Disciple of The Three Kings [EN]: Chapter 407

As arrows rained down, Cheong In-woo deployed a sword barrier.

Clang! Clang!

Numerous arrows were deflected by Cheong In-woo’s sword barrier, yet a few managed to slip through the gaps.

Clang!

The secondary arrows bounced off Cheong In-woo’s body.

The arrows were rendered useless by his extremely enhanced protective aura.

“Chung-woo.”

At Cheong In-woo’s call, the massive Chung-woo stepped forward.

Though his physique suggested he would wield a greatsword, Chung-woo’s weapon was a slender plum blossom sword, the thinnest among the plum blossom swords.

Chung-woo advanced past the sword barrier.

The Dark Elves, seeing Chung-woo, began to shoot arrows and approach.

Swish.

The Dark Elves swiftly drew their daggers.

It was the moment they rushed towards the seemingly slow Chung-woo.

“Idiots.”

Cheong In-woo, who had been covering Chung-woo with the sword barrier, spoke.

“Even if Chung-woo looks like that…”

Chung-woo.

“He’s among the top ten fastest in Hwasan.”

The Dark Elves, who had been rushing towards Chung-woo, suddenly stopped.

Their pupils trembled.

Swish.

They barely managed to move their eyes downward.

“……!”

The hands gripping their daggers and the legs that had been running towards Chung-woo were already gone.

Moreover, Chung-woo was a martial artist specialized in offense rather than defense.

In that moment.

Whoosh!

A barrage of arrows was directed at Chung-woo.

Arrows were also pouring down on Cheong In-woo, and it seemed they thought it was an opportunity to target Chung-woo, who was slightly separated from Cheong In-woo.

However, Chung-woo simply stood there, watching it all.

Kwaaang!

Whether it was due to explosives attached to the arrowheads or magic, an explosion occurred.

Dust billowed up.

Within it.

Fwoosh!

The one who dispersed the dust with a burst of energy came into view.

“Thanks.”

Chung-woo expressed his gratitude.

The other person simply nodded without a word.

Another person Cheong In-woo had brought.

Amma, Baek Sol.

If Chung-woo was characterized by his swift movements and use of a slender sword despite his large build, Baek Sol was similar.

A small, frail physique.

Despite being under five feet tall.

“Always so reckless.”

She wielded a greatsword that seemed twice her height.

It was also a plum blossom sword, a greatsword specially requested when the Tang Clan was still intact.

By channeling inner force into the handle, the greatsword would take its form.

Whoosh!

By releasing the inner force, it would revert to its original plum blossom sword form, a divine weapon.

Furthermore, she was more focused on defense than offense.

Like a solid stone wall, if she wished, nothing could pass her.

“It’s my turn.”

The arrow barrage and the Dark Elves’ offensive were now directed at Chung-woo and Baek Sol.

After witnessing their previous actions, they had marked Chung-woo and Baek Sol as more threatening enemies.

However, the price was too high.

“Go.”

Gu-ung.

Cheong In-woo had regained his freedom.

A crimson aura began to emanate from his body.

“……!”

Such was the force that it made the Dark Elves momentarily halt their offensive and step back.

In the following moment.

Fwoosh.

Cheong In-woo became a flash of light, cutting down the Dark Elves.

Slice!

One, then another.

Instant kill with a single strike.

The plum blossoms of Hwasan were called the myriad changes.

It was a name given because it was said to bewilder the opponent’s eyes with numerous variations and pierce through the gaps.

-Depending on the swordsmanship, it can change in any way, that is the plum blossom of Hwasan….

Thud!

It is the myriad changes.

The swordsman’s tendencies, the swordsman’s personality, all of it is revealed as it is.

Chung-woo knew that he had to crush the opponent to protect, so he had a faster and more aggressive sword than anyone else.

Baek Sol had confined herself, so she had a sword like a giant wall.

Cheong In-woo.

-You don’t belong in Hwasan.

Since childhood, he had been told that he did not fit in with Hwasan.

Myriad changes.

It was said that Hwasan could contain all ten thousand changes, but in the end, it was a martial art that had to maintain balance and moderation.

-You.

Cheong In-woo’s sword.

-Is a celestial killer star.

Only one.

Slice-!

Everything was geared towards killing.

A terribly vicious intent to kill.

The plum blossom created based on that was simply blood-red.

Before any color could stain the plum blossom.

Swoosh!

Cheong In-woo’s plum blossom, already soaked in the opponent’s blood, adorned the surroundings.

“Hoo.”

Cheong In-woo, with his plum blossom sword dripping blood, lowered it.

Smirk.

He formed a smile at the corner of his mouth.

The surroundings had fallen silent.

“Finally… the stress is relieved.”

He swept his blood-soaked hair back again.

The wounds all over his body were slowly healing.

“At this rate, is it roughly over?”

The corpses of Dark Elves were scattered everywhere.

Some remained, while others had turned to ash and scattered.

However, one thing was certain: there were no survivors anywhere.

“It seems so.”

Chung-woo approached and said.

“How is it, feeling a bit relieved?”

It felt like they had only been on the receiving end since entering the gate.

No, even before that.

The stress that had been accumulating was somewhat relieved by the battle just now.

“Yes.”

“It was bland.”

Cheong In-woo said, putting his sword back into its sheath.

“Go back. As I said, I will return after finishing the surrounding reconnaissance and cleanup.”

Cheong In-woo was about to send Chung-woo and Baek Sol away.

“…….”

Chung-woo turned around without hesitation, but Baek Sol frowned, looking at Cheong In-woo as if she was dissatisfied with something.

“Is that insubordination?”

At Cheong In-woo’s playful voice, Baek Sol shook her head.

Cheong In-woo then smiled.

Chung-woo and Baek Sol began to return the way they had come.

Only when their energy could no longer be felt.

Swish.

The smile on Cheong In-woo’s face disappeared.

Tingle, tingle.

His skin had been tingling for a while now.

The tingling sensation spread from his arms and legs to his head.

It felt like all of his internal organs were twisting.

Thud.

Cheong In-woo began to move.

* * *

A black wave surged.

Far from the temporary base, numerous Dark Elves were waiting and preparing their ranks.

If they had not been discovered, a truly terrible outcome would have occurred.

Slice!

He cut.

Sliice!

He cut again.

Sliiiice!

He cut once more.

He single-handedly cut through the endless wave.

The red aura swirling on his sword surged like a wave, pushing back the black wave.

If the Dark Elves who had gathered like this had attacked all at once, the result would have been terrible.

Also.

-Aaaah.

The bizarre song they were singing spread throughout the Dark Elves, amplifying their power.

It could be said to be fortunate.

Slice!

That they encountered them and were able to cut them down before they were fully prepared.

Sliice!

It was very fortunate that they did not face them when they were unprepared.

Sliiice!

Thinking that, he cut down the Dark Elves again and again.

And finally.

Clang!

Metal clashed against metal.

However, the immense inner force residing in that metal, which had taken the form of a strong aura, collided.

Kwaaaah-!

Creating a massive explosion and wave.

“…….”

“…….”

Two gazes met.

At the center of the black waves, what they faced was.

“Cheong In-woo.”

“Lee Ro-woon.”

It was Cheong In-woo and Lee Ro-woon.

Crack, crack!

The inner force imbued in their swords clashed, creating a ripple as if they would devour each other.

The Dark Elves caught in the ripple collapsed and began to lose consciousness.

“You’ve become quite strong in that short time.”

The first to speak was Lee Ro-woon’s assessment.

Cheong In-woo’s aura was even stronger than when they had last met.

“Or.”

Lee Ro-woon was being pushed back.

“Were you not showing your strength from the start?”

Shuuu.

Lee Ro-woon was being pushed back, creating a deeply carved ditch.

Cheong In-woo gave a bitter smile at that.

“You’re a pain in the ass.”

Clearly, it was Lee Ro-woon who was being pushed back.

However.

Shuu.

It was Cheong In-woo who was bleeding.

“You knew it all along, didn’t you?”

It was nearly impossible to hide one’s strength from a skilled person like Lee Ro-woon.

Unless they were of a similar level or slightly better than oneself.

“You’re an unbelievable, crazy monster.”

The gap between Cheong In-woo and Lee Ro-woon had widened to the point where it could no longer be bridged.

Lee Ro-woon, who already knew everything.

There was only one who was not affected by the ripples caused by the clash of their swords.

Clang!

Only Lee Ro-woon.

The two swords that had finally separated clashed again, causing an explosion.

In the midst of their fight.

Whoosh!

Just as the Dark Elves’ arrows were about to fly again.

Clang!

The moment Lee Ro-woon’s blood barrier blocked and deflected all the incoming arrows.

Thud!

Cheong In-woo accelerated at that moment and swung his sword.

The sword, which he thought would cut down Lee Ro-woon, was aimed at Lee Ro-woon’s back.

The group of Dark Elves rushing towards Lee Ro-woon.

Thud!

Lee Ro-woon also stepped forward.

Not towards Cheong In-woo, but towards the opposite side of Cheong In-woo.

Slice!

Once again, the two began to cut down the Dark Elves.

“Hoo.”

Cheong In-woo’s breath sounded tired.

He could not hide the fact that he was exhausted from the mental strain of clashing with Lee Ro-woon and the continuous battles.

In contrast, Lee Ro-woon’s breathing had not changed at all.

Swoosh.

The black wave was receding like a tide.

The Dark Elves, who thought they could never win, finally began to retreat and flee.

What remained were Lee Ro-woon and Cheong In-woo.

Above the mountain of corpses.

Swish.

They lowered their swords.

“Did you really come here alone?”

Cheong In-woo said to Lee Ro-woon, as if he was dumbfounded.

He already knew that the Blood Demon had entered the gate alone through the association, but he still thought that he would have brought at least one or two shadows.

“There’s no tail.”

Lee Ro-woon also said, looking at Cheong In-woo.

He could not sense the energy of anyone else on the map that had unfolded in Lee Ro-woon’s mind.

Perhaps there might be a master of concealment who could hide themselves to the extreme or act like an ordinary person, but even so, they could not deceive Lee Ro-woon’s eyes.

Right now, Cheong In-woo was completely alone.

If he decided to kill him, it wouldn’t matter who was there, but still, now that he was completely alone….

“Why would I want to kill you?”

He could have thought that it was the perfect opportunity to deal with Cheong In-woo.

However.

“There’s no way.”

Lee Ro-woon said, scattering his anger into the air.

“I should thank you for last time.”

Lee Ro-woon said, releasing his battle stance.

“Thanks to you, I was able to find the ghost of Hwasan easily.”

“…….”

At Lee Ro-woon’s words, Cheong In-woo made an unknowing face.

* * *

The ghost of Hwasan was a secret of Hwasan, and it was the reason why the Hwasan corpse disposal site was created.

The ghost of Hwasan was a secret that no one should ever find.

That was already a proven fact.

In the past, when Lee Ro-woon escaped from Hwasan, he had turned the corpse disposal site upside down, but he had not found even a single clue about the ghost of Hwasan.

However, this time, Lee Ro-woon had found the ghost of Hwasan, Je Gal-shin-jae, too easily.

No matter how much stronger his power had become, and even with the help of the Ring of the Monarch and Lee Yong-jin, it was impossible to find him so quickly….

-Do you have an assistant?

It was impossible without an assistant.

And that assistant was.

“Cheong In-woo.”

The Red Plum Blossom, Cheong In-woo.