548 Chapter 1436: Alright, I'll Remember That (Part 1)

Crunch!

Chung Myung fiercely gnashed his teeth together.

A breath-stopping, terrifying murderous aura gleamed from his eyes. The dreadful energy converged on one person in the distance.

A man in blood-red robes.

With a face pale enough to appear sickly, a crimson line drawn across it smoothly curved as Chung Myung's blood surged.

It was him. Him!

How many people had shed blood under that bastard's schemes, and how many had died under the tyranny of that demon?

No matter how hard he tried to suppress it, the emotions accumulated in his chest refused to be controlled.

Chung Myung erupted into a roar. 

"Jang Ils…ssooo!"

A howling sound echoed. It was a scalding wrath, like molten lava bursting from a volcano.

Woooong!

As if responding to the rage of its owner, the Dark Fragrance Plum Blossom Sword held tightly in Chung Myung's hand let out a cry. As Chung Myung raised the sword to strike the ground.

"Stop!"

Yoo Iseol, who had silently followed him, grabbed him from behind, restraining him firmly. She tightly held Chung Myung's shaking body, and Yoon Jong, who quickly followed, joined forces to stop him.

"Calm down, you crazy bastard! He's not an opponent you can charge at recklessly. You'll die!"

As Yoon Jong shouted, a stream of blood trickled down Chung Myung's lips, visibly trembling.

Didn't Chung Myung know?

Neither the main force of the Mount Hua Sect nor the main force of the Tang Family had yet reached this place. In such a situation, rushing towards Jang Ilso, guarded by the Myriad Man Manor's main force, was nothing short of reckless suicide.

The opponent was Jang Ilso. Just because Chung Myung charged forward wouldn't mean Jang Ilso would fight him fair and square, one-on-one. On the contrary, by taking advantage of the overwhelming advantage in numbers, Jang Ilso would thoroughly trample Chung Myung.

Yeah, he knew. Now was the time to be calm.

But no matter how hard he tried, the boiling rage in his stomach wouldn't subside.

His insides fluttered like they had been turned upside down. Chung Myung's teeth dug deeper into his lips.

"Uaaaaah!"

Chung Myung brushed aside Yoon Jong, who was trying to restrain him, and leaped forward.

"Chung Myung!"

He knew. Everyone knew. Yoon Jong's words were all correct. This was the time to stay calm, even more so in situations like this.

Kwaahhh!

But the anger he couldn't suppress erupted through the tip of his sword. Chung Myung squeezed every bit of his remaining internal energy into the Dark Fragrance Plum Blossom Sword.

"Uaaaaaah!"

His body, arched to its limit like a drawn bowstring, snapped back in an instant. At the same time, Chung Myung's sword shot out. Infused with internal energy, the Dark Fragrance Plum Blossom Sword, surged towards Jang Ilso, like a lightning bold piercing through the dark clouds.

Eeiiiiiiing!

A thunderous noise, as if the sky were warping, resonated.

Yoon Jong and Yoo Iseol's gazes quickly shifted forward. The shocking power of Chung Myung's sword momentarily created an unrealistic 'perhaps'.

The sight of Chung Myung's sword flying through space and the figure of a man standing in front of it came into clear view. In the slowed-down world, the rings held in Jang Ilsso's hands exuded a colorful brilliance.

Jang Ilso's hands, enveloped in numerous colors of inner energy, parried the flying sword.

Quaaaaaaaang!

The momentary stillness that had suppressed everything shattered like fragile glass, unleashing a tremendous roar that reverberated through the world.

A clash of strength against strength, internal energy against internal energy. The Myriad Man Manor disciples couldn't withstand the overwhelming aftermath and were ejected from the battlefield, splattering blood.

Kwagagagagak!

The Dark Fragrance Plum Blossom Sword, caught between Jang Ilso's rings, quivered as if alive. It seemed ready to pierce through his neck at any moment. Observing this, Jang Ilso smiled wryly.

"Haaah!"

Kwagagagagak!

With another burst of noise, the Dark Fragrance Plum Blossom Sword shot into the air again. The sword tore through the sky, as if spitting out its fury over its unfulfilled strike at Jang Ilso's neck, soon used up all of its power and plunged down. 

Paaaah!

The Dark Fragrance Plum Blossom Sword descended and plunged more than halfway deep into the solid ground, piercing it like a tofu.

With a sharp gaze fixed on the embedded sword, Jang Ilso reached out to grasp the Dark Plum Blossom Sword. However, with a 'clack' sound, two rings crumbled and fell onto his ankle.

Drip.

Bright crimson drops of blood fell onto the wreckage of the collapsed rings. Jang Ilso, who was observing the rings, looked down at his hand in silence. The blood was flowing from the split back of his hand.

Jang Ilsu's eyes momentarily twisted oddly. However, he quickly regained his usual gentle demeanor.

"Oh dear. It got a bit intense, didn't it?"

Jang Ilso raised his hand, slowly licking the blood flowing from the wound. With a red tongue protruding, his eyes, fixed on Chung Myung, emanated a disturbing madness that could take one's breath away.

"To rampage like this without any regard for the consequences, at this rate, who's the Taoist and who's the Evil Sect bastard? Hahaha!"

The voice, laden with internal energy, pierced Chung Myung's ears even from a distance.

As Chung Myung clenched his fist, about to let out a shout, Jang Ilso and Chung Myung's eyes met in the distant airspace and fiercely locked onto each other. Jang Ilso smiled mischievously.

"You must want to kill me."

In response to his calm voice, murderous energy surged throughout Chung Myung's body. While others might have shuddered and recoiled just by meeting that gaze, Jang Ilso, receiving that intense look, continued to pour out mockery.

"Just a bit. If you were a little faster, you might have been able to kill me. You're twisting in regret for letting me slip away right in front of your nose. Is that not it?" 

Chung Myung's body was constantly trembling, as if he was struggling to contain his burning hatred.

"But... the Mount Hua's Chivalrous Sword."

Jang Ilso, who was brightly smiling, suddenly covered his face with his blood-soaked hand.

Between the fingers that partially covered his face, a tremendously eerie light shone from his exposed eyes. Regret and hatred, mystery and twisted desires. The gaze that mixed all these emotions sent shivers down the spines of those who witnessed it involuntarily.

"That... I'm the same."

Due to the circumstances, Jang Ilso, too, had to let go of someone he had to kill. If the cost to be paid wasn't his life, Jang Ilso would have used any means to kill Chung Myung and eliminate him from this place.

"So, there's no need to be so disappointed. Anyway, you also know, don't you? The end between you and me is predetermined."

Jang Ilso laughed heartily while speaking.

He knew it, and Chung Myung knew it too. The two couldn't coexist under the same sky. Whether he died or Chung Myung died, one of them had to die for it to end. Now, the fight they were about to engage in was precisely that.

It wasn't because of resentment or hatred. Was it the will of the heavens? Predetermined destiny? Such ridiculous words had no place here. They simply couldn't tolerate each other.

"Just wait a little."

Jang Ilso gripped the Dark Fragrance Plum Blossom Sword embedded in front of him. The sword, as if rejecting Jang Ilso, emitted a sharp sword energy. However, Jang Ilso paid no attention and pulled the sword out of the ground.

"I'll cut off that tough life of yours soon."

Paaang!

The Dark Fragrance Plum Blossom Sword emitted from Jang Ilso's fingertips flew fiercely towards Chung Myung.

But Chung Myung, while watching the flying sword, didn't even blink. His gaze focused solely on Jang Ilso.

Swish!

The Dark Ambrosial Fragrance Plum Blossom Sword swiftly grazed across Chung Myung's face and then embedded itself in the ground.

Blood trickled down from the long cut just below his eye. Both Chung Myung and Jang Ilso had their faces stained red with blood from the wounds they inflicted on each other.

Chung Myung's lips slowly opened.

"No need to come."

It was a growling, not as loud as Jang Ilso's voice. However, Jang Ilso could hear that message more clearly than anyone.

"I'll go to you."

A momentary glint passed through the dazzling and gleaming eyes. Chung Myung spoke.

"Only your end is predetermined. Wait. I'll definitely cut that neck of yours."

A bitter smile blossomed on the corner of Jang Ilso's mouth. His eyes twisted like a crescent moon.

Patter.

Whether it was something irritating, or he was lost in thought, every time Jang Ilso slowly clenched and opened his hand, the blood flowing out from the wound dropped and splattered on the ground.

Clack.

At such times, the rings snugly fitted on Jang Ilso's finger rubbed against each other, making a peculiar sound.

Everyone held their breath. The sound produced by Jang Ilso's rings gradually sped up, and their heartbeats quickened. An oppressive pressure, making it hard to even breathe freely, pressed down on everyone.

Even though it was a simple hand movement with no hint of internal energy.

"Hmm."

However, his hand eventually loosened and opened again.

At the same time, some who had been tensed up collapsed as if exhausted. The strength in their legs was gone.

"If expectations are high, disappointments are great... but if you say it like that, I can't help but have high expectations."

Unidentifiable emotions, joy or hatred, surfaced on Jang Ilso's visage. A creepy smile emerged on that winsome face.

"Well, give it a try. Since my neck will always be here."

"Remember. The moment you die, you'll surely recall those words."

Jang Ilso stared at Chung Myung intently. Then, a small laughter burst out of his mouth.

"Hahaha."

"..."

"Hahahahaha!"

Jang Ilso laughed as if urging the world to disappear. In the silence where no one dared to make a sound, only Jang Ilso's laughter echoed, filling the desolate land.

After laughing for a while, Jang Ilso glanced at Chung Myung and turned away. The hem of his robes fluttered widely.

"Alright, I'll remember that."

Jang Ilso slowly lifted his foot. The Hongyeon, who had been guarding him, also exhaled a vicious aura towards Chung Myung and turned their bodies completely.

"Well, see you again, Mount Hua's Chivalrous Sword. Hahaha! Hahahahahahaha!"

Jang Ilso, who had stirred up the entire audience, gradually disappeared beyond the horizon. There was no sign of haste in his leisurely movements. Those who remained could only watch him leave.

Leaving only a few drops of blood and the remnants of a broken ring, Jang Ilso's figure disappeared beyond the horizon.

"Chung Myung."

As Yoon Jong worriedly called out, at that moment, Chung Myung's lips moved.

'Jang Ilso.'

Chung Myung engraved those three characters into his soul.

Until now, there was no one he had hated as much as the Heavenly Demon.

Jang Ilso was different.

The Heavenly Demon was literally an extraterrestrial being. That being alone could destroy the world. However, Jang Ilso was just a human. A more human-like human than anyone else. A distillation of all human evils.

That was why he was detestable, and that was why he was dangerous.

Chung Myung muttered.

"I'll see you again soon."

And on that day, his sword would definitely pierce the neck of that Jang Ilso.

Even if he had to bet everything he had.