Chapter 144 – Fateful Encounter (9)

Crash!

My cultivated inner energy collided with another, and a familiar loud noise echoed through the air.

As if taking this as a signal, the assassins surrounding me closed in.

It was already a dark night, and with them dressed in black, it was impossible to identify them properly. Their presence was barely noticeable.

It was too late to change my mind. Fortunately, it wasn’t too late.

“Haah….”

I took a deep breath.

The suffocating feeling of death surrounding me like an intangible presence.

It was familiar.

An unbeatable enemy, countless enemies, people to protect, a place to return to, and a sword in my hand.

All of this was familiar.

I couldn’t feel it, but I remembered it as mine. I had experienced this situation more than a hundred times in movies.

I no longer had the enlightenment I had back then, but I could do it again.

I knew that wishing for a miracle like the protagonist in a novel was foolish. But wasn’t that the point of the martial art of the nameless? Believe in your heart more than your body. Imagine the future you want more than the present reality.

It was a martial art that lent you strength if you were truly desperate. It was a divine art that allowed you to surpass your limits.

Swish.

The sword reflected in the moonlight shone palely.

In the middle of the night, the forest was so dark that even the sword light was blinding.

Of course, I had painted my entire body and weapon black to hide in this darkness, and the assassins’ pupils had sunk so low that they were almost opaque.

At first glance, it was terrifying, but… light always illuminated the shadows.

Swoosh!

I swung my sword, and the bright shining blade sliced through the waist of the first assassin who charged at me.

Before the cleanly bisected corpse hit the ground, a swarm of black figures attacked me from all sides.

Had my body learned to withstand sword strikes? They were all aiming for relatively weak spots like the eyes, throat, armpits, and groin, rather than the usual vital points.

In response, I tightened my imaginary sword a little more strongly. My body moved simultaneously with my thoughts.

I held my sword straight ahead and took a step forward. A powerful thrust pierced through one of the assassins, and I swung my arm to the side at the same time.

Bang!

The assassin who had been shot out exploded along with his comrades, creating an opening. I slipped through it.

The flying swords and throwing knives couldn’t keep up with my speed. They only hit my back and shoulders, bouncing off without doing any real damage.

After safely crossing the ambush, I twisted my waist to the limit while pulling my inner energy to its limit.

The assassins chased after me in a fan shape, like they were trying to catch me in a net.

I swung my sword horizontally, and a gust of wind tickled my hair, turning into a small storm that swept through the front.

The assassins at the forefront, who were struck by the sword wind filled with sword energy, fell to the ground. Their corpses became obstacles, causing the others to hesitate for a moment.

Then, I threw myself at them again, swinging my sword like a madman. In the process, I allowed them to attack me one by one, causing my clothes to become tattered, but it didn’t matter.

After all, these trivial things could never hurt me.

We attacked each other without pause, stepping on each other’s tracks to interfere with each other’s attacks. I slipped through the gaps like a trickster, dodging the flying swords.

While deflecting their attacks, I cut through their weak spots with my sword.

Since I grabbed the imaginary sword, my body moved more accurately and agilely, realizing my desires.

No, it was leading me to a higher place.

Every time I swung my sword, something flowed into me through the imaginary sword.

It wasn’t just the boundary between life and death. Memories that went beyond clear death.

The faded memories that were mine and not mine started to take on color, one by one.

The deaths I experienced in the trials of movies, over 108 times, and the sword strikes that I had endured within them slowly seeped into me.

It was unexpected, but a welcome development.

My determination was sharpened over time, and the trajectory of the sword became faster and more precise.

My inner energy, which had been blocked like a dam, gradually gained momentum, and now it was rushing through my veins like a tidal wave.

The sword energy became so intense that it naturally illuminated the surroundings.

Two top assassins, who had been waiting for their chance, jumped out of the other assassins, sensing the threat.

Normally, I wouldn’t have noticed them. They were dressed the same, had the same physique, and the same momentum as the others.

But my heightened senses, instincts, and an inexplicable intuition made it easy for me to detect them.

Amidst the assassins who were dying and coming to kill me, a single arm jutted out. A faint sword energy was attached to the short sword at the end.

The attack aimed at the heart, which was hidden behind the other weapons, was undoubtedly threatening, but the real threat was elsewhere.

The sword hidden behind the first-class assassin, who was attached to the side. Silently, it stabbed the back of the ally, and the flying sword that flew out of the belly was the real threat that the bastards were aiming for.

But I could see everything now.

I swung my axe, and a red energy burst out, striking the enemy relentlessly. My opponent countered with a yellow lightning punch.

“Hahaha! Is that all you got? You’re just a brain witch!”

“You’re still talking the same way you did back then. But now, there’s no one to help you. Today’s the day you’ll bow your head!”

The battle between the Sura Bloodline and the Sama Clan was not new. It had been going on for almost twenty years. Both of us were still in our prime.

Back then, the Sama Clan was known as the Brain Witches, and they were attacked by the Nokrim. The Sama Clan won the battle with their overwhelming skills.

At that time, the Sura Bloodline barely escaped with the help of their subordinates.

But now, the situation was different. Although it seemed like an equal battle, the Sura Bloodline was dominating the fight.

To block my axe, the Sama Clan had to extend their arms two or three times.

My martial art, the Narachael Myeolgyeok Buro Sakjeokbu, pursued extreme strength, while the Sama Clan’s Cheonnoe Myeolhon Singong, the Thunderbolt Destruction of Souls, pursued extreme pleasure. Although there was a balance now, it wouldn’t last long.

I had already sustained injuries from rushing into the battle to save my comrades from the ambush.

Even now, the shock that she couldn’t completely block was accumulating in Samama’s body, and she would eventually collapse.

“Cough!”

Just like now.

Samama, who had vomited a mouthful of blood and felt her organs shaking, quickly distanced herself.

The Sura Bloodline could have chased after her, but they didn’t bother. They just looked at Samama with ominous eyes, their axes hanging on their shoulders.

“Hehe. It was good back then, but now it’s even better. Thanks to that, the road won’t be boring.”

“…Didn’t the author of Blood-Red Horse tell you to bring him back safely?”

“Anyway, it’s not like anyone will notice if we touch him a few times. We just need to wash him off a bit.”

“What if I can’t sleep at all?”

“Then you should cut your tongue out in advance. Oh, don’t worry, we’ll cut it off just before we arrive. You’ll have to listen to what kind of noise you make.”

“You crazy bastard….”

Samama spat out the stagnant blood in her mouth and gritted her teeth.

Even though she had joined the Samaryeonju, she knew he wasn’t a docile guy. She didn’t expect him to be this bad, though.

But this was still the best option. Samama didn’t stay behind to save herself without thinking. She knew she couldn’t escape from this place anyway. But if she could somehow save Jin Sochan, he would come back to save her, even if it was too late.

After all, she couldn’t just let it go when a demon touched her lover. Even if Jin Sochan was attacked along with her, he would move.

Even if it was too late and she died or was ruined, it was okay. Jin Sochan and his wives would become a strong ally of Samaryeonju to repay their kindness.

Surely, the Samaryeonju would rise again.

“…No, that’s not it.”

Samama wasn’t trying to save Jin Sochan for such a calculated reason. It was just a late addition.

In fact, a more simple and emotional reason was moving Samama.

“I’m quite clever at my age.”

She had never felt her heart beating so fast in her life. It was a different kind of affection from what she felt for Samaryeonju.

Samama’s lips curled up softly as she realized her first love, which was too late to realize.

She could endure for about half an hour. If Jin Sochan’s skills were good enough, he could escape during that time.

But reality never goes as planned.

The smile on Samama’s face, who was clearly trapped, didn’t suit the Sura Bloodline’s impression, and they frowned.

“Come to think of it, what’s the relationship with that brat? Is he really going to be your new husband?”

“Rubbish. You should know too, right? Samjae Geomryong already has a master.”

“Then what about a son-in-law?”

“Stop talking nonsense. It won’t work.”

“Tsk. Boring.”

The Sura Bloodline made a sullen expression as if something had gone wrong, but soon a wicked smile crossed their face as if they had thought of something.

“Well, you can ask that brat for more details.”

“Hah! You think we’ll let him?”

“Hehehe. Haven’t you noticed yet?”

“What…?”

“Isn’t it too quiet around here?”

“Ah.”

It was understandable that Jin Sochan’s energy could still be felt. He might still be tied up somewhere.

But the problem was that it was too quiet around them.

This made Samama imagine the worst-case scenario, specifically Jin Sochan failing to break through and being cut down while struggling on the ground.

Shock, disbelief, and despair passed through Samama’s face in turn, while the Sura Bloodline’s face was filled with intense satisfaction.

“Alright! Let’s go check it out! Let’s see what happened to the brat that the Witch of Noh wanted to keep alive so badly!”

“No, please…”

As the two turned around slowly with opposite reactions, there was only one thing left in that spot.

A head.

Jin Sochan was holding the last remaining head of the Salsu.

“……”

“……”

Both Samama and the Sura Bloodline were speechless, watching the scene in front of them.

Clothes stained with blood, a body covered in blood, a firm and resolute hand that showed no mercy, and sharp, cold eyes that could cut through anything.

Jin Sochan’s gaze, which looked even more dangerous than the burning red flames, was directed towards the Sura Bloodline.

As if saying, “You’re next.”