Chapter 37: Let’s Meet Again

There are several ways to shake off a pursuit.

You can run faster than the pursuer, lure them into your own territory and make them turn back on their own, or you can intimidate the pursuer.

The one I chose was the third. I had to make the demonic leaders realize that they could die a violent death if they chased me. To do that, I needed to inflict a real threat, not just a threat.

To carry it out, I also had to take a risk. It was because I had to allow the pursuers to get close. The demonic leaders had to, but it would be troublesome if the Iron Demon got too close.

I started a zigzagging gait.

I was careful not to let the enemies notice, but it didn’t matter even if they did. The Iron Demon might not, but the demonic leaders would not be able to handle my trick even if they were prepared.

When I was relatively far from the Iron Demon and close to the demonic leaders, I invested about half of my maximum primal energy and sent a ‘Thunder and Lightning Over and Over’ at the bald-headed demonic leader I had targeted. The reason I had targeted him was because he had the best movement technique, except for the Iron Demon.

Woooong.

The space rumbled low. It was one of the shortcomings of the ‘Thunder and Lightning Over and Over’ that I had to resolve sooner or later. Of course, it didn’t hinder me from dealing with the bald-headed demonic leader. Although he, who had sensed some sinister energy, had launched his body, he could not evade the formless lightning that I had sent with that in mind.

Gasp!

The bald-headed demonic leader, who had let out a sound that was hard to tell if it was a scream or a cry of astonishment, fell down. Unfortunately for me, he had preserved his lifeline. He had escaped instant death because he had wrapped himself in a protective layer of firm energy and had protected his vital points with a rather quick response. However, since a handful of his side had been torn off, further pursuit was impossible.

The bald-headed one’s misfortune aroused the vigilance of the other three demonic leaders. As I had expected, they all looked clearly intimidated. It was because no one knew by what means I had brought down the bald-headed one.

After deflecting the strong wind that the Iron Demon had sent, I made a follow-up move. I sent a ‘Thunder and Lightning Wall Break’ at the demonic leader with the shovel-like chin, who seemed to be the weakest in martial power. Unlike the ‘Thunder and Lightning Over and Over,’ it was a visible firm energy, but as a result of boldly putting in more than two-thirds of my primal energy, his sturdy body was sent flying like a puppy hit by a mace. He too was still breathing, but it would be difficult for him to participate in the pursuit.

The demonic leader with a normal appearance and the demonic leader with a horse-like face hastily retreated even though I had only pretended to aim my iron staff at them. They would no longer try to chase me, risking their lives.

In return for achieving my initial goal, I was caught by the Iron Demon. The distance between him and me was only three or four paces. Even though I had dealt with two demonic leaders in the blink of an eye, I had given him five or six paces.

The Iron Demon launched a fierce attack on my back. After putting out the urgent fire with the ‘shift’ I had prepared, I did not counterattack but focused on escaping.

As expected, the demonic leaders gradually moved away. They had no intention of doing their best. Even though a terrifying monster with a body harder than steel and a fist wind that could crush steel was chasing me closely, a hollow laugh came out of me automatically.

Although the common people feared the demonic people, thinking they were a tribe that did not know fear, in my opinion, it was nonsense. They were also the same humans. I had confirmed it through the snake-eyed one, who had once been a sword hero representing the Demonic Sword School, at the Sword Tomb the day before, and without going far, I had also seen that side of them from the demonic people who had gathered in the plaza today. They were busy running away, not even daring to resist me.

I did not laugh at them. Preserving one’s life was the most important instinct not just of humans, but of all living things. Attacking an unbeatable opponent was something only those who were steeped in madness or drunk on a weak drug would do.

Of course, I also knew that there were special cases. For example, if the Sword King had taken my mother hostage and forced me into a life-and-death struggle with him on the pretext of her life, I would have had no choice but to fight to the death, even though I knew I would die. How could I let my mother die just to save myself?

And although it was extremely rare, there were also special kinds of people like the mute uncle, whose fear of death had been castrated from their minds.

But unless it was such an extreme situation or an exceptional disposition, everyone had to prioritize their own safety according to their instincts. It was the exclusive right and sacred duty of a living being.

So I did my best to exercise my right and fulfill my duty. I had to survive somehow.

Although I spoke rather calmly, in fact, death was closer than ever before. I even felt as if the Grim Reaper’s hand was clutching my neck. But paradoxically, the Iron Demon’s wave-like offensive opened the blood vessels of my Five Absolutes Divine Art. It was more than enough to satisfy the level I had secretly hoped for as I headed toward the main base of the Iron Demon School.

Pang! Pang! Pang! Pang!

The fist wind grazed my body and created a sound of breaking the air. Although I had wrapped myself in a protective layer of primal energy, since I would be in a state of being unable to move the moment I was hit directly, I desperately deflected it. It was possible because I had embodied a divine skill that had only been possible in my head before.

That’s right. It was a divine skill. It was impossible to express it in any other words. Would you understand if I said it was a realm where you could stand under a waterfall and not get hit by a single drop of water? If that is not called a divine skill, what can be called so?

Even though he should have been tired of the divine skill I was implementing, and so he should have given up and turned his body, the Iron Demon chased me like a horned bull. Before I knew it, the demonic leaders were gone, and the Goryun Mountains had come much closer. I knew it was time to throw a decisive move.

I stored my jade flute in my bosom.

Instead, I picked up a handful of steel balls from my pocket. They were the ones left over from being used on the small fries of Inwoodang.

Of course, I couldn’t inflict a blow on the Iron Demon with the steel balls. Even if I hit the monster’s eyeballs, it seemed they would just bounce off.

The purpose of the steel balls was to delude the monster. Regardless of the level of martial prowess, no, regardless of whether one was a martial artist or not, a person was a being who was made to instinctively pay attention to something that flew at them, no matter how unthreatening it was.

My real trick was the ‘Thunder and Lightning Over and Over.’ Unlike when I had sent the bald-headed demonic leader flying, I was going to pour in almost the maximum amount of my primal energy. If I succeeded, I would be able to seize the initiative in an instant, and if I failed, I would have to run away to the death again.

As I had expected, the Iron Demon’s attack, which had been raging like a storm, temporarily stopped. Seeing me put away my jade flute even in a critical situation, his vigilance was triggered. I did not miss the opening and threw the steel balls, shouting.

“Hah!”

It was not a useless shout. The shout was a measure to hide the rumbling of the air that occurred when I used the ‘Thunder and Lightning Over and Over.’

As expected, the Iron Demon deflected the steel balls, which would only have given him the shock of dust hitting him, with a tremendous fist wind. And a momentary gap was created. I shot the ‘Thunder and Lightning Over and Over.’

Boom!

The Iron Demon, who had fallen with the sound of an explosion, rolled on the grassy field. Blood spurted from his mouth like an arrow of blood.

Nevertheless, I could not rejoice. While the Iron Demon had shot to his feet, I had lost my balance due to the recoil of using the ‘Thunder and Lightning Over and Over’ and had fallen backward.

Just before the back of my head hit the ground, I pushed my heels and slid. If I hadn’t, the fist wind that the Iron Demon had sent would have exploded on the spot where my body would have fallen. The innocent ground was deeply dented. If my response had been a little late, my head would have been shattered like a watermelon dropped from the roof of a high-rise building.

I was dumbfounded.

Was this monster indestructible and immortal? The ‘Thunder and Lightning Over and Over’ had clearly hit his chest, so his heart must have burst, so how could he be alive and moving? And not just moving, but sending a fist wind of the same power as if nothing had happened.

Strangely, a resentment toward Jin So-wol also arose. To have told me that such a supreme master was inferior to the Six Eccentrics of the Central Plains. I can say with certainty that the Iron Demon was a strong man who was at least one level above the Eccentric Immortal or the Mad Guest. That was a difference where, assuming we fought a hundred times, he would win ninety-nine times. There was little possibility of him losing the remaining one time either.

Since I had no time to leisurely criticize Jin So-wol, I quickly continued with the next step. I flew toward the mountain shadow, squeezing out even the strength I had used to suckle. The iron lump monster burst into a mad laugh and chased me.

My heart sank.

It wasn’t because the distance between me and the Iron Demon was getting closer and closer. Although he was undoubtedly a monster, the Iron Demon was not able to pour out a fierce attack like before. It was proof that my ‘Thunder and Lightning Over and Over’ had not been completely useless. I easily deflected the fist wind that he was intermittently shooting at my back.

But at the point where the mountain was right in front of me, a strange signal suddenly came. A stiff feeling arose in my ‘great vertebra’ and ‘hidden gate’ acupoints. My vision went dark. It was a precursor to paralysis.

I immediately made a decision. I had no time to ponder. If my body stiffened while I was fleeing, I would be in a perfect checkmate. There was no way out.

If that was the case, it was better to settle it for life or death while I could still move. It was not a time to consider the odds of victory.

Unfolding a ‘turn’ and an ‘advance’ that contained a ‘flash’ at the same time, I clung to the Iron Demon who was chasing me. The Iron Demon, who had not predicted my action at all, had a look of astonishment. I felt good to know that he too was a human with emotions.

Since it was not a situation to consider the back, I unsparingly infused my iron staff with my primal energy. Then, I struck the Iron Demon’s head. Unexpectedly, the Iron Demon did not receive my iron staff with his head but twisted his head. My iron staff struck his shoulder. The Iron Demon’s body, which showed a formidable repulsive force, broke my left arm.

Moreover, the Iron Demon did not just take the hit. His elbow came to strike my solar plexus. Since I was not an iron lump like the Iron Demon, I quickly used a ‘retreat’ and moved away from him. I had a premonition that the next exchange would be the last struggle of my life.

I was bewildered.

The Iron Demon, instead of rushing at me who had retreated, had run away without any question. I was both happy and dumbfounded.

Since I had neither the strength nor the will to chase the Iron Demon, I stood there and stared blankly at his receding back. Then, a mischievous urge suddenly arose.

“Hey! Iron Demon! It was fun. Let’s meet again.”

Although I thought it was unlikely, I felt as if the Iron Demon had staggered for a moment. Just as I considered him a monster, he must have been fed up with me.

As the Iron Demon’s figure turned into a dot, I turned my body and walked slowly toward the bushes that had grown up to my waist. With every step I took, an extreme pain swept through me. Only then did I realize that my insides were a mess, and I hurried. Although it didn’t seem like the Iron Demon would come back, you never know. I had to hide in the bushes before the paralysis came.

Although it was a distance of only fifteen or sixteen paces, it felt like hundreds of li. Barely reaching the edge of the bushes, I couldn’t go in and collapsed. In the end, the paralysis had occurred. With my upper body buried in the bushes and my lower body on the bare ground, I was lying face down. Hoping that no one would find me. Praying that a quarter of an hour would pass quickly.

But my wish did not come true. Not long after I had fallen, I sensed an energy approaching the place where I had fallen. My heart sank. Whoever it was, I had to consider them an enemy.

I twisted my blood vessels and pressed my bones. It was an attempt to reproduce the experience of escaping from paralysis when I had been submerged in the swamp after sparring with the Eccentric Immortal the day before. But before I was ready to even wiggle my fingers, the owner of the energy had reached my feet.

[End of Chapter]