Bachelor Swordsmanship Remastered [EN]: Chapter 337

337. Dagger

“…Moon King.”

Un-hyun stared at the Moon King with a hardened expression.

He was indeed the Blood Prince, Moon King.

The man who burned down the Hangzhou Martial Arts Alliance, killed his only sworn brother Dokgo-rang, and drove Shin-seung, who always wore a mischievous smile, to his death.

And that’s not all.

He was also the one who virtually crippled Un-hyun, targeted Park Gong-gong’s life, and kidnapped Il-a-young and the head of the Hoam Merchant Guild.

No, perhaps he was also responsible for the death of his sworn brother, Il-chung-hyun.

Because Moon King’s court faction, which Park Gong-gong had overthrown, were the ones who framed Il-chung-hyun.

Grit.

Rage boiled up.

But at the same time, he felt his heart chillingly sink.

It was a cold, icy rage.

“…Where is A-young noona [older sister]? And the Guild Leader?”

Un-hyun asked with cold eyes.

The Moon King’s beautifully drawn eyebrows twitched.

“Show some respect.”

The Moon King said with a stern expression.

“If you want to see A-young Sojeo [young mistress] alive, that is.”

Un-hyun frowned.

“Such threats…”

Un-hyun was about to say something when.

Swish.

The Moon King gestured to his subordinate.

The subordinate immediately lifted something round covered in red silk.

“This is my gift to you.”

Whoosh.

With the Moon King’s words, the subordinate threw it at Un-hyun.

Cutting through the darkness and flying leisurely, it had the shape of a human head.

“Welcome to your hell.”

The Moon King said with a bitter smile.

“Sword Master of Azure Dragon.”

Un-hyun’s eyes widened in shock.

Terrible memories, a sense of despair as if falling into the abyss, and an ominous premonition instantly swallowed Un-hyun.

Whooosh.

Un-hyun couldn’t take his eyes off the object flying through the air.

So he couldn’t avoid it.

Thud.

At the same time as feeling a cold sensation, a sharp murderous intent pierced into his side.

Un-hyun turned his head and looked down at his right side.

A small dagger was piercing his body with a black blade.

The one letting go of the dagger’s handle and moving away was a familiar white and slender finger in Un-hyun’s eyes.

Rustle.

Un-hyun raised his head.

The owner of the finger had already lightly leaped to the Moon King’s side.

She was none other than Lee Seo-yeon.

Thud.

The round object that flew through the air rolled on the floor.

Revealed under the torchlight, it was fortunately a face Un-hyun didn’t recognize at all.

But heat and pain were already spreading through his side.

“Seo, Seo-yeon… noona.”

Un-hyun said as if groaning.

But Lee Seo-yeon turned her head towards the Moon King.

“What happened? It’s different from what we talked about.”

Her voice echoed clearly.

Flap.

Instead of answering, the Moon King unfolded his fan and covered his mouth.

“Originally, it was supposed to be like this…”

“Kuh-uk.”

Un-hyun’s groan cut off Lee Seo-yeon’s words.

Lee Seo-yeon turned her head and looked at Un-hyun.

Un-hyun pulled out the dagger with a distorted expression.

Clang.

The short dagger with a black blade fell on the pier.

“Hmm, you avoided the fatal spot in that short moment? Your skills are nothing special either.”

The Moon King said, watching Un-hyun.

“It doesn’t matter. The moment you’re stabbed by the Death Severing Dagger, you’re as good as dead. You’ll soon turn into a puddle of blood.”

“Really? Will I, though?”

Blood gushed out of Un-hyun’s wound, soaking his clothes.

The color was black not because of the torchlight.

“Kuh-uk.”

Un-hyun groaned with a distorted expression.

But he was still standing on two feet.

“Impressive.”

The Moon King admired.

“Or was the Tang Family’s Death Severing Dagger not that great either.”

His expression was quite relaxed, but Lee Seo-yeon was different.

Seeing Un-hyun still standing, Lee Seo-yeon bit her lip.

“…You have to kill him now.”

Lee Seo-yeon said, looking at Un-hyun with anxious eyes.

“Quickly!”

Thack.

The Moon King’s fan touched Lee Seo-yeon’s neck.

“How dare you order me?”

The Moon King’s eyes were cold as he looked at Lee Seo-yeon.

“N-no, it’s not like that.”

“Then shut up.”

The Moon King said as if chewing his words, then covered his mouth with his fan again.

And looked at Un-hyun.

Thud.

One of Un-hyun’s knees buckled.

But Un-hyun’s eyes were still alive.

“Indeed.”

The Moon King said as if admiring.

“I knew you’d endure. But I can’t call it hell with just that.”

Swish.

The Moon King pointed to the mansion with his fan and said.

“A-young Sojeo is in there.”

Lee Seo-yeon’s eyebrows twitched as she listened from the side.

The Moon King continued without a care.

“I’ll be waiting there. Even if blood flows and flesh falls off, even if your arms and legs are cut off, come. Then I’ll save her.”

A bitter smile hung on the Moon King’s red lips.

Looking down at Un-hyun, he said.

“You can look forward to it. Your hell starts now.”

The Moon King’s eyes were gleaming.

Whoosh.

The Moon King turned his body.

Lee Seo-yeon let out a small sigh.

‘Ah, now I see…’

Only now could Lee Seo-yeon understand the Moon King’s plan.

He wanted to see Un-hyun, who had defeated him, break down and collapse.

If it was the Moon King, with his twisted desires, he was more than capable of doing it.

Either way, the result would be Un-hyun’s death.

Step, step.

The Moon King walked away with a red parasol.

Lee Seo-yeon, who was about to follow him, turned back to Un-hyun.

“It was fun, Oraboni [term of endearment for an older brother or male friend].”

Lee Seo-yeon said with a bright smile.

“You may not believe it, but I really loved you. The most among the things I have.”

It was sincere.

Among her possessions, Un-hyun was the investment with the greatest potential for success.

Rustle.

Lee Seo-yeon turned around.

And followed the red parasol with light steps.

“Keuk.”

Un-hyun groaned and looked down at the wound.

Currently, Un-hyun’s inner energy was fiercely fighting against the deadly poison that had penetrated his side.

If Young-ho-jun hadn’t taught him how to circulate his inner energy to prevent the spread of the poison before he left, the poison would have already spread throughout his body.

But the pain was unavoidable.

Rustle.

With trembling hands, Un-hyun took out a small object from his chest.

The cylindrical object, about the size of a finger, was what Young-ho-jun had given him.

Crack.

Twisting it with force, one end of the cylinder opened.

Un-hyun slowly lifted the lid upwards.

Whoosh.

A strong scent pierced his nose, and a silver needle appeared.

The glittering around the needle was the medicine that filled the cylinder.

Un-hyun brought the needle to the wound.

And pressed down with force.

Swish.

The needle completely disappeared into the wound.

Un-hyun poured the remaining medicine on the wound.

“Kuh-uh-uk.”

Tss.

The dark red blood reacted violently, making a sound.

And after a while, the lid of the needle stuck in the wound fell off.

The silver needle was gone without a trace, as if it had melted.

‘It’s potent.’

Un-hyun frowned.

But it was fortunate. The fact that he could have such thoughts meant that the pain had lessened that much.

In that state, Un-hyun closed his eyes and slowly calmed his breathing.

Whooooosh.

Young-ho-jun’s guess was correct.

Moreover, he had even predicted that they would use poison.

—No matter how I think about it, the only way to deal with the Alliance Lord is with poison and ambushes.

Young-ho-jun said, teaching him how to circulate his inner energy to suppress the poison.

—I don’t think an ambush is possible against the Alliance Lord, but since people have hearts, carelessness is inevitable. Oh, if I sold this, I could live off it at the Seoho Chwiseon Pavilion for the rest of my life.

Young-ho-jun said, not hiding his regretful expression.

But thanks to that, Un-hyun had definitely saved his life.

How much time had passed?

Un-hyun opened his eyes.

Now he felt almost no pain.

The bleeding had also stopped.

Standing up, Un-hyun lightly circulated his inner energy.

‘Ugh.’

A stinging pain was felt in his chest.

The poison had already lost its lethality, but the aftereffects still remained.

‘This is serious.’

If he couldn’t use his inner energy, it would be fatal.

Moreover, his overall condition was terrible.

If Young-ho-jun saw him, he would have forced him to rest.

But this was enemy territory. And Un-hyun had to save Il-a-young.

Swish.

Un-hyun raised his eyes and looked at the island.

The mansion with lights on could be seen above the dense forest.

It wasn’t a long distance, but it certainly wouldn’t be an easy path.

If the Moon King described it as hell.

‘…Seo-yeon.’

Suddenly, the words Lee Seo-yeon had thrown echoed in Un-hyun’s ears.

The person who sold Il-a-young to the Moon King was probably her.

Lee Seo-yeon stabbing Un-hyun was not just a dagger.

“Keuk.”

A sharp pain ran through his chest.

The moment the emotional turmoil swept through Un-hyun, his inner energy faltered and the deadly poison stirred again.

The deadly poison of the Death Severing Dagger still remained in Un-hyun.

Just as Lee Seo-yeon’s betrayal still lived in Un-hyun.

“Hoo-oo.”

Un-hyun slowly calmed his breathing and controlled his mind.

If he was swept away by emotions here, everything would be over.

‘What I have to do.’

Clenching his teeth, Un-hyun reaffirmed his purpose.

‘Is to save A-young noona.’

He wouldn’t look back at anything else.

He wouldn’t even think about it.

Even if Lee Seo-yeon’s betrayal and the Moon King’s mockery tried to swallow Un-hyun’s heart, he would advance towards saving only Il-a-young.

Un-hyun made up his mind like that.

Step.

A quiet footstep echoed on the pier.

Un-hyun walked towards the forest.

Sreung.

The silver blade revealed itself under the moonlight.

The only thing Un-hyun could rely on now, was the Sword of the North Sea, Myeong-myeong.

***

The Moon King returned to the mansion with Lee Seo-yeon.

The Moon King, sitting on a long chair, said to his subordinate with an unpleasant expression.

“The fighting dogs?”

“We have released them all.”

The subordinate bowed and replied.

“Under the influence of the Ghoul Pill, they are incredibly ferocious. Even a master would have a hard time dealing with them.”

The Ghoul Pill causes the target to lose their reason and explosively increases their potential and strength.

For large fighting dogs, their ferocity and cruelty are beyond words.

“What about the Thousand Silk Threads?”

“We have placed them in various places in the forest as you instructed. They are so sharp that they can cut flesh just by touching them.”

It wasn’t just ferocious fighting dogs in the dark forest.

Between the trees, at ankle height or at the fatal neck position where people’s eyes couldn’t reach, sharp Thousand Silk Threads were hidden.

If one moved carelessly, they would immediately become covered in blood.

“As you ordered, we will report on the target’s condition from time to time…”

“No need.”

Chak.

The Moon King said, covering his mouth with his fan.

The subordinate couldn’t hide his momentary surprise.

Originally, the Moon King wanted to receive vivid reports of Un-hyun bleeding and struggling against the fighting dogs.

He wanted to know where he was hurt and how much blood he shed.

But suddenly, he was saying that reports were unnecessary.

“Report only important or urgent matters concisely. The rest is unnecessary.”

The Moon King seemed to have lost interest in Un-hyun altogether.

The subordinate immediately bowed his head.

“Understood.”

The Moon King hesitated for a moment and asked.

“…How is she?”

“We have temporarily banned her from entering the garden and have taken measures to keep her only in her room.”

The subordinate replied immediately.

For the past few days, the Moon King had visited Il-a-young every day.

The visits weren’t long, and the conversations were dry, but the Moon King hadn’t missed a single day.

Il-a-young had also become accustomed to it, and yesterday she even made a light joke.

Of course, the Moon King didn’t respond.

“Currently, two maids are with her, and the windows and doors are tightly closed to prevent any sound from escaping.”

“Good.”

The Moon King leaned back in his chair.

“If you wish, we can put her to sleep with sleeping incense or suppress her blood points…”

“No.”

Before the subordinate could finish speaking, the Moon King frowned and said.

“Don’t touch even a single strand of her hair. Understand?”

“Yes.”

The subordinate bowed deeply and obeyed the order.

“What’s going on?”

Lee Seo-yeon’s shrill voice rang out.