Chapter 120 Choice-1

Chapter 120 Choice-1

As soon as the Sword of Light vanished, Dang Yeo-eun spoke first, her expression urgent.

“Master Kong, we must hurry. We need to pass through the checkpoint before Maowu Zhen does.”

Sun Woo-jin nodded immediately.

“That’s right. Let’s move.”

The two immediately dashed toward the burning village. Whether to rescue people or pursue the man known as the enemy of the Broad Sword, they had to reach the village either way.

Then, Dang Yeo-eun asked as she ran like the wind.

“Catching that man as quickly as possible is the way to pass through the gate, right? Earlier, Gwanggeom even called himself a fool for letting that man escape while trying to save the villagers.”

At her words, Seon Woo-jin let out a low growl.

“Hmm.”

Considering the nature of the Light Sword he’d observed so far, and piecing together what she’d said earlier, Dang Yeo-eun’s words seemed undeniably correct.

But Seon Woo-jin couldn’t bring himself to agree with her. He could only mutter solemnly.

“I don’t know.”

At that, Dang Ye-eun slowed her running pace and asked with a surprised expression.

“You wouldn’t be thinking of saving the villagers first, would you?”

Sunwoo Jin couldn’t bring himself to answer.

He hadn’t yet made up his mind about what to do.

Then, with a worried look, Dang Yeo-eun spoke again.

“Master Seonwoo, I understand your principles, but this time our very lives are at stake. Moreover, if we fail, it won’t just be us who die—it could mean handing over the secret manual of the Broad Sword to villains like Makwoojeon. So this time, I think prioritizing the urgent matter is the right thing to do. Besides… those people in that village aren’t even real humans, are they?”

That was true.

Her words were undeniably true.

But even though her words made sense logically, somehow, her heart didn’t feel at ease.

She wondered if this might be a warning from her own intuition.

Or perhaps it was simply a refusal to turn away from those suffering.

Just as Seon Woo-jin hadn’t yet made up his mind, the two finally entered the burning village.

Then, cries of distress echoed from all directions.

“Fire!”

“Save us!”

“Mother! Help me! Mother’s inside the house!”

“My child! My child!”

The village was a complete pandemonium.

Not a single person was safe.

Then, Dang Yeo-eun suddenly pointed her finger toward the opposite side of the village and shouted.

“Look over there! It looks like the author!”

They looked where Dang Yeo-eun was pointing.

Then, a man who appeared to be in his thirties witnessed the two and immediately fled.

A man who fled the moment he saw them.

He was undoubtedly the man the Mad Sword had spoken of.

Moreover, his skill level did not appear low at all.

Judging by his speed and footwork, he was at least a martial artist who had reached the peak of his cultivation.

If they didn’t pursue him immediately, they would surely lose him.

Dang Yeo-eun looked at Seon Woo-jin with urgent eyes and cried out.

“Master!”

Then Seon Woo-jin quickly took in the man and the village scenery, and finally made his decision.

He then said to Tang Ye-eun.

“Miss Dang, this gate being called the Two-Person Gate surely means there was a reason it had to be two people. I believe it’s because both matters need to be resolved. So, Miss Dang, please pursue the man first. I’ll rescue the people and follow as quickly as possible.”

Even as he spoke, Seon Woo-jin knew.

This was likely just an excuse to rationalize his own decision.

But he couldn’t bring himself to turn them away, even though time was running out and he knew the villagers weren’t real people.

He simply couldn’t bring himself to do it.

This feeling might have been a warning from his sixth sense, or it might have been his desire to join the Sword Saint’s ideal of creating a world where humanity thrived.

But now, the reason didn’t matter.

He had decided not to do it.

“Master…”

Dang Yeo-eun gazed at Seon Woo-jin for a moment with a look of regret.

Seonwoo Jin could clearly sense the disappointment in her eyes.

But she nodded as if she had no choice.

“I understand. You must hurry.”

“Yes, young lady. If it’s too difficult to handle, just delay your departure. I’ll get there as fast as I can.”

Dang Yeo-eun turned abruptly and rushed after him.

But Seon Woo-jin, who had intended to rush to save the people, suddenly froze in place, unable to move immediately.

‘Could it be?’

It was because of what he had just seen in her eyes.

Seon Woo-jin stared at her retreating figure, unable to look away, his face frozen in shock.

‘No way, it can’t be…’

Seon Woo-jin had just witnessed a crimson glow.

The faint crimson aura that had gathered in Dang Ye-eun’s eyes.

A crimson glow similar to the one that had just appeared in the eyes of Makwoojeon and Gayuak was also present in Dang Yeo-eun’s eyes.

Without realizing it, he swallowed hard.

Then, the desperate voice sounded again.

“Help me! Please help me!”

“Ah!”

Snapping back to his senses, Seon Woo-jin gritted his teeth and immediately launched himself toward the source of the plea for help.

There was no time to hesitate.

But even as he threw himself forward, Seon Woo-jin’s mind churned like a raging wave, turbulent and chaotic.

‘It must be a mistake. It has to be a mistake.’

Suddenly, the thought flashed through his mind: Dang Yeo-eun’s heart was incredibly tender, and she had easily fallen for Mayu-gyeom’s insinuations before.

But he shook his head violently and forced himself to ignore it.

There was no way.

He wanted to believe in her.

Seon Woo-jin did his utmost to save people.

He rescued the elderly and children trapped in the flames and cleared a path for people to escape by unleashing his sword energy.

But the village was larger than expected, and those in need were scattered everywhere.

So, using Seon Woo-jin’s exceptional divine technique, he dashed here and there, but even so, he couldn’t save everyone.

This was also why Seon Woo-jin had sent Dang Yeo-eun away earlier.

He had briefly considered pursuing the enemy himself and asking Dang Yeo-eun to handle the rescues, but he doubted her divine technique could save many people.

But even for Seon Woo-jin, it took quite some time after rescuing everyone he could.

“I survived!”

“Thank you, sir! Thank you so much!”

“Sir, thank you.”

The villagers shed tears of gratitude as they thanked Seon Woo-jin.

But he was in no state of mind to receive their thanks.

He immediately leapt after Dang Ye-eun.

He had already wasted too much time.

The only solace was that he felt no lingering effects from his internal injuries.

‘Young Lady Dang, please!’

Sunwoo Jin prayed silently for her safety as he raced forward like the wind.

After a short while, Seon Woo-jin finally spotted her.

‘Lady Tang!’

But the situation was far from good.

She was cornered in a state of utter disarray, as if she’d fought a desperate battle.

Had she been defeated in battle with the creature? Her sword lay discarded far away.

A weasel-like creature stood over her, sword pressed to her throat, grinning maliciously.

“Hehehe! I’ve never seen such a pretty bitch before.”

Then, he drew his sword downward slightly, slicing open the front of Dang Yeo-eun’s chest.

Slashing!

Her collar split apart, the fabric covering her chest falling away.

“Kyaaah!”

Dang Yeo-eun screamed and clutched her arms to hold back the slipping fabric.

Then the man laughed greedily and swallowed hard.

“Hehehehe! Your screams are thrilling too.”

The man scanned Dang Ye-eun’s entire body with a greedy gaze, and her face was etched with unbearable shame.

Seeing this, Seon Woo-jin’s eyes exploded with fury.

“You bastard!”

POW!

His already blazing speed accelerated even further.

It was the fastest speed he had ever achieved, a movement truly as swift as lightning.

The man turned his head and spotted Seonwoo Jin, startling him so much he hurriedly assumed a defensive stance.

But his defensive stance and Seon Woo-jin’s attack were almost simultaneous.

“Son of a bitch!”

CRASH!

A thunderous strike.

The man was sent flying backward.

“Guh!”

It was a strike unlike the usual Seon Woo-jin, relying solely on speed and power.

And it followed immediately.

Like a shadow, he pursued the enemy and brought his sword down like lightning once more.

“Haah!”

Kwaaang!

“Ugh, you bastard!”

And once more.

Shwaaah!

After three consecutive strikes of the same technique, the enemy’s eyes flashed as he swiftly parried the sword.

It was a tactic to parry Seonwoojin’s simple sword strike and launch a counterattack.

But at that instant, Seonwoo Jin’s sword split apart like an illusion.

The Thirteenth Strike of the Sunwoo Thirteen Swords.

Illusory Sword Mirror.

Whoooooosh!

In an instant, hundreds of swords surrounded him.

It was a sword technique he had never heard of or seen before.

Then, momentarily flustered, the man gritted his teeth and swung his sword again.

He had realized it was merely an illusion anyway.

“What kind of trick is that?!”

But at that moment, the halberds that had filled the surrounding space materialized.

And they poured down upon the enemy from all directions.

Sunwoo Thirteen Swords, Fifteenth Stroke.

Emptiness is Form.

Shuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu

Puuuuuuuup!

“Guh!”

Hundreds of sword energies pierced through him.

His body was pierced through like a hedgehog.

There was no way he could survive in that state.

He glanced at Seonwoo Jin with an expression of disbelief, then slowly collapsed, blood gushing from his body like a fountain.

Thud!

Thud!

His cultivation level seemed to be roughly eighty years of internal energy.

A martial artist at a level comparable to Sunwoo Jin’s current state.

The fact that such a warrior could be slain in an instant was nothing short of an encouraging result.

But Seonwoo Jin did not look at him.

He rushed straight to Tang Ye-eun.

“Young Lady Dang! Are you all right?!”

Fortunately, Tang Ye-eun didn’t appear to have any serious injuries.

Yet, her expression was deeply somber as she clutched her torn front panel with both arms.

Without even meeting Seon Woo-jin’s eyes, Dang Yeo-eun quietly replied.

“I’m fine. You’re a little… late.”

She looked deeply wounded.

Seon Woo-jin didn’t know what to say.

Clearly, sending her alone had been his own choice, and the fact that he’d made her suffer this humiliation by being late was ultimately his own doing.

Moreover, Seon Woo-jin was now looking into her eyes.

The faint red glow clearly visible within her eyes.

What he had seen earlier was not a mistake.

“Young Lady Tang…”

Seon Woo-jin felt his vision go blank.

He knew he had to deal with that red glow somehow, but he couldn’t figure out what to say first.

He opened his mouth cautiously.

“Lady Tang, the Great Union Heart Sutra…”

But then it happened.

Suddenly, the surroundings changed again.

The place where the two stood was once again the forest from earlier.

They had returned to the very spot where they first encountered the Light Sword.

And before them, the Light Sword once again emanated an overwhelming killing intent as it stared at them.

Seon Woo-jin and Dang Yeo-eun stared at it with tense eyes.

They couldn’t interpret the meaning behind the sword’s gaze fixed upon them.

Had they truly passed the trial?

Before the final gate?

As the two waited anxiously for the words to come from his mouth, he finally spoke.

“Congratulations on passing the examination.”

A sigh of relief escaped her.

“Whew.”

“Phew, I’m alive.”

Seon Woo-jin’s judgment had apparently matched the solution he’d arrived at for the gate.

It was a huge relief.

Dang Yeo-eun asked Gwanggeom in a relieved voice.

“So does that mean we passed the gate before the other two?”

Gwanggeom shook his head again.

And his subsequent answer left Seon Woo-jin and Dang Yeo-eun frozen solid once more.

“No, they passed the gate long before us.”

“…What?”

The two stared at Gwanggeom with eyes wide with shock.

They passed through the gate first?

Kwanggeom had clearly stated earlier.

Only two of us would pass the gate and remain.

But if they had passed the gate first…

As Seonwoojin and Dangyeo-eun were consumed by despairing thoughts, Gwanggeom spoke again.

“And those two fought, leaving only that Makwoojeon fellow. So now, only one of you two can remain.”

“…Huh?”

Seon Woo-jin and Dang Yeo-eun couldn’t immediately grasp the meaning of those words.

They fought until only Makwoojeon remained?

And now only one of us must remain too?

What the hell…!

But Seon Woo-jin’s sharp mind quickly deciphered the meaning behind those words.

He muttered as if groaning.

“For two to remain… it didn’t mean only one side would survive. It meant leaving only one person from each side…”

His mind went blank as a sheet of paper.

Yet even then, Seonwoo Jin’s memory recalled exactly what the Mad Sword had said at the beginning.

‘Remember this: only two shall pass through the passage. Only two of you will survive.’

That was it.

He had only said that only two out of four would survive; he had never once said that the one who passed through the gate first would survive.

That was just their own delusion.

Seon Woo-jin stared blankly at Dang Yeo-eun.

She, too, gazed back at him with tears welling in her eyes.

The Sword of Light was telling Seon Woo-jin to fight and kill Dang Yeo-eun himself.

So the reason they needed two people for the gate was to ensure only one of them remained from the start.

It was an utterly vicious trial.

Seon Woo-jin clenched his teeth and answered.

“No. Absolutely not. We will never kill each other.”

Killing Dang Yeo-eun with his own hands? He’d rather die than do such a thing.

Then, Gwanggeom sneered and asked.

“Is that so? Is that really the case?”

Seon Woo-jin was horrified by his laughter.

It was the first truly wicked smile he had shown since arriving here.

He wondered if perhaps that was his true expression all along.

Gwanggeom now laughed with a truly demonic expression and snapped his fingers again.

Then, the surroundings changed once more.

And the sight of it filled both their eyes with the light of despair.

“Oh no…”

The area around them had become a seething, boiling lava lake.

The heat felt like it could cook flesh, and a pungent, acrid smell filled their nostrils.

In the middle of that vast lava lake, Seon Woo-jin and Dang Yeo-eun stood on a small, rock-like island.

But that small island looked precarious, as if it might sink into the lava at any moment.

Then, the floating sword hovering in the air, watching over them, opened its mouth.

As each day passes, the floor will grow narrower and narrower. Before half a day has passed, there will be nowhere left to stand. Only one of us must remain by then. Otherwise, we will both die.

With those words, he vanished without a trace.

Now alone, Seon Woo-jin and Dang Yeo-eun stared at each other, utterly bewildered.

There was nothing they could do.

It was Dang Yeo-eun who made up her mind first.

Clang!

She drew her sword and shouted at Seonwoo Jin.

It was the red sword with a red hilt, the pair to Seon Woo-jin’s sword, brought to perform the Blue-Red Twin Swords.

“Master, draw your sword now! At least one of us must survive!”

Seon Woo-jin looked at her with a sorrowful gaze.

A crimson aura, far more vivid than before, now flickered in her eyes.