Chapter 40
Chapter 40
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 40
Chapter Title: Hebei Peng Clan (9)
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Oho thought to himself.
To steer the situation in his favor, he shouldn't fight the Heaven-Destroying Squad—he needed to use them instead. Oho gritted his teeth and answered Joong-gwang's question.
"It's not serious. What's the damage to your Heaven-Destroying Squad?"
"Damage? Hilarious. You think we're like the Espionage Squad?"
"None?"
"Not a scratch on us. Everyone awakened their aptitudes and intents. We can't afford injuries at this level."
"Then you could take on the White Sword Heavenly Demon?"
"White Sword Heavenly Demon? We could. But."
"But?"
"Orders from above forbid it."
"Forbid it?"
"That's the command from higher up. The White Sword Heavenly Demon is a silver classified target. A special ungradable one, at that. Even the Heaven-Destroying Squad would need to brace for over half our number dying. Annihilation might even be on the table. Death itself doesn't scare us. But not this time. Preserving the Heaven-Destroying Squad's strength is the top priority. That was the first condition of this mission."
"So if you run into the White Sword Heavenly Demon? You planning to turn tail?"
"We have separate countermeasures for the White Sword Heavenly Demon."
"What?"
"Negotiation leverage isn't just for the Espionage Squad. We're clearer than those perpetually shady bastards. At least we can invoke the Peng Clan name."
Oho's pupils trembled faintly.
He didn't blurt out his surprise. Instead, he calculated the implications hidden in Joong-gwang's words.
In moments, he arched his thick eyebrows and let out a low groan.
"You don't mean... with Song Mountain...?"
"Quick on the uptake, as expected. You'd make fine material for the Heaven-Destroying Squad."
"Fuck that negotiation bullshit. Song Mountain is off-limits! They're not just any Song Mountain. You have no idea about the Rakshasa Assassins, do you?"
"They're no different from anyone else. Whatever dirty work they do, they're still Shaolin monks with abbots and superiors above them."
"You really have no clue. What the Rakshasa Assassins are."
"Don't care to know. Blood-soaked monks like that."
"You don't care to know? Joong-gwang. Peng Joong-gwang. If your brain's no good, just follow orders. Even the Peng Clan has lines we can't cross."
Oho nearly drew his sword right then.
Joong-gwang didn't know.
Not just Joong-gwang—the entire Heaven-Destroying Squad was clueless.
The Counter-Reverse Operation was classified even within the main house. The family's warriors believed the sect's martial arts had surged in strength over recent years thanks to the Reverse Squad's contributions, like those of Cheonwi. In truth, it was due to the Three Heroes elders' research.
That's why they'd reached out to Shaolin.
That's why they'd so casually abandoned Cheonwi.
One could only imagine how the Rakshasa Assassins' Shaolin monks viewed the Heaven-Destroying Squad—and the main house—with contempt.
'Face isn't the issue here.'
What was done was done.
Cursing wouldn't change it. And this was Shaolin, of all places.
If the Heaven-Destroying Squad had invoked the Hebei Peng Clan's name to bring in Shaolin, there was no backing out now.
"Shaolin will handle the White Sword Heavenly Demon. You focus on wiping the Espionage Squad's tracks and get out of Shanxi."
"Handle him my ass, you damn fool. I'll deal with the Espionage Squad, so watch your own Heaven-Destroying Squad. Or you'll end up dead."
He fired back with curses, but at least one problem was solved.
With Shaolin stepping in, the White Sword Heavenly Demon could be reined in reliably. No need to involve the Rakshasa Assassins. Stationing a couple of fierce Arhat monks in the right spots would make him veer off or halt his interference on his own. That was the might of Taishan Beidou—the Shaolin Temple.
Of course, given the White Sword Heavenly Demon's known temperament, he might still launch a full assault on Shaolin. But that scenario only held if he was operating solo.
Whatever his personality, his backers would never permit a clash with Shaolin. The current Shaolin was the undisputed strongest in the Central Plains. Their existing forces were formidable enough, and they even ran the Rakshasa Assassins—an overt band of killers. If they were advancing some grand scheme, dodging Shaolin's involvement was the smart play.
'Then again, who knows!'
Pondering that far eroded his certainty once more. No single sect could stand against Shaolin head-on, but these people didn't seem like any single sect. What might unfold was anyone's guess. If the White Sword Heavenly Demon swung his blade at Shaolin, the fallout would be anything but trivial.
'I've got to hurry.'
Always plan for the worst.
A fight between the White Sword Heavenly Demon and Shaolin Temple wasn't even the worst outcome. That would at least buy time. The true nightmare was Shaolin clearing his path ahead. If their primary target was the Counter-Reverse Operation, they might hold back from stopping him and even nudge him toward clashing with Oho's side.
Oho would have at least considered it in theory. Cheonwi would have executed it outright. Oho made his decision on the spot. Suppressing his emotions, he turned to Seol and Hyang.
"Follow him. The Peng Clan will protect you."
"What about you, warrior?"
Seol asked. She stared straight at Oho.
"I've got my own duties."
Seol didn't press further. She remained composed. Oho regarded her face anew. Her eyes were clear, her features serene.
This time, Hyang spoke up.
"You're from the Peng Clan, aren't you, warrior?"
Oho turned to Hyang. Her expression was as steady as her sister's—no trace of the tears she'd shed moments ago. Even with the dried streaks on her cheeks, she didn't look disheveled.
"That's right. But keep it secret."
Oho admitted it plainly. He'd already revealed his family name in their presence. And Heaven-Destroying Squad's Joong-gwang had blabbed unnecessarily. Denying it now was pointless.
"Dad meant to send us to the Peng Clan from the beginning."
"You think he'd ship you off to some back alley?"
"We'll never forget this kindness."
"Forget it. Or I'll have to kill you."
"We have a debt to repay."
"Forget that too."
She spoke with calm resolve, and Oho matched her tone. Joong-gwang watched them with utterly impassive eyes.
"The Flame Jade Merchant Guild is a longtime trading partner of the main house. Yeom Seoksan, the guild leader, appears to still be alive, but he's likely being hunted by those ill omens. Help them if you find them. Protect them if they join up."
"Understood."
Joong-gwang replied curtly.
Oho despised Joong-gwang's strength-supremacist arrogance to no end, but he and the Heaven-Destroying Squad were the Hebei Peng Clan's undisputed elite shock troops. They might seem dim by Espionage Squad standards, but their combat prowess and situational awareness made them exceptionally capable.
Seol and Hyang said nothing more and took up positions beside Joong-gwang.
Right on cue, the rustle of foliage parting echoed through the trees. Four more Heaven-Destroying Squad members arrived at the hermitage.
"Situation report?"
"The White Sword Heavenly Demon has halted movement. Southeast woods, over two hundred zhang out."
"Good. Has Shaolin stepped in as agreed?"
"Unable to confirm."
"Move out."
Joong-gwang led the Heaven-Destroying Squad, along with Seol and Hyang, into the forest and vanished.
"What will you do, sir?"
Jeonno asked Oho. Oho gazed toward one side of the woods. Southeast. Even without words, Jeonno understood. Jeonno creased his brow and continued.
"We can loop around to the southern Yeongbongwon and reach the Sapcheon downstream. It'd also ensure a safe withdrawal for the Espionage Squad agents."
"Yeongbongwon's too far. Picking up the Espionage Squad agents along the way would take at least three shichen. The sun would be high in the sky."
The sun at midday was an exaggeration. Even so, three shichen meant plenty of time would pass after dawn.
"It's the only route that avoids running into pursuers."
"What if we brace for combat and punch straight through?"
"Then we head directly this way."
"Wear masks?"
"That's viable. But breaking through here means we can't guarantee the safety of the regular Espionage Squad members."
Oho already knew all that. He just needed confirmation one more time.
The Espionage Squad's rank-and-file had shallow martial foundations. Many were injured besides. They needed a guide—someone with solid skills who could make sound calls in a pinch. Jeonno alone wasn't enough.
Jeonno was ice-cold, yes—but also hot-blooded.
That was why a mere intel servant in the Espionage Squad was dubbed Battle Elder. Right now, they needed a scholarly elder or an officer elder from the Heaven-Destroying Squad, not a fighter.
"I'll accompany you at least to Liuxiang. That far ensures a baseline of safety. Returning to the Sapcheon from Liuxiang shaves off more than half a shichen."
Oho offered a compromise.
Whatever peril Cheonwi was in, rushing to his rescue now was impossible. Be it the White Sword Heavenly Demon or some equal powerhouse, Cheonwi had to weather the immediate crisis himself.
Even so, the haste stemmed from Cheonwi's injuries.
A sword thrust piercing the abdomen was fatal. A lung puncture went without saying.
Oho knew Cheonwi's uncanny regenerative powers well. They peaked at midnight. But come daylight, they slowed dramatically, dropping to mortal levels by noon.
No matter how superhuman, it was night-bound. And against a silver classified ungradable foe, who knew what other wounds he might have sustained beyond the piercing strike.
They had to locate Cheonwi before dawn.
Detouring to Yeongbongwon would be too late.
If it were just about his friend's welfare, a straight dash through combat made sense. But he was the Espionage Squad's Shanxi branch chief.
The Counter-Reverse Operation took precedence over all secrets, but his agents' lives mattered too. Above all, Soyul had to be extracted safely. He carried the intents of the Great Comrade All-Heaven Dao Method and the Taixing Gang Army Marching Sword Method.
Escort the Espionage Squad to Liuxiang, then return—they could hit the Sapcheon downstream by dawn. By then, the chaotic melee of assorted murim folk should have settled into a lull.
The Sapcheon Gorge rose sheer and steep. Even top lightfoot experts struggled to descend to the lower reaches. Or so he hoped. A silver-grade master could stroll there faster than Oho running flat out. If they had the aerial prowess to leap down the Sapcheon after Cheonwi, it was hopeless.
His insides burned.
Every scenario hinged on Cheonwi still being alive.
And Oho trusted in Cheonwi's survival.
"Let's hurry. To Liuxiang."
Oho said.
* * *
The Death Spirit Sword's sword gale was terrifying.
The straight thrust's momentum was fearsome enough, but the energy coiling and shooting forth from the blade first was even more sinister.
It evoked the aura of countless aggrieved spirits manifesting before the Ghostly Death God. Eerie.陰湿.
Cheonwi didn't think.
This wasn't the time for intellect.
He leaped back on instinct. In a flash, he sheathed the Golden Dao.
No time for the blade. Cheonwi splayed his hand wide. A pure, vibrant energy surged from his palm.
The blade's淫邪 energy reached him. The Udumbara Technique unfurling from his hand enveloped the Death Spirit Sword's aura.
When the udumbara blossom unfolds in midair, a profound truth manifests at its heart.
The supreme non-assault of the Great Vehicle countered evil arts, typically sparking massive clashes where the two met. The Udumbara Technique defied that norm. Manjushri Bodhisattva symbolized prajna wisdom—the teacher and parent of all Buddhas. Wisdom's perfection meant tranquil clarity beyond distinction or hierarchy.
The Udumbara Technique's Universal Seeing Palm embodied the Dharma precept: behold all, and caress rather than harm. The Death Spirit Sword's vengeful spectral miasma faltered against the Universal Seeing Palm's pure qi, coiling harmlessly around Cheonwi's hand. The malign qi that crushed the living vigor and dulled flesh posed him no threat. Rather, the softened soul qi seemed to faintly amplify his own power.
"Buddhist arts!?"
The Ghostly Death God cried out in alarm and halted his strike.