Chapter 640: Why Didn't I Think of That Bastard!?
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 640: Why Didn't I Think of That Bastard!?
"..............."
Sun-woo remained silent, his lips pressed firmly together.
He had boasted that he wouldn't be consumed by killing intent, yet the result was that he had nearly killed Ok-ryeong. In such a situation, what could he possibly say?
"You felt it, didn't you? Just how dangerous the Killing Sword is?"
Ok-ryeong continued, looking at Sun-woo.
Nod.
Sun-woo slowly nodded his head. It was an undeniable fact.
The Killing Sword was powerful—powerful enough to dissolve even the Formless Sword he had inherited from Seon-ong.
The Killing Sword was alluring. Simply by harboring killing intent, it allowed him to easily grasp immense power.
But the Killing Sword was dangerous. It granted him peerless strength, but in proportion to that power, it stripped away his humanity.
The Killing Sword was horrific. Once it was unleashed, he became so consumed by murderous aura that he couldn't even recognize the woman he loved.
He had no choice but to admit it: the Killing Sword was fundamentally different from the "Sword of Protection" he had been pursuing.
"Ok-ryeong."
Sun-woo spoke, his expression filled with resolve.
"I'm going to discard the Killing Sword."
"Will you be alright?"
Ok-ryeong asked back with a worried expression. She knew all too well that this wasn't an easy decision to make.
Though it was a dangerous blade steeped in murderous aura, the Killing Sword was undeniably a Heart Sword that Sun-woo had obtained through great hardship. Discarding such a sword would inevitably leave him with a profound sense of loss.
Naturally, the sense of deprivation is always greater when something you once held is taken away, rather than something you never had to begin with. That was why she was worried—about whether Sun-woo would be mentally okay.
"I don't need it."
Sun-woo looked at Ok-ryeong with clear eyes, the murderous aura now gone.
He didn't need it. Even if it was a sword so powerful it could make even the World's Greatest Martial Artist, Lee Jae-won, tremble in fear; even if it was an easy sword that granted near-infinite power as long as the condition of killing intent was met—if it was a monstrous sword that made him unable to recognize his precious people, if it was a wretched sword that almost made him kill the one he loved, then he didn't need it.
"......Sun-woo."
Ok-ryeong looked at him with trembling eyes.
"So don't worry anymore... I'll never show the Killing Sword again."
Sun-woo continued in a firm tone.
"I'm not worried... because I believe in you, Sun-woo."
Ok-ryeong gently embraced him as she spoke. She could tell just how difficult this decision was for him. Giving up something one has achieved is incredibly hard—especially when it's a power as alluring and immense as the Killing Sword.
Yet, Sun-woo had discarded it immediately, solely because he had almost hurt her. Ok-ryeong felt proud of him for making such a tough choice. And she was grateful that he had listened to her.
A surge of love for him began to rise from deep within her heart, becoming almost uncontrollable. Ok-ryeong hugged her beloved husband tightly, hoping her overflowing love would be conveyed to him.
Sun-woo also gently embraced Ok-ryeong—his savior and lover who had rescued him from falling into the Wicked Way.
The two held each other in their arms for a long time.
*
"Are you really okay?"
Ok-ryeong asked, looking up at Sun-woo with clear eyes.
"I'm fine. It wasn't a power that suited me anyway," Sun-woo replied calmly.
"But it's a power you worked so hard to achieve."
"Since I've achieved it once, it won't be hard to achieve something new."
Sun-woo had already reached the level of the Heart Sword. He had already walked the path once. It wouldn't take long to walk a similar path again.
"What I'm worried about... is Lee Jae-won..."
Sun-woo continued with a concerned expression. In a month, Lee Jae-won would visit the Tang Clan. If he were to run amok then, Sun-woo wouldn't be able to suppress him as easily as before without the Killing Sword.
"Don't worry about that."
Hearing Sun-woo's words, Ok-ryeong spoke with a composed expression.
"Sun-woo isn't the only one in the Tang Clan."
Ok-ryeong's eyes sparkled like starlight.
".....That's true."
Sun-woo nodded at her words. As she said, he wasn't the only one in the Tang Clan. Besides himself, there were two other masters who had reached the Profound Realm, and two others who had one foot in that realm. With this much strength, they wouldn't easily fall into danger even in the worst-case scenario.
"Besides, you're going to become the Poison King now, aren't you? What is there to worry about?"
".........I'm just worried that bastard might cause some kind of trouble..."
Sun-woo was concerned about Lee Jae-won's foul personality. Even if it wasn't his own home, he was more than capable of acting like a complete delinquent.
"He won't act recklessly."
Ok-ryeong spoke with an air of certainty.
"Lee Jae-won is currently in a position where he absolutely needs the Tang Clan's help. He won't do anything to get on our bad side in such a situation."
".............I hope so, but..."
Despite Ok-ryeong's assurance, Sun-woo still looked uneasy. Her words weren't wrong. Lee Jae-won likely needed the help of the Poison King, who could keep him in check. He was in a miserable state, having been physically overpowered by the new powerhouse Jang Sun-woo and even losing an arm. In such a state, it was highly unlikely he would do anything to offend the Poison King.
"And even if he does run amok, don't worry."
Ok-ryeong looked at the anxious Sun-woo and continued.
"If that happens, I'll cut his head off before he even has a chance to defend himself."
Ok-ryeong's eyes flashed coldly. Her Light Sword boasted a transcendental speed that even Sun-woo could barely react to after spreading his senses. Cutting the throat of an unprepared opponent would be no difficult task—especially if that target was a toothless tiger.
"Thanks."
Sun-woo smiled slightly at her and slowly stroked her hair. He could feel her heart trying to reassure him.
"....It's nothing."
Hearing Sun-woo's praise, Ok-ryeong gave a bashful smile. Praise from her young husband always felt good.
*
Whoosh.
Whoosh.
Sun-woo began to swing his sword relentlessly. Each time he did, a murderous aura would seep out and envelop the blade. After swinging the sword for who knows how long...
Clang!
Sun-woo eventually threw the sword roughly to the ground. Irritation flared within him because the murderous aura simply wouldn't dissipate.
"If only I could control this killing intent."
Sun-woo fell into deep thought. He had promised Ok-ryeong to discard the Killing Sword. To keep that promise, he had practiced swinging his sword countless times, trying to bleed out the thick murderous aura embedded within. But despite his efforts, the aura showed no sign of disappearing. It kept leaking out subconsciously.
"Sigh."
Sun-woo let out a deep sigh. He couldn't find an answer.
'I wish my master were here at a time like this.'
Sun-woo lamented the absence of his master. He felt that the Yin-Yang Demon would have been able to give him the best advice in this situation. Moreover, as someone who had taken countless lives over hundreds of years, the Yin-Yang Demon would surely know how to control killing intent.
'Is there no one I can learn from?'
Sun-woo fell into serious contemplation. He wondered if there was anyone he could seek advice from. The many martial artists residing in the Tang Clan flashed through his mind.
But he couldn't find a suitable person. Most of the martial artists in the Tang Clan were members of the Orthodox Faction who practiced righteous cultivation methods, or people whose lives were far removed from the grittiness of assassination.
In the case of Ok-ryeong, Kang Ha-yoon, or Tang Seo-yoon, they were Orthodox martial artists based on righteous internal energy, so they couldn't give advice regarding murderous aura.
As for Neung So-hwa, who practiced demonic arts, she was an Imperial Princess who had lived a life far removed from sticky, grimy murder, so she didn't seem like she'd be much help either.
And Yorang was out of the question from the start. As a natural-born predator, she didn't even know how to hide something like killing intent.
"Sigh."
Sun-woo's sigh grew even heavier. He felt like there was truly no one to turn to for advice.
'Is there no one who kills as easily as they breathe?'
Sun-woo had a fleeting, idle thought. He wondered if there was a professional killer somewhere.
Heh.
But he soon let out a self-mocking chuckle. Even he thought the idea was absurd. If such a wretched murderer existed, he would have cut their head off long ago. There was no way such a serial killer would be around him.
'I must be tired.'
Sun-woo shook his head. It seemed his mental fatigue was causing him to have such useless thoughts.
Flash!
Just as he was scoffing at himself, something suddenly flashed through his mind.
"Ah!"
An exclamation escaped Sun-woo's lips. He had remembered.
The hideous Murderous Ghost currently imprisoned within the Tang Clan. The worst kind of human who had spent countless years killing as if it were a daily routine. The murderer who, forty years ago, had slaughtered groups of renowned Murim experts. A being who was once regarded as god-like because he delivered an inescapable death. An assassin said to kill the soul itself because no trace of physical murder could ever be found.
The Head of the Blood Sea, the worst assassination group with a long history.
The Soul-Slaying Assassin.
Salhon.
'Why didn't I think of that bastard!?'
Sun-woo slapped his forehead. He had the solution right in front of him and hadn't thought of it at all.
Salhon was an assassin who had been captured while trying to assassinate Sun-woo in the past. Because he possessed the bizarre ability to hop between bodies, he was currently imprisoned in a secret underground torture chamber in the Tang Clan, kept in a state between life and death. Sun-woo had completely forgotten about him.
'Right, that guy will definitely know.'
Having remembered Salhon, Sun-woo's eyes began to sparkle. He saw a glimmer of hope.
By nature, an assassin's first lesson was how to hide their killing intent. This was because high-level martial artists could sense murderous aura and track an assassin's movements.
So, there was hope. As the Head of the Blood Sea, the worst assassination group; as someone who had assassinated countless people over an immeasurable amount of time; as the one called Salhon for killing even the soul—he would surely know.
He would know how to control killing intent, and how to bleed out the murderous aura that had become part of one's body.
Sun-woo began to walk quickly, leaving the training ground. He wanted to see Salhon as soon as possible. Soon, Sun-woo's figure completely vanished from the training ground.
*
The Underground Prison
"Yaaaaawn."
Tang So, a martial artist of the Tang Clan guarding the underground prison, let out a long yawn.
The same daily routine. The boring shifts where time seemed to stand still. A monthly salary that wasn't bad for his age. All of these things made him feel bored and restless.
"Sigh... won't something happen?"
Bored to the point of agony, Tang So fervently wished for something interesting to occur. His job consisted of nothing more than feeding porridge to a prisoner whose entire body was bound and standing still in front of the cell. It was impossible not to be bored.
If there were multiple prisoners, he might have found some entertainment in observing them, but for some reason, he had been assigned to guard only one. Thus, his boredom was doubled, and his restlessness was at a breaking point.
'I should really apply for a transfer.'
Tang So fell into serious thought. He decided he had to request a transfer. The pay was decent and the working conditions were perfectly comfortable, but there was no room for growth here. It was a waste for someone with burning passion like himself to rot away in a place like this.
'I'd rather go somewhere fun, even if I get paid less and the work is harder.'
He thought it would be much better to be a low-ranking martial artist than a jailer. At least by mingling with people, he wouldn't be so bored.
'I'll apply first thing tomorrow.'
Just as Tang So was making up his mind about the transfer...
[Hey.]
Suddenly, a human voice began to ring inside his head.
"Who's there!?"
Startled, Tang So quickly drew his sword. He looked around frantically, but there wasn't a single soul in sight.
"Was... was it an auditory hallucination?"
Tang So looked skeptical. It seemed like it must have been his imagination.
[It is not a hallucination.]
Then, the voice rang in Tang So's head once again. Tang So's face began to twist with bewilderment.