Hwasan Sect’s Genius Swordsman Chapter 30

Chapter 30

Kang Bo-eum couldn’t help but be taken aback as he rushed forward using lightfoot techniques toward where he felt the clash of inner energy.

Mu Hwi and the Jongnam Sect disciples were standing side by side, engaged in a battle of inner force.

For a moment he wondered if they had gotten emotional from drinking, but looking at their eyes he realized that wasn’t the case.

Mu Hwi’s eyes were as sharp and cold as if they contained a sword, while the Jongnam Sect disciples had murderous eyes filled with dense killing intent.

No matter how you looked at it, these weren’t the kind of eyes a Taoist should show. As Kang Bo-eum’s left hand gripped his sword handle, Mu Hwi shouted.

“Cut them!”

Kang Bo-eum’s eyes flickered slightly – though he didn’t know the details, he trusted Mu Hwi.

Kang Bo-eum swung his sword vertically, releasing consecutive crescent-shaped sword energies.

Slash!

“Argh!”

“My arm!”

The arms of the two Assassins Demons that were extended during their inner force battle were cut clean off, spraying blood.

“Does it hurt, you bugs?”

Mu Hwi, while being sprayed with the Assassins Demons’ blood, reached out with his right hand.

He struck Ilhun’s temple with his elbow, immediately sprang to the left, grabbed the back of Ilseon’s neck while raising his knee to deliver a knee strike (膝擊) to the solar plexus.

The two impact sounds were heard almost simultaneously as the Assassins Demons lost consciousness.

“Master Mu Hwi!”

Kang Bo-eum’s face clearly showed he had many questions he wanted to ask.

“These are the Assassins Demons that Jongnam Sect was chasing.”

“Suddenly they’re Assassins Demons?”

When Mu Hwi explained everything while applying pressure points to the Assassins Demons’ severed arms, Kang Bo-eum’s face hardened.

“They really are crazy bastards.”

If things had gone according to the Assassins Demons’ plan, Jongnam Sect’s reputation would have severely dropped regardless of which direction things went.

If they couldn’t clear up the misunderstanding and reveal the truth, it would lead to the worst possible situation, and even if they managed to resolve and explain things well, it would ultimately prove Jongnam Sect’s incompetence in letting things escalate to this point.

In the worst case, even their relationship with Hwasan Sect could have become strained – thinking about how the Assassins Demons had visited Hwahon Sect for this purpose made Kang Bo-eum’s anger rise.

“Shouldn’t we kill these ones right now?”

“I want to as well, but they seem to be disciples of the Hundred-Faced Old Demon.”

“Hundred-Faced Old Demon! You mean disciples of that crazy old man?”

Hundred-Faced Old Demon – just his title was famous, while those who knew his true appearance could be counted on one hand.

Nevertheless, the reason this old man was so famous was because of his countless bizarre actions.

For the Hundred-Faced Old Demon, disguising himself as other people was an extremely easy task. He had consistently committed evil acts using this ability.

He would kill the leader of a small or medium-sized sect, then pretend to be that leader until he got bored, at which point he would completely annihilate the entire sect overnight.

Or he would go between two sects stirring up trouble to incite fights between them. The incident where he caused two locations of the Seven Death Springs to clash was a famous story.

It was so bad that later, when the two Seven Death Springs locations learned the truth, they joined forces to catch the Hundred-Faced Old Demon to wash away their shame.

Besides that, he would commit all sorts of evil acts and afterward always leave behind evidence that it was his doing, along with letters mocking those he had fooled.

This was why the Hundred-Faced Old Demon was famous in the martial world despite having no particular forces and his face not being properly known.

‘That damn old man, I should have killed him back then.’

Mu Hwi had also met the Hundred-Faced Old Demon in his previous life. Ridiculously, the Hundred-Faced Old Demon had disguised himself as Hyeon Jo and tried to cause discord with the Sword Devil.

The Sword Devil noticed and tried to kill the Hundred-Faced Old Demon, but the Hundred-Faced Old Demon was particularly skilled in martial arts, especially lightfoot techniques, so he couldn’t be killed and escaped.

Mu Hwi’s teeth still chattered thinking about the Hundred-Faced Old Demon imitating Hyeon Jo.

“It would be better to keep them alive for now to get information about the Hundred-Faced Old Demon. Though they probably won’t talk, it’s worth trying.”

“I understand.”

Meanwhile, as Hwahon Sect disciples who had been standing guard elsewhere came running over, Kang Bo-eum shouted loudly.

“Why did you arrive so late!”

“We apologize, Sect Leader.”

Seeing this, Mu Hwi finished applying pressure points and straightened his back.

“Sect Leader, I’ll go check the side building.”

At this, Kang Bo-eum remembered that there were three Assassins Demons disguised as Jongnam Sect disciples and widened his eyes.

“If one remains, this is no time to be relaxed!”

“It’s fine. My disciples aren’t such pushovers.”

Mu Hwi’s smile carried his faith in his disciples.

* * *

Crash!

Whoosh!

As the medium sword was swung without hesitation, the wooden floor Ilmu was standing on was smashed, and as Ilmu floated in the air, consecutive sword winds rushed toward him.

Ilmu deflected the sword winds by thrusting out his fist wrapped in inner force and lightly retreated backward.

While Ilseon and Ilhun went to kill Kang Bo-eum, Ilmu headed toward the side building where the Hwasan Sect disciples were staying.

When Ilmu first saw Mu-hwa’s beauty, he couldn’t resist his natural instincts.

Since only Hwasan Sect disciples stayed in the side building, he thought the female disciple Mu-hwa would be using a room alone.

When Ilmu secretly opened the window and infiltrated, he was greeted by Mu-hwa’s sharp thrust.

As Mu Hwi had said, Mujin and Mu-cheol, who had been hiding while concealing their presence as much as possible, also joined in to launch a coordinated attack.

“Huff!”

Ilmu glared at the Hwasan Sect disciples pressuring him from three sides while letting out rough breaths.

‘Why are these young ones so skilled at coordinated attacks?’

Ilmu looked down at his torn robe that exposed his flesh.

At first, seeing the three late-stage foundation level disciples charging at him, Ilmu had sneered.

Ilmu had never been lazy in training, knowing that superior martial arts were necessary to fulfill his desires.

Therefore, Ilmu was confident he could easily subdue the Hwasan Sect disciples.

However, contrary to expectations, the Hwasan Sect disciples weren’t charging in recklessly but were pressuring him with systematic coordinated attacks as if forming a sword formation.

Look even now.

The Hwasan Sect disciples occupying three sides were moving one step to the right while preparing to exploit his openings.

These guys who should have blood coming up from inside after taking his inner force strikes were moving so calmly.

‘Damn it, by now my Senior Disciples should have killed that one-armed Sect Leader, if I can’t handle these guys before then, I’ll be mocked for a while.’

Ilmu’s eyes moved back and forth before charging toward Mujin, whose complexion wasn’t good after allowing two inner force strikes.

At this, Mujin’s eyes calmly sparkled.

‘As expected.’

Right now, Mujin is in the worst physical condition.

Mujin knew well that if someone was targeted to break the coordinated attack, it would be himself.

So Mujin prioritized focusing on defense and maintaining his position. But contrary to his intentions, his feet were pushed back powerlessly.

The sword that deflected Ilmu’s fist trembled.

‘Was using internal energy while fighting such a difficult task?’

Having to fight while suppressing Ilmu’s inner force that had penetrated his meridians made manipulating internal energy, which usually felt easy, more difficult than expected.

Although Mu-cheol and Mu-hwa immediately joined in, Ilmu was persistently targeting only Mujin.

He had his hands full of internal energy, intending to inflict internal injuries that would prevent Mujin from ever getting up again.

When the pale internal energy-wrapped palm targeted his waist, Mujin flinched and stepped back.

“Haha, you really are a coward!”

Then Ilmu stopped his palm midway and switched hands to punch Mu-hwa beside him.

‘A feint…!’

Ilmu seemed to have already figured out Mujin’s tendencies and was using them effectively.

Mujin bit his lip and supported Mu-hwa’s side after falling for the feint. Then Ilmu’s hand flipped over and started targeting Mujin again.

Slash!

When Ilmu unleashed consecutive combined attacks mixing punches and palms in one breath, cracks formed in the wooden floor around Mujin as he received them.

For a moment, Mujin felt dizzy and couldn’t control his body.

Whoosh!

At that moment, Mu-cheol swung his sword mercilessly from the left trying to cut Ilmu’s waist, and Mu-hwa who had jumped up was swinging her sword down toward Ilmu’s head.

“Ugh.”

Mujin let out a groan at the fishy taste rising from inside. His internal injuries worsened, his body became dull, and his sword felt increasingly heavy.

-Mujin, you try to fight too safely. That habit shows even when performing coordinated attacks.

Why was he suddenly remembering what his Senior Disciple had said?

Mujin looked at his two fellow disciples who were facing Ilmu while spitting blood.

The two disciples were barely receiving Ilmu’s attacks while filling the gap left by Mujin.

‘Damn it, what am I doing?’

As his strength gradually drained, Mujin’s sword trembled.

-Is that wrong?

-It’s not wrong. But if fighting like that becomes ingrained, you won’t be able to do anything and will die when meeting a master. When you meet someone stronger than yourself, you need to think about how to narrow the gap to survive.

Mujin raised his sword again that had been pointing toward his toes.

-Remember that focusing on defense and trying to fight safely by being overly cautious are strictly different things.

The Senior Disciple’s prediction that this habit would rather make him a target during coordinated attacks had hit the mark precisely.

After exchanging a few moves, Ilmu was persistently targeting only him as if to prove a point.

“Ptui!”

Mujin spat out the blood he had been holding in his mouth and rejoined the coordinated attack.

Mujin blocked Ilmu’s kick technique that was targeting Mu-hwa’s thigh and gave Mu-cheol a signal with his eyes.

Then Mu-cheol unleashed a fully weighted slashing attack without needing to look after Mu-hwa.

Swoosh!

Even Ilmu felt burdened about receiving Mu-cheol’s slash head-on and quickly dodged to Mujin’s side.

At the same time, he raised his fingers to claw at Mujin’s chest.

His plan was to grab the sword if it was used to block and flow internal energy through it to worsen the internal injuries.

‘Senior Disciple, I really can’t think of any way to narrow that gap.’

Mu-cheol’s strength and weight.

Mu-hwa’s light footwork and flexible movements.

Compared to them, he couldn’t think of what he himself possessed.

The only thing he could trust was his sword that he had trained with unceasingly.

“Huu.”

At this, Mujin also stepped firmly and unleashed the Three Leaf Piercing Wind sword technique.

Mujin’s eyes were shining more vibrantly than before receiving the internal injury. Seeing this, Ilmu’s fingers twitched.

Even though his internal energy couldn’t flow smoothly due to the internal injury, even though his fingertips trembled roughly, Mujin still managed to emit sword strikes like rays of light.

Mujin’s sword didn’t deviate even an inch from its original path.

The strong willpower that he couldn’t let his fellow disciples get hurt because of himself moved Mujin’s body, and that willpower naturally transferred into his sword.

When the movement of techniques ingrained in his body and the internal energy surging through his meridians were added to his sword, a red light began blooming from Mujin’s sword strikes.

Though faint, this was clearly sword energy (劍氣).

Swish!

A faint red line being drawn.

Mujin’s sword didn’t block Ilmu’s claw technique but extended straight toward his heart.

As if aiming for mutual destruction.

‘Since I still can’t find a way, I’ll pay with my body.’

At that instant when sword and hand crossed, Ilmu’s eyes slowly widened at the sword thrust without hesitation.

‘The guy who was being cautious until now suddenly does something this bold? It’s just bluffing.’

But Mujin’s eyes were resolute.

At this, Ilmu’s eyes flickered and he hurriedly twisted his upper body to narrowly avoid the sword.

Then Ilmu’s extending claws only managed to tear Mujin’s robe front.

‘Damn it, to get scared for a moment by such a young one’s eyes.’

Ilmu’s balance broke because he forcibly changed his posture during the technique.

Targeting this, Mu-cheol tried to split Ilmu’s head. Ilmu had no choice but to extend both hands as if praying to catch Mu-cheol’s sword midway.

Thud!

Mu-hwa didn’t miss that brief opening when Ilmu’s hands were tied up blocking Mu-cheol’s medium sword.

She stepped in using the Fragrant Step Technique while pouring all her remaining internal energy into her acupoint.

Slash!

“Kheuk!”

Mu-hwa’s form passed by Ilmu.

Soon after, red quickly began spreading on Ilmu’s side.

“Kuk, damn it.”

As strength gradually left his body from the side wound, Ilmu spat out curses with empty eyes.

At this, Ilmu’s hands trembled until he eventually lost grip of the medium sword.

Mu-cheol proceeded to cut across Ilmu’s chest.

When his chest was also split after his side, Ilmu could no longer endure and collapsed.

Only after confirming Ilmu’s body tilting did Mujin finally relax.

Then the strength he had barely been maintaining drained completely and Mujin collapsed to his knees.

“Senior Disciple Mujin!”

Seeing Mujin dripping blood from his mouth, Mu-hwa quickly ran over.

<I really can’t think of a way.> End

<To think I’d see that old man here.>