Chapter 32
Sa Bigang ran swiftly across the building rooftops.
He glanced sideways at the blazing flames roaring in the middle of the village.
Devil Fire.
It was an item from the Demon Realm.
When struck with mana or internal energy, it causes a tremendous explosion.
It burns people to ashes instantly, making it difficult to even find their corpses.
It’s made by converting mana into flame attributes, then concentrating it in a transparent Magic Stone along with specific chemicals.
The destructive power of Devil Fire varies depending on the force applied to it.
There were twenty Devil Fires placed in Angang’s cave.
In addition to that, there were also Akan Potions and Tears of Hella.
‘I’ll take them all!’
Sa Bigang, who was running quickly, suddenly disappeared and appeared far ahead.
This was possible because he mixed lightness techniques with Trice magic.
If anyone had seen him, they would have been mesmerized by this strange method of movement.
But right now, no one was looking up at the building rooftops.
Everyone was busy watching the pillar of fire that had shot up from one side of the village.
***
“Kahahaha!”
Dan Gu-gi, who was standing tall on a building rooftop, burst into wild laughter toward the sky.
Seeing that pillar of fire shooting up made his chest feel completely cleared.
With this, Seungdo Jin Family had also been erased from this world.
“Now only Geumjeong Gate remains.”
By now, Geumjeong Gate must have sensed something too.
That these incidents were definitely not coincidences.
They would surely strengthen their defenses and prepare for any emergency.
But it was a useless effort.
With just the Explosive Orbs, he could blow away whatever they tried to do in one shot.
Just as he was about to turn around.
“Hmm…?”
Dan Gu-gi stared at the building rooftop in the distance and blinked.
For a moment, he thought he was seeing things.
But no.
Something was definitely coming this way.
And at a very fast speed!
‘What is that?’
It was definitely a person.
But…
‘What kind of lightness technique is that?’
The opponent was definitely shooting toward him like an arrow.
No, since they kept disappearing and suddenly getting closer, that expression didn’t quite fit.
It would be more accurate to say they were approaching like a ghost.
A martial artist was approaching him at this time.
No matter how he thought about it, they couldn’t have good intentions.
Then…
‘I have no choice but to eliminate them.’
Dan Gu-gi glared at his opponent with sunken eyes and pulled back his bowstring.
‘The more I look at it, the more strange that lightness technique is.’
Finally, he released the string.
Paaeng!
The arrow imbued with energy cut through the night air and flew like a beam of light.
Swiiiiiek!
In an instant.
Clang!
When his opponent drew a sword and swung it, the arrow was deflected and stuck into the roof of a nearby building.
‘Fast reaction!’
Sensing danger, Dan Gu-gi quickly pulled out an Explosive Orb from his chest and fitted it to his specially made arrow shaft.
Then, after pulling the bowstring.
“Stop!”
Only then did his opponent startle and stop.
Two people facing each other with three buildings between them.
Dan Gu-gi asked while keeping his bowstring taut.
“Where do you come from, sir?”
“Yongcheon Hall instructor, Sa Bigang.”
“Yongcheon Hall…?”
Dan Gu-gi slightly furrowed his brow.
It was somewhat unexpected for Yongcheon Hall students to appear here, but to think they would immediately become an obstacle like this.
‘Sa Bigang… It’s a name I’ve never heard before, but he has remarkable skills.’
However, he looks young too, yet he’s speaking informally right away, which doesn’t look very good.
Dan Gu-gi continued speaking while still keeping his bowstring drawn.
“Since you approached aggressively, I had to ask. I am…”
“I know. Blood Hand Bow, Dan Gu-gi.”
“Ho, it’s an honor that you know my humble name.”
“Hehe. I can’t forget.”
Sa Bigang smiled coldly.
Although Dan Gu-gi couldn’t understand the deeper meaning, he still didn’t lower his guard and continued speaking.
“But what business does Instructor Sa have with me?”
“I have something to take from you.”
“Something to take? What is it? And you’ve been speaking rudely from the beginning…”
“Do you expect me to respect a mass murderer?”
“Mass murderer?”
“Am I wrong? Didn’t two families already perish from the arrows you shot?”
Dan Gu-gi flinched.
‘So he did see me shooting!’
At that moment, Sa Bigang took a step forward.
Dan Gu-gi shouted angrily.
“Stop! If you approach any further, I can’t guarantee I won’t shoot this arrow at you too.”
Sa Bigang stared at him quietly.
“If you shoot that, at least a thirty-jang radius will be devastated. Would you blow away dozens of innocent people?”
‘What? He knows the power of the Explosive Orb in detail!’
Watching Dan Gu-gi’s surprised expression, Sa Bigang crossed his arms.
“That thing you’re trying to shoot. The red stone.”
“Do you… know about this stone?”
“It’s called Devil Fire.”
“Devil pa… what?”
“Well, let’s skip the pronunciation. Anyway, you need to hand over what you call ‘Explosive Orb’ to me. That wasn’t dropped there for you to commit massacres.”
“Ridiculous! Suddenly appearing and… Wait, how did you know I call this ‘Explosive Orb’?”
“It’s a long story. Anyway, hand over all those items to me. Looking at you, it seems you’ve already consumed quite a bit of Akan Potion, but there must be some left, right?”
“What, what are you talking about…?”
“Ah, don’t pretend not to know. Akan Potion is originally a potion that permanently increases mana in the body. It’s much more precious than regular mana potions.”
‘What… what is this guy saying?’
“Well, it would have adverse effects if ordinary martial artists consumed it, but you were lucky enough to receive help from your unique cultivation method.”
It was true.
His unique cultivation method, Reverse River True Energy, was characterized by circulating internal energy in a way that went against the natural flow, as its name suggested.
However, this method had aspects that corresponded with handling mana, leading to an increase in internal energy instead of mana.
But this too wasn’t an orthodox method.
Therefore, consuming large amounts at once could cause problems.
But there was no way Dan Gu-gi could properly understand Sa Bigang’s words.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, but don’t bother me anymore.”
“So hand over what you picked up. Then I’ll pretend not to know about what you’ve done so far.”
“Fine. But I can’t return it right now. In two days, I’ll find you and give it to you.”
Sa Bigang’s expression darkened.
“Are you determined to erase Geumjeong Gate as well?”
“You…! How do you know that…?”
“Let me ask just one thing. I’ve been curious about this for a long time.”
“What, what is it?”
“What’s the reason for destroying the three sects?”
Dan Gu-gi looked at Sa Bigang with a somewhat dazed expression.
‘Just how much does this guy know? And what does he mean he’s been curious for a long time?’
His mind was confused.
Wasn’t he asking about what he was going to do in the future as if it were something from the past?
It really felt like he was dreaming.
That’s when it happened.
Pop!
Sa Bigang suddenly disappeared from sight.
Then he appeared after jumping over a building!
“Huh!”
Startled, Dan Gu-gi quickly stepped back and released his bowstring.
Paaeng!
Swiiiiiek!
This time, Sa Bigang was also surprised and flinched.
He didn’t expect him to actually shoot that thing.
“This crazy…!”
Sa Bigang quickly reached out and reflexively shouted.
“Hold!”
At that moment, the flying arrow hesitated right in front of his nose.
In an instant, Sa Bigang rotated his body and caught the arrow with a smooth movement.
Whiriririk, tak!
Dan Gu-gi’s eyes widened as if they would tear.
‘Ca-caught? My arrow?’
At the very least, his opponent must be an expert beyond the pinnacle level.
And such a person is a Yongcheon Hall instructor.
Moreover, isn’t it a name he’s never heard before?
‘Wait, but just now… didn’t the arrow stop for a moment?’
Dan Gu-gi shook his head inwardly.
That couldn’t be possible, could it?
How could a flying arrow stop in midair?
Dan Gu-gi dismissed the thought and began running, kicking off the ground.
First, leaving this place was urgent.
Originally, he planned to eliminate Geumjeong Gate tomorrow.
But his mind had changed.
He had to eliminate them today.
If someone like that was going to interfere, he couldn’t delay any longer.
Meanwhile, Sa Bigang, who had caught the arrow, carefully extracted the Devil Fire and sighed in relief.
“Damn! He has absolutely no caution!”
The village center had almost seen another pillar of fire shoot up.
The duration of Hold Magic isn’t very long.
Especially for fast-moving objects like arrows, the maintenance time is only an instant.
Moreover, if it was an arrow imbued with strong energy, Hold might not work at all.
If Hold hadn’t worked, at least dozens of people in the vicinity would have disappeared without a trace overnight.
Sa Bigang quietly watched Dan Gu-gi’s retreating figure in the distance.
‘It would be troublesome to chase him recklessly.’
If he got excited and started shooting Devil Fire everywhere, it would be a headache.
‘I can’t let him waste precious Devil Fire like that.’
After finishing his thoughts, he quietly muttered.
“Invisibility.”
Srrrrrrk.
The next moment, his body slowly sank into the darkness.
***
Thud.
Cheol Do-jeong, the sect leader of Geumjeong Gate, staggered as his legs gave out.
His four bodyguards quickly approached to support him.
He asked with a dazed expression.
“Is, is that really true?”
“Yes, Sect Leader. It’s definitely the Seungdo Jin Family.”
“Seungdo Jin Family… was destroyed…”
“Currently, the Black Rock Squad and Golden Dragon Group have been urgently dispatched to the scene.”
“Seungdo Jin Family…”
Cheol Do-jeong kept repeating the same words as if he couldn’t hear anything else.
His pupils trembled violently.
Shortly after, the young sect leader Cheol Jin-gi ran into the inner courtyard.
“Father! Did you hear?”
“I received the report a moment ago.”
“It’s Seungdo Jin Family! Seungdo Jin Family! What did I tell you? Didn’t I say it was definitely that guy’s doing?”
“……”
“We’re next! That Dan Gu-gi bastard will definitely eliminate us too…”
“Shut up!”
“Father…?”
“Don’t you feel any guilt! Who’s fault is it that things have come to this?”
“But it wasn’t just me alone…”
“Right. All the guys who caused trouble with you are dead, so now you can die too!”
“Father, how can you say such things? You also once…”
“Quiet! Get out of here. I can’t stand the sight of you.”
Cheol Do-jeong pressed his temples firmly and sighed.
Cheol Jin-gi looked at him for a moment, then turned around sharply.
“Sect Leader! Master Dan has come to visit!”
“What?”
Cheol Do-jeong reflexively stood up.
His body trembled finely.
Cheol Jin-gi, who was about to leave, shouted to the servant.
“Master Dan? Are you talking about Blood Hand Bow Dan Gu-gi?”
“Y-yes.”
“Where is he now?”
“Outside the main gate…”
Just then.
Swiiek!
Thud!
“Kuk!”
An arrow protruded from the servant’s chest, and he collapsed.
Cheol Do-jeong’s four bodyguards hastily drew their swords.
Swish! Swiiek! Swiiiek! Swiiek!
Thud thud thud thud!
Simultaneously, four arrows imbued with light flew in and embedded themselves in all the bodyguards’ vital points!
Without time to be surprised, a familiar voice was heard from the middle gate.
“No need to come out to greet me.”
Cheol Do-jeong and Cheol Jin-gi turned their heads at the same time.
Dan Gu-gi was already entering the inner courtyard.
Cheol Jin-gi, who had turned pale, trembled violently.
“How on earth were the guards posted that an outsider could get this far…”
“Of course I took care of them.”
At Dan Gu-gi’s words, Cheol Jin-gi’s face turned white.
“To-took care of them…?”
“I killed them.”
“……!”
Dan Gu-gi looked at Cheol Do-jeong.
“Old friend. What I want actually requires just one person’s life.”
“That… won’t do.”
Cheol Do-jeong seemed to have already guessed the meaning and shook his head.
Regardless, Dan Gu-gi raised his arrow and pointed it at Cheol Jin-gi.
“You know, don’t you? Your son. If you just let me kill that guy, none of the innocent people still alive here will be harmed.”
Eventually, all color drained from Cheol Jin-gi’s face.
Meanwhile, there was someone secretly watching this scene from the darkness…
‘Ho. Look at this?’
Sa Bigang made an interested expression.
