One Fifth (2)
Hyeon Yucheon's eyes burned fiercer than ever before.
Lying still inside the hollowed-out fake zither, he had overheard every word of their conversation.
How could he not seethe with rage at hearing them treat the Mangeum Clan's tragedy as amusing bar snacks?
Was this the agony of lying on brushwood and tasting gall?
"Gasp!"
Clang! Clang!
The moment Hyeon Yucheon burst out of nowhere, the hall descended into utter chaos.
Seok Mu-gyeong, the current Mangeum Young Master whose martial prowess was still only at the first-rate level, fled in terror, and in his place, the experts of the Seok Family's Hebei branch stepped forward.
"......"
Unlike the highly agitated Seok Family warriors, Hong In-gyeol—thoroughly drunk on the potent So Ryong-a liquor—and the Mad Dog Trio remained surprisingly silent.
In truth, they were screaming inwardly without a sound.
How the hell did this young man infiltrate us?
There was only one reason for their shock.
It was simply impossible for anyone to slip past the eyes of super peak experts on the level of the Heaven's Five Venerables and hide inside a zither.
The key to this feat lay in the prowess of Haomen's leader, the Faceless Black Rabbit So Jaun.
She had first tracked all the musicians, courtesans, and dancers attending the Seok Family Hebei branch banquet.
Tracing them had been child's play.
—If the Beggars' Sect's disciples were beggars, Haomen's were made up mostly of pickpockets, thieves, thugs, courtesans, and the dregs of society.
As Haomen's leader, with her expertise in intelligence and networks, she spotted them instantly.
Leveraging her information and connections to the fullest, So Jaun had disguised herself alongside Hyeon Yucheon and infiltrated the event.
"We sensed absolutely nothing......"
Unlike the Seok Family's guards, who were merely super first-rate at best, the Eight Knot Elders tasked with protecting the Beggars' Sect Leader—the Mad Dog Trio—were thrown into utter disarray.
Their keen senses had been completely fooled.
This was largely thanks to So Jaun. Amid the flashy music performance, she had applied a subtle Hundred-Li Fragrance to their bodies.
The fragrance had no poison but relaxed those who inhaled it. Combined with So Jaun's mastery of the Dream-Seducing Soul Technique, the effect was devastating.
Of course, Hyeon Yucheon's own stealth skills were exceptional, making it all possible.
"A debt from the past?"
Hong In-gyeol tilted his head in confusion at Hyeon Yucheon's words.
To reach the stature of the Heaven's Five Venerables, one had to wade through the resentment and blood of countless others.
Nothing great came without sacrifice.
So no matter how hard Hong In-gyeol racked his brains, he couldn't recall any grudge worthy of such fury from this young, handsome man.
"Looks like you don't remember."
Hyeon Yucheon nodded as if there was no helping it.
Swoosh!
He thrust both hands into the air.
A fist and leg technique expert?
Hong In-gyeol, drunk on So Ryong-a, stepped back, and the Mad Dog Trio advanced in his stead.
Gazing at Hyeon Yucheon, who came forward bare-handed without a weapon, they sneered.
His stance screamed amateur—laughably sloppy for a supposed fist expert.
"Leader, purge the alcohol from your system!"
"Leave this arrogant brat to us!"
As the Mad Dog Trio stepped up, Seok Mu-gyeong perked up with interest.
"Young master, run while you can......"
"No. Do you think the Beggars' Sect Leader and the Eight Knot Elders would lose?"
He was simply eager for the best seat to watch the fight.
The Seok Family warriors frowned at his childish antics but could do nothing.
After all, Seok Mu-gyeong—the Mangeum Young Master—had never known failure or humiliation. Born into wealth and privilege under his father and clan, his arrogance was unmatched.
"Perfect timing. I don't know who he is, but getting to witness real murim combat? How thrilling."
He had staggered in shock at first, but now, with the Beggars' Sect experts on the move, he strutted about as if nothing had happened.
"Young hero Hyeon. As promised, I'll hang back."
So Jaun, who had been eagerly assisting, subtly retreated.
In case Hyeon Yucheon lost, she could flee without looking back.
Hyeon Yucheon gave a slight nod and spoke again.
"Hong In-gyeol. If you don't know who I am, allow me to explain."
The Demon Sword Prince finally made his move.
—Formless Linked Bullets!
Hyeon Yucheon poured all the tear-streaked anguish of that night into his invisible sword qi.
Even for the mid-to-low super peak Eight Knot Elders, the raging storm of formless sword energy was utterly beyond them.
Whoosh! Rat-tat-tat!
The Mad Dog Trio hadn't let their guard down despite his youth, but with no prior intel, they had been somewhat careless.
And now this?
From that clumsy fist stance came invisible sword qi they neither anticipated nor saw—pouring down like a barrage of storm bullets. They had no choice but to panic.
"Gasp!"
"Urk!"
The three mad dogs, formed solely to guard the Beggars' Sect Leader, recoiled in shock.
Fortunately, no fatal wounds—just torn sleeves and clothing.
"I-Impossible!"
No lives lost, yet Hong In-gyeol—the Beggars' Sect Leader and Doryeong Old Man—leapt to his feet as if he had been sliced.
That formless sword qi...
How could he forget?
It was the signature art of the Demon Sword Ghost Lord Cheon Baeksang—the one he both feared and envied: the Formless Flash Quick Sword.
"Ring any bells now?"
Hyeon Yucheon ignored the Mad Dog Trio before him, focusing solely on Hong In-gyeol.
Hong In-gyeol was so flustered that even his drunken haze vanished.
"H-How... how could you..."
"I am the Demon Sword Sect Leader, the Demon Sword Prince Hyeon Yucheon."
That single declaration was enough.
The Beggars' Sect knew the Demon Sword Sect's history intimately—they had even leaked intel to the unorthodox Quick Sword Hall.
Impossible not to know.
"Hyeon Yucheon!"
"The Demon Sword Prince!"
"You're that...!"
The Mad Dog Trio was just as stunned.
Seeing in the flesh the man shaking the unorthodox murim and quietly gaining fame even in the orthodox world—they couldn't help but gape.
"Heh heh heh, this should be fun."
Seok Mu-gyeong showed interest too.
No—he had to.
The Demon Sword Sect... my brother once...
He knew secrets he dared not voice, fueling his curiosity.
"You vile unorthodox scum!"
"Daring to target Hong Leader, pillar of the orthodox murim and one of the Heaven's Five Venerables!"
"Have you no fear of heaven?"
The Mad Dog Trio bellowed before Hyeon Yucheon, masking their dread of the Formless Flash Quick Sword.
They truly believed it.
How dare this unorthodox brat climb over them—the 'true murim'—and their Leader? They were genuinely outraged.
"You mad dogs."
Hyeon Yucheon didn't even find it amusing.
"Talking of heaven? Are you sane? You slyly leaked our Demon Sword Sect's internals to Quick Sword Hall, no less..."
Swoosh!
Hyeon Yucheon's hand pointed straight at Hong In-gyeol.
"Hong In-gyeol, Doryeong Old Man of the Heaven's Five Venerables! You infiltrated my master, the Demon Sword Ghost Lord Cheon Baeksang's secluded training site and launched a cowardly joint assault! You are the one who should fear heaven!"
Hyeon Yucheon roared in fury.
"......!!"
His words shocked everyone.
The courtesans and musicians had already fled; only Seok Family and Beggars' Sect members remained. The revelation left them reeling.
"W-What?"
"Then the Demon Sword Ghost Lord's disappearance..."
"Was the work of the Heaven's Five Venerables?"
As the truth dawned, Hong In-gyeol fell silent in panic, while the guilty Mad Dog Trio shouted louder.
"You filthy unorthodox dog!"
"Spewing serpent-tongued lies to deceive the world?"
"We won't forgive more falsehoods."
Acting like apostles of justice only fueled Hyeon Yucheon's rage beyond measure.
"Forgive?"
Hyeon Yucheon unleashed his full power.
—Formless Two Heavens Sword!
The advanced stance of the Formless Flash Quick Sword blazed forth.
Invisible sword qi split left and right, curving exquisitely to strike two directions—or two foes—at once.
Slash! Crunch!
It was a horrifying display that sent chills down spines.
Even Eight Knot Elders—veterans of countless battles, guaranteed super peak anywhere in the murim—were sliced like rotten wood.
"Il-gae! I-gae!"
Hong In-gyeol cried out in horror.
Inconceivable.
The first and second of the Mad Dog Trio were dead.
"Gasp! Heuk!"
The sole survivor—the lucky third—trembled, emitting strange whimpers between hiccups and screams.
Or rather, not lucky.
If death was inevitable, going swiftly like the first two was mercy. Trembling in terror now was hell itself.
"I'll say it once more. I am the Demon Sword Prince Hyeon Yucheon. I inherited all my master, the Demon Sword Ghost Lord Cheon Baeksang's martial arts and inner power..."
Hyeon Yucheon glared into the frozen, statue-like eyes of Hong In-gyeol.
"...along with all his memories and experiences. I am also an eyewitness and witness who barely survived the Heaven's Five Venerables' combined assault."
Hyeon Yucheon declared.
I am the witness proving the Heaven's Five Venerables' treachery.
"Don't believe me? I'll make you with these hands."
The Demon Sword Prince sublimated his fury into formless sword qi.
Just like the Demon Sword Ghost Lord.
—Formless Gas Sword!
Drawing a single formless sword, Hyeon Yucheon severed the neck of the Mad Dog Trio's youngest—the third.
Crack! Crunch!
His head flew like a stone from a slingshot, rolling across the floor.
The sight was so surreal even Hong In-gyeol could barely register it.
Let alone the super first-rate Seok Family warriors and Seok Mu-gyeong?
"......"
They neither trembled nor screamed.
It was all a nightmare too vivid; they simply stood dumbfounded.
"Doryeong Old Man Hong In-gyeol. Prepare for a duel. Just like that night at the Haeha Stream in Hebei."
Finally, Hyeon Yucheon advanced calmly toward the lone survivor.
Step. Step.
He could have dashed with lightness skill, but he walked deliberately.
To etch deeper terror into their souls.