My Father Is the Number One Under Heaven - Chapter 148

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 148. The Most Wretched Death
Thanks to Gui An-ma-gun’s furious charge at Sa Ma-ryang, Yeo Un-hwi had stepped back and was now observing the situation from a distance.
Of course, his retreat had its reasons.
First, this was Sa-do Alliance business happening within the Sa-do Alliance.
Therefore, as someone from the Orthodox Sect, Yeo Un-hwi had neither the obligation nor the justification to intervene actively.
Second, even though it was Yeo Un-hwi who had discovered Sa Ma-ryang’s true identity, he could not simply dispose of him as he pleased.
These matters demanded proper procedure.
Ignoring that risked creating unnecessary misunderstandings about Yeo Un-hwi, who was essentially a third party from the Sa-do Alliance’s perspective.
So until now, he had stood back and watched the situation unfold.
Ideally, he would have preferred if matters were resolved at Huk Mu-je’s level, but as expected, Hekmun had made all the necessary preparations.
‘Quite skillful.’
Still, through this incident, Yeo Un-hwi had gained insight into how Hekmun orchestrated and prepared such affairs.
It was a harvest of sorts for him.
And now, finally, it was time for Yeo Un-hwi to act.
Evil Sect or not, he had no intention of letting Huk Mu-je die like this.
If he did, sleep would elude him for nights to come.
‘Needlessly upright and righteous fellow. Troublesome.’
One might wonder if the leader of the Sa-do Alliance could afford to be like that.
As Yeo Un-hwi stepped forward, Sa Ma-ryang laughed softly.
“Right. You were here.”
Sa Ma-ryang’s eyes, fixed on Yeo Un-hwi, gleamed with undisguised malice.
“In fact, I was planning to save you for last—to kill you in the most exquisite agony. You ruined every single one of my plans.”
Surely, the sight of Yeo Un-hwi alone was enough to make his teeth grind.
Perhaps the one he should settle accounts with was none other than Yeo Un-hwi.
But before that, there was one thing above all that he needed to know.
“How did you learn my true identity? And how do you know of Hekmun? Is it connected to those golden eyes of yours that blazed so brilliantly? Tell me what ability that is, right now. If you do, I’ll grant you a slightly less agonizing death.”
“I’m sorry, but I have no intention of telling you. And I have absolutely no intention of dying.”
Despite Sa Ma-ryang’s threat, delivered with ferocious energy, Yeo Un-hwi’s smile remained perfectly composed.
“But I do intend to strike you down here and now.”
“What? You mad dog, do you have any idea who you’re speaking to?”
This was someone who could not be reasoned with.
Sa Ma-ryang possessed some strange ability, and its existence alone irritated him deeply.
There was nothing more to see.
Crack!
Sa Ma-ryang lashed out viciously with his Whip.
“All right then. Let’s see if you’ll keep spouting the same nonsense after one arm is severed!”
His Whip, capable of shredding its target to pieces, came crashing toward Yeo Un-hwi in a savage rush.
And then—
Whoosh.
Yeo Un-hwi’s figure vanished completely from Sa Ma-ryang’s field of vision.
The Whip, bereft of its target, cleaved through empty air.
“Where did you—?”
“Behind you.”
In that instant, Yeo Un-hwi’s voice came from behind Sa Ma-ryang.
Sa Ma-ryang, startled, tried to retreat hastily, but—
Thud.
Something dropped to the ground with a wet sound.
It was Sa Ma-ryang’s left arm.
Sa Ma-ryang’s face went blank for a moment before a horrific scream tore from his throat.
“Aaaahhhhh! Noooooo!”
It was unthinkable.
Even as the excruciating agony of his severed arm consumed him, Sa Ma-ryang’s face registered fresh shock.
He had seen nothing.
Not even the unsheathing of the blade.
What in the world—?
Clutching his severed arm, Sa Ma-ryang put distance between himself and Yeo Un-hwi, his eyes trembling.
“Hmm. You dodged my aim at your neck. I should commend you for that.”
Yeo Un-hwi’s eyes curved beautifully as he smiled.
The instant Sa Ma-ryang saw that smile, he felt the hair on his entire body stand on end.
This was not merely someone who practiced some obscure sorcery.
Something had gone terribly, irrevocably wrong.
Those watching felt the shock ripple through them as well.
But none more than Huk Mu-je, Dok-go Yeong himself.
He hadn’t seen it.
Not the blade’s movement, not a single thing.
Who in the world was this man?
The master of Baeklang Dae, with whom he’d shared evening feasts and conversation these past days, suddenly seemed like a stranger entirely.
In that moment, Yeo Un-hwi looked toward Sa Ma-ryang and smiled wickedly.
“So it was your arm that was severed, not mine.”
“You… you bastard…”
Sa Ma-ryang began to spit out a curse, but Yeo Un-hwi’s eyes flared gold once more.
At the sight, Sa Ma-ryang found his mouth closing without his volition.
His pupils trembled as if the ground itself were quaking.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Again.
Each time those eyes met his, Sa Ma-ryang’s stomach convulsed with an overwhelming nausea.
He felt as though he were gazing upon something he was never meant to witness.
A vast, nameless terror seized him, suffocating him.
No—it was no illusion.
He’d thought it was merely circumstance, a matter of timing, but he’d been wrong.
The source of the inexplicable dread he’d carried these recent days—it was Yeo Un-hwi.
He was dangerous.
Not merely dangerous in this moment, but Sa Ma-ryang now felt certain—more than certain—that this man would become a grave obstacle to Hekmun’s great work.
Then…
‘I will eliminate him here. By any means necessary.’
Sa Ma-ryang’s resolve hardened.
At once, his entire presence transformed.
Black Energy of a depth wholly unlike before began to surge and leak forth from Sa Ma-ryang’s body in violent waves.
He had finally unleashed all the power he possessed.
Where his severed arm had been, Black Energy now coalesced into the sharp, gleaming form of a blade.
Puppets fashioned from the Seeds of Destruction could contend with the Ten Great Masters, though they possessed the fatal drawback of quickly exhausting their host.
Of course, matters changed should one reach the full bloom stage beyond mere awakening.
But he and Hekmun’s other cadre-ranked members—they could hold their own against even the Twelve Supremes.
Yet that gave no reason to seek open confrontation with the Martial World.
There was no need to recklessly squander such strength.
That said, even if they were to wage true war against the Martial World’s greatest masters, Sa Ma-ryang would have wagered on victory.
Even now, at this moment, before he had awakened.
For Hekmun had six Absolute Masters above its nine cadre members, himself included.
Yet Hekmun had chosen a path of deliberate, perfect, methodical subjugation of the Martial World—to realize its will with certainty.
The power seemed sufficient to achieve their aims at any moment, so why the patience?
It was because of an ancient history—when Hekmun had amassed overwhelming strength and invaded the Martial World.
A single man had risen against Hekmun’s inexorable conquest.
The Martial God, Hyeok Jong-hu. One man had brought about Hekmun’s defeat.
But that cursed name was dead, and Cheon Gwi-dan, who claimed to be his heir, had failed to truly inherit the Martial God’s Martial Arts.
And now.
With the great one’s return drawing near in this age, Sa Ma-ryang held not a shadow of doubt—this time, Hekmun would fulfill its purpose.
He had lived only for that day.
He had never imagined he would be held back here.
Much less that he would need to expose all his hidden strength.
But since it had come to this.
Sa Ma-ryang swore to himself: Yeo Un-hwi would die by his own hand.
Kuuuuuung.
The Energy flooding from Sa Ma-ryang began to press down upon those around him.
Seeing their faces go pale and their breath grow labored, Yeo Un-hwi stepped forward and flicked his hand casually.
The pressure Sa Ma-ryang had been exerting upon them vanished without a trace.
At this, Sa Ma-ryang’s face twisted once more.
The more he watched, the more certain he became—he had to kill him here and now.
“What are you doing?”
Yeo Un-hwi looked toward Sa Ma-ryang, the corners of his mouth rising into a smile.
Then he raised a finger, beckoning him forward with a subtle flick.
“I’ve said enough. There’s nothing more to discuss. Let’s not waste any time—end this. Come.”
“Arrogant bastard. Fine. I’ve seen enough of your face. Right now! I’ll put you down!”
“Playing strong?”
In that instant, Sa Ma-ryang’s eyes flashed.
Then he hurled himself at Yeo Un-hwi with tremendous speed.
Crack! Bang! Bang!
Sa Ma-ryang’s whip tore through the air with a piercing shriek, striking from all directions at once.
Along with the erratic whip strikes, dozens of black slashes materialized from Sa Ma-ryang’s left arm, hurtling toward Yeo Un-hwi.
Screech! Screech-screech!
Even a single attack would have been formidable; with whips and slashes pouring in without pause from both sides, it seemed clear that Yeo Un-hwi could not possibly evade them all completely.
But then—
Tap.
Yeo Un-hwi’s form wavered.
His silhouette fractured into dozens of afterimages, each one flawlessly evading every assault Sa Ma-ryang unleashed.
“Hmph!”
Yet Sa Ma-ryang’s attacks showed no sign of relenting.
Torrents of strikes continued to close in from every direction, boxing Yeo Un-hwi in.
One moment of inattention would have meant a severed neck or limb, yet Yeo Un-hwi’s breathing never faltered—he dodged each blow with complete composure.
This was his first proper clash with Hekmun.
Yeo Un-hwi watched Sa Ma-ryang’s every move, cataloging everything.
Presently, Sa Ma-ryang paused his assault.
“Why aren’t you attacking?”
It wasn’t that he couldn’t. He plainly wasn’t going to.
“I wonder. Why indeed?”
“Confident, are you? Fair enough—you’ve got the skill to back it up. But such carelessness always invites unforeseen death.”
Sa Ma-ryang’s gaze turned icy as he surged with power once more.
Black Energy began to coalesce above his head.
It took the shape of an enormous sphere.
Soon his whip wound around that sphere, fusing with it.
“Let’s see if you can keep playing it cool to the very end!”
Sa Ma-ryang’s eyes blazed red.
[Annihilation Divine Chaos Dance]
The moment his secret technique manifested, the world around them began to crumble.
Boom! Boom-boom!
The black sphere lashed to the whip swung wildly in all directions, obliterating everything in its path.
The force was catastrophic.
The surrounding terrain wasn’t simply destroyed—it was erased.
“Ahhhhh!”
“Scatter! Get clear!”
Those who had been watching from a distance scrambled desperately out of the way.
‘This is bad.’
Yeo Un-hwi’s brow creased slightly. If this dragged on any longer, the collateral damage would become catastrophic.
In that case—
The observation was over.
Yeo Un-hwi’s eyes sharpened in an instant.
Whoosh.
He kicked off the ground, closing the distance at blinding speed, and exploited the opening in Sa Ma-ryang’s guard.
“This will hurt.”
[Demon Slaying Palm]
In that moment, golden radiance erupted from Yeo Un-hwi’s hands.
“Gah-hack!”
Sa Ma-ryang took the full blow and vomited blood violently.
His entire body convulsed as if numbness were spreading through him.
Yet—
“Not… yet!”
Though reeling from the devastating impact, Sa Ma-ryang bit his lip until it bled, drawing together every scrap of Internal Energy he possessed.
His eyes blazed with the fury of pouring everything he had into one final strike.
The black Energy coiled around the whip’s end suddenly surged skyward, expanding to monstrous proportions.
“This is my supreme technique. Try to endure it if you can!”
[Annihilation Divine Thunderbolt]
Darkness descended like nightfall itself.
A black shadow fell across every head in the crowd.
The massive black sphere, swollen large enough to blot out the sky, began its descent toward Yeo Un-hwi with the terrible momentum of something poised to obliterate the world entire.
The power Sa Ma-ryang revealed at last exceeded what Yeo Un-hwi had anticipated.
Yeo Un-hwi’s eyes swept quickly across the surroundings.
There was no choice to flee.
Too many people still stood within the attack’s range.
Yet even as most around him lost their senses in this horrific moment, only the Baeklang Dae and Huk Mu-je kept their composure, their eyes fixed upon Yeo Un-hwi with steady clarity.
‘Come on. Don’t look at me like that. It’s too much pressure.’
His resolve settled, Yeo Un-hwi drew a light breath, held it, then exhaled before sliding the blade back into its sheath at his side.
He lowered his stance, steadied his breathing, and closed his eyes.
The enormous black energy Sa Ma-ryang had unleashed drew near in an instant.
The corners of Sa Ma-ryang’s mouth rose.
This much, at least, even that dog couldn’t escape.
He had no doubt of it.
But in that moment—
Flash.
Yeo Un-hwi’s eyes opened.
And his blade swung with speed that left no trace.
Demon Slaying Single Blade.
One cut.
That single stroke rent the air asunder, split the space itself, and severed time.
In an instant, it cleaved through everything Sa Ma-ryang was.
Crack-crack-crack.
Boom!
The massive black energy that had plummeted toward them all with terrible momentum shattered into countless cracks and scattered into nothingness,
Thud, tap-tap. Tap-tap-tap.
Sa Ma-ryang’s whip, severed into pieces, fell to the ground.
And Sa Ma-ryang was no exception.
A faint scarlet line appeared across his face, and the black blade that had sprouted where his severed arm had been dispersed like dust.
“What… how is this possible? You… what exactly are you?”
“Me? You know already, don’t you. I’m the leader of the Baeklang Dae.”
“Insane… tsk. You expect me to believe that…?”
“That’s your choice.”
The scarlet lines crisscrossing Sa Ma-ryang’s body deepened as he released a hollow laugh.
Yet Sa Ma-ryang seemed unable to recognize the Martial God’s Martial Arts at all.
It was strange, though perhaps inevitable.
None who had witnessed the Martial God’s Martial Arts had lived to tell of it.
Still, Yeo Un-hwi felt no inclination to explain.
To die at the hands of some nameless unknown—perhaps that was the cruelest punishment, the most agonizing death those men could suffer.
Indeed, Sa Ma-ryang’s face twisted with bitter resentment.
“This cannot be. That I should fall in such a place, in such a way… My lord… ahhh…”
Sa Ma-ryang fell to his knees, his hand reaching toward the sky.
In that instant, blood erupted from the scarlet line, now vivid as fresh flame, and Sa Ma-ryang’s body split cleanly in two.
He remained there, hand outstretched toward that distant heaven, and drew his last breath.
Sa Ma-ryang—the genius military strategist of whom the Sa-do Alliance had been so proud.
Thus he met his end: a traitor to an Evil Sect that would rise no more, his death as wretched and pitiful as it was unavoidable.

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