Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Youngho ran toward where Hong Gakjeong was and thought to himself.

He didn’t like it. The current situation—this situation where Sopyung had been injured.

It seemed he had forgotten, having briefly mingled with those Orthodox Sect bastards before the Regression. That Unorthodox members were not human, and that they were beings worse than insects.

He had underestimated the dog-like, bizarre ideas of those creatures who were worse than insects.

‘To think they would target Sopyung instead of me…….’

If it had been before the Regression, the other side would not have even dreamed of doing something like this. The Youngho of that time would not have blinked an eye even if an innocent servant girl had died.

But Youngho’s current age was fifteen.

‘If I hadn’t undergone Regression, this would be the age where I’d still have a soft, tender heart.’

No matter how Unorthodox they were, they too could not escape the essence of being human.

As long as one was human, there had been times when they were warm at least once, and times when they were cold at least once.

He had forgotten that. It was like a side effect born from reigning as the supreme of the Unorthodox Faction for far too many years.

At that moment, from Youngho’s entire body, the presence of his days as the Sword Demon—when he had been the supreme of the Unorthodox Faction—leaked out, albeit faintly.

An endlessly tyrannical aura wrapped around Youngho’s body. An endlessly heavy killing intent wrapped around Youngho’s body.

Shadow, who had been quietly following behind Youngho, shuddered without realizing it at the aura Youngho was emitting—like the reincarnation of Asura.

‘Just what would it take to produce an aura like this……?’

This was a presence that could only emerge after killing people dozens—no, hundreds, thousands of times.

Shadow clearly knew that Youngho had grown up as an ordinary orphan before catching Cheonung’s eye.

Information from before that was uncertain, but even so, there was no information suggesting he had ever killed anyone.

Then what was this horrifying presence he was feeling now? What should one even call this vile, suffocating aura that couldn’t even be described as killing intent?

Though confused, Shadow moved his legs diligently. Youngho’s speed was by no means slow, so Shadow cast aside stray thoughts and focused his senses on Youngho’s movements.

In that way, Youngho arrived in front of Hong Gakjeong’s house in an instant.

Comparing Hong Gakjeong’s house to Youngho’s was like comparing the sun to a firefly.

Hong Gakjeong’s brilliantly shining residence looked extremely spacious—so much so that it couldn’t even be compared to Youngho’s home.

Yet Youngho was not intimidated in the slightest. Instead, he proudly puffed out his chest and walked into Hong Gakjeong’s house.

The guards protecting the front of Hong Gakjeong’s house did not attempt to stop him at all, as if they had already received word from someone, even as Youngho entered the residence.

Seeing that, Youngho let out a small, involuntary chuckle.

‘So even if someone dies, it’s not their responsibility, is that it?’

It was utterly laughable. And he was looking forward to it—wondering what expressions the guards would wear when he walked out of this place unharmed.

Youngho spread his senses wide and began to perceive the surrounding presences. Sound, movement of air, temperature—feeling everything, Youngho headed toward the deepest part of the house.

Going deeper and deeper, there was a garden there. Should it be called natural? Hong Gakjeong’s garden, too, was far larger than Youngho’s house.

Ignoring the flowers that gave off a fresh fragrance, Youngho continued forward.

“Stop there.”

At that moment, a fresh voice, like a beautiful flower, reached Youngho’s ears. At those words, Youngho’s steps came to a halt.

Koom—!

The instant Youngho stopped, sword qi imbued with pitch-black ferocious flames crashed down right in front of his foot.

If Youngho had taken even one more step forward, his toes would have been severed.

“You’re lucky.”

Despite the perilous situation, there was not the slightest tremor in the woman’s voice.

Revealing herself, Hong Gakjeong spoke with a beautiful smile that suited her appearance.

“I’ll praise you for coming this far. Even if the martial artists told you the direction, it must’ve been hard to find because of the formation.”

“…….”

“Why aren’t you saying anything? Don’t tell me you got scared after coming all this way?”

“Shut up.”

At Youngho’s calm words, utterly devoid of any tremor, Hong Gakjeong’s expression stiffened greatly for a brief moment.

Youngho spoke while displaying a fiercely sharp gaze, as if he might lunge at Hong Gakjeong at any second.

“Why did you try to kill Sopyung?”

One might well be overwhelmed by Youngho’s eyes, but Hong Gakjeong once again drew a beautiful arc at the corner of her lips.

“Try to kill her? I only intended to cripple one of her legs. Almost killing her wasn’t this side’s intention…….”

At those words, Nanhyang’s body, standing behind Hong Gakjeong, trembled for an instant. Youngho, who would not have failed to notice that subtle shiver, asked while pretending not to see it.

“You made Sopyung like this, so you’ll have to pay the price. And Nanhyang.”

Nanhyang erased the expression from her face and looked at Youngho.

“You’ll be dying shortly anyway, so stay right there.”

Though she spoke such chilling words casually, Nanhyang instead smiled at the corner of her mouth as if it were laughable.

In any case, the Unorthodox Faction never listened no matter how much one talked. Youngho rotated his neck, loosening his joints, and spoke.

“Then let’s have you pay the price.”

“And how will you do that?”

At Hong Gakjeong’s question, Youngho lightly tapped the sword hilt with his finger, as if asking why she was even asking something so obvious.

“What else do martial artists talk with besides fighting?”

Hong Gakjeong rubbed her own sword hilt as if surprised and said,

“I never thought you’d be so ignorant of your own place.”

At those words, Youngho walked toward Hong Gakjeong and said,

“You’d better draw your sword quickly.”

Kwaaaa—!!

At that moment, as if he were releasing everything he had held back until now, a dragon of killing intent began to surge up from Youngho’s body.

At the far stronger aura than she had expected, Hong Gakjeong’s eyes widened before she quickly glared at Youngho.

“Don’t get cocky!”

From Hong Gakjeong’s body bloomed a killing intent fundamentally different from Youngho’s. Was this what one called a difference in class?

The killing intents of Youngho and Hong Gakjeong were different. To put it plainly, Youngho’s killing intent was far more chilling and terrifying.

Hong Gakjeong’s killing intent felt like that of a cat that could never become a tiger, desperately struggling to somehow turn into one.

To cut Youngho down in a single strike, Hong Gakjeong took a large step forward.

Despite advancing only one step, Hong Gakjeong had already arrived right before Youngho’s eyes.

It looked as if she had used some strange trick like a teleportation step, but this too was nothing more than a form of martial art.

‘Flame Tiger Emerges from the Forest is fairly decent.’

Flame Tiger Emerges from the Forest was a movement technique in which a tiger imbued with flame energy moved stealthily yet swiftly to hunt its prey.

Although they had learned the same movement technique, the Flame Tiger Emerges from the Forest used by Youngho and Hong Gakjeong followed entirely different paths.

Even if they had learned the same martial art, Youngho’s level of enlightenment was already far above someone like Hong Gakjeong.

Youngho was momentarily surprised by Hong Gakjeong’s higher-than-expected level of movement technique, but that was all.

Hong Gakjeong did have talent. She had already broken through the wall of a certain realm and climbed up. Of course, even this would hardly be enough to satisfy Cheonung.

Youngho briefly observed the sword approaching his neck, then stepped back a single pace.

Ssaeak!

As soon as he did, Hong Gakjeong’s sword sliced through the air, and at the same time her posture collapsed for an instant.

Ordinarily, there would have been no reason for Hong Gakjeong’s stance to crumble, but the moment Youngho stepped back to evade the blade, he immediately stepped forward again.

The instant Youngho invaded Hong Gakjeong’s space, the startled Hong Gakjeong failed to respond properly.

Koom—!

And the price for allowing her space to be breached even once was enormous.

Jiiik!

When Youngho’s fist slammed into Hong Gakjeong’s side, her body skidded across the ground as she was pushed backward.

Guhk!

Hong Gakjeong forcibly swallowed back the blood surging up from her throat and glared at Youngho as if she wanted to kill him.

“You… bastard…!”

A martial artist possessed a unique personal space.

If someone invaded that space, it meant allowing an attack through; if one protected that space thoroughly, one could block or evade all attacks.

Thus, for a martial artist, allowing another into one’s space was no different from begging to be killed.

That was why Hong Gakjeong couldn’t understand it even more. She herself knew the importance of space.

And above all, she had never allowed her space to be breached. Which meant that Youngho had deliberately invaded her space.

Was such a thing even possible?

She had trained in martial arts for years. And yet she had allowed her space to be breached by someone who had only properly begun training six months ago?

She felt like biting her tongue and killing herself on the spot.

‘It must’ve been luck, right?’

It had to be luck. If not, people wouldn’t say that Youngho’s skill was exceptional—they would say that her own ability, as the Fourth Young Miss, was far inferior to what was expected.

Hong Gakjeong briefly rubbed her left side where Youngho had struck her.

The dizzying impact still lingered, so every time she touched the struck area, sharp pain surged through her.

Recalling that pain instead made her mind clearer. She had let her guard down, if only slightly.

“This time will be different.”

Seeing the chilling killing intent reflected in Hong Gakjeong’s eyes, Youngho broke into a bright smile.

“That won’t happen.”

Crack.

Looking at the bulging vein on Hong Gakjeong’s forehead, Youngho sneered inwardly.

‘What a foolish woman.’

No matter how one looked at it, Hong Gakjeong was currently agitated. Even now, though her insides were boiling, she was telling herself she was calm and forcing her heart to grow as cold as possible.

And Youngho gave her not even a moment to compose herself.

Bang!

Youngho’s figure transformed into a streak of light and shot toward Hong Gakjeong. Seeing Youngho flying at her like a tiger, Hong Gakjeong felt a chill run down her neck.

Instinctively, Hong Gakjeong ducked her body.

Paaaang!!

Youngho’s sword displayed its air-splitting roar to the fullest, erasing a portion of Hong Gakjeong’s hair. It wasn’t cut—it was erased.

What would have happened if she herself had taken that sword head-on? Just imagining it sent a chill down her spine.

Cold sweat was already streaming down from her temples.

It felt as if all the blood in her body had turned icy cold.

“Hah!”

At Youngho’s consecutive kick, Hong Gakjeong hurriedly retreated backward.

“What a shame. I wanted to avenge Sopyung. At the very least, I should’ve knocked out two of your teeth.”

At the sight of Youngho remaining so composed, Hong Gakjeong’s expression twisted beyond measure.

He was strong. Now she had no choice but to admit it. That Youngho was her equal—no, that he was stronger than her.

And because of that, she disliked the current situation all the more.

The moment Hong Gakjeong tried to say something to Youngho, he sensed her muscles stiffen for an instant and charged at her like a bolt of lightning.

Clang!!

She barely managed to block the sword Youngho swung in haste, but she had no means to deal with what followed.

Youngho’s fist flew once more toward Hong Gakjeong’s side.

Bang!

Pshuuuk!!

The instant Hong Gakjeong was struck by Youngho’s fist, she spewed blood and was sent flying far away.

Youngho spoke with a smile.

“Senior Sister. If you’ve drawn your blade, shouldn’t you at least cut something?”