Chapter 486 – The Six Demons (6)
Shushushushu! Pupupupuk!
[Kkeuok!]
The old man with a scholarly appearance shot steel beads using the Flicking Finger Divine Technique, instantly piercing the hearts of five expert martial artists.
A sturdy-looking man clicked his tongue at the sight of them dying painfully.
He couldn’t help but be amazed at the martial prowess that took the lives of experts at the early stage of the Transcendent Realm with just a flick of the finger, when he and his thirty guards had struggled to block them.
Behind him was a girl with a graceful appearance.
The girl’s name was Jin A-young, of the Mushang Fortress Jin clan.
When Jin A-young recognized the old man, her face brightened, and she ran to hug him.
Pak!
[In-seok too.]
The old man, or rather Sima Chak, shook his head and smiled at her childish behavior.
Although he had turned his back on the secular world and wouldn’t move even if his son-in-law or daughter called, he often visited Mushang Fortress because this child’s face resembled his dead wife so much.
[Have you come to see me again?]
This brightly smiling face.
She resembled her more than his only daughter, Sima Young.
He had thought he might only see her again in the afterlife, but this child warmed a corner of his heart.
Meanwhile, Sima Chak patted her back so she couldn’t see, while warning the head of the guards with a cold gaze.
[You said your name was Ha Yoon?]
[Y-yes, Elder.]
[Can you protect this child with just that level of skill?]
At Sima Chak’s rebuke, Ha Yoon hurriedly knelt on one knee, made a fist-and-palm salute, and apologized.
[I’m sorry, Elder!]
[I don’t need empty apologies.]
Pak!
What was embedded about one-third into the ground was none other than a piece of paper.
The paper was densely filled with writing.
It was none other than martial arts verses.
[This, this is……]
Sima Chak snorted and said to Ha Yoon, whose eyes had widened.
[If you don’t master it properly and fail to protect this child, I’ll break your legs and make sure you can never walk again!]
At this warning, Ha Yoon’s eyes reddened.
It was because of his gratitude towards the Elder who not only rebuked him but also filled in his lacking areas whenever they met.
Eight years later,
[Waa waa!]
One of Sima Chak’s eyebrows raised as he saw the baby in Jin A-young’s arms, who had come to visit him in the deep mountains where he was staying.
[Don’t tell me it’s your child?]
[Yes. Isn’t it cute?]
[Hohoho. A child has given birth to a child.]
[There you go again. I’m not a child anymore.]
[Waa waa!]
[Oh! Yes. Mommy’s right here.]
Jin A-young smiled brightly as she soothed the crying baby with peek-a-boo.
Seeing this, Sima Chak’s heart ached once again.
It was because he was reminded of his dead wife holding their only daughter, Sa Ma-young, looking happy.
Even after many years, that memory hadn’t faded from his mind.
Sima Chak, who had been lost in memories, casually glanced at Ha Yoon, who was standing stiffly behind Jin A-young.
After observing him, who was sweating and extremely tense, Sima Chak snorted and said,
[You’ve finally become somewhat useful.]
[E-Elder!]
Ha Yoon was overjoyed at Sima Chak’s words.
How hard had he trained to gain his recognition?
It felt like he had received a reward for those words.
Sima Chak looked at the baby in Jin A-young’s arms and asked,
[What’s the baby’s name?]
[It’s Young-in. Jin Young-in. Isn’t it pretty?]
[Fortunately, it takes after its mother rather than its father.]
[Right? Hehe.]
While patting Jin A-young’s head, Sima Chak said to Ha Yoon,
[You have more to protect now.]
[I will certainly do it, Elder!]
Kung!
Thirty years passed since then.
An event that should never have happened in the martial arts world occurred.
It was the day of the great calamity.
Despite the urging of his son-in-law and daughter that he might not be able to remain in this world due to the natural order, he hadn’t gone to the fuse.
He no longer had great attachment or obsession with life.
His only joy was to see that child who resembled his dead wife until the day his life ended.
But now, that child lay dead before his eyes.
[Kkeueueu.]
He was overcome with indescribable anger.
He had gone to look for her, feeling uneasy about the evil spirits that had pushed their way to his dwelling.
But it was already too late.
Around were countless corpses of evil spirits, and in front of them was Ha Yoon, with only his head and torso remaining, his arms and legs torn off by them.
Sima Chak could tell just from the surrounding traces.
Ha Yoon had desperately sacrificed himself trying to protect her.
That’s why Jin A-young’s body was relatively intact.
Seumeulseumeu!
It was Ha Yoon, who had become a vengeful spirit.
I couldn’t protect her. In the end, I couldn’t protect her.
Seeing this, Sima Chak’s anger subsided instantly, and he looked up at the dark sky without a single cloud, shedding sorrowful tears.
***
Sima Chak, the Moon Evil Sword, who was called a legend of the Old Murim.
He recognized her at a glance.
Jin Ye-rin, Jin Young-in’s child.
Although he had never found that child, seeing her spitting image of Jin A-young, he uttered words that came from deep within.
“I’ve finally found you.”
Jin Ye-rin hugged Sima Chak tightly and cried out.
“Elder Chak!”
Sima Chak gently patted her back.
It was sympathy for this child who had lost everything and endured alone until now.
Then Sima Chak noticed something and said, looking down at her in his arms.
“First, we need to deal with that.”
Kwaaaaaaang!
Sima Chak’s eyes sharpened, and as he raised his sword finger, three formless swords formed around him.
Uuuuuung!
Sima Chak asked her,
“Can you do it?”
“Of course.”
The backflowing lightning energy had stabilized and left her body as Sima Chak patted her back.
With this, Jin Ye-rin raised her sword.
At that moment,
Pachichichichichik!
It was the Thunder-Splitting Heavenly Concealed, which could be called the secret technique of the Heavenly Concealed.
Jin Ye-rin stabbed her sword into the ground.
Kwang!
In that state, she pulled back her sword and then thrust it forward strongly.
‘Thunder-Splitting Heavenly Concealed, Divine Path Swordmanship, Life-Death Sword Technique, True Chasing and Turning Sword!’
Pachichichichichichik! Kwakwakwakwakwakwakwang!
Seeing her sword strike, Sima Chak’s eyes widened.
‘I wondered, but did they break the promise and pass it on?’
This was clearly the Heavenly Concealed, which could be called an immortal technique.
Apart from being unable to learn it, he knew it wasn’t supposed to be passed down to later generations because it couldn’t be transmitted, so he was inwardly surprised to see Jin Ye-rin using it.
However, that wasn’t important right now.
Sima Chak unleashed his sword technique with the three formless swords, matching her True Chasing and Turning Sword.
‘Moonless Void Sword Moon Dance Ultimate Realm!’
Chwachwachwachwachwachak!
It was truly a spectacle that one couldn’t take their eyes off.
Eudeuk!
He had been extremely cautious.
That’s why he had created this grand scheme, learning from the failures of past great crises and calamities that had befallen the Central Plains martial arts world, which he had observed for a long time.
‘It should have been perfect…….’
He had intended to lead everything to destruction with an overwhelming disaster that even the combined forces of the Central Plains martial arts world couldn’t handle, but what on earth was happening?
Not only the Great Strength King Ox Demon King, who was called the strongest among the Six Demons and whose power even the ancient immortals feared, but also the White Great Peng Demon King who had turned the North Sea into a sea of blood, and the Lion-Grasping King, the beast of destruction, had been mobilized.
Each one was a natural disaster capable of destroying a country, but instead of overwhelming slaughter, a fierce standoff was continuing.
Kkwak!
Indeed, the appearance of that one was the biggest factor.
The Hundred-Faced King Golden Nine-Tailed Fox.
The only one among the Six Demons that wasn’t sealed, reaching the extreme of ominousness by wandering through numerous countries and bringing about destruction.
He hadn’t thought it would be a hindrance even if he didn’t deliberately draw it in.
But it was a completely unexpected result that it would side with the humans.
Kwakwakwakwakwakwang!
It was the worst variable that it could match the Great Strength King, who was known to be unbeatable one-on-one except for that monster monkey who had disappeared beyond the natural order.
‘No. At this rate…’
Small variables become hope for the enemies, and that hope breathes morale into them.
If left alone, a real reversal could happen.
With this, Mok Gan raised his red jade staff.
Uuuuuung!
At this point, the only option was to push forward with overwhelming numbers.
If even one of the Six Demons could break the balance and join in, the situation would change.
Even the Golden Nine-Tailed Fox couldn’t handle two of the Six Demons alone.
Kweoeoeoeoeo!
Ureureureureureu!
Waaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!!
‘These bastards!’
This wasn’t what he had expected.
He had imagined humans paralyzed with fear and terror of death in the face of a disaster akin to a natural calamity.
However, not one of them was showing such an appearance.
Rather, their morale was soaring sky-high at the sight of their allies opposing the Six Demons.
And at the center of the forefront was Mok Gyeong-un.
‘You…… Why are you……’
That wasn’t where he was supposed to be.
The incarnation of the abandoned Demon King.
You, who should be everyone’s enemy, why are you leading the humans there?
You are…….
Heumchit!
An overwhelming pressure that instantly cooled his rising anger.
Mok Gan’s forehead was instantly covered in cold sweat.
His complexion turning pale, Mok Gan’s lips trembled as he spoke with difficulty.
“Wait, it’s not… it’s not over yet……”
Your role ends here.
An intense light brilliantly illuminated the earth.
It was like the creation of heaven and earth itself.