Chapter 200

Chapter 200: Chaos Is a Swamp That Draws Everything In (4)

Eum Yu-gyeong's gaze wavered. It was because of the man before her.

He was a villager in plain clothes—the kind of unremarkable figure one might see anywhere. The middle-aged man standing before her was precisely such a person.

The only thing that distinguished him from the ordinary was the biwa held in his hand. The instrument was old and covered in the marks of long use, a sacred relic symbolizing a legendary figure.

A legendary martial artist who, with a single pluck of his biwa, could annihilate every living thing within ten li.

The villager before her was none other than So Cheonsan, the Ten-Li Reaper.

Within the Demonic Cult, there existed numerous branches that carried on different martial lineages. The branch that So Cheonsan represented was specialized in mass killing.

In a duel between supreme masters, he might be at a slight disadvantage. But when it came to the wholesale slaughter of ordinary martial artists, no one could surpass him.

For this reason, So Cheonsan held a uniquely special status within the Demonic Cult.

He could wield greater influence on the battlefield than any supreme master. Even those whose martial arts surpassed his own did not dare treat him carelessly.

So Cheonsan smiled faintly at Eum Yu-gyeong.

"Saintess."

"So Great Hero So comes here as well. Is this by the Cult Leader's command?"

"It is."

"Hah. When Great Hero So takes the field, too many people die."

"I am aware."

The sound technique So Cheonsan unleashed did not distinguish friend from foe. A misstep could result in the mass death of not only Alliance martial artists but Demonic Cult members as well.

Despite Eum Yu-gyeong's concern, So Cheonsan's expression remained composed.

"I understand the Saintess's worry. But fear not. I have recently attained an epiphany that allows me to control my sound technique. Our own people will not be harmed by my sound."

So Cheonsan inclined his head slightly and passed her by.

Though he showed her the respect due to the Saintess, his attitude made clear he would tolerate no further interference.

Eum Yu-gyeong let out a soft sigh at his manner.

Though she bore the title of Saintess, she was granted no real authority or power.

She had been reduced to a mere symbolic figure, fading into irrelevance.

Eum Yu-gyeong looked out upon the battlefield.

The assault had been carried out with stunning speed. Even she, the Saintess, had received no prior notification.

It was evidence that the Cult Leader not only did not trust her but was actively excluding her.

'How far does the Cult Leader intend to go? At this rate, both the Holy Sect and the Central Plains Murim will face total ruin.'

Eum Yu-gyeong bit her lip.

Finding the Holy Artifact was important, but she could not simply stand by and watch as countless lives perished.

She leaped toward the battlefield.

Fierce combat raged throughout. Countless had already lost their lives or been wounded.

The problem was that the battle showed no sign of ending. Rather, it was growing more intense with each passing moment.

Eum Yu-gyeong made her way into the depths of the Shouzhou branch. Several martial artists spotted her and shouted.

"That one is a cultist too!"

"Kill her!"

SHING!

Their swords flew toward her vital points. Eum Yu-gyeong dodged them lightly and struck their acupoints with her sword fingers.

The Alliance martial artists, their acupoints sealed, collapsed like scarecrows.

Eum Yu-gyeong left the fallen Alliance fighters behind and pressed deeper into the Shouzhou branch.

'I must find the Branch Master and warn him.'

Before So Cheonsan could unleash the Ten-Li Extinction Sound, she had to find the Branch Master.

At that moment—

"Stop."

A woman blocked her path.

She wore purple linen robes, her appearance plain. Yet the faint blue glow in her eyebrows and hair, set against her snow-white skin, was strikingly memorable.

It was Hae So-wol.

Splatters of blood dotted Hae So-wol's clothes. She, too, had been fighting the invading Demonic Cult forces.

Hae So-wol recognized at a glance that Eum Yu-gyeong was no ordinary figure. Eum Yu-gyeong sensed the same about her.

They were the women who represented the Martial Alliance and the Demonic Cult respectively. That they could sense each other's exceptional presence was perhaps natural.

Eum Yu-gyeong spoke first.

"The Flower of the Sea, Hae So-wol. That is your name, is it not?"

"And who might you be?"

SHING!

In lieu of an answer, Eum Yu-gyeong thrust her sword at Hae So-wol. Hae So-wol, unfazed, spun Byeok-sang to protect herself.

CLANG CLANG CLANG!

Their swords clashed, sending sparks flying into the air.

Eum Yu-gyeong wielded her blade fiercely while her lips moved.

—The Ten-Li Reaper, So Cheonsan, will soon unleash his sound technique. Those with weak internal energy will suffer rupture of their heart meridians and die. Take the people and leave here at once.

Her secret transmission pierced Hae So-wol's ears.

'What?'

—There is no time to waste. The moment So Cheonsan releases his sound technique, this place will become a living hell.

Eum Yu-gyeong suddenly swung her sword in a wide arc.

Her life-or-death technique, the Falling Moon Divine Sword, its ultimate form, poured toward Hae So-wol. Hae So-wol countered with the Azure Sea Severing Wave Sword.

CLANG CLANG CLANG!

As their swords collided, blood seeped from beneath Hae So-wol's armor. Such was the immense force behind Eum Yu-gyeong's strikes. Yet Hae So-wol ultimately deflected every attack and prepared to counter—

"……"

But she could not. Eum Yu-gyeong, who had been attacking so fiercely, had vanished like a phantom.

Empty Spirit Cloud Movement.

Eum Yu-gyeong had deployed a movement technique passed down as a secret art even within the Demonic Cult, and fled the area.

Left alone, Hae So-wol stood stunned for a moment. Then she recalled Eum Yu-gyeong's warning.

"The Ten-Li Reaper…"

If Eum Yu-gyeong's words were true, a hellscape would soon unfold.

She hurried to find Gong Son-jung, the Branch Master of Shouzhou.

Gong Son-jung was shouting at his subordinates.

"When will the reinforcements arrive?"

"The east gate has been breached. We must send support there."

"The main gate is in peril as well. We cannot spare anyone for the east gate."

"Baekjeon Pavilion is here. Request their assistance."

"They are currently guarding the annex."

"What is in the annex?"

"Sage Hyeon-so of the Mount Hua Sect and the children."

"Damn it all! What was the point of bringing that useless old man here…"

Gong Son-jung hurled curses freely.

Though he was ordinarily regarded as the most rational and composed of men, the rapidly deteriorating situation had stripped him of his cool judgment and reason.

The midnight assault had driven the Shouzhou branch to the brink of total annihilation. The fear that they might all perish was creeping steadily into Gong Son-jung's heart.

In the midst of this, Hae So-wol found him.

"Branch Master!"

"What now?"

Gong Son-jung answered with raw nerves.

Under normal circumstances, he would have greeted Hae So-wol with courtesy. But now, he had abandoned even the barest politeness.

"I have received intelligence that the Ten-Li Reaper, So Cheonsan, will take the field."

"So Cheonsan? The demon who kills every living thing within ten li with his sound technique?"

Gong Son-jung's face turned ashen in an instant.

He had heard how So Cheonsan had annihilated the Martial Alliance's tracking squad.

"Th-Then isn't that a catastrophe?"

"It is. We must pull back those with weak martial arts. When So Cheonsan unleashes his sound technique, they will die first."

"But…"

Despite Hae So-wol's words, Gong Son-jung hesitated.

The situation was dire enough that even the paws of a cat would be useful. Even martial artists of lesser strength had their role to play. Withdrawing them now would cause the battle to tilt rapidly against them.

Gong Son-jung's eyes wavered.

"I cannot withdraw forces at this moment."

"Then everyone will die."

"Where did you receive this intelligence? There is no guarantee that So Cheonsan has truly appeared here. And even if he has, there is no certainty that our side will suffer. We can simply eliminate him before he unleashes his sound technique."

"And who is going to eliminate him?"

"You are here… and if others assist, is it not entirely possible?"

At Gong Son-jung's words, Hae So-wol felt something surge upward from within her.

Even if her martial prowess was exceptional among the younger generation, she was nowhere near the level of one of the Seven Great Demons. To tell her to confront So Cheonsan was no different from asking her to march into the flames.

"I cannot withdraw forces at this moment. So I ask that you restrain So Cheonsan and prevent him from unleashing his sound technique."

Gong Son-jung spoke without a shred of shame.

The others averted their eyes from Hae So-wol. Their faces burned with embarrassment. They knew Gong Son-jung's demand was unreasonable, but the urgency of the situation left them no choice but to console themselves.

At that moment—

TWANG!

A clear, resonant sound of a biwa suddenly rang across the battlefield.

The instant the sound was heard, every face went rigid. The faint tone that pierced their eardrums had shaken their very spirits to the core.

"Guh!"

"Hah!"

Gong Son-jung and the Shouzhou branch's leadership hastily raised their energy to resist the sound. Their wavering spirits stabilized.

But not everyone had protected their heart meridians with internal energy. Those with weak internal power felt as though their heart meridians were being torn apart by the sudden sound technique.

"AAARGH!"

"Save me! UAAAH!"

Their eardrums ruptured, and blood poured forth.

Hundreds of martial artists, mid-combat, collapsed to the ground. The sound technique ravaged their brains.

"Kuh!"

"Hmm!"

Even the Demonic Cult martial artists who had been fighting the Alliance forces turned pale and retreated.

Though So Cheonsan had intended to direct his sound technique only at the Alliance fighters, the Demonic Cult's own forces were affected as well.

Though they did not receive the direct assault that the Alliance fighters endured, their heart meridians were still shaken, and nausea gripped them.

If martial artists trained in the arts were affected, then Sage Hyeon-so and the children—mere mortals—could not possibly withstand So Cheonsan's sound technique.

"Guh!"

"Grandfather! Grandfather!"

"It hurts!"

The color drained from Sage Hyeon-so's face, and the children writhed in agony.

"Madman! Stop this!"

Cho Yeon-woon and the Baekjeon Pavilion disciples, who had been fighting the Demonic Cult forces nearby, rushed over.

Cho Yeon-woon and several disciples channeled internal energy into Sage Hyeon-so and the children. The other disciples shielded them while confronting the Demonic Cult's forces. Naturally, they were forced into a desperate position.

"Damn it!"

Cho Yeon-woon's face contorted ugly.

A single individual's intervention had produced consequences beyond imagination.

So Cheonsan stood at the center of the battlefield, eyes gently closed. A faint smile hung at his lips.

His fingers moved faster and faster across the biwa. With each acceleration, the music grew more intense.

Ten-Li Extinction Sound.

The sound technique that annihilated every living thing within ten li was being unleashed through his hands.

To fully manifest the Ten-Li Extinction Sound, the performance had to reach its crescendo. And So Cheonsan's playing was hurtling toward that peak.

'All for the Holy Sect. If killing a thousand can create a better world for the Holy Sect, I will bear all the shame myself.'

Countless suffered under his performance.

Their eyes turned bloodshot, their heads swelling as though they might burst. If this continued for even a little longer, the pressure would split their skulls or tear their heart meridians apart.

"Will you not stop?!"

Sage Hyeon-geom, who had been engaged with Deung Cheon-so, unleashed a mighty roar. But his shout had no effect on So Cheonsan.

"Scum!"

Sage Hyeon-geom tried to hurl his sword at So Cheonsan. But Deung Cheon-so blocked his path.

"Hmph! Not so fast."

A vicious smile played on Deung Cheon-so's lips.

Thus far, their martial prowess had been evenly matched. Of course, each likely held a hidden card, but outwardly, they appeared evenly balanced.

Deung Cheon-so could not immediately overcome Sage Hyeon-geom, and likewise, Sage Hyeon-geom could not defeat Deung Cheon-so without revealing his concealed technique.

Deung Cheon-so stood before Sage Hyeon-geom and looked at So Cheonsan.

"They are the ones who persecuted us. Do not hesitate—bring down the hammer of judgment, Cheonsan."

Deung Cheon-so's voice served as the signal.

So Cheonsan's finger descended like lightning to strike the final note.

TWANG!

The biwa's tone shook heaven and earth.

A devastating sound wave swept across the battlefield like a storm. Those caught in its path clutched their hearts and rolled on the ground.

Those nearest to So Cheonsan vomited blood first.

In an instant, more than a hundred had perished. And So Cheonsan raised his hand once more to deliver death.

The moment his hand descended, several times that number would vanish. And when the Ten-Li Extinction Sound was completed, this entire area would become a field of death.

"Aaah!"

Sage Hyeon-so's eyes were bloodshot. His eardrums had burst, and blood streamed from his ears. It was only thanks to the internal energy channeled by Cho Yeon-woon and the Baekjeon Pavilion disciples that he clung to consciousness, but even that was reaching its limit.

Through the crumbling wall, he could see So Cheonsan preparing to complete the Ten-Li Extinction Sound.

'Is this the end?'

Sage Hyeon-so closed his eyes, holding the children in his embrace.

Tears ran down his cheeks.

He did not mourn his own life, but the thought that these young buds, yet to bloom, must wither like this filled him with unbearable grief.

At that moment, a strange sound echoed across the battlefield.

Ssss! BOOM!