Chapter 171
Chapter 171
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 171
Chapter Title: Mad Dog's Ambush
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My mind went blank. The seething emotions boiled over fiercer than the pain of my severed arm. Instead of screaming, Ok Girin gritted his teeth and clung to his fading consciousness.
That was how Ok Girin managed to see the face of the bastard who had cut off his arm.
"You son of a bitch...!"
Mad Dog Gu Jeoksa.
It was him. Ok Girin glared at Gu Jeoksa with bloodshot eyes. They had never gotten along, for a variety of reasons.
Just recently at the harbor, they had traded barbs. Those trivial memories flashed through Ok Girin's mind.
"Keuheheh!"
Gu Jeoksa let out a pleased chuckle as he watched Ok Girin's twisted face. His moniker was Mad Dog. One might think from the name alone that he was some reckless berserker who charged in without a thought, but in truth, Gu Jeoksa was quite cautious.
He knew exactly what he could do and what he couldn't.
"You crazy bastard!"
Bang Jun spat out a curse in panic. Neither he nor Ok Girin had anticipated Gu Jeoksa's ambush.
The Frenzy Sect, which Gu Jeoksa belonged to, mastered every aspect of combat. Thanks to that, his stealth and surprise attacks were top-notch.
"Kuuaaaah!"
A scream burst from Ok Girin's mouth. He had confirmed the wound where his arm had been severed. Then came the heavy pain and despair, squeezing his mind.
His right arm. Cleanly cut off above the elbow. In an instant, he had become a one-armed cripple.
Bang Jun leaped in. Gu Jeoksa, smirking with a twisted lip, swung his sword at Bang Jun.
The blade, spewing crimson sword energy, dyed the space red.
Creeeeak!
Bang Jun's twin palms blocked the sword force. In that single clash, Gu Jeoksa felt shock.
'Is Mugeol this strong?'
The surprise didn't end there. Gu Jeoksa leaped back. It was because Wi Seongcheon had suddenly charged in.
Wasn't the Latent Dragon tied up with the Black Dragon? Gu Jeoksa's eyes darted in alarm. He saw Sanggwan Hu rushing in with a hardened expression, his earlier smile gone.
'Shedding the Black Dragon—even if briefly—to intervene here?'
Unbelievable. Wi Seongcheon blocked Gu Jeoksa's path and raised his left hand.
Internal energy surged from his dantian, coiling around Wi Seongcheon's hand. He wasn't used to this style of attack, but it wasn't difficult to execute. The middle dantian he had opened long ago allowed him to wield qi freely.
Boom boom boom!
The qi shot from his hand blocked Sanggwan Hu's path. It only halted him for a moment. But that was enough.
Wi Seongcheon spun around and thrust his hand toward Gu Jeoksa. Caught off guard as the sudden target, Gu Jeoksa swung his sword without panic. Wi Seongcheon's hand fearlessly dove into the gap between the sharp slashes.
'What the hell?!'
Wi Seongcheon's fingertips gripped the blade. Gu Jeoksa twisted the sword in alarm, but even with just a few fingers holding it, it felt as heavy as a thousand catties.
'So this is the Latent Dragon.'
Wi Seongcheon yanked the sword toward himself and drove a fist at Gu Jeoksa's face. Gu Jeoksa immediately released the sword and retreated.
[Take Ok Girin and run.]
[What about you?]
[I won't die.]
Bang Jun couldn't comprehend the response. He still thought it might be better to leave Ok Girin here to die.
Even if death was guaranteed not to happen, anything else could befall him.
[Better to carry him and bolt.]
[You bastard.]
[Sorry.]
Wi Seongcheon replied with a bitter smile. Bang Jun swiftly hoisted the thrashing Ok Girin onto his back. The stench drilling into his nose made Ok Girin's eyes roll back.
But he didn't struggle to fall off Bang Jun's back. Ok Girin quickly pressed the acupoints on his severed arm to staunch the bleeding and wrapped his legs around Bang Jun's waist to hold on.
'He must really want to live. Should've done this from the start...'
He had endured the ordeal of losing a perfectly fine arm. No trace of his Black Overlord pride remained in Ok Girin's mind.
The despair from the day's cursed events: one crushed testicle, a severed right arm, a broken left arm.
'I'll kill him...!'
Intense killing intent surged. But Ok Girin's murderous aura wasn't directed at Wi Seongcheon—it targeted Gu Jeoksa. With bulging eyes, Ok Girin stared at Wi Seongcheon's back as he blocked Gu Jeoksa and Sanggwan Hu.
Wi Seongcheon was undoubtedly the enemy who had crushed one of his testicles, but his hatred for Gu Jeoksa, who had severed his right arm, burned fiercer.
The difference was simple. Wi Seongcheon hadn't tried to kill him, but Gu Jeoksa had.
Engraving that killing intent deep in his chest, Ok Girin and Bang Jun fled the scene. Gu Jeoksa and Sanggwan Hu couldn't pursue. Wi Seongcheon had artfully blocked their path, and they realized it.
Capturing Wi Seongcheon, left alone, took priority over the critically wounded Ok Girin with his severed arm. The Latent Dragon of Heavenly Flower Sect was far stronger and more dangerous than they had thought.
"No plans to run, I see."
Gu Jeoksa sneered from a safe distance. Wi Seongcheon had taken his sword, but blades weren't his only weapon. Gu Jeoksa drew the chain sickle strapped to his waist.
"If it were a situation where I had to run, I would have."
Wi Seongcheon grinned back. The sickle whirled around the chain with a sinister whoosh. A roar erupted from Sanggwan Hu on the opposite side.
'Sanggwan Hu's alone.'
Jinwoo sunbae hadn't entered the forest, and Tae Heemyung sunbae and Cheong Wubin sunbae were acting separately.
Overconfidence must have led him to move solo. What about Gu Jeoksa?
He had allied with Yuk Jin-il, Dang Heeran, and Yeongjin sunbae. Were those three moving apart too?
'Of course. If you're confident in avoiding capture, it's rational to split forces and search for the paired stones.'
That wasn't an option for Wi Seongcheon, who had entered the forest alone. So he had to move faster and harder than the others.
'If I can take down one of them here...'
Was that too much to hope for?
Gu Jeoksa launched his chain sickle. Depending on how one manipulated the chain, its trajectory could change unpredictably.
It was that much harder to wield, but Gu Jeoksa handled the chain sickle like an extension of his body. The moment the chain sickle shot out, Sanggwan Hu attacked from behind.
Neither wanted it this way, but the two naturally coordinated their pincer attack on a single foe.
Wi Seongcheon kicked off the ground and leaped high. Sanggwan Hu yanked the chain's midpoint. The chain sickle whipped upward, chasing Wi Seongcheon.
In that instant, Wi Seongcheon grabbed the chain with his hand. As if anticipating it, the chain tried to wrap around his entire body, but Wi Seongcheon flowed with its motion.
Gu Jeoksa panicked at the weight transmitted through his hand. Wi Seongcheon was clearly holding the chain, yet no weight came through it.
'What kind of technique is this?'
Gu Jeoksa yanked the chain hard. Wi Seongcheon, who had moved with it, tilted toward the charging Sanggwan Hu.
Snap!
Wi Seongcheon's hand whipped the chain. The curved sickle lashed out at Sanggwan Hu.
"You're useless."
Sanggwan Hu spat in irritation and thrust out a palm strike.
KABOOM!
A deafening roar turned the sickle to dust. Gu Jeoksa's face twisted at the blatant insult. He released the chain and drew twin daggers.
Weapons changed, so did tactics. Gu Jeoksa charged at Wi Seongcheon, wielding his paired daggers with timed strikes in expert dual-wielding style.
Wi Seongcheon adjusted his midair stance and extended both hands toward the dagger slashes. Fierce whooshes followed, but no sound of flesh being cut. Wi Seongcheon repeatedly disrupted the dual-wield flow, probing for Gu Jeoksa's openings.
'He's lucky.'
Wi Seongcheon glared at Gu Jeoksa. After exchanging blows, he was certain. One-on-one, Gu Jeoksa was no match.
Bluntly put, Wi Seongcheon was confident he could subdue him in twenty breaths or less.
The reason he couldn't was Sanggwan Hu, constantly gunning for him. The man lived up to his title as the top of the Black Overlords. Could he win if they fought seriously? He wasn't sure yet.
'The longer this drags, the worse for me.'
Without Sanggwan Hu, he would have caught Gu Jeoksa already. Without Gu Jeoksa, he could focus on Sanggwan Hu.
Being alone felt pathetic anew. He had plenty of internal energy, but at this rate, he'd tire soon. Using the Hundred Ghosts White Robe of the White Demon Witch could turn the tables in one go, but in this frantic situation, his proficiency wasn't high enough to deploy it perfectly.
'I can still escape now.'
He had reserves in stamina and energy. Choosing flight over fight meant he could get away without much risk.
He resolved to flee and was about to angle for it when Wi Seongcheon's expression turned peculiar.
He wasn't the only one. Sanggwan Hu, channeling his energy, froze and turned his head with a stiff face.
"You're too noisy."
A light, cheerful voice cut through the twisted atmosphere. The forest, shrouded in dusk, was far too ominous for a stroll, but Woo Hayeon's steps were leisurely. She caressed the crimson sword at her waist and looked up.
"Causing this much racket, how could I not come see what's up?"
Woo Hayeon hadn't come alone. A few steps behind stood Ha Ji-eun. Her expression was as cool as ever, but when her eyes met Wi Seongcheon's, she gave a slight nod in greeting.
"Unexpected."
Ha Ji-eun spoke abruptly.
"The Black Dragon and the Mad Dog. As far as I know, you two have no ties. Since when did you get so chummy?"
"Nonsense."
"What's nonsense? Look, you're holding hands all friendly, bullying poor little me."
Mockery laced Ha Ji-eun's voice. Sanggwan Hu glared at her with fiery eyes, but she continued unperturbed.
"Well, whatever you do is none of my business."
"You can't say that. The one over there is my precious junior."
Woo Hayeon pouted and poked Ha Ji-eun's shoulder. Ha Ji-eun clicked her tongue and shook her head.
"I see. Hm, thinking about it... if we're in a position where we have to compete anyway, it makes sense to clear out the ones we hate first."
"You're saying you'd take out fellow Black Overlords like us before the righteous Latent Dragon?"
"Since when did you lot treat me as a fellow Black Overlord? You set the Four Flowers apart and ignored me and the North Sea Ice Palace."
Ha Ji-eun's voice chilled. Woo Hayeon beamed up at Wi Seongcheon.
"How about it, junior? This is what it means to have the right senior in your corner."
"...I didn't ask for help."
"You're so bad at being honest, junior. You were looking at me with those desperate eyes begging for aid. Think I didn't notice?"
"I didn't..."
Wi Seongcheon chuckled awkwardly.
"Not bad."
Sanggwan Hu growled.
Rumble rumble!
His Roaring Dragon Heavenly Command Divine Art surged to its peak, his hair standing on end. Cloaked in protective qi, he bellowed in fury.
"No need to drag this out for days. I'll correct that ignorant arrogance right now. Come on, all of you. I'll kill you all!"
Sanggwan Hu glared into the darkness with bloodshot eyes. The watching Slaughter Ghost Yang Jeon stepped forward. He exchanged glances with Gu Jeoksa, then glanced at Sanggwan Hu.
"You should think wisely."
"Shut it, Yang Jeon. You learned earlier you're not in a position to strut before me, didn't you?"
"True. Alone, I couldn't beat you. But... if necessary, I can set aside my pride for now."
Yang Jeon stared pointedly at Gu Jeoksa. Gu Jeoksa blinked, then grinned.
Seeing their exchanged looks and Hwangbo Seongwoo and Woo Heera behind Yang Jeon, Sanggwan Hu burst into laughter.
"Hahaha! Sure, that works. You can't kill this Sanggwan Hu alone, after all!"
Sanggwan Hu wasn't narrow-minded to the point of stupidity. He knew he was the one isolated now.
He didn't know where Cheong Wubin and Tae Heemyung, separated right after entering the forest, were. Gu Jeoksa and Yang Jeon, formerly at odds, had silently agreed to cooperate out of necessity, and Hwangbo Seongwoo and Woo Heera backed Yang Jeon.
Ha Ji-eun and Woo Hayeon sided with Wi Seongcheon.
Sanggwan Hu had no one. This was bad. No matter how strong he was as the Black Dragon, if Yang Jeon and Gu Jeoksa came at him seriously, he'd need resolve. If Hwangbo Seongwoo and Woo Heera joined?
'You vermin...!'
He should have captured Wi Seongcheon with Gu Jeoksa earlier. Or eliminated Gu Jeoksa first. Logically, he should flee now.
But his pride wouldn't allow such a humiliating choice.
[Right side.]
Wi Seongcheon's sudden transmission startled him. Without looking at Wi Seongcheon, Sanggwan Hu checked the 'right side' as instructed. Yang Jeon stood there, smirking smugly.
'What now...'
The thought flashed, but soon Sanggwan Hu understood the transmission.
Wi Seongcheon had suddenly charged at Gu Jeoksa and smashed his face with an elbow strike.
"Guhk!"
Gu Jeoksa reeled from the ambush but didn't take it lying down. He leaned back, dodging most of the blow. As Gu Jeoksa was attacked, Yang Jeon rushed in, but Sanggwan Hu blocked his path.
"Junior! What are you doing?!"
Woo Hayeon cried out in shock. No one had expected Wi Seongcheon to do that here. Wi Seongcheon passed the staggering Gu Jeoksa without further attack.
"See you later!"
With those words, Wi Seongcheon fled into the darkness without looking back.