Episode 27
“Grrk!”
“Argh!”
The man swung a heavy greatsword carelessly. But the power contained in what seemed like casual movements was not to be underestimated, sending a shock that felt like an electric current through the hand that barely managed to block them. As the blade that had been pressing down on Guhyang Sun receded and grazed Yu Myung-woo like a toy, a frantic scream rang out.
"Two out of four have no real intention of fighting, one is useless, and… eh, this isn’t even worth the effort."
Guhyang Sun bit his teeth, unable to refute those words. Indeed, as he said, the mercenaries of the merchant group were doing nothing but appropriate holding action, while Lee Yeon, a fellow disciple of the volcano sect, was keenly looking for an opportunity to retreat. There was no point in mentioning Yu Myung-woo.
Now that he was off guard was the only chance!
But he couldn’t criticize his allies in the midst of battle. Guhyang Sun, who was alone in his earnestness, was frustrated to the point of bursting.
What kept the four of them alive was the man’s reluctance to kill them for some reason.
To escape his predicament at the edge of the cliff, sixteen sword techniques unfolded brilliantly from Guhyang Sun’s fingertips. The first eight of these techniques were ingrained in his body through continuous practice since childhood, and their perfection and precision were rated highly among his peer disciples.
With precise movements, he drew an impeccable line with his sword, thrusting with the unwavering strength of his lower body. By twisting his wrist, he made the blade wobble, creating an illusion, and cut irregular places like fluttering plum blossoms touching the skin.
However…
‘It feels like facing a wall made of black iron.’
His trustworthy body and the foundation he had built betrayed him. Plum Blossom Sword, Plum Blossom Gale, Plum Blossom Falling, Plum Blossom Blood Rain – techniques as familiar as breathing and walking – were continuously thwarted.
The man leisurely, but mercilessly, cut through Guhyang Sun’s sword path as if teaching. If he struck long, the man parried short. If he stabbed short, the man blocked firmly. The man’s predatory gaze fixed solely on Guhyang Sun, didn’t even flinch as if he had eyes all over his body, seeing through every feint.
In the prolonged standoff, Guhyang Sun was the only one growing anxious.
Finally, as if having made a decision, the man knocked Guhyang Sun’s sword away.
“⎯Ugh!”
“Don’t you see that your sword is not supporting your body’s strength? You idiot, like someone who doesn’t even know what to hold. Or is it the fault of the old fools teaching you?”
His clenched grip tore, letting blood flow freely. The impact of the massive force made his elbow go numb, losing sensation. Guhyang Sun gasped for breath, glaring at the man with bloodshot eyes, while Cho Musu and Lee Yeon retreated, waiting for an opportunity.
The man’s massive sword pointed at Yu Myung-woo, who stood pathetically frozen.
"We had a deal, so I’ll just take that piss-head like we agreed earlier. I’m generously conceding here. I could kill you all and run, but I’m willing to let it go. None of you seem to have any real intention of fighting, so let’s end this."
“Hiiik!”
Terrified by being pointed out, Yu Myung-woo started trembling. Seeing how his groin area of his battle clothes was fully soaked, he had likely lost control of himself completely.
Cho Musu and Lee Yeon looked at Guhyang Sun, waiting for him to make a decision. The sound of weapons clashing could be heard clearly from behind. Dozens of bandits were clashing with the ordinary mercenaries of the merchant group. If things continued this way, they would all surely face fruitless deaths.
However…
-It would be better to die together than to survive alone, abandoning comrades and client’s will.
Is it truly right to abandon his fellow disciple and ignore the client’s determination just to survive?
Guhyang Sun continued to hesitate. He couldn’t easily say ‘I understand’ because of his straightforward and honest nature, so straightforward that even his master called it frustrating.
In the end, the man, who was known for his impatience, clicked his tongue and raised his sword.
“What the—! Waiting any longer will make the sun come up! Then I’ll take him!”
“Don’t…!!”
The rustic yet well-sharpened blade gleamed in the sunlight. Reflexively, Guhyang Sun threw his body in front of Yu Myung-woo.
The man’s face twisted in annoyance as he saw this, but the speed of his descending sword did not lessen. Although it had been invisible to the eye moments ago, his sword was now oddly clear. Time in the world seemed to slow, and Guhyang Sun’s mind went blank. It felt as though facing death caused this change.
Guhyang Sun could only blankly watch as the sword descended upon his body without being able to do anything.
At that moment,
A wind blew.
Swoosh⎯ The wind that blew from somewhere rustled the tall trees. Dark green leaves trembled and collided, falling and creating a whirl. All the trees in the forest roared together. The wind that struck them invaded their collars, cooling their whole bodies before it dissipated.
The timing and scale of the wind were too artificial to be called a natural phenomenon. Everyone there momentarily forgot their circumstances and looked around. Guhyang Sun, Baek Ho-cheol (the king of bandits), Nan Wi-jung, and all the warriors and bandits did the same.
“What the…”
“What is this?”
People started murmuring as the wind that swept through the place died down. The forest-dwelling bandits were equally bewildered.
Once they confirmed there was nothing wrong with them, it didn’t take long for them to grab their weapons again.
The anomaly started at the edge.
“Ugh…!”
“What, what the hell!”
A shabby-looking man at the edge of the bandits’ formation suddenly rolled his eyes back and foamed at the mouth. He scratched his neck with dirty fingernails and then collapsed, trembling all over.
The comrades around him, shocked and dismayed, grabbed and shook the fallen man.
But one by one, without exception,
The bandits began to clutch their throats and lose consciousness.
“Gurg…!”
“Ugh… kuh… argh…!”
“What’s going on… what the heck is happening…”
A warrior who had been dumbfoundedly watching their enemies collapse one by one muttered. Some bandits who picked up their weapons and prepared to flee a few steps stumbled, gasping as they fell into convulsions.
Some porters, who believed in superstitions, had already put down their loads and were continuously bowing towards the forest.
Even the bandit king, Baek Ho-cheol, was equally taken aback.
“What in the… is this…”
He knew someone had done something, but couldn’t figure out what.
If there had been manipulation in the passing wind, only the bandits wouldn’t be the selected ones to collapse like this. But the only strange thing here was the wind.
Feeling flustered, Baek Ho-cheol looked around with an open mouth. His gaze finally fell on a man standing calmly among the ordinary people in the distance.
“…!”
A man in white hemp clothes with a medical bag on his back, adjusting his bamboo hat.
Baek Ho-cheol, a seasoned warrior, knew instinctively.
It’s that man.
That man did this.
Baek Ho-cheol’s face turned red and blue, about to burst. He began to inflate his lungs to shout.
But he choked. The rage growing in him stayed bottled up, unable to transform into sound.
“…Ack!”
Blood rushed to his head, and he found it hard to breathe. He heard a phlegmy sound in his throat as veins popped out on his face. His joints stiffened, and his muscles began to harden slowly.
Baek Ho-cheol dropped his sword, grabbed his throat, and collapsed to his knees. His eyes glared at the man, filled with resentment and rage. The man hiding his face with a hat, this master of poisons, looked at him with disdain, making him uncertain if he was even watching at all.
The worms he had toyed with until a moment ago were turning their heads left and right, looking for answers, with shocked expressions. Baek Ho-cheol, exerting all his strength, glared at the man, moving his lips silently, but no one understood him.
It’s that bastard.
It’s that bastard…
The iron-willed warrior, skilled in poison resistance, finally fell forward.
With his end, not a single member of the bandits remained standing.
◇
Cho Yun rubbed the edge of his bamboo hat awkwardly, hiding his face. Taking a deep breath, the thinly spread poison was inhaled into his mouth. No one had noticed the colorless and odorless poison.
This is bad, really bad.
He acted rashly out of urgency.
“What, what the heck happened here…”
“Are they dead?”
Amid the scene where no one dared approach the convulsing bandits on the ground, Nan Wi-jung, who had been quietly observing, stepped forward. He personally checked Baek Ho-cheol’s pulse. After checking a few more eye pupils and mouths, he stood up straightening his clothes.
"They are alive. It seems they were poisoned. It’s not a deadly poison, but a type of paralytic poison."
“This is… paralytic poison? What kind of paralytic poison can incapacitate a top-tier warrior like this? I’ve never heard of such a thing even in Sichuan.”
Paralytic poison made from white hemlock is a drug used by doctors as an anesthetic during surgical procedures. In martial arts circles, it’s one of the commonly used poisons. But it’s usually just a supplementary aid to induce the opponent’s carelessness and hardly affects top-tier martial artists.
