Return of the Heavenly Sword

Chapter 64. The Path of a Mortal (1)

The underworld bastard with two holes in his stomach collapses with a short cry.

“Kugh…”

Soon, Hyeok Ilso's figure, which had been hidden by the lackey, was revealed.

His always indifferent eyes had changed slightly.

“Tsk.”

Eyes tinged with annoyance.

He was clutching his side, where red blood was spreading, with his left hand.

A light click of the tongue also escaped my lips.

“Tsk.”

Unfortunately, I had failed to kill him in one go.

At the very last moment, it seemed he had hastily twisted his body to dodge my strike.

If my aim had been true, it should have pierced the center of his lower abdomen, but all he had was a long sword wound on his side.

Leaving my regret behind, I took a step towards him.

Thump.

With every step, a sticky sound echoed, as if even the shoes I was wearing were soaked in blood.

Clang!

Our swords met.

Each time, his face distorted a little.

He was still clutching his side.

Because his posture was unstable, his sword path became somewhat clumsy.

“Why? Are you afraid your intestines will spill out?”

Clang!

Every time our swords clashed once, the amount of blood flowing from the side he was clutching increased.

Despite my taunt, he still clutched his side with his left hand.

His face was not one of fear.

As expected, he was seeking a way to live with a face as cold as a snake's.

Slice!

A cutting sound echoed.

This time, it wasn't a sound from my body.

Wounds were slowly accumulating on his body.

The sight of him accumulating wounds while only avoiding vital points somehow seemed like I was watching myself from a moment ago.

It was so. If we were to look only at the wounds sustained so far, my side was still more serious.

Dizziness washed over me again.

I bit my tongue once to wake myself up.

As soon as my blurred vision returned, a sharp trajectory was drawn.

A hidden card unleashed by Hyeok Ilso, who had been waiting for an opportunity.

At some point, his left hand had also left his side, and he had assumed the most perfect posture.

A metallic sound rang out.

Clang!!

A strike I barely managed to block by swinging my sword.

His face contorted as his hidden strike was blocked.

Was it due to the rebound from his full-powered swing being blocked? The amount of blood flowing from his side increased.

I could see something slightly trying to spill out.

“Kugh.”

He hastily took a step back and quickly clutched his side with his left hand.

“Hehehe. It seems you were cut quite deeply.”

He frowned and replied.

“Madman.”

“Yes. Let’s see you die at the hands of a madman.”

The moment I was about to take another step towards him.

A new trajectory was suddenly drawn in the air.

Swiiiiiiish!

Following that, something flew towards my head, creating a tremendous piercing sound.

I hastily used the Eight Trigrams Flying Stream Steps to dodge, and a dagger grazed past my face.

I turned my gaze from Hyeok Ilso to the direction the dagger had flown from.

A group of dozens of people clad in black was approaching.

Among them, a middle-aged man at the very front was performing a movement technique at a tremendous speed.

I knew intuitively. It was a dagger thrown by that man.

The man, who had closed the distance in an instant, threw his body as if flying.

Paat.

Soon, he landed with a light footstep.

As if to protect Hyeok Ilso, he stood in my way.

“Golden Guardian Unit Leader, what brings you here?”

At Hyeok Ilso’s question, the middle-aged man replied.

“Branch Leader Hyeok, treat your wound first. If you fight in that state, your intestines will spill out and you'll die.”

“...I will remember this favor.”

After saying that, Hyeok Ilso turned and began to retreat.

Since I couldn't just stand by and watch, I launched my movement technique to chase him.

Clang!!

But the one called the Golden Guardian Unit Leader blocked my path.

“Move aside, you trash!!”

I had to kill that bastard now.

After all the trouble I went through to find him, I couldn't let him get away like this.

But the one called the Golden Guardian Unit Leader easily blocked all my swords and was completely sealing off the path to Hyeok Ilso.

“Curious. I had heard that the Ghost Sword Young Master’s level was first-rate.”

The bastard was even leisurely gauging my level.

“Well, seeing as he put Branch Leader Hyeok in that state, it’s unlikely he’s first-rate.”

Soon, the aura of the one who had been focused on protecting Hyeok Ilso changed.

A saber flying towards my vitals.

“Hup!!”

With a kiai, I hastily swung the Restoring Name Sword to meet it.

Clang!!

A metallic sound echoed, and a cough mixed with blood burst out of me without my knowing.

“Kugh…”

I barely blocked it, but the power behind the saber was different.

We had only clashed once, but it felt like my internal organs were shaken.

“Sword Unification at that age. It seems I’ll have to nip the bud here.”

Out of the frying pan and into the fire, they say. A bastard even worse than Hyeok Ilso had appeared.

Over the Golden Guardian Unit Leader’s shoulder.

I could see the face of Hyeok Ilso, who had already retreated a great distance.

He was leisurely treating the wound on his side with his characteristic indifferent face. As if there was no need to check on this side anymore.

Suddenly, my whole body felt as heavy as a thousand catties.

My consciousness began to fade.

It felt like everything had come to nothing.

Am I going to die like this?

Without even killing that bastard?

Slap!

I slapped my own cheek.

“Hoo?”

The Golden Guardian Unit Leader was watching my actions with an interested look.

His reaction was none of my business.

I couldn't give up here.

It wasn’t the first or second time I had been on the verge of death, and there was nothing special about it.

Just one time is enough.

Yes.

Like the final battle before my regression. Like when I killed that Jade Cloud Master.

I just had to wait for one single opportunity.

“Judging by your eyes, you’re a bastard that must be killed.”

The Golden Guardian Unit Leader charged at me again.

I threw my body with all my might and barely managed to dodge his saber.

When there was no way to dodge, I willingly rolled on the ground.

When I hastily bounced up, I saw a red mark left where I had rolled.

The Golden Guardian Unit Leader's saber flying in again.

Seeing no way to dodge, I had no choice but to swing the Restoring Name Sword to meet it.

Clang!!

A great force that gripped my entire body.

Pushed by the force, I was thrown back several steps.

Blood flowing backwards. A body screaming in pain.

But what made me angrier was that I had once again become distant from Hyeok Ilso.

“Hoo.”

The moment I tried to take a step towards the Golden Guardian Unit Leader while holding onto my fading consciousness, a powerful shout erupted from behind.

“Protect Yeongcheon and his companions!!”

Soon, Yeongcheon’s voice was heard.

“S-Sect Leader!?”

I didn't have the leisure to turn my head, but it wasn't difficult to grasp the situation.

A laugh escaped me without my knowing.

“Hehe. It seems Junior Sister’s little trick worked.”

A series of footsteps were heard from behind.

The sound of the Mount Heng Sect's Taoists running.

Among them, one sound felt particularly light and fast.

Paat!

Soon, an old Taoist landed, blocking the path of the Golden Guardian Unit Leader.

“O, Primordial Lord of Heaven. Judging by your aura, it seems you are the leader of these people.”

“And you seem to be the Sect Leader of the Mount Heng Sect.”

“I am indeed the Sect Leader, but you are quite rude for a first meeting.”

At the Mount Heng Sect Leader’s question, the Golden Guardian Unit Leader snorted and charged.

“Hmph. You dare talk of etiquette after provoking us first. Have you gone mad from practicing the Dao?”

“Heo. We have no interest in the secular world. Why would we, who only practice the Dao on the mountain, strike you first?”

“If you have no interest in the secular world, then you should get lost. Why do you interfere in others’ affairs?”

“I have no interest in the secular world, but my disciple is involved in this matter.”

The Mount Heng Sect Leader and the Golden Guardian Unit Leader exchanged blows with their sword and saber at a tremendous speed even while conversing.

Even with my eyes still open, it was difficult to follow.

If I didn't have these eyes, I would have probably only seen the afterimages left in the air and the sparks created when their weapons clashed.

After clashing like that for a few exchanges.

The Mount Heng Sect Leader used the essence of yielding to deflect the Golden Guardian Unit Leader’s saber, and then thrust his left palm towards the chest of the one whose posture was slightly off-balance.

Thwack!

The Golden Guardian Unit Leader barely managed to block the left palm by swinging his own left arm, but perhaps due to a lack of internal energy or an unstable posture, he was pushed back two large steps.

“Kugh…”

While the Golden Guardian Unit Leader let out a faint groan, the Mount Heng Sect Leader did not pursue him but opened his mouth in a calm tone.

“It seems there is a misunderstanding between us, so how about we end today’s fight here? If more of our disciples’ blood is shed here, our Mount Heng will have no choice but to intervene in the affairs of the secular world.”

“You think you can just retreat after making a mess of two of our branches? Do you think that makes sense!”

As the Golden Guardian Unit Leader shouted, the Mount Heng Sect Leader replied with a serene expression.

“Then do you truly wish to see the end?”

The Golden Guardian Unit Leader subtly rolled his eyes.

Following his gaze, I saw the battlefield where the Golden Guardian Unit members and the Mount Heng Sect Taoists were clashing.

Those clad in black used a variety of weapons including swords, sabers, and spears, as well as whips, and they did not hesitate to throw hidden weapons or roll on the ground and throw sand.

On the other hand, the Taoists clad in blue displayed a sword art with a unified attire and a similar atmosphere, responding to the underhanded tactics of the black-clad individuals.

At first glance, it seemed like an evenly matched fight, but there was a subtle difference.

Unlike the black-clad individuals who fought by any means necessary, the Mount Heng Sect Taoists fought defensively in formation.

They were focused on protecting not only Yeongcheon, Nam Geon, and Junior Sister Baek Hyang, but also each other.

In addition to protecting their allies, they were also moving in a way not to take the opponent’s life. Just as the Mount Heng Sect Leader did not harm the Golden Guardian Unit Leader.

It was obvious which side would have the upper hand if the Mount Heng Sect fought in earnest.

The Golden Guardian Unit Leader, who had turned his gaze again, gritted his teeth and clasped his hands in a fist-and-palm salute.

“...Thank you for the opportunity to retreat.”

And then, he shouted at his subordinates.

“Retreat! We are retreating for now!”

Following his command, the black-clad individuals began to retreat one by one.

The Mount Heng Sect Taoists also seemed to have no intention of pursuing them and stood still in their places.

But I couldn't just stand by and watch.

“No!! We must kill them all right now!”

Before the trash bastards could reply to my shout.

The Mount Heng Sect Leader, who had finally turned his head, replied with an indifferent face.

“I stepped in because of my connection with the young disciple, but I have no intention of intervening in the secular world any further. If you truly wish to kill them, then do so. But only with you all remaining.”

I nodded.

I was willing to stay and continue fighting.

What could I not do if I could just kill Hyeok Ilso?

However, a familiar voice pierced my ears.

“B-brother.”

“Senior Brother…”

The voices of Nam Geon and Junior Sister Baek Hyang.

When I turned my head, I saw that both of their clothes were covered in blood.

If it were just me dying and ending it, it would be different.

I couldn't cause any more trouble for those two.

When my thoughts reached that point, a curse naturally flowed from my mouth.

“Damn it…”

Anger welled up at my own inability to kill Hyeok Ilso, failing to seize the opportunity I had barely obtained.

Did they realize I couldn't fight anymore?

The clothes I was wearing pressed down on my whole body as if they weighed ten thousand catties.

My vision naturally blurred and the world turned upside down.

The ground flew towards my face.

Splat.

Right after I collapsed onto the ground.

“B-brother!!”

“G-get a hold of yourself, Senior Brother!!”

Only the faint voices of Nam Geon and Junior Sister Baek Hyang could be heard.

***

It felt like I had dreamt countless dreams.

- Please. Please help us, Great Hero!

I had a nightmare where I heard the screams of those I had turned away from because I couldn't help them.

- You are doing well, Brother Jin. So don’t overdo it.

It also felt like I dreamt of the Scholar Chivalrous Hero soothing me while tilting his cup.

- B-brother. You sleep for too long.

- It’s okay, big brother. He’s still breathing.

It also seemed like I faintly heard the voices of Nam Geon and Junior Sister Baek Hyang.

- Tsk tsk. Are you trying to cripple your body again?

It also felt like I had a long-overdue conversation with the Poison Immortal, who always grumbled while treating my body.

How many dreams did I have, and how many dreams did I forget?

Suddenly, I realized I was wandering in a dream.

“Kugh.”

When I snapped my eyes open, I felt a terrible, sharp pain all over my body.

Also, a strange ceiling came into view.

The first thought that came to me after regaining consciousness was one thing.

Did I end up letting Hyeok Ilso get away?

I gritted my teeth.

My clenched fists trembled with frustration.

At that moment, two familiar faces peeked in and entered my field of vision.

“B-brother opened his eyes. T-this time it’s not sleep talk.”

The face of Nam Geon, whose eyes were so swollen from being on the verge of tears that they were puffy.

“Senior Brother! Are you okay?”

The face of Junior Sister Baek Hyang, who asked cautiously as if checking my mood, also had slightly swollen eyes, though no tears were visible. Her reaction, too mature for her age, felt very much like her.

For some reason.

Seeing those two faces put me a little at ease.

Yes.

I couldn't let those two die just to kill Hyeok Ilso.

No. It wasn't about them.

There was definitely a chance to kill Hyeok Ilso.

The reason I couldn't kill him was simply because my ability was lacking.

That fact was bitterly disappointing, but I didn't feel despair.

Because I could still see the two faces looking down at me.

An expression of worry as I remained silent even after opening my eyes.

A small smile escaped me.

“I’m fine.”

Yes.

I was fine.

I couldn't kill Hyeok Ilso, but neither I nor these guys were dead yet.

After I build up my skills, I just need to cut his throat next time.

For some reason, I felt that if I was with these guys, a chance to kill him again would someday come.