Chapter 51: Chapter 51

Chapter 51: Now! Black Path King!

Kwaaaang kwaaaang kwaaaang

Iron Head Fierce Tiger pleaded.

"Then one last time."

Throwing him with all my might, his head completely embedded in the tunnel wall.

His squirming limbs looked like a fierce toad, true to his alias.

The passage was wider than ordinary tunnels.

Holding Mukheun, I stepped forward as three or four Black Path stood in a row—

"It's the Ink Sword Hero! Run!"

"He chased all the way here!"

"Quickly go back! Quickly!"

—and fled in the opposite direction from me.

Miner Yi Gwangsam didn't know the alias Black Path King.

Instead, he'd chosen locations where a leader might be.

"The vanguard is this Jin Yeomyeong! I'll break through to where the Black Path King is!"

Vanguard Jin Yeomyeong.

Been a while since I shouted this.

After shouting , always behind—

"Follow the Ink Sword Hero's back!"

—battle cries mixed with inner power burst forth.

Heat blooming from each other's bodies was hot.

Various weapons naturally scattered to positions where they could help each other.

"Jianghu brothers who responded to the request! Thank you all! Let's go!"

I stepped forward holding Mukheun.

Requests sent with time gaps fearing word would leak.

But it was meaningless. Everyone rushed at full strength, jumping into the subjugation battle.

Not only the Extermination Corps, Outer Hall, and Beggar's Gang branch—

"Ink Sword Hero! We felt bad leaving Black Path subjugation only to you. We'll also lend hands."

Martial artists who'd been watching for opportunities to help seeing my exploits.

"To think such Black Path were hiding in Luoyang. Shameful! Shameful!"

White Path angry at the fact they hadn't noticed Black Path.

"Baeklim Sect! Danseon Hall! Cheolyun Sect! The hero didn't forget and called us. Do your part here!"

Jianghu people with small connections to me, like sects that arrived late when I went to Oga Pharmacy.

"New Dragon Sword Gang! We rebuild the gang's reputation! Gang members, charge!"

"Follow the gang leader! Charge!"

Even Dragon Sword Gang, split in half over the gang's future after the gang leader's death.

"Gang Leader Go Seokmun! Truly worthy of being called Dragon Sword! Take the left passage!"

"I'm ashamed, Ink Sword Hero! Leave this passage to us!"

Go Seokmun, who'd been abandoned for saying right words to the gang leader, was the new gang leader.

All these martial artists gathered—

"Send the Ink Sword Hero forward!"

"Black Path King or whatever, help the Ink Sword Hero defeat him!"

"Don't let bastards block the hero's path!"

—wielding weapons so I could reach the Black Path King.

"Shut up! Think we'll let you pass!"

Kwaaang—the right tunnel wall suddenly collapsed, opening a passage.

One Black Path burst out thrusting a spear.

"Die! Jin Yeomyeong!"

A fairly sharp attack.

"You won't even reach the Ink Sword Hero, bastard!"

One White Path lunged with a sword thrust.

Black Path lost his life without even recovering the spear.

Even when other Black Path burst from the passage afterward,

more martial artists rushed them.

Watching that scene, I moved forward—

Follow the Sword God's back!

Exterminate the Demonic Cult!

Murim Alliance! Forward!

—as past memories overlapped, forward again.

The title Sword God stuck only after beheading the Cult Leader.

A more familiar title—

"Murim Alliance Demon-Subjugating Vanguard Jin Yeomyeong is here."

"Luoyang's Ink Sword Hero is here!"

Cutting and cutting Black Path, forward.

I ducked, evading the spear strike aimed at my chest.

Closing distance by digging toward Black Path, I swung Mukheun—

The spear-wielder shouted.

Words to the Black Path visible to my left. That Black Path swung a great blade.

"Heuhahaaha! Ink Sword Hero! Die!"

The great blade had no thought of protecting the spear-wielder.

He brought the blade down vertically toward my head, not Mukheun. Just intending to claim merit and reputation.

This is why it's easy.

First I finished cutting the spear-wielder.

Next, I quickly evaded the great blade with Xun Trigram Technique.

The great blade that missed me struck the ground as is due to the force—

And didn't know how to come back up.

Because I'd sent the great blade-wielding Black Path's neck flying.

Shu shu shu shuk—hidden weapons flew.

"What! There are people here!"

"Stop throwing! Don't you hear me saying stop!"

The one throwing hidden weapons didn't care whether other Black Path in front got hit.

He was like the great blade too—defeating me to gain merit and reputation was more important. Other Black Path's lives had no value whatsoever.

A Black Path holding a mace jumped far back—

"Aaaaak!" ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ novel⟡fire.net

—and soon a scream was heard.

The mace probably killed the hidden weapon thrower.

While cutting several Black Path dulled by hidden weapons, the mace jumped forward again.

As soon as he came, I cut him.

"Strike all at once!"

Only one fool deceived by that shout jumped before me.

The deceived one felt something strange and looked back.

Those words were his last words.

Even deceived here, I had no reason to show mercy.

"Where to run? We're underground?"

"Meaning this is your grave!"

Wuuuung—Mukheun howled.

Even rats bite cats when cornered.

Black Path jumped out convulsively.

Kwadeuk, paak, jjjeok—I killed them all.

Wuuuuung—Mukheun cries.

Beyond the dark tunnel with no torches lit—

"Ink Sword Hero. Indeed, your reputation isn't false."

Someone walked out holding a blade painted blood-red.

Seeing that blade, an alias came to mind.

"I heard Blood Path Guest doesn't work under anyone?"

"I heard the Ink Sword Hero does what the Alliance instructs."

Since I changed, Blood Path Guest could change too.

Even so, Blood Path Guest being here was somewhat surprising.

"I remember you harmed Mount Hua Sect disciples in Chang'an and fled. Didn't know you remained in Henan. Thought you'd gone to the Outer Regions."

After that, I thought he'd entered again with the Demonic Cult. To think he was hiding here in Luoyang.

"When their encirclement tightened, thought it was the end, but as you see, I'm alive and well here."

Huwoong—he swung the blood-red blade once.

"And someday I'll return to Chang'an."

"What about Mount Hua Sect?"

Blood Path Guest laughed low and sinister, yet containing ambition.

"No. You needn't answer."

People who laugh like that always say ridiculous things afterward. Don't particularly want to hear it.

"I'll kill Mount Hua Sect bastards and set all of Mount Hua on fire."

Blood Path Guest answered anyway.

As expected, ridiculous words.

I tried giving some reasonable words but stopped.

"No. Never mind. Blood Path Guest, you die here."

I just told him the result.

"Arrogant bastard. Made a name in quiet Luoyang and there's nothing in your sight? You're just a frog in a well."

"Then shall I visit Mount Hua outside Luoyang? Carrying your head."

Wuuuung—I raised Mukheun.

Blood Path Guest also presented his blood-red blade.

We two briefly met gazes.

While sensing the tunnel's width and height, Mukheun and the blood blade's lengths, the distance between him and me, breathing, posture, etc. in an instant—

Blood Path Guest attacked me first.

Though his preparation wasn't complete?

Chaeaeng—with intense sound, blade and sword clashed.

A strike containing inner power from the start.

Too fierce from the beginning.

Eight Sensations swept the tunnel interior.

I confirmed the possibility of enemies emerging if somewhere else collapsed.

Such places weren't felt.

Blood Path Guest's blade thrust out even more intensely.

Each technique as if disregarding himself.

Inner power was also excessively contained.

'Shall I respond? Curious what trap exists.'

When I consistently defended as if completely bound by Blood Path Guest's attacks—

"Now! Black Path King!"

Blood Path Guest burst out shouting while moving hands faster and stronger.

So that's why Blood Path Guest came out .

A battle for a figure more important than himself.

A development where he binds me and the Black Path King delivers the final blow. A strategy established under the premise that the Black Path King's martial arts were formidable.

I also raised inner power to the maximum.

"Black Path King! One strike!"

Blood Path Guest tried binding me more while exhausting inner power.

Though openings in his techniques grew, I also didn't thrust Mukheun while wary of the Black Path King.

Blood Path Guest's inner power exhaustion grew.

To that extent, preventing me from moving.

"Black Path King! Right now!"

Wungwungwungwung—how much inner power did he put in the blade that the sound was quite fierce.

The Black Path King didn't appear readily, perhaps watching for opportunity.

"Black Path King! You should come now!"

Around now, he should come.

Blood Path Guest's inner power was endlessly exhausting.

Now the blade gradually slowed. Technique ends scattered. Inner power limits showed.

"Heok, heok, heok. Black... Path King... sir?"

A master of Blood Path Guest's level sweated like rain and breath rose to his chin.

The blade stopped completely.

"Look, not for me to say, but shouldn't he have come earlier to come?"

Blood Path Guest couldn't answer.

I was also so curious I called over Blood Path Guest's shoulder.

"Black Path King? Are you there?"

My question rang through the tunnel entering inside.

Blood Path Guest stopped his blade and looked back as if absurd.

Why does "could it be" catch people ?

No matter how much I expanded Eight Sensations, couldn't even feel the Black Path King's presence.

I met gazes with Blood Path Guest.

"Blood Path Guest, how about surrendering?"

Even surrendering wouldn't end well for him. Obviously would be escorted to the Alliance then handed to Mount Hua Sect.

Blood Path Guest deployed ultimate techniques with last true qi. Was useless. He'd already exhausted inner power to exhaustion.

Puhwak—Mukheun dealt him serious injury.

After subduing Blood Path Guest with pressure points—

Let's collect him later.

For now, I went inside.

Raising lightness technique, I jumped deeper into the tunnel.

"Black Path King is more cunning than expected?"

Thought he'd step forward around now.

What other move existed by fleeing from here?

A thought flashed that this loach-like method resembled someone I knew.

Whiiiik—the tunnel I ran into with Xun Trigram Technique.

Wind was felt inside the tunnel where there should be no wind since blocked.

I left caves or chambers in the tunnel alone and ran following that wind.

The tunnel that had deepened turned upward again and finally led outside.

What spread before my eyes were trees covering the mountain.

Since leaves hadn't fallen yet, not much was visible.

With tail tucked from here?

If a Demonic Cult figure was right, should fight here.

Because the failure's scale was too large.

Returning after failing this much, Demonic Cult's harsh punishment awaited.

Would regret that should have died to White Path martial artists.

One reason Demonic Cult members attack without regard for their own lives.

Then must have confidence that the Cult wouldn't harm him even fleeing.

Either quite high leadership—

or else still had value to use...

I went back inside and picked up Blood Path Guest.

"The Black Path King himself is an Alliance person."

Someone with position in the Alliance.

I'd thought the Black Path King planted spies in Luoyang branch or appeased someone, but that wasn't it.

"What? What are you saying? I... U-uwaaak!"

I pressed pressure points inflicting pain.

"Don't pretend not to know."

"I really don't know such things. Just kill me. Anyway, even if I live..."

"You really don't know the Black Path King's face?"

"That per—, no, that bastard always wore a mask speaking with fabricated voice."

"Really? Then what did he do coming this time?"

Blood Path Guest raised vacant eyes looking at me.

"Guyang Je, punished the loser bastard."

As expected, came here.

"Dead. Buried with the tunnel."

A Demonic Cult member's end was this miserable. Would have lived well as trading captain, but his final end was a corpse in a tunnel.

After knocking Blood Path Guest unconscious,

I briefly closed my eyes recalling Murim Alliance Luoyang branch.

The place where I'd received missions, and occasionally stopped by conversing with Outer Hall warriors— the Black Path King was there.

A calling voice was heard from behind.

"Found the tunnel where miners and children are trapped!"