"It was you! It was you! The brat who disappeared from Guizhou Province! The one who killed Zuo Zimu and Jia Mogong was you. Isn't that right?"
The Killing Lord shouted so loudly that the room rumbled.
Banjeok Myeong stared at him and replied.
"Seeing as you're saying that, you won't just go back even if I tell you to, will you?"
"Go back? Why?"
"Because you'll die."
"......"
"Do you know how many people died in Guizhou Province? The moment you got greedy and tried to take Guizhou Province, countless people fought and died."
"......"
"And now you're going to take Sichuan? No way. Because I'm going to kill you."
Banjeok Myeong said with a determined voice.
The Killing Lord stared at him. In a way, he looked indifferent, but that was how he looked when he was most angry.
"Huanya!"
"Yes."
An answer was heard from somewhere.
Huanya, one of the five great guardians of the Heaven of Killing Emperors.
He was a guardian of the Heaven of Killing Emperors, but also the Killing Lord's shadow.
"Find out where that brat came from and cut off the heads of everyone there without exception!"
"As you command."
With the answer, a black shadow shot up into the air from behind the Killing Lord and disappeared like a candle being extinguished.
"Because of your foolish bravado, innocent people are about to die."
The Killing Lord said desolately.
Banjeok Myeong, who was taking a deep breath, clenched his two fists and took the stance of the Hundred Strikes Art.
At that sight, the Killing Lord's eyebrows twitched fiercely.
"Since you interfered with my work in Guizhou Province, I will pull out your arms. And since you even stormed in here and killed my subordinates, I will pull out your legs. My anger will not subside with just that, so I will hang your limbless body on a pole for all of the land of Sichuan to see. What kind of being I am, and what the end of those who dare to oppose me is...!"
The Killing Lord, who was speaking desolately.
He could not finish what he was about to say.
Because Banjeok Myeong rushed in as if he didn't want to hear it.
Thwack!
The main hall shook as if it would collapse.
As if to show that even the martial arts of an assassin, when they reach the extreme realm, are no different from the ultimate techniques of the orthodox and profound sects, the Killing Lord's power was no less than that of the Sword Saint of the Blue Sky. But no matter how strong he was, it didn't matter.
Banjeok Myeong rushed in again.
"You foolish brat! I'll show you my hell!"
A dark energy poured out from the Killing Lord.
It swallowed the lanterns hanging on all sides and filled the inside of the main hall with a terrible darkness.
A terrible darkness where one could not see an inch ahead.
Banjeok Myeong, who had stretched out his fist towards the Killing Lord, stopped abruptly in that darkness.
The Killing Lord was no longer there.
A terrible silence.
A darkness where even the air did not flow.
The moment Banjeok Myeong slowly turned around, something flew from somewhere and stuck in his arm. It was not visible, and there was no sound. There was no sign, no feeling of something flying.
"Not being able to see is one of the most fundamental fears of humans. That's why humans have tried to stay away from darkness since the beginning of time."
The Killing Lord's voice was full of amusement.
It meant he would watch Banjeok Myeong's struggles with delight.
Thwack!
This time, it stuck in his forearm.
Banjeok Myeong pulled out the very small dagger stuck in his forearm without a word.
"Why are you just standing there? If you want to kill me, you have to do something...!"
The Killing Lord stopped talking.
Banjeok Myeong had moved. He had suddenly shot to the right like a flash of lightning.
A terrible darkness. In it, a fierce energy exploded.
Banjeok Myeong crashed with all his might.
Thwack!
The darkness exploded. The Killing Lord broke through the wall of the main hall and flew dozens of feet away.
The Iron Mountain Strike, which had become one with the complete Immortal Demonic Aura!
Its power was so terrifying that it could not be blocked by the power that the Killing Lord had reflexively unleashed.
Thud!
Banjeok Myeong landed in front of the Killing Lord, who was lying spread-eagled.
"How did you know my position?"
"You talk too much."
"......!"
"Your breath, it was really terrible."
That a voice was heard meant that there was a vibration in the air. The vibration of the air told him the approximate location, and the smell carried on that vibration gave him certainty.
"I see."
The Killing Lord, who had roughly figured out how he had found out.
The moment he chuckled, his body was slowly lifted as if it were floating.
Soon, the Killing Lord stood facing Banjeok Myeong.
He stared at Banjeok Myeong with a strange look.
"You weren't just a brat."
"......"
"I'm curious about your identity, but killing you comes first."
Red-lighted short swords shot out from both his sleeves and were caught in his two hands.
"These are called the Blood Thunder Daggers. They are brats that can easily tear apart even a body of indestructible vajra."
The Killing Lord, who held up the Blood Thunder Daggers in front of Banjeok Myeong's eyes.
He soon approached, a thick killing smile on his lips.
"It seems it will be a fun fight. Because the one who endures will win."
The Killing Lord, who held the Blood Thunder Daggers in his two hands.
He stopped one step in front of Banjeok Myeong. It was a sufficient distance to engage in close combat.
Whoosh!
A dark red energy waved on the whole body of the Killing Lord, who was holding the Blood Thunder Daggers in his two hands. A wave of heat that felt stuffy poured out.
Banjeok Myeong clenched his two fists and hunched his upper body.
It was the stance of the Hundred Strikes Art.
The two stared at each other.
A suffocating silence flowed like a moment.
And.
The Killing Lord's Blood Thunder Daggers stretched out.
Banjeok Myeong's fists also stretched out.
The two's Blood Thunder Daggers and fists swept towards the opponent like a storm.
The Blood Thunder Daggers, which were full of strong qi, and the fists, which were full of the Immortal Demonic Aura, struck the opponent's body indiscriminately.
Blood spurted.
Bones were broken.
The Killing Lord's lips widened more and more.
A smile.
The smile of one who was truly enjoying himself.
On the other hand, Banjeok Myeong was unchanged.
He stared at the Killing Lord with a face that did not even show a trace of shaking. His two fists struck the Killing Lord's body like a thunderbolt, a flash of lightning, and a storm.
The blood that was splattering in all directions was Banjeok Myeong's blood.
No matter how hard Banjeok Myeong's body was, it could not block the Blood Thunder Daggers, which were full of the strong qi raised by a master like the Killing Lord.
His upper body was flowing with red blood.
His upper body was riddled with holes like a honeycomb by the Killing Lord's Blood Thunder Daggers, which were stabbing like a storm.
On the other hand, the Killing Lord's upper body was fine. Not a single drop of blood was visible.
Who would fall first?
But.
Stab!
A Blood Thunder Dagger stuck in Banjeok Myeong's lower abdomen.
But that was all. It was not retrieved again.
The other Blood Thunder Dagger tried to stab Banjeok Myeong's heart, but it could not even pierce the skin and stopped.
"You damn bastard!"
"......!"
"Such a strong brat... like this... like a child..."
The Killing Lord's head dropped as if it were falling. A stream of black, dead blood poured from his nose. Although he looked fine on the outside, the bones of his upper body were all shattered, and his internal organs were crushed and burst like tofu.
"Don't mistake it for me following you because I knew you truly wanted it. I just followed this method because it would shorten the time."
It was what Banjeok Myeong said as he pulled out the Blood Thunder Dagger stuck in his lower abdomen.
Banjeok Myeong left the Killing Lord, who had died standing, and tried to figure out which direction the Tang family was in.
It was to catch Huanya, who had left to carry out the Killing Lord's order. But before Banjeok Myeong, who had found the direction, could leave, a person walked out of the darkness.
It was Huanya.
"If you go in that direction, you'll find the Tang family. As expected, you're from the Tang family?"
"......!"
"You must be curious why I didn't go even though I predicted it might be the Tang family. To believe the order given by the Heavenly Lord... That was just to make you hurry. How could I find out where a brat I've never seen before came from in this short time?"
"......!"
That was right.
How could he find that out?
Even if he saw him perform his martial arts, he would never be able to tell that he was from the Tang family.
Banjeok Myeong thought that he really didn't know much, seeing as he couldn't even see through this simple trick. And at the same time, he couldn't help but nod his head at the cunning of the Killing Lord, who had made him anxious with such a petty trick in that short moment.
His master had also left such words.
That old men who had been through all sorts of things were more dangerous than those who rushed in without thinking, driven by their hot blood.
Banjeok Myeong decided that he had to be careful of old men.
First, the old man named Huanya in front of him.
But Huanya said something truly unexpected.
"The Heaven of Killing Emperors will withdraw from Sichuan."
"......?"
"The Heavenly Lord is dead, and among the five great guardians, only I am left. Only me."
"......!"
Huanya grinned, emphasizing that only he was left.
At that sight, Banjeok Myeong realized his ulterior motive.
"You're going to become the Heavenly Lord of the Heaven of Killing Emperors."
"Someone has to."
That's right. Someone has to.
Because a military group like the Heaven of Killing Emperors could not be disbanded. Wasn't it too much of a waste?
"I promise. I won't even set foot in the land of Sichuan."
Huanya grinned.
For him, there was no reason to fight Banjeok Myeong, who even the Killing Lord was no match for. Why would he risk his life over the Heaven of Killing Emperors, which had become a masterless mountain?
A vile person sometimes keeps his promises thoroughly because he is vile.
That was Huanya's situation now.
He would keep his promise. Anyway, he needed time to bring the Heaven of Killing Emperors under his command.
Banjeok Myeong turned his back on Huanya.
"I don't care what the Heaven of Killing Emperors does. As long as you don't harm the people close to me, we have no reason to meet."
It was what Banjeok Myeong said as he headed to the Tang family.
Huanya stared at Banjeok Myeong's back.
"I'm sure blood was splattering... did it heal?"
***
A suffocating silence hung over the Tang family, which was facing a life-and-death battle.
Banjeok Myeong headed to his residence, facing the Tang family warriors who were clearly tense. But in the meantime, it seemed a report had been made, and Tang Huaping came running.
"Where have you been?"
He looked urgent.
Banjeok Myeong asked with a puzzled expression.
"Is something wrong?"
"Something will happen soon, so you go to the Flower Moon Pavilion right now."
"Why there...?"
"I've sent the young children of the family there, so if the family can't hold out in the fight against the Heaven of Killing Emperors, take those children and go to the clinic. Don't get involved in the fight with foolish bravado, and protect those children well as they are the future of the family."
Banjeok Myeong stared at Tang Huaping, who was speaking as if he were urging him.
It seemed the Tang family had decided to fight to the end. The reason they had excluded the children from the fight was probably because they hoped those children would rebuild the Tang family in the future.
Whatever the reason, it was right to exclude the children from a life-and-death battle like this. That was what adults should do.
Banjeok Myeong smiled.
"Go and bring the children."
"Huh? What is that...!"
"The Heaven of Killing Emperors has decided to withdraw."
"......!"
It was about a quarter of an hour after Banjeok Myeong had arrived at his residence. The Tang Family Head, Tang Huazhong, came with Tang Huaping.
"What do you mean! The Heaven of Killing Emperors... you, that state... that blood, what on earth... are you okay... no way!"
Tang Huazhong was so surprised that he stuttered, and as he was examining Banjeok Myeong's upper body, he was startled and looked at him.
Tang Huaping was also greatly surprised at Banjeok Myeong's bloody state.
When he had met him outside a while ago, it was dark, and he had only been thinking of sending him to the Flower Moon Pavilion before Banjeok Myeong could be stubborn, so he had not noticed.
"I went to see the Killing Lord."
"And?"
"I killed him."
"......!"
"The only one who survived among the five great guardians is a man named Huanya. He promised to take the assassins of the Heaven of Killing Emperors and never set foot in the land of Sichuan again."
"......!"
Tang Huazhong and Tang Huaping were so surprised that they couldn't even speak, and after looking at each other, they looked at Banjeok Myeong again.
It seemed more plausible that the Killing Lord had changed his mind and decided to just go back.
Banjeok Myeong, leaving the two who were in shock, thought of the Six Orthodox Heavens who had shown him hell on Mount Taishan.
'Who among them will come?'
It didn't matter who.
One by one, one by one!
Because whoever came would meet him.
(End of Chapter)