readsfreenovel Chapter 267 : This Is the End
Chapter 267 : This Is the End
“Y-you…! This is an outrage against heaven and humanity!!”The death of the Master of Myriad Gold Manor.
It was obvious who stood behind it. Witnessing Ha Joo-myeong’s atrocity, the Orthodox martial artists erupted in fury.
And yet, Ha Joo-myeong remained calm.
Not only Jin Seong-un, but also the most renowned masters of Murim—even the Murim Alliance Leader—were looking at him with contempt.
An ordinary man would have been crushed by such pressure, unable to even breathe properly.
But Ha Joo-myeong merely observed the situation beyond the formation with composed eyes.
‘Even the Peng Clan and the Hwangbo Clan have turned their backs.’
He had invested heavily in both clans.
Despite their bold exteriors, they were filled with greedy, cunning minds—making them the easiest for Myriad Gold Manor to manipulate.
But now that the Alliance Leader himself had appeared from closed-door training, even the Saber King had no options left.
Ha Joo-myeong’s mind raced.
Should he try persuasion? Offer compensation?
Threaten them with the money he had already given? Appeal to emotion?
None of it would work.
A low chuckle escaped his lips.
‘In the end… it all comes down to the scales.’
People were all the same.
It wasn’t just merchants who weighed things—every human made calculations.
Those foolish Orthodox martial artists were no different.
On the scales in their hearts, they had already placed Ha Joo-myeong and Jin Seong-un.
And the balance had clearly tipped.
No proposal or plea would work now.
There was only one option left.
With calmer eyes than ever, Ha Joo-myeong looked at Jin Seong-un.
“You speak of the way of martial artists… but why do you keep forcing such a method upon a mere merchant like me?”
“You started it first.”
Jin Seong-un replied evenly.
Ha Joo-myeong continued, as if the answer didn’t matter.
“It was Yu Won-ho, the External Chief Steward, who commissioned Deathshroud. I killed him. Shouldn’t that settle it?”
Jin Seong-un stared at him silently.
As if it wasn’t even worth answering.
Ha Joo-myeong gave a bitter smile.
“Fine. The way of martial artists, then. Shall you and I fight a duel to the death? What do those behind you think?”
Confusion spread across the crowd.
Most had not even known that Ha Joo-myeong practiced martial arts.
Those who knew Jin Seong-un well—like Hyeon-un and Tang Tae-san—looked at Ha Joo-myeong as if he had gone mad.
But with the Alliance Leader present, none spoke.
As all eyes turned to him, Lee Ha-seong said,
“That would be clean.”
At the same time, Ha Joo-myeong extended his hand.
From within the formation, the Black Wolf Saber lying on the ground flew into his grasp.
A masterful display of psychokinesis.
It meant one thing—
Ha Joo-myeong had reached the Peak Master Level.
The Orthodox masters were shocked. They had sensed no aura from him at all.
But Jin Seong-un already knew.
He simply turned to the Saber King.
“May I borrow it a bit longer?”
In his hand was the Mountain Lord Great Saber.
The Saber King looked at him in disbelief.
How could he demand its return from someone about to fight a duel to the death?
With a snort, he said nothing.
Jin Seong-un gave a slight nod and turned back to Ha Joo-myeong.
The two faced each other in silence.
Night had deepened, moonlight pouring over them.
Ha Joo-myeong’s plan was simple.
Kill Jin Seong-un—and tip the scales back.
If Jin Seong-un disappeared, the will of these people would weaken.
From there, his political skill and wealth would resolve everything.
Gripping the Black Wolf Saber, Ha Joo-myeong glared.
Perhaps this was for the best.
If he couldn’t control him—he would kill him.
Swaeak—!
Without warning, Ha Joo-myeong charged, instantly crossing the formation and arriving before Jin Seong-un.
The Black Wolf Saber Art he practiced was of the Unorthodox Path—there was no need for courtesy.
Clang—!
The two sabers collided, sparks flying.
The masters of the Orthodox faction murmured in admiration at Ha Joo-myeong’s aura, movement, and momentum.
They immediately realized—
His martial prowess far exceeded expectations.
Ha Joo-myeong pressed Jin Seong-un.
His saber danced wildly under the moonlight, dazzling and fierce.
Jin Seong-un stepped back, one step, then another, swinging the massive blade.
Some grew concerned—
But those who knew him well remained calm.
Jin Seong-un observed Ha Joo-myeong’s saber art.
It was indeed the Black Wolf Saber Art. And he had indeed reached Peak Master Level.
But—
“Strange.”
Jin Seong-un frowned slightly.
There was an unpleasant dissonance.
The saber aura was clear, the speed and weight impressive.
It was unpredictable, vicious, and filled with killing intent.
Truly formidable.
But—
Clang!
Jin Seong-un blocked it easily.
Ha Joo-myeong’s saber art was efficient—like solving a complex equation.
But predictable. Fixed.
Empty of enlightenment.
Jin Seong-un’s insight was correct.
Ha Joo-myeong was a merchant.
He had accumulated immense internal energy through countless medicinal ingredients, while scholars from the Martial Palace had analyzed and reconstructed saber techniques academically.
Thus—
What he learned was not martial arts.
It was martial theory.
Clang-clang-clang!
Ha Joo-myeong attacked in a flurry, growing uneasy.
Yet every strike was blocked.
Though Jin Seong-un’s saber was not faster—
It was always there first.
As if he already knew.
Ha Joo-myeong pressed harder.
Clang-clang-clang!
But the result was the same.
His overwhelming power meant nothing before true enlightenment.
Then—
He hesitated.
Even before he moved, Jin Seong-un’s blade was already waiting.
Jin Seong-un spoke.
“This isn’t martial arts. Just efficient violence.”
Ha Joo-myeong’s brow twitched.
What did he know?
Ignoring him, Jin Seong-un began to move.
What he displayed—
Was the true Black Wolf Saber Art.
The massive blade surged forward.
Moonlight shattered between them.
Ha Joo-myeong could only defend.
The attacks weren’t fast or heavy—
Yet his breathing grew ragged. His mind grew anxious.
The blade descended.
He raised his saber—
Pain burned at his side.
His waist had been cut.
Black Wolf Saber Art, Black Wolf Riding the Waves.
He couldn’t understand it.
But Jin Seong-un had no intention of explaining.
He simply demonstrated—
One move at a time.
Ha Joo-myeong swung desperately.
But it became meaningless.
Techniques flowed—
Dark Thunder Saber, Black Moon Saber, Black Wolf One Strike.
A shoulder split. A chest torn. An arm pierced.
Jin Seong-un did not kill him in one strike.
He showed him.
What true martial arts was.
How wrong his path had been.
Ha Joo-myeong staggered back.
Each step left a bloody footprint.
All watched in silence.
Their eyes met.
“….”
In the darkness—
It felt like a black wolf stared at him.
At last, Ha Joo-myeong realized.
“…Black Wolf Saber Art?”
Jin Seong-un did not answer.
Black Bamboo Rising Saber. Heavenly Wolf Annihilation. Black Flash Thunder.
One after another.
Ha Joo-myeong’s body was drenched in blood.
His Dantian was still full—
But he could not use it.
His will had broken first.
Because he was not a true martial artist.
Jin Seong-un spread a barrier of qi, silencing the sound.
“Do you know why the Merchant King ordered the destruction of Myriad Gold Manor?”
“What nonsense…”
“It wasn’t simply because your Ha family stole it. It was because your wealth oppressed the common people and crushed small merchants.”
For a moment, Ha Joo-myeong’s eyes trembled.
“Myriad Gold Manor is mine! The Merchant King is just a forgotten relic—what nonsense—!”
“See it clearly.”
“What…?”
“The enlightenment your sister Ha Cheong-a tried to restore through countless sacrifices.”
Jin Seong-un drew the blade to his chest.
The air sank.
The ultimate technique—born from the Merchant King’s lifetime of enlightenment.
He named it.
“Black Wolf Saber Art—Myriad Gold.”
Even if Myriad Gold Manor vanished—
His will would remain.
Jin Seong-un surged forward.
A savage, primal killing force filled the air.
Ha Joo-myeong unleashed his saber aura.
A thick, powerful shield—
Crack—!
It was cut.
No matter what—
It was cut.
The aura split.
The blade pierced his heart.
“……”
Silence fell.
Blood spilled from his mouth.
He tried to speak—
But no words came.
The Black Wolf Saber fell.
Jin Seong-un withdrew his blade.
Blood gushed.
Ha Joo-myeong staggered.
He picked something up—
A broken signboard.
“Myriad Gold.”
He collapsed, clutching it.
His bloody hands smeared the name.
The most glorious name—
Stained in misery.
“I… I am… of Myriad Gold…”
His final words never finished.
Slash—
The saber ended his life.
In suffocating silence—
All watched.
Jin Seong-un spoke quietly.
“The history of Myriad Gold Manor…”
He looked over the silent battlefield.
“Ends here.”