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Book 2 Chapter 27

Youngster, wash your feet and go to sleep.

His nape suddenly felt cold.

"Sword Qi!"

Damn it, wasn't this unexpected!

As Bi-ryeon turned around, he waved his hand once at Hyo-ryong and Jang Hong who were standing behind him. In that brief moment,

exploiting that small gap, six crescent-shaped sword energies, fierce and sharp, rained down towards him from behind his nape.

Huh, but when he tried to dodge the insidious and shameless attack aimed at his nape and back, damn it, the space was too narrow. Due to the confined space, smooth evasion was impossible. The place was narrow, yet the sword energies filled that narrow space densely and attacked by surprise. In other words, he couldn't avoid it.

"Damn it!"

Bi-ryeon had no choice but to raise his hands. Instantly, his right hand glowed white, then it was struck down like lightning. A strike as fast and strong as lightning, Bun-roe-su (Splitting Thunder Hand)! The ultimate technique, Bun-roe-su, which wields the energy of thunder, was unleashed.

The sword Qi and thunderous energy clashed head-on. Who said it couldn't be dodged? They didn't say it couldn't be blocked. Of course, if one possessed a superior power, they could have annihilated it. Bi-ryeon tore the group of sword energies flying towards him in half with a simple hand movement. As the thunderous energy of Bun-roe-su and the unexpected sword Qi collided head-on, a dazzling flash erupted, and a roar echoed. And a giant shockwave engulfed the surroundings!

The building shook, and a storm tore away the walls, drawing geometric shapes. The sword forest shattered, and thousands of sword fragments scattered fiercely in the air like fallen leaves swept by the storm. It possessed a power strong enough to send one to the afterlife just by being hit.

"Ding! Ding! Daedaedaeng!"

The bell rang violently from the shockwave. However, unable to withstand the force, the bell soon shattered and rolled on the floor. It took some time for the storm, which had rendered a section of the building completely derelict, to subside. The damage was even greater because it occurred when forces exceeding their limits clashed for a moment in a confined space.

Only after a considerable time did the storm finally begin to subside, and the dense dust that had filled the hallway yellow was finally cleared.

"Did the bell ringing mean I passed?"

Bi-ryeon smiled as if nothing had happened and looked towards one end of the hallway. There, a man holding a long, heavy, sharp greatsword with a tiger emblem stood silently. His sword was much larger and sharper than an ordinary sword, and the angry tiger (Roaring Tiger) emblem on the hilt was very impressive. And Bi-ryeon recalled having seen that roaring tiger emblem before.

Roaring Tiger! Angry Tiger!

It is the famous symbol of Ho-a Jang, a renowned sword family that has been making a name for itself in the martial arts world recently. It was so famous that almost no one within Namchang wouldn't know this emblem. Of course, Bi-ryeon also remembered it as he had visited Ho-a Jang not long ago. However, while he had seen the sword, he had never seen the man holding the Roaring Tiger Sword.

And upon closer inspection, one would notice that the giant Hegemonic Sword the man held had a different shape from the ordinary Roaring Tiger Swords he had seen surrounded by numerous warriors at Ho-a Jang. Of course, this was only if Bi-ryeon's observation skills were that keen and he paid attention to the man's sword. However, the fact that his sword was an inch longer than the swords carried by the top disciples at the time, that the ornamentation of the sword guard was more ornate and elaborate, and finally, that the color of the sword blade was a distinctly dark black was of little consequence to Bi-ryeon.

And the fact that it was the divine sword, the Hegemonic Roaring Tiger Sword, passed down only to the successor just before becoming the lord, was even less relevant. It was a sword passed down by his master to the man, symbolizing entrusting him with everything of himself and the manor. The man gripped his beloved sword tighter. Perhaps due to the sense of responsibility and expectation contained within the Hegemonic Roaring Tiger Sword, his sword felt even heavier.

"Who are you?"

The first person to speak was Bi-ryeon. He seemed very curious about the identity of the man who had suddenly appeared and shot sword Qi at the back of his head. However, judging by his still bright smile, he didn't seem to harbor any particular ill feelings towards the other party.

Then, a chilling voice, like ice, escaped the man's lips. His eyes were burning silently with uncontrollable rage.

"Do you remember Ho-a Jang?"

It was a question asked under the assumption that the other party would naturally know, but Bi-ryeon easily betrayed that expectation. After a long time of contemplation, Bi-ryeon finally remembered where that place was.

"Ho-a Jang? Ah, I visited there a while ago."

As soon as he heard his words, a divine light erupted from the man's eyes. It was a chillingly cold and intense gaze filled with killing intent.

"Do you call the act of turning a sect of the martial arts world into a mess a mere visit?"

An enraged cry, like a volcanic eruption. The man felt he could no longer suppress the anger hidden within him. His emotions were about to go out of control, beyond the point of rational regulation. His hands gripping the massive greatsword until they were bloody, his eyes gleaming with madness and rage, his lips clenched so tightly that blood might seep out, he was a typical figure burning with the madness of revenge.

Generally, those blinded by revenge have a critical deficiency in rational thinking systems in their heads, making them difficult to deal with. Therefore, it is best to avoid them as much as possible. Yet, one such person, consumed by the desire for revenge, stood before him with a sword.

"Ho Cheon-gang, the top disciple of Ho-a Jang. To wash away the shame of my sect, I challenge you here and now. Draw your weapon!"

The man in the blue martial uniform said proudly, raising his sword forward. There was no wasted movement in his disciplined actions. Therefore, to ordinary eyes, he could appear quite intimidating. Astonishingly, the man was none other than their senior disciple, whom the disciples of Ho-a Jang had believed in and waited for. He was the very person who was not present at the scene(?) due to his admission to the Cheon Mu Academy during Bi-ryeon's visit to Ho-a Jang.

However, Bi-ryeon's face showed no trace of agitation even after receiving Ho Cheon-gang's challenge. He merely offered an inscrutable smile…

"A challenge? Do you now substitute challenges by shooting sword Qi at someone's nape without notice? Is this perhaps the unique and distinctive challenge method here? Or did you perhaps mistake an ambush for a challenge?"

His tone was as cold as it could be, and yet polite.

"Th-that was merely a greeting, nothing more," Ho Cheon-gang stammered, making excuses. Bi-ryeon looked around the hallway, which had been reduced to a near-ruin. He then deliberately looked around the hallway once and said,

"Don't you think it was a bit too grand for a greeting?"

"You impudent fellow!"

Judging by his rapidly changing complexion, he seemed to have very little rationality left. From now on, emotions would begin to govern his body and mind. However, he was still suppressing his frustration internally without exploding. He couldn't attack first without warning again. If it happened one more time, he would inevitably be branded a cowardly, sneak attacker, regardless of his intentions. Therefore, Ho Cheon-gang waited.

Unconcerned with Ho Cheon-gang, who was in the midst of a fierce struggle with him, Bi-ryeon diligently analyzed the situation. He then summarized it simply.

"So, you're saying that when I visited Ho-a Jang, Ho-a Jang was absurdly harmed. And to avenge that, you intend to defeat me and uphold the prestige of your sect! Of course, it's questionable whether I've done anything to warrant your resentment."

Reasons for deserving revenge? There were plenty and varied, but Bi-ryeon might be deliberately ignoring those facts. Bi-ryeon asked,

"Then, deeper?"

It was a question without beginning or end.

Bi-ryeon's sudden question. Like a supervisor checking a construction site, Bi-ryeon asked,

"Deeper? Is that bastard crazy?"

Ho Cheon-gang could neither understand nor comprehend what Bi-ryeon was babbling about.

"Deeper what?"

Ho Cheon-gang asked back with an honest face, stating that he couldn't understand what the other person was saying at all.

"I asked, deeper. Don't you know?"

Bi-ryeon said with a tone of reproach, as if it was truly too much that he couldn't know such a thing. Hearing that, Ho Cheon-gang felt bewildered and wronged.

"You're quite dense, aren't you? Making me repeat myself twice."

With a look of utter annoyance, Bi-ryeon casually grated on Ho Cheon-gang's nerves. Whether the other person was saying this sincerely or deliberately, Ho Cheon-gang couldn't guess. He was an utterly unpredictable fellow. For the sake of the one who pondered Bi-ryeon's sudden words with wide-open eyes, he decided to explain kindly.

"I'm talking about things like, is the student surpassing the master? In other words, are you stronger than your master? I think heads are meant to be used, not just as decoration."

Bi-ryeon offered a slight smile, but one could bet their entire fortune that that smile did not evoke any goodwill from Ho Cheon-gang. Instead, it only provoked him further.

Ho Cheon-gang was angered once again. To the young and vigorous him, such words were a terrible insult. However, he still had some patience left, so he didn't roar like a beast as soon as he swung his sword. But that rationality seemed to be dwindling.

"Khuhuhu… How could my meager skills compare to my master's? Don't be foolish!"

Suppressing his boiling inner anger like lava, Ho Cheon-gang replied.

"That's strange?"

Upon hearing Ho Cheon-gang's reply, Bi-ryeon tilted his head as if he couldn't understand at all and asked again.

"What's strange?"

Ho Cheon-gang's tone became increasingly sharp and irritable.

"Isn't it? If you know and accept that your skills are inferior to your master's, how can you presume to challenge me, whom even the entire Ho-a Jang, with your master and many other elders present, couldn't handle? Surely you're not expecting luck, are you? That would be underestimating the world too much."

Bi-ryeon's gaze, filled with every kind of doubt, turned towards Ho Cheon-gang. His tone, despite the content, was very friendly and gentle. It was as if he truly couldn't comprehend Ho Cheon-gang's situational judgment, analytical abilities, and sense of reason, considering it an unsolvable mystery. Unaware of Ho Cheon-gang's state, whose threads of reason were greatly weakened, Bi-ryeon continued to relentlessly provoke him. Ho Cheon-gang's shoulders trembled violently.

His sword was held tightly in his trembling hand with such force that it seemed impossible to let go.

'Why haven't I gone insane yet?'

Ho Cheon-gang found himself strangely amazing. His mind felt like it was turning whiter and whiter.

'I need to have a formal duel quickly. Quickly, a formal… formal…'

As Ho Cheon-gang repeatedly told himself, trying to regain his composure, Bi-ryeon delivered the decisive blow that turned his desperate efforts to nothing.

"Challenging the impossible is something that a young man might do once in his life, but this seems too absurd. In my opinion, it would be much more beneficial for your physical and mental health if you just went home, washed your feet, and got a good night's sleep."

Bi-ryeon's words, which seemed polite on the surface, were now closer to mockery than disdain for Ho Cheon-gang. Although phrased circuitously, it was essentially saying, "Youngster, you're no match for me, so don't bother and just go home, wash your feet, and sleep!"

"You scoundrel!"

Finally, Ho Cheon-gang's rage exploded. There was no more patience. It was a miracle that he had endured this much. Fierce sword Qi rose from the Hegemonic Roaring Tiger Sword he held. Perhaps the claim that he was weaker than his master was mere modesty, for it was a fearsome aura that even a skilled master couldn't ignore.

However, what shouldn't be overlooked here is that Bi-ryeon was no ordinary skilled master. And that was great misfortune for Ho Cheon-gang.

Bi-ryeon responded with polite sarcasm and elegant mockery to the pathetic state of Ho Cheon-gang, who rushed forward like a mantis trying to stop a chariot without even properly assessing his own abilities, hoping to achieve some unexpected result. A foolish person who couldn't gauge his own standing was nothing more than a figure of ridicule to him. Contrary to Ho Cheon-gang's words, his Thirty-Six Tiger Sword techniques possessed a power comparable to that of his master, Ho Cheon-sang. Over the past year of training at Cheon Mu Academy, Ho Cheon-gang had made tremendous progress without even realizing it. While this self-improvement was commendable, it absolutely did not mean he could defeat Bi-ryeon.

Ignoring the fearsome, domineering sword Qi rushing towards him, Bi-ryeon charged forward. The sword Qi, which had been crushing him from all sides, harmlessly bypassed him, and Bi-ryeon leisurely drove his right foot into Ho Cheon-gang's lower abdomen. It was a thoughtless kick. The match was decided anticlimactically with this single blow. The direction of victory and defeat was so clear that there was no room for reconsideration. Ho Cheon-gang's face turned pale. He was so astonished that his tongue was frozen, and he couldn't even speak properly.

"Th-that… th-that that…"

Ho Cheon-gang's eyes widened as if he had witnessed an unbelievable sight. His hand holding the Hegemonic Roaring Tiger Sword trembled violently like an aspen. Ho Cheon-gang couldn't believe the current reality. It wasn't because of Bi-ryeon's foot stuck in his abdomen. Being hit by a thoughtless kick was already frustrating and infuriating enough, but what was even more problematic was the Bun-roe-su that Bi-ryeon had struck with his thoughtless kick – Bi-ryeon had struck his sword with Bun-roe-su at the same moment he lodged his foot in Ho Cheon-gang's abdomen. This was an astonishment beyond astonishment for Ho Cheon-gang. The spot on the blade of the Hegemonic Roaring Tiger Sword where Bi-ryeon's Bun-roe-su had struck could no longer be found. It had vanished. The remaining part of the sword blade, now in two halves, lay on the floor outside the chambers like a broken gourd, a pathetic sight.

The sect's divine artifact had been broken. For Ho Cheon-gang, it was a world-shattering event, akin to the shattering of Shaolin's Green Jade Buddha statue or the breaking of Kai-bang's Bamboo Spear.

Ho Cheon-gang was so shocked that his mind went blank, and he was unable to think or process anything. As he stood there, with vacant eyes and weak legs, looking like an imbecile, Bi-ryeon, amused, momentarily put aside his fist, intending to deliver a second blow, and observed his state. However, Ho Cheon-gang showed no signs of moving, like a petrified stone. His mind was already empty.

No matter how vacant and absent-minded he appeared on the outside, Bi-ryeon was cunning as hundreds of snakes. It was only natural that he would be beaten and knocked down when he rushed forward without any countermeasures. While it was unfortunate for the one who fell, it was a natural outcome.

Although Bi-ryeon spoke politely, as you know, he had not an iota of politeness in his heart, so there was no room for mercy. Therefore, Bi-ryeon, though it was a hassle, once again moved his hands like lightning and touched Ho Cheon-gang's entire body thoroughly. It was the heat of the Three Dog Beatings martial art. After beating the successor of a sect like a dog on a hot day, as he was calmly contemplating the next course of action, a figure appeared and lessened his burden. However, it was not a welcome figure, not at all.

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