Namgoong the Sword Ghost - Chapter 65

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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 65. Sword Ghost Against the Wall-Breaker
His strength was insufficient.
Yet he had to cut through.
Either he would grow stronger.
Or he would have to drag his opponent down to his level.
The Dark Assassination Ghost employed a combat method that satisfied both conditions.
It was remarkably simple.
He exploited the darkness to launch a night assault, disregarding all propriety and method, striking down his enemies without hesitation.
For even the blindness of darkness could not seal the Uigi Yeondong.
Tssss!
Ho Yeon’s presence dissolved into the darkness.
This was the Qi Fusion Integration—a technique that only elite assassins could employ.
It was a method of allowing one’s own Qi to blend into the surrounding environment, becoming one with it.
Ordinarily, it required rigorous training through communion with nature, sensing its breath and becoming a single body with the world before one could master such concealment.
But Ho Yeon circumvented this by drawing in the surrounding Qi with his Uigi Yeondong, enveloping his entire body in a cloak of borrowed energy.
“What—what is this! Bring light!”
The masked man cried out, startled by the sudden darkness.
No matter how he strained his eyes, he could see nothing beyond the pitch-black void that stretched before him—a darkness deeper than ink itself.
“Gahhk!”
“Kugh!”
“Grrk!”
No footsteps echoed. In the darkness, only desperate screams erupted in succession.
A chill ran down his spine, and every nerve in his body bristled with heightened awareness.
‘Where is he…!’
The masked man gripped his spear handle tightly and expanded his Qi Sense wide.
Yet his opponent was like a ghost—no sign of presence could be detected.
‘Then—!’
Whoosh! Clang!
The masked man swung his spear downward, striking the surrounding structures.
Sparks erupted, and in that fleeting instant, he could witness what transpired within the Jayeom Sso.
“Gah!”
A nameless man wearing a bronze mask moved freely through the darkness, severing the lives of his subordinates one by one.
The blade path traced by the white sword in his hand was elegant and economical; the results were equally decisive.
‘He—his eyes are closed?!’
What shocked the masked man most was that the intruder was fighting with both eyes shut.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The masked man struck desperately, drawing forth sparks.
Each time, a single scene materialized and vanished like ink paintings dashed off by a master’s brush.
Within those dozen fleeting images, in every one, a sword-wielding specter harvested another life.
“You coward! Come out! Face me like a man!”
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The masked man’s face drained of color as he struck wildly, scattering sparks and crying out.
And in those fragmented moments of light, he saw the intruder’s head turn slowly toward him.
“Ahhhh!”
Crack-crack-crack!
Whoosh! Whoooosh!
Terror seized the masked man as he expelled Qi Force from the spear tip, whirling his weapon in all directions at once.
If he could not know from which direction the blow would come, then he would defend against all angles.
‘Just one contact! Then I can kill him!’
The spear art he had mastered was the Capture Qi Spear.
By exploiting the essence of “capture,” it was a grasping spear technique—a quagmire that would seize any opponent whose weapon met his own and drag them down.
He was certain that should they clash even once, he would not let go.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Ting!
As the spear shadow tore through the darkness, at last the moment he awaited arrived.
“Got you!”
The masked man loosened his grip on the spear handle and reversed his opponent’s force, drawing a perfect circle to ensnare the sword as if binding a snake.
The spear point, already spinning back to center, moved like a serpent and shot forward with precision toward his opponent’s heart.
Thunk!
‘I’ve caught him… wait—?’
Even in a thrust struck with absolute certainty, he felt nothing at his fingertips.
Yet clearly the sword remained pressed against his spear even now.
What was this? Had his opponent become some bodiless ghost?
“The Quiet Punishment of Foolish Masses? I like it.”
“Aaaaahhh!”
Whoosh! Clang!
Toward the voice calling from behind, the masked man thrust his spear with blinding speed.
Whistle! Thud!
‘Again!’
Once more, nothing registered at his fingertips.
“The Quiet Punishment of Foolish Masses you know is probably different from this.”
“Uuhh! Uaaahhh!”
Whoosh-whoosh-whoosh-crack!
He unleashed a barrage of rapid jabs toward the voice coming from his side.
Clang! Ting-ting-clang!
The metal clash sounded clearly enough, yet no matter how many times he thrust, the spearhead only cleaved empty air.
“The Quiet Punishment of Foolish Masses—to quietly chastise the masses in their foolishness.”
“A ghost! A true ghost!”
“Daring to conduct such filthy business here in Anhui—in Hefei, where our clan resides?”
“I—I didn’t know! I had nothing to do with it!”
The voice, carrying a subtle fury, echoed from the right, then from the left, and even from above.
The masked man could no longer believe his opponent was human.
“Then why didn’t you tell me where the ledger was when I asked?”
“I’ll tell you! Go down to the basement and turn east—there’s a large chamber! That’s the master’s study! Please, I beg you—!”
“Thank you.”
Shluck!
“Kough!”
The masked man stared in disbelief at the blade protruding from his chest, then his head dropped.
Whoosh!
The sound of the sword being withdrawn echoed through the darkness, and silence filled the air.
“Hngh! Hhnngh!”
“Urrgh!”
“Uhhh……”
The Yeom Bang members, terrified that breaking the silence might summon death’s reaper to their doorstep, held their breath.
Time flowed slowly and heavily as silence itself, and after what felt like an eternity.
Creak!
The door to Jayeom Sso opened.
Moonlight illuminated a man with three swords hanging from his waist.
“Come out in a moment. This isn’t over yet.”
The man glanced back before closing the door behind him.
Thud!
Darkness returned, but this time the Yeom Bang members felt the darkness was gentle, almost comforting.
* * *
“Hahhh! Hahhh! Damn it!”
Gwang Bi Chang, the master of Yeom Bang, gasped for breath with hair disheveled.
His yellow outer robe hung in tatters, and the golden inner armor worn beneath was torn in several places as if mauled by a wolf.
These were the wounds inflicted by Jeok Do Gwang’s Night Blade of the Patwhangmun.
“A mere disciple of some heterodox sect! Does the master of your school shrink from single combat and resort to wheel formations?”
More than thirty corpses of warriors lay strewn around Gwang Bi Chang.
They were the Heavenly Tyrant Squad, the elite force of Patwhangmun’s pride.
The moment Jeok Do Gwang learned he was a Wall-Breaker, he abandoned the duel and deployed his subordinates.
“So the Red Flame Tyrant Blade is just a common soldier dressed in an undeserved reputation.”
Gwang Bi Chang’s mockery went unanswered.
Because Jeok Do Gwang lay sprawled on the floor with a gaping hole through his chest.
“Phew. Without the Society’s aid, this place would have become my grave.”
Gwang Bi Chang, who had been examining Jeok Do Gwang’s corpse, muttered while steadying his breath.
Had he faced such numbers without breaking through the wall, it would be he lying on this floor, not Jeok Do Gwang.
“Heh. The Society Master is truly remarkable. Could he have foreseen such a situation unfolding?”
It seemed unlikely.
Yet when contemplating the Society Master’s omniscience, Gwang Bi Chang found himself thinking it might well be possible.
“Well then…….”
Gwang Bi Chang looked around.
The battle with Jeok Do Gwang had left a radius of ten zhang empty of any living soul.
Down at the Lake Shore, fighting still raged.
Once he finished with those below, this midnight farce would draw to its curtain call.
That was when.
“Well now, finally catching sight of the bronze mask, are we?”
“Hmm?”
Step, step, step.
Someone was walking toward him from the direction of Jayeom Sso to the east.
A man—or perhaps a youth, his frame impossible to judge—wearing a bronze mask and three swords at his hip.
“Who is this? I don’t recall you.”
“Of course not. We’ve never met.”
“……What?”
“Listen here, you salt merchant’s whelp. Who told you to go strutting about in our backyard?”
“…….”
Gwang Bi Chang fell silent.
The sheer absurdity of it all had left him speechless.
‘The Qi he carries is considerable for his years, I’ll grant him that, but he’s nothing beyond First-Class Realm. A mayfly tired of living, it seems.’
“I don’t know who you are, but commit your suicide alone. I’m far too busy at the moment.”
“Is that so? Then I should leave?”
“I’ll let you live. Now get out of my sight. I haven’t the time to kill you.”
Gwang Bi Chang had begun to turn toward the Lake Shore, dismissing the bronze-masked Ho Yeon entirely, when—
Rip!
“Gujoo Merchant Guild. Sahae Trade. Baekma Merchant Group. Cheoneum Escort Service. Illae Escort Service. Gangnam Specialty. Unsoo Trading Post. My, what a collection.”
“……!”
Gwang Bi Chang’s eyes widened, and he spun around.
Ho Yeon continued, rifling through the ledger he’d stolen, “And you’ve been doing business with the Baekyun Merchant Consortium for twenty years? I always wondered how those pigs got so fat so fast.”
“You! Hand over that ledger!”
“Why? You just told me to go.”
“Word games……!”
Whoosh—!
Gwang Bi Chang drew upon his Qi in a surge, and a weighty wave of force erupted forth like the compressed breath of ancient stone.
‘……A Wall-Breaker, then.’
Beneath the bronze mask, Ho Yeon’s expression hardened visibly.
He’d observed from a distance and made certain assumptions, but this was unmistakably a warrior who had transcended the wall.
Though wounded and weakened, this man stood three realms above him—easily.
—Fool! What are you doing? Retreat at once!
The Heavenly Thunder Sword transmitted urgent emotion, urging Ho Yeon to fall back.
But Ho Yeon tucked the ledger into his robe, provoking Gwang Bi Chang once more.
—You’ve achieved what you came for! You’ve weakened Yeom Bang’s power through this false conflict scheme, and stolen the ledger! Why on earth would you pit yourself against a master of this caliber?
The Heavenly Thunder Sword’s words were sound.
Truly, there was no real reason to face this bronze-masked opponent.
And yet.
And yet.
“I cannot leave it at that.”
—What?
“The man I was before… he did not choose his battles carefully, fighting only enemies he could defeat.”
—This is madness! Death ends everything!
At the sword’s cry, Ho Yeon smiled faintly and spoke.
“If I don’t cross this threshold of death now, I fear I’ll regret it in the days to come.”
Thump! Thump! Thump!
As Gwang Bi Chang advanced with killing intent, Ho Yeon overlaid him against the memory of Moyong Sang-cheon.
“It would be pleasant enough, living warm and full-bellied within the guild’s walls. But this Jianghu is not so soft a place. Flee now, and a greater calamity will return later.”
“You’ve been babbling since the start. Have you lost your mind?”
“I need to grow stronger. Even if it costs my life. Because now I have a purpose worth paying that price for.”
Boom—!
Crash—!
Ho Yeon began marshaling his Upper and Lower Dantians with every ounce of his being.
An enemy too powerful to defeat. Death hovering at the edge of awareness. Despair at his own foolishness.
All of it stimulated Ho Yeon’s soul, and his Upper Dantian began to expand, over and over.
‘Yes, this is it. The feeling of walking a razor’s edge!’
Snap!
Savoring the familiar sensation he hadn’t felt in so long, Ho Yeon reached out his hand.
Crude tactics wouldn’t work on a master of such caliber.
Crack!
Ho Yeon’s grip tightened. Gwang Bi Chang’s brow twitched.
He felt a crushing pressure descend upon his entire body, as though he’d been plunged beneath water.
“What is this? Sorcery?”
“Heh heh, I’m just adding a little weight. You see, even like this I’m still a man from a noble house. There are people who would grieve if I died.”
This was what had changed from before.
Danyeomyeong had not feared death.
That was why he grew strong.
But Namgung Ho Yeon feared death.
Could he still grow strong despite it?
“Let’s find out.”
“……Enough. Just die.”
Boom!
Gwang Bi Chang stamped the earth, burying his doubts beneath it.
If he killed him, that was that.
He had no time to waste on such a gnat.
Whoooosh!
Yellow Dragon Qi Storage gathered a constellation of stars within Gwang Bi Chang’s fist.
Qi Force.
Kaboom—!
An overwhelming torrent of energy bore down on Ho Yeon.
There was nowhere to flee.
The very space itself had become the target.
Flash! Whoooosh!
Azure Heavenly Thunder Qi erupted from the Heavenly Thunder Sword, and Ho Yeon, treading the Kun Step, seized the middle stance of the Heavenly Thunder Sword Method.
He meant to meet a Heavy Fist with a Heavy Sword.
It was a sight as fragile and perilous as a firefly before the sun.
At last, fist and blade collided.
Crash—!
With a deafening burst, Ho Yeon’s body flew through the air like a pebble skipping across water.
“Cough!”
Crackle!
Ho Yeon barely managed to stop himself, leaving a deep furrow in the ground before spitting blood.
The Internal Injury Force concealed within Gwang Bi Chang’s Heavy Fist had wounded him gravely.
“Hoh. You actually withstood that. Is that blade some kind of sacred treasure?”
Gwang Bi Chang laughed with interest, though he’d meant to obliterate everything with a single punch.
Clang!
“Hack! Ptui!”
Ho Yeon tore off the Bronze Mask, dented from the impact, and spat bloody phlegm.
“What’s this. Not just young, but a mere child. A Later Generation Disciple from some famous clan?”
Gwang Bi Chang’s brow twitched as he studied Ho Yeon’s revealed jade-like face with interest.
A man of background could prove troublesome down the road.
Yet Ho Yeon remained silent, his expression sunk in deep thought.
Then he asked Gwang Bi Chang a question.
“You…… are you really a Wall-Breaker?”
“Ha! Can’t you see this Qi Force? I am Gwang Bi Chang, a master of Hwaggyeong! My name may not yet be known in Zhongyuan, but soon I shall grasp Ten Thousand Phenomena One Heart and inscribe my name among Ten Fingers Ten Toes!”
Whooom!
Gwang Bi Chang vaunted his golden Qi Force, letting it cascade forth in torrents.
Ho Yeon examined it intently with eyes gleaming blue.
“Ah, I see.”
Then he chuckled softly and murmured,
“You all thought you’d progressed, but you’ve actually fallen backward.”

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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
—————