Chapter 86

Chapter 86

Swish! Swish!

Sweat scattered in all directions from Youngho’s body as he continuously swung his sword. He had shed so much that a small puddle had formed around him.

“Huff!”

A scorching breath escaped into the air. Soon after stopping his swings, Youngho glanced to the side and spoke.

“What are you all doing?”

He looked at those sprawled carelessly across the ground.

“I trained half a shijin longer than you. So why are you already flat on your backs?”

“Damn it, I swear I’m going to kill that man!”

Muyeon ground his teeth and forced himself upright. He had trained so brutally that even standing, his legs trembled violently, unable to properly hold his balance.

“Hey! You’ve been putting us through this idiotic training for an entire week already—how is anyone supposed to endure this?!”

Youngho instead asked as if he were genuinely curious.

“Didn’t you take the spirit pills?”

“…….”

For once, even Muyeon had nothing to say.

Recently, Youngho had used his status as Fifth Young Master to distribute small spirit pills to the Asura Squad members, Muyeon, Hyeon-gang, and everyone else.

Those who had consumed them had likely gained at least five years’ worth of Internal Energy.

That was why Muyeon felt even more frustrated and burst out.

“It’s not the body that can’t endure—it’s the mind! The mind!”

At least Muyeon had experienced all sorts of harsh trials before and had somewhat adapted, allowing him to stand and voice complaints. The others did not even have the strength to protest; they merely panted roughly where they lay.

Youngho tilted his head slightly.

“The mind?”

“That’s right!”

“Even after I gave you spirit pills, it’s still not enough?”

“Well, that’s….”

Again, Muyeon had no rebuttal. No matter how minor the effect, a spirit pill was still a spirit pill.

For Youngho, the Fifth Young Master, to forgo consuming such a precious item himself and instead distribute it to others….

If it had been anyone else, everyone here would have secretly called that fool a pushover behind his back.

It was only because they were the recipients of that generosity now that they kept quiet.

However, Horyeung also seemed to agree with Muyeon and nodded.

“Young Master, this time I believe Muyeon is correct. Even if physical fatigue fades, if mental exhaustion remains, it will hinder training.”

Youngho seemed to consider his loyal subordinate’s words for a moment before nodding.

“Indeed. Your mental states are still pathetically weak.”

“Pardon?”

Jongpal spoke in shock, not expecting such harsh words.

“Young Master?”

“Yes. I suppose I’ve been letting you off too easily lately.”

“Uh….”

Just as Jongpal felt something was terribly wrong and tried to speak—

“You’re training while stuffing yourselves with spirit pills like pampered young noble masters of some wealthy clan, yet instead of being grateful, you dare to complain….”

This was bad. He didn’t know what exactly, but something had gone wrong.

Youngho’s Gaze gleamed with a Ghostly Aura as he spoke.

“You all need to learn a bit about the terror of this world.”

Kwaaaaaaah!

In that instant, a terrifying Killing Intent erupted from his entire body, crushing the air.

It was so dense that even drawing a single breath became difficult.

Yet the greater issue was that Youngho was not even using a quarter of his full power.

He had shaped the Killing Intent solely to a level they could endure. The extremely restrained aura did not extend even slightly toward the kitchen area, so there was no need to worry about Sopyung.

Then, using Object Grasping Through the Void, he lifted a real blade into the air and caught it in his hand. With killing intent in his eyes, he looked at them all.

“I won’t pour Internal Energy into the blade. But today, you will learn what death feels like.”

“W-Wait, Young Master!”

Before Jongpal could finish, Youngho’s body transformed into a streak of light and charged at them.

‘Complaints are unacceptable.’

With swordsmanship dazzling as if it were a Divine Technique, Youngho began carving tiny cuts across the throats of the Asura Squad members.

Only enough for a single drop of blood to bead out.

After slashing their necks lightly, Youngho spoke coldly.

“You’ve grown far too comfortable. Martial Artists with minds this weak—what a disgrace.”

He clicked his tongue.

“From now on, if you fail to block even one of my attacks, consider yourselves truly dead.”

Under normal circumstances, they would have laughed it off. Youngho often spoke like that while secretly taking care of them.

But none of the Asura Squad members who had felt his blade against their throats could dismiss his words as a joke.

For the first time, they genuinely believed they might die.

Just then, Youngho spoke again.

“Here I come.”

Once more, his body became a streak of light. But this time, the Asura Squad’s reactions were different.

They somehow managed to fend off his attacks, continuing a desperate, bloody struggle against him.

Watching them block his sword with all their might, Youngho thought,

‘They’re getting too bold.’

He had granted them everything they asked for, yet complaints kept surfacing—words that should never have been uttered even if he had given them nothing.

Growing too close to him, the Asura Squad had crossed a line, and Youngho was delivering punishment for it.

It was then, amid the storm of blades—

Knock. Knock.

Though buried beneath the others’ screams, Youngho heard someone knocking on the door.

He halted his attack and looked toward it.

“You may enter.”

As if responding to his words, the door opened immediately. Everyone present stared in astonishment.

Even Youngho looked slightly surprised as he spoke.

“Why is Senior Brother here?”

It hardly sounded like something one would say to a First Senior Brother visiting his home for the first time.

Youngho himself seemed amused by his own words and let out a short chuckle.

“Have a seat.”

He gestured to a chair. Jeonghyeon nodded and sat down.

Youngho took the seat opposite him and asked,

“What brings you here?”

Jeonghyeon briefly scanned the house with lifeless eyes before speaking.

“Is it under construction?”

“Something like that. As you can see, the household’s grown larger. I’m expanding the house a bit.”

Jeonghyeon nodded at that and said gently,

“I know some good workers. I’ll introduce them to you.”

“Is it a professional place?”

“If it weren’t, I wouldn’t have brought it up.”

Youngho looked at Jeonghyeon with a briefly intrigued gaze, then let out a faint chuckle.

“What’s so amusing?”

At Jeonghyeon’s puzzled voice, Youngho answered lightly.

“I just never imagined that I, the Fifth Young Master, would be sitting here having a conversation with First Senior Brother.”

More precisely, he said that because he knew what had happened before the Regression.

Before the Regression, Youngho had never once exchanged words with Jeonghyeon. Not even a single time.

The reason Youngho had been able to become the Lord of the Unorthodox Alliance was because Jeonghyeon had died before ever speaking with him.

‘If I remember correctly, he was killed by the old monsters of the Demonic Cult….’

At the time, Youngho had been hurriedly placed in the position of Lord of the Unorthodox Alliance and had been preoccupied with the surrounding checks and pressures, so he had never had the opportunity to investigate the matter in detail.

‘This really might be the first actual conversation we’ve had.’

Last time, they had merely exchanged greetings and parted ways.

Soon, the perceptive Horyeung brought over tea and handed a cup to each of them. No words had been spoken, nor any signal given.

He had simply realized that Jeonghyeon was a guest and acted accordingly.

Jeonghyeon quietly watched Horyeung’s retreating figure after he silently served the tea and withdrew.

Youngho smiled soundlessly.

“You can see his realm, can’t you?”

“It’s clear enough. If we fought ten times, I would likely lose five.”

“You could’ve just said the odds are fifty-fifty instead of making it sound impressive.”

Even at Youngho’s jab, Jeonghyeon showed no reaction, and Youngho’s brow twitched slightly.

‘Well now?’

He had no idea what the man was thinking. He had even less idea why he had come.

As if unaware—or perhaps fully aware—of Youngho’s thoughts, Jeonghyeon continued observing Horyeung.

Noticing that focus, Youngho gave a faint smirk.

“He’s past sixty.”

Jeonghyeon nodded.

“I see.”

Youngho had preemptively answered what Jeonghyeon had been curious about. He likely had not expected a master in the Transformation Realm to be in a place like this and had wondered about his age.

Once one reached the Transformation Realm, one naturally underwent Bone-Marrow Reforging, making it impossible to estimate their true age.

“He’s not more talented than you, First Senior Brother.”

A brief silence fell between them. Despite being tea served from within what could be considered Enemy Territory, Jeonghyeon drank it without hesitation.

Watching him drink the tea without the slightest suspicion—though it might have been laced with poison like Hanryeong once did—Youngho’s eyebrow twitched.

Youngho asked,

“Why did you come, First Senior Brother?”

“Is it so strange for a Senior Brother to visit his Junior Brother?”

“Not exactly, but….”

Youngho glanced at his sword.

“There doesn’t seem to be much reason for you to come see me.”

“That’s true.”

Jeonghyeon briefly savored the tea’s deep fragrance. Then he set the cup down and quietly met Youngho’s eyes.

Youngho, unable to discern his intent, returned the gaze.

“……I wanted to know what kind of man you are.”

Taken aback, Youngho’s eyes widened slightly.

“That’s what you wanted to know?”

“Yes. Whether you are fit to lead the Unorthodox Alliance—and whether you possess the qualifications to stand above it.”

In that instant, Youngho’s eyes sank deeply.

Those eyes, holding an unfathomable abyss, stirred indescribable emotions in whoever beheld them.

But because it was Jeonghyeon, he did not retreat even a fraction.

Gulp.

That did not mean he felt no tension.

“So in your eyes, what am I?”

“Deep.”

“…….”

“Too deep. So deep that I cannot see anything within. And yet it is not dark either, which makes it impossible to describe.”

It was Jeonghyeon’s honest impression. To him, Youngho was incomprehensible itself.

“Fine. Let’s set aside that you can’t explain it in words. What’s your standard?”

“Standard?”

“Yes, your standard. If the Orthodox Sect and the Unorthodox Faction were to go to war right now, what would you do?”

“If it were certain to happen, I would prepare for it.”

“The war hasn’t started yet.”

“Then there would still be time to prepare. If war had already broken out, I would have answered that I would participate.”

Youngho stared at the now-cooled tea.

“Did you know that I prevented the Orthodox–Unorthodox War from happening?”

“I did not. The information about you is extremely limited.”

“That would make sense. Master kept me hidden.”

“What are you trying to say?”

It made no sense. If war were to break out, preparing for it was only natural.

Was he suggesting he would join hands with the Orthodox Sect?

“Now I understand why you died even while sitting in the seat of Lord of the Unorthodox Alliance.”

“What?”

Died while sitting in the seat of Lord of the Unorthodox Alliance? Me?

Jeonghyeon could not conceal his bewilderment at Youngho’s incomprehensible words.

He had not died. He was not even the Lord of the Unorthodox Alliance to begin with. And yet Youngho spoke as if he had been—and had died in that position.

Youngho slowly rose from his seat.

“You are an excellent Martial Artist. And you are also an excellent man. But—”

His Gaze turned chilling enough to freeze the soul.

“You are not an excellent ruler.”