Chapter 372

Chapter 372

With all the wounds on his face torn open and exposing raw flesh, fire caught.

Whoosh!

Fire burst out all at once as tremendous smoke rose. The poison powder burned and toxic smoke seeped into his skin.

Gong-hon clutched his smoke-filled face and screamed.

“Ugh… AAAAHHH!”

How painful must it be for even a Vajra monk of all people to scream!

Because Gong-hon bent his waist backward, Mu-gak’s finger couldn’t reach Jin Ja-gang.

Jin Ja-gang kicked with his leg and pulled down the Soul Seizing Thread wrapped around Gong-hon’s neck. Though Gong-hon staggered, he endured.

Mu-gak’s finger extended. Jin Ja-gang shook the Soul Seizing Thread around Gong-hon’s neck this way and that like grasping and shaking a bull’s horns, preventing Mu-gak’s finger from properly finding direction.

“Gong-hon!”

Mu-gak shouted with a voice full of fury.

Gong-hon was Mu-gak’s legs. If Gong-hon didn’t move, Mu-gak couldn’t move either. Though screaming, Gong-hon took one step forward toward Jin Ja-gang.

Jin Ja-gang kicked Gong-hon’s ankle bone, which wasn’t protected by Golden Silk Iron Beads, forcefully with his right toe.

Crack! Gong-hon’s ankle twisted. But Jin Ja-gang also had injured left thigh muscles, so despite delivering the strike himself, he couldn’t stand properly and limped. Gong-hon fell forward and struck Jin Ja-gang’s thigh with the hard part below his palm.

Thud! Jin Ja-gang also couldn’t endure and stumbled before falling forward. Both couldn’t properly put strength in one foot, so they ended up in awkward positions with both hands on the floor as if crawling. Since Mu-gak was held in Gong-hon’s chest, when Gong-hon fell forward, Mu-gak’s hands couldn’t reach Jin Ja-gang no matter what.

When both Jin Ja-gang and Gong-hon raised their heads while in crawling positions, their eyes met. But because Gong-hon’s build was larger, his head was higher up.

Gong-hon gritted his teeth while looking down at Jin Ja-gang with eerie eyes. Blood dripped from his face that was completely cut and torn vertically, and even his flesh was burned from the flames, creating a horrible appearance.

The corners of Gong-hon’s eyes rose and his lips, torn like rags, lifted. Gong-hon’s head gradually rose. He intended to strike Jin Ja-gang with Iron Head technique.

When Jin Ja-gang tried to pull his body away, Gong-hon tightly gripped the Soul Seizing Thread around his own neck. Jin Ja-gang also had Soul Seizing Thread wrapped around his hands and body, so he couldn’t quickly untangle and escape.

Gong-hon rammed from above to below. There was absolutely no space to dodge. It looked like Jin Ja-gang’s head would be smashed to pieces at any moment.

An Ryeong shouted in surprise.

“Poison Dragon!”

Crack!

The sound of bones breaking rang out horribly.

But it was Gong-hon, not Jin Ja-gang, who spewed blood. Gong-hon’s head, which had been ramming Jin Ja-gang, jerked backward while spraying blood.

Before Gong-hon could ram, Jin Ja-gang had actually rammed Gong-hon’s face first.

All the observers were shocked.

Where in the world was there a madman who would ram his head first against Shaolin Temple’s Iron Head technique!

But thanks to that, Gong-hon’s nose was completely crushed. If Jin Ja-gang had hesitated even slightly and been late, it would have been Jin Ja-gang’s head that was crushed.

“KRAAAAH!”

Gong-hon roared and forcefully struck his head down again. Jin Ja-gang rolled his body sideways in that gap.

Crash!

Gong-hon’s Iron Head technique struck the floorboards. The wooden planks crumbled and shattered as Gong-hon’s head pierced through the floor and buried itself.

Jin Ja-gang untangled the twisted Soul Seizing Thread while retreating a couple steps.

Gong-hon slowly raised his head that had been buried in the floor.

Crunch, crunch.

Gong-hon chewed wooden plank fragments with his mouth while glaring at Jin Ja-gang.

If a tiger and dragon were to engage in a life-and-death battle, would it look like this?

An Ryeong, who was watching, got goosebumps all over.

Though Im Yi-eon didn’t speak, she seemed impressed despite being an enemy.

The Cherry Blossom Corps youngsters were the same. They were almost out of their minds, completely dazed.

“…He’s not being pushed back?”

“H-he’s fighting equally.”

Of course, it hadn’t started as an equal one-on-one from the beginning. Gong-hon had already been fighting the previous masters and suffered major injuries from Yuk Ha-seon’s Pressing Nail Blade.

Even so, it was unbelievable. Disaster Sword Guest Namgung Geol had died and Pleasure Heaven Lord Yuk Ha-seon had her leg severed, yet Poison Dragon, who was far below them as a junior, was fighting this equally.

Jin Ja-gang retrieved and organized his Soul Seizing Thread, while Gong-hon also removed fragments and dirt stuck to his face, both catching their breath briefly.

Then without either going first, the two clashed again.

Though Jin Ja-gang seemed to be fighting recklessly, he was very cleverly staying outside Mu-gak’s attack range. Mu-gak’s terrifying attacks were essentially sealed.

While holding Mu-gak with one hand, Gong-hon struck at Jin Ja-gang’s neck with his other hand’s blade. Jin Ja-gang limped while turning his body to dodge behind a pillar. Gong-hon’s hand blade crushed and destroyed the pillar as it passed.

Jin Ja-gang kicked the floor next to the broken pillar with his foot.

One plank flew up and Gong-hon’s foot suddenly fell through the floorboards. With his intact ankle trapped and the other ankle injured by Jin Ja-gang being unreliable, Gong-hon couldn’t stand properly.

While Gong-hon staggered, Jin Ja-gang scattered poison powder. Then he ignited flames again with Blazing Flame Twin Palm.

Whoosh!

Flames burst and tried to trap Gong-hon in toxic smoke once more.

Then Mu-gak’s finger touched the air.

“Whoosh!”

The flames and smoke that had been exploding and spreading through the air instantly disappeared downward.

As usual, a hole large enough for one person to stand appeared in the floorboards, with flames burning around the hole’s edges. Mu-gak had crushed the flames themselves.

Meanwhile, Gong-hon pulled out his trapped foot.

Mu-gak said with an angry voice.

“You’ve pulled quite a lot of tricks.”

Jin Ja-gang rubbed his thigh with its torn muscles with his hand while responding.

“I prepared quite a bit, but much of it became useless. Thanks to you.”

The inside of the inn was smashed everywhere. Not only the floor in various places, but the second floor railing was also tilted.

Jin Ja-gang demonstratively threw Soul Seizing Thread upward to hook it on the ceiling beam. Then when he pulled the Soul Seizing Thread, the roof shook and the beam dropped. The end of the beam had rope wound around it, so as it fell, it swung in a semicircle like a battering ram to strike Gong-hon.

Gong-hon leaped sideways and kicked the beam away with his foot.

Whooom!

The beam circled greatly around the inside of the inn.

“Uwaaaah!”

The Cherry Blossom Corps youngsters were startled and ducked their heads to dodge.

Jin Ja-gang followed behind the beam while throwing hidden weapons at Gong-hon. Worried he might fall through the floor again, Gong-hon didn’t move rashly and deflected the hidden weapons with Golden Silk Iron Beads.

Then he quickly ducked his head.

Whooom!

The beam he had kicked came back and passed over Gong-hon’s back of the head. Jin Ja-gang also twisted his body sideways to dodge the returning beam. While dodging, he threw and tied Soul Seizing Thread to the second floor railing on the opposite side.

Gong-hon rushed at Jin Ja-gang then ducked to dodge the beam. But his leg caught on something and he floated in the air. Black thread was tied between the beam and the second floor railing, sweeping past his legs. Though his leg wasn’t cut due to Golden Silk Iron Beads, the already shaking second floor railing collapsed entirely.

Gong-hon spun several times in the air before landing. Then as he was getting up, he looked behind.

The beam collided with Gong-hon’s head.

Crash!

The front of the beam crumbled and shattered like a ball of yarn bursting, while Gong-hon was pushed back smoothly.

The beam swayed and stopped. Gong-hon remained standing while ramming the beam with his crown from above.

Gong-hon pushed the beam aside and patted his head where wood fragments and powder had settled to brush them off. Though his face was a mess, his head protected by Iron Head technique was still fine despite hitting the beam.

It was sickening to watch.

But Jin Ja-gang didn’t miss the opportunity and rushed in. Mu-gak’s finger greeted Jin Ja-gang first. Jin Ja-gang didn’t face Mu-gak but went around to the side and punched Gong-hon’s ribs.

Thud!

Jin Ja-gang’s fist bounced off Golden Silk Iron Beads.

However, afterward an impact sound occurred and Gong-hon’s body also flinched.

Thump!

A strange phenomenon occurred where the fist bounced off first and then the remaining internal energy’s release struck Gong-hon afterward.

Gong-hon grabbed Jin Ja-gang’s head with his hand. When he applied force, his thick fingers began digging into Jin Ja-gang’s head.

Jin Ja-gang struck Gong-hon’s ribs again. His fist touched the stone-like Golden Silk Iron Beads, bruising the ends and crushing the flesh. But Jin Ja-gang didn’t stop punching.

Thump! Thump!

Gong-hon’s body shaking became more severe. Since the pillar-like body was shaking, Mu-gak held within had no choice. Even when Mu-gak extended his finger, he couldn’t properly touch Jin Ja-gang.

But then…

“Huh?”

Something strange caught the others’ eyes.

Mu-gak… was bleeding from his mouth.

“Huh huh?”

The observers’ eyes widened.

Was it because of the energy release? Or because of the poison powder from earlier!

Jin Ja-gang pulled his arm completely back then swung greatly to strike Gong-hon’s ribs once more.

Bang!

Gong-hon’s waist bent sideways as he was blown away. Jin Ja-gang also couldn’t stand properly and his body rolled in the direction he had been striking.

Gong-hon flew and rolled more than one zhang. Though he got up immediately, he staggered unable to maintain balance. His pupils weren’t properly focused. Though it barely showed because his face was stained with blood, fresh blood could be seen spurting from the corners of his mouth.

“Kugh!”

Internal injuries!

Both Mu-gak and Gong-hon!

This was truly an amazing occurrence. It was a scene where the outcome of the future battle could be roughly predicted.

Perhaps…, perhaps!

Perhaps Jin Ja-gang might be able to defeat Mu-gak?

The Demon Exterminating Monk kneeling to Poison Dragon!

Im Yi-eon, who had been watching, slightly turned her head.

Ham-geun was also seriously observing the situation.

“Great Hero Ham. As you can see, Master Mu-gak has become very disadvantaged. If we lend just a little help, we might all be able to return alive today. Do you still have the will to continue?”

When Ham-geun didn’t answer, Im Yi-eon persuaded again.

“I promise. Even if Master Mu-gak falls, I won’t turn my sword tip toward you.”

An Ryeong added one more thing.

“I’ll repay the debt someday, but I’ll hold back today.”

Ham-geun considered with a very serious face then answered.

“I cannot hand over So-min’s corpse.”

Im Yi-eon replied.

“Demanding another sect’s disciple’s corpse goes against martial world etiquette. I won’t force it.”

“Then… I understand. Now I’ll lend my strength to capturing Master Mu-gak… uh…”

An Ryeong let out a long sigh.

“Phew. Thank goodness…”

But at that moment, Ham-geun’s form became blurred. He deployed movement techniques at maximum speed.

Ham-geun appeared behind An Ryeong. He had been moving even before finishing his words. Ham-geun thrust his sword into An Ryeong’s back. An Ryeong quickly swung her sword while deploying sword techniques.

Ham-geun’s sword was blocked by the sword techniques An Ryeong deployed. An Ryeong poured out internal energy to the maximum, completely occupying the space and creating a solid sword wall.

An Ryeong sneered.

“How truly cowardly…!”

But Im Yi-eon shouted while running over.

“Be careful!”

Crack crack crack!

Though she was clearly blocking, Ham-geun’s sword energy dug into An Ryeong’s space in zigzag patterns.

Thunk, An Ryeong’s belly was pierced by Ham-geun’s sword energy. An Ryeong’s eyes opened wide.

Ham-geun said quietly with eyes containing purple aura.

“Plum blossom branches bloom without yielding even in the coldest winter.”

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With all the wounds on his face torn open and exposing raw flesh, fire caught.

Whoosh!

Fire burst out all at once as tremendous smoke rose. The poison powder burned and toxic smoke seeped into his skin.

Gong-hon clutched his smoke-filled face and screamed.

“Ugh… AAAAHHH!”

How painful must it be for even a Vajra monk of all people to scream!

Because Gong-hon bent his waist backward, Mu-gak’s finger couldn’t reach Jin Ja-gang.

Jin Ja-gang kicked with his leg and pulled down the Soul Seizing Thread wrapped around Gong-hon’s neck. Though Gong-hon staggered, he endured.

Mu-gak’s finger extended. Jin Ja-gang shook the Soul Seizing Thread around Gong-hon’s neck this way and that like grasping and shaking a bull’s horns, preventing Mu-gak’s finger from properly finding direction.

“Gong-hon!”

Mu-gak shouted with a voice full of fury.

Gong-hon was Mu-gak’s legs. If Gong-hon didn’t move, Mu-gak couldn’t move either. Though screaming, Gong-hon took one step forward toward Jin Ja-gang.

Jin Ja-gang kicked Gong-hon’s ankle bone, which wasn’t protected by Golden Silk Iron Beads, forcefully with his right toe.

Crack! Gong-hon’s ankle twisted. But Jin Ja-gang also had injured left thigh muscles, so despite delivering the strike himself, he couldn’t stand properly and limped. Gong-hon fell forward and struck Jin Ja-gang’s thigh with the hard part below his palm.

Thud! Jin Ja-gang also couldn’t endure and stumbled before falling forward. Both couldn’t properly put strength in one foot, so they ended up in awkward positions with both hands on the floor as if crawling. Since Mu-gak was held in Gong-hon’s chest, when Gong-hon fell forward, Mu-gak’s hands couldn’t reach Jin Ja-gang no matter what.

When both Jin Ja-gang and Gong-hon raised their heads while in crawling positions, their eyes met. But because Gong-hon’s build was larger, his head was higher up.

Gong-hon gritted his teeth while looking down at Jin Ja-gang with eerie eyes. Blood dripped from his face that was completely cut and torn vertically, and even his flesh was burned from the flames, creating a horrible appearance.

The corners of Gong-hon’s eyes rose and his lips, torn like rags, lifted. Gong-hon’s head gradually rose. He intended to strike Jin Ja-gang with Iron Head technique.

When Jin Ja-gang tried to pull his body away, Gong-hon tightly gripped the Soul Seizing Thread around his own neck. Jin Ja-gang also had Soul Seizing Thread wrapped around his hands and body, so he couldn’t quickly untangle and escape.

Gong-hon rammed from above to below. There was absolutely no space to dodge. It looked like Jin Ja-gang’s head would be smashed to pieces at any moment.

An Ryeong shouted in surprise.

“Poison Dragon!”

Crack!

The sound of bones breaking rang out horribly.

But it was Gong-hon, not Jin Ja-gang, who spewed blood. Gong-hon’s head, which had been ramming Jin Ja-gang, jerked backward while spraying blood.

Before Gong-hon could ram, Jin Ja-gang had actually rammed Gong-hon’s face first.

All the observers were shocked.

Where in the world was there a madman who would ram his head first against Shaolin Temple’s Iron Head technique!

But thanks to that, Gong-hon’s nose was completely crushed. If Jin Ja-gang had hesitated even slightly and been late, it would have been Jin Ja-gang’s head that was crushed.

“KRAAAAH!”

Gong-hon roared and forcefully struck his head down again. Jin Ja-gang rolled his body sideways in that gap.

Crash!

Gong-hon’s Iron Head technique struck the floorboards. The wooden planks crumbled and shattered as Gong-hon’s head pierced through the floor and buried itself.

Jin Ja-gang untangled the twisted Soul Seizing Thread while retreating a couple steps.

Gong-hon slowly raised his head that had been buried in the floor.

Crunch, crunch.

Gong-hon chewed wooden plank fragments with his mouth while glaring at Jin Ja-gang.

If a tiger and dragon were to engage in a life-and-death battle, would it look like this?

An Ryeong, who was watching, got goosebumps all over.

Though Im Yi-eon didn’t speak, she seemed impressed despite being an enemy.

The Cherry Blossom Corps youngsters were the same. They were almost out of their minds, completely dazed.

“…He’s not being pushed back?”

“H-he’s fighting equally.”

Of course, it hadn’t started as an equal one-on-one from the beginning. Gong-hon had already been fighting the previous masters and suffered major injuries from Yuk Ha-seon’s Pressing Nail Blade.

Even so, it was unbelievable. Disaster Sword Guest Namgung Geol had died and Pleasure Heaven Lord Yuk Ha-seon had her leg severed, yet Poison Dragon, who was far below them as a junior, was fighting this equally.

Jin Ja-gang retrieved and organized his Soul Seizing Thread, while Gong-hon also removed fragments and dirt stuck to his face, both catching their breath briefly.

Then without either going first, the two clashed again.

Though Jin Ja-gang seemed to be fighting recklessly, he was very cleverly staying outside Mu-gak’s attack range. Mu-gak’s terrifying attacks were essentially sealed.

While holding Mu-gak with one hand, Gong-hon struck at Jin Ja-gang’s neck with his other hand’s blade. Jin Ja-gang limped while turning his body to dodge behind a pillar. Gong-hon’s hand blade crushed and destroyed the pillar as it passed.

Jin Ja-gang kicked the floor next to the broken pillar with his foot.

One plank flew up and Gong-hon’s foot suddenly fell through the floorboards. With his intact ankle trapped and the other ankle injured by Jin Ja-gang being unreliable, Gong-hon couldn’t stand properly.

While Gong-hon staggered, Jin Ja-gang scattered poison powder. Then he ignited flames again with Blazing Flame Twin Palm.

Whoosh!

Flames burst and tried to trap Gong-hon in toxic smoke once more.

Then Mu-gak’s finger touched the air.

“Whoosh!”

The flames and smoke that had been exploding and spreading through the air instantly disappeared downward.

As usual, a hole large enough for one person to stand appeared in the floorboards, with flames burning around the hole’s edges. Mu-gak had crushed the flames themselves.

Meanwhile, Gong-hon pulled out his trapped foot.

Mu-gak said with an angry voice.

“You’ve pulled quite a lot of tricks.”

Jin Ja-gang rubbed his thigh with its torn muscles with his hand while responding.

“I prepared quite a bit, but much of it became useless. Thanks to you.”

The inside of the inn was smashed everywhere. Not only the floor in various places, but the second floor railing was also tilted.

Jin Ja-gang demonstratively threw Soul Seizing Thread upward to hook it on the ceiling beam. Then when he pulled the Soul Seizing Thread, the roof shook and the beam dropped. The end of the beam had rope wound around it, so as it fell, it swung in a semicircle like a battering ram to strike Gong-hon.

Gong-hon leaped sideways and kicked the beam away with his foot.

Whooom!

The beam circled greatly around the inside of the inn.

“Uwaaaah!”

The Cherry Blossom Corps youngsters were startled and ducked their heads to dodge.

Jin Ja-gang followed behind the beam while throwing hidden weapons at Gong-hon. Worried he might fall through the floor again, Gong-hon didn’t move rashly and deflected the hidden weapons with Golden Silk Iron Beads.

Then he quickly ducked his head.

Whooom!

The beam he had kicked came back and passed over Gong-hon’s back of the head. Jin Ja-gang also twisted his body sideways to dodge the returning beam. While dodging, he threw and tied Soul Seizing Thread to the second floor railing on the opposite side.

Gong-hon rushed at Jin Ja-gang then ducked to dodge the beam. But his leg caught on something and he floated in the air. Black thread was tied between the beam and the second floor railing, sweeping past his legs. Though his leg wasn’t cut due to Golden Silk Iron Beads, the already shaking second floor railing collapsed entirely.

Gong-hon spun several times in the air before landing. Then as he was getting up, he looked behind.

The beam collided with Gong-hon’s head.

Crash!

The front of the beam crumbled and shattered like a ball of yarn bursting, while Gong-hon was pushed back smoothly.

The beam swayed and stopped. Gong-hon remained standing while ramming the beam with his crown from above.

Gong-hon pushed the beam aside and patted his head where wood fragments and powder had settled to brush them off. Though his face was a mess, his head protected by Iron Head technique was still fine despite hitting the beam.

It was sickening to watch.

But Jin Ja-gang didn’t miss the opportunity and rushed in. Mu-gak’s finger greeted Jin Ja-gang first. Jin Ja-gang didn’t face Mu-gak but went around to the side and punched Gong-hon’s ribs.

Thud!

Jin Ja-gang’s fist bounced off Golden Silk Iron Beads.

However, afterward an impact sound occurred and Gong-hon’s body also flinched.

Thump!

A strange phenomenon occurred where the fist bounced off first and then the remaining internal energy’s release struck Gong-hon afterward.

Gong-hon grabbed Jin Ja-gang’s head with his hand. When he applied force, his thick fingers began digging into Jin Ja-gang’s head.

Jin Ja-gang struck Gong-hon’s ribs again. His fist touched the stone-like Golden Silk Iron Beads, bruising the ends and crushing the flesh. But Jin Ja-gang didn’t stop punching.

Thump! Thump!

Gong-hon’s body shaking became more severe. Since the pillar-like body was shaking, Mu-gak held within had no choice. Even when Mu-gak extended his finger, he couldn’t properly touch Jin Ja-gang.

But then…

“Huh?”

Something strange caught the others’ eyes.

Mu-gak… was bleeding from his mouth.

“Huh huh?”

The observers’ eyes widened.

Was it because of the energy release? Or because of the poison powder from earlier!

Jin Ja-gang pulled his arm completely back then swung greatly to strike Gong-hon’s ribs once more.

Bang!

Gong-hon’s waist bent sideways as he was blown away. Jin Ja-gang also couldn’t stand properly and his body rolled in the direction he had been striking.

Gong-hon flew and rolled more than one zhang. Though he got up immediately, he staggered unable to maintain balance. His pupils weren’t properly focused. Though it barely showed because his face was stained with blood, fresh blood could be seen spurting from the corners of his mouth.

“Kugh!”

Internal injuries!

Both Mu-gak and Gong-hon!

This was truly an amazing occurrence. It was a scene where the outcome of the future battle could be roughly predicted.

Perhaps…, perhaps!

Perhaps Jin Ja-gang might be able to defeat Mu-gak?

The Demon Exterminating Monk kneeling to Poison Dragon!

Im Yi-eon, who had been watching, slightly turned her head.

Ham-geun was also seriously observing the situation.

“Great Hero Ham. As you can see, Master Mu-gak has become very disadvantaged. If we lend just a little help, we might all be able to return alive today. Do you still have the will to continue?”

When Ham-geun didn’t answer, Im Yi-eon persuaded again.

“I promise. Even if Master Mu-gak falls, I won’t turn my sword tip toward you.”

An Ryeong added one more thing.

“I’ll repay the debt someday, but I’ll hold back today.”

Ham-geun considered with a very serious face then answered.

“I cannot hand over So-min’s corpse.”

Im Yi-eon replied.

“Demanding another sect’s disciple’s corpse goes against martial world etiquette. I won’t force it.”

“Then… I understand. Now I’ll lend my strength to capturing Master Mu-gak… uh…”

An Ryeong let out a long sigh.

“Phew. Thank goodness…”

But at that moment, Ham-geun’s form became blurred. He deployed movement techniques at maximum speed.

Ham-geun appeared behind An Ryeong. He had been moving even before finishing his words. Ham-geun thrust his sword into An Ryeong’s back. An Ryeong quickly swung her sword while deploying sword techniques.

Ham-geun’s sword was blocked by the sword techniques An Ryeong deployed. An Ryeong poured out internal energy to the maximum, completely occupying the space and creating a solid sword wall.

An Ryeong sneered.

“How truly cowardly…!”

But Im Yi-eon shouted while running over.

“Be careful!”

Crack crack crack!

Though she was clearly blocking, Ham-geun’s sword energy dug into An Ryeong’s space in zigzag patterns.

Thunk, An Ryeong’s belly was pierced by Ham-geun’s sword energy. An Ryeong’s eyes opened wide.

Ham-geun said quietly with eyes containing purple aura.

“Plum blossom branches bloom without yielding even in the coldest winter.”

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