Chapter 174

Soso ran to Jin Ja-gang and embraced him.

“Ah-eu-ah-ah…”

The hand that grasped Jin Ja-gang’s sleeve trembled.

“It’s okay. It will be okay. Don’t worry.”

The moment Jin Ja-gang reassured Soso, she looked behind Jin Ja-gang and screamed.

“Eu-ah!”

Jin Ja-gang drew his dagger while swinging his arm backward.

The sword and dagger crossed and deflected each other.

The sword swung by the orthodox faction warrior from behind struck Jin Ja-gang’s arm weakly and bounced off. The fingers that should have gripped and supported the sword handle were severed and flying through the air.

“Aaaaah!”

The warrior screamed while clutching his hand with the severed fingers. Jin Ja-gang brought down his dagger and embedded it in the warrior’s neck. The warrior staggered and collapsed.

Jin Ja-gang made eye contact with Soso and reassured her once more that it was okay, then looked around at the orthodox faction warriors. The orthodox faction warriors tensely gripped their swords.

“It seems you didn’t hear what I said earlier.”

Jin Ja-gang spoke to the orthodox faction warriors.

“I said I would kill everyone in this place.”

Slight confusion appeared on the orthodox faction warriors’ faces. They were confused about whether he meant he would spare them if they fled, or if he was making another murder announcement.

Their numbers still exceeded thirty. It was worth fighting once.

Of course, they had no confidence in winning.

They had already seen Jeon Woong’s intestines cooking and protruding. If they were even grazed by the poison Jin Ja-gang used, they too would end up that way. Fighting against a poison master was that troublesome.

Still, if only Dancing Buddha would help…

However, Dancing Buddha Myowol was only interested in Dan Ryeong-gyeong.

Myowol struck away Dan Ryeong-gyeong and caressed her bitten hand.

She was angry, belatedly realizing why Dan Ryeong-gyeong had bitten her hand. She had bitten her hand to draw attention so she wouldn’t notice Jin Ja-gang attacking Jeon Woong.

“Such petty tricks.”

But there, Dan Ryeong-gyeong had deceived Myowol once more. Sitting on the ground, bowing her head, and sending voice transmission to Jin Ja-gang was exactly that.

When Myowol felt suspicious and grabbed Dan Ryeong-gyeong’s hair to jerk back her head, Dan Ryeong-gyeong’s lips were already finishing their movement.

Strange sounds of “urreuk, kwarreuk” came from Jin Ja-gang’s body, and immediately after, he killed Jeon Woong in one strike with his dagger technique.

“Quite the nerve. Did you think helping Poison Dragon would make you a match for this poor nun? Did you think the two of you together could defeat this poor nun?”

Dan Ryeong-gyeong laughed while bleeding from her mouth.

“How could a murderer who acts as a monk without an ounce of compassion know this person’s heart? What this person sought to save was that girl.”

Myowol’s expression hardened.

“Are you asking me for mercy toward them?”

“Originally, your purpose in coming to this place was observation. If your involvement in this matter was because of me, then you have already achieved your purpose. So kill me and do not interfere further in this matter.”

“Hmm?”

The corners of Myowol’s mouth twisted.

Dan Ryeong-gyeong shouted with force.

“Dancing Buddha! I give you one last piece of advice. Do not become more of a monster! As a member of Sichuan’s Three Powers, keep your word! You are an observer, not a direct party!”

Myowol’s twisted mouth became even more twisted.

“Do you dare threaten this poor nun?”

“It’s not a threat but a recommendation to uphold the righteousness of the martial world!”

Myowol smiled so murderously that the corners of her mouth seemed to tear to her ears.

“How regrettable. This poor nun has just decided not to simply watch the seeds of evil. It means I will no longer show mercy in my hands.”

Dan Ryeong-gyeong gritted her teeth. Emei Sect had sent Myowol to this place knowing her temperament. That too would be Emei Sect’s will.

“The righteousness of Sichuan’s Three Powers has fallen to the ground! Now who could call the Emei monks righteous heroes of the martial world!”

Myowol’s eyes glittered with killing intent.

“Who might that be? If no one survives, no one will be able to mention today’s events, won’t that be so?”

Myowol’s killing intent wasn’t directed only at Dan Ryeong-gyeong.

The orthodox faction warriors flinched. There were thorns in Myowol’s words.

But they couldn’t ask directly. They could neither do this nor that. They couldn’t carelessly touch Myowol’s mood, nor did they want to step forward first to fight Jin Ja-gang.

Myowol’s gaze slowly shifted toward Soso.

“Yes… it’s because of that thing?”

Myowol left Dan Ryeong-gyeong alone and began walking toward Soso.

“Do not steal. Do not deceive. Do not slander with personal emotions. Do not make a bandit’s woman into a nun. Do not follow or abet evil acts. Even if there are mutual wrongdoings, do not tell each other to cover them up. Do not harbor uncomfortable matters in your heart.”

Myowol’s killing intent became piercingly strong. The blood color of the Non-Killing Sword she gripped again was deepening. The various warriors felt their skin tingle and rubbed their forearms and necks.

“The precepts of the Sanghavasesa Dharma that ordained nuns must observe are so complex…”

Myowol approached Soso while baring her teeth like a demon.

“The easiest way to observe the precepts is to eliminate the source of complexity from the beginning. The reason troubles arise in this poor nun’s heart is precisely because of you, girl. Therefore, you are extreme evil.”

Myowol’s Non-Killing Sword emitted blood-colored sword energy.

“Evil is punished by beheading.”

Jin Ja-gang drew his dagger and needles and stood in front of Soso.

Then.

Ding-a-ling, ding-a-ling-ling. Ding-a-ling-ling, ding-a-ling… Strange bell sounds rang out and Myowol momentarily flinched.

Woon-jeong was walking through the manor gate, shaking the damaged ceremonial bell.

“The Five Precepts for Novices: Do not kill. The Five Precepts for Lay Followers: Do not kill. Not killing is the greatest precept that monks must observe. How could you recite the Sanghavasesa Dharma while leaving out the precept of not killing?”

“Are you a young Taoist of Qingcheng Sect?”

However, even seeing Woon-jeong, Myowol’s killing intent did not diminish.

Woon-jeong looked at Myowol, wrapped the bell in his robe sleeve, and made a cupped-fist salute.

“I am Woon-jeong. I meet Master Myowol for the first time.”

“Forget the greetings. Why did you interfere with this poor nun?”

“Though I am a young junior, I will speak one word. What Master Myowol is doing now is wrong. You are acting beyond the way of an observer.”

Myowol also harbored killing intent toward Woon-jeong.

“Should I just watch as evildoers commit murder? If this poor nun withdraws, can the Taoist handle the aftermath?”

Woon-jeong stepped back half a step in surprise at the killing intent, then said.

“Poison Dragon has agreed to go with me. If Master Myowol shows consideration, he will no longer commit murder and will follow me out.”

Woon-jeong looked at Jin Ja-gang.

He seemed to be earnestly asking with his eyes to follow his words. He thought this was the only way to defuse this situation.

But Jin Ja-gang did not respond to Woon-jeong’s expectations.

“I have never made such a promise.”

“Ah! If you deny it like that, I will…!”

Woon-jeong was flustered.

“I have people I must protect in this place.”

“No, but you should at least go along with what I’m saying!”

Myowol didn’t even smile. Rather, her gaze became more fierce.

“Is the Taoist trying to humiliate this poor nun?”

“No, that’s not it. That’s not it… I was trying to prevent meaningless killing.”

To anyone watching, it would seem like Woon-jeong was the monk, not Myowol.

“Hmph. For the sake of Master Bok-cheon’s name, I’ll overlook it once. But if you interfere one more time, I won’t let it pass, so know that.”

Myowol took a big step toward Soso and Jin Ja-gang.

Woon-jeong shook his bell.

Ding-a-ling, ding-a-ling-ling. Ding-a-ling.

“Stop!”

Myowol frowned and stopped walking. Woon-jeong’s sonic technique had affected Myowol.

Myowol, whose mood had become unpleasant, flew toward Woon-jeong. Myowol, caught in killing intent, seemed to pay no mind to the fact that Woon-jeong was a disciple of Qingcheng Sect.

“How dare you ignore this poor nun’s warning!”

“Demon-Kneeling Beheading Ceremonial Bell Resonance!”

Woon-jeong urgently shook his bell.

Ding-a-ling, ding-a-ling. Ding-a-ling-ling, ding-a-ling-ling.

However, the ceremonial bell was crumpled and had holes, so internal energy couldn’t be properly applied.

“Uaaah! Th-this is because of Poison Dragon benefactor!”

Woon-jeong resented Jin Ja-gang. Myowol thrust a palm at Woon-jeong. Woon-jeong hid the ceremonial bell in his sleeve and countered Myowol’s palm with both hands.

Bang!

Woon-jeong flailed and was pushed back several steps.

“It seems Master Bok-cheon has properly taken in his disciple! To block this poor nun’s palm. Let’s see you continue blocking!”

Myowol charged again and unleashed palm force.

Bang! Ba-bang!

Woon-jeong urgently waved his sleeves and countered with palm force, but couldn’t match Myowol’s internal energy. Just blocking alone caused continuous shock to accumulate in his internal organs, giving him internal injuries.

Retch.

Woon-jeong spat out a lump of bloody phlegm. His complexion became pale.

“You’re going too far…”

Myowol said nothing and extended another palm. She gathered her extended fingertips while pouring out condensed force all at once.

Whooom!

Her sleeve greatly swelled then contracted. A powerful wind shot out from her palm. This was Emei Sect’s Tiger-Subduing Palm. If blocked with arms, the arms would be crushed, and if it hit the body, the internal organs would be pulverized.

But then Dan Ryeong-gyeong provoked Myowol. She gathered internal energy and stood behind Myowol.

That alone was enough to draw Myowol’s attention.

Myowol leaped and turned while changing the direction of the Tiger-Subduing Palm. The Tiger-Subduing Palm curved toward Dan Ryeong-gyeong’s side and flew in like a strike. Dan Ryeong-gyeong received the Tiger-Subduing Palm with her left hand while turning her body.

She greatly turned her shoulder, drew a middle circle with her elbow, and drew a small circle with her wrist. Her waist flexibly drew a circle in the opposite direction.

The Tiger-Subduing Palm spun following the circle Dan Ryeong-gyeong drew and missed. In that brief moment, various techniques for handling energy such as softness, absorption, pushing, and penetration were used simultaneously.

Flutter, flutter!

Dan Ryeong-gyeong flapped the empty sleeve of her right arm while gathering her fingertips forward and taking the stance of energy manipulation. Then she wiggled her fingertips.

Myowol’s eyes flashed upward.

Screeech!

The black blood scabs of the Non-Killing Sword opened and blood-colored sword energy extended a full span.

Chaotic Wind Wave Sword!

A wind much more precise and vicious than before blew down. Dan Ryeong-gyeong gathered what little silk covering remained to counter the Chaotic Wind Wave Sword. The sword energy of the Chaotic Wind Wave Sword instantly cut the silk covering into dozens of pieces.

“Hahaha! Ahahaha!”

Myowol laughed madly while wielding the Non-Killing Sword. Dan Ryeong-gyeong continued to be pushed back and retreat.

Myowol’s pupils, chasing Dan Ryeong-gyeong, had already contracted to points. When a first-rate master of Myowol’s level draws up internal energy to the maximum, they naturally trigger eye techniques even without intending to.

This was the pupil contraction phenomenon caused by Myowol’s unique eye technique.

In her suddenly wide-opened eyes, the point-like contracted pupils moved busily up, down, left, and right.

She detected hidden weapons flying toward her through the air. Poison needles thrown by Jin Ja-gang using Flying Thread Twelve Branches were shooting toward Myowol, drawing large and small parabolic arcs.

Myowol’s pupils caught all the trajectories drawn by the four hidden weapons. It created the illusion that one could hear the sound of her pupils moving busily.

Myowol created a larger Chaotic Wind Wave Sword, forming a net of sword energy in front.

Dan Ryeong-gyeong took that opportunity to bite her tongue and draw blood. Then she took a big breath and exhaled. She infused internal energy into the blood flowing abundantly from her tongue. The blood became a stream like a spear and flew.

The stream of blood crashed into the net of sword energy Myowol was creating.

Crack!

A hole appeared in the net just before completion. Jin Ja-gang’s poison needles pierced through the gaps in the loose net and flew toward Myowol’s body. Myowol lifted one leg and leaped into the air, bending her waist backward. Like dancing, she put one hand above her head and the other hand holding the Non-Killing Sword toward the sky.

Whirrrr!

Myowol rotated her body in that position. The four needles passed precariously by below Myowol’s earlobe, beside her nose, between her right armpit, and between her raised and bent left knee and calf.

Myowol’s movement technique was truly close to divine skill.

The smile on Myowol’s lips deepened.

“Hahaha!”