"It's a good thing to prepare this much when facing the Fighting Demon of the world. Isn't that right?"
Zuo Gu'e, who was sneering with a grin.
Old Man Ban stared at Zuo Gu'e's chest, where his fist had hit.
Sharp awls sticking out through the clothes.
The cunning bastard seemed to be wearing a protective armor on his chest. And it was one with a lot of sharp skewers like awls.
"Big brother?"
"It's not over yet. Stay back."
"That's right. It's not over yet. It's over when the Fighting Demon sheds blood at my, the Battle Ghost's, feet and collapses."
Zuo Gu'e smiled slyly and spun his short sword.
Old Man Ban held up his fist.
It was bleeding profusely.
He had suffered a serious wound, so much so that the white bone was exposed.
Old Man Ban clenched his left fist.
"Do you know? That there is something that does not change even if heaven and earth are overturned."
"What kind of nonsense is that? Are you trying to give your famous Fighting Demon's roar?"
"That's right. I'll tell you, staking the pride of me, the Fighting Demon."
"......?"
"I will definitely kill you."
"Old man, you're bluffing when you can barely move your body. Anyway, I have to show that I've properly suppressed the Fighting Demon, right?"
Zuo Gu'e, who had twisted his lips and smiled, began to approach, spinning his short sword.
Old Man Ban stood tall and stared only at Zuo Gu'e.
'As expected, he's out of strength. Hmph! I'll face a sick Fighting Demon anytime.'
Zuo Gu'e smiled slyly and approached within his own range.
And when he was within the range of his sword, he took another step forward and drew his sword like lightning and then stepped back.
Pfft!
Old Man Ban's upper garment was cut, and blood spurted out.
Old Man Ban did not move and just glared at Zuo Gu'e.
Zuo Gu'e chuckled at the situation.
'Is he telling me to come in? Hmph! Even if I do, the only place allowed for the old man is the protective armor with the awls. I won't allow any other place! Kekekek!'
Zuo Gu'e, who had sent a sneering gaze, gripped his sword.
He had no intention of dragging it on any longer.
Even if it was a matter of winning the fight first, it was a considerable blow to his pride to wear a protective armor and even have awls on it.
Moreover, the opponent was the Fighting Demon of the world.
He wanted to end it with his own hands in a plausible way, at least for the last moment.
Zuo Gu'e, who was spinning his short sword and taking a stance!
The moment his two feet firmly supported the ground, he kicked off and shot out.
When the distance to Old Man Ban, who was standing tall and glaring at him, was close enough, he stopped his body by strongly stamping the ground with his right foot and drew a lightning-fast sword.
Whoosh!
It was a fierce sword that exploded with a sharp sound of cutting through the air.
At this time, Old Man Ban, who was standing like Mount Tai, rushed forward and stretched out his blood-stained right hand.
He stretched his left arm down to block the arm of Zuo Gu'e, who was swinging his sword.
'Hmph! I knew it!'
Zuo Gu'e did not care and raised his left hand to block below his face, and shot up his left knee like lightning.
If it went on like this, Zuo Gu'e's sword strike would be blocked, but Old Man Ban's counterattack would also be blocked, and he would be hit in the solar plexus or the lower abdomen by Zuo Gu'e's knee strike.
'I thought he would aim for a single blow. The technique that sent the Ghost Blade of Emei Mountain flying in one blow.'
A sly smile appeared on the corners of Zuo Gu'e's mouth.
It looked like the smile of a winner at a glance. But just before his knee was about to hit Old Man Ban, a heavy shock exploded on Zuo Gu'e's chest.
Due to the shock, Zuo Gu'e's center of gravity was disturbed, and he had no choice but to lower the leg that was delivering the knee attack and support the ground.
"......!"
The flustered Zuo Gu'e.
Before he could even figure out what had happened, another heavy shock hit his chest.
In the eyes of Zuo Gu'e, who was staggering back and widening his eyes, he could see Old Man Ban's fist, which was pouring out blood.
And the sight of that fist hitting his chest.
He was mercilessly hitting the protective armor with the awls as if he were striking it down.
Thud, thud, thud, thud, thud, thud!
'Th-this crazy...!'
He could only be seen as crazy.
No matter how great the fame of the Fighting Demon was, he was a sick body.
Although it is said that internal energy accumulates in the body even if one learns external martial arts, that was only when he was in his prime.
An old, sick, and weak body.
To strike an iron armor with such a body!
And it was a protective armor with a lot of awls!
'You fool! You won't even be able to use chopsticks again!'
It was questionable whether his hand would even remain intact, let alone use chopsticks.
Zuo Gu'e shook his head inwardly as he staggered back.
The plausible-looking victory had flown away, but the result could not be changed.
That was Zuo Gu'e's judgment.
But!
As Old Man Ban's crazy punching continued, a breakdown began to appear.
Due to the continued punching, his heart throbbed and his breath became choked.
A problem had occurred in Zuo Gu'e's breathing due to Old Man Ban's merciless punching, which was so severe that his own fist was being crushed.
"......?"
The noticeably flustered Zuo Gu'e!
Only then did Zuo Gu'e, who had realized Old Man Ban's aim, open his eyes wide.
It was at that moment.
Swoosh!
Old Man Ban's fist stretched out in a straight line.
The fist, which had broken through the broken bones and skin due to the continuous and fierce hitting of the iron armor with the awls, had surprisingly aimed for Zuo Gu'e's face.
Thwack!
A dull hitting sound burst out.
Zuo Gu'e staggered back. Red blood flowed from Zuo Gu'e's face.
But Old Man Ban's face, who was staring at Zuo Gu'e, sank heavily.
"Kuhuhut! The price for forgetting that you have to suspect an old fox even at the moment of death is not so severe."
Zuo Gu'e sneered, shaking his head a few times to clear his mind.
In his eyes, which were staring at Old Man Ban, the flames of anger were burning fiercely.
It was a good thing he had come to his senses at the last moment, otherwise he would have almost crossed the threshold of death.
Just before Old Man Ban's fist, with the bone exposed, hit his face, he had avoided the crisis by first hitting him with his forehead.
If not, his face would have been shattered and he would have been finished in one blow.
It was a dangerous moment that had made his heart sink without him realizing it.
So he was angry.
An uncontrollable anger was exploding like an active volcano.
Thwack!
He rushed in in one step, spun around, and with a stretched-out kick, Old Man Ban was sent flying back and fell.
"Big brother!"
The surprised Jeok Yorap called Old Man Ban, but Old Man Ban, who had been hit in the chest, tried to get up but fell back down, hung his head, and spat out blood.
Red blood was sprayed on the ground.
Even a three-year-old child could tell that it was a serious condition.
"Old man, I knew it. You don't even have the strength to move a finger, do you?"
Zuo Gu'e approached with a murderous face.
Old Man Ban just stared, barely breathing.
His breathing was so rough that his shoulders were heaving, and his two limp arms no longer had the strength to move.
Everything was over.
The moment his last trump card had gone wrong, it was over.
"Why did you get involved in other people's business! You're in that state because you acted up, relying only on your past fame."
Yang Gatae, who had been anxious until now, pointed his finger with great momentum.
When Zuo Gu'e executed the Fighting Demon, Yang Gatae was planning to run straight to the Hua Family Clinic.
No matter how it had started, since blood had been shed, someone had to take responsibility, and that share was the price that the loser had to pay.
'I will have everything. The clinic, and that bitch. Puhuhul!'
When Yang Gatae was laughing slyly and had his two hands on his waist, Zuo Gu'e stopped right in front of Old Man Ban and Jeok Yorap.
"Old man, I'll chop you up!"
It was a situation where his neck would fall if he swung his sword once.
Zuo Gu'e raised his sword high.
But it was at that moment.
"Don't
- do it-!"
A young child's voice rang out for a long time. It was as sharp and fierce as a descending thunderbolt.
Zuo Gu'e looked behind Old Man Ban and Jeok Yorap with questioning eyes.
Someone was running at a high speed.
He was shooting over, kicking the ground like a bouncing ball.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Surprisingly, as the distance got closer, the sound of the ground shaking violently vibrated.
The rapidly closing distance.
An ominous feeling slowly wrapped around his whole body.
Zuo Gu'e stepped back without realizing it. His instinct as a living being and his intuition as a martial artist had moved his two feet.
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
Leaping more than ten zhang (30m) at a time, the being that landed in front of Old Man Ban in an instant.
Zuo Gu'e looked at the being with eyes full of wariness.
'Isn't it a child?'
That's right.
The being that had blocked the way in front of Old Man Ban and Jeok Yorap was Cho Myung.
Cho Myung was glaring at Zuo Gu'e with blazing eyes.
"Wh-what? Who are you?"
Zuo Gu'e asked.
"He is the disciple of that old man."
Yang Gatae shouted.
Zuo Gu'e examined Cho Myung with eyes full of wariness.
A brat who looked to be about thirteen or fourteen. The way he was running was not ordinary.
'Did he learn lightness skills?'
Just because one's lightness skills are outstanding does not mean that one's fighting skills are great.
Lightness skills and fighting skills are separate.
Especially for a young brat.
Because it is impossible to learn both to a great extent in a short time.
'The disciple of the Fighting Demon... how much did he learn?'
The moment Zuo Gu'e thought.
"That brat is nothing. Our kids have caught him and locked him in a warehouse before."
Yang Gatae shouted.
That's right.
The strong men of Hundred Herb Forest had caught him with Seokcheong and locked him in a medicinal ingredient warehouse before.
"Really?"
Zuo Gu'e asked.
While his gaze did not leave Cho Myung for a single moment.
"Isn't it because that old man caused a ruckus to save his disciple that we came all the way here? Blood for blood! That old man and his disciple, that brat, must pay the price."
Yang Gatae said with a sharp blue gaze.
Seeing that he had emphasized the word "must", it was clear that he wanted to end it here.
"Is that so?"
Zuo Gu'e's eyes shone ominously.
The disciple of the Fighting Demon.
Looking at the way he was running, it was clear that his lightness skills were considerable. With that level of skill, it was certain that he had accumulated internal energy.
'Since it was a part he lacked, he must have paid special attention and taught him.'
The corners of Zuo Gu'e's mouth went up.
Since he had made up his mind, all that was left was to unleash his killing intent to his heart's content.
"Hey! What are you trying to do to a child! Myung, step back!"
Jeok Yorap shouted.
"A child? Where is a child here! I only see a martial artist."
Zuo Gu'e began to raise his sword.
"Myung! I said step back!"
The anxious Jeok Yorap shouted again.
But Cho Myung did not budge.
"Yes, yes. If you are the disciple of the Fighting Demon, you should have that much poison."
The moment Zuo Gu'e's two eyes flickered with a ghostly killing intent.
"Myung."
Old Man Ban's low voice was heard.
"Yes."
Cho Myung answered.
While his two eyes were staring straight at Zuo Gu'e.
"You said you wanted to be a great man, right?"
"Yes."
"Then fight. If you don't fight, your grandfather and this master will die here."
"Big brother?"
To tell the young Cho Myung to fight?
Jeok Yorap looked at him in surprise.
But Old Man Ban did not care and continued to speak.
"Myung, if you want to protect your happiness, you have to fight. There is nothing you can protect without fighting. Fight!"
The moment Old Man Ban's words ended.
"Puhahahaha! Yes, let's fight! Fight! Let's fight and protect!"
Zuo Gu'e, who had thrown his head back and burst into a loud laugh.
Hearing him talk about being a great man and happiness, wasn't this a real child?
He was so embarrassed that he had been tense.
"Great man! Receive this sword!"
Zuo Gu'e's sword, full of ridicule, cut through the air.
Even if he had not yet shed his childishness, he looked to be fourteen or fifteen, so in two or three years, he would surely torment Zuo Gu'e himself with his master's martial arts.
So he had to see blood here. He must!
Whoosh!
A sword that exploded with a fierce sound of cutting through the air.
The sword momentum that would cut in two fell right on top of Cho Myung's head.
Like a thunderbolt.
Thwack!
The sword stopped right above the ground.
It was a great sword strike that made the dust on the ground rise up.
But Zuo Gu'e's face hardened.
'He dodged it?'
That there was nothing to hit meant that he had dodged it.
He had not even seen the brat move, but there was nothing to hit with his sword.
Zuo Gu'e opened his eyes wide and turned his gaze.
Two steps to the side.
Cho Myung was there.
With his two eyes fiercely open.
At that moment, Zuo Gu'e felt a sense of anxiety welling up in his heart.
"You bastard!"
He shouted, trying to prevent his body from shrinking with wariness, and drew his sword horizontally like a thunderbolt.
Thwack!
It was blocked.
Not the sword, but the hand that held the sword.
The surprised Zuo Gu'e's eyes saw Cho Myung standing in front of him.
With one arm raised to block the arm of Zuo Gu'e, who had swung his sword.
"......!"
The moment Zuo Gu'e's gaze wavered, Cho Myung stretched out his two hands and pushed Zuo Gu'e's chest.
The force was so strong that Zuo Gu'e, who had a stronger build than Cho Myung, staggered back three steps.
"Senior, you just play with that brat. I'll get rid of those old men. What are you doing! Chop those old men to pieces right now!"
The leader of the Ghost Blade Sect, who had been watching the situation carefully until now, moved directly, leading his subordinates.
When the young Cho Myung's body movements were unusual, he had thought he had to distract him.
Zuo Gu'e, who had seen through that scheme right away, smiled, revealing his white teeth to Cho Myung.
"Shall we do it properly?"
About thirty members of the Ghost Blade Sect were divided into left and right and were bypassing to go towards Old Man Ban and Jeok Yorap, and from the front, Zuo Gu'e was approaching with a murderous intent.
Although the young Cho Myung had had a chance, he had only pushed and had not been able to punch.
Hitting a person is that difficult.
Especially for a person with a gentle or good heart.
Cho Myung, who was only five, did not have a gentle heart.
He was born with a strong nature. And the Immortal Demonic Aura was acting on it, making him even stronger.
Cho Myung was a good case. A case where he could not hit a person because he was too kind.
So something was needed as a trigger. Fortunately, this situation could be a sufficient trigger.
Because the stage was properly set.
The problem is the first punch. Because you have to take the first step to take the next.
So Old Man Ban said again.
"Myung, these are demons in human form. They are no different from the red-eyed demon you mentioned. Look carefully. These people are trying to interfere with Myung's and his grandfather's happiness. If you don't fight back, your grandfather and master will die. So fight. You must protect your happiness!"
A demon!
Are they the same as the red-eyed demon?
No.
These are just people.
Even Cho Myung could tell that much. But he knew what his master was trying to say. He had known from the beginning. That he had to fight!
Is it really okay to hit them?
A lingering reluctance.
It was time to throw it away.
Cho Myung put strength into his eyes. And he clenched his two fists.
'I'm going to fight! I'm going to protect my grandfather and master! I'm going to protect my big brothers too, and I'm going to protect sister, the head of the family! I'm going to protect my happiness!'
(End of Chapter)