Chapter 41

Blinking his eyelids, he regains consciousness. His head feels heavy. His stomach churns. It seems he was caught in an explosion and lost consciousness for a moment.

“…Am I alive?”

Carefully, he checks his body. Fortunately, nothing is missing, and everything is intact. Crawling away as far as possible must have worked.

“Ahh—don’t die standing up. Crawl to survive.”

He wants to raise his right hand to his chest and shout, “Victory is mine for surviving!” but unfortunately, this is no time for such carefree antics.

He’s only taken down one pursuer. He needs to grab Yeonghwa, who’s hidden nearby, and flee to another location.

He forces his body, which screams to lie down and rest, to stand up. Staggering, he surveys the surroundings.

The aftermath of the explosion: scattered, burning warehouse materials, a warehouse spewing thick smoke and blazing fiercely. Some nameless Demon Sect bastard is probably roasting inside like a steamed bun.

…In a fair fight, he couldn’t guarantee victory against someone of that level.

He doesn’t know how to make soap, but at least he knows how to cause a dust explosion. If he hadn’t binge-watched superpower battle shows in his past life, today might have been his end.

Sighing, he turns away from the burning warehouse. No time to dwell on it.

The enemy is dead, and he’s alive. That’s the end of it.

Mantian thinks this as he takes a step. Yes, he convinces himself it’s all over. But this is the Martial Arts World.

“Haa… haa… stop… right there…”

And martial artists are those who pursue martial prowess. What decides the final outcome isn’t tricks but pure martial skill.

A low growl, like that of a wounded beast, freezes him in place. His body slowly turns in response to the unexpected situation.

His eyes meet those of a demon staggering out of the flames.

***

Shadow Blade glares at Mantian, panting heavily.

If it weren’t for the martial robe made from the silk of the Heavenly Silkworm, a spirit beast raised by the Divine Sect, he would’ve died in the explosion.

Half his face is burned, and his body is in tatters, but he’s still alive.

The wounds and humiliation from underestimating his enemy can still be avenged.

“Preparation… yeah… I admit it. I was… unprepared.”

With his right hand shrouded in demonic energy, he slashes his left wrist. Using internal energy, he sprays blood to extinguish the flames clinging to his body.

He stretches out his left arm, flaunting the bleeding wrist. His blazing eyes lock onto Mantian.

“This… is a sign of respect for you… and my resolve to never let my guard down again.”

Red blood drips from the wound on his left arm like sand in an hourglass. With a face marked by cuts, burns, and blood, he shouts with determination.

“I’ll kill you before I bleed to death.”

This is no longer a game. No more underestimating. Shadow Blade’s animalistic instincts tell him Mantian is no mere pup.

To win, he must risk his life. This is a martial artist.

He steps forward, left arm and leg leading, measuring the distance. His right arm is raised, ready to strike. He stakes his life and the honor of the Divine Sect.

“Heavenly Demon God Sect, Black Kill Squad, First-Class Assassin, Shadow Blade.”

Wind blows from the burning warehouse behind him. The scorching heat envelops Mantian.

He assumes his stance, drawing internal energy from his dantian. Defeat the enemy, protect his sister. Nothing changes. He throws himself into another life-or-death battle.

“Disciple of Confucius and Fudo Myo-o, Sima Mantian.”

He reveals the name of his master, whom he should never speak of. It’s a declaration of his resolve to kill and silence you.

The scorching heat swirls between the two martial artists.

No insults, no mockery. They silently observe each other, closing the distance until they’re within striking range.

Both their internal energy and bodies are at their limits. They move forward solely on willpower. Only one technique remains.

One exchange will decide everything. Winner and loser will be determined.

Shadow Blade moves first. The reason is simple: his arms are longer than Mantian’s. His demonic energy-clad arm arcs toward Mantian’s neck like a bow.

“Black Kill Dark Hand.”

Three centimeters—that’s the distance needed to slice the carotid artery and kill.

But Mantian doesn’t hesitate. Instead, he leans his neck toward the dark hand, closing the distance further.

If the enemy stakes everything on three centimeters, he’ll stake everything on one step.

It’s his first time using this in real combat. Ironically, the life-or-death struggle clears his mind. Extreme focus allows him to naturally activate the Fudo Myo-o Step.

**『Fudo Myo-o Step』—Eye**

The aura of the Immutable King fills his eyes, and the world slows down. He takes the slowest yet fastest step.

Blood gushes from his neck. It’s fine. It’s shallow. Just a graze. Ignoring the pain spreading through his body, he clenches his fist and charges into the enemy’s embrace.

…At that moment, Mantian’s right leg gives out. Losing balance, he falls. And Mantian thinks:

“—I don’t give a damn!!”

The distance is already enough. Using the force of his fall, he drives his fist toward Shadow Blade’s heart. A straight punch with everything he has.

The secret martial art of the Esoteric Sect, the Fudo Myo-o Fist. Despite its grand name, it’s a fairly simple technique.

The aura of the Immutable King is heavy. And what happens when you add even more weight to a fist imbued with such heavy energy? It’s a technique born from such a foolish thought.

A straight punch that shifts the center of gravity to the fist, delivering a thousand pounds of force. That’s the essence of the Fudo Myo-o Fist.

…And now, the Immutable King’s aura enveloping Mantian’s body and the weight of his fall combine to create a small miracle.

**Fudo Myo-o Fist**

Shadow Blade’s instincts scream. This is dangerous. His body reacts before his mind. He uses his left hand as a shield to block the punch. But it’s futile.

*Crack—!!*

His left arm, already cracked from the Dog Chasing Stick Technique, can’t withstand the weight and completely breaks. The force pushes through, reaching his chest.

“Uoooh—!!”

He roars, trying to stop the punch, but it’s no use. The thousand-pound weight crushes his chest, reaching his heart. Destroying it.

Shadow Blade’s body, unable to withstand the impact, is sent flying and crashes to the ground. Mantian, losing his balance, also falls.

He lands hard, face hitting the dirt, but Mantian doesn’t care. He pushes off the ground and staggers to his feet, preparing for the next move.

But unlike Mantian, Shadow Blade doesn’t get up.

His chest is crushed in the shape of a fist. His eyes are rolled back. Blood spills from his mouth. To anyone, it’s clear he’s beyond recovery.

He watches a bit longer, but the chest doesn’t rise and fall. He’s definitely dead.

“Haa— haa—!”

He looks up at the sky, exhaling the rough breath he’s been holding. His heart feels like it’s about to burst. Exhaustion floods in.

…But he can’t stop here. He can’t rest.

He recalls Mukgang’s words. He pictures Yeonghwa’s face. This time, he turns his back on the burning warehouse and the enemy’s corpse, taking heavy steps forward.

***

Hearing the loud explosion, Yeonghwa, worried for Mantian, rushes out from her hiding spot. The scene before her makes her swallow hard and mutter:

“…Shaoshyant.”

If another Zoroastrian believer heard her, they’d scold her for calling such a tattered, limping man the Shaoshyant. But she doesn’t care about their opinions.

The sight of him destroying evil, turning his back on the flames, and walking forward unwaveringly is, in her eyes, undoubtedly the return of the hero prophesied in the scriptures, the Shaoshyant.

‘Brother… is the Shaoshyant?’

Her mind is in chaos. The Shaoshyant’s devotion is to burn the world and, in the end, be killed by the hero’s hand. That’s the role assigned to the monster named Sima Yeonghwa.

And the hero’s role is to kill the monster. Not to fight to the point of ruin to protect the monster.

Her heart aches at the sight of her brother’s wounds. Her mind spins at the realization that her beloved brother is the Shaoshyant. His existence confuses her.

“…Why are you going this far to protect me?”

She asks the question she’s kept hidden in her heart, now directed at her brother, who has approached her. Tears well up in her red eyes.

***

When your little sister suddenly pops out of hiding and asks why you’re treating her so well, what’s the model answer a big brother should give?

There are many possible answers, but seeing the teardrops in Yeonghwa’s pretty eyes, no other response comes to mind. His body moves first.

*Whoosh—!*

He pulls Yeonghwa’s delicate body into a tight embrace. He speaks his true feelings in response to her silly question. He whispers tenderly:

“Because I like you.”

If I didn’t like you, I wouldn’t have gone through all this trouble.