Chapter 145 Their Movements

Chapter 145: Their Movements

Yunnan Province, the Thirteen Dragons.

The members of the Seventh Squad were gathered again this evening, practicing sparring as usual.

Naseo Yu, the deputy leader of the Seventh Squad, exhaled deeply and re-gripped the sword ‘Yeonhong’ that Hae Cheongyeon had given her.

Before her stood a woman, her posture relaxed, smiling faintly as if beckoning her to come forward.

This was an opponent Na Se-yu absolutely did not want to lose to.

“Haah!”

Clang!

With a battle cry, Na Se-yu charged toward her opponent.

Now a fully matured top-tier swordswoman, her footwork was swift, and her sword strike appeared incredibly sharp.

But her sword ultimately failed to reach her opponent.

For the black fragments, writhing as if alive, had already coiled around her.

Swoosh!

“Yik!”

Naseoyu spun her body, scattering sword shadows in all directions.

Shwaaah!

But the black river fragments seemed to absorb her sword strikes, showing little damage.

Thud-thud-thud-thud!

It merely flinched momentarily before tightening its grip once more.

“Guh!”

Naseoyu had no choice but to leap backward, trying to retreat.

She had to get out of the blade’s range first.

But that wasn’t easy either.

The black, serpentine river current refused to let her go.

Sssshhh!

The thin tip of the river snake whipped out, swiftly coiling around Saayu’s leg.

“!”

Thud!

Na Seo-yu’s body could no longer retreat in midair and halted completely in the air.

In an instant, black snake-like blades filled her vision.

In the blink of an eye, her entire body was wrapped in the blades.

Sssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss

“Aaah!”

Na Seo-yu was instantly cocooned.

No matter how hard she struggled, she couldn’t escape.

Then it was gently laid on the ground by the riverbank, moving as if alive.

“Eeek!”

Yawunxiang slowly approached her as she struggled.

Wearing her characteristic languid expression, she didn’t seem to have exerted any effort at all.

She spoke slowly, her eyes hazy.

“You’re weak.”

At those words, Yeo Su-yu clenched her teeth.

It was undeniable that he was weaker than Ya Yunxiang, a peak master, but it was a statement he absolutely did not want to hear from her, at least.

Suppressing the anger surging within, he opened his mouth.

“Yes. Compared to you, young lady, I’m terribly inadequate. So would you mind untie this for me?”

At that, Ya Yunxiang’s lips curved into a faint smile.

Then she spoke again.

“I’ll untie you if you promise to give up Seolpung.”

It was an utterly unexpected demand.

Naseoyu’s flustered face flushed bright red.

“Wh-what are you talking about, all of a sudden?!”

But Yawunhyang repeated herself without changing her expression.

“Exactly what I said. If you promise to give up Seolpung, I’ll release this.”

Then, Naseyu—who rarely ever got angry—finally glared at Yawunxiang with a furious expression.

“Don’t play games with me. You think you can threaten me with something like this?”

Having returned to the Dragon’s Nest after tending to her father at the Naga Palace, Naseoyu was utterly flustered by the sudden appearance of this woman named Yawunhyang.

She had followed Seolpung into the Biyongdae, and she appeared far more beautiful than Naseoyu herself.

Moreover, she was already a renowned peak-level master.

But what flustered him most of all was that she made no effort to hide her feelings for Seolpung.

How could she always be so honest and confident with herself? As Na Seo-yu, I simply couldn’t understand.

Honestly, he envied her.

Watching her made him feel so insignificant.

That very Yawunxiang was now telling him to give up Seolpung.

And that stirred up resentment in Na Seo-yu’s heart.

Because if there were a few things in her life she could never give up, Seolpung was one of them.

Na Seo-yu glared at Ya Yun-hyang with a resolute gaze and declared.

“I will never give up.”

At that, Yawunxiang smiled faintly once more.

“You always pretended it wasn’t true, but now you’re finally being honest.”

“…Huh?!”

Naseoyu was flustered.

Come to think of it, she had never once mentioned that she harbored feelings for Seolpung.

It seemed she had been completely hooked by Yawunhyang.

Swish!

The black ribbon that had been wrapped around Na Seo-yu unraveled as if moving on its own, then wrapped itself back around Ya Yun-hyang’s slender waist.

But Yawunxiang paid it no mind, speaking in her characteristic languid tone.

“Not backing down is a pass, I suppose. But that alone isn’t enough. You’ll never defeat me in the end. My heart is far stronger than any martial skill. And… Seolpung is the kind of man who couldn’t stay by my side unless he was that formidable.”

It was a declaration of war, or perhaps advice.

At those words, Seon Jae-yu looked at her with a serious gaze.

Na Seo-yu knew Youn Hyang was right.

Seolpung, who had entered the forest with the Sword Saint to spar privately, was undoubtedly a truly formidable man—something he hadn’t fully realized before because they were always together.

Even this Yawunxiang, who was treating him like a child now, was no match for Seolpung.

The same was true for Han Gyoseong, the leader of the Qingseong faction, and Sa Gunil, the leader of the Sajin faction, hailed as the greatest martial artist in the world today.

‘And that was without even using his full strength, let alone that deadly gaze.’

No matter how vast the martial world was and how many hidden talents lurked within it, it was doubtful anyone in their twenties had achieved anything even remotely comparable.

Seolpung was the kind of man who might just become the absolute ruler of the next generation.

But what if the person standing beside Seolpung was inadequate?

That would inevitably become a hindrance to him.

Naseoyu absolutely did not want to be that person to Seolpung.

She looked at Yawunxiang with a resolute gaze and said.

“Don’t worry. I don’t plan to stay here forever either. Soon, I’ll make sure you suffer the same fate I just endured.”

At her fiercely determined words, Yawunxiang turned her head with a faint smile.

But that smile wasn’t a sneer.

It was because, as she had said, there were indeed people who had grown rapidly.

Where her gaze fell, Storm-Sweeping Blade Bi Sa-yeong and Piercing-Eye Sword Saint Je Won-yeong were sparring.

Just a short while ago, Bi Sa-yeong had been a top-tier martial artist of the first rank. Now, he had ascended to the pinnacle of his art.

Bi Sa-yeong, who had struggled to grasp the transition when moving from second-rate to first-rate, had crossed the threshold from first-rate to peak with astonishing ease.

And now, having reached the pinnacle, Biseoyoung had become an utterly unattainable being.

“Haah!”

Je Won-young’s sword pierced Bi Sa-young like lightning crashing through dark clouds.

It was the Black Heaven Sword Technique, a slashing move from the Four-Sword Style that Seonwoo Jin often used.

Shwaaah!

But just as it seemed the sword strike would hit Biseoyoung, his form suddenly scattered like petals drifting in all directions.

It was the Heavenly Wind Flower Petal technique, the pinnacle of the Heavenly Wind Divine Art that Bi Sa-yeong could finally wield.

Swish!

Je Won-yeong gritted his teeth and switched his sword technique from the Four-Sword Technique to the Eighteen-Sword Technique.

Eighteen sharp sword energies began to whirl and lash out in all directions.

Pababababababababababababa

But even his sharp sword energy, which seemed capable of cutting through the wind itself, ultimately failed to touch Biseoyoung’s body at all.

Biseyoung was swirling around him like a true wind.

It was as if he existed everywhere and nowhere at the same time.

As Je Won-yeong desperately tried to strike at his elusive form, Bise-yeong’s wind-like figure suddenly accelerated, brushing past Je Won-yeong’s back.

It was the Explosive Charge, now as natural to him as breathing.

Whoosh!

Chae-aeng!

“Kuh!”

Cold sweat formed on Je Won-young’s back as he barely managed to block Bise-young’s strike.

Even when Biseoyoung, who was already fast, accelerated like that to attack, reacting was no easy feat.

It felt as if the man himself had become a weapon.

And in that instant, Biseoyoung, transformed back into a beam of light, streaked past Je Won-young’s rear.

Clang!

Bisaeng’s afterimages filled the space, scattering like petals, while his sword strikes, like a whirlwind, relentlessly targeted Je Won-young’s back.

Je Won-young, clearly the superior master with that dazzling new technique, was flailing about as if trapped in a whirlwind.

Watching the duel, Ya Yunxiang found herself shaking her head involuntarily.

Even if it had been her instead of Je Won-young, she doubted she could have captured such an opponent.

Of course, neither Je Won-yeong nor herself, with their higher martial prowess, would have fallen easily to Bi Sa-yeong.

But it was undeniable that the probability of being defeated by him was higher than the probability of defeating him.

How could one possibly defeat an enemy as elusive as air?

‘But you’re telling me that guy was just a second-rate martial artist a few months ago?’

It was utterly unbelievable.

And the same was true for Cheon Ju-eun over there, beaming brightly as she racked up consecutive wins against the men in the other team.

“Yes! Fifteen wins in a row!”

“My turn this time, Miss Cheon!”

“No, I was waiting first!”

Cheon Ju-eun had recently ascended to the top-tier elite level and was currently the object of affection for many male members.

She had always possessed an inherently cute appearance, and with her perpetually smiling demeanor toward others, she had even attained the rank of squad leader.

So it would have been strange if she weren’t popular.

But in the Seventh Division, there was another person who enjoyed even greater popularity among the men than she did.

That person was Bae Jong-gwan.

Bae Jong-gwan was now surrounded by countless men.

“Wow! That’s amazing, Jong-gwan! To move so nimbly with muscles like steel!”

“As expected of Bae Jong-gwan, the Iron God Meteor! How on earth do you build those incredible muscles?!”

“I’ll teach you that external skill too, Jong-gwan!”

“Jong-gwan!”

“Jong-gwan!”

Though the nature of their popularity was a bit different, of course.

With the explosive power techniques Seon Woo-jin had passed down, plus Seol Pung’s recent intensive guidance, Bae Jong-gwan had now mastered agile footwork and dazzling swordplay to complement his already steel-like external skills.

Upon seeing that even those who had mastered external martial arts could move swiftly, the male members of the other teams no longer hesitated and began asking Bae Jong-gwan to teach them external martial arts.

Bae Jong-gwan, who had been treated like a peddler just a short while ago, had become the popular figure among the male members of the Boryong Thirteen.

Yawunhyang scanned the seven members training around her.

Not a single one was ordinary.

While they still couldn’t match her, it was utterly unbelievable that these were the same people who, as others claimed, had been mere second-rate practitioners just a few months ago.

Yawunhyang looked at Naseoyu, who was staring back at her with a defiant gaze.

And she said.

“I’ll be waiting.”

Judging by their growth, it didn’t seem impossible that Na Se-yu might catch up to her.

Suddenly, she felt the blood of a warrior surge within her for the first time in ages.

It was then.

Someone was flying toward them with a lightness like a bird.

It was Hae Cheong-yeon, the deputy leader of the Four Jo.

“Seo-yu!”

Her voice was urgent, unlike usual, as she called out to Seo Yu.

Yawunxiang stared blankly at her, who had been a member of the Seventh Division before her.

Recognized for her exceptional martial prowess, she became the deputy leader of the Fourth Division. Lately, she was also renowned as the woman of the Fourth Division leader, Swordmaster Je Won-yeong.

This was because the Fourth Division Commander, Sword Saint Je Won-yeong, consistently expressed his affection for her.

Of course, she herself showed no particular reaction to it.

“Sister Seo-yu! Where is Father?!”

At her words, Yawunxiang realized she had omitted one crucial fact about her.

‘Didn’t I say that woman was the daughter of the Heavenly Sword Saint, Hae Un-baek?’

Even Yao Yunxiang, who had never felt envy toward any other woman before, suddenly found herself feeling a little burdened.

She truly was a woman of extraordinary qualities.

But the expression on that formidable Hae Cheong-yeon’s face looked extremely serious right now.

Naseoyu, slightly flustered by Haecheongyeon’s unusually impatient demeanor, replied.

“If it’s the Sword Saint, he’ll be dueling Captain Seolpung in that forest over there. But why…?”

“Thanks!”

Without waiting for the rest of the sentence, Hae Cheong-yeon leapt toward the direction Na Seo-yu had pointed.

Truly, it couldn’t have been more different from her usual self.

Naseoyu tilted her head and muttered.

“What’s going on?”

At the same moment, Sword Saint Haeunbaek was laughing heartily in the completely devastated forest.

“Hahahaha! You’re truly remarkable! This is the first time I’ve ever been able to move my limbs so freely against a young warrior!”

The sword saint’s hand held no sword as he spoke.

It seemed he had fought Seolpung using only fist techniques.

Then, sprawled across the devastated forest, Seolpung struggled to his feet and said.

“It’s all thanks to the teachings of the Honorable Sword Saint.”

“Hahahaha! Don’t say such things! How many young men have I taught over the years? If it were all thanks to me, the world would already be filled with peerless martial artists, hahahaha!”

Then, suddenly glancing around, he whispered secretly.

“Now then, about something else… Have you perhaps taken an interest in my daughter, Cheongyeon?”

“…Huh?”

Just as Seolpung looked at Geomseong with a flustered expression at the unexpected question,

Suddenly, Hae Cheongyeon’s voice echoed from afar.

“Father! Where are you?!”

Then, his face visibly flustered, Geomseong laughed heartily again.

“Eeek, eek-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! Just kidding! You take things too seriously. How about it, was that fun?! Eeek-ha-ha-ha-ha!”

Then he quickly whispered in a low voice.

“So, this joke I played on Cheongyeon must absolutely remain a secret…”

Just then, Hae Cheongyeon landed beside them.

“Father!”

“Oh! My daughter has come! My daughter, still as beautiful as ever today, missed this father of hers…!”

Geomseong tried to greet Hae Cheongyeon with his usual sly charm.

But Hae Cheong-yeon handed him a letter with a stern expression.

“This came from the Martial Arts Alliance.”

As he took it with a puzzled look and began reading, the playful expression gradually faded from the Sword Saint’s face.

His eyes now flashed with a sharp, piercing light.

It was a challenge letter.

A challenge from Seo Il, the Poison-Eyed Sword Demon, one of the Five Great Monsters of the World, to challenge Sword Saint Hae Un-baek.

Moreover, even before this challenge letter arrived, rumors that the Demon Sword had challenged the Sword Saint seemed to have already spread like wildfire throughout the entire martial world.

It was clearly the work of Zhuge Zhijiang.

Hae Cheong-yeon spoke with a stern expression.

“The fact that the One-Eyed Demon Sword Seo-il challenged him means he’s confident he can win.”

Seo-il, the One-Eyed Demon Sword, one of the Five Great Swordsmen—alongside Ije, Iwang, Samseong, and Sama—was renowned as an undefeated duelist.

He roamed the land challenging others to duels, never once losing, and had killed every opponent who fell to him.

Yet this Seo-il had now challenged the Sword Saint. And he did so through the Martial Alliance.

The Sword Saint smiled faintly and asked Hae Cheong-yeon.

“Do you think this old man will lose to him?”

Hae Cheong-yeon shook his head with an exasperated look and replied.

“It doesn’t mean he’s stronger than his father. It means he created a situation where he couldn’t lose. Don’t you understand? Why he’s an undefeated gambler?”

Dokang Gyeokgeom Seo-il was an undefeated gambler.

But that wasn’t because he was the strongest in the world.

The reason he was undefeated was that he only challenged opponents he could always defeat.

Not opponents stronger than himself, nor equals, but only those he was certain he could defeat.

That’s why, though he was called a gambler, he had never once challenged any of the other absolute masters of the martial world.

“And the situation where he could win must be related to the Martial Alliance. This is a trap. A trap set by Zhuge Zhijiang to eliminate my father.”

That was also why Hae Cheong-yeon personally delivered this news.

Had it reached her father through other channels, the Sword Saint would have accepted the challenge without hesitation.

But even after being told it was a trap, the Sword Saint merely smiled gently.

“Qingyan.”

At his gentle voice, Hae Cheongyeon shouted back.

“No, Father! Absolutely not!”

But the sword saint paid no heed and continued speaking softly.

“You know well that for a warrior, there are things more important than life itself. This father fears not death, but I do fear retreating out of fear of death. And… you know well what would happen if I were to avoid this challenge, don’t you?”

Hearing this, Hae Cheong-yeon bit her lip, unable to respond.

The reason Zhuge Zhijiang couldn’t touch the Sword Saint now wasn’t merely because the Sword Saint was the absolute ruler of the martial world.

To be precise, it was because he was the most respected martial artist among all martial artists.

For the warriors of this era, it was no exaggeration to say that the existence of the Sword Saint was synonymous with the knight-errant.

He embodied the ideal martial artist: one who never compromised with injustice and never yielded to any threat. That was precisely the image martial artists held of the Sword Saint.

But what if the Sword Saint avoided the challenge of the Demon Sword?

His reputation would crumble in an instant.

No, Zhuge Zhijiang would certainly make it so.

And Hae Cheong-yeon knew exactly what that would mean.

The reason why Zhuge Zhijiang couldn’t touch his father would disappear. No longer an idol of warriors, the Sword Saint, stripped of his influence over the martial world, would be nothing more than a mere warrior of strength. It wouldn’t matter how he was dealt with. Then he’d come after our family first.

The Haenam Hae Clan, the family of the Hae Yunbaek, was located in Xuchang, Henan Province.

And that place was also within easy reach of Zhengzhou, Henan Province, where the Martial Alliance was located.

Until now, it was the family of the Sword Saint, the idol of all martial artists, so they dared not touch it for fear of provoking the martial world’s backlash. But if Zhuge Zhijiang could bring down the status of her father, the Sword Saint, then Han Namhae would become an excellent hostage.

Therefore, from Zhuge Zhijiang’s perspective, it was undoubtedly irrelevant whether her father, the Sword Saint, accepted the challenge or evaded it.

From the perspective of Zhuge Zhijiang, who led the massive organization known as the Martial Alliance, dealing with a single powerful martial artist would be far easier than fighting the shadow of a martial artist revered by all martial practitioners.

‘Perhaps she’s hoping to cause even more harm….’

As Hae Cheong-yeon hesitated, unable to make a decision while entertaining such thoughts, Geomseong suddenly began to slowly stroke her hair and spoke.

Don’t worry, Qingyan. If you keep worrying like this, it’ll feel like I’ve already lost, won’t it? Your father isn’t that weak. If I were frail enough to fall into that Zhuge bastard’s trap and die, or be killed by some sword demon, I wouldn’t still be alive today. So won’t you trust your father just this once? Whatever trap it is, I’ll smash it to pieces and return to your side.”

Jumseong tried to reassure his daughter with a tone brimming with unwavering confidence.

Hae Cheong-yeon looked at her father with anxious eyes.

The Sword Saint’s words were undoubtedly true.

He had become the idol of all warriors precisely because he had overcome every battle and danger that seemed utterly impossible to defeat.

But even knowing that, the uneasy feeling refused to fade.

After all, Zhuge Zhijiang must know that fact as well.

Haecheongyeon spoke.

“Then, first send a reply to the Poison-Eyed Demon Sword, making his coming here a condition. That way, they won’t be able to lure Father into the trap they’ve already set.”

The Sword Saint nodded readily at her words.

“Alright, that sounds good. I’ll do it that way.”

Ha Cheong-yeon felt a slight sense of relief at the Sword Saint’s unhesitating acceptance.

After all, if she lured him over here to fight, preventing him from setting a trap, even thinking coldly, her father wouldn’t lose to someone like Seo Il.

But it felt strange.

Logically, it made perfect sense. And her father, one of the absolute masters of the martial world, was undoubtedly stronger than anyone else in the world. Yet, for some reason, her uneasy premonition refused to fade.