Chapter 33: First Round (2)
Inside the massive main hall of the Asura Sword Sect.
Sang Mun-cheon was kneeling before the Sect Leader.
“Master, if you give me some time, I will take care of it.”
With his head pressed to the ground, Sang Mun-cheon made his plea. However, the answer did not come from the Sect Leader, but from another person.
“Vice Sect Leader, do you truly believe that’s possible? The Blood Sword King is dead.”
Though Gwak Neung-jin, the Blood Sword King, was the lowest-ranked among the Three Sword Kings, he had still reached the Master Level. For him to lose in a one-on-one fight meant there was no way Sang Mun-cheon could handle it.
“I have people under my command. If I go with them—”
“Cheon-ah.”
At the sound of someone calling his name, Sang Mun-cheon flinched.
“Yes, Sect Leader.”
“Leave.”
“Master! Please give me a chance—”
“Leave.”
At the Sect Leader’s dismissal, Sang Mun-cheon exited the hall with his head bowed. He no longer had a chance.
“Sect Leader, I will lead a unit myself. Sword Yaksha—”
As Hyeong Choong, one of the Three Sword Kings, began to speak, the Sect Leader of the Asura Sword Sect raised a hand and cut him off.
Jang Woo-hyun—that man was at least Master Level. The Sect Leader knew Hyeong Choong’s strength, but if by some chance he lost, they would be down two of the Three Sword Kings. That would be a critical blow. They’d be losing two of the sect’s top powers.
Moreover, this wasn’t the same as losing Gwak Neung-jin.
The Blood Sword King had only been placed among the Three Sword Kings to handle the sect’s more sordid and darker affairs. He had even been instructed to act more brutally to instill fear.
But the other two were different.
He, along with the remaining two Sword Kings, were the true core of the Asura Sword Sect. Losing even one of them would be too painful a loss.
‘This isn’t going to be easy.’
Of course, he couldn’t step forward personally. Nor could he mobilize the entire sect.
Should the Sect Leader of the Asura Sword Sect, along with the whole sect, move against a single, nameless martial artist? That in itself would be another problem. Their honor and pride would be trampled.
Being a large sect came with issues at times like this. They had to be mindful of outside perception and act according to their station.
It had become a restriction—the fact that only one nameless person had come at them.
‘Looks like I’ll have to move them.’
The situation was tricky, but not without solutions. Like other sects, the Asura Sword Sect had hidden reserves of power. Regrettable as it was, he decided to mobilize them.
“What are the whereabouts of Ok-myeon and Il-gwon?”
“They haven’t yet entered Guangxi. Shall we contact them?”
The Sect Leader nodded and continued.
“Also, pass word to the subordinate sects. Tell them to bring me his head.”
If a lone man challenging them had become a restriction for the sect itself to act, then a massive group like theirs had ways that suited their size. They could command others to act in their place.
‘Let’s see if you can stop this.’
They would mobilize the subordinate sects in Guangxi. And they would send in their hidden reserves.
Ok-myeon and Il-gwon.
The Asura Sword Sect’s hidden trump cards, prepared specifically to catch high-level experts. Even for the Sect Leader, facing the two of them together wouldn’t be easy.
* * *
Due to the events that had taken place in Guilin, Guangxi Province, the Martial World was in an uproar.
—The Blood Sword King of the Asura Sword Sect was killed in a single strike!
News of the incident spread, and the entire Martial World focused its attention.
While previous rumors may have seemed like bravado or madness, this was different. There was now a definitive outcome—the death of the Blood Sword King.
People were thrilled, believing this could be the start of a new legend.
A man who killed a Master Level expert in one blow: Jang Woo-hyun.
When it became known that he came from the Demon Extermination Sect, Wandering Warriors all over the land rallied behind him.
He became the hope of the wandering, their representative. Some even began calling him the King of Wanderers.
Naturally, attention surged, and people began digging into his past.
Just as he had said, the Autumn Soul Assassination Sect had vanished.
According to witnesses, two of their members had gone to Bright Sage Manor, which was apparently a front created to conceal their identity. Not long after, the manor had gone up in flames.
The events within the Demon Extermination Sect were even clearer than those involving the Autumn Soul Assassination Sect. Jang Woo-hyun had spent months there. He had gone on missions with others and had even saved the lives of some.
Jang Woo-hyun, wielder of the The Sword That Severs Origin and End, known for killing with a single sword.
Though he didn’t belong to any proper sect and had operated in the borderlands, unknown to many in the Central Plains, he was already a well-known figure in the Demon Extermination Sect. He even had followers there.
And now, Jang Woo-hyun was given a new nickname.
The name “The Sword That Severs Origin and End” was too specific to the Demon Extermination Sect and wasn’t intuitive for the public. Some criticized the nickname “Kills with One Sword” as awkward, which led to the final choice: One Sword, One Kill.
Those who had witnessed him strike down Gwak Neung-jin in Guilin all nodded in agreement. No nickname suited him better.
Jang Woo-hyun, One Sword, One Kill.
From fighting monsters in the borderlands to defeating one of the Ten Demonic Paths' elite, he had earned his name: One Sword, One Kill.
Currently, Jang Woo-hyun was in a reception room of the Silver Flower Trading Company, discussing matters with his companions.
“They’ve made contact. Just as we expected.”
The fact that Gwak Neung-jin had arrived so quickly had been unexpected, but before that, the group had already predicted how the Asura Sword Sect would move.
A massive sect couldn’t deploy its entire force just to capture one man. Nor would the Sect Leader personally step forward to deal with a nameless martial artist.
They had narrowed it down to two options.
Either the sect would mobilize the smaller sects under its control, or they’d send their own top experts.
Sending top experts had become trickier now. With the Blood Sword King dead, the Asura Sword Sect would be hesitant to send anyone else so easily.
Which meant they’d likely resort to squeezing those under them. That’s what large sects usually did.
As expected, the sects under the Asura Sword Sect had begun to move.
Surprisingly, the news came from the Beggars’ Sect. Initially, they had planned to contact the Hao Sect, but once the Beggars’ Sect found out that Hwang An was with Jang Woo-hyun, they took action themselves.
While the leadership and older members of the Beggars’ Sect disapproved of Hwang An’s continued association with Jang Woo-hyun, the younger disciples supported him overwhelmingly.
They defied orders from above and took action. With so many of the younger generation moving together, even the higher-ups found it hard to stop them. Thanks to this, Hwang An was once again able to receive support from the Beggars’ Sect.
“Flying Shadow Sect, Ghost Sound Valley, Fiery Flame Sword Sect, Tortoise Hand Manor, Eight Blades Pavilion. These five sects have made a move. Add Red Serpent Sect, which is bound to get involved, and we have six in total. All are headed for Guilin.”
“Which one’s closest?”
“Excluding the Red Serpent Sect, which is already based in Guilin, the Fiery Flame Sword Sect and Tortoise Hand Manor are the nearest. Since they’re close, they’ll probably arrive first. But… are we really going to take them all down?”
“We only need to cut off the heads. It won’t be hard.”
Hwang An glanced at Jang Woo-hyun for a moment.
Obviously, these small and mid-sized sects wouldn’t be able to handle him. They might think they could overwhelm him with sheer numbers, but since their moves had already been predicted, they’d just end up being picked off one by one.
What Hwang An was worried about was what came next. Once they crushed those six sects, the Asura Sword Sect would definitely respond. And that part wouldn’t be easy.
Even if Jang Woo-hyun had taken down Gwak Neung-jin with ease, there were still three stronger individuals within the Asura Sword Sect. Not to mention, they still didn’t know the full extent of the sect’s hidden power.
“I get what you're thinking, but we need to show them.”
“…Show them what?”
“What happens when they mess with me. We need to make it clear so things like this don’t happen again.”
It was important to clearly imprint that reality onto everyone for the sake of his future in the Martial World—what happened when someone picked a fight with him.
And though he didn’t say it aloud, there was something even more important.
A battle with Master Level experts.
They weren't opponents you could easily face. But this conflict with the Asura Sword Sect was the perfect opportunity to test himself against such individuals.
Even if he had slain the Blood Sword King, Gwak Neung-jin, his name had only just begun to spread. The sect wouldn’t fully mobilize against him, and with the circumstances providing a clear justification, others would find it difficult to interfere.
In short, this was the only chance to fight members of the Ten Demonic Paths while their movements were restricted.
If he successfully handled this, Jang Woo-hyun’s name would spread throughout the Central Plains. From then on, it wouldn’t be strange if entire massive sects came after him.
“It’s dangerous, but if that’s how you feel… I suppose there’s no other choice.”
Not knowing Jang Woo-hyun’s deeper intentions, Hwang An simply nodded in agreement with his plan.
“Alright, where are they now?”
“Fiery Flame Sword Sect and Tortoise Hand Manor are coming up from the south along the main road, so they’ve probably set up camp within a day or two’s distance. They’re probably waiting for the other sects to arrive.”
“Then I’ll go deal with those two first.”
“Brother, in that case, we’ll go deal with Red Serpent Sect.”
“Hm?”
“What did you say?”
Both men looked surprised at Jin Ha-un’s words.
“What, you expect me to just sit around? I’ve got to do something.”
“You don’t have to go that far, Ha-un…”
Jang Woo-hyun had tried to stop him, believing it wasn’t right to involve him in this matter, since Jin Ha-un was a disciple of the Blue Star Sect.
“I know what you’re thinking, but I’m a martial artist too. I’ll be targeted anyway, so I might as well do something. Besides, you all heard what I said I’d do if this didn’t work out.”
They had all witnessed the moment when he told Pung-yu to expel him from the sect.
“Sigh, alright. I’m coming too. Let’s go. If it’s come to this, we may as well flip the table.”
“Oh! You’re coming, Brother? You didn’t have to.”
“Enough chatter. What are you waiting for? Let’s move.”
Urged by Hwang An, the three of them rose from their seats and stepped outside.
This time, it was going to be a direct assault.
* * *
“Leader Heo, they say he took down the Blood Sword King with a single strike. Do you think we can actually capture him?”
At Do-eon’s question, the leader of Tortoise Hand Manor, Heo Seong-ryeom, turned toward him.
They had known each other for quite some time and were as close as friends, but there were times when Heo Seong-ryeom found Do-eon’s attitude frustrating.
“You’re wound up again, aren’t you? Do you really believe that’s true? To kill a Master Level expert like the Blood Sword King in one strike, you’d have to be nearly an Absolute Expert. They say he’s around thirty? That’s just not plausible.”
Even in the Nine Sects, the Five Great Clans, and even the Ten Demonic Paths, there had never been a thirty-year-old who reached that level.
“Rumors in the Martial World are always exaggerated. And do you think any true martial experts were even watching? They probably saw the end of a lightning-fast fight and assumed it was a single strike.”
“Hmm… Now that you mention it, that makes sense.”
“And the Blood Sword King…”
Heo Seong-ryeom glanced around and lowered his voice, wary of being overheard.
“Wasn’t Gwak Neung-jin the weakest among the Three Sword Kings? Just because someone beat him doesn’t mean they’re that strong. Sure, he might be at Master Level, I won’t deny that. But take a look around at what we’ve brought.”
He gestured to the surroundings.
Between Tortoise Hand Manor and the Fiery Flame Sword Sect, they had mobilized over a hundred martial artists. There were many First-rate Martial Artists among them.
And that wasn’t all—there were still four more sects yet to arrive. Against such numbers, even a Master Level expert wouldn’t hold out for long. And even if Jang Woo-hyun had companions, they couldn’t turn the tide.
Excluding the Red Serpent Sect, which was a Black Path sect, the five others were mid-tier sects, each accompanied by a few Master Level Experts. Heo Seong-ryeom himself had brought along his sect’s second strongest, an Elder.
In total, over three hundred martial artists were mobilized. Among them were more than ten Master Level experts. There were also dozens of First-rate Martial Artists.
Even a Master Level expert wouldn’t be able to withstand this.
“Don’t worry. We’ll join forces with the other sects, capture him, and offer him to the Sect Leader. There’s nothing difficult about that.”
At his friend’s words, Do-eon finally nodded. Hearing such confident assurance from a trusted friend put his mind at ease.
Just as their conversation ended, one of their subordinates shouted.
“Someone’s coming!”
Do-eon and Heo Seong-ryeom quickly rose to their feet. Looking in the direction the subordinate pointed, they saw a cloud of dust rising as someone rushed toward them with Lightness Skill.
“Who is it?”
“Could be an enemy—prepare for battle!”
Swoooosh—
Before the words were even finished, a massive sword slash flew toward the area where Tortoise Hand Manor and the Fiery Flame Sword Sect had set up camp.
“Dodge!”
“Ugh!”
“Aaaargh!”
The slash flew in at a terrifying speed, catching everyone off guard. In an instant, over ten people were cut down and killed. Several others had limbs or torsos severed and rolled across the ground.
“Ghhh…”
“Ahhhh!”
“Help…!”
As screams of agony filled the air and chaos spread, someone suddenly landed with a thud.
The person who had been rapidly approaching had closed the distance and leaped into the air, descending directly at Heo Seong-ryeom.
“You bastard!”
Seeing the soles of the attacker’s foot descending toward him, Heo Seong-ryeom raised his hand, now glowing black.
But—
CRACK!
Overwhelming force shattered his arm and stomped him into the ground.