Chapter 171: Let’s Stop
Time slowed to an extreme for Jin Seong-un.
As he extended his hand toward the Blood Demon, the scenery around him etched into his sight one frame at a time.
The shock on the faces of Divine Thief and the Merchant King.
Noble Enchantress urgently pouring out her Women’s Moon Qi.
The sunken gaze of the Sword Immortal, unlike anything he had seen before.
And finally, the hundreds of sword qi blades converging from all directions.
Jin Seong-un soon understood the cause of this phenomenon. The sense of peril driven to its peak had sharpened his senses beyond measure.
Amidst the slowed world, only the Blood Demon moved at more than twice the speed of the other Martial Gods, thrusting his fist forward.
‘I can see it.’
The energy imbued in the punch, its trajectory, speed, and intent—everything was visible.
Jin Seong-un gazed directly at the Blood Demon’s strike.
But seeing it didn’t mean he could respond to it.
Whoosh—!
Suddenly, the world snapped back to its normal speed.
The Martial Gods resumed their original movements, and at the same moment, the Blood Demon’s punch crashed forward like a flash of light.
Blood Demon Fist versus Blood Demon Palm.
Two techniques forged from the same energy clashed head-on.
Claaaaang—!
The moment the fist slammed into the center of the palm—
A massive explosion erupted beneath the feet of both men. Divine Thief and Merchant King, who were nearby, quickly surged their energy to defend, but were still flung away by the shockwave.
Only Noble Enchantress, her qi deep and powerful, managed to endure by gripping the ground with her energy, pouring more Women’s Moon Qi into Jin Seong-un.
Jin Seong-un, enduring the pain that felt like his palm, forearm, and shoulder were being crushed, swung his left hand.
In his hand had formed a pure-white sword qi, shaped by the Women’s Moon Qi.
Under normal circumstances, this would have been impossible, but with Noble Enchantress’s support, it became reality.
Swish—!
The white blade carved a bright path through the dark void of the Martial God Realm, embedding itself into the Blood Demon’s shoulder.
The blade didn’t manage to sever his arm completely and halted midway.
It wasn’t because Jin Seong-un hesitated.
The recoil from the Blood Demon’s body was so immense that even he couldn’t resist it.
Sword-Proof Body.
As the name implied, he had reached a realm where swords could not pierce him.
Jin Seong-un and the Blood Demon stared into each other’s eyes from a close distance.
“……”
Looking into the Blood Demon’s red, unfocused eyes made Jin Seong-un feel as though his mind were sinking into the abyss.
Only now did he understand the meaning behind the expressions of those who had faced the Blood Demon Palm before they died.
A fleeting moment stretched into what felt like eternity.
“…Ah.”
Suddenly, a strong force yanked him by the back of the neck.
Noble Enchantress had grabbed his collar and flung him backward. Jin Seong-un, unprepared for such a violent move from someone usually gentle and kind, couldn't react.
As he flew back, two silhouettes zipped past him at barely trackable speed.
Divine Thief and Merchant King.
Even as he was flung back, Jin Seong-un’s eyes clearly captured the movements of the Martial Gods.
Now, four Martial Gods had surrounded the Blood Demon from all directions.
The pure-white Women’s Moon Qi had grown massive, pressing down on the Blood Demon’s entire body like a mountain.
At the same time, the Merchant King’s Straight Saber and Divine Thief’s dagger slashed like bolts of lightning.
Slash—!
Blood sprayed from both shoulders, elbows, knees, and ankles simultaneously.
In an instant, three Martial Gods had disabled the Blood Demon. But the blood that burst from his body didn’t fall to the ground. It floated in midair.
Seeing this, the faces of Noble Enchantress, Divine Thief, and Merchant King paled.
Hundreds of sword qi blades suddenly ascended to the heavens, then gathered into a massive sword that plummeted toward the Blood Demon’s crown.
Heavenly Escape Sword.
The famed technique of Sword Immortal Lü Dongbin, said to have slain dragons, pierced the Blood Demon’s entire body.
Kwooooooom—!
The vast Martial God Realm shook violently.
All Martial Gods, except for the Sword Immortal, were blown away by the sword wind as they tried to create distance.
After some time, the tremor subsided, and silence returned to the Martial God Realm as if nothing had happened.
Even from the aftermath alone, Jin Seong-un coughed up a handful of blackened blood and quickly looked to confirm the Blood Demon’s condition.
He lay sprawled on the ground.
Staring blankly at the sky, as he always did. Except now, the focus had returned to his eyes.
The Sword Immortal appeared in the middle of his line of sight and calmly asked,
“Your rampages are becoming harder to correct. What are you trying to achieve?”
“……”
“Your revenge is over. By now, you should’ve realized you can’t control Blood Demon Art. It’s all starting to look like nothing but a foolish obsession.”
Apparently, the Blood Demon had continued pushing himself to the extreme in his training. But once he crossed the threshold of control, he would rampage like this.
Only now did Jin Seong-un understand why his masters had repeatedly warned him to restrain the use of the Blood Demon Art.
The Blood Demon had no reply to the Sword Immortal’s words. Only his breathing, a little more ragged than usual, could be heard.
The Sword Immortal clicked his tongue and turned away, as if he hadn’t expected an answer in the first place.
Divine Thief and Merchant King sat in meditation, gradually recovering from their wounds. Noble Enchantress tidied her disheveled hair while glaring at the Blood Demon.
Then suddenly, the Blood Demon turned his head to look at Jin Seong-un.
Any ordinary martial artist would have struggled to meet the Blood Demon’s gaze after such a fight.
But Jin Seong-un calmly held his eyes. After all, this Blood Demon was still his former master.
After a while, the Blood Demon spoke, his voice barely a whisper.
“I made a mistake. I’m sorry.”
At that moment, Divine Thief and Merchant King widened their eyes and coughed up blood. Their concentration shattered, their qi and blood in disarray.
Noble Enchantress, who had been glaring at the Blood Demon, widened her eyes in shock, and even the Sword Immortal, who had been walking away, turned around in disbelief.
A Blood Demon’s apology was just that shocking to Martial Gods.
In all the years they had known him—after having arms severed, hearts pierced, and heads nearly lopped off—not once had he apologized.
If they hadn’t been in the Martial God Realm, Divine Thief and Merchant King would’ve died many times over.
The Sword Immortal stared at the Blood Demon with a solemn expression.
‘So he still thinks of him as a disciple.’
For the first time, he had witnessed a change in the Blood Demon.
A man who had spent countless years staring into nothingness, consumed by rage and obsession, endlessly cultivating the Blood Demon Art.
The Sword Immortal couldn’t decide whether this change was good or bad.
He only thought: So even the Blood Demon still retains some humanity.
“So then, what brings you here?”
The Sword Immortal asked Jin Seong-un.
Though he had told him to flee, Jin Seong-un had instead extended his qi toward the Blood Demon. Hence, the Sword Immortal’s tone was a bit gruff.
Jin Seong-un looked down briefly at the palm that had clashed with the Blood Demon, then spoke.
“Ah, I have something to tell Master Merchant King.”
“Me?”
The Merchant King turned his head and asked.
Jin Seong-un then began explaining everything to him.
The death of Ha Joo-yeon, the recruitment of Lee Seowon as General Manager.
That Lee Seowon was his descendant, and that his goal seemed to be reclaiming Myriad Gold Manor.
As the explanation continued, subtle changes flickered across the Merchant King’s face, until a peculiar smile finally emerged.
“Of course.”
There had always been one mystery that nagged the Merchant King over the centuries—what had happened to his descendants?
Had they inherited none of his talent and simply given up?
Were they sharpening their blades, waiting for the right moment?
Perhaps they had forgotten they were his bloodline.
Or maybe they had all perished long ago.
Now, through Jin Seong-un, he had found a descendant—Lee Seowon—and indirectly heard his aspirations. It brought genuine satisfaction to the Merchant King’s heart.
Without a moment’s hesitation, he said,
“Teach him the Black Wolf Saber Art. As my descendant, he must be skilled in both civil and martial pursuits.”
For when the Merchant King was alive, he was not only the master of the greatest trading company in the world but also one of the Ten Great Masters of the Martial World.
Jin Seong-un nodded.
“Understood. Though, he doesn’t seem to have much passion for martial arts, so it may not be easy.”
“Do not worry. Blood cannot lie. Just look at Divine Thief, isn’t that so?”
“Why am I being dragged into this now?”
“Not a single decent thief since this guy. If he had any children, and that thief’s blood had continued through his descendants, we’d be dealing with one headache after another. It’s truly a relief he died before even holding a woman’s hand.”
He added that Falling Flame Manor would’ve become the best thieves’ guild under heaven, not the best iron workshop.
Divine Thief, unsure whether to take it as a compliment or an insult, quickly realized it was the latter and resumed grappling with the Merchant King.
Just as the Martial God Realm seemed to return to normal at last, and Jin Seong-un felt safe enough to nod and head out—
“Remember those three sensations. If possible, make them your own.”
The Sword Immortal’s voice came from behind.
He meant the three sensations: the shock from the first clash with the Blood Demon, the feeling when he drew out the sword qi with Noble Enchantress’s aid, and the awe when he witnessed the true Heavenly Escape Sword.
Jin Seong-un turned and bowed low in gratitude for the Sword Immortal’s guidance, then finally exited the Martial God Realm.
Jin Seong-un quickly changed into his martial arts uniform and headed to the backyard.
He was so exhausted that for a moment, he considered canceling his training today…
But due to the time difference between the Martial God Realm and the real world, Seo Yu-gyeom, Seomun Ak, and Lee Seowon were all waiting for him in the yard, as if it were natural.
Whoosh—!
Seo Yu-gyeom slashed through the air repeatedly, his Heaven-Slaying Dagger faintly but unmistakably wrapped in Qi Projection.
In truth, manifesting qi projection was still a challenge for him.
Even though he had just reached the beginning of the Peak Master Level, that didn’t mean he could produce qi projection at will.
Nevertheless, Seo Yu-gyeom kept pushing himself to forcibly extract it again and again.
The reason was simple.
“…Cut that crazy crap already.”
Seomun Ak looked at him with an exasperated face.
He knew perfectly well that the guy was doing all this just to ridicule, humiliate, and harass him.
Perhaps because they had spent so much time together at the Seong-un Inn, it was now unpleasantly easy to sense each other’s intentions without speaking.
Even if Seomun Ak deliberately turned his head to ignore the display of qi, Seo Yu-gyeom would inevitably dart right in front of him with his usual nimble movements to show off again.
Seomun Ak had never felt such thirst for martial arts before in his life.
‘I don’t know about the others, but you—I’ll definitely surpass.’
As he made that vow inwardly—
Jin Seong-un turned to the tense Lee Seowon and said in a calm tone,
“I will teach you the Black Wolf Saber Art.”
“Huh, really? You're sure?”
Lee Seowon asked with wide eyes.
Even after hearing they would be training, he hadn’t expected to be taught the Black Wolf Saber Art.
The reason was simple. The Black Wolf Saber Art was clearly classified as a divine martial art.
It was the technique of the first martial artist in history to unify the Unorthodox Path, one of the Ten Great Masters of the Martial World, and one of the Two Great Bladesmen, the Merchant King himself. Now, it was the very art that Myriad Gold Manor sought to reclaim.
Its value couldn't even be measured in money.
As Lee Seowon stared blankly, Jin Seong-un responded as if wondering why he even had to ask.
“It originally belongs to the General Manager.”
Returning the Merchant King’s martial arts to his descendant was simply a matter of reason and duty.
Of course, the problem was that the world was full of people who ignored both.
Jin Seong-un continued,
“First, we will build your dantian. Sit cross-legged and try to sense your energy as I’ve shown you.”
Lee Seowon sat as instructed. The thought of forming a dantian like a real martial artist made him both nervous and excited.
At that point, Seo Yu-gyeom stopped teasing Seomun Ak and turned his attention to Jin Seong-un and Lee Seowon.
Seo Yu-gyeom looked on with anticipation. Seomun Ak watched with a tense expression.
‘If that punk gets stronger quickly, I’ll have less to do.’
‘Don’t tell me he’s going to surpass me too… right?’
Seo Yu-gyeom hoped Lee Seowon would get stronger fast. Seomun Ak, on the other hand, hoped the opposite.
Then Jin Seong-un began instructing Lee Seowon step by step: how to breathe, how to feel energy, and finally how to move it.
Soon, the expressions on Seo Yu-gyeom and Seomun Ak’s faces split with opposite reactions.
“Oh… is this how it’s supposed to feel?”
The dantian was formed.
It happened in an instant.
Sure, even young children in martial clans could do it—but for someone touching martial arts for the first time today, it was an almost impossible feat.
Feeling something like a tiny bean just below his navel, Lee Seowon repeatedly made a strange expression of awe.
Seomun Ak stepped in quickly.
“Don’t lie. That’s really your dantian? It’s not just… gas or something? It’s not supposed to form that easily.”
“……”
Lee Seowon gave him that same look he always gave Ha Joo-yeon—a deadpan of open contempt. Flustered, Seomun Ak clicked his tongue and backed off.
The sight made Seo Yu-gyeom chuckle.
“At this rate, he’s going to be pounding Seomun Ak into the dirt within five years.”
Of course, that was assuming Seomun Ak didn’t improve at all.
Seomun Ak steeled his resolve again.
Why does the world feel so unfair just to me?
But from past experience, he knew that bitterness never solved anything.
“I have two options before me now, but as a man of the Orthodox Faction, I choose the second.”
He spoke in a mature tone. Judging by how he referenced “two options,” he was clearly mimicking Seo Yu-gyeom and Lee Seowon’s usual speech patterns.
Apparently, Seomun Ak liked the way they always presented options before acting.
Seo Yu-gyeom asked,
“What are the two options?”
“The first is to beat up Lee Seowon regularly to stunt his growth.”
“……”
Jin Seong-un, Seo Yu-gyeom, and Lee Seowon all gave him the same blank look.
This guy is really the second son of the Seomun Clan?
Regardless, Seomun Ak continued with a self-satisfied tone.
“The second is to manfully accept the growth of Lee Seowon or any crazy assassin, and use that as motivation to grow stronger myself.”
It would have sounded cool.
If he hadn’t mentioned the first option at all.
The three men gave vague nods and returned to their tasks.
Seomun Ak, waiting expectantly for their praise, clicked his tongue in disappointment.
“I’ll teach you the saber technique now. Though you may want to jump straight into the Black Wolf Saber Art, we must begin with the basics. Young Master Seo, please assist.”
“Me?”
“It would be helpful if you transformed the Three Talents Sword Art into a saber technique and taught it to our General Manager.”
“That’s the method most beginners use when learning saber arts. I started out the same way.”
Seo Yu-gyeom nodded, handed a Straight Saber to Lee Seowon, and continued.
“Just follow exactly what I show you. Relax your body. Imagine there’s a reed in front of you and think of slicing it cleanly. If you force it, your saber wind will only push the reed away instead of cutting it, right?”
Lee Seowon nodded and stared ahead before swinging the saber.
“……”
An awkward silence settled in the yard.
Seo Yu-gyeom, rarely flustered, spoke.
“I-It’s your first time, so that can happen. Let’s try again. You made a dantian in under a minute—there’s no way you’re this bad. Even a five-year-old grabbing a sword for the first time would do better. Not that I’m saying that, of course. Take it slow. Let’s go again.”
Clicking his tongue, Lee Seowon focused again and swung once more.
“……”
Another heavy silence followed.
From behind, Seomun Ak’s lips curled slightly in relief, while Seo Yu-gyeom rubbed his forehead and sighed.
“…Let’s stop.”