One Day Ago
The writing left behind by Jin Hyeong, an agent of Gwangye Merchant Union, was shockingly provocative.
Everyone near Xian converged. It didn’t matter who they were.
From commoners to martial artists, the news spread widely. There was even a chance that an elder of the Blade Specters would descend to the land.
Gui Baek-shin Sword Ghost, Ye So-hyang.
Even within the Thirteen Heavens, she was a famous figure. She was often compared to Baek Seo-goon, the Youngcheon Sword Demon, who was called the Sword Sovereign in Hanam Province.
Though Seo-goon was much younger, their martial prowess and reputation were hotly debated topics.
“She’s not yet a match for that child... perhaps it’s still too early.”
Baek Seo-goon muttered softly.
She was perched on the roof of some pavilion, one knee propped up, looking out into the night.
Lately, she had been speaking to herself more often. Was it because of the life of the Jeong Household she had so fundamentally ignored but now couldn’t push out of her thoughts?
Or perhaps it was because of the words that Jin Hyeong had written, which left her heart uneasy.
— Heroes still pity those who are lacking, planting noble aspirations wherever they go. It’s because they carry the teachings of their sects and parents in their hearts.
Jeong Household Patriarch, Jeong Dae-myung, what kind of teachings did he instill in Seomye? What kind of thoughts led Seomye to devote himself to Ipwang Fortress?
How had he grown into a warrior who prioritized the stability of the people above all else? So upright and selfless, it seemed.
Baek Seo-goon, for all her mastery of the sword, couldn’t find a single answer to her mounting questions of late.
The countless sword paths that filled her mind were all useless. If only she had adopted the simplicity of Seomye’s demeanor and heart when they first met.
‘Jeong Ban-ak, Jeong Ban-ak... That mad loafer. If only he’d acted properly as a father.’
— It must be because he has no parents.
She flinched.
Her short, gray hair brushed her shoulders like a soft whisper.
At that moment.
“Sword Sovereign, the lord is urgently requesting your presence.”
A respectful voice echoed from beneath the roof. She didn’t need to look.
It was the commander of the Simmu-ryeon military force, a person of significant rank in the martial world, someone who normally hesitated to reveal themselves.
But to the Sword Sovereign Baek Seo-goon, such ranks held no meaning.
Slowly, she opened her lips.
“I told the lord I would speak of winter. My leave is long, yet they summon me so soon. Explain the reason.”
“...”
Baek Seo-goon let out a faint chuckle. She swept her hair behind her ear and rubbed her neck, exuding a curious mix of authority and boldness.
“It’s not the lord, is it? The eldest son must be causing a ruckus.”
“My apologies.”
“You’ve interrupted my contemplation. What compensation did you think would suffice?”
“I considered my left arm.”
“The eldest son’s left arm. Quite fitting. I’ll think about it.”
“Sword Sovereign...!”
“Get lost. To dare to lie before me, I will personally ensure he’s punished when I return. Even the phrase promising talent flatters him. He’s not even fit to lick the feet of Ipwang Fortress’s Ma Gwang-ik.”
Her voice was cold, as icy as the moonlight falling on her silver hair.
The commander of Simmu-ryeon couldn’t respond immediately. All they could do was bow stiffly and promise to return the next day.
***
The Day of the Decisive Battle
"This way! Step here!"
"Don’t cut in line. I’ll send you ahead for real, with my blade."
By now, Jeong Yeon-shin and Tae Yeom-ryong had arrived at the base of the opposing peak.
Amidst the horrific landslides caused by Gui Baek-shin Sword Ghost, they shattered boulders and cleared dust, assisting the commoners in their escape. They moved as the righteous warriors they claimed to be.
Likewise, the elite martial artists of Ma Gwang-ik, who were scattered across the area near Daewol Gorge, focused their efforts on creating escape routes for the civilians, using bursts of energy to carve paths through the wreckage.
Rather than maintaining the guise of unorthodox martial artists, they prioritized saving lives.
Rescue and aid. This was the core ethos of Ipwang Fortress.
Some martial artists who witnessed this began to join their efforts.
Amid the chaos, a flower of hope bloomed.
Despite the weight on his mind, Jeong Yeon-shin felt a small sense of relief.
“...”
He looked upward.
At the Elder of the Blade Specters, a towering presence from the upper echelons of the martial world.
Even the wind rustling through the hillside foliage seemed to whisper warnings of her power. The sound of leaves tumbling near his feet carried an ominous chill.
Hiss—
Standing on her sword, the elderly woman of the Blade Specters let out a strange chuckle. It was brief, cut off as if it had never existed.
"I see it all..."
Her words carried a hollow laugh.
"To speak of opposing the demonic ways, such arrogance. Even having reached the supreme realm, you pale in comparison to the humility of our sect leader. Calling you arrogant doesn’t even suffice. You’ve overstepped."
Her wrinkled face seemed indifferent.
Gui Baek-shin Sword Ghost, Ye So-hyang, was a peculiar figure.
She seemed quick to be provoked, yet she scrutinized her opponents carefully. Even when she looked into Jeong Yeon-shin’s resolute gaze, she did not react with undue caution.
Despite being an experienced martial artist who should have understood the power of his techniques, she recognized the clear difference in their swordsmanship.
"You are unrefined."
Ye So-hyang's eyes widened, glowing with an intense, dangerous light. Her gaze was maddened, her aura terrifyingly fierce.
To an observer, it was hard to imagine her losing. She exuded the presence of someone who had lived as the caretaker of the Thirteen Heavens’ sect leader.
"Your judgment is lacking. It’s clear that the Blade Specters have failed to nurture their leader properly."
Jeong Yeon-shin’s reply was calm, his words imbued with the logical clarity taught by Hyeon Won-chang.
It seemed fitting that he bore the title of Jin Hyeong. He was far more of an older brother to him than Jeong Jung-san had ever been.
“...”
When the old woman fell silent, Jeong Yeon-shin estimated the distance between them.
The gap between his Northern Bright Sword at his waist and Ye So-hyang standing on her sword was vast. The sensation he felt as a swordsman told him the disparity was significant, enough to call it a chasm.
She was formidable. Having created his own techniques only made it clearer to him.
Yet Ma Gwang-ik had no intention of faltering.
Ipwang Fortress’s warriors, clad in black, embodied fearlessness.
Their foremost principle was to confront any challenge with the dignity befitting their rank. These were people who stormed the martial world with the tenacity of a military force.
Even if they were at a disadvantage, they didn’t focus on the gap in skill. They sought to maximize their strengths. The techniques they created, like the Vision Method, existed for that purpose.
Jeong Yeon-shin slowly opened his lips, speaking words that needed to be said before the fight began.
"Do you remember the Jeong Household? It was in Xin Ya County, Hanam Province."
He asked with calm composure.
"Do you mean the family that produced the Divine Archer and the world’s swiftest warrior? Ah, Hanam Province..."
Ye So-hyang’s eyes narrowed briefly.
Soon after, the wrinkles at her temples deepened, forming a silent smirk.
"Ah, I see now. You were that child. To think you’ve grown so powerful for your age. The sect leader’s insight is truly remarkable."
"Were you responsible for the appearance of those fiends?"
"I was merely passing through. From the heights, I saw fertile land beneath me. Fertile soil has always been prey for the heavens. It was only natural for your family to be devastated."
"That’s your reasoning? There were many commoners in my mother’s household."
The Jeong Household had been a noble family, the great landlords of Xin Ya County.
Besides their family members, they housed countless servants and guests who frequented their estate.
There had even been a servant who regularly called him Young Master and urged him to eat.
That servant was now dead. Murdered.
Jeong Yeon-shin’s hand tightened around the hilt of the sword at his waist, veins faintly rising on the back of his hand.
The old woman, standing on her blade, chuckled lightly.
"How pitiable. You should be grateful for contributing to the sect leader’s grand aspirations, yet here you are, ungrateful."
The old woman of the Blade Specters had indeed stained the Jeong Household with blood.
Jeong Yeon-shin decided she deserved no respect. A deep hue flickered through his blue eyes.
‘Distance: one jang. Energy flow veering southeast. The first strike will drop straight down.
Sword flight, retrieve blade immediately, altitude unchanged. A long-range slash.’
The Vision Method revealed the future. The flood of information pouring into his mind was immense. It absorbed his innate senses and fed them directly into his brain.
Just as the supreme masters of the Three Flowers Convergence employed their internal energy at will, he inverted the process, pushing his body’s reflexes to their peak.
Pulling all his potential inward, Jeong Yeon-shin felt clarity emerge from instinct.
"Gui Baek-shin Sword Ghost."
Ma Gwang-ik moved his lips.
"Come down."
He stood atop a single sword embedded in the surrounding trees.
The transparent winter wind teased the black fabric of his attire, and sunlight gleamed against his proudly raised chin.
It was an outstanding sight. In terms of appearance, he matched the mysterious elegance of Gui Baek-shin Sword Ghost.
"There! Over there!"
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"Don’t push! Calm down!"
"Wait, Gui Baek-shin Sword Ghost is right there!"
"Ma Gwang-ik has crossed paths with Gui Baek-shin Sword Ghost!"
The people descending from the landslide-ridden hills paused. Their curiosity was strong enough to compel them to witness the duel of these legendary figures.
Some even turned back. Among them, a few martial artists used their wall-climbing techniques to scale the cliffs like spiders.
A standoff between the old master and the rising prodigy.
As the two faced each other, the suffocating tension radiated outward.
The spectators—whether looking up or watching from afar—held their breath, their eyes fixed on the pair.
Few had witnessed the Blade Specters’ elder in action. It was enough to know she wielded swordsmanship capable of contending with the world.
Ma Gwang-ik, who had emerged victorious over the Seven Masters of Xian, also drew endless attention.
The clash finally began.
The tension crafted by these masters of the martial world felt as though it scraped against one’s skin.
It spread gradually, amplifying.
The sound of crumbling stone and the scurrying footsteps of fleeing civilians faded into the background.
Boom!
An invisible sword wind ripped through the air. Ye So-hyang had already swung her sword from the sky, releasing a surge of energy from its tip.
The onlookers couldn’t even catch sight of her blade rising from beneath her. Her movements were disjointed, appearing fragmented, like glimpses into the realm of supreme masters.
‘Chungdan Thunderclap Sword, Shattering Wall.’
Jeong Yeon-shin saw everything. A secret technique that cleaved mountain peaks.
Gui Baek-shin Sword Ghost Ye So-hyang, despite her declining health, retained fragments of swordsmanship capable of matching the greatest masters.
Facing her head-on was impossible. Jeong Yeon-shin’s eyes briefly scanned the trajectory of the sword wind.
The path matched his prediction. He could now dissect even the signs preceding the ultimate techniques of master swordsmen.
A brilliant blue light radiated from Ma Gwang-ik’s eyes.
Step.
He moved sideways, standing on another sword embedded in the ground. In a brief moment, he dismantled the web of energy surrounding him.
The pull of the surrounding swords caused his body to lurch to the left.
Crash!
A slash grazed past him, close enough to sweep his hair. It was a narrow escape.
As soon as the strike hit the ground, a quake-like tremor erupted, as though the earth were roaring.
"A decrepit body nearing the abyss, yet such swordsmanship. Fascinating. Show me more."
Jeong Yeon-shin’s voice cut through the wind. It wasn’t the mountain peak that her sword strike sought to sever—it was him.
The angle of the strike confirmed it. It wasn’t enough to cleave the largest hill in Daewol Gorge. He had deliberately chosen this location.
"You wretch!"
Boom!
Finally, Ye So-hyang descended, landing directly before Jeong Yeon-shin. Cracks radiated outward from her landing point.
The very act of her landing was like an assault. Suddenly, her sword shot forward.
Swish!
A flash of white light. The speed of her sword was blindingly fast. Though it was an instantaneous attack, the immaterial energy radiating from her blade warped the air, as if prepared in advance.
At that moment, Jeong Yeon-shin was already closing the distance, moving into her guard. This was his opening move.
He knew it was difficult to match the elder of the Blade Specters in pure swordsmanship. So he acted first, stepping in and grabbing the wrist of her sword arm.
His palm wrapped around her wrinkled wrist, seizing it firmly.
"You..."
Their eyes met at close range. A faint smile curved across Jeong Yeon-shin’s lips.
Though he didn’t say it aloud, his meaning was clear to Ye So-hyang.
This is how it’s done.