Chapter 231: Behind (1)

It was a good move to send Short Sword ahead, just in case.

I had felt an unusual qi that was different from the local people while I was cultivating. It felt like ignoring it would have been the wrong move.

I chose to send Short Sword to take a look to see what was happening.

I didn't know who they were, but the fact that they tried to kidnap my sister made me angry.

Pupupuak!

In an instant, Iron Sword pierced through the helpless masked bodies that had been lifted up due to the shock.

"Brother!"

Yong-yong tightly hugged me.

I had watched everything from the middle of it through Short Sword. However, unlike my stoic appearance, my body was shaking violently.

My sister had been forced to fight against her own fear and deal with such enemies.

'They were trying to kidnap such a child.'

There was no forgiveness for them.

I would make sure they paid with their life.

-Wonhwi! Look ahead!

Short Sword's cry echoed in my head.

Just like she said, while everyone had flown up due to the impact, one person had thumped to the ground and was flying at me.

'So it is him.'

It was the monster I saw through Short Sword's gaze.

Seeing his face with his eyes and mouth stitched closed was terrifying.

"Brother, you need to be careful. His body is as hard as a rock."

Yong-yong gave me a warning.

Well, it would have been difficult to judge if it was solid or not. I stretched out my index and middle finger at him.

Shak!

The air trembled as a sharp aura flew at him.

Although he couldn't see, the man crossed his arms and continued to rush forward.

It seemed that he wanted to endure the attack I launched at him

Chak!

The invisible force hit his arms, and blood gushed from the scarred skin and flew back.

"Uh?"

Yong-yong's eyes widened.

Even if this monster had mastered physical arts, my technique was powerful enough that even advanced warriors would find it difficult to block it.

It was only natural that a result different from Yong-yong's attempt came.

Bang!

The man was thrown back by the force and landed on the stairs leading to the second floor. It didn't seem like he'd try it again.

-Putting aside his vision, how does he even eat?

Was she actually paying attention to that right now?

She was wondering how the man ate.

Kukukung.

In the meantime, Iron Sword continued to pierce through the bodies of the masked men. Their corpses fell to the ground, transforming the guest house's interior into a macabre mess.

I felt bad for the owner of the guest house.

Attacking from above instead of entering through the door was the most effective method in this situation to save Yong-yong.

-I think the owner is also dead.

That explained the silence.

Yong-yong, who was still in my arms, then spoke with a blushing face.

"P-put me down."

"You must have been scared?"

"Scared? Not at all."

Wipe the tears from your face before saying that.

I didn't show it, but I smiled as I put her down. Yong-yong then shouted at the masked man in an urgent voice.

"Where are you taking unnie?"

A masked man was standing near the entrance. He was much stronger than the other masked people but was just at a peak master level.

Luckily, he was someone who wouldn't fall into illusion.

"Damn it! You and the Little Immortal Swordsman are related?"

Did he just realize it now?

He didn't even know who Yong-yong was and tried to kidnap her coincidentally?

I couldn't understand this.

"You didn't even know that and tried to kidnap her? I thought you had a plan."

-That's nice. Look at what he's saying now after not knowing whose sister she was.

Seeing Yong-yong sarcastically try to intimidate them, Short Sword just clicked her tongue.

I didn't realize it either, but she resembled me in some ways.

I guess I really didn't know her that much.

"If you don't want to die, quickly tell me where you took my unnies!"

Yong-yong yelled at the man.

It seemed that Eon Young-in was also kidnapped along with Namgung Gahui.

None of them spoke. I guess I would need to make them open their mouths.

At that moment, a masked man looked at the collapsed staircase and shouted.

"Stop acting and get up!"

That was addressed to the monster.

I could feel his energy, but since my attack had a lot of strength, it would be almost impossible for him to get up easily due to internal injuries.

However, contrary to my expectations, the collapsed fragments shuddered, and the monster soon got up.

'Did the bleeding already stop?'

The wound on his arm wasn't healed but no longer bleeding. With that level of attack, his arm should be in shreds, but not his.

'Does he not feel pain?'

Otherwise, there was no way he could get up so calmly.

"... brother. He is being strange."

Yong-yong mumbled in shock. Seeing this, the masked man smirked.

"Did you think the Dark Ghost would be defeated that easily! You! Stop these two immediately!!"

'Dark Ghost?'

What was this?

Was he talking about this monster whose eyes and mouth were stitched?

First of all, that wasn't that important. The masked man who made the order then tried to escape.

He seemed to be trying to survive by sacrificing this huge brute instead of being my opponent. However, Iron Sword moved to block his escape.

"Huh?"

Iron Sword's presence perplexed the masked man who had tried to run.

"Brother!"

Yong-yong called out to me as the monster called the Dark Ghost ran toward me.

With that face and his stitched eyes and mouth, he looked grotesque.

"Back off!"

I moved Yong-yong behind me and caught the monster's fist. Then, I counterattacked with a punch to his chest in one movement.

Puak! Crack!

It was a punch loaded with qi. That was probably the sound of bones breaking filled the air.

Yet the man who was hit and pushed back managed to endure it and tried to grab my face with his hands.

'This one...'

I was sure now.

He felt no pain.

I tilted my head back slightly and managed to avoid his hand. Just like that, I kicked him in the head.

Crack!

His head bent to the side as my kick was also qi-infused, the broken bones clearly visible.

He then kicked me in the chest, shocking Yong-yong.

"T-the neck is broken, so how?"

Seeing this man act more and more like a monster must be shocking. However, I wasn't shocked or flustered by this and instead cut his leg after narrowly avoiding his kick.

Tuk!

His bone broke near the calf and protruded out, destabilizing his stance.

I didn't miss this chance and held him by the hair using my left hand.

Swish!

Short Sword moved from her sheath to my right hand. Without hesitation, I rammed her into the monster's head and turned it around in a circular pattern.

Crack!

As the sound of his neck bones grinding together filled the air, I tore off his head. His blood was about to splash everywhere, so I simply kicked the body back.

Pak!

The monster's body was pushed back, but it still swung a fist like a puppet that was being controlled before falling to the ground.

After all, it doesn't matter if he didn't feel pain. He would still die if his head and body were separated.

"What?"

The masked man who was blocked by Iron Sword was shocked. I guessed he didn't expect his monster to be taken down so easily.

Yong-yong was also surprised as she said,

"Brother... have you fought such a monster before?"

Now that was a reasonable reaction.

After all, I've seen monsters that could heal from fatal wounds using ridiculous abilities of recovery.

But that wasn't something I could say to her.

I rushed for the masked man who was facing Iron Sword and subdued him in one movement. Even though he was at a master level, there was still a large gap between the two of us.

I used a technique and grabbed his arm, twisting it to break it.

Crack!

"Kuak!"

This man definitely felt pain. The only strange one was the man whose eyes and mouth were stitched together.

"T-this monster."

I was a monster just because I was stronger than him?

How amusing.

I removed his mask as he could not move and noted that his face was mostly normal. At the same moment, Yong-yong aimed his sword at the man's neck and asked him.

"How did you manage to come after us?"

Yong-yong questioned him as the man groaned in pain.

"I-I followed the thousand miles scent."

The thousand miles scent spread for thousands of miles.

By spraying a powder as fine as dust on the target, their location could be tracked by using either skills or a tracking dog.

Then they've kept track of the girls for a long time. That was probably why he didn't realize I was here.

I could see Yong-yong biting her lip.

Judging from her reaction, I assumed this had something to do with their mission.

Puak!

"Kuak!"

Yong-yong shoved the tip of her sword to the man's throat and said,

"Tell me right now! Where did you take my two unnies? If you don't tell me, you will be killed."

Hearing Yong-yong's words, the man looked around and then at me before saying.

"Little Immortal Swordsman... please spare me. Then, I will release them."

This man wanted to bargain for his life.

"What!"

Yong-yong was so enraged that she slapped him. Controlling her emotions must be tough because her colleagues' lives were on the line.

When she raised the hand again, he glared at her and said,

"Treat me like this, and you will never see those women you call unnies for the rest of your life, understand?"

Yong-yong's face turned red after hearing those words. She was barely trying to hold her anger and said,

[Brother... I guess we need to agree to his words.]

It hurt my heart to see her this worried for her colleagues.

'Phew...'

I looked down at him with a glare. Sensing my killing intent, he eventually said,

"I-if we do not hurry, you might not see the women alive. Choose well..."

Before he could finish, I raised my hand and slapped him.

Slappp!

"Ack!"

His scream pierced the air as my slap's power was incomparable to Yong-yong's.

Broken teeth fell out of his mouth.

"Brother!"

Yong-yong was surprised and called out to me. She must be shocked because I wasn't taking up the offer.

Even the man who lost his teeth looked at me like I had lost it.

"T-those wenches could die...."

Chaaaak!

"Kuak!"

Another slap to his cheek, qi-infused this time. Yong-yong grabbed my wrist at the hem of my shirt and shouted.

"Insane! Brother, do you think it is alright even if my unnies die!"

Looking at her sobbing, I spoke in a calm tone.

"Yong-yong. Do you trust your brother?"

Hearing this, Yong-yong frowned and let go of my clothes.

"... I do."

At that moment, the person groaning in pain turned to me with shock and said.

"L-Little Immortal Swordsman...h-how can someone of the Justice Faction and a hero behave so emotionally without regard to people..."

"Justice Faction, my ass."

Puak! Crack!

"Kuaaak!"

I kicked him in the ribs, breaking them audibly. The pain he must be feeling now was intense enough to send him rolling to the ground.

I looked down at him with cold eyes and said.

"How dare this bug try to mess with my sister?"

"Cough... cough..."

He coughed out blood and glared at me. Still, he was a strong man.

He had some skill since he had been hit like this and didn't die.

"Little Immortal Swordsman... you... you are abandoning those women... all of them chosen by...."

I looked at him with a smile and said.

"Do you think I will step back and accommodate you by sparing your life in exchange for where they are?"

"..."

My words made him frown.

It seemed he was flustered by my reaction, which was completely different from what he had planned.

He was unable to understand me and said,

"No. You really don't care what happens to the women..."

Bang!

At that moment, someone kicked the guest house door down roughly.

It was Song Jwa-baek, who was covering his muscular frame in fur.

He looked at Yong-yong and raised his hand.

"Yo! Long time."

Yong-yong's eyes widened. It wasn't because she was happy to see him, who had come from the same hometown, but rather because of the person draped over his shoulder.

"U-Unnie!"

Yong-yong's face brightened as she ran to him.

Seeing that Yong-yong didn't accept his greeting but was rather fully focused on Gahui embarrassed Song Jwa-baek.

"Hmmm."

On the other hand, the masked man gulped in shock and stuttered,

"Even if you have... you are lucky with this. But the other girl will not..."

Step!

As another pair of footsteps walked in, his eyes turned to it. That person was wearing a mask.

The masked person also had a woman on their shoulder. It was none other than Eon Young-in.

"Eon Unnie!"

Yong-yong could barely speak from the shock. The masked person was clearly an enemy.

She couldn't understand why they brought back a girl who had been kidnapped. At that moment, the leader of the masked man shouted at them.

"You, you are insane! Why did you bring that woman back!"

Hearing this, the masked person holding Eon Young-in moved their body and let loose a sinister laugh.

"Hehehe!"

A woman-like laugh.

"You bastards...."

"Hehehe. This man is a faithful slave of mine."

'...!?'

The masked person was holding the True Evil Sword in one hand.