Chapter 90: An Interesting Fellow

Read more at Nineheavens.org

For Jeo Gyeom, it was an incomprehensible strange phenomenon.

What was that, those eyes?

The color had changed in an instant.

The pair of pupils that had been jet-black had turned bright red.

As if some kind of special ability related to the body had been activated.

It was far too red.

A crimson deeper than flames.

Moreover, it created a very peculiar atmosphere as if bright and dark feelings coexisted.

The dust cloud had not yet cleared, so others could not see that mysterious change.

Yet.

Even Cheol Ryu-heun himself appeared unaware of it.

Only Jeo Gyeom had seen it.

‘Urk… what… is it?’

Doubt expanding in his mind in an instant.

Suddenly, the red brilliance that had filled Cheol Ryu-heun’s eyes vanished as if washed away.

Along with it, the thick dust also scattered in the wind.

Thus, when the appearances of the two finally became clearly visible, Hyeop Mu-geuk clenched his fist and shouted internally.

‘It’s over!’

Excitement sweeping through his mind.

Thrill rising up his spine made his body tremble on its own.

It was deeply moving.

Cheol Ryu-heun, the newcomer White Peak Sword Sect Master who didn’t even have a proper alias yet, had crushed Dark Hall Master Netherworld Sword Fork Jeo Gyeom, a master evaluated as being in the top ranks throughout this entire region.

It was a major incident.

If the masses of Jianghu were to learn of this fact, ripples shaking all of Hunan Province would occur.

Of course, his trust in Cheol Ryu-heun was firm so he hadn’t thought of defeat at all, but actually watching that scene made him feel as if he had stepped into some unrealistic world.

That wasn’t the only surprising thing.

The unprecedented sword form that Cheol Ryu-heun had executed earlier… That was an essence and profound use that nearly matched the key phrases of the new ultimate technique of the White Peak Sword Scripture that he had once read.

At that time, Cheol Ryu-heun had said this.

That it was key phrases of techniques that future executives of the sect would be required to learn.

Yet.

There was one point different from the content he had seen at that time.

Namely, the method of release.

The sword form Cheol Ryu-heun had executed with a rapid leap had clearly seemed like a horizontal sword attack, yet it had changed to a vertical sword attack in the blink of an eye.

Sword energy contrary to the motion had been released.

It was an incomprehensible part.

Originally, internal energy including sword energy is basically operated following the accompanying motion.

In other words, sword energy is also released in an identical form matching the direction of the slash trajectory.

Yet Cheol Ryu-heun had deployed attacks ignoring the basic principle.

Unless the energy meridians in one’s body for sending out vital energy were tangled and twisted, such operation was virtually impossible.

It was natural that he couldn’t understand.

Cheol Ryu-heun’s body was currently in a state where all pressure points including the three dantians had disappeared, and the ability to handle internal energy techniques had literally become free without physical limitation.

Anyway, Hyeop Mu-geuk anew keenly felt the new Sect Master Cheol Ryu-heun’s outstanding martial arts talent and wore a thin smile.

The reaction of Yeop Hwon, positioned not far away, was no different.

‘Light… Simply light.’

From the moment Cheol Ryu-heun had obtained the Sect Master position, only bright hope had been dwelling in White Peak Sword Sect.

A pounding heart.

The great legacy that Sagong Woon had left behind was standing there in plain sight.

From now on, there was only one thing his old self had to do – assist him well to revive their sect.

Meanwhile.

Mun Bin, positioned beside Divine Wind, wore an expression seized by even greater thrill than those two.

Waves of amazement were brimming and swaying in his eyes.

The majestic sight of Cheol Ryu-heun standing with his foot pressed down on the body of his master Jeo Gyeom, who had been called the Yaksha Holding the Sword of the Netherworld – of all people – made him feel a kind of awe.

How was one supposed to explain that existence, who had had no presence whatsoever until now but appeared like a comet today and revealed a martial prowess level that ruthlessly shattered everyone’s expectations?

It was truly shocking.

Just how many young geniuses possessing such martial power could there be?

A few aliases came to mind immediately, but it was at most a number not exceeding five.

Jeo Gyeom’s dream had finally been broken.

Obtaining the Ghost Shadow Sword Technique to strengthen his personal martial power, and building an alliance centered on the Dark Hall.

Furthermore, the ambitious goal of reorganizing the martial world landscape of this Hunan Province had ultimately turned into futile foam.

Honestly, before the outstanding martial power of Cheol Ryu-heun, the unknown swordsman barely at the age of twenty whom no one had predicted…

For Mun Bin, everything about White Peak Sword Sect was puzzling.

New Sect Master Cheol Ryu-heun, Elder White Mountain Sword Peak Yeop Hwon, General Manager Flash Dagger Sword Wolf Hyeop Mu-geuk had each displayed martial prowess exceeding expectations, leaving strong impressions.

He couldn’t tell when they had all become so strong.

In truth, Yeop Hwon alone was incomprehensible.

A person who had spent no less than eight long years bedridden as if living there had miraculously recovered and shown off sword skills excellent enough to evoke the heyday of his past.

However.

He could vaguely guess.

Cheol Ryu-heun.

The sudden change in White Peak Sword Sect was probably due to the influence of him, who had overcome a vegetative state and been elevated to the new Sect Master.

Just then.

COUGH COUGH!

Jeo Gyeom, having coughed, spewed blood from his mouth repeatedly.

‘Guh…’

It was a gaze sensing it himself.

That only the moment of death awaited now.

He had suffered internal and external injuries, and with the destruction of the Ghost Skull Divine Armor along with his life force, Innate True Energy, having run dry, he could not move at all.

Having coughed a few more times, Jeo Gyeom looked at Cheol Ryu-heun’s eyes, which had regained their original color as if nothing had happened, and buried the series of puzzlement deep in his heart.

When his time to leave this world was not far off, what did curiosity about some strange phenomenon matter?

His flickering vision and consciousness were summoning the shadow of death.

Soon, Cheol Ryu-heun spoke while pressing him with his foot.

“If you wanted to fight properly, you shouldn’t have relied on such ghost energy.”

At that, a bitter smile settled at the corner of Jeo Gyeom’s mouth.

‘Ha… defective product… is it.’

The hidden meaning of those words Cheol Ryu-heun had uttered at the beginning felt piercing to his bones.

Indeed.

The reason he had called the Ghost Skull Divine Armor a defective product was that if the owner could not control the ghost energy well, it meant the attribute of being devoured instead by that corrupt power.

He had been too absorbed in the divine weapon.

So he had become an incarnation of ghost energy with even reason mortgaged, fighting madly, and ultimately paid such a great price.

But if the opponent had been a martial artist other than Cheol Ryu-heun… wouldn’t a different result have come about?

It was pointless.

What was done was done.

Cheol Ryu-heun’s gaze soon rested on Mun Bin’s face.

“There, it’s your share.”

Then he stepped away, withdrawing indifferently to one side.

Simultaneously, Mun Bin powerfully exploded the rage he had suppressed for a while.

“Yes, I shall tie things up.”

Bloodlust was brimming in his resolute voice.

Master, no… The atrocities committed by the one who had been his master… Indignation over that lit a great fire and heated up inside his body.

Before he knew it, Mun Bin had approached Jeo Gyeom’s side and pointed his sword downward.

“Finally… Say a word of apology or excuse.”

Jeo Gyeom quietly blinked his eyes, in which vitality had vanished, then let out a faint exclamation.

“Ha… foolish fellow…”

“What?”

“Even if time were turned back… I would have killed… and erased your family just the same.”

“Urk, to the very end!”

“I’ll go first and… wait. Heh heh…”

The moment Jeo Gyeom let out a cold laugh, Mun Bin’s sword dropped and severed his neck.

SCHWA-SCHAAAK-!

The neatly severed head announced his death, spraying a disgusting fountain of blood.

Soon, a long sigh escaped Mun Bin’s mouth.

“Whew…”

His revenge had succeeded.

Though it hadn’t been accomplished by his own power alone, wouldn’t it at least provide small comfort to the family who had departed from the world by Jeo Gyeom’s hand long ago?

In the blink of an eye.

SWOOSH.

Some figure appeared in a corner of the ruined garden.

Without even a small presence.

It was covert movement like that of a ghost.

The gazes of all simultaneously focused in that direction.

The masked person who had suddenly appeared at roughly twenty paces distance was none other than Heavenly Wind Sword Wolf Ximen Yue.

Yeop Hwon and Hyeop Mu-geuk were seized by a sense of foreboding.

They sensed that the identity was unknown, but it was a suspicious individual.

Mun Bin was the same.

‘Who is that?’

Everyone on the meeting roster had been killed in battle except for himself and the Thousand Snake Gang group.

Indeed.

It was an uninvited person.

In reality, the appearance alone was sufficient to arouse alarm.

Setting aside appearing late without warning, the attire from head to toe was meant to conceal identity and status…

Furthermore, if they hadn’t appeared with bad intentions, why was a sword already drawn and held?

On the other hand, Cheol Ryu-heun showed no change of expression even upon seeing the masked person with suspicious motives appear.

Instead.

STEP, STEP, STEP…

Watching the unfamiliar opponent, he moved forward a few steps and let a bland voice flow.

“What are you?”

Was he genuinely curious, or just asking?

His face was too emotionless to get a grasp at all.

But Ximen Yue didn’t care.

Since he had come intending to kill him anyway, how he behaved was outside his interest.

If he just disposed of Cheol Ryu-heun, the remaining three were not actually much of a problem, he thought.

Naturally, that strange spirit creature would become his.

Cheol Ryu-heun was already exhausted.

Though he had defeated Netherworld Sword Fork Jeo Gyeom with unfathomable sword technique, through that process, he had consumed massive cultivation and even suffered internal injury.

It was a situation where he could sufficiently subdue him with his own power.

Yet… Now that he was face to face with Cheol Ryu-heun up close, it was quite different from observing from afar.

What was that?

Why couldn’t he feel any energy from that body?

Could it be the effect of his internal cultivation being exhausted?

It was strange.

It felt like a common person who didn’t know martial arts was standing there.

Just then, Cheol Ryu-heun’s voice came across the air.

“Shall I guess? You came targeting the Ghost Shadow Sword Technique too, right?”

In that instant, Ximen Yue’s expression beneath the mask changed completely.

‘Oh ho, he noticed that right away?’

Cheol Ryu-heun continued expressionlessly with his voice.

“You’ve consumed your internal cultivation. In that case, I think I can manage.”

Ximen Yue, without even a word of reply, injected powerful vital energy into the sword in his right hand.

Could manage?

The arrogance was excessive.

Just then, Cheol Ryu-heun’s following words touched his nerves.

“Indeed, experience shouldn’t be carelessly ignored?”

Ximen Yue’s hand gripping the sword hilt tightened.

What he had just said clearly indicated the old masked person he had faced earlier.

‘He predicted that I would end up fighting him? Ha, so. He was part of the same group after all.’

Having muttered internally, Ximen Yue kicked off the ground with both feet without further delay and advanced.

The gap compressing at once.

Rapid swordsmanship unfolded along with rapid movement.

Yet.

At some point, Cheol Ryu-heun had charged forward to meet him and swung the Ganjiang Sword hard.

CLA-CLAAANG- KRA-HA-AANG!

Blades colliding head-on without yielding, and from that, a transparent energy wave burst out roundly, generating heavy pressure.

Ximen Yue was inwardly surprised.

‘Such power…!’

Though he had consumed energy fighting the old masked person, it was still a sword strike containing considerable cultivation.

Yet to meet it head-on like that – he couldn’t help but be surprised.

He was clearly in a state of fatigue from the aftereffects of fighting Jeo Gyeom, and even suffering internal injury.

SQUEAK… SQUEAK…

While the two swords pressed body to body, competing in strength and playing an unpleasant friction sound.

“You’re an interesting fellow.”

Cheol Ryu-heun said so while smiling internally.

Ha, what’s this? You possess two types of internal energy techniques with different attributes in one body?

That’s not empty words – you’re quite interesting.

Because lurking inside this bastard’s body… Is the dark energy of demonic cultivation.