Chapter 038. Northern Heaven Sword Venerable
Un Wol-hyang, who manifested in the hall, literally suppressed the surroundings with a transcendental presence.
Not only did Murong Gang's body, which had been glaring as if to tear Dam Jeok-san apart immediately, stiffen up.
But the faces of Dam Jeok-san's companions, who were not directly exposed to her influence, also turned pale.
She hadn't emitted her aura, nor had she swung her sword. It happened solely by her revealing her appearance.
Un Wol-hyang, who reminded everyone in the hall anew what the word 'exceptional' meant, landed on the ground with light steps.
"You survived. You suffered."
She spoke with her back completely turned to Murong Gang. Ghost fire burned on Murong Gang's face at the appearance of not even considering him an opponent, but there was nothing he could do. Because the pressure emitted by the Northern Heaven Sword Venerable was binding his whole body.
"Yes, it is thanks to the Sword Venerable's concern."
Dam Jeok-san spoke while forcibly hiding his strained look. It wasn't wrong, for if she hadn't come, they would have been annihilated even if they blocked this sword strike.
"You have suffered."
She suddenly approached Dam Jeok-san and lightly swept back his hair.
"......!"
"You do not need to worry from now on."
There was an affectionate tone in Un Wol-hyang's voice as she spoke, enough to embarrass even Dam Jeok-san.
At that, just as Dam Jeok-san was about to open his mouth to say something.
FLAP—!
She turned her body, fluttering her clothes.
"The title Sword Venerable is too devoid of affection. From now on, just call me Martial Aunt."
"......Damn it."
Murong Gang glared at her muttering casually.
He was still in a situation where he could do nothing, crushed by Un Wol-hyang's overwhelming aura. However, in Murong Gang's vermilion eyes, an intense grudge unparalleled before was surging.
The one who killed Murong Gang's father was the previous Lord of the Martial Sovereign Castle. And since the Northern Heaven Sword Venerable was the youngest disciple cherished by the previous Lord, his fury was natural.
Only, in front of the overwhelming difference in power, all he could do was growl while revealing his emotions.
"You want to tear me apart and kill me?"
Un Wol-hyang asked with a somewhat dreamy voice.
"I want to tear you to shreds and kill you."
Murong Gang answered, grinding his molars.
Although he had already given up being human, even if he had to give up once more. Even if he had to sell his soul like that. He wanted to kill Un Wol-hyang.
"It must be very unfair to die by my hands."
Un Wol-hyang said, twisting the corners of her mouth coolly.
"That's a relief."
Un Wol-hyang slightly looked back at Dam Jeok-san, who had become a mess. If she had arrived not too late, he wouldn't have been hurt that much.
No, in fact, she was already late. A situation where Dam Jeok-san and his party should have faced annihilation long ago with their military strength.
'But my Martial Nephew endured.'
She couldn't know how Dam Jeok-san, who was said to have lost his dantian, could do such a thing. Furthermore, even if he regained his dantian, the single move he showed was clearly something that far transcended his realm.
Although full of incomprehensible things, since it means her Martial Nephew became stronger, it could be called good news. If she followed her heart, she wanted to chat about that story for one or two double hours, but now was not the situation for that.
First, tear apart and kill that petty thing who made her Martial Nephew a mess. And then they can talk.
"Die now."
She declared lowly and drew her sword. As if returning what Murong Gang did to Dam Jeok-san.
Just with that, the climate changed. The ground cools down chilly, and the atmosphere freezes cold.
At that moment, Murong Gang felt a bizarre pain freezing even inside his soul.
It was a pain enough to make him want to kneel right there, but the conviction that he would die if he stayed still filled his mind.
Forcibly raising his body and lifting his sword, what filled Murong Gang's retina was—
FLASH!
It was Un Wol-hyang's sword emitting a dark sword light.
Murong Gang forcibly raised his sword and swung it. With a rough sound of breaking air, his sword face blocked his front in an instant.
"Puny."
Un Wol-hyang smiled lightly watching that struggle and slashed down with her sword.
With a CRUNCH! sound, Murong Gang's sword was torn literally like a sheet of paper.
Furthermore, her sword didn't stop there and lightly tore apart Murong Gang's whole body.
Overwhelming martial prowess enough to make the struggles of Dam Jeok-san's party until now feel like a dream.
"......?"
Before Murong Gang could properly let out a single death throe, his body was split diagonally.
Soon, fresh blood spurted out like a fountain along the blood line engraved from the shoulder blade to the flank. Even until then, Murong Gang looked at Un Wol-hyang blankly as if he couldn't accept his fate.
Un Wol-hyang sheathed her sword again as if it was nothing special and bowed slightly towards Murong Gang.
Although he was one who betrayed humanity and became a monster, it is the last courtesy shown because he too competed with her as a swordsman.
And that soon meant that Murong Gang was already dead.
Simultaneously with her slowly raising her head, Murong Gang's body split into two pieces and sprawled on the ground.
WHOOOOSH!
A dry biting wind brushes over Murong Gang's corpse.
The deep revenge like an abyss he harbored scattered in the wind and disappeared in vain like that.
Those who were the targets of revenge could only look at that scene with quite complicated hearts.
"Remember."
Un Wol-hyang looked back at Dam Jeok-san and said.
"That Martial Nephew might also lay his body on the cold floor without achieving anything like that Murong Gang someday, somewhere."
"I felt it to the bone as well."
Un Wol-hyang could realize at once that he wasn't just talking about the battle with Murong Gang.
He must be recalling the events from losing his dantian until now.
"You really grew up a lot."
The moment she met Dam Jeok-san's eyes.
Un Wol-hyang intuited that he stood in this place after breaking through adversity beyond what she imagined.
Even back then, she thought he was an old soul. Because he matured too quickly.
But now, she really even felt a sensation like looking at a worn-out old expert.
'What on earth did he go through.'
Worry dwelt in Un Wol-hyang's eyes before admiration.
Because she knows well how much hardship is needed for a person to come to possess such firmness.
She recalled the time she left resenting the Lord of the Martial Sovereign Castle.
'Until Senior Brother sat in that seat, too much innocent blood flowed.'
From the fellow disciples who fought over the Castle Lord's throne.
To the countless martial artists belonging to their factions.
The night the Lord of the Martial Sovereign Castle was confirmed as the successor.
Un Wol-hyang asked Man Su-geuk.
Did you really have to do this.
Man Su-geuk answered.
That this is the most efficient way.
That peace would come to the Central Plains only if the succession structure of the Martial Sovereign Castle is stabilized.
So his choice was indeed saving the most people.
She understood Man Su-geuk's words logically, but couldn't accept them emotionally.
Slaughtering fellow disciples who laughed, chatted, and talked about the future together.
Whether there is indeed a great cause to pursue while horribly massacring even those loyal to them.
Dam Jeok-san appeared in front of Un Wol-hyang, who had wasted several years wandering like that.
The new disciple taken in by Man Su-geuk, who became the Lord of the Martial Sovereign Castle.
A child whose face is quite handsome, but with a dark shadow cast all over.
At that time, Dam Jeok-san was learning martial arts greedily.
To the extent of visiting Un Wol-hyang, who was in seclusion, to ask for teachings when the Lord of the Martial Sovereign Castle was away.
- Why do I have to teach you?
- I want to survive. Please.
There was desperation in the expression of Dam Jeok-san saying so.
The case is different from the senior brothers who were born in prestigious families early on, took spiritual medicines, and learned martial arts from a young age.
He only became the Martial Sovereign's disciple with talent alone. He had no background at all.
He must become stronger as soon as possible. To survive.
Un Wol-hyang could read that sign as is from young Dam Jeok-san's face.
She eventually taught swordsmanship for several months to Dam Jeok-san who came to find her.
Because the boy's desperation weighed on her mind.
Furthermore, the faces of the senior brothers who died by the Lord of the Martial Sovereign Castle also came to mind.
Dam Jeok-san was a child quite worth teaching.
A genius who realizes twenty things beyond ten when taught one.
Furthermore, he was fuller of venom to learn martial arts than anyone else.
To Un Wol-hyang, who lived disconnected from people for a while, the existence of such Dam Jeok-san came as a quite big stimulation.
Maybe that's why.
The time spent teaching Dam Jeok-san gave Un Wol-hyang, who had become a cripple, the driving force to live again.
- Will you stay in this small annex for your whole life, Martial Aunt?
One day, young Dam Jeok-san asked.
- Well.
She knows she can't do that. Since the world is chaotic and monsters are fierce. Even one more sword is needed.
Someday Un Wol-hyang will also return to the battlefield.
But that it is not today. She kept postponing it in that way.
- I am still young and dull, so I do not know much. But while Martial Aunt is in a place like this, in the North, countless children lose their parents, and also countless parents lose their children.
She knew the fact that Dam Jeok-san was also one of such children.
It was because of that. That Un Wol-hyang decided to stop her seclusion.
Some time after the conversation on that day.
The youngest Junior Sister of the Lord of the Martial Sovereign Castle, Un Wol-hyang, left for the Northern Branch.
With the Martial Nephew's talent, he would be able to stand at the center of the Central Plains Murim before long.
When that time comes, she wanted to be a reliable person for her Martial Nephew.
'When I heard the news that Martial Nephew lost his dantian, I thought such a day would never come.......'
Somehow, Dam Jeok-san showed a level of martial prowess close to incomprehensible, not just content with regaining his dantian.
Especially, the technique of deflecting Murong Gang's ultimate technique was at such a high level that even Un Wol-hyang found it difficult to be sure if she could imitate it.
To reach such a level beyond regaining his dantian, Dam Jeok-san must have truly made bone-carving and flesh-cutting efforts.
"Martial Nephew, you have become stronger."
Un Wol-hyang opened her mouth containing complex emotions.
"Because a lot of time has passed."
Dam Jeok-san answered as if it was natural.
However, Un Wol-hyang knows. How much desperate effort must have been behind that casual answer.
"I know that it is not such a simple matter."
"But I did it, so that is enough."
"Would you like to check it out after a long time?"
Whether he read that sign, Dam Jeok-san asked playfully while placing his hand on his sword.