Chapter 109: Chapter 109

“Keok!”

He drove his blade into the neck of an approaching shadow and moved forward. It was a relentless advance, as if to show that no one could stand in his path.

“Die… keok!”

There were also those who threw themselves forward in desperate abandon, consumed by fear. However, the closer they drew, the more it was the shadows who died.

Most of those who had used the deity descent technique were already dead.

If one were to count the scattered corpses, there were easily thirty of them.

Only about ten people remained, and all of them were trembling from head to toe, their morale completely shattered.

What on earth was that human before their eyes?

How could he toy so easily with them, even when they were using the deity descent technique?

Moreover, moving in this darkness was supposed to be their greatest advantage, yet they were dying without even being able to utilize it properly.

Crack!

With the flat of his sword, he struck the face of a man who drew close. A grotesque sound rang out, and the man collapsed, his head shattered to pieces. This was not a simple difference in skill.

Strength, internal energy, experience, martial arts.

In short, it was an opponent who differed in every single aspect.

Once they realized that this was an enemy they could do nothing against simply by relying on numbers, nothing but fear flooded in. What fueled their terror even further was that white mask, which did not reveal even a single emotion.

“S… Spare me…! Aaaaargh!”

One man could not endure it any longer, turned his back, and fled. Running away out of uncontrollable fear was not a bad thing.

If one could live, one had to live.

For that was the law of survival in the Jianghu.

However, as stated, that was only if one could live.

Namgung Cheon lightly swung his sword.

The sword qi that shot out from the tip of his blade enveloped the fleeing man.

Slash!

The body of the man running for his life was split in half. Those who saw it widened their eyes and held their breath. That sword qi shown just now.

Could there be anyone here who did not recognize it?

“C… Could it be… Could it be…!”

“T-That cannot be! That is impossible! He… He was definitely dead…!”

What had just been shown was unmistakably the martial arts of the Namgung Clan.

With everyone currently captured except for Namgung So-hye, there was no one who could use such sword techniques. Yet, a being who displayed the sword techniques of the Namgung Clan and defeated them here with overwhelming strength.

Only one person came to mind.

The Sword Emperor.

That heavy name pressed down on their minds.

“I will not let a single one escape.”

The Sword Emperor spoke in a heavy voice.

They had toyed with his family and the Namgung Clan, so he had absolutely no intention of letting them off easily. He would kill and kill again, toy with them as he killed them, and capture the person behind them to prove that this mortal world was hell.

“U… Uaa… Uaaaaargh!”

“They… They never said a monster like that was coming!”

They screamed from all directions and ran.

Some were even seen abandoning their comrades just to live a moment longer. Since they already knew they could not win, all that was left was a struggle to survive.

However, Namgung Cheon chuckled.

Had he not said it?

That he would not let a single one escape.

He kicked off the ground and flew through the air.

Instantly closing the distance, Namgung Cheon swung his sword toward the head of a fleeing man.

Rip!

The head and torso were split apart, and crimson blood bloomed in all directions. Without stopping, Namgung Cheon flew forward, pursuing those who fled like ticks.

Thud!

He struck the chest of the leading man with a palm, and after confirming the chest bone was crushed, he spun around and fiercely unleashed his blade.

Slash!

Human bodies were cut in two, their flesh carving away and falling. Those who witnessed the deaths of their comrades right before their eyes ran even harder, unable to keep their wits about them.

If only they could get out of here.

If only they could get out of this place!

They could live!

Such thoughts filled their heads.

Thud!

However, Namgung Cheon had no intention of letting anyone live. He pulled back his blade and kicked out at a fleeing man. With a grotesque sound, the man’s head crashed into the wall, his entire body trembling violently.

He was no longer a living person.

Namgung Yong, who had been quietly sitting and meditating, listened to the sounds coming from not far away. The clash of swords was heard as if a fight had broken out, and soon, human screams echoed without end.

“Wake up.”

Namgung Yong woke Namgung Gang first.

With a disheveled appearance and clutching his injured areas, Namgung Gang stood up. Not only him, but the other people of the Namgung Clan nearby were also opening their eyes one by one at the unusual sounds.

“What is happening?”

“Is it the subjugation force?”

“For that, the sound is…”

Namgung Gang shook his head.

If it were the subjugation force, it would have been extremely noisy. Although an equally noisy sound could be heard now, only one-sided screams filled the cave.

Even if it was not the subjugation force, it seemed something had happened.

“Do not let your guard down.”

Namgung Yong checked his physical condition in preparation for any potential situation. Although his dantian was blocked, he was fully capable of managing basic self-defense.

Of course, that was if the opponent was someone such things would work against.

Thud!

Just then, a sound was heard.

This time, it was very close.

One by one, they turned their tense gazes toward the sound.

“Argh! S… Spare me!”

A few groups of men began to run blindly past the place where they were imprisoned. Their faces were pale, looking as if they had seen something they should not have.

At the moment they were watching this.

Someone wearing a mask appeared from the darkness.

Revealing himself in an instant, he ruthlessly killed his opponents. He swung his sword to split heads and kicked to crush the bones of the men.

He stepped on the necks of those who fell without mercy and struck the faces of those who fled, slamming them into the wall.

It was absolute carnage.

Seeing how cruel and ruthless his hands were, all the members of the Namgung Clan had to watch in bated breath.

With everyone collapsed, not even a scream could be heard anymore.

Drip, drip.

The masked man, covered in blood all over his body, stood still in that spot as if catching his breath and did not move for a moment.

Had fear crept into them without them realizing?

No one was the first to speak.

“My, my, I should have left at least one alive…”

The masked man said such words and let out a small sigh. Whatever he was thinking, the single sentence that came out of his mouth brought terror once again.

However, several people watched with shocked expressions.

It was a voice they had heard for a very long time.

No matter how severely injured they were and even though they heard it in a cave like this, there was no way they could forget it.

In particular, Namgung Yong, who had served him from the closest distance, felt it even more.

He grabbed the bars of the prison cell with his hands.

“C… Could it be…!? F… Father!”

At Namgung Yong’s single word, the figures of the Namgung Clan were startled.

Come to think of it, though his face was hidden by a mask, this presence, tone, and physical frame were unmistakably like seeing the Sword Emperor.

Vitality began to return to their fear-filled faces.

None other than the Sword Emperor had returned.

Hope began to bloom that as long as he returned, the collapsed Namgung Clan could be rebuilt at any time. Several of them shed tears.

The sorrow they had harbored all this time burst forth.

Clang!

Just then.

Namgung Cheon drew his sword and cut through the bars.

With a lightly delivered strike, a large hole was created in the place they thought they could never escape from no matter what they did. The first to rush out was none other than Namgung Yong.

“Father! You are Father, right?! It is definitely you, right?”

Namgung Yong grabbed Namgung Cheon, who did not even answer, and shouted. How desperately had he searched for him? He had thought he was dead, and thinking that he had to bury everything in his heart, he had wept inwardly day after day.

“Sob… My… My arm… Sob…”

He also cried out while clutching his missing arm.

The emotion of failing to protect him surged up.

“What are you talking about? I am a man called the Gentleman Sword.”

“F… Father? What are you… saying now…”

Namgung Yong stared blankly at Namgung Cheon, who was denying it.

Although he was missing one arm, this presence, this tone… he could not forget them even if he tried. Even the feel of his remaining right hand was undoubtedly that of his father.

But the Gentleman Sword?

The members of the Namgung Clan also opened their eyes wide.

“D… Do you not recognize me? L-Look, Grand Patriarch. I am the First Elder, Namgung Gyeonjung.”

First Elder Namgung Gyeonjung grabbed Namgung Cheon’s right hand with his trembling hands.

Had he lost his memory? But for that, was that gaze not one that completely yearned for them?

“Hoho, I am sorry. I am the Gentleman Sword. It seems I happened to come here by chance and saved you all.”

Namgung Cheon closed his eyes gently and smiled.

Then he stroked Namgung Yong’s head.

At that sight, everyone widened their eyes. Although he spoke otherwise, he was undoubtedly saying that he was Namgung Cheon, and that he was alive without having died.

“But Father…”

“Enough. I am not your father. Did I not say I am the Gentleman Sword? Hohoho.”

“…”

Namgung Yong and the members of the Namgung Clan realized something.

That currently, Namgung Cheon had no intention of returning to the Namgung Clan. Although they did not know the reason, if that was his will, they had to follow it.

‘Father is… someone who dedicated his entire life to the Namgung Clan.’

There was no way Namgung Yong did not know this.

Was not even the name of the Sword Emperor an achievement established solely with the determination to make the Namgung Clan shine brighter? Yet all that he had built up had ultimately collapsed in an instant.

Had he felt skepticism toward the Martial World?

Namgung Yong bowed his head deeply.

He realized that trying to hold onto him was useless.

This was the same for the others as well.

“By the way… I understand you have a daughter, but I do not see her here?”

“…It seems she successfully escaped.”

“Hohoho.”

Namgung Cheon nodded his head repeatedly, saying indeed.

Indeed, whose granddaughter was she, how could she be easily caught? Since he had raised her so strictly, she naturally should not be caught by such minor thugs.

He smiled softly.

Then he turned his back.

“Where are you going!?”

“Since I am not without legs, would I not go anywhere in the Central Plains?”

“…Do you have no intention of staying with us?”

“The connection between this old man and you all has not ended. We shall meet again someday, so do not make such sad faces.”

Namgung Cheon turned his back slightly and looked at Namgung Yong.

Before he knew it, Namgung Yong, who had followed him close, knelt down and bowed his head. That was undoubtedly out of a sense of guilt for letting the Namgung Clan, which Namgung Cheon had dedicated his entire life to place on a solid foundation, collapse in a single moment.

This was not just Namgung Yong.

Soon, even Namgung Gang knelt down, and everyone from the Namgung Clan who was present bowed their heads and sat down as if pleading for forgiveness for their sins.

‘My, my… Hohoho.’

Namgung Cheon sighed.

All of this responsibility lay with himself…

There was no need for them to hold any sense of guilt.

“Stand up, all of you. If the Sword Emperor were in this place, he would have scolded you severely. You all did well. You survived well. That alone would satisfy the Sword Emperor.”

“…Is that truly so? I… the clan…”

“A collapsed place can simply be repaired, and what is lost can simply be built anew. Also, if this was painful and difficult, you just need to strive so that you never experience such a thing again.”

He spoke gently and stroked Namgung Yong’s head. Feeling his father’s warm touch once again, Namgung Yong closed his eyes tightly and bowed his head.

“I believe in you all. That even without the Sword Emperor, you will never collapse… And remember that the Sword Emperor is also always watching over you.”

That single sentence came to them like ten thousand gold pieces.

Namgung Yong smiled.

He smiled as he listened to his father’s receding footsteps.

Yes, it had collapsed, but they would rise again. It was also true that during this time, too many people had relied on the name of the Sword Emperor.

That was why this mistake had occurred.

Namgung Yong let out a small sigh and stood up from his spot.

“Elder, we shall leave this place and go to a safe house. We will recover our bodies there, find Sohye, and… strike those who made the Namgung Clan this way.”

Namgung Gyeonjung bowed his head deeply.

The Sword Emperor was no more.

The one they had to believe in and follow was undoubtedly this patriarch. Although they knew well how difficult it was to rebuild everything from scratch, the eyes of those present were already burning brightly.

“I shall obey your command, Patriarch.”

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