Chapter 1593: Even The Buddha Has Abandoned You (Part 3)

It may have been a sight that someone should have seen and engraved in their eyes.

However, the Shaolin monks did not witness the solemn figure of the Buddha's departure.

A roar resonated like a bell, and the Shaolin monks consecutively unleashed their martial arts.

Bang! Thud! Thud!

They unfolded the will of the Buddha, resolutely blocking those reaching out to save the suffering. The weight of their martial arts thoroughly prevented anyone from attacking Beopjeong or Beopgye.

Bang!

"You cannot pass!"

The righteous and resounding voice that was once there was now gone. It was a cry filled with earnestness, a cry for something unasked.

"Step aside, bastards! Get out!"

Blades flew from all directions.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

No matter how devotedly they had trained throughout their lives, they couldn't block the swords coming from all directions. The body of a Shaolin monk was mercilessly struck by a blade, turning bloody.

"I said you couldn't go!"

Bang!

However, despite blood flowing from their bodies, the Shaolin monks fought back and resisted the attackers.

Jeokho arriving, hardened his face.

The tightly knit Shaolin monks were fiercely pursuing those going towards Beopjeong. Despite blades piercing their backs, they didn't let go of their ankles.

"Amitabha!"

To those not attuned to Buddhism, the prayers were just unpleasant noise, but to those risking their lives, the meaning was different.

Death was frightening for everyone, but they accepted it to protect something.

Wasn't that why a lotus rising from the mud a symbol of Buddhism?

"...Playing tricks."

Jeokho sneered.

In the distance, the figures of the Beopgye staggering away and Beopjeong on his back were clearly visible. The necks of Beopjeong would solidify the victory and become a symbol that would elevate the Evil Tyrant Alliance, Myriad Man Manor, and even the Paegun to the brightest place in this world.

"Don't let them go!"

Bang!

Jeokho jumped over the tangled crowd, forcefully leaping forward. No, he attempted to leap forward.

However, at that moment, dozens of vigorous qi streams erupted in front of him. It seemed as if they burst forth simultaneously. Jeokho had no choice but to momentarily flinch and wield his sword.

Chwaaaack!

It tore through the incoming qi. It was just a single strike, but it was enough to prevent Jeokho from advancing further. It restrained him for just a moment.

Thud!

Jeokho bit his lips.

They were in a position where they had to defend against attacks from all directions. Amidst this, to attack Jeokho, they had to endure blades piercing their bodies without hesitation.

However, the power that had momentarily surged towards him was at least tenfold.

None of the Shaolin monks around him took the time to tend to their own bodies.

In the midst of rising anger, Jeokho felt a momentary churning in his bones.

"This..."

But there was no time to be stolen here. He had to chase after those two. If he let them escape, everything would become his mistake.

As Jeokho attempted to strike the ground again, a Shaolin monk who had shaken off the clinging Evil Sect disciples rushed toward him.

"Aaah!"

With an outstretched hand, flames of righteous qi shot out. Jeokho, observing the scene with cold eyes, swung his sword horizontally.

Chwaaaack!

As the massive blade energy tore through the golden qi, a long cut was etched into the body of the Shaolin monk.

"Ah...mi..."

Strength drained from the Shaolin monk's body. However, he didn't stop. Seemingly on the verge of collapsing, yet determinedly, he walked step by step towards Jeokho.

Tap.

A gesture, no more forceful than a child's punch, touched Jeokho's chest. Was the Beopjeong truly all this? Simply because he was a sect leader?

"...Is the sect leader so valuable to you?"

He asked, not expecting an answer.

However, an unexpected response flowed from the faltering Shaolin monk.

"It's no different..."

"What?"

A gentle aura filled the face that had been twisted in pain.

"That... whoever it may be, not just a sect leader...is worth risking my life for."

Jeokho's face contorted.

Thud!

His blade severed the opponent's neck in an instant. The headless body crumpled to the ground.

This might have been a momentary act of mercy rather than hatred. The now rigid Jeokho, looking at the body that only needed to be cooled, looked up and glared at the Shaolin monks.

"Anyone...."

The eyes of the Shaolin monks were different. Having witnessed countless deaths, even Jeokho couldn't understand the inexplicable something filling their gazes.

"Even if the upper part are morons, does that mean the lower part aren't rotten?"

Of course, Jeokho couldn't empathize. But even if he couldn't empathize, he could still respect them.

Perhaps they would never open a path for Jeokho until their lives were completely extinguished. No, perhaps even after their lives were gone.

"If that's what you want..."

Jeokho gripped his sword tightly.

"As you wish."

❀ ❀ ❀

The sword clashed with the hand.

Jonglihyung's Demon Conquering Sword Technique (伏魔劍法) was not unworthy of its reputation. It was fast, nimble, and intricate.

Moreover, given the situation, his sword was even more agile than usual. Fierce attacks aimed for the opponent's weaknesses, charging towards the enemy.

However...

'This...'

Dozens, or perhaps hundreds, of hands.

One by one, hundreds of hands, each taking a different form, were engulfing him. It was as if hundreds of people were reaching out to him simultaneously.

'Thousand Hand Forms (千面手)!'

The secret martial art of the Thousand-Faced Gentleman Dam Yeohae. The Thousand-Faced Hands, who earned the title of the Evil Sect's Number One Technique, brought endless despair to Jonglihyung.

Of course, he might still win.

Although the opponent was Dam Yeohae, one of the absolute experts of the Four Great Evils and the leader of the Hao Sect, Jonglihyung was also a sect leader. His Demon Conquering Sword Technique, infused with the purification of the righteous sects, was by no means inferior to Dam Yeohae's powerful techniques.

Yes, he might win.

If only he had the time to unravel each of those dazzling techniques one by one.

But what Jonglihyung lacked right now was precisely that 'time.' In a situation where everything was crumbling, and enemies were closing in on all sides, he couldn't afford the leisure to dismantle the opponent's sophisticated techniques at ease.

"Hyaaaah!"

Jonglihyung thrust his sword frantically.

If deflected, it would be a powerful blow that could push the opponent away and leave room for another strike. However, the opponent's hands never confronted his sword energy directly and fairly.

Swinging his sword while observing the hand shadows surrounding him, Jonglihyung's eyes were filled with deep-seated despair.

"Don't avoid it!"

Clang!

Once again, the stretched sword entangled with the hand shadows. Each taking a different form, the shadows seemed to weave around his sword like living hands.

"You seem urgent."

"Thousand-Faced..."

"But I'm not in a hurry."

The young face of the Thousand-Faced Gentleman distorted into a mocking smile. The incongruity between the aged voice and the tight, wrinkle-free young face created an unpleasant discomfort. A chill ran down Jonglihyung's spine.

"So, how about the sect leader enjoying this leisurely?"

"Aaargh!"

Before the Thousand-Faced Master's words could finish, screams of someone dying pierced Jonglihyung's ears.

"Aaargh!"

Jonglihyung screamed in a similar fashion while violently shaking his sword.

"Hahaha!"

The Thousand-Faced Gentleman's loud laughter overlapped with the screams. Jonglihyung's eyes quickly reddened.

'Why!'

How did he end up in this situation? He hadn't committed any wrongdoings! Even if he made a mistake, did he deserve such a miserable fate? It was unjust. He felt wronged.

"Step aside! I said step aside!"

"Tsk tsk. Irredeemably pathetic. Even the sect leader of a martial arts sect loses his composure like this."

Blatant ridicule poured in.

A round mix of emotions, including frustration, humiliation, and indescribable feelings, swept through Jonglihyung.

His gaze momentarily turned to the side without him realizing it. To see the culprit who had brought this hell upon them.

And Jonglihyung widened his eyes.

"He..."

In the midst of a fierce battle, knowing that even a moment's lapse could cost him his life, he lost himself in thought.

He had no choice.

Beopjeong was fleeing. Carried on Beopgye's back.

'Did he lose...?'

Beopjeong?

No, no. That wasn't important.

What was important now was not the fact that Beopjeong had lost to Jang ilso but that he was fleeing, leaving everyone behind.

So many people were being pushed into death, and not only Kongtong and the Peng Faily, but even the Shaolin monks were struggling in the depths of hell.

'Alone? Are you going to escape, leaving us all behind? After causing all this chaos?'

As soon as the situation was understood, anger surged backward like a tide of blood. Heat rose throughout his body, and unbearable rage struck his entire being like a double-edged club.

'You want to survive alone?'

Raaah!

Due to anger, Jonglihyung's sword went off course, and the Thousand-Faced Gentleman's hand struck Jonglihyung's chest.

Jonglihyung spat blood from his mouth and was pushed back. However, his eyes, filled with hatred, did not turn towards the Thousand-Faced Gentleman.

"Beop..."

From Jonglihyung's abdomen, an unbearable rage erupted into a guttural roar.

"Beopjeoooooooooong!"

A desperate scream that shook the entire battlefield.

❀ ❀ ❀

The gaze, looking down as if amused, sharply scanned the youthful skin.

Eventually, a voice filled with authority and dignity flowed out.

"Indeed, one who becomes a lord should hold one's own life most dear."

However, ironically, perhaps by asserting authority too much, the voice felt rather light. Peng Yeop silently touched the tip of his finger to the sword embedded in his side. His hand was trembling weakly. Due to the intense heat, it was impossible to grasp and pull out the knife with that hand, which was now crumpled as if it could even melt.

And, in fact... even if he could grab and pull out this sword, the result wouldn't change much. Because what was embedded in his body was not just this one sword.

"Though you may have had the capability to lead a family, it seemed you lacked the ability to be a proper lord."

"..."

"No matter how powerful a group may be, losing its leader makes it disintegrate. You should not have confronted me; you should have fled. Even if it meant killing everyone left here."

"Cough."

A cough mixed with the sound of the wind weakly flowed out of Peng Yeop's mouth.

It might be a valid point. Seeing his current state, it seemed so. With weapons embedded all over his body, he couldn't fall using his own strength, proving the man's words.

He didn't think there was a difference in skill. The cold rationality, which had no hesitation in commanding joint attacks to countless others while stepping forward, was what Peng Yeop lacked.

To a martial artist, it might seem like a cowardly act, but to a leader guiding a group, there was no choice more reasonable and natural.

Peng Yeop forcibly opened his eyes, which kept closing, with an inflamed gaze. He looked around.

Beyond the arrogant Sun Sovereign, a gruesome sight unfolded.

Amid the widespread death, the Peng Family warriors were executing a desperate escape. Although the view was blurry, it was clearly visible to him.

The number was at most a few dozen. Compared to the number he had brought here, it was just a drop in the ocean.

Was there any meaning in sacrificing himself to save just a few dozen?

"Petty men often attribute meaning to meaningless things. But a true lord risks his life only for something valuable. It seems that the leader of the Shaolin knows that fact."

"..."

"Not knowing that was the reason you died, lowly one."

A laugh leaked out of Peng Yeop's mouth.

"Value..."

Gradually, it became difficult to distinguish shapes. Eventually, the world began to darken from the edges.

In the meantime, he saw the pitiful scene of Peng Family warriors breaking through the enemy's encirclement.

"...Well, then..."

"Hmm?"

"...Not bad."

The Sun Sovereign, who was looking at Peng Yeop, furrowed his brow.

However, Peng Yeop had already lost strength and hung his head limply.

Thud.

Peng Yeop's body fell to the side, a pitiful sight with dozens of blades embedded throughout it.

For a moment, the Sun Palace Lord, who silently observed this scene, sneered and turned away.

"A man of little worth, you died meaninglessly."

A heartless voice rang in Peng Yeop's ears.

'Hyung-nim...'

In the world tinged with darkness, the gaze of his brother, who had been watching him, faintly rose.

'I... have no regrets.'

As the sensation of death loomed coldly, Peng Yeop's vacant pupils followed something that they could not reach.

'No... Actually...'

Peng Yeop's hand fell powerless.

His death was mourned in silence, with no one watching but his abandoned steed.