103 - Missions, Investigation (10) - The Heaven-Slaying Sword

Yeon Ri Geon wiped the blood trickling down as he looked at Mok Riwon. ‘So, you’ve finally reached it.’ The absolute pinnacle. A realm where one could draw out and manifest the thought energy existing within the mind. He had anticipated this, but Mok Riwon had reached that realm faster than expected. This was troublesome. ‘However, my task remains unchanged.’ He was ordered to capture Mok Riwon. Yeon Ri Geon readjusted his grip on the cracked sword, overlaying it with demonic energy. “A commendable move.” “I did not do it for praise.” “Nevertheless, it was commendable. Hence….” With a whoosh! Yeon Ri Geon’s demonic energy enveloped his entire body. “...This is where I stop playing.” Yeon Ri Geon launched forward. Mok Riwon countered, releasing his own energy once more. Boom! The space vibrated. * Amid the clash between Yeon Ri Geon and Mok Riwon, Dang Hwa-seo was pressing on, cutting through the encroaching enemies. “Argh!” “Ugh!” It was Dang Hwa-seo dealing with the underlings, releasing a sea of poison and stirring it around her. Namgung Jincheon was tasked with protecting Seo Ye. Whenever someone managed to pierce through the poison towards Seo Ye, Namgung Jincheon mercilessly swung his sword. Swish! An enemy was split from head to toe. Seo Ye swallowed dryly before saying, “Thank you.” “It’s what I’m supposed to do. And don’t get too close; it’s annoying.” A vein popped on Seo Ye’s forehead. Even amidst the chaos, Namgung Jincheon’s teasing and bickering began to seem particularly galling. It was either his confidence or his arrogance. Unaware of the curses Seo Ye was hurling internally, Namgung Jincheon was again a step ahead, wielding his sword. Swish! Again, an enemy fell to his blade in a single stroke. But, the enemies were too many. Boom! “Ugh!” Dang Hwa-seo punched an enemy in the throat. She surveyed the situation and bit her lip in frustration. ‘There are too many.’ She had assumed there would be fewer enemies, but their number had already exceeded fifty. Had they concentrated their forces inside in advance? ‘…No.’ Dang Hwa-seo considered another possibility. The masters who had headed in Mok Riwon’s direction - it made more sense to assume their forces had been reinforced. We won’t make it in time at this rate. With that thought, Dang Hwa-seo shouted, “Sword Dragon! Take the sect leader and go ahead to the depths! I will block this place!” From here to the sect leader's room was a straight path. Meaning, if forces were to converge, they would come from behind, so her staying behind to block the enemies while sending Seo Ye to the sect leader's room would be faster. Namgung Jincheon nodded and embraced Seo Ye’s waist. “Ah!” “Please.” Regardless of Seo Ye’s surprise, Namgung Jincheon burst forth, igniting his inner energy. Dang Hwa-seo finally took a moment to catch her breath and looked ahead, smirking mischievously. “They’re swarming like a pack of dogs.” Though she had already taken down dozens, more enemies emerged from the corridor, fixing their gaze on her. Dang Hwa-seo cracked her knuckles, ready to fight back. “Forget pushing through with numbers.” If it was a mass battle against those of lesser skill, Dang Hwa-seo was more confident than anyone. Plus, now she didn't need to adjust the toxicity considering her allies. Whirr— From Dang Hwa-seo’s body, a dark green poisonous mist began to emanate. Aishim, the poison she had discovered upon reaching her peak, began to fill the space. “Come.” With those words, Dang Hwa-seo stepped forward, and the poison spread like a tidal wave. “Kill them―!” The enemies charged with fury, and Dang Hwa-seo’s lonely defense began. * Arriving at the sect leader's room, Namgung Jincheon furrowed his brows. “There’s someone powerful inside.” “A charmer? Will you be okay?” “Silly question.” With a chuckle, Namgung kicked open the door. Bang! The sight that met them was unexpected. A reasonably large room, full of bookshelves, with a bed instead of a desk at the end. Looking at the woman lying lazily on the bed and the withered corpse below it, Namgung Jincheon spoke. “Is it you? The charmer?” “You’re the Black Dragon? Uglier than I expected.” Twitch— Namgung Jincheon's fingertips quivered, his expression growing grave. Meanwhile, the charmer, Yang Go Hye, continued. “Is this supposed to be a beauty the world hasn’t seen before? The sect deputy would be better.” “The sect deputy….” Namgung Jincheon mulled over her words, attempting to shake off his anger, albeit unsuccessfully. “You filthy whore…!” Anger flashed in Namgung Jincheon’s eyes. Whoosh— A deep blue energy began to suppress the room. Seo Ye gasped for air. Even though the murderous intent wasn’t directed at them, the sheer weight was too much, causing their bodies to scream in protest. Thump. As Namgung Jincheon stepped forward, Yang Go Hye smirked at him. "Ah, the Sword Dragon? The scum pushed to second place by the Black Dragon the moment he showed up. Figures, you do look like second-rate material." "Shut up." The sword rose upwards. And then it came slashing down. In that instant, the energy Namgung Jincheon unleashed leapt through space towards Yang Go Hye's waist. At that moment, Yang Go Hye extended her hand. Bang! In Yang Go Hye’s hand ignited a sinister white flame. Namgung Jincheon's internal energy was blocked by her hand. "Bare-handed Demon Technique." It was one of the most renowned martial arts techniques known in the martial world, recognized even by Namgung Jincheon. Yang Go Hye, with her eyes shaped like new moons, stood up. Her attire—or lack thereof—made it difficult to discern if she was dressed at all, as her long legs gleamed, boasting bare skin. "Uhm, better a pheasant than no fowl. I might have to suck on you for a while. By then, the Black Dragon might be brought in." "I'll have your head before that happens." "You’d lose your virginity first." Namgung Jincheon's neck veins throbbed as Yang Go Hye laughed heartily. "Right? A virgin shines through no matter what. You're just like one, prattling about chastity and whores; the hallmark of virgins." "Enough talk, whore." Bang! Namgung Jincheon swung his sword again. Although it was blocked, he did not care. "Filthy whore. You die here." His eyes wide open, the words he spat out revealed the depth of Namgung Jincheon's fury. Seo Ye, even in their suffocated state, managed to say, "Don't fall for her provocations! The charmer’s martial arts..." "I don't get swayed by mere provocations!" 'Clearly, you have!' Proclaiming so with his neck veins standing out, how was he not affected? His eyes were bloodshot with anger. Seo Ye silently lamented their unfortunate insight. Yang Go Hye’s martial arts held an enchantment-like mechanism. The more intensified one's emotions became and the more muddled their rationale due to that emotion, the easier it was for her to seduce them. That was how the Hao Sect was easily defeated. With Yang Go Hye inciting anger by killing another disciple right in front of everyone, leading them to lose their senses and falling prey. This can't go on. The moment Seo Ye realized this, "Die you whore!" Namgung Jincheon swung his sword again, almost losing half of his senses. "You stink-ridden maggot!" Bang! "A vile woman good for nothing but to be lumped with her father!" Bang! "A shameless bitch who has bedded more than a hundred men!" Bang! With each consecutive strike, Namgung Jincheon's fury grew even more ferocious. Amidst all this, Seo Ye felt a sharp headache. "Sword Dragon!" "Don't talk to me!" Bang! Once again, Namgung Jincheon swung his sword, and Yang Go Hye blocked it. Namgung Jincheon's heaving shoulders showed how much internal energy he had invested in his last attack. Yang Go Hye smirked. [Hey.] She spoke with an eerie resonance. Startled— Namgung Jincheon’s body shuddered. His eyes began to blur. [Come closer.] Sorcery. Seo Ye had once experienced this charm technique. Therefore, they hugged Namgung Jincheon’s waist. "No!" But they couldn’t stop him. Namgung Jincheon, caught by Seo Ye, took a step forward. [Even closer.] He took another step at her behest. [More.] And another step forward. Seo Ye's face turned pale. 'How...!' Seo Ye's eyes darted around. A way to break this situation. A way to awaken the muddled Namgung Jincheon. Their ceaseless thoughts began to search for it. Amidst this, an idea that flashed through their mind was caught. -Virgin. The word Yang Go Hye used to provoke Namgung Jincheon. The word that shook him. A light flickered in Seo Ye's mind. Hesitation filled their eyes, but it soon disappeared. 'This isn’t the time to weigh the pros and cons!' Seo Ye blushed, let go of Namgung Jincheon’s waist, stepped in front of him, and on tiptoes, pushed their head forward, eyes tightly shut. Smack— Seo Ye’s lips touched Namgung Jincheon’s. At that instant, Namgung Jincheon stirred. 'There’s a reaction!' Trembling, Seo Ye proceeded to act. Crunch! With all their might, they bit Namgung Jincheon’s lips and shoved their tongue in. Slurp! As their tongues touched, an inexplicable thrill ran down Seo Ye’s spine. "How dare you!" Yang Go Hye, realizing what Seo Ye was trying to do, shot her demonic energy. A vast white flame opened its maw towards them. Seo Ye spotted it. 'We’re done for...!' The realization that they might be incinerated by that flame dawned on them at that moment. "...Nice try." That’s when a voice reached Seo Ye’s ears. They glanced at Namgung Jincheon, who, with lips still caught, was staring straight ahead. Their face was beet red. Seo Ye pulled back in surprise, and as they did, Namgung Jincheon swung his arm mightily. Boom! The flames were extinguished by the energy Namgung Jincheon unleashed. Seo Ye exclaimed with a brightened face, "Sword Dragon! You’ve woken up!" "…" Namgung Jincheon couldn’t respond. His red face and trembling lips indicated he was deferring his answer out of embarrassment. In fact, Namgung Jincheon wished he could bury his nose in a pot and die. The harsh return to reality. For some reason, the pain and soft sensation felt through his lips. Seo Ye's red face filling his view. Thump—Thump— Remembering it made Namgung Jincheon's heart throb violently. ‘I’ve…!’ He couldn’t believe he had given his lips to an external woman under the influence of sorcery! As it happens when one is trying to rationalize, Namgung Jincheon began to search for something—anything—to excuse his behavior. Fortunately, he found it. "…She dispersed the Bewitching Fragrance." Only then did Namgung Jincheon realize the entire space was filled with the Bewitching Fragrance, a substance to cloud one’s judgment. Yang Go Hye clicked her tongue and responded, "What a pity. Thought it’d be over by now." "Wretched thing, resorting to such petty tricks." "Talking back after being played?" Yang Go Hye snickered, and veins popped on Namgung Jincheon’s forehead. Seo Ye again tried to intervene. "Sword Dragon!" "I know." Grinding his teeth, Namgung Jincheon glared at Yang Go Hye. He was not stupid enough to fall for the same provocation twice. A peculiar standoff ensued. Then Yang Go Hye sighed deeply, starting to unravel her demonic energy. "Enough playing around." Whoosh! The burning demonic energy began to take shape. It was the symbol of being at the pinnacle of their power, Qigong. Seo Ye felt their heart sink and asked Namgung Jincheon, "What do we do now?" "We break through." "But her Qigong is…!" "We break it, and that’s it." Namgung Jincheon glared at Yang Go Hye while unraveling his internal energy. The power he had nurtured in his danjeon, akin to soaking it in elixirs since birth, already far surpassed the levels of the pinnacle. "To reach the pinnacle means just to touch it." "That's easier said than…!" "Easy." Roar! Namgung Jincheon's hair began to float in the energy that shook the space. "The stars speak." Emperor Star. The star that whispered Namgung Jincheon would be the next unparalleled under the heavens. It was a new blueprint. "Now is the time to break the wall." Seo Ye swallowed dryly. Namgung Jincheon stepped forward and said, "So, stay back." In the storm of internal energy pressing down the space, Seo Ye quietly stepped back. They felt a strange anticipation seeing his drastically different demeanor from before. Yet, there was a thought that surfaced even amidst that anticipation. '…Something.' Having been thoroughly messed with by seduction to the point of displaying such embarrassment, it wasn’t exactly cool. "Let’s finish it." A little… a lot had happened.