C 398
Suddenly, Namgung Seol felt a shiver run down her spine.
Every hair on her body stood on end from the creepy feeling. She knew who the voice belonged to.
"No way?"
Namgung Seol cautiously looked in the direction where the voice came from.
There was a man there.
A man with a face that shone even more eerily in the darkness.
"Pyo... Wol!"
Namgung Seol's fine eyebrows frowned.
He was a man who should not be here.
His appearance was not included in Namgung Seol's calculations.
"How did you get here?"
The nearby Snow Flower Swords was filled with people following her, like spider webs. But none of them had announced the appearance of Pyo Wol.
It was one of two possibilities.
Either Pyo Wol had cleverly deceived and entered them without notice, or he had killed them all and silenced them.
Either way, it was not a good sign for Namgung Seol.
Pyo Wol was staring at her intently.
Even in the darkness, his gaze felt particularly sharp.
Pyo Wol opened his mouth.
"I'm curious, so tell me what happens next."
"What happened to the Snow Flower Swords?"
"That's not important, is it?"
"You keep crossing the line. This is not where you belong."
Namgung Seol's voice settled down.
Her gaze shone as bright in the darkness as Pyo Wol's.
Most people couldn't meet her gaze because it was so intense. But Pyo Wol ignored her and turned his gaze to Hong Ye-seol.
Hong Ye-Seol was in a miserable state.
If he didn't do something about it now, her life would be in danger.
"You did something stupid."
"What......?"
"Everything."
"Really? I'm Hong Ye-seol. I don't need your help."
"Is that why you're in this state?"
"Ugh!"
Instead of answering, Hong Ye-Seol spat out crimson blood.
She had no strength left to answer. She flipped her eyes and fainted.
Hong Ye-seol's breathing was getting weaker.
It was dangerous to leave her alone any longer.
Pyo Wol approached her. But there was a presence that stopped him halfway.
A man with a long sword at his waist.
A cheerful-looking man with clear features was Lee-Geom han.
Lee Geom-hak grinned and spoke.
"Hey there, friend, stop there."
"I'm not your friend."
"I thought you were a friend, so why are you so stubborn?"
"Get out of the way!"
"If You're going to that woman? Then I can't step aside."
"Why?"
"I've been trying to catch that woman for a few days now. So please understand."
A childish smile appeared on Lee-Geom han's face.
His eyes sparkled as if he had discovered an interesting subject. In contrast, Pyo Wol's gaze sank even deeper.
They were polar opposites.
Namgung Seol tried to intervene between them.
"Geomhan! He's not worthy for you to deal with. So, please leave it to me."
"Seolmae, no."
"What?"
"Can't you see what he's truly capable of?. He's not someone you can handle."
"Really..."
"Seolmae! I truly love you. That's why I don't interfere with whatever you do, even if it means standing by. Even if a nonsensical group like Snow Flower Swords follows you. And I know that all your actions are for me."
"Geomhan!"
"You are more precious to me than anything else. That's why I can't stand by and watch you get hurt by that guy."
"You mean I will be harmed by him?"
"Seolmae! Stand behind me."
"Geomhan!"
"I'm saying this for your sake."
For a moment, Namgung Seol felt the blood in her entire body go cold.
Geomhan had never spoken to her like this before.
The strongest person she knew was Geomhan.
It wasn't just because he was born from a good bloodline. He had become strong by obsessing over real martial arts.
He was a warrior who put his life on the line for a single sword.
That was the best way to describe Geomhan.
She had known Geomhan for a long time, but this was the first time she had seen him tense.
Namgung Seol quietly walked behind Lee Geomhan.
She was reluctant to leave Hong Ye-seol like this, but she decided not to dwell on it.
Lee Geomhan spoke to Pyo Wol.
"I have one question. Do you know who arranged for that woman?"
"I don't know!"
"Is the woman's assassination related to you?"
"That's not just one question."
"Sorry! I keep thinking of more. Will you answer my questions?"
"Step aside if you're done with questions."
"I told you earlier that I can't do that. This woman is my business. I've been trying to catch her for days, and I can't give up just because of your word. This woman assassinated the seven sage scholar in front of my eyes."
"Her job is to kill people."
"I know that. I could respect her profession. But understand my position. The one she killed is the seven sage scholar, a highly reputed person in Kangho. If I don't reveal the secrets behind his death, great chaos may break out in Kangho. The atmosphere is already unstable, and the seven sage scholar's death could be the trigger for a war."
Geomhan was firm.
He looked at Pyo Wol with his arms crossed.
Pyo Wol saw a tall wall in his posture.
It was an overwhelming presence that he hadn't felt even from Jang Mugak.
'He's strong.'
It wasn't just his martial arts that were strong.
The man himself was strong.
It made one wonder what process a person had to go through to have such a gaze and atmosphere.
If time allowed, he would have liked to have a conversation with him. However, Pyo Wol didn't have time right now.
As Pyo Wol spoke with Lee-Geom han, Hong Ye-seol's condition was noticeably deteriorating.
He could no longer leave her alone.
The moment Pyo Wol's gaze changed,Lee-Geom han's gaze changed as well.
Lee-Geom han's gaze was heavy like a rock, making anyone who saw it feel pressured.
Snap!
Pyo Wol was the first to move.
He unfolded his meandering steps and approached Hong Ye-seol.
At that moment,Lee-Geom han also moved.
"Didn't I tell you? I cannot allow you to take her."
He was already blocking Pyo Wol's path.
Instead of clashing with Lee-Geom han, Pyo Wol chose a different route.
Like a snake going around a rock, Pyo Wol tried to go around Lee-Geom han. But again,Lee-Geom han blocked him.
The footwork of Lee-Geom han, who moved without lifting his feet from the ground, had a similarity to Pyo Wol's meandering steps.
It was a footwork called whirlwind step (회륜보).
It was a secret footwork that only the head of the Mad Martial Sect could learn, and it had the greatest power when combined with martial arts.
The whirlwind step had the characteristic of controlling acceleration and deceleration using rotation. When rotating fiercely, its destructive power was maximized, and when reducing rotation, its power decreased significantly.
Lee-Geom han had mastered whirlwind steps to the extreme.
With his whirlwind step alone, he threatened Pyo Wol without using his martial arts.
Kwaaah!
A strong whirl pool formed around Lee-Geom han, pushing Pyo Wol away.
Pyo Wol used the whirlpool to swing around Lee-Geom han. However,Lee-Geom han stubbornly blocked him with his whirlwind step
.
It was a battle between a spear and a shield.
The one trying to penetrate and the one trying to block.
Although they clashed constantly, they did not attack each other.
Their current confrontation was a kind of reconnaissance.
They were gauging each other's level through their footwork.
Papapapapap!
Their movements were so fast that only afterimages were faintly visible.
Namgung Seol couldn't close her mouth, which she had opened in surprise.
"Is his Qigong skill on the same level as Geomhan?"
Lee-Geom han, who could kill experts with just his footwork, was a formidable opponent.
Developed over three generations, the whirlwind step itself had tremendous destructive power.
Lee-Geom han had crushed many experts with just his whirlwind step. But Pyo Wol hadn't taken any hits against whirlwind step.
If Lee-Geom han's whirlwind step was strong (강), Pyo Wol's meandering steps was soft (유).
Amid the threat of whirlwind step, meandering steps constantly found a way to move.
Although they didn't wield weapons, they were actually fiercely clashing.
Lee Geom-han increasingly felt the burden of blocking Pyo Wol. This was because Pyo Wol's walking technique became more refined as time passed. At first, when Pyo Wol started using the walking technique, the gaps between his steps were so large that it was easy to predict his movements. However, as time passed, unnecessary movements disappeared from his steps, making them more precise.
'Did he recognize his own weaknesses in such a short time and correct his movements?'
Lee Geom-han had encountered many martial artists, but this was the first time he had seen someone with such talent.
That's when it happened.
Swoosh!
Pyo Wol lunged at his left side.
As expected, Lee Geom-han spread out his revolving technique to block Pyo Wol's path. But Pyo Wol's movements suddenly changed.
He switched directions from left to right.
"Kuh!"
For the first time, a bewildered expression appeared on Lee Geom-han's face. He quickly
rotated and changed direction.
At that moment, Pyo Wol's speed increased instantaneously.
He used a technique to enhance his reaction speed several times.
Pyo Wol turned into a black flash and passed Lee Geom-han.
It was too late to block with the revolving technique alone.
For a moment, a conflicted expression appeared on Lee Geom-han's face. However, that was only temporary, and the sword hanging from his waist was drawn.
Swish!
Faster than the sound, the sword was unsheathed and slashed at Pyo Wol's waist.
It was a lightning-fast strike. However, Pyo Wol calmly drew out his ghost blade and blocked the blow.
Clang!
An enormous shockwave hit Pyo Wol along with the sound of clashing metal.
The sword that collided with his ghost blade was shattered.
The sword and the ghost blade had an incomparable gap in weight and destructive power.
Moreover, the person wielding the sword was none other than Lee Geom-han.
He was already among the absolute top martial artists in terms of swordsmanship. It was only natural that his opponent's weapon would shatter upon collision.
As a result of the shattered ghost blade, Pyo Wol's hand was covered in blood. But Pyo Wol didn't even blink and pulled out another ghost blade.
Lee Geom-han's expression darkened as he looked at Pyo Wol.
It was because he had broken an unspoken promise.
Just as Lee Geom-han did not use martial arts, Pyo Wol tried to break through with pure skill alone.
Lee Geom-han was confident that he could block Pyo Wol's breakthrough using only his whirlwind steps. However, his pride was shattered when Pyo Wol managed to break through, forcing him to draw his weapon first.
Lee Geom-han felt ashamed.
Not because he had drawn his sword, but because he had underestimated Pyo Wol.
Spreading his whirlwind step and leaning back against Pyo Wol was a clear act of belittling him.
Although he claimed to acknowledge Pyo Wol outwardly, deep down, he had dismissed him as a mere assassin.
That attitude was undoubtedly wrong.
"Phew!"
Lee Geom-han sighed.
For a moment, Pyo Wol felt a chill.
He realized that Lee Geom-han's atmosphere had changed.
'From now on, it's for real.'
His opponent was Lee Geom-han.
The man called the luminary.
The one who inherited the strongest martial art of the strongest martial faction.
His intimidation was real.
Lee Geom-han aimed his sword at Pyo Wol.
A technique created to kill the sky.
Heaven Killing Sword
That strongest technique was unleashed towards Pyo Wol.