Chapter 164
Chapter 164
The drinking table without Youngho felt extremely quiet and somewhat awkward.
Horyeung quietly gazed at the wine inside his cup. Seeing the emotions reflected on his own face within the wine, Horyeung let out a faint chuckle without realizing it.
‘Even when you think you understand him, you still don’t….’
Horyeung brought the wine—so clear and clean that it reflected his face—to his lips.
Soon after, Horyeung looked toward Namgung Cheon and asked in a low but respectful tone.
“I heard you have become the Young Master’s friend.”
“It wasn’t something I expected either, but that’s how it turned out.”
“Despite appearances, I have quite an impatient temperament. May I ask you one question?”
“Of course.”
When Namgung Cheon answered, Horyeung gave a small nod.
“What did the Young Clan Head see in the Young Master?”
“……What do you mean?”
“Then I shall tell you what I saw. When I looked at the Young Master, I saw a bottomless abyss whose end could not be measured.”
Only then did Namgung Cheon understand Horyeung’s intention.
“……Would it be acceptable if I spoke of the impression I have now, rather than my first impression?”
“Of course.”
Horyeung repeated the same words Namgung Cheon had spoken and simply watched him with a faint smile.
Namgung Cheon moved his lips for a moment, then took a deep breath before speaking.
“I felt a terrible loneliness from Youngho. Not merely the kind that comes from lacking bonds with people, but a deep solitude—as if the world itself had turned its back on him.”
Horyeung’s eyebrow twitched. He had not expected this young man, who had only recently met his lord, to understand Youngho so well.
He himself had experienced the same thing. At first curiosity, then admiration, and finally shock.
However, he had never expected that such a negative aura would exist behind that dazzling talent that shone with brilliance.
Behind the radiant talent lay a deep loneliness and sorrow.
At first, he thought it was merely a temporary phenomenon born from excessive talent. He believed that someday arrogance would awaken in place of humility.
But the young boy had known something.
That in this world, everyone except himself was a fool.
That there were dullards with talents inferior even to monkeys, desperately struggling to grow stronger.
‘His personality must have diverged right there.’
He could have mocked the foolishness of the dullards or pitied their futile efforts.
Contrary to expectations, Youngho did not look at the result but at the process.
He examined what effort that monkey had made, or whether that monkey had spent its days in laziness instead of effort.
He did not judge everything solely by results. That was what shaped the Youngho of today.
No matter how skilled a Martial Artist’s sword was, it could not satisfy Youngho’s eyes. Not even Cheonung.
Thus Youngho decided to see with his own eyes a sword worthy of his standards. To those who believed they had mastered unparalleled sword arts, he showed them that what they had been performing until now was not swordsmanship but merely a dance of blades.
Because of that, many things happened. Some despaired, some collapsed, and some even attempted self-harm from severe depression.
Yet they overcame it. Even when their pride as Martial Artists was trampled, once they overcame it once, the second time was not difficult.
Partly because they had no choice but to overcome that despair—but more importantly, once they overcame it and learned how to wield the sword properly, they became incomparably stronger than before.
It was truly fascinating.
Youngho’s attitude—behaving as if he knew everything—was strange beyond measure, yet they still followed him.
Because Youngho’s back was sturdy and broad.
Because it felt as though he could bear everything upon himself and still endure.
But as time passed, they realized something.
Youngho was also a human being. A man made of flesh and bone.
As time passed, Youngho’s loneliness only deepened.
Even when Kang Chowon grew, even when Hyeongang was called the Divine Physician of Ten Thousand Hands, Youngho remained lonely.
He genuinely rejoiced—yet was lonely.
That contradictory attitude only deepened the curiosity of the Asura Squad.
Horyeung still remembered it.
The moment Youngho met Namgung Cheon—the moment he witnessed that meeting with his own eyes.
At that time, Youngho had been strangely pleased.
As though he had met a long-lost friend.
Because Youngho rarely revealed his emotions to others, Namgung Cheon would never have known.
How happy Youngho had been that day.
And how sad he had been as well.
The more Youngho spoke with Namgung Cheon, the more sadness replaced the initial joy on his face, and each time Horyeung saw it, his lips twitched.
There were simply too many things he wanted to ask.
Yet he deliberately asked nothing.
Seeing that expression on Youngho’s face—where joy and sorrow coexisted at the same time—left him unable to ask any question.
Perhaps that was why Horyeung was especially wary of Namgung Cheon.
When Youngho had first met Hwangbo Nyeong, he had also been pleased—but the reaction had been on a completely different level.
Horyeung had received Namgung Cheon’s answer.
And now he had to explain why he had asked the question.
Horyeung looked directly into Namgung Cheon’s eyes with a solemn gaze. Perhaps Namgung Cheon had not expected such direct eye contact, because a faint ripple flickered in his eyes before quickly settling.
“The reason I asked is because I felt the same emotion that the Young Clan Head felt.”
“So I will tell you in advance.”
Horyeung spoke with a sly expression—nothing like his usual gentle demeanor—like a man who could charm an emperor with nothing but his silver tongue.
“From now on, I will test you. Again and again.”
“Who exactly intends to test me? You?”
Namgung Cheon’s voice carried a faint killing edge, but Horyeung merely chuckled as if unconcerned.
“Who else would test you besides me? After all, you are the one who will become the Clan Head of the Namgung Clan and command the world.”
“That is not something that should come from the mouth of someone who serves Youngho as his lord. Anyone living in Youngho’s generation—no matter how brightly they shine—will be buried beneath the overwhelming brilliance that is Youngho.”
“That is precisely why I say it. The Young Master trusts you greatly.”
“……Trusts me?”
“Yes. To be precise, it would be more accurate to say he has faith in you. I do not know exactly what he trusts about you. However…”
Horyeung narrowed his eyes like a cunning serpent.
“If you ever betray the Young Master, you will face grave consequences.”
“You seem awfully talkative for someone speaking behind Youngho’s back.”
“Do you think the Young Master cannot hear this conversation?”
“What confidence.”
“Think of it as faith in my lord. In any case, I shall take my leave now. I must not take too much of the Young Master’s friend’s time. I will inform the Young Master.”
Horyeung truly seemed to have nothing more to say. Without hesitation, he left the room.
Namgung Cheon recalled Horyeung’s departing figure and muttered.
“Why is he so irritating…?”
Even when Youngho soon returned and asked what had happened, Namgung Cheon’s stiff expression showed no sign of relaxing.
Late at night.
Flames like a raging inferno blazed at the summit of the Kunlun Mountains, as if trying to ascend into the heavens.
Countless corpses lay scattered across the ground in disarray, and only the Men in Black nearby silently stabbed their swords into the bodies, confirming their deaths.
A man watching the scene in despair repeatedly moved his lips, yet no sound came out, as though his throat had closed.
The man, silently shedding tears, appeared both utterly despairing and completely resigned.
After kneeling for a while and staring at the burning pavilions and corpses, a large, imposing man approached and spoke.
“So Kunlun was nothing special after all. I heard it was quite powerful when someone called the Sword Emperor existed in ancient times, but the current Sect Leader doesn’t even come close to reaching his feet.”
At the sound of the man mentioning him, Taehuh looked at him with hollow eyes.
“Even the will is weak. Well, it doesn’t matter. Kunlun will be wiped out today anyway.”
Extermination.
At that single word, the light that had vanished from Taehuh’s eyes returned.
“You bastard…!!”
Hatred, vengeance, fury—Taehuh felt as though he could pay any price if it meant killing the man before him.
As his previously stunned mind returned, many things came into view.
The Martial Pavilion where the original copies of all Kunlun’s Martial Arts manuals were stored.
The disciples and elders of Kunlun who had fought with all their strength yet ultimately died.
Crrrk!
Taehuh ground his teeth so hard it seemed they might shatter.
Yet he could not move.
His Qi and blood were ruined, and his Dantian had been destroyed.
Moreover, as if he would not permit even the slightest movement, the man before him had already struck his Acupoints, stiffening his muscles.
“How dare you… how dare you!”
“It is merely the price for making a foolish choice.”
“……What?”
“Kunlun could have temporarily evacuated elsewhere in preparation for the war. But you did not.”
“I know that much.”
Taehuh spat out each word like a wounded beast baring its fangs.
“You filthy creatures would never understand. Our mission. What we must protect.”
“What exactly did you need to protect? I truly cannot understand.”
“You do not understand the Martial World, the world itself, or the Greater Righteousness. That is why you are called the Demonic Cult. Because you disturb righteousness and trample people, you are called those who defy the heavens.”
“Ha!”
The man had already found the existence before him laughable, but after hearing those words, he became even more certain.
“The ones in the Central Plains truly are a bunch of clowns. In the end it’s just a dog’s death, yet you’re remarkably skilled at dressing it up.”
“If you mock Kunlun’s sacrifice any further, I will tear your mouth to pieces.”
The chilling Killing Intent made the man shrug his shoulders.
“How foolish. Judging by the fact that you’re still sane, you must be placing your faith in the other disciples at that training ground created by the Alliance.”
“Kunlun’s lineage will continue. Your filthy plan will ultimately collapse into nothing, and someone from the Orthodox Sect will cut off your head.”
“So you shift the damage caused by your foolish actions—done only to preserve appearances—onto others.”
At first he had thought the man manageable. Now he simply found him ridiculous.
“You ruined what should have been your best effort through arrogance. Starting with you, we will announce the coming war.”
The man lightly grabbed Taehuh by the neck, as if he had lost all interest.
“So the Nine Sects and One Gang aren’t anything special either. If Kunlun—who has been stopping our Divine Cult until now—is only this much, I don’t even need to see the others.”
Crack!
The man crushed Taehuh’s neck with his grip and turned around.
“Gundo?”
Gundo, who had played a tremendous role in obtaining the Heaven-Shaking Pill last time, stepped forward.
“Danhyeokse. The plan has changed.”
“Did that old Demon Brain say it?”
Gundo nodded.
“He said speed is the most important thing. We are to spread our forces widely and advance at the fastest possible pace.”
“And the departure?”
“In three days. The Beggars’ Sect needs time to spread the information throughout the world. And he ordered that the existence of the Twelve Demons be revealed to the world.”
“I dislike performing like a clown.”
“It is for him.”
“More precisely, it must be what the Demon Brain said.”
Danhyeokse clicked his tongue irritably.
“Tch. Fine, I’ll handle it. How much chaos should I cause?”
“He gave no specific command.”
“Of course he didn’t. Those fools in the Central Plains never understand the level of danger unless they see it with their own eyes.”
After glancing briefly at Gundo, Danhyeokse began walking forward.
“Within one month, we will conquer the Central Plains.”
Gundo watched Danhyeokse stride away, then looked back at the burning Kunlun behind him.
For a sect ranked among the upper tiers of the Nine Sects and One Gang, its end was pitifully shabby.
Even a simple stroll had taken longer than this.
Turning his gaze away from the burning pavilions, Gundo followed after Danhyeokse.