Chapter 320 – Hyeon Won (15)

It was a vast city with endless pavilions. It could be described as a forest made of roof tiles.

The leaders of the Slaughter Sect’s main branch, including Slaughter Chivalry, were scattered throughout Taiyuan.

They had mastered martial arts that allowed them to detect the size and distribution of surrounding crowds and the field of vision of passersby.

It was called the Forbidden Protection Perception Path. A heavenly secret technique.

“Have those strange people all retreated? It was absolute chaos until just yesterday.”

“Well… In any case, try not to go out in the evening. They say the son and daughter of the cloth shop owner by the well have all disappeared. Let’s just deliver this and hurry home.”

“Yes, yes. If we endure, someone from the military or Desolate Fortress will come… Before we see the full moon three times. That’s how it’s always been, according to my father.”

“Honestly, I’m worried even if they do come. Last time I caught a glimpse of someone leaping across three roofs at once. The people of Desolate Fortress aren’t invincible, you know. These days, they’re dying all over the place… One precious sword can’t withstand a hundred iron swords.”

“Who knows? Maybe Desolate Fortress’s Lotus Nezha will grace us with his presence. I heard there was quite a commotion in Pingyang Prefecture below. They say Reborn Hidden Dragon Zhuge Liang was killed.”

“Ha! Lotus Nezha? That’s wishful thinking. A friend who would bow first even if he just met the White Swordsman…”

“Don’t talk as if you wouldn’t.”

This was the conversation of passersby pulling a cart filled with straw.

Despite dozens of assassins watching over the assassination test, no one noticed them.

This was due to the Slaughter Sect’s techniques that practically regulated all nearby presences, combined with extremely refined concealment arts.

On shaded walls, rooftop peaks, right beside soldiers standing on watchtowers, and even on flagpoles hanging high on government offices.

They existed yet did not exist.

The same was true for the group gathered on the roof of a spacious mansion of some target.

Three elders wrapped in black windbreakers and Slaughter Chivalry wearing a black bamboo hat stood tall.

The energy barrier spread in a hemisphere above their heads was completely transparent and did not emit any sound—a secret technique of the Slaughter Sect.

Among them, an old man with a sword scar across the bridge of his nose suddenly spoke.

“Sect Leader, it becomes increasingly astonishing the more I reflect upon it.”

“Elder Orchid Sword, please speak freely.”

Slaughter Chivalry Kim Jon-hwi spoke while looking at the roof where Hyeon Won-chang would be.

A pleased expression appeared in the old man’s eyes.

“The day when the Sect Leader will ascend to the position of Family Head is not far off. To have gathered all the lost secret techniques of the branch families… I’ve always believed that the Sect Leader would become a hero who breaks down the distinction between collateral and direct lines, and it seems this old body’s thoughts were indeed correct.”

“It wasn’t me, but Seon-hwi who gathered them.”

“But wasn’t it the Sect Leader who guided him? All the elders were impressed. Isn’t that right?”

As he looked around, the two elders nodded silently. Then each offered a comment.

“After the chaos at the Heavenly Demon’s Tomb, if not for the Sect Leader, our main branch would have been scattered to the winds. All the old men of the Elder Council have been impressed for a long time.”

“You have surpassed the direct line as a collateral branch. With no lowborn blood in your lineage, we have no choice but to acknowledge you.”

“That’s right. Precisely right.”

The elder called Orchid Sword nodded repeatedly.

He continued to look at Slaughter Chivalry with satisfaction, not even glancing in Hyeon Won-chang’s direction.

“When we combine the secret technique formulas gathered by Kim Seon-hwi with those of our main branch, the Dark Flower Single Line Severance, which will elevate the Sect Leader to the official position of Family Head, will be complete. As soon as you take that formula, we will honor you as the Slaughter Sect Leader.”

The Dark Flower Single Line Severance was the Family Head’s signature technique. A martial art created and bestowed by the Heavenly Demon who built the Heavenly Demon’s Tomb.

It was also the formula that unlocked the restrictions of the direct line who had completed their training.

In the Slaughter Sect’s main branch, it symbolized the Family Head, but according to ancient law, it was scattered among branch families so that only a successor widely acknowledged could learn it.

It was the duty of the Slaughter Sect Leader passed down through generations to keep only the final line of text at the main branch.

Slaughter Chivalry, who had been quietly listening to the elders’ admiring voices, laughed.

“Seon-hwi has taken all those formulas. As one of direct lineage. Surely the elders aren’t planning to forcibly demand them?”

There was no response for a moment. The elders, including Orchid Sword, each averted their gaze or closed their mouths.

Each clearly had something in mind beneath their wrinkled foreheads, but deliberately avoided voicing it.

Slaughter Chivalry’s lips curved up like a blade. It was a smile tinged with sharpness.

“I hope Seon-hwi doesn’t violate the law. Though they say the sect was shattered after the previous Family Head, haven’t we now assembled quite a respectable appearance?”

The rooftop was quiet. None of the three elders nodded.

“Sect Leader. The old men of the main branch have realized after experiencing great calamity. Direct lineage bloodline is like martial arts of a bygone era. Especially if mixed with lowborn blood.”

“Orchid Sword’s words are correct. Sect Leader, we have no need to beg Kim Seon-hwi. Whether we use torture methods like bone-breaking and muscle-separating, activate all the mechanical formations of our main branch to capture the Hwangbo child, or seize the throat of the Desolate Shin family’s offspring… an ancient prestigious sect will never bow its head.”

“Radiant Demon Wing Leader will have gone to the mountain tomb after receiving a false letter, and in that gap, Kim Seon-hwi will voluntarily offer us the formula. If you wish to oppose the will of the Elder Council, do so after ascending to the position of Family Head.”

“……”

Slaughter Chivalry was accustomed to the pressure from the sect elders. And to forcibly swallowing the killing intent that rose within him.

‘These old fogeys.’

They look very favorably upon Kim Jon-hwi himself but never bend their views. To his mind, they were the embodiment of stubborn old men.

This was a gatekeeper sect of the Heavenly Demon’s Tomb that had continued in isolation for over a hundred years.

It was impossible for those with techniques and laws specialized in killing intruders to the tomb to think with common sense.

He slowly parted his lips.

“We’ll discuss that matter later. We’re facing a more dangerous situation now.”

“You mean the Murong family?”

Orchid Sword spoke as if looking at a precious grandson. Slaughter Chivalry did not meet his gaze.

“Yes. You must have heard rumors that the Murong family’s eye techniques have become incomparably refined compared to before. And about the power of the Myriad Star Sword Formation. Didn’t the young family head Murong Ming-jun bring my uncle, the Great Example Sword, with him? Though I requested this test for Seon-hwi, we shouldn’t drag it out this long. What is Bamboo Sword thinking, taking half a day…”

It was then… Suddenly, Slaughter Chivalry’s eyes widened. It happened right after he had unconsciously turned his gaze toward the elders who were talking about torture and then straightened his head.

Far off by the city gate, an unbelievable scene unfolded.

Whoosh!

An old woman shooting down toward some boy.

Slaughter Chivalry’s eye technique perceived instantaneously. The movement of his eyeballs and even the speed at which the image reflected on his retina was transmitted to his mind were extremely fast.

It took only a moment to recognize the face of the person targeted by Bamboo Sword Kim Yeon-sang and to be horrified.

‘Is she insane?!’

The assassin’s time slowed to an extreme degree.

A dagger was drawn from the old woman’s bosom as she plunged downward. At the same moment, Lotus Nezha, who had been passing through the city gate with two companions, turned his head.

The sunlight forming a single line along his jawline momentarily looked like sword energy.

Swish.

Lotus Nezha’s pitch-black sleeve rose up. A gesture that penetrated the realm of an instant with astonishing ease. It was as if he had entered a different time frame.

Without seeming to greatly raise his energy, without even the slightest energy wave fluctuation, he wrapped his entire body in lightning-fast reflexes. Slaughter Chivalry could sense this.

“…?”

The wrinkles around Bamboo Sword Kim Yeon-sang’s eyes, who was rushing down from above to close range, twitched.

But the old woman wasn’t given time to turn her body.

From the beginning, Lotus Nezha had responded with extraordinary mysticism.

The flow of his hand technique, which wrapped around the attacker’s wrist as soon as he turned his head, was chillingly natural. As if he had finished calculating beforehand.

It was like a master of the Golden Snake Hand performing a pre-arranged demonstration of techniques cultivated over a lifetime.

Woong—

Then energy waves spread from Lotus Nezha’s grip. Only at the final moment when he applied force.

It wasn’t particularly powerful. It just felt extremely dense and somehow auspicious in quality.

If the demonic energy hadn’t been removed from the Slaughter Sect’s martial arts, it would have been over the moment she was caught.

Slaughter Chivalry guessed the old woman’s thoughts in an instant.

‘There’s still a chance.’

The knee of the old woman, whose wrist had been caught in mid-air, moved forward.

The Slaughter Sect’s secret technique Heaven Protection Body Technique. A method of generating great power with short movements and transferring foot energy to the grip.

It could be considered the foundation of the full-body foot energy that many martial artists consider ideal. Someone of Bamboo Sword’s level could emit formless sword energy waves with just one and a half moves.

Just as the old woman’s eyes curved with extreme speed.

Suddenly, hazy dust rose and disheveled her hair. Lotus Nezha pulled on her wrist.

The foot energy embedded in that small gesture created a hazy wind centered on the old woman. It was as if she had been trapped in a small typhoon.

At the same time, the flow of the opaque energy waves generated by Kim Yeon-sang was mercilessly severed strand by strand.

A completely different level of realm.

For a brief moment, the old woman recalled the maxim she had repeatedly told her disciples.

—Discernment is your lifeline.

“Huuuh…!”

A long exhalation flowed from Kim Yeon-sang like a death cry.

Along with her figure violently plunging down in a large arc from mid-air.

Kwaaaang—!

The ground shook momentarily.

Blood sprayed up amid the thick dust that had risen. Even the assassin’s time, which had been slowly pulling at the surroundings, was mercilessly crushed.

***

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Translated by Nine Heavens!

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***

Among Lotus Nezha’s companions, a woman with a large blade strapped to her back slightly opened her mouth.

“Is that someone you know? Someone in your position must have accumulated all sorts of grudges.”

“No.”

Jeong Yeon-shin, who had flung down the old woman, slowly released his hand. For an instant, the wrinkled wrist of the attacker had brushed against his index finger, but he felt no pulse.

She had died instantly, though he had only added about one-tenth of the force he had received.

Jeong Yeon-shin paused momentarily.

‘Ugh.’

His entire body tingled. The full-body foot energy he had unconsciously generated had contracted his already injured acupoints and muscles.

It had to be done to counter an attack clearly imbued with killing intent. It was a strike that carried assassination techniques accumulated over quite a long time.

“Where did she come from? Was it an extremely long distance?”

“That’s right. It must have been quite an extraordinary movement technique.”

Goon Yu-rin and Jeon Baek surveyed their surroundings.

The street had become incredibly quiet.

For some reason, even the soldiers weren’t rushing over.

Only passersby existed, glancing at them with surprised eyes while avoiding them. It was a reaction that suggested they were accustomed to such fights.

Goon Yu-rin stood askew.

“I heard rumors that chaos had broken out in Taiyuan. They said some crazy masked people were going around slashing with swords.”

“Isn’t that common?” Jeon Baek asked blankly.

“Well. Taiyuan was still a region that was managed properly. Though I shouldn’t be the one saying this.”

Just as the Profound Martial Alliance Leader’s daughter was awkwardly laughing to herself.

Suddenly, from beyond a large wall, a meteor-like light fiercely cut through the air, rushing toward the side of Jeong Yeon-shin’s head.

As if it had originally been hanging in a single line, a cool ray of light was etched directly in the air.

It was sword light.

Bang!

Had she wanted to be seen? The figure of Goon Yu-rin, who had momentarily blocked Jeong Yeon-shin, was flung far away.

At the same time, a semi-transparent shockwave drew concentric circles, and a precious-looking sword fell at Jeong Yeon-shin’s feet.

“Miss!”

Just after Jeon Baek, startled, began running toward her, a voice pretending to be noble gently echoed from behind the wall.

“Just now, you definitely didn’t react, did you? Radiant Demon Wing Leader, I mean.”

“Even to this lowly one’s eyes, that appears to be the case. I can only admire your achievement of refined eye techniques.”

“Compared to my father, you still have far to go.”

Two figures stepped down on the wall.

Rustle.

Their footwork was light. Anyone could see it was the movement technique of someone trained in a noble family.

Their appearance was the same.

Wrinkle-free silk martial robes had a precious light pink hue. Their neat appearance, as if their clothes were always pressed, was impressive.

The young man who seemed to be of high status wore a monkey mask of the Great Sage Equal to Heaven with a gold rim, while the man who appeared to be his subordinate wore a ghost mask with a distorted expression. To those with low martial arts, they might appear as goblins.

They must be part of the villains who had disrupted Taiyuan’s public order.

Despite rumors spreading widely recently, the military hadn’t moved, leading to widespread talk that something was wrong with the times.

They must possess tremendous power. It was fitting that they needed to conceal their identities.

They were people whose true identities should never be revealed.

‘Is this a three-way battle for me too? Because of the Heavenly Demon’s Tomb?’

Had the manifestation of Radiant Demon Wing Leader drawn the bow?… Countless presences were arising all around. The sound of clashing swords could even be heard from various places.

The sensation of his subordinates drawing a large encirclement and closing in tickled Jeong Yeon-shin’s skin.

Thud! Thud!

Energy waves equivalent to the elites of any decent family fluttered about. A truly overwhelming net of heaven and earth could be felt.

“Seeing you here, I understand. Radiant Demon Wing Leader, I don’t see any protective energy from you.”

The man wearing the Great Sage Equal to Heaven mask said.

“They say you achieved the feat of killing Reborn Hidden Dragon. Such an achievement wouldn’t be rewarded carelessly. I can see it all. You haven’t contained your energy waves; you simply don’t have the strength to emit energy.”

A bluish light occasionally flickered from the eye holes of the mask.

Jeong Yeon-shin sensed an extremely sinister quality.

It was close to the demonic energy he could feel from Baek Mi-ryeo or the Martial Alliance Leader of Sichuan whom he relied on.

“You must have struck the ground in regret. If only you had moved while I went to call my father.”

The Great Sage Equal to Heaven mask continued slowly.

“You will die without knowing who I am. By extracting the core of the dharma power you possess and having short-legged craftsmen refine it, I will obtain a rare dharma treasure. With the Heavenly Demon Armor and the Dharma Power Jade, I could break through anywhere, be it the northern frontier or Xinjiang.”

A cold laughter permeated his voice. It was somewhat triumphant.

Not only did he have the courage to approach Lotus Nezha while taking enormous risk, but he also possessed the intelligence and eye techniques to see through Jeong Yeon-shin’s circumstances and condition.

Even his movements, appearing as soon as he sensed the brief collision, were extraordinarily swift.

Jeong Yeon-shin, who had been staring blankly at the man wearing the Great Sage Equal to Heaven mask, tilted his head slightly to the side. Fragments of white light briefly flashed in his eyes.

“Your manner of speech is strange.”

“What?”

“When I saw you at the Martial Alliance meeting in Zhongyuan, you seemed quite like a young noble, but now I see you’re likely to practice leg techniques in bed in the future. To have no shame at your age.”

“What?”

“You were the young family head of the Murong family, weren’t you? Act according to your age, Murong Ming-jun.”

Jeong Yeon-shin said.

In that moment, the response from the Great Sage Equal to Heaven mask ceased.

Silence flowed through the street.