Chapter 37 Daily Diary (1)

Chapter 37 Daily Diary (1)

Plop, plop, plop…….

Like rainwater slanting down slender leaves, the downpour settled upon Gu Yangjie’s robe.

His shoulders were thoroughly soaked, the fabric sagging.

Raindrops gathered and fell from the tip of his belt, which resembled the color of plum blossoms.

Splash.

Gu Yangjie walked along the puddled path.

Then he looked ahead.

“…Ha.”

A sneer rose between Gu Yangjeok’s lips.

How ridiculous.

Those martial artists who thought thuggery was cool and chose the heretical path were staring at him right there.

Was it called the strong survive?

Was it said only the strong possess everything?

“Pathetic.”

Gu Yangjie stroked his chin and mouth with his left hand. The rain-soaked downy hair tickled his palm.

“These dogs barking without knowing the sky is high… truly… laughable.”

At those words, the warriors of the Black Dragon Sect glared, their eyes blazing with intense hostility.

“ “Insolent bastard! Who do you think you are here!”

“Cut that bastard’s throat now!”

A mix of killing intent and ambition tangled with the rainwater.

Amidst the turmoil caused by the Huashan faction, the warriors were filled with the conviction that capturing that Taoist would elevate them further.

His skill had been proven by subduing Yue Gongming with a single strike, yet the number filling half of Gu Yangji’s vision was closing in.

They were brimming with confidence, never considering how a single man could possibly handle such overwhelming numbers.

Thud, clang!

They were advancing, trampling not only the road but even the roofs of ordinary houses.

Yet Gu Yangji paid them no mind.

The sudden downpour slowly cooled his burning body.

Fate and events always arrived this abruptly.

Watching the warriors draw nearer, Gu Yangji let out a hollow laugh.

‘What a mess this fool has caused.’

Of course, he had gained much thanks to that man.

He could divert the Black Dragon Sect warriors’ search, and occasionally, despite finding that fool’s simple-mindedness a bit pathetic, he could laugh.

At least it wasn’t boring.

That’s why he’d helped him, however small the favor, by finding his mother.

‘What brings you here?’

Gu Yangjie’s gaze turned to the man.

A blood-stained puddle formed, and a severed rope floated on its surface.

Had he fallen toward the inn he’d just left after dying?

Gu Yangji shook his head calmly.

He cleared his mind of distractions.

He loosened the rope binding his hair and shook off the moisture.

What remained was the boundary between life and death.

Only the struggle against the Black Dragon Sect.

Gu Yangjie’s hand reached for his sword hilt.

“Come.”

“……?”

“Come, you blood-soaked wretches!”

Gu Yangjie’s sudden roar made the shoulder of the warrior guarding the front line flinch.

His reaction was fairly quick, but it seemed he hadn’t fully blocked it, as a small trickle of blood flowed from his ear.

In that instant, a blade split the air so thinly it could have sliced through the falling rain itself.

“…Guh!”

Having severed the neck of the warrior at the front, Gu Yangji then looked at the bald man closest to him.

The blade was within striking range, but moving now felt unwise.

In an instant, Gu Yangjeok’s left hand slipped inside his collar. Just as the enemy was about to swing his weapon, the collar tightened.

Splash!

Rainwater shot from the collar’s edge, striking the bald man’s eye.

This was no accident.

‘What the hell…!’

Gritting his teeth, the bald man swung his broadsword at Gu Yang-jeok’s neck, just as he had seen before.

This time, he poured a force slightly exceeding the Five Elements’ internal energy into his strike.

He couldn’t block it, so he must have been blocking his vision.

The bald man’s face grew more smug with that conviction.

Just a little further forward, and the great sword would take the Taoist’s head.

That’s how it should have been…

“Gah! The Blood-Shattering Blade, you bastard!”

At those words, the bald man’s eyes widened in shock. His prized weapon wasn’t embedded in the Taoist, but in another Black Dragon Sect member.

Then where the hell was that guy?

At that moment.

Swoosh!

A blade swung from somewhere indifferently severed the bald man’s neck.

Gu Yangji didn’t stop there; he kicked the remaining body away with his foot.

The warrior facing that body screamed in horror.

“You madman…!”

Gu Yangji’s footsteps seemed to close half a step, then the sword pierced the bald man’s body.

Three lives taken so far.

How many remained, roughly?

Gu Yangjie narrowed one eye, watching the swarm of black-clad figures filling his vision.

“Such unoriginal bastards.”

How was he supposed to tell them apart when they all wore identical black robes?

Clang!

Before his thoughts could fully form, a sword slashed down.

Then another weapon swept over it.

“Gah!”

Even though they were fellow Black Dragon Hall members, loyalty be damned—the fingers of the sword-wielding man were reduced to rags.

Gu Yangji silently thanked the madman who swung that weapon, then severed the screaming man’s arm.

Swish, snap!

Simultaneously, he severed the body.

Even with an arm cut off, a warrior remained a warrior. If he suddenly grabbed his ankle and started wriggling, it would be extremely troublesome.

Once again, blood drenched his entire body.

Now, there was more blood than rain.

Just then.

Thwack!

A dart was fired, taking advantage of the moment Gu Yangji swung his weapon.

Fortunately, the heavy downpour slowed its trajectory, if only slightly.

Still, it remained a threat. Gu Yangji reflexively thrust his left hand out to the side.

“Let me borrow this for a moment.”

The fruit he had spotted earlier while dealing with Yue Gongming landed in Gu Yangji’s hand.

He immediately threw it.

Smash!

The fruit was completely shattered by the dart and fell to the ground.

Soon, Gu Yangji sensed the dart had slowed significantly.

There was no need for caution now.

The sword in Gu Yangji’s hand danced.

“Gwaaah!”

“Where the hell did this bastard come from…!”

Not only were their clothes identical, but their dying words were commonplace too.

Gu Yangji couldn’t suppress a snort of laughter.

At that moment, something rustled beneath his feet.

Ggeng, gguuung…

At that sound, Gu Yangjeok’s eyes narrowed.

Under normal circumstances, it would have been something he could simply ignore, dismissing it as the mischief of a mole.

But this was the scene of a mob of rogue martial artists charging in.

It wasn’t unheard of for someone to occasionally unleash a bizarre attack.

‘……Now!’

Crack!

The ground seemed to collapse in an instant, and from within, a mud-covered martial artist emerged.

The moment sunlight hit him, he swung his hook, but felt nothing.

Instead, it locked with the blade aimed at Gu Yangjeok, seizing the wielder’s wrist.

A faint groan—but Gu Yangji was nowhere to be seen.

‘Then where?’

The warrior reflexively threw his head back even higher.

The shadow of Chamhyun’s blade fell across his forehead, solving the puzzle.

‘He leaped up!’

The warrior sensed death.

Thud!

Feeling the warrior’s death, Gu Yangji immediately ducked.

Whoosh-!

A tremendous force swept down his spine, sending cold sweat trickling down Gu Yangjeok’s skin.

“That was dangerous.”

Gu Yangjeok spat out the curt words, then used the momentum from his crouch to kick straight up.

That kick smashed the skull of the guy who’d been cautiously watching from the front.

Before he knew it, the number of men he’d killed had surpassed ten, approaching twenty.

Gu Yangjie immediately shifted his battlefield.

A spot weakened by the ground and littered with corpses was far from ideal.

One wrong move could trap him in a dead end and lead to his defeat.

Watching this, the remaining Black Dragon Hall members gaped in astonishment.

“Is that even human?”

“His fighting style is far too unrestrained!”

How could a Taoist, whose martial arts were bound by strict form and ritual—often deemed rigid—fight with such wild abandon?

It was akin to the style of a rogue.

Blocking poisoned blades with fruit, piercing through a corpse to kill an enemy—such ideas were beyond the scope of a Taoist.

Then, one warrior clenched his teeth and demanded.

“Where are you scum from?”

“…Scum?”

At that, Gu Yangjeok lightly scratched his ear and replied.

“He’s a nobleman who came to beat scum like you.”

The martial artist’s face froze completely at this absurd answer.

It was more than just evasion; it was a mockery that struck at the pride of the Black Dragon Sect present.

The martial artist wielding the unusually large spear shouted.

“This Mowon Spear shall tear that bastard’s heart out!”

“Is that a toy? You don’t even look strong enough to swing it.”

“You’re courting death!”

Gu Yangjeok’s mouth curved into a smile as he watched the charging figure, but his eyes were cold.

He had heard rumors of the Mowon Spear among those present.

They said it was a warrior who cherished a spear modified to extend a hidden single blade.

The reason he clung to the nickname ‘Spear of Return’ was rather laughable.

‘He claimed one could only prove martial prowess by fighting an equal opponent.’

Gu Yangjeok wanted to ask him.

“Are you just some guy craving attention?”

“Shut up!”

As if stung by the unexpected remark, Mo Huanchang’s demeanor grew considerably more solemn.

Clang!

Innate strength, supported by profound inner power.

‘He’s no mere amateur.’

The mocking expression vanished from Gu Yangjie’s face.

‘A spear, a spear.’

It possessed a reach vastly superior to blades, and in the concept of thrusting, no weapon could surpass it.

Moreover, since Mo Huanchang’s weapon had not one but three blades, if one slipped a slash between them and executed a half-turn, disaster could strike.

Lower your guard, and you die.

Of course, that was the Gu Yangjie of before.

“Perhaps I should get a little more serious.”

Muttering thus, Gu Yangji activated his Zhaojin Qi.

His dantian, stabilized after completing the Minor Heavenly Circuit. His body, transformed and hardened.

Added to that, the realm he once ascended to, nearly reaching the absolute.

He possessed more than enough qualifications to step into the supreme realm of martial arts.

Sssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss

Mo Huanchang’s face turned ashen white at the sight.

“Th-that Sword Qi!”

At those words, the Black Dragon Sect disciples trembled violently, unable to charge forward.

The level itself was different.

Simply observing that Sword Qi, it seemed the opponent wasn’t some amateur who had only mastered the Minor Heavenly Cycle, but someone who had reached the pinnacle through a special enlightenment.

How could one possibly hope for victory against such a man in a one-on-one fight?

‘The only option left is to wear him down…’

Mo Huanchang sensed his morale had plummeted, even without turning back.

The killing intent that had filled the market streets had vanished by more than half.

Just as Mo Huanchang hardened his expression, thinking victory was impossible now,

Gu Yangjie’s lips parted slightly.

“Beggar.”

“Why are you calling me, you insolent brat?”

“You weren’t just sitting around, were you?”

The feeling that he was speaking with full respect, as if addressing someone of high standing, came through clearly, causing Cheolpunggae’s brow to furrow.

“Of course, you bastard. How many meals have I begged for? Don’t you know?”

“Then that’s fortunate.”

He was indeed a useful fellow.

Gu Yangjie took a deep breath before charging at the Black Dragon Sect members.

The first one to catch his eye was Mo Huanchang.

Not only was he the most outstanding among the Black Dragon Sect members present, but also…

‘That spear bothers me.’

Gu Yangjeok’s hand swung lightly.

But the force behind it was anything but light.

Above all, Gu Yangjeok’s body had completed its transformation, and the sword energy enveloping his spear was a domineering force capable of cleaving through anything.

Clang!

“Guh!”

Mo Huanchang let out a faint groan and stepped back.

He had managed to parry and swing his spear, but the blade had been heavily chipped.

Yet, Mo Huanchang’s face still bore a fierce determination.

‘Just a little longer, just a little longer if that bastard lets his guard down!’

At that moment, Gu Yangjie chuckled.

“You think there’s a hidden edge to your spear?”

“……Ah!”

“Pretending to be weak like that won’t fool me, you bastard.”

Gu Yangji unleashed the fifth strike of the Plum Blossom Sword, Plum Blossom Falling, completely severing the spearhead.

Thud, clatter.

The hidden edge rolled feebly to the ground.

“Well, what else have you got now?”

“……”

The very next moment, a long gash was carved into Mo Huanchang’s chest.

Meanwhile, the woman who belatedly spotted the man collapsed on the spot, bursting into heart-wrenching sobs.

Gu Yangjie’s molars clenched tightly.