Chapter 97: Supplementary Lesson (5)

*Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!*

The masked figures glided across the fallen leaves.

They closed in, shifting their positions, forming a deadly circle around the old man. Killing intent radiated from them.

*Rustle! Rustle! Rustle!*

The fallen leaves swirled into the air, caught in the vortex of their aura.

But the old man remained motionless, his sword still sheathed.

“Hmm.”

He even closed his eyes.

He seemed lost in thought, oblivious to the danger surrounding him.

“He’s a crazy old man.”

The masked figures sneered and lunged forward, their swords flashing.

*Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!*

The fallen leaves were shredded by their chilling sword Qi.

They had reached the level where their sword Qi was infused with their killing intent.

The old man seemed about to be cut to pieces as the seasoned peak-level masters attacked simultaneously.

And then, he finally moved.

His first move was unremarkable.

*Thud.*

He simply shrugged his shoulder, as if he was swatting away a fly.

*Shing!*

But with that small movement, the sword that had been resting peacefully in its sheath suddenly erupted, like a volcano erupting.

*Whoosh!*

A blinding flash of light filled the air as the sword, trailing streaks of light, soared into the sky.

*Slash!*

One of the masked figures, his sword gleaming, struck at the old man’s head.

The old man’s eyes snapped open, his gaze sharp.

“Go!”

*Whoosh!*

He leaped into the air, his movements as swift as a bird’s, his sword intercepting the masked figure’s attack. The masked figure’s sword and body were split in two.

*Splat!*

A mist of blood filled the air.

“Huh?”

The other masked figures gasped, and the old man, flipping in midair, landed gracefully, his sword tip scraping the ground.

*Whoosh!*

*Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!*

A barrage of sword Qi, like a shower of stars, erupted from his sword, cutting through the masked figures.

*Clang!*

Some tried to block with their swords.

*Hummm…*

Others tried to deflect the attacks with their internal energy.

*Crack! Splat!*

But their swords shattered, and blood splattered everywhere.

Chui Geol-gae, stunned by the old man’s overwhelming power, exclaimed, “The Galactic Spectrum Sword! It’s truly a legendary technique!”

It was the signature technique of the Kunlun Sect, which was once known as the strongest sect in the world.

“Galactic Spectrum Sword? No way!”

Jang Deuk’s face turned pale.

“The Lone Flying Swordsman, Wang Woo!”

But the old man didn’t stop.

He landed among the masked figures and unleashed a barrage of sword strikes, like a wild beast attacking a flock of sheep.

*Thump! Thump! Whoosh! Clang!*

He stomped his right foot, thrusting and slashing with his sword, his movements so swift that it seemed like a galaxy was flowing behind him.

“Stop him! Stop him!”

The masked figures were no pushovers.

They quickly recovered from their initial shock and formed a tight encirclement, ignoring their fallen comrades.

“We’ll counter him with a sword formation.”

“He’s alone.”

“He can’t have unlimited internal energy. We’ll wear him down.”

It wasn’t a bad strategy.

The old man, whose internal energy was indeed weaker than his swordsmanship, finally stopped.

“They’re good.”

He looked at his sword, which was trembling in his hand, and his white eyebrows twitched.

“If I can’t break through, I’ll have to retreat.”

He suddenly turned tail and fled, his previous ferocity gone.

*Boom!*

He leaped into the air, soaring over a dozen feet.

The masked figures growled.

“You think you can escape?!”

“Leave your head behind!”

It wasn’t a bad assumption.

He couldn’t fly, and he would lose his balance and fall the moment he ran out of momentum.

It would be easy to strike him down when he was vulnerable.

But Jang Deuk shouted, “No!”

He suddenly remembered that there were some bizarre martial arts in the Murim that defied common sense.

And he knew of a legendary movement technique that was most effective in midair.

‘If he’s truly the Lone Flying Swordsman…’

They couldn’t fight him in midair.

*The Lone Flying Swordsman.*

*The only one who can exist in the sky is a lone swordsman.*

As expected…

The old man, who had soared into the air, refused to fall. He flipped upside down and started spinning like a top.

*Flap! Flap! Flap!*

His clothes billowed around him as he soared even higher.

He kicked off the air four times, his movements defying gravity.

*Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!*

He changed directions, his movements as fluid as a dragon’s dance.

“Cloud Dragon Eight Stances!”

“Haha! He’s mastered all the essence of the Kunlun Sect!”

And then, a barrage of sword Qi, like a shower of stars.

The result was gruesome.

*Splat!*

*Thud! Thud! Thud!*

“…No, he’s really the Lone Flying Swordsman…”

Jang Deuk’s eyes widened in horror as he saw his men falling from the sky, their bodies reduced to a bloody mess.

He saw the old man landing gracefully, his sword tip glowing with a faint light.

*Sword Aura.*

A whirlwind of energy swept through the area as the old man manifested his Sword Aura, a testament to his mastery.

“Sword Aura?!”

“How can a nameless old man… no way.”

“Get back! The Sword Aura’s shockwave!”

The masked figures staggered, their voices filled with terror.

But the old man was faster.

*Whoosh!*

*Flash!*

A single streak of light flashed through the air.

It was a thin line that cut through everything in its path.

Trees, rocks, even living beings.

*Slice!*

A thin line appeared on a masked figure’s forehead, and his skull slid open.

*Crack!*

Another masked figure’s body collapsed, split in two from shoulder to hip.

Everything within fifteen feet of the old man’s sword was cut and cleaved.

It was an overwhelming display of swordsmanship.

“Cough.”

The old man swayed.

“To gain something, you must lose something.”

It wasn’t easy.

He swayed again.

***

“No!”

Jang Deuk, unable to bear the sight of his men being slaughtered, charged forward.

‘I have to kill him! I have to kill him!’

If a master like that joined the Murim Alliance, it would be a disaster for the Society.

Now that they had failed to retrieve the Blood Tear Stone, he had to kill the Lone Flying Swordsman, or everything would be for naught.

‘For the Apostle!’

But someone blocked his path.

“Hehe, where are you going?”

“Grrr, beggar, you’d better get out of my way.”

“I can’t do that.”

Chui Geol-gae, his aura reinvigorated by the old man’s display of power, swung his arms.

*Hummm…*

Jang Deuk’s face darkened as he felt the intensity of his opponent’s internal energy.

‘Damn it, this is bad.’

He tried to unleash his demonic energy and ignite his flames, but…

“It’s quite warm. But do you think you can defeat me alone?”

“Grrr…”

“You’re a dog of the Heavenly Destruction Society. Leave your head behind.”

Chui Geol-gae, no longer needing to protect the old man, abandoned his defensive stance.

*Boom! Crack!*

He unleashed the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms, his attacks relentless.

*Boom! Boom!*

Jang Deuk tried to counter with his demonic flames, but the Beggars’ Sect’s Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms, infused with righteous energy, neutralized his attacks.

*Thump! Boom!*

Chui Geol-gae’s attacks were precise and powerful, leaving no openings. The fight was over in less than a minute.

“Go to hell!”

*Thud!*

His palms struck Jang Deuk’s chest, shattering his ribs.

*Boom! Boom! Boom!*

The shockwave from his attack ripped through the ground, creating a crater over six feet wide.

“Ugh…”

Jang Deuk’s eyes rolled back as his body was ravaged by Chui Geol-gae’s internal energy.

“Gurgling…”

Black blood oozed from his mouth, a sign that his internal organs had been pulverized.

Chui Geol-gae said coldly, “Die alone. I’ll send you all to hell one by one.”

Jang Deuk’s body collapsed.

The rest was easy.

*Boom! Boom!*

On one side was a Beggars’ Sect master, unleashing powerful palm strikes.

On the other side was a former master, wielding the forgotten techniques of the Kunlun Sect.

It didn’t take long for the two seasoned masters to defeat the remaining masked figures.

***

“They were tough opponents.”

“Indeed.”

They had won, but they were exhausted.

“It’s not easy to move around at my age.”

“I’m sorry for dragging you into this, Brother Wang.”

“…Brother Wang? You weren’t joking?”

“Haha, this beggar never lies.”

“To be brothers with an elder of the Beggars’ Sect… it’s too much for an old man who’s retired from the Murim.”

“Hehe, you’d better get used to it. I’ve been lonely all my life, and I’m not letting go of my newfound brother.”

“Ugh, but…”

“Give up. Even the Sect Leader couldn’t break this beggar’s stubbornness.”

Wang Woo’s smile faded as he saw Chui Geol-gae’s insistent expression.

But Chui Geol-gae refused to back down.

“You’re my senior in the Murim, and you saved my life. What’s wrong with that?”

Wang Woo finally surrendered.

“Alright, Brother Chui.”

“Brother, not younger brother… well, fine.”

Chui Geol-gae chuckled, pleased with himself.

“Brother Wang, you should rest and recover your internal energy. I have something to check.”

He left Wang Woo to meditate and started examining the corpses.

He returned with a grim expression, and Wang Woo asked, “Is something wrong?”

“Well… I recognize quite a few of them.”

“That means the Heavenly Destruction Society’s agents have infiltrated deep into the Murim Alliance.”

“I could understand if they were just ordinary agents… but I didn’t expect to see Nang Wol-do here.”

“Nang Wol-do?”

“Nang Wol-do, also known as Dan-yo. He was a guest of the Buhyeon branch. He was a respected wandering hero, but he was actually an inspector sent by the Alliance.”

“If they’ve managed to recruit even the Alliance’s secret agents, then the situation is dire.”

“Indeed. I thought we had eradicated them in the previous purge, but maybe the Heavenly Destruction Society is much bigger than I thought.”

What should they do?

Chui Geol-gae pondered for a moment, then asked, “Remember what you said earlier, Brother Wang?”

“What?”

“You said there might be more than one Blood Tear Stone.”

Wang Woo nodded, remembering.

“That’s right, I did say that.”

“Then this is a serious problem. It means there are more people involved in this madness.”

“That’s likely the case.”

“I suspect that even if there are multiple Blood Tear Stones, there can’t be too many.”

Wang Woo, surprised by his certainty, asked, “Why are you so sure? I don’t understand.”

Chui Geol-gae tapped his head with his index finger.

“It’s simple math. The traitors we couldn’t catch, even after conducting thorough investigations, all came running when they heard about this stone.”

“…Because it’s important to them.”

“If it was just important but common, they wouldn’t have come so recklessly. They’re usually so meticulous and difficult to track, but this is the first time they’ve acted so hastily.”

It was a logical deduction.

Some of the dead were high-ranking officials. The Murim Alliance would be in chaos when they found out that they had disappeared.

“It’s not like them to act so impulsively.”

“You have something in mind, don’t you?”

“As expected of Brother Wang. You understand this beggar’s heart perfectly.”

Chui Geol-gae chuckled mischievously.

“They’re obsessed with the Blood Tear Stone, so we’ll use that against them.”

“…How?”

“We’ll use this stone as bait to lure them out.”

“Lure them out with the Blood Tear Stone?”

Wang Woo was stunned by his audacious plan. Chui Geol-gae laughed.

“We have another reason to go to the Murim Alliance headquarters, Brother Wang.”