The Invincible Sword Spirit
Chapter – 35
Hyun Taeryeong.
The Open Path Sect brought five corpses to Shin Chang-ui’s estate, and Yoo Dong of the Chwi Sword Sect confirmed the five bodies.
“These are indeed the Ghost Shadow Five Killers of the Black Curtain.”
A murmur rippled through the gathered crowd.
Since Cold Yeo-seol’s words had proven true, an investigation into the Black Curtain had become unavoidable.
“We must investigate the Black Curtain immediately. If that place is truly a den of demonic practitioners, a great storm of blood will sweep through the martial world in the future.”
Hyun Taeryeong, the Sword Sect Lord of the Cheonmyeong Mountain Fortress, directed the resentment over his son’s death towards the Black Curtain. He sought to appease his son’s spirit by eliminating them.
“That’s right. If we leave them be, there will only be more victims in the future.”
Gon Man-ok, the head of the Myeonghua Merchant Group, was no different in his feelings from Hyun Taeryeong. While it would be difficult to attack the Black Curtain with his own strength, with both Shin Chang-ui’s estate and the Cheonmyeong Mountain Fortress joining forces, there was no reason they couldn’t be crushed.
As the two fostered public opinion for attacking the Black Curtain, Cold Yeo-seol narrowed her eyes slightly. She understood that the death of one’s child could breed rage, but she believed the leader of an organization should be more level-headed than this.
— *Why don’t you consider that they might have learned demonic arts?*
— *It’s a manuscript.*
— *It’s spread far and wide, regardless of orthodox, unorthodox, or neutral factions.*
The words she had dismissed as bragging at the time suddenly came back to her. Her expression hardened involuntarily.
“Moon Shadow Sage! Is something wrong?”
Noticing her stiff expression, Ui Je-min asked.
“No, it’s nothing. I just have something to think about for a moment.”
— *Their aim is, on a small scale, chaos in the martial world, and on a large scale, division.*
Remembering what the Sword Spirit had said upon his arrival, Cold Yeo-seol’s body trembled faintly.
‘*Is it as the Sword Spirit, Gongja, said? Are the demonic practitioners aiming for this?*’
Just then.
“What frustrating people.”
The Sword Spirit’s voice was heard from behind. All eyes turned towards him.
“Sword Spirit Gongja!”
“What brings you here?”
Ui Je-min, who knew the Sword Spirit, reacted somewhat coldly.
“I came with Grandmother Cold Yeo-seol.”
Ui Je-min looked at Cold Yeo-seol, and she nodded. Then she asked the Sword Spirit,
“Sword Spirit Gongja, what do you mean by that?”
“Didn’t I say before I arrived? What they want is, on a small scale, chaos in the martial world, and on a large scale, to prevent the martial world from uniting by causing division!”
Cold Yeo-seol nodded. It was exactly what she had been worried about moments before.
“Where is the proof that the entire Black Curtain has learned demonic arts? Just because these individuals practiced demonic arts, do you assume the whole Black Curtain has done so?”
“These men are clearly from the Black Curtain, and they used demonic…”
Cold Yeo-seol began.
Of course, she too had told others it might be nonsense, but she asked this question because it was better to be more certain about this matter.
“Then, if someone who learned demonic arts said the Martial Alliance taught them, would the Martial Alliance become the leader of the demonic practitioners?”
“How dare you! Who do you think you are, speaking such nonsense here?”
Ui Je-min roared at the Sword Spirit.
“Exactly. Nobody here would believe that, right? So why do you believe what these men say? Because the Black Curtain is an unorthodox sect? Or is it because you desire the interests the Black Curtain holds?”
“Seeing you defend the Black Curtain like this, you must be connected to them.”
Gon Man-ok of the Myeonghua Merchant Group revealed his hostility.
“Uncle! I suppose you don’t think *your son* learned demonic arts, do you?”
“Are you mocking the dead?! What could my son have lacked that he would need to learn demonic arts?”
If Cold Yeo-seol hadn’t been beside him, he looked ready to kill the Sword Spirit on the spot.
“Then, did these men have a reason to learn demonic arts?”
Gon Man-ok was momentarily speechless.
“Sword Spirit Gongja, that’s enough.”
Fearing the Sword Spirit might get hurt, Cold Yeo-seol stepped in to stop him.
“The Supreme Elder of the Moon Shadow Gate is present here and has been tolerating this so far, but if you mock the dead any further, I will not hold back any longer.”
Despite Gon Man-ok’s threat, the Sword Spirit ignored him and said,
“Not your own child, but someone else’s child is fair game? What a strange logic you have.”
“What did you say?!”
“Sword Spirit Gongja!”
Seeing things were about to get out of hand, Cold Yeo-seol intervened again to stop the Sword Spirit, but it was no use.
— *If one abandons righteousness and chivalry, they are also abandoning the pride and honor of a martial artist.*
They were the words Jeonmo Yak-byeong had said to him.
The Sword Spirit believed he had to at least reduce the innocent sacrifices, which is why he was stepping forward like this.
“Shouldn’t we speak the truth? Gon Hong-gi, the second son of the Myeonghua Merchant Group, learned the demonic art ‘Fire Demon Jade Form Art’, and everything that happened in Jugang was his doing. Yet, this man, no, everyone here, refuses to acknowledge it, don’t they?”
“You bastard!”
Gon Man-ok exploded.
Even with Cold Yeo-seol nearby, he unleashed a killing technique towards the Sword Spirit. Though a merchant, the martial arts he had learned were not shallow.
*Swoosh!*
“What is the meaning of this?”
Cold Yeo-seol blocked Gon Man-ok’s attack.
“That brat is slandering my dead son, and you expect me to just take it?!”
“Even so, you use a killing technique on a young man? Sword Spirit Gongja, apologize for your mistake at once.”
“Why should I? I didn’t lie. Gon Hong-gi truly learned the demonic art ‘Fire Demon Jade Form Art’. And Hyun Jin-myeong, the second son of the Cheonmyeong Mountain Fortress, learned the demonic art ‘Asura Raging Heaven Art’. And!”
The Sword Spirit looked at Gon Man-ok and said,
“Let me make myself clear here and now: I am not magnanimous enough to spare anyone who seeks my life.”
At those words, Gon Man-ok’s face grew even redder.
“Are you saying even *my son* learned demonic arts? Why are you provoking us like this?”
Unlike Gon Man-ok, Hyun Taeryeong asked somewhat calmly.
“I’m not provoking you. I’m stating facts.”
“Facts, you say…”
“Lord! There’s no need to converse with a mere child!”
Gon Man-ok shouted.
“How do you know that my son and Gon Hong-gi learned demonic arts?”
His voice was calm, but it carried a thick, murderous intent. It was a killing aura that suggested he would take the Sword Spirit’s life immediately if he didn’t answer properly.
Faced with such murderous intent, the Sword Spirit didn’t flinch but instead smiled faintly.
“That old ghost Yoo was right!”
He was referring to the Yoo Ling Demon Lord, who always said that so-called orthodox martial artists pretended to be just and righteous on the surface but committed all sorts of dirty deeds behind the scenes. Although he often bickered with Jeonmo, the Demon Lord would always say frankly:
— *Still, at least we do our bad deeds in front of everyone.*
“You asked how I know? Well, of course, it’s because I’m the one who killed them both.”
*Swoosh!*
The sound of a sword leaving its scabbard was heard. Hyun Taeryeong was swinging his sword towards the Sword Spirit.
Everyone’s eyes widened in shock.
It seemed no one had expected Hyun Taeryeong to launch a killing move like this.
The blade rushing towards the Sword Spirit even carried a bluish aura.
*Claaaaang!*
No one saw when he had drawn it. The Sword Spirit, having drawn his own sword, blocked Hyun Taeryeong’s sword, which was imbued with sword energy.
“Sword Spirit Gongja!”
Cold Yeo-seol called out in surprise.
She had heard he knew martial arts, but she hadn’t placed much credence in it. Seeing him block Hyun Taeryeong’s sword energy-filled strike, she couldn’t help but be astonished.
“So, you *did* know! That Hyun Jin-myeong had learned demonic arts!”
The Sword Spirit’s words caused a small stir.
“What nonsense is that?!”
The corner of Hyun Taeryeong’s eye twitched slightly. The Sword Spirit didn’t miss it.
“Isn’t that why you’re trying to kill me? To eliminate the witness? Would ‘killing the witness to destroy the evidence’ be easier to understand?”
“Destroy evidence? Kill the witness? You have a silver tongue. In that case, you won’t be leaving here alive today.”
Hyun Taeryeong threatened the Sword Spirit.
“Why don’t you ever consider the possibility that you might lose to me?”
His tone had changed. He wasn’t courteous enough to extend etiquette to someone trying to kill him.
“I? Lose to you…?”
Hyun Taeryeong’s face flushed red.
The surrounding people looked unsure of what to do.
“Stop this, Lord Hyun!”
Only Cold Yeo-seol begged Hyun Taeryeong to restrain himself, but Hyun Taeryeong ignored her.
“Fine! Then try and defeat me!”
*Whooosh!*
Hyun Taeryeong’s sword moved. It was his signature technique, the ‘Sword Break, Sword Knot’. It was a heavy sword technique focused on power, causing fierce energies to swirl around them.
Just by looking, one could tell Hyun Taeryeong was giving his all against the Sword Spirit.
*Whooosh!*
The crowd quickly retreated from the two combatants. Being within the range of their internal energy, they could easily come to harm if they stayed.
The Sword Spirit moved his feet.
His movements were quiet and stealthy, like a ghost’s.
It was the ‘Ghost Flow Mysterious Step’.
If the Yoo Ling Demon Lord’s ‘Ghostly Cloud Movement Art’ was his lightness skill, then the ‘Ghost Flow Mysterious Step’ was his unique footwork.
*Swish!*
The Sword Spirit didn’t counterattack but silently evaded Hyun Taeryeong’s sword strikes.
“You brat! Do you think you can defeat me just by dodging? Or are you waiting for me to tire out?”
Seeing the Sword Spirit dodging his attacks, Hyun Taeryeong shouted to provoke him. Nevertheless, the Sword Spirit remained silent, only evading his sword.
Watching the Sword Spirit’s movements, Cold Yeo-seol tilted her head in puzzlement.
Although the Yoo Ling Demon Lord had gone into seclusion fifty years ago, his active period in the martial world was over a hundred years ago. When the Yoo Ling Demon Lord was at his peak, Cold Yeo-seol had been just a child. She had heard countless stories about him but had never seen him in person. The footwork seemed familiar yet unfamiliar, as she was seeing it for the first time, raising doubts in her mind.
“You brat! How long will you keep fooling me?”
*Whoosh whoosh whoosh!*
Sword energy filled the air, but the Sword Spirit moved through it with ease.
‘*When he carried A-seol up the mountain, and now, dodging Lord Hyun Taeryeong’s sword… It seems he properly learned a lightness skill.*’
Cold Yeo-seol thought to herself.
Even though she saw the Sword Spirit blocking Hyun Taeryeong’s sword energy, she still didn’t believe he was truly a master. It was due to the prejudice that a young man couldn’t possibly be a master. This showed how terrifying prejudice could be.
About an hour passed like this, and Hyun Taeryeong still hadn’t managed to even touch the Sword Spirit’s clothes.
“It seems you’ve learned dodging quite well.”
Though his words were dismissive, internally he was growing increasingly frustrated. It was shameful for someone of his status, one of the top hundred masters in the martial world, to have been wielding his sword for nearly an hour against a youth who didn’t even look twenty.
“My sword skills are better than yours too. It’s just problematic if I kill you here and now, so I’m only dodging. I’ll kill you later in a place with no people around.”
