Present the Azure Dragon Sword! (1)
‘A trap?’
Yeop Hyeon let out a small chuckle.
Steward O, catching sight of it, furrowed his brow for a moment.
‘Does he have some hidden card up his sleeve?’
“Kill him!”
In an instant, seven black-clad assassins lunged at Yeop Hyeon.
Each one was a peak assassin. Moreover, these black-clad figures were unaffected by the formation.
It was then.
Bam! Bam! Bam...
With dull thuds, the black-clad assassins swiftly pulled back their forms.
Steward O's face twisted in momentary bewilderment.
Five golden statues had appeared before Yeop Hyeon at some point.
And these golden statues were utterly unaffected by the formation.
The formations embedded within the five golden statues were far superior to the Golden Spirit Formation that Steward O had set up.
The five golden statues that had repelled the black-clad assassins suddenly began smashing at the formation array.
Witnessing this, Steward O raised his eyebrows and bellowed.
“Retreat!”
Soon, Steward O and his warriors turned tail and fled at full speed.
For them, this was the wisest choice. If the formation shattered, they could never stop Yeop Hyeon.
They hadn't gotten far when an explosion erupted behind them.
The formation had broken.
Steward O poured on even more speed in sheer panic. Right then, a single sword appeared before his eyes and pierced his brow in a flash.
At the same moment, the black-clad assassins around him collapsed to the ground as one. And embedded in each of their brows was a single dagger.
Yeop Hyeon approached the corpses slowly and clicked his tongue.
“Making me waste my spirit stones for nothing!”
With a flick of his hand, the swords returned to him in an instant.
As he rummaged through the bodies for spoils, Yeop Hyeon's expression grew grave.
They were all dirt poor. Even scraping together everything they had yielded less than fifty million taels of gold, and they carried only a handful of spirit stones.
Just then, Yeop Hyeon glanced back. There, two very familiar faces were staring at him.
Mok Cheonghyeon and the Dark Lord.
In truth, ever since Yeop Hyeon had left Jiang Kingdom, Chang Mok Academy and the Dark Realm had been tailing him.
When they learned he was heading for the Daeun Empire, they were thrown into utter confusion.
They had never imagined that Yeop Hyeon, who had always been on the defensive, would come charging on the offensive.
In their current situation, where neither could deploy Myriad Laws Realm experts, who could possibly stop him?
There was no way.
If Yeop Hyeon didn't have the Sword Immortal as his backer, the two factions could have crushed him without a second thought. The problem was that she was a supreme expert who could snap the necks of Law Realm powerhouses like chickens. Because of this, they still hesitated to send their Myriad Laws Realm experts.
It was infuriating and heartbreaking.
That was the sentiment weighing on Mok Cheonghyeon and the Dark Lord.
Those who could kill Yeop Hyeon couldn't step forward, and those who could fight couldn't kill him. How frustrating was that!
Yeop Hyeon said nothing and simply started walking toward them.
No conversation was needed between him and them.
At that moment, Mok Cheonghyeon blocked Yeop Hyeon's path and spoke.
“Is there no possibility of reconciliation?”
‘Reconciliation?’
Yeop Hyeon snorted.
“Has the one who's been burning with hatred to kill me suddenly changed his mind?”
Mok Cheonghyeon replied in a calm tone.
“Do you truly believe you'll be the victor in this war? In the end, both sides will suffer irrecoverable losses...”
Yeop Hyeon shook his head, cutting him off.
“Cut the crap. I have no intention of stopping. I'll kill every last one of you in the end!”
With that, Yeop Hyeon shoved Mok Cheonghyeon's shoulder aside and kept walking. But after a few steps, he paused and said,
“By the way, which side is Chang Mok Academy on?”
“……”
“Haha...”
And with that laughter, Yeop Hyeon vanished from the area.
After he left, Mok Cheonghyeon slowly closed his eyes, as if steadying his mind. The Dark Lord approached him.
“Was suggesting reconciliation just a stalling tactic?”
Mok Cheonghyeon nodded.
“Once he reaches the Imperial City, neither Chang Mok Academy nor the Dark Realm can stop him. This matter will require the main headquarters in Jungto Sinju to intervene. But it will take time for reinforcements from the headquarters to arrive, so I tried to buy some... but he saw right through my intent for some reason.”
The Dark Lord asked with a grave expression.
“What do we do now?”
Mok Cheonghyeon opened his eyes and gazed into the distance.
“We must stop him from entering the Imperial City at all costs. Otherwise, Chang Mok Academy and the Dark Realm will face catastrophe. Go meet with King Gosan!”
With that, the two departed for the Imperial City.
Meanwhile, Yeop Hyeon, upon arriving at Chang Mok Academy, looked slightly taken aback. Not a single student remained in the academy.
Of course, they had taken all the valuables with them.
“Arrrgh! You sneaky bastards—!”
Yeop Hyeon was deeply miffed at sending a guest who had come from afar away empty-handed, but he had no choice but to turn back.
His goal was elsewhere, after all.
The capital of the Daeun Empire.
The imperial palace of the Daeun Empire.
A woman sat with her feet dipped in the pond. As she swished them in the water, small fish gathered around.
She gazed at the fish nibbling adorably at her pale feet and smiled unwittingly.
At that moment, a man in armor, sword at his waist, approached her. He bowed lightly and spoke.
“My liege, Dean Mok and the Dark Lord have arrived.”
A smile spread across the woman's lips.
“Let them in!”
Shortly after the man left, Mok Cheonghyeon and the Dark Lord approached where she sat and bowed deeply.
“Lady Yeon!”
Their deference was utmost.
It was only natural.
Though the Daeun Empire had declined somewhat from its peak, the might it once wielded as Qingzhou's hegemon lingered. Moreover, this woman before them, Yeon Man Ri, was a mysterious figure whose true power even Chang Mok Academy and the Dark Realm could not fathom.
Yeon Man Ri rose slowly from her seat and walked over to the two.
“You've come because of Yeop Hyeon, I presume.”
Mok Cheonghyeon nodded.
“Yes. We seek Lady Yeon's aid.”
Yeon Man Ri chuckled lightly.
“Chang Mok Academy and the Dark Realm are in the same boat as our Daeun Empire, so it's only right. How about fifty Black Flame Cavalry?”
Mok Cheonghyeon brightened and replied hastily.
“More than enough!”
“Good. But to persuade those stubborn old fools in the court, we'll need some face-saving gesture. How about ten million top-grade spirit stones?”
Mok Cheonghyeon and the Dark Lord hesitated briefly.
Yeon Man Ri spoke again.
“Do you think fifty Black Flame Cavalry aren't worth that much?”
Mok Cheonghyeon gave a wry smile.
“Of course not. We'll prepare the spirit stones at once.”
Yeon Man Ri smiled.
“Refreshing. That Yeop Hyeon is no simple foe, after all. Fifty Black Flame Cavalry might not suffice, so I'll issue mobilization orders to the various clans in the empire. His strength is formidable, but if the empire's powerhouses unite, things might resolve more easily than expected.”
Mok Cheonghyeon smiled back.
“If so, Yeop Hyeon will be nothing to fear!”
“Only...”
Yeon Man Ri furrowed her brow slightly.
“If those clans prove uncooperative...”
“Hahaha! No worries. Would they dare defy our decision?”
Yeon Man Ri relaxed her expression and beamed.
“True enough. I worried needlessly.”
With that, Mok Cheonghyeon and the Dark Lord expressed their gratitude to Yeon Man Ri and departed.
Once they were gone, Yeon Man Ri shook her head and shouted angrily.
“Chang Mok Academy and the Dark Realm... colossal factions desperate over one man. I can't just stand by and watch. Hey! Bring me this king's Azure Dragon Sword! I'm so pissed... I'll use this Azure Dragon Sword to carve up some... pork belly or something.”
“……”
Daeun Empire. Imperial City.
The cloud ship carrying Yeop Hyeon departed Nam Myeong Fortress for the Daeun Empire's capital.
A Chwiseonru steward approached Yeop Hyeon, who was resting on the ship, and bowed.
“Young Master Yeop, we at Chwiseonru have already investigated Steward O. He was a spy planted in Chwiseonru long ago by Chang Mok Academy. On behalf of Chwiseonru, I apologize for the inconvenience to you!”
Yeop Hyeon smiled.
“No big deal.”
The steward clasped his fists again.
“We've already sent agents to the Imperial City. We'll inform you immediately of any developments.”
“Much appreciated.”
“If you need anything, please call for me at once!”
After the steward left, two maidens appeared behind Yeop Hyeon carrying trays piled high with fruit. Their cheeks flushed red as they bowed shyly.
Yeop Hyeon turned to look at them, a hint of surprise on his face.
These were the girls who had joked about slipping him something in his drink on the cloud ship back to Canglan Academy.
Yeop Hyeon casually picked up a fruit and smiled.
“No drugs in this, right?”
At his words, the two bowed their heads even lower, faces burning red.
Amused by the sight, Yeop Hyeon burst into laughter.
The maiden to his left mustered her courage and asked.
“A-Are you really a Sword Lord, young master?”
Yeop Hyeon grinned.
“Of course. Why, impressed?”
She stared at him for a moment, then burst out laughing.
“I've never met a Sword Lord with such thick skin.”
“……”
The other maiden tugged at her sleeve in panic and whispered sharply.
“Dongdong! Are you crazy!?”
Dongdong blinked a couple times.
“D-Did he get mad?”
Yeop Hyeon deliberately hardened his expression.
“Who knows? Am I mad or not?”
Dongdong flashed a bright smile, white teeth gleaming.
“We all know you're not. Because you're a good person! I have ears, and I've heard all about what you did at Gaeyang Fortress.”
She yanked the arm of the girl beside her and said mischievously.
“This is Dandan, the one who tried to drug you last time!”
“Oho... So, what kind of drug were you planning?”
At Yeop Hyeon's question, Dandan's face turned beet red. She flailed helplessly and covered her face with her hands.
From their reactions, Yeop Hyeon could tell it was definitely no good potion.
“Sigh...”
Yeop Hyeon let out a deep sigh. It was self-reproach for nearly leading these young girls astray with his own charm.
Just then, Dongdong sidled up to him and grinned impishly.
“Secret, but Dandan dreams of marrying a sword cultivator.”
“Hey, you wanna die!?”
Dandan lunged to cover Dongdong's mouth, but Dongdong had already scampered far away. The two bickered playfully as they vanished from Yeop Hyeon's sight.
A smile tugged at Yeop Hyeon's lips as he turned back. Looking up at the sky, a gentle breeze swept over him, warming his body.
Right then, a white speck appeared in the distant sky.
What started as a mere dot grew enormous in the blink of an eye, hurtling toward the cloud ship.
Yeop Hyeon jolted in alarm and spun toward the people on deck, shouting.
“Watch out!”
His form blurred, snatching Dongdong from several zhang away by the waist. As he reached for Dandan a few steps ahead—
BOOM!
A massive beam of light struck the cloud ship, splitting it in two as it plummeted to the ground.