Chapter 194

[Translator - Helga ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]

Chapter 194: Persuasion (4)

“Successor?”

Mei Hong furrowed her brow.

“Did you take the wrong meds, or skip the ones you were supposed to take? You’ve always been insane, but now you’ve gone completely off the deep end.”

At that, Mei Xiao burst out laughing. The assassins standing behind her, however, did not find it amusing.

“A traitor who sold out her own clan dares to talk back?”

“Speak like that again and we’ll cut off your fingers one by one!”

The assassins hurled threats at Mei Hong, voices brimming with killing intent.

“That’s enough.”

Mei Xiao finally spoke. The moment she did, the assassins fell silent, as if a switch had been flipped.

“I’m speaking with Mei Hong right now. Don’t interrupt. Be quiet.”

She playfully brought a finger to her lips in a shushing gesture.

“Mei Hong, believe it or not, I hold you in very high regard. Talent like yours doesn’t come by easily. You might even be more gifted than I am.”

It was an oddly timed compliment.

But even Gu Eon, commander of the Iron Corps, had once assessed Mei Hong’s abilities as dangerous—clearly seeing her potential.

“Now that we’re at war with Hyukcheon, someone with your talents is extremely valuable. That’s why I’m making you an offer: become my successor.”

“Don’t talk crap.”

Mei Hong’s voice turned ice cold again.

“You, of all people, would never let the one who destroyed your clan live. And now you want to name me successor?”

“Ah, so that’s what you’re worried about. Well, it’s not entirely unreasonable.”

Mei Xiao’s smile faded. Her face went blank—like a doll—as she stared at Mei Hong.

“You’re the reason Master is dead. How could I possibly forgive you for that?”

“So you finally drop the act.”

“Why don’t you let me finish? Yes, I haven’t forgiven you. And yes, killing you would be easy... but that would be a waste.”

Mei Xiao clapped her hands. At her signal, the clan members behind her stepped aside.

“I’ve made some interesting friends lately. I’m sure you’ve heard of them—people who go by the name Aeon.”

A man cloaked in a black robe stepped forward, carrying something in his hands.

It was a longsword, gleaming with a deep, sapphire-blue glow.

“Aeon holds some truly fascinating knowledge. Among them, techniques for amplifying demonic weapons.”

Mei Xiao gently ran her hand along the surface of the blade.

“When enhanced, these demonic swords become not only more powerful—but their mental interference effects grow much stronger. Hunters who grabbed one without knowing its nature ended up going completely mad.”

She held the sword’s hilt out toward Mei Hong.

“Take this, Mei Hong. Once you grip this sword, the old you will be wiped away. Then you’ll be worthy of becoming my successor,” Mei Xiao whispered seductively. “Now… embrace the demon sword.”

“What if I refuse?”

The assassins pressed their blades tightly against Mei Hong and Joo Hayun’s skin.

“Then we’ll start peeling off your flesh, bit by bit, until you change your mind. Better to accept now than suffer later.”

“And if I still refuse?”

“I don’t know what gives you the nerve to act so bold. Oh—are you putting your faith in your beloved captain?”

Mei Xiao clapped again.

“Sorry to break it to you. By now, I’m afraid he’s already halfway to being a corpse.”

That made Joo Hayun flinch.

“What have you done to Lord Kwon Hanul?”

“I sent three sword squads trained in our clan’s most lethal formations.”

Mei Xiao raised three fingers as she spoke.

“The Witch of Hyukcheon—you should know better than anyone how deadly Mei Clan’s sword formations are.”

Joo Hayun’s face darkened.

Of course she knew. Sword formations were one of the Mei Clan’s signature weapons.

“The units I sent after Kwon Hanul are our elite squads—the same ones that previously wiped out a famed Hyukcheon division.”

* * *

<Opening the ‘Gate of Hell’>

A pool of black-red liquid began to spread from beneath Kwon Hanul’s feet, quickly covering the floor.

“W-What is this…?”

“It’s so… sticky.”

The Mei Clan swordsmen looked down in confusion. Then, the pool began to boil.

Without warning, a rusted spear shot up from the depths, skewering a swordsman straight through the heart.

“Guh—!”

He died instantly, not even managing to scream.

That was just the beginning.

From the bubbling pool, skeletal soldiers began to rise in droves.

“W-What the hell?!”

“Aaaaagh!”

The soldiers began slaughtering the Mei swordsmen without mercy. Blood sprayed across the battlefield.

“Calm down! Watch how they move—they’re not that dangerous!”

“Don’t fall back—fight!”

The swordsmen didn’t go down quietly. Regaining their composure, they launched a counterattack.

But their blades could not cut the dead.

Every slash passed through as if slicing mist.

“W-What is this—AAARGH!”

The massacre resumed without pause.

The undead didn’t defend. They just attacked—relentlessly and with only one purpose: to kill.

“Wh-What is this nightmare…?”

Mei Ji-peng, the Flowing Blade, stared in horror.

But there was no time to freeze. His priority was saving the clan members being butchered right in front of him.

“Fall back!”

He roared and drew his twin swords.

“HAAAP!”

Leaping high into the air, he came crashing down—driving both swords into the earth.

Aura exploded outward like a tidal wave. It spread, then burst—engulfing the undead.

The soldiers that couldn’t be cut by ordinary blades were torn apart by Mei Ji-peng’s aura.

“Get the wounded and retreat! I’ll take care of the rest!”

He barked orders, and the swordsmen finally came to their senses—scrambling to retrieve the injured.

“YOOOOOUUU!”

Once the others withdrew, Mei Ji-peng turned to Kwon Hanul, his fury boiling over.

“So it’s true… I remember now. The Ancestor once spoke of summoning terrifying demons to face his enemies! If you’ve used that power—!”

Mei Ji-peng ground his teeth and glared at Kwon Hanul.

“You damn fiend! Not only the Shura Bloodline, but now you’ve stolen the power of the Shura King too?!”

Kwon Hanul calmly drew the sword out of his chest. Strangely, there wasn’t a single wound left behind.

—If you knew what I truly am, shouldn’t you be groveling at my feet? This body wields the True Blood… and commands the Shura King.

“Don’t spew nonsense! You’re nothing but a filthy thief who stole the Mei Clan’s power!”

Mei Ji-peng gripped his twin swords tighter. A heavy killing aura surged toward Kwon Hanul.

“I’ll kill you here and reclaim our strength for the clan!”

—Quite the noble ambition you’ve got there.

Then it happened.

The arms growing from Kwon Hanul’s back vanished. His blood-red body returned to normal.

Mei Ji-peng narrowed his eyes.

“What’s this…? Why’d you cancel your Authority?”

“It burns through stamina faster than it looks,” Kwon Hanul replied, rolling his shoulder. “I’ve already achieved what I came for. No reason to keep it active.”

“Achieved what…?”

Suddenly, black smoke began to swirl in midair.

It gathered into clusters and darted across the battlefield.

One cluster shot into the body of a swordsman tending to the wounded.

“Urk—Ughhhh!”

The swordsman’s eyes rolled back, his voice warped with unnatural noise. The ally beside him reached out in panic.

“Hey—what’s wrong—urk!”

The possessed man unsheathed his longsword and sliced his comrade’s throat.

“Y-You crazy bastard!”

“What the hell is going on?!”

Swordsmen recoiled in horror. Just then, all the black smoke clusters swarmed toward them.

“Guh—AAGH!”

“Aaaaah!”

The swordsmen began turning on each other, blades flashing wildly. The air filled with screams.

“W-Why is this happening?!”

“S-Stop!”

The few still in their right minds tried to restrain their maddened comrades—only to be cut down in turn.

“I said STOP!”

Some didn’t go down without a fight—striking back and killing the possessed.

But the moment they did, their own eyes rolled back. They too began attacking those around them.

“What are you all doing?! STOP RIGHT NOW!” Mei Ji-peng roared, but it was useless.

The madness had spread too far.

Not a single one listened. The possessed kept butchering their own allies.

In the blink of an eye, all the swordsmen had turned into corpses. Mei Ji-peng stood in stunned silence, staring at them.

“The vengeful spirits released through Hell Path are relentless.” Kwon Hanul said, looking at Mei Ji-peng. “Even if the temporary bodies they form are destroyed, they persist as spirits, targeting the living. You shouldn’t have gone after the soldiers—you should have come for me.”

Mei Ji-peng slowly turned to face Kwon Hanul. Rage gradually filled his once-vacant eyes.

“You wretch… Do you even know who those kids you just killed were?! They were the finest swordsmen, raised with everything Mei Xiao and I had to offer—for the future of the Mei Clan!”

“Is that so?”

“You threw them away like they were nothing! How do you plan to atone for that sin?!”

“If they were so precious, you should’ve kept them safe.” Kwon Hanul rested his sword on his shoulder, answering flatly. “You underestimated me and threw a bunch of greenhorns at me. This is what you get.”

A murderous light flickered in Mei Ji-peng’s eyes. Gripping his twin swords, he slashed both of his forearms.

Blood from the cuts dyed the pristine blades red.

“Fine! I’ll own this mistake! And I’ll carve that regret into your flesh—one piece at a time!”

Mei Ji-peng stomped the ground. His twin swords became flashes of light, tearing toward Kwon Hanul’s body.

* * *

“Ah, I almost forgot—we didn’t just send sword squads.”

As if it had just occurred to her, Mei Xiao added quickly.

“We sent Flowing Blade Mei Ji-peng, too. You’ve heard the name, haven’t you?”

Flowing Blade Mei Ji-peng.

Among the Seven Plum Blossom Blades that represented the Mei Clan, he was particularly well-known.

In his younger days, he had slaughtered twenty high-ranking Hunters on the spot for speaking ill of the clan.

The fact that he remained unpunished after committing such a massacre had nothing to do with clan protection—his sheer martial power was that overwhelming.

Every Hunter who had sought revenge for that incident had died by his hand, without exception.

“I do feel a bit sorry for Kwon Hanul. After all, I said I’d kill him personally, but now someone else will do it.”

Mei Xiao let out a short sigh.

“But what can I do? He’s an uninvited guest—I don’t have time to deal with him myself.”

Leaning back in her chair, she added, “Still, once Mei Ji-peng brings me his head… I’ll return the corpse to Hyukcheon’s family. Neatly packaged.”

* * *

At the outset of the battle, Mei Ji-peng had been filled with certainty—utter conviction in his victory.

Even after confirming that Kwon Hanul wielded the power of the Shura King, his confidence hadn’t wavered.

Kwon Hanul was undeniably strong.

He didn’t just possess the Shura King’s power—he carried many bloodlines. A few years from now, there might be no one left who could stand against him.

But not yet.

Right now, Kwon Hanul was still a young sapling—not fully grown.

And Mei Ji-peng?

He had long since secured his place as an unrivaled master, acknowledged by the world. As one of the Seven Plum Blossom Blades, he had carved through countless enemies.

No matter how strong Kwon Hanul might be, he couldn’t compare.

That’s what Mei Ji-peng had believed—

—until just moments ago.

‘What… is this?’

After exchanging hundreds of blows, a strange feeling crept into Mei Ji-peng.

‘How is he still holding on?’

By his calculations, Kwon Hanul’s head should’ve been on the ground before a hundred exchanges.

Yet he was still alive. Not only that—he was parrying every single attack.

‘How is he enduring this?’

Mei Ji-peng was a swordsman who specialized in dual blades and lightning-fast swordsmanship. He had never met anyone faster than himself.

But now?

He couldn’t break through.

He couldn’t cut.

Not even one blade could reach Kwon Hanul.

Even though his opponent was a kwonsa—a martial artist who primarily used fists.

“This bastard…?”

A flicker of disbelief passed over Mei Ji-peng’s face—but it soon gave way to rage.

“A mere kwonsa dares block my blades?!”

His twin swords moved faster, like floodwaters during the monsoon.

Kwon Hanul’s hands moved just as swiftly.

The longsword and twin swords clashed in midair without pause. Each time they met, sparks burst forth.

As the exchanges continued, Mei Ji-peng’s eyes widened further.

Still, he couldn’t break through.

He couldn’t defeat Kwon Hanul’s sword.

“This… this isn’t possible…”

This wasn’t natural. Not even a genius should be able to do this.

Mei Ji-peng had dedicated his entire life to the sword. A kwonsa blocking his blades—it shouldn’t be possible.

“This makes no sense…”

And in that moment, Mei Ji-peng realized—

“Could this… also be the Shura King’s authority?!”

“That’s one way to put it.”

Kwon Hanul responded, not pausing his blade.

“Ever since I obtained the Shura Blood, people’s movements have become clearer to me… but when I fight you people, it’s even more vivid.”

Mei Ji-peng stared into Kwon Hanul’s eyes—eyes so deep they seemed endless.

“I can see it all. Like you’re showing it to me yourself.”

Kwon Hanul’s movements changed.

He not only deflected all of Mei Ji-peng’s strikes—he began inflicting small wounds all over the man’s body.

“…Damn it!”

Mei Ji-peng cursed without thinking.

“You vile bastard…! Using the Mei Clan’s stolen power… to defeat me…!”

The Shura King wasn’t just raw power. It was the very source of the Shura Bloodline.

In fact, there was a saying that the energy within the Shura Bloodline was a manifestation of the Shura King itself.

That was likely why Kwon Hanul could read Mei Ji-peng’s every move.

The Shura Blood Mei Ji-peng possessed… was laying bare everything to the Shura King.

In other words, Kwon Hanul was the natural predator of the Mei Clan.

“Unforgivable… This is unforgivable!”

Mei Ji-peng summoned his full magical power. The demonic twin swords absorbed it all.

“Even if it costs me my life… I’ll take yours…!”

He crossed his twin swords. In that instant, words appeared across the blades.

Demon Swords – Emerging Ghost Pass

Mei Ji-peng swung wildly, possessed.

Countless crescent-shaped waves of sword energy poured forth—every last one aimed at Kwon Hanul.

But Kwon Hanul didn’t block them. Instead, he lowered his sword and walked forward.

His body swayed like a drunken man. Every time it did, the sword waves brushed past him, missing by inches.

Mei Ji-peng’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“This bastard…!”

He was dodging.

Not blocking, not retreating—dodging, while still advancing.

“How dare you—dodge my sword!”

Mei Ji-peng’s pride cracked. He swung his blades with the sole purpose of killing Kwon Hanul.

But no matter how furious his attacks grew, he couldn’t touch even the hem of Kwon Hanul’s clothing.

“Just DIE already!” He screamed in desperation.

But by then, Kwon Hanul was already right in front of him.

“Aaaaaargh!”

Mei Ji-peng slashed toward Kwon Hanul’s throat.

But Kwon Hanul’s blade struck first—cutting across and severing Mei Ji-peng’s neck.

His head hit the ground with a lifeless thud. Kwon Hanul looked down at the corpse and muttered quietly, “Told you. I can see everything.”

[Translator - Helga ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]