Chapter 448

Chapter 448
## Chapter 448. The Definition of Justice (3)

—

“Ascending to the rank of a Leader within the Black Coffins is by no means an ordinary achievement.”

Turning my gaze toward Gu Song-baek, I noted the profound apprehension etched into his features. A bystander might question the suddenness of his remark, but reading between the lines, his unspoken thoughts were clear:

‘Observing the manner in which that youthful Heo Gwan-jung directs his subordinates and manages the strategy, he clearly did not gain his rank through mere nepotism. Is it truly wise to leave your *Sa-je* behind? Granted, given the precarious state of our own clan, we are hardly in a position to fret over external parties, yet the prospect of blameless individuals perishing on our account remains deeply unsettling…….’ It was undoubtedly an internal monologue of that nature.

I offered a brief, resolute response to his lengthy misgivings.

“My *Sa-je* is fully capable of safeguarding the disciples of the Mosan Sect.”

“…….”

“Furthermore, they shall not perish.”

Though his bewildered expression revealed that my words had failed to ease his doubts, this was fundamentally an issue that required neither his validation nor his comprehension.

We pressed forward toward the breached section of the defensive array, striking down the intercepting forces of the Black Coffins along the way. The plan dictated that Yu Ji-ryang, Eun-ho, and Sa-ryeon would establish the Infinite Indestructible Soul-Destroying Formation from within the perimeter, while I assisted in securing the boundary from the exterior. Essentially, my role was to intercept any reinforcements arriving from the outside while purging the remaining adversaries inside.

That comprised the core of our strategy.

*Chae-chae-chae-chaeng—*

To execute this plan successfully, my immediate priority was clearing the hostiles blocking our path.

“Keuk.”
“……!”
“Ugh.”

Conditioned specifically for covert infiltrations and lethal strikes, the operatives of the Black Coffins refused to utter a single cry even when sustaining fatal injuries. Observing this eerie silence seemed to weigh heavily on Gu Song-baek, whose countenance grew increasingly pale. Whether due to an inherent limitation in his martial arts prowess or the unsettling demeanor of our foes, his movements soon grew erratic and uncoordinated.

“Watch your step.”

Catching his arm to yank him back just as a blade brushed against his throat, he offered me a dazed, unseeing stare.

“Are you…… unharmed, *So-hyeop*?”

With a swift arc of the Red Light Sword, I dispatched two more Black Coffins into the afterlife.

“I am perfectly fine.”

Whether drawing from the memories of my previous incarnation or the brutal trials within the Silent Forest, the adversaries I had previously conquered were far more monstrous than these combatants. Among the demonic factions, there existed entities who severed their own tongues and destroyed their vocal tracts purely to guarantee absolute silence during operations. In comparison to such aberrations, the disciplined reactions of the Black Coffins remained entirely within human parameters.

My solitary regret was of a different nature.

“It is rather wasteful.”

“What……?”

“I merely mean it would have been far better had their demises served a meaningful purpose.”

“…….”

Had these squandered lives been preserved for the impending Great War between Justice and Evil, or had this futile skirmish been redirected toward that monumental clash, an untold number of innocent casualties might have been averted.

This was precisely why I could not tolerate their actions. More importantly, I could not falter. The moment I abandoned my efforts regarding the Martial Alliance, an absolute multitude of blameless souls would lose their lives needlessly. Those dearest to me would inevitably be dragged into that cataclysm, regardless of their desires.

*Swaaaa-eaek—*

Fueled by that conviction, my intolerance for their hubris deepened. I unleashed the Great Heaven Sword Technique to parry their oncoming strikes.

*Chae-chae-chae-chae-chaeng—*

Exploiting the vulnerabilities created by my defense, I transitioned seamlessly into the Small Heaven Sword Technique. If the very institutions meant to uphold the decrees of the Jianghu and preserve order reduced themselves to mere instruments for the ruling class, they had thoroughly forsaken their core purpose. A blade meant to taste human blood deserved only to be shattered and cast aside.

*Swaaaa-eaek—*
*Chaeng-gang—*

The weapons of our adversaries were sheared apart by the crimson edge of the Red Light Sword. Advancing without a moment’s hesitation, I cut through the limbs and necks of the operatives who stood frozen in shock at their ruined blades.

“*Mun-ju-nim*.”

“……U-Uh?”

“Which route offers the maximum speed?”

“The path we are presently navigating is the swiftest.”

“No, not this standard route. I am asking for an alternative that is significantly faster.”

In accordance with their lineage as masters of spatial arrays, the architecture of the Mosan Sect was meticulously organized to align with the principles of the Eight Trigrams and the Five Elements. Consequently, the structures themselves accumulated spiritual energy to sustain the grand formation.

Realizing the implications of my inquiry, Gu Song-baek shook his head in alarm.

“Indiscriminate destruction of the surroundings will destabilize the entire matrix.”

“Is that not the exact reason you are guiding me, to prevent such errors?”

dishonesty
“…….”

“Let us move.”

Swallowing his reluctance, he hardened his resolve and gave a firm nod.

“Advance three paces to the left of that particular wall. That vector is secure.”

The moment the words left his mouth, I executed the Illusionary Steps.

*Pu-kak—*

The masonry gave way instantly, revealing a clear passage forward.

Gu Song-baek felt as though his senses were failing him.

“The tiling on the left slope of the primary entrance is structurally sound to tread upon…… *Heok*.”

Before he could fully articulate his guidance, the two of them were traversing the grounds like phantoms.

“The Chue-gak Pavilion must remain intact! Damaging it will compromise the matrix!”

Jin So-un neutralized the surrounding threats precisely as the warning was delivered.

“Name the next destination.”

“The next point is……”

The velocity of their advance was something Gu Song-baek could scarcely keep pace with, despite his intimate, lifelong familiarity with every hidden corner of the Mosan Sect.

“For the moment, clearing that water feature ahead will allow us to……”

Jin So-un had already bounded across. Keeping within striking distance of the youth required every ounce of his remaining stamina. Yet, it was the young man’s extraordinary combat prowess that truly defied belief.

*Chae-chae-chae-chaeng—*

The lethal blades wielded by the Black Coffins seemed drawn into the orbit of Jin So-un’s weapon as if by an invisible vacuum. Immediately following the parry, he delivered a low kick that left a residual blur in the air. Before their airborne forms could even impact the ground, his blade precisely dissected the operatives of the Black Coffins.

His swordsmanship evidently incorporated the intricate nuances of Change (*Byeon*) and Illusion (*Hwan*), executed at a velocity that defied visual tracking. If observing from the rear felt this overwhelming, the psychological pressure exerted on those facing him directly must have been utterly paralyzing.

What perplexed him even further was a distinct observation.

‘His composure is absolute.’

Not a single tremor of hesitation manifested in Jin So-un as he engaged the Black Coffins. Given the doctrine of the Black Coffins, a bloodlust entirely devoid of emotion typically dominated the battlefield, completely unnerving opponents regardless of their martial standing. Even an apex predator like a tiger would frequently retreat when confronted by the coordinated malice of a wolf pack.

Furthermore, these operatives were individuals who had thoroughly mastered the suppression of their human sentiments. Even as their heads tumbled from their shoulders in death, they offered no vocalization. They exhibited neither rage nor panic at the slaughter of their peers. This unyielding, mechanistic focus was profoundly disturbing to witness from an objective standpoint.

And yet.

“Where is our next heading?”

Jin So-un remained entirely unmoved by their unnatural demeanor. If anything, his movements flowed with a chilling efficiency that suggested an underlying ease. Retracting his stance by a single step only to press forward by two, he thrust and slashed with an innate familiarity, as though performing an elementary, repetitive task.

Between the silently perishing Black Coffins and the completely unbothered Jin So-un who relentlessly slaughtered them, it became difficult to discern which party represented the true terror.

‘The Tae-eul Sect…….’

Above all else, the realization that staggered him the most was a singular question.

‘Possessed strength of this caliber?’

The sheer martial depth Jin So-un displayed, the profound heritage of the techniques hinted at through his execution, and the sheer magnitude of a sect capable of deploying such an astonishing prodigy into a meat grinder.

In his prior estimations, the Tae-eul Sect was an obscure entity of little consequence. It was only when Yu Ji-ryang received assistance at the Demon Spirit Plateau that he became aware they held tenancy over one of the peaks within the One Hundred and Eight Peaks. Even upon learning that they were the sole faction volunteering to reinforce the Mosan Sect, he had been unable to conceal his dismay, fearing they would prove to be a liability rather than an asset.

Yet, every single one of his assumptions had been utterly shattered. Reality had completely subverted his expectations.

……Perhaps the current ruin of the Mosan Sect was a disaster of his own making. His own provincial ignorance of the realm’s shifting tides had left them vulnerable. Blindly adhering to antiquity while the world left them behind…….

“……*Mun-ju-nim*. *Mun-ju-nim*!”

“W-What is it?”

“Where to next?”

Jolting awake from his spiral of intense self-reproach, Gu Song-baek scanned his surroundings, his breath catching in surprise once more.

‘Since when did we clear the path?’

An objective that had appeared entirely insurmountable had been completed. He raised his eyes to regard the young man who had wrought this miracle.

“……We have arrived. Just past the threshold of that structure lies the breach where the grand formation was shattered.”

Within the young martial artist’s gaze, a serene brilliance shone quietly.

*Woo-woong—*

The vista extending beyond the architecture was entirely unprecedented in all my years. A dense condensation parted cleanly down the center, forming sheer vertical precipices reminiscent of a gorge, through which an alabaster vapor meandered like a flowing river. It was an ethereal topography that defied the laws of nature.

“This anomaly is the direct consequence of the formation’s rupture. Under normal parameters, the localized energy is meant to settle and undergo transmutation, but as is evident……”

Into this vast, exposed clearing—which effectively mirrored the vulnerabilities of an unshielded zone—the dark-clad operatives of the Black Coffins were pouring through like a breaking dam. Watching these scoundrels cross our thresholds as though navigating their own estates was thoroughly offensive, prompting me to unleash a strike.

*Chwa-reu-reu-reu-reu—*

The Red Light Sword fanned outward in a sweeping arc, inscribing lingering traces upon the air. These traces rapidly coalesced into mirages, which then solidified into distinct, tangible phantom blades that began to saturate the clearing.

“What sort of sorcery is this……!”
“They are mere illusory blades! Maintain your focus!”

As the Twin Heaven Sword Formula manifested, the spectral weaponry populated the expanse within a heartbeat. The advancing Black Coffins, who had hitherto proceeded without resistance, faltered in brief confusion before raising their weapons in defensive postures. Seizing that exact window of vulnerability, I discharged a volley of sword-qi.

*Peo-peo-peo-peo-peong!*

Because the operatives desperately channeled their internal reserves to counter the incoming sword-qi, the confined bottleneck instantly degenerated into a slaughterhouse.

“Aaaargh!”
“Hold your ground……! Cease pushing from behind!”
“An enemy blocks the vanguard! There is an active combatant! Halt the advance!”

The narrow corridor became a chaotic quagmire, utterly consumed by bedlam. I relentlessly maintained the barrage of sword-qi and phantom blades. The Black Coffins managed to steady their panic only briefly; rather than continuing their forward charge, they began a calculated withdrawal. Furthermore, they unhesitatingly hurled the bodies of their fallen comrades directly into the active matrix. Whether this was done to clear their path or to retrieve them at a later juncture remained uncertain, but the display was thoroughly unsettling.

“Form columns of four and egress! The opposition originates from the Tae-eul Sect!”

“““Understood!”””

A commanding voice rang out, answered by a unified acknowledgment. The enemy ranks reorganized with immense speed and launched a secondary assault. At that precise juncture, the white vapors permeating the fractured array began to shimmer with a distinct crimson tint. This served as the prearranged signal that Yu Ji-ryang had successfully prepared the framework for the Infinite Indestructible Soul-Destroying Formation.

*Ku-reu-reung—*

Gathering my internal force without delay, I chambered the Radiant Heaven Divine Palm and unleashed it forward.

*Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-khwang—*

Lacking any lateral escape routes within the enclosed passage, the frontline of the Black Coffins was completely overwhelmed by the destructive momentum of the Radiant Heaven Divine Palm, violently propelled backward out of the corridor. Seizing this opening, Yu Ji-ryang, Eun-ho, and Sa-ryeon bounded forth from the inner perimeter and began hammering down anchoring stakes affixed with spiritual talismans.

“Drive them precisely into the coordinates I designate!”

The moment Yu Ji-ryang signaled with his hand, Eun-ho and Sa-ryeon drove the stakes deep into the earth.

“Ji-ryang!”

Lacking the spare breath to address Gu Song-baek’s frantic call, Yu Ji-ryang continued anchoring the stakes at a breathless pace.

“The adversaries are attempting to compromise our installation!”

“Hold the line!”

Nonetheless, regardless of how efficiently the components had been prepared, manifesting a complex Soul-Destroying Formation within seconds was a monumental challenge. Predictably, the Black Coffins surged forward in renewed numbers. Concurrently, the operatives trapped within the interior perimeter also began a desperate charge toward our position, terrified that their singular avenue of escape was about to be sealed permanently.

A look of absolute resolve settled over Gu Song-baek’s features as he observed his pupil’s frantic efforts.

“*Jin So-hyeop*! I shall hold the vanguard. I entrust our rear to your blade!”

“Pardon? By what means?”

“Deploying projection techniques within this confined space ought to maximize our defensive efficiency!”

Sprinting past Yu Ji-ryang with those final words, Gu Song-baek cast his specialized implements in all directions, immediately manipulating his talismans to summon forth spectral guardians.

*A-heung!*

The phantasmal beasts that materialized alongside his seals mauled the Black Coffins viciously, flinging their broken forms back into the array. Lacking a specialist who understood the intricacies of illusion mechanics on the level of Heo Gwan-jung, the remaining Black Coffins hesitated to recklessly breach the passage.

During this interval, I focused entirely on neutralizing the waves of Black Coffins attacking from our rear.

*Chae-chae-chae-chae-chaeng—*

In the span of a breath, twenty distinct clashes occurred, leaving ten operatives lifeless on the stone floor. A voice dripping with venom resonated from within the ranks of the formation.

“Jin So-un! For what reason do you…… intercede in the governance of the Martial Alliance!”

I provided an indifferent reply.

“Because these actions do not constitute the legitimate business of the Martial Alliance.”

“……What nonsense do you speak!”

The passing of a single *sik-gyeong* felt as grueling as an entire month. The localized warfare intensified exponentially. Even while securing stakes and anchoring the Soul-Destroying Formation according to Yu Ji-ryang’s frantic directions, Eun-ho and Sa-ryeon were repeatedly forced to drop their tools and engage the enemy. Whenever they were pulled away, Yu Ji-ryang was left entirely isolated, sprinting between points like a man possessed to finalize the array’s construction.

An additional *il-gak* of grueling combat elapsed. Finally, Yu Ji-ryang’s voice pierced through the din.

“*Jin So-hyeop*! The array is fully operational!”

The scripts covering the anchoring stakes flared with an azure radiance, indicating they had successfully channeled the ambient energy and locked the matrix into place.

“*Mun-ju-nim*! Fall back immediately!”

Gu Song-baek, who had been single-handedly anchor-pointing the vanguard against the Black Coffins, began a measured retreat. As the Soul-Destroying Formation stabilized into its full potency, Eun-ho, Sa-ryeon, and Yu Ji-ryang crossed safely out of the dangerous zone. At this stage, the operation required only Gu Song-baek’s safe extraction to conclude.

“*Mun-ju-nim*!!!”

Coinciding precisely with Yu Ji-ryang’s desperate, raw scream, Gu Song-baek collapsed to the earth, soaked in crimson.

=======

**Author’s Note**

Greetings, esteemed companions of the martial world.

I am Jeok-seol-mok, a humble scribe of the Murim.

By virtue of the enduring interest and affection extended by you, my fellow travelers, I have successfully navigated the trials of this remarkably oppressive summer season without major incident. Furthermore, through the valuable corrections and encouraging critiques provided in the commentary of each installment, I have been able to chronicle the exploits of Jin So-un and the Tae-eul Sect with immense gratification.

Once more, I offer my profoundest appreciation to you all.

Of late, several readers have raised concerns regarding whether I am adequately maintaining the narrative progression of Jin So-un and the Tae-eul Sect’s journey.

Regrettably, that is correct. I have fallen short in rendering it properly.

Magnificent, earth-shattering, and gripping chronicles concerning Jin So-un and the Tae-eul Sect have unfolded—events that evoke profound sorrow and tears, yet leave a sense of proud fulfillment in their wake. Unfortunately, my execution failed to properly articulate those grand occurrences.

The shortcoming rests entirely with me.

It appears that during a recent session of focused cultivation, I succumbed to a sudden Heart Demon (*Sim-ma*), resulting in a minor disruption at my *Baek-hoe* acupoint. In an effort to counteract this internal imbalance, I am actively seeking rare cleansing elixirs and restorative medicines.

It brings me great sorrow that I cannot instantly convey the deeply moving and exhilarating chronicles experienced by Jin So-un and the Tae-eul Sect at this time. I shall strive to conquer this mental affliction with utmost speed so that I may accurately depict at least a portion of these true events.

My gratitude toward you remains unbound by words, as no phrasing can adequately capture my appreciation. I remain hopeful that the daily paths of all companions within the Jianghu remain tranquil.

Thank you always.

=======