Internal Injury.
Normally, one would think that it means internal organs have been damaged and the person needs long-term care. However, in the martial arts world, it means something entirely different.
For a martial artist, they must utilize the internal energy stored in their dantian throughout their body’s energy meridians. So, what happens if they suffer from internal injury?
Internal injury is like a highway inside the body collapsing.
Imagine a truck carrying the load of internal energy speeding down a highway that has crumbled, leading it to crash into a wall, getting completely lost. The highway becomes irreparably damaged. And the wall it crashes into? Oh, that’s their own body!
The more they use their internal energy, the more incapacitated they become, unable to recover.
“You… if it weren’t for you!!!”
“A beast in human skin always has plenty of excuses.”
And that’s why he fails. Blaming external factors for his failures doesn’t help with self-improvement; it’s merely self-justification.
Baek Myeon-ho-ri looked so bad that words couldn’t even describe it.
His body, having vomited several bowls of blood, was now poisoned too. A normal person would lose consciousness from the suffering of their insides tearing apart, and naturally, if they didn’t wish to die, they wouldn’t be able to utilize their internal energy.
“In other words, it’s possible to give it a shot.”
The elixir of life sparked potential, but it only activated physical capabilities.
Right now, at this moment, Baek Myeon-ho-ri’s body was crumbling, society was collapsing, and the sect was in ruins.
“Graaah!”
Baek Myeon-ho-ri charged toward me.
It’s worth a shot. There’s a reason I’ve been training martial arts with Brother Cheol all this time.
If I can make my opponent come to me, it gives me time to do something. I won’t just think of running away. I’m aware of my surroundings too. Use what’s around. Anything will do. Winning is second; living is first.
Remembering Brother Cheol, the top instructor of the ronin, I shouted,
“Inspection Unit!!! To the right!”
Instead of focusing on the rushing Baek Myeon-ho-ri, I shifted my gaze to his side.
“No interference will be tolerated!!! …Huh?!”
Baek Myeon-ho-ri’s sword sliced through the thick smoke in vain.
Huh?!
The truth is, there’s nothing there.
Pffft!
I chuckle and utilize my internal energy to swiftly move back.
“Stop with the tricks!”
What of it? Even if I win dirty and petty, life’s still worth it.
Indeed, an assassination expert. Baek Myeon-ho-ri, with eyes almost devoid of reason, rapidly closed the gap between us.
“Take this bomb!”
As I pulled away, I threw a few small pouches in his direction. He flinched momentarily at the mention of “bomb,” as if he had no time to hesitate, and swung his sword at the pouches.
“Graaah! Kang Yoon-hooo!!!”
They’re not bombs; they’re special poison powders from the Tang Family. If they stick to his eyes, he’ll feel the pain of having a whole jar of pepper poured into them!
“Oh no!”
Did I go back too far? I suddenly felt a wall behind me.
“Noo!!!”
Don’t cry while squinting your eyes; it looks ridiculous.
A sword comes flying at me.
My vision blurs. My body is a mess from internal injuries and poison. Yet my opponent is a Demonic Cultist who has killed countless figures in the martial arts world, wearing a human mask.
I raised my arm.
Even if that blade is swung around rashly, the arm of a black-haired barbarian would crumple like a cheap party balloon.
If it were the Kang Yoon-ho from a week ago.
“Ugh?! What the?!”
With no internal energy backing it up and my blurred vision preventing me from pinpointing the strike, I simply moved with the monstrous strength my internal energy had made systemically stronger.
With such a strike, Baek Myeon-ho-ri should be able to cut through my arm.
That younger brother of mine. Did he eat some precious elixir in the past few days? Without internal energy behind it, his sword has no chance of piercing my skin!
“What’s the matter? It’s all thanks to you that I’ve become this strong, you scoundrel!”
Having consumed the elixir, I have leveled up in the Jade Face Protective Technique.
Now it’s time to return the favor. I activate the Small Wheel Mental Image Technique.
Starting from my feet.
The Shadowless Body Technique of Im Ha-yeon unfolds from my toes. Energy from my toes channels through my waist, from my waist to my shoulders, and from my shoulders to my arms, guiding all my strength to one point.
The finale is delivered with my fist.
The Jade Face Protective Technique of Cheon So-hee materializes from my fingertips. My fist, now hardened like steel, feels powerful.
All that’s left is to execute it.
I poured all my strength into striking the abdomen of the battered Baek Myeon-ho-ri.
“Gah!!!”
Watching his body fly away was quite exhilarating.
—————
“I’ll skin your hide alive!”
This guy. Can’t he just go down already?
The successor of Man Geum Battlefield, Ho Pil’s Kang Yoon-ho, had one-shot a bear. I was just trying to grab the title of “one-shot killer,” after all.
Too bad, plans have changed.
I snickered at Baek Myeon-ho-ri, who was grinding his teeth while looking at me.
“Don’t use strong words; it makes you look weak.”
“Ugh! You keep talking!!!”
Baek Myeon-ho-ri charged again. Looks like the effects of the poison powder have worn off. His eyes are bloodshot this time, but he’s not squinting.
This could be dangerous. There’s no choice.
“Inspection Unit! Head-on!”
“Do you think I’ll fall for that again!!!”
Baek Myeon-ho-ri charged at me like a boar, vowing never to be tricked again.
Right. While the determination not to be deceived is honorable…
“Fool! You rushed in just like that.”
Did he forget something?
“Gah!”
Looks like he momentarily forgot. This is the mansion of Man Geum-jeon.
In an instant, two blades sliced through Baek Myeon-ho-ri’s shoulder and back.
“Master Kang! Are you alright?!”
Cutting through the smoke, the Inspection Unit aimed their swords directly at Baek Myeon-ho-ri.
“Inspection Unit. Surround him.”
“Kang Yoon-hooooo!!!”
Did I just keep backing away for nothing? Not even aware they were following me!
“Did you really think I would fight you just because your robes were torn up?”
I never intended to win from the start.
I was just fine serving as bait.
————
“Master Kang! Fall back!”
“Protect the Deputy Head of Family!”
The Inspection Unit surrounded Baek Myeon-ho-ri like a vice, as if determined to make only one mistake.
Hahaha!
Did he realize it was all over? Baek Myeon-ho-ri chuckled while keeping his head down.
“Is this funny? I must admit, your current state is a bit funny.”
His facial skin was in tatters. His eyes were bloodshot like he was about to shoot lasers. There were bloodstains around his mouth, and his back was streaming blood.
He looked pathetic.
“What on earth did I do wrong…?”
In a situation where he could have swallowed Man Geum Battlefield whole in an instant, he just fell into disaster. It’s natural to feel utterly bewildered.
I confidently concluded for the confused Baek Myeon-ho-ri.
“That I am your opposition.”
Hahaha. I admit it. I underestimated the eyes of Man Geum-jeon, thinking I was among fools.
“Hey. Time is of the essence. The prison has the best spots on a first-come, first-served basis. If you’re late, you’d better learn to tiptoe. Choose quickly: get caught easily or die painfully.”
“No. There’s another way.”
Suddenly, Baek Myeon-ho-ri changed direction towards the least guarded spot of the Inspection Unit.
“Huh?!”
“Block him!!!”
Are you really trying to kill me? Baek Myeon-ho-ri leaped over the wall. What a lunatic, using internal energy in his poisoned state?
Baek Myeon-ho-ri vaulted over the barrier and yelled at me.
“Kang Yoon-ho!!! You shall live in fear forever! You shall doubt forever!!! When you can trust no one and are terrified!!! I will personally come to cut your throat!”
He shouted that with a curse soaked in hatred, then jumped over the wall.
“Chase him!!!”
“Let him go.”
I raised my hand, holding back the Inspection Unit.
“What do you mean?! Hurry up…!”
I’m fine. It doesn’t matter.
“Miss Zhuge is hungry, you know.”
“What?”
“Miss Zhuge.”
I pointed at a box standing alone in a damp, dark corner that nobody was paying attention to, a spot that seemed like it might even have snails.
Gasp?! What’s that box?! When did it get here?!
You don’t need to be surprised when the box suddenly trembles. It’s a moving box, after all.
Inside the box was a silver-haired beauty with turquoise eyes. Zhuge Xiang looked at me with a blush, saying she felt embarrassed.
“I just had breakfast, you know….”
Hahaha. Thank you.
It’s time to finish this.
“Ah! Yes!”
Many who know of the Man Geum Battlefield often forget a certain fact.
That the head of Man Geum-jeon holds another title, as one of the wealthiest in Hubei Province.
“No way…!”
The head of the Inspection Unit finally recognized the situation upon seeing the silver-haired beauty, now looking shocked.
Yes.
Man Geum-jeon is the father-in-law of the Zhuge family head.
“I’ll start now.”
Dreamlike Upside Down Formation.
Naturally, the mansion of Man Geum-jeon had the Zhuge family’s formation, welcoming intruders with grandeur.
“Damn it! Damn it!!! Damn it!!!”
Next time, I will definitely kill him.
Baek Myeon-ho-ri, while venting his fury, decided to give up on any lingering attachments and attempted to escape.
He had jumped over the southern wall but was still within the mansion of Man Geum-jeon. Escaping the vast mansion would be challenging, but it didn’t matter.
He had already disguised himself as a servant and knew the shortcuts they used to come and go. He could easily escape.
Baek Myeon-ho-ri moved quickly.
“Baek Myeon-ho-ri!”
At the entrance where he intended to exit, Kang Yoon-ho was waiting alone.
“How is this possible? No, it doesn’t matter. This is perfect. I won’t let you escape this time.”
“You foolish wretch! You dare to chase after me!”
“Gah!!!”
Baek Myeon-ho-ri’s sword thrust through Kang Yoon-ho’s neck in an instant.
“Pay for obstructing the sect’s great plan!”
His plan to swallow Man Geum Battlefield and turn it into the sect’s assets had failed, but he was satisfied for avenging his grudge. It ended too simply, but isn’t revenge always fleeting, in essence?
With a satisfied face, Baek Myeon-ho-ri pulled out his sword, just as he tried to flee.
“…Is this all?”
Kang Yoon-ho rose, unscathed.
“What, what is this?!”
With panic, he swung his sword several times. But it was useless. Kang Yoon-ho evaded effortlessly while closing the distance to Baek Myeon-ho-ri.
Not only that.
“How could I die at the hands of a lowlife like you?”
“Ma Yang-baek?”
Why is the deceased Ma Yang-baek here? There was no time to be surprised.
“Did you think you could skin my face and get away scot-free?!”
“Blue Robe Swordsman?”
Why did it suddenly get dark around me? Why is everything burning? Baek Myeon-ho-ri was utterly clueless. The ground turned to mud. What in the world was happening?
“Ugh!”
Feeling pain in his ankle, Baek Myeon-ho-ri quickly looked down.
There lay a mountain of corpses.
All of them lacking faces. The teeth of the faceless ones sank into Baek Myeon-ho-ri’s foot.
Only then did he remember the words he’d joke about.
“My face aches. It hurts. I can’t even tell who I am. Quickly. Give it back. Quickly.”
Where would he go when his time came? What kind of fate awaited him for skinning the faces of countless others?
“Is this really… hell for you?!”
“YES!!! This is a hell made just for you!!!”
“Don’t come any closer!!! I said, don’t come closer!!!”
“Don’t!!! Fall back!!!”
“Ah! Aaaah!!!”
It didn’t take long to find Baek Myeon-ho-ri, grotesquely experiencing a VR martial arts world beneath the wall.
“Is that Baek Myeon-ho-ri? Over 25 years old and still like that.”
“Y-yes?”
Miss Zhuge looked at me as if wondering what I was talking about.
“Ah, it’s nothing. But what kind of illusion is he experiencing?”
“They usually see what they are afraid of.”
Tears and snot were pouring down.
“I can’t imagine he’d be so scared even if ghostly figures were chasing him.”
“Baek Myeon-ho-ri carries memories of other people in his head. Maybe that makes it more effective.”
“Truly! His strength instantly became his weakness.”
It seems he’s experiencing various illusions because he absorbed so many memories from others.
“Deputy Head of Family.”
The head of the Inspection Unit seemed ready to act as soon as the formation was halted, calling for me.
“Hold on a moment.”
I raised my hand to pause and looked over at the crumbling Baek Myeon-ho-ri.
“Why are the dead, who should have vanished, crawling back out!!! Get lost! I said get lost!!!”
“Is that you, Master Kang?”
The Heo Song incident. The clan’s revolt. The successor’s trial of Man Geum Battlefield. Three assassination attempts against me. The death of Ma Yang-baek. The attempted poisoning of Man Geum-jeon.
“How many people have unjustly died and suffered because of Baek Myeon-ho-ri in less than a year?”
“A being who has spent a lifetime wearing the skins of others, making countless individuals weep bloody tears.”
If we couldn’t catch him today, I knew better than anyone else what would happen to the martial arts world.
“Kang Yoon-ho!!! Kang Yoon-hooo!!!!!”
The piercing, terror-stricken scream echoed through the mansion. Someone could calm him down, but he was far from it.
The only thing I could say to the people who suffered because of Baek Myeon-ho-ri was this:
“Make sure to tie him up when he’s floundering in the sea of tears he created.”
Charge!
“Ahhhhhhhhhh!”
