Chronicles of the Mad Demon - Chapter 147

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 147. What Takes Priority (2)

Though the two had stepped onto the duel stage, the match didn’t begin immediately.

Jeong Gal Ryun, representing the renowned masters, came between the two and continued speaking something to the audience.

Neung Hyeong, watching them from below the duel stage, snorted dismissively.

“Look at them going through every formality there is. These guys haven’t changed one bit.”

No one spoke to him as he grumbled.

Except for one person.

“You seem frustrated.”

At Moyong Su Hyang’s words, Neung Hyeong snorted once more.

“Of course I’m frustrated. Does it make sense to go on about righteousness and correctness in a sparring match? Winning is all that matters.”

“Still, we should show consideration for our opponent.”

“That’s what makes you soft.”

“Why?”

“To put it bluntly, Murim Warriors can kill people even with bare fists, so how is using a real sword any different?”

“Well… that’s true, but.”

“The essence of fighting is violence. The end of violence is destruction. If you understand that, you shouldn’t fear seriously injuring or killing someone.”

Moyong Su Hyang frowned.

“Isn’t that too extreme?”

“In an act where one person breaks another, where is there an extreme and where is there a middle ground? If your opponent shows mercy, will you show mercy too? In a situation where you could die in a moment of carelessness?”

“…Hmm.”

“The result of fighting lies in victory and defeat, and in the Martial World, victory and defeat mean survival and death. Those who don’t accept this and step onto the stage with a light heart deserve to die.”

It was certainly an extreme statement, but it wasn’t entirely wrong either.

Namgung Gwan, who had been quietly listening, spoke up.

“That’s exactly why moderation and righteousness are important, Su Hyang.”

“Yes?”

Neung Hyeong glared at Namgung Gwan with sharp eyes.

Namgung Gwan spoke without the slightest concern.

“The physical strength of Murim Warriors is so great that one wrong use of force can kill a person. Needless to say about swords. If such people wielded their power freely, claiming that fighting only results in life or death, what would become of the world?”

“Hmm, it would become brutal.”

“Great power comes with great responsibility. That’s why a warrior must distinguish well between when to draw their sword and when not to, and even after drawing it, must consider whether blood should be shed or not.”

“Can’t you finish thinking before drawing it?”

Neung Hyeong nodded and grinned as if to say ‘well said.’

Namgung Gwan’s voice became much heavier.

“Even if you finish thinking before drawing, momentary conflicts always arise. To put it bluntly, an innocent civilian could die from one swing of my sword, so how could there be no concern?”

“That’s right.”

Neung Hyeong spoke in a stubborn tone.

“All that thinking should be finished before drawing. If a warrior draws their sword, they must cut even rocks! If you’re not going to draw it, it’s better to just avoid the situation. If you don’t want to see something ugly.”

“Turning a blind eye for one’s own self-preservation can’t be seen as bad either. But shouldn’t we strive to be better people? Righteousness doesn’t simply mean correctness but something to pursue, and justice exists not only in results but also in the process.”

“Just cutting everything down is fine too. If you kill everyone, the problem gets solved.”

“Such extreme statements are what make warriors unworthy of being warriors. The stronger the power in one’s hands, the more temptations there are. Su Hyang should be careful not to stray from the middle path in the future.”

“Middle path my ass, where’s the middle ground when blood is being shed? Is someone’s blood red and someone else’s blue?”

“The blood we must shed reeks of evil. A sharply honed sword must always be directed toward those who reek of evil. Do you understand?”

“Hey, brat.”

Neung Hyeong’s eyes widened.

“Why do you keep nitpicking at everything I say? Do you have some complaint against me?”

Namgung Gwan spoke with an indifferent expression.

“I merely said what was wrong was wrong.”

“…Merely?”

“Our Su Hyang shouldn’t be led astray by wicked words and grow up wrong, right?”

“…Right??”

Fire lit up in Neung Hyeong’s eyes.

Sparks also flew from Namgung Gwan’s eyes as he looked at Neung Hyeong.

Anyone could tell from their gazes alone that they weren’t ordinary people, and seeing how boldly they glared at each other, Namgung Gwan’s temperament was certainly not ordinary either.

Then, Moyong Su Jeong spoke.

“Please stop, both of you. The sparring match is starting.”

Namgung Gwan bowed his head once apologetically and turned his head away sharply.

Neung Hyeong, who had been glaring at Namgung Gwan as if to devour him, burst into scornful laughter.

“I should just keep my mouth shut. This is why I can’t stand those Orthodox Faction old fogeys.”

Moyong Su Hyang muttered quietly.

“If you’re not from the Orthodox Faction, are you from the Unorthodox Faction?”

Then, Namgung Gwan spoke once more.

“You should avoid such binary thinking too, Su Hyang.”

I wondered why he was defending him for once, but Namgung Gwan went even further.

“There’s also the Demonic Path. The Unorthodox Faction and Demonic Path are a bit different.”

“Gasp!”

“Ternary thinking is better than binary, after all.”

Neung Hyeong’s face turned bright red.

“I’m not from the Demonic Path, you bastard!”

“Then the Unorthodox Faction?”

“Such lowly Unorthodox Faction…!”

Moyong Su Hyang shouted loudly.

“Be quiet! Elder Brother has drawn his sword against his opponent!”

The Moyong Sisters’ consecutive attacks silenced both men.

Jegal Chung Ho, who had been quietly listening to the four people’s conversation, inwardly tilted his head in puzzlement.

‘What? He definitely seemed like a dangerous person?’

Both he and Jegal Lin were people of the Jegal Clan, renowned for having the most important discernment.

The two had known from the moment they first saw him. That Neung Hyeong was no ordinary dangerous person.

It wasn’t a matter of martial arts but of temperament. As if he had spent his entire life wandering battlefields, his murderous presence made it difficult to even speak once.

The Moyong Sisters treating such a Neung Hyeong as if they had lived with him for months was strange, but what was more surprising was Namgung Gwan.

‘That guy is strangely igniting hostility.’

Though his statements were somewhat extreme, he didn’t think it was enough for Namgung Gwan’s personality to step forward and provoke him.

‘…I see.’

Tension bloomed in Jegal Chung Ho’s eyes.

‘He wants to overcome it.’

He could see it. The cold sweat flowing from Namgung Gwan’s nape.

Rather, being a master, he might have seen more about that unidentified young man than himself.

‘When he encountered Moyong Sohyeop, he immediately stiffened up too, didn’t he?’

Moyong Bi, though having some rough edges, was fundamentally warm-hearted and didn’t seem to deviate from the righteous path.

But this unnamed young man was different.

He didn’t know if he was part of the evil forces, but he definitely wasn’t from the Orthodox Faction.

‘Even so, this is the first time I’ve seen that guy act like this.’

That’s when it happened.

Clang clang clang!!

With the brilliant sound of clashing swords, the audience’s cheers reached their peak.

* * *

‘Damn it.’

I knew it the moment our swords first clashed.

That his opponent was a terrifyingly powerful expert.

‘Wasn’t the Moyong Family completely ruined? How can this be possible?’

Even if he was lucky enough to receive teachings from some extraordinary master, this strength was not normal.

In the previous matches, he had overwhelmed his opponents, so he thought he was a remarkable expert, but he believed that somehow creating an opening would be enough.

‘I can’t see that opening!’

Hong Wi readjusted his grip on his sword.

Moyong Bi was leisurely attaching his scabbard to his belt.

He was fastening his scabbard without even looking at Hong Wi. Anyone could see it was full of openings.

But Hong Wi couldn’t easily attack.

‘It feels like he’ll counterattack somehow.’

It seemed like he had been swept up in the momentum from the beginning.

Just then, Moyong Bi, having finished fastening his scabbard, walked over while swinging his sword back and forth with whooshing sounds.

The atmosphere was as if he had come out for a stroll. There was no trace of tension to be found.

Anger flashed in Hong Wi’s eyes.

‘I’ll shatter that composure.’

His master had earnestly warned him. Don’t bring it out unless it’s a truly dangerous moment.

But his opponent was strong and wasn’t even tense.

His wounded pride crushed his reason.

Whoosh!

The aura flowing from Hong Wi’s body became even more violent.

Unease appeared on the faces of the spectators.

Though it had been diluted since it happened several days ago, hadn’t there even been deaths in this tournament? Since it was the finals, either one of them would have no choice but to push themselves, and the fight would definitely become rough.

Meanwhile, the energy wave Hong Wi was emitting was indescribably rough. Anyone would have reason to be anxious.

“Haaah!”

Thwoom!

Hong Wi, uncharacteristically letting out a battle cry as he advanced, fiercely swung his sword.

In an instant, the spectators forgot their anxiety and burst into admiration.

“Incredible!”

In a flash, the number of swords multiplied to dozens.

All those swords targeted Moyong Bi’s entire body. It wasn’t simple phantom swords but swordsmanship that displayed sharpness and precision.

Moyong Bi swung his sword with a cold expression.

Clang clang clang clang clang!!

The sword shadows Hong Wi had scattered disappeared in an instant.

He hadn’t used the same phantom sword technique either. He had simply swung back and forth without any afterimages, yet all those fierce sword shadows had completely vanished.

Hong Wi’s face turned bright red.

‘He dealt with Swift Wind Chain so easily?!’

Moyong Bi took one step forward.

Thud!

A tremendous step that shook not only the duel stage but the entire spectator area.

It was merciless footwork he had never shown before. It seemed like that footwork alone could break an opponent’s spirit.

Moyong Su Jeong’s eyes wavered.

‘Earthquake Tiger Step!’

Flash!

Moyong Bi, who had moved swiftly across the short distance, fiercely swung his long blade.

Clang clang clang!

Hong Wi was instantly pushed into a defensive position.

‘What, what is this?!’

Shock accumulated in his sword as he blocked each strike.

The sword form Moyong Bi’s blade drew was truly mysterious.

It was fast and smooth. Even though it was a single-edged blade rather than a double-edged sword, it was delivering curved blade strikes as if watching the Wudang Sect’s Taiji Sword.

Yet there were no openings.

Clang clang clang! Swish! Swish!

The blade strikes that Hong Wi’s sword couldn’t deflect cut across various parts of his body.

As expected, they weren’t severe wounds. At most half of a half-inch deep, cuts that would be fine even if called scratches.

Such cuts covered his body in an instant.

‘Gasp!’

Beyond his lower and upper body, small wounds appeared on his neck and chin, cheeks and earlobes, even his forehead.

Hong Wi’s complexion immediately turned pale.

He instinctively realized it. That his opponent was going easy on him.

Conversely, it meant that if he hadn’t been going easy, the cuts all over his body would have been much deeper and he would have been sliced to pieces and died instantly.

‘This, this can’t be!’

He somehow revived his Swift Wind Chain Sword to strike back, but the result was futile.

Clang! Claaang!

Each time he blocked the smooth blade strikes, his wrist and elbow joints felt like they would shatter.

Moreover, the more rotation was added, the stronger the force gradually became.

Like an avalanche that grows in power and scope the more it pours down.

The terrifying chain blade wrapped in dozens, hundreds of layers of silk made Hong Wi’s vision go dark.

And then.

Claaaang!!

With an incredibly exhilarating sound, Hong Wi’s sword was planted in the ground.

He had made him drop it on his own without breaking it. Dropping the sword was Hong Wi’s instinct.

Slide.

The long blade touched Hong Wi’s neck.

“…!”

Under his opponent’s calm yet ice-cold gaze, Hong Wi swallowed and said.

“I, I’ve lost.”

Chiring!

Moyong Bi, who had sheathed his sword in an instant, turned around.

The judge, who had been blankly watching the two, came to the center of the duel stage and raised his hand.

The match was over.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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