Young Master Yeon!

Mookbi bit her lip.

She was hidden at the crown of a tree, about twenty-odd jang away from the battlefield. She had never formally learned stealth arts, but when it came to hiding, she had a knack.

That was what an archer was. For sniping, professional concealment and cover were essential.

SSSSSLIDE.

Before she knew it, she had ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) nocked an arrow to Red Lotus Bow’s string.

She recalled Yeon Hojeong’s sound transmission.

“The killers aren’t all there is. There’s a master. You need to save your arrows for that master.”

A master? She hadn’t sensed any presence at that level.

But now, in her eyes, she could see one swordsman emitting a force even greater than Yeon Hojeong’s.

He’s incredible!

Mookbi unconsciously swallowed.

He might actually be stronger than Young Master Yeon. And Young Master Yeon has already burned through a lot of his inner force and stamina fighting the killers.

Dangerous.

They said that between masters, the difference of a single sheet of paper decided victory or defeat. By that measure, even a one-on-one duel—assuming the killers stayed out of it—was dangerous.

I can’t let that happen.

Mookbi made perfect preparations.

If that man’s sword threatened Yeon Hojeong, she would loose however many arrows it took.

****

Meng Yi studied Yeon Hojeong’s body.

Well trained.

In contrast to his slender appearance, his physique had ideal balance. His entire musculature was evenly developed, without a single weak point.

And that axe.

A divine weapon.

He didn’t know who had forged it, but it was such a remarkable weapon he couldn’t help but be impressed. Even Meng Yi, who used the sword as his main weapon, felt a flash of covetousness for a moment.

“As expected.”

Meng Yi’s eyes gradually darkened.

“I heard you were an exceptional powerhouse. You bore the Ming Clan’s martial strength alone—so naturally I thought you would be worthy. But I didn’t expect you to be this much.”

Yeon Hojeong frowned.

What is with this bastard?

The dingy look around his eyes was strangely irritating.

He reeked of blood. A thick, fishy stench of blood clung all over his body.

But he’s cultivated orthodox arts. At a very high level, too.

SHING.

Meng Yi drew the sword from his back.

His sword was unusual. It was a long blade, between three and four chi, but the blade’s width was only half that of a typical longsword.

Maybe that was why. It looked even longer and sharper, like he was looking at a sharpened awl.

Similar to a tube sword.

A tube sword was a cylindrical weapon whose edge had been “killed,” the blade rounded off. It was a sword that pushed the power of thrusting to the extreme.

Meng Yi’s sword was essentially that tube sword—only with an edge restored.

ZZZZZZZ.

A disturbing energy seeped from Meng Yi’s body.

Yeon Hojeong’s face hardened.

He’s strong.

He was someone whose physical capabilities and internal strength exceeded his own current state.

Around forty by the look of him, yet he’d piled up astonishing martial skill. He wasn’t quite at the realm of a super grandmaster, but among the so-called top masters, he stood at the very head of the line.

Meng Yi glanced around them and shouted.

“You’re useless here. Leave.”

The killers were silent.

Their eyes were full of confusion. The target was Yeon Hojeong, yet the client was telling them to go. Then leaving was the right thing to do.

But the client had killed their commander. An ally had been attacked, so he ought to be killed—but that did not look easy.

Meng Yi shook his head.

“This is why you’re nothing but tools.”

It was then.

Yeon Hojeong caught the image of Meng Yi’s sword scattering like an afterimage.

PUPUPUPUPUPUK!

Tiny holes opened in the space between the brows of the ten-odd killers nearest Meng Yi.

Yeon Hojeong’s eyes went wide.

Meng Yi spoke calmly.

“You can’t handle me anyway. And with your commander dead, you’re in no shape to mount an organized attack.”

“......”

“Get lost.”

SHFFFT.

The killers withdrew. They no longer had any reason to keep fighting.

Meng Yi took a deep breath.

“The air’s clean. Filthy mongrels’ blood-smell, but... I’ve always missed the air of a battlefield.”

“What are you?”

Meng Yi looked at Yeon Hojeong.

WUUUUUNG.

White True Qi shimmered faintly around Mad Dragon (Axe). It was an energy radiating a vast, robust wave of force.

“Why is a swordsman from AZURE MOUNTAIN SECT targeting me?”

For a split second, Meng Yi’s eyes shook.

“You... know who I am?”

“It’d be harder not to know.”

Yeon Hojeong jerked his chin at the man’s sword.

“That sword art you just used—that’s Shooting-the-Sun Sword Art of Azure Mountain, isn’t it?”

Shooting-the-Sun Sword Art.

It was regarded as AZURE MOUNTAIN SECT’s highest, most powerful sword art, a legendary supreme skill once called the World’s Fastest Sword.

Meng Yi wielded such a specialized sword because Shooting-the-Sun Sword Art was a thrust-centered style. Other than a single move, every technique was a piercing attack.

“To think you’d recognize Shooting-the-Sun Sword Art... a sword art that’s been discarded even in modern Azure Mountain.”

That was impossible.

The reason Yeon Hojeong recognized Shooting-the-Sun Sword Art was because the AZURE MOUNTAIN SECT upper echelon had used it during the chaos of the Four Yin Cult. There was no way AZURE MOUNTAIN SECT had “lost” it.

Or did he give it back?

WUUUNG.

A dingy killing light flickered in Meng Yi’s eyes.

It was the look of a butcher who’d killed more people than he could count.

“I can’t afford to let you live.”

“You came here to kill me anyway. Don’t talk nonsense.”

“I sent in the killers on purpose. I wanted to see if you were someone worthy of taking my sword.”

“......”

“You exceeded my expectations. You’re more than qualified to receive my sword. If I’d known you were this skilled, I wouldn’t have dragged the killers in at all.”

Yeon Hojeong gave him a strange look.

Meng Yi’s cheek twitched. There was something about Yeon Hojeong’s gaze that had a way of grating on people’s nerves.

“Hey.”

“...You really have no sense of courtesy, do you.”

“Who’s behind you?”

“What?”

“I’m asking who’s behind you. Some hidden remnant of the Ming Clan? Or Mo Yonggun? Doesn’t feel like the Namgung Clan.”

Meng Yi was taken aback inside, but he didn’t show it.

“You don’t need to know.”

“Yeah?”

Yeon Hojeong smiled.

“Either way, all that matters is we fight, right?”

Meng Yi snorted.

“And you think you can call this a fight?”

FWAAAAANG!

Yeon Hojeong’s body moved like a bolt of light.

Meng Yi was startled.

He’d been prepared for a sudden attack, but he hadn’t expected it to be this fast. And wasn’t the man holding a heavy weapon that had to weigh several tens of catties?

KWAANG!

Even with an axe in hand, he opened with fist techniques. It was a strike that completely caught him off guard.

Fast! But...

SMAAACK!

Yeon Hojeong pulled his arm back.

A long sword wound had opened on his forearm. Meng Yi’s longsword had sliced him.

Fast.

He hadn’t even deployed Shooting-the-Sun Sword Art, and yet he was this fast. His entire martial art was specialized in speed from the ground up.

“We’ll see how long you last with that clumsy hunk of metal.”

In that instant, Meng Yi’s sword split into dozens.

Yeon Hojeong’s eyes flashed.

JZZZZZZT!

The four-chi longsword moved at incredible speed, stabbing toward Yeon Hojeong’s vital points.

It was a speed you wouldn’t believe even as you watched it. Once again, he hadn’t even called on Shooting-the-Sun Sword Art, yet he was displaying swordplay that far surpassed the dynamic vision of a top master.

...

Yeon Hojeong’s eyes deepened.

JZZZZZT!

Dozens of sparks flew from Mad Dragon (Axe)’s blade and died.

The impact traveling up the axe-head was considerable. Normally, swift sword arts didn’t carry weight, but Meng Yi’s sword had more than enough mass behind it.

However—

THOOM!

Stamping out a step of White Tiger Lording Step, Yeon Hojeong swung Mad Dragon (Axe) up from low to high.

A sneer curled across Meng Yi’s face.

Fool.

Fast, for a heavy weapon. But before that axe edge could ever reach him, he could land ten cuts.

Meng Yi’s sword moved like lightning.

PAPAPAPAPAK!

Blood spurted from several spots on Yeon Hojeong’s body. Traces from where Meng Yi’s longsword had sliced him.

...?!

Meng Yi’s eyes bulged.

What is with this bastard?

At some point, the axe had already swept past his pant cuff and was rising toward his knee.

Why isn’t he being cut down?

He was cutting him. But all he was cutting was flesh.

There were a lot of sword wounds, so the blood loss was considerable—but he hadn’t managed to land a single vital strike. It made no sense.

Is this bastard’s body some sort of blade-proof monster?!

Just then.

In the split-second of a split-second, he saw it—a translucent, blackish energy flowing over the whole of Yeon Hojeong’s body.

What is that?

There was no way Meng Yi could know that it was Black Tortoise Qi of the Northern Black Emperor.

A chill crawled up his spine.

At some point, the axe had come so close it was nearly touching his crotch.

BWOOOOOOM!

Meng Yi sprang backward. In the briefest of moments, he retreated five steps. An incredible speed.

FLASH!

With a burst of massive dust, Mad Dragon (Axe) soared upward, unleashing a brilliant white aura.

KWAAAAANG!

The destructive power was enormous.

It was a powerful attack the likes of which he’d rarely seen. If he hadn’t immediately leapt back another seven steps, he would have been caught up in the gust of force the axe had summoned and had chunks of flesh torn away.

This won’t do.

Through the pall of pale dust, the dark silhouette of Yeon Hojeong came into view.

Meng Yi lowered his stance.

I’ll end this in one stroke.

Click.

Meng Yi drew his sword back behind him. Brilliant light burst from the longsword like sunlight.

It was Shooting-the-Sun Sword Art.

At that moment, he saw Yeon Hojeong’s shadow raise an arm.

Too late. Die!

Meng Yi swung.

FLASH!

A sword strike as swift as light cut through the dust and shot toward Yeon Hojeong’s heart. It was the fastest sword he’d ever unleashed.

Then—

...?!

He saw them—three arrows tracing a diagonal line across his vision.

CLANG!

“Kh!”

One missed, but two struck the blade.

The arrows from the flank were loaded with tremendous internal force. Meng Yi’s swift sword ended up slicing through Yeon Hojeong’s thigh instead.

In that same instant, a heavy, black shaft tore through the dust and blew up in Meng Yi’s vision as if zoomed in.

CRAAACK!

“GRAAAH!”

Meng Yi went flying backward.

BOOOOOM!

Yeon Hojeong’s eyes flashed. Just as he’d moved in to end it, Meng Yi, who had crashed into a tree, shot himself at him again.

Even with his nose smashed and his front teeth all broken, he was still attacking. His endurance was astounding.

Yeon Hojeong clicked his tongue inwardly.

Bye, man.

HFF!

Yeon Hojeong dropped his stance low. Meng Yi’s sword cut through empty air.

PUPUPUK!

“Urgh!”

Meng Yi rolled across the ground.

Three arrows were buried in his body—left shoulder, left thigh, and left flank.

PHAAAAT!

Mookbi had already entered close range.

“Hyah!”

Ignoring the searing pain, Meng Yi tried to force himself up—then froze in shock for a heartbeat. The woman racing toward him at terrifying speed was drawing the string with no arrow in sight.

Mookbi loosed.

TWIIING! THUD!

Meng Yi spat blood and collapsed flat.

FWAAANG!

In an instant, Mookbi planted both feet on Meng Yi’s legs and drew Red Lotus Bow’s string.

Point-blank chained shooting.

PUPUPUPUK!

Five Formless Bolts exploded point-blank across Meng Yi’s back. It was a merciless barrage.

Meng Yi, shaking all over, soon closed his eyes. He’d passed out from the severe internal injuries.

“Hoo... we barely caught him.”

“......”

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“You’re... pretty damn extreme, you know that?”

“Sorry?”

Yeon Hojeong shook his head.

“Downright murderous.”

“So what do we do with him?”

“We take him. There are things I need to ask.”

“Okay.”

“I’ll carry him.”

“You’re hurt.” 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

“There are still enemies.”

“Huh?”

Yeon Hojeong looked down the mountain.

“The scattered wolves are watching for their chance, eyes gleaming.”

“Ah!”

“Let’s not look for Jipyeong. Whatever happens, he must not get involved in this fight.”

Mookbi nodded.

“Got it!”