Chapter 274

Chapter 274
## Chapter 274. Someone’s Malice (5)

—

Cheol Sun-jik.
He was a terrifying individual who could send a shiver down anyone’s spine. A person’s own limbs, which normally operated under their own command, would suddenly find themselves bound by invisible strings he manipulated before they could even perceive it. It wasn’t restricted to me. Everyone in the vicinity seemed to be dancing to his tune. The harder one fought to break free, the more deeply they became caught in the web he had woven, rendered utterly incapable of taking a single step. Those who understood his true nature were filled with dread, while those who remained ignorant simply attempted to stay clear of him. Primitive survival instincts blared a warning: he was a lethal predator, an adversary to be avoided at all costs.

Staring straight ahead, I watched him charge forward, his countenance flushed a deep crimson. In that moment, Eun-ho-Lee stepped in to obstruct my advance. Resting my palm against Eun-ho-Lee’s shoulder, I offered a quiet command.

“Fall back.”

“But…”

Catching my expression, Eun-ho-Lee seemed to grasp the unspoken reality and gave a firm nod.

“In that case… please hand over the banner.”

“The banner?”

The youth spoke with utter certainty, as if it were the only logical course of action.

“You intend to claim victory, do you not, Dae-sa-hyeong?”

An involuntary laugh escaped my lips.

“…Naturally.”

Eun-ho-Lee, who had been directing the battle lines, gripped the banner and retreated. The White Tiger Sword Formation had already shattered into pieces, and the surrounding area had descended into utter chaos, rendering the tactical arrangement completely useless. I fixed my gaze silently upon the architect of this devastation.

“In a predicament like this, that silver tongue of yours has no room to weave its deceptions, does it?”

I began advancing toward Cheol Sun-jik. Step by step, my pace quickened rapidly. And just as I reached the absolute pinnacle of my acceleration.

*Swish—*

Harnessing the full momentum of my charge, I brought the Black Dragon Sword down in a fierce strike.

*Clang—*

The two blades clashed violently, unleashing a ringing reverberation. Because both of us had rushed forward with such desperate force, the shockwaves tearing through our bodies were immense. Cheol Sun-jik stumbled backward five paces to maintain his footing, while I was forced back three paces.

“So-un-Jin…”

“So you have abandoned the title of ‘Representative Jin’ entirely now.”

The venom dripping from his gaze and the murderous aura radiating from his form were actually welcome sights. I had long desired to confront him in this exact manner at least once.

“This suits me perfectly.”

Regrettably, he did not share my satisfaction in the slightest.

“Haa-at!”

Without warning, he unleashed the Blue Bamboo Sword Art (Cheong-juk-geom-beop) belonging to the Juk-hyeon-bang. Originating from the prestigious Thirty-Six Swords of Heaven, the Blue Bamboo Sword Art carried the profound, heavy principles of a crushing blade. Even though he was unable to utilize internal energy, every single impact of his weapon resonated through me, as if I were trapped inside a massive bell being struck repeatedly.

*Clang— Clang— Clang—*

Deprived of internal energy, he compensated by channeling the entirety of his physical mass into each swing. His combat ingenuity was profound enough to make seasoned martial artists pale by comparison. I found myself feeling a sense of pure, inward respect for his execution. *Is that how it is? Have your combat capabilities reached such heights?* Having never witnessed his true martial prowess even a single time in my previous existence, I could not conceal my astonishment. If he possessed such overwhelming dominance, why had he never displayed this capability in my past life? Why not even a single time? For what possible reason had he hidden it…

*‘While we were constantly crossing the threshold between life and death, why did he never show the qualities of a true companion?’*

Cheol Sun-jik launched a descending strike, twisting his frame laterally twice through the air with breathtaking agility. I gripped the Black Dragon Sword using both hands and redirected the incoming blow.

*Clang—*

A violent tremor rippled through my palms, surging up my forearms and embedding itself in my shoulders. Forcing the tip of my blade into the earth to steady the vibration, I instantly pivoted to unleash the So-cheon Sword Art.

*Swish—*

The blade sliced cleanly through the exact trajectory I had anticipated.

“Hup!”

With eyes open wide in alarm, Cheol Sun-jik rapidly hoisted his weapon to intercept the strike.

*Clang, clang, clang, clang, clang—*

Once more, the screech of colliding steel echoed across the mountain peaks. Neither weapon gave an inch. In a direct clash between a heavy, crushing blade and a swift, piercing sword, the decisive factor is who controls the momentum of the breath. A swift sword that is overwhelmed by a heavy blade will inevitably shatter, while a heavy blade ensnared by a swift sword will certainly drop.

“Huu-up…!”

Neither adversary conceded a single step, each striving desperately to suffocate the other’s rhythm.

*Clang, clang, clang, clang, clang—*

For a split second, Cheol Sun-jik’s vital point (yo-hyeol) was left entirely exposed. Even as he foresaw his imminent defeat, his features betrayed no trace of terror. Instead, his face twisted in a display of profound, burning animosity.

“In this lifetime, the triumph is mine.”

Right as I was prepared to drive the Myriad Flowers Matchless Fist (Man-hwa-mu-jeok-gwon) straight into the solar plexus of Cheol Sun-jik, whose face had briefly turned vacant with bewilderment.

“Sun-jik-a!”

An uninvited interloper threw himself into the fray.

*Thump, thump, thump!*

Cheol Hyeon-jik absorbed the full force of the Myriad Flowers Matchless Fist with his own back instead. As Cheol Hyeon-jik collapsed onto the ground, groaning in agonizing pain, the hand of Cheol Sun-jik—who had paused briefly to look down at his fallen kin—moved with blistering speed.

*‘Curse it!’*

The exact instant I attempted to leap backward to evade the crushing range of his heavy blade.

“…!”

Cheol Hyeon-jik, though writhing on the dirt, reached out with desperate strength and locked his arms around my leg.

“Sun-jik-a! Strike now!”

Sensing Cheol Hyeon-jik’s desperate cry, Cheol Sun-jik channeled every ounce of his physical power into his weapon, executing a single fluid rotation, and whipped his blade across in a trajectory meant to cleave my midsection. It was an execution forged from absolute, unadulterated intent. A breathless, hollow laugh escaped me against my will. *Has this lunatic lost his mind? Has he forgotten that this entire exercise is merely a performance evaluation?*

…Yet, in a strange way, I comprehended his madness. Because I, too, had completely lost sight of the fact that this mock battle was fought merely for academic points.

I pushed the Flowing Cloud Divine Art (Yu-un-sin-gong) technique known as “Lotus Flower” (Yeon-hwa) to its absolute boundaries. My skeletal structure groaned under the immense strain of Cheol Sun-jik’s heavy blade grinding against my own steel, but I clenched my teeth until blood seeped through my gums, refusing to yield.

“Aaaaagh!”

*Clang!*

I barely succeeded in deflecting Cheol Sun-jik’s heavy weapon and immediately kicked free from Cheol Hyeon-jik, who remained clamped onto my lower limb.

“Sun-jik-a… right now…”

*Confound it, why does he insist on screaming “now.”*

*Thump.*

As Cheol Hyeon-jik, who had clung to me like a stubborn parasite, was finally rendered unconscious with a strangled gasp, Cheol Sun-jik cast a solitary, freezing look toward his sibling before re-centering his center of gravity.

“Fortune favors you today, So-un-Jin.”

“Have you finally discarded that pathetic facade of courtesy?”

“…It puzzles me. Everyone else seemed to thoroughly enjoy being treated with such meticulous respect.”

I let out a derisive snicker.

“Only those who are blind to the treacherous malice hidden beneath it.”

“Is that your conclusion?”

“Precisely.”

He could have displayed a wave of fury or grief at the sight of his own brother breaking down, yet he manifested absolutely no such emotion. He simply persisted in swinging his weapon. Moments later, his hollow, emotionless voice drifted forward.

“You likely presumed that your only obligation was to protect two individuals, Mo-ran-Seong and Geum-pyo-Lee. That accomplishing merely that much after disrupting my stratagem would suffice.”

“……”

As Cheol Sun-jik’s gaze flashed with a predatory sharpness and he shifted his weight deeper into his stance, the descending pressure of his blade grew even more oppressive.

“Did it never cross your mind that I would have anticipated such a predictable response from the very beginning?”

As if giving physical form to his internal fury.

“So-un-Jin, events will never unfold in accordance with your desires.”

*Clang— Clang— Clang—*

The pressure was so severe that I began to worry if the blade would snap, despite my awareness that it was forged from Adamantine Incorruptible Iron.

“Because you dismantled my ambitions, you shall likewise be denied the conclusion you yearn for!”

Cheol Sun-jik roared, exhibiting far more raw emotion than he ever had before.

During my past life, I held a deep-seated hatred for Cheol Sun-jik. His utter self-centeredness—prioritizing exclusively his own survival and the preservation of his immediate sect rather than fighting for the collective triumph of our entire battalion—was thoroughly repulsive. Their collective habit of never exerting their true capabilities made them objects of scorn not just for our So-jeong-dae, but for every single martial artist on the field. Yet, I lacked the power to alter the circumstances. My personal martial skill was insufficient to compel his submission through force, and his intellect was far too deceptive to outmaneuver through strategy. Even the brilliant Jegal Cheon-gi fell prey to his machinations at every turn, save for a single exception. Consequently, I loathed and despised him with a passion that drained my very soul.

And yet,

*‘The reality was, I harbored envy.’*

Envy toward them, who managed to preserve their lives until the bitter end. Envy toward him, who successfully shielded his people through whatever underhanded tactics were required. Yes, I was profoundly jealous. Jealous of him and the disciples of his sect, who walked away intact from every slaughter while being reviled and condemned by everyone else. Because I lacked that capability. Because I no longer possessed a single soul to defend.

“Urgh…!”

The underlying reason I loathed him so intensely may have actually stemmed from a deep self-hatred—a hatred for my own inability to safeguard those I held dear. For that exact reason, I cannot permit myself to fail here. No, I absolutely refuse to lose. I will not repeat the catastrophic blunders of my previous existence. I am thoroughly exhausted from merely cowering in the shadows, cursing the enemy while staring at the remnants of comrades who have perished or fallen behind.

“Therefore, I refuse to falter at this juncture!”

Even as I recoiled from the concussive force of his heavy sword, I desperately threw out the Myriad Flowers Matchless Fist. It lacked the positioning to land a critical injury, but it succeeded in temporarily obscuring his line of sight.

“Ugh!”

The moment Cheol Sun-jik’s vision cleared from his brief, reflexive squint.

*Swish—*

I thrust the Black Dragon Sword forward without a shred of hesitation. Recognizing the depth of his capabilities, I knew a straightforward strike of this caliber would not claim his life.

*Swish—*

By a mere millimeter, my blade grazed his ear, and he immediately tilted his head, thrusting the heavy hilt of his sword directly toward my ribcage. It was a perilous predicament where a minor miscalculation would result in my ribs being completely shattered. Simultaneously pulling back the Black Dragon Sword, I drove my elbow directly into his jawline.

*Thump!*

Staggering backward from the blunt force, he recoiled a few paces. His features were a distorted mess of fury and profound resentment.

“Why… why must you interfere at every turn, So-un-Jin…”

Stripped of his usual immaculate decorum, Cheol Sun-jik stood with his hair completely disheveled, spitting out his words through tightly gnashed teeth.

“I am destined to bring down the heavens themselves. So why does someone like you…! Why must you obstruct my grand purpose!!”

Utterly incomprehensible proclamations reached my ears, yet I felt no urge to demand clarification. Because intuitively, I felt I understood the underlying sentiment of his words. He cried out in desperate anguish once more.

“Why… why do you bar my path at every single turn?”

*Clang—*

“Why… just tell me why!”

*Clang—*

“Every single time…!”

Cheol Sun-jik’s weapon clashed repeatedly with the Black Dragon Sword, but the crushing weight that had characterized his earlier strikes was entirely absent. The calculated swiftness meant to exploit vulnerabilities had vanished as well. Nothing remained but a raw, unrefined struggle.

“I demand to know why you stand in my way!!!”

*Clang—*

I no longer yielded an inch to the kinetic impact. If anything, it was Cheol Sun-jik who stumbled back a few steps following our exchange. Yet, he continued to scream as though his vocal cords would tear apart.

“I have stated that I can never turn back!”

I observed his trembling form calmly.

“My position is identical.”

“……”

I locked eyes with him, seeing nothing but bitterness and malice reflecting back. It was an expression I myself might have worn during my previous life.

“Because I, too, am utterly incapable of turning back.”

Staring at me with a vacant intensity, a faintly mocking smile broke across his face.

“…Is that the truth? Do you harbor the exact same aspirations as I do, So-un-Jin?”

“……”

“Then why am I denied? What logic dictates that such a path is permissible for you, yet forbidden to me!”

It was a query I had posed to my own reflection countless times while observing Cheol Sun-jik in my previous existence. Now, he was hurling that very question back at me.

“Why must I be reduced to a helpless bystander!”

In my past life, I certainly could not have formulated a coherent response, yet somehow, I had unraveled the core of that intricate riddle. And the solution was, remarkably enough, basic.

“Because my desperation eclipses yours.”

dishonesty.
“……”

The reason I had historically been unable to answer that query was simply because I lacked the fortitude to confront the raw reality. From the very beginning, the conclusion was more straightforward and transparent than anything else.

“Far more than you, Cheol Sun-jik!”

And it strikes deep into the center of one’s chest.

“It is simply because my desperation runs deeper.”

It forces one to confront an absolute, crushing despair.

“It comes down to nothing more than that.”

“……”

Cheol Sun-jik shook his head in denial, utterly unable to bring himself to validate my words.

“That is an impossibility. I, more than anyone… more than anyone else…”

Cheol Sun-jik’s hollow gaze drifted past me, scanning the remaining disciples of the Tae-eul-mun. He looked toward Geum-pyo-Lee, who was holding his ground to the absolute limit while defending against the simultaneous blades of five separate attackers…

“More than anyone… with greater desperation…”

He looked toward Sa-ryeon-Hong, who refused to let her trembling blade waver even once despite her completely unbound, wild hair… Then, he abruptly clamped his jaws shut. I watched the muscles in his jaw bunch up tightly.

*Grind.*

Moments later, a thin trail of crimson blood trickled from the corner of his lips. Trembling with his head lowered, he snapped his gaze back to me with a fierce, burning light in his eyes.

“If that is the reality…”

Cheol Sun-jik’s expression hardened into an impenetrable mask.

“If that is truly the case, then demonstrate it. Show me the true extent of your desperation…”

The veins along his two previously exhausted arms bulged violently once more, as if on the verge of rupturing.

“…For this exchange, I shall transform myself into your immovable mountain.”

I responded by funnelling every remaining shred of my vitality into my own shaking arms.

“Even if I bypass you, the world is teeming with fools who wish to obstruct my journey!”

*Swish—*

The exact moment the Black Dragon Sword snapped forward, Cheol Sun-jik met the strike perfectly using the flat side of his blade.

*Clang, clang, clang.*

Cheol Sun-jik committed his entire focus to absolute defense, refusing to shift his positioning by even a fraction of an inch. Choosing to manifest as an impenetrable barrier rather than executing offensive strikes, he had truly transformed into a singular, colossal mountain just as he had proclaimed.

*Swish—*

“Strike with everything you possess!”

The velocity of a swift sword devoid of internal energy possessed intrinsic restrictions, and against an opponent like Cheol Sun-jik, who possessed intimate familiarity with the So-cheon Sword Art, standard offensive angles were entirely ineffective.

“You will find this barrier impossible to breach. So-un-Jin.”

“…Do you truly believe that?”

“I do… you deserve to experience firsthand exactly how repulsive an entity that obstructs your progress truly is…”

However, that massive mountain failed to inspire even a modicum of dread within me. Why?

“If a barrier stands in my way, my only task is to shatter it, is it not?”

“What did you say?”

I shifted my grip on the Black Dragon Sword, clamping both hands firmly around the hilt instead of maintaining the forms of the So-cheon Sword Art.

“Using the exact method you attempted to employ, Cheol Sun-jik.”

And then, I executed the precise forms of the Blue Bamboo Sword Art that Cheol Sun-jik had displayed moments prior. A heavy sword style that was unvarnished, direct, incredibly dense, and perfectly aligned with foundational mechanics. It was a martial style uniquely suited to breaking down an unyielding defense.

*Clang—*

I replicated the exact martial display he had previously unleashed against me.

*Clang—*

The eyes of the startled Cheol Sun-jik widened in sheer disbelief.

“What sort of madness…”

Attempting to manifest another person’s specialized martial discipline while entirely unable to regulate internal energy is an act of pure insanity. The vast majority of martial arts were systematically engineered around the precise flow of internal energy. Unless an individual had dedicated an entire lifetime to mastering and analyzing the nuances of that specific style, utilizing such techniques effectively without internal energy was impossible. Yet, I harbored no anxiety. Because Cheol Sun-jik himself had just demonstrated the culmination of the decades he had invested. The absolute pinnacle of the Blue Bamboo Sword Art, optimized for a state completely devoid of internal energy.

“This cannot be achieved!!!”

My sole responsibility was to flawlessly mirror the mechanics of the Blue Bamboo Sword Art he had just performed. By doing so, it naturally became the most optimal variation of the Blue Bamboo Sword Art applicable under these exact limitations.

*Clang—*

Just as he had hammered down on me in an attempt to breach my defense.

*Clang—*

This time, I delivered the hammering blows to shatter the defense of Cheol Sun-jik.

*Clang—*

I substituted internal energy with physical mass, and replaced sheer velocity with rotational momentum.

*Clang—*

*Crack.*

For the very first time, a microscopic fracture manifested along the length of Cheol Sun-jik’s blade.

“Wh-what precisely is this!!!”

Thoroughly unnerved, Cheol Sun-jik attempted to leap backward to create distance. Without offering him a moment’s respite, I executed three rapid rotations on the spot and delivered a crushing blow from the Blue Bamboo Sword Art.

*Thump—*

Immediately following.

*Clang—*

*Snap—*

Accompanied by a sharp, piercing crack that seemed to split the ears, Cheol Sun-jik’s weapon shattered into fragments.