Surviving as a Rival in a Martial Arts Novel

Chapter 23 – The End of the Four Blood Brothers (01)

“aaahhhhh!!”

Tereong!

With her knee, she raised the blade of the Deathly Sword and swiftly rushed towards Samae, retracting her left arm.

As a price for receiving the sword, Samae left herself defenseless, and as the middle-aged Eunsa swung her fingers, Eunsa’s chains began to wrap around Samae’s wrist like a snake climbing up.

“Ah… Death…!”

As the skin on both wrists tore apart, Samae was bound and lifted into the air like a butterfly caught in a spider’s web.

“How dare you… How dare you do this to me!”

Blood droplets began to seep from Samae’s delicate skin.

Although Samae’s skin was protected by a basic protective barrier, Eunsa’s internal energy was strong enough to pierce through the thin barrier and tear her skin apart.

“I won’t let go right awayyy!!”

Shkrrr-!

Seeing me charging towards her, the middle-aged Eunsa desperately tried to release herself and bind me, but I wrapped the dangling sleeve of my left arm around my forearm, creating a makeshift guard, and pushed my arm into Eunsa’s.

“Strike and defend!”

Then, I created suction in my left palm, drawing in the surrounding chains, while hundreds of chains tore and sprouted from my left arm, rushing towards Eunsa.

Although I felt the excruciating pain as my left arm was being torn apart, the pain did not register as rescuing Samae, who was in immediate danger, took precedence.

“Clear Crystal Fist Law, Modified Form 3 (淸深喩離拳法 改造 第 三式)!”

Kwajik!

“Whirling Surge Fist (螺旋衝流拳)!”

My fist struck the abdomen of the middle-aged man, who was encased in armor-like chains.

Rather than simply extending in a straight line, the punch twisted and contorted the muscles, increasing its explosive power. While the effect of rotating the punch to increase its impact was minimal, when a standardized technique was rotated and thrust, it possessed a penetrating power akin to a spear rather than a punch.

Thud!

As the silver thread tore through, it pierced the middle-aged man’s abdomen, and my fist popped out from the other side of his torso.

Shyalaralalak!

While the silver thread that had enveloped him tore away in the spinning motion, the silver thread that had bound and restrained him lost its strength and fell off. However, as if caught on something, the body of the restrained man did not descend to the ground but hung above the silver-haired man.

“Samae…! Just wait a bit. I’ll untie you soon… Ugh!”

As I approached to untie Samae, a fierce aura was approaching me from behind.

Kkulruk!

Lifting the arm that had just kicked away the body of the middle-aged silver-haired man whom I had pierced earlier, I turned my body. At this moment, a relentless energy approached me, wielding a sword without paying any attention to the tiny Han So-so who had ignored me, swinging the sword at me.

‘It’s too late.’

Avoidance was impossible.

If I dodged now, Samae, tied to the silver thread, would be cut in half by the sword. I had to endure this and stand my ground.

‘If I get hit this time, it’s over.’

Even in a perfect state, blocking the sword of the Death-Annihilating Black Executioner meant losing half of my arm. Moreover, in the state of severe energy consumption from using the Spiral Surge Zone just before, my defensive power naturally weakened. Even if I could take a breath, the battles between experts involved multiple exchanges in just one breath.

I had no choice but to confront the sword with the determination to take the blow without even catching my breath.

Pang! Suddenly!

I threw away the left arm that no longer responded as I felt my body twisting. I bit into the back of my hand, turning it into a makeshift shield to block the incoming strike from the left.

Although the sword stored in the bamboo scabbard flashed out, instead of swinging at the discarded left arm as I had planned, it flowed from outside to inside, as if predicting my thoughts, slicing through the trajectory where the right arm was about to be severed.

Chwaak!

And that was exactly as I had anticipated.

If it were a simple clash, the enemy would cut off my left arm and try to kill me, but expecting a counterattack on the right arm, if they had some intellect, they would aim for the disarmed left arm.

So, I decided to raise my internal energy in my right hand and intercept the blade.

“Just need to block for a moment…!”

In an instant, the pain tore through my flesh and cut through my bones, but my mind had already become cold as I rushed forward, delivering a knee strike to the chin of the deadly assassin.

Kwaaang!

With a solid impact, like smashing a wall with a hammer, I felt the sensation of the jaw breaking through my knee.

Ododok!

Due to the nature of my Silhonin training, even if my ribs were shattered and broken bones pierced my lungs, I wouldn’t feel any pain and would continue the attack. But this time, the strike from the deadly assassin’s jawbone that shot through my knee shattered my spine.

Normally, the deadly assassin would retreat or take defensive actions to absorb the impact, so it wouldn’t have such power. But this time, he had complete confidence in finishing me off and disregarded defense, allowing me to land a perfect counter.

Of course, my counterattack was just a feeble attempt, and the impact caused so much damage to my knee that I couldn’t even execute a proper falling technique.

Kuwoong!

“Uuugh……”

It hurts.

Until just now, when I was engaged in combat in an extremely tense state, I momentarily forgot about the pain. But now, after defeating all the Silhonin, the wounds I suffered were excruciating.

My left arm was almost completely crushed, and the tendons in my right hand were deeply cut, as if sliced to pieces.

Furthermore, due to the strain of using my internal energy consecutively, the qi in my dantian was spinning wildly. If I hadn’t opened the poisonous meridian, I would have been in a state vulnerable to overexertion.

“Huugh… Huugh…!”

For now, I could endure the burning pain in my body, but…

“hahahaha… hahahahaha…! As expected, as expected, this body has found a talent worth noticing. To actually block this!”

Clap clap clap clap…

A voice, clear and refreshing, echoed in this harbor where everyone had already fled, died, or fallen unconscious, in a state that didn’t befit the surroundings.

In the relentless pursuit, exerting a pressure more intense than the pain of the black mark on my arm, which was already a significant agony, was the master of ultimate precision approaching without any intention of concealing their identity.

“Chugum…”

Beyond the bodies of fallen simulacra, Chugum was advancing towards this place.

“Impressive, truly impressive. I deliberately weakened the acupuncture points to make it easier to break free, but in the end, you managed to thwart even the simulacra we prepared in such a short time!”

The arm was practically nonexistent.

Knees collided with jawbones, and something seemed to have gone wrong as swelling accompanied tremendous pain.

Three limbs were incapacitated, but I had to stand up.

“I recognized it from the moment you struck me. Your judgment and instinctive senses, I can be sure of it now.”

Chugum threw off the mask they had been wearing upside down.

“You’re a skilled fighter. Beyond just having strong inner energy and adept use of martial arts, you possess innate combat abilities.”

“Ha… ha…”

“And I need someone like you. What do you say?”

As I tried to clench my right hand, it wouldn’t exert any force.

While the forearm moved, the hand didn’t grip properly. I had to extend the hand with blood flowing steadily, changing it to a technique using the Cheongsimyugwoneup instead of the Qingxin Glass Fist Law.

“Do you plan to see it through to the end?”

Though one leg would hobble, I could temporarily support my weight and approach using the other leg to kick the ground.

“Last time, it had to be kept a secret, but this time, I’ll tell you openly. As the 9th Lord of the Black Moon Sect, I’m demanding that you become a member of our Black Moon Sect.”

‘The martial arts that can be switched and used with the Qingxin Glass Fist Law…’

“If you agree, I’ll take only you. You’ll live as a member of the Black Moon Sect, protecting those dear to you. I’ll treat your injured body, providing any potion you need. If you wish, I can exhaust the true essence of this body to rejuvenate you or even provide you with a new arm.”

As blood drained away, anemia set in, but with the inner energy’s strength, I concentrated my consciousness by any means necessary.

“If you believe in Lady Jin Yang-hyeon this time, give up. The moment the real husbands came rushing in, she persuaded her twin sister and fled. She must already be on the Janggang River heading towards Hanam, where the Mureung League is.”

Five seconds. Somehow, I can fight for about five seconds.

“Of course, if you refuse, you will die here. It’s a pitiful end to fight so hard and be killed by your own sister-in-law. And of course, not only you, but also those you were trying to protect will be killed by the silence.”

“Okay.”

All preparations are complete.

“So come to us. The Blue Heart Meteor Gate’s Yeoncheong-ha.”

I replied, looking at the despicable face of the Chugum Sword.

“You have a sharp tongue. Are you scared?”

At those words, a smile appeared on the distorted face of the Chugum Sword.

“Yes. I like that until the end.”

Swoosh…

The sleek sword of the Chugum Sword was revealed.

“Come to think of it, I didn’t need to hear your opinion. Cut off that useless arm and leg, cauterize the severed parts with fire, and take them to the Heukwoldang for hemostasis. There, they have plenty of guys who can make new limbs for you.”

Desire was burning in the eyes of the Chugum Sword.

“Execution…?”

Samae was calling me.

When Samae, who had been exhausted from the previous battle, opened her eyes and met mine, I raised the corners of my mouth and smiled to reassure her until the end.

I couldn’t bring myself to say anything more.

Thud.

Was my body really this heavy?

In the modern era devoid of martial arts, I tried to soar with a heavier and more sluggish body than before. However, my left knee, which had swept away the chin of the Death-Annihilating Sword a while ago, crumbled, and I ended up sitting right there.

“Ugh…!”

I attempted to soar gracefully, but in the end, I only staggered, and with bloodied arms, I could only approach the ground like a crawling insect toward the Blood Reaper.

Ziiiiing… Ziiiiing…

Forcing my unmoving arms and legs, I dragged myself towards the Blood Reaper, squeezing out the remaining strength. However, it was all in vain as I gasped for breath at the midpoint, unable to reach a distance of merely ten steps.

“Are you bowing to a new master? Not bad.”

The sound of the Blood Reaper’s footsteps, approaching steadily, echoed in my ears, pressed against the harbor floor.

Thanks to the Blood Reaper who reached out for my collapsed body, I could barely lift my face from the ground and see the twins crying with tears streaming down, still bound by Eunsa.

“I’ll come back.”

Gathering the last bit of my internal energy, I shot a gust of wind through the limp left hand that had turned into a limp horsewhip.

Crack!

“Hmm?”

As the wind hit the already crumbling harbor floor due to the prolonged battle, the wooden plank under the Blood Reaper’s foot began to break. Before he could leap into the air using lightness skill, I wrapped my arms around his leg, hindering his movement.

‘I have to buy some time, even if it’s just a little.’

Though the gatekeeper was intimidated by the appearance of the transcendent master, the body remained unharmed, just slightly shaken from memorization and fear. If I could buy time for him to retrieve Sama, Bangyuseong, and Hansoso properly, others could be safe.

“Heh, really.”

Despite having the capability to tear off the limbs I held with ease, the Blood Reaper seemed stunned by my desperate actions and withdrew into the water.

Splash!

I felt like my blood was draining away due to the cold waters of the Yangtze River.

On ordinary days, even if soaked in water, one might feel a slight coolness. However, this time, with my body in its worst condition, submerging in water felt like I was truly about to die.

Gurgle…

Splash!

“Cough!”

Dragging me, sinking and dying in the water, as if relocating luggage carelessly, Chugeom pulled me out of the water.

“Seriously, you’re being so bothersome.”

Splash!

Thrown onto the gravel field like a piece of luggage, even if I liked it somewhat, it was annoying enough to start getting on my nerves.

“Didn’t want to show yourself betraying, huh? Or perhaps, you really thought you could defeat this body.”

But within that annoying voice, there was a hint of joy, indicating that Chugeom had high expectations of me.

“Come to think of it, since I messed up everything in Sacheon this time, Black Moon League will demote and punish me anyway. In that case…”

Drenched in water and shivering, I breathed my internal energy into my body to share warmth. Chugeom lifted my slumped body onto his back.

“I’ll have to lay low for a while.”