Chapter 232
**
The sword of the Jegeal Family is often described as a net that once you’re caught, you can’t escape from it.
The Ghostly Web.
The Five Great Families.
These two powerful factions were quite well-known in the martial world. Naturally, people couldn’t help but talk about their martial arts prowess.
The Jegeal Family’s sword was said to diminish in number gradually, fitting its renowned reputation.
As the sword spun, a strange shadow clung to it. Yi-hyeong Ki. It obscured the sword like a chilling wind, rendering its length and shape indiscernible.
Jegeal Hyun.
An overwhelming power befitting the head of the Five Great Families.
I wondered how it would have been in the past. Ensnared by that mysterious sword, I might have needed to start by analyzing the enemy.
But right now…
I could see everything.
—Thud!
A silent beginning. A foot gliding smoothly.
The opponent charged straight at me. Under the bizarre Yi-hyeong Ki, the sword bared its fangs, ready to lunge at my jaw.
—Caw!
But…
The one attacking was over there.
The grimace belonged to them as well.
“Guh?!”
I silently observed the staggering figure, gauging the impact left on the tip of the sword.
Was it threatening? Not at all. Perhaps it was because the last person I fought was a Celestial Dragon who had entered Hyun-kyung.
It felt delicate.
In the realm of Huaxing, the level was undoubtedly not low…
But to me now, it was not that threatening.
“W-what are you doing?!”
I lifted my sword in silence. Moving slowly, I began channeling Nine Heavens Blood Demon Technique.
What I shot out was one move.
A simple but extremely righteous sword strike.
Nine Heavens Blood Demon Technique
Second Form
Dan Hoon Choo
—Boom!!!
Just pure energy.
I only focused power into Gumang.
Yet, with my heightened state as a former divine being, everything before my eyes shattered into pieces.
In the warped space, Jegeal Hyun’s body slid backward. He still clutched his sword, but the blade was splintered and scattering in all directions.
Jegeal Hyun spat out blood, gasping and wheezing as if he had serious internal injuries. And those watching…
Remained silent.
“…Hrm.”
It was only because it was energy that I had countered with energy…
Who knew the disparity in levels could be so great?
I sheathed my sword and stood before the bleeding Jegeal Hyun.
“What… what is…?!”
Jegeal Hyun’s hand flailed. The sword erupted one last time, but its momentum had long since faded.
I snatched it with my fingertips and broke the remaining blade.
“You… you’re…?!”
I stepped back in silence. I gazed at him from the distance I had just walked.
Without drawing my sword.
Just quietly.
That action made Jegeal Hyun froth at the mouth.
“You bastard!!!!”
He immediately drew a nearby sword and charged at me. Though he’d already sustained enough injuries, he seemed intent on wringing out every ounce of innate energy left in him, the glint of his sword shining in the sunlight.
The forceful energy. A raging wind.
Everything brushed by the sword path shattered. The ground overturned as if a storm had struck, and even a nearby rock cracked open.
I stood at the center of that storm. But if you asked me whether it was dangerous…
I could definitely answer no.
I extended my foot. Moving lightly between the sword paths. What seemed unavoidable was swatted away by the fingertips wrapped in inner power.
I simplified my actions. Even if all those overwhelming strikes were visible, it was my first time experiencing this.
I tried to remember the sword path and its trajectory throughout my body. The power I possessed now was incredibly great…
I needed to awaken even the smallest parts of my body through this new experience.
To fully control my strength, I had to start from the smallest details.
“This… this is…?!”
I had heard it once that the sword of the Jegeal Family gradually diminishes in number.
That saying holds true. It’s not just a mere rumor. The sharp sword imposes a choice, and even when you answer with good, it’s merely second-best.
The tightening leash slowly feels like a noose—tightening around my neck.
“You… you bastard!”
Matching the rhythm and mimicking the stride, I naturally blended with the opponent.
What superficially seemed like an equal duel. But the one wielding the sword could not help but know.
The expression of Jegeal Hyun wielding the sword, as if compelled, completely crumbled. And in that moment…
His sword strike burst forth, trapped before all paths.
“Don’t screw with me!!!”
He expelled a rough move.
And perhaps it would be the brightest moment in his life.
The unavoidable sword crouched before me. The heavens trembled, distorting the essence of Yi-hyeong Ki that burst forth before my eyes, finally unveiling itself.
Within that form resembling the wind, a single sharp spear curled up.
In an instant, surrounded by energy, the expanded blade shot forth like an arrow. Displaying sharpness longer than it looked, it aimed to pierce the one with nowhere to run.
And I…
Swatted it away with one hand.
—Boom!!!!!!!!!
An explosion erupted from an unexpected place. Accompanied by a rushing wind.
The robe I wore fluttered. Alongside the swirling dust, a thick mass of inner strength poured down like powder, staining the ground.
“…Ah…ah…”
A powerful strike.
It was indeed worthy of being called exquisite.
But it didn’t reach me.
“……”
In pure martial terms, it could certainly deserve admiration. The perfection of that attack, followed by a seamless succession.
Had I taken that hidden ace head-on, I definitely would have faltered.
But the one wielding that sword had been someone who easily framed others and oppressed everything with pure force.
There’s no need for respect.
Nor for consolation.
“…I believe the leader of the faction must take responsibility. And I aimed to take your head right now.”
“Ah…ah…”
“But.”
Originally, I had intended to sever his head.
But now, I wouldn’t do that.
Everything he had built up crumbled before his eyes.
With internal injuries and forcibly using up his power…
With his eyes rolled back, he had already fallen into the heart demon.
Even if he opened his eyes again, he would never be able to wield the same proficiency as before.
He might never pick up a sword again.
“You’ve already been punished.”
—Thud.
Jegeal Hyun collapsed. After diverting my gaze from him, I looked at the remaining warriors of the Jegeal Family.
“…….”
“……”
As they stared blankly at me, their eyes met mine, and they quickly cast their gazes downward. Everyone observing me did the same.
“…Jinju Family.”
I raised my voice decisively to draw a conclusion.
I grabbed Jegeal Hyun’s nape.
I threw him toward the warriors of the Jegeal Family.
“He bears no sin. The Former Society also has not released any poison.”
—Boom!
The warriors receiving Jegeal Hyun stumbled over each other. As I stood before them, triumphantly, they seemed to struggle even to maintain their stance under the pressure.
“The Jegeal Family staged this as a farce. While opinions clashed, I brought evidence, but you all failed to do so.”
“…….”
“Even the last lingering doubt has been thoroughly cleared through our duel.”
I placed my hand on my sword.
Just that action made those gathered tremble with fear.
“Jegeal Family, prepare compensation and measures for the Jinju Family. Immediately.”
Force against force.
It wasn’t a logic I particularly liked. But…
There are moments when it’s necessary.
. . .
“Hey. Have you heard that story?”
“A dead man coming back to life, what the…!”
“Martial Alliance Inspector!”
“And the first thing he did after coming back from death was to punish the corrupt Jegeal Family!”
“I knew from the start it was all an act!”
“The Martial Alliance will be on high alert… Those who witnessed will all know.”
“Jegeal Hyun. Isn’t he a renowned master?”
“Even though we fought through swords for quite some time, the outcome was overwhelmingly lopsided…”
“Jegeal Hyun is comparable to the Five Stars, isn’t he?”
“The one under the Master! Above the Seven Swords!”
“But I heard he was called Mukseong in the past…”
“When I witnessed him toy with Jegeal Hyun like a child back then…”
“No way…”
“Could it be that he now stands with the Master on the same tier?”
The martial world was abuzz. Whispers spread rapidly.
The story of the returned Martial Alliance Inspector spread fast alongside the fall of the Jegeal Family’s prestige.
The returned dead.
The founding reason of the Former Society that was thought to be dead.
Moreover, the former Martial Alliance Inspector, returning to a righteous faction, first acted to rid the Jegeal Family of corruption and protect the weaker Jinju Family.
“…What kind of nonsense is this?”
Namgung Hyuk, the former Martial Alliance Leader, contemplated the situation in his office.
A reality he couldn’t possibly comprehend with his own head.
“I meant to take down the Former Society using this incident… and I failed at such a simple task? The Jegeal Family? Military Officer. Does this make sense? Even if a dead person returned to life, this is absurd. The head of the Jegeal Family lost in a duel…?”
“……”
The military officer of the former Martial Alliance.
Jegeol Soak silently stared down at the letter.
The content was concise. Clearly organized and easy to understand regarding the current state of the Jegeal Family.
He had never personally been directly involved with the family since formally joining the former Martial Alliance as a military officer.
Yet family is family. No matter how much he tried to distance himself, it was impossible to separate him from Jegeal Family.
Moreover…
It was written that his younger brother, Jegeal Hyun, was gravely injured and teetering on the edge of death.
“I was told that all the warriors who participated in that war… were reported dead…”
Jegeol Soak set the letter down. The unbelievable reports caught him standing quietly by the window.
Just returning would be shocking in itself. But the opponent’s actions had exceeded all his expectations.
“…Jegeal Hyun is an excellent martial artist. While he’s slower than me in strategizing, his sword skills were second to none.”
“What are you implying?”
“Even if he brought one of the Five Stars with him, defeating that guy would require a few serious injuries. That kind of skill; he’s that kind of person. I know my brother best.”
“…….”
“And yet the report states he was defeated… That just implies that the former Martial Alliance Inspector has improved incredibly.”
“Is it possible he obtained a fortuitous opportunity?”
“I can’t say for certain. However…”
Jegeol Soak turned to look at his faction leader.
“If there are no lies in all of this, then it could indeed be that the Master and he might stand in the same realm.”
“…Ugh.”
Namgung Hyuk groaned softly.
“There’s no way we could bring him onto our side, right?”
“He’s someone we sent to die. No matter how much of a sage he is, he won’t be inclined to help us.”
“We’d better eliminate him. With those damn New Martial Alliance idiots running around… we can’t afford to let someone who could bolster their ranks just wander about.”
“Entering the Former Society would also pose a problem. It’s like introducing an unpredictable master into an already precarious mix, so that too must be prevented.”
“The world is in chaos! The world is in chaos! What, are we sending assassins or something?”
“…That seems correct, but…”
Jegeol Soak clapped his palm with a fan.
“…First, we must ascertain in what form he has returned. If by any chance our intentions align… we could stand on the same side, couldn’t we?”
“And?”
“Let’s officially invite him back to the Martial Alliance. Formally.”
“You speak so easily, but this is someone who led my brother into a death trap.”
“If I were to dwell on such things, would I stand here beside the leader?”
“…True. That’s why I trust you. But will he truly respond to our summons? We already sent him to die once.”
“I intend to bend myself a little just to lay eyes on him. What are your thoughts, Leader?”
The Martial Alliance Leader, Namgung Hyuk, rose to his feet.
“…The possibility of gaining valuable allies is indeed an important point. Send him an official letter welcoming him back. And regarding the entire ordeal, make sure he knows no pressure should be applied. Military Officer, don’t forget to instruct the envoy to bow as deeply as possible.”
“I share that sentiment. It would be wise to avoid pressuring him with the Jegeal Family’s troubles until after we learn everything. For now, ignoring the matters and just luring him here would be the best course…”
The military officer of the former Martial Alliance, Jegeol Soak, spoke clearly.
“I will prepare people in advance, just in case. Should things go awry, we must have someone else ready to take his place.”
