Shall We… Give It A Try?

When Gyo-ha opened his eyes again, he was sitting in the clearing where he had fought the Jeokyang Clan.
It felt as though he had awakened from a long dream.
However, the Yokai Qi stirring inside his body told him that it hadn’t been a dream.
Gyo-ha carefully raised both hands.

“Oh, they move.”

Deoldeoldeol.
They were trembling like aspen leaves, but they were unquestionably moving. Feeling had truly returned to them.
However, just as the man had said, he had only bought a little time.
Gyo-ha’s arms were still blackened.
Before long, the feeling would disappear again.
Moreover, regaining sensation was not entirely a good thing.

“…Wow.”

Gyo-ha exclaimed in wonder at the pain coursing through both hands.

“This feels different.”

It was unlike the pain of something breaking or tearing.
It felt as though insects were gnawing away at him.
It was not entirely a good thing.

“Is this the price?”

He had gained something in return.
Gyo-ha stomped the ground.

Chwaak!

The air did not burst as it had before. Instead, it felt as though it had been torn.
It was an incomprehensible phenomenon.
Only Yokai Qi made it possible.
The gash slowly faded away.

“…Wait.”

Gyo-ha closed his eyes as he watched it.

Seuseuseuk.

The extending claws from his fingers.
When Gyo-ha opened his eyes, however, he was not looking at the claws on his fingers.
Tiny toe claws.
Gyo-ha moved his body again. The Yokai Qi began moving in accordance with his motions.
And then.

Kwajijijijijik!

A massive gash appeared in the sky.
Its power was incomparable to what he had produced before.
At the same time, Gyo-ha felt his strength drain away.

“…This consumes a lot of yokai power.”

He couldn’t use it recklessly.
Overcome by dizziness, he dropped to the ground. The exhaustion was no joke.
A large portion of the yokai power he had thought abundant drained away at once.
He had learned how to use it, but he still couldn’t regulate it properly on his own.
Gyo-ha looked down at his arms.
If those tiny toe claws possessed such power, what would happen if he channeled yokai power through the claws on his fingers?
Then a question suddenly occurred to him.

“Why didn’t that wild dog use something this useful?”

The outcome might have been different if he had.
“No. Maybe he couldn’t use it.”

The way Myeong-gong fired sound waves.
It was different from the way the man used yokai power.
The difference between them was as vast as Heaven and Earth.
If Myeong-gong had chipped the stone called yokai power into an axe, the man had refined that stone and transformed it into an entirely new weapon.
Their understanding and mastery were on entirely different levels.
Had the man not created a martial skill suited to Gyo-ha in an instant?
If using the claws consumed an enormous amount of yokai power, it made sense that the cautious wild dog had avoided them.
Gyo-ha realized just how fortunate he had been.
It was a connection that had begun at the Putuo Sect.

“…Had I known this would happen, I would’ve at least asked his name.”

However, the man was already gone.
Gyo-ha scratched his cheek with a trembling hand and turned around.
He then offered a deep bow in one direction.
He didn’t know where the man was. He bowed merely because that direction felt right.
He couldn’t call the man his master, but there was nothing wrong with expressing his gratitude.

“Would Master scold me if he found out?”

Both the man and Ban-gok were aberrant beings.
They were beings Kunlun was supposed to reject.
Yet Gyo-ha had received their help.
However, he soon shook his head.
Given his master’s personality, he would have taken whatever he could learn even from a yokai.

‘And then he would’ve killed it.’

He was not sure about Ban-gok, but he didn’t want the man to be killed.
He wasn’t even certain the man could be killed in the first place.
Gyo-ha soon shook his head again.
There was no point thinking about it now.

“For now.”

The fight came first.
He now possessed a means to fight.
That meant all he had to do was move forward.
Gyo-ha’s eyes gleamed as he turned toward the Jeokyang Clan.

News of Gyo-ha’s appearance spread quickly.
Gyo-ha had never intended to conceal himself.
He headed straight toward the Jeokyang Clan, so naturally, the clan’s watchers stationed throughout the area discovered him.
Upon hearing the news, Jeokyang Mok, Patriarch of the Jeokyang Clan, burst into laughter.
Everyone held their breath at the sound.

“So he is walking here of his own accord?”

Jeokyang Mok’s eyes gleamed with killing intent.
How shocked had he been when the First Elder returned?
The First Elder had survived, but his life as a martial artist was over because his meridians had been torn apart.
It was beyond the reach of medicine.
The Third Elder, Jeokyang Mok’s uncle, had entered seclusion after all his internal energy was sealed by the Patriarch’s order.
It showed just how furious Jeokyang Mok had been.
Every martial artist in the clan had then scoured Chongqing in search of Gyo-ha.
Yet Gyo-ha had remained nowhere to be found.
Now, they were being told that he was heading directly toward the clan.
This was no longer a matter of public opinion or the clan’s dignity.
After the successor candidates, two elders had also fallen.
Moreover, their enemy was now attempting to reach the very heart of the Jeokyang Clan.
Nothing like this had occurred since the Jeokyang Clan established itself in Chongqing.
A single young man they had dismissed as a mere brat was attempting to bring down the Jeokyang Clan.

“What is his condition?”

According to Third Elder’s report, Gyo-ha had suffered wounds severe enough to leave him hovering between life and death.

“…He still cannot use either hand, but everything else appears unchanged.”
“Unchanged?”

That meant he looked no different from when he had first entered Chongqing.
In other words, the sacrifices of the two elders and the Black Shadow Unit had accomplished nothing.

“Yes. That is how it should be. If he intends to bare his teeth at me, Jeokyang Mok, he must be capable of at least that much.”

Jeokyang Mok’s laughter shook the meeting hall.
Unable to withstand his presence, the hems of everyone’s clothing fluttered.
Everyone lowered their heads even further at the sight.

“Release the seal upon the Third Elder. The one who tied the knot must untie it.”

Kkiik.

Jeokyang Mok rose from his seat.
Brown powder fell from the armrest he had been gripping.
The wood had crumbled beneath the force of his cultivation.
His handprint remained clearly embedded in it.
The sight revealed the depth of his rage.

“Everyone, prepare to receive our guest.”
“As you command.”

Everyone repeated the acknowledgment in unison.
Jeokyang Mok’s gaze grew cold as he watched them move with perfect order.

Shiver.

Gyo-ha shuddered at the eerie chill. The Jeokyang Clan’s estate was visible in the distance.
How did he know it was the Jeokyang Clan’s estate?
Killing intent was reverberating throughout the entire estate.

“…Was the Jeokyang Clan an assassin organization?”

He had never heard anything like that.
However, considering the nature of their martial arts, assassination suited them well.
Of course, there was a difference between them and an actual assassin organization.
They didn’t conceal themselves.

‘Or do they? They might do it secretly.’

Besides, it would be a waste not to conduct assassinations with martial arts like theirs.
Gyo-ha’s speculation was largely correct.
They did not accept commissions from just anyone like an assassin organization, but they maintained an assassination unit of their own.
Gyo-ha continued walking while entertaining those pointless thoughts.
He eventually stood before the Jeokyang Clan’s main gate.
There should normally have been guards, but no one was present.
There was not even a sound from beyond the main gate.
The silence was deep enough to make it seem deserted.
However, Gyo-ha knew that couldn’t be true.
The closer he approached, the more clearly he could feel the murderous intent.
He couldn’t begin to estimate how many people waited inside.
Yet anticipation outweighed his fear.
When else would he have the chance to fight so many opponents?
Gyo-ha licked his lips and opened the gate.

Kkiiiik.

The massive gate opened, and killing intent engulfed him from every direction.
It was incomparable to what he had felt from outside.
It was almost enough to make his mind go blank.
Everyone standing on the training ground wore black clothing and masks.
Only their eyes were visible.

‘That makes them look even more like assassins.’

Killing intent poured toward him.
Gyo-ha walked forward one step at a time through its midst.
With every step he took, the killing intent tightened around his throat.

“Welcome.”

At the unfamiliar voice, Gyo-ha turned his head and saw a middle-aged man wearing a long robe.
A presence powerful enough to overwhelm everyone present flowed from him.
The man resembled a serpent.
His eyes looked down upon Gyo-ha.

“I am the master of the Jeokyang Clan.”

Jeokyang Mok, the Eternal Night Black Sword.
He was commonly known as the Black Sword.
He was the head of the Jeokyang Clan, one of the Evil Heaven Alliance’s Seven Powers and one of the Four Great Families.
A familiar face was also visible beside him.
It was the Third Elder, whom Gyo-ha had fought not long ago. He was looking at Gyo-ha with a complicated expression.
Gyo-ha couldn’t tell what he was thinking.
Gyo-ha looked away from the Third Elder and turned toward the Jeokyang Patriarch.

‘…He looks stronger than Mister Patriarch.’

The Patriarch of the Namgung Clan.
Jeokyang Mok appeared stronger than him.

“First, allow me to pay my respects. I never imagined a single man would break through my clan.”

Gyo-ha looked awkward at Jeokyang Mok’s words.
Gyo-ha had not broken through anything. They had opened the way for him.
Had they come forward to fight, he would not have entered so easily.

“That is enough for the greetings.”

Peolleok.

Jeokyang Mok’s long robe fluttered.
At the same time, dark smoke billowed upward from every direction.
It wasn’t real smoke.
It possessed neither scent nor texture.
Gyo-ha had heard of phenomena like this. It didn’t physically exist, yet it felt as real as anything.

‘…A formation?’

Soon, the entire Jeokyang Clan estate was submerged in darkness.

Seuseuseuk.

The sound of swords being drawn came from every direction.
They didn’t conceal their presences. Quite the opposite.
Killing intent rode upon the darkness and poured in from every direction.
Gyo-ha sensed presences not only beside him but even overhead.
However, there was no possibility that martial artists were actually floating in the sky.
The formation was confusing his senses.
The sharper one’s senses were, the greater the confusion would become.
In other words, it was a formation designed to confront supreme experts.
Within it, even ordinary martial artists could likely imitate the Soul-Extinguishing Black Extremity Sword.
It was truly a formation created for the Jeokyang Clan.

“Consider it an honor. This is the Dark Night Heaven-Sealing Grand Formation. It was created for a decisive battle against the Murim Alliance or the other great families. I never expected to use it for a single man.”

Gyo-ha could hear the voice, but he could not determine where it was coming from.
Jeokyang Mok’s previously overwhelming presence had also vanished.
Gyo-ha licked his lips as he considered Jeokyang Mok’s words.

The other great families.

He was not referring to the Five Great Clans.
He meant the Four Great Families.
The Jeokyang Clan was prepared to turn even the other Four Great Families into enemies at any time.
The Jeokyang Clan was likely not alone. The other three great families would seize its position as soon as an opportunity arose.

‘So this was why.’

Gyo-ha understood why they had invited him into their home.
They had been hiding a move like this.

‘This is fun.’

The corners of Gyo-ha’s mouth rose.
However, the Dark Night Heaven-Sealing Grand Formation currently surrounding him was incomplete.
The formation reached completion through the martial artists of the Jeokyang Clan.
Sword Qi pouring in from every direction.
Countless physical blades concealed within it.
However, they were currently unable to produce Sword Qi.
Gyo-ha gave his fingers a slight twitch.

‘Not everyone managed to hide it.’

A faint amount of Heretical Qi was being absorbed.
Some of them clearly lacked sufficient mastery over their internal energy.
If Gyo-ha unleashed all his yokai power, he would be able to absorb their internal energy.
However.

‘I’d lose my mind too.’

Regaining his senses before had been nothing more than chance.
There was no guarantee the same thing would happen again.
There was no need to run such a risk.

‘Just a little.’

Goooooooooooooooo.

Yokai Qi rose within the darkness.
The Yokai Qi flowing from him was intense enough to make the darkness tremble.
It was only enough to wrap around his body.
At the same time, Gyo-ha’s eyes turned gold.
His yokai nature stirred.
He wanted to feast upon blood and flesh immediately.
However, he could control this much.
He was ready.

“Shall we… give it a try?”

Gyo-ha stepped forward.
The art Gyo-ha had created and the man had evolved.
It made its first appearance within the Jeokyang Clan.