Chapter 141
Chapter 141
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 141
Chapter Title: Awakening of the Blood Shadow Sword
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Hyeong Pyo's eyes widened. It was because he'd heard words that didn't match Ha Beok's calm face at all.
"What do you mean by that?"
"Exactly as I said. If you just keep it safe for ten days, I'll give you the Blood Shadow Sword. However, I can't keep secret the fact that the Blood Shadow Sword is at the Henan Escort Bureau. The bureau itself must not deny it either."
Hyeong Pyo furrowed his brow in thought. This was far too dangerous. It could draw attacks from every martial artist in Heochang right now. Of course, not everyone would charge in openly, but the possibility was real enough.
"I can't make this decision alone. I need to discuss it with the others."
"I understand completely."
With that, Hyeong Pyo let out a sigh and guided Ha Beok to a special reception room in the inner courtyard. He couldn't just leave someone carrying the Blood Shadow Sword in the outer reception area.
"Lately, it feels like we're gathering like this more often."
Jo Seol-yeon spoke with a faint smile, and everyone in the room nodded. Smiles played on their faces too.
"Yeah, why exactly did our bureau chief call us all here?"
At the Sword King's question, Hyeong Pyo scanned the room. Still buzzing with excitement, he found it hard to speak at first. He took a deep breath and slowly opened his mouth.
"The Blood Shadow Sword has appeared."
Most people flinched at Hyeong Pyo's words but quickly regained their composure.
"What? Do you want the Blood Shadow Sword?"
The Sword King teased lightly, and Hyeong Pyo shook his head vigorously as if it were absurd.
"No, that's not it. When I say it's appeared, I mean it's come to the Henan Escort Bureau."
Only then did everyone's expressions turn serious. This had the potential to become a massive problem.
"Tell us the details."
Jo Seol-yeon asked urgently. The Henan Escort Bureau was her entire foundation right now. A crisis for the bureau was a crisis for her.
Hyeong Pyo recounted everything about Ha Beok's visit. The room fell silent as they listened. It was truly astonishing news.
After hearing it all, the Sword King glanced at the Sword Demon. The Sword Demon's face remained impassive. It seemed he'd truly let go of any lingering attachment to the Blood Shadow Sword. The Sword King nodded inwardly. A sword wielded by one free of greed was truly fearsome.
"What exactly is this Ha Beok guy's goal?"
Hyeong Pyo shook his head at the Sword King's question.
"I don't know either. There wasn't time to ask, and somehow, it felt like a question I shouldn't."
"Yeah, I suppose so."
The Sword King said that and looked at Jegal Rin. She was the sharpest mind in the room right now. As his gaze lingered on her, everyone else turned to Jegal Rin too.
Jegal Rin felt a slight pressure but voiced her thoughts.
"Agreeing to store the Blood Shadow Sword at the Henan Escort Bureau for ten days means turning us into a target for every martial artist in Heochang. And handing it over afterward? That just keeps us as the target."
She scanned the room after speaking. Everyone nodded. It was obvious.
"Yeah, if someone wants to put the bureau in real trouble, that's the best way."
"Exactly. But he doesn't seem driven by personal grudge. So he's probably acting on someone's orders. He's definitely a subordinate of some shadowy figure who wants something from the Henan Escort Bureau."
"That could be. Bureau Chief, what was his demeanor like? Did he really seem like a merchant?"
Jo Seol-yeon's question cut to the core. Hyeong Pyo finally recalled Ha Beok's face and expression. Back then, he'd been too fixated on the name Blood Shadow Sword to notice, but now he remembered several odd things.
If nothing else, Hyeong Pyo had an excellent eye for people.
"Come to think of it... there was something off about him. His confidence was different from typical caravan leaders."
"Confidence?"
"Leading any organization, big or small, is never easy. They naturally exude a certain boldness, like the aura of a warrior. But he had none of that. People like him are usually under someone's command."
Jegal Rin opened her mouth in admiration at Hyeong Pyo's words.
"Impressive. To pick up on that. It really drives home how valuable experience is."
She lightened the mood and continued.
"Then it's settled. It's not certain, but he's been sent by someone to deliver the Blood Shadow Sword to the bureau. Even if we refuse, it'll end up here anyway. Better to accept it outright. It'll be easier to handle if we're officially safeguarding it."
Hyeong Pyo nodded grimly at Jegal Rin's words.
"Then we'll accept his request. I leave the rest to you."
"Don't worry. This'll be fun after so long. Good chance to give that kid some real combat training too."
The Sword Demon gave a faint smile and nodded at the Sword King's words. Opportunities like this were rare. Facing death in real battle yielded far more growth. Even now, Jong Chil trained on the brink of death, but something was surely missing. This was the perfect chance to fill that gap.
Hyeong Pyo felt relieved looking at the Sword King and Sword Demon. Then he headed out to receive the Blood Shadow Sword from Ha Beok.
Once Hyeong Pyo left, Dan Hyeong-u turned his head toward one side. That was where the reception room holding Ha Beok was. He could feel the Blood Shadow Sword's intense presence from there. Along with it, a strong thread of karma. The Blood Shadow Sword was tied to him by fate too.
Once his bond with the Heavenly Fragment ended, the Blood Shadow Sword appeared. He would need to resolve this bond as well.
"Interesting."
A smile curved Dan Hyeong-u's lips.
"The Henan Escort Bureau has accepted the job."
Blood Shadow nodded in satisfaction at the report from the Shadowless Squad member.
"Good work."
The Shadowless Squad member bowed at Blood Shadow's words and vanished. His face was identical to Ha Beok's, who had delivered the Blood Shadow Sword to the bureau.
Blood Shadow murmured without losing his smile.
"Sa-yeong, it's time to move. Your tasks are to gauge Dan Hyeong-u's capabilities and, if he awakens the Blood Shadow Sword, to stealthily retrieve it."
From somewhere, Sa-yeong's voice echoed in response to Blood Shadow's words.
"Understood."
Blood Shadow clicked his tongue. He still couldn't detect Sa-yeong's presence. Even when speaking so openly, it was undetectable—a truly remarkable ability.
Moments later, Blood Shadow's expression hardened. He sensed Sa-yeong's presence. It appeared suddenly and then faded as it moved away. The direction was toward the Henan Escort Bureau.
Blood Shadow stood motionless, face stiff, until Sa-yeong's presence fully vanished. This time, he was genuinely shocked. He'd only detected it because Sa-yeong had deliberately let it leak. Otherwise, impossible.
What truly startled Blood Shadow was that the presence had originated right behind him. Sa-yeong had been hiding there, suppressing his aura all along. Speaking from that state without detection was astonishing.
"He can't fail."
Blood Shadow thought that if Sa-yeong ever targeted him, escape would be impossible. But he shook his head. Attacks always created openings, and he would never miss one.
In any case, Sa-yeong's stealth and aura-concealment were unparalleled. No matter how strong Dan Hyeong-u was, failure seemed unlikely.
The Blood Shadow Sword is at the Henan Escort Bureau!
The rumor shook Heochang and spread like wildfire across all of Henan.
At first, most dismissed it as mere gossip. But once confirmed as fact, martial artists who had come to Heochang for the Blood Shadow Sword began watching the bureau closely.
The Henan Escort Bureau wasn't to be trifled with lightly. It housed two of the Ten Great Experts, and the Sword King and Sword Demon were among the strongest of them.
Martial artists gathered near the bureau. They held back, continuously observing.
If the sword had gone to the Martial Alliance or Orthodox Alliance, most would have given up. But since it was the Henan Escort Bureau, few did. And when another rumor quietly spread, even more flocked in.
The rumor that the Heavenly Qi Master's final martial secret was sealed within the Blood Shadow Sword. Its truth didn't matter—everyone wanted to verify it.
The Heavenly Qi Master's last technique. How incredible must it be? The rumor blinded all martial artists.
Blood Shadow watched their movements from a hidden spot. He'd have liked to track Sa-yeong too, but that was impossible. He was probably lurking somewhere nearby.
"A bit concerning."
Blood Shadow muttered and waited for more to gather. His goals were twofold: have Dan Hyeong-u awaken the Blood Shadow Sword and incite the martial artists to witness Dan Hyeong-u's power firsthand.
To achieve both, the gathered martial artists couldn't just sit idle. They needed to act.
"Not yet, though."
Blood Shadow gazed at the bureau. The time wasn't right. They should move after the Blood Shadow Sword awakened.
"So this is the Blood Shadow Sword."
Jegal Rin eyed it with curiosity. The blade looked like fresh blood might drip from it any second. Definitely not ordinary steel. The Heavenly Qi Master must have had access to rare metals.
The Heavenly Fragment wasn't ordinary iron either. If it were, it couldn't have held such potent thunder energy. Likewise, this Blood Shadow Sword was forged from something special.
What it was made of didn't matter much. Jegal Rin was interested in whether it hid a secret like the Heavenly Fragment.
The Heavenly Fragment contained the essence of the Heavenly Qi Master's formations. Studying it had advanced her several levels. She'd exhausted its secrets, so now she craved something new.
Jegal Rin examined the Blood Shadow Sword closely but found nothing unusual. It felt just like the first time she'd seen the Heavenly Fragment. Her eyes sparkled for a moment.
She looked up at Dan Hyeong-u. With his help, Yeom Hye-mi had unlocked the Heavenly Fragment's shell. Maybe the same for this?
"If you've seen enough, I'd like a look too."
At the Sword Demon's words, Jegal Rin startled and turned to him, then politely offered the sword.
The Sword Demon gazed at the Blood Shadow Sword with distant eyes. Once, he'd firmly believed it could free him from the Golden Demon Art. But now, he saw it held no such power. Freed from the art and ascended to higher realms, he could sense it faintly.
The Sword Demon nodded and passed the sword to the Sword King. Now he could let go completely.
The Sword King took it and inspected it closely.
"Ho. What a fine sword. Seems even better than the Heavenly Fragment?"
He muttered and handed it to Jo Seol-yeon.
"It's good, but I don't need it. Still, no matter how I look, it doesn't seem capable of dispelling the Golden Demon Art."
The Sword Demon nodded at the Sword King's words.
"I saw the same. Maybe some other power is needed."
As he spoke, the Sword Demon glanced at Dan Hyeong-u. Now everyone in the room looked at him, as if expecting something.
Dan Hyeong-u silently met their gazes and stared at the Blood Shadow Sword. He'd felt a strong bond since it entered the bureau. Now, up close, that bond was crystal clear.
When Dan Hyeong-u reached out, the sword flew from Jo Seol-yeon's hand into his grasp.
A subtle aura began rising from Dan Hyeong-u holding the Blood Shadow Sword. Seeing it, the Sword King cried out in alarm.
"Do it outside! Outside! You trying to kill us all?"
Dan Hyeong-u nodded once and headed out. No one saw how he left.
"Heh, door's closed... where'd he slip out to?"
Everyone filed out after the Sword King's mutter.
Dan Hyeong-u stood calmly in a clearing some distance from the room. Aura rose from his body, and blood-red mist began billowing thickly from the Blood Shadow Sword.
Everyone's eyes widened like saucers. Soon, Dan Hyeong-u was completely shrouded in the blood mist, invisible.
The Blood Mist spread wider, swallowing the clearing, the buildings, and eventually the entire Henan Escort Bureau.
Everyone in the bureau was stunned. The mist blanketed everything, visibility zero.
Even the Sword King and Sword Demon couldn't pierce it with their advanced arts. They could barely make out nearby people. Dan Hyeong-u, farther off, was a total blur.
"Heh. What kind of madness is this?"
The Sword King marveled, while the Sword Demon frowned.