Episode 509: Return of the Demon Sect Officer
Thud, thud, thud!
In the dead of night, a lone figure darted through the forest with the agility and speed of a flying squirrel leaping from branch to branch. Behind him, masked pursuers closed in relentlessly.
“Stop him!”
“Don’t let him escape!”
“We can’t lose him!”
The figure, glancing back, gritted his teeth in frustration. ‘Damn it! These persistent bastards!’ He was none other than Gu Gangryong.
How long had he been running? Suddenly, the forest gave way to a vast river stretching across his field of vision. Skidding to a halt, Gu Gangryong stared at the dark, flowing water before him.
“Huff, huff, huff…”
Despair flickered in his eyes as he took a deep breath and yanked an arrow from his left shoulder. With a swift motion, he staunched the bleeding with acupressure.
‘This isn’t good.’
He had expended too much of his inner energy, and his injuries were severe. The arrow wound in his shoulder and the long gash on his right thigh were particularly troublesome. Though he had stopped the bleeding in time, the pain was bone-deep.
One by one, his pursuers emerged from the forest, spreading out in a fan shape to encircle him. Gu Gangryong scanned the fifteen masked figures with a fierce glare.
“You bastards… Who the hell are you?”
The leader, stepping forward with a sly smile, replied, “That’s not what’s important right now.”
At his signal, five masked men charged at once.
“Tch!”
Gu Gangryong clicked his tongue, launching himself forward like an arrow. His sword sliced through the air with a sharp whistle, narrowly dodging an opponent’s blade before cutting diagonally upward.
“Argh!”
One masked man fell, blood spraying from his chest. “You scum!” Another attacker lunged at his side, but Gu Gangryong met him head-on. His fighting style was all about overwhelming force.
The enemy’s sword grazed his shoulder, but he paid it no mind, countering with three rapid thrusts. First, he disabled the man’s defenses by striking a vital point in his thigh, then pierced his abdomen and throat, ensuring instant death. As he withdrew his sword, he spun to decapitate a third attacker sneaking up from behind.
“Die!”
Two more masked men leaped at him simultaneously. Gu Gangryong didn’t dodge. Instead, his eyes gleamed with a deadly light as he charged, his sword weaving a cross pattern in the air—a technique known as the Autumn Wind Cross Sword.
In an instant, the two attackers lost an arm each, their screams echoing as they collapsed. Having dispatched five of his foes, Gu Gangryong staggered, his legs giving way. He planted his sword in the ground to steady himself.
“Huff, huff, huff…”
The leader clapped slowly. “Impressive. Your skills rival those of the great sect leaders.”
”…”
“But by now, your injuries must be severe, and your energy depleted.”
Gu Gangryong smirked coldly. “We’ll see about that.”
“Boasting at a time like this is pitiful,” the leader taunted. “You’re in no condition to fight.”
“Shut up and come at me!”
The leader’s expression turned serious. “Fine. Everyone, prepare to die with him!”
“Yes, sir!”
The remaining masked men charged with a unified battle cry. Gu Gangryong surveyed them with icy detachment. Ten left.
‘Is there no other way?’
He loathed using this technique again, but his energy was nearly spent. He had no choice.
As he pondered, a sword light flashed through the night air. Gu Gangryong ducked low, closing in on his enemy and slashing upward with a reverse grip.
“Argh!”
A masked man screamed as his leg was severed. ‘Nine!’
Another attacker appeared behind him, sword raised to strike. Gu Gangryong rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the blade that embedded itself in the ground.
In a split second, he spun like a top, mud flying as he rose to his feet. “Ugh!” He lunged at the retreating enemy, his sword piercing the man’s heart.
‘Eight!’
Withdrawing his blade, he turned to meet another foe, slicing through his neck with a single stroke.
“Seven!”
Gu Gangryong slid into a defensive stance, nausea rising uncontrollably. He clutched his stomach, retching violently.
“Ugh!”
Blood spewed from his mouth. His injuries were severe, and the rapid depletion of his energy had worsened his internal damage.
Spitting out blood-tinged saliva, he wiped his mouth with his sleeve and faced the seven remaining masked men. ‘Seven… Just one more!’
The leader spoke with genuine admiration. “I can’t help but be impressed, even as your enemy. But…”
He twirled his sword and stepped forward. “You don’t have the strength to hold that sword anymore.”
Gu Gangryong grinned wickedly. “I still have enough strength to take one of you with me.”
The leader chuckled. “Do you think we’re afraid of death? That we’ll hesitate because one of us might be unlucky? You’re mistaken. These men live and die by their orders. The moment you take one down, you’re finished. Because… there are seven of us.”
“Heh. Back when I was with the Windstorm Squad, I fought against twenty at once. No matter how many I killed, they kept coming, just like you. But I’m still here, aren’t I? You know what that means? You’re screwed. When there were only a few left, I took them out in an instant. That’s what I mean by having enough strength to kill one more.”
The leader clicked his tongue. “Such bravado is a disease. Enough talk. Attack!”
“Yes, sir!”
“Come on!”
A blue sword light grazed the tip of Gu Gangryong’s nose. He ducked, charging forward and lifting his sword in an upward arc.
“Ugh!”
His lips curled into a satisfied smirk. ‘Six!’
At that moment, a sword pierced through his left side.
“Ugh!”
He saw the blade protruding from his flank. Then, two more swords stabbed into his right thigh and left shoulder.
“Argh!”
The excruciating pain made him clench his teeth as he twisted his body.
Another sword sliced through the air, and agony exploded in his abdomen and arm.
In an instant, five swords impaled him, turning his body into a pincushion.
With a thud, Gu Gangryong fell to one knee, his head bowed. Blood dripped thickly from his lips.
The leader approached with a calm expression, stepping over the fallen bodies.
“You probably don’t even have the strength to hold that sword anymore.”
Goo Kang-ryong let out a sardonic chuckle.
“But I’ve still got enough left to take down at least one of you.”
The masked leader smirked.
“Just one, huh… Do you really think we’re afraid of dying? That we’ll hesitate to attack because one of us might get unlucky? If that’s what you’re banking on, you’re sorely mistaken. These men live and die by their orders. The moment you take one of us down, you’re finished. Because… there are seven of us.”
“Heh. Back when I was with the Storm Brigade, I once fought against twenty. No matter how many I killed, they kept coming at me, just as relentless as you lot. But you know what it means that I’m standing here now, right? It means you’re screwed. When there were only a few left, I took them out in a flash. So when I say I’ve got enough strength to kill one more, that’s what I mean.”
The masked leader clicked his tongue.
“Tsk… That kind of bravado is a sickness. There’s no point in talking anymore. Attack!”
“Yes, sir!”
“Bring it on!”
Whoosh!
A blade of blue light whizzed past, barely missing the tip of Goo Kang-ryong’s nose.
Seeing the sword flash before his eyes, Goo Kang-ryong ducked and lunged forward, raising his own sword.
Thwack!
“Ugh! Gah…!”
A sly grin spread across Goo Kang-ryong’s lips.
‘Got him…! That’s six down!’
In that instant!
Whoosh, thud!
“Argh!”
He looked down to see a sword piercing through his left side.
And then,
Whoosh, thud! Thud!
“Ugh!”
A blade stabbed through his right thigh, another pierced his left shoulder!
“Urgh…!”
Grinding his teeth against the searing pain, he twisted his body.
Whoosh!
Another blade sliced through the air, and a wave of agony threatened to make him black out as it struck his abdomen and arm.
Thud! Thud…!
One sword pierced his stomach, another his left arm.
In the blink of an eye, five swords had turned Goo Kang-ryong into a human pincushion.
Thud…!
He dropped to one knee, his head hanging low.
Blood dripped thickly from his lips.
Footsteps approached, steady and unhurried.
The masked leader walked toward him, his expression calm.