Chapter 150: There Exists Pain Greater Than Death (4)

"Hah… hah…"

Ragged breaths forced their way past Muk Il-gwang's lips.

His entire body was drenched in blood, and at his feet lay more than a dozen fallen warriors.

The Blood Heaven Axe Technique he wielded with twin axes was truly fearsome. The powerful waves of axe energy cleaved charging warriors in two in a single stroke.

As they fell one after another, Ascending Dragon Division Leader Yoo Guang-cheon changed his tactics. Rather than engaging head-on, he harassed from the flanks, striking and retreating.

It was a scheme to drag the battle out and wear Muk Il-gwang down. Meanwhile, he sent more warriors toward Hwang Hye-ryeong.

Muk Il-gwang had even refused the position of division leader to protect Hwang Hye-ryeong. It spoke to how deeply he cherished and loved her.

'If I target Hwang Hye-ryeong, he will surely be distracted.'

Yoo Guang-cheon's stratagem succeeded.

As more forces concentrated on her, Hwang Hye-ryeong grew unsteady, and the sight of her peril tightened Muk Il-gwang's expression with urgency.

His mind told him to stay calm, but his heart would not listen.

His heart pounded, and his eyes and senses were wholly fixed on Hwang Hye-ryeong. Naturally, his attention was divided.

Yoo Guang-cheon did not let the opening slip.

Shck!

"Urgh!"

Yoo Guang-cheon's sword grazed Muk Il-gwang's arm. A long gash opened, and blood sprayed.

Fortunately, the bone was not damaged, but the split muscle left his grip on the axe weakened.

"There!"

Yoo Guang-cheon cried out in triumph.

Muk Il-gwang's Blood Heaven Axe Technique could only display its full power when both axes were in play. If even one was compromised, its devastating force was severely diminished.

"Die!"

Seizing the opening, an Ascending Dragon Division warrior lunged.

"Haah!"

But Muk Il-gwang was a warrior who had weathered every trial. With a battle cry, he counterattacked.

Kwam!

"Urgh! Damn it!"

The warrior who had blocked Muk Il-gwang's axe with his sword cursed. But his expression was less dark than one might have expected.

Just moments before, Muk Il-gwang had been cleaving men in two with a single blow. Blocked by a sword, he shattered the sword; blocked by a saber, he shattered the saber and the man alike.

But now the warrior had blocked the axe with his sword, and neither he nor his weapon had suffered damage. It meant Muk Il-gwang's attacks had weakened considerably.

"He's tiring! Press harder!"

Yoo Guang-cheon urged his men on.

The warriors attacked Muk Il-gwang with renewed ferocity.

"Grrr!"

Muk Il-gwang ground his teeth.

He longed to tear Yoo Guang-cheon apart, but the reality was not so simple.

Yoo Guang-cheon was tormenting him with cunning precision.

'My lady!'

Hwang Hye-ryeong was fighting desperately.

Her entire body was drenched in blood.

Her gaze met Muk Il-gwang's. He saw her clenched lips and contorted face, every detail burned into his vision.

In that instant, Muk Il-gwang felt something surge up from the depths of his chest. The energy that had been churning at his core surged through his hands and erupted from his axes.

"Gaaaah!"

A powerful wave of axe energy was unleashed. With force far beyond anything before, it cleaved three charging warriors and their weapons in two.

The path opened.

Muk Il-gwang did not look back as he launched himself forward.

But Yoo Guang-cheon's sword grazed his back, leaving a wound so deep that muscle split and bone was bared.

Agony ripped through him, and Muk Il-gwang's mouth fell open. But he endured the pain and ran toward Hwang Hye-ryeong.

Shck!

In that instant, Yoo Guang-cheon's sword slashed across his leg.

Muk Il-gwang's massive body staggered, and he tumbled to the ground. He managed to rise, but the wound to his leg was too severe—he could barely walk.

Yoo Guang-cheon looked at him and laughed.

"Did you think you could escape so easily? Heh heh!"

"Guang… cheon…"

Muk Il-gwang's eyes blazed with fury.

The day before, Bang Jin-bo had come to him. He had relayed Dam Ho's warning, urging him to be on guard.

Muk Il-gwang had acknowledged it. But he had never imagined Jo Yun-san would dare act so brazenly within the Tyrant's Stronghold.

'My fault. I should have been more careful, more vigilant.'

Meanwhile, the assault on Hwang Hye-ryeong had intensified.

She was holding on desperately, but even that was reaching its limit.

"Now, cease your resistance."

"The more you resist, the worse it will be for you."

"We take no pleasure in this."

Even the warriors attacking Hwang Hye-ryeong had a faint look of conflict in their eyes.

Until recently, they had doted on her. Now their positions had changed and they had to point swords at her, but the unease they felt was undeniable.

If she had simply died cleanly, they would not have felt this guilt. But Hwang Hye-ryeong clung stubbornly to life, fighting back. For that reason, wounds multiplied across her body.

Hwang Hye-ryeong bit her lip.

She was furious.

She despised her own weakness.

Clang!

The sword in her hand was struck from her grasp. In her defenseless state, a warrior's fist struck her chest.

Pfft!

"Aaah!"

The sensation from her chest drew a scream. More than the pain, shame overwhelmed her.

"Heh heh! Soft."

The warrior who had struck her chest chuckled.

It had been no accident—he had deliberately targeted her.

He had always had a reputation for poor conduct. While Hwang Gyeong-mun was alive, he had not dared harbor impure thoughts. But now that the situation had changed, his true nature emerged.

Hwang Hye-ryeong was one of the most beautiful women in the forest. Her face flushed with shame only heightened her allure.

Seeing this, a few warriors joined in the harassment. They tormented Hwang Hye-ryeong further.

Other warriors tried to intervene, but the mood had already turned, and it was useless.

"My lady!"

Muk Il-gwang's desperate cry rang in Hwang Hye-ryeong's ears.

The anger and anguish in his voice were palpable.

'Il-gwang!'

Hwang Hye-ryeong wept.

One of the attacking warriors lightly grazed her shoulder with his sword.

Rip!

Her clothing tore away, revealing pale skin. A red line appeared on the white flesh, and blood began to flow freely.

Her spirit was already broken.

Hwang Hye-ryeong had no strength left to fight. The warriors tormenting her planned to make her surrender of her own will.

The eldest among them, Wang Jik, shouted,

"That wench—we could have our fill without a hint of fishy st—Kuh!"

Wang Jik could not finish his sentence. No—he could not.

Someone had seized him by the nape of his neck.

"Khck!"

His breath was cut off.

His legs were wrenched from the ground as though uprooted.

Below the nape, he felt no sensation—as if his pressure points had been struck.

He felt someone's breath on the back of his neck.

An indescribable terror washed over him.

'Wh-what—?'

At that moment, a low voice spoke.

"The mouth is the root of all trouble."

Shudder!

The moment he heard that voice, Wang Jik squeezed his eyes shut without thinking. His instincts reacted before his mind could process the fear.

His hair stood on end, and his teeth clattered together. The chill that raced up his spine did not subside.

"……"

Silence descended upon the hall.

The warriors who had been harassing Hwang Hye-ryeong stopped as one.

"When—when did he—?"

Disbelief filled their eyes.

Without their knowing, a man clad entirely in black had appeared in their midst. In his hand, he held Wang Jik by the nape.

Wang Jik hung limp, like a wilted branch.

"Br-Brother?"

Hwang Hye-ryeong's eyes went wide.

Reflected in her dark pupils was Dam Ho. Tears quickly welled in her eyes.

In that instant, Dam Ho twisted Wang Jik's neck.

Crack!

"Kh!"

With a final, strangled cry, Wang Jik's head lolled to the side.

Wang Jik died instantly, his tongue lolling out.

Dam Ho casually tossed the lifeless body aside.

The warriors felt their chests constrict.

From the moment Dam Ho appeared, the very air seemed to have stopped circulating. Not even a breeze stirred. Every man's back was drenched in sweat.

Dam Ho looked at Hwang Hye-ryeong.

The sight of her battered state made his eyes flicker.

"Gah!"

Those who saw that look drew sharp breaths.

Dam Ho spoke to Hwang Hye-ryeong.

"Come here."

"Brother…"

Hwang Hye-ryeong walked toward Dam Ho.

The warriors who had been tormenting her did not dare block her path.

From the moment Dam Ho appeared, their bodies had gone rigid.

'M-move! Please!'

'Damn it!'

Their backs grew slick with sweat.

To move was to die.

They would certainly die.

From the moment Dam Ho appeared, their instincts whispered this.

The opponent was a being beyond resistance. But neither could they simply surrender their lives. They gathered their internal energy, desperately opposing Dam Ho's overwhelming presence.

In the meantime, Hwang Hye-ryeong reached Dam Ho.

Her face was streaked with blood and tears. Dam Ho reached out and gently wiped the tears from her eyes.

"Hic!"

Hwang Hye-ryeong's shoulders began to shake.

From the moment she saw Dam Ho, the tears would not stop.

Though the situation around her and the Tyrant's Stronghold remained unchanged and perilous, the instant she saw Dam Ho, an indescribable sense of relief washed over her like the tide.

Dam Ho patted her back with his large hand.

"It will be all right."

"Hic… hic…"

Hwang Hye-ryeong's crying grew louder.

Dam Ho's words carried the conviction that they would come true. Listening to him, she felt an inexplicable sense of reassurance.

No one could inspire confidence the way Dam Ho could. Hwang Hye-ryeong wept without restraint, comforted by that certainty.

Dam Ho left the weeping Hwang Hye-ryeong behind and moved forward.

His distinctive halting gait set the hearts of the warriors racing with dread.

"D-damn it!"

Yoo Guang-cheon's face twisted into a scowl.

Dam Ho was walking toward him. The subordinates who should have blocked him recoiled in terror, falling back.

The fear that washed over them like a tidal wave was not limited to the subordinates—it gripped Yoo Guang-cheon himself.

"Wh-what—what are you? Are you even human?"

He tried to appear calm, but Yoo Guang-cheon's voice trembled. He himself did not notice.

Dam Ho's emotionless gaze swept over Yoo Guang-cheon and the warriors. Those who met it shuddered involuntarily.

The next moment, Dam Ho spoke.

"You would do well to take your own lives."

"Wh-what did you say?"

"You will soon learn how painful it can be to be alive."

At the sound of that voice—utterly devoid of emotion—Yoo Guang-cheon felt his mind go faint.

Had anyone other than Dam Ho spoken those words, he would have dismissed them as the ravings of a madman. But from Dam Ho's lips, they plunged him into darkness.

It was as though the Reaper itself had pronounced his death sentence. But he could not bring himself to end his own life.

Yoo Guang-cheon screamed desperately.

"Attack him! If we don't kill him, we're dead!"

"Waaah!"

The warriors roared and charged at Dam Ho.

Desperation was plain on their faces.

If they did not kill Dam Ho, no future awaited them. They had to kill him.

They rushed at Dam Ho without a moment's hesitation.

The tide of warriors was reflected in Dam Ho's dark eyes.

"So be it. It seems words are wasted on you."

The characteristic of sickle techniques is different from generally cutting with a blade from outside to inside.

Baek Li-gwon struck down at the side of the sickle, then stopped his hand. This was because the sickle was glowing red-hot.

Baek Li-gwon bent his waist backward. Jin Ja-gang turned his body while consecutively slashing with the sickle. Two red lines formed a semicircle in the air.

Moon-Severing Sickle Blade’s Double Moon Slash Attack!

For the first time, Baek Li-gwon was pushed from offense to defense. However, the internal energy Jin Ja-gang was using only circulated through his right side. His left attacks weren’t as fierce as his right.

Whoosh! Bang!

Baek Li-gwon shook his upper body and pulled his body away the moment the gap between the first and second semicircles widened.

Jin Ja-gang struck the ground with his heel to stop abruptly while following Baek Li-gwon. He lowered his posture and repeatedly struck at Baek Li-gwon’s thigh.

Baek Li-gwon didn’t dodge but rather kicked Jin Ja-gang’s wrist with his foot to deflect it. At the same time, he tried to grab Jin Ja-gang’s nape with his left hand.

However, Baek Li-gwon’s left arm stopped rising. Due to being poisoned and then belatedly blocking it with internal energy, his left arm’s movement was delayed.

Baek Li-gwon turned his body and kicked Jin Ja-gang’s chest with his back foot. Jin Ja-gang leaped into the air by kicking off the ground with his right foot infused with internal energy. Then he crouched his body and blocked Baek Li-gwon’s foot with both soles.

Bang!

Jin Ja-gang floated in the air and his body spun. However, he used that rotational force to swing his sickle.

Slash! Baek Li-gwon’s front lapel was caught by the sickle tip and torn.

‘He’s gotten faster than before?’

Baek Li-gwon frowned.

Jin Ja-gang turned his shoulder backward and slashed with the sickle as if striking behind him.

Whiiing!

A sound of cutting through air that hadn’t been heard before could be heard. A faint, barely visible sword energy was formed on the sickle. Even Baek Li-gwon couldn’t disregard that.

Baek Li-gwon used footwork to dodge the sickle techniques.

Slash! Slash! Slaaash!

Jin Ja-gang spun his body and swung the sickle to the point where even he was dizzy. Countless lines were drawn in the air and multiple circles were created. Each time Jin Ja-gang spun round and round while swinging the sickle, the circles were scattered along their respective orbits.

Accordingly, Baek Li-gwon’s movements also became more precise. Baek Li-gwon moved here and there, dodging the sickle in directions Jin Ja-gang never expected.

Because he held twin sickles, Jin Ja-gang’s attacks continued without rest. Baek Li-gwon couldn’t easily find an opening to penetrate.

Slice, slash.

Very finely, the ends of Baek Li-gwon’s clothing began to be cut.

Jin Ja-gang’s movements were getting faster.

Jin Ja-gang felt like his breath would burst. This was because he was holding his breath using the breath-stopping technique to prevent the internal energy spinning madly inside his body from exploding outward.

However, something much more intense than the pain of blood vessels bursting and tearing and the agony of suffocation was sweeping through Jin Ja-gang’s entire body.

It was the small ecstasy that could be obtained when risking one’s life and exerting full power to unfold one’s martial arts to the extreme. Something that couldn’t be known when carefully practicing movements at the inn, the refreshing feeling that could only be felt when freely unleashing techniques in actual combat.

Jin Ja-gang shuddered at the rushing pleasure. He could realize that he had surpassed his limits by one level.

But the moment he lost focus in his hazy state.

Baek Li-gwon’s foot kicked Jin Ja-gang’s stomach.

Thud!

Jin Ja-gang was pushed backward and fell on his bottom.

But this time Baek Li-gwon also staggered. He was pushed back by the repulsive force of the internal energy spinning madly inside Jin Ja-gang’s body.

Baek Li-gwon’s leg was scraped by the sickle, so his clothing was torn long from calf to knee. The flesh scraped by the heated sickle blade was seared by fire, so no blood came out.

“Huff… huff…”

Baek Li-gwon caught his breath. The poison that had erupted early on was continuously gnawing at Baek Li-gwon’s stamina.

Jin Ja-gang wiped the blood flowing into his eyes and stood up. The internal energy circulating inside his body was swirling so greatly that it was difficult to control. His body began to shake and tremble.

Rumble. Rumble.

Small grains of sand began to bounce under Jin Ja-gang’s right foot due to the vibration of internal energy.

Chatter chatter.

Even his teeth clattered finely.

The wheel’s rotation had reached maximum speed. Because of the external shock Baek Li-gwon had applied, the wheel became much more unstable. It was on the verge of exploding.

If it continued a little longer, the internal energy might completely collapse Jin Ja-gang’s body!

Baek Li-gwon’s eyes looking at Jin Ja-gang contorted.

“You’ve learned evil techniques.”

At first he hadn’t used internal energy, but from the moment he began using internal energy, he started getting faster and faster. Jin Ja-gang was becoming stronger as the fight continued.

And now that strength seemed to have reached almost its peak.

“You’re more foolish than I thought. Such methods can only harm your own body.”

Jin Ja-gang couldn’t even answer. The moment he opened his mouth, it felt like his head would explode.

“Having learned evil techniques. That alone is sufficient reason for you to die.”

Baek Li-gwon traced the blood flowing from his chest with his finger, then smeared that blood on his silver ornamental knife.

Then he cherished that small silver knife as if it were precious, then gripped the handle with his right hand and let his arm hang down.

Instantly, a cool energy formed on the blade of the silver knife and a transparent stream extended about two spans.

“Huff huff.”

Baek Li-gwon caught his breath and drew up his energy once more.

“Hiyaaah!”

A clear light was again applied over the transparent energy of the blade energy.

Like clear sky reflected in a clear lake, that brilliance was even beautiful to behold.

Heavenly Human Divine Sword.

Jin Ja-gang could wait no longer. If he didn’t exert force, his body felt like it would be torn to shreds.

Jin Ja-gang charged at Baek Li-gwon with all his might.

Baek Li-gwon drew the silver knife diagonally. Jin Ja-gang blocked the silver knife’s blade energy with his sickle.

Clang!

Sparks flew as the sickle blade and the silver knife’s blade energy collided. Jin Ja-gang hooked the sickle on the blade energy and pushed it up, as he did when facing other swords.

Scraaape!

In the time it took to push up barely one span, the sickle blade was half chipped. The difference in blade energy strength was clearly revealed. When Baek Li-gwon put strength into his arm and raised it, the sickle broke in two without fail. Jin Ja-gang threw the sickle at Baek Li-gwon and simultaneously transferred the sickle he held in his left hand to his right hand. While rotating his body, he slashed greatly once more with Double Moon Slash Attack.

Baek Li-gwon struck several times with the silver knife’s blade energy to greatly reduce Jin Ja-gang’s momentum.

Tat tat tat.

The sickle was chipped and nicked here and there, its blade split. However, Baek Li-gwon’s blade energy didn’t diminish at all.

Stab!

The silver knife’s blade energy pierced through Jin Ja-gang’s left shoulder. The blade energy protruded through his back.

Jin Ja-gang held the sickle in reverse and thrust upward from below. It seemed like he intended to strike Baek Li-gwon’s jaw and pierce through to his brain.

“Bold, but.”

Baek Li-gwon pulled out the silver knife from Jin Ja-gang’s shoulder while striking Jin Ja-gang’s temple with his left elbow.

Thud! Jin Ja-gang’s pupils shook and he collapsed forward. Even so, Jin Ja-gang tried to strike Baek Li-gwon’s instep with the sickle until the end.

“Rough and.”

Baek Li-gwon kicked up Jin Ja-gang’s stomach with his knee. Jin Ja-gang’s body lifted off the ground. Blood and saliva leaked through his teeth.

Baek Li-gwon grabbed Jin Ja-gang’s belt behind his back with his left hand, lifted him with all his might, then pressed him down to the floor.

“Crude.”

Bang!

Jin Ja-gang crashed into the floor face down. But at the last moment, he let go of the sickle and supported himself with both hands on the floor, hitting the ground with his knees and enduring. Gritting his teeth and enduring the pain as if his wrists and knees would shatter, he kicked off the ground and bounced his body up.

He rammed into Baek Li-gwon with his body, adding the weight of his entire body plus the force of internal energy. Baek Li-gwon pressed down on Jin Ja-gang’s shoulder with his left hand.

Jin Ja-gang lowered his pressed shoulder and turned to the side, striking Baek Li-gwon’s solar plexus with his elbow.

However, even though he struck Baek Li-gwon’s solar plexus, there was almost no impact.

Whoosh…

Baek Li-gwon relaxed his body and became light as a feather, being pushed back as gently as he was struck. Unlike before when he had been hard as a wall. Baek Li-gwon swung the silver knife without any impact at all.

Slash slash.

Jin Ja-gang’s chest was split in a cross shape.

Gush!

Blood spurted out explosively.

Jin Ja-gang’s eyes opened wide. His pupils contracted extremely and shrank to points.

Even so, he gritted his teeth and didn’t make a single groan.

Jin Ja-gang stretched out his arm to the end and grabbed Baek Li-gwon’s forearm as if clutching it.

“Petty actions.”

Despite Baek Li-gwon’s mockery, Jin Ja-gang gave his all.

Pop pop, blood vessels in his right side burst and blood leaked. Even his eyeballs were dyed bright red.

Capturing Dragon Strike!

Jin Ja-gang’s fingertips pushed into Baek Li-gwon’s forearm flesh as if they would penetrate. However, though he pierced the skin, he couldn’t get into the muscle. Baek Li-gwon’s forearm hardened like stone.

Jin Ja-gang’s fingernails broke and flipped backward. Jin Ja-gang gritted his teeth until they might shatter, but his fingers couldn’t penetrate further.

“Are you done now?”

Baek Li-gwon’s voice, cold enough to make one shudder, was heard.

Some emptiness appeared in Jin Ja-gang’s eyes, which rarely gave up.

His opponent was too strong. Like a massive iron gate that wouldn’t budge.

Conversely, his own blood vessels were already completely ruined.

His chest had deep wounds with continuous bleeding.

His fingers were mangled at the tips.

This person had learned properly from childhood, following the orthodox path. He wasn’t an opponent Jin Ja-gang could defeat with the martial arts he had roughly learned.

However, Jin Ja-gang drew out his strength one more time. He raised his final internal energy with one breath.

There was impact as blood vessels burst inside his body.

‘Strength!’

Jin Ja-gang poured out internal energy while loading all his remaining poison energy.

“Uaaaah!”

Parting Hand Arrow Shot!

While gripping Baek Li-gwon’s forearm, he flicked his thumb to shoot finger wind. Baek Li-gwon’s eyes bulged. He never thought Jin Ja-gang could shoot finger wind in such a completely ruined state.

Baek Li-gwon moved his head to dodge. The poison finger flying toward his eye barely hit above his right eyebrow.

Thud!

Baek Li-gwon angrily raised his arm. Jin Ja-gang was dragged up with it.

Baek Li-gwon swung his arm with all his might and flung Jin Ja-gang away.

Jin Ja-gang, who had already used all his strength, sprawled like a scarecrow.

“So this was it. The trace of poison finger remaining on Sister Yan’s body.”

Grind grind grind.

Baek Li-gwon ground his teeth. He grabbed Jin Ja-gang’s neck, lifted him into the air again, then flung him down.

Crash!

Jin Ja-gang no longer had the energy to resist.

“Cough!”

Blood flowing from his chest quickly began pooling on the floor.

Seeing Jin Ja-gang writhing in the pool of blood, Baek Li-gwon showed a contemptuous expression.

Jin Ja-gang’s hair was half burned, his entire body’s skin was covered with burn blisters, and blood was leaking from various burst blood vessels due to the side effects of using evil techniques.

Truly a terrible and miserable sight.

But to Baek Li-gwon, he looked utterly ugly. It was the natural end for one who used evil techniques.

“Ugly. You cruelly massacred many people, yet you yourself struggle so hard to survive.”

Baek Li-gwon raised the silver knife to slash Jin Ja-gang’s throat.

“Die.”

But Baek Li-gwon hesitated. The pupils of his left and right eyes were different sizes. His focus wasn’t properly aligned.

Being hit by poison finger above his eye had caused problems with his vision. The poison finger wasn’t toxic enough to bring down Baek Li-gwon, but the location was bad.

Baek Li-gwon was suppressing the poison energy with internal energy, but because he had been continuously fighting, he couldn’t block it perfectly.

Baek Li-gwon shook his head vigorously, then took out oil paper from his chest. He took out a pill from inside and held it in his mouth.

Jin Ja-gang was looking up at Baek Li-gwon with his head buried in the floor. Though his life force was clearly fading, his eyes were still clear.

Baek Li-gwon breathed deeply for a while to compose himself, then looked at Jin Ja-gang. Seeing Jin Ja-gang’s eyes, Baek Li-gwon temporarily abandoned his intention to kill and asked.

“Do you remember the faces and names of those you killed?”

Jin Ja-gang was momentarily puzzled by the unexpected question.

He hadn’t expected to receive such a question.

Because it was like a question one would throw at a murderer who went around killing people indiscriminately.

Then Jin Ja-gang realized… Ah, to them, he must be no different from a murderer.

That’s how they saw him.

Jin Ja-gang closed his eyes and opened them. Thick killing intent appeared in Jin Ja-gang’s bloodshot eyes.

“At least… I’ll remember… you.”

Baek Li-gwon laughed incredulously.

“In that state, still putting on airs.”

However, Jin Ja-gang also smiled back.

While baring his blood-stained fangs.

It was like a tiger baring its fangs, as if it would bite and not let go of Baek Li-gwon until the moment of death.

“I guarantee that I’ll live longer… than you.”

Jin Ja-gang was already seeing the blue energy circling under Baek Li-gwon’s eyes.