Chapter 153

Flutter!

As Dan Ryeong-gyeong extended her arm, the silk covering stretched long to chase after Zhuge Ming. Both her palm force and the silk covering shot out as if there were arrows attached to the front.

The silk covering is a long woven silk cloth. However, what Dan Ryeong-gyeong was holding was no longer soft silk cloth, but a sharp dagger imbued with killing intent. It reached several zhang in length and was capable of cutting trees and splitting stones.

Zhuge Ming hung from the middle of a bamboo pole with one hand and spread his fan to cut the silk covering.

Clang! Clang clang!

The fan ribs and soft cloth collided, making the sound of metal clashing and sparks flying. Dan Ryeong-gyeong kicked off the bamboo pole and leaped up again, extending silk covering from both hands.

Zhuge Ming drew up more internal energy. Clear energy gathered at the tips of the spread fan ribs.

Clang!

An even sharper sound than before rang out. The tip of the silk covering broke off and fell away. The broken silk covering instantly lost its rigid form and fluttered away in the wind.

Dan Ryeong-gyeong stepped on another bamboo pole and leaped while rotating her arms greatly. The silk covering spread softly and drew a whirlpool in the shape of a taiji.

Though it appeared as if she were dancing gracefully, the whirlpool was coming to completely envelop Zhuge Ming.

Zhuge Ming regulated his breathing. He had a premonition that if he didn’t resist with full power, he might be defeated.

Zhuge Ming gripped the bamboo stem tightly with the soles of both feet. Then he stretched his body forward, taking a posture as if lying prone in the air, and straightened his waist. He looked like a branch sprouting from the middle of the bamboo stem.

He had fixed his body with his feet to free both hands.

Then he folded the fan and flipped it, causing the fan to split in two. Zhuge Ming gripped fans in both hands and spread them to counter Dan Ryeong-gyeong’s silk covering technique.

The silk covering that had been flowing softly and drawing whirlpools suddenly moved quickly in front of Zhuge Ming. Zhuge Ming drew the fans into his chest then pushed them out to both sides, releasing two semicircles.

As Dan Ryeong-gyeong infused internal energy into the silk covering, the ends of the covering became rigid again and contained cold sword energy.

Slash! Clang!

Parts of the silk covering caught in the semicircles Zhuge Ming created fell off like a broken-toothed sword. However, the silk covering was still long and its power was not diminished at all. Even with broken teeth, the sword had merely become a saw – if caught, flesh and bone would be cut away.

“Hap!”

Zhuge Ming folded the fan to make it like a square rod and beat the silk covering.

Thud thud thud! Thud thud!

The silk covering shattered into pieces like ice. The fragments of silk covering fluttered in the air like flower petals blown by wind.

When Dan Ryeong-gyeong waved her hand, the silk covering spread softly again. Now no matter how much Zhuge Ming beat the silk covering, it would only sink in softly. Rather, it wrapped around like a snake, coiling around Zhuge Ming’s left fan and wrist respectively.

Dan Ryeong-gyeong wrapped Zhuge Ming’s fan and wrist with both silk coverings and launched her body backward into the air. The silk covering was pulled taut.

“Kugh!”

Zhuge Ming concentrated more internal energy in both feet to grip the bamboo and endured. If he let go of the bamboo and was dragged away, he would be defeated.

When Zhuge Ming endured, Dan Ryeong-gyeong ended up hanging from the silk covering and swam through the air as if riding a swing.

Whooom—

A bamboo pole got caught in the middle of the long silk covering. As the silk covering wrapped around the caught bamboo pole, Dan Ryeong-gyeong spun around once.

The moment Dan Ryeong-gyeong crossed her arms and her eyes flashed.

Snap!

The bamboo pole caught in the middle of the silk covering was instantly cut in half.

Zhuge Ming’s eyes widened. Dan Ryeong-gyeong was raising her energy to make the silk covering rigidly sharp!

Wrist and fan. If he had to give up one of the two, naturally it wouldn’t be the wrist. Zhuge Ming spread the fan in his other hand and cut the silk covering tied to his wrist. Instead, he had no choice but to let go of the fan that was wrapped in silk covering. The fan flew as if bouncing and was cut into several pieces in mid-air.

Because he had hastily gathered energy, too much force went into his feet as well, shattering even the bamboo.

Crack!

With nothing left to grip, Zhuge Ming fell downward. However, since the height was only three or four zhang, he could somersault and land lightly.

Dan Ryeong-gyeong also came down to the ground while collecting her silk covering. The beautiful silk covering also had most of its ends tattered.

Dan Ryeong-gyeong and Zhuge Ming glared at each other. Both had calm expressions, but in fact Zhuge Ming was about half a move behind, so his mind was not at ease.

Moreover, coincidentally, Baek Li-gwon and Jin Ja-gang lay unconscious between them, in the middle.

The distance was about three zhang.

It was a distance they could reach each other in the blink of an eye.

Dan Ryeong-gyeong slowly wound up her silk covering and said.

“Shall we see who will be first?”

Zhuge Ming frowned.

“Unfair. You only need to kill, but I have to keep them alive.”

“Everyone says saving is more difficult than killing. But I find killing more difficult. So it won’t be that unfair.”

“Who would believe the absurd words that the renowned Wishful Fairy Maiden finds killing people difficult? It can’t be difficult to take that one life with just a flick of your finger.”

“You’re telling me to strike the neck of one lying with his back exposed?”

Zhuge Ming sneered.

“An evil woman of the dark path keeps acting like a righteous hero.”

Dan Ryeong-gyeong became angry.

“For someone of your caliber to speak such words! How can you say such things when you clearly know my circumstances!”

“What happened to your family was not anyone else’s fault but your family’s own greed. Not only I but everyone in the martial world knows those circumstances.”

Dan Ryeong-gyeong was greatly enraged. Her hair rose toward the sky and sharp killing intent began pouring from her eyes.

“How dare…”

At Dan Ryeong-gyeong’s killing intent, Zhuge Ming also confronted her with his Annihilation Eye. Black energy spread from his pupils like spilled ink, devouring his eyeballs until they became pitch black.

As both drew up their internal energy to a high degree, the surrounding air settled heavily. In the space between the two facing each other, even flames could not approach and were extinguished.

Dan Ryeong-gyeong and Zhuge Ming did not blink even once while enveloped in smoke. The distance between them was too close – a moment’s carelessness could lose them the opportunity.

Of course, Zhuge Ming was at a disadvantage, but Dan Ryeong-gyeong was not to be taken lightly either. If she missed Baek Li-gwon on the first move, Zhuge Ming could defend and drag out time. If time was dragged out, reinforcements would come, and then Dan Ryeong-gyeong would also find it difficult to achieve her purpose.

So both were not moving at all, watching for gaps in their opponent’s condition.

Right in front of them with Baek Li-gwon between them! But…

Thump, thump…

Someone was approaching the exact middle of the space the two were dividing, from the side.

It was Mang Ryo, leaning on a crutch.

Both Dan Ryeong-gyeong and Zhuge Ming could only watch without even glancing sideways.

Both Zhuge Ming and Dan Ryeong-gyeong knew Mang Ryo. However, neither knew that the other knew Mang Ryo.

Zhuge Ming thought Mang Ryo was about the level of Baek Li-jung’s subordinate, while Dan Ryeong-gyeong thought Mang Ryo was about the level of a spy who dealt with the dark path.

So they couldn’t easily figure out why Mang Ryo was acting this way.

They couldn’t guess whether he was trying to do something beneficial to themselves or attempting some unexpected action. They couldn’t just pressure him either… if he ended up siding with the opponent, that alone would become a problem!

What exactly was Mang Ryo trying to do?

Dan Ryeong-gyeong and Zhuge Ming watched the developments while drawing up internal energy and being extremely tense.

“Hmm.”

Mang Ryo paused briefly at the boundary of the space where the forces the two created clashed. Then he boldly stepped inside the boundary.

Passing through the boundary of the forces Dan Ryeong-gyeong and Zhuge Ming were emitting meant receiving both their energies simultaneously from both sides. The moment he passed through the boundary, all the hair on Mang Ryo’s body stood on end.

Crackle, crackle.

His hair spread out in all directions like a lion’s, and his collar and loose clothing became rigidly spread out, making the wrinkles disappear.

“Hoo.”

After passing through the boundary, Mang Ryo lightly sighed and smoothed down his hair, then continued walking to the middle where Baek Li-gwon and Jin Ja-gang lay collapsed.

Dan Ryeong-gyeong and Zhuge Ming gradually lowered their postures. They were watching with the intention of immediately rushing out in case of emergency.

Mang Ryo couldn’t bend his knees properly due to his artificial leg and stood looking down.

Seeing Baek Li-gwon and Jin Ja-gang lying collapsed and face down, he suddenly spat out curses.

“That damn poison has terribly poor effects.”

Dan Ryeong-gyeong and Zhuge Ming flinched.

It was ambiguous who Mang Ryo was speaking to.

After looking down for a moment, Mang Ryo grabbed Baek Li-gwon and lifted him up. Then he slung him over his shoulder.

“Uugh…”

Baek Li-gwon groaned. Slung over the shoulder with his head facing the ground, blood dripped from his mouth.

Soon Mang Ryo turned his body toward Zhuge Ming.

Dan Ryeong-gyeong’s eyes bulged.

Betrayal!

Though she couldn’t know what he was thinking, Dan Ryeong-gyeong immediately warned.

“It would be good for your wellbeing to bring that child to this side.”

Zhuge Ming also said not to be outdone.

“Naturally he should come to this side.”

Mang Ryo looked back and forth between Dan Ryeong-gyeong and Zhuge Ming. It wasn’t an attitude of not knowing what to do, but rather like a merchant trying to negotiate over goods.

Mang Ryo looked at Dan Ryeong-gyeong and said.

“If I take him to your side, that bastard Baek Li-jung won’t leave me alone.”

Then he kicked Jin Ja-gang on the ground with his foot while looking at Zhuge Ming.

“But if I go that way, Shandong Enchanting Flower won’t leave this fellow alone.”

Zhuge Ming frowned.

“Surely you don’t mean to say that Snake Scorpion Poison King is better than the Sword Pavilion Master’s disciple?”

“Why wouldn’t I?”

Zhuge Ming put force into his eyebrows and glared at Mang Ryo.

“Depending on how one hears it… may I interpret it as meaning you’ve joined the ranks of traitors?”

“Oh my… you’re not in a position to threaten me, are you?”

“What?”

Mang Ryo seemed to ponder, then nodded.

“Then let’s do this.”

Dan Ryeong-gyeong and Zhuge Ming became extremely alert. Mang Ryo had put down Baek Li-gwon and knelt.

Of course, Baek Li-gwon was so severely poisoned that he couldn’t even sit up on his own. Mang Ryo held Baek Li-gwon’s head and forced him to sit.

“The solution when both sides fight! Remove the cause of the fight. So if we eliminate this fellow, all problems disappear, don’t they?”

Zhuge Ming shouted in disbelief.

“If you do such a thing, you won’t be able to bear the Sword Pavilion Master’s wrath!”

Mang Ryo shrugged.

“I’m someone who doesn’t have much to lose, you know?”

It was Mang Ryo who had given Baek Li-gwon the Five Fall Death Pill. If Baek Li-gwon had died, it would have been clean, but since he didn’t die, to silence him, there was no choice but to kill him directly.

And after killing Baek Li-gwon, killing Zhuge Ming was the natural next step.

“Anyway, I’ve never seen good results from skimping on materials to save money. Ugh.”

Mang Ryo frowned and put force into his hand. Internal energy was injected into Baek Li-gwon’s Baihui point through his palm.

A dying groan burst from Baek Li-gwon’s mouth as his eyes had already become hazy.

“Grrrrr…”

His eyeballs bulged as if they would pop out and a nosebleed burst from his nose.

Mang Ryo intended to burst Baek Li-gwon’s head.

“Can’t you stop!”

The alarmed Zhuge Ming shouted and tried to rush at Mang Ryo. Dan Ryeong-gyeong was the same.

But then.

Something completely unexpected happened.

Mang Ryo suddenly let go of his hand.

Baek Li-gwon fell sideways. Baek Li-gwon did not die. No, Mang Ryo had given up on killing him.

Mang Ryo sighed.

“Hoooo…”

After letting out a long sigh, Mang Ryo muttered to himself.

“You…”

Mang Ryo slowly lowered his head. Then he finished what he was going to say.

“You always surprise me.”

The blood-covered Jin Ja-gang was looking up at Mang Ryo from below. With a silver ornamental knife stabbed into Mang Ryo’s side.

Jin Ja-gang had a shocked expression with his eyes rolled up.

“You… how are you still alive?”

Jin Ja-gang, who had maintained composure through all difficulties and mortal crises until now, had a trembling voice this time.