159 – Choice (9)

Choice (9)

‘Master!’

Gang Woong rushed towards Baek Ryeo-il’s residence. He kept bumping into people.

Just as the residence came into view, Gang Woong breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing his Senior Brothers still firmly guarding the entrance.

‘Thank goodness.’

Then, a man in eye-catching colorful clothes entered Gang Woong’s sight.

“What if Seong Mu-yeon has already taken the Spirit Pill! Hurry, hurry! Find the Spirit Pill!”

Luzhu was stomping his feet and berating the people with him.

Seeing the greed plastered all over Luzhu’s face, Gang Woong felt disgust rising from deep within. He wondered if he really wanted to act like that when the wound he sustained in the warehouse hadn’t even fully healed yet.

He shook his head and was about to take a step when Luzhu shouted.

“Hey, you! Weren’t you Seong Mu-yeon’s guard?”

Luzhu strode over and grabbed his arm.

“You were a Hwasan Sect Disciple. Now that I see it, you deliberately deceived me.”

Luzhu scanned his attire up and down and burst into anger.

“Let go of me!”

“You must know where Seong Mu-yeon’s residence is. Guide me!”

“Why should I?”

“How dare you look at an elder with such eyes?! You need to be taught a lesson to come to your senses. These days, kids are like this… tsk tsk.”

Luzhu clicked his tongue and suddenly his eyes gleamed.

“Could it be that you have the Spirit Pill?”

“What are you doing!”

Luzhu reached out to search Gang Woong’s pockets. Gang Woong twisted his body to avoid the touch.

“Stay still! Do you have something to hide? You’re making me more suspicious by avoiding me like this.”

“If you don’t let go immediately, I will respond with force!”

As Gang Woong gripped the scabbard hanging from his waist, Luzhu’s companions approached warily. But Luzhu raised his hand to stop them.

“Haha! You little rascal, you’re quite bold! Even if my body isn’t in perfect condition, do you think I can’t handle a pup like you?”

“Gang Woong! What’s going on!”

Jang Han-soo, who had been following behind, rushed to him, seeing him in a difficult situation.

“That child is a Hwasan Sect Disciple. Why are you harassing my Junior Brother?”

Jang Han-soo roughly pulled Luzhu away. Luzhu’s companions supported him from behind as he staggered. Then, the Hwasan Sect Disciples guarding the residence began to peek over.

“Oh, so that must be where Seong Mu-yeon was staying.”

Even under the fierce gazes of the Hwasan Sect Disciples, Luzhu didn’t back down and instead grinned.

“Step back. Otherwise, we will consider it an attack on the Hwasan Sect and respond with force. You have been warned.”

Jang Han-soo, sensing something unusual from Luzhu’s gleaming madness, gripped his sword hilt.

“Hmph. Arrogant bastards! They think the Central Plains is their world! Guys! Take care of them!”

As Luzhu shouted, his companions stepped forward. Seeing them draw their weapons, it seemed difficult to avoid a physical confrontation.

Gang Woong, like his Senior Brothers, couldn’t help but feel bewildered. It seemed that ordinary common sense didn’t apply.

“You have brought this upon yourselves.”

As Jang Han-soo drew his sword first, the remaining Hwasan Sect Disciples also drew their swords and rushed forward. An undeniable spirit flowed from beyond the sharp blades, and even the surrounding air seemed to freeze with tension.

“Don’t resent us for being heartless.”

The intruders only had numbers, but their skills were barely at the level of second-rate martial artists who barely surpassed first-rate. They had been swept up in the atmosphere and drawn their weapons, but they hesitated when the Hwasan Sect didn’t back down.

It was then.

A man who had been quietly blending in among them, suppressing his presence, stepped forward.

Only then did Gang Woong notice his presence and gasp. A scar ran across the bridge of the man’s nose, hidden beneath a hood that covered his eyes.

“Myeong-gwi!”

Gang Woong, recognizing his identity by the scar, shouted.

Myeong-gwi, the leader of the Demon Slayer Unit, was mixed in with the intruders.

“Could it be that you’ve joined hands with the Demonic Cult, Luzhu!”

Gang Woong asked Luzhu as if he couldn’t believe it.

“What nonsense are you spouting! Demonic Cult, my ass… Ugh!”

In the next moment, Luzhu and his companions were sent flying backward and crashed to the ground. Myeong-gwi had struck them with the scabbard, as if they were a nuisance.

Then, he fixed his cold eyes on the Hwasan Sect.

“That guy is the Myeong-gwi that Senior Brother mentioned. Which means…”

Gang Woong raised his head, hearing Jang Han-soo mutter. Already, Demon Slayer Unit members in black clothes were appearing behind Myeong-gwi.

“Not again…”

Gang Woong sighed deeply.

“Hey! What’s the big idea hitting me too!”

At that moment, one of the people who had been knocked away with Luzhu got up, rubbing his head. The man spewed out harsh curses, but Myeong-gwi only glanced back once and didn’t respond. Then, even more vulgar curses erupted.

“……”

Faced with the sudden situation, Gang Woong and the Hwasan Sect Disciples looked at each other with bewildered faces.

A stocky young man, having regained his composure and stood up, scanned the Hwasan Sect with a satisfied smile on his face.

“Oh, you’re already scared! Good! Kneel before this body’s authority!”

“……Who?”

The young man’s face contorted.

“You don’t know me? Really? You don’t know this body?”

“Probably just some stray dog bone that rolled in from somewhere.”

Jang Han-soo snorted. Then, the young man jumped up and down.

“You’re from the Hwasan Sect and you don’t know me! Have you ever seen such idiots! It’s me, me! I’m Dokgoe!”

“……Dokgoe?”

“Yes! This body showed your next Sect leader the taste of my poison.”

While Dokgoe was muttering something like, ‘But how is that guy still alive?’, Jang Han-soo and the disciples remembered him and hardened their expressions.

“……So you’re the one who messed with Master Ma. How dare you appear before me. Today will be your death anniversary.”

“Yes, yes! You recognize me now! Good. I had no choice but to run away back then, but thankfully, Third Young Master recognized this body’s potential and personally made me his right-hand man! He even allowed me to kill that Heartless Sword bastard with my own hands! How merciful can he be.”

“That won’t happen.”

“Eek!”

As Jang Han-soo expanded his muscles and stepped forward, Dokgoe, startled, quickly hid behind Myeong-gwi.

“Myeong-gwi! Take care of those guys! And don’t forget to bring Heartless Sword to me alive!”

“……”

Myeong-gwi looked like he wanted to hit Dokgoe one more time, but he soon lost interest and kicked off the ground. He immediately swung his sword at Jang Han-soo.

“Keuk!”

Myeong-gwi and Jang Han-soo began to exchange blows.

“Be careful! My Evaporating Serpent Venom is applied to the Demon Slayer Unit’s weapons! Even a graze will end up like Flowing Cloud Sword!”

Dokgoe, using the other Demon Slayer Unit members as shields, cackled. At the same time, the remaining Demon Slayer Unit members launched their attacks all at once.

“Be careful not to get poisoned!”

Jang Han-soo shouted. Even the disciples who were guarding the residence had all rushed over, but it was not easy to deal with them without being poisoned.

They were struggling.

Gang Woong also held his sword and assisted his Senior Brothers, but he was sweating profusely down his back, unsure when a weapon coated with deadly poison would come at him.

“Die! Die!”

Dokgoe occasionally threw hidden weapons coated with poison, making it chaotic.

“Damn it!”

In a situation where a moment’s mistake could be fatal, Jang Han-soo couldn’t afford to relax.

Some of the allied martial artists nearby joined in, but not knowing the characteristics of the poison, they were carelessly poisoned and collapsed.

Jang Han-soo glared at Myeong-gwi and gritted his teeth.

‘That bastard…!’

As he had heard, the guy was cleverly repeating hit-and-run tactics rather than a head-on fight, and was looking for an opportunity to inflict even a small wound on him.

He was worried about his Master who had gone to Seong Mu-yeon. And even Baek Ryeo-il, who hadn’t finished circulating his energy yet…

Thud!

Suddenly, Myeong-gwi collided head-on. It seemed he had sensed Jang Han-soo’s attention wavering.

Once the flow was disrupted, Jang Han-soo was gradually pushed into a disadvantage. He barely avoided an attack that grazed his cheek, but his reaction speed was gradually slowing down.

‘At this rate, I won’t be able to hold out for long.’

How long had the precarious exchange continued, with him being too cautious because of the poison and unable to launch a proper attack?

Eventually, Jang Han-soo faced an unavoidable attack. The sword path was clearly visible, but it was already too late to block it due to his sluggish movements.

‘Since it has come to this, I’ll give up my flesh to take his bones!’

Jang Han-soo, prepared for poisoning, glared. If he backed down, even the Junior Brothers who were fighting hard would lose their momentum.

Jang Han-soo exposed his body to Myeong-gwi’s sword path, but aimed for an opening.

‘Even if I die, I’ll take that bastard with me!’

It was at that moment.

Swaaek! A flash of light accompanied the sound of the air tearing. A drop of blood splattered, and Myeong-gwi’s attack lost its power and went astray.

Jang Han-soo did not miss the opportunity and slashed the guy’s side deeply.

“……”

Myeong-gwi, who had been pouring out relentless attacks without hesitation, stopped moving for the first time.

“Master!”

Gang Woong’s overwhelming shout pierced his ears.