Chapter 141: Sometimes, Pride is Everything (3)

The Monochrome Twins's eyes widened in shock. It had been ages since they last felt the pain of injury. Their skin, which was tougher than iron armor, had been sliced open, and blood was gushing out of the wounds like fountains.

What is this...? Their minds raced to comprehend the situation.

In front of them, blood slowly dripped from Jin Mu-Won's sword, Snow Flower, painting a surreal scene.

A look of disbelief settled on their faces as the truth sank in.

"What sorcery is this?" Kwan San-Woong blurted, unable to accept that his Cannon Body Art could be so easily neutralized. It's as if my many years of hard work were all for naught!

"......" Jin Mu-Won remained silent, further stoking the Monochrome Twins' fury.

Ignoring the throbbing pain in their arms, they charged at him once more like a pair of rampaging bears. However, like an immovable wall, he effortlessly parried their relentless attacks.

They're no match for him, Jwa Moon-Ho thought as he took a step forward.

Noticing his movement, Jin Mu-Won shot a glance at him.

"Ugh!" Jwa Moon-Ho froze. Jin Mu-Won's unyielding gaze seemed to penetrate to the core of his being, unraveling his thoughts with unnerving precision. He had the feeling that if he dared to attack the man, he would be cut to pieces in an instant.

This is...Spiritual Pressure! The same technique that Nam Soo-Ryun used on the Twins! Just who the hell is he? Jwa Moon-Ho bit his lip, vexed.

SPURT!

Without taking his eyes off Jwa Moon-Ho, Jin Mu-Won continued to swing Snow Flower at the Twins, drawing blood over and over again as if their defenses were made of paper. His slashes were light, almost playful, and left only shallow cuts as deep as fish gills.

"Keuk!" Yet, despite their tough skin and muscles, the Monochrome Twins couldn't help but groan at the stinging pain. For the first time, they realized how agonizingly painful even light wounds could be.

Shivers ran down their spines as a fear unlike any they had experienced before threatened to engulf them. If Jin Mu-Won had used Sword Qi or the more advanced Sword Flux to penetrate their Cannon Body Art, they wouldn't be this terrified, but no, he only used the simplest, most basic slashes.

"Who are you?" Kwan San-Woong screamed, his voice was almost a wail as he faced the heartless, merciless demon before him.

However, his question hung in the air, unanswered, as Jin Mu-Won nonchalantly continued his assault.

Is he the devil? Trembling, the Monochrome Twins retreated. Though their injuries weren't severe, the blood loss had left them dizzy. They suspected that if they didn't pull back soon, death would claim them.

To their relief, Jin Mu-Won did not pursue them. Instead, he turned his attention back to Nam Soo-Ryun and Hyun Gong-Hwi, who had resumed their duel and were engaged in fierce combat. His unspoken message was clear: he would not allow anyone to interfere in the two young warriors' duel.

Jwa Moon-Ho's eyebrows twitched. An extremely unpleasant sensation stirred his nerves ominously like a sharp blade scraping against his bones, making him feel nauseous. A mysterious swordsman in reddish-brown clothes who uses an unusual sword technique... No way, could he be the rumored Northern Blade?

From what he'd heard, the Northern Blade was a rising star of the murim with skills that rivaled the Seven Young Skies. Up until now, however, he had thought that the man's strength was overrated, as rumors tended to be.

"Are you the Northern Blade?" he asked.

"......" Jin Mu-Won did not reply, only glance at him.

I guessed right, Jwa Moon-Ho concluded. Those rumors were not the least bit exaggerated. This man is indeed at least equal to the Seven Young Skies, and maybe even...

What should I do about him? For a moment, Jwa Moon-Ho considered inviting Jin Mu-Won to the Azure Dragon Society, but no matter how hard he tried to imagine it, he had a feeling that Jin Mu-Won was not someone who would fit in with them.

He eyed Jin Mu-Won as if he wanted to tear him to pieces. "Are you planning to get in the Azure Dragon Society's way?" he warned.

"Does Mr. Dam know about this?" Jin Mu-Won answered the question with one of his own, looking so composed that it made one wonder if he was the same person who had just relentlessly attacked the Monochrome Twins.

"What?" Does he know Dam Soo-Cheon? If that's true, he's much more dangerous that I thought!

"The Lone Star of the Azure Sky I know is a dignified martial artist. He would never stoop to such cowardly acts. Think carefully, does your current course of action align with his intentions?"

"Well..." Jwa Moon-Ho hesitated, caught off guard.

Jin Mu-Won's gaze turned icy. "It seems that you took it upon yourself to do this without the Lone Star of the Azure Sky's knowledge. I wonder how he'll react when he finds out."

"Guh..." Jwa Moon-Ho grimaced. Jin Mu-Won's words felt like daggers, mercilessly piercing his pride. He wanted to retort, but he couldn't risk saying the wrong thing after witnessing how Jin Mu-Won had dealt with the Monochrome Twins.

BOOM!

Suddenly, an explosion erupted behind Jin Mu-Won, creating a powerful gust of wind that made their clothes flap noisily.

All eyes immediately turned toward the uproar, only to see Nam Soo-Ryun and Hyun Gong-Hwi kneeling on one knee each, their gazes locked in a silent battle. Nam Soo-Ryun's complexion was pale as paper, while Hyun Gong-Hwi's face was flushed red, forming a stark contrast.

"Fuck!" Hyun Gong-Hwi snarled through clenched teeth, angry and humiliated at the fact that Nam Soo-Ryun was still on equal footing with him in spite of his best efforts.

Nam Soo-Ryun slowly rose to her feet. She wanted to scream in frustration but held back, refusing to show weakness, at least not to Hyun Gong-Hwi.

Hyun Gong-Hwi was of the same mind. He pumped power into his muscles, mustering the strength to stand tall. His pride would not allow him to show the slightest hint of inferiority.

"I'm not finished yet. Don't even think about running, bitch."

"Don't worry, I have no intention of doing that, Master Hyun."

Neither of them backed down, even though their bodies were battered and further combat would endanger their lives... Until suddenly, like puppets whose strings have been cut, they both reached their limits and collapsed almost simultaneously, with Hyun Gong-Hwi crumbling like a sandcastle and Nam Soo-Ryun toppling to the side.

Jin Mu-Won rushed over and gently caught Nam Soo-Ryun before she hit the ground, then swiftly applied pressure to her acupuncture points to stem the bleeding. It was then that he understood why she was one of the Seven Young Skies.

Her situation was so dire, he could hardly believe that she had continued to fight with a body in that state.

She, too, is a martial artist who lives by the sword. Beneath her prim and proper demeanor, she's a fierce warrior.

He couldn't help but respect her.

Still, she needed immediate medical attention, and fortunately, he had two trusted companions who were well-versed in medicine. He carefully scooped her up into his arms and walked toward the Yunmeng Marsh Riverboat.

Jwa Moon-Ho and the Monochrome Twins, who stood in his way, unconsciously stepped aside and watched him depart.

By the time they came to their senses, he was already gone.

"Grr! What a disgrace... Mark my words, I will definitely have my revenge!" Jwa Moon-Ho exploded with frustration. When have I ever experienced such humiliation? When was the last time I was so overwhelmed by one person that I became completely helpless?

Next to him, the Monochrome Twins said nothing. Unlike Jwa Moon-Ho, who had only been subjected to Spiritual Pressure, they had faced Jin Mu-Won directly and were still haunted by the fear Jin Mu-Won had instilled in them.

Jin Mu-Won hastily handed Nam Soo-Ryun over to a startled Tang Gi-Mun, who immediately tended to her wounds. Thankfully, the combination of his skilled first aid and Tang Gi-Mun's medical expertise was sufficient to save her life.

As Nam Soo-Ryun rested and recovered, Tang Mi-Ryeo faithfully remained by her side.

Ha Jin-Wol, having heard the entire account from Jin Mu-Won, clicked his tongue knowingly. "Even though Dam Soo-Cheon founded the Azure Dragon Society with noble intentions, not all its members share his vision. Moreover, his solitary training regimen has left the Society vulnerable to ambitious fools like Jwa Moon-Ho."

Jin Mu-Won nodded solemnly, casting his gaze skyward.

I have a feeling that it won't be long before I reunite with the Lone Star of the Azure Sky.

His precognition was usually correct.