Chapter 371

The Swordless Union, one of the Three Hegemons and the ruler of the Southern Sea.

Jeon Mu-ok, the Sea King Sword, was the Lord of the Swordless Union and the number one Martial Artist of the Southern Sea.

He had as many as ten disciples.

He incited competition among his disciples, declaring that he would pass down the position of the Swordless Union’s Vice Lord to the winner.

As a result, the Southern Sea Murim fell into extreme chaos.

The Swordless Union was a coalition of the Southern Sea Murim.

The ten disciples each came from formidable backgrounds.

They dragged their sponsoring or home sects into the succession battle.

What started as a simple succession fight turned into a civil war within the Southern Sea Murim.

The winner would become the Vice Lord of the Swordless Union and have it all.

The future of the Swordless Union, the dominion over the Southern Sea Murim—all would be in their grasp.

For the losers, only death remained.

There could be no exceptions.

This was because the Swordless Union Lord, Jeon Mu-ok, had fostered such an atmosphere.

Yoo Soo-hwan was the only disciple who did not participate in the fight for succession.

Although he was Jeon Mu-ok’s second disciple, he had no interest in becoming the master of the Swordless Union. But others did not think so.

It was because of Yoo Soo-hwan’s talent.

His talent with the sword was so outstanding that no other disciple could come close.

It was so remarkable that even his Master, Jeon Mu-ok, was jealous of his Sword Genius.

“If Soo-hwan had any ambition, I would have passed the Swordless Union to him without going through this cumbersome process. When it comes to talent with the sword, Soo-hwan is better than me.”

Coming from Jeon Mu-ok, the number one Martial Artist of the Southern Sea, the shock people felt was even greater.

The reason Jeon Mu-ok did not give the Vice Lord position to Yoo Soo-hwan was because of his generous and free-spirited nature.

He had no ambition to become the Lord of the Swordless Union.

His true nature was that of a man of refined tastes who loved to practice the sword, enjoyed alcohol, and adored the vast sea.

People gave Yoo Soo-hwan the alias Azure Sword Master.

Even when Jeon Mu-ok incited competition among his martial brothers, leading to a bloody struggle, he took a step back.

His other senior and junior martial brothers tried to win him over to their side, but he declared neutrality and sided with no one.

In the end, Jeon Mu-ok’s fifth disciple, Dokgo Hwang, became the winner and ascended to the position of Vice Lord.

Immediately after, Yoo Soo-hwan vanished from the Swordless Union and the Southern Sea Murim.

Gossipmongers said that Yoo Soo-hwan left the Southern Sea Murim on his own accord, not wanting to be a burden to Dokgo Hwang.

Many applauded him for it, praising Yoo Soo-hwan for making a great decision.

Yoo Soo-hwan never showed himself in the Southern Sea again and was forgotten from people’s memories.

Yoo Soo-hwan was emaciated, as if he hadn’t eaten properly for a long time. He looked wretched, like skin stretched over bones, but his eyes were strangely clear.

Pyo Wol asked.

“Were you locked up for a long time?”

“It’s only been a few months since I was locked up here. I was confined for a long time before being transferred.”

“Is this related to Dokgo Hwang?”

“Have you met that child?”

“Five months ago.”

“That must have been when I was locked in a cramped box and moved to Runan. Hooo!”

Yoo Soo-hwan let out a sigh.

His sigh was laden with countless emotions.

“How did he seem?”

“He looked well.”

“Did he? And Eom So-so, was that child still by his side?”

“Yes.”

“Hooo!”

Yoo Soo-hwan closed his eyes for a moment.

Pyo Wol watched Yoo Soo-hwan in silence.

Without having to ask, he could tell that his mind was incredibly complex.

Presently, Yoo Soo-hwan opened his eyes.

His gaze was as clear and clean as a tranquil lake.

He asked again.

“How was it? The look in Hwang’s eyes.”

“……”

“Does he still have that strong ambition?”

“It was immense.”

“Immense?”

“No less than Jang Mu-guk of the Heavenly Martial Fortress.”

“You saw Jang Mu-guk as well?”

“He was with him.”

“Ah… are they still together?”

Yoo Soo-hwan’s voice trembled slightly.

“He took over the Golden Sky Society.”

“Haha! So it ended up like that, did it?”

“……”

“I have a favor to ask. Please release me. With your skills, to have infiltrated this place, releasing me shouldn’t be too difficult.”

“And what do I get in return?”

“I have nothing to give but my body.”

“I have no interest in men.”

“Neither do I. I will become your tool. I may be like this now, but once I recover some of my old skills, I will be useful.”

Though he was the one asking for a favor, Yoo Soo-hwan was not servile.

Pyo Wol was reminded of a green pine tree when he looked at Yoo Soo-hwan.

An ever-green, noble, ancient pine.

He didn’t know his circumstances, but it didn’t seem like a bad idea to have him in his debt.

“Ghost Fang!”

At Pyo Wol’s call, the small snake coiled on his forearm woke up again.

Watching Ghost Fang slither down his forearm, Yoo Soo-hwan muttered.

“A Mystical Creature, no, a Devilish Creature.”

“Perhaps…”

Yoo Soo-hwan extended his arm.

Ghost Fang bit his forearm with its small fangs.

At the stinging sensation, Yoo Soo-hwan closed his eyes.

He could feel the toxins that had been gnawing at his body for so long being sucked out like a receding tide.

His once-hazy mind became clear, and the sensations throughout his body grew sharp.

It had been a truly long time since he felt this way.

For the first time in a long while, vitality flowed through his body, which had felt as heavy as waterlogged cotton.

Even though it was merely the disappearance of his lethargy, Yoo Soo-hwan felt as if he were being reborn.

Finally, Ghost Fang finished absorbing all the poison and released its fangs.

Yoo Soo-hwan massaged his forearm and pushed himself up.

He staggered from having been confined for so long, but he eventually found his balance and stood up on his own.

Suddenly, Yoo Soo-hwan’s gaze turned to the man behind Pyo Wol.

“Who are you? Judging by your appearance, you seem to be in the same boat as me.”

“That’s right. I was also imprisoned here. I came in when you did, Great Hero Yu.”

“I see.”

“I am Hong Yushin, the Surveillance Chief of the Hao Clan.”

“A person of high standing.”

“How could I compare to the second disciple of the Swordless Union?”

“It’s just an empty title.”

“But depending on how it’s used, it can become a powerful justification.”

“Is that so?”

“For people like us, isn’t justification the most important thing?”

“I suppose so. No, you’re right.”

Yoo Soo-hwan nodded his head as if he had a great realization.

Hong Yushin looked at Yoo Soo-hwan and thought.

‘So he was the one in the box transported by the Heavenly Flower Acrobatic Troupe. The Azure Sword Master, Yoo Soo-hwan. To think I’d see him here.’

As the Surveillance Chief of the Hao Clan, he was well-informed about Yoo Soo-hwan.

He knew how great his talent was, and what an excellent character he possessed.

If he had truly set his mind on becoming the Vice Lord, many would have followed him.

There was only one reason why he, who had not participated in the succession battle, was imprisoned here.

‘It must be Dokgo Hwang’s doing. Even if Great Hero Yu didn’t participate in the succession battle, his very existence would have been a spark for conflict.’

Hong Yushin, who understood the nature of the Jianghu Murim better than anyone, could easily guess the situation.

To Dokgo Hwang, Yoo Soo-hwan must have been a thorn in his side.

Yoo Soo-hwan stepped out of the room.

Although he had only passed through a single iron door, he wore an expression of relief.

Hong Yushin understood the emotions Yoo Soo-hwan must be feeling.

He, too, had been imprisoned for the same amount of time as Yoo Soo-hwan.

Hong Yushin said to Yoo Soo-hwan.

“I want to get out of here now.”

“It won’t be easy to leave. The martial arts of those here are all extraordinary.”

“It won’t be that difficult either.”

“Hm?”

“Because we have Great Hero Pyo.”

Hong Yushin glanced at Pyo Wol.

Yoo Soo-hwan’s gaze followed, also landing on Pyo Wol.

“He must be an incredible person.”

“He is an incredible person. You wouldn’t know since you’ve been locked up for a long time, Great Hero Yu, but that man’s alias is the Reaper.”

“Reaper? How grim.”

“Once you see his martial prowess for yourself, you’ll understand why he’s called that.”

“Hmm! Is that so?”

Yoo Soo-hwan looked at Pyo Wol with his characteristically clear and deep eyes.

Even without Hong Yushin’s words, he could tell that he was different from ordinary people.

‘I don’t sense any darkness or dissonance.’

The way he seemed to be one with the pitch-black darkness was something he had never seen before.

Pyo Wol said.

“Let’s go now.”

He started walking toward the outside.

Hong Yushin and Yoo Soo-hwan quietly followed behind him.

Opening the huge iron door that had divided the sections, another cave appeared.

Splash!

The moment he stepped into the new section, he felt a damp sensation on the sole of his foot.

An unidentifiable liquid was pooled on the floor.

It hadn’t been there when they entered earlier.

Hong Yushin smelled the blood scent rising from the liquid.

“Blood?”

He quickly enhanced his Eye Power and looked around.

He saw a human figure leaning against the wall.

“A corpse?”

The figure’s head was bowed, its breath gone. The blood that flowed from its neck had pooled thickly on the floor.

It was clear that its life had been ended with a single blow.

Hong Yushin examined the corpse’s wound and muttered.

“It’s him!”

“Him?”

“Yes. The beast that Great Hero Pyo unleashed…”

To cut an opponent’s throat so precisely in the pitch-black darkness.

And with a single strike of the sword.

Only those who had mastered a professional killing method could display such skill in the dark.

It was the work of So Gyeoksan.

It was So Gyeoksan, who had been weakened to the extreme after being imprisoned for so long and even taking the Demonic Spirit Soul-Changing Poison. And yet, he was displaying such terrifying skill.

He couldn’t dare to imagine how horrifying he would be once he regained his full strength.

The three men started walking forward again.

Another corpse came into view.

It had died in the same manner as the first one.

This, too, was So Gyeoksan’s work.

The number of corpses increased as they went on.

By now, So Gyeoksan seemed to be running out of strength, as he could no longer kill with a single blow.

Some corpses had three or four wounds on them.

It was proof that he was struggling.

Clang!

The sound of weapons clashing came from up ahead.

He strained his Eye Power, but Hong Yushin couldn’t see any further. It was the same for Yoo Soo-hwan.

However, judging from the sound of clashing weapons, they could tell that the situation was extremely urgent.

The two could only guess, but in Pyo Wol’s eyes, the events unfolding ahead were clearly visible.

‘Gyeoksan!’

He could see So Gyeoksan moving by hanging from the stalactites on the ceiling like a bat.

Lee Ho-gwan was relentlessly chasing and attacking him.

So Gyeoksan used the stalactites as cover to protect himself and counterattack.

He hadn’t killed all of Lee Ho-gwan’s subordinates without taking any damage. As many wounds as the men he had killed were carved into his body.

Moreover, he had been imprisoned for a long time and was in a state of extreme weakness. If the fight dragged on, he would be at a disadvantage.

So Gyeoksan knew this as well.

So he took a risk.

He kicked off a stalactite and threw himself at Lee Ho-gwan.

He intended to land a blow with all his might on Lee Ho-gwan.

But Lee Ho-gwan was no easy opponent.

“Not a chance.”

Swoosh!

Lee Ho-gwan unleashed his ultimate technique.

Spear energy erupted from his spear like fireworks, attacking So Gyeoksan.

Puk, puk, puk!

The spear energy pierced So Gyeoksan’s shoulder and leg.

An ordinary person would have screamed and been thrown back, but So Gyeoksan was different.

He ignored the pain and instead increased his speed.

Lee Ho-gwan’s shocked expression grew closer. He had never expected So Gyeoksan to charge at him so recklessly.

Puuuk!

So Gyeoksan’s sword pierced through Lee Ho-gwan’s neck.

“Keuha!”

Only then did So Gyeoksan let out the breath he had been holding.

Blood mixed with his breath.