Book 12 Chapter 3

Yong Chun-myeong vs. Ma Ha-ryeong (?)

- A fierce battle of the remnants

"Kkkkkkkkk!"

"Cough!"

It was like the chilling, nervous friction of a rusty old sword being forcibly pulled from its steel scabbard.

Yong Chun-myeong, the Azure Sky Dragon, almost instinctively covered his ears and collapsed on the spot from the unknown sound-based attack that relentlessly ravaged his thin and delicate (?) eardrums. However, he summoned all his willpower and stood firm on the ground.

'Wh-what is that sound? This terrible sound?'

Yong Chun-myeong had a sense of déjà vu, as if he had heard this torture-like sound, as horrific as a comrade grinding their teeth in fear, somewhere before.

'Who was it?'

That unique and distinctive, nervous voice, which seemed impossible to imitate no matter how hard one tried, was not something easily forgotten.

'The owner of that voice must be eccentric, narrow-minded, nervous, and unreasonable!'

The moment he thought it was likely, the face of a woman suddenly flashed through his mind.

"Kkkkkkkk, go away! I said go away! What are you coming closer for! Die, dieeee!"

And as that chilling scream echoed once more, seemingly about to collapse the gorge, he was finally able to confirm his deduction. It then became clear that all the conditions he had imagined for 'someone with such a screaming voice' perfectly matched her.

"As expected!"

In a secluded corner, Ma Ha-ryeong, with a pale, ashen face, was continuously screaming and indiscriminately unleashing sword energy in a frenzy. The sword energy, forming a dense web like a spiderweb, was almost forming a shield, and the venomous snakes caught within that deadly light curtain had their bodies mercilessly torn apart.

'Hok! How can this be… Even Miss Ma had such a feminine side? To be so terrified of snakes like this…'

For a moment, an absurd chuckle escaped his lips, but his gaze soon turned worried. He was overcome with a sense of crisis, fearing that if she continued to scream like this, the gorge might collapse and everyone could be buried. Although her sword energy currently prevented any venomous snake's fangs from approaching, the sword technique she was employing was far from rational. None of the neat and refined movements she usually displayed could be found anywhere.

Indeed! How could a sword wielded with all her might, biting her lower lip until it bled and her eyes bloodshot, be rational?

In fact, such a ferocious and powerful sword technique was not strictly necessary to block the attack of the venomous snakes from the Bishazhin. Excessive use of internal energy was merely a waste of inner strength, rapidly depleting her vitality.

If she continued like this, she would inevitably collapse on her own, as the enemy intended. Yong Chun-myeong, driven by urgency, rushed forward to help her, parting the storm of falling arrows and venomous snakes with an umbrella of sword wind. Yong Chun-myeong quickly ran to Ma Ha-ryeong's side and swept away the surrounding snakes as if brushing them aside. This gave her a moment to catch her breath.

"Are you alright, Miss Ma? Are you hurt anywhere or bitten?"

Her appearance was a mess. Her usually neat attire was disheveled as if she had rolled around on the ground, and her neatly tied hair had become frayed from her violent movements, loosening like straw into a shapeless mass. From her perspective, it was a chaotic state she absolutely did not want anyone to see.

"I will help you, Miss Ma!"

Suddenly, her face flushed a bright red in an instant.

"I don't need it!"

She yelled nervously, "Back off!" and then began to pant heavily. This was in stark contrast to Yong Chun-myeong, who maintained a stable breath. It was also proof that she had made extremely wasteful movements compared to him. Her eyes were still bloodshot.

Her nerves were already frayed by the attack of hundreds of blue-scaled creatures crawling on the ground, and this was not a problem that could be solved easily.

"You're saying things that aren't sincere again, just as you please."

Yong Chun-myeong shook his head. Although it was disappointing to have his kindness rejected so abruptly, he was now somewhat immune and had the余裕 to be rejected once more. And, though Ma Ha-ryeong would regret it deeply if she knew, she had become so accustomed to dealing with this fierce tigress from being rejected so many times that she was now an expert.

"Do you mean that, Miss Ma?"

Yong Chun-myeong looked directly at Ma Ha-ryeong with eyes like a calm lake and said in a deeper, more stern voice. She flinched at his indifferent gaze.

"I will ask you one last time. Do you really not need help? It doesn't matter what happens to me…"

His tone was threatening, implying that if she answered "no" again, he would turn around and leave immediately.

"Th-that is, um…"

Under normal circumstances, she would never have admitted to such a foolish act, even out of stubbornness. Her immense pride would never have allowed it. However, she lacked the mental余裕 to assert her pride and stubbornness. This was an emergency, a great crisis for her.

A psychological trauma etched in childhood. On her tenth birthday, a mischievous boy had put a repulsive, blue-scaled creature down her back. That cold, sticky, slippery, and horrifyingly repulsive creature had wriggled around on her back, turning the young girl's mind into a blank slate. From then on, she had become terrified of snakes.

The stubbornness that had flared up like a spark on an anvil in a fleeting moment was now gone without a trace. Ma Ha-ryeong glanced around nervously with narrowed eyes. The scene around her was a hellish landscape too terrifying to focus on.

"Do you really not need my help, Leader of the Heroes' Gathering?"

She still did not answer.

The snakes, swept away like sandcastles before the waves by Yong Chun-myeong, were now taking turns, approaching from all sides with the horrific sound of white bellies slithering through the dirt. There were easily hundreds of them.

'Ask for help, Ma Ha-ryeong! Is this the time to be proud? Are you in a position to be picky now? Ask for help! He's a trustworthy ally!'

But she quickly shook her head.

'No! I can't do that. I shouldn't. Would I ask him for help when I'm crazy? Think about your status. And think about what happened in the past. That man has probably forgotten about it long ago. It's been over ten years. How can you ask for help from such a man? You are Ma Ha-ryeong, the leader of the Heroes' Gathering. You must never ask for help from the leader of the Nine Provinces. Especially not from that man. I would rather die here today! No, I won't! But…'

Two contradictory thoughts waged a fierce war in her mind. However, the conclusion did not seem to be easily reached.

Hiss, hiss!

A red, slender tongue flickered out with a menacing sound. The color drained from her already pale face as if a receding tide, turning white in an instant.

"Since you haven't answered yet, it seems you really don't need help, Ha-ryeong. Then I have no further business here."

Yong Chun-myeong sheathed his drawn sword and turned away without mercy. Calling her 'Ha-ryeong' this time, unlike usual, was not a mistake but intentional. It was a very malicious and dangerous act in a situation where the threat was not over, but it was highly effective.

Ma Ha-ryeong, panicked by his cold action, lost the余裕 to think rationally or logically, and the slightest余裕 to maintain appearances or be stubborn was stripped away.

Hundreds of snakes were closing in from a stone's throw away, flaunting their well-aligned fangs. Ma Ha-ryeong's face crumpled. A part of her fiercely fighting heart finally surrendered.

Ma Ha-ryeong stopped him in a desperate voice.

"Young Master Yong, wait a moment. I think I made a mistake. It seems wrong to rashly refuse the help offered by the leader of the Nine Provinces. Wouldn't it be impolite to refuse such a kind offer, wouldn't it, hohoho!"

Isn't a woman's transformation innocent? She straightened her back as if stating the obvious and spoke confidently. Her pretense was obvious, but Yong Chun-myeong did not show it.

'Oh, my! As expected of Ha-ryeong!'

Yong Chun-myeong shook his head. It was better not to expect any more concessions from this lion-like woman. Perhaps that was also more like Ma Ha-ryeong.

Yong Chun-myeong drew his sword again. He decided to be satisfied with this for now. Creating a debt at a time like this would be useful in the future.

Fwwoosh!

He unleashed the first move of the Bodhidharma Arhat Thirteen Swords, 'Buddha's Light Tide,' and swept through the surroundings. The swarm of venomous snakes approaching them was swept away without a trace by the wave of light emanating from his sword, like the Arhat's halo.