Chapter 154

Chapter 154
**Chapter 154: Stars Converge, Fate Flows**

“Star Fate Turns. With the stars meeting, fate now flows.”

This was the third time he had heard that voice.

The first time, he had just returned.
The second, when he had grasped the arrangements left behind by the Sword King.
And now—today.

“Junior sister… did you hear that voice as well?”
“A voice? No, I didn’t.”
“Then why are you so startled?”
“Because my sword just shattered, obviously.”

The breaking of the Blood God Demonic Sword was startling all on its own. From Je-gal Seol-ha’s perspective, she had only cautiously drawn forth her inner energy—yet the blade had burst apart into shards.

“Senior brother… what should we do? I’m so sorry.” Je-gal Seol-ha glanced nervously at Yang-hui. It was a demonic sword, true, but it was still property of the Baek Clan—and it looked very much as though she had broken it herself. No wonder she felt so distressed.

“It’s all right. Don’t worry—I had been meaning to break it myself, but I never knew how, so I simply left it as it was.”

Baek Cheol would be absolutely delighted to hear this, the thought flashed through his mind briefly before Yang-hui sank into deep contemplation.

*Star Fate Turns.* The “star” spoken of here must surely refer to Seol-ha. And if “stars have met,” then there were at least two of them. *One of those other stars must be me.*

No—if that were so, the voice would have spoken far sooner. He had met Je-gal Seol-ha all of eight years ago.

Could the other star have been the Blood God Demonic Sword itself? He could not say for certain; he simply did not yet have enough pieces to form a solid conclusion.

Still, one thing was perfectly clear: with the stars converging and fate beginning to move, change was inevitable. *Some new variable I know nothing about may have just appeared.*

Being able to turn back time had its advantages, yet moments like this were deeply frustrating. He could feel the guiding hand of some lofty, powerful being, maneuvering him like a piece on a game board.

*Heaven-Defying Life Swap, Return to Correct Flow, Return and Fulfill Wish…* For techniques meant to let him go back and attain what he desired, they certainly meddled in matters he had never asked for. And every action taken by such a being carried intent. *What is their goal? What are they trying to achieve…?*

“Senior brother? You look so serious… you aren’t truly angry with me, are you?”

His train of thought broke apart. There was no point dwelling on questions that offered no answers—far better to focus on what he could do right now.

“Not at all. Why would I ever be angry with you?”
“Still…”

But with the sword shattered, could he still use the Blood God Demonic Sword for training? He picked up one of the broken fragments.

“Hmm?”

Normally, simply holding the Blood God Demonic Sword brought the encroaching presence of the demon spirit. Thanks to his righteous energy, he had always been able to suppress it, yet Yang-hui had still felt the weight pressing upon his mind. Now, however, there was no trace of that sensation left.

*Well, it is broken—so perhaps that is only natural.*

That did not mean the sword’s power had vanished entirely. More precisely, the spiritual essence woven into the metal remained whole and unharmed.

“Seol-ha—try holding one of the fragments yourself.”
“Won’t it overwhelm my mind if I do?”
“It is no longer whole, so you will be safe. Hold it, and channel a little of your inner energy into it.”

Je-gal Seol-ha carefully picked up a shard. Her expression shifted almost at once.

“How does it feel?”
“It is strange… as though the fragment is responding to my energy.”

Yang-hui felt much the same—a marvelous sensation, as though the metal did not merely accept his energy, but drank in his very will. *In that case… this could be a tremendous boon for Seol-ha’s training.*

—

Namgung Cheon-hu had returned, using the injuries sustained by his men as an excuse to delay. Meanwhile, the Baek Clan and Tang Clan had completed all preparations to march upon Gilju.

Naturally, Yang-hui had wanted to remain at the side of Clan Head Baek Mu-ryang, but his father had refused to let him go.

“You only just brought forth your innate true energy a few days ago—where do you think you are rushing off to?”
“But Father, I am fully recovered now.”

Baek Mu-ryang shook his head firmly, as if the very idea were absurd. “Hui, I too have opened my central dantian, remember. I know innate true energy does not restore itself in a matter of days.”

Logically, his father was right—but Yang-hui truly was well. Not at full strength, certainly, but strong enough to lend aid in rooting out the black path scum of Gilju.

“That is quite enough. We need those of greatest strength to remain and defend the main household—and that duty falls to you.”

There was no arguing with such reasoning. People spoke of “guarding the house like a dog” as an insult, yet turned the other way around, it meant holding a position of vital importance.

“You have all been informed of the revised plan: the Baek Clan and Tang Clan will move swiftly to sweep away the black path forces in Gilju, while the Namgung Clan is tasked with defending against incursions by the Black Mirror Gang from Wonju.”

Namgung Cheon-hu met Baek Mu-ryang’s gaze in silence, then nodded. It was a sudden change of arrangement, one decided in his absence by the Baek and Tang Clans. Until now, the Namgung Clan had styled themselves nothing more than loyal retainers, vowing to follow whatever decisions were made—leaving little room for objection.

“We understand.”

Watching Namgung Cheon-hu agree so readily, Yang-hui narrowed his eyes slightly. *That man is not one to submit so easily. He arrived late… he must be plotting something.*

There was nothing he could do about it now, however. The man had offered a plausible reason; he could not simply turn them away on mere suspicion.

*Sleeping with the enemy, are we?* A faint smirk touched his lips. It sounded dangerous, but it was also the most effective way to strike an enemy down from within. They were not the only ones who knew how to attack from behind—just as he had done to them through the Hyeongsan Sect only days before.

*They must be seething with resentment over that blow. I only hope the march proceeds without trouble.*

Realistically, there was little cause for alarm. The black path forces of Honam had suffered severe losses and withdrawn only recently; they would not be able to regroup so quickly. And no matter how capable or vengeful Hyeongsan Yin Blood might be, schemes took time to mature—which was exactly why they were moving out so quickly: to crush the black path in Gilju before those plans could come to fruition.

*Still… I cannot shake this feeling of unease.* The persistent thought made him give his cheek a light, sharp slap.

*It is not as though I am leaving a small child alone by the river.* He would not normally be so worried, yet the very presence of Hyeongsan Yin Blood gnawed at him. Perhaps the memories of his past life were making him overly anxious on his father’s behalf.

*If I am this concerned simply staying behind, how can I ever build the greatest clan under heaven?* Besides, Tang Clan Young Lord Tang Gun and Baek Clan Head Baek Mu-ryang were leading the expedition personally. *No great undertaking is ever accomplished alone. I must trust them. Whatever risks there may be, Uncle Tang and my father are more than capable of handling this.*

Trust was not merely necessary—it was obvious. Both men were among the finest he had ever known.

*In any case, it seems I shall be devoting my time to training from now on.* The timing was perfect. Having only just grasped the fundamentals of Vital Energy Manifestation and Void Grasping, he had been eager to lose himself in meditation and energy circulation. He would also oversee Seol-ha’s progress, and determine what to do with the fragments of the Blood God Demonic Sword. He would have more than enough to keep him occupied for a month.

“Seol-ha—let us go to the training grounds.”
“Yes, senior brother.”

Once the departing troops had been seen off, Yang-hui and Je-gal Seol-ha made their way straight to the training area. Adu followed naturally at their heels.

“Seol-ha, take out the fragment. We shall begin.”
“Very well.”

The small shard glowed faintly in Je-gal Seol-ha’s hand as it drank in her inner energy. “It really is quite remarkable… it is just a piece of metal, after all.”

“Indeed it is.”

Je-gal Seol-ha gave him a playful look. In that instant, a sensation washed over him—chilling yet burning, all at once. Even Yang-hui, with his steady mind and righteous energy, felt a moment of dizzy disorientation.

“This thing…?”
“Hehe, it does not affect you, senior brother.”

One of the shard’s properties was amplification—of both energy and intent. Through it, Je-gal Seol-ha was refining her control over her energy and will at a rate that would have been impossible otherwise. It was like not simply running at full speed, but galloping upon horseback—all while catching small stones he tossed her way, without ever loosening her grip on the reins.

“At this pace, you truly will reach the peak realm before long.”
“Was that not always the goal?”
“You have not advanced in years—how could you possibly reach the peak so soon?”
“It simply feels as though I am on the verge of it now.”

“It is astonishing that such power could be contained within mere shards.”

Originally, Yang-hui had intended to have the Blood God Demonic Sword reforged into a single, magnificent blade once it was broken. Blacksmith Baek Cheol had told him the materials were rare metals scarcely found in the mortal realm—more than enough to craft a weapon worthy of representing the entire clan. Yet he had changed his mind.

*It would be a waste to pour such extraordinary power into a single sword.* As he had just seen with Seol-ha, the fragments were perfect tools for those of first-rate ability to break through to the peak realm—sacred weapons, existing in pieces.

*The true might of the Nine Great Sects and One Gang… reveals itself most fully in their core disciples.* The orthodox arts progressed slowly, yet steadily. Those who practiced them grew stronger and stronger with the passage of time—like gathering every pebble while walking an unhurried path, unlike practitioners of demonic or forbidden arts who sprinted ahead only to fall behind later. Slower at the start, yet in time, those gathered pebbles became formidable projectiles.

*That is why younger disciples are often drawn to the black path, while their elders remain true to the white.* Of course, righteous sects also used elixirs and proven methods to speed progress—yet they could never fully bridge the gap created by years of cultivation, something a rapidly rising clan like the Baek could not hope to match.

But the fragments of the Blood God Demonic Sword might make what seemed impossible, real.

*Heh… this alone will place Seol-ha deeply in my debt.* Gaining Seol-ha when he had was one of the greatest strokes of luck in this life. Through her, he had earned the goodwill of Je-gal Seon and the entire Je-gal Clan—and even forged a connection with the Heavenly Sound Witch, one of the Heavenly Martial Ten Lords.

“Seol-ha, once we finish today’s training, let us find something delicious to—”

He stopped short. Something was different about Je-gal Seol-ha. He raised a hand to signal Adu to stay quiet, and watched her closely.

*Lost in cultivation trance… already? And today of all days?* She truly was a genius whose talent astonished even him. To grasp the underlying principle so quickly and enter a meditative state? It seemed possible that today, Je-gal Seol-ha would truly ascend to the peak realm.

*Swaaaa—*

Her inner energy swirled around the shard, a low vibration giving rise to a clear, pleasing melody. This was the unique quality of the sacred sound energy that resided in her lower dantian.

*Chaarang, chaararang!*
*Dling, dliring, dliriring.*

He could not help but admire the sight. No instruments were present, yet it sounded as though melodies from every kind filled the air—notes of identical pitch that carried different timbres, as distinct as a drum from a gayageum. Je-gal Seol-ha was producing such rich variety of tone without a single tool in her hands.

*Realm of Varied Tones.* This was the very ability the Heavenly Sound Witch possessed—the power to summon the tones of many instruments with but a snap of her fingers. It was the mark of a master of sound arts who had reached the peak: just as a swordsman could manifest sword energy, a master of sound could shape melody through supreme control over their power.

*Haaa…*

He did not know how much time had passed before Je-gal Seol-ha opened her eyes, gazing at him in a daze.

“Congratulations, Seol-ha. You have left the limits of first-rate ability behind.”

He spoke with a smile, offering his sincere congratulations. Je-gal Seol-ha threw herself forward, wrapping her arms tightly around his shoulders, and let out a cry of pure delight.

“Kyaaaa! I am a peak realm expert now too!”