Chapter 76
Chapter 76
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Translator: True Detective
Chapter: 76
Chapter Title: Namgoong Hyun's Fight
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Cheol-u's greatsword was pinned firmly to the ground, and Namgoong Hyun's eyes gleamed sharply.
He had halted his opponent's assault. Now it was time for a counterattack.
Namgoong Hyun transitioned seamlessly from Heavenly Might Crushing Press into the fourth form, Mysterious Heaven's Wild Gale.
Over the past fortnight, the two forms he had practiced the most flowed together with effortless grace.
—"Once your counter succeeds, strike like a raging storm. Never yield the advantage again."
Recalling Ja-seong's words from training, Namgoong Hyun swung his sword.
He channeled his power from his waist, through his shoulder, and into his arm as he unleashed the strike.
The essence of swift swordplay infused his attack, sending the blade hurtling toward Cheol-u's entire body at a speed too fast for the eye to follow.
“Urk…!?”
Cheol-u had no chance to regain his stance before Namgoong Hyun's assault landed.
Though he poured all his energy into his Protective Aura to shield himself, the flurry of blows raining down from every direction made it impossible to concentrate his qi at any single point.
And Namgoong Hyun's onslaught didn't end with a single strike.
“Hyaaah—!!”
With a fierce shout, the sword continued its relentless advance.
Powerful thrusts targeted six vital points on his upper body.
This form from the Soaring Palace Unfettered Swordsmanship, Sword Shadows Piercing Heaven.
As the razor-sharp sword phantoms battered his torso like spears from the sky, Cheol-u's Protective Aura began to waver.
A storm of blows hammered against a barrier that was already paper-thin and frail.
From Mysterious Heaven's Wild Gale to Sword Shadows Piercing Heaven, then back to Mysterious Heaven's Wild Gale.
If he let this golden opportunity slip, the path to victory would be severed.
Instinctively sensing this, Namgoong Hyun gritted his teeth and unleashed his attacks without pause.
The ceaseless barrage weakened Cheol-u's defenses even further.
—Boom!
The limit was finally reached.
“Arrrgh—!”
His Protective Aura shattered at last.
The collapsed barrier left him exposed, and attacks poured in, forcing Cheol-u to his knees as blood sprayed from wounds across his body.
—Thud!
The massive man's knees struck the sparring platform with a resounding crash, plunging the tournament hall into a heavy silence.
“…….”
“…….”
Ja-seong, Namgoong Seonwoo, Un-yeop—and everyone in the stands—clamped their mouths shut, unable to tear their eyes from the platform.
—Drip. Drip.
A trickle of blood ran down Cheol-u's arm, pooling at his fingertips before falling in drops onto the platform.
“Grooo…!”
Cheol-u lifted his trembling head, glaring at Namgoong Hyun with eyes full of venom.
Namgoong Hyun, receiving that gaze, had no idea why.
“You… you bastard…! You of all people…!”
Convinced Namgoong Hyun was the murderer who killed Sa Gong-chan, Cheol-u spat venomous words until consciousness finally fled, his head slumping forward.
At the same moment, the greatsword slipped from his hand, clanging loudly onto the platform.
The crowd, as if under a collective trance, snapped back to reality at the sound.
The referee, roused along with the spectators, climbed onto the platform.
After checking on the unconscious Cheol-u, he raised his hand toward the Namgoong Clan side and declared loudly,
“The first match is a victory for the Namgoong Clan!”
Namgoong Clan's victory. Namgoong Hyun's victory.
The stands erupted in cheers upon confirmation.
—Waaaaah—!
Everyone sent fervent cheers to the young Sword Dragon who had wrought a miracle.
“…Ah.”
Hearing the roar, Namgoong Hyun finally felt the reality of his win, letting out a short gasp.
His lips slowly curved into a smile.
Namgoong Hyun's gaze turned toward Namgoong Seonwoo and Ja-seong.
Namgoong Seonwoo nodded proudly at his son's achievement, while Ja-seong gave him a thumbs-up.
He wasn't sure what it meant, but it was probably a good sign.
*
“…….”
Ho-jeong, who had watched Namgoong Hyun defeat Cheol-u, closed his eyes amid the endless cheers, saying nothing.
He replayed the scene over and over in his mind.
The movements that clearly transcended human limits, displayed by Namgoong Hyun.
The very reason Ho-jeong had journeyed all the way to Hefei—the proof that the boy in his heart still lived and breathed.
His body trembled at the glimpse of the dream he had longed for over so many years.
“To be honest, I had my doubts, but it really was just as you said. Chil-ji… Chil-ji?”
Turning his head to call for Chil-ji, Ho-jeong belatedly realized the man who had been sitting beside him was gone.
“…Where'd he go without a word?”
Puzzled, Ho-jeong noticed the cheers dying down and turned back to the platform.
Cheol-u had already been carried off, and the next fighter was climbing up in his place.
—Soonchang's Cho Un-yeop…!
—Can the Sword Dragon really face Cho Un-yeop?
Hearing the murmurs from the crowd, Ho-jeong completely forgot about the missing Chil-ji and focused on the platform once more.
Around the time the second match was about to begin.
Chil-ji, who had quietly slipped away from the seat beside Ho-jeong, left the stands and headed to a nearby physician's clinic.
—Creak.
Chil-ji opened the clinic door and stepped inside.
The air inside carried the faint scent of medicinal herbs, as befitting a physician's quarters.
Further in, Cheol-u lay unconscious on a treatment bed, surrounded tightly by Celestial Radiance Division members who allowed no one near.
Because of this, the elderly physician trying to examine the patient stood awkwardly before them.
“Um… if you stand like that, I can't check on him….”
“Pardon me.”
The old physician turned at the clear voice from behind, meeting a pair of crimson eyes.
“Could you step out for a moment? Just about fifteen minutes.”
“…Yes… Understood.”
The physician shuffled out of the building with a dazed expression.
Watching his retreating back, Chil-ji issued a cold command to the Celestial Radiance Division members.
“You lot, out.”
“Yes.”
At Chil-ji's order, the members obeyed with unusual docility and left the clinic.
Now, only the unconscious Cheol-u and Chil-ji remained inside.
“To think you'd lose from the very start. Aren't you ashamed, Deputy Commander?”
Chil-ji sneered down at the still-unconscious Cheol-u, then slipped a hand into his robe.
When his slender hand emerged, it held a small incense burner.
Chil-ji placed the burner by Cheol-u's head and lit it.
Thick purple smoke, like swirling mist, rose from the burner and enveloped Cheol-u.
The smoke didn't dissipate into the air but coiled solely around him, resembling a serpent tightening around its prey.
“Now, wake up. Deputy Commander.”
“Ugh, urk…”
Chil-ji gently stroked his cheek to rouse him.
Cheol-u's eyes fluttered open with a groan.
In that instant, the purple smoke plunged into his seven orifices as if seizing the moment.
“Wha—what…!?”
Half-dazed, Cheol-u convulsed violently as the smoke invaded his body.
Chil-ji pinned down his thrashing form with both hands, clicking his tongue.
“Warriors are all the same…! Their mental barriers are annoyingly strong. Makes this such a hassle…!”
With an irritated mutter, Chil-ji pressed down even harder.
Incredibly, the frail woman's hands immobilized the nearly seven-foot giant completely.
How much time passed after that?
Cheol-u's writhing body finally went limp on the bed.
“Phew… It's done.”
Seeing Cheol-u's vacant eyes staring blankly at the ceiling, Chil-ji let out a small sigh.
Gazing down at his dazed expression for a moment, Chil-ji chuckled and began speaking to himself.
“You know, you were curious how I killed the Sword Lord. So, what does it feel like to experience it firsthand?”
“…….”
“Warriors—especially the so-called masters—resist my… Soul Enthrallment Art. That's why I need this preliminary step.”
Chil-ji stroked the small incense burner still by Cheol-u's head.
“The Sword Lord was the same. You only took about fifteen minutes, but that so-called Sword Lord? Good heavens, he held out for over an hour.”
Chil-ji shook his head as if the memory was utterly exhausting.
Cheol-u continued staring blankly at the ceiling.
“But in the end, he fell under my Soul Enthrallment Art. After that, it was simple. I just ordered him to induce qi deviation, and that was it.”
Having revealed the truth behind the Sword Lord's death, Chil-ji looked down at Cheol-u with cold eyes.
“Truth be told, I'd love to kill you too. You've been such a pain, constantly suspicious and nagging.”
But with Sa Gong-chan already dead that way, killing Cheol-u would wipe out all the Celestial Radiance Division's command staff.
*Can't have that.*
Discarding a card to use in emergencies as a contingency would be foolish.
Feeling a twinge of regret, Chil-ji activated his Soul Enthrallment Art.
He locked eyes with Cheol-u's vacant gaze, his own pupils turning blood-red.
“From now on, you will obey my every command without question. Understand?”
“…Yes. Understood.”
Chil-ji smiled in satisfaction at Cheol-u's murmured response.
All procedures complete.
Extinguishing the incense burner, the thick purple smoke vanished in an instant.
As Chil-ji tucked it back into his robe and turned to leave, he paused with a sudden thought and looked back at Cheol-u.
“Oh, right. I owe you an apology.”
Chil-ji approached Cheol-u again and whispered softly into his ear.
“You said it, didn't you? That if I used the power that killed the Sword Lord on your men, you wouldn't let me get away with it. I believe I replied… why would I ever do that?”
His plump, cherry-like lips curved into a smile.
“That was a lie. Your subordinates are already entirely under my control~?”
Coincidence?
In that moment, Cheol-u's body jerked faintly.
It was as if his subdued soul cried out in rage.
Seeing this, Chil-ji was briefly startled before bursting into laughter.
“Ahaha—! How does it feel, knowing your precious men—and even you yourself—are all my pawns now? I wonder what it feels like? Ahahaha—!”
Chil-ji laughed as if he might die from joy.
It was a wicked cackle, utterly at odds with his refined features.