A Night Sky of Sword Qi
Night unfolded.
A scorched, blackened world.
As if night had truly fallen, everything before his eyes went dark.
A pitch-black darkness, showing absolutely nothing, loomed before Dang Cheon-il.
It was a terribly dark world.
How could a single downward sword strike bring about the night?
He could not comprehend it.
Dang Cheon-il stood frozen, staring into the night. Everything was pitch-black; he could see nothing.
Staring into that darkness, Dang Cheon-il suddenly realized.
Ah.
This isn't just night.
This is...
...my life flashing before my eyes?
What lay before him was a final flash of memories that resembled the night.
Though Bang Seong-yeon's single strike had brought the night,
it was merely another name for his impending death.
Was he dying?
To a nobody like him?
In such a pathetic manner?
It was an unbelievable reality.
Dang Cheon-il let out a hollow laugh at the thought.
In that moment, though the primal fear of death certainly existed,
a face absurdly popped into his mind.
The face of his younger sister, who looked far too gentle for a member of the Tang Family.
Just as he was beginning to accept the slowly encroaching night...
Flash.
Huh?
Something sparkled in Dang Cheon-il's eyes.
In the night where nothing should have been visible,
something was slowly beginning to glow.
It split into several points of light, shining softly in the darkness like stars in the night sky.
Then, growing larger and radiating a blue hue, it resembled the moon.
It was a bizarre phenomenon.
Seeing it, Dang Cheon-il thought:
It's beautiful.
The light compelled him to think so against his will.
What was this? What on earth could shine so brilliantly?
As Dang Cheon-il stared blankly at the light,
"What is wrong with this crazy bastard?"
A voice reached him.
In that instant,
Whoosh!
The darkness shrouding Dang Cheon-il cleared away.
The blackness vanished, leaving only the stars and the moon floating before his eyes.
No.
As Dang Cheon-il snapped back to his senses, he realized what they actually were.
They were not the stars and the moon.
This was...
...Sword Force...
It was the Sword Force radiating from Bang Seong-yeon's blade.
Because its form was so brilliant, it had looked like the stars and the moon.
The sword was right in front of him.
Bang Seong-yeon held his blade mere inches from Dang Cheon-il's forehead.
It pointed to only one conclusion.
"You're smiling? What a weird guy."
"……."
He had lost.
He,
one of the Seven Great Talents,
had been defeated by Bang Seong-yeon.
Realizing this, Dang Cheon-il quickly wiped the unconscious smile from his face.
* * *
I won.
I actually won.
I won.
I defeated a genius known as one of the Seven Great Talents in a duel.
And it wasn't even with Yoo Chun-gil's help.
With my own hands.
I took down the Poison Dragon, Dang Cheon-il, with my own strength.
A surge of heat rushed up my back at the realization.
A tingling sensation shot up my spine and straight to my head.
Ha.
I laughed inwardly.
How should I describe this?
Granted, it wasn't a normal duel, and while Dang Cheon-il didn't know my moves, I knew his.
But I still beat one of the Seven Great Talents.
That fact didn't diminish the rush of exhilaration.
The seven most outstanding young martial artists in the current Murim.
I had just crushed one of them.
Just a few months ago, I was a worthless third-rate martial artist.
But now, I had grown strong enough to defeat one of the Seven Great Talents.
Even I found it hard to believe.
Swish!
I spun my sword in a circle to retrieve it, flicking it through the air.
The condensed Sword Force dispersed. I quickly checked my dantian.
...That was close.
My reservoir was completely empty. Even though consuming the Great Pill had given me incomparably more internal energy than before,
using it once during training and once during this duel had completely drained me.
If the fight had gone on any longer, I would have lost.
If the sparring match had dragged on even a little bit more, I would have run out of energy and ultimately lost to Dang Cheon-il.
This victory was practically a miracle.
Just then,
[Tsk, tsk, tsk.]
Yoo Chun-gil, who hadn't uttered a single word during the duel, chuckled the moment it ended.
He looked at me with his trademark gruff grin.
[Not bad for a little tantrum. There are plenty of flaws, but it was decent enough to watch.]
I had worked my ass off, and his evaluation was pretty lousy, but
the word "good" stood out.
Usually, he'd just say "not bad," but this time, it was different.
[Heh heh heh. You look pleased with yourself. Well, how does it feel?]
"……."
How did it feel? Well.
"……Not bad."
As I exhaled a tired breath, Yoo Chun-gil laughed heartily.
-Hahaha!
Ugh, so loud.
I frowned and covered my ears.
"Young Master Bang!"
"Hmm?"
Someone came running toward me, calling my name. Surprisingly, it was Dang Ye-ran.
"……What?"
Since when was she here?
I had been so focused on the duel that I hadn't noticed. What's more, Moyong Yeong-sun was leaning against a wall behind Dang Ye-ran, watching us.
...She looks pissed.
Her exceptionally displeased expression caught my eye.
She always looked a bit cold and haughty, but today she seemed even worse. Why was she glaring at me like that?
Ah.
It didn't take long for me to realize why.
I told her we'd talk, but I never went.
After eating and making a request to Dang Ye-ran, I had promised to go talk to Moyong Yeong-sun that very day.
But I hadn't gone.
I had spent the day watching Dang Ye-ran repair my sword until night fell,
and as soon as it was night, I had gone straight to sleep to deal with the Spiritual Dream.
Consequently, I had completely forgotten my promise to Moyong Yeong-sun.
So that's why she's giving me the death glare.
That explained the murderous look in her eyes.
Gulp.
I swallowed hard. Should I just pretend to faint right here? I considered it for a second, but knew it was pointless.
...There's no way she'd buy it.
That sharp-witted woman would never fall for such a cheap trick. In that case, there was only one option left.
Ignore her.
Just ignore her.
For now, ignoring her was the best course of action.
"Young Master, are you alright...?"
"Ah, yes. I'm fine."
Dang Ye-ran approached me, asking with deep concern.
But shouldn't she be worrying about Dang Cheon-il instead of me?
He was her brother, after all, yet Dang Ye-ran didn't spare Dang Cheon-il a single glance.
"Are you really okay...? Are you hurt anywhere—"
"No, I'm not. I'm perfectly fine."
I held up a hand to stop her as she got a bit too close.
When I blocked her, Dang Ye-ran's eyes widened, and she froze.
She seemed to realize she had crossed a line.
And then,
"……What do you think you're doing?"
only then did she turn her gaze toward Dang Cheon-il.
However, the look in her eyes was completely different now.
"Brother. Yesterday, and now today... just what kind of rudeness are you showing to the Tang Family's guest?"
Dang Ye-ran glared at Dang Cheon-il, her eyes sharp.
Her gaze carried a surprising amount of edge.
Furthermore,
"Until when... just how long are you going to act like this?"
her voice was thick with frustration and sorrow.
"I know it's because of me. I know you're taking your anger out on others because you hate me. But what did I do that was so wrong...? What about me displeases you so much that you have to make me feel this pathetic?"
Her eyes brimmed with a complex mix of emotions.
Receiving Dang Ye-ran's gaze, Dang Cheon-il looked back at her.
His slumped body seemed completely drained of strength.
"...Is it because I want to be a blacksmith instead of a martial artist? Does that displease you so—"
"You still love playing the benevolent victim, don't you?"
Dang Cheon-il cut Dang Ye-ran off. Hearing this, Dang Ye-ran frowned.
"What...?"
As Dang Ye-ran glared, Dang Cheon-il stumbled to his feet.
"You asked if I hate you?"
Dang Cheon-il glared back at her.
"I do. I despise how you try to run away from your duty despite being of the Tang bloodline. I hate it so much I want to kill you."
"That's—! I just..."
"And the fact that you blame it on me makes me want to vomit."
"……!"
Dang Ye-ran, who had been trying to argue, fell silent at Dang Cheon-il's words.
She looked as if he had struck a nerve.
Dang Cheon-il's face contorted at her reaction.
"Do you find me that laughable?"
"……Brother, that's not……."
"I made you feel pathetic?"
He scoffed.
Dang Cheon-il let out a hollow, bitter laugh.
"Who did? Me to you? Or... you to me?"
"……."
Dang Ye-ran couldn't answer. Dang Cheon-il turned and walked away.
Bump!
He brushed past Dang Ye-ran's shoulder as she stood frozen.
"Wicked girl."
He spat the curse in a whisper and walked away.
He stumbled as he walked, looking as if he might collapse at any moment.
"……."
Watching him leave, I thought:
...That crazy bastard. He's just leaving?
I was the one who fought him, yet I felt strangely ignored.
* * *
Once things settled down, I returned to my quarters from the training ground.
Throb.
Ugh.
I winced at the dull ache throbbing through my body.
My body was incredibly sore. Was this the backlash from the duel?
I didn't think I pushed myself that hard.
The pain was worse than expected.
I had sparred with Cheon Ui-jin occasionally, but I had never felt like this before.
Was it because I used the Sword Force, or...
...because I fought someone of a higher realm than me?
I didn't know Dang Cheon-il's exact realm, but I knew he was stronger than me.
This victory was purely a stroke of luck.
But still.
I won.
The corners of my mouth kept twitching upward. I forced them down with my hand.
I was still thrilled by the fact that I had defeated one of the Seven Great Talents.
I tried my best to keep a straight face so it wouldn't show.
[……Tsk, tsk, tsk…… Pathetic fellow…….]
Yoo Chun-gil, having already read me like a book, stared at me with a look of utter pity.
I ignored him and focused even harder on maintaining my composure.
I had to.
The expression of the person sitting in front of me was exceptionally grim.
Dang Ye-ran, who had come to see me first thing in the morning, looked deeply troubled, likely due to the incident from earlier.
She seemed lost in thought, her face filled with sorrow and distress.
Should I ask her what was wrong? I considered it for a moment but decided against it.
If the other person didn't bring it up first, I figured it was polite to leave it alone.
Even putting that aside,
I really don't want to get involved.
Whatever her reasons were, I didn't want to get tangled up in them.
"Lady Dang. What is this?"
So, I simply redirected the conversation.
I pointed to a cloth-wrapped object on the table. Hearing my question, Dang Ye-ran snapped out of her daze.
"Ah……!"
She hurriedly unwrapped the cloth.
"Oh?"
I gasped in admiration at the object revealed beneath the cloth.
[……Ho.]
Yoo Chun-gil reacted similarly, letting out a low breath as he stared at the sword.
A pitch-black blade.
A brand-new blade had been forged onto the hilt and guard I had provided.
Just looking at it made the hairs on my arms stand on end.
Goosebumps broke out all over my body. That was the only impression it gave just by looking at it.
"……It's finished…… I finished it, Young Master."
Dang Ye-ran spoke with a proud expression.
What she had brought was the sword I had entrusted to her.
[……The Thousand Demon Sword.]
The Thousand Demon Sword.
The divine sword said to have been wielded by the former Heavenly Demon.
True to its reputation as a divine sword, just staring at the edge made me feel as if I would get cut.
Was it forged properly?
I wasn't an expert, so I couldn't tell if the restoration was a success.
Judging by Dang Ye-ran's reaction, it seemed to have gone well, but...
Still unsure, I glanced over at Yoo Chun-gil.
The old man nodded as he stared at it.
I guess it turned out well.
Yoo Chun-gil was too busy staring at the divine sword in awe to pay attention to anything else.
His expression told me everything. Dang Ye-ran had done a magnificent job.
"……Thank you for your hard work."
"Do you…… like it……?"
Dang Ye-ran asked, her voice laced with anxiety. I nodded.
"Yes. I like it very much. I'm glad I asked you to do it."
"Ah—!"
At my approval, Dang Ye-ran let out a gasp of relief.
She smiled in relief, her expression exceptionally bright.
"Thank goodness…… I'm so glad…… truly……"
"Lady Dang……? Lady Dang!"
Mid-sentence, Dang Ye-ran suddenly collapsed.
Startled, I rushed over to her.
[Do not worry. She has simply fallen asleep from exhaustion.]
"……."
He was right. Dang Ye-ran was sleeping soundly, breathing softly.
[She must have been incredibly focused. She didn't even realize she had completely drained her energy. What a remarkable child.]
I agreed. She was indeed remarkable.
I suppose that was why she was able to pour her very soul into her work at such a young age.
After gently laying Dang Ye-ran down,
I turned my attention back to the sword.
A pitch-black blade. A dark, ink-colored hilt.
Despite its simple appearance, the sheer presence radiating from the weapon made me tense up.
[Try holding it.]
I had been wanting to touch it anyway, and Yoo Chun-gil beat me to the punch.
I didn't refuse.
I carefully grasped the hilt.
Instantly,
Zzzzt—!!!
"……!!"
A shiver shot up my hand.
My entire body tensed up as if hit by a sudden jolt of electricity.
"……What the."
It fit perfectly in my hand.
The grip felt strange, as if the hilt was practically fusing with my palm.
As I stared at the sword in wonder,
[Hahaha!]
Yoo Chun-gil suddenly burst into laughter.
[……It is indeed you.]
"……What do you mean?"
[To think that picky bastard would choose you right away. Even I didn't expect this, but it is for the best. A hundred times better than it rejecting you.]
"Pardon……?"
[Wield it well. It is an unprecedented masterpiece. And now, child, it shall be your personal weapon.]
"……?"
I stood there dazed for a moment, processing Yoo Chun-gil's words. After a brief silence...
My sword?
My personal weapon……?
"Wait, what?!"
I snapped back to reality and shouted.
I couldn't help but yell in disbelief.