Reincarnated Sword Ghost

The Fifth

It was an unreal sight.

The Demonic Cult Leader, who burst open the head of an Old Sects Sect Leader, was himself decapitated by a single slash from the Heaven-defying Lone Sword, a warrior of the Heavenly Martial Hall.

It happened before the eyes of countless onlookers—a matter that would shake the martial world to its core.

An old High Priest, upon seeing the sight, muttered under his breath. At some point, he had collapsed to his knees.

”The sky of the demonic path... has... crumbled...”

Slash!

He did not finish his sentence.

His neck was severed by a sword strike that flashed like lightning, and blood spurted out.

His head rolled on the ground, unable to even fully close his shock-filled eyes.

It was Cheong Jin of Mount Hua.

He, too, had joined this Righteous-Demonic Great War as an elder of Mount Hua. He had been struggling against this High Priest on the battlefield.

Then, when the man suddenly dropped to his knees and began gibbering nonsense, Cheong Jin ruthlessly swung his sword. He would not miss such an opening.

That became the signal.

”Their leader’s dead!”

”The Heaven-defying Lone Sword has severed the Demonic Cult Leader’s head!”

The battlefield, momentarily in a lull, instantly reversed.

Even as the chaos continued, carrier letterhawks flew in every direction, bearing urgent reports strapped to their talons.

The demoralized demonic cultists, having lost their center, could no longer fight properly.

They simply stared, dumbfounded, at the Demonic Cult Leader’s head rolling on the ground, eyes wide open.

In their world, the Demonic Cult Leader, Lee Shin, was the absolute master, a god.

For such a being to die at someone else’s hands was unthinkable. Having witnessed it with their own eyes, they could hardly remain sane.

In an instant, fresh blood splattered everywhere. The opponents could barely resist.

To even say the tide of battle had turned was an understatement—it had wholly shifted overwhelmingly in favor of the righteous alliance.

”Don’t let a single one escape!”

”Wherever those fleeing scoundrels go, they’ll only harm civilians!”

”Show no mercy in your strikes!”

Shouts like these rang out from all directions, and ki waves poured down.

In the blink of an eye, secret skills of the orthodox martial artists exploded forth.

Everyone knew that now was not an opportunity to be missed—they fought with all their might.

Even so, some glanced toward the center of the battlefield—toward where the Heaven-defying Lone Sword stood.

Jeong-un was staring absentmindedly at the corpse of the foe he finally decapitated.

’Did I really...?’

He murmured blankly.

From when he first encountered him at the Divine Physician’s tomb until now, he’d tried endlessly—even desperately—to slay this foe, but failed.

He’d lost count of how many times he’d swung with all his strength.

This was a man who had even reattached his own severed forearm.

Not long ago, Jeong-un had poured all his cultivated power into an attack, only to fall into the man’s trap.

Even as he looked upon the body and head that lay in a wretched heap on the ground, he still could not believe it.

It felt as though the flesh might rejoin any moment and rise again.

”Ugh...”

At the same time, his mind burned as if it was about to split open.

He’d already pushed his body past its limit while fighting this man in the underground cavern.

There was barely a spot on his body that wasn’t battered.

Even after that, he had been caught in the enemy’s formation illusion, falling into a bizarre unity of body and mind.

No matter how well he had trained, there was no way he could be unscathed.

’... My body feels heavy.’

It was a sensation he hadn’t felt in ages, not since he learned to store true ki in his body.

His whole body felt as heavy as lead. Simply standing on the ground felt miraculous.

At that moment—

”You lowly wretch dares defile the sky of the demonic path!”

Enemies rushed at him like thunderbolts. Despite the chaos, their numbers were considerable.

All of them had blood-red, enraged eyes. They glared at Jeong-un, swords raised.

For these people, Jeong-un would be the lifelong nemesis, a mortal enemy to be killed at all costs.

”Die!”

Thus, dozens of demonic cultists charged at Jeong-un in a terrifying wave.

Kwaaaaang—!

In the next moment, they were blown apart, flesh scattering through the air.

A fierce sword handle’s energy evaporated even the blood spurting in the air.

It was Zhang Mun-gi, the Heavenly Martial Hall Lord.

It was an extraordinary blow.

The sword strike, bursting energy that shredded the attackers, came to a precise stop at Jeong-un’s feet—a truly masterful technique.

Zhang Mun-gi walked through the corpses and approached Jeong-un.

”You’ve done well. Now go and rest with your companions.”

”But, the battle isn’t over yet...”

”It’s over.”

As Jeong-un barely managed a reply, Zhang Mun-gi continued.

”You ended it.”

”...”

He patted Jeong-un on the shoulder, then leapt back into the fray elsewhere.

Surrounding martial artists of the orthodox alliance soon rushed in after him.

Even as they passed Jeong-un, each glanced at him with eyes full of admiration.

And then, a familiar voice came into earshot.

”Young Hero Yu!”

It was Tang Yerin, Jo Gwang, and Baek Il-gang. They were hurrying toward Jeong-un.

”...”

For some reason, only then did Jeong-un feel his tension ease.

He crumpled forward, collapsing slowly, and Tang Yerin, who had come running ahead of the others, caught him.

Jeong-un asked,

”Is it really over?”

”Pardon...?”

Tang Yerin, who had been checking Jeong-un’s body with watery eyes, looked up in surprise and asked back.

She stared at his face for a moment, then turned her head unconsciously toward the head of the Demonic Cult Leader lying a few steps away.

After gazing at that head, she turned back to Jeong-un and nodded slowly.

”Yes, it’s over.”

”...”

At those words, Jeong-un finally closed his eyes.

* * *

A war that many anticipated would become a drawn-out stalemate came to a swift conclusion soon after it began.

It was characteristic of heretical cults. With the Cult Leader—their center—dead, the Demonic Cult crumbled in turn.

The righteous alliance advanced like an unstoppable force, eventually pursuing those fleeing to their main headquarters and pinpointing its location with ease.

The hundred sects of the Murim Alliance completely decimated the underground main headquarters.

Not only did they annihilate the demonic cultists, but they also searched every inch for the cult’s sacred items and secret martial arts manuals.

However, the massive pavilion at the center of the underground cave was already destroyed.

When the alliance forces, led by the Alliance Leader and the Sword Saint, entered the headquarters, it was in ruins.

Rumor had it the cultists, sensing defeat, demolished it before fleeing.

Thus, the war between righteous and demonic came to an end in a perfect victory for the orthodox alliance.

Everyone had hoped for this, but no one had expected it. No one could have imagined the war ending in such one-sided fashion.

While the sects debated their interests and the post-war aftermath, several days passed.

Jeong-un was now in the chief strategist’s office of the Heavenly Martial Hall.

Zhuge Cheon-woo was barely managing to handle the aftermath of war.

Even so, he willingly made time to meet Jeong-un. No, it wasn’t merely willingness.

Meeting the Heaven-defying Lone Sword was now one of the most important things.

Not only he, but all of the martial world, was watching Jeong-un. His next steps were more important than anything.

”How is your body?”

”I’m alright.”

”I heard you lost consciousness.”

”I overdid it a bit. Thanks to everyone’s care, I recovered quickly.”

”That’s a relief.”

Zhuge Cheon-woo nodded with a hearty chuckle.

It was no empty talk.

The Heavenly Martial Hall spared no effort or expense to aid Jeong-un’s recovery.

Not just the Heavenly Martial Hall, either.

The righteous sects, while sending their own people into the Demonic Cult headquarters for spoils, also sent various treasures to the Heaven-defying Lone Sword.

Various elixirs of remarkable efficacy were common, and some even sent their house’s sacred sword, begging for it to be wielded as a weapon.

It was incredible.

Jeong-un returned all of it.

He no longer had any need for such elixirs.

Frankly, it would have felt excessive to accept them under the pretense of recuperation.

Moreover, he had gained a small insight from this ordeal.

All a swordsman needs is a sword. With just the black sword and Dragon Sky, those two was enough.

Clink.

Zhuge Cheon-woo, who had been silently gazing at Jeong-un, set down his teacup.

It was the first time he ever served tea in a private meeting with a martial artist of the Heavenly Martial Hall.

Even more so, since the chief strategist had directly invited him.

Slowly, Zhuge Cheon-woo opened his mouth.

”Jianghu is abuzz with tales of you. They say your might alone has reached the heavens, that you are the martial embodiment of Heaven itself. Then they wonder—why do you remain in the Heavenly Martial Hall?”

”That’s too much praise. It’s just ill-informed people overhyping a stroke of luck.”

”At this point, that sort of humility sounds more like false modesty.”

Zhuge Cheon-woo chuckled lightly before continuing.

”There are others who say something else. That for someone of your age to have such strength, there must be some sinister foundation for it. That there’s a reason you’re called the Heaven-defying Lone Sword.”

”...”

Jeong-un did not answer.

The title ’Heaven-defying Lone Sword’ was something others had arbitrarily given him.

Now, people seemed to use it as an excuse to slander him.

’Jianghu, huh...’

It was a tiresome place, Jeong-un thought to himself. He knew all too well that it was filled with all sorts of people.

But sometimes, the small-minded ones were the loudest.

At length, he quietly replied,

”I don’t really know. I’m just doing what I’ve always done.”

”... What?”

Zhuge Cheon-woo stared at him in surprise, and then burst into laughter.

”What you’ve always done? What do you mean?”

Jeong-un answered, sounding almost awkward,

”I intend to keep training with the sword as always, carry out my assigned duties... Isn’t that all?”

”I see... is that so...”

Murmuring, Zhuge Cheon-woo fell silent, then fixed Jeong-un with a steady gaze.

”Actually, these are words the Hall Lord himself should say to you, but as you know, he’s extremely busy with postwar recovery. So I hope you’ll understand that I’m speaking in his stead.”

”...?”

Jeong-un looked at Zhuge Cheon-woo in puzzlement. He, too, knew how busy Zhang Mun-gi, the Heavenly Martial Hall Lord, must be.

It was only natural.

It was not just the suppression of some unorthodox group.

The Demonic Cult had been a fated enemy, entangled in the history of Great Ming since its founding.

Now that its roots were finally cut, the ensuing aftermath would surely be complex and arduous.

’What is he about to say?’

He understood why Zhuge Cheon-woo was stepping in, but he was curious about the message.

If even the chief strategist was being this careful, it was obviously important.

Finally, Zhuge Cheon-woo spoke.

”Remain here in the Heavenly Martial Hall. As you know, the unorthodox villains of the martial world aren’t limited to the Demonic Cult. And there will always be factions seeking to oppress the common people.”

”I had already intended to do so, but...”

When Jeong-un replied somewhat blankly, Zhuge Cheon-woo shook his head.

”I don’t simply mean for you to stay as a martial artist.”

”Then...?”

”Assume the position of the Heavenly Martial Hall’s fifth corps leader.”

”...!”

His eyes widening, Jeong-un muttered,

”I’m only in my second year...”

”Who would see you that way?”

Zhuge Cheon-woo gave a dry laugh and shook his head.

Even knowing this young man had decapitated the infamous Demonic Cult Leader in a single sword strike, there was still something surreal about him in moments like this.

”I don’t mean forever. For the next three years, serve as a corps leader. We’ll support you with everything you need. Your very presence here will be an enormous source of strength for the martial world.”

”...”

”And after that, you can decide. Whether you remain here or not is up to you.”

Jeong-un lowered his gaze and fell silent. The teacup on the table was gradually growing cold.

It had always been this way.

No matter how many in the martial world considered tea ceremony a noble pursuit, Jeong-un never found any interest in it.

His heart was drawn only to the sword.

Finally, he lifted his head and spoke,

”Understood.”

”...!”

Zhuge Cheon-woo’s face brightened. He wondered if he had ever smiled so widely in his life.

Jeong-un said flatly,

”But, as you said, it’s just three years. After that... I can’t say.”

”Do you intend to leave?”

”I honestly don’t know. But while I am here, I will do my best.”

”Thank you.”