Return of Mount Hua Sect - Chapter 697
Gulp.
A heavy silence passed, heavy enough to hear someone swallow dry saliva. In the room filled with unbelievably cold silence that was noisy just before, the eyes of those who watched the situation sparkled with interest.
Mount Hua and Southern Edge Sect.
Those who know the relationship between the two sects cannot help but pay attention, and even those who do not know the relationship cannot take their eyes off the two men who drew their swords and faced each other in the daytime tavern.
“Bastard!”
It was the moment when Gwa Hyukso, the Daehyung of the Three Swords of Taehaeng, wielder of Manli Sword (만리검(萬里劍) /Thousand Miles Sword), roared and charged at the man. (Daehyung is like Oldest Brother. It doesn’t necessarily mean blood-related.)
“Wait.”
The man with the drawn sword lightly waved his hand. He then looked around and opened his mouth.
“I personally don’t mind crossing swords here, but swords have no eyes. I’m worried that others might get hurt.”
“….”
“How about it? If we’re going to cross swords anyway, why not go to a more spacious place?”
“This guy….”
Gwa Hyukso bit his lips.
Due to that man’s clever speech, they had become reckless swordsmen who swung their swords without caring about the people around them. Originally, as an outer disciple of the prestigious Southern Edge Sect, they should have been the first to discuss such matters.
“Fine! But you don’t mean going to a secluded place with no one’s eyes on it, do you?”
Gwa Hyukso sneered openly.
“I won’t forgive you even if you kneel and beg in a place with no one’s eyes.”
“Haha. How could that be?”
The man glanced down from the window.
“Somewhere down there would be suitable for crossing swords. What do you think?”
Taehaeng Three Sword, who exchanged glances while looking at each other, nodded.
“Anywhere is fine.”
“Hmm. Then.”
The man lifted his foot to the window with the sword in hand. And without any hesitation, he jumped out of the window.
“Ohh!”
“Th- That!”
The people inside were startled and screamed.
“This, this is the seventh floor!”
“He’s jumping out of here?”
They rushed to the window and looked down in a hurry. But they saw not a crushed corpse, but the man standing intact, looking up.
“Come down.”
At the clear voice, everyone clicked their tongues.
The fact that he could jump from such a high place and still be perfectly fine was proof that the man’s martial arts were far from low.
Taehaeng Three Sword also thought so and hardened their faces.
“Umm.”
They glanced alternately between the stairs and the tavern window, and then slightly bit their lips.
“Let’s go!”
“Yes!”
Gwa Hyukso, who was at the front, hesitated for a moment and then jumped out the window in a single leap. His two brothers followed suit and jumped out.
“Wow!”
“Let’s go down and watch!”
The people who had filled the tavern rushed down the stairs in a flurry.
Kung! Kuung!
Taehaeng Three Sword landed on the ground.
They couldn’t bear to control their face from being distorted by pain.
‘Keuk.’
The leg that had received the impact ached so much that they couldn’t even speak. The top of the foot felt as if it had been torn and the ankle was sore, making it difficult to stand properly.
But they couldn’t show weakness here.
Taehaeng Three Sword, who forced their bent knees to straighten, stared at the man across from them.
The mere jump from the floor shocked them so it was difficult to demonstrate their martial art, but that man showed no sign of it.
‘Is he more than just a talkative brat?’
Gwa Hyukso took a deep breath and opened his mouth.
“What is your name?”
“My name?”
“Even if you’re a nobody, you must have a name, right? Or are you a coward who can’t even reveal your name?”
“Hahaha.”
The man laughed loudly once and shook his head.
“There’s no need to provoke me like that. I’m not hiding anything. My name is Jin Yanggeon (陳陽建).”
“What’s your rank?” (He’s asking if he’s Hyun, Un, Baek, or Chung.)
“Hm?”
Hyukso asked, staring at Jin Yanggeon with cold eyes.
“If you’re a disciple of Mount Hua, you must have a rank, right?”
“Haha. What’s so important about that?”
“…what?”
Jin Yanggeon shook his sword lightly like a fan.
“If my rank is higher than yours, will you bow down and apologize?”
“….”
“Or, if my rank is lower than yours, will you try to suppress me using your rank?”
“This….”
Jin Yanggeon shook his head with a pitiful look.
“Whether my rank is high or low, it doesn’t make what you did right. So, there’s no need to discuss rank, is there?”
“No, I….”
“The important thing is whether it’s unjust (불의(不義)) or not! Whether it’s immoral (무도(無道)) or not! I’m not the kind of person who turns injustice into justice based on someone’s rank!”
As he shouted with force, the people who had gathered around them clapped with impressed expressions.
“That’s right!”
“I don’t know who he is, but he’s speaking the truth!”
The face of Gwa Hyukso was horribly distorted.
He just wanted to know the man’s rank. But because of that one sentence, now Taehaeng Three Sword had become people who lacked confidence in their abilities and wanted to suppress others using ranks.
‘Damn you!’
He didn’t know what was on the man’s tongue, but he skillfully drew the atmosphere to his side in no time.
“Hyung.”
“I know!”
Realizing there was no good in talking more, Gwa Hyukso raised his sword and aimed it at Jin Yanggeon.
“I’ve seen how fearsome your tongue is. I hope your sword is at least half as good as your tongue.”
Then Jin Yanggeon shook his head slightly looking at Hyukso.
“You guys are a group of three, right?”
“There’s nothing to be afraid of, kid. Do you think we would gang up on a kid like you? I’ll face you alone, just don’t pee yourself.”
“No, it’s the opposite.”
Jin Yanggeon smiled lightly.
“You alone can’t handle me. All three of you, come at me at once.”
“…What?”
“You seem to have trouble understanding. Since you alone can’t handle me, I told you to come at me with your brothers.”
Jin Yanggeon looked down at the sword he had drawn.
“That way, it would at least be a little fun to face you.”
Hyukso’s face turned red in a flash.
“Looks like you’re looking for an excuse to lose! Do you think it will go your way?”
“That’s a misunderstanding. I, Jin Yanggeon, know what it means to be upright. I will never make excuses saying that I lost because you were three and would have won if you were alone.”
Jin Yanggeon shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly.
“I just want to give you a fair chance. It’s an obvious duty to uphold as a swordsman.”
“You bastard! Even direct disciples of Mount Hua wouldn’t dare to babble like that in front of us…!”
“Of course, I’m not an ordinary disciple of Mount Hua.”
“…what?”
Jin Yanggeon’s smile grew deeper.
“Plum Blossom Swordsman, have you heard of it?”
“…Plum Blossom Swordsman?”
“If you didn’t know, you will find out. What Plum Blossom Swordsman is.”
Jin Yanggeon’s sword that pointed forward reflected light.
“Right through this sword.”
“….”
Gwa Hyukso, with anger rising to the tip of his head, gritted his teeth. Then, his brothers, who had been standing behind him, spoke in a cold voice.
“Hyung, let’s do as he wish!”
“We have no reason to refuse! We need to teach that greenhorn how scary this Kangho is!”
Hyukso nodded in agreement.
“Yeah, let’s do it!”
When the eldest brother gave permission, the siblings stepped forward and filled his left and right.
“You little brat! It’s no use regretting it!”
“I don’t know anything like regret.”
“Bastard!”
Gwa Hyukso’s eyes were full of bloodlust.
Those who gathered like clouds just watched the confrontation with bated breath. The atmosphere escalated as if blood was about to be shed any moment.
Breaking the short silence, Hyukso shouted.
“Let’s get him!”
“Yes!”
“Uoooohhh!”
The Three Swords of Taehaeng rushed toward Jin Yanggeon at the same time. Even the seemingly dull Hyukso narrowed the distance from Jin Yanggeon in an instant at lightning speed.
They proved why they were called Taehaeng Three Swords and gained reputation through their martial art techniques.
But Jin Yanggeon did not make any special response to their terrifying speed. Even when Gwa Hyukso’s swinging sword was about to reach his head instantly, he just stared at the sword.
“Heok!”
“That, that!”
Those with weak hearts had already tightly closed their eyes. It seemed as if they could clearly see Jin Yanggeon’s head being split in two.
However!
Chaeaeaeng!
At that moment, a sharp metallic sound rang out, and Taehaeng Three Swords, who had rushed in at once, staggered back simultaneously.
“…Y- You…!”
Hyukso opened his eyes wide.
Jin Yanggeon had not only deflected Gwa Hyukso’s sword but also repelled the swords of his brothers attacking from left and right with a single strike.
“Hmm.”
Jin Yanggeon shook his head with slight dissatisfaction.
“To think you threaten others when your skills are like this. It seems Southern Edge Sect has become too arrogant.”
“How, How dare you mention Southern Edge Sect with that mouth?”
“Look closely.”
Jin Yanggeon held out his sword forward.
“This is what a sword that upholds justice looks like. This is Mount Hua’s sword.”
As soon as his word ended, Jin Yanggeon’s sword began to split.
The onlookers opened their eyes wide.
“Tha- That’s….”
The sword, which had split into dozens in an instant, continued to multiply, and soon began to emit faint and red sword energy in all directions.
In an instant, the surroundings were filled with Jin Yanggeon’s sword energy. The red and white sword energy was as impressive as looking at a flower field where various flowers were in full bloom.
“Tha- That!”
“That’s Mount Hua’s Plum Blossom Sword Technique!”
Those who had heard of it shouted one after another.
As if to respond to their expectations, the blooming sword energy erupted towards Taehaeng Three Swords at once.
“Wha- What!”
Hyukso’a face turned pale. His sight seemed to be filled with sword energy.
Before the thought of resisting even entered their minds, countless sword energies brushed past Taehaeng Three Swords’ entire body.
“Aaaaarghh!”
“Aargh!”
Screams echoed.
The most splendid sword energy scattered into the air, and all that remained were the passed out three people, the Taehaeng Three Swords.
Seureureung.
Jin Yanggeon, with a slightly pale face, spoke quietly to the fallen.
“I guess Southern Edge Sect doesn’t teach its disciples not to intimidate others with force. But Mount Hua will never tolerate such behavior. Remember, the sword exists not to show off oneself but to protect the weak.”
A brief silence passed. And shortly after, enormous cheers erupted from all sides.
“Whoaaaaaah!”
“You’re the beeeest!”
“Mount Hua! As expected of Mount Hua!”
“Mount Hua wasn’t famous in the world for no reason! He really looked like a person straight out of a painting!”
Jin Yanggeon, who waved lightly to the cheers from all sides, approached Jinpyeong.
“Are you all right?”
“Ah… Ah, yes! I’m fine.”
Jin Yanggeon smiled brightly.
“Then I’m relieved. If you have any problems, feel free to come and find me.”
“Yes, yes! Thank you very much, Daehyeop!”
“Sure.”
Jin Yanggeon lightly saluted, turned around without hesitation, and began to slip out of the crowd.
In the meantime, cheers and praises continued to pour out.
In the heated atmosphere, a small suspicion flashed over Jinpyeong’s face.
‘Something seems a bit different…’
From the atmosphere around him to how he acts, there was clearly something different from the disciples of Mount Hua he had seen in person. A small sense of alienation remained in the back of his mind.
‘No way.’
Someone with such skill wouldn’t be impersonating Mount Hua, would they? No way.
But Jinpyeong didn’t know.
For a fleeting moment, a sly smile had brushed past the lips of Jin Yanggeon as he left the place and the crowd behind.