Return of the Heavenly Sword

Chapter 63. Target (6)

I looked at Hyeok Ilso, who was still a few steps away, for a moment.

I subtly shifted my gaze.

At some point, the Black Market bastards had surrounded us, and my companions were in the middle of a battle with them.

To think I had lost my mind and rushed only at Hyeok Ilso, without even grasping this situation.

“My apologies. It seems I was momentarily excited.”

When I said that to my companions as a sign of apology, Nam Geon shouted with a happy face.

“B-brother. Are you, are you back to your senses?”

Clang!

In the midst of that, a sword flew at his side, but Nam Geon didn't even bat an eye.

However, the situation was not relaxed.

The enemies numbered in the dozens. With just Nam Geon and Yeongcheon dealing with all of them while trying to protect Senior Sister Baek Hyang, they seemed to be short-handed. Senior Sister Baek Hyang was also running around here and there with her lacking skills, somehow managing to hold on.

Besides Nam Geon, no one even had the spare energy to answer me.

Then, Hyeok Ilso’s voice pierced my ears.

“Do you have the leisure to turn your head?”

It certainly didn't seem like a time to leisurely survey the battle situation.

But it also wasn't a situation where I could help my companions.

“Nam Geon, Taoist Yeongcheon. Please hold on a little longer. I will join you after dealing with that bastard.”

It was only a brief turn of my head, but it was enough to survey the countless trajectories embroidering the air.

Because time was still flowing slowly.

I could tell by looking at the enemies.

Hyeok Ilso. That bastard was the most skilled master among the trash here.

So, killing that bastard first was the best course of action.

I turned my head back to look at Hyeok Ilso.

“Now, let’s try dying.”

He let out a hollow laugh.

“You’re something else. Howling like a beast, spouting nonsense to yourself, and now acting like you’re somebody.”

He was a strange bastard, indeed.

He was sneering with one side of his lip raised, but his eyes were emotionless.

I launched myself at the crazy bastard whose eyes and mouth moved separately, using my movement technique.

Paat!

As the distance between us rapidly closed, trajectories were embroidered in the air, originating from his sword.

The eerie trajectory of the Shadowless Blood Flash Sword was aimed precisely at my heart.

Soon, his sword flew in along that trajectory.

Very slowly.

“Sseup.”

I lightly inhaled and raised my sword.

“Hoo.”

I lightly exhaled and thrust my sword along the trajectory visible in the air.

My head cleared up refreshingly.

Was this what people meant by a state of 'a mirror-like mind'?

Revenge, the greater good, none of that mattered.

The fact that my companions were in danger was the same.

My haste would not resolve their crisis.

For the sake of my companions, there was only one thing to focus on.

Kill this bastard.

I had to kill the one who was faster, stronger, and more precise than me.

The method was simple.

My strength or internal energy was not going to increase right away. I had to swing my sword more precisely, more perfectly.

Hyeok Ilso’s sword flying towards my heart.

I used the Eight Trigrams Flying Stream Steps and twisted my body minimally to dodge.

Slice.

My clothes were torn, and my skin was lightly grazed.

It didn’t matter.

I focused solely on my sword.

A sword crawling like a grub.

Every moment, I corrected the shaking sword.

Swish.

Hyeok Ilso easily dodged my strike.

Because I had corrected the wavering trajectory midway, it ultimately did not reach him.

As expected, with my talent, I couldn't reach perfection in a single go.

It didn’t matter.

It was something I had been prepared for anyway.

I had already known for decades that I had no talent.

Once again, Hyeok Ilso’s sword flew towards my neck, and I too stepped on my movement technique and swung my sword towards his solar plexus again.

Our swords intersected.

Slice!

Neither the noise of clothes being torn nor the sharp pain of blood splattering could shake my concentration.

No. Even that noise and pain felt distant.

All I could see were the trajectories of his sword and mine.

“Haat!”

I thrust my sword again with a slow kiai.

Forgetting the pain that gripped my entire body, the guilt and self-hatred, and the worry for my companions, I focused only on the sword.

The body and sword blade crawling like grubs. In moments that couldn't even be described as fleeting, I corrected the sword path that tried to deviate from the trajectory visible in the air.

How long had I been swinging the sword in a state of self-forgetfulness, chasing the ideal?

At a certain moment, goosebumps rose all over my body.

The shape of my toes and soles hitting the ground. The degree to which my knees were bent. The angle at which my waist was twisted. The movement of my shoulders, elbows, and wrists. The grip of my fingers.

Furthermore, even the flow of internal energy matched to all those minute movements.

Without a single blockage, everything flowed like water.

And I had experienced this exact sensation once before.

When I killed the Black Market branch leader in Zunyi. The realm I had briefly touched just once.

Sword Unification.

Vwiiiiing.

A whitish aura naturally formed on the Restoring Name Sword.

The Restoring Name Sword, wrapped in Sword Qi, advanced towards him.

Hyeok Ilso’s eyes, which were swinging his sword in return, trembled.

The emotion of bewilderment appeared in the indifferent eyes of the bastard who always had only his lips smiling.

Soon, I saw the sight of Sword Qi forming on the sword he held.

Clang!

Slice!!

A clear metallic sound and a cutting sound echoed.

This time, it was not the sound of my skin being cut.

Hyeok Ilso, whose chest was lightly grazed.

He scowled and clicked his tongue.

“Tsk. Hiding your skills, were you?”

At the very last moment, he had struck the Restoring Name Sword with his Sword Qi-clad sword, slightly altering my sword’s path.

Thanks to that, his heart wasn't pierced, and he was still spouting his filthy words.

I too clicked my tongue.

“Tsk.”

It was because of the regret of not being able to kill him in one go.

Strangely, while clicking my tongue, the corners of my mouth kept rising.

It was perhaps a natural thing.

Because it was the moment my sword had finally reached its target.

The target named Hyeok Ilso. And above all, the target named Sword Unification.

Laughter naturally burst out.

“Hahahahaha.”

As I laughed like a madman, Hyeok Ilso looked at me as if I were crazy and asked.

“What’s so funny?”

“Ah. It’s because I think I’ll be able to clean up a lot of trash.”

Indeed. How could I not laugh?

Starting with that Hyeok Ilso, I was now able to kill even more skilled trash to my heart's content.

“Trash? What nonsense have you been spouting?”

“Trash wouldn’t know.”

At my answer, the moment he frowned, I charged at him with a surprise attack that stole his breath.

I had laughed refreshingly, but I knew myself.

That just succeeding once or twice was not enough to fully reach that realm.

The fact that my damn talent required hundreds, thousands of repetitions to learn something.

I had tried to make it a surprise, but he was not flustered.

“A worthless trick.”

The indifferent-faced Hyeok Ilso swung his sword again.

This time, Sword Qi was continuously emanating from his sword.

It seemed he had now given up on the idea of taking the Restoring Name Sword.

Clang!!

Once again, the Restoring Name Sword and his sword clashed.

The Restoring Name Sword screamed.

Because this time, I had failed to swing it perfectly.

As expected, this damn body was slow to grow.

Clang!

The Restoring Name Sword cried out as they clashed again.

If this continued, no matter how sturdy the Restoring Name Sword was, it would eventually break.

Even though I knew that fact clearly, I took another step forward.

Focusing only on the trajectory visible in the air, I swung my sword at him.

Because if I stayed still, afraid of failure, I would be stuck in the same place forever.

And in a life-and-death battle, being in the same place just meant I was asking to die.

“Haaaaat!”

The moment I thrust my sword with a kiai.

The same pleasure as before once again enveloped my entire body.

The internal energy that had rushed through my meridians without blockage was layered over the Restoring Name Sword, passing through my palm.

Two swords wrapped in Sword Qi clash.

Clang!

Swords that were evenly matched.

Clang!

Hyeok Ilso pushed back my sword as if to repel it and took a step back.

He looked me over with eyes as if he were evaluating me and opened his mouth.

“You weren't hiding your skills. Your skills have been fluctuating. Your actions were like a madman’s, and now your sword art is like a madman’s too.”

“It feels quite filthy to be called crazy by someone crazy for money.”

I gave a suitable reply to his nonsense and launched my movement technique again.

Paat!

Our swords crossed again, and our bodies intersected.

Sometimes I perfectly followed the trajectory and reached Sword Unification.

Clang!

And sometimes I swung my sword like an idiot and was pathetically pushed back or got wounded.

Slice!

It felt like being a drunken libertine swinging a net here and there, chasing a butterfly called Sword Unification.

Clang!

But it wasn't bad.

Little by little. It felt like I was beginning to understand what it meant to handle a sword like my own body.

Clang!

Once again, we clashed swords covered in Sword Qi.

Clang!

The frequency of entering Sword Unification was gradually increasing.

The funny thing was that I was only now evenly matched with him.

Because he, with his superior talent, had practiced martial arts for much longer than I had now.

Both his external and internal energy were far superior.

Clang!

The only things I surpassed him in were precision and simplicity.

And that was only when I entered Sword Unification.

After exchanging a few more blows with him.

His indifferent gaze changed slightly.

It wasn't surprise or anger.

Lethargy? Annoyance? Bother?

It was a strange emotion unfitting for a life-and-death battle.

At the same time, his footwork became somewhat messy, unlike before.

A strange sense of disharmony.

The moment he stepped back slightly, I subtly shifted my gaze.

Only then did I understand his intention.

“Tsk.”

He clicked his tongue as if in regret and shouted.

“Strike!”

At the same time, a few of the Black Market lackeys rushed at me.

He had been trying to lure me towards his allies. Instead of bothering to face me alone.

Slice!

I cut down one lackey, and while trying to block the attack of the next one who rushed in.

A certain trajectory was drawn along the stomach of the lackey swinging a saber at me.

Does a technique exist where a weapon emerges from the stomach?

It exists.

Paat.

As soon as I realized the identity of that trajectory, I threw my body to the side and performed the Lazy Donkey Rolls on the Ground.

Crack.

At the same time, the stomach of the lackey who was swinging a saber at me was pierced, and a sword flew in.

I had reacted quite quickly, but the sword I couldn't completely dodge grazed my side.

Slice.

Ignoring the burning sensation on my side, I used the momentum from the Lazy Donkey Rolls on the Ground to get up.

“Kugh…”

The saber wielder, struck by the sword of an ally from behind, collapsed with a final gasp.

Beyond him, Hyeok Ilso was clicking his tongue in disappointment.

“Tsk.”

“You madman. Don’t you feel sorry for your subordinate?”

He opened his mouth with a look of incomprehension.

“What nonsense is this? This one follows me for money anyway. Is there a reason to feel guilty?”

After saying that, Hyeok Ilso gave another order to his subordinates.

“I will give a gold ingot to the one who kills that bastard.”

As soon as his order fell, greed filled the eyes of the other terrified scoundrels.

I couldn't help but shake my head.

“Birds of a feather flock together, they say. How well the idiots get along.”

Then, one of the approaching bastards muttered as if hypnotizing himself.

“Yes. He’s a dying corpse. If I just kill him.”

I thought I knew what he meant.

The black clothes I was wearing were already like rags, and the entire garment was stained dark red.

Perhaps it was because of my eyes. The vision that had been washed clean by tears a moment ago was now dyed red again. Because of the blood flowing from my forehead.

Thump. Thump.

Between the sounds of the approaching bastards' footsteps.

Drip. Drip.

The sound of water droplets falling could be heard regularly.

It was the sound of blood drops falling from the hand gripping the Restoring Name Sword.

My whole body was covered in wounds and blood.

Despite recognizing that fact, I didn't feel any pain or fatigue.

Rather, that regular sound felt like it was awakening my mind.

A clear mind. I watched their movements beyond my blood-red vision for a moment.

“Die!!”

“The gold ingot is mine!!”

A melee began.

Six scoundrels positioned on all sides.

And Hyeok Ilso, who was opportunistically aiming for the gaps and unleashing his Shadowless Blood Flash Sword.

“Hehehehe.”

A dry laugh escaped me.

Hyeok Ilso had come up with a plan, but he had made one big mistake.

He didn't know.

That a melee was a situation as comfortable as my own home for me.

I threw my body here and there, using the Eight Trigrams Flying Stream Steps according to the six trajectories embroidering the air.

Thump.

With every step, a bloody footprint was left on the ground.

Attacks that were impossible to dodge, I deflected with the Restoring Name Sword.

Clang!

While the sword I deflected collided with a nearby spear, and another metallic sound rang out.

Clang!

Hyeok Ilso’s sword flew between the lackeys, aiming for my heart.

“Kugh…”

Soon, a choked groan burst out.

It was the groan of the swordsman who had just swung his sword at me a moment ago.

I had grabbed the sleeve of the one whose posture had collapsed after clashing with the spear and used him as a shield.

The moment Hyeok Ilso retrieved his sword after the surprise attack failed.

Using the momentum from pulling the swordsman, I rushed at the one on my left in a surprise attack.

He was startled and swung his saber at me.

If I fight while dodging that, I will lose the opportunity I barely gained.

I see one trajectory.

A trajectory that cuts both his saber and his neck at the same time.

Without a moment's hesitation, I thrust the Restoring Name Sword along that trajectory.

The pleasure that envelops my entire body once again, and the internal energy that advances without blockage.

Vwiiiiing.

Sword Qi formed on the Restoring Name Sword.

Slice!

A beautiful trajectory was embroidered in the air, and the lackey's saber and neck were cut off at the same time.

“Hoo.”

I lightly composed my breath.

I had dealt with two of them for now. One with my own hands, and one with Hyeok Ilso's.

A faint dizziness came over me.

I gathered my wits for a moment and focused on evasion.

For a while, I evaded the attacks of the four remaining ones as if I were cornered. I was lightly grazed on the forearm again by Hyeok Ilso’s Shadowless Blood Flash Sword, which flew in as a surprise.

Slice.

Thanks to that cool sensation, my mind, which was about to blur, became clear.

“Hehe.”

This time, I took the initiative and closed in on the spearman on the right, thrusting my sword.

Crack!

Soon, the lackey next to me swung his sword at me, and at the same time, a single trajectory was drawn along his side.

I had been waiting for this moment.

I boldly dove into the lackey’s embrace.

At the same time, the trajectory of the Shadowless Blood Flash Sword changed.

A trajectory that pierced the subordinate's back, just like before.

But Hyeok Ilso didn't know.

That even if the lackey blocked my view, I could see his sword path.

Crack!

With a cutting sound, Hyeok Ilso’s sword pierced through the lackey’s stomach and shot out.

Slice.

His sword passed by my body, narrowly grazing my clothes and side.

At the same time, an eerie sound rang out again.

Crack!

The Restoring Name Sword, which had also pierced through the lackey’s stomach.

It was the sound of that sword piercing Hyeok Ilso’s body.