Chapter 554

Chapter 554

Jin Ja-gang asked.

"May I ask the reason?"

However, instead of answering, Im Yi-eon tilted her head to the side while pointing her sword.

"The poison energy is severe, so I won't last long. Will you face me?"

Jin Ja-gang answered without hesitation.

"I cannot treat you with martial artist's courtesy."

Because this wasn't a personal fight between martial artist and martial artist, but a fight for the great cause of purifying the world.

"I understand. Expecting such a thing in this situation would be unreasonable. However, don't forget I once taught you a move. Shall I see how much you've improved?"

Im Yi-eon immediately drew out the Brave Swallow Slanted Cliff Sword. Sword energy extended long, rushing dazzlingly and swiftly like a swallow.

Jin Ja-gang widened his eyes. Killing intent poured wildly toward Im Yi-eon. Im Yi-eon deployed a sword barrier to deflect the materialized killing intent. One by one, killing intent leaked through the dense sword barrier.

Pit, pit! Wounds appeared on Im Yi-eon's body. Instantly wounds swelled and blood flowed. The streaming blood turned pale and at some point became pus flowing out.

Im Yi-eon's movements naturally slowed. Im Yi-eon took a deep breath and even turned the internal energy suppressing poison energy to her sword. Sword energy blazed even stronger. She offset the weakness from poisoning with the power of sword energy.

Then she swung her sword as if to cut Jin Ja-gang's waist in half. Poison mixed in the air burned on the sword energy, and smoke flowed long following the sword's trajectory.

Kak!

However, the sword couldn't fully swing and suddenly stopped in midair. Multiple layers of Asura Divine Scripture were entangled like nets blocking the sword's path.

At that moment, Jin Ja-gang suddenly thrust his hand between the shining sword energy and touched the handle with his fingers.

Puhuk!

Im Yi-eon's hand flew off together with the sword's handle. As sword energy was forcibly severed, Im Yi-eon received a great shock and spurted blood. The sword blade attached with sword energy floated in the air wrapped in smoke.

Twitch.

Im Yi-eon's eyes distorted and body stiffened. Jin Ja-gang simultaneously extended Asura Divine Scripture to penetrate Im Yi-eon's body. Over ten threads pierced through Im Yi-eon's neck and scapula, shoulder blades, elbows, ribs and hip bones, thighs.

Im Yi-eon laughed emptily.

"I thought maybe, but couldn't even last a second?"

Because she gave up suppressing with internal energy, poison spread throughout her entire body and her condition rapidly worsened. Bloody pus from wounds flowed outside but also dug inward, clinging even to bones. Im Yi-eon realized her body couldn't endure and was gradually collapsing.

Im Yi-eon looked down at her body blooming with extinction flowers, then looked at Jin Ja-gang. Regret dwelled in eyes bloodshot from burst vessels.

"You asked why I could join this side without hesitation?"

Im Yi-eon had no strength left to deploy an energy barrier. Jin Ja-gang deployed one instead to block sound.

Only then did Im Yi-eon pour out the story in her heart.

"You'll survive. You'll kill everyone here and reign over jianghu as the world's greatest. No one in murim will threaten you, and certainly no one will even dream of revenge against you."

Im Yi-eon continued speaking without wiping the streaming nosebleed.

"So... Poison Heaven will be fine. Whatever you did and whatever you'll do, she'll be protected within your and the Tang Family's fence."

Jin Ja-gang wondered what Im Yi-eon was saying.

Im Yi-eon gasped for breath. Blood foam bubbled from her throat making gurgling sounds. However, she didn't stop speaking and looked straight at Jin Ja-gang.

"But what about Bi's child? If it becomes known that Bi's child is your bloodline, what happens to that child?"

Flinch.

Instantly Jin Ja-gang realized.

Im Yi-eon's words weren't unfamiliar. Wasn't it exactly what Jin Ja-gang felt toward disciples of great sects and martial families including the Zhuge Family he first met when he came out of the mine tunnel and traveled jianghu?

Jin Ja-gang's children born in the Tang Family would grow up protected and cared for like hothouse flowers.

However, Son-bi's child couldn't be like that.

What if, as Im Yi-eon said, it became known the child was Jin Ja-gang's?

The child could become a target of revenge in Jin Ja-gang's place. Might be kidnapped somewhere and used as a tool to bargain with Jin Ja-gang. Would naturally be exposed to countless threats unimaginable.

Son-bi already followed Jin Ja-gang for a long time. If she bore a child, anyone would suspect it was Jin Ja-gang's child.

"So that's why you took the Murim Alliance's side?"

"No. Following Unbreakable Heavenly Sword was our Southern Sea Sword Sect leadership's choice. I only explained why I readily accepted the leadership's decision."

So that's how Im Yi-eon expressed it.

For both... meaning it worked out well for both Southern Sea Sword Sect and Son-bi.

However, Jin Ja-gang didn't make irresponsible statements like taking responsibility now.

Everyone in jianghu lives taking responsibility for their own words and actions. Son-bi who left on her own, Im Yi-eon too. And Southern Sea Sword Sect.

It was a harsh fate, but since they created it themselves, they had no choice but to bear it.

Im Yi-eon admired Jin Ja-gang who didn't make excuses for appearances. How could someone this young have such depth and seriousness of thought?

"I feel my actions are respected as person to person. Am I mistaken?"

"No."

Respecting others isn't about pitying and sympathizing. Accepting the other's decision is truly respecting them.

"You're a wonderful fellow. I see why Bi fell for you. You're not lacking for anyone at all. Rather, I was foolish for not recognizing your worth."

Bloody tears flowed from Im Yi-eon's eyes.

Her eyes didn't burst, they were truly Im Yi-eon's tears!

"Sword Empress..."

Im Yi-eon smiled while crying. Though her body was melting alive and the pain must be extreme.

Im Yi-eon spoke in a hoarse voice choked with tears.

"That Bi is pregnant... within our sect, no one besides me knows. You understand what I mean?"

"Miss An Ryeong knows too."

"That one has a loose tongue, so I'm a bit worried."

Jin Ja-gang smiled bitterly and nodded, but Im Yi-eon could no longer see.

Bloody pus flowed ceaselessly from her body. Im Yi-eon straightened her back as much as possible and prepared to face her end in an upright posture.

Then she muttered in a small voice.

"I hoped my child would achieve what I couldn't and succeed... only to end up in the same situation as me."

Im Yi-eon laughed loudly.

"Isn't that truly an ironic fate!"

She cried out loudly then vomited blood and collapsed in place.

Severing emotion.

Im Yi-eon thought that to become the greatest martial artist in a woman's body, she had to sever emotion. However, even such Im Yi-eon ultimately chose death for emotion, for blood relations.

Jin Ja-gang was also human. He couldn't be unaffected. Especially having killed the master of someone he'd been intimate with by his own hand.

Gloom. Small ripples of melancholy rose in Jin Ja-gang's heart.

However, Jin Ja-gang quickly gathered his composure. He bowed his head toward the dead Im Yi-eon.

It was the courtesy of mourning taken not as a martial artist but as a person.

The martial artists gathered at the Murim Alliance were shocked again and again.

They didn't know what conversation she had with Jin Ja-gang. They had no interest.

Only the fact that a master like Im Yi-eon couldn't even touch Jin Ja-gang despite drawing sword energy caught their eyes.

The martial artists' terror rose to an indescribable degree.

Resentment and cries toward Baek Li-jung soared.

"What is the Murim Alliance Leader doing!"

"Are you planning to wait until we all die?"

"Please save us!"

"Save us!"

One-third of the great training ground became a poison swamp full of poison energy. The remaining martial artists were pressed tightly together avoiding the poison swamp.

Leaders of Nine Great Sects and Eight Great Martial Families also demanded Baek Li-jung enter battle.

"If we stay like this, we'll all die too!"

"Alliance Leader! We cannot lose them anymore!"

Baek Li-jung had been watching Jin Ja-gang all along even without their urging. He heard all their cries. However, he moved sluggishly to an extreme degree. One step, one step he descended the platform.

The goat-bearded Chief Strategist trembled and hid at the very back of the platform, and only he knew why Baek Li-jung was acting like that.

Those presumptuous fools think it's real when praised as heroes and great heroes. But can they do so without me, Baek Li-jung? They'll realize soon. Without me, those wretches are nothing. That I am precisely their master.

So he was deliberately taking his time. Im Yi-eon who once traveled with Jin Ja-gang might stab him in the back, so dispose of her first.

Was there need to do this even in this situation? Incomprehensible, but Baek Li-jung's scheme did work on the martial artists to some degree. Martial artists with extreme anxiety regarded Baek Li-jung almost like light in darkness and cheered.

"Alliance Leader! Alliance Leader!"

"Finally the Alliance Leader steps forward!"

Since ordinary martial artists already backed away from the poison swamp as much as possible, no one was around Jin Ja-gang.

Baek Li-jung stood before the poison swamp. Blood and flesh melted into poison water flowing on the ground, poison energy spewing so much it was difficult even to breathe blocked his path.

Martial artists gulped and focused their attention.

Baek Li-jung confidently said he'd face the Poison Dragon. Whether he endured that poison swamp or not would reveal if his words were true.

Swoosh.

Baek Li-jung lightly waved his arm and entered the poison swamp.

Instantly tension reached its peak.

Baek Li-jung stood fine in the poison swamp without even a small cough.

Unaffected!

Martial artists shed tears of joy and shouted.

Waaaaa!

From then on, Baek Li-jung unhesitatingly penetrated the poison swamp heading toward Jin Ja-gang.

Splash, splash.

He lightly stepped on the puddles flowing on the ground with treading water technique. The liquid didn't splash at all. Only very slight ripples formed like a small fallen leaf.

Advanced footwork made clear how high a realm Baek Li-jung reached.

Even invincible against Asura blood!

Finally.

Jin Ja-gang came to face Baek Li-jung one-on-one at close range.

It was quiet. No one could carelessly speak at Jin Ja-gang and Baek Li-jung's confrontation. Even insects didn't cry. Even bird songs weren't heard.

Jin Ja-gang opened his mouth.

"You still wear the face of a hero. Like ten years ago."

Baek Li-jung looked down at Jin Ja-gang with burning eyes and answered.

"It's not that I wear a hero's face, but facing the most evil person in the world today makes me appear as a hero."

Jin Ja-gang's lips twisted slightly.

"Your words also flow as smoothly as then."