The killing intent was so intense that every cell in the body seemed to tingle.
CRACK— CRACK—
The sheer force of that tangible killing intent was shattering the surroundings.
“S-Such killing intent...!”
The three men recoiled in shock and took several steps back before Jin Muryang’s overwhelming presence.
“Why are you so surprised? I only gave you a little taste.”
Their expressions chilled at Jin Muryang’s provocation.
“We admit that you startled us.”
“In return, we’ll show you ours.”
The three spoke simultaneously.
“What the hell? Are your minds linked or something? How do you manage to say everything in perfect sync?”
Jin Muryang stared at them in fascination.
“Impressive. You noticed.”
Noticed what?
“Huh? Seriously? Your minds really are linked?”
“That’s right. We are triplets. Ever since we were children, we have been able to share our thoughts.”
“That’s pretty amazing.”
“Do you think you can withstand the combined strength of all three of us?”
Jin Muryang grinned in delight.
“Let’s find out. Come.”
The triplets grinned back and surrounded him.
All three assumed their stances at the same time, then charged in unison.
Jin Muryang gave a faint chuckle and struck out with his palm.
BANG—
One of them blocked his palm while the other two attacked simultaneously.
SWIIIIISH—
The instant Jin Muryang evaded a strike aimed at his side—
RIIIIP—
One man’s fingers caught his shoulder and tore through his clothes.
The triplets sneered as Jin Muryang calmly looked down at the ragged fabric.
“Heh heh heh. If I block you, one of us attacks. If you dodge, another attacks exactly where you’re going. There’s nowhere for you to escape.”
Jin Muryang grinned.
“This is completely different from anything I’ve fought before. It’s fun.”
The triplets burst into laughter.
“Ha ha ha! Still bluffing to the end. Let’s see how long that smile lasts.”
They began moving again.
The three crossed past one another in a dizzying blur, so fast and coordinated that it almost looked like some kind of clone technique.
PA-PAT—
One suddenly attacked.
Jin Muryang dodged and was just about to counter when he saw a dagger hurtling straight toward his face.
At the same time, a sword swept toward his flank.
Jin Muryang spun once in midair, knocking the dagger aside while blocking another attacker’s strike with his elbow.
THUD—
At that exact moment, another of the triplets appeared and stopped Jin Muryang’s elbow, while the sword approaching his side abruptly changed trajectory.
Jin Muryang kicked away the twin blocking his elbow and threw himself backward.
Dozens of daggers coated in blue blade aura came flying at him.
He was airborne and could not even straighten his body properly.
At this rate, the daggers would skewer him.
Jin Muryang stretched one arm toward the incoming barrage.
PA-PA-PAT—
“Kwa ha ha ha! Thanks for the gifts!”
He caught every single dagger flying toward him.
“But this is way too many presents. Excessive gifts make me uncomfortable, so I’ll return a few.”
TING-TING-TING—
“Careful now!”
Those were the youngest triplet’s last words in this world.
WHUMP-WHUMP-WHUMP—
The returning daggers were far too fast to evade.
They punched straight through his body, and he slowly collapsed to the floor.
The remaining twins flew into a rage and unleashed a frenzied storm of attacks at Jin Muryang.
“AAAAAH!”
KWA-KWA-KWAAANG—
But now that three had become two, gaps began appearing in their coordination.
Jin Muryang lost interest.
“What’s this? Now that there are only two of you, all the tension is gone.”
“You son of a bitch! I’ll kill you!”
Their attacks came like a raging storm, but not a single one touched Jin Muryang.
“When one of you dies, do the others share the pain too? What does it feel like?”
Of all the questions to ask in a situation like this.
“GRAAAAGH!”
Jin Muryang’s question drove the twins into a frenzy.
But the sharp precision they had displayed earlier was gone.
“This isn’t fun anymore. Just die.”
Jin Muryang drew a dagger from his robes and flashed between them.
He slowly turned his head toward the twins, slid the dagger back into its sheath, and tucked it away.
“W-When did...”
Cough!
Both twins coughed up blood at the same time and collapsed.
Hyeol Sagwang’s eyes widened as he watched.
“The Three Lords of Hell... defeated that easily...”
Jin Muryang heard the mutter and snorted.
“What a grandiose title.”
It was not grandiose at all.
Each of them had genuinely been powerful.
And three such experts had attacked together with flawless coordination.
For anyone facing them, it truly would have felt like hell.
Three protectors of the Sichuan Divine Cult had lost their lives in an instant.
Jin Muryang looked at Hyeol Sagwang.
“Looks like that settles things. How about we have our little talk now? Or do you want to keep going? Should I give you time to call everyone else over?”
Hyeol Sagwang shook his head.
He had no desire to see the Heavenly Yin Gate annihilated.
“So we talk?”
“Yes!”
“Good. I heard something earlier about every delicacy under heaven and fine liquor. Where is it?”
“I-I’ll show you the way.”
Hyeol Sagwang hurriedly took the lead.
Jin Muryang smirked and leisurely followed behind.
“What the hell? You were taking so long that I came to see what you were doing, and here you are stuffing your face.”
Hyeol Sagwang nearly jumped out of his skin at Ye Yahyeon’s rough words.
Who in the world was this man, to speak so casually to that monster?
“You’re here? The food’s good. Have some.”
“It does look good.”
“The liquor’s incredible too.”
“Really? Let me try some. You come too.”
“I quit drinking.”
At Baek Ryeongso’s words, Jin Muryang and Ye Yahyeon snapped their heads toward him with looks of utter shock.
“What did he just say?”
“H-He said he quit drinking. That drunkard...”
“Has he lost his mind?”
Baek Ryeongso sat down as the two stared at him in disbelief.
“Drinking interferes with my clothing work. Besides, I don’t want Cheon Hyanghwa seeing me drink anymore.”
“Wow... People really can change this much.”
“Out of all of us, you’ve changed the most.”
Baek Ryeongso gave a faint smile.
“So what are you doing here? And what’s with all this food?”
At Baek Ryeongso’s question, Jin Muryang grinned.
“You two came at the perfect time. I was dying to see you.”
“Why?”
“Hey, you. Tell them exactly what you told me earlier.”
Hyeol Sagwang stood there blankly.
Judging by the way the three interacted, they seemed extremely close, and their abilities appeared comparable.
Where were monsters like these coming from one after another?
THWACK—
“Hngh!”
A sudden pain struck his head, and Hyeol Sagwang collapsed to the floor clutching it.
CLINK—
A wine cup fell to the ground.
When he looked up, Jin Muryang was glaring at him in irritation.
Hyeol Sagwang sprang to his feet in alarm.
“I said repeat what you told me earlier.”
“Yes! The triplets you killed today were protectors of the Sichuan Divine Cult!”
“No, skip that part. The part after that.”
“Yes! The Sichuan Divine Cult was established to welcome the Four Divine Demons when they soon return! They say they’re actually in contact with the Four Divine Demons!”
“You hear that?”
Hyeol Sagwang cautiously studied the three men.
Even after hearing the words Four Divine Demons, none of them showed the slightest agitation.
If anything, they looked baffled.
“What the hell is he talking about?”
“A group created to welcome the Four Divine Demons?”
“Not just welcome them. He says they’re actually in contact with them.”
“Well, that’s convenient. Tell them to ask the Four Divine Demons how they’ve been.”
“Good idea.”
The three spoke about the Four Divine Demons as casually as though they were joking about old acquaintances.
Hyeol Sagwang cautiously interjected.
“Um... I mean the Four Divine Demons. Do you not know who they are?”
“We do.”
“Very well.”
“I doubt there are many people who know the Four Divine Demons better than we do.”
Something was strange.
They claimed to know the Four Divine Demons well, yet hearing the name did not make them tense in the slightest.
Were they looking down on them simply because they were not here?
Hyeol Sagwang thought to himself.
Once the Four Divine Demons return to the world, I’ll make sure they hear every last thing these bastards said.
“Hey, you know where the Sichuan Divine Cult is, right?”
“What? Of course I don’t.”
“Why not?”
“Because it’s a secretive organization. They’re the ones who contact us first and come to visit.”
“Really? Then now that the triplets are gone, they’ll probably contact you soon.”
“I suppose so?”
“How are we supposed to wait that long?”
Jin Muryang rubbed his chin.
Ye Yahyeon asked,
“Did you kill all three?”
“Yeah.”
“You should’ve left one alive.”
“Their minds were linked. It wasn’t exactly a situation where I could leave just one.”
“Why not keep all three alive and torture only one? Then wouldn’t all three feel the pain?”
“Huh? You’re right. Why didn’t I think of that?”
“You’ve got a long way to go. A very long way.”
“Damn it! Why didn’t that occur to me? You could live an entire lifetime and never get another chance to experience something like that.”
“They’re already dead. Nothing you can do now.”
Listening to them, Hyeol Sagwang thought to himself.
Compared to these people, I’m normal.
I’m absolutely not a cruel man.
I’ve lived a downright virtuous life.
“We can’t just leave the Sichuan Divine Cult alone, can we?”
“How do you think Elder Brother will react when he hears about this?”
“Who knows? Wouldn’t it be better to go back and tell Elder Brother first?”
Elder Brother?
There was another monster beyond these monsters?
Someone these people served and addressed as Elder Brother?
Hyeol Sagwang could scarcely believe it.
“What if those bastards show up while we’re gone?”
“Then you stay here. We’ll go back.”
“Fine. I’ll handle things here in the meantime.”
“Things? What things?”
“The White Ram Gate problem.”
“Ah! Right. Deal with that properly.”
Hyeol Sagwang knelt before Jin Muryang.
“From now on, the Heavenly Yin Gate is subordinate to the White Ram Gate.”
“What? But we’re far stronger than the White Ram Gate.”
WHACK—
“Hngh!”
“You really talk too much. If I say you’re subordinate, then you’re subordinate. What, you don’t like it? Should I just wipe all of you out instead? Honestly, that sounds easier for me.”
Killing intent billowed around him.
Hyeol Sagwang flattened himself against the floor and begged.
“N-No! Starting today, the Heavenly Yin Gate is subordinate to the White Ram Gate!”
Jin Muryang grinned and held out two small wooden boxes.
Gi Sabaek, the Blood Thunder Gate Master, and Hyeol Sagwang tilted their heads.
“What are those?”
“Gu poison. Hurry up and swallow it.”
“What? G-Gu poison?”
“What else? Why should I trust either of you once I leave? The second I’m gone, you’ll attack the White Ram Gate. And if you run off and hide afterward, it’ll be a pain in the ass for me. So swallow them.”
“W-We would never do such a thing!”
“Please believe us!”
“I trust no one except one person. Eat.”
“S-Sir!”
“If you haven’t swallowed them by the time I count to ten...”
CRACKLE—
Bluish lightning gathered at Jin Muryang’s fingertips.
Both men knew exactly what that meant.
They hurriedly dumped the gu into their mouths.
GULP—
“What you swallowed is the Yin Gu from the Yin-Yang Heavenly Gu. The White Ram Gate Master swallowed the Yang Gu. The Yin Gu must obey the commands of the Yang Gu unconditionally. If you disobey, you’ll suffer unimaginable pain. Understand?”
The Yin-Yang Heavenly Gu.
Judging by their miserable expressions, both Gi Sabaek and Hyeol Sagwang had heard of it.
“You should answer.”
“Yes! We understand!”
Jin Muryang smiled.
“Good. That cleans up everything here.”
He stretched lazily.
“Now all that’s left is to wait for those adorable little bastards from the Sichuan Divine Cult, right?”

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