Chapter: 161
Unfeeling.
Namgoong So, who had displayed a myriad of emotions—rage, lament, inferiority—was suddenly bleached of all feeling. He appeared as expressionless as a wax figure, silent and still.
This stillness was like a placid surface of a lake, but to Namgoong Cheong-Hwi, that calm was far more threatening than a raging storm.
He had experienced it before. That tranquil lake held an endless depth and was heavier than the same amount of iron, capable of dragging a swimmer straight down into its abyss in an instant.
“………”
Blood energy surged uncontrollably.
The Blood Cult’s secrets pierced through Namgoong So’s body, forcing the Heavenly Demon to fulfill their purposes. They demanded that this immense power be used for killing and bloodletting, to thrive the Blood Cult.
Only the Blood Cult is your ally; everyone else is mere prey. Paint the world red and open the history of blood that will last for millennia──
“How crude.”
The Heavenly Demon gazed down at the Magic Conjuration technique in his hand and quietly tightened his grip. He would not allow himself to be invaded.
Crack!
The vile Blood Cult’s techniques shattered into thousands of pieces.
The Heavenly Demon, having broken the chains that bound him, seemed to ponder what to do next. He sought the answer from the possessed body.
“Is becoming the head of the Namgoong Family your wish? Consider it granted.”
“………”
The Heavenly Demon chose the fastest and most efficient method of action.
“If you kill all the Namgoong clan and remain alone, you will become the head.”
“──I won’t allow it!”
Clang!
Namgoong Cheong-Hwi’s sword sang as he drew attention. When the Heavenly Demon turned to him, it felt as if his entire being was stripped bare.
Under the moonlight, a heavy silence loomed, and Namgoong Cheong-Hwi swallowed hard. In the suffocating tension, Cheong-Hwi used all his senses to gauge the Heavenly Demon’s movements.
The blood energy enveloping him flickered like a candle, gradually diminishing.
In tandem, Namgoong So’s body also began to wither. His muscles shrank, his complexion paled, and the gauntness of his body became visible.
Once the candle flame extinguishes, the Heavenly Demon will be released from the body.
How long will it take? Half a moment? Or an entire incense stick? He didn’t know. But even with just a little time, the Heavenly Demon could turn the Namgoong Family into a bloody mess.
Thus, this is a war of delay.
Namgoong Cheong-Hwi’s mission was to keep the Heavenly Demon in this forest.
“Hraaah──!!”
Cheong-Hwi charged in with his sword.
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The boy struck downward. He measured it deeply.
He foresaw hundreds of variations and cut away the clumsy and useless branches among them. Then, he blocked the tips of the remaining branches one by one.
If he strikes like a butterfly, he can evade like a mantis; if a storm rages, he will fold calmly from the storm; if pressed down like firm steel, he will use the weight to rebound like a seesaw.
After cycling through this repetitive process of blocking every possibility, only victory remained.
The Heavenly Demon flicked his hand.
Crack──
“Ugh…”
With a short, sharp punch, Namgoong Cheong-Hwi’s arm broke. Pain contorted Cheong-Hwi’s face, but he endured it and pressed on with his attacks.
This was also within the Heavenly Demon’s predicted range. The Heavenly Demon lightly shifted his stance, allowing Cheong-Hwi’s blade to merely graze his shoulder. The attack missed.
A chill of crisis ran down Namgoong Cheong-Hwi’s spine.
A following attack would surely come. Should he focus on defense? No, defense would be useless. Should he keep attacking instead? No, he will evade.
In the vague uncertainty that nothing would hit, Cheong-Hwi sparked the maximum change within himself. He had to keep up with the Heavenly Demon’s changes. He must play moves that the Heavenly Demon couldn’t foresee. If he doesn’t change, he’ll die!
With the remaining arm, Cheong-Hwi unleashed a destructive technique. This one move contained the nuances of a breakthrough, the swinging of a salamander’s tail, and the quickness of leg techniques.
However, it was read.
Thud, thud.
With a quick, short strike, the Heavenly Demon’s two hits brushed past Cheong-Hwi’s neck, leaving its torso wide open. The Heavenly Demon’s hand slowly flew toward his heart.
A crushing blow.
Namgoong Cheong-Hwi shifted his upper body weight downward, bending his knee flexibly. He nearly lay flat against the ground, successfully dodging the Heavenly Demon’s attack. That was the technique of the Iron Plate Bridge.
As he tried to follow up with a kick, a foot came flying toward him. It was an angle that predicted he would lower his posture to evade, like an attack shot from a distant past.
Cheong-Hwi squeezed his eyes shut.
Puh-hak──!!
“Ugh…!”
Namgoong Cheong-Hwi’s body flew away. After rolling three times, he almost managed to stand up, but blood poured from his nose and his head was spinning.
The Heavenly Demon remained standing, unscathed.
Clouds drifted, masking the moonlight, and the dark night engulfed the forest. Cheong-Hwi tore his clothes to tightly bind his broken arm. A sharp pain shot through him.
“……… Cough, cough. Ugh……”
The Heavenly Demon didn’t deliver a killing blow.
Had he brought the full force to bear, just moments ago, Cheong-Hwi’s head would have burst like a watermelon. Yet, he chose not to.
Cheong-Hwi vaguely understood that this was the result of pursuing efficiency.
To win with a 100% certainty without variables. Slowly, like tearing off the limbs of an insect. That’s how he fought mechanically.
“……… So, until all my limbs are broken, the fight won’t end, will it?”
There was no answer.
Cheong-Hwi stepped back into the darkness. He had lost only one arm so far. If each time he faced a dead end resulted in the loss of a limb, he could still fight three more times.
Even if he were to die here.
“You will end here in this forest.”
He would not let him forward.
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Kaaang──!!
After the seventh clash, the sword broke in half.
“Gugh…! Hah, HAH, Uwekk…!”
Namgoong Cheong-Hwi clutched the broken sword and collapsed, spitting out a mouthful of blood. His left arm was broken three times and looked utterly ridiculous, and his whole body had no intact part.
The blood energy surrounding Namgoong So had significantly diminished but was still insufficient. He remained the Heavenly Demon.
His vision blurred, oscillating between two images. Even standing was a struggle.
Pushing his trembling muscles to their limits, he finally managed to stand on solid ground. However, one more lapse in concentration, and he’d collapse.
Would he be able to wield even a sword in this state?
The Heavenly Demon continued to gaze at Namgoong Cheong-Hwi apathetically. He was an infinite being, and no matter how much he transformed and adapted, Cheong-Hwi could not catch up to that speed.
The form (形) of martial arts was ineffective, and his body (形) was in tatters. Only his mind (意) remained.
“………”
A gentle breeze blew.
Clouds lazily moved across the sky, and the hidden moon revealed itself again. The warm moonlight settled above Cheong-Hwi’s head.
Just the mind.
An epiphany brushed against him as if teasing his fingertips. It was nothing more than a thought without a vessel, circling around him. Namgoong Cheong-Hwi needed something to contain that epiphany.
The story that flitted through his mind was of the Imperial Sword Style.
In the Namgoong Family’s teachings, there were no traces of cuts. Not a single mark was left, only lovely flower beds stood in place.
Namgoong Chaegong had seen that and dismissed it as meaningless, but perhaps that absence held great significance…
The Heavenly Demon raised his hand to finish him off.
The adversary was the Heavenly Demon, who calculated every possibility and delivered optimal solutions. He was infinite and could not be caught. If that is the case…
To confront infinity, one must be infinite as well.
“To cleave the heavens…”
The blade would need to be as large as the heavens, or…
“I must wield the heavens as my blade…”
Namgoong Cheong-Hwi lifted the broken sword with both hands as if to bring it down at any moment, raising it high above his head.
Whether the blade existed or not was irrelevant. It was better if it didn’t. He would merely fill the void with everything.
The past wounds, the pain of struggle, the joy of victory, the affection of family, the weight of promises—everything that had brushed past him would expand infinitely.
Unlike the Heavenly Demon, who touched infinity through technique (形), he reached it through his mind (意).
────.
The Heavenly Demon’s steps came to a halt.
It would have been the end if he could jab at Cheong-Hwi’s throat from ten steps away, yet he found himself unable to move. Only the danger level soared steeply.
That was just a dying boy. His abilities were minimal, and he could not hope to match his opponent. The changes he stretched out were but a tiny fraction, easily defeated without consuming much calculation.
Yet, something was there. Despite his broken body taking the upper stance…
It seemed he could become anything. If he were to push up from below, it felt like he could strike down like lightning. If he were to jab from the side, he could smother the Heavenly Demon.
Nothing would seem to get through. The Heavenly Demon searched for every angle to find a way through but found nothing but an unyielding parallel.
Faced with infinity, the Heavenly Demon ceased moving to confront an infinite number of possibilities.
He connected the infinite with his mind, exerting the emperor’s majesty over all those present, making it so no one dared to act rashly. No need to swing; just the sword shape (形) itself was enough.
Transformation.
“『Imperial Sword Style』.”
Namgoong Cheong-Hwi decided to make this his vessel of the heart.
Kuuuuuu──!!
An intangible force pressed from all sides. The Heavenly Demon swayed under the pressure coming from every direction, as if the sky were a giant hand grasping him. He muttered.
“……… An Imperial Sword Style?”
The weight of the sky was something Cheong-Hwi could not escape. He became the pillar connecting heaven and earth, gritting his teeth and enduring. Though every joint screamed out in agony, his heart was free and overflowing.
He could do it. He could succeed!
Thud.
The Heavenly Demon struggled with every step he took, moving sluggishly. The monster handling infinity was still changing his movements, seeking a solution even in this situation. Yet it was slow.
The Heavenly Demon’s brain whirred at incomprehensible speeds, but it was still slow. In this space where time seemed to slow down, the Heavenly Demon reached out, but──
Thud.
The Heavenly Demon’s knee buckled, bending beneath him.
Time was up.
With not even the sound of a cricket chirping, the battle under the moonlight was quietly concluded.
Cheong-Hwi had held the sky and borne its weight, while the Heavenly Demon had exhausted all the time given to fight against the heavens.
“……… Interesting.”
The Heavenly Demon left those final words before disappearing. The surging blood energy finally extinguished. Namgoong So’s emaciated body fell prone.
Simultaneously, Namgoong Cheong-Hwi also closed his eyes and fainted.
A small smile hung at the corner of Cheong-Hwi’s lips as he lay fallen. He had protected his family.
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On a warm and pleasant day, Namgoong Cheong-Hwi was packing his things, preparing to leave the main gate of the Namgoong Family. As he stood at the threshold, glancing back for a moment, a young boy’s voice stopped him.
“Brother Cheong-Hwi, are you leaving?”
“Yes. No… that’s right.”
“You’re leaving for a long journey? It hasn’t been long since we’ve become family… You’re too much.”
“I have prior commitments. I promised to compete, and I can’t just back out… besides, there’s a chance I could find a bride.”
Bride!
Namgoong Myung’s eyes sparkled as he jumped up, eagerly wanting to inquire about this potential bride, then he cleared his throat and tried to suppress his curiosity with a dignified demeanor.
Indeed, for a man trying to pursue romance, it was reasonable to spend some time away from home. Namgoong Myung shook off his disappointment and replaced it with encouragement.
“Be sure to introduce her!”
“Sure. If things go well, in addition to the bride… I will introduce you to my brother.”
“Your brother’s brother?”
“He’s a good person, albeit with a bit of a temper.”
What kind of behavior makes someone a good person yet hot-tempered? Namgoong Myung’s face filled with confusion. Seeing this, Cheong-Hwi laughed heartily.
It was time to go. It would probably be a long time before they met again. After finishing his duel with Luna, he planned to head toward the Redburn Family.
He would confront his bloodline properly, and it was time to wrap everything up. Since he had already transformed, there was nothing to fear.
“Take care… I’ll be back soon.”
“Yes. By the time you return, I might have grown taller than you! I’ll be an exceptional family head, so don’t take too long!”
“Sure. I’m looking forward to it.”
Namgoong Cheong-Hwi stepped outside, holding one bundle.
He took one last look at Namgoong Myung waving goodbye before turning away. His journey home would be quite long and arduous, but he felt no fear. A man determined wouldn’t hesitate.
The figure of Namgoong Cheong-Hwi gradually shrank, becoming the size of a grain of rice, and then, with a whoosh, vanished like a wisp of smoke.
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On a beautiful moonlit night, Luna and Envers drew their swords, facing each other.
“You seem… different.”
“Really? I’m glad you noticed.”
Envers exuded confidence. As Luna tilted her head slightly at his changed demeanor, she asked.
“Feeling confident?”
“Just to let you know, I’ve completed my transformation. If you remember the old me, you might end up in trouble. Or, you can admit defeat in advance. I don’t want to hurt you…”
Luna thrust her palm forward at the boasting Envers, giving an indication for him to cool it.
Envers laughed heartily at that, and Luna cracked a small smile too. With the atmosphere warming, their duel began naturally.
“I shall show you Cheong-Hwi’s sword art.”
“…You, your name. Envers.”
“Prepare yourself; this technique even drove away the Heavenly Demon!”
“What bravado.”
There was no need for any lengthy conversations. They both went all out from the start, clashing fiercely. The exchange of their techniques crossed paths──
Zzzziiiiing!
Static filled the air.
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Suddenly, the projection malfunctioned, causing the vital kiss scene to disappear, and the Tower Master went wild.
“Ah! Aaaaah!! The video! Why isn’t it working?!”
“Ack! Please don’t hit me, Tower Master! It’s just… this transformation is causing a pseudo-DDoS, resulting in our observation equipment malfunctioning! Ow!”
A rapid-fire volley of punches rained down on the mad sorcerer’s back. Bang bang bang bang!
“Fix it! Fix it!”
“Hitting me won’t fix it?! Pink-Balrez, what are you doing?”
“I’m going to see it live. If the equipment’s down, we can just observe with our own eyes, right?”
“…!! I want to go too!”
The sound of commotion erupted as those starved for a glimpse of romance rushed out of the research lab. The mad sorcerer took a deep breath at the chaotic scene, then bolted after the Tower Master and Pink-Balrez.
They couldn’t miss that kiss scene!
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