Published at 26th of January 2026 9:25 am

Chapter 332

This chapter is updated by JustRead.pl

"What are you grinning at?"

The atmosphere shifted suddenly at my words. The Plum Blossom Division Leader, who had been laughing, wiped the smile off his face.

"... What did you say?"

"Are you deaf? What's so funny when I'm talking to you?"

"... You little...!"

Maybe he thought I was being insolent, as he ground his teeth.

Even as I watched, I didn't change my expression.

Am I scared? Normally, I would have been. But not now.

Now, it was just amusing.

"Then, did you want me to show you even a hint of respect?"

Even now, what is it he expects from me?

"Sorry, but."

I slowly lowered my gaze, crouching down to meet him where he'd collapsed.

"I only show respect to people."

"... What?"

"But you're not a person."

In my eyes, 'people' are those who can suppress their own emotions.

If you just let yourself be swept away by your desires and let your emotions devour you, how could you call yourself a person?

"That would make you a beast, wouldn't it?"

"Ha..."

The Plum Blossom Division Leader let out a hollow laugh, as if my words had left him helpless.

"So, that's what it was."

*clank*

He forcibly pulled the chains binding him, drawing closer to me.

"I always thought there was something off about you."

His gaze pierced into me, as if he wanted to confirm something.

"I thought you were weaker than the rumors, and somehow insubstantial. I thought maybe you were just lacking. However"

His eyes narrowed sharply.

"It's not that you are lacking. You're twisted."

I didn't answer. Twisted? That's something I haven't heard in a long time.

'You, I mean.'

That's what Chief Baek used to say to me in my previous life.

'Aren't you a little broken?'

'... What does it mean, telling a person they're broken?'

Broken, faultythose were words I'd heard countless times in my life.

"They say you're the Sword Saint's successor. Yet one who never should have borne his will has carried it on."

"What? Are you saying the Sword Saint was normal?"

"Have you ever seen the Sword Saint?"

Yes. Many times. Up until just yesterday, actually.

"The Sword Saint was a vast man. He was a hero, whose vessel was so broad and immense it seemed he could embrace anyone."

"..."

What the hell is this guy on about?

"Are you sure you're not confusing him with someone else?"

It feels pretty different from the old man I knew.

"I never expected the guy carrying on his legacy to be like you."

"What's wrong with me?"

I think I'm damn impressive. At least, if it's a comparison with that old man, I'm a far better person.

"How could someone who deceives and backstabs people even be compared to him?"

"What's this? Spitting in your own face? If so, you've got a bit of talent for it."

"..."

The Plum Blossom Division Leader closed his mouth. Even he seemed to realize he had no comeback.

"I'll ask, out of courtesy. Why did you do it?"

"Heh heh..."

He chuckled quietly.

"You don't seem very curious."

"You caught me."

That's right. I'm not really curious.

Knowing won't change anything anyway.

"You're bound to have some unimpressive reason."

It'll be some stupid excuse. Of course it will.

"Don't judge so carelessly."

His expression stiffened, maybe because he felt slighted by my words. Even that amused me.

"Yeah, right. What, do traitors get some grand origin story or something?"

"You wouldn't understand."

"I don't want to."

Even if I understood, what use would it be?

"Let me guess, wasn't it just jealousy?"

"..."

"Didn't you just want to be the Sect Leader?"

"It's not that simple."

"Does it matter whether it's simple or not, old man? Don't kid yourself."

However old he is, he still doesn't get it.

"No matter how you justify what you did, nothing changes. You're trash. Even if you stuff your story in there, you think it'll make you look clean?"

As if.

"A bit of clean water won't change mud when it's already thick."

How could he not know? Nohe knew.

You get it, don't you?

They all did. But they ignored it anywaypeople like this, they were always like that.

"Just live as trash. That's what suits you perfectly."

"..."

"I'll ask about Broken Heaven Palace now. How did you make contact?"

"Did you think I'd answer?"

"No, you probably won't. Doesn't matter."

"... Then let me ask."

He looked at me and asked,

"How did you find out?"

"About what? That you were a spy?"

"Yes. Did your notorious double agent tell you?"

"Ah, yeah. Pretty much."

"I can't believe it. There's no way a spy could exist. How is that possible?"

No way for a spy to exist? I feigned composure at his words.

"There's always a way. Nothing is perfect."

"That can't be. There's no way the restriction they placed could be broken so easily."

Restriction.

A restriction, huh?

So that means...

'The ones belonging to Broken Heaven Palace are under a restriction. At the point of wanting to betray them, they can't even do it.'

Is that it?

"Just because you don't know the way doesn't mean there isn't one. Why see the world so narrowly?"

"You're just joking, aren't you..."

"If you're not telling, that's fine."

I stood up. I never expected him to reveal anything anyway.

Besides,

'I accomplished my goal anyway.'

I looked past the Plum Blossom Division Leader, at the sinister energy swirling behind him.

Staring at that, I acted.

Szzzzz...

Something seeped into the swirling energy.

It was something I had left behind. As I sensed this, I asked him,

"Aren't you sorry for your disciples?"

"What?"

"I mean, the people who followed you."

Some of them fell, but not all of them.

"Aren't you sorry for them?"

"..."

For a moment, his eyes trembled.

But it was only a moment.

"Great sacrifice is inevitable for an ideal world."

My insides went cold at those words.

Good. At least he turned out to be this kind of person. Yeah, if you're going to fall, fall completely.

"One day, you know."

Looking at him, I said,

"The day will surely come when you'll regret all this."

It absolutely will. Probably the moment you see me again.

And that will be, most likely, when you die.

"Huhuhu... Regret?"

The Plum Blossom Division Leader laughed again, clueless.

"If I was going to do that, I would have just stayed weak, sitting in that seat."

"Exactly. You should've just stayed weak."

Why did you have to do something so pointless?

I couldn't understand.

"... You, think carefully for yourself."

"What?"

"The world has already started to change dramatically. Since you've inherited the Sword Saint's name, your end won't be smooth either."

"..."

"That name, Sword Saint. It will become a curse. Heheheh... *cough*."

He broke into laughter, but then coughed up blood.

I turned away at that.

He thinks the Sword Saint's name will be a curse?

'Don't make me laugh.'

What nonsense. If that's a curse,

'Then what are the others, disasters?'

They couldn't even count as curses.

Having lived through real curses, I wouldn't quiver in fear at the Sword Saint's name.

***

I walked on, circling around the Mount Hua Sect, shaking my head.

'Where did he go?'

There was someone I was looking for. Yu Chun-gil. I was trying to find that old man.

He should have shown up if he was up and about, but Yu Chun-gil was nowhere to be seen.

'There's so much I need to ask, so why now?'

These old men are always missing when you need them.

'I needed to ask about the Heavenly Demon.'

The Mind Realmwhat I saw there. And,

'What exactly happened.'

I wanted to ask him what happened after I lost consciousness.

'Sung Hun is missing, Yu Chun-gil is missing too.'

Did these old men vanish somewhere together or what? I don't get it.

"Agh."

I scratched my head furiously.

'Did he go far?'

If he went far, who knows when he'll come back. Once, he didn't show up for days. If he pulls that again, I'll be troubled.

'Guess nothing to do about it?'

I'll just have to wait until he shows up. If he turned up just because I wanted him to, that'd be great, but life isn't like that.

"... Haaa..."

Should I just give up on finding Yu Chun-gil? For now, that's probably best.

I nodded to myself and turned around.

It's not like anything will pop up if I keep searching, so I just turned my back.

"Come to think of it..."

"Yes, sir."

"... Hmm."

The Small Moon Division Leader, who was with me, spoke up. I hesitated at that.

It wasn't the usual reluctant, irritated address, but a tone brimming with seriousness and respect.

"... Seriously, what's up with you?"

I couldn't help but ask, unable to understand. With no Yeohyuk around, I found myself using honorifics for some reason.

"Why are you speaking so formally? You don't have to."

"... No."

This upside-down situation made me want to sigh in frustration. I suppressed it and spoke.

"Did you hit your head or something? Seriously, why are you acting like this, Division Leader? You used to hate doing this."

"... Hate? That was just because I didn't realize."

"Didn't realize what?"

"Just how extraordinary you are, sir."

"Unbelievable."

What kind of bull is this?

I was just trying to mess with him, but now it's gone too far. It's even more awkward now.

"... Why are you acting like this? You must have a reason. At least just hate me."

"I simply realized..."

"Realized what, exactly?"

Feeling stifled, I asked in exasperation. At that moment

Srrring!

"...!"

The Small Moon Division Leader drew his sword. I flinched at that. Was I too harsh? Am I going to get slashed?

That thought popped into my mind when

Whoooosh!!

Sword aura burst out from the Small Moon Division Leader's sword.

A striking blue glowBlue Moon Sect's sword aura, as far as I know, a unique sword aura only used in the Blue Moon Sect.

Why's he showing this suddenly?

I was taken aback for a moment.

Szzzz!

"Huh?"

My eyes widened as I watched the sword aura. The tip of the bladea subtle difference in the glow.

Could it be...

'Radiant Moon Annihilation?'

The new kind of sword aura Yu Chun-gil had created.

That was certainly the radiance of Radiant Moon Annihilation.

"... How do you..."

How could the Small Moon Division Leader be using that?

'Didn't Yu Chun-gil say the Small Moon Division Leader wouldn't be able to use it?'

No, he said he could eventually, but it would take a very long time.

That's what all the strange training was for.

And yet

'Did that really work?'

Seriously?

There's no denying it, that delicate sword aura was indeed Radiant Moon Annihilation.

"... That..."

"All of this is thanks to your guidance, sir. Thank you."

"..."

The Small Moon Division Leader respectfully bowed to me.

"From now on, with not a shred of doubt... I will follow your guidance, sir."

"Uh, ah... Uh..."

It actually worked.

It really worked?

I forced myself to keep from gasping. I didn't think it would really work.

"... Keep training... Well, keep at it."

"Yes."

I gave a half-hearted reply. He looked like he wanted me to say more.

Now I understood why the Small Moon Division Leader kept acting so strange toward me...

'... So that's why.'

I think I get it now.

Then

"Oh, and..."

After finishing his formal bow, the Small Moon Division Leader took something out and handed it to me.

"What's this?"

It was a letter. What the hell is this out of nowhere?/p>

Squinting at the letter he'd handed me unexpectedly

"It's a message from the Sect Leader."

"... Huh?"

A message from the Virtuous Moon Sword?

"He entrusted it to me before we set out."

"What do you mean?"

"Told me to give it to you after everything was over."

"...?"

After everything was over?

So it was a letter prepared in advance.

Shrrk.

I took the letter and unfolded it.

What could it be?

With suspicion, I read the first line

"... Huh?"

As soon as I began reading, I froze in place.

-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=

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