Chapter 79: Betting One’s Life (2)
Yong Hwarin, struck in the chest and abdomen, spewed blood as he was hurled into the carriage.
He had used the momentum from the two punches to rebound backward.
"Where do you think you're going!"
The Self-Revolving Blood Demon grinned upon seeing Jong Munhye emerge from the carriage.
"So, after all that searching, we finally meet."
Jong Munhye shuddered at the sight of the Self-Revolving Blood Demon's smile.
The spot where she had been struck by the Self-Revolving Palm throbbed painfully.
The Self-Revolving Blood Demon was well aware of the schemes of both Yong Hwarin and Jong Munhye. However, he didn't believe that possessing a sword would make much difference, so he had left them be.
As someone of the Self-Revolving Blood Demon's caliber, he needed to maintain a certain level of composure. Yet, for some reason, today, that composure was tinged with unease.
'This brat must die.'
With that thought, he didn't want to give the boy even a moment's respite.
That young brat was peculiarly unpleasant.
The more he fought, the more it irked him. It was infuriating how the boy calmly withstood his martial arts.
Not that he had been careless. While he hadn't used his full strength, it was vexing that he couldn't toy with the boy.
As Yong Hwarin was sent flying, the Self-Revolving Blood Demon advanced swiftly in pursuit.
"I'll finish you off!"
The Self-Revolving Blood Demon intended to beat Yong Hwarin to death.
That seemed the cleanest way to end things.
As he chased, he gathered Self-Revolving Qi in his right hand.
A blue aura enveloped both hands, radiating with an intense, fiery energy.
Yong Hwarin grabbed the sword that Jong Munhye, seated, extended to him.
"Get inside!"
Sensing a chilling aura from behind, he shouted.
Just as he drew the sword to attack, Jong Seok intervened, launching an attack at the Self-Revolving Blood Demon's rear.
It was a remarkably timed move.
However, the Self-Revolving Blood Demon was a grandmaster. Unfazed, he unleashed the Self-Revolving Qi from his right hand at Jong Seok.
Crack!
As Jong Seok's right palm collided with the Self-Revolving Blood Demon's right palm, a blinding flash erupted.
Jong Seok was sent sprawling, blood spraying.
Yet, he sprang up, vigorously shaking his twin palms.
A dark aura emanated from them.
"You've improved since we last met. To think the Black Death God has reached the fourth level! But it's a pity that your supreme poison technique has become useless upon meeting me. The Black Death God Light Poison Technique only reveals its true power at the eighth level, which would take another ten years. But you won't have that time."
Despite blood streaming from his mouth, Jong Seok's eyes blazed with venomous intent.
Ignoring him, the Self-Revolving Blood Demon raised his hand.
At that moment, Yong Hwarin stabbed from behind.
As the Self-Revolving Blood Demon tried to deflect the sword with his left hand, the blade shifted, sliding into his side.
"Hmph!"
Snorting, he attempted to grab the sword with his right hand.
Among the Self-Revolving Demon Arts, the Self-Revolving Palm was a Qi-gong that couldn't be scratched by a blade.
Yong Hwarin altered the sword's movement and used the Bamboo Forest Flying Dragon Steps to close in on the Self-Revolving Blood Demon's chest.
Simultaneously, he thrust using the technique of the Sword of the Lonely Sea.
The Self-Revolving Blood Demon couldn't ignore Yong Hwarin, who now charged without regard for his own life, and responded accordingly.
Then, suddenly, Jong Seok emerged from behind Yong Hwarin, thrusting his twin palms at the Self-Revolving Blood Demon's chest.
Whoosh!
A black aura surged forth, forcing the Self-Revolving Blood Demon to retreat five steps.
Jong Seok had launched his attack, ready to die, prompting the Self-Revolving Blood Demon to withdraw to avoid a powerful strike.
Jong Seok was prepared to sacrifice his life if it meant killing the Self-Revolving Blood Demon.
That was the only way Jong Munhye could live freely.
'Brother, please take care of Munhye. Though brief, I was happy to serve you.'
Jong Seok gathered the Black Death God's poison technique in both hands and charged at the Self-Revolving Blood Demon.
Then, Jong Seok's voice transmission followed.
While I hold him off, attack! Even if I die, we must kill him.
No, Brother Jong. Wait!
Yong Hwarin, startled, also leaped forward.
The Self-Revolving Blood Demon, seeing Jong Seok rushing at him like a moth to a flame, gathered Self-Revolving Qi in his right palm.
A blue aura surged from his right palm, ready to burst forth.
Seeing Jong Seok charging directly at him, anticipating a mutual death, he released the Self-Revolving Qi before Jong Seok could get closer.
Jong Seok had no intention of dodging the incoming Self-Revolving Qi and advanced straight ahead.
'Three more steps, just three more!'
He intended to unleash all his latent power to elevate the Black Death God to the sixth level.
If the poison technique seeped into the enemy's body, he would die within three days.
With the Black Death God gathered in his hands, he could withstand the incoming Self-Revolving Qi.
However, doing so would deplete his energy, leaving him vulnerable to the Self-Revolving Qi.
But it didn't matter.
Jong Seok planned to take the Self-Revolving Qi head-on.
The Black Death God in his hands was his final move to kill the enemy.
He would die, but if he could kill the Self-Revolving Blood Demon, it wouldn't be a loss.
Suddenly, Yong Hwarin appeared and intercepted the Self-Revolving Qi with his sword.
Using the Dragon's Descent, he deflected the Self-Revolving Qi.
Clang!
"Cough!"
As the Self-Revolving Qi shook his insides, his Qi churned, causing internal bleeding. Still, Yong Hwarin didn't stop advancing toward the Self-Revolving Blood Demon.
"Brother!"
"I'll take his palm strike; you focus on killing him!"
Yong Hwarin led the charge, with Jong Seok following behind. Jong Seok was ready to sacrifice his life, so Yong Hwarin couldn't afford to fight passively.
Yong Hwarin, too, resolved to fight to the death and threw himself into the fray.
"You bastards!"
The Self-Revolving Blood Demon, enraged, unleashed the Self-Revolving Palm instead of dodging.
Seeing this, Yong Hwarin channeled all his energy into his sword to block the Self-Revolving Qi.
Boom!
Fortunately, the sword held. However, the pain in his arm was so intense it felt like it might fall off, causing him to bite his lip.
At that moment, Yong Hwarin urgently sent a voice transmission to the Self-Revolving Blood Demon.
You impotent bastard! Do you know why your wife, Deung Hwaun, actually married you? You think it was out of love? In truth, Deung Hwaun had a purpose for marrying you.
At those words, the Blood Demon of the Self-Revolving Qi twitched his eyebrow.
“Because I want something from you. Do you think Deung Hwaun would ever like a eunuch like you?”
"You bastard! Where do you think you're spouting nonsense!"
The Blood Demon of the Self-Revolving Qi roared with rage and unleashed his Self-Revolving qi.
Because of that, he lost the time he needed to evade the joint assault from Yong Hwarin and Jong Seok. Originally, he had planned to dodge their fierce attacks and then defeat them one by one, but he had fallen for Yong Hwarin’s feint.
“Kh!”
Yong Hwarin blocked the Self-Revolving qi, but his energy was completely drained.
He had managed to block it this time, but there was no guarantee he could do it again.
“Die!”
Taking advantage of the opening, Jong Seok leapt forward and aimed a strike infused with the Black Death God using his Eagle Claw Hand toward the Blood Demon’s chest.
Yong Hwarin couldn’t just stand by.
He had to join the attack so that Jong Seok’s strike wouldn’t be blocked.
“Guh!”
As he summoned his power, blood sprayed from his mouth.
After blocking the Self-Revolving qi several times, his body was in shambles.
If he hadn’t blocked it with his sword, he would’ve already been thrown aside like a dead frog.
He poured all his internal energy into his sword and charged toward the Blood Demon’s abdomen.
The Blood Demon also gathered Self-Revolving qi into both hands and unleashed it simultaneously toward Jong Seok, who was flying at him from above, and Yong Hwarin, who was charging from below.
Neither of them had any intention of dodging.
If they avoided it, they’d be forced onto the defensive and would likely be caught in a pincer attack by the others rushing in to aid the Blood Demon.
The Blood Demon had also expended much of his strength fighting Yong Hwarin, and so he intended to kill them both in this one strike.
At that moment, Yong Hwarin’s eyes caught the sight of Jong Munhye looking at him before coughing up blood and collapsing—just beyond the Blood Demon’s right arm.
‘If I’m any later, Sister Hye will die. Not just her, but even Brother Jong and I… If that’s the case, I’ll block his Self-Revolving qi and make sure to kill him!’
To bring the fight to a decisive end, Yong Hwarin didn’t block the Blood Demon’s incoming right arm with his sword.
He knew that if he blocked it, he’d have to fight for at least several dozen more seconds.
That would mean death for all of them. So, he chose to use his body as bait.
Whooosh!
The Blood Demon’s right arm came flying with a wild gust, and Yong Hwarin let it pass, thrusting his sword upward between the Blood Demon’s armpit.
The Blood Demon had expected Yong Hwarin to block his right arm with the sword and had even calculated a follow-up leg attack.
He planned to use the rebound from the blocked strike to fall back, kill Jong Seok, then use his leg to strike Yong Hwarin and shred him apart with Self-Revolving qi.
But things weren’t going as expected.
Thud!
The Blood Demon’s right palm slammed into Yong Hwarin’s dantian region.
“Gah!”
Yong Hwarin’s mouth opened in agony, as though a chisel had pierced through his abdomen.
But his sword continued to rise.
Slash!
Yong Hwarin’s blade emerged from above the Blood Demon’s right shoulder.
At the same time, Jong Seok blocked the Blood Demon’s left palm with his Eagle Claw Hand, packed with Black Death God energy, and swept at the back of the Blood Demon’s neck with his left hand.
Rip!
Flesh tore away from the nape of the neck, chunks of skin coming off with it.
“Grrrrrgh!”
The Blood Demon’s failure to properly defend due to Yong Hwarin’s strike disrupted his Self-Revolving qi, leading to his downfall.
“Die!”
Jong Seok once more drove his Eagle Claw Hand into the Blood Demon’s chest.
Crunch!
Both hands pierced into the Blood Demon’s chest, creating ten gaping holes.
Swaaah!
With a sound like a sudden downpour, blood spurted from the Blood Demon. With a baffled expression, he let out a faint laugh and trembled.
Thud!
“Lord Young Master!”
“Hyung-nim!”
“Master Yong!”
“Hwarin oppa!”
The shouts calling Yong Hwarin, who collapsed at the same time as the Blood Demon, reached him faintly before his consciousness slipped away.
“You idiot! Taking that Self-Revolving qi head-on? You must be insane…”
Yong Hwarin’s head buzzed like a fly was trapped inside it.
He woke up with the distinct feeling someone was cursing him right by his ear.
When he saw various medicinal herbs hanging from the ceiling, he realized he was in the medical room.
“Young Master!”
Everyone from the group was looking down at him with worried expressions.
Mo Biyoung’s eyes welled up as she saw him awaken.
She had thought the Young Master was dead, and her heart had nearly stopped.
The image of him coughing blood and collapsing after taking the Blood Demon’s Self-Revolving qi made him look like a man at death’s door to anyone watching.
“What about Brother Jong…?”
He asked, worried about Jong Seok, who had attacked alongside him.
“Hyung-nim! I’m right here.”
Jong Seok’s arms were tightly wrapped in bandages.
His complexion was pale—he actually looked worse than Yong Hwarin.
“Are you alright?”
Jong Seok felt a lump in his throat.
The one who had nearly died was asking about his condition first.
Aside from his master and martial brothers, no one had ever cared for him this attentively.
He also knew that Yong Hwarin had used a suicide technique to protect him during the fight with the Blood Demon.
He felt terribly sorry.
“I’m alright, hyung-nim.”
“No. More importantly, Brother Jong, did you get hit by the Self-Revolving qi?”
“No, I blocked it with my martial art.”
Yong Hwarin knew that was a lie. If that were true, there was no way he’d look so pale.
Once he could move a bit, Yong Hwarin raised his upper body.
“What happened to the Blood Demon?”