Chapter 266 The Holy Maiden of the South Sea, Shi Xiu-1

Chapter 266: The Holy Maiden of the South Sea, Shi Xiu-1

It was Ma Jing Man Xuesong who was rendered speechless by the Saintess’s clean-cut admission.

She, one of the absolute rulers of the martial world, had cut herself down so easily, seemingly without any pride.

It was utterly unimaginable to Ma Jing.

Moreover, the Saintess’s actions after abandoning her pride did not end there.

She now looked at the Dragon Clan Master, Yong Woo-shin, and said.

“Now then, since the outcome has been decided, might I ask for your assistance in the remaining battle, Lord Dragon? I simply cannot defeat him alone.”

At those words, Yongwooshin—who had been too ashamed to look her in the face until now—stared at her with a startled expression.

Then the saintess twisted her face into a hideous grimace toward Yongwooshin.

To an outsider, it would have been a sight so hideous and repulsive it would have sent a chill down their spine.

But Yongwooshin knew full well that it was her smiling expression.

She was beaming at him brightly, as if to say he had no need to feel sorry.

Understanding her words and actions, Seon Woo-jin couldn’t help but be impressed all over again.

Far from rebuking Yongwoo-shin for tarnishing her honor, she had simply admitted defeat to Ma-gyeong to ease his guilt.

This was a display of consideration utterly unseen among most righteous faction members, who believed face was more important than life itself.

Mokrang suddenly exclaimed in admiration.

– Wow! That’s incredible! Honestly, seeing her appearance, I’d wondered why she earned the title ‘Holy Maiden’. But now I understand perfectly why. A woman so wise and overflowing with consideration—I’ve scarcely seen her like it in my entire life!

Impressed by Mokrang’s admiration, Seonwoojin also shared what he knew.

‘Actually, they say she was a stunning beauty in her youth. But her purity was stolen by evil men who coveted her beauty, and her entire family was wiped out. That’s when her face was disfigured like that.’

– Whoa! So that’s what happened! If a woman who was originally beautiful ended up looking like that, the pain must have been multiplied many times over…

I believe I would have done the same. After that incident, she spent over a decade building her strength through hardship before embarking on her path of vengeance. There were six enemies in total, and she sought them out one by one to exact her revenge. However, she only killed the first three. When she went to find the remaining three, she ultimately couldn’t bring herself to kill them.

The reason the saint couldn’t kill them was that her enemies had started families.

Seeing them as heads of households, she simply could not bring herself to kill them.

So she subdued them first and then declared she would give them one more chance for the sake of their innocent families.

Though they had taken both her family and her beauty, she had decided not to repay them in kind for what she had endured.

Mukrang, hearing Seonwoojin’s story, asked in a startled voice.

– …You mean you gave up revenge even though you had the power?

That was an incomprehensible decision, one that defied the common sense of martial artists who revered revenge like a law.

She said she had actually faced much criticism at the time because of it.

But she paid no heed to others’ common sense or condemnation.

She merely continued to observe the lives her enemies led from nearby, forcing their actions.

After that, her enemies split into two groups.

Two out of the three eventually committed evil deeds again and were killed by the saint, but the remaining one sincerely repented and lived the rest of their life accumulating good karma.

After that, the saint took the child of the reformed enemy as a disciple and began providing financial support to all the families of the enemies she had killed.

People asked her, “Why didn’t you seek revenge? Why did you instead take on such a troublesome burden?” To that question, she reportedly answered, “I simply chose the path that brought my heart greater peace.” From then on, people began calling her a saint.

Mukrang listened to Seonwoojin’s story and was genuinely impressed.

– Wow, that’s amazing. She really is an incredible woman.

Seonwoojin suddenly looked back at the saint’s face as she resumed the fight.

She had resumed her fight with the demonic spirit.

Seonwoojin felt that somehow, her face didn’t seem as hideous as it had earlier.

It was probably because I’d been talking about her.

Now, far from seeming hideous, she somehow even appeared slightly holy.

Seon Woo-jin suddenly turned his head and approached Yong Woo-shin, who was also staring blankly at her, and spoke.

“Since the Saintess has given her permission, shouldn’t we join the fight too?”

Startled back to his senses, Yong Woo-shin looked at the two fighting in a similar manner to before and said.

“Earlier, it was a surprise attack, so it worked. But now that the Demon Realm has already recognized us, how is that possible?”

Yongwooshin’s question was clearly reasonable.

Since Ma Gyeong had already become wary of the two, a surprise attack was highly unlikely to achieve anything.

That was precisely why they hadn’t immediately retreated after launching their strike earlier.

If they approached clumsily and ended up drawing Ma Gyeong’s attention, it could actually hinder the Holy Maiden.

But despite that risk, Seon Woo-jin began explaining to Yong Woo-shin in a confident tone.

“From what I can tell, the protective aura of the Demon Realm seems concentrated on the Saintess. So just by targeting the rear, we can disrupt the enemy’s focus. And if we manage to close in, then surely…”

Yongwooshin began listening intently to Seonwoojin’s words. Though he ranked among the top of the Thirty-Six Heavenly Generals, he possessed an open mind capable of listening to others.

And as he reflected, saving the Saintess earlier and this young junior’s keen insight seemed to prove it.

Meanwhile, the battle between Ma Gyeong and the Saintess was unfolding in a similar fashion to before.

Ma Gyeong, maintaining his protective aura, was pressing forward toward the Holy Maiden.

The difference from earlier, however, was that the Saint struggled to land attacks, and Ma Gyeong appeared far more impatient than before.

“Hwaaah!”

CRASH!

As he drove the Holy Maiden back with a body slam, Ma Gyeong realized he had little time left.

His internal energy was now nearly depleted.

Therefore, she had to prepare her final strike, come what may.

It was then.

He could sense two figures approaching from behind him.

It was those damned bastards, In Parang and Yong Woo-shin, who had ruined his golden opportunity earlier and injured him.

‘These bastards again…’

Ma Gyeong initially pretended not to notice their approach.

He wanted to lure them into complacency before finishing them off.

Even to deliver the final blow to the Saintess, he needed to deal with these fly-like pests first.

“Haah!”

Ma Gyeong charged toward the Saintess, leaving his back completely exposed.

Then, finally, the flies began to swarm toward her.

It had been fired in a straight line to ambush its rear.

‘Stupid bastards!’

Ma Gyeong smirked, not even turning his head as he swung one arm to fire at Kang Hwan.

It was that very giant spear that had rendered the Jin Taedo combat-invalid with a single strike.

Whoosh!

Ma Gyeong had no doubt the men would be struck by the steel ring.

They were airborne, leaving them no chance to dodge.

Even if they somehow dodged it by sheer luck, they wouldn’t be able to interfere with him for a while.

So he began charging toward the saint without even checking the outcome behind him.

It was to cast his final, carefully saved move: the Spirit Beast.

***

Seon Woo-jin and Yong Woo-shin approached Ma Gyeong’s back stealthily.

The creature, seemingly focused entirely on the Saintess, hadn’t once glanced behind.

Exchanging a glance and a nod, the two men launched themselves toward Ma Gyeong’s wide-open back.

Thwack!

It was a swift ambush, like two arrows shot simultaneously.

But it was at that very moment.

Without even looking back, Ma Gyeong swung his arm and fired a giant ring of fire toward them.

It was a massive steel ring, its diameter larger than a man’s height.

Whoosh!

Sunwoojin and Yongwooshin watched the enormous steel ring hurtle toward them.

They were in midair, with nowhere to step.

Their gazes met in midair for an instant.

***

Ma Gyeong fired the Ganghwan behind him and unleashed his ultimate move, the Wonyungsu.

The Spirit-Sealing Technique, requiring both one’s own energy and the use of the True Origin Stone, was a demonic art that drastically shortened the caster’s lifespan after a single use.

The grasp of a vengeful spirit that drags its prey into hell.

Makyeong had mastered it solely to confront the saint.

Wuuuuuuu!

From the Demon King’s hand, a black, ominous aura began to spew forth like smoke.

In an instant, it became a massive black hand that even obscured Ma Gyeong’s upper body.

“!”

The Saintess instantly realized Ma Gyeong’s move was no ordinary one.

So she stepped back with all her might.

“Haah!”

Clang!

But at that very moment, the Demon King stretched his hand forward.

Black smoke stretched out like a ribbon, and a massive hand reached before the saint’s eyes in an instant.

‘What?!’

Realizing escape was impossible, the saintess swung her sword at the black smoke’s hand.

“Haah!”

Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

The saintess’s sword passed smoothly through the black smoke’s hand.

But that was all.

It felt as though she had cut through real smoke—no resistance at all—and the hand-shaped smoke showed no change whatsoever.

The Saintess had failed to block the Demon King’s technique.

“!”

In that instant, the black hand reached out toward the Saintess, attempting to seize her entire body.

***

Just moments ago, the massive river ring was about to collide with Seon Woo-jin and Yong Woo-shin, who were suspended in midair.

It was a tremendous crisis, but the two weren’t particularly flustered.

They exchanged a glance in an instant and kicked each other’s feet in midair.

Thud!

In the next instant, Kang Hwan passed harmlessly between the two figures who had split apart.

Sssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss

This was Sunwoo Jin’s countermeasure, having anticipated Ma Gyeong would respond this way.

And now, having controlled his speed to keep pace with Yongwooshin until this moment, Seonwoojin thrust off the ground and charged toward Ma Gyeong at top speed.

Whoosh!

It was a speed almost like a beam of light.

In an instant, Sunwoo Jin struck down the best sword strike he could muster toward the back of the demonic being that had closed in before his eyes.

Mukrang Sword Technique, First Strike.

Opening Heaven.

It was the sword strike of the Heavenly Demon, tearing through space.

Swoosh!

Just as Ma Gyeong was about to seize the Holy Maiden with his Spirit-Sealing Sword, a chilling sensation on his back made him realize.

If he deployed the Spirit Water now, he would die.

“Guh!”

He had no choice but to withdraw the Spirit Beast and hurriedly turn to defend against Seon Woo-jin’s sword strike.

Crackle-crackle-crackle!

Though deployed hastily, his full-power defensive aura was being torn apart helplessly.

Puhwaak!

“Ugh!”

Ma Gyeong’s chest was slashed, blood spattering.

Fortunately, it wasn’t too deep, but it was a moment that sent a chill through his chest.

Following Seonwoojin, who had blown away the stream and dodged to the side, Yongwooshin flew in and struck down with his sword.

He aimed for the spot where Ma Gyeong’s protective aura had been split.

“How dare you!”

Enraged, Ma Gyeong swung his arm, deflecting Yong Woo-shin’s sword.

CRASH!

He immediately prepared to attack him.

But at that instant, ice spewing frigid cold surged up like a barrier from the floor, obscuring his vision.

Snow Blade Technique, this moment—Celestial Ice Barrier.

Shushushushush!

“!?”

It was an utterly bizarre technique he had never seen before.

It was then, momentarily flustered by that bizarre technique,

The Holy Maiden, who had retreated to avoid the Wraith Beast, charged toward him once more.

“Ma-kyung!”

“Damn it!”

Ma Gyeong halted his hand, which had been about to shatter the ice wall, and turned toward the Holy Maiden.

The flying insects were merely a nuisance, but he had to give his all against the Holy Maiden.

While preparing for the Saintess charging from the front, he also kept his guard up against Yongwooshin and Seonwoojin.

His senses detected Yongwooshin retreating to the rear and Seonwoojin approaching from the side once more.

“Annoying bastard!”

Without even glancing at the demonic energy, he hurled the giant ring toward Seonwoo Jin.

It was that massive steel ring again.

The approaching figure, startled, screamed and dodged out of the way.

“Waaah!”

‘Huh?!’

Hearing that frivolous scream, Ma Gyeong’s eyes flicked, and he hurriedly glanced to the side.

The frivolous voice he had just heard was not that of Seon Woo-jin, whom he knew.

Then, a frail, middle-aged man darted away from Kang Hwan, dodging him at the last moment.

It was Jeong Chil.

“!”

Ma Gyeong was startled.

He had assumed that person was Seon Woo-jin.

‘Then where is that bastard?!’

Just as Ma Gyeong hurriedly expanded her senses to catch Seon Woo-jin’s presence,

Puuuuk!

“!”

A transparent ice blade, leaving no trace, pierced his back and protruded from his chest.

Seon Woo-jin, concealed behind the ice wall, had struck at his opening—the first move of the Absolute Ice Blade from the Snow Lotus Sword Technique.

Ma Gyeong was horrified.

He couldn’t believe he hadn’t felt a thing as the blade pierced his back.

It wasn’t that the ice blade had stabbed him; it had materialized from thin air. But he could never know why.

He stared blankly at the transparent ice blade piercing through his chest.

The sword of the saint, which had approached unnoticed, sliced past his neck.

Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii

Ma Gyeong let out a hollow laugh and sighed.

“I’ve been bitten by a tiger cub. From start to finish, I’ve been toyed with by that bastard.”

The next moment, a crimson line sliced across his throat, spurting blood.

Puuuwaaah!

It was the death of Ma Gyeong Manhak Sung, the absolute master of the Four Heavenly Kings.