Chapter 54: The Wicked Orthodox Faction (4)
Chapter 54: The Wicked Orthodox Faction (4)
"Young Master! He’s dead! That idiot from the Murong family was found as a corpse!"
"What? How?"
Eon Hyeong-shin frowned and stood up immediately.
He had been passing the time reading the secret manuals of the Murong family.
Secret manuals containing a family's hidden techniques were usually written like encrypted documents, riddled with idioms and metaphors used only within that specific clan. It was difficult for an outsider to understand them, and even if they did, attempting to train with them was even harder. One wrong turn in the circulation of energy, and one would face the immediate risk of Qi Deviation.
This was precisely why the Jinju Eon Family had lost most of their own ancestral techniques.
"Is this the work of those Jongri bastards...?"
"We can't trust them, but would they have a reason to do this?"
"Who knows."
Eon Hyeong-shin fell into thought as he walked.
Why would the Jongri family kill the Murong hostage now, just before the Great Art was completed? Was there a reason? If they intended to betray him, there would have been better opportunities.
And yet, excluding the Jongri family, there was no one else on this ship to suspect. This vessel carried only the Jongri family's sorcerers, third-rate Black Path thugs, and the martial force of the Jinju Eon Family.
The men under his command were those who had protected the direct lineage even through the family's decline. He couldn't doubt them.
Then who, and why...?
"This is the Murong family’s Hundred Severing Flash Sword."
"Pardon...?"
"I'm certain. I recognize the sword intent."
Arriving before the corpse of Murong Cheon-ju, Eon Hyeong-shin’s expression turned grim as he examined the marks left on the body's neck.
The Hundred Severing Flash Sword. Among the secret techniques of the Murong family, which prioritized the fast sword, this was a style notorious for its killing strikes.
After studying the sword intent left on the neck and head for a long moment, Eon Hyeong-shin looked up.
"Split the men into two groups."
"Yes, Young Master."
"Half of you search Cheongheon County. Find the remnants of the Murong family and bring them here. Judging by the fact that the blood hasn't fully clotted, they couldn't have gone far. The rest of you, search this ship."
"Shouldn't we be fleeing, Young Master? If the Murong family knows of this, the main house is in danger."
"There is only one assassin. If the Murong family had come with their full strength, a sect war would have broken out by now. If they had any significant numbers, they would have tried to take the entire Black Ship."
If they had cleanly decapitated Cheon-ju and vanished, there was only one answer. They couldn't handle the combined martial artists of the Black Ship, so they took his head in a hurry and fled.
"We must find them. If we lose them here, the very existence of our family is at risk."
"Yes, Young Master!"
If the Murong martial artist who did this returned to their family alive, the likelihood of a Martial Alliance assembly being convened was extremely high.
They had joined hands with the Jongri family to slaughter commoners, and in the process, they had tortured a member of the Murong family to extract his martial arts. If this came to light, they would have to prepare for the total extermination of their clan.
At Eon Hyeong-shin’s words, the Eon family warriors nodded with grim faces and immediately scattered.
A subordinate approached him and whispered.
"Young Master. You should allocate more men to sealing off Cheongheon County. If the one who did this is alone, the chance of them still being on the ship is too low."
"No, we are preparing to flee."
"...Pardon?"
"If everything goes wrong, we must pull out and claim innocence. You take charge of the martial force and secure an escape route. In the process, erase every trace of our family."
"I see. Yes, Young Master."
There was no way the enemy was still on the ship. The person had fled because they couldn't handle the warriors on the Black Ship. Such a person wouldn't remain inside the vessel after the level of alertness had skyrocketed following the assassination.
Therefore, searching the ship was a mere pretext.
After deceiving the Jongri sorcerers, they would move through the Black Ship and erase all evidence of the Jinju Eon Family's presence. Even if all of this was exposed to the Martial Alliance, they could escape by claiming there was no evidence for the Murong family's words and that they were simply victims of the Jongri family's schemes.
'Damn it!'
The taste in his mouth was bitter. It wouldn't have mattered if the Great Art had been completed... but the plan he had staked the family's future on was falling apart just before the finish line.
Was it greed?
Opportunities to obtain the secret manuals of the Five Great Clans were rare. If he could extract and learn such martial arts, it would have played a vital role in restoring his family's lost legacy.
Eon Hyeong-shin frowned and looked toward the cargo hold, where the Great Art was being prepared.
This happened after all his subordinates had vanished. The anxiety of being so close to success was strangling him.
'If this fails, our family is finished. If we are caught, we will surely be exterminated. And I am the only one of the direct lineage who can take responsibility for such a thing.'
If today's events were discovered by the Martial Alliance, the Jinju Eon Family would not fall if he sacrificed himself after erasing all evidence. If they gave up a direct descendant who had received the title of 'Fist Dragon' at the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering, few would doubt them.
His own life versus the future of the family.
When placed on a scale, the former was clearly lighter. He was prepared to die for the family.
As he was lost in these thoughts—
Crack!
Right next to where he stood, the box containing the corpse split wide open.
"Peek-a-boo."
A pitch-black blade lunged out, flying toward his throat.
It was a single, concentrated strike, delivered after circulating my internal energy to the maximum while lying in wait. If I had triggered the thunderbolt, it would have been too loud to hide, so I held back until the moment of the strike. Even so, the internal energy loaded into this blade was nearly eighty percent of my total capacity.
I unleashed it through the body of a Peng family descendant. And it was a surprise attack.
This strike was at least three moves ahead of him.
And yet—
Crrraaaaack!!
"Kh-ugh...!"
It was blocked. The Protection Aura that flared from his body in an instant stopped the blade. I had heard of this—that practitioners of fist arts had stronger Protection Auras than typical martial artists because they had to face blades with their bare hands.
However, it seemed he couldn't completely neutralize the force.
My strike snapped his neck back violently, and his breath hitched.
I quickly shouted to Murong Cheong.
"Now!"
"Yes!!"
There was no time for more words. I couldn't give him time to steady his breathing.
At my command, Murong Cheong, who had been hiding behind me, dashed past. It was a movement technique that left no sound of footsteps. Lightly, yet with startling speed. One Leaf Falling (一葉落).
Silent, like a single leaf falling on the breeze.
Slaaaash!!
It was the Flash Sword (破閃劍). It meant a strike that could split light.
A sword strike so fast it was nearly invisible even to my eyes pierced toward Eon Hyeong-shin’s abdomen.
Clang!!
Eon Hyeong-shin deflected it with his fist. He was still clutching his neck with one hand, seemingly unable to manage the shock yet. Despite that, he thrust his fist toward Murong Cheong’s head.
It was faint, but there was a definite presence of Astral Energy infused within it. This was the martial art of a direct descendant who had studied at a great sect, a master of the Peak Realm.
If it hit, she would surely die.
And I had no intention of letting that happen.
Crackle...!!
Thunderbolts erupted from my blade. I swung it directly against his fist. The Hunyuan Thunderbolt Blade was a martial art of Astral Energy. Even though I hadn't opened my Middle Dantian, a Peng family warrior who mastered the Hunyuan Thunderbolt Blade could trade blows with a Peak Master...!
"Murong... cough! Murong Cheong...!! You bitch, how dare you... how dare you join hands with the Hebei Peng Family?"
"Wow, look at the nerve on this guy."
He shouted desperately while wildly swinging his hands to block my offensive. He was practically dripping with rage and shock.
"You were playing house with the Jongri family and captured a Murong elder, and now you're saying what? You've really lost it."
"A warrior of the Peng family...! Cough!"
The hatred the Jinju Eon Family held for the Hebei Peng Family was no ordinary thing. We were the outsiders who had ripped the very pillars out of their house.
Murderous intent poured from his eyes in waves.
But that was his limit. Had we faced each other head-on, it might have been different, but he had taken a blow to the neck first. Even if he blocked it with his Protection Aura, the impact had rattled his entire neck.
Naturally, the neck is one of the body's most vital points. It's where all the acupoints flow into the brain. The accumulated shock there disrupts the nerves and blocks breathing. If anything, his ability to continue fighting after such an ambush was a testament to his formidable prowess.
Clang!! Boom!
"I cannot... cough! I cannot die like this...! If only I kill you two...!!"
"You're pathetic, Hyeong-shin."
"You bastard—!!"
I blocked his Astral Energy techniques, and Murong Cheong dove into the openings. It was a perfect tag-team match.
The combination of me, who could provide a minimum defense against Astral Energy, and Murong Cheong, who delved in with her quick sword and lethal strikes, was a perfect blend of offense and defense.
Since we held the initiative, even the 'Fist Dragon' could not escape death.
"Wait, ju—!!"
"Sure, you stop first."
"Wait. Wait...!!"
His struggling hands grew increasingly frantic. He had engaged in too much violent movement without steadying his breath, and trying to operate Astral Energy on top of that had placed a massive strain on his Middle Dantian.
Soon, his internal energy paths twisted, and he vomited a spray of blood.
The momentum he had barely maintained collapsed, and he fell to his knees, coughing in agony.
As Eon Hyeong-shin flailed his hands and foamed at the mouth, Murong Cheong approached him with her sword drawn.
"For the crime of deceiving my uncle and stealing our family's secret manuals, and for the crime of torturing him and inflicting indelible wounds and insults!"
Murong Cheong drove her sword into the gasping Eon Hyeong-shin’s chest. His Protection Aura seemed to resist her blade for a moment, but it soon scattered weakly, and the blade sank into his chest.
Judging by the position, it missed the heart but tore through his lung.
"For the crime of massacring commoners and conspiring with the Jongri family to perform forbidden sorcery...!!"
Murong Cheong drew another sword. Fundamentally, the Murong family's sword styles were based on twin swords. Her second blade tore into Eon Hyeong-shin’s other lung.
As Eon Hyeong-shin trembled as if struck by lightning and hung his head, Murong Cheong stood before him and growled low.
"For the crime of exploiting the desperation of a father and a husband, mocking him, and ultimately making him betray those he loved most... Eon Hyeong-shin. Compared to your sins, this is far too merciful an end. But I can no longer stand to see you draw another breath."
"Wait."
"Pardon...?"
I pushed Murong Cheong aside and stepped forward, gripping my saber.
"Adding to all those crimes, the crime of slaughtering the commoners of the Hao Clan who lived hand-to-mouth every day."
I, too, had a right to claim a share of this revenge.
I rested the blade against the back of his neck.
"Stop, stop... spare, cough!!Cough! Spare me..."
"I've come to collect the blood debt."
Squelch.
His head rose briefly into the air before falling to the floor.
After securing the head, I turned to Murong Cheong.
"I could have done it. It was a bit much for you."
"I've already stained myself with too much blood today. I can handle this much."
"You..."
Since she had to personally behead a relative she once knew, every drop of that blood must have felt incredibly heavy. Since the revenge was already complete, I figured I could handle the actual decapitation.
Besides, it's bad for the mental health of a bright teenager in their late teens to be harvesting human heads. Even if the ethics of medieval China weren't much different from Sodom and Gomorrah, a 21st-century modern person shouldn't just stand by and watch that.
"When we return... you are coming to the Murong family with me."
"What are you talking about all of a sudden...?"
Is she telling me to go die? Is she mad I stole the final blow of her revenge?
"Leave the Hebei Peng Family. I will host you as an honored guest of our house."
"Then I'll die."
By my grandfather's hand.
If my grandfather really loses his mind in rage, could the Murong family even withstand it? They'd be exterminated for sure. A family that doesn't even have one of the Fifteen Lords of the World.
As I was backing away awkwardly with those thoughts, the ship lurched violently.
"...?!"
From somewhere far off, the sharp whistle of a Myeongjeok (signaling arrow) rang out. It must have been fired with internal energy, as it sounded clearly even over the stormy night sea.
Upon hearing that sound, Murong Cheong’s face brightened significantly.
"The Murong family is here! That's our family's signal! We're saved!"
"Hmm. I think I'd like to slip away now."
"What a disappointing thing to say! If I don't at least give you a reward for this, I'm not a Murong! Unlike the Han people, we are thorough with our debts and gratitudes!"
Murong Cheong smiled brightly as she pulled her swords from Eon Hyeong-shin’s body. As I tied the head to my waist and stood up, she approached with a much more affectionate attitude and firmly gripped my sleeve.
"Don't go anywhere. We must return together."
"Well, I should at least take a reward before I go. Wow, I rescued a direct descendant, completed a revenge, and even recovered secret manuals... what on earth should I get as a reward? Does your family happen to have any Great Rejuvenation Pills lying around?"
In the medieval Chinese sport of 'Martial Arts,' there are no anti-doping regulations. If you take medicine and digest it well, that energy becomes yours.
At my words, Murong Cheong chuckled and said, "I'll give you something even more amazing than that. If I say so, it will happen."
"Something more amazing than a Shaolin Great Rejuvenation Pill...?"
Are they giving me an Imugi's core or something?
While I was licking my lips in anticipation, Murong Cheong quickly pulled my sleeve and led me toward the deck.
The Black Ship was in chaos.
It had been fine when they were anchored in front of Cheongheon County's port, but with the Murong family's great ships appearing from the sea, they were now cornered against the land.
Hearing the Murong signal, Jongri Yeom rushed onto the deck, bit his lip, and shouted, "Hurry the preparations for departure! We're getting out of here fast!"
"B-but, milord...! Those bastards are blocking all the escape routes!!"
"I will personally lend a hand in the breakthrough, so do not worry! Are we ready?!"
"The anchors were raised long ago! But the wind is unfavorable, so right now...!"
"Wait."
Jongri Yeom’s sleeves fluttered, and dozens of yellow talismans scattered into the air. He was one of the top elders in the Sorcery Sect of the Jongri family; if given enough time and resources, even Summoning Wind and Rain was not impossible.
These weren't the resources meant for such a task, but survival was more important. Jongri Yeom began to consume the living souls beneath the deck with a heart that felt like it was bleeding.
The Great Art had been ruined. Even if this matter was concluded, there was no longer any way to stop the wrath of the Jinju Eon Family.
'If it weren't for that Heavenly Roar Fist, a mere Jinju Eon Family would be nothing but a handful of dust.'
It wouldn't be difficult to inform the Martial Alliance that the Jinju Eon Family was involved in this and stir up internal strife. But if he did that, what about the Fist King?
In this Martial World, the extermination of a clan was not a rare tragedy. However, a tiny few—the old monsters who stood at the very apex of the Martial World—could escape with their lives even amidst the destruction of their clan. If such people shed the shackles of family and roamed freely for the sole purpose of revenge, they became an enormous threat.
The Jinju Eon Family had avoided extermination solely because of the existence of the Fist King, and that had not changed.
"No, wait."
Jongri Yeom’s hand, which had been about to call forth the wind and rain to move the ship, froze. The whispering of the subordinates around him grew louder.
What was this? What on earth was happening?
Did the Lord do this?
For now, it was more surprise and awe than fear. Because before their eyes, the raindrops had 'stopped.'
Anyone could see this was not a normal occurrence. This was close to a miracle.
And Jongri Yeom knew of those who could perform such feats. Not through sorcery fueled by talismans and spiritual power, but those who forced their will upon the world through their own martial prowess.
His gaze shook violently as he looked toward the port.
Toward the port where, shrouded in darkness, even a sorcerer of his level could only barely perceive a hazy shadow.
Someone was standing there alone.
"Are you insane!!"
The moment he saw that figure, a groan escaped through his teeth. He immediately rubbed his eyes and looked at the sky.
Amidst the thick dark clouds, a small crack was barely visible. The clouds were splitting.
Jongri Yeom found the sight almost sublime. It was a scene where nature itself was obeying a single human being without any sorcerous power. Through the crack, the starry night sky was gradually becoming more visible.
『Heavenly Strike (天打)』
A profound voice resonated thunderously beneath the sky. Six Harmonies Resonance. It was a voice that echoed through every 'domain' he occupied, regardless of direction or distance.
With that, everyone's eyes naturally turned toward the port. Toward the man standing solitary. Toward the one who was king of this land.
In this moment, the shocked Black Path ronin, Jongri Yeom, and even the great ships of the Murong family approaching from the distant sea all came to a halt.
That kind of presence—an overwhelming presence—was here.
The Fifteen Lords of the World. In other words, one of the only fifteen absolute masters in this vast Nine Provinces. Those who, had they been born in any other era, could have easily claimed the title of 'Number One Under Heaven.'
『Heaven's Collapse (崩天)』
The sky split. The moon appeared. The stars that had been hidden beneath the dark clouds glittered as they looked down upon them.
In between, a pitch-black thread was visible.
It was a trace of the Harmony Realm. The power to impose one's martial arts and will upon the world at large. The power of those who twist the laws of heaven and earth to make space itself their own mental landscape.
"That crazy old man, the Fist King...!"
He had personally stepped forward to erase all traces because he feared being discovered by the Murong family...!
He must have acted the moment he heard the Murong fleet had set sail. What decisiveness. Even though his youngest grandson, whom he cherished so much in his later years, was on this ship!
『Great Luo Sky-Annihilating Strike (大罗歼天击)』
With those words, the sky split apart.
The sky revealed between the clouds, and the black lines that had been connecting within it like cracks, all shattered at once.
From within, a massive force plummeted down.
Everyone on the Black Ship stood still, staring up blankly.
—BOOOOOOM!!—
In the next instant, the great ship floating on the night sea shattered into fragments. As helplessly as an ant crushed under a finger.
One of the Fifteen Lords, one of the Four Peerless Masters of the Orthodox Faction.
The Fist King, Eon Do-cheon.
The man with that name placed his hands behind his back as he watched the Murong ships hurriedly coming to their senses and approaching.
"This time, for real."
I thought to myself as I struggled to move my limbs in the water, tightly clutching the waist of the unconscious Murong Cheong.
"I almost died...!"