Chapter 217: I'll Send Your Friends Soon Too!
Dismissed!
At Yeon Man Ri's command, Mu Yun Qi and the others froze in stunned silence.
"My lord!"
The woman guarding Yeon Man Ri, A Jwa, called out from behind her.
"If you leave like this, Cheongju will become hell itself!"
Yeon Man Ri halted, closing her eyes without a word.
Silence fell over them.
This was the only pass leading into Cheongju. If these invaders slipped through, they would scatter across the entire continent, turning it into a living nightmare.
Be it Ganguk, Jeoguk, or even the mighty Daeun Empire, none would escape the flames.
Yeop Hyeon and the others watched her, awaiting her response.
At that moment, countless cloudships pierced through the distant clouds over the sea.
They're here!
Yeon Man Ri turned to face Yeop Hyeon, who opened his eyes.
Under everyone's gaze, Yeop Hyeon descended from his cloudship and stepped onto solid ground. He approached the group and glanced briefly at Cheongju Island.
"Those the ones?"
Yeon Man Ri nodded and asked,
"Enlightenment?"
Yeop Hyeon nodded back.
His definition of good and evil was simple:
Save those who must live. Kill those who must die—be they saint or sinner.
The way of the sword didn't need such needless complexity.
Simplify everything, and that was enough.
Though he had gained this insight, Yeop Hyeon sensed no change in his sword intent or sword path.
He didn't mind. Clearing that one doubt from his heart would make his sword swifter and stronger than before.
In truth, his sword intent had subtly evolved without his notice, drawing closer to something more tangible.
Just then, the cloudships descended upon the mountain peak. Warriors poured out, cheering wildly as they charged forward in a frenzy.
Thrilled at the prospect of looting Cheongju's treasures, they raced ahead eagerly.
To them, Cheongju was nothing more than a plump, helpless prey.
Amid the hordes, one man shouted gleefully,
"Cheongju's so beautiful! Its women must be even more stunning! Brothers, once we're in, let's grab the prettiest ones first! Haha… ha… hahaha… Huh?"
The man's boisterous laughter cut short as he spotted Ji An Zhi and the two other women ahead. His eyes lit up.
"Brothers, looks like heaven's gifted me a woman! I'll take her first then! Haha—Gahk!"
In an instant, a sword pierced clean through the man's forehead.
The charging warriors skidded to a halt, eyes narrowing warily on Yeop Hyeon.
A young warrior stepped forward and bellowed,
"Who the hell are you?!"
"Cheongju wants nothing to do with you. Turn back now!"
The warrior's face twisted viciously at Yeop Hyeon's words.
"And if we don't?"
Puk!
Another sword appeared, drilling through the man's brow. He stared at Yeop Hyeon in disbelief, eyes wide.
"You… you're…"
Yeop Hyeon caught his returning Spirit Water Sword and met the man's gaze.
"Don't worry. I'll send your friends soon too!"
The man's body crumpled to the ground.
Yeon Man Ri, standing beside Yeop Hyeon, smiled faintly at the sight. She loved his fiery temper.
By rough count, there were six or seven hundred warriors present. Most were in the Divine Fusion Realm, the weakest at Penetrating Nether Realm, and over a dozen Myriad Laws Realm experts among them.
This lineup alone was enough to make legs tremble.
Then, an old man pushed through the crowd and stepped before Yeop Hyeon and the others. A sinister glint flickered in his eyes as he regarded them.
"Who might you be?"
"Yeop Hyeon of Cheongju," he replied curtly.
'Yeop Hyeon?'
The old man glanced back at the other warriors, but none seemed to recognize the name.
"A local, then?"
Yeop Hyeon nodded.
"And you're the ones blocking our path into Cheongju?"
Another nod.
"Hmph. Don't you think you're a bit short-handed for that?"
Gripping his Spirit Water Sword, Yeop Hyeon advanced slowly.
"Care to test it?"
The old man wasted no more words. He lashed out with a claw strike. A colossal talon materialized in the air, plummeting toward Yeop Hyeon's head.
Yeop Hyeon leaped forward, swinging his sword.
Boom!
As the massive talon vanished, Yeop Hyeon's figure was already hovering above the old man.
A streak of sword light plunged down.
The old man's face paled. He clenched his fist and unleashed a ferocious punch skyward.
Vast energy erupted from his fist like an explosion.
Boom!
A thunderous blast sent the old man's body hurtling dozens of zhang away. Another sword hurtled after him.
He couldn't see it, but he felt its aura. Face ashen, he hastily summoned a black shield and poured spiritual energy into it. Dazzling black light burst forth.
The sword struck. The shield shuddered violently before splitting in two. The blade slipped through unscathed.
Slash!
The old man's head soared into the air.
The arena fell deathly silent.
'No way—a Divine Fusion Realm cultivator just took down a Myriad Laws expert that easily?'
Yeop Hyeon halted before the corpse, pointing his sword tip at the hundreds of warriors and roaring,
"Cheongju is under my protection! For my sake, turn back now!"
The warriors said nothing, showing no sign of retreat. Their eyes were icy cold, some openly radiating killing intent.
"You're really set on blocking our way?!"
A man stepped forward, shouting.
"Sigh… What choice do I have? I'm the dean of Canglan Academy and a man of Ganguk. They've aided me many times. Plus, as Jeoguk's national scholar, I swore to protect its peace. If you invade Cheongju, both nations will plunge into chaos. So, though it's tough, why not call it here and part as understanding men?"
"What nonsense! You want us to understand? Who's gonna understand our plight after trekking a thousand ri to get here…"
Yeop Hyeon released his grip. His Spirit Water Sword vanished from his hand.
Puk!
A hole appeared in the man's forehead, blood spraying like a fountain.
He died without knowing why.
Killing intent gave way to caution in the warriors' eyes.
Yeop Hyeon extended his hand. The sword, having circled the sky, returned to his grasp. He leveled it at them again.
"Anyone who doesn't get it, step up!"
Silence gripped the arena.
Nearby, Yeon Man Ri watched with a smile playing on her lips.
"That's right—a real man needs that kind of fire!"
Cheok Bal-eon nodded vigorously.
"See? I know how to pick friends! Manly as hell! Love it—perfect!"
"…"
Then, a man in black robes emerged from the hundreds of warriors. He sized Yeop Hyeon up and down before speaking.
"If you think scaring us off is enough… you're not qualified!"
Narrowing his eyes, he slowly clenched his hidden fists within his sleeves.
He planned to smash them into Yeop Hyeon's face the moment he replied.
But against expectations, Yeop Hyeon said nothing. He simply raised his sword and charged.
The man faltered.
'Damn it, he won't even talk to me?!'
No time to dawdle. Twin daggers appeared in his hands.
As he rushed Yeop Hyeon, the ground beneath his feet cracked deeply from razor-sharp blade aura.
With less than a zhang between them, Yeop Hyeon's sword unleashed a chilling aura.
At that instant, the man's daggers whipped out at blinding speed. In a blink, over a hundred strikes overlapped, forming a massive surge that crashed down on Yeop Hyeon.
Blade Lord!
It was an application of Borrowed Power.
Boom!
Both figures reeled back dozens of zhang. Regaining his stance, the man merged his daggers and cleaved downward from above.
Whoosh!
White blade qi erupted from his weapon, slashing deep into the earth as it hurtled toward Yeop Hyeon.
Yeop Hyeon pointed a finger. A sword shot from the sword casket on his back like a bolt of light.
Slash!
It shredded the blade qi instantly and kept flying toward the man.
He flung his dagger in panic, but it shattered against Yeop Hyeon's sword.
Realizing he couldn't win, the man dove into the crowd.
But the sword had no intention of stopping.
As it bore down, warriors scattered in alarm. Five in the front ranks, too slow to evade, were bisected.
As the sword arced back to Yeop Hyeon, a hand shot out and seized it.
"Yo Yeolbang's Fourth Seat, Hahu So!"
Cheok Bal-eon cried out, recognizing him.
Hahu So slowly raised his head and addressed Yeop Hyeon.
"Someone asked me to pass this on. An So-jeo isn't someone who mingles with trash like you!"
Yeop Hyeon shook his head with a smile. A feral edge glinted in it.
"What do you care who I like? Ran Su is mine, and so is this Cheongju—I'm protecting it!"
In that moment, the Spirit Water Sword in his hand turned pitch black.
Evil Intent!
The world divides into yin and yang; all things cycle through harmony and conflict.
So too do people split into good and evil—nature's law.
Even the kindest soul harbors darkness.
If a mighty warrior embraces good, peace reigns. If evil, the world becomes hell.
To Yeop Hyeon, it was simple: Repay good with good, evil with a hundred—no, a thousandfold vengeance.
How you treat me determines how I treat you. An iron rule.
He wouldn't repay kindness with enmity, nor grace his foes with mercy.
The moment Evil Intent Sword Intent poured from Yeop Hyeon, the sword in Hahu So's hand trembled violently. It darkened gradually, then his hand began to blacken too.
Hahu So yelped and released it. Freed, the sword was sucked straight into Yeop Hyeon's sword casket.
Staring gravely at his right hand, Hahu So saw chunks of skin missing. A second slower, and his whole arm would be gone.
'What kind of insane sword intent is this?!'