I Have Decided So.
The presence of the Black Cat Sect Leader, which the riffraff of the Black Cat Sect feared, and my own presence, which suggested a sudden challenge to engage in a life-and-death duel, created a situation where superiority could not be determined.
In fact, the more I glanced at the gruesome corpses, the more my presence grew.
Now, those who wished to live would have to restrain themselves.
The Black Cat Sect Leader also realized through the atmosphere that it was a moment he had to resolve himself.
"Junsui, your attacks are quite loud."
Suddenly, the Black Cat Sect Leader's gaze turned towards the wall.
A delayed cracking sound echoed, and the wall, which had received the axe, began to crack as if struck by lightning.
Sogunpyeong approached me and asked politely, "Lord, shall I use a sword as well?"
"Why? I have learned many things beyond just sword techniques, footwork, and various methods."
Sogunpyeong presented his beloved Yaraedo.
"Um, please use my Yaraedo for now. The leader's sword is very sharp."
I glanced at Sogunpyeong's expression, which seemed surprised by the unexpected suggestion.
It was amusing that he, who was fidgeting at the thought of showing me a sword, was now offering to lend me his weapon.
I could have simply said thank you, but I replied like a twisted man.
"It’s better than a kitchen knife. Hand it over."
As Sogunpyeong handed over the Yaraedo, he shot me a subtle glare.
"Why?"
"Nothing. Just handle it well since it’s a better sword than a kitchen knife."
While I drew the Yaraedo, I overheard the conversation between Sogunpyeong and his subordinates behind me.
"What do you mean it’s better than a kitchen knife?"
"Shut up."
"Why are you angry? I was just curious."
"That’s how it is."
"Got it."
I spoke to the Black Cat Sect Leader, who seemed to be deep in thought.
"A new sword has arrived, so let’s begin."
Before the Black Cat Sect Leader could scheme further, I unleashed a blade wind towards him.
The blade wind is a technique used not so much to deliver a final blow, but to disrupt the opponent's balance or hinder their movements during a battle.
Therefore, it is wise to respond appropriately to such blade winds.
If one does not respond adequately, they will continuously lose their advantage.
The higher-ups instinctively dodged left and right to avoid the blade wind, while the Black Cat Sect Leader, facing the blade wind head-on, drew a dark straight sword from his waist to split the wind.
In the meantime, I quickly closed the distance from where the chairs were to the platform in a single leap, thrusting my sword towards the Black Cat Sect Leader's abdomen as I charged.
Clang!
As the Black Cat Sect Leader swung his Yaraedo to deflect my straight sword, we clashed head-on.
In that brief moment, we exchanged glances.
Though many emotions were contained in our gazes, the only commonality between us was the absence of fear in our eyes.
This is typically the gaze of someone who has killed many opponents.
The fight between the Black Cat Sect Leader and me, which began on the stairs, continued as we moved to the spacious center of the outer courtyard.
The straight sword and Yaraedo had already clashed over thirty times, and I organized the information I gained during the exchanges in my mind.
The Black Cat Sect Leader focused on intricate sword techniques, prioritizing defense while valuing counterattacks, and he was the type to feign minor mistakes to set traps.
In contrast, I did not set a fixed style for my attacks and defenses.
I assessed the opponent's psychology and the unique characteristics of their martial arts, then responded accordingly.
This is the essence of the next level of the Yama realm, known as the Fighting Chicken, and even though my mental state had not yet reached that level, the insights I had gained were a separate matter.
As we fought, I realized that my sword techniques were faster, more refined, and my inner strength, built upon the foundation of the Heavenly Jade, was much deeper than that of the Black Cat Sect Leader.
In summary, this was a fight I could not lose.
However, for various reasons, I etched the Black Cat Sect Leader's techniques into my memory.
I needed to catch a glimpse of the martial arts of the master who taught him, the Great Master.
Furthermore, there was another reason I needed to fully grasp the Black Cat Sect Leader's techniques.
This was all part of my plan.
When the Black Cat Sect Leader's techniques became perfectly familiar to me, I gradually raised the inner strength I had been infusing into my sword.
At that moment, the complexion of the Black Cat Sect Leader, who had been holding up quite well until now, began to pale.
It seemed he finally realized that I had been fighting without even drawing half of my inner strength.
I could understand his panic.
There is a certain limit to the inner strength that martial artists can accumulate before the age of twenty-five.
Those who reach that limit are mostly the top disciples of prestigious sects, heirs of powerful families, or exceptionally talented young martial artists who have experienced rare fortuitous encounters.
Aside from that, one can roughly estimate the depth of their inner strength based on age and background.
The Black Cat Sect Leader was looking at me with such eyes, and as the inner strength I felt from our clashing swords gradually increased, he could not help but be alarmed.
How could he anticipate the fortuitous encounter of the Heavenly Jade?
I relaxed my stern expression and smirked.
"…Leader, it’s too late now."
It was too late to run away, and too late to realize my true strength.
The Black Cat Sect Leader understood my words immediately, as he was facing death.
However, due to the mask he wore, I could not see the change in his complexion.
It seemed the mask had its advantages.
Meanwhile, his movements became increasingly frantic, like a wild beast trying to escape from a hunter.
Whether a martial artist or a wild beast, when pushed psychologically, they tend to struggle in such a manner.
As I watched this pathetic sight, I echoed his earlier words back to him.
"If I tell you to lick, will you lick? If I tell you to charge, will you charge? If I tell you to bark, will you bark? Of course, under my command."
The Black Cat Sect Leader was too busy scraping together all the inner strength scattered on the ground to respond.
"…"
"No answer, huh? It must be tough, right? That’s the Black Path for you."
While I mocked him, I swung my sword to block his escape route.
The Leader's footwork was subtly faltering, revealing his intent to escape fiercely at that moment.
Since I had become accustomed to the Black Cat Sect Leader's movements, it was not difficult to grasp his psychology.
As I swung my sword to seal his movements, Sogunpyeong, with his keen eyes, interjected.
"Leader, you told me to die if I lose, yet what is this disgraceful behavior? Are you trying to run away…?"
The Black Cat Sect Leader's composure crumbled at Sogunpyeong's words.
He swung his straight sword in a large arc, spilling pottery in front of him, and in a rough voice that was nearly out of breath, he commanded his subordinates.
"Attack!"
At the Black Cat Sect Leader's command, the higher-ups hesitated for a moment, and Sogunpyeong quickly intervened.
"Everyone, restrain yourselves. You clearly said it would be one-on-one, and if you interfere, I will have no choice but to step in. If you ignore my orders and remain still, I will mediate to ensure you all keep your lives. If you are still uneasy, just look at the split corpse. As the Lord said, that corpse is the result of an ambush."
Hearing Sogunpyeong's warning, the gazes of the higher-ups turned towards the horrifically split corpse.
"…"
It was a gruesome sight.
The corpse seemed to be warning the living with its whole body not to die like it.
When a person is cornered, it is natural to grasp at straws.
The Black Cat Sect Leader, deflecting my Yaraedo, retreated hastily and said to me, "Lord… wait a moment…!"
In my eyes, the Black Cat Sect Leader's breath was ragged from speaking, revealing several openings.
It was amusing that the title had changed from Junsui to Lord.
‘This fool…’
Without giving him a moment's respite, I followed closely and wrapped my inner strength around the Yaraedo, striking the Black Cat Sect Leader's sword.
A deafening clash echoed, and the Black Cat Sect Leader's face contorted in pain.
Blood was already flowing from his hand, which had been cut without me noticing.
In a panic, the Black Cat Sect Leader gripped his straight sword with both hands, pouring all his strength into a single strike, unleashing a blade aura.
Swaaaang!
His intent was quite obvious.
If I dodged, the blade aura would hit Sogunpyeong and his group behind me.
With this final blow, he intended to either kill me or tear apart Sogunpyeong's group.
I had no intention of dodging in the first place.
I raised the Yaraedo to meet the incoming blade aura and slashed vertically, wrapping it in the Flame of the Lotus.
The strange shape of the blade aura and the blazing flame collided.
If our strengths had been equal, the shockwave created by the collision of the blade auras would have spread outward in a circular pattern, but…
The Flame of the Lotus I unleashed tore through the Black Cat Sect Leader's blade aura, sending the remaining force crashing into his body, propelling him against the wall.
Enveloped in the scorching blade aura that burned his skin, the Black Cat Sect Leader slammed into the wall in a large '大' shape, spitting blood from his mouth.
"Kuak…"
The Black Cat Sect Leader's body was half-buried in the wall.
Blood dripped from beneath his mask.
As he crashed into the wall, his bones must have shattered in various places, leaving him unable to escape as if he had become a character in the painting etched into the wall.
Sogunpyeong's group would surely rejoice at this outcome.
Those who had restrained themselves at Sogunpyeong's words would breathe a sigh of relief, but…
For me, this was a natural outcome, so the joy of victory was not great.
I looked around at the martial artists of the Black Cat Sect who had witnessed the duel and announced the result.
"Junsui's victory."
From the perspective of the Black Path, it was indeed a lowly declaration of victory.
But victory or not, the task I had set out to accomplish upon arriving at the Black Cat Sect had yet to begin.
"Sogunpyeong."
Sogunpyeong met my gaze and for the first time used honorifics.
"Yes, Lord."
"You were quite the talker. You saved many with your silver tongue."
"Thanks to your prior warning, I was able to save my comrades. Thank you, Lord."
I waved my sword at the suddenly mute higher-ups of the Black Cat Sect.
"I had left quite a bit of strength in reserve, considering that you might come at me. What will you do? I respect a man's desire for revenge. If there’s anyone who feels deeply regretful about the Leader's defeat, step forward. I will open the path to ascend with the Leader in a solemn manner. But this time, I will go all out. Your techniques are surely not worth watching."
Those with keen eyes would have sensed through the outcome that I had not used my full strength in the process of defeating the Black Cat Sect Leader.
"…"
I scratched my chin and said, "Is there no one who wants to follow the Leader to ascend today, saying it’s a perfect day to die? The foolish Black Path people cannot challenge the esteemed Junsui every day, so muster your courage."
Even after I gently prodded their pride, no one stepped forward.
Seeing some higher-ups' faces turn bright red, I laughed.
"It was the last chance to challenge Junsui, but it seems it has slipped away."
While everyone failed to understand my words, I approached the nearly dead Black Cat Sect Leader and looked at him.
He was still barely clinging to life.
I reached out and grasped the Black Cat Sect Leader's mask, pulling it off.
The face of someone who seemed on the verge of death was revealed.
Only then did he manage to form the words, "Spare me…"
"Spare you? How unexpected. If you wish to live the rest of your life as Junsui of the Yiyang County, I will spare you. However, your martial arts will be abolished. You will cook noodles, clean tables, and scrub floors, and you might unexpectedly die at the hands of a martial artist, but the martial world is inherently such a place, so you must steel your heart and begin. I will not allow any other life. Do you have the courage to live as Junsui…?"
The Black Cat Sect Leader's breath ceased as he listened to my words.
"…No."
In truth, I had no intention of allowing him to live.
As I mentioned earlier, I had no sympathy for monkeys fighting to the death among themselves.
"If you die, it will be hard to be Junsui. Do you think anyone can be Junsui? Anyway…"
I turned around, still holding the Black Cat Sect Leader's mask, and glared at the group that had collectively shut their mouths.
Since there were not many dead, the foundation was quite solid.
Bringing the rabbit mask stained with the Black Cat Sect Leader's blood to my face, I declared, "From now on, I am the Black Cat Sect Leader."
Wearing the mask of the Black Cat Sect Leader, I proclaimed, "Whether you want it or not, I have decided so."