Chapter 421

Rattle rattle. The dice rolled and showed four and six points.

It was quite a high score, but definitely somewhat disappointing for deciding the match.

“Urgh.”

Taoist Master Bok-cheon made a regretful face. Conversely, Bian Bu frowned. The ten points that Taoist Master Bok-cheon regretted was rather a burdensome high score for the challenger. Bian Bu steadied his breathing and concentrated as he threw the dice. The dice clinked as they collided in the air then fell and rolled.

Five points, five points.

“Grr!”

The match wasn’t decided in one round. Both Bian Bu and Taoist Master Bok-cheon were disappointed.

“Damn!”

Woon-jeong and So-so had been anxious but sighed in relief, saying it was fortunate.

Jin Ja-gang was watching with amusement when he suddenly reached for the dice. Jin Ja-gang, who had been far away, instantly joined the game.

Let me try throwing too.

‘Hmph. Do you think you’d be different?’

‘Let’s see the gambling dragon skills from Chongqing.’

Jin Ja-gang picked up the dice and rolled them in his hand.

Whirl. Whirl whirl.

The two dice moved around between Jin Ja-gang’s fingers at will as if alive. Jin Ja-gang’s consciousness freely used the Heaven and Earth Mastery technique.

Jin Ja-gang casually threw the dice and put them down.

Six points, six points.

Bian Bu looked at Jin Ja-gang with a bewildered expression.

‘What? When did you even learn double-six techniques?’

Taoist Master Bok-cheon also looked at Jin Ja-gang with incredulous eyes.

‘Is it martial arts or skill?’

Jin Ja-gang laughed.

Bian Bu and Taoist Master Bok-cheon were glaring at each other. They didn’t speak to Jin Ja-gang. They were just concentrating on each other as when they first threw the dice.

Was it an illusion shown to Jin Ja-gang’s mind?

But even that wasn’t important to Jin Ja-gang. Jin Ja-gang wanted to see other places. Jin Ja-gang’s consciousness moved farther away and spread throughout the entire Tang Family Main House.

* * *

“Perish!”

Demon Cult’s Fire Flame Master swung the burning energy with all his might. Master Haewol, still blind, leaped up high and climbed onto the flag.

HISS! 

His shoes instantly caught fire and the soles of his feet were burned by fire. Blood flowing from the foot that had lost its front toes burned in the sacred fire flames, giving off a strong metallic smell.

Master Haewol increased his weight with the thousand-pound drop. The flag immediately fell to the floor and was embedded in the deck. Fire Flame Master strained until his face turned red trying to pull it out, but it wouldn’t move. The difference in internal energy was starkly revealed. The samadhi fire flames continued to burn Master Haewol’s feet, but Fire Flame Master could no longer endure.

Fire Flame Master’s limbs trembled, and eventually unable to overcome Master Haewol’s strength, both his shoulders were dislocated.

SNAP! As his shoulders popped out, he dropped the iron flag, and the iron flag fell to the floor.

Sharp sword energy flew from behind Master Haewol.

Master Haewol rolled on the floor to avoid the sword energy, grabbed the middle of the iron flag, and lifted it. Then he spun it round and round over his head. Baek Li-jung was hit by the iron flag and flew away, hitting the gunwale.

CRACK! 

Thunder Emperor Ga Mu-ru’s powerful sword energy struck Master Haewol. Master Haewol held the iron flag like a staff and swung the end like a snake’s tongue rapidly to shatter the sword energy. CLANG CLANG CLANG! The force in the sword energy made Master Haewol retreat several steps.

Ga Mu-ru’s sword energy flew in once more.

SWOOSH! 

An axe flying rapidly from the side chopped past Master Haewol’s forearm. His tendons seemed damaged as strength left his right hand holding the iron flag.

CLATTER! 

The iron flag fell to the floor.

* * *

Warriors were detected throughout the Tang Family Main House. Places that weren’t usually visible. Some were crouched in secret places yawning, or briefly dozing then waking up. Every moment, they could be seen tapping hollow walls with wooden sticks to signal that nothing was wrong.

The scene of servants going around the Tang Family Main House buildings delivering news was also visible.

Jin Ja-gang suddenly followed a drifting scent toward the kitchen. In the kitchen, they were trimming vegetables, cutting meat, and boiling soup. Dozens of people were busily doing their work. Among them, some were being scolded by the head cook for not being familiar with the work. The head cook glared and shouted reprimands.

A servant looked at that scene and chuckled softly, then left the kitchen with quick steps carrying tea and refreshments. Jin Ja-gang’s consciousness followed the servant out of the kitchen.

The servant arrived at Tang Gwi-ok’s room.

Tang Gwi-ok was sitting in a chair, lost in deep worry. After the servant set down the tea and asked if there was anything else to do, she left the room. Jin Ja-gang sat in front of Tang Gwi-ok.

Are you having a hard time?

Tang Gwi-ok answered sadly.

‘It seems very difficult. But not more than I can handle. Rather, I’m blaming myself for whether my weak appearance of depending only on older brother brought about the current misfortune.’

Don’t blame yourself too much, grandmother, since you’ve come forward to handle things even if belatedly.

‘Thank you.’

Tang Gwi-ok drank tea and looked out the window with a lonely face. She seemed to have aged more than when they first met, making Jin Ja-gang’s heart ache.

Jin Ja-gang greeted Tang Gwi-ok and suddenly went outside.

He wanted to see Tang Ha-ran.

Jin Ja-gang flew to Tang Ha-ran.

* * *

Master Haewol quickly moved his feet and deployed footwork. But because of the foot that had lost its front toes, his steps weren’t natural and he staggered. The hook-nosed old man Myriad Enlightened Master, who had crawled on the floor like a snake, scraped Master Haewol’s heel with his skewer.

The heel tendon caught on the skewer’s needle was slightly torn away. Master Haewol leaped into the air, spun around, and extended his palm toward Myriad Englightened Master’s back. Myriad Englightened Master rolled his body to the side of the deck to avoid the palm. Master Haewol couldn’t stand properly on both feet and landed with one knee down.

SPLASH.

The floor his knee touched rippled.

The broken ship was sinking and water was rising. The deck was already completely torn away and broken into a mess. Though masters could stand even on small planks floating on water, the narrowing range of movement was unavoidable.

“Whew.”

Master Haewol caught his breath. The others surrounding Master Haewol also briefly caught their breath and prepared for the next attack.

Vanishing Master regained consciousness and stood up, while Fire Flame Master twisted his dislocated shoulders back into place.

Su Su-jin tied her broken wrist with string, and Go Lu-bon pulled out his burst eyeball and crawled from the river water onto the deck.

Thunder Emperor Ga Mu-ru also set his broken ribs with his fingers and stared at Master Haewol.

Though Master Haewol was still dripping blood from his chest and covered in blood, the others were equally in shambles.

Master Haewol looked around at them and laughed.

“You look great. How many of you will be standing here next time?”

From the gunwale of the opposite bow that had been split far away, Mang Ryo shamelessly looked at Master Haewol and laughed back.

“Even if everyone dies, we gain if we just catch the alliance leader.”

* * *

What was Tang Ha-ran doing during her rest time?

Jin Ja-gang was curious.

Tang Ha-ran was knitting with thread made from twisted wool.

‘Can’t you tell by looking? I’m making baby clothes.’

Tang Ha-ran looked at Jin Ja-gang and smiled mischievously. At that sight, Jin Ja-gang burst into laughter.

You’re pretty.

‘Me, or the child?’

Both.

Tang Ha-ran’s expression became more mischievous. She made a mistake with the nose and the thread got tangled.

‘Ah! It’s difficult!’

Tang Ha-ran put down her knitting tools as if lamenting, then for some reason made a happy expression and stroked her swollen belly.

Jin Ja-gang knelt beside Tang Ha-ran and put his ear to her belly.

But Tang Ha-ran pushed Jin Ja-gang away with a sad expression.

Why are you doing that?

‘You still have work left to do, so you can’t.’

I do?

Jin Ja-gang stood up abruptly and looked around.

On one side, he could see Yeong-gwi guarding the surroundings and protecting her body at the pavilion, and on the other side was Son Bi nursing Sword Empress Im Yi-yeon.

Yeong-gwi… Lady Son…

Jin Ja-gang’s peaceful consciousness became excited and pounded.

Grrr, internal energy arose and began to spread and swirl through his limbs. The Calamity Slaying Demon Spirit appeared.

SWOOSH!

The iron flag spewed fire. Master Haewol’s head, who had ducked to avoid it, was singed and shrank while his back burned. Thunder Emperor Ga Mu-ru’s giant sword energy once again split the broken hull in half. The places where Master Haewol could stand gradually decreased.

Baek Li-jung desperately swung his sword toward Master Haewol. Knowing Master Haewol better than anyone, Baek Li-jung’s swordplay was very sharp. But that was the same for Master Haewol. Master Haewol stepped on Baek Li-jung’s thigh with his foot that only had a heel remaining, grabbed Baek Li-jung’s hair, and kicked up at Baek Li-jung’s nose with his knee. Baek Li-jung spun Heaven Vermillion Sword in his hand to cut and sever his own hair, then twisted his head to avoid Master Haewol’s knee.

Su Su-jin clung fiercely and attacked Master Haewol’s shoulder. Master Haewol waved his arm as if shooing away an annoying fly to push Su Su-jin back. But the tendon injured by the earlier axe couldn’t exert proper strength and his arm rose slowly. Su Su-jin’s fingertips grazed Master Haewol’s shoulder and tore away flesh.

The seven dikes of the Jade Void Nine Lights Five Thunder Toad Art were completely filled.

Jin Ja-gang observed internally. The Calamity Slaying Demon Spirit wanted an eighth dike. But there were no signs of an eighth dike forming. The internal energy that had already filled seven dikes had nowhere else to go and created fierce whirlpools. Jin Ja-gang forcibly contained even more internal energy in the seven dikes and endured. His body trembled with internal vibrations.

The dikes swayed as if they would collapse at any moment. They cracked and faced the crisis of collapse.

‘Give up the dikes!’

Jin Ja-gang was briefly anxious that something might happen to his body, but quickly stabilized.

Just as no problems occur if you don’t doubt at the boundary between illusion and reality, just as it rather becomes enjoyable, the overflowing internal energy is also within my body anyway. Why should I fear it?

Jin Ja-gang opened the dikes himself.

BOOM! Finally, the seven dikes that had been packed burst. Along with the internal energy, the Calamity Slaying Demon Spirit roared and freely jumped out.

Go Lu-bon, who had become one-eyed from his eye bursting from finger wind, grabbed Master Haewol’s foot. Master Haewol shook his foot and shook off Go Lu-bon. Instead, his movements became sluggish. Baek Li-jung’s sword sliced long across Master Haewol’s thigh. Master Haewol staggered.

Even while kneeling, Master Haewol shot finger wind to penetrate Baek Li-jung’s left shoulder. A hole was punched through Baek Li-jung’s shoulder and his left arm drooped.

Myriad Englightened Master hooked and pulled the kneeling Master Haewol’s neck with the skewer’s needle.