Chapter 13: A Talent Draws Attention (4)
Jin Museong and Jin Arin had only thought of Namgung Rim as something like a guide when they met him in Seonju.
They had thought it would be fine to have him along in tracking down the Poison Ghost Yin Bandit because he seemed to have guts even if he lacked martial arts skills.
But that had been a great misconception on their part.
The large sword that had looked cumbersome strapped to his back destroyed the opponent’s sword stance with overwhelming power and even cut off his arm.
“Wh-what…? What just happened?”
It had been Jin Arin, who had leaped to protect Namgung Rim after he rushed too far ahead.
But now she had stopped alongside Jin Museong, staring blankly at Namgung Rim’s back.
“So he wasn’t simply all guts….”
Jin Museong also looked at Namgung Rim’s back in surprise. His two legs stood firm and unshaken by an inch, like a massive tree rooted in the earth.
The black-clad men were surprised as well.
At first, they had thought some madman had suddenly jumped in. But they soon realized he was just a brat and thought their comrade would pierce him with one strike.
Yet, instead, it was their comrade who had died.
The black-clad man looked at Namgung Rim with startled eyes and spoke.
“Who are you?”
“Namgung Rim.”
“Namgung…? Could it be you’re saying you’re from the Namgung Clan? In that Namgung Clan that was expelled from the Five Great Clans, someone like you….”
The black-clad man stopped speaking. He had been about to call him an expert but stopped because it felt like acknowledging his opponent.
“Someone like me, what were you going to say?”
Namgung Rim’s gaze toward the black-clad man was serene.
The black-clad man felt suffocated. It was not the gaze of a young man. Just looking into those deep, serene eyes made him feel as if he were being sucked in and suffocated.
The black-clad man could endure it no longer. He rapidly closed the distance and thrust his sword.
Szzt!
A terrifying sword stance unfolded.
Every sword tip targeted only vital points—a killing stance created solely to kill the opponent.
Even as the sword stance that seemed ready to pierce his body reached right before him, Namgung Rim remained calm.
No, he even felt a certain disappointment.
Because it was not on a level comparable to the sword stance of the Hundred Flowers Flying Sword that he had seen in his duel against Yunnakhwa.
“Pathetic.”
His inner thoughts slipped out through his mouth.
The moment the black-clad man’s eyes tinged with fury at these words.
Namgung Rim’s sword arced greatly in a diagonal line.
As the flashing sword light sliced through the air, a thunderous impact echoed through the area.
Boom!
The black-clad man’s killing stance, which had pierced the throats of many martial artists, was rendered worthless.
The black-clad man’s eyes filled with bewilderment. An honest strike devoid of any technique whatsoever. Its power transcended imagination.
‘Why does he use a sword that goes against the times like this…?’
The black-clad man’s confusion did not last long. Namgung Rim immediately surged in and brought his sword down in a great strike from above his head.
The black-clad man, his head split open, soon collapsed to the ground.
Jin Museong and Jin Arin approached Namgung Rim as he shook off the blood and sheathed his sword.
“…Young Master Namgung, you were strong.”
“No, they are weak.”
Jin Museong shook his head.
“These two already killed many martial artists on Socha Mountain. They are plenty strong.”
The two from the Shandong Jin Clan were curious about how Namgung Rim was so strong, and why he used such a heavy sword.
But this was not the place to satisfy such curiosity.
The atmosphere was not one where they could possibly ask.
Namgung Rim was still starving. He had not yet fully sated his hunger.
Though he felt the thrill of finding prey, there was no tension of the sort that he might die.
‘These are not the Poison Ghost Yin Bandit.’
There was no use fighting such people.
There was no feeling of life and death at stake, and therefore no enlightenment to be gained.
He had to meet the Poison Ghost Yin Bandit.
That was the only thought in Namgung Rim’s head.
“Let’s go.”
He moved his feet.
The fierce killing intent felt through his Earth Emperor senses was telling Namgung Rim:
The net closing in on the Poison Ghost Yin Bandit was tightening like a fist, and that he was not far from this place.
* * *
A man with skin so pale he looked dead at a glance, and limbs so long they were bizarre, was climbing the mountain.
He was the Poison Ghost Yin Bandit that everyone on Socha Mountain was currently chasing.
The Poison Ghost Yin Bandit spoke to the two subordinates following him.
“It’s time for Sachul and Obyeong to return; why haven’t they come back?”
The two had gone to kill the pursuing martial artists.
“What are you worried about? They’re all just brats. The two of them are probably enjoying the killing.”
The Poison Ghost Yin Bandit had four subordinates. They had once been martial brothers studying under the same expert when young, but before long, their relationship had become one of master and servant.
“There are also those we must be careful of.”
The Meteor Sword Wolf, Nakilgun.
Ongmyeon Junnye had returned for some reason, but that Nakilgun still remained. He himself could definitely kill Nakilgun. But his subordinates would be no match for him.
‘It is time to leave this mountain as well. I heard that Jeongnyeom Jugoe has obtained the Changbo Blade, so I must meet him too.’
He instinctively felt the net closing in.
But the tightening of the net also meant that if he broke through just one spot, there would be no one left to block his way.
Confident in his own strength, he had even waited for the net to tighten.
As the Poison Ghost Yin Bandit climbed the mountain, he soon pushed through uninhabited thickets. Then, a cave hard to find appeared before him.
After having two subordinates wait outside, he entered the cave alone. Walking through the narrow cave that barely allowed one person to pass, a woman soon appeared.
She was a half-naked woman with her top stripped off.
The woman had been struck at acupoints and could neither move nor speak. However, when the Poison Ghost Yin Bandit appeared, she closed her eyes as if she could not stand the sight of him, expressing her will.
She was a woman from the Moonlit Sect that he had kidnapped.
Normally, he would have looked at the woman with lecherous eyes, but now he was completely different.
There were densely engraved characters on the woman’s back.
The Poison Ghost Yin Bandit’s eyes were fixed on those characters.
‘Those characters are clearly part of a martial arts mantra. And one of the renowned Moonlit Sect’s martial arts at that.’
He had happened to kidnap a woman from the Moonlit Sect, and when he tried to have his way with her, he saw the characters engraved on her body.
And he intuitively realized it was a martial arts mantra, so he kept her alive.
‘But this mantra alone is difficult to interpret.’
Such characters were surely engraved on the bodies of other Moonlit Sect women as well. Because the kidnapped woman would not open her mouth, the reason why the characters were engraved on her body and such were unknown.
‘Since I don’t know what secrets this woman holds, I can’t kill her carelessly. Not until I find out. Besides.’
As a last resort, he could take this woman hostage to threaten the Moonlit Sect, or use her to escape the net.
‘The mysterious martial art of the Moonlit Sect said to be related to the Mount Hua Sword Immortal. I must definitely obtain it this opportunity.’
Leaving the half-naked woman as she was, the Poison Ghost Yin Bandit exited the cave again.
“Now we shall leave this mountain.”
Smiles appeared on the two subordinates’ faces.
“Hehe. I almost died of boredom on this mountain without even having any fun.”
“But how are you planning to get out?”
“The brat from the Hebei Luo Clan is hot on my heels. I just need to kill him first. If I kill the one said to be the strongest here, this trash-like net will soon collapse.”
Leaving the woman in the cave, the Poison Ghost Yin Bandit leaped into action. After killing Nakilgun, he would simply return and take her with him.
* * *
Nakilgun was also climbing the mountain with his guards.
A guard skilled in tracking looked back at Nakilgun.
“The traces are fresh. I think we’ll soon be on the Poison Ghost Yin Bandit’s tail. It seems there are three of them, as expected.”
“Understood.”
Nakilgun nodded, flashing a sharp gaze in his eyes. At first, he had thought the bandit moved alone as rumored. It had been the same even when they discovered the corpses. But repeated tracking revealed the traces of more than one person.
It didn’t matter to him anyway. No matter how many came, he would just kill them all.
As he was organizing such thoughts, a sinister voice rang out.
“My tail? If you can, try stepping on it.”
Soon, three men appeared in the area. The Poison Ghost Yin Bandit and his two subordinates.
When the guards of the Hebei Luo Clan drew their swords to confront them, the Poison Ghost Yin Bandit stepped forward.
“So you’re the brat called the Meteor Sword Wolf.”
“I have no mockery to hear from the likes of a yin bandit.”
“Hehe. The pride of a young one pierces the heavens, indeed.”
The Poison Ghost Yin Bandit drew the sword from his waist.
“You must have lived not knowing defeat. And you won’t feel it in the future either. Because you will die here today.”
Even at the Poison Ghost Yin Bandit’s provocation, Nakilgun’s expression did not change at all. He merely maintained his calm with overflowing pride as usual.
And he did not reply.
He simply drew his sword and took a stance.
Soon, the distance between the two narrowed.
Cha-cha-cha-chang!
A splendid fight soon began.
The fight between two peak experts had such impact that it forced everyone around them to retreat several steps.
The Radiant Advance Sword of the Hebei Luo Clan.
That sword technique representing the Hebei Luo Clan was scattering radiance in all directions, befitting its name.
A sword technique combining the Hebei Luo Clan’s characteristic swift sword with the illusory sword of the Mount Hua Sword Immortal.
Swoooooosh!
The flashing sword shadow extended as if to pierce the Poison Ghost Yin Bandit’s body.
“Not bad at all. You brat.”
Although Nakilgun displayed an amazing sword technique, the Poison Ghost Yin Bandit was no pushover.
He unleashed sharp killing stances and deflected all the rays of light rapidly stabbing in from all directions.
And aiming for an opening, the Poison Ghost Yin Bandit’s sword targeted Nakilgun’s heart.
The moment Nakilgun tried to avoid it by stepping back, his opponent’s sword changed.
It bent toward his neck in a movement like a snake snatching its prey.
Nakilgun’s eyes widened. He leaned his waist back greatly and barely avoided the opponent’s sword.
At the same time, his waist rotated and he burrowed into the Poison Ghost Yin Bandit’s embrace. Soon, drawing a large circle with his sword, he whirled his body and leaped up.
Like a crane soaring gracefully.
The watching guards exclaimed in admiration.
“Magnificent Soaring Crane!”
It was the eleventh form of the Radiant Advance Sword, Soaring Crane.
“Hmph!”
But the Poison Ghost Yin Bandit snorted and swung his sword.
Cha-cha-cha-chang!
He blocked all of Nakilgun’s sword strikes with a swift sword that did not lose out to the Hebei Luo Clan’s Radiant Advance Sword.
Nakilgun, who had leaped into the air, soon spun his body once and landed lightly on the ground.
His expression and gaze were still calm, but his breathing was already becoming slightly rougher compared to the Poison Ghost Yin Bandit’s.
‘Poison Ghost Yin Bandit. Just how many women have you sacrificed?’
He had been proud of growing up without lacking in anything in a famous noble clan and consuming many wonder medicines. But the Poison Ghost Yin Bandit far surpassed his own inner power.
It was all the result of sacrificing countless women through the evil art of Yin Plundering to nourish his yang.
A fishy smile hung at the Poison Ghost Yin Bandit’s lips.
“Kehehe. A young one can’t be helped, after all. The longer the fight goes on, the more disadvantageous it will be for you.”
It was true.
So Nakilgun did not give up and gripped his sword once more.
“But that doesn’t mean I can end it here. I have to send our Hebei Luo Clan people home safely too.”
Moreover, if he did not execute this yin bandit today, who knew what further evils he would commit in the future.
“Keke. Your guards will be moved.”
Nakilgun once again raised his true qi and charged at the Poison Ghost Yin Bandit.
Cha-cha-cha-cha-cha-chang!
Countless sword shadows danced in all directions.
Because Nakilgun focused his entire mind on the fight, the Poison Ghost Yin Bandit could not subdue him at once.
But.
Wounds gradually multiplied on Nakilgun’s body, and his yellow clothes were stained red with blood.
Swoosh!
Soon, his shoulder was deeply cut. He was in a state where he could no longer fight.
As the Poison Ghost Yin Bandit’s sword soon tried to pierce Nakilgun’s neck, the guards rushed forward all at once.
“Protect the Second Young Master!”
But they were no match for him. They merely died miserably by the Poison Ghost Yin Bandit’s sword.
“Let us end this now. I too am busy with places to go.”
The moment the Poison Ghost Yin Bandit’s sword moved.
A change occurred in the area.
The two subordinates of the Poison Ghost Yin Bandit, who had merely been watching, moved.
Their target was a man charging toward the Poison Ghost Yin Bandit.
A man dressed in light blue robes was heading straight for the Poison Ghost Yin Bandit.
“What rat barges in!”
As the two subordinates tried to block his path, the man’s right hand gripped the sword scabbard on his back. And drawing it in an instant, he struck down with one blow.
Boom!
One subordinate’s head was split open just like that. And before the other subordinate beside him could even be surprised, the man’s sword swept horizontally.
Thud!
His head flew off as his neck was cut.
The Poison Ghost Yin Bandit looked at the man who had appeared with startled eyes. He had killed his two subordinates with just two swings of his sword.
“What the hell is this bastard now….”
Namgung Rim looked at the Poison Ghost Yin Bandit with serene eyes and opened his mouth.
“I finally found you.”