Book 2 Chapter 7

Name of the taboo

In front of a flaming blade

Never utter the words of his name.

If done incorrectly, the chloride of wrath can cause the

I will turn your bodies to ashes.

This is a story about a taboo that is rumored to exist in the world of kung fu. According to the unwritten rules that circulate in Kang Ho, there is one absolute rule, one taboo that must not be broken, in the presence of Yan Dao, his name, and his sword. There was an absolute taboo that had to be observed, and that was to never utter the words of his real name in his presence.

Throughout history, more people than can be counted on one hand have violated this taboo, either intentionally or unintentionally, and suffered the tragic fate of going down a road from which there is no return, or of spending the rest of their lives crippled. The number of people whose names were misspelled and whose lives were changed was countless.

Yan Dao (焰刀)! Possessing exquisite martial prowess and a high and distinguished martial name, the envy of every swordsman who walked the streets of Jianghu, even he had one very serious inferiority complex: an infinite and eternal sense of inferiority to the stone carver of his name.

Yay!

His parents had given him the name as a thank-you for being a man with a glorious and hopeful future, and now he was living up to his name, enjoying the best movies in Murim. Unfortunately, the resonance of the name reminded him of the woman's name. That's the problem with sound and tone.

"How can a man use a name that sounds like a woman's name? I can't do it!"

He hated his name, which sounded like a woman's title. But he couldn't change the name his parents had given him just because he didn't like it, and that was the crux of the problem and his misery.

It was a Yeomdo he would have changed dozens of times over if he could have changed the name. But he couldn't, and it would only make him angrier, so he set a taboo. No one was allowed to call out his name in his presence. He did not hesitate to take immediate action to ensure that any violation of this taboo would be met with dire consequences. The number of people who suffered miserable fates as a result of this taboo could be compiled into three limited edition volumes of the Yeomdo Taboo Punishment List.

Therefore, it's impossible for Zhang Wugang to be unharmed after breaking the absolute taboo set by this fiery temper. If he was still alive, how could it be said that he was a "fiery sword of wrath" (焰刀震怒火極炎, which roughly translates to "a sword so angry that it burns everything around it")?

"Boom!"

He didn't know exactly when, but the moment the three characters of his name became words and burst into the world, he leapt out of his seat and planted his right foot on the floor directly in front of Zhang Wugang. The indescribable strength of the strike shattered Hua Yun Lu's floor, sending fragments flying in all directions. At the same time as the powerful tremor, the crimson-colored right hand stretched out, creating a fierce and fierce piercing force that slammed into Zhang Wugang's chest. Of course, the power of his Fire Spirit Divine Skill contained within it was terrifying. If he was hit, he would surely die instantly.

However, Zhang Wu was no scarecrow, and as if to prove that the sword skills he had honed in the cool winds atop Cheongsan Mountain had not been for naught, he was able to use his quick reflexes to try and squirm out of the way of Yongkedo's tension: a quick rightward spin, followed by a backward twist. But the mere fact that he had dodged the blow was a triumph. He hadn't even gotten halfway through the red salt field before he was struck.

"Tongue!"

Zhang Wugang's body jerked, and with the sound of a drum, he was sent flying into a wall two zhangs away. A ripple-like crack was drawn on the wall, centered on Zhang Wugang, who had been pinned down. Yongke's initial evasive maneuver had barely saved him from death, but it was still a serious injury. However, Yidou had a different idea. Unhappy that he hadn't been able to end the life of Zhang Wugang, a minesweeper with no more than a handful of sprouts, with a single tension, he raised his right hand toward the ceiling.

He was determined to strike the final blow and end it once and for all. As the Fire Spirit Qi traveled through Yeomdo's systemic veins and was about to converge on Yeomdo's excellence and sublimate into a devastating force, there were two streaks of silver light that streaked across the void in a fraction of a second.

"Wedgie!"

With a sharp, air-splitting crunch, these two silver flashes of light flew by with eerie foreboding, forcing Yeomdo to withdraw his excellence and duck out of the way. In fact, he dodged in surprise after it had already passed by. The two streaks of silver light had barely grazed his side without hitting him, as if they were merely making a threatening demonstration.

In an instant, the two strands of silver light neutralized Yidou's grasp and circled back into the void, sucking him into one's hand. It was probably the same person who had drawn the two silver spirals across the canvas of the painting called Void. In his hand he held two round iron rings that had just been returned to him.

The cloudy dust that covered the interior of the restaurant, created after the floor of Hua Yun Lu was shattered by the pendulum swing, slowly settled, revealing the outline of its owner.

"Who are you?"

His red glowing eyes stared at the man who had drawn the fine, beautiful pattern of silver spirals in the transparent canvas of the Void. There was a bit of wonder in his eyes, as well as an overflowing amount of fury, as the silver spirals did their job of hindering what he was about to do next.

At last, the outline of the culprit was clearly visible, and the red eyes that stared at him as if he were to be eaten alive, chewed, boiled, stir-fried, or deep-fried began to shine even brighter. But even amidst the swirl of piercing killing force and fiery energy, there was a hint of wonder.