Chapter 91 : Chapter 91

Chapter 91. The Scramble (7)

I threw my body to the side, avoiding the eyes of Qingliang Xueshang, who was glaring at me as if to kill me.

"Haaaah!!"

Morons screamed from all directions, brandishing their weapons.

Through the gaps between them.

Even though I had informed them that the old man had the spiritual herb, there were still some morons who occasionally swung their weapons at me.

I either easily dodged such attacks.

Swish.

Or I would deal with them by cutting their necks in return and move on.

Slice.

After successfully hiding among the crowd.

I once again focused and surveyed the flow of the battlefield.

Dozens of trajectories and countless flows of qi.

And at the center of it all, the sight of Qingliang Xueshang, his face contorted in a deep frown, rampaging about.

Qingliang Xueshang was brandishing his Judge's Pen like a madman with dementia.

A crimson energy formed in the air following the Judge's Pen he swung, and a man approaching him was cut down, his limbs severed as if caught in a net made of blades.

Slice!

Slice!

At that moment, I once again unleashed Azure Heaven's Hidden Smile.

The ghouls moved according to the foreseen future they saw with their eyes.

A single, stealthy strand of sword qi flew, aiming for the gap between them.

Qingliang Xueshang's expression belatedly contorted, and then he showed a truly surprising response.

Slice!

"Keuk......"

A man in black, who had been fighting while assisting Qingliang Xueshang nearby.

Probably a straggler from the Unwol Sect.

He had pulled that man to use as a shield.

"So......n of a bitch."

The man in black, used by his superior, collapsed, spitting out a curse.

"Tsk. Judging by the way you talk, you're a bastard who deserved to die."

Applause instinctively burst out.

Clap. Clap. Clap.

"Hahaha. Compared to that side, I still have a long way to go."

As expected, the real pieces of trash were different in some way.

I had thought about using the sworn brothers I met for the first time today, but I had never even considered using a comrade as a shield.

Perhaps the sound of my applause was too loud.

Qingliang Xueshang pierced through the gaps between the ghouls and glared at me as if to kill me.

"For the sin of troubling this old man, I will rip your limbs apart."

Come to think of it, that bastard's alias was Qingliang Xueshang.

A merchant who weighs the blood.

"This is a difficult problem. To make that old trash pay for his sins, it seems like draining all the blood from his body wouldn't be enough, would it?"

The moment I was contemplating how to solve this difficult problem.

Slice!

With a cutting sound, a fountain of blood spurted out around Qingliang Xueshang.

The old man had brandished his Judge's Pen in a surprise attack, dealing with the ones blocking his way.

Perhaps his eyesight had worsened with age, as he didn't even look at the others and charged straight towards me.

While stabbing to death anyone who stood in his way.

Crunch!

Qingliang Xueshang, who had closed the distance in an instant, swung his Judge's Pen at me.

I countered by unleashing the Crimson Lotus Ascends to Heaven that I had prepared while he was charging.

The Restoring Name Sword and the Judge's Pen clashed, and a piercing metallic sound rang out.

Clang!!

The two weapons, which were evenly matched, screamed as if they would crack at any moment.

Only after unleashing Crimson Lotus Ascends to Heaven were we evenly matched.

It was indeed a formidable internal energy.

The man used his footwork to disrupt the balance between the clashed weapons and simultaneously retrieved his Judge's Pen.

Immediately after, he executed a very concise thrust.

Even though it was at a distance where it wouldn't reach my body.

It wasn't that the man was seeing things because he was old.

Because the crimson energy gathered on Qingliang Xueshang's Judge's Pen shot out towards my leg.

Swiiiiiish.

It looked as if black ink was being sprayed in a straight line.

I twisted my body and narrowly avoided it, but my thigh was lightly grazed.

Slice.

As blood splattered.

I swung the Restoring Name Sword towards the man's neck.

Clang!

The man's formidable internal energy was transmitted through the blocked Restoring Name Sword once again.

Was it because I didn't use Crimson Lotus Ascends to Heaven this time?

My joints throbbed, and it felt like my internal organs were twisting.

Clang!

I clenched my teeth and exchanged several blows with the man.

For some reason, my gaze was drawn to the man's forearm as he swung the Judge's Pen.

A gaunt forearm befitting his appearance, which looked to be at least in his seventies.

I glanced away.

Between the black robes the old man wore.

The exposed body was nothing but gaunt.

At the same time, a sight that contrasted with that gaunt body came into view.

Thanks to my wide-open second eye, I could see the massive internal energy coursing through the man's gaunt body, overlapping with it.

It was different from the Choi Manor's lord, who had increased his internal energy through a wicked art.

If the Choi Manor's lord was a puppet being swayed by his immense internal energy, this man was freely controlling his.

Clang!

Every time I clashed with the frail old man's Judge's Pen, my muscles, which had been trained rather roughly, screamed.

As a thin stream of blood flowed from the corner of my mouth.

A laugh involuntarily escaped.

"Hehehe."

A way to deal with a master several levels above me came to my mind.

Clang!

I was pushed back by the Judge's Pen swung by the old man and took a step back.

Like black ink, the crimson energy flew from the Judge's Pen.

I quickly threw my body to the side.

This time, my forearm was lightly grazed, and a searing pain was felt.

Slice!

While enduring the pain.

The old man charged, letting out a yell.

"You slippery eel-like bastard!"

I willingly grabbed a man standing beside me and pushed him towards the old man.

This had been my plan all along, so instead of forcefully enduring, I let myself be thrown back.

"Uwaaaaah!"

Slice!

Qingliang Xueshang simply swung his Judge's Pen once and cut down the moron who had been thrown at him.

Regardless of that, I used the surrounding morons as shields by throwing them at the old man, and I continuously fled, moving back and forth through the gaps between the ghouls using my footwork.

While occasionally dodging the weapons of those who attacked me or launching a counterattack, I fled for a while.

From behind, I heard the old man's enraged curses.

"Damn it!!"

A pack of hyenas aiming for the spiritual herb was surrounding the old man.

I had initiated my escape in anticipation of this.

Immediately after barely escaping the old man's pursuit.

I swallowed the blood rising from my stomach and caught my breath.

"Haa. Hooo."

I had no intention of just running away and leaving that trashy old man behind.

This was what you would call a strategic retreat.

I surveyed the battlefield again with calm eyes.

While moving among the pack of hyenas, concealing my presence as much as possible, I launched a surprise attack, unleashing Azure Heaven's Hidden Smile.

Slice!

This time, a neck was severed with a crisp sound.

But it wasn't the old man.

It was the neck of the man in black who had been brandishing his blade by his side as if assisting him.

As expected, it seemed that only that crazy old man could properly deal with this stealthy technique in the middle of a chaotic battle.

After dealing with the men in black who were assisting Qingliang Xueshang, or aiming for Qingliang Xueshang's openings and unleashing Azure Heaven's Hidden Smile several times.

Slice!

Qingliang Xueshang, who had finally dealt with the ghouls blocking his way, once again closed in on me.

"I will not miss you this time!"

The trajectory of Qingliang Xueshang swinging his Judge's Pen towards my vitals was embroidered in the air.

Unfortunately, I couldn't see a trajectory to aim for the man's vitals in return.

Clang!!

I could only see trajectories to block or deflect the Judge's Pen he swung.

I swung my sword following that trajectory.

Clang!

Every time the sword and the Judge's Pen clashed, my whole body screamed, and blood flowed backward.

Moreover, the man's crimson energy, which I couldn't properly block or dodge, drew wounds all over my body.

Slice.

Even as internal injuries and wounds gradually accumulated, the trajectories embroidered in the air were still focused solely on defense and evasion.

It wasn't because there were no openings to strike the man's vitals at all.

"Hehehe."

It was because I had wanted this situation in the first place that my eyes were showing me such trajectories.

After barely enduring the old man's onslaught for several exchanges.

Immediately after clashing with the old man's Judge's Pen again.

Clang!!

I was certain that my prediction was correct.

The force transmitted through the Restoring Name Sword that clashed with the Judge's Pen had diminished compared to before.

It still carried a powerful force that was hard to withstand, but it was definitely a little weaker than when we first exchanged blows.

The massive internal energy flowing through the old man's body was still visible to my eyes.

So why had its power decreased?

The answer was simple.

This old man, who had more internal energy, a deeper understanding of martial arts, and more practical experience than me, had a single weakness.

It was his stamina.

No matter how much of a seventy-year-old man he was, if he had truly and diligently trained his external energy, his body couldn't have become so gaunt.

In other words, after reaching a certain level, this old man had been focusing more on internal energy than external energy.

While our weapons were clashing, I taunted the old man, blood trickling down the corner of my mouth.

"Old man. Do you think you can capture me alive like this?"

At the same time, the pack of hyenas that had been waiting for an opportunity nearby charged in, brandishing their weapons.

"Die!!"

The ghouls charged in, aiming for the moment I had tied up the old man.

Most of them were aiming for the old man, but there were a few mixed in who were aiming for me.

Even as weapons flew in from all directions, the old man and I continued to lock our weapons.

As if we were in a battle of wills.

And just before the weapons flying in from all directions reached our bodies.

Clang!!

Our weapons crossed, and we each swung our Judge's Pen and Restoring Name Sword towards the surrounding enemies.

Crunch!

Slice!

A martial artist pierced by the old man's Judge's Pen collapsed, and a fountain of blood spurted from the neck of a man cut down by my sword.

Crunch!

The old man dealt with three of them in an instant and then charged at me again, swinging his Judge's Pen.

In the meantime, I had already killed two of them.

The crimson energy gathered on the man's Judge's Pen took the form of a crescent moon and flew towards me.

Phat.

I immediately used the Lazy Donkey Rolls on the Ground technique and rolled on the ground.

A moron behind me was struck by that red energy, and his upper body was severed.

Slice!

While rolling on the ground, I grabbed a leg that was right in front of me and sprang to my feet.

And I threw the ghoul whose leg I had grabbed behind me.

"Uwaaaaaaah!!"

Slice!

Qingliang Xueshang, who had butchered the ghoul by swinging his Judge's Pen like a sword, chased after me.

"Hahahaha. Try harder! You're so slow, probably because you're old!"

"Hooo. I guess I'll just have to send your head to the Silver Wolf Unit Leader!"

With a sigh, Qingliang Xueshang began to seriously aim for my vitals.

As expected of a weapon specialized for thrusting, every time the man thrust his Judge's Pen, a sharp energy like an ink drop flew like a hidden weapon.

To avoid this, I threw my body to the side with all my might, and some moron brought his axe down on me.

A ridiculously large motion and a posture full of openings.

It was a sight that made me wonder if he had mistaken me for a stationary tree instead of a person.

I plunged the Restoring Name Sword into the heart of the pathetic friend who couldn't even distinguish between a person and a tree.

Crunch.

Then, using footwork, I rotated my body and kicked a man who was standing beside me, not knowing what to do.

Thwack!

The man who was sent flying by my kick flew towards Qingliang Xueshang.

Slice!

Of course, that man was also cut down by Qingliang Xueshang's crimson energy.

Like that, I used the ghouls loitering around to create distance from Qingliang Xueshang, unleashed Azure Heaven's Hidden Smile amidst the ghouls, and whenever I was caught by him, I exchanged several life-and-death, precarious blows.

My sword was blocked.

Clang!

But it wasn't blocked by Qingliang Xueshang.

The number of ghouls surrounding us had decreased considerably.

On the contrary, most of the ghouls who had survived until now were formidable ones.

The trajectories drawn by the ghouls.

The internal energy flowing through their bodies.

I could roughly tell their level just by looking at those two things.

In fact, until now, I had been deliberately running away by weaving through the weaker-looking ones.

Because they would be much easier to use as shields.

But now, I couldn't see anyone who could be easily used as a shield.

It was nothing special.

How many times had things in the world gone my way?

Clang!

Exchanging blows with a ghoul swinging a blade wrapped in blade qi, I pushed him to the right.

"Keuk."

The man let out a faint groan and took several steps to the right with his footwork.

His path overlapped with the other ghouls who were fighting nearby.

Still, perhaps because they were all formidable, they showed no signs of panic and simultaneously swung their weapons at each other.

A feast of trajectories intricately mingled in the air.

Aiming for the gap, I swung the Restoring Name Sword.

Crunch!!

Slice!

Cutting sounds and screams rang out in succession.

There were those who were stabbed to death by my Restoring Name Sword, and there were also those who stabbed each other to death.

"Haa."

I caught my breath, which had risen to the tip of my chin.

My body felt as heavy as a thousand pounds.

The internal energy in my dantian, which seemed endless, was almost empty, and I had no time to tend to the internal injuries I had sustained from clashing with Qingliang Xueshang.

The wounds from being cut in the chaotic battle stung, and the muscles all over my body screamed.

Ignoring the screams, I turned my head.

The ghoul hell where hundreds had gathered.

Now, only a dozen or so people were left standing on their own two feet.

Most of them had already retreated far back.

They seemed scared, but also seemed to be waiting for an opportunity.

The moment I was contemplating whether to charge at them and lure Qingliang Xueshang in that direction.

A chilling cutting sound rang out from the side.

Slice!

The image of Qingliang Xueshang, having killed another ghoul, was engraved in my eyes.

His face was turned towards me, but his eyes were darting around, surveying the surroundings.

I knew instinctively.

That the moment I had been waiting for had arrived.

"Hehehe."

Letting out a joyous laugh, I charged at him.

As the distance closed in an instant, the man's state became even more apparent.

A figure covered in blood.

It was different from before.

Whereas before, only the blood of others was on him, now there was quite a bit of his own blood mixed in.

On top of that.

"Haa. Haa."

The man's breathing was completely ragged.

"Let's end this now!"

Clang!!

Qingliang Xueshang swung his Judge's Pen and parried the Restoring Name Sword.

A massive amount of internal energy was still flowing through the man's body.

Unlike me, whose dantian was emptying.

My wrist holding the sword throbbed as if it would be torn apart.

But it didn't matter.

"Hooo. You are the one. Hooo. It seems you have no more shields to use. Haa."

He was acting tough while speaking, but it was clear that his breathing had reached its limit.

"Tsk tsk. Seeing as your limbs are trembling, you're going to shit your pants at this rate."

"Haa. Haa. Shut up!"

The man, breathing heavily and spitting out curses, swung his Judge's Pen.

Without fail, the crimson energy cut through the air and flew towards me.

But it wasn't difficult to avoid.

Because the man's body was trembling like mad, his movements were not precise at all.

After avoiding the man's onslaught for several exchanges while stepping steadily with my footwork.

I swung the Restoring Name Sword towards the man's thigh, which was full of openings.

Slice!

Immediately after his thigh was lightly grazed.

The man quickly put his left hand into his clothes and pulled out some kind of weed.

Holding the herb, which was imbued with a spiritual aura, like a hostage, the man shouted.

"St, stop! Haa. I, if you move even one more step. Haa. I will tear this Hundred Yang Ten-Knot Grass apart!"

A sneer almost escaped me.

I willingly swung the Restoring Name Sword towards the man's left hand, which held the herb.

"I don't care about that kind of spiritual herb."

The man was startled and twisted his body, but as expected, his movements were sluggish as he was exhausted.

Slice.

Due to the pain of his thigh being cut, the man's eyes became bloodshot.

The man screamed with a face full of rage.

"Haa. Ki, kill this bastard first! Haa. Th, this bastard is trying to tear the spiritual herb!"

It seemed he was trying to imitate the method I had used earlier.

Slice.

Before the ghouls who had retreated at his shout could even charge, I swung my sword towards his left arm in a surprise attack.

There was no way the man, who couldn't even breathe properly, had any breath left after screaming.

"Kuaaaaaak!"

The old man, with his eyes bloodshot in pain, swung his Judge's Pen.

I dodged it by a hair's breadth and swung the Restoring Name Sword towards the old man's right leg.

Slice!!

"Kuaaaaaaak!"

The old man's body, having lost an arm and a leg, collapsed to the ground with a scream.

And the moment I was about to ask this guy about Hyeok Ilso's location.

I felt unpleasant, sticky gazes.

I raised my head and looked around.

The dozen or so ghouls who had survived until the end.

Their gazes were all directed at me.

To be precise, at the old man's left hand, which had fallen at my feet.

And the Hundred Yang Ten-Knot Grass still held in that left hand.

The moment I was contemplating whether I should kill those ghouls first before the interrogation.

Suddenly, a shout came from far away.

"Ghost Sword Young Master!!"

A voice suddenly looking for me.

Strangely, it was a somewhat familiar voice.

Before long, the shouts and signs of presence grew closer, and one by one, people began to appear from between the bushes.

"Our Beggar's Gang has arrived!!"

"If you are alive, answer!!!"

Seeing dozens of beggars swarming in, a smirk involuntarily escaped my lips.

"They're certainly making a lot of noise, arriving late to the party."

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