Chapter 564:
“Th-that…”
Shin Gi-sua’s mouth fell wide open.
It was tilting.
The main hall was slowly tilting. The main headquarters of the Righteous Martial Alliance, which boasted a deep history, was tilting helplessly.
“That…”
He felt like he should say something, but no words came out. Along with the building, Shin Gi-sua’s heart was tilting as well.
“Oh my.”
“The headquarters is going to collapse.”
“Hey, that’s amazing. He burned down the Demonic Cult’s headquarters and now he’s bringing down the Righteous Alliance’s main hall. That’s quite an achievement, an achievement indeed.”
Shin Gi-sua’s insides turned upside down.
Were these guys sane or insane?
The Righteous Alliance’s main headquarters was about to collapse, and this was what they had to say?
His neck stiffened.
‘No, that’s not right.’
Shin Gi-sua shook his head vigorously.
Although the main hall’s building was important, this wasn’t the time to be obsessing over such a building in this situation. Shin Gi-sua blinked and looked at the situation again.
Weren’t the Demonic Cult’s bishops attacking and running wild in the Central Plains? So what did buildings matter? The reason for making such a foolish judgment was very simple.
‘There’s no sense of tension.’
Because this crisis didn’t feel like a crisis.
Although two bishops from the Demonic Cult had invaded, he couldn’t feel any tension at all. If there was a sense of crisis, he would at least pretend to be tense, but since this situation didn’t feel like a crisis, it couldn’t be helped.
And the source of all this was none other than Wei Yan-ho.
“Heave.“
Wei Yan-ho stepped down to the ground and cracked his neck left and right. Green poison qi rose like smoke around his body, then was sucked back into his body without leaving a single handful behind.
‘What am I looking at right now?’
He had seen countless battles.
Among those here, only Wei Jeong-han would have experienced more battles than him. He had always roamed battlefields with masters like Gwon Geuk, and was someone who knew better than anyone how the strong fought.
But this was different.
Shin Gi-sua’s eyes wouldn’t leave Wei Yan-ho.
‘What kind of monster is this?’
The level was different.
It was an absurd thing to say, but there was no other way to explain it. Wei Yan-ho’s strength was on a different level.
Who could display such divine prowess?
The opponents weren’t third-rate black path rabble. They were the bishops of the Demonic Cult. But Wei Yan-ho was now beating those bishops like he was thrashing back-alley thugs.
He closed and opened his eyes several times, but the situation didn’t change at all.
“He’s gotten stronger.”
“I expected it, but honestly this seems a bit excessive.”
“…He’s my boy, but that really has no answer.”
“Amitabha, at this level, it seems about time for him to enter nirvana. He’s definitely not human.”
Wei Jeong-han’s group was also showing disgusted reactions.
“No way…”
What Shin Gi-sua felt was bewilderment rather than amazement. Even though he was seeing it with his own eyes, he couldn’t understand the scene at all. What exactly was he looking at right now?
“How…”
When judged coldly, Sa-ma’s power was on the same level as Gwon Geuk. Of course, twenty years had passed, so he would have become stronger than back then. If Sa-ma had been playing around and eating well while Gwon Geuk was making efforts, thereby diminishing his martial prowess, he might have become weaker than before, but the position of bishop in the Demonic Cult wasn’t one that could be maintained that way.
In other words, Wei Yan-ho was now facing two Gwon Geuks simultaneously. And he wasn’t just holding his own—he was overwhelming them.
No, to put it a bit crudely, he was completely crushing them.
Was this possible?
Common sense was crumbling. It felt like all the laws of the world he knew were being shaken.
Of course, Shin Gi-sua knew.
Sometimes beings that break common sense appear in the world. Those who smash everything that was considered natural until then and establish a new order.
Those who leave their names in history and overturn all the old customs that existed before.
The world calls such people heroes.
Turbulent times call forth heroes. Since turbulent times had begun, it wouldn’t be strange for a hero to appear. It might even be something to accept naturally.
But…
‘Why does it have to be that bastard!’
A hero! A hero, I tell you!
Why does that hero have to be Wei Yan-ho of all people?
Those who don’t know Wei Yan-ho might cheer at the appearance of a new hero. But those who know Wei Yan-ho could only react lukewarmly.
Because they knew what kind of bastard Wei Yan-ho was!
Look.
Even Wei Yan-ho’s father was clicking his tongue with a subtle expression right now!
This was the kind of bastard Wei Yan-ho was—making his father react like that when his son was performing so brilliantly!
‘Heaven is truly heartless.’
Shin Gi-sua looked up at the sky with sorrowful eyes. Now it was obvious that the order of the martial world would be reorganized around that bastard.
There was no need to consider the case of losing the war. The martial world would disappear anyway.
But if they won this war, the martial world would change under the name of Wei Yan-ho.
The name Wei Yan-ho…
“No way!”
“Yes?”
When Wei Jeong-han startled in surprise, Shin Gi-sua grabbed Wei Jeong-han by the collar.
“This is all because of you.”
“Gack! Military Advisor, sir! Why are you doing this!”
“Because you abandoned your family and went gallivanting around outside, didn’t that bastard grow up with such a personality! What the hell did you do, you damned bastard!”
“…You used to say I was manly and spirited…”
“When did I ever!”
Wei Jeong-han quietly lowered his eyes.
He definitely had memories of hearing that, but right now his memories meant nothing. When you don’t have power, you have to submit.
“Or you should have had him more moderately! What is that! Does that make any sense?”
“…It’s not like you can control that when having children.”
“You should have controlled it!”
Wei Jeong-han closed his eyes.
Though Shin Gi-sua was being unreasonable, he deeply understood those feelings. Nothing was more terrible than a supreme master with an awful personality being uncontrollable.
Moreover, Wei Yan-ho’s personality couldn’t even be expressed with the word awful.
“Of all people…”
Shin Gi-sua’s shoulders trembled slightly.
Wei Jeong-han truly sympathized with Shin Gi-sua. If he had been in Shin Gi-sua’s position, he would have reacted exactly the same way.
“Did he discover some Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng field in Xinjiang?”
“If such things existed in Xinjiang, would the Central Plains have survived until now?”
“Then what the hell is that supposed to be?”
“…Do you think I know?”
“Don’t speak irresponsibly, explain it properly.”
“I really don’t know either.”
Wei Jeong-han sighed.
“It’s been a long time since he left my hands.”
Shin Gi-sua released his grip on Wei Jeong-han.
“What the hell is going on here…”
His eyes followed Wei Yan-ho’s back.
That back that was now standing upright.
“Hmm.“
Wei Yan-ho brushed off his hands as if he wasn’t satisfied.
‘This isn’t it.’
There was a line drawn in his mind. He tried to follow that line with his body, but he couldn’t follow it perfectly. It might look similar at first glance, but it was definitely different.
One slight difference.
Just one slight difference.
But that one slight difference was infinitely distant and difficult.
“I can’t do it even once, not even once!”
His chest felt stuffy.
He didn’t have the vain expectation of implementing his master’s martial arts. He just wanted to imitate it somewhat similarly, just once, but even that wasn’t easy.
“Tch.“
Wei Yan-ho pouted.
A master who had completed his own artistic style embedded courtesy and the Way in even carelessly drawn lines. Those who hadn’t reached the same level couldn’t imitate that line no matter how hard they tried. It seemed similar but was different. Even drawing it thousands and tens of thousands of times wouldn’t produce the same single line.
Then he should give up imitation and establish his own artistic style. But when such a perfect painting was right before his eyes, how could he give up that path?
Wei Yan-ho sighed deeply and lowered his sword.
‘It’s far away.’
Vastly so.
To the point where he wondered if he could ever reach it.
“Ugh.“
A groan escaped naturally.
‘I really don’t know if this is the right path.’
When a tit tries to follow a stork, its crotch splits. The difference between Wei Yan-ho and Baek Mu-han wasn’t just the difference between a tit and a stork. It was more like the difference between a dragon and an earthworm.
Would it really be a path for the earthworm’s sake for an earthworm to fuss about becoming a dragon? Living peacefully in contentment underground might be happier.
Even if the image of a dragon stirring up wind and clouds kept appearing before his eyes.
“It seems possible, but this is really…”
Wei Yan-ho, who had sighed deeply, raised his head.
Murderous intent sharp enough to pierce flesh poured out.
“Well now, you’re quite sturdy.”
If they were ordinary people, their internal organs would have burst ten more times over. But as if the position of bishop wasn’t won by playing cards, those gentlemen were getting up just fine.
Kwaaaaang!
The main hall building exploded as something pitch black charged toward Wei Yan-ho. Wei Yan-ho looked at that sight and lowered his sword.
Trembling air.
Ear-splitting roar.
Swaying hair.
Even in the midst of all this, Wei Yan-ho’s eyes didn’t waver at all.
What his master had instilled in him first was an unshakable immovable mind that wouldn’t waver in any situation.
All the things Baek Mu-han had left for Wei Yan-ho began to bear fruit at this very moment.
“You bastaaaaard!”
Sa-ma, blood streaming from his mouth and nose, flew at him screaming at the top of his lungs. His eyes soaked in madness and his trembling fingertips showed that Sa-ma was truly excited.
Wei Yan-ho watched Sa-ma’s appearance with ice-cold eyes.
Sword.
The hanging sword slowly moved above his head.
It was a strange sensation.
Even though he was clearly holding the sword in his hand, he couldn’t feel the sword’s existence.
A sensation different from unity. The tactile sensation at his fingertips made the sword’s existence fade away as if it were an illusion.
But it didn’t matter.
Whether what was in his hand was a sword, a club, or a tree leaf.
Because there was only one trajectory he had to follow.
— It doesn’t matter what it is. A sword would be fine. And it would be fine if it’s not a sword. You just need to be at the place you should go, at the time you should go. There’s no need to be fast, no need to be slow. You just need to implement that appropriate place and appropriate time and appropriate strength with your sword. If only that can be done…
His master smiled. With such a wonderful smile.
— Your sword will become invincible.
The white sword was drawn downward.
Without brilliant light, without fierce momentum…
It was simply drawn downward naturally. Like a stick wielded by a child.
What was gathered, what was built up, what was agonized over.
All of those things were contained in the sword, then disappeared like an illusion.
Everything mixed together, then slowly melted away. As if they had never existed from the beginning. Like tearing down what had been built up in an instant, Wei Yan-ho simply drew his sword downward.
Even abandoning the greed to pursue.
He didn’t chase the trajectory of his master’s sword. He created the sword he himself thought was most perfect.
The moment he abandoned everything.
Wei Yan-ho’s sword drew the same trajectory as his master’s. What he couldn’t obtain when trying to obtain it came to his fingertips when he tried to abandon it.
And that sword split everything.
The air, the earth, the building.
Even the heart of the demon charging at Wei Yan-ho.
It split futilely.
