Mount Hua Never Disappears (2)
Thud.
Another one went down.
The faces of Southern Edge’s disciples had now gone nearly bloodless.
Six.
Six had fallen.
Six in all.
Six second-generation disciples of Southern Edge had been brought down by a single third-generation disciple. And not once had they landed a sword strike—this was a one-sided defeat in the truest sense.
But what terrified Southern Edge’s disciples now wasn’t the defeat itself.
What truly horrified them was the thought that, by the time this match was over, they might not win even once.
All of them wiped out? By a single third-generation disciple?
Their fingertips tingled. Cold sweat slid down their spines. The world went dark at the edges, and strength drained from their legs.
Who wouldn’t know how enormous a humiliation that would be?
If, by some infinitesimal chance, it really came to pass, the news would spread across the world faster than any word of mouth.
For Mount Hua, it would be a triumph beyond measure.
And for Southern Edge, it would be a shame so profound it would never fade, even after generations had passed!
That absurd, disgraceful history was being written here and now, by none other than their own hands. Realizing that, Southern Edge’s disciples felt fear go beyond pressure and become something much darker.
“Next!”
And then they heard the most terrifying, merciless voice imaginable.
No one stepped forward anymore.
They weren’t fools. Once or twice, a lucky win might happen. But winning six times in a row could not possibly be called coincidence.
It was an impossible thing to believe, and yet the truth was plain: Mount Hua’s third-generation disciple Chung Myung was stronger than they were.
Overwhelmingly so.
Stepping forward and losing no longer felt frightening. What was terrifying was that, by stepping forward and losing, they would only complete Southern Edge’s annihilation all the more fully—a burden and a fear that could not be compared to anything else.
“Wh-whose turn is it? Someone go.”
“I-I can’t. I can’t beat him……”
“S-senior brother. Shouldn’t you go?”
“What am I supposed to do? I……”
And then—
“How utterly pathetic.”
Jin Geum-ryong barked the words out in a voice colder than ice.
“You call yourselves disciples of Southern Edge, and yet you’re scared of a child who’s at least ten years younger than you? It seems you’ve all forgotten what shame even means.”
No one could bring themselves to speak. They only lowered their heads.
Jin Geum-ryong took a step forward.
“I’ll go.”
“S-senior brother!”
“I can’t stand by and watch that arrogant little bastard any longer. So you’d better watch me go and restore Southern Edge’s honor right here. Though I honestly don’t know whether there’s any honor left to recover!”
Just as Jin Geum-ryong’s face twisted into something almost demonic and he turned toward the duel platform,
“Stop.”
“…….”
Jin Geum-ryong turned around. Sama Seung was staring at him with a face as stiff and hard as if it had been plated in iron. Without shifting his gaze, he called another name.
“Manjeok.”
“……Yes, Elder.”
“You go.”
“……I, I……”
Sama Seung cut him off with chilling finality, as though he had no intention of hearing any excuses.
“Go out there and cling to him, even if only to slow his feet. Do you understand me?”
“……Yes.”
Jin Geum-ryong opened his mouth as if to protest, but Sama Seung crushed him with a look.
“Come with me.”
“But the duel is still……”
“Enough. This way!”
Sama Seung dragged Jin Geum-ryong away toward the rear. Only after they had gone somewhere no one else could overhear them, speaking in lowered voices, did Sama Seung turn his head back toward the duel platform.
“Do you think the others can win?”
Jin Geum-ryong could not answer.
It was an obvious question, one with an obvious answer. But the reason he could not easily say it was not because he pitied his fellow disciples. It was because he could not accept the reality that left him no other answer.
The skill of Southern Edge’s second-generation disciples was nothing to sneer at anywhere in the world.
And yet those very disciples saw no path to victory against Chung Myung.
Looking at Jin Geum-ryong’s confusion, Sama Seung spat out the words.
“You weren’t wrong.”
“……Yes?”
“That thing is a monster. No—he’s still only the cub of a monster. But if you leave him alone, one day he will become a true monster.”
“……Elder?”
“And that monster will once again block Southern Edge’s path. Do you understand what that means?”
Jin Geum-ryong’s eyes trembled.
That much?
He admitted that Chung Myung was absurdly strong for his age. But Chung Myung, a roadblock for Southern Edge?
Jin Geum-ryong clenched his teeth.
To say Chung Myung would become a barrier to Southern Edge was no different from saying that Jin Geum-ryong himself, in the same era, would not be able to overcome him. Whether that was true or not, at the very least Sama Seung clearly believed it.
Blood rushed hotly upside down through his body.
Are you saying that I, Jin Geum-ryong, look like I’d be unable to handle a mere child like that?
It was an insult he had never heard before.
The anger he could not hide showed plainly on Jin Geum-ryong’s face. Sama Seung watched him calmly, then said,
“Geum-ryong, you are a genius.”
“…….”
“But how many people in the Jianghu do you think are called geniuses? I don’t like saying this myself, but in this world, there are more than ten people in your generation alone with talent equal to yours. Perhaps even more.”
Jin Geum-ryong bit his lip hard.
Seeing that reaction, Sama Seung asked in a cold voice,
“Do you believe you can become the greatest master under heaven one day?”
Jin Geum-ryong’s confidence might have been enough to call him unrivaled in the world, but even he could not answer this question lightly.
“The greatest master under heaven” was a title that heavy.
As Jin Geum-ryong hesitated, Sama Seung narrowed his eyes.
“A prodigy. A genius. Fine, let’s leave it at that. Carrying on Southern Edge’s spirit and leading it into another golden age—that much is enough. But!”
Now came the real point Sama Seung had wanted to make all along.
“Becoming the greatest master under heaven is impossible with that alone.”
“…….”
“Those who contend for that title are not geniuses, but monsters. That is the kind of world it is. Only those who can casually ignore common sense, crush law beneath force, and defy even the natural order with their talent can fight there. Yes……”
Sama Seung slowly turned his head toward the duel platform.
“Monsters like that.”
Jin Geum-ryong’s shoulders shook.
“Elder, I……”
Just as he flared up, ready to protest, Sama Seung’s cold voice pinned him down.
“But.”
There was killing intent in Sama Seung’s eyes.
“No matter how much of a monster he may be, right now he is still only a cub. Even a tiger can be killed by a dog when it is still young.”
Understanding the meaning behind those words, Jin Geum-ryong stared at him in shock. As if to prove that his astonishment was not misplaced, a tiny, chilling whisper pierced his ear.
“Kill him.”
“E-Elder.”
Sama Seung whispered like a ghost.
“It is still possible. That boy may be a monster, but for now, you can still face him. So kill him now. If you can’t kill him now, then you’ll never get another chance to kill him for the rest of your life.”
“…….”
“Remember this. The one who has talent is not the one who becomes greatest under heaven. Of those who are called geniuses and prodigies, only one in the end truly becomes number one in the world. Talent is nothing—if you cut it down before it blooms, that is enough. Kill him, Geum-ryong. You must kill him now! If you can’t kill him, then cut off an arm if you must!”
Jin Geum-ryong stumbled back before he even realized it.
He’s lost his mind.
And it wasn’t only because of what he said. In Sama Seung’s eyes flickered a crazed light so chilling it raised gooseflesh. No one could look at him and call him sane.
“Elder, rationally……”
“Rationally?”
Sama Seung gave a low, humorless laugh. Then, as though he alone were perfectly rational, he ground his teeth.
“Are you planning to live your entire life in that boy’s shadow?”
Jin Geum-ryong fell silent.
In his shadow? That child’s?
Jin Geum-ryong clenched his fist. He gripped so tightly that his nails dug into his palm.
Even imagining it was humiliating enough to be unbearable.
“The choice is yours,”
Sama Seung growled.
“I’ll take all the responsibility. You merely made a mistake. Mistakes happen all the time in duels, don’t they?”
Jin Geum-ryong stared at him with burning eyes, and after a while he finally spoke.
“Let me make one thing clear first. I’m not so insignificant that I’d be overshadowed by a brat like that.”
Though his words were negative, Sama Seung simply waited for the rest. The Jin Geum-ryong he knew would not stop there.
“But.”
As expected, Jin Geum-ryong’s face turned cold as he continued.
“If that child’s existence becomes an obstacle to Southern Edge’s glory, then there’s no need to worry about methods or means.”
A chilling smile spread across Sama Seung’s lips.
“That’s the right answer.”
Thud.
Another one fell.
That made eight.
Chung Myung flicked his sword down and looked at Southern Edge with an arrogant posture.
Only two remained. And in his eyes, he could already see the despair on the faces of Southern Edge’s disciples.
Not yet.
It was still too early to despair. Chung Myung had something else prepared entirely.
“Looks like filling out ten wins won’t be easy.”
Of course Jin Geum-ryong would be the last one to step up, but the problem was the one before him. With everyone this scared, who would dare come forward?
A shame, but should I just settle for a nine-win streak?
Then—
Step, step.
One person walked slowly onto the duel platform without a word. When Chung Myung saw who it was, a glint of interest appeared in his eyes.
“Seriously?”
At those short words, the man approaching him gave an embarrassed smile.
“I know it’s still too early for me to compete with you, Doctor. But…… it’s not really my nature to stand back and watch while my sect suffers humiliation.”
“Hmph.”
Chung Myung gave a small nod.
That made sense, coming from this man.
Yi Song-baek.
The same Yi Song-baek with whom he had already crossed paths once at the Eunha Merchant Guild now stood opposite Chung Myung.
“Southern Edge’s second-generation disciple Yi Song-baek requests a duel with Mount Hua’s disciple Chung Myung.”
“Mount Hua’s third-generation disciple Chung Myung accepts the duel.”
The two of them faced each other, swords leveled.
What should I do?
Chung Myung quietly looked at Yi Song-baek. Even though he was from Southern Edge, for some reason he wasn’t someone Chung Myung could bring himself to hate. In that case……
After a moment’s thought, Chung Myung lowered his sword just a little. Then he narrowed his eyes slightly.
Showing him might not be a bad thing.
If he could take it and rise above it, it would become nourishment. If he could not rise above it, it would become poison. Everything depended on Yi Song-baek himself.
“Taaaat!”
Yi Song-baek shouted and charged at Chung Myung.
In response, Chung Myung’s sword also began to move slowly.
The realm Yi Song-baek would someday have to reach. The same realm Southern Edge had once pursued in the past. Chung Myung could only show the beginning of it right now, but……
For the current Yi Song-baek, that was enough.
The tip of Chung Myung’s sword pointed precisely at Yi Song-baek.
And at that very instant—
Yi Song-baek, charging straight at Chung Myung, suddenly widened his eyes.
The s-sword!
Chung Myung’s whole body disappeared behind the sword tip. No— the sword aimed at him seemed to swell impossibly large, until it swallowed Chung Myung’s entire body.
N-no, that’s not it either!
He couldn’t see it.
He couldn’t even feel it.
All he could see with his eyes, all he could sense with his martial intuition, was a single sword pointing straight at him.
Could it be… unity of body and sword?
Before his mind could even finish forming the answer, a massive shock washed over Yi Song-baek’s entire body.
Crash!
Spitting blood as he was flung backward, he managed a faint smile.
I saw it……
Thud!
Yi Song-baek, too, collapsed to the ground.
Nine straight losses.
Now only one remained.
Chung Myung turned his head and looked at Southern Edge’s disciples. No—his gaze settled on one of them, and only one.
“You.”
Jin Geum-ryong.
It was time to pay the price for his sins. Southern Edge.