The fallen body of the Tanglang Sect leader brought forth a heavy silence.
The reckless strike he had unleashed seemed to have struck true.
The foul laughter of the surrounding Tanglang Sect members vanished without a trace. "......"
The body of the Tanglang Sect leader bore the overwhelming marks of a fierce attack.
The rising scent of blood alone made the reality of death feel surreal.
Jeong Yeon-shin turned his head away from the pitiful figure sprawled on the ground and spoke, gripping the blood-dripping Iphwang sword tightly.
"Today, I will shatter the plaque of the Tanglang Sect."
"W-what?" "Y-you..."
Finally, the Tanglang Sect members, who had been silent, gasped in horror and took a step back.
Along with their gasps, whispers of an unheard sword power filled the air.
To those living in the narrow martial world, Jeong Yeon-shin's sword held such meaning.
He seized the momentum.
He did not give his enemies a moment to think.
Although his vital energy was not at its peak due to the use of the Shihwa Mugeuk-kwon, he felt that with the senses he had gained here, he could handle these opponents easily.
With a step forward, many cowards retreated in unison.
The code of honor among the rogue martial artists differed from that of righteous heroes.
They were people who bought and sold martial arts.
They said that a life could be lost for just a penny.
Those who did not fit this description were few and far between, as could be seen now.
"Kill! Let's kill him!" "You madman. You go!" "It's an unbeatable monster!" "The divine sword..."
A monster with a divine sword.
In that moment, it became clear that the martial world was not the same everywhere.
Such words could not be heard in Iphwang City. 'There is nothing more to gain.' Jeong Yeon-shin began to unleash his strikes once more.
These were not the same opponents he had faced before.
He slipped through the loosened defenses of the swords and launched a swift attack.
The swordsmanship was beyond what the Tanglang Sect members could handle.
Finally, some began to flee.
"Aaaah!" "It's over! We're doomed!" "Call for the Blood Flame Sect! Call for the Blood Flame Sect!" Amidst the chaos, one shouted, causing everyone in the area to freeze.
Jeong Yeon-shin felt the same.
If the rogues were calling for the Blood Flame Sect, it could only be the Blood Flame Sect's blood-slaying sword.
"Answer me. Was the Blood Flame Sect behind this? Were the captured people offered to them?" As he grabbed one man's arm and twisted it, he pressed the sharp blade against his throat.
The man, sweating profusely, shouted, "Y-yes! Yes! They must be sleeping in the annex right now! H-how it has always been!" "You don't know your opponents."
There was no way he could not feel this level of fight.
"Please spare me..."
Faced with life and death, his compassion was cast aside.
He lifted the Iphwang sword, which had just brushed against the man's neck.
The vital energy, now faster than before, contained the principles of the Shikgyeong.
The layered vital energy filled his right arm, waist, and lower body, creating a stance like an ancient tree standing tall on the ground.
Bang! A sudden strike hit the Iphwang sword.
There was no sound of the air being cut.
At the same time, only the blood-red hair brushed past Jeong Yeon-shin's forehead.
The vibrations in his grip created a resonance more intense than any Tanglang Sect member.
"Blood-slaying sword."
"You blocked that? Then this carnage is your doing."
"Carnage? Such words cannot be uttered by the Blood Flame Sect."
Jeong Yeon-shin replied calmly, looking straight ahead.
The man was the same as the one he had seen in Jeongpyeong County.
Hair mixed with black and red, wearing a bright red martial outfit.
Bloodstains were smeared across his lips.
He radiated a sinister aura from his iron sword.
The words of Majin came to mind.
It was when they were discussing Jeong Yeon-shin's achievements.
They had joked that if he could cut down five Blood-slaying swords, he would be recognized as a blue-clad warrior, regardless of age.
Naturally, it was a jest.
The Blood Flame Sect was not a group one could easily encounter.
"You are lucky."
"What?" "There are three left." "......"
In the past, he would have been one of those who would rush in no matter what Jeong Yeon-shin said.
But now it was different.
The three remaining members were cautiously shifting their feet, as if wary of Jeong Yeon-shin's rising momentum.
It was true that the Blood-slaying sword was a rare master.
They felt the difference in his aura compared to the Tanglang Sect members.
Jeong Yeon-shin did not wait.
Thud! He infused his power into his legs once more.
With the second step, he entered the true stance.
With a heavy resonance, he charged forward, unleashing the Ma Gwang-gyeol's swift sword technique.
A flash of light drew a straight line and collided with the man's sword.
Bang! Thanks to taking the initiative, he was able to put real strength behind it.
Although it was blocked, he clearly pushed the opponent back.
He decided to end it here.
This was not an easy opponent to defeat.
Right in the heart of the Tanglang Sect.
If the fight dragged on, his chances of victory would diminish.
In a fleeting moment, a flash of heavenly light swept across the entire body of the equal swordsman.
The sharpened senses honed by the group battle emitted an invisible light, penetrating even the back of the man who took a step back.
He accurately pierced through the energy gathering in the left hand, which was taking the stance of the Saehan martial arts. 'Here.' It was an instinctual realm.
He chose to reach the opponent before their martial arts clashed.
The decision that transcended time transformed into energy, wrapping around the Iphwang sword.
He infused the essence of the swift sword technique with the spiral of the Shihwa Mugeuk-kwon.
With the sword and body united, he folded space itself.
Whoosh! With a small force, he pierced through in one go.
This was the essence of the swift sword.
A method for a swordsman without depth to survive.
Blood splattered lightly in the breeze.
"Hah, hah..."
The unique sinister energy of the Blood Flame Sect dispersed.
With a gust of wind, the eyes of the second Blood-slaying sword widened as if they would tear.
In such a situation, he was a martial artist who could masquerade as a reaper.
It would be a death that was hard to believe.
Jeong Yeon-shin could feel the man's heart.
It was evident from the tremors transmitted through the sword.
With eyes filled with malice, the mouth of the Blood-slaying sword opened.
"Y-you..."
"I won't listen to your last words."
In an instant, his arm muscles bulged prominently.
He did not even raise his inner strength.
Without hesitation, he swung the embedded sword aside and turned.
The man fell without even a groan, his presence fading behind him.
"Do not flee."
He spoke softly.
As if they had learned the secret techniques of a noble clan, those who had been quietly retreating stopped in their tracks.
His voice, devoid of any mixed vital energy, completely dominated the Tanglang Sect.
Jeong Yeon-shin shattered the plaque of the Tanglang Sect before the eyes of all the people of Yeonho County.
While some rejoiced, stepping on the broken plaque, others wept, holding the emaciated bodies of their families.
Numerous corpses were discovered in the annex and backyard of the Tanglang Sect.
It was just like in Jeongpyeong County.
Even though he had unexpectedly gained such merit, it felt bittersweet.
Carrying a large sack on his back, Jeong Yeon-shin glanced back.
Some Tanglang Sect members, having lost their right arms, were being trampled by the villagers.
They had cultivated rogue martial arts, yet their dantian had been shattered.
They could not even maintain their bodies, and now they were completely crippled.
"Yeonho must be the territory of the Jongnam Sect."
What had he been doing until now? Jeong Yeon-shin muttered to himself, and beside him, Jang Sam, who was wiping his tears, reacted.
He was wrapping his daughter's body in cloth and carrying it on his back.
"Isn't Jongnam Sect at war with the Paegyeom Sect?" His bloodshot eyes spoke in a slurred manner.
Jeong Yeon-shin frowned.
"Jongnam is at war with the Paegyeom Sect...?" It was a rumor he had never heard before.
His words trailed off.
The image of his only nephew and the masters of the Jongnam Sect flashed through his mind.
At the end of it was the leader of the Paegyeom Sect, who had revealed the aura of an absolute being and annihilated a clan.
Even now, it was an inexplicable matter.
"Since when?" "I don't know well either. I only heard that the martial artists under Jongnam in the vicinity were packing their things and heading to Jongnam Mountain..." "......"
After that, Jeong Yeon-shin fell silent.
If the opponent was the Paegyeom Sect, then the Jongnam Sect would have to stake everything as well.
If they had clashed head-on, it would not have ended with just a few masters dying.
There were plenty of reasons to fight.
The ear of the elder Yeosilshin was cut off by the sword of the Paegyeom Sect leader.
It was not the first or second time they had clashed.
The same went for the destruction of Jeonggajang, which Jeong Yeon-shin still did not know about.
It was unnatural for the masters of the Jongnam Sect to have stayed at Jeonggajang at that time.
The young Hyae-ah was innocent.
He hoped that his second brother, Jeong Jung-san, was properly guarding her. 'I must go to Jongnam.' Majin would allow it as well.
The Thirteen Heavenly Swords were a force that reigned supreme in the rogue martial world.
They would inevitably become a target for military intervention in Iphwang City, and cutting down the masters of the Paegyeom Sect would be a way to build merit.
Jeong Yeon-shin had gained a background in Iphwang City.
He possessed enough strength to handle most martial artists. 'I can gain merit as well.
It's time to understand.' Why Jeonggajang fell.
What was the reason for the alliance between the Paegyeom Sect and the Blood Flame Sect? What reason did they have to annihilate Jeonggajang? The Jongnam Sect would likely know.
"With vengeance, I have allowed the woman to attain enlightenment..."
"Thank you, young master! Truly..."
"This person's esteemed name is Jeonggajang Yeon-shin! It must never be forgotten!" "Jeong Daehyeop! It is Jeong Daehyeop!" Turning around to receive the greetings of Jang Sam and the villagers, he decided to hold a feast.
He refused to take the meager food for the funeral, saying it should be added to the banquet.
As a result, there were those who began to murmur Jeong Yeon-shin's name as if it were branded in their minds.
One hand lightly rested on the sword hilt, while the other gripped the end of the sack on his back.
As he walked a bit faster, he reached the hill that overlooked Yeonho County.
"Have you found any traces of the Two Ghosts?" Suddenly, Jeong Yeon-shin spoke while standing still.
Nearby, the bushes rustled.
Two figures emerged.
A swordsman clad in sharp energy and an extraordinary-looking young Taoist approached.
It was Cheonju of the Hwasan Sword Sect and Yoo Hyun, a disciple of the Hwasan Sect.
"It seems it wasn't the Tanglang Sect."
Perhaps having seen the destruction of the sect, Cheonju's demeanor was much more respectful than before.
He was not treating Yoo Hyun as just a promising peer but as a true martial artist of Iphwang City.
Jeong Yeon-shin nodded and spoke.
"Indeed. It is unfortunate."
"I was impressed by your martial prowess. It felt as if I was standing before the future leader of the Ma Gwang-ik or the Divine Sword Sect. The future of our sect has surely broadened."
Cheonju patted Yoo Hyun on the back of his head.
When the headband he wore shook, Yoo Hyun, who had previously appeared languid, now looked particularly sharp.
"That was my first defeat. Just thinking about the five points of criticism I mentioned to you makes me feel like I could fall off my bed."
"Your first defeat?" Jeong Yeon-shin tilted his head slightly.
Yoo Hyun waved his hand.
"They are all older than me, whether they are seniors or juniors. The only ones my age are the disciples of the Saehan, but their martial arts are too shallow."
"Is there no peer disciple in Hwasan?" "I am the only one in the disciple line."
"So?" At his indifferent reply, Yoo Hyun slightly lowered his gaze. "...... How about we share a friendship? You seem to have an interest in Hwasan martial arts. It's not far from Seongseo to Hwasan."
"I have no reason to go to Hwasan on purpose."
"Uh..."
"If you come to find me, I won't refuse. But bring new martial arts with you each time."
Yoo Hyun, who seemed unaccustomed to rejection, appeared visibly flustered.
However, at Jeong Yeon-shin's last words, his expression brightened.
While accompanying him to the gathering place in Seongseo, he had to listen to Yoo Hyun's chatter.
It felt different from Hwonwonchang.
Most of it was about the principles of the unlearned, but the thoughts of the old sect's Jeongjongmu were also helpful to Jeong Yeon-shin.
Occasionally, Cheonju's words added inspiration that came to him repeatedly. 'It is indeed helpful.
I look forward to visiting Hwasan.' After a day's journey, they arrived at the first inn they found in Seongseo.
The good times ended here.
He ascended to Majin's guest room.
"Your prayer has changed slightly again."
"It feels like my back has been cut. I will apply some golden ointment, so sit down."
"Seongye, the mission is..."
In front of Cheongmyeong, Baek Mireye, Majin, and Hwonwonchang, he spoke of his journey to Jongnam.
Just as Majin was about to express his difficulties upon hearing the circumstances, Jeong Yeon-shin opened the sack he had been holding and poured out its contents.
"Oh!" "......!" The head of the Blood-slaying sword and the broken plaque of the Tanglang Sect lay before them.