Bang-!
As Hwang Dongyeong's sword struck the floor, a crack of a tremendous range was created there, as if it had been struck with a giant iron mace.
Generally, if one were to swing a sword, that much power would not come out. However, from the moment it was clad in sword ki, it was no longer an ordinary sword.
A deadly weapon that could cut through steel, so what about a human body?
Just by grazing it, an ordinary body would be cut like a piece of paper.
Of course, although there was a difference in the sharpness of the sword ki for each individual, what was certain was that if one were to be cut by that sword ki, Cheon Seong's body would be shattered like sand, not paper.
"..."
Cheon Seong looked at the crack that had formed in front of his feet with a pale face.
The fact that he was able to dodge that attack was purely due to good luck.
No, in a way, it could be said that he had dodged it because his instinct had sensed the crisis.
If he had not felt fear and had not stepped back in advance, it would have been his own body that would have been shattered like that.
However, Cheon Seong was more shocked by the fact that Hwang Dongyeong had sincerely tried to kill him than the thought that his own body could have been shattered like the crack that had formed on the floor.
"W-why..."
Cheon Seong, who could not finish his words. However, even with those words, it seemed to be representing all the emotions that Cheon Seong was feeling now.
Generally, who on earth could accept this situation right away? For a person who had been by his side as an escort for several years to suddenly try to kill him.
Especially since Hwang Dongyeong was the person Cheon Seong trusted the most, the shock was several times greater.
Swish-.
Hwang Dongyeong silently raised the sword he had struck on the floor. And looking at him, Cheon Seong said again with a trembling voice.
"Why on earth... why are you doing this to me!"
"..."
"You swung your sword by mistake, right? Right? For you to have swung your sword to kill me... it's impossible, isn't it?"
"...You're foolish."
The voice that came out of Hwang Dongyeong's mouth was as cold as the wind of the North Sea.
"How can one form sword ki by mistake and strike it exactly where you were, Young Master?"
"..."
"Please face reality now."
Cheon Seong already knew. That no matter what excuse, Hwang Dongyeong's attack just now could not be dismissed as a mistake.
Since he could not accept the fact that Hwang Dongyeong was trying to kill him, Cheon Seong had confirmed that fact once more, but the answer that came back was extremely cold.
"...Why are you trying to kill me?"
Since the answer that came back was so certain, Cheon Seong no longer denied reality.
However, he still could not accept the reason why Hwang Dongyeong was trying to kill him.
"There is someone who wants you to die, Young Master."
"..."
"Considering our relationship of several years, I will at least tell you that part."
"...Did the Five Great Demonic Families tell you to kill me?"
As Cheon Seong asked, Hwang Dongyeong said nothing.
That alone seemed to be enough of an answer.
To think that the escort warrior who had been by his side for several years was actually a pawn of the Five Great Demonic Families.
Although it was the worst situation that he couldn't laugh at, a laugh came out of Cheon Seong's mouth.
'What my brother said was true.'
I need someone I can trust. Cheon Seong felt as if the meaning of those words was now deeply penetrating his bones.
Wouldn't one be able to know the meaning of those words by looking at this situation now?
Hwang Dongyeong, who had been by his side as an escort for several years, had betrayed him overnight and was trying to kill him.
Although he had thought that Hwang Dongyeong was one of the few people he could trust, Cheon Seong realized too late that his thoughts were wrong.
'I was going to grab my brother's hand, even if it was late... but it seems I won't be able to.'
Although he didn't know the whole world until now, he had thought that he had at least been able to distinguish between shit and bean paste.
But it turned out that that was not the case.
Wouldn't this be a level where one wouldn't know even if they ate shit and bean paste directly?
A laugh came out of Cheon Seong's mouth at his own patheticness. And he couldn't help but laugh once more at his own foolishness of acting like an adult in front of Cheon Myeong.
"Why are you laughing?"
Hwang Dongyeong asked the laughing Cheon Seong.
However, Cheon Seong, who did not answer and just kept laughing.
Looking at him, Hwang Dongyeong thought that Cheon Seong had gone mad.
'Has he gone mad?'
He could understand it enough.
Because he was on the verge of death, betrayed by a person who had been by his side for several years.
Considering Cheon Seong's young age, it would be a very harsh situation to accept everything.
'Then I'll make it quick and easy for him.'
That was the best he could do.
Hwang Dongyeong thought so and swung his sword at Cheon Seong.
Whoosh-.
A sword strike that was fiercely heading for Cheon Seong's neck.
At the same time, the smile disappeared from Cheon Seong's face.
Thwip-.
As soon as Hwang Dongyeong swung his sword, Cheon Seong threw his body to the side.
Then, the sword ki passed over Cheon Seong's body at a thrilling height, and Cheon Seong was able to dodge Hwang Dongyeong's attack twice by rolling on the floor.
'This...'
He had swung his sword too carelessly, thinking that Cheon Seong had gone mad.
If not, there was no way the sword would have missed twice.
As the time to deal with Cheon Seong became longer than he had thought, Hwang Dongyeong began to get a little anxious.
'I can't drag this on any longer.'
In a little while, Cheon Myeong would arrive at the training ground.
No matter what, he had to finish dealing with Cheon Seong before that.
Of course, even if there were two people, the result would not change much, but wouldn't there be a possibility of something happening?
In order to finish the job cleanly, it would be certain to deal with them one by one.
Thump-!
As soon as Cheon Seong rolled on the floor, he got up and was running towards the entrance.
It seemed that he had given up on fighting him and had decided to concentrate on running away.
Of course, although he wanted to praise that judgment as the best for Cheon Seong, since he was the one chasing, it just felt like a troublesome trick.
Thwip-.
Hwang Dongyeong, who was chasing after Cheon Seong at a fast speed.
Although Cheon Seong's side had run first because of the large skill gap, the distance between the two was narrowing in an instant.
"..."
At the momentum felt from behind, Cheon Seong glanced at that side while running to the entrance.
Then, as if he were a demon, Hwang Dongyeong was running towards him with a terrifying momentum, and it seemed that no matter what, he would be caught by Hwang Dongyeong.
'I'm a foolish guy, but... I have no intention of dying easily!'
At least, he would die after trying all the struggles he could.
Cheon Seong thought so and his gaze went to his sword that he was holding in his right hand.
Although his sword could no longer function properly as a sword because more than half of the blade was broken, the only weapon he was given was this broken sword.
Squeeze-.
It didn't matter if it was flicked away meaninglessly. If it could buy even a moment of time, this broken sword would have done its job well.
Cheon Seong thought so and threw the sword he was holding tightly at Hwang Dongyeong's side.
Whoosh-.
The broken sword that flew to Hwang Dongyeong like a dagger.
The sword that was thrown as a surprise attack flew accurately towards Hwang Dongyeong's forehead.
'Good...!'
No matter how much Hwang Dongyeong's skills had reached the peak, a brief gap to dodge the sword would be created.
Cheon Seong thought so and ran, looking ahead again, but could a gap be created with that much of an attack on a master who had reached the peak?
If he had really thought so, that was a very complacent thought.
Thwip-.
Hwang Dongyeong snatched the sword that was flying towards his forehead with a reflexive movement.
At some point, Cheon Seong's sword, which was held in Hwang Dongyeong's left hand. And this time, Hwang Dongyeong's side threw the broken sword at Cheon Seong like a dagger.
"..."
No matter how broken it was, it didn't mean that the broken surface was not sharp.
The sword that Hwang Dongyeong had thrown accurately hit Cheon Seong's left leg, and Cheon Seong had no choice but to fall to the floor.
"Kuh...!"
Cheon Seong, who had fallen to the floor, looked at his left leg.
A sword that was deeply embedded in his calf. Cheon Seong immediately knew that that was the sword he had thrown at Hwang Dongyeong.
'Did it not even create a moment's gap...'
Far from creating a gap, it had flown back to him instead.
Although it seemed to be a wound that could be cleanly healed with treatment, the problem was that it was impossible to run away any further with this leg.
'It's an eyesore until the end...'
His struggle was up to here.
While Cheon Seong was giving up on running away any further, Hwang Dongyeong approached Cheon Seong's side.
"..."
Cheon Seong, who was lying on the floor, bleeding. Looking at him, Hwang Dongyeong stopped in his spot.
Woong-.
At some point, the sword ki had also disappeared from Hwang Dongyeong's sword.
In the first place, taking out sword ki to kill Cheon Seong was an excessive measure.
No matter how much it was said that a lion does its best even when catching a single rabbit, was there a need to do one's best even when catching a single frog?
For Hwang Dongyeong, Cheon Seong was only at that level.
"You can't run away anymore."
"..."
"But still, you've held on quite well until now."
Saying that, Hwang Dongyeong raised his right hand, which was holding the sword.
Seeing this, Cheon Seong, who was holding his head up, lowered it to the floor.
There would be no need to hold his head up until the moment he died.
'If only I could... I want to see my brother before I die.'
And he wanted to apologize.
However, is it said that people always repeat their regrets?
Only at the moment of death did Cheon Seong belatedly have that thought.
'...I'm sorry.'
Even if it couldn't be conveyed, Cheon Seong apologized to Cheon Myeong inwardly.
And his two eyes, which he had closed while lying down.
Since he had apologized, now he would just face death calmly.
Peep-!
"...Peep?"
At that moment, an unfamiliar cry was heard in Cheon Seong's ear.
Hearing that sound, Cheon Seong opened his closed eyes again.
'This sound is definitely...'
He had heard it somewhere before.
But where on earth had he heard this sound?
Cheon Seong thought so and raised his head again.
"Peep-! Peep-!"
As he raised his head, Cheon Seong discovered a white bird flying in circles above his head.
"..."
It wasn't just Cheon Seong who had discovered the bird.
Hwang Dongyeong also stopped swinging his sword and was looking at the bird flying inside the training ground.
'That bird is definitely...'
He had seen it at the Little Heaven Pavilion.
That meant that the fact that that bird was here...
Whoosh-.
As his thoughts were immediately organized, Hwang Dongyeong brought down the sword he was holding at Cheon Seong.
However, a sword strike that was blocked by someone in the middle.
When he had brought down the sword belatedly, someone was already blocking Hwang Dongyeong's front.
"You are..."
"See?"
The person who had blocked Hwang Dongyeong's sword strike opened his mouth with a meaningful smile.
"I told you there was a smell, didn't I?"
Cheon Myeong said, looking straight into Hwang Dongyeong's eyes.
(End of Chapter)