abcnovels
Chapter 220
Chapter 220
Chapter 220 – Mixed-blooded (1)
“Would it be better to have the Embroidered Uniform Guard’s Thousand-men Commander kill all his subordinates and officials and run away? Or would it be better to skin your faces and make use of them?”
-Flinch!
The blue eyes behind the mask trembled at the casually spoken, spine-chilling suggestion full of malice.
Just who was this person?
Who was he to attack them and make such threatening remarks?
The masked Embroidered Uniform Guard, his mind in turmoil, hesitated, unsure of what to do.
Since his back had been taken, there was a high chance he would be struck before he could press the pressure points.
Right at that moment…
-Creak!
“Is something happening outside?”
As the carriage door opened, Song-ah, the craftsman’s real daughter, appeared.
Song-ah, seeing Mok Gyeong-un standing behind the masked Embroidered Uniform Guard with his face covered, spoke in confusion.
“Who-who are you?”
“Hmm. I was wondering who he was talking to, but it turns out to be a young lady. Judging by your attire and scent, you seem to be related to Hong Bong Meat slaughterhouse, not the Embroidered Uniform Guard… Ah! There it is.”
Mok Gyeong-un noticed the leather pouch inside the open carriage.
At that very moment, the masked Embroidered Uniform Guard quickly pressed his pressure points.
-Tatatap!
Mok Gyeong-un, instantly recognizing from the sound that he had taken advantage of the moment his head was turned, tried to strike the back of the Embroidered Uniform Guard’s neck.
Right then…
-Swish!
Mok Gyeong-un’s hand grazed through the air.
The faint wind felt at his fingertips.
‘!?’
Along with it, the masked Embroidered Uniform Guard disappeared.
Then, a presence was felt behind him.
-Swish!
A sharp killing intent was felt at his neck.
At this, Mok Gyeong-un spoke.
“…Your lightness skill is remarkably fast.”
He meant it sincerely.
Since Eldest Young Master Na Yul-ryang, this was the first time someone had surpassed his movement with a lightness skill.
The masked Embroidered Uniform Guard, who had somehow appeared behind him, pressed the blade harder against Mok Gyeong-un’s neck and spoke.
“You bastard. What is your identity?”
“I don’t really have an identity to speak of.”
“It seems you want to play word games, but do you wish to die like this?”
-Press!
The Embroidered Uniform Guard pressed Mok Gyeong-un’s neck with the blade.
No matter how sharp a blade was, it needed to be pressed and dragged to cut.
Thus, the blade only pressed against the flesh.
The masked Embroidered Uniform Guard spoke to Mok Gyeong-un in a menacing voice.
“If I slice like this, your body and head will be separated. So it’s best for you to speak truthfully.”
“You’re scaring me by saying that.”
Mok Gyeong-un spoke nonchalantly, shrugging his shoulders.
The masked Embroidered Uniform Guard frowned at Mok Gyeong-un’s composed attitude.
Even in a life-threatening situation, he showed no fear at all.
Just who the hell was this guy?
‘Even with the qi points sealed, the qi sensed from him is at the pinnacle-stage of Peak Realm.’
Naturally, with this level of skill, it was more than enough to subdue the four Embroidered Uniform Guards of the One Hundred-men Commander rank and the officials.
However, the overwhelming presence he had felt from behind earlier surpassed this.
Was he mistaken?
‘Did I do something unnecessary?’
He had unsealed the qi points he had kept sealed due to that discomfort.
But if he was simply at the pinnacle-stage of Peak Realm, there was no need to unseal the hidden martial prowess.
Just then, Song-ah’s voice was heard.
“Is he someone sent by the master?”
“The master?”
At her words, the masked Embroidered Uniform Guard suddenly recalled what Mok Gyeong-un had said.
[Judging by your attire and scent, you seem to be related to Hong Bong Meat slaughterhouse, not the Embroidered Uniform Guard… Ah! There it is.]
He had said those words after seeing the leather pouch inside the carriage.
That meant, as she said, he might have been sent by the master of Hong Bong Meat.
If he was the renowned craftsman known for creating hidden human skin masks, he would certainly have connections with skilled martial artists.
The masked Embroidered Uniform Guard pressed the blade harder and spoke.
-Press!
“Is it true that you were sent by Hong Bong Meat?”
To his question, Mok Gyeong-un replied.
“Since we’ve also found the leather pouch, going with the latter option doesn’t seem bad.”
“What?”
“I thought skinning faces and making use of them wouldn’t be bad either.”
“What are you saying…”
-Swish!
At that moment, Mok Gyeong-un moved his neck in the opposite direction of where the blade was touching.
At the same time, he quickly grabbed the Embroidered Uniform Guard’s blade.
-Pak!
‘This guy!’
The Embroidered Uniform Guard tried to pull the blade out of Mok Gyeong-un’s hand.
However…
-Clang!
Before he could pull the blade out, the sword body held in Mok Gyeong-un’s hand broke.
The Embroidered Uniform Guard couldn’t help but be inwardly surprised.
It wasn’t reinforced with strong qi, but his sword was called a precious sword, and with the killing intent infused, it couldn’t be broken by ordinary strength.
Yet, if he possessed the martial power to break it…
‘Indeed, that discomfort was…’
-Swish!
Just then, Mok Gyeong-un’s figure blurred, and a kick from him came towards the Embroidered Uniform Guard’s chin.
The masked Embroidered Uniform Guard focused strength on the Yongcheon acupoints on both his feet and stomped the ground.
-Pabak!
Mok Gyeong-un’s kick sliced through the air.
Once again, the wind was felt where it grazed, and the masked Embroidered Uniform Guard’s figure disappeared.
He possessed an astonishingly fast lightness skill.
At that moment, Mok Gyeong-un’s eyes moved swiftly left and right.
Then…
-Swish!
Mok Gyeong-un’s figure also disappeared.
He had utilized the high-speed movement lightness skill, Myeonghyeon Suweolbo.
The moment he used Myeonghyeon Suweolbo, the masked Embroidered Uniform Guard, who had disappeared, was seen moving left and right, trying to take his back.
However, it wasn’t only Mok Gyeong-un who noticed this.
‘This guy?’
The masked Embroidered Uniform Guard had never seen anyone enter the same realm as him when using lightness skills, except for his master.
It was a phenomenon where the axis became misaligned with others during high-speed movement.
It was similar to the phenomenon of everything appearing to stop when looking to the side while riding a horse.
Yet, someone other than himself had entered that realm.
‘How?’
The masked Embroidered Uniform Guard couldn’t hide his surprise.
At that instant, Mok Gyeong-un followed him closely and thrust his sword finger towards his chest.
The masked Embroidered Uniform Guard tilted his body to the side and executed a fist technique towards Mok Gyeong-un’s face.
‘Terrain Fist Technique, 6th Stance, Rock-Shattering Explosive Fist.’
A fist aura erupted from the Embroidered Uniform Guard’s fist.
Since they were both moving at high speed and he had thrust his sword finger, there was no way to dodge.
Mok Gyeong-un blocked the fist aura targeting his face with his left hand.
-Bang!
However…
‘Rock-Shattering Explosive Fist doesn’t end here.’
Five consecutive fist auras followed, capable of shattering even rocks.
Pushed back by the fist auras that seemed to penetrate his palm, Mok Gyeong-un’s figure was pushed backward.
-Bang! Bang! Bang!
-Slide!
-Bang!
At the fourth fist aura, Mok Gyeong-un’s hand was forced upward.
As if seizing the opportunity, the Embroidered Uniform Guard launched the final fist aura towards Mok Gyeong-un’s chin.
-Bam!
Mok Gyeong-un’s head jerked upward as his chin was struck.
At that instant, the masked Embroidered Uniform Guard pulled both his hands back to his waist and then sent them flying towards Mok Gyeong-un’s chest with lightning speed.
‘Cloud-Sending Palm Technique, 4th Stance, Double Cloud Palms!’
-Bang!
Ripples appeared on the fabric covering Mok Gyeong-un’s chest area as he was hit by the double palms, and his figure was sent flying backward.
However, the place he was sent flying towards was…
‘Oh no!’
The carriage.
Song-ah, the real daughter of the Hong Bong Meat craftsman, was standing there.
Realizing this, the masked Embroidered Uniform Guard concentrated all his qi to the Yongcheon acupoints and stomped the ground twice.
-Papak!
At that moment, his figure became even faster than before.
It seemed as if an afterimage was created with each movement, making it appear as if there were two of him.
-Swooosh!
The masked Embroidered Uniform Guard, moving at a speed similar to Mok Gyeong-un who was sent flying after being hit by the double palms, scooped up Song-ah with one arm at the last moment.
-Pak!
“Ahh!”
The masked Embroidered Uniform Guard, having scooped up Song-ah, propelled his body backward.
At the same time, Mok Gyeong-un’s body collided with the carriage.
-Crash!
The carriage that Mok Gyeong-un collided with shattered into pieces.
Seeing the carriage crumble and break into fragments, the masked Embroidered Uniform Guard couldn’t hide his troubled expression.
He had prioritized saving Song-ah since she was important, but the leather pouch containing the severed hands of the fake master was inside the carriage.
‘Will it be alright?’
As he was worrying, Song-ah spoke in a startled voice.
“W-What on earth is going on?”
To her, who had not cultivated martial arts, the two of them suddenly disappeared from her sight, then the masked Embroidered Uniform Guard abruptly appeared and pulled her, and the carriage suddenly shattered into pieces.
She was trembling, so shocked by the situation, and the masked Embroidered Uniform Guard spoke to her.
“It’s nothing. But is that person really the one sent by your father?”
“I-I don’t know. I’ve never seen him before.”
“Are you sure?”
“No. How would I know someone who even has their face covered?”
“…That’s true.”
“But if he’s really the one sent by my father, why were you fighting? You said you would let me go.”
To her question, the masked Embroidered Uniform Guard let out a faint sigh and spoke.
“He was a dangerous individual.”
“Dangerous? If my father sent him, he would have sent him to save me.”
“It didn’t seem like he was simply trying to save you.”
“What do you mean by that? Not just trying to save me?”
“I’m not sure if he was trying to provoke me or if he was sincere, but it seemed like he was targeting everyone here.”
The masked Embroidered Uniform Guard had felt endless malice in Mok Gyeong-un’s every word.
At that, Song-ah spoke.
“If my father really sent him, that can’t be. What you’re saying is that he was trying to kill all of you while saving me to eliminate the evidence, but if that were the case, it would only make matters…”
“Bigger if left unchecked.”
‘!?’
At the voice coming from the direction of the carriage, Song-ah and the masked Embroidered Uniform Guard simultaneously turned their gazes there.
Mok Gyeong-un was standing in front of the carriage, casually holding something.
It was the leather pouch containing the severed hands of the fake master.
‘What in the world?’
The masked Embroidered Uniform Guard’s eyes trembled.
That was because Mok Gyeong-un’s appearance was too unscathed.
He was certain he had struck Mok Gyeong-un’s chin with the Rock-Shattering Explosive Fist and consecutively landed the Double Cloud Palms on his chest, which should have damaged his heart.
If he had been hit in the brain and heart, he couldn’t possibly be this unharmed.
As he was bewildered, Song-ah stepped forward and spoke.
“Are you really the one sent by the master, no, my father?”
“Father?”
“Yes. I’m Song-ah, the daughter of Hong Bong Meat’s master.”
“Ah. Is that so?”
“If you’re really the one sent by my father, please stop fighting. This person was trying to let me go.”
At her words, Mok Gyeong-un tilted his head and spoke.
“Trying to let you go?”
“Yes. We made a deal. So you can stop fighting now.”
“Oh? Is that so?”
“Yes.”
This time, Song-ah turned her head and spoke to the masked Embroidered Uniform Guard.
“I think he really is the one sent by my father. So I’ll keep my promise, so please, esteemed Embroidered Uniform Guard, cover up this incident. He didn’t know anything.”
At her words, the masked Embroidered Uniform Guard looked around.
The officials and the One Hundred-men Commander were all lying unconscious, but no one was dead.
After contemplating for a moment, he spoke.
“Alright. I’ll handle this matter on my end. But hand over the leather pouch. It will be difficult to cover up this incident without it.”
At his words, Song-ah frowned but then spoke to Mok Gyeong-un.
“It seems you’ll have to return the leather pouch.”
Mok Gyeong-un chuckled at her words.
Puzzled by his attitude, Song-ah spoke.
“If you don’t return it, he won’t be able to cover up the incident. So…”
“I’m afraid that’s not possible.”
‘!?’
At his words, Song-ah spoke as if it were absurd.
“What are you saying? He’s saying the incident could escalate if you don’t return it…”
“I’m sorry, but I didn’t come here on your father’s request. I came here of my own accord.”
“What?”
“I need to take this to reattach your father’s severed hands.”
At Mok Gyeong-un’s words, she furrowed her brows.
What on earth was he talking about?
She couldn’t understand what he meant by reattaching severed hands.
Just then…
-Swish!
Mok Gyeong-un’s figure disappeared from sight.
At that moment, the masked Embroidered Uniform Guard hurriedly pulled Song-ah.
“Ah!”
Although invisible to her eyes, Mok Gyeong-un had used high-speed movement to try and strike her pressure points to make her fall asleep.
The masked Embroidered Uniform Guard, having pulled Song-ah to avoid this, stomped his feet twice.
-Papak! Swish!
Then, his figure dispersed like an afterimage and split into two.
One of the split figures was pulling Song-ah further back, while the other launched a fist technique towards Mok Gyeong-un.
-Papapapapak!
‘Terrain Fist Technique, 3rd Stance, Shadowless Shattering Fist.’
His fists created numerous fist shadows, overwhelming Mok Gyeong-un.
Right at that moment.
Mok Gyeong-un stomped the ground twice.
-Papak!
Then, an unbelievable event occurred.
Mok Gyeong-un’s figure created afterimages and split into two.
One figure easily blocked the Shadowless Shattering Fist with one hand, while the other figure reached out towards the masked Embroidered Uniform Guard who was pulling Song-ah.
Seeing this, the masked Embroidered Uniform Guard couldn’t hide his shock.
‘!?’
This wasn’t the lightness skill that fellow had been using, but his own unique lightness skill.
How could something like this happen?
As he was startled, Mok Gyeong-un, who had somehow closed the distance right in front of him, tried to snatch Song-ah away using the Golden Silk Hand technique.
Left with no choice, the masked Embroidered Uniform Guard pushed her to the side.
-Pak!
He then tried to block Mok Gyeong-un’s Golden Silk Hand with the Cloud-Sending Palm Technique’s palm strike, but…
-Papak!
Before he could even execute the palm strike, Mok Gyeong-un lightly struck down his hand with a bizarre technique, and simultaneously thrust his sword finger towards his face with the other hand.
‘Different stances with both hands?’
As he executed different techniques simultaneously, even the masked Embroidered Uniform Guard had no way to deal with it.
Tilting his head back, he propelled his body backward.
-Pak!
Having propelled his body and instantly retreated about ten steps, the masked Embroidered Uniform Guard came to a stop.
At the moment he thought he had narrowly dodged the sword finger…
-Crack!
Cracks appeared on his mask, and it began to split apart.
He had failed to evade the sharp killing intent that flowed from the sword finger.
‘No!’
The startled masked Embroidered Uniform Guard hurriedly grabbed it.
More than anything else, he didn’t want anyone to see his face behind the mask.
However, as the mask split apart left and right, he couldn’t hold it all together.
-Clatter!
The cracked parts of the mask fell off here and there, revealing the left side of his face.
Along with his blue eyes, he had a high nose bridge and a rather exotic-looking face.
The Embroidered Uniform Guard’s Thousand-men Commander, believing that he had exposed this to others, distorted his expression as if feeling ashamed and covered his face with his hand.