< Episode 544 > Sword Demon (劍魔).
The season was spring.
The time when flowers had just begun to bloom.
In a small county of the Guangdong region, conversation bloomed day and night without rest.
“Brother Yun, have you heard?”
“Hmm?”
Yun, a medicinal herb merchant, pricked up his ears at the words of his neighbor, the woodcutter Ju.
“Heard what?”
“Oh my, Brother. You're slow with the rumors again.”
When Yun seemed not to know, Ju excitedly began to speak.
“It's the rumor that a martial arts tournament will be held in Henan this time.”
“A martial arts tournament?”
Yun reacted to Ju's words.
A martial arts tournament? Suddenly?
It was a story he had never heard before.
“What kind of martial arts tournament?”
A martial arts tournament at this time, all of a sudden?
When Yun asked with seeming interest, Ju spoke with a smile.
“I'm not sure of the details... but I heard the new Alliance Leader is planning to hold it as a commemoration.”
“Hah, indeed.”
A commemoration.
“Come to think of it, they say the current Alliance Leader is the sect leader of Wudang.”
“Isn't that something that happened quite some time ago?”
Ju was right.
It had already been three years since the Wudang Sword Immortal, the sect leader of Wudang, had ascended to the position of Alliance Leader.
At the time, he was the first Alliance Leader to have come from a martial arts sect.
He had been the eye of the typhoon in an era of upheaval, so everyone had expressed worry, but—
“He is leading us well, so it is pleasing to see.”
“Hmm.”
Contrary to everyone's expectations, the Wudang Sword Immortal had succeeded in winning the hearts of the people.
An era thrown into confusion with the outbreak of the Red Demon Gate.
The first thing the new Alliance Leader did was to redeploy the Sword Corps to various regions.
As times changed, the danger of blue demonic beasts had lowered so much that they could be blocked by small local sects or nameless families, but—
with the appearance of red demonic beasts, rifts had arrived just the same.
The Wudang Sword Immortal first deployed the Alliance's Sword Corps in more regions.
Moreover.
“And hasn't the recruitment for the Sword Corps increased as well?”
As many Sword Corps were deployed, the number of recruits had also increased.
Originally, the Alliance's Sword Corps was a place ordinary martial artists could not enter.
Famous sects and famous families.
If the Alliance's Sword Corps was a place only those promising talents who had begun to make a name for themselves in Zhongyuan could enter—
now, any martial artist could take the exam and become part of the Sword Corps.
Since the Alliance's Sword Corps was accompanied by tremendous honor, naturally many people took the exam,
and outstanding talents distinguished themselves within it to join the Corps.
As the number of Sword Corps members increased, the damage caused by the red demonic beasts remained, but dealing with it had somehow become possible in comparison.
“They say Elder Baek's grandson became a Sword Corps member this time.”
“Wow... he was strong since childhood, so he finally made it?”
“He shouted that he would become a martial artist, and in the end, he did it, they say.”
“Hehe.”
Yun burst into laughter at the news.
“The world has changed a lot. In just a few years.”
“Isn't this all thanks to the Alliance Leader, Brother Yun.”
“Goodness, you attribute everything to the Alliance Leader. That's enough, so continue what you were saying earlier. A martial arts tournament?”
“Ah.”
At Yun's words, Ju clapped his hands as if finally remembering.
“It's nothing else— they say the Alliance is holding a martial arts tournament to recruit Sword Corps members.”
“The Sword Corps?”
Hearing this, Yun made a subtle expression.
And no wonder, because connecting a martial arts tournament with Sword Corps recruitment felt somewhat strange.
As if having foreseen Yun's reaction, Ju immediately continued.
“Hey, don't be surprised when you hear this. According to rumors, they say they are recruiting the Divine Dragon Corps anew.”
At Ju's words, Yun's eyes became as wide as flower lanterns.
It couldn't be helped.
“...Th-the Divine Dragon Corps?”
The Divine Dragon Corps was a Sword Corps to which the supreme experts representing the Martial Alliance belonged.
It was the direct unit of the Martial Alliance Leader, a unit that had been called the symbol of the Martial Alliance throughout its long history.
Boasting a venerable orthodox tradition, it was where outstanding individuals among the generation's dragons and phoenixes were selected.
There were even records that the commander of the Divine Dragon Corps had become the Martial Alliance Leader generation after generation.
But.
“Wasn't that... a squad that disappeared long ago?”
By now, it was nothing but a trace of the past.
In the past, when the Sword Venerable had been the Alliance Leader.
The Divine Dragon Corps, led by the Alliance Leader Sword Venerable, had entered the Demon Gate to explore the Great Demon Gate opened in Henan, but—
—with the exception of a few, there had been an accident in which they were annihilated.
Thereupon, the Alliance Leader Sword Venerable stepped down and retired, and the Divine Dragon Corps was effectively disbanded.
Over ten years had passed since then.
Such a Divine Dragon Corps.
“Now, after all this time, they say the Divine Dragon Corps will be reformed?”
“So what? It's good if it happens.”
“...That's not wrong, but.”
Ju wasn't wrong.
The people of Zhongyuan had always longed for supreme experts.
The Divine Dragon Corps was like proof of a supreme expert within the venerable history of the Martial Alliance.
Since the Divine Dragon Corps had been like the symbol of a supreme expert to the people of Zhongyuan.
Their reappearance was bound to bring no small excitement.
“If this goes well, wouldn't they hold something like the Dragon Phoenix Conference again?”
Ju spewed out the words excitedly.
“The Dragon Phoenix Conference...”
After the young prodigy massacre incident that had occurred at the Divine Dragon Hall, the Dragon Phoenix Conference, which had been held annually, had not taken place for several years.
It had been a festival for the young prodigies who would bear the responsibility of Zhongyuan and the appearance of new talents every year.
Not being able to hear news of it was quite a regrettable matter for them.
Especially since this generation was known to be particularly outstanding, that regret had doubled.
“Since there is no news at all, isn't it just rumors that are spreading?”
This was the biggest problem caused by the Dragon Phoenix Conference not being held.
Though they were called the most outstanding generation in history.
Since the Dragon Phoenix Conference was halted and their current status was unknown, rumors were only swelling based on this.
[Saying that a disciple of some rumor sect obtained a fortuitous encounter and broke through a wall] and whatnot.
[Saying that the young master of a family recovered memories of being a supreme expert in a past life and reached the Transcendence Realm], such rumors.
Among them, what spread particularly widely even within these absurd stories was, naturally, the geniuses representing the current young prodigies.
They were stories about the Six Dragons and Three Phoenixes.
Right now, in this small inn, stories about them were coming out dozens of times.
“They say the Sword Dragon is receiving direct teachings from the Plum Blossom Immortal this time.”
It was said that Huashan's greatest prodigy learned martial arts from the sect leader and finally made the plum tree bloom.
“They say the Thunder Dragon has entered closed-door seclusion?”
It was said that the Thunder Dragon, Namgung Cheonjun, was formally learning the sword from his father, the Sword King.
However, for some reason, they say he doesn't leave his family residence.
“There aren't many stories about the Fighting Dragon and the Hidden Dragon.”
“The Fighting Dragon was always quiet, but isn't there that story about the Hidden Dragon?”
“What story?”
“I heard someone saw him in Beihai?”
“...Beihai?”
How could the Hidden Dragon, who should be at Wudang, have been seen in such a place?
Since Beihai forbade outsiders from entering in the first place, the very fact that he was seen there was obviously a false rumor, so there would be exceedingly few believers.
Besides, perhaps because all sorts of rumors couldn't be pinned down, they continued to grow.
That the Sword Peak of Shanxi had reached the Transcendence Realm.
That the Snow Phoenix, despite belonging to the Murong Family, had unexpectedly joined the Baihua Merchant Group.
Moreover, the Tang Family, which had caused a major incident, taken responsibility for it, and was no longer called one of the Four Great Families.
Even the story that Dufeng, a blood relative of that place, had entered the All-Night Killer Squad.
It was a time when not a single believable story was being passed around.
“Brother Yun, have you heard about that?”
“What is it this time?”
“The news that a new Divine Dragon has been produced this time.”
Hm?
Yun made a subtle expression upon hearing Ju's words.
He had just been expressing regret that the Dragon Phoenix Conference had stopped.
“Suddenly a Divine Dragon? That's preposterous.”
“It's strange, but it's not just anywhere. They say it was officially announced by the Alliance.”
“From the Martial Alliance...?”
“Yes, they say a young prodigy from Shaolin became a Divine Dragon. And... don't be surprised.”
Ju rolled his eyes exaggeratedly as if preparing to say something, then spat out the words.
“...They say this Divine Dragon is a martial artist of the Transcendence Realm.”
“Huh?”
The words carefully brought out were rather shocking.
“The Transcendence Realm...?”
“They even say it's a young prodigy who has just passed the coming-of-age ceremony.”
“Ridiculous!”
Yun raised his voice slightly as if he couldn't contain himself.
How could he not?
“A youngster barely past his coming of age reached the Transcendence Realm?”
He would be surprised even if the youth had reached the Peak.
To think he had reached the Transcendence Realm—how absurd was that?
And a young prodigy at that?
It was simply preposterous.
“What's there to believe or not? The Alliance officially announced it as fact.”
“Even so. How can that make sense?”
“Isn't it good if it's true?”
At Yun's words, Ju held back a chuckle.
“It's not just anywhere; if it's a young prodigy from Shaolin, isn't that good for us too, Brother Yun?”
“What do you mean by that?”
“The very fact that such hope has appeared from Shaolin— is it not a great blessing in these times, that's what I'm saying.”
“The very fact that such hope has appeared from Shaolin— is it not a great blessing in these times, that's what I'm saying.”
A series of incidents erupted one after another, overlapping with the appearance of the Red Demon Gate, and the so-called era of upheaval arrived.
Several years had passed, yet Zhongyuan was still continuing to change.
This was enough to give many people anxiety.
Though the Alliance Leader ran wild to settle matters and moved in search of peace, what always quelled such unease was a different conclusion.
Hope (希望).
People always longed for possibility.
The hope that this situation could be overcome.
The possibility that they could endure in the future.
And.
The existence that could make this happen.
That was what they usually called hope in Zhongyuan.
If, in this era of upheaval, the Alliance had directly announced the youngest Transcendence Realm in Shaolin's history, it would be enough to quell many people's anxiety.
“The very fact that such hope has appeared from Shaolin— is it not a great blessing in these times, that's what I'm saying.”
A series of incidents erupted one after another, overlapping with the appearance of the Red Demon Gate, and the so-called era of upheaval arrived.
Therefore, it must be that Ju too wore such an expression as he spoke.
“...Hmm...”
As if understanding this, Yun was also nodding to himself, but—
he was thinking a strange thought inwardly.
‘The youngest Transcendence Realm.’
It was a title suddenly attached to the Divine Dragon, but if he had reached the Transcendence Realm past his coming of age, it wouldn't be an insufficient designation.
However.
Yun was recalling someone else upon hearing those words.
‘Even if the Divine Dragon was officially announced.
There was someone who carried similar rumors just a few years ago.
If the current Divine Dragon has passed his coming of age.
There was a rumor then that a boy who hadn't even reached his coming of age had reached the Transcendence Realm.
The boy swept through the Dragon Phoenix Conference and became a new Dragon.
Afterwards, during the Divine Dragon Hall massacre incident, he even blocked the main culprit who caused the incident.
Immediately after, rumors spread that the boy had surpassed the Peak and reached the Transcendence Realm.
There were none who believed it.
How could anyone believe it?
It was a fact absolutely unbelievable unless confirmed firsthand.
That friend's name was...
He couldn't remember the name.
Because, compared to the enormous rumor he carried, his deeds had been quiet.
For the past three years or so, there had been practically no rumors about that boy.
Thanks to that, unlike the uproar at the time, things had quieted down a bit now.
He was the younger brother of the Sword Peak, so he should have the surname Gu.
No matter how hard he tried to recall, he couldn't remember.
Perhaps the fortunate thing was that the nickname was firmly stuck in his head.
The boy's nickname was definitely...
“Little Yama (小閻羅).”
It was quite a fierce nickname for a righteous martial artist to bear, so it had definitely remained in his memory.
Hearing Yun's words, Ju tilted his head.
It was an expression that showed Ju also knew.
“Come to think of it, that friend existed too. I wonder what he's up to.”
“Well, he's a blood relative of a famous family. He must be doing better than us.”
“That is true.”
Yun smirked and swallowed another mouthful of alcohol.
“You and I both. Now is not the time to be worrying about precious people who are doing well.”
“Yes.”
Unlike the cheerful conversation from just before, complex emotions were contained in their voices.
“...They still haven't caught him, right?”
At the voice, Ju nodded.
“It's frightening.”
“Indeed. A murderer...”
At the softly spat words, the inn's atmosphere turned chillingly cold.
Not just the two of them, but everyone in the inn held their breath.
A murderer— a rumor that had been spreading through the county recently.
Since a month ago, somewhere in the county, as night passed and the sun rose, dismembered corpses had begun to be discovered here and there.
The bodies were in a state as if sliced by a sharp sword.
Meaning they had died miserably after being hacked.
It had already been a month since the first discovery.
The culprit still hadn't been caught, and though not every day, this kept happening every few days.
“What does the Alliance say?”
“What can they say? They say they're catching him. That they're trying.”
“Ugh.”
The Sword Corps members were already busy with demonic beasts, and with this incident piled on top, progress was slow.
If it were the past, since the danger of demonic beasts was low, they would have prioritized handling this matter.
But now, they were unable to.
Ju sighed as he grasped the situation.
“What kind of madman is committing these acts?”
“It's obvious he's not in his right mind. How could people like us understand the mind of such a human?”
A guy who not only kills people but butchers them by body parts.
It was an utterly cruel method.
“I hope he's caught quickly. So we can see his face.”
“Why see his face? Aren't you trembling in fear right now?”
“Aren't you curious, Brother Yun? What kind of guy looks like that to do such things.”
“You must have many lives. To be curious about such things.”
Perhaps because of the idle talk, small laughter was heard in the inn.
Then.
Creak.
A sound came from a seat in the corner of the inn.
In the noisy atmosphere, someone had quietly risen.
The noodles on the table had grown cold, but there were no traces of having been touched.
Rather than fair-skinned, he was a young man with pale skin and unkempt long hair.
The strange thing was that the young man's eyes were colored yellow (黃).
Squeak.
The young man who rose maintained a thoroughly hazy gaze as he looked in the direction of Ju and Yun.
Whether he was a martial artist or not, he wore a sword at his waist.
Swish.
As he moved his steps, his pale hand gripped the sword hilt.
Just as he was slowly moving in the direction of the people.
“Sit.”
He stopped short.
At the voice coming from nearby, the young man stopped.
His gaze turned.
When the yellow eyes reached the sound, the owner of the voice came into view.
Someone wearing a deep bamboo hat was eating food diligently.
The food was, for some reason, all dumplings.
The young man knew him.
He was someone who had taken his seat since the young man entered this place.
After chewing and swallowing the dumpling he was eating, he looked at the young man and spoke.
“It's been a while since I've been to a tasty place, so I'm in a good mood. These days I've only been eating bad food, so I was a bit pissed.”
As he raised his head, the bamboo hat rose slightly.
Through that gap, the first thing visible was a pair of clear blue eyes.
“I haven't finished eating yet, so just sit. Don't do anything stupid.”
“...What...are you.”
“Besides, I'm enduring this disgusting blood stench because the food is tasty, you know?”
At those words, the young man's eyes widened slightly.
Because he understood the meaning.
As if confirming this, he continued with a smile.
“Wash yourself before going around, you bastard. You stink.”
“...”
Clang.
Hearing the words, the young man moved his sword.
The blue-eyed figure who saw this let out a sigh.
“Right. If you listened to words, you wouldn't be that crazy bastard.”
In the gap as the words continued, the blade was already moving.
A sword stroke filled with a gruesome aura.
The moment its tip was about to reach the opponent in an instant.
A crack-! rang out.
“...!”
His vision moved. It wasn't the young man's intention.
His head had moved on its own.
Only then could the young man feel that his face had been struck and turned.
Immediately after, his body floated up. The young man's body flew quickly and was slammed into the wall.
Boom!
The wall collapsed, and wood splinters and dust scattered in all directions.
Something that happened suddenly.
The people in the inn startled and rose to their feet.
Amidst that, the figure wearing the bamboo hat remained as he was.
Without moving in the slightest, he was simply picking up and eating dumplings just as before.
If there was a difference, it was that his gaze was directed at the shattered wall.
The figure, having stared at it quietly, stealthily pocketed a few dumplings before rising.
And then looked at his hand and smiled.
“As expected.”
The inn guests who saw that smile couldn't help but tremble.
The reason being—
“Hitting you really is the best, you know?”
—his smiling face looked so terrifying.