Chapter 176 – So in love… (1)

Seol-Hwi was back into his original body and was in a haze for a long time.

Is this what a dream felt like?

Standing on top of the rubble, he moved the body after a while and realized the situation.

“Ah…”

Stumble

He took a couple steps only to stop.

He now understood why the AI had such serious concerns about this situation. It was because of the familiar people who were approaching him.

“Captain!”

“There you are!”

“I have been looking everywhere for you!”

Yong Jin, Jeok Song, Yorim, and Seo Ryeong along with Imugi and Songhwa had come.

Somehow, they didn’t head back to the place of the Earth Demon but had come to find him instead.

“Are you alright?”

“What happened to the Supreme Pavilion Lord?”

“How did you all get here?”

Yong Jin and Yorim asked, but Seol-Hwi had other questions.

“That… after removing the guards at the pavilion, we heard the library collapse.”

“We came here because I wondered if something had happened and to help you out.”

“Haa.”

After that exasperated sigh, Seol-Hwi shook his head.

After all, there was a commotion so his subordinates were bound to become aware of it. But the problem was not over here, it was from the west.

It was because Hyang Gae, the right hand man of the First Disciple had arrived.

Uh?

When they looked again, he wasn’t there.

Creepy!

Seol-Hwi looked around and raised his voice.

“Everyone, listen carefully to what I have to say.”

According to the AI, it was impossible to survive from here. Then—

If they are all in danger of dying, then it would be right to die. At least to ensure the safety of the subordinates as he takes the lead.

“I will open the path so you will have to run with all your might. Do not ask why. If there is any delay the throats of yours will fly at the hands of the enemies.”

“…!”

His subordinates all looked pale.

They must be flustered. But, putting aside their emotions, they seemed to be aware of the current situation. In the meantime, Seol-Hwi immediately was ready to fight.

<Initiating energy gathering.>
Tsssss

In an instant, the energy began to move around the toes of Seol-Hwi and after taking a few breaths—

<Body has returned to normal.>
<All health has been restored.>
<All internal energy has been restored.>
His physical condition was returned to what it was before.

Due to the increase from enlightenment that he had achieved, the special skills of Ice Void, Sura Exploding Flame Arts, and many others had a rise in damage. Thanks to that, he was able to recover his strength at once.

“Oh, what did you just do?”

“Your body has returned to normal?”

When Seol-Hwi’s face changed, Imugi and Jeok Song asked.

But Seol-Hwi didn’t respond. Actually, he didn’t have the time. Because when they moved, the man was standing on top of the rubble.

“…!”

And this time, the subordinates noticed the man.

“Truly such odd people.”

A strange aura flowed through the body of the man. He had a skinny face, prominent cheekbones, and one eye which was covered with an eye patch.

“It wasn’t enough to kill the Supreme Pavilion Lord, but you had to destroy the library, which has been considered as a symbol of power of the pavilions! And you think you can survive after committing such treason!”

Although he spoke quietly, his voice sounded like that of a lion, and at his appearance, his subordinates went stiff.

“What are you doing! Move!”

Pat!

Seol-Hwi ran to the other side. He thought that it would be best to let them survive whether or not he could.

Papapat!

Then Seol-Hwi glanced back.

What do you think? Hyang Gae was still standing on the pile of rubble and continued to walk.

And it wasn’t long before he appeared again.

As if waiting, he blocked the path of Seol-Hwi and those who jumped out between the surrounding buildings had circled them.

“The warriors of the Supreme Pavilion.”

Yorim had informed him. Seol-Hwi nodded at those words.

Uh?

He was startled, at the very front he saw a man with a familiar face

“Y-you…”

Seol-Hwi doubted his eyes.

A man with a top knot on his head and squared chin, someone he knew all too well.

Ju Myung, the attendant of the Supreme Pavilion in his squad in the past?

“…Leader?”

And he recognized Seol-Hwi too. Not just that, but the people next to him as well.

“Oh my. Leader Seol-Hwi!”

“…Is this real?”

Lee Suk and Yuam.

One was a skinny man with thick eyebrows and had been in the sect for five years, and the other was a guy with a round face and snub nose with around three years in the sect.

All of them were his former subordinates with whom he had shared joy and sorrow. No. Since he met them after three years, they must have moved away.

“Why are you all here? Didn’t the Supreme Pavilion Lord give you a mission?”

“Ah, I don’t know what happened but the mission was suddenly canceled and we stayed up here.”

“…”

At the words of Ju Myung, Seol-Hwi understood what happened.

—the three lives presented by the Earth Demon.

Before taking it, he had obtained the map of mountains in the office of the Supreme Pavilion Lord. As soon as he realized it, he took it away from here, and if the Supreme Pavilion Lord had figured it out in advance, he wouldn’t have bothered to send them there.

“Still we recently had hope. The central plains…”

“But leader, where have you been?”

When Lee Suk and Yuam asked, Seol-Hwi hesitated.

“Captain!”

Imugi grabbed Seol-Hwi by the shoulders.

“Do not go near them.”

“What?”

“Do you not see it? Those people… they have been taken over. Look at their eyes.”

“What is…”

Seol-Hwi looked at them and he realized it. One of their eyes was green.

“No… what martial arts did you learn recently?”

“Yes, I learned the Sura Demonic Arts.”

“Didn’t I tell you not to touch it! Your body is not accepting the demonic nature!”

Seol-Hwi spoke to them, but they just shrugged their shoulders.

“But leader, how can a sect member not learn demonic arts? And I was promised that once this mission is done I will be set free into the central plains to live comfortably.”

“To the central plains? Then the mission…”

Seol-Hwi’s eyes felt hazy now. Sending people down to the central plains? What is this?

It was because he knew what the First Disciple and Supreme Pavilion Lord were up to.

Tuk. Tuktuk.

But there was no room for surprise here.

He could feel energy around him, with 12 people in black clothes appearing. And at a glance, they all looked like the subordinates of the First Disciple and not the Supreme Pavilion Lord.

Swish

And the demonic energy—

Swish

As the demonic energy soared, the warriors of the Supreme Pavilion Lord retreated.

At that, Imugi said,

“Demonic energy?”

“Probably.”

Yong Jin replied. And from the place where the Supreme Pavilion Warriors retreated, the shadows in black appeared.

Step

Their erratic and quick movements showed that they were the best warriors of the First Disciple and ones under Hyang Gae.

Swish

It felt like the movement of an army of troops. At the same time, everyone on this side turned anxious.

On the other hand, on the eaves of the building where everything could be seen—

Hyang Gae was looking down with cold eyes, and a woman stood next to him.

“They have to be the men of the Fourth Disciple.”

The young woman had never been seen before. At first glance, she was dressed in normal clothes with a black cat on her chest.

But unlike how she looked, she was an assassin and had the personality to never let go of the target she chose.

A woman who moves and lives for herself was helping Hyang Gae. In particular, the black cat she had was treated like a spirit beast and had the ability to find the target she wanted.

“Probably.”

“Capturing them alive then?”

“Looking at the situation…”

“Hmm… I don’t know about the others, but that man there will not be easy. Apparently he is a member of the sect but I don’t feel demonic energy from him.”

“Then he learned the martial arts of others?”

“Could be, maybe not. If not that…”

The woman smiled and said,

“Might already be Supreme Demon.”

“Under the command of the Fourth Disciple there is no one on the level of Supreme Demon!”

“That is the information of the past. The Fourth Disciple has been baring his teeth all these days right? Perhaps they raised a warrior in secret for this.”

“….”

Hyang Gae didn’t respond to it. Certainly the information about the Fourth Disciple they had received until now was out of date.

To be precise no one cared. He was the weakest of the four so they did not think he would have the power to create potential variables.

“The subordinates sure seem amazing.”

Hyang Gae did not respond so she was silent.

It was worth it, those 12 down there are all skilled ones. It was because they were all directly under Hyang Gae and were on the verge of Peak Demon.

“Hmm.”

None of the people were exceptional here. Unusually, all of them were using twin swords and all of them seemed weak.

In the disruptive attack, all the subordinates except for Seol-Hwi were on defense.

<Martial Supreme Peak Wind God is being used.>
And with one moment, the atmosphere had changed again. When one of the people fell down injured, there were five to six who were now facing Seol-Hwi.

“Haa. Haa.”

Seol-Hwi was looking at the masked men around him.

They all were skilled enough to draw his attention, and they were combining their movements to take him down. And even though he did his best, Seol-Hwi almost suffered defeat here.

No other means. All I have to do is open the way.

Kakakng!

Seol-Hwi blocked the sword and scanned the surroundings.

Retreat slowly, because running will end up them being caught.

After dampening the morale of the opponent, he would have to do something to slow them down and move.

A reversal in the enemy base—

Usually it would not be possible… this was the Supreme Pavilion. Seol-Hwi had lived here for ten years.

And from what he knew there has to be a secret tunnel here for any unexpected problems.

Since it has been more than three years, I cannot tell the difference…

It had been too long.

During the three years he left, the Supreme Pavilion seemed to have been renovated and everything seemed to have changed, so now figuring out where the secret passage was would be difficult.

“Haaa!”

Kakakang!

A nearby masked man sharply shot ahead with his sword.

Seol-Hwi avoided it and saw something.

Surprisingly, men from the far side were doing something.

Ah! Ju Myung!

Subordinates of the past, they were pointing to a direction and asking him to come. If he thought about it, the people who knew a way out from here had to be them!

<Martial Supreme Peak Wind God is being used.>
<Martial Supreme Peak Wind God is being used.>
<Martial Supreme Peak Wind God is being used.>
Pop! Pop!

In an instant, three black storms exploded, and Hyang Gae along with the woman he had beside him were shocked at the force it held.

“Follow me!”

Seol-Hwi gestured.

Accordingly, all members of the group, including Songhwa followed him right away.

A little ahead and masked men were coming behind them.

<Thrift Wind Sword is being used.>
Another storm moved for them, and the aftermath was also aimed at Hyang Gae and the unknown woman.

Flutter!

Hyang Gae held his hand out to protect the woman as the wind held a great force.

When it turned quiet, they could not see them coming behind.

“Phew. Did they manage to escape?”

At the woman’s question, Hyang Gae shook his head.

“They aren’t that fast. They most likely must have hid themselves in the secret tunnels around here.”