Chapter 96
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 96
Chapter Title: A Grand Start to the Festival (5)
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Thump, thump.
The sheer presence emanating from the massive red form was truly magnificent.
Perhaps this was what the legendary Red Hare looked like. The crimson steed, exuding an overwhelming aura that would make even a great mountain tiger hesitate to attack, surveyed its surroundings with a haughty gaze.
And the man riding it possessed a dignity worthy of such a magnificent steed.
“…The Lord of the Demonic Sword House.”
Ji Unhoe.
It was the arrival of a supreme master, the current Lord of the Demonic Sword House, known as the Sword King of the Demonic Path.
With his dignified build, impeccably groomed beard, and hair untouched by a single streak of gray, he appeared to have just passed forty.
In reality, however, he was nearly sixty. Thanks to his potent Demonic Arts and profound internal energy, he looked a full twenty years younger than his age.
The cultists parted to the left and right.
Every one of them held their breath at the arrival of the Lord of the Demonic Sword House.
It wasn't just because he was a powerful figure. The aura subtly emanating from Ji Unhoe was so murderous that even seasoned masters could not withstand the pressure.
Watching the scene from afar, Ma Dongpil was inwardly astounded.
‘He's incredible.’
He had seen him from a distance before, but this was the first time he had been this close.
Up close, the martial prowess of the Lord of the Demonic Sword House was staggering. He naturally projected the air of a supreme master,
but beyond that, he possessed both a sharp, disciplined aura and an unshakable dignity.
He was not merely a powerful man. The aura of a conqueror, one who had ruled over multitudes, radiated from Ji Unhoe.
‘So this is the lord of one of the Seven Houses, the pinnacle of the Demonic Path. What a presence…! I'm glad I came.’
As a fellow swordsman, Ji Unhoe's aura was a powerful inspiration for Ma Dongpil.
Before, he would have been simply awestruck, but now, seeing such a master ignited his competitive spirit.
A small, yet significant, change.
It was the stirring of his destiny, the path he was fated to walk as a swordsman.
At that moment, Ji Unhoe's gaze turned to Ma Dongpil.
In that instant, Ji Unhoe's eyes widened.
Flash!
Within his fiery gaze, there was a flicker of pure surprise. He had realized that the swordsman, who looked to be just over thirty, possessed power comparable to the elders of his own house.
Ji Unhoe gave a slight nod.
Ma Dongpil bowed his head almost imperceptibly.
Putting aside the fact that this man was the father of a certain individual, he was a great figure who had acknowledged him. It was only natural to show this level of respect.
As Ji Unhoe passed, the crowd's gaze naturally shifted to what followed him.
Ten paces behind the leading Ji Unhoe, a multitude of swordsmen followed.
Two tall young men and a hundred swordsmen marched in flawless formation, each one radiating a formidable, sharp aura.
“It's the Blade Resonance Corps of the Demonic Sword House!”
“The strongest unit in the Demonic Sword House…!”
“Incredible.”
“Look at their eyes! They're all sword fiends.”
The Demonic Sword House, which hadn't participated in the Festival of Papiyas for the past few years, had brought even the Blade Resonance Corps to this year's festival.
Sensing the unusual atmosphere, the crowd fell silent. They felt an unspoken need to hold their tongues.
A faint smile flickered across Ji Unhoe's face as he looked down at the crowd. Though they were still in the outer court, he knew this was enough to display his house's power to the Divine Cult.
But he, and all the other cultists,
knew nothing of the astounding event that was about to unfold.
Even the bodyguard of the man who would cause it all, his closest aide, had no inkling of what was to come.
That was why Ma Dongpil was utterly bewildered as he watched Seo Ryang stride confidently into the path cleared by the crowd.
‘Young Master? Young Master!’
It was a silent cry. He was so flustered he forgot to even use telepathy.
‘Hm?’
Ji Unhoe's eyebrow twitched. Because he had spotted a young man standing confidently thirty paces ahead.
“Oh?”
An exclamation escaped his lips.
It wasn't because of the young man's handsome features. Looking at the physique of the young man blocking his path, Ji Unhoe was genuinely impressed.
“What a magnificent body.”
His towering height, well over six feet, and perfectly developed frame were dazzling. Though covered by clothing, his body was surely packed with densely compressed muscle.
‘Even within my house, one would be hard-pressed to find a body so perfectly honed. And yet…’
Ji Unhoe tilted his head.
‘What is this? This ambiguous aura?’
He had clearly cultivated internal energy. But the aura he projected was middling.
He seemed quite powerful, yet at the same time, utterly unremarkable.
His features suggested noble birth, but his relaxed posture made him seem somewhat unimpressive.
A warrior trained by a prestigious house would never stand so carelessly.
He could tell, at least, that this man was not of high standing. Thus, Ji Unhoe naturally addressed him with condescension.
“Who are you?”
The young man, Seo Ryang, smiled.
“The Lord of the Demonic Sword House?”
“…?”
“Yep, that's you. A pleasure. First time we're meeting.”
“…”
“Ah, I was badly injured a while back and lost a good chunk of my memory. We might have met, but I wouldn't know. In any case, it's a pleasure.”
What is this astounding impudence?
Ji Unhoe's eyes narrowed.
“I don't know who you are, but surely you must realize the great disrespect you are showing.”
“Disrespect? What have I done that's disrespectful?”
“You have a foul mouth, young man.”
“I ask for a reason, and you just call me foul. That's the sort of thing you'd expect from a crotchety old man.”
“…”
“Are you old?”
At this point, it was difficult to endure, even for a man of immense patience.
Of course, Ji Unhoe was not a man to be swayed by such provocations and insolence.
But the swordsmen standing behind him were different.
Shaaa!
As if on cue, a ferocious aura erupted from the hundred swordsmen, a veritable storm of energy.
Faced with that overwhelming, sharp presence, the cultists on either side murmured and retreated even further.
Seo Ryang shrugged his shoulders.
“Would a tiger be scared just because wolves raise their hackles?”
“…!”
This time, even Ji Unhoe couldn't help but be surprised.
‘He doesn't waver? Even before the aura of the Blade Resonance Corps?’
The Blade Resonance Corps was called the strongest not just for their skill, but because they were true swordsmen.
Fiends who had dedicated their very lives to the sword. The combined aura they projected far surpassed the sum of their individual skills.
And this wasn't one of them, but a hundred.
To remain unfazed before the combined aura of a hundred sword fiends was proof that this young man's martial skill had, at the very least, reached the pinnacle of the master realm.
“Indeed, you are a young man of some skill. Though I cannot fathom why you would be so disrespectful.”
“More than just some.”
“I have no time for wordplay. I will generously overlook your insolence thus far, so step as—”
“Enough. Let me ask you one thing.”
“…”
“As a father, if you were to witness your child's shameless crime, what would you do?”
“…”
“Is it difficult to answer?”
“I make it a principle to avoid pointless conversations.”
Ji Unhoe raised a hand.
“It is the first day of the Festival of Papiyas. I will overlook this transgression. Now, step aside.”
Woooong!
In that moment, powerful demonic energy gathered at Ji Unhoe's fingertips.
At the same time, the cultists who had retreated took a few more steps back. A dreadful, sharp aura began to envelop the area, so intense it was difficult to endure with a clear mind.
Seo Ryang's eyes flashed.
‘Indeed.’
Just by forming a hand-sword and amplifying his aura, he could achieve this much. He was a swordsman whose power, should he actually draw his blade, promised to be truly formidable.
“More than I expected, but not beyond my imagination.”
“…!”
“You haven't answered my question. Enough with the hand tricks. Just answer me.”
Ji Unhoe's eyes wavered greatly.
‘He's unaffected? Even before the Sword Wave Hand Technique?’
The Sword Wave Hand Technique was a martial art that creates sword energy with bare hands.
However, it doesn't actually unleash sword energy. It was a high-level technique that dissolved sword energy into a suppressive aura, compelling an opponent to retreat.
At Ji Unhoe's level of mastery, even a warrior at the pinnacle should struggle to withstand it.
Indeed, Ma Dongpil, despite standing a good distance away, was tense with his hand resting on the hilt of his sword.
‘Why? How?’
Seo Ryang silently stared up at Ji Unhoe.
A look of annoyance crossed his face.
“Honestly.”
Slowly.
His right foot slowly lifted.
Urgency flashed across Ji Unhoe's face.
“Dodge—!”
BOOM!
With a merciless stomp, the ground split wide open.
Heeeigh!
The crimson steed let out a panicked cry. The steed, which had never known fear in its life, was helpless before such a cataclysmic tremor.
Fwoosh!
Ji Unhoe, who had leaped into the air in an instant, slowly descended.
To control his descent with pure internal energy was a divine skill comparable to levitation.
Softly.
Finally landing on the ground, Ji Unhoe's eyes were filled with killing intent.
“Do you dare attack me, trusting in your paltry skills?”
Seo Ryang snickered.
“An attack? If that was an attack, you started it.”
“You insolent whelp!”
“So I paid you back in kind. And since you didn't actually touch me, I controlled the force of my stomp.”
Seo Ryang pointed to Ji Unhoe's side with his chin.
“Take a look.”
Ji Unhoe, who was glaring at him with murderous eyes, turned his gaze to where Seo Ryang pointed.
In that moment, his eyes wavered.
‘…How can this be?’
The crack in the ground had stopped right in front of the crimson steed's hooves. Everyone had been deceived by the powerful tremor, the deafening boom, and the vicious aura.
Ji Unhoe's Sword Wave Hand Technique had been cold and sharp. In contrast, Seo Ryang's stomp had been fiery and vicious.
Though their methods differed, the degree of warning each had issued was ultimately the same.
‘How could such a young man possess such fine control over his energy?’
He would have been less surprised if the crack had reached all the way to the Blade Resonance Corps. The youth would have been strong, yes, but still within a range he could confidently subdue.
Instead, this single move—splitting the earth only as far as intended—proved that his opponent's martial skill was beyond imagination.
‘He didn't even wield a weapon. To control the extent of the damage with a mere stomp…’
His fists clenched unconsciously.
‘A supreme master!’
He might even be a powerhouse on par with himself.
‘How on earth?’
The man looked barely thirty, even being generous. To have reached the sublime state of a supreme master at that age? It was, by all accounts, impossible.
Ji Unhoe stared blankly at Seo Ryang.
He straightened his posture.
“Who are you?”
“The answer to my question?”
“I have no obligation to answer the question of someone whose identity I don't know.”
“Hm? Ah, I suppose you're right.”
“…”
“You're right. Thinking about it, I was being a bit forward.”
“Speak. Who are you?”
Flash!
Demonic energy flickered in Seo Ryang's eyes.
At the sight of those intense, demonic eyes, not only Ji Unhoe but also the two young men behind him and the entire Blade Resonance Corps felt a tremor of fear.
“My station is certainly not one where I should have to endure such unpleasantries from the likes of you.”
At that moment, Ma Dongpil stepped forward.
Shhh-rrring!
The drawn Silent King Sword shone brilliantly under the sun.
Thwack!
The Silent King Sword was thrust deep into the ground.
And next to it, Ma Dongpil knelt.
“Invincible Divine Cult, Ten Thousand Demons Submit! I greet the Third Young Master of the Divine Cult!”
In an instant, astonishment spread across every face.
Seo Ryang grinned like a mischievous child.
“There you have it.”
* * *
“Now?”
“Yes, sir. He is reportedly in a standoff with the Lord of the Demonic Sword House.”
For the first time in over ten years, a curse almost escaped him.
After taking a few deep breaths to compose himself, Go Gu spoke firmly.
“A potential emergency might break out. Dispatch the Hall members to the outer court without the other cultists knowing. Right now!”
“As you command!”
Go Gu turned his gaze to the window.
His eyes were trembling uncontrollably.
“…So the blade wasn't just double-edged after all.”
There had been no mention of him making a move like this so soon.
Go Gu could already feel a headache coming on at Seo Ryang's impulsive actions.