Chapter 23. 

‘…A master.’

Mak Cheon-ak gripped his guillotine blade tightly as he scanned the battlefield.

The brat was effortlessly reaping heads, darting around the battlefield with uncanny footwork.

Like the blade of a butcher who had achieved enlightenment—every movement was clean, without waste.

Judging by the aura he emanated, he was certainly a top-tier expert.

‘How many elixirs has he taken?! Could he be a direct descendant of the Namgung clan?!’

Mak Cheon-ak furrowed his brows—then smirked.

‘Heh. Even better! A perfect opportunity to earn merit!’

If he could take down a direct descendant of the Namgung clan—constantly clashing with Nokcheon—it would be no small achievement.

Surely, his master would glance his way a bit more.

‘Yes, relax more… more…’

Even as his subordinates were slaughtered, Mak Cheon-ak held back, waiting for the perfect moment.

They were all part of Noklimdo, but he was from the main branch Cheongnok-chae, and those dying were from the sub-branch Wahoche.

They weren’t his direct subordinates—he didn’t mind using them as bait.

Slash!

Splurt!

He flinched a bit when Gam Ram-pyeong’s head was lopped off with both fists wreathed in energy, but Mak Cheon-ak had confidence.

‘A golden opportunity will come… a one-hit kill!’

Woom!

He felt his forehead grow warm as he carefully unsheathed his guillotine blade.

Moments later—

“Tsk, stiff. Guess this body still has its limits. When will I grow up?”

Hoyeon muttered as he rolled his shoulders, seemingly uncomfortable.

Now!

Pa-papapak!

Mak Cheon-ak charged forward, spinning up his Red Killing Qi to its limit.

Rumble!

The blade was now wreathed in a fiery red aura—not ordinary sword energy, but a destructive flame-like force.

So legendary was this power that the idiom “to breathe killing flames” was derived from it—an iconic symbol of a peak master.

“Wha—!”

“H-He’s—!”

“Lord Hoyeon!”

The sudden ambush made the Iron Sword Guards cry out in panic.

Hoyeon’s eyes locked onto the red cannonball charging at him—Mak Cheon-ak.

Ting—!

He flicked the blade with a finger, and the Yuae Sword sang out clearly.

Schwaaa!

As Mak Cheon-ak slashed down with a blow that could split the earth, he activated his power.

‘Magnetic Flow Guidance!’

Woom!

At the same time, Hoyeon’s sword tilted off-balance, as if his guard was broken.

“Huh?”

“Kehaha! You’re dead!”

With a twitch of his brow, Hoyeon watched as Mak Cheon-ak’s flame-wrapped blade crashed down—

BOOOM—!

With a deafening blast and a cloud of dust—

A woman’s sharp scream rang out.

It was enough to suggest something tragic had happened—but Mak Cheon-ak’s expression didn’t brighten.

“…What the hell?”

The ambush had been flawless, yet the path of his blade had somehow been altered by an unknown force.

“Did I misfire the magnetic guidance? That can’t be right.”

As he muttered in confusion—

A blue light burst forth before him.

Fwoosh!

With a swing of the Yuae Sword, now surrounded by azure Sky Energy, the dust was swept away like a whirlwind.

“Hmph. So just a single year of peace weakened me this much?”

Hoyeon wore a smile—but it was chilling.

‘His aura… has changed?’

Mak Cheon-ak involuntarily took a step back under the weight of that ominous killing intent.

“My sword rusted. I hadn’t spilled blood in too long…”

RUMBLE…

The murderous aura swelled around Hoyeon, growing until it began to swallow the entire battlefield.

“W-What is this?”

“Such deadly intent…”

“My lord?”

Even the Iron Sword Guards faltered in the face of this deadly aura.

The sweet and kind young master now exuded terrifying malice?

Hoyeon glanced sideways at them and muttered with a faint grin—

“Heh. Were they the ones who made me soft? That’s funny.”

For the past year—

He had been, truthfully, happy.

No more being hunted. No more starving. Surrounded by people who accepted him.

‘So I tried to become who they wanted me to be.’

Polite.

Well-behaved.

So he held himself back.

‘But let me never forget—I can’t become like Namgung Hoyeon. I’m a filthy killer. The Sword Demon Danwi-myeong.’

With a bittersweet smile—

Hoyeon spoke.

“Thank you… Mackerel. That was quite a fierce blow.”

“…What?”

“Thanks to you, I’ve remembered. No matter how long a black wolf lives among white sheep, it’ll never become white.”

“What nonsense are you spouting?!”

CHAK!

Mak Cheon-ak scowled, lifting his guillotine blade.

Hoyeon mirrored him, lifting his sword with a murmur.

“A small wave blocks a great tide. I’m grateful.”

Sofa-bang-dae-rang (小波防大浪)

A tiny wave prevents a giant one.

Had he faced a true enemy in this fragile mental state, it could’ve been dangerous.

Better to realize it now.

“As thanks, I’ll send you off quickly.”

“Quit your babbling and die!”

Snap! Whoosh!

Mak Cheon-ak lunged forward, his blade flaring with red aura in a diagonal slash.

CLANG!

Hoyeon blocked it with his Sky-Energy-wrapped sword, but was pushed back.

CRASH! CRACKLE!

Mak Cheon-ak pressed his advantage with his Red Kill Sword Technique, targeting vital points.

Compared to the violent red energy, Hoyeon’s blue aura seemed fragile.

And—

‘Magnetic Flow Guidance!’

Woom!

Whenever it mattered, Mak Cheon-ak would activate his skill, knocking Hoyeon’s sword off course.

CLANG! CLINK-CLANG!

“Incredible! Everyone, draw your swords!”

Just as the Iron Sword Captain Geuk Jirang rushed forward—

ZIIIIING—!

A resonant sword cry echoed across the field.

“Ah!”

“The Iron Sword’s cry!”

“My god…”

The Iron Sword Guards halted, staring at Hoyeon’s blade.

Ziiing!

The Yuae Sword trembled violently, amplifying with every clash against the guillotine blade.

BOOM! CRASH! BOOM-BOOM!

Before long, Hoyeon was no longer being overwhelmed.

“Impossible! You’re blocking my killing flames with just sword energy?! I’m a peak master!”

Mak Cheon-ak shouted in disbelief.

That weak blue aura—was now burning brighter and stronger by the second.

“Peak master, top-tier—labeling strength with those words is foolish.”

Hoyeon smiled, sensing the trembling of Reverse Steel within his blade.

“A true master isn’t judged by internal energy or sword skills—but by how many heads they’ve taken.”

“Y-You…!”

“Which means whether I’m a master depends entirely on you.”

CLANG! CLANG-CLANG!

Hoyeon now pushed back fiercely.

“You. Are you even worth the name?”

“Urrgh! Aaaagh!”

Slash! Slash! SLASH!

Mak Cheon-ak’s clothes were now torn and bloodied.

Then, suddenly, Hoyeon stopped and raised his sword to the sky.

ZIIING!

WOOOOOOM!

The amplified tremor of Reverse Steel and the cry of the blade synchronized—

Hoyeon became one with the sword.

“Divine-Sword Unity!”

“He attained Iron-Soul Unity?!”

“My god!”

The Iron Sword Guards widened their eyes.

Iron-Soul Unity—the final form of the Iron Sword Ten Forms—required Divine-Sword Unity to execute.

And achieving Divine-Sword Unity required ultimate enlightenment.

That’s why Iron-Soul Unity was believed to be reserved for the transcendents.

“Huff! Huff!”

Mak Cheon-ak gasped, now staring at a lone blade before him.

Slowly descending—like a mountain pressing down.

‘Gotta run!’

Realizing he had no chance, Mak Cheon-ak poured every last drop of internal energy into one final skill.

‘Magnetic Flow Guidance!’

Woom!

The pressure lifted.

The giant blade was pushed aside, and Mak Cheon-ak bolted.

Dash!

“Where do you think you’re going?”

“…Huh?”

Hoyeon was already waiting.

His palm spread wide—no sword, just a mist-like blue aura gathering in his hand.

‘He threw away his sword—?!’

BOOM!

Hoyeon drove his Layered Cloud Palm (層雲掌) into Mak Cheon-ak’s chest.

Cough!

Mak Cheon-ak collapsed like a dead tree, coughing blood mixed with organs.

THUD!

“H-How…?”

His heart shattered, Mak Cheon-ak whispered in disbelief.

Clink.

Hoyeon picked up the fallen guillotine blade and examined it.

The black blade had tiny magnetic iron particles clinging to it like ants to honey.

“As expected, it’s made of magnetite.”

“Urgh…”

“A weapon for those who manipulate magnetism.”

Mak Cheon-ak realized all his tricks had been seen through.

Hoyeon was right. His Magnetic Flow Guidance redirected metal weapons using magnetic forces.

That’s how he always had the upper hand—until Hoyeon discarded his blade entirely.

‘So… the sword was a feint… he lured me in?’

To use a Divine-Sword attack as bait… At his age, he had both martial skill and cunning?

‘It’s… unfair…’

As the light faded from Mak Cheon-ak’s eyes—

Clatter.

“By the way, that’s weird. Why’s your upper dantian so torn up?”

Hoyeon frowned, focusing energy on Mak Cheon-ak’s upper dantian.

Normally, it should look like a round jade orb.

But his was shredded—like torn cloth.

“Didn’t your head hurt…? Oh, right. You’re dead.”

With a shrug, Hoyeon turned.

From among the bandits, a hulking man draped in tiger skin walked forward with a stony face.

THUMP. THUMP. THUMP.

The earth trembled as the giant moved—carrying an enormous axe.

CLANK!

The Iron Sword Guards quickly formed a protective formation around Hoyeon.

“My lord. We’ll take it from here.”

“No. Fall back.”

“Sir?”

“I need to get my battle instincts back. I can’t embarrass myself at the Hundred-Family Sword Meet.”

“But…!”

Ignoring Geuk Jirang’s protests, Hoyeon clenched and opened his fist, checking his remaining energy.

‘Used over half. It’ll be tight…’

He studied the giant’s aura and smiled.

Facing a strong foe—just what he wanted.

‘Let me feel the fear of death. Let it awaken the soul of the Sword Demon…!’

Just then, the giant halted, glanced at the corpse of Mak Cheon-ak—

Then grinned.

“Wahahah!”

“Hm?”

“I am Du Taebo, Lord of Wahoche!”

The giant bowed and introduced himself, prompting Geuk Jirang to whisper—

“…He’s Thunder Axe Du Taedo. A renowned peak expert in these parts.”

“I see. I am Namgung Hoyeon.”

Hoyeon nodded.

Du Taebo’s eyes gleamed.

“Hoh? Never heard that name. Are you a direct descendant of Namgung?”

“…I am.”

“Ha! Of course—Namgung clan! I heard they were paper tigers, but turns out they’ve hidden razor fangs!”

“…?”

Being praised by a bandit was unexpected—Hoyeon looked at Geuk Jirang.

He just shook his head, equally baffled.

“Puhuhu! Didn’t realize you were honored guests. Let me apologize!”

Du Taebo pounded his chest with a friendly smile.

THUMP THUMP!

“Seems our interference delayed your journey. Why not rest here a night? Du Taebo will treat you well!”

“…”

“…”

“…”

At the sudden shift and unexpected invitation, even the Iron Sword Guards and Cheonso Squad were left speechless.

“Captain Geuk. Do bandits run inns in mountain fortresses now?”

“…No, sir.”

“Thought so. I’m not the weird one here, right?”

“No, sir. He’s the strange one.”

Hoyeon glanced at Du Taebo, still laughing like a fool.

Apparently, the bandits hadn’t entered the hospitality industry after 300 years.

“Hahahaha! Feels like pulling a bad tooth out!”

Staring at the joyful giant, Hoyeon finally nodded.

“Well, why not.”

Cut down some mountain bandits—and got invited to their fortress.

Life’s full of surprises.