Chapter v13c24

“A combined attack?!” Na Yerin exclaimed.

The Twin Blades were moving as one, their sword and saber flashing in a deadly dance. Their attacks were precise and relentless, their movements perfectly synchronized. There wasn’t a single opening in their defense. They were pressing their attack, overwhelming Hyo-ryong and Yeomdo.

“It seems they’ve practiced this combination thousands of times,” Seok Ryu-ha said.

“Hmm…” Bi Ryu-yeon murmured, his gaze fixed on the battle below. The flames from Yeomdo’s saber and the blood-red aura from Hyo-ryong’s swords clashed, creating a dazzling display of light.

It was a beautiful sight, but beneath the surface, death lurked, waiting to claim its victims.

“Ugh!” Yeomdo groaned, struggling to keep up with the Twin Blades’ relentless assault.

Their attacks were perfectly timed, leaving no room for counterattacks. Hyo-ryong and Yeomdo, on the other hand, were uncoordinated, their movements lacking synergy.

They had underestimated the Twin Blades. The two old men, once lone wolves, had swallowed their pride and honed their combined attack after their defeat on Mount Wudang. Cheon-sal’s heavy sword and Ji-sal’s swift saber complemented each other perfectly, their strengths amplifying each other’s weaknesses.

Cheon-sal’s sword blocked Yeomdo’s saber, and Ji-sal’s saber intercepted Hyo-ryong’s swords. The tide of battle turned, and the two young men were forced onto the defensive.

“Aren’t you going to help them?” Seok Ryu-ha asked Bi Ryu-yeon, who was watching the battle with an unreadable expression. She could see that their allies were at a disadvantage.

“Why should I?” he asked, his face blank.

“Are you serious?”

“They said they could handle it themselves. And I have no personal grudge against them.”

“But they seem to have a grudge against you.”

Cheon-sal’s earlier actions had made that clear.

“That’s their problem.”

He wasn’t interested in other people’s grudges. Seok Ryu-ha was speechless.

“But can’t you see that they’re losing?”

“They won’t die. I don’t need incompetent disciples.”

“Disciples?”

But she didn’t get an answer. A wave of heat erupted from the battlefield below.

Boom!

Yeomdo’s saber exploded in a shower of crimson sparks, forming a fiery umbrella. It was a powerful defensive technique from his Crimson Seventeen Flames Saber Style.

“Beautiful!” Seok Ryu-ha, the Crimson Sword Maiden, who loved the color red, was mesmerized by the fiery display.

The Twin Blades’ attack faltered, and Hyo-ryong seized the opportunity, his twin swords flashing with a blood-red aura. The momentum shifted, and the Twin Blades were now on the defensive.

They parried and dodged, thrust and blocked, their movements a blur of motion.

Attack and defense, offense and defense! Attack, attack, defend, defend!

The battle raged, neither side gaining an advantage.

Clang! Clang!

The sound of clashing steel echoed through the night, shattering the silence. They all watched, mesmerized by the battle. Even the moon and stars seemed to hold their breath.

And then,

“Huh?”

Bi Ryu-yeon suddenly sensed something.

He turned his head, his gaze fixed on the sky to the right. Something was wrong, something was disturbing him.

Who was it?

He couldn’t identify the presence, but he could feel it. And he knew, with absolute certainty, that it was more dangerous than the Twin Blades combined!

‘Dangerous!’

That was the direction Mo Yong-hwi had taken, carrying Eun Seol-ran.

“Stop!”

He waved his hand, and two silver darts shot out from his sleeve, cutting through the darkness.

Clang! Clang!

One dart deflected Cheon-sal’s sword, the other Ji-sal’s saber. The battle came to a halt.

Yeomdo and Hyo-ryong, who had been locked in a fierce struggle, looked at Bi Ryu-yeon with annoyance. Why had he stopped them? They were about to finish off those villains.

[Get everyone out through the main gate, now!]

[What? Why?]

[Just do it.]

Yeomdo’s frown deepened. Bi Ryu-yeon wasn’t giving him a reason.

[We’re just going to leave those old geezers behind?]

That seemed to be his biggest concern.

[Yes. There’s a bigger problem.]

Yeomdo reluctantly nodded.

He relayed Bi Ryu-yeon’s plan to the others, pretending it was his own idea. As expected, there were objections.

“We can’t do that. We can’t just leave them behind.”

Hyo-ryong was the most vocal opponent. He looked determined not to retreat.

“Do you think I want to leave?”

“Then why?”

He didn’t have a good answer. He had to resort to his usual tactic.

“Don’t ask, you’ll get hurt! There’s another threat approaching. We’ll be trapped if we stay here. We can’t waste any more time! There’s no need to worry about firewood as long as there are mountains. And as long as you’re alive, you’ll have another chance to avenge your brother.”

“Grrr…”

Hyo-ryong clenched his jaw, his silence speaking volumes. Yeomdo patted his shoulder.

“Ready?”

Bi Ryu-yeon asked. They nodded.

“Let’s go!”

He flicked his wrist, and two throwing knives shot towards the Twin Blades, trailing silver sparks. The two old men blocked the knives with their weapons, their hands trembling from the force of the impact. Bi Ryu-yeon caught the returning knives and said,

“I’ll let you live for a few more days! Enjoy your last moments while you can!”

The Twin Blades were speechless, momentarily stunned.

Yeomdo seized the opportunity, leading the rescue team towards the exit. Swords and sabers flashed, cutting down their opponents.

They charged forward, creating a path of destruction.

“Ryu-yeon?”

Na Yerin looked for Bi Ryu-yeon, but he was nowhere to be seen.

He had separated from the group and was heading towards the right, the same path Mo Yong-hwi had taken.

* * *

Mo Yong-hwi ran, carrying Eun Seol-ran on his back. He showed no signs of fatigue. He had never been trained to be weak.

Her breath tickled his ear.

He didn’t look back.

Most of the enemies were concentrated in the backyard, where Bi Ryu-yeon and Yeomdo were fighting, so there was no one to block his path. A few guards, left behind to guard other areas, tried to stop him, but they were quickly cut down.

And then,

“Stop!”

A deep, low voice, heavy with the weight of the night, boomed through the air.

It was a quiet voice, but it carried an undeniable power. And at the same time, a cold, chilling aura, aimed at his throat, shot towards him. He didn’t have time to identify it.

“Gasp!”

He instinctively raised his sword to defend himself.

Clang!

He stopped, his gaze fixed on the darkness ahead.

There was something there, hidden in the shadows. He couldn’t see it, but he could feel its presence, a chilling, overwhelming presence.

“Who’s there?”

He shouted, his hand still trembling from the impact.

“The one who will take your life!”

A cold voice replied.

It was there, hidden in the darkness.

A hand, white as jade, emerged from the shadows. A white hand in the darkness. It looked like a sliver of the moon, lost in the night. The contrast between black and white was stark, eerie, and terrifying.

He was caught in its grasp. The owner of the hand was invisible, as if it didn’t exist.

It felt like invisible spiderwebs were spinning from the five white fingertips, filling the air with an unseen, but palpable, presence.

‘Dangerous!’

His mind screamed. But the enemy was too fast. He couldn’t escape, not while carrying Eun Seol-ran.

He gently lowered her to the ground and raised his sword, holding it before him like a shield, a wall.

The wind held its breath, the stars dimmed, and the darkness, filled with anxiety, anticipation, and fear, awakened. It pulsed with an unseen energy.

The darkness ahead was like another dimension, invisible to the eye, but palpable to his senses, his intuition screaming at him. There was danger there. And in the midst of it all, there was a white hand.

The hand rose slowly, as if grasping the darkness itself.

A shiver ran down his spine. It was a primal warning.

The hand fell.

**Moon Severing Blade**

A strike that seemed to cleave the earth and the moonlight itself. But he couldn’t see it, hidden as it was in the darkness. He could only sense it, a dark, shadowy form, slithering towards him like a living snake.

He felt a crushing pressure, an overwhelming force. He desperately raised his sword, his instincts guiding his movements.

Boom!

His clothes ripped, and blood splattered from his wounds. He almost lost his grip on his sword.

An invisible force had struck him, its weight and power immense. It felt like he had blocked a boulder with his sword.

His hand throbbed, his palm bleeding.

He gritted his teeth.

He felt like he was going to vomit blood. A metallic taste filled his mouth. His insides felt like they were churning.

‘I didn’t see it!’

He had only felt its presence, its approach. He had swung his sword blindly, relying on his instincts, his reflexes honed by years of training. It had saved his life.

He felt a tingling sensation in his hand, his wrist, his arm. It was the feedback from his sword, confirming that the invisible blade was real.

‘He’s stronger than me!’

He couldn’t guarantee that he could block the next attack, not from this enemy, hidden in the shadows, its presence so overwhelming.

It was an unknown energy, unlike anything he had encountered before. It was strange. He felt an immense pressure, a suffocating presence, but there was no killing intent. Yet, he had never felt so close to death.

‘Can he control his killing intent so perfectly? Or does he not need it to kill someone like me?’

He knew, after a single clash.

The pressure intensified. An invisible presence, lurking in the darkness, was bearing down on him. An overwhelming force, an unknown energy.

‘I can’t block the next attack!’

It was a hopeless prediction.

“Damn it!”

He cursed, a word he had never uttered before. He had always prided himself on his impeccable manners.

‘Lady Eun…’

He could feel her presence, her breath, her scent, even without looking back. He was her last line of defense. What would happen if he failed? The consequences were unthinkable.

‘I have to protect her! Even if it costs me my life!’

He gripped his sword tighter, his resolve hardening.

If he retreated, she would be hurt, perhaps even killed. This was a battle he couldn’t afford to lose.

He steeled himself.

There was a beast lurking in the darkness, its fangs bared. He had to stop it.

He shifted his weight slightly, placing eighty percent of it on his right foot.

His sword rose slowly, coming to rest at the perfect center.

The perfect center. It was the point where his body’s central meridian, the line that ran from the crown of his head to his perineum, intersected with a circle drawn around his body, using his height as the diameter.

As the center of his sword aligned with the center of his body, the openings in his defense vanished.

It was a unique defensive technique created by his grandfather, the Sword Saint, and passed down to him.

“It’s the perfect defense,” his grandfather had said, “because you can move to any point within your reach in the same amount of time, regardless of the direction of the attack.” It was the ultimate defensive stance, a position of absolute safety.

He had chosen defense over offense.

He sensed a flicker of surprise from the white hand in the darkness. It was probably his imagination, but it felt like a hint of admiration. His opponent seemed surprised by his preparedness. But the white hand didn’t retreat.

“Interesting!”

The low voice spoke again. Mo Yong-hwi tensed.

The pressure intensified.

He knew his opponent was preparing a finishing blow, a single strike that would shatter his defenses and end his life.

For the first time, he felt a flicker of doubt. He had never felt this way before, not even against the strongest opponents.

It was a new feeling.

He bit his lip, hard, drawing blood. The pain helped him focus, to regain his composure.

He couldn’t retreat. If he did, Eun Seol-ran would die. He would rather…

‘I’d rather die myself!’

His eyes hardened.

The white hand moved.

A cold, murderous intent surged towards him, invisible, but palpable.

His neck!

He thrust his sword forward.

Clang!

The sound of metal on metal rang out. His neck was still intact. He had blocked the first attack. But he still hadn’t seen his opponent’s weapon. The invisible blade had vanished.

‘I still can’t see it!’

He would be at a disadvantage if he couldn’t figure out his opponent’s technique. And the longer the fight dragged on, the more danger Eun Seol-ran would be in.

The invisible blade struck again, its presence even stronger this time. His body was adapting.

His right side, near his heart!

He twisted his sword slightly, blocking the attack.

Clang!

But it was a feint. As soon as his sword moved away from the center, another attack came, exploiting the opening.

It was fast!

He kept his sword in place and twisted his body, narrowly avoiding the attack. He felt a burning pain in his left arm, but his heart was safe.

Three more invisible blades came at him, one after another. His sword split into three, blocking each attack. He had learned from his previous mistake, his defense more refined this time. But his thigh was slashed. He had been distracted, trying to protect Eun Seol-ran.

More attacks came, this time visible. Silver sword beams shot towards him. But he couldn’t afford to celebrate. It was a trap.

As soon as he blocked the first three attacks, a dozen more sword beams came at him, their fangs bared, aiming for his vital points.

“Combine!”

He shouted, his sword exploding in a shower of sparks. Sword beams shot out from the tip of his blade, forming a protective barrier around him.

It was a Sword Curtain.

“Gasp… Gasp…”

He was drenched in sweat, his breathing ragged. Blocking each attack had taken a toll on him. He was in bad shape. His opponent’s relentless assault had almost shattered his Sword Curtain, one of his most powerful defensive techniques.

He had dodged the final attack, but not without getting hurt. He had several cuts on his limbs, bleeding profusely. Fortunately, none of them were fatal, and Eun Seol-ran was unharmed.

He had to admit, grudgingly, that the owner of the white hand was a superior swordsman.

The low voice spoke again from the darkness.

“Not bad. Let’s see if you can block this! I’ll spare you if you do.”

It was absolute confidence.

Mo Yong-hwi realized that his opponent had no intention of sparing him. He was going to kill him with his next attack. He wanted him dead.

‘Can I even block his next attack?’

He assessed his condition. His hand was injured, his breathing ragged, his body covered in minor, but debilitating, wounds. And he had to protect Eun Seol-ran!

Even if he fought with the intention of dying together, his chances of victory were slim. And his movements were restricted because he had to protect Eun Seol-ran. He couldn’t move his sword beyond her reach. He was bound to her, his sword her shield. Protecting her was his priority.

‘There’s only one way! The forbidden technique!’

But it was a risky gamble. It was an incomplete technique, a desperate measure, a move that would likely kill them both.

And if he died here, there would be no one to protect Eun Seol-ran. His mission wasn’t to die with his opponent, but to ensure her safety.

And then, a lifeline appeared.

“Can I switch places with you?”

A calm voice, out of place in this chaotic battle.

Mo Yong-hwi turned around, his face brightening.

It was Bi Ryu-yeon.