Chapter 345

Kuuuuu!

An intense shockwave struck the area around Tai Lake.

The formless shockwave, invisible to the naked eye, struck people’s minds. Because of this, most people felt an inexplicable anxiety and fear.

“Ah!”

“Keuk!”

Many people collapsed where they stood or fell over, vomiting.

They didn’t even know why they were feeling these symptoms. Their reason was paralyzed by an instinctive fear, rendering them unable to think.

Everyone inside the Inn had collapsed and was groaning.

Pyo Wol watched them for a moment before approaching the window.

The surface of Tai Lake was churning violently, as if a storm was raging.

The shockwave that had struck people’s minds originated from across Tai Lake.

Pyo Wol’s eyes could clearly see the air on the other side of Tai Lake trembling.

The Qi felt from the other side was so intense that it gave Pyo Wol goosebumps.

He quickly looked around.

The waves were too rough to cross by boat, and going around Tai Lake would take too much time.

Phat!

Pyo Wol launched himself directly toward Tai Lake.

After flying for about ten Zhang, Pyo Wol’s form fell toward the water’s surface.

He felt the soles of his feet touch the water.

In that instant, Pyo Wol kicked off the surface, expelling Qi through his Yongquan points.

Just as his feet seemed to sink into the water up to his insteps, his body shot forward.

It was the Water Glider, one of the ascending Lightness Arts.

He had not learned it from anyone, nor had he particularly studied it, but Pyo Wol ran across the water’s surface as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

At first, the consumption of Internal Energy was great and his movements were awkward, but as time passed, his movements became more natural.

He expelled only the necessary amount of Internal Energy and naturally bent his waist to maintain optimal balance.

Papat!

Pyo Wol ran across Tai Lake at a terrifying speed.

When he was about halfway across Tai Lake, an unbelievable sight entered his eyes.

A giant serpent was rampaging on the shore.

‘A Horned Dragon!’

It was clearly the Horned Dragon that the Life-Death Guest, Gyeong Musaeng, rode.

The fully revealed Horned Dragon was as massive as a Dragon. As such a huge Mystical Creature rampaged, the nearby mansions crumbled like rice crackers.

Kwaang! Kwang!

As he got closer to where the Horned Dragon was rampaging, the surrounding scenery became clearer.

He could see three Martial Artists performing their Martial Arts around the Horned Dragon.

One was the Horned Dragon’s master, Gyeong Musaeng, another was an old Martial Artist with a spear, and the last was a strange man wearing a mask on his face.

Their Martial Arts had all reached an astonishing level.

An intense battle was unfolding, so fierce that it gave Pyo Wol goosebumps on his forearms even from a distance.

The sight of Spear Gang, shot like a meteor, being deflected by Repulsion Force Energy was not something one could easily witness.

On top of that, Gyeong Musaeng, shrouded in an unidentified, ominous Qi, was pressuring the strange man.

Kwakwakwang!

Explosions erupted continuously, and dust rose like a fog.

“Aack!”

“Save me!”

People screamed and scattered in all directions.

It was a true Asura Field.

Hwoong!

A massive wooden pillar, struck by the Horned Dragon’s tail, flew in the direction Pyo Wol was running. But instead of dodging, Pyo Wol launched himself toward the flying pillar.

Twisting his body exquisitely just before impact, Pyo Wol landed on the wooden pillar. He ran along the pillar and launched himself into the air again.

Shuuuu!

Pyo Wol’s form soared dozens of Zhang into the air. Looking down from high in the sky, the situation below became clear at a glance.

The situation was even more serious than it had looked from the water’s surface.

The plaza where the well had been was completely destroyed, and all the mansions in the area had collapsed into ruins.

They were still fighting fiercely, and the ground shook with each exchange. The problem was that there was no sign of their fight ending.

Pyo Wol spread his arms wide and fell into the middle of the battlefield.

He met the headwind with his entire body, slowing his descent as much as possible. Then, a strange sight caught his eye.

He saw a boy collapsed behind the masked man, and Jo Igwang approaching him like a stray cat.

A sword was in Jo Igwang’s hand.

He was about to stab the sword into the boy’s heart.

The moment he recognized the boy’s face, Pyo Wol threw a Ghostly Rain.

Puk!

“Keuk!”

The Ghostly Rain lodged itself directly in Jo Igwang’s shoulder.

Jo Igwang screamed and dropped his sword. Before him, Pyo Wol landed without a sound.

“You are?”

Seeing Pyo Wol, Jo Igwang’s body trembled as if he had malaria.

Pyo Wol paid no attention to Jo Igwang and looked at the collapsed boy.

Although his skin had melted and scabbed over, he was clearly Do Yeon-san.

Though no one had explained it, Pyo Wol instantly understood what had happened.

“It was you.”

“W-What are you talking about?”

“The one who violated and killed this child’s sister, it was your doing, wasn’t it?”

“W-What nonsense? D-Do you have proof?”

“No!”

“Then stop spouting nonsense and back off.”

“I can’t do that.”

“What?”

“I have a connection with this child. I may not have proof, but if I wake him up and ask, I’ll know. Whether you’re the culprit or not…”

“That’s…”

Jo Igwang stammered in panic. His reaction only strengthened Pyo Wol’s conviction.

Pyo Wol approached Do Yeon-san and injected Internal Energy into his Life Gate Point.

Seeing this, Jo Igwang scrambled to flee.

He was already flustered that things had escalated beyond his imagination.

The bustling district of Tai Lake had been completely devastated, and countless people had died.

The Martial Artists of Jianghu would surely investigate the cause of this incident, and if they traced it back, they would undoubtedly find him.

Before that happened, he had to either escape or completely destroy the evidence.

‘I can still manage this. If I just get rid of the torture tools in the basement of Cheongpyeong Manor, there won’t be any evidence.’

Jo Igwang didn’t know how things had gotten to this point, but he thought he was just incredibly unlucky.

Failing to kill Do Yeon-san to silence him weighed on his mind, but confronting Pyo Wol head-on right now would be foolish.

It was then.

Puk!

Suddenly, an excruciating pain shot through his calf, and his body pitched forward.

“Keuk!”

Screaming, Jo Igwang looked down at his leg. Something faint was piercing through his calf.

‘A thread?’

Before he could even realize it was a thread made of Qi, his body was dragged toward Pyo Wol.

Jureureuk!

“Keueuk!”

Jo Igwang struggled, trying to break free from the thread. But the more he struggled, the tighter the thread constricted his calf.

He tried to sever the thread, but it was useless.

In the end, Jo Igwang was helplessly dragged before Pyo Wol.

Jo Igwang lifted his head and looked at Pyo Wol. But next to him, Do Yeon-san, who had regained consciousness, was now standing.

He had been roused by the stimulation of Pyo Wol’s Internal Energy.

A murky voice escaped Do Yeon-san’s lips.

“E…ne…my…”

His vocal cords were damaged, and his pronunciation was slurred. But Pyo Wol understood what Do Yeon-san was trying to say.

“Enemy? Is it true this man killed your noona?”

Do Yeon-san nodded.

Instantly, Jo Igwang shouted.

“It’s a lie. That bastard is lying.”

His usual dignity was nowhere to be found in his current state.

He had always acted aloof, as if he were different from others, but he couldn’t afford to now.

His life was on the line.

He was in no position to care about face or anything else.

The problem was that the Soul Restraining Thread was still binding his calf. He couldn’t escape even if he wanted to.

Do Yeon-san’s empty eyes turned to Pyo Wol.

Pyo Wol knew well what his gaze meant.

Pyo Wol nodded and took a step back. Do Yeon-san then approached Jo Igwang.

“Hey, you son of a bitch! Don’t come any closer. You want to die?”

Jo Igwang shrieked, threatening Do Yeon-san. But Do Yeon-san paid him no mind and continued to approach.

Jo Igwang gathered Internal Power in his arms to threaten Do Yeon-san.

Although his lower body was subdued by Pyo Wol, his arms were completely free. His hands, concentrated with Internal Energy, were in some ways more vicious weapons than a sword.

On the other hand, Do Yeon-san was an ordinary person who had not learned Martial Arts, and his stamina was at rock bottom from the Poison Qi.

If Jo Igwang put his mind to it, he could wring his neck and kill him as easily as wringing a chicken’s neck.

Do Yeon-san knew this as well.

He staggered as if he would collapse at any moment, but he did not stop walking toward Jo Igwang.

Do Yeon-san suddenly bent down and picked something up from the ground.

It was the cylinder that fired the Hidden Weapon.

Instantly, Jo Igwang’s face turned deathly pale. He already knew the power of the cylinder.

Do Yeon-san aimed the cylinder at Jo Igwang.

“N-No!”

“Heeu!”

A strange breath escaped Do Yeon-san’s mouth. At the same time, the corners of his lips twitched.

Do Yeon-san was smiling. And he was crying.

Pyo Wol could feel that strange emotion. And he felt he could understand it.

In that moment, Do Yeon-san activated the cylinder’s firing mechanism.

Pyupyupyuk!

The Mad Blood Needles shot out, flying toward Jo Igwang.

Jo Igwang swung his hands, which were condensed with Internal Power, to block the needles flying toward his upper body, but he couldn’t defend his lower body, which was caught by the Soul Restraining Thread.

In the end, he was hit by two Mad Blood Needles.

“N-No!”

Jo Igwang screamed in despair.

At that moment, he felt an immense pain from within his body.

The sensation of fire racing through his blood vessels at an incredible speed tormented him.

“Kraaack!”

Eventually, Jo Igwang couldn’t bear the pain and let out a scream.

His scream was so harrowing that the three supreme Experts, who had been fighting so fiercely, momentarily stopped their actions.

Jo Igwang scratched his entire body with his fingers.

Flesh was torn away. Yet Jo Igwang didn’t stop, scratching his whole body furiously.

His skin was melting.

The Poison Qi of the Mad Blood Poison was taking effect.

After the skin, the Poison Qi melted his muscles.

Unfortunately for Jo Igwang, he did not have the same Poison Resistance as Do Yeon-san. It would have been better if he had died quickly, but because of the Internal Energy he had cultivated, his life did not end easily.

Because of that, he had to vividly feel the pain of his body melting away.

“Euaaah! Uaack!”

He screamed continuously. But after a moment, even the screams stopped.

His vocal cords had melted away.

Do Yeon-san silently watched Jo Igwang suffer. Tears streamed down his face.

Do Yeon-san aimed the cylinder containing the Mad Blood Needles at his own head.

Now that his revenge was complete, there was no reason to live.

Too many people had died and been injured because of his personal vendetta.

This area had become a hell, and Do Yeon-san had neither the confidence nor the will to bear the consequences.

From the moment he started this, there was only one option left for him.

Pyo Wol knew Do Yeon-san was about to commit suicide, but he didn’t stop him.

Even without seeing it with his own eyes, he knew that Do Yeon-san’s thirst for revenge had caused this entire situation. If so, Do Yeon-san had to bear the price.

Do Yeon-san activated the cylinder’s firing mechanism without a hint of hesitation. But at that moment, a large hand snatched the cylinder.

The owner of the hand was the Ghost King.

The Mad Blood Needles failed to fire and were crushed in the Ghost King’s hand.

“Leave… me… be! I must die…”

At that moment, the Ghost King spoke.

“You must not die. You must become me.”

“What?”

The moment a look of question appeared in Do Yeon-san’s eyes, the Ghost King knocked him unconscious.

The Ghost King slung the unconscious Do Yeon-san over his shoulder and vanished in an instant.

“Stop! Ghost King! Dammit! Are you planning to switch to a new body?”

Gyeong Musaeng pursued him, riding the Horned Dragon.

Kwakwakwa!

A huge furrow was created in the path where the Horned Dragon had swiftly passed.

Pyo Wol stood in place, watching them disappear into the distance.

Just then, Jo Jakyung approached him.

He looked at Jo Igwang’s slowly melting corpse and asked Pyo Wol.

“Was this your doing?”