Jin Pae-cheon’s martial arts had always been domineering.
But when the solemn and incomparably pure energy of the Gentleman’s Sword was added to him, he revealed a new aura.
Hwa Mugi recognized the sword Jin Pae-cheon held.
"The Gentleman’s Sword, the greatest of all time!"
Seeing the Gentleman's Sword, Hwa Mugi grew excited.
He felt no fear, only joy.
"See? He isn't some stuffy scholar, is he? He came here fully intending to kill me."
A single emotion blazed in Hwa Mugi's eyes.
It was an instinctive greed, drawn to the Gentleman's Sword.
Since he made no effort to hide it, everyone felt his greed.
"Do you want it?"
To Jin Pae-cheon's question, Hwa Mugi answered his desire thus:
"Aren't a gentleman and a Killing Star separated by a single sheet of paper?"
The Wind Heaven Sect Leader, who was listening, couldn't help but chime in.
"Just how thick is that paper?"
Everyone gave a faint smile at his words.
"Look at you. How are you and Alliance Leader Jin different by just a hair's breadth?"
Hwa Mugi laughed, but his laughter was filled with clear killing intent.
"I'll pierce your heart with that sword."
In other words, it was a declaration that he would kill both Jin Pae-cheon and the Wind Heaven Sect Leader.
The Wind Heaven Sect Leader patted his own chest as if to say, ‘bring it on.’
"I may not be a gentleman, but I'm no coward. Come at me anytime. No, wait, you'll be dead at Alliance Leader Jin's hands, so I guess you can't."
Thus, the Wind Heaven Sect Leader boosted Jin Pae-cheon's morale.
No matter the situation, he was the best at lifting the mood.
Jin Pae-cheon slowly aimed the Gentleman's Sword at Hwa Mugi.
"Whose martial arts will you use?"
Hwa Mugi made a cruel choice.
"I will kill you with the martial arts of the man you trust!"
Hwa Mugi intended to face Jin Pae-cheon with the techniques of the Martial Emperor Divine Sword.
The signature martial art of the Martial Emperor Divine Sword was the Bright Martial Sun Sword Art.
Jin Pae-cheon's signature martial art was the Imperial Sword Forms.
It was the moment two supreme martial arts of the Righteous Path would clash.
The two men charged toward each other simultaneously, thrusting their swords.
Ting.
As if by a lie, the very tips of their swords met perfectly.
To charge at each other with such speed and have their sword tips collide? The two of them were displaying Divine Might from the very first move.
Chiiiiing.
The blades of the two swords scraped against each other as they flew forward.
With a sharp whoosh, the blades instantly grazed past each other’s ears.
It was an attack that would have pierced their faces had they not tilted their heads to dodge.
When the two swords crossed, Jin Pae-cheon's face was reflected on the blade in that fleeting moment.
Despite it being a black sword, the reflection was clear.
For some time now, his face reflected on his blade during a fight had been calm and composed.
It was the face of someone so accustomed to battle that he no longer felt tense, a face weary from life.
The face reflected on the blade had only grown older.
That was why he had stopped looking.
But today, Jin Pae-cheon's face was different.
He was tense and excited.
Just like that day long ago, during his first real battle.
Jin Pae-cheon's heart pounded like a war drum on a battlefield.
Kang! Kaaang! Kang!
Sparks flew as sword clashed against sword.
A series of deadly attacks aimed at each other’s vital points followed.
Because it was the Gentleman's Sword, known as the greatest sword of all time, one would have expected it to break the opponent's sword in a single blow, but Hwa Mugi's sword remained intact.
For one, the black sword he held was no ordinary weapon.
It was the Dark Heaven Secret Sword, the greatest treasured sword of the Palace of Darkness.
And that treasured sword was supported by Hwa Mugi's powerful inner energy.
If it weren't protected by such formidable inner energy, it would have shattered after a few such powerful clashes.
Shhhwiik!
Hwa Mugi's black sword flew in with incredible speed.
It was too fast to follow with the eyes; it had to be blocked by instinct.
There were no feints to test the opponent's skill or to probe for a response.
To do so would have meant certain death.
He could only endure by executing the best possible move, the best possible technique he could muster.
"What an absolutely amazing sword!"
Those watching the fight could tell.
Hwa Mugi’s reaction was not only an expression of greed but also a provocation toward Jin Pae-cheon.
What I admire now is not your swordsmanship, but your sword.
This was a battle between those who had reached the ultimate state of swordsmanship.
It was a fight where the slightest speck of dust in the heart could decide victory or defeat.
If Jin Pae-cheon were to be affected by those words, it would surely have a negative impact on this battle.
But it was a needless worry.
Jin Pae-cheon was a man who had been through every hardship, weathered all sorts of storms and bloody battles to stand in this place.
Provoking him meant there was a need to provoke.
'In other words, this fight is worth fighting!'
Jin Pae-cheon had reached a level where he could interpret any of his opponent's provocations in a way that helped his own fight.
The two men's swords flew at each other endlessly.
The trajectories of the sword lines they created, shifting between straight and curved paths.
Those lines were paths leading to death.
Jin Pae-cheon was walking that path like a gentleman.
The reason he could endure despite being overwhelmingly outmatched in inner energy was thanks to the Gentleman’s Sword.
The Gentleman's Sword was so powerful that Hwa Mugi also had to be careful not to let his own black sword break.
Hwa Mugi's sword struck at Jin Pae-cheon's neck, shoulder, and heart in succession.
Shik! Shhhhiiik! Shiiik!
Each time Jin Pae-cheon deflected the attacks with his sword, a shock strong enough to break his wrist surged through him.
It was unbelievable that such swift attacks could contain such profound inner energy.
Each of those fast attacks felt like a move a supreme master had poured his entire being into.
And attacks like these were flying at him continuously, as if it were nothing.
Those watching felt it simultaneously.
‘This is a fight that is difficult to even interfere with.’
The moment one lost focus, even for an instant, it would mean death.
If they tried to help at the wrong moment, they could end up harming Jin Pae-cheon instead.
How could one possibly intervene in such a perfect battle?
If anything, this was a fight that was impossible to join because Jin Pae-cheon was fighting too well.
Geom Woojin was not watching their every move.
The exchanges were happening so quickly that even he couldn't get involved if he tried to follow the forms.
What Geom Woojin saw was the flow of the battle.
He saw the look in their eyes, their expressions, and listened to their breathing.
Whether they were tired, afraid, looking for an opportunity, or thinking of a final move.
He watched the overall flow of the fight.
The battle grew rougher and fiercer.
The fight, which had been a calm lake, began to pick up speed like a rapid current and cascade down like a waterfall.
Jin Pae-cheon was completely immersed in the battle.
He couldn't see or hear anything else.
Only Hwa Mugi and his sword were visible.
He was fighting at the final level of mastery he could reach.
Because he was so completely absorbed in the fight, it was the onlookers who were more nervous than him.
Both Geom Woojin and Baek Ja-gang were genuinely worried for Jin Pae-cheon at this moment.
It wasn't because they would be next if he died.
They were afraid they wouldn't be able to prevent his death despite being with him, afraid they would have to deliver the news to his son and disciple.
For that reason, the mental energy of the onlookers was also being drained immensely.
Chwaaaak.
Swish!
With the sound of something being cut, the two separated.
A long strip of Jin Pae-cheon's robe was sliced away.
A little deeper, and it would have been a serious wound.
"Hah, hah."
Ragged breaths escaped Jin Pae-cheon's mouth.
In contrast, Hwa Mugi was calm.
Not a single breath of his was labored.
He wasn't strong simply because the martial arts and inner energy of many souls were combined in him.
He was born with the Heavenly Killing Star and the Heavenly Martial Body.
There was a joke that those with a Heavenly Martial Body practiced punches for their first movements in their mother's womb.
A body born to learn martial arts from the very beginning.
That was why Hwa Mugi was not just strong in inner energy; he was executing martial arts more skillfully than the masters of three hundred years ago.
"The ones from three hundred years ago, and you people now, you're all the same."
Geom Woojin could feel it.
Someone had spoken to him in the middle of the fight.
That interruption had disturbed his concentration, causing him to temporarily halt the battle.
Who could it be? Geom Woojin thought of one person.
That anger was directed at those present here.
"Do you consider me greedy just because I tried to take a single sword?"
Hwa Mugi's gaze turned to Geom Woojin.
"While you all try to possess this entire Martial World."
This time, he spoke while looking at Baek Ja-gang.
"You think my birth was a coincidence? I am an inevitable existence! One created by you!"
Finally, his gaze returned to Jin Pae-cheon.
Hwa Mugi approached Jin Pae-cheon and asked.
"Isn't your justice a justice built upon graves?"
Just as Baek Ja-gang was about to step forward to take his place, Jin Pae-cheon looked at him.
It was a look that asked for another chance.
Though exhausted, Jin Pae-cheon's eyes were clear.
Baek Ja-gang looked at Geom Woojin.
His eyes seemed to ask, ‘what do you think?’ Geom Woojin looked at Jin Pae-cheon.
"He needs to answer that question."
Since it meant giving him another chance, Baek Ja-gang stepped back.
Hwa Mugi asked Jin Pae-cheon.
"You defined yourselves, and you determined your own worth."
A red energy flickered in Hwa Mugi's eyes.
It was a powerful killing intent, unlike anything seen before.
"Are you truly righteous?"
Jin Pae-cheon let out a soft sigh and answered.
"As you said, perhaps we are only separated by a single sheet of paper."
In the past, Jin Pae-cheon had once left the Alliance alone, intending to kill all those who had murdered his child.
What if he had gone through with it?
"That is why, even at my age, I am still searching for the answer to your question."
Knowing that he was speaking from the heart, Hwa Mugi asked again.
"Alliance Leader, is the Martial World you seek to protect worth risking your life for?"
"It is."
The answer came without hesitation.
"Is this Martial World truly worth continuing?"
Jin Pae-cheon's answer was clear.
"It is."
"Why?"
"Because people more outstanding than you or I will appear in this Martial World and protect its value."
Geom Mugeuk or his grandson, Ha-gun, would carry it on.
He believed they would create a better Martial World than the present.
Before, he only worried, but now, he believed.
Jin Pae-cheon said proudly.
"You may be able to kill me, but you will not be able to destroy that value."
To that confident answer, Hwa Mugi responded coldly.
"It's because you're so stubborn that I want to tear it all down."
The two clashed again.
They worried because he was so exhausted, but Jin Pae-cheon fought even better than before.
In an instant, dozens of exchanges passed.
Chaeng!
The two swords crossed in an X.
They could see each other's expressions over the blades.
Hwa Mugi was smiling.
The moment he sensed the malicious intent in that smile.
Suddenly, Hwa Mugi's form changed.
While using the martial arts of the Martial Emperor Divine Sword, he suddenly switched to the techniques of the Heavenly Will Palace Master.
"The Alliance Leader I couldn't kill back then, I'll kill you today!"
Jin Pae-cheon was bewildered by the sudden change in the style of swordsmanship.
His body had been attuned to the martial arts of the Martial Emperor Divine Sword, but suddenly, a completely different sword art emerged.
For an ordinary master, it wouldn't matter what changes the opponent made, but his opponent was Hwa Mugi.
The changed sword art flew toward Jin Pae-cheon at an extreme speed.
Papat!
Blood spurted from Jin Pae-cheon's shoulder and arm.
Just as Hwa Mugi was about to rush in to finish off Jin Pae-cheon!
Hwa Mugi spun around and swung his sword.
Kwaaang!
The sound of force exploding in mid-air was heard.
It was the Formless Sword Force, launched by the Sword King, that had flown towards him.
After dispelling the Formless Sword Force, Hwa Mugi flew toward the Sword King like a beam of light.
Chaengchaengchaengchaengchaeng!
The Sword King was pushed back by Hwa Mugi's continuous attacks.
He was outmatched in speed and inner energy, but not in swordsmanship.
Otherwise, he would have been stabbed five times in a row by the ruthless assault.
Kakakakakang!
In an instant, Hwa Mugi pushed the Sword King all the way to the wall.
Shwaeaek!
The moment the Sword King's back touched the wall, Hwa Mugi's sword flew in at a bizarre angle.
It was an attack that no one thought could be dodged.
Swish!
Cutting through the Sword King's hair, the blade sliced a long gash into the tavern wall.
He had dodged the attack by a hair's breadth.
Just as the second attack was about to fly in.
Shiiiik!
Jin Pae-cheon's Gentleman's Sword, which had charged from behind, stabbed at Hwa Mugi's back.
Hwa Mugi twisted his body, parrying the sword that came from behind, and dodged to the side.
"Is there a gentleman who stabs from behind?"
Jin Pae-cheon didn't answer Hwa Mugi's mockery.
Blood was flowing from his shoulder and arm.
"This is what happens when a gentleman associates with such bad people."
Geom Woojin and Baek Ja-gang also said nothing.
Seeing the Sword King intervene first at the critical moment, they had not gotten involved.
In the previous exchange between Jin Pae-cheon and Hwa Mugi, the Sword King's position was the optimal one to help Jin Pae-cheon without getting him hurt.
Jin Pae-cheon was calm despite his injuries.
"If I'd known doing bad things was this interesting, I would have tried it sooner."
The Sword King expressed his gratitude to Jin Pae-cheon.
"Thank you."
Because Jin Pae-cheon had rushed in, the second attack had not come.
If that second attack had landed, he might not have died, but he would have been severely wounded.
"I should be the one thanking you."
If it hadn't been for the Sword King's Formless Sword Force earlier, he wouldn't have escaped with just this wound; it would have been a fatal one.
It was at that moment.
"There was no need for that."
The one who spoke was Geom Woojin.
There was no need for that? Could he mean that he didn't need to help Jin Pae-cheon?
Everyone looked at Geom Woojin with puzzled minds.
Then, something astonishing happened.
Geom Woojin slowly raised his palm.
The palm, which seemed like it would point at Hwa Mugi, was aimed at the second floor of the tavern.
Shwaaaek!
Kwaaaang!
The wall, on which characters had been inscribed, was shattered by Geom Woojin's palm strike and flew apart.
The wall that Jo Chun-bae cherished as much as his own life was shattered into pieces and disappeared.
Everyone stared at him with shocked expressions, as they had not expected Geom Woojin to destroy it.
Hwa Mugi, also surprised by the action, asked.
"Isn't that the work created by your son?"
Then, Geom Woojin said to the Sword King.
"A moment ago, you could have jumped up to dodge, but you didn't, did you?"
Geom Woojin had seen it clearly.
A moment ago, in his exchange with Hwa Mugi, the Sword King could have dodged more easily.
But his momentary instinct chose not to go up to the second floor.
It was for Geom Mugeuk's sake.
It was out of a desire for the historic achievement he had left behind not to disappear.
Geom Woojin had read that sentiment in his fighting.
But in this difficult battle, there should be no such constraints.
So he had blasted it away himself.
From now on, everyone could fight with a clear mind.
And there was an alternative for Jo Chun-bae.
After building him a new, more splendid tavern.
"The words can just be rewritten. The people who wrote them are all here."