Chapter 61
**
A situation different from what I had imagined.
Ilma’s disciple, Jin Wi-lyang, brushed his face.
In the chaos of running away, he encountered someone. The person holding the lantern shouted with a grimace.
“Follow the light! Stop causing trouble!”
There was an undeniable force in those words.
Jin Wi-lyang followed for now. It was better to follow the light than to struggle in the pitch-black darkness.
At the spot where the old man had passed, a flickering ember remained. After recklessly rushing over it, stairs appeared before him.
After climbing them for a while—
He fell into a brightly lit room and let out a breath.
He instinctively felt it. This room was safe.
Jin Wi-lyang turned his head. There was a simple workbench piled on one side as if it were a transitional room leading somewhere.
Aside from that, it was just an ordinary room. Leaning against the wall, he raised his hand.
He slashed at a moving corpse.
But something was… odd about it…
His Qi almost surged backward. It felt like something was coming for him.
Someone had probably dealt with dozens of those at once…
Eun Seol-ran must be dead.
That foolish girl. She went out without a clue and ended up like this. Still, her face looked somewhat usable for night games.
“…Huh.”
He collected himself. Calming his startled Qi, he lightly operated his breathing technique.
People who had fled in different directions opened the door and entered one by one. They turned their eyes away, breaking into a cold sweat, and soon collapsed onto the floor.
“J, Jin Gong-za… What on earth…?”
“Do you understand what I mean?”
His tone naturally sharpened. How could it not?
Ever since being sucked into this damned place, nothing had gone as he wanted.
…No, now that I think about it, it was like that from the beginning when we entered Fengma Cave.
Someone unqualified brazenly joined in.
And there was an idiot who willingly offered to help.
Even got cursed while everyone was watching.
“…Damn it.”
Ilma’s ninth disciple. It was certainly an impressive necklace. But there were eight more above that had even more impressive necklaces.
Geniuses become mere mortals when amidst true geniuses. Do you not recall those looks that openly mocked him?
So, to catch Ilma’s eye, he came here to build his reputation. He had pretended to smile and tried to lead the study group.
But it was all ruined.
He felt glances darting toward him. Jin Wi-lyang knew what they meant.
Distrust towards the one who fled first. They must be comparing him to Eun Seol-ran, who had stayed behind while being told to run away.
Even those who had followed him avoided making eye contact. He could feel the distance widening.
“…….”
…Why?
Why are you looking at me with those eyes?
Aren’t you the same? Didn’t you all run away together?
Was I the only one who didn’t look back? Why do you sigh as if you didn’t commit a sin?
What did I do wrong?
I’m just like you…
Are you all that clean?
“…Ugh.”
First, he needed to reclaim the fallen authority.
He must not let his faults seep in through the bindings of the demon clan.
Show some strength. He needed prey. There must be a suitable excuse.
If he could show what happens to those who defy him right before their eyes…
Then everyone would obey again.
That’s just how humans are. It’s because those whom he trampled upon wouldn’t dare challenge him again.
And just at that moment, the prey came in.
“…Huff… huff…”
Food.
Jin Wi-lyang gripped his sword. He looked at the man and woman before him.
Yeon Guang. Garbage without qualifications.
Seo Cho-hee. A foolish girl who dared to raise her voice against him despite having nothing to offer.
“Lady So. You might want to recall what you just said to me.”
“…What?”
“Did you think you could insult me in front of everyone and get away with it?”
He set his target clearly. Excluding Yeon Guang.
He’s just a fool that he could deal with anytime.
But Seo Cho-hee was different. She was undoubtedly a prey.
Everyone here heard the curses he threw before the ground gave way beneath him.
“Unbelievable? Do I look like such a person? Everyone here knows this was merely an accidental occurrence.”
Seo Cho-hee’s expression twisted.
“In a situation like this, pulling nonsense! Who exactly thinks that way?!”
“Ask. Everyone here.”
Seo Cho-hee turned away. But Jin Wi-lyang smiled internally.
Do you think anyone will side with you?
Eun Seol-ran isn’t here. That means there’s no one who’s strong enough to counter him.
Even if his reputation took a hit, his sword remains.
Because he holds the blade, everyone naturally turns their heads away.
No one dares to defy him. Yeah. This is strength.
This base honors strength above all.
No matter how he may show himself, in the end, weakness must obey.
Why?
Because you are all insects!
You filthy little pests who can’t do anything without being given to by a strong one!
So crawl. Like the insects you are, scrape along the ground, and try to share even a fallen bean.
Just by following, I’ll share the scraps I have left.
“To put the blame for all the accidents on me, how amusing it is. When speaking, one must also consider the weight of their words; I believe the recent index of Jae-Chul would know this.”
“Wh, who is brave enough to say something? It’s strange! This, this isn’t right?! It was Jin Gong-za who threw Yeon Gong-za’s sword! Everyone knows it wasn’t a ‘mistake’!”
“You were the only one misled. Right? Yeon Gong-za?”
He spun the drawn sword and pointed it at Yeon Guang beside Seo Cho-hee.
“Yeon Gong-za. Wasn’t everything a mistake?”
“…….”
“The one at fault is just one person, so I think you don’t need to get involved. Yeon Gong-za. Just nod your head.”
Reestablishing his shattered authority.
That could be accomplished with just one nod from the weak.
An overwhelming symbol of strength. A massive claw that even victims would acquiesce to.
Jin Wi-lyang unleashed a surging Qi. He infused strength into his voice.
He made it clear.
The disparity of power is distinct. No matter what you do, you can’t win.
Choosing to support Seo Cho-hee here would be like jumping into hell.
“It was a mistake, wasn’t it? Yeon Gong-za?”
He asked once more.
Yeon Guang responded with a trembling voice.
“…It was a mistake…”
Good.
Say it.
Say it before everyone.
That he is someone who cannot be opposed. That even your voice can be crushed with just one word.
…
The sword he held trembled. Yeon Guang blinked.
It’s heavy. Why is it so heavy? Sometimes swords can be like that.
At times, the weight becomes so daunting that drawing it feels frightening.
Someone trembles. Seo Cho-hee’s hand, which no one reaches out to.
He looked back at her.
In her eyes lingered fear. The gaze of someone who doesn’t know what price they might pay if this goes on.
Seo Cho-hee is weak. She’s probably on the same level as him.
He, too, is weak. Not strong at all.
How about the one right before him?
Jin Wi-lyang. Counted among the strongest in this recent cohort, openly scattering his aura. It’s suffocating.
The difference in level is apparent. Even if he charges in with his sword, victory seems unlikely.
Can he deal with it using the Thunder Blade?
…No.
His sword is still insufficient. He hasn’t even caught up to his master’s heel.
There’s also no one to mediate it. The two who had supported him fell behind.
Rationally, bowing one’s head is the right move. It’s right to take a step back for the future.
If he closes his eyes, Jin Wi-lyang would likely smile contentedly.
With no justification…
He might just punish Seo Cho-hee.
Just a moment’s silence. A single nod without uttering a word could end everything.
He might save his life and continue his master’s legacy. Perhaps it could even lead to handing over this sword to Master Guigok Yajang in the depths of Fengma Cave.
One blink would be enough.
With just one silence, he could have it all.
…But.
“…It wasn’t a mistake.”
He didn’t want to do that.
“What did you just say?”
Jin Wi-lyang asked. The incoming aura grew stronger.
But he stood firm. Like a small thunderhead facing a storm, since it’s a cloud, he raised his voice.
There’s no one to guard him. Bi Cheon is not here, and Eun Seol-ran is nowhere to be seen.
Even so, he must speak up.
If he turns away from those who raised their voices for him…
“Guang-ah.”
He feared the weight he carried would vanish.
“It wasn’t a mistake, I said. Jin Gong-za.”
“Can you take responsibility for that statement?”
Responsibility.
He didn’t know.
After all, isn’t the concept of ‘responsibility’ way too difficult? He always wanted to take responsibility. Over the Thunder Blade, his master’s legacy, everyone’s expectations.
Yet he had never been able to bear any of it. He often ended up overwhelming himself with expectations.
His body felt heavy. It never followed as he wished. He even thought that maybe he had become stiff and stuck in place—
But even so, the thunder is resounding.
Listen. Quake. Yeon Guang. It’s okay. Everyone is terrified.
Haven’t I always been fearful too? Worrying if the thunder inside me is fake.
Fearing that my master chose wrong, picking the wrong disciple.
Everyone laughed at him. He too was crushed under that weight. There were times he shouted at himself that his master’s words were wrong.
The weight is heavy.
That weight is just too heavy…
He pondered if he might be crushed to the ground and become an insect.
But not anymore. Not now.
“Will you regret it?”
Bi Cheon showed him.
If you cling to the end, you can achieve something.
At the moment of giving up, if you take one more step, another scene will unfold.
“This master, for six years teaching you, has had numerous doubts. But dares…”
Get used to fear. Even if it means dying in the next moment, keep your resolve.
The Thunder Blade will strike through the storm. If he surpasses death, it will become sharper bit by bit.
Why did he learn the Thunder Blade?
Why did he aspire for a dream he could never reach?
…A longing.
He longed for his master’s back.
But if someone were to ask what the meaning of that longing was, he could say he didn’t long solely for that strength.
His master’s back.
His poise. His voice. His manner of speaking.
His kindness. His unwavering belief.
His tenacity. His faith. His trust.
That he had smiled, believing in him until the moment of his death…
“I never once wavered in holding you.”
Resoluteness.
“Responsibility?”
Yeon Guang revealed his teeth. He hid the damaged sword behind Seo Cho-hee.
The sword’s blade was sparse and had some gold as well. But on its tip remained his master’s voice.
It might be damaged, but it wasn’t broken.
If there are cracks within him, raise his sword and prove otherwise.
“You disrespected the master’s sword, and you tried to bury it with nonsensical excuses.”
“……”
“The one who must be held accountable is not you.”
What does it mean to be an unashamed disciple?
What does inheriting his master’s legacy in the Thunder Blade entail?
He was still confused. It muddles his grasp.
But there’s one thing he knew.
To repay the kindness, he must…
He must unleash the blue lightning with his entire being.
“I am. A disgrace of the Shinwon Jin Clan.”
“…Kuhuh.”
Jin Wi-lyang’s shoulders shook. His bloodshot eyes whispered.
“Do you think I’m a joke? I am a child of the Shinwon Jin Clan. The ninth disciple of Ilma… No one can treat me like a joke. You think some second-rate disciple of the Thunder Blade would sabotage me? I’ll chop off your arms so you can’t wield a sword ever again! The progress of the Thunder Blade?! This is where it ends!”
“…….”
“There’s no one here to protect you! You useless fool wielding a sword alone until you die! I’ll do it myself! I’ll show you your severed head! Just what do you think it means to challenge me, the ninth disciple of Ilma!”
Yeon Guang exhaled.
He wiped the fear from his sunken eyes.
“…Alright. I’ll show you too.”
He whispered to the thunder at his fingertips.
For the first time, he would fight back properly…
He imbued weight into his words.
“Let it resound. The voice of the thunder.”
Resound. Thunder.
Devour even the sound of his soul and touch the sword.
If one is thick-headed and foolish enough not to understand how to lighten their load…
Then simply choose something else.
“…Lift the sword. No matter how much you try to scare me, I won’t back down.”
The path to becoming the heaviest man in the world.
“If you want to make me kneel, you’ll have to cut off my legs.”
