By Zephyria 
Seong Mu-yeon spun the hilt of the sword in his hand and gripped it in reverse. Leaping high to avoid Peng Do-hwan’s greatsword, which swept in to cut his waist, he stepped onto the wide blade and lunged into Peng Do-hwan’s embrace.
Seong Mu-yeon’s knee slammed perpendicularly into Peng Do-hwan’s jaw. Not missing the moment Peng Do-hwan staggered with a ringing dizziness from the direct hit, he struck down at the man’s head with the pommel of the sword.
Thwack!
“Urgh!”
“Wake up!”
Thwack, thwack!
Every time Seong Mu-yeon struck his head, it sounded like a watermelon cracking. If he couldn’t wake up on his own, he would have to be dragged out by force.
“Because of you, Young Master!”
Thwack!
“Look at what kind of madness has broken out!”
Thwack, thwack, thwack!
“It’s useless!”
“Get lost!”
Seong Mu-yeon kicked away the attacking Peng Yuan-jin. Then, he continued to pummel Peng Do-hwan’s head. Even as he began to worry that the man might become an idiot from being hit too much, Peng Do-hwan failed to break free from the enchantment. His remaining eye was vacant.
“Or! Just! Pass out!”
Thwack, thwack, thwack!
Seong Mu-yeon, who had been committing the assault with great gusto, faltered when blood began to trickle down Peng Do-hwan’s forehead.
…What if he actually becomes an idiot if I hit him more?
“Ugh?!”
In that brief moment of hesitation, Peng Do-hwan violently flipped his body, and Seong Mu-yeon ended up pinned beneath him.
“Well done! Kill him! Now!”
Peng Yuan-jin, who had been knocked away, scrambled to his feet and shouted with delight upon realizing the situation had reversed. As if responding to the command, Peng Do-hwan raised his greatsword and drove it down with force.
However, Seong Mu-yeon was not one to be defeated so easily. He hurriedly raised his sword horizontally to block Peng Do-hwan’s greatsword.
“Urgh…”
But the difference in strength stemming from their physical build was unavoidable. Along with the Peng family’s characteristic strong divine power, the position was also advantageous for Peng Do-hwan. Seong Mu-yeon, who had to push upward from a lying position, had to exert more strength.
Seong Mu-yeon’s arms trembled violently.
He pushed his inner force to the limit and concentrated it in his arms, but he was gradually being pushed back by Peng Do-hwan’s strength. As his arms gave way, Seong Mu-yeon’s own sword drew closer to his neck.
“Please… wake up…”
“…”
Peng Do-hwan, likely unaware of what he was even doing, looked down at him with an expressionless face. The deeper the trust in the brother he had spent his life with, the more powerful the effect of the enchantment.
Even so, it was inevitably irritating. He didn’t know how many times he had faced death because of the Peng brothers.
Step, step.
Peng Yuan-jin approached with the sound of footsteps. Perhaps he had collided with something incorrectly, as he was also bleeding from his head.
He glanced downward, conflicted internally. Disappointingly, Myeong-gwi was no match for Baek Ryeo-il. With the Hwasan Sect joining in, there was no chance of victory.
Now, while Peng Do-hwan was holding Seong Mu-yeon, was the perfect time to escape. However, he couldn’t easily move his feet, as if leaving his younger brother behind weighed on his mind.
At this moment, Peng Yuan-jin should have fled.
“Reinforcements have arrived!”
Along with someone’s shout, a group of martial artists appeared.
The final reinforcements called by Jegal Un had just arrived.
Every one of them carried a heavy greatsword no less imposing than those of the Peng family.
Having arrived late, they drew their greatswords immediately as if there were no need for long explanations, joined the battlefield, and began cutting down the Demonic humans. Displaying a way of the sword that highlighted immense strength, they helped the rescue team that had arrived first and firmly seized the advantage.
The young man at the lead possessed a refined beauty that would make anyone look back, and it did not lose its luster even in the dark of night.
Whoosh—!
The sword-whip he swung exerted enough power to slice through not only Demonic humans but even tree pillars that were unlucky enough to be in its trajectory.
“…”
Captivated by his striking beauty and martial prowess, the people around him watched him with their mouths agape.
The refined young man, seemingly pleased by the attention, gave a light laugh and shouted brightly.
“Seomun Yuha, makes a dramatic entrance!”
“…”
Amidst the silence, a sharp voice shouted from somewhere in the crowd.
“You’re late!”
It was Jegal Un. Seomun Yuha flinched, then retorted cheekily.
“I came as fast as I possibly could!”
“Young Master Seomun!”
Just then, Seomun Yuha lifted his head at a distant and desperate voice calling him from afar. He then spotted the three people atop the cliff.
“Young Master!”
Seong Mu-yeon was being pinned down under the sword of some hulking man.
“How dare you to our Young Master…”
Recalling the purpose of his visit, sparks flew in Seomun Yuha’s eyes.
As it happened, the medicinal ingredients were about to run out, so Seomun Yuha had been waiting for word from Yak Seon. He had been counting down the days until he could carve out a few days from his busy schedule to sit around and idle with Seong Mu-yeon.
In the midst of that, he was quite surprised when an urgent report arrived from Jegal Un instead of Yak Seon. The content was even more shocking. Not only had Yak Seon disappeared, but Seong Mu-yeon was in danger!
If not him, his close friend, who would save him? He had immediately drafted the martial artists of his clan and rushed over.
However, among them was a familiar face.
“That man… he was alive?!”
It was an unforgettable face.
The encounter with Peng Yuan-jin, who shared the same Flowering Bone but had made a vastly different choice, had remained a great shock to him.
The shame of the Blood Clan!
There was no way Peng Yuan-jin didn’t know why those with Flowering Bone were despised and lived hidden in the shadows. Yet, he disliked how Peng Yuan-jin had personally proven the reasons why the people of the Central Plains rejected them. But how could one blame a dead man?
Concerned that calamity might befall the Flowering Bone clan, Seong Mu-yeon had advised Seomun Yuha not to reveal Peng Yuan-jin’s identity, and since he couldn’t blame a dead man, he had remained quiet until now.
But seeing a perfectly fine Peng Yuan-jin, Seomun Yuha’s heart actually raced.
“So you were alive…”
The corners of his lips curled softly, and his eyes emitted an eerie light.
He was the first kinsman Seomun Yuha had ever met outside of his family, and he was also the person who had dealt the shock of defeat to the hedonistic young master who had grown up without hardship.
Seomun Yuha had changed after that. After stopping his studies at Mount Hua, he returned to his clan and sought guidance from his mother to train in the power of the Blood Clan. Not only that, but he also polished his way of the sword with his father’s help.
In that way, Seomun Yuha had changed as if reborn. He became stronger and firmer. However, since the person he truly wanted to prove himself to was no longer of this world, he had no choice but to endure his frustration.
And yet, he is here now…
“Young Master Seong! I’ll go!”
Seomun Yuha snorted in excitement.
The opportunity to avenge the shame of the past had suddenly appeared right before his eyes. Moreover, it was clear that Peng Do-hwan was under an enchantment.
This time, I will fully show my true value.
He intended to thoroughly trample that wicked fellow under his feet so that he could never commit evil deeds again.
“Move, move!”
However, his heart was willing, but the situation did not cooperate. Hundreds of enemies were positioned in front of the cliff, allowing no one to approach.
What should I do!
Being of the Flowering Bone was of no help at a time like this. Enchantment had no effect against a multitude of enemies, and in a state where their lives were on the line and they were so venomous, he couldn’t even guarantee if he could properly lure a single person.
While Seomun Yuha looked around frantically for a clever way to break the situation, he spotted Baek Ryeo-il engaged in a fierce battle on one side.
“Master Baek! Do something! I’ll go and handle Young Master Peng…”
The next moment, a sharp Sword Energy slammed toward him. Dirt erupted as a hole was gouged out. However, Baek Ryeo-il was already gone from that spot. Having occupied the space behind Myeong-gwi at some point, he swung his sword. Myeong-gwi, who was hit squarely in the waist, was not sliced in half thanks to his Body Protection Hard Qi, but he was sent flying into the air. Baek Ryeo-il stuck close and continued the attack before he could even fall. It seemed he was completely unaware of the situation unfolding over here.
“…He’s busy.”
For Seong Mu-yeon, every second was critical. He and Peng Do-hwan were engaged in a life-and-death struggle, tossing and turning.
Although he had brought as many martial artists from his clan as he could, the number of enemies was greater than expected.
As he stomped his feet in frustration, someone quietly spoke to him.
“…And what does the young hero intend to do by going there?”
It was Paeng Oe-cheol.
“Huh?”
“By any chance, does the young hero know a way to return Do-hwan to normal? Do you know why he became like that?!”
Paeng Oe-cheol was in a desperate situation, wanting to grasp at any straw. He had finally recovered his nephew’s person, but the man was not in his right mind and had slipped through his fingers again. If the problem wasn’t solved, the same situation would repeat.
In the midst of this, he decided to hold onto Seomun Yuha, who was stepping forward with confidence.
“Why do you ask that?”
Seomun Yuha asked back, instinctively wary. Anything related to the Blood Clan, no matter how trivial, was top secret. If someone were to notice…
“No, no! I won’t ask for the method, so just answer whether you can do it or not!”
“…And if I can?”
Paeng Oe-cheol’s eyes gleamed. He patted Seomun Yuha’s shoulder with firm determination.
“The Peng family shall open the way for you.”
Simultaneously, the Peng family members, who had been fighting scattered, gathered like a knife under his gesture.
“Listen, Peng family! Open the way so this young master can ascend!”
“B-but…”
“We shall help as well.”
When a man with a menacing aura approached along with martial artists dressed in black, Seomun Yuha’s eyes nearly popped out.
“Gasp. The Demonic Cult…”
As he muttered unconsciously, Seomun Yuha covered his own mouth when Il-gwang’s cold gaze landed on him. Il-gwang glared at him with disapproval before averting his eyes.
“Black Shadow Unit! Open the way!”
“As you command! As you command!”
The Peng family and the Black Shadow Unit began to drive back the enemies together.
Until now, they had been scattered, protecting only their own backs. Each group had been fighting the approaching enemies by forming perimeters here and there.
As they joined forces to attack a single point, the Demonic humans who had thickly surrounded the cliff were gradually split in half.
Jegal Yeom-gang also quickly realized what they were plotting. A flash of interest crossed the stubborn face of the rigid old man.
The path was opening.
Even after seeing his hard-won nephew in danger, he had been unable to do anything. Now that a way out had finally opened, he began to move with a triumphant smile.
At that moment, someone grabbed Jegal Yeom-gang’s shoulder.
“Father.”
It was Jegal Un. With a solemn expression, he quietly shook his head as if warning him.