Published at 25th of February 2026 7:47 am

Chapter 397

This chapter is updated by JustRead.pl

The Blue Moon Festival Begins.

Was it said there was only a day left? It was after Virtuous Moon Sword appeared, uselessly stoking the fire, and left.

- Whose masterpiece is more outstanding.

Is it his own disciple?

Or is it me, the Sword Saint's successor, who is superior?

It was such a simple and childish question, merely curiosity.

I found myself reacting to that trivial statement without even realizing it.

'That's just insane.'

Yeah, it was insanity.

I wouldn't have gotten entangled in something like that unless I was losing my mind.

'The Blue Moon Festival is a damn headache.'

A battle for the title of Young Sect Leader? What a joke. I neither cared about that nor wanted to know.

'The Silver Moon Sword?'

His identity was the same. Normally I wouldn't have been interested in such a person either.

Bow Ghost, Death King-

I had no desire to be entangled with strange things like that anymore. The Silver Moon Sword was no exception.

'So what if he's Virtuous Moon Sword's disciple.'

A masterpiece worthy of Virtuous Moon Sword's pride? A monstrous talent?

'How on earth should I know.'

Whatever such people were trying to do, it was none of my business.

'... That's how it should have been.'

Where did it start to go wrong?

"Damn it..."

Where else indeed? Yu Chun-gil. It all went wrong from the moment I met that old man.

By now, it wasn't anyone else's problem—it was me.

"I'm such an idiot."

A first-class idiot at that.

A moron infected by strange whims was right here.

"Why am I getting so worked up?"

Since when was I a warrior?

All I ever wanted was to live a peaceful life, but even that goal is hopelessly tangled now.

'... At this rate, I'd rather be tangled up with an evil spirit.'

I found myself wanting to dive right into the heart of a world where blades and blood were rampant.

'Have I lost my mind?'

If Chief Baek or Grandma had known this in my past life, they would have laughed at me.

After all those times I used to moan about wanting a normal life. They'd ask, "How's that working out for you?"

"Hah."

I laughed at myself, as if mocking my own situation.

And yet, deep within, a voice spoke.

- Still, it's fun, isn't it?

Aren't you enjoying it, too?

'...'

I swept my hair back. A flash of blue eyes crossed my mind.

It was Yu Chun-gil, probably laughing at me unpleasantly.

'Damn old man.'

He's definitely hiding somewhere cooking up another weird scheme. If not, I wouldn't have ended up like this.

"... Hoo."

I heaved a sigh.

A sigh loaded with all kinds of emotions.

And the biggest emotion among them was acceptance.

Accepting that I'd gone mad.

That was my realization now.

"I came to a mad world, so I'm crazy too."

I consoled myself like that.

Turning my head, I looked out the window.

A blue moonlight poured in through the crack on a moonlit night.

"..."

I stared at it blankly and then collapsed onto my bed.

'I have too much to think about.'

Bow Ghost. Death King. Tyrant. Murim Alliance. Young Sect Leader.

And—

'Hyung.'

The Young Family Head of the Bang family. My annoying older brother, now mixed up with the lord of assassins...

There was so much I needed to pay attention to.

'Even so.'

I was only looking at what was right in front of me. It really wasn't like me.

Normally, I would have made a plan and proceeded with it.

'I've been tainted.'

- What are you agonizing over?

'Everything.'

- Do what you want.

'I've been tainted by that old man.'

I pictured the giant with blue eyes and closed my eyes.

What I wanted to do right now.

Before I knew it, I was heading there.

* * *

"..."

I opened my eyes. At some point, I had crawled into the Mind Realm I visited yesterday.

"..."

I stared straight ahead with calm eyes. It was the same again—among the mutilated corpses, Yu Chun-gil sat atop a rock.

Yu Chun-gil in his youth was staring at me.

I focused on that look.

"Hmm..."

It was a different gaze than before.

"And you... who are you?"

Even the voice was different. Last time, he recognized me, but now it was different again.

Which means—

'Whatever was broken in his mind, it's been patched up again.'

After that last time the Mind Realm collapsed and I woke him, he seems to have changed again.

'Even so.'

Shlick.

I drew my sword.

Gazing at Yu Chun-gil, I reminded myself:

'Nothing will change.'

There was only one thing I had to do anyway.

"Hmm?"

Yu Chun-gil cocked his head at my attitude.

"You've got guts. Ready to try me?"

As soon as I drew my sword, a smile appeared on his lips.

Creak—

The gigantic sword at his side landed in his hand. It wasn't Full Moon.

Just a gigantic sword.

A true sword, not merely a blade.

Gripping it, Yu Chun-gil charged at me in a flash.

As the moon split, the edge of his sword gleamed.

Crackle—!!

By then, I was already employing Moon Heaven.

Blue Moon Mind Technique surged through all the vessels in my body. I felt myself lifting off, entering a state of selflessness.

Moon Eye analyzed Yu Chun-gil's sword path.

Shwish—!

I dodged his slash. The blade barely grazed my cheek.

I twisted my waist midair. A blue hue glimmered on the Divine Sword.

Moon Wave.

The moment I tried to send the crescent moon flying at Yu Chun-gil—

Slash—!

My vision split in two.

"..."

Staggering, I barely regained my footing.

"And you... who are you?"

The same voice slid into my ear.

Yu Chun-gil was back, sitting far away where he'd originally been.

"Ah."

I'm dead. I must have died when Moon Wave failed.

How nice.

"This isn't it."

I stacked the information in my head.

"Yeah. This is it."

I smiled despite the familiar, revolting feeling. Ah, right. This is it.

"What?"

Yu Chun-gil narrowed his eyes at me.

As he asked, I drew my sword and replied,

"It's nothing. Really."

Crackle. Unlike before, I activated Moon Heaven first.

"I'm just annoyed thinking of all the hardship I'll go through doing this."

"... Hmm?"

"Let's just get this over with."

There's no time.

The night that would not end—

It was going to last a lot longer than I expected.

* * *

Tweet! Tweet-tweet—!

I woke to the sound of a bird.

My eyes, clouded with exhaustion, swept the ceiling. Soon, I sat up.

"... Hm."

I touched my neck as I got up.

"... It's been a while."

How long had it been? Looking at the ceiling, various emotions flashed past.

'How much time passed?'

In reality, it was only a few two-hour intervals. But it felt tens of times longer.

'How many times now?'

My neck severed, my heart gouged out.

How many times had I been sliced in half, crosswise and lengthwise?

There was no way to count it all.

Just keeping track halfway made my skin crawl, so I stopped.

I just died a ton of times.

That's how long it took till I woke from the Mind Realm.

For a single reason.

"There's no answer."

Because I had no way to defeat Yu Chun-gil.

"There's no strategy."

How many times must I die—

How many times must I throw myself at it before a way emerges? I'd pondered long.

"There isn't. There just isn't..."

He's a monster.

The handful of things I learned in those fights:

'He's at thirty.'

Thirty.

Yu Chun-gil at this point was thirty years old.

'He's at that level at thirty...?'

Second-generation disciples at Mount Hua—

Or the second-generation disciples in Blue Moon Sect—are around that age too.

Some late third-generation disciples are about thirty as well.

'But the level is just so different.'

Compared to them, Yu Chun-gil was simply a monster.

A man fated to become the greatest of his time.

His power only became more outrageous the older he got.

'No method works.'

Unlike earlier rounds where there were chances, thirty-year-old Yu Chun-gil was an iron fortress.

No matter what technique I used, I couldn't even touch him.

'If there was even the hint of a chance, I could try something.'

This is the kind of thing that kills your fighting spirit.

"Damn it."

I lay down again. I couldn't sleep, so I tried to stay mentally alert.

If I slept now, I'd have to face that lunatic monster again.

"What am I supposed to do?"

I was genuinely troubled.

"... Is there really no way?"

Unlike before, where sheer willpower yielded desperate victories, this Mind Realm felt like true madness.

That was the conclusion I'd reached.

Maybe—

'At my current level, is it simply impossible?'

Even though I entered the Mind Realm, maybe at my current strength, it's just hopeless.

'That must be it.'

The more I think, the more it has to be that. That must be the answer.

"Hmmm."

I scrubbed my face dry and hard.

"No."

I immediately rejected my own conclusion.

"It's not that there's no solution."

It's not that I can't do it.

"I just haven't found it yet."

I yanked myself out of the urge to run away from reality spawned by frustration.

"There is a way."

There's a way to deal with even that monster. I just haven't found it yet.

"Haaa."

I never thought I'd win in just one day.

"Let's go for it."

I'd keep searching till I found it. I was thinking that when—

Knock, knock.

I heard someone outside.

—Member Bang, are you there?

"Ah, yes."

—I'm here by the order of the Sect Leader. He asks that you begin preparations.

"Ah..."

Hearing I should get ready, I sat up.

"I'll prepare now."

The Blue Moon Festival.

Today was the day I had to go there.

* * *

After a quick wash, I put on the prepared martial robe. The moment I did, I realized a problem.

"Hey."

"Yes?"

"Could you get me another robe? This one doesn't fit."

"What...?"

The third-generation disciple looked puzzled at my words, then checked me—and froze.

"Ah... uh... um..."

"Worry about the damage later. Could you please just do this first?"

"A-ah! Yes...!"

He took the robe back after seeing my face frozen stiff.

My arms and legs didn't fit the old one, so I needed a new set.

'So there are inconveniences like this.'

I'd never worried about it, thinking I'd never grow any taller.

But thanks to Rebirth, my body got a bit bigger, so now there was this issue.

'Not bad.'

It was honestly a pleasurable sort of problem. With satisfaction, I nodded.

Once I finished dressing,

"All right. Shall we? Where to?"

I followed the disciple to our destination.

* * *

Boom—! Boom—! Boom—!

Drums sounded. At the site where Blue Moon Sect disciples had all gathered.

Everyone's face was tense, their excitement palpable.

Third-gen, second-gen—even the first-generation disciples who never appeared except on special occasions had gathered.

Above them, elders and the Sect Leader, Virtuous Moon Sword, were assembled.

"The disciples' response is pleasing to see."

Baek Yeon quietly commented while watching them. Virtuous Moon Sword nodded in small agreement.

"The total number of Small Moon Division members at the Blue Moon Festival, apart from the three on top-secret missions and the division leader, is everyone."

The division leader made his report.

Only Small Moon Division members could attend the Blue Moon Festival.

They'd tried to recall even those away on secret missions, but with most unable to return, it had to proceed as is.

"Everyone is assembled and ready for entrance."

"Let's proceed."

Preparations were already complete. With the Sect Leader's permission, the division leader shouted,

"All members! Enter—!"

At the shouted order, Small Moon Division began to walk in from afar.

Starting with the lowest ranking up front, they entered in order.

"... Silver Moon Sword... He's really back."

"Moonlit Delight is still..."

A parade of blue eyes.

As the elite and strongest force of the Blue Moon Sect, their presence was overwhelming.

"But... something seems off."

One watching disciple raised a question.

"Don't they... don't they look like they're sneaking glances?"

Most of the Small Moon Division disciples kept glancing behind them.

"Right? Why would the seniors be like that...?"

But the mystery didn't last long.

"Huh...?"

"... Huh..."

The very end of the Small Moon Division's procession.

Step.

Those footsteps, slowest of all and echoing most clearly, drew attention.

Step.

A young man, utterly expressionless, walked at an unhurried pace.

When the young man appeared, the air froze.

He was different.

Like one floating alone in the sky, his presence drew every single gaze.

"Who... who is that...?"

"How can someone be that good-looking... no... I feel like I've seen him somewhere..."

"Moon Hero...? Isn't that Moon Hero?"

"Moon Hero, you said?"

Moon Hero, Bang Sung-Yun.

Radiating overwhelming presence, he strode forward.

"Haha."

Virtuous Moon Sword, seeing that, let out a brief laugh.

"...!"

At that, Baek Yeon, standing beside him, widened her eyes at the Sect Leader's smile.

Share