Chapter 340: Trudging Along

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The eyes of the middle-aged swordsman who had mentioned old debts along with Cheol Ryu-heun blazed like fierce flames.

His thin pale lips sported a goatee.

Swollen blue veins stood out on the hand stroking his sword hilt, as if representing the rage in his heart.

The reason he was furious at Cheol Ryu-heun was singular.

His sect had fallen into ruin overnight.

Mantis Martial Academy.

It was an Unorthodox force that had secretly manufactured and traded Martial Fragrance Soul-Destroying Pills before suffering retaliation from Cheol Ryu-heun.

The middle-aged man’s identity was Jo Jung-hyeop, younger brother of Mantis Martial Academy’s former Academy master Praying Mantis Twin Swords Jo Jung-eung.

At that time, his entire body had been frozen by the power of the White Ice Jade that Cheol Ryu-heun shattered.

So he never witnessed Jo Jung-eung’s final moments.

Nor the deaths of the sect’s upper-level executives, the Three Lesser Mantises.

Afterward, when his body had barely thawed and he opened his eyes, he was already in prison.

Mantis Martial Academy was forcibly disbanded by the government after evidence of their crimes was secured.

Jo Jung-hyeop clearly remembered.

The brief conversation exchanged between Cheol Ryu-heun and Jo Jung-eung…

-The snake head has paid for his crimes. So it’s your turn.

-Are you saying you killed him with your own hands?

That was the end of his memory.

Because Cheol Ryu-heun immediately shattered the White Ice Jade.

-I’ve been suppressing its natural coldness with my internal power, so you didn’t feel anything. Now I’ll make you feel it clearly.

That bastard’s voice, heard last, always appeared in his dreams.

It was truly a succession of nightmares.

Anyway, when he opened his eyes again, he couldn’t readily accept his brother’s futile death.

Jo Jung-eung had been a renowned Unorthodox swordsman within the Hunan region.

Enough to rival that of White Snake Sword Head Gul Ma-hun…

To think he had died at the hands of the once-nameless Cheol Ryu-heun.

From then on, Jo Jung-hyeop ground his teeth in prison and vowed revenge.

Perhaps it was fortune amid misfortune.

Last month, he had barely managed to bribe the prison administrator and received parole.

He had seized an opportunity thanks to a bit of secret wealth he’d hidden to the end.

Only after coming out did he finally learn.

Cheol Ryu-heun’s fearsome martial prowess.

Every place he went was buzzing with talk about him.

Moreover, he had even obtained the tremendous title of Hunan’s First Martial God.

Even that terrifying demonic path warrior, Sun Moon Demon Cult Leader Sun Moon Demon Saint Aryun-nan, had fallen before Cheol Ryu-heun’s sword.

He had despaired.

Having come out with ambitions of revenge, it had been a distant path.

Cheol Ryu-heun was an existence positioned somewhere unreachable by his own power, like the boundless heavens.

However.

Along with the rumor about the Divine Martial Sword, an opportunity for revenge had arisen.

It was a secretive gathering.

A gathering composed of those who, like himself, harbored great resentment toward Cheol Ryu-heun.

The central figure of that group had made a promise.

If they helped find the Divine Martial Sword, he would eliminate Cheol Ryu-heun on their behalf.

Jo Jung-hyeop had accepted that proposal.

So had the others.

Why?

Because he was a person fully equipped with the status, reputation, power, and potential for it.

Thus, he had come to this distant castle site in the Shiwan Mountains.

‘Once he obtains the Divine Martial Sword, he’ll truly be reborn as the foremost hegemon of this era! Then even Cheol Ryu-heun…!’

Jo Jung-hyeop’s eyes grew even more heated.

He wouldn’t care even if others pointed fingers and called him a coward.

Right.

Whether he borrowed someone else’s hand or whatever, as long as he could kill that bastard.

At that moment, footsteps were heard.

CHEOK, CHEOK, CHEOK…

It was multiple people, not just one.

Unhidden footsteps as if to say not to be alarmed.

This old castle site designated as the meeting place was in ruins.

Most of the interior and exterior facilities had broken or disappeared, so now only the outline of the castle walls remained.

When it had been built was unknown.

Modern people didn’t even know whether such a place existed or not.

A perfect location for gathering secretly to talk.

Those approaching with audible footsteps were members of that gathering.

Before long, over a dozen martial artists appeared in unison inside the castle site.

Among them, the swordsman at the lead greeted Jo Jung-hyeop.

“Hey, were you waiting here alone early?”

As the swordsman who casually addressed him informally approached nearby.

“Welcome, Hall Master Bae.”

Jo Jung-hyeop responded by paying courtesy respectfully.

The man called Hall Master Bae had protruding round eyes and a prominent hawk-like nose.

Fighting Ox Great Sword Bae Pyeong, a first-rate Unorthodox swordsman within the Henan region.

He was the hall master of Black Ox Hall, which had suffered great humiliation when Cheol Ryu-heun visited Cheonju in the past.

The giant standing beside him had also suffered back then.

It was Ox Strength Sword Tang Ja-gae, an executive of Black Ox Hall and Bae Pyeong’s bodyguard.

“When did you arrive? Weren’t you bored?”

“I came a bit early, but it wasn’t that boring. Time flew by like a gale while cursing that bastard.”

“Kahaha! Yes, yes. That’s the same for me. Just thinking about that son of a bitch… curses just come out on their own. Every time I look in a mirror, seeing the scar on my face makes me furious.”

This was punishment he had suffered back then for oppressing the mother of White Peak Sword Sect disciple Gwak Woon-bi, but he still showed no signs of reflection.

Rather, he recalled that incident and sharpened the blade in his heart.

Just as Jo Jung-hyeop had done earlier.

-Gal! How dare you touch a member of our hall without fear!

-You touched first.

-…!

-You used force to oppress the mother of our sect’s disciple.

-Your sect? What sect is that?

-White Peak Sword Sect.

-Pfft, White Peak Sword Sect? Then what’s your status?

-The new sect master, Cheol Ryu-heun.

-Gwahaha. Cheol Ryu-heun? You’re saying that you’re Cheol Ryu-heun? Gwahaha. How absurd. Is that true? Didn’t he become a vegetable?

-As you can see, I recovered.

-Tsk… how tiring. Some crazy bastard has appeared with some strange divine creature…

Cheol Ryu-heun had slammed Bae Pyeong’s head into the ground.

Until one side of his forehead cracked and blood streamed down.

-Kwang, kwang, kwang-!

Bae Pyeong, having frowned as he recalled that skull-rattling impact, still couldn’t forget.

“Damn…! Even when I try not to think about it, I keep remembering.”

Just as the stream flows clearer when the source is clean, bodyguard Ox Strength Sword Tang Ja-gae also added words with angry eyes.

“I’d grind that bastard alive and still not feel satisfied.”

Jo Jung-hyeop addressed the two with a smile.

“Hoot. Yes. In the end, it’ll be Cheol Ryu-heun’s fate to die… let’s trust that person.”

At that, others who had come along also nodded their heads and smiled.

They too were a group harboring resentment against Cheol Ryu-heun.

They were the very ones who had schemed the destruction of White Peak Sword Sect under former Dark Hall Master Netherworld Sword Fork Jeo Gyeom’s leadership.

That’s right.

They were the executives of the Brandished Sword Pavilion, Six Righteousness Gate, Red Leopard Hall, Shaking Martial Hall, and Bright Moon Sword Sect.

Because Brandished Sword Pavilion Master Mok Geun-geum, Cold Blood Evil Sword Peak Immortal Yindao, Roaring Leopard Saberman Geo Ja-woong and others died at Cheol Ryu-heun’s hands, those five organizations were currently experiencing rapidly shrinking power and declining.

Because of that, everyone had deliberately kept their heads down and waited for the right time, until they joined hands.

Accepting Dark Sword Fragrance Mun Bin’s mediation was merely a stratagem to scheme for the future.

As befitting a group of sinister criminals…

At that moment.

Footsteps of multiple people again reached everyone’s ears.

Before long, five martial artists entered and appeared within the castle site.

Unorthodox masters who had suffered complete defeat when Cheol Ryu-heun went on his martial challenge circuit.

Twin Scythe Tiger Gyeong-yang, Hunting Blade Dog Jeom-gan, Poison Heart Claw Yi-ro and others had joined.

After brief greetings were exchanged.

Soon, several more people newly appeared.

CHEOK, CHEOK, CHEOK…

However, they were Orthodox, not Unorthodox.

“Huh?”

“Ho-oh…”

“This is unexpected.”

“Haha, to become allies in such a way.”

“That person’s skills are also hard to predict.”

“Orthodox joining… strange things happen when you live long.”

The Unorthodox masters muttered in various ways with interested expressions.

A man in his fifties wearing white martial attire let out a soft voice.

“Don’t be so surprised, everyone. We have the same purpose too.”

He was Bright Moon Sword Sect’s gate master Full Moon Sword Master Mo-dong – a famous Orthodox force within the Hunan region.

Following that, the man standing shoulder to shoulder with him spoke.

“Looking at it, everyone seems to have gathered.”

A swordsman in his fifties dressed in black vest and martial attire.

He was Complete Flourishing Character Wan-gye, gate master of Six Righteousness Gate, an Orthodox force that dominated Pyeongim, a southwestern city in the Hunan region.

The rising talents of each sect – Moon Gleam Sword Oh Yong and Iron Brush Young Master Wan Ryeom – also stood beside them.

Seeing those two, one could roughly guess the reason for their involvement.

Oh Yong and Wan Ryeom had previously tried to commit obscene acts against Jade Robe Swallow Lady Mae Yak-bang and had been thwarted by Cheol Ryu-heun.

Because of that, the reputation of the Bright Moon Sword Sect and Six Righteousness Gate had fallen to the ground.

Full Moon Sword Master Mo-dong and Complete Flourishing Character Wan-gye had decided to participate because of that grudge.

Rather than repentance, it was brazenly shameless.

Several people on the Unorthodox side spoke up again.

“Even working together with us will be alright?”

“Heheh, exactly.”

“It won’t matter as long as we aren’t caught by others, but…”

At that, Wan-gye looked at his son Wan Ryeom and soon let out a heavy old voice.

“My son suffered such a fate… our sect’s reputation and face are buried below ground. I need to repay that to relieve this anger.”

Mo-dong, who had nodded, added a word.

“He must be trampled and eliminated. Before Cheol Ryu-heun’s name value grows any larger.”

The Unorthodox side had expressions showing they liked that attitude.

Bae Pyeong smiled at the two as if to encourage them.

“Heh. Anyway, welcome. Let’s unite our will and achieve our purpose. Now we just need that person to come…”

While casting his gaze outside the castle site at those words.

PEOLLEOK.

A faint sound like cloth fluttering was heard.

Someone whispered.

“It seems he’s arrived just in time.”

Everyone’s gazes concentrated in that direction.

One among them lit a torch with a fire striker.

It was a prearranged signal.

Whether they saw the light, footsteps approached closer.

JEOBEOK-JEOBEOK, JEOBEOK-JEOBEOK.

But then.

‘Hm?’

The figure that appeared before them was not the person they had been waiting for.

A form dimly revealed by the firelight.

A young man.

Before long, he stopped in close proximity.

He looked about twenty-four or twenty-five years old.

He was a swordsman with strong-looking features.

His gallant figure wearing a Hero’s Headband over long hair was head and shoulders above the rest.

Everything from head to toe, his entire attire was pitch black.

Even the sword at his waist was the same.

The black dragon precisely engraved along the scabbard seemed to exude a tyrannical majesty.

However.

The majesty the young man radiated from his entire body was even more fearsome.

It took their breath away.

It was an intangible aura reminiscent of a black typhoon.

The complexions of the Orthodox and Unorthodox masters paled upon confirming his attire and the sword’s form.

They immediately realized what that sword was and who he was.

In the midst of that, someone muttered as if startled.

“Young Sword King…”

The identity of the imposing young man was none other than Son Ja-ryong, the family Head of the Zhejiang Son Family – one of the Seven Great Families.

Furthermore.

The black iron sword was the Dragon Throne Sword, ranked among the upper tier of the Ten Great Heavenly Weapons.

The strongest master who had pacified the Zhejiang region and moreover the rare genius representing Gangnam had appeared here.

At that moment, Six Righteousness Gate Master Complete Flourishing Character Wan-gye spoke cautiously.

“Family Head Son, have you also… joined due to resentment toward Cheol Ryu-heun?”

Twin Scythe Tiger Gyeong-yang, Hunting Blade Dog Jeom-gan, Poison Heart Claw I-ro and the others also added their voices with startled expressions.

“Bright Moon Sword Sect and Six Righteousness Gate, and even Zhejiang Son Family…”

“This was completely unexpected.”

“Anyway, with even Young Sword King joining, this is truly reassuring.”

At that, Son Ja-ryong surveyed the personnel ahead and said.

“So this is why you’ve gathered here? Transcending factions.”

Everyone’s hearts sank with a thud.

Oh no – he wasn’t summoned by that person!

At that moment, Son Ja-ryong’s eyes churned fiercely.

“You people dare target the White Peak Sword Sect Master? How absurd. Dogs who had tucked their tails not knowing their place…”