Have you ever been asked such a question right before a life-and-death battle?
Asking which direction you like among east, west, south, and north?
‘This is psychological warfare.’
Naturally, Hagyeol thought Geom Mugeuk’s question was a ploy to confuse him. So what? He would play along with composure.
“I like the west.”
Then, once again, incomprehensible words came from Geom Mugeuk’s mouth.
“Oh dear. Why the west, of all things? There are handsome ones, clever ones, and mysterious ones too.”
What on earth was he talking about?
Unable to understand, Hagyeol merely snorted.
“Young Cult Leader, enough with your pointless tricks. They won’t work on me.”
Though he appeared relaxed on the outside, he was extremely tense. The seven subordinates killed earlier weren’t slain with mere words. The moment he let himself be swayed by that tongue, a sword would pierce his heart.
‘What trick is he trying to use?’
Geom Mugeuk was attempting something he had never tried before.
He would unleash the Annihilation Formula of the Guhwamagong while summoning only the western evil phantom. A flashy appearance, without cutting! He didn’t intend to kill Hagyeol right away; he needed to keep him alive to find out where the Blood King was hiding.
‘Is it possible?’
His realm in the Guhwamagong had risen, and he could now control the evil phantoms quite freely, so he had been about to try. But soon, Geom Mugeuk sheathed his sword.
“I’ve changed my mind.”
An instinct related to martial arts stopped him. It was possible to make only one evil phantom appear, but he felt that not killing the opponent wasn’t what the evil phantom desired.
Yes, summoning the evil phantoms of the Guhwamagong without killing the enemy was discourteous.
Geom Mugeuk realized anew.
‘So now I’m feeling a bond with them.’
When he had called them forth while training in Wind Valley, the evil phantoms hadn’t disappeared immediately and had looked at each other. At that time, he had felt that they possessed emotions.
The one that looked clever among them had even shown reluctance to part before vanishing.
“I was rash. I’m sorry.”
Hagyeol thought those words were spoken to him, but they were actually Geom Mugeuk speaking to the evil phantoms.
No matter what Geom Mugeuk said, Hagyeol dredged up his true nature that had been sleeping deep within his heart—the nature he had buried while serving as Yang Seok’s guard at the Northern Blood Gate.
He was a rough and cruel man. He had planted the Self-Destruction Art in his subordinates, mercilessly detonated those who lacked ability during training, and brainwashed the survivors with fear. He was someone who achieved his goals by any means necessary.
“You should have killed me when you had the chance!”
Hagyeol flew toward Geom Mugeuk. He would make him pay the price for underestimating him.
Their two swords clashed in the air.
Beyond the crossed blades, Geom Mugeuk’s eyes held no emotion whatsoever. He was the Young Cult Leader who spoke incomprehensible words and joked around, but once the battle began, his eyes changed.
The demonic energy erupting from the clashing Black Demon Sword made breathing difficult. Resisting it, an even stronger blood energy surged from Hagyeol’s sword.
Their swords continuously clashed, creating sparks.
Hagyeol was fast and strong. His martial arts combined swordsmanship and blood arts, but even without the blood arts, his swordsmanship alone was excellent.
“Die! You demonic cult bastard!”
Hagyeol’s eyes tore into long slits, emitting killing intent. His emotions intensified reacting to the demonic energy. An enormous amount of blood energy poured down on Geom Mugeuk.
But unfortunately for him, the endlessly surging blood energy was being blocked by the completed Heavenly Demon Guardian Divine Art. In swordsmanship too, Geom Mugeuk held the advantage.
Hagyeol increased his attack speed even more. But no matter how quickly he swung his sword, Geom Mugeuk blocked everything.
Each and every move carried powerful internal energy, so the more their swords clashed, the more Hagyeol’s arms hurt as if they would fall off. The more they collided, the more he realized he was being overpowered in internal energy as well.
Unable to endure any longer, Hagyeol leaped backward. Instead of quickly pursuing, Geom Mugeuk calmly asked.
“I told you to let me meet the person you serve. If you die here, who will protect that person?”
The moment Geom Mugeuk said those words, he saw the corners of Hagyeol’s eyes tremble.
‘He’s not just a simple leader.’
A blood relative or a master.
The blood energy erupting from Hagyeol’s body grew even fiercer. As the fight progressed, his blood boiled more and more.
Shwaaaaak!
Blood energy erupted from Hagyeol’s sword.
Geom Mugeuk likewise didn’t evade and unleashed sword energy to meet it.
Kwaaang!
Sword energy and blood energy collided, raising a cloud of dust.
Hagyeol unleashed blood energy like a madman.
Clashing again and again.
“Die!”
Hagyeol gritted his teeth and poured out blood energy.
It was an attack with enough power to shake the earth and overturn the topsoil, but Geom Mugeuk stood his ground and blocked all attacks.
Hagyeol, who had been pouring out blood energy, stopped his attack and panted roughly. In contrast, Geom Mugeuk calmly approached him.
There was a reason Hagyeol allowed Geom Mugeuk to get so close. Soon, red energy spread out silently behind Geom Mugeuk like wings unfolding.
Huuuuuk.
That red aura wrapped around Geom Mugeuk in an instant, as if snatching prey, and covered him completely.
It was the secret technique of Hagyeol’s unique martial art, the Myriad Evil Blood Technique — the Blood Coagulation Membrane.
‘Got him!’
It was a hidden trump card: if he succeeded in trapping his opponent in the Blood Coagulation Membrane, the opponent would suffocate and die inside. There was no way to tear through the blood membrane no matter what method was used.
Sure enough, trapped like an egg, Geom Mugeuk squirmed inside the blood membrane.
“Die in there, Young Cult Leader!”
He was half-dominated by blood energy. More than his purpose of finding the Extreme Limit Body or the aftermath of killing the Demonic Cult’s Young Leader, he was swept up in the desire to simply kill his opponent.
Hagyeol looked at Yang Seok with eyes thirsting for blood.
“Please spare me! I was wrong!”
It wasn’t a situation to assert pride or not. Hagyeol had the look of someone who would rush over and kill him at any moment.
It was at that very moment.
A blue light seemed to shine from within the blood membrane.
Puhuk.
Blue light tore through the membrane. It was the Black Demon Sword imbued with sword force.
The moment the membrane tore, Hagyeol let out a scream.
“Uwaaaaah!”
The Black Demon Sword containing blue sword force tore the blood membrane straight across.
Scriiiiiitch.
Hagyeol screamed, and the blood membrane writhed as if alive.
Geom Mugeuk poked his head out through the torn blood membrane.
“I hate stuffy places.”
And then he roughly grabbed the torn blood membrane with both hands and ripped it apart. Once torn, the blood membrane was ripped to shreds by Geom Mugeuk’s hands as well.
When Hagyeol’s screams reached their peak.
With a pop, the Blood Coagulation Membrane disappeared. With a pained expression, Hagyeol asked.
“How on earth? It couldn’t even be torn by sword force.”
“From now on, when you pass down that martial art, make sure to pass on this message: it doesn’t work on the Demonic Cult’s Young Leader.”
At those words, the smell of blood from Hagyeol’s body grew stronger, and blood pooled in both his eyes. It wasn’t red energy settling in; it was actual blood.
Now the blood energy was devouring him. He felt that unless he became a perfect Blood Being, he couldn’t defeat Geom Mugeuk.
Blood orbs began rising from his palms. Dozens of blood orbs rose and transformed into the shape of small daggers.
Shwishswishswishswish!
Another one of his secret techniques.
Flying Dagger Blood Rain.
Dozens of hidden weapons poured down on Geom Mugeuk. Geom Mugeuk began to run.
Papapapapapapak!
Geom Mugeuk displayed astonishing movement art between the pouring blood-red daggers.
Yang Seok, who was watching, opened his eyes wide.
The thought, *How does he dodge that?* only followed after Geom Mugeuk had already dodged.
His figure dodging the pouring blood-red daggers was almost beautiful.
When he had dodged all the daggers and landed, a new secret technique was waiting for him. The earlier Flying Dagger Blood Rain had been a method to make him fall for this move.
Swish! Thud! Swiiish! Swiiish!
Red lines appeared all around Geom Mugeuk. The blood lines trapped Geom Mugeuk and surrounded the area like a spider web. It was as if he were imprisoned, enclosed within the red lines.
Blood Dismemberment Net.
“Don’t move. If you touch the blood lines, you die.”
“Can I still move my mouth?”
Yang Seok nearly burst into a hollow laugh. Making jokes even in this situation?
Meanwhile, the blood pooled in Hagyeol’s pupils grew even redder.
Ssssssssh!
The blood lines began tightening around Geom Mugeuk.
“I’ll cut you into dozens of pieces so they can’t even find your corpse!”
The blood lines from all directions approached with the momentum to cut Geom Mugeuk apart.
Even in this hair-trigger situation, Geom Mugeuk was calm. When he injected internal energy into the Black Demon Sword, blue sword force condensed.
“I don’t think your martial art can overcome my internal energy and the Black Demon Sword.”
It was words born from absolute confidence in himself.
Papapapapak!
The Black Demon Sword cut in all directions.
Chichichik! Thuk! Thuuk!
The blood lines in all directions began to be cut down.
In this unbelievable moment, Hagyeol unleashed his final secret technique. The final move of the Myriad Evil Blood Technique that required using half of his innate true qi.
A drop of blood rose from his hand and became a butterfly flying away.
In front of Geom Mugeuk, who was cutting through the blood lines and emerging.
Puk.
The butterfly burst.
Flying Butterfly Blood Poison.
His master had said: The Flying Butterfly Blood Poison possessed power rivaling formless extreme poison. That no one could block it. However, one had to use half of their innate true qi.
As the blood butterfly burst,Geom Mugeuk’s surroundings were completely enveloped in red mist.
Hagyeol was certain the Young Leader could no longer endure. That was why his gaze finally turned to Yang Seok.
“The Demonic Cult’s Young Leader died because of you.”
Yang Seok felt aggrieved. Why was he shifting the blame here when he was the one who killed him? But he didn’t dare talk back. Hagyeol’s two eyes were still filled with blood.
“Now the demonic horde will swarm in and wipe out the Northern Blood Gate.”
Then Yang Seok put on a shocked expression.
“You did this without even expecting that?”
But the reason Yang Seok was surprised wasn’t because of Hagyeol’s words. Geom Mugeuk was walking out from the red smoke behind Hagyeol.
Hagyeol was horrified seeing that figure belatedly.
‘He survived the blood poison? How on earth?’
It was the moment when all the absolute truths he had learned from his master crumbled.
It was the first time in his life he had felt so powerless.
He felt ashamed of himself for having worried even briefly about what would happen after Geom Mugeuk died. The Geom Mugeuk standing before him felt like a massive wall.
Then he suddenly arrived at one thought.
“You know I won’t open my mouth, right?”
“Yes.”
“You could have killed me earlier, right?”
“Yes.”
“Why did you take the risk?”
He felt that it wasn’t just to ask where his master was. Truly, there was a reason Geom Mugeuk had dragged out this fight for so long.
“To get used to blood arts. Because whoever is behind you uses the same martial art.”
“!”
In that moment, Hagyeol’s expression completely stiffened. He joked, spoke incomprehensible words. So he had forgotten. Just how meticulous and fearsome this man was.
“I have lost.”
Hagyeol lowered his head as if resigned. His tone became polite as well.
“If you spare me, I shall tell you who is behind this and where they are now.”
“You should have done so from the start.”
Geom Mugeuk slowly approached him.
As Geom Mugeuk walked until he was five steps away, Hagyeol’s expression changed.
“You fool! Did you think I’d tell you willingly?”
A satisfied smile formed on Hagyeol’s face.
“At this distance, you can never dodge my Self-Destruction Art.”
He was certain he could kill Geom Mugeuk.
Nevertheless, Geom Mugeuk wasn’t very surprised. It was an expression as if he had expected this situation.
“Then did you think I’d believe your words obediently?”
“What? Then why did you approach?”
“Why else? I’m still practicing. I don’t know who it is, but wouldn’t whoever is behind you try tricks like this too?”
“You bastard! Let’s see if you can remain so relaxed while dying!”
Hagyeol’s face turned red in an instant, and he used the Self-Destruction Art. It was faster than the other subordinates’. Its power would also be incomparably stronger.
At that very moment.
Geom Mugeuk disappeared from before his eyes.
The surprised Hagyeol stopped the Self-Destruction Art. Forcing it to stop caused his energy and blood to tangle, making him vomit blood.
Then Geom Mugeuk revealed himself. He had disappeared from sight in an instant by opening the Space-Time Transference Art.
If one considered compatibility of martial arts, they were two martial arts at complete extremes.
“No matter how quickly you use the Self-Destruction Art, you can’t be faster than me.”
Hagyeol’s face turned red again. This time he tried to use the Self-Destruction Art even faster than before.
But by the time he had finished chanting all the oral formulas, Geom Mugeuk had already disappeared.
“Just what are you….”
Unable to continue speaking, Hagyeol vomited blood again. Once again forcing the Self-Destruction Art to stop, he vomited even more blood than before.
But he couldn’t die meaninglessly like this alone. In the end, the martial art that had inflicted the greatest injury on him was the Self-Destruction Art.
“Uaaaaaaaah!”
Hagyeol screamed, gritting his teeth.
Before he knew it, Geom Mugeuk had appeared before his eyes again.
“A martial artist who has lost should just die. How dirty and cowardly is this?”
Geom Mugeuk looked into Hagyeol’s two eyes. His own face was reflected in the bloody pool filling the pupils. Gazing into that abyss, Geom Mugeuk spoke calmly.
“Do you know why I search so hard for those behind you? Because I don’t like you people. Because I don’t like people who don’t know how to accept defeat and try to drag others down like water ghosts.”
Who in this martial world can stop those who use the Self-Destruction Art without hesitation? They avoid it because it’s dirty, cowardly, and terrifying—who would chase after them so desperately to stop them?
Those who make people incomparably fearful to seize their own gain. They too are evil. Absolute evil that must be trampled and judged in the name of the Demonic Cult.
“…You need to keep me alive to find out who is behind me.”
Hagyeol tried to seize an opportunity by dragging out the conversation somehow. But his opponent was Geom Mugeuk.
“You have no intention of telling me, do you? I’ll find out myself.”
Geom Mugeuk no longer spoke with him.
“You said you like the west?”
The instant those words ended.
Hagyeol felt chilling killing intent from the side.
And he saw it. The most terrifying thing he had ever witnessed in his life. The single slash that that terrifying thing swung without a moment’s hesitation.
Shwiiiiiik!
Swhack!
Hagyeol’s severed head flew into the air.
In the blood pooled in his pupils, various figures were reflected. The sky was reflected, and so was the figure of Geom Mugeuk looking down coldly. Yang Seok watching with a surprised face, and the frightening evil phantom disappearing were reflected too.
Then the ground, grass, and sky flashed by quickly, then slowed, and soon darkness came.