Chapter 28

[Translator - Helga ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]

Chapter 28: The Victory of Bloodline (3)

Just before the black tide could engulf Mei Feng, someone stepped in to block its path.

With a clear ringing of a sword, the dragon aura was split in half. Through the opening, Mei Rong emerged.

"The young dragon of Hyukcheon is being excessive. Our representative nearly lost his life."

Mei Rong glared at Kwon Hanul with a fearsome expression.

The sheer volume of dragon aura Kwon Hanul had unleashed was overwhelming. Had Mei Rong not intervened, Mei Feng would have been torn apart.

At Mei Rong’s rebuke, Kwon Hanul responded nonchalantly, "I trusted that the Greatest Sword would protect him.".

Kwon Hanul gave a slight bow.

"It is an honor to witness the swordsmanship of Greatest Sword firsthand."

With that single remark, the audience realized something they had momentarily forgotten.

The shocking fact wasn’t just that Mei Rong had stepped in.

It was that he had fully drawn his sword.

"Mei Rong… drew his sword…?"

"Does that mean the attack was that dangerous?"

"Wait, don’t tell me… he unsheathed it just to make a point?"

Had Mei Rong merely intervened, it would have been understandable. After all, an elder stepping in when a duel turns dangerous is not uncommon.

But the fact that Mei Rong—the Greatest Sword—had actually drawn his blade was beyond comprehension.

“No, that’s not the real issue here…”

Then, someone mumbled blankly.

"The Mei Clan… lost… to Hyukcheon Clan… with the sword…"

That single sentence sent shockwaves through the crowd.

The Mei Clan's spectators erupted in disbelief.

"This… This can't be! Even if it’s the Hyukcheon lineage, how could they surpass the Mei Clan in swordsmanship?!"

"They just overpowered him with brute force! You all saw it! That’s all it was!"

Despite the passage of time, the murmurs only grew louder.

At that moment—

Mei Rong ran a finger along his blade.

A piercing sword resonance rang through the dueling grounds, sharp enough to tear through the air.

"Silence!"

With that command, Mei Rong sheathed his sword. Then, he turned to Kwon Hanul.

"I have just one question. How did someone of Hyukcheon Clan learn such swordsmanship?"

All eyes focused on Kwon Hanul.

Not just the Mei Clan's descendants, but even those of Hyukcheon watched intently.

"I practiced whenever I had the time," he replied.

"…You’re saying you reached that level just by practicing occasionally?"

"Yes, is that a problem?"

Kwon Hanul lied without hesitation.

Well… technically, it wasn’t entirely a lie.

At those words, Mei Rong's brow furrowed even further.

"Don’t lie to me."

"I’m telling the truth."

In reality, Kwon Hanul had no choice but to feign ignorance.

No one could ever discover that he possessed more than one bloodlines.

The consequences of that revelation were unpredictable, and there was no need to reveal his greatest weapon.

Thus, he decided to masquerade as a genius instead.

"If that’s true, then Hyukcheon is blessed with fortune… while for our Mei Clan, this is nothing short of a disaster."

Mei Rong turned his back, pulling Mei Feng to his feet as he loudly declared:

"The Mei Clan concedes the second duel!"

The faces of the spectators twisted in frustration. They seemed to have countless things to say, but none dared to speak.

"Mei Hong!"

Mei Rong called out their final representative.

"Can you win?"

Mei Hong shook her head in silence.

Mei Rong's expression darkened at her response.

Dragging Mei Feng back to the waiting area, he leaned in and whispered something into Mei Hong’s ear.

In that instant, Mei Hong's eyes widened.

She turned to glare at Mei Rong, her face contorted with fury.

"You absolute bastard…"

"If you have time to be angry, use it to figure out how to win."

After a long moment of glaring, Mei Hong finally stepped into the arena.

"I am Mei Hong."

Her clear voice rang out as she assumed her stance.

‘This is…’

Unlike Mei Chao’s overwhelming presence or Mei Feng’s chilling aura, Mei Hong exuded neither.

She was calm—like an unmoving boulder in the middle of a vast field.

Yet, Kwon Hanul could feel it.

‘She’s far stronger than the two before her.’

He couldn’t understand why someone of her caliber had been placed as the middle contender.

‘There must be a reason for it.’

But that was none of his concern.

What mattered was that, finally, a worthy opponent had appeared.

With that, he tossed his longsword aside.

Mei Hong gave him a puzzled look.

"You don’t seem like someone I should take lightly."

Thanks to his Shura Bloodline, Kwon Hanul could wield any weapon freely.

But to unleash his full power—his fists were the best choice.

"Both sides, prepare yourselves!"

Mei Rong's voice rang out.

"Begin!"

The moment the duel was declared—

Mei Hong unsheathed her sword and slashed her own forearm in one swift motion.

The blade was instantly dyed crimson.

But it didn’t stop there—something eerie began to surface on the sword’s sheen.

Eyes.

Like those of a lizard, slit pupils emerged at the center of the blade.

It was on an entirely different level compared to what Mei Feng had summoned.

If his was akin to a housecat, hers was a full-fledged tiger.

A smile crept onto Kwon Hanul’s lips.

Excitement surged from deep within his chest.

[Synchronization Rate: 18% → 19%]

His blood boiled. His dragon aura flared even more fiercely.

And then—

"Stop this match!"

The Mei Clan’s Patriarch suddenly shouted.

Kwon Hanul and Mei Hong both froze in place.

"Our Mei Clan concedes this duel."

The declaration left the entire audience in shock.

The only one who felt something different—was Kwon Hanul.

Displeasure.

Just when things were starting to get interesting. What nonsense is this?

“What do you mean, my lord?!”

Mei Rong shouted in shock.

The Mei Clan Patriarch replied calmly, “Did you not see? That young dragon of Hyukcheon is far too strong. The outcome is already decided.”

“But—!”

The patriarch ignored Mei Rong’s outburst and turned to Kwon Myung-woo.

“This team match is Hyukcheon’s victory. As promised, we will relinquish ownership of the dungeon.”

“Excellent! We of Hyukcheon accept the Mei Clan’s surrender! Hahaha!”

Kwon Myung-woo’s laughter echoed through the dueling ground.

The Mei Clan’s bloodline, including Mei Rong, scowled at him with disdain.

But it was meaningless. Celebrating victory was the right of the winner.

“You rascal!”

Kwon Myung-woo leaped from the waiting area, grabbed Kwon Hanul, and lifted him high into the air.

“You took down three opponents by yourself! Truly impressive!”

“Granduncle, I can’t breathe.”

“Just endure it, you brat! Hahaha!”

The other members of Hyukcheon Clan also climbed onto the stage. Among them, Kwon Jiseok grumbled in frustration.

“This bastard took all the glory for himself... Damn it! Do you even know how much I was looking forward to today?”

“You should’ve volunteered to go first.”

“What?!” Kwon Jiseok yelled, then scratched his head. “Damn it, you lucky bastard. Still, that was impressive.”

Kwon Hanul doubted his ears. Did Kwon Jiseok just praise him?

“Of course, I would’ve done better! But you did well, so I’ll let it slide this time. Don’t expect this to happen again,” Kwon Jiseok continued to grumble.

Just then, Kwon Hudon clapped Kwon Hanul’s shoulder.

“H-hello.”

As always, Kwon Hudon stuttered.

“A-amazing. You were r-really… I mean… I c-can’t even put it into words…”

He flailed his arms awkwardly.

For someone with such striking looks, his mannerisms created quite the contrast.

“C-can we be f-friends from now on?”

It was like a grade-schooler awkwardly asking to be friends.

How was he supposed to respond to that? Kwon Hanul hesitated.

Then—

“You!”

A sharp voice rang out.

Kwon Mi approached briskly and grabbed Kwon Hudon by the nape.

“How many times do I have to tell you not to act like this?”

“M-mom…”

“Get back to your seat right now!”

Looking dejected, Kwon Hudon trudged away.

Kwon Mi then glared at Kwon Hanul with piercing eyes.

“...Don’t get cocky just because you had a good day.”

Her tone remained irritable.

“Anyone from our side would’ve produced the same result.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Kwon Hanul replied halfheartedly.

Kwon Mi’s eyebrows twitched.

“Have you all celebrated enough?” At that moment, the Mei Clan Patriarch spoke.

Kwon Myung-woo shook his head.

“Of course not! We need to return to Hyukcheon and announce the news, then hold a grand celebration! Hahaha!”

The Mei Clan Patriarch’s expression darkened slightly.

For Hyukcheon, this was a joyous occasion.

For the Mei Clan, it would be an eternal humiliation.

“But before you leave, I find it hard to simply let today’s protagonist walk away.”

Out of nowhere, the Mei Clan Patriarch spoke again.

“You entered the heart of the Mei Clan and defeated its bloodline in swordsmanship… Even I can barely believe it, despite witnessing it firsthand.”

The patriarch then turned to Kwon Hanul.

“Young dragon of Hyukcheon, is there anything you desire? Speak, and I shall grant it.”

Kwon Hanul doubted his ears.

“Are you serious?”

“Of course.”

A stroke of unexpected luck.

Kwon Hanul pondered.

How could he make the most of this opportunity?

‘He said anything, but that can’t be entirely true.’

Asking for clan secrets or treasured artifacts would be impossible.

This was merely a gesture of goodwill from the Mei Clan Patriarch.

‘Then the choice is obvious.’

Kwon Hanul turned to the patriarch and spoke.

“In that case, I would like to spend a day observing the Mei Clan and broadening my knowledge.”

The Mei Clan Patriarch tilted his head.

“To observe?”

In other words, he wanted to take a tour.

It wasn’t often that one got the chance to look around a great clan like the Mei Clan.

But given the patriarch’s offer, why ask for something like that?

Then—

“Hahaha! What a bold rascal!”

Kwon Myung-woo suddenly burst into laughter.

Everyone looked at him in confusion.

“Are you planning to scout out the Mei Clan yourself, knowing that we may be enemies one day?”

At his words, the others’ expressions shifted in shock.

Everyone except Kwon Hanul.

‘That wasn’t my intention, but…’

Kwon Hanul had only wanted to see if he could obtain something using his True Shura Bloodline.

But the others took Kwon Myung-woo’s words at face value.

“As expected of Hyukcheon Clan…Not even letting such a small opportunity slip away.”

“With that talent… that boldness… I’ve never feared Hyukcheon as much as I do today.”

The Mei Clan trembled in apprehension.

Even the Mei Clan Patriarch’s expression hardened slightly.

‘...Terrifying. If he’s like this now, I can’t even imagine what kind of force he’ll become in the future.’

It was a perfect example of how interpretation could surpass intention.

“I have already made my promise, so I cannot go back on my word.”

The patriarch then added—

“But my offer extends only to the young dragon. The rest of Hyukcheon must wait outside.”

“A fair decision.”

Kwon Myung-woo laughed heartily.

“The victor alone deserves the spoils! Hahaha!”

He was still beaming.

“Oh, right. Come here for a moment.”

Suddenly, Kwon Myung-woo called out to Kwon Hanul.

[Translator - Helga ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]