Chapter 614. Agitating (4)
Jeong Yun-Seong freaked out and hurriedly thrust his sword forward.
“Hiiiieeek?!”
He genuinely believed he would be a match for Kang Jin-Ho's men. He didn't think the gap between them wouldn't be so big to the point of being insurmountable. As a matter of fact, Jeong Yun-Seong even thought that maybe, just maybe... He could overwhelm his enemies.
His thoughts weren't entirely without merit. Those selected by Kang Jin-Ho were all aged between their twenties and early thirties. However, the defenders working together to protect Elder Goh Seong-Hyeon were all in their forties.
In other words, there was at least a difference of a decade. And such a gap was nearly unbridgeable in the world of martial artists.
On the surface world of regular folks, someone over forty was seen as past their prime. An athlete at that age must consider retiring, while professional fighters would already have relinquished their throne to younger competitors. However, that story didn't apply to cultivating martial artists.
Martial artists fundamentally aged slower than normal people. And while the latter group relied on physical strength to fight, the former possessed an excellent substitute called internal energy.
While professional fighters lost speed and power as they got older, martial artists steadily accumulated qi in proportion to the length of time they spent cultivating. The older they were, the more time they would've spent cultivating and acquiring a greater pool of qi, which gave birth to the gap in strength between martial artists.
As such, age was seen as a symbol of strength among martial artists. At least, that was what Jeong Yun-Seong believed in his heart. However, that all changed a few moments ago.
“Kau-uuuwww-ahwu!”
Jeong Yun-Seong had no freaking idea what these crazed demonic cultivators were even shouting about. Although, their cries most likely were incomprehensible nonsense that didn't even mean anything, to begin with. Those lunatics were probably roaring and hollering like beasts after their primal urges and emotions had taken over their rational minds.
Demonic cultivators! People cultivating in demonic arts were going crazy right before Jeong Yun-Seong's eyes!
Out of the current crop of Martial Assembly-affiliated martial artists, just how many could legitimately claim to know what a demonic cultivator was? The answer would be zero.
How would they know, though? They had never experienced fighting against a real demonic cultivator, after all. No, the only example they could fall back on was 'demonic arts practitioners' who picked up trashy, third-rate demonic cultivation methods from a dumpster somewhere back when the Martial Assembly still wasn't able to fully exert its full authority in the criminal underworld.
Even those under Kang Jin-Ho's wings hadn't grasped what real demonic cultivation was like. In that case, how could someone like Jeong Yun-Seong know? He simply thought a demonic cultivator was just another martial artist who lost their mind after straying into unorthodox paths.
Unfortunately, he was proven oh-so-wrong tonight. These people were nothing like that. They were...!
'...They are goddamn beasts!'
Yes, that seemed about right. No other description fit better than beasts for this group of crazed men charging straight at their targets while black demonic qi flooded out of their figures. However, if 'beasts' seemed a little inadequate for some reason... Then, perhaps 'starving evil demons' might be another alternative!
Jeong Yun-Seong finally understood why his predecessors and ancestors were so wary of demonic cultivators. He now knew why those old timers would go bonkers-mad with paranoia whenever demonic cultivators were brought up in conversations!
If these lunatics were allowed to roam around unchecked, the entire world would be destroyed in no time at all! The sight of a group of martial artists madly pouncing on their victims evoked a scene of a zombie horde from a horror movie. Zombies that had lost their human minds and only knew of hostility toward the living! Creatures that attacked their victims relentlessly over and over again!
Jeong Yun-Seong's problem right now was that these demonic cultivators weren't as weak as a zombie herd!
Crunch!
“Kuwaaaaahk!”
A horrifying scream exploded forth from Jeong Yun-Seong's mouth. A demonic cultivator took a swipe with his right hand and slammed into Jeong Yun-Seong's arm, causing the latter's bones to shatter.
“Kekeke~!”
A soul-chilling cackle leaked out of the demonic cultivator's lips. If this situation had been unfolding in a regular setting, passersby would mock or insult him for suffering from the infamous eighth-grader syndrome.
Unfortunately, Jeong Yun-Seong couldn't laugh or swear right now. Who would dare mock a madman charging straight at them with bloodshot eyes while laughing like a serial killer? Sane people would feel their bowels tighten and their hearts wither instead!
“Goddaaaaaaamn it!” Jeong Yun-Seong roared desperately. He got angry at himself for getting scared.
Why was he getting so frightened like this? Weren't these demonic cultivators also human beings like him? Didn't Jeong Yun-Seong learn martial arts so that he could stand his ground like a man and fight back when it mattered the most?!
Jeong Yun-Seong tightened his grip on the sword's hilt.
'Dammit, we're being pushed back!'
Actually, it wasn't merely at the level of being pushed back at this point. Jeong Yun-Seong's surroundings had already turned into a land of utter destruction. Like a pack of wolves on a hunt, demonic cultivators climbing the mountain spread out and pounced on their victims. The end result was the current spectacle.
At least Jeong Yun-Seong was more or less holding his ground. His colleagues weren't faring as well as him, though!
“Uwaaahk?!”
“Aaaaahk! Aaaahk!”
Screams of agony were coming from seemingly everywhere.
'How... How can this be?!'
The crazy thing was... Jeong Yun-Seong knew who he was fighting here. He recognized the face of this demonic cultivator before his nose! He remembered seeing this brat back in the Assembly before but never thought he'd be struggling for his life like this. Never!
There was a gap of a decade. A freaking decade! No, the age gap between Jeong Yun-Seong and this brat must be over ten years, at least!
As alluded to earlier, the age gap of a decade or more was significant for martial artists. A person's physical growth would stop in their adulthood, but their cultivation didn't, after all! In plain terms, a gap of ten years for martial artists would be the same as the difference between an elementary school kid and a fully grown adult!
Could anyone imagine an adult getting beaten up by an elementary school kid? No! Even the greatest child genius in history shouldn't be able to overcome this difference. However, Jeong Yun-Seong's common sense was being shattered mercilessly right this moment!
BOOM!
Jeong Yun-Seong blocked the incoming attack with his blade, but the weapon trembled unsteadily in his grip. He was actually relieved about his hand not breaking from the impact force! The webbing between his thumb and index finger was already torn up and bleeding profusely, but he should be grateful that the extent of his injuries was only that much!
'We're being pushed back! But, how is this possible?!'
Jeong Yun-Seong was losing out on the strength of his cultivation realm, too! Just what did these people do to leapfrog the difference in a decade's worth of cultivation with such apparent ease?!
Of course, it wasn't as if this demonic cultivator's strength was overwhelmingly better than Jeong Yun-Seong's. At best, it was only a little better. But what was important to note here was that...!
'Goddamn it! It hasn't been all that long since they started training, so what the hell...!'
Considering when these younger-generation martial artists started cultivating in demonic arts, this event made absolutely zero common sense. Worse still, it turned out that the advantage Jeong Yun-Seong was supposed to have over the demonic cultivators never existed, to begin with!
“Kuh-wuhk!”
Jeong Yun-Seong hurriedly thrust his sword forward, but the demonic cultivator deftly avoided the attack and flashed a detestable smirk.
'Weren't they supposed to be mindless freaks?!'
According to the elders, demonic cultivators supposedly lacked rational minds and only knew how to charge blindly at their victims. Although fighting head-on in a contest of strength might be difficult, the demonic cultivators should be easy enough to defeat by deflecting their attacks and going after their unguarded sides. That was what the elders told Jeong Yun-Seong and the others.
But that was wrong. Despite acting like lunatics, these bastards still had functioning minds! As proof, the one Jeong Yun-Seong was fighting evaded every incoming attack. No, it was more than simply dodging at this point. This demonic cultivator was actively responding ahead of time if Jeong Yun-Seong dared to show even a hint of attacking!
'Dammit! What am I supposed to do here?!'
His enemy didn't have a single weak point. At least, Jeong Yun-Seong's level was too low to find a chink in this demonic cultivator's armor!
Suddenly, the lunatic said something. “More...”
Jeong Yun-Seong jumped up in alarm and hurriedly raised his guard while glaring back.
“I need more! This is not enough! MOOOORE!”
'What are you trying to say, you crazy bastard?!'
“Attack me even harder, you weakling!”
That was when Jeong Yun-Seong stiffened, and anger-infused power seeped into his muscles. “I... I'll kill you!”
“Kekeke! Yes, that's more like it!”
Jeong Yun-Seong's sword, with qi permeating its blade, slashed fiercely down on the demonic cultivator's head. However...!
Clang! Claaaang!
It was as if the demonic cultivator's hand was made of reinforced steel. He easily blocked the incoming sword slashes. Even though a sword made of metal clashed against human flesh, Jeong Yun-Seong's hand holding the weapon got ripped apart instead!
The agony shooting up from his hand was so severe that Jeong Yun-Seong could barely keep his eyes open!
This... was the real demonic cultivator. With their eyes burning in eerie crimson hue and black demonic qi gushing out of their frame!
'Kang Jin-Ho...!'
This sight was similar to the Kang Jin-Ho that Jeong Yun-Seong had witnessed in the past. Of course, only an idiot would dare compare this demonic cultivator to Kang Jin-Ho's realm, but even then, no one would deny that the two men fundamentally looked similar.
If these demonic cultivators grew stronger, would they become the next Kang Jin-Ho? If so... Their strength seemed understandable, more or less. Still, their powers should be deemed pathetically weak right now if their final goal was to become as strong as Kang Jin-Ho one day. That was how far away these men were from their destination.
'So, this is what it means to have different goals and different motivations...'
For Jeong Yun-Seong, this epiphany came far too late. And being distracted by stray thoughts during a battle against a demonic cultivator was one of the most unwise things imaginable, too!
“Kuh-ruk!”
The demonic cultivator suddenly rushed in and thrust his hand forward. Demonic qi permeating the tips of his fingers gushed out to create an illusory shape of a monster's massive claws.
Jeong Yun-Seong belatedly realized his slip-up and urgently raised his sword to block the demonic cultivator's incoming right hand.
CLANG!
The metallic sound he heard this time was crystal clear, which was quite different from previous clashes. That was because the demonic cultivator's hand had snapped Jeong Yun-Seong's sword in half!
“Heot?!”
Jeong Yun-Seong freaked out and tried to swipe with the broken sword. Unfortunately, it was already too late to respond by then.
Poooow!
The demonic cultivator's attack slammed into Jeong Yun-Seong's face. It was only one attack, but that was more than enough.
Jeong Yun-Seong's body crashed into the ground, his consciousness already gone. However, the demonic cultivator still mounted the unconscious man as if this much wasn't enough to satisfy him.
Bang! Boom! Crash!
The demonic cultivator repeatedly slammed his fists down. Again, again, and again! Foams of blood gushed out of his mouth as the light of sheer madness burned fiercely in his eyes.
“Die! Die! Die!”
The demonic cultivator mercilessly slammed down. It was as if he wanted to crush his victim's face and turn it into a bloody pile of meat!
“Kuh-ruk... Krrrrrrk!”
His rational mind was threatening to abandon him. Madness was rapidly dyeing the last thread of rationality he desperately held on to. The primal desire to kill everything before his eyes was rapidly taking over him.
That was when...!
BANG!
A loud explosion resounded in the air as the demonic cultivator was flung off his victim's body like a cannon shell.
“Kkwuuuuuhk?!” The demonic cultivator clutched his side while tumbling painfully on the ground. This incredible agony! He never knew that pain could be this crippling! “Which... Which son of a b*tch...!”
Rage quickly overcame the pain, allowing the demonic cultivator to leap back up to his feet... Only for him to flinch grandly in fear. Which was understandable, really.
The man standing before his eyes was not someone this demonic cultivator could casually get angry at. After all, that man was Kang Jin-Ho... The master of demonic cultivation, the master of these demonic cultivators!
“Yi Myeong-Hwan...!” Kang Jin-Ho quietly muttered.
The demonic cultivator, Yi Myeong-Hwan, shuddered grandly before prostrating on the ground and slamming his forehead on the dirt. Just like how a predator would tuck its tail between its legs when facing an even more powerful predator, Yi Myeong-Hwan had no choice but to submit to a pool of overwhelming demonic qi incomparably mightier than his own.
Kang Jin-Ho grunted quietly. “What should we do when someone with no knowledge of swordsmanship starts swinging a sword around?”
“...We must take that sword away.”
“That's right. Don't lose yourself again.”
“Yes, sir!”
Kang Jin-Ho turned around to leave, allowing Yi Myeong-Hwan to raise his head. His face was already soaked in cold sweat in that brief exchange.
'What the hell... have I been doing just now?'
Yi Myeong-Hwan hurriedly turned his head and spotted Jeong Yun-Seong collapsed on the floor with a messed-up face. Thankfully, he was still alive, albeit just barely. It seemed Yi Myeong-Hwan losing his mind had ironically saved his victim's life.
If Yi Myeong-Hwan had struck down with demonic qi instead of his naked fists, that man would've died instantly from just one hit.
Someone almost died by his hands! Yi Myeong-Hwan wasn't the type to shy away from killing. However, he definitely wanted to avoid becoming some kind of a bloodthirsty monster who killed people without being conscious of his own actions!
BOOM!
Ka-booooom!
More explosion noises erupted from several other locations. However, they weren't caused by intense battles. No, Kang Jin-Ho was simply going around kicking any demonic cultivators who had lost their reasoning. Those who got kicked by him crash-landed on the ground, which helped them regain their sanity. The first thing they did after that was planting their foreheads on the dirt just like Yi Myeong-Hwan.
“R-run away!”
“Hiiieeeek?!”
The defenders saw an opening when the demonic cultivators became paralyzed by the demonic qi gushing out of Kang Jin-Ho and urgently fled from the battlefield.
“Ku-wuk?!”
Demonic cultivators instinctively tried to chase after them, but then...!
“Do not go after them,” said Kang Jin-Ho. His calm but threatening voice instantly halted the steps of the demonic cultivators. “You do not fight those lacking the will to oppose you. Got that?”
“...”
The demonic cultivators couldn't understand this logic. However, it was also impossible to resist Kang Jin-Ho's order. Just as they tried to come to grips with two disparate thoughts clashing in their heads, their hearing picked up a somewhat furious voice of an elder.
“In that case, what about me?!”
That voice belonged to Elder Goh Seong-Hyeon!
He approached Kang Jin-Ho with his sword drawn.
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