Chapter 82: We're Brothers, Aren't We!
Yeop Hyeon mounted his sword and flew off toward another location.
For all the dramatic poses he'd struck, his speed was as sluggish as a grub's.
No—even the grubs were outpacing him.
Bai Ze watched the scene with a baffled expression.
Sword flight?
It was definitely that, but... something was terribly off about it...
Yeop Hyeon rattled along through the forest like that when Mu Yun Qi suddenly appeared in front of him.
He'd been training like a madman with an excited grin on his face, but the sight of Yeop Hyeon riding a sword made his eyes bulge in shock.
"Y-Yeop hyungdo... how the hell did you do that!?"
"Ahem. Not 'hyungdo' anymore—from now on, call me Yeop Sword Immortal!"
Yeop Hyeon zipped right past Mu Yun Qi without stopping.
Mu Yun Qi stood there with his mouth agape for a long while before finally snapping out of it and muttering,
"That bastard..."
It took an eternity, but Yeop Hyeon finally arrived at Dean Ji Yuan Zhang's residence. There, he encountered an unexpected obstacle that brought tears to his eyes.
He was flying too low to clear the wall!
With no choice, he awkwardly toed open the front gate. The sight was utterly pitiful.
Dean Ji Yuan Zhang lay sprawled out as always, reeking of booze.
Yeop Hyeon locked eyes with him, straightened up ramrod stiff, clasped his hands behind his back, and glared down at the dean with a cocky tilt.
"Dean Ji, from now on, I'd appreciate it if you called me Yeop Sword Immortal."
"Pfft!"
The dean spat out the liquor he'd been holding in his mouth. Moments later, a single coin clinked down in front of Yeop Hyeon.
"Take that and go see a doctor!"
"..."
An hour later, Yeop Hyeon grew bored of his Sword Immortal act and squatted at the base of the stone steps in front of Canglan Hall. His Spirit Water Sword floated idly before him.
Gazing at the blade, a worry crept into Yeop Hyeon's mind.
He could indeed perform sword flight, but the speed was painfully slow.
And the energy drain—good lord!
There was definitely something wrong.
What's the problem? I've racked my brain, but I can't figure it out!
Yeop Hyeon set the issue aside for now and focused on practicing sword control techniques.
Under his command, the Spirit Water Sword began zipping rapidly over his head. He could feel how much faster and more precise it had become compared to before.
This sword control art was incredibly effective in battle against enemies.
Yet it still felt like something was missing—a screw loose somewhere. And he couldn't pinpoint the cause. He considered asking the dean, but the man was utterly clueless about swordsmanship; his answer would be predictably useless.
Yeop Hyeon felt frustrated.
If the Heavenly Maiden were here, she'd solve it in no time.
For now, he had to figure everything out on his own.
In the woods behind the mountain.
Yeop Hyeon sat on the ground, watching the sword whirl above his head. Every pass it made sent trees toppling with a whoosh.
Mu Yun Qi would occasionally show up to pick a fight before scampering off, but otherwise, all was peaceful.
Days passed like this until one morning.
An uninvited guest arrived at Canglan Academy: Dean I Hyeon-chang of Changmok Academy.
He sneered at the sight of Dean Ji passed out drunk.
"Living the high life, I see!"
"Spit it out and get lost!"
I Hyeon-chang didn't get angry. Instead, he glanced toward a spot in the back mountains with a smile.
"A secret realm has been discovered in the Ok-san Mountain Range near Jeoguk's imperial city. It's believed to belong to Cheok Bal-bu, Jeoguk's strongest warrior from ages past.
Don't you wonder what a man who broke through to the Myriad Laws Realm might have left behind? Jeoguk is opening it to Soaring Realm experts under twenty from each nation. What will Canglan Academy do?"
"Not sending anyone!"
"Haha, you might have to even if you don't want to!"
At that moment, Dean Ji's eyes snapped open, and he vanished from the spot. I Hyeon-chang responded by hurling a palm strike straight ahead.
Boom!
One corner of the garden was utterly demolished.
Startled by the noise, Yeop Hyeon and the others rushed back to Canglan Hall.
What met their eyes was Dean Ji and I Hyeon-chang glaring at each other atop a pile of rubble.
Behind I Hyeon-chang stood a man in black robes, cradling a small girl in his arms. It was Yeop Ryeong!
"Hahaha! If Yeop Hyeon doesn't show up at the secret realm, this little bitch meets her end there!"
"You son of a bitch!"
A furious voice shook the hall.
"Put my sister down!"
With that, a streak of sword light plummeted toward I Hyeon-chang.
I Hyeon-chang waved his right hand dismissively.
Boom!
The sword light vanished without a trace. Worse, the blade ricocheted back toward Yeop Hyeon like a bolt. Even seeing it coming, Yeop Hyeon didn't retreat.
Dean Ji stepped in front of him and flicked a finger. The sword's vicious energy dissipated, and it dropped harmlessly at Yeop Hyeon's feet.
Yeop Hyeon tried to strike again, but the dean blocked him.
Grinding his teeth, Dean Ji bellowed at I Hyeon-chang hovering in the air.
"To kill Yeop Hyeon, you've thrown all pretense of honor out the window! Is this what two Myriad Laws Realm masters stoop to—kidnapping a child?!"
"Honor? Hahaha! If Canglan Academy had steeled their hearts and killed your former dean back then, none of this would have happened!"
Dean Ji clenched his fists tight.
"If anything happens to that child, I swear on my life I'll slaughter every student in Changmok Academy with my own hands!"
"Haha! If you make a move, she dies!"
I Hyeon-chang pointed at Yeop Hyeon.
"If you act, do you think that boy will sit still?"
Yeop Hyeon glared at him with murderous eyes and roared,
"You bastard! Is this the crap a Changmok Academy dean pulls?!"
"Hahaha! I've long since discarded any notion of honor. If you don't die, forget honor—Changmok Academy's millennium of glory goes up in smoke!"
I Hyeon-chang eyed Dean Ji coldly.
"Don't worry. I'll deliver the girl safely to the secret realm. But... if you so much as twitch, her life is forfeit!"
With that, I Hyeon-chang and the black-robed man departed.
Yeop Hyeon tried to pursue, but Dean Ji stopped him. He glared at the dean with bloodshot eyes. The dean shook his head.
"I'm sorry. I never dreamed they'd go this far."
Yeop Hyeon slowly closed his eyes.
"No one to blame but myself. I'm just pathetic for being so weak!"
Dean Ji could only sigh softly.
Then Mu Yun Qi, Ji An Zhi, and Bai Ze appeared at his side.
"Old man, how can Changmok Academy have no shame like that?"
"Shame? Yeop Hyeon's prowess is already enough to make them tremble. If he keeps growing like this, he could draw the attention of Canglan Academy's main branch. Then Changmok wouldn't dare pull this stunt!"
"Can't we ask the main branch for help right now?"
Dean Ji shook his head at Mu Yun Qi's question.
"Yeop Hyeon's not strong enough yet. Unless he reaches Sword Master before twenty..."
"Damn those Changmok bastards!"
Ji An Zhi cried out urgently.
"Yeop Hyeon's gone! He must've headed to Jeoguk!"
"I'll follow him!"
"Me too."
As Mu Yun Qi and Bai Ze turned to race down the mountain, Dean Ji blocked them.
"This is a trap for Yeop Hyeon. If you go, your lives are at risk too!"
"Old man... that's exactly why we have to go!"
With that, Mu Yun Qi vanished like the wind.
Bai Ze quickly followed.
"Be careful!"
Ji An Zhi watched them go for a moment, then entered Canglan Hall, emerged with a large bundle, and started down the mountain.
Dean Ji stared blankly at the scene from the rubble, then quietly headed to a pavilion in the back mountains. Inside the small structure stood spirit tablets of every kind—easily over a thousand by rough count.
Seeing them, the dean's drunken haze vanished in an instant.
He collapsed to the floor, yanked the gourd from his belt, and gulped it down fiercely.
"It's my fault... my incompetence... I couldn't protect you all..."
Moments later, he left Canglan Mountain and headed somewhere.
In the Jiang Kingdom palace.
An old man sat on the floor of a dim hall, playing with a puppy.
A middle-aged man entered, whispered something, and the old man's eyes flashed.
"Changmok Academy... filthy scum..."
"And the girl has already left for Jeoguk."
"Hmph... Find out who that black-robed man is. Send people to ensure the boy arrives safely... No. I'll go myself. For a man who gave his life for Jiang Kingdom..."
With that, the old man's figure vanished.
In a secret chamber of Chwiseonru.
A black-clad man appeared before an old man seated inside, bowed, and reported.
The old man's voice soon followed.
"Heh, Changmok Academy's laid a proper trap this time! Order an investigation into that black-robed man's identity. And send someone to Jeoguk for the girl... No, I'll handle it personally!"
"Lord O Lu-ju, you're openly taking her side?"
"Yes. Time to switch to Canglan Academy. There's no eternal powerhouse in this world, is there?"
"..."
In a thatched hut on Yangjie Mountain. A man entered and dropped to one knee.
"Lord Yuk Jon Ju, Changmok Academy has kidnapped the girl."
Suddenly, the entire hut exploded. A young woman emerged from the debris, her face pale as death.
"Changmok Academy scum—what's this nonsense?! If so much as a scratch mars that girl, I'll crush every student's skull in Changmok Academy!"
"..."
At the entrance to Cang Mountain.
Yeop Hyeon halted. Mu Yun Qi, Bai Ze, and Ji An Zhi stepped out from the woods.
Yeop Hyeon frowned.
"This is my problem. You don't need to follow."
Mu Yun Qi grumbled,
"What kinda talk is that? We're brothers, aren't we?!"
As Yeop Hyeon opened his mouth to respond, Mu Yun Qi cut him off.
"No need to think about it. Ryeong's your sister, but she's our sister too."
Mu Yun Qi clapped Yeop Hyeon on the shoulder.
"Don't get too touched or anything. Let's go!"
Yeop Hyeon looked at their faces and nodded.