-Sizzle!

Although gripped by pain that felt like burning every time Mok Gyeong-un’s sword intent touched him, Master Ou Cheonmu didn’t show any signs of pain or utter even a single groan.

“Huu.”

He merely regulated his breathing.

Of course, it was partly due to his strong endurance, but it was also because of his dignity.

As one called one of the Six Heavens, the pinnacle of the current martial world, it was difficult to show weakness in front of his children.

Watching him, the second son Ou Woong-seong inwardly clicked his tongue.

He, whose arm had been reattached first, couldn’t endure the pain and had screamed.

Yet seeing his father’s expression not changing at all, he felt both admiration and even more guilt.

‘…If I hadn’t coveted that orb, would this have happened?’

Yes.

Maybe it wouldn’t have.

That’s why he felt even more guilty.

What pained him even more was that neither his father nor his brothers blamed him.

Even that youngest brother Ou Yeonwoo, born of a different mother, whom he had resented and tormented so much.

That boy had bowed his head for his sake.

Even his elder brother, who had been practically backstabbed by him.

-Drip!

A tear rolled down the cheek of the second son Ou Woong-seong, whose eyes had reddened.

He wasn’t aware of it, but Mok Gyeong-un was closely observing this.

Although he had ended it after receiving loyalty from Master Ou Cheonmu and the Spiritual Sword Sanctuary, he had been considering killing him if necessary because he had continued to create troublesome situations.

But seeing his gaze and attitude change so noticeably, he felt puzzled.

-That is what it means to be human.

Cheong-ryeong’s voice rang in Mok Gyeong-un’s ear.

To this, Mok Gyeong-un replied through voice transmission.

-What do you mean by that?

-What do you think distinguishes humans from beasts?

-Isn’t it the use of tools and the ability to think?

He answered with the most decisive differences.

Cheong-ryeong inwardly clicked her tongue and said,

-…Of course, there’s that. But humans also change.

-Change… you say?

-Yes.

-Mortal, you seem to think humans are inherently unchanging because you don’t trust anyone, but human beings change as they experience many things. For example, the emotion of regret would be part of that.

-Regret? Isn’t that also a kind of learning?

-Don’t view all emotions simply rationally. Emotions belong to the realm of sensibility.

-If Cheong-ryeong says so, then it must be.

Mok Gyeong-un answered with a slight smile.

Seeing him like this, Cheong-ryeong muttered softly.

-And you’re changing too.

-Pardon?

-It’s nothing.

-You clearly said something.

-I said it’s nothing!

At her firm exclamation, Mok Gyeong-un shrugged.

No matter how much she muttered, there was no way he couldn’t have heard the words ringing in his ear.

‘Changing, she says…’

He didn’t know in what aspect she was saying such things.

He felt he was still the same as ever.

-Sizzle!

Having successfully completed the Three Marvels Method, Mok Gyeong-un removed his hand from the wound on Master Ou Cheonmu’s severed right arm.

“Try moving it.”

At these words from Mok Gyeong-un, Master Ou Cheonmu carefully tried moving his arm.

-Swish!

‘Ah!’

Ou Cheonmu’s eyes trembled.

He had only moved it a little, but sensation returned to the arm that had been filled with emptiness just moments ago.

It was truly remarkable.

Although it was no longer surprising after seeing the second son Ou Woong-seong’s arm reattached, he couldn’t help feeling overwhelmed as his arm moved.

At this, Master Ou Cheonmu knelt on one knee before Mok Gyeong-un, clasped his hands, and said respectfully,

“This old one offers thanks for the noble sir’s generous grace.”

-Thud!

“We brothers also thank you!”

Following him, the eldest son Junior Master Ou Woong-hwang, the second son Ou Woong-seong, and the third son, the youngest Ou Yeonwoo, also knelt on one knee and showed respect.

Regardless of how it happened, they were simply grateful just for reattaching their father’s and brothers’ severed arms.

Mok Gyeong-un waved his hand lightly at them as if bothered and said,

“This much is only natural. I understand, so would you all please rise…”

-Rip!

-Clang!

At that moment, a leather scabbard tore and Evil Commandment Sword, one of Mok Gyeong-un’s magic swords, fell to the ground.

It seemed that although it was made to serve as a scabbard, it couldn’t withstand Evil Commandment Sword’s sharpness and finally tore.

Then Master Ou Cheonmu, noticing this, opened his mouth with surprised eyes.

“Noble sir, is that perhaps the Evil Commandment Sword sword?”

“As expected of a sword craftsman, you recognize it at a glance. There have been people who sensed the sword’s demonic nature, but you’re the first to immediately recognize what sword it is, Sect Leader.”

Indeed, it was rare for someone to recognize what sword it was at a glance without extensive knowledge about swords.

In that sense, he couldn’t help but feel puzzled that he recognized the sword’s name instantly.

But then,

“How could I not know? That sword was made by our clan’s ancestor, Ou Yezi. How could this descendant not recognize it?”

‘!?’

Ou Yezi.

A man from the state of Yue during the Spring and Autumn period, considered the greatest craftsman.

The swords he made were all renowned and called legendary swords that transcended time.

A strange light flickered in Mok Gyeong-un’s eyes.

He had heard that he was called a sword craftsman to the extent that there were rumors of him being a descendant of Ou Yezi, but it wasn’t a rumor, it was none other than the truth.

***

A forest about 30 ri away from the Spiritual Sword Sanctuary.

There, a group of warriors with visible signs of fatigue were panting and catching their breath.

The clothing of these people bore the emblem symbolizing the Righteous Alliance.

“Huu… Huu…”

Among these exhausted people, there was one who was slowly regulating his breathing, though not as tired as the others – it was Moyong Hak, the eldest son of the Moyong family.

What could be the reason that even he, leading the Righteous Alliance warriors, was so exhausted?

Moyong Hak raised his head and looked up at the trees.

‘Why on earth is she doing this?’

In fact, he too didn’t know the reason.

Just because of her one word that they needed to hurry, they had to use their lightness skill without rest as soon as they left the Spiritual Sword Sanctuary.

Thanks to this, even he, with relatively solid internal energy, couldn’t help but be exhausted.

Meanwhile, someone landed in front of him.

-Thud!

It was none other than Jeong Myeong Sa-tae of the Hangshan Sect.

She, who had descended with graceful body techniques, breathed a sigh of relief and said,

“Amitabha. Fortunately, it seems there is no pursuit.”

At these words, Moyong Hak asked in a tone of incomprehension,

“Pursuit? What do you mean by that, Sa-tae? Don’t tell me you did this because you thought that monster-like person might have set trackers on us?”

“That’s correct.”

“What?”

He had thought it unlikely, but was it really because of that they had used their lightness skill recklessly as soon as they left the Spiritual Sword Sanctuary?

“Sa-tae. But didn’t that person say with his own mouth:”

[Righteous Alliance? Ah. I think I’ve heard of it. They say it’s one of the three powers dividing the current martial world along with the Heaven and Earth Society and the Four Evils Alliance.]

[Amitabha. That’s correct.]

[From the look in your eyes, you seem quite worried, monk.]

[…Not at all, patron. How could this humble monk do such a thing? Rather, I’m grateful that you’ve resolved the true culprit behind the Namgoong family tragedy, which was a concern for our Alliance.]

[I didn’t particularly do it for the Righteous Alliance, but if it helped you, then I suppose there’s no need for us to be at odds with each other.]

[……]

Jeong Myeong Sa-tae also remembered the last words that person had said.

He hadn’t exactly spoken in a roundabout way.

It clearly meant that they shouldn’t create reasons to be at odds with each other.

From their standpoint, they didn’t particularly want to make him an enemy, so if the other party took the initiative like this, it wasn’t bad.

Moyong Hak had taken this at face value.

He thought that the other party wouldn’t want to be at odds with a huge organization like the Righteous Alliance either.

But Jeong Myeong Sa-tae didn’t take it so literally.

“Patron. Does ‘let’s not create reasons to be at odds’ sound purely friendly to you?”

“…Are you saying it has a different meaning?”

“To this humble monk’s ears, it sounded like he could handle it even if reasons to be at odds arose.”

“What?”

“I didn’t say this at the scene because there were many ears listening and eyes watching, but this isn’t something our Alliance, no, the current martial world can simply overlook.”

“Is it because a new peerless expert has appeared?”

“It’s not just a new expert. As you must have realized too, patron Moyong, he will soon be called the seventh heaven by martial artists.”

At these words, Moyong Hak couldn’t hide his excitement.

“The, the seventh heaven? You mean he’ll become one of the Seven Heavens?”

“…It’s not about becoming one. When this incident spreads, he will establish himself as a new heaven.”

He broke the One Hundred and Eight Arhat Formation of Shaolin, called the birthplace of the Orthodox Sect’s martial arts, with just one True Enlightened step, and Master Ou Cheonmu of the Spiritual Sword Sanctuary, one of the current martial world’s six pinnacles, acknowledged defeat without even fighting, swearing loyalty after seeing the sword mark on the cliff.

With just these two actions, he was already writing a legend surpassing the other Six Heavens.

What she was worried about wasn’t the emergence of this new powerhouse.

“An expert who has reached the realm of grand master has entered under someone stronger than him. Just that alone is already distorting the balance of power.”

“Ah!”

At her meaningful words, Moyong Hak finally realized the seriousness of the situation.

The problem was that the new powerhouse didn’t just defeat an existing powerhouse, but subjugated him.

An expert at the level of the Six Heavens was no different from a one-man sect by himself.

Just by taking such a being under his wing, this person had essentially shattered the balance in the current martial world and created a new landscape.

“The fact that he subjugated Master Ou and took him under his wing, when he could have ended it with just a competition, means his actions might not end with simply making a name for himself.”

“So that’s why you were worried about pursuit.”

“Yes, he might want to delay the spread of news about his actions.”

“…Sa-tae.”

“What is it?”

“Thinking about it, isn’t this even more serious?”

“What do you mean?”

“Doesn’t the fact that he just let us, members of the Righteous Alliance, go mean that he doesn’t care even if his actions become known?”

‘!!!!!!’

At these words from Moyong Hak, Jeong Myeong Sa-tae’s expression became even more serious.

This made sense.

The opponent might be so confident that he doesn’t even care if his actions are revealed to the Righteous Alliance’s ears, or he might be ready to create a new order.

To this, Jeong Myeong Sa-tae said,

“This won’t do. Patron, we need to hurry to a branch office to send a messenger bird, and then we should go straight to the Alliance’s headquarters.”

***

This place, full of the smell of iron and still filled with heat, was Master Ou Cheonmu’s workshop.

Many famous swords that made a name in the current martial world were born here.

Among them, the sword that many swordsmen considered the best was Ilhwi, the unique weapon of Jeong Hyeon-mun, the leader of the Righteous Alliance.

Jeong Hyeon-mun, one of the Six Heavens, was known to have never been defeated since obtaining Il-hwi, and Ou Cheonmu’s reputation as a craftsman soared to the heavens after that.

Many people considered it a great wish to enter this place and ask Ou Cheonmu to craft their unique weapon.

-Tap!

Master Ou Cheonmu, who had been examining the torn leather scabbard, put it down and said,

“A leather scabbard will have difficulty withstanding the sword’s sharpness.”

To these words, Mok Gyeong-un shrugged and replied,

“Yes, it was a bit precarious.”

He had somewhat expected this, as he always carried the sword.

Master Ou Cheonmu politely extended both hands.

“I need to craft a scabbard suitable for the sword, may this lowly one examine the sword for a moment?”

“…Will you be alright?”

“What do you mean?”

“Evil Commandment Sword is set to reveal its desires when touched by anyone other than me.”

“I see… So it’s as I’ve heard.”

Master Ou Cheonmu nodded and stared intently at the magic sword Evil Commandment Sword.

But that gaze was strangely bitter.

It’s a sword made by Ou Yezi, who could be considered his ancestor, so why is he looking at it with such eyes?

“What’s wrong? Is there something wrong with the sword?”

Mok Gyeong-un lifted the sword to examine it.

What was surprising was that despite being so old and having absorbed much blood, the blade of the magic sword Evil Commandment Sword was still sharp and without a single blemish.

Even excellent iron would inevitably have its edge damaged after long use and clashing, so this was truly strange.

Then Ou Cheonmu brought thick work gloves and said,

“That sword is made of a very special iron called Gwanya black iron, so its blade probably won’t be damaged until its lifespan is completely over.”

Ou Cheonmu put on the gloves and extended both hands again.

At this, Mok Gyeong-un handed him the sword.

If necessary, he could subdue him and take it back, and inwardly, he was also curious about what would happen if a peerless expert at the grand master level like him held Evil Commandment Sword.

-Tap!

Ou Cheonmu received the sword while wearing gloves.

The sword body trembled subtly.

Although it wasn’t in direct contact because of the gloves, it might be showing aversion to being in someone else’s hands.

But then, as Ou Cheonmu injected true energy into the sword,

-Woong woong woong!

The sword’s cry rang out, and the trembling of the sword body stopped.

‘Did he subdue it?’

A strange light flickered in Mok Gyeong-un’s eyes.

Indeed, perhaps because he had achieved the Way of the Sword, Extreme of the Sword, he seemed to be at a level where he could control even Evil Commandment Sword’s demonic nature.

It wasn’t for nothing that he was called one of the Six Heavens.

Having suppressed the sword’s spirit with his true energy, Ou Cheonmu spoke in a bitter voice.

“A sword can be illuminated by itself, but truly, the element of a great sword is that it can make its owner shine the brightest. However, this sword has a nature completely opposite to that.”

“……”

“To think there’s a sword that drives its owner to the brink of death unless they can overcome its demonic nature.”

Ou Cheonmu shook his head.

Then, scanning the sword body with both eyes, he continued speaking.

“Our ancestor Ou Yezi said that making this and four other demonic swords was the most regrettable thing he did in his lifetime.”

“Five demonic swords… He said making them was shameful?”

Were there demonic swords other than Evil Commandment Sword and Plundering-killing Sword?

More than that, it was unexpected to hear that he expressed shame after making the swords.

This was because Mok Gyeong-un quite liked Evil Commandment Sword and Plundering-killing Sword.

“Is it because they became demonic swords?”

“That might be part of the reason, but the reason our ancestor regretted making these demonic swords lies elsewhere.”

“What is it?”

To Mok Gyeong-un’s question, Master Ou Cheonmu answered in a meaningful voice.

“It’s because human flesh and blood, and their grudges, are imbued in these demonic swords.”

“Is that so?”

‘!?’

For a moment, Master Ou Cheonmu frowned.

Is this really all the reaction he has?