CH 366

The start was simple and very concise. Kang Jin-Ho charged straight into the Yeongnam Group's martial artists and powerfully swung his sword to his left. However, the result of his action was anything but simple and concise.

Kim Jin-Yeong's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. Something... Something was wrong here!

When Kang Jin-Ho swung his sword, what Kim Jin-Yeong felt wasn't fear nor terror. No, it'd be better to call it... 'disharmony'.

What could be the first thing anyone would do when a sword was swung in their way? Either they would try to block the sword or jump back to dodge it altogether... It should be one of those two.

If Kim Jin-Yeong witnessed his comrades trying to dodge or block the incoming attack only to fail and die while spraying blood everywhere, he would've screamed in terror and tried to run away. Or, dash toward Kang Jin-Ho in sheer fury. However, neither of those things happened.

When Kang Jin-Ho pounced and slashed with his sword, everyone in front of him... just stood there on the spot like a bunch of statues. And there could be only one result in such a situation.

The ensuing scene was like watching someone slicing a painting mounted on a wall in half... Along with the wall itself!

It was as if the surrounding space had frozen still, and Kang Jin-Ho's sword was cleanly slicing through it. Everyone caught inside this frozen space was cleaved apart in half without being aware of their demise, even as their body parts tumbled to the ground.

This scene was illogical. This sight was unrealistic! And the most illogical of them all was Kim Jin-Yeong's current reaction.

'What the hell am I doing right now?!'

An enemy had invaded his base. And this enemy wasn't just threatening Kim Jin-Yeong and his comrades. This enemy chopped a director's head off, then rushed forward to start hacking and slicing the torsos of Kim Jin-Yeong's comrades!

Even then, Kim Jin-Yeong just stood there and watched this scene play out as if he was watching a movie.

His head was in a daze. As if a dense fog had settled between his mind and reality, Kim Jin-Yeong couldn't figure out what was real and what was fake.

“Heuh-urrrhk…”

What brought Kim Jin-Yeong back to reality wasn't his willpower but a dying whimper coming from near him.

“...Ah!” Kim Jin-Yeong sobered up instantly when he saw one of his comrades sliced apart in half, gasping for his last breath on the ground.

“U-uwaaaaaah!” Kim Jin-Yeong intensely screamed without even realizing it. Almost at the same time, his surroundings were instantly enveloped in the fire of madness.

“Kill that motherf*cker!”

“Run! Run away!”

“Insane! That's f*cking insane!”

Only the term 'utter pandemonium' was fit to describe this scene. Some Yeongnam Group martial artists yanked their weapons out and charged straight at Kang Jin-Ho. Some others tried to run away as tears fell from their eyes.

'What... What am I even looking at?!'

This was the Yeongnam Group's HQ. The best, biggest and strongest martial arts organization in the country!

Calling this place the most dangerous area in South Korea wouldn't be an exaggeration. And it'd qualify as the area with the highest security in the country, too!

However, when the nice-sounding empty plaudits like South Korea's strongest organization and the hangout of powerful martial artists were removed, the only thing remaining in this place were terror-stricken screams.

“...! Eeeeeik!” Kim Jin-Yeong couldn't stand still when that realization hit him. He hurriedly yanked his sword out and dashed toward Kang Jin-Ho. “I'm going to kill you!”

He saw Kang Jin-Ho's smiling face illuminated by the cold moonlight.

***

“...That crazy son of a b*tch!” Lee Hyeon-Su stared at Kang Jin-Ho as this sense of loss and powerlessness washed over him.

Predicting that the Martial Assembly would attack the Yeongnam Group soon wasn't all that hard. And Kang Jin-Ho playing the central role in the assault was so obvious that even a blind would've seen it coming a mile away.

Even if it wasn't Lee Hyeon-Su but someone else with access to all the collected information, they would've been able to deduce that Kang Jin-Ho had practically taken over the Martial Assembly, and his anger would soon be pointing toward the Yeongnam Group.

That was why Lee Hyeon-Su knew Kang Jin-Ho would mobilize the Martial Assembly to attack the Yeongnam Group very soon. However, his prediction only came half-true.

Kang Jin-Ho did mobilize the Martial Assembly. But the role of the Assembly members was... reduced to surrounding the perimeter and ensuring no one could escape. That was about it.

“He's not sane...!”

The world was constantly changing. Once upon a time, an era existed where an individual's military prestige could serve as proof of a faction's strength.

When commanders led their factions into war in that era, the strength and wisdom of the commanders often decided the outcome.

However, the world continued to evolve, eventually giving birth to military strategies. This development greatly limited the level of impact a single wise commander could have on any given battlefield. As such, those wishing to take over the world decided to grow the strength of their factions instead.

The same logic applied to martial artists. The essence of martial arts was pursuing one's individual dao to become stronger. However, one could only do so much by themselves. Korea's situation was a good demonstration of this.

Korean martial artists tended to be extremely individualistic compared to their counterparts from neighboring nations. Even then, they still created organizations like the Yeongnam Group, the Martial Assembly, and other smaller entities to work together and grow their strength. That was because some matters couldn't be handled by themselves.

Not once in his life Lee Hyeon-Su doubted that knowledge. Even if Kang Jin-Ho was incredibly strong, the real reason to fear him was that he had gained control of the Martial Assembly. That was what Lee Hyeon-Su believed. But now...!

His belief was being shattered into a million pieces!

'I was wrong. Dead wrong!'

Kang Jin-Ho hadn't gained control of the Martial Assembly. The truth was, he was strong enough by himself to deal with the Yeongnam Group. The Martial Assembly was nothing more than a third wheel. A bloody sidekick!

The Yeongnam Group dared to provoke Kang Jin-Ho first, and the Martial Assembly merely got caught up in Kang Jin-Ho's attempt to deal with the aggressors.

Lee Hyeon-Su began shivering. Was it out of fear? Terror? No.

The identity of the emotion making him tremble like this was 'delight'. Lee Hyeon-Su was a man who used his brain to manipulate people. Although he was nominally a martial artist, Lee Hyeon-Su's true face was a schemer.

He manipulated people's psychology. He assessed the information to find the swiftest response, then attacked the opponents' blind spots. That was Lee Hyeon-Su in a nutshell.

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Controlling and using an impressively large organization like the Yeongnam Group as he saw fit gave Lee Hyeon-Su an incomparable high that no other narcotics could replicate.

However, even in the middle of all that ecstasy... Something always felt missing. Unfulfilled.

Lee Hyeong-Su wanted to see it. He wanted to witness the sight of a lone individual suppressing a large group with nothing but his martial prowess!

The sight of someone who didn't get swept up by other factions, didn't compromise with his surroundings, and didn't betray his ideals to create a place for himself in this world! Lee Hyeon-Su wanted to see the spectacle of a man who doggedly used his own individual strength to distort and break the established rules governing this world!

The unreserved desire slumbering deep within Lee Hyeon-Su finally woke up and reared its head.

While watching the forces of the Yeongnam Group he worked so hard to create getting swept away without offering any resistance, Lee Hyeon-Su... Rather than grief, Lee Hyeon-Su reveled in delight powerful enough to make him quake in his boots!

'Yes! More! Show me more!'

Lee Hyeon-Su's hungry eyes continued to chase after Kang Jin-Ho's flitting figure.

***

A single sword strike!

As if to match its ominous name, Crimson Destiny was shedding red 'tears'.

Kang Jin-Ho's qi permeated within the pristine-white blade, turning it dark crimson as it sliced through human flesh.

The sword cut through skin and muscles first, then went through the bones as if they were tofu despite their initial resistance before emerging from the other side of the human body.

The sliced-apart human body toppled over, spilling its internal organs everywhere.

As for the emotions expressed on the faces of the falling victims? The shock and terror written large on the faces of those about to die were intimately familiar sights to Kang Jin-Ho.

Two swords!

Azuremourne was Kang Jin-Ho's second sword. Although these swords were twins, the sensations imparted by the Azuremourne were strikingly different from the Crimson Destiny.

If the Crimson Destiny was a 'Yang' sword meant to stimulate one's bubbling fighting spirit, the Azuremourne was the 'Yin' sword meant to cool down one's mind before the wielder could go berserk.

This coldness...! The wielder would feel this strange sensation while gripping the Azuremourne. However, the question was if those being cut down by the Azuremourne would also feel the same thing.

Kang Jin-Ho wasn't sure. Still, both swords had something in common. Whether it was the Crimson Destiny or the Azuremourne, they still produced the same result!

Death!

Both swords gifted the fair result of 'death' to anyone daring to oppose Kang Jin-Ho.

Splaaaash!

As if Kang Jin-Ho was cutting down scarecrows, human bodies were mercilessly sliced and chopped apart. As he rampaged on, fountains of blood gushed into the night sky.

He cut down one man. Then another. And then another...

Kang Jin-Ho kicked aside annoying corpses trying to hinder his progress, then kept cutting down anyone his eyes could see. Even before the spray of blood had a chance to splatter the ground, a new fountain of blood gushed out of yet another victim to dye the air crimson.

The rain of blood!

What a bizarre spectacle this was. 'Rain' poured down as Kang Jin-Ho walked forward. Crimson rain fell without an end to dye Kang Jin-Ho's figure and the ground all around him.

“U-uwaaaah...!”

The Yeongnam Group martial artists steadily lost their will to fight at the sight of Kang Jin-Ho marching forward while scattering raindrops of blood.

If a devil emerged from the mouth of Hell, it would look like Kang Jin-Ho. With crimson blood dyeing him from head to toe, Kang Jin-Ho scanned his surroundings with his eyes gleaming brightly like burning white flames.

“Heu-uhhhh...!”

“Ah, ahh...!”

Kang Jin-Ho's swords hadn't even reached them yet, but some martial artists were already on the ground, their pants wet from their own urine.

What would it feel like to witness a devil-like figure approaching closer while cutting down dozens upon dozens of people?

If this was a movie, the audience would still wet their pants. But this was reality. The Yeongnam Group martial artists completely forgot that Kang Jin-Ho was their enemy from this vivid spectacle.

Now utterly lost to pure terror, these men urgently tried to crawl on the ground in their desperate attempt to get away from Kang Jin-Ho.

“Fuu-woo…” Kang Jin-Ho sighed under his breath.

'This is not enough!'

This wasn't it. This much was not adequate enough!

“More...!”

‘You were the ones who provoked me first. Did you not think this day would come while daring to provoke me? You should've at least set traps in preparation for my arrival!’

Griiit!

Kang Jin-Ho gritted his teeth loudly. “Try to entertain me some more!”

Paaaaaaah!

Kang Jin-Ho swung his sword horizontally to produce an arc of sword qi. It rapidly flew to where the distant spectators were.

“Oh no! Dodge it!”

“Uwaaahk!”

Those who thought they could stay far away and only watch since no attack would reach them paid a costly price for their lackadaisical attitude.

Heads flew, accompanied by tragic screams. Blood dyed the ground. What a familiar sight that was.

Kang Jin-Ho even fell into a brief bout of strange reminiscence of his past at this spectacle. Once upon a time, a sight like this helped to calm his mind. In those days, blood and death seemed to accompany him everywhere. The whole world tried to kill him back then. And he had to fight against the entire world just to survive.

Kang Jin-Ho thought he'd finally find his happiness after escaping from such a dreadful world. However, he realized something just now. He should've been fed up by this spectacle. He should've been scared, resentful, and sick to his stomach by now, but... But he didn't really hate this.

Kang Jin-Ho didn't want to admit it, but... But he was undoubtedly a serial killer, a devil who could only feel the worth of his existence by endlessly killing!

– You already knew that, though?

“Kekeke...!” Kang Jin-Ho cackled and turned his head as Heavenly Crimson Demon Emperor's voice called out to him.

The Yeongnam Group martial artists staring into Kang Jin-Ho's burning eyes instinctively understood something.

This madman... He wasn't going to stop. He'd not stop until everyone here was killed by his swords!

'In that case...?'

What should they do if they wanted to live?

Ironically, martial artists began regaining their composure when terror had finished taking over their minds. They had finally understood that no matter where they ran off to, that crazed devil would still come after them. So, the cornered rats began thinking about how to bite the cat.

“O-over here!”

Some of the Yeongnam Group martial artists were quite smart. They realized defeating the Yeongnam Group martial artists by the wall and escaping was a far better option than facing Kang Jin-Ho. Once that conclusion entered their heads, these martial artists urgently ran toward the walls.

Unfortunately, they made a terrible miscalculation.

Paaaaaahng!

The now-familiar sound of the air ripping apart resounded as the martial artists running toward the wall tumbled to the ground, their torsos split in half by the sword qi.

“...Didn't I tell you?” Kang Jin-Ho's voice, containing the laughter of a cruel devil, echoed in this moonlight-soaked location. “You only have one way to survive.”

That was when murderous intent began filling up the eyes of the surviving Yeongnam Group martial artists.

They could not escape. And only one theoretical path of survival existed. In that case, what should they do?

The 'rats', grimly determined to survive at any cost, all charged straight at the cat. The cat let out a soft growl of satisfaction at the sight of all the rats rushing toward him.

“Yes, that's more like it. Come, fight me.”

‘So you can entertain me some more!’

Ecstasy and madness rapidly dyed Kang Jin-Ho's eyes.