Chapter 359 The Aftermath – Part 4

Chapter 359: The Aftermath – Part 4

After the decisive battle with the Blood Demon, Zhen Wuguang, the recovered Four Kings’ Gui Jiexian had personally sought out Xian Wuzhen.

His reason was that he wanted to test himself against Xian Wuzhen, who had inherited the progress of the Sword Spirit and slain the Blood Demon.

Another reason was that, having never witnessed Xian Wuzhen’s martial prowess firsthand, he found it hard to believe that Xian Wuzhen had resolved everything.

But that day, after their duel, the Four Kings’ Guaijian Xian returned to the Four Kings’ Alliance and sighed thus.

Until now, I thought that defeating the Sword Master alone would make me the greatest under heaven. But now, it seems I must overcome the great natural world itself. Is that position truly not meant for me?

This moment revealed who the victor was and how overwhelmingly the loser had been defeated.

After that, the martial world hesitated not to elevate Xian Wuzhen to the position of Sword Master in place of Ban Zhongyang, the Blood Wolf Sword Master, who had now fallen into demonic possession.

They also gave him the title Heavenly Wolf Sword Master.

This was because he carried two swords, black and white, each engraved with a wolf motif.

***

Seon Woo-jin smiled faintly and said to Ji Gi-eum.

“At last we meet, Jigi-eum. I’ve missed you terribly.”

At those words, Jigi-eum stumbled backward, clenching her teeth.

“Ugh!”

All this time, Jigi-eum had made avoiding Seonwoo-jin her top priority.

She wanted to tear him apart and kill him, the sworn enemy of the Blood Demon, Jeon Moo-kwang, but she had to hold back.

It was the same when Gu Yoo-sang, the White Jade Dragon, Jeon Moo-kwang’s disciple and the Blood Sect’s heir apparent, couldn’t hold back and went to find him, only to die.

The reason was simple: he knew full well that if he went to him, he would never return alive.

She had confidence she could escape from other absolute masters, but she had absolutely no confidence she could escape from Seon Woo-jin—the one who shared her name among the Five Great Swordsmen of the World and was called the World’s Greatest Sword.

Ji Ji-eum spoke to him in a trembling voice.

“Yes, I thought you’d be by Sima Yuliang’s side…”

Then Sun Wujin gave a sly smile.

“Your mistake was thinking the General would fall for such an obvious trap. Thanks to that, we meet like this, don’t we?”

“!”

At those words, Jigi-eum instantly grasped the situation.

The very notion that Sima Yuliang had come to the front lines to lure him into a trap was itself his trap.

It seemed designed to make him misjudge the location of Sword Master Sun Wujin and step forward.

Jigeum clenched his teeth and thought.

‘It’s all over. I must flee now. It’s still a bit early, but I can only hope Guu Jeol managed to evade them.’

The true purpose of Ji Gi-eum and Gu Woo-jeol, the White-faced Demon, was not to kill the Jianchang Mountain archer.

They had already judged the battle lost. Their true purpose was for Gu Yujie to escape through the secret passage while Ji Gi-eum drew attention.

As long as the Nine-Tailed Demon, capable of creating Blood Demons, remained intact, he believed he could one day aim for the Blood Sect’s dominance over the world again.

Zhi Ji Yin glanced at the surviving Blood Demons.

With four Blood Demons, including Jiexueshita, he felt he could buy time in a pinch.

He immediately shouted at the Blood Fiends.

“Stop that man immediately…!”

But it was at that very moment.

A colossal presence suddenly emanated from the sky.

It was a presence comparable to that of Jeon Mookwang, who had once been a Blood Demon.

“!”

Startled, Jigeum hurriedly looked up at the sky.

Then he saw it.

A middle-aged man with a cold expression floated in midair, gazing down at himself.

Jigeum-eum muttered in a voice filled with despair.

“The… Fourth King, Gwaegalhyeon. How did the Fourth King end up here…?”

Gwaegal-hyeon, suspended in midair, answered with an expressionless face.

“I too have a debt to repay to the Blood Sect. Since my son… my successor, Seolpung, came here, why would I not come?”

Hearing his words, Jigi-eum trembled with horror at his own misjudgment.

The absolute masters of the orthodox factions, including Sword Saint Haeunbaek, remained in the Central Plains to prevent his assault. He had believed the only absolute master who could come here would be Sword Emperor.

It was nothing short of a fatal miscalculation.

It was none other than the Four Kings.

Not only had Seolpung reached the realm of Hwa Gyeong, but the Four Kings had also appeared alongside the Sword Emperor.

There was no way out now.

‘I must escape somehow…!’

As he thought this and glanced behind him, Jigeum suddenly saw Seolpung positioned directly behind him and his expression turned utterly despondent.

Now, even the retreat was gone.

Then Seon Woo-jin looked at Ji Gi-eum, whose expression seemed to have lost the world, and thought to himself.

‘Could the word the Four Kings were about to say have been ‘son’?’

The sword spirit answered his question.

– Seems like it. That old fool really wants to reveal his son, doesn’t he? He only looked cold on the surface, but he’s a complete fool.

At that, Seon Woo-jin chuckled softly and replied.

‘With a father like Brother Feng, wouldn’t any man want to boast about his son? Having a son who became the absolute master of the martial world in his twenties, he’d want to shout it from the rooftops that he’s the father.’

Then the sword spirit spoke to him in a displeased voice.

– If Seolpung’s father is so great, then your father must already be flying around in the sky. It seems you’d rather boast about yourself than lift Seolpung up, huh? Your self-praise has really increased lately.

‘Oh, you noticed?’

– You seem to be showing a tendency to disregard this master lately. I’ve said it time and again, but I too was once a man called a genius.

‘Yes, yes, Master. Of course you were.’

– Hmm, why does your voice lack any soul?

***

After the decisive battle ended, Seon Woo-jin was able to receive the Snow Wolf Sword, an heirloom of Mayu Gyeom, from Dang Yeo-eun.

Even then, he harbored a faint hope.

The hope that perhaps the sword spirit’s consciousness still lingered within the Seolrang Sword.

Even if it was the sword spirit that had been with Mayu Gyeom, not his own master, the mere fact of its lingering presence would be a great comfort.

But when he grasped the Snowling Sword, he realized.

The master sword spirit’s arrangements were far more profound than he had imagined…

The moment he grasped the Seolrang Sword, the blade spoke to him thus.

– Jin! You’re alive! What a relief! What happened?! What about the Blood Demon after I disappeared?!

For a moment, Sunwoo Jin was completely stunned.

Even if the voice was familiar, the content of what he said was something only his master, Mokrang, could possibly know.

Seonwoo Jin asked in a dazed state.

‘Master? How is this possible?’

Then, the sword spirit burst into a hearty laugh and said this.

Ah, I didn’t mention it for fear of raising false hopes. The ritual to unseal the swords allows them to share another sword’s memories the moment they touch their target. So now I am both Mayu-gyeom’s Seol-rang and your Mok-rang. How about that? Quite the arrangement, isn’t it? I’ve named this ‘synchronization’.

At those words, Seonwoo Jin could hold back no longer.

He collapsed to his knees right there, tears streaming down his face as he began to sob.

“Waaah! Thank you. Thank you, Master.”

– No, you don’t have to cry like that…

The sword spirit, momentarily flustered, gazed at Sunwoo Jin, who was sobbing, for a while.

Then, in a warm voice, he said this.

– By the way, those words sound very good to me. Master… Yes, I’m glad to see you again. My disciple, Jin-ah.

My disciple, Jin-ah.

Seonwoo Jin couldn’t even notice Dang Yeo-eun’s flustered expression as she wept uncontrollably.

Because those were the words he had longed to hear from his master’s own lips.

***

Seonwoo Jin raised her head and spoke to the Four Kings floating in the void.

“May I ask you to handle the conclusion, Elder?”

Then the Four Kings stared at Sunwoo Jin for a moment before speaking.

“I do wish to see that martial art again…”

At his words, Sunwoo Jin flinched in surprise.

For the martial art he referred to was undoubtedly the Mang’a Gong.

Seonwoo Jin had never revealed to his master, the Sword Spirit, that he had mastered the Mangagong.

This was because the moment he manifested three times or his successor mastered the technique, the Sword Saint’s consciousness would vanish.

Therefore, Seon Woo-jin had simply claimed the martial art that killed Blood Demon Jeon Moo-kwang was just ‘Gaecheon’.

Seon Woo-jin hurriedly said to the Sword Spirit.

‘It seems Gaecheon made quite an impression on the Four Kings, hahaha! Haha…’

Then the sword spirit replied.

‘Well, yes. The Moolang Sword Technique I created is indeed an impressive martial art. Right. Hmm, hmm.’

He had certainly never mentioned the existence of the Manga Gong.

But the Sword Spirit didn’t ask either.

In truth, both Seonwoojin and the Sword Spirit knew.

That the Sword Spirit could discern lies…

But also that he was deliberately not reacting to this particular lie.

Seeing Seonwoojin’s awkward expression, the Four Kings simply nodded.

“Alright, since you seem troubled, I’ll handle it.”

With that, the Four Kings plunged straight into Jigi-eum.

Shwaaah!

Ji-geum was startled and tried to dodge.

But upon seeing Sunwoojin and Seolpung positioned in front and behind him, he hesitated.

Trapped between two Heavenly Five members of equal rank, he couldn’t decide where to go.

And that single moment of hesitation ultimately robbed him of any chance to escape forever.

CRASH!

***

Baekmyeonshima Guujeol carefully gathered only the most essential items and headed to the rear of the Jianchang Sect.

It was the location of the underground training hall of the Jianchang Sect, carved from a natural cave.

The cave walls were covered with the sword marks carved by the ancient sages of the Dotsword Sect.

It was where they had carved their insights, so the disciples of the Dotting Blade Sect revered the cave itself as sacred, forbidding even high-ranking disciples from approaching it.

But the Blood Cultists had no reason to care about such matters.

Blood Demon Zhen Wuguang realized the deepest part of the cave lay not far from the rear cliff of Pointing Spear Mountain. He used his martial energy to carve out a deeper passage, creating an escape route for contingencies.

It was a secret passageway within Jianchang Mountain unknown to the disciples of the Jianchang Sect.

Baekmyeonshima Guujeol dashed like the wind and began passing through it.

This was because today’s operation objective was for him to safely escape while Gu Yueyin, the guardian spirit, stalled for time at the entrance of Jianchang Mountain.

As long as Guu Jeol himself survived, the Blood Sect could rise again at any moment.

‘Just you wait. As long as the Blood Demon Manufacturing Technique remains, the Blood Sect will rise again soon!’

Originally, the reason the Blood Sect had managed to survive so tenaciously over those long years was because the nature of its martial arts—which allowed practitioners to reach peak strength easily—stirred the desires of martial artists.

But now, it transcended peak mastery to reach the realm of divine cultivation.

A martial artist at the peak could reach the transcendent peak, and one at the transcendent peak could even aspire to the realm of immortality.

The number of moths drawn to that flame, intoxicated by its power, could never be small.

Therefore, Guu Jeol believed the Blood Sect would inevitably rise again.

For as long as human greed remained, someone would always seek out the Blood Sect.

“Ehehehehe!”

With that thought, Guu-jeol let out a low chuckle, then suddenly noticed light streaming in from the dark end of the cave.

He had now descended from Jomchang Mountain.

He suddenly thought of the foolish righteous faction fools who were probably fighting like madmen in front of Jianchang Mountain.

Though Gu Yueyin’s Jigeum was there, he knew no one in the world could capture Jigeum, so there was no need for worry.

It was just as he stepped out into the bright cave, lost in such thoughts.

At that very moment, nine blood dragons suddenly charged toward him.

It was the Nine Heavens Blood Dragon Demon Art.

Kra-ra-ra-ra-ra-rak!

“Whoa!”

Startled, he hastily unleashed his defensive energy.

Whoosh!

The next moment, a massive explosion erupted.

BOOM!

The one waiting outside the cave to ambush Guu-jeol was none other than Hae Cheong-yeon.

She alone knew their secret escape route, known only to the Blood Sect members.

She bit her lip, staring into the cave where Guu-jeol had been flung back inside.

‘Is he dead?’

Hae Cheong-yeon’s martial arts, not those of the Heaven-Defying Blood Demon Gwae-yeom, had not yet broken through the barrier of the Fire Realm, despite sharing each other’s memories.

Therefore, the odds of defeating Guu Jeol in a direct confrontation were not high.

That was why she had ambushed him with the Nine Heavens Blood Dragon Demon Art, the most powerful martial art she knew.

– You ungrateful bitch! After all I did for you, you dare use the Blood Sect’s martial arts for this?! Do you think Sun Woo-jin will understand you doing this?! Don’t make me laugh! He’ll start by demanding to know how you found out about it, and if you knew, why you didn’t tell him! And he’ll conclude! That he can never trust you! It would have been wiser to pretend ignorance to the end, you stupid bitch!

Inside Hae Cheong-yeon’s mind, a furious, overzealous rage was now screaming and thrashing wildly.

She too was desperate, fearing even the Blood Oath’s last hope might vanish.

‘…….’

Haecheongyeon did not respond to her words.

Not only would responding to each point be mentally exhausting, but her words also held a certain truth.

That was true.

She was right.

If he had told Seonwoojin about the secret escape route earlier, she wouldn’t have had to go through all this.

Moreover, once Seonwoo Jin learned this truth, he might have distrusted her, just as Gwaeom had warned.

After all, he was an untrustworthy being, possessing the soul of the Heaven-Defying Blood Demon.

– You stupid bitch! You’re digging your own grave after all! Your future is sealed now! You’ll either die here at Goo Wol-seol’s hands, or even if you somehow survive, you’ll be abandoned by Seon Woo-jin! How delightful, Hae Cheong-yeon! Ohohohoho!

Hae Cheong-yeon bit her lip hard.

This time, it seemed true.

Perhaps her fate had been sealed all along.

And it wasn’t just this moment—it had been decided the moment she first refused to hand over the information about the Blood Sect.

Haecheongyeon thought.

‘Even if I pretended not to know the escape route, could I have gotten away with it?’

No way.

If it were the Seon Woo-jin he knew, he would never have done such a thing.

The moment he learned of the secret escape route’s existence, he would have instantly recalled that he should have already known about it.

It was a guess, but an undeniable truth.

Because he would have done the same.

So losing his trust now was practically a foregone conclusion.

As if sensing Hae Cheong-yeon’s thoughts, Gwae-yeom began soothing her again in a soft voice.

– You already know this, don’t you, Hae Cheongyeon? That there’s no turning back now. You can’t go back to Seon Woo-jin anyway. So come with me. Oh! I’m not saying you should join the Blood Cult. I’m just saying , let’s go far away together. Didn’t you get sick of being stuck between those two bitches, Oh Yeo-eun and Jin So-eun?

Hae Cheong-yeon, who had been listening quietly to her words, suddenly asked her as she watched Gu Woo-jeol walk out of the cave with a furious expression.

‘Do you know something?’

Then Gwa-yeom stopped what he was saying and retorted.

– Huh? That?

Haecheongyeon drew his sword and addressed her.

Swish!

‘The more you try to hide it, the bigger the mistake becomes. And right now, I’m not stepping forward for myself.’

– …What?

That was it.

Her real mistake wasn’t failing to speak the truth.

It was that, out of petty pride and fear of possible harm to himself, he hadn’t admitted the mistake or properly rectified it.

But that wasn’t how it should be.

With that kind of heart, in that state of having committed such a sin, she wouldn’t even be worthy of becoming a child’s mother.

Haecheongyeon left her final words to Gwoyum and shouted in frustration.

‘And… I don’t hate those two!’

“Haah!”

As she stabbed Guu Jeol with the Comet Slash of the Seongra Sword Technique, she suddenly thought.

‘Why didn’t I tell him that fact in the first place?’

Honestly, she didn’t know the exact reason herself.

Whether it was because he was angry at Seon Woo-jin’s attitude of not telling him about the fight with the Blood Sect, or because he didn’t want to stir the spirit of Gwae-yeom within himself.

Or perhaps it was because, having shared Gwaeom’s memories, he no longer wished for the Blood Sect’s annihilation deep down.

But whatever the reason, it was clearly wrong.

Therefore, he had to make amends for that mistake before it was too late.

Not for herself, but for the child who might be born someday.

To become a mother that child wouldn’t be ashamed of.

Even if this means I can never have that child again…

That was precisely why Hae Cheong-yeon had rushed over here.

“You insolent bitch!”

CRASH!

“Aaargh!”

Despite being struck by the Nine Heavens Blood Dragon Demon Art, Gu Wuzhe remained formidable.

Even the surprise attack by the Comet Black, said to rival the Four-Sword Technique’s One-Time Four-Sword, couldn’t land a successful strike.

Even against his carelessly swung strike, Hae Cheong-yeon could only be helplessly flung away.

Having never broken through the Fire Realm barrier, Hae Cheong-yeon had no chance of blocking Gu Woo-jeol, who possessed mid-level Fire Realm martial prowess.

And she had already anticipated that fact.

Guu Jeol hesitated just as he was about to hurl the sword at Hae Cheong-yeon, recognizing her face, and let out a bitter laugh.

“You bitch, daughter of the Sword Saint. Is the Heaven-Defying Blood Demon still inside you?”

Then, from within Hae Cheong-yeon, Gwa Yeom burst into a raucous laugh.

– Oh ho ho ho ho! I’m right here inside, aren’t I! Qingyan, you actually came here wanting to be a hostage, didn’t you?! Oh ho ho ho ho!

Hae Cheongyeon smiled faintly as she heard her voice.

Then she spoke to Guu Jeol.

“Yes, the Heaven-Defying Blood Demon is right inside me. It’s screaming for you to save it right now!”

Hae Cheong-yeon charged at Guu Jeol as he shouted.

It was a reckless attack that disregarded defense.

“Haah!”

“Huh?!”

Guu Jeol halted mid-block, then dodged and stepped back.

Because as long as the Heaven-Defying Blood Demon was inside him, he couldn’t kill her.

Hae Cheong-yeon pursued Guu Jeol relentlessly, as if determined never to let her go.

Each move was a desperate, life-or-death attack.

“The Rebellious Heaven Blood Demon!”

“You speak!”

“Quickly!”

“Get it out!”

Then Gwa-yeom finally understood what Hae Cheong-yeon’s scheme was.

He anticipated that Guu-jeol wouldn’t be able to kill her because of his presence.

– You bitch! You planned this from the start!

Hearing Gwae-yeom’s words, Hae Cheong-yeon chuckled and retorted,

‘Now who’s the hostage?’

– You bitch!

Hae Cheong-yeon’s plan was extremely effective.

But that effectiveness couldn’t last long.

The gap in strength between her and Guu Jeol was simply too great.

CRASH!

“Guh!”

After continuously dodging Hae Cheong-yeon’s attacks for a while, Guu Jeol finally began to fight back.

It wasn’t a full-power attack, but just enough for Hae Cheong-yeon to barely withstand.

Upon clashing with Guu Jeol’s sword technique, Hae Cheong-yeon began bouncing backward continuously.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

She instantly grasped what her opponent was thinking.

It seemed he intended to capture her, even if it meant inflicting internal injuries to bring her down, since he couldn’t take her alive otherwise.

And that method proved highly effective.

She had no way to counter it, and blood was already flowing from her mouth.

There was no doubt she couldn’t hold out much longer like this.

Then Gwae-yeom began laughing cheerfully once more.

– Oh ho ho ho! No matter how clever you are, it’s useless if your body can’t keep up! It’s all over now! You’ll be caught soon! You tried to stall for time to give your pursuers a chance to catch up, but no one could possibly follow you with such a short delay!

CRASH!

“Aaaah!”

Haecheongyeon finally couldn’t take it anymore and was flung away, tumbling across the ground.

“Gurgle!”

Blood gushed from Hae Cheong-yeon’s mouth, staining the ground.

Yet, despite this, she staggered to her feet with great effort.

Though she no longer had the strength to fight again, she couldn’t just collapse there.

Guu-jeol approached her slowly, a bitter smile on his face.

He thought he had her now, and all he had to do was take her away.

That was when it happened.

Haecheongyeon suddenly opened her blood-stained mouth and spoke.

“You know something?”

Guu Jeol paused briefly at her question.

Then she smiled faintly and continued.

“Saying it’s just this much time is wrong.”

She had spoken not to Guu-jeol, but to Gwa-yeom.

Realizing this, Gwa-yeom retorted.

– …What?

Then Hae Cheong-yeon forced a smile and said.

“At least to him, that is.”

It was at that moment.

A streak of light, pale purple, plunged down from the sky faster than a shooting star.

It was Seon Woo-jin.

“How dare you!”

With an enraged shout, Seon Woo-jin’s sword tore through space.

It was ‘Gaecheon’.

Swoosh!

“Gah!”

Guu-jeol hurled his body forward with all his might.

But as his body flew backward, one arm was already gone.

“Gwaaah! My arm!”

Moreover, Seonwoojin’s attack didn’t end there.

Guu-jeol was horrified when Seon Woo-jin’s face suddenly appeared right before his eyes as he flew backward.

It was an absurd new law.

“You!”

CRACK!

Seon Woo-jin’s furious shout echoed as the space tore apart once more, and his remaining arm was torn off.

Witnessing this, Gu Woo-jeol could only scream in despair.

“No!”

The same was true for Gwae-yeom inside Hae Cheong-yeon.

– No! No!

Gu Woo-jeol’s arms had vanished.

It meant he could no longer create Blood Demons with his hands.

As Guu Jeol screamed in despair at this devastating truth, Seon Woo-jin once again unleashed his fury, shouting as he deployed the Heavenly River technique.

“My wife!”

CRASH!

This time it was both legs.

“Gwaaaaah!”

With limbs torn off, Guu-jeol could only writhe on the ground like a worm.

But he no longer despaired.

There was no time for that.

Sunwoojin’s furious blow savagely split his skull open.

“You hurt me?!”

CRACK!

Hae Cheong-yeon stared blankly at Seon Woo-jin.

And when he killed Guu-jeol, he opened his mouth and said.

“You shouldn’t have killed him. You should have kept him alive to extract information…”

But as Hae Cheong-yeon spoke those words, tears suddenly streamed down her face.

She was happy.

She felt incredibly happy.

The fact that he got so angry because of me.

The fact that he told me he hurt my wife.

made me so happy my heart swelled.

“Ugh!”

Ha Cheong-yeon started sobbing right there, mid-sentence. Startled, Seon Woo-jin rushed to her side in an instant.

“Cheongyeon! Are you okay?!”

Hae Cheong-yeon couldn’t stop crying.

It was because she was so incredibly happy.

The sight of him getting angry for her sake.

His eyes, filled with concern for her, made her happy.

But she pulled herself together.

She couldn’t let this happiness intoxicate her and hide the truth again.

I had to say it now, before I was late again.

Ha Cheong-yeon fought back tears as she spoke to Seon Woo-jin.

“I have something to tell you. I knew about the secret passage they built in Jeomchang Mountain, but I didn’t tell you. I don’t know why I did that, but I’m truly sorry. I should have told you sooner. Also, I deliberately acted meanly toward my brother and sister, and most of all, toward Miss Myo. I was afraid that if she became your wife… my role would disappear. I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to do anything for you anymore, that I would become unnecessary…”

Haecheongyeon, who had always been rational and composed, wept as she spoke incoherently.

As if countless words had been bottled up inside her all along, they now poured out endlessly along with her tears.

Seon Woo-jin stood still in that spot, listening to her story.

His gaze was gentle as he looked into her eyes.

Until she poured out every last word…

“I’m sorry. For betraying your trust. Even though I knew full well I was in a situation where I couldn’t be trusted, I blamed you. I’m truly, truly sorry.”

Seon Woo-jin approached Hae Cheong-yeon, who kept repeating her apology over and over.

He held her tightly and said.

“Thank you so much, and I’m sorry, Cheongyeon.”

Hae Cheongyeon froze in place.

It was something she never expected to hear from him.

Or perhaps it was because he had embraced her.

Seon Woo-jin held her tightly and whispered softly.

“Truthfully, I already knew you’d be struggling. How could I not have known you’d be suffering, staying with the Heaven-Defying Blood Demon, when I myself was happy staying with the Master? But as you know, I’m utterly incompetent in such matters, so I didn’t know how to comfort you . I was only focused on preparing to extract the Heaven-Defying Blood Demon, failing to comfort you when you were suffering. Truly, truly sorry. It’s all my fault for being so inadequate.”

Hae Cheong-yeon burst into tears once more.

Seon Woo-jin’s words were so incredibly warm, and every single one sounded so sincere that I simply couldn’t hold back my tears.

“Sniff!”

Seonwoojin gazed at Haecheongyeon, who was sobbing, with a warm look in his eyes.

Though her crying might have been cause for concern, since her master, the Sword Spirit, had assured him she was happy now, it seemed all right.

And as he watched her cry, Seonwoojin suddenly thought she was so beautiful and adorable.

Of course, as the most beautiful woman in the world, she had always been beautiful.

But she was always so perfect and rational that it wasn’t easy to be around her.

But now, she was clinging to him, weeping with such tenderness and loveliness.

So Seonwoo Jin learned something new once again.

That even crying could be this beautiful. It was an utterly unbearable feeling.

Seon Woo-jin gently lifted Hae Cheong-yeon’s chin, intending to kiss her lips.

Startled, Hae Cheong-yeon pulled her head back slightly and said with a flustered look.

“I, I didn’t wipe the blood off my lips…”

But Seon Woo-jin just smiled faintly and immediately covered her lips with his own.

“Mmmph!”

A soft, moist sensation spread throughout my entire body.

Such a lovely, thrilling feeling.

It was the first lover-like kiss he shared with her.

After a while, when their lips parted, Hae Cheong-yeon’s face was flushed bright red.

Anyone could see she was blushing.

Her face was so beautiful that Seon Woo-jin kissed her again.

Then, Hae Cheong-yeon naturally closed her eyes softly.

After another long while had passed, the two were climbing back up Jomchang Mountain to rejoin the Blood Sect Suppression Squad.

Very slowly.

Like an elderly couple taking a stroll, the two slowly climbed the mountain path, their hands interlocked, holding each other tightly.

It was then.

Hae Cheong-yeon, as if recalling a thought, glanced sideways at Seon Woo-jin.

After a moment’s hesitation, she cautiously opened her mouth.

“What if… I never can have children…”

Seon Woo-jin suddenly smiled at her and asked,

“Shall we go on a trip together?”

Completely baffled by this random question that had nothing to do with her words, Hae Cheong-yeon looked puzzled and asked back.

“Huh? A trip?”

Then Seon Woo-jin smiled brightly and said.

“Now that the fight with the Blood Sect is over, I should take some time to rest. The thing I want most right now is to travel. Come to think of it, it’s been quite a while since I traveled together with Yeo-eun and So-eun. So… what do you say? How about we take this chance and go on a trip together, just the two of us?”

Hae Cheong-yeon stared blankly for a moment at his warm gaze.

Even without him saying it outright, she understood what he was trying to convey.

It’s fine.

Since we don’t have children, couldn’t we travel together?

So don’t worry about anything.

That’s what I wanted to tell you. Hae Cheong-yeon felt his consideration was so warm that tears welled up again.

They were tears flowing with a happy smile.

Then Seon Woo-jin teased her playfully.

“I never knew you were such a crybaby. I’ll make sure to carry plenty of handkerchiefs from now on.”

Hae Cheong-yeon laughed and replied.

“You’re right. I didn’t know either. I guess the dam holding back my tears must have burst.”

It seemed that way.

After marrying Seon Woo-jin, or after the soul of the Heaven-Defying Blood Demon entered her body.

No, it felt like tears that had been building up since I was very young had suddenly burst forth all at once.

Then Seon Woo-jin looked at me again with warm eyes and said.

“Don’t hold them back anymore. You may let them flow in front of me. No, please do so. So that I may wipe away those tears for you.”

Hae Cheong-yeon nodded, her eyes glistening with moisture.

She was happy.

Then Seon Woo-jin suddenly wore a playful expression again and said.

“Did you know? Even when you cry, you look so lovely and beautiful.”

If there was one thing Hae Cheong-yeon heard most often in her life, it was probably that she was pretty.

So she didn’t really like that phrase very much.

At least, that had been the case until now.

Until Seon Woo-jin said it to her…

But at this very moment, she realized how incredibly pleasant those words could be.

Hearing his words made her heart swell with such joy and excitement.

Hae Cheong-yeon murmured, suddenly noticing the blue sky slowly turning red behind his head.

“Beautiful.”

It was beautiful.

That’s why it was even more perfect.

It was one of those days when everything was just too perfect.

She suddenly made up her mind.

If she ever had a child, she would tell that child her story…

Her first meeting with Seon Woo-jin, and the arrogance that made her lose him.

The countless hardships and crises they both had to endure.

And about the salvation they finally found because neither gave up…

And that story would probably end like this.

‘And from that day on, Mom and Dad always loved each other and lived happily ever after.’

Ha Cheong-yeon no longer doubted that fact.

Demon Sect Frontline: The Thirteen Dragons. Complete

@Side Story. A Tale from Two Hundred Years Ago

In a remote forest.

A young man was surrounded by several warriors wielding various weapons.

The warriors smiled leisurely as they slowly closed in on the youth.

“Hey, illusory sword master Sun Woo-yong! Why not drop your stubbornness and hand over the backpack? If you give it up quietly, they say they’ll spare your life, right?”

The youth, who had been retreating step by step, gritted his teeth and shouted back.

“Hey, you damn bastards! You actually think about robbing your former comrade’s entire fortune, someone you shared meals with just yesterday?! Do you even call yourselves human beings?! Damn it, you’re worse than dogs! Do you really think you’ll get away with this?!”

Each thick curse was a shout filled with rage.

But the warriors who heard his curses didn’t even get angry. They just chuckled and replied.

“Our backs? Probably safe? We’re not the type to hoard money like you, you know? Why would we stab each other in the back? There’s nothing to gain from it anyway.”

“Hehehehe, that’s the real answer.”

“Hehehehe! We’ll be best friends forever. We’re all broke, aren’t we? Hehehehe!”

Young Seonwoo-yong gritted his teeth so hard they made a grinding sound.

The money he had scrimped and saved during his life as a ronin—money he had hoarded with the single-minded goal of one day restoring his family’s honor, denying himself food and fun—was about to be snatched away by those bastards.

‘Damn it! If only I had my sword…’

If only he had a sword in his hands now, he felt he could easily take on scum like them.

His swordsmanship was unmatched even among ronin.

But the sword he was desperately searching for was now in the hands of those bastards.

It was all because he’d foolishly trusted those bastards too much.

He let out a bitter laugh, glancing back and forth between the approaching men and his own backpack.

‘Damn it! I thought this money would be enough to get me started!’

It was such a waste.

But there was nothing he could do.

Refusing to hand it over meant fighting bare-handed against men wielding swords.

And Seonwoo Yong didn’t particularly enjoy bare-handed combat.

‘Damn it! If I make it out of here alive, I’ll train bare-knuckle fighting until I drop!’

That was when he was having that thought.

One of the rogues surrounding him delivered a final ultimatum.

“Alright, Seonwoo Yong. Make your choice now. Leave with just the money, or leave with your head too.”

“Khehehehe!”

Seonwoo Yong glared at the man with a look that could kill, then glanced back at his backpack.

He was furious and felt wronged, but there was nothing he could do.

Money could be earned back if stolen, but a severed head couldn’t be reattached.

His dream of greatly expanding the Seonwoo family would have to be put on hold for the time being.

Seonwoo Yong gritted his teeth and pulled his backpack forward.

The warriors’ eyes lit up as they addressed him.

“Ooooh! Good! Yeah, now throw that this way.”

Gritting his teeth once more at their words, Seonwoo Yong hurled the bundle skyward with all his might.

“Here you go!”

Whoosh!

The warriors’ gazes all turned toward the sky.

He had deliberately thrown it high and far.

He had no way of knowing if they would truly spare him, so his plan was to throw it and flee.

“Whoa!”

“Money!”

Seon Woo-yong spun around the instant their eyes were fixed on his backpack.

He intended to run away right then and there.

That was the moment.

Whoosh!

A brilliant red light suddenly appeared before Seonwoo Yong, who was just about to run.

It was the kind of light that seemed to come from something bursting out of space that had been empty.

And Seonwoo Yong immediately confirmed that this sensation was no illusion.

Because a sword had materialized from the very void where the brilliant light had erupted.

It was clearly no ordinary sword, its blade faintly glowing with a crimson aura.

“!”

Seonwoo Yong froze for a moment.

But that daze didn’t last long.

As the sword began to fall from the air, he immediately reached out and caught it.

“Whoa!”

Seonwoo Yong stared wide-eyed at the sword.

It was clearly a magnificent sword, the likes of which he, a wandering swordsman, had never seen before.

Of course, many questions arose.

Why had it suddenly appeared out of thin air? And why was it emitting a faint red glow?

But rather than dwell on those questions, Seonwoo Yong decided to focus more on what he could do with it.

For example…

He looked back again.

Then he saw the traitors still scrambling about, trying to get their backpacks.

Crunch!

“You bastards!”

Without a second thought, Seonwoo Yong charged at them.

The money-obsessed fools stood gaping, staring blankly into the air.

“Die, you bastards!”

Swoosh!

“Gahhh!”

“Huh?! You… you bastard, what the hell is that sword… Kyaaah!”

“Seo, Seonwooyong, s-save me! Aaargh!”

Moments later, Seonwooyong lay gasping for breath, his entire body covered in blood.

And around him lay eight bodies.

He adjusted his backpack and smiled contentedly.

Then he suddenly looked at the sword in his hand.

“Hmm.”

The crimson aura that had clung to the blade had now vanished.

But even so, something felt off.

He even wondered if this might be one of those cursed swords or demon swords he’d only heard about.

If that were the case, it would bring a curse upon its user, so he should discard it immediately.

But after a moment’s hesitation, Seonwoo Yong chuckled softly and muttered to himself.

“Oh, if it found my money, it’s not a demon sword but a divine sword. What’s so special about a divine sword? If it brings me good fortune…”

As Seonwoo Yong muttered to himself, it suddenly occurred to him that this sword, appearing at this crucial moment to help him revive the Seonwoo clan, might actually be a divine sword.

No, it had appeared out of thin air—it had to be.

Seonwoo Yong gazed at the sword with a serious expression and declared.

“If the Seonwoo clan rises to greatness, it will be thanks to you. We shall enshrine you as our clan’s sacred artifact from now on. Your name… Yes! Hongyeon Sword! We shall call you Hongyeon Sword!”

With the funds to rebuild his family and even a sacred artifact of the clan now in hand, Seonwoo Yong began moving forward with a bright expression.

His destination was Guizhou Province, a place devoid of other major factions.

He walked briskly, addressing the Hongyeon Sword as if it possessed life itself.

“My goal is to one day establish a martial arts clan bearing my surname. The Sunwoo Clan. Everyone called it a foolish dream, but heh! Just you wait. Who knows? Perhaps one day, a descendant of mine will become the greatest under heaven. Heh heh heh. Until then, I’ll be counting on you, Hongyeon Sword.”

Seonwoo Yong suddenly sensed a faint crimson aura emanating from Hong Yeon-geom as he listened to his words.

It was so faint it could have been a mistake, but somehow, it felt as if he had heard Hong Yeon-geom’s reply.

Seonwoo Yong smiled pleasantly.

He felt incredibly good.

Somehow, it was a refreshing feeling, as if even his wildest dreams might one day truly come true.