Chapter 16. Activation of the Four Divine Beasts (6)
“Young Master Lee! We’ve breached the southwest gate! The fire over there is under control!”
“Oh, really?”
Shinmo looked at Yeon Ji-pyeong with a puzzled expression.
Yeon Ji-pyeong’s expression was strange. He seemed scared of something, and also surprised.
“Young Master Lee?”
“This is not the time for this! Evacuate people quickly!”
Yeon Ji-pyeong rushed forward.
“I’ll bring people from the Jegal Clan!”
“Huh! Young Master Lee! That side is dangerous! The enemy leader is…!”
“It’s okay! My older brother took care of it!”
Older brother? Is he talking about the eldest young master?
Shinmo turned his head towards the broken gate with a confused look.
At that moment, a strong explosion echoed.
Boom!
‘Huh!’
After the violent impact, Ma-bang unconsciously stepped back.
‘It hurts?’
He looked at his hand.
His palm was swollen and red. His hand, which could break logs with a palm strike without internal energy, was trembling faintly.
Ma-bang looked at Yeon Ho-jeong’s iron staff.
Blue energy was rising like heat haze from the tip of the staff.
‘Spear?!’
It’s not staff technique, but spear technique.
It looks like an iron staff, but the move he just unleashed was definitely a spear strike. It was a murderous technique to stab the opponent’s chest in one blow.
“This bastard…”
“Bring it out.”
“What?”
Yeon Ho-jeong said coldly.
“Weren’t you stuck while learning the Eumhwa Hongryu (Shadow Fire Red Willow)?”
“……!”
“I’ll take it, so come at me.”
Ma-bang’s eyes turned red.
The emotion of anger, which he had forgotten for a while, slowly rose. It wasn’t because the opponent was stronger than he imagined. It was because he was surprised that the opponent knew about the Eumhwa Hongryu.
“No use asking how you know, right?”
Whoosh!
Yeon Ho-jeong rushed in.
The speed wasn’t that great, but the momentum was incredibly fierce. The fierce momentum alone made it difficult to evade.
‘Like a beast.’
Whoosh!
The iron staff shot out, aiming for his neck in an instant.
Not the chest, but the neck. Aiming for the neck, a small target area, meant he was confident in his precise attack.
Clang!
He deflected the iron staff’s path with the daggers in both hands.
‘Ugh!’
A strong shock remained in both hands holding the daggers.
One thing was certain: his raw strength was superior. He couldn't understand how that slender body could generate such power.
After only three exchanges, Ma-bang realized he couldn't win like this.
‘This bastard!’
Whoosh.
It felt like crimson flames were being drawn up from within his dantian.
‘If you want to see it that badly, I’ll show you!’
Murderous intent surged from Ma-bang’s eyes.
Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes flashed.
That was precisely the problem.
Whether it was Eumhan Baekryu or Eumhwa Hongryu, if you had mastered an Eum-style martial art, you would never reveal murderous intent. It was originally a martial art created for assassination.
Anyone could see that Ma-bang was out of his mind. He wasn't intimidated even in front of the children of the Jegal Clan, and even thought about torturing and selling the siblings.
Ma-bang was suffering from Qi Deviation, driving him mad.
But that was a golden opportunity for Yeon Ho-jeong.
“You son of a bitch!”
Slam!
Ma-bang’s movements changed.
His stealthy and passive footwork instantly turned rough and active. He tossed aside his poisoned daggers and lunged at Yeon Ho-jeong's head with his bare hands.
‘He’s coming.’
Whoosh!
The palm technique that tore through the air was quite fierce.
It was a fast and violent palm technique, just like the murderous intent he revealed. It was truly a fire-like martial art.
Bang! Thud!
A sound like drums bursting echoed in the air.
When facing the Noehwa Bangdo and even when facing Ma-bang just now, Yeon Ho-jeong had not stopped attacking. He seemed like someone who didn't know defense or evasion in the first place.
But not now.
He was thoroughly evading Ma-bang’s fiery martial arts without confronting them. His movements were jerky and didn't look natural, but he didn't allow a single blow.
‘This bastard?!’
Ma-bang, attacking relentlessly, was bewildered.
‘Does he even know the characteristics of the Eumhwa Sinjang (Shadow Fire Divine Palm)?’
Eumhwa Sinjang (Shadow Fire Divine Palm) was a dark palm technique specialized in penetrating force.
It wasn't a martial art that focused on destructive power, but rather one that penetrated and corroded the inside. Even if you blocked it, it would penetrate the defense and cause internal injuries to the opponent.
It was bound to be difficult for anyone facing it. Because there was no way to respond other than to evade or aim for openings.
Ma-bang, who had raised his internal energy even further, unleashed a palm strike towards Yeon Ho-jeong’s chest.
Whoosh! Thud!
Yeon Ho-jeong’s body rotated and went straight behind Ma-bang.
Ma-bang’s eyes wavered.
The strike aimed at his chest was a feint. He pretended to attack with Eumhwa Sinjang and aimed for the midsection with his toes, but even that was evaded.
‘He read that?’
Even his trump card was evaded. It was an amazing evasion ability.
Yeon Ho-jeong swung his iron staff without even looking back.
Whack!
“Ugh!”
Ma-bang staggered.
His back, where the staff tip struck, felt like it was splitting apart. If internal energy had been imbued, his ribs and part of his scapula would have been shattered to pieces.
“Did you steal and learn it from somewhere? Why are you so clumsy?”
“……!”
“Why don’t you do it properly?”
Ma-bang’s eyes blazed with anger.
“I’ll completely roast your insides.”
Whirr!
Yeon Ho-jeong spun the iron staff. When he held the middle of the staff and spun it, it felt like air was being sucked in.
Sparks flew from Ma-bang’s eyes.
Yeon Ho-jeong’s face was expressionless. In a way, he looked languid, but no particular emotion was revealed.
‘Is he looking down on me?!’
He doesn’t even see him as an opponent. Ma-bang felt his boiling internal energy rising to the top of his head.
“You son of a bitch!”
Whoosh!
It was faster than before.
Precision was gone, but it was much more threatening. The faint red glow emanating from Ma-bang's hands filled onlookers with a sense of unease.
At that moment, Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes lit up.
‘Fire energy!’
The opponent had finally brought out his true power.
Ma-bang’s hand aimed for Yeon Ho-jeong’s face.
Crack!
The tree hit by the Eumhwa Sinjang snapped in half from the middle. The surface of the broken tree was charred black.
‘Impressive.’
Yeon Ho-jeong, who had evaded it exquisitely, was satisfied with his opponent’s level.
Ma-bang gritted his teeth. It was because he saw Yeon Ho-jeong’s face smiling as if he was satisfied.
“You bastard! I am the successor of the Eumsin (Shadow God)!”
Bang! Thump!
The air grew scorching hot.
The faint red glow gradually deepened, and before he knew it, it was emitting a shape similar to flames.
‘A little more.’
Thump thump thump! Whoosh!
A small flame flared up and disappeared in the air.
The more he unleashed his martial arts, the more the fire energy rose and the power increased. The speed also became faster.
Ma-bang’s eyes were bloodshot. No matter how you looked at it, he was out of his mind. On the other hand, Yeon Ho-jeong's eyes remained calm and cold.
‘More!’
“Die!!”
Hoo!
Ma-bang’s movements became wider and more powerful.
Powerful energy poured out as if he was trying to unleash his maximum attack. Fire energy and murderous intent rose to their maximum.
A change came over Yeon Ho-jeong's eyes.
‘Here!’
In an instant, Yeon Ho-jeong’s body, which had been seven steps away, rushed right in front of Ma-bang.
Ma-bang, flustered, unleashed a palm strike.
Thwack!
Yeon Ho-jeong’s left hand grabbed Ma-bang’s right hand.
Joy surged on Ma-bang’s face.
“You pathetic bastard! You’re dead!”
Woo woo woo woo!!
A strange resonance echoed from the hands of the two people holding each other.
Ma-bang, who had a cruel smile, was momentarily bewildered.
‘What?’
The palm force that entered through his opponent’s hand should have instantly burned his blood vessels and internal organs.
But Yeon Ho-jeong was still looking at him with a blank face and clear eyes. He seemed unharmed even by the penetrating force of the Eumhwa Sinjang.
“……Huh?”
Ma-bang said with a bewildered face.
“What? Why are you okay?”
It was then.
Something pitch black surged from Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes, which had been faintly glowing with a subtle blue color.
It was darkness, but it was different from ordinary darkness.
It was a black color that gave off a somewhat cool and soft feeling. The surging black energy, undulating like a flooding river, seemed as if it would pour out of his eyes and engulf Ma-bang at any moment.
Chiiiiiiik!
White steam rose from their clasped hands.
Ma-bang’s eyes widened.
‘Fire energy?!’
The energy of Eumhwa Hongryu was being sucked into this young bastard’s palm.
It was being sucked in so naturally, like water flowing from a high place to a low place. As if that place was originally its own place, the fire energy that had escaped Ma-bang’s control was heading towards Yeon Ho-jeong at a terrifying speed.
‘Huh!’
Ma-bang’s body trembled.
Yeon Ho-jeong breathed out.
“Hoo-woo.”
Thick moisture lingered in his breath.
‘Good, I’ve drawn it out.’
Like the legend of the Siege of Gaixia* associated with Xiang Yu, the Hegemon-King of Western Chu, the fire wall surrounding Choseong-ru was emitting fire energy in a desperate situation.
But that was not enough.
Sasinmu (Four Divine Beasts Martial Arts) was clearly a martial art of humans, and it properly activated when it received the murderous intent and fighting spirit of the enemy. Even if the realm was deep, the initiation itself was premised on a battlefield of life and death.
More easily, more surely.
Encountering an enemy spewing fire energy and murderous intent, Yeon Ho-jeong finally awakened the legend of the Four Divine Beasts sealed in his soul.
Yeon Ho-jeong swung the iron staff in his right hand.
Whoosh! Thwack!
“Cough!”
Ma-bang groaned and fell forward.
It was as if he had been hit by an incredibly thick whip. He was in so much pain that he felt like his left collarbone was splitting apart, making it difficult to come to his senses.
Thud!
Yeon Ho-jeong planted the iron staff on the ground and took a deep breath.
Whoosh!
The fire that had been suppressed momentarily leaned towards Yeon Ho-jeong.
‘Come.’
As the secret technique of the Four Divine Beasts, stimulated by Ma-bang’s fire energy, finally emerged, it drew out even stronger flames and amplified the water energy.
The amplified water energy wrapped around his entire body, making his body flexible. The meridians, which had become hot from the power of Eumhwa Sinjang, instantly regained their original state.
Whirr!
A wind picked up.
The water energy that Yeon Ho-jeong was emitting met with the wind, creating the shape of a semi-transparent divine beast. The divine beast had a bizarre appearance with a snake’s head and a turtle’s body.
The Water God of Gyehae (癸亥). The ruler of the North.
Hyeonmu (Black Tortoise) of the Sasinmu revealed itself.
Chiiiiiiik!!
The surging water energy swirled around the entire iron staff.
Ma-bang, who spat out blood, screamed.
“Ughhh! You bastard! What did you do to my internal energy!!”
Ma-bang swung his fist with a blood-soaked face. It was a fist swung with his little remaining internal energy, but its destructive power was sufficient.
At that moment, Yeon Ho-jeong spun the iron staff.
Clang!
Ma-bang, who had attacked, bounced back at an incredible speed and rolled on the ground.
Ma-bang’s body, rolling on the ground, twitched. His right arm, which he had thrown out, was grotesquely broken.
It was an incredible rebound force.
Whirr!
A faint barrier formed in front of the iron staff spinning in a circle.
It was Hyeonmu’s martial art. It was a secret technique of absolute defense that could block even cannons and siege rams at its peak.
“Thank you. Thanks to you, I was able to draw it out faster than I thought.”
Now that he had passed the initiation of Sasinmu, it was only a matter of time before he could summon the other three divine beasts.
The legendary absolute art of the ancient martial world, Sasinmu, was an undefeated martial art that had never been defeated in a thousand years.
Once awakened, Ma-bang’s level of martial arts could not even touch Yeon Ho-jeong’s clothes. He had only awakened one of the Sasinmu, but even that alone was enough to block most attacks.
Yeon Ho-jeong grabbed the collar of the fallen Ma-bang and lifted him up.
“Thanks to you, I saved time, so there should be a reward of sorts, right?”
“Cough!”
“Judging by how much you like fire, I’ll at least let your end be in the fire.”
Ma-bang’s eyes, devoid of strength, widened.
“N-No…”
Thwack!
His front teeth, hit by the iron staff, were all broken.
In front of everyone watching, Yeon Ho-jeong, holding Ma-bang, walked towards the raging flames.
A look of disbelief appeared on people’s faces. Among them were Yeon Ji-pyeong, Shinmo, and the Jegal siblings.
Yeon Ho-jeong grabbed Ma-bang’s neck and lifted him high.
“If you are reborn, play with fire alone.”
“Krrr!”
Yeon Ho-jeong threw Ma-bang towards the fire demon.
Whoosh!
Fierce flames engulfed Ma-bang. Ma-bang, who had suffered severe internal and external injuries, could not escape from the flames.
A gruesome scream echoed throughout Choseong-ru.
The crowd shuddered at the horror of seeing a person burning alive.
About half an hour later.
The fire at Choseong-ru was brought under control.
* Footnote: The Siege of Gaixia was a decisive battle in the Chu-Han Contention, where Liu Bang, founder of the Han Dynasty, decisively defeated Xiang Yu, the Hegemon-King of Western Chu.
