The culprit was, without question, Seok Woo-haeng.
The guests, composed of experts from the Orthodox Faction, represented a force that could aid Long Sword Manor at any moment. So he had poisoned them with Internal Energy Dispersing Poison beforehand.
“It only has a foul odor that induces vomiting; it seems to be Internal Energy Dispersing Poison!”
One of the guests with knowledge of medicine shouted.
Fortunately, the poison was not lethal, and most of the Murim warriors present possessed enough internal energy to expel it.
“Protect us while we meditate!”
The fallen warriors sat cross-legged and began to drive out the poison with all their might. This left the remaining warriors of Long Sword Manor flustered. Instead of receiving help, they were now forced to protect the guests.
It will be over soon.
Myo Cheon-woo, who was unleashing Man-Exterminating Palms, smiled triumphantly.
Seok Woo-haeng’s plan was meticulous. He alone had thrown the Long Sword Manor warriors into chaos and suppressed the Daoists of Zhongnan and Kongtong. Now, once Myo Cheon-woo took Han Seong’s head, everything would be finished.
Schwing!
Suddenly, a clear sword resonance rang through the sky.
“…!”
Simultaneously, white sword qi poured down like a storm above Myo Cheon-woo’s head.
“What?”
Myo Cheon-woo tried to quickly dodge the cascading energy.
Swish!
But the falling sword qi vanished before his eyes, only to dig into his back.
“Swift Echo Cloud-Severing Sword?”
The pouring sword qi used the same moves as the Swift Echo Cloud-Severing Sword Han Seong had displayed. However, its precision and subtlety surpassed Han Seong’s, penetrating from angles impossible to evade.
“Ugh.”
Myo Cheon-woo spun his body like a top, scattering palm force. It was the life-saving ultimate technique of the Man-Exterminating Palm, Extinguishing Seal, Overturning Heavens and Creation.
Whirrrr.
Waves of palm force spread out in succession, wrapping around Myo Cheon-woo’s body. But even with the ultimate technique, the sword qi pierced through and left a deep wound on his forearm.
Damn it!
Struck on the left arm, Myo Cheon-woo was greatly alarmed. The flesh wound was minor, but the internal energy within the sword qi had blocked the meridians of his left arm.
Thud.
At the same time, a slender shadow descended from the sky next to Han Seong.
“Junior sister Cheong?”
Han Seong gaped, discovering the woman who had landed beside him. The woman in white held a precious sword flashing with white light. It was Cheong Cho-hyeon, a Master of the Great Righteousness from the Emei Sect.
“What brings you here?”
Just as a bewildered Han Seong shouted to her…
Whoosh!
This time, with a low sword hum, a sharp tearing sound rang out above Seok Woo-haeng, who was fighting the Daoists of Zhongnan and Kongtong.
Swaaah!
The sound suddenly turned into an explosive roar that ripped through the air, diving for Seok Woo-haeng’s head. Seok Woo-haeng tried to dodge, but Kang Jung-ryang and Du Ak, sensing it, desperately blocked his retreat.
Slash!
Finally, the sharply fired sword qi struck, and blood sprayed from Seok Woo-haeng’s side.
Thud.
Simultaneously, a large shadow landed from the sky in front of the Zhongnan and Kongtong Daoists.
The identity of the shadow was a man in dark blue martial attire. His eyes were full of vitality, and a sharp aura flowed from his entire body. Moreover, a unique longsword with a tip elongated like an arrow hung at his waist.
“Diancang Sect?”
Seok Woo-haeng recognized the sword as one used by warriors of the Diancang Sect, and his eyes flashed.
“…A Master of the Great Righteousness.”
The man grinned and nodded.
“I am Gwan Seok-cheon of Diancang.”
Diancang had produced two Masters of the Great Righteousness. One was Yeong Ji-wi, who entered Diancang late. And the other was Gwan Seok-cheon, who had been a first-generation disciple.
Why has a Master of the Great Righteousness from Diancang appeared here?
As the unexpected situation unfolded, the watching Murim warriors began to murmur.
“Seok-cheon. What brings you here?”
At Han Seong’s question, Gwan Seok-cheon approached and answered playfully, ”Long time no see, Young Lord Han.”
Han Seong blushed. “Are you still teasing me about that?”
During his training at the Martial Righteous Alliance, Han Seong had once shouted, “I am the Young Lord of Long Sword Manor!” while enduring grueling training. Since that day, his nickname among the Masters of the Great Righteousness had become “Young Lord Han.”
“What brings you here? How did you come without notice?”
When Han Seong widened his eyes, Gwan Seok-cheon smiled.
“I heard news that Long Sword Manor was preparing to catch the Ten Demonic Successors. So I came to lend a hand.”
It sounded casual, but Han Seong’s expression hardened instantly. The plan to trap the Ten Demonic Successors was a top secret even within Long Sword Manor. Yet he came to help knowing that news? That meant there was a spy among the manor’s leadership leaking information.
Seeing Han Seong’s expression, Gwan Seok-cheon sighed, ”Don’t worry. Would we plant a spy in a friend’s house?” His gaze lingered on Han Yeong-baek, not Han Seong.
“Surely Father didn’t?”
Gwan Seok-cheon nodded and spoke quietly, ”The Lord secretly requested our help. Asking if we could assist in case things went wrong.”
Han Seong lowered his head in shame. Ultimately, his father had not trusted his son’s ability and had asked for help. And from his closest friends, no less.
“Why didn’t you tell me beforehand?”
“This matter had to proceed very secretly. To fool them, we had to fool you too.”
Han Seong was dissatisfied but could say nothing. Indeed, if they hadn’t come, the plan would have failed completely, and he himself would have been killed.
***
The sudden appearance of Masters of the Great Righteousness from Diancang and Emei.
Watching them talk with Han Seong, Myo Cheon-woo looked at Seok Woo-haeng and sighed, ”Did you not foresee that?”
Seok Woo-haeng’s expression was slightly stiff. As an assassin, he always predicted unexpected situations and prepared thoroughly. But this time, unforeseen events had occurred one after another.
Where on earth did the information leak?
To kill Han Seong, Seok Woo-haeng had thoroughly investigated the surroundings of Long Sword Manor for a month and seen through their trap. But how could Masters of the Great Righteousness arrive hiding from his surveillance? How did Han Yeong-baek and the Masters secretly communicate?
“Was that it?”
Thinking deeply, he soon found the answer.
“My Pavilion tried to dispose of me.”
Since entering the Murim, Seok Woo-haeng had been distinguishing himself by eliminating Masters of the Great Righteousness in succession. This likely annoyed the Extreme Assassination Pavilion. Because under no circumstances should Seok Woo-haeng become the successor of the Demonic Palace.
“I should have built my own information network first,” Seok Woo-haeng muttered with regret.
He had relied on the intelligence network under the Extreme Assassination Pavilion. Therefore, forces within the Pavilion could clearly see his plans and movements. And someone among them had clearly leaked information to the Orthodox faction to catch him.
“Is that so?”
Myo Cheon-woo, realizing Seok Woo-haeng’s situation, laughed hollowly.
“My sect did something similar. That’s why I was ambushed in my first battle with a Master of the Great Righteousness,” Myo Cheon-woo spoke calmly, as if giving up everything. “From Hell Island… no, from the moment we applied to be Ten Demonic Successors, we were destined to die.”
“No, I anticipated this too.”
“What?”
“I never expected to assassinate Masters of the Great Righteousness easily every time.” Raising his sword tragically, he spoke low. “I will never die. I will survive and become the successor of the Demonic Palace.”
A fierce gust of wind rose from Seok Woo-haeng’s body. As he drew up his internal energy with all his might, the true qi circulating in his body began to rise like a heat haze.
Watching this, Gwan Seok-cheon exclaimed in admiration, “Ha, what impressive spirit. Ten Demonic Successors… if we had left those guys alone for a few years, victory wouldn’t have been guaranteed.”
“But that won’t happen,” Cheong Cho-hyeon spoke coldly, drawing her sword. “After we deal with them, we will definitely pursue and eliminate the remaining Ten Demonic Successors too.”
At Cheong Cho-hyeon’s words, Han Seong and Gwan Seok-cheon nodded and took their stances. Kang Jung-ryang, Du Ak, and the five Daoists from each sect also surrounded Seok Woo-haeng and Myo Cheon-woo.
Myo Cheon-woo gritted his teeth. The meridians in his left arm were blocked, and Seok Woo-haeng was bleeding from a long wound on his side. Now, only death remained.
Flash!
The opening attack was Gwan Seok-cheon’s Shooting Sun Sword Arts.
Behind it, the Swift Echo Cloud-Severing Sword, the pinnacle of Cloud Sword arts, struck from both sides, and from the rear, Zhongnan’s Driving Rain Sword and Kongtong’s Seven Injuries Palm Force poured down like a storm.
In response, Myo Cheon-woo unleashed the Ultimate Extermination Blade Palm, one of the Three Great Palm Arts of the Annihilating Seals Palace.
And Seok Woo-haeng scattered the Strong Rope Blood Demon Sword of the Extreme Assassination Pavilion, along with ten types of hidden weapons and five types of lethal poisons.
However, the Ultimate Extermination Blade Palm was blocked by the ceaselessly pouring Swift Echo Cloud-Severing Sword, and Seok Woo-haeng’s sword arts and hidden weapons were sealed by Gwan Seok-cheon’s Whirlwind Shooting Sun Form and the sword shadows of the Daoists.
“Haa. Haa.”
Myo Cheon-woo was gasping for breath with one arm hanging limp, and Seok Woo-haeng glared at his enemies, covered in blood.
“Truly venomous seeds of the Ten Demonic Sects. Amazing.”
Gwan Seok-cheon looked down at them, unable to hide his admiration. Even as they seemed about to collapse, they stubbornly blocked attacks, trying desperately to find a way out. When an unblockable move came, they thrust forward parts like hips and backs to minimize damage.
If it were a one-on-one duel, victory would not have been easily assured.
“But it ends now.”
Cheong Cho-hyeon raised her gleaming white sword above her head. Realizing they had no more strength to resist, she intended to unleash a final move to take their heads.
“Wait!”
Han Seong spoke with an aggrieved expression, ”This is Long Sword Manor. If junior sister Cheong deals the final blow, what becomes of my face?” In truth, it wasn’t about face; he wanted the fame of having slain a Ten Demonic Successor.
Cheong Cho-hyeon looked at Gwan Seok-cheon briefly, gave a subtle smile, and nodded. “Do as you wish.”
Were Cheong Cho-hyeon and Gwan Seok-cheon indifferent to fame and willing to hand the honor of slaying a Ten Demonic Successor to Han Seong?
Absolutely not.
Over three hundred guests here had watched everything. Even if Han Seong struck the final blow, the contributions of Gwan Seok-cheon and Cheong Cho-hyeon could not be ignored.
It can’t be helped. I must do at least this to save the honor of the manor.
Of course, Han Seong knew this well. But since all the plans hatched at Long Sword Manor had failed… he had to do at least this to uphold his prestige as the Young Lord.
“Thank you.”
Han Seong drew his precious sword and stepped in front of the two men.
“Ten Demonic Successors. It’s regrettable, but you chose the wrong time!”
Just as Han Seong’s sword sliced through the air to sever a neck…
Flash!
Suddenly, a meteor rose into the sky.
“…!”
But the meteor did not streak across the heavens; was it not rushing furiously toward the ground where Han Seong stood?
“Brother!”
Cheong Cho-hyeon, realizing it was a powerful sword qi, quickly blocked Han Seong’s front.
Clang-lang-lang!
Ear-splitting metallic sounds rang out in succession as her sword cut away the digging sword qi.
“Ugh!”
A muddy groan burst from Cheong Cho-hyeon’s lips. The pouring sword qi was so fierce and strong that she couldn’t disperse it in an instant.
“Haap!”
Eventually, even Gwan Seok-cheon stepped in to push the sword qi aside.
Thud!
The sword qi, clashing with the Shooting Sun Sword Arts, dug into the ground to the side of where Han Seong stood.
Boom!
With an explosive sound, a large pit big enough to fit an ox appeared there.
The onlookers widened their eyes at the sight.
Who on earth fired such sword qi?
Sssss.
At that moment, a ghost-like shadow wearing a mask abruptly rose from the ground in front of Seok Woo-haeng and Myo Cheon-woo.
“You are…”
Seok Woo-haeng, who had remained resolute even in the face of death, sharpened his gaze.
“Bu Eunseol…!”
Though he wore a mask, Seok Woo-haeng recognized him as Bu Eunseol by his eyes alone.