Legacy of the Sword Emperor
Right after the Baneun Gang's demonic martial artists began their charge, what filled Namgung Woo's vision were their faces—and the weapons clutched in their hands. The first attack came in the form of arrows. Arrows infused with inner energy. They tore through the air in a straight line, closer to flashes of light than mere projectiles. Among the four Transcendent Realm masters the Baneun Gang possessed, one was Gwigungyeop Natal, and this was his signature technique: the Yeopryeop Chujeon Bow.
Shwaaaaak—Thud!
Namgung Woo deflected the incoming arrow with his sword. Even though he had wrapped his true energy around an external object and sent it flying from his body, the force behind it was terrifyingly fierce.
'It's not sword gang. A follow-up attack is coming!'
The power generated from the footwork of the Infinite Step amplified through the subtle rotation of his body and surged into both arms. The thirteenth sword of the Thirteen Sword Thunders, containing sword gang, came crashing down.
BOOOOM!
A roar far greater than the first arrow. The iron arrow, which had been wrapped in sword gang, shattered under Namgung Woo's single strike. Remarkably, he had swung the sword with only one hand. His remaining hand shot out diagonally and seized the shaft of a spear thrusting toward him.
Gu Byeok Divine Fist. Even among the Namgung Family's techniques, which generally emphasized overwhelming aggression, this fist art placed greater weight on defense as it struck the spear shaft.
Thud! Crack!
With the sound of the shaft splintering, Namgung Woo spun his body. Three arrows brushed past his fluttering robes as he stirred the wind with the mysteries of the Heavenly Wind Divine Art. It was the opening form of the Three-Headed Annihilation, which fired three arrows simultaneously.
Four exchanges in total. That was how long Namgung Woo had single-handedly withstood the combined assault of two Transcendent Realm masters from the Baneun Gang.
"Old man! This poor monk shall be your opponent!"
The spear that had been charging toward Namgung Woo twisted like a serpent and drove toward the roaring old Taoist. Yet that was precisely what Tae-mun Jin-in had been waiting for. The Mount Heng Sect's ultimate technique, the Returning Wind Falling Wild Goose Sword, spun around the spear shaft and sliced into the enemy's grip.
Shhhk—!
Blood sprayed outward. But Tae-mun Jin-in's blade never changed its chosen destination. Using the Life Limit Instant Step, he instantly closed the distance with the spear master. Before anyone realized it, his sword art had shifted from the Returning Wind Falling Wild Goose Sword to the Smoke Cloud Dispersing Sword Art, infused with the mysteries of illusory swords.
Tae-mun Jin-in's sword shadow loomed over the spear master's wrist. The opponent acted without hesitation. He simply released his spear. No matter how deeply any martial artist cherished their beloved weapon, this man showed no trace of attachment or sentiment. Only an intense, burning desire for eternal life. To the martial artists of the Baneun Gang who pursued immortality, martial arts, beloved weapons, and even their own lives were nothing more than trivial things. And that was a path Tae-mun Jin-in, whose mindset was closer to that of a righteous martial artist than a Taoist, could never accept.
"Hah—!!"
With a thunderous shout, Tae-mun Jin-in's sword drew a semicircle toward the spear master's neck. The sword shadow over the wrist had been nothing more than a feint born from the principles of illusory swords. Just as the ultimate technique of the Smoke Cloud Dispersing Sword Art was about to cleave the spear master's throat, Namgung Woo grabbed Tae-mun Jin-in and leaped backward.
"Nam Daoist!"
"…You've arrived."
Tae-mun Jin-in no longer pressed Namgung Woo for explanations. His arrival alone was enough.
"…Thank you. I nearly died alongside him."
Beside the spear master, whose head had come within a hair's breadth of being severed, a familiar grayish-black robe fluttered in the residual shockwaves from the previous exchange.
"As expected. Your eyes are far too sharp. That was an ambush executed with extreme stealth, yet you noticed it."
Perhaps the joint training match with Tae-mun Jin-in had been too irritating. The man made no effort to hide his intent to use the spear master as bait to eliminate Tae-mun Jin-in first.
"Jin-in, leave this place to me."
"…Will you be all right alone? Your opponent is that O-eum Maje."
The man let out a small exclamation of admiration, as if impressed that his alias had been uncovered. The Jegal Family were not so soft as to dismiss an unfamiliar presence and unknown martial arts as the sudden appearance of some hidden master. They had combed through ancient records and sought the counsel of others to uncover the man's true identity. And in the end, they had found it.
O-eum Maje Aban. More than fifty years ago, during the era of the Blood Sect Havoc, this man had been a supreme expert of a previous generation. When the righteous and demonic factions had united as one to face the Blood Sect, Aban had fought as one of the demonic path's greatest masters—and was said to have died. But the true history was different. O-eum Maje had survived, and to avoid death, he had joined the Baneun Gang. That was the truth.
"If Tae-mun Jin-in remains tied down here, gaps will form elsewhere. I entrust the Changcheon Squad to you."
"…Do not worry. I shall not allow any of them to die."
There was no luxury for hesitation. Tae-mun Jin-in made his decision swiftly. After promising Namgung Woo that he would do his utmost to protect the Changcheon Squad, he quickly withdrew from the battlefield.
"You may leave as well."
"Understood."
Just as Namgung Woo had sent Tae-mun Jin-in away, O-eum Maje also dismissed the spear master. Unlike the righteous martial artists who possessed pure inner energy and could form relatively stable joint formations despite differences in temperament, the demonic path's joint formations were far more limited. After all, the way of the world was for many good men to capture a single villain. Especially since O-eum Maje's inner energy was particularly unique—even among the demonic path—fighting alone was preferable unless one intended to use others as meat shields.
"Three years ago… No, fifty-three years ago. After sleeping for so long, there are times when I still struggle to adapt."
"What are you trying to say?"
"I'll speak as I please. It was three years ago. The allied forces of the righteous and demonic paths launched an operation to attack one of the Blood Sect's hidden lairs. Many died. But they won. They destroyed one branch of the Blood Sect and seized its legacy. If they had obtained it, there would have been no need to ally with a whelp like Dongbang Hwa."
O-eum Maje suddenly began recounting old tales in the middle of the battlefield. Namgung Woo poured strength into the hand gripping his sword. The moment an opening appeared, he intended to strike without the slightest hesitation. Yet even as O-eum Maje spoke leisurely, he revealed no openings.
"There was someone who prevented this body from claiming it."
Sword Emperor Namgung Jin.
As if he loathed even speaking the name, it was transmitted through sound transmission. Namgung Woo seemed to understand the reason. Though O-eum Maje's body was under extreme control, Changnyeongmanan, which had been staring at his entire form, detected a faint trace of fear.
"What is your relationship with him?"
The voice that flowed out was heavy, carrying a magnetic force that could halt the fighting and draw every eye. The warriors around them, who had been fiercely clashing blades, gradually lowered their intensity and began retreating to the sides one by one. O-eum Maje's chilling aura spread through the surroundings, lowering the temperature and making the already humid air thick with moisture, rendering breathing difficult.
Amid the gazes converging upon him, O-eum Maje looked at only one person. A handsome youth with an expressionless face and glowing blue eyes. How many had ever looked upon the one called O-eum Maje with such unwavering eyes? The incarnation of demonic arts. The being even the Blood Sect's own followers had called a devil. Even his superiors and comrades had regarded him with eyes filled with fear. All except for one.
A minuscule crack formed at the corner of Namgung Woo's tightly pressed lips.
"Who knows."
And then he sneered.
"It will be exactly as you think."
Though their standings were separated by a gap as vast as heaven and earth, Namgung Woo showed not even a shred of respect in his reply. O-eum Maje's aura instantly transformed in nature. Beyond merely making breathing difficult, it now carried an intense killing intent that threatened to deny respiration altogether. A terrifying murderous aura erupted from O-eum Maje—so dreadful that even Namgung Woo, protected by the Heavenly Steel Armor, felt a sharp chill.
"What a detestable bloodline. Even now, you continue to obstruct this body!"
O-eum Maje's surging demonic energy surged toward Namgung Woo.
§
"Oh dear! It has already begun!"
The old monk who had pushed through the crowd of spectators and surveyed the battlefield let out a sigh. It was Hangwi, the warrior monk of Hwaseong Temple. Though he was a master who had cultivated his martial arts to the Peak Realm, Hangwi's breathing was completely disordered. It was proof that he had squeezed every last drop of inner energy from his body to reach this place.
"Monk, Monk Hangwi! It's dangerous to go alone!"
The warrior monks of Hwaseong Temple who had run alongside Hangwi panted as they hurried after him. They quickly surrounded him, fearing an ambush might target Hangwi. Hangwi's eyes darted rapidly across the battlefield. His role was not to join the fray and fight alongside others, but to deliver one particular item intact. Clutching the wooden box in his arms, Hangwi looked toward the place where the most violent aura could be felt on the battlefield. There stood the owner of this wooden box.
"There he is…. Geum Jong-ah, we must go there."
When Hangwi pointed in the direction he had seen, Geum Jong cried out in alarm.
"What? Over there? Absolutely not! If we go there, we'll be caught in the shockwaves and die! Even if Geumsin Hyung-nim came, it would be impossible!"
"We must go regardless. Did we not make a promise?"
"If it gets taken or lost, that would defeat the entire purpose. We should wait for a better opportunity…."
"Hey, you bald monks."
Just as Geum Jong was calmly trying to dissuade Hangwi, a clear voice suddenly cut in and interrupted him. But the problem was not merely that his words had been cut off. The voice had come from within the protective circle of the warrior monks. Geum Jong turned his head with a face filled with shock toward the source of the voice.
"Who are you planning to give that to?"
asked a female Taoist dressed in suspicious attire.