Chapter 27
Chapter 27
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 27
Chapter Title: An Unexpected Choice
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Sssk.
Over twenty people moved as a group, yet there was no sound of footsteps or even a hint of their presence. Only the occasional rustle of their clothes could be heard.
The masters dispatched from the Ten Demonic Factions were a diverse lot; there were young men, old men, middle-aged men, and even a beautiful woman.
Their expressions were all as serene as if they were out for a stroll. But from time to time, a flash of lightning flickered in their eyes.
“Then we will proceed in the order decided upon during the meeting.”
As soon as Baek Cheon-cheon finished speaking,
Ssk.
Among the masters of the Ten Demonic Factions, a man as gaunt as a skeleton, carrying a long spear on his shoulder, stepped forward.
“I am Bul-sa of the Sa-ryeong Clan.”
In that instant, the boys' eyes widened.
The top master of the Sa-ryeong Clan, of whom it was said that whenever he thrust his spear, two lives would surely fall.
He was Bul-sa, the Vice-Lord of the Sa-ryeong Clan, also known as the Reaper of the Northern Plains.
Bul-sa scanned the boys and spoke nonchalantly.
“Yeong Mun-ho. Step forward.”
At that, one of the standing boys, who was very tall with a chiseled face, strode forward.
“Will you become the successor of the Sa-ryeong Clan?”
“Me… sir?”
The boy, Yeong Mun-ho, looked bewildered.
He was a disciple of the Geuk-do Clan and had trained in the art of the saber his entire life. Not only that, but even on Hell Island, he had trained continuously at the Hyeol-yeom-do Clan's martial hall.
“I have only ever trained in saber arts, never the spear. That is why I chose the Hyeol-yeom-do Clan's martial hall…”
“You were born with the right conditions to learn the Sa-ryeong Spear.”
Bul-sa looked down at Yeong Mun-ho and said grimly.
“You have a body and talent optimized for the spear, yet you learned the saber. That is why you failed to achieve greatness, despite your excellent constitution.”
The masters of the Ten Demonic Factions dispatched to Hell Island had already gathered all the information from the instructors and Slaughter Fiends to select suitable successors.
“I…”
Looking down at the bewildered Yeong Mun-ho, Bul-sa spoke again.
“It matters not if you refuse.”
After taking a deep breath, Yeong Mun-ho's eyes flashed.
“I will go to the Sa-ryeong Clan.”
“Good. Bring that boy.”
Speaking quietly to a Slaughter Fiend, Bul-sa left the Yeongma Pavilion without a second glance, as if his business was concluded.
“Tsk, tsk. What's the rush?”
The one who broke the long silence in the Yeongma Pavilion was none other than an old man with a warm and gentle appearance.
“I am the Vice-Lord of the Ji-ok-hyeol-seong, Jeok Ya-hon.”
Instantly, it felt as if a suffocatingly hot air had flooded the Yeongma Pavilion.
The Venerable Ten Thousand Poisons, Jeok Ya-hon, who could kill every living thing within thirty *jang* with a single wave of his hand—how could he be an old man with such a gentle appearance?
“Let's see.”
As Jeok Ya-hon extended his index finger, the boys flinched.
A corner of his mouth lifted as he suddenly pointed to the boy next to Bu Eun-seol.
It was Seo Jin-ha.
“Will you become the successor of the Ji-ok-hyeol-seong?”
At that moment, Seo Jin-ha's eyebrows trembled.
Since he first held a sword, Seo Jin-ha had always been called a prodigy. After passing the three trials, he had naturally assumed he would become the successor of the Hwau Sword Clan.
‘Not the Hyeol-yeom-do Clan, but the Ji-ok-hyeol-seong, a place that creates poison masters? Me?’
“The most frightening poison in the world is a venomous heart.”
Looking at Seo Jin-ha's stiff face, Jeok Ya-hon smiled gently.
“Before the third trial even began, you tried to use a girl from our fortress's martial hall to kill all the trainees, didn't you?”
Seo Jin-ha flinched.
That was something only Eun Seol-ryeong, the disciple from the O-dok Clan, knew. How could Jeok Ya-hon possibly know?
“And when the plan failed, you killed her first after the third trial began. To silence her, lest your secret be revealed.”
“That's not true.”
Seo Jin-ha shook his head.
“Eun Seol-ryeong was the one who approached me and proposed that plan; I merely participated. And when the third trial began, she was the one who attacked first.”
“Hahaha. I am not blaming you. To be able to kill others without hesitation for your goals is, in fact, quite admirable. It's a disposition well-suited for learning our fortress's poison arts.”
Jeok Ya-hon wore a pleased smile.
“As soon as you came to Hell Island, you assessed the martial arts and characteristics of everyone here. And you felt a thrill while dealing with the spies from the Orthodox Faction who had infiltrated this place.”
Seo Jin-ha had only wanted to kill the detestable spies from the Orthodox Faction who had secretly infiltrated and were eliminating the trainees.
But in Jeok Ya-hon's words, he was being portrayed as a murderer who took infinite joy in slaughter.
“To use poison, one needs a venomous heart that can kill anyone without hesitation. And a brilliant mind.”
He paused for a moment, then smiled gently again.
“You are the most suitable talent to become a poison master of the Ji-ok-hyeol-seong.”
“I…”
“You think you have some talent with the sword? That's not nearly enough to look down upon the martial world. Only the chosen ones can command the martial world with sword and saber.”
“The chosen ones…”
At that moment, Seo Jin-ha's gaze fell upon Bu Eun-seol's profile.
The achievements he had reached through ten years of arduous training, this bastard had reached in a mere sixty days.
It was something utterly incomprehensible unless one was chosen by the heavens.
‘He's saying I can't reach the pinnacle of the sword?’
The life of a loser did not suit him.
After a long, drawn-out deliberation, Seo Jin-ha bit his lip and nodded.
“I will go to the Ji-ok-hyeol-seong.”
“A wise decision.”
Jeok Ya-hon smiled menacingly, revealing his canines.
Then, he nodded to a Slaughter Fiend and vanished in an instant, taking Seo Jin-ha with him.
“Now, it is our clan's turn.”
Just then, a man with eyes as cold and still as a glacier in the North Sea stepped forward.
“I am Wi Hyeok-gun of the Hwau Sword Clan.”
The Sword Demon, Wi Hyeok-gun.
The current number one swordsman of the Demonic Path and the disciple of the Hwau Sword Clan's previous lord, Shin Baek-cheong.
Seeing the master swordsman whose name echoed throughout the Central Plains in person, and with the moment of the Hwau Sword Clan's successor announcement at hand, the boys trembled slightly.
—Who would truly become the successor of the Hwau Sword Clan?
To be chosen by the Hwau Sword Clan was to prove one possessed the greatest talent here, and at the same time, it meant becoming the successor to the number one Demonic Faction.
“You.”
Just then, Wi Hyeok-gun's finger pointed to the boy who had been standing next to Seo Jin-ha.
It was Bu Eun-seol.
“Bu Eun-seol, was it?”
Staring intently at Bu Eun-seol, a corner of Wi Hyeok-gun's mouth lifted slightly.
“Congratulations.”
He didn't even ask if he would become the successor.
It was only natural to accept upon being chosen. After all, becoming the successor of the Hwau Sword Clan meant having the highest probability of becoming the greatest master of the Demonic Path.
“Not only Lord Jin, but even Elder Dan praised you highly. And you even inherited Lord Cheon's ultimate technique?”
“That is correct.”
Wi Hyeok-gun looked at Bu Eun-seol, who had become his direct successor, with a favorable gaze.
“I look forward to your future accomplishments.”
“Thank you.”
“Our clan's swordsmanship is unfathomably deep. Train diligently.”
Smiling gently, Wi Hyeok-gun turned his body lightly.
But suddenly, a low voice echoed from behind him.
“I will not go to the Hwau Sword Clan.”
At Bu Eun-seol's abrupt words, Wi Hyeok-gun, who was turning away, froze.
“What did you just say?”
Wi Hyeok-gun's voice, which had been gentle until now, turned menacing.
“Did I mishear something?”
“I will not go to the Hwau Sword Clan.”
As Bu Eun-seol's firm voice echoed once more, it felt as if a blizzard was raging inside the Yeongma Pavilion.
“You're refusing to become our clan's successor?”
“From what I heard earlier, I was told refusal was an option.”
Wi Hyeok-gun genuinely doubted his own ears.
Thud.
Wi Hyeok-gun walked in front of Bu Eun-seol, and an formless energy spread from his eyes.
In that instant, Bu Eun-seol felt a pain as if his skin were being torn into hundreds, thousands of pieces.
Formless Energy.
The very pressure that was said to be wielded only by the peerless grandmasters who looked down upon the martial world was now being unleashed.
“…”
As this unprecedented situation unfolded, the eyes of the boys, Baek Cheon-cheon, and even the Slaughter Fiends inside the Yeongma Pavilion wavered.
After a long silence, Wi Hyeok-gun's lips parted again.
“Is there somewhere else you wish to go?”
“Yes.”
“Hahaha…”
Wi Hyeok-gun, who had let out a low laugh, suddenly burst into a manic roar of laughter.
“Uwahahahaha!”
His laughter, imbued with profound internal energy, made all the boys stagger.
Bu Eun-seol was so dizzy his vision blurred, but he stood firm, his eyes wide open.
Abruptly.
Ceasing his laughter, Wi Hyeok-gun asked in a voice as cold as thin ice.
“Fine. Where is it you want to go?”
“I…”
After taking a deep breath, Bu Eun-seol tensed his lower abdomen and spoke.
“I will go to the Nang-ya Pavilion.”
As Bu Eun-seol's voice echoed through the Yeongma Pavilion, a man with disheveled hair and a heavy sword strapped near his hip flashed his eyes.
He was none other than the Vice-Master of the Nang-ya Pavilion, Dan Cheong.
“You want to come to our pavilion?”
Bu Eun-seol nodded in response to Dan Cheong's question.
“That is correct.”
Standing blankly for a moment, Dan Cheong broke into a strange smile.
“Refusing to become the successor of the Hwau Sword Clan, the so-called number one Demonic Faction, to come to our pavilion… huh.”
Letting out a long, languid breath, Dan Cheong stared intently at Bu Eun-seol's face.
Within those cold, still eyes, a blazing flame seemed to be engraved.
‘He has good eyes.’
They were eyes that could shatter the composure of even a high Buddhist monk who had trained for a long time.
Just looking at them caused a minute crack in Dan Cheong's own unshakable heart.
‘Well, if that lazy bastard Sa-u praised him so highly…’
The swordsmanship of the Hwau Sword Clan could only be learned by a martial prodigy chosen by the heavens.
But the martial arts of the Nang-ya Pavilion could only be learned by those who had survived hundreds, thousands of battles.
“Will you not regret this?”
In response to Dan Cheong's words, Bu Eun-seol spoke with an unwavering gaze.
“I don't even have time for regrets.”
It was the absolute truth.
Ever since Bu Jan-yang's brutal death, he had never once indulged in a luxurious emotion like regret.
“Not even time for regrets…”
In that instant, Dan Cheong's eyes narrowed.
Truly, from top to bottom, he was a talent that was perfectly to his liking.
“What a brazen bastard.”
Just then, a frigid voice that seemed to freeze the entire Yeongma Pavilion echoed out. It was the voice of the Sword Demon, Wi Hyeok-gun.
“Our clan chose you, and you say you'll go to the Nang-ya Pavilion?”
Simultaneously, the formless energy rising from his body surged toward Bu Eun-seol like a raging wave.
“Does a brat like you dare to insult our clan?”
As the faint light in Wi Hyeok-gun's eyes intensified,
Drip.
Along with a pain as if his internal organs were being crushed, fresh blood trickled from Bu Eun-seol's mouth.
‘This is… the number one sword of the Demonic Path.’
In the Demonic Path, the title 'Sword Demon' was bestowed upon the most skilled swordsman of each generation.
And Wi Hyeok-gun was a terrifying swordsman, considered to have the greatest skill even among all the Sword Demons in history.
Enraged, he had inflicted internal injuries on Bu Eun-seol with his formless pressure alone.
“Brother Wi.”
Just then, with a languid voice, Dan Cheong stepped in front of Bu Eun-seol.