Chapter 69
"How... are you here?"
Jegal Gil stared at Yeo Un-hwi with an expression of utter disbelief.
He couldn't tell if the current situation was a dream or reality.
What had just unfolded before his eyes was so incredible that it was hard to believe even though he had witnessed it directly.
Yeo Un-hwi's blade had severed the arm of Black Demon, one of the terrifying Ten Great Demon Stars, so quickly that Jegal Gil hadn't even seen it happen.
As someone who had trained in martial arts himself, Jegal Gil could vaguely grasp just how extraordinary this feat was.
As a result, Jegal Gil's eyes, which were usually so impassive that people called him stony-faced, were now shaking violently as if an earthquake had struck.
Yet Yeo Un-hwi himself simply smiled at Jegal Gil as if nothing unusual had occurred.
And then he said:
"Haha. What a coincidence. To think we'd run into each other like this on an evening stroll."
"...Pardon?"
Jegal Gil's face went blank.
An evening stroll? What nonsense was this?
"Ha, haha..."
A hollow laugh escaped Jegal Gil's lips.
He wasn't sure what Yeo Un-hwi was playing at, but it was clear that he had come here to save Jegal Gil.
Then, with a rather serious expression, Yeo Un-hwi said:
"For now, step back. We can talk later."
"Ah, understood."
Jegal Gil quickly nodded and retreated at Yeo Un-hwi's words.
Then he stared at the back of the man standing before him with utterly confused eyes.
Yeo Un-hwi.
Just who on earth was this man?
In this life-or-death situation, that suddenly became Jegal Gil's most burning question.
"...Huh?"
Meanwhile, Black Demon blinked for a moment before lowering his gaze to his severed arm.
His face quickly contorted with rage.
"Grrrr... You!"
He had lost his arm so suddenly and absurdly that he couldn't process it. It was completely unexpected.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Black Demon quickly stemmed the bleeding from his arm.
It was unbelievable. Even if he had let his guard down, to be defeated so easily...
"You... who are you?"
Black Demon unleashed a fierce aura, his face twisted with rising anger.
But Yeo Un-hwi calmly withstood the pressure without the slightest concern.
"Hmm. An old monster from the Demonic Cult this time. I seem to be getting my hands bloody with old men quite often lately. This doesn't bode well for my dreams."
Yeo Un-hwi casually dusted off his blade and chuckled softly.
"Or perhaps I'm simply sending ghosts who should have long since gone to hell on their way. Maybe it's the opposite."
"You insolent fool! Do you know who I am?!"
"Who else would you be but one of the Ten Great Demon Stars of the Demonic Cult?"
"Y-You..."
Black Demon ground his teeth.
He was extremely displeased by the young man before him who acted so leisurely in his presence.
His attitude suggested he could kill Black Demon at any time.
It was utterly absurd.
Who in the Central Plains martial world would dare speak so carelessly in front of him?
The only ones capable of that would be the Cult Leader who ruled the Demonic Cult or perhaps the Twelve Venerables of the World.
But then...
'Wait a moment.'
A sudden thought struck Black Demon and his eyes widened.
Getting his hands bloody with old monsters more often lately?
Then who else had he dealt with before this?
Hmm.
Hebei Peng Family, White Wolf Unit... Oh ho.
Black Demon's face twisted strangely as he quickly put the pieces together.
"I see. So you're the one who killed Extreme Evil Laughing Demon. And even our Demonic Cult's Black Kill Squad!"
"Well, I suppose there were some like that among those I've cut down recently."
"You dare act so impudent!"
"Is this impudence, or simply ability?"
Yeo Un-hwi gestured towards Black Demon's severed arm as he spoke.
"If anything, it seems you're the one acting leisurely, given that arm of yours."
He had already become a one-armed man.
Just moments ago, because of Yeo Un-hwi.
Black Demon snorted in response.
"Hmph! Even so, do you think I can't defeat the likes of you?"
"Oh? I think you can't."
"You rotten bastard!"
He was certainly not one to back down from a verbal spar.
Black Demon glared fiercely at Yeo Un-hwi as he racked his brains.
Come to think of it, he had never heard of such a young master in the Peng Family before.
Was he a new addition to the Peng Family? Or perhaps someone they had secretly nurtured away from the public eye?
No, no.
It was hard to believe the Peng Family had deliberately raised such a young man to this level of mastery.
If they had that kind of potential, the Peng Family should rightfully be far more renowned than they currently were.
So where on earth did this man come from!
"...Ha!"
Well, fine. He may not know where this man suddenly appeared from, but in any case!
"Very well. Your youthful spirit is admirable, but you'll regret appearing before me today."
"My, my. For an old man who's lost an arm, you're certainly spirited. Wait, don't tell me that arm of yours is going to suddenly regenerate or something?"
Given how many bizarre demonic arts the Demonic Cult possessed, Yeo Un-hwi thought it was entirely possible.
But Black Demon took even that comment as mockery, his eyes glinting as he snorted.
"Hmph. You madman. I'll kill you right now!"
Black Demon shouted, his voice filled with rage.
And why wouldn't he be angry?
Before being a member of the Demonic Cult, he was a martial artist.
Losing an arm was an enormous loss.
It was a tremendous injury that could never be recovered, no matter how much time passed.
And to suffer it at the hands of this arrogant young upstart, no less.
This would surely be a humiliating incident that the other Ten Great Demon Stars would mock him for endlessly.
Moreover, this young man seemed to have gained immense confidence from slaying Extreme Evil Laughing Demon.
How impudent and ignorant.
Even if Extreme Evil Laughing Demon was one of the Absolute Great Evils, he was considered the weakest among them.
He had only been lucky enough to be called one of the Absolute Great Evils.
Yet this fool dared act so arrogant just for defeating him?
Or did he think he had gained the upper hand by cutting off Black Demon's arm just now?
Black Demon resolved to tear this young man apart as painfully as possible.
Soon, he began unleashing his full power.
\[Destruction Star-Absorbing Demonic Art\]
Suddenly, all the air around them began to ripple.
Then came the illusion of hearing the cries of vengeful spirits from somewhere.
Yeo Un-hwi's face showed a hint of surprise.
"Oh ho! I've heard the martial arts of the Demonic Cult's Ten Great Demon Stars were impressive, and it seems that wasn't an exaggeration."
"It's already too late! You fool!"
Kuung. Kugugugung.
\[Poison Sand Palm\]
Kwang! Kwaang!
Pueong! Peng peng! Pueoeoeng!
Every time Black Demon swung his remaining hand, the impact was enough to alter the surrounding terrain.
It was truly tremendous power.
Even having lost one arm, his attacks were strong enough that it wouldn't be strange for him to guarantee victory against most opponents.
But Yeo Un-hwi was effortlessly evading Black Demon's attacks.
"How is this possible..."
Jegal Gil's eyes were trembling uncontrollably.
And for good reason - Jegal Gil had been completely convinced that this man Yeo Un-hwi was nothing more than a scholar who knew not a shred of martial arts.
He had examined him with Aura Perception several times and found not the slightest trace of martial arts training.
Yet this same man had suddenly appeared, cut off Black Demon's arm, and was now facing him head-on.
And not just holding his own, but seemingly having the upper hand.
The Ten Great Demon Stars of the Demonic Cult were such formidable opponents that even in the Orthodox Faction, excluding the Twelve Venerables of the World, there weren't even seven people who could face them evenly.
The reason the combined forces of the Nine Great Sects and Five Great Families, even if fully united with the Murim Alliance, were considered inferior to the Demonic Cult was precisely because of the existence of these Ten Great Demon Stars.
Black Demon was an absolute master who had maintained his position as a Demon Venerable for the third-longest time among the Ten Great Demon Stars.
Yet to see someone matching such a master blow for blow...
No, that wasn't quite right. It wasn't an even match. To Jegal Gil's eyes, Yeo Un-hwi clearly looked more relaxed and dominant.
It was simply astonishing.
'So this is that man's true strength.'
But Jegal Gil didn't know.
He didn't realize that right now, Yeo Un-hwi wasn't even revealing half of his true power.
Kugugung. Paaang. Pueoeoeng!
Tremendous attacks continued to pour forth from Black Demon's hand.
Kugugugung. Guuuuu.
The ground shook violently in response to those attacks.
Jegal Gil retreated a bit further.
If he were to get caught up in this battle, he could lose his life in an instant.
The impact of the fight was that immense.
Even for Jegal Gil, who had no small amount of experience, this was a level of combat he had never witnessed before.
"You bastard! Your evasion skills are infuriatingly good!"
"Ah. Did it seem that way? My apologies."
Yeo Un-hwi grinned.
He's smiling? In this situation?
Black Demon's face twitched.
At that moment,
Shwaeeeek!
Suddenly, a blade of energy flew towards Black Demon's face at incredible speed.
"Kuuuugh!"
I'm, I'm going to die!
Black Demon cried out in shock and threw his body backwards with all his might.
Fortunately, he was barely able to dodge.
"Huff. Huff."
But,
Drip.
He hadn't been able to avoid it completely - a thin line of blood trickled down his forehead.
At the same time, his hair came loose and became disheveled.
However, Black Demon was too shocked to even notice such trivial things as his hair.
'Wh-What was that!'
He hadn't seen it.
He had barely sensed it the moment it flew right up to his face.
If he hadn't desperately dodged with all his might upon feeling that chill, his head would have been instantly severed by that energy blade.
His whole body broke out in goosebumps.
How could such a thing be possible?
In his entire life, he had never seen such an incredibly swift blade technique.
Even Blade Demon, another of the Ten Great Demon Stars like himself, wasn't at this level.
"Y-You, what on earth is your true identity? How can someone your age possess such power?"
He was genuinely curious.
He had never once heard of someone like this in Hebei.
How could someone with such incredible martial arts have remained unknown until now?
It's not like he had just fallen from the sky.
Everything was a mystery.
But above all, this man was a dangerous figure.
Perhaps even more so than the Murim Alliance Leader.
So he had to report this. Somehow he had to return and report the existence of this man to his superiors...!
"Is this really the time to be lost in thought?"
As if he knew exactly what Black Demon was thinking, Yeo Un-hwi slowly curled up the corners of his mouth as he spoke to him.
But contrary to the smile on his lips, Yeo Un-hwi's eyes were gleaming with an utterly cold light.
"From now on, it would be best to use whatever power you have left to the fullest extent possible. That way, you'll have fewer regrets."
"Wh-What?!"
Black Demon met Yeo Un-hwi's gaze.
"Because."
Yeo Un-hwi smiled brightly at Black Demon.
"You're going to die here today."