NOVGO.NET Chapter 186 : Chapter 186
Chapter 186. This Brat Drives Me Crazy (4)
Patrick was dumbfounded.
What did that brat just do?
Emperor Sword Form?
That brat?
‘How is that possible?’
He couldn’t understand.
Let’s say, for the sake of argument, he could concede a hundred times over that he could perform the Formed Qi of Intent.
But of all things, the technique he manifested was the Emperor Sword Form?
“This is absurd.”
The Way of Martial Arts is honest.
The heart within and the traces of one’s life melt into it and emerge as form.
The majesty of the Buddha embodied in Shaolin.
The harmony of the Taiji embodied in Wudang.
The cycle of life, blooming and withering, embodied in Mount Hua.
That is what martial arts is.
Emperor Sword Form.
The secret art of will and intent of the Namgung Clan, which has reigned as the hegemon of Anhui Province.
What that technique seeks to embody is the resolve of the Namgung Clan.
They, who have reigned as the hegemons of Anhui, came into being to protect, on a small scale, the Namgung Clan, and on a large scale, the common people of Anhui Province.
It is not for oneself.
It is a sword forged with the king’s resolve to defeat the enemy for the sake of those who must be protected.
The Emperor Sword Form was the very history of the Namgung Clan, a secret art of will and intent created by the first head of the Namgung Clan and passed down through generations of his descendants.
And the fact that Cierion had unfolded something identical to it meant….
‘Is his resolve as a king genuine? Even while doing such dirty things behind the scenes, he can imbue his sword with a noble resolve and determination?’
Patrick was confused.
“What… in the world are you?”
“……”
No answer returned.
Because he was already unconscious.
Thud.
Cierion, having exhausted all his spirit and energy, collapsed to the ground.
Seeing this, Patrick, who had not received an answer, swept his bangs up and said.
“This brat drives me crazy.”
What on earth should he do with this guy?
Just as Patrick was pondering.
“Your Highneeeeess!”
“My liege!”
The moment Cierion collapsed, the knights of the Yusef Kingdom rushed forward.
They quickly ran over, helped Cierion to a safe place, and simultaneously raised their swords and took a stance towards Patrick.
As if to say they would block him no matter what if he attacked Cierion here.
At that sight, Patrick smirked and said.
“So you draw your swords and take a stance?”
“……”
“What? What are you going to do?”
“……”
“You’re going to stop me?”
A blade-like aura emanated from Patrick’s body.
“You things?”
“Ugh… uuuugh….”
“Uuuuughk….”
The knights’ bodies trembled.
It was not a tremor from fighting spirit or anger.
It was a reflex action from pure fear.
The fear of death that all living creatures possess threatened them.
However….
“Huu… huuuu… huuuu….”
“Ugh…. Uweeek!”
“Keuuuuk….”
One who had lost his reason and entered a state of excitement.
One who couldn’t overcome the fear and threw up everything inside.
One who was sobbing pathetically, shedding tears and snot.
It was a complete mess.
However….
‘Not bad.’
Not a single one of them ran away.
Even with an insurmountably huge enemy before them, they fulfilled their duty.
The duty of a knight to protect their king.
Patrick glanced at them and said.
“Is that brat such a great being to you all?”
“……”
“Once he’s dead, a similar guy will just take his place and do similar things anyway, right?”
“How dare you….”
“Double Dragon….”
The knights of the Yusef Kingdom, gritting their teeth, glared at Patrick as if they wanted to tear him to shreds.
But even so, Patrick didn’t bat an eye.
At that moment, from behind the knights, Matias Karvan stepped forward.
And looking straight at Patrick, he said.
“You will never know.”
“Know what?”
“What it is to serve a true king. You will never know.”
“Why do you think so?”
To Patrick’s question, asked with a smirk, Matias answered without hesitation.
“You do not need a king.”
“……”
“A king is a being who unites the powerless and the weak. A being who leads them and becomes a pillar for them to endure through adversity. However….”
“……”
“You have no need for that.”
“……”
“Because you are strong. Because you are a born absolute.”
“……”
“How could someone like you possibly know our feelings, the hearts of the weak.”
“……”
Matias glanced back.
Confirming his lord’s pale face, he bit his lip and said.
“If I had known it would come to this, I should have stopped my liege somehow. If I had known he was this kind of person…. If I had known from the start that it was absolutely impossible to win him over, I would have stopped him somehow.”
Matias sighed to himself, then drew his sword, aimed it at Patrick, and said.
“Double Dragon.”
“Speak.”
“You will never understand anyway. How precious this person is to us. And….”
A terrifying fighting spirit began to rise from Matias’ body.
He glared straight at Patrick and continued.
“How mad we can become for his sake.”
“……”
“You will never be able to understand.”
Patrick stared intently at Matias.
And he also looked at the other knights of the Yusef Kingdom behind him.
Every single one of them was glaring at him with a look of desperation.
“Huuuu….”
With a small sigh, Patrick withdrew his killing intent.
Because it was meaningless.
No matter how much he threatened them with his fierce killing intent, they would never back down.
Threats do not work on humans who have steeled their resolve to protect something more precious than their own lives.
Patrick sheathed his sword and said.
“I….”
Patrick looked at the collapsed and unconscious Cierion and said.
“I apply two standards when judging a person.”
“……”
“One is what they themselves say and do. And the second is how those around them treat them.”
“……”
“No matter what you all say, I do not acknowledge that bastard.”
The knights of the Yusef Kingdom flared up.
Looking at them glaring and gritting their teeth, Patrick continued nonchalantly.
“No matter what grand cause they advocate, I neither trust nor follow a person who sacrifices the few for the many.”
Because that’s what he was taught.
“However….”
Patrick hesitated, then cautiously continued.
“That is my way.”
“……”
Following his master’s teachings and living by that way was his own choice.
He could not force it upon others.
“If there are those who need him, then his life should not be taken away carelessly, I suppose.”
“……”
Originally, he had intended to kill him.
At the very least, he had planned to destroy his Aura Hall to drag him down from his position of strength.
He had thought that such punishment was necessary for someone who had joined hands with black mages and sacrificed the few for the many.
However….
‘Is the way of the king something that cannot be measured by the standards of an ordinary person?’
He didn’t know.
Perhaps it was something he, who was by nature a man of the Jianghu, could never understand.
Patrick let out a small sigh and his lips twitched.
And he left some words for Matias via telepathy.
“You….”
“Relay it without hiding anything.”
“……”
“Now, go.”
And Patrick turned his back completely.
Patrick Schneider vs. Cierion Baisus Yusef.
The victor of the duel was Patrick Schneider.
In the future, this duel would go down in history.
As the first duel between the Double Dragon, Patrick Schneider, and the Hegemon King, Cierion Baisus Yusef.
* * *
“Ugh… uuuuugh….”
The first thing he saw upon opening his eyes was the roof of a tent.
“Your Highness!”
“Are you awake?”
Around Cierion, who had opened his eyes, were packed his knights.
Cierion, opening his eyes with difficulty, said.
“How many people are in this small tent?”
At that, the knights smiled in relief and said.
“We are glad you are safe.”
“You did not open your eyes for three days.”
“Hahaha. You all worried for nothing…. I believed you would wake up safely, Your Highness.”
‘Three days….’
Cierion tried to sit up… no, he tried to.
However….
“Keuuuuugh….”
He groaned in pain as if his whole body were shattering and lay back down.
“Your Highness!”
“Are you alright?”
“We must quickly return to the kingdom and have a priest examine you.”
At his subordinates’ concern, Cierion frowned and said.
“It is fine. More importantly, bring me my sword.”
“Your Highness?”
“You must rest.”
“This is important. Bring it at once.”
At Cierion’s serious words, the knights reluctantly brought him his sword.
Cierion took the sword and used it as a cane to force himself up.
“Uuuugh….”
It felt like his whole body would break, but he couldn’t put it off.
This was something that had to be done now.
Cierion took one difficult step after another and went outside the tent.
Once outside, an even larger number of knights were looking at him with worried expressions.
“Your Highness?”
“Are you alright?”
Cierion waved away his concerned subordinates and raised his sword, taking a stance.
“Your Highness, what are you trying to do?”
“You must not overexert yourself.”
He knew his subordinates were worried.
But this had to be checked right now.
Before the sensation left his body.
Woooooong.
An Aura Blade bloomed on his sword.
However….
“Huh?”
“Was it always like that?”
“No, it’s a bit… different.”
His Aura Blade was very different from before.
Originally, the momentum of the aura would grow more and more intense until it crossed a certain threshold, at which point it would explode into form and be created as a sword of light.
But now, Cierion’s Aura Blade was generated as quietly as a calm lake.
There was no waste of power at all, and the generation of the Aura Blade was so natural.
And that wasn’t all.
“Huuuuuuu….”
Cierion closed his eyes and composed his breathing.
At that, his Aura Blade….
“Uh…. Uh oh oh….”
“Waaaaah!”
“What is that?”
It grew larger and larger.
Surpassing 5m, then 10m, the ever-growing Aura Blade eventually became a colossal king’s sword over 20m long.
A giant sword of light standing tall and alone in the dark forest.
Its brilliant white light was so majestic that it entranced all who saw it.
Cierion looked at the sword, smiled with satisfaction, and said.
“I gained something.”
What he had gained by overcoming the crisis of death in his duel with Patrick.
It was his own sword.
And he could feel it.
That he had now surpassed the wall of the 7-star.
“Congratulations, Your Highness.”
“Congratulations!”
“You have finally broken through the wall.”
The knights cheered.
How could they not be happy?
Although their lord had been defeated, he had used that defeat as a stepping stone to become even stronger.
“Huuuuuu….”
Cierion withdrew his Aura Blade and opened his mouth.
“Sir Karvan.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Did he leave any message?”
“…He did.”
“Relay it. Without changing a single word.”
At the king’s solemn command, Matias sighed and said.
“He said…. ‘Remember. That I am watching….’”
“Is that all?”
At Cierion’s urging, Matias continued calmly, as if he had no other choice.
“If I judge that your actions have crossed the line and are harming the world….”
“Continue speaking.”
“I will take your life with my own hands.”
“Is that so?”
“……”
“I see.”
Cierion let out a smirk.
For someone who had just received a death threat, he even looked rather relieved.
And with a face full of regret, he said.
“I really should have managed to win him over somehow….”
“Your Highness, that is impossible.”
“……”
“He will not join you, Your Highness.”
“Yes. I suppose not.”
Cierion smirked and said.
“First, let us return to our country. And….”
Cierion’s eyes gleamed as he said.
“I will end the civil war. As quickly as possible.”
“Yes, sir!”
Cierion returned to his own country right away.
And three months after his return to the country.
All the factions that had been hostile to him knelt before Cierion, and the civil war came to an end.
As a result, Cierion came to form a more absolute and powerful royal authority than any other king in the history of the Yusef Kingdom.
The march of the Hegemon King, Cierion Baisus Yusef, had begun in earnest.