157
Chapter 157: That’s Why He’s a Martial Artist (武人)
“Gurgle.”
A wet, rattling sound escaped from the lips of the Poison Dragon of Sacheon. Leaning weakly against a broken tent pole, his body was riddled with darts, making his skin appear scaly, like that of a fish.
The Poison Dragon of Sacheon laughed as he looked up at Mu Hwi, who gazed down at him indifferently. Even the simple act of laughing caused his breath to stutter precariously. He had never imagined that the very culmination of his lifelong mastery—the Ten Thousand Venomous Rain—would become the reason his life was cut short.
“My Ten Thousand Venomous Rain… It was magnificent.”
The proof lay in his battered body. He was like a flickering candle, moments from burning out.
“Plum Blossom Sword Lord.”
At the voice from behind, Mu Hwi turned his head. It was Tang Qihu who had launched a surprise attack alongside the White Tiger Unit from a different direction.
Tang Qihu looked at the Poison Dragon of Sacheon with bitter eyes—his condition made it clear that death was imminent.
With a deep sigh, Tang Qihu abandoned the cold, formal title he usually used for him and instead called him by another name.
“Elder brother.”
At that, the Poison Dragon of Sacheon let out a weak laugh.
“Sect Leader. What’s with that face? Why do you look like you’re mourning the death of a family?”
“Before you were an enemy, you were family.”
The Poison Dragon of Sacheon gave a hollow chuckle and tilted his head.
“You haven’t changed at all. You’ve always prioritized the soft-hearted path.”
He spat out black blood as his eyes flickered between Tang Qihu and Mu Hwi.
“Do you really think you can survive in the martial arts world like that? The martial arts world is a ruthless place, where mountains of blades and forests of swords await.”
As the dying light in his eyes flared once more, Mu Hwi spoke.
“If the demonic sect defines a martial artist as one who trains in martial arts to gain strength, then the orthodox sect defines a martial artist as one who tempers their weak body and spirit through martial arts to forge resilience. That’s why he’s a martial artist.”
Mu Hwi continued, staring at the Poison Dragon of Sacheon.
“A ruthless world of blades and swords? What of it? Even in such a world, true strength lies in pursuing what one believes in. In my eyes, those who abandon what a person should uphold in their quest for power are the weaker ones.”
The life of a Sword Devil, who trained in martial arts solely to survive the depths of the world, to shake off loneliness, to become stronger at any cost.
The reflections and realizations upon meeting the Sword Saint and experiencing the orthodox martial philosophy.
And the new life he gained as Mu Hwi, living anew in the Hwasan Sect.
The past life of the Sword Devil, the strongest of the evil sect, and the present life of the Hwasan Sect.
Having lived two entirely different lives, this was Mu Hwi’s conclusion on what it meant to be a martial artist.
“A martial artist…”
The Poison Dragon of Sacheon’s muttering voice grew weaker.
“Elder brother. In the past, our family had to sacrifice so much just for the sake of becoming stronger. I intend to change that—to create a family where our members can grow strong without such sacrifices.”
With great effort, He lifted his head to look at Tang Qihu and reached into his robes. When his hand emerged, it held a martial manual.
“This is a record of all my insights. It may not be useful now, but it will help in the future. And you didn’t kill all my subordinates, did you?”
“Of course not. Though they have sinned, they are still members of the Tang Family.”
At Tang Qihu’s signal, Tang Family martial artists brought forward the captured subordinates of the Poison Dragon of Sacheon.
“Lord!”
“We have failed you, Lord.”
The Poison Dragon of Sacheon glanced at his subordinates before sending a sound transmission to Tang Qihu. His eyebrows rose slightly upon hearing it.
“It’s the formula for the Formless Poison I was restoring. Assist the Sect Leader in completing it.”
He alternated his gaze between Tang Qihu and his subordinates. It was both a request for Tang Qihu to take them in and an order for them to return to the Sacheon Tang Family.
“If this is my elder brother’s final request, I can grant him that much. As the leader of the Sacheon Tang Family…”
“It is the duty of a leader to embrace even those who walk a different path.”
His words trailed off as his head slumped forward. Tang Qihu gently closed his eyes and nodded.
“Persuading and accepting them into the new Tang Family will be the task elder brother left behind.”
The Sacheon Tang Family, now undergoing transformation, was only just beginning.
***
Qingcheng
The Shangqing Palace, the historic birthplace of the Qingcheng Sect, had collapsed into ruins. Behind the unrecognizable wreckage stood the sect leader, Gao Xun.
Around him, the bodies of Qingcheng Sect elders lay scattered, their breath long gone. Severed limbs were strewn about, a testament to the ferocity of the battle.
“Ugh…”
Gao Xun, his face deathly pale, vomited blood while gripping a broken sword. His empty sleeve trembled faintly, a sign of severe internal injuries. The only thing that didn’t waver was the clarity in his eyes, even in the face of death.
The Paewangseong Lord, despite multiple shattered bones, stood tall and glared at Gao Xun.
“Sect Leader. In the end, the Qingcheng Sect has been trampled. Even the legacy of your predecessors, which you sought so desperately to protect, crumbles today.”
As the Paewangseong surveyed the ruins of Qingcheng Sect, crushed by the might of the Paewangseong, Gao Xun merely smiled serenely.
“Paewanseong Lord. The legacy we sought to protect was never just old buildings. Buildings can always be rebuilt.”
“Then what?”
“Our legacy lies in the young disciples who inherit Qingcheng’s spirit and martial arts. As long as they live, Qingcheng can always rise again.”
The Paewangseong Lord smirked coldly.
“You mean the young disciples who fled with the Dokgo Association? Stop dreaming. Soon, a net will spread across this land. Do you truly believe they can escape the Paewangseong?”
“Man proposes, Heaven disposes. I’ve done all I can.”
The Paewangseong nodded at Gao Xun’s calm response.
“Sect Leader. You have my respect. Ami and Qingcheng have proven why they are among the Nine Great Sects. Had the major sects in Sacheon not been part of them, my castle would have taken over long ago.”
The air howled as the Paewangseong raised his palm. The violent surge of energy sliced through the surroundings, forcing Gao Xun to bite his lip.
“Primordial Celestial Lord…”
Murmuring the title, Gao Xun raised his broken sword with trembling hands.
Though the blade was shattered, the azure and crimson sword aura rising from it formed the complete shape of a sword.
“This may be the last time the Azure Cloud and Crimson Sunset Sword appear in this world.”
“That remains to be seen.”
Though the sword was broken, the Yunxia Sword Aura—the symbol of Qingcheng—shone brilliantly, illuminating Gao Xun’s face.
As if to declare that Qingcheng had not yet fallen.
***
With each step Mu Hwi took, the scenery around him blurred. Pushing the Dark Scent Flutter to their limit, he crossed mountains in a single breath.
The reason Mu Hwi had broken away from the Cheongseong forces and moved alone was due to urgent news.
The Qingcheng front, which had been holding firm against the Red Flame Army and the Five Martial Lords, had suddenly collapsed. The Dokgo Association and Qingcheng disciples were now in retreat.
To ensure their complete annihilation, the Paewangseong had deployed the Heaven Net—a tightening encirclement.
‘The Paewangseong.’
The sudden reversal of fortunes was due to the Paewangseong’s unexpected appearance.
The Paewangseong, who had mostly delegated external affairs to the Five Martial Lords while focusing on secluded training, had taken to the field himself.
‘As I am now, I’m not ready to face the Paewangseong.’
Mu Hwi considered his current state to be somewhere between the Transcendent Realm and the Absolute Realm.
He had undoubtedly grown stronger, but he had not yet reached the Absolute Realm. A direct confrontation would be difficult.
But with the Sword King still absent from Sacheon, Mu Hwi was the only martial artist capable of even attempting to clash with the Paewangseong.
For Mu Hwi, this was a death trap.
Yet he willingly stepped into it for one reason: to save his disciple, Dokgo Yu, regardless of all else.
Sensing distant presences, Mu Hwi gripped his scabbard and unleashed a flying sword technique. A violet wave erupted from the sheath, following the trajectory of the Sim-myeong Sword as it shot through the air.
Like a swallow skimming the ground, the sword aura accelerated, then suddenly arced upward, striking the rear of the Paewangseong forces forming the Heaven Net.
Swoosh!
The crescent-shaped sword aura moved so swiftly that by the time the enemy heard the sound of its passage and turned, the outermost warriors were already bisected.
“Eek!”
As the razor-sharp sword aura flashed before their eyes, the Paewangseong’s warriors barely had time to draw their swords and counter.
But not all sword auras were equal. Depending on internal energy control, the density, power, and sharpness varied greatly. Their feeble attempts shattered effortlessly.
The path left by the Purple Sunset Divine Technique was drenched in blood. By the time Mu Hwi appeared, fewer than ten warriors remained standing.
Those who had narrowly dodged the sword aura trembled at the sight of Mu Hwi’s violet-plum-adorned robe.
“The Hwasan Sword Saint!”
Mu Hwi glanced at them indifferently and raised the Sim-myeong Sword. He had no time to waste on words.
After swiftly dispatching over twenty warriors, Mu Hwi waited.
Soon, a group emerged in the distance—members of the Sacheon Alliance who had been waiting for Mu Hwi, unable to breach the Heaven Net alone.
“We greet the Sword Saint!”
Thanks to the hidden markers and signal flares Mu Hwi had left, they quickly regrouped.
Mu Hwi acknowledged them with a nod.
“I’ll head into the Heaven Net to search for survivors. If I find any, I’ll guide them this way. Hold the exit.”
“Leave it to us.”
Boom!
Mu Hwi shot into the heart of the encirclement, where layers of Paewangseong’s warriors awaited.
“The Sword Saint! It’s the Sword Saint!”
“Stop him!”
Crack! Boom!
Sword shadows erupted, sweeping across the battlefield as razor-sharp petals of light scattered in all directions.
Mu Hwi cut down every warrior in his path, tearing through their formation.
“Damn it!”
“What kind of sword is this…?”
The warriors couldn’t even track the dark blade of the Sim-myeong Sword. A shadowy blur flickered through the air, and those before him fell in sprays of blood.
Yet, without hesitation, the warriors lunged at him like a pack of wolves. But not even for a moment did they slow his advance.
Bang!
By the time a signal flare for reinforcements lit the sky, none of the warriors beneath it remained alive, not even the one who had fired it.
As the flare’s light faded, Mu Hwi activated the Dark Scent Flutter again, cutting down every enemy in his path.
Signal flares continued to explode in the direction Mu Hwi headed. Only after the seventh one did he finally find the Dokgo Association and Qingcheng disciples struggling within the Heaven Net.
“Sword Saint? Why are you here?”
“Did you come all the way from Cheongseong?”
“No wonder the encirclement weakened. It was you.”
Mu Hwi scanned the group but saw no sign of Dokgo Yu.
“Where is Dokgo Yu?”
The disciples’ faces darkened.
“The Leader stayed behind at Chamdan to the west, buying time for the younger disciples to escape.”
Mu Hwi’s expression hardened. He pointed in the direction he had come.
“I broke through the Heaven Net from the southeast. Paewangseong will be converging there.”
“Then we should avoid that path and circle around.”
Mu Hwi nodded.
“The Sacheon Alliance holds the southeast exit. More forces will join soon. Head that way.”
“Thank you, Sword Saint. Please save our leader. We beg you.”
After exchanging fist salutes, Mu Hwi immediately dashed toward Chamdan.
“That disciple of mine is nothing but trouble.”
As Mu Hwi raced toward Chamdan, the Paewangseong’s carriage was also speeding in the same direction.