Chapter v12c9: The Demons of a Century Past

**The Demons of a Century Past**

– The Emergence of the Twin Demons

As Binggeom’s sword clashed with Dongfang Xue’s, and Yeomdo’s saber met Gong Pai’s, sparks flew and the earth trembled, the air screaming as if it would be torn apart.

The situation was so urgent that Yeomdo and Binggeom didn’t even have time to figure out what was happening. Their top priority was to block the attacks of these two old men, swords and sabers clashing relentlessly.

‘Strong!’

Yeomdo realized this from the first clash. This was perhaps the strongest opponent he had ever faced since entering the martial world. (Of course, Bi Ryu-yeon, whose strength was still unfathomable, was excluded from the comparison.)

The immense pressure on his hand, gripping Hong Yeom, as if it would be crushed, spoke volumes about his opponent’s strength. However, even as he faced this storm of saber energy head-on, Yeomdo felt a strange sensation.

‘Huh? This is a bit odd…’

Despite recognizing his opponent’s strength, he felt no struggle in meeting his attacks head-on. This was an opponent who should have been difficult to face, yet it was surprisingly easy. He was startled to realize that his skills had improved without him even noticing.

‘When did I get this strong?’

His saber movements flowed effortlessly from his fingertips. There was no strain in releasing and controlling his internal energy. It was as natural as water flowing down a river.

‘This is unbelievable!’

All he had done was become Bi Ryu-yeon’s disciple and endure his relentless training, yet when had he become this strong? For the past few years, Yeomdo had felt his martial arts stagnating rather than improving. He had worried about it, even going on a rampage, picking fights in search of a solution, hoping to find a breakthrough. But there had been no significant progress. He had tasted despair. It was a sour, bitter taste, one he never wanted to experience again.

Yet, the problem that had plagued him had been solved at some point, unbelievably, without him even realizing it. It was as if a tangled knot had unraveled in a passing breeze. He couldn’t believe it, even though he was experiencing it firsthand.

“When I was obsessed with strength, I couldn’t get stronger, but when I let go of that obsession, I became stronger…”

It was truly a paradox.

He hadn’t felt it much when fighting weaker opponents, but now, facing a true master, he could clearly sense the difference.

Fortunately, it seemed Na Yerin had escaped danger thanks to Yeomdo and was catching her breath.

“Where’s Hyo-ryong?”

Bi Ryu-yeon, who had jumped down from the cliff in an instant, asked urgently.

“…”

However, Yi Jin-seol, holding Hyo-ryong in her arms, only stared at him blankly, speechless. The guilt and heartbreak she felt, knowing that the man she had feelings for was in this terrible state because of her, were so overwhelming that she couldn’t utter a word.

Frustrated by her silence, Bi Ryu-yeon checked Hyo-ryong’s carotid artery with two fingers.

“Phew…”

His pulse was faint, but thankfully, it was there. He could feel a weak breath escaping his nostrils. The bleeding from his forehead had also stopped. It seemed the wound wasn’t deep. Bi Ryu-yeon finally let out a sigh of relief and looked around.

The fight between Yeomdo and Gong Pai was still raging. The ground was deeply gouged, and pebbles and dirt flew through the air. The clash of sabers echoed loudly throughout the gorge. And a short distance away, Na Yerin was watching them with deep eyes.

“He’s still as reckless as ever. He hasn’t learned to control his temper… Or maybe he never will?”

“Who are you talking about?”

Na Yerin asked, turning to Bi Ryu-yeon, who had approached her unnoticed. She was now observing the four-way battle from a distance. Besides her, many others were gathering to witness the confrontation between the legendary masters of a century past and the renowned masters of the present. Everyone watched with bated breath. A battle of a higher level, a level they aspired to reach, was unfolding before their eyes. Such a high-level duel was not something one could see every day. Perhaps that’s why everyone’s eyes were filled with tension.

“Well, who do you think?”

Bi Ryu-yeon smiled faintly, standing beside her.

“Yerin, are you hurt?”

“No, I’m fine.”

Relieved by her answer, Bi Ryu-yeon said,

“That’s good. At least they have a chance of surviving this.”

It meant that even a scratch would have sealed their fate, but Na Yerin couldn’t understand his words for a moment.

“This swordsmanship, this sword energy! I’ve seen it somewhere before…”

Dongfang Xue’s face contorted slightly. He stared intently at his sword, which had just clashed with Binggeom’s, and his hand, which was trembling from the impact. The old man looked like a scholar lost in a maze, facing an unsolvable puzzle.

It was strange. The young man with the twin swords earlier, and now this… Why were there so many traces of familiar martial arts here today? And what bothered him even more was that both were terrifying techniques that had once brought him bitter defeat and indelible fear.

The traces of the twin swords were faint, like the saltiness of the sea breeze mixed with the inland air, but this one was distinct, like standing on the deck of a ship in the middle of the blue ocean.

Despite the clear traces, he hadn’t recognized it during the clash because Binggeom’s technique had evolved over time, refined and adapted to his own style. And above all, the fact that it was an incomplete technique further confused the old man.

Dongfang Xue wasn’t the only one who felt this way. It seemed his longtime companion, Gong Pai, felt the same.

“Who the hell are you?”

The two old men shouted simultaneously. They looked at each other.

“What is your connection to… the Taiji Divine Lord?”

Dongfang Xue asked in a chilling voice, as if emanating from an icy abyss.

“H-How did you…?”

Yeomdo, startled, asked with wide eyes.

“Yeomdo!”

Binggeom shouted. But it was too late. Yeomdo realized with a jolt that he had made a grave mistake. He had foolishly fallen for the enemy’s leading question.

“Hehehe, so it’s true. It’s true!”

Gong Pai chuckled, his cheeks shaking slightly. It wasn’t a pleasant sight. Dongfang Xue’s eyes gleamed even colder and deeper.

“Who are you?”

Binggeom asked. He couldn’t afford to be careless, so his voice was laced with caution.

“If you’re connected to the Taiji Divine Lord, you’re worthy of knowing our names. I am Dongfang Xue.”

“Hehehe, I am Gong Pai!”

Two old men, one fat and one thin, wielding a sword and a saber. There could be dozens of people who fit that description. But if their names were Dongfang Xue and Gong Pai, it was a different story altogether.

“C-Could it be that you are…?”

Binggeom, who was always calm and composed except when facing Yeomdo, was unusually agitated.

“Who are they, Ice Block? Do you know those old geezers?”

Yeomdo pressed from the side.

“Redhead! You’re too reckless for someone with such meager skills, relying on your bloodlust!”

The old man who had introduced himself as Gong Pai shouted angrily.

Snap!

Yeomdo’s temple twitched. He was about to charge forward, unable to control his anger, when Binggeom’s hand stopped him.

“Don’t be rash. They’re not opponents you can easily defeat with brute force!”

Binggeom’s eyes were filled with unparalleled seriousness, and his sharp gaze, like a sword, trembled with caution. Yeomdo had never seen this cold, emotionless ice statue so tense and wary, and he felt a chill run down his spine, as if he had been doused with ice water in the middle of winter.

Who were these people that could make this heartless ice block so agitated? The anger that had been boiling over instantly cooled down.

A faint, but cold smile formed on Dongfang Xue’s lips.

“Indeed! You seem to know who we are. It’s heartwarming to see that the fear we sowed hasn’t withered away but has sprouted anew. I am Dongfang Xue, the Lightning Flash Demon Sword. And this friend of mine is my only acquaintance, Gong Pai, the Lingering Thunder Demon Saber. A hundred years ago, people called us the Flying Thunder Twin Demons!”

At that moment, Bi Ryu-yeon’s sharp gaze shot towards them.

‘Fly-ing Thun-der?’

Their introduction as the Flying Thunder Twin Demons sent Bi Ryu-yeon’s mind back five years, to that time and place. Fragments of time, rewinding in his eyes, hidden behind his hair, filled his vision.