A Graceful End and a New Beginning

The artisans of Cheolgajang fell into deep thought, their expressions heavy.

The three master artisans representing them continued their discussion with solemn faces.

After a lengthy debate, their conclusion was reached sooner than expected.

"Then, we shall disband Cheolgajang."

At Na Ho-cheol's words, Yu Dae-su and Nam Ji-hong let out long sighs in unison.

The three of them had unanimously decided to disband Cheolgajang.

Now that a traitor had emerged from among the artisans, maintaining Cheolgajang as it was had become an impossibility.

Nam Ji-hong, who had previously raised the idea of disbanding Cheolgajang in earnest, remained calm.

Yet, he felt a mixture of relief and bitterness.

It was a sense of regret and responsibility; his ancestors had founded Cheolgajang, but he had ultimately failed to preserve it.

Still, forcing Cheolgajang to hold on was not the right path either. The least he could do was bring it to a graceful end.

"Then, what do we do now? We cannot simply disband irresponsibly and call it a day," Nam Ji-hong said.

As soon as Nam Ji-hong spoke, Yu Dae-su stepped forward as if he had been waiting for this moment.

"Is there even a need to hesitate? We must join the Sichuan Righteous Alliance."

Even before the Sichuan Righteous Alliance was officially formed, Yu Dae-su had wished to establish deep ties with the orthodox factions of Sichuan.

"I won't deny that I have my own ambitions. But look at what happened recently. Unlike the orthodox path, the Unorthodox Path and the Demonic Cult are ruthless and compromise with no one."

"They are all the same," Nam Ji-hong replied coldly. "The orthodox only care about public perception, so they carry out their schemes in the shadows."

Yu Dae-su chuckled at Nam Ji-hong's cold reply.

"But that is precisely the difference. The fact that they cannot touch us openly means there is room for negotiation. Shouldn't we at least get some compensation rather than having our creations stolen by force? Many of our people just want to do business safely in a secure place now."

Contrary to Yu Dae-su's words, the artisans of Cheolgajang had actually enjoyed a comfortable life.

While they had faced their share of crises, the weapons forged by Cheolgajang's artisans were so exceptional that the various factions had tacitly protected them.

"If we are not careful, half of us might die before we even reach the Sichuan Righteous Alliance."

Na Ho-cheol's concern was by no means an exaggeration.

Yu Dae-su, too, was worried about this very point.

"We must wind down Cheolgajang's affairs while waiting for the Sichuan Righteous Alliance. They will surely need exceptional weapons to defend Sichuan and fight against the rest of the Jianghu."

Without a self-sufficient supply of weapons, any faction would eventually run out of steam in a prolonged conflict.

Since the ambitions of the Sichuan Righteous Alliance would not stop at Sichuan, they would inevitably need the artisans of Cheolgajang.

"Mmm."

As Na Ho-cheol fell into deep, constructive thought, Nam Ji-hong, who had been watching quietly, shared his own decision.

"I will be forging my own path."

"Are you truly going to be this way?!"

Yu Dae-su shouted in displeasure, but Nam Ji-hong remained unperturbed.

"Since we have already decided to disband Cheolgajang, scattering is our destiny. There is no reason for us to move together."

He wasn't wrong.

They had only supported one another because they were bound under the name of Cheolgajang; in reality, the relationships among the artisans were far from harmonious.

"Is this the decision of the entire Nam family?"

Yu Dae-su's question was highly significant.

Nam Ji-hong was a regretful loss, but ultimately a dispensable figure.

On the other hand, the Nam family possessed many talented artisans they desperately needed.

"This is my personal decision. I will give everyone some time starting today, and those who wish to join me will depart separately."

"Where do you plan to go?"

"I am still considering that."

In truth, he already had a place in mind.

It was the voice of Yoo-sung, transmitted to him as they were heading to the meeting.

'The Heavenly Sword Academy, was it?'

He had mentioned they would soon officially hang up the plaque of the Heavenly Sword Sect.

Though they were currently at a level where calling them even a small-to-mid-sized sect was embarrassing, their master, Do Sang-woon, was a highly virtuous martial artist.

Since his martial prowess was excellent and he possessed a character that prioritized the safety of those around him over personal greed, it might not be a bad choice.

'I must make my decision through today's conversation.'

If he had plenty of time, he could have looked around more, but time was of the essence.

Since he was on the verge of making an enemy of the Demonic Blood Cult, he desperately needed a sturdy shield to protect him.

Having indirectly contributed to the death of the Sword Blood Emperor, they would never leave him in peace.

That was one of the reasons why he could not go with the rest of Cheolgajang to the Sichuan Righteous Alliance.

"Then, do as you wish. If things don't work out, you are always welcome to return."

And so, Na Ho-cheol decided to bring Cheolgajang under the umbrella of the Sichuan Righteous Alliance, just as Yu Dae-su had suggested.

Grit.

The chilling sound of teeth grinding filled the room.

"Again."

Her low voice overflowed with an irrepressible, murderous intent.

Yeo Mi-ho's killing intent gradually materialized into a tangible force, and an ominous demonic energy began to swirl around the room.

"Ugh!"

"Argh!"

The subordinates who had entered to report fell to their knees before Yeo Mi-ho's demonic energy.

"Please, have mercy!"

"Give us just one more chance!"

Despite the desperate pleas of the demonic practitioners, Yeo Mi-ho's energy did not subside.

In truth, she was already exercising immense self-control.

She had lost count of how many times she had failed since arriving in Sichuan.

Her life had always been a continuous streak of success. Why was it that in Sichuan, every single matter became tangled and complicated?

A frog in a well.

It irritated her to recall the clan members who had whispered that idiom behind her back.

The only saving grace was that the situations of the other successors were far worse than hers.

Of course, that brought her no comfort.

Her father, Yeo Il-cheon, was a man who would sooner sire a new heir than name a failed child as his successor.

'He would rather just have another child.'

Just like she had been born. Just like her half-siblings.

Crash!

Ultimately, Yeo Mi-ho's demonic energy, having nowhere else to go, shattered everything in the room.

"The Sword Blood Emperor is dead? You expect me to believe that? Of all people, the Sword Blood Emperor?"

Looking at the situation calmly, it was an utterly unbelievable tale.

"If that bastard Do Yoo-sung were such a formidable master, there is no way Cheondo Gate ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠would have just stood by and watched."

At Yeo Mi-ho's words, the two men nodded vigorously.

They, too, found it hard to believe that the Sword Blood Emperor had died at Yoo-sung's hands.

"It seems the demonic saber Nam Ji-hong possessed ended up backfiring and consuming the Sword Blood Emperor instead."

This was the most plausible theory and a highly reasonable suspicion.

Indeed, such rumors were already circulating, and the spies planted within the Sichuan Righteous Alliance had sent similar reports.

Yet, Yeo Mi-ho felt strangely uneasy.

"If they are an eyesore, we just have to sweep them away," Yeo Mi-ho's eyes gleamed as she spoke in a low murmur.

"It would be dangerous for us to act directly."

"Of course. Why would we waste our own forces to deal with such small fry? It is a waste of time."

"Then..."

"Those bastards who allied with us recently. The ones who are ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠practically begging to get into our good graces. Tell them we wish to test their strength."

"Understood!"

As the butler bowed and left the room, Yeo Mi-ho's gaze grew even colder.

"He has disappointed me too much lately. I thought he was reliable, but he is far too vulnerable to unexpected variables."

Though he had been quite helpful back in the clan, he seemed to have lost much of his sharpness since coming to Sichuan. Perhaps he was only clever within the safe confines of the family.

"If he fails this time as well, I will have no choice but to dispose of him," Yeo Mi-ho muttered coldly as she fell into contemplation.

Since both Cheolgajang and the Sword Blood Emperor had failed, very few cards remained in her hand.

"What would be the best way to sweep away both Cheonhyang and the Sichuan Righteous Alliance in one go?"

Yeo Mi-ho's thoughts deepened as she searched for a clever scheme to utilize the spies within the Sichuan Righteous Alliance before the Poison King himself intervened.

The clash between Cheolgajang and the Demonic Blood Cult spread throughout Sichuan.

These two rumors became the talk of the town, discussed over drinks all across Sichuan.

Of course, not everyone could afford to laugh and treat it as mere gossip.

Those directly involved had to focus all their attention on preparing for the Demonic Blood Cult's inevitable retaliation.

The Heavenly Sword Academy was no exception.

Under Do Sang-woon's leadership, the academy restricted its external activities and braced for a potential raid.

Rustle.

On a night when even the moon had hidden its face, a group moved stealthily through the darkness.

Each bearing a sinister countenance and harboring refined killing intent, these men were unorthodox martial artists quite famous in Sichuan.

Their destination was the Heavenly Sword Academy.

"Must we truly go through with this?"

When someone spoke up hesitantly, several others nodded in agreement.

Was there really a reason ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to attack the Heavenly Sword Academy?

Doing so might needlessly expose their identities and draw the unwanted attention of the Sichuan Righteous Alliance.

Nevertheless, the man leading them did not waver.

"If we stay idle, we will lose everything. Cheolgajang is preparing to join the Sichuan Righteous Alliance, and other neutral factions are establishing ties with them one by one."

They called it "establishing ties," but in truth, it was a blatant attempt to join forces with the Sichuan Righteous Alliance and dominate the region.

The Unorthodox Path of Sichuan, fully aware of this, had banded together, but they lacked the necessary strength.

Unlike the orthodox sects, unorthodox martial artists prioritized individual gain, making it difficult to unite them without offering highly appealing rewards.

Thus, it was a time when everyone had to struggle for their own survival.

They were no different. Once active as martial artists of the Heretic Alliance, they belonged to the Yudo Sect.

They were currently heading toward the Heavenly Sword Academy under Yeo Mi-ho's secret orders.

They believed that if they destroyed the Heavenly Sword Academy and earned recognition as Yeo Mi-ho's subordinates, they could live a far better life than they did now.

Though they felt a fleeting anxiety about joining hands with demonic practitioners, they quickly compromised with reality, their steps quickening with murderous intent.

Right then,

"I've been waiting for you."

With a nonchalant voice, a beautiful woman blocked their path.

Scattered all around her were several sabers.

'She wields a saber.'

'It might be a trick. Don't let your guard down.'

While keeping an eye on the woman's sabers, they remained alert for any potential traps.

Of course, they simply had no idea that all of their precautions were utterly meaningless.

"Do you want to die quietly? Or do you want to resist and die anyway?"

"Hmph, arrogant bitch."

"Consider yourself lucky. For the sake of our grand cause, we will grant you a swift death."

Normally, they would have defiled her to their hearts' content to pay her back for mocking them before taking her life.

But they were short on time.

"I feel the same way. You dared to target my family, but unfortunately for you, I will also grant you a swift death."

Along with her chilling voice, a dense, freezing frost began to rise around her.

"...?!"

"...Kill her!"

Sensing the unusual energy emanating from the woman, they hurriedly lunged forward, but it was already too late.

Crack, crack, crack!

In an instant, their bodies froze solid, and a fierce storm of saber qi tore through them.

Boom!

It took barely a single hour for the members of the Yudo Sect to be reduced to cold corpses.

Without leaving a single survivor, every last one of them had been slaughtered by the woman—Bing-hwa.

"It's been a while since I've danced with my blade like this."

Looking at the sabers scattered in disarray on the ground, Bing-hwa felt a lingering regret regarding her weapon.

'I suppose I'll have to find a suitable saber sometime soon.'

For a long time, she had deliberately cast aside her saber for her husband's sake, but no longer.

Just as the tides of the Jianghu were changing, she desperately needed the martial arts she had put on hold in order to protect her family.

"Clean up the area."

After coldly commanding the martial artists of the North Sea, Bing-hwa turned and walked away.

Her composure was so serene that one would never guess she had just unleashed a merciless slaughter moments before.