Chapter 451 : Revenge (1)

The ‍​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍Buddha Venerable had only spent a moment scanning the battlefield for Eunuch Bang.

Slick.

But ‍​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍within the span of time, Wi Jin-hak had closed the distance between them in the blink of an eye by the time he turned back.

He ‍​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍was staring directly at the high monk.

"I'll ‍​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍send you to join your Grandmaster."

The ‍​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍Buddha Venerable didn't understand what Wi Jin-hak meant by that. His Grandmaster would be Hyeon Am. What did he mean by sending him to the same place as that venerable figure?

His expression must have shown how lost he was, because Wi Jin-hak clicked his tongue and took another step forward.

"Tch. So you haven't heard it."

He didn't seem inclined to explain further. Wi Jin-hak launched into a sudden burst of movement and arrived in front of the Buddha Venerable in an instant.

"If you're curious, go ask Hyeon Am yourself in the afterlife!"

The Buddha Venerable threw both palms out in a rush to block the Heavenly Demon Sword as it came to him.

BOOM!!

The collision of Buddhist Qi and black flame sent a shockwave ripping outward, and the Buddha Venerable was sent skidding backward from the clash. As a fresh trail of blood leaked from the corner of his mouth, he swallowed down and forced himself to speak.

"The afterlife?! What the devil are you talking about?!"

His Grandmaster had reached a level beyond the mortal realm. There was absolutely no way he could have died. He was the one who survived that horrific trap laid by the Zhuge Family!

"You wicked demon! You're just spewing lies to cloud my mind!”

The Buddha Venerable refused to believe it even after being told outright, and that drew the corner of Wi Jin-hak's mouth upward.

It really was amusing.

"You'll be dying today, so go confirm it with your own eyes when you get down there."

Wi Jin-hak had no interest in trading words any further. With that, he came to the Buddha Venerable in earnest.

The gap in their abilities was plain. Every exchange drove the Buddha Venerable further back. At one point, the Buddha Venerable had to throw himself into a Lazy Donkey Roll just to barely keep his life by the skin of his teeth.

Slick!

Amidst his desperate struggle, a series of gruesome cutting sounds rang out from nearby. As he rolled across the ground, his eyes caught sight of a Shaolin monk's head being severed from his neck. 

Following the Zhuge Family's trap, there had been barely a dozen Shaolin monks left in the war. Excluding the young novices left behind at the Shaolin Temple, this was one of their few remaining true martial monks.

And now one of them was gone.

The man who had cleanly lopped off the monk's head was none other than the Hidden Guard Pavilion Lord, the man who was always by Wi Jin-hak's side.

A few more exchanges passed between them, and the Buddha Venerable’s situation was not good for him. Moreover, the Shaolin monks were falling to the Hidden Guard Pavilion Lord one by one.

And it was not just the Shaolin monks.

Unbeknownst to him, the heavy stench of defeat had already completely saturated the battlefield. The triumphant roars and fanatical hymns of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult's soldiers started to echo from all directions.

Tears of blood flowed from the Buddha Venerable's eyes.

Part of it was due to internal damage, but most of it was rage.

Rage at the demons cutting his fellow monks down.

‘Where in the world is Eunuch Bang, and what is he doing while things have deteriorated to this state?!’

His anger extended further and got directed at the Eastern Depot and Eunuch Bang who still had not shown their faces even as the situation reached this disastrous point.

Right at that moment, a possibility surfaced in the Buddha Venerable's mind.

‘He ran? Without even fighting? Why?’

What flashed into his thoughts was the image of Eunuch Bang reading that letter just before the battle began. He distinctly remembers the eunuch’s face had gone white from shock.

And then he remembered what Wi Jin-hak had said early in the fight.

‘No. No... that can't be...’

The moment he sank into a spiral of doubt unbecoming of a senior monk, Wi Jin-hak's Heavenly Demon Sword came flying at him again.

BOOM!

"Ugh..."

He barely managed to block it, but whether it was the mental anguish piling on top of everything else, he coughed up a mouthful of blood and was sent flying back a full three meters.

He caught himself on trembling legs and then lifted his heavy head to look at Wi Jin-hak.

He'd expected Wi Jin-hak to press the advantage and come charging in. Instead, the man was standing exactly where he was with his sword pointed at his chest.

A terrifying Demonic Qi was coiling around Wi Jin-hak as he stood.

"!?"

A moment later, black flame bloomed on the Buddha Venerable's chest, right where Wi Jin-hak's sword was pointing.

It was the legendary feat of Wounding by Intent, the feat of killing a man using nothing but a human’s martial intent.

To swordsmen, the most famous application of this terrifying concept was the Mind Sword. The ability to forge a sword of the mind with pure will alone and using it to harm an opponent without any physical weapon making contact.

But Wi Jin-hak was a master of Extreme Yang martial art before he ever picked up a sword. Rather than manifesting an invisible sword, he adapted the concept of Wounding by Intent to spontaneously ignite the mythical Samadhi True Fire right on top of his target.

Caught completely off guard by the reality-bending attack, the Buddha Venerable could do nothing as the flesh on his chest instantly burst into flames and began sloughing off.

"Nngh..."

Is this what the fires of the Naraka felt like?

In a matter of seconds, the black fire melted through his skin, incinerated his muscles, and charred his exposed ribcage, leaving a gruesome hole in his chest.

Then Wi Jin-hak's voice reached him. "I've heard tales of high monks with such mental discipline they can sit perfectly still and endure self-immolation. I wonder... do you have what it takes to join them?"

With those words, the black flame that had already consumed his chest swelled larger and spread across the Buddha Venerable’s entire body.

"GRAAAAAH!"

The Buddha Venerable abandoned every shred of his enlightened dignity and thrashed in a desperate attempt to smother the flames. But no matter how desperately he moved, the fire burning on his body showed no sign of going out.

In mere moments, every inch of his skin was charred black. He tried to scream again, but his lungs had already melted.

"Hk... hkk..."

Both his hands were clutching at his own throat as he convulsed.

Thud.

A moment later, the convulsions went still.

Wi Jin-hak stared down at the Buddha Venerable's charred body and then pressed his left hand to his temple as a wave of dizziness hit him.

"Ngh."

It seemed that forcefully casting an ultimate technique before fully mastering the Heavenly Demon Divine Arts came with a steep price.

—Burn the world to ash.

The madness lurking within the Heavenly Demon Divine Arts began to rear its ugly head again.

‘Shut up.’

Since he hadn't actually taken any internal damage, he suppressed the madness without much difficulty. The dark energy swirling in his eyes faded away like a hazy mirage.

‘Hah. I still have a long way to go before I reach Master's level.’

He swallowed that in silence.

By then, the Hidden Guard Pavilion Lord had approached and spoke, "Are you alright, Cult Leader?"

He was ready to support him if needed.

Wi Jin-hak lowered the hand he'd been pressing to his head and replied, "I'm fine. Don't worry."

He turned to survey the battlefield. There was no one left in the vicinity but their own forces.

"Now that I think about it, I don't see the Dark Shadow Pavilion Lord anywhere."

"A few high-profile rats tried to quietly abandon ship. He took his men and went hunting."

"I see. Things seem to be wrapping up well enough here, so take some of our warriors and go join him. I'll stay and finish up here."

"Understood!"

The Hidden Guard Pavilion Lord turned and set off, following the trail the Dark Shadow Pavilion had left behind.

***

In the forest a short distance from the battlefield, two groups of fighters were in the middle of their own battle.

The Eastern Depot's operatives and nd the Dark Shadow Pavilion’s warriors.

Originally, Seo Wan-pyeong had no intention of joining the fray. He'd stayed hidden to guard against the possibility that the Supreme Eunuch might appear and to be ready to throw himself in the way if Wi Jin-hak ever ended up in danger.

But no matter how carefully he watched, no one appeared who looked like the Supreme Eunuch. What he did spot instead was a familiar face.

It was Eunuch Bang, the man who had killed the former Dark Shadow Pavilion Lord.

Just as the battle was reaching its peak, Seo Wan-pyeong had watched Eunuch Bang quietly slip away with his Eastern Depot operatives and had given chase with the Dark Shadow Pavilion warriors.

"Tsk. I let you scurry away with your life once, and here you are marching right back to me because you've got a death wish."

Faced with Eunuch Bang's taunts, Seo Wan-pyeong's face remained the usual as he replied.

"You're right. Thanks to your generosity, we were able to uncover the Imperial Family's conspiracy. I am truly grateful for that."

That incident had been the thread that led him to uncover the Imperial Family's scheme against the martial world. And the former Dark Shadow Pavilion Lord had willingly given his life to protect that letter and keep Seo Wan-pyeong alive.

Eunuch Bang's face flushed with visible anger at that response.

That whole affair had gotten him thrown out of his position as the Director for a good long while and fallen out of the Supreme Eunuch's favor. He'd only gotten back because Eunuch Cha and Eunuch Gong had died like fools and left the seat empty, but it had been a long and humiliating stretch of time.

"Fine. I'll peel your skin off myself, one layer at a time!"

Eunuch Bang shouted and launched himself at Seo Wan-pyeong.

Oddly enough, his movement was far quieter than his piercing voice suggested.

Despite the heavy gloom hanging over his face, Seo Wan-pyeong's eyes were calm as he tracked Eunuch Bang's approach.

The Eastern Depot and the Dark Shadow Pavilion.

Since they were basically two sides of the same coin, it was no great surprise that the martial arts they'd cultivated were similar in nature.

Swish.

The swordwork both men displayed was quiet and fast, built almost entirely to minimize their presence and wasted zero movements for the kill.

The same went for their footwork.

They moved without a sound, making it seem as if they teleported with each passing exchange. The moment either one lost concentration for even an instant, they would melt into the surrounding scenery like a ghost and disappear entirely from one’s senses.

Unlike the earth-shattering brawls of standard martial masters, there were no flashy explosions and the sharp screech of weapons clashing against each other was a rare occasion.

This eerie atmosphere extended to the rest of the assassins fighting in the woods. Dozens of highly trained killers were slaughtering each other, yet the forest was disturbingly quiet. The only sounds that occasionally broke the quiet were the noises of flesh being sliced and the death throes of the unfortunate. Only once in a blue moon would two weapons actually manage to cross and spark.

Eunuch Bang circled his opponent like a hunter waiting for his moment, carefully scrutinizing his opponent's every telltale sign. The moment Seo Wan-pyeong finished an exhale and began to draw a fresh breath, Eunuch Bang seized the gap and launched a thrusting attack.

Slick!

Unfortunately for him, it was not the sound of skin and flesh being severed. All his blade had managed to slice was Seo Wan-pyeong's black robes.

Shk.

At the same moment, Seo Wan-pyeong's sword made a very small sound as it clipped Eunuch Bang's collar.

Flash.

After trading that single exchange, both assassins instantly kicked off the ground to put some distance between them as they faded back into the forest shadows.

‘This little rat!’

Eunuch Bang gritted his teeth.

The last time they fought, Seo Wan-pyeong was just a greenhorn he could easily kill. He never expected the greenhorn to grow this ridiculously strong in such a short amount of time.

Without meaning to, Eunuch Bang felt himself growing anxious.

This anxiety does not stem from the fear of getting killed by Seo Wan-pyeong.

‘I need to get out of this place as quickly as possible.’

He had just deserted a battlefield where his entire army was getting massacred. If this fight dragged out for too long, there was a huge risk that the Divine Cult’s main forces would pursue him all the way here.

He needed to finish this quickly and run.

‘Tsk. Whatever. He's still just an amateur.’

Eunuch Bang steadied himself and came at Seo Wan-pyeong again.

Swish!

He stopped precisely at a distance where the tip of his enemy’s sword could just barely reach and unleashed a blindingly fast thrust.

Seo Wan-pyeong contorted his torso, dodging the lethal strike by a hair's breadth.

Normally, Eunuch Bang would have retreated to the shadows to wait for another opening. But this time, he aggressively stepped into Seo Wan-pyeong’s guard and chained into a second strike.

Shk!

This time, Seo Wan-pyeong's robes were slashed open, prompting him to retaliate in kind.

"Hmph."

With a confident snort, Eunuch Bang allowed Seo Wan-pyeong's sword to graze past his cheekbone and thrusted his sword again.

Shk!

This time, a thin spray of blood finally bloomed from Seo Wan-pyeong's left forearm.

Refusing to give him a second to breathe, Eunuch Bang relentlessly attacked Seo Wan-pyeong's defenses and forced him onto the back foot.

Shk!

Every few seconds, the sounds of a blade biting into flesh echoed from Seo Wan-pyeong's body.

Clang!

Sparks flew and steel shrieked as Seo Wan-pyeong desperately parried lethal thrusts aimed at his heart and throat.

Was it because he was being pushed back?

‘Heh. Almost there.’

To Eunuch Bang's eye, a deep shadow had settled over Seo Wan-pyeong's face.

Soon after, Eunuch Bang landed a clean cut across Seo Wan-pyeong's chest.

"It's over!"

Thrilled by the thought that he could finally kill this bastard and make his escape, Eunuch Bang drove his sword forward with triumphant eyes.

Yet in that exact fraction of a second, Seo Wan-pyeong shifted his weight and countered.

Shk.

Shk.

Two sounds rang out in quick succession.

One was the sound of his own sword grazing across Seo Wan-pyeong's side once more.

"Ugh..."

The other was the sound of Seo Wan-pyeong's sword driving straight into his heart.