Chapter 343: An Unexpected Ending

When Sanbi gripped his sword and infused it with qi, the blade trembled like a willow branch swaying in the wind.

Then, a Black Steel Snake detached from the sword and began circling around it.

More Black Steel Snakes continued to emerge from the blade.

The two of them watched in silence, mesmerized by the sight.

“That is the Nine-Serpent Sabre! A legendary demonic weapon passed down through the demonic path since ancient times.”

Jong Seok spoke, his face tense.

“Either the Nine-Serpent Sabre will die from my Black Death God Light Poison Technique, or I will.”

The Black Death God Light Poison Technique was no ordinary poison art.

Once afflicted, the victim might appear fine, but the moment they drew upon their full inner strength, their dantian would act as a detonator, causing their body to explode.

This was because the energy of the Black Death God Light Poison Technique disrupted and clashed with the victim’s qi.

For that reason, the Hidden Saint Cult had declared it a forbidden art, banning its practice for generations.

The downside was that its full effect could only be achieved upon reaching the Eight Stars Realm; until then, it merely poisoned opponents by the toxic energy it absorbed.

Thanks to the poisonous energy of the Demonic Poison Stoneflower in both his hands, even the Black Steel Snake’s venom was rendered useless.

A stronger poison would erase a weaker one.

The nine Black Steel Snakes separated from Sanbi’s Nine-Serpent Sabre hovered in the air, spinning around the sword.

“Could it be… the Sword Levitation Technique?”

When Jong Seok muttered this, Sanbi smiled proudly.

“That’s right. Sword Levitation Technique. This is the true Nine-Serpent Sabre!”

Cold sweat trickled down the backs of Jong Seok and Mo Biyoung.

They could tell they were facing the strongest opponent they had ever encountered.

The spinning of the Black Steel Snakes grew faster and faster until they formed a black circle.

Mo Biyoung and Jong Seok slowly gathered all their inner strength into their hands to unleash their strongest lethal techniques.

But in that instant, someone suddenly leaped between them.

“Wait!”

Seeing who had stepped between them, Jong Seok and Mo Biyoung shouted,

“Hyung-nim!”

“Small Sect Leader!”

And then again,

“Get out of the way!”

Yong Hwarin stood tall and shouted toward Sanbi.

“I will take that technique!”

Channeling over three and a half cycles worth of power into Protective Energy, Yong Hwarin fitted the Azure Dragon Three Marbles into his White Tiger Demon-Subduing Sword and operated the Nine Dragons Heavenly Ascent Technique. Blue light flared from the white blade and shot forth.

Sanbi realized that this energy was in no way inferior to his Nine-Serpent Sabre and decided it was too soon to test his ultimate move against Yong Hwarin.

Against Mo Biyoung and Jong Seok, he was sure of victory. But the moment he felt Yong Hwarin’s qi, he found himself shrinking back.

‘I’ve reached the threshold of Sword Control with Qi! Don’t be afraid!’

Yet he realized he was already drawing back his energy, and he grew angry at himself for such duality.

“Who are you!”

The anger, now redirected, lashed out at Yong Hwarin. Sanbi’s voice had turned cold enough to freeze blood.

“I am Yong Hwarin!”

“So, you and the others all talk down to me, huh?”

Sanbi’s anger now clung to something petty.

“You spoke to me informally, so I answered in kind. What’s the problem?”

Hearing the same answer Mo Biyoung had given earlier made Sanbi’s cheeks twitch.

“So you’re the Heavenly Sword Hero, Yong Hwarin.”

Sanbi spoke the name as if chewing on dried meat.

As Sanbi withdrew his energy, Yong Hwarin slowly retracted his own as well.

Yet deep down, a sudden urge arose to face an attack from someone who had reached the threshold of Sword Control with Qi.

But since Sanbi had already withdrawn his energy, he couldn’t very well ask him to resume the attack.

“I am certain we will meet again before long.”

Sanbi wanted to watch the Three Supreme Swords’ duel to break through his own wall.

Realizing he was stuck at the threshold of Sword Control with Qi, he wanted to perfect it and crush Yong Hwarin completely.

But until then, he didn’t want to risk an unnecessary defeat with an incomplete technique.

Sanbi couldn’t deny that a corner of his heart feared Yong Hwarin.

“If you want to fight me, get in line.”

Gathering a few keepsakes of Old Master Man, Sanbi disappeared.

Once he was gone, Yong Hwarin turned toward Mo Biyoung and Jong Seok.

“To meet my sworn brother and Instructor Mo like this, I’m truly glad.”

“Hyung-nim!”

Jong Seok gripped Yong Hwarin’s hand and stood there for a long moment.

Then Yong Hwarin spoke gently.

“Sworn brother, you should greet Instructor Mo too.”

Only then did Jong Seok awkwardly release his hand with a sheepish smile.

Looking at Mo Biyoung, Yong Hwarin spoke.

“Instructor Mo, it has been far too long. Have you been well? Without your nagging, my ears have gone soft.”

Still teasing, Yong Hwarin greeted her warmly. Mo Biyoung replied with a hint of mock indignation.

“When did I ever nag you?”

“Have you already forgotten? I’m talking about when you used to nag me like my wife.”

“You say the strangest things, Small Sect Leader.”

Mo Biyoung, pouting, turned her head sharply.

But inside, she was blaming herself.

‘Ah, you foolish girl, when you finally meet the Small Sect Leader after so long, you should greet him happily! What on earth are you doing?’

Even as she scolded herself inwardly, Mo Biyoung felt a surge of needless spite.

He was someone she had missed so much she could have cried just thinking about him, yet upon meeting him face to face, irritation was the first thing to arise.

Even she couldn’t define what such a feeling meant.

“My apologies. I was just happy to see Instructor Mo after so long.”

As he spoke, Yong Hwarin took her hand.

“Tonight, I’m as glad as if I’d met a long-lost blood relative. My sworn brother and I must drink together till dawn.”

“Include me too.”

“Doesn’t Instructor Mo dislike drinking? It feels like only yesterday that the Violent Dragon Twin Swords would start nagging the moment they drank, making me run away.”

“Hmph, no need to bring up those drunkards. It’s been a while, so I want to have a proper drink with you, Small Sect Leader.”

Revealing her true feelings slightly, Mo Biyoung turned her head with feigned aloofness.

But Yong Hwarin, seemingly unaware of her hidden heart, replied heartily.

“Hahaha, very well.”

Yong Hwarin laughed cheerfully for the first time in a long while.

Seeing his sworn brother smile so broadly, Jong Seok asked a question that had been on his mind.

“But how did you come all the way here? Did you know we were coming?”

Yong Hwarin shook his head.

“No, in truth I came chasing the Red-Haired Demon Empress Lee Myeongja.”

He briefly explained the reason he pursued her: after reading a letter from Myunggujeong, he had gone to a tea house to find the Demonic Master’s party, then chased after the fleeing Red-Haired Demon Empress Lee Myeongja.

He thought that if she were left alone, she would harm someone sooner or later, so he decided to root her out completely this time.

“Ah, so she was the Red-Haired Demon Empress.”

Jong Seok explained, with a baffled expression, how they had come to fight Sanbi.

“Haha, well then, the Red-Haired Demon Empress must be lucky today. It seems it wasn’t her day to die.”

Although he regretted not killing her this time, meeting Instructor Mo and his sworn brother eased that disappointment.

“Let’s head back!”

Following Yong Hwarin’s lead, the two couldn’t help but smile.

‘I didn’t realize it until now, but I must have missed the Small Sect Leader dearly.’

Seeing Yong Hwarin’s back, a surge of indescribable emotion rose in Mo Biyoung’s chest, and she kicked her horse forward.

The Red-Haired Demon Empress Lee Myeongja had been hiding silently atop a tree two hundred jang away, and once Yong Hwarin’s group left, she descended.

A short while later, three men dropped down.

“To have my enemy right before my eyes and be forced to sit still…”

She wanted to dash out immediately and kill Yong Hwarin.

But in her current condition, it was impossible.

Besides, even Sanbi, who had reached the threshold of Sword Control with Qi, had tucked his tail and retreated.

Against such a man, even at her peak, she couldn’t be sure of victory.

Seeing her guards arrive late, she snapped.

“How did you come so late?”

Although she had left the Heavenly Demon Sect alone, she had believed Lee Taegong would surely send guards.

She had come out lighthearted, only to suffer humiliation without their support, which fueled her anger.

“Something came up along the way, so we were delayed.”

Lee Myeongja’s voice turned curt.

“I will circulate my qi for a bit, so stand guard.”

She gave the order, then sat cross-legged in a secluded spot.

Just as she began her breathing exercises, a searing pain, like fire burning her chest, made her open her eyes.

She turned her head to see the tip of a sword protruding from her left chest.

“W-what is the meaning of this?”

The three guards stared down at her briefly before one spoke.

“It is the will of Lee Taegong.”

“Lee Taegong? Why would he try to kill me?”

When she tried to stand, another guard pressed a sword into the back of her neck and drove it down along her spine.

“Kuuhhhk!”

Her spine was completely split, rendering her immobile.

“If you ask why, we were told to answer like this: ‘Because of you, the Heavenly Demon Sect has fallen into disorder. Because of you, numerous disciples have been drained of their essence, and many have been corrupted with lust. Do you know your title in the sect is the Red-Haired Lewd Woman? For the honor of the Heavenly Demon Sect and the Three Taegongs, you must die.’ That is the message.”

“I don’t believe it! Lee Taegong was concerned for me when I left! I even heard him tell you to guard me!”

“Do you know what the Lord’s old alias was?”

“Why, wasn’t it the Blood Buddha Sword?”

“No, before he earned that name. His old alias was the Smiling Sword. Do you know what that means? That he is someone whose outward appearance and true heart are different. When he saw you off with apparent concern, he also sent us a voice transmission saying he hoped you wouldn’t return.”

“T-that’s not the same as telling you to kill me!”

One of the guards smirked.

“And do you still want to live like this? With your spine split, you won’t even be able to walk properly.”

“I… I still want to live.”

“Then die as befits a Lord of the Heavenly Demon Sect.”

“I won’t die like this!”

Lee Myeongja desperately roused her Corpse Rot Yin Qi, trying to rake at their ankles with her nails, but one of the guards brought his sword down.

Slice!

Both arms were severed from the shoulders.

“You bastards! You ungrateful wretches!”

One guard stepped on her neck and spoke.

“Because of you, two of my disciples became cripples. Because of your Essence Absorption Great Art. I’ve been waiting for this day for a long time.”

“S-spare… me…”

Even then, she struggled for life, but the guard slowly pushed his sword into her heart.

“Kk… kuhk!”

Blood surged from her mouth as the guard lifted his foot.

“At last, the Heavenly Demon Sect’s disgrace is gone.”

The three guards looked at her corpse without the slightest trace of pity, then vanished.

Ssshhh—

The blood spraying from her chest dyed the surrounding leaves crimson.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep