Invincible with Twin Swords

Chapter 47 : Sometimes, What You See Is Not the Truth

I gathered my breath and slowly raised my internal energy.

The Black-Scaled Blood Serpent in my right arm absorbed that power and added its own.

I trapped the boiling power in the blade so that it wouldn't escape.

The ink-colored blade shone red and let out a saber cry.

As if a wild beast was growling, trying to break through the cage.

"Ugh!"

Naeng Muyeom swallowed a groan and gripped his sword with both hands.

He had felt that my momentum had changed.

I gave him a slight smile.

I am asking if he can handle this much power.

I closed the distance in one step and struck down with the Ink Blood Saber.

- Thump!

Naeng Muyeom's sword stuck to the blade as before.

And he tried to let this explosive power flow away.

I poured in even more power.

The internal energy that started from my dantian was transmitted to the Ink Blood Saber through the Black-Scaled Blood Serpent in my right arm.

And that power was transmitted to his sword without a single bit of waste.

Naeng Muyeom's face color gradually began to change.

His wrist began to bend back slightly.

Naeng Muyeom, who had been receiving and deflecting the overflowing power of the Ink Blood Saber with the mystery of softness, had reached his limit.

His two hands, holding the sword, were trembling.

I kept pushing.

Now he and I were so close that we could even feel each other's breath.

His face, which had always been expressionless, was gradually contorting.

I met his eyes and gave him a relaxed smile.

It means that you are tired, but I am not.

It's a sneer!

At that moment, I felt a familiar power through the Ink Blood Saber.

Something sticky wrapped around the Ink Blood Saber.

It is the power of the Demonic Cult that I have felt countless times!

Naeng Muyeom, who had lost his composure, had raised the power of the Demonic Cult.

Naeng Muyeom's two eyes had a red light, and his mouth had a sinister smile.

He took the bait!

My plan to provoke him and make him reveal his identity had worked.

Since he has taken out a forbidden power in the middle of the Martial Alliance, he will have no way to escape.

At that moment!

- Thump!

The moment I thought everything was going according to plan!

Naeng Muyeom withdrew all his power and was thrown back.

He rolled back a few times and fell to the ground ungracefully.

A thin line of blood was flowing from his mouth as he raised his body.

His two eyes, which had been stained red, had returned to their previous state.

"I have lost! I can't take it anymore!"

In that short moment, he had regained his composure.

It is an amazing judgment.

I quickly looked around the duel stage.

- Waaah!

When Naeng Muyeom obediently admitted defeat, everyone was cheering.

The martial arts gathering had already gone beyond the structure of the Martial Alliance and the Flying Heaven Sect.

It was accepted as a confrontation between the side that would do anything for victory and the side that faced the duel fair and square despite that.

And the Flying Heaven Sect had won, breaking through all kinds of cheap tricks.

Although there were some disappointed expressions, most were happy.

Around the duel stage, the numerous eyes of the Martial Alliance's martial artists were watching our duel.

But no one had noticed the demonic art that Naeng Muyeom had briefly revealed at the end.

The moment he had shown the power of the Demonic Cult was very short.

Only I, who was facing him with our swords crossed, had felt it.

Was it his mistake to reveal his true self at that moment?

Or was it a kind of warning sent to me?

I don't know.

I couldn't even enjoy the joy of victory and was just standing alone on the duel stage.

I couldn't even hear the judge's words shouting that the Flying Heaven Sect had won the martial arts gathering.

"Hyungnim! As expected, I knew you would win easily!"

"Didn't you shake your head earlier, saying it would be difficult?"

"Ah! That was because I suddenly had a stiff neck."

Deoksam and Parip hyungnim were bickering as always, and Na Yeryeong and Dam Sook were rejoicing in the victory of the Flying Heaven Sect with bright faces, but my head was complicated.

I followed Naeng Muyeom.

He was returning alone, without receiving any comfort from the sword unit members.

I said to his back.

"It's a bit of a shame that it ended before I even warmed up!"

"You were just stronger than me. What other reason could there be?"

"I would have been able to face that last power."

Naeng Muyeom's steps stopped.

And he came closer and said in a low voice.

"Who would it be good for?"

And he came closer to me and whispered in my ear.

"Shouldn't our meeting be a little more secret?"

* * *

The Martial Alliance was turned upside down.

Whatever the process, they would have expected that it would end with the victory of the Martial Alliance in the end.

Because the last opponent was the commander of the Changtian Sword Unit.

Although he had lost face with the cheap tricks he had shown so far, his skills were real.

But he had lost completely to the sect leader of a nameless Flying Heaven Sect.

"No, Deoksam! Who on earth are the guys who have flocked to the gate? Why are they all flocking here and making a fuss?"

"Who would it be? The guys from the Martial Alliance have flocked here to see your face."

Deoksam said with an annoyed expression.

"Finally, the Flying Heaven Sect is being reborn as a prestigious righteous sect of the Central Plains! As the sect leader, I am very proud. You all here can also be proud of being disciples of the Flying Heaven Sect. On behalf of the Flying Heaven Sect, I will go out for a moment. Since they are making such a fuss to see the sect leader's face, I should at least show them my face."

As I was standing up from my seat, Parip hyungnim grabbed my arm and stopped me.

"You might get stoned if you go out now!"

"Stoned? I'll probably get stabbed."

Deoksam added with a harsh tone.

"No, why? Didn't they come to see me?"

Deoksam shook his head from side to side and said.

"Half of the guys out there now are shouting Miss Na's name! The other half have come to see Miss Dam."

Ah! So that's what it was.

I was making a big mistake.

I left the young martial artists of the Martial Alliance who had flocked to the gate and headed to the Righteous Law Hall.

At least the Righteous Law Hall master, Gwak Yohong, will welcome me.

Though his face will be frowning as always.

"Welcome. I was just about to send a message."

Unlike my expectation, he welcomed me with a bright smile.

This man, he knows how to smile too.

"Thank you for cheering for the Flying Heaven Sect."

"No. As a member of the same Martial Alliance, I am so ashamed that I can't even lift my face. It's a relief that the Flying Heaven Sect won. The alliance also needs to come to its senses on this occasion."

"Now that the martial arts gathering is over, I think I should hurry to the thunder prison."

"He will be here soon. The person who will guide you to the thunder prison and explain about Jong Ilmyeong's case."

After a moment, a middle-aged man opened the door and came in.

It was the leader of the Law Enforcement Unit, Cheon Mubaek.

He was a person I had to meet anyway.

Because he was a close friend of Jong Ilmyeong, who was imprisoned in the thunder prison, and he was also the one who knew the whole story of the case in the most detail.

Cheon Mubaek's first impression was that of an upright martial artist who would never compromise with principles.

Well, since he is such a person, he is leading the Law Enforcement Unit.

The Law Enforcement Unit is the place responsible for the discipline within the Martial Alliance.

That's why any incident that happens in the alliance first goes through the investigation of the Law Enforcement Unit.

"So you were the first to discover the scene, Hall Master?"

"That's right! I often visited his house without an appointment. We would have a drink and talk about this and that."

"Do you understand that Jong Ilmyeong secretly learned a demonic art he had obtained by chance and fell into a demonic state?"

"He is not that kind of person. But the scene that day was saying so. The scene does not lie."

"Isn't that a story for when the scene has not been manipulated by someone?"

I looked at Cheon Mubaek's face.

Anyway, the one who is most deeply involved in this case is this person.

It was also Cheon Mubaek who had discovered the scene first.

When you can't believe what you see, you have to doubt everything.

The facts that he is a close friend of Jong Ilmyeong, that he saved him, and that he is the leader of the Law Enforcement Unit with an upright impression are just things that are seen on the surface.

Sometimes, what you see is not the truth.

"Hmm. I also suspected that at first. But as a result of the Law Enforcement Unit's investigation, there was no suspicion of manipulation or damage. And decisively..."

"Decisively?"

"Because I saw it! His appearance, in a demonic state and in a frenzy, in front of the body of his wife whom he had killed!"

Of all people, the one who discovered the scene first was his close friend, Cheon Mubaek.

Since the Law Enforcement Unit leader had witnessed it himself, no one would have had any doubts.

And the person in question, Jong Ilmyeong, does not remember anything.

Is it just me who finds this suspicious?

* * *

Na Yeryeong and I decided to visit the thunder prison.

In this situation, she will be the most helpful.

As I was being guided to the thunder prison by Cheon Mubaek, I asked.

"Miss Na's popularity seems to be piercing the sky."

"It's annoying. A martial artist should be interested in someone stronger than themselves. This Martial Alliance is out of my expectations in many ways."

That's what I'm saying.

Isn't it normal to be interested in the sect leader who lightly defeated the Changtian Sword Unit commander, Naeng Muyeom?

"Miss Dam is also very annoyed. She says it's taking away her training time."

In fact, it's not that I don't understand why the martial artists of the alliance are so enthusiastic about these two.

A dazzlingly beautiful female swordsman is like a black tortoise or a vermilion bird.

It is said to exist, but no one has actually seen it...

In my old ronin days, I was once excited by a companion's words that he would introduce me to a female swordsman.

The woman I actually met surpassed my expectations in every way.

She was very strong and brave.

And she was gallant.

To the point where I wanted to be held in her arms.

Most female swordsmen are like that.

"What are you thinking about? We've arrived at the thunder prison."

When I came to my senses, the legendary vermilion bird was talking to me in front of my eyes.

"Ah, no. Let's go in."

When you think of the Martial Alliance's thunder prison, you usually think of a dark and damp cave and bars made of ten-thousand-year-old cold iron, but in fact, it's not like that.

There's no way there would be such a cave in the middle of the Martial Alliance, and how precious is ten-thousand-year-old cold iron that you would make bars to imprison criminals with it?

The criminals are just imprisoned in a shapeless underground space.

But the security was so tight that it seemed difficult for even Parip hyungnim, one of the top ten assassins of the Central Plains, to infiltrate.

We arrived at the room where Jong Ilmyeong was imprisoned.

"Hey, Ilmyeong! I've brought two guests today. They say they have something to ask you about that day."

In the darkness, a man was lying curled up, facing the wall.

He slowly raised his body and approached the bars, then opened his mouth.

"I am a sinner who has killed my wife. What do I have to say?"

His two eyes, seen up close, were like those of a corpse.

He was the one who was recognized as having the most mysterious talent in the entire Central Plains.

But his dantian was destroyed and his tendons were cut.

Now he has lost the will to live and is spending the rest of his life in the thunder prison.

Na Yeryeong, standing next to me, was staring intently at his two unfocused eyes.

What is she seeing beyond those dark, abyss-like pupils?

"Could you leave us for a moment?"

I requested of Cheon Mubaek.

"I can't go that far. Please have your conversation where I am."

"I have Hall Master Gwak's permission. You can check it."

Cheon Mubaek did not leave easily even after sending a person to go through the confirmation process.

"Do I really have to leave? You don't trust me?"

"Sometimes, it's not good to know everything."

I said firmly.

"Just for a moment."

Cheon Mubaek turned around and went out.

He probably won't allow much time.

Jong Ilmyeong opened his mouth.

"I do not know who you are. I do not know for what purpose you have come to see me, but I have nothing to tell you. Please go back."

I expected this reaction.

He is a person who, one day, woke up to find himself imprisoned in the thunder prison for the crime of killing his beloved wife after falling into a demonic state.

He can't even trust himself, so who can he trust?

I took out the letter that the Soul-Taking Divine Woman had written herself and handed it to him.

She had personally requested it when we were leaving the Forest of Swords.

The letter probably contains her concern for him and the content that I am a trustworthy person.

"She is very worried about you, Great Hero Jong. That's why she sent her granddaughter here herself."

The Soul-Taking Divine Woman and Jong Ilmyeong were said to have had a considerable connection.

There must have been something that people with great talents had in common.

A hint of welcome and affection was mixed in his gaze as he looked at Na Yeryeong.

Jong Ilmyeong slowly read the letter and then opened his mouth.

"If it's something I know, a few things should be fine."

I threw the many questions I had prepared at Jong Ilmyeong.

He was puzzled as to why I was asking so many things that were unrelated to the case.

But through his answers, many things became clear.

A picture was drawn in my head.

What remains is how to make the truth reveal itself.

I gave him a few things he had to do and then left the thunder prison.

"Did you hear the answer you wanted?"

Cheon Mubaek, who was waiting outside, asked.

His face looked anxious.

"I wonder."

I threw a meaningful answer and returned to our quarters with Na Yeryeong.

(End of Chapter)