Murim Psychopath Chapter 46

Chapter 46: A Futile Extermination

Dong Bong-su recognized it immediately.

From the moment he had opened the door and stepped outside to witness Do Heo-ok facing off against Namgung In, he had already expected, to some extent, that Tang Wu would intervene in that fight.

Swoooosh!

Tang Wu’s figure shot toward Namgung In.

He was swift as the wind, but the saber energy from Do Heo-ok hurtling toward Namgung In was as fast as a thunderbolt. At this rate, it seemed impossible for Tang Wu to stop Do Heo-ok’s Thunderbolt Saber Energy.

Then, Tang Wu thrust out his hand, and dozens of slender flying needles shot forth like flashes of light. Propelled by both the force of their flight and the palm force pouring from his hand, the needles streaked forward with the speed of lightning.

Dragon-Phoenix Gold Needles.

Although he had only seen them once, Dong Bong-su remembered them perfectly.

Just as he recalled, the hidden weapons Tang Wu had thrown were indeed the Dragon-Phoenix Gold Needles. Their original purpose was never to perform the Open Crown Grand Technique. Rather, they were a type of hidden weapon meant for executing secret arts, just as they were now.

Kraaaack!

Rattle!

Do Heo-ok’s jade-green Thunderbolt Energy and the brown cloud of hidden needles from the Dragon-Phoenix Gold Needles tore through the air and collided one jang in front of Namgung In.

BOOM!

The two forces clashed, unleashing a tremendous explosion.

Yet every bit of the blast surged toward Do Heo-ok.

Just before the collision, Tang Wu had poured in additional energy, blocking every stray wave that would have rebounded toward Namgung In.

Tap.

Having completely erased Do Heo-ok’s Thunderbolt Saber Energy, Tang Wu landed lightly in front of Namgung In.

“T-thank… you… Tang… Uncle….”

Namgung In barely managed to express his gratitude before losing consciousness.

Tang Wu gently caught his collapsing body and carefully laid him on the ground.

“My, my. The Jianghu has truly become heartless these days. To think a son-in-law would nearly bash in the back of his father-in-law’s head.”

Sand billowed high from the aftermath of their clash.

Although the view was obscured, Tang Wu’s voice pierced through the thick cloud of dust and spread across the courtyard.

The sand soon settled, leaving only suffocating tension hanging over the front courtyard of the East Heavenly Guest Hall.

Tang Wu and Do Heo-ok glared at one another, while everyone else formed a wide circle some distance away to watch the confrontation.

Most of the spectators were members and martial artists of the Namgung Family, but there were also quite a few guests from the Heavenly Guest Hall who had rushed outside after hearing the explosion.

Everyone wore expressions asking what in the world had happened, yet no one dared to speak under the crushing pressure radiating from Tang Wu and Do Heo-ok.

That did not mean the place was quiet.

More and more onlookers kept arriving, creating a constant bustle, and above all, the explosions coming from the Hall of the Emperor had still not ceased.

No.

They were growing even more intense.

When faint screams began mixing into the explosions, it became obvious that the situation there was far beyond ordinary.

Tang Wu briefly glanced north toward the Hall of the Emperor before fixing his cold gaze back on Do Heo-ok.

“What is happening at the Hall of the Emperor right now?”

“Who knows? How would I know that, Great Hero Tang?”

Unlike Tang Wu, Do Heo-ok kept sweeping his gaze in every direction instead of fixing it on one point.

Though Dong Bong-su stood quite a distance away, he could easily guess what Do Heo-ok was thinking.

He’s planning to escape.

Sure enough, Do Heo-ok was indeed considering flight.

From his perspective, the plan had certainly gone awry, but it had not yet reached the point where it needed to be abandoned.

The Namgung Family had no way of discovering his true identity, and from his brief conversation with Namgung In earlier, he had easily deduced that they knew very little about him.

If that was the case, then the only real disruption to the plan was that the four Shadows who had infiltrated yesterday had been discovered by the Namgung Family.

That single fact undeniably had a major impact on the First Scheme.

However, the First Scheme had always been one in which only Do Heo-ok himself needed to survive while everyone within the Namgung Family perished.

Originally, the First Scheme had also intended to spare Namgung Hye.

But under the circumstances, she could no longer be allowed to live.

The plan had been revised as of this very moment.

Kill everyone here….

No one must leave this place alive.

To accomplish that, he first had to escape the Namgung Family alive.

Afterward, if he could reunite with Hoeyeong or “Water Shadow,” the tide could be reversed at any time.

After all, the forces that Hoeyeong and Water Shadow had brought here were more than enough to annihilate the Namgung Family.

The four Shadows who had entered yesterday had merely been supplementary strength to ensure the plan’s success.

Judging from the explosions at the Hall of the Emperor, the Shadows’ true objective, the destruction of the Formation Core of the Three Emperors Nine Kings Formation, had likely already been accomplished.

If so, then regrettably for the Four Shadows, they were no longer necessary.

It would be better if they were still alive.

But if they were not, it hardly mattered.

As long as I survive.

That was Do Heo-ok’s current thought,

Or more precisely, his intention.

Of course, the immediate problem was…

Tang Wu, who stood glaring at him.

He himself was supposed to be the leading actor in today’s grand spectacle.

But if things went wrong here, that leading role might instead fall to Tang Wu.

“This old man has never been one to waste words. You would do well to confess your identity and everything that is happening here while I am still asking nicely.”

Tang Wu’s eyes gleamed coldly as he spread both arms outward and raised them horizontally.

Was it because of that movement?

The dozens of Dragon-Phoenix Gold Needles that had fallen to the ground after blocking Do Heo-ok’s Thunderbolt Saber Energy began floating into the air.

Tang Wu’s unique Void Telekinesis art, the Flying Butterfly Qi Art, was now being exerted upon the Dragon-Phoenix Gold Needles.

Hummmm.

Each needle vibrated eerily, creating a terrifying sight.

“Haha. Unfortunately….”

Do Heo-ok actually wanted to test himself against Tang Wu in a one-on-one battle right then and there.

But more than anyone else, he knew now was not the time.

If he fought here and even more martial artists of the Namgung Family arrived, this place would become his grave.

That alone would mean the failure of the First Scheme.

He had to keep Tang Wu occupied somehow while making his escape.

Maintaining Tang Wu’s attention, he continuously scanned the surroundings from the corner of his eye.

He spotted Sosam standing at one corner of the East Heavenly Guest Hall, but that alone was not enough.

Even if Tang Wu had accepted him as something akin to a disciple, he doubted Tang Wu would risk himself to save someone who had been nothing more than a Horse Stable Hireling until recently.

Then.

His eyes caught sight of someone approaching behind Sosam.

Someone who could properly tie Tang Wu down.

Perfect.

With that, there was no longer any need to gamble on fighting Tang Wu.

An unprecedentedly sinister smile spread across his cold face.

There was no longer any reason to conceal his true nature.

“I’ve never been much of a talker myself, Great Hero.”

Dong Bong-su had been watching Do Heo-ok’s eyes the entire time.

Naturally, he had noticed Do Heo-ok repeatedly glancing in their direction.

At first, there had been no change in his expression.

But then, at one point, it shifted.

He even saw the faint smile slowly spreading across Do Heo-ok’s face.

What?

Tang Wu was standing right in front of him, releasing overwhelming pressure.

There shouldn’t be any opportunity to attack this side.

The instant that thought crossed Dong Bong-su’s mind,

“Huh? Why is Grandfather over there?”

A young woman’s puzzled voice came from behind.

“…!”

It was Tang Hwa.

She had only just arrived from the West Heavenly Guest Hall after hearing the explosions.

Only then did Dong Bong-su understand why Do Heo-ok had smiled so wickedly while looking in this direction.

The one Do Heo-ok had glanced at was not him,

It was Tang Hwa, who had been approaching behind him.

In that case…

There was no need to guess the meaning of that faint smile.

Whirl!

It was killing intent.

Without even sparing a thought for how Do Heo-ok might evade Tang Wu’s attack before targeting this side, Dong Bong-su instantly turned around, wrapped his arms around Tang Hwa, and hurled himself sideways.

“Ah!?”

Caught completely off guard by Dong Bong-su’s embrace, Tang Hwa merely let out a brief cry of surprise, unable even to think of resisting.

Because,

BOOOOM!

She was staring directly at Do Heo-ok’s Thunderbolt Saber, overflowing with terrifying power, as it flew toward the East Heavenly Guest Hall,

Toward the very spot where she stood.

While confronting Tang Wu, Do Heo-ok had suddenly thrown his Thunderbolt Saber at her.

As though he had completely abandoned fighting Tang Wu.

“You insane bastard!”

Tang Wu had never imagined Do Heo-ok would do such a thing.

Who would ever think of throwing away his Life-Bound Weapon somewhere else while standing in a one-on-one confrontation?

And yet—

It had happened.

And Tang Sam was over there.

Without hesitation, Tang Wu unleashed every Dragon-Phoenix Gold Needle he had suspended in the air toward Do Heo-ok.

His supreme technique,

Soul-Chasing Flying Butterflies.

Rattle!

With a sound like the fluttering of butterfly wings magnified ten thousand times, the Dragon-Phoenix Gold Needles shot toward Do Heo-ok all at once.

Then Tang Wu launched himself toward where Dong Bong-su and Tang Hwa had been standing as fast as he possibly could.

But he was already too late.

The Thunderbolt Saber that had left Do Heo-ok’s hand had already crossed the Cloud Bridge connecting the East Heavenly Guest Hall to the shore.

The only fortunate thing was that, somehow realizing the danger, Tang Sam had already embraced Tang Hwa and leaped toward Lake Chaohu.

Fwoooosh!

The Thunderbolt Saber, saturated with lightning energy, was lightning incarnate itself.

Even if one managed to avoid the blade itself, the resulting explosion would undoubtedly be catastrophic.

Crackle, crack-crack!

So fast and destructive was its flight that the sound of it crushing through the air resembled hundreds of beans popping simultaneously.

After leaping, Dong Bong-su subtly twisted his body sideways in midair.

The movement appeared so natural that no one would have thought it intentional.

Then again, there was no one here with the presence of mind to notice.

The very instant the two tangled bodies plunged into Lake Chaohu,

The Thunderbolt Saber finally struck the spot where they had been standing.

Splash.

BOOOOOOM! RUMBLE!

“Aaaagh!”

“Ugh…!”

“Aaaah!”

The lightning energy exploded.

Everything within a radius of five jang from the point of impact was utterly devastated, and the East Heavenly Guest Hall, caught in the blast, collapsed completely.

As a result, Danri Kang Hae,

The last remaining bloodline of the Danri Family in the entire world,

Met a tragic death.

His end was every bit as futile as those of his father, Danri Cheon-u, and his younger sister, Danri Hui.

Even so, unlike the other two, he at least knew he was about to die.

Perhaps, among the three of them, his death had been just a little less meaningless.