Chapter 38: Iron Blood Sect 4

Amidst the chilling silence, Baek Moo-jin approached Jin So-hye and quietly asked.

“Are you all right?”

Jin Sohye quietly nodded.

Jin Sohye couldn’t blame Baek Moo-jin for her abnormal state. First, her energy consumption had been too severe when she clashed with him. On top of that, the horrors of the Sacred Flame Palace disciples and the shock of the Left Minister had caused her to fight desperately, forgetting her own condition.

After that, she had to face off against Yu Ja-eon, the Iron Blood Sect leader… Jin Sohye couldn’t be certain how her battle with Yu Ja-eon would end either. Yet, due to Baek Moo-jin’s intervention, Yu Ja-eon’s head had fallen to the ground with almost unreal ease.

Jin Sohye couldn’t help but look at Baek Mujin again.

‘He’s an unusual man.’

At that moment, one of the sect leaders spoke unexpectedly.

“Since the deputy leader of this faction has been defeated, I shall take revenge. I am Jia Weiyue, leader of the Piaoho Sect.”

It was the very man who had locked eyes with Baek Moo-jin. He was also the one who had urged Yoo Ja-eon to accept a one-on-one duel.

As the leader of the Piao Huo Sect, primarily tasked with disruption and reconnaissance, Jia Wei Yue should have taken command of the Iron Blood Sect at the moment Yu Ziyan died.

But this man, Jia Weiye, possessed considerable wit and was scheming to save his subordinates. He had deliberately stepped forward to prolong the current confrontational atmosphere.

‘We’ll all die like this.’

In his judgment, even if the rest joined forces and attacked, the probability of Baek Moo-jin killing them all was extremely high. That was also why he had deliberately sacrificed Yoo Ja-eon. The attention of those present turned to Gayu-yak.

Gayuak deliberately approached close to Baek Moo-jin, then turned to face the Iron Blood Sect’s subordinates and leaders once more.

“The Deputy Leader’s revenge will be taken by me and Leader Jang In-cheon.”

The meaning of these words was immediately unclear. The Iron Blood Sect members’ eyes flickered.

Gayu-yak looked at Jang In-cheon and said.

“Chief Zhang, step forward. Let us settle this face to face.”

Zhang Yichun nodded and stepped forward. Gaya Yuyeok then looked at Baek Mujin and Jin Sohye and said.

“We too used numbers to kill the Sunghwa Palace disciples here. But this is ultimately a matter of the martial world. If we trace the grudges back, we must settle accounts starting with the disciples of the Salmon Sect who were massacred by Seonghwa Palace. Is that not so? But… let us settle this among ourselves here. I will challenge Baek Moo-in and the Young Palace Master alongside Jang In-cheon, the Sect Leader. Let us settle today’s matter fairly, one-on-one.”

Baek Moo-jin had noticed earlier that a man named Gayu Yak knew his intentions yet had not intervened.

‘He’s quite the schemer.’

But Gaya Yak’s words and actions didn’t end there.

Numerous flying daggers and hidden weapons hung from a specially crafted leather belt on his body. With a light flick of both sleeves, two flying daggers dropped and landed in his palms.

Gayu-yak issued an order to the man named Han Ui-dong, the sect leader he had deliberately excluded from this confrontation.

“Han Dangzhu, take your men and join the enemy Dangzhu.”

“What?”

“It is an order. Go and tell the enemy leader. That he regretted not being able to share a drink… Now!”

With that, Gayu-yak launched his preemptive strike.

The daggers fell from his hands.

Shush! Shush!

Jin Sohye and Baek Mujin both shouted “Ta-dang!” as they simultaneously parried.

Gayuak bellowed at the enemy leader while charging at Baek Mujin at breakneck speed.

“Han Dangju! Hurry up and go!”

“Go! Han Dangju!”

Jang In-cheon, the head of the Jang clan, also shouted at Han Dangju, then charged at Jin So-hye, his massive iron club whistling through the air.

2.

In an instant, Gayu-yak and Baek Moo-jin clashed. But Gayu-yak was sent flying by Baek Moo-jin’s single strike, unable to charge again. Instead, he deployed his lightness skill and hurled his dagger.

Jang In-cheon and Jin So-hye clashed as well. Yet Jang In-cheon, wielding fierce external martial arts, was unexpectedly locked in a fierce, evenly matched battle with Jin So-hye. This was also proof that Jin So-hye was extremely exhausted.

Meanwhile, Han Uidong, the clan leader who looked as stubborn as a bear, was debating whether to stay and join the fight.

‘Brother Ga and Brother Jang seem like they might die…’

But Han Ui-dong knew well. He knew his own strategic acumen and mental agility fell far short of Ga Yu-yak’s… So, despite being fellow faction leaders, Han Ui-dong regarded Ga Yu-yak as a senior or superior.

Han Uidong wasn’t one for words.

‘I’ll just follow Ga-hyung’s lead.’

The words Han Ui-dong finally managed to utter to Ga Yu-yak were…

“Then I shall be going. Party Leader Ga, take care.”

That was all he could manage.

Han Uidong, suddenly irritated by his own lack of eloquence, shouted at his subordinates watching him with a strained voice.

“Move! We’re fleeing! Run! It’s the leader’s order!”

At that moment, Clan Leader Gayu-yak slipped his hand into his robe and withdrew it, dark beads clutched between his fingers.

As Gayu-yak flicked his wrist, two flew toward Jin Sohye and the rest toward Baek Mujin, splitting apart with perfect precision.

Then, with a puff-puff-bang! sound, the Black Mist Jade exploded.

With a whoosh… black mist began spreading across the area. Meanwhile, the head of the Gayuak Sect used a new technique to tear off his own collar. He then simultaneously pulled out dozens of steel needles pinned to his chest and began hurling them indiscriminately at Baek Mujin and Jin Sohye.

Shushushushush!

Simultaneously, Zhang Yichun split his massive iron mace into two pieces. Spinning his body, he hurled one mace with a booming crash.

The desperate counterattack of the two faction leaders, who had stepped forward to save their subordinates, had begun.

However, the black mist had already obscured the vision of both Gayu-yak and Jang In-cheon as well. Gayu-yak exhaled roughly, glaring into the black mist.

From within the black mist, strange sounds echoed in rapid succession.

Thud, thud, thud, thud!

The sound of steel needles repeatedly piercing something somewhere…

Then a crashing sound erupted, followed by the thud of an iron club hitting the ground.

The moment Baek Moo-jin heard the sound of the wind, he had already sent Jin So-hye behind him and was pouring out cold air like erecting an ice wall.

Therefore, both the iron needles and the iron gauntlets were useless.

Gayuak intended to hold the two men captive until death alongside Jang Incheon, so he moved silently while keeping a close watch on the black mist he had unleashed.

Moving silently, Gayu-yak bent forward and drew the dagger she had tucked into her calf.

At that moment, a swirling mass of white light emerged from the black mist. With a sudden crack, Jang In-cheon’s head snapped violently backward.

Gayu-yak cried out.

“Master Zhang!”

As Jang In-cheon’s massive body collapsed forward, Baek Moo-jin stepped out of the mist and spoke.

“Head Ga Yu-yak… quite the skill you have for saving your subordinates.”

Behind Baek Moo-jin, Jin So-hye emerged, her face worn with exhaustion.

Jin Sohye was somewhat drained.

What if she had come to the Jin Family Trading House alone?

Given her temperament, she might have ended up lying on the cold floor like Jusa, having fought alone against so many enemies.

Even just moments ago, Baek Moo-jin had deployed a defense like creating a sword barrier, so she had suffered no damage.

With things reaching this point, Jin Sohye couldn’t help but become quieter.

Before she knew it, the black mist had also thinned.

Knowing that mist alone wouldn’t allow her to successfully ambush Baek Moo-jin, Ga Yu-yak had few options left.

Nevertheless, Gayu-yak had no intention of retreating.

Already, the last two swords he possessed were clenched in his hands.

Somehow, a smile spread across Gayu-yak’s lips. Absurdly, the one who suddenly came to mind at this moment was his incompetent superior, Deputy Chief Yuja-eon.

‘Bastard, when you get to the afterlife, I’ll kill you again.’

Gayu-yak hurled the daggers one after another, then leapt forward, charging at Baek Moo-jin.

Baek Moo-jin’s eyes flashed.

‘Huh… What a pity.’

Setting aside everything else, Gayu-yak possessed the righteous desire to save his subordinates. Even figures from the underworld occasionally had their redeeming qualities. Somehow, the moment Baek Moo-jin saw the resolute expression on Gayu-yak’s charging face, a shiver ran down his spine.

Baek Moo-jin felt an urge to laugh heartily.

Thud!

Baek Moo-jin deflected the blade and aimed his sword precisely at the throat of Ga Yu-yak as he charged.

Had Baek Moo-jin extended his hand just a little further, Gayu-yak’s throat would have been pierced. Stopping just short of the sword’s tip, Gayu-yak looked at Baek Moo-jin and closed his eyes.

It seemed he felt he had done his best.

As he intended, all the survivors of the Iron Blood Sect had already escaped.

Baek Moo-jin, who had been staring expressionlessly at Gayu-yak, suddenly withdrew his sword.

‘He’s someone I don’t want to cut down with my sword.’

Gayuyak’s eyes snapped open…

‘What are you doing?’

As he shot that look, Baek Moo-jin unleashed a lightning-fast strike.

Thud!

Gayuak spewed blood and flew an incredible distance away. Baek Moo-jin stared blankly at the flying Gayuak.

It was then.

Jin So-hye’s weak voice came from behind Baek Moo-jin.

“Master Baek…”

“Hmm.”

When Baek Moo-jin turned around, Jin So-hye, her face pale, suddenly collapsed as if her legs gave way beneath her. Baek Moo-jin quickly reached out, wrapped his arms around her waist, and pulled her upright.

Jin Sohye seemed to have fainted from the tension releasing.

Baek Moo-jin held her for a moment, looking perplexed. And so, one man, unsure what to do, stood silently in the same position for a long time.

“···············.”