Chapter 14: Finishing What I Started
This was my first chance to use the martial arts I had trained in the Abandoned Martial Hall in actual combat.
I quietly closed my eyes and circulated the Kunlun Azure Soul Scripture.
My dantian, calm as a lake, began trembling slightly.
The internal energy sleeping within slowly awakened.
Small ripples spread through it.
Those ripples grew stronger...
eventually becoming a flowing river.
That river of energy raced through my meridians.
Like a clear blue stream winding through the deep valleys of the Kunlun Mountains...
pure, deep qi flowed throughout my entire body.
Feeling that rich energy moving through my blood and meridians...
I opened my eyes.
Four Taoists were charging at me.
Each held a sword.
They approached from different directions at the same time.
As expected of Kunlun disciples, their speed and force weren't bad.
But the only thing I felt was...
Weak.
I gathered energy into the tips of my feet.
Then I activated the Void Night Phantom Step.
The shadow beneath my feet rippled.
My qi melted into the surrounding air.
"Dark Manifestation Flash."
At that moment...
the energy of the Void Night Phantom Step wrapped around my body.
My form scattered like smoke.
My presence disappeared.
Even my qi vanished.
I melted completely into the surrounding shadows.
Then I flowed through the darkness...
and entered the shadow beneath the feet of the Taoist charging in front.
"W-What?!"
"Wh-Where did he go?!"
The confused Taoists raised their swords and prepared themselves.
But to me...
their desperate movements looked completely meaningless.
Then...
I shot upward from one Taoist's shadow like a flash of light.
My right fist, infused with internal energy, buried itself directly into his abdomen.
THUD!
"Urk!"
His upper body bent like a bow.
With a short scream, he was thrown backward.
The remaining Taoists immediately turned pale.
"H-How did that happen?"
"What kind of evil technique was that?!"
Their questions weren't worth answering.
I activated the Void Night Phantom Step again.
The frightened Taoists swung their swords around wildly.
"He disappeared again!"
"Don't lower your guard!"
"C-Coward! Show yourself!"
They waved their swords through empty air.
It was painfully clumsy.
Hidden inside the shadows...
I calmly watched their frightened expressions.
"Where are you looking?"
My voice came from behind one of them.
"I'm right here."
"Urgh, you... Guh!"
The moment he turned...
my knee slammed into his chin.
His head snapped backward.
He stumbled and crashed into the Taoist beside him.
Both fell to the ground.
I immediately moved toward the last remaining opponent.
"D-Don't come any closer!"
Terrified...
the Taoist wildly swung his sword toward me.
But once a swordsman lost his composure...
his sword was no longer a sword.
The path was unstable.
His balance had collapsed.
There was no way I would be hit by such sloppy swordsmanship.
I stepped half a pace sideways and let his descending blade pass beside me.
Then I entered his lower guard.
I gathered a small amount of internal energy into my fingertip.
Then struck directly at the center of his Jeoldan Acupoint.
Thud.
I hadn't even used much strength.
But the Taoist immediately dropped to his knees.
"Urgh... h-hup...."
His eyes rolled upward.
He could barely breathe after being struck in the Jeoldan Acupoint.
I looked down at him briefly...
then turned my head.
One unharmed Taoist was sitting on the ground, staring at me blankly.
He had been knocked over after the man I hit with my knee crashed into him.
"Eek!"
The moment our eyes met...
he reacted as though he'd seen a ghost.
I smiled.
"Hey, you."
"You're still fine."
"Gather these idiots and get lost."
Then my expression hardened.
"If any of you step into the Event Hall one more time..."
"next time, there won't be enough left to collect your bones."
The Taoist trembled violently and nodded.
Then he hurriedly looked around.
He supported the fallen Myeonghun and shouted at the others.
"G-Get up!"
"H-Hurry!"
He began helping his companions to their feet and backing away.
Then he suddenly stopped.
He pointed at me and shouted.
"J-Just you wait!"
"The Martial Discipline Office won't ignore what happened here!"
I answered calmly.
"Fine."
"Now get lost."
"If you see me again, you won't be walking away on your own feet either."
The Taoist's face went pale.
He said nothing more.
Dragging his injured companions...
he fled from the Event Hall.
"All talk."
I dusted off my hands and turned around.
Sogwang and the other Event Hall workers were staring at me.
Nobody spoke.
They simply looked at me with blank expressions.
I approached Sogwang first.
"Sogwang, are you okay?"
"You're not hurt, right?"
"..."
Sogwang stared at me for a long time.
His eyes contained shock...
worry...
and something almost resembling awe.
Eventually, he stammered.
"M-Mujin..."
"Are you really the Han Mujin I know?"
"You're not some ghost, are you?"
I laughed.
