Chapter 422: You Like The West?

TL: FoodieMonster007

Had he ever been asked such a question before a life-or-death battle? Which of the four cardinal directions did he prefer?

This is psychological warfare.

Of course, Ha Jyeol thought Geom Mugeuk's question was a ploy to confuse him. If so, he would calmly play along.

"I like the West."

Another incomprehensible statement emerged from Geom Mugeuk's lips.

"Oh dear. Why the West, of all places? "There's a handsome fellow, a clever one, and even a mysterious one."

What on earth is he talking about?

Unable to comprehend, Ha Jyeol merely scoffed. "Young Cult Leader, that's enough of your tricks. They won't work on me."

Though he feigned composure, he was on edge. The seven subordinates hadn't been killed in the blink of an eye by words alone. If he was lured in by that mouth, a sword would pierce his heart.

What trick is he planning to use?

Geom Mugeuk planned to try something he had never done before. He planned to manifest only the Western demon while unleashing the Human Destroying Stance of the Nine Calamities Demonic Art. He would only make an appearance, he wouldn't strike!

He didn't intend to kill Ha Jyeol immediately. He needed to keep him alive to find out where the Blood King was hiding.

Is it possible?

As he advanced in his mastery of the Nine Calamities Demonic Art, he gained the ability to control demons with ease. This prompted him to attempt the feat. However, he soon sheathed his sword.

"I've changed my mind."

His martial arts instincts deterred him from making that choice. While manifesting a single demon was possible, he realized that not killing the opponent went against what the demon desired.

In fact, summoning an demon of the Nine Calamities Demonic Art without killing the enemy was disrespectful.

Geom Mugeuk realized this anew.

I can feel a bond with them.

When he summoned them during his training in the Wind Valley, the demons didn't vanish immediately, they looked at each other. At that moment, he felt they possessed emotions. The clever-looking one among them even showed regret at parting before disappearing.

"I was thoughtless. My apologies."

Ha Jyeol thought the words were directed at him, but Geom Mugeuk had spoken them to the demons.

Regardless of what Geom Mugeuk said, Ha Jyeol drew forth his true nature, which had lain dormant deep within his heart. It was the nature he had suppressed while serving as Yang Seok's bodyguard in the Northern Blood Sect.

He was a rough and cruel man. He implanted the Self Destruction Art in his subordinates, mercilessly detonating those who lacked ability during training, and brainwashing the survivors with fear. He was the kind of person who would achieve his goals by any means necessary.

"You should have killed me when you had the chance!"

Ha Jyeol lunged at Geom Mugeuk, determined to make him pay for underestimating him.

Their swords clashed in the air.

Beyond their crossed blades, Geom Mugeuk's eyes held no emotion. He had been a Young Cult Leader spouting incomprehensible words and joking around, but as the fight began, his gaze transformed.

The demonic qi erupting from the clashing Black Demon Sword was suffocating. Resisting it, an even stronger blood qi surged from Ha Jyeol's sword.

Their swords collided repeatedly, sparking flames.

Ha Jyeol was fast and powerful. His martial arts combined swordsmanship and the Blood Art, but even without the Blood Art, his swordsmanship alone was formidable.

"Die! You Demonic Cult bastard!"

Ha Jyeol's eyes narrowed, spewing killing intent. His emotions intensified, reacting to the demonic qi.

A tremendous blood qi poured towards Geom Mugeuk.

Unfortunately for Ha Jyeol, the endlessly gushing blood qi was blocked by the Heavenly Demon Defense Art, which Geom Mugeuk had completely mastered. Geom Mugeuk also held the advantage in swordsmanship.

Ha Jyeol increased his attack speed. Still, no matter how swiftly he swung his sword, Geom Mugeuk blocked every strike.

Each strike contained powerful inner qi, and with every clash of swords, Ha Jyeol's arms ached as if they would tear off. The more they collided, the more he realized he was outmatched in inner arts as well.

Unable to endure further, Ha Jyeol abruptly retreated.

Instead of pursuing him swiftly, Geom Mugeuk calmly asked, "I asked you to let me meet the person you serve. If you die here, who will protect that person?"

A tremor flickered in the corner of Ha Jyeol's eye.

Oh? It's not just a simple leader, but either his kin or master.

The blood qi emanating from Ha Jyeol's body grew even wilder. As the fight progressed, his blood boiled.

SWISH!

Blood qi erupted from Ha Jyeol's sword.

Geom Mugeuk, too, did not evade, unleashing sword qi to counter.

CRASH!

Sword qi and blood qi collided, kicking up dust.

Ha Jyeol unleashed blood qi like a madman.

They clashed again and again.

"Die!"

Ha Jyeol roared, pouring out blood qi.

The power was enough to shake the earth and overturn the ground, yet Geom Mugeuk stood his ground, blocking every attack.

Ha Jyeol, who had been pouring out blood qi, ceased his assault and gasped for breath.

In contrast, Geom Mugeuk, serene, slowly approached him.

Ha Jyeol smiled. There was a reason he allowed Geom Mugeuk to get so close. Soon, a red aura unfolded silently behind Geom Mugeuk, like wings spreading.

WHOOSH.

That red aura instantly enveloped Geom Mugeuk, covering him as if snatching prey.

It was the Human Blood Armor, the secret technique of Ha Jyeol's unique martial art, the Infinite Evil Blood Art.

He's caught!

If one succeeded in trapping an opponent within the Human Blood Armor, the opponent would suffocate and die inside. It was a trump card, no matter what method was used, the blood barrier could not be torn open.

Indeed, Geom Mugeuk writhed within the blood barrier as if trapped in an egg.

"Die in there! Young Cult Leader!"

He was half-dominated by blood qi. He was consumed by the desire to simply kill his opponent, more so than his objective of finding the Extreme Cold Body Constitution or the repercussions of killing the Young Cult Leader.

Ha Jyeol gazed at Yang Seok with eyes craving blood.

"Please spare me! I was wrong!"

This was no situation for pride. Ha Jyeol's gaze made it seem as though he would rush over and kill him at any moment.

Suddenly, a blue light seemed to glow within the blood barrier.

THRUST!

The blue light, imbued with enhanced sword qi from the Black Demon Sword, tore through the barrier.

Ha Jyeol shrieked, "AAAAARGH!"

The Black Demon Sword, infused with blue enhanced sword qi, ripped the blood barrier open sideways.

RIIIIIP.

Ha Jyeol screamed, and the blood barrier writhed as if alive.

Through the torn blood barrier, Geom Mugeuk thrust his head out. "I don't like feeling confined."

With that, he roughly tore at the ripped blood barrier with both hands. Once torn, the blood barrier continued to rip under Geom Mugeuk's grasp.

Ha Jyeol's screams reached their peak.

THUD!

The Human Blood Armor vanished. Ha Jyeol, his face contorted in pain, demanded, "How on earth? That barrier can't be torn even with enhanced sword qi."

"From now on, when you pass on that martial art, make sure to tell them it won't work on the Young Cult Leader."

The scent of blood intensified from Ha Jyeol's body, and his eyes filled with blood. It wasn't a red aura, but actual blood.

The blood qi was now consuming him. He realized that unless he became a perfect blood human, he couldn't defeat Geom Mugeuk.

Blood orbs began to rise from his palms. Dozens of them floated up, then transformed into small throwing knives.

SWISH SWISH SWISH SWISH SWISH SWISH SWISH SWISH!

He unleashed another one of his secret techniques, the Flying Dagger Blood Rain.

Dozens of hidden weapons rained down on Geom Mugeuk. Geom Mugeuk began to run.

WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH!

Geom Mugeuk displayed astonishing movement arts amidst the raining blood-red throwing knives.

Yang Seok, watching, widened his eyes. The thought, 'How could he dodge that?' only came after Geom Mugeuk had already done so. His movements, as he dodged the raining blood-red throwing knives, were almost beautiful.

After dodging all the throwing knives and landing, a new secret technique awaited Geom Mugeuk. The Flying Dagger Blood Rain had merely been a ploy to trap him in this next move.

CRACKLE! SNAP! CRACKLE! CRACKLE.

Red lines materialized all around Geom Mugeuk. The blood lines trapped him, encircling him like a spiderweb. He was confined within the red lines, as if imprisoned.

This was the Clone Blood Net.

"Don't move. Touch the blood thread, and you die."

"Can I still move my mouth?"

Yang Seok, watching, almost let out a hollow laugh. A joke, even in this situation?

Conversely, the blood in Ha Jyeol's eyes turned even deeper crimson.

HISS!

The blood lines began to constrict around Geom Mugeuk.

"I'll cut you into dozens of pieces, leaving not even a corpse to find!"

The blood lines from all directions closed in, poised to sever Geom Mugeuk.

Even in this volatile situation, Geom Mugeuk remained calm. As he infused inner arts into the Black Demon Sword, it glowed with a blue enhanced sword qi.

"I don't believe your martial arts can overcome my inner arts and the Black Demon Sword."

His words stemmed from absolute confidence in himself.

SLASH SLASH SLASH SLASH SLASH!

The Black Demon Sword slashed in all directions.

CRACKLE! SNAP! THUD!

The blood lines all around began to be severed.

In this unbelievable moment, Ha Jyeol unleashed his final secret technique. The last move of the Infinite Evil Blood Art, which required half of his life qi.

A drop of blood rose from his hand, transforming into a butterfly that flew forth at Geom Mugeuk, who was emerging after severing the blood web.

POP.

The butterfly burst.

This was the Flying Butterfly Blood Poison.

His Master had said that the Flying Butterfly Blood Poison was a venom with power comparable to imperceptible poison. No one could stop it. However, it required half of one's life qi.

As the Blood Butterfly burst, Geom Mugeuk was completely engulfed in red smoke.

Ha Jyeol was certain the Young Cult Leader could no longer endure. It was then that his gaze finally turned to Yang Seok. "The Young Cult Leader died because of you."

Yang Seok felt wronged. Why was Ha Jyeol blaming him when he was the one who killed him? He dared not retort, however. Ha Jyeol's eyes were still filled with blood.

"Now the Demon Supremes will come and sweep away the Northern Blood Sect."

Yang Seok's expression turned to one of shock.

"Did you commit this act without even anticipating that?"

Yang Seok's surprise wasn't due to Ha Jyeol's words, however. Geom Mugeuk was walking out of the red smoke behind Ha Jyeol.

Ha Jyeol, seeing him belatedly, was aghast. He survived the blood poison? How on earth?

Every absolute truth he had learned from his master crumbled in that moment. He had never felt so powerless in his life. He felt ashamed for having worried, even for a moment, about Geom Mugeuk's death.

Geom Mugeuk, standing before him, felt like an insurmountable wall.

A thought suddenly occurred to him.

"You know I won't open my mouth, don't you?"

"Yes."

"You could have killed me earlier, couldn't you?"

"Yes."

"Why did you take such a risk?" Ha Jyeol asked, realizing that Geom Mugeuk hadn't kept him alive merely to ask where his master was.

"To get accustomed to the Blood Art. Your leader or master uses the same martial art, right?"

"!" Ha Jyeol's expression instantly froze. Joking around, speaking incomprehensible words… he had forgotten. He had forgotten how meticulous and terrifying this man was.

"I've lost." Ha Jyeol bowed his head in resignation. His tone became respectful. "If you spare me, I will tell you who my master is and where he is now."

"You should have done that earlier."

Geom Mugeuk slowly approached him.

When Geom Mugeuk had walked within five steps, a satisfied smile spread across Ha Jyeol's face. "Fool! Did you think I would tell you willingly? At this distance, you can never escape my Self Destruction Art."

He was certain he could kill Geom Mugeuk.

Nevertheless, Geom Mugeuk showed little surprise. His expression was as if he had anticipated this very situation. "Then did you think I would simply believe you?"

"What? Then why did you approach me?"

"Why, indeed? Because I'm still practicing, of course. Your master, whoever he is, will likely try such a trick, won't he?"

"You bastard! Let's see if you can maintain that composure even as you die!"

Instantly, Ha Jyeol's face flushed, and he activated the Self Destruction Art.

It was faster than his other subordinates' attempts. Its power would also be incomparably greater.

At that very instant, Geom Mugeuk vanished from sight.

Startled, Ha Jyeol halted the Self Destruction Art. Forcibly stopping it caused his qi and blood to tangle, making him vomit blood.

Geom Mugeuk reappeared. He had vanished from sight in an instant by activating the Spacetime Manipulation Technique.

In terms of compatibility in martial arts, these two were truly at opposite extremes.

"No matter how quickly you use the Self Destruction Art, you won't be faster than me."

Ha Jyeol's face flushed again. This time, he tried to use the Self Destruction Art even faster than before. By the time he had recited all the incantations, however, Geom Mugeuk had already vanished.

"You… just how…"

Unable to continue speaking, Ha Jyeol vomited blood again. This time, forcibly stopping the Self Destruction Art made him vomit even more blood than before.

Yet, he couldn't die alone and meaninglessly like this. Ultimately, the martial art that had inflicted the greatest injury on him was the Self Destruction Art itself.

"AAAAAAARGH!" Ha Jyeol shrieked, roaring in fury.

Before he knew it, Geom Mugeuk had reappeared before him. "If a martial artist loses, they simply die. How despicable and cowardly is this?"

Geom Mugeuk gazed into Ha Jyeol's eyes. His own face was reflected in the blood-filled pupils.

Looking into that abyss, Geom Mugeuk calmly stated. "Do you know why I'm searching for your master so diligently? It's because I hate you. I hate those who refuse to acknowledge defeat, who try to drag others down like drowning ghosts."

Who in this jianghu could stop those who unhesitatingly use the Self Destruction Art? People avoided them because they were vile, cowardly, and terrifying. Who would relentlessly pursue and try to stop them like this?

Those who instill ultimate fear in others to gain their own advantage. They, too, are evil. An absolute evil that must be crushed and eradicated in the name of the Demonic Cult.

"…You'd have to keep me alive to find my master." Ha Jyeol tried to seize an opportunity, desperately continuing to speak.

Unfortunately, his opponent was Geom Mugeuk.

"You have no intention of telling me, do you? I'll find them myself."

Geom Mugeuk ceased conversing with him.

"You said you liked the West, didn't you?"

The moment those words ended.

Ha Jyeol felt a chilling killing intent from his side, and then he saw it.

The most terrifying thing he had ever witnessed in his life. A single sword strike, wielded without an ounce of hesitation by that terrifying entity.

SWISH! SLICE!

Ha Jyeol's severed head flew into the air, while various images reflected in the blood-filled pupils of his eyes. The sky was reflected, as was Geom Mugeuk's merciless gaze. Yang Seok's startled face was there, and the terrifying demon vanishing.

Then, the ground, grass, and sky blurred past quickly, then slowed, before darkness finally descended.