Chapter 140 : A Small Lake Soaked in Blood (1)

Chapter 140:  A Small Lake Soaked in Blood (1)

As the warriors of Ihwa Palace joined the fray, the balance of the battle began to crack, and the young masters of the clans were gradually being pushed into a defensive stance.

Although the young masters of the clans struck down the subordinates of the Third Young Master and Ihwa Palace one by one, their numbers barely diminished.

With dozens of warriors from Ihwa Palace and even more assigned by the Third Young Master to the lake, the enemy forces clustered together and began to encircle them.

“Be careful! These are noble bodies you’re facing!”

Because of the Third Young Master’s words, they avoided recklessly deploying killing moves against the young masters and noble daughters of the clans.

As a result, without full intent to kill, there were no severe injuries inflicted yet.

Yong Hwarin swung his sword mercilessly at those who charged toward him.

His hands now remembered precisely when to show mercy with the blade—and when not to.

Swish!

With a single stroke from Yong Hwarin, one opponent collapsed on the spot.

“Attack all at once!”

Following the command of the man at the front, four men lunged in from the front, back, left, and right.

As all five attackers rushed in simultaneously, Yong Hwarin deployed his Tong'an Method and watched their movements.

Their motions began to appear as a single line.

‘Ah! Is this the flow?’

Every change had a flow, and every flow followed a sequence.

Once he began to see the natural order in those flows, even with five attackers closing in, many openings became visible.

Rather than calling them flaws, it was more accurate to describe them as vacant spaces.

Even though their coordinated movements seemed to seal off all directions, gaps still emerged in their formation.

Once he saw those gaps, a path of movement—a dynamic route—formed clearly in his mind.

Yong Hwarin moved along the visible route.

He glided through the five rushing warriors like a loach slipping through water, cutting them down in passing.

Not a single sound of blades clashing was heard as he cut down all five.

Monk Gak Un, watching Yong Hwarin’s movements, let out a low groan without realizing it.

He had tried to suppress his gasp, but it escaped as a stifled moan instead.

‘Even I, against that attack, would be forced into helpless defense... that’s beyond first-rate martial skill.’

Gak Un recalled the Four Diamond Guardians of Shaolin, who stood a level above the Eighteen Arhats.

He remembered how the Four Diamonds had moved similarly against the Bronze Men long ago.

‘Could it be that Donor Yong has reached a realm comparable to the Four Diamonds?’

That meant he surpassed even the Shaolin Arhats—meaning he had gone beyond the master level.

The Four Diamond Guardians of Shaolin were masters who had reached the peak of martial essence.

Gak Un realized that he had felt relieved just by Yong Hwarin’s presence, even performing Circulation of Qi unconsciously.

‘If I felt relief just from his presence, it must mean I’ve come to trust and acknowledge him from the bottom of my heart.’

While Monk Gak Un was watching in astonishment, Yong Hwarin had already cut down three more approaching enemies—without any blade clashing.

Thanks to Yong Hwarin’s performance, the boat carrying the Third Young Master became a heap of corpses.

Yong Hwarin brimmed with confidence, as though he could cut down anyone who came at him.

He turned his gaze toward the Third Young Master.

Just as he was about to advance toward him, a sharp scream made him turn his head in the opposite direction.

Seomun Seoseol had been wounded by the twin swords of the Crimson-Clad Demonic Duo. She staggered back, clutching her abdomen.

Seeing her lower abdomen dyed red, it was clear she had sustained a sword wound. Jegal Yohye, who had been watching the battlefield nearby, quickly rushed over and began treating her.

It was complete chaos.

The young masters and young mistresses of the clans were tangled in a brawl with the warriors of Ihwa Palace and the subordinates of the Third Young Master.

‘At this rate, some of them will end up dead. I need to settle this quickly…’

Jegal Cheongyeong stumbled back as she clashed against Baek Yeomma’s palm technique.

Clang!

Her sword shattered under the overwhelming power of Baek Yeomma’s energy, and she staggered backward.

Baek Yeomma saw this as an opportunity and chased after her, swinging his twin palms.

He was enraged that Jegal Cheongyeong had cut off his elegant mustache earlier, and he had completely forgotten the Third Young Master’s order not to kill. He reinforced his twin palms with internal energy and brought them down.

As Jegal Cheongyeong was in grave danger, Pang Giyok and Seomun Yuwon, who had barely escaped the other member of the Crimson-Clad Demonic Duo, simultaneously attacked Baek Yeomma from the right.

Baek Yeomma’s twin palms, initially aimed at Jegal Cheongyeong, shifted direction to block Pang Giyok’s saber and Seomun Yuwon’s blade.

“You damn brats!”

Baek Yeomma cursed as he missed the chance to finish Jegal Cheongyeong.

Clang!

Pang Giyok felt his beloved saber tremble under the palm force, and a chill ran down his spine.

He hadn’t imagined that human hands could withstand that much blade energy.

Cough!

In the meantime, Jegal Cheongyeong calmed her turbulent internal energy and spat out a mouthful of blood.

Whoosh!

But as if not granting her even a moment’s rest, Baek Yeomma raised both hands again toward her.

Seomun Yuwon was momentarily frozen in place, his energy in disarray from Baek Yeomma’s palm force. He saw Pang Giyok swing his saber at Baek Yeomma’s flank and let out a bitter smile.

‘Compared to Pang Giyok, I still have a long way to go…’

Not only Seomun Yuwon, but even in the midst of frantic fighting, the other young masters and mistresses were measuring their strength against one another.

‘The Crimson-Clad Demonic Trio are stronger than us!’

Pang Cheollyeon was astonished by the seamless coordination of the trio and grew more determined. Compared to them, she had only managed to kill three warriors of Ihwa Palace.

The Crimson-Clad Demonic Trio, on the other hand, dispatched enemies with every passing moment, demonstrating a precise swordsmanship that let them cut deeper into the enemy lines.

It seemed the trio themselves weren’t even aware of this.

Meanwhile, Shangguan Joyoung and Shangguan Mijong were being isolated on the boat where Ihwa Fairy was stationed.

Sensing their disadvantage, Danmok Gyeol and Namgung Sohong rushed to help, but warriors kept crawling out from within Ihwa Fairy’s boat.

Even Namgung Sohong found herself in danger, prompting Namgung Soomyung to join the fray—but the situation showed no sign of improvement.

The warriors who appeared later from Ihwa Fairy’s boat were even stronger.

“As expected of the hidden dragons of the great clans—this isn’t easy.”

Ihwa Fairy smiled loftily, unfazed even as her subordinates fell one after another.

“Are you just going to watch?”

An old man in robes of the House of Gari spoke from behind Ihwa Fairy.

Then an elderly woman with silver-white hair spoke in a sharp voice.

“Little Palace Mistress, the warriors of our palace are taking heavy losses.”

Ihwa Fairy, Man Inhwa, looked at the two disapprovingly and replied coldly.

“Suppress them using Ihwa Poison.”

“And what about the young masters and mistresses of the clans?”

When the elder in the robes of the Gal Clan asked, Ihwa Fairy responded.

“I intend to make them slaves of this palace. I’ve completed the Heavenly Soul Seizing Scripture this time. I’m thinking of testing it.”

“That is a dangerous idea. If you’re not careful, you could turn all the noble martial clans into enemies,” the elder warned.

But the old crone scolded him in turn.

“Elder Yoro, do you think this palace fears the noble clans of the martial world?”

“That’s not what I meant. I’m just saying there’s no benefit in turning them into enemies for no reason.”

Elder Yoro shrank slightly under the words of the White-Haired Red-Faced Monster and replied meekly.

“Hmph! This palace does not concern itself with the likes of the noble martial clans.”

Ihwa Fairy, Man Inhwa, looked at them and spoke.

“I don’t intend to kill them. I plan to brainwash them using the Heavenly Soul Seizing Scripture. Wouldn’t it be beneficial if they were brainwashed and became cooperative with this palace?”

It wasn’t necessarily a bad idea, and any further protest would surely land him in the palace lady’s bad graces, so Elder Yoro refrained from replying further.

“Please do your best, Old Lady Baek.”

“Of course, Young Mistress.”

The White-Haired Red-Faced Monster was like a nanny to the palace mistress Man Inhwa.

She had practically raised her since childhood and would obey anything she said.

“Elder Yoro, prepare the Pear Blossom Powder Poison.”

Elder Yoro could no longer resist the orders of the palace mistress and the guardian Old Lady Baek, and he pulled a leather pouch from his robe.

Poong Imso, seeing the young masters of the noble clans struggling after boarding the vessel of Ihwa Palace in the middle of a fight with the Scarlet-Clad Twin Demons, said to his fellow disciples:

“Brother Ho and Sister Hyang, go help them quickly. Brother Sa and Sister Hyangmae will take care of things here.”

The later-generation disciples of Mount Hua gathered together, protecting one another while cutting down their enemies.

Poong Imso assisted the Three Chivalrous Sisters in their fight against the Scarlet-Clad Twin Demons.

Whenever Jeong Suji seemed to be in danger, he immediately moved to help and prevented her from falling into crisis.

Seeing that, Sa Ilhyang chuckled inwardly.

‘So Brother Poong has an interest in Lady Jeong.’

But that thought only lasted a moment, as Sa Ilhyang quickly moved next to Sa Jeokwoo when a group of Third Young Master’s subordinates closed in and muttered:

“Brother Poong didn’t even look at us and is using the Plum Blossom Sword for another woman.”

Feeling a bit hurt, she voiced her thoughts, to which Sa Jeokwoo replied.

“It’s because things look worse over there.”

Even as he said that, Sa Jeokwoo too felt a sting of disappointment.

Even though Pang Giyok, Jegal Yeongcheon, and Seomun Yuwon were relentlessly pressuring Baek Yeomma, he paid them no mind and continued to target only Jegal Cheongyeong.

Eventually, Jegal Cheongyeong was driven all the way to the stern, with nowhere left to run.

If there was one escape route, it would be to leap into the lake.

But that was an incredibly dangerous move.

Around the lake, Ihwa Palace had stationed warriors skilled in aquatic combat, anticipating anyone who might try to flee into the water.

As Jegal Cheongyeong fell into danger, Yong Hwarin instantly launched himself forward.

It was a movement driven by instinct.

The Thunder Dragon Slash of the Soaring Dragon Emperor Sword was unleashed.

The moment a blue light surged from Yong Hwarin’s sword, he slashed toward Baek Yeomma.

“Foolish!”

Baek Yeomma amplified his energy further and caught Yong Hwarin’s sword head-on.

Baek Yeomma’s palm technique was the Turtle Shell Iron Palm, considered among the top five palm techniques in the martial world.

It was a martial art so rigorous that the backs of one’s hands would harden like a turtle’s shell through relentless training.

Once the Turtle Shell Iron Palm was mastered, it was said that no weapon could make one bleed from the hands—a fearsome art.

Jjeo-eong!

When Baek Yeomma belatedly noticed the surging blue qi light, he flinched in surprise.

“A Qi Stage?”

He never imagined that this young brat had reached the Qi Condensation Stage, a late stage of qi mastery.

A sharp pain, as if dozens of needles were piercing his palm, shot through him.

Even if it was the Qi Condensation Stage, it shouldn’t have caused pain.

‘He’s at the Qi Condensation Stage, but it’s not like the usual kind.’

The Qi Condensation Stage referred generally to the realm where one could wrap a sword in blue sword qi, but Yong Hwarin’s qi was different.

The qi drawn from his Tai Chi Dantian had reactivity and repulsive force several times stronger than ordinary qi.

“You little bastard!”

It was the first time Baek Yeomma had felt pain since mastering the Turtle Shell Iron Palm, and it infuriated him.

He gathered all his internal energy into both palms and unleashed the ultimate move of the Turtle Shell Iron Palm—Heavenly Shell Hundred Turtles.

Yong Hwarin felt an overwhelming pressure choke him.

Sensing a different wave of qi than before, he opened his acupoints, and dozens of palm forces covered every angle, flying in.

Even in that moment, Yong Hwarin could see a gap.

‘The empty space is bent like a zigzag due to refraction. There’s no way I can cut through it with my sword.’

But then, he recalled one method.

‘But maybe if it’s Black Silk Celestial Silkworm…’