Chapter 45: Chapter 45

Chapter 45. Subjugating the Bandits (5)

Internal energy shot out from Lee Byeok’s hand.

It was a mere emission of qi, not a technique or anything of the sort.

But it was enough to make the middle-aged man, who was already battered from the previous clash, retreat.

Lee Byeok pulled out the saber stuck in his side and threw it to the floor.

No, it, shattered to pieces and retaining only the trace of a blade, could hardly be called a saber anymore.

The wound was shallow.

“Keu… i-impossible!!!”

“You bastard who deserves to be torn to shreds! How dare you! This exalted one! You dare to mock me!!!”

The man trembled all over.

But Lee Byeok found it hard to understand.

The one who should be angry and the one who should receive that anger were reversed.

Strictly speaking, that anger was not his to bear either, but since he had the power, he could act in their stead.

Lee Byeok’s internal energy finally vanished.

As the Innate energy stopped moving, the depleted internal energy of the Azure River Flowing Leaf Art was no longer replenished.

And the next moment, the Innate energy moved again.

It responded to Lee Byeok’s killing intent, flowing along the optimal path.

A turbid energy began to rush through Lee Byeok’s body like a raging tide. It was the internal energy of the Red Faction Heart Art.

Killing intent boiled over.

The root of the inner demon, which had been suppressed in a corner of his heart by the incantations of the Red Faction Heart Art, was now uncontrolled, and he had no thought of controlling it.

He entrusted himself to it.

“Th-this power, could it be? H-how could a bastard like you…? N-no, it can’t be—!!”

Suddenly, the man spouted incomprehensible words. A clear sense of bewilderment flashed across his face as he looked at Lee Byeok.

But it was brief. The man’s face, after the surprise passed, soon contorted again.

The man roared and charged.

Picking up the broken saber, he seemed to be squeezing out all his strength. Something like enhanced qi flickered faintly.

But it was not threatening at all.

The opponent felt so frail that their earlier confrontation seemed awkward. His large body meant there were many places to cut.

Lee Byeok met him with his sword.

First Technique, Chaos.

Two impact sounds burst out from a single strike.

On the first impact, the man’s attack was futilely extinguished.

And the second impact carved open the man’s chest. The brutally torn sword wound belatedly gushed with blood.

But it was not a fatal wound.

This was his first time using it in a real battle.

There were still techniques left to test.

“Keut, keuha! Kehehehe!!”

The sword of Hainan danced with joy.

Even against the four surviving enemies, he was not pushed back; rather, he was cornering them.

That fact was enough to encourage Pa Jin-seong.

Of course, it was also something possible because he was not alone.

Pa Jin-seong’s sword was persistent and sharp, but it had a weakness of frequently exposing his own openings as he boldly charged in.

This had been his biggest headache, holding him back ever since he first held a sword.

But at this moment, Pa Jin-seong didn’t have to worry about his openings at all.

Gongson Su’s dagger uncannily covered those openings for Pa Jin-seong.

She did not allow the enemies a single opportunity to counterattack.

‘Kehehe, this is ecstatic?!’

It was several times easier for the two of them to face four than for him alone to face two.

He had to hold out this much to save face.

Flying Dragon Squad Leader Lee Byeok had met enhanced qi with enhanced qi, sent the enemy leader flying into the house, and pursued him to finish the job.

He had no choice but to admit defeat.

In any case, the fight inside would soon be decided, and the one who would walk out alive on two feet would be Lee Byeok.

He had such a belief.

“Kekeut, keukakaka, kehehehe!!”

He couldn’t stop laughing.

It seemed his own head had gone strange, talking about belief after following him for only a few days.

When he left Hainan, he had never thought he would end up in such a miserable situation.

But it was exhilarating. This girl from the Dark Shadow Pavilion, who pissed him off at every turn, had damn good synergy with him.

He was glad he lost to Maeng U-gang.

He had even come to think that.

For a fleeting moment, a chill ran down Pa Jin-seong’s spine. Goosebumps rose on his skin.

For an instant, Pa Jin-seong flinched.

It was something that should never happen during a life-or-death battle.

But fortunately, Pa Jin-seong did not suffer any damage from an enemy counterattack.

Because everyone fighting at that moment, including Gongson Su and the enemies, had felt the exact same sensation.

The battle stopped as if by a lie.

Everyone’s gaze turned to the rear.

Pa Jin-seong muttered.

Killing intent. No, perhaps something else.

A vicious presence, the likes of which he had never experienced before, was flowing out thick and heavy from the house where Lee Byeok and the enemy leader had gone.

Eudeuk, Gongson Su ground her teeth.

She was the first to regain her composure.

She quickly assessed the situation. She couldn’t know exactly what was happening inside.

Either the enemy had been hiding his true strength, or there was another, real leader.

In any case, she had a hunch.

The presence felt like a cloud.

Something that should be invisible was tightening its grip on everyone's throats as if it were real.

No matter how strong Lee Byeok was, there was no way a mere prodigy could withstand such an energy.

Perhaps… no, probably Lee Byeok was already dead or would die soon.

The Jianghu surpassed imagination.

To think that an investment she thought she could never lose would meet such an absurd end in a mountain village .

Gongson Su looked back at Pa Jin-seong, who had a dumbfounded look on his face. Conflict arose.

‘…Should I use him as bait and run?’

At that moment, something broke through the wall and shot outside. Even then, its momentum remained, and it bounced on the ground and flew away.

‘It’ began to crawl on all fours.

It took a little time to realize that the bloody lump was a human with one arm and one leg severed.

And from inside the collapsed wall, a figure slowly walked out. The identity of that figure, clad in an aura like a god of slaughter… was Lee Byeok.

Lee Byeok frowned slightly.

“I’m not used to it yet.”

“Hi, hiiik! Euaaaak!”

The one who had flown out first screamed.

His body, persistently carved up, was already beyond survival, but he somehow struggled and tried to get away.

Lee Byeok closed the distance.

He strode through the cowering villagers. And then.

The moment he brought the tip of his sword to the fallen one, that was the end. Its remaining two limbs and neck bent grotesquely, and its movements ceased.

It was unbelievable, but it was Lee Byeok.

If so… Gongson Su’s gaze turned to the fallen corpse. He had been cut by a sword, but his appearance was bizarre, as if crushed by a great weight.

The identity of that corpse was…….

Seuk, Lee Byeok’s gaze moved.

The moment she met those eyes, Gongson Su swallowed hard, gulp.

Lee Byeok closed the distance.

Gongson Su unknowingly took a step back. But fortunately, Lee Byeok’s target was not her.

And the next moment, the enemies that Pa Jin-seong and Gongson Su had been fighting until just a moment ago met their deaths.

They couldn't even last a few exchanges.

Cut, carved, slashed, and crushed.

The four of them were dismantled into pieces in an instant, without even letting out a decent scream.

Hududuk, they fell like rain.

And Lee Byeok walked again.

He crossed the courtyard and went out the gate.

Watching his back, Gongson Su thought. Outside, Eon Mi-hee would be fighting the remaining madmen.

But that back… did not look like someone going to fight the remaining enemies.

A beast moving ‘to find something to kill’.

In the silence, Pa Jin-seong spoke.

“Well, it’s good that we won, but……”

“…What’s with that guy? His energy has completely changed…? I don’t know for sure, but don’t you think we should stop him?”

As he said, the current Lee Byeok was alien.

His energy, the sword he used, it was as if a completely different person wearing Lee Byeok’s appearance had appeared. But.

“…How are we supposed to stop that? If you’re confident, Young Master Pa, why don’t you go and talk to him?”

The two looked down at the corpses strewn at their feet.

Facing death was nothing new, but seeing a human who was alive just a moment ago butchered was still shudder-inducing.

“…Let’s follow him for now.”

The two followed after Lee Byeok.

And before long, they found Lee Byeok in a clearing in the distance, swinging his sword against the madmen.

It was indeed closer to the scene of a slaughterhouse than a battlefield. The enemies were swiftly eliminated like weeds.

The Peak Master, and his disciples who were close to the first-rate, did not last more than a few exchanges and became gruesome corpses.

In the first place, there was no way the madmen, who were merely ferocious, could stand against Lee Byeok.

The madmen, who numbered in the dozens, were reduced to rags in a few breaths, nearly half of them.

Even a madman seemed to feel fear in the face of such emotionless ruthlessness.

Finally, the few remaining madmen turned their backs. They began to scatter in all directions and flee.

Lee Byeok’s sword stopped.

He looked around for a moment before starting to walk again.

His steps were not fast, but it seemed he had no intention of letting a single one escape alive.

…Something was definitely wrong.

It felt like he shouldn't be left .

But… Gongson Su didn’t know what to do. Did the current Lee Byeok even have the ability to distinguish friend from foe?

From the midst of the scattering madmen, a small figure shot out. It was Eon Mi-hee.

She stood in Lee Byeok’s way.

Lee Byeok’s steps stopped. And then.

“Y-Young Master…? What’s wrong? No, what happened?”

Hwook, Lee Byeok’s sword swung.

He was still in the middle of killing, and there were still things left to kill. The sword moved out of inertia, ahead of his thoughts.

But a small sense of unease brushed past him.

For what purpose was he trying to cut what?

At that moment, Eon Mi-hee’s face came into Lee Byeok’s view. Thɪs chapter is updated by n0velfire.net

—Actually, I wouldn’t want to be close to someone who is unfazed after killing a person… I was relieved that you aren’t that kind of person, Young Master.

The moment his heart wavered, the tip of the sword rapidly lost its momentum and became dull.

But it was a little too late to completely withdraw the extended sword. The tip of the sword rushed towards Eon Mi-hee’s neck.

A gauntlet blocked Lee Byeok’s sword.

Fortunately, she was not weak. Eon Mi-hee, who pushed the sword blade away, ground her teeth, bbadeuk.

The next moment, Eon Mi-hee’s forehead slammed into Lee Byeok’s forehead.