Chapter 544: Sword Demon (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 544: Sword Demon (3)
Spring had arrived.
It was the season when flowers were just beginning to bloom.
In a small county within the Guangdong region, stories were blossoming day and night.
“Brother Un, have you heard?”
At the words of his neighbor, the woodcutter Mr. Ju, the herbalist Mr. Un leaned in closer.
“Heard what?”
“Aha, my friend. You’re behind on the news again.”
Seeing that Mr. Un was clearly in the dark, Mr. Ju began to speak, his voice brimming with excitement.
“There’s a rumor that they’re holding a martial arts tournament in Henan.”
“A martial arts tournament?” Mr. Un reacted immediately. “So suddenly? Why now?”
He hadn’t heard a whisper about such an event.
“What kind of tournament is it?”
Why would they hold a martial arts tournament so abruptly during times like these? As Mr. Un pressed him with keen interest, Mr. Ju replied with a wide smile.
“I don’t know all the details… but I heard the new Alliance Leader is planning to hold it as a commemoration.”
“Well, I’ll be.”
A commemoration, of all things.
“Come to think of it, I heard the new Alliance Leader is the Sect Leader of Wudang.”
“It’s been quite some time since that happened, hasn’t it?”
Mr. Ju was right. Three years had already passed since the Sword of Wudang, the Sect Leader of the Wudang Sect, had ascended to the position of Alliance Leader.
At the time, he was the first Alliance Leader to come directly from a sect. Since he was stepping into the eye of the storm during this era of upheaval, many had expressed their concerns.
“But he’s leading us well, so it’s a good sight to see.”
“Indeed.”
Contrary to everyone’s expectations, the Sword of Wudang had succeeded in winning the hearts of the people.
It was a chaotic era, thrown into turmoil by the outbreak of the Red Gates of Demons. The first thing the new Alliance Leader did was redeploy the swordsmen armies to every region.
As the times changed, the threat level of the Blue Demons had dropped so significantly that small local sects or nameless clans were enough to handle them. But with the appearance of the Red Demons, cracks had begun to form in the world's defenses.
The Sword of Wudang’s first move was to station the Alliance’s swordsmen in more territories. Furthermore—
“On top of that, haven’t they started recruiting more swordsmen as well?”
With more armies being deployed, the need for personnel naturally increased. Originally, the Alliance’s swordsmen army was a place an ordinary martial artist could never hope to enter. Only those from noble sects and prestigious clans, or promising talents who had already made a name for themselves in the Central Plains, could join their ranks.
But now, any martial artist, regardless of their background, could join the swordsmen army if they passed the test. Since being a member of the Alliance’s swordsmen came with immense honor, many naturally flocked to take the exam. Among them, outstanding talents distinguished themselves and joined the ranks.
As the number of swordsmen grew, the damage from the Red Demons persisted, but the situation became something they could finally manage.
“They say Elder Baek’s grandson became a swordsman this time.”
“Wow… He was as strong as an ox since he was a kid. Did he finally make it?”
“He was always shouting about becoming a martial artist, and I hear he finally did.”
“Haha.” Mr. Un burst into laughter at the news. “The world has changed so much in just a few years.”
“Isn’t this all thanks to the Alliance Leader, Brother Un?”
“My goodness, you credit the Alliance Leader for everything. Enough of that, finish the story you were telling me earlier. A martial arts tournament?”
“Ah.” At Mr. Un’s reminder, Mr. Ju clapped his hands as if he had just remembered. “It’s nothing other than the Alliance holding a tournament to recruit new swordsmen.”
“For the swordsmen army?”
Hearing this, Mr. Un’s expression turned peculiar. It was only natural; connecting a grand martial arts tournament with the recruitment of rank-and-file swordsmen seemed strange.
As if he had predicted Mr. Un’s reaction, Mr. Ju immediately leaned in further.
“Now, don’t be surprised when you hear this. Rumor has it they’re going to re-establish the Heavenly Dragon Army.”
Hearing those words, Mr. Un’s eyes grew as wide as saucers. He couldn’t help it.
“…The H-Heavenly Dragon Army?”
The Heavenly Dragon Army was the elite unit that housed the greatest masters representing the Murim Alliance. It was the direct subordinate unit of the Alliance Leader and had been the symbol of the Murim Alliance throughout its long history. It boasted a profound tradition, and only the most outstanding individuals among the Dragons and Phoenixes of the era were selected to join. Records even showed that the Captain of the Heavenly Dragon Army, generation after generation, eventually became the Alliance Leader.
However.
“But… isn’t that a unit that disappeared long ago?”
Now, it was merely a relic of the past.
Years ago, when the Sword Venerable was the Alliance Leader, he had led the Heavenly Dragon Army into the Great Gate of Demons that had opened in Henan to investigate. But a disaster occurred, and all but a few were annihilated. Following that tragedy, the Sword Venerable stepped down from his position, and the Heavenly Dragon Army was effectively disbanded.
More than a decade had passed since then. And that same Heavenly Dragon Army…
“Is being re-established now?”
“What’s wrong with that? It’s a good thing if it is.”
“…That’s true, but.”
Mr. Ju had a point. The people of the Central Plains had always admired great masters. And the Heavenly Dragon Army, within the profound history of the Murim Alliance, was the ultimate proof of mastery. Since the unit was a symbol of strength to the common people, their reappearance was bound to stir a sense of excitement.
“If this goes well, won’t they hold events like the Dragons and Phoenixes Tournament again?” Mr. Ju spoke with visible excitement.
“The Dragons and Phoenixes Tournament…”
After the massacre of young prodigies at the Heavenly Dragon Academy, the annual Dragons and Phoenixes Tournament had been suspended for several years. It had once been a festival celebrating the emergence of new talent—the young prodigies who would one day lead the Central Plains. Not hearing any news about it for so long had been a great disappointment to the public.
The disappointment was doubled because this current generation was known to be exceptionally talented.
“With no news, of course rumors are going to spread.”
This was the biggest problem caused by the absence of the Dragons and Phoenixes Tournament. They were called the most talented generation in history, but with the tournament suspended, their current status was unknown. Rumors were inflating wildly to fill the void of information.
Rumors like: A disciple from some minor sect found a fortunate encounter and broke through the wall.
Or: The young lord of a certain clan reached the Fusion Realm after recovering memories of being a supreme master in his past life.
Amidst these absurd stories, the ones that spread the widest were, of course, about the geniuses representing the current young prodigies: the Six Dragons and Three Phoenixes. Even in this small inn, their stories were told dozens of times a day.
“They say the Sword Dragon is receiving direct instruction from the Celestial Plum Blossom.”
The greatest prodigy of Mount Hua was said to have learned martial arts directly from the Sect Leader and finally made a plum blossom tree bloom.
“And the Lightning Dragon has entered seclusion, right?”
It was said that the Lightning Dragon, Namgung Cheonjun, was now seriously learning the sword from his father, the Sword King. However, for some reason, he had not left his clan’s estate in years.
“Not much news about the Dragon Warrior and the Sleeping Dragon, though.”
“The Dragon Warrior was always quiet, but isn’t there that story about the Sleeping Dragon?”
“What story?”
“I heard someone saw him in the North Sea?”
“…The North Sea?”
How could the Sleeping Dragon, who should be at Wudang, be seen in such a place? The North Sea forbade the entry of outsiders in the first place, so the rumor was obviously false. Few believed it.
Besides these, all sorts of other rumors continued to grow because they were never corrected.
That the Sword Phoenix of Shanxi had reached the Fusion Realm.
That the Snow Phoenix, despite belonging to the Moyong Clan, had suddenly joined the White Flower Merchant Association.
And then there was the Tang Clan, which was no longer called one of the Four Noble Clans after causing a major incident and taking responsibility for it. There was even a story that the Poison Phoenix, a blood relative of that clan, had joined the Night Reapers.
It was a time when a flurry of unbelievable stories was being exchanged.
“Brother Un, did you hear about that?”
“What is it this time?”
“The news that a new Heavenly Dragon has been named.”
Hmm? Hearing Mr. Ju, Mr. Un’s expression turned peculiar. Just a moment ago, they were lamenting the suspension of the Dragons and Phoenixes Tournament.
“A Heavenly Dragon all of a sudden? What kind of nonsense is that?”
“It is strange, but it’s not just a random rumor. They said the Alliance officially announced it.”
“The Murim Alliance…?”
“Yes, they say a young prodigy from Shaolin has become a Heavenly Dragon. And… prepare yourself.” Mr. Ju’s eyes darted around dramatically as he lowered his voice. “…This new Heavenly Dragon is said to be a martial artist of the Fusion Realm.”
“What?”
The carefully delivered news was shocking.
“The Fusion Realm…?”
“And they say he’s a young prodigy who just passed twenty.”
“That’s ridiculous!”
Unable to hold back, Mr. Un raised his voice. How could he not?
“A young man who just passed twenty has reached the Fusion Realm?”
It would be shocking enough if he had reached the Peak Realm. But the Fusion Realm? What kind of absurd nonsense was that? And a young prodigy, at that? It was simply preposterous.
“There’s nothing to believe or not believe. That’s what the Alliance officially announced.”
“Even so. How is that even possible?”
“It’s a good thing if it’s true, isn’t it?” Mr. Ju chuckled. “It’s not just anyone; it’s a young prodigy from Shaolin. Isn’t that a good thing for us too, Brother Un?”
“What do you mean by that?”
“The very fact that such a beacon of hope has appeared in Shaolin. Isn’t that a great blessing in this day and age? That’s what I mean.”
With a series of incidents and the appearance of the Red Gates of Demons, the so-called era of upheaval had arrived. Even after several years, the Central Plains was still in a state of constant flux. This was enough to make many people anxious.
No matter how much the Alliance Leader scrambled to bring order and strived for peace, what truly quelled such anxiety was always something else.
Hope.
People always yearn for possibility—the hope that they can overcome the situation, the possibility that they will prevail in the future. And the existence that makes it all possible is what the Central Plains calls hope.
In this era of upheaval, the news of Shaolin’s youngest Fusion Realm master, officially announced by the Alliance, was enough to quell the anxiety of many. That was why Mr. Ju wore such a relieved expression.
“…Hmm…”
As if he understood, Mr. Un nodded in agreement. But inwardly, a strange thought crossed his mind.
‘The youngest Fusion Realm master.’
It was a title attached to a Heavenly Dragon who had appeared out of nowhere, but if he had reached the Fusion Realm just after turning twenty, it wouldn’t be an undeserved title.
However, hearing those words, Mr. Un was reminded of someone else.
‘There was definitely someone else.’
Even if the Heavenly Dragon was an officially announced fact, just a few years ago, there was someone else who was the subject of a similar rumor. If the current Heavenly Dragon was said to be just over twenty, there had been a rumor back then that a boy who hadn’t even reached twenty had attained the Fusion Realm.
The boy had swept through the Dragons and Phoenixes Tournament and become a new Dragon. Later, during the Heavenly Dragon Academy massacre, he had even stopped the main culprit behind the incident. Right after, a rumor spread that the boy had surpassed the Peak Realm and reached the Fusion Realm.
No one believed it. How could they? It was a fact that was impossible to believe unless one saw it with their own eyes.
‘That friend’s name was…’
He couldn’t remember the name. Despite the grand rumors surrounding him, his movements had been quiet. For the past three years, there had been virtually no rumors about the boy. Thanks to that, unlike the uproar at the time, things had quieted down.
‘He’s the Sword Phoenix’s younger brother, so he must have the surname Gu.’
No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t recall it. The only saving grace was that the title was firmly etched in his mind. The boy’s title was definitely…
“Lesser King of Hell.”
It was quite a fierce title for a martial artist of the Orthodox Faction, so it had remained clearly in his memory.
Hearing Mr. Un’s words, Mr. Ju tilted his head. His expression showed that he recognized the name too.
“Come to think of it, there was that kid. I wonder what he’s up to.”
“Well, he’s a blood relative of a noble clan. He must be living better than us.”
“That’s for sure.” Mr. Un let out a small laugh and took another sip of his drink. “Neither you nor I are in a position to be worrying about those esteemed people who are living well.”
“Yes.”
Unlike their cheerful conversation just moments ago, a complex emotion was now laced in their voices.
“…He still hasn’t been caught, has he?”
At his words, Mr. Ju nodded. “It’s terrifying.”
“Tell me about it. A murderous fiend…”
The softly spoken words cast a chill over the inn. Not just the two of them, but everyone else in the room held their breath.
A murderous fiend—a rumor that had been spreading through the county recently. For the past month, somewhere in the county, dismembered corpses would be found when the sun rose. The bodies looked as if they had been sliced by a sharp sword. They had been brutally hacked to death.
A month had passed since the first discovery. The culprit was still at large, and though it didn't happen every day, these incidents continued to occur every few nights.
“What’s the Alliance saying?”
“What else can they say? That they’re trying to catch him. That they’re doing their best.”
“Ugh.”
With the swordsmen already busy with the demons, progress on this case was slow. In the past, when the threat from demons was low, this would have been the top priority. But that was not the reality now.
Mr. Ju sighed as he grasped the situation. “What kind of madman would do something like this?”
“He’s obviously not in his right mind. How could people like us understand what goes on in such a person’s head?”
He was a monster who not only killed people but also chopped them into pieces. It was an incredibly cruel method.
“I hope they catch him soon. I’d like to see his face.”
“Why would you want to see his face? You’re already trembling in fear.”
“Aren’t you curious, Brother Un? Just what kind of monster would do such a thing.”
“You must have lives to spare, being curious about things like that.”
Perhaps because of the trivial banter, a few soft chuckles were heard in the inn.
Just then.
Scrape.
A sound came from a table in the corner. Amidst the noisy atmosphere, someone had quietly stood up. The noodles on the table had grown cold, untouched.
It was a young man with skin so pale it was almost white and long, unkempt hair. The strange thing was that the young man’s eyes were tinged with a sickly yellow.
Creeak.
The young man who had stood up kept his gaze hazy as he looked toward Mr. Ju and Mr. Un. He must have been a martial artist, as he had a sword at his waist.
Shhh.
As he took a step, his pale hand grasped the hilt of his sword. Just as he was about to slowly walk toward the people—
“Sit.”
Flinch.
A voice from nearby made the young man freeze. His gaze shifted. As his yellow eyes met the source of the sound, he saw its owner.
Someone wearing a deep bamboo hat was diligently eating. For some reason, all the food on his table consisted of dumplings.
The young man knew him. He was the person who had been sitting there since he himself had entered.
After finishing the dumpling he was chewing, the man looked at the young man and spoke.
“It’s been a while since I found a good place. I was getting a little pissed off from eating nothing but crap lately.”
As he lifted his head, the bamboo hat rose slightly. The first thing visible in the gap was a pair of clear blue eyes.
“I’m not done eating yet, so just sit down. Don’t do anything stupid.”
“…Who… are you?”
“Besides, the smell of blood is already so strong it’s disgusting, but I’m putting up with it because the food is good. Got it?”
At those words, the young man’s eyes widened slightly. He understood the meaning behind them. As if to confirm it, the man continued with a smirk.
“Go wash up, you bastard. You stink.”
“...”
Click.
Hearing this, the young man moved his sword. The blue-eyed figure who saw this let out a sigh.
“Right. If you listened to reason, you wouldn’t be that moron.”
While he was still speaking, the blade was already in motion. It was a sword art filled with ghastly energy. The moment its tip was about to reach its opponent—
A sickening thud rang out.
“…!”
His vision shifted. It was not the young man’s intention; his head had been whipped around for him.
The young man realized his face had been struck with immense force. Immediately after, his body was lifted into the air. He flew backward rapidly and slammed into the wall.
CRASH!
The wall collapsed, sending splinters of wood and dust flying in all directions. It all happened in an instant. The people in the inn jumped to their feet in shock.
Amidst the chaos, the man in the bamboo hat remained exactly as he was. Without moving an inch, he simply picked up another dumpling and ate it. The only difference was that his gaze was now fixed on the shattered wall.
The man, who had been staring at the wreckage, casually pocketed a few dumplings before finally getting up. He looked at his hand and smirked.
“As I thought.”
Seeing that smile, the inn’s patrons couldn’t help but tremble. The reason was simple.
“Beating you up is the most satisfying, you know?”
The smiling face was just that terrifying.