CHAPTER 497: THE TEACHINGS (2)

Cheong Heo’s eyes wavered. He thought everyone was in disguise, but now it seemed not everyone was fake.

“Damn. We’ve been found out.”

Seok Jeong said through gritted teeth.

The moment his premonition became reality.

“So, you finally sold your soul to the demons!”

Cheong Heo shouted with a voice full of anger. But upon reflection, it wasn’t so strange.

Among those with the same appearance, there was a real one mixed in.

If he first eliminated the fake with the same appearance as himself, he could naturally blend into their group.

“Well, does it matter?”

“What?!”

Seok Jeong’s grim expression slowly brightened.

Then he gave a sly smile towards the glaring Cheong Heo.

“Isn’t that right? If only the two of you die, no one in Qingcheng will know what I’ve done, right?”

In the eyes of the great master Seok Jeong, there was only a dying old man and a worthless Second Disciple.

So he could confidently declare.

“Grr…!”

“Master!”

When Cheong Heo suddenly collapsed in anger, Hyeok Jin hurriedly supported him.

Cheong Heo’s condition was more serious than expected.

Even just drawing on his inner strength was enough to shock him; the flame of his life was nearly extinguished.

“Why did you do it?”

“…?”

“Why did you betray Qingcheng?”

Nevertheless, Cheong Heo’s anger did not easily subside.

He was a swordsman of Qingcheng who had no issues with his character and had not caused any problems.

It was unbelievable that such a person would betray them like this.

“Ha, betrayal you say. I rather respect you.”

“…What nonsense is that!”

“Oh. Don’t get angry and listen first.”

Seok Jeong slowly raised the sword he had lowered.

“I wasn’t here just for betrayal. I purely wanted to witness the greatness of my master up close.”

He continued, placing the blade upright between his index and middle fingers.

“I saw it clearly during this martial arts competition. The way you subdued those Kunlun Sect winners. I wanted to see that closer. But I realized it was impossible due to my physical condition.” ᚱâɴọ𝖇Ěʂ

This was Seok Jeong’s story.

The wind imbued with thunder that Cheong Heo unleashed when he subdued Do Hwa among the Kunlun Sect, who had won, completely shattered his perception of Qingcheng Sect martial arts.

After that shocking event, he trained like mad to reach Cheong Heo’s level, and by some stroke of fortune, he achieved a higher level of enlightenment.

And it was that very day.

Fake ones with the same appearance attacked Qingcheng, and amidst the chaos, he eliminated the fake that looked like him and blended in with them.

Then, by chance, he found the fake Cheong Heo among the crowd, and following him led him here.

“Are you saying you followed a fake just to learn my martial arts?”

“Just? Please don’t belittle the great Qingcheng’s martial arts.”

“Is this something you should do, even at the cost of killing the Qingcheng Sect’s people?”

At those words, Seok Jeong grinned and raised his sword.

“I have no choice. Instead, I will repay by saving more Qingcheng people with my master’s martial arts.”

With those words, Cheong Heo’s eyes changed.

Given his demeanor, which showed no intent of betrayal, the thought crossed his mind that perhaps this could be turned into an opportunity.

“Well, let’s wrap this up. Even if Qingcheng Sect overcomes this crisis, we can’t coexist under the same sky, can we?”

Seok Jeong, noticing Cheong Heo’s peculiar response, showed a slightly wary expression.

At that moment, Cheong Heo spoke again.

“Then spare Hyuk Jin.”

“…Pardon?”

“Master!”

Before Seok Jeong could object, Hyuk Jin shouted, but Cheong Heo’s demeanor was resolute.

“You know my life is about to end, so there’s no need to worry. Sparing Hyuk Jin won’t cause any harm, will it?”

“Master! No matter how I think about it, this isn’t right. How can we possibly spare a traitor…?”

“Silence!”

Cheong Heo shouted as if scolding, but Hyuk Jin did not back down.

“No, I must speak!”

“This boy keeps…”

“Master, you taught us to overcome difficulties because they always come! Without a sword, there is no person, so you told us to accept and not avoid even the toughest situations!”

“You foolish boy… What could be more important than life?”

“The sword is our will. If our will is broken, how can a disciple live?”

Cheongheo could no longer respond to Hyuk Jin’s words. Indeed, the sword was the will.

If that was broken, how could one live as a person, as a member of Cheongseong?

“Sigh…”

Cheong Heo shook his head. He was indeed his disciple.

Even in this dire moment, he was upholding the teachings he valued most.

“Haha. Don’t fight too much.”

Seok Jeong, who had been watching the earnest conversation between master and disciple with interest, grinned.

And at that moment, a current began to surge from his sword.

“I will kindly kill every single one of you!”

Swoosh!

Without any warning, Seok Jeong’s sword qi flew through the air.

The sword qi, created in such a short time, was a force that was simply impossible to dodge or block.

Swish.

Perhaps that’s why, after unleashing the sword energy, Seok Jeong turned away.

He didn’t even bother to watch the scene.

He was confident that the dying old man and his insignificant disciple couldn’t possibly avoid this strike.

Clang.

It was the moment he sheathed his sword and took a step forward.

The hair on his entire body stood on end.

It was because of a strange voice that suddenly echoed in the enclosed cave.

“I heard the general story from the system… But seeing your reaction, I couldn’t find a way to intervene.”

When Seok Jeong quickly turned around, a stranger was standing there.

And he was speaking to Hyuk Jin.

‘How did he… No, from where…’

Seok Jeong was bewildered.

He couldn’t believe that someone claiming to be a great warrior like himself hadn’t sensed the presence of the other.

“Ah… You are!”

Meanwhile, Hyuk Jin, who was supporting his master, immediately recognized Seol-Hwi’s face.

Cheong Heo, whose vision was blurred, also recognized him.

“You are…”

“Yes, it’s me. Have you been well?”

Cheong Heo’s face began to tremble upon recognizing Seol-Hwi.

A figure who was more extraordinary than anyone else, and who had been of great help to him.

He wanted to converse more, but he couldn’t hold onto the person who was like the wind, who now stood before him.

“How did you suddenly come here…”

Cheong Heo carefully asked, hoping his voice wouldn’t tremble.

“I felt like I should come. I’m glad I wasn’t too late.”

Seol-Hwi was confirming that the time that was ending for Cheong Heo had been renewed.

In this sense, the system was very useful.

[Elder Cheong Heo's lifespan has been extended by half a day.]

With the threat from Seok Jeong removed, it seemed that Cheong Heo could now enjoy a full life.

Of course, it’s still less than a day.

Cheong Heo asked.

“Taoist, did you get what you wanted?”

“……”

“Someone who comes and goes like the wind is asking again by coming here.”

He remembered.

The conversation they had when parting ways.

He was described as a person who comes and goes quietly like the wind.

If such a person had come again, he thought that he must have gotten what he wanted.

“I tried to obtain it and thought I had reached it… but looking back, I gained nothing.”

At those words, Cheong Heo showed a peculiar expression.

Seol-Hwi felt that he understood something from that expression.

“You, by any chance…”

At that moment, someone called out to Seol-Hwi.

It was Seok Jeong, who had attacked Cheong Heo and Hyuk Jin.

“Yes, it’s you! How did you get here!”

He also recognized Seol-Hwi.

Since he had been wandering around the Qingcheng Sect in the capacity of a Wudang Sect Taoist until recently, it was impossible for him not to know.

“How dare a Wudang bastard come to this place!”

Seok Jeong’s voice was laced with unease.

The fact that his sword qi was nullified for no reason and he couldn’t even sense his opponent’s presence disturbed him.

“Now that I see you, you are indeed a rare one.”

“What?”

“There was a time when you lived a life dedicated to sacrificing for Qingcheng… Has the change in environment influenced you this much?”

Seol-Hwi found Seok Jeong’s change of heart unexpected.

In the past, Seol-Hwi had lived with his master at Qingcheng Sect for a long time, but back then, he never showed such behavior.

“In contrast to you, Hyuk Jin has grown into a truly remarkable person.”

Even in life-threatening situations, Hyuk Jin prioritized the safety of his master and the spirit of Qingcheng Sect.

This moved Seol-Hwi deeply.

“You brat! Are you from another sect trying to interfere with our sect matters? Get out immediately!”

Seok Jeong shouted, displeased with Seol-Hwi’s words and actions.

He decided that this Taoist from Wudang needed to be removed.

“…….”

Seol-Hwi’s silent gaze made Seok Jeong’s anger surge.

He couldn’t stand the look that seemed to look down on him, no, it was closer to contempt.

Ssssss—

In the end, Seok Jeong infused his sword with qi again.

In an instant, a blue aura began swirling around him.

Qingcheng’s representative martial art, Gather and Aim Sword technique.

It appeared to be still, but its movements were faster than a quick sword, and the waves created by the airflow vibrated throughout the cave.

Seok Jeong didn’t stop there and went a step further, completing the gathering of energy.

“Aaaaah!”

Boom!

The explosive qi of clear Wind engulfed the entire cave.

Although it didn’t contain thunder qi, the sword qi he unleashed was intense enough to collapse the cave itself.

Seok Jeong didn’t stop and even drew up all his innate qi.

Even if the cave collapsed and buried everyone, or rather, with the intention to collapse it, he prepared for the final blow.

“Everyone dieeeee!”

Boom!

Seok Jeong directed his qi at the cave’s ceiling, not at the people.

It was his last gamble, feeling instinctively that he had no chance of victory.

In the chaos of the collapsing cave, it was an attempt to seize any chance of survival.

Saaah—

Seok Jeong, who was waiting for the cave to collapse.

His face froze for a moment as he released his qi.

The cave showed no sign of movement.

“How could this be…?”

All the qi he poured out disappeared as if it were a lie.

Seok Jeong’s eyes widened.

Fear crept into his gaze as he looked at Seol-Hwi.

The energy was completely extinguished.

He realized that this unbelievable phenomenon was due to the Taoist priest in front of him.

“What a pointless act.”

Saaahk.

Those words marked Seok Jeong’s end. With a single gesture from Seol-Hwi, his neck was cleanly severed.

It was the energy imbued with the lightning technique Cheong Heo had shown.

“Ah…”

Hyeok Jin watched the entire scene in a daze. The power that completely neutralized the opponent’s qi without even clashing.

Facing the absolute martial art of sword strength was simply astonishing.

“Hyuk Jin, take the master and leave.”

“Um, Taoist…”

With those words, Seol-Hwi turned away.

Hyuk Jin seemed to want to mention that there might still be enemies left, but Seol-Hwi’s response was brief.

“The fake ones have all disappeared.”

Seol-Hwi continued with a short smile towards him.

“Peace has returned to Qingcheng.”