Heavenly Demon of Mount Hua

Chapter 42

—–CROW—– 

“The tide is finally turning.”

The Little White Ghost’s expression hardened slightly as he watched the chaotic melee between the White Ghost Squad and the Plum Blossom Swordsmen.

The Plum Blossom Swordsmen were just kids, and there were only five of them.

Compared to the fifty members of the White Ghost Squad he had brought, they were outnumbered ten to one.

Yet, they were unexpectedly holding their own.

“Are the Plum Blossom Swordsmen this strong?”

The Little White Ghost frowned.

‘These must be the new Plum Blossom Swordsmen, but to hold their own against the White Ghost Squad…’

The Hundred Ghosts Castle constantly updated and collected information on the Mount Hua Sect.

However, the Plum Blossom Swordsmen’s skill level was higher than he had anticipated.

Of course, if he intervened, he could quickly resolve the situation regardless…

“Your opponent is me.”

Ha Woo-jin, frowning, stood before him, wary.

“The Flying Swallow Sword Lord, was it?”

The Little White Ghost smirked.

“I’ve been wanting to meet you.”

Ha Woo-jin’s eyes narrowed.

He was desperately suppressing his boiling rage.

Their actions were atrocious.

Not only had they launched a surprise attack, but they had also set fire to the Swift Wind Trading Company.

He couldn’t even begin to imagine how many lives had been lost.

“…You will pay for your sins.”

“Puhahahaha!”

The Little White Ghost’s eyes widened momentarily at Ha Woo-jin’s declaration, then he burst into laughter.

However, unlike his boisterous laughter, his eyes remained cold.

His laughter abruptly ceased.

“Pay for our sins?  It’s you who will pay!”

The Little White Ghost retorted.

From his perspective, it was those who had killed the Soul Slaughter Squad who should atone.

Pababat!

Ten White Ghost Squad members surrounded Ha Woo-jin and launched hidden weapons.

As if anticipating the ambush, Ha Woo-jin drew his sword and swung it in a circle.

Chachachaeng!

A sharp sound rang out as the incoming projectiles scattered.

Then,

Shuwook—

A sharp projectile, with a different sound from before, targeted his left shoulder.

Paat!

He lunged forward and turned his head, but he couldn’t completely avoid the surprise attack.

“Ugh!”

His robe ripped at the left shoulder, revealing a long gash.  Blood welled up and trickled down his arm.

He bit his lip and looked up.

The Little White Ghost was glaring at him, holding throwing knives and iron shards between his fingers.

“This is unexpected. I heard the Mount Zhongnan and Mount Hua Sects were hostile recently, but to see you working together…”

“…Even if our sects are at odds, wouldn’t it be natural to unite against the Hundred Ghosts Castle?”

“Oh ho. I see.”

The Little White Ghost gave a chilling smile and flicked his wrist, sending the remaining knives and shards flying.

Wheeing—

As Ha Woo-jin deflected the incoming projectiles with his sword,

Ssst—

The Little White Ghost’s black pupils turned white, as if covered in snow.

It was a phenomenon that occurred when he channeled the internal energy of the Evil Yin Ghost Manifestation Art.

He then took a large step forward.

Whoosh!

Infusing his internal energy into the White Ghost Night Walk, his movements became increasingly bizarre.

His figure seemed to stretch, instantly closing the distance between him and Ha Woo-jin.

Startled by the grotesque sight, Ha Woo-jin swung his sword defensively.

Whoosh— Whoosh—

The Little White Ghost dodged all the incoming sword strikes with just a tilt of his head.

His movements were agile.

But that wasn’t all.

Whizz!

A gust of wind swept past.  He had executed a kick, pivoting on his left foot.

Ha Woo-jin raised his forearm to block the sharp kick aimed at his side.

“Ugh!”

A dull pain jolted through his body.

If he hadn’t blocked it, he would have coughed up blood from the sheer force.

Staggering back from the impact, Ha Woo-jin adjusted his grip on his sword and thrust.

It was the Thirty-Six Sword Techniques of Mount Zhongnan, the Mount Zhongnan Sect’s prized swordsmanship.

“Gasp!”

The Little White Ghost gasped and leaped back at the sharp sword attack.

Flutter—

His torn robe, sliced by the Thirty-Six Sword Techniques, fluttered in the wind and was consumed by the flames, turning to ash.

A brief exchange.

It was enough for both of them to realize that their opponent was at least their equal.

“The Thirty-Six Sword Techniques, huh.”

Having instantly identified Ha Woo-jin’s swordsmanship, the Little White Ghost vanished.

“Where?!”

Ha Woo-jin swung his sword horizontally at the Little White Ghost, who reappeared right before him.

Whizz!

The Little White Ghost ducked.

His black hair swayed as if suspended in mid-air.

Whooooosh!

The whistling sound of wind grew closer, coming from beneath Ha Woo-jin’s chin.

He quickly lowered his head and saw a palm, imbued with a chilling Yin energy, rising from below.

“Gasp!”

Ha Woo-jin jerked his head back, narrowly avoiding the palm strike, but the force of the attack still impacted him.

Groan—

A moan escaped his lips.

He clutched his head and forced his staggering body upright.

“You dodged that?”

The Little White Ghost looked surprised.

It had been a surprise attack with the Ghost Yin Palm, infused with the internal energy of the Evil Yin Ghost Manifestation Art, aimed at his chin.

It had almost connected, and he had been certain it would hit.

But Ha Woo-jin had narrowly dodged it.

Whoosh— Whoosh—

Ha Woo-jin shook his head violently.

Although he had dodged the direct hit, his chin was numb, and his vision was blurry.

The Little White Ghost and the surrounding scenery seemed to melt together like rippling water.

“Just a glancing blow did this. If I hadn’t dodged…”

Beads of sweat formed on Ha Woo-jin’s forehead.

His opponent was no easy match.

He took a deep breath.

He couldn’t face the Little White Ghost in his current tense state.

A gentle and pure energy emanated from him.

One of the Mount Zhongnan Sect’s prized techniques, which had earned him the nickname Flying Swallow Sword Lord.

The Heavenly Profound Robust Energy manifested through him.

***

“Early Supreme Martial Realm, huh.”

Cheon-hwi rested his chin on his hand and watched the battles unfolding before him.

He looked like a carefree idler, but if anyone knew what he was sitting on, they would have remained silent.

A mountain of mangled corpses.

Cheon-hwi was perched atop it.

“They’re evenly matched.”

His eyes remained steady as he observed the fierce battle between the Flying Swallow Sword Lord and the Little White Ghost.

A close and evenly matched fight.

But he soon turned his head.

He didn’t care who won.

So what if one of them was a friend of his former master? He didn’t even know who his master was.

Whoosh—

Cheon-hwi’s gaze shifted towards the blazing flames in the distance.

The raging fire soared into the sky like a rising dragon, illuminating the dark night sky.

Even those fetching water to extinguish the fire couldn’t approach the inferno, mesmerized by the spectacle.

‘This is taking longer than I thought.’

Cheon-hwi’s gaze pierced through the flames.

Hyeon-do and the Hand-Severing Lone Sword were exchanging blows amidst the raging fire.

“His skills have definitely improved.”

Cheon-hwi watched Hyeon-do deflecting the Hand-Severing Lone Sword’s attacks and counterattacking.

Perhaps because his opponent was from the Hundred Ghosts Castle, or perhaps because he wanted to display his prowess in the martial world after reaching the Heavenly Martial Realm, Hyeon-do was giving it his all.

A relentless display of the Plum Blossom Sword Technique.

But the Hand-Severing Lone Sword was no pushover.

Despite his one-armed disadvantage, he blocked, deflected, and counterattacked Hyeon-do’s sword strikes.

Moreover,

His internal energy grew stronger with time, and his swordsmanship became as fierce as a desert storm.

After a brief exchange, the two stopped.

They glared at each other, radiating a palpable killing intent, signaling the start of a true life-or-death battle.  The intensity of their auras even suppressed the surrounding flames.

Darkness bloomed within the subdued flames.

They stared at each other through the darkness.

But only for a moment.

Kaboom!

An explosion erupted between them.

“Why is he so hesitant?”

Cheon-hwi muttered with a dissatisfied expression.

Hyeon-do was being more cautious than he had expected.

As if he hadn’t realized his own level of skill.

‘If he realizes he’s stronger, it’ll be over.’

He clicked his tongue and averted his gaze.

The difference between them was clear; there was no need to watch any further.

“Are these guys doing alright?”

He turned his head.

Cheon-hwi’s gaze shifted towards the Plum Blossom Swordsmen and the White Ghost Squad, still locked in combat.

“As expected, they’re still outmatched.”

They had performed better than expected initially, but being outnumbered took its toll over time.

The current situation was a clear example.

The five, who had been fighting the White Ghost Squad relentlessly, were now moving sluggishly.

They might not feel it now due to the adrenaline, but the aftereffects would be severe.

“They held out well, though.”

Cheon-hwi whispered and raised his index finger.

Ping—

A faint gust of wind flicked out, deflecting a throwing knife aimed at the back of Jeok-bi’s head.

The knife, thrown off course by the impact, flew past Jeok-bi.  He pivoted on his left foot and sliced through the White Ghost Squad member’s waist.

“They’ve gained enough experience.”

Cheon-hwi slowly rose to his feet.

Stepping on the mangled corpses, he surveyed the battlefield and said,

“It’s time to end this.”

—–CROW—– 

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