Chapter 523

Chapter 523
## Chapter 523. The Monster That Eats Despair(8)

—

Accompanying the projections made by **Lee-hwa-gyu**, the reanimated corpses did not skulk through the sepulcher unguided. It appeared they no longer felt any necessity to conceal their presence.

*Zzzzt—*

Positioned beside the reanimated dead, they unreservedly radiated baleful aura and murderous intent with an arrogant demeanor. Their forces consisted of three **Soul-Returning Iron Jiangshis** and thirty-five corrupted martial artists. When factoring in the incredible ruinous capability that even a solitary **Soul-Returning Iron Jiangshi** could unleash, the concentrated peril of this seemingly modest vanguard was… completely self-evident.

“I shall take the front!”

I immediately checked **Zen Master Cheon-sim**, who had sighted the oncoming monstrosities.

“Please hold your ground for a moment.”

“……**Benefactor Jin**. There is absolutely no reason for you to throw your life away for our sake!”

*Eh?* What is he misunderstanding? My sole intention is to stall for time because I am concerned **Zen Master Cheon-sim** will realize his inner vitality has plummeted so drastically…

“Is it not proper custom in the Jianghu to send forward the combatant with the highest odds of success?”

“……”

I played along with his assumption for the time being. It was impossible for me to bluntly tell **Zen Master Cheon-sim**, ‘Do not overextend your bounds; simply remain where you are.’

*U-ung—*

As fate would have it, **Il-gak** and I were endowed with sacred energies known as the **Jade Clear Heavenly Power** and the **Vajra Qi**, respectively. Furthermore, within our **Yoseong-dang**, we had **Dang-seo-hee** at our side, did we not?

“Perish!”

A corrupted martial artist lunged with his blade, emitting a guttural noise that sounded like thick phlegm bubbling in his throat. Evading that unrefined strike by a hair’s breadth, the three of our forms, including myself, vaulted forward past them like windblown petals. The instant our trio, moving with the velocity of a lightning strike, collided with the **Soul-Returning Iron Jiangshis**—

*Slash—*
*Thud—*
*Ddang—*

*‘Ddang?’* I shifted my gaze toward the bizarre sound of metal striking metal.

“Wh—what in the world is this?!”

Standing there was **Nam-hwa-seong**, his countenance utterly overwhelmed with panic. *Where did the Vice Hall Master go, and why on earth is that dimwit here…* Given that two individuals had darted out from the flank, I naturally assumed it was **Dang-seo-hee**, however—

“**Ji—Jin-so-un**! Is this creature not an Iron Jiangshi?”

The individual who had lunged forward was **Nam-hwa-seong**, not **Dang-seo-hee**.

*Du-duk—*

**Nam-hwa-seong**, thrown into chaos upon witnessing the **Soul-Returning Iron Jiangshi** fluidly flexing its joints after absorbing his maximum-strength fist projection, found his momentum entirely neutralized.

“Get clear of it, you fool!”

“*Kya-ul*!”

Reacting to the movement of the **Soul-Returning Jiangshi** as it lunged forward with the velocity of a flying shaft, **Nam-hwa-seong** retreated in absolute terror, yet his footwork technique could scarcely outpace the velocity of the unholy fiend.

*Peo-pek—*

Glancing back, it appeared highly unfeasible to switch positions with **Dang-seo-hee**, who had already engaged in fierce combat with the corrupted martial artists.

“**Ji—Jin-so-un**, what action should I take?”

If we attempted to force a tactical rotation… **Dang-seo-hee** would likely manage, but **Nam-hwa-seong** or the rank-and-file members of the **Yoseong-dang** might pay with their lives. Frankly, while losing **Nam-hwa-seong** would be a lamentable turn of events, it was an outcome brought on by his own making. Given his foolish blunder, dying in this manner could at least be generously categorized as a warrior’s demise. It would serve as a grand tavern tale, with everyone agreeing, ‘That fellow was a peerless blockhead.’

Conversely, if a member of the **Yoseong-dang** perished, it would be an utterly meaningless, dog-like death. I quickly barked out an order to dictate **Nam-hwa-seong**’s next move.

“Withstand its assaults until we finish clearing this section!”

“Th—this? In what manner!”

**Nam-hwa-seong** wailed as though the heavens themselves were collapsing upon him. I offered the fellow some quick reassurance.

“Somehow!”

“……You are insane.”

*Slash—*

The concentrated energy of the **Jade Clear Heavenly Power** flashed outward, severing the ears and nose of the **Soul-Returning Jiangshi**. It was quite an anomaly. While the rest of its hide was as resilient as solid iron ore, the protruding features like the ears or nose proved unexpectedly vulnerable.

*Ka-aaaa-ak!*

Furthermore, losing those specific parts caused it to go into a frenzy, as if stripped of something highly prized. The creature, its balance utterly unraveled by pure rage, left itself completely exposed. I brought my weapon down hard upon its arm.

*Kkang—*

The resonance of clashing iron reverberated through the air, and the **Soul-Returning Jiangshi** let out a bestial shriek.

*Ka-aaaa-ak!*

Viscous, dark-red blood began to ooze across the monster’s frame, releasing a dense, corrosive vapor. As if the creature was fully aware that its vital fluids carried lethal venom, it violently swung its mangled limb, spraying blood in every direction.

*Chiiiii-ik—*

A single drop was all it took. The moment a solitary bead contacted my attire, white vapor hissed upward and the fabric immediately began to dissolve. I generated a powerful gale using the **Great Heavens Sword Technique** to deflect the creature’s blood away from me, utilizing that brief window to charge directly at the fiend while lashing out with the **Jeok-gwang** blade.

*Kka-gang—*

Alerted by the unusual resonance, the corrupted martial artists began turning their heads toward our direction one after another. I executed another sweeping strike to sever the limb entirely before reinforcements arrived.

*Peo-geok—*

As the **Jeok-gwang** blade bit deep into the underlying muscle, cleaving through half of the creature’s arm, blood erupted from the wound like a geyser.

*Kya-ang—*

Dodging the creature’s razor-sharp talons, I slammed the **Holy Fire Demon-Destroying Hand** straight onto the mangled tissue.

*Hwa-reu-reuk—*

Simultaneously, I discharged the **Soundless Clear Water Seal** toward the group of corrupted martial artists rushing frantically from the rear.

*Peo-peo-peok—*

The **Soundless Clear Water Seal**, traveling without a trace or sound, detonated violently across the limbs and torsos of the approaching adversaries. Despite the impact, perhaps relying heavily on their unholy energies, they immediately gathered their foul strength and brandished their weapons.

*Chae-chae-chae-chae-chaeng—*

Blades of terrifying sharpness flashed downward with enough force to cleave my skull, prompting me to angle the **Jeok-gwang** sword horizontally to parry the onslaught.

*Ka-aaaa-ak—*

Concurrently, the moment the **Soul-Returning Jiangshi** ambushed me from behind, I deflected its assault and unleashed the **Flying Flow Formless Sword** to lop off the monster’s claws.

*Seo-geong—*

Even with its arm half-severed, the velocity of its counterattack remained incredibly perilous.

*Peo-peok—*

It possessed a cataclysmic strength capable of shattering solid cavern stone in an instant, while simultaneously scattering blood saturated with lethal toxins.

*Ka-aaaa-ak—*

Agonized by the searing torment inflicted by the **Holy Fire Demon-Destroying Hand**, it let out an angered shriek far more intense than any before. A corrupted martial artist rushed over in an attempt to extinguish the blaze using his palm energy, but the **Holy Fire Demon-Destroying Hand**, having already found ample fuel in the target’s unholy aura, refused to go out easily. I thrust the **Small Heavens Sword Technique** directly at the newcomer, feigning an attempt to prevent him from dousing the fire while entirely ignoring the strikes coming from the other adversaries.

*Swa-aaaa-ek—*

The **Jeok-gwang** sword, enhanced with unpredictable shifts in direction, twisted past his guard and targeted the adversary’s exposed opening. Even though the corrupted martial artists flanking me unleashed attacks aimed directly at my lethal pressure points, I deliberately chose not to parry their blades.

*‘Because the **Soundless Clear Water Seal** is bound to take effect by now anyway.’*

True to my calculations, the sword of the corrupted martial artist, which had advanced deep enough to slightly graze a vital area, suddenly froze mid-air. Simultaneously, my blade skewered the throat of the foe who had been trying to suppress the flames.

“*Kuu-uk— kuu-uk*— You wretched……”

I kicked away the dying man before he could finish his sentence, immediately hurling the severed, burning arm of the **Soul-Returning Jiangshi** toward the immobilized corrupted martial artists.

“N—No!”

“W—Wait a moment!”

The balance of the corrupted martial artists, who were already straining to suppress the internal damage of the **Soundless Clear Water Seal**, collapsed instantly. As they violently spat blood, the residual energy of the **Holy Fire Demon-Destroying Hand** erupted across their bodies.

“*Uwaaaa-ak*!!”

I brought my weapon straight down onto the neck of the collapsed **Soul-Returning Jiangshi**.

*Kkang—*

Predictably, the bone did not break on the first attempt. Planted my foot firmly upon the creature’s chest, I swung downward once more as if splitting a thick log.

*Kkang—*

The **Soul-Returning Jiangshi** violently raked at my legs while baring its fangs frantically, but I plunged the **Jeok-gwang** sword into it yet again.

*Peok—*

At last, the severed head of the **Soul-Returning Jiangshi** tumbled across the stone floor, and the creature’s blazing torso lost all animation, going completely limp.

“**Jin-so-un**! Now is our chance!”

**Nam-hwa-seong** repelled the monster facing him with a full-strength fist projection and leaped away from his position. I immediately charged toward the remaining corrupted martial artists, prompting a panicked shriek from **Nam-hwa-seong**, who was still being hotly pursued by the enraged **Soul-Returning Jiangshi**.

“*Kuaaaa-ak*! Blast it……!”

While the members of the **Yoseong-dang** neutralized the corrupted martial artists by deploying a defensive perimeter via the **Baek-ho** sword formation, the devastatingly precise maneuvers of **Dang-seo-hee** operating in the intervals swiftly claimed the lives of the enemy forces. Capitalizing on that tactical opening, the ascetics of the Shaolin Temple engaged the corrupted martial artists while projecting internal energy saturated with sacred Buddhist power. Though it did not quite match the purity of holy power, it proved highly effective against the unholy nature of our foes.

*Peo-peo-peok!*

Brought low by the crushing impact of **Zen Master Cheon-sim**’s final fist technique, a corrupted martial artist’s sternum caved inward, killing him instantly. Withdrawing my **Jade Clear Heavenly Power**, I re-channeled my internal energy and projected a dense aura of slaughter.

*Kuaaaa-ak—*

The **Jeok-gwang** sword radiated a deep crimson hue, emitting an eerie, indefinable howl. The moment the frenzied corrupted martial artists flinched and glanced back in alarm—

*Seo-geong—*

I decapitated two adversaries with a single fluid motion, sending a spray of blood into the air. The internal energy of the **Jeok-gwang** sword expanded outward like the ribs of an unfolding fan, instantly dominating the immediate perimeter around the foes. The corrupted martial artists, their coordination completely unraveled by simultaneous assaults from both flanks, attempted to release indiscriminate sword-qi, but not a single warrior in our frontline could be touched by their desperate maneuvers.

*Slash—*

Piercing the chest of the final standing corrupted martial artist, the vanguard of roughly thirty adversaries that had ambushed us was completely eradicated.

“*Kuaaaa-ak*! If you are finished over there, lend a hand immediately!”

**Nam-hwa-seong** was steadily being driven backward while attempting to hold off the **Soul-Returning Jiangshi**. **Il-gak**, who had just smashed a massive fist-shaped cavity directly into the face of the **Soul-Returning Jiangshi** he had been fighting, leapt over to assist **Nam-hwa-seong**. Shortly thereafter, even the **Soul-Returning Jiangshi** that had been trading blows with **Dang-seo-hee** abruptly went rigid, resembling a marionette whose tethers had been severed. Providentially, with **Il-gak** entering the fray, **Nam-hwa-seong** managed to keep his life intact. Before long, the chaotic din within the chamber settled into silence…….

“I was on the absolute brink of death!!!”

My eardrums felt as though they might rupture from his shouting. I offered a nonchalant response.

“You claimed you were capable of managing it.”

“That creature is nothing like the Iron Jiangshi we encountered previously!”

“I assumed a cultivator of your standing could easily handle such an opponent utilizing the renowned martial disciplines of the **Sam-won-mun**.”

“……”

**Nam-hwa-seong**’s expression twisted into an incredibly conflicted, highly uncomfortable grimace. I turned my attention to checking for any survivors among the fallen corrupted martial artists. I had anticipated that the ascetics of the Shaolin Temple would exhibit the same non-lethal restraint in their techniques as **Il-gak**, however—

“……”

To my surprise, the craniums of nearly all the corrupted martial artists had been completely pulverized. Observing that every single one of them had perished from identical head trauma, rather than wounds to any other part of their anatomy.

“*Um*, are those…… truly Shaolin ascetics?”

It reached a point where I genuinely questioned whether our companions belonged to the Shaolin Temple or the **Ma-bul-mun** (Demonic Buddha Sect), an order notorious for its historical barbarity.

“These individuals pressed their assault so recklessly without regard for their lives……”

One of the ascetics muttered a quiet justification before turning his gaze away. I opened my mouth to remark on it, but ultimately held my tongue. In truth, executing them cleanly like this was vastly preferable to showing half-hearted leniency in the heat of battle.

“The information provided by **Lee-hwa-gyu** was entirely accurate.”

**Zen Master Cheon-sim** let out a sorrowful sigh. The precise reality he had most dreaded facing had now been irrefutably proven.

“Was this destination truly an elaborate snare designed by them?”

The stark realization that their own avarice had led them directly into the adversary’s web ultimately manifested as deep mortification and a crippling sense of self-reproach, weighing heavily upon everyone’s spirits. The knowledge that they had traded the lives of their fellow martial artists as the toll for falling for a grand deception bred intense self-loathing. **Zen Master Cheon-sim**’s features were the most profoundly wracked with anguish.

“We must press onward for the moment. Is wallowing in despair not a luxury that can only be afforded after one has managed to survive?”

He squeezed his eyes shut tightly, his lips moving silently as he whispered.

“*Amitabha…… Amitabha……*”

It marked the absolute first instance I had ever heard a Buddhist invocation delivered with such complete devoid of vigor.

Our group pressed deeper into the complex. Yet as we advanced, the scale of the opposing forces grew progressively larger. Five reanimated corpses and fifty corrupted martial artists confronted us. During that second engagement, a Shaolin ascetic and a swordsman from the Moyong Clan lost their lives. We were forced to resume our march immediately, lacking even the briefest window to inter the fallen. In the third skirmish, three more swordsmen from the Moyong Clan fell in battle. By the fourth confrontation, another two Moyong Clan warriors were slain.

The remaining contingent of the Moyong Clan had now dwindled to a mere five individuals, including **Moyong-seol**. Despite their actual engagement in the front lines being the least frequent, they had absorbed the heaviest casualties. Because none of their individual capabilities fell short of the standards held by the personnel of the **Yoseong-dang**, the surviving fighters of the Moyong Clan began looking upon the **Yoseong-dang** with deeply bewildered expressions.

We temporarily decelerated our pace. It was becoming distinctly perceptible that the closer we drew to finding an exit, the more the enemy numbers were multiplying.

“Judging by the adversaries materializing from our rear, it appears we have marched directly into the heart of the host’s encampment.”

Precisely as **Zen Master Cheon-sim** observed, hostile forces were now emerging even from the pathways we had already traversed. Out from the myriad intersecting tunnels connecting to the primary passage we had cleared, enemies were spilling forth without end. It had evolved into a dire predicament where advancing forward felt impossible… yet retreating backward was equally suicidal. Consequently, we had no alternative but to stubbornly maintain our forward momentum.

Upon clashing with the seventh detachment of enemies, three more ascetics from the Shaolin Temple were killed. We attempted to capture a few corrupted martial artists alive to glean intelligence regarding the situation, but every adversary who sustained incapacitating wounds chose to either smash their own craniums or terminate their lives by swallowing lethal agents concealed within their mouths. Such fanaticism was an ordinary sight for those of us who had already encountered corrupted martial artists within the **Muk-rim**, but the grim spectacle appeared to inflict a profound psychological shock upon the members of both the Shaolin Temple and the Moyong Clan.

I could sense the collective fighting spirit steadily eroding. The entire group radiated a bleak aura of individuals who had completely relinquished their expectation of survival.

*‘This path is unsustainable.’*

The moment a mindset of total resignation takes root in a life-or-death scenario, the ensuing engagements are guaranteed to become exponentially more brutal. The grim expectation that a vast majority of our companions would inevitably perish within these caverns persistently weighted my thoughts.

“**Hall Master Jin**! Look over there!”

A heavily wounded figure caught the attention of our slow-moving group. Signaling for the rest to halt, I initiated a cautious approach. All the while keeping a close eye on the status of the **Jeok-bong-hwan**, just to guard against a trap. Fortunately, the **Jeok-bong-hwan** remained entirely still until I drew close to the individual.

*‘Even so, I must not lower my guard for a second.’*

*Sreureung—*

As I unsheathed the **Jeok-bong-hwan** and crept forward, the mangled figure weakly elevated his head.

“Sa—Save me!!! Sa—Save me!!!”

The man experienced a sudden panic attack and desperately tried to crawl away the instant he detected a nearby presence. Although a trail of blood dripped heavily from his midsection and legs, he frantically dragged himself in the reverse direction to escape my approach.

“Sa—Save me! I committed an error! Merely grant me my life!”

I angled my torch flame to illuminate his features as he scraped along the stone floor.

*‘A cultivator of the Wudang Sect?’*

He was a middle-aged disciple of an order whose refined dignity and combat prowess were widely celebrated as unparalleled under heaven. Yet here he was, fleeing from me as though he had encountered a malevolent mountain spirit, his faculties entirely unraveled by fear. I discharged a precise finger-strike, striking his immobilization point.

“*Heo-eok*……!”

“Are you unharmed?”

I sheathed the **Jeok-gwang** blade and extended my uncovered hands toward him, demonstrating that I harbored no malicious intent.

“Sa—Save me! Save me!”

Despite my gesture, the cultivator merely continued to offer frantic pleas for his life, his mind clearly remaining fractured. I chose to wait patiently after administering a **Clear Mind Spirit-Preserving Pill** to him. Once the therapeutic properties of the **Clear Mind Spirit-Preserving Pill** began to properly diffuse through his system, I carefully inspected the state of his pupils.

“Save me! Save me!”

His mental state showed no signs of returning to normal. Ultimately, this indicated that his extreme psychological distress was caused by something far more severe than the mere effects of the **Musim-hwan-gak-san**. At that precise juncture.

“Would it be permissible for me to check his condition?”

**Dang-seo-hee** reached down to monitor his pulse before beginning to infuse her own internal energy into his system. My knowledge of the medical arts was rudimentary at best, but through her specialized treatment, I could perceive that the Wudang Sect cultivator’s frantic state was slowly beginning to stabilize.

“Save…… save…… me.”

Even as his breathing slowed, his desperate appeals for salvation did not cease.

“By any chance, where are the companions you traveled with?”

“Companions…… are…… all slaughtered. Save me.”

“What transpired over there?”

“Nothing transpired. Save me……”

I locked eyes with **Dang-seo-hee**. Her expression mirrored my own profound skepticism. To claim that nothing had occurred made no logical sense.

“In that case, toward what destination were you retreating?”

“As far distant as possible from any living souls.”

“For what reason?”

“If you congregate among other individuals, *it* will surely manifest.”

“What exactly is *it*?”

“……*Hihik! Hihik!* Sa—Save me! Save me!”

The Taoist disciple of the Wudang Sect, who had only just achieved a modicum of composure, began to spiral into a frantic state once more. Seeing this, **Dang-seo-hee** eventually withdrew her hands from him.

“Is there a location within these tunnels where survivors have congregated?”

“Inside the Ju—Central Hall…… within the Central Hall……. Fl—Flee…… sa—save m……”

“……”

Still trapped in the throes of his violent panic attack, the man ultimately drew his final breath right before us.

“He has already suffered an excessive loss of vital fluid.”

**Dang-seo-hee** made a rapid attempt to apply emergency resuscitation, but the cultivator yielded no signs of life.

“**Hall Master Jin**, based on the testimony delivered by this individual, did he not escape directly from the Central Hall?”

That exact detail perplexed me as well. If the location in question was indeed the Central Hall, it was a chamber situated significantly closer to the cavern entrance relative to our current position. It also served as the sole juncture where the three primary arterial pathways converged. The notion that survivors were gathering inside the Central Hall raised massive questions, but the fact that he had chosen to flee from that specific location toward this deeper sector was even more baffling.

“Shi—Shi-bal! Just how long are we expected to persist in marching straight into the jaws of absolute annihilation!”

Profoundly rattled by the demise of the Wudang Sect Taoist, an unrefined expletive finally burst from the lips of the Moyong Clan’s Vice Hall Master.

“Every report dictates that if we advance along this path, we face certain death. That fellow **Lee-hwa-gyu** proclaimed it, and now this Wudang Sect Taoist has affirmed it as well! For how long do we intend to alter our course based entirely on the directives of that unproven novice!”

“Regain your composure, **Vice Hall Master**.”

“**Agassi**! I am prepared to offer my sincerest apologies for my past insubordination. But this course of action is utterly irrational. Exactly how many more lives do you intend to throw away fruitlessly in this manner?”

“I explicitly commanded you to regain your composure.”

**Moyong-seol**’s response was delivered with a chilling, low tone. The Vice Hall Master furrowed his brow deeply and took a step back into the ranks.

“**Hall Master Jin**. Do you truly believe survival remains a possibility if we persist along this trajectory?”

With those words, **Moyong-seol** turned her unyielding gaze directly toward me. It was a stare completely devoid of any internal hesitation. Throughout my previous life, she had displayed that exact same countenance every single time she prepared to spearhead a seemingly suicidal campaign. And invariably, we had drawn an inexplicable sense of absolute certainty from her unshakable resolve.

“That is precisely what I believe.”

“If that is your conviction, I shall follow your tactical directives to the letter.”

Feeling the immense gravitas behind her steady gaze, I forged a definitive resolution within my mind. If I exhibited even a shred of hesitation now, the entire endeavor would collapse into total disarray. Combating these adversaries in the precise manner I understood, utilizing the exact experiences I had accumulated, was ultimately our optimal path forward. Therefore, there was absolutely no purpose in unsettling our companions by allowing my own internal doubts to surface.

“Moving forward from this moment, we shall aggressively hack our way through.”

“Are you suggesting that we repeat this suicidal madness once more?”

The Vice Hall Master of the Moyong Clan loudly voiced his intense dissatisfaction.

“No.”

“Then what is your plan?”

“From this point onward, we shall not check our advance.”

“……”

“We shall press directly toward the Central Hall without halting our momentum for even a single second.”

Mirroring the exact, unswerving determination she had demonstrated to me in my previous life, I projected a countenance completely free of doubt.

“Not for even a single second.”