Chapter 453 – Only Resentment Accumulates Layer Upon Layer (3)

The scenery around Mount Song was truly miserable.

Due to continued fighting between the Martial Alliance and Demon Cult, the area had become completely scorched earth, and countless people had died. Smoke rose everywhere, and the streets were filled only with corpses of the dead.

"Haah!"

Yu Cheong-eon, squad leader of the Martial Alliance's Outer Hall, who was watching that scene, let out a sigh. The place where he stood was once called Dengfeng County.

If Huayin County symbolized the Mount Hua Sect, Dengfeng County symbolized Shaolin Temple. Having risen and fallen together with Shaolin Temple for generations, people didn't think of them differently.

People thought of Shaolin Temple first when Dengfeng County was mentioned. Such Dengfeng County was thoroughly destroyed. Because two of the past five battles had taken place here in Dengfeng County.

Though not involving civilians was an unspoken rule of the martial world, such common sense didn't work on the Demon Cult. They tried to pass through Dengfeng County to attack Shaolin Temple and the Martial Alliance. Naturally Shaolin Temple and the Martial Alliance tried to stop them, and the people of Dengfeng County helped them.

To the people of Dengfeng County, Shaolin Temple wasn't just a martial sect. It was another self they'd shared joys and sorrows with for over a thousand years. So they couldn't just watch Shaolin Temple be threatened by the Demon Cult.

They became Shaolin Temple's eyes and ears, and sometimes performed the role of hands and feet. With their help, Shaolin Temple and the Martial Alliance could occupy advantageous positions and block the Demon Cult's invasion.

In the process, the Demon Cult suffered considerable damage and morale fell. When circumstances became such, Sang Han-cheon employed extreme methods. Precisely to destroy Dengfeng County.

They set fire to Dengfeng County and killed people. They slashed more cruelly and plundered to set an example for those who helped Shaolin Temple and the Martial Alliance from the shadows.

Countless people died and lost their homes. Every house overflowed with corpses, and the streets were full of people's cries. Evil energy thickly settled in the village once full of Buddhist devotion, and due to fear people couldn't dare think of helping Shaolin Temple and the Martial Alliance.

Those who sensed such atmosphere first were martial artists who fought the Demon Cult on the front lines like Yu Cheong-eon. Village people who'd always secretly helped them locked their doors tight.

"Cruel and inhumane bastards! To cruelly massacre even people with no connection to the martial world."

Yu Cheong-eon trembled with rage.

Though he'd known long ago the Demon Cult was cruel, the acts occurring here completely forsook human ethics.

That was when.

Rustle!

Suddenly a human presence was felt.

"Who is it?"

"Who goes there?"

Yu Cheong-eon and the warriors pointed swords toward where the sound came from and shouted. Tension was evident on their faces.

"Are you Martial Alliance warriors?"

Along with a low voice, a group appeared.

The moment they saw them, Yu Cheong-eon's and the warriors' eyes widened greatly.

"C-could it be?"

"The Suicide Squad?"

Though their appearance was shabby, seventeen young martial artists emanating extraordinary momentum. They were precisely the young Suicide Squad martial artists including Cho Yeon-woon.

Clothes all torn, hair matted from not washing for long, they looked no different from beggars, but only their eyes shone cold yet sharp like blades.

Cho Yeon-woon, Hae So-wol, So Cheon, Cheong-un, and the remaining thirteen.

Injured and exhausted, but the momentum they emanated overwhelmed Yu Cheong-eon and the Outer Hall warriors.

Yu Cheong-eon cautiously approached them.

"Is it really Hero Cho?"

"Captain Yu."

Yu Cheong-eon firmly grasped Cho Yeon-woon's hand. At that Cho Yeon-woon smiled and nodded.

"You're alive. What a relief."

"Thank you."

Cho Yeon-woon looked around with sorrowful eyes.

Dengfeng County backed by Shaolin Temple had been a splendid city. Such a city being miserably destroyed pained not only Cho Yeon-woon but the young talents' hearts.

Especially the sorrow So Cheon, Shaolin Temple's talent, felt was beyond words.

"Amitabha! Amitabha!"

His face already pale from severe internal injuries turned even whiter.

Cho Yeon-woon looked at such So Cheon with a pitying expression.

"So Cheon."

"Amitabha! We must quickly go up to Shaolin Temple."

"I'll escort you. Please follow us."

Yu Cheong-eon led them taking the front.

Mount Song was different from the scenery So Cheon knew. Wooden barricades were installed on the once tranquil mountain path to block the Demon Cult's invasion, and numerous troops were deployed.

Thick blood scent floated in the air as if fierce combat had occurred here too.

"The Suicide Squad has returned."

"It's Hero Cho."

"Lady Hae of the Sea Flower is here too."

News that the Suicide Squad had returned spread to Shaolin Temple and the Martial Alliance.

Gwang-cheon, Shaolin Temple's abbot, jumped up from his seat.

"So Cheon has returned?"

"Yes. They say he's coming up now."

"Amitabha! Buddha watched over him. What relief. Such relief."

So Cheon was Shaolin Temple's last hope.

If only he existed, they could plan for the future even in the worst case. That was why Gwang-cheon breathed a sigh of relief at news he'd returned safely.

"Let's go out. I must see So Cheon with my own eyes."

"Yes!"

Gwang-cheon hurried to the mountain gate.

Many people had already come out before the mountain gate. Many of them were people from sects the Suicide Squad martial artists belonged to. Their faces were full of excitement.

Then someone shouted.

"They're coming."

"It's the Suicide Squad."

As they said, the Suicide Squad revealed themselves above the hill. Instantly exclamations and sighs crossed.

"Ah!"

"Oh, they're not here."

Those exclaiming were people from sects whose surviving Suicide Squad members belonged to, and those sighing were people from sects whose Suicide Squad members didn't return.

Gwang-cheon closed his eyes tight.

Though endlessly happy So Cheon had returned alive, he couldn't display emotion where despairing people existed.

Finally Cho Yeon-woon and the Suicide Squad entered the mountain gate.

"Seventeen members of the Suicide Squad have now returned."

Representing everyone, Cho Yeon-woon spoke to Gwang-cheon.

"Amitabha! Welcome back."

"We're sorry. The mission failed. We're truly sorry."

"I know. But don't blame yourselves. How could this be your fault? Everyone must be weary from the long journey, so please go in and rest. I'll hear the report after your fatigue subsides."

"Thank you for your consideration. I was wanting to rest a bit anyway."

"Please go in."

"Yes!"

Cho Yeon-woon cupped his fists to Gwang-cheon then went inside. The Suicide Squad's martial artists followed behind.

Last, So Cheon bowed to Gwang-cheon.

"Disciple has returned."

"Welcome back. Your complexion looks poor. Rest quickly and recover from internal injuries first. Let's talk details later."

"Understood. Then…"

After So Cheon greeted other elders too, he followed Cho Yeon-woon.

People who'd come to meet them parted in all directions.

From Cho Yeon-woon and the Suicide Squad's entire bodies flowed momentum overwhelming the surroundings. Though exhausted and injured, the momentum they emanated was so fierce it made people not dare approach or speak.

"Amitabha! They've grown again. That's fortunate at least."

Gwang-cheon closed his eyes tight.

Those who overcame hardship and adversity tended to show remarkable growth. Moreover, they were the martial world's supreme talents. Since such people returned alive rather than dying, it was hard to easily guess what great achievements they'd obtained.

Especially the momentum Cho Yeon-woon emanated was truly outstanding.

Treating Cho Yeon-woon as a younger generation martial artist would insult him. He was already approaching the martial world's highest level. At least that's how it looked to Gwang-cheon's eyes.

The sixteen Suicide Squad members following him were the same. Countless martial artists gathered at the mountain gate were overwhelmed by the momentum they emanated. They were no longer hothouse flowers.

Gwang-cheon told an elder beside him.

"So Cheon seems to have suffered severe internal injury. Make him take a Great Recovery Pill."

"Great Recovery Pill?"

The elder looked up at Gwang-cheon in surprise.

Great Recovery Pill was a priceless treasure of which only a few remained even at Shaolin Temple. Just taking one pill could gain internal energy that would take decades to accumulate through cultivation, and could instantly heal even the most serious internal injuries. But it was too difficult to make, so they'd been unable to make new Great Recovery Pills for already over ten years.

Moreover, So Cheon had already taken a Great Recovery Pill. So he couldn't help being surprised to say they'd give him another.

"Just give it. It will greatly help So Cheon. Perhaps he might even cross the wall."

"Understood."

"Also give Small Recovery Pills to the other talents. They all seem to have suffered considerable internal injuries, so it will greatly help."

"I'll do so."

The elder answered respectfully.

Small Recovery Pill was certainly precious too, but compared to Great Recovery Pill, there was much more flexibility.

"It's fortunate they returned at this time."

That the Suicide Squad's mission failed wasn't a problem.

Though at the time they had no choice but to be swayed by Jeok Gyeong-cheon and the previous Suicide Squad's rhetoric without room for doubt, looking back now it had been an unreasonable operation from the start. No matter how strong the young Suicide Squad, ultimately they were just the martial world's younger generation martial artists. Entrusting the martial world's entire fate to them was truly shameless.

"Amitabha! Amitabha!"

Gwang-cheon's hand movements turning prayer beads were only slow.

***

Thud!

Cho Yeon-woon laid his body on the bed.

His entire body hurt as if struck by an iron hammer. Joints ached and muscles cried out in pain as if being torn apart.

The hardships Cho Yeon-woon and the Suicide Squad experienced while coming here after escaping the Demon Cult's main base were too arduous to express in words.

Since the Demon Cult's eyes spread across the world, it was continuous tension. Sometimes they had to walk for days without rest, unable even to relieve fatigue through circulating internal energy.

What made Cho Yeon-woon most difficult was the sense of responsibility to safely return survivors to Shaolin Temple and the Martial Alliance.

With the single-minded determination not to let even one person die in vain, he moved. Tremendous responsibility pressed his shoulders with overwhelming weight. Nevertheless, he never once showed a difficult expression.

The Suicide Squad only looked at and followed him. If he showed weakness, the Suicide Squad would surely waver too, so he had no choice but to steel himself.

The consolation was being able to use Silver Merchant Agency's safe houses while coming here. Resting at safe houses and gathering information, they came to this place. And when they almost reached Dengfeng County, Eun So-cheong could meet Silver Merchant Agency's martial artists who'd been waiting at safe houses.

Eun So-cheong returned to her father with Silver Merchant Agency's martial artists, and Cho Yeon-woon and the Suicide Squad could come here with much lighter hearts.

"What relief, such relief."

If even one person had died, Cho Yeon-woon wouldn't have been able to forgive himself. But having actually returned them all safely, he lost all strength and couldn't move.

It was when Cho Yeon-woon lay on the bed blankly looking at the ceiling.

"Amitabha! Hero Cho, may I come in briefly?"

"Ah, yes!"

At the voice suddenly heard from outside, Cho Yeon-woon barely raised his body. That moment a Shaolin Temple elder entered from outside. In his hand was a small wooden box.

"What's that?"

"Abbot Elder ordered me to give Hero Cho a Small Recovery Pill."

"I can't casually accept such a precious thing."

"Amitabha! This is all we can do for you. So please don't refuse. Then…"

The elder forcibly pressed the wooden box into Cho Yeon-woon's hand and went outside.

Cho Yeon-woon stood blankly for a while holding the wooden box. It was much later when focus returned to his eyes.

"Right! I must cheer up."

He poured the Small Recovery Pill into his mouth and entered cultivation.

Tsssss!

The pill's medicinal power unhindered surged through his body's blood vessels. His blood vessels and meridians had already greatly expanded and become sensitive due to continuous fierce battles.

In that situation when the pill's medicinal power entered, they began greedily devouring it. Without any waste, having absorbed all the medicinal power, new changes appeared in Cho Yeon-woon's body.

Hazy mist began emanating from his body. The mist swirling around his body soon gathered above his head creating three rings.

Following that, Cho Yeon-woon's body sitting cross-legged slowly rose into the air. But Cho Yeon-woon fell into a world of self-oblivion without even recognizing that fact.

Yelu Huan felt a killing intent stabbing at the back of his head and looked back.

And he was shocked.

Jin Ja-gang was following him!

Chills ran down his spine.

The fact that he was chasing to the end despite having suffered considerable internal injuries was shocking.

“Tenacious bastard.”

He could just ignore him and leave. His steps seemed too slow to catch up to him anyway.

But…

A sight he couldn’t just ignore came into view.

Jin Ja-gang’s smile as he looked at him.

When their eyes met, Jin Ja-gang shouted loudly.

“Are you running away?”

Yelu Huan deliberately ignored him.

“Haha! The Zoroastrian Cult Leader is running away. If you’re going to do that, apologize before leaving.”

Urgh!

Yelu Huan’s anger surged.

“Brat! Who said I’m fleeing!”

“If that’s not running away with your tail between your legs, what is it?”

Yelu Huan snorted.

“No matter how you try to provoke me, it’s useless. I’m fine with barely any injuries while blood is pouring from your side. Who’s running away from whom?”

“Why run away when you’re winning? Others won’t see it that way.”

For a moment, Yelu Huan thought that could be true.

To anyone watching, wasn’t this him fleeing from Jin Ja-gang?

Yelu Huan spun around to face Jin Ja-gang.

“Persistent. Do you want to die that badly?”

“I’ve never let anyone live who said they’d settle things another day.”

Yelu Huan’s lips twisted. He gathered internal energy in his palm and prepared to release palm force.

“Then I’ll kill you as you wish.”

“I expected as much. When cornered, you speak from both sides of your mouth.”

Grr!

Yelu Huan had just said he wouldn’t fight today.

But if he fought Jin Ja-gang, he would truly be speaking from both sides of his mouth. Blood vessels bulged on Yelu Huan’s brow.

“You… are constantly pushing me to act that way!”

“You’re the one who made a promise you couldn’t keep, so why blame others? If I were you, I’d rather cleanly apologize and leave.”

Yelu Huan’s frustration boiled over.

“You’ve been obsessed with an apology since earlier, but would an apology change anything!”

“It’s too late now.”

Urgh!

Anger surged to the top of his head. He was so angry his whole body felt hot.

However, separate from that, his head cooled down.

Because he realized that the apology was just a pretext anyway, and that Jin Ja-gang was determined to settle things with him regardless.

Slowly, his emotions cooled.

Jin Ja-gang’s gaze also turned cold.

“It seems you’re finally ready to fight.”

“I understand why you’re chasing me to death even in that condition.”

Yelu Huan spoke in a much calmer voice.

“If you don’t overcome me today, the Calamity Slaying Demon Spirit inside you will become a complete coward. When you meet me afterward, no matter how you harm yourself, it will never appear again.”

Jin Ja-gang didn’t deny it.

“You know well.”

“So…”

The corners of Yelu Huan’s mouth rose.

“I won’t fight you today.”

Jin Ja-gang nodded.

“Do as you please. However far you run, I’ll follow you to the end. So the people of the world will clearly remember the sight of the Zoroastrian Cult Leader fleeing.”

“That will never happen. Not now, not in the future, not ever.”

Yelu Huan blew a long whistle filled with internal energy.

***

Wheee! Wheee!

After blowing the whistle and waiting a moment, Yelu Huan looked at Jin Ja-gang and smiled.

Jin Ja-gang’s eyebrow twitched.

People began gathering from afar. There appeared to be several hundred.

All were followers of the Zoroastrian Cult.

Followers of all ages and genders came running, filled the path ahead, and prostrated themselves completely.

“What are you doing?”

“I don’t flee. I am not running from you, but you simply cannot follow me.”

Yelu Huan turned his back on Jin Ja-gang and began walking slowly through the followers. Not quick steps. Steps that seemed almost leisurely.

“You good spirits will gain eternal life for a thousand years in the new world.”

Each time Yelu Huan passed the prostrated followers, they sprang up.

“Long live the Zoroastrian Cult, long live!”

The followers who stood up in turn each took up weapons and rushed toward Jin Ja-gang.

The tip of Jin Ja-gang’s eyebrow rose.

Jin Ja-gang had forced Yelu Huan to contradict his own words, and now Yelu Huan was forcing Jin Ja-gang into the path of a murderer.

Jin Ja-gang didn’t hesitate. Looking at the followers rushing with sincere eyes, he murmured.

“Even if you truly can be saved in a new world, that world will never be a good one.”

Jin Ja-gang drew the Severing Sickle Blade from his back. When he struck the ends of the poles together, sharp sickle blades popped out.

Clang!

The followers had already resolved to die. No matter who the opponent was.

Jin Ja-gang walked forward holding the Severing Sickle Blade.

He struck down like lightning on the head of the foremost charging follower and pulled it out.

Spurt! Blood shot up.

Jin Ja-gang pulled out the Severing Sickle Blade and slashed the throat of a follower charging from the side with a sword. The follower dropped his sword and staggered back, then bumped into another follower pushing from behind, fell, and was trampled.

“Eyaaaah!”

“Long life!”

The followers continued standing up and rushing toward Jin Ja-gang. Among them were large-bodied ones who simply threw their bodies at Jin Ja-gang. Jin Ja-gang spun quickly twice and swung his sickle.

Double Moon Severing Strike. The large body wasn’t completely cut, but the neck and belly were split. Jin Ja-gang didn’t dodge but continued walking at the same speed while swinging the sickle, covered in blood.

He struck and slashed.

Each time he struck and pulled out the Severing Sickle Blade, blood shot up in reverse, and each time he cut flesh, blood and entrails flowed like a waterfall after rain.

The followers slipped and fell on the floor drenched in blood. While swinging weapons, they got tangled and stabbed or slashed each other.

“Aaaah!”

“Kyaaa!”

Screams ran rampant as much as spurting blood.

Jin Ja-gang maintained a constant walking speed as he chased Yelu Huan. Because he didn’t dodge the followers’ attacks but met them head-on or killed them and passed through, he allowed a few blind strikes.

Slash!

A thin blade grazed Jin Ja-gang’s neck and cheek. Jin Ja-gang hooked the neck of the one who grazed his cheek with his sickle and pulled.

In the meantime, his shoulder was struck by a pitchfork. The hairy man who struck with the pitchfork had his waist severed when Jin Ja-gang reversed his grip on the Severing Sickle Blade and pulled.

An old man fell while running and stabbed Jin Ja-gang’s foot with a short sword. Before his foot was stabbed, Jin Ja-gang lifted his foot and stepped on the old man’s back.

A young woman clung to Jin Ja-gang’s back and tried to slash his neck with a sickle. Jin Ja-gang grabbed the woman’s hair, threw her forward, and broke her neck.

The farther forward he walked, the more wounds accumulated on Jin Ja-gang’s body one by one. Still, Jin Ja-gang’s speed didn’t decrease.

Rather, the blade of the craftsman-made Severing Sickle Blade was damaged first. Blood and fat clung to it, dulling the blade.

Crack!

He thrust the Severing Sickle Blade into the chest of one who rushed from the front and pulled, but it caught on bone and wouldn’t come out. The man grabbed Jin Ja-gang’s arm and bit it with his teeth. Jin Ja-gang struck the back of his neck with the other Severing Sickle Blade.

The followers continued pushing in.

Jin Ja-gang let go of the Severing Sickle Blade.

Click.

Asura Scripture was released. At the same time, he concentrated his internal energy and flicked Asura Scripture forward. Asura Scripture whipped about chaotically.

Asura World-Destroying Soul!

***

Kyaaaaa!

Kyaaaaa!

***

The bodies of followers caught by Asura Scripture were cut down without exception.

Whether cut down or even slightly grazed to be poisoned by Asura Blood, death was the same either way.

In an instant, the path ahead of Jin Ja-gang became clear.

No people remained.

Instead, blood…

The blood of over ten people that exploded… surged up.

With each step Jin Ja-gang walked, a spray of slaughter’s blood arose.

Great Crimson Lotus.

As bright red lotuses bloom splendidly, bloody lotuses were scattered eerily beautifully.

However, those were death lotuses. The blood sprayed in the air became poison mist as it fell to the ground, becoming hell’s lotuses.

Jin Ja-gang silently walked the path of Great Crimson Lotus.

Blood spray ahead.

Poison mist behind.

This was the path Jin Ja-gang was walking.

The number of followers Jin Ja-gang killed had already exceeded two hundred. No one could know the exact number. What remained on the path he passed was no longer people but only bloody pus melted by poison mist.

Nevertheless, still on the path ahead of Jin Ja-gang… half the prostrated followers remained.

However… one young man among them stopped rushing at Jin Ja-gang, fell backward, and threw away his sword.

“P-p-please spare me! Please spare me!”

When Jin Ja-gang didn’t stop walking, the young man frantically backed away on his buttocks without fully standing up.

“Please spare me! I’ve done nothing wrong! I just did what I was told. I don’t want to die!”

“You’ve done nothing wrong?”

Jin Ja-gang stopped walking for the first time.

Jin Ja-gang looked at the young man with a disgusted expression.

“You tried to kill others seeking your own fortune and say you’ve done nothing wrong!”

Jin Ja-gang struck a poison palm at the young man’s face.

Thwack! The young man’s face was wrapped in poison mist.

“Aaaah!”

The young man struggled painfully, then his blood boiled and melted as he died.

In an instant, the movements rushing toward Jin Ja-gang stopped.

Yelu Huan also stopped walking.

Yelu Huan saw one middle-aged female follower beside him who remained prostrated, trembling without standing up.

“Are you afraid?”

The female follower couldn’t answer rashly.

“N-no…!”

“Pick up your sword and stand.”

The female follower stood up holding a kitchen knife.

“Go.”

“…”

The female follower gripped the kitchen knife tightly with trembling hands and shouted like a scream.

“Aaaah! Long live, long live for ten thousand years!”

The female follower rushed at Jin Ja-gang. Jin Ja-gang’s Asura Scripture instantly sent the female follower’s head flying.

Without turning his body, Yelu Huan turned his head slightly to look at Jin Ja-gang from the corner of his eye and asked.

“You’ve killed hundreds yet still have no hesitation in your fingertips.”

Jin Ja-gang caught his breath slightly and answered.

“You’re the ones staking your lives on your beliefs and attacking, so why should I worry about your lives? Take care of your own lives. If you don’t want to die, don’t raise your heads.”

Those words were addressed to Yelu Huan and at the same time a warning to the other followers.

He assured them that blocking Jin Ja-gang’s path was utterly useless.

Yelu Huan glared at Jin Ja-gang with the whites of his eyes, then walked again.

“Aaaah!”

Followers with gritted teeth stood up again.

However, this time not everyone stood up.

Some were enduring without raising their heads!

Therefore, even those who stood up flinched and didn’t rashly attack Jin Ja-gang.

Jin Ja-gang retrieved Asura Scripture and wiped one white silk thread with his clothes. Then he sprayed Asura Scripture at those who had stood up.

Poison mist no longer rose. People didn’t disappear leaving only blood clumps. However, instead, all those who had been standing were completely shredded.