Chapter 33
The atmosphere was as cold as walking on thin ice.
The energy emanating from the three people was suffocatingly tense.
Cheol Do-jeong furrowed his brow and asked.
“Must it really come to this?”
“It must.”
Dan Gu-gi nodded without any change in expression.
An enormous killing intent was pouring out from his body.
That killing intent had been directed solely at Cheol Jin-gi from the beginning.
Then another person came running into the inner courtyard.
“Sect Leader Cheol! What on earth is this…?”
Ho Yo-beom (èƒ¡å ¯èŒƒ), the Changcheon Gate Master, had just entered the courtyard when he sensed the strange atmosphere and swallowed his words.
He looked around at the people with a bewildered expression.
‘Dan Gu-gi? Why are you here? More importantly, what’s this situation…?’
He had many questions, but the atmosphere was too deadly.
Therefore, he couldn’t continue speaking.
Eventually, Dan Gu-gi opened his mouth.
“Listen here, Yo-beom.”
“Mm? Speak. What on earth is going on?”
Only then did Ho Yo-beom gulp and ask.
“I wish to settle our grudge.”
“A grudge…?”
“No matter what happens to Do-jeong and me, don’t interfere. It would be better if you left now.”
“What on earth do you mean…?”
Ignoring Ho Yo-beom’s words, Dan Gu-gi looked at Cheol Do-jeong.
“I’ll say it again. Let me kill your son.”
“You! Are you really going to go this far!”
Finally, Cheol Do-jeong exploded and shouted.
Dan Gu-gi stared quietly at Cheol Do-jeong with a sunken expression.
Eventually, a voice as heavy as a rock fell from his lips.
“My daughter is dead.”
“That, that is…”
Cheol Do-jeong tried to say something but closed his mouth.
The atmosphere was such that if he provoked Dan Gu-gi now, he might really explode.
Moreover, he was also mindful of Ho Yo-beom’s presence here.
Dan Gu-gi trembled finely all over his body like someone with a fever.
“Do you remember? How I wandered the martial world for the past several years searching for my daughter.”
“Listen here…”
“I was foolish too. Not knowing what had been done to my only daughter, not knowing where she was.”
Energy gathered in Dan Gu-gi’s fist gripping the arrow shaft.
He closed his eyes.
When he returned to Angang after wandering the martial world searching for his daughter, a servant from the Angang Baek Family came to him with shocking news.
That the young masters of the Angang Baek Family, Seungdo Jin Family, and Geumjeong Gate had raped and killed his daughter.
“That servant told me. That you fathers already knew about it. Not only that, but you actively stepped forward to burn my daughter’s corpse. That servant witnessed it by chance.”
Dan Gu-gi’s voice trembled finely.
At this point, Cheol Do-jeong also closed his eyes tightly and let out a long sigh.
The events of that day came back to life in his memory.
When his son Cheol Jin-gi came to him and confessed everything, he thought the sky was falling.
Who was Blood Hand Bow Dan Gu-gi?
With his skills, he was someone who could easily establish a small or medium sect anywhere.
However, wasn’t he someone who said he preferred spending quiet time with his only daughter, putting aside all worldly desires and living leisurely?
To him, his daughter was everything in life.
This foolish son had taken away what was most precious to him.
He had shouted furiously.
“I don’t know! Whether you go somewhere and die without anyone knowing! A bastard like you is not my son!”
He had no justification to protect his son, nor confidence to appease Dan Gu-gi’s anger.
But don’t arms bend inward?
He couldn’t ignore his son who cried and clung to him, begging.
So the leaders of the three sects gathered.
They agreed to cover up the sins committed by their foolish sons.
They brought the hidden corpse and cremated it by burning it in fire.
After that, Dan Gu-gi wandered the martial world endlessly searching for his daughter, but none of them opened their mouths first.
Naturally, they had to do so.
To preserve their families and sects.
That incident should have remained an eternal secret.
But…
‘One servant bastard…’
Ruined everything.
Cheol Do-jeong slowly opened his eyes.
Dan Gu-gi still had his eyes closed, Ho Yo-beom was gaping with his mouth open, unable to speak, and Cheol Jin-gi was restless, just stomping his feet.
‘Pathetic…!’
Dan Gu-gi’s voice continued.
“I beat that servant who came to me to death in one blow. The anger at him speaking only then, even knowing all the facts, drove me mad.”
“Listen, Gu-gi… This won’t bring your daughter back to life, will it?”
Dan Gu-gi still didn’t say anything with his eyes closed.
He seemed to be suppressing his burning rage.
Meanwhile, Cheol Jin-gi stealthily moved his steps.
‘Don’t make me laugh! I have no intention of dying like this!’
When he finally got behind Dan Gu-gi.
‘Idiot. Getting lost in sentiment, closing his eyes and even showing his back.’
In an instant, he kicked off the ground.
“Die! You crazy butcher bastard!”
Cheol Jin-gi poured out curses and swung his sword.
Cheol Do-jeong’s eyes widened.
‘That crazy fool!’
They say children don’t go according to their parents’ wishes, but how could he be so reckless?
The moment Cheol Do-jeong was about to kick off the ground.
Swish!
The arrow in Dan Gu-gi’s hand lodged straight into Cheol Jin-gi’s left eye.
Crack!
“Kraaahhh!”
Cheol Jin-gi rolled over and screamed.
“Jin-gi! Gu-gi, you bastard!”
Cheol Do-jeong, filled with righteous indignation, immediately launched a foot technique while simultaneously slashing at Dan Gu-gi with his sword.
Dan Gu-gi quickly kicked off the ground and swung his bow to block.
Clang!
Sparks flew as the metallic sound rang out loudly.
Ho Yo-beom, who had suddenly heard this tremendous story, was restless, unable to do this or that.
Cheol Do-jeong shouted.
“What are you doing? How dare you touch my son!”
“Huhu. You’re even protecting such a scoundrel because he’s your son.”
“My son cannot be touched! Absolutely not! Gi-ya, are you alright?”
Cheol Do-jeong quickly ran to Cheol Jin-gi.
“Keuuk. Father. Father! Heuuk!”
Cheol Jin-gi cried out while bleeding profusely.
Cheol Do-jeong, who was examining him, suddenly felt his spine go cold and whirled around.
Dan Gu-gi was already drawing his bowstring.
“Old man! Won’t you stop!”
“Do-jeong. You have no right to shout at me. You should just prostrate yourself and beg.”
Cheol Do-jeong wanted to shout that it was nonsense.
But right now, he should put reason before emotion.
Though he wanted to rush forward and cut off Dan Gu-gi’s neck immediately, protecting his son came first.
‘If I can just save my son… my son…!’
He opened his mouth with a miserable expression.
“If, if I prostrate myself and beg… will you spare my son?”
“Hah. As if that would happen.”
Twang!
Cheol Do-jeong’s eyes widened.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Three arrows flew at him.
Clang-clang-clang!
He quickly swung his sword to knock down the arrows.
But immediately after, three more arrows poured down.
“Kreeek!”
‘Is this really the Dan Gu-gi I knew?’
He had definitely gotten stronger.
Of course, this was thanks to Dan Gu-gi consuming the Akan Potion, but there was no way Cheol Do-jeong could know such circumstances.
Cheol Do-jeong gritted his teeth and knocked down the arrows pouring down like rain.
Clang-clang-clang! Clang-clang!
But it was too much to block all the arrows imbued with energy.
Thud!
“Kuhek!”
Finally, one arrow passed by him and lodged in Cheol Jin-gi’s chest.
“Gi-ya!”
Cheol Do-jeong screamed.
Meanwhile.
Thud-thud-thud!
Three more arrows stuck in Cheol Jin-gi’s chest.
Cheol Jin-gi trembled and looked at Cheol Do-jeong.
“Fa…ther. Cough!”
“Yes, Gi-ya! Father is here, so don’t worry!”
“Father… Kheuk, fa…ther…”
Cheol Jin-gi convulsed once then went limp and never moved again.
“Gi-yaaaah!”
Cheol Do-jeong hugged his son’s corpse and wailed.
Dan Gu-gi took out a Devil Fire from his chest.
A stone with red energy rippling around it.
He looked back at Ho Yo-beom.
“Yo-beom. You should flee as far as possible. Probably half the village will be blown away entirely.”
“Gu, Gu-gi. What are you trying to do?”
“You should know by now. I’m planning to annihilate the sect.”
“But…”
Ho Yo-beom, who had learned about Dan Gu-gi’s daughter for the first time here, couldn’t continue speaking.
Meanwhile, Cheol Do-jeong, who had just witnessed his son’s death, went mad with rage.
“You bastard! Dan Gu-gi! You finally killed my son!”
“Do you see? This is the Explosive Orb I discovered. When I first confirmed the power of this thing, I realized it. This is a gift my daughter, who was burned to ashes, gave me. It’s my daughter’s dying wish to cremate you all the same way.”
“And yet you demanded my son’s life first!”
“Kukuku. I wanted to see it. I didn’t even give the other two sects a chance to make excuses. But I wanted to confirm with you who remained last.”
“What nonsense!”
“When you were in the same position as me, who lost a child, what would you people say? I wanted to confirm that.”
“You damn crazy bastard!”
“Now I’ve seen everything, so I have no regrets.”
Cheol Do-jeong swung his sword and flew like a gale.
At the same time, Dan Gu-gi concentrated energy in his hand.
He intended to self-destruct.
Ho Yo-beom hadn’t left yet, but it didn’t matter.
He didn’t have the luxury to consider others from the beginning.
Just as he was about to throw the Devil Fire to the ground.
Whooosh!
A gust of wind blew from somewhere.
Then.
Swish, pop!
Thud!
Suddenly, a man appeared between the two and pushed Dan Gu-gi’s chest with his hand while kicking Cheol Do-jeong’s stomach with his foot.
“Kek!”
“Krak!”
Both men screamed simultaneously and were knocked back.
The Devil Fire that Dan Gu-gi had been holding was now in the man’s hand.
It was Sa Bigang.
Ho Yo-beom’s eyes widened at the sudden appearance of an unfamiliar figure.
‘Where did that person suddenly appear from? Now I don’t understand anything at all…’
Meanwhile, Sa Bigang glanced around and muttered.
“Now everything I was curious about is finally resolved.”
Then he turned his gaze to Dan Gu-gi.
“Hey, this is different from our promise.”
“What are you talking about!”
Dan Gu-gi shouted while wiping the blood flowing from his lips.
“If you detonate this here, I won’t be able to receive what I should receive.”
“I don’t care! I have no attachment to this world!”
“That’s your opinion. I said I do care.”
Then Cheol Do-jeong glared and shouted.
“Damn! Who are you now!”
“Yongcheon Hall instructor, Sa Bigang.”
“Yongcheon Hall…? Why is a Yongcheon Hall instructor…?”
“I came to collect my things.”
“Stop talking nonsense and don’t interfere!”
Cheol Do-jeong, blinded by revenge for his son, immediately swung his sword and charged at Sa Bigang.
In an instant, Sa Bigang’s body disappeared and appeared behind him like a ghost.
“When did he…!”
Cheol Do-jeong hastily turned around.
Crack!
Sa Bigang’s fist struck directly at his face.
“Kuhek!”
Crash-bang-bang!
Cheol Do-jeong was knocked back, smashing a table and rolling around.
Meanwhile, Dan Gu-gi pulled out another Devil Fire from his chest.
‘This time it’s truly the end!’
He concentrated energy in his hand.
If this one exploded, all the Devil Fire he possessed would detonate.
With that power…
Probably half this village would be blown away.
His daughter’s brightly smiling face came to mind.
‘Now… I’m coming to see you.’
At that moment.
Whooosh!
Veritas flew through the air and pierced Dan Gu-gi’s chest in the blink of an eye.
Thud!
“Kuhek!”
Dan Gu-gi, frozen like a stone statue, shed tears of blood and turned his head.
“Instructor Sa…! Why are you saving that bastard…!”
“What nonsense? I just don’t want to die. Besides, I told you from the beginning. I have to receive what I should receive.”
Sa Bigang spoke coldly and walked step by step, then pulled the sword from Dan Gu-gi’s chest.
Squelch!
Spurt!
Finally, Dan Gu-gi spouted blood like a fountain and collapsed.
Then Cheol Do-jeong laughed like a madman.
“Kahahaha! You! Serves you right! Serves you right! You dog-like bastard! You died well! You died well! You should have died like that long ago…!”
A small black energy gathered above the head of Cheol Do-jeong, who was laughing while shedding tears.
“…Mm?”
The next moment.
“Fire Burst.”
As Sa Bigang muttered quietly.
Pop!
The black energy exploded and instantly blew off Cheol Do-jeong’s head.
Sa Bigang lowered his hand and muttered in an indifferent voice.
“Making noise about doing well… Tsk.”
