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chapter 53
“Arrrgh!”
Screams echoed through the Yingxue Sect, which was stationed in Jiangsu Province.
Shou Mo, a sub-division leader who had mastered demonic arts, was killing the disciples with his demonic energy.
The sect leader, Zheng Yun, was brutally torn apart by Shou Mo, while his wife was raped and drained of all her blood, leaving her emaciated and dead.
After that, Shou Mo continued slaughtering the sect’s disciples. No one in the Yingxue Sect could stop his explosive demonic power.
“Please… spare us!”
The disciples begged for mercy, but Shou Mo, soaked in demonic energy, would never heed their pleas.
“Ku-ku-ku-ku!”
As Shou Mo raised his sword to kill the disciples, a man suddenly appeared like lightning and blocked the strike.
Thwack!
The man struck Shou Mo in the stomach and pushed him away.
Thanks to this sudden appearance, the disciples survived.
“A practitioner of demonic arts, it seems…”
It was him.
The very man who had ordered Shou Mo to kill the sect leader and assault his wife.
“He’s so consumed by demonic energy that he doesn’t even realize what he’s doing.”
One of the disciples spoke quickly.
The man nodded slightly, a faint smile appearing as he faced Shou Mo, who glared at him in rage.
“This one should not be spared. Stand back.”
He moved swiftly toward Shou Mo and swung his sword. Instead of dodging, Shou Mo charged at him.
Slice!
In a single strike, the man beheaded Shou Mo.
The disciples were stunned. No one had expected the sub-division leader who had terrorized them to be killed so easily.
“Fortunately, the demons aren’t that strong. I am Xuheng Lang,” he introduced himself.
The disciples, still in shock, greeted him awkwardly.
“It would be wise to inform others that demons have appeared,” one disciple suggested.
“As soon as dawn breaks, I will go to the Blood Heaven Sect to report this,” Xuheng Lang replied.
The Blood Heaven Sect was the leading sect of Jiangsu Province’s martial world.
“Very well, then I shall…”
“Wait a moment…”
A disciple called him back.
“Why?”
“You cannot leave alone. Tomorrow, come with us to the Blood Heaven Sect…”
The disciple explained their situation.
“Hmm…”
“Please do so. Otherwise, no one will believe our account.”
Xuheng Lang nodded in agreement.
“I will show you a place to rest.”
He followed the disciples, a faint smile on his face.
The nights in the Hengshan Sect were always filled with the sounds of insects, wild animals, and the wind brushing through the trees.
Though it was late, the room of Elder Chosong was still lit.
“Who exactly is this young man?”
Chosong and another elder, Hakujeong, both tied to Cheonmyeong Mountain Villa, were curious about the identity of the Sword Spirit but could not find out.
Even if they were connected to the villa, the supreme sect leader Jun Ilsan’s protection meant no one could interfere in matters of judgment on their behalf.
“The attitude of the sect leader toward that young man changed after meeting the Supreme Sect Leader,” Hakujeong noted.
“Of course,” Chosong replied.
Even the sect leader could not disobey his master’s words, and hearing about the Sword Spirit’s nature, his behavior naturally changed.
The problem was that if they didn’t uncover his identity before the Cheonmyeong Mountain Villa people arrived, serious mistakes could occur, putting them in a difficult position.
“To hide his identity… I wonder why,” Hakujeong muttered.
“To hide it even from us suggests he must be someone whose identity cannot be revealed,” Chosong replied.
“Even so, we are elders. It feels improper to be left in the dark.”
“Think of it another way. Perhaps it’s precisely because he must not be revealed that they hid it. If we oppose the leader’s decision, who would support him?”
Hakujeong bowed slightly in acknowledgment.
“Do not worry…”
Their gazes simultaneously turned outside.
“What is that…?”
Without hesitation, both rose and stepped outside.
“Arrrgh!”
A distant scream echoed, and they immediately rushed toward the source.
At the Hengshan Sect gate, many martial artists stood with swords drawn—at least thirty.
“Ku-ku-ku!”
All of them were consumed by demonic energy. The Hengshan Sect warriors fighting the demons could not fully unleash their abilities due to the overwhelming demonic aura.
The demonic energy radiated by thirty men was beyond imagination.
Clang!
Sparks flew as swords clashed. The Hengshan Sect disciples struggled under the overwhelming power.
“Argh!”
A disciple staggered backward after being struck by a demon’s sword.
“You bastard!”
Bang!
Jun Ilsan appeared before the demon, extending his arm to blast it backward.
Following him were the Sword Spirit, Chihwa Myung, and Yu Ak-gun.
“Step back!”
At Jun Ilsan’s thunderous command, the Hengshan warriors retreated.
“Light the fires!”
Jun Ilsan issued the order while avoiding the demons’ attacks.
The disciples quickly lit the incense burners at the sect gate, illuminating the surroundings.
Now, the demons were fully visible.
“Assist him,” the Sword Spirit ordered Yu Ak-gun, who immediately sprang into action.
He wanted to showcase the skills he had recently developed under the Sword Spirit’s guidance.
Though the demons were formidable, Yu Ak-gun was slightly outmatched against them.
“Brother Chihwa, please help as well.”
“I will.”
With Chihwa Myung joining, the number of demons quickly dwindled.
Jun Ilsan, the famed Hengshan First Sword, even without holding a sword, cut through the demons with ease.
The Sword Spirit realized that Jun Ilsan had reached the pinnacle state of the Heart-Intention Sword, requiring no weapon.
Whoosh!
More people descended upon the sect gate—the sect elders, led by Chief Wang Seok-ji.
Seeing them, the Sword Spirit realized that Hengshan was not idle; this was the strength of a renowned sect.
As they descended, they immediately moved to confront the demons. Thirty demons had attacked the sect, but Hengshan was not to be underestimated.
Wang Seok-ji’s anger was apparent; the demons had trespassed and harmed the disciples. His sword channeled his rage.
“Arrrgh!”
The Sword Spirit stepped back to observe the situation.
‘They know their abilities aren’t enough to challenge Hengshan…’
Even though demonic energy had dulled their reason, instinct remained. They knew the level of skill needed to attack Hengshan.
At that moment, the Sword Spirit’s gaze shifted elsewhere.
A woman was quickly approaching the sect.
Soon, she appeared on the battlefield, charging toward the demons with a fierce roar.
Swish!
With her formidable martial prowess, she effortlessly engaged the demons. Her arrival caused their numbers to rapidly dwindle.
From thirty, only five demons remained, and even those soon fell. Not a single one stood on its own.
The demons, at the level of lesser demons, could not contend with her.
“Are you all right?” she asked Jun Ilsan, who was the eldest.
“And who are you?” he asked.
“I am Seo Gun-ha,” she introduced herself.
The Sword Spirit observed her carefully.
“I tracked the trail of the slain from the foot of the mountain and arrived here,” she explained.
Hearing that people had been killed, expressions changed.
“How many died?”
“About twenty,” she answered.
Wang Seok-ji glanced at Sohak-seon, the youngest elder, who had often handled the elders’ tough tasks.
“I will go check,” Sohak-seon said, descending with Hengshan’s disciples.
“Since we do not know, you should go with them,” Wang Seok-ji instructed three other elders, finally showing gratitude to Seo Gun-ha.
“Your help greatly reduced the damage. I am Wang Seok-ji, chief of Hengshan Sect,” he said.
“Greetings, Chief. I am Seo Gun-ha,” she replied.
While the introductions were made, the Sword Spirit turned away.
“Master!” Yu Ak-gun followed the Sword Spirit, while Chihwa Myung left the scene, leaving the Hengshan matters in capable hands.
“The chief will handle it,” the Sword Spirit said.
“Yes, we shall,” Jun Ilsan replied, heading back to the Guest Hall.
Wang Seok-ji and the remaining elders welcomed Seo Gun-ha warmly.
It was natural for them to pay attention to such a young woman, seemingly in her early twenties, who possessed such tremendous skill.
Back in his room in the Guest Hall, the Sword Spirit reflected quietly.
“Why the concern?” Yu Ak-gun asked.
“The demons’ attack was absurd.”
“Absurd?”
“They weren’t strong enough to threaten Hengshan, yet they attacked.”
“But some disciples were injured by them.”
That was true.
“Do you think they mastered demonic arts all these years just to injure a few disciples?”
On reflection, it seemed unlikely.
“Then, are you suggesting something, Master?”
“I don’t know. That’s why I’m thinking. And don’t speak until I’ve concluded my thoughts.”
“Understood. I will prevent anyone from approaching.”
Yu Ak-gun left and sat on the blue pavilion.
“The Sword Spirit?” Chihwa Myung asked.
“He asked us to remain quiet while he considers something,” Yu Ak-gun replied.
“I see.”
The two, setting aside sect differences, spoke casually.
“The Master mentioned he felt something off about the demons’ attack,” Chihwa Myung said.
He had long recognized the Sword Spirit’s exceptional intellect.
“Really?”
A voice from behind—Jun Ilsan—added,
“Yes, Supreme Sect Leader. The Master said the demons did not spend years learning demonic arts merely to injure a few disciples of Hengshan.”
Depending on interpretation, it could be taken differently, but Jun Ilsan understood it without offense.
Recognizing reality clearly was vital for sect growth.
“Indeed. But wouldn’t one lose reason when consumed by demonic energy?”
“That’s true, but instinct remains. Humans, being animals, retain the ability to sense danger when following instinct,” Yu Ak-gun explained.
“Then their instinct would lead them to seek out Hengshan’s people rather than the sect itself.”
“I am not sure. The Master must be contemplating a solution.”
Jun Ilsan nodded.
“Then we wait until he concludes. By the way, your martial arts resemble the Assassin’s Art…”
During sparring, it was not obvious, but in darkness against demons, the traits of Assassin’s Art were revealed.
He had heard the Sword Spirit hailed from the sub-sect but had never heard of her being an assassin.
“Yes, Supreme Sect Leader. But I abandoned the Assassin’s Art after meeting the Master. I am now simply his loyal subordinate,” Yu Ak-gun admitted.
“Do not be misunderstood. It is not blame but admiration that you, having mastered Assassin’s Art, have reached such a high level.”
To reach the pinnacle from first-rate, one must experience enlightenment. Some martial arts allow mastery without enlightenment, but require far longer.
“Thank you for the compliment.”
“You are most welcome. And it is reassuring to have you protect the Sword Spirit.”
Jun Ilsan cared for the Sword Spirit as if he were his own disciple.
“Your experiences as an assassin will be valuable to the Sword Spirit. Share your knowledge to help him stand tall in the martial world.”
Yu Ak-gun nodded. It was natural to do so.
“The Master is already strong beyond rivals,” Jun Ilsan continued.
“Strength alone is not everything. Even achieving the Spirit of Primordial Sword will involve challenges. Guide him well,” he added, looking at Chihwa Myung as well.
“The Sword Spirit is intelligent and prudent. Though a newcomer to the martial world, his mind contains all of Master Yakbing’s wisdom. You need not worry, Supreme Sect Leader!”
Jun Ilsan nodded.
“We received great help from our guest, yet they did not even offer greetings… I must go speak with them,” he said, smiling faintly.
“Then we shall wait to see the Sword Spirit’s conclusion,” Jun Ilsan said, sitting comfortably on the pavilion.
“You all may join me in waiting.”
