Chapter 658: I Don't Waste Words on Cowards

TL: FoodieMonster007

"So the one who will become the Murim Alliance's successor trusts the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult the most?" Gwak Ju burst into laughter.

Just as his expression began to settle, Hwa Song, who was standing elsewhere, suddenly burst out laughing.

The laughter was contagious. The Demon Slaying Brigade martial artists beside him, already under the soul-stealing art, began to laugh in succession.

The opponent moved freely from one person's body to another.

He then returned to the body of Gwak Ju, who stood next to Jin Hagun, and asked with a grin, "Do you really trust him?"

Did he really trust Geom Mugeuk?

Of course, Jin Hagun trusted Geom Mugeuk. He knew that if it were Geom Mugeuk, he would easily evade a fate like being killed by his own grandfather.

He was the type of person to save a cornered friend and then make a big show of it, even while hating to do so.

"He's my friend, so of course I trust him."

At Jin Hagun's unwavering answer, Gwak Ju openly sneered.

"The orthodox sects murim will fall apart even if we leave it alone."

Then he roared as if reprimanding him. "As the leader of the Demon Slaying Brigade, aren't you ashamed in front of your subordinates?"

However, none of the Demon Slaying Brigade martial artists actually felt ashamed of Jin Hagun.

They knew better than anyone what kind of person Jin Hagun was. They were the ones who had watched from the closest vantage point as he met and formed a relationship with Geom Mugeuk.

Perhaps sensing the loyalty in their expressions, Gwak Ju's gaze turned cold.

"You will die here today."

He was plotting an exceptionally cruel death.

"After you watch your subordinates kill each other, I'll kill you last."

If I cut down this Gwak Ju before me, will the opponent truly die?

He thought not. If that were the case, the enemy wouldn't have exposed himself so defenselessly.

Jin Hagun stared quietly into Gwak Ju's eyes.

There were many things he wanted to say to the master of the soul-stealing art hiding beyond them.

A pathetic coward who couldn't even show his face!

He wanted to provoke and mock him.

However, he didn't think the man would reveal himself even if he did. If he were that kind of person, he would have shown himself from the start. A clumsy provocation would only put his subordinates' lives in greater danger.

Yes, what was needed now was not to fall for the enemy's provocation, but to hold out until Geom Mugeuk came to help. In the past, just harboring such a thought would have wounded his pride, but not anymore. Saving his subordinates was more important than his pride.

Jin Hagun stepped back and aimed his sword. His subordinates who were beside him lined up on either side of him.

Honestly, he was at a loss as to how to deal with this person. How on earth could he break this soul-stealing art?

At that moment, he recalled his grandfather's words.

Do you know why we haven't crumbled before their cruel and persistent desires?

Jin Hagun spoke confidently to his subordinates.

"The path we walk is the righteous path!"

Yes, no matter how much they hurried, they were always a step or two behind this damned evil, but this belief remained unchanged.

"We are the Demon Slaying Brigade. We fear no enemy!"

CHACHACHAK!

At Jin Hagun's words, his subordinates aimed their swords in unison. They were aimed at the comrades who had been with them just a moment ago.

SHWIIIIK!

The paused fight resumed, starting when the martial artist right next to Jin Hagun swung his sword at him.

CHAENG!

Jin Hagun lightly blocked the sword that flew at him from the side. He showed no signs of surprise or panic.

The mindset Jin Hagun had come up with was this.

"From now on, we begin live combat training with our comrades!"

It meant to treat their comrades affected by the soul-stealing art as if they were training. The afflicted would fight as if it were real, while they would treat it as training.

CHAENG CHAENG CHAENG!

A fight broke out among the Demon Slaying Brigade martial artists. For now, there was some leeway, as the number of those not yet affected by the soul-stealing art was greater.

Nevertheless, Jin Hagun poured all his mental energy into it. There was no telling when someone might turn and cause a tragic outcome.

Even if the enemy has grown stronger by activating the Blood Heaven Soul Strengthening Art, he must have a limit.

The opponent must also be fighting using an immense amount of inner arts.

However, the opponent's soul-stealing art, empowered by the Blood Heaven Soul Strengthening Art, was beyond imagination. He truly used the soul-stealing art without tiring.

One by one, the number of martial artists falling to the soul-stealing art increased.

Jin Hagun could tell. A master of this caliber could have killed them in other ways.

But the man was toying with him. He wanted to see Jin Hagun suffer as he watched his subordinates stab each other to death.

"Hold on! Hold on until the end!"

Someone will definitely come to help us!

CHAENG CHAENG CHAENG CHAENG!

The martial artists under the soul-stealing art attacked as if to kill. Since Jin Hagun's side couldn't kill them, the fight was incredibly difficult despite their numerical advantage.

Furthermore, the number of those affected by the soul-stealing art was gradually increasing.

"Watch out!"

He leaped over a subordinate rolling on the floor to block another subordinate who was attacking him.

CHAENG CHAENG CHAENG!

Sparks flew, and in that moment, the fallen martial artist pushed himself up.

He had just saved him, but that subordinate stabbed at Jin Hagun's back.

CHAEENG!

Jin Hagun spun around and deflected the sword. He wasn't angry. Instead, he felt sorry for his subordinate.

I'm sorry. I'm sorry I couldn't save you all.

He had faced many crises in his life, but he had never felt as sorry for his subordinates as he did at this moment.

And never before had his desire for strength been so intense.

If I survive today, I will become strong enough that something like this never happens again.

Jin Hagun threw his body to protect a subordinate who was being slammed into a wall. Blood spurted from his arm due to the reckless movement.

But there was no time to check the wound.

He pushed back a subordinate attacking a fallen one while assessing the rest of the situation. Both the attackers and the attacked were all his subordinates.

That was why he alone had to keep his wits about him. He absolutely could not let his subordinates die here, especially not by a comrade's sword.

I won't let a single one die!

Jin Hagun swung his sword like a madman.

The martial artists who weren't yet under the soul-stealing art had never seen Jin Hagun like this before. Knowing better than anyone why he was so desperate, they too fought like madmen.

Then, soon enough, they became enemies.

It wasn't enough.

Jin Hagun and the remaining Demon Slaying Brigade martial artists were pushed back to the wall with the door.

The opponent brought the fight to a brief lull.

JJAK JJAK JJAK!

This time, Hwa Song walked forward, clapping. The man who should have been breaking them out of this space had become the enemy's puppet.

"Amazing! You fought like that and didn't kill a single subordinate."

Jin Hagun couldn't answer right away.

"Haa, haa, haa."

Only the sound of his ragged breathing echoed in the space.

The Demon Slaying Brigade martial artists standing beside him checked Jin Hagun's body. He was already soaked in the blood that had flowed from his arms, legs, and back.

"Are you alright?"

Jin Hagun nodded at his subordinate's question.

At that very moment.

SHWIIK!

The subordinate who had asked if he was alright thrust his sword at Jin Hagun.

Dodging the incoming sword, Jin Hagun gripped the man's wrist tightly and spoke again.

Though the subordinate's eyes had already lost their reason, Jin Hagun stared into them and said, "I'm fine."

He flung the subordinate, who was about to attack again, toward the group of those under the soul-stealing art. Once he landed on the floor, he didn't attack again.

"The hypocrisy of these orthodox sects bastards is always so amusing to watch."

Despite Hwa Song's mockery, Jin Hagun stared at him and spoke calmly.

"Aren't I your target anyway? You've had your fun, so let my subordinates go now."

Hwa Song snorted.

"You're going to keep up the pretense until the very end?"

Hwa Song slowly walked toward Jin Hagun.

He came right up to Jin Hagun's face and said coldly, "Stop with the hypocrisy!"

Jin Hagun absolutely did not let his emotions explode.

But the opponent wanted to provoke Jin Hagun by any means necessary to see his true nature.

Hwa Song looked at the door behind Jin Hagun and said, "This is a door that can never be opened unless I open it for you."

Hwa Song grinned and suggested, "How about it? Should I open it just for you? If you stop the hypocrisy and agree to escape alone, I'll open it."

The subordinates beside him nodded. It was a sign for him to escape first if he could. Of course, they knew. Jin Hagun was not the type of person to abandon them and escape alone. Just as they wouldn't.

"Why can't you all be honest?"

Hwa Song knocked on the door behind Jin Hagun.

"Please open the door, I want to live! To hell with righteousness and all that, I need to live first! I'll do lots of good deeds later. Alright, I'll save the first five people!"

It was right then, as his mockery continued.

KWAJIK!

A hand burst through the shattering door.

The hand grabbed the throat of Hwa Song, who was standing in front of the door. It happened so fast that Hwa Song couldn't dodge in time.

The moment a scream like 'Kkuek' erupted.

PWAAANG.

In that instant, Jin Hagun and the Demon Slaying Brigade martial artists saw it. Something pure white shot out of Hwa Song's body. The entity they hadn't been able to see until now was finally visible.

It flew like an arrow and entered Gwak Ju's body.

Then, the hand that had burst through the door released Hwa Song's throat. Hwa Song retreated with a bewildered expression.

At the same time as he was released.

KIIIIIK.

The door that supposedly would never open unless he allowed it, opened.

Beyond the door was a pitch-black darkness where nothing could be seen.

A hand extended from within that darkness.

There was a drawing on the hand. A black chain was depicted, stretching from the back of the hand up the arm.

The owner of the hand walked forward out of the darkness.

The person who entered was a young woman.

The woman was none other than the Soul-Stealing Demon Supreme, Cheong Seon.

Jin Hagun was truly surprised by her appearance.

He had seen her at the last tripartite meeting, but he had never imagined she would appear here.

Immediately, a thrilling shiver ran through Jin Hagun's entire body.

It was the joy of the moment he confirmed his faith was not misplaced. If not Geom Mugeuk, who else would have sent her?

Yes, this was the kind of person Geom Mugeuk was. If he weren't this kind of person, how could the successor of the Demonic Cult and he have become friends?

The aura she had, seen after a long time, was so different. He almost failed to recognize her.

Her cold gaze was exceptionally calm and deep. Her presence was completely different from when she first became a Demon Supreme.

Strange patterns were drawn on her face and arm.

First, the most noticeable thing was the drawing on her forehead.

A closed eye.

The closed eye was drawn in purple. It looked just like a third eye.

A red whirlwind pattern was drawn on her left cheek, and on the back of her right hand was the drawing of the intertwined chain he had seen earlier.

On the back of her opposite hand, her left, a blue flame shape was drawn.

These drawings, which looked anything but ordinary at a glance, were Soul Paintings. Soul Paintings were special drawings that strengthened the martial arts of those who practiced the soul-stealing art, and drawing them allowed one to wield an even more powerful soul-stealing art. It served the same function as the opponent currently using the Blood Heaven Soul Strengthening Art to unleash a stronger soul-stealing art. The fact that the Soul-Stealing Demon Supreme had appeared with Soul Paintings drawn meant she acknowledged her opponent and, at the same time, intended to fight seriously.

Jin Hagun greeted her with formal respect. Though she was young, she held the position of a Demon Supreme.

"I greet the Demon Supreme."

The Soul-Stealing Demon Supreme also returned a formal clasped hands greeting.

"I was a little late because I was meeting a distinguished person."

A distinguished person? Who could she be talking about? Geom Mugeuk? If she had met Geom Mugeuk, they would have come together. Then who on earth could it be?

Gwak Ju opened his mouth to speak to her.

"I've heard the news about the Demonic Cult's new Soul-Stealing Demon Supreme. You're much younger than I thought. You crazy bitch, you nearly scared me to death just now."

Even though he knew who his opponent was, he wasn't scared at all. Rather, his eyes were full of curiosity at her appearance.

"The previous Soul-Stealing Demon Supreme dabbled in the Pitch Black Demonic Art."

He was very interested in the Soul-Stealing Demon Supreme.

"There's a rumor that the Young Cult Leader was the one who killed him. Is that true?"

The Soul-Stealing Demon Supreme gave no answer.

"The quiet type, are you?"

Then, the Soul-Stealing Demon Supreme replied with an indifferent gaze.

"It's because I don't waste words on cowards."

It was a mockery of him hiding in others' bodies without revealing himself.

Jin Hagun felt a sense of relief. He had held back the urge to say those very words so many times.

Gwak Ju's gaze turned cold.

"Well now, shall we see the skills of our young Demon Supreme?"

The moment his words ended, the sound of ghostly wails began to fill the air.

HIHIHIHIHIHI.

It was a wail that dug into a person's mind.

The Demon Slaying Brigade martial artists raised their inner arts to resist the wailing. But as if it were a sound arts technique, the wail pierced the martial artists' ears.

The Soul-Stealing Demon Supreme slowly brought a finger to her lips.

SHH!

In that instant, the ghostly wailing that had been echoing from all directions stopped completely.

The surroundings became so quiet it felt like a real ghost might appear.