Chapter 189 : Shall We Start the Second Round?

“What are you doing?”

At the Third Guest’s question, the Second Guest came close to Jin Sohyun and raised the blade of his dagger.

“I have to at least cut his tendons. Wouldn’t this bastard be able to show his teeth to the Sect Master?”

“Wait.”

The Third Guest stopped the Second Guest.

At that, the Second Guest asked with a puzzled face.

“Why are you stopping me?”

“A beast is valuable when it’s a beast. What value would a beast with its teeth and claws pulled out have?”

“…”

The Second Guest stared at the Third Guest’s two eyes.

The Third Guest also did not avoid his gaze and met the Second Guest’s eyes.

The entangled gazes of the two travelers soon moved away.

“Phew. Now that I think about it, there’s some truth to what you say.”

The Second Guest, who had withdrawn his dagger and stood up, called over the wanderers who were guaranteed to be skilled and had them hold Jin Sohyun from both sides.

“If he tries to do anything funny, don’t hesitate and cut his throat. Do you understand.”

“Yes!”

The Second Guest, who had left the abandoned house while holding Jin Sohyun, hurried along the path with the Third Guest.

Wanderers stood around the two as if guarding them, and their numbers were so many that they couldn't be counted with the eyes.

It was as if seeing an army made up of only wanderers.

“By the way, how was Jin Sohyun’s martial prowess?”

As the Second Guest asked, the Third Guest rolled his eyes as if trying to recall the past and said.

“If it weren’t for the sacrifice of the wanderers, I would have surely lost.”

“You mean he’s better than what’s known.”

The Second Guest knew well what the Third Guest’s martial prowess was like.

Although he was no match for the Five Great Masters of the Central Plains, if you only considered swordsmen, the Third Guest was a master who was among the top in the Central Plains.

For him to assert his defeat without hesitation meant that Jin Sohyun’s martial prowess was that great.

“The fight must have been fierce. To the point where you lost the sword you received from the Sect Master.”

“…”

The Third Guest suddenly fumbled at his waist with his one and only hand.

And then he looked at the Second Guest.

“What’s wrong?”

“…Second Guest.”

“Hmm?”

“Run away right now…!”

Thud—!!

Piercing through the Third Guest’s chest, a blade protruded.

The Second Guest’s reaction was fast.

He immediately turned around, drew a dagger from his bosom, and threw two hidden weapons behind his back.

But the hidden weapons he threw were embedded in the brow and neck of an innocent wanderer.

Thud—!

The two wanderers who had lost their lives collapsed, and behind them, Jin Sohyun, who had at some point untied his bonds, took out a sword from the waist of a dead wanderer.

“How…”

The Second Guest could not understand this situation.

The Third Guest had not betrayed him.

Then did Jin Sohyun deceive them?

“It’s a shame.”

The one who was disappointed was Jin Sohyun as well.

‘I can’t believe Seol’s Soul Seduction Art would be broken.’

He had planned to follow the Second Guest and face the Hao Sect Master.

But at the Second Guest’s question of whether he had lost his sword, a crack appeared in the Soul Seduction Art that was on the Third Guest.

Perhaps he had felt a sense of incongruity between his memory and his current appearance.

Cha Seol had implanted a new memory in the Third Guest of when he had defeated Jin Sohyun.

So.

The Third Guest had to have the five swords he had received from the Sect Master.

But.

The Third Guest must have felt that something was strange when he realized that the five swords he cherished were not there.

At this, Jin Sohyun immediately killed the Third Guest.

Because it was a burden for Jin Sohyun to deal with two Ghost Star: Phantom Guest.

“What did you do to the Third Guest, Jin Sohyun.”

“It’s a secret.”

“You tried to approach the Sect Master by deceiving me. You fearsome fellow.”

A cold sweat formed on the Second Guest’s forehead.

‘The Third Guest was defeated.’

Despite the sacrifice of the wanderers, the Third Guest was defeated by Jin Sohyun, whose body was not in a normal state.

“Fighting head-on is not my specialty.”

The Second Guest scratched his cheek and stretched out his hand.

“I propose a deal.”

“Why should I.”

The sword of Jin Sohyun, who had unfolded the Shadowless Divine Step, stopped right in front of the Second Guest’s throat.

Because of the Second Guest’s following words.

“If I don’t return, all the courtesans in Honggang, including Jeokmyeon, will die.”

“…”

As Jin Sohyun couldn't move rashly, a cold smile formed on the Second Guest’s lips.

“No matter how strong you are, you won’t be able to catch and kill all the wanderers who have run away.”

“So?”

“Deal with the wanderers first before you fight me. Then, even if I die, there will be no wanderer to inform Honggang, so it’s not a bad condition for you.”

Jin Sohyun quickly scanned the wanderers who were surrounding him from all directions.

The number of wanderers who were densely packed in the forest was so many that they couldn't be counted with the eyes.

Moreover, the individual skills were better than the wanderers he had faced before.

The Second Guest slowly retreated from Jin Sohyun, leaned his back against a tree, and sat in a cross-legged position.

“Don’t worry. I won’t move a single step from here.”

“Hmm.”

Jin Sohyun was lost in thought.

To catch the Hao Sect Master, he needed the Second Guest.

And to catch him, he had to deal with the wanderers first.

“How about it? Will you accept?”

“I will.”

As Jin Sohyun nodded his head, the wanderers drew their respective weapons at once.

A menacing killing intent pricked Jin Sohyun from all directions like a thin needle.

‘He’s finally jumping into the lion’s den.’

The Second Guest smiled slyly.

“You’re a good person, Jin Sohyun.”

So.

“You’re going to die in a place like this.”

***

“Swooo…”

Wizaseong, who had finished his prayer, opened his closed eyes.

He recalled the time he had met Ma Seongun and counted the time.

“It’s about… time to start.”

He walked out of the prayer room and stood with his hands behind his back in front of the world full of darkness.

When he closed his eyes again, the numerous possibilities he had seen in his dream were visible.

A mighty wall that could not be pierced by any sharp spear or sword.

“I wonder how it will be this time.”

The door opened.

The glutton who knew no fullness would soon swallow everything in the Central Plains.

Could that wall, which did not break or collapse against the glutton who ate strong things and became stronger without limit, block it this time too?

The end.

Wizaseong smiled lightly, feeling the coldness that announced winter on his cheek.

“The door opens.”

Thud—!!

A blood-red blade pierced the skin and tore through the muscles.

The blade, which was accurately embedded in the heart, greedily coveted the blood.

“It’s not enough…”

Ma Seongun kicked the martial artist, who was left with only bones and skin, with his foot and looked around.

This was the secret branch of the Martial Alliance.

Numerous martial artists had bravely fought against the intruder, but their end was all the same.

“Ma Seongun. Are you… okay.”

Pyo Ung, who was watching this, asked with concern.

How many times had it been?

Ma Seongun had caught and killed the martial artists as he saw them, and had coveted their blood.

Nevertheless, no satisfaction could be felt on his face.

“Pyo Ung.”

“Speak.”

“Among the Five Great Masters of the Central Plains… where are the strong ones comparable to Kang Cheon… didn’t I ask?”

A indifferent voice with no pitch.

Pyo Ung felt a fear as if all the hair on his body was standing on end.

It was not a simple fear.

The primal fear that humans are born with.

It was the fear that a fragile prey feels in front of a predator.

“I’m looking into it. I’ll find them soon.”

“Hurry.”

Ma Seongun, who was holding the Bloodstone Sword, felt the tip of his hand, which was holding the sword, trembling.

‘Hunger… is it because of the Blood Jade?’

After performing the Gate Opening Ritual, Ma Seongun’s hunger was getting worse day by day.

At first, it was to the level where he could endure for a few days if he killed a first-class martial artist and coveted his blood, but now, no matter how much he coveted, he could not appease his hunger.

Ma Seongun seemed to know the reason.

‘It’s not satisfying.’

To satisfy the Blood Jade, it had to be the blood of a master of Bieunggaek’s level.

For this, he had to move.

Before this hunger swallowed him.

“Let’s go.”

Ma Seongun stepped on the corpses and moved forward.

In search of another prey.

***

To perform the role of a captured prisoner, Jin Sohyun had entrusted his flying swords to Beomgang.

Of course, there was no problem.

Because he could just take the swords of the wanderers.

‘That is Kang Cheon’s Flying Heaven Ten Sword Art.’

The Second Guest’s eyes, who was sitting in a cross-legged position, stared at Jin Sohyun, who was fighting the wanderers, and took in his every move with his two eyes.

‘There are no openings.’

The blades of the wanderers, who were blinded by fear, did not reach Jin Sohyun.

As if he knew everyone’s sword path, Jin Sohyun dodged the wanderers’ swords without even looking and launched a counterattack.

Every time his fist and palm emitted light, at least two or three wanderers were sent flying, spewing blood.

‘And he’s controlling his strength even in this situation.’

Over a hundred wanderers had already fallen to Jin Sohyun’s martial prowess.

Nevertheless, there were almost no dead.

It was not that Jin Sohyun had shown mercy.

He had broken the wanderers with a force that they could not get up again.

It was all a preparation for the fight with the Second Guest.

“Throw it. Your body, your mind, your life… throw it all away.”

The wanderers threw their lives like moths flying into a flame.

When blood flowed like a river and the fallen martial artists made a hill, Jin Sohyun caught his breath, kicking a wanderer’s chin.

“Phew!”

The blue light sent a warning from the blades that were rushing in from all directions.

‘Left, front.’

He dodged the blade of the wanderer rushing in from the left by ducking his head and then sent a palm strike to the front.

Thwack!!

Two wanderers vomited blood and flew away.

‘There’s no end.’

The wanderers surrounding him from all directions showed no sign of decreasing.

If this continued, his stamina and internal energy would surely run out before he could even face the Second Guest.

Jin Sohyun kicked the sword of a fallen wanderer with the back of his foot and grabbed it in his hand.

“Ten more.”

“…?”

The wanderers’ gazes were focused on Jin Sohyun.

“The first ten to fight will die. And then… it’s your turn.”

Jin Sohyun’s sword aimed at the Second Guest.

The wanderers had to look at the two martial artists’ faces.

‘They can’t move.’

There is a big difference between knowing that you will die and not knowing.

Especially from the moment the number of the dead was set, the wanderers could not step forward rashly.

Because no one wanted to be one of the ten dead that Jin Sohyun had mentioned.

‘It’s a good strategy.’

Thanks to that, the wanderers who had been rushing in without fear came to face their fear.

“It’s meaningless now.”

Anyway, the purpose of making Jin Sohyun and the wanderers fight was achieved.

Now, what was left was his own fight.

The Second Guest, who had taken out two daggers from his bosom, closed his eyes and then opened them.

“Jin Sohyun. What is your purpose? What are you going to do when you see the Sect Master?”

“A deal.”

“A deal?”

“Between his own sect and the Heretic Path's Alliance, which one does the Hao Sect Master consider more important.”

It could have been considered a natural question, but the Second Guest could not answer rashly.

“So your purpose is the Heretic Path's Alliance.”

Jin Sohyun, who had nodded his head, crossed the hill made of fallen wanderers.

The Second Guest spun the daggers in both hands.

In the forest where the autumn wind had come, Jin Sohyun and the Second Guest faced each other.

There was no signal to start.

When the fallen leaves, which had been holding on to the branches until the end of the season in the autumn wind that had suddenly blown, finally could not hold on and fell.

When the fallen leaves spun and fell between the two.

In that short moment when the brown fallen leaves blocked their vision.

The two martial artists had at some point come close to each other and had swung their blades.

Clang—!

With a rough metallic sound, Jin Sohyun and the Second Guest faced each other.

“Shall we start the second round?”

(End of Chapter)