“To think the one who will become the successor of the Murim Alliance trusts the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult the most?”
Gwak Ju burst into laughter.
Then, just as his expression suddenly seemed to return to normal—
This time, Hwasong, who had been standing elsewhere, abruptly burst out laughing.
Laughter spread like a contagion. Then the Demon Extermination Squad warriors standing beside him, already caught in the Soul-Capturing Art, laughed in succession.
Their opponent was moving freely from one person’s body to another.
Then he entered Gwak Ju’s body, standing beside Jin Hagun again, and asked with a grin.
“Do you really trust him?”
Did he really trust Geom Mugeuk?
Of course Jin Hagun trusted Geom Mugeuk. If it was Geom Mugeuk, he would lightly evade something as trivial as the fate of being killed by his grandfather.
He was the sort of man who would save a cornered friend and then make an endless fuss about it. Even though he hated making a fuss.
“He’s my friend. Of course I should trust him.”
At Jin Hagun’s unwavering answer, Gwak Ju openly sneered.
“The orthodox murim will collapse even if left alone.”
Then he shouted as if reprimanding him.
“As the commander of the Demon Extermination Squad, are you not ashamed before your subordinates?”
But none of the Demon Extermination Squad warriors were ashamed of Jin Hagun.
They knew better than anyone what kind of person Jin Hagun was, and they had watched from closer than anyone how he had met Geom Mugeuk and what sort of relationship they had formed until now.
Did he sense the loyalty in their expressions? Gwak Ju’s eyes sank coldly.
“You die here today.”
He was devising an utterly cruel death.
“After you watch your subordinates kill one another, I’ll kill you last.”
If he cut down this Gwak Ju before his eyes, would his opponent die as well?
He thought not. If that were the case, the man would not have exposed himself before him so defenselessly.
Jin Hagun quietly looked into Gwak Ju’s eyes.
There were many things he wanted to say to the master of the Soul-Capturing Art hiding beyond them.
A cowardly craven who could not even show himself!
He wanted to provoke him and mock him.
But he did not think that would make the bastard reveal himself. If he were the sort of person to do that, he would have shown himself from the start.
A clumsy provocation would only put his subordinates’ lives in even greater danger.
Yes, what was needed now was not to fall for his opponent’s provocation, but to hold out until Geom Mugeuk came to help. In the past, merely harboring such a thought would have wounded his pride, but not anymore. Saving his subordinates was more important than pride.
Jin Hagun stepped back and leveled his sword. The subordinates beside him lined up on either side of him.
To be honest, he had no idea how to deal with this man. Just what did he have to do to break this Soul-Capturing Art?
At that moment, his grandfather’s words came to mind.
Do you know why we have not collapsed before their cruel and tenacious desires?
Jin Hagun spoke proudly to his subordinates.
“The path we walk is the righteous path!”
Yes. No matter how much they hurried, they were always one step, two steps behind this bastard’s evil, but that belief did not change.
“We are the Demon Extermination Squad. We fear no enemy!”
Clack, clack, clack, clack!
At Jin Hagun’s words, his subordinates leveled their swords as one. They were aimed at the comrades who had been with them just moments ago.
Shiiiiik!
Starting with the warrior right beside Jin Hagun swinging his sword at him, the battle that had stopped began again.
Clang!
Jin Hagun lightly blocked the sword flying in from beside him. He showed no sign of surprise or panic. The mindset Jin Hagun had come up with was this.
“From this moment on, we begin live combat training with our comrades!”
It meant they were to treat their comrades caught in the Soul-Capturing Art as if they were training. Those under its control would fight as if in real combat, while they would fight as if in training.
Clang, clang, clang!
A fight broke out among the Demon Extermination Squad warriors. For now, there were still more people who had not yet fallen to the Soul-Capturing Art, so they had some leeway.
Even so, Jin Hagun poured all his mental strength into it. There was no telling when someone might suddenly turn and bring about some tragic result.
‘No matter how much stronger he has become through the activation of the Blood Heaven Soul-Strengthening Art, he must have a limit as well.’
The opponent must also be fighting while using an enormous amount of internal energy.
But the Soul-Capturing Art of the opponent, who had gained even greater power through the Blood Heaven Soul-Strengthening Art, surpassed imagination. He truly continued using the Soul-Capturing Art without tiring.
One by one, the number of warriors falling to the Soul-Capturing Art continued to increase.
Jin Hagun could tell. If he was this skilled, he could kill them in other ways as well.
But the bastard was toying with him. He wanted to see Jin Hagun suffer as his subordinates stabbed one another to death.
“Hold out! Hold out to the end!”
Someone would surely come to help them!
Clang, clang, clang, clang!
The warriors caught in the Soul-Capturing Art rushed at them as if to kill, and because this side could not kill them, the battle was unbelievably difficult despite their numerical advantage.
On top of that, the number of those caught in the Soul-Capturing Art kept growing.
“Careful!”
He leaped over a subordinate rolling on the floor and blocked another subordinate attacking him.
Clang, clang, clang!
Sparks flew, and in the meantime, the warrior who had fallen rose to his feet.
Jin Hagun had saved him, but that subordinate stabbed toward Jin Hagun’s back.
Claang!
Jin Hagun turned and deflected the sword. Jin Hagun did not get angry. Rather, he felt sorry toward his subordinate.
‘I’m sorry. I’m sorry I can’t save you.’
He had faced many crises in his life, but never had he felt so sorry toward his subordinates as he did in this moment.
And never had his yearning for strength been as intense as it was now.
‘If I survive today, I will become strong enough never to let this happen again.’
Jin Hagun threw himself toward a subordinate being hurled into the wall. Because he moved recklessly, blood sprayed from his arm. But he had no time to examine the wound.
As he pushed back the subordinate attacking the fallen one, he watched another situation as well. Both the attacker and the one being attacked were his subordinates.
That was why he, at least, had to keep his head clear. He absolutely could not let his subordinates die here. Especially not by being stabbed by a comrade’s sword.
‘Not a single one will die!’
Jin Hagun swung his sword like a madman.
The warriors who had not fallen to the Soul-Capturing Art had never seen Jin Hagun like this before. Because they knew better than anyone why he was so desperate, they too fought like mad. Then, before long, they became enemies.
It was not enough.
Jin Hagun and the remaining Demon Extermination Squad warriors were pushed back to the wall where the rear door was.
Their opponent briefly brought the fight to a lull.
Clap, clap, clap!
This time, Hwasong clapped as he walked forward. The man who should have unraveled this space for them had become the bastard’s puppet.
“Impressive! Even fighting like this, you haven’t killed a single one of your subordinates.”
Jin Hagun could not answer immediately.
“Haa, haa, haa.”
Only his rough breathing echoed there.
The Demon Extermination Squad warriors standing beside him examined Jin Hagun’s body. His entire body was already soaked with blood flowing from his arms, legs, and back.
“Are you all right?”
At the question from the subordinate beside him, Jin Hagun nodded.
At that very moment—
Shwik!
The subordinate who had asked if he was all right thrust his sword at Jin Hagun.
As he dodged the incoming sword and gripped the man’s wrist tightly, Jin Hagun spoke again.
His eyes had already lost reason, but Jin Hagun stared into his subordinate’s eyes and said,
“I’m all right.”
He swung the subordinate, who was about to attack again, and threw him toward the subordinates caught in the Soul-Capturing Art. After landing on the floor, the man did not attack again.
“The hypocrisy of you orthodox bastards is funny no matter how many times I see it.”
Despite Hwasong’s mockery, Jin Hagun stared at him and spoke calmly.
“I’m your goal anyway, aren’t I? You’ve had enough fun, so let my subordinates out now.”
Hwasong snorted.
“You’re going to play the hypocrite to the very end?”
Hwasong slowly walked toward Jin Hagun.
He came right up in front of Jin Hagun and said coldly,
“Stop acting righteous!”
Jin Hagun absolutely did not let his emotions explode.
But his opponent wanted, by any means, to provoke Jin Hagun and see his true nature.
Hwasong looked at the door behind Jin Hagun and said,
“That is a door that absolutely cannot be opened unless I open it.”
Hwasong grinned and spoke insinuatingly.
“How about it? Shall I open it just for you? If you stop pretending and say you’ll escape alone, I’ll open it.”
The subordinates beside him nodded. It meant that if he could, he should at least escape first that way.
Of course, they knew. Jin Hagun was absolutely not the sort of man who would leave them behind and escape alone. Just as they were not.
“Why are you all so incapable of being honest?”
Hwasong tapped on the door behind Jin Hagun.
“Please open it, I want to live! Righteousness or whatever can go to hell, I have to survive first! I’ll do plenty of good deeds later. Now, the first five in line get to live!”
It was right then, as his mockery continued.
Craack!
The door broke apart, and a hand shot out.
That hand seized Hwasong, who was standing in front of the door, by the throat. It happened so suddenly that Hwasong could not dodge in time.
Just as a choking scream burst out—
Puaaaang.
At that moment, Jin Hagun and the Demon Extermination Squad warriors saw it. Something pure white was being flung out of Hwasong’s body. The thing they had been unable to see until now was visible at last.
It flew like an arrow and entered Gwak Ju’s body.
Then the hand that had burst out after breaking the door released Hwasong’s neck. Hwasong retreated with a bewildered face.
At the same time it let him go—
Creeeak.
The door that supposedly could never be opened unless he opened it began to open.
Beyond the door was pitch-black darkness in which nothing could be seen.
A hand protruded from within that darkness.
There was a drawing on the hand. Black chains linked in a long line from the back of the hand up the arm.
From within the darkness, the owner of the hand walked forward.
The person who entered was a young woman.
The woman was none other than the Soul-Capturing Demon Venerable, Cheongseon.
Jin Hagun was truly surprised by her appearance.
He had seen her at the last three-party meeting, but he had never imagined she would appear here.
Soon after, a thrilling shudder bloomed throughout Jin Hagun’s entire body.
It was the joy of confirming that his faith had been certain. If not Geom Mugeuk, who else would have sent her?
Yes, this was the kind of person Geom Mugeuk was. If he had not been such a person, how could he, the successor of the Demonic Cult, have become his friend?
The aura she gave off after their long separation had changed far too much. To the point he almost failed to recognize her.
Her cold eyes were exceedingly calm and deep. Her bearing was completely different from when she had first become a Demon Venerable.
Unknown patterns were drawn on her face and arms.
First, what stood out most was the drawing on her forehead.
A closed eye.
The closed eye was drawn in purple. It looked like a third eye.
On the left side of her face was a red whirlpool pattern, and on the back of her right hand was the drawing of linked chains he had seen earlier.
On the back of her left hand on the opposite side, there was a blue flame.
These drawings, which did not look ordinary even at a glance, were Soul Paintings.
Soul Paintings were special drawings that strengthened the martial arts of those who had learned the Soul-Capturing Art, and by drawing these Soul Paintings, one could display an even more powerful Soul-Capturing Art.
They served the same role as the opponent now using the Blood Heaven Soul-Strengthening Art to unleash a stronger Soul-Capturing Art.
The fact that the Soul-Capturing Demon Venerable had appeared with Soul Paintings drawn meant she acknowledged her opponent, and at the same time, it meant she intended to fight properly.
Jin Hagun greeted her with formal respect. Though she was young, she held the status of a Demon Venerable.
“I greet the Demon Venerable.”
The Soul-Capturing Demon Venerable also gave a formal fist salute.
“I was a little late because I was meeting an honored person.”
An honored person? Who did she mean? Geom Mugeuk? If she had met Geom Mugeuk, she would have come with him. Then who on earth was it?
Gwak Ju spoke to her.
“I heard the news about the Demonic Cult’s new Soul-Capturing Demon Venerable. You’re much younger than I thought. You crazy bitch, you nearly scared my liver out of me earlier.”
Even though he knew who his opponent was, he was not frightened at all. Rather, his eyes were filled with curiosity at her appearance.
“The previous Soul-Capturing Demon Venerable dabbled in the Dark Demonic Art.”
He had great interest in the Soul-Capturing Demon Venerable.
“There’s a rumor that the Young Cult Leader killed him. Is that true?”
The Soul-Capturing Demon Venerable gave no answer.
“The taciturn type, are you?”
Then the Soul-Capturing Demon Venerable answered with indifferent eyes.
“I don’t exchange words with cowards.”
It was mockery of him for not revealing himself and hiding in another’s body.
Jin Hagun felt refreshed. He had held himself back from saying those very words so many times.
Gwak Ju’s eyes sank coldly.
“Now then, let’s see just how skilled our young Demon Venerable is.”
The moment his words ended, the sound of ghosts crying began to rise from all around.
Heeheeheeheeheehee.
It was a wail that burrowed into a person’s mind.
The Demon Extermination Squad warriors raised their internal energy and resisted the cries. But like the manifestation of a sound art, the wailing burrowed into the warriors’ ears.
The Soul-Capturing Demon Venerable slowly brought a finger to her lips.
“Shh!”
At that moment, the ghostly wails resounding from all directions stopped dead.
Now the surroundings grew so quiet it felt as if a real ghost might appear.
Absolute Regression, Chapter 659