The Sin Of A Man Of Resolve (1)

As elites of the Black Bamboo Fort, the Purple Bamboo Sword Unit’s martial prowess was formidable. There were only twenty of them, yet in a straight fight they had the power to even take down the Fort Master.

But battle is never fair. Jin-hyeon, naturally, chose a surprise attack.

The grounds were spacious, yet the swordsmen couldn’t even form a proper formation. The assault was too sudden, and the very unit leader who should be commanding them had been taken out at the start.

Even so, they were elites, so their confusion lasted only a moment. Yet that brief moment multiplied the Purple Bamboo Sword Unit’s losses.

Peok! Peok! Peok!

Jin-hyeon never struck each foe more than once.

With a single punch, a single palm strike, a single kick… each to the vital points, swordsmen dropped in heaps. In the blink of an eye, over a dozen of them had lost consciousness.

The swordsmen trying to spirit the Fort Master to safety faltered again at that uncanny martial art.

“Emergency! Emergency!”

Ppiiiiiiik!

A small flute at one swordsman’s lips let out a ripping scream.

At that moment, Jin-hyeon sensed presences converging from all around the inner courtyard.

‘At least a hundred. Quite a lot.’

It was to be expected.

There were especially many formations laid around the Fort Master’s quarters. If caught in them, their own men could be hurt. Since formations served as another layer of protection, the Fort Master had not stationed many warriors close by.

Thus the situation was ideal for Jin-hyeon, whose keen senses had pinpointed all the formations. Yet if over a hundred warriors arrived, that ideal outcome could turn to the worst.

Bbagak!

Taking down the thirteenth, Jin-hyeon slipped past a lunging strike and in a blink reached the fallen unit leader.

In the leader’s hand was a long sword with a reddish blade. It was far lighter than the Indestructible Sword, but the blade itself was sturdy and didn’t bend, making it a decent weapon to wield.

As Jin-hyeon picked up the sword, the Fort Master’s door opened.

“What bastard dares invade the Black Bamboo Fort!”

The Black Bamboo Fort Master, Yeom Yong-cheon, strode out with only an outer robe over his sleeping clothes. He was a bearded, average framed middle-aged man.

“Fort Master! It’s dangerous!”

Fire burst from Jin-hyeon’s feet.

Huk!

The Heavenly Evasion Steps unfolded to the extreme, and in an instant Jin-hyeon’s figure was carried right up to Yeom Yong-cheon’s nose.

Yeom Yong-cheon was startled. The moment he spotted the enemy, the man appeared at his side.

But Yeom Yong-cheon was the Black Bamboo Fort Master. Startled or not, his reaction was superb.

“You wretch!”

A powerful gust of force whipped out from his swiftly-flung sleeve.

It was a sleeve technique. The soft sleeve hardened like rock and swept at Jin-hyeon’s upper body.

‘It’s been a while.’

In his life as the Eight Wastes Alliance Leader, he had seen Shaolin’s Coiling Zen Sleeve. Aside from that, it had been ages since he had truly seen a sleeve technique.

‘But compared to those bald monks, this is a drop in the bucket.’

Jin-hyeon’s left hand flashed like light.

Peoeong! Buuuuuk!

“Khuk!”

Yeom Yong-cheon grunted and fell back.

The gust of force he’d loosed shattered, his sleeve ripping to tatters. Blood streamed down the thick forearm it had covered.

It was the Ten-Fingers Soul-Slaughter Art’s Eagle Killing Strike. Jin-hyeon, whose skills far surpassed Yeom Yong-cheon’s, could subdue a leader-level master of the Eight Martial Houses without even swinging a blade.

“You wretch!”

Having lost in a single exchange, a murderous aura gushed from Yeom Yong-cheon’s body.

Chaaang!

At last, Yeom Yong-cheon’s Black Bamboo Divine Sword left its sheath, exuding an imposing, antique aura..

Jin-hyeon stamped the ground.

Jjeong!

Yeom Yong-cheon, who was about to counter at once, recoiled. The power pouring from the enemy’s blade was immense.

Jjeojeojeojeojeong!

Jin-hyeon’s sword was fast.

It was fast, far too fast. The Indestructible Sword, with its weight and size, had been swung to bring out the true essence of a heavy sword, but the sword in his hand was not even a third of the Indestructible Sword’s weight.

When the strength that could wield even the Indestructible Sword like a fast sword carried over, the sword speed exceeded imagination.

Yeom Yong-cheon, about to unleash his true signature technique, could only grit his teeth and take a defensive stance under the ferocious blows.

Even if he tried to show his full skill, he was given no opening. Jin-hyeon’s strikes were not merely fast, they cut and thrust into openings without hesitation, and even disrupted his opponent’s breath and rhythm.

‘What on earth is this sword technique?!’

Yeom Yong-cheon was shocked by Jin-hyeon’s martial art, but the sword art Jin-hyeon used had no fixed form.

If anything, it was a practical combat sword technique based on the War-Sword Three Arts, blended with Mong Hyeong’s nameless sword technique and the weight taken from Gu Yong-seon’s palm technique.

‘It’s working.’

Just in case, he couldn’t reveal his distinctive martial arts. Therefore, he didn’t even display the War-Sword Three Arts properly.

Yet this played in Jin-hyeon’s favor. His swordwork was close to a hodgepodge, but because Yeom Yong-cheon was skilled enough to receive them, he quickly familiarized himself with Gu Yong-seon’s palm technique movements and Mong Hyeong’s sword forms that he had blended into his practical sword art.

Jjeojeojeojeong! Teoeong!

Even so, Jin-hyeon didn’t forget that taking down his enemy came before honing his art.

After driving hard, he broke rhythm and drew back to throw off Yeom Yong-cheon’s breath, then kicked in to strike again.

‘!!’

Yeom Yong-cheon’s eyes flew wide.

He needed but one breath, just one breath to unleash his strongest technique. As the enemy drew back, he hastily set posture and breath, but the attack shot in like an arrow to that gap.

‘Ugh!’

His breath tangled and pressure crushed his lungs. He ground his teeth to counter, but under Jin-hyeon’s renewed onslaught he could only give ground.

‘Just who is this brat?!’

He didn’t look that old, yet his display of swordsmanship was beyond anything imaginable.

Peobeobeobeok!

As his breath unraveled, so did his focus. Deep sword wounds etched on to Yeom Yong-cheon’s body.

Jin-hyeon’s eyes flashed.

Flash!

Taking only half of the War-Sword Three Arts’s attack form, Cross Soul-Slash, he struck down in one swift motion. It was the variant stroke, One-Sword Severing the Soul.

Puhwaaak!

A diagonal cut carved into Yeom Yong-cheon’s chest.

“Graaah!”

The scream burst out by itself. The lightning-fast slash sliced through his skin and muscle and severed two front ribs. With several meridians also destroyed, his circulation of internal energy instantly became a mess.

Jin-hyeon coldly swung his sword.

Seogeok!

The hand holding the Black Bamboo Divine Sword was severed.

“Urgh…”

Koong!

Yeom Yong-cheon’s back struck the second-floor railing as he staggered.

His face was deathly pale. Blood streamed from his nose and mouth. It was evident that he had sustained internal injury.

“Y-You… who are you?!”

At that moment, dozens of masters vaulted the inner courtyard wall.

Though they traded many blows, the exchange was so fast that little actual time passed. On top of that, with fierce sword winds blasting out in every direction, even the Purple Bamboo swordsmen who were still standing dared not to intrude.

But now was different.

“Seize him!”

Paaaak!

As the swordsmen mounted the stairs, Jin-hyeon’s figure vanished again.

Had he been uninjured, it might’ve been different, but with his internal and external wounds now so severe, Yeom Yong-cheon could no longer follow Jin-hyeon’s movements.

Peoeok!

A rising palm from below cracked Yeom Yong-cheon’s jaw, and he blacked out.

“You bastard!”

“Step away from the Fort Master!”

At that instant Jin-hyeon spun, unleashing a terrifying surge of internal energy.

Flash!

A single streak of light split the dark.

At the same time, the bodies of the five swordsmen who had climbed up to the second floor were neatly cut apart.

“!!”

At that unnatural strike, the rushing masters flinched to a halt in shock.

Jin-hyeon stabbed Yeom Yong-cheon’s Qihai Point.

Puk!

“Gyaaaah!”

It was a pain that snapped one back from unconsciousness in an instant.

Yeom Yong-cheon’s face went paper-white. Mouth agape, body twisting, he was in such agony no words came.

After pressing his paralysis point as well, Jin-hyeon sneered inwardly.

‘Sloppy.’

In truth, it wasn’t so much Yeom Yong-cheon being clumsy as Jin-hyeon’s skill exceeding all expectation.

The Eight Martial Houses’ authority had gone unchallenged. Yeom Yong-cheon himself would have had confidence. With so many formations laid besides, he’d never have imagined an assassin could pierce this deep.

Even so, he had stationed the Purple Bamboo Unit as a precaution just in case, but Jin-hyeon’s ability to launch surprise attacks far surpassed their martial skill.

“Y-You wretch!”

One of the unit captains shouted.

“Release the Fort Master!”

“Give up and kneel! We’ll spare your life!”

Useless words. Ignoring them, Jin-hyeon slung Yeom Yong-cheon over his shoulders.

‘Someone’s inside.’

He opened the door and went into the quarters.

“Stop!”

The swordsmen hurried up into the quarters.

“Huuk!”

A young woman sat on the bed within, yanking up the quilt to cover herself, face gone pale.

“S-spare me!”

A concubine, it seemed. Jin-hyeon ignored her and looked around.

‘Oh?’

He had planned to write a new one if it wasn’t there, but the letter he had sent lay on the table.

He set it to the wall and pinned it with his sword.

“…”

The swordsmen in the room glared red-eyed at Jin-hyeon. With the Fort Master hostage, they couldn’t move rashly.

Jin-hyeon jerked his chin at the woman.

“Go.”

“Y-yes!”

Casting aside the quilt, she hurried out through the swordsmen.

Sitting on the bed, Jin-hyeon set Yeom Yong-cheon on the floor and placed a foot on his neck.

“You bastard! G-get your foot off!”

“You’re surrounded! Surrender now!”

Without a word, Jin-hyeon took out a small tube from his breast.

The swordsmen flinched. Since it was something the assassin brought out, they thought that it was perhaps poison or a hidden weapon.

“Mm. It’s midnight.”

Seureuk.

Raising his left hand, Jin-hyeon drew up his Heavenly Wolf True Qi.

Kwang!

The ceiling burst and wooden splinters rained down. Beyond the shattered room, the dark night sky shown clear.

He took out a fire striker, sparked a flame, and touched it to the small cord at the tube’s end.

Chiiiik!

With a sharp hiss, the burning fuse gave off blue smoke.

Jin-hyeon aimed the tube skyward.

Peong!

The firecracker burst, and a blue flare arced high into the sky.

One swordsman, unable to hold back any longer, barked out.

“What are you doing?!”

“What do you think?”

Jin-hyeon tossed the used one-shot tube aside and folded his arms.

“Calling for reinforcements.”

“R-reinforcements?!”

It was at that moment.

Ujjeegeun! Aaaak!

Far off, the sounds of things shattering and people screaming rang out.

The swordsmen’s faces went.

Black Bamboo Fort was under attack. They had lived as its warriors and had never once imagined this could happen.

Jin-hyeon smiled and said,

“Kneel and surrender quietly. Then I’ll spare your lives.”

“!!”

“I came to wipe out Black Bamboo Fort. I have your Fort Master, I’ve called in support, and most importantly, I’m standing here unharmed. You’re finished.”

“S-silence! Release the Fort Master…!”

Peok!

A thunderous gust from Jin-hyeon’s fist blasted the noisy swordsman’s head clean off.

None inside the Fort Master’s quarters even saw the gust from his fist. Witnessing such an overwhelming skill, their morale collapsed at once.

“If you don’t surrender nicely, I’ll start killing you now.”

Shadows fell past the window. Swordsmen had surrounded the quarters.

But Jin-hyeon didn’t so much as twitch. If he wished, punching straight through was no trouble.

“Drop your blades and kneel.”

Conflict flickered across their faces.

Just then.

“I-it’s the Black Tiger Fist Sect! The Black Tiger Fist Sect has invaded!”

With the forces focused in the inner courtyard, the outer grounds had been breached at once.

The swordsmen’s faces went ashen. The Black Tiger Fist Sect, of all places? Why would the Black Tiger suddenly attack the Black Bamboo Fort?!

Glaring at them, Jin-hyeon suddenly roared.

“Kneel, you bastards!”