Chapter 78 :

Chapter 78. The Black Flame Dragon Leaping Over the Gate (6)

Geumpyo was the eldest son of the Lee family, who ran the mill.

All his life, he had watched his parents work at the mill, and he knew that someday he would end up doing that work himself.

It was not because the work at the mill was impressive, nor because it was something that excited him.

It was because he knew that if he was born the son of a miller and ran the mill, he would at least not starve to death.

There was no special reason he entered the Taeul Sect.

If one entered the Taeul Sect, they provided two meals a day.

When the mill was not doing well, his parents, who had to raise three sons who ate well, sent him to the Taeul Sect without much thought.

Later, he would have to complete about two years of mandatory service at the Martial Alliance, but before that, wasn’t it something that they gave him two meals a day?

Moreover, if he went to the Taeul Sect, Senior Brother Sowoon and Senior Sister Saryeon were there too.

Thanks to the two people he had grown up with since childhood, Geumpyo could be freed from the burden of being the eldest son, at least while he was at the Taeul Sect, and could act spoiled to his heart’s content.

Even when he heard that Gye Cheolyeong had entered the sect, he did not think much of it.

No, rather, he was happy that the meals that had only been two a day increased to three.

Sometimes meat side dishes came out too, and if he just accommodated that filthy personality, he even received sweets, so to Geumpyo, he was not that bad a person.

That was why he could not understand why Senior Brother Jin Sowoon and Senior Sister Saryeon were at odds with Gye Cheolyeong.

They were people born in the Taeul Sect, but even so, wasn’t their life one that would end as warriors of the Taeul Sect?

Gye Cheolyeong came from a wealthy family, and they said his father had a lot of money and separately invited experts of the murim world to teach him martial arts.

Against such a person, could those who had only learned the martial arts of the Taeul Sect really win?

But he did it.

Senior Brother Jin Sowoon did.

He had talent no different from his own, yet he took all of Gye Cheolyeong’s tyranny alone, and when it came to snacks or food he himself should have eaten, he yielded them to his junior brothers.

That kind senior brother, whom people said was smart and would later work as a hall master of the Outer Hall, began walking a different path.

‘Senior Brother, just what are you thinking?’

He resisted the fate set for him, fought against it, and did not retreat even an inch.

The story of how he risked his life for the unremarkable Taeul Sect, scattered his innate true energy, and shouted down the leader of the Iron Sword Sect was something that stirred the heart every time he heard it, no matter how many times he heard it from Saryeon.

He thought that perhaps Senior Brother had changed.

He thought that perhaps Senior Brother wanted to go to the Martial Academy in place of Gye Cheolyeong and completely change his own fate.

‘But that wasn’t it either.’

When he saw him yielding to Saryeon at the end of the Holy Lion’s test, he felt that Senior Brother was still the same Senior Brother.

If, during childhood, he had taken Gye Cheolyeong’s tyranny in their place and shared sweets for their sake,

Then after growing up, he was trying to take the tyranny of the murim world in their place and yield to them another chance to fly.

And that was for them, who would work at the mill once their mandatory service at the Martial Alliance ended.

That was when Geumpyo, Eunho, and Dongryong first realized that they, too, had a new dream.

‘Are we truly allowed to dream, Senior Brother?’

Perhaps it was something they had given up on in advance because they could not have it.

Perhaps it was something they had not even tried to reach because it was out of reach from the start.

But Senior Brother Sowoon always risked his life and raised his sword for them.

And yet, because he never said things like how much he was sacrificing or that everything was for their sake, they could not even tell him to stop.

So now, they had decided to repay the debt they owed Senior Brother.

Because they were no longer children who unknowingly ate the sweets he gave them.

They thought that if they somehow got Senior Brother into the Martial Academy, perhaps they could lessen the debt they had owed him all this time.

“That’s what we’re supposed to do, so what are you doing! Dongryong!!”

Geumpyo, who should have been facing the bandits of Twin Curtain Stronghold while maintaining the sword formation, was now standing alone to block Dongryong.

As the villagers joined the fight with bamboo spears and sickles in hand, the momentum had completely shifted to this side.

The fierce battle had gained some leeway, and there was even a little room to breathe, but the problem was that the villagers were people who had not learned martial arts.

No matter how confused the bandits were after inhaling so much smoke, it was an obvious fact that they were martial artists who had learned martial arts.

The moment the villagers sprayed blood from the blind swords the bandits swung wildly, Dongryong rushed out of the sword formation.

Heavenly Slaughter Star.

How shocked had he been when he first heard that story?

If not for Senior Brother telling him not to worry too much, he probably would not have slept properly that night.

‘Senior Brother! I think you were wrong!’

The Heavenly Slaughter Star did not simply mean that one’s killing intent was terrible.

This was a demonic talent created by the heavens to kill humans.

When he thought of how many Heavenly Slaughter Stars in the past had slaughtered experts of the murim world despite being ordinary people who had never learned even a strand of martial arts, he could understand just how terrifying this talent was.

And now, Geumpyo was witnessing that terrifying talent with his own two eyes.

Dongryong was scattering killing intent wildly and swinging his sword at the bandits.

Although he was clearly his cute youngest brother, the sight of red light pouring from his eyes made him feel a sense of alienness.

Especially whenever he faced a martial artist who seemed several times stronger than himself, the way he devoured the experience of each moment and grew steeply did not seem like something of the human world.

In the blink of an eye, the sword form of the Small Heaven Sword Technique had changed, and in the blink of an eye, the achievement of the Great Heaven Sword Technique had changed.

There was no defense in the sword art Dongryong used.

Watching him scatter only offense while avoiding his opponent’s attacks made one wonder whether Dongryong had some enemy who had killed his parents that they did not know about.

Now even the bandits were losing heart at Dongryong’s insane movements and were fleeing one by one.

And Dongryong persistently reaped their lives by desperately stepping with the Taeul Eight Myriad Divine Steps, as if he would not leave even one of them alive.

At his demon-like appearance, drenched completely in blood, even the villagers began to feel afraid.

There was no longer any battle.

The bandits were already busy fleeing or begging for their lives.

Even so, Dongryong was still craving blood to the very end.

In the end, Geumpyo sent his sword flying toward Dongryong.

“Come to your senses! Dongryong!”

“•••I’ll kill them! I’ll protect them•• I’ll kill to protect them!! I’ll•• kill them all!”

As if he had forgotten that Geumpyo was his older brother, Dongryong’s sword was exceedingly sharp.

It was burdensome for Geumpyo to face Dongryong, who was perfectly imitating Jin Sowoon’s sword form that he had once seen.

“Please come to your senses!”

He had sent Eunho to inform Jin Sowoon, but that moment, brief as an instant, felt like an eternity.

The thought that he could not let his younger brother become a demon like this, and the desperation that at this rate, he might die by his younger brother’s hand.

“Lee Dongryong!! Come to your senses! Don’t you want to go to the Martial Alliance with Senior Brother Jin Sowoon!”

“.....!”

For a brief instant, Dongryong’s movement flinched and stopped.

Geumpyo raised his voice even more.

“If you become a demon like this, we won’t be able to stay together even at the Taeul Sect! Is that really what you want!”

“......!”

Flinch, flinch.

The body that had stopped began moving again.

The killing intent that had been directed at the bandits other than Geumpyo now shot straight toward Geumpyo.

An even fiercer attack came in, as if facing an enemy trying to remove his murderous star.

Geumpyo’s hands and feet began tangling.

“Kuhuk! Lee Dongryong, you•••••”

In the end, the moment came when he could only blankly watch Dongryong’s sword thrust toward his vital point.

“Well done.”

Chang!

“Senior Brother!”

A sword black from hilt to blade blocked Dongryong’s sword.

Jin Sowoon skillfully blocked Dongryong’s sword, but he was less sharp than usual.

Judging from his appearance, he was already thoroughly exhausted.

He had probably used up all his true strength while facing the chiefs of Twin Curtain Stronghold.

“How long has it been?”

“It’s almost been two quarters of an hour.”

“We’re not too late.”

“Really?”

“....Yes.”

Jin Sowoon thought it was a relief.

The reason he had taught the Geum, Eun, and Dong brothers Taeul Moving Circulation and made them devote themselves to it even more was because he knew Dongryong possessed the Heavenly Slaughter Star.

The chant of the Taeul True Scripture allowed one to view oneself from the perspective of a third party and made one look at their inner self in greater detail.

If it was the Heavenly Slaughter Star, then in order to keep the body from tiring, it would instinctively operate energy circulation. And as long as he was reciting the Taeul True Scripture, the possibility of regaining his senses was much higher.

“What should we do?”

“There’s nothing we can do. We have no choice but to let Dongryong wake up on his own.”

“What if he can’t wake up?”

“……He will wake up.”

Geumpyo’s eyes shook violently at Jin Sowoon’s words.

Had he ever heard Jin Sowoon speak so uncertainly?

This was the man who had spoken so casually even when attacking Twin Curtain Stronghold••••••.

Why had he asked about the time?

If too much time passed, would he be unable to wake up?

Then would Dongryong become a demon like this?

Geumpyo felt as though his heart had dropped with a thud.

“Huh, huh, huh. Brother, what happened?”

Eunho, who had run over with steam rising from his entire body, asked while gasping for breath, but Geumpyo could not give any answer.

‘This isn’t right. This••••· this isn’t right.’

Only Geumpyo and Eunho had intended to step forward to help Jin Sowoon.

But Dongryong, who liked Jin Sowoon so much, had gritted his teeth and stubbornly insisted.

So they had deliberately trained to a level far beyond their own limits, telling him to at least try keeping up with the training. But Dongryong endured until the moment he fainted and kept up with the training.

They could not leave behind Dongryong, who had worked so hard.

“Brother! What are you doing!”

“We can’t leave Dongryong here!”

“What? What are you talking about?”

“Eunho! Let’s go. We have to take Dongryong with us!”

“....··.”

Eunho had no idea what Geumpyo was talking about, but he felt that following his words at this moment was something he would not regret later.

“Stay back!”

Jin Sowoon, who was facing Dongryong, stretched out his hand and told them not to come closer, but Geumpyo charged at Dongryong with his sword in hand.

“I’m going to take Dongryong with me!”

“Geumpyo.”

“We’re going to take Dongryong with us!”

Cha-cha-cha-cha-cha-chaeng.

Because of Geumpyo, Jin Sowoon could not swing his sword, and Dongryong’s brow suddenly cleared.

The Heavenly Slaughter Star was distinguishing between the strong and the weak.

“Lee Dongryong! Come to your senses! Are you planning to become a demon like this!”

“.......”

“You said you wanted to become a righteous hero like Senior Brother! Then don’t get intoxicated by some murderous star!”

“......!”

Dongryong’s sword, which had been aiming for Geumpyo’s vital point, suddenly stopped dead, and Geumpyo dug into that opening.

Dongryong strangely twisted his arm and tried to thrust his sword into Geumpyo’s neck in an instant.

Chang!

“Lee Dongryong! No matter how much you dislike your eldest brother, this isn’t right!”

Eunho struck away Dongryong’s sword.

The two of them began barely blocking Dongryong’s sword through a combined attack.

“Lee Dongryong! If you keep not listening, we’re leaving you behind!”

“......!”

Dongryong stopped dead once again.

“Lee Dongryong! We brought you because you said you wanted to come with us too!”

“What are you going to do if we can’t get Senior Brother into the Martial Academy because of you!”

“......!!”

Each time Geumpyo and Eunho shouted, Dongryong’s movements gradually began to slow.

“Come to your senses! Before we really leave you behind!”

Geumpyo and Eunho shouted so loudly that their throats grew hoarse.

Unlike the two desperate cries, Dongryong’s sword charged at their vital points several times, but the two did not stop shouting.

“If you keep not listening, we’ll send you home!”

Dead stop.

Dongryong’s body stopped for the first time.

Then, as if seized by convulsions, his entire body trembled.

When Geumpyo and Eunho looked at Jin Sowoon in surprise, Jin Sowoon nodded silently.

“We’re going to send you back home! You go home alone!”

“Go help Father and Mother! Senior Brother is going all the way to the Martial Academy with us!”

His eyelids rolled back, and even foam poured from his mouth.

Then, suddenly, he vomited blood.

“Buaak. Kuhuk—”

Even the sword that had seemed to cling perfectly to his hand fell to the ground, and Dongryong retched for a long while before raising his head.

His eyes still flashing red, he spoke in a tearful voice.

“...No, take me too...”

At Dongryong’s appearance, Geumpyo and Eunho let out sighing laughs.

“Haa. You damned brat.”

“Haha, haha. Hahaha.”

Watching the three brothers, Jin Sowoon was finally able to let out a sigh of relief.

‘Thank goodness.’

The murderous nature of the Heavenly Slaughter Star was a desire difficult to put to sleep, but conversely, if one could regain their senses just once, from then on, they would not be devoured by the murderous star again.

Even if he were devoured by the murderous star, he would be able to regain his reason again through the experience of awakening.

By accomplishing something that only three people in the history of the murim world had ever achieved, Dongryong came to possess a talent for the ages.