Chapter 25 : Auction House (4)

Chapter 25: Auction House (4)

When the flying slash collided with Ha Jung-do’s sword, the Black Wolf Fang, which had never been blocked before, shattered. Jang Woo-hyun had already anticipated it would be stopped, so he didn’t mind much. He quickly closed the distance and launched an attack with the Shadow Serpent Coiling Sword.

Kwaaang!

A thunderous boom echoed as their swords clashed.

“You were hiding this level of skill? Incredible! Truly incredible!”

Ha Jung-do laughed upon witnessing the skill Jang Woo-hyun revealed. Someone who had only seemed to touch the level of a First-rate Martial Artist was now a Master-level expert. No, he was even advancing toward the pinnacle of that stage.

Jang Woo-hyun didn’t answer. Instead, he drew more strength from his Dantian.

Since he couldn’t form Sword Qi, the only way to confront his opponent was to concentrate his massive Internal Energy and condense his Qi.

Ordinary Sword Qi usually enveloped the blade to enhance sharpness or increase size, but the Shadow Serpent Coiling Sword was different.

Like a snake coiling around its prey, the rotating Sword Qi wrapped the blade, greatly enhancing its destructive power. As a result, it consumed significantly more Internal Energy than normal methods.

Right now, Jang Woo-hyun was pouring more Internal Energy than usual into the Shadow Serpent Coiling Sword. The fiercely spinning Sword Qi wrapped around his sword, clashing against Ha Jung-do’s Sword Qi Projection.

Instead of opposing a sword imbued with Intent Qi, he was confronting it with an immensely powerful Sword Qi.

Boom! Boom!

Each time their swords collided, a deafening crash resounded, and the aftermath of the Qi waves shattered their surroundings.

Pushed back, Jang Woo-hyun stepped in using Horse King’s Third Step: Sovereign Ruling, trying to break Ha Jung-do’s balance with a powerful True Step.

But the opponent was at the peak of the Master-level. It wouldn’t be that easy.

Thooom!

When Ha Jung-do stepped forward with his True Step, an even stronger force surged forth. The wave of Qi that had surged due to Sovereign Ruling dissipated instantly.

“Excellent! Wonderful!”

Ha Jung-do roared with laughter and strengthened his grip on the sword.

His strikes suddenly became faster. A flurry of continuous slashes stormed forward.

Kwa-jak!

Jang Woo-hyun managed to block the first five or six slashes, but his sword broke under the final one.

He hadn’t drawn the Heavy Sword of Silent Night, the Hyuncheol Large Sword, in order to use various sword techniques. Instead, he had drawn the sword he had received from the Demon Extermination Sect. That had been a mistake. In this situation, using an ordinary sword was the wrong decision—it couldn’t withstand his opponent’s strength.

It was a mistake born from lack of experience—and a bit of arrogance, having never truly faced failure until now. Even if it limited his options, he should have drawn the Heavy Sword.

In that moment of crisis, Jang Woo-hyun instinctively shut his eyes tightly, drawing every bit of his Internal Energy to his body in an effort to minimize damage.

But no follow-up attack came.

Turning his gaze, he saw Ha Jung-do stepping back, lowering his sword.

“Draw your other sword.”

“You have another one, don’t you? Don’t spoil my excitement like this.”

Shrrk.

Acknowledging his opponent’s consideration, Jang Woo-hyun drew the Hyuncheol Large Sword, Silent Night.

“A fine sword. Does it have a name?”

“Silent Night.”

“Silent Night, huh. A great name for a great sword. Come to think of it, I didn’t get your name. Let me say mine again. I am Ha Jung-do of the Divine Cult.”

“Jang Woo-hyun.”

The brief introduction with just a name left Ha Jung-do puzzled.

“You have no affiliation? Or just don’t want to say?”

“I’m unaffiliated. If I had to say, until recently I belonged to the Demon Extermination Sect.”

“The Demon Extermination Sect? The one based in Sichuan?”

Jang Woo-hyun gave a small nod in response.

“So you're a Wandering Warrior? Huh…”

It was hard to believe. Someone of this caliber was a Wandering Warrior?

—The Martial World is vast.

That was what his master always said when asked why, despite the Divine Cult’s might in his youth, they couldn’t dominate the Central Plains martial world.

Those words didn’t refer to physical size. After all, the Martial World wasn’t a literal location.

The Martial World was vast because one never knew who might be out there, or who they might run into. A hero appearing out of nowhere, or a hidden master encountered by chance—that was the meaning of “The Martial World is vast.”

And Jang Woo-hyun was the embodiment of that phrase.

‘If only he were one of ours.’

The courage to charge at someone stronger, the resolve to never back down, and even his martial prowess—he was a talent worth coveting.

“You wouldn’t consider joining the Divine Cult?”

“No.”

“A shame. Then let’s continue.”

Jang Woo-hyun raised Silent Night and once again drew up his Internal Energy.

The Hyuncheol Large Sword Silent Night, named after the Silent Night Three Swords.

Forged entirely from black iron, it paired perfectly with the Silent Night Three Swords. It could be called a legendary weapon without exaggeration.

Uuuuuung.

A more violent aura than before began to surge.

Realizing that this was Jang Woo-hyun’s true power, Ha Jung-do once again marveled. Smiling, he raised his sword—and it, too, let out a resonating hum.

“This time, I’ll go first.”

The moment his words ended, Ha Jung-do moved.

Boom!

The force of the strike aimed at him nearly drove Jang Woo-hyun to his knees.

Crack!

He clenched his teeth tightly. It felt as though Mount Tai was crashing down upon his sword.

Until now, he had only ever moved forward. But against Ha Jung-do, all he could do was retreat.

Each strike weighed heavily.

Even drawing forth all his Internal Energy made it difficult to counter. For the first time, he felt his Internal Energy was lacking.

‘Sovereign Ruling won’t work.’

A heavy sword charge wasn’t the answer—it would only end in the sword breaking.

Struggling to fend off Ha Jung-do’s attacks, Jang Woo-hyun spread his Qi sense wide. He tried to read his surroundings and find a way.

After all, no human was truly invincible. There had to be a gap.

But a Peak Master was someone approaching perfection.

No flaws could be found easily.

“Ha! So you’ve adjusted to my sword now?”

Jang Woo-hyun was using all his strength just to block, but from Ha Jung-do’s perspective, it didn’t seem that way. Perhaps it was understandable—having his sword strikes blocked for this long by another Master-level warrior.

Boom!

A mightier slash than any before. Ha Jung-do had created an opening, preparing to unleash a powerful technique.

Jang Woo-hyun flowed with the attack, searching for a gap.

Horse King’s First Step: Devious Path.

Just as its name suggested—“extremely devious”—Devious Path was a movement technique that advanced him into an optimal position while exploiting the opponent’s weaknesses.

A different approach from before. If he had been overpowering with strength until now, this time he planned to pierce through a weakness.

He closed in tightly on Ha Jung-do.

The inner zone where a sword couldn’t be swung.

Jang Woo-hyun’s knee shot up toward his opponent’s side.

Baaak!

The impact forced Ha Jung-do to slide backward, but even in that brief instant, he lowered his arm and perfectly defended his flank.

As Jang Woo-hyun charged in again, Ha Jung-do thrust his sword.

Kwoaaah!

A tremendous wave of Qi erupted, forcing Jang Woo-hyun to retreat. The distance between them widened, and the battle entered a brief lull.

“How absurd.”

Ha Jung-do once again let out a sigh of admiration. He hadn’t expected Jang Woo-hyun to be this formidable.

‘He aimed to create an opening, but instead, he charged in during that moment.’

It was the kind of move only a veteran master, someone who had rolled around the Martial World for decades, would be capable of pulling off.

“I’ll come again. But before that, I’ll ask one more time—do you truly have no intention of joining the Divine Cult?”

“No, I don’t.”

Jang Woo-hyun simply raised his sword.

“Fine, then…”

“Gyaaaaah!”

A scream that sounded like something was being torn apart made Ha Jung-do’s head snap around.

“Hyowol!”

He’d been too preoccupied with the fight to notice. The monkey-masked man who had come with him had a deep slash across his shoulder. It was the result of Jin Ha-un, Pung-yu, and Hwang An—who had at some point joined them—working together.

“You bastards!”

Just as Ha Jung-do tried to leap to his ally’s rescue, a massive slash crashed down before his feet.

Kwaaaang!

It hadn’t been aimed directly at him. It was merely a warning.

“What are you doing?”

The composure was gone from Ha Jung-do’s face.

“Let’s consider that as payment for earlier. Next time, I’ll aim directly for your back.”

He was referring to when Ha Jung-do had waited for him to draw another sword after his first one broke.

“I see. So, you’re saying we should settle this now.”

“You sons of bitches! Fall back! Get out! Move!”

The monkey-masked man screamed, but Ha Jung-do didn’t turn around. His plan was to defeat Jang Woo-hyun as quickly as possible and then deal with the rest.

With a tremendous surge of force, Ha Jung-do charged forward.

Kwaaang!

Jang Woo-hyun blocked the sword and stepped back. This time, he didn’t seek an opening but deliberately retreated. Though the attacks were fiercer than before, they were actually easier to block.

‘He’s overdoing it.’

With his emotions surging, Ha Jung-do’s movements grew exaggerated.

He had appeared almost perfect, but he was still human. The moment his comrades’ lives were at risk, his composure broke.

And once that happened—flaws became visible.

The limits of Ha Jung-do’s sword techniques. His Sword Qi Projection was no longer getting stronger.

Of course, it was still difficult to defend against, but not impossible. Despite his haste, the power had only increased slightly from before.

‘At this level…’

It was enough. He could break through.

“Gyaaaah! Mister!”

At the cry of pain, Ha Jung-do’s sword faltered for a split second.

‘An opening!’

A single instant, a single chance.

Jang Woo-hyun didn’t think twice—he poured out everything he had. He scraped the very bottom of his Dantian. His meridians twisted, and his body screamed in protest from the rapid and violent flow of Internal Energy, but he didn’t stop. If he died here, it was all over anyway.

He couldn’t miss this opportunity.

He gripped Silent Night and unleashed two slashes. One vertical. One horizontal.

Black Wolf Fang: Cross Blade.

KWAANG!

A powerful strike filled with condensed Internal Energy, but Ha Jung-do blocked the Cross Blade without much trouble.

Jang Woo-hyun hadn’t expected much. That was merely preparation for the next attack.

The next sword strike came.

It was the final technique of the Silent Night Three Swords.

Seven Rings of Overlapping Force.

The rotating Sword Qi that coiled around his sword like a serpent formed seven rings.

The excessive power made the sword hum, and the tip of the blade trembled uncontrollably.

Jang Woo-hyun stabbed forward without hesitation.

Kwakwa-KWANG! Kwaang! KABOOM!

Waves of Qi exploded in succession. Seven times.

Even if one was blocked, the attacks continued. Layer after layer, one upon the next. Seven overlapping strikes, all fueled by the full extent of his Internal Energy. In terms of power, they rivaled Qi Projection.

“Ghk.”

Having spent every last bit of strength, Jang Woo-hyun stabbed his sword into the ground to stay upright. His meridians had been twisted from within, and blood poured from his mouth and nose.

Still standing with difficulty, he stared at Ha Jung-do.

The man had been pushed back nearly three jang and looked miserable.

Tattered clothes, disheveled hair, a shattered sword. The surroundings had been completely wrecked.

Jang Woo-hyun’s final attack had gone far beyond Ha Jung-do’s expectations.

But Ha Jung-do had endured it, somehow. He could still move—whereas Jang Woo-hyun couldn’t. That was what decided the outcome.

Ptoo.

Ha Jung-do spat blood, apparently suffering internal damage as well.

“I shouldn’t take him to Tianshan. I’ll have to kill him here.”

His capabilities were astonishing.

If left alive, Jang Woo-hyun would undoubtedly become a massive obstacle when the Divine Cult tried to invade the Central Plains.

Step.

Seeing Ha Jung-do approach, Jang Woo-hyun raised the sword he had been leaning on. If he was going to die, he’d at least put up a final struggle.

But he had no strength left. He stumbled backward.

After countless shifts in position during the fight, his back ended up bumping against the auction platform.

He leaned against it and barely managed to lift his sword.

At the sight, Ha Jung-do felt both admiration and a shiver down his spine. The man could barely stand, yet he still lifted his sword. That, he thought, was the essence of a true warrior.

“Just die already.”

Ha Jung-do raised his broken sword.

But at that very moment—

Someone appeared behind him.

Baaak!

“Ugh!”

A man struck Ha Jung-do’s shoulder.

It was Hwang An, wielding a short spear.

“Seriously? Are we just standing around for fun?”

Slice!

Immediately after, the swords of Jin Ha-un and Pung-yu tore through Ha Jung-do’s body. The three—having taken care of the monkey-masked man—rushed in to save Jang Woo-hyun.

“Ghhk! Uwaaaah!”

Ha Jung-do wildly swung his sword to fend them off. The trio dodged nimbly and launched counterattacks, and with his body already severely wounded, he could no longer defend properly.

More and more wounds accumulated on Ha Jung-do. His gaze fell upon the collapsed monkey-masked man.

“You bastards! Do you even know who that child is? You’ll regret this! You’ll definitely regret what you’ve done today!”

Apparently annoyed by the shouting, Jang Woo-hyun gathered every last bit of strength and hurled Silent Night.

Made entirely from black iron, Silent Night was incredibly heavy. It spun through the air and, striking the already exhausted Ha Jung-do—whose strength had been drained by the earlier assault—split his head open.

Thud! Boom!

Just like that, Ha Jung-do met his end.

“Brother Jang!”

Even as Hwang An called out, Jang Woo-hyun couldn’t respond. He collapsed on the spot.

‘Lemme just rest…’

His head drooped of its own accord. His consciousness grew dim. Amid his blurring vision, he saw something.

A book lying on the ground—the manual from the auction: Demonic Monster Divine Cultivation.

‘That’s… huh? Huh…?’

As his vision faded, a sudden flash of clarity hit him. He saw something that shouldn’t have been there.

And then, an old memory surfaced.

—Cheongsong sseongtae-do ongmyeokitgeor byaekyoebwolle-do nawatssyot

It was a method Korean users used in the past to prevent hosts from deleting bad reviews when rating overseas accommodations—by inputting garbled text through a translator.

From his past life. Back when he was in South Korea. He remembered seeing that.

Because that exact kind of writing was on the Demonic Monster Divine Cultivation manual.

The Demonic Monster Divine Cult.

‘This bastard… is 100% Korean.’