Chapter 318

Pyo Sang-guk tilted his head as if he couldn’t quite remember.

“Did I say that…”

Pyo Sang-guk stopped speaking mid-sentence and contorted his eyes.

Limp. Limp.

Jin Ja-gang was continuing to approach while limping.

“I said it. That I would ask only once. Please be careful with your answer.”

Pyo Sang-guk had a cowering expression at first, then gradually began showing fighting spirit and frowning.

“Are you threatening me now? Showing your true colors to me because Brother Yeong-woon and Sister Min aren’t here?”

“I merely asked a question.”

“If you thought I was such a pushover, you’ve misjudged. I’m a disciple of Great Zhongnan. Such threats won’t make me submit!”

Pyo Sang-guk shouted while raising his internal energy and clenching his fists.

Jin Ja-gang quietly looked at Pyo Sang-guk and asked again.

“Yes or no. Is it so difficult to say one of those two?”

Pyo Sang-guk waved his hand dismissively.

“Forget it! The very intention of asking such a question is disrespecting me!”

Jin Ja-gang stopped at about ten paces distance. He did nothing but just looked at Pyo Sang-guk.

For Pyo Sang-guk, it was awkward to do something first, but it would also be strange to make excuses, so he had no choice but to remain still as well.

Pyo Sang-guk raised his internal energy and prepared for attack. But for over one watch, Jin Ja-gang did nothing.

Of course, even that alone made Pyo Sang-guk feel pressured. Sweat formed and flowed on his forehead.

“What, what… what are you trying to do? Are you playing around now?”

“Did I say it was playing around? Does Brother Pyo think this looks like playing around?”

At that moment, Pyo Sang-guk suddenly got goosebumps on his arms and nape.

Limp. Limp.

Jin Ja-gang was approaching one step at a time.

He had never known that approaching while limping could be such a terrifying thing.

Jin Ja-gang, who had come right up close, said.

“I’ve been waiting for your answer all this time.”

Pyo Sang-guk, who had been under pressure for a long time, couldn’t endure anymore and unconsciously threw his fist first.

“Ahhhhh!”

Zhongnan Invincible Fist!

It was clearly a fist with killing intent. It contained enough internal energy to smash Jin Ja-gang’s face in one blow.

But Pyo Sang-guk’s fist, filled with strong power, passed through Jin Ja-gang’s face.

Whip!

The afterimage distorted.

“Body Transformation Position Change!”

Jin Ja-gang had never been seen using such advanced footwork before.

Pyo Sang-guk, befitting a disciple of a famous orthodox sect, immediately regained his center brilliantly even after missing his attack and withdrew his fist. While turning his body, he struck backward with the back of his fist.

Whooom!

Jin Ja-gang’s afterimage behind him also scattered in the wind created by the fist. At the same time, Jin Ja-gang could be seen leaping back and retreating.

Usually, the retreating side is always disadvantageous in offense and defense. Knowing that Jin Ja-gang’s skill was already higher than his own, Pyo Sang-guk chased after the retreating Jin Ja-gang to not miss this opportunity.

He pulled back his arm and condensed maximum internal energy. Just as he was about to throw a punch at the retreating Jin Ja-gang.

Thud.

He collided with Jin Ja-gang.

“…!”

The afterimage of Jin Ja-gang that Pyo Sang-guk had been chasing remained frozen in a retreating posture before scattering and disappearing.

And the real Jin Ja-gang was standing in front of Pyo Sang-guk. So close that Jin Ja-gang’s head was touching Pyo Sang-guk’s chin.

Jin Ja-gang slowly raised his head to look up at Pyo Sang-guk.

Finally, Jin Ja-gang emitted killing intent.

It was rough killing intent that felt like all his skin would be torn off. Pyo Sang-guk quickly bit his tongue and drew blood to dispel the killing intent.

Yet the killing intent was so vicious that only Jin Ja-gang’s eyes were visible. Nothing else entered his sight except those gleaming eyes.

Pyo Sang-guk gritted his teeth to avoid showing his trembling.

He had the illusion of a beast pressing its head against his chest and sticking out its tongue between sharp teeth to lick him.

The moment Pyo Sang-guk gulped and swallowed dry saliva.

Something exploded in his stomach.

Thump!

Irresistible force sent Pyo Sang-guk flying.

“Wahhhh!”

Pyo Sang-guk was pushed and flew away.

Bang!

He violently struck his back against a large pine tree that had grown twisted and deformed.

Only then did he come to his senses and look ahead to see Jin Ja-gang standing calmly with his hand raised at a distance of more than one zhang.

He had been sent flying one zhang in just a brief moment.

“What, what kind of palm technique…”

As he spoke, he winced and chest pain came. His ribs seemed to be cracked.

Limp, limp!

Jin Ja-gang walked toward Pyo Sang-guk again. The piercing killing intent made Pyo Sang-guk shrink.

Pyo Sang-guk’s startled eyes widened then narrowed again as he frowned.

Pyo Sang-guk clutched his chest and gritted his teeth. He clenched his fists and waited. Then he extended his fist toward the approaching Jin Ja-gang. The fist split into three branches targeting Jin Ja-gang’s temple, philtrum, and eyes.

Jin Ja-gang extended his left palm forward.

Thud thud thud!

It was the left-side turbid energy that had even blocked Great Master Beom-mong’s Hundred Step Divine Fist. Pyo Sang-guk’s fist was blocked by Jin Ja-gang’s palm with disappointing ease.

Jin Ja-gang immediately extended his right hand and placed it in front of Pyo Sang-guk’s stomach. Using only four dikes, he slightly lowered his body while accumulating power, then released power by pushing with his fingertips as if marking a point.

Thump!

He tried to push Jin Ja-gang away with counter-elasticity by raising internal energy, but it was useless.

Pyo Sang-guk immediately collided with the pine tree behind him again. Since the flying distance wasn’t even one step, the impact returned completely through his back.

Crack! The thick bark of the pine tree was crushed into fragments that scattered in all directions.

“Kugh…”

Along with pain as if his back was breaking, Pyo Sang-guk was about to fall forward. Jin Ja-gang extended his hand to support Pyo Sang-guk’s chest.

“Eeek!”

Pyo Sang-guk bit his molars and raised his elbow. He struck down at Jin Ja-gang’s shoulder from above. This was Zhongnan Invincible Fist’s ultimate technique Hollowing Elbow Breaking Shoulder, which would smash the collarbone, split the ribs, and tear the heart at short distance.

Thump!

The moment Pyo Sang-guk’s elbow was drawn, Jin Ja-gang’s inch force exploded together.

Pyo Sang-guk was pushed against the pine tree almost stuck to it with arms and legs spread out like tied to a rack.

Jin Ja-gang also had a thin blood line from shoulder to abdomen. It was a sharp ultimate technique. If the inch force had been slightly delayed, Jin Ja-gang could have suffered fatal injuries too.

Even in this situation, Pyo Sang-guk managed to extend his left hand and grab Jin Ja-gang’s head. Pyo Sang-guk gathered internal energy to try to burst Jin Ja-gang’s head.

Thump! Thump!

With Pyo Sang-guk’s back completely pressed against the tree, inch force exploded repeatedly.

Twitch. Twitch.

Pyo Sang-guk’s body trembled. Thick blood flowed from his mouth.

The pine bark crumbled and fell from where Pyo Sang-guk’s back was embedded.

When Pyo Sang-guk’s legs gave out and he was about to fall forward, Jin Ja-gang pushed him with his hand to lean against the tree.

“Brother Pyo.”

“…”

“Once more, please. Rather, please answer that you didn’t know.”

“Stupid thing to say…”

Pyo Sang-guk sneered at Jin Ja-gang.

“Would you believe me then?”

“Perhaps.”

“That won’t happen…”

“Why did you do it? If you had enough pride that you couldn’t openly say no, why didn’t you just not lie from the beginning?”

“Poison Dragon…”

Pyo Sang-guk smiled even while bleeding.

“Really… strange. You seem cold yet appear deeply emotional. Poison Dragon and Brother Jin… were unexpectedly an ill-matched pair.”

Pyo Sang-guk chuckled and spat up blood.

“That’s why you get betrayed by someone like me when you’re so tender.”

“Brother Pyo.”

“Asura Blood…”

Pyo Sang-guk repeatedly spat blood from his nose and mouth, then said.

“If you use Asura Blood on me, I’ll answer.”

“Do you want to leave it for someone?”

Pyo Sang-guk closed his mouth. It meant Asura Blood was his only condition.

Jin Ja-gang slowly bit his finger to extract poison liquid, then coated a needle with poison. Then he stuck the needle in Pyo Sang-guk’s thigh.

Sting.

Pyo Sang-guk closed his mouth and glared at Jin Ja-gang. Jin Ja-gang waited for him. Before long, Pyo Sang-guk’s eyes trembled. Pyo Sang-guk looked down at his hand.

A flower had bloomed on his wrist.

A flower with five overlapping petals like a red bruise.

The flower of death, Red Extinction Flower…

It was a sign that Asura Blood’s poison had begun to spread.

“Now speak. For whom did you do this?”

“Brother Jin is a fool.”

Pyo Sang-guk answered.

“I’m a disciple of Zhongnan. For whom, you ask? Of course for our Zhongnan Sect.”

“Zhongnan… Sect?”

“I don’t know what answer you expected… but our Zhongnan… is walking a different path from Yangtze River Sword Gate. Probably… this time too we’ll join the Righteousness Association side.”

“Indestructible Heavenly Sword!”

Jin Ja-gang’s chest turned cold.

“Zhongnan has been backing Hero Baek Li from long ago. But Indestructible Heavenly Sword is Brother Jin’s enemy… Plus since you formed ties with Yangtze River Sword Sect… from the beginning Brother Jin and I were destined… to be enemies… Probably even if not now… someday we would have crossed swords…”

Cough! Pyo Sang-guk vomited an enormous amount of blood and began trembling like an aspen tree.

“That’s all. I wanted to do something that would benefit Zhongnan even a little. Kugh! The moment I heard about Yeongpa Merchants, I knew something was strange even if I didn’t know what. Seeing Brother Jin looked clueless… kugh… so I thought to make you wander while we found it first… kugh.”

In the end, Pyo Sang-guk had no direct relationship with those that Taoist Haewol or Jin Ja-gang were looking for.

Pyo Sang-guk’s face was completely contorted with pain. But he smiled.

Flowers had bloomed all over his body. The pain was also indescribably terrible.

“Asura Blood…! It’s really tremendous. I’m sorry to Brother Jin, but this poison remaining in my body will be a good gift for our Zhongnan.”

“I didn’t use it without that level of confidence. Since it was a deal, don’t feel sorry.”

Now Pyo Sang-guk’s pants were also soaked with blood. His organs were melting and flowing out through his anus.

Pyo Sang-guk’s face turned bright red as he grabbed Jin Ja-gang’s shoulder with his hand. While gripping the shoulder tightly for support, he said.

“Ah… right… I promised to tell you that…”

“What are you talking about?”

Pyo Sang-guk forcibly squeezed out energy and shouted.

“The secret to winning consecutively at the Chongqing gambling den! Answer quickly… I’d feel wronged if I died without hearing it.”

His voice gradually lost strength. Blood was filling even his eyes, making his pupils dilate.

Jin Ja-gang answered with an expression unsure whether to laugh or not.

“The paper gambling cards have pictures drawn on them. The person who draws those pictures is called a ‘beater.'”

“Ah.”

“The master who taught me Heaven and Earth Eight Defeats was said to be an excellent beater. For several years without sleeping, he made tens of thousands of paper cards, drew pictures on them, then released them all over Chongqing.”

“This is…”

“Almost all the paper cards being used now are said to be cards made by my master. With marks only he knew on the back where there are no pictures.”

Pyo Sang-guk made an annoyed face.

“Damn… so it was cheating after all. Otherwise, how could you win like that! Kughhhh!”

Pyo Sang-guk writhed in terrible pain. Blood foam came from his mouth and even his eyes began to melt.

Jin Ja-gang placed his hand on Pyo Sang-guk’s chest.

“Farewell, Brother Pyo.”

“Kughhhhhhahhh!”

Pyo Sang-guk squeezed out his last strength to punch Jin Ja-gang’s head with his fist. Rather than containing killing intent, it was a kind of… consideration to ease Jin Ja-gang’s heart.

Jin Ja-gang closed his eyes and used inch force with all the power of the Six Light Arts.

Thump!

Blood splattered on his face.

A large hole was punched through Pyo Sang-guk’s stomach and the thick pine trunk burst out together. The upper part of the pine tree fell sideways, and sounds of organs splashing and falling to the ground could be heard.

Jin Ja-gang slowly opened his eyes.

A gruesome scene entered his sight.

Had he really committed sins worthy of death?

In fact, Pyo Sang-guk’s interference wasn’t that significant. Compared to those Jin Ja-gang had met, it was laughably clumsy.

But Pyo Sang-guk had put the interests of himself and his sect Zhongnan first, and betrayed Jin Ja-gang for profit.

He had even fully recognized that he was doing wrong. How else could he have failed to answer yes or no to Jin Ja-gang’s question until the end?

One could understand how much self-loathing he felt between what he should do as a hero and his sect’s interests. His frequent mentions of being a hero probably reflected Pyo Sang-guk’s anxious heart.

So in the end, he chose death himself.

Taoist Haewol calling this ‘contamination’ was truly an appropriate expression.

A martial world that had lost its greater cause and was tainted by contaminated heroism…

Martial artists who moved according to contaminated heroism without knowing anything…

Those that Taoist Haewol was looking for hadn’t directly controlled people. Without revealing themselves at all, they induced fighting to make people destroy each other.

They were thoroughly wicked and thoroughly despicable bastards.

Crack!

Jin Ja-gang ground his teeth furiously.

“You people.”

Jin Ja-gang suddenly raised his hand and dropped several drops of Asura Blood on Pyo Sang-guk’s corpse.

Drip, drip.

Then he scattered Asura Blood around the area. The surroundings quickly filled with poisonous energy.

Jin Ja-gang slowly opened his mouth.

“You people, I will definitely find you. Even if Taoist fails, I will never let you go. Without paying the price, you’ll have to be prepared to meet me even in hell.”