Boom!!
The net arrow cleverly dodged between the trees and branches, soaring through the air.
Kiah!?
The well-spread net wrapped around the head and front paw of the Red Blood Rat that was running. Caught up in the net unconsciously, the Red Blood Rat rolled on the ground, struggling to escape.
Grroooong!!
Not wasting any time, Ho Cheon-an charged in. Unleashing successive strikes of the Ilroe technique, Ho Cheon-an swiftly closed the distance and swung his sword towards the struggling Red Blood Rat still trapped in the net.
Kyaaaaak!!
The Red Blood Rat, gnawing at the net with its claws and teeth, sprang up revealing its horrifying fangs.
Watching this, Ho Cheon-an’s sword shifted.
It was the second move of the Single Cut Blade Technique that had been impossible to unleash after exhausting all his strength in a single moment during his Peak Stage days.
Thunder Shape Transformation (雷形劇變).
As the great sword flicked away the claws of the left front paw, it transformed again to flick away the claws of the right paw. The great sword of Ho Cheon-an, withstanding the simultaneous blunt force of both paws like a bear’s, transformed once more.
In the end, Ho Cheon-an’s sword, taking the shape of a reverse thunderbolt, surged towards the neck of the Red Blood Rat.
Bang!!
However, the Red Blood Rat countered Ho Cheon-an’s attack.
Though the Thunder Shape Transformation struck both paws away, it was the teeth that blocked the attack.
“Tch.”
Ho Cheon-an stepped back to relieve the pressure of the colossal weight of the Red Blood Rat. The pesky creature, still entangled in the net, moved with unnatural awkwardness due to the remnants of the net that hadn’t fully torn away yet.
Kyaaaak!
The Red Blood Rat, seemingly irritated, tore at the net with its front paws and teeth, shaking its entire body violently.
The net tore apart, and the Red Blood Rat was finally free.
Boom!!
But welcoming the liberated Red Blood Rat was a hook shot from the Bicheongmacha.
Although the constraints that were turning the inside of the net into a rag were gone, the Red Blood Rat was still draped in the net itself. As if a length of rope coiled around the net, the hook entwined itself around it.
Swish!!
At the same time, the opposite end of the chain connected to the hook was thrown to a tree and wrapped around it.
“That’s good!”
The Black Cat, guarding the interior of the Bicheongmacha, burst out the door. Following the taut chain, the Black Cat leaped up, utilizing the elasticity of the chain to soar into the sky.
Tss tss tss!!
Intense Qi of the Nine Yin gathered in the Black Cat’s hands. The energy was so potent that icy trails blossomed along the path of the Black Cat’s movement.
No matter how thick fur and tough skin may be, it is impossible to escape the penetrating cold of life itself.
Thinking along those lines, the twin claws of the Black Cat rained down like meteors.
Yet, those twin claws of the Black Cat didn’t strike the Red Blood Rat.
Woodddd!!
The Red Blood Rat, exerting strength in its two pairs of legs, snapped the tree in half.
Kyaak!
Having shattered the tree that restrained its movements, the Red Blood Rat began to run, while the Black Cat, left chasing after it like a dog that lost its chicken, retracted the power infused in its hands.
The Black Cat and Ho Cheon-an applied their lightness skill to tail the Red Blood Rat, with the Bicheongmacha quickly changing course and speeding back up to follow.
“You blockhead.”
Tang So-yeol grumbled as she retrieved an empty shot device. The tools Tang So-yeol had prepared and created were meant strictly for dealing with people. To bind an entity, a larger and stronger device was necessary for even a moment.
“Hahahaha! To take down that entity, we must surely bind its feet!”
“I know that too! Just drive well!”
“Hahahaha!”
What a speed maniac.
Without lifting a finger, Tang So-yeol watched over the battle, drawing in smoke from a pipe with expert skill.
“Ugh! What the!?”
Boom! Bang!!
The Red Blood Rat seemed perturbed by the closely-following Black Cat and lashed out with its tail like a whip, attacking the Black Cat.
The claws of the Black Cat collided repeatedly with the tail of the Red Blood Rat, exchanging strikes.
While the fur of the tail frozen upon contact with the Nine Yin, the attacks from the Black Cat were hardly effective blows.
The speed of the Red Blood Rat, requiring a significant expenditure of energy just to keep up with, was daunting.
At the same time, both hands had to execute the technique and infuse the potent energy, so each exchange forced the Black Cat to slow in speed.
Seeing this, Tang So-yeol clicked her tongue and started pondering.
“If it goes like this, there’s no way to deliver a decisive blow to that guy.”
Wasn’t the Black Cat soaring high up in the air during the first attack all for nothing?
It seemed that without maximizing attack power using speed or height, landing a proper strike on the Red Blood Rat was impossible.
Now, what method could effectively stop that Red Blood Rat and allow for a proper offensive?
Even the net, which would have been the most effective means to bind its feet, couldn’t hold the Red Blood Rat for long.
“It’s just like dealing with that disciple of mine; nothing ever goes as expected.”
All the equipment Tang So-yeol prepared was meant for people. The strength and impact of the projectile were simply too weak for use against an entity.
Then there was only one option left.
Tang So-yeol frowned at the method that came to mind. All the painstakingly created tools couldn’t even make a proper impact.
Tang So-yeol turned to Yeo Il-ye and Hyeok Gi-rin.
“There’s something I need you two to do.”
* *
That little bastard can really run.
As I was racing at high speed watching the Red Blood Rat shake off the Black Cat with its tail, I clicked my tongue.
Even with the speed raised to the extreme through the Seven Thunder Defense Technique, I couldn’t pierce through its fur.
But I wondered, could a sword swing powered solely by the upper body while unleashing the Lightness Skill even deal a valid blow?
That was essentially throwing away my internal energy into thin air.
So, I aimed for the direction in front of the Red Blood Rat, trying to create an attacking angle that capitalized on speed, but each time I charged forward, the Red Blood Rat changed its running direction, meticulously avoiding that angle.
“Tch!”
The prowess of the Black Cat’s Nine Yin began to manifest, affecting the opponent just by touching them.
I was persistently chasing the Red Blood Rat, leveraging that fact, but as of yet, no effective results had emerged.
How can I stop this creature?
While I contemplated that method, Tang So-yeol’s voice reached me.
“Disciple! Push hard!”
Looks like they had a plan after all.
I took a chance on Tang So-yeol’s tactics and approached the Red Blood Rat as per her commands, steadying the thundering momentum with a deep breath while deploying the Seven Thunder Defense Technique.
In an instant, I overlapped my movements with the Ilroe technique, approaching from the opposite direction of the Black Cat’s attack and swung my sword.
Kuwung!!
Szzzz!
With all my might, my sword impacted, unbalancing the Red Blood Rat. A cunning glint quickly glimmered in the Red Blood Rat’s eyes.
It seemed thrilled by the fact that it had dropped its greatest threat, me.
However…
It was too soon for the Red Blood Rat to rejoice.
Yeo Il-ye and Hyeok Gi-rin.
The Jeomchang Faction duo shot forward like arrows toward the Red Blood Rat.
Trailing behind them was something swinging in a long arc.
Chwaaraaraaah!!
Chwaaraaraaah!!
It was the iron chain.
“Grab it!”
As my speed dwindled and I lost my momentum, the rope from the Bicheongmacha came flying again. Just like when I boarded the Bicheongmacha in the open field, I was reeled in by Tang So-yeol.
“Are the two of them the countermeasures?”
“More precisely, it’s the iron chains they are carrying.”
I nodded unconsciously.
The performance of the Made-in-Tang-So-yeol iron chains had already been validated during the hunt for the Black Armored Dragon. It had not snapped under the struggle of the Black Armored Dragon, several times stronger than the Red Blood Rat.
“If we can’t shoot it out with the projectile we have now, shouldn’t we shoot it like a living arrow?”
A human arrow, huh.
That sounded harsh, but it fit perfectly for the two, who were formal disciples of the Jeomchang Faction.
Chwaaraaraaah!
Chururur!!
Two figures shooting sharply towards the now-staggering Red Blood Rat with iron chains.
Although the chain was certainly hefty due to its considerable length, they moved faster than the sound of the iron chains clanging.
In terms of speed they could unleash in a short duration, they were the best of the world.
The Black Cat, having spotted the two people swinging the chains from either side, pressed in once more toward the Red Blood Rat.
The Black Cat, using one arm to block the swinging tail, poured all its strength into an attack on the rear leg of the Red Blood Rat.
“Chaaaap!!”
Boom!!
With a moment of rigidity, the Red Blood Rat’s leg stiffened. While the Black Cat lost some speed with its feet momentarily lifting off the ground in its frenzy, it managed to seal the Red Blood Rat’s mobility for that brief moment.
Whether the Qi penetrated or not, the Red Blood Rat limped as it tried to run.
With the leg injured, its speed couldn’t help but decrease, and it provided the Jeomchang Faction duo with an unbeatable opportunity.
“I’ll hold the tail!”
Yeo Il-ye moved toward the tail, creating an opening for Hyeok Gi-rin’s bow. Taking advantage of the tail being restrained, Hyeok Gi-rin moved in closely on the Red Blood Rat.
Kyaak!!
The Red Blood Rat turned to sink its teeth into Hyeok Gi-rin’s head.
But Hyeok Gi-rin pushed the sword into the mouth of the Red Blood Rat, blocking it.
Creeeak!!!
The chilling sound of the iron nails biting into the sword pierced through the noises. Yet, Hyeok Gi-rin’s intent was primarily to wrap the iron chain around the body of the Red Blood Rat.
Chwaaaru!!
The iron chain thrown with the left hand wrapped once around the neck of the Red Blood Rat.
“Close the loop!”
Hyeok Gi-rin wasted no time in letting go of the sword and plunged into the ground. Clinging to the body of the Red Blood Rat, he hung on tightly.
Kyaak!!
The Red Blood Rat jumped and bucked, trying to shake off Hyeok Gi-rin. The chain looped once around its neck swayed dangerously, and Hyeok Gi-rin was caught in a position where he had to cling to its fur to avoid falling off.
Even attempting to help might backfire, as Hyeok Gi-rin could be hit if something was thrown randomly.
In such a scenario, a scene flashed through my mind.
That was the situation when we deceived the advanced members while hunting spirits.
“Smoke bomb! Let’s shoot a smoke bomb! Doesn’t it contain tear gas?”
“That’s a good idea! It should, for a rat with a keen sense of smell!”
Tang So-yeol took out the smoke bomb and began modifying it on the spot.
Though the Bicheongmacha was rocking violently, Tang So-yeol’s hands moved deftly, and the smoke bomb atop his hands remained steady.
Is this the skill of the best artisan in the world?
Without hesitation, he opened the ceiling and retrieved something from storage, hastily altering the internal composition of the smoke bomb before closing it again.
In an instant, he loaded the modified smoke bomb into the launcher and aimed it.
“Hold your breath! If you breathe even a little in, your brain will go blank!”
Whoosh!
There wasn’t even time to wait for a response in the tense situation as something that could be either a smoke bomb or tear gas launched.
Boom!!
The smoke bomb exploded in front of the Red Blood Rat.
Kiah! Kih! Kyiik!!
The Red Blood Rat, having inhaled the smoke, wriggled uncontrollably, expressing its agony.
It couldn’t gather its thoughts, writhing in panic as it instinctively continued running for survival, without any mental space left to struggle to shake off Hyeok Gi-rin.
Clank!
Seizing the opportunity, Hyeok Gi-rin caught the flailing chain, fastening the loop, completing the noose of the iron chain.
“Big Brother!”
At that moment, Yeo Il-ye threw the chain she held towards Hyeok Gi-rin.
Setting another link around the loop, the double layer reinforced as Hyeok Gi-rin let go of his hand and landed.
Seeing Hyeok Gi-rin land steadily like a supreme expert of Hwa-gyeong, Tang So-yeol called out.
“Run! You know what to do, right?”
“Hahahaha! Of course!”
Thud thud thud thud thud!!
As if waiting for that cue, the Bicheongmacha accelerated even more. The shaking of the cart intensified, and I lowered my posture, grabbing the safety harness on the roof.
Hahahaha!!!
Tang Do-yeon unfurled the whip tied around her waist and cracked it. The whip extended sharply, entwining its target.
Chwaarrk!
It was the ends of the double chain.
She caught the noose perched upon the neck of the Red Blood Rat with her whip.
It looked like she hadn’t only practiced maneuvering the Bicheongmacha during the break, but she had also honed her skills as a martial artist, as the whip coiling around the iron chain was flawlessly executed.
With the chained whip in hand, Tang So-yeol spoke.
“Now we’re going to stop that bastard! You send me the signal!”
“That’s good! Right now!”
“You crazy girl!”
The reins danced in Tang So-yeol’s hands.
Pheeheeheehee!!
The four horses sprang into action simultaneously.
I gripped the safety strap tightly, watching the scene and Tang So-yeol’s reaction. Regardless of what would happen, I had a feeling if I was careless, I would be flung right out.
Crrr. Dreddddd!!!
The cart spun violently. In the midst of such extreme speed, the pressure from the rotation felt like blood rushing backwards in my body.
As I gauged the trajectory of the Bicheongmacha against my heightened senses, a term popped into my mind that did not exist in the Central Plains.
180-degree drift.
In the blink of an eye, the direction of the cart shifted.
Who would have thought of drifting with a cart?
While I had leapt into the air, I met the eyes of horses whirling around with the cart.
…Was it just my imagination, or did the four horses look like they were saying, “You’re having a tough time too”?
“Grrr!”
In the midst of it all, Tang So-yeol braced against powerful inertia, inserting two loops into the frame of the Bicheongmacha. At that moment, I too understood the picture Tang So-yeol and Tang Do-yeon were drawing.
The Bicheongmacha itself would bind the Red Blood Rat from running.
In an instant, the chains went taut.
Grgrgrrrr!!!
The Bicheongmacha dragged across the ground.
“Hey guys! Hang in there! Hahahaha! An entity is nothing to worry about!”
Pheeheeheehee!!
Brrrr!!!
Even while the horses protested intensely, they steadily put their strength against the force of the Red Blood Rat.
Chwaarrk! Chwack!
Kiah!! Kiiiek!!
The Red Blood Rat, bound by the chains around its neck, struggled against the power of the Bicheongmacha. As I gazed at the Red Blood Rat entangled with the Bicheongmacha’s chain, I dashed forward, stepping on the chain.
The Black Cat, Hyeok Gi-rin, and Yeo Il-ye all flared up their Qi, surrounding the Red Blood Rat that thrashed against the chains.
The Red Blood Rat, completely immobilized by the chains and the Bicheongmacha.
Having finally stopped that maddening sprint, it was now our turn to strike!
