Chapter 58
Chapter 58
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 58
Chapter Title: Heir of the Sword King
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Go Mi also saw the newcomers.
That made her even more anxious.
For now, she had to block the ronin in front of her. His demeanor made it clear he was aiming for Yi Hwan.
“Hoo.”
Exhaling deeply, Go Mi channeled her full power into her sword. But then she tilted her head.
The ronin wasn’t looking at her—he was staring at the battlefield. And his eyes were shaking violently.
Like someone utterly shocked.
‘What’s wrong with him?’
* * *
Tremble, tremble...
The ronin’s eyes shook fiercely.
Those trembling eyes couldn’t tear away from Cheol Mu-ok’s greatsword.
‘Soul Separation Technique!’
It was unmistakably the Soul Separation Technique.
All lineages of the Three Kings trained in the Soul Separation Technique. It was more than a martial art—it was what bound them all together... [text cuts off].
A voice echoed in the ronin’s mind like an auditory hallucination. He had never forgotten it, not for a moment, since the day he’d first heard it chanted as he learned to walk.
‘Please let it be them...’
Boom!
Kicking off the ground, the ronin leaped forward, soaring right over Go Mi’s head.
“Stop!”
Go Mi’s sword sliced through the air.
But the ronin was faster than her blade.
Crunch!
Grinding her teeth, Go Mi chased after the ronin. But in an instant, the distance between them closed. Her face hardened at the unbelievable lightness skill she was witnessing.
‘Dangerous!’
* * *
“Kill him!”
“Wang Ji-kyeong is over there!”
As the late arrivals charged ferociously, the guards blocked their path to Wang Ji-kyeong.
Yi Hwan had no time to worry about anything else.
The aura of those charging from behind was far from ordinary.
Sizzle.
“Two of you, guard this position.”
“Yes!”
Two guards took Yi Hwan’s place.
Stepping forward, Yi Hwan poured his energy into his sword.
Sizzle.
For the first time, his sword was cloaked in sword energy. The energy was far larger and fiercer than when he’d cleaved the waterfall in the Southern Legion.
Whoooong!
Three streams of light rose from Yi Hwan’s sword. This, too, was the Soul Separation Technique.
It was then.
Feeling a ferocious energy from behind his head, Yi Hwan turned.
Someone was slicing through the air. And behind them, Go Mi was in pursuit.
In that fleeting moment, Yi Hwan’s and the ronin’s eyes met. For an instant, a faint smile curved Yi Hwan’s lips.
‘To meet like this.’
He was certain the ronin was the one he and Cheol Mu-ok had been searching for. And that certainty soon became reality.
Three streams of light floated around the ronin’s body.
Whoosh!
The ronin landed in front of Yi Hwan.
Go Mi landed behind him and charged at the ronin.
“Stop, Moon Lord.”
Yi Hwan said, staring straight at the ronin.
“Don’t you have something to show me?”
The ronin silently pulled something from his bosom and held it out. It was the Three Kings Token.
The Sword King’s name was clearly engraved upon it.
The ronin asked.
“Did I find the right person?”
“You did. But we’ll talk later.”
* * *
The ronin stared at Yi Hwan’s back as he charged toward the masked figures, his eyes trembling.
‘Finally...’
It was clear now.
Yi Hwan was the one he’d been searching for.
Flash!
“Argh!”
“Ugh!”
A storm of blood erupted where Yi Hwan had charged. The ronin soon followed.
Go Mi’s mind reeled at the sudden turn.
‘What? They’re on the same side?’
It was then.
Swoosh!
A chilling energy flew in. One masked figure had pierced the guards’ defense line and was charging at Wang Ji-kyeong.
Pop!
Go Mi didn’t retreat—she leaped toward the masked figure.
Thud!
“Guh!”
Her sword pierced the masked figure’s chest and burst out his back.
“Don’t panic! Close the gaps!”
At Go Mi’s shout, the guards tightened their formation. The situation was so urgent they had no time to wonder who she was.
Wang Ji-kyeong asked her in astonishment.
“Who might you be, young lady?”
“Shut up and fall back!”
Go Mi hated being caught up in this mess.
‘Why am I dragged into something like this?’
* * *
Boom!
“Ugh!”
Blood sprayed from Mount Sang Blood Blade’s wrist.
The impact had shattered his bones. Several rushed to save him, only to collapse, spraying blood from Cheol Mu-ok’s greatsword.
Mount Sang Blood Blade retreated hastily, bellowing.
“Block him! Hurry!”
“Trying to run now?”
Cheol Mu-ok mercilessly cut down the interferers as he advanced on Mount Sang Blood Blade. But Mount Sang Blood Blade was already fleeing far ahead.
Cheol Mu-ok was dumbfounded.
A master of his caliber usually valued pride over life.
“Run!”
“Uwaa!”
At someone’s shout, the masked figures scattered in all directions.
Three blood-soaked ones turned to Cheol Mu-ok and asked.
“Pursue?”
“Let them go. They’re less than trash anyway.”
Cheol Mu-ok glanced back.
The late arrivals were mostly fleeing in disarray. In that short time, Yi Hwan and the ronin had nearly wiped them out.
“Huh?”
Cheol Mu-ok’s eyes widened.
Yi Hwan was bleeding. Cheol Mu-ok dashed to his side in one bound.
Then Yi Hwan’s transmission entered his mind.
[No need to fuss. I took that blade on purpose to impress him more.]
‘No, even so...’
Dumbfounded, Cheol Mu-ok finally looked at the ronin.
“Who is this?”
“The friend we’ve been looking for.”
“...Then?”
Cheol Mu-ok’s eyes widened fully.
“We’ll talk on the way back.”
“Understood.”
* * *
Evening.
Wang Ji-kyeong’s residence.
Yi Hwan, the ronin, and Cheol Mu-ok sat together. The ronin was indeed the Sword King’s heir.
His name was Ju Tae, thirty-one this year—same age as Cheol Mu-ok. Ju Tae recounted his life story at length, while Yi Hwan and Cheol Mu-ok listened silently. Afterward, Yi Hwan asked the same questions he’d posed to Cheol Mu-ok, and Ju Tae gave the same answers.
In other words, he too didn’t know why Daye Fortress had fallen.
It was a deeply regrettable moment for Yi Hwan.
Meanwhile, Ju Tae harbored the same doubt as Cheol Mu-ok.
It was suspicious that the lord’s lineage didn’t know why Daye Fortress had perished.
Ju Tae said.
“It’s astonishing. To think the imperial family was the lord’s lineage.”
“That’s not it.”
“Pardon?”
“There are circumstances. It’s hard to explain now, so bear with your curiosity. By the way, whose idea was it to use the Soul Separation Technique to find us?”
Ju Tae smiled bitterly.
“It was a desperate last resort, scraping the bottom of the barrel. I apologize for presuming to teach the Soul Separation Technique to an outsider.”
“It’s fine. You didn’t leak the essence.”
“Thank you for understanding. Then, may I ask one more thing?”
“Ask away.”
“Well...”
Ju Tae began pouring out questions. He occasionally directed some at Cheol Mu-ok as well. The three spent the night catching up.
* * *
Somewhere in the city.
Mount Sang Blood Blade drank like a madman.
Gulp, gulp!
He downed the potent liquor like water.
For him, it was the greatest humiliation of his life.
Setting aside the failed plan, too many had died, and he’d fled in shame from Cheol Mu-ok. The indelible disgrace grew with every gulp.
Crack!
“Damn it!”
Right now, Mount Sang Blood Blade’s mind was filled not with Yi Hwan, but Cheol Mu-ok’s face.
‘Where did that monster come from...’
Beneath the humiliation lurked a terror he’d never felt before.
He could fight when it was sword versus sword. But once it became sword versus greatsword, he was overwhelmingly outmatched. If he’d hesitated even a moment longer, he’d have died there.
‘Speed, destructive power, and flawless, precise trajectories without a hint of waste... A master like that, I couldn’t possibly not know his name.’
Unable to contain his rage, he bellowed outside.
“Is no one there?”
Creak!
The door opened, and a burly man entered.
“As soon as dawn breaks, go to Spring Guest Inn and gather every scrap of info on the ones who infiltrated Wang Ji-kyeong’s guards. And check on those three at the Song family’s inn too! Everyone, right up to those two who showed up last! Got it?”
“Yes! Understood.”
“Ugh!”
Reaching for the bottle, Mount Sang Blood Blade suddenly grimaced and hunched over.
Intense pain surged from the wound.
“Shall I fetch the Mafeitang?”
“No need!”
Gulp, gulp!
Crack!
Mount Sang Blood Blade’s eyes turned bloodshot. And in those bloodshot eyes, deep anguish slowly gathered.
He worried about the backlash to come.
‘If the division head finds out, he’ll explode...’
* * *
Early morning.
Wang Ji-kyeong visited Yi Hwan’s lodgings.
Clang!
He immediately set down a heavy money pouch.
“You saved my life twice. I brought this as a token of gratitude—please accept it.”
“No need for this.”
Yi Hwan demurred, but Cheol Mu-ok swiftly pocketed the pouch as if he’d been waiting.
“Are your wounds alright?”
“It’s just a graze; it’ll heal in a few days. But are you alright, my lord? You must have been shocked.”
“My heart’s still pounding. I’ve been through plenty, but nothing like yesterday. Those damn bastards!”
Wang Ji-kyeong expressed his thanks to Cheol Mu-ok and Ju Tae as well. Then he asked Yi Hwan.
“Should I increase the guards? Do you know anyone suitable?”
“What about this fellow?”
Yi Hwan pointed to Ju Tae.
Wang Ji-kyeong’s face lit up, naturally.
“Of course I welcome it!”
“Then can you match our terms?”
“Absolutely! No—two thousand taels per month each! Just please protect me like yesterday!”
“Don’t worry. No one will touch a single hair on your head.”
Wang Ji-kyeong smiled at Ju Tae.
“I’ll count on you.”
Ju Tae gave a slight nod in response.
Despite suddenly becoming Wang Ji-kyeong’s guard, Ju Tae remained calm. He’d learned from Yi Hwan overnight what he was planning.
In truth, Ju Tae’s appearance was a great boon to Yi Hwan.
The presence or absence of one such master made a world of difference.
Soon after, Wang Ji-kyeong departed.
Cheol Mu-ok opened the pouch and his eyes bulged.
“He put in a fortune.”
“Gold ingots?”
“Yes.”
Cheol Mu-ok opened the pouch. Three large gold ingots gleamed brilliantly.
Ju Tae grinned.
“Seems sufficient payment for taking that blade on purpose. We should do it once in a while when the chance arises.”
“Unexpected. Didn’t think you’d say something like that.”
“Living rough in this harsh world rubs off. I feel the preciousness of money in my bones more than anyone.”
It was a casual remark, but Yi Hwan felt a pang of guilt. He’d heard from Ju Tae last night how their lineage had survived.
In a way, their tragic fate was his burden to bear.
‘It’s a debt I owe. I’ll repay it in full.’