Reincarnation Sword God

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I showed Namgung Jo the facility where the women were imprisoned by the Namgung Clan. I then brought out the women I had stored in the neck guard and made them recount their harrowing experiences. Namgung Jo, completely blindsided by the situation, stared at the sex slave facility in disbelief, holding his head in anguish.

“I… I can’t believe it. Our Namgung Clan has fallen this low…”

As Namgung Jo struggled with his thoughts, one of the dressed women spoke with a venomous tone.

“Are you one of the elders of the Namgung Clan?”

“Indeed, I am…”

“I was from the Dongyun Pyo Clan. But the Lord of Heavenly Sky of Namgung Clan hunted down my clan, slaughtering my husband and children and bringing me here three years ago. Do you know what I’ve endured during this time?”

“……”

Tears flowed from the woman of the Pyo Clan.

“I will curse the Namgung Clan even if I die a thousand times. I will tear Namgung Myeong apart for humiliating me in front of my husband!”

Whispers

“Exactly!”

“They deserve to be ripped apart!”

The women who had gathered began to raise their voices one after another. Most of them were women from martial families and sects who had been kidnapped by the Namgung Clan after their fall. The horrors they had faced for years were far too horrific and vile to speak of. It seemed that Namgung Myeong was deeply involved in his son’s atrocities, and the Eight Swords of Namgung had fully complicit in these acts.

Master of Shadowless Sword Namgung Jo, after listening for a while, spoke with a trembling voice. He looked even more shaken than when he was defeated by Yeodong-bin earlier.

“I… I’m sorry…”

Thud

Suddenly, he knelt before the women, his shoulders shaking as he bowed deeply in apology.

“I am the one who must die. When our clan began to change… I should have fought to change it instead of giving up!”

“……?”

The women looked bewildered, not understanding what he was saying. Namgung Jo turned to me with a somber expression.

“Baek Woong, was it? Keep them safe.”

“What are you planning?”

“It’s late, but as you said, I will punish the Namgung Clan. I am a sinner, but I want the chance to resolve this with my own hands.”

“Understood.”

After putting the women back in the neck guard, I pulled out Namgung Hwan this time. Namgung Jo frowned as he saw Namgung Hwan.

“That scoundrel…”

Namgung Hwan came to his senses after coming around from fainting and looked around, his naked body fidgeting until he caught sight of Namgung Jo, at which point he gasped and covered himself.

“Gah! Great Grandfather!! What brings you here…?”

“……”

Namgung Jo looked at him with a pained expression. It appeared that Namgung Hwan, being a member of the Namgung Clan, had formally met the Master of Shadowless Sword before. Although Namgung Jo disapproved of him, it was a fact that he was the strongest expert of the Namgung Clan.

Namgung Jo spoke in a gloomy tone.

“Why do you call me Great Grandfather?”

“Huh? I heard you were the brother of my great-grandfather…”

“No. You are not of the Namgung Clan’s bloodline.”

Crack!

“Gaaaargh!!”

The Master of Shadowless Sword immediately ripped off Namgung Hwan’s arm. Namgung Hwan rolled on the ground in pain, but soon after, the Master of Shadowless Sword raised his foot to smash his head. I rushed in to stop him.

Thud

Just managing to block the Master of Shadowless Sword’s technique, he shot me a glance.

“Step aside. I will deal with him myself.”

“I understand your anger, but he has committed too many sins. The victims need to have their say.”

“…Then let me ask you.”

The Master of Shadowless Sword sighed.

“I want to kill him cleanly out of family ties…”

“Absolutely not.”

“Haah.”

Shaking his head, the Master of Shadowless Sword turned to leave. I stuffed Namgung Hwan back into the neck guard and followed after him.

As the Master of Shadowless Sword emerged, walking through the grounds of the Namgung Clan, people looked on with confusion. After all, it was strange to see a beaten man dressed as a common blacksmith strolling through the Namgung Clan.

Rustle

A few martial artists of the Namgung Clan quickly blocked the path of the Master of Shadowless Sword. One of them drew his sword and said,

“Who the hell are you? Reveal your identity.”

The Master of Shadowless Sword coldly glanced at him and replied,

“Bring Namgung Myeong and the Eight Swords here.”

“You crazy fool! Kill him!”

Swish, swish!

The Namgung Clan’s martial artists charged in simultaneously, but they were soon cut in half by the Master of Shadowless Sword. The invisible energy of his sword struck so quickly and powerfully that they couldn’t stand for even a second; blood sprayed everywhere as chaos ensued.

“Eek!”

With reinforcements rushing in, the Master of Shadowless Sword continued his march. However, without even drawing his sword, he swung his arms a few times, and with each motion, it was as if an invisible barrier ripped human bodies apart. It seemed today, the Master of Shadowless Sword intended to show no mercy.

Finally, when the number of casualties surpassed fifty, the martial experts of the Namgung Clan recognized the Master of Shadowless Sword as a league above their own. Despite the joint efforts of the Heavenly Sky and Earthly Ground divisions to encircle him, they had no courage to engage.

The Lord of Heavenly Sky stepped forward, exerting his martial authority, and declared,

“I am the Lord of Heavenly Sky! Who are you to commit slaughter in this clan?”

“I told you. Bring Namgung Myeong and the Eight Swords.”

“Namgung…? Are you referring to the clan leader?”

“Yes. Bring that rotten scoundrel before me.”

Under normal circumstances, one would expect a leader to be insulted and the issue to lead to battle, but the Lord of Heavenly Sky clearly recognized the power difference and sensed something unsettling in the Master of Shadowless Sword’s tone. After much thought, he spoke.

“If you bring them, I promise there will be no more slaughter.”

“Of course.”

“Please wait a moment.”

After roughly a meal’s time, the clan leader Namgung Myeong, along with the Eight Swords of Namgung, appeared before the Master of Shadowless Sword.

“This guy! I won’t forgive…”

But as Namgung Myeong began to shout, upon recognizing the Master of Shadowless Sword’s face, he quickly turned pale and bowed respectfully.

“… How could this be? What brings you here, Great Uncle…?”

Whispers!

The people of the Namgung Clan surrounding them looked flabbergasted. After all, they had no way of guessing how high up in the clan hierarchy it was for Namgung Myeong to address someone as ‘Great Uncle.’ The Eight Swords of Namgung also seemed to recognize the Master of Shadowless Sword, their faces paling as they knelt.

Glaring coldly at Namgung Myeong, the Master of Shadowless Sword asked,

“Did my brother teach you this?”

“What do you mean by that…?”

“I’ve visited the Secret Space. I found women who were being abused.”

“……”

The faces of Namgung Myeong and the Eight Swords of Namgung turned ashen. In particular, Namgung Myeong seemed so shocked he nearly staggered. However, he soon regained his composure and retorted,

“I apologize for showing you such an unseemly sight.”

“Unseemly…?”

“They are trophies of the Namgung Clan. They were used secretly; it’s embarrassing.”

The Master of Shadowless Sword gaped in disbelief.

“Trophies? Used?”

“Yes.”

“Are… you serious?”

As the Master of Shadowless Sword stammered in disbelief, Namgung Myeong quietly replied,

“The survival of the fittest has become the clan’s creed since my great-grandfather’s time. I’ve been doing my best to elevate the Namgung Clan to the position of the greatest clan in the world. We eliminate factions that hinder our expansion, and these trophies are the spoils of that process.”

“Ha… Hahaha…”

The Master of Shadowless Sword pressed his temple.

“Namgung, I…”

He continued with a sigh.

“The truth is, I had little interest in anything other than martial arts since I was young. You know that too, right?”

“Yes, I do.”

“So I felt guilty that my brother was working so hard for the clan while I merely focused on honing my skills. But at some point, I realized the clan’s policies had gone too far and I left. I thought the clan would surely prosper ahead anyway.”

A spark of anger flickered in the Master of Shadowless Sword’s eyes.

“However, I was gravely mistaken. I never thought my family would become beasts that forsook humanity…”

Namgung Myeong spat back,

“Beasts? Those people are losers. Is ruling over losers with the victor’s name such a terrible thing?”

“Cough, cough.”

The Master of Shadowless Sword sighed.

“Namgung, we won’t go any further with this meaningless argument…”

Rustle

The Master of Shadowless Sword activated the Shadowless Sword Technique. Namgung Myeong’s eyes glimmered as he quickly took a combat stance, and the Eight Swords of Namgung raised their swords in readiness. As more martial artists too took their stances, the situation escalated into a chaotic melee.

I gulped beside the Master of Shadowless Sword.

‘I didn’t realize just how formidable the Namgung Clan’s forces were during Jin So-cheong’s time.’

Even with the Master of Shadowless Sword, could he really win against all of them?

As I quietly observed, Namgung Myeong shouted,

“Great Elder has lost his mind! We must put that man to rest to protect our clan!”

“Waaaaah!!”

Realizing that the Master of Shadowless Sword harbored intentions to kill them, Namgung Myeong drew his blade without hesitation. While it was a pragmatic choice, there was something unfathomable about his will to kill a figure of the sect.

“You heretics!”

In a flash, the Master of Shadowless Sword swung his hand.

Boom!!

Blood mist erupted. Every person within a six-yard radius turned into minced meat, and through the crimson haze, hundreds of invisible sword energies flitted about like a nightmare.

“Waaah!!”

Swish, swish, swish!

As the sword energy raged like an invisible storm, the martial artists could only stare in horror, but it was too late. The Master of Shadowless Sword showed no mercy, eradicating every creature daring to challenge him, turning those within his attack range into meat fragments. In just three seconds of unleashing his technique, half of the experts present were sent to the afterlife.

“Kill!”

Pressing his lips together, Namgung Myeong unleashed his Emperor Sword Technique and charged forward. The surging powerful aura meant he couldn’t afford to underestimate it, firing sword energy toward the Master of Shadowless Sword. Even the Master of Shadowless Sword hesitated momentarily, as Namgung Myeong’s attack was something not to be taken lightly. But the moment Namgung Myeong aimed for the Master of Shadowless Sword’s neck, it dispersed like sand.

Illusion!

The real Master of Shadowless Sword had already appeared behind the Eight Swords of Namgung. Just as the Eight Swords attempted to respond, the Master of Shadowless Sword, with a chilling murmur, said,

“Those who cannot serve their leader should die.”

“Gah!”

“Ahhh!”

In the next moment, five heads from the Eight Swords of Namgung soared through the air. The remaining three were riddled with numerous powerful strikes before spilling blood in heaps and collapsing. I felt a shiver run down my spine as I witnessed the scene unfold.

Unbelievably, these were top-tier experts of the Namgung Clan, and yet this one man leisurely dispatched eight peak-level practitioners! Given that peak experts typically held the role of sect elders, it was virtually unimaginable.

‘Was the Master of Shadowless Sword this strong?’

It was impossible to reconcile the current image of the Master of Shadowless Sword with the weakened one I had seen earlier when he was defeated by Yeodong-bin. Now, he seemed like an Asura dominating the battlefield. No one could thwart or escape from the Master of Shadowless Sword’s instantaneous strike. His technique, the Shadowless Sword Technique, was terrifyingly powerful.

Truly, the world’s greatest swordsman of his time!

Finally, with just Namgung Myeong remaining to stand against the Master of Shadowless Sword, he seemed to have lost his fighting spirit. Being a peak expert, he was well aware of the level difference between himself and the Master of Shadowless Sword, and he understood that continuing to fight was futile. With a trembling voice, Namgung Myeong addressed him.

“Is this really necessary?”

“Shut up.”

“We are your blood! We are your roots! What could possibly be the meaning of denying us?”

The Master of Shadowless Sword sneered.

“Well put. A rotten root must be cut off.”

“……!!”

“Today, you and everyone else will be uprooted, and with the secret techniques I possess, I will establish a new martial sect within the Namgung Clan!”

Namgung Myeong seemed to finally grasp the predicament he was in. Clenching his teeth, he replied,

“… What is to become of Hwan?”

“His fate is to be beaten to death. Why did you raise such a worthless kid?”

“Ugh…”

The Master of Shadowless Sword sighed.

“However, this is my fault as well. Once it’s all over, I too shall take my own life; at least I won’t be bored in the afterlife.”

“I won’t go down without a fight!!”

Boom!!

Namgung Myeong surged forth, amplifying his inner energy to unleash his full strength. As expected from a top-tier expert, he possessed extraordinary martial arts skills. Perhaps caused by this, even while the Master of Shadowless Sword unleashed the Shadowless Sword Technique, Namgung Myeong held his ground for about a hundred and fifty breaths, using the Emperor Sword’s absolute technique against him.

But after a hundred and fifty breaths, the Master of Shadowless Sword narrowed his fingers, as if declaring the playtime over, and pointed them at Namgung Myeong.

Deadly Technique

Shadowless Soul-Stealing Strike

The next moment, without a sound, Namgung Myeong’s left arm flew off. Frozen in shock, Namgung Myeong didn’t move, as even he, a peak-level practitioner, couldn’t sense the warning of the stealthy assassination. To spectators, it appeared as if sword energy had emerged from thin air.

Swish, swish!

That was the end. The Master of Shadowless Sword unleashed the Shadowless Soul-Stealing Strike in succession, severing Namgung Myeong’s limbs and finally taking off his head. It seemed the hundred and fifty breaths had merely been a courtesy to watch Namgung Myeong’s last struggles.

As Namgung Myeong fell to a tragic death, screams echoed from all directions.

“Ahhh.”

“The clan leader has fallen.”

As chaos erupted around them, the Master of Shadowless Sword bellowed,

“Silence!!”

Rumble!

The earth trembled, akin to an earthquake. As people’s hearts were crushed under the Master of Shadowless Sword’s presence, he used his martial authority to proclaim his will.

“I, Namgung Jo, Master of Shadowless Sword, have eradicated both the evil clan leader and his subordinates! From this day forth, I shall restore the righteousness of the Namgung Clan and uphold justice in the Martial World!”

At his words, the surviving experts of the Namgung Clan hesitated before slowly kneeling before the Master of Shadowless Sword. Given his overwhelming power and position as the clan’s elder, claiming the next leadership posed no issues whatsoever.

Once the situation had settled, the Master of Shadowless Sword turned to me and spoke.

“The wager has concluded. Are you satisfied now?”

“……”

“It seems you have something more to say.”

I gazed at the Master of Shadowless Sword and finally spoke.

“Master of Shadowless Sword, sir.

With everything here sorted, we can now proceed to the next step. Whether that involves meeting Mangryang, rummaging through the ruins of Makya, or encountering Jin So-cheong, I’m open to anything.

Yet, I was so overwhelmed that I couldn’t focus on the tasks ahead. After a brief moment, I asked with a trembling voice,

“Why are you using the techniques of the Shadowless Sect?”