Chapter 130: Chapter 130

The stronger a person’s pride, the easier they were to break.

Namgung So-hye had strong pride.

Born as a direct descendant of one of the pillars of the Eight Great Families, learning the orthodox sword techniques of the family, and being called an outstanding rising star since childhood, standing at the forefront.

Such things had made the Namgung So-hye of today.

The harsh teachings of Namgung Cheon had instead become the source that created her high-nosed confidence.

“Haa… Haa… Haa…”

“Heo… Heo…”

Looking at the two people gasping for breath in the distance, Namgung Cheon said nothing. He seemed lost for words, yet perhaps he thought this was only natural.

“Is what is contained in the sword… technique?”

Dan Woo-hyun’s muttering voice was heard.

Yes, what was contained in Namgung So-hye’s sword was undoubtedly the technique possessed by Namgung Cheon. However, she was merely imitating it, and since she could not handle it perfectly, it was meaningless.

“One cannot survive with mere imitation.”

Dan Woo-hyun sneered.

Certainly, Jang Sam-tae’s capabilities were significantly inferior to Namgung So-hye’s. It would not be an exaggeration to say that not only their experience but even the level of the sword techniques they learned were of different classes.

Nevertheless, Namgung So-hye was unable to subdue Jang Sam-tae. Although his eyes had become accustomed to fast swords and fists thanks to Sa Do-hak’s teachings, the lightness art and footwork he originally possessed were at a level that did not fall short even when compared to the sword techniques Namgung So-hye possessed.

Since Dan Woo-hyun and Sa Do-hak had refined it, from Namgung So-hye’s perspective, no matter how great the sword technique she deployed and even if she drew out all of her experience, she could not easily catch him.

“Th-This makes no sense…!”

Namgung So-hye gasped for breath and furrowed her brows.

Already, more than fifteen minutes had passed.

She had thought that a single stance would be enough to subdue him, but the sparring time had exceeded fifteen minutes, and if things went on like this, thirty minutes would soon pass.

Why did this happen?

She glanced over.

She saw Namgung Cheon standing beside Dan Woo-hyun. Since he did not show any expression, it came as an even greater pressure.

‘I cannot lose! That is unacceptable!’

Namgung So-hye gripped her sword even tighter.

From the time the Blood Death Squad incident occurred last time until now.

How much had she practiced and tamed her sword?

Because she thought she could only take responsibility for the family if she climbed to a higher place, she repeated training with blood and sweat to stand where she was now.

But to be held up by someone like Jang Sam-tae of all people?

It must not happen, and it was impossible!

Gritting her teeth even harder, she gripped the sword tightly. She glared at the panting Jang Sam-tae with eyes filled with the determination to decide the match this time for sure.

“She is impatient.”

“Hehe…”

However, the two people watching all of this were skeptical. In a situation where she could not cope with the opponent’s fast feet, trying to decide the match with a single move was a huge mistake.

Meanwhile, Namgung So-hye ran.

She kicked off the ground at once and quickly deployed her movement technique.

Approaching at her maximum speed, she swung her sword like a flash of lightning, even faster than before.

Chwaaak!

But it did not hit.

She cut the collar, but it did not touch Jang Sam-tae’s body.

Jang Sam-tae, who had escaped far away before anyone knew it, clutched his chest and panted.

“I… I almost died. Hey! How could you do that for real!”

She called it a sparring match, but the killing intent felt just now was real.

She had tried to slash his body without the slightest hesitation. If he had been even a little slower in moving, he might have bled and collapsed.

And they said it was just a simple spar!

Jang Sam-tae glared sharply at Dan Woo-hyun.

“Isn’t this a foul?”

“You dodged well. Since you didn’t die, it’s fine.”

“I thought I was going to die!”

“You won’t die from just that. But it seems further sparring is meaningless.”

Dan Woo-hyun chuckled and looked at Namgung So-hye.

Kneeling on the ground, her gaze was blank. It was a sword she had lunged with all her might, enough to be called a final move.

It was not at a level that someone like Jang Sam-tae could dodge.

Yet, the fact that she failed came as a shock to her.

“H-How could this be?”

“What do you mean?”

“Th-That man is clearly…!”

“An insect who wasn’t even third-rate.”

“An insect… M-Master…”

Cold sweat dripping down, Jang Sam-tae stared dumbfounded. If he was going to swear at someone, he should do it when they weren’t around. Wasn’t it too harsh to say that with the person right next to him?

He glared with an angry expression, but Dan Woo-hyun did not budge.

He sneered at the collapsed Namgung So-hye and turned his back.

“Then with this, the sparring with me is canceled. What are you doing? It’s about time to prepare breakfast.”

“Y-Yes, sir!”

Jang Sam-tae rushed hurriedly toward the kitchen. Although his body was aching all over due to being roughly rolled around since early morning, he was not in a position to refuse Dan Woo-hyun’s order.

Even so, he looked quite pleased.

He clenched his fists tightly as he left the training ground.

‘I actually beat Namgung So-hye?’

“Hehehe.”

A silly smile leaked out.

She was a woman who seemed completely out of reach. Just her name and background possessed a sort of power that made people shrink.

But what about now?

He had reached her.

Of course, it would be difficult to say he won. After all, not a single one of Jang Sam-tae’s attacks had hit Namgung So-hye.

However, this alone was enough to gain courage.

Jang Sam-tae felt as if he was becoming a martial artist.

“…”

Namgung Cheon quietly looked at Namgung So-hye.

Her face was clearly filled with frustration. Just the fact that she had finished the spar without securing a clear victory against an opponent whose capabilities were far below hers must have caused anger to well up.

She was likely enduring it with extreme patience.

Namgung Cheon let out a soft sigh.

“Are you frustrated?”

“Why… why did it turn out like this? Does this make sense? I am of the Namgung Family…”

“In martial arts, although there is the high and low of skill, there is also such a thing as compatibility.”

“C-Compatibility?”

“Yes, from what I saw, your movements and sword techniques, all of them had bad compatibility with that fellow Jang Sam-tae.”

“That makes no sense…”

“Although it makes no sense, did it not actually happen right before your eyes?”

Compatibility?

What was that?

Namgung So-hye snorted and found it ridiculous. Wasn’t the high and low of martial arts dependent on the sword skills possessed by the opponent and oneself?

‘You never even taught me anything like that.’

Namgung So-hye bit her lip tightly.

“Your sword is fast and light. But what is contained inside is nothing but a fake sword style trying to copy me. Moreover, no matter how fast it is, it is useless in front of a person who moves even faster. It was highly likely that a result like today’s would occur.”

“…”

“You are still immature.”

It felt as if she had been hit with a switch.

With her head deeply bowed, Namgung So-hye could not bear to raise her head. It felt like she had shown an unsightly display before none other than Namgung Cheon.

She had not practiced martial arts so diligently just to show such a pathetic state.

“I-I am sorry…”

“Haha, I am not angry. Isn’t this also all experience?”

“You are… not angry? I just… the family’s name…”

Namgung So-hye raised her head.

The face of Namgung Cheon at the end of her gaze was strangely different. If such an event had occurred, he would have been the one to get angry quicker than anyone else, yet today, for some reason, he wore a benevolent smile and gently embraced the atmosphere.

It was not the appearance of the Namgung Cheon she knew.

Perhaps because of that, Namgung So-hye’s expression was subtle.

At that moment, Namgung Cheon reached out and stroked So-hye’s head.

“Ah…”

It was as natural as the way Dan Woo-hyun acted toward Dan So-mi. Furthermore, even the expression he showed was just like the grandfather she had imagined for a long time, embracing and patting her painful wounds.

Tears welled up in Namgung So-hye’s eyes.

“Uaaang!”

Throwing herself into his embrace, her crying voice spread out.

* * *

“Hmm… Strange.”

Chief Strategist Dongfang Gu of the Demonic Sect held his breath as he looked at the dead corpses. The number of those who lay twisted and dead like mummies was roughly twenty.

Most of them were first-rate experts, elites of the Demonic Sect who would not be easily defeated anywhere.

Yet.

“No traces of battle?”

“Yes, no matter how hard we look, there are no signs of a fight.”

Dongfang Gu frowned.

This many people were attacked, yet there were no traces of a battle. Since there was not even any sign of attempting to flee, it was as if all twenty of them had died in a sudden surprise attack.

But a surprise attack?

Dongfang Gu examined the traces on the ground one by one.

If it were a surprise attack, the opponents must have been hiding somewhere, but nothing of the sort was visible anywhere, and it could not even be determined by what method any of the dead had been ambushed.

It was as if their hearts had simply stopped naturally.

A sigh leaked from Dongfang Gu’s mouth.

Just how many members of the Demonic Sect had been targeted already?

The culprit had to be caught before Sa Do-hak returned…

“As if things in Martial World weren’t tumultuous enough to give me a headache…”

He frowned, clutching his throbbing head. The incident that occurred in the Martial Alliance, and the fact that the Eight Great Families had split off to form their own force.

All of those things were bound to affect the Demonic Sect. Although they were different factions, the Demonic Sect had to determine its future direction based on each of their actions.

Yet, to think the culprit still had not been caught…

The moment Dongfang Gu shook his head.

Crack!

The sound of bones breaking was heard from somewhere.

The startled gazes of the men turned toward the direction where the sound came from. There, they saw one of their subordinates, whose neck had been snapped, collapsing slowly.

And he saw him.

A man standing blankly in that spot.

A man wearing jet-black wind robes all over his body, his disheveled hair fluttering as he grinned. He was walking toward Dongfang Gu as if it were nothing.

Step, step!

The sound of footsteps pierced sharply into their ears.

Even though it was clearly a situation where they should assume a posture of vigilance, everyone stood frozen, unable to move.

It was the same for Dongfang Gu as well.

Not only because of this bizarre demonic energy flowing from the man’s body, but his gaze seemed to seize and bind everyone’s body like chains.

“W-Who are you…”

Dongfang Gu spoke cautiously with trembling eyes.

This presence.

Perhaps equal to Sa Do-hak.

No, maybe even greater.

“Kneel.”

Boom!

The single word that came out of the man’s mouth pierced into their ears like a bolt from the blue. However, what surprised them even more was that, as if his words carried a physical will, everyone around knelt down.

Dongfang Gu was no exception.

He held his breath as he looked at the man with trembling eyes.

Who on earth was he?

From where had such a ridiculous person appeared?

Twitching the corners of his mouth, he forced himself to meet the man’s gaze. Just making eye contact fell Dongfang Gu into the illusion that his heart was stopping.

His breathing grew rapid.

Then the man’s voice pierced his ears.

“Bow your head before the name of the Black Wind Demonic God. I am your master.”

That single statement became embedded in his mind, echoing in his head.

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