Thud! Thud!
Another sound of footsteps was heard from outside.
Everyone who was supposed to come had come. Who was coming? The sound of the footsteps was familiar. He knew who it was. It was Dongbak.
“Cough!”
The old man coughed loudly and frowned.
The middle aged wife wiped the blood from her mouth and calmly looked at her two disciples.
Seori Hyeonggae was still tending to the brazier.
Seori Gaheon looked at his master with cold eyes.
He understood what was going on. Today, the three disciples had decided to raise their blades against their master.
How could a disciple ambush their master!
He did not say such a thing. A disciple could ambush their master, and a master could kill their disciple. The martial world was a place where people could aim their blades at each other at any time depending on their interests.
The Single-Instant Blade had to break through all these walls and stand tall.
Strictly speaking, the Single-Instant Blade was not invincible, nor was it the best in the world. It was just one in a hundred thousand martial arts geniuses. Depending on the time, two in a hundred thousand could appear, or even three. It was just that rare, it didn’t necessarily have to be one in a hundred thousand.
There could also be a blade that one in a million could obtain. In that case, it should be called the One Micro Blade, not the Single-Instant Blade. But such numbers were meaningless, so they were omitted.
In fact, no one had ever completed the Single-Instant Blade.
Among the thirty six Single-Instant Sect Masters, no one had yet completed the true Single-Instant Blade.
The old man also could not boast that he had completed the Single-Instant Blade.
Although he gave the Seori surname to those who he said had completed the Single-Instant Blade, they had only obtained something like the One Thread Blade, which fell short of the Single-Instant Blade. When he felt that ‘with this blade, they would at least not be defeated if they roamed the martial world,’ he gave them the Seori surname.
Obtaining the true Single-Instant Blade was the dream of a disciple of the Single-Instant Sect.
Clatter!
The door opened and the short, skinny Dongbak entered.
“Ha! You’ve already started?”
Dongbak showed no sign of surprise even after seeing his master and his master’s wife. He even grinned as if he had expected this.
“This seems to be the Three Cause Poison, am I right?”
The old man asked calmly.
“That’s right.”
The answer came from Seori Hyeonggae.
The Three Cause Poison only became toxic when three poisons gathered.
The first poison was brought by Seori Hyeonggae. The dust on his blade was the poison. He had spread the first poison while shaking his blade.
The second poison was in the teacup.
Seori Hyeonggae had boiled tea and served it to his master and his master’s wife.
The second poison had invaded the two of them.
The third poison was brought by Seori Gaheon. The third poison was in the dust on his clothes.
Seori Gaheon and Seori Hyeonggae had also inhaled one or two poisons. But the poison in the teacup was missing. If he had just drunk one cup of tea, even Seori Hyeonggae would not have been able to avoid being poisoned.
One, two, three… the three poisons had combined into one to complete the Three Cause Poison.
“Are you Heo Dogi’s hidden blades?”
The middle aged wife said, looking at her three disciples.
She was calm. Even though she was poisoned, she did not lose the smile on her face.
“That’s right.”
Seori Gaheon said coldly.
“The Single-Instant Blade should be a masterless executioner’s blade, it should be free spirited. Tsk! You have served a master.”
The old man said.
“Didn’t you also serve a master, master?”
“…?”
“Serving as the hands and feet of the Sacred Sword Sect Master under the specious name of a close friend is clearly serving a master. And you’re living cooped up in the mountains to protect that specious name.”
“Is that so?”
“That’s right. The true value of the Single-Instant Blade is revealed when it runs wild in the world.”
“A killing tool.”
“The nature of a blade is to cut. A blade is originally a weapon.”
“Hahaha!”
The old man laughed.
Everyone has their own thoughts about the blade. He had no intention of teaching them just because their thoughts were different from his. The teaching had ended the moment they had completed the Single-Instant Blade. Giving the Seori surname meant that they should leave his side.
The two disciples had not left even after receiving the Seori surname.
Heo Dogi had planted them by his side long ago. It wasn’t that he had been monitoring Heo Dogi’s movements through Dongbak. Heo Dogi had been monitoring him.
“When did you meet Heo Dogi?”
The middle aged wife asked.
Seori Hyeonggae lifted his outer garment and exposed his upper body.
His entire body was covered in large and small scars. Deep and shallow scars were drawn like a spider’s web.
Seori Hyeonggae pointed to a scar drawn on his heart among the numerous scars.
“The Illuminating Thousand Swords!”
The old man’s brow furrowed deeply.
The depth at which the sword was thrust in and the depth at which it came out were constant. If it was thrust in with the tip of the sword, it came out with the tip of the sword. If it was thrust in to a depth of one inch, it maintained a depth of one inch when it came out.
The old man had not seen the form of the Illuminating Thousand Swords. He had seen the sword principle that maintained the Illuminating Thousand Swords.
“Did you also get hit?”
The old man looked at Seori Gaheon.
Seori Gaheon did not answer. He only looked at the old man with cool eyes and did not move a muscle.
He was hit!
Heo Dogi had subdued them early on. He had made them his own hands and feet, and had drawn a situation like the present.
To think that he had been completely unaware of this.
“I need about one two hour period. Today at noon, let’s see your blades at Bamboo Peak.”
“Kikik! Master, there is no antidote for the Three Cause Poison. Still, if you want to use a blade worthy of a blade, now would be better. By noon, you won’t even have the strength to hold a blade. Ah! By the way, since there’s not much time left, won’t you give me a piece of paper too?”
He was asking for the Seori surname.
The old man shouted, “You rascal, even a street ruffian can withstand your blade!”
* * *
The master and his wife leaned on each other and staggered as they walked.
It seemed difficult for the two of them to even climb to the summit called Bamboo Peak.
The Three Cause Poison was a very strong poison. It was a deadly poison that was said to be able to knock down a raging bull in an instant.
It was a miracle that they had managed to stay alive for two two hour periods even after being poisoned by such a poison. Moreover, the two of them had taken one step, one step, with difficulty towards the summit of the mountain.
The higher they climbed the mountain, the faster their blood circulated, and the stronger the poison became.
“Do you have no regrets?”
“Why would I have no regrets? I can’t not have regrets. I ended up in this state because I looked away for a moment.”
“Is that child really a True Bone? To my eyes, Gaheon or Hyeonggae looked stronger.”
“A True Bone is something you can’t know unless you watch with wide eyes. How could Heo Dogi not have known? If the child had been just a Dragon Bone and not a True Bone, the Black Gang assassins would have died long ago.”
“That’s what I mean. To my eyes, that child still looks very ordinary. I feel like he can’t possibly face Gaheon or Hyeonggae. Let alone Heo Dogi…”
The wife trailed off.
The child was just seven years old. So he would forget about the death of his parents whom he had not even lived with, and she thought it might be okay for him to live an ordinary life like this.
“Our Bia will end up becoming an assassin.”
“There was nowhere else to entrust her.”
“Why wouldn’t I know that? I know. It’s just that I feel sorry thinking about her getting blood on those small hands.”
The two of them climbed to the summit, talking back and forth.
Seori Gaheon and Seori Hyeonggae had already climbed to the summit.
Dongbak appeared suddenly from behind the two. He had even tailed them in case the two of them had other plans. Of course, the master had known about the tailing long ago.
Shing! Shing! Shing!
The blades were drawn.
After drawing his blade, Seori Gaheon lowered his stance and focused his mind on the tip of his blade.
Seori Hyeonggae did not need to draw his blade. He was holding his unsheathed blade loosely.
Dongbak also drew his blade, but no one was paying attention to him.
Namso stepped aside from the fight.
This fight was a fight of the Single-Instant Sect. In particular, it was the master’s last fight. So she should not interfere. If there was even a slight chance of survival, she might have interfered. But wasn’t the situation of death so clear? Let them fight to their heart’s content.
Swoosh!
The master held his blade at an angle. He was in a stance to swing diagonally upwards from the lower left.
One clash!
It would not take long. The moment they used their hands, the match would be decided. The blades might clash, but both sides would probably use a killing move without clashing.
They did not think about their own safety. They only attacked the opponent.
Pat!
Seori Gaheon shot his body forward first.
One Spring Ten Swords!
Pararang! Pararak!
The blade danced in the air. The speed of executing ten sword strikes in the time it took to pluck a zither string once was fully revealed.
Shwiiit!
Seori Hyeonggae also rushed in.
Seori Hyeonggae stepped left and right. He seemed to be going to the left, then to the right. And when it seemed like he was going to the right, he was already turning to the left.
Seori Hyeonggae’s footwork was similar to that of a wolf rushing down a mountain slope. Even though he was running down a slope, his speed did not decrease, but rather it got faster as he ran.
Pat! Shwit!
The blades grazed each other and passed.
“Kuk!”
Seori Hyeonggae was the first to clutch his stomach and collapse with a thud.
From his clutched stomach, red blood flowed out like a gurgling stream.
He was quite seriously injured.
Seori Hyeonggae was not the only one who was injured. Seori Gaheon was also hit by a blade. The blade had cut across his forehead.
Blood trickled down.
But Seori Gaheon did not scream. He clenched his teeth and looked down at his blade, which was completely unstained with blood.
‘A great person!’
Admiration burst out on its own.
His master was poisoned by the Three Cause Poison. He could only use half of his usual internal energy. Even in that state, he had dodged the One Spring Ten Swords. He had even broken the second disciple’s Three Blades One Kill.
A tremor ran through Seori Gaheon’s hand holding the blade.
His master’s blade was a death blade. There was no one his master had not been able to kill with his blade. Also, there was no one who had crossed blades with his master and was still alive. It was a death blade, a death blade!
But they were alive.
Was his master’s blade dull because he was poisoned by the Three Cause Poison? No. His master had left some mercy in his hands. For the first time… the death blade was broken. He had broken the death blade himself.
Dongbak? Dongbak had not participated in the fight. He had drawn his blade, but the moment the fight broke out, he had stepped back. He had been crushed by the aura of the Single-Instant Blade that was being emitted from both sides.
It was certain that Dongbak had not obtained the Single-Instant Blade.
“I won’t tell you to admit that you were defeated by my blade. But you should keep one thing in mind. If you couldn’t even block my blade, you won’t be able to block Heo Dogi’s sword either. You’ve already experienced Heo Dogi’s sword, so you know, but it’s not a sword you can defeat even after a hundred years. Just keep this in mind… and don’t become Heo Dogi’s dog.”
Seori Gaheon could not even open his mouth.
Swoosh!
A person appeared.
He approached, looking around. He walked slowly, like a brown bear walking through a forest.
Heo Dogi had come. He had come himself. He had come alone, without bringing the Ten Lesser Swords or any subordinates.
Swoosh!
Namso blocked Heo Dogi’s path.
“Senior is still beautiful.”
“You are still evil. Thirty years have passed, and even if I don’t expect you to have turned over a new leaf, can’t you be a little kinder?”
“That’s a harsh thing to say. To my face.”
“You’re not the type to blush at that, are you?”
“Hahaha! Who can match senior’s wit.”
Namso said with a smirk.
“Your work is done, right? Then go down. I don’t want to show you an ugly side of me.”
She said to her three sons, her three disciples.