chapter 256

At the Crossroads of Fate… (3)

Lee Gwak clenched his teeth.

His entire body ached as if he had been struck by a colossal hammer. If he hadn’t drawn his blade to block it at the last moment, the impact could have shattered his entire body. It was a narrow escape.

The force that struck Lee Gwak was overwhelmingly powerful.

Ziiiing!

The blade, which had absorbed the full brunt of the blow, was vibrating.

Calming the blade, Lee Gwak turned to face the direction the attack had come from.

His eyes wavered for a moment. He had recognized the man who had closed the gap in an instant and landed right in front of him.

The man, exuding an aura of decadent beauty that was almost inhuman, was none other than Go Geom Wol.

“You… Why are you here?”

Lee Gwak frowned in disbelief. Go Geom Wol, however, paid him no mind and instead walked toward Baek Hwi-yong, who lay bleeding on the ground.

“Brother!”

“Ah, brother…”

Baek Hwi-yong weakly raised his head to look at Go Geom Wol, his face twisted in pain and desperation.

Blood was gushing from the wound in his chest. It wasn’t a simple puncture wound—his heart had been pierced.

No matter how powerful one’s internal energy might be, it was impossible to survive with a hole in the heart. Baek Hwi-yong’s fate was sealed.

A shadow fell across Go Geom Wol’s face.

“Sigh… I’m too late.”

“This can’t be…”

A cry of anguish erupted from behind Go Geom Wol. It came from none other than Saintess Gu Mun-hye and her escort, Lee Seon-ja, who had arrived late to the battlefield, having followed Go Geom Wol.

Gu Mun-hye stared at Baek Hwi-yong with a look of deep regret.

“If I had known it would come to this, I should have done everything to stop him…”

Despite everyone’s warnings, Baek Hwi-yong had stubbornly insisted on seeking out Han So-cheon. After finally meeting up with Go Geom Wol, Gu Mun-hye and Lee Seon-ja had rushed here to find him.

If they had arrived even a little sooner, they might have prevented this tragedy.

Gu Mun-hye gazed at Go Geom Wol with sorrowful eyes.

Go Geom Wol, holding Baek Hwi-yong, sat still as if he had turned to stone.

Baek Hwi-yong was one of the few younger brothers whom Go Geom Wol genuinely cherished. And now, Go Geom Wol watched helplessly as his beloved brother lay dying.

“Hwi Yeong!”

“Bro…ther!”

Baek Hwi-yong, cradled in Go Geom Wol’s arms, reached out with trembling hands. Go Geom Wol grasped his brother’s hand tightly.

“Re…venge…”

“Hwi Yeong…”

“Promise me…”

“Yes, I promise.”

“I trust… you, brother…”

A smile appeared on Baek Hwi-yong’s lips.

He could trust Go Geom Wol’s promise, and thus, he could die with a smile.

Thud!

His head drooped.

Go Geom Wol gazed silently at Baek Hwi-yong’s lifeless body.

He couldn’t believe that his brother, whom he had trusted enough to entrust the safety of the  saintess, Gu Mun-hye, was dead. Moreover, it was Lee Gwak who had killed him.

Go Geom Wol gently laid Baek Hwi-yong’s body on the ground and stood up. His eyes were filled with a complicated mix of emotions.

“Sigh…”

A deep, heavy sigh echoed across the battlefield.

Lee Gwak suddenly felt a chilling sense of dread.

If no one else, at least Lee Gwak could understand just how much anger and turmoil were hidden within Go Geom Wol’s sigh.

“Sigh…”

Lee Gwak’s sigh wasn’t much different from Go Geom Wol’s.

He hadn’t realized that the man he had killed was an acquaintance of Go Geom Wol. Of course, even if he had known, the outcome wouldn’t have changed, but he might have been better prepared.

Go Geom Wol was the first to speak.

“I never thought it would come to this with you.”

“Neither did I.”

“First, my master, and now Hwi Yeong, both at your hands. This is the most cursed of fates.”

“I’m truly sorry.”

“It’s all because of her.”

Go Geom Wol’s gaze shifted to Han So-cheon, who was sitting in the carriage.

Han So-cheon had been awake since Baek Hwi-yong’s attack. She just hadn’t been able to move.

She recognized Go Geom Wol instantly, and Go Geom Wol, in turn, recognized her.

“If I’d known it would come to this, I should’ve tracked you down and killed you back then. My mercy has led to this disaster.”

Han So-cheon’s face turned deathly pale.

His words felt like daggers stabbing into her heart. This wasn’t just a figure of speech—Han So-cheon’s heart actually throbbed with pain.

The killing intent in Go Geom Wol’s words was striking directly at her heart, and in her wounded state, she could do nothing to resist.

Lee Gwak stepped in front of Han So-cheon.

“This isn’t her fault.”

“Then whose is it?”

“Fate, I suppose. Just as you once said…”

It was something Go Geom Wol had said to Lee Gwak when they parted ways before leaving the Jade Heaven Alliance.

Go Geom Wol’s expression changed subtly.

“Yes, perhaps it is fate. Maybe our destinies were meant to end this way.”

Lee Gwak had already taken Gwan Il Hyeon’s life and now his brother, Baek Hwi-yong.

There was no longer any reason to avoid a fight.

“I had intended to save this fight for last…”

Shrrring!

Go Geom Wol drew his sword.

The Sura.

The most treasured blade of the Celestial Demon Troupe was now pointed at Lee Gwak.

In that instant, Lee Gwak felt as if an invisible force had pierced his heart.

His face turned as rigid as stone.

He, too, had hoped to avoid a fight with Go Geom Wol until the final confrontation.

In front of everyone, at the ultimate battleground.

But it was no longer possible to postpone their battle.

Go Geom Wol was consumed by rage over the death of his cherished brother. There was no avoiding it now.

Lee Gwak raised his blade, and his mind began to calm.

This was a man he would have to face eventually. Knowing it was simply coming sooner than expected allowed him to feel a little more at ease.

For a moment, Lee Gwak’s gaze shifted to Han So-cheon.

She was staring at him, her hands clenched tightly around the edges of the carriage.

Seeing her anxiety, Lee Gwak smiled.

Even if his life was in danger, he always wanted to appear strong in front of the woman he loved.

Even if he were to lose his life today, he would make sure she escaped this place safely.

Clenching his blade tighter,

Wooong!

As if responding to Lee Gwak’s resolve, his blade emitted a low hum, and Go Geom-wol’s beloved sword, Sura, answered with its own.

Jing! Jing! Jiiing!

The sword and blade echoed in unison.

“Ugh!”

“What is this?”

The faces of Gu Mun-hye and Lee Seon-ja grew pale.

The harmony of the blade and sword infiltrated their eardrums, shaking them from within. They quickly stepped back.

The same went for Ki Jin-hwi and Han So-cheon.

Ki Jin-hwi helped Han So-cheon move far away from the battlefield.

Gu Mun-hye silently watched Han So-cheon.

All of this had started when Han So-cheon assassinated Yang Sangwol. But it wasn’t right to blame her completely.

Han So-cheon had merely acted as a tool.

She had followed the orders of the Jade Heaven Alliance faithfully. Still, that didn’t absolve her of all responsibility.

The world of Jianghu was unforgiving. Anyone tainted by even a speck of blood would never be forgiven.

Gu Mun-hye’s gaze shifted to Lee Gwak, who was now facing off against Go Geom Wol.

“Is that really the same outer hall martial artist I saw back then?”

She recalled the first moment she had encountered Lee Gwak.

He had entered the Celestial Demon Troupe alongside Yong Cheon Myeong, the young master of the Jade Heaven Alliance.

Gu Mun-hye, as the Saintess, possessed the ability to glimpse fragments of the future. In the future she had seen, Lee Gwak existed, but he wasn’t this formidable. This discrepancy left her baffled.

Despite facing Go Geom Wol, Lee Gwak showed not the slightest hint of intimidation.

Standing there with his blade, Lee Gwak exuded the presence of a master. The difference between the man she remembered and the one she saw now was bewildering.

Go Geom Wol’s anger, fueled by the loss of Baek Hwi-yong, was terrifying. His raw emotions radiated through the air, sending shivers down even those who knew him best, like Gu Mun-hye. Yet, in the face of Go Geom Wol’s wrath, Lee Gwak’s eyes remained calm.

Lee Gwak cleared his mind.

Everything else faded away—his current situation, the environment around him—until all that remained was Go Geom Wol.

At this moment, all he needed was singular focus on Go Geom Wol.

Gradually, the world around Lee Gwak faded from his awareness.

All that existed was Go Geom Wol.

It was the same for Go Geom Wol.

While his heart burned with rage, his mind was sharper than ever. Just as Gu Mun-hye could see Lee Gwak’s strength, Go Geom Wol could sense it.

Lee Gwak emitted an aura that suggested he had become one with his blade.

He was the blade, and the blade was him.

Lee Gwak himself had become a sharp, deadly blade.

Swish!

Lee Gwak pushed off the ground.

Moving low to the ground like a swallow, he closed the distance, his blade cutting through space.

Lee Gwak had chosen to strike first.

Against an unpredictable master like Go Geom Wol, there was no point in waiting or probing. He had to go all out from the start to have even a sliver of a chance.

Siiick!

His blade aimed for Go Geom Wol’s chest with lightning speed.

In that instant, a blinding flash flickered before Lee Gwak’s eyes.

Clang!

His blade was deflected with a metallic sound—it had been blocked by Go Geom Wol’s sword.

“Here I come.”

The moment Go Geom Wol’s cold voice rang out, Lee Gwak lifted his blade to defend himself.

Claaang!

A sharp metallic sound exploded, and Lee Gwak was pushed back several feet.

He had barely managed to block it, or the Sura would have pierced his heart. The strike had been that powerful.

Whoosh!

Go Geom Wol’s sword thrust toward Lee Gwak.

Back when the Celestial Demon Troupe was known as the Demonic Cult, there were thirteen great schools. Among them, the strongest was the War Sword School.

Go Geom Wol was now unleashing the War Sword Style.

A martial art that shone brightest in the midst of battle, and grew stronger through relentless combat. Not only had Go Geom Wol mastered War the Sword Style, but he had also enhanced it with his own insights.

Clang! Clang!

Lee Gwak’s blade clashed repeatedly with Go Geom Wol’s blade.

If Go Geom Wol had the War Sword Style, Lee Gwak had the “Heaven Killing Blade.”

Like War Sword Style, the Heaven Killing Blade grew stronger with each fierce battle. Although Lee Gwak hadn’t practiced it as long as Go Geom Wol had studied his art, it didn’t matter.

Right now, Lee Gwak’s senses were honed to their peak.

Siiick!

His blade struck sharply at Go Geom Wol’s weak points, but Go Geom Wol effortlessly parried the attack.

There was no specific form or technique to War Sword Style. Every movement Go Geom Wol made was absolute perfection.

Go Geom Wol’s blade moved freely, guided solely by his will.

The same went for Lee Gwak.

He blocked Go Geom Wol’s unpredictable attacks with extreme focus and countered fiercely.

Clang, clang, clang!

In an instant, hundreds of clashes rang out between blade and sword.

Whoosh!

Grass, trampled beneath their feet, was swept up by the fierce wind, swirling wildly into the air.

Amidst the whirlwind, Lee Gwak and Go Geom Wol fought intensely.

As time passed, Go Geom Wol’s War Sword Style grew fiercer and more powerful.

Go Geom Wol wasn’t merely using War Sword Style. He had mastered countless techniques within the Celestial Demon Troupe, including the Heavenly Poisonous Heart Technique.

Heavenly Poisonous Heart Technique was the pinnacle of Go Geom Wol’s martial arts. When fully mastered, it allowed any weapon to reach its utmost potential.

This was why Go Geom Wol had sought out the long-lost War Sword Style.

Combined with the Heavenly Poisonous Heart Technique, War Sword Style became the most formidable technique.

Whoosh!

The wind of blades howled around them.

Lee Gwak and Go Geom Wol’s forms were soon hidden within the swirling blade winds. No one on the outside could see what was happening.

What techniques were being used, who was gaining the upper hand, who held the advantage—none of it was visible.

Spurt!

A drop of blood splattered onto Han So-cheon’s face. It had been carried by the blade wind.

Someone had been wounded.

“Could it be…?”

Han So-cheon quickly raised her head to look at the battlefield.

Clang!

The fierce winds abruptly ceased. The violently swirling grass gradually settled.

“Ah!”

Han So-cheon’s face hardened as she took in the scene before her.