Chapter 10: The Fragrance of Fresh Pine Needles
The elders held their breath, silently watching the two boys.
Despite their similar builds, the youths carried themselves in utterly different ways.
Yong Baekheon furrowed his brow, lost in thought.
"Brother, what are you pondering so deeply? Do you think you can't handle me without your internal energy?"
In stark contrast, Yong Changheon gazed leisurely at his cousin, dripping with sarcasm.
A faint murmur rippled through the elders.
'Maybe the Young Cult Leader will change hands today.'
'If Yong Baekheon steps down and Yong Changheon takes the throne...'
'I need to cozy up to the Vice Cult Leader soon.'
Meanwhile, Vice Cult Leader Yong Jinseok narrowed his eyes, entertaining different thoughts.
A belated suspicion wriggled in his mind.
'Something's been off since earlier. The Young Cult Leader isn't one to brood like this. He's subtly different from the guy I knew.'
No way?
Struck by a sudden premonition, Yong Jinseok glared piercingly at his opponent and began to approach.
Yong Changheon, at his father's signal, gripped his sword hilt and followed.
"You bastard! Don't tell me you're not Baekheon...?"
Yong Baekheon lifted his head at that exact moment.
Thick beams of deep blue light shot from the boy's pupils, stabbing back at Yong Jinseok like needles.
It was unmistakable proof of the Ghostly Azure Divine Eyes.
"Not Baekheon? What were you about to say? Finish your sentence."
"...No, nothing."
Just baseless suspicion, after all.
The blue glow of the Ghostly Azure Divine Eyes was as iconic as Yong Baekheon's signature itself, leaving Yong Jinseok no choice but to drop it.
The watching elders clicked their tongues in admiration.
"That glare is downright terrifying."
"Doesn't it seem even bluer and brighter today?"
"Must've grown his qi a step after brushing death."
As everyone swallowed hard, Yong Baekheon slowly nodded.
"Very well. Though it goes against law and tradition, I'll accept the Vice Cult Leader's proposal. We'll fight for rank without using internal energy."
"...!"
Sweeping his gaze across the assembly, Yong Baekheon turned to Yong Changheon.
And a subtle killing intent flickered in his eyes.
"Draw your sword. Right here, I'll prove the gulf between us."
His attitude was dry and dismissive, laced with contempt.
Yong Changheon's face flushed crimson as he glared furiously.
"What? A gulf? How dare you spout such nonsense!"
"Enough talk. Draw."
"I'll make you regret this!"
Boom!
The two boys clashed head-on.
At that instant, a faint mutter leaked from the elders.
"Wait. That guy...?"
An old man with closely cropped white hair.
The Heavenly Demon Divine Cult's absolute sovereign had appeared like a ghost, his eyes gleaming as he watched his grandsons' duel.
* * *
From my experience, guys who fell for provocations that easily were always third-rate scrubs.
Yong Changheon seemed no different.
His bristling reaction to a nothingburger taunt was textbook.
'For things to go according to plan, this punk needs to hold out a bit.'
Fortunately—or unfortunately—my worry proved pointless soon enough.
The moment our swords clashed as he charged straight in.
"...!"
A massive shock rippled through, numbing my arm and shoulder.
From the jump, Yong Changheon was trying to overwhelm me with raw power.
I barely regained my balance.
Face-to-face, Yong Changheon smirked.
"What's wrong? Still weak from just waking up after being bedridden?"
"Skipped breakfast this morning."
"Is that so? Perfect. Now I can finally settle last year's score."
"Settle last year's score?"
"What, you forgot? Last year, you punched a hole in my side!"
Ah, right—that happened.
An image of blood-soaked Yong Changheon flashed from Yong Baekheon's memories.
Now the punk was taking it out on me.
"By our cult's teachings, I'll pay you back fivefold!"
Yong Changheon bellowed, shoving me back in an instant.
Then he unleashed a frenzy of sword strikes.
"Come on, don't hold back—take 'em!"
Kaboom!
It felt like plunging into a storm.
No—a storm of blades caged and crushed me.
Bongmareung also nodded.
[Not Heavenly Demon material, but compared to his old man, he is decent enough.]
Horned Dragon Ascension Sword.
Like a horned serpent attempting ascension, it battered foes with ferocious momentum—a power-based sword art.
By my knowledge, Yong Changheon had surpassed Yong Baekheon in this particular technique.
And with no internal energy allowed, I'd surely be pushed back.
[But he would have switched techniques for a counterattack by now.]
'Yeah, I know. The Young Cult Leader's a sword genius, after all.'
Meanwhile, I retreated, barely parrying Yong Changheon's Horned Dragon Ascension Sword.
My awkward blocks only fueled his rage.
"What the hell are you doing? Use your swordsmanship! Fight properly! You saying you don't even need real techniques against a scrub like me?"
"...".
"What? Not even gonna respond now? You arrogant prick!"
[Krahahaha! Such entertaining viewing—a pity to watch alone!]
Whether the punk burned or not.
Whether Bongmareung cackled or not.
I focused on my plan.
The long sword in Yong Changheon's grip—Azure Pine, a demonic blade.
I needed to touch that.
'I'll crush him with the Blood Spirit Demonic Binding Art instead of the White Dragon Soaring Sword.'
White Dragon Soaring Sword was offense-heavy; once I counterattacked, it'd end in a flash.
I'd already spotted countless flaws in his sword path.
It felt like the Sword Heaven Demon's experiences and insights pointed them out from within me.
Follow those, and punching a new hole in his side would be child's play.
Yet I chose the Blood Spirit Demonic Binding Art for two gains at once.
'First, the pure demonic qi in Azure Pine as a demonic sword.'
'Second, demonstrate an overwhelming gap that'll drop jaws.'
'I can gut him anytime. Gotta show a difference beyond that and break him.'
Paradoxical and tough.
Outmatched in strength, I nearly unleashed the White Dragon Soaring Sword several times.
But I held back.
Of course, Yong Changheon's misunderstanding deepened.
"You really toying with me? Treating me like a toy?"
"...".
"Damn it! Answer when someone's talking!"
Boom!
The storm swelled instantly.
He'd squeezed out every last drop of his prized power.
Bongmareung yelled urgently.
[It's speeding up! Be careful!]
The charging blade-tip vanished like a mirage.
Looking up, Azure Pine plummeted to split my skull.
I lunged instinctively.
'This is my chance!'
A lock of hair sheared mercilessly past my ear.
Precarious, but I'd seized the perfect moment.
His shocked face loomed inches away.
"...!"
My sudden charge after constant retreats flustered him badly.
I reached out.
Pin his arm, then Blood Spirit Demonic Binding Art on the demonic sword.
But right then.
'What the—?'
Flash!
An extraordinary aura erupted from Yong Changheon.
A yellow gleam flickered in his pupils.
Somehow, he'd pulled away.
And the blade that had grazed me now targeted my throat again.
'This is bad!'
In the life-or-death pinch.
I instinctively deployed the White Dragon Soaring Sword.
The Sword Heaven Demon's final technique shown to me: Mountain-Razing Sea-Destroying Strike.
That mystical sword path replayed perfectly in my mind.
As if Yong Bijeong's lingering will reappeared, tapping my shoulder.
『Disciple, nothing is difficult here. Follow me.』
Yeah, nothing to it.
The blade sliced through all, soaring then plunging.
The swords met.
Kaboom!
"Guh!"
The shock along the blade snapped me alert.
My palm screamed in agony.
'What the hell?'
Sure enough, my right grip was torn ragged, nearly dropping the hilt.
A whole different league of power.
Something was wrong.
[You fool! This is not the time to zone out! Look!]
'...!'
Yong Changheon raised his arms.
His grip slackened like mine, on the verge of dropping his sword.
His face now screamed 'astonished' beyond shock.
[Pull his arm down! Touch Azure Pine!]
'Already on it!'
I snatched Yong Changheon's sleeve nimbly.
Recalling back-alley days snatching clothes for beggings, I yanked with all my might.
"Wh-what?!"
"Haaap!"
My ki shout as I slapped the flat of the blade was pure theater.
Had to sell it like brute force shattered the sword.
My fist connected, and Blood Spirit Demonic Binding Art triggered instantly, pure demonic qi swirling in.
Bongmareung groaned in delight simultaneously.
[Haaa... Yes, the fragrance of fresh pine needles...]
'Crazy bastard.'
Snap!
Azure Pine broke clean in half.
So simple, so anticlimactic, it felt wrong.
* * *
"...Huh."
"Did he just snap Young Master Changheon's sword with his bare hands?"
"When did the Young Cult Leader's external arts reach such heights?"
The flustered elders exchanged glances, gulping repeatedly.
Everyone had witnessed it clearly.
The victory was so obvious, objections would be laughable.
But with Yong Jinseok right there, they hesitated to speak freely.
The Four Great Elders stepped forward cautiously.
"Ahem. V-Vice Cult Leader? With this...?"
"Regrettable, but we must accept the result."
"Young Master Changheon showed plenty of spirit too."
"Of course. A close loss, but he's proven himself more than capable to uphold our cult."
The four offered their version of comfort.
But Yong Jinseok remained silent.
"...".
He just stared at the two boys and the broken Azure Pine, his face a mix of fury and dismay.
The elders, gauging the mood, transmitted privately.
[The Vice Cult Leader's disappointment runs deep.]
[Lost is lost! No need to drag it out!]
[He's always like this. Ambition has limits. Tsk tsk tsk.]
[Awkward anyway. We gotta smooth this over.]
They'd sided with the Vice Cult Leader too, so they weren't blameless.
The elders approached the boys.
"Fine duel. Didn't realize the Young Cult Leader's external arts were that advanced."
"A promise is a promise—we won't hold you accountable this time."
"But be careful henceforth. If it happens again... well."
"Don't get down, Young Master Changheon. Happens. Heh heh."
Praise, scolding, and consolation jumbled together.
The overwhelming display had left even the elders' minds in chaos.
Then the Vice Cult Leader spoke.
"No. Absolutely not!"
"Huh? Vice Cult Leader?"
"Whoa! What's this now?"
He shoved past the elders in long strides, closing in on Yong Baekheon.
Pointing at his nephew's face, he bellowed.
"You bastard! What trick did you pull this time? You can't use external arts like that!"
"Pardon?"
"I already know! That you've touched the taboo!"
Yong Baekheon's taboo.
Jang Hosam, who knew it well, clamped his mouth shut.
Glancing around, the elders looked flustered, exchanging uneasy looks.
Yong Jinseok roared on with bloodshot eyes.
"Yong Baekheon clearly used internal energy! Snap Azure Pine barehanded? Impossible for that body of yours!"
"And why's that impossible?"
"Because...!"
A silent thunderbolt struck then.
As if thousands of blades rippled in waves, a horrific shockwave erupted amid the elders.
"...!"
Not just Yong Jinseok—everyone froze like mice.
A violent presence that could shred the already ruined forest anew.
A giant strode forth among the humans.
"Silence, all of you."
It was the Crimson Heavenly Demon, Yong Mugeuk.