Reincarnated Swordmaster

Chapter Title: Heavenly Realm

The man standing before me was undoubtedly the same Yong Jung-il I had seen before. He wasn't otherworldly in appearance, but he was a handsome middle-aged man with a well-honed physique. Most striking of all was the fact that scarcely any qi emanated from him. From that alone, I grasped a certain realm.

'Return Convergence!'

Qi that had reached its pinnacle converged into a single point for maximum efficiency. It was a state automatically adjusted to explosively unleash true qi from that focal point—the technique by which peak experts controlled their qi through intent.

I had ascended to the Return Convergence realm myself, but I wasn't yet fully accustomed to it. It demanded innate sensitivity, requiring meticulous control through intent. In contrast, the Yong Jung-il before me seemed to keep his qi perfectly contained within, not revealing even a trace.

My heart grew heavy.

It was because I could now vaguely perceive Yong Jung-il's true level of martial prowess, which I hadn't grasped before. Back then, my own realm hadn't been sufficient to gauge his strength, but now that I could, the situation felt all the more burdensome.

Yong Jung-il was strong!

Strong enough that even Jin So-cheong would need to draw his spear!

"This is the Yangtze River, and Yellow Mountain isn't far from here. I was out viewing the river's scenery with the elders after a long time and ended up here."

"……"

Not only Jin So-cheong, but I too wore a look of disbelief.

How could he be so brazen!

Anyone could see that some shady deal had gone south, prompting Yong Jung-il to slaughter the Nangong Family experts. Yet here he was, trying to brush it off as if nothing had happened? Jin So-cheong glared at him and said calmly,

"You're calling it sightseeing, are you? But I just read your lips and saw your conversation."

"Hmm…? What did they say?"

"The Nangong Family people greeted you, and you greeted them back. Then they demanded the manual for the Wind God Style from your side."

"And?"

"And just now, you struck them down with hidden energy."

Jin So-cheong cut through the thick-skinned excuses to the heart of the matter, and Yong Jung-il tilted his head.

"What's the problem?"

"What…?"

Yong Jung-il pointed at the corpses that had died instantly from the hidden energy and continued.

"The Nangong Family has already been expelled from the Five Great Families, and their inhuman atrocities were exposed to the world by you, Jin So-cheong. They're already shunned across the martial world of Anhui Province and secretly branded as public enemies. And yet they dare to ask me about the White Lotus Cult's profane arts? Isn't that the very definition of an evil faction?"

"……"

Truly brazen.

"As the leader of one of the Nine Great Sects and Eight Great Clans, I couldn't just let such wicked fiends go free."

I was so flabbergasted that my face twisted in disgust.

'Crazy bastard!'

I knew that Yong Jung-il was actually the eldest son of Yong Bi-cheon, the guardian warrior of the Wind God Style, and a master of it himself. He held the position of Yellow Mountain Sect leader, but he was also a high-ranking member of the White Lotus Cult. And yet, after committing murder to cut off loose ends right in front of us, he had the gall to act this shamelessly!

Naturally, Jin So-cheong knew this too, and his face twisted in anger. But after a moment's thought, he said to Yong Jung-il,

"Fair enough. Fortunately, though, these two survived amid the misfortune."

Everyone's gazes turned to my back. I was shielding two Nangong Family experts who were trembling in terror. Three of the five had been slain by Yong Jung-il, but Jin So-cheong's timely intervention had saved these two. Yong Jung-il glanced at the survivors and replied,

"Hand over those two. Letting them live will make people suspect you're siding with the Nangong Family."

"Sect Leader Yong."

"Why do you call?"

Flames leaped in Jin So-cheong's eyes.

"Enough. I could settle life and death with you right here."

Fwhoosh.

Jin So-cheong raised his spear horizontally, expressing his quiet fury with that single motion. Terrifying intent-infused energy rippled through it, causing the experts guarding Yong Jung-il's flanks to falter and retreat three paces.

"Ugh…!!"

"Monster!!"

Judging by their faces and attire, they weren't Yellow Mountain Sect elders. They were complete strangers. As I noted the identities of those escorting Yong Jung-il, I thought,

'Probably Wind God Style experts.'

Yong Jung-il had come here precisely to cut off loose ends. He wouldn't have brought Yellow Mountain Sect elders who could implicate him greatly. In that light, he likely wasn't thrilled with the current situation either.

Hummm.

Yong Jung-il stood tall like Mount Tai, deflecting Jin So-cheong's aura, then casually waved his hand. Jin So-cheong's pressure dissipated midair, and his eyebrows twitched. It was an intent-based technique; Yong Jung-il had just unleashed a powerful repulsive field.

Having shaken off Jin So-cheong's aura, Yong Jung-il let out a groan.

"Hmm… You're beyond expectations. Is the rumor true that you wiped out the Nangong Family barehanded? Honestly, I have no desire to make an enemy of you, Jin So-cheong."

His expression as he confessed this seemed sincere. But given his inscrutably cunning nature, I had no choice but to remain wary. Jin So-cheong stared at him steadily before saying,

"If Sect Leader Yong insists on killing these two, I'll have no choice but to go all out."

"Haha, no need to worry. I wouldn't risk a life-or-death duel with you over trash like that. Certainly not in a shabby place like this."

Yong Jung-il let out an enigmatic chuckle and continued.

"I'll take my leave now. The Yangtze's scenery is a wonder of the world; I'd like to enjoy it more."

"You're leaving?"

Jin So-cheong took a bold step forward.

"By whose permission!"

Clang clang clang!

In that instant, Yong Jung-il's escorts tensed and drew their swords in unison. Blazing blue sword qi rose from their blades—the signature energy of the Wind God Style. As tension crackled through the air, Yong Jung-il waved his hand to restrain them and looked at me.

"That young man seems like quite the expert. No—a rejuvenated master, perhaps?"

"……"

"The rivers and lakes are vast indeed. So many hidden masters I know nothing of."

Muttering to himself, Yong Jung-il continued.

"Jin So-cheong. Take this."

Fwhoosh.

Yong Jung-il pulled a command medallion from his bosom and tossed it to Jin So-cheong. Hurled like it was sliding along a clothesline, its speed was terrifying enough to kill most experts attempting to catch it. Moreover, it carried infused intent, amplifying its force.

But Jin So-cheong caught it effortlessly, and Yong Jung-il said as if he'd expected as much,

"When you have time, bring that to my sect."

"Why would I visit Yellow Mountain Sect?"

"Who knows? Something will come up, and you'll visit anyway."

With that vague reply, Yong Jung-il turned on his heel.

"Until next time."

With that, Yong Jung-il departed along the riverbank with his entourage using lightness skill. Jin So-cheong could have attacked but merely watched them go. Then he turned to me.

"Baek Woong. Are those two alright?"

"They're fine. Just scared out of their wits."

Even as I spoke, I felt incredulous. The two Nangong Family experts behind me were first-class swordsmen of considerable skill, yet the mere aftermath of Yong Jung-il's hidden energy had crushed their spirits. They had been so debilitated that even swinging their swords by force would have been a miracle; terror had utterly dominated them.

'What kind of martial art is that?'

Likely a secret Wind God Style technique, but I'd never heard of hidden energy that could subdue first-class experts so effortlessly. As I channeled qi into their meridians to treat them, Jin So-cheong said,

"Mang Ryang. I held back because you said not to fight, but was that wise?"

Swoosh!

Mang Ryang's figure suddenly appeared from empty air. He'd apparently arrived early via shrinking-earth technique and hidden himself with concealment. He'd been by our side during the exchange with Yong Jung-il just now. Mang Ryang nodded and said,

"He's not someone we can fight on a whim. As the second-in-command of the Wind God Style, he can't be taken down easily."

"…I suppose so."

Jin So-cheong sighed and said,

"Killing him would be tough. Even if we all ganged up, at least one of us would lose an arm."

His words startled me, and I looked at him.

"That strong?"

"I'm not confident I surpass Yong Jung-il. I think I'd win in a fight, but the margin wouldn't be great."

"……!!"

My heart shook.

The current Jin So-cheong had reached an unparalleled pinnacle among the Central Plains' supreme experts. Even if the Sword Demon struggled against him, he could be called the strongest, barring the guardian warriors. And yet he spoke with such uncertainty?

'Yong Jung-il is that strong...?'

Flustered, I said to Jin So-cheong,

"Wait! That doesn't make sense… He doesn't even have a Heavenly Spirit Pill, does he?"

"Neither do I. It seems Yong Jung-il's pure martial enlightenment has reached an unparalleled realm."

"Huh…"

"He strikes me as the type who never reveals his claws unless absolutely necessary."

Mang Ryang, who had overheard our conversation, chimed in.

"I agree. An unexpected formidable foe has appeared."

"In my past lives, Yong Jung-il never truly fought me. If he'd gone all out, the situation could have turned around. Why not?"

"As I said, he's the type who endures and emerges as the final victor. No matter how favorable the board, he'll never fight if there's a variable. Put another way, if Yong Jung-il wants to fight, it's a gravely dangerous situation."

"Hmm."

An extremely cautious peak expert!

As Mang Ryang said, it felt like an unforeseen ambush had surfaced. Only now, after a dozen reincarnations, was the true face of Yellow Mountain Sect's leader, Yong Jung-il, gradually revealing itself. Mang Ryang smirked and said,

"For now, let's hear the situation from these people."

As he suggested, I treated the two Nangong Family experts with medicine and acupuncture. After about an hour, they regained their senses and looked at us with complicated expressions. One of them bit his lip hard and said,

"Jin So-cheong, are you toying with us? Kill us if you want!"

"……"

It was a complicated situation. After all, Jin So-cheong was the one who had brought down the Nangong Family. These experts before us were innocents suffering due to the leadership's depravity. Jin So-cheong sighed and said,

"I only told you to abandon your positions and family, never to take your lives."

"Heh heh… You call that a joke? Damn it!!"

The Nangong Family expert, venting his rage, bellowed.

"Even if the family head and young lord deserve death, the Nangong Family is the foundation we've built with our lives' blood and sweat! Discard it overnight? Don't make me laugh!! We'll fight to the last man to defend our house."

As Jin So-cheong opened his mouth to reply, Mang Ryang intercepted coldly from the side.

"You're the ones who can't read the situation."

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