Reincarnated Sword Ghost

The Divine Physician’s Tomb

”What is this...?”

Yeom Baek muttered quietly.

It was a situation that could only be described as a disaster.

Suddenly, the ground beneath his feet trembled, the earth split open, and the ground surged up, covering the sky.

A strange, massive explosion rose vertically from deep beneath the earth.

And it happened over an incredibly wide area.

It was a sight that could only be described as the land dragon moving.

’There was nothing I could do.’

Yeom Baek was a top master considered among the best of the martial world.

Only one with that level of martial power could command one of the corps at the Heavenly Martial Hall.

And yet, in the face of such a disaster, he was powerless.

In that fleeting moment, all he could do was grab a few members nearby and dash out of the area of effect.

”It can only be called a supreme gate array.”

”... Yes.”

He gave a short reply to Yun Soryeon, the Lotus Blossom Divine Sword, who spoke beside him.

That was exactly right.

’They did say the mountain cliff was unusually cleanly cut.’

Other than that, he hadn’t noticed anything particularly out of place.

It had not been a formation that used the mysteries of the trigrams to cause illusions and confusion.

The ground had simply ruptured explosively over a vast area, and even now, seeing the wreckage before his eyes was hard to believe.

”That crazy old man—apparently he was quite skilled with formations as well.”

”Do you really think this is the Divine Physician’s tomb?”

”Then who else could have done this?”

Yun Soryeon’s expression implied that doubting it would be absurd.

”There were easily a thousand martial artists here. Among them were elite Righteous Faction members lurking behind, waiting for a chance. Yet not one of them realized this place was inside a spell formation. There, do you see?”

Yun Soryeon pointed into the distance.

Before the ground exploded and collapsed, Righteous Faction martial artists, who had been relaxedly standing aside, were now moving quickly.

Their faces looked grim, as if faced with a great crisis.

”But that fleeting moment was the chance to enter. While agile people like you and me retreated, the clumsy ones who couldn’t react in time ended up going inside. That’s why you see those faces emerging.”

It was as she said.

Among the martial artists here, those with affiliations were all masters in their own right.

The instant the ground burst and collapsed, those who sensed the danger leaped away from the area at once.

While martial artists with outstanding movement skills like Yeom Baek or Yun Soryeon were saving Heavenly Martial Hall members who hadn’t reacted, the massive boulders that had shot up into the air fell back down, plugging up the massive hole.

”It’s ridiculous, that crazy old man. Who would have thought he’d do something like this.”

”Is there no way to go back inside?”

”Well, you could try digging up the ground again.”

It was an absurd notion.

Even for martial artists, the depth had clearly been beyond sight for that brief moment.

That was reason enough not to believe in what they’d just experienced.

”......”

Yeom Baek wore a rare expression of grave seriousness, causing Yun Soryeon to knit her lovely brows and add,

”Since hundreds have been swallowed up, surely somewhere they’ll be spit out again. I’m not thrilled about it, but we’ll have to search the area like the others are doing, and request reinforcements.”

”Too many youngsters got caught up in this.”

”That is unfortunate, but...”

At that, Yun Soryeon trailed off.

The Heavenly Martial Hall was the gathering place for the honor of all the world’s martial artists.

So it was common to lose one’s life on a mission.

Righteous Faction martial artists built up achievements at the Heavenly Martial Hall to make their names, while Evil Faction martial artists took pride in slaying those of the Hall.

Still, seeing prodigies who’d entered the Hall die so meaninglessly was always distressing.

”... Why are you treating them like they’re already dead? Just because they fell in there doesn’t mean they’re all gone.”

After glancing at Yeom Baek, Yun Soryeon added, as if she’d suddenly remembered something.

”There’s one in particular whose loss would be a shame. He always had an outstanding temperament.”

Even without specifying a name, he knew who she meant.

That peculiar one who rejected solo achievements.

In a place where everyone strove to rise in name and fame for their sect, he stood out all the more.

”If it’s him, he won’t die.”

”He did seem that way, but...”

While Yeom Baek spoke with unusual certainty, Yun Soryeon trailed off and cast her gaze toward the upturned earth.

The shattered stones and dirt mixed together made the place look like it had just suffered a landslide.

Even after quite some time, pale dust still softly drifted through the air.

’After falling from that height and being buried by rocks...’

Survival seemed unlikely. But she didn’t voice it.

There was no need to say it out loud.

Just then, one of the two-striped warriors of the Red Dragon Corps approached Yun Soryeon using lightness skill and saluted.

”Thirty-four members of the Heavenly Martial Hall have disappeared.”

”... That’s not as many as I thought.”

”The warriors close to the mound were not caught up. Instead, those at the very front were swept in.”

That was precisely where Yeom Baek and Yun Soryeon had been standing.

They’d moved forward to confront the enemy, and all the Heavenly Martial Hall warriors in their immediate vicinity were swept up.

In that brief moment, Yeom Baek had leaped away, each hand holding young disciples, but it all happened too quickly and there was a limit to what he could do.

”Organize search teams centered on those with knowledge of formations. Any who cause trouble or chaos, you can kill without hesitation. With the numbers reduced, it shouldn’t be difficult.”

”Yes, Ma’am.”

The two-striped warrior saluted again and hurried off.

Then Yun Soryeon spoke to Yeom Baek.

”You should gather your disciples and move as well. How long are you going to stand there?”

”The Jegal Clan’s group readings caught something. They rushed in one direction, it looks like they discovered something. I’ll head that way.”

”Pfft, I thought you were standing around like an idiot.”

It was as they were about to leave.

”What’s that now?”

Yun Soryeon frowned, observing something within her field of vision.

Three people in black martial uniforms were sitting on the ground with dazed faces.

”Aren’t those your disciples?”

At Yun Soryeon’s words, Yeom Baek turned his gaze.

They were indeed familiar faces.

”What now...?”

No matter how much shock they’d endured, by now, they should have pulled themselves together.

Enemies could still be lurking anywhere.

Though most of the Evil Faction and Dark Path martial artists were swept away, making things calmer, there were still plenty with greed and murderous intent in their eyes.

Sitting around in a daze was just asking to get stabbed.

Yeom Baek used lightness skill to reach them in the blink of an eye and shouted,

”Why are you still sitting around! Get up at once!”

One of them shakily rose with a sullen face.

It was Jo Gwang, clutching one arm as if it had been broken.

”Yu Jeong-un saved us. He threw himself in to do it...”

”He saved you in all that...?”

Yeom Baek muttered briefly, then gave a bitter laugh before speaking sternly again.

”He’s not dead.”

”Pardon?”

”Do you really think someone like him would die here so easily? No one who does such things would die easily. Right now, he’s probably preparing to come out through some exit somewhere.”

”Th-that...”

At that, one figure looked up sharply.

It was Tang Yerin, who’d been sitting with a deathly pale face.

Her face was white, and though the sunlight poured down, her complexion was dark, but her eyes brightened instantly.

”Ye-yes. There’s no way. Jeong-un wouldn’t...”

Thud!

Just then, Baek Il-gang, who had been sitting absent-mindedly, suddenly disappeared somewhere.

Seeing that, Tang Yerin brushed her hand across her face and hurriedly sprang up with the fastest lightness skill she ever displayed.

”You too, search the area with the others. There’s bound to be an exit around here.”

Yeom Baek said to Jo Gwang.

”Y-yes!”

Jo Gwang, watching the two backs vanish, hurried to obey.

* * *

Jeong-un never had strong emotional upheavals.

Maybe that was why he could shut himself in a room for so many years and quietly accept whatever happened.

”Now, answer me.”

That made the sharp anger he felt now all the more unfamiliar.

Putting factions aside, the mere thought of being lumped together with these as martial artists was repulsive.

”Why do you practice martial arts?”

”...”

He had to ask.

He had seen people before who killed to steal others’ vitality.

He’d seen them feast on corpses, not even caring to distinguish between martial artists and commoners.

It was bizarre, but he simply thought, ”Ah, so some in the Evil Faction are that type.”

But now he was running into them again so soon.

He was starting to wonder if all Evil Faction members were like this.

”You lot treat human life lighter than paper, but you treasure your own. And you even sacrifice others for your own martial attainment.”

”...”

”I’m asking why you go to such lengths to practice martial arts.”

The man listened to the end without interruption.

At first, his face looked slightly incredulous, but then he even let out a hollow laugh.

”To enjoy glory, of course.”

”... Glory?”

The man took another step toward him, never dropping the look as if he were seeing something strange.

”The emperor of this country thinks he has the world at his feet. But in truth, his sight never leaves Beijing. He has no idea what’s happening beyond. Actually, he doesn’t even care.”

Another step closer.

He spoke as he moved, as if approaching an old friend, his movements unnaturally natural.

”Some are born different. People like me.”

’He’s insane.’

It was laughable.

No one here was a mere commoner. Talking about birth was nonsense.

Martial artists may follow their own code, but bandying about the emperor’s name so carelessly was excessive.

It was just proof that, with the royal family’s hand so short and droughts prevailing, fools who trusted only in their own swords could rant like this.

”The useless deserve to be my stepping stones. If their pitiful lives were to continue, they might as well become fuel for my power. That’s what they were born for.”

”...”

”People are like fruit growing everywhere, sprouting up like mushrooms after rain. If I don’t harvest them, someone else will.”

”Nonsense.”

Jeong-un dismissed it curtly. There was nothing more to say.

At the same time, he understood the man’s mindset a little.

To him, martial arts were nothing more than a tool for indulgence and luxury.

For that, he would take another’s life without a thought.

Simply to become stronger, faster, with less effort.

”...”

Jeong-un looked over the man’s smooth silk clothes. They felt dirty.

The man grinned slyly and asked,

”What’s wrong with using my abilities to the fullest? Every bit of it is from my sweat and blood. The strong claiming everything is the law of the martial world.”

Another step closer.

Neither had yet drawn their sword.

”So... this time I’ll ask. Why do you train in martial arts?”

He asked with a broad grin on his lips.

Jeong-un answered simply,

”Because it’s fun.”

”...?”

The man paused, looking at Jeong-un as if he’d heard something preposterous.

He didn’t care.

The idea of someone like this understanding him was laughable.

At the same time, he felt sure—

That joining the Heavenly Martial Hall had been the right choice.

”... At first, I just wanted to advance my martial arts, but now I think this place suits me perfectly, perhaps even with my own aims.”

”What are you rambling about?”

”I’ve decided.”

Jeong-un took another step forward, locking eyes with the man.

”Your cause of death is beheading.”

”What?”

The man’s scowl was the sign.

In an instant, Jeong-un’s right hand moved to his sword guard.

The man did the same. It was nearly simultaneous.

’The distance is enough.’

Lowering his stance and stepping forward, Jeong-un moved far more naturally now.

His rear foot exploded with true ki, sending energy blasting forward as his center of gravity shifted.

The immense rebound focused on his rotating waist and swinging wrist.

The sword in his right hand flashed out like lightning.

This was the second time he used Traceless Flash in actual combat.

Sssssk!

The black sword flashed out, gleaming gold before it even showed its white steel.

The foe, just starting to draw his sword, widened his eyes in shock.

His own sword hadn’t even made it halfway out.

”What—!”

Shlck—

A head with perfect features flew through the air.

Its eyes were still wide open.

Jeong-un looked into those eyes as he spoke.

”This is the law of the martial world you sought.”