139 - Martial Arts Instructor of Marital Age

**Chapter 36: The Night Parade of One Hundred Demons (5)** **A Short Time Before the Attack.** Cho Un-Hwi was walking along a forest path in search of water. Rustle. Rustle. The forest, enveloped in darkness, was so dense that even the moonlight failed to penetrate its depths, creating an illusion of black curtains drawn tightly. Yet, Cho Un-Hwi continued to walk on. And then he stopped. "Tsk. Here you are." There was someone leaning against a tree stump, growing colder by the second. A body claimed by the darkness of the forest. As Cho Un-Hwi quietly approached and pressed a finger to the neck, he found that the breath had almost completely faded away. Cho Un-Hwi looked down at the cooling body with icy eyes and moved his lips. "Yang Dae-Cheol." The man, half-reclined against the stump and nearing death, had been a remarkably lively companion until recently. "I am Yang Dae-Cheol of the Iron Fist." "Cho Instructor, what on earth are you thinking?" "Being appointed Chief Instructor this semester is making me so nervous my stomach hurts." The memory of a face laughing at a cheap diner in the darkness played in his mind. When that memory paused, what remained was now nothing more than a slab of meat, exhaling one last breath. His half-closed eyes had lost their light, and the blood dried at the corners of his mouth. Cho Un-Hwi suddenly noticed the right hand hanging broken and the glove, half-destroyed, rolling beside it. Cho Un-Hwi's gaze was cold as he looked at him. No, it was so devoid of warmth that even emotions were absent. "Humans are creatures of betrayal." Why do they continue to burden the mind with unnecessary expectations? "Why do such insignificant things trouble me?" A faint warmth appeared in the corner of his eye. "Why do these trivial matters disturb my peace?" Death was commonplace. Something he had witnessed innumerable times, and had caused even more frequently. Death was a common occurrence, like a stone by the roadside, as natural as falling leaves in autumn. "Ha." An aged voice escaped his throat. Tap, tap, tap! Finding himself suddenly at the cooling body again, Cho Un-Hwi muttered in surprise. "I didn't think I was one for whims." Bringing back the circulation of energy, restoring life rapidly with his touch, startled even Cho Un-Hwi himself. "Having saved him, I can't just leave him here." Cough. Confirming the returning breath with a sputter, Cho Un-Hwi grumbled. "I can't abandon someone who's troubled me." Flare, flare. In the darkness, two ghostly lights appeared. His gaze, scattering a red and blue glow, set beyond the darkness. Shuh, shuh, shuh, shuh! Simultaneously, an obsidian aura surged from his entire body, spreading out into the forest cloaked in night. Ten spans. A hundred spans. The black energy spread, causing all life forms in the forest to be stricken with terror as it passed. Two hundred spans. Three hundred spans. The energy extended endlessly until it caught a familiar presence. "Found you." His red lips beneath the ghostly eyes split into a wide grin. Whoosh! Nestled in a crevice of the valley's rock face, something stirred in response to the energy. "Come here, child." I’m not one for hide and seek. - Graaaaaah! Hearing the distant wail, Cho Un-Hwi chuckled. "Yes. Since you've troubled me, add some worth to your meaningless life before you die." Humming a tune, Cho Un-Hwi slung Yang Dae-Cheol over his shoulder. Then, with a spring in his step, he vanished into the darkness of the valley. --- **They Are Coming!** "War!" Boom! The moment Mo Yong-So Hye shouted, Nam Goong Yoon Ho was pushed back. "Hmm?" The attacker, confident in his lethal move, let out a puzzled sound. But there was something even faster. Wham! As the campfire burst, Baek Ri-Seol, who had been baking the sword, threw it infused with secret sword skills. "Can't you see this side?" Whirr! As the blade flew, the corners of the assailant's eyes rose sharply in surprise. Sizzle. The sword in his grip heated his palm to the point where the fiend hurriedly shook it off. By the time Baek Ri-Seol had already rushed in close, spreading their arms wide. "White Crane Swordsmanship." No, rather... - Phoenix Flare Dance. Faced with an impending sense of danger creeping up their spine, Baek Ri-Seol unveiled the hidden secrets of their art. Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh! As their arms spread wide, unleashing sword strikes, the sparks from the campfire combined to create a single dance of fire. Thud! Thud, thud! The fiend deflected the sword with swift palm techniques, but the ever-changing slashes, cutting and thrusting, found only the air. "What impressive swordsmanship!" As Wang Woo joined in admiration, closing the distance, the fiend abandoned its ambush and leaped away. Shuh, shuh, shuh! Mo Yong-So Hye, observing the silhouette rising in the air, shouted again like a bolt of lightning. "Brother Je Gal!" Crack! Je Gal-Tan, flicking a pebble from his fingertip, completed the formation in a short span. "North! From the hour of the boar!" Boom! As he shouted, the fiend's hands shot out of the darkness, striking Je Gal-Tan. Crash! Such force, backed with intense momentum, shattered the rock beyond a mark. Whoosh. Yet as the air quivered, Je Gal-Tan's form just moments before melted slowly away. It was an elaborate formation. "Grrk?" Feeling something amiss, the fiend instinctively soared into the air to seek another victim. Mo Yong-So Hye shouted sharply. "Brother Nam Goong! Assistance!" "Stay behind me!" Clang! With the clashing sound of steel, Nam Goong Yoon Ho slid back, shielding Mo Yong-So Hye in his embrace. Bang, bang! Quickly rolling to evade from the explosion of the formation's power, Nam Goong Yoon Ho set his sword upright. Wang Woo, who dashed forward and raised a brilliant blue blade, shouted defiantly. "Come at me, you coward, and leave the young ones alone!" Whoosh! As the blue blade split the air, the fiend raised a dark, shimmering hand to block. Thud. The mere meeting of sword and hand sounded like a giant temple bell tolling, causing the ground within a mark's radius around them to sink visibly. Whoooosh. Following this, a wind born of the clash of powers swept up vigorously. Ka-ka-ka-boom! A fierce wave turned into a shockwave, wreaking havoc all around. It all took place in the blink of an eye. Moyong Sunya and Yeo Maehong were left in shock. Mo Yong-So Hye's shout and the sudden invasion of the thief had happened in an instant. If they had to make an excuse, it would be that they hadn't anticipated such swift movement skills. Yet, they had been forewarned. Putting faith in Wang Woo’s presence had been a major miscalculation. "Embarrassingly, I’m at a loss for words." Being overwhelmed by novices making their debut in the martial world. "As an instructor, it's disqualification." Yeo Maehong couldn’t easily hide her astonishment. "They are all incredibly skilled." They were beyond the level of ordinary students. The brief skirmish had displayed a level of expertise that left Yeo Maehong feeling deflated. "We can’t just stay discouraged like this, can we?" "Instructor Eun Haewol once told me." Yeo Maehong, wiping away her usual gentle expression, gripped her sword's sheath. "A true instructor is not one with advanced martial skills, but one who stands before the students." "Glad to hear it." Pat, pat! The two ran toward the campsite. Clang, clang, clang! Wang Woo's rapid thrusting was unparalleled in speed. However, the fiend was no slouch either, as he wielded a formidable barrier of energy around himself to deflect the onslaught. Whish, whish, whish! With a single wave of his hand, dozens of shadowy hands danced in and out, showcasing an incredible mastery of palm techniques. Clang, clang, clang! Boom, boom, boom! Within the chaotic sounds of impact, Wang Woo’s eyes gleamed. "Truly splendid palm techniques." "Grraaaaah." "It's remarkable to possess such skill despite losing your mind. How did such heavenly talent end up in a mere lackey?" Wang Woo’s righteous lament spurred his sword speed even further. Swish, swish, swish! In response, the fiend intensified his dark energy, twisting his wrists fiercely. Boom, boom, boom! Such intense dark energy, that even the mere act of twisting his palm could create a small whirlwind. "Power that knows no bounds!" His garments flapping wildly from the sheer intensity of the force, Wang Woo leaped high into the air, no longer underestimating the dark arts. Boom! The moment he left his position, it exploded, causing Wang Woo’s body to stagger amidst the shockwave. Swish! The fiend who spotted his opponent losing balance in mid-air executed a flight-like movement skill, targeting Wang Woo. Flipping his body with a confident smile, Wang Woo mused. "Ha. Who would dare challenge me to a fight in mid-air?" Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Wang Woo altered his trajectory five times in the air, swiftly passing the fiend by. "Graaaah!" For the first time, the fiend screamed, launching himself skyward. Descending lightly onto the ground, Wang Woo was startled. "Riding on the wind to fly?" No matter how exceptional Kunlun's Cloud Dragon Eight-Fold Techniques were, they couldn’t compare to the art of riding the wind. After pursuing the fiend for a while, Swash! "Oh no! I've been duped!" The fiend, who seemed to have fled, attacked from behind once more. Clang! The next target was Je Gal-Tan. Likely hoping to target the weaker individuals after having been intimidated by Wang Woo. "It seems I’ve been underestimated." Despite staggering, the tip of Je Gal-Tan's sword began to shimmer like a firefly settling. - Illusionary Sword Technique. Swish. As the firefly danced around the sword tip while Je Gal-Tan mildly swayed, the fiend surprisingly unleashed his palm techniques toward thin air. Shush. Ensnared by the lingering fireflies, the fiend again targeted the ground with his palm attacks. ‘What is he doing?’ Not sure of the reason, but it was the perfect opening for Moyong Sunya. "Je Gal!" "Move in five steps right." Immediately following Je Gal-Tan's direction, she positioned herself, prompting the fiend to haphazardly thrash his form. Seeing the exposed back of the fiend, Moyong Sunya's eyes twinkled. ‘He intended this all along.’ Such mastery in orchestrating a sword array was unnervingly beyond a mere student’s capability. ‘I can’t miss this opportunity.’ Flash! As the blade's aura burst forth, a brilliant green sword light shone bright. - Jade Celestial Art. A hereditary masterpiece of swordsmanship, taught only to direct descendants in the Moyong family. The green sword aura, imbued with purifying energy, sliced through the fiend's back. "Graaagh!" Wracked with pain, the fiend flailed wildly, unleashing bursts of power in all directions. ‘A terrifying level of power.’ Even though their attacks were disorderly, resisting them was no easy feat. Thankfully, reinforcements arrived. "Sis!" Shh-shh-shh! Drawing a sweeping arc, Yeo Maehong gracefully closed in with light footwork, tapping Moyong Sunya on the back. Whoosh. As strength flowed into her through the back, Moyong Sunya took a moment to catch her breath, and Yeo Maehong joined in. "Two and a half steps to the left." Following Je Gal-Tan's instructions, they positioned themselves, ultimately surrounding the fiend from three sides. ‘Amazing. Je Gal's ability to read a sword array is remarkable.’ With newfound appreciation, Yeo Maehong narrowed her eyes fiercely. Clang, clang, clang, clang! Her ensuing attack was that of the most fluid swordplay. Swaying like bamboo in the wind, the flow of her sword was a secret technique known only to the secular school of Wudang, known as the Swirling Wind Eight Swords. Now faced with sharp, merciless swordsmanship from one side, and relentless whirling strikes from the other, the fiend’s dual-handed defense faltered. Whirl, whirl, whirl! With strange light joining the fray, the fiend finally succumbed to the overpowering assault. Thwack, thwack, thwack, thwack! "Ugh..." Grunting through suppressed pain, he staggered back amidst the barrage of attacks. "Haah!" "Yaaap!" Even as the assault continued with flashing sword auras, the fiend spread his arms wide again. "Caw-!" As he rose with a protective aura, Moyong Sunya shouted like a scream. "It's the Celestial Feather Leap!" So it really was the Silver Moon Flit! "It’s a trick!" Whoosh! Feigning an attempt to soar into the sky, the fiend reversed his form, striking Moyong Sunya's shoulder with his palm technique. Clang! She blocked with the green sword aura, but the vibrating blade stung, and with a bang, she was pushed back. "Cough." The overpowering energy sent her plowing into the ground, bringing her to one knee. "Stop right there." From the distance, Wang Woo mustered his energy into a powerful roar. Startled, the fiend let out a harsh croak as he rose and unleashed his force toward Yeo Maehong. Boom! Boom! Attempting to dissipate the accumulating force using the Swirling Wind Eight Swords by moving fluidly was proving to be a challenge. Boom! "Ack!" Just intercepting a few of the fiend's concentrated energy strikes caused cracks to appear on the blade. Clang. Crack! As the fiend grasped the sword between his index and middle finger, then flicked it down the length of the blade, Yeo Maehong's sword shattered with a resonant snap! "Yeo Instructor!" The moment Baek Ri-Seol and Nam Goong Yoon Ho moved into action, having noticed the perilous situation, A chilling laughter, almost mocking in nature, escaped as the fiend’s form suddenly submerged. "Eek!" Moyong So Hye, held by the fiend's grip around her collar, flailed desperately as an ear-piercing scream filled the air. Was this his intention all along? "Graaaaah." The fiend's mouth opened wide, moving toward her pale, delicate neck. Moyong So Hye froze, petrified by the sight of the crimson fangs closing in on her.