Chapter 137

The completely unexpected appearance of Sima Mantian.

Poong Ran’s green eyes, her mouth tied shut, widen in shock.

“Uh…?!”

Before being a girl who likes the Young Master, she is a daughter of a subordinate family serving the Sima Family.

She had to prevent Sima Mantian, the heir of the Sima Family, from falling into a dangerous situation.

But like a protagonist in a novel.

Like a prince in a fairy tale…

The fact that the Young Master came to save her, and that he was in danger because of her.

A whirlwind of emotions, relief and anxiety, shakes her pupils.

‘Why?! This person is dangerous!’ She tries to speak, but no words come out.

Even if she did speak, Sima Mantian wouldn’t turn back.

Tap- tap-.

The sound of a cane tapping as the distance closes.

With an expression that seems both emotionless and angry.

Sima Mantian approaches.

Jang Do, with a mix of irritation and admiration, greets Sima Mantian, who has reappeared in his planned story.

“You got blown away but still managed to chase after us. Impressive.”

Like an actor announcing his role, he casually spreads his arms and introduces himself. Self-introduction is important.

“Jang Do, Blood Church executive, Dragon Body Snake Heart. Commanding the attack on the Martial Alliance, and the one who kidnapped Poong Ran-.”

Like the introduction of a novel.

“Your enemy.”

Or like the conclusion that ends all events.

“So? Why did you chase us here? Your role is already over.”

Jang Do looks at Sima Mantian with the expression of an actor improvising off-script.

“Today, your role is the hero who failed to protect a precious girl. A tragic hero who despairs at his own weakness and uses it as a stepping stone to grow stronger, raising the tension of the story.”

“…So why did you reappear? Why are you disrupting the flow of the story?”

A hysterical, illogical logic.

But it doesn’t matter.

This side has no intention of being logical either.

Sima Mantian, assessing the situation, confirms Poong Ran’s safety and speaks.

“Let me correct one thing. I’m not disrupting you. You’re disrupting me.”

A shameless, calm, and strong voice echoes through the abandoned building, chewing up tragedy.

“And dark stories aren’t my taste.”

The greedy wolf’s face twists into an evil smile.

“It can be boring. It can be endlessly light. No grand lessons or ideologies are needed. Just fun.”

Unwavering amber eyes glare at the Blood Church members.

“What I want isn’t a depressing dark fantasy where people’s faces are always stiff.”

This story isn’t your story.

“An endlessly light, carefree story that can be enjoyed with a relaxed mind-.”

Not a dark story filled with sorrow and despair.

“It’s a harem martial arts story.”

Wow~ Three interesting genres!

“In that story, you are the extras.”

He looks at Poong Ran’s tear-stained eyes. His grip on the cane tightens.

“You made my friend cry. You hurt and kidnapped my friend.”

The burning streets, rising smoke, people’s screams.

“You’ve turned this place into a mess.”

He releases the internal energy he had been saving for this fight without hesitation.

“So I’ll eliminate all of you.”

An uncontrollable, rough energy flows out.

“Minagoroshi (Kill them all). Ninja massacre.”

The unusual aura and incomprehensible words cause confusion among the Blood Church members.

“Well, to put it simply, it’s like this.”

He draws the sword at his waist. A blue sword energy blooms on the steel blade.

Cane in his right hand, sword in his left.

Sima Mantian’s greeting, announcing the massacre, begins.

“Do-mo, nice to meet you. Jang Do = Enemy. Sima Mantian.”

A polite greeting, but with a sticky, murderous intent.

It engulfs the Blood Church.

The famous line announcing death echoes through the abandoned building.

“Now, recite a haiku.”

Jang Do raises his hand, stopping the Blood Church members from rushing at Sima Mantian, and asks.

“I know a bit about Eastern greetings. That was a splendid self-introduction.”

Simple curiosity. If Sima Mantian dies, he won’t know, and it’ll bother him.

“But what’s a ‘haiku’?”

“A three-line death poem, with 5-7-5 syllables, recited at the moment of death.”

At Sima Mantian’s crisp answer, Jang Do nods.

“Then it has nothing to do with me.”

He shrugs and lowers his hand, which had been stopping the Blood Church members.

“You’ll be the one reciting the haiku.”

The Blood Church members, with red eyes gleaming, rush at Sima Mantian like a swarm of bats.

“Kyaaaah-!!”

And in that moment, Sima Mantian’s form wavers.

And disappears.

Sliding forward, he closes the distance in an instant and swings his sword.

“Uh… Kakh?!”

The closest Blood Church member is bisected at the waist by Sima Mantian’s sword, his breath cut off.

An unexpected attack.

“……?!”

They hadn’t expected Sima Mantian to charge into the group and attack first.

But even though the ambush was successful.

With such an unstable stance, he can’t continue the attack. The Blood Church’s weapons target Sima Mantian.

But unexpected things keep happening.

Using the cane to push off the ground as a lever, Sima Mantian leaps up.

Soaring into the air, he spins.

And descends like a lightning strike, cutting down another Blood Church member.

“Kuaaaah!”

Immediately, Sima Mantian’s form wavers again.

Before they can regain their senses, another, and another, and another…

Blood Church members’ heads are severed.

In the center of the bat swarm, Sima Mantian’s rotation accelerates.

Twisting his body, he plunges inward, swinging his sword. A merciless stick technique unfolds toward those who approach.

The Blood Church members’ eyes shake uncontrollably.

Sima Mantian, who was in front, is now behind, moving endlessly from left to right.

They can’t keep up with the speed.

They can’t predict where he’ll move next.

Jang Do, watching from behind, frowns and observes Sima Mantian’s movements.

Though it’s hard to see because he’s moving so fast…

He can roughly grasp it.

The acceleration from rotation, and the activity supporting it.

And.

“Ridiculous… Where did he learn such a patchwork martial art?”

A laugh bursts from Jang Do’s mouth.

Some martial art assisting the rotation and Taijiquan.

The application of the Jeonjin Sect’s Heavenly Polar Bear Formation, mimicking celestial movements.

Using the Namgung Family’s sword technique to enhance spatial perception.

And the Dog Chasing Stick Technique for adaptable offense and defense.

A dizzying speed. A relentless movement that disregards the body’s limits for that one purpose.

Sima Mantian’s form twists and shakes.

Like a rampaging tiger, he grinds through the Blood Church members’ bodies.

No beauty, no restraint is felt.

The ugly struggle of a cripple without wings.

…But because of that.

The Blood Church members flinch and unconsciously step back from Sima Mantian.

Faced with a ferocity they can’t handle.

Even the evil spirits who drank the blood of demons and abandoned their humanity are struck with fear.

Jang Do’s brows furrow as he watches Sima Mantian.

He disrupts even his own center to push forward with overwhelming speed. How can he move so freely at a speed even he can’t handle?

“Does the world seem slow to him…?”

That’s the answer.

A dark red aura swirls in Sima Mantian’s pupils.

『Fudo Myo-o Step (不動明王步)』 – Eye (眼)

A form of the Fudo Myo-o Step where the world seems slow, not pressing down on the opponent.

Using it doesn’t make him faster, it just seems slower.

But that’s enough.

With the Fudo Myo-o Step’s assistance, he pushes his speed to the limit in the slowed world.

Just a graze is a fatal blow.

As Sima Mantian’s form wavers and moves, the Blood Church members’ limbs break. Necks are severed.

“Don’t cling. You’ll just get swept away.”

Jang Do orders the Blood Church members, who are just standing there taking hits.

“Spread out and aim for when he jumps and lands.”

Yes, no matter how fast he moves, he can’t keep rotating forever.

There must be a moment when he has to stop.

When he repositions himself. That’s when we kill him.

But Sima Mantian has already thought of that.

Crushing a Blood Church member’s head and dodging the blades aimed at him, he leaps into the air and spins.

Waiting for that moment, they spread out.

Like carp waiting for food to fall, the Blood Church members swarm.

『Fudo Myo-o Step (不動明王步)』 – Press (壓)

Upon landing, a step that presses down on the world unfolds.

Kwa-wang-!!

An intangible force presses down on the Blood Church members from above.

“……!!”

It stops their movements.

Stopping so many people only creates a brief opening.

But that’s enough.

Using his left foot as a pivot, Sima Mantian twists his waist.

Legs, waist, shoulders, arms, weapon.

The blue blade, gaining speed as it receives the transferred force.

Blue Sky Boundless Sword Technique (蒼穹無涯劍法) – Blue Sky Shooting Star (蒼天飛星)

Like a meteor shower drawing lines across the night sky, a clean blue line advances.

Slicing through the necks of the fearless Blood Church members.

Chwaaaah-!

The red blood spraying from their necks creates a warning line, telling them not to come closer.

Silence flows.

The rotation has stopped, but no one dares cross the line to approach Sima Mantian.

Sweat drips down his cheeks. His throat is dry.

They have no choice but to admit it.

The Blood Church members are now afraid of Sima Mantian.

“I heard the Martial Alliance gave you the nickname ‘Wise Tiger.’ A really bad nickname.”

Breaking the silence, Jang Do finally steps forward.

“If it were me, I’d have called you ‘Roaring Tiger’ (虓虎, a fierce tiger).”

Sima Mantian lets out a light laugh.

“Ha! Not bad. I am a dangerous man, both physically and in terms of fatal charm.”

His mouth smiles, but his eyes thoroughly observe Jang Do’s movements.

Preparing to strike at the gap created by his careless tone and bravado.

“I did some research on you. I didn’t know you’d mastered such a peculiar step technique.”

Jang Do also observes Sima Mantian’s movements. The fight begins when one of them moves.

“Well, I just completed it today. It doesn’t even have a name yet.”

Perhaps it’s the occupational disease of a creator. At the mention of no name, Jang Do suddenly strokes his chin and ponders.

“Then, since it’s a movement that makes the enemy’s soul fly away-.”

As the first observer, he suggests a name.

“How about ‘Soul Flight and Spirit Scatter Step’ (魂飛魄散步)?”

A name that sounds like it came from a cheap martial arts novel makes my face scrunch up.

‘Soul Flight and Spirit Scatter! Detchaaa-!!’

“Wow… That name sucks.”

“Haha! If it’s bad, it’ll stick in the reader’s memory, so it’s fine.”

Jang Do adds in a distant voice.

“The worst is not getting any attention at all.”

Naturally, he places his hand on the sword at his waist and closes the distance. Sima Mantian also adjusts his grip on his sword and closes the distance.

There was no special signal.

It’s just time.

The ground beneath them cracks and shatters. In an instant, they charge at each other.

Soul Flight and Spirit Scatter Step (魂飛魄散步)

Sima Mantian’s form wavers and accelerates.

The blue sword energy born from Taoist internal energy clashes with Jang Do’s sinister red demon sword.

Kakakakakakang-!!

Sparks of energy scatter.