Book 11 Chapter 17

Another reunion

- The Power of the Seven Swords

"Whoa……."

Once he was alone and in the woods, Yun Junho sighed and wished the earth away, as if to spit out all the heavy things he was carrying in his chest.

It was a habit he still hadn't broken. The people around him, Bi Ryuyeon, Hyorong, and Jang Hong, urged him to do so, but it seemed that a three-year-old's habits didn't last to the age of eighty.

"I am still far, far away! Can I do it well? Can I do it well, without cracking, without tarnishing the honor of the Heavenly Academy? "

If Ryu-yeon had seen her, she would have accused her of being a coward and crying herself to sleep. Talking to someone she trusted would have had a much more positive effect, but being called a coward and bullied made it awkward to talk to others.

These days, his troubles deepened. When he encountered Marangchai, the head of the Green Forest, on Mount Dahong, and was surrounded by 3,000 Green Foresters, he succumbed to fear again. The tension in his heart and the fear in his lungs made it impossible for him to comprehend his surroundings. He couldn't even remember what Bi Ryuyeon and the nameless copper-colored Zhang Han had said or done. The tension, fear, and panic had dulled his senses and narrowed his vision. If there was an all-out war, he would be a corpse, probably lying on Dahong Mountain. Yun hated himself for being so frightened again.

"Ha!"

In frustration, he swung his sword wildly. A gust of wind rose and swept through the forest. He was weak in practice, but when he practiced, his sword skills were unparalleled. The blade sliced through the trees.

Thump!

Suddenly, something fell from the tree: a black mass.

"What, what?"

Yun Junho's jaw dropped in surprise.

"Yikes!"

A groan escaped from the black and red mass. It was a man whose entire body was stained red with blood. He still had the strength to stand up, but even that single movement seemed very difficult to Yun Jun's eyes.

"Oh, no, not you!"

Yun Junho's eyes widened. He had seen this surprisingly plain-faced middle-aged man whose entire body was dyed red not long ago. He was none other than the Black Raspberry Debt Master, Yi Songhak.

"No! Da…, you!"

Lee's eyes widened as well.

"Who? "

Lee Song-hak asked in a voice that implied he had never seen him before, so why pretend to know him? Yoon Joon-ho had been so absent that he hadn't recognized her in his memory. Besides, he was suffering from a pain that was spreading throughout his body. He couldn't afford to waste his energy thinking about Yun's face.

Yoon felt the strength in his shoulders slip away.

"I'm Yun Junho, from the delegation of the Tianmu Academy, what happened to that wound?"

"Ah!"

However, Lee didn't have time to say goodbye to Song Hak.

"Dodge!"

In an urgent voice, Lee called out.

"Why? Is something wrong? "

It was a foolish question under the circumstances. Lee Song-hak had barely escaped the relentless pursuit to this point. All roads leading to the gun emplacements were blocked, so he had taken a detour that would only lead to his demise. He looked hard at Yun Junho. Yun flinched at the intensity of his gaze.

"A dreadful man is following you. You run, and I'll lure him away."

But Yoon was unmoved.

"You wouldn't be able to fight with that body, would you?"

He was bleeding so badly that I couldn't even tell at first glance. It was a miracle he still had that much energy. Probably willpower. It was clear that the body was already a mess, not only on the outside, but also on the inside.

"I don't care! I want you to bring one piece of news to the Green Forest Chongchae. Tell them that the Black Rangetrees were attacked and wiped out by an unknown group."

I already knew that, and I hadn't even seen the exciting Rags to Riches movie because of it.

"I know, and he was framed for it."

Yi Songhak's face became alarmed, but then stiffened. He sensed the flesh coming toward him at high speed.

"Whatever, get the hell out of here, they're the grim reapers of hell, we don't have time!"

His face looked even more gruesome with blood streaks all over it. His face was worn with fatigue and pain. He was bleeding profusely.

"You can't leave the wounded behind."

Junho Yoon pushed back.

"Don't go all in. These are not your people."

Yi Songhak raised his voice; in his eyes, the young man was too reckless.

"You can't do that."

"You don't look like you're very good, and you look like you're weak, so what's the point, do you want to get killed, get the hell out of here!"

"You can't do that! "

Junho Yoon shouted.

"You stubborn bastard, go away!"

He could feel them close behind, spraying dark flesh. Yi Songhak hastily drew his own sword and held it in his hand.

'How many more times can I swing this thing? '

Lee Song-hak slowly wanted to give up on everything. He was exhausted from being chased. But his pride was too strong to allow himself to be defeated like this.

"Go ahead, gag!"

His voice was filled with urgency. It was almost too late to live. I didn't know if it was already too late.

"No. I'm not a coward."

Junho Yun screamed in a seizure. A shudder ran through his body like a wall of electricity, and he shouted, "I'm going to kill you!

'Yes, I'm not a coward! I'm a disciple of the Volcano Sect, one of the delegates of the Celestial Academy! I'm strong. I'm not weak. I'm not a coward!'

Yun Junho drew his sword, the wavering, agitation, and fear in his eyes gone, replaced by a fiery determination.

"Hmph, there you go!"

And with that, five masked figures appeared in front of them. They were the members of the Eighth Generation of the Twelve Blood Horsemen who had chased Yi Songhak all the way here.

"That's it!

Lee Song-hak sighed inwardly. He had no more strength left. The arduous and bloody journey to get here had already drained his strength to the bottom of the well.

"Huh?"

The frowns on the faces of the members of Group 8 furrowed slightly as they realized there was one more non-target. They looked into each other's eyes and exchanged opinions. The consensus was reached in the blink of an eye. In this case, of course, it was murder; anyone who saw their faces could never be spared.

"Consider yourself unlucky!"

Tsk!

In unison, the five blood horsemen drew their swords from behind their backs. Their swords were ominous, black as death, and they held them in reverse, poised to hunt their prey. Sweat dripped from Yun Che's hands as he held the sword.

"Huh!"

Yun Jun was stunned. The techniques they were using were beyond the realm of common sense. He had never dealt with a reverse swordsman before, so their methods were even more unfamiliar. The Black Masked Men's methods were extremely vicious and devious, making it extremely difficult to grasp their trajectory.

The Scourer!

A lightning blow from one of the blood marshals cut a long slash across his chest, but he ducked quickly enough that it only cut his skin. But as a cold chill touched his flesh, an involuntary shiver of fear ran through him. He hadn't practiced enough.

But the black man, being a black man, was surprised that his blow had missed. He soon came to the conclusion that Yoon Jun-ho was no ordinary betting man, and that he needed to find a more reliable way to end his life.

He gestured to his companions beside him, and two more signaled that they understood. His signal dropped once more, and the three of them leapt toward Yun Jun at the same time. In their hands, the black daoist sword emitted the scent of death.

Using the defensive formula of the Twenty-Four Plum Blossom Sword Method, Yun Jun-ho quickly turned his body to block the black man's dao that was aimed at his left side and scraped his right side from the bottom up.

CHANG!

'Huh!

Yun Junho screamed inwardly. His own sword had been blocked by the black man's dao to his right. His front was completely defenseless. The black man's reverse dao in front of him emitted a black light. Yun Che squeezed his eyes shut.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

No matter how long he waited, he couldn't feel the Grim Reaper's touch. Yun Junho, who had felt death so close to him only moments before, squinted his eyes to see if he was in the afterlife or the here and now. The black-clad men were five zhang away from him. They were all wringing their hands, and he couldn't understand why or when they had retreated so far.

"Did you have fun?"

It was none other than Bi Ryuyeon who appeared before Yun Jun with a voice ringing in his ears and an unorthodox new technique. Fallen leaves swirled around his newest creation.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, you're still a long way from being able to do that to someone weaker than you!"

Bi Ryuyeon clicked her tongue as she looked at Yoon Joon-ho, who was bleeding from a cut on his front.

"What the hell are you doing with all of them? "

"Oh, no, me…."

Yoon didn't know what to say.

"These guys are all over……."

It was Yoon Jun-ho, who politely referred to the man who unknowingly tried to kill him as Boon.

"Well, you can tell he's a bad guy without a description. He's got it written all over his face. He's the quintessential storybook villain."

Straight roads, straight clothes, and straight masks, what more can we say!

The five members of the Twelve Blood Horsemen exchanged glances. Then they nodded as if in agreement. They had agreed to eliminate Bi Ryuyeon together. Killing was their first priority. They were so devoted to their mission and duty that they had made the mistake of not being able to judge their opponent's strength at all.

"Okay, then go for it!"

Standing in Yoon Jun-ho's way, Bi Ryuyeon scooped up Lee Song-hak and sat down under the shade of a tree to one side, but she didn't forget to encourage him.

"Huh? Oh, you're not helping? "

Yoon Joon-ho's face turned grim as he realized what she had done. He had assumed that Bi Ryuyeon would naturally help them. Five of them, and two wounded who couldn't fight! The situation was stark.

"You'll have to take care of yourself. Don't worry, I'll make sure you get your bones when you die. If you have any last words, you can leave them now. I'll take care of it for free."

It was so nonchalant that it felt like, "How's the weather today?

"Chi, are you a friend?"

"Well, we're friends, so good luck with that! I don't want my friend to have to fight those jerks and lose."

It was a word without blood or tears. Bi Ryuyeon smiled and waved. Yun Junho wanted to cry, but he couldn't bring himself to do so. He knew enough common sense to realize that being belittled by an enemy could cause him to lose momentum.

"That…, but still……."

Yoon Junho was about to say something more when Bi Ryuyeon stopped him.

"Junho, why should I side with the strong? I don't help anyone who fights someone weaker than me!"

"Weak? You mean they're weaker than me? That's ridiculous!

Junho Yoon couldn't understand what she was saying.

"Are you sure you don't want to help that young man?"

The person who asked was Lee Song-hak, who had been carried by Bi Ryuyeon to the shade of a tree.

"Sure. Who do you think will win?"

"Of course the black men win. They are terrifying, and I must help the young man as soon as possible. If I don't, he'll be dead in no time. You go call for reinforcements!"

In an urgent voice, Lee Songhak called out, but Bi Ryuyeon had a Maidong style.

"So, what do you say we make a bet?"

"A bet? In this time of crisis, what…, what bet?"

"That's why we need to make a bet. Since we're split, why not settle the score? There's nothing like a bet to show your credibility. How about ten silver coins? I bet I can win enough on my own!"

Strangely enough, Lee couldn't refuse this ridiculous, joke-like offer. Somehow, he felt like he could just go with it.

"Joe, that's great! "

"Great, then the bet is settled."

Caught off guard by Bi Ryuyeon's words, Yi Songhak accepted the bet. He had never wanted to lose a bet so badly as he did today. Ten pieces of silver was nothing compared to the value of a life.

"I'll bet my name on it. You're definitely stronger than all of them put together, so don't be afraid! Believe in yourself more, trust me! As proof, I've put money on you winning, so you have to win! You can do it!"

Bi Ryuyeon shouted confidently. It was her own kind of cheer.

'Believe in yourself? That I'm stronger than them? And Bi Ryuyeon bet me money!'

This ridiculous situation, which should have made him angry, actually emboldened him. From what he had seen of Bi Ryuyeon, she never did anything to lose money, and he had never lost a bet before. Suddenly, the morning dawn flashed through his mind.

"From now on, let's never run away from anything!

Didn't I swear by the rising sun on the day of the Hwanmadong entrance exam, and am I still keeping that vow?

'I'm not running away! I'm not a coward!'

Yun Zunhao's sword fluttered and began to draw countless plum blossoms. The plum blossoms blossomed from the sword pole into red trails that stretched out towards the Twelve Blood Marauders.

It's not even winter, and the smell of plum blossoms fills the forest.

It was a seven-flowered sword that manifested in the Sword Fragrance Realm.

Hooray!

Junho Yun brought his sword down, covered in sweat. His arms trembled as he held the sword. His heart, still pounding, felt like it would explode.

"Is this really what I did?"

Looking around, Yun Junho couldn't believe his eyes. All five of them had been struck down by sword energy and were lying everywhere. Judging from the sword marks on their bodies, they were definitely traces of the seven hawk swords.

"Seo, are you…, are you dead?"

Bi Ryuyeon nodded. He didn't seem to mind that he had become an accessory to murder. Yun Junho's face turned pensive at Bi Ryuyeon's unspoken answer. His complexion had turned blue. For a man who had lived his life so innocently, his first murder was like a flash of lightning in the green.

"It was a foregone conclusion. If they hadn't died, you'd be the one lying bloody on the cold ground. They had death on their minds when they attacked you, too. Of course, you didn't deserve what happened to you because you ignored them, but you were……. you let your guard down."

After looking at Yoon Joon-ho, who was trembling for a moment, Bi Ryuyeon spoke her mind firmly.

"To take a life, you must give a life. That's the rule of the strongest!"

She didn't know anything else, but she knew the rules of this absolute proposition. It didn't matter if she didn't know the Nine Great Sects or the Eight Great Houses, this one little truth was more important than all that miscellaneous knowledge. Yun Zun-ho's mind was racing, and he realized that something was wrong with what he had done. Upon closer inspection, the two men's deaths were not caused by the Seven Swords. One was a stab through the heart, and the other was poisoning.

"My, how did I do that?"

Junho Yoon asked in a shaky voice. It was as if his head had been wiped clean and he couldn't think of anything. His body was still trembling.

"I'll tell you about it later! "

Looking at Yoon Joon-ho's dumbfounded expression, Bi Ryuyeon burst out laughing.

"Not yet! You're too much of a hassle!"

Finally, Junho Yoon slumped to the floor. It was clear that he still needed more training before he could do the job properly.

"I think I win the bet, don't you?"

The smile faded from Bi Ryuyeon's face as she looked back at Yi Songhak with a wide grin. He didn't answer her. She hurried over to him and checked his pulse. Luckily, he wasn't dead. His heart was beating, albeit faintly. Seeing Yoon Jun-ho's victory had released the last of his tension.

"Oh, no!"

She thought it might take a while to get paid for the bet.

"Hmmm…, so these are the guys who were after the transporter?"

With a disgusted gaze, Yin Dao scanned the corpses of the black men.

"They're all dead."

Bi Ryuyeon nodded.

"I tried to catch one and find out who he was, but the last one left wasn't the usual bad guy - he killed his fallen comrade, who was still breathing, with his own hands, and then killed himself by biting the poison in his mouth."

Apparently, that's what Yun Junho had seen. Upon hearing the details of the incident from Bi Ryuyeon, the faces of Yeomdo and the Ice Sword turned cold. This was a realm of the mind that could not be reached through normal training.

"Probably a bunch of murderous weapons that have been through hell of training, including hypnotic suggestion."

As Yidou muttered to himself as he scanned the black-clad men, Bi Ryuyeon nodded.

"That's unusual for a reverse number!"

Reverse swordsmanship, which involves holding a sword upside down, was not commonly practiced in the Zhongyuan, making their identity all the more curious. Yan Dao picked up one of their swords and examined it, noticing no special markings.

"It's a nasty road to live on, how much blood has it swallowed……."

The surface of the road was blackened to prevent moonlight from reflecting off of it, making it more likely to be ambushed in the dark.

"We don't need this sword, it will do nothing but harm. An unclean sword can only be broken."

Bing Sword looked at Dark Sword with a cold gaze.

"They're obviously professionals. You don't see a lot of guys wearing these outfits and using these weapons. They're strictly for the real world, and they're built around practicality."

Jang Hong looked at them with a hawk-like gaze and said in a sullen tone. The thing they were worried about had finally happened. A dark shadow had appeared.

"Is this just the beginning?

His face went rigid. I could feel the tension spreading silently through every inch of his body.

"Now what do we do with that?"

She pointed to the marker carriage where Yi Songhak was currently lying. They had saved him, but it was difficult to dispose of him. With the situation under control, the group continued on their way. Lee Song-hak was still unconscious, even though they had given him lifeblood. He had lost too much blood while fending off the pursuers. In addition, the wounds had not been treated properly, so they were festering and oozing pus, and he had a fever from the wounds all over his body.

I couldn't just keep going to the volcano. There was a ten to one chance I'd die of a wound along the way.

"I can't keep carrying him around like this…, I'll have to leave him somewhere, somewhere safe that even those black-clad men won't dare touch, somewhere that will keep my bet money safe!"

It was the only place I could think of.

"I guess that's all there is! "

Everyone nodded in agreement.