Chapter 137
BOOOOOOM - !!!!!
“…!”
I flinched and raised my head at the sound of the explosion that filled the Sparring Arena, and as I looked around…
“…Explosives?!”
Seeing the flames soaring and the Black Smoke rising, it definitely seemed like explosives.
Judging by the location of the blasts, it seemed those Demonic Cult Bastards had secretly installed them under the Spectator Stands.
The outer section surrounding the Sparring Arena was blown away entirely.
But that wasn’t the real problem.
Ba-bang - !
“Divine Cult Undefeated - ! Demonic Heaven Under Heaven - !”
The Demonic Cult’s spies, who had been disguised as commoners and low-ranking martial artists of the Murim Alliance, rose up.
They threw smoke bombs and swung their blades everywhere, turning the already chaotic interior into a Scene of Carnage.
Thwack, thwack, thwack - !!
“Keuheok - !!”
With their fast and unhesitating hand movements, they definitely looked like assassins from the Demonic Cult.
At this, I clicked my tongue and cursed the Murim Alliance.
“Fucking idiots.”
How lax was their Border that they allowed so many assassins to carry out an Infiltration into the Murim Alliance Headquarters?
But the Murim Alliance was the Murim Alliance, and I had to do my own job.
“Killing the Grand Elder and Cheon Ye-Seo.”
Since the Protagonist was handling Cheon Ye-Seo, I was going to kill the Grand Elder…
Squelch - !
“Keuaaaak - !”
…so I pulled my Sword, which was lodged in his back, straight up.
I intended to slice the Grand Elder’s neck with the Sword still lodged in his body.
However…
“Ugh, so tough - !!”
…the muscles of the Grand Elder, who had mastered the Asura Art, were beyond tough; they were rock-hard.
No matter how much internal energy I poured in, his flesh wouldn’t cut easily, and time dragged on…
Swish, swish, swish - !
…soon after, the assassins' flying daggers flew toward me as I rode atop the Grand Elder’s body.
Whoosh - .
Those flying daggers rushed accurately toward me, but their speed and precision fell far short of the Haomun Leader’s level.
At this, I didn’t even need to make any large movements and simply dodged them by ducking my head.
However…
Swaaa - !
“…!”
…I quickly realized that the Flying Daggers were merely meant to buy time.
A movement on a completely different level from those clumsy Flying Dagger skills appeared right in front of me.
Paat - !
The figure that had suddenly appeared before me slashed a Flying Dagger at my neck immediately.
Their instantaneous speed was at least equal to or greater than Cheon Ye-Seo’s. Because of this, my movements grew too large while reacting to the Attack, and I had no choice but to use my footwork to retreat and open up some distance.
“Damn it…”
Putting aside the fact that I had lost the Grand Elder when I practically had him, I first examined the one who had ambushed me.
A black mask covering their entire face, black martial attire, the Flying Dagger in their hand, and judging by their small stature and eyes, it was evident…
“A woman?”
A young woman at that. Despite her possessing the skills of a Demonic Cult Elder,
“Salwang - ! Never mind me, save the Deputy Cult Leader in front of me - !!”
“…!”
Whether she couldn’t speak or chose not to, the one called Salwang didn’t answer the Grand Elder’s shout and immediately looked ahead.
Over there…
“Die - !!!”
“Ugh…”
Ha Jinseong was pressing his Sword against the neck of the profusely bleeding Cheon Ye-Seo to finish her off.
As soon as she saw that, Salwang shot something from her arm and hit Ha Jinseong’s arm. And Ha Jinseong, having been hit by that something…
“…!”
Twang - !
…could not move his arm, as if time had stopped.
“A Paralysis Needle?”
At first, I thought that was what it was. But it wasn’t.
Because amidst the fog covering the surroundings, the thing binding Ha Jinseong’s arm revealed itself.
“Thread? Wire?”
Regardless, a thin string was currently holding Ha Jinseong’s arm in place.
Paat - !
And using this as leverage, Salwang lunged at Ha Jinseong…
Stab - ! Stab - ! Stab - !
“Keuaaaaa - !!!”
…and drove her Flying Dagger into his shoulder several times.
Even this was only because Ha Jinseong had reacted by twisting his body; if he had made a mistake, his neck would have been taken.
Seueuk - .
Salwang’s Flying Dagger, having punched holes in Ha Jinseong’s shoulder, now headed toward his neck.
“Damn it.”
As soon as I saw that, I rushed at Salwang.
Because the original Protagonist, Ha Jinseong, couldn’t die yet.
Clang - !
But Salwang blocked me as soon as I lunged, as if she had been waiting for it.
Screeech -, screeech - .
“This crazy bitch…”
…her Internal Power is considerable.
To Block my Sword with this small Flying Dagger.
Still, thanks to my intervention, Ha Jinseong’s life was saved, but as if this ordeal had drained all his energy, he collapsed to the side with a thud.
Furthermore…
“…Oh, Little Heaven - !”
…in the end, I failed to finish off Cheon Ye-Seo and lost her to the Grand Elder.
“Grand…, elder…”
“We will move while applying pressure to the wounds. Deputy Cult Leader, please try to stop the bleeding yourself as much as possible.”
“Yeah…”
“Damn it…”
I almost had them…!
Clang, clang - !! Clang, clang, clang - !!
If only this one wasn’t blocking my way…!
“Dharma King - ! We retreat while Salwang buys time - !!”
“Kuhahaha - ! Are we finally leaving?!”
At the Grand Elder’s words, the Dharma King threw a Demonic Fist toward the Murim Alliance guys to distract them, then slipped out of the battlefield.
And then…
“We pull out at top speed.”
“Understood.”
…he escaped the Sparring Arena alongside the Grand Elder, who was holding Cheon Ye-Seo in his arms.
“Move, you fucker - !”
“…”
I tried to chase after them immediately, but I couldn’t because of Salwang, who silently kept blocking my path.
“The villains of the Demonic Cult are escaping over there - !”
“Catch them - !”
The Righteous Faction Murim Alliance guys also yelled as they saw the Demonic Cult Bastards fleeing, but they couldn’t give chase because the other Demonic Cult assassins blocked them.
“Damn it… if only there were just one more capable person…”
The moment I gritted my teeth at the thought that I was going to lose them…!
-ROOOAAAR - !!
“…!”
…the Familiar cry of a Beast rang in my ears.
* * *
Seven and a half minutes ago.
A group had reached the Anhui Outskirts via a Mountain Path.
“Sect Leader, the place you see over there is Anhui.”
“Right.”
The guides of Haomun and the Haomun Leader.
And…
“Hmm… the smell of unfamiliar humans is too strong, hmph.”
“…”
It was the specialty of the Hunan Green Forest, the Imugi Yongyong.
Seeing Yongyong click her tongue, the Haomun Leader let out a sigh and asked.
“Haa… if you hate the smell of unfamiliar humans, why did you tag along, Lord Imugi?”
“Well, you know… because I’m worried…”
The Haomun Leader hadn’t followed Muyeon in preparation for a potential clash with the Sichuan Tang Family.
However, no matter what anyone said, Anhui was in the middle of Enemy Territory.
Bothered by the fact that she had sent Muyeon alone to such a place, she came to Anhui with other Haomun Sect Members.
Even this was originally meant to be a stealthy trip with a minimum number of people, but the Imugi threw a tantrum insisting on coming along, so it couldn’t be helped.
Furthermore, the Imugi…
‘We’d get there in no time if we just flew, so why are you stopping me - !’
‘No, what would other people think if an Imugi suddenly appeared in the Anhui sky? Even if it’s uncomfortable, please stay in human form for now…’
“They should be happy if an Imugi appears - ! This great one, who will soon become a dragon, has personally made an appearance - !”
…the Haomun Leader had barely managed to talk her out of flying in her true form.
Although she had lived for hundreds of years, the Imugi, who had only begun to mingle with humans less than a year ago, was like a whining child.
‘How hard I’ve tried all this time to hold back the urge to make snake soup…’
The Haomun Leader barely suppressed her inner anger and was giving Yongyong a final warning when…
“…Lord Imugi. I’m telling you for the last time, if you cause a commotion over there…”
“I said I got it! Ugh, you stickler. It’s because you’re such a stickler that Muyeon won’t give you his heart.”
“…This damn snake.”
…unable to hold back at the very end, she secretly drew a Flying Dagger.
Imugi or not, she was planning to turn that cheeky snake brat into Sichuan’s famous poisonous liquor.
But right then…
BOOOOOOM - !!!
“…!”
“…!”
A massive roar, loud enough for even those in the Anhui Outskirts to hear, erupted from the direction of the Anhui center.
Startled by the noise, the Haomun Leader looked over there…
“…I can feel a very Evil energy coming from over there right now.”
“…What?”
…Yongyong muttered, her body trembling briefly.
Evil energy?
Hadn’t the Hunan Green Forest recently fought a decisive battle with an Evil being called the Blood Demon Corpse King?
At this, the Haomun Leader asked with a feeling of disbelief…
“Evil energy… don’t tell me it’s the Demonic Cult?”
“…It seems to be the case.”
…Yongyong soon nodded.
As soon as she heard a definite answer from Yongyong, the Haomun Leader yelled at her.
“Then you should Transform into your true form right now. What are you doing?!”
“Y-you… why are you suddenly yelling? A-and you told me absolutely not to Transform into my true form from now on…”
“Is that what’s important right now? Hurry up and return to your true form. We’re flying there right this instant.”
“U-uh… okay…!”
When the Haomun Leader, who had been holding back until now, spoke forcefully, Yongyong shrank back and immediately transformed into her true form, then let the Haomun Leader ride on her back.
* * *
“Yongyong-a…!”
My joy at the appearance of a reliable kid - no, a reliable Beast - was short-lived, and I couldn’t help but be flustered.
And for good reason. Why was she suddenly here?
But I wasn’t the only one surprised.
“I-it’s a dragon - !!”
“N-no, it’s an Imugi - !”
Not only the other Murim Alliance Martial Artists who were fighting a battle against the Demonic Cult’s assassins…
“…!”
…but even Salwang in front of me looked surprised.
-ROOOAAAR - !
Just like that, Yongyong let out another Loud Roar, revealing her presence once more…
Rumble, rumble - !
“…!”
…and charged straight at Salwang, slamming into her.
BOOM - !!
Yongyong charged with a tremendous Aura, but the fast Salwang dodged the Attack just like that.
Still, there was a result.
Thanks to Yongyong, I was able to open up some distance from Salwang.
“If I chase after the Demonic Cult Bastards while Yongyong is keeping Salwang busy…!”
It was then.
“Great Hero - !!”
“Haomun Leader?”
Yongyong hadn’t come alone; she had the Haomun Leader riding on her back.
She briefly surveyed the surroundings from atop Yongyong’s back…
“…I will handle that person.”
…then hopped off her back and aimed a dagger at Salwang.
“Please, Great Hero, hurry and chase after the Demonic Cult guys with the Imugi.”
“…”
Did she Grasp the entire situation of the battle in that short amount of time?
As expected, the Haomun Leader’s brain works fast, and she knows her own role all too well.
Since Yongyong was essential for chasing the Demonic Cult guys, I didn’t decline and left Salwang to her.
“Wolhwa, you’ll never be able to catch her at your level. Just buy some time.”
“…Yes!”
Hearing the Haomun Leader’s answer, I immediately climbed onto Yongyong’s back.
“Yongyong-a, you smell the Demonic Cult Bastards, right? Let’s go there right now.”
-Got it!
Now that I had a mount, I had no intention of letting the Demonic Cult Bastards go nicely.
Swoosh - !!
Yongyong immediately flew up toward the fleeing Demonic Cult Bastards.