Chapter 33
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Paeng Seo-jin was a prodigy of the saber, taught directly by the Saber Emperor, Paeng Ji-ryang, the Clan Head of the Hebei Paeng Clan.
His uniquely spirited saber techniques had earned him the moniker "Dragon-Striking Saber."
Like Jegal Sagun, he too had been traversing the martial world to broaden his horizons when he was abducted by the Demonic Cult.
Upon hearing the news, the Saber Emperor Paeng Ji-ryang, unable to contain his rage, took the lead in an effort to annihilate the Demonic Cult.
As a result, one year ago, Paeng Ji-ryang personally annihilated the Second Demonic Pavilion, one of the Demonic Cult's four pavilions.
However, Paeng Seo-jin was nowhere to be found there, and Paeng Ji-ryang himself suffered grave injuries in the battle, disappearing from public view for a year.
‘To think that Paeng Seo-jin, the very man the Saber Emperor has been searching for, would appear at the Namgung Clan, and as a madman no less.’
Namgung Jin let out a groan.
‘For the Saber Emperor's sake, I must cleanly take Paeng Seo-jin's head.’
It seemed the madmen would keep moving as long as their heads were attached.
Just then, Paeng Seo-jin swung his saber wide.
His movements were as light as a dance, but the power behind his swing was extraordinary.
*CRASH—!*
Namgung Jin's body was pushed back.
Each time he parried the devastatingly powerful saber, a stinging pain shot through his wrist.
If the fight dragged on, he would be the one at a disadvantage.
He might have managed against Paeng Seo-jin alone, but Namgung Jin had to deal with the other madmen as well.
‘I have to use my full strength and take care of Paeng Seo-jin first.’
A formidable aura erupted from Namgung Jin's body, and simultaneously, a bright light, like an eye, flashed from the sword in his hand.
It was Namgung Jin's own unique sword style, a slight modification of the Namgung Clan's heirloom martial art, the Emperor's Sword Form.
A style that added swiftness to the Emperor's Sword Form, which was defined by its heavy sword techniques. A style that struck down with weight, yet let the end of the blade flow lightly.
Namgung Jin's sword fiercely exploited an opening in Paeng Seo-jin's defense.
*SWISH!*
No matter how fast Paeng Seo-jin's saber moved, it was no match for Namgung Jin's sword.
Namgung Jin's sword mercilessly slashed Paeng Seo-jin's side.
"Kugh."
Paeng Seo-jin, who no longer seemed human, let out a bizarre groan but showed no sign of pain.
He appeared to have forgotten even pain itself.
"This time, I'm aiming for your neck."
Namgung Jin prepared to shoot forward.
But Paeng Seo-jin, as if determined not to fall for the same trick twice, shifted his heavy saber to his other hand and thrust one hand forward.
*BOOM!*
A blue flame erupted from the hand that had tightly gripped Namgung Jin's sword.
It was a palm strike as formidable as his saber techniques.
The Hebei Paeng Clan was renowned for its external arts, and it seemed that even as a madman, he had not forgotten his martial skills.
Not stopping there, Paeng Seo-jin swung the saber in his other hand wide.
It all happened in the blink of an eye.
“…!”
He had dodged the attack just a moment too late.
Before Paeng Seo-jin's saber could embed itself in his shoulder, the madman's perfectly intact neck was sliced clean off.
Then, a Lion's Roar echoed.
"How dare you! How dare these vile fiends invade the Namgung Clan!"
The shout, laden with potent Internal Energy, thundered through the heavens and earth, making the hairs on one's body stand on end.
The owner of that Lion's Roar was Namgung Seonyul.
He flew as if treading on air and landed before Namgung Jin. Behind him appeared Seol Lin, the Moon Shadow Brigade, and other warriors of the Namgung Clan.
It was Namgung Seonyul's Sword Force that had severed Paeng Seo-jin's neck in a single blow.
At the sight of that clean Sword Force, which left not even an afterimage, Namgung Jin forgot he was on a battlefield and stared in awe at his father's martial prowess.
‘A master of the Profound Realm…’
Indeed, it was a formidable prowess worthy of one of the Seven Emperors Under Heaven.
Namgung Jin belatedly called out to his father.
"Father!"
"Jin, my son, I'm a little late. Leave this to us now."
"Then I will go to Young Lady Baek."
"Go on."
His father was a powerful warrior who had felled Paeng Seo-jin, a man he himself had struggled against, in a single strike. He would surely be able to handle the remaining madmen with ease.
The same would be true even if Somagi were to reappear.
And so, trusting in Namgung Seonyul, Namgung Jin left the area.
As he used his Lightness Skill, his heart burned with impatience.
* * *
Daeu, who was facing off against Namgung Hyuk, was struggling. Namgung Hyuk was stronger than he had expected.
Namgung Hyuk, sensing his own strength, let out a smirk.
‘The effects of the Blood Fragrance Pills I received from the Demonic Cult are excellent.’
Namgung Hyuk had been continuously taking Blood Fragrance Pills, a spiritual elixir from the Demonic Cult.
As a result, his Internal Energy had increased, and he could now even wield Sword Aura, something he couldn't do before.
Victory would surely be his.
Indeed, Daeu's body was covered in numerous wounds.
The man seemed unable to use his full strength, as he was fighting while protecting Young Lady Baek and Jegal Haesu.
This was a boon for Namgung Hyuk. It seemed the match would be decided in a matter of seconds.
‘I wonder if Somagi handled things on Namgung Jin's end.’
Before coming to the reception hall, Namgung Hyuk had also burned the Heavenly Red Soul-Bewitching Incense near the Clan Head's quarters to put people to sleep.
He had taken advantage of everyone being asleep to open the rear gate of the Namgung Clan, arranging for Somagi and the Demonic Cult's madmen to enter.
After that, he had lured Namgung Jin there.
He had devised this wicked scheme, hoping that Namgung Jin would be gravely injured or killed while facing the madmen alone.
It was Somagi who had first proposed this grand undertaking.
A few days ago, it wasn't the usual Demonic Cultist Namgung Hyuk dealt with, but Somagi himself who had come to see him.
"This is the first time we've met in person. Do you know who I am, Division Head? Heh heh."
Unkempt, whitish-gray hair, upturned eyes, and a piercing gaze.
He had a different air about him than the other Demonic Cultists he had met.
Namgung Hyuk was certain that this man was the Blood Wolf Brigade Leader, the Venomous Serpent, the Crimson Emperor, Somagi.
"D-don't tell me you're the Venomous Serpent, the Crimson Emperor, Somagi…? W-why have you come all this way yourself?"
"I've come to make a deal."
"What kind of deal are you talking about?"
"If I were to give you the chance to rule the Namgung Clan… would you take it?"
"…!"
In other words, he was offering him the chance to become the Clan Head of the Namgung Clan.
Clan Head. It was a desire he had dreamed of for a long time.
An ambition he had tenaciously suppressed so that Namgung Seonyul would not discover it.
As if to prove he wasn't joking, Somagi deliberately exuded an intimidating pressure.
The red light shimmering like a heat haze behind Somagi's back looked nothing short of ecstatic.
Namgung Hyuk felt a strength emanating from him, a strength he could never possess and therefore coveted all the more.
As if mesmerized by that red light, Namgung Hyuk spoke.
"W-what must I do?"
"Haha! It seems the rumors that you harbored hatred for Namgung Seonyul and secretly dealt with us weren't false."
"My brother is a more villainous man than you think."
"Oh my. In that case, it seems all the more reason to punish him, doesn't it?"
"But my brother is not an opponent who can be dealt with easily. You know that as well, don't you?"
Namgung Seonyul was a master of the Profound Realm.
Somagi was also a master, but not to the extent that he would dare try to take down a master of the Profound Realm.
Just as he thought. He brought up someone else's name.
"You fool. Did you think I would target the Emperor Sword God? The target is the Young Lord. If you kill or cripple him, the Namgung Clan could become yours, Division Head."
‘Kill or cripple Namgung Jin.’
If that happened, there was a high chance that Namgung Seonyul, who doted on his son, would fall into despair, causing the clan to decline.
If the clan declined, the possibility of Namgung Hyuk swallowing it whole would also increase.
"What must I do, and how?"
"Haha, I knew an ambitious Division Head like you would accept my proposal. A fine decision."
"But when my brother and the other division heads are present, it will be impossible to deal with Namgung Jin. We'll have to lure him outside the clan, or aim for a time when my brother has left the estate."
"Heh heh. My thoughts exactly. I intend to lure Namgung Seonyul and the main fighting force out of the clan."
"But my brother doesn't leave the clan unless it's for something truly important."
"Don't you worry about that! I'll leak false information to the Murim Alliance to make him go there. That day will be the anniversary of Namgung Jin's death."
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