Yoo Ho-jeong slowly closed his eyes.
His hollow logic resulted in the splurge of action that happened first thing in the morning because of the Faction’s beliefs. It was the desire of wanting to kill the Minor Heavenly Demon that made Yoo Ho-jeong meet his own end. He did not feel sorry for the desire and paid accordingly.
Yoo Ho-jeong was looking up at the sky, while Lee Sungmin looked down at him with gloomy eyes. Blinking his eyes, Yoo Ho-jeong opened his mouth to say something, but he couldn’t speak. Instead, it was red blood that spat out from Yoo Ho-jeong’s mouth.
Yoo Ho-jeong failed to stop Lee Sungmin’s spear. His armor, his trusted line of defense, which gave him the nickname ‘Ironclad’ couldn’t protect him. Yoo Ho-jeong tried to kill Lee Sungmin, and Lee Sungmin dealt with him in sincerity and strength. And so the result was apparent.
Yoo Ho-jeong raised his trembling hand and fumbled around to feel his chest. The hole in his chest was deep enough to see the other side, but the blood was so thick that it could only be seen in a red hue. Yoo Ho-jeong vomited blood continuously. He moved his bloody lips, smiled and looked at Lee Sungmin.
“That… choice… you’ll regret…”
“I won’t.”
The Orthodox faction was going all out to kill the Minor Heavenly Demon, but in fact, it was no different from asking Yoo Ho-jeong to commit suicide. Yoo Ho-jeong did not resent the decision. There must have been a good reason, he tried to convince himself before.
Just as he believed he was right, so did Lee Sungmin. Lee Sungmin sighed. He didn’t want to regret it even if he was a pushover. To some people, Wijihoyeon may seem evil. After all, she was like a main character in Eria. Maybe one day she would really become one.
But, not for Lee Sungmin.
“Well, that’s for sure.”, Yoo Ho-jeong muttered.
He did not resent Lee Sungmin. It was true that Yoo Ho-jeong tried to kill Lee Sungmin. He was dying due to blood loss. That’s usually how one would die; in battle, if you were in the Murim. Yoo Ho-jeong was a warrior and had long known that one day he would come to this end. That was probably the reason why he closed his eyes without resentment.
And that was how Yoo Ho-jeong died.
It was not a good feeling to kill others with regrets. It was someone Lee Sungmin didn’t want to kill. Although their relationship was short lived, he was known as a martial artist with a high reputation, ahead of Lee Sungmin as a no-class. Even though he said he was narrow-minded, he was a long-standing and outstanding warrior of the Orthodox.
[Cry me a river.]
Heoju muttered. Lee Sungmin knew what Heoju was getting at. By killing Yoo Ho-jeong, he was setting his path in stone. His nickname as a meritorious warrior would be thrown down the drain along with his nickname ‘Ghost Gun’. If he wanted to live a life on his own terms he needed to firm his resolve.
Lee Sungmin then turned around to face the Heavenly Demon and the resting Wijihoyeon.
“Let’s go.”
“Aren’t you gonna at least send him off?”
In his chest, the artificial spirit form of Rubia grumbled and asked. Lee Sungmin passed by Yoo Ho-jeong’s body.
“The road we have to walk, there will be many others to bury besides him.”, he answered.
Eyes from the spectators around the South Gate were demeaning. People were running from the entrance. They hurled abusive words at Lee Sungmin.
He dismissed it. He wouldn’t listen to them anyways. Because he didn’t want to spark conflict within them, Lee Sungmin opened his eyes to look at them.
But they didn’t come after him. They saw how Lee Sungmin killed the Ironclad right in front of them. None of the fighters in the area could hold a candle to Lee Sungmin. Moreover, they wouldn’t fight just for words when they had their own lives to value.
The Ironclad had wasted his life.
Lee Sungmin didn’t know but there was a lingering feeling of discomfort in the corner of his heart. Was that narrow-minded belief in justice worth risking one’s reputation and life? He was disturbed by how the factions convinced good people and warriors in their beliefs, only to take it to such extremes and lose their lives pitifully.
And so they left Rubes.
—
“Aren’t you tired?”
Lee Sungmin stopped walking down the trail.
A man stood under the shade of a tree not far from him. Without his definitive and firm voice, Lee Sungmin wouldn’t have noticed that a man was standing there. As such, the presence of the man was faint. But, even that was an understatement.
He was in total stealth and transparency.
“I saw the fight with the Ironclad. He was a peak master of the Orthodox, however he was pretty easy to deal with, wasn’t he?”
The man was wearing a large overcoat, and a pair of large, voluminous boots. The sleeves were wide and long, so Lee Sungmin couldn’t see his hands. He walked out of the shade waving his long sleeve.
“Is the Minor Heavenly Demon asleep?”, Amzone asked.
Lee Sungmin looked at Amzone with a stiff expression. Although he was standing in front of Lee Sungmin’s eyes not too far away, he still felt his presence wavering. It was a queer feeling. The Crazy Heavenly Demon, who was standing behind Lee Sungmin, also looked nervous.
“The curse of Qian Zun is getting stronger, isn’t it? I can’t believe it’s working on a warrior in the Transcendence Realm. Whoo-hoo! You’re the best. I’ve never felt great about curses, but I have to admit that it’s working.”
“…you…who are you?”, asked Lee Sungmin.
“Beyond the Heavens.”
Amzone revealed his affiliation without hiding it.
“Have you heard from Minor Heavenly Demon about the Six Divinities? I’m one of them, Amzone.”
Lee Sungmin felt incredibly unlucky.
He thought he’d eventually meet a master from Beyond the Heavens someday but he never imagined that today was that day. It had only been about two hours since they left the South Gate of Rubes.
“You don’t look so great. “
Amzone muttered and curved the corners of his mouth to a toothy grin. He took off his vest and put it down next to him.
“You don’t have to be too afraid. I don’t intend to kill you. I just want to test you a little.”
“Test?”
“I’ve met a lot of talented and potential young fighters, but… Whew! I’ve never seen someone as great as you.”
“So you’re basically going to do nothing about us… Is that really all?”, questioned Lee Sungmin.
“That’s not true.”
Amzone burst into laughter. He replied with a tint of maliciousness, looking at Wijihoyeon, who was sleeping behind Lee Sungmin.
“And to take the Minor Heavenly Demon.”
Lee Sungmin’s expression hardened and went ice-cold. From the time he heard Amzone state his identity as one of the Six Divinites from Beyond the Heavens, the eyes of Crazy Heavenly Demon went cold and emitted a blood-curdling killing intent. He strode forward and spat out.
“Is the Swordmaster Zoan coming?”
“Ah! Crazy Heavenly Demon.”
Amzone’s gaze turned to the Crazy Heavenly Demon.
“You haven’t yet forgotten that you lost to him 10 years ago. Sadly, he didn’t come here. But why are you looking for the Sword Prince? Do you want to take your revenge from what happened ten years ago?”
“If it’s possible.”
“It’s impossible, because your skills won’t even touch Zoan’s hair.”
Amzone uttered with a menacing grin full of arrogance.
“Don’t skip the line. Beyond the Heavens is no longer interested in you. If a decade has passed and you have not reached the realm of Transcendence, then that’s your limit and your fate. Our group is by no means amiable to the unqualified.”
Amzone warned him and then looked at Lee Sungmin.
“I’m going to be taking the Minor Heavenly Demon. It would be nice if she came along willingly but, I don’t think things will go that way because she’s sleeping like a little birdie hehe!”
“I’m not giving her to the likes of you. “
“Oh? And why’s that? Do you even know what Beyond the Heavens is? Do you know the reason why we’re trying to take her with us? Are you really going to butt in our business and try to stop us when you don’t know anything? Think about it. We could have killed the Minor Heavenly Demon a hundred times over, but we didn’t.”
“You cursed her…”
“That’s what Qian Zun did hastily. He was shocked that he couldn’t defeat the Minor Heavenly Demon with his sheer martial ability.”
Amzone answered like that without a single reaction evident on his face.
“That’s why I’m here, because Qian Zun can’t move. With the curse from the Heavenly Sorcerer of ‘the Six’, the Minor Heavenly Demon has been reduced to this. Even with the caster’s ability he could easily kill her right now. But the Minor Heavenly Demon did not die and came to Rubes. Why do you think that’s been the case up till now?”
Lee Sungmin could not answer. Amzone didn’t need Lee Sungmin’s answer, so he gave the answer to his own question in advance.
“I’ve done a lot of work for a little bird in the sky that Minor Heavenly Demon is not aware of. I have killed many who have come to recognize and threaten the Minor Heavenly Demon behind the scenes, I did that to protect her from the shadows. At the South Gate, the Ironclad was deliberately left alone. I just wanted the Minor Heavenly Demon to despair at her helplessness. I never expected that you’d step in and protect her.”
“So…?” “We don’t have any malice towards the Minor Heavenly Demon. In fact we’re more or less an unopened present for her. Do you even know what her fate is?”
“What…?”
“You don’t seem to know. I don’t have to explain it to you, but that’s fine. Our interests seem to be in sync.”
Amzone shook his right hand lightly. The wide sleeve rolled down his arm and revealed his hand. He held a dagger the size of his palm and lifted it up and spun it like a flashlight.
“I have to test you and take her with me. You want to stop me don’t you?”
“Where is Qian Zun?”
“Don’t beat around the bush, Ghost Gun.”
“There’s no reason to tell you why I need to know. You seem to have a lot of interest in both of us, but if you want answers or compliance you need to be stronger than your opponent. But, are you sure you’re the stronger one?”
Lee Sungmin talked with a blanklessly cold expression that betrayed the anxiousness he was feeling at the sudden situation.
‘We need to work together.’
The Crazy Heavenly Demon communicated via telepathy. This was not the time to take pride. Amzone, the one in front of him, was the strongest person Lee Sungmin had ever faced. Lee Sungmin alone wouldn’t be able to handle him.
‘Will you help me?’
‘I will.’
The Crazy Heavenly Demon answered without hesitation. Amzone laughed as he watched the Crazy Heavenly Demon communicating with telepathy, obviously trying to pull something on him.
“Are you thinking of working together? That’s not bad either. Yeah…Crazy Heavenly Demon, if you join forces, I won’t kill you, either.”
Crazy Heavenly Demon’s face was distorted from Amzone’s arrogant remarks that hit right at his pride as a martial artist. He started to rouse his internal energy and it started to pulsate strongly enough his hair started to flutter violently. Lee Sungmin took out his hand and put on Rubia’s spirit form.
“What, what?!”
“It may be dangerous…Please keep Wijihoyeon safe.”
Rubia hesitated and nodded her head. The Crazy Heavenly Demon carefully laid Wijihoyeon down as he examined the movements of Amzone. Wijihoyeon was still asleep with a pale face. Rubia approached her and carefully held her in her arms.
“I’m worried that the annoying ones will see it.”, said Amzone.
Amzone put his hand at his shoulder, as he was saying so. What he took out was a transparent sphere that came into one hand. He shook it lightly, and soon threw it up into the sky.
-Paat!
The sphere gave off a bright light and surrounded them. Lee Sungmin and the Crazy Heavenly Demon looked around, bewildered by the heterogeneity felt in the space itself
“Don’t be surprised. I’m just blocking the space around here. Isn’t it more comfortable to fight without others?”
That’s how Amzone began to strut along.
“It’s a promise I just made to myself. I won’t touch the Minor Heavenly Demon until I overpower you two. “
Lee Sungmin didn’t listen to the words till the end. With all his might, he shot straight at Amzone with his spear as he released his techniques.
‘2-step Gentle Ripples technique’ ‘Nine Heavenly Spears Technique : 2 nd move Nine Dragon’s Annihilation’ ‘Blood Gale Nova’
The Crazy Heavenly Demon didn’t just stand still either. He ran after Lee Sungmin. Their bodies were both covered in a blood-scarlet mist, and the Crazy Heavenly Demon’s steps shook the ground every time he stepped forward.
In the face of the two rushing, reckless and swift attackers, Amzone stood motionless. He shook the dagger lightly with his right hand.
BAM!
The dagger was then fired at them. It fell right in the path of Lee Sungmin, who was quickly narrowing the distance from Amzone, who was stretching out.
Gwa-a-a-a-a-ang!
The ground exploded. Lee Sungmin’s body reeled backwards as the ground cracked apart and rocks overturned. The dust spreaded out in all directions. Without panicking, Lee Sungmin swung the spear widely and scattered the dust.
“Ugh…”
Lee Sungmin’s body suddenly stiffened. A warning from his sixth sense passed through Lee Sungmin’s body faster than that. Pakapak ! There were dozens of daggers embedded in the ground, Lee Sungmin shuddered slightly. Beyond the dust, the dagger thrown by Amzone grazed Lee Sungmin’s body, and the internal energy force for self defense that he used failed to disperse the trajectory of the dagger.
“I didn’t get you there.”, Amzone said while waving his empty hands.
Before he knew it, Amzone held a disk the size of a palm. After putting it on his index finger and twirling it, he glanced at the Crazy Heavenly Demon, who was close to the disk.
“Huh!”
The bloody mist from the Blood Gale Nova from the Crazy Heavenly Demon exploded towards Amzone, but his body disappeared like smoke. Standing next to the Crazy Heavenly Demon, Amzone passed by him with a gentle step. The Crazy Heavenly Demon contorted his face and thrust his fist at Amzone, and this time it was the same. Amzone was like a goblin with two eyes but no substance. Every time Crazy Heavenly Demon’s fist touched Amzone’s body, he turned into a wisp of smoke and disappeared.
[The air is different]
Heoju said in admiration. Lee Sungmin jumped over the dagger embedded in the ground and rushed back towards Amzone. Amzone glanced at the spear and blew away the disk that was twirling with his finger. It cut through the air, turning fiercely, and making no sound. The disk that flew through the line aimed for Lee Sungmin. Lee Sungmin fired his spear clad with the blood-red aura at the disk. But the disk did not get pierced. As soon as it reached, the disk’s trajectory changed. It passed by the neck of Lee Sungmin, turning softly in the air.
Sheeeeeeen!
Blood flowed from his thinly cut skin at the neck. Lee Sungmin was startled and raised his hand to wrap the wound around his neck. If it had been cut deeper, it would have been fatal.
“I won’t kill you.”
Is what Amzone said with his ever malicious smile.