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Chapter 402. The Reason for the Struggle (2)
Even if you combined every martial artist in the entire murim, they couldn't match the number of Beggars' Sect members.
I never thought I'd feel the truth of that rumor circulating among martial artists so viscerally.
"Get him!"
"Kill him!"
Beggars with knots tied at their waists charged in wielding cudgels. Did these bastards think I was some dog to be beaten?
E nuṁ à. і d
I countered with Ten Thousand Transformations Invincible Fist from both hands.
THWACK-THWACK-THWACK-THUD—!
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THWACK-THWACK-THWACK-THWACK-THUD—!
Dozens of fist shadows extending from both hands kneaded every corner of the eight beggars' bodies.
"GUHK!"
"URGH!"
E n um̄ а̀
Unable to even raise a defense, the beggar bastards coughed up blood and collapsed unconscious on the spot.
I'd downed eight in a single form, but immediately eight more beggars came charging in.
The front four rushed in with cudgels like the previous bunch, while the four in the rear appeared to be readying palm techniques.
The instant the four in the back launched their palm force, I deployed Flowing Cloud Divine Art—Lotus—to pull the front four toward me.
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"Whoa!"
"N-No!"
Ӗ n u̇ ḿа.іd́
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The ones dragged in served as human shields, taking their own allies' palm force dead-on before crumpling unconscious.
"Honestly, what else would you expect from beggar bastards? Can't even tell friend from foe?"
"F-Fuck! You think we did that on purpose?!"
"Y-Yeah! You obviously used witchcraft!"
A little taunt and they went red-faced and charged in—about the level you'd expect from beggars. So I gave them a mental renovation courtesy of Ten Thousand Transformations Invincible Fist. Ha, even I have to admit my character is truly wonderful.
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THWACK-THWACK-THWACK-THWACK-THWACK-THUD—!
"Please rehabilitate yourselves and don't be born beggars in your next life."
"A Murim Alliance traitor like you dares insult the Beggars' Se——!"
THUD!
"What was that? Couldn't quite hear you."
See? Skipping meals because you're too busy panhandling—no wonder you can't even finish a sentence.
Е n̄.u̇ m̈ а̊ .іd̆
After booting the last one in the head, I raised my gaze and surveyed the area. I'd dropped sixteen in the blink of an eye, but my Sensory Perception still picked up more figures stubbornly closing in.
These sporadic skirmishes had continued for half a day straight, ever since the beggar disguised as a slash-and-burn farmer fired that signal flare. The problem was that the number of approaching beggars was growing exponentially with each passing moment.
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Most were Knotless Beggars or One-Knot Beggars, so handling them wasn't a major issue, but as the attacks piled up, exhaustion was inevitable. Moreover, while the majority so far had been wielding cudgels without inner arts or using the Beggars' Sect's basic Lotus Palm, Two-Knot Beggars were starting to appear.
Their intentions were transparently obvious. They meant to pin us here until the pursuit teams that had fallen behind—or the main forces of Wudang and Diancang—arrived.
I couldn't fathom how this country was being run—the number of beggar bastards felt truly endless. It was like no matter how many I knocked down, they screamed, "We haven't even started yet!"
Dam Ak's condition was terrible. He hadn't rested properly this entire time, and the guards were also moving frantically to dodge attacks, occasionally leaving their positions to counterattack. His face was drained white, like a lost child.
W̃е̂.bṅo vе̂ l̀ Е nú ḿа
But resting now would be sheer madness.
"I'm picking up the pace."
"......Will that be all right?"
Even the Black Path men seemed overwhelmed by the endless waves of beggars, sticking their tongues out in disgust.
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"Let's keep responses to a minimum and run."
Eventually, with the passage of time, we'd run into either the pursuit teams or the main forces. In that case, covering even one more step forward was the best course of action.
Ѐn u mа̄ . і̌ ḋ
SLICE—
SLICE-SLICE-SLICE—
I cut down those blocking the path without mercy. The ones who initially cowered in fear upon seeing their comrades die drenched in blood soon had a shift in their eyes—they began charging in like half-crazed lunatics.
CLANG-CLANG-CLANG-CLANG—!
People hurling rocks and thrusting spears they'd picked up from who-knows-where. Idiots shooting their own fellow beggars with crude arrows, and others rushing in with pitchforks clearly stolen from farmsteads.
They were deliberately trying to drag the fight into a melee—the type of chaotic brawl where martial artists were most vulnerable.
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"Kill him! Kill him!"
The people I'd failed to properly deal with while prioritizing speed naturally formed a thick cordon, pressing in from all directions.
A beggar struck down by a sword crawled across the ground to grab a guard's ankle. The guard immediately stomped down to deal with the beggar, but in that split-second opening, three other beggars didn't miss the gap and drove their weapons in.
The Beggars' Sect's favorite tactic and the only strategy that only the Beggars' Sect could employ. Human wave tactics.
A tactic that had never once been defeated before the Demonic Cult's Corpse Puppets appeared was now being deployed in full. The guards' hands and feet began to tangle.
"Y-Young Master Jin!"
W̃ еb̀ nо̂vе̄ l Ē ñũ.mà
The Black Path men, their faces as ashen as Dam Ak's from the relentless tide of beggars, cried out to me desperately.
Hearing their voices, I gathered inner arts into my hands.
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RUMBLE—
And then unleashed the prepared palm force.
"Duck!"
It was an order with neither preamble nor explanation, but the Black Path men, having already sensed the energy building in my hands, threw themselves to the ground.
Е ň ũ m̄_а̊ . id̈
BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-CRASH—!
A tremendous palm force of staggering power swept in a half-circle, laying waste to the area.
"What in the......"
When the beggars who'd been outside the Radiant Heaven Divine Palm's blast radius stood there slack-jawed, I offered them some advice.
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"You didn't know my specialty was fighting one against a hundred?"
RUMBLE—
W е b nо̄ v̀ е̊ l E ń üm̂а
And immediately poured out a second Radiant Heaven Divine Palm.
BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-CRASH—!
Once more, the Radiant Heaven Divine Palm spiraled in a half-circle, sweeping through the area. Its lethality against individuals would be reduced, but for a wide-area attack, there was no better method. Moreover, plenty of the beggars gathered here lacked inner arts entirely.
"AAAAAGH!"
"GUHK!"
"BLEGH!"
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The area flattened by the two Radiant Heaven Divine Palms was a disaster of countless wounded rolling across the ground like fallen leaves.
"Let's go!"
Leaving the trembling beggars behind, I sprinted ahead, watching the front.
The density of beggars had noticeably dropped after that decisive blast.
"Push through! His inner arts must be spent!"
"He's from a Third-Rate Sect! He can't sustain the fight!"
Е_n uḿа
Yet these beggars, determined to maintain their numerical advantage, once again funneled the battle into a melee.
But here's the thing...... which bastard just said "Third-Rate Sect"?
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Must be because they're beggar bastards. They don't know a thing. If there was anyone who'd experienced melees to the point of sheer revulsion, it was me.
'Listen here, you bastards—I was a melee specialist in my previous life!'
Of course, those were words I couldn't say aloud, so I swallowed them and drew the Red Radiance Sword.
SLICE—
W ӗbn о̇v̇ е́l Еn̄ um̂ă
SLICE—
SLICE—
Shortest distance, minimum force, only the most efficient movements. I was no longer the pathetic Jin So-un of the previous life, floundering without inner arts. Overflowing inner arts surged through my entire body, leaving no restriction on movement.
"UGH!"
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"GRHK!"
"KYAAAH!"
Е̃n̂ um а . і d
The movements were concise and brief, yet my opponents fell with fatal wounds. Compared to the previous life, the difference in my movement was refreshingly stark.
Just then, a Beggars' Sect beggar shoved his head through a gap in the Red Radiance Sword's arc. I drew even the scabbard from my waist and cracked it down on his skull.
THWACK!
Using the body of the man collapsing backward with eyes rolled back as a stepping stone, I pushed one more step forward, then swung the Red Radiance Sword in every direction. A tempest of blade work savagely dominated the surroundings.
In the previous life, the limitations of inner arts and shallow attainment had restricted me to the Minor Heaven Sword Art. But now, I could wield the Great Heaven Sword Art just as efficiently.
SWIIIIISH—!
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The Red Radiance Sword moved like a Swift Sword, yet along its blade path, countless Variation Swords and Illusion Swords blossomed. Against Second-Rate Warriors, these attacks would be easy enough to block—but for Knotless or One-Knot Beggars? Not a chance.
"HURK!"
"ACK!"
"Don't run!"
Even with dozens of blade images flickering around their necks, not a single beggar had the guts to charge in.
Mostly, the terrified Knotless Beggars stumbled backward and shoved the One-Knot Beggars, tripping up both the One-Knot and Two-Knot Beggars, who tumbled forward and became victims of the Red Radiance Sword.
Ӗnu m а̌ . і d̊
SLICE—
SLICE—
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I'd lost count of the severed arms and hands. But in this mountain forest, where spring green had been blooming, red rivulets were already beginning to flow.
RUMBLE—
As if to cap it off, I fired one last Radiant Heaven Divine Palm.
BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-CRASH—!
Ŵ ёb̂ n о̌ v е̌ ľ Еň ũ m а́
Beggars wearing expressions of pure horror, as if they'd arrived in hell itself, dropped blankly to their knees. The massive crowd wavered in disorder and finally collapsed.
"Run!"
We tore through the gap.
"After......! After them!"
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"Get up, you beggar bastards!"
The pursuit wasn't completely over, but no one charged recklessly on the strength of numbers like before. Only those who kept their distance despite their superiors' urging remained.
Еṅ um̆ а̇ .і d
I knew that even if we shook these ones off, beggars hidden along the route would identify us, so I didn't waste effort on it.
"Huff, huff!"
"HAAH! HAAH!"
Besides, the situation was far from optimistic. The opponents had been nothing special, but having endured the mass-assault melee, the guards had hit their mental and physical limits—their breathing was growing ragged.
Perhaps my constant watching had gotten to him. One of the guards bowed his head to me.
"D-Don't worry. I can keep up."
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I pointed at his forearm.
"How about we treat that wound first."
"Huh? What do you......"
Following my gesture, he looked down at his own arm and only then discovered the broken sword fragment embedded in it.
"When did this......"
"I'm sorry. I can't even give you the time to be treated. At least apply this medicine."
Wе b́nо̆v е́l̄ Е ň ů m̂а
When I handed him wound salve, the guard pulled out the sword fragment while running, pressed the acupoint to stop the bleeding, then slathered the salve generously over the wound. His comrade running beside him roughly tore a strip from his own martial arts uniform and wrapped it tightly around the arm.
"Please just hold on until we meet the main body."
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I knew they'd reached their limits from the accumulated fatigue of repeated pursuits and the anguish of the melee, but that was all I could say. If we couldn't survive this moment, everything would be for nothing.
"Ah, why...... why am I worth all this......"
Dam Ak, his face ghastly pale, let out an agonized groan at the sight. I had neither the leisure to comfort him nor the inclination to let him have his way, so I pretended not to hear and kept running.
***
Eń u.ṁа̇ . іd̈
Fortunately, the number of beggars didn't increase further. They must have decided that further number games were pointless. Their human wave tactics only worked against orthodox martial artists of the murim, after all.
Instead, the pursuit teams that had been trailing us reattached themselves. In three days, they'd closed the distance we'd opened over four.
'What's going on?'
But something felt off. The pursuit teams weren't actively trying to block us the way the Beggars' Sect beggars had. Observing their behavior, I signaled the guards.
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"Let's slow down."
"......"
Wё b n̆ò v е l̈ Е̇ n.ùmа
Since I'd explained beforehand what that would mean, not one of the guards showed relief.
We gradually reduced speed and maintained an appropriate distance from the pursuers. When the pursuers didn't close in despite our slower pace, I was certain.
'The main force has arrived.'
There was no other reason they'd willingly let us go.
The main force was probably waiting at Heavenly Bridge, situated at the end of the mountain ridge. I'd chosen that location as the battleground from the start, after all.
I spoke to the guards.
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"Heavenly Bridge is at the end of this path."
"......I see."
They nodded calmly, as if it were nothing. That weighed on me, so I added something more.
"I'm sorry. But I'll do my absolute best."
Their eyes briefly showed surprise before settling back into composed gazes.
"Even if things go wrong, please do not burden yourself. We are simply doing what we must, and Young Master Jin is a man of the Orthodox Path."
Еn̈ ûm̆ а́.. іd̊
"......"
"Even so, the fact that you plunged into this place of death alongside us...... we will never forget."
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Before the resolve in their eyes, I couldn't bring myself to respond.
Just then—
"What are you talking about?"
Dam Ak, sensing something wrong, asked. But there was no time to answer. I could already feel 'their' Sensory Perception.
Е ńu̇ṁ а̇..і̌ d́
A gorge so deep it seemed ready to swallow everything—bottomless, boundless. Despair Valley.
And spanning the gap between its cliffs, a path laid out in a dizzying thread.
People had named this breathtaking vista created by nature's grandeur Heavenly Bridge, in reverence.
Now, standing upon that Heavenly Bridge were roughly twenty people in identical attire, rigid and upright. Even at a glance, they radiated an unyielding energy......
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'Wudang Sect!'
Men standing with their hands clasped behind their backs in perfect unison, swords held at their sides as if they'd rehearsed the pose. The character—Fierce Tiger—was embroidered in small thsleeves, and oddly, it was not the eldest-looking among them but a relatively young man who stood at the front.
Ӗ n u̇ ḿа́
No matter how I looked, the Wudang disciple appeared to be roughly my age.
"Ha......!"
And the moment I saw his face, I couldn't suppress a sharp intake of breath.
'What the hell is the Wudang Guardian God doing here......'
The Fierce Tiger Unit, which belonged to the White Cloud Unit, was bad enough—and now someone even worse had appeared.
The shadow of Yong So-ah. The man who had upheld the Wudang Sect from the shadows as its guardian spirit—a giant.
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Wudang Guardian God, Hyeon-yeong.
In the previous life, there were people who didn't know Hyeon-yeong's name—but there wasn't a soul who didn't know of the Wudang Guardian God's existence.
"Am I speaking with Young Hero Jin So-un?"
Up close, his face and voice were utterly unremarkable.
"As you can see, we are Wudang's people."
But I didn't let my guard down. Behind that ordinariness lay vast, hidden extraordinariness. He stepped aside without making a sound, creating a space next to him.
Еṅũ m a .іd̀
"Please, come this way. The Righteous Path Association will treat all past mistakes as if they never happened."
"Mistakes?"
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"That is correct. We know that Young Hero Jin is a man of great spirit and strong chivalrous righteousness, and that he will one day make a great contribution to the Murim Alliance."
"A mistake is when you cause harm to others without intent, is it not?"
Without the slightest waver, his lips parted.
"The Righteous Path Association is not so petty as to hold someone accountable for a mistake made under the spell of a momentary wicked enchantment."
Ẃ е̌ b n о v е̄ l̇ Ē n uṁ а
Oh, so if I just turned around now, they'd overlook me wrecking the Righteous Path Association and trying to help Dam Ak escape? Something like that? In exchange, I'd have to stand by while war broke out and tens of thousands were ground to pieces on the battlefield?
"Then let me ask. Were the Righteous Path Association's actions a mistake?"
"......"
For the first time, a faint trace of bewilderment surfaced on Hyeon-yeong's face. Like master, like shadow—did he have to copy even that from Yong So-ah?
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"You attacked a guest who came at the Murim Alliance's own invitation, pursued him with intent to kill, and even attempted assassination. Does Wudang consider that a mistake too?"
I looked at the empty space he'd created beside him and smirked.
Еn̆.ũ m a.id
"Or did that ass-licking Clear Water True Man tell you to say that?"
Twitch.....
Behind Hyeon-yeong, the Fierce Tiger Unit members shifted as if ready to spring. But Hyeon-yeong himself—whose own direct master had just been cursed at—showed even less emotion than before.
"Young Hero Jin. Allow me to ask one thing."
He simply maintained his equanimity and continued. In a voice terrifyingly calm.
"Do you truly believe you can take on Wudang, the Righteous Path Association...... and by extension, the Murim Alliance and the murim itself?"
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"I've heard that question so many times I'm sick of it."
SHING.
GROOOOOAN.
The blade of the Red Radiance Sword turned crimson as an eerie, sourceless scream reverberated outward.
"Ask that ass-licker Clear Water True Man. He'll know what answer I'd give."
Simultaneously, the Sword Demon's martial arts unfolded.
Еṅům̆а́.
Three Forms of the White Moon Governing Heaven.
Second Form—Extreme Might.
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Masses of Force Qi shot forward as if erecting a barricade.
The Fierce Tiger Unit of Wudang had already drawn their swords. But Hyeon-yeong moved first. A Nine Palaces Linked Sword, imbued with the mysteries of the Nine Palaces, unfurled and forcibly warped the trajectory of the Force Qi.
SCREEEEECH——
The Force Qi that had been fired veered completely from my intent, moving at the bidding of his hand before slamming into the ground.
Ŵ ё b̀ n̊_о̂v̆е̂ľ Ѐnǔm̆ а̃
BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-CRASH—!
The instant thick smoke began to rise, the Fierce Tiger Unit and Hyeon-yeong moved in unison.
Three Forms of the White Moon Governing Heaven.
First Form—Extreme Swiftness.
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The swift sword that had once carved through space and hordes of Demonic Practitioners alike in a single stroke.
SHRIEEK—
W èb̈ ǹ ov̈ěl Ѐn̈ ũ m а̌
With a crisp sound splitting the air, it cleaved through space once more.
Two Fierce Tiger Unit members who'd been within the radius of Extreme Swiftness immediately stained their chests red and crumpled to the ground. But through that opening, Hyeon-yeong and the Unit Captain surged toward me.
I instead pressed one more step forward and thrust out a Radiant Heaven Divine Palm.
BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-CRASH—!
The bridge of rock and earth spanning the gorge shuddered violently, as though it might collapse at any moment.
As those who'd tensely retreated from the Radiant Heaven Divine Palm's destructive force fell back, I unleashed the Ten Thousand Seas Heaven-Earth Sword Formula. Eight blades of Ten Thousand Swords rose into the air as the Twin Heaven Sword Formula began to unfold, and with each cycle, countless bundles of Sword Qi swept in every direction.
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BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-CRASH—!
"AAAARGH!"
"GRHHHK!"
I felt my vast inner arts carve away sharply in an instant, but I didn't regret it. The Wudang bastards were already being driven to the end of the bridge.
WHOOSH—
Following up, I drew upon the Holy Flame Demon-Extinguishing Hand and unleashed Ten Thousand Transformations Invincible Fist. Blazing crimson flames ignited atop each of the dozens of fist shadows, pressing the Wudang Sect back with menacing force.
Е̌nù_m̆ ӓ . id
Yet after the Ten Thousand Seas Heaven-Earth Sword Formula, no more casualties appeared. That was because instead of engaging my attacks, they had calmly retreated step by step, devoting themselves entirely to defense.
But I felt no frustration. This was precisely what I'd wanted from the start.
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CRACK, CRUMBLE.
On the bridge, which had been rocked by the impacts of Sword Qi and Force Qi, chunks of earth and stone finally began breaking free and plunging into the thousand-foot abyss below.
The moment Wudang's people continued their measured retreat without releasing the encirclement—I sent a Sound Transmission to all the guards at once.
—Now.
Wё ḃ n̊о v é ĺ .Е̄ ñ ŭm̂ ǎ
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
The instant my word dropped, the guards who'd come to the edge of the bridge simultaneously detonated smoke bombs and scattered in every direction, sprinting away.
The Wudang members, who'd been focused on defense, tried to intercept them as they fell back—at which point I threatened them with Void-Annihilation Fist layered atop the Holy Flame Demon-Extinguishing Hand.
"Wh-What in the...... HURK!"
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"What......?!"
Just as their own leaders had done, the Wudang bastards recoiled in horror and retreated. As expected, the more skilled the fighter, the easier they were to deceive.
Е̇ nŭm̄ ă
I immediately changed direction and snatched up Dam Ak, whom a guard had left on the ground.
And cradling the man who was gasping for breath as if he might faint at any moment—
"Wh-What are you——!"
I threw myself off the cliff.
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