Chapter 143 Summary-4

Chapter 143 Summary-4

It was then.

The satisfied smile on Mo Sun-do’s face, pleased with his own advanced sword technique, suddenly froze.

He realized that what had been torn to shreds along with the tree was not a person, but only the black robe.

And in that instant, daggers flew in again from behind him.

Whirrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

From behind the trees positioned at his rear, darts spun wildly as they flew in from all directions.

Confirming the projectiles, Mo Sun-do shouted in a furious voice.

“With this kind of thing!”

T-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-

Now that he had broken through the wall, deflecting those projectiles was no trouble at all for Mochundo.

Mousundo easily deflected them and immediately launched himself forward, striking the tree from which they had flown with another blow.

Kwaaang!

The tree trunk exploded again, scattering fragments.

But even behind that tree, Gyeonjung’s figure was nowhere to be seen.

Frowning in frustration at not finding Gyeonjung, Mosundo glanced up above his head.

The tree trunk, its base torn off, was slowly falling right toward his head.

“Hmph!”

A tree falling slowly posed no threat at all.

So, as he moved to dodge it, a thought suddenly occurred to him.

He launched a thrust toward the falling tree.

It was because he thought the enemy might be lurking behind it.

“Hmph!”

CRASH!

But even though he had shattered the tree falling toward his head, the figure of the beast remained unseen.

Only the upper part of the shattered tree continued to fall behind his head.

Kwooong!

As the top of the tree hit the ground, broken branches and stone fragments flew in all directions.

Suddenly appearing as if sprouting from between the leaves, Gyeonjung charged toward the back of the natural contradiction, accompanied by flying stones.

It was a perfectly executed surprise attack.

Whoosh!

But Mochundo, who had broken through the wall, was no pushover either.

Feeling a chill run down his neck in that instant, he spun around and swung his sword.

Boom!

A powerful sword strike came down diagonally at the target.

Thud!

But Gyeonjung, seemingly anticipating this, parried it with a dagger sheathed in a sword scabbard.

The powerful strike of the Moosundo sword was barely deflected, sliding off the dagger.

And this time, Gyeonjung-do didn’t back down.

Whoosh!

Gyeonjung flung his left hand, hurling a hidden weapon as he charged forward.

The hidden weapon was thrown from deep within the Daedo’s inner territory.

“Guh!”

Moshundo was flustered.

It was far too close.

“Crunch!”

He whipped his wrist with all his might.

Pulling the great sword to shield his body with its blade, the straight-flying blades collided with the blade and bounced off.

T-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-

The spinning blades also grazed the great sword.

It was an incredible improvisation.

But Gyeonjung’s attack wasn’t over.

In the next instant, he had closed in to the innermost area of the great sword and swung his dagger.

Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii

The arm of the beast split into five or six in an instant.

Daggers as swift as rays of light slashed toward him from all directions.

The distance was so close that even a great sword couldn’t be used to attack.

“Yik!”

Gritting his teeth, Mochundo moved the great sword this way and that, desperately trying to parry the dog’s daggers with its blade.

Ting! Ting! Ting! Ting!

Then he immediately pushed off the ground, creating distance.

Just one step—if he could create enough distance to swing his broadsword, the enemy would never be his match.

“Ha!”

And by thrusting forward with the drawing to push back the opponent, Mo Sun-do ultimately succeeded in creating that one step of distance.

‘Got it!’

A bright smile finally spread across his face.

Now that the enemy had revealed himself, it was finally time to unleash his advanced sword technique.

“Farewell!”

Mo Sun-do’s hands gripped the sword tightly, his arm muscles bulging as if about to burst as he prepared to swing the blade.

At that moment.

Thwack!

“Gah?!”

Moshundo couldn’t help but be horrified by something that had just driven deep into his back.

He hadn’t heard a sound, yet the dagger had flown and pierced him.

‘How?!’

Instantly, the memory of the dart Gyeonjung had just thrown from close range flashed through Mochundo’s mind.

The straight-flying dagger and the spinning spears.

And suddenly, he realized.

‘The darts I threw this time made no sound!’

The darts he had thrown earlier had made a loud whistling sound as they spun, but the ones he had just thrown made no sound at all.

Those javelins must have spun back and lodged themselves in his own back.

In the end, he hadn’t just let them slip away earlier—he had thrown them with that intent all along…

And in the instant he realized this, Gyeonjung’s dagger struck the Moksundo.

Shwaaah!

The dagger, now split into eight pieces, was even faster than before.

“Guh!”

Moushundo swung his great sword again, desperately trying to block it.

But the strength was steadily draining from his hands, already struck at the vital point on his back.

Tiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii

And finally.

Chu-haak!

“Gah!”

Gyeonjung’s dagger, which had been repeatedly blocked, finally succeeded in severing Mosundo’s shoulder tendon.

With the strength drained from his arm, Mosundo could no longer block Gyeonjung’s blade as it slashed toward his own throat.

Sssshhh!

Sssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss

Blood spurted sharply from the wound where Gyeonjung’s dagger had grazed Mosundo’s neck.

It was over.

As his consciousness faded, Mosundo collapsed, gazing up at the sky with eyes filled with bitter resentment.

‘Finally, barely…’

Kwoong!

“Haah, haah, haah!”

Gyeonjung, gasping for breath, suddenly turned around.

Then, before he knew it, he could see Seon Woo-jin and Jik Ma-hyeok, who had come out of hiding, watching him.

Seon Woo-jin smiled faintly and said.

“Good work.”

Gyeon Jung gave a faint smile.

It was the first smile he had shown Seon Woo-jin.

Then, Seonwoo Jin suddenly asked Jik Mahyeok, who was beside him.

“Do you also want to fight a peak master one-on-one like Gyeonjung did?”

Jik Mahyeok gave an awkward smile and shook his head.

“I don’t really…”

Sunwoo Jin felt secretly relieved.

Because he still had much to do before his father, Seonwoo Jung, arrived.

The remaining peak-level masters, including Elder Cheoyonggu, had to be dealt with, and he planned to take care of the other leaders of the White Tiger Division beforehand.

He also needed to open the main gate of the Ha Clan estate just before Seonwoo Jung arrived.

If Jik Mahyeok insisted on fighting one-on-one, time would have been too short, but fortunately, that wasn’t the case.

Jik Mahyeok was indeed a good subordinate.

“Alright, let’s move quickly again.”

“Yes, Master!”

“Understood.”

Even before the Sunwoo Clan’s forces could charge in, the Ha Clan was already crumbling.

But as the head of the family, Ha Gyu-yang, he was completely unaware of this fact.

***

The head of the Ha Clan, Ha Gyu-yang, rushed down to the first floor of the main hall, clutching his mourning attire.

A rage like molten lava boiled madly within his chest.

‘How dare that Sun Woo-jung attack me? I will not let him live!’

Though he had managed to sneak this far by surprise, the leaders and elders of each White Tiger Division would now be gathering their men.

Therefore, once they were all assembled, the scum of the Sunwoo Clan posed no threat whatsoever.

With that thought, Haguyang leaped down and saw Seonwoo Jung and the elders and leaders of the Seonwoo clan breaking through the main gate.

It seemed he too had led only the masters into the main hall.

Haguyang quickly scanned his surroundings.

The only ones who could stand against the Sunwoo Clan’s warriors now were himself and a few ordinary warriors guarding the main hall.

It seemed the elders would take time to gather.

‘What the hell are these slowpokes doing?!’

Inside, she was seething with rage, but Haguyang forced a smile as if nothing was wrong and addressed Seonwoo Jung.

He needed to buy some time.

“Son-in-law, what on earth is this all about so early in the morning? Did you plan some kind of surprise event?”

Seonwoo-jung replied expressionlessly.

“Since you sent an assassin at dawn, I came right away. You seemed quite urgent. So… I suppose I should send him off quickly too.”

Haguyang’s eyes flinched momentarily.

It seemed the White Tiger faction and this master had failed after all.

‘Damn fools!’

But he couldn’t show it on the surface.

Haguyang burst out laughing.

“What? Hahahaha! What on earth are you talking about? Did you dream it or something? Why on earth would I send an assassin after my daughter’s husband? For what reason?”

But Seonwoo Jung answered as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

“Of course you wanted the Seonwoo family. You must have panicked when it seemed the heir might go to another child, not Hyuk. You wouldn’t want the family taken by the Jegal clan either.”

It was impossible to deny that he had hit the nail squarely on the head.

Haguyang forced a smile and tried to counter that remark.

“Hahahaha! What kind of nonsense is that…?”

But Seonwoo Jung gave him no more time. Raising his sword to point it at Haguyang, he said.

“I believe our conversation is concluded, Master Craftsman.”

Then he shouted to the elders and chiefs.

“Hear me, warriors of the Seonwoo clan!”

“Yes! Master!”

Haguyang’s heart began to race.

Fighting them now would be the end.

“Execute those villains immediately…!”

“Hold on!”

He cut off Seonwoo Jung’s words and shouted urgently.

“Martial artist versus martial artist! Let’s settle this one-on-one, Sunwoo Jung! If you’re a true warrior, you wouldn’t hide behind your men like a coward, would you?!”

Seonwoo Jung didn’t say this expecting him to listen.

He was merely trying to buy time by any means necessary.

But unbelievably, upon hearing those words, Seonwoo Jung chuckled softly and muttered.

“One-on-one. That doesn’t sound too bad.”

“…What?”

Haguyang was even more flustered by Seonwoo Jung’s response.

Was he seriously accepting a one-on-one fight in this situation? And against Seonwoo Jung, who was barely at the threshold of the peak realm?

Haguyang’s cultivation had long surpassed seventy years and reached a full eighty years.

Therefore, even if Seonwoo-jung had recently broken through the seventy-year barrier, he would still be inexperienced. He could never be a worthy opponent.

But why bother stopping someone from making a foolish mistake?

Ha Gyu-yang, cheering inwardly, smiled brightly and encouraged Seon Woo-jung.

“Hoo! As expected of Seonwoo Jung! Truly befitting the head of the Seonwoo family! Yes, a warrior must prove his skill one-on-one! Isn’t that the true stance of a warrior?! Now then, come in!”

Of course, his true thoughts were far from that.

‘You fool, I’ll just stall for time until our elders and leaders arrive. After that, you’re finished!’

But Seonwoo Jung didn’t charge at him.

Instead, he merely smiled faintly and said.

“You seem rather impatient. I never said I would definitely fight you one-on-one.”

At those words, Haguyang’s expression twisted in anger.

Someone other than Seonwoo Jung is facing him?

Surely Seonwoo Jung is the strongest in the Seonwoo clan?

Suddenly, it occurred to him that Seonwoo Jung had once made remarks suggesting he might submit to the Zhuge Clan.

‘Could it be a master from the Zhuge family?’

Haguyang asked Seonwoo Jung with a suspicious look.

“Then… who exactly is facing me? Surely they wouldn’t bring in an outsider who isn’t even from the Seonwoo clan to fight me?”

His choice of words was meant to prevent the Zhuge family from intervening.

But Sunwoo Jung merely smiled faintly again and replied.

“It wouldn’t be impossible, but no. Fortunately for Father-in-law, he’s a member of the Seonwoo family. He’s my son, standing right behind Father-in-law.”

Behind?

Startled by those words, Haguyang whirled around to look behind him.

There, at the foot of the stairs he had just descended, stood a handsome young man, smiling brightly.

It was Seonwoo Jin.

But to Haguyang, this thinner Seonwoo Jin was a face he had never seen before.

He frowned and asked.

“…Who are you?”

Seon Woo-jin smiled brightly and bowed to him.

“Long time no see. I’m Seonwoo Jin, the third son of the Seonwoo family.”

“Seonwoo Jin?”

Haguyang heard the name but couldn’t immediately recall that he was the third son of the Seonwoo family.

But after a moment of thought, Ha Gyu-yang’s face gradually filled with astonishment.

“No way?! You’re that pig-like guy?”

At his words, Seonwoo Jin smiled faintly and nodded.

Ha Gyu-yang then spoke with an expression of admiration.

“Huh, impressive! So losing weight turned you into such a handsome guy! But… isn’t that a bit greedy? Just because you lost some weight, you think you can take me on one-on-one?”

Seon Woo-jin grinned and nodded.

“That’s right. And… no matter how much time you stall, those who are waiting will not come.”

“…What?”

Ha Gyu-yang, who had been stalling for time somehow, froze as Seon Woo-jin’s words struck the core of the matter.

Seon Woo-jin slowly began to radiate an imposing presence toward him.

“Because they’re no longer of this world.”

“What, what did you say?! You can’t be serious…!”

Haguyang was now horrified by the aura Seonwoojin had begun to radiate.

From the body of a man barely in his twenties, an aura sharper than a blade—one he had never felt before—was now emanating.

The force was so powerful it made his own skin tingle.

“I… I can’t believe this!”

Seon Woo-jin said, grasping Mok Rang’s sword wave in his hand.

“Since I’m your junior, it should be fine if I strike first, right?”

“Ah, no!”

Haguyang tried desperately to keep talking.

But Seon Woo-jin had no intention of doing so.

Swish!

Mukrang’s blade revealed its white radiance.

And finally, from the fully drawn Mookrang, a momentary burst of violet sword energy erupted like an explosion.

Whoosh!

Haguyang gasped in shock.

Judging by the quality of that sword aura, its level was certainly not beneath his own.

At the very least, it was on par with its peers—or perhaps even surpassed them.

“Going!”

Sunwoo Thirteen Swords, one second.

Divine Response.

A brilliant lavender-purple wing unfolded before Haguyang’s eyes.

It was the initial technique of Divine Response Ascension he knew well, but the most magnificent and enormous wings he had ever seen.

“You bastard! How dare you!”

Ha Gyu-yang gritted his teeth and swung his sword.

Knowing it was merely an illusionary sword, he felt no fear.

Shwaaah!

But what followed was something he had never seen before.

The pale purple wings, as if alive, flapped wildly, evading his sword.

“What the hell?!”

Then, as the wings shattered, a shower of sword light like feathers began to pour down.

Sure enough, it was the first technique of the renowned Sunwoo Thirteen Swords: Divine Response Feather Strike.

“Guh!”

Haguyang twisted his wrist, swinging his sword to defend against the cascading sword lights.

Swish!

He knew most of these were likely illusory blades, but they were far too vivid to simply ignore.

Sssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss

The illusory swords that touched his sword vanished like melting snow.

But Haguyang stumbled backward in a daze.

As far as he knew, the next move would likely be a divine strike. The hidden blade among those whirling swords would plunge down like a beam of light.

He dreaded it intensely.

Both Seon Woo-jin and Ha Gu-yang wielded internal energy cultivated over eighty years.

But Seonwoo Jin’s sword, tempered through countless fierce battles, could never be the same as Ha Gyu-yang’s sword, honed in the pampered comfort of the Ha clan.

The difference in sharpness was almost like heaven and earth.

“Whoa!”

“How could this be….”

The retainers of the Seonwoo clan stared blankly at the sight of Ha Gu-yang, a master with eighty years of cultivation, being pushed back pitifully.

And this was happening to Sunwoo Jin, who had been called the disgrace of the Sunwoo family.

Except for the Grand Elder Heo Jin-guk and the head of the Shin Eungsa Sect, Dam Mu-ho, who already knew of Seonwoo Jin’s martial prowess, the others could scarcely believe the scene unfolding before their eyes.

Elder Seo Tong-seong muttered blankly.

“Am I… dreaming right now?”

That was the shared feeling everyone now experienced.

Sunwoo Thirteen Swords, Third Strike.

Divine Response Descends.

Shuuuuh!

Amidst the torrent of sword lights, a single slash pierced down like a beam of light.

It was the very technique Haguyang had feared.

Swoosh!

“Guh!”

Even in the pain, Haguyang felt relief as Seonwoojin’s sword swept powerfully past his side.

It felt like it was only because he had prepared for it in advance.

But when Seonwoo Jin flashed a faint smile and unleashed his next technique, he couldn’t continue that thought.

Four Moves, Divine Response

Fifth Move: Form Is Emptiness

Six Moves: Divine Arrow Piercing the Void

With each successive move, Ha Gyu-yang’s face grew paler and paler.

It was because he realized Seon Woo-jin hadn’t failed to kill him earlier.

Sssshhh!

“Guh!”

Every time he thought he couldn’t possibly block the man’s sword strike, the blade would veer off course just slightly.

Now, Haguyang could clearly discern the enemy’s intent.

‘Against me… he’s demonstrating the Seonwoo Thirteen Swords?!’

And the members of the Seonwoo clan realized it too.

They now stood speechless, staring blankly at only Seonwoo Jin’s sword.

The Sunwoo Thirteen Swords they had seen countless times before had never looked so fresh.

The Sunwoo Thirteen Swords had long been regarded as the representative sword technique of Gwiju Province.

However, it was true that they had always been regarded as merely first-rate sword techniques, not at the pinnacle, incomparable to the martial arts of the Nine Great Sects or the Five Great Families.

But the Sunwoo Thirteen Swords that Sunwoo Jin was demonstrating were different.

Sunwoo Jin was personally demonstrating that the Sunwoo Thirteen Swords themselves were undoubtedly a pinnacle sword technique, one that did not pale in comparison to the martial arts of the Nine Great Sects, even if they had simply not been used properly until now.

Deep expressions of profound emotion appeared on the faces of the family head, Seonwoo Jung, and the Grand Elder, Heo Jin-guk.

The swordplay and the first technique Sunwoo Jin was demonstrating were incredibly moving.

Meanwhile, Seon Woo-jin’s sword finally began to unleash the final technique they knew, the Thirteenth Form: Sword Return.

Whoooooosh!

Dozens, hundreds of sword shadows surrounded Ha Gyu-yang like an encircling net.

Then, Ha Gyu-yang, already seemingly out of his mind, screamed with fury.

“Hmph! This measly Sword-Spirit Technique?! Do you think I don’t know it’s all just sword-spirit?!”

It was at that very moment.

Hundreds of sword shadows that had surrounded Haguyang suddenly materialized and poured toward him.

Sunwoo Thirteen Swords, Fifteenth Strike.

Emptiness is form.

Puff! Puff! Puff! Puff! Puff!

Haguyang’s entire body was pierced by hundreds of sword shadows.

He looked like a hedgehog.

Now, no words could escape from Ha Gyu-yang’s gaping mouth.

Only a death rattle accompanied the end of his breath.

“Snap!”

Puhwaak!

With Haguyang gushing blood like a fountain from his entire body behind him, Seonwoojin slowly drew his blood-stain-free sword and walked toward Seonwoojung.

Seonwoo Jung gazed at him with a look of deep emotion, then rushed forward and embraced him.

It was an incredibly warm embrace.

“You’ve been through so much. You’ve been through so much, Jin-ah.”

His father’s warm voice felt so incredibly good.