Chapter 179

When she first heard the voice, she thought it was an auditory hallucination.

There was no way Soma’s voice could be heard here.

Though doubtful, Mok Ga-hye cautiously opened her eyes. Then she saw a boy with disheveled hair squatting a few steps away.

Squatting there in his baggy black clothes, he looked just like a crow.

The boy who resembled a crow was none other than Soma.

“How are you…?”

“What? Who is this little brat?”

Mok Ga-hye and Im Tae-mun let out cries of alarm at the same time.

Mok Ga-hye was surprised, but Im Tae-mun’s surprise was beyond comparison.

Im Tae-mun prided himself on being a so-called Expert.

Although he had been preoccupied with assaulting Mok Ga-hye, he had still kept his senses wide open. But the crow-like boy before him had approached by completely eluding his senses.

In his common sense, it was an impossible feat.

Soma didn’t even look at Im Tae-mun.

His gaze was fixed solely on Mok Ga-hye.

“Noona, answer me! Should I kill him for you?”

“Yes!”

Mok Ga-hye answered as if possessed.

At that moment, Soma grinned broadly.

“Alright! I’ll kill him for you.”

He stood up, waving his arms as if a crow were flapping its wings.

Jangle!

The Seven Deadly Wheels hanging around his neck clinked together, making a clear metallic sound.

Im Tae-mun felt a sudden, eerie chill.

“What are you, brat?”

“Me? Soma!”

“Soma?”

“Yep! That’s my name.”

Soma answered with a guileless expression. The more he did, the stronger the sense of unease Im Tae-mun felt.

Ching!

Im Tae-mun drew his sword without realizing it.

The intense feeling of unease had transformed into a sense of crisis.

“Don’t come any closer! One more step and this wench’s life is forfeit.”

At that moment, a hair-raising sound of something cutting through the air rang out.

Swiish!

“Hut!”

Im Tae-mun retreated in fright.

Immediately after, a wheel passed through the spot where he had been.

If he had stayed there, his torso would have been split in two.

The wheel had been thrown by Soma.

“I’ll kill you all!”

Swiiing!

Soma grinned widely and threw the Seven Deadly Wheels one after another.

Four round wheels spun like saw blades, attacking Im Tae-mun.

“Keuk!”

Im Tae-mun gritted his teeth and swung his sword.

The wheels were deflected by his sword and flew far away. But no matter how many times he knocked them away, the wheels would circle in mid-air and attack him again.

“Heup!”

Dark red Fresh Blood trickled from the corner of Im Tae-mun’s mouth.

Each time the Seven Deadly Wheels and his sword clashed, he felt a considerable impact. The accumulated shock inflicted deep internal injuries.

‘What is this?’

His face turned deathly white.

Im Tae-mun wanted to Escape right then and there.

As precious as the Gongpo Sword was, it wasn’t worth his own life. But Soma wouldn’t let him escape.

“You’re a pretty strong hyung. To withstand four of them. Then I’ll add one more.”

Soma took out the fifth of the Seven Deadly Wheels that hung around his neck.

Seeing this, Im Tae-mun’s face grew even paler.

Just dealing with four of the Seven Deadly Wheels had left him with deep internal injuries. It was as clear as day what the result would be if one more was added.

“W-Wait!”

He urgently shouted at Soma.

Soma looked at him with a smiling face.

“Why? Hyung.”

“L-Let’s talk. Let’s resolve this with a conversation. What do you want? I’ll do anything you want.”

“Your life! All I need is your life, hyung.”

“You crazy bastard! Do you think that makes any sense?”

“Why doesn’t it? You were trying to take Noona’s life too, hyung.”

“That’s…”

Im Tae-mun staggered backward.

It was not of his own will.

It was because even while they were talking, the Seven Deadly Wheels were relentlessly attacking him. The impacts had accumulated to the point where he no longer had the strength to even lift his arm. Yet Soma continued to throw the Seven Deadly Wheels, striking him.

Im Tae-mun tried to gather all his Internal Power to shatter the Seven Deadly Wheels in two. But whatever they were made of, they didn’t even get a scratch from his Sword Qi.

Ting-ting-ting-ting!

The speed at which the wheels flew grew faster and faster. The speed at which Im Tae-mun swung his sword quickened in tandem.

Im Tae-mun’s breathing grew just as ragged.

He was now so out of breath he couldn’t form words.

He felt that if he opened his mouth, what little Internal Power he had left would dissipate.

Soma ran around Im Tae-mun at a speed invisible to the eye, catching the ricocheting wheels and throwing them again and again.

Slice!

Finally, one of the wheels sliced through Im Tae-mun’s foot.

Blood spurted from his ankle.

“Keok!”

Im Tae-mun let out a scream.

At that moment, the Sword Stance protecting his entire body wavered, and the Seven Deadly Wheels mercilessly pierced through the opening.

A wound appeared on his shoulder, and his side was split open. A gash so deep that bone was visible appeared on his chest.

In an instant, Im Tae-mun was neutralized.

Wounded all over his body, Im Tae-mun no longer had the strength to resist.

“P-Please!”

Im Tae-mun begged on his knees. But what he got in return was Soma’s bright smile.

Im Tae-mun was terrified of Soma.

He felt an unbearable fear toward a little kid not even half his size.

His trousers had become damp, but he himself was not even aware that he had wet himself.

Im Tae-mun dropped his sword and clasped his hands together.

“Please spare me. If you just let me live, I’ll grant you anything you desire.”

“I don’t desire anything. Except your life, hyung…”

“You demonic fiend! How can you be so cold when a man is begging you like this…”

Thwack-thwack-thwack!

As Im Tae-mun was about to shout in fury, the Seven Deadly Wheels struck his body in succession.

The five wheels embedded themselves deep in his head, neck, chest, abdomen, and back.

Im Tae-mun died in the very posture he had been in while screaming.

Soma picked his ear with his pinky finger and muttered.

“That was so loud.”

He blew the earwax from his finger and approached Im Tae-mun’s corpse.

He first retrieved the Seven Deadly Wheels, and finally, he picked up the sword that had fallen at his feet.

It was the Gongpo Sword, the cause of this whole incident.

“Heave-ho!”

Soma picked up the Gongpo Sword and smiled playfully.

Mok Ga-hye stared blankly at Soma.

She couldn’t think of what to say.

Soma tucked the Gongpo Sword under his arm and approached Mok Ga-hye.

For a moment, Mok Ga-hye almost screamed and backed away.

That was how terrifying the Martial prowess Soma had displayed was. But she exercised superhuman patience.

Though her face was contorted, she managed not to scream or retreat.

“Let’s go, Noona. To that hyung.”

“Hyung? Who?”

“The Martial Sword hyung.”

“He’s still… alive?”

“Yep! That hyung made a request to my hyung.”

“So that’s why you came. To save me. Is Orabeoni safe?”

“He’s hurt badly. But he won’t die right away.”

“Where is he? Take me to Martial Sword Orabeoni.”

Tears streamed from Mok Ga-hye’s eyes. Her beautiful face was stained with tears and blood.

“Don’t worry. I was going to do that anyway. But I’m taking this sword to my hyung. The Martial Sword hyung paid for the request with it.”

“Do as you please! I don’t need that damn sword anymore.”

Mok Ga-hye shuddered.

All this carnage had happened because of that one sword.

Although it was half-intentional on her part, watching so many people, blinded by desire, kill each other was hard to bear.

It was then.

“How dare you kill Tae-mun?”

“Stop! That sword belongs to this Hall.”

The martial artists of Hwa Ok-gi and Juk Hae-jang, who had been fighting fiercely until now, shouted at Soma.

Three of the seven Juk Hae-jang martial artists had already been killed by Hwa Ok-gi and Geum Ju-hwa. Yet instead of attacking the two, the Juk Hae-jang martial artists glared at the Gongpo Sword in Soma’s hand.

This whole mess had started because of the Gongpo Sword.

Countless martial artists had lost their lives. To ensure their sacrifices were not in vain, they had to secure the Gongpo Sword.

It was the same for Hwa Ok-gi.

“Hand over that sword, brat! Then I’ll spare your life.”

He revealed his blatant Killing intent.

Covered in blood, his once-refined appearance was nowhere to be seen.

Im Tae-mun was a friend he had invited.

Having lost both Hwangbo Chiseung and a friend, if he failed to secure the Gongpo Sword as well, his position in the Heavenly Eunuch Clan would become terribly narrow.

No matter what, he had to secure the Gongpo Sword.

“Hand over the Gongpo Sword.”

“If you hand that sword over to our Juk Hae-jang, we will grant you wealth and glory.”

Hwa Ok-gi and the Juk Hae-jang martial artist spoke at the same time.

One threatened, and the other tried to persuade. But Soma had no intention of accepting either offer.

“This sword is my hyung’s now.”

“Don’t give me that bullshit.”

“Are you refusing our offer?”

At the shouts of Hwa Ok-gi and the lead martial artist, Soma scowled.

“Ah! It’s so damn loud. Why so much talk? You can just fight.”

“Ack!”

At that moment, a Juk Hae-jang martial artist screamed.

A wheel was embedded in the nape of his neck. Soma had thrown it without anyone noticing.

“Yiik!”

The Juk Hae-jang martial artists, enraged, charged forward recklessly.

Hwa Ok-gi joined them.

The enemies who had been fighting fiercely until just a moment ago had joined forces with the appearance of a common enemy named Soma.

“Hah! What is this mess…”

Geum Ju-hwa sighed and stepped back.

She had participated in the fight because of her friendship with Hwa Ok-gi, but she was deeply disappointed by the increasingly chaotic situation.

Geum Ju-hwa was a Disciple of a prestigious Jianghu family.

She had always been taught to face fights with dignity. To her, a dog-eat-dog brawl like this was a terrible thing she didn’t even want to mention.

Geum Ju-hwa spoke to Mok Ga-hye, who was standing far away.

“I’m sorry. This isn’t what I wanted.”

“……”

“I’m withdrawing from this fight. Well then…”

Geum Ju-hwa turned around without a single lingering regret.

Mok Ga-hye didn’t even spare a glance for the retreating Geum Ju-hwa.

Her gaze was fixed on Soma, who was single-handedly facing the martial artists of Hwa Ok-gi and Juk Hae-jang.

Hwa Yu-cheon blinked.

‘What is this?’

For a moment, he thought his eyes were deceiving him.

He was at an age where it wouldn’t be strange for his eyes to fail him, but that was a story for others, not for him, who had cultivated Martial Arts to a high realm.

Until now, he had never once misseen or mistaken anything. His eyes were as clear as a tranquil lake, supported by his profound Internal Energy.

Yet he was doubting his own eyes.

That was how surreal the scene unfolding before him was.

Steward Mae Bul-gwan, who had left his side to find Outer Hall Leader Pung No-san, was standing there.

He was standing with his back against a large tree, looking at him.

His wide-open eyes were bloodshot, and blood trickled from between his slightly parted lips. His face was devoid of color, shrouded in a Ghostly Aura.

Anyone could see that he was dead.

A sword had pierced through his chest and was stuck in the tree. That was why he hadn’t collapsed.

The sword embedded in his chest was Mae Bul-gun’s own.

“This can’t… be!”

Hwa Yu-cheon’s voice trembled uncontrollably.

Mae Bul-gun was the second strongest Martial Artist in the Heavenly Eunuch Clan after him. Seeing Mae Bul-gun dead with a look of terror on his face dealt him a great shock.

It wasn’t just Hwa Yu-cheon.

All the martial artists with him wore expressions of fear.

To them, Mae Bul-gun was more than just a superior.

He was the most trustworthy person after Hwa Yu-cheon, a presence as dependable as an unbreachable wall.

The mere fact that such a man had appeared on their path, dead, was enough to shatter the morale of the Heavenly Eunuch Clan’s martial artists.

“Who did this to you?”

Hwa Yu-cheon staggered toward Mae Bul-gun.

He, who was endlessly cold even to his own son, became defenseless before Mae Bul-gun’s death. That was how much he had relied on Mae Bul-gun.

One step, then another.

Mae Bul-gun grew closer.

The terror etched on his face became clearer as well.

Hwa Yu-cheon reached out his hand, about to caress Mae Bul-gun’s face.

Puk!*

Suddenly, something pierced through the top of his foot.

“Keuak!”