Chapter 53 – Honey Belly Sword (12)
Dark Sword.
That was the title given to Namgung Seon-wi who guarded the darkness of the Namgung family. In the past, Namgung Seon-wi, who survived the Sword Demon War, came to believe that force was the highest priority.
Those inexperienced youngsters who didn’t directly experience that fight would know nothing. The overwhelming martial prowess of the Sword Demon that he witnessed that day. At first, he felt fear at that absurd level of power.
And that fear soon transformed into obsession. Namgung Seon-wi did not believe that the Sword Demon had died. Because he believed that the Sword Demon would certainly return to the martial arts world someday.
To avoid repeating the same past, Namgung Seon-wi built his strength without regard for methods or means, which is why he came to be called the Dark Sword of the Namgung family.
“Indeed… So you have some basic skills. For a mere phantom.”
“Pardon?”
“It’s nothing. You should now withdraw and evacuate the survivors.”
“Ah, understood! Please be careful! Elder Namgung Seon-wi!”
Namgung Seon-wi responded with a casual wave of his hand and stepped forward with light footsteps. Sure enough, at the main gate, the family’s warriors were lying on the ground and bleeding.
“So you don’t personally chase after those who flee? For someone claiming to be the Sword Demon, you’re surprisingly softer than I imagined.”
“…And who might you be?”
“Late introduction. I am the Seventh Elder of the Namgung family, Dark Sword Namgung Seon-wi. I suppose I should just call you the Sword Demon?”
“It seems you know that I am not the Sword Demon. Yet you still call me that. Is there a reason?”
“I never said you weren’t the Sword Demon. Be careful, Birds listen to what’s said during the day, and rats listen to what’s said at night.”
Despite buildings being sliced like tofu, Namgung Seon-wi stood before Mu-myung with a calm expression. However, Mu-myung glared at Namgung Seon-wi with a hardened expression for the first time in his life.
‘He’s different from the masters I’ve met so far. At minimum, he’s at the super-peak level… No, he might even be beyond Enlightenment realm.’
Judging by the presence that touched his skin, Mu-myung thought he must be at that level. Well, for a family like Namgung, it wouldn’t be strange for a master who has reached Enlightenment realm to appear.
‘As expected, he’s not the real Sword Demon.’
Conversely, Namgung Seon-wi clearly recognized that the old man before him was not the Sword Demon. Judging by appearances, he didn’t seem like a complete nobody, at the very least.
But that alone is not enough.
You can’t reach the real ‘Sword Demon’ with just that.
That’s why Namgung Seon-wi personally planned this matter.
‘Whether it’s the Evil sect or the Sword Demon, they’re all equally troublesome. It would have been best for the Nam Gung family if they fought each other to mutual destruction… But, well, life doesn’t always go as you want.’
On that day, to win the Sword Demon War, the Namgung family secretly joined hands with the Evil sect. Thanks to this, the Namgung family won the Sword Demon War and became the leader of the righteous martial arts alliance.
But the real problem lay elsewhere. The Evil sect, which they thought would self-destruct soon, showed much more tenacious vitality than expected.
Naturally, Namgung Seon-wi had long advocated for the extermination of the Evil sect. Not particularly for the greater good, but because the Evil sect knew too many of the Namgung family’s dark secrets.
However, Namgung Seon-wi’s proposal was never accepted by the Namgung family. The position of the other elders and the family head, who didn’t want to create unnecessary trouble, took precedence.
[Is there any reason to get our hands dirty?]
[…They know too much, My Lord.]
[If it becomes a problem, we can deal with it then.]
Truly lamentable. If they had shown the same determination then as now, if they had been prepared to have blood on their hands. Then they wouldn’t be running wild like this.
“Justification is always necessary. Especially for those who rule from above like the Namugng family. At the same time, I can get rid of all that’s bothersome, making it truly killing two birds with one stone.”
“What connection did you have with the Evil sect? No, what happened in the Sword Demon War in the first place?”
“Do you really think I would tell you that with my own mouth?”
“…”
“Didn’t I tell you earlier? That you should be careful with your words, day and night. So let’s end this pointless conversation here.”
He caused such a disturbance in the courtyard of the Namgung family. This should be enough justification for the Namgung family to deal with the Sword Demon. Moreover, the opponent isn’t even the real Sword Demon, is he?
“Today is the day the Namgung family overcomes the Sword Demon.”
Rest assured. The Evil sect guys will follow you soon.
◇
As befitting his title as the Dark Sword, Namgung Seon-wi’s sword was very violent. Namgung Seon-wi’s violent sword path, which showed no sense of purity whatsoever, was closer to an evil sect than a righteous sect.
In fact, in a way, that was natural. In the past, Namgung Seon-wi experienced an overwhelming defeat by the Sword Demon and fell into despair. To overcome that despair, he made every effort.
And in that process, it was also natural that the image of the Sword Demon that he directly experienced would seep into him. To him, the Sword Demon was a symbol of despair.
At the same time, he was also an object of admiration. After all, there would be no martial artist who doesn’t admire the overwhelming power of the Sword Demon. Namgung Seon-wi’s sword was swung greatly.
Kwaaang!!
With tremendous impact, Mu-myung’s two legs sank into the ground and the earth began to crack. The battle between two peak realm masters was literally like a natural disaster to ordinary people.
‘His sword is heavy. Even much heavier than the Murong family head I faced before…!! He must be at the peak realm like me… No, even beyond that!’
As evidence, the sword energy flowing from Namgung Seon-wi’s sword was much thicker than that of Murong Gang, the head of the Murong family whom he had seen before. The moment he saw that, Mu-myung had to realize.
There’s no mistake.
That is the symbol of Enlightenment realm.
It’s Sword Force, beyond sword energy.
Of course, that was just Mu-myung’s misconception. It would be fair to say that, except for Mu-myung, there was virtually no one here who not only used Sword Force but even knew the concept.
Mu-myung also drew out his sword energy to counter Namgung Seon-wi. Soon, the swords of the two men, both surrounded by sword energy, were swung toward each other.
Surprisingly, the one who was pushed back from the front was none other than Mu-myung. Literally losing badly in the contest of strength, Mu-myung could only be bewildered. He had never been pushed back before.
Even when facing Murong Gang, the head of the Murong family, he had only held back to subdue him without killing him. Once he fought with all his might, he could win immediately.
But the old man before him was different. Perhaps there was a reason he was called the Dark Sword. Namgung Seon-wi literally showed an evenly matched, or rather slightly superior, strength against Mu-myung.
‘No, what I’m facing now is not just strength?’
At first, he thought he was being greatly pushed back in terms of strength. But the more swords clashed, the stranger the feeling became. It felt like he was facing a massive tree.
“You seem bewildered. Well, that’s understandable since you’ve been winning easily until now.”
“…Kuk!!”
“But I am different from those you’ve faced before.”
Unlike other swords that typically emphasize speed or agility. The Emperor’s Sword, the heaviest sword technique boasted by the Namgung family to pursue the path of weight through a heavy strong sword imbued with profound principles.
Emperor Sword Form(帝王劍形)
The emperor’s sword begins to press down on Mu-myung.
◇
A half-hearted mind resolve breeds hesitation, and hesitation makes one weak.
In contrast, Namgung Seon-wi had experienced defeat by the Sword Demon decades ago in his middle age. He had decided the path he should take. That path was very similar to the Sword Demon’s path.
It was a path that did not discriminate means and methods for the sake of purpose. The only difference was that no matter how much Namgung Seon-wi inwardly acknowledged the Sword Demon’s power and wanted to be like him, becoming completely like the Sword Demon was virtually impossible.
However, he could at least imitate the Sword Demon, and for an ordinary martial artist, even that was sufficiently remarkable.
Kwaaang!!
The strong sword of the Emperor Sword Form instantly began to press down on Mu-myung. The Dark Sword is a master who ranks among the top seven in the Five Great Families and has perfected the realm of invulnerability to all poisons.
Half-asseed tricks don’t work on Namgung Seon-wi. After all, he is one of the few survivors who witnessed the real Sword Demon and lived. And he has become several times stronger since then.
If it had been the original Mu-myung, he might have been intimidated or frightened by Namgung Seon-wi’s seemingly overwhelming power. But he was different now.
“…You’re strong. Disgustingly strong.”
A life-and-death battle. There are no longer any laws to constrain or people to restrain. Facing the battlefield where he could only prove his own strength, Mu-myung smiled.
[Don’t be overwhelmed by the enemy’s strength. Devour the enemy’s strength and become stronger yourself.]
As he crossed the line between life and death, someone’s bound memories began to unravel little by little.
