Chapter 29
Chapter 29
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 29
Chapter Title: Gwiyeong and the Gale Blade (4)
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The worlds of the righteous and the unorthodox are different in so many ways.
From trivial words and actions to the very ideologies that form their foundation.
They are like oil and water, beings that can never truly mix.
That is why, on the rare occasion someone from the unorthodox world converts to a righteous life, or vice versa, they face great difficulty in forming new relationships and assimilating into that society.
The same was true for the White Snake Guild Master, who had once been a promising disciple of the Mount Qingcheng Sect before turning to the unorthodox path.
‘Cheongseong,’ who had reached the peak realm at a young age and was the subject of great expectations.
As a martial artist from the Mount Qingcheng Sect, his handsome looks and outstanding martial skill had earned him the affection of many female warriors of his time.
But all that attention and expectation stimulated the darkness in Cheongseong’s heart.
He began to delude himself into thinking he was special, a chosen one.
Reaching the peak realm in his early twenties was certainly a remarkable achievement.
After all, many dedicated their entire lives to martial arts without ever reaching such heights.
But across the whole of the Central Plains, talents of his caliber were a dime a dozen.
Gwiyeong herself had reached the mid-stage of the peak realm in her early twenties.
And the Sword Demon of the Heavenly Demon Cult had entered the transcendent peak realm at that age.
Thus, as he lived on, he came to realize that there were beings far more exceptional than himself.
He felt that he was not the protagonist of the world, but merely an ordinary existence.
In truth, this was a matter of mindset, but Cheongseong’s heart was already too twisted.
Cracks began to form within him, and his fellow disciples started to raise concerns about his conduct.
And when Cheongseong’s inner conflict reached its zenith...
He committed a grave mistake.
He killed a fellow disciple during a sparring match.
This is what happened.
While sparring with his juniors within the Mount Qingcheng Sect, Cheongseong began to be pushed back by a promising disciple. To turn the tables, he resorted to increasingly aggressive moves.
But despite his efforts, he was defeated. When the match ended, he couldn't control his emotions and launched a surprise attack from behind, one laced with killing intent.
Naturally, struck defenseless by the swift and exquisite swordsmanship of the Mount Qingcheng Sect, the disciple died on the spot. Overnight, Cheongseong went from being the pride of his sect to its shame.
It wasn't a common occurrence, but it wasn't unheard of either.
The act of being unable to accept one's own ordinariness, and instead growing jealous of and attacking those who seem special.
But in Cheongseong’s case, his actions were too extreme.
Thus, he hastily fled the Mount Qingcheng Sect and set foot into the world of the unorthodox.
It was obvious what punishment awaited him if he were caught, so he hid himself where the hands of the righteous factions could not easily reach.
Though it was difficult to adapt at first, he thought he had managed to adjust after taking the leader of the Black Dragon Society, a giant in the unorthodox world, as his master.
But that was his own delusion.
The true members of the unorthodox world had a fundamentally different way of thinking than Cheongseong.
As a result, he now faced a great crisis at the hands of Gwiyeong.
"You wench! If you act so recklessly, what will you do about the consequences later...!"
"The future? That's something you think about when you can survive. Thinking about tomorrow when you might die today is nothing but a luxury."
*Crackle—*
Gwiyeong channeled blade energy into the Gale Blade and slowly approached the White Snake Guild Master, Cheongseong.
"Grrgh!"
Flustered, he quickly infused his weapon with sword energy and pointed it at her.
"Gwiyeong! You will regret this!"
"If I die, I won't have time for regrets, so it's fine. By the way, are you done struggling? Let's begin now."
*Fwoosh!*
Gwiyeong leaped toward the White Snake Guild Master at high speed, swinging the Gale Blade.
A powerful gust of wind erupted, and a ‘blade wind’ imbued with crackling, electric blade energy shot forth fiercely.
Seeing this, the White Snake Guild Master hastily used his footwork to evade.
*KABOOM!*
Where the blade wind struck, the ground was deeply gouged, and the residual energy crackled, revealing its menacing power.
Even Gwiyeong, the one who had launched the attack, was a little surprised by the clear residual energy visible within the cloud of dust.
‘I didn't mean to attack with that much force. Is this the power of the weapon called the Gale Blade?’
And she wasn't the only one who felt it.
‘Damn it! What kind of blade wind has that much power...? Could it be the ability of that bizarre-looking saber?’
The White Snake Guild Master narrowed his eyes, staring at the Gale Blade.
The way the residual energy crackled and swirled around the blade looked incredibly menacing even at a glance.
‘Dammit, when did she obtain such a strange weapon?’
The White Snake Guild Master's sword wasn't a famed blade, but it was a decent one.
A reasonably good sword, made from reasonably good materials by a reasonably skilled blacksmith.
But that was all.
A weapon of that caliber could not dare compare to a masterpiece forged with the heart and soul of the Heavenly Demon Cult's possessed blacksmith.
And just by its appearance, the White Snake Guild Master instinctively felt this fact.
Just then.
"Aaargh!"
"You, you bastards...!"
"Kugh!"
The warriors of the White Snake Guild had also been ambushed and were generally being overpowered by the members of the Black Ghost Guild.
Moreover, this location was the Black Ghost Guild's own stronghold.
The situation was unfavorable for the White Snake Guild in many ways.
Feeling a surge of anger amidst this situation, the White Snake Guild Master, Cheongseong, assumed the distinct, extreme leaping stance of the Mount Qingcheng Sect and readied his attack.
"Gwiyeong!! I won't go down without a fight!"
*Crrrk—*
Cheongseong stomped hard on the ground, thick veins bulging on his thighs.
It was the moment the White Viper of Hunan bared its sharp fangs.
The Mount Qingcheng Sect specialized in relentless assaults, combining swift swordsmanship with powerful leaps.
Having devoted years to training in that style, the White Snake Guild Master was by no means an easy opponent, regardless of the difference in their realms.
Sensing that a high-speed leaping attack was imminent, Gwiyeong immediately infused her blade with energy and prepared another blade wind.
*FWOOOSH!*
This time, she created a wide, slow, but powerful gust of wind.
This would make a straight-line leaping attack impossible.
"Grrgh!"
Thus, Cheongseong slightly altered his path, deciding to evade the blade wind and attack from the side.
But the moment he changed direction, his speed dropped significantly, enough for Gwiyeong to mount a sufficient counterattack.
*CLAAANG!*
The White Snake Guild Master's blade and Gwiyeong's Gale Blade bit into each other.
But they were in different weight classes.
Cheongseong's sword was thin and long, built for speed.
Gwiyeong's Gale Blade was large and thick, like the tooth of a savage beast.
Just as a viper's fang cannot pierce rock, Cheongseong's sword couldn't even leave a scratch on the Gale Blade.
"Kugh...!"
Seeing his blade being ground away, the White Snake Guild Master quickly retreated and analyzed the situation.
‘I have no chance of winning like this... I didn't bring my men here expecting a war, so I'm outnumbered. Damn it. Is negotiation my only option for now?’
It was infuriating, but the gap in their skills was also quite large.
A reasonably talented peak realm martial artist versus a transcendent peak martial artist in the realm of genius.
Just looking at it that way, the gap between them was one that could not be closed unless a cataclysmic event occurred.
And so, he took a deep breath and spoke to Gwiyeong in a softened tone.
"H-Hey, Gwiyeong. Let's talk this out. I will be sure to apologize for what happened today."
But frankly, the White Snake Guild Master's thinking was far too naive.
Gwiyeong was the leader of a faction that held supremacy in the harsh unorthodox world.
This meant she had seen countless people beg for their lives just like this.
In the righteous world, one might be spared at this point for the sake of saving face, but such a thing was out of the question in the ruthless unorthodox world.
Talk it out, this and that. Apologize, so and so.
It was all meaningless.
*Step, step.*
As if to prove it, Gwiyeong continued to advance relentlessly toward the White Snake Guild Master.
"W-Wait! Wait! You can't really be thinking of killing me, right? I understand, alright?! I'll speak well of you to my master and fellow disciples, so...!"
"White Snake Guild Master, don't die disgracefully. Face your end like the leader of a faction. That is the only advice I can offer you as your enemy."
Hearing those words, the White Snake Guild Master quickly glanced around at his subordinates.
The respect or fear that used to be in their eyes was no longer there.
"..."
The life of Cheongseong, who, seized by arrogance, had killed his fellow disciple and turned to the unorthodox path, was heading toward a dead end.
"I-It ends so meaninglessly like this? N-No way! I can't die here...!"
He had become the disciple of a top executive in the Heretic Alliance and had formidable martial brothers.
If things had continued on this path, he would have become a famous unorthodox master in the future.
As he stood there, Gwiyeong, who had closed the distance, spoke coldly.
"Everyone thought so."
The White Snake Guild Master met Gwiyeong's cold eyes from beyond her mask.
The Ghost's Shadow.
Only now did he think he understood why she was called by such a moniker.
"Those who died by my hand. Those who died by yours. And the countless others dying even now. They all thought the same thing as you."
The inescapable scent of death swirled around Cheongseong.
"Don't look away. You brought this upon yourself."
"W-Wait! Just listen to me! My master...!"
*Stab!*
Gwiyeong slammed the Gale Blade down onto the White Snake Guild Master's foot.
"Aaaaargh!"
With his foot pinned, he could do nothing but scream. Gwiyeong grabbed his jaw and spoke.
"This is how everyone lives in the unorthodox world. Do you finally understand where you've set foot?"
The White Snake Guild Master's eyes trembled violently as he sensed his end.
*Grab.*
Gwiyeong seized Cheongseong's head and pulled it to the side.
Seeing this, the Black Ghost Guild warriors let out faint smiles.
It was the execution method Gwiyeong always used to finish a fight.
"N-No...!"
*SCHLICK!*
She raised the saber and severed the White Snake Guild Master's neck.
Because of this, his words were never finished, buried and lost in the empty air.
Gwiyeong, splattered with blood, stared with merciless eyes at the head of the man she had just killed.
This was the greatest courtesy she could offer the dead.
To not turn away from her own actions, but to face them head-on.
Seeing Cheongseong's head, separated from his body with its eyes wide open, the Gale Blade spoke mockingly.
[He ran his mouth so much before, but now he's quiet. As expected, loudmouths are all worthless.]
"Heh, you're right about that."
Perhaps because it was now stained with blood, Gwiyeong found the Gale Blade's sarcasm quite to her liking and let out a small laugh.
Then, Gwiyeong threw Cheongseong's head toward the White Snake Guild members and said,
"Another fool has entered the road to the underworld. The leader you served is no more. If any of you pathetic morons wish to follow, speak up now. I'll make sure you can see him off."