Chapter 342: The Return (1)
Boom—!
By the time a massive tremor echoed from the direction of the mountain,
the area around Shinryong Hall had already become a complete mess.
The energy that had spread in every direction was so thick that it floated in the air like mist.
Something swirled around like a vortex.
Any martial artist would know. The true nature of that vortex was all internal qi.
Just how high a realm,
and just how pure one’s internal qi must be,
for such a phenomenon to appear?
Those who had reached the limits attainable by ordinary humans.
It was a phenomenon visible only to those who had attained that level.
Thud….
Amidst buildings broken and collapsed here and there.
Thud….
An old man knelt on one knee, bleeding, as he looked around.
The buildings of Shinryong Hall that had stood firm
were dented and hollowed everywhere.
Their frames were split long, looking as though they might collapse at any moment.
‘This is….’
The old man, Cheonghae Ilgeom, had to let out a hollow sigh as he saw the destroyed surroundings.
Buildings that had once boasted magnificent grandeur
had changed into such a crude state.
Before that old man,
something fell with a thud.
The old man had to smile bitterly as he recognized it.
The thing that had fallen was none other than the old man’s left arm.
The old man’s left shoulder was empty. Blood dripped steadily.
He had tried to staunch the bleeding with his energy,
but for some reason, it wouldn’t stop properly.
Someone approached the wounded Cheonghae Ilgeom.
“It is truly a pity.”
An old man with rough hair tied tightly back,
supporting a massive greatsword across his shoulder.
He bared his yellowed teeth and spoke to the exhausted-looking Cheonghae Ilgeom.
“Since your mind is elsewhere, this is hardly entertaining.”
Cheonghae Ilgeom furrowed his brow as he looked at his opponent.
A figure from the past who should have scattered and vanished long ago.
The first to unify the Demonic Path.
A master who had set foot in Sacheon to invade the Central Plains.
The one killed by the Jilpunggeom of that time,
who is the current Sword Lord.
“…Heukryonggeom.”
The old man’s nickname was Heukryonggeom.
At Cheonghae Ilgeom’s call,
Heukryonggeom smirked and spoke.
“Your sword should not be this lukewarm. It is even somewhat disappointing.”
Tap.
The massive greatsword Heukryonggeom held moved, cutting through the wind.
Its enormous tip pointed toward Cheonghae Ilgeom.
“What is troubling you so?”
Kku….
Cheonghae Ilgeom did not answer.
At that sight, Heukryonggeom had to make a listless expression.
That was how much of a pity it was.
Cheonghae Ilgeom, having seen that expression,
asked in a voice containing some anger.
“How are you alive?”
It was well known that Heukryonggeom had his throat cut and was killed by none other than the Sword Lord.
Moreover, Heukryonggeom’s severed head at that time had been displayed as if to show other demonic path figures.
The Martial Alliance had even hung up only his head for all to see.
Thanks to that incident, Jilpunggeom’s reputation rose, contributing to him being called the Sword Lord, and furthermore,
it also contributed to him later becoming the Lord of the Martial Alliance.
And yet.
How could Heukryonggeom be alive and well like this now?
“Are you curious about that? Now does not seem like the time to be curious about such things.”
Tsk tsk.
Perhaps finding Cheonghae Ilgeom’s reaction amusing,
Heukryonggeom burst into sneers repeatedly.
At that sight, Cheonghae Ilgeom had to furrow his brow.
More than his severed arm
and the pain coming from his shoulder,
something else concerned him.
‘The students are in danger.’
With Heukryonggeom’s appearance,
and the black energy covering the area after the formation surrounding Shinryong Hall was neutralized.
Judging by its range,
it stretched all the way to Taesan where the rising generation was currently gathered.
It wasn’t just Heukryonggeom; sensing other killing intents,
this meant he hadn’t attacked alone.
They had timed it perfectly.
Then Cheonghae Ilgeom’s own safety was even less important.
He had to get to the children as quickly as possible.
Heukryonggeom’s martial prowess was stronger than expected,
and Cheonghae Ilgeom, who had much to protect, could not break free.
“…What is your purpose?”
“Purpose?”
“I asked what your purpose was in attacking this place.”
If he had survived,
hiding his body and living like a dead rat until now,
there must be a reason for suddenly attacking Shinryong Hall.
“Purpose, you say…”
Thud.
Plunging his greatsword into the ground, Heukryonggeom cast his gaze around.
“You may wish to hear some grand reason, but it was merely because the timing happened to be right.”
“…Timing?”
What timing was he referring to?
He didn’t have to wait long for the answer.
The greatsword stuck in the ground was immediately pulled out.
“That this Heukryonggeom is alive and well.”
Hwoong—!
As Heukryonggeom swung his greatsword fiercely,
in an instant, violent energy surged and spread around.
Kuuung—!
“Furthermore, as a warning to show that I have not lost my dream. This place simply happened to be suitable.”
Cheonghae Ilgeom, trying so hard to find a reason, was laughable.
Was a grand reason necessary?
The righteous path always sought justification,
busy rationalizing and finding reasons.
Even after all these years, they seemed the same, and Heukryonggeom was pleased.
“Since you asked for a purpose, I shall think back and tell you.”
The righteous path of the past was maggots wearing masks.
Even after all this time, they maintained that appearance.
How wonderful.
They were so steadfast in maintaining their original nature that he almost respected them.
“The roots of the righteous path, the rising generation who can be called its future.”
Was it called the generation of shooting stars?
Such a flashy name.
They said geniuses poured forth and thus it was called so.
‘How trivial.’
In the end, wasn’t this also the exclusive property of the righteous path?
“If a bloody wind were to sweep through this place where such people gather, what do you think would happen?”
The bloodlines of the Four Great Families. The descendants of the Nine Sects and One Hall.
Descendants of renowned families and famous sects no less than them.
The young scions of merchant houses who seemed to sponsor the righteous path.
A place where outstanding bloodlines among them gathered in large numbers.
Calling them the future of the righteous path was no empty word.
As time passed,
those who would become the pillars of the righteous path
would undoubtedly emerge from among those gathered now.
That was why they were called the future of the righteous path.
If such descendants
were annihilated right here, what then?
And if the one who brought such a bloody wind,
appearing after all these years,
were Heukryonggeom?
“What then, do you think the righteous path will do? Cheonghae Ilgeom, aren’t you curious? I am curious about that.”
That he was alive.
Moreover, that he had not forgotten the dream held close to his heart.
He had thought this the most suitable place to announce that to the world.
Is it not so?
To be able to make the righteous path lose its entire future in an instant.
How could he hesitate?
He had lived holding his breath for decades.
Now the time had finally come.
The time he had waited for.
The swords that protected the Central Plains had rusted.
Because they had grown dull, drenched in peace.
“You are the same.”
…
.
….
…
Tsk tsk.
Heukryonggeom laughed as he thought so,
and hearing that, Cheonghae Ilgeom….
Crack.
Forced himself up and shouted toward Heukryonggeom.
“Heukryonggeom…!”
“So you still have the strength to shout.”
“Do you mean to kill all the innocent children?”
“Why are they innocent?”
Being born into the righteous path.
Becoming their future.
That was the sin the rising generation committed.
“Continuers of rotted roots. Do you think anything will change? I do not think so.”
Wearing masks pretending to be good.
While behind them were infinitely filthy fellows.
Protecting the powerless, spreading righteousness?
A laughable justification.
Such empty justifications
had long ceased being upheld. They themselves would know it as well.
That they had long lost the way of the martial world and righteousness.
Compared to them, he was faithful to desire.
Erasing fleeting history.
Shattering masks.
The desire to stand higher than all others. It was a step toward that.
“You old fool…!”
Cheonghae Ilgeom mustered his exhausted body and swung his sword once more.
The unique qi within his body was still pure.
And firm.
Cheonghae Ilgeom’s sword trajectory did not waver.
Meaning he was not a martial artist who would collapse just because one arm was gone.
A storm mixed with his sword trajectory.
The scattered qi in the surroundings gathered, creating flashes of light.
Kwagagagak—!
Making harsh sounds repeatedly,
the sword split the ground as it flew toward Heukryonggeom.
At this, Heukryonggeom’s greatsword also moved.
Kung!
It was far too heavy to be the sound of swords clashing.
The moment he faced the sword in the first exchange,
Cheonghae Ilgeom immediately realized.
‘He is strong.’
Heukryonggeom was strong.
Different from the past where he was recorded at the peak.
Having reached the Transformation Realm was a given,
but he seemed to be looking toward a much higher place.
At this level,
even the records written at that time must have been close to lies.
The alien energy spread around as well—
if it was Heukryonggeom’s power, it was an extremely dangerous force.
‘My qi isn’t moving properly.’
The energy contained in his dantian.
The more he fought Heukryonggeom, the heavier his energy felt.
‘That sky too.’
Covering the blue sky,
that strange formation turning it into black night.
Was that also Heukryonggeom’s power?
Though not close,
the Martial Alliance was not far away.
If something like this happened,
the Alliance would surely notice before long
and send support.
Heukryonggeom did not look impatient at all.
It could be confidence that he could win no matter who came,
but to Cheonghae Ilgeom, it looked different.
That black sky was
somehow playing a role.
Kwang—! Deudeudeudeuk—!
Steel clashed against steel, sparks flying,
and at the same time, powerful energies asserted their presence, spreading in all directions.
“It seems you have given up on fleeing.”
Feeling the sword grow heavier than before,
Heukryonggeom smiled.
“Have you given up? If not.”
He deflected Cheonghae Ilgeom’s sword and pressed in close.
“Are you waiting for the Huashan bitch?”
Kuwung—!
Heukryonggeom’s fist struck Cheonghae Ilgeom’s chest.
With one arm gone, he could not defend properly.
“Keo-heok.”
His protective astral energy shattered and Cheonghae Ilgeom was sent flying.
He couldn’t even execute a proper falling technique and had to roll across the ground.
Watching Cheonghae Ilgeom roll around covered in dust,
Heukryonggeom frowned.
“Even now, you don’t retract your qi. Truly foolish.”
Cheonghae Ilgeom’s qi that had already nearly been devoured.
It was the force he had spread into the air under the pretext of protecting the students.
The Black Dragon Corps should have already broken through and drawn their swords.
Yet even now, Cheonghae Ilgeom did not retract his remaining energy.
Even with one arm severed,
spitting blood and fighting him even now.
A truly foolish old man.
Even if he went all out, he wouldn’t know what would happen.
Slither….
Black blood poured in streams from Cheonghae Ilgeom’s mouth.
“The reason you endure so much… is it truly because you are waiting for the Sword Empress?”
He had known for a while that the Sword Empress was at Shinryong Hall.
Though he didn’t know why she had come,
if it was the Huashan Sword Empress, it was enough reason for Cheonghae Ilgeom to act this way.
Was he holding on, waiting for her to come save him?
If not,
was he hoping the Sword Empress would save the rising generation and find a way,
thereby tying his own feet down?
“It’s all futile.”
If so, he wouldn’t be doing anything properly.
“The Sword Empress must already be dead by now.”
“…What… did you say?”
At Heukryonggeom’s sneer,
Cheonghae Ilgeom’s eyes widened.
At that reaction,
Heukryonggeom once again bared his yellowed teeth in a wide smile.
Because Cheonghae Ilgeom’s reaction was amusing.
“To deal with her. Do you know whom I sent?”
The Huashan Sword Empress.
A few years since she disappeared and reappeared.
Upon her return, people had cheered,
and it was said she had begun to spread her influence once more with her unchanged strength and character.
A strong woman.
One of the figures Heukryonggeom acknowledged as well.
However, even such a Sword Empress.
“The Dark King. The one who moved to kill that bitch is none other than the Dark King.”
“…!”
No one could overcome the Lord of the Night.
Especially in a situation like this.
Cheonghae Ilgeom’s expression gradually changed upon hearing Heukryonggeom’s words.
At first glance, it seemed to crumple,
and at another glance, it also looked like a face that couldn’t understand.
“…The Dark King?”
Cheonghae Ilgeom quietly whispered so.
“So, give up on the thought that the Sword Empress will come. For now, worry about your own life.”
Of course, anyway,
his throat would soon be cut by his own hands.
Clack.
Heukryonggeom gripped his greatsword properly.
In that situation, Cheonghae Ilgeom was not getting up again.
Had he given up?
To say he gave up, yet qi still floated in the air.
[+1]
…Ah.
Feeling that, Heukryonggeom let out a hollow laugh.
Even in this state.
Did it mean he still couldn’t let go?
He was truly incomparably stupid.
“I had such high hopes. This has become laughable.”
A swordsman counted among the best in the world.
The sect leader of a faction belonging to the Nine Sects and One Hall, no less.
Were he to kill such a man along with the rising generation,
a great stir would certainly occur in his march to the Central Plains,
but he hadn’t expected him to collapse so powerlessly.
Heukryonggeom looked at Cheonghae Ilgeom, whose expression was still frozen,
snorted, and approached.
“If you have given up on your own, that in itself is death.”
He would cut his throat like this.
He would hang Cheonghae Ilgeom’s head at Shinryong Hall.
So that the Alliance people who appeared late could see and react.
“Accept this.”
He would cut his throat in one blow and finish it.
After dealing with Cheonghae Ilgeom,
he needed to join the Palace Lord immediately.
Recalling that, Heukryonggeom walked toward Cheonghae Ilgeom.
‘It didn’t take as long as I thought.’
Unlike his expectation that neutralizing Cheonghae Ilgeom would take time,
the foolish, stupid old man was finished much earlier than expected.
By now, the Palace Lord would likely be taking Dokbong to the destination.
He didn’t worry about the Dark King’s side.
If he had moved personally, he thought there was no one he couldn’t kill.
Screetch.
He prepared his sword and approached Cheonghae Ilgeom.
Now, if he just cut his throat like this….
Kuuuuuung—!
“…!”
Feeling the tremor, Heukryonggeom looked toward Taesan.
It was an enormous tremor. Moreover, the hair on Heukryonggeom’s arm stood on end.
Because it was a clear fighting spirit that could be felt even from afar.
“What…
If it’s Taesan, that is the direction the Palace Lord and the Black Dragon Corps headed.
How can such energy be felt from there?”
This wasn’t the only anomaly.
Jjjeojeojeok—!
“…What?”
Somewhere in the black formation spread across the sky,
cracks began to form slowly.
Soon.
Tuduk—.
Something fell from the cracked space.
It was a fragment of energy.
“What the…!”
Was it the aftereffect of the tremor felt just now?
No. It couldn’t be.
What Heukryonggeom felt was not that.
Deudeudeudeu….
Something was happening beyond the formation.
Through the gap of the fallen fragment,
an unknown red light seeped in.
What was that?
It was too early for sunset.
And what was this energy that felt like fighting spirit?
Warm. No, was it hot?
It was a feeling somewhere in between.
Whatever it was, an anomaly was definitely occurring.
“What on earth is happening?”
It was an unexpected situation.
Thus Heukryonggeom raised his sword.
He needed to finish off Cheonghae Ilgeom first,
and then go to where the energy was erupting….
“Whoa, fuck….”
“…!”
At the voice heard from somewhere,
Heukryonggeom turned his head in the direction of the sound.
There, someone was catching his breath and cursing.
“I almost died for real.”
Since when had he appeared?
Heukryonggeom had not sensed the presence of the one who suddenly appeared.
It was as if
he had fallen straight from the sky.
The one who appeared was
a young man with black hair and red eyes.
He looked as though he had not yet passed his twentieth year.
“I must be out of my mind to do that shit again. What the hell is this place… what, why’s it look like this?”
Seeing that,
Heukryonggeom drew a sharp breath.
‘…What?’
The reason the hair on his arm had stood on end.
He realized it was not because of the fighting spirit or energy felt from afar.
It was definitely because of that guy.
No. Because of ‘that thing.’
Because of something felt from that thing.
His body had tensed up.
Just as Heukryonggeom was about to raise his sword,
that thing, which had been looking around for a while, turned its gaze to look at Heukryonggeom.
“Huh?” It alternated its gaze between Heukryonggeom and the fallen Cheonghae Ilgeom,
and immediately furrowed its brows fiercely.
At that demonic face, Heukryonggeom flinched inwardly at that moment.