Chapter 4 : The Sword Emperor and the Divine Doctor (1)

Chapter 4: The Sword Emperor and the Divine Doctor (1)

Sewoon had once seen the spirit tablet of the Sword Emperor Yoo Jinhak right before his eyes.

It was when he headed to the battlefield at Mount Heng under orders to supply weapons and arms to the unit led by Blood Wheel Asura, who was a guardian of the Blood Cult.

Blood Wheel Asura, who came from the Soundless Thunder Temple, was a great demonic practitioner notorious even within the Blood Cult for using bizarre demonic arts.

Kwa-reureung!

Kwagawa!

A deafening roar as if the sky collapsed and the earth split reverberated in all directions.

Blood Wheel Asura and Yoo Jinhak were engaged in a life-or-death battle.

They had surpassed the Transformation Realm and reached the peak of the Manifestation Realm and the extreme of Demonic Arts, which were considered to be beyond human limits.

It was the first time in Sewoon’s life that he witnessed a clash between superhumans.

When Blood Wheel Asura charged at Yoo Jinhak, scattering crimson energy, the colors of the world momentarily changed.

In that world stained so red.

Chwaaah!

Sewoon saw the elegant trajectory of the sword wielded by the Sword Emperor.

‘If it’s him, he might actually be able to save the Murim.’

He had even allowed himself such a delusion for a brief moment.

Of course, a large part of it was because his martial prowess was lacking at the time, so he had no idea how much stronger the Blood Demon was.

Even so, Yoo Jinhak’s martial prowess was on a different level.

Fsshh!

A mystical footwork that seemed to fold space as he moved.

An exquisite swordsmanship that endlessly drew infinite Taiji in the air.

His sword, which embodied the phrase "Softness can overcome hardness" more than anyone else.

Srrk—!

In a brief battle that didn’t even last the time it took a lily to bloom, he severed Blood Wheel Asura’s head.

It was during a time when the Blood Demon had not yet stepped forward fully, as he was still perfecting his great techniques.

The Sword Emperor had been the greatest obstacle for the Blood Cult.

Even after the invasion by the Blood Cult had begun, the orthodox Murim had not responded with full cooperation from the start, solely because of his presence.

After the Great War between Orthodox and Unorthodox Sects, prolonged peace had caused the average martial prowess of each sect to decline drastically compared to a hundred years ago, but the skill of the strongest in the world had surpassed all previous generations.

All of this had started when Yoo Jinhak, a regular secular disciple of the Wudang Sect, the head of the orthodox Murim, happened upon a miraculous encounter.

He had obtained the Sword Manual imbued with the enlightenment of the Sword Immortal Lü Dongbin.

Since Wudang’s essence was Daoism.

Receiving the inheritance of Pure Yang Master Lü Dongbin meant he had attained undeniable legitimacy.

Thus, he became the first secular disciple to become the direct successor of the sect leader.

During the countless legendary acts of chivalry that followed, he even mastered Wudang’s divine technique, the Yang Energy Divine Art, to the peak.

Eventually, he ascended to the realm called Manifestation Realm’s extreme, also known as the Divine Ascension Realm.

Following the founding of the Murim Alliance, despite fierce internal conflict among the factions, he was unanimously elected as the Alliance Leader in an unprecedented ‘unanimous vote’ that had never occurred before.

And he, who was known as the protector of the orthodox Murim.

‘He died by the divine weapon I created.’

He met his end in an assassination by the Assassin, who used the second of the Ten Demonic Weapons, the ‘Twin Polar Fang’.

Sewoon felt a heavy drop in his chest.

The very person who had essentially been killed by him was now quietly looking at him.

Once the shock from the sudden appearance settled, an irreparable guilt began to consume his entire body.

“Hm?”

Perhaps Yoo Jinhak had read Sewoon’s state.

Soon, a mysterious light began to gleam in Yoo Jinhak’s eyes.

Golden Purity Eyes.

It was Yoo Jinhak’s technique that could penetrate the spiritual world of the person he looked at.

‘Damn.’

Sewoon quickly calmed his mind with a start.

Thanks to the opening of his Upper Dantian, he could sense the use of the Golden Purity Eyes.

‘Now’s not the time to dwell on the past.’

Sewoon temporarily set aside his guilt toward Yoo Jinhak.

His appearance posed a danger incomparable to the attack from Sun Ugon and the Rear Dragon Guard.

Sewoon quickly assessed the situation.

—"My child, that power is not something to be used recklessly."

It was what Yoo Jinhak had said.

Clearly, he had referred to it as ‘energy’ rather than ‘hidden weapons’ or ‘dagger’.

And when he approached and injected his own energy, he stopped Sewoon from using innate qi.

That meant—

‘He didn’t notice the existence of the Invisible Dagger.’

The Invisible Dagger, which had been aimed at piercing Sun Ugon’s glabella, stopped in mid-air.

Without changing his expression, Sewoon shifted the Invisible Dagger slightly to the side.

Even then, Yoo Jinhak showed no reaction and merely continued to gaze at him with the Golden Purity Eyes.

‘It’s certain. He’s not aware of its existence at all.’

Just as he had suspected, Yoo Jinhak was unaware of the Invisible Dagger.

It was something natural in a way.

Even the Blood Demon hadn’t sensed its presence until the moment it struck him.

‘……In that case, the next problem is—’

If the worst-case scenario happened where the Sword Emperor changed his attitude and tried to execute him on the spot.

Would he be able to resolve such a situation?

If he counterattacked using the Invisible Dagger...

Just when Sewoon was about to move the Invisible Dagger again.

“Heh heh, what in the world is this? I see nothing at all. This is a first for me.”

Yoo Jinhak, having withdrawn the Golden Purity Eyes, spoke with a strange smile on his lips.

“You must have quite an amusing trick up your sleeve.”

But only the corners of his mouth curved faintly.

Yoo Jinhak’s eyes were cold and sunken.

Ssshh!

At the same time, a chilling cold spread through Sewoon’s body.

It felt as if thousands of blades were pointing at him.

Sewoon barely managed to hold onto his fading consciousness.

And then.

‘……Absolutely impossible.’

Even with the Invisible Dagger, he instinctively realized he could not stop him.

In truth, it had been an impossible task from the beginning.

Landing a successful strike on the Blood Demon had only been possible because he had spent over a decade preparing for it.

“My child. You must have been very frightened.”

Suddenly, another voice rang out from behind.

It was the voice of an elderly woman, bearing traces of the years.

“Ah, aah.”

“It’s alright, it’s alright. It’ll be over soon, so just close your eyes and rest for a bit.”

Next to the terrified Seori stood a shabby old Buddhist nun in worn robes.

‘When did she get here?’

She had struck the sleeping acupoint with an unseen speed and put Seori to sleep.

Though she couldn’t match Yoo Jinhak, it was clear she was another peak master-level figure.

After placing Seori outside the room, the old nun returned and stared at Yoo Jinhak with icy eyes.

“You senile old horse-face! Even if you’re leaving, shouldn’t you at least tell this Binni where you’re going!”

“Heh heh. Sorry, Boyeon. But I was flustered by the pulse of innate qi and didn’t have time to tell you.”

“I had to leave behind the rice wine I was drinking because I rushed after you!”

“I’ll repay you with two bottles. Just forgive me this once.”

“Ugh! You damn horse-face with your cursed fast legs.”

As soon as Sewoon heard the nun’s name, Boyeon, he immediately recognized her identity.

As a warrior of Sichuan, how could he not know?

The currently undisputed strongest faction in Sichuan was the Emei Sect.

They held an overwhelming position that even the Qingcheng Sect didn’t dare compare to.

‘So she’s the Hidden Tiger Divine Doctor.’

It was all because of the very woman before him, Boyeon Divine Nun.

She was one of the ten strongest in the world and the former sect leader of the Emei Sect.

‘……This situation’s completely tangled now.’

Even with regression, it didn’t mean he knew everything.

How could the Sewoon of that time have known that two martial legends were meeting nearby?

Boyeon Divine Nun walked past Sewoon and checked on Lee Hoseong, who was foaming at the mouth.

“……Is it possible?”

True to her alias Divine Doctor, there were tales of her reattaching severed limbs in the past.

But Boyeon Divine Nun shook her head grimly.

“The damage to the wound is far too severe. Not even the Celestial Immortal could reattach this.”

The One Point Kill technique worked by perfectly crossing two daggers and detonating compressed energy at the meeting point.

As an assassin’s technique, it produced no sound, but the wound was pulverized as if struck by a thunderclap bomb.

Boyeon Divine Nun squinted her eyes at Sewoon.

“……But child of the Tang Clan. The marks left behind are far too extreme to be considered orthodox martial arts.”

A glimmer of suspicion had already formed in her eyes.

Even if Tang Clan’s martial arts were known for their cruelty, this level of damage was no different from demonic arts.

Ssshh.

At her words, the Sword Emperor’s aura shifted.

‘Ghhk—!’

Any remaining benevolence vanished completely, and now the overwhelming pressure of an absolute master began to dominate the space.

Yoo Jinhak turned his head toward the Rear Dragon Guards.

“Sun Ugon, what was your judgment?”

“Y-Yes?”

Sun Ugon’s pupils trembled like an earthquake at his master’s sudden question.

But only for a moment—realizing this was his chance, Sun Ugon composed himself and answered.

“It is just as the Divine Doctor suspects! The only reason I had to reveal myself while trying to hold my position was precisely because of that!”

He began to pin the blame for his appearance entirely on Sewoon.

“As you can see, Tang Sewoon is merely at the level of a third-rate martial artist! Yet he easily overpowered a first-rate practitioner like Young Master Lee, and during that, I clearly observed traces of demonic techniques!”

Spoken with unwavering confidence, Sun Ugon’s words flowed fluently and seemed entirely truthful.

Yoo Jinhak’s gaze returned to Sewoon.

“……That is what my subordinate claims. How will you explain this to me?”

Now there was even a faint sense of hostility in his demeanor.

Seeing this, Sewoon—

‘Alright.’

Made up his mind on the next course of action.

Sewoon looked straight into Yoo Jinhak’s eyes and spoke confidently.

“There’s nothing to explain. What I used was clearly Tang Clan martial arts.”

“How well do you think I know the Tang Clan’s martial arts after all these years? I can say for certain that none of their techniques leave such marks.”

“Even if a great tree withers, its roots remain. I simply mastered a lost secret technique that had been painstakingly restored.”

Sewoon didn’t show even a hint of nervousness before the Murim Alliance Leader.

Without changing his expression, he lied as though it were the truth.

“That’s a rather refined answer for something you just made up.”

But Yoo Jinhak didn’t back down so easily either.

Then, at that moment—

“That will conclude the formalities owed to the elder.”

Srrng!

Everyone present was shocked.

It was because Sewoon had suddenly taken a combat stance again.

Even Yoo Jinhak could not hide his surprise.

“I will now pay for my crimes once more. Will the Alliance Leader stop me?”

Only then did a light of fury rise in Yoo Jinhak’s eyes as he grasped Sewoon’s intent.

“What will you do if I try to stop you?”

“Then I will die.”

Step.

Sewoon answered as he took a step toward Yoo Jinhak.

“But I will not stop walking.”

Ssshh!

At his attitude, which went beyond arrogance to madness, Yoo Jinhak’s aura shifted once more.

Flames blazed in both of Yoo Jinhak’s pupils.

An overwhelming energy, incomparable to before, erupted from his entire body.

“Guh!”

“Ugh!”

Even Sun Ugon and the Rear Dragon Guards trembled like aspen trees and groaned.

Now, the way Yoo Jinhak looked at Sewoon was no different from how one would view a petty unorthodox thug.

“You would throw away your life for a fleeting revenge.”

Yoo Jinhak’s voice was full of disappointment.

Sewoon felt like his body was being torn apart.

It was as if he was facing a storm.

The blood vessels in both his eyes burst.

But still, he tried to stare directly at Yoo Jinhak to the end.

Unlike the seemingly furious appearance of the Alliance Leader.

‘This is a test.’

Sewoon had already figured out his true intent.

Yoo Jinhak was testing him.

And now, with the answer he would give.

He would either win his favor or fall completely out of his grace.

‘The Sword Emperor is someone I absolutely cannot lose.’

Sewoon racked his brain madly to win Yoo Jinhak’s trust.

But it wasn’t simply to gain the backing of the Wudang Sect.

Nor to bask in the aura of the Murim Alliance Leader.

Nor even to be acknowledged by the greatest under heaven.

It was because he wanted to walk the same path as someone who was truly a beacon of hope for the orthodox path.

As the war with the Blood Cult intensified, the righteous warriors vanished from the Jianghu.

Prominent sects, far from the battlefield, openly contributed only the bare minimum of forces, trying to preserve their own strength intact.

But Yoo Jinhak and the Wudang Sect were different.

As soon as the war began, they abandoned their headquarters and moved to the front lines of the battlefield.

—"Warriors of the Alliance! Follow only behind me!"

And at the most dangerous places, at the very front, he swung his sword.

Though the Tang Clan had clearly been abandoned by the Murim Alliance, Sewoon couldn’t blame Yoo Jinhak.

Because the first sect to be exterminated by the Blood Cult, even before the Tang Clan—

Was none other than his sect, the Wudang Sect.

Even when his senior brothers died.

Even when he lost an eye.

Even when his master died.

Even when one arm was severed.

The Sword Emperor still picked up his sword again the very next day.

—"If the Alliance Leader doesn’t lead from the front, who will take up the sword to protect others?"

Before being the strongest under heaven, he was the greatest chivalrous hero under heaven.

That was who Yoo Jinhak was.

Srrng!

With a speed that no one could even perceive, Yoo Jinhak had already drawn his sword.

The pure white blade of the Pine Pattern Ancient Sword, the command blade of Wudang’s Sect Leader, was now at Sewoon’s throat.

“Speak.”

It made one wonder whether Sewoon had misjudged it as a test, so potent was the killing intent imbued in that sword.

But Sewoon accepted that aura head-on.

‘……I don’t know.’

Truly, he didn’t know. Even after endless contemplation.

He could not think of an answer that would captivate the other man’s heart.

Only—

“Even if I must burn my life to do it…”

He could only reach the conclusion to speak his unfiltered sincerity.

In this world that had returned to him, there was only one thing he had to do.

To atone for the terrible sins he had committed in his past life.

“I only wish to repair this broken world, even just a little.”

He would devote everything he had until his final breath.