Book 12: Chapter 19: Those Who Crossed the Wall

The ears of the Four Seas Carnage holding his Hainan-style long saber twitched.

Rumble the sound of a pavilion collapsing was heard in the far distance.

Once again, it seemed that monster, the Sword Peak Mountain Splitter, had used the Mountain-Splitting Force.

The faintly heard clashing of weapons and screams, mixing with the sharp rays of the rising sun, suddenly created an unrealistic atmosphere.

“…Was it the water ghosts of the Sword Family who burned my fleet along with you?”

Against the backdrop of his burning fleet.

The one who answered the sudden question popped out by the Four Seas Carnage was the Life-Snatching Ghost Sword.

“Yes.”

Water ghosts, water demons.

It was a term referring to the warriors of the Luoyang Sword Family's War Department who specialized in water combat.

“…Indeed.”

Acrid smoke reeked over this small dock, and the Four Seas Carnage smiled bitterly.

“Even when I was sailing up the Yellow River. I thought it might be an opportunity to make the Sword Family's water ghosts into real water demons, you see.”

Not the southern sea, either.

Not the ocean, either.

He had never imagined that his fleet would meet its end in a mere river.

“It was a vain dream, grand but hollow, characteristic of foolish pirates.”

Although he answered each time the Life-Snatching Ghost Sword's tone was blatant, not even hiding his annoyance.

“…….”

In contrast, Tang Baek, holding chain-sickles in both hands, said nothing and merely watched the Four Seas Carnage with a desolate gaze.

“So, Life-Snatching Ghost Sword. Had you not died or retired?”

“Ah, fuck.”

At the repeated question, irritation was added to the Life-Snatching Ghost Sword's already fierce face, crumpling it like a demonic deity.

“I just said no—” at that moment.

Receiving the wind carrying ash from the burning fleet, the disheveled hair of the Four Seas Carnage fluttered.

Slash—

“……!”

A slash that felt as if space was being divided.

There was not even time to recall the swords floating in the air.

If the Life-Snatching Ghost Sword had been even slightly late in tilting his head back to dodge, he would have become a guest of no return.

And at the same time bang!

The bullet pierced the air precisely right next to Tang Baek's head.

The Four Seas Carnage, without even looking back, had drawn a pistol hidden in his sleeve based on presence alone and fired toward the rear.

If the one standing there had been another ordinary martial artist rather than Tang Baek from the Sichuan Tang Family, who was skilled in ambushes using secret weapons he would have died with a bullet embedded in his head without even knowing what happened.

That was.

No matter how cornered and cornered he was fitting the notoriety of the Four Seas Carnage, who was counted among the top in Evil Tyrant Heaven.

An ambush close to perfection.

“Fuck, this bastard. While a person is talking…!”

The Life-Snatching Ghost Sword quickly wielded his swords in both hands and spat curses.

“…….”

Tang Baek also stood two steps further back than before, as if his vigilance had heightened.

But.

‘Damn it, fuck…!’

On the contrary, it was the Four Seas Carnage, who had launched the ambush, who broke into a cold sweat.

‘He counterattacks even while being ambushed?’

The skin of his neck was shallowly cut, with a thin stream of blood running down and the pistol he had fired while holding it in his other hand had already fallen to the floor in two pieces.

“Tsk, tsk.”

But instead, the sound of clicking his tongue toward his opponents leaked from the Four Seas Carnage's mouth.

“Is that all the renowned experts are capable of?”

The corners of his eyes curved mockingly.

“You both are washouts now.”

Grind.

It was unclear whether that sound of grinding teeth popped out of the Life-Snatching Ghost Sword's mouth or leaked from Tang Baek's mouth.

“Is that so? Then croak today by a washout's sword.”

“…….”

But what was certain was that the murderous intent of the two angered experts soared explosively and that their attacks immediately began to rush toward the Four Seas Carnage.

The Life-Snatching Ghost Sword's signature sword style.

Asura Five Yin Extremes.

Single Soul Usurping Life.

A sword so wild that the other moniker of the Life-Snatching Ghost Sword, "Five-Sword Madman," was not lacking in the slightest rushed in as if to chop the Four Seas Carnage's body to pieces, qi-Fainting Ghost-Slashing Strike.

And the chain-sickles Tang Baek held in both hands split the dawn sunlight, coming in to split the Four Seas Carnage's head.

‘Good!’

In that desperate situation, what rose on the Four Seas Carnage's mouth was a single smile.

‘I was waiting for this…!’

Grasping his long saber with both hands before anyone knew it, he spun as if drawing in the Life-Snatching Ghost Sword and Tang Baek.

The Four Seas Carnage's life-seeking ultimate move.

Vortex.

A movement resembling an irresistibly powerful ocean vortex.

In that life-seeking ultimate move, the Life-Snatching Ghost Sword's fierce sword lusted after the Four Seas Carnage's flesh, but merely tasted blood and brushed past.

“……!”

“……!”

Tang Baek's chain-sickles merely cut off a handful of the Four Seas Carnage's disheveled hair with a snip.

‘Now…!’

Through the rotation of the life-seeking ultimate move Vortex, the Four Seas Carnage's Hainan-style long saber, laden with mighty power, flashed.

The Four Seas Carnage's secret saber form.

Ultimate Secret, Single Amusement.

His critical strike, which stole and reinterpreted the secret saber style of the Hainan Sect.

In a highly fleeting moment, the Four Seas Carnage's saber tore the surroundings into dozens of pieces.

“……!”

Even after presenting a counterattack close to perfection the Four Seas Carnage's face distorted.

From that critical strike, not a single sense of touch was felt.

It was not that only the opponent's hem was caught and torn, nor was it a near-miss that left regret.

His saber had merely sliced through empty air perfectly.

‘Fuck…!’

The Life-Snatching Ghost Sword and Tang Baek were not within that distance in the first place.

They Deceived him by moving only their upper bodies as if they would dive deep or rush in, they had actually backed away.

“What are you doing by yourself?”

When the Life-Snatching Ghost Sword's mock-filled words dug into the Four Seas Carnage's ears the sword that the Life-Snatching Ghost Sword had released from his hand sliced the Four Seas Carnage's thigh.

“Hup…!”

Along with Tang Baek's soft shout the chain-sickles Tang Baek had released and backed away with tore the Four Seas Carnage's shoulder.

“Keohk…!”

Even amid the burning pain of the wounded areas, the Four Seas Carnage grit his teeth and flashed his saber once again.

The Four Seas Carnage's secret saber form.

Ultimate Secret, Brown Algae.

As if his arm or saber momentarily lengthened slashes raged over a far wider range than the previous attack, but.

“You've been showing off tricks by yourself since earlier.”

“…….”

Another sword of the Life-Snatching Ghost Sword stabbed the opposite thigh as if alive and Tang Baek's chain-sickles merely moved like snake heads to take chunks of flesh from his waist, while their bodies were actually much further away from the Four Seas Carnage than the moment before.

“Y-You damn bastards…!”

Curses erupted from the Four Seas Carnage's mouth.

Those two experts, who were at least ten years older than him, were never provoked.

They had no intention of entering in the first place.

They merely feigned being provoked and feigned diving in, inducing the Four Seas Carnage's large movements instead.

“Hey, you.”

Amid the Life-Snatching Ghost Sword's ridicule, the Four Seas Carnage's saber howled ominously and sliced the surroundings.

Within the distance dominated by that saber, he had the confidence that he could defeat anyone.

“Is there no more martial art you stole from the Hainan Sect?”

But.

If the opponent did not enter that distance in the first place, it was meaningless.

“Keohk!”

The sharp edge of the chain-sickle swept down the fingers of his left hand that held the saber.

“Kuaaaak!”

Even while those fingers floated in the air and shed drops of blood, the Four Seas Carnage's attacks continued several times, but.

“Is there no final ultimate secret, or something like that?”

In the first place the opponents' weapons were the sword-controlling art and chain-sickles.

They had no intention whatsoever of discarding the advantage coming from the overwhelmingly long-range superiority over the saber.

From the very beginning.

“Uaaaaaaak!”

Raising a bizarre shout that was either a scream or a battle cry, the Four Seas Carnage rushed at the Life-Snatching Ghost Sword.

But in the process, he had to deflect the five swords of the Life-Snatching Ghost Sword one by one, and Tang Baek's chain-sickles sliced up the back of the Four Seas Carnage, who had shown his back, mercilessly.

“Keohk…!”

Both the most brutal sword of the Sword Family who was called a madman, and the Head Collector of the Tang Family who was called the Blood Wind Envoy ate away the weak points of the enemy, who had no choice but to overextend, with minds as cold as their blades.

“You dog-like bastards…!”

The Four Seas Carnage, whose whole body had become a battered mess before anyone knew it, retreated hesitantly.

The bright red blood dropping from his body fell to the ground with pattering sounds.

“To fight in this manner…! Do you bastards have no pride as experts?”

The end of the dock was approaching and there was little room left to retreat.

Behind the Four Seas Carnage were now the rough waves of the Yellow River, where the dawn sunlight shattered.

“Pride?”

Controlling the swords to shake off the Four Seas Carnage's blood in the air, the Life-Snatching Ghost Sword mocked him.

“Then what pride did you have as an expert, to plunder poorly armed merchant caravans and capture innocent and powerless people to sell as slaves?”

“……!”

At those words, the Four Seas Carnage's face flushed crimson as he was momentarily speechless.

“That was just business. Do not talk nonsense, Life-Snatching Ghost Sword! At least as a warrior of the Sword Family, you should proudly—” the Life-Snatching Ghost Sword shook the sword he held in his hand.

“Hey.”

“You'd better watch your back.”

At those words, the Four Seas Carnage stopped taking steps backward to slip beyond the end of the dock.

He had originally intended to jump into the Yellow River since he was cornered to the end of the dock, utilizing the water martial arts he was more confident in.

Perhaps he could catch an opportunity to escape.

“…….”

But.

In the Four Seas Carnage's qi perception, the presence of those who popped their heads out of the Yellow River was captured.

“The Sword Family's water ghost bastards…!”

Finally.

Having burned down even the last pirate ship attempting to escape, they gathered here.

“…….”

Without a word.

Holding short swords in their mouths, their numbers forming a surrounding formation in the water were over dozens and no matter how confident an expert was in water martial arts, jumping in there was a suicidal act.

“…Fuck.”

Muttering curses toward the sky, the Four Seas Carnage sheathed his long saber into its scabbard.

“…….”

His stance lowered, the rough wind of the river seemed to be drawn in around him.

Instead of his left hand, which had lost all its fingers, he used his arm to secure the scabbard.

His right hand gently gripped the hilt, like placing a hand on a petal.

“…Oh?”

At the ghost-like spirit originating from the stance that discarded regrets for life, admiration flowed from the Life-Snatching Ghost Sword's mouth.

“Fine. If it is the final single slash in this life, it is worth receiving.”

The five swords returned and slotted into the Life-Snatching Ghost Sword's scabbards.

He took a firm step forward.

He took a firm step forward, grabbing one of the swords, and took a left-hand reverse sword drawing stance.

“Come.”

There was neither battle cry nor presence.

There was neither greed nor thought.

“…….”

“…….”

Although no one gave a signal under the dawn sun, the weapons of the two were unleashed almost simultaneously.

Four Seas Carnage, Secret Saber Form.

Ultimate Secret, Returning Soul.

It was beautiful.

It was the most perfect drawing of his life.

Yet, the Life-Snatching Ghost Sword's sword, which was drawn later than his for some reason, sliced his waist first.

The Sword Family's Secret Sword, Flash of Shadow and Instant.

Evil King's Predation.

It was.

A counter-sword of taking initiative after the opponent acts, a single-strike certain-kill.

Before he could even realize the identity of the most complex sword style in the history of the Sword Family, born from the hands of the Eldest Young Master Yeon So-hyeon.

“……!”

His neck was severed by the chain-sickle of Tang Baek, who appeared like a ghost as if springing out from the shadow.

Thud.

The head of the Four Seas Carnage fell onto the wooden floor of the dock.

Plop.

The body that lost its head and was half-severed to the waist slumped down on the spot just as it was.

Toward that head, the Life-Snatching Ghost Sword chuckled.

“Me, a washout? This is the sword technique I newly mastered this time, you bastard.”

Although he pretended not to care it seemed the Life-Snatching Ghost Sword had also been holding a grudge deep down.

The Fresh Blood Fleet, utterly destroyed.

The Four Seas Carnage, lost his life.

From the distant city streets, shouts announcing victory faintly drifted in.

It was the end of the Battle of the Valley of Sin.