Chapter 171
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 171
Chapter Title: Starting from the Left Eye
Disgraced me—what the hell does that mean?
Jong Pae-jin stared at Ha Mu-baek with eyes full of utter confusion.
The man was still heaving ragged breaths.
His arms and legs trembled nonstop.
'Hold on.'
Suddenly recalling the transmitted message from moments ago.
The voice had been impossibly serene.
Even as he looked so exhausted now.
'Come to think of it...'
His lips hadn't moved at all.
'No way...!'
A lightning bolt of realization crashed through his mind, and Jong Pae-jin's eyes quivered faintly.
Heart Speech.
Sometimes called Radiant Heart Transmission, it was the pinnacle of Sound Transmission into Secret.
Heart Speech allowed sound transmission without moving the lips.
But there was no way the man before him had reached such a realm.
The reason was simple.
Jong Pae-jin himself could barely manage basic Voice Transmission Art.
No way this guy—who'd traded even blows with him before clinching victory with a surprise strike—could wield Heart Speech.
Meanwhile, Ju Jae-seung and Ha Mu-baek leveled their swords at each other.
Tadat.
Ju Jae-seung kicked off the ground first. From his hand unfolded the Celestial Star Descent Sword Technique.
It was sorely lacking.
Nothing compared to Jong Pae-jin's display moments ago.
If forced to compare, it was closer to Ju Si-un's.
"Tsk."
Jong Pae-jin clicked his tongue without thinking.
At the Great Zhongnan Sect Leader's swordsmanship being so mediocre.
And at this man launching a sneaky first strike against a weary foe—while being Zhongnan's sect leader, no less.
Instinct had made him tsk.
Chaeng!
Chae-chaeng!
Swords clashed with resounding cracks. But not the crisp ring from before.
Dull, thudding echoes.
Yet Ju Jae-seung relentlessly hounded Ha Mu-baek with a smug grin.
Ha Mu-baek retreated step by step, his breaths coming in harsh gasps.
His sword shook. His arms shook.
"Kuhaha! That all you had, strutting around like that? Can't even grip your sword—why not just drop it and make it easy?"
Ju Jae-seung bellowed with mad laughter, swinging his blade over and over.
Chae-ang-!
Still that dull ring.
Whiririririk.
Thud.
Ha Mu-baek's sword spun wildly through the air before stabbing into the ground.
Ju Jae-seung smirked triumphantly and thrust his sword toward Ha Mu-baek.
A perfect position to skewer the throat.
He lifted the sword tip ever so slightly.
Now it pointed squarely at Ha Mu-baek's left eye.
"Don't you dare say you've lost. I'm not accepting your defeat this easily."
His voice dripped with killing intent.
A vicious smile curled his lips.
His eyes glittered with insanity.
Jong Pae-jin scowled at the sight.
How could the leader of a famed righteous sect spew such venom while radiating that much bloodlust?
Even as a child, he'd known Ju Jae-seung had a cruel, hot-tempered streak—but never to this degree.
"Gulp."
Someone swallowed hard at the sect leader's words.
His killing intent leaked out in waves, saturating the air.
Singgeut.
Ha Mu-baek couldn't suppress a grin.
He felt fantastic. Exactly the reaction he'd anticipated.
Time to harvest the payoff.
A deep, authentic smile bloomed on his face.
Ju Jae-seung's brow furrowed faintly.
"You've lost your mind. Grinning like that now? We'll start with your left eye."
Luminous energy gathered at the sword tip.
It flowed out in thin strands, sheathing the blade and dripping downward.
Sword Thread.
Beyond sword qi, just shy of sword force.
That realm now emanated from Ju Jae-seung's sword.
Jong Pae-jin still looked displeased.
For a sect leader to not have attained sword force yet.
Perhaps even lagging behind his own prime disciple, Nam Hwa-ryong.
"Left eye first. Fine. As you said, I'll drop the sword easy."
Ha Mu-baek's voice shifted in a heartbeat.
No—his breathing was rock-steady now.
He'd been wheezing like death was knocking moments ago.
What the hell was happening?
"You... I'll make sure you can't even admit defeat."
Buwoong.
Caught off-guard by Ha Mu-baek's abrupt change, they hadn't processed it before his fist rocketed forward.
Puuuuk!
A meaty explosion hurled Ju Jae-seung backward.
Ha Mu-baek launched off the ground, instantly closing the gap.
He cocked his fist again.
A subtle white glow enveloped it.
"Gu, guh, fist force!!!"
Someone recognized it and yelled.
The fist force-clad punch slammed into Ju Jae-seung's mouth.
Pajak.
His jawbone shattered with a crack.
"Kuaaaaaaaaah..."
Only then did the scream burst free.
Ju Jae-seung tumbled wretchedly across the dirt before staggering upright.
His left eye drowned in blood.
The eyeball had burst from the strike, surrounding bones visibly caved.
His right eye brimmed with disbelief and dread.
What in blazes was this?
No—end the spar fast.
Two punches from that fist confirmed it: no match.
Thinking that far through the spinning haze was feat enough.
'I lost! Lost! I surrender!'
He screamed inwardly, desperate.
Or thought he did.
However.
"Ueu. Ueu. Eueueueu."
Only garbled mutters escaped.
Jaw wouldn't budge.
Bone pulverized, joint wrecked.
No speech.
Ju Jae-seung blanched bone-white.
Ha Mu-baek charged anew.
Fists blurred in frenzy.
Puk!
Pu-pu-puk! Puk! Puk! Puk-puk!
Like pounding a leather sack, he hammered Ju Jae-seung.
Ha Mu-baek's punch storm lofted Ju Jae-seung airborne.
"Uung! Uuung! Uung! Uuuuuung!"
Screams choked inside.
Mad howls trapped in his mouth.
Jaw frozen.
Some disciples clamped eyes shut, heads turned.
Others glared daggers at Ha Mu-baek, rage boiling.
But the spar dragged on.
Ju Jae-seung hadn't blacked out or conceded.
So fists kept flying.
Savage, brutal barrage rained down.
This time, punches slowed.
Ju Jae-seung touched ground.
Should've crumpled.
Legs still held firm.
What madness was this?
Pain excruciating!
Blackout-level agony!
Yet legs rooted solid.
Insanity beckoned.
Ghostly farce.
This man: monster. Demon.
Beating someone so obsessively?
"Uuk! Uuk!"
Slower fists birthed fresh horror.
Ju Jae-seung saw each incoming punch crystal-clear.
Puk.
Then body-rending torment.
Fists flooding vision.
Pain chasing.
Endless loop.
Puk.
Pu-puk!
Puk! Puk! Puk-puk-puk!
The grand drill ground fell deathly silent.
No words from anyone.
Only Ha Mu-baek's beating rhythm echoed.
Disciples' eyes swung to Jong Pae-jin.
Only he could halt this atrocity.
'Ha, hahaha. So that's it—that's what it was.'
Jong Pae-jin finally grasped Ha Mu-baek's pre-second-spar words.
Disgraced me.
'A master leagues above me. Faked strain, exhaustion. Toyed with me.'
Quiet fury and scorn filled Jong Pae-jin's eyes.
The martial artist demonstrated the why firsthand.
To lure the sect leader into this pitiful state.
'Something hidden in this spar.'
He'd guessed schemer Ju Jae-seung hid cards.
Zhongnan insult? Separate beef.
But a master this strong bothering with theatrics to trash Ju Jae-seung.
Hidden plot bigger than imagined.
End spar first.
Jong Pae-jin soared toward Ha Mu-baek.
"You seem victorious—shall we call it?"
Internal energy amplified his voice.
Ha Mu-baek flicked a glance, fists unrelenting.
[Truly sorry for the disgrace? End it now.]
Sound transmission pierced Ha Mu-baek's ear.
Voice Art meant lips twitched minutely.
Nearly no one noticed.
Ha Mu-baek's fists halted.
Head turned to Jong Pae-jin. Steady gaze met steady.
"Huu. Got it."
Deep sigh trailed the words.
Instantly, Ju Jae-seung blacked out, crumpling.
No patch of him unmarred.
"S-Sect Leader!!"
Disciples swarmed Ju Jae-seung.
Cradling him gently onto the stretcher.
Emergency prep—who'd dream for the leader?
"V-Vicious dog."
"Demonic bastard..."
Resentful voices assailed Ha Mu-baek from everywhere.
Ha Mu-baek shook his head slowly.
Ju Jae-seung's trash act fresh, yet hatred turned on him.
Prestigious righteous sects: such a hassle.
"Quit flapping gums—charge if you dare."
Ha Mu-baek beckoned Zhongnan disciples glaring murder.
Some lost it, swords half-drawn to rush.
"Halt!!!"
Jong Pae-jin's roar froze them solid.
"This spar... reeking of deceit. Something I don't know."
Jong Pae-jin's eyes pinned Ha Mu-baek.
"No way that clown announced fair. But others know the truth?"
Ha Mu-baek's gaze swept the crowd.
Ju Si-un, Nam Hwa-ryong, Ban Jeok-pung. Six Zhongnan Eight Swords.
Ju Si-un quaked under the stare.
Spar terms flooded his mind razor-sharp.
Body shuddered violently.
One arm. One eye.
Ju Si-un's eyes locked on father's ruin.
Burst left eye.
Mangled full-body pulp.
Jeobuk.
Footsteps.
Jeobuk.
Again.
None dared look.
Jeobuk.
Closing in.
Ju Si-un's gaze dragged there.
Ha Mu-baek, strolling leisurely toward him.
Eyes locked midair.
Terror-stricken stare.
Cold indifference.
Ha Mu-baek's lips curved slow, flashing white teeth.
Bright smile.
Killing intent laced within.
"Still got business to settle, right?"
Voice oozed bloodlust.
"Uh, uh, uuk..."
Ju Si-un tried speaking. Failed.
Instead.
Pants soaked dark.
Zhongnan's top disciple Ju Si-un: pants drenched, puddle forming at feet. All brothers witnessed.
"Then... time to settle up?"