Chapter 165

Shhhgwaak!

“Keuk!”

With every spin of the wheels in the air, the martial artists of the Demon Pursuit Squad collapsed, spewing blood.

Having lost three of his subordinates in an instant, Baek Jin-gung shouted.

“Stop!”

But Soma didn’t even pretend to listen to him.

“Heehee!”

Instead, he grew more excited and ran wild.

Shwik! Shwiiik!

Soma threw the wheels one after another.

Kakakang!

A few martial artists swung their weapons to parry the wheels. But instead of falling to the ground, the wheels drew bizarre trajectories and flew back again.

No matter how many times they were struck, the wheels that flew back without dying were like the wheels of hell.

“You bastard!”

Unable to watch any longer, Baek Jin-gung attacked Soma himself. But Soma avoided a direct confrontation, dodging here and there among the Demon Pursuit Squad.

His movements were so swift that Baek Jin-gung couldn’t keep up.

Even while moving with Baek Jin-gung on his tail, Soma did not stop throwing the Seven Deadly Wheels.

Giiiiing!

Every time the strange noise echoed through the air, someone was bound to fall, spewing blood.

“Keuk!”

“Gurgle!”

Baek Jin-gung couldn’t comprehend the scene unfolding before his eyes.

Although it was a group of nameless Wanderers, the Demon Pursuit Squad was not so flimsy.

Others might call them a rootless group of Wanderers, but he prided himself that their Poison Qi and Martial Arts were second to none.

They were feared by many for their tenacity, never letting go of their prey once targeted, and for their cruelty, never forgetting even the smallest grudge and always taking revenge.

Baek Jin-gung also took great pride in such a Demon Pursuit Squad. That was why he had nurtured them with even more effort.

Although there were only twenty members, he was confident they could take on a force several times their size. But his confidence was being shattered to pieces by a little kid who had appeared out of nowhere.

Shwaaak!

Every time the round wheels cut through the air, the martial artists of the Demon Pursuit Squad, who were like his own children, lost their lives.

It was useless no matter how they swung their weapons.

The seven wheels crisscrossed in the air, mercilessly slaughtering the martial artists of the Demon Pursuit Squad.

“You brat! Can’t you stop?”

Baek Jin-gung roared, but his voice had no effect on Soma.

Soma merely glanced at him as if to say, ‘Whose dog is barking?’ and then refocused on the slaughter of the Demon Pursuit Squad.

He truly wore an expression of being unable to contain his joy.

Baek Jin-gung had been an object of fear to others, but he couldn’t help but feel fear towards Soma.

“This crazy—!”

He truly did his best to catch Soma. But Soma, like a flying squirrel, dodged him this way and that, killing his subordinates.

Mok Ga-hye and Sin Mu-geom watched Soma’s actions, mesmerized.

They knew Soma was strong, but they had no idea he was strong enough to toy with twenty martial artists.

Baek Jin-gung gave up on catching Soma.

Instead, he changed his target to Sin Mu-geom and Mok Ga-hye.

“This is all because of you two.”

He swung his sword towards the pair.

“Damn it!”

Sin Mu-geom reacted belatedly, but Baek Jin-gung’s sword was just about to reach Mok Ga-hye’s neck.

Mok Ga-hye’s eyes widened. But as if by a lie, Baek Jin-gung’s sword had stopped right in front of her neck.

It was not of Baek Jin-gung’s own will.

“Ugh!”

Something was wrapped around Baek Jin-gung’s wrist.

Baek Jin-gung stared at his wrist with wide eyes. The flesh of his wrist was deeply indented. Something invisible was tightening around his arm.

“What the—?”

At that moment, Baek Jin-gung felt a fiery pain in his wrist.

The hand holding the sword was severed by something unseen. It happened so quickly that it felt unreal. So Baek Jin-gung even forgot to scream.

His wrist was cut, and blood shot up like a fountain.

Only after red droplets of blood splattered on his face did his mind return to reality.

“Kuaaack!”

A desperate scream finally burst out.

At that moment, someone appeared before Baek Jin-gung’s eyes like a ghost.

It was a man with an unrealistic appearance, dressed in a red robe.

His stark white face, which stood out in the darkness, felt alien.

Baek Jin-gung clutched his severed wrist and shouted.

“What the hell are you?”

He was certain that the man who appeared before him had cut off his wrist. Although he didn’t know the method.

The man who appeared before Baek Jin-gung was none other than Pyo Wol.

Pyo Wol silently stared intently at Baek Jin-gung’s face.

A faint Crimson Light shimmered over his dark pupils.

In that instant, Baek Jin-gung felt a strange emotion that could not be put into words.

His whole body instinctively shrank, and a cold sweat broke out. His heart pounded several times faster than usual, and his mouth went dry.

Baek Jin-gung knew what his reaction meant.

‘Me, scared?’

His face twisted savagely.

Baek Jin-gung could not accept reality.

So he tried to shout even more fiercely.

Puk!

At that moment, a Flying Dagger lodged in his left shoulder without a sound. Tendons and muscles were severed, and his left shoulder hung limply.

Puk!

Another Flying Dagger lodged in his right shoulder. With his right arm also hanging limp, Baek Jin-gung was completely defenseless.

Having neutralized Baek Jin-gung in an instant, Pyo Wol approached with an expressionless face.

“Ugh!”

Baek Jin-gung let out a groan.

Pyo Wol’s face was right in front of his nose.

His red pupils were staring into his own eyes.

He wanted to avoid his gaze, but his head wouldn’t turn. He couldn’t even close his eyes.

He was as helpless as an insect caught in a spider’s web.

At that moment, Pyo Wol’s red lips parted.

“Speak!”

＊＊＊

Sin Mu-geom and Mok Ga-hye couldn’t believe what had happened before their eyes.

The Demon Pursuit Squad, which had been a nightmare for them, was annihilated in an instant. And by a little kid who looked to be only six or seven years old.

Soma wiped the blood-dripping wheels on his clothes and hung them around his neck again.

The seven wheels, as if they had never been used for killing, hung around Soma’s neck like accessories, making a jingling sound.

The situation of Baek Jin-gung, the Captain of the Demon Pursuit Squad, was even more wretched.

He was kneeling before Pyo Wol, shedding tears. His mouth was moving as if he were saying something, but his voice was too low to be heard.

“Noona!”

Just then, Soma approached Mok Ga-hye.

His face was still bright and innocent. But Mok Ga-hye and Sin Mu-geom thought Soma’s face looked like that of a demon. Still, since he was their savior, Mok Ga-hye forced a smile and said.

“Th-thank you! For saving us…”

“It was nothing. More importantly, you’ll keep your promise, right?”

“Promise? Ah! O-of course.”

“You have to make a lot.”

“Oh! I’ll make a lot.”

“Heehee!”

As Soma burst into a joyful laugh, Pyo Wol approached them.

Behind him, Baek Jin-gung could be seen collapsing. Without needing to check, they knew that Baek Jin-gung’s breath had been cut off.

They didn’t know what he had said to Pyo Wol before he died, but a look of relief had appeared on his face.

It was as if he was glad to have finally met death.

‘Just how much terror did he feel to think of death as a fortunate escape?’

The two of them froze solid.

Soma was scary, but Pyo Wol was beyond comparison.

Just meeting his gaze felt like their hearts would stop.

They could feel nothing from the man before them.

It was as if a ghost was approaching.

And yet, his appearance was so unrealistically beautiful that they felt entranced.

Two conflicting emotions threw them into confusion.

Only now did they feel they could understand Baek Jin-gung’s expression.

Pyo Wol’s gaze passed over Mok Ga-hye and landed on Sin Mu-geom.

“The Gongpo Sword, was it? May I see it?”

“Th-that is…”

Sin Mu-geom hesitantly stepped back.

It was because he thought Pyo Wol coveted the Gongpo Sword.

Just then, Mok Ga-hye spoke.

“Give it to him, Orabeoni! We can’t protect it with our strength anyway.”

“Still…”

“Give it to him.”

Mok Ga-hye said again, firmly.

Only then did Sin Mu-geom undo his sword and hand it over to Pyo Wol.

When Pyo Wol unwrapped the white cloth, the form of an ancient sword was revealed.

The scabbard and hilt, engraved with ornate patterns, were impressive.

Sreung!

Pyo Wol drew the sword. The blade of the Gongpo Sword revealed its beautiful form.

The length of the blade was about two cheok, rather short.

It was thick at the base and tapered sharply towards the tip.

It was a form that was rarely made these days.

Weapons also change with the times.

Most of the famous weapons of the current era were shaped for practicality in actual combat.

One inch longer, one inch stronger; one inch shorter, one inch deadlier.

Although it wasn’t a saying that applied much to Experts, most martial artists accepted this as a standard.

That was why they preferred long weapons over short ones, and even with the same sword, they chose one that was even slightly longer and well-balanced.

In that respect, the Gongpo Sword was a sword with no practicality at all.

Putting aside the length of the sword, its shape, balance, and so on were completely unsuited for real combat.

It was far too lacking to have been made by the combined efforts of the master craftsmen of the Warring States period.

Of course, the strength and sharpness of the sword itself were flawless, without any room for criticism. But if Pyo Wol were asked if he would choose this sword as his main weapon, he would refuse in a heartbeat.

That was how difficult it was to use in a real fight.

“It’s more suited as a ceremonial sword.A very long time ago, when humanity first created things called weapons, the first to appear were single-edged weapons like the sword or axe.

That was because they were easier to make and easier to use.

The do was that intuitive of a weapon.

It was a primordial weapon that anyone could use, made solely for destruction and slaughter.

The appearance of the sword came much later.

Consciousness developed, and those who could read the Heavenly Opportunity appeared.

They created a weapon with a different form from the do to offer rites to the heavens.

That was the geom, the sword.

Unlike the do, which anyone could use simply and intuitively, the way to use a sword was a bit more complex. Thus, its practicality was lower.

For killing people, the do was actually much more efficient. Nevertheless, the reason some people insisted on the sword was because its symbolism was that great.

They believed that the sword was the point of contact between heaven and man. That was why the sword was used in rites offered to the heavens.

A weapon that served as the point of contact between heaven and man.

That is why the sword is called the King of All Weapons, or the weapon of emperors.

Swords made in ancient times contained such aspirations of rulers.

They gave names to the swords made by master craftsmen and took them as their own sacred objects.

The Gongpo Sword was one such sword.

Pyo Wol swung the Gongpo Sword a few times.

The strain on his arm confirmed its inferiority in real combat.

If he were given a choice, he would never choose the Gongpo Sword.

The Ghostly Rain he currently used was a hundred times more efficient.

But that was only in Pyo Wol’s case.

Pyo Wol was a person who valued utility more than ceremony or appearance. But the world was wide, and there were bound to be people who thought the opposite of Pyo Wol.

The person who wanted this sword would be such a person. Or someone who didn’t want it to go to such a person.

Pyo Wol returned the Gongpo Sword to Sin Mu-geom and said.

“Where are you going with this sword?”

“……”

Sin Mu-geom kept his lips firmly sealed and did not speak.

He knew he was no match for Pyo Wol, but he couldn’t carelessly reveal their secret.

He was Mok Ga-hye’s escort warrior.

Although he lacked the ability to protect her properly, he couldn’t go around blabbing secrets.

The one who opened her mouth was Mok Ga-hye, standing beside Sin Mu-geom.

“We’re going to the Heavenly Eunuch Clan in Enshi.”

“Ga-hye!”

Sin Mu-geom shouted in surprise, but Mok Ga-hye paid him no mind and continued.

“That sword is my dowry.”

“Dowry?”

“The gift a bride brings to the groom’s family when she marries. The only thing left in our family is the Gongpo Sword.”