[Translator - Helga ]
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Chapter 194: Persuasion (4)
“Successor?”
i Hong furrowed her brow.
“Did you take the wrong ds, or skip the ones you were supposed to take? You’ve always been insane, but now you’ve gone completely off the deep end.”
At that, i Xiao burst out laughing. The assassins standing behind her, however, did not find it amusing.
“A traitor who sold out her own clan dares to talk back?”
“Speak like that again and we’ll cut off your fingers one by one!”
The assassins hurled threats at i Hong, voices brimming with killing intent.
“That’s enough.”
i Xiao finally spoke. The mont she did, the assassins fell silent, as if a switch had been flipped.
“I’m speaking with i Hong right now. Don’t interrupt. Be quiet.”
She playfully brought a finger to her lips in a shushing gesture.
“i Hong, believe it or not, I hold you in very high regard. Talent like yours doesn’t co by easily. You might even be more gifted than I am.”
It was an oddly tid complint.
But even Gu Eon, commander of the Iron Corps, had once assessed i Hong’s abilities as dangerous—clearly seeing her potential.
“Now that we’re at war with Hyukcheon, soone with your talents is extrely valuable. That’s why I’m making you an offer: beco my successor.”
“Don’t talk crap.”
i Hong’s voice turned ice cold again.
“You, of all people, would never let the one who destroyed your clan live. And now you want to na successor?”
“Ah, so that’s what you’re worried about. Well, it’s not entirely unreasonable.”
i Xiao’s smile faded. Her face went blank—like a doll—as she stared at i Hong.
“You’re the reason Master is dead. How could I possibly forgive you for that?”
“So you finally drop the act.”
“Why don’t you let finish? Yes, I haven’t forgiven you. And yes, killing you would be easy... but that would be a waste.”
i Xiao clapped her hands. At her signal, the clan mbers behind her stepped aside.
“I’ve made so interesting friends lately. I’m sure you’ve heard of them—people who go by the na Aeon.”
A man cloaked in a black robe stepped forward, carrying sothing in his hands.
It was a longsword, gleaming with a deep, sapphire-blue glow.
“Aeon holds so truly fascinating knowledge. Among them, techniques for amplifying demonic weapons.”
i Xiao gently ran her hand along the surface of the blade.
“When enhanced, these demonic swords beco not only more powerful—but their ntal interference effects grow much stronger. Hunters who grabbed one without knowing its nature ended up going completely mad.”
She held the sword’s hilt out toward i Hong.
“Take this, i Hong. Once you grip this sword, the old you will be wiped away. Then you’ll be worthy of becoming my successor,” i Xiao whispered seductively. “Now… embrace the demon sword.”
“What if I refuse?”
The assassins pressed their blades tightly against i Hong and Joo Hayun’s skin.
“Then we’ll start peeling off your flesh, bit by bit, until you change your mind. Better to accept now than suffer later.”
“And if I still refuse?”
“I don’t know what gives you the nerve to act so bold. Oh—are you putting your faith in your beloved captain?”
i Xiao clapped again.
“Sorry to break it to you. By now, I’m afraid he’s already halfway to being a corpse.”
That made Joo Hayun flinch.
“What have you done to Lord Kwon Hanul?”
“I sent three sword squads trained in our clan’s most lethal formations.”
i Xiao raised three fingers as she spoke.
“The Witch of Hyukcheon—you should know better than anyone how deadly i Clan’s sword formations are.”
Joo Hayun’s face darkened.
Of course she knew. Sword formations were one of the i Clan’s signature weapons.
“The units I sent after Kwon Hanul are our elite squads—the sa ones that previously wiped out a fad Hyukcheon division.”
* * *
A pool of black-red liquid began to spread from beneath Kwon Hanul’s feet, quickly covering the floor.
“W-What is this…?”
“It’s so… sticky.”
The i Clan swordsn looked down in confusion. Then, the pool began to boil.
Without warning, a rusted spear shot up from the depths, skewering a swordsman straight through the heart.
“Guh—!”
He died instantly, not even managing to scream.
That was just the beginning.
From the bubbling pool, skeletal soldiers began to rise in droves.
“W-What the hell?!”
“Aaaaagh!”
The soldiers began slaughtering the i swordsn without rcy. Blood sprayed across the battlefield.
“Calm down! Watch how they move—they’re not that dangerous!”
“Don’t fall back—fight!”
The swordsn didn’t go down quietly. Regaining their composure, they launched a counterattack.
But their blades could not cut the dead.
Every slash passed through as if slicing mist.
“W-What is this—AAARGH!”
The massacre resud without pause.
The undead didn’t defend. They just attacked—relentlessly and with only one purpose: to kill.
“Wh-What is this nightmare…?”
i Ji-peng, the Flowing Blade, stared in horror.
But there was no ti to freeze. His priority was saving the clan mbers being butchered right in front of him.
“Fall back!”
He roared and drew his twin swords.
“HAAAP!”
Leaping high into the air, he ca crashing down—driving both swords into the earth.
Aura exploded outward like a tidal wave. It spread, then burst—engulfing the undead.
The soldiers that couldn’t be cut by ordinary blades were torn apart by i Ji-peng’s aura.
“Get the wounded and retreat! I’ll take care of the rest!”
He barked orders, and the swordsn finally ca to their senses—scrambling to retrieve the injured.
“YOOOOOUUU!”
Once the others withdrew, i Ji-peng turned to Kwon Hanul, his fury boiling over.
“So it’s true… I rember now. The Ancestor once spoke of summoning terrifying demons to face his enemies! If you’ve used that power—!”
i Ji-peng ground his teeth and glared at Kwon Hanul.
“You damn fiend! Not only the Shura Bloodline, but now you’ve stolen the power of the Shura King too?!”
Kwon Hanul calmly drew the sword out of his chest. Strangely, there wasn’t a single wound left behind.
—If you knew what I truly am, shouldn’t you be groveling at my feet? This body wields the True Blood… and commands the Shura King.
“Don’t spew nonsense! You’re nothing but a filthy thief who stole the i Clan’s power!”
i Ji-peng gripped his twin swords tighter. A heavy killing aura surged toward Kwon Hanul.
“I’ll kill you here and reclaim our strength for the clan!”
—Quite the noble ambition you’ve got there.
Then it happened.
The arms growing from Kwon Hanul’s back vanished. His blood-red body returned to normal.
i Ji-peng narrowed his eyes.
“What’s this…? Why’d you cancel your Authority?”
“It burns through stamina faster than it looks,” Kwon Hanul replied, rolling his shoulder. “I’ve already achieved what I ca for. No reason to keep it active.”
“Achieved what…?”
Suddenly, black smoke began to swirl in midair.
It gathered into clusters and darted across the battlefield.
One cluster shot into the body of a swordsman tending to the wounded.
“Urk—Ughhhh!”
The swordsman’s eyes rolled back, his voice warped with unnatural noise. The ally beside him reached out in panic.
“Hey—what’s wrong—urk!”
The possessed man unsheathed his longsword and sliced his comrade’s throat.
“Y-You crazy bastard!”
“What the hell is going on?!”
Swordsn recoiled in horror. Just then, all the black smoke clusters sward toward them.
“Guh—AAGH!”
“Aaaaah!”
The swordsn began turning on each other, blades flashing wildly. The air filled with screams.
“W-Why is this happening?!”
“S-Stop!”
The few still in their right minds tried to restrain their maddened comrades—only to be cut down in turn.
“I said STOP!”
So didn’t go down without a fight—striking back and killing the possessed.
But the mont they did, their own eyes rolled back. They too began attacking those around them.
“What are you all doing?! STOP RIGHT NOW!” i Ji-peng roared, but it was useless.
The madness had spread too far.
Not a single one listened. The possessed kept butchering their own allies.
In the blink of an eye, all the swordsn had turned into corpses. i Ji-peng stood in stunned silence, staring at them.
“The vengeful spirits released through Hell Path are relentless.” Kwon Hanul said, looking at i Ji-peng. “Even if the temporary bodies they form are destroyed, they persist as spirits, targeting the living. You shouldn’t have gone after the soldiers—you should have co for .”
i Ji-peng slowly turned to face Kwon Hanul. Rage gradually filled his once-vacant eyes.
“You wretch… Do you even know who those kids you just killed were?! They were the finest swordsn, raised with everything i Xiao and I had to offer—for the future of the i Clan!”
“Is that so?”
“You threw them away like they were nothing! How do you plan to atone for that sin?!”
“If they were so precious, you should’ve kept them safe.” Kwon Hanul rested his sword on his shoulder, answering flatly. “You underestimated and threw a bunch of greenhorns at . This is what you get.”
A murderous light flickered in i Ji-peng’s eyes. Gripping his twin swords, he slashed both of his forearms.
Blood from the cuts dyed the pristine blades red.
“Fine! I’ll own this mistake! And I’ll carve that regret into your flesh—one piece at a ti!”
i Ji-peng stomped the ground. His twin swords beca flashes of light, tearing toward Kwon Hanul’s body.
* * *
“Ah, I almost forgot—we didn’t just send sword squads.”
As if it had just occurred to her, i Xiao added quickly.
“We sent Flowing Blade i Ji-peng, too. You’ve heard the na, haven’t you?”
Flowing Blade i Ji-peng.
Among the Seven Plum Blossom Blades that represented the i Clan, he was particularly well-known.
In his younger days, he had slaughtered twenty high-ranking Hunters on the spot for speaking ill of the clan.
The fact that he remained unpunished after committing such a massacre had nothing to do with clan protection—his sheer martial power was that overwhelming.
Every Hunter who had sought revenge for that incident had died by his hand, without exception.
“I do feel a bit sorry for Kwon Hanul. After all, I said I’d kill him personally, but now soone else will do it.”
i Xiao let out a short sigh.
“But what can I do? He’s an uninvited guest—I don’t have ti to deal with him myself.”
Leaning back in her chair, she added, “Still, once i Ji-peng brings his head… I’ll return the corpse to Hyukcheon’s family. Neatly packaged.”
* * *
At the outset of the battle, i Ji-peng had been filled with certainty—utter conviction in his victory.
Even after confirming that Kwon Hanul wielded the power of the Shura King, his confidence hadn’t wavered.
Kwon Hanul was undeniably strong.
He didn’t just possess the Shura King’s power—he carried many bloodlines. A few years from now, there might be no one left who could stand against him.
But not yet.
Right now, Kwon Hanul was still a young sapling—not fully grown.
And i Ji-peng?
He had long since secured his place as an unrivaled master, acknowledged by the world. As one of the Seven Plum Blossom Blades, he had carved through countless enemies.
No matter how strong Kwon Hanul might be, he couldn’t compare.
That’s what i Ji-peng had believed—
—until just monts ago.
‘What… is this?’
After exchanging hundreds of blows, a strange feeling crept into i Ji-peng.
‘How is he still holding on?’
By his calculations, Kwon Hanul’s head should’ve been on the ground before a hundred exchanges.
Yet he was still alive. Not only that—he was parrying every single attack.
‘How is he enduring this?’
i Ji-peng was a swordsman who specialized in dual blades and lightning-fast swordsmanship. He had never t anyone faster than himself.
But now?
He couldn’t break through.
He couldn’t cut.
Not even one blade could reach Kwon Hanul.
Even though his opponent was a kwonsa—a martial artist who primarily used fists.
“This bastard…?”
A flicker of disbelief passed over i Ji-peng’s face—but it soon gave way to rage.
“A re kwonsa dares block my blades?!”
His twin swords moved faster, like floodwaters during the monsoon.
Kwon Hanul’s hands moved just as swiftly.
The longsword and twin swords clashed in midair without pause. Each ti they t, sparks burst forth.
As the exchanges continued, i Ji-peng’s eyes widened further.
Still, he couldn’t break through.
He couldn’t defeat Kwon Hanul’s sword.
“This… this isn’t possible…”
This wasn’t natural. Not even a genius should be able to do this.
i Ji-peng had dedicated his entire life to the sword. A kwonsa blocking his blades—it shouldn’t be possible.
“This makes no sense…”
And in that mont, i Ji-peng realized—
“Could this… also be the Shura King’s authority?!”
“That’s one way to put it.”
Kwon Hanul responded, not pausing his blade.
“Ever since I obtained the Shura Blood, people’s movents have beco clearer to … but when I fight you people, it’s even more vivid.”
i Ji-peng stared into Kwon Hanul’s eyes—eyes so deep they seed endless.
“I can see it all. Like you’re showing it to yourself.”
Kwon Hanul’s movents changed.
He not only deflected all of i Ji-peng’s strikes—he began inflicting small wounds all over the man’s body.
“…Damn it!”
i Ji-peng cursed without thinking.
“You vile bastard…! Using the i Clan’s stolen power… to defeat …!”
The Shura King wasn’t just raw power. It was the very source of the Shura Bloodline.
In fact, there was a saying that the energy within the Shura Bloodline was a manifestation of the Shura King itself.
That was likely why Kwon Hanul could read i Ji-peng’s every move.
The Shura Blood i Ji-peng possessed… was laying bare everything to the Shura King.
In other words, Kwon Hanul was the natural predator of the i Clan.
“Unforgivable… This is unforgivable!”
i Ji-peng summoned his full magical power. The demonic twin swords absorbed it all.
“Even if it costs my life… I’ll take yours…!”
He crossed his twin swords. In that instant, words appeared across the blades.
Demon Swords – Erging Ghost Pass
i Ji-peng swung wildly, possessed.
Countless crescent-shaped waves of sword energy poured forth—every last one aid at Kwon Hanul.
But Kwon Hanul didn’t block them. Instead, he lowered his sword and walked forward.
His body swayed like a drunken man. Every ti it did, the sword waves brushed past him, missing by inches.
i Ji-peng’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“This bastard…!”
He was dodging.
Not blocking, not retreating—dodging, while still advancing.
“How dare you—dodge my sword!”
i Ji-peng’s pride cracked. He swung his blades with the sole purpose of killing Kwon Hanul.
But no matter how furious his attacks grew, he couldn’t touch even the hem of Kwon Hanul’s clothing.
“Just DIE already!” He scread in desperation.
But by then, Kwon Hanul was already right in front of him.
“Aaaaaargh!”
i Ji-peng slashed toward Kwon Hanul’s throat.
But Kwon Hanul’s blade struck first—cutting across and severing i Ji-peng’s neck.
His head hit the ground with a lifeless thud. Kwon Hanul looked down at the corpse and muttered quietly, “Told you. I can see everything.”
[Translator - Helga ]
[Proofreader - Starfall ]
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