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“They’ve come!”

The Golden Eagle Guards have stormed in!

I was perched on a branch in the forest, vigilantly scanning the area when I sensed a suspicious aura entering. This was the entrance to the path leading into the village, and I had to keep a steady watch. Having been here for about six days since my arrival with Mangnyang, I was starting to feel bored when suddenly the enemy made their move one afternoon.

Their presence amounted to ten in total, and judging by the strength of their aura, they were definitely Golden Eagle Guards.

‘There’s even a Captain among them.’

The distance was roughly seventy or eighty feet, so I quickly descended from the tree and hid my presence. I managed to hide swiftly enough that they passed by without noticing me. I confirmed they were heading towards the village and swiftly changed direction towards the secret passage located behind the village.

“The enemy is here.”

Mangnyang and Master Hyuncheon tensed at my report.

“Hmm, so they’ve arrived!”

“The Sorcerer will surely appear in the village soon.”

We were using the barn of a building that housed the secret passage as a temporary base. At first, we had stayed at an inn, but due to the lack of reliable means of communication, we decided to eat and rest here so that in case of an emergency, we could immediately head back behind the village and to the plaza.

Mangnyang said, “From now on, it’s crucial. We cannot pinpoint when the Sorcerer will show up. Therefore, we need to act swiftly and efficiently to separate them.”

“We need to get into the village.”

“Hurry! The Sorcerer will likely appear near the plaza, so let’s wait there.”

Clatter!

The three of us organized our gear and made our way into the secret passage of the well. While walking through the passage, Master Hyuncheon remarked, “Our disciples have probably crossed Yeoncheon by now… It’s unfortunate we couldn’t meet up in time.”

“This must be fate. Having just the three of us is enough, so let’s do our best.”

The secret passage led us to a kitchen. Since we had already confirmed the effective use of the passage, I opened the kitchen window without hesitation and jumped out. It was much better to head straight out to the mansion than to sneak around trying to avoid people’s attention.

Thud!

Immediately, Master Hyuncheon grabbed Mangnyang by the nape and leapt out of the building. Mangnyang, startled by the sudden jump, spun around in dizzy surprise.

“Martial Artists are truly monstrous. That’s quite the height, yet you jump without hesitation!”

“Now’s not the time to chatter. Are you ready?”

“Of course! Just take me to my position.”

It didn’t take long for us to dash across the rooftops to near the plaza. When we reached the top of the highest sixth-story building, it appeared that the people down below hadn’t spotted us. It’s quite rare for humans to look up at such heights. Mangnyang smirked.

“This is the perfect spot.”

With that, Mangnyang stepped into the room designated at the highest building. Inside, the owner of the building, who was also the owner of some merchant association, was leisurely enjoying the view outside.

Thud!

I dashed in before he even sensed me and swiftly knocked him out with a strike targeting his blood points. After covering the merchant’s eyes and laying him under the bed, Mangnyang began to prepare his sorcery with the Seven Fires, Seven Golds Line.

In order to utilize the treasure, a focused mental space was needed. While manipulating flames from a distance, the sorcerer needed to remain defenseless; thus, a secure location was essential. This sixth-story room met those exact conditions perfectly.

Here, Mangnyang would manipulate the flames with the Seven Fires, Seven Golds Line to attack the Golden Eagle Guards and assist both Master Hyuncheon and me.

Watching this unfold, Master Hyuncheon cast a disapproving glance at me.

“This is not a good development.”

“There’s no other choice. I asked for your understanding beforehand, didn’t I?”

“Hmm… I trust Master Mangnyang, but this matters requires an apology to the party involved.”

“I’ll do that.”

Pfft. As if I would.

I rolled my eyes at Master Hyuncheon’s remark in my mind. I was staging this operation to eliminate the Golden Eagle Guards, so why would I expose my identity to apologize? But I kept those thoughts to myself.

Master Hyuncheon peered down below and asked, “I’ll ask again. Is there a Peak Expert among them?”

His gaze fell upon one of the masters mixed among the village crowd. Master Hyuncheon could sense the aura, and despite the man’s plain appearance, he quickly realized that he was an exceptional First-Class Expert. Of course, we were consciously lowering our auras to avoid detection by them.

“It’s highly likely there isn’t. Those individuals looked to hold high positions in their organization, and if they didn’t realize we were hiding, they wouldn’t be coming here.”

“Indeed… That’s quite a significant force.”

Master Hyuncheon sighed. The strength of a single Golden Eagle Guard could surpass most martial arts sects. I personally witnessed the confrontation between a single Captain and two Masters managing to hold their ground against a full-on assault by Master Hyuncheon. If they were to raid a mere commoner’s village, there would be no possible resistance.

I then turned to Master Hyuncheon and asked, “Do you sense any Evil Qi?”

“I don’t know. As of now, I don’t feel anything. It’s regrettably peaceful and tranquil to believe a wicked sorcerer could appear.”

“…”

We might end up spending a whole day in this state. Prepared for a long-term battle, I calmly resumed my watch over the plaza’s scene.

A turn of events began to unfold an hour later as the sun began to set. I was gazing out the window, and Mangnyang was readied to summon his magic at a moment’s notice. Suddenly, Master Hyuncheon, who had been meditating quietly, opened his eyes and shouted.

“No! Such evil…?!”

Boom!

That was the moment. A dark sphere materialized in the center of the plaza, followed by a sudden gale that swept chillier winds.

“AAAH!”

“W-What’s happening?!”

Passersby screamed or fled in shock at the sudden spectacle. And from the space where the dark sphere had vanished, a familiar figure stepped out.

“There it is!”

I shouted in alarm.

Wearing yellow clothing, it was the Sorcerer Flute Phantom!

A literal non-human monster had suddenly burst onto the scene.

‘So it was true that he used strange sorcery to appear out of nowhere!’

Even amidst the chaos and confusion in the plaza, the overwhelming presence of this entity was unmistakable.

Seems like he was about to go for round two, as he slowly raised one arm to bring the flute to his lips. Knowing full well that those nearby would lose their minds once he played, I realized I had to act immediately.

Crash!

“You evil fiend!”

Master Hyuncheon and I launched ourselves down to the ground almost simultaneously. Using a technique to enhance our fall speed, we landed like feathers on the ground while still managing to charge forward. It was Master Hyuncheon who struck at the Sorcerer Flute Phantom first, catching him off guard.

In that moment, a shadowy figure stepped in to block Master Hyuncheon’s blade.

Clang!

“Huh. Strong.”

The figure, feeling the impact from the clash of our swords, looked slightly shaken and fluttered. He had sneaked into the plaza and was watching for the Sorcerer’s emergence, just like us. It was easy to guess the identity of this man in black.

Captain Yan!

The leader overseeing the ten-member Golden Eagle Guard had appeared here. From the way he blocked Master Hyuncheon’s attack, he certainly exuded the prowess of a Peak Expert. As I caught a glimpse of his face, I furrowed my brow.

‘Lieutenant Liu.’

By some twist of fate, the lieutenant I had encountered in my fifth life was right here. The Sorcerer Phantom stumbled back, barely escaping with his life, while the other Golden Eagle Guards appeared without making a sound. There were a total of ten of them, all waiting with their sights set on this plaza.

‘Looks like they knew the Sorcerer would emerge here as well.’

In an instant, the odds shifted to 2 against 11.

Lieutenant Liu looked at me with a sly grin and said, “That little brat had a chance to attack me and chose not to? Why is that?”

I responded to him, “If I had charged, all ten of you would have ambushed me.”

Indeed. Just like Master Hyuncheon, I could have attacked the Sorcerer Phantom as soon as we landed. But my instincts screamed a warning, causing me to hesitate, realizing the ten Golden Eagle Guards were exuding intent to kill towards me or Master Hyuncheon.

“Hahaha… Amazing. You can reach such levels of martial prowess at your age.”

Lieutenant Liu laughed, but there was no mirth in his eyes. He surveyed the Golden Eagle Guards and remarked, “Change of plans. Let’s eliminate these two here.”

“Eliminate? Can it be that easy?”

“Hmph. You don’t even know who we are, and here’s a mere martial artist feeling brave.”

Lieutenant Liu scoffed. I suppose from his perspective, it would seem like a death wish for just two of us to challenge the full strength of a single Golden Eagle Guard. Even against Master Hyuncheon, they probably calculated they could crush us with numbers.

But I burst into laughter.

“Isn’t it you who’s getting ahead of yourself without knowing who we are?”

Suddenly, Mangnyang deployed the Seven Fires, Seven Golds Line. Outside the village, dozens of massive pillars of fire erupted. Not only one, but an overwhelming number of massive flames rose all at once, brightening the entire village. I spotted Lieutenant Liu’s composure starting to falter as the whole village became engulfed in flames.

“Ahh!”

“AHHH!!”

People ran in panic, their minds shattered. The city itself hadn’t caught fire yet, and it wasn’t unbearably hot, but merely the sight of colossal flames rising like walls outside the village would be enough to send anyone’s mind reeling. Of course, since Mangnyang was controlling the fire with the Seven Fires, Seven Golds Line, innocent people wouldn’t be harmed. In fact, with all the unneeded interferences gone, it made things simpler for us.

As the village was now surrounded by flames, Lieutenant Liu shouted in a panic, “Retreat! Plan is a bust! Capture the Sorcerer and escape!”

“Like it’ll be that easy.”

Boom!

Out of nowhere, fireballs rained down from afar, turning into a raging river of flames. Walls of fire surged up, breaking the formation of the Golden Eagle Guards. As three of them got separated, it seemed Lieutenant Liu sensed something amiss.

He glared at me, saying, “Was this your doing?”

“It’s the work of me and my comrades.”

I wished Mangnyang would just wipe them out with fire, but that was an impossibility. Mangnyang, often over-exerting himself, was trading a decade of his lifespan, dozens of Qi Men Dunjia techniques, and extreme focus for just that. Safety measures were bound to leave him unable to commit to outright killing the Golden Eagle Guards.

“You madman. Do you even know who you are drawing your sword against?”

“I do.”

As I unleashed an aura of killing intent towards him, I added, “As one wanting to murder twenty civilians for profit, this is the face of a Murderous Demon!”

“…!!”

Lieutenant Liu’s expression hardened. The other Golden Eagle Guards beside him happened to have turned as pale as the dead as my words sank in. They realized I was aware of their true identities.

“How you learned that is beyond me, but your fate is sealed.”

Lieutenant Liu exploded in rage. Cornered and sensing defeat, a motive to eliminate me had formed.

“Kill them! If we don’t murder these two, we won’t leave this place alive!”

I snarled back, “Oh, you won’t? You can’t?”

Bang!

As if on cue, Liu and Master Hyuncheon clashed swords. I launched my move at the remaining seven Golden Eagle Guards. While Master Hyuncheon was occupied with Liu, I had to eliminate the rest to wrap things up today.

I steeled myself, leaping forward like a tiger.

“Let’s have a go at it!”

All seven of the Golden Eagle Guards were seasoned veterans, honed in real combat. Among them stood one who was contemplating taking on the peak. They stared at me, rushing in without hesitation, in disbelief.

“Hahaha?”

“What a pesky bug!”

The one at the front raised his sword, ready to clash with me. Their sword path was agile and swift, just like a snake flicking its tongue. They were indeed a strong adversary, close to my skill level.

I clenched my jaw.

‘Let’s do it.’

Normally, taking on seven skilled Golden Eagle Guards all at once—

would have been an act of utter desperation I wouldn’t even consider attempting.

Yet this time, I chose to charge forward in faith with Mangnyang’s words in my heart.

Memories of my conversation with Mangnyang days earlier resurfaced in my mind.

[How would you face a single squad of the Golden Eagle Guards? Well, it’s just a squad, depending on the situation, you and Master Hyuncheon could fight them together. If not, it won’t matter much.]

[What do you mean, it won’t matter?]

Mangnyang chuckled and told me, [Haven’t you noticed? You’ve been overly cautious. When facing Master Hyuncheon, he charged forward with notable caution. I’ve come this far primarily because of you.]

[What are you talking about?]

Mangnyang confidently replied, [You’re much stronger than what you realize given your skills. You’ve never truly unleashed your full potential…]

[Hmm.]

[When fighting the Golden Eagle Guards, just give it your all. You are much stronger than you think.]

Bang!

“AAAH!!”

“GAAAH!!”

The Thunder Spirit Technique exploded. At that moment, one of the Golden Eagle Guards who had been skillfully parrying like a snake had his torso blown apart, while another with a blade beside him lost an arm.

My sword sliced into one of the Golden Eagle Guards standing barely outside my reach, cutting from the top of his head to down his insides. He was unable to react in time as my blade was too swift; soon after, his gaze lost its balance, and he exploded into a fountain of crimson.

Boom!

With still more strength left, I charged at another guard head-on. The one wielding a sabre was tossed backward, his sword obscuring his vision and barely finding his balance. It was significant enough that my attack had sent him staggering three feet away.

“…!!”

I merely unleashed my entire internal power, displaying the full might of my swordplay. Yet to see those three Golden Eagle Guards succumb so easily to my blade left me stunned. My prowess unleashed beyond comparison!

“This… This is insane?!”

Boom! Bang!

What was happening perplexed Lieutenant Liu, who had been holding his ground against Master Hyuncheon. Seeing my overwhelming performance rattled him, and I could sense he was growing more desperate as Master Hyuncheon gained the upper hand on Liu.

Mocking him playfully, I raised my sword. “Shall we wrap this up?”

“Y-You punk.”

“Don’t underestimate me!”

The four remaining Golden Eagle Guards stood enraged, rallying together to bolster their resolve. It seemed they refused to yield despite knowing one had fallen before them. However, I no longer felt scared of them. I had finally recognized my strength.

‘That’s right. My five years of hard work wasn’t wasted!’

I had walked the path of a martial artist, tirelessly training day and night to harness the essence of the Thunder God Lineage. However, my master, Lee Kwang, had disappointed me and ceased training, leaving Jin So-cheong concerned. Since then, I’d been devoid of worthy challengers, only letting my failures grow inside.

However, the reality was— thanks to mastering the Thunder God Lineage, my internal power surged tenfold beyond what it had ever been! Coupled with the vision of a prestigious lineage, my combat finesse allowed me to eliminate most of my weaknesses.

Creeeak!

As my blade resonated with the Thunder Energy, a bright azure light radiated from my eyes— instantly enhancing my reflexes and speed. This was the real method of using the ultimate secret of the Thunder God Lineage.

Concentration and explosion!

The one who attained Thunder Spirit gained freedom for a short while, acquiring several times the speed in their hands.

Crack!

In an instant, my body cut through the air with a loud crack. The head of one of the Golden Eagle Guards charging toward me was split into four pieces in an instant. As my foot lightly touched the ground, flames erupted right under it, forming scorched marks on the earth.

Whoosh!

The Sword Dance flowed again. Just as I extracted my sword aura to counter, the Golden Eagle Guard dodging wildly found his blade splintering as I sent out another strike. Subsequent blows cost him an arm only to finish him off with a heart puncture. Even before the blood could spray, I was two steps ahead, already streaking toward the next opponent.

Swoosh!

Crrrack!

An audible hiss sliced through the air. As the Thunder Energy reached peak acceleration, there was no longer any explosion sound. With five radiant streaks flashing by, the two Golden Eagle Guards standing there turned stiff, unable to move. A moment later, my blade left clean lines across their bodies, erupting in a cacophony of crimson.

Fwaaa…!!

I turned my back on the moment when the mist of blood diffused, splattering drops over the earth. A series of actions took no more than ten seconds.

Meanwhile, Master Hyuncheon and Lieutenant Liu had stopped their fight, both staring blankly at me in awe. Master Hyuncheon’s voice trembled as he managed to speak, “W-What was that? Such swordplay actually exists in this world?”

“This is crazy…”

Lieutenant Liu cursed under his breath as he realized he might lose his life in face of me. I avoided engaging with their reactions and simply lowered my blade.

‘I’m not crazy. The Thunder God Lineage is.’

Despite how soundly this skill showcased in the battle, I had barely lasted a hundred seconds against Jin So-cheong during a wooden spear spar. At that moment, it was evident just how monstrous the Thunder God Lineage truly was. I swallowed my bitter disappointment and addressed Lieutenant Liu.

“Seems the victory is mine. So, will you leave quietly, or are we going to fight until the end?”

“……”

Lieutenant Liu realized he was cut off from the other three by the wall of flames, and if he fought against both me and Master Hyuncheon two against one, there was no way he could win. Yet, he wouldn’t be able to break through the wall of flames to escape either. In a fit of madness, he shouted in defiance.

“Cursed fools!!! Do you not see this blaze? Is this mere victory or defeat important? We’re all gonna die!!”

“That applies to you.”

“W-What…”

I spoke blandly to Master Hyuncheon. “This one seems to hold information worth extracting. Let’s take him down and deal with that Sorcerer over there.”

Master Hyuncheon nodded, “Let’s hurry.”

Mangnyang could control the flames of the Seven Fires, Seven Golds Line for only half a stick of incense. We needed to settle this before then. Fortunately, the landing victory was right in front of us. Lieutenant Liu glared at me, grasping his sword as I closed in.

“This cowardly union!”

I replied coldly, “Does it matter?”

Master Hyuncheon chimed in, “Those who aren’t human are not mere men.”

Crack!

Clang!

“AAAH!!”

As Master Hyuncheon and I began our joint attack, Lieutenant Liu was pressed hard on defense without any reprieve. Yet still, he mustered up every ounce of strength to keep blocking. Even when I heightened my speed through the Thunder Spirit, he somehow evaded fatal injuries. However, that desperate defensive stance didn’t last long; within thirty seconds, his right arm was severed, and his left leg shattered as he collapsed to the floor.

Thud!

“Ghah… Ugh…”

I clasped Liu’s falling arm, saying, “Master Hyuncheon, make sure he can’t do anything foolish.”

“Understood.”

Then I approached the Sorcerer in yellow clothes who had been simply standing off to the side, observing the battle. Recognizing his concealed face irritated me no end.

‘Hmph, if you start spouting nonsense like last time, I’ll torment you until you croak.’

At that moment, the Sorcerer Flute Phantom stretched out his hand and muttered, […. $&#(@$&*@!!]

That wasn’t human language.

It seemed to be a language of sorcery.

Bang!

Suddenly, a dark energy burst forth from the Sorcerer’s palm, wrapping around my body. I tried to dodge it quickly, but this wasn’t something speed could evade—it struck me squarely.

This guy hadn’t just been sitting idly; he was prepared to retaliate all along!

‘Oh no!’

Had I been too relaxed, thinking he was incapable of martial prowess?

I braced myself for the oncoming death, even ready to bite my tongue if the pain became unbearable.

…

Nothing happened.

‘Huh? What the?’

As nothing seemed to be happening, I blinked in confusion, looking toward the Sorcerer. He was in disbelief, his elongated tentacles trembling as they revealed themselves from beneath his yellow robe.

[This cannot be! My incantation does not work on a mere human?! How can this be?!]

I responded to him, “Incantation? What’s that?”

Surprised, he momentarily halted, then panic flooded his face.

[How do you comprehend our language? What are you? This defies belief!]

“Language…?”

It struck me that, unlike when I faced him in my fifth life, I was now dealing with quite a different scenario. Back then, the Sorcerer could only convey his will through forced telepathy to avoid a beating.

However, this time, I was able to comprehend his language as he communicated directly with me. That meant I had subconsciously interpreted his words. Of course, I still couldn’t speak his tongue.

A spark of curiosity lit as I subtly revealed the Heavenly Secret artifact to him. I knew from earlier that this had shattered his mental fortitude the last time.

“Could this be the reason?”

[…!!]

Once again, the Sorcerer’s tentacles froze in place.

His eyes widened as he realized something, then he exhaled heavily.

[Cough… I see… With a stronger curse in place… it was inevitable that my powers wouldn’t pass through…]

“Curse? What are you talking about?”

Suddenly, the Sorcerer erupted into laughter.

[Ha! Thank you! Your words made me realize I must escape!]

BOOM!

“…Ack!!”

In an instant, the Sorcerer’s body turned into minced pieces, splattering everywhere.

‘That bastard, he could self-destruct!’

I quickly avoided the showering tentacles and blue blood that sprayed from his remains. Master Hyuncheon, watching the sudden explosion of the entity, stared, wide-eyed and shocked. For someone who had seen his share of carnage, this most definitely surprised him.

“W-What in the world was that?”

I replied flatly, “I don’t know. But…”

“But?”

“One thing’s for sure: we won.”

With a whoosh, Mangnyang’s flaming barrier dissipated moments later. The timing for his spell had come to an end.

The flames swirling outside the village receded as if washed clean. Despite all that chaos, not a single structure in the village had caught fire.

Thump!

“Argh!”

“Eek!”

And the three Golden Eagle Guards trapped inside the fiery barrier paid the ultimate price, slaughtered cruelly by Master Hyuncheon and myself. Since the whole town had fled the scene, there were no witnesses, allowing us to eliminate them without hesitation.

Master Hyuncheon commented, “Before interrogating him, we need to stop the bleeding and heal him.”

“Let’s just keep him alive for now,” I replied.

Lieutenant Liu lay there, limbless, with open wounds bleeding profusely. I felt a momentary tinge of sympathy, but the thought crossed my mind that had I not prepared sufficiently today, it could easily be me in that condition.

A wave of emotions washed over me as I wiped my eyes.

“Ha…”

Indeed.

For the first time in six lifetimes, I had finally succeeded in vanquishing the heretical sect!

 

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