Chapter 56: Identity (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 56: Identity (1)
Fortunately, once I left the Star Tower of the Wind Shadow Eight Streams Sect, there were no warriors from the Mucheonjeong Sect in sight.
It seemed almost the entire force of the Mucheonjeong Sect had gathered near the Wind Shadow Eight Streams Sect's tower. It made sense, considering they would have to wage a full-scale war if things went south.
I hurried, unfolding my lightness skill, but my mind was racing with impatience.
Just then, the voice of the Sodam Sword echoed in my head.
-By the way, Un-hwi. Wouldn't it be easier for you if that vixen of a girl just died?
'What?'
-She’s after the Blood Demon too. Aren't you two technically rivals?
...He wasn't wrong.
However, Baek Hye-hyang had risked her life to save me. If it weren't for her, I might be dead right now. Even if we were destined to clash as enemies later, I was going to save her now.
-I agree with Un-hwi on this. Leaving someone who saved your life to die goes against the moral code.
The moral code.
It wasn't even about such a profound meaning for me. Regardless of right or wrong, or even profit, I simply felt that I couldn't live with myself if I let Baek Hye-hyang, who saved my life, die such a meaningless death.
-Tsk. What a wasted opportunity.
The Sodam Sword grumbled, but my mind was already made up.
Before long, the Star Tower of the Mucheonjeong Sect came into view.
-Huh? There’s no one here.
There wasn't a single person near the tower. Usually, there would be gatekeepers guarding the entrance, but even they were nowhere to be seen. Furthermore, the main gates of the tower were wide open.
-It looks like a lure, Un-hwi.
I agreed with the Namcheon Iron Sword. It was as if the open doors were an invitation to walk straight in. In fact, I could hear the cries of numerous swords from within.
-........
They were likely lying in ambush. They might be able to suppress their presence, but as long as they carried swords, they couldn't deceive me.
I scanned the Star Tower from bottom to top.
-Where could she be?
I couldn't tell. The most suspicious place was the top floor. If she was at the very top, I could use the Silver Smoke Thread to scale the building in one go. However, if she wasn't there, it would be a wasted effort.
'Should I interrogate someone?'
It seemed faster to catch someone and make them talk. I didn't know if they would open their mouths easily, but surely someone among that many people would have a loose tongue.
-So, you're saying you have to walk into the trap of your own accord.
'......'
If that's what they want, I'll give it to them. We have to clash eventually anyway.
Since time was of the essence, I didn't hesitate and stepped through the main gates of the Mucheonjeong Sect's Star Tower.
The moment I entered,
Slam!
The open doors shut tight. Along with the sound of a heavy bolt sliding into place, about forty warriors of the Mucheonjeong Sect, who had been lying in ambush throughout the tower, swarmed out.
Thirty were first-rate masters, and ten were peak-level experts.
'......As expected, they left a significant force behind.'
It seemed they were the force designated to suppress me.
-There are too many of them. Will you be alright?
How could I be alright?
The ambushers quickly surrounded me. A bearded middle-aged man, who appeared to be the leader, stepped forward and spoke.
"We prepared this just in case, but I didn't think you'd actually show up."
If the energy I sensed through my Qi sense was correct, he was a master at the beginning stages of the Supreme Peak Realm. They had certainly gone all out to kill me.
Just in case, I decided to test him.
"Do you know that your sect leader isn't the real Muchen Sword Emperor?"
At my question, the bearded man gave a smirk.
"To risk your life for a mere slip of a girl... you truly are a fool beyond measure."
Judging by his tone, he was one of the fake Muchen Sword Emperor's men, just like that white-haired old man. It made sense; they wouldn't leave anyone who didn't know the truth to set a trap.
I shook my head and replied.
"I see. But setting a trap like this just to catch 'a mere slip of a girl' doesn't seem very wise either. It's rather petty, wouldn't you say?"
At my sarcastic tone, a furrow appeared between the middle-aged man's brows. I didn't have the luxury to care about his feelings, so I asked point-blank.
"Where is she?"
"A man about to die has far too many questions."
He raised his hand and gave a signal.
"Kill him at on—"
"Before that, I have something to say to all of you."
"What?"
"It seems I have some allies here."
At my sudden remark, the middle-aged man let out a scoff of disbelief.
"You're trying every trick in the book. Do you really think that will help you survive?"
I gave a thin smile.
"If you look into my eyes, you'll know who the allies are."
"What kind of nonsense are you spouting—"
It was at that exact moment.
"Die!"
Thwack!
"!?"
One of the warriors suddenly stabbed the man standing next to him in the neck. The warriors were thrown into a panic by the sudden turn of events.
"Yangpyeong? You!?"
But that wasn't the end of it.
"Die!"
"W-What is this!?"
Starting with him, the warriors surrounding me began to stab each other indiscriminately. The bearded leader couldn't hide his bewilderment at the completely unexpected situation.
"What on earth is happening?"
It was the effect of the Illusion Eye. I felt nearly thirty percent of my Innate True Qi being consumed. I felt a slight dizziness, but unlike before, my Innate True Qi had increased enough for me to endure it.
Roughly fourteen or fifteen people had fallen under the spell of the Illusion Eye. It would have been better if everyone had been affected, but this was enough.
"This bastard really is a spy!"
"W-What are you talking about?"
"Shut up! Then how do you explain what you just did!"
As those they thought were allies suddenly launched surprise attacks, even those not affected by the Illusion Eye began attacking them out of suspicion. Even if the spell broke and they regained their senses, explanations wouldn't work once they had already stabbed a comrade to death.
'Now.'
Swish!
I targeted those who hadn't fallen under the Illusion Eye first. Given time, they would realize something was wrong.
I thought things were going according to plan, but the bearded man let out a shout infused with internal power.
"Halt!"
At his roar, the warriors who were attacking each other stopped momentarily, as if turned to stone. The bearded man shouted in a voice thick with rage.
"There are no spies! That brat is using evil arts. Do not be deceived!"
"Evil arts?"
He had assessed the situation more calmly than I expected. I had enjoyed some success with the Illusion Eye a few times, so I thought it would work again, but it didn't last long. A pity. I could have thinned their numbers more.
The bearded man pointed his sword at me and said, "You. Who the hell are you? How can you use such evil arts?"
I threw his own words back at him.
"You're about to die, so there's no reason for me to tell you."
"You little—!"
The bearded man leaped into the air and brought down a devastating strike toward me. I raised the Namcheon Iron Sword and blocked his blade.
Clang!
He unleashed ten stars of internal power, attempting to cleave me in two along with my sword. But that was only possible if my internal power was weaker than his. Or perhaps he had another trick up his sleeve.
-Un-hwi, to your left!
I knew it. Someone was aiming for my blind spot on the left, where my eye was closed.
While still blocking the bearded man's sword, I extended my left hand. At that moment, the Sodam Sword, which was tied to the Silver Smoke Thread, flew out like a flying dagger and lunged toward the abdomen of the man attempting the surprise attack.
"Tch!"
The man tried to shift his sword's trajectory to knock the Sodam Sword away. But as I lightly pressed down on the thread with my index finger,
Slash!
The Sodam Sword changed direction and pierced through the man's throat.
"Gurgle..."
Whirrrr!
The Sodam Sword, having pierced his throat, was pulled back into my hand. The warriors couldn't hide their shock at the sight.
"T-The dagger changed its trajectory as if it were alive!"
"How did he do that?"
One of the basics of the Dagger-Killing King's Flash Shadow Throwing Dagger Technique was freely bending the trajectory of a dagger tied to a Silver Smoke Thread in mid-air. I had practiced the Flash Shadow Throwing Dagger Technique whenever I had a spare moment. Now, I could handle the flying dagger—no, the flying sword—quite convincingly.
"You... you haven't just mastered the sword."
With those words, the bearded man, still clashing blades with me, tried to kick me in the ribs. In response, I spun the dagger and aimed for his ankle. Having mastered both the flying dagger arts and the Eight Thunder Short Sword Art, it didn't matter to me whether the attack was close-range or long-range.
"Urgh!"
Step!
Startled, he pulled his leg back and broke the sword lock. As he retreated, I unleashed one of the secret techniques of the Flash Shadow Throwing Dagger Technique: Flying Shadow Sword Source (飛影劍原).
As I pressed the Silver Smoke Thread as if playing a stringed instrument, the thread vibrated, and afterimages appeared on the dagger, making it look like there were several of them.
"Hmph!"
The man, having retreated, unfolded a sword formation to block it. But it was exactly as it seemed. It wasn't that the dagger was moving so fast it left afterimages; it was a technique to deceive the eyes. There was only one real dagger.
Clatter!
The dagger caught on the man's sword, and the Silver Smoke Thread wound around it. I immediately yanked it toward me.
"Oh no!"
The bearded man tried to hold his ground by surging his internal power, but the Innate True Qi I channeled into the Silver Smoke Thread was stronger than his power.
Skreeee!
His feet dragged across the floor as he was pulled toward me.
"Fine! Then I'll come to you!"
Realizing he couldn't resist, the man threw himself toward me. He attempted to execute a sword move even while the Sodam Sword was entangled with his blade.
"Short-sighted."
"What?"
I extended my left arm to the side. As I did, the man's sword, which was following the thread, was pulled toward the left.
"What!?"
Thud!
Not missing the opening, I drove my sword into his head. The bearded man, his head pierced, couldn't even scream. His eyes bulged, and he died instantly.
"You bastard!"
At that moment, three peak-level masters unleashed their sword moves at me simultaneously. I held my sword at an angle and twisted my body.
In that instant, my body spun rapidly, and a sharp sword formation rose upward like a whirlwind. It was the 4th formation of the True Life Bright Sword Technique: Rising Dragon Return Sword (回龍昇劍).
Clang-clang-clang-clang!
"Agh!"
"Urgh!"
All three men who had targeted me were blown backward by the sword formation. Their entire bodies were covered in wounds from the sword strikes.
With their leader dead and three peak masters defeated in a combined attack, the surrounding warriors hesitated to approach.
Toward them, the man who appeared to be the most senior among them shouted with a voice full of resolve.
"We just need to keep him pinned down here! Stall for time!"
"Do you think I'll let you?"
Knowing their scheme, I opened my closed left eye. As I opened the eye that had been hidden by my eyelid, the world brightened, and the flow of Qi in those surrounding me became incredibly clear.
"Y-Your eye?"
Slash!
"Aaaargh!"
The man who had been startled by my left eye was cleaved in half with a single strike. Blood soaked my entire body. Toward those who were paralyzed with horror at the sight of their bifurcated comrade, I spoke in a chilling voice.
"You brought this on yourselves."
I was grateful they had bolted the doors shut. It allowed me to use all my abilities, including the Golden Eye, without restraint.
Tap, tap, tap, tap!
I was rushing up the stairs so fast I was practically flying. One of them had begged for his life before he died and told me where Baek Hye-hyang was. As expected, in any large group, there's bound to be at least one weak-willed person.
[S-She's on the top floor.]
After hearing from him where Baek Hye-hyang was being held, I regretted my earlier caution. If I had known, I should have just broken in from the top from the start. I had overthought things.
I desperately hoped I wasn't too late; my anxiety was through the roof.
-........
I heard the cries of numerous swords from above. There was no one on the other floors, so it seemed the enemies were indeed guarding the place where Baek Hye-hyang was.
However, as I climbed to the 6th floor, the stench of blood became overwhelming.
-Un-hwi. The swords are grieving.
'Grieving?'
Now that he mentioned it, the cries of the swords sounded more like wailing. Why on earth was that?
Puzzled, I climbed to the top floor and was struck with disbelief.
-Is that...
Dozens of corpses were scattered everywhere. In the midst of them stood a woman, her entire body drenched in crimson blood, clutching a broken sword.
She was breathing heavily—it was Baek Hye-hyang.
Amazingly, she was alive. It seemed she hadn't just been waiting to be rescued; she had broken out of her confinement on her own.
"My Lady!"
At my shout, Baek Hye-hyang slowly turned her head, her eyes narrowing. When she saw my face, her pupils trembled.
"You! You're alive."
Her voice brightened. I ran toward her.
"Urgh!"
Suddenly, Baek Hye-hyang stumbled and spat out a mouthful of blood. When I tried to support her, she held out a hand, signaling that she was alright.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. I just overexerted myself using Reverse Blood to circulate my Qi so I could break the seals. I've just sustained some internal injuries."
Reverse Blood?
She meant she had circulated her Qi backward? Doing that usually leads to Qi Deviation. It was a miracle she was even alive.
"......I'm glad you're safe."
"I thought you were dead after taking that wound... cough."
She coughed up more blood. Her internal injuries were clearly severe. Though her face was stained with blood, she was deathly pale. I quickly moved to support her as she swayed.
Baek Hye-hyang gave a faint smirk, then suddenly pulled me close with one arm, leaning into my chest as if embracing me.
-What is she doing!
I wasn't sure how to react, but she whispered in a small voice.
"Looking at you, it seems you've seen plenty of blood yourself to get up here."
In truth, my appearance was just as blood-stained as hers. She took a deep breath and exhaled.
"It's warm. Your warmth."
There was a sense of relief in her voice that made it hard for me to pull away. After staying like that for a moment, she stepped out of the embrace.
Then she asked me, "Where is he?"
Was she talking about the fake Muchen Sword Emperor?
"......He is currently fighting the Merciless Wind God."
Now that I had safely rescued her, I needed to head over to him.
Baek Hye-hyang gave her characteristic bloody smile and said, "Good. I wanted to pay him back anyway."
It was so like her. She didn't lose her nerve at all, even against such a monster.
"How do you plan on paying him back?"
At my question, she pointed upward and said, "I found some interesting things upstairs."
Meanwhile, in front of the Wind Shadow Eight Streams Sect's Star Tower, which now resembled a battlefield, another armed force had appeared and taken up positions.
They were the other two of the Four Great Martial Sects of Peerless Fortress.
Warriors led by Wang Chuyi, the sect leader of the Sea King Fortress Sect, and warriors led by Gu Yang-gyeong, the sect leader of the Seomgyeong Martial Sect, had surrounded the plaza of the Wind Shadow Eight Streams Sect's Star Tower.
Thanks to their arrival, the fierce battle had been temporarily halted.
"Huff... huff..."
Tian Wuxing, the fake Muchen Sword Emperor, caught his breath, his eyes never leaving Jin Seong-baek, the Merciless Wind God. He was quite surprised by Jin Seong-baek's martial prowess, which was greater than he had anticipated.
Since Jin Seong-baek had only broken through the wall about ten years ago, Tian Wuxing had believed he held a clear advantage. However, he hadn't realized Jin Seong-baek's capabilities had improved to this extent. Now, it seemed the fight would only end when one of them died.
'This is troublesome. I should have stuck to the original plan—having him slowly consume minute amounts of the Formless Poison to weaken and kill him.'
This situation had erupted before that plan could be executed. It was all because of that loathsome brat, Ha Un. If he hadn't appeared, things wouldn't have become this tangled.
Wang Chuyi, the leader of the Sea King Fortress Sect, shouted, "Sect Leader Tian, you must provide a proper explanation for this!"
"What are you talking about? It's Sect Leader Jin who needs to explain why Sect Leader Tian is at war with the Wind Shadow Eight Streams Sect!"
Gu Yang-gyeong, the leader of the Seomgyeong Martial Sect, who maintained close ties with the Mucheonjeong Sect, rebuked him. The reason they had stepped in was to support their respective allies. Since the conflict had escalated to this point, the future of Peerless Fortress would be decided by which side fell, so they had no choice but to help their allies.
'Since it's come to this, I must strike first.'
The fake Muchen Sword Emperor, who had been glaring at Jin Seong-baek, spoke first.
"I have no face to show the two sect leaders. It seems all of this happened because I lack virtue."
Jin Seong-baek immediately shouted back.
"Do not try to settle it that way! It was the Mucheonjeong Sect, not my sect, that started this war. Or to be precise, that fa—"
"Are you going to insist that I am a fake Muchen Sword Emperor again?"
"Fake?"
The two sect leaders frowned at the sudden mention of a "fake." On the other hand, Jin Seong-baek was flabbergasted by the fake Muchen Sword Emperor's preemptive strike. Realizing he had to reveal the truth, he spoke out.
"That man is not the real Muchen Sword Emperor. The real Muchen Sword Emperor is being held captive by him."
Murmur, murmur!
'What is he talking about?'
'The real Muchen Sword Emperor is a prisoner?'
The crowd stirred at those words. Even though his secret had been revealed in front of so many people, the fake Muchen Sword Emperor shouted back confidently, as if he had nothing to hide.
"That is a lie! I discovered that the person Sect Leader Jin intended to take as a successor is a descendant of the Blood Demon. I also found out that the one who killed my disciple is related to the Blood Cult. When I demanded he hand them over, Sect Leader Jin framed me like this to protect them!"
"A descendant of the Blood Demon?"
The atmosphere stirred again at the mention of the Blood Demon's descendant. The infiltration of a Blood Demon descendant into Peerless Fortress was not something that could be overlooked.
'This man truly is...'
Only then did Jin Seong-baek realize the fake Muchen Sword Emperor's scheme. He was trying to shift the issue into a battle of truths using false information. He was a man who used his cunning to the very end.
"Sect Leader Jin. Did you really do this to protect the one who killed Sect Leader Tian's disciple?"
At Gu Yang-gyeong's question, Jin Seong-baek shouted firmly, "Do not be deceived, sect leaders! He is using another lie to turn this into a battle of truths to hide his own secret."
"What would I gain from a battle of truths? Then let us do this. I have evidence that I captured a descendant of the Blood Demon. What do you have, Sect Leader Jin?"
The fake Muchen Sword Emperor smirked inwardly. That witness, Ha Un, would be dead by now, either at the hands of his junior brother or within the Mucheonjeong Sect's Star Tower. Even if the boy had opened his Qi, that force was more than enough to kill him.
'Hehehe.'
Now, how would Jin Seong-baek prove his claims? If things went well, he might even be able to use this opportunity to link the Wind Shadow Eight Streams Sect to the Blood Cult and oust them. It seemed his calm response had turned a crisis into an opportunity.
'You should have kept that boy by your side instead of sending him to protect a mere girl. You fool, Jin Seong-baek.'
He was mocking him in his mind, but then he noticed Jin Seong-baek looking somewhere and smiling faintly.
'What is it?'
It was the first time he had seen the man known as the Merciless Wind God make such an expression. Puzzled, he was about to turn his head in that direction when...
"The evidence is right here!"
'What!?'
Startled by the familiar shout, the fake Muchen Sword Emperor whipped his head around. There, he saw Ha Un, carrying an emaciated old man on his back.
'H-How did that brat...?'