Chapter 243: I Am Ko Geom-hyeon
Yeop Hyeon couldn't help but feel flustered.
They said a woman's heart was as fickle as a reed. Even so, Cheok Bal-eon's sudden change in attitude was utterly bewildering.
But Yeop Hyeon was a man.
He couldn't coldly refuse a woman's desperate plea.
The moment Yeop Hyeon flared his nostrils and leaned in to press his lips toward Cheok Bal-eon, she abruptly turned and fled the room.
Yeop Hyeon was left utterly dumbfounded.
Just then, Gu Jiu appeared at the doorway.
"The Ma Jong and Gui Jong have arrived."
"Already?"
Yeop Hyeon's eyes widened as he bolted from the room like a shot.
Myriad Laws Realm...?
Gu Jiu stared at Yeop Hyeon's retreating figure, swept up in shock.
Over the skies of Gangguk's Imperial City floated more than two hundred cloud ships, densely packed in a human-shaped formation.
Yeop Hyeon arrived atop the city walls, hands clasped behind his back, his face calmly surveying the fleet.
Flanking him stood Bai Ze, Mu Yun Qi, and Ji An Zhi.
The Canglan Academy Four Heroes!
Mu Yun Qi gazed at the heavens and murmured softly.
"Yeop Sword Lord... aren't there way too many of 'em?"
Bai Ze, standing nearby, shot him a needless jab.
"What, scared enough to piss yourself?"
"The man Mu Yun Qi has never feared anyone in his life!"
"Oh yeah? Then you take the lead!"
"Nah! I go last!"
"Wasn't scared?"
"The hero always shows up at the end!"
As Bai Ze opened his mouth for another retort, Yeop Hyeon chuckled and stepped in to mediate.
"Enough, you two. Save your energy—we've got a fight coming up soon!"
At that moment, Mu Yun Qi turned to Yeop Hyeon.
"Yeop Sword Lord, be straight with us. Where are our reinforcements at?"
Bai Ze nodded, adding on.
"Yeah, tell us the truth. We need to know if backup's coming so we can psych ourselves up."
Yeop Hyeon shook his head.
"No reinforcements. We're handling this ourselves!"
Mu Yun Qi's face went blank with despair. He stepped right up to Yeop Hyeon, dead serious.
"Then we're all dead! This ain't a joke!"
"Don't worry—justice always wins!"
As Mu Yun Qi twitched his lips to shout back, an elder stepped out from one of the cloud ships overhead, hovering above Yeop Hyeon and the others.
"You must be..."
Before the elder could finish, Yeop Hyeon shot into the air.
The elder flinched in surprise and thrust both palms downward. A stream of force erupted from his palms, rippling space like waves as it surged toward Yeop Hyeon.
The elder was a Law Realm powerhouse.
With all eyes on them, a streak of sword light plunged like lightning into the arena.
Slash—!
A chilling sound rang out as the elder's head sprayed blood and slowly tumbled down.
In an instant, the scene fell silent as if doused in cold water.
The powerhouses on the cloud ships especially wore expressions of utter disbelief.
Yeop Hyeon landed back on the walls and extended his sword-bearing right hand. The bloodied head settled lightly atop his blade.
He looked up at the largest cloud ship and bellowed with a booming laugh.
"Quit yapping and stick your necks out if you're here to fight!"
With a casual flick of his sword, the elder's head flew toward the lead ship, landing at the feet of Ma Jong Lord Go Myeong-heo and Gui Jong Lord Gi Eon-no.
Insolent brat!
The warriors from Jungto Sinju aboard the two hundred ships bristled in fury. Yeop Hyeon's attitude was beyond arrogant.
They clenched their fists, poised to charge.
Though Yeop Hyeon had slain a Law Realm expert in one stroke, it wasn't enough to intimidate them. True Law Realm powerhouses stood behind them.
And they outnumbered him vastly—no reason to fear.
Go Myeong-heo stared down at the head by his feet, his expression grave.
Gi Eon-no gazed at Yeop Hyeon, her voice solemn.
"A Law Realm expert felled in a single strike... The rumors were no exaggeration."
"In all of Jungto Sinju's history, it's rare to find someone who reached Sword Emperor at such a young age. Which means those who raised such a monster must be..."
"He's brimming with confidence—must have something to back it up. Could that Sword Immortal really be that strong...?"
Go Myeong-heo frowned.
"Yuk Jon Ju said the Sword Immortal already left, didn't he?"
"Ha! You believe that?"
Gi Eon-no's cold retort made Go Myeong-heo shake his head. He couldn't fully trust Hogye Meng either. If the Sword Immortal had truly left, Hogye Meng would've handled Yeop Hyeon themselves instead of posting such a massive bounty.
Hogye Meng was clearly afraid of something.
If the terms Hogye Meng offered weren't so enticing, Ma Jong and Gui Jong never would've jumped into this mess.
"So what now? Charge in?"
Go Myeong-heo shook his head at Gi Eon-no's question.
"Don't rush. First, stir up the people inside: we're only after Yeop Hyeon, who violated Qingcang Realm's norms. If they abandon him and flee the city now, no one gets hurt."
"Clever plan. If it works, they'll tear themselves apart."
"And confirm if he has any backers besides the Sword Immortal. No moves until everything's clear!"
"Leave that to me—I'll handle it personally."
With that, Gi Eon-no vanished from the cloud ship in a flash.
Go Myeong-heo turned his gaze downward to Yeop Hyeon, watching as he and his group retreated into the city.
His eyes darkened as he stared.
In truth, Ma Jong coming here was a massive gamble.
The deeper they dug into Yeop Hyeon's background, the more suspicious points piled up. But they couldn't stay away from Qingzhou either.
Hogye Meng's promise of Qingzhou was too sweet to pass up.
Jungto Sinju wasn't fertile ground for demonic path forces. Their inhuman cultivation drew the wrath of local warriors constantly, and Hogye Meng watched them like hawks—hard to even stretch their legs.
If they killed Yeop Hyeon, Qingzhou was theirs to ravage. In five years at most, Ma Jong could rise as Jungto Sinju's top power by exhausting its resources.
This campaign was a once-in-a-lifetime chance to reshape Ma Jong's destiny.
They had to eliminate Yeop Hyeon.
Go Myeong-heo slowly closed his eyes and clenched his fist.
Meanwhile, atop the walls, Mu Yun Qi eyed Yeop Hyeon.
"Yeop Sword Lord, looks like they're not budging."
"Yeah. Let's head back."
"No fight?"
"We're pulling back for today."
With that, Yeop Hyeon turned and strode into the city.
Mu Yun Qi and Bai Ze exchanged puzzled glances.
His composure was unnaturally serene with the enemy right there.
What's he scheming!?
Back at Canglan Academy, Yeop Hyeon headed straight to his room.
Three guests were already waiting inside: the Mad Lion, the Prince, and the veiled woman.
Yeop Hyeon sat and spoke first.
"If any of you have second thoughts, you're free to leave now."
The Mad Lion and Prince glanced at each other, then at the veiled woman, who remained tight-lipped.
The Mad Lion asked Yeop Hyeon.
"Doesn't look like they're charging yet...?"
Yeop Hyeon shrugged and reached for his teacup.
"They'll move soon enough. But the True Law Realm experts from Ma Jong and Gui Jong? Someone else is handling them—no need to worry."
Finally, the veiled woman spoke.
"Certain?"
"Certain."
"Who?"
Yeop Hyeon smiled faintly.
"Revealing heavenly secrets brings divine punishment. Anyway, if you're all in, let's move to the next phase."
The Mad Lion chimed in.
"If True Law Realm folks are neutralized, not much to fear. But our mercenaries and your Dao soldiers alone won't cut it. Ma Jong and Gui Jong have thousands of Jungto Sinju warriors behind them. Got a plan for that?"
Yeop Hyeon met his gaze.
"Straight to it, then. Mad Brother, Prince Brother—you two stand ready. When Myriad Laws Realm experts show, take them on. Stall if you can't kill. My intel says they have fifty-two total. Can you handle?"
The Prince replied.
"Easy."
The Mad Lion nodded in agreement. Myriad Laws Realm weren't a real threat to them—even two peak ones at once would fall.
Yeop Hyeon nodded slightly, then turned to the veiled woman.
"You'll block ten Law Realm experts with me. Possible?"
"...Fine."
"Hahaha! Then prep for battle, everyone! We move when our people arrive!"
Our people?
The Prince and Mad Lion sighed inwardly in relief—reinforcements meant less burden.
As they left, only Yeop Hyeon and the veiled woman remained.
"You have no help, yet you try to fool us."
At her accusatory tone, Yeop Hyeon pondered briefly, sighed, and said.
"No hiding it now that you're this far in... Truth is, I am Ko Geom-hyeon, next sect leader of Cheonggeomjong!"
"What!?"
The veiled woman cried out in shock.
"Everyone knows Cheonggeomjong—the greatest sword cultivator sect in Qingcang Realm—has Ko Mae-yak as young lord. How dare you lie...?"
Yeop Hyeon drew a sword. Holding it with both hands, it split into two. He held up the one in his right.
"This is from Cheonggeomjong's founding ancestor, Cangjie Sword Lord. If there's a shred of falsehood in my words, I'll end my own life."
The woman examined it closely, spotting two characters engraved on the blade.
Lei Xiao
Yeop Hyeon offered the Lei Xiao Sword.
"Don't believe me? Check it yourself. Oh, and one more thing: this whole affair is a trap set by Hogye Meng, our Cheonggeomjong, and other Jungto Sinju forces to eradicate Ma Jong and Gui Jong!"
She shot to her feet.
Yeop Hyeon stood too, meeting her eyes.
"Still doubt? I'll swear here and now. If there's any lie, my sword will torment my body and soul until oblivion!"
A sword cultivator's oath!
Her face grew heavy. Sword cultivators never swore lightly—breaking it risked heart demons, vital for mind cultivation.
Then came Yeop Hyeon's clincher, piercing her ears.
"Truth is, everyone thinks my master is dead... but he's still alive..."
She collapsed into her seat, utterly stunned.