Chapter 156

Fanatic, Wipe the Blood from Your Disciple 1

The True Identity of Yeto Seosaeng.

Of course, he was the Earth Master belonging to the Five Elements Demon Sect of the Ten Thousand Horses Palace.

Even Yu Zhenghong had no way to confirm whether this middle-aged man was truly the son of Cui Langengjian.

Because it was truly an ancient matter.

Regardless of the truth, Yoo Jeong-hong had no intention of engaging in a duel with such men. His father had caused the deaths of more than a few people, yet they dared to appear before the leader of the martial arts world and bring up old grudges…

He was truly an infuriating bastard.

Another thought crossed his mind.

He was someone who didn’t understand the way the world worked.

Of course, it was wrong for a son to bear the guilt of his father’s crimes through collective punishment.

But he thought it was shameless to appear so boldly and challenge him to a duel. He knew full well this wasn’t a simple contest to determine victory or defeat, but a duel to the death.

If the Martial Alliance leader fell, the entire righteous faction would suffer. Dying in battle was something he had always been prepared for, but Yu Zhenghong had absolutely no intention of being injured or killed in this duel entangled with personal vendettas.

Nor was he simply passing the duel off to Guangxin.

If by any chance Gwangshin was pushed back, Yoo Jeong-hong intended to join the fight without regard for seniority and kill Yeoto Seosaeng with a combined attack.

Few men in the martial world of this era could commit such an act of blasphemy against the Buddha.

Yet Yu Zhenghong was determined to kill his opponent by any means necessary.

Though privately he was Guangxin’s junior, publicly he never once forgot that he was the leader of the martial arts world.

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.

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Yoo Jeong-hong opened his mouth as if to tell the waiting Alliance members an old tale.

“While we wait for our senior to arrive, I shall recount one tale of Chuyang Yugyeom.”

“Yes, Lord Myeong.”

On the day a woman was to be married, Chui Langyuan appeared there, beheaded the groom who was experiencing the happiest day of his life, and abducted the bride. I heard this news from the Martial Arts Alliance, which was in turmoil at the time due to severe internal factional strife. After hearing this news, I couldn’t sleep until deep into the night. I ended up staying up all night, then requested leave under the flimsy excuse of visiting my hometown. I then set off without hesitation for the place where the wedding was said to have taken place.

I didn’t know the face of the murderer, nor their martial arts level. I knew nothing. But when I arrived there and grabbed people to ask, those who had attended the wedding ceremony all poured out every bit of information to me with expressions of utter devastation. Their descriptions were so detailed… I soon knew exactly what Chul-rang Eun-gyeom looked like, how he smiled, what clothes he wore, his height, even his skin tone and hair length. I was certain that if I ever saw him, I could catch him.

When I had spoken this far…

The doors of the Mansion of the Lord opened, revealing Kwangshin, Cheolmyeongho, and the criminal Kwangma. As Yoo Jeonghong rose from the Grand Councilor’s seat, Kwangshin gestured for him to sit, then said to Yoo Jeonghong.

“Finish your story.”

It seemed Gwangshin had been listening intently to Yoo Jeonghong’s story with keen ears during the journey.

Yu Jeong-hong nodded.

“Yes, Senior.”

The Earthly Scholar stared at Gwangshin with a startled expression, unable to discern his true identity. His face paled the moment he spotted Gwangma waiting behind Gwangshin.

However, Gwangshin, who had just arrived, didn’t even glance at the Yeto Scholar, keeping his gaze fixed on Yoo Jeonghong.

Cheolmyeongho and Gwangma closed the door to the Myeongju Hall, then stood quietly before it, guarding like silent sentinels, waiting behind Gwangshin.

Yoo Jeong-hong continued.

“Back then, my martial arts weren’t as formidable as they are now. Yet, by the time I tracked down that villain, my fear had vanished. My determination to capture him outweighed any dread of dying. As I pursued him, I kept gathering intelligence and learned he possessed a strange, perverse lust.”

He never frequented brothels, nor did he target only beauties. He was solely interested in targeting those with spouses or leading normal lives, and in utterly destroying those lives. What he truly enjoyed was the misfortune and anguish of others.

That must be why he showed up at the wedding. Four men with this twisted lust gathered under one moniker: the Flowery Wanderers. As mentioned before, after one arm was severed, he appeared with the remaining three. Personally, the most grueling battle wasn’t the Battle of Five Ridges, but that moment.

I did capture him, but what was truly remarkable was that the guests who attended that wedding ceremony revealed everything.

Of course, the outcome was that Yu Jeong-hong cut off the heads of the four men one by one. From that moment on, the name Yu Jeong-hong became synonymous with the epithet ‘knight-errant.’ To recount the misdeeds of the other three in detail would require drinking and storytelling here, so Yu Jeong-hong appropriately ended his tale.

Yu Jeonghong pointed at the Yeoto Scholar with his finger and reintroduced him to the Myeongwon members with renewed emphasis.

“This is the Yeto Scholar, who claims to be the son of Chulrang Gyeom.”

The Myeongwon members all glared at the Yeto Scholar at once, and a heavy silence fell.

The scholar from Yeto looked around, then nodded several times with an expressionless face.

But for some reason, he hadn’t uttered a single word since the fanatic appeared.

“So…”

When Gwangshin opened his mouth, all eyes turned to him.

Gwang-shin continued, looking at the Yeoto Scholar.

“Are you the son of that Churang Eun-gyeom?”

When Yeto Seosaeng remained silent, Gwangshin asked Gwangma.

“Do you know him?”

Gwangma looked at Yeto Seosaeng and replied.

“I don’t recognize his appearance. But I can tell by his voice.”

The Yeto scholar sighed and looked at the Mad Horse. The reason for his silence was obvious. The Mad Horse, a disciple of the Ten Thousand Horses Palace, had appeared here alive and well.

The Yeto Scholar spoke as if resigned.

“Kwangma, why are you here?”

The moment he heard the voice, Guangma bowed his head slightly.

“It happened that way. What courage brought you here alone, Master Tu?”

The Yeto Scholar replied, tearing off his face mask as if exasperated.

“I suppose that’s what happens when you try to keep a promise.”

Kwangma said with a sneer.

“Your manner of visiting is truly old-fashioned. Have you been reading books for too long?”

It was a sarcastic remark, yet it was also the truth. It was the approach devised by someone ignorant of the ways of the world.

Kwangma reported to Kwangshin.

“The Grand Master of the Ten Thousand Horses Palace, the Earth Master of the Five Elements Demon Path. Beyond that, I know neither his name nor his alias.”

The Earthly Scholar said to the fanatic.

“They call me Yeto Seosaeng. And you?”

Guangxin nodded and replied.

“Is the Five Elements Demon Sect perhaps the successors of the Five Rings Demon Cult?”

The Yeto Scholar retorted.

“How do you know that?”

Long ago, I personally led those who shared my years to tear the Five-Ring Demon Sect apart, piece by piece. I cannot tell if you are a survivor of the Five-Ring Demon Sect, or a disciple of a survivor. You may have come seeking retribution against my junior, Zheng Hong, but within the Martial Alliance, those harboring grudges against the demonic path are too numerous to count. I am one of them.

The young disciples watching here cannot even gauge your skill. The old demon master will have to face me.”

As Kwang-shin spoke, To Sabu and Yeto Seosang revealed their aged faces and retorted.

“So you are fanatical, are you? Very well. But the Mansion Hall is far too narrow. In the heat of battle, men will be swept away and die. From the moment I set foot in the Martial Alliance, I never intended to return alive. Fanatic, shall we move to a wider space?”

Kwangshin looked around at the Myeongwon members.

“Do as you please.”

Truthfully, fighting outside suited Kwangshin just fine. For the fact that the Alliance members might die by his own hand.

As Gwangshin turned his back, Cheolmyeongho opened the door.

As Gwangshin stepped outside, he asked the Hermit Scholar.

“Are you using weapons?”

Yeto Seosaeng followed him out and replied.

“Today is a special day, so I brought it along.”

“Very well. So you wield demonic arts like the Five Rings Sect.”

“You’ll see for yourself.”

Kwang-shin paused briefly, then gestured to Yeto Seosang as if inviting him to walk together. Yeto Seosang then stood side by side with Kwang-shin and headed toward the Martial Alliance’s dueling ground. The scene looked like old comrades-in-arms meeting after a long time.

The Yeto Scholar smiled, hands clasped behind his back.

“You’re the top master of the White Path who fought my disciple in a three-against-one battle. Have your skills improved much since then?”

“You say Tianma is your disciple?”

“Indeed.”

Guangxin said.

“No way. Just because I threw out a few words and taught you a few martial arts moves doesn’t make you my disciple. If you’re the Celestial Demon’s master, you should be able to overwhelm me.”

As Kwang-shin pointed toward the martial arts platform…

The Yeto Scholar flew first, landing lightly on the martial arts platform.

Guangxin didn’t fly up; instead, he slowly climbed the stairs as he spoke.

“Thank you for visiting in person. It seems the Grand Masters have dispersed to confront the masters of the White Path.”

“How did you know that?”

Kwangshin said to the Yeto Scholar.

“When you’re tormented by someone for too long, you start to think like them. You’re no exception.”

It was mere idle talk, so the Yeoto scholar had no reply.

The Yeto Scholar drew a peculiar-looking sickle, folded in half, from within his sleeve. It appeared to be the silver sickle once wielded by Churang.

The Yeto Scholar spoke, still holding the sickle.

“Will you wield a weapon too?”

Kwang-shin nodded and addressed Cheol-myeong-ho.

“Myeong-ho.”

“Yes.”

“Hand me the umbrella.”

Cheol Myeong-ho, startled, pulled the black iron umbrella from his back. As he lifted it with both hands to ascend the stage, Gwang-sin reached out.

The black iron umbrella in Cheol Myeong-ho’s hand flew away as if sucked into Gwang-sin’s grasp.

Cheol Myeong-ho swallowed hard.

Seeing the black iron umbrella he’d been wielding day in and day out now held in Gwang-shin’s hand gave him a strange feeling.

Gwang-sin smiled, the black iron umbrella clutched in his hand.

“Since you claim to be the master of the Heavenly Demon, I’ll fight you using only the Three Calamities Sword Technique, if I can manage it.”

The Yeto Scholar blinked and muttered.

“The Three Calamities Sword Technique.”

To the Yeto Scholar, it was an utterly absurd statement, but to Cheolmyeongho, it sent a chill down his spine.

‘No, Master. There’s no need for you to…’

Cheolmyeongho dared not stop Gwangshin, and the same held true for the other juniors.

Surprisingly, Gwang-shin bowed respectfully while still holding the iron-clad umbrella.

“Are you ready?”

“Come.”

Kwang-shin approached the Yeoto Scholar, still holding the black iron umbrella.

“My twenty years… What difference have they made compared to yours?”

The moment Gwang-sin approached the Yeto Scholar, suddenly lost in memory, Gwang-sin had already gone mad.

Sorrow and joy, Yoo Jeong-hong’s words, Cheol Myeong-ho’s efforts, the lonely and desolate days—all condensed into a single moment, swirling around the black iron umbrella.

Should this too be called the Sword’s Cry?

A whirring sound of unknown origin emanated from the iron-reinforced umbrella.

As the Yeoto Scholar poured his full force into the left strike against the approaching fanatic…

Kwang-shin, who had shattered that force with his iron umbrella, suddenly appeared and swung the iron umbrella again with ordinary ease.

The Yeto Scholar swung his sickle at the empty air.

Clang!

The sickle and the umbrella clashed.

For weapons used to kill people, they were a truly mismatched pair.

One was meant to cut grass, the other to shelter from rain.

At the point where the sickle and umbrella met, two energies manifested as light and collided fiercely…

The two figures vanished from the onlookers’ sight in an instant, then all heads turned skyward. They had followed the sound, and the clang of weapons was now echoing upward.

Then, with a thud! Ye Tosaseong landed on the ground first.

Propelled by the recoil, Kwang-shin bounced higher, gazing down upon the world from the sky, his iron-tipped umbrella clutched in hand.

There was no way the Earthly Scholar would miss Gwangshin, suspended in midair.

The sickle held by the Yeto scholar traced a chaotic, messy stroke of the character for “heaven” in the air… Four sword energies shot out fiercely, one after another.

Sssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss

At that moment, Kwangshin laughed in midair as if feeling quite pleased.

“Heh heh.”

In midair, Kwangshin fully unfurled his black iron umbrella, then concealed himself behind it, infusing the entire umbrella with his energy. It wasn’t a pre-planned technique. Kwangshin’s realm had now reached a level where he could create martial arts on the spot to counter threats.

CRASH!

Cheol Myeong-ho looked at Gwang-shin in shock.

Kwang-shin, having blocked the sword strikes with his iron umbrella, was once again being flung into the air. But the successive sword strikes arriving next were no different. They all struck the iron umbrella. Each time, accompanied by a deafening roar, he was sent flying haphazardly through the air.

Yet the sight wasn’t serious; it was comical, like a child playing ball, spinning round and round as he bounced away.

Spectators, and even the Yeto Scholar, were left speechless.

Kwang-shin, who had blocked the four sword strikes with the iron umbrella as if playing a game, was now slowly descending through the air, still clutching the iron umbrella.

Just how exactly does it fall so slowly?

Kwang-shin, holding an umbrella, spoke to the Yeoto scholar as he descended slowly.

“Listen, Master To, I can confidently say my twenty years were more agonizing.”

This meant that Gwangshin’s twenty years of training had been harsher and more meaningful.

The moment Gwangshin touched the ground, he grinned.