Chapter 13 – Tomb of the Sword God (1)

Five hundred years ago, a man appeared in the martial world, wielding a worn iron sword. At first, no one paid him any mind. After all, countless others had entered the martial world in much the same way.

But this man was different. First, wanderers and countless third-rate martial artists, then swordsmen from small and mid-sized sects, all fell before his worn iron sword, their lives forfeit.

The man sought stronger swordsmen, and as his fame grew, renowned swordsmen from across the martial world stepped forward to challenge his iron sword, but they all lost their lives.

Still, up to that point, there had been no major issue, as all his victims had been unaffiliated warriors.

The problem came next.

Famed swordsmen from the Nine Sects, excluding Shaolin, began to die by his sword.

The swordsmen of the Five Great Clans met the same fate. Feeling the threat, the leaders of the Martial Alliance resolved that they had to stop him.

Thus, the three strongest masters of the era, known as the Three Emperors, stepped forward. All had reached the Transformation Realm and were living legends of the martial world, each over a century old.

But the true legend began then. At the hands of that one man, all Three Emperors lost their lives. The martial world was left in stunned disbelief at this impossible event.

The Martial Alliance gathered its finest warriors to kill the man, but he vanished without a trace. His name unknown, he came to be called the Sword God, and he became a legend.

News that the Sword God’s tomb, his secret manual, and a treasure map detailing their location had been discovered began to slowly spread throughout the martial world.

A woman dashed through the trees, parting branches as she ran. She appeared to be in her late thirties.

Her clothes were torn, revealing one of her firm breasts in a provocative display.

But the woman, focused solely on her escape, had no time to check her appearance.

Her name was Nam So-un, her title the Wind Spirit Sword. She was renowned in the Hunan province for her beauty and martial skill. The reason she was being pursued like this was a treasure map she had chanced upon.

However, before she could even decipher where the map led, she was being hunted by other martial artists. Though she was using her exceptional skills to flee, shaking off so many pursuers was impossible.

“I believed I could change my destiny, but in the end, have the heavens forbidden it?”

Despite her formidable martial prowess, she was powerless before those stronger than her.

*Shhhwick!*

Dozens of hidden weapons suddenly flew through the air, piercing her entire body. And just like that, Nam So-un lost her life.

“The Sword God’s secret manual is mine.”

Clutching the treasure map in Nam So-un’s hand, the middle-aged man clenched his fist. Not even two hours later, he too lost his life, along with the map.

Mount Huang had already become a den of demons.

***

Five days had passed since Eun Seol-rin had become his woman.

Yu-jin sat before his mother, Ye Un-hyang, with Namgung Hwa-rin. Seeing how well they suited each other, Ye Un-hyang took Namgung Hwa-rin’s hand and spoke.

“Well, I’m glad you’ve taken a liking to Yu-jin.”

“Not at all, Mother. The Young Master is a truly wonderful person.”

Ye Un-hyang smiled and nodded at Hwa-rin’s words.

In any case, it was a relief that her future daughter-in-law was making a good impression. She had been terribly worried that Yu-jin might cause some sort of trouble this time.

‘Thank goodness I don’t have to worry anymore.’

Ye Un-hyang nodded to herself. Moreover, she had learned from his duel with Namgung Hwi that her son wasn’t just idling away his time with women.

It reassured her that, as the grand young master, he hadn’t neglected his martial arts training.

“Yu-jin.”

“Yes.”

“How about visiting the Namgung Clan? Now that Hwa-rin has accepted you, they said they’d like to see you as well. It seems demonstrating skills comparable to Young Master Namgung Hwi made a good impression.”

For Yu-jin, who had been planning to dally with the women of his own clan, the words came as a shock. But even he, who could bend almost everything to his will, had one thing he could not do: overturn his mother’s decision.

“I understand.”

As Yu-jin obediently nodded, Ye Un-hyang patted his shoulder.

And so, Yu-jin set off for the Namgung Clan with Namgung Hwa-rin and Namgung Hwi.

“My mother and father will like the Young Master when they see you, too. I’ve learned this time just how untrustworthy people’s words can be.”

In just a few days, Namgung Hwa-rin had shed her aggressive nature and become a completely different woman. Even her own brother, Namgung Hwi, couldn’t adapt to her change, but Yu-jin accepted it as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

As they walked slowly, Yu-jin stroked Namgung Hwa-rin’s bottom. His touch made her face flush red.

“We have some time. How about it?”

“I-I don’t know!”

Though she was captivated by him, she still possessed a girlish sensibility. At his words, she quickly broke from his embrace and fled.

“So cute.”

Yu-jin smiled as he watched her retreating back. At first, he had chosen marriage simply for the sake of his background, but it turned out she was a far better woman than he had expected.

“If she’s this good, I wonder how beautiful the other Five Flowers are?”

Yu-jin grinned brightly, imagining himself embracing all of the Five Flowers. The very thought was a magnificent one.

Lost in his fantasy, Yu-jin headed into an annex. There, Eun Seol-rin appeared before him. She had just returned after gathering the surviving members of the Blood Wolf Society over the past five days and moving them to the place Yu-jin had prepared.

“Hm? What is it?”

Yu-jin asked, as he hadn’t specifically called for her. Sighing briefly at his carefree demeanor, Eun Seol-rin spoke of the rumor currently setting the martial world ablaze.

“They say the Sword God’s tomb has been found. It’s not confirmed, but the rumor is that his secret manual is inside.”

“What kind of nonsense is that?”

Yu-jin stared at Eun Seol-rin with a look of blatant disbelief. Eun Seol-rin spoke again.

“They say the Sword God’s tomb was discovered near Mount Huang. Countless martial artists are heading there now. And it seems the treasure map has already fallen into someone’s hands.”

Mount Huang was a mountain situated at the border of Anhui, Zhejiang, and Jiangxi provinces. But right now, its location was of no importance to Yu-jin.

The Sword God’s secret manual? What kind of ridiculous story was this?

‘I’m the one who has it.’

The Profound Heaven Ink Phosphorus Sword, one of the techniques of the Nine Heavens Divine Demonic Arts, was the very art left behind by the Sword God.

Yu-jin had already obtained the Sword God’s manual, extracted all its essence, and then destroyed the manual itself. How could the tomb and manual possibly be discovered? It was clearly a conspiracy.

‘No need to waste time on an empty shell.’

With that thought, Yu-jin dismissed the matter. But the world was not so simple.

***

The day of departure for the Namgung Clan arrived.

Yu-jin ordered his four handmaidens to take good care of Namgung Hwa-rin.

So they boarded the carriage with her, while Yu-jin rode on horseback alongside Namgung Hwi. When he heard their interim destination, Yu-jin couldn’t hide his bewilderment.

“What? We’re going to Mount Huang? I heard that place is a den of demons right now.”

“That is precisely why we must go. It would be disastrous if the Sword God’s techniques fell into the hands of villains, would it not?”

Yu-jin was at a loss for words at this incredibly righteous declaration. But Namgung Hwi wasn’t finished.

“My father, the Lord of the Namgung Clan, sent a letter entrusting the matter of Mount Huang to me. And I heard the Lord of the True Dragon Sword Clan has already sent Young Master Kang Yong-hoon, have you not?”

Namgung Hwi looked at Yu-jin with questioning eyes. Yu-jin forced himself to nod, preventing his face from scrunching up in annoyance.

“I knew Yong-hoon was going, but I didn’t realize the Namgung Clan would also be involved.”

Namgung Hwi smiled at Yu-jin’s words.

“Isn’t it exciting? The martial arts of a swordsman said to have reached the level of a god with his blade.”

‘I’ve had plenty of that excitement already.’

For Yu-jin, who had already mastered the Sword God’s arts, it was a pointless place to visit. It was obvious that fools with no regard for their lives would flock to a meaningless bait. Why should he get involved? Yu-jin wanted to cry.

‘Ah, I wish I could just tell them I have it.’

But that was just a wishful thought.

***

It was as if a hole had opened in the sky, unleashing a torrential downpour. Standing in the rain, two men stood atop a mountain, looking down at the bloody battle below.

One of the two men stood exuding an aura of command. Astonishingly, his clothes remained perfectly dry in the downpour, not a single drop touching him. An invisible barrier of qi was deflecting the rain.

The man behind him, clearly a subordinate, was drenched, giving a hint as to how formidable the first man’s power was.

“The martial artists have taken the bait.”

The man asked with a smile, and his subordinate immediately replied.

“Yes, my Lord. It is the nature of martial artists to disregard their own lives in the pursuit of strength. They were bound to fall for it, even knowing it is a den of demons.”

The man nodded at his subordinate’s words.

“Still, it is a shame. A shame that the Sword God’s secret manual is already gone. I was curious about the techniques of the man called a god five hundred years ago.”

“Even the greatest master of five hundred years ago would be meaningless before you, my Lord.”

The man smiled at his subordinate’s flattery.

“In any case, I leave this matter to you. It is your plan. I will be watching to see how well you carry it out.”

“I obey your command.”

With those words, the man vanished as if he had never been there. Faced with such terrifying movement, the subordinate felt a cold sweat run down his back without realizing it.

The man who had disappeared was the one called the strongest in the current martial world, the primordial demon sent by the heavens—the Heavenly Demon himself. But fate had not yet allowed him and Yu-jin to meet.

“Let the martial artists run wild. The survivors will be of use to our cult.”

The subordinate was Tak Un-jin, the Heaven Defier, Third Elder of the Demonic Cult.