Chapter 221
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 221
Chapter Title: The Emperor's Sword (1)
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Nangong Heun had been an emperor from the moment he was born.
The eldest grandson and eldest son of a family whose authority no one could challenge, born with sword talent unmatched by anyone.
Like the boundless blue firmament, his sword reached effortlessly to the heights of the sky.
A youth without a single worthy rival.
He had at least enjoyed himself somewhat during the Great War between Good and Evil, but even that had its limits.
The body is fleeting, but the sword is eternal.
Yet he ceaselessly honed his physical form.
Still, he was always parched.
When was the last time he had truly felt alive?
For one who had long since danced between life and death with a single sword, the peace of the martial world was nothing less than hell.
But there was no turning back.
Before he knew it, the throne of the emperor weighed upon him as heavily as his sword.
But not anymore.
Nangong Heun savored the sensation of his long boredom washing away like mist in the sun, swinging his sword with pure delight.
From the Great Connection Sword Method and Azure Firmament Sword Method.
To the Lightning Flash Thirteen Swords, and even the Azure Firmament Boundless Sword Method.
From the blade in his hand flowed the pure essence of Nangong martial arts without end.
Against him.
The man who called himself Wi Ji-hyeon had begun rather unimpressively.
Nangong Heun had even held back slightly, intending to prolong the enjoyment.
But that leisure soon turned to astonishment.
"Ha! Dark Fragrance Soul Scatter, World-Upheaval Under Heaven, and Heaven-Earth Return to Origin. Have you been stealing the world's martial arts this whole time?"
This young swordsman continued to display feats that defied Nangong Heun's very understanding.
Taking one form from the Twenty-Four Plum Blossom Sword Forms, one from the Thirty-Six Swords Under Heaven, and one from the Taiji Sword Method, then clumsily stitching them together.
Yet what was truly astonishing.
Was that those trajectories precisely sealed off the paths of his own sword.
Some say the rear-attacker's countermove is the best martial art, but anyone who witnessed this young swordsman's blade would never so easily agree.
Why block an opponent's attack after the fact?
Just strike first yourself, no?
Of course, rear-attacker or front-attacker.
It was sword theory fit only for empty debates.
But this young swordsman.
Wi Ji-hyeon.
Transformed from rear-attacker to front-attacker.
As if growing steeply in real time by countering his sword, he responded with effortless skill.
"This is delightful! Truly delightful!"
It was a joyous occasion, in fact.
He had arrogantly believed he had perfected the Nangong sword arts, yet here was someone pinpointing his flaws.
How could he not be thrilled?
There was still room to advance with the sword.
Realizing that alone filled him with exhilaration.
"Well, what do you think of this?"
Kurrrung!
Even without infusing inner energy, the Heavenly Thunder Sword blazed fiercely, as if drawing lightning to itself.
But before the bolt could strike, Wi Ji-hyeon's sword traced a light ellipse, softly enveloping Nangong Heun's blade like a gentle embrace.
"Ha! Flowing Water Breaking Boulder—a fine technique. Not from the Wudang school, though?"
"The breath of water, gentle ripples."
"Micro-ripples, eh? Excellent!"
His excitement already at a peak, Nangong Heun exclaimed even at Geum Sihyeon's nonsense.
.
.
.
They clashed swords in a trance-like state for a time.
"Indeed, indeed!"
Nangong Heun let out another cry of admiration toward Wi Ji-hyeon, who had already perfectly comprehended and dismantled his sword.
And he intuited it.
That with the Nangong Family's ordinary sword methods, he could never gain the upper hand against this swordsman.
An overwhelming understanding of the sword, beyond what the word "talent" could contain.
It was worthy of respect and pity.
Respect for that talent.
Pity that it must be crushed.
Letting him live...
Would allow the great name of Nangong to be buried by a mere individual, reduced to something insignificant.
In his excitement, he had revealed too many techniques.
Thus.
"Allow me to show you. The sword of the emperor."
"I've been waiting."
"Did the family head truly ascend Heavenly Lord Mountain alone?"
The second young lord of the Nangong Family.
Though the title felt cruel after fifty-two years, Nangong Seon furrowed his brow, thanks to his father Nangong Heun's unflagging vigor that kept him in the role.
What in the world was Father thinking?
Did Profound Realm come before senility?
Suppressing such irreverent thoughts, Nangong Seon sighed deeply.
The Nangong Family was already rife with internal strife and external threats.
That damned Changpop or whatever kept needling them, but no matter how they tried to root it out, they couldn't catch the tail.
The Zhuge Family bastards cited freedom of expression and washed their hands of it.
Fellow members of the Ten Great Families, prancing about with fans instead of proper swords—how sane could they be? But this was too much.
Their honor as one of the Ten Great Families was plummeting, yet they stood by and watched.
He had even sent a messenger pigeon laced with fury, only to receive:
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"Fucking bastards."
The humiliation still burned in his gut like bile.
When would they normalize those ruining the great martial world...
"Ha, like dogs..."
Why did "normalize" stick in his mouth like that?
Nangong Seon sighed deeply.
"Summon a few from the Azure Firmament Sword Squadron. Bring plenty of wooden swords."
"What for, my lord?"
"To fetch the family head. Swinging a wooden sword might sharpen his wits again."
.
.
.
And so.
The elite squad mobilized under Operation: Retrieve the Nangong Family Head began ascending Heavenly Lord Mountain, wooden swords bundled on their backs and Azure Firmament Swords at their waists.
But midway up.
"That's far enough."
A voice blocked the Nangong Family warriors.
"Who are you!"
"How dare you interfere with Nangong Family business!"
Sharp retorts flew.
But the man blocking the path.
Cheon Siwoo casually fanned Geum Sihyeon's fan, unperturbed.
"This is the Sword-Shedding Ground. Shed your swords before ascending."
At those words.
The Nangong warriors collectively lost their composure.
Sword-Shedding Ground? Wasn't that at Wudang?
And he didn't look like a Taoist anyway?
Every prestigious family should have at least a neural link for such matters.
"Is he mad?"
Nangong Seon voiced what everyone felt, the core of the moment.
But was a madman mad for nothing?
Mad because words didn't work.
Cheon Siwoo simply stood there, fanning silently, despite the reactions.
For him, it was superhuman patience.
But.
Srrrring—
"We won't tolerate further insolence. Step aside, or—"
"Or what?"
At the sound of a sword drawn.
Cheon Siwoo's half-closed eyes snapped wide open.
In that instant.
"Gahk, guheok—!"
"Kek, kehuk, gahk—"
"Wh-what the, whyyy, waaah—!"
"My ass, my aaaass—!"
The Nangong warriors collapsed en masse, convulsing.
Had they subdued them all with sheer presence, as befitting demonic warriors?
"Brother, Uncle, what's wrong?"
"What in the world..."
But.
Even as most writhed on the ground, two or three merely looked flustered and hurried to support the fallen.
Amid them.
One of the unscathed.
Nangong Hwi sighed and unbuckled his scabbard, setting it on the ground.
"May we pass now?"
To that question.
Cheon Siwoo fanned as if urging them to hurry along.
.
.
.
Before Cheon Siwoo and Geum Sihyeon began their ascent.
"I'd like to experience your mind-image once."
"Finally resolved to destroy the martial world?"
"Not quite."
Geum Sihyeon scratched his ear with a bored look.
"If I leave you be, you'll dry up the seeds of those Nangong Family friends who come calling."
"Strike from the head down to weaken the ranks. Basic strategy."
As Cheon Siwoo readily admitted.
Geum Sihyeon halted.
"Anything besides destroying the martial world?"
"Hm..."
Cheon Siwoo peered into Geum Sihyeon's eyes.
Black pupils devoid of color, like his own.
He had thought them kindred spirits, yet why did such humanity dwell there?
"Didn't you say you wanted to topple the Nangong?"
"What I want to shatter isn't Nangong or the martial world. It's this rotten age."
Cheon Siwoo sighed.
That tongue could be called the world's sharpest without shame.
"My conditions—"
"Eh, that's fine."
And so.
They shared a corner of their mind-images.
Immediately after, what Geum Sihyeon offered was.
"Poison?"
"The Azure Heaven Society controls their underlings with this poison. When it flares up, those who shit themselves from the fit have taken the base poison; those who control it have ingested the superior antidote."
"..."
Seeing the vile smirk on Geum Sihyeon's lips.
Cheon Siwoo wondered how such a bastard still masqueraded as upright faction.
The top young talent of the upright faction, no less.
The martial world was already doomed, wasn't it?
He thought of protecting his clansmen, but Nangong Hwi ascended to the peak of Heavenly Lord Mountain as if entranced.
He had no choice.
As he drew nearer, the clear sword cries resonating pulled at him instinctively.
He sensed a precious moment, irreplaceable by anything, beckoning him.
Moments later, upon the summit.
Nangong Hwi beheld.
Two swords swaying beneath the moonlight.
No deafening explosions that could flip heaven and earth, no bursts of qi, nothing of the sort.
No people, either.
Simply.
The swords clashed, pitting talent against years of experience.
Unaware, Nangong Hwi sat cross-legged, etching that sword dance into his retinas.
A once-in-a-lifetime fateful encounter unfolded before his eyes.