Namgoong the Sword Ghost - Chapter 23

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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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Episode 23. Sword Demon’s Complacency
‘……A master.’
Mak Cheon Ak gripped the Ghost Head Blade tightly and surveyed the battlefield.
The brat was tearing through the field with an uncanny Movement Technique, claiming heads with dizzying ease.
His movements carried no wasted motion—like a butcher’s blade in the hands of one who had found enlightenment.
From the Qi Path radiating off him, he was certainly first-rate.
‘How much Spirit Medicine has he consumed? Could he be a direct descendant of the Namgung Clan?!’
Mak Cheon Ak’s brow furrowed, then a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
‘Heh! This is perfect! A golden opportunity to prove myself!’
Capturing a direct heir of the Namgung Clan—someone who clashed openly with Nok Rim Do—would be undeniable merit.
His master would surely spare him another glance.
‘That’s it, hold back. More! More……!’
Mak Cheon Ak did not join the fray even as his men were cut down; he waited for his moment.
Though both belonged to Nok Rim Do, he served the main branch—the Cheongrok Clan—while they served the subsidiary, Wa Ho Clan.
They weren’t even his direct subordinates, so using them as bait sat easy with him.
Crunch!
Splash!
When the neck of Gam Ram Pyeong—wrapped in Fist Energy on both sides—came free, Mak Cheon Ak flinched, but he had something to rely on.
‘The moment will come. A chance for a killing blow……!’
Thrum!
Mak Cheon Ak felt heat bloom across his forehead as he carefully drew the Ghost Head Blade.
And moments later.
“Tsk, stiff. This body still has its limits. When will I grow stronger?”
Ho Yeon rolled his shoulders in discomfort, muttering to himself.
‘Now!’
Bang-bang-bang!
Mak Cheon Ak surged forward with explosive speed, channeling the Red Killing Qi Technique to its fullest.
Crack-crack-crack!
The Ghost Head Blade erupted with crimson sword energy, flickering like flame.
This was Qi Flame—a technique whose destructive power far surpassed ordinary sword energy.
The idiom “spewing flames” had originated here, and it was the very symbol of a Supreme Master’s power.
“Wh—!”
“He—!”
“Young master!”
The Iron Sword Squad members cried out in alarm at the sudden assault.
Ho Yeon’s gaze fixed on Mak Cheon Ak—now a crimson projectile hurtling toward him.
Ting—!
In the same breath, he flicked his finger against the Jade Affection Sword’s blade, and it rang out with a clear, bright note.
Whoosh-crash!
As Mak Cheon Ak brought the Ghost Head Blade down in a decisive arc, he unleashed his Special Ability.
‘Magnetic Flow Guidance!’
Thrum!
In that instant, Ho Yeon’s horizontal Jade Affection Sword angled downward, and his defense crumbled.
“Eh?”
“Keh-heh! Got you!”
Ho Yeon’s eyebrows twitched as Mak Cheon Ak’s Qi Flame–wreathed Ghost Head Blade detonated.
Boom—!
* * *
Dust billowed up with the explosion.
A woman’s sharp scream pierced the air.
It was enough to suggest some tragedy had occurred—yet Mak Cheon Ak’s expression remained grim.
“……What?”
It had been a flawless ambush; suddenly, the blade’s trajectory had been altered by some unknown force.
“Did I misapply the Magnetic Flow Guidance? That shouldn’t be possible.”
As Mak Cheon Ak stood mired in confusion, grinding the riddle over in his mind,
a blaze of azure light erupted from directly ahead.
Whoosh!
Gust!
Ho Yeon wrapped the Jade Affection Sword in Azure Bow Energy and swept it through the air, the dust vanishing up into a spiral.
“Hmm. Has merely a year of peace proven so fatal to me?”
Ho Yeon was smiling, but there was something unsettling about it.
‘His cultivation level… has changed?’
The desolate killing intent emanating from him made Mak Cheon Ak instinctively step back.
“The blade has grown rusty. It’s been far too long since it tasted blood.”
Whoosh!
The killing intent blooming from Ho Yeon swelled and multiplied, soon beginning to engulf the entire battlefield.
“…What… what is this?”
“This is vile…”
“Young Master?”
The Iron Sword Squad members recoiled from the killing intent radiating from Ho Yeon.
What manner of vicious killing intent poured from their youngest, flower-like young master?
Catching sight of their confusion, Ho Yeon let out a soft laugh and murmured to himself.
“Ha, have they made me weak? How amusing.”
For the past year.
He had been genuinely happy.
No pursuers chasing him down, no need to wander begging for sustenance, and people around him who affirmed his existence—it had all been abundant.
‘And so I tried to become the person they expected me to be.’
As docile as possible.
He had wanted to be a good child.
That’s why he had held back.
‘Don’t forget. I can never become as pure as Ho Yeon of the Namgung Clan. I am a filthy murderer. I am Sword Demon Dan Myeong.’
With a bleak smile.
Ho Yeon spoke.
“Thank you. Mackerel. That was a rather sharp blow.”
“…What?”
“Because of it, I’ve come to realize—no matter how long a black wolf lives among white sheep, it will never turn white.”
“What nonsense is that?”
Clang!
Bewildered by Ho Yeon’s incomprehensible words, Mak Cheon Ak furrowed his brow and raised the Ghost Head Blade high.
At that, Ho Yeon lifted his sword to meet it and muttered.
“Small Wave Blocks Great Tide. My gratitude to you.”
Small Wave Blocks Great Tide.
A small wave holds back a great storm.
Had he encountered a true formidable opponent in such a weak state of mind, it would have been dangerous.
Meeting this lesser foe had allowed him to wake to his own condition—for that, he could be grateful.
“In return, I shall send you quickly.”
“Enough of your babbling! Die!”
Tap-tap! Whoosh!
Mak Cheon Ak rushed forward, swinging the Ghost Head Blade—wreathed in crimson Qi Flame—in a diagonal arc.
Clang!
Ho Yeon blocked it with the Jade Affection Sword shrouded in Azure Bow Energy, but his body was driven backward.
Crack-crack-crack-crack!
Clang-clang-clang-clang!
Mak Cheon Ak pressed his advantage, unfolding the Red Killing Sword Method to drive Ho Yeon back.
Compared to the crimson Qi Flame sweeping across death points throughout the body, Ho Yeon’s Azure Bow Energy seemed impossibly fragile.
And yet.
‘The Magnetic Flow Guidance!’
Whoosh!
Each time Mak Cheon Ak activated his Special Ability at a critical moment, Ho Yeon’s blade bent in strange, unpredictable directions.
Clang! Clang-clang-clang!
“This—all Iron Sword Squad, draw blades!”
At the sight of this, Geuk Ji Ryang, the Iron Sword Squad Commander, moved to rush to Ho Yeon’s aid.
Wiiiiing—!
A sonorous sword cry erupted, audible to every soul on the battlefield.
“Ah!”
“The Iron Sword has sung!”
“…!”
The Iron Sword Squad members who had been drawing halted and stared at Ho Yeon’s blade.
Wiiiiing!
The Jade Affection Sword vibrated finely, amplifying those vibrations with each collision against Mak Cheon Ak’s Ghost Head Blade.
Bang! Bang! Crash-boom!
Somewhere along the way, Ho Yeon had stopped giving ground to Mak Cheon Ak’s assault.
“This—this is absurd! You’re blocking Qi Flame with mere sword energy?! I am a Supreme Master!”
Mak Cheon Ak cried out in disbelief.
The delicate-seeming blue sword energy grew brighter and stronger with each passing moment.
“Supreme Master, first-rate master—dividing skill from lack of skill by such words is foolishness.”
Ho Yeon smiled as he felt the Counter-Resonance vibration emanating from the Jade Affection Sword and opened his mouth.
“A master is not one judged by the internal energy they possess or the sword techniques they’ve learned, but by the heads of enemies they’ve slain.”
“You—!”
“Therefore, whether I become a master depends entirely on you.”
Zing! Zing-zing-zing!
Ho Yeon now pressed Mak Cheon Ak hard and asked.
“You—have you made a name for yourself?”
“Guh! Guaaaah!”
Slash! Slash! Slash-crack!
Gashes were opening across Mak Cheon Ak’s body when suddenly—
Ho Yeon ceased his assault and raised the Jade Affection Sword high into the sky.
Eeeeee!
Whoooom!
The Counter-Resonance vibration, amplified to its limit, aligned with the sword’s song, and Ho Yeon became one with the blade.
“Sword-Spirit Unity!”
“How can you perform Iron Soul Unity Strike?!”
“Impossible!”
The Iron Sword Squad members who witnessed this opened their eyes wide.
Iron Soul Unity Strike, the final technique of the Iron Sword Method’s twelve forms, was the supreme strike that presupposed Sword-Spirit Unity.
And according to martial tradition, Sword-Spirit Unity was only possible if one possessed the enlightenment of transcendent mastery.
Therefore, it was common knowledge among the Iron Sword Squad that Iron Soul Unity Strike was the ultimate ascending technique reserved for the transcendently supreme.
“Haah! Haah! Haah!”
Mak Cheon Ak, facing a single Iron Sword, gasped for breath.
The Iron Sword began its descent slowly, from below toward above.
‘No! I—I have to escape!’
Realizing there was no path to victory, Mak Cheon Ak resolved to flee and scraped together every last shred of spiritual power remaining in his Upper Dantian to activate his final Special Ability.
‘Magnetic Flow Guidance!’
Whoooom!
The Iron Sword, massive as a millennium-old boulder, was pushed backward, and Mak Cheon Ak quickly drove off the ground.
Crack-thud!
“Where do you think you’re going?”
“…Eh?”
But Ho Yeon was already waiting in his path of escape.
Ho Yeon’s outstretched palm held nothing but a billowing, cloud-like mass of energy—no blade.
‘This bastard threw away his sword…!’
Boom!
Toward Mak Cheon Ak’s chest, eyes wide in shock, Ho Yeon drove the Layered Cloud Palm.
“Cough!”
Mak Cheon Ak vomited blood mixed with fragments of his organs and collapsed like a rotting corpse.
Thud!
“I…how…?”
Mak Cheon Ak, his heart shattered, muttered in disbelief.
Thump.
Then Ho Yeon picked up the Ghost Head Blade that had fallen to the ground and examined it.
The Ghost Head Blade was covered in tiny black iron granules clinging to it like ants drawn to honey.
“So it was forged from magnetic iron, as I thought.”
“Ugh…”
“A weapon primarily used by those with the Special Ability to manipulate magnetism.”
At Ho Yeon’s words, Mak Cheon Ak realized his entire method had been seen through.
Just as the man said, his Special Ability—Magnetic Flow Guidance—was the capacity to direct the flow of magnetic energy in any direction he wished.
Because of this, he had been able to deflect the weapons of those striking against the Ghost Head Blade, gaining the upper hand.
‘So that’s how…he used the sword as bait…to draw me in…?’
To think he had used the Sword-Spirit Unity—a final strike he’d prepared with such care—as a mere feint.
At such a young age, did his tactical depth run as deep as his martial prowess?
‘Unfair… unfair…’
The light faded from Mak Cheon Ak’s eyes.
Clang!
“But you—there’s something odd about you. Your Upper Dantian, why is it split open like that?”
Ho Yeon hurled the Ghost Head Blade to the ground and fixed his psychic force on Mak Cheon Ak’s Upper Dantian, tilting his head in confusion.
Normally, the Upper Dantian was a round orb, smooth as jade.
But Mak Cheon Ak’s was ragged and torn, as if ripped to shreds.
“Doesn’t your head hurt… Ah, he’s dead.”
Ho Yeon felt Mak Cheon Ak’s breath cease and shrugged.
He turned around.
A massive figure draped in tiger pelt was walking out from among the Nok Rim Do bandits, his expression carved rigid.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
With each step of the giant bearing a colossal axe, the earth trembled beneath him.
Whoosh! Clang-clang-clang!
The Iron Sword Squad had already gathered around Ho Yeon, forming a protective formation.
“Young master, we shall handle the rest.”
“Stand down.”
“Sir?”
“I need to sharpen my instincts in real combat. I can’t afford to embarrass myself at the Hundred Families Sword Tournament.”
“But—”
Ignoring Geuk Ji Ryang’s protests, Ho Yeon clenched and unclenched his fists, calculating his remaining Internal Energy.
‘Over half spent? This will be cutting it close.’
Ho Yeon studied the Cultivation Level of the giant bearing the Great Axe and smiled.
An encounter with a worthy opponent was what he desired.
‘Test me. Give me the fear of death. Awaken the Sword Demon’s soul within me!’
Red frenzy bubbled and swirled in Ho Yeon’s eyes.
The giant halted, coughed blood as he glanced at the dead Mak Cheon Ak, then broke into a wide grin.
“Hahahaha!”
“Hmm?”
“I am Du Tae Bo, leader of the Wa Ho Clan, at your service.”
As the giant offered a martial salute and introduced himself, Geuk Ji Ryang leaned close and whispered to Ho Yeon.
“…The Thunder Bow Master Du Tae Do. A Supreme Master renowned throughout the Hap San region.”
“I am Ho Yeon of the Namgung Clan.”
Ho Yeon nodded and gave his name, at which Du Tae Bo’s eyes lit up with interest.
“Ho? A name unknown to me. Are you a direct heir of the Namgung?”
“…That is the case.”
“Hahaha! Ah, the Namgung Clan indeed! I’ve heard them called a paper tiger, yet you conceal such sharp fangs!”
“…?”
Ho Yeon hadn’t expected praise from a bandit and glanced toward Geuk Ji Ryang.
Geuk Ji Ryang shook his head, equally baffled.
“Hehehehe! Not knowing such honored guests, I blocked your path. Forgive me.”
Du Tae Bo thumped his chest with a warm smile.
Thump-thump!
“We seem to have delayed your journey. Stay the night with us! Du Tae Bo himself shall see you’re treated with utmost hospitality!”
“…”
“…”
“…”
The Iron Sword Squad and Cheon So Squad alike stood dumbfounded by this sudden reversal and unexpected invitation.
“…Commander Geuk. These days do bandits operate inns out of their hideouts?”
“…No, sir.”
“I thought not. So I’m not imagining things?”
“No, sir. That bandit is the one being strange.”
Three hundred years had passed since the founding of Nok Rim Do—Ho Yeon wondered if they’d taken up some new venture, but apparently not.
“Hehehehe! Ah, such relief! Like a rotten tooth finally extracted!”
Ho Yeon watched Du Tae Bo laughing to himself with genuine delight, then nodded.
“Very well, then.”
He’d slashed his way through a bandit encounter on the mountain and received an invitation to their lair for it.
Life, it seemed, held surprises beyond measure.

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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
—————