Chapter 254
When Sun Woo-jin dropped the bombshell that he was engaged to Dang Yeo-eun, Ma Yu-gyeom abruptly stepped out of the shrine.
After that, only silence lingered inside.
Sun Woo-jin, Jin So-eun, and the injured Myo Ah-ran each sat lost in their own thoughts, their lips sealed tight.
Jin So-eun’s complexion was as pale as the wounded Myo Ah-ran’s—clearly deeply shaken.
But Sun Woo-jin was oblivious to her state. His mind was occupied with a conversation he was having with Muk-rang.
Or rather, it was a one-sided monologue.
“He killed Ma Yeogyeong, the deputy chief, by deception, and tried to subjugate Yeo-eun through hypnosis. What he did—and what he intended to do to Yeo-eun—is unforgivable!”
“…That’s true. It did happen.”
“If I hadn’t been there, Yeo-eun would have become his plaything. Even if he truly repented, I could never forgive him!”
Muk-rang sighed deeply at Sun Woo-jin’s relentless condemnation and asked, “I see, that makes sense. But… why are you so intent on convincing me of this?”
“……”
Indeed.
Sun Woo-jin was, in fact, trying to justify his actions to Muk-rang.
Or maybe, he was trying to convince himself.
Unable to answer Muk-rang’s question immediately, Sun Woo-jin finally let out a long, heavy sigh.
“Huuuu…”
The truth was, he thought he knew why he was acting this way.
In his past life, he had seen Ma Yu-gyeom’s future and hated him for it. But in this life, after learning the truth behind Yu-gyeom’s actions, he found himself understanding him—at least a little.
What Yu-gyeom had done and intended to do was cruel…
Yet, Sun Woo-jin found himself asking a question he never had before.
“If I were in his shoes, would I have been any different?”
He recalled the hardships Yu-gyeom had endured.
The man he had considered his lifelong enemy was his own maternal grandfather.
And the reason that grandfather had become a blood demon was the despicable wrongdoing of the sect he had once proudly belonged to.
But that wasn’t all.
The greatest victim of that incident was his own mother. And the perpetrator? His own father.
He asked himself again.
“Would I have been different? Could I have avoided breaking down like he did?”
…He had no confidence.
None at all.
He could only think that anyone would have been broken under those circumstances.
That was why.
Sun Woo-jin felt he could finally understand Ma Yu-gyeom.
He still couldn’t forgive him…
But he could understand.
He had witnessed firsthand how sincerely Yu-gyeom wanted to rebuild the Jeomchang faction.
So he could understand the despair Yu-gyeom felt after learning the whole truth.
He could even understand the hopelessness of not knowing who to hate anymore.
And above all, he thought he could understand the heart with which Yu-gyeom had lived after breaking the seal on the Seollang Sword in such a short time.
“Probably throwing himself into death over and over again. Always to save others, never himself.”
Yet, Sun Woo-jin had cast Yu-gyeom out just because he mentioned Dang Yeo-eun’s name.
Even after receiving great help from him this time.
His immature behavior gnawed at his conscience.
He suddenly asked himself.
“Has he truly changed for the better?”
He didn’t know.
People don’t change easily.
But Sun Woo-jin knew better than anyone that while it’s not easy, change is possible.
Because he was living proof.
In his past life, he had been a helpless weakling, but through relentless effort, he had risen to the very top.
He knew when a person truly changes.
“When they reach the peak of disillusionment with their past self and desperately want to change.”
If that was true, then no one fit that description better than Ma Yu-gyeom.
Sun Woo-jin sighed deeply once more.
“Huuuu…”
Then he spoke to Muk-rang.
“I think I need to go to him. I don’t know if I can bring him back… but at least I should apologize.”
Muk-rang smiled and replied, “Yeah, you should.”
Having made up his mind, Sun Woo-jin stood and said to Jin So-eun,
“Jin So-jeo, I’m stepping out for a moment. Could you please look after Myo So-jeo?”
Jin So-eun, who had been lost in thought, snapped back to attention and answered,
“Y-Yes?! Ah, okay. I’ll take care of Myo So-jeo.”
Without hesitation, Sun Woo-jin stepped outside the shrine and began tracking Ma Yu-gyeom’s trail.
At the same time.
Jin Tae-do’s subordinate, following the scent of Myo Ah-ran with the fluffy cat Baek-ah, noticed Baek-ah looking back at him with a triumphant gleam in her eyes.
Having been with Baek-ah for so long, the subordinate immediately understood what that meant.
He reported to Jin Tae-do.
“Chief! We’re getting close to them! Just a little further now!”
Hearing this, Jin Tae-do grinned fiercely.
Then he ordered his men,
“Slow down from here on. Focus on moving quietly rather than quickly. It’s finally time to hunt the young tiger.”
The twenty elite warriors who had followed Jin Tae-do smiled similarly and began moving with greater stealth.
The distance to the shrine where Jin So-eun and Myo Ah-ran were was now only a few dozen jang away.
The strongest force of the Hyeongsan Sect, the leader of the Six Harmonies Sword Division, Pa Cheon Sam Jo, Ja Seong-jin, asked Ma Yu-gyeom once again.
“I’ll ask you again. Have you ever seen a man named In Pa-rang? He carries a white sword adorned with a white tiger and moves with a short-haired woman.”
But Ma Yu-gyeom, who had been chuckling quietly since earlier, didn’t answer the repeated question.
He just kept laughing softly, as if something was amusing him.
“Keuk keuk keuk! Keuk keuk keuk keuk!”
Ja Seong-jin frowned at his strange reaction.
“You looked suspicious, but was he really a madman?”
He said it loud enough for Ma Yu-gyeom to hear.
But Ma Yu-gyeom didn’t stop laughing, not even at being called a madman.
He wasn’t angry at all.
If being called a madman meant being acknowledged as something more than worthless trash, he should be grateful.
He was trash.
The worst kind—beyond redemption.
When those formidable warriors came looking for Sun Woo-jin just moments ago, Ma Yu-gyeom had an involuntary thought.
If he led them to Sun Woo-jin, maybe they could eliminate him—the fiancé of Dang Yeo-eun.
And immediately after, he realized how utterly despicable that thought was.
“At least I wanted to be someone useful when I died? Ha ha ha! That’s hilarious. You’re the worst, Ma Yu-gyeom! Ha ha ha keuk!”
He had even entertained the idea that maybe he was a different person now—someone who risked his life countless times for others and never lived for himself.
Maybe being alive was more helpful to others than dying.
But look.
The moment he heard the name Dang Yeo-eun, he reverted to his old self.
A piece of trash thinking about killing Sun Woo-jin to remove Dang Yeo-eun’s fiancé.
“Keuk keuk keuk keuk! Wahahaha!”
Unable to hold back, Ma Yu-gyeom burst into wild laughter.
Tears streamed down his face as he laughed like a madman.
He was in despair.
He had been frozen in place at that moment.
That wretched man who had tried to possess Dang Yeo-eun through the blood sect’s methods.
He suddenly pleaded silently in his heart.
“I’m sorry, Elder. For making you break the seal for a worthless piece of trash like me…”
……
Opening his eyes, Ma Yu-gyeom frowned and drew his sword, glaring at Ja Seong-jin.
Clang!
Tears still streaming, he gave a bitter smile and said,
“Is the Hyeongsan Sect really as formidable as the rumors say? Let’s find out.”
He had made up his mind.
He would no longer continue living.
“I will die here and now. For her… for her fiancé. That’s probably the only way I can atone for her.”
“Haaah!”
Gripping the Seollang Sword, Ma Yu-gyeom charged at the strongest force of the Hyeongsan Sect—the Six Harmonies Sword Division.
Like a moth drawn to a flame, his attack was desperate and fierce.
Swoosh!
Ma Yu-gyeom swung his sword.
A pure white chill swept forward like a freezing wind toward the Six Harmonies swordsmen.
It was the first move of the Seollang Sword technique—the Northern Wind Slash.
“Hanbinggong?!”
Startled, Ja Seong-jin didn’t confront the attack directly but stepped back.
Two of the Six Harmonies swordsmen stepped forward from both sides, swinging their swords.
Shuaaaak!
Their sword energies spread into dozens of blades, forming a solid wall that blocked the icy blast.
A sword barrier formed by two ultra-elite swordsmen.
Babababak!
“!”
Seeing this, Ma Yu-gyeom gritted his teeth.
He hadn’t expected to win with just one move.
But still, to be stopped so easily…
Their skill was even greater than he had imagined.
Yet, despite his first attack being blocked, Ma Yu-gyeom didn’t stop.
With a resolute gaze, he pressed forward.
“Haaah!”
The third move of the Seollang Sword technique—
Seollang Juchun.
Swoosh!
As he swung his sword again, two white wolves burst forth, charging straight at the two swordmasters who had erected their sword barriers.
It was the decisive move of the Snow Wolf Sword Technique—sending out sword energy shaped like icy white wolves.
“Whoa! What’s that?!”
The master of the Ja-seong clan gasped once more.
He had never seen or even heard of such a threatening ice sword attack before.
But his amazement was merely one of curiosity.
The opponent’s skill still wasn’t enough to threaten the Six-Combination Sword Formation wielded by Pa Cheon-jo.
The two swordmasters who had formed the sword barriers wisely stepped back instead of recklessly trying to block the white wolves.
At that moment, two other swordmasters stepped in from the side, swinging their swords down at the flanks of the wolves.
Their blades radiated a deep blue sword energy.
Slash! Slash!
Under their powerful strikes, the two ice-white wolves vanished without a trace.
The strongest move Mayu-gyeom had mastered so far—the fifth form of the Snow Wolf Sword Technique—had been shattered so effortlessly.
And the enemy’s counterattack wasn’t over yet.
The moment the wolves were destroyed, one of the swordmasters lunged over the head of his comrade, thrusting his sword straight at Mayu-gyeom.
The movements came in a relentless, gear-like rhythm, leaving no room to breathe.
Shu-hak!
“Ugh!”
Mayu-gyeom gritted his teeth, trying to block the strike.
But then he saw two more swordmasters closing in, surrounding him.
Even if he managed to block this attack, he would be ambushed from behind by two others.
Grit!
Clenching his teeth, Mayu-gyeom summoned all his strength and unleashed a sword technique.
Snow Wolf Sword Technique, second form: Heavenly Ice Wall.
“Haaah!”
Shwaaak!
In an instant, Mayu-gyeom’s sword energy spread out like a silk thread, forming a dense, chilling barrier before him.
This was the defensive form of the Snow Wolf Sword Technique—the Heavenly Ice Wall—capable of blocking not only the attacking swordmaster but also those trying to flank him.
The six swordmasters hesitated, unable to advance against such a formidable defense, and retreated to create some distance.
They circled around the Ja-seong master, maintaining their sword formation.
The Ja-seong master looked at Mayu-gyeom with genuine admiration.
“An incredible sword technique! Noda is expanding his repertoire today! I’ve never heard or seen anything like this before. It’s as if the legendary Northern Sea Ice Palace’s martial arts truly exist. Tell me, which sect do you hail from?”
He was sincerely impressed by Mayu-gyeom’s Snow Wolf Sword Technique.
But Mayu-gyeom could only smile bitterly at the praise.
To be asked about his sect so casually—it felt like an adult complimenting a talented child.
It meant the Ja-seong master had already concluded that Mayu-gyeom’s attacks posed no real threat.
His all-out efforts were nothing more than a curiosity to this man.
What was worse, Mayu-gyeom had no reserves left.
The Snow Wolf Sword Technique had five forms, but he hadn’t yet mastered the most powerful fourth and fifth forms.
He smiled wryly to himself.
I thought this would be a fight to the death, but it looks like I’m just heading for a senseless death.
Though he felt a pang of self-pity, there was nothing he could do.
Apparently, this was the limit of his worth.
Silently, Mayu-gyeom raised his sword toward the Ja-seong master again.
This time, no matter what happened, he was determined not to back down.
Even if this attack was his last.
The Ja-seong master frowned.
“Tsk, you’ve finally realized your shortcomings. Such a fine sword technique wasted in vain.”
Before the words even finished, Mayu-gyeom let out a fierce cry and charged at them.
“Gyaaaah!”
With all his might, his attack shot toward the six swordmasters once more.
But it was all in vain.
His freezing cold wave, capable of freezing the sea, was blocked by their sword barriers.
The ice-white wolves, reminiscent of the Blood Sect’s Nine Heavens Blood Dragon Demon Art, were shattered without achieving their purpose.
The ice wall Mayu-gyeom had raised to block their attacks was torn apart by five streams of sword energy.
Mayu-gyeom looked around with hollow eyes at the swords piercing in from all sides as the ice wall crumbled.
This is the end.
It felt empty.
But strangely, it was also somewhat relieving.
Thunk!
“Ugh!”
A sword pierced cleanly through Mayu-gyeom’s abdomen.
Even the pain felt oddly refreshing.
But as he awaited death, something felt off.
There had been five sword energies thrust at him, yet only one sword had actually pierced his body.
Blood dripping from his mouth, Mayu-gyeom glanced around.
Four swords hovered just an inch away from him, frozen in place.
Behind them, the Ja-seong master’s face appeared, eyes gleaming with greed.
Mayu-gyeom immediately understood the situation.
The man had been holding back on his attacks all along, intending to capture him alive.
He smirked.
I won’t let that happen.
Summoning his last ounce of strength, Mayu-gyeom stabbed his sword at the swordmaster who had pierced him.
“Hah!”
His desperate counterattack startled the Ja-seong master.
Hurriedly, he ordered the other swordmasters to move.
The four swords that had been frozen in place lunged at Mayu-gyeom again.
Closing his eyes tightly, Mayu-gyeom braced for death.
But then—
Fwaaah!
A massive pair of black wings suddenly appeared, spreading across the sky above the Ja-seong master.
It was an overwhelming sight, like a divine beast had descended.
“W-What is that?!”
Startled, the Ja-seong master immediately called his swordmasters back to his side.
With an unknown threat looming, killing Mayu-gyeom was no longer the priority.
“Complete the formation—quickly!”
The swordmasters hurried back to the Ja-seong master’s side.
Fortunately, the giant wings were still some distance away, allowing them to finish their sword formation in time.
Then, the black wings descended from the sky, covering them.
The wings weren’t solid but seemed to be made of countless sword energies raining down like a torrential downpour.
Shshshshshsh!
The Ja-seong master shouted urgently.
“Block it!”
Before he finished, the five swordmasters combined their powers to erect a massive sword barrier.
Like a great curtain, it shielded them.
Then, the sword energy rain pelted down like hailstones.
It was an attack of tremendous power.
Pabababababap!
But the completed Six-Combination Sword Formation was no weak defense.
The five swordmasters held firm, blocking the relentless storm of sword energy.
Chachachachachachachachang!
After a moment, the sword energy rain ceased.
The Ja-seong master exhaled deeply, realizing they had survived.
“Huh, what on earth was that…?!”
And then he saw it.
The man who had attacked them with an unprecedented sword technique suddenly snatched up the fearsome swordmaster who had been raining down attacks and vanished like the wind.
The Ja-seong master’s eyes widened.
That’s…!
It was Seon Woo-jin.
Though the Ja-seong master didn’t know it, Seon Woo-jin had deployed the first form of the Mukrang Sword Technique—Flight—to divert attention and rescue Mayu-gyeom.
Realizing this, the Ja-seong master shouted urgently.
“It’s Inparang! Don’t let him escape!”
Together with the Ja-seong master, Pa Cheon-jo, the Six-Combination Swordmaster, launched himself after Seon Woo-jin as if they were one.
At the same time, Jin Tae-do, tracking Myo Aran’s scent using the Yunmyo White Crow, spotted a secluded shrine halfway up the mountain.
It was the shrine where Myo Aran and Jin So-eun remained.
A bitter smile crossed Jin Tae-do’s lips as he muttered,
“Finally caught you, Inparang.”