The Legend of the Northern Blade - Chapter 211: Some Encounters Bring a Storm (2)
Since leaving the Silver Horse Merchant Association, Eun Han-Seol hadn’t had a companion. She traveled alone because she could trust no one, yet she did not feel lonely.
After all, she had always been alone. So Geum-Hyang had treated her well, but she rarely saw her master. She only appeared occasionally to teach martial arts or check on her progress. Consequently, she spent most of her time alone.
Suddenly, she stopped and looked around. The chirping of insects had ceased, an indication that they were hiding from a nearby threat.
She sighed softly. “Uninvited guests?”
Before the words could leave her lips, a group rushed out of the forest. Their clothing was varied, reflecting their diverse backgrounds as monks, Taoists, or secular martial artists.
Eun Han-Seol frowned at the sudden appearance of so many martial artists, each one radiating a powerful aura.
They tracked me down again!
The men leading the group wore the Zhongnan Sect’s uniform, which she recognized because she had fought them before.
A martial artist from the sect shouted, “Witch! Did you think you could escape? The entire Central Plains is hunting you down! There’s nowhere left for you to hide!”
“Waaa! Kill the witch!”
The martial artists charged toward Eun Han-Seol, their cries echoing through the trees. Hatred burned in their eyes as they glared at her.
Eun Han-Seol was confused. What have I done to deserve this? Do I truly not deserve to exist?
No matter how hard she thought about it, she couldn’t understand it. She had only come to the Central Plains to see Jin Mu-Won, yet they called her a witch and persecuted her for no reason.
Question after question ran through her mind, and with them, her killing intent surged uncontrollably. The Moonlight Chakras hidden in her robes resonated with her fighting spirit, leaking their own murderous energy.
“A witch? Fine, so be it. Call me the Witch of the White Night. Perhaps that is my true nature.”
A silver-white sphere formed around Eun Han-Seol as her Silver Soul Energy manifested. Cocooned in its light, she plunged toward the martial artists.
ROAAAAR!
The silver-white enhanced qi roared through the martial artists like a violent storm. Limbs were severed, and screams reverberated through the air.
Death danced among her enemies. Lives, hard-won and fragile, were cut short in an instant. Despite this, the survivors’ rage only grew, and they charged at her with even greater ferocity.
All of these deaths were meaningless. At least, Eun Han-Seol viewed it as such, but to them, it was a glorious end. A collective madness gripped the martial artists, rendering them fearless.
Still, as time passed, fear eventually began to creep into their eyes. No matter how hard they struck or how fast they swung their swords, the silver-white sphere simply would not break.
The orb enveloping Eun Han-Seol was the perfect tool for offense and defense. One moment it was a shield deflecting their attacks, and the next, it transformed into a blade that sliced through their necks.
WHOOSH!
A rain of blood fell. The martial artists who had initially charged bravely began to falter and retreat.
“Ugh! We can’t beat her!”
“The witch is too strong!”
Finally, Eun Han-Seol released the Silver Soul Energy surrounding her, revealing her true form. Though she had dealt death to so many, not a single drop of blood stained her clothes.
The sight was so alien that it seemed unreal.
The martial artists trembled with fear, but no one dared to flee. They were still caught in the mad fervor, unable to think clearly. All they could do was form a circle around her while casting nervous glances at each other.
“Wooo!”
Suddenly, a lion’s roar thundered from the sky, infused with profound qi.
Their fading will to fight was instantly reignited.
“Reinforcements are here!”
“Don’t fear the witch! Help is coming!”
“Waaaah!”
The user of the lion’s roar approached with terrifying speed. The figure, initially a mere dot in the distance, drew nearer rapidly. The martial artists cheered when they recognized him.
“It’s the Lone Star of the Azure Sky!”
“Master Dam is here to save us! Waaaah!”
The martial artist rushing toward them was none other than Dam Soo-Cheon. Clothed in blue robes that billowed in the wind, he looked like a heavenly general.
Eun Han-Seol frowned as she watched him approach. Seven years had passed, but she remembered his face clearly.
Dam Soo-Cheon closed the distance in an instant and stood before her. He scowled at the gruesome scene, taking in the bodies scattered across the ground. “I was late.”
“You came just in time, Master Dam. That witch is slaughtering innocent martial artists. You must stop her,” a martial artist from the Zhongnan Sect said, welcoming him.
However, Dam Soo-Cheon could smell the fear clinging to the man. “What happened here?” he asked.
“That witch is on a rampage! If we don’t stop her, she’ll drench the Central Plains in blood!”
The Zhongnan Sect martial artist rambled on about Eun Han-Seol’s evil deeds. In his frenzy, he exaggerated the events a hundred times over without realizing it.
Dam Soo-Cheon shifted his gaze to Eun Han-Seol, and a flicker of recognition appeared in his eyes. “You’re… Young Lady Eun?”
Despite the seven-year gap, he recognized her at once. The Hundred Duels Trial remained the most intense memory of his life, and he had met her at its end. He still remembered her standing beside Jin Mu-Won. Above all, she had not aged a day.
Eun Han-Seol opened her small mouth. “Dam Soo-Cheon.”
“So it is you. I never thought the witch who appeared in the jianghu would be you.”
“I’m not a witch.”
“Then what is this cruelty?”
“They attacked me first.”
“You mean they attacked you for no reason?”
Eun Han-Seol nodded, but Dam Soo-Cheon did not look convinced.
The Zhongnan Sect martial artist whispered at his side. “Don’t believe her. She’s already killed over a hundred people.”
“That’s right. She’ll be a disaster for the Central Plains,” another warrior added.
The area grew noisy again as others chimed in.
Dam Soo-Cheon waited for them to quiet down before asking Eun Han-Seol again, “May I know which sect Young Lady Eun belongs to?”
“Why?”
“I need to know your identity to have any chance of persuading them.”
Dam Soo-Cheon could see the immense energy contained within Eun Han-Seol, far beyond an ordinary martial artist. Such power could not be obtained through normal means or from an ordinary sect. She could not be a commoner, nor could she belong to a mediocre sect.
“I have no intention of persuading them.”
“So you intend to keep shedding blood?”
“If they don’t block my path, there’ll be no blood.”
“You are quite arrogant, Young Lady Eun.”
“Am I?”
“I knew you were no ordinary person seven years ago, but you’re even more arrogant than I expected.”
“……”
“I have a proposal. Turn around and go back where you came from. I’ll ensure your safe passage. I, Dam Soo-Cheon, give you my word.”
“I can’t do that.”
“Is it because of Master Jin?”
“……” Eun Han-Seol did not answer.
Still, Dam Soo-Cheon was certain his guess was correct. Seven years ago, she had been glued to Jin Mu-Won’s side, and now, she was headed toward Wuhan, where he was. “Why are you looking for Master Jin?” he asked.
“Because I have to meet him.”
“Why?”
“Do you need a reason to meet a friend? My heart just tells me to go to him.”
“Your heart tells you to?”
Dam Soo-Cheon’s brow furrowed deeper. For some reason, her words resonated within him.
“Now, I’d like you to step aside. I don’t like wasting time.”
“I can’t do that. If you insist on proceeding, then it’s my duty to hold you accountable for killing all these people.”
“What right do you have to do that?”
“I am Dam Soo-Cheon. I believe my name alone is qualification enough.”
Eun Han-Seol scowled. Dam Soo-Cheon’s statement was incredibly arrogant, but it made sense coming from him. At least, no one among the martial artists present would dare question him. “Your name may work in the Central Plains, but it means nothing to me.”
“That’s a shame, but you’d be wise to believe me.” Dam Soo-Cheon smiled and straightened his back.
Eun Han-Seol felt as if a great iron wall had risen before her. His mere presence was overwhelming, and the martial artists surrounding her drew courage from it. Dam Soo-Cheon was a man who projected immense pressure on his enemies but served as the most reliable shield for his allies.
She watched him for a moment before her small lips parted. “I’ll ask you one last time. Step aside. I need to see Mu-Won.”
“I can’t. If you must see him, then please surrender. I’ll arrange a meeting with Master Jin for you. I give you my word.”
“So, in the end…” Eun Han-Seol let out a soft sigh. Every word they exchanged was meaningless banter. Neither she nor Dam Soo-Cheon was the type to easily back down.
The one who must advance and the one who must obstruct both began to gather energy. A formidable power radiated outward, weighing down on the martial artists’ spirits.
“This is beyond what we can handle…”
“Everyone, fall back!”
The martial artists retreated, their faces pale. This was not a fight they could intervene in.
A silver-white aura enveloped Eun Han-Seol, and her eyes and hair began to turn the same color.
Dam Soo-Cheon’s expression darkened. I’ve definitely heard of a martial art like that before…
When the blue wind speeds across the starless sky,
A shadow descends upon the world.
When the dark wings spread wide,
A divine spear glows with light.
When the axe of the devil splits the mountain,
The witch sings in the pitch blackness of night.
The Shadow of the Blue Wind (靑風魔影);
The Black-Winged Divine Spear (黑翼神槍);
The Mountain-Splitting Devil Axe (破山魔斧);
And the Witch of the White Night (白夜魔女).
He remembered a legend he had heard long ago about the Silent Night’s Four Great Demon Generals , who served the Lord of the Night. They were a source of terror for the Central Plains and the ultimate shield for their own.
“I see. Young Lady Eun, you’re the current era’s Witch of the White Night.”
“Huk! The Witch of the White Night? Is she really the Witch of the White Night?”
The martial artists began to murmur among themselves. They had cornered Eun Han-Seol, accusing her of being a witch, but they never imagined she was the legendary Witch of the White Night.
Most of them slowly backed away, their fear of the Four Great Demon Generals overwhelming them.
Dam Soo-Cheon was indifferent to the reaction his words provoked. Right now, he felt a powerful desite to fight rising within him. Most people feared the legendary Four Great Demon Generals, but he had always nurtured the ambition to one day surpass them.
And today, he had encountered a piece of that legend.
It was the perfect, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to shatter part of the legend.
A smile touched Dam Soo-Cheon’s lips as his body glowed with a blinding white light.
