Chapter 39
Chapter 39
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 39
Chapter Title: Chapter 4 Hebei Peng Clan (8)
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“Where’s Cheonwi?!”
Oh-ho had already arrived at the promised rendezvous point. It was a remote hermitage shrouded in the shadows of the forest, where not even moonlight could penetrate. Jeon No arrived with Hyang in tow.
“He’s still behind.”
Jeon No replied as he unbound Hyang’s blood points. Her limp body was putting strain on her shoulders and arms. It wouldn’t have been an issue under normal circumstances, but things were different now. It was a point where even an old master’s stamina could falter without surprise.
“Ugh… ungh…….”
Hyang groaned and stirred. Seol, who had been at Oh-ho’s side, rushed over and took her from Jeon No. Seol didn’t ask if she was alright. She was a sharp woman. Their methods might be excessively ruthless, but they would have said something if it were serious. Before long, she had come to genuinely trust them.
“Cheonwi’s still behind? Where?”
Oh-ho asked again, furrowing his brow.
“As I mentioned before, it seems he headed toward Sapcheon Gorge. This area should be relatively safe.”
“It’s not safe at all. The White Sword Heavenly Demon hasn’t shown himself yet.”
“The White Sword Heavenly Demon must have followed after young master Cheonwi.”
“No. The White Sword Heavenly Demon was behind us. We lost four elite agents because of him.”
“We definitely had him on our side too. A master on the level of the White Sword Heavenly Demon.”
“That’s impossible!”
“Young master Cheonwi clearly said it was silver-rank. I felt the same. I did.”
“And you left him behind anyway?”
“He wasn’t in any condition to bring along.”
“What?”
“He sustained fatal wounds. Sword gashes through his chest and abdomen.”
“What are you saying?”
“At first, I thought he had some clever plan. But now it looks like he took it all on himself and meant to die.”
“There’s no clever plan against silver-rank!”
“…….”
Jeon No had no words. But Oh-ho couldn’t press him further either.
Jeon No’s choice had been right. The Peng Clan couldn’t be known to be at their rear. The Heaven-Destroying Squad had appeared in the nick of time to aid Cheonwi, but in the end, they had only secured Hyang and abandoned him. Regardless of the internal circumstances, that’s how it appeared on the surface.
The Hebei Peng Clan had traded with the Flame Jade Merchant Guild for a long time. It was a fact known to countless martial artists. Thus, it wasn’t strange at all for the Peng Clan to step in and rescue Hyang.
In the first place, Yeom Seoksan’s intent in sending Seol and Hyang to Oh-ho had been exactly that. It was tantamount to requesting the Peng Clan to protect his two daughters.
The process had been a mess, but as long as Oh-ho and Cheonwi’s identities were properly fabricated, it would work.
Suspicious fixers had secured Seol and Hyang’s safety and, for some reason, disrupted the duel between the Great Leader and the Taihang Merchant Guild Leader. Amid the escape, the Hebei Peng Clan’s Heaven-Destroying Squad spotted the chance and rescued Seol and Hyang.
It was a decent narrative flow.
And for that flow to hold, it couldn’t be the Peng Clan who disrupted the duel. If the enemies’ numbers had been few enough to cover up smoothly, that would have been ideal, but the situation hadn’t unfolded that way. There were too many foes. Unexpected masters had appeared. Events far beyond expectations had occurred—one after another.
Thus, abandoning Cheonwi was the right call.
Cheonwi must have embraced that resolve first and acted on it.
That was the way of the covert agents. Oh-ho knew it well.
“He headed toward Sapcheon Gorge, right?”
“Yes.”
“He’s not the type to just die… Which way is the downstream of Sapcheon?”
“Southeast from here.”
“The water’s deep enough. He can survive if he jumps in. We wait there.”
“Not right now. There are still too many enemies. No guarantee we can get there without exposure.”
Oh-ho ground his teeth.
He had anticipated sacrifices from the moment things escalated, but he hadn’t expected Cheonwi to be one. Or perhaps he had known but thought too lightly of it. Cheonwi would handle it somehow. He had vaguely clung to that hope, even knowing a silver-rank bandit leader was beyond anyone.
“Regrouping our forces comes first. Where’s Young master Danmun?”
“Hwang Ryeo-man.”
“What?!”
“The Yun Clan’s Twin Sword Iron Fist was getting pushed by Hwang Ryeo-man. He stayed there.”
“The Twin Sword Iron Fist is considered one of the top experts among the Yun Clan’s fist masters. Pushed by Hwang Ryeo-man?”
“If it had been just yesterday, they might have been evenly matched or the Twin Sword Iron Fist superior, but not today. Hwang Ryeo-man’s really strong now. His fighting spirit’s completely different. Couldn’t just leave the Twin Sword Iron Fist struggling after dragging the Yun Clan into this mess. There’s such a thing as loyalty. Had to leave Danmun there.”
The Yun Clan’s Twin Sword Iron Fist was a renowned master not just in Hebei where the Yun Clan was based, but across the entire region north of the Yangtze.
Twin Swords—or Yun Clan Twin Swords—but his actual weapons had nothing to do with swords. That was his uniqueness. He had earned the moniker solely with his two fists. Those struck by his fist strikes suffered wounds as if slashed by blades. Hence the name Twin Sword Iron Fist.
“If even the Twin Swords can’t hold, then young master Danmun…….”
“He’s the type who’ll manage on instinct alone. As you know, Danmun’s as unhinged as Cheonwi. The guy who wants to make a name as a demon lord over a hero. If push comes to shove, he’ll team up with the Twin Swords for a joint assault.”
“That would ruin relations with the Yun Clan…….”
“The Yun Clan’s pride won’t be an issue. Look at this mess. Cleanup’s going to be a nightmare anyway.”
Jeon No nodded.
As Oh-ho said, handling the aftermath of this incident would be a ‘nightmare’ in the truest sense. No clue where to even start. Just sorting the covert agents’ documents would take several sleepless nights.
“No time for talk. Head to Sapcheon first. Can’t just abandon Cheonwi like this. At least witness if he dies.”
“I told you it’s difficult. And what about these two…….”
“We take them. Can’t leave them here.”
“Young master, it’s reckless. Besides, young master Cheonwi is already…….”
“I have to see it with my own eyes. He’s not supposed to die like this, but if he survives, that’s a problem too. If he’s as badly off as you say, hanging by a thread, getting captured alive by the enemy would be disastrous. Think about what’s in that head of his. No way to contain the fallout.”
No room for argument.
Cheonwi wasn’t just some run-of-the-mill covert agent commander. His mind held the essences of countless sects’ martial arts and statutes. The problem was that his clan’s secret arts were no exception. Other sects’ statutes could leak without much care, but clan secrets were entirely different. Whoever took Cheonwi might as well acquire their home clan’s secret manuals wholesale.
“Jeon No, wake her first. Even if Cheonwi’s alive, he won’t last long. We need to hurry.”
Jeon No wordlessly revived Hyang.
She opened her eyes almost simultaneously with the release of her pressure points. The moment she regained her senses, her face filled with shock, and she raised her voice.
“Sister! Ah, it’s all because of me. Because of me…….”
Tears like chicken droppings streamed down.
Seol grasped Hyang’s hand and asked.
“Hyang. Hyang, calm down. We’re safe here. Calm down.”
“Sister, the warrior’s about to die because of me. It’s my fault the warrior…….”
“Hold on, quiet.”
Oh-ho cut Hyang off in a low voice.
Chae-chang! Puhwaaak!
The clash echoed from not far away, sealing Hyang’s opening mouth. She gasped in a breath. The sound of blood mist dispersing left a thick aftertaste.
Oh-ho moved silently to the shattered window and pressed against the wall beside it.
A man pierced the darkness, his black imperial robes dramatically swirling as he landed. Oh-ho’s brow furrowed slightly.
The man strode forward and opened the hermitage door.
The other seven were nowhere in sight. The sound of blades was fading. It seemed he had drawn the pursuers away from the area.
“What brings you here.”
Oh-ho asked. His tone was curt.
“Came to check if you’re safe.”
It was the very Peng Clan swordsman who had been consistently cold toward Cheonwi. The displeasure on Oh-ho’s face deepened.
Oh-ho stepped close to his front and said.
“Unnecessary concern. Step aside.”
“Where to?”
“You asking because you don’t know?”
“Good thing I came. Abandon any thought of rescuing him. He’s beyond saving.”
“Beyond saving?”
“Didn’t the covert servant tell you? Piercing wounds to the chest and abdomen. He’s already on the brink from blood loss alone. He can’t survive with his internal energy.”
“Done talking shit? Get lost.”
Oh-ho reached out to shove the swordsman. The swordsman raised his hand to block Oh-ho’s. Pa-pat! Their hands tangled in midair.
Pang!
Their hand movements were identical. The same martial art. The technique was Eight Views Golden Claw Hands. An ancient martial art created four hundred years ago during the Song Emperor Renzong’s reign by Peng Nan-seong, a supreme master praised as peerless across the Central Plains—and still the Hebei Peng Clan’s signature absolute art, the Golden Claw Technique.
Pa-pat! Kwarak!
The one gripping was Oh-ho.
The one gripped was the swordsman.
The swordsman spoke. His tone laced with admiration.
“Impressive as expected! You’re wasted in the covert unit.”
The swordsman had lost but showed no displeasure. Nor did the victor Oh-ho feel good about it. Oh-ho flung the swordsman’s wrist away and said.
“I’ll say it again. Step aside.”
“Can’t do that.”
“Planning to stop me?”
Flames sparked in Oh-ho’s eyes. The swordsman, who had maintained composure throughout, hardened slightly. He replied with a challenging retort.
“If I am?”
“Jung-gwang, forgotten? My name’s Peng Oh-ho. You can’t stop me.”
Peng Oh-ho.
Yes. Oh-ho’s surname was Peng. Of the great Hebei Peng Clan, that very Peng family. Covert unit Shanxi branch chief and the youngest ever to hold a first-rate branch chief position—a prized prodigy. The swordsman facing him was Peng Jung-gwang, as Oh-ho had called him. A Heaven-Destroying Squad combat operative and team leader for infiltration ops typically consisting of four to twelve members, who had come here in that capacity.
“I can. No matter you, you won’t fight the entire Heaven-Destroying Squad.”
The flames in Oh-ho’s eyes turned to killing intent.
Jung-gwang took a step back.
Still blocking the doorway.
“Charging out won’t work. You’ll end up a dog’s death. That’s not right. You’re not some covert drone cleaning up after lunatics like Cheonwi. It’s a waste of your talent.”
“Shut up.”
“The Great Leader said it too. Once this is wrapped up, he plans to bring you into the Heaven-Destroying Squad soon.”
“Fuck. This isn’t the time.”
The young Peng Clan swordsman called Jung-gwang showed no anger at Oh-ho’s cursing. Curt as ever, but the underlying attitude was worlds apart from when he met Cheonwi. As a warrior, he acknowledged Oh-ho.
“Not like you. Stop bickering and assess the situation first. How bad are the covert unit losses?”
Jung-gwang’s point cut sharp.
If the Heaven-Destroying Squad dragged things out to block Oh-ho, he’d have no counter.