Five people came over the broken wall behind Yelü Han.
The one who entered at once and stood beside Yelü Han was Cha Hwan, his body covered in dragon tattoos. His expression hardened when he saw the Five Thunder Divine Sword’s gruesome corpse.
He had said the Ten-Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng was wasted on him, but he knew better than anyone what kind of expert the Five Thunder Divine Sword was.
Who in the world could kill the Five Thunder Divine Sword like this?
And that was not the only corpse. His disciple, Sahyo, was dead as well. Truly, if this had not been a gathering with Yelü Han, the Three Evils, and Blood Wheel Calamity all present, he would have fled without even looking back.
Cha Hwan gauged Yelü Han’s mood. As always, he was staring at the enemy with a face devoid of all emotion.
Beside him stood Blood Wheel Calamity.
Blood Wheel Calamity was an old man as gaunt as a skeleton, with a huge iron disk fitted with sawtoothed blades strapped to his back. It looked heavy at a glance, and that disk was none other than Blood Wheel Calamity’s signature weapon, the Blood Wheel, known to smash any weapon to pieces.
Finally, Cha Hwan’s gaze turned to the Three Evils.
They were identical triplets. Their faces were the same, and their clothes were exactly alike. They were so identical that it looked as if one person had split into three.
Cha Hwan, who knew the things the Three Evils had done, always shuddered when he saw them. Grotesque atrocities no human being could ever commit.
And yet the Three Evils were almost unknown in the murim. Because they had killed, without exception, every single person connected to their evil deeds. That was why seeing them did not feel like three villains gathered together, but like evil itself made three times more vicious.
In any case, with even them here, today’s opponent would not leave this place alive.
Cha Hwan stepped forward on everyone’s behalf.
“Who are you bastards?”
Then the Three Evils recognized him and answered at the same time.
“Geugak Soma.”
When the three of them answered in perfect unison, as if they had rehearsed it, it gave off an uncanny feeling.
Yelü Han, too, asked calmly, as though he had long since recognized Geugak Soma.
“The Cult Leader would not have given permission. Is this your own independent action?”
Geugak Soma gave no answer.
This time as well, Geom Mugeuk was in charge of the conversation.
“Does wearing a white mask make anyone Geugak Soma? We aren’t people from the Demon Cult.”
“Then who are you?”
“When a bastard who’s eaten ninety years starts raving like a madman because he wants to grow young, King Yama in hell orders him brought in. That bastard will be suffering for the next ninety thousand years.”
Geom Mugeuk swept his gaze over them and did not forget to add one more remark.
“The sentient beings over there also have faces that say they’ve sinned plenty. How about it? Let’s board the boat to hell together. There happen to be six seats left.”
Yelü Han’s expression remained unchanged, but his eyes grew colder.
“Very well. If you have the skill to kill the Five Thunder Divine Sword, you may be this arrogant.”
Yelü Han did not send his subordinates out one by one to die. The enemies were men who had killed the Five Thunder Divine Sword and his disciple.
He stepped forward at the head and said,
“We kill them together!”
The six experts formed their formation at once.
Geom Mugeuk had a premonition.
This would be the hardest battle he had ever fought, before or after his regression.
Geom Mugeuk drew the Black Demon Sword with a refreshing ring and said,
“Fine. If the world can’t kill you, we will.”
Geugak Soma’s eyes were burning blue. The stronger the enemy, the more frenzied Soma became. Geugak Soma looked at Geom Mugeuk and said,
“One more time!”
Geom Mugeuk understood what he meant, so without another word he extended the Black Demon Sword.
Claaang!
This sound was different from the usual bright, crisp ring. Just as the enemy had changed, and just as the relationship between the two of them had changed, a deeper resonance spread outward.
Both sides strode toward each other.
At least in this moment, among everyone gathered here, not one person was afraid.
* * *
Go Wol, who had been eating, ran out and vomited up what he had eaten.
Cult Leader Pungcheon followed him out and patted his back.
“It’s my fault for forcing you to eat.”
Since yesterday, Go Wol had been so tense that he had not eaten anything, and Pungcheon had forced a meal on him.
“Cult Leader, I want to hear the sound of the Yin Thunder Bell.”
At Go Wol’s words, Cult Leader Pungcheon snapped for no reason.
“Aren’t you sick of it? You were bound to that bell for so long!”
Thinking of that incident, Cult Leader Pungcheon had much that pricked his conscience.
“I’m not saying it to make you feel sorry, Cult Leader. I really want to hear that bell. When I listened to the sound of the Yin Thunder Bell, my heart felt much calmer.”
“You don’t mean you want to talk with the demons carved into the bell?”
“I do miss them a little too.”
“Dream on. You’ll never see or hear them again.”
Ssssss.
When their surroundings changed, the two were standing in a field. He had used the Space-Time Transposition Art to bring them to the field Go Wol liked.
“I wasn’t going to come here anymore.”
“Then why did you open it?”
“Because you looked too anxious.”
Cult Leader Pungcheon looked up at the distant sky.
“They must be in the thick of fighting by now, right?”
“Probably.”
“Should I go and help?”
Go Wol shook his head.
“Leave it to those two. This is their fight.”
Cult Leader Pungcheon looked at the faraway sky and said,
“It’s a fight for three people.”
“What do you mean?”
“You’re fighting right now too, aren’t you? Even starving yourself.”
“If you put it that way, are you not fighting too, Cult Leader? The Poison King, the Mistress of Cheonhwa Pavilion, Inspector Seo. The people waiting in the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult. Everyone is fighting together.”
At that, Cult Leader Pungcheon suddenly said,
“Don’t worry. My disciple won’t lose.”
“Disciple?”
“There’s something like that.”
Cult Leader Pungcheon shouted as if Geom Mugeuk were right before his eyes.
“You bastard! After taking that much from me, you’d better not lose! Don’t you dare try to die!”
He had even passed on the Shicheon Secret Art, after all.
He had joked around to ease Go Wol’s mood a little, but Go Wol was still full of worry.
Go Wol looked at the brilliantly clear sky and the vast field and said,
“Will a peaceful day like this ever come to the murim?”
“It mustn’t!”
“Why?”
“Because you’d be the first to lose your job.”
In the end, Go Wol laughed. In this situation where he could not even swallow water, Pungcheon had made him laugh. Fine, Cult Leader, you win.
“Today is going to be a long day.”
* * *
Yelü Han attacked together with the others, but he did not turn it into a chaotic melee.
They stayed tightly grouped and fought as if they were one person. They had judged themselves to be at an advantage and were deliberately avoiding any situation that might create variables.
That was why Geom Mugeuk decided he had to kill Yelü Han first. He was the smartest among them, and if their leader was broken, the morale of the rest would naturally break as well.
But the problem was that if Geom Mugeuk charged in to kill Yelü Han, the other five might not help Yelü Han and instead attack Geugak Soma together.
If that happened, could Geugak Soma withstand the combined assault of those five? If he could, for how long? The problem was that they did not know the exact level of those identical triplets.
Whirrrrrrrr!
The first to attack was Blood Wheel Calamity. The Blood Wheel he hurled flew toward Geom Mugeuk with tremendous force.
It was not only large, but fast as well.
The power contained in the Blood Wheel was too great to deflect with a sword or inner force. Of course, the Black Demon Sword would not break, but facing that heavy Blood Wheel with a sword was far too inefficient.
Whirrrrr!
As if it were alive, the Blood Wheel circled around and attacked again.
When Geom Mugeuk dodged to the left, the Blood Wheel changed direction and flew toward the side he had evaded to.
Geom Mugeuk hastily twisted his body the other way, and the Blood Wheel grazed past his face. The blades attached to the Blood Wheel were so sharp that they looked as though they could slice a human body cleanly apart.
Blood Wheel Calamity retrieved the Blood Wheel and said with a mocking smile,
“Soon you’ll be dancing with the Blood Wheel.”
It meant he could move the Blood Wheel as he pleased.
At times like this, rather than struggling to avoid the Blood Wheel, one had to kill Blood Wheel Calamity himself.
The problem was that they expected that too.
Ping!
The one who blocked the Blood Anguish Finger shot toward Blood Wheel Calamity was First Evil. Second Evil and Third Evil also stayed clustered together, protecting Blood Wheel Calamity. Then, when an opportunity arose, they would attack together.
Seeing First Evil’s movement, Geom Mugeuk thought of the Five Thunder Divine Sword’s disciple, Sahyo. His skill was on Sahyo’s level. In that case, it was as if there were three Sahyos. And since they were twins, their joint-attack technique would be outstanding. They were no ordinary opponents.
Geom Mugeuk made an instinctive decision about whom to kill first.
If Yelü Han was impossible, then while they at least thought they were not his first target.
—Let’s kill the twins first.
—Understood.
Geugak Soma followed Geom Mugeuk’s decision without a word.
Whirrrrrrrr!
The second Blood Wheel flew in again. The moment it brushed past and came circling back, Geom Mugeuk charged toward First Evil.
Kwaaaaaaa!
At the same time, Geugak Soma unleashed the Demonic Extreme Berserk Palm.
Its target was Geom Mugeuk’s back as he charged toward First Evil!
It was as if Geom Mugeuk were rushing in while driving the Demonic Extreme Berserk Palm behind him like an army.
Because he had never expected such an unorthodox attack, First Evil was flustered. Moreover, Geom Mugeuk’s body blocked his view, so for an instant he did not know what to do.
Clang!
The moment they exchanged a single sword blow, the Demonic Extreme Berserk Palm swept over that place.
Geom Mugeuk slipped out with Flash Step and charged toward Second Evil on the right.
First Evil, who had been facing Geom Mugeuk, threw himself to the left a step too late.
The Black Demon Sword cut toward Second Evil.
Flash!
It was the fifth form of the Flying Heaven Sword Art, the Azure Heaven Form, a swift-sword technique.
Kaaang!
The sound of sword striking sword!
The one who blocked the Azure Heaven Form was Yelü Han. He had seen through Geom Mugeuk’s intent to face First Evil and then kill Second Evil.
Their gazes met between the clashing swords.
A cold chill that seemed to freeze the heart flowed from Yelü Han’s sword.
The sword art he had mastered was the Primordial Light-Splitting Sword Art, based on extreme yin inner force.
Clang clang clang clang clang clang!
The sword lights created by the two men’s blades flashed through the air.
“Urgh!”
At that moment, the one who let out a short scream and collapsed was First Evil.
Because Yelü Han had blocked him, Geom Mugeuk had failed to kill Second Evil, but Geugak Soma had killed First Evil.
Earlier, Geom Mugeuk had evaded with Flash Step, and First Evil, who had dodged a step too late, had one arm swept away by the Demonic Extreme Berserk Palm. Geugak Soma did not miss that chance and attacked tenaciously until he finally killed him.
When he died, Second Evil and Third Evil went berserk.
Swish! Swish!
Sword qi flew continuously toward Geugak Soma.
The stable formation collapsed, and the melee Geom Mugeuk wanted began.
Cha Hwan, whose loyalty was high, jumped into the fight to help Yelü Han.
He thrust his sword at Geom Mugeuk’s back, but Geom Mugeuk instead used that attack as an opportunity. As he evaded the attack from behind and the swords of the three men tangled for an instant.
This time, he used Shadow Step. In an instant, Geom Mugeuk vanished from the sight of Yelü Han and Cha Hwan. It was the power of the Four Steps of the Wind God brought to great completion.
The moment Yelü Han, thinking he might be the target, sharpened his nerves!
Geom Mugeuk was stabbing someone else in the back.
It was Second Evil, who had been charging madly to kill Geugak Soma.
For this single move, Shadow Step and Nether King Step were unleashed in succession, and in that moment Geom Mugeuk had become the god of wind.
Swiiiiish!
Once again, the Azure Heaven Form was unleashed.
This time, Yelü Han could not block the attack for him.
Slice!
Second Evil’s back was split in two, and he died on the spot.
At that moment, Geugak Soma was sending finger winds at Third Evil in succession.
Ping! Piiing!
Geom Mugeuk’s fierce sword qi was added to Geugak Soma’s Blood Anguish Finger.
It was the fourth form of the Flying Heaven Sword Art, the Flame Heaven Form, the sword-qi emission technique.
After launching the sword qi, Geom Mugeuk turned around and drew up his protective qi.
The incoming Blood Wheel struck his chest.
Kwaaaaang!
Skrrrk!
Geom Mugeuk was pushed backward together with the flying Blood Wheel, then was flung away and rolled across the ground.
“I got him!”
Blood Wheel Calamity shouted in triumph.
“Damn bastard! How dare you run wild in front of me!”
Geugak Soma threw himself forward and landed before Geom Mugeuk.
Blood Wheel Calamity smiled in satisfaction and said to him,
“He’s already dead. No one has ever been struck by Blood Wheel Calamity and survived…”
At that instant, Blood Wheel Calamity stopped speaking.
Geom Mugeuk had risen to his feet like a ghost.
“Here’s someone who survived.”
Geugak Soma turned his head and asked with his eyes. Are you all right?
Geom Mugeuk rubbed his chest and nodded.
His chest ached as if it would burst, but fortunately he had avoided fatal internal injuries. With the Heavenly Demon Protective Art, the Ghost Tiger Robe, supreme-grade Heavenly Silkworm silk, and protective qi all activated, even the Blood Wheel had failed to kill Geom Mugeuk.
Blood was soaking Geugak Soma’s arm. While he had been dealing with Third Evil, the sword qi Yelü Han sent out had nearly cut off his arm. Judging by the blood flowing out, the wound was not shallow.
This time, Geom Mugeuk asked with his eyes if he was all right, and this time Geugak Soma nodded.
On the other hand, thanks to the two of them taking those risks, Third Evil too lay fallen as a corpse. He had been unable to avoid the Blood Anguish Finger and Flame Heaven Form that flew in together.
Though they had been wounded, they had removed the greatest variable in this battle.
The most shocked person now was Blood Wheel Calamity. He could not believe that someone had taken a direct hit from his Blood Wheel and was fine.
“Who are you?”
His voice trembled.
He was not the only one shocked. Cha Hwan too was staring at Geom Mugeuk with stunned eyes.
Not only was there the footwork that had made him vanish in an instant right before his and Yelü Han’s eyes, he could not believe that the Three Evils, in whom he had placed such faith, were dead.
‘The Three Evils are dead? Those terrifying Three Evils? Those demon-like Three Evils?’
He could not accept that the corpses sprawled on the ground were the Three Evils.
But the method the opponent had used just now was the kind of attack that not only the Three Evils, but even Ten Evils would have been forced to suffer.
For the first time, emotion appeared on Yelü Han’s face.
When the battle did not go according to his will, the corners of his mouth curled upward, and he gave a self-mocking sneer.
Geom Mugeuk let the Black Demon Sword, dripping blood, hang at his side and said to him,
“That’s right. Life is something that makes you smile bitterly several times a day, but you’ve had it far too easy until now, haven’t you?”