Chapter 112: The Sword’s Memory

It had been a month and several days since Jang Woo-hyun and Jin Ha-un stayed at Cho-su’s house. At last, everything was over.

“Ha-un, this is your weapon.”

On the table lay a sword larger than the average blade.

It was longer than the sword Jin Ha-un previously used, with a broader blade and a thicker edge.

It was clear at a glance that it was a well-crafted sword, but nothing about it seemed particularly special.

“Its name is Cheonghong Ssangik (靑紅雙翼).”

“Cheonghong Ssangik?”

Jin Ha-un tilted his head at the completely mismatched name.

“Try picking it up first.”

Following Cho-yul’s words, he picked up the sword. It was heavier than it looked. It was a completely different weapon from what he had used before.

“Infuse your energy into the sword. The sword art you're good at—the one with two types of energy, its name was…”

“Cheongun Jeokhagum.”

“Right, try using that fluctuating energy.”

“Yes.”

“Think as if you're splitting the sword. As if it was two from the beginning.”

“Huh? What do you mean by that…”

“Focus. Focus! Jin Ha-un, concentrate.”

At Cho-su’s urging from the side, Jin Ha-un stopped talking and focused.

‘As if the sword isn’t one but two. Just like unleashing Cheongun Jeokhagum all at once…’

“Huh? Huh?!”

The energy infused into the sword suddenly split into two.

At the same moment that Jin Ha-un was startled—

Chaang!

The single sword separated into two.

“Wow!”

In his right hand was a sword nearly identical to the one he had used since the Central Plains, and in his left hand was a thinner, longer blade.

“Cheonglingin (靑靈刃) of the Cheonghong Ssangik. Based on Black Darkness Iron, mixed with Ice Dew Stone and Frost Origin Iron. It won’t be much different from the sword you used before. It inherently possesses Yin Cold Qi, so with proficiency, it might even be able to generate ice.”

The sword in his right hand emitted a subtle chill and shone with a blue hue.

“Hongyeomin (紅念刃) of the Cheonghong Ssangik. Also based on Black Darkness Iron, but made with Heat Fire Stone and Yi Jeuk’s core. Unlike Cheonglingin, this one is for Swift Sword techniques. Thanks to Yi Jeuk’s core and the Heat Fire Stone, it carries Heat Yang Energy. If used well, it can release flames as fierce as Flame Techniques.”

The thin sword in his left hand emitted a soft red glow and radiated heat.

“Wow…”

In awe, Jin Ha-un brought his hands together. Then he imagined the moment when the two swords would become one again.

Chakak!

With a sound of merging, the two swords instantly became one indistinct blade again.

“This… this is possible?”

A weapon he couldn’t have even dreamed of in the Central Plains.

A sword worthy of being called a Divine Weapon. Jin Ha-un, impressed, repeatedly separated and merged the sword.

“Thank you! Lord Cho-yul, Lord Cho-su! And brother!”

Jin Ha-un bowed several times in gratitude, and the other three watched with satisfaction. As a warrior and a craftsman, all three understood that feeling well. To a swordsman, a good sword was like a lifelong companion.

“Enough about Ha-un. Now it's your turn. From what I observed, I couldn’t find any peculiar traits.”

“Could the monkey have been mistaken?”

“You talk like he’s some buddy of yours. Windstorm Great Saint isn’t just some monkey monster living next door. He’s likely right. He’s a monster who’s reached a level where he can see what we cannot. Not just in the Central Heavens Martial Realm, but across other Middle Realms too, there aren’t many who can compare to Windstorm Great Saint. Someone like that wouldn’t speak nonsense.”

“Forget all that talk about destiny and fate, it might’ve just ended up in your hands by coincidence. The meeting might’ve been accidental, but the choice could’ve been inevitable. You didn’t seek it out. If it really bothers you, you can just leave it here.”

After a moment of thought, Jang Woo-hyun spoke.

“Whether it’s fate or not, it’s a good sword on its own, so I’ll use it.”

“Is that so? Then let’s stop talking about the black sword and talk about this one.”

Cho-yul pointed to Yongwangrin.

“This one has evolved one more step.”

“We’ve got nothing left. It devours everything we give it.”

Whenever they processed materials and handed them over, Yongwangrin would astonishingly absorb them as if they were meant to be one.

In fact, the materials consumed by Yongwangrin were more than what had gone into making Jin Ha-un’s weapon.

Jang Woo-hyun picked up Yongwangrin and swung it a few times.

Just as he was about to say there was nothing special, Yongwangrin—quiet until now—conveyed its intent.

“Huh?”

“What is it?”

“…I’m not sure, but it feels like it's saying something.”

Jang Woo-hyun focused his mind while holding Yongwangrin, then picked up the black sword.

In that moment—

Charrrrk.

Yongwangrin separated on its own and flew around Jang Woo-hyun’s body, wrapping around him like armor.

“What in the world…”

Before he could even finish his thought, the blade-like scales of Yongwangrin extended to cover even Jang Woo-hyun’s face.

Jang Woo-hyun was flustered; he had never had his face covered like this before. He raised his hand to remove the blade-like scale clinging to his face.

Uuuuuung!

The black sword in his hand suddenly let out a cry, and the world Jang Woo-hyun saw changed in an instant.

All negative emotions surged in.

Sorrow, anger, resentment, blame, anxiety, fear, terror…

Jang Woo-hyun’s expression twisted under the deluge of overwhelming negative thoughts.

‘What is this…?’

In this incomprehensible situation, he tried to draw upon his Qi, but he couldn’t take any action. All he could do was watch the scene unfolding before his eyes.

After the tide of emotion passed, what remained was death.

Countless people were dying. Trembling in fear, overwhelmed with anxiety, some resigned to their fate—they all died.

It wasn’t deaths in the hundreds or thousands. It was death in the millions, tens of millions, even billions. The exact causes weren’t shown. They all just died, in fear, in resentment, in resignation.

The scene changed again, now filled with resentment, blame, and a thirst for vengeance.

A determination to kill someone, a fervent desire for revenge, kept surging forth.

Such emotions kept gathering.

Within a whirlwind of rage, someone burned their life away.

They didn’t die unfairly. They weren’t anxious or afraid.

It was death with a purpose.

Following that death came an ominous black line.

Those lines gathered. One, two… hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands of black lines.

Before long, the black lines had become a single sword.

‘The black sword.’

Though the shape was different, Jang Woo-hyun could tell that the sword in the vision wasn’t much different from the one in his hand.

‘A memory of the sword?’

At that thought, his body briefly shuddered.

‘Yongwangrin.’

It was the will of Yongwangrin, which was wrapped around his body. Whatever was happening, it was the grown Yongwangrin that was showing him the memory of the black sword.

The incomprehensible scenes continued.

The scene changed again, and now the black sword was in someone’s hand.

With each swing of the sword, everything was destroyed.

Mountains and fields, the sky and the sea. The world itself crumbled.

Even beings from beyond the world, in all colors and shapes, were sliced and killed each time the black sword passed.

Then, at some point, the black sword shattered, and its fragments scattered far and wide.

Most of the pieces vanished, but a few tiny fragments drifted with the wind, rode the waves, and went elsewhere.

One of those pieces ended up in someone’s hand.

From that person, another rage was felt. That rage nurtured the fragment once again.

The small piece became a sword again, and the person who picked it up charged at someone.

A being made of blue smoke.

A small smile hung on what seemed to be its face, and the person charging in burst apart.

And that was the end of the story.

A spacious underground cavern.

Seven figures occupied ten massive stone chairs.

Only one person was present in the flesh, while the remaining six were translucent projections. All seven wore white masks with openings at the mouth.

【So, you're saying that the other sects are coming over to our side?】

The one wearing a white mask and clothes marked with a large turtle spoke.

【That is the conclusion. All the assembled sects agreed.】

The reply came from the man wearing deer-embroidered robes—Nokgak Baekmyeon of Radiant Light Sect, whom Jang Woo-hyun had met at Samcheong Tai Chi Sect.

【Heh, I can’t tell what they’re thinking. And yet we’re letting them into the sect.】

【We sent you to negotiate, and yet you’ve only complicated things, Nokgak Baekmyeon.】

The next two to speak wore garments adorned with rocks and clouds.

Their tone made it clear they were displeased with how Nokgak Baekmyeon had handled the situation. A few more veiled criticisms followed.

“Enough.”

The man seated in the only actual body raised his hand to halt their words. His robe bore the image of a large full moon.

“We delegated full authority. We can’t reverse a decision we made, even at the cost of drawing suspicion from the other sects. Nokgak Baekmyeon will handle this matter to the end.”

【Yes, I will do so.】

【Then, has a conclusion finally been reached?】

The woman who had remained silent until now, wearing robes marked with a massive bird, finally spoke.

【I have another question.】

【Another?】

【Celestial Scale Sword Hero. About that.】

At the mention of that name, all eyes turned.

Even Nokgak Baekmyeon, who had been shrinking away, suddenly looked excited at the name Celestial Scale Sword Hero.

【You mean Celestial Scale Sword Hero, Master Jang? What do you want to know?】

【I heard he fought alongside Windstorm Great Saint while bearing a brand. Is that true? Was there really a brand?】

【Of course. I confirmed it myself. It wasn’t just an ordinary brand.】

【What do you mean it wasn’t an ordinary brand?】

【There was a brand layered on top of another brand.】

【What?】

【In other words, a brand had already been placed, and then another brand was placed over it. Overlapping, you see.】

【What meaning could that possibly have…】

【Is that true?】

Another person interjected this time.

A small frame that didn’t even fill half of the massive stone chair. Even with a mask, it was easy to tell he was an old man. His robe was adorned with a pine tree.

【Yes, Baekmok-nim. It’s true. I don’t know why they went that far, but it looked like he was truly approved.】

【I can't understand it. That someone branded from the Lower Realm would be acknowledged to such an extent.】

【From what I saw, it wasn’t simply overlapping the brands. If something had gone wrong, Windstorm Great Saint would have…】

Nokgak Baekmyeon, thrilled for some reason, continued to speak enthusiastically, while the woman and the pine tree old man occasionally asked questions.

The ones marked with rock, cloud, and turtle listened for a while, then asked the moon if they could leave. When the moon gave permission, the forms of the three collapsed and vanished from their stone seats.

The pine tree old man, the crane-adorned woman, and Nokgak Baekmyeon continued talking for a while longer, then bid farewell to the moon and left.

Once everyone had departed, only the man who had attended in person, not as a projection, remained.

Dressed in a robe marked with a full moon, he was Hyeonwol, one of the Ten Jang of Radiant Light Sect, and second in skill only to the Sun (日).

Hyeonwol quietly sat and tapped the stone chair.

“Jang Woo-hyun.”

A familiar name.

Back in the Lower Realm, when he had absorbed power—he had also absorbed the other’s memories and come to know the name.

Based on what he had seen in those memories, he thought the man wouldn’t be ordinary. And now, that name had surfaced, almost too coincidentally.

“He might be the one he’s looking for.”

Hyeonwol stood from his seat and removed his mask.

A handsome man with long hair tied back. He was the very man whom Woo Jeong-hak of the Demonic Cult had encountered.

The one who descended into the Lower Realm with the silver hand and stole the power gathered by Woo Jeong-hak through human sacrifice. The man who absorbed power using blue smoke—he was Hyeonwol, the second in command of Radiant Light Sect.

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