Light Novel: Volume 17 Episode 15
Manhwa: N/A
Even though Jang Sa-chun was not very active in the Jianghu, he frequently kept track of its trends.
Thanks to this, he was well aware of the highly skilled martial artists who were making a name for themselves in Jianghu.
Among the martial artists he had come to know, Pyo-wol was one, if not the most dangerous.
It wasn’t simply because Pyo-wol’s martial arts were strong.
Pyo-wol possessed martial arts of the highest level in Jianghu, and he knew how to perfectly utilize the skills he had mastered.
Above all, he was a ruthless man, an assassin who would do anything to achieve his goals.
People like Jang Sa-chun considered someone like Pyo-wol a more challenging opponent than a warrior of a prestigious sect.
This was because Pyo-wol had no morals, no cause, and no family– all of which are commonly considered weaknesses of ordinary martial artists.
Such a person like Pyo-wol would be difficult for even the most accomplished martial artist to deal with.
What’s more, Pyo-wol is a highly skilled martial artist.
Especially, his skill in using the qi thread technique called Soul-Reaping Thread, instilled fear in many.
In reality, anyone who is able to infuse their sword or blade with qi could already be treated as a skilled martial artist, a master. However, Pyo-wol could compress qi even into a thin thread-like form.
It was a martial art that defied common sense.
Above all, Pyo-wol continually interfered with their operations. That’s why he was especially memorable.
“Hoo! What a terrible relationship, Reaper!”
Jang Sa-chun’s eyes sank deeply.
The moment he realized he was up against Pyo-wol, his mindset changed.
Pyo-wol was not an opponent who could be easily defeated.
He was a formidable foe in which victory could not be guaranteed even if he put everything on the line. To deal with him, one had to be willing to lay down one’s life, and Jang Sa-chun was certainly prepared to do so.
Boom!
A ray of light appeared in Jang Sa-chun’s blade.
It was Blade Qi.
His recent enlightenment had allowed him to exert such strong qi. However, it was still not perfect, as he hadn’t fully mastered it yet.
Ordinarily, he would have relied on other fine techniques instead of using Blade Qi, but Pyo-wol was not a foe to be taken lightly that victory was a hundred percent guaranteed.
Jang Sa-chun launched his body toward Pyo-wol.
He moved through the underground space without making a sound or leaving a trace. His movement was like a ghost.
What he used was a footwork technique called Ghost Steps.
Mastering this technique allowed one to move like a ghost, as the name suggested.
Especially in such a dark underground space, the power of Ghost Steps was doubled.
As if he had cut through out of the darkness, Jang Sa-chun appeared in front of Pyo-wol and swung his blade infused with qi. But the next moment, he couldn’t help but be stunned.
Pyo-wol, who was supposed to be right there, was gone.
Jang Sa-chun felt a chill down his spine and quickly looked behind him.
Pyo-wol had already occupied the space behind him.
If Jang Sa-chun had Ghost Steps, Pyo-wol had Snake Steps.
While Ghost Steps were more potent in the darkness, Snake Steps were even more so.
Stealthy, silent combat was what Pyo-wol excelled at.
Without a sound, the Soul-Reaping Thread was released.
Two threads of Soul-Reaping Thread lunged like venomous snakes toward Jang Sa-chun’s neck and heart.
Both were vital points where even a small wound could lead to instant death.
Jang Sa-chun instinctively swung his Blade Qi to block both vital points.
Ting!
With a faint sound of metal, the Soul-Reaping Thread was deflected. But Jang Sa-chun couldn’t be relieved.
The deflected Soul-Reaping Thread changed direction in mid-air and flew back toward him.
It was so thin that it was hard to distinguish with the naked eye and its speed was as fast as lightning. If one tried to see and judge, it would be too late.
He had no choice but to rely on his gut feeling to defend against it.
Jang Sa-chun wildly swung his sword.
Ti-ti-ti-ting!
A series of metallic sounds echoed.
Jang Sa-chun was known by the nickname, Phantom Demon Sword.
To those he faced, he was called a ghost, bringing nightmares to them.
Now he was experiencing the nightmare that his opponents must have felt.
Pyo-wol was stronger and more stealthy than him. And more lethal.
In the past, Pyo-wol used the Soul-Reaping Thread with phantom daggers attached at its end.
Back then, at least the sound of the phantom dagger cutting through the air could be heard. But when the phantom daggers were all destroyed, Pyo-wol started using only the Soul-Reaping Thread.
With how lightweight the Soul-Reaping Thread was, it did not produce the common sound of cutting air.
This made it even trickier and troublesome for Pyo-wol’s opponents.
“Krrgh!”
Jang Sa-chun’s face became more and more distorted.
It was getting harder and harder to stop the Soul-Reaping Thread with just his intuition.
As soon as he cut off one strand, another one would come flying in an instant. Such a thing was driving him crazy.
‘At this rate, I’m going to be killed.’
While Pyo-wol was wielding the Soul-Reaping Thread from a distance by merely flicking his fingers, Jang Sa-chun was frantically performing a sword dance like a madman.
The rate at which stamina was being drained was different for both.
At this rate, Jang Sa-chun could do nothing but collapse from exhaustion.
‘I will have to cut my own flesh to take his bones.’2
Jang Sa-chun gritted his teeth and deployed Ghost Steps.
He ignored defending altogether.
He could only rely on his sword.
He advanced with terrifying speed, like a fish swimming against the current.
Pfff!
The Soul-Reaping Thread pierced through his left shoulder and waist.
He felt as if his consciousness would fly away from the excruciating pain, but he gritted his teeth and held on.
Thanks to this, he was able to reduce the distance between him and Pyo-wol to only half a meter. If he swung the sword, he could definitely reach him.
“Chaah! Phantom Demon Soul Slash!”3
A powerful sword technique unfolded near Pyo-wol.
The blade energy imbued in the technique was so intense that it drove back the darkness for a moment.
Just as Jang Sa-chun’s sword was just about to touch Pyo-wol’s neck.
Suddenly, a ray of light emanated from Pyo-wol’s neck area.
It was the Snake Qi Thread, a strong qi made from threads of qi.
The power of the Snake Qi Thread was far beyond that of the Soul-Reaping Thread.
Boom!
Not only did the Snake Qi Thread knock Jang Sa-chun’s sword far away, but it also delivered a great shock to his internal organs.
“Keugh!”
Jang Sa-chun’s face twisted from the shock. However, he didn’t have time to cry out in pain.
It was because Pyo-wol had switched from defense to offense.
Approaching from the shadows, Pyo-wol’s fist landed squarely on Jang Sa-chun’s chest.
Bang!
With a loud sound, Jang Sa-chun was sent flying backward.
He didn’t just take it lying down, though, as he extended a palm that had not been holding a sword to block Pyo-wol’s fist. This in turn, however, caused all his fingers to bend in the opposite direction and snap like twigs.
“Keugh!”
Jang Sa-chun suddenly let out a stifled groan.
Something had wrapped around his neck without him noticing.
‘What is this?’
It was a thread so fine that it was indistinguishable to the naked eye– the Snake Qi Thread.
Pyo-wol pulled on it with all his might.
Siit!
In an instant, Jang Sa-chun’s head floated in the air.
His head and body had been separated by the Snake Qi Thread.
Looking at his own body from mid-air was truly horrifying.
‘Damn it–!’
That was Jang Sa-chun’s last thought.
Kwak Nosaeng, who witnessed such a scene, was greatly shocked.
“Amazing!”
Although Kwak Nosaeng had always treated Jang Sa-chun with disrespect, he acknowledged his martial arts prowess.
Jang Sa-chun was a formidable master who was difficult to kill easily, yet Pyo-wol had defeated him so effortlessly. To his eyes, it appeared as if Pyo-wol had toyed with Jang Sa-chun before killing him.
Next up after Jang Sa-chun was Kwak Nosaeng himself.
Pyo-wol walked up to him, but Kwak Nosaeng didn’t show any signs of fear.
“You! You really are remarkable! Jang Sa-chun is already quite a formidable master, yet you killed him so easily. He mentioned you were the Reaper, right?”
“……”
“I have a proposition for you. It won’t be a bad deal for you either. Come work for me, and I promise you unimaginable wealth and glory.”
“……”
Pyo-wol didn’t even bother to reply, finding the offer not worth considering.
Kwak Nosaeng’s face distorted at Pyo-wol’s attitude.
“Are you refusing? You’ll regret it.”
“I’d rather bite my tongue and die than become your subordinate.”
“You insolent whelp. Fine! If that’s your choice, don’t regret it!”
Kwak Nosaeng laughed hysterically.
Pyo-wol then launched his Soul-Reaping Thread towards Kwak Nosaeng’s neck. But the Soul-Reaping Thread didn’t manage to reach him.
Someone else stood between them.
The Soul-Reaping Thread pierced the chest of the person in the way.
If an ordinary person had been pierced by the Soul-Reaping Thread, they would have screamed or showed some sort of reaction. But the person who intervened stood as still as a stone, showing no physical reaction at all.
Pyo-wol realized that the person pierced by his Soul-Reaping Thread was one of the people lying on the stone beds.
Humans feel excruciating pain when they’re pierced by the Soul-Reaping Thread.
Even if the hole is small, the pain is immense. There were many people who have been struck by the Soul-Reaping Thread who can attest to this fact.
However, the man who had just been pierced right now showed no reaction.
It was as if he could not feel any pain at all. And his eyes were also strange.
There was no glimpse of the will or emotions one would expect from a human being.
The man was not like Pyo-wol, who thoroughly hid his inner thoughts.
The man’s eyes were truly empty, as if things like emotions had never existed in the first place.
It was like a soulless corpse rather than a living human.
Py-wol unknowingly spoke,
“Is that a… jiangshi?”
“A living jiangshi, to be precise.”
Kwak Nosaeng kindly corrected Pyo-wol’s mistake.
“A living Jiangshi? You turned a living person into a jiangshi?”
“It’s my masterpiece. Hehe! What do you think? Isn’t it impressive?”
“You’re insane.”
“Well, only crazy people can create such masterpieces.”
Kwak Nosaeng chuckled sinisterly.
He was genuinely proud of the monstrosity he had created.
It wasn’t yet complete, but it was close.
With the medicinal herbs and other ingredients that Jang Sa-chun and his men had procured, he could make his creation perfect.
This living jiangshi was different from the Ghost King.
With the right materials, his medical skills, and massive support, he could produce them endlessly.
He could effectively build a formidable army.
Although it was a terrible crime against humanity, Kwak Nosaeng felt no guilt.
He possessed a cruel heart that was willing to slaughter thousands of people as long as he could achieve his goal.
Grrrr!
With a bizarre sound, the people lying on the stone beds rose up.
Not only Pyo-wol, but also Jang Sa-chun’s men were stunned by the sight.
“What is this?”
“Good heavens!”
They were aware that Kwak Nosaeng’s research had yielded some results to some extent. But to see it with their own eyes and experience it firsthand and up close brought a shock of another level.
Kwak Nosaeng shouted,
“My creations! Run wild to your heart’s content! Kill all those who have trespassed into my space without permission!”
Kwooar!
At Kwak Nosaeng’s command, the experimental subjects let out simultaneous cries.
These living jiangshi were on the boundary line between the living and the dead.
Their cries had a strange power to shake the hearts of the living. The ones most affected were Jang Sa-chun’s subordinates.
“Ugh!”
“W, What is that?”
They covered their ears and cowered.
The living jiangshi attacked Pyo-wol and Yong Seolran all at once.
They didn’t discriminate between friend and foe.
Except for Kwak Nosaeng, they treated everyone who entered the underground space as their enemy.
Kwooar!
The living jiangshi howled and bit into Jang Sa-chun’s subordinates.
“Argh!”
“Damn it!”
Jang Sa-chun’s subordinates struggled in panic, but it was no use. They were already greatly impacted by the roars of the living jiangshi.
The living jiangshi were all martial artists.
Before being kidnapped here, they were reputed to be strong.
Although they forgot all their martial arts after becoming a living jiangshi, their physical abilities remained intact.
They had neither reason nor fear.
The only thing on their mind was the thought of carrying out out their master’s command.
“My God!”
Yong Seolran’s face turned pale when she saw Jang Sa-chun’s subordinates getting torn apart by the living jiangshi.
No matter how much she prided herself on possessing a heart made of steel, she could not help but be shocked at the sight of a living person being bitten and mauled to death by a living jiangshi.
She could already envision the tragedy that would unfold if these living jiangshi were to be released into Jianghu.
“We can’t let a single one of these things escape.”
LUNACAVE
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