Chapter 239

Chapter 239
Chapter 239. Apprehending the Secret Adversary (4)

Those who encountered the Twin-Shadow Vicious Demon Brigade were often thrown into disarray, even when they suspected the truth.

“Comrades!!! What are you thinking right now!!! No, how could I possibly know something like that! And don’t you realize I go alone whenever I meet women?”

“Huh……”

It was difficult for them to accept that the individual who had stood beside them for so long was actually an antagonist.

“And besides! My response was delayed, but I did answer. I only thought of it late because I had no interest…… How does that alone label me as the culprit?”

The emotional connection they had forged with the original person had seamlessly transferred to the imposter who wore the same appearance and mirrored their habits, making it nearly impossible to view him as a fake.

“Ask me something else! Does it make any sense to identify the criminal based on a single question?”

This was why, even when doubt flickered, they could not pursue that suspicion to its conclusion.

Because he might be genuine. Because they might have simply been mistaken for an instant.

Because they had to believe that…… or the bonds they had clung to would shatter completely.

This is exactly why so many prominent units within the Murim Alliance had perished.

Then, what was the state of our Sojeong Squad?

We had harbored suspicions toward one another well before the Twin-Shadow Vicious Demon Brigade breached our ranks, and if even the slightest annoyance surfaced, we drew our blades first and reflected later.

That way, even if someone fell unjustly, at least we would not succumb to a clandestine plot.

Srrrng.

The Black Dragon Sword was unsheathed, and the Five Dogs of Xiping…… no, the remaining Three Dogs of Xiping turned to face me.

“Hold on…… It is not yet verified……”

I could empathize with the man’s struggle.

It was not as if he could easily turn against a brother with whom he had endured hardships for decades.

But the calculating Twin-Shadow Vicious Demon Brigade never overlooked such vulnerabilities.

They exploited the inherent trust that every human possessed.

“I told you to wait!!!”

As I advanced, the second brother raised his hand to obstruct me.

It clearly was not easy to accept.

But this side possessed undeniable proof.

I immediately deployed the Lotus technique and propelled the second brother toward Blood Battle.

“That wretched scoundrel is at it again!”

THWACK! BOOM!

Blood Battle attempted to strike the second brother down with a single blow, but after a midair pivot, the second brother deflected off Blood Battle’s fist and lunged toward me.

“This lunatic……! Youngest!”

“Yes, brother!”

Even those who had cultivated such an infamous reputation that their title included the word Dog shared a connection that was remarkably stubborn.

This was precisely why the Twin-Shadow Vicious Demon Brigade earned the hatred of everyone, regardless of whether they followed the righteous or wicked path.

The pair swung their sabers simultaneously.

Saber Qi surged as if to sever my head and waist in a single motion.

As I triggered the Iron Bridge method, I pushed the Taeul Eighty-Thousand Divine Steps to their limit, slipping through the gap in the Saber Qi by a hair’s breadth and dashing toward the infiltrator of the Twin-Shadow Vicious Demon Brigade.

“You insane fool……!”

Dismayed by my erratic movements, the fourth brother desperately flailed his saber.

His swordsmanship was identical to that of the other Five Dogs of Xiping.

CLANG, CLANG, CLANG, CLANG, CLANG.

Just as I prepared to drive my blade home and claim the neck of the man who had barely fended off the Great Heaven Sword Art.

Three volleys of Saber Qi arrived from behind, forcing me to rotate my body urgently to deflect them.

BOOM, BOOM, BOOM!

Before the remnants of the Saber Qi had even dissipated, I shifted my momentum and unleashed the Ten Thousand Transformations Invincible Fist against the fourth brother.

Dozens of strikes descended upon him, launching him over thirty feet through the air until he slammed into the wall.

KABOOM.

“Keuk!”

The moment he crumpled to the ground, the fourth brother leaped back up and clutched his weapon once more.

His body shuddered as he raised his voice.

“Brothers!! Do you still not understand?! That bastard intends to slaughter us one by one!”

His desperate countenance and tone, his quivering lips, and even his eyes brimming with terror.

Could the brothers who had stood by him for decades truly turn away after witnessing this?

Even I would have reconsidered whether this man might actually be innocent.

‘If not for the Red Phoenix Bracelet.’

I was unsure how it occurred, but only when I stood before this imposter did the Red Phoenix Bracelet absorb an amount of Internal Qi as tiny as a dewdrop.

From the rear, Saber Qi saturated with lethal intent began to pour down.

“They have ceased to think rationally.”

It was truly a bizarre spectacle.

Disciples of the Orthodox Path often reacted in this manner.

Even if the Inspection Pavilion intervened, performed a thorough investigation, and the Execution Pavilion officially concluded it was a hidden conspiracy, once they heard the anguished plea of a fellow disciple, they dismissed all evidence.

They would argue that it was surely a malicious fabrication with political motivations……

That there was no conceivable way their brother was involved in a secret scheme……

But to see those of the Black Path act exactly like the Orthodox Path.

‘Is this why the Demonic Cult dominated the world?’

These wretches drove us to the brink of insanity.

They stripped us of our humanity.

They dismantled our common sense and moral compass.

That was why I could never allow this man, who carried the legacy of the fallen Heavenly Demon, to escape.

While driving the Minor Heaven Sword Art to its breaking point to counter the incoming Saber Qi, I blocked the fourth brother’s path to prevent any further movement.

The instant I attempted to corner him.

The three remaining members of the Five Dogs of Xiping locked into a Combined Attack Formation and lunged at six of my Vital Acupoints simultaneously.

‘I am going to die!’

Their individual prowess was not extraordinary, but the moment they synchronized, I felt an overwhelming sense of danger.

I rolled twice in midair to evade their coordinated strike, but I could not entirely escape the blow.

Riiip.

Drip, drip.

Deep lacerations opened on my forearm and thigh, blood trickling from the wounds.

The three men moved toward the fourth brother, exchanged glances, nodded, and tightened their defensive formation.

I issued a warning as they maneuvered in perfect coordination.

“I recognize your desire to trust your brother. But…… I must tell you that this is a grave mistake. You are currently shielding the person who murdered your Sect Leader.”

I tore a strip of fabric, bandaged my wound, and tightened my grip on the Black Dragon Sword.

The second brother of the Five Dogs of Xiping, his face flushed, gritted his teeth.

“We can verify that ourselves.”

“And so…… I am telling you that you are incapable of doing so.”

“Even if he is part of a conspiracy, we are more than enough to deal with him!”

Regardless of how rigorously trained someone was, it was nearly impossible to doubt and slay someone wearing the face of their own brother.

The reason they struggled to expel the Twin-Shadow Vicious Demon Brigade might be because, even if it was merely an illusion, they desperately wanted to believe their true kin hadn’t perished.

Because if the person beside them was exposed as a fraud, it was equivalent to accepting that the real one was already dead.

When even supreme masters were felled by assassins wearing the visages of their own grandchildren, their martial mastery meant nothing.

The only way to escape this trap was……

Pure, ruthless venom.

“This is exactly why you wretches were defeated by the Sojeong Squad.”

Only a beast could tear into a Demonic Practitioner.

I unleashed the Taeul Yang Palm, a multifaceted technique of the Taeul Sect.

BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM!

In my previous life, its efficacy was lackluster relative to the internal arts required, so I rarely employed it. But possessing four Cycles of internal energy, that matter of efficiency seemed to vanish.

A blistering heat radiated outward, causing the remaining members of the Five Dogs of Xiping to lose their breath for a moment.

Simultaneously, I executed the recently mastered Beautiful Trickery Divine Art to cloud their vision and thrust with the Minor Heaven Sword Art.

SWISSSH–

The Five Dogs of Xiping slashed their sabers to deflect the Black Dragon Sword that flew at them like a bolt, but I was fractionally quicker.

Slice.

A deep gash appeared across the chest of the third brother, who stood at the front, and he collapsed instantly.

After recalling my blade, I readied another strike, and the Five Dogs of Xiping scrambled into defensive positions.

I deployed the Great Heaven Sword Art to prevent them from regrouping, throwing their perception into disarray.

Shrrr, shrrr, shrrr, shrrr.

As dozens of blade images flooded toward their necks, Vital Acupoints, and eyes.

They swung their sabers frantically, but most of the shapes were Illusion Swords.

I then integrated the Minor Heaven Sword Art to exacerbate their confusion.

SWISSSSH–

The Minor Heaven Sword Art, pulsing with more power than before, darted out like a single beam of light.

“Damn it……!”

“Keuk……”

The moment the second brother and the youngest dove to opposite sides, seemingly deciding they could no longer withstand the onslaught.

I poured the Ten Thousand Transformations Invincible Fist onto the culprit.

THUD, THUD, THUD, THUD, THUD, THUD, THUD.

KABOOM.

Before he could react, the fourth brother was pummeled by the strikes and driven into a corner.

I extended the Black Dragon Sword toward him.

Shrrr, shrrr, shrrr.

Like the ribs of a metal fan unfolding, illusions and real blade strikes filled the space, and the fourth brother’s body shook.

A moment later, perhaps sensing the end, he kicked off the floor and soared into the air.

But you see, I had no intention of letting him escape.

“Where do you think you’re going!”

Ping-

With a sound so faint it was nearly imperceptible, the Flying Dragon Claw shot out and cinched around his ankle. Channeling the power of Snowflower, I slammed him into the ground.

KABOOM, KABOOM.

“Keuk……”

The fourth brother curled up in agony, his pain clearly immense.

I finished with a heavy stomp and moved to crush his head in one decisive stroke.

CLANG!

Screeeeech.

The Black Dragon Sword was intercepted by a heavy great saber, the two weapons grinding against each other with a jarring screech.

“I warned you to desist……!”

The second brother roared, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, perhaps from internal exertion.

I applied more force to the Black Dragon Sword and retorted,

“That creature is the culprit.”

“The fourth brother utilized his own techniques even under duress. Furthermore, just as he claimed…… he was late, but he did respond.”

I looked at him and smirked.

“By defending your adversary, it appears you are eager to die.”

The second brother’s grip on his great saber began to shake.

“Keuk…… Regardless, stop! This is my final warning.”

CLANG!

In the end, we were both repelled three steps by the sheer force of the clash, and the third brother and the youngest once again flanked the second brother to protect him.

The second brother locked eyes with the fourth brother and demanded,

“Fourth.”

“Yes, brother.”

“Let me ask you something. What do I do whenever I have spare time?”

The fourth brother raised his voice as if deeply offended.

“Fishing, is it not! Fishing! You fish even when you lack bait, and even when you possess no hook! Your martial arts are derived from the enlightenment gained from that very hobby!”

“Then what about the youngest’s first love?”

“Was it not Sun-i from the neighboring village? After she became a concubine in a noble household, that boy cursed the world and joined the Black Path.”

Before he knew it, the second brother looked at the fourth brother with conflicted eyes.

“Then what wrongdoing has the third brother committed recently?”

“He stole your Money Pouch, second brother.”

“……What?”

Clearly taken aback, the second brother touched his own pouch and glanced at the third brother, who nodded in sheepish admission.

“……Look at this! Any observer can see he is my brother, so why would I suspect him……”

Yes, he appeared genuine.

No, the man was convinced the fourth brother was the “real” fourth brother.

That was a natural human emotion, regardless of one’s moral path.

The reason we survived was not simply because we could swap crude jokes.

The more accurate reason was…

“Do you still not see? When three of you performed a joint attack, you clearly overpowered me. So why were you repelled when all four of you utilized a Combined Attack Formation?”

“……”

……It was because we lacked humanity.

Because we had evolved into something closer to beasts, we could endure that living hell.

Was it not ironic?

To think that one had to discard their humanity in order to live as a human.

Could a person who had cast aside their humanity truly be called human?

As the man turned his head, his gaze met mine.

“What…… are you doing?”

The man observed my stance and tilted his head in confusion.

“Catching the culprit.”

With those words, I executed the First Form of the Three Forms of the White Moon Governing Heaven, “Extreme Swiftness.”

Swift Movement.

The sound of atmosphere being ripped apart echoed throughout the chamber, and all the surrounding furniture collapsed.

The Sword Qi that fired in an instant had already severed the fourth brother’s neck before anyone could process the movement.

SPURT.

The fourth brother’s hollow voice escaped as he clutched at his own throat.

“T-this is not right…… This is not right……”

THUD.

As the fourth brother’s head hit the floor, blood erupted like a fountain.

The three men who witnessed their brother’s death stared at me with vacant expressions, as if they had completely lost their minds.

“W-what have you done…… What are you doing? My, my brother…… My brother……”

The second brother, drenched in the blood of his kin, stared at me with eyes full of disbelief.

It was not only the Five Dogs of Xiping.

Every member of the Blood Sword Sect, as if losing their rationality at the scent of blood, began charging at me.

“Uaaaaaaaah! Kill him!”

“Kill him!”

“How dare you! Our Blood Sword Sect……!!”

As the Blood Sword Sect members attacked with reckless abandon, the Five Dogs of Xiping, grieving the loss of another brother, charged toward me with a freezing aura.

Blood Battle, who had been observing from the sidelines, finally intervened.

“……You madman!”

Alarmed, he joined the fray, and Gun Yu-hyeon followed suit, felling martial artists with the flutter of his long robes.

“Young Master Jin! We must retreat!”

Ignoring Gun Yu-hyeon’s desperate plea, I plunged deeper into the ranks of the bastards.

Stepping with the Taeul Eighty-Thousand Divine Steps at its peak, I maneuvered behind them.

Perhaps realizing my intent, the Black Path fighters surrounding me swung their sabers wildly in my direction.

But I had something else in mind.

I quickly snatched the fourth brother’s severed head and returned to my original position.

The Three Dogs of Xiping saw the head in my hands, and their eyes widened in a convulsive shock.

The other Blood Sword Sect members gnashed their teeth, seemingly ready to tear me apart.

“Take your hands off the fourth brother immediately!”

“Black Flame Dragon! If you humiliate us any further, we will rend you asunder!”

Without hesitation, I lifted the severed head and tore at the skin of its face.

Crack, crack, crack.

The skin that should have remained intact peeled away with ease.

A moment later, anticipating something horrifying, everyone averted their gaze.

But the gruesome scene they envisioned never arrived.

Through the silence that had suddenly descended, a confused voice whispered.

“A, Human-Skin Mask?”

Every eye was fixed on the object in my hands.

The Human-Skin Mask hung limp from the fourth brother’s face.

And……

Revealed was the face of a man they had never seen before—the imposter who had masqueraded as their brother until now.

The members of the Blood Sword Sect forgot the violent melee they had been engaged in just seconds prior, utterly stunned as they stared at the mask and the stranger’s real face.

I addressed them.

“This is the entity you risked your lives to defend.”

The Three Dogs of Xiping let their weapons clatter to the floor.

After discovering the truth, the reaction of the Orthodox Path and the Black Path was, in the end, identical.