Chapter 39 Daily Record (3)

Chapter 39 Daily Record (3)

Pang!

Heiyang Shasha’s figure instantly vanished into the darkness.

The conversation ended with those last words. Now, the only option left was to silence Gu Yangji by killing him.

“…….”

In the soundless stillness, Gu Yangji widened his stride, relying solely on his sword.

He slightly bent his knees, ready to react at any moment, and thrust his iron-plated right elbow forward.

Then, a faint shadow flashed before his eyes.

Clang.

Gou Yangjie, teeth clenched, swung his sword diagonally.

“Hmph!”

Simultaneously, four small blades collided with his sword from different directions.

As if anticipating that direction, Gou Yangjie parried them. The Black Shadow Assassin let out a momentary gasp of surprise.

-Quite… though it seems more like keen eyesight.

At that telepathic command, the three warriors nodded.

Had he focused solely on defending against one, he wouldn’t have blocked the other daggers.

Moreover, the aura and power emanating from Chamhyun’s blade.

It was far more ominous than the rumors suggested.

-Sangjeong, Ogun.

Then we settle this here.

Swish.

At the signal sent by the shadow hanging from the ceiling, the other figures scattered in different directions.

Though he had noticed the entire process, Gu Yangjeok remained silent, merely watching their actions.

Then, irritation spread across Gu Yangjeok’s face.

‘This is getting troublesome.’

A dark-gray sword energy began to spread over the shadow assassin’s short sword.

Gu Yang-jeok had roughly discerned from their previous exchange that they had mastered the same Muryu martial arts.

That made them all the more troublesome.

The formations such practitioners deployed were typically flawless and difficult to break.

Nevertheless, Gu Yang-jeok spoke with an air of leisurely mockery.

“What a pathetic sight, all nervous and anxious.”

“……!”

Had those words been the signal?

Four daggers devoured the darkness, flashing brightly as they sought to bind Gu Yangjeok’s limbs.

Even Gu Yangjeok didn’t know the nature of their martial arts.

He could only roughly guess how they would attack.

An assassin’s martial arts typically cloud the opponent’s vision and weigh down their body.

‘Do not be deceived, do not waver.’

Gu Yangji emptied his mind, clutching the Zhenxian sword.

The sword is merciless.

It is a weapon that can kill without question, whether the opponent is Confucius, who understood all principles, or the Buddha.

Therefore, no matter how lowly the foe, how could he harbor any other thoughts?

Gu Yangji’s knees bent slightly, then he immediately unfolded the Plum Blossom Blade and charged forward.

The shadow ahead saw him and laughed.

‘Fool!’

The small sword the shadow held clattered to the ground. Instantly, all his internal energy concentrated into his iron-reinforced leather gauntlet.

If he could block the piercing strike for even a moment, another Black Shadow could finish off Gu Yangji.

The shadow, about to laugh heartily at Gu Yangji’s stupidity, suddenly sensed something odd.

“…He stopped?”

Thud!

As fluid as flowing water, Gu Yang-jeok stepped back a pace from the shadow, executing a true stance.

What unfolded next was the Life-Snatching Imperial Collapse Technique.

A merciless violence, pivoting on one foot, slammed down upon the shadow.

“Gah!”

Seeing this, the three warriors’ eyes darkened with even deeper murderous intent.

What was dead was dead.

They reasoned it was better to deal with the enemy before them than cling to regrets.

But they did not know.

How Gu Yangji fought, even without sight.

Gu Yangji’s wrist bent at an angle, grabbing the waist of the shadow trying to fly toward the wall.

It was a perfect Golden Dragon Strike!

The sight, reminiscent of Kunlun’s Golden Dragon Strike, made Heiying’s brow furrow.

-This is different!

-Did Huashan Sect ever have a leaning technique?

Seeing what Gu Yangji had thrown, they fell silent.

No, it was a shock so profound they couldn’t even utter a sound.

“……?!”

Thud!

The world darkened before their eyes for an instant, then three daggers plunged into someone’s body.

Just seeing the clothing made it clear who it was.

The warrior who had just lost his life to Gu Yangji’s Dismantling the Name Palm was impaled on the daggers, spewing hot blood.

‘Throwing a dead man behind as a human shield!’

This was absolutely not the way of the Taoist.

The three warriors who drew spare daggers from their waists exchanged brief glances.

-Was unfurling the Plum Blossom Sword a feint?

-No. That was definitely the Plum Blossom Sword.

-Then why such a reckless act?

At that moment, Gu Yangji let out a cold, mocking laugh.

“What good is arguing amongst yourselves with the man right in front of you?”

“……”

“Well, it’s already over.”

The moment Gu Yangji shrugged his shoulders, the three warriors sensed a presence gradually drawing nearer.

At least thirty.

They must be the vagrant from the Open Sect who had been watching the Black Dragon Sect nearby and the lay disciple from the Fire Mountain Sect.

There wasn’t yet a lack of time to the point where they had to kill themselves.

The three martial artists glanced at the dead shadow and discarded their remaining emotions.

All that remained was the cold-blooded resolve to escape this place and plan for the future.

Their eyes grew icy as they fixed their gaze on Gu Yang-jeok, who stood blocking their path.

“Move aside!”

“I don’t feel like it.”

Gu Yang-jeok channeled deep anger into his sword.

* * *

Crash!

Following Gu Yang-jeok’s command, Cheol Pung-gae tore through one wall of the building and surveyed the interior with a grave expression.

He noticed wood used to absorb moisture, and layers of clay plastered over to ensure complete sealing.

‘So he noticed this from outside.’

I thought he was just some pretentious, good-for-nothing Taoist.

‘But why is he being so rude only to me? Did he actually peek at that?’

Cheolpunggae shot a sidelong glance at Gyuyangjeok before turning his gaze forward again.

After scrutinizing the scene for a long while, Cheolpunggae finally spoke.

“Untie that bastard’s mouth.”

At his command, a ragged beggar loosened the gag binding the warrior’s mouth.

The moment it was removed, thick, sticky blood began to flow.

They’d smashed his teeth completely to prevent suicide, yet somehow, the malicious stench remained impossible to erase.

“Ugh, ugh…!”

“Stop barking and make him write it down.”

The beggar obeyed the order.

“He commands you to write it down!”

Smack!

The beggar brutally smacked the warrior’s back of the head, forcing him to kneel in shock.

Simultaneously, an indescribable killing intent radiated out.

“Guhhh…!”

Though three were dead now, he was Heukryongbang’s elite, Heuk Yeong Sasal—a subordinate trusted by Jik Hogwi.

How could someone like him be beaten by a lowly beggar brat?

As the warrior trembled violently, trying to untie the ropes, Gu Yangji took a light step forward.

He approached and asked.

“Seems biting wasn’t enough to satisfy you. I suppose the treatment was lacking for a heretic like you.”

“……?!”

“Shall I show you what it’s really like?”

As Gu Yangji mimicked tearing out his own nails, the warrior was forced to confront his own powerlessness once more.

How could he possibly defeat someone he couldn’t overcome even four-on-one?

When he silently bowed his head, Gu Yangji scratched the back of his head as if embarrassed.

It was clearly a gesture meant for those around them.

“Can’t even take a joke?”

Gu Yangji shrugged, and only then did the frosty atmosphere gradually begin to thaw.

But Cheolpunggae knew.

That Gu Yangji was more than capable of pulling it off.

Seeing the so-called elite of the Black Dragon Sect trembling like a leaf, a hollow laugh played on Cheolpunggae’s face.

‘That sly bastard. Looks like he started something first.’

But he couldn’t very well ask directly.

Just cleaning up the mess Gu Yangjeok had made was enough to make his head throb.

The Martial Arts Alliance might send people any minute now.

Cheolpoonggae lightly scraped the surface of the powder with his fingernail and put it in his mouth.

Judging by this shitty taste, it was definitely gunpowder.

-Just as I thought, you’re the type to taste shit before making a judgment.

Cheolpoonggae glared at Gu Yangji’s telepathic message.

-Why hurt the listener’s feelings like that?

-I’ll cancel it.

Cheolpunggae’s eyes momentarily deepened.

-But why did that bastard, who didn’t want to make a big deal out of things, act like this? Wasn’t he just watching the situation to handle it quietly?

-…….

Gu Yangjeok considered mentioning the fool, but clamped his mouth shut.

Drawing his attention would only increase the likelihood of misfortune befalling the remaining woman.

Unless you’re strong, it’s best not to draw the attention of the martial world.

Instead, Gu Yangjie swallowed his deep anger.

-Is that the problem now? The senior master of the Huashan Sect was defeated by these worthless scum!

-So, have you found him?

At that telepathic question, Gu Yangjie shook his head slightly.

-It’s highly likely that bastard, Jie Hougui, has it.

-That’s not good.

Having said that, Tie Fengkai suddenly looked at the beggar who had approached close by.

“What’s the matter?”

“That is…”

The beggar cautiously whispered into Tie Fengkai’s ear.

“There was a massacre outside just now.”

“You mean somewhere besides Boyeong Village?”

Though he looked a bit shabby, he possessed the unique ability of the Open Sect, blending strange energy to transmit sound through extremely faint vibrations.

This meant the information the beggar brought was likely crucial.

Cheolpunggae pressed the beggar.

“That can’t be all, can it?”

“That… it seems to be Jik Hogwi after all.”

“What?”

The beggar made it clear he was certain.

“Traces confirming it was the Red-Capped Bandits were found starting about ten li outside the South Gate, and before burning the village, they were wearing monk’s robes, just like at Boyeong Village.”

“Direction?”

“Following the base of Mount Jongnam, below Hogwang Fortress.”

At those words, Cheolpoonggae wore a puzzled expression.

As far as he knew, the Red-Hooded Ghost wasn’t the type to flee from such a situation.

“Is that really true?”

“I can swear on my own life.”

Tsk, a sneer spread across Cheolpoonggae’s lips.

“Hey, you little brat. What good is one of those to hang anywhere?”

“Ah, why are you like this!”

As the beggar fumed, Cheolpoonggae burst into loud laughter.

Then, he adjusted his voice so others could hear.

“Heh heh, fine. I understand. Now go.”

No sooner had the beggar vanished outside the Black Dragon Hall than Gu Yangjeok asked.

“What was that about?”

“Seems there was a Red-Hoored Demon outside. They say it fled. In the process, it wiped out the entire village…”

At those words, Gu Yangji recalled the people of Boyeong Village he had killed.

Cheolpungae’s perception was no less sharp.

The next words came back in a telepathic whisper.

-Boyaeng Village was yours, right?

-Why would you think that?

-A demon lord like Jikho-gwi wouldn’t leave such a monument behind. Besides, it was part of the Black Dragon Sect’s territory to begin with.

Cheolpunggae flicked his nostrils with his pinky finger.

-Anyway, the Shaanxi branch ends today. If there are no remaining unclaimed territories, wouldn’t it be better to leave a mark on that bastard?

At that, Gu Yangji narrowed his eyes deliberately and asked.

-A debt?

-Debt? What debt? Didn’t you tell me before? That handling Du Zhekuang would be considered a debt owed to you.

A playful smile spread across Cheolpunggae’s face.

-Wiping your name off this whole affair wouldn’t even be a task… What do you say?

At those words, Gu Yangji scanned the room.

Immediately beside him stood Xiang Xianjian, one of the inner circle masters of the Huashan Sect.

Moreover, the beggars who had swarmed here were no pushovers either.

Even if this was a branch of the Black Dragon Sect, this many people were more than enough to secure a victory.

When Gu Yangji gave a small nod, Cheolpunggae chuckled softly and spread his hands wide.

“After talking for a moment… Junior Brother Gu Yang wants to share the credit. What do you fellow disciples think?”

He didn’t even need to hear the answer.

– The Shaanxi branch of the Black Dragon Sect was destroyed for the crime of the master swordsman Sang Hyeon-geom and 32 others of the Hwasan Sect committing heinous acts against Ha Jin-ak of the Hwawunjeokha Sword Sect.

This rumor swept through the entire martial world.

Within it, Gu Yang-jeok remained merely one of the 32, a promising late-stage cultivator.

Three days passed like this, and Cheolpunggae came to find Gu Yangjeok and asked.

“By the way, old buddy, what are you planning to do with the gunpowder?”

An ordinary cultivator would likely say they’d hand it over to the authorities to set an example…

But Gu Yangjeok gave a different answer.

“A good hand is best kept hidden, not played immediately.”

At those words, Cheolpunggae remarked that he was a man who knew how to speak charmingly, and handed over his treasured liquor.

Then Cheolpunggae asked.

“When do you plan to return to Huashan?”

“When the person I must meet arrives.”

Gu Yangjeok gulped down the liquor, marveling at its refreshing coolness.

* * *

Arriving late, Baek Cheong-il maintained an expressionless face as he watched the Shaanxi branch crumbling under the government’s control.

Endure.

He repeated to himself that he must endure here.