Chapter v14c5

**- Enlightenment**

His eyes opened.

His vision cleared, as if the veil that had been obscuring his sight had been lifted. And it expanded, like the vision of a Roc soaring through the sky. It was difficult to describe in words.

There was a limit to what language could convey, especially when it came to experiences, feelings, and sensations that others had never experienced. Language was an unreliable messenger of truth. But even if it was difficult to explain or understand, the truth remained.

And the world that Bi Ryu-yeon was experiencing was one such indescribable world. A realm of superhuman abilities, accessible only to a select few. And he had entered that realm. His eyes were seeing that world.

His vision expanded, becoming wider and deeper. A torrent of information flooded his senses. Some people went mad, their minds unable to handle the influx of data. But he absorbed it all, processing, analyzing, and understanding it effortlessly.

He felt like he could reach out and touch the sky, like he could see the beating wings of a moth flying beneath his knees. It was a mystical feeling, as if everything was within his grasp, as if there were no secrets left to uncover.

He saw his opponent’s hand rising slowly. Everything seemed to freeze, a still image, because his vision had transcended time.

The trajectory of the attack, the path of the hand, was illuminated, a bright trail of starlight. A web of white threads, shimmering faintly, filled the frozen world. The energy within his opponent’s body, its flow and direction, formed a dazzling mandala. An ordinary mind, overwhelmed by this information overload, would likely collapse.

No matter how intricate or dense the web of threads, once he could see it, the attack became predictable. But against true masters, these threads would swarm him, a chaotic mess of energy. He would need the ability to escape these “lines of light.” Sight alone wasn’t enough to control reality. The density and complexity of this mystical mandala revealed the opponent’s level of skill.

“…!!!”

The shadow felt a surge of primal unease, a sense of violation. He felt like a wild animal being stalked by a hunter, exposed and vulnerable.

‘Unforgivable!’

This humiliation could not be tolerated. This man had to be eliminated. From this world!

A menacing aura gathered around the raised hand, a palpable pressure. The air thickened, the sky darkened, the light fading. A black blade, forged in darkness, pierced the veil of shadows, transcending space, its killing intent palpable.

It was a move that screamed, “Danger! Evacuate the area immediately!”

“…!”

Bi Ryu-yeon’s eyes, piercing the darkness, saw through the veil of hair, capturing every detail of the movement. And then, as the hand reached its apex,

Snap!

The hand fell, like a waterfall cascading down a hundred-foot cliff.

Crackle! Crackle! Crackle! Boom! Boom! Boom!

A deafening roar, like the sound of a thousand waterfalls, echoed through the night sky. The air crackled and vibrated, a wave of killing intent and shadowy energy sweeping across the ground. It was a terrifying wave, like a thousand blades striking at once, its power enough to crush a human like an ant.

A web of light, intricate and interwoven, crisscrossed Bi Ryu-yeon’s body. At least, that’s what he saw.

There was a simple way to commit suicide in this situation. Just stand still, and the blades of death would slice him to pieces.

But Bi Ryu-yeon wasn’t suicidal. And he wasn’t fond of being murdered either. So he did what he always did. He moved out of the way.

Normally, that would have been the end of it. But something was different this time.

“Gasp!”

He gasped, a sound he rarely made.

‘It changed!’

His mind, racing faster than light, realized what had happened. The web of light, spread across the space, had shifted its position in an instant. And it pierced his body again.

And before he could react, a storm of killing intent surged along the lines of light, as fast as lightning.

He didn’t even have time to curse.

The wave of killing intent crashed over him.

Skipping the expletives due to time constraints, he hastily moved out of the way. But he was too slow. His opponent’s attack was faster than he had anticipated.

His clothes ripped, as if shredded by a whirlwind, and he felt a burning pain in his chest.

Gone!

Vanished!

The First Young Master found himself standing alone in the clearing. The silence was deafening.

“I thought I had him…”

He stared at his hand in disbelief. It was the hand of a master, trained through countless battles, a hand that had never known defeat.

“Was I careless…?”

He had felt something, but it hadn’t been a fatal blow.

‘He actually survived…’

He couldn’t accept his failure.

‘What was that? That last move?’

It was as if his opponent had vanished into thin air, a mirage disappearing before his eyes. He had completely disappeared from his perception.

He had been sure that he had captured his opponent in his field of vision… He had exposed himself, but so had his opponent. Or so he had thought. But he had been mistaken.

‘He dodged my Shadow Thunder Thousand Cuts, one of my ultimate techniques, at such close range…’

Ryu-yeon, was it? He had heard the name, and he would remember it.

‘We’ll meet again! And next time…’

**The Two Old Men’s Drinking Bout**

**- Drink Up!**

Empty wine bottles lay scattered around, alongside plates piled high with the remnants of a feast. The colorful sauces and vegetable scraps clinging to the plates were a testament to the carnage that had taken place.

“Are those old monsters really human?”

Manager Jang, the veteran manager of the Plum Blossom Tavern, one of the top five taverns in Huayin County, couldn’t believe his eyes.

‘Is that even humanly possible?’

For the past few days, his tavern had been practically occupied by two old men.

“They’re not normal!”

They seemed determined to drink themselves to death. There was no other explanation for their behavior. But they were still alive, which was a mystery in itself.

It had all started a few days ago, when they had barged in and declared, “Let’s get this party started!” And the party had continued ever since.

Three days had passed, and Manager Jang, a shrewd businessman, was starting to worry.

He doubted whether those two shabby-looking old men could afford to pay for all the food and drinks they had consumed. He was worried that they would bankrupt his tavern. Whenever he asked them about payment, they just told him not to worry and bring more wine. He had even considered calling in some muscle to deal with them.

But his plans changed when a certain individual visited his tavern. It was Hyeok Seon-Wu, the Cloud Sword, one of the Ten Heroes of Mount Hua, a close friend of the tavern owner, and a frequent customer.

“What’s the matter, Manager Jang?”

Hyeok Seon-Wu, sensing the unusual atmosphere, asked. Manager Jang, relieved, explained the situation. The Ten Heroes of Mount Hua were influential figures in Huayin County. And Hyeok Seon-Wu’s response was as expected.

“Is that all? Don’t worry. I’ll take care of it.”

Manager Jang trusted him. Hyeok Seon-Wu was a reliable man. And his solution was surprising.

He strode towards the two old men, his steps filled with confidence and swagger.

“Old men, I need to talk to you.”

Manager Jang, watching from afar, cheered inwardly.

The two old men looked up from their drinking, their gazes fixed on the man who had interrupted them.

And then something unexpected happened. Manager Jang had known Hyeok Seon-Wu for over a decade, but he had never seen him act like this before.

Thud!

Manager Jang and his waiters stared, their eyes wide with disbelief, their jaws dropped.

Hyeok Seon-Wu, the proud and arrogant Cloud Sword, one of the Ten Heroes of Mount Hua, the master of the Twenty-Four Plum Blossom Swordsmanship, was bowing deeply to the two old men, his head almost touching the ground. It was a gesture of utmost respect.

They exchanged a few more words, but their voices were too low to be heard, as if an invisible barrier had been erected around them.