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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 15
Chapter Title: Repaying the Favor (2)
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Ghost Sword Manor's manor lord, Shadowless Sword Yang Dae-un.
The realm he had dreamed of since his youth was none other than the pinnacle.
The first manor lord had reached the divine martial realm, a top-class expert in the world, so one might think settling for mere pinnacle was underwhelming. But Yang Dae-un thought differently.
'Unlike the First Heavenly Demon or the first manor lord, who were born with great talent, I was dull... my only strength was patience.'
Yang Dae-un knew his own limits well.
Reaching the pinnacle realm alone would be a miracle.
With desperate effort and a bit of luck, he believed he could achieve it in his lifetime.
Moreover, the pinnacle was the bare minimum to stand unashamed before the first manor lord's grave.
'But I couldn't even properly escape the first-rate realm and fell into despair.'
People come to grasp cold reality as they age.
In his youth, he dreamed not just of pinnacle, but of entry into the divine or even martial god realms. But he gradually realized the limits of his vessel.
He could never reach it, and now it was time to give up.
Yet here he was, belatedly enjoying such luxury.
"Thank you. Truly, thank you, Gunryong!"
Tears streamed down.
The Heavenly Demon Gunryong had made his folded-away dream unfold once more.
Yang Dae-un gripped Gunryong's hand, shedding thick tears of overwhelming gratitude.
These were the tears of one man, one warrior.
"Father!"
"Yang Dae-hyeop."
Yang Yeon-hwa and Sogang watched the scene. Yang Yeon-hwa, who knew better than anyone how passionate her father was, wept as if it were her own moment.
It was a fact known to the entire Yang clan that he had pushed his own growth to the back burner to care for his family and run Ghost Sword Manor.
"It's too early to be satisfied."
The Heavenly Demon patted Yang Dae-un's shoulder, offering more hopeful words.
"Your physical age and dantian have both rejuvenated. Do you know what that means?"
"Y-yes?"
Yang Dae-un, who hadn't even wiped his tears, looked up in surprise.
"Dae-un, depending on your effort, you can reach the pinnacle... or even beyond."
"No way!"
At the Heavenly Demon's words that his lifelong craved pinnacle was merely the beginning, Yang Dae-un trembled violently.
With infinite potential opening up like a young man's, what could bring more joy?
"Now, Yeon-hwa's turn!"
Strengthening the Yang clan and Ghost Sword Manor's forces was only just beginning.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
In just over two days, the Heavenly Demon accomplished much.
Not only did he feed rare spiritual medicines to Yang Dae-un and Yang Yeon-hwa, but he also selected those among the Yang clan born with martial bones or exceptional qualities, providing elixirs suited to their constitutions. This produced many new experts.
But that wasn't all that amazed them.
"I heard there are lost techniques among U-ryang's martial arts that are practical or forgotten."
While observing their martial arts in Ghost Sword Manor's training grounds, the Heavenly Demon noticed something odd.
It was that among the martial arts left by Loyal Ghost Sword, some had fallen into disuse due to the passage of time or sudden deaths of manor lords.
"That's right."
"We know it's strange, but we don't know the incantations, so..."
Yang Dae-un and the executives hung their heads, frustrated and ashamed to face the First Heavenly Demon.
That was when it happened.
"I know them."
The Heavenly Demon spoke as if it were nothing to be embarrassed about.
The aftermath of those words was tremendous.
"...!!"
"What?!"
"Pardon?"
Yang Dae-un and the executives approached in shock, asking again.
It was unbelievable that he remembered Yang U-ryang's lost martial arts and techniques.
"U-ryang and Hui were like brothers to me. I was just the youngest who rose highest as cult leader. So I know most of their martial arts, including techniques and incantations."
The reason he knew even the incantations was his innate genius and heavenly killer body, close to blood and death, which allowed him to grasp most martial arts at a glance.
Also, Yang U-ryang and Sima Hui had voluntarily taught him for friend-or-foe identification.
Assassins skilled in disguise and human skin masks targeted him daily, after all.
"I-is that true?"
"I told you it is."
The Heavenly Demon emphasized to Yang Dae-un, who was still half-doubting.
The other executives, refusing to believe, stepped forward themselves.
"Here, watch closely. I'll demonstrate the lost technique myself."
Smoothly,
the Heavenly Demon picked up a wooden sword lying in the training grounds.
-Ghost Lord Shadow Chase!
He unleashed the lost ultimate technique of Ghost Weep Shadow Pursuit Sword Technique, the martial art of Loyal Ghost Sword, now legendary in the Yang clan and Yoneung lands.
The essence of Ghost Weep Shadow Pursuit Sword Technique was stealthy, unparalleled speed.
A sword as fast as an assassin's.
Flash!
Astoundingly, the casually wielded wooden sword sliced through part of Dome Green Mountain's dense forest, giving everyone present the illusion that even the brightly shining sun was halved.
Oh, ohhh!
The Yang clansmen of Ghost Sword Manor cheered wildly as Ghost Lord Shadow Chase—the fastest, most powerful technique in Ghost Weep Shadow Pursuit Sword Technique— was finally recreated in modern times.
"Unbelievable!"
"It's really... the lost technique has fully revived!"
Only after seeing it with their own eyes did Yang Dae-un and the executives fully believe, rising in感動.
This technique the Heavenly Demon demonstrated wasn't just any move.
'It's the waist, spine of our manor's signature sword art, Ghost Weep Shadow Pursuit Sword Technique.'
It bridged early and late techniques, and was key to comprehending and mastering the entire sword art.
Ghost Sword Manor's failure to produce super pinnacle experts stemmed largely from this lost technique.
How could perfect experts emerge without a connected front and back?
"Got it? If not, I'll recite the incantation—write it down."
The Heavenly Demon rarely taught martial arts to anyone, but made an exception for the Yang clan.
'U-ryang, this repays a bit of the debt, right?'
Until sunset, he patiently instructed each Yang clansman one by one, then smiled thinking of Yang U-ryang.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
From midday until sunset, the Heavenly Demon focused solely on martial arts instruction.
Unfortunately, the work continued even at his lodgings.
"Gunryong-nim. Like this?"
The one striking an awkward, clumsy pose and looking at the Heavenly Demon was none other than the storyteller Sogang.
"No, not like that! Hooo."
The Heavenly Demon tried not to get angry with comrades, but made an exception now.
He had thought he could at least make the third-rate Sogang, still young, into a first-rate expert to avoid future crises.
But no.
"Sogang. Don't learn martial arts. Learn something else."
Among the countless people the Heavenly Demon had seen, Sogang was utterly devoid of martial talent.
"Gahk!"
At the sincere words, Sogang despaired.
As they shared lodgings but different rooms and were about to wrap up, Yang Yeon-hwa arrived in a panic.
"Heavenly Demon-nim! Big trouble! Fine Sword Sect— their sect lord and disciples have come to the manor entrance!"
A sudden situation arose.
Incredibly, Fine Sword Sect—their archrival with deep grudge against Ghost Sword Manor—and its sect lord had arrived.
"What? They still haven't learned?"
The Heavenly Demon couldn't contain his anger upon hearing this.
He had crushed their ambush squad last time and issued a stern warning.
Yet Fine Sword Sect hadn't given up.
Unaware this was the First Heavenly Demon's final mercy.
"Guide me there now."
"Yes!"
Thus, guided by Yang Yeon-hwa, the Heavenly Demon rushed to Ghost Sword Manor's entrance.
There, as she said, stood Fine Sword Sect's lord, Extreme Fine Sword Guest Jeon Il-gwang, renowned as an outstanding swordsman in Yoneung Province.
Tall but gaunt, he gave a harsh, merchant-like impression sharp on calculations.
No one in Yoneung dared ignore him.
Jeon Il-gwang faced off against Ghost Sword Manor's lord, Shadowless Sword Yang Dae-un, in a tense standoff.
"What brings you here? We don't seem the type to sit and chat."
"Haha, Manor Lord Yang is sensitive. I came with a proposal."
"Proposal?"
Yang Dae-un eyed him suspiciously, wondering what trick he was up to.
"Just as two suns can't rise in the sky... two sects can't coexist on Dome Green Mountain. How about a fair sect battle? The loser forfeits everything and leaves."
Jeon Il-gwang proposed with his signature sly smile.
Sect battle meant rival sects agreeing to a martial showdown.
There were various types: chaotic free-for-alls or one-on-one elite duels.
The most common was one-on-one.
"Sect battle?"
Yang Dae-un gaped at the unexpected suggestion.
'What are you plotting...'
Yang Dae-un knew Jeon Il-gwang well.
An opportunist who never fought a losing battle.
"Indeed. Fighting haphazardly like last time only increases losses for Fine Sword Sect and your Ghost Sword Manor. Let's cleanly have three representatives per sect duel one-on-one. First to two wins takes it."
"Three representatives?"
"Yes. For a sect battle: one junior representative, one sect lord, one top expert. Total three."
Jeon Il-gwang explained the format.
Junior duel, lord duel, top expert duel—first to two wins.
As Yang Dae-un suspected, there was cunning calculation.
'You've confirmed they have a mysterious young expert.'
Jeon Il-gwang's plan was simple.
Ghost Sword Manor had gained an incredibly strong absolute expert. Concede the top expert duel, secure easy wins in junior and lord duels for 2-1 victory.
"We're not some evil Demonic Cult brute. This is better than crushing by force, no?"
Jeon Il-gwang subtly demeaned Ghost Sword Manor to provoke.
To goad acceptance of the sect battle.
Better to absorb the sect straightforwardly than brawl with the unknown expert and suffer greater losses.
"Ghost Sword Manor..."
Yang Dae-un, sensing the dark intent, was about to shrewdly refuse.
[This sounds fun? Dae-un, accept it.]
The Heavenly Demon, who had been listening from behind, sent a transmission.