Chapter 110

The King of Swords Battles the Black Path

At the brief introduction of “Kwonwang,” Mokryongdang, Cheonguidang, and Jeonbirang finally grasped the situation.

When one speaks of the King of Power, is it not the epithet used by the rare sovereigns of the White Path?

The only puzzling thing was how young he was for someone bearing the title of “King.”

Ha Jeong-hak glared at Dan Woo-seong before turning away and speaking curtly to his subordinates.

“Stay out of this.”

Only then did Ha Jeong-hak, the leader of the Jipya Myeongju, fully grasp this absurd situation. The meaningless deaths of his subordinates now felt like a natural consequence.

But deep down, he also felt a sense of relief.

The Kwonwang Ha Jeonghak knew was a contemporary of his own, not this young man. Moreover, that fearsome Kwonwang had been so quiet lately that his alias hadn’t even been mentioned. The last news was that he had disappeared.

Therefore, the young man thought he was Kwon Wang’s descendant.

Ha Jeong-hak turned back and drew his sword.

As the white blade came into view, he forgot about the Jipyamyeong and his younger brother. His own bitter attachment to a life of struggle melted away like snow before the gleaming blade, and the heavy burden of being the clan leader, which had weighed on his shoulders, vanished.

With all distracting thoughts swept away, Ha Jeong-hak was finally able to relax and smile.

“Lord Kwon, let’s begin.”

Dan Woo-sung uncrossed his arms and addressed the leader of the Jipya Clan in an informal tone.

“Let’s begin.”

Dan Woosung approached Ha Jeonghak. With each step he took, his power surged through his entire body like the energy of the Hundred Battles Ten Thousand Swords technique. It was a sight unseen even in the Silent Dragon Hall. The martial prowess he had never fully displayed since meeting Gwangshin and growing stronger now enveloped Dan Woosung’s entire being, engulfing him in a whirlwind of his own aura.

To Ha Jeong-hak, it appeared as if the Immovable Wisdom King, engulfed in a dragon’s roar, was walking toward him.

Ha Jeonghak himself hadn’t risen to the position of the strongest in the Black Path solely through schemes and trickery, yet that’s how he appeared.

He seemed like an opponent one dared not confront.

But having already calmed his mind like still water in a clear mirror, he swiftly shook off even the stray thought of fear.

‘If I die fighting, so be it.’

Ha Jeong-hak, consumed by obsession yet still grounded in reality, uttered words he would never have spoken otherwise as he channeled his energy into his sword.

“I shall be the one to slay the Immovable King.”

The moment he thought he must strike the neck, Ha Jeong-hak’s sword was already near Dan Woo-seong’s throat. Just as he thought his opponent had dodged, Ha Jeong-hak, abandoning all thought, swung his sword in pursuit of Dan Woo-seong’s movement.

‘Counterattack.’

As if instinct itself had warned him, the words surfaced before Ha Jeong-hak could even withdraw his sword, and he thrust his left arm forward violently.

That left thrust collided with the fist of the Fist King.

CRASH!

In the instant Ha Jeonghak’s face rippled like water, his body was already flying out of the Myeongryong Hall. Twisting his form mid-air, Ha Jeonghak landed and thrust his sword into the ground as if striking it, channeling his ki into it.

The sword’s cry coiled around the blade.

Ha Jeong-hak shouted toward the interior of the Black Dragon Hall.

“Kwonwang!”

As Dan Woo-sung burst out from the main gate like a raging torrent, Ha Jeong-hak unleashed the sword energy coiled around his blade in a horizontal sweep. He followed his opponent’s movement, violently pouring the sword energy into the air.

The sword energy collided in all directions, creating a deafening roar.

Ha Jeong-hak poured his energy into the fight, thinking that fighting poorly was more shameful than dying. He never considered this an opponent to fight efficiently against, nor did he think a strategy of waiting for a long battle and exploiting weaknesses would be necessary. From the moment the Kwonwang revealed his power, he clearly understood this was a battle where the underdog, the leader of the Jipya, challenged the strong, the Kwonwang.

Then, just like back in the day, he had no choice but to fight like a dog.

The purpose of this fight was to avoid showing weakness to the subordinates who had trusted and followed him all this time.

That way, he could at least face those he had killed with some dignity.

Ha Jeong-hak’s expression, a mix of boiling rage and unyielding resolve, made him appear to Dan Woo-seong as a true warrior, quite a sight to behold.

The sword techniques Ha Jeong-hak had mastered.

He had no master and had never formally studied.

Those he had barely managed to kill were all Ha Jeong-hak’s true masters.

He had grasped it only through fighting and fighting again, each time until his life hung by a thread, and thus named it the Sword of Life and Death.

As the fight continued…

Around the age of twenty, he realized the subtlety of thrusting and aimed for Dan Woosung’s chest. In his mid-twenties, he mastered the combination of empty and real strikes, targeting Dan Woosung’s legs and waist. After monopolizing all the elixirs obtained in bulk by raiding the black market, he unleashed a massive surge of sword energy using the internal power gained from them.

The outer wall of the Silent Dragon Hall was torn away as if struck by a giant whip.

Spectators scrambled to dodge or climbed onto the walls to watch.

Ha Jeong-hak concentrated the sword’s energy into its tip as if it were a clenched fist, then swung the blade.

The tip of Ha Jeong-hak’s sword, who believed he would have no regrets even if he lived as a villain, was stained with a murky color that had never been named in this world.

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

It was a color like dirty water, a murky mix of various hues that swirled together, never gaining a name before being discarded.

It was also the color Ha Jeong-hak had earned by living that way. Ha Jeong-hak was a man who had lived like dirty water just to survive.

He swung that sword to kill Danwooseong. The stagnant water clinging to the blade tip ignited with his ki, spewing black smoke and leaving behind an afterimage of smoke.

Sssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss

He was neither stylish nor attractive.

The man who had survived the Black Path, struggling desperately just to stay alive in this moment, slashed and stabbed Danwooseong, unleashing his life-and-death sword technique.

Clang!

At one point, when Danwooseong grabbed the sword with his bare hand…

The moment he twisted the sword to create a gap in his grip, Ha Jeong-hak’s figure shifted nine paces in an instant, his left foot driving off the ground as he pulled the sword free.

In that split second of being forced back nine paces, Dan Wooseong closed in right before his eyes. Ha Jeonghak didn’t even have time to grit his teeth.

He spun his body as if collapsing into a seated position, swung his sword, then drew the scabbard with his left hand, wielding the weapon like a pair of swords.

This time too, when Dan Woosung grabbed the scabbard barehanded…

Having abandoned the scabbard, Ha Jeong-hak unleashed a torrent of energy toward Dan Woo-seong’s face. Simultaneously, he rapidly repeated short, stabbing motions like thrusting daggers, continuously erupting piercing sword energy at close range.

Shwaaak! Shwaaak! Shwaaak!

After barely recalling his fourth sword energy, Ha Jeong-hak turned his gaze skyward. Dan Woo-sung’s head was upside down, passing through the air.

Ha Jeong-hak barely managed to tilt his head back.

Ha Jeonghak soared into the air, his fluttering hair barely caught at the tips.

Danwooseong, planted firmly on the ground, added rotational force and brute strength to hurl Ha Jeonghak against the wall of the Moolryongdang.

Ha Jeong-hak flew violently through the air before slamming into the wall with a thud.

CRASH!

Ha Jeong-hak rolled roughly over the pile of stones waiting like daggers atop the collapsed wall’s debris, rising again in an instant, a complete mess.

Only then did he find time to grit his teeth.

His hair had nearly been torn out by the roots, leaving him looking like a disheveled vagrant. Before he could even catch his breath, Kwon Wang was already standing atop the wall, looking down at him.

Ha Jeong-hak looked up at Kwon Wang.

Was it because he was a man stronger than himself? Or was it simply because he stood so absurdly atop the wall? It felt as if a truly enormous giant was looking down upon him.

Ha Jeong-hak read the expression on Kwon Wang’s face.

He was looking at him as if he were a laughingstock. Ha Jeong-hak spat out the words in a voice that strained like he was gritting his teeth.

“Kwonwang, aren’t you going to fight properly? Your skill must be better than this.”

Danwooseong smiled silently, and Ha Jeonghak said.

“Come on, you crazy bastard.”

Ha Jeong-hak laughed, baring his teeth, and swung his sword first. With his first strike, the wall split left and right. With his second strike, he unleashed a horizontal torrent of sword energy, sending everyone nearby flying into the air.

Dan Woo-sung, who had been flung into the air alongside them, exposed a vulnerability in his defenseless state and unleashed a surge of energy toward Ha Jung-hak.

A massive palm engulfed Ha Jeong-hak.

Ha Jeong-hak laid his sword horizontally, then wrapped his sword energy around it, simultaneously lashing the blade’s edge with the left-hand’s force. It was an improvisational counter. Only this way could he seem to block the King of Fists’ force surging like a wave.

CRASH!

Ha Jeong-hak’s entire body, enveloped in thunder energy, moved horizontally across the inner courtyard of the Moksryong Hall. His face contorted by the surging thunder energy, he unleashed a burst of energy throughout his body, propelling himself off the wall and soaring onto the roof of the Moksryong Hall.

The King of Fists was closing in relentlessly, his pursuit becoming unbearably close.

Ha Jeong-hak leapt skyward, smashing through the roof of the Black Dragon Hall like a thunderbolt. His figure shot forward, soaring toward the low-hanging moon.

He felt a sense of relief, thinking he had fought well enough.

He thought his younger brother would have told him, “Good job,” had he seen it.

Ha Jeong-hak’s body spun in midair as if settling into position. He then gripped the hilt of his sword with both hands, preparing the technique that had cleaved the former leader of the faction in two: the Cruel Moon Descending Strike.

True Moon Descending Blade—this signifies the merciless moonlight pouring down. At first glance, a technique of unparalleled brutality. The moment Ha Junghak spotted the figure of the Sword King standing atop the roof, he swung his sword with both hands, seemingly without regard for the point of impact.

A massive crescent-shaped blade aura, as if the sword’s soul had been ripped out, poured down upon the King of Kwon.

Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

As Ha Jeong-hak fell through the air, his black cloak fluttering, he watched his sword energy. It possessed a far more magnificent form than any he had ever wielded in his life.

The Fist King extended one hand toward the surging, massive sword energy. His hand appeared to grasp at the void. That grasping hand shape, enveloped in white lightning, suddenly grew enormous. The moment it collided with the surging sword energy from the void, it transformed into a fist shape, shattering it as if crushing it.

The massive sword energy shattered into pieces upon contact with the Kwonwang’s fist, then vanished.

The moment Ha Jeonghak confirmed the result, he burst into laughter mid-air and plummeted toward the ground.

“Hahahahahahaha…”

He felt a sense of exhilaration.

He fell, realizing that the world of martial arts was infinitely farther away than he had ever imagined.

As soon as Ha Jeong-hak’s new form hit the ground, he spat out a stream of dark red blood from his mouth.

Ha Jeong-hak lost consciousness, dreaming he was running fiercely somewhere, as if wandering through a dream. It was a dream, and it was also a forgotten memory.

.

.

.

While Ha Jeong-hak was running like a madman, his younger brother, who was being carried on his back, asked.

“Brother, where are we going?”

Ha Jeong-hak answered.

“I don’t know. Let’s just run. Somewhere out there, there must be a place where we brothers can live properly.”

His younger brother retorted.

“Put me down. I’ll run too.”

Ha Jeong-hak said.

“You’re too slow. We have to hurry. If we don’t, we’ll get caught.”

Ha Jeong-hak felt his younger brother growing heavier on his back, but he pumped strength into his trembling legs and sprinted forward fiercely.

He ran blindly into the darkness.

He had no choice; staying in the light would mean discovery and death.

He planned to hide in the pitch-black darkness for a while, then return someday to kill every last one of those who had treated his brothers like slaves.

Ha Jung-hak’s heart, dreaming of revenge, ran out, stained as black as the surrounding landscape. Suddenly, Ha Jung-hak felt a sinking feeling in his stomach, wondering if his brother was dead, since he hadn’t said a word.

“Min-ah?”

Ha Min, carried on his back, answered.

“Why?”

“Nothing.”

“Hyung, you’re not tired, are you?”

Ha Jeonghak answered calmly, like the older brother he was.

“I’m fine. Not yet… I’m far from tired.”

As the brothers headed into the darkness, the watching darkness embraced these brothers with nowhere to go.

The brothers dissolved into the darkness.