Chapter 46
Ch. 46 .｡.:✧ Na Hee-rin ✧:.｡.
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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Chaos
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I walked slowly, regulating my breathing.
I hadn’t expected to face another confrontation so soon after my breakthrough.
My body was tense.
Swish-
I emerged from the cave.
‘She doesn’t seem to be injured.’
I looked at Ha-seol.
She was frowning, her lips in a pout, as if dragged here against her will.
Her guards also seemed uneasy.
Judging by their appearance, they hadn’t put up much of a fight.
I focused my gaze on them, then gripped Falling Star and shouted,
“Come out! I’m here!”
“…!”
I infused my voice with qi, ensuring it carried.
Ha-seol and her guards turned towards me, their eyes wide with surprise.
The Yin energy might have dissipated, but they clearly hadn’t expected to find me in such a desolate place.
As I observed their reactions, I sensed someone else approaching.
“…!”
‘This is…’
I swallowed hard.
The newcomer’s aura was powerful, beyond even my newly attained Peak Realm cultivation.
They were at least at the pinnacle of the Peak Realm, if not higher.
But thankfully, the difference in our power didn’t seem insurmountable.
Swish-
A woman in white emerged from the undergrowth.
She was strikingly beautiful, her features captivating enough to have enthralled the protagonist of the novel.
If the Divine Sect’s Holy Maiden I’d encountered at the inn possessed the delicate beauty of a violet, this woman was a magnificent peony.
A true beauty.
“…”
But admiring her beauty was a luxury I couldn’t afford.
She was clearly hostile.
To look at her with lustful eyes would be a grave mistake.
The woman’s voice, clear as a jade bell, broke the silence.
“…You’ve caused quite a commotion.”
“…”
“I saw you trespass into my sect’s forbidden grounds, even employing bandits as guides. I wish to… have a word with you.”
“…Hmm.”
Her anger was palpable, but thankfully, she hadn’t attacked yet.
This wasn’t surprising, considering her personality as described in the novel.
She was known for her generosity and compassion, except when matters concerned the Heavenly Sword Sect.
And that was the problem.
‘This situation does concern the Heavenly Sword Sect.’
I glanced around.
The terrain was to my advantage.
I was standing at the cave entrance, while she had her back to the cliff.
The atmosphere was tense.
“…Perhaps we should introduce ourselves.”
I suggested cautiously.
“Very well. I am Na Hee-rin of the Heavenly Sword Sect. And you?”
“Eun Ha-seong of the Mount Hua Sect.”
Na Hee-rin took a deep breath and continued,
“You may not be aware, but this area has been the territory of the Heavenly Sword Sect for generations. We are understandably sensitive to intrusions. And the fact that you bribed bandits to guide you here… displeases me.”
“…That doesn’t give you the right to threaten or intimidate others.”
“…!”
Na Hee-rin frowned.
She had been trying to maintain a civil tone, but my retort seemed to have pushed her to her limit.
Her voice sharpened.
“Are you saying that I am threatening you?”
“…”
Silence implies consent.
I simply stared at her and waited.
“Answer me!”
“…”
I remained silent.
Her anger flared, her qi radiating outwards, causing the very ground to tremble.
But I remained unmoved, assessing her.
Finally, I spoke.
“It seems rather obvious, doesn’t it?”
“…What?”
“You lacked the confidence to confront me directly, so you resorted to using my family as bait.”
“…!”
“How laughable. A senior member of the Jianghu, resorting to such underhanded tactics just because someone trespassed onto your sect’s territory.”
“You…!”
Na Hee-rin’s face contorted in rage.
“I understand your frustration. It’s natural to be upset when strangers intrude upon your home.”
“…And yet you still did it?”
“But frustration and hostility are two different things.”
I spoke with the air of a teacher reprimanding a student.
Na Hee-rin’s face flushed.
“If you were merely frustrated, you would have sought a peaceful resolution, a one-on-one conversation. But you forcibly brought my family here… and you expect me to calmly ‘have a word’ with you? How naive.”
“…Do you truly wish to fight?”
Her hand hovered over her sword, ready to strike.
I chuckled, with a hint of mockery in my voice.
“Bound by your sect’s rules, unable to reach the Transcendent Realm and venture into the Jianghu, you take out your frustrations on me?”
“…!”
“The Heavenly Sword Sect… A single-lineage sect, obsessed with the Sword Immortal’s legacy, willing to steal the Heavenly Evasion for your own selfish gains.”
“You… How dare you…!”
Her words became laced with venom.
I smiled faintly and slowly raised Falling Star.
Swish-
The air crackled with tension.
“Enough talk. Let’s fight.”
“…What?”
“There’s no turning back now. Besides, it’s a wonder you’ve lasted this long in a place filled with Yin energy and miasma, considering your Heavenly Sword Sect cultivation.”
The Heavenly Evasion Sword Technique was forbidden to members of the Heavenly Sword Sect.
Knowing the plot of the novel, I knew exactly who would eventually obtain the Heavenly Evasion, thanks to the protagonist-centric narrative.
They were fools, obsessed with obtaining the Sword Immortal’s technique instead of honing their own sect’s martial arts.
They couldn’t even enter the valley where the technique was hidden, yet they yearned for its power.
I found them more pathetic than pitiable.
Na Hee-rin drew her sword and charged.
Crack!
The air exploded as our blades met.
The force of the impact sent a shockwave through the air, reaching Ha-seol and her guards, who now watched with worried expressions.
‘Worried… how amusing. They’re worried about someone who’s reached the Peak Realm.’
Even as Na Hee-rin’s qi whizzed past my ear and exploded against the cave wall, I smiled.
As our battle began, I activated my protective qi.
Hummm—
A dense aura enveloped me, forming a protective barrier.
‘It’s not quite at the level of a Protective True Qi Barrier, but it should be enough to deflect a few attacks from an enraged Peak Realm expert.’
KRAKOOOM…
Na Hee-rin’s powerful strike slammed against my barrier, dissipating harmlessly.
Her eyes narrowed, and she unleashed a torrent of sword qi.
It was a powerful attack, capable of cleaving a mountain in two, a strike that could easily kill any first- or second-rate master.
I spun, deflecting the incoming sword qi with a graceful flourish.
Crack!
‘Let’s see how far I can push myself.’
Instead of fear, I felt a surge of excitement, a burning desire to test my limits against this formidable opponent.
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