The sound of a sword slicing through the air echoed!
So fast it was a blur, the blade ripped through flesh without pity.
To block meant losing a wrist. To run meant being caught and have your heart pierced.
This was a sword made for death.
It was a weapon focused only on killing, ignoring any thought of capture. Each strike found its mark, piercing vital spots with deadly accuracy.
“Keuk!” A choked gasp escaped his lips.
The sword was pulled back faster than it went in. Hot, red blood sprayed out like a fountain from the hole in his chest.
Disbelief, horror, and hopelessness.
The look in the eyes of those facing death was always the same. Chung Myung didn’t care and stared at the other Bloodclad Warriors.
They glared at Chung Myung with hate-filled eyes.
“Hoo.”
Anyone would be scared if four of their friends were killed in a moment before their eyes. But these men didn’t seem upset or angry.
Chung Myung licked his lips without thinking.
The thick smell of blood and the hateful eyes of his enemies brought a familiar thrill through Chung Myung’s body.
“This… ….”
His lips twisted.
“It smells like something I’ve smelled before.”
Sharp teeth showed. Chung Myung, with murder in his eyes, held the sword tightly as if to break it.
Boom!
The sound of him jumping off the ground was like thunder.
Soon, Chung Myung flew low, like a bird close to the ground.
The Bloodclad Warriors pushed their swords at him without thinking.
Kaaang!
But they were easily pushed away by the strong blow.
Paaah!
There was no time to think. A fast sword that was impossible to understand aimed for the Bloodclad Warrior’s neck.
The sharp blade cut the neck of the Bloodclad Warrior, who moved his head away without thinking.
Sssseut.
The sharp edge sliced through skin and muscle.
Poo-ut!
The sound of blood leaking spread strangely.
‘A counterattack… ….’
At that moment.
Whoosh!
With a sound like wind, Chung Myung’s sword quickly moved to the side. And it cut into the Bloodclad Warrior’s neck.
Keu… …reureuk… ….
Blood mixed with saliva bubbled at his lips.
“Keu… …eu… ….”
He grabbed the sword in his neck with a shaking hand. Blood mixed with saliva flowed out through his red teeth.
Even though he knew he was dying, his eyes were full of hate instead of hopelessness.
“… …Die… ….”
The Bloodclad Warrior’s sword slowly moved towards Chung Myung’s stomach.
Chung Myung stared at him with cold eyes and smiled.
Paaht!
Chung Myung’s sword, which was in his neck, suddenly burst with sword energy and flew away, cutting off the Bloodclad Warrior’s wrist.
Glug.
The blood sprayed on Chung Myung’s face, but Chung Myung didn’t even blink. Instead, he stabbed the Bloodclad Warrior’s chest with his sword more than ten times.
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Crack!
With a terrible sound, he finally pierced his heart.
“… ….”
The life in the Bloodclad Warrior’s eyes disappeared, and his body fell as if to cover Chung Myung.
“You… … have no pity… ….”
Paaah!
Before he could finish, the Plum Blossom Sword cut off his neck and flew away.
Thud thud thud.
Blood poured down like rain. Standing in the red rain, Chung Myung kicked the body away. It was an uncaring movement, as if removing something in the way.
Fwoosh!
After shaking off the blood on his sword, Chung Myung looked at everyone. A cold wave of killing intent rolled off Chung Myung, making the air itself seem to freeze.
“You’re all too relaxed.”
“… ….”
The eyes of the Bloodclad Warriors began to change.
Their relaxed mood vanished. They looked like rabbits facing a tiger.
And the first to sense the change was not the Mount Hua disciples, nor the Bloodclad Warriors, but Ko Hong.
“What, what are you doing!” Ko Hong shouted, his face turning red and blue.
“Kill that guy! Catch him and kill him right now!”
“C-chieftain!”
Kwwaaaaaaang!
Ko Hong’s halberd fell behind the scared bandits.
“Aaaaargh!”
More than ten bandits were crushed into a bloody mess and fell.
“… ….”
Then the surrounding bandits looked back and forth between Ko Hong and Chung Myung with pale faces.
“Will you die by my hand?” Ko Hong yelled, and soon hate filled their eyes.
“Kill him!”
“It’s just one man! Work together and kill him!”
The Great Hall bandits, driven crazy, rushed towards Chung Myung. Chung Myung showed his teeth as if amused.
“Good.”
Soon, blades of red energy exploded upwards, like angry flames above the heads of the rushing bandits.
The red sword energy began to bloom like a flower.
Paaah!
A sword barely missed Kwak Hwi’s face.
Sizzle!
The sword energy drew a long scar from his mouth to his ear. Kwak Hwi’s face twisted from the searing pain, like hot iron on his skin.
The Bloodclad Warrior, who had made the wound, took a step back and said.
“Looks like you’ve got some courage now?”
“… ….”
A clear sneer hung on his lips.
“Those who have never killed are only good for that much. I almost feel sorry for that guy who has to fight carrying burdens like you.”
Kwak Hwi frowned. Sweat stung his eyes. But he couldn’t even blink. If it was the guy in front of him, he could slit his throat in that moment.
But what bothered Kwak Hwi most was not the killing intent that guy was spewing out, but the words coming out of his mouth.
‘It’s not wrong.’
The moment he felt danger, the moment he felt his life was at risk, he was looking for the Mount Hua Five Swords.
And that fact made Kwak Hwi upset.
‘I’m not a burden.’
If he relies on them every time, he will never catch up with his senior brothers. He is not someone to rely on. He is a Mount Hua disciple who will push his senior brothers forward.
He must believe in himself.
Within him are the lessons of Mount Hua he had learned.
So… ….
Kwak Hwi’s eyes slowly sank.
The stabbed wounds began to hurt, but he had no plan to step back.
“Yes. I’m still a kid.”
Kwak Hwi’s blue eyes glared at the Bloodclad Warrior.
“Hoo?”
“If so… ….”
A thick killing intent began to spread.
“Today, I will defeat you here and stop being a child!”
“Haha!”
At those words, laughter and bloodlust filled the Bloodclad Warrior’s eyes.
“Go ahead and try, kid!”
Kwak Hwi twisted his face like a beast and shook his sword.
But unlike his face, the hand holding the sword soon loosened.
‘Keep your head cool.’
The teachings of Mount Hua remained within him. He had learned how to deal with stronger people.
If he couldn’t do what he knew and couldn’t show what he had learned, wouldn’t that mean he was an idiot?
Whoosh!
Kwak Hwi’s sword, loaded with experience, rushed towards the Bloodclad Warrior.
Kaaang!
The moment the swords met, the Bloodclad Warrior frowned and took a few steps back.
‘How can this young bastard’s inner strength be… ….’
It was an internal skill that didn’t match his looks. There was something different from the other young masters he had faced.
“I am!” Kwak Hwi shouted as he pulled back his sword.
“I am Kwak Hwi, the third-generation disciple of Mount Hua!”
It was just an instinctive cry to encourage himself, and to regain his own sword.
One.
The disciples of Mount Hua gripped their swords tightly.
“I am Baek Sang, the second-generation disciple of Mount Hua!” Baek Sang shouted and pointed his sword forward. Shouts of defiance rose from the Mount Hua disciples.
“… …These guys… ….”
The disciples of Mount Hua regained their calm. There was no fear in their eyes, and their feet stepped firmly on the ground.
“Raise your voices, you damn bastards! You only shout at weaker foes!” Baek Sang cried.
The disciples of Mount Hua released their pent-up energy and rushed forward.
“You bastards!”
The moment the Bloodclad Warrior tried to cut down the Mount Hua disciple in front of him.
Paaah!
A fast sword flew from somewhere and pierced his shoulder.
“Keuk!”
The Bloodclad Warrior was horrified and quickly moved back.
‘This swift sword is… …?’
It wasn’t even visible. He didn’t even notice it.
“It’s good to be so confident and rush in. Then you have to give up your neck too.”
“This… ….”
Jo Gul, who swept up his messy bangs, licked his lips with a crooked smile.
“Kill… ….”
Paaah!
Before the Bloodclad Warrior could finish, Jo Gul’s sword flew towards his neck again.
Kaang!
He blocked it, but his heart sank and fear ran down his spine as he looked into Jo Gul’s deadly eyes.
“Why, are you scared?”
“… ….”
“If a man draws his sword, he should at least cut off a head!” Jo Gul laughed with a cruel grin and attacked fiercely.
“You little brat!”
Paaah!
At that moment when Jo Gul rushed out, a person who jumped over the heads of his senior brothers twisted his body and came down.
Paaah!
The sword of the swordsman stretched out like a trick.
“Keuek!”
“Eup!”
The sword aura cut through the flesh, making the Bloodclad Warriors groan.
Yoo Iseol swung her sword as if to sweep the floor with a blank face.
Fwoooosh!
Along with the sound of cutting through thin air, the wind stirred up dust. The sword, moving as if alive through the yellow dust, cut through the ankles of the Bloodclad Warriors.
“You damn bitch!”
The Bloodclad Warrior turned his gaze at the strange feeling he felt.
Shwaaaaaa!
He rolled his body and barely avoided the dagger that flew right in front of his nose.
Cold sweat ran down his spine. If he had been late, his head would have been skewered.
“I’ll cover you!” Yoo Iseol nodded at Tang Soso’s voice and turned her sword backwards.
They faced each other.
Thud. Thud.
A man walked out and took a middle stance. It was as if he was saying that they had to pass him to attack the others.
“Come.”
There was nothing extra in his words. It was perfect to anger the enemy.
The faces of the Bloodclad Warriors were twisted.
“I’ll kill you all!” They howled like hungry beasts and rushed towards Mount Hua.
It was then.
Flutter flutter flutter!
Red plum blossoms began to bloom. The Bloodclad Warriors slowed down as if they were charmed by the sight, as if a forest had appeared.
At Baek Cheon’s signal, who released plum blossom energy, the disciples of Mount Hua regained their strength and swung their swords. They drove out the Bloodclad Warriors.
Baek Cheon glanced at Yoo Iseol, Yoon Jong, Jo Gul, and Tang Soso. And he turned to the right. There was Chung Myung.
‘That bastard, as always.’
He is where he should be when needed. No matter how hard I try, he is always ahead of me.
But.
“Don’t just let Chung Myung run wild!”
At least I can push his back.
“Charge!” The plum blossom swords held by the disciples of Mount Hua released sword energy.