Chapter 311 – The Blood Wind Blows from Sichuan Province (2)

CRASH!

Dam Ho's foot kicked the ship's deck. In an instant, the large ship swayed as if swept by a tsunami. Because of this, the people on the ship had to lose their balance and stagger.

Swish!

Dam Ho didn't miss that opportunity.

Like a fierce charge like a battering ram, the surrounding air was sucked in with a whoosh. Dan Woon-hyang and Tang Gun-yang's hair fluttered madly. However, the two didn't panic and threw their bodies off the ship. It was the same for other subordinates.

They all threw their bodies simultaneously as if they had been waiting.

Dan Woon-hyang, floating in mid-air, shouted:

"Now!"

CRASH CRASH BOOM!

At that moment, the ship they had been riding exploded. They had detonated thunder bombs hidden inside.

The large ship was instantly engulfed in flames and caused chain explosions. Red flames and ship fragments flew in all directions.

Dan Woon-hyang, Tang Gun-yang, and others landed on the water surface and watched the scene. Where they landed, small boats were already waiting.

Landing on the small boats, they watched the burning, sinking ship while not letting their guard down. Their opponent was the Fist Demon. The most ferocious and dangerous person in the world.

Before they knew it, dozens of small boats had gathered around them. The boats carried Dan Woon-hyang's subordinates and Tang Clan martial artists.

Pew pew pew pew!

They fired Blood Tear Soul Piercing Needles toward the burning ship.

Countless silver needles pierced through the red flames and embedded in the ship.

"Even if he had wings, he couldn't survive, Fist Demon!"

Dan Woon-hyang's face was dyed red by the blazing flames. The flickering shadows made her expression even more eerie.

Tang Gun-yang smiled beside her. He felt ecstasy at the fact that he was hunting with his own hands the absolute demon who was hard to find a match for in the world.

'Once we eliminate the Fist Demon, nothing in Sichuan Province will be able to stop us.'

Finally, it was the moment when the Tang Clan would leave narrow Sichuan Province and soar across the world. Dam Ho's death was merely the prelude to that.

It was the moment his smile deepened.

Whirrrr!

The people standing on small boats on the river heard noise like tens of thousands of bees flapping their wings simultaneously.

At first, they thought they had misheard. But as the noise grew louder, people realized they hadn't misheard.

"Be careful… he's…"

Swish!

The moment Tang Gun-yang uttered a warning cry, a long object burst through the flames. The long object that writhed like an ascending dragon and swept across the water surface was an anchor rope used to secure ships.

The burning anchor rope swept across the river surface like a broom.

CRASH CRASH CRASH!

"Kreuk!"

"Avoid it!"

The small boats struck by the anchor rope broke like corn stalks, and the martial artists riding on them were flung in all directions like grasshoppers.

"It's him!"

Dan Woon-hyang and Tang Gun-yang shouted while floating their bodies in the air.

Whoosh!

At that moment, Dam Ho appeared through the flames. In his hand was a long anchor rope. The burning anchor rope swayed madly in his grip.

The martial artists struck by the anchor rope had their bones broken and muscles crushed as they fell into the river. The lucky ones could survive by grabbing fragments of broken boats, but those who couldn't drowned with fatal wounds.

Tap tap!

Dam Ho ran toward Dan Woon-hyang, stepping on ship fragments floating on the water surface.

The windbreaker robe he always wore was torn in places and on fire, and traces of being caught in the explosion remained clearly on Dam Ho's entire body.

Fragments of thunder bombs were embedded in his side with fresh blood flowing down, and a terrible wound gaped on his shoulder. Despite wounds that would have killed an ordinary person instantly, Dam Ho was charging like a beast.

"Hmm!"

"That demon-like…"

Dan Woon-hyang and Tang Gun-yang felt their hair stand on end.

They saw the illusion of a beast that had crawled up from the bottom of hell charging with its mouth wide open.

Though he had suffered fatal wounds from the thunder bombs, nothing could stop Dam Ho's mad charge.

Swish!

The burning anchor rope flew toward them.

"Haaaat!"

"Krap!"

Dan Woon-hyang and Tang Gun-yang simultaneously deployed their ultimate techniques to protect their bodies. Dan Woon-hyang swung the red whip at her waist like a whip, and Tang Gun-yang deployed Blood Spirit Insect Poison Hand, one of the Tang Clan's secret martial arts.

CRACK!

The whip and anchor rope entangled like snakes and writhed. Fire immediately spread to the whip as well, but Dan Woon-hyang didn't care.

She had absolute confidence in her martial arts, enough to call herself the Demon Mother. Though she had fled under Dam Ho's intimidation in the underground cave, she too was a renowned master within the Demon Cult.

Dan Woon-hyang momentarily blocked Dam Ho's attack, and Tang Gun-yang didn't miss that opportunity and deployed the ultimate technique of Blood Spirit Insect Poison Hand to attack Dam Ho.

CRASH!

His hand struck Dam Ho's shoulder.

For a moment, Tang Gun-yang's face contorted. It was because he felt pain in his hand as if he had struck an iron plate.

"What?"

He could tell without looking that the palm bone that had struck Dam Ho's shoulder was broken. It was because Dam Ho had deployed a shield of ultra-vibration protective energy the moment he was attacked.

However, Tang Gun-yang didn't suffer only losses. His Blood Spirit Insect Poison Hand contained terrible poison. Once struck by Blood Spirit Insect Poison Hand, even Dam Ho couldn't be unharmed.

To detoxify the poison of Blood Spirit Insect Poison Hand, Tang Clan's secret medicine was absolutely necessary. Though internal energy could somewhat delay the poisoning, complete detoxification was impossible.

Indeed, Dam Ho's complexion instantly turned black. It was because the poison had attacked his heart.

It wasn't simply because of Tang Gun-yang's Blood Spirit Insect Poison Hand alone. At some point, green mist was rippling over the water surface. The Tang Clan's martial artists had set off poison smoke.

They had already taken antidotes and could be free from the poison.

Absolute poisons like Ten Li Soul Severing Poison and Green Flower Blood Acid Powder were scattered in the river. The river that had been only blue just moments before instantly turned into poisonous water.

Fish that had been swimming freely underwater were instantly wiped out and floated up to the surface. Dam Ho abandoned the anchor rope entangled with Dan Woon-hyang's whip and grabbed his windbreaker robe that had caught fire.

Dan Woon-hyang, who hadn't expected Dam Ho to abandon the anchor rope, couldn't find her balance and staggered momentarily, and Tang Gun-yang, who was on the same boat, also had to struggle to maintain balance.

Whoosh!

At that moment, Dam Ho threw his windbreaker robe toward Tang Gun-yang. Tang Gun-yang felt his vision suddenly darken and panicked. The windbreaker robe had completely covered his upper body.

CRASH!

At that moment, Dam Ho's Explosive Star Strike hit his torso.

"Kereok!"

Tang Gun-yang vomited blood from inside the windbreaker robe. Pain as if struck by a giant iron hammer covered him. But the pain was only just beginning.

CRASH CRASH CRASH!

Dam Ho's fists poured down consecutively over his torso covered by the windbreaker robe.

Bones broke and muscles were crushed. Blood vessels burst and tendons snapped. Everything that made Tang Gun-yang human was breaking like cookies.

CRASH!

The moment the final blow struck, Tang Gun-yang's body collapsed powerlessly like a puppet with cut strings.

That was Tang Gun-yang's end.

Tang Gun-yang, covered by the windbreaker robe, stared with wide eyes as if he couldn't believe his own death. But there was no vitality of the living in his two eyes.

Tang Gun-yang's death was truly a disaster that happened in an instant. In the face of such a great disaster, there was nothing Dan Woon-hyang and the Tang Clan masters could do.

Dan Woon-hyang, who had barely untangled the anchor rope entangled with her whip, trembled.

"Demon-like…"

Dam Ho's appearance of carrying out slaughter while poisoned by numerous Tang Clan poisons and fatally wounded by thunder bombs didn't look like a fellow human at all.

"Kill him! Kill him!"

Dan Woon-hyang screamed at the top of her lungs.

Veins stood out on her forehead, and tendons protruded on her neck.

She was afraid.

Never in her life had she been this afraid.

The stench of death flowing from the human body called Dam Ho paralyzed her reason. Feeling that damp breath that didn't seem like a fellow human made her even more afraid.

Dan Woon-hyang's subordinates threw their bodies to save her. The sight of beautiful women reminiscent of fairies launching a body attack was tragically beautiful.

Any man would have his heart shaken by the women's beautiful appearance. But the human called Dam Ho was different from other humans they knew.

An enemy is an enemy.

Gender doesn't matter for enemies.

CRACK!

"Kyaaak!"

A woman as beautiful as a fairy fell into the river with a scream. The woman who struggled in the poisonous water instantly sank and disappeared.

"Please just die!"

"Uuuu!"

Tang Clan martial artists cried out in despair and threw hidden weapons.

In their eyes, Dam Ho was not human. He was a monster that wouldn't die no matter what wounds he received.

Their faces were stained with blood, tears, and fear.

CRASH!

The wind of death blew. It was the wind Dam Ho brought. The Tang Clan martial artists swept up by the wind died with tragic screams.

In that process, Dam Ho also suffered more wounds, but his advance never stopped.

Dan Woon-hyang threw her body and moved to another small boat. Then Dam Ho also threw his body toward the boat she was riding.

A face stained with blood, black pupils surging wildly between them. Dan Woon-hyang's face reflected in them, frozen with terror.

Only then did Dan Woon-hyang realize how complacently she had thought.

Dam Ho was never someone who could be dealt with by this level of trap and personnel. It was wrong to come here relying only on Seok Mu-gang, one of the Thirteen Branches, from the beginning.

To face someone like Dam Ho, a monster-like existence that could match him was needed. But there was no such existence here.

Not even the Cult Leader she loved so much, not the Black and White Lions, not the Four Great Corps Leaders, not the Seven Great Demons…

They were too far away.

'No, there is one.'

At that moment, one fact flashed through her mind like lightning.

He was not far from here.

Someone no less than Dam Ho, no… an even more tremendous monster.

The moment she thought of him, Dan Woon-hyang realized that a rope of salvation had descended from heaven.

Dan Woon-hyang desperately threw her body toward outside the river.

Dam Ho also threw his body following her. But the Tang Clan martial artists and Dan Woon-hyang's subordinates desperately blocked him.

"Block him with your lives."

Dan Woon-hyang gave them a death order.

She knew.

The fact that they would all die. Trying to stop the monster called Dam Ho with only them was no different from suicide. Knowing this fact, she still gave the death order.

To Dan Woon-hyang, her subordinates were merely expendable items that could be replaced at any time. Their lives were not objects of her interest.

Her interest was only in her own safety. As long as she could save her own life, she didn't care how many died.

"Uaaak!"

"Kraak!"

Endless screams of death were heard from behind.

Water shot up to the sky, and those who had blocked Dam Ho were flung backward. It was no different from an Asura hell painting.

Dam Ho advanced while defeating those who blocked his path.

Death came to every small boat he transferred to.

As many people as the dead fish floating belly-up on the water surface died in the same manner.

Tap!

Finally, Dam Ho broke through the human barrier blocking his path and landed on shore. His entire body was soaked with blood, and rough breathing flowed from his mouth.

He too was human. Being human, he couldn't help but tire and get wounded.

"Huu!"

The breathing sound of a wounded beast flowed through his lips.

Dam Ho put his hand into his bosom. Then he grasped a small wooden box. Inside the box was the Nine Revolution Life Poison Pill.

Crunch!

Dam Ho poured the Nine Revolution Life Poison Pill into his mouth and then looked at the ground.

Dan Woon-hyang's footprints remained on the ground.

Beom-mong, who had gathered all his strength, stepped his right foot forward and kicked the ground.

At the same time, he forcefully swung his pulled-back arm forward like throwing a stone.

“Hiyah!”

BANG!

With a thunderclap sound, an enormous whirlwind of fist energy flew toward Jin Ja-gang.

Jin Ja-gang immediately kicked the ground and dodged. But the fist wind curved and followed Jin Ja-gang. The speed it followed was even faster than Jin Ja-gang’s evasion speed.

‘Hundred Step Divine Fist!’

The legendary fist technique of Shaolin Temple, where the only way to avoid the Hundred Step Divine Fist was said to be escaping beyond a hundred steps.

Jin Ja-gang leaped once, twice, and rolled his body, but the fist wind had already reached close range.

It seemed difficult to avoid. Realizing he had no choice but to face it, Jin Ja-gang gathered internal energy in his left hand.

But at that moment.

“Please show mercy!”

With a clear voice, a human figure flew up like a bird in the air and blocked Jin Ja-gang’s front.

It was a young martial artist who appeared to be in his thirties.

The martial artist performed aerial flips while scattering flashes of light.

Clang!

Several sword energies stabbed into the Hundred Step Divine Fist’s wind. The sword energy pierced through the fist wind and embedded deep into the ground’s soil. However, even then, the Hundred Step Divine Fist’s wind didn’t easily subside.

As if he had anticipated this, the martial artist continued to emit sword light without rest until he landed on the ground. After being struck dozens of times in a short period, the Hundred Step Divine Fist’s wind somewhat weakened.

The martial artist finally cut the fist wind in half with one sword stroke in a semicircle.

The fist wind split and shattered into pieces. The fragmented fist wind poured down like hidden weapons.

“Ha!”

The martial artist gripped his sword in reverse and withdrew it while striking with his left palm.

Bang! Pop pop pop bang!

The Hundred Step Divine Fist’s wind became misty smoke and scattered before the martial artist.

“Whew.”

The martial artist who exhaled briefly looked back at Jin Ja-gang over his shoulder. He had straight eyebrows and a handsome southern-type face.

“I’m Namgung Won.”

If he was from the Namgung family, he belonged to Yangtze River Sword Sect. It seemed Yangtze River Sword Sect had come to meet Jin Ja-gang.

Namgung Won put his finger to his lips to show Jin Ja-gang. It meant to keep quiet.

Seeing Namgung Won who had interfered with his attack, Beom-mong smiled slightly.

“A swordsman from the Namgung family. Would that be the True Dragon Swordsman?”

True Dragon Swordsman was Namgung Won’s nickname. Ten years ago in his twenties, as a rising talent from a great family, he earned the title True Dragon among the Five Dragons Three Phoenixes, and has continued to be active as the True Dragon Swordsman since.

Namgung Won wrapped his hand around the sword hilt and sheathed it.

“You must be Great Master Beom-mong of Shaolin Temple. I’ve heard your dharma name for a long time. This junior Namgung Won greets you.”

“Hehe, what’s so great about this poor monk’s dharma name that you’d greet me? By the way… finally caught the tail?”

Namgung Won replied with a good-natured smile.

“Tail? I don’t understand what you mean. I simply interfered presumptuously for a moment because a great senior of the martial world was oppressing a young junior.”

“Hmm, this poor monk doesn’t have a way with words and doesn’t like speaking at length. Well, I set the bait and the dragon’s tail appeared. If I strike the tail, will the body appear, or will the head?”

“Haha. No matter what you do to me, nothing will appear. How about kindly letting me and this young junior here go today?”

“Let me remind you again. This poor monk dislikes long talk.”

Beom-mong rolled up his sleeves again, clenched his right fist tightly, and pulled his arm back.

The air flow around changed again.

Whooom!

Beom-mong’s fist trembled and rang. The concentration of internal energy was visible.

Namgung Won said quietly but urgently.

“Run away! We’ll contact you again from our side.”

Then Beom-mong stepped forward and swung his right arm forcefully like throwing a stone.

“Hiyah!”

BANG!

With a thunderclap sound, fist wind rushed forth.

Namgung Won raised his sword diagonally and drew it continuously in diagonal lines. The fist wind was sliced but naturally didn’t lose momentum. Earlier it was fist wind aimed at Jin Ja-gang, but this time it was directly targeting Namgung Won. The pressure itself was different.

Namgung Won deployed the Namgung Flying Swallow Sword. He nimbly flew his body and released sword energy in the air.

Several crescent-shaped sword energies were drawn. The crescent sword energies weakened the fist wind’s momentum.

The fist wind hesitated.

But another thunderclap was heard.

BANG!

Surprised, Namgung Won looked up.

Beom-mong’s left foot and left fist were extended forward.

Two consecutive Hundred Step Divine Fists!

The hesitant fist wind doubled in size and poured down on Namgung Won.

The enlarged fist wind crushed the crescent sword energies and curved greatly to chase Namgung Won in the air. Though Namgung Won rotated his body at a dazzling rate and continued to strike the Hundred Step Divine Fist’s wind with sword energy, it had little effect.

Finally, Namgung Won gritted his teeth and faced the Hundred Step Divine Fist head-on with a punch from his right hand holding the sword and a palm strike from his left hand.

Crack!

The punch thrown while gripping the sword twisted his wrist, and the left hand that shot palm force had its palm bent backward. All clothes from wrist to shoulder were torn to shreds.

Namgung Won’s face, biting his teeth, became extremely distorted. Both hands were simultaneously twisted and curled.

He made no groaning sound and didn’t drop his sword. However, both arms were forcibly twisted by the Hundred Step Divine Fist’s wind, leaving him unable to apply strength.

With just two strikes of the Hundred Step Divine Fist!

Even so, it wasn’t the end. Beom-mong was already rolling up his right sleeve and pulling his arm back.

“You made this poor monk use the Hundred Step Continuous Fist, so I praise you.”

Beom-mong could have immediately launched another Hundred Step Divine Fist. But he delayed. He wanted to use Namgung Won as bait to draw out someone else.

“But now it must be the limit. If no one appears, the True Dragon Swordsman’s journey in this life will end here.”

Whooooom!

Beom-mong’s pulled-back fist rang.

Namgung Won gathered his twisted arms in front of his chest and shook his head.

“It’s useless.”

“May you achieve enlightenment.”

Beom-mong, who briefly spoke, was about to extend his right fist when he paused.

Jin Ja-gang was approaching Beom-mong with his arms hanging down.

Namgung Won shouted.

“What are you doing! What, what are you doing!”

Jin Ja-gang continued walking toward Beom-mong and answered.

“Can’t you see? I’m going to kill him.”

Namgung Won shouted incredulously.

“Don’t show off too much! Great Master Beom-mong is one of the Twelve Vajras of the previous generation!”

The Twelve Vajras were masters well known to the world for their extensive external activities among Shaolin Temple’s formidable martial power.

Vajra monks were usually selected from among the forty arhats, due to the characteristics of Shaolin Temple’s martial arts.

Shaolin Temple was particularly strong in external martial arts, so unlike other sects, external power peaked in the mid-forties, after which external power gradually weakened while internal power deepened.

Therefore, the Twelve Vajras active for ten years from their forties possessed very high levels of external martial arts and served as the face of Shaolin Temple in external activities.

Though Beom-mong, now seventy years old, had weaker external power than in his prime, his internal power was far superior. The high power of the Hundred Step Divine Fist was due to this.

Namgung Won said with a face distorted by pain.

“If you wrongly provoke Shaolin Temple, even if not the main temple, you’ll make enemies of all the affiliated martial arts instructors, hundred escort agencies, and three hundred thousand lay disciples.”

It was equivalent to having the entire martial world watching.

But Jin Ja-gang wasn’t swayed by such words.

“It won’t get much worse than now.”

“Hey!”

Jin Ja-gang continued walking without taking his eyes off Beom-mong.

Limp, limp.

Beom-mong also found the situation amusing and snorted slightly.

“Heh, a newborn puppy doesn’t know to fear a tiger.”

Beom-mong immediately stepped forward and extended his right fist. The familiar thunderclap sounded as fist wind flew.

Jin Ja-gang gathered turbid energy to the maximum and pushed it into the dam in his left palm, spreading his palm. Then he grasped his left wrist with his right hand and supported the turbid energy with clear energy to meet the Hundred Step Divine Fist’s wind head-on.

The heavy turbid energy positioned in Jin Ja-gang’s left side collided with the profound internal energy contained in the fist wind and rippled slowly.

The Hundred Step Divine Fist’s power was more considerable than Jin Ja-gang expected.

Thud!

Jin Ja-gang couldn’t fully receive the force and was pushed back a full zhang with both arms bouncing upward. His joints ached as if they would twist and fall off at any moment.

Even though he used the unique properties of heavy turbid energy to the maximum to mitigate the impact, the shock was severe. Beom-mong truly possessed fearsome internal power.

Jin Ja-gang shook his shoulders to shake off the pain. He judged that while he had blocked it once, he couldn’t block it twice.

Of course, blocking it head-on was already shocking to others.

“Hmm?”

Beom-mong’s eyes changed slightly.

Beom-mong lifted his bamboo hat and scratched his tonsured head with his finger.

“Has this poor monk grown old and lost strength? Or has a new technique to counter the Hundred Step Divine Fist appeared? Why are both hands still attached?”

The power of the Hundred Step Divine Fist was based on Shaolin Temple’s superior internal cultivation method. Its internal energy crushes rocks and breaks large trees in half. Just moments ago, Namgung Won had been hit.

But for Jin Ja-gang, barely over twenty, to receive his Hundred Step Divine Fist head-on was strange.

“Did it feel like striking a sticky swamp? How mysterious.”

Beom-mong’s mouth twisted.

“Did you dare despise this poor monk, despise Shaolin, trusting in just that one technique?”

Jin Ja-gang mocked.

“Sect and disciple are not two but one. You are a member of Shaolin Temple, and to me, you represent Shaolin Temple. Do you understand what I mean?”

“What are you trying to say?”

“If Shaolin Temple only has killing demons like you, it’s fine to despise it, isn’t it?”

Beom-mong’s white eyebrows shot up.

Beom-mong roared.

“Look and look, you’re crossing the line!”

The moment Beom-mong shouted, two people ambushed from behind him. They were martial artists from Wudang Sect and Mount Heng Sect who had approached while Jin Ja-gang distracted his attention.

The two, who appeared similar in age to Namgung Won, consecutively launched palm and fist strikes.

Beom-mong roared.

“Kraheng!”

Beom-mong’s clothes puffed up and deflected the Wudang martial artist’s palm force and the Mount Heng martial artist’s fist force.

Clang! Clang!

The Wudang martial artist struck Beom-mong’s chest with his palm while the Mount Heng martial artist pounded Beom-mong’s back with his fist.

Though both continued pouring attacks, they couldn’t penetrate Beom-mong’s kasaya. The kasaya hardened like stone and didn’t budge.

The Wudang martial artist distorted his face and shouted.

“It’s Iron Silk!”

Beom-mong angrily swung his fist at the Wudang martial artist. The Wudang martial artist tried to deflect the punch with soft energy. It was a simple, unadorned Fierce Tiger Fist, but it pierced through the soft energy without fail.

The Wudang martial artist hurriedly raised his shoulder to block.

Thwack!

The moment his shoulder was hit, the Wudang martial artist completely lost his center and was pushed back as if bouncing. He staggered backward, fell on his bottom, and got up again to barely maintain his posture.

Without turning his body, Beom-mong twisted sideways and rammed the Mount Heng martial artist with his back. When the Mount Heng martial artist kicked Beom-mong’s side and tried to escape using the rebound force, Beom-mong reached out and immediately grabbed his ankle.

The Mount Heng martial artist twisted his body and struck Beom-mong’s head with his free foot.

Thwack! Thud!

The bamboo hat shattered and scattered.

But Beom-mong didn’t budge. He gripped the ankle and swung forcefully to throw the Mount Heng martial artist to the ground.

Crash!

“Kugh…”

Unable to even perform a proper fall, he took the shock to his spine and blood spurted from his mouth.

Beom-mong raised his foot. Shaolin Temple’s True Foot technique was famous for its destructive power. If stepped on, it would be the end.

As Beom-mong tried to step on the Mount Heng martial artist’s chest, thread wrapped around his foot.

It was the Soul Seizing Thread.