Swish! Swiiish!

The wind brushes past his ears.

Numerous trajectories surround and constrict him.

But he can see.

The trajectory of the sword, and the pattern of its flow.

Everything was captured within his yellow-turned pupils.

The hazy blurs were the afterimages of the sword created by the changes in the forms. The ones with thick lines were the real sword strikes.

However, neither the blurry nor the thick ones could be treated carelessly.

The afterimages still retained the energy that had been imbued in the sword, so they would wound his body.

Ppit!

A sword strike is engraved.

The blurry trajectory cuts his clothes and leaves a scratch on his body.

Blood splattered.

But since it was a cut from dissipating energy, the wound was not deep. The only thing to avoid was a fatal wound.

Cheonyeong began to weave through the sword's trajectory, entrusting his body little by little to the flow of the wind.

It was closing in like a vine full of thorns, but since he had already found a way to counter it, it wasn't that dangerous.

Little by little, as if peeling off a shell one by one.

He approached as much as Lee Cheongik retreated, and when he got close, he faced him without avoiding.

The one who was flustered by this was Lee Cheongik.

The twelve forms of the Blue Wind.

Adding six changes to each made a total of seventy-two forms.

That was why it was called the basic technique of the Seventy-Two Faction Sword. Because only by realizing all seventy-two changes could one approach the true meaning of the Seventy-Two Faction Sword.

It was the same for the Blue Wind, not just the Blue Cloud.

Weren't their beginnings the same?

But how could this be?

Although he couldn't say he had reached its true meaning yet, he was confident that his Blue Wind Descends Red Sword had reached a high level.

He had become much stronger than at any time in the past, and he thought he had revealed all of his strength.

So he thought it couldn't be blocked.

But why?

Why... could he not properly cut Tang Cheonyeong?

No matter how much he swung his sword, it didn't reach. Cheonyeong was narrowly dodging the sword strikes.

Although he was wounding his body little by little, Cheonyeong's speed did not decrease at all. On the contrary, he exuded a threatening aura and kept getting closer.

Lee Cheongik frowned.

It wasn't that the speed of his swing was lacking. The seventy-two sword strikes of the Blue Wind Descends Red Sword were clearly visible even to his own eyes.

So much so that his arm felt like it would break from swinging the sword.

And it wasn't light either. The moment the tip of the sword reached the point of impact, the empty air was bursting with a thudding sound.

But why?

Jjeong! Jjeo-jeo-jeong!

Cheonyeong, who had approached at some point, deflects the sword strikes with his hand.

The trajectory of the sword that had been aimed at him began to twist. It cut through the empty air meaninglessly, having lost its purpose.

Although it was a wooden sword, it was a sword that could cut down a tree with his energy imbued in it, but it could not cut Cheonyeong's hand.

What was the reason?

Why was his sword being helplessly deflected by his hand?

In the end, his strength... was shallow.

Perhaps even if he had held a real sword, he would not have been able to overcome the bluish energy gathered in Cheonyeong's hand.

After dozens of seconds of exchanges, Lee Cheongik, who had come to his own conclusion, did not hesitate any longer.

No, he couldn't hesitate. Cheonyeong had already broken through all the sword strikes and had come right in front of him.

Ppadeudeuk!

In the end, he had no choice but to put everything into it and see the end!

"Haap!"

Lee Cheongik, who had been pushed back by Cheonyeong, raises the sword he was gripping with both hands high.

Swae-aek!

At the same time, Cheonyeong flew in as if sweeping low across the ground and attacked, and Lee Cheongik's sword cut down on him.

Blue Wind, Severing the Red Cloud.

It was the sword he had once been defeated by against Cheonyeong.

But it had become stronger.

With six changes contained within it, it fiercely cut Cheonyeong with all its might, as if parting the sunset over the western mountains.

The sunset is cut.

He was sure that Cheonyeong would also be cut within it.

But at that moment.

Kuu-uu-ung!

Cheonyeong's foot, which had stopped its approach, stomped hard on the competition stage.

Samyang Stomping.

Ppudeudeuk!

Cheonyeong's fist, which had shot up with the force of the stomp, extends like a flash of lightning.

Kua-a-a-ang!

An explosion erupts.

Peo-eok!

The wooden sword shatters into pieces, and the internal energy it contained scatters faintly. And the fierce wind subsides.

In Lee Cheongik's hand, which had been fully brought down, only the hilt of the wooden sword remained.

Cheonyeong's fist lightly touches the side of Lee Cheongik, who was just staring blankly at the floor.

It was not a strong fist.

But how could he not know that he hadn't put strength into it because the match was already decided?

"...I have lost again."

"It was amazing."

"Was it?"

"Yes, so much so that the me of the past would have had no way to deal with it."

Cheonyeong smiled brightly. A smirk also formed on the lips of Lee Cheongik, who was watching.

He had tried so hard, but was it just that he had overcome a mere shadow of the past?

It was disheartening.

But he was not discouraged.

Wasn't it more advantageous to chase than to be ahead?

He could just set him as his goal and move forward again.

"I lost."

"It was close."

"Keuk."

Cheonyeong corrected his words as he readily admitted defeat.

If someone else had said that, he would not have felt good, but for some reason, Cheonyeong's words made him laugh.

"You said you would do your best."

"It was my best. I used everything I had."

"Isn't there one move left?"

The one move Lee Cheongik mentioned.

Hidden weapons.

At those words, Cheonyeong shook his head.

"If I use that, I have to kill."

"...?!"

"Because that's the purpose I learned it for."

"I'm glad."

Lee Cheongik nodded and asked.

"What was it?"

"What was what?"

"The power contained in that fist."

Cheonyeong thought for a moment.

But it didn't take long.

"Samyang."

"Samyang?"

"Yes, Samyang."

"It's a good name."

Lee Cheongik straightened his body and took a step back.

"Thanks to you, I have learned my shortcomings again. I lost."

A third admission of defeat.

Cheonyeong smiled for him.

The match was over. Today, two winners were decided, and the finals would be held on the coming day.

But other than the two who had decided the victory and defeat, no one else said anything.

Ilhae, who was hosting the match, the people sitting in the distinguished guest seats, and the audience were all just staring blankly at the two.

A silence without cheers or criticism filled and pressed down on the summit of the Blue Green Sect.

"It seems I should go down first. The cheers are for the winner."

Lee Cheongik bowed politely and descended from the competition stage.

"Heh, cheers for the winner? In the current Blue Green Sect, I'm the worst punk."

Cheonyeong smirked and looked at Ilhae.

Ilhae, who felt his gaze, quickly came to his senses and shouted.

"The winner! The family head of the Tang Family's estate, Tang Cheonyeong!"

As expected, there were no cheers. The victory of one branded a villain is not welcomed.

But Cheonyeong did not care and left the competition stage.

His clothes were a mess.

He had already gone through several sets.

***

Night came again.

In the darkness, sinister figures hid their bodies, observing their surroundings and exchanging conversation.

"Did you see?"

"Hmm."

"It was definitely the Red Eye Technique."

At the young man's words, the middle-aged man's face hardened.

"It was even the Yellow Eye."

His voice was full of surprise.

"How could this be? How could the family head of the Tang Family's estate know the Red Eye Technique, and how could his level have reached the Yellow Eye?"

"Hmm..."

The middle-aged man could only groan and give no answer.

The eye technique, the Red Eye Art.

The red-eyed Red Eye, and as the level deepens, the transitional Yellow Eye, and further, the Golden Eye, which is called the absolute level of eye techniques.

It was their exclusive property.

As he said, how could the family head of the Tang Family's estate know the Red Eye Art?

And there was another thing he couldn't believe.

When the match ended with Tang Cheonyeong's victory, he, who was surprised by the Yellow Eye, had secretly observed the two.

And he had heard.

It was a small voice, but he had heard it clearly because he was closest to the competition stage.

Samyang.

His heart had almost stopped.

Samyang?

Wasn't it the same as the name of the martial art the organization had been searching for for a long time?

How could he know that martial art?

"Please say something..."

At the young man's urging, the middle-aged man opened his mouth after a long period of thought.

"First, I must ask the Master for an answer."

"Pardon?"

"There is still time. The request is valid until the match is completely over tomorrow."

"..."

"Yongjo."

"Yes."

"Encourage the members. There must be no wavering."

"I understand."

"Also, observe the one called Tang Cheonyeong."

"Tang Cheonyeong?"

The middle-aged man's eyes shone fiercely.

"Everything depends on the Master's answer."

"..."

"The plan is valid, but it can be changed at any time. If the plan changes, we may have to aim for Tang Cheonyeong instead of the Blue Green Sect. Observe his movements carefully."

"I understand. I will keep it in mind and prepare."

"He is not an easy opponent. Be fully prepared."

"Yes."

The middle-aged man who had given the order disappeared into the darkness first, and the young men scattered in different directions.

However, clandestine meetings were not their exclusive domain.

Nokun, one of the Taoist temples of the Blue Green Sect.

"Pavilion Master, everyone has gathered."

A figure dressed in black clothes and even a mask, unbefitting of a Taoist temple, was kneeling. And behind him were ten masked figures kneeling in the same attire.

Ilhae swept his gaze over the eleven masked figures.

The Nokun Pavilion. It was a place that handled external affairs such as providing military support to secular families or resolving various disputes that arose in places that had ties with the Blue Green Sect.

Therefore, the Taoists who had registered their names at the Nokun Pavilion had a different disposition from the other Taoists of the Blue Green Sect.

Those who were allowed to have killing intent even within the Taoist temple, that was the disciples of the Nokun Pavilion.

And the pavilion master of that place was the Blue Cloud Sword, Ilhae.

"I believe you will understand my intentions."

"..."

At Ilhae's words, the disciples answered with silence.

"For a while, you are not disciples of the Blue Green Sect. You will become warriors of the Blue Serpent Sect."

"We will keep that in mind."

"It must be known that the Blue Serpent Sect disciples, angered by the harm done to their master, have taken revenge."

"Yes."

"His life is not necessary. It will be enough if he cannot use his full strength."

"Then, are you saying we should just injure him and retreat?"

"It is something the Sect Leader has refused. There must be no murder in the Taoist temple."

"We will do so."

"I'm counting on you. The hundred-year plan of the Blue Green Sect depends on you."

"We know."

Ilhae's voice lowered slightly.

"You are the foundation. No one will recognize your contributions."

"We also know."

"If you are discovered, you may be driven out with a bad name."

"We are prepared for that."

"Good. I will trust you. And I will never forget your contributions and will take care of them."

"Thank you."

Ilhae, who was looking at the bowing disciples of the Nokun Pavilion with a heavy expression, said in a low voice.

"Go."

"Yes!"

Ilhae stares intently into the darkness where the disciples of the Nokun Pavilion had disappeared.

At that moment, he was not a Taoist.

He was a sinister monster with eyes drunk on desire.

"Sect Leader. We have already crossed the line. What will change even if we stop now? Please pretend you don't know. I will take the blame."

Killing intent flashed in the monster's pupils.

(End of Chapter)