Chapter 75

Chapter 75

The surroundings had been utterly devastated—so much so that anyone could tell at a glance that a tremendous battle had taken place. There, several people stood gathered around someone lying on the ground, speaking among themselves.

“Are you sure he’s really okay?”

At Kang Chowon’s worried question, Hyeon-gang wiped the sweat from his brow and replied,

“He should’ve woken up by now. Why is this happening?”

“What about his internal injuries?”

“Well… if it were an ordinary person, they would’ve died ten times over from those internal injuries alone……”

“Wh-What?!”

When Kang Chowon flinched in shock, Hyeon-gang scratched his cheek and said,

“Still, I’ve done everything I can. I inserted the needles to stabilize his Internal Energy a bit, and I’ve treated all the external wounds as well.”

“Then why isn’t he waking up?”

Kang Chowon’s eyes welled with tears as she looked at Youngho lying there as if dead.

“He’s not… going to die, is he?”

“No, I’m telling you he’s definitely alive! Even now, his damaged Qi and blood are recovering at an unbelievable rate!”

“What?”

Horyeung showed a puzzled expression, and Hyeon-gang gestured toward Youngho with his chin as if telling him to check for himself.

It was a strange claim. He wasn’t even circulating his Qi, yet his Qi and blood were stabilizing.

Horyeung grasped Youngho’s wrist to examine his pulse and closed his eyes.

Soon, his eyes flew open wide in disbelief as he looked at Hyeon-gang.

“I don’t know either. It’s not because of my acupuncture. It’s something anyone with sufficient skill could perform. And the external wounds were in places easy to treat….”

“Ugh…….”

At that moment, Youngho groaned and opened his eyes.

“Ah, that was a good sleep. It’s been a while since I’ve had such a deep rest.”

“Y-Young Master?!”

Everyone was startled at the sight of Youngho casually sitting up. Soon, the group let out sighs of relief.

“We really thought you had died.”

“I thought you were going to become a vegetable….”

“This is truly a relief.”

At their relieved words, Youngho smirked.

“Do I look like someone who’d die that easily?”

“No.”

“Even ghosts wouldn’t dare take you.”

“…You bastards.”

Youngho lightly cursed and then said,

“I’ll be recovering here for a while, so someone bring me something to eat.”

“Yes.”

“How long is ‘a while’?”

“About half a month? I’ll need at least that long to beat that bitch down.”

“Staying in a place like this for half a month is…….”

“Are you crazy? Of course we’ll find a place to hide. A cave or something.”

Kang Chowon looked at Youngho with concern.

“Can you move, Young Master?”

“No. If I move, my wounds will split open, so just carry me.”

“At least your mouth works fine.”

“If it didn’t, I wouldn’t be able to give orders.”

Youngho chuckled as he looked at them.

“Hurry up and move me. Carefully. Don’t make it hurt.”

Horyeung gently hoisted Youngho onto his back, taking the utmost care not to strain him.

After briefly surveying the surroundings, the group found a secluded place nearby—if not quite a cave, at least somewhere with little human presence suitable for staying out of sight.

Once they settled there, Youngho and his companions stared blankly at one another for a moment.

An unusual silence fell over them. It was something unimaginable for Youngho’s group under normal circumstances.

Knowing the reason, Youngho found it bothersome but had no choice except to speak.

“Did you lose your confidence?”

At Youngho’s words, which pierced straight through their thoughts, everyone except Hyeon-gang reacted.

Seeing their visible agitation, Youngho chuckled.

“It’s not strange. That was a monstrous fight.”

“…You know that well.”

Kang Chowon looked at Youngho with a pout. Youngho pushed away Seonpung, who was licking his face, and said,

“There’s no need to lose confidence. It was simply a fight between true monsters. Especially you, Horyeung.”

“Yes, Young Master.”

“Even though you’ve reached the Transformation Realm, it’s still difficult for you to step into a fight at that level.”

“…That is true.”

It was regrettable, but he had no choice but to admit it. The life-and-death battle between Youngho and Ho Jagae had surpassed the limits of living beings.

Seeing Horyeung’s sorrowful expression, Youngho smiled faintly.

“Horyeung. But do you know something?”

“What do you mean?”

“In this world, there are at least dozens who can fight like Ho Jagae and me.”

Horyeung’s expression hardened like stone as he faced reality.

But Youngho showed no mercy and continued,

“And there are probably hundreds who, like you, have reached the ordinary level of the Transformation Realm.”

After observing Horyeung’s stiff face for a moment, Youngho realized it was time to offer a carrot instead of just the stick.

“A master of the Transformation Realm is impressive. But to defeat those who have stepped into the ranks of the Absolute, mere Transformation isn’t enough.”

“…Is this a continuation of what you told me before—that even within the Transformation Realm, there are divisions?”

“Right. Someone at that level would be around the mid-stage of the Transformation Realm.”

“What?”

Unbelievable. That wasn’t even the late stage of the Transformation Realm, but merely the mid-stage?

“It’s true. And most masters of the Transformation Realm stop at its very threshold. Not even the early stage—just the entrance.”

“…Is that where I am now?”

“Yeah. And those who’ve entered the ranks of the Absolute have at least reached the early-to-mid stage of the Transformation Realm.”

For Kang Hosan and Kang Chowon, this was a story from a distant world. They had not even reached the Transcendent Peak Master level, so what could they possibly say about the Transformation Realm?

Yet they were intrigued. They wanted to know about the Absolutes who ruled the Martial World and the secrets of the Transformation Realm.

“In my opinion… Horyeung, give it about ten years, and you’ll be able to enter the ranks of the Absolute.”

Horyeung’s eyes widened as if he had heard something utterly unexpected.

“Really?”

To become stronger—was that not every Martial Artist’s desire? Especially for Horyeung, who had recently reached the Transformation Realm, that yearning burned fiercely within him.

To him, Youngho’s words were like sweet honey.

“Yes. For you, it’s entirely possible. Of course, that’s assuming you continue training diligently. You have that much talent.”

“Then… perhaps like the Alliance Lord?”

“No, not quite that.”

“Ah… I understand.”

At Horyeung’s dejected appearance, Youngho snickered.

“Hosan, Chowon. The same goes for you two.”

“Yes? For us as well?”

“Yeah.”

Kang Chowon’s talent was especially outstanding, but Youngho deliberately chose not to mention it.

‘If Hosan finds out, he’ll be utterly shocked.’

If he heard it now, he would probably be horrified—to learn that his younger sister had practically married the sword.

Watching that reaction might be amusing, but there were other things to say first.

“You two can have enough confidence. At an age not yet of coming-of-age, you’re rough gems shaped by the unprecedented genius who has already entered the ranks of the Absolute.”

“…That’s a bit unpleasant to hear.”

“So you don’t like it?”

“Please don’t give up on us and keep polishing us.”

“Of course. And as for Hyeon-gang…….”

Youngho frowned briefly before muttering,

“Well, if I put him through the wringer, he’ll grow stronger.”

At those words, Hyeon-gang shuddered.

“Oh, and Hosan. There should be a Gold-Blood Hall Branch Hall nearby. Go there and deliver a gift to Master (Male).”

“A gift?”

At that, Youngho revealed a sinister smile that sent chills down the spine.

Chief Aide Cheongsol headed toward the Training Ground where Cheonung was and let out a series of deep sighs.

The guards of the Unorthodox Alliance who passed by stiffened immediately at the sight.

Cheonung might have been the master of the Unorthodox Alliance, but everyone knew that it was Cheongsol who governed it.

Who would not fear the one who held all power? Moreover, this was not the Orthodox Sect, but the Unorthodox Faction.

If one displeased him even slightly, there was no telling what might happen.

Upon arriving at Cheonung’s Private Training Ground, Cheongsol stared intently at the guards. Under his gaze, a chill ran down their spines.

Just as they were praying to the heavens that he would pass without incident, Cheongsol spoke.

“Aren’t you going to search me? I’m on my way to see the Alliance Lord.”

“Ah!”

Only then did the guards recall their duty and carefully searched Cheongsol’s body as if handling something that might shatter at any moment.

Once finished, they spoke in tense voices.

“Y-You may enter.”

“No matter how much power I hold, I am ultimately the Alliance Lord’s subordinate. If I see such negligence again, I will punish you severely.”

At Cheongsol’s dignified words, the guards swallowed hard and nodded.

“Answer.”

“Yes!”

Only after hearing their resounding reply did Cheongsol nod in satisfaction and open the doors to the Training Ground.

“Alliance Lord.”

“What is it?”

“A letter from the Fifth Young Master.”

“It looks rather heavy for a mere letter.”

“This? It arrived together with the letter. I haven’t opened it, so I don’t know what’s inside.”

Cheongsol set down the box he had been holding with both hands and retrieved a letter from his robes.

“You came all this way just to deliver a letter?”

“Ah, the Fifth Young Master is quite an amusing person. I, too, wish to know its contents.”

“Is that so?”

Cheonung unfolded the letter the moment he received it.

“Hmm?”

“What is it?”

“He’s asking for ten Hao Sect Unit Leaders of unit-leader rank to be sent.”

“…I wonder what happened.”

Cheongsol’s eyes had already turned icy.

“Indeed. If it’s that woman, she must’ve pulled something. That’s what worries me.”

“What else does it say?”

“You could’ve just read it yourself.”

“I cannot casually lay hands on something that belongs to the Alliance Lord.”

“That’s why you’re so damn frustrating.”

Cheonung let out a deep sigh and looked at Cheongsol.

“Open that box. He says it’s a gift.”

“Yes.”

Cheongsol opened the box lightly—only for his heart to nearly stop. It was that shocking and bewildering.

Unable to steady his trembling hands, Cheongsol turned his gaze to Cheonung.

Chill—!

Cheonung was smiling with a terrifying Killing Intent on his face. As that bloodthirsty expression, baring white teeth, turned toward him, Cheongsol felt as though he might suffocate.

“Ha, haha, hahahaha!”

Cheonung burst into manic laughter, as if he found it endlessly amusing.

Laughing like a madman, his shoulders shook uncontrollably.

“Kuh, kuhahaha!”

“…I can roughly guess what happened.”

“That bastard is truly insane.”

As Cheonung reveled in amusement, Cheongsol let out a deep sigh.

“This is no trivial matter.”

“Of course not.”

The gift Youngho had sent was a human head.

White hair like snow and a face lined with wrinkles. At first glance, he looked like an ordinary old man.

His face was so severely damaged that others would not have easily recognized him—but Cheonung and Cheongsol knew exactly who he was.

“To think he would kill the Right Guardian of the Demonic Cult…….”

Cheonung still seemed unable to suppress his laughter.

Reading the competitive spirit gleaming in Cheonung’s eyes, Cheongsol spoke firmly.

“Do not attempt to engage in a sparring match with the Fifth Young Master.”

“Don’t worry. Not right now.”

“…Not right now?”

“Yeah. Not right now.”

“…….”

He was an incurable battle maniac.

Looking at Ho Jagae’s severed head, Cheonung said,

“It seems the Hao Sect played tricks on Youngho.”

“And even joined hands with the Demonic Cult.”

“What do you think Youngho will do? Kill Maeryeong? Or spare her?”

“Given the Fifth Young Master’s temperament, he would likely just kill her…….”

“Right? That would be the cleanest way.”

“However, given his status as the Fifth Young Master, he will probably subdue her and bring her back. He has already grown strong enough to deal with the Right Guardian of the Demonic Cult—subduing the Hao Sect Master would hardly be difficult.”

“I look forward to Youngho’s return.”

“…….”

This would not end well. A duel was inevitable.

Cheongsol looked up at the sky as if cursing the heavens and muttered,

“…Damn it.”