Reincarnated Sword Ghost

Dark Path Martial World

"What, what did you say?"

He was visibly flustered.

His face, which had been pierced in its weak spot, was so blatantly obvious that Jeong-un let out a faint, derisive laugh.

"Heh, you're talking nonsense! What could I possibly be hiding?"

"That's what I just asked you."

"Shut up!"

He said nothing more.

In any case, the truth would be revealed soon enough.

Jeong-un wondered if perhaps he had hidden away the books he had offered to the District Head.

He questioned if it was worth holding onto such things when his life was in jeopardy, but on the other hand, he thought that it might be necessary if he wanted to get back on his feet somewhere else.

Of course, he didn't think something like that would actually happen.

'What a ridiculous man.'

From Jeong-un's perspective, it was simply absurd.

He wasn't even that curious about what was hidden.

It was merely the man's attitude that amused him.

'Whatever it is he's hiding.'

A story about Gongno, who once claimed to be emperor and died clutching the imperial seal, suddenly came to mind.

Regardless of how valuable something is, what use is it once you've crossed the river of death?

In the end, it only becomes the subject of jokes after death.

"......"

Jeong-un swept his dull eyes over the men before him.

The ones whose fighting spirit had faded now seemed to rekindle their determination, their eyes sharpening once again, but he paid it no mind.

If anything, he thought it was for the best.

He had asked Yang Se-ok to handle things after, but it seemed more certain to take care of it himself.

'It's a gathering of this city's trash. I should cut down as many of them as possible.'

These were men who took money in exchange for lives.

The world had become a place where human life was cheap, all because of men like these.

Each and every one deserved to die—no, needed to die.

It wasn't easy to gather such men all in one place.

In many ways, it was a precious opportunity.

Jeong-un almost wanted to thank Jeon Seok-gyeon.

'It's helpful for my training too.'

He knew he would face countless life-and-death battles against many at once in the future.

It didn't matter whether the opponent was an expert or not.

Gaining experience in facing multiple adversaries after his life was invaluable.

Fighting those who had lost their will and tried to flee easily wasn't helpful.

That was why he left Jeon Seok-gyeon, who was shouting and urging the men on from the back, alone.

'This isn't anything special. Bigger fights will happen countless times later.'

To handle such situations calmly and fight optimally, he needed ample experience stored up.

Surely, these moments would one day shine.

At that moment, the men began to move their feet.

Watching Jeong-un's expressions, they slowly shifted and clumsily formed a circular formation around him.

There were still dozens of them.

He was surrounded by layers upon layers of human figures.

Jeong-un, who quietly took in their forms, spoke out.

"Widen your spacing."

"...?"

At his random remark, the men exchanged confused glances.

Jeong-un continued in a calm tone.

"Are you planning to cut your companion as you swing your sword? If you want to surround someone, leave enough room for swordplay."

"..."

"Right."

At Jeong-un's instructions, the men unconsciously adjusted their gaps, but then, realizing something, their expressions twisted.

Watching them in helpless confusion, Jeon Seok-gyeon shouted.

"What are you doing, you fools! Attack at once and kill him!"

But none of them moved easily.

Each one, tense, held up their weapons and glared at Jeong-un.

Instinctively, they knew.

Just because they outnumbered him didn't mean their lives would be spared in this battle.

Men who cherished their own lives wouldn't muster the courage to make the first move.

They just glared, filling their eyes with murderous intent, watching each other for signs.

"No point in hesitating. In any case, you're all going to die."

"......"

"If you won't come, then I'll go to you."

With that, Jeong-un stepped forward, his face completely composed.

The circular formation shifted in response, instinctively trying to keep their distance.

Jeon Seok-gyeon, growing increasingly frustrated, shouted again.

"I'll give the position of deputy-group leader to whoever strikes him first!"

"......"

For a moment, a strange silence hovered. It was the moment greed outweighed self-preservation.

At last, a few of them met each other's gaze, then screamed curses like a war cry and charged.

"Die!"

"You bastard!"

Jeong-un gathered his true ki.

He could clearly feel its flow through his meridians.

His senses were exceedingly sharp. He drove all his energy to the Yongcheon point on the sole of his foot.

And then, he took a single step forward.

Boom!

With just a slight leap, a small tremor was felt in the ground.

Even before the dust could rise, a wave of true ki radiated out in a circular shock, spreading away from him like ripples.

Jeong-un sensed he had become quite skilled at channeling internal power into his forcible stride.

He also realized that the step he made with true stride finally took on a defined form.

The motions of his feet combined with the wielding of his ki made the force of his step more streamlined, shedding unnecessary movement.

'I could even name this.'

As he thought this, the rushing men suddenly froze.

Faces shocked as they collided head-on with the wave of true ki.

They seemed completely stunned by such overwhelming internal energy.

It was a realm they were experiencing for the first time as martial artists.

These were men who, since making their own dantian in their bodies, had never truly questioned what martial arts really meant.

Sssshhh!

Without hesitation, Jeong-un swung his sword. He slashed straight at the men holding swords.

A few, as if expecting a bursting sword strike, hurriedly lifted their blades to block him. He paid no mind.

He didn't intend to shatter their sword blades with his own unique, pure internal power.

He simply planned to cut through everything in his path.

He realized there was a difference between breaking a sword and slicing it cleanly through.

Even so, he was confident. That's how vast the gap between him and them was.

Shhhhng!

The strike cut the men horizontally, slicing straight through their swords as well.

He cut through swords as if they were paper.

It was the result of overwhelming difference in cultivated power.

"How can a sword like that...?"

"That's impossible...!"

As those watching gaped in shock, Jeong-un immediately took another step forward, using lightness skill to close in on the men surrounding him in an instant.

Slash!

With his sword brimming with true ki, he swung, beheading five or six necks at once.

These were the men whose fighting spirit he had just reignited.

Still, not one managed to properly block with their swords.

Nor could they retreat; in utter chaos, their formation collapsed.

"Kill him!"

"I—I'm not doing this. That bastard is different!"

"Sp-spare me...!"

Slash!

Jeong-un paid no mind to their words.

They hadn't cared either when they had swung their swords at others.

There were far too many sins to listen to each and every excuse.

Sshh!

As he swung again, another round of screams erupted.

He kept stepping forward, weaving through the group, slashing with swift sword technique.

He poured out his internal power without restraint. It was truly a merciless spectacle.

"What... what is that...?!"

Watching, Jeon Seok-gyeon muttered quietly, then took steps backward, toward the house in the rear.

'That one is... different...'

Jeon Seok-gyeon stared at Jeong-un with trembling pupils.

He was unlike them.

Just imbuing internal energy into a grabbed sword was enough to let one play the superhuman before commoners.

Just that much, for years, was enough to be called a martial artist.

Only now did he realize.

They themselves weren't true martial artists.

Now he understood why the prestigious Yang Clan or other orthodox martial artists would frown as they passed by.

It had been laughable—the way they swaggered around, cloaked in the aura of the District Head.

Thud, dadadak!

Ending his thoughts, Jeon Seok-gyeon turned and rushed into the inner quarters.

Everything was over.

He meant to grab the wooden box containing the Human-shaped Ginseng and escape.

Who knew how long his men could hold off that monster.

He had no choice but to hurry.

'Damn it, if only...!'

He should have escaped earlier.

Even after witnessing overwhelming martial skills with his own two eyes, he hadn't fled immediately because he still coveted the power and wealth he had accumulated here.

He had only thought, in theory, that he could give it all up and leave if he could truly become a real martial artist.

Part of him hoped that martial artists, being human too, would eventually tire as time passed.

'After all I've gained!'

He hurried up the stone steps and into the inner quarters.

Behind him, the sounds of flesh and blood being ripped apart continued.

No one seemed to pay any attention to him.

They couldn't afford to.

Dozens of men tangled with weapons—it was a scene so gruesome it could drive even him, who'd killed dozens in his life, to insanity.

Bang!

He shoved the door open with his body.

Instinctively putting internal energy into it, the door was completely shattered and sent flying.

He'd practically rammed his whole body into it.

His mind was so blank his hands barely moved.

'I—I need to hurry!'

He didn't know when that lunatic would notice.

For now, he was too busy slicing down those in his way, but Jeon Seok-gyeon knew well how keen a martial artist's ki sense was.

He fully understood the superhuman miracles a handful of internal power could achieve.

Even he himself was sensitive to the approach of any aura or blade.

Crash!

He grabbed the large wooden chest attached to the wall and shoved it to the side.

As the trunk fell, a bare wall was revealed.

Jeon Seok-gyeon channeled all his power into his wrist and smashed his fist into the wall.

Smash!

The wall gave way instantly, revealing an empty space. There, he could see the wooden box.

Normally, it was a secret place he would open carefully using a mechanism.

But there was no time for that now.

"That's it...!"

His eyes gleamed as he snatched up the wooden box.

Then he quietly tucked it into his robe.

The size of the box left his front lapels wide open, but he didn't care.

He would run right away, after all.

Just then, he sensed something out of place.

'Why is it so quiet...?'

Boom—!

The wall beside him exploded.

In an instant, dust clouded the air and debris flew everywhere.

The shock blast flung Jeon Seok-gyeon across to the opposite wall.

At the same time, the wooden box he had tucked inside his robe flew into the air.

'N-no!'

And beyond the dust, a figure appeared. Jeon Seok-gyeon instinctively sucked in his breath.

It was him.

"...!"

Jeong-un slowly approached him.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"Y-you... What about all those men outside...?"

"They're dead."

"...!"

Jeon Seok-gyeon looked at Jeong-un with trembling eyes, finally managing to speak.

"If you lay a hand on me, you'll die too. The entire Dark Path Martial World in Kaifeng belongs to me. If you turn them all into enemies, everyone will come to kill you!"

"From now on."

Jeong-un walked toward him slowly. The sword in his hand glinted in the dim light streaming in from outside.

"There is no Dark Path Martial World here anymore."

"...!"

-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=

If you forgot like I did, yongcheon point is in the sole of the foot.

【ദ്ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌)】