Chapter 12 :

Chapter 12: Third-Rate Warrior Who Protects the Honor of His Sect (6)

“What on earth is going on?”

“R-Right. No matter how you look at this…”

“They said the Blood Wolf of the Twin Wolf Iron Swords was above Seong’s level, but even that was nothing but an absurd rumor.”

A disciple of the Taeul Sect was overwhelming a talented figure of the Iron Sword Sect, but the atmosphere leaned more toward disparaging the Iron Sword Sect than acknowledging the Taeul Sect.

Damn bastards, seriously.

Because the Taeul Sect had failed to act even as a paper fox, let alone a paper tiger, for hundreds of years already, it would still take a very long time to change people’s perception of the Taeul Sect.

And for that time to come, a justification was needed in which the honor of the Iron Sword Sect was not merely shattered completely, but collapsed outright.

The perception had to take root in the murim world that if the Iron Sword Sect so much as lifted a finger, people would think, “Look at that, they’re trying to devour the Taeul Sect like the dark faction.”

“Haa, haa. Haa.”

In that sense, the current situation was flowing very well.

Seong Mohyeon had become a beggarly mess while performing the Donkey Roll, something humiliating for a martial artist, and his entire body was covered in small wounds.

On the other hand, I was clean without a single wound, and I was not even out of breath. Anyone could see that I was in an overwhelming position, but Seong Mohyeon could not easily admit defeat.

‘I wouldn’t be able to either.’

First of all, there were too many eyes watching.

Not only the people within the Iron Sword Sect, but everyone in Anhui Province who liked drinking had gathered.

Wasn’t gossip considered the finest side dish by people who liked drinking?

If he recorded a defeat today, Seong Mohyeon would carry the label for the rest of his life that he was a man who could not even beat the Taeul Sect.

Moreover, the fact that he thought he did not seem likely to lose was probably the biggest reason he could not give up.

Judging by the flow of the sparring, I had no sword art that could respond to the Mountain-Breaking Sword Art.

He was certain he should be able to win, yet for some reason, his internal energy kept getting cut off, and his energy circulation was not working properly.

“You seem to lack study in internal energy.”

“Y-You bastard!”

The internal energy pouring out from the dantian was supposed to flow endlessly like a stream through a valley, but because the Azure Dragon Ring kept cutting the water off drop by drop, neither his techniques nor his strength could connect properly.

“You bastard, just what…”

“What do you mean?”

“Could you possibly…?”

“It seems stray thoughts come to mind because your skill is lacking.”

Swaeek.

Chwarrr.

In the end, Seong Mohyeon’s hair was cut off by my sword.

Now looking like a beggar with disheveled hair, Seong Mohyeon was huffing as if he could not hold back his anger.

“Does something seem strange?”

“Hrrr, hrrr.”

Even the foolish Seong Mohyeon seemed to have realized something by this point, and he began using fist arts instead of his sword. The moment I clasped his hand, I activated the Azure Dragon Ring and drained away a large amount of his internal energy.

“Hup!”

At last, his eyes showed certainty.

Seong Mohyeon quickly retreated as if he had encountered a ghost.

Then he shouted toward the platform.

“S-Sorcery! It’s sorcery!”

No sooner had his words ended than the warriors of the Iron Sword Sect and the Iron Sword Sect figures on the platform sprang to their feet.

Regardless of that, I swung my sword at Seong Mohyeon with an even more vicious momentum.

“Hiiik!”

A sound that was neither a scream nor a battle cry leaked from Seong Mohyeon’s mouth as he began rolling across the ground.

The wounds carved into his body grew larger and larger, and his face was covered in despair and snot.

“Stop!”

In the end, the leader of the Iron Sword Sect on the platform sprang to his feet and shouted.

His shout, filled with internal energy, rang out thunderously as if it would tear the eardrums of everyone watching, and those with insufficient internal energy even staggered while clutching their heads.

“Haa, haa.”

The moment Seong Mohyeon turned his head as if he had finally caught his breath at the shout of the Iron Sword Sect leader, I scattered the Small Heaven Sword Art with the intent of cutting off his neck.

“Did you think this would end here?”

Swaeek.

Seong Mohyeon, who had been relieved by the appearance of the Iron Sword Sect leader, began retreating and fleeing from the Small Heaven Sword Art that rushed in unexpectedly, without even having time to step with his footwork. However, I was one step faster than that and brought my sword down in a long slash across his back.

“Kraaak!”

Along with a wound crossing from his right shoulder to his left side, red blood scattered in all directions.

Just as I was about to swing my sword across his back again in the opposite direction.

The leader of the Iron Sword Sect suddenly appeared and stretched out his hand.

With a bang, my body flew two jang away.

#

‘Something is going wrong.’

That was what Seong Cheonwol, the leader of the Iron Sword Sect, thought.

There were situations like that, were there not?

A vague situation where one could not say exactly what it was, but clearly felt that something had gone wrong, and yet because the matter was extremely important, it could not be easily stopped.

That was exactly the position Seong Cheonwol was in right now.

“The Taeul Sect’s sword art is quite sharp.”

At Jegal Somyeong’s words, muttered as if to himself, that suspicion began to grow stronger.

The sword of the Taeul Sect was too light to pierce the sword of the Iron Sword Sect.

Because the depth of their sword paths differed, the matchup was not favorable.

For the Taeul Sect’s sword to surpass the Iron Sword Sect’s sword, one needed overwhelmingly greater internal energy.

“That child of the Taeul Sect seems to have a lot of real combat experience.”

At Jegal Somyeong’s words, the fog finally cleared, and when he began to objectively view the skill of that insolent child named Jin Sowoon, he received a shock as if struck on the back of the head.

His adaptability, surpassing that of most wandering warriors, made the same technique look like an entirely different technique.

But by the time he realized what had gone wrong, it was already too late.

“Kraaak.”

The precious Seong Mohyeon screamed and collapsed to the ground, and blood was scattering everywhere.

Seong Cheonwol had no time to continue thinking.

“You bastard! Did you not hear me tell you to stop?”

The fellow who had been pushed back two jang still seemed to have no intention of ending it, as he was walking toward this side.

“Has victory and defeat been decided?”

“How dare you!”

“That man Seong did not admit defeat. If he had obediently admitted defeat, he would not have shed blood.”

Even so, was it right to draw blood in a sparring match?

“So are you saying you did well?”

“That man not only refused to admit defeat, but shamelessly insulted my victory by claiming I used sorcery, and in the end, he even tried to flee while showing his back. If today were not your sixtieth birthday banquet, sect leader, I would have cut his neck instead of his back.”

“Shut your mouth, you bastard!”

Seong Cheonwol tried to somehow bury the word sorcery.

Because words like “sorcery” and “forbidden art” carried weight, they were not words that should be carelessly thrown around.

The problem was that his own grandson had spat out that word.

“To begin with, this one-sided humiliation disguised as sparring started because of your grandson’s forced insult, sect leader. Do you still think you were in the right?”

“You bastard!”

The hem of the Iron Sword Sect leader’s clothes slowly began to swell.

He tried to somehow pressure the fellow and make him back down, but there was no sign of that happening.

No, instead, as though he had found a good pretext, his eyes lit up and he began rushing in.

“It seems the Iron Sword Sect is a narrow-minded sect where the sect leader personally steps forward to nullify the match because they cannot even acknowledge defeat in a fair sparring match. Do you understand now? The reason the Iron Sword Sect cannot enter the One Hundred Eight Peaks is because there is a problem with the Iron Sword Sect.”

Each time he continued speaking, the atmosphere among the audience slowly began to change.

The leader of the Iron Sword Sect was caught in a situation where he could neither do this nor that.

“Sorcery, it is definitely sorcery. Grandfather!”

Seong Cheonwol felt as if he wanted to sew Seong Mohyeon’s mouth shut immediately.

“…Be quiet!”

“It is true. I clearly felt it! That bastard has definitely learned the Great Energy-Absorbing Art!”

The leader of the Iron Sword Sect looked at his own grandson with eyes that seemed unable to believe he was this stupid.

During battle, it could be brushed aside as nonsense, but with people clearly listening like this, he must not assert the existence of a forbidden art.

Because the moment one spoke of a forbidden art, one would also be held responsible for it.

Moreover, right now, even the chief strategist of the Murim Alliance and people from the Namgung Family were present.

Fortunately, neither the Namgung Family nor Jegal Somyeong showed any particular movement.

It was a moment when the enormous bribes he had fed them did not feel wasted.

“Is that true?”

“If not, how could I possibly have lost?”

“You bastard…”

If he was simply saying this to excuse his own defeat, it was something that could never be forgiven.

Even if the line of the Iron Sword Sect were to be cut off.

“Grandfather! I am Seong Mohyeon, the Blood Wolf Iron Sword. Since childhood, I have never lost to my peers in internal energy or martial arts. Do you think it makes sense for someone like me to lose to the Taeul Sect?”

Though his own effort was also involved, Seong Mohyeon had received every kind of benefit from childhood, from marrow cleansing to all sorts of elixirs.

Even judging coldly, there was no reason for Seong Mohyeon to lose to Jin Sowoon.

“What grudge would I have to make up something that did not exist? During the sparring, I clearly felt my internal energy being cut off and draining away several times, and I continued the sparring to confirm that.”

Seong Mohyeon poured out his passionate words while shedding tears.

“Are you certain it was cut off while you were circulating your internal energy?”

“Of course. And that was not all. At the end, I even felt the internal energy I was circulating suddenly drain away.”

Once he said this much, suspicion turned back toward Jin Sowoon again.

“If what you say is not true…”

“I, no, Seong Mohyeon, a disciple of the Iron Sword Sect. If this is not true, I will gladly accept the price of that sin.”

“Good.”

Seong Cheonwol decided to bet on his grandson.

And perhaps with the expectation that he might be able to uproot the Taeul Sect as early as tomorrow, he spoke to Jin Sowoon.

#

“Did you hear that? I must examine your body.”

The old man, who had been agonizing over the gravity of the matter, ultimately made a bad move.

On the other hand, he must be desperately hoping that I had learned such a forbidden art.

If that happened, he would be able to establish a branch martial hall of the Iron Sword Sect where the Taeul Sect disappeared, gain a position in the One Hundred Eight Peaks, and expand his control over the Hefei area.

But I could never allow such an ugly sight.

“By what right do you intend to do that?”

“As a martial artist who wishes for peace in the murim world, it is only natural that I must do it.”

“Do you want to drive my sect into a corner this badly?”

But Seong Cheonwol had made a bad move.

If someone had even a basic head on their shoulders, they would not do something as foolish as learning the Great Energy-Absorbing Art and using it in a place with this many people.

Because that would be no different from signaling that he wanted his own body torn limb from limb.

“The Iron Sword Sect’s fame resounds throughout Hefei, no, beyond Hefei, throughout all of Anhui Province. Yet are you saying you wish to frame a small sect like the Taeul Sect as a heretical sect just because you could not enter the One Hundred Eight Peaks?”

“Then are you saying my grandson is lying right now?”

“My sect has already been smeared because of that rash man. If I and our Taeul Sect are innocent, how will you handle the aftermath?”

“…”

“Though it may be in name only, we too are entrusted with one peak of the One Hundred Eight Peaks. May I consider this suspicion directed toward the Murim Alliance as well?”

Since the chief strategist was here too, I also dragged the Murim Alliance into it.

“Shut up! Seeing how your words keep getting longer, I grow even more suspicious. As you said, after I confirm it myself, I will contact the Enforcement Pavilion of the Murim Alliance and have both you and the Taeul Sect held responsible for this matter.”

I grabbed the hem of the Iron Sword Sect leader’s trousers, who wanted to pull his foot out, and tugged hard.

“I! With my honor and my sect’s honor on the line, will resist this unreasonable and irrational behavior of the Iron Sword Sect to the very end!”

Instead of internal energy, I drew up my innate true energy.

Heat rose to my face, and just as the Iron Sword Sect leader’s clothes had done before, my clothes swelled as if they would burst.

“This crazy bastard…”

The leader of the Iron Sword Sect spat out a curse, seemingly sickened by the sight of me prepared for mutual destruction.

I shouted thunderously, filling my voice with internal energy.

“Hall master! If I become crippled or die here! Please make sure no one lays a single finger on my body until the Enforcement Pavilion of the Murim Alliance arrives.”

“Jin Sowoon!”

My father desperately called my name.

“Father! This unfilial son ultimately gives up his precious body because of an insult, but it is for the Taeul Sect, which I cherish as much as my own life, so please forgive me.”

Once my resolve was complete, an indescribably tremendous pressure began to form in and around the training ground.

The faces of the Iron Sword Sect leader and Seong Mohyeon were completely crushed under that pressure.

As if I feared nothing, I took one step toward the leader of the Iron Sword Sect, and the leader of the Iron Sword Sect unconsciously retreated three steps.

“Hmph! Do you think I will let a disciple who has not even reached Kuaehwa Hall yet recklessly damage his body?”

Kang Chaeseok, Hong Saryeon, and even my father climbed onto the training ground.

“There is no father in the world who sends his child off first. Today, I will bury my bones in the Iron Sword Sect.”

The Taeul Sect looked as if they would stop the leader of the Iron Sword Sect even if it meant mutual destruction.

“H-How dare you…”

The leader of the Iron Sword Sect was huffing, unable to suppress his anger.

But there was nothing he could do.

He could push them away by force, but if he did, he would be about a hundred years away from a position in the One Hundred Eight Peaks.

The leader of the Iron Sword Sect looked at Jegal Somyeong with an earnest expression.

The gazes of the audience all turned toward Jegal Somyeong as well.

They knew all too well that he was the only one who could resolve this situation.

“Enough.”

Jegal Somyeong’s voice, as he rose from his seat, echoed through every corner of the training ground.

Though his voice was not loud, an irresistible weight could be felt in it.

“Everyone… lower your swords.”

No sooner had his words fallen than Seong Mohyeon and Seong Cheonwol lowered their swords, and the people of the Taeul Sect began sheathing theirs one by one.

“…?”

Jegal Somyeong’s gaze, full of doubt, turned toward me.

“Why are you not sheathing your sword?”

Still looking at Seong Cheonwol, I shifted that same gaze to Jegal Somyeong and said,

“I will not sheath my sword because I cannot trust the chief strategist of the Murim Alliance, who has only stood by and watched until now.”

“!!!”

“!!!”

The people standing on the training ground.

The people around the training ground.

Even those watching from the windows of the halls beyond the training ground all wore expressions of utter shock.