Episode 270: Opening

A heavy silence descended.

This silence was different from the one that precedes a battle. It wasn’t the tense quiet before an explosion, but rather a stillness where everything seemed to converge into a single point.

”…Ilsunja?” Sunwooja, the head of the Hwasan Sect, muttered in disbelief.

To say they were friends would be a stretch. When something good happened to the other, it was more likely to stir envy than joy.

Yet, Ilsunja and Sunwooja were not enemies.

They were more like rivals, or perhaps distant companions on the same path. For over thirty years, they had watched and subtly competed with each other from parallel lines.

In the grand scheme of things, their relationship might have been insignificant.

But such a long-standing connection inevitably leaves a void, whether one likes it or not.

Sunwooja couldn’t flee like Ilsunja had.

Instead, he tightened his grip on his sword.

Ilsunja’s sacrifice was noble, but perhaps a bit short-sighted.

If he had suggested retreating with a few wounds, Sunwooja might have reluctantly agreed. But with Ilsunja dead before his eyes, retreat was no longer an option.

Sunwooja was trapped, and so were the monks of the Jongnam Sect. Witnessing their leader’s death and fleeing would be the ultimate disgrace.

Just as the Jongnam warriors couldn’t abandon Ilsunja’s memory, the Hwasan disciples couldn’t leave Sunwooja behind.

With more than half unable to leave the battlefield, the warriors of the Cheongseong and Wudang Sects were also bound to stay. Everyone was entangled in this web.

Sunwooja gritted his teeth and spoke.

“If we’re going to retreat, we should at least land a blow first.”

Though he had been fighting the Twin Blood Elders, Sunwooja suddenly changed course and charged at the Ghost King. Hyungong shouted urgently.

“Stop!”

But it was clear Sunwooja had no intention of stopping.

If left unchecked, they would soon have to deal with Sunwooja’s corpse as well, so Hyungong also rushed towards the Ghost King.

This left Namgungmyeong alone to face the Twin Blood Elders. He shouted.

“Hey, Hyungong! What about me?”

“Just hold on a bit!”

As Namgungmyeong parried the Twin Blood Elders’ spear a few times, Hong Geolgae appeared at his side.

Together, they managed to fend off the Twin Blood Elders’ attacks, albeit precariously.

“Die!”

Sunwooja, fueled by rage, swung his sword at the Ghost King.

But mere anger couldn’t change the tide of battle.

No matter Sunwooja’s resolve, he and Hyungong were merely top-tier warriors, while the Ghost King remained a supreme master.

Just as Namgungmyeong and Hong Geolgae struggled against the Twin Blood Elders, Hyungong and Sunwooja were no match for the Ghost King.

Hyungong glanced back. Yeongheoja was still coughing up blood, unable to fight.

They held on desperately, avoiding fatal blows.

Their survival was thanks to Dang Mujin’s flying wheels, which constantly targeted the Ghost King and the Twin Blood Elders’ weaknesses.

Even for supreme masters, the flying wheels were a formidable weapon—faster, stealthier, and deadlier than daggers. A single mistake could cost them their lives.

Of course, the fact that five top-tier warriors were holding their ground against two supreme masters was impressive.

The problem was that such an impressive feat didn’t guarantee victory. It only delayed defeat.

Dang Mujin thought as he hurled his wheels.

‘This isn’t looking good.’

With their current strength, they might be able to take down one supreme master. But handling two was too much. Defeat loomed over them.

Yet retreat was not an option.

It was far too late to pull back. If the five holding off the supreme masters retreated now, the Twin Blood Elders or the Ghost King would surely charge into the heart of the battlefield.

Even if just one of them broke free, it would spell disaster.

The top-tier orthodox warriors might survive a few exchanges, but anyone below that level would be swept away like dry leaves, one by one.

Dang Mujin and his friends, as well as Sunwooja, shared the same regret.

‘If only Yeongheoja were still standing!’

The battle’s outcome was sealed the moment Yeongheoja fell to the Ghost King’s ambush. Yeongheoja felt the weight of his responsibility.

He coughed up more blood, took a deep breath, and shouted with all his might.

“Get a grip! Those who can retreat, do so! Don’t hesitate!”

His voice rang out, clear and commanding. A few warriors, suddenly valuing their lives, hesitated.

But it was too late. The demonic warriors, sensing victory, clung desperately to their orthodox counterparts.

If everyone fled at once, some might survive, but that wasn’t possible now. Whether by choice or necessity, they had to fight to the end.

The battle dragged on. Conversations that had sporadically passed between fighters ceased entirely.

Within the Chongdong Sect, only the harsh sounds of breathing and clashing metal remained.

Dang Mujin, half-entranced, continued to throw and catch his wheels.

At some point, the two wheels he was managing became three.

His mind was slightly foggy, as if drunk.

But he knew he couldn’t handle three wheels with a clear head, so he deliberately maintained his dazed state, as if intoxicated by the heat and noise of battle.

Metal clashed against metal. Screams echoed.

Sweat trickled down his back.

His chest felt tight, and the metallic scent of blood filled the air.

This was the largest battle Dang Mujin had ever been part of.

‘Is this what a war between the orthodox and demonic sects is like?’

Time passed in a dizzying blur.

The orthodox warriors were too busy preserving their lives to completely block the demonic warriors from reaching the roof where Dang Mujin stood.

Thus, even as he threw his wheels, Dang Mujin had to fend off demonic warriors who climbed onto the roof.

‘The roof is too conspicuous.’

But he couldn’t leave the roof. Descending would severely limit his visibility and make it difficult to use his wheels.

‘This won’t work, and that won’t work. Damn it.’

Amidst the chaos, a sound distinct from the clashing metal reached his ears. A dull thud.

Thump.

Most were too engrossed in the fight to notice, but Dang Mujin heard it.

His role was to survey the battlefield and provide assistance where needed, so he kept all his senses open.

Dang Mujin’s gaze turned to the source of the noise.

There, at the entrance of the Chongdong Sect, three people were entering. The thud seemed to have come from them kicking the gate open.

The newcomers wore matching outfits, ones that were familiar to him.

Dang Mujin studied their faces. He didn’t recognize the two at the back, but the one leading them was unmistakably Yujingwang.

Yujingwang surveyed the battlefield, spotted Dang Mujin on the roof, and sent a telepathic message.

• Quite the mess. You should’ve sent a messenger pigeon to the Jeomchang Sect if it was going to be like this.

• I didn’t expect it to be this bad.

Yujingwang grinned and, with the two behind him, began a peculiar march.

They walked in a straight line towards the building where Dang Mujin stood, and beyond him, towards the Ghost King and the Twin Blood Elders.

In the chaotic battlefield, moving in a straight line was no easy feat.

It was something only those with considerable skill could achieve, and there was no practical reason to do so. It was much safer and easier to weave through the chaos.

Yet the three acted as if oblivious to the surrounding mayhem.

They walked straight through the tangled web of blades and chaos.

Their ordinary demeanor in such an extraordinary setting felt profoundly strange.

Of course, some inadvertently obstructed their path. A demonic warrior, absorbed in the fight, blocked their way.

Yujingwang drew his sword and casually cut down the obstacle. His stride never faltered.

Even as he fought the Twin Blood Elders, Hong Geolgae glanced around for an opportunity. His eyes met Yujingwang’s.

Hong Geolgae spoke to Namgungmyeong beside him.

“Yoo the Hero is here!”

Namgungmyeong glanced back. His face lit up with hope.

Yujingwang raised his right hand, pointing at Hong Geolgae and Namgungmyeong, then at the Ghost King.

There was no need for telepathy; the message was clear.

‘Leave the Twin Blood Elders to me, and just keep the Ghost King occupied for a while.’

No matter how formidable the Ghost King was, he couldn’t withstand the combined assault of four top-tier warriors. Especially with the constant threat of flying wheels.

As Hong Geolgae and Namgungmyeong moved to engage the Ghost King, the Ghost King shouted in alarm.

“Stop them!”

The Twin Blood Elders didn’t remain idle. They lunged at the retreating pair with their spears.

Yujingwang drew his sword and hurled it at the Twin Blood Elders.

Clang!

The Twin Blood Elders deflected Yujingwang’s sword with their spears, then rubbed their wrists.

“What are you supposed to be?”

Yujin Gwang didn’t bother to answer. Instead, he gestured to Dang Mujin, who was perched on the roof.

Having tossed his own sword aside, he was asking to borrow one. Dang Mujin wiped the blood off his blade with a dead man’s clothes and tossed it over.

“Catch!”

Yujin Gwang caught the sword and gave it a few experimental swings through the air.

A smile naturally spread across his face.

“This is the best sword I’ve ever held. It slices through the air like it’s nothing.”

Two of Yujin Gwang’s companions leapt onto the roof to protect the now unarmed Dang Mujin.

Left alone, Yujin Gwang walked straight ahead. Soon, he stood face to face with Sanggeuk Hyeol-ong.

“Hoo…”

Sanggeuk Hyeol-ong let out a low sigh. As he had done before, he moved his two short spears in a complex pattern, searching for an opening in Yujin Gwang’s defense.

The movements were dizzyingly intricate, almost impossible to follow.

The two spears twisted and turned unpredictably, ready to ensnare and disrupt the path of any sword that came their way.

Yujin Gwang watched for a moment before making his assessment.

“You’re just flailing around like a madman.”

Without warning, Yujin Gwang lunged with his sword.

Most sword techniques have a flow or grace to them, and Sanggeuk Hyeol-ong’s unique style, the Whirlwind Technique, was designed to disrupt that flow and gain the upper hand.

Naturally, Sanggeuk Hyeol-ong assumed Yujin Gwang’s sword would have a flow as well. Every opponent he’d faced before had been like that.

But Yujin Gwang’s sword had no flow. It was all about the shortest distance and the fastest speed. That was it.

There was no way to get lost in the path of Yujin Gwang’s sword because it was all about direction, not flow. It was a terrible match-up for Sanggeuk Hyeol-ong.

And the sword Yujin Gwang wielded was no ordinary weapon.

When the round shaft of the spear met the tip of the sword, the sword should have slid off to the side. But this one dug right in.

’…!’

Sanggeuk Hyeol-ong hastily pulled back his spear, twisting his body, but his sleeve was sliced open.

‘Retreating gracefully isn’t an option.’

Being pushed back so one-sidedly would have negative consequences for the rest of the fight, both in terms of momentum and strategy.

So, even as he dodged, Sanggeuk Hyeol-ong thrust his spear in a trajectory that Yujin Gwang would have to block.

‘Right shoulder!’

But Yujin Gwang didn’t defend his shoulder. Instead, he quickly retracted his sword and thrust again.

As if he was willing to sacrifice his shoulder to aim for Sanggeuk Hyeol-ong’s heart.

People who haven’t trained in martial arts might think that’s how warriors fight.

Giving flesh to take bone, giving bone to take life.

But contrary to what ordinary people might think, this was not a typical martial artist’s approach.

What kind of warrior aims for mutual destruction right from the start?

In the end, Sanggeuk Hyeol-ong twisted his body again to evade. A thin line of blood trickled down his left arm.

Sanggeuk Hyeol-ong shouted in frustration.

“What the hell are you doing?”

“What do you think? My sword is faster than your attack, so I have nothing to fear.”

“You’re insane! You think I dodged because I’m weaker? If I fight with the intent to take a hit, I can take your head too!”

“Haha!”

Yujin Gwang let out a short laugh.

And then, just as quickly, his face turned serious.

He spoke.

“Then why don’t we both just die together?”

When faced with the unexpected, people tend to panic.

Sanggeuk Hyeol-ong felt he might be overwhelmed by Yujin Gwang’s bizarre aura if he stayed still, so he immediately thrust his spear.

The target was Yujin Gwang’s head.

It was a simple, foolproof decision.

‘There might be someone who offers their shoulder to aim for the heart, but no one offers their head to pierce the heart.’

But contrary to expectations, Yujin Gwang’s sword came thrusting forward.

As the spear and sword crossed paths without clashing, Sanggeuk Hyeol-ong looked into Yujin Gwang’s eyes.

And he realized. Yujin Gwang wasn’t joking about dying together.

‘This lunatic!’

Sanggeuk Hyeol-ong recoiled in horror, twisting his body.

Yujin Gwang’s sword dug deep into Sanggeuk Hyeol-ong’s side, but Yujin Gwang wasn’t unscathed either.

The auxiliary blade on the spear grazed past Yujin Gwang’s right eye, across his temple, and sliced through the middle of his right ear.

In such a situation, any human would instinctively close their eyes. Every martial artist he’d ever seen had done so.

But even then, Yujin Gwang didn’t close his eyes, staring intently at Sanggeuk Hyeol-ong.

Sanggeuk Hyeol-ong found that gaze utterly chilling.

‘Is this even possible?’

Blood seeped from Sanggeuk Hyeol-ong’s side, soaking his clothes, while Yujin Gwang’s right side of the face was drenched in blood.

Without wiping the blood away, Yujin Gwang spoke, his tone oddly cheerful.

“This is why I love having a faster sword. It feels like I’m a merchant who never loses.”

“Lose?”

“If the opponent dies, it’s a gain. If we both die, it’s a draw. Isn’t that right?”

Sanggeuk Hyeol-ong realized the biggest problem in this fight.

In the face of the biggest problem, skill level and martial arts compatibility were relatively minor issues.

The biggest problem was that Yujin Gwang was a madman!

Sanggeuk Hyeol-ong changed his mind.

’…I need to get out of here.’

He had no desire to fight such a lunatic.

He was too old, with only a few years left to attempt rejuvenation.

Sanggeuk Hyeol-ong had come to Gongdong Mountain to seek enlightenment and extend his life through the martial arts taught by the Ghost King.

Though desperate for enlightenment and rejuvenation, staying here meant dying not of old age but by a madman’s sword. There was no choice.

‘What a ridiculous opponent!’

Without further hesitation, Sanggeuk Hyeol-ong turned and fled.

Naturally, Yujin Gwang’s sword aimed for his back.

Yujin Gwang never struck an opponent’s back unless they were running away.

Sanggeuk Hyeol-ong tried to deflect Yujin Gwang’s sword with skill. But then, a familiar and terrifying sensation approached from the side.

A circular blade, a flying disc, was targeting Sanggeuk Hyeol-ong’s right arm.

‘Do I sacrifice my right arm, or do I let the sword behind me pierce my heart?’

There was no need to think.

As Sanggeuk Hyeol-ong’s spear deflected Yujin Gwang’s sword, the disc flew in and sliced through Sanggeuk Hyeol-ong’s right arm.

His right arm was severed cleanly.

But Sanggeuk Hyeol-ong felt no pain. He was too shocked and agitated.

‘At least I’m alive!’

Like a lizard leaving its tail behind, Sanggeuk Hyeol-ong abandoned his right arm and disappeared over the wall of Gongdong Sect.

The Ghost King was no different. Like most top-tier masters, he knew when to retreat in the face of danger.

Desperately, he unleashed a powerful technique to push away the four who held him and fled frantically.

It was the second time Yujin Gwang had seen the Ghost King run. The last time was when he encountered the Fire Lotus Witch.

“Ugh…”

With their leaders gone, the dark sect warriors began to retreat in haste.

There was no time to leisurely fend off attacks and escape. They had to flee before the flying discs came for them.

In the chaos of retreat, many dark sect warriors fell.

But a fair number managed to escape into the woods of Gongdong Mountain.

Finally, the clashing of weapons ceased. The eastern sky began to lighten.

Yujin Gwang leapt onto the roof where Dang Mujin stood and returned the sword.

“Bit late, but good thing I showed up, right?”

“Of course. How did you know to come?”

“How? The Mount Song Sect never shies away from a righteous battle.”

Dang Mujin gave Yujin Gwang a faint smile.

He then took a deep breath and stretched his back. A refreshing pain coursed through him.

After a night of throwing flying discs, his energy felt depleted, and his hands were numb.

Dang Mujin jumped down from the roof to check on Ilseonja’s body.

As expected, it had long since grown cold. The martial artists of the Zhongnan Sect rushed over, cradling Ilseonja’s body and weeping.

Dang Mujin watched the scene and surveyed the surroundings. Most were exhausted and slumped over. Namgung Myung, Hyun Gong, and Hong Geolgae were no exceptions.

Then something caught Dang Mujin’s eye. Sanggeuk Hyeol-ong’s shriveled right arm.

Dang Mujin handed the arm to Namgung Myung.

“Here. You said you lost an arm, so I brought you a new one.”

”…That’s a right arm.”

“Two right arms. Now that’s real individuality. I can’t wait to see what nickname you’ll earn.”

Namgung Myung’s nickname was “God’s Fist.”

However, only a handful of people knew that Shintu was actually Namgoong Myung. Most assumed he didn’t have a nickname yet, but it was only a matter of time before he earned one.

Dang Mujin, ever the considerate friend, offered a warm gesture of support.

But Namgoong Myung waved it off with indifference. “I don’t need a nickname.”

“Think about it seriously. You could be the only person who can wield a sword with your left hand as skillfully as with your right. No one would see it coming.”

“Now that you mention it, that does sound intriguing.”

Listening to the conversation, Hong Geolgae and Hyun Gong chuckled quietly.

Dang Mujin plopped down beside his friends and then sprawled out on the ground. The blood-stained earth, now a deep red, felt as comfortable as a soft bed.

Before he knew it, Dang Mujin drifted off to sleep.