Chapter 244: Dueling the First Sword of Qingcheng-1
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 244: Dueling the First Sword of Qingcheng-1
Srrrng.
"Yo—Young Master!"
As Sun-woo drew his sword, Cheongsong called out to him, looking flustered. Why on earth was he drawing his blade so suddenly?
Watching Sun-woo unsheathe his weapon, Cheongsong began to feel a wave of anxiety. He was terrified that Sun-woo might actually jump into that fight.
"If something is wrong, it must be corrected," Sun-woo said, looking back at Cheongsong.
"What do you intend to do?"
"For starters, I'm going to stop them."
Sun-woo spoke in a calm, level tone.
"They won't stop easily!"
Cheongsong shook his head, thinking it was impossible. No matter how much of a Super-Peak master Sun-woo was, he didn't believe the man could easily break up a fight between those two.
"If they won't sheathe their swords, I'll just have to beat them into submission."
"Pardon!?"
Step. Step.
Ignoring Cheongsong, Sun-woo walked slowly toward the center of the clearing.
Pang!
He suddenly kicked off the ground and shot forward.
Tak.
A moment later, he landed right near Seol-hyang and Un-jeok-ja, who were locked in a fierce struggle.
"Please stop."
Sun-woo spoke the words in a low, steady voice. He hadn't shouted, yet his voice pierced clearly through the air, reaching the ears of everyone surrounding the clearing.
Kwang!
Kwang!
Despite hearing him, however, the swords of Seol-hyang and Un-jeok-ja showed no sign of stopping. If anything, the exchange grew more violent, sending out thunderous roars and shockwaves.
"Tsk."
Sun-woo clicked his tongue as he watched them continue their battle, acting as if they hadn't heard a word. He hadn't expected them to stop just because he asked, but seeing them ignore him so completely made him scoff.
Wooooooooong.
Sun-woo began to circulate his Yin-Yang Harmony Divine Art. Immediately, a massive amount of Yin-Yang Harmony Qi began to shimmer and ripple around his body.
"I will say it again. If you do not stop here, I will suppress you by force."
Sun-woo declared his intent. Rather than suppressing them right away, he wanted to give them one last chance.
Kwang!
Kwang!
But they simply continued their duel, treating Sun-woo’s warning as if it were nothing more than a passing breeze.
"I have given you fair warning. Do not regret this."
With those words, Sun-woo let his sword hang low. He channeled a precise amount of internal energy into the blade and kicked off the ground.
Boom!
The ground cratered where he stepped, and a thunderous sound echoed out. Using that explosive momentum, Sun-woo launched himself forward.
Swaaaaak!
With the sound of wind being torn apart, Sun-woo reached them in the blink of an eye.
Swaaaaak!
He thrust his sword forward. He was aiming for the exact moment Seol-hyang and Un-jeok-ja’s blades were about to collide.
Kwang!
Their Astral Qi clashed, and Sun-woo’s sword drove right into the center of it. The three blades met at once.
KWA-AAAAAANG!
As the three swords collided, a roar and a shockwave erupted that were incomparable to anything that had come before.
"Ugh!"
"Gah!"
Caught in the shockwave, Seol-hyang and Un-jeok-ja groaned and were blown backward. Only Sun-woo remained standing perfectly still at the point of impact.
"I told you to stop!"
Now that the exchange had been forcibly halted, Sun-woo shouted, his voice infused with internal energy. Seol-hyang and Un-jeok-ja could only stare at him, their expressions filled with shock.
*
"How... how can this be..."
Un-jeok-ja stared at Sun-woo in the center of the clearing, his face pale with disbelief. Something impossible had just happened.
His Sword Astral, which contained the profound mysteries of the Blue Cloud Red Sunset Sword—the secret technique of Qingcheng—had been blocked in a single move.
But that wasn't all.
Despite pushing back the Blue Cloud Red Sunset Sword with a single strike, the man didn't seem to have felt any impact at all. He just stood there, rooted to the spot.
Un-jeok-ja’s eyes began to tremble violently. What exactly was the Blue Cloud Red Sunset Sword? It was the peerless sword art of the Qingcheng Sect, passed down to only one person in each generation. By using a special method to compress Astral Qi, it produced power that was on a completely different level from ordinary Astral Qi.
And yet, that very technique had been blocked by a sword swung by a mere brat. No, it wasn't just blocked. He had been pushed back and sent flying.
How could he not be shocked? The Blue Cloud Red Sunset Sword was his greatest and ultimate technique. And this man had shattered it with a single, simple thrust. He couldn't bring himself to believe it.
"Are you calm now?"
Sun-woo’s voice drifted over to him. His tone was different than before. He sounded dignified and confident, radiating an inexplicable aura of authority. It was the complete opposite of the polite, cautious way he had spoken previously.
Seeing this, Un-jeok-ja felt his blood boil. That dignified posture looked like nothing but arrogance to him.
"Young Master Jang! What do you think you are doing!?" he roared, glaring at Sun-woo with fury.
"Exactly what it looks like. I stopped the fight," Sun-woo replied calmly, despite the elder's rage.
Sun-woo’s nonchalant attitude was like pouring oil on the fire of Un-jeok-ja’s rising anger.
"This is not a matter for Young Master Jang to interfere in! How dare you jump into a fight between martial artists!" he screamed, his voice cracking with indignation.
He was beyond livid. What was this boy thinking, interrupting their duel? In the Murim, a formal duel between martial artists was considered sacred. To interfere was an act of extreme rudeness—one that justified being cut down on the spot. Yet Sun-woo had jumped in without hesitation and forced them apart. How could he be so disrespectful?
"No, it is very much my business," Sun-woo replied in a steady voice, meeting Un-jeok-ja’s gaze. "I am also a party involved in this incident."
Sun-woo’s eyes turned cold as he stared the elder down.
"Urgh..."
Un-jeok-ja groaned in frustration. In his confrontation with Seol-hyang, he had completely forgotten about Sun-woo. He had forgotten that Sun-woo was also a victim of Cheongsu’s wagging tongue.
Seol-hyang and the Emei Sect weren't the only ones harmed by this situation. Sun-woo, who was officially betrothed, and the Tang Clan, who had taken him in as a son-in-law, had also had their reputations tarnished. What clan would be happy if their future son-in-law was caught up in scandalous rumors with another woman before the wedding? The Tang Clan would be no different.
Un-jeok-ja felt the frown lines on his forehead deepen. Dealing with Emei was already a massive headache, but having the Tang Clan take this stance made things even more difficult.
"I will formally report this matter to the main sect and ensure an apology is issued to the Tang Clan. So, please, step aside. I have a matter to settle with the Emei Sect right now."
Un-jeok-ja calmed his excitement and spoke in a measured tone. He intended to push the Tang Clan's grievances to a later date. Right now, the most important thing for him was to wash away the humiliation he had suffered from Emei. Everything else could be dealt with later.
"I refuse."
Sun-woo shook his head.
"What!?"
Un-jeok-ja’s face hardened at the refusal. On what grounds was he interfering in a fight between Emei and Qingcheng? He couldn't understand it.
"I must stop this fight," Sun-woo continued, his expression icy.
He had no intention of letting the emotional feud between the two sects escalate any further. They hadn't set out for the North Sea on a pleasure trip, had they? This was a journey to search for missing disciples and clan members. How could they ruin the mission with petty power struggles and ego trips? He could not overlook them jeopardizing a journey that involved so many lives just for the sake of their meager pride.
"By what right do you stop me!?" Un-jeok-ja shouted.
Currently, Un-jeok-ja was settling a personal grudge with Seol-hyang. His justification was her unilateral punishment of Cheongsu and the indelible insult she had dealt to the disciples of Qingcheng. Why was this unrelated man stepping forward?
"I have the right," Sun-woo said calmly. "Because I have been granted operational control over the Emei Sect's forces."
Sun-woo stared directly at Un-jeok-ja.
"As their commander, I cannot stand by and watch Un-jeok-ja pressure a disciple of Emei. I believe this causes a loss of combat power and distracts from the search party's primary duty."
"You...!"
Un-jeok-ja let out a thunderous roar. What was he saying? He was openly siding with the Emei Sect.
A terrifying murderous aura began to radiate from Un-jeok-ja. During the meeting, Sun-woo had acted so humble, refusing the position, but now it seemed he was finally showing his true colors.
"Are you saying you will side with Emei and pressure Qingcheng!?" Un-jeok-ja screamed.
"That is not what I said. I am simply making a rational decision as a commander."
Sun-woo kept his gaze cold. He turned his head slightly and looked at Seol-hyang.
"Lady Seol, what will you do?"
"I... I will stop," Seol-hyang replied. Her golden Astral Qi flickered and then vanished as she withdrew it. She didn't know if it was true that he had been given operational control, but she felt certain he wouldn't lie about such a thing.
"Thank you."
Sun-woo gave her a small smile. She was quite endearing when she was being cooperative.
Thump. Thump.
Meeting that smile, Seol-hyang felt her heart race. She had only been avoiding him for a day, yet seeing his face like this felt like it had been an eternity. And with him smiling at her, there was no way her heart wouldn't flutter.
‘Uuu... that’s cheating...’
She lowered her head, thinking seriously to herself. Perhaps being a second wife wouldn't be so bad after all.
Having received her answer, Sun-woo turned back. This time, he looked at Un-jeok-ja, who was still radiating a sinister murderous aura.
"And what will you do, Un-jeok-ja?" Sun-woo asked, his voice turning cold again.
"I refuse."
He made his rejection clear. Having come this far, he couldn't back down. He had already cast aside his shame the moment he drew his sword. He couldn't tuck his tail between his legs now.
"Will you not regret this?" Sun-woo asked again.
"The First Sword of Qingcheng knows no regret!" Un-jeok-ja glared at Sun-woo with burning eyes.
"If you do not back down here, you may taste an even greater humiliation. Are you truly certain you won't regret it?"
Sun-woo asked with a look of pity. He was genuinely worried for the man. If Un-jeok-ja continued to be stubborn, he wouldn't be defending Qingcheng’s honor; he would be dragging it through the mud.
"What!? How arrogant! Do you think you're something special just because you deflected one move? You were just lucky to catch us off guard, you arrogant brat!"
Enraged by Sun-woo’s concerned tone, Un-jeok-ja screamed in fury. His pride was wounded. It was true that Sun-woo had deflected his ultimate technique without taking damage, but that didn't mean the boy was a greater master. He could have mastered a specific internal art or a sword style specialized in neutralization.
How could he be so arrogant? How could he try to lecture a senior master with such a condescending tone?
Wooooooooong.
The Ten Thousand Manifestations Return to One Qi began to explode from his body.
"I have no intention of sheathing my sword! I will have an apology from Emei! That will not change until dirt enters my eyes!"
Un-jeok-ja declared, his eyes filled with murderous intent.
Whiiiiiiiiing.
Following his declaration, the shimmering Ten Thousand Manifestations Return to One Qi began to flow entirely into his sword. Before long, a blinding indigo Astral Qi formed around his blade.
"I suppose it can't be helped."
Seeing this, Sun-woo lowered his sword. He realized that words would no longer reach the man.
Wiiiiiiiiing.
Sun-woo began to circulate his poisonous Yin-Yang Harmony Qi. Soon, a deep, dark green Astral Qi formed on his blade.
"Then I shall put the dirt in your eyes myself."
Sun-woo’s eyes flashed as he glared at Un-jeok-ja.
"HRAAAAAAAAH!!!"
The moment Sun-woo finished speaking, Un-jeok-ja charged. Not to be outdone, Sun-woo used his Wind-Dust Step and lunged toward him.
KWA-KWA-KWANG!
The green Astral Qi and the indigo Astral Qi collided, creating a massive roar and a devastating shockwave.