Chapter 76

The moonlight falls, and an eerie aura surrounds the rooftop of the Jiegal Family estate.

Jiegal Yang gazes with interest at the man in a straw hat before him.

“I’ll let you have the first move. Come at me.”

He beckons with a flick of his hand.

In response, the man, Ilwol God Sect’s Fourth Elder, Wugong, flicks his straw hat, revealing sharp eyes.

“Aren’t you going to ask who we are or what we want?”

“Ha! Intruders like you always want the same thing. I’m not curious. From the start, you…”

A fierce aura emanates from Jiegal Yang, cracking the surrounding roof tiles.

“Your purpose is irrelevant. You’ve been itching to fight me, haven’t you? Your killing intent is palpable.”

As a senior in the Martial Arts World and one of the Ten Great Masters, he accepts the challenge.

“I was bored anyway. Come at me.”

An eerie silence. The straw hat shifts, and a low, expectant laugh echoes.

“I was just buying time… I’ll hear about this later.”

He tosses the cumbersome hat aside, revealing a strikingly handsome face, and draws a sword from his waist.

But what surprises Jiegal Yang more than the enemy’s appearance is the thin, sturdy, rapier-like sword specialized for thrusting.

“Is that… a rapier?”

A weapon unfamiliar in the Central Plains. He had seen it before when buying Western trinkets for his granddaughters.

…And now, the toothpick-like weapon pierces through the air.

Sun-Piercing Sword Technique – First Glimpse of the Sun

Of course, Jiegal Yang, who has mastered the Jiegal Family’s secret footwork, had already anticipated Wugong’s move.

He sidesteps lightly, avoiding the thrust.

Or so he intended.

“…Fast.”

His left sleeve is cut, and blood drips.

Just a moment too slow.

A split second. Explosive acceleration.

“If the opponent can see the future, move faster than them. Simple but effective.”

The beautiful blade, radiating blue energy, grazes Jiegal Yang.

“Enough with the tricks…”

Wugong calmly turns, readying his stance.

“Let’s see which is stronger: the sword technique that fells the sun or the palm technique that subdues the dragon.”

A tense moment. Like an arrow drawn to its limit, aiming for life.

“Ha! You talk well. If that’s the case-”

Whoosh-

In an instant, Jiegal Yang disappears, reappearing behind Wugong.

“End it before the arrow is loosed.”

Using his footwork and palm techniques, he moves like the wind.

Dragon-Subduing Eighteen Palms – Sudden Strike

Like a dragon leaping from a pond, he strikes from the blind spot with a palm strike imbued with internal energy.

“……!”

…But before the attack lands, Jiegal Yang suddenly withdraws and creates distance.

Counterattack.

A sharp rapier thrust emerges from Wugong’s armpit, aiming where Jiegal Yang’s chin had been.

He spins naturally, gliding across the roof.

Bending forward, he extends his rapier arm, flowing like water into the opponent’s guard.

Piercing Thrust.

A pinpoint attack at lightning speed. A mere instant.

Jiegal Yang decides that retreating further would only lead to being cornered, so he deflects the rapier with his palm.

Clang!!

The energy-clad blade and palm collide, sparking blue flames.

“…Haha!”

As the blade is deflected, Wugong steps back, adjusting his stance, a sinister smile on his lips.

“You’re the only one who could deflect my thrust at this distance.”

“Maybe. I’m sure there are at least ten others.”

Not belittling the opponent, but a fair assessment from experience.

Jiegal Yang’s face shows no anger or panic, only interest in the opponent’s martial arts.

“That sword technique. Is it from the Western Regions?”

Though Wugong has switched from the Righteous Faction to the Demon Sect, as a senior in the Martial Arts World and one of the Ten Great Masters…

Even the Jiegal Family’s patriarch, known as the strongest in the Righteous Faction, shows interest.

“Did you know? In the Western Regions, there are guilds like our sects, where masters called ‘Sword Lords’ create and develop countless sword techniques.”

Pleased, Wugong explains kindly.

“This is one of them. I call it the Flowing Water Sword Technique for its fluid thrusts.”

He spins the rapier elegantly.

“While their internal energy and fist techniques are lacking, their sword techniques surpass the Central Plains in a different direction.”

Jiegal Yang nods slowly, recalling Wugong’s swordplay.

Combining the Sun-Piercing Sword Technique with the Flowing Water Sword Technique. A harmonious combination.

“Impressive. Interesting.”

His eyes sparkle like a child discovering a new toy.

“…But this isn’t the end, is it? Let’s play more.”

His heart races with excitement. The opponent, unafraid of his reputation, is truly trying to kill him.

“Chirp! Chirp chirp!!”

But unfortunately, Jiegal Yang’s night of fun is cut short.

“Are you… Chirp Bird?”

A plump sparrow flaps its wings, squawking frantically.

“Chirp! Chirp chirp! Chirp chirp chirp! Chirp! Chirp chirp!!”

Jiegal Yang’s brow furrows.

“What?! I can’t understand a word-!!”

But the fact that the bird, who usually follows Guhae around like a chick, has flown here means something is wrong.

He heightens his senses, detecting Guhae’s energy.

It’s clearly weaker than usual. Jiegal Yang clicks his tongue.

“Tch! I take back what I said. I can’t play anymore.”

A massive surge of internal energy erupts from Jiegal Yang, enveloping the space in a semicircle, including Wugong.

‘Take care of Guhae.’

He recalls the brat’s words.

“I may not know much, but I always keep my promises to my Go friends.”

He reads the heavens, finding the most perfect future among thousands.

He fixes the causality to achieve the desired future.

He transcends time.

Heavenly Mechanism Divine Movement

‧

‧

‧

“Cough…! Cough…!”

Blood pours from Wugong’s mouth. His body is pierced, a gaping hole through him.

‘What just happened…?’

Coming to his senses, he finds himself in a dying state.

“There is no process. Only the future where you are defeated by me.”

Jiegal Yang, who was just in front of him, passes by indifferently, speaking words he can’t comprehend.

He doesn’t understand.

Everything is a mystery.

His vision darkens, and his tattered body collapses forward.

The match is over.

***

Swoosh- Swoosh-!

“Who… are you…?”

In the pouring rain, Hyeonho struggles to speak, asking the man with sharp teeth and piercing blue eyes.

[………]

The man ignores Hyeonho, simply gazing at Guhae, who has collapsed, drained of energy.

…And then he disappears.

As if he was never there, leaving no trace.

Hyeonho blinks.

‘What did I just see?’

It was too vivid to be an illusion. Who was that man? What was he?

Why did he appear and disappear so suddenly?

Questions pile up. Anxiety grows.

“Calm down…”

He mutters to himself, steadying his mind.

Anyway, all he needs to do is take the dragon’s kin, now sufficiently poisoned, and leave.

As Hyeonho thinks this.

“……”

Guhae staggers to her feet, blood pouring from the wounds inflicted by the centipede’s fangs.

“What… is this…?”

Hyeonho’s eyes narrow as he watches the unbelievable scene unfold.

It’s not blood flowing out. It’s poison.

The poison drains from her body, following the rain.

Not stopping there, new flesh grows, and her wounds heal as if they were never there.

Blue light flashes in her eyes, vitality returning to her body.

Just by touching water… her energy is restored…?

Too shocked to speak, his ability to form words deteriorates.

Guhae, now fully standing, extends her arms and left leg forward, using her right foot as a pivot to gather energy.

The rain converges towards her, forming a whirlpool of water. It rises into the air, spinning around her.

Dragon-Subduing Eighteen Palms – The Dragon’s Regret

The water streams merge, taking the form of a massive water dragon coiling around her.

Rooooar-!!

Hyeonho looks up at the water dragon, a despairing groan escaping his lips.

Not just a water dragon mimicking the form of the Ten Thousand Swords’ Dragon Flame… but a mystical mass imbued with the dragon’s energy.

The overwhelming mystical mass makes his body tremble.

He steps back, trying to use shadow movement to escape, but…

Splash-

“?!?!?!?!”

The rain disrupts the shadows, preventing the technique.

He lets out a hollow laugh.

He should have fled when the rain started, a final warning from a great being.

Pieces fall into place as he realizes why Guhae possesses such immense power.

‘The man in black dragon robes.’

“Northern Black Dragon… Guangze King, Ao Shun…”

With parents who are dragon kings, it’s no wonder she’s strong.

Crash-!!

With that, Hyeonho is swept away by the water dragon’s maw.