Chapter 59
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 59
Chapter Title: The Fifteen Young Dragons and the Heretical Young Master (3)
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“Tsk. To think a filthy cur from the Heretical Alliance would show his face here. The stench is nauseating.”
“Anyone would think the Righteous Faction built Dongting Lake themselves. And what's this about a stench?”
Sama Geuk brought his arm to his nose with an exaggerated motion and sniffed.
“All I smell is a fine fragrance. A scent you paupers wouldn't recognize, I'm sure.”
At Sama Geuk's words, Dang Gi, the young head of the Sichuan Tang Clan, stepped forward.
“I could mix another scent into that fine fragrance of yours.”
“Oh? But then your precious Tang Clan would vanish from the Central Plains. Are you sure you want to risk that?”
As Sama Geuk approached with a grin, it was Dang Gi who scowled and stepped back.
After all, Sama Geuk had the Heretical Alliance behind him, and the Sichuan Tang Clan alone, without the Righteous Alliance, was no match for them.
“Hmph. Bringing your faction into it the moment things get slightly inconvenient?”
This time, a large-framed man, Paeng Dogun, stepped forward.
“Stay back, you simpleton. I fear your stupidity might be contagious.”
Paeng Dogun gritted his teeth, looking as if he might swing his saber at Sama Geuk at any moment.
“Besides, isn't using the power of your clans and sects to crush others what the Righteous Faction does best?”
“We have never acted against justice and chivalry.”
“Or is that just what you'd like to believe?”
Despite Nangong Jin's denial, Sama Geuk just smirked.
Something about the sight of him stirred an inexplicable anger.
It was likely his dismissive gaze, as if to say, *What could you possibly know?*
“Did you all swarm here just to argue about such things?”
Anyone hearing about the argument would assume Sama Geuk had gone down to start it, but the reality was the opposite.
In fact, Sama Geuk had just been drinking in his room.
“You barge in unannounced, make me send away the Blood Ghost Lord, and all you wanted to talk about was this?”
“...”
Sama Geuk looked utterly dumbfounded.
He had met with people he had no desire to see.
Not because he was afraid of them, but because he had simply planned to pass the time drinking.
“I was finally getting some peace and quiet for once.”
Listening to Yuran's music while drinking had put him in a state of serene comfort.
He had wanted nothing more than to close his eyes and tilt his cup.
“There must be a reason you've disturbed my peace, right?”
“Umm.”
Sama Geuk’s killing intent began to press down on Nangong Jin and his group.
Even Nangong Jin, who was considered the strongest of the Fifteen Young Dragons alongside Wudang's Baekun and Shaolin's Gonghyo, faltered under the pressure.
“Hah! Are you looking for a fight?”
Paeng Dogun stepped forward, releasing his own aura.
His aura surged with intense resistance, as if to hide the fact that he had flinched at Sama Geuk’s killing intent.
“Stop, you fools.”
Just as Nangong Jin’s group and Sama Geuk were about to clash, a sudden voice cut in as two figures stepped between them.
“If you fight in here, won't you bring the building down?”
The two who intervened were Gu Jahong and Yang Jeon.
“Now all sorts of strange characters are sticking their noses in and running their mouths.”
It was Paeng Dogun who took offense at Gu Jahong’s words.
“Does even a waiter dare to look down on us?”
“…A waiter?”
Gu Jahong’s face contorted as Paeng Dogun treated him like a mere attendant.
“You can't even talk back to that guy, so you're taking your anger out on me?”
“It seems even the attendants in a brothel think they're someone special these days.”
When even Dang Gi snickered and mocked him, Gu Jahong finally lost his temper and swung his sword.
“Young Master Gu!”
Yang Jeon cried out in alarm as Gu Jahong, who had come to stop the fight, thrust his sword, but the deed was already done.
“Ugh!”
Paeng Dogun hastily twisted his body to dodge the attack, but Gu Jahong’s sword grazed his cheek, leaving a thin red line.
“…You bastard, how dare you attack a guest.”
“Troublemakers like you are hardly guests.”
Seeing the cut on Paeng Dogun’s face seemed to please Gu Jahong, and a sense of leisure returned to him.
“Damn it!”
In the end, Paeng Dogun drew his massive saber and swung it at Gu Jahong.
“You idiot!”
And Gu Jahong dodged the attack with absurd ease.
“Haaah.”
Yang Jeon sighed as he watched Gu Jahong, who had come to stop the fight, suddenly start brawling with Paeng Dogun.
‘I guess he's the Great Elder's grandson for a reason.’
Gu Jahong relied solely on his talent and rarely trained properly, yet he was actually pushing Paeng Dogun back.
“Ah, that’s…”
The problem was that the saber Paeng Dogun swung was shattering the decorative objects.
“Haha. That looks expensive. What a mess.”
Hearing laughter from behind, Yang Jeon shot a glare over his shoulder.
“You can just make them pay for it, can't you? More importantly, aren't you going to make a move? It looks like they are.”
Despite Yang Jeon’s glare, Sama Geuk didn't stop laughing, clearly amused.
“Haaah.”
Yang Jeon let out a long sigh and turned his head.
He saw Dang Gi throwing hidden weapons at Gu Jahong, who was pressing Paeng Dogun.
“How annoying!”
Gu Jahong parried the hidden weapons thrown by Dang Gi.
But as if waiting for that moment, Paeng Dogun swung his saber at Gu Jahong.
Clang!
Although he blocked Paeng Dogun’s attack, Gu Jahong couldn't overcome the force and was pushed back significantly.
“Just as I thought. The righteous faction dogs are always like this. The moment they're at a slight disadvantage, they have no qualms about ganging up on someone.”
Sama Geuk sneered. Paeng Dogun and Dang Gi’s faces flushed slightly, but they deliberately ignored his words.
“Tch!”
Gu Jahong bit his lip as he deflected the hidden weapons thrown by Dang Gi.
Dealing with one opponent wasn't difficult, but facing both Paeng Dogun and Dang Gi was no easy task.
Whenever he blocked Paeng Dogun's powerfully swung saber, Dang Gi's hidden weapons would shoot through the gap.
“Hah!”
Finally, Yang Jeon, who had been watching, charged toward Dang Gi.
“What the!”
Dang Gi was startled by Yang Jeon’s sudden rush and sword thrust, and he quickly retreated.
“The people here seem to swing their swords at guests without a second thought.”
“If you had simply backed off, there would have been no need to attack, would there?”
“You talk a good game.”
Dang Gi immediately threw his hidden weapons at Yang Jeon.
‘I can see them.’
Yang Jeon deflected the projectiles with incredible speed and immediately thrust his sword.
“Ugh!”
Seeing Yang Jeon’s sword aiming for his throat, Dang Gi had no choice but to fall back.
‘Should I just use poison?’
The Sichuan Tang Clan was famous for its hidden weapons, but it was even more renowned for its poisons.
However, because of his companions, he had limited himself to only attacking with poison-laced weapons.
It would have been fine if he could have pushed Yang Jeon back with just his weapons, but he couldn't, which was frustrating.
“Annoying bastard!”
With the use of his poisons restricted, it felt like fighting with one arm tied behind his back.
In the end, Dang Gi could only retreat against his opponent’s fast swordplay.
“Hoh!”
As Yang Jeon also displayed incredible swordsmanship, Sama Geuk’s eyes lit up with interest.
‘It's surprising enough that the Sword Demon's successor is here, but to see such fast swordplay that rivals his...’
At first, he had been impressed by the Flash Sword technique Gu Jahong displayed. It made him think that it was indeed the signature art of the Sword Demon, one of the Ten Kings.
But that was only for a moment. Sama Geuk couldn't help but be astonished by the Lightning Sword that Yang Jeon unleashed.
It was a fast sword style he had never seen before, yet it was no less impressive than the Flash Sword, which naturally made him curious about the art's origin and the man wielding it.
‘Is it a newly created sword art?’
Sama Geuk, who prided himself on knowing most of the famous martial arts from the Righteous, Heretical, and Demonic factions, couldn't help but wonder.
“Shouldn't we help?”
As the battle suddenly erupted, Seomun Juncheok asked Nangong Jin and Jegal Jihwan.
He seemed worried that Paeng Dogun and Dang Gi were being pushed back.
“...”
However, Nangong Jin and Jegal Jihwan didn't answer Seomun Juncheok’s question, merely watching the fight in silence.
“At this rate, Brother Paeng and Brother Dang will be defeated!”
Seomun Juncheok grew incredibly frustrated with the two for not moving.
It felt as if they were trying to force an appearance of impartiality.
“What does something like that even matter!”
Seomun Juncheok left Nangong Jin and Jegal Jihwan behind and immediately charged toward Yang Jeon, swinging his sword.
“Ugh!”
Yang Jeon blocked Seomun Juncheok’s sudden attack but lost his balance and fell backward.
And Dang Gi, not missing the opportunity, threw his hidden weapons at Yang Jeon.
“Kuh!”
Thinking it was impossible to dodge, Yang Jeon instinctively shut his eyes.
Clatter-clatter-clang!
But when he felt no pain, Yang Jeon opened his eyes.
“To think you'd close your eyes in a situation like that.”
“Haha, my apologies.”
Gu Jahong had somehow moved in front of him, deflecting the hidden weapons thrown by Dang Gi.
Yang Jeon smiled wryly as he got to his feet.
“Let's take care of that guy first. He's annoying.”
“Yes.”
Gu Jahong and Yang Jeon simultaneously rushed toward Dang Gi.
Since Dang Gi was a nuisance throwing weapons from a distance, they decided to deal with him first.
“Hah! Don't look down on me!”
Thinking he was being targeted because they saw him as an easy mark, Dang Gi bit his lip and began throwing his hidden weapons.
A mere graze would have been enough to poison them and gain the upper hand, but Yang Jeon and Gu Jahong were deflecting or dodging all of his projectiles as they closed in.
“Where do you think you're going!”
As the two charged toward Dang Gi, Paeng Dogun and Seomun Juncheok moved to block them.
“Hmph!”
But as if he had already anticipated it, Gu Jahong rapidly thrust his sword at Seomun Juncheok.
Seomun Juncheok tried to dodge in a panic, but Gu Jahong’s sword pursued him relentlessly.
“Ugh!”
In the end, Seomun Juncheok lost his balance and staggered, and Gu Jahong’s sword shot toward his neck.
“Brother Seomun! Tch, get out of the way!”
Paeng Dogun hastily moved toward Seomun Juncheok to block Gu Jahong’s sword, but Yang Jeon was tenaciously keeping him occupied.
Dang Gi was also too far back to help Seomun Juncheok.
Clang!
Gu Jahong's sword, which seemed moments away from piercing Seomun Juncheok’s throat, was suddenly blocked by Nangong Jin, who had intervened.
“I had no intention of interfering, but I cannot stand by and watch someone be killed.”
“Hmph. Just as I thought. You're all the same. The moment you sense danger, you finally jump in.”
Seeing Nangong Jin step in, Sama Geuk, who had been watching from the back, burst into loud laughter.
“You can mock me all you want, but I have no intention of letting them die.”
Nangong Jin immediately charged at Gu Jahong.
Whoosh! Clang!
“Kuh!”
Gu Jahong scowled as he blocked Nangong Jin’s attack.
That was how heavy Nangong Jin’s sword felt.
“I'm not done.”
As if he had no intention of stopping, Nangong Jin continued his assault, and Gu Jahong kept blocking his attacks.
“How tedious!”
While blocking Nangong Jin's attacks, Gu Jahong launched a counterattack.
“Hmm!”
Even Nangong Jin couldn't ignore Gu Jahong’s attack and was forced to retreat.
Unwilling to let the opportunity slip, Gu Jahong quickly closed the distance to Nangong Jin.
Nangong Jin immediately swung his sword at the charging Gu Jahong, but his attack, lacking proper force, was easily deflected.
And Gu Jahong thrust his sword into the opening he had created.
“Gah!”
But a sharp pain in his back prevented Gu Jahong from piercing Nangong Jin’s throat.
His legs gave out, and Gu Jahong’s body crumpled forward.