Chapter 308: Murim and Player (1)

Chapter 308: Murim and Player (1)

The number one disciple, 'Typhoon Sword' Soo-young Myung.

Soo-young Myung, whose signature was his furiously swift swordsmanship, was a treasured gem of the Murim community, holding the expectations of the entire Mudang sect.

The very reason why Soo-young Hyeon brought Soo-young Myung all the way here from Mount Mudang was to boast just how formidable the upcoming talents of the Mudang were.

'Indeed...'

Through grueling training and discipline,

Never once had he wasted a day, in the pursuit of greatness worthy of the sect's number one disciple.

Always, for the pride of Mudang, he had pushed himself relentlessly.

But now,

Why was it,

That all his efforts and hardships threatened to waver today?

The sweet aroma tickled his nose.

Gulp...

Down Soo-young Myung's throat went a dry swallow.

Having scoffed at countless delicacies before, the food before his eyes now was something he simply couldn't resist.

Unless the sorcery of the evil sects was involved, it made no sense at all.

"Do you want some? If you really want, I could share a bit. As much as you like."

Jin-hyuk dangled a sizable piece of meat with his chopsticks in front of Soo-young Myung.

The way the meat seemed to beckon tantalizingly, as if inviting him to take a bite.

"Eat it. Hmm? If you have this with a shot of liquor, all that fatigue will vanish in a moment, no?"

The morsel of meat moved close enough to graze his lips.

Already the other disciples' pupils were tracking left and right, following the slice of meat as if they were under a spell, reacting on instinct.

"Kuh!"

Soo-young Myung's neck bulged with a vein.

"How dare you mock a practitioner of Mudang? Your neck will pay for this humiliation!"

Kukukuku!

A menacing aura swept through the room.

The table shook violently, and dust from the ceiling and pillars fluttered in the air.

"What's with the rage? I'm offering you food out of kindness, and yet you're getting all worked up?"

"Meat is a taboo amongst the highest taboos for Mudang devotees. How dare someone like you pull off such a stunt?"

"Hmm... I have no idea?"

"What?"

"How would I know the rules of the Mudang sect?"

Jin-hyuk shrugged innocently.

"That is..."

At that, Soo-young Myung was at a loss for words.

It struck him that someone from outside the tower would not know of Murim's rules.

Though hesitant, if he truly came with good intentions, then it was they who were the rude ones.

Just then,

"That guy knows everything. He's well-versed not only in Mudang's, but all the sects' rules and regulations."

Cheon Yu-sung chimed in.

"Hey! Why would you say that!"

"Seeing you make those lamb's eyes was so nauseating, I couldn't stomach my food. That's why I intervened."

Cheon Yu-sung bit into another dish, looking finally appeased.

Meanwhile,

"How insolent..."

Soo-young Myung's face flushed a deep red.

Trembling with shame and rage, his hands quivered.

"Clear out the inn!"

"The boss?"

"If you interfere, you might not emerge unscathed either. Take the customers away as well. I'll compensate for any food or damaged goods later."

"But if the elder hears about it..."

"What did I just say, Yoon-ho?"

"Understood."

The disciples wanted to intervene, but the fierce momentum from Soo-young Myung stopped them. They had never seen the boss this angry before.

***

The inn was now empty.

Jin-hyuk faced Soo-young Myung head-on.

"You dare to make a mockery of Mudang... You must be prepared, then?"

"You started the quarrel first. I repay kindness as it is, and grudges a hundredfold."

"You'll end up losing your life over those paltry principles."

Swoosh!

Soo-young Myung drew his sword.

The blade shone with a blinding brilliance.

'Now it's just the two of us.'

It was more than just his pride that made him unsheathe the sword after being humiliated over some food.

The higher-ups of Mudang, Hwasan, and the Five Great Clans had secretly ordered an assassination on Jin-hyuk, as vengeance for their deceased disciples.

'With the Elder's consent, any trouble that arises will only merit a formal reprimand at most.'

If he could kill him... he would no doubt receive tremendous recognition for his deed.

With that resolution, Soo-young Myung gave a sinister smile, ill-fitting of his pure appearance.

"Let's see... how many moves you can withstand from my sword."

The tip of the sword oscillated subtly.

Mudang's pride, the Taeguk Sword (太極劍).

It was known that the sword possessed the spirit of the swordsmanship wherever it pointed.

But...

'How cute.'

From Jin-hyuk's perspective, all of it seemed laughably futile.

Even Soo-young Hyeon, his master, would stand no chance against him.

To think an inferior number one disciple would be an issue.

"You'll regret this..."

"Regret? I'll give you three moves out of charity. Come at me."

Soo-young Myung spouted such seemingly foolish words.

Jin-hyuk wanted to utterly crush that overconfidence.

"Well... then,"

Suddenly, Jin-hyuk vanished from sight.

He executed the 'Sword Demon Heavenly Command Steps', and before the dust could even hit the ground, he had made his way behind Soo-young Myung.

"Huh?!"

Soo-young Myung exhaled in shock.

The speed was well beyond his expectations, and he was caught off guard.

When he finally realized the gap between them, it was all too late.

Boom!

A fist struck his spine.

"Agh!"

He bent over in a distorted shape, but the fact that he managed to mobilize his defensive energy at the last moment showed that his title as a number one disciple was not entirely unmerited.

"Wow! You block quite well for a newbie. I never expected you to react to that."

Jin-hyuk uttered a word of admiration.

"You damned..."

Buzz!

Soo-young Myung swung his sword, but Jin-hyuk dodged the attack by a paper-thin margin.

"Didn't you say you'd concede three moves? Ah, if you've forgotten how to count... after one comes two, then three."

"I know how to count!"

"Hmm. If you only know but can't apply it, that's even more serious."

"Arrggh!"

Grinding his teeth as if to shatter them, Soo-young Myung gathered his energy.

Fizzle!

A blue aura enveloped the sword completely.

[Soo-young Myung activates 'Taeguk Thirteen Sword Technique, Third Form!']

As the sword seemed to split into several, soon after, it encompassed the entire inn.

The Taeguk Sword was the Mudang sect's pride.

Now amplified with a five-star qi infusion, the Third Form unfolded.

"With this, I'll chop you to pieces!"

Crash, crash, crash!

Tables splintered into dozens of pieces, and the pillars suffered massive gashes.

Anyone caught in it would be left without even bones to pick up.

But...

There was something Soo-young Myung didn't know.

Not even Mudang's Sect Leader...

["Inherent Ability..."]

...could penetrate the domain of the Sword Demon.

['Sword Tomb' activates.]

An indescribable, sinister aura.

Dark flames formed along the ribs of the blade.

Even with the same sword qi, the quality was incomparable.

The understanding of the initial techniques was also a world apart.

The atmosphere shifted dramatically.

"It's fortunate for me that you sent all the others away."

The crushing pressure was hard to believe it came from the same person who'd been smiling so smugly a moment ago.

"I don't have to worry about involving others."

"This... this can't be..."

Soo-young Myung let out a low gasp.

This aura...

'Could it be more powerful than Master?'

There was no time for surprise before the sword attack launched.

From left to right.

A heavy qi-laden sword seemed poised to cut the sky in two.

Bang!

With a single stroke, all the sword qi channeled by Soo-young Myung dissipated.

The regenerative speed of Qi was not keeping up with the amount spent just to parry.

Furthermore...

His opponent was anticipating every move of the Taeguk Sword technique he unleashed.

Where the next strike would go, where the successive technique would lead—everything.

Completely... a monster.

Like a monkey on Mount Huaguo under the Buddha's palm, Soo-young Myung felt an insurmountable wall.

Boom!

Clash, clash, clash!

Successive ruthless strikes peeled off layers of skin.

With each exchange, the disparity grew even more tumultuous.

"Haa... Haa... Haa..."

Panting,

Soo-young Myung staggered backward.

Desperation was the only option.

Not a single move he had confidence in had gone unparsed.

"Using the Third Form, I had some expectations, but this is too disappointing. The Taeguk Sword isn't meant to be wielded like that. You've missed the mark entirely."

"Kuh! Stop mocking and just kill me!"

"I can't do that. You're a valuable chess piece that can be put to use. As long as you comply, I may let you live."

"Ridiculous! Even in death, I wouldn't heed your words."

"Hmm. Is that so?"

Jin-hyuk gave a faint smile.

Suddenly...

The speed of the attack accelerated even more.

This time, the onslaught was too rapid for perception.

Clash, clash, clash, clash!

The energy dissipated.

The blade disappeared as well.

This time...

He couldn't avoid it.

Sensing his impending doom, Soo-young Myung closed his eyes in resignation.

But then.

The object that struck him wasn't the blade.

A sweet taste spread across his lips.

"...?"

Softly.

Almost involuntarily, Soo-young Myung moved his tongue.

Despite the terror of death, the savory flavor that tantalized his taste buds was extraordinary.

Chew.

A big chunk of meat passed through his teeth and slid down his throat.

In the world.

'It's unimaginable something this delicious could exist.'

The seasoning, deeply infused, coupled with the tender, moist meat made his past years of subsisting on beans and grass feel like utter folly.

Chew, chew.

Munch, munch.

Soo-young Myung devoured the meat with gusto.

Another piece disappeared immediately after.

Delicious.

The feeling of satisfaction welled up from within, incomparable to any other emotion.

It was only after the seventh piece that he realized what was happening.

"Wow, you eat quite well. Exceptionally so."

Hearing Jin-hyuk's voice brought Soo-young Myung back to his senses.

"Whoa?"

"Weren't you the one who said meat was a big no-no for a Mudang practitioner?"

"Who, who said that? I've never eaten meat."

"Wipe the grease from your mouth before you speak."

"Kuh!"

Soo-young Myung quickly wiped his mouth with his sleeve.

"Anyways, there's no witness. Sending everyone away was fortunate for me."

The choices were clear—either the prestigious disciple of Mudang lost a duel, or he violated a taboo by greedily devouring meat.

"I'm sorry, but players have this thing called 'broadcast system'. Even without witnesses, whatever happened here can be recorded and saved."

"What, what did you say?"

Soo-young Myung's pupils trembled with shock.

"I knew the outsiders from the tower practiced strange sorcery and incantations, but... could it be that you could do such a thing too?"

No. That's not possible.

The broadcast system couldn't be activated just anywhere.

It's only supposed to work in dungeons or ruins that contain bosses.

However, Soo-young Myung didn't know this.

"What exactly do you want from me?"

He didn't need to be so frightened.

It was a simple proposal that Jin-hyuk intended to make.

"Just so happens, I'm recruiting for a temple."

A number one disciple of the Mudang faction. Joining the global sales team of a high-level corporation...

That would make quite the title.