Chapter 366

On the upper floor railings, Yuk Ha-seon and Mu-gak were fighting, while on the lower floor, battles between Namgung Geol and the Vajra monk, and Im Yi-eon and the Arhat monks were taking place.

Jin Ja-gang was simply watching silently as the fighting turned into a chaotic melee.

Right now, no one here could be trusted.

Except for An Ryeong and So-min, everyone else were people he was seeing for the first time. Among them, he couldn’t tell who might be contaminated through connections with ‘them’. Even Namgung Geol and Yuk Ha-seon, who had come to protect him, were equally untrustworthy.

Moreover, Yuk Ha-seon had ulterior motives different from King of Hell’s orders, making her even more difficult to trust.

Mount Hua Sect’s Ham-geun, who hadn’t moved since earlier, required even more vigilance. He continued not moving while keeping an eye on Jin Ja-gang. Whenever the opportunity arose, he was trying to take So-min and leave this place. He was only unable to move because Mu-gak wasn’t giving him an opening.

An Ryeong was no different. Unlike the others, instead of showing political maneuvering, she was emotional. An Ryeong even possessed powerful force enough to kill a Vajra monk with bare hands. Having such a person be emotional was very dangerous.

That’s why Jin Ja-gang waited without intervening in the fight.

Someone might die, and the battle might become disadvantageous because of it.

If he moved rashly and was ambushed from behind, it would be irreversible.

Ham-geun’s and Jin Ja-gang’s gazes met. Ham-geun was watching the condition of his disciple So-min without taking his eyes off the battle, while also keeping Jin Ja-gang under surveillance.

Their eyes clashed briefly before turning elsewhere.

Only An Ryeong was stamping her feet as if frustrated by this situation.

* * *

Droplets of blood floated in the air and scattered bit by bit.

When the Vajra monk’s punch missed, he grabbed Namgung Geol’s shoulder and forcibly straightened his upper body. Namgung Geol struck the Vajra monk’s elbow crease with the area below his sword handle.

The Vajra monk’s arm was slightly pushed back and lost his grip on Namgung Geol’s shoulder. But with his other hand, he again grabbed and pulled at Namgung Geol’s waist. Namgung Geol frowned and stabbed the Vajra monk’s thick neck with the edge of his hand that wasn’t gripping the sword.

The Vajra monk gritted his teeth and tensioned his neck. Namgung Geol’s fingertips caught on the adam’s apple without penetrating.

Cough!

The Vajra monk grabbed Namgung Geol’s head and rammed his forehead with Iron Head technique. Namgung Geol was greatly alarmed and turned his head sideways. The ear that Iron Head technique grazed was torn. The Vajra monk simultaneously raised his shoulder about one inch quickly to strike Namgung Geol’s chin powerfully.

Smack! Namgung Geol’s head jerked backward. The Vajra monk grabbed Namgung Geol’s head with both hands and pressed down while bringing up his knee toward Namgung Geol’s face. Namgung Geol brought both arms together to block the knee.

Crack.

A loud sound came from the arm bone that took the Vajra monk’s knee, as if something was wrong with it.

Such close combat grappling was much more advantageous for Shaolin Temple, not what Namgung Geol wanted. Namgung Geol pushed the Vajra monk’s chest with both hands.

The Vajra monk didn’t budge at all. Instead, he brought up his knee once more. Namgung Geol spun his sword handle with just his fingers and slashed the wrist of the Vajra monk who was holding his head.

The Vajra monk flowed his golden kasaya to wrap his wrist.

Screech!

Namgung Geol’s sword scraped past the golden kasaya without effect.

The knee that came up again rose right to Namgung Geol’s nose. There was no other way now.

Namgung Geol’s eyes burned red with a heavy light settling in them.

The Vajra monk’s expression hardened slightly. Tremendous momentum burst from Namgung Geol’s eyes, then was gathered in an instant, making his gaze become as calm as a peaceful lake.

The Vajra monk quickly withdrew his arms.

Sword light once again slashed past the same wrist as before.

Slice.

The sleeve of the golden kasaya was cut off. Something was very different from just before. Namgung Geol’s sword was imbued with deeper sword light than earlier.

“Damn it.”

It was the Vajra monk whose sleeve was cut, but it was Namgung Geol who cursed.

Namgung Geol wiped the blood flowing from his torn ear and nose with his sleeve.

The sword energy from Namgung Geol’s lowered sword touched the floor, and the floorboards were silently sliced into chunks.

Namgung Geol had finally drawn out sword steel.

Sword steel was internal sword technique with the strongest destructive power, but it was like a furnace – once drawn out, it couldn’t be stopped. He had to decide the match within a short time.

The Vajra monk had already noticed. Instead of facing Namgung Geol head-on, he began avoiding. Namgung Geol also wasn’t foolish enough to waste time chasing after the fleeing Vajra monk.

Namgung Geol briefly looked up to assess the situation on the upper floor, and seeing Yuk Ha-seon fighting better than expected against Mu-gak, he immediately turned toward Im Yi-eon.

Three Arhat monks were clinging to fight Im Yi-eon. What Namgung Geol aimed for was one of them – Dam-gok with the massive cleaver.

Dam-gok had one eye swollen from being hit by Im Yi-eon, narrowing his field of vision.

“Watch for the sword!”

Hearing the sound from behind, Dam-gok turned while swinging his massive cleaver.

The sharp blade wind raised by the cleaver passed over Namgung Geol’s head. Namgung Geol lowered his body while slashing Dam-gok’s ankle.

Slice! The sharp sword steel severed the ankle and passed through. Dam-gok’s body tilted.

Namgung Geol leaped up from behind and climbed onto tilting Dam-gok’s shoulder, then stabbed his sword down from above. Though Dam-gok activated Iron Shirt, the sword steel ignored Iron Shirt and pierced through.

Thunk! The sword went in up to the handle between the nape and collarbone. It probably pierced through to the heart.

Namgung Geol pulled out his sword and leaped backward. Dam-gok’s body fell forward like a falling log.

Thud! Blood spurted from his shoulder, thoroughly soaking the floor.

The remaining Arhat monks also had difficulty breathing due to Joyful Love Maiden scattered everywhere. Their movements had become much duller than before.

Im Yi-eon also slashed the neck of Arhat monk Dam-woon who was using fists. Dam-woon grabbed Im Yi-eon’s blade with bare hands. When Im Yi-eon applied force, the sword gradually came out, simultaneously cutting Dam-woon’s fingers and neck.

Dam-woon’s body trembled. Life rapidly faded from his eyes as blood flowed down the sword blade.

“Namo Amita… Buddha…”

Dam-woon collapsed while reciting Buddha’s name with all ten fingers severed. His severed head separated from his body and rolled on the floor.

Already three Arhat monks were dead. No, one more was dead. Unable to overcome Joyful Love Maiden’s poison, he had been standing dazed from intoxication when his neck was taken.

Now only one Vajra monk and one Arhat monk remained on the lower floor.

Compared to Mu-gak’s initial boasting, it was an unexpected result.

Whether Mu-gak had underestimated Namgung Geol and Im Yi-eon, or because Yuk Ha-seon was keeping Mu-gak too well occupied was unclear, but on the surface, Mu-gak definitely didn’t look advantageous.

But then An Ryeong’s scream suddenly rang out.

“Why are you doing this!”

Mount Hua Sect’s Ham-geun had attacked An Ryeong.

The trace where Ham-geun’s sword had slashed through the spot where An Ryeong had been standing remained intact. A long sword mark was carved from floor to wall.

An Ryeong was greatly startled and turned red with anger. If Jin Ja-gang, who had been watching Ham-geun all along, hadn’t given An Ryeong a signal, her body would have been cut in half.

But why was the sword tip that should have been directed toward Shaolin Temple’s Mu-gak pointing at her!

Ham-geun gathered the purple aura flickering on his sword and sheathed it.

Ham-geun’s eyes were very sad, but those eyes also held very cold killing intent.

“So-min… is dead.”

“Ah…!”

An Ryeong let out a pitiful exclamation.

So-min had finally been unable to withstand Jin Ja-gang’s Asura Blood and died.

But was that a reason to attack her?

“I’m grateful that you looked after So-min. I did my best… But even if it’s my fault, your attacking me is…!”

“I’m grateful you cared for So-min. But I don’t think I can let you live.”

“What?”

Mu-gak had said he would kill An Ryeong. And the same went for Ham-geun. Though the An family medical house and Baek Li-jung’s Righteous Alliance were hostile, if things went wrong immediately, both would die here at Mu-gak’s hands anyway.

However, the current situation was more advantageous for this side than Shaolin Temple. No matter how he thought about it, there was no reason for Ham-geun to attack him.

“Miss So-min’s matter is regrettable, but right now we need to join forces to survive. Great Hero Ham, please gather your emotions again…”

“I’ve never thought as coldly and been as stable as I am right now in my life.”

“Then why are you doing this?”

Ham-geun smiled wryly.

“Do you think you can survive here?”

“Yes! If we press just a little more… the possibility isn’t entirely…”

“After the fight ends. What then?”

“What?”

“You possess martial arts strong enough to kill a Vajra monk?”

This was what Mu-gak had said earlier. He hadn’t expected Ham-geun to have taken those words to heart.

“That’s a different matter.”

“Perhaps we might defeat Master Mu-gak like this. But what happens after that?”

An Ryeong finally understood what Ham-geun was trying to say. She also realized why he had immediately started acting as soon as So-min died.

With So-min dead from Asura Blood, Jin Ja-gang and Ham-geun had now become mortal enemies.

Moreover, Ham-geun was hostile to Namgung Geol’s Yangtze River Sword Sect, and likewise hostile to the An family medical house.

Even if they defeated Mu-gak, Ham-geun’s life and death were still difficult to guarantee. Furthermore, So-min’s corpse, poisoned by Asura Blood, might be taken by the An family medical house.

“Having my disciple’s corpse taken by another sect would be a great shame for our Mount Hua.”

An Ryeong was stunned. She hadn’t known Ham-geun was thinking that way. An Ryeong tried to persuade Ham-geun.

“Great Hero Ham. Please listen without misunderstanding. I have no intention of doing anything bad to you. And I won’t touch Miss So-min’s corpse either.”

“If I’m going to die anyway, preventing others from surviving would be a great benefit to the Righteous Alliance too.”

If he wasn’t just thinking about preserving his own life, this was the perfect opportunity to avoid having So-min’s corpse taken while also eliminating both Disaster Sword Guest Namgung Geol and Poison Dragon Jin Ja-gang.

“Great Hero Ham!”

“It’s too late. The only one who can survive here is Poison Dragon. Though Poison Dragon will also be a cripple with all limbs severed.”

Purple aura began flickering from Ham-geun’s sword again.

An Ryeong quickly turned her head to seek help from Jin Ja-gang. But when Jin Ja-gang made eye contact with An Ryeong, he only nodded slightly. He had no intention of helping at all.

It was as if he was telling her to handle it well on her own.

“Is this why you warned me!”

Jin Ja-gang slightly turned his head and nodded again. An Ryeong trembled with anger at Jin Ja-gang’s behavior.

If Ham-geun and An Ryeong fought, Jin Ja-gang would be completely free from the chaotic battle.

An Ryeong gritted her teeth but had no choice. She responded with fighting spirit toward Ham-geun who was raising internal energy and wielding a sword filled with killing intent.

“You’ll regret this, Great Hero Ham.”

“We’ll see!”

Ham-geun and An Ryeong began fighting together.

Jin Ja-gang could finally move comfortably.

With Ham-geun and An Ryeong also fighting, Jin Ja-gang finally began to move.