"Young Master!"
With Nok-gi's cry, Jeok-yeong, who had been silent until now, leaped forward. A red shadow stretched out and blocked Wei Yan-ho's sword light.
"Hmm!"
Jeok-yeong spread his long robe wide and swung it.
Swooooosh!
With the sound of silk being cut, Wei Yan-ho's sword light split in half and was pushed to the left and right.
"You brat…"
But then Jeok-yeong had to see it.
Wei Yan-ho revealing himself between the split sword lights.
Paaang!
Wei Yan-ho's sword created a pa-gong sound as it tore through the air.
It flew toward Jeok-yeong's neck.
Jeok-yeong was horrified and threw his body backward.
Screech.
But he couldn't avoid it completely, and his neck was cut lengthwise.
"Ugh…"
Jeok-yeong stepped back and raised his hand to caress his neck.
'If it had gone half an inch deeper, I would have died.'
Jeok-yeong glared at Wei Yan-ho with furious eyes. What truly surprised him wasn't the fact that Wei Yan-ho was strong.
'This bastard is experienced in combat.'
His mission was to escort Nok-gi and assassinate key figures in the Imperial Palace. Successfully carrying out an assassination was extremely difficult, but what was even more difficult was safely escaping after the assassination.
Jeok-yeong already had experience successfully completing numerous missions. And in the process, he had overcome countless life-threatening situations. The real combat experience he had barely obtained after all that—this young bastard naturally possessed it as if it were obvious.
"Just what kind of life have you lived, looking so innocent?"
Wei Yan-ho silently flicked his sword tip without answering.
It meant: let's converse with swords.
It was an incredibly arrogant act, but he couldn't help but acknowledge that Wei Yan-ho had the qualifications for such behavior.
"There's no time to hesitate."
Nok-gi's cold voice pierced Jeok-yeong's ears.
"If you can't kill that bastard, the mission will fail. Then even if we survive this place, there will be only one path left for us."
Hearing Nok-gi's words, Jeok-yeong's body trembled.
He would rather die here than be in the situation Nok-gi mentioned.
'That person' was far too cruel.
If their incompetence caused that person's grand plan to be disrupted, they would neither die nor live, falling into eternal suffering.
'Help?'
Jeok-yeong's gaze swept the surroundings.
"Do I look weak to your eyes! I am the Righteous Hero Sword! If it weren't for that bastard son, I would be making my name known throughout the world as that Righteous Hero Sword! You damn bastards!"
Having sold off his past upright appearance somewhere, Wei Jeong-han swung his sword with the appearance of nothing more than a neighborhood ruffian.
Wei Yan-ho was causing such a ruckus that it was hard to get attention, but didn't he also possess skills that wouldn't be ignored anywhere in the martial world?
Even elders of major sects couldn't look down on those skills, and meeting suitable opponents, that ability was shining for the first time in a long while.
"Feel with your body how sharp Huashan's sword is."
Gong Mu-jin was also showing an appearance befitting his nickname 'Sword Ghost' for the first time in a while. The plum blossoms that bloomed from his sword tip perfectly suited the phrase 'flowers of death.'
Those who touched the gorgeously blooming plum blossom petals had to shed blood, one and all, from the sharpness hidden by the plum blossoms that only appeared beautiful.
Lee Seol-hwa was also earnestly drawing plum blossoms beside her master. Her plum blossoms were incredibly clumsy compared to Gong Mu-jin's, but they were certainly incomparable to the plum blossoms she used to draw in the past.
'You've improved a lot.'
Even in the midst of this, Gong Mu-jin smiled warmly.
Though much was lost from associating with that damn Wei Yan-ho, one thing was definitely gained.
His disciple's growth.
The experience of going through numerous events, the stimulation given by stronger peers hanging around, and the result of watching the battles of strong warriors several times with her own eyes… Lee Seol-hwa had become dramatically stronger.
Probably throughout Huashan's history, there were few who became this strong in such a short time like her. He should be able to purely rejoice in that fact, but…
Rumble rumble rumble!
A man bringing down lightning with a single sword was blowing away the black-clad figures like autumn leaves in a gust.
"Tsk…"
Gong Mu-jin clicked his tongue.
'Wei Yan-ho alone is overwhelming enough.'
It was because Wei Yan-ho was such a conspicuous fellow, but Wei San-ho was by no means inferior to him. Right now Wei Yan-ho might be stronger, but Wei San-ho was one who walked the righteous path. Considering that Wei Yan-ho would definitely become dull with laziness as time passed, the future position of Number One Under Heaven might belong to this man.
"Hey! Damn it! I almost got swept up too! Can't you do it properly?"
"…Stay back."
"Didn't you say I needed to achieve merit! Merit!"
Whatever becomes of that beggar fellow.
"Amitabha!"
Mu-san, who chanted the Buddha's name once, threw his punch. The golden arhat figure extending from his fist was turning the black-clad figures into bloody pulp.
"…Is that really a Shaolin disciple?"
Wei Jeong-han rubbed his eyes.
Of course, the martial arts he was using were Shaolin's, and the monk robes he wore were Shaolin's, so he must be a Shaolin disciple, but… the killing intent in each strike was extraordinary.
At this rate, he might end up with nicknames like Blood Buddha or Asura, it was concerning enough. The Peng fellow beside him cutting with his blade looked gentle in comparison, so what more was there to say?
'Really strange fellows have gathered.'
Wei Jeong-han let out a hollow laugh.
What kind of demon had possessed that son of his, that only such strange fellows gathered around him?
Not one of them wasn't peculiar, and not one of them wasn't strong.
If it were Wei Jeong-han of the same age, it was doubtful whether he could beat even one of the fellows here.
'No, I'd definitely beat that beggar.'
And those Righteous Alliance trash behind him too.
Even so, the fact that such figures flocked around Wei Yan-ho was certainly remarkable.
'Should I say he has good connections with people?'
Wei Jeong-han clicked his tongue and looked at Wei Yan-ho.
Thanks to Wei Yan-ho monopolizing all the strongest ones, they could easily protect the Emperor. Whether Wei Yan-ho intended it or not.
Though the Imperial Palace warriors were said to be strong, not all of them had come, and the ones here could be sufficiently blocked by themselves alone.
Then the key was over there…
"…No matter how I look at it, it doesn't seem like he'll lose."
Because while you can't trust the person, you can trust his skills.
'It's impossible.'
Jeok-yeong gave up on helping. The surrounding situation was flowing very unfavorably. He was the one who should be giving help instead.
"Quick decisive battle."
Jeok-yeong's eyes flashed.
If they dragged out time like this, there was also the concern that Wei Yan-ho's group would join forces with Wei Yan-ho. If that happened, failure would be certain.
"All together."
Nok-gi and the guards nodded.
They too understood that dragging it out long wouldn't be good.
They drew up all the internal energy in their dantian. Their clothes puffed up and their faces turned bright red.
"Hmm…"
Wei Yan-ho's sword, having noticed what his opponents were trying to do, slowly descended downward.
Lower stance.
Originally it should be a posture aiming around the opponent's knees, but Wei Yan-ho's lower stance was different from other lower stances. Wei Yan-ho, who touched his sword tip to the ground, relaxed his body and quietly watched them.
In a way, it was a deflated posture.
It was like a farmer leaning on his plow to rest while plowing. It was a posture where not even a trace of a warrior's sharpness could be felt.
But…
'What is this?'
Cold sweat began flowing down Jeok-yeong's forehead.
Pressure?
There was none of that. But strangely, no matter where he looked, he couldn't see a place to attack.
That sloppy posture… no, rather because it was a sloppy posture, he couldn't get a sense of how to respond. Not knowing how the opponent would come out was a great burden for those who had reached their level.
"Kuk."
Unfortunately, time was not on their side.
"Uaaaaaaah!"
Jeok-yeong's long robe spewed flame-like inflammatory energy. At the same time, Nok-gi's small hands embroidered the air. The sight of small palm-shaped white hands embroidering the air… was like snow falling.
"Dieeeee!"
At the same time, the Emperor's guards also rushed at Wei Yan-ho all at once.
Fire and snow.
Five swords.
Even though killing techniques targeting his life were approaching, Wei Yan-ho didn't move at all.
'That?'
In an instant, Wei Jeong-han's eyes bulged as if they would tear.
He saw it.
Wei Yan-ho slowly closed his eyes.
'That crazy bastard!'
What kind of situation was this?
Five guards, each one clearly stronger than Wei Jeong-han, were charging in, and fearsome inflammatory energy and small hands that clearly contained terrifying experience were filling the surroundings without gaps, yet he closed his eyes?
"Hey, you!"
The moment when worry as a father and anger as a warrior were about to burst from his mouth simultaneously, Wei Yan-ho's sword began to move slowly.
A slow arc.
A slow, far too slow arc that seemed too slow to block the swords flying like rays of light.
That sword that seemed far too slow slowly cut through the air.
'Is it really slow?'
Wei Jeong-han couldn't help but be caught in a strange sensation.
That sword was slow. But it was fast.
It was soft. But it was strong.
Contradiction.
It was a sword of contradiction itself.
Wei Yan-ho's sword drew a line in the air that seemed straight yet arbitrary.
That one second seemed far too powerless to counter the attacks pouring down filling the world.
Finally, the moment Wei Yan-ho's single sword stroke slowly and completely cut through the air!
An unprecedented brilliant light burst forth and filled the world completely.
Wei Yan-ho, Jeok-yeong, the guards, and Nok-gi too.
The Emperor and Wei Jeong-han's group, and even those trembling in the corner of the great hall were all covered by that pure white light.
What remained where the light disappeared was emptiness and silence.
Eventually…
Nok-gi asked with blank eyes.
"What did you do…"
Wei Yan-ho, receiving Nok-gi's question, scratched his head roughly.
"I failed."
"Failed?"
"Yes. Um… I saw something and tried to imitate it, but this doesn't work well. Originally it shouldn't explode this big… Whew."
Wei Yan-ho shook his head from side to side.
"No matter how I think about it, this is too difficult. I don't think I could do it even if I tried my whole life. I'm thinking I should just give up."
"…Failed, you say?"
Nok-gi laughed helplessly.
Failed? Failed?
"Hahahahahahaha!"
Nok-gi's hearty laughter rang throughout the great hall.
"You say it failed? Yes, it failed! Hahahahaha!"
Wei Yan-ho said with a somewhat embarrassed face.
"Um, sorry about that."
"I! This Nok-gi dies to a mere failed sword. Hahahahaha!"
Nok-gi raised his head and laughed to his heart's content.
After laughing for a while, Nok-gi lowered his head.
"Huk…"
Wei Jeong-han unconsciously swallowed empty air.
Lines.
Lines were appearing on Nok-gi's face and all over his body. Very thin and faint lines.
"It's a pity to die without seeing this sword completed."
"Eh, completion seems a bit difficult…"
Blood began flowing backward from Nok-gi's mouth.
You… you're truly terrifying… Supreme One… please, the great enterprise… preserve it…
Nok-gi's body collapsed, becoming countless pieces of flesh.
For the death of a hero who tried to shake an era, it was an unbelievably futile end.