267 - Murim Login

Chapter 267 Flash! In an instant, a flash of black light burst forth, causing me to blink my eyes. That was all it took... 'Where did that bastard go?' The shock was so overwhelming that I forgot the pain and stood there, dumbfounded with my mouth agape. Gone. It vanished as if erased by a rubber eraser. Only the blood splattered around and the wrist of the Blood Lord still holding onto Cheongpung's neck provided any evidence that the scoundrel had been there. Ding. - Quest [Do or Die] completed successfully! - Massive experience gained! - Level up! - Level up! With the system notifications, my body rapidly healed. Broken bones mended firmly, and cut and crushed flesh healed. The empty dantian filled up, and vitality surged in my muscles. Yet, amidst all this, the absurdity of the situation remained. “What a damned turn of events.” I should've killed that bastard Blood Lord by any means necessary. Mumbling with frustration as I stared at the ground, a familiar voice broke through, along with a hand suddenly extended in front of me. “Are you alright?” Physically, I was fine, despite being mentally drained. I took Jeongnichu's hand and rose to my feet. “I'm okay. Thanks to you, I survived.” “That's a relief. Then help me with the injured... What did you just say?” Jeongnichu blinked. What had he heard just now? That was the expression on his face. “Why?” “What? Is there a problem?” Jeongnichu, with a blank expression, waved his hand dismissively. “Oh, no. No problem at all. But could it be that you didn't hear... that?” “That? What was that? I might've fainted for a moment.” By now, relying solely on my body's resilience had its limits. I was hit, got up, thrown down again, and stood up repeatedly over dozens of cycles. Then suddenly, a punch landed right on my chin, briefly knocking me unconscious. “When I came to, it was nearly over, so when I saw that bastard's ankle, I grabbed it right away.” “...I see.” Jeongnichu seemed close to saying something but closed his mouth tightly instead. I, too, had questions. How did the situation unfold? What exactly is Jeongnichu's identity? But I held back. 'The important thing is that he's an ally.' That's good enough for now. More pressing matters are everywhere around us. “No-ya!” Cheongpung was important, but I was more worried about the injuries of the aged Jeokcheongang. Rushing over in a single breath, I checked his condition. His pulse was weak, and he was breathing faintly. “Would you step aside for a moment?” Jeongnichu, carefully laying Cheongpung down after bandaging him, placed his hand on the Mingmen acupoint of Jeokcheongang. As genuine energy was infused, his pallor visibly eased. “How is he?” “It's not that serious. He exhausted too much energy at once, so he won't regain consciousness for some time.” “What about Cheongpung?” “It's the same for him. He has internal injuries, but since he's young, he'll recover quickly.” “Phew…” “It's fortunate in this misfortune.” Just as I sighed in relief, Jeongnichu gave a subtle smile. At that moment, the sound of many footsteps rapidly approaching from below filled the air with menace. 'Could it be, again?' With a stern face, I reached for my spear, but Jeongnichu raised his hand to stop me. “Put it down. They are allies.” And he was right. A moment later, hundreds of martial artists appeared, led by a few familiar faces. Figures from the Nine Sects and the Five Great Families, ones who had held seats of honor during the Supreme Martial Meet. However, for some unknown reason, key figures like the Thunderclap King were absent. “Halt.” The hundreds of footsteps, seemingly unstoppable, came to an abrupt halt in front of us. The one who had given the order limped towards Jeongnichu and me. The sunlight striking through the leaves reflected off a steel prosthetic, gleaming brightly. 'Tian Mian-hu Li Song Ho.' Suddenly, a forgotten fact struck me as I faced his sharp gaze assessing Jeongnichu and me. They didn’t know Jeongnichu was an ally. To them, he was Murim's public enemy, having assassinated the Dharma King and instigated a bloodstorm at the Shaolin Temple. Clack. Clack. When Tian Mian-hu Li stepped forward with his prosthetic, the hundreds of martial artists moved along with him. This is going to lead to a misunderstanding and a clash if nothing is done. “Wait, hold on. I think you’re misunderstanding something…” The atmosphere felt tense, and just as I was about to step up, Jeongnichu spoke suddenly. “Tian Mian-hu Li Song Ho.” What the hell is he thinking? Rather than explaining the situation and clearing misunderstandings, he started by speaking informally. “Hey, hey!” I hastily nudged his side, but it was too late. A statement akin to a bomb rolled out of Jeongnichu's mouth. “How’s your leg?” "...!" Was he crazy? I couldn't help but stare at Jeongnichu with my mouth agape. He crossed the line this time. Informal address followed by a disability insult. Before Tian Mian-hu Li could rip off his prosthetic and charge at Jeongnichu, I quickly intervened. “My apologies. He’s not usually like this. Let me explain. So this is what happened…” “Huh? I thought I could explain.” “Explain, my ass. In this situation, you explain nothing. Just apologize first, you bastard.” Forget about being a lifesaver or whatever. Before things escalated further, I grabbed the back of Jeongnichu’s neck and forced his head to bow. When I looked up, Tian Mian-hu Li’s face was frozen, as if he had seen a ghost. 'He’s really angry.' If he weren’t angry in this situation, would he even be human? He'd have to be either Jesus or Buddha. But my mind, which was spinning at full speed for damage control, came to an abrupt halt at Tian Mian-hu Li's unexpected response. “It's been a long time, hasn't it?” Jeongnichu chuckled warmly, like an old man recalling fond memories, and nodded. “It's good to see you're well. You were the first I thought would notice.” “I wandered quite a bit. Until two hours earlier, I thought that damned Blood Demon Sword had somehow reversed his age.” “Ah, I see you've aged too.” “I wouldn’t have aged like this if not for you, Great Hero. If you hadn't saved me back then, I wouldn't be standing here.” Tian Mian-hu Li continued, tapping his prosthetic with a smile. "Two hours ago, I discovered Anjungsal. Quite a mischievous trick you played." "Ah, that friend. Now that you mention it, he should be waking up about now." "The one who should have been dead was alive, and only then did I realize I'd been fooled." "I wanted to remain hidden, at least until the Great Martial Assembly was over." Jeongnichu added with a bitter expression. "I never expected this to happen." "I feel the same. Despite all the precautions, a bloodbath occurred in none other than Shaolin..." "Your appearance suggests that Shaolin is taken care of. Did the Thunderclap King go?" "Yes, as soon as we assessed the situation, we split our forces into two groups. Right now, Hero Peng should be dealing with Shaolin." "The damage is immense. This shouldn't have happened." "I have much to discuss regarding that matter." "As do I." A heavy silence fell between them. Listening in a daze to their conversation, I finally managed to speak. "Um, excuse me." Jeongnichu, or rather, 'he', blinked. "You mean me?" "Yes. I wanted to ask you something..." "Ask away." Hundreds of eyes turned towards me, their gaze filled with incredulity—as if witnessing a madman coming to his senses. "Your name, perhaps?" A clear response came back. "Mae Jonghak." "…Ah, Mae Jonghak." A chill ran down my spine. From our first meeting until now, the conversations we had and my actions flashed before my eyes like a lantern show. "Coincidentally, your name is the same as someone I know." "Is that so?" I took a deep breath. My heart thundered like a drum. 'It's cold.' A knife seemed to pierce my chest, but I tried not to worry. The world is full of people with the same name. Maybe this was a different Mae Jonghak. Clinging to this last hope, I asked, "And your nickname…?" "Sword Saint." "Oh, I see." Damn, it's the real deal. A mischievous grin crept into my ear as I felt darkness envelop my vision. "Let’s get along well from now on. Friend." Oh, I want to die. At some indiscernible depth, in the center of an enormous pupil inscribed with intricate patterns and symbols that no one could decipher, black light was emitted. Whoosh! A profound darkness extended, overshadowing even the fiercest flame. After a moment, as the jet-black darkness vanished, a ripple of disturbance spread among the dozens of black-clad figures surrounding the center. "Blood Lord!" "What on earth…!" Their gaze fixated on a staggering figure drenched in blood. It was a young man panting heavily, covered head to toe in blood. The Blood Lord’s entire body was marked with sword wounds, and his severed arms continuously gushed blood. "Summon the sorcerer!" "The Blood Lord is severely injured!" Listening to the urgent cries resonating through the pupil, the Blood Lord slowly opened his mouth. The arm he hadn't let go of until the end fell to the ground. Clutched in the hand severed from its owner was a short staff. Someone let out a small gasp at the sight of it emitting a faint green light even in the darkness. "The Jade Flame Staff…!" No less than Shaolin's sacred relic of a millennium. An impossible mission no one could guarantee success in. Yet, despite his miserable state, their superior had accomplished it skillfully. Truly, as expected of the disciple cherished by 'that person.' "Congratulations!" "Congratulate?" The moment crimson light flickered in the Blood Lord's eyes as he stared at the subordinate bowing deeply. Swish, thud! The subordinate, with shattered ribs, sprayed blood like a fountain and crashed against the wall. The figure shuddering as if a balloon deflating stopped moving. No need to check, he was dead. "Throw that bastard to the beasts as feed." Hardly had the cold words escaped the Blood Lord’s lips when one of the subordinates swiftly carried away the corpse. It was nothing new. It merely reinforced their fear of their leader once more; no one mourned or wavered for the naive rookie who had stepped out of line. "Blood Lord, you should receive treatment first…" "It's dizzying. Begin." The Blood Lord relinquished himself to the sorcerers who had just arrived. His desire was to slaughter everything in sight, but he suppressed it with difficulty. He had to conserve his strength. The sooner he recovered, the sooner he could tear them to pieces. ‘Sword Saint, Fire Lord, Cheongpung, and… Shan Xi Zhamlong Jin Taekyung.’ Recalling the face of the man who had laughed with blood-stained teeth made his own blood boil. Unable to contain his fury, he struck the sorcerer’s head with his fist. Boom, thud. The body, headless, crumbled like a decaying tree. The Blood Lord muttered, spitting out his words while feeling the frightened gazes of the remaining sorcerers. “I won’t kill any more precious sorcerers. Continue.” The treatment, briefly halted, resumed. It was an indescribable scene. Bones knitting together, flesh regenerating. Grinding his teeth against the pain accompanying recovery, the Blood Lord’s white-washed vision pulled forth a face. ‘I will kill you… with my own hands. No matter what.’