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Chapter 545: Sword Demon

Sword Demon.

Great Lord of the Demon Sword Inspection Team of the Heavenly Demon Sect.

Age somewhere between 30 and 40, or so I reckon.

Not that I know for certain; I’ve never asked.

Before becoming a Demon, he was a Murders Fiend, killing everyone without batting an eye.

Notorious for his brutal combat style, he took pleasure in slaughter.

It sends shivers down the spine just to hear how he tortured his victims before finishing them off.

His notorious nickname spread across the Central Plains, a fitting title indeed.

‘Killing Ghost Sword.’

It perfectly encapsulated who he was.

To the point that “Sword Demon” felt like an elegant title in comparison.

His madness made his fall into a Demon almost inevitable.

The Demonic Sect, preparing for war, was like a paradise where he could unleash his instincts without restraint.

Upon becoming a Demon, it’s said he was bestowed with the Eye of the Fighting Ghosts by the Heavenly Demon.

‘A way to perceive the opponent’s movements with acute clarity, if I remember correctly.’

He could read the flow of a bet, grasping movements with precision.

It seemed akin to Qi Perception, but much more intuitive, or so I heard.

‘Not that I’d know the exact feeling since I’ve never used it myself.’

Right after taking command of the Inspection Team, he was the forefront general in battles.

Comparing him to the Demon Sword Queen, he was a different type of insane.

‘He really hated the Demon Sword Queen.’

Perhaps it stemmed from not securing the position of the Black Flame Sect’s Great Lord?

Whether that truly was the reason or not, he did seem intent on killing her every time he saw her.

Surely, he would have been more suited to the duties of the Inspection Team, which primarily dealt with slaughter, than the rather passive Black Flame Sect.

I couldn’t comprehend why the Sword Demon coveted that position.

‘If you’re going to strive, at least aim for the Great Lord’s position.’

If he had only targeted my spot like the Green King did, it might have turned out better. The Sword Demon didn’t seem to care for the Great Lord position at all.

He kept squabbling with the Demon Sword Queen over her spot, but she never lost it.

Eventually, he met his end at the hands of the Divine Sword in battle.

To summarize my thoughts about the Sword Demon in short:

A man mad with slaughter.

That single line would suffice.

Crash-!

With debris falling from the wall, I sensed a presence.

I nodded my head at the sight.

I thought I could knock him out, but it seemed he hadn’t suffered much.

‘He dodged just in time.’

I pondered as I felt the sensations in my hand.

He appeared to have barely perceived my attack but instinctively managed to evade it.

A martial master, destined to become the Sword Demon in the future, is on a different level.

Rustle.

As I waited for a moment, he finally revealed himself.

The blood trickling from his reddened cheeks and lips contrasted against his pale skin, making it quite evident.

He gripped his sword tightly with one hand and stared at me with his murky yellow eyes.

I nodded as I met his gaze.

‘Got it.’

Yellow iris. That eye signifies but one thing.

‘Heaven Kill Spirit.’

Born with the fate to kill until the moment of death.

Those with such eyes were rare since they were typically evident from birth and didn’t have long lifespans.

‘They get killed upon discovery, after all.’

It was bound to become a murderous fiend, so how could one let it live?

It was astonishing enough that he had survived this long.

‘It’s not that he’s dying now; it seems he’s stubbornly hanging on until he becomes the Sword Demon.’

Thinking this way wasn’t too bad.

It was rather fortunate to have discovered him now.

“Who are you?” he asked me, his eyes dulled like he was half-conscious.

I felt I’d heard similar questions a lot over the last couple of days.

With a grin, I replied, “From the Gu Clan, the third son, here to catch you.”

“…”

Whoosh-!

“Ah.”

Did my words irritate him? An overwhelming killing intent radiated from him.

As if he wanted to announce his identity as a Heaven Kill Spirit, he exuded an incredibly intense energy.

It was so dense that it felt tangible, pressing down all around.

‘Fascinating.’

I looked at him as if I were witnessing something extraordinary.

I felt like I vaguely understood the power he had wielded in his previous life.

‘What was he covering himself with when fighting? Was this the source?’

He must have wrapped the Heaven Kill Spirit’s energy around his sword.

Conversely, it seemed he also used it as a shield of strong energy for protection.

Initially presumed to be just a martial art, it seemed to be rooted in his nature.

As I was intrigued and observing, his mouth opened.

“…Don’t interfere.”

Hearing that, I couldn’t help but laugh in disbelief.

“Who do you think is interrupting? I’m the one trying to eat, yet you’re making noise.”

His yellow eyes were darkening further over time.

If Wi Seol-Ah’s golden eyes were starting to shine, his eyes were turning darker instead.

Simultaneously, his energy kept rising, starting to affect the surroundings.

“Eek…!”

A sound caught my attention.

Guests had already fled in panic moments ago, yet the innkeeper seemed too frozen to leave.

I glanced at him and said, “Sir.”

“Y-yes?”

Surprised by suddenly being called, he looked utterly alarmed.

I took something out of my pocket and tossed it to him.

“Wha…!?”

His eyes widened as he caught the item.

“With that, you should have enough to fix things later.”

I tossed him a handful of money.

It would cover rebuilding the place several times over in terms of value.

Moreover, “If you’re not too busy, could you pack some dumplings for me?”

The cost of the dumpling wrapper was included too.

“Y-yes!”

Whether he really liked getting money, the man who had appeared to have lost everything just moments ago rushed into the kitchen without letting go of what he held.

It seemed he genuinely intended to package the dumplings.

‘…Shouldn’t he prioritize escaping first?’

I wondered if it was plausible in this situation, but honestly—

“Who cares.”

It honestly didn’t matter to me.

‘It’s not like I expect any harm to come to me.’

As I pondered, I turned my head.

Whish-!

The sword tip brushed right before me.

Had I flinched, I would have been cut.

“Hmm.”

He’s fast.

No hesitation either.

Whoosh-!

Naturally, it didn’t end with one swipe; he started swinging his sword continuously.

His determination was palpable.

He was hell-bent on cutting me down.

The speed was such that afterimages lingered in the air.

The killing intent was erupting from his body, and his sword path was impeccably clean.

Every intended strike aimed at vital points.

‘His realm… is a bit ambiguous.’

I could tell he had surpassed the peak level easily based on the strength and speed of his energy.

The reason I considered it ambiguous was because:

‘He straddles the line.’

He felt to be hovering between complete mastery and transformation.

After dodging his sword once, I charged forward a bit.

Despite his repeated attacks, he swung his sword relentlessly, unwilling to give an inch.

I reached out a hand amidst the countless sword paths.

Thud-!

“…!”

My palm struck directly against the Sword Demon’s chest.

He staggered back, shocked.

“Cough…”

It seemed his breath hitched as he coughed.

The physical pain was minor, but the backlash from the energy would surely be significant.

‘Wow.’

I couldn’t help but marvel inwardly at the sight of him.

While it was claimed his realm was ambiguous, it was still an impressive feat.

Considering the Sword Demon’s age, it was indeed remarkable.

I didn’t know his exact age, but he was undoubtedly a Late-Stage Talent.

Thus, the question arose.

‘Why hasn’t someone discovered this guy until now?’

Having witnessed him firsthand, I felt more strongly about it.

The reason I had come to the Guangdong area around this time was that I had learned he had begun making moves lately.

This implied that someone of his caliber had just started showing himself when it was considerably late.

Given he’s a Heaven Kill Spirit, I could understand if he were hiding.

But then, it also seemed odd.

‘He doesn’t seem like he could have held on alone.’

Whether to grow stronger or for survival, he likely had backup.

Otherwise, a Heaven Kill Spirit wouldn’t have survived this long.

Of course.

‘Whatever it is.’

It was a good thing for me.

‘Perfect timing, really.’

Little by little, he was now at a point to begin his activities.

Now was the moment.

Capturing someone who would eventually become the Sword Demon was key.

“I’ll kill you…! I’ll just kill you!”

With the strikes failing to hit and only taking damage, his expression twisted even further.

At the same time, the killing intent intensified tremendously.

Boom-!

With immense air pressure, he raced towards me.

The materialized killing intent gathered at his sword.

Though it seemed quite threatening,

Crack-!

“Ugh…”

It would be pointless if I didn’t get hit.

I interrupted the sword path and swiftly slapped his face.

With the impact, he staggered.

‘Nothing else to see here.’

It didn’t seem worth dragging this out.

Time to wrap this up.

With that thought, I nodded.

‘Indeed, I’ve taken far too long.’

Spending two whole days just to catch this one guy.

In the end, catching him was a relief, but it was purely due to luck.

I needed to finish this quickly and move on to the next task.

Taking a step forward.

He simultaneously reacted.

Despite having received a minimal hit, he was fully infused with madness.

That was quite appealing to me.

‘Meaning he’s still a villain at heart.’

A guy who could be turned into a Demon without issue.

I enjoyed characters like that.

Makes it easier for my own plans.

I immediately raised my wager.

‘If he behaves erratically later, I should just break one of his arms or legs.’

As I made my move with that intention in mind, he too crossed his sword.

The mixed sword intent and killing intent formed a troublesome edge.

He targeted only the vital points.

To adequately dodge and smash his legs would be—

“Hmm?”

Just as I was about to proceed, something caught my eye.

Within his chopping sword moves, I noticed something strange.

Swish-!

The tip of his sword swayed like a half-circle.

Thud-!

Balancing myself delicately, I landed softly on my toes.

The killing intent had been so overwhelming that I hadn’t noticed, but now it felt surprisingly clear.

‘What is it?’

That movement.

It irked my eyes.

I adjusted my stances and leapt forward.

Swish-! The blade skimmed my cheek, and I felt blood trickling.

Perhaps surprised by my sudden charge, confusion crossed his face.

Without stopping, he swung his sword again.

Clang-!

“…!!”

I caught the swinging blade with my thumb and index finger.

Then, I struck his chin with a solid hit.

Wham-!

“Cough…!”

I landed a clean shot.

With a scream, he fell to his knees.

Thud.

I didn’t offer to help him up.

He didn’t seem the type to crumble under this.

Moreover, it wasn’t the time to be concerned about such things.

I looked down at the fallen Sword Demon and pondered.

“What the heck is going on?”

A blade overflowing with killing intent.

Murky yellow eyes signifying the Heaven Kill Spirit.

And a presence stained with madness.

This was undoubtedly the Sword Demon I knew.

So why?

“Is he using the techniques of a sect?”

Not just any sect, but one among the Gu Sect.

A prestigious name called the Protector of Cheongha.

‘Kunlun Sect.’

His swordsmanship definitely bore the traces of that place.

 

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