Chapter 73

Deep within Mount Bongryeong, the area around a massive pit exuded a desolate atmosphere, with rocks and piles of earth mixed together.

A middle-aged man, who had identified himself as Jacheong, gripped the hilt of his saber with one hand. He scraped the ground once with a harsh sound and pointed it directly at Taewoon.

“There’s no need to make things any more tedious. Come.”

As an unprecedented aura bloomed from his entire body, the group of men in black retreated, clearing a path for Jacheong.

They had already confirmed that it would not be easy for them to overcome Taewoon and Yerin.

Sensing that ominous aura, Taewoon exchanged a glance with Yerin to coordinate their movements, preparing for the battle that was about to unfold.

“Did you say your name is Jacheong? Why are you targeting the Divine Physician?”

The moment he finished speaking, Jacheong had already lunged forward, thrusting his saber.

Utilizing the Red Man’s ability, Taewoon retreated backward to avoid the blade. Simultaneously, he raised his left hand high, calling Barata, which had been planted in the ground, back into his grip.

“Hup!”

Having endured countless battles, Taewoon’s ability to handle Barata had grown significantly.

In an instant, wooden vines coalesced to form a spear-like shape and began shooting toward Jacheong with fierce momentum.

“A unique technique. However, an attack of that level won’t even come close.”

Surprisingly, as Jacheong drew up his Internal Energy and steadied his posture, the vines of Barata stopped short, unable to pierce his body. It appeared to be the legendary Body Protection Aura.

Without missing the opening, Jacheong crossed the space in a single stride and slipped behind Taewoon.

With the sound of the saber blade grazing the ground, a heavy, powerful blow struck Taewoon’s spear.

Taewoon barely managed to avoid the attack by moving as if teleporting using the Red Man’s power, but he felt his vision shake from the several follow-up strikes that immediately followed.

As the saber sliced through the air, a fine current of wind cut across Taewoon’s shoulder, and a trickle of dark red blood flowed down.

“Urgh…”

Pung Jin, whom he had faced previously, was also a considerable expert, but Jacheong was on an entirely different level.

An expert of the Flower Realm.

A look of distress appeared on Taewoon’s face at the appearance of a powerhouse who would be feared by ten thousand people anywhere in the Martial World of the Central Plains.

‘Damn it, if I keep trying to clash with his attacks, I feel like my insides are going to be turned upside down!’

He now clearly understood what it meant when people said that clashing with a far superior opponent could lead to internal injuries.

Jacheong’s Body Protection Aura and his immense Inner Power seemed impossible for the current Taewoon to overcome.

Even while exerting the Red Man’s power, Jacheong’s movements were skillful enough to effortlessly deflect Taewoon’s strikes.

【Condition Fulfilled】

【Cinema Skill: Final Rampart】

Feeling a sense of crisis, Taewoon positioned the spear near his chest and slammed it down quickly into the ground.

A golden barrier swirled around Taewoon, enveloping him. At this, Jacheong frowned slightly and raised his saber with an exaggerated gesture.

“Interesting. But do you think you can stop me with that?”

The Weapon Aura surrounding his blade shifted its form even more vividly, and Jacheong, holding the saber upright, began to strike down hard toward the barrier.

The tip of the saber collided with the barrier, and energy resembling golden fragments splattered in all directions.

Taewoon barely managed to maintain the barrier, but seeing the cracks forming and his Magical Power being continuously drained, it didn’t seem like he could hold out for long.

‘This guy is really something else…’

As Taewoon showed signs of being pushed back by Jacheong’s majesty, Yerin, who had been secretly waiting for an opening, raised her antique staff and shouted the activation word for her ability.

“Jumbled Magic, activate!”

A bolt of lightning fell instantly, striking Jacheong’s head as if it had been specifically targeted, but Jacheong didn’t budge an inch, continuing to pound the golden barrier.

“Is… is he a monster?”

“Gwaoooong—!”

In the moment of crisis, a sharp cry echoed from behind the bushes.

Leo, who had joined through the Companion of Memories special privilege and was Taewoon’s hidden ace, launched a surprise attack on Jacheong.

“Grrrr!”

“What?”

For a moment, blue flames surged and engulfed Jacheong’s back.

The flames weren’t enough to melt or destroy Jacheong’s Body Protection Aura, but they possessed enough power to divert his attention.

“Leo, good job!”

Leo’s front paw bounced off the Body Protection Aura, and Leo let out a growling cry, attempting to strike with claws once more.

However, faced with Jacheong’s counterattack, which was sharper than expected, Leo retracted the paw and stepped back.

“Not bad for a beast, to actually surprise this Jacheong!”

Once the attention was on him, Leo did not overextend and nimbly retreated, returning behind the golden barrier Taewoon had created.

While it was good that the surprise attack succeeded because he had been hidden, it seemed that even Leo’s strength was insufficient to land a decisive blow on the opponent.

‘Damn, I didn’t think I’d have to fight an expert of this caliber so suddenly…’

Meanwhile, a strange trembling was detectable at the tip of the spear Taewoon held.

The shock from Jacheong’s powerful energy was continuously accumulating.

“It seems a conclusion has been reached. Jo Honggi, will you still not step forward?”

Jacheong lowered his body and lightly raised his saber, which was imbued with a sharp energy. The keen edge he emitted instantly pressed down heavily on the surrounding air.

‘…This is no longer the time to be cautious.’

Hardening his resolve, Taewoon drew out the power contained in Fenrir’s Claw, and his Barata began to be dyed in burning blue flames.

Just as he took out the Remegethon to fight with all his might, Jo Honggi, who had been observing the situation all along, stroked his elegant beard and answered Jacheong’s question.

“I was just about to help… but it seems there’s no need for that.”

“What do you mean?”

As soon as Jacheong finished speaking, something slammed into the ground with intense momentum, and a figure soon appeared nearby.

‘W-what an incredible energy!’

As the dust settled, Yerin, seeing the face of the person who had finally appeared, shouted happily.

“Oh, Grandpa?”

“Heh heh, it’s been a long time. I had something I wanted to tell you, but it seems now is not the time.”

Hwang Gae held the Black Whip Staff high, emitting powerful Internal Energy from between the folds of his rag-like clothes.

To Yerin, he exuded a deep and mysterious aura, making it hard to believe he was the same wandering beggar who had been roaming the streets.

The Black Whip Staff rested in Hwang Gae’s arms as naturally as if he had never lost it, and Jacheong could not hide his dismay at that immense presence.

“You… could it be…”

“Tsk tsk, does a young brat of the Evil Sect not recognize this old man’s face? However, an expert of the Flower Realm should have heard the name of Hwang Gae, the Dragon Head Chief of the Beggar’s Clan.”

“Dragon Head Chief!”

The chief of the Beggar’s Clan was a pillar of the Martial World, leading one of the Nine Sects and One School, and an ultimate expert whom few in the world could oppose.

At the revelation of Hwang Gae’s identity, not only Yerin but even Taewoon was greatly surprised, focusing their gaze on his back.

“I have no grudge against you, but if you intend to keep clinging on, I shall show you the taste of this old man’s hand right now. What will it be?”

“Urgh…”

Jacheong was also a man who feared little in this world, but the name Hwang Gae carried that much weight.

“Damn it! This is not just my affair, but an event of the Black Nether Society! Even if it is you, Hwang Gae, if you wish to intervene, you must be prepared for the consequences!”

“What’s the need for preparation? I have no interest in the likes of the Black Nether Society, so do whatever you want.”

Jacheong was far from his peak state after having fought once, but as if trying to reclaim the dignity he had lost at those words, he raised his saber and glared at Hwang Gae.

“If you insist on interfering, then as of today, the Beggar’s Clan is an enemy of the Black Nether Society. You might be fine, Hwang Gae, but the other beggars will need a place to set foot, won’t they?”

“Heh heh, this fellow has a long tongue. A beggar’s life is to roam wherever there is land and sky, so stop talking nonsense. However, to dare mention the fate of the Beggar’s Clan with that three-inch tongue… this old man must personally correct your manners today.”

The moment he finished speaking, a savage saber strike that sliced through the air descended upon Hwang Gae.

However, Hwang Gae didn’t budge; he simply raised the Black Whip Staff and exquisitely deflected the trajectory. The tip of Jacheong’s saber, composed of blue Weapon Aura, couldn’t even create a small crack in Hwang Gae’s posture.

“Have you heard of the Strike Nine Staff Technique?”

As Hwang Gae slightly twisted both arms and swung the Black Whip Staff in succession, a series of rapid, erratic movements occurred, too fast for the eye to follow.

It didn’t seem like an attack that put in any particular strength, but it created a crack in Jacheong’s Body Protection Aura, opening a gap in an instant.

“Urgh…”

Jacheong, his face contorted, quickly operated his Inner Power to reinforce his defense, but he couldn’t avoid his body shaking like a falling leaf against the fluid variations of the staff technique Hwang Gae unleashed relentlessly.

‘Is this the Divine Authority of the Beggar’s Clan Chief that I’ve only heard about!’

When two staff strikes slammed into Jacheong’s left shoulder and flank, he could no longer hold out and stumbled, falling to his knees.

He still had a few cards left in his hand, but he felt deep in his heart that the gap was not something that could be closed with just those.

“It seems there’s no need to do more. I don’t wish to commit unnecessary killing in front of someone who calls himself a physician, so be gone.”

Jacheong breathed heavily and withdrew his saber with trembling hands. The way he bowed his waist seemed to be an admission of his own defeat.

“…This will not end like this.”

Jacheong glared once more at Hwang Gae and Taewoon, then began to retreat, leading the men in black with faltering steps.

In the mountain valley that had suddenly become silent, Hwang Gae, with the Black Whip Staff slung over his back, spoke.