Emotionless Swordsmanship Genius

Chapter 62: Hinshan’s Arrival

“So, you knew,”

“Wouldn’t it be stranger if I didn’t?”

Hinshan glanced at Number 10 with a disinterested expression.

The massive man was glaring fiercely at him. Number Six, on the other hand, chuckled lightly, acknowledging Hinshan’s remark.

“Are you one of his subordinates?”

“You could say that.”

Hinshan shrugged, and Number 6’s eyes narrowed.

“And yet,” he continued, glancing around, “you came alone, knowing who we are?”

“I came alone precisely because I know who you are.”

“Hmph! You’ll soon realize the consequences of facing him alone!”

Before he could even finish, Number 6 radiated a murderous aura, but Hinshan didn’t react at all.

“Whether it’s arrogance or confidence, I guess we’ll find out soon enough.”

“Big talk for someone with just a mouth.”

With that, both 6 and 10 rushed at Hinshan from opposite sides.

Naturally, the injured Number 10 lagged slightly behind, giving Hinshan a chance to engage Number 6 first.

Swish—

Number 6’s blade slashed down in a precise diagonal arc, barely missing Hinshan’s face by a centimeter.

Just a bit closer, and the blue-tinged blade would have cut through Hinshan’s neck.

But Number didn’t relent, attacking rapidly to prevent Hinshan from countering.

Whoosh—

As his sword traced faster, a blue streak cut through the air.

Yet, Hinshan’s movements grew even more agile, which suggested one thing.

‘He’s holding back his true strength.’

Number 6 realized that Hinshan’s confidence wasn’t mere bravado.

Still, Hinshan’s constant, unbothered smile left him perplexed; it was impossible to get a read on him.

Just as those thoughts surfaced, as if sensing it, Hinshan suddenly went on the offensive.

Moving in a zigzag pattern, he approached quickly. As Number 6 thrust his sword forward, Hinshan spun to the opposite side and swiftly swung his blade.

His movements were astonishingly light and fluid.

Swish—

Hinshan’s sword disappeared for a split second.

Momentarily losing track of his opponent, Number 6 found the blade suddenly inches from his face, and he jerked his head back.

‘What speed!’

He barely had time to steady himself before he heard a faint groan from behind.

“Ugh!”

It was a familiar voice.

Realizing something was wrong, he looked back to see that Hinshan had already cut through Number 10’s waist in one fluid motion.

A small fountain of blood sprayed from 10’s waist.

Feigning an attack on him, Hinshan had shifted and sliced through 10 as he approached from behind.

Caught off guard, 10 had been unable to defend himself and sank to his knees again.

“You rat!”

“No, don’t—!”

In a sudden fit of anger, 10 forced himself up and swung his greatsword with all his might.

6 shouted in alarm, but Hinshan had already slipped within 10’s guard.

Slash—

Hinshan’s blade arced upward, sending a fountain of blood spraying into the air.

The strike had cut vertically from chest to face.

10’s face twisted in shock as he died, not even understanding what had happened.

Thud—

As 10’s massive body fell, dust billowed around them.

“Damn it…”

Number 6 gritted his teeth. 10 had died before he could even react.

Hinshan’s movements were the fastest and cleanest he had ever seen.

10 may have been massive, but he was far quicker than the average person.

The fact that he appeared slow in comparison meant Hinshan was unbelievably fast.

If the Black Wolves saw how easily 10 was defeated, they would be horrified.

“How disappointing. So sluggish.”

Landing lightly, Hinshan flicked the blood from his blade, muttering as if in boredom.

“What… who the hell are you?”

Number 6 steadied his sword, glaring at Hinshan, keeping his gaze unwavering even as the dust stung his eyes.

One mistake and he could lose his head in an instant.

Meanwhile, Hinshan seemed completely at ease.

“Even if I told you, you wouldn’t understand. And since you’re about to die, there’s no need for you to know.”

“I’ll force it out of you, one way or another.”

6 pulled something from his pocket and swallowed it.

Fwoosh—

Moments later, veins bulged across his arms and face, and blue flames ignited along his sword.

His face twisted in pain from the sudden surge of power.

Hinshan’s smile grew as the new energy radiated from 6.

“Finally decided to take this seriously, have you?”

“Shut up!”

With a shout, 6 lunged, his form stretching as he blurred into motion.

Hinshan swung his blade over his left shoulder without even looking.

Clang!

A deafening clang resounded as a shockwave swept through them, pushing Hinshan back a step.

But that was all—their clash had barely fazed him.

‘Was that a fluke?’

As his attack was blocked, Number 6’s eyes flashed with intensity.

He vanished again, leaving only a faint afterimage. His movements were so swift that the eye could hardly follow.

But Hinshan, unfazed, leaned forward and swung his blade in the opposite direction.

Clang!

Once again, a sharp metallic sound rang out as a blue wave of energy spread in all directions.

‘Impossible! It wasn’t a coincidence!’

Hinshan continued to block Number 6’s attacks effortlessly.

As time passed, Number 6’s movements gradually slowed, and eventually, the blue flames vanished altogether.

‘Damn it! This can’t be happening!’

With all his attacks thwarted, Number 6was in turmoil. He had ingested a fragment of a low-grade demon’s orb, a substance potent enough to temporarily enhance his abilities, albeit at the cost of his physical health if overused.

It was a last resort, meant only for life-or-death situations.

Yet, even with that desperate measure, he still hadn’t defeated Hinshan. In fact, he felt toyed with.

Just then—

“So, the rumors of using orb fragments to enhance your strength were true.”

“What?”

“Do you have any more tricks to show?” Hinshan asked, smiling as casually as ever.

Number 6’s pupils widened. Was Hinshan deliberately provoking him to draw out information?

His feelings of frustration and humiliation surged into a boiling rage.

“Die!”

His remaining composure shattered, and he rushed forward, swinging his sword wildly to pressure Hinshan. But this time, Hinshan’s response was different.

Clang! Clang!

Hinshan not only blocked but began to counterattack.

The blue energy radiating from Number 6’s sword was useless against Hinshan’s blade, which should have been shattered by now, according to conventional wisdom.

Thump!

Each clash sent waves of air exploding outward, stirring up dust and scattering it like a storm as cuts began to accumulate on Number 6’s body.

Meanwhile, Hinshan looked just as composed as before.

Swoosh!

“Argh!”

Hinshan’s blade grazed Number 6’s shoulder again, intentionally avoiding a fatal blow as if taunting him.

Overwhelmed with fury, Number 6 gripped his sword tighter, preparing to attack with even more force.

But he was rapidly tiring, the side effects of the orb fragment and his depleting stamina taking their toll.

Slash—

“Ugh!”

This time, he was cut deeply. Clutching his bleeding side, Number 6 dropped to his knees.

The pain of defeat cut deeper than the wound itself.

“You thought you could face Lord Karon with this level of skill? Foolish.”

Hinshan’s tone was laced with disappointment, as though he’d lost interest. This only fueled Number 6’s anger further, and he struggled to his feet, unwilling to die in such a pitiful manner.

“Don’t be ridiculous! That bastard could never be my equal!”

“You’re delusional. Lord Karon’s skills have progressed far beyond what they were back then.”

“And you think I’ve been sitting idle?”

6 sneered, but Hinshan only shook his head with a look of pity.

“You misunderstand. When you fought Karon, he had only been wielding a sword for a year, and without a proper teacher.”

“What? One year? That’s impossible!” Number 6 shouted, his expression filled with disbelief.

From what he had seen, Karon’s swordsmanship clearly showed the marks of intensive training—certainly not something achieved in a mere year.

What he hadn’t realized was that Karon hadn’t learned from anyone. He had merely mimicked the techniques he’d observed.

“Why would I lie to a man about to die? Karon has since trained under a true master for over a year. Do you really think he would still be weaker than you?”

Hinshan’s words brought back a memory. He had thought Karon’s moves looked imitative during their battle, as though he were copying someone else’s style.

‘Could it be? In such a short time?’

“It’s about time to end this,” Hinshan murmured, glancing at the sun’s position in the sky.

Gritting his teeth, Number 6 gripped his sword with both hands. His blue aura had faded, and his face had turned pale from blood loss.

“If I’m going to die, I’ll at least take a piece of you with me.”

“Go ahead.”

“Hrrgh!”

Number 6 inhaled sharply, grounding his stance.

Thud!

In unison, they leaped toward each other as if they’d agreed to it beforehand.

—

Karon emerged from the southern forest of the Altun Mountains, squinting momentarily as his eyes adjusted to the sunlight. His vision, naturally sharp, took a moment to adapt to the sudden brightness.

After a brief pause, he began walking along the path again.

Soon, he reached the gorge that connected southward.

Unbothered, Karon looked straight ahead, already aware that someone was waiting at the entrance to the gorge.

And indeed, there was Hinshan, mounted on a horse, waiting for him. Beside him stood a second horse.

“Lord Karon!”

Spotting Karon, Hinshan eagerly rode forward.

He leaped off his horse, landing lightly before Karon, his face lit with a smile brighter than usual, showing how genuinely glad he was.

“You must’ve gone through so much! Lord Karon, allow me to escort you to the Grand Duke’s estate.”

Hinshan spoke with visible excitement.

Karon’s gaze flicked over him for a moment.

Others wouldn’t have noticed, but Karon instantly saw the signs. Small blood stains dotted Hinshan’s sleeve and pants, barely visible, and faint dust clung to various parts of his clothing.

He had tried to hide it, but nothing escaped Karon’s keen observation.

However, Karon wasn’t interested in knowing what had happened.

“Do as you wish.”

As Karon mounted the horse, Hinshan quickly did the same and took the lead.

“We meet after a year, and you’re not even glad to see me? I was so bored without you…”

Hinshan kept turning back, chatting eagerly, while Karon merely chewed on a piece of herb he pulled from his pocket, paying him no mind.

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