The Battle for the Heavenly Sword - Chapter 90

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

90
Woo Geom-san Competes for Hegemony
“Argh!”
“Ugh!”
The bodyguards, who had suddenly lost their swords, turned deathly pale.
They too were experts who had trained in the sword all their lives.
The very first thing they had mastered when learning the sword was the Grip Method.
They had learned how to hold the sword firmly without losing it under any circumstances.
Yet, they had lost their swords in such an utterly futile manner.
It was not because their Grip Method was flawed or because their strength in holding the sword was lacking.
It was because the force imbued in the chopsticks was just that powerful.
For one, the web of his hand holding the sword had torn open, while for another, the intense shock vibrated through his knuckles, making it impossible to even uncurl his hand.
By mere chopsticks, martial artists who had dedicated their entire lives to martial arts were neutralized.
‘Damn it! He’s an expert.’
‘He’s on a completely different level from us.’
Realizing they were no match for Woo Geom-san, they were at a complete loss as to what to do.
Since they were employed by the Huajin Sect, they naturally had to save So Jin-seo, but rushing headlong at an expert like Woo Geom-san was akin to carrying tinder and jumping into a roaring blaze.
In short, it was an act of suicide.
No matter how much the Huajin Sect paid them, it was not enough to throw their lives away.
When the bodyguards hesitated, So Jin-seo roared furiously.
“What are you doing?”
“That is…”
The bodyguards hesitated, looking at each other’s faces.
They simply couldn’t bring themselves to say that they should apologize to Woo Geom-san and back down.
It was then.
“Will you not let go of that hand?”
Along with a hoary, old voice, a cold and gloomy energy flew toward Woo Geom-san’s neck like an awl.
Leng Tianxiang, who had been sitting at the same table as So Jin-seo, had unleashed a Finger Blast.
While maintaining his stance of pressing down on So Jin-seo’s sword with his chopsticks, Woo Geom-san unleashed a Finger Blast with his remaining hand.
Thud!
The two finger winds clashed in midair, causing a small explosion.
In that instant, Leng Tianxiang’s expression twisted fiercely.
For an expert of her caliber to launch a surprise attack on a junior was a massive blow to her prestige.
If she was going to launch a surprise attack, she should have at least gained a definitive upper hand, but Woo Geom-san had neutralized her attack with utter ease.
Her prestige had essentially hit rock bottom.
Leng Tianxiang was no ordinary martial artist.
She was the last Sect Leader of Geangeak.
Long ago, for the sake of the greater good of the Jianghu, Geangeak accepted the request of the Nine Great Sects and participated in the war against the Cheonmyeong Association.
They fought fiercely against the Cheonmyeong Association at the very front lines.
The price they paid was truly severe.
Caught in a trap set by the Cheonmyeong Association, the elite of the sect were completely annihilated, leaving Leng Tianxiang as the sole survivor.
Geangeak, which had once commanded a corner of the Jianghu, completely collapsed just like that.
Afterward, Leng Tianxiang wandered Under Heaven to find a successor in order to rebuild Geangeak.
The one she discovered back then was none other than the orphan, Leng Shuiyue.
Recognizing Leng Shuiyue’s talent, Leng Tianxiang took her in as a disciple and passed down her own surname.
Leng Shuiyue’s talent was so outstanding that she absorbed all of Leng Tianxiang’s teachings.
Now that she had a disciple to inherit the sect’s Secret Heritage, she needed the funds to back it up. That was why she chose the Huajin Sect.
She believed that the massive wealth of the Huajin Sect would be useful in rebuilding Geangeak.
Infatuated by Leng Shuiyue’s beauty, So Jin-seo and his father promised to provide a massive amount of financial support.
However, they attached one condition.
It was to pass down martial arts to So Jin-seo.
That was the reason Leng Tianxiang became So Jin-seo’s martial master.
Although she became the master of the untalented So Jin-seo for the sake of rebuilding her sect, she had not cast aside her pride.
As the last Sect Leader of Geangeak, which had once shone more brilliantly than any other sect, her pride was immense.
Yet, the fact that she had gained no advantage whatsoever, even after casting aside all her pride to launch a surprise attack, infuriated her.
“You are quite something.”
Bang!
She slammed her palm down on the table and stood up.
From Leng Tianxiang’s entire body, an aura as sharp as frost radiated out in waves.
The moment Leng Tianxiang stood up, the faces of everyone inside the Inn turned deathly pale.
Leng Tianxiang’s aura had completely dominated the interior of the Inn.
It took their breath away, and their entire bodies trembled with a sudden chill.
There were others inside the Inn who had trained in martial arts, but none could withstand Leng Tianxiang’s aura.
Leng Tianxiang was a Transcendent Master.
The culmination of Geangeak, accumulated over hundreds of years, was contained within her small frame.
It was by no means due to mere luck that she had survived the war against the Cheonmyeong Association.
When they fell into the Cheonmyeong Association’s trap, she had risked her life to fight in order to save her master and fellow disciples.
She had no idea how many enemies she had killed.
By the time she regained her senses, her body was stained crimson, as if she had bathed in blood.
Even so, she ultimately failed to save a single person.
Her master, the elders, her peers, and her disciples were all slaughtered.
The only one who survived was Leng Tianxiang.
Left entirely alone, Leng Tianxiang fought the Cheonmyeong Association without regard for her own safety.
Killing and killing again, she survived until the very end.
It was to the point that even the experts of the Cheonmyeong Association felt great terror toward Leng Tianxiang and bestowed upon her the Martial Title of Blood Rakshasa.
Because she had crossed the boundary of life and death countless times and killed numerous people, Leng Tianxiang’s aura was naturally imbued with a volcanic rage and the scent of blood.
Leng Tianxiang was someone who lived every day harboring a boiling fury.
For such a woman to serve as the martial master to an insignificant bastard like So Jin-seo was solely for the revival of Geangeak.
Although she despised So Jin-seo’s frivolous behavior and words, the support of a place with immense wealth like the Huajin Sect was absolutely necessary for the revival of Geangeak.
Leng Tianxiang glared at Woo Geom-san and spoke.
“This is your final warning. Remove your hand from him and back down. If you do not back down, my sword, Dancheon, will be stained with your blood.”
Leng Tianxiang lifted the sword she wore at her waist.
On the scabbard, the two characters for Dancheon could be seen vividly engraved in relief.
Dancheon was the greatest treasure sword of Geangeak and the token that symbolized the Sect Leader.
During its golden age, whenever the Sect Leader of Geangeak wore Dancheon into the Jianghu, all martial artists would part the way as a sign of respect.
However, after the war with the Cheonmyeong Association ended, respect for Geangeak vanished.
No one commemorated Geangeak’s dedication and sacrifice.
Rather, the majority mocked them, saying they had brought about the ruin of their own sect through a foolish choice.
Leng Tianxiang lived with a colossal rage burning in her heart at the reality where those who enacted justice were subjected to ridicule.
Woo Geom-san stared intently at the sword held in Leng Tianxiang’s hand for a moment.
Confirming the two vivid characters for ‘Dancheon’, Woo Geom-san closed his eyes briefly.
‘If you ever meet a martial artist from Geangeak who possesses the sword named Dancheon, you must yield to her at least once. Her name is Leng Tianxiang, and she paid far too great a sacrifice for the Jianghu.’
He recalled the words Baek Ho-yang had once spoken in passing.
Woo Geom-san could not forget Baek Ho-yang’s expression and bitter tone on that day.
While Baek Ho-yang had participated in the war against the Cheonmyeong Association due to his friendship with Hui Kong, Geangeak had leaped into the war purely voluntarily to defend the justice of the Jianghu.
Baek Ho-yang respected the experts of Geangeak, who were more courageous and reckless than anyone else. That was why he had spoken to Woo Geom-san like that out of deep respect.
Woo Geom-san withdrew his chopsticks from So Jin-seo and offered a Cupped Hand Salute to Leng Tianxiang.
“So you are Senior Leng Tianxiang of Geangeak. Your junior, Woo Geom-san, greets you.”
“Do you know who I am?”
“I recognized Dancheon, the ultimate treasure of Geangeak.”
“Hmph! It seems your eyes aren’t completely useless after all.”
“I am merely ashamed that I did not recognize you sooner. I am well aware of how great a sacrifice Geangeak paid to defend the Jianghu.”
At Woo Geom-san’s words, Leng Tianxiang’s contorted expression softened.
It was because she could feel that he genuinely respected Geangeak.
She sheathed her sword back at her waist and spoke.
“Since you speak that way, I shall forgive you this once. Be careful in the future.”
“Thank you.”
Woo Geom-san replied, bowing his head slightly to Leng Tianxiang.
It was then that So Jin-seo, who had regained his freedom from Woo Geom-san, roared furiously at Leng Tianxiang.
“This bastard insulted me, and you’re just going to let him go? Master Leng! Please teach this bastard a harsh lesson.”
“Stop disgracing your father’s face and come back.”
“If you act like this, we can no longer provide financial support to Geangeak.”
“How dare a mere whelp like you threaten me?”
“It’s not a threat, it’s…”
“If you flap your mouth any further, I will cut out your tongue first.”
“Gasp!”
“If you understand me, get back here and sit down immediately.”
“Understood.”
His face completely pale, So Jin-seo returned to the table where Leng Tianxiang was sitting.
Leng Tianxiang withdrew her aura, and only then did peace return to the Inn.
Once the troublemaker So Jin-seo took his seat, Leng Shuiyue, who had remained quiet until now, whispered to Leng Tianxiang.
“It seems he is not an easy opponent?”
“Why do you think so?”
“Because it’s the first time I’ve ever seen you sheathe your sword midway, Master. If he were easy prey, you wouldn’t have let him off, no matter how much he praised our sect.”
“Your wits are quite sharp. You are correct! That man is by no means ordinary.”
“Is he to the point that even you feel burdened, Master?”
“If it came down to a Life-and-Death Match, I would naturally win. But I simply didn’t wish to do so.”
“Is there another reason?”
“His eyes felt strangely familiar.”
“But he’s someone we’ve never seen before?”
“Yes! But it was a gaze I felt like I’ve seen somewhere before. I have definitely seen someone with those exact eyes at some point.”
Leng Tianxiang looked toward Woo Geom-san.
As if the atmosphere had never been so hostile, Woo Geom-san was quietly drinking his liquor.
The sight of him drinking with Ning Yunxiao sitting across from him was strangely familiar.
Suddenly, Leng Tianxiang felt a severe throb of pain in her finger.
It was the very finger she had used to unleash the Finger Blast to save So Jin-seo.
A pain that she hadn’t felt until just a moment ago was now throbbing through her knuckles.
It was clear that the Finger Force unleashed by Woo Geom-san had delivered a shock to her hand as well.
“Tsk!”
Leng Tianxiang clicked her tongue with a displeased expression despite herself.
***
Ning Yunxiao carefully asked Woo Geom-san, who was sipping his liquor.
“Mister, are you okay?”
“As you can see, I’m perfectly fine.”
“That’s a relief.”
Only after hearing Woo Geom-san’s reply did Ning Yunxiao breathe a sigh of relief.
The aura that Leng Tianxiang had radiated was just that terrifying.
His heart, which was still thumping, wouldn’t easily calm down.
Yet Woo Geom-san, the very person who had clashed with Leng Tianxiang, enjoyed his liquor and food with a perfectly calm expression.
It was as though what had happened just a moment ago didn’t even remain in his memory.
Trickle!
Woo Geom-san filled his cup to the brim with liquor.
Until just a moment ago, he had only intended to drink enough to wet his throat, but now he felt a sudden desire to get drunk.
The fact that a sect which had once ruled the Jianghu had fallen to the point where only the Sect Leader and a single disciple remained made him feel sorrowful.
“Whew!”
Woo Geom-san let out a low sigh and raised his cup.
Baek Ho-yang had said something like that once.
‘The Jianghu may look like a place filled with justice on the surface, but in reality, it is utterly ruthless. Everyone treats the disciples of a thriving sect with the utmost respect, but they won’t give even a single glance of pity to a fallen sect. The act of swallowing the sweet and spitting out the bitter happens everywhere, so you must never easily trust others.’
The example he had given back then was precisely Geangeak.
They had risked everything to help the Nine Great Sects, but what returned to them was immense sacrifice and the ridicule of being called foolish.
To make matters worse, even the Nine Great Sects had sealed their gates and failed to aid in their reconstruction, so he could well imagine how immense the sorrow and rage experienced by Leng Tianxiang, the last Sect Leader of Geangeak, must have been.
Feeling the heartlessness of the Jianghu acutely once again, Woo Geom-san drained his cup one after another.
Time quietly flowed by, growing naturally melancholy.

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