One Fifth (4)
Hyeon Yucheon closed his eyes and recalled his master.
The bizarre thing was that no matter how much time passed, the faces of his master and parents remained vivid, and the flames of resentment showed no sign of weakening.
If anything, they burned even deeper with every passing day.
"Huuuuh."
While Hyeon Yucheon regulated his breathing—the final essence of the Formless Flash Quick Sword demanded superhuman expenditure of inner power and stamina alike—
Final Essence
'Good heavens, good heavens. Oh my!'
So Jaun, the leader of the Haomen and the queen of Hubei Province's pleasure districts, was utterly dumbfounded in shock.
Was there ever such a young, powerful sovereign of the unorthodox paths—no, a martial artist like this?
'With skills like that, he must have reached the Entering Divinity realm!'
So Jaun could scarcely believe her eyes.
She herself was one of the Ten Great Masters of the unorthodox world, a woman in her thirties who had set foot in the Super Peak realm.
Though not of the orthodox sects, as a Super Peak expert, she knew full well how grueling and time-consuming the path of martial arts truly was.
Yet here stood this handsome, refined youth—no, a boy not even in his twenties—Hyeon Yucheon, who had attained the realm of the Demon Sword Ghost Elder at such a tender age.
"Lady Baek."
"Y-Yes? Yes!"
So Jaun, half out of her wits, snapped back at the sound of Hyeon Yucheon's voice and beamed radiantly.
Her expression now was less that of the Haomen leader and more akin to the courtesan Baek Ri-hyang.
It spoke volumes about the sheer impact Hyeon Yucheon had on her.
"Please take care of that staff for me."
How could she possibly refuse such a command?
"Of course."
So Jaun hurried to Hong In-gyeol's corpse and rifled through his possessions with thorough efficiency.
As the head of courtesans, thieves, and thugs, such occupational habits were inevitable.
'Tch, typical beggars' sect leader... Nothing of value.'
Regrettably, Hong In-gyeol had departed with only his staff left behind.
From the Beggars' Sect's perspective, it was a small mercy—no sect elixirs or the secret manual of the Dragon Subduing Eighteen Palms had leaked out, averting a catastrophe.
"One more thing. Secure the Dragon Beggar Monk's head properly."
Hyeon Yucheon said impassively.
"Pardon?"
"It'll prove useful in future negotiations with the Beggars' Sect."
"Ah, got it."
As a battle-hardened woman of the unorthodox martial world, So Jaun felt no fear at handling a severed head.
She even treated it with herbs from her pouch for perfect preservation.
'I swear it. I will never cross the Demon Sword Young Master Hyeon Yucheon.'
Gazing at Hong In-gyeol's contorted, agony-twisted face in death, So Jaun shuddered once more.
In her years leading the Haomen, she'd seen plenty of gruesome sights, but none quite this horrific.
Thud. Thud.
With Hong In-gyeol's disposal complete, Hyeon Yucheon turned toward his next target.
"Eek! Eeeeek!"
Seok Mugyeong, the fourth young master of the Seok Family, and his escorts had frozen in place the instant Hyeon Yucheon beheaded Hong In-gyeol.
They dared not even dream of fleeing, trembling as if they'd encountered the King of Hell himself.
With So Jaun guarding the perimeter, escape was impossible to begin with—and now that Hyeon Yucheon, slayer of Hong In-gyeol, had joined, they'd be lucky not to catch a formless sword gang in the back while running.
"You're the fourth young master of the Seok Family, right?"
Hyeon Yucheon regarded him with indifferent eyes.
Curiously, that gaze was no different from the one he'd fixed on the Dragon Beggar Monk.
"Y-Yes, that's right. Please spare me! I'll give you all the Beggars' Sect's promissory notes and the entire wealth of our Hubei branch."
True to his merchant blood, Seok Mugyeong grasped the reality and offered stacks of notes and piles of gold to barter for his life.
But his luck had run dry.
Hyeon Yucheon harbored deep grudges against him—or rather, the entire Seok Family.
"One question."
Hyeon Yucheon looked down at Seok Mugyeong, who trembled like a lost soul awaiting judgment before Yama.
"I'll tell you anything."
Seok Mugyeong now realized he teetered on the brink of life and death.
He'd never cowered before anyone save his father, the Seok Family head.
Hadn't he met alone with Hong In-gyeol, the Beggars' Sect's Dragon Head Elder and one of Heaven's Five Venerables, without flinching?
'But this guy's the one who casually lopped off that Hong In-gyeol's head.'
The man who beheaded the leader commanding a hundred thousand beggars—and seemed delighted about it.
Moreover, he appeared around Seok Mugyeong's age, yet wielded terrifying martial prowess. How could he not feel intimidated?
"Tell me everything you know about Jade-Faced Sword Lord Cho Jeong-ryong."
Hyeon Yucheon demanded.
"...!"
Seok Mugyeong, who seemed ready to answer anything, flinched as if stabbed in the side.
But only for a moment. He quickly schooled his features and replied calmly.
"He has nothing to do with our Seok Family."
He spoke as if he'd never faltered, but he'd slipped up.
"A peculiar answer."
"Pardon?"
"I didn't ask if Cho Jeong-ryong was connected to the Seok Family. I told you to recount everything you know about him."
Hyeon Yucheon smiled.
He was right—he hadn't inquired about any ties to the Seok Family.
In other words, Seok Mugyeong had blurted that out from a guilty conscience, like a thief protesting too much.
"Gasp!"
Realizing his mistake, Seok Mugyeong paled in horror, cold sweat streaming down his face.
"I don't know. I've no idea."
He denied it again, feigning ignorance.
"The fact that I asked about my third senior brother means I already have my suspicions."
Hyeon Yucheon was far more terrifying than the likes of Seok Mugyeong.
Swish!
As Hyeon Yucheon extended his hand to form a formless sword gang, Seok Mugyeong writhed and wailed desperately.
"Spare me! I don't know! Why kill an innocent man like me?!"
Seok Mugyeong feared Hyeon Yucheon, but his brothers terrified him too.
That's why he'd tried to stay silent and survive.
Especially in the Seok Family—betraying blood or clan meant eternal exile, a punishment worse than death. So he held firm.
"Innocent?"
Suddenly, Hyeon Yucheon's eyes flashed with murderous intent.
Tremble, tremble!
His glare was so ferocious that even the escorts tasked with protecting Seok Mugyeong averted their eyes.
Even So Jaun felt chills—she wanted no part of facing it head-on.
I am the last heir of the Mangeum Clan, Man Yuhyeon—the Mangeum Young Master whose title was stripped as spoils by your wretched clan.
Receiving Hyeon Yucheon's transmission, Seok Mugyeong broke out in a cold sweat, drenched like a man drowning at sea.
"Lies. I can't believe it. Why would you..."
Seok Mugyeong recoiled in terror.
Hyeon Yucheon had used sound transmission to evade So Jaun, who lurked behind, eyes gleaming for any scrap of intel.
"Last chance. Who is Jade-Faced Sword Lord Cho Jeong-ryong in the Seok Family?"
Bzzz!
Hyeon Yucheon drew forth his formless sword gang.
No answer, and he'd make an example of him.
"...If you kill me, do you think my father will sit idle? He's tight with the Murim Alliance Leader himse—"
Regrettably, in his final moments, Seok Mugyeong made a foolish choice.
At least where the Demon Sword Young Master—who feared neither the Seok Family head nor the Murim Alliance Leader—was concerned.
Kwajik!
Hyeon Yucheon showed no mercy.
Without hesitation, he unleashed the formless sword gang, slaying Seok Mugyeong on the spot.
"Y-Young master!"
"Young Master Seok Mugyeong!"
The escorts leaped back at his gruesome end.
They'd never dreamed he'd kill the Seok Family head's most cherished youngest son, the fourth young master.
The family head doted on him so much he'd personally bestowed the title Mangeum Young Master.
"I don't need answers from vermin like you anyway."
Hyeon Yucheon felt no regret over the kill.
The Seok Family had stolen his parents and everything he had—he craved revenge by any means.
One more thing.
'I can get intel on Cho Jeong-ryong from the Beggars' Sect and Haomen.'
Seok Mugyeong, steeped in the clan's sticky loyalty, would've never talked—just a waste of time.
Thus, Hyeon Yucheon had drawn his formless sword gang.
"Forgive my grave violation of the precept against killing today... Don't hold it against me."
Now remained only the Hubei branch escorts who'd guarded Seok Mugyeong.
Invisible bursts of sword energy
A gale of blood swept through once more.
"Why have we heard nothing from Youngest Brother?!"
The Seok Family head's word—wielding absolute authority—set the entire manor abuzz.
Indeed, news from the Hubei branch under Seok Mugyeong's charge had gone silent, breeding worry.
"Send the Golden Wind Corps to the Hubei branch and ascertain his status."
In the end, the family head mobilized the Golden Wind Corps, an internal Seok Family unit.
He could've borrowed hands from the orthodox world or Murim Alliance, but he preferred no rumors.
Above all, the haste stemmed from:
'Something feels ominous.'
The man who'd long dominated the Seok Family and the martial world's commerce felt an icy chill in his chest, fretting over his beloved youngest son, Seok Mugyeong.
"Understood, Family Head."
Thus, Golden Wind Corps Captain Maeng U-sang—retainer and peak expert titled Golden Wind Radiant Sword—led his men swiftly toward Hubei Province.
The Golden Wind Corps was a small elite force of all first-rate masters, usually guarding the manor but dispatched for urgent tasks.
"Hurry!"
As Maeng U-sang infused his voice with inner power to urge his men onward,
Kwaaaaang!
It happened then.
As Maeng U-sang and the full corps hastened through a gorge, a massive explosion roared from their rear.
Neighhhh!
The blast and shock rattled their mounts, sending riders tumbling in droves.
'What in the world?'
Maeng U-sang whirled in alarm, and sure enough—
"......"
Incredibly, assailants were attacking the Seok Family's internal forces—even the Murim Alliance Leader would yield a step to them.
"Wh-Who the hell are y—"
As Maeng U-sang gaped, trying to identify the foes,
Thick, potent swift sword strike
A bold, powerful swift sword pierced a massive hole through Maeng U-sang's chest.
"Gasp, heuk!"
His heart gone in an instant, Maeng U-sang staggered, desperately trying to stay upright—but all he saw was his subordinates' slaughter.
"This should satisfy Junior Brother, right?"
The attackers were none other than Blood Dragon Room Lord Jin Gwangma Geom Ga Jinuk, Hyeon Yucheon's senior brother.
"He'll be satisfied. We wiped them out in some nameless gorge—no witnesses."
Blood Dragon Ghost Sword Gu Jin-ak smirked beside him.
'Sect Leader Hyeon. As elusive as ever.'
The Blood Dragon Room had mobilized for one reason alone.
Hide your presence near the Seok Family manor. If any reinforcements head to Hubei, eliminate them without a trace.