Light Novel: Volume 16 Episode 23
Manhwa: N/A

Namgung Seol suddenly felt a shiver run down her spine.

Every hair on her body stood on end from the creepy feeling. She knew without looking who the voice belonged to.

‘Could it be?’

Namgung Seol cautiously looked in the direction where the voice came from.

There was a man there.

A man whose face glowed even in the darkness.

“Pyo… wol!”

Namgung Seol’s beautiful brows furrowed.

He was a man who should not be here.

His appearance was not within her calculations.

“How did you–?”

The Snowflake Sword Squad should be near by, following her with a web-like ambush, but not one of them had announced Pyo-wol’s arrival.

It was one of two things.

Either Pyo-wol had slipped in under their radar, or he had killed them all to silence them.

Either way, the situation does not bode well for Namgung Seol.

Pyo-wol stared intently at Namgung Seol.

Even in the darkness, his eyes looked unusually clear.

Pyo-wol opened his mouth,

“I’m curious, so tell me what happens next.”

“What happened to the Snowflake Sword Squad?”

“That’s not what’s important, is it?”

“You keep crossing the line. This is not a place for you.”

Namgung Seol’s voice became serious.

Her eyes shone in the darkness, as clear as Pyo-wol’s.

Her glare was so intense that no ordinary person would dare look at her in the eye, but Pyo-wol did not care and shifted his gaze to Hong Ye-seol.

Hong Ye-seol was in a terrible state. 

If he didn’t do something to help her now, her life would be in danger.

“You did something stupid.”

“What… is it?”

“Everything.”

“What… are you saying? I’m Hong Ye-seol… I don’t need your help.”

“So this is how you ended up?”

“Keugh!”

Hong Ye-seol coughed up crimson blood instead of answering.

She didn’t have the strength to answer anymore, nor did she have the strength to stand. Her eyes rolled back, and she fainted.

Hong Ye-seol’s breathing was getting weaker and weaker.

It was dangerous to leave her in that condition any longer.

Pyo-wol walked towards her, but someone suddenly blocked his way in the middle. 

A man with a sword around his waist.

The man with clear-cut features and a hearty appearance was none other than Lee Geumhan.

Lee Geumhan grinned and spoke,

“Stop right there, my friend.”

“I’m not your friend.”

“Isn’t there a saying that all the people within the four seas are brothers, so what’s the big deal?”1

“Move.”

“Are you trying to get to that woman? If so, then I can’t move.”

“Why?”

“I’ve been working hard to catch that woman for days. So you must understand.”

The smile on Lee Geumhan’s face deepened.

His eyes as he looked at Pyo-wol were shining, as if he had discovered something interesting. On the other hand, Pyo-wol’s eyes sank even deeper.

They looked like polar opposites.

Namgung Seol tried to get in between them.

“Geumhan! He is not worth your time. Please leave him to me.”

“I’m afraid that won’t do, Seol.”

“What?”

“Can’t you see what this man is truly capable of? He’s not someone you can handle.”

“But–!”

“Seol, I truly love you with all my heart, and that’s why I’ve been standing by, not intervening in whatever you do, even if a ridiculous group like the Snowflake Sword Squad follows you around because I know you’re doing it all for my own good.”

“Geumhan!”

“You mean more to me than anything else, so that’s all the more reason why I can’t let you be harmed by that man.”

“Are you saying I’m going to lose to him?”

“Seol, come behind me.”

“Geumhan!”

“I’m saying this for your sake.”

In an instant, Namgung Seol felt the blood in her body turn cold.

Lee Geumhan had never spoken to her like this before.

He was the strongest person she knew.

And, it wasn’t just because he was born with good lineage. He had become strong because he was actually crazy about martial arts.

A martial fanatic who staked his life on a single sword.

That was the best way to describe Lee Geumhan.

In all the years she had known him, this was the first time she had ever seen him so tense. 

Namgung Seol quietly walked behind Lee Geumhan.

She felt regretful to leave Hong Ye-seol like this, but she decided not to have any lingering feelings.

Lee Geumhan spoke to Pyo-wol,

“I have one thing to ask. Do you know who hired her?”

“I don’t know.”

“Does her assassination have anything to do with you?”

“That’s not one question.”

“I’m sorry, I just can’t stop thinking about it. Will you answer my question?”

“If you’re done with the questions, then move.”

“I told you I couldn’t do that. This woman is mine. I’ve been working hard to catch her for days, and I can’t just give up because you said so. She attacked and killed Noh Kang-hyun right in front of me.”

“Her job is to kill people.”

“I know that. I can even respect her profession. But you must understand my position as well. She killed Noh Kang-hyun, a highly reputable person in Jianghu. If I don’t uncover the secret behind his death, it could lead to great turmoil in Jianghu. Especially with the atmosphere already this tense, his death could be the beginning of an all-out war.”

Lee Geumhan was adamant.

He looked at Pyo-wol with his arms crossed.

Pyo-wol saw a towering wall in his figure.

It was a tremendous presence that he hadn’t even felt from Jang Mugeuk.

‘He’s strong.’

It wasn’t just that his martial arts were strong.

Lee Geumhan, as a person, was strong.

Pyo-wol wondered what kind of process a human being had to go through to be able to have such eyes and aura.

If time permitted it, he would like to have a conversation with him, but Pyo-wol didn’t have time now. 

Even as he was talking to Lee Geumhan, Hong Ye-seol’s condition was visibly deteriorating.

He couldn’t leave her unattended any longer.

The moment Pyo-wol’s eyes changed, so did Lee Geumhan’s.

Lee Geumhan’s eyes were as heavy as a rock, making anyone feel the pressure automatically.

Thwack!

The first one to move was Pyo-wol.

He used Snake Steps and approached Hong Ye-seol. 

At that moment, Lee Geumhan also moved.

“I told you, I can’t allow you to take her.”

In a flash, Lee Geumhan blocked Pyo-wol’s path.

Pyo-wol chose a different path instead of colliding with Lee Geumhan.

Like a snake slithering around a rock, Pyo-wol tried to circle around Lee Geumhan, but once again Lee Geumhan still blocked his path.

Lee Geumhan, who moved without lifting his soles from the ground, was using a stepping technique that was similar to Pyo-wol’s Snake Steps.

It was called the Wheel Turning Step.

It was an arcane technique that only the head of the Frenzied Warrior Sect can master, and when practiced in conjunction with the sect’s martial art, it exerts its greatest power. 

The Wheel Turning Step was characterized by the use of rotation to control acceleration and deceleration. When spinning furiously, its destructive power was maximized, and when spinning slowly, its power was significantly reduced.

Lee Geumhan had mastered the Wheel Turning Step to the extreme.

He threatened Pyo-wol with the Wheel Turning Step alone, even without unleashing his specialty techniques.

Kwah!

A strong vortex formed around Lee Geumhan, pushing Pyo-wol away.

Using the vortex, Pyo-wol spun around Lee Geumhan, but Lee Geumhan stubbornly blocked Pyo-wol by using the Wheel Turning Step.

It was a clash between spear and shield.

The one who tried to break through and the one who tried to block.

They collided relentlessly without actually attacking each other.

The current clash was a kind of scouting battle.

Through their stepping methods, they were gauging each other’s level.

Papapapap!

Their movements were so fast that only faint afterimages could be seen.

Namgung Seols mouth dropped open in surprise.

“Is his qinggong on par with Geumhan’s?”

The person who could slaughter masters solely with stepping techniques was none other than Lee Geumhan.

The Wheel Turning Step, developed over three generations, possessed incredible destructive power in itself.

Lee Geumhan had destroyed some of the greatest masters with his Wheel Turning Step alone, but Pyo-wol have yet to suffer any damage from it.

If Lee Geumhan’s Wheel Turning Step was hard, Pyo-wol’s Snake Steps were soft.

Even in the face of the threatening Wheel Turning Step, the Snake Steps was constantly looking for a way out.

Although they were not swinging their weapons against each other, they were still clashing fiercely.

Lee Geumhan found it increasingly difficult to stop Pyo-wol.

This was because Pyo-wol’s Snake Steps was becoming more and more exquisite as time passed. 

When Pyo-wol first unleashed his Snake Steps, the gaps between his steps were so large that his movements were easily predictable. However, as time went on, the unnecessary movements sticking out like blemishes disappeared, resulting to his steps becoming more precise.

‘Does this mean that he recognized the problems with his footwork on his own and corrected it in that short time?’

Though Lee Geumhan had met countless martial artists, this was the first time he had seen someone with such a martial talent.

It was then.

Shiak!

Pyo-wol attacked his left side.

Lee Geumhan naturally unleashed the Wheel Turning Step to block his path, but Pyo-wol’s movement suddenly changed.

He turned to the right instead of the left.

“Huh?”

For the first time, a baffled expression appeared on Lee Geumhan’s face. He hastily turned and changed direction.

At that moment, Pyo-wol’s speed momentarily increased.

He unleashed Black Lightning, accelerating his body’s reaction speed several times.

Pyo-wol turned into a black flash and passed by Lee Geumhan.

It was too late to block him with the Wheel Turning Step alone.

For a moment, a conflicted light appeared on Lee Geumhan’s face, but it was only for a moment, since he soon pulled out the sword hanging on his waist. 

Siiit!

Faster than the sound, Lee Geumham drew his sword and slashed at Pyo-wol’s waist.

The strike came as fast as lightning. However, Pyo-wol did not panic and pulled out the phantom dagger to block Lee Geumham’s strike.

Screech!

With the sound of metal clashing, an enormous shockwave hit Pyo-wol. 

The phantom dagger that collided with the sword exploded on the spot.

There was an incomparable gap in weight and destructive power between the sword and the phantom dagger. Moreover, the one wielding the long sword was none other than the Sword Maniac, Lee Geumhan.

As far as the sword techniques were concerned, he was already among the top powerhouses in Jianghu. The fact that the phantom dagger exploded upon collision with such a master’s sword was a natural outcome.

Due to the explosion of the phantom dagger, Pyo-wol’s hand became bloody. However, Pyo-wol did not even blink and took out another phantom dagger.

Lee Geumhan’s expression as he looked at Pyo-wol was grim.

He had broken an unspoken promise.

Just as Lee Geumhan did not unleash his martial arts, Pyo-wol also tried to break through using only pure qinggong without unleashing martial arts.

Lee Geumhan had been confident that he could block Pyo-wol’s attempt of breaking through with his Wheel Turning Step alone. However, his pride got the better of him the moment Pyo-wol managed to successfully breakthrough, and hence, he drew his weapon first.

Lee Geumhan felt ashamed.

He wasn’t ashamed of himself for drawing his sword, rather, he was ashamed of himself for unconsciously looking down on Pyo-wol. 

Facing Pyo-wol with his guard down and displaying his Wheel Turning Step was clearly an act of belittling him.

Even though he outwardly exclaimed that he recognized him, it was clear that demeaned him deep in his heart as a mere assassin.

Such a mindset was undoubtedly wrong.

“Hoo!”

Lee Geumhan let out a sigh.

For a moment, Pyo-wol felt a chill.

He realized that Lee Geumhan’s aura had changed.

‘The real battle starts now.’

His opponent was Lee Geumhan.

A man called the Sword Maniac. 

He was someone who inherited the strongest sword technique of the strongest martial sect in Jianghu.

His intimidating presence was real.

Lee Geumhan aimed his sword at Pyo-wol. 

A sword technique created to kill the heavens.

The Heaven Slaying Sword.3

The sword technique said to be the most powerful unfolded towards Pyo-wol. 

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