Uahahaha!”

The way he was laughing while spitting blood seemed to be out of his mind.

Only then did the shaman’s gaze turn to my Senior Sister who was running away.

I couldn’t let the fleeting opportunity that Hwangbo Ak had created go to waste.

I stood in front of my Senior Sister and unfolded the Moonlight Coiling Sword at full power.

As the shamanistic spell he had cast and the Moonlight Coiling Sword clashed, my insides churned again.

But I could endure it.

I gulped down the suppressed blood and unfolded my movement arts.

“Brother Jin was having fun all by himself!!”

Hwangbo Ak, who had been sent flying, was also rushing towards him again.

From behind that Hwangbo Ak, something small was also flying.

The Tang Clan guy’s irritated voice, who had thrown a hidden weapon as if to assist us, was heard from behind.

“Hah. To be with two people who are dying to die of all things.”

A chuckle escaped at the nonsense of the reliable doctor.

“Hwangbo Ak! As long as you don’t die, that doctor will save you, so fight to your heart’s content!”

“Kuhahaha! That’s good news to hear!”

***

Baek Hyang’s eyes, upon arriving near the Emerald Crossing River, saw a terrible sight.

“Big brother!!”

Nam Geon was covered in blood.

And someone dressed in red clothes was swinging a dagger at Nam Geon at a tremendous speed.

It was a sight unfamiliar to Baek Hyang.

Slice!

Although Nam Geon had achieved a Diamond Indestructible Body, a faint stream of blood would spurt out every time the person’s dagger danced.

At that moment, Nam Geon rotated his entire body and swung the Mother’s Affection Sword wildly.

The moment the assassin stepped back to avoid it, Nam Geon shouted.

“I, I’m fine!”

Aiming for Nam Geon’s momentarily opened mouth, the person in red clothes broke through again.

Nam Geon’s lips, which had been narrowly closed, were struck by a dagger.

Clang!!

While a faint stream of blood spurted from Nam Geon’s lips, Baek Hyang unfolded her movement arts and flew her body.

Strangely, Baek Hyang did not head towards Nam Geon.

She turned to the right and moved, avoiding Nam Geon and the person in red clothes.

The place she was heading to was the Emerald Crossing River.

After the person in red clothes struck Nam Geon’s body again.

Clang!

The moment Nam Geon swung the Mother’s Affection Sword as if in resistance, the person in red clothes moved back significantly.

No. He sharply turned his body and rushed at Baek Hyang.

The distance was closed in an instant.

The moment the person in red clothes thrust his dagger, Baek Hyang twisted her body as if she had expected it and narrowly dodged the blow.

Although she had dodged the first blow, the situation was not going well.

The assassin’s realm was too outstanding.

Baek Hyang swung the Restoring Name Sword to block the second blow, but her posture was thrown off.

Swiiiiiish.

The third blow that flew in one after another. Although she had thrown her body away in a hurry, it was not easy to dodge completely.

Slice!

A blade grazed Baek Hyang’s thigh. At the sight of blood spurting from the girl’s leg, Nam Geon quickly flew his body.

No, he tried to fly.

If it weren’t for Baek Hyang’s shout.

“Aim for the Emerald Crossing River!”

Nam Geon, who had flinched, quickly turned around and started walking towards the Emerald Crossing River again.

At that, the assassin who was pushing Baek Hyang flew his body towards Nam Geon again.

Baek Hyang, who had barely escaped the crossroads of life and death, shone her eyes calmly.

‘As expected.’

In any case, this person’s purpose was to protect something in the Emerald Crossing River.

It was her judgment that it was more efficient to aim for the Emerald Crossing River than to move to help Nam Geon.

The reverse was also true.

As Nam Geon rushed towards the Emerald Crossing River, the assassin who was pushing her had no choice but to move that way again.

A strange flow continued.

Although Nam Geon and Baek Hyang were companions, instead of launching a pincer attack, they moved separately. As if aiming for the left and right sides of the Emerald Crossing River.

The assassin’s response to this was also strange.

The assassin was constantly moving left and right to block them both.

It was because of the order given by the Moon Lord.

– Protect the Spring of Resentful Blood here. And kill those who approach the Spring of Resentful Blood.

After living as the Moon Lord’s experimental subject and carrying out numerous assassinations for decades.

Although he had obtained enormous internal energy and outstanding martial prowess, the Vice-Moon Lord had forgotten how to think for himself.

Following the Moon Lord’s order, the Vice-Moon Lord was just aiming for the one who was closer to the Spring of Resentful Blood in the Emerald Crossing River.

Slice!

Even while cutting down Nam Geon’s body, if Baek Hyang got closer to the Emerald Crossing River, he would fly his body that way.

Even in a situation where he was pushing Baek Hyang to the point of injuring her here and there, and he could kill her if he pushed a little more.

Pat!

If Nam Geon got closer to the Emerald Crossing River, he would rush at him again.

The sight of him making an irrational judgment with an indifferent face. Baek Hyang and Nam Geon felt a strange sense of déjà vu.

‘L, like Yeon-i.’

‘So Senior Sister Choyeon wasn’t the unusual one.’

Although it looked like a children’s game at a glance, it was not a comfortable situation.

When the assassin rushed in, it felt as if death was right around the corner.

If they made even a slight mistake, they could lose their lives.

No, even if they didn’t make a mistake, it was hard to endure.

Slice!

They could only barely protect their vital points. Wounds were accumulating all over their bodies.

The funny thing was that if they endured precariously, the assassin would move to the other side.

Each time, it felt as if a blocked airway was suddenly cleared.

After running back and forth between life and death for a while, Baek Hyang finally entered the Emerald Crossing River.

To block Baek Hyang, the assassin rushed at her again.

Slice!

While a wound appeared on her body, Nam Geon broke through the small wall on the left side of the Emerald Crossing River and entered.

Kwang!

At that, the assassin who was tormenting Baek Hyang rushed at Nam Geon again.

Baek Hyang gritted her teeth.

Nam Geon’s body was being minced by the assassin again.

Thanks to having achieved a Diamond Indestructible Body, the wounds were not deep.

But even shallow wounds, if dozens or hundreds of them accumulated, there was a risk of dying from excessive blood loss.

No. Apart from excessive blood loss, she didn’t want to see Nam Geon being beaten like that.

‘I have to find that place as quickly as possible.’

While thinking that, the girl’s eyes were on the assassin, not the manor of the Emerald Crossing River.

As if to dissect every single movement of the assassin who was brandishing his dagger.

‘And I have to go back alive with my big brother.’

The girl was waiting for a chance to kill that assassin.

She couldn’t be satisfied with just breaking something in the Emerald Crossing River.

Even so, if that assassin were alive, either she or Nam Geon could die.

She could endure her own death, but she didn’t want to let Nam Geon die.

Nam Geon was also thinking something similar.

‘I, I have to find it quickly and break it.’

The difference was that Nam Geon was not thinking about what would happen after.

First, find it and break it. If so, Jin Yuseong would kill that shaman and join them here.

His mindset was that even if he died, it would be enough if he could protect Baek Hyang until then.

‘I, if I want to at least save Hyang-i, I have to be faster!’

Nam Geon went beyond searching and just started breaking everything in sight.

Kwang!!

Funnily enough, the debris that Nam Geon had smashed also served as an obstacle that hindered the assassin’s movements.

Nam Geon, who was wrecking the Emerald Crossing River, found a small pavilion located at the back of the manor.

A pavilion with dozens of talismans attached to its walls, and a huge iron chain hanging on its door as if to confine something.

Nam Geon rushed towards that pavilion without looking back.

The assassin who had appeared by now thrust his dagger to block Nam Geon.

Slice!

A gruesome cutting sound.

An intense pain was felt on his skin.

A pain that was incomparable to before. And blood spurted even more roughly.

The Vice-Moon Lord’s movements had changed.

‘It is the Moon Lord’s order.’

Because he had to carry out his mission even if he died.

The Vice-Moon Lord’s movements became much rougher and much bigger.

He ignored defense and evasion and focused solely on power. To bring down Nam Geon somehow.

The wounds on Nam Geon’s body increased rapidly.

Because of the continuous assault, it was difficult to even take a single step.

At that moment, Baek Hyang arrived near that pavilion a step late.

As she had done so far, she disregarded Nam Geon and ran towards that pavilion.

The Vice-Moon Lord’s eyes, who was pushing Nam Geon, wavered.

He had lived his entire life just doing what he was told. He had never had to judge or worry for himself.

Such a Vice-Moon Lord was at a crossroads for the first time.

In the meantime, Baek Hyang had arrived right in front of the pavilion.

The image of the girl about to swing her sword at the wall of the pavilion was imprinted in the Vice-Moon Lord’s eyes.

‘I have to protect it.’

In the end, the Vice-Moon Lord, who was pushing Nam Geon, quickly flew his body.

The distance was closed in an instant.

The Vice-Moon Lord thrust his dagger at full power, disregarding his defense as expected.

At that moment, Baek Hyang, who was thrusting her sword at the wall of the pavilion, diverted her sword path.

By now, Baek Hyang’s eyes were on the Vice-Moon Lord.

A concentration squeezed to the limit. In a world that had slowed down to an infinite degree, the girl’s insight was searching for a single path.

The forms of that assassin she had seen on her way here swirled in the girl’s mind.

‘Thank you, big brother.’

Perhaps, if it weren’t for Nam Geon, it would have been an impossible task even for Baek Hyang.

It was only possible because she could properly observe the sight of him brandishing his dagger at Nam Geon from a third-person perspective.

After a search that lasted for a moment, the girl found a single life gate.

Strangely, it was a life gate she had found because the assassin’s movements had become a little bigger than before.

But there was a small problem.

Could she catch up to the monstrous speed of that assassin?

As soon as the thought came to mind, the girl’s body reacted.

All the energy remaining in her Dantian soared at once.

A massive amount of internal energy tore through her meridians and ran.

In response, the girl’s body began to move. Following that one and only life gate.

The girl’s body screamed.

A movement that the muscles of a girl who had not yet fully grown could not withstand.

The girl ignored that scream.

No. She didn’t even feel it.

The pleasure of realizing what she had only imagined in her head. That intense pleasure crushed the cries of her body.

The girl’s eyes, filled with joy, and the indifferent assassin’s eyes crossed.

Crack!

With a gruesome sound, blood flowed from the girl’s neck.

A scar from a grazing dagger.

Soon, Baek Hyang’s body collapsed.

Nam Geon screamed with a pale face.

“Hy, Hyang-ah!!!”

As if in response to that shout, the assassin’s body belatedly collapsed.

With the Restoring Name Sword pierced through his heart.

Baek Hyang, who was scattered on the ground, opened her mouth with a dying voice.

“Big brother. Please, break that pavilion. I, I don’t have the strength to lift a single finger.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep