Chapter 94

Chapter 94
Spar Begins (2)

Baek So-cheon studied every slight shift across the face of Yeom Hwa-sin. The glint reflecting in his gaze, the subtle lift of his lips, the faint trembling of his brow and cheeks—all scrutinized to determine if any honesty resided in his words.

“Are you truly capable of taking his life?”

“You already know I am.”

“I possess no such certainty.”

“Before this day ends, your offspring will perish by my hands.”

“It might very well be your own corpse that lies on the ground.”

“Are you honestly suggesting that? In that case, I have thoroughly miscalculated your character.”

Yeom Hwa-sin offered an amused countenance. “And how exactly did you calculate me?”

Baek So-cheon presented his conclusion without hesitation.

“You intend to permit his demise under my strike, using that very loss as a manufactured justification to unleash all-out bloodshed across the realm, do you not?”

“How utterly regrettable. To believe you viewed me as such a conniving sort of fellow.”

“Are you claiming otherwise?”

“I am.”

Despite standing barely a span apart, Baek So-cheon found it impossible to detect genuine sentiment beneath the exterior of Yeom Hwa-sin. It seemed one would have to smash apart that petrified veneer just to uncover the authentic visage lurking behind it.

“What manner of father would actively seek the death of his own blood? That you consider me such an abominable creature brings me immense disappointment.”

“If that is true, what drives your actions here?”

“None of this stems from my personal ambition. I merely stand behind the desires of my boy. As a warrior yourself, surely you comprehend it. When another man snatches away the maiden someone yearned for, a kin must offer his backing. Is that not the natural order of things?”

Yeom Hwa-sin widened his stare, adopting an earnest gaze as though pleading for complete belief.

“Pure nonsense.”

At that single retort, the expression on Yeom Hwa-sin finally cracked. The muffled amusement he had contained surged outward, his facial muscles contorting right before a raspy, unrestrained laughter escaped his chest.

“Hahaha, indeed! Utter nonsense through and through!”

Beneath the mocking levity of that eruption, Baek So-cheon detected a terrifying, rancid malice.

“Do you truly harbor no parental affection whatsoever?”

“It was never an art I was taught.”

“Do you feel no sorrow for the fate awaiting your descendant?”

“Speak without falsehood. Deep within your core, do you truly envision him surviving into old age? Regardless of whether war ignites, imagine him ascending to my position.”

Baek So-cheon found himself unable to mount a defense. He, too, could not fathom the youth enduring for long. Even at this stage, so swollen with hubris and devoid of restraint—what ruin would unfold should he assume command as Black Heaven Alliance Lord?

He would inevitably suffer betrayal and meet an early grave by treacherous hands. While no person possessed the right to dictate the destiny of another, the disastrous trajectory before Yeom Sa-won was glaringly obvious. Anyone acquainted with his disposition would arrive at the identical conclusion.

“Would it not be vastly superior for him to perish amid glorious combat ushering our alliance toward absolute triumph, rather than rotting away pathetically through some blundering misstep?”

“No.”

“You disagree?”

“Any stranger under heaven might dare voice such reasoning. But you, as his progenitor, possess no right to speak it.”

Yeom Hwa-sin roared out his counter.

“Incorrect! The exact inverse is true. I am the sole soul entitled to utter it, while no one else may dare!”

In that fleeting breath, Baek So-cheon finally perceived the core truth. This chilling pragmatism was the genuine essence of the man before him. This was the authentic Yeom Hwa-sin.

“You truly sicken me.”

“Truthfully, part of me hoped you might simply chuckle and brush it aside as wild fabrication.”

“Are you hoping I perceive you as an honorable figure? Even when you intend to end my breath personally?”

“Who can say? Mere idle thoughts.”

“Allowing oneself to be steered by sentimentality is the failing of the weak. That flaw is precisely why defeat found you in the past. We shall cross paths again by the stage. I must depart to greet my boy.”

Yeom Hwa-sin began to march away, only to pause his pace and glance over a broad shoulder. A vicious smirk played across his lips, flashing an eerie, pitiless imitation of fatherly warmth.

Baek So-cheon remained motionless, trailing the departing silhouette with a quiet, icy stare.

“Do not think for a moment that your machinations will force me to execute him.”

—

“Father!”

Yeom Sa-won welcomed the arrival of Yeom Hwa-sin, his expression completely radiant with delight.

“I never dared imagine you would grace this duel with your physical presence.”

The notice received the previous day announcing that Yeom Hwa-sin intended to oversee the confrontation in person had left him utterly astounded.

First, he had been granted the peerless Black Dragon Divine Armor, and now his own patriarch had arrived to observe him fight.

Throughout these recent days, he found himself bathed in the very familial validation he had desperately yearned for throughout his entire existence.

“Are you filled with certainty regarding your triumph?”

“Without question! I will tear that insolent wretch apart with my own two hands!”

“And the Black Dragon Divine Armor?”

Yeom Sa-won tugged aside the folds of his garment, displaying the masterwork secured beneath.

“I recognize how deeply you prize this heirloom. You have my boundless gratitude, Father.”

In all honesty, Yeom Sa-won experienced a lingering awkwardness. The bond shared between them had perpetually been cold and strained. While he had never possessed the audacity to display overt disrespect, true reverence or mutual warmth had never once bloomed between them.

Yet within this singular moment, long-suppressed longings broke past his inner barriers.

‘Starting today, I shall transform into a worthy and dutiful offspring.’

Yeom Hwa-sin leveled a chilling command at his progeny.

“Eradicate Baek So-cheon once and for all!”

Flushed with surging zeal, Yeom Sa-won pledged his determination.

—

As the appointed hour for the contest drew near, over three hundred invited figures began filling the designated spectator sections ringing the perimeter of the stage.

The supreme leaders belonging to prominent clans alongside illustrious elders were positioned closest to the dais reserved for the Alliance Lord, securing an unimpeded vantage over the combat floor. Those bearing lesser renown were assigned to seats progressively further back. The physical placement within this hall served as a direct reflection of one’s current standing across the martial world.

Familiar comrades and distant rivals who had not crossed paths in years exchanged formal salutations and low murmurs.

Myeol Ji-ryun occupied her allocated place, the seasoned protector Rap-sa positioned steadfastly by her side. Pa-jeong was nowhere to be found.

She repeatedly cast sweeping glances over the assembling crowds, prompting Rap-sa to murmur a soft inquiry.

“Are your eyes searching out a particular guest?”

“No.”

Deep down, she had harbored a lingering hope of witnessing Cheon-geuk, yet not a trace of him could be seen.

‘Naturally, they would never extend a formal summons to the Assassin Alliance Lord.’

After a brief stretch of tense waiting, the restless hum of the pavilion abruptly vanished, instantly superseded by a thunderous roar echoing from hundreds of warrior throats.

“Waaaaah!”

Alliance Lord Ak So-gun had stepped into view.

Enveloped by the deafening acclaim, he addressed the grand audience.

“I extend my heartfelt appreciation to the esteemed martial heroes who have journeyed from distant territories to assemble here.”

The gathered martial artists stood in unison, raising their clasped fists in profound respect.

“We pay our deepest respects to the Alliance Lord!”

Another wave of roaring cheers reverberated through the grounds. From beyond the grand boundary ramparts, an even mightier thunder arose as the common multitude outside echoed the applause and triumphant cries booming from within.

“The confrontation scheduled for this hour carries profound significance. Two preeminent exemplars of the upright paths shall test their arts to safeguard the stability of the entire Murim.”

Ak So-gun tactfully avoided any explicit mention of the nuptial disputes, though the scandalous rumors had long permeated every corner; every soul present understood the true grievances on the line.

Following brief remarks honoring past sacrifices and detailing the future prosperity of the realm, he motioned outward to announce a final distinguished presence.

“The Black Heaven Alliance Lord himself.”

A collective intake of breath swept across the rows. None of the assembled guests had ever imagined that sovereign would attend in person.

Cutting through the paralyzed hush, Yeom Hwa-sin advanced into the arena grounds.

By his side walked a solitary guardian: Jeon-gwi, the feared commander overseeing the elite Black Vanguard. Trailing behind their steps were Jan-baek and Go-gong, the former bodyguards assigned to shield Yeom Sa-won.

Yeom Hwa-sin made no attempt to suppress his immense cultivation. An awe-inspiring aura accompanied by stifling atmospheric weight rolled across the entirety of the viewing stands.

In instinctive resistance against the domineering chill, faint murmurs of disapproval and jeers rose from the assembled factions.

Woooo…

Yet Yeom Hwa-sin maintained an air of supreme nonchalance, entirely undisturbed by their hostility.

He closed the distance toward Ak So-gun.

The two towering masters halted, confronting one another separated by merely several strides.

“It has been considerable time.”

“Have you preserved your vitality?”

Ak So-gun responded to the greeting of Yeom Hwa-sin with measured gravity.

“So long as your breath remains in this realm, tranquil slumber remains impossible for me.”

“Before much time elapses, you shall enjoy an endless rest, your limbs stretched out in eternal stillness.”

A razor-sharp tension crackled violently between the two sovereigns.

Ak So-gun felt it immediately. The Yeom Hwa-sin standing before him possessed an authority far more terrifying than during their prior encounters. Both the sheer intent burning in the man’s eyes and the suffocating pressure rolling off his frame threatened to push him backward.

“Let us take our places.”

“A wise proposal.”

The seat prepared for Yeom Hwa-sin was positioned directly across from that of Ak So-gun, placing the raised combat platform squarely between them as a deliberate buffer against sudden hostility.

Once both leaders were seated, the primary combatants of the day finally appeared.

Both figures mounted the stone sparring ring.

Yeom Sa-won turned back to offer a quick glance toward his father. Behind his posture, Baek So-cheon kept his own sharp focus locked on Yeom Hwa-sin.

Yeom Hwa-sin lifted an encouraging hand toward his son.

Standing in the background, Baek So-cheon caught the true trajectory of that movement. While it carried the superficial appearance of cheering for his progeny, the subtle nuance revealed it was an intentional signal directed at Baek So-cheon himself.

‘Your grim script will not unfold as you desire.’

The overseeing referee summoned both youths toward the center of the ring.

“Remember that this duel is an honorable exchange—refrain from unleashing lethal, irremediable arts.”

Even the official could tell how hollow his own caution sounded given the sheer venom hanging in the air.

The referee hastily cleared the platform, leaving Baek So-cheon and Yeom Sa-won entirely alone atop the stone expanse.

Baek So-cheon had committed to engaging throughout this match without circulating an ounce of internal martial energy. Nor did he harbor any desire to prolong the duel.

Both warriors reached to unseat their weapons. Instead of relying upon his renowned Gui-yeong Geom, Baek So-cheon drew an ordinary blade. With internal power withheld, any sword risked structural ruin upon severe impact, and beyond that—he intended to conclude the entire encounter through the Beon-cheon Gu-gwon.

Without an instant of hesitation, the silhouette of Yeom Sa-won surged forward.

Screeeee!

His steel weapon pierced forward in a vicious line aimed directly at the throat of Baek So-cheon, skipping any probing preliminaries or mercy.

Right from the opening maneuver, he targeted absolute fatality with terrifying precision and velocity.

Baek So-cheon executed a tight pivot of his upper body, allowing the cold edge to miss his skin by a hairsbreadth.

Capitalizing on the narrow deflection, Yeom Sa-won wrenched his wrist to bring the weapon back in an immediate, vicious arc.

Clang.

The standard steel held by Baek So-cheon formed an intercepting barricade.

The two edges locked directly before their visages. Just beyond the crossed metal, the venomous stare of Yeom Sa-won blazed with unrestrained fury.

Baek So-cheon had previously monitored the youth’s regimen. The physical trajectory of the strikes unfolded exactly according to his strategic projections.

Yet a singular anomaly disrupted his expectations.

‘Whence originates such dense, suffocating thirst for blood?’

The sheer intensity of that murderous urge far outstripped anything he had anticipated.

Gasps of astonishment and passionate roars rippled through the onlookers witnessing the vicious opening clash.

Yeom Sa-won drove forward without granting a moment of respite.

‘The instant I permit him room to steady his rhythm, everything is lost.’

His adversary held a terrifying wealth of combat experience that dwarfed his own.

The only path to victory was suffocating him under unending pressure and ending his breath on the spot.

The ferocious barrages he unleashed demonstrated terrifying mastery. Whatever his moral shortcomings might be, his martial refinement was undeniable.

Brilliant sword trails fractured the atmosphere.

Shick! Shreeek! Shick!

The razor edge sliced past Baek So-cheon, repeatedly grazing the fabric of his garments with lethal proximity.

A chorus of stunned murmurs erupted across the stands. The spectators could not help but admire how Baek So-cheon managed such evasions entirely devoid of inner energy. Most had only known him through distant legends, leaving them dumbfounded by the sheer physical agility he commanded.

In the span of a single breath, Yeom Sa-won had unleashed more than ten consecutive strikes, each calibrated to extinguish life.

The gathered audience remained frozen, holding their breath in total fascination.

Yet relying exclusively on physical footwork without internal power carried unavoidable boundaries. Eventually, the blades crashed against one another in a direct collision.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The sword brandished by Yeom Sa-won surged with the absolute zenith of his internal cultivation.

Baek So-cheon clamped down on his own wrist, his features twisting into an apparent grimace of intense strain.

Noticing the distress, Yeom Sa-won closed in like a pursuing wraith.

He refrained from recklessly discharging wide sword energy, realizing that maintaining the condensed power along the metal edge granted him absolute superiority without opening dangerous vulnerabilities.

Claaang!

Another series of harsh impacts shattered the balance—and the blade of Baek So-cheon snapped completely in two.

A triumphant sneer split the lips of Yeom Sa-won. The nervous tension previously knotting his chest melted away.

‘This is the end. No matter the depth of your legendary martial arts, stripped of internal power, you cannot possibly triumph over me.’

The anxious groans of despair echoing from the observers only stoked his burgeoning arrogance to greater heights.

Right at that critical juncture, the voice of Yeom Hwa-sin thundered across the open arena.

He had previously witnessed Baek So-cheon deliberately shatter his own weapon during a spar against Gwan-sa to manufacture an intentional counterattack.

A surge of confusion seized Baek So-cheon.

‘Providing a tactical warning to your own kin? You openly desired his downfall, so why intervene now? What madness is this?’

In that very fraction of a moment, their gazes aligned.

Baek So-cheon caught the sight—an unfathomable, chilling smirk playing at the edges of Yeom Hwa-sin’s lips.

A creeping dread tightened in his gut, yet no time remained to decipher the underlying scheme.

Shreeeeeeeeee.

Yeom Sa-won spun into an even more theatrical, overwhelming sequence, his weapon descending like a raging tempest.