Chapter 818: Our Boys Are a Bit Rough (3)

 

On the cliff, a crimson plum blossom bloomed.

The energy from Baek Cheon’s sword painted the air with vibrant red petals, catching the wind as they spread across the cliff.

Baek Cheon’s eyes narrowed as he exhaled, channeling every ounce of strength into his blade.

Never before had he put this much effort into creating a plum blossom. This meticulous, almost unnervingly vivid display embodied all he had built up until now.

Yet—

A chilling blue aura surged over the crimson petals, like a massive, icy wave engulfing the delicate blossoms. These petals, which had survived winter’s cold, endured searing sunlight, and withstood fierce winds, were helpless before this overwhelming surge.

Baek Cheon grimaced.

Boom!

But it wasn’t over. The blue energy that had crushed his plum blossom now lashed out like a serpent, aimed directly at him.

“Urgh!”

It felt as though the energy was laced with an intense malice, like a living entity.

Clang!

He infused his sword with every ounce of his strength, clashing head-on with the incoming energy.

“Gah!”

A stifled groan escaped him.

His grip was slipping, his hands barely able to contain the force surging through his sword. The sheer strength of the energy exceeded all of Baek Cheon’s expectations.

Hold on… just hold on…

But then, the blue aura, as if alive, wrapped around his sword, flowing over it toward him like a venomous snake.

What?

His trained instincts took over, and Baek Cheon rolled to the ground, narrowly avoiding the strike as it skimmed right past his head.

Sweat poured down his face.

That energy… it’s almost alive!

An impossible display of control, using residual power to turn a defense into an attack.

While this was theoretically possible, Jang Il-so was fighting all of them, not just him.

Grinding his sword into the ground, Baek Cheon rose quickly, without even a moment’s hesitation, and charged straight toward Jang Il-so.

If he stopped, the energy would focus on his senior brothers. That, he couldn’t allow.

He knew he’d just brushed past death.

Had he moved a second slower, he would now be lying in a pool of his own blood.

Did that scare him?

Don’t make me laugh.

It wasn’t dying that frightened him. True fear was surviving to witness his comrades’ deaths.

If someone has to die first, it’ll be me!

That was how Baek Cheon lived as a disciple of Mount Hua.

Ahead, he caught a glimpse of Chung Myung, arrowing toward Jang Il-so like a launched arrow.

“Chung Myung!”

Boom!

An aura exploded from Chung Myung, but his sword unleashed a barrage of plum blossoms in response, each petal vivid, alive.

Yet it wasn’t the clarity of each petal that was most impressive, but their sheer number. In the forest of blossoms, pinpointing a single petal was nearly impossible.

Clang! Clang!

The blue aura and Chung Myung’s plum blossoms entangled midair.

Twang!

In that moment, Chung Myung kicked off the air, splitting the energy in one swift stroke, then smoothly, but with lightning speed, advanced on Jang Il-so.

It was as if Jang Il-so had anticipated it, for he charged forward to meet him.

“Hah!”

Jang Il-so’s arms spread wide, his robe flaring out like crimson wings.

Boom!

The next clash was as swift as a flash of light.

The moment Chung Myung’s sword closed in, Jang Il-so’s flowing sleeve stiffened, becoming as sharp as a blade.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

As their weapons collided in midair, the sound was like that of two swords clashing, though it was just Jang Il-so’s sleeve against Chung Myung’s sword.

“Not bad…!”

Boom!

Jang Il-so broke off mid-sentence, twisting his head to the side just as Chung Myung’s blade sliced past his cheek.

With a feint, Chung Myung halted his sword mid-swing and subtly redirected it, aiming for Jang Il-so’s neck.

Jang Il-so threw his head back, barely evading the blade. Or so he thought.

Then—

Boom!

Chung Myung’s blade abruptly changed direction, carving down at Jang Il-so.

Jang Il-so’s eyes widened as he hurled himself downward.

Crash!

Planting his hand firmly on the ground, Jang Il-so twisted his body to evade Chung Myung’s sword, then unleashed a rapid series of kicks aimed at him.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Chung Myung blocked each strike with his sword, but the force of each blow forced him back, inch by inch.

Jo Gul and Yoon Jong seized the opening.

“Raaaaah!”

Jo Gul, lunging like lightning, swung his sword at Jang Il-so, still airborne. Yoon Jong charged from the opposite direction, unleashing a beautiful, deadly plum blossom aimed at Jang Il-so’s back.

“Die!”

Clang!

Jo Gul’s sword clashed with Jang Il-so’s bracelet, the impact sending Jo Gul hurtling back faster than he had charged. At the same moment, Yoon Jong’s plum blossom met Jang Il-so’s blue flames, creating an explosive clash.

Boom!

The blast sent Yoon Jong flying back, blood dripping from his mouth as it trickled down his chin.

Thud!

The moment Jang Il-so landed on the ground—

Swoosh!

Yu Yiseol appeared like a ghost behind him, slashing at his back with lightning speed.

“Ugh!”

Jang Il-so twisted sideways, evading the blade.

Swish!

Yu Yiseol’s sword grazed his side, but she was ready for it, twisting her blade and delivering a flurry of attacks.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Jang Il-so blocked each of Yu Yiseol’s thrusts without missing a beat, the metallic clangs resonating in a rapid, deadly rhythm.

Crash!

As Yu Yiseol’s final thrust met his hand, she was thrown back, skidding across the ground.

“……”

Jang Il-so looked down at his hand.

His expression flickered.

Blood trickled down his palm.

It wasn’t a severe wound, but the fact that he’d been cut at all was significant.

In the instant Yu Yiseol had been thrown back, she’d managed to graze his hand.

An iron resolve, exchanging her own flesh to draw even a single drop of Jang Il-so’s blood.

“...How unsightly.”

Not just his hand.

His robe was slashed and frayed in multiple places, his once-tidy hair now disheveled.

There was a certain aesthetic he held dear.

This was not the noble image he had envisioned as he toyed with them here, as the leader of the Sapae Alliance.

Then—

A grating noise caught his attention.

Turning, he saw Chung Myung dragging his sword along the ground as he advanced.

“How’s it feel?”

“……”

“To be bitten by a dog?”

Jang Il-so sneered in response.

“For someone from the orthodox faction, you’re awfully proud to be teaming up against me. Isn’t that so?”

“Hearing that from the guy using oil and explosives is almost touching.”

“Haha.”

Jang Il-so bared his teeth in a grin.

This was indeed a dangerous pack of wild dogs. Even tigers sometimes fall prey to wolves, and with enough bad luck, might be torn apart by a pack of dogs.

But…

“Whether five or a thousand dogs come at me, they still can’t win. Do you know why?”

“……”

“Because there’s a very simple way to handle them.”

In that instant, a savage glint flashed in Jang Il-so’s eyes.

Boom!

With astonishing speed, he lunged at Chung Myung, his body a mere blur of crimson as he closed the distance.

In a heartbeat, Jang Il-so’s crazed grin widened as he slashed down at Chung Myung.

Fwoosh!

Blue flames roared from Jang Il-so’s hand, surging toward Chung Myung. Chung Myung threw himself back, but Jang Il-so slammed his fist into the ground, propelling himself forward even faster.

Boom!

The ground exploded where they’d been moments before, both fighters long gone from the spot.

In mid-air, Chung Myung retaliated with a swift series of slashes aimed at Jang Il-so.

Dozens of sword auras flew toward Jang Il-so’s vital points, but he deflected them all, each one colliding with the barriers of energy he created.

Clang! Clang!

With a fierce twist of his wrist, Jang Il-so knocked Chung Myung’s sword off target, his bracelets deflecting the blade to the side.

Clang!

Seizing the moment, Jang Il-so drove three powerful punches toward Chung Myung’s exposed chest.

Chung Myung quickly countered with the Plum Blossom Scatterhand technique, meeting Jang Il-so’s blows head-on.

Bang!

The first punch twisted his wrist.

Boom!

The second blow forced his left hand backward, striking his own chest.

And the third—

Boom!

Jang Il-so’s punch struck his blocking hand, sending a fountain of blood from Chung Myung’s mouth.

“Urgh!”

As Chung Myung staggered back, he kicked off the ground to launch himself forward once more.

But in that moment—

Boom!

Chung Myung’s body skidded across the ground, thrown sideways. Jang Il-so had anticipated his move, launching an energy strike in the exact direction Chung Myung had moved.

“So predictable. Really!”

As Jang Il-so prepared to rush forward toward Chung Myung, who was still recovering, Yu Yiseol and Baek Cheon took advantage of the moment. They both leapt high into the air, unleashing a flurry of plum blossoms that rained down on Jang Il-so from behind.

Yet Jang Il-so didn’t even glance back. Instead, he released a surge of energy behind him, striking blindly to ward off the attack, and continued charging toward Chung Myung. The haphazard technique left an opening, allowing the plum blossom sword energy to strike his back.

Jang Il-so could have easily blocked the attack, but he chose not to. His eyes were locked solely on Chung Myung, as if no one else mattered in that instant.

Boom!

Jang Il-so kicked off the ground, closing the distance to Chung Myung, who had just managed to rise to his feet. With his claw-like hand crackling with energy, he slashed down toward Chung Myung's sword.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The force of Jang Il-so’s blows bent Chung Myung's sword, driving him back. The razor-sharp energy tore into Chung Myung's face, leaving cuts that bled freely across his features.

“Hahahaha!”

Jang Il-so laughed wildly as he pressed Chung Myung back toward the edge of the cliff.

“Ch-Chung Myung!”

As Chung Myung was pushed closer and closer to the precipice, Jang Il-so seemed unsatisfied with just forcing him to the edge; he leaped into the air and followed, ready to take Chung Myung over the edge with him.

With their swords locked together, the two fighters toppled off the cliff, plummeting downward.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Their blades clashed and intertwined as they fell, each consumed by a frenzy of attack and defense. Their eyes burned with a mix of madness and animosity, as though their enmity would consume them both before they hit the ground.

"Hahahahaha!"