Chapter 141: Three Calamities Art Master (3)

The arm wrapped around the Art Master’s neck went slack. Her hands dangled limply down her back. Her upper garments were mostly burned away, barely qualifying as clothing anymore, while lightning scars spiderwebbed across her exposed skin like veins.

Thud.

Lee Taebaek dropped to his knees. His eyes stared out blankly, devoid of spark like a marionette with its strings severed and soul ripped away, before he toppled sideways.

The Art Master’s gaze remained fixed blankly ahead. Cognitive dissonance. Her thoughts tangled in her head, popping like kernels of popcorn. Her own clothes had been scorched crisp too, leaving her nearly naked.

“……”

Her lips twitched soundlessly before her eyes slowly drifted downward. Just then, a droplet pattered onto her singed nape. And as if by magic, a downpour erupted.

Shhhhhhh…

Was it a petty revenge from the heavens for riling them up? Or an attempt to cool the overheated Haragusa Festival before it boiled over? Only the sky knew its intent.

“Ha…”

A hollow laugh escaped her. At the same moment, the strap on her shoulder snapped loose.

“…Look at you, pretty thing. Aren’t you a bit too tough?”

The gap in skill between the Art Master and Lee Taebaek was vast. No need for cold analysis—it was obvious.

The Art Master had dominated from start to finish. Lee Taebaek had been scrambling just to dodge.

His mid-battle creation of an ice barrier spanning dozens of meters was somewhat impressive. But to the Art Master, who’d weathered countless battlefields, it was nothing new. Besides, as a pure martial artist, he had virtually no mastery over magic. Whether it was practical ice spells or fire magic for lighting cigarettes, it was all the same to him.

What truly impressed the Art Master wasn’t some “side trick” like magic. It was Lee Taebaek’s quick thinking—or more precisely, his knack for turning the tide.

Strong fighters typically put their lives on the line. But they were human, after all. They couldn’t clash recklessly every moment. Consciously, they knew better, but the subconscious veered toward safer paths.

To find an escape.

Lee Taebaek didn’t. He charged ahead without regard for life or limb, as if he had spares. Embracing her and taking the lightning strike together said it all.

“Seriously…”

The Art Master bit her lower lip and muttered. Steam rose from her body. Even after tanking millions of volts of thunder, she recovered in moments.

“…No other man’s ever gotten me this fired up…”

The Art Master looked downright pleased.

But she quickly schooled her smile. She checked Lee Taebaek’s presence with [Presence Detection]. Unlike her, he showed no signs of stirring.

There was that old saying about playing dead when facing a bear. Was that what Lee Taebaek was doing? If so, he deserved an Oscar. She should drag him to Haragusa and launch his acting career.

Moments later, the Art Master frowned faintly.

“He’s gonna die like this.”

He was in dire straits. His life light flickered dimmer than a candle flame. [Faith] was still on cooldown anyway, and it required him to be conscious to activate. Right now, Lee Taebaek was out cold.

His subconscious fought fiercely against death. But the suppression was overwhelming. Left like this, he’d die for sure.

“Lee Taebaek… Are you just reckless, or did you really think I’d retire from a lightning bolt…? Either way, you’re no ordinary guy.”

“……”

“What am I even saying to a guy probably dreaming right now.”

Anyway, first things first—save the man.

If he were some lowly scum, she’d have crushed his skull under her heel right there. She was one of the Three Calamities, after all, a figure perilously close to villainy.

And yet. For whatever change of heart, the Art Master squatted beside Lee Taebaek.

She flipped his body over roughly. Then, with her jewel-studded nails, she struck pressure points from top to bottom. Each jab made his skin twitch or foam bubble up like froth.

“Hang in there a bit. Bringing back someone on death’s door—this is a bargain.”

“*Cough!*”

“Ah… Missed the mark there. Nearly killed him in 0.01 seconds, but he’ll pull through, right?”

Lee Taebaek had suddenly become a human dartboard.

Still, there was progress. Color returned to his ashen face, which had looked moments from death. Meanwhile, the downpour washed away the burns eating at his skin. He looked reborn, shedding his old husk.

“You put on a hell of a show. Letting it end here would be a shame, no? This one’s on the house—call it service.”

Her fingers moved faster.

Martial artists marked vital points with bizarre acupuncture needles, but as a pure fighter, the Art Master didn’t bother with that. She gauged positions from battle experience alone and struck true.

Brow, philtrum, solar plexus, inner elbow, upper arm, hip bone, groin, soles of the feet—several key points.

She flung open the meridian gates. Raising her hand, she condensed her internal energy at her fingertips. Violet qi formed a marble-sized orb at each. Infusing her intent made the orbs slip into the widened meridians.

“Hup.”

With a choked gasp, Lee Taebaek’s back arched like a bow. His chest heaved dramatically.

“Endure it.”

“Hng, hup…!”

“You’re a man.”

Injecting internal energy into another was taboo—unless you meant to kill them. Energies had affinities. A bad match could even devour their innate essence.

But a good match? Harmonized energies amplified massively. Opened Ren and Du meridians were nothing; even stagnant impurities in the veins vanished.

The Art Master covered Lee Taebaek’s trembling eyes and said,

“That purple energy drifting in your body. Rabbit—that bitch’s, right?”

She could guess why he’d fought like a moth to flame.

From [Presence Detection], she knew Kergel Magic Tower Master’s intent lingered in him.

Rumor had it the Illusion Master died due to the Heavenly Demon and Lee Taebaek. Something had gone down between those two that day. This ominous intent was the residue. Meaning, Lee Taebaek’s body already had a squatter.

“Kinda hate that.”

Ha! What was she thinking? Must be thunder hangover.

Anyway.

Foreign energy already occupied him. Another intruder would clash first with the “Heavenly Demon’s intent.” Similar natures stick together, after all.

In short: Art Master’s energy versus Heavenly Demon’s curse. Quantified and inserted, it shouldn’t harm him—in theory. If it worked, he’d leapfrog two realms like swallowing a snake whole…

“*Blech!*”

“Hm?”

Lee Taebaek vomited thick blood. Once, twice, thrice—and more. Good, impurities expelling. But wasn’t this risking death by blood loss? Had he lost this much before?

Her eyes caught the lightning scars on his skin.

“Ah.”

His veins were wrecked. Battles in shredded conduits meant blood pooled instead of flowing.

As puzzlement flickered on the Art Master’s face,

“Forgot about that old bastard.”

A smile curved her lips. She scooped the blood-spewing Lee Taebaek under her arm.

The next instant, their merged shadow plummeted from the skyscraper. Her humming tune was swallowed by the storm, unheard by any.

“Wish we knew how it’s going.”

“……”

The Great Existence Hong Geolgae paced anxiously. Sword Master Muyachi hid his turmoil but looked troubled.

Twenty minutes since Lee Taebaek clashed with the Art Master. Officially, endure ten exchanges. Against her, it was a deathmatch for him. Twenty minutes? The fight should’ve ended ages ago.

Muyachi glanced at the hole in the ceiling. Rain thickened.

“Prospects are…”

“Not ten exchanges—even ten fights, and Lee Taebaek’s dead.”

Muyachi dismissed Hong Geolgae’s words curtly.

“Opponent’s one of the Three Calamities. Tricks might fool her once or twice, but luck won’t last.”

“…True.”

“Plus, the Art Master’s not cruel, but merciless. Unless Lee Taebaek held his own exceptionally, she wouldn’t spare him.”

“Yeah.”

Hong Geolgae gnashed his wrinkled lips with regret.

“…Yeah, but age brings hunches that hit different spots. When that thunder struck earlier, enlightenment flashed in my mind too.”

“Alzheimer’s precursor?”

“Wanna duel it out between us?”

“Just in case—”

Poison Master Tang Munik cut in.

“If Lee Taebaek clings to life, I’ll offer my own welcome.”

“…What’s that nonsense? You’re the one sounding senile.”

Before answering, Poison Master glanced at the ragged Bow Master. Swallowing fury scraping his throat, he forced words out.

“I held back on this monkey because Haragusa and Siesta wanted him.”

“Go on.”

“Elder Hong Geolgae—in that state, is the monkey worth megacorps baring teeth over?”

“He was. Until twenty minutes ago. …Now the lofty Seven Dignitaries shrink to five survivors. Rehab or not, he’ll never regain his old power.”

“Exactly.”

Poison Master nodded, pausing before continuing.

“I’ve thought it over plenty. Is simply killing this monkey pup revenge…?”

“Your answer’s social death, I take it. Fair enough—in Lake City, that’s more devastating than the physical kind.”

“The Tang Clan repays debts. Whether intended or not.”

Hong Geolgae’s sparse lashes fluttered slowly. Muyachi looked bored.

“Following your words brought the Tang Clan to the City, changing us in many ways—for the worse in jianghu eyes. But we’ll guard our identity to the end.”

“Heh.”

The Great Existence’s lip twitched upward slightly.

Still, the grumpy elder snapped,

“So you’ll repay the man you wanted dead twenty minutes ago?”

“Gratitude is blind. If he refuses outright, fine. Otherwise, the Tang Clan will back his wishes.”

“Sounds like a businessman eyeing ‘Lee Taebaek, survivor of the Three Calamities’ as an ally.”

“Can’t deny that intent. But it’s not the main reason—”

Boom!

Deafening blast.

Clack, clack.

From the smoke, the Art Master strode out. The Seven Dignitaries’ eyes flicked to her bare upper arm, then to Lee Taebaek dangling like laundry under it.

‘Ah…’

So it ended.

Despair brushed Hong Geolgae’s face. But the Art Master spoke first.

“He won’t die.”

“…?”

“Great Existence—if you stitch his veins quick, he won’t die.”

The Art Master tossed Lee Taebaek. Hong Geolgae hastily wove a thread-net bed to catch him.

[Presence Detection] confirmed it. She told him,

“Do it in one minute.”

“One minute…”

Excessive blood loss. Lee Taebaek’s mouth was caked in gore.

“I can’t handle the bleeding…”

“I’ll do it.”

Tang Munik stepped forward beside Hong Geolgae. He pulled needles from his case, turning Lee Taebaek into a porcupine. Swelling stopped instantly.

“Now, Elder.”

“As expected of the once-Divine Doctor. Skill’s still there.”

Hong Geolgae drew thread from his fingers. Muyachi stepped up, shielding Lee Taebaek with his body.

“I’ll block those two if needed.”

“……”

“……”

Three Calamities Art Master.

Seven Dignitaries Great Existence, Sword Master, and Poison Master.

The surreal sight of Ten Wings rallying for Lee Taebaek streamed live across megacorp territories.

Courtesy of Jasbi, a new legend was being etched in footage.