Chapter 193
Chapter 193
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 193
Chapter Title: Dark Soul Squad
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Dark Soul Squad.
It was an assassination unit under the South Palace Clan's Dark Thunder Division Third Frontline.
One order had come down to them.
—Rookies from the Tang stronghold, claiming to be successors to the old Stormwind Corps, have mobilized. Ensure they never set foot in Gansu.
It was an order to assassinate every last one of those rookies.
Whoosh!
"Aren't they looking down on us too much from above? To have us take out punks who haven't even earned a proper unit name yet. Captain, are you really going to follow this order?"
"......"
The Dark Soul Squad captain, Namgung Seong, paused while burning the letter to ashes with Samadhi True Fire and clamped his lips shut at Vice Captain Namgung Yeong's protest.
Namgung Yeong found his captain far too frustrating.
They had spent their entire lives in the shadows, yes—but hadn't they always charged at the forefront for the glory of the clan?
Among those they'd secretly eliminated were no small number of masters whose names would shock anyone who heard them.
And now they were being told to handle this cleanup duty? It was utterly unacceptable.
The other squad members felt the same.
"You're right! This is unfair!"
"No matter that our main mission this time is to block the Tang Clan's approach, to dump this on us too?!"
"It's outrageous!"
As the protests continued, Namgung Seong finally growled in a low voice.
"Enough."
"......"
"......"
"I know what your grievances are. But we are the proud hidden blades of the South Palace Clan. Hidden blades never question the orders handed down to them."
"......"
"......"
"We'll keep heading south like this. They've already reached the provincial border, so if we dig the trap and wait, we can take them out easily."
The squad members all pressed their lips into thin lines.
Namgung Seong's gaze swept over them.
"Anything else? Of course, I won't hear complaints."
The squad members exchanged glances.
Their captain usually cared for them, but when he took that resolute stance, he was merciless.
Then Namgung Yeong stepped forward, as if resolving himself.
"Captain, have we ever refused an order from above?"
"I said I won't hear complaints."
"Even if you punish me for insubordination, I'll say my piece and gladly accept it."
"......"
"I'll say this with certainty: we've never once refused an order. We've lived in the shadows solely on the conviction that it was for the clan's glory. But this humiliation? It makes no sense. This has to be the Frontline Leader's scheme to mess with you—"
"I won't hear any more."
"Captain!!"
Namgung Yeong felt like he was about to explode.
Why else would the Dark Soul Squad be stuck with this? It was all because they'd lost in the political infighting.
The Third Frontline Leader handling the Kunlun Mountain civil war shared the same direct bloodline with Namgung Seong—differing only in birth mother.
Rivals vying for the next clan head position.
That was why the Third Frontline Leader always schemed to remove Namgung Seong, who commanded unshakable loyalty from his subordinates, right in front of him.
This was no different.
Not long ago, an entire branch they'd painstakingly planted in the Tang stronghold had vanished.
It was a massive incident where a direct blood relative trained in Black Thunder and the clan's faithful sword, the Exiled Sword Emperor, had both perished. It had thrown the Third Frontline into chaos.
And the Third Frontline Leader had pinned the entire blame on Namgung Seong.
"No matter how important loyalty is, just taking it lying down is the stupidest thing there is! Don't forget the Frontline Leader's rudeness toward you!!"
The Frontline Leader's justification was simple.
Protecting the secret branch's safety was the Dark Soul Division's duty, so Namgung Seong's negligence had cost them valuable forces.
The problem was that the Dark Soul Squad had been fully focused on engaging the Demonic Cult's Ghost Sect at the time.
Dealing with the Demonic Cult was a nerve-wracking situation for any orthodox sect.
In the midst of that, how were they supposed to watch over a distant branch in the Tang stronghold?
But the Third Frontline Leader's justification had stuck.
That was the background behind the Dark Soul Squad being demoted to pest extermination duty.
From their perspective, this mission was absolutely not their purview.
Even living in the shadows had its hierarchy—how could they be given an order like this...!
"...I tried to keep it hidden as long as possible. No helping it now."
Namgung Yeong and the squad members suddenly stiffened.
What did that mean?
Namgung Seong tilted his head halfway upward.
"You can come out now."
"Hahaha. Perfect timing—I was feeling stifled."
Suddenly, a hearty laugh echoed from the sky, and wind gathered beside Namgung Seong.
Namgung Yeong and the squad members instinctively stepped back.
A fierce aura raged around them.
And then the figure appeared.
An elder.
Broad-shouldered and sturdy, robes resembling a white daoist cloak billowing wide.
The moment they saw the white sword on his back, Namgung Yeong and the squad members dropped to their knees in unison, bowing their heads.
"We pay respects to the Six Sword Elder of the White Thunder Sword Division!"
"We pay respects to the Six Sword Elder of the White Thunder Sword Division!!"
If the Dark Thunder Division guarded the shadows of the East Branch Namgung, the White Thunder Sword Division illuminated the light.
The top ten elders of the White Thunder Sword Division were collectively called the Sword Elders.
The Yin Thunder Divine Sword, Namgung Changgung—one of the Six Sword Elders.
He was popular in the South Palace Clan for his rough-and-tumble personality and warm nature.
For him to suddenly appear here was shocking.
Namgung Seong bowed his head politely, looking ashamed.
"I'm sorry to show such an unsightly display."
"Hahaha. Unsightly? Watching your subordinates follow you with such fierce loyalty made me feel great the whole time."
The Yin Thunder Divine Sword chuckled heartily, hands clasped behind his back.
Namgung Yeong and the squad members' eyes hurriedly turned to their captain.
"What in the world is going on?"
Namgung Seong gave a wry smile.
"The truth is, this mission was a ploy fabricated by the Third Frontline Leader to check me."
"...Was there really a need for such a spectacle?"
"There was."
"What...?"
"Because the Demonic Northern Sea Sect Leader's sacred treasure is over there."
"!?"
Namgung Yeong and the squad members' eyes widened.
"There was a report from the Flying Heaven Network. The North Nether Sword was in the hands of the Resurrection Half-Fiend. That's why the secret branch investigating it got wiped out."
"!!"
"The North Nether Sword in the Resurrection Half-Fiend's hands means the Hell Art has fallen to him too. So the value of this mission is far higher than you think."
"...Then our real mission is?"
"To recover the Demonic Northern Sea Sect Leader's sacred treasure and secret art."
"!!!"
"!!!"
"!!!"
"That's why the Six Sword Elder is here to assist us for a smooth operation."
"......"
"......"
"......"
"Hohoho. That's how it is. You young ones will have a hard time helping this old man, but please take care of me."
The moment he saw the Yin Thunder Divine Sword's smile, Namgung Yeong understood the full story of the mission.
"...So you suspect the Frontline Leader."
"That's—"
"I'll answer that question for him."
The Yin Thunder Divine Sword smiled as he spoke.
But Namgung Yeong felt those wrinkled eyes gleaming chillingly, like the "Yin Thunder" moniker, through the smile.
"The Third Frontline Leader is a man of too much greed. That's why things in the Kunlun Alliance are starting to tangle bit by bit."
"......"
"What do you think would happen if that fellow got his hands on the sacred treasure and secret art?"
"...He'd use it for nefarious ends."
"Correct. It would only fuel that pathetic greed. That's why he cut off the Flying Heaven Network's information midway. This fellow Namgung Seong did."
Only then did Namgung Yeong grasp the entire truth.
The captain he respected hadn't been helplessly demoted.
He'd orchestrated this demotion himself.
The Flying Heaven Network report that should have gone to the Third Frontline Leader had been intercepted midway and delivered to the White Thunder Sword Division Leader instead—creating a new connection.
Imagine the White Thunder Sword Division Leader getting the North Nether Sword and Hell Art. They'd immediately gain a strong position in the ongoing covert negotiations with the Ghost Sect.
Even if it didn't pan out perfectly, there was no loss.
Securing a Demonic Cult lineage on their side.
'It was us who escorted the White Thunder Sword Division when they came to Kunlun Mountain. That's when the connection with the Vice Leader formed.'
Namgung Seong had already found his own path to survival.
『Sorry for telling you late. I had to keep it secret as long as possible, so this is as soon as I could.』
A transmission sound full of apology.
Namgung Yeong smiled lightly and mouthed back.
『I never dreamed you had such a sly side, Captain. I thought you were just a block of wood all this time.』
『I believed this was the only way for all of us to survive.』
『I know. That your decision to align with the White Thunder Sword Division was really for us. I'm just grateful.』
Namgung Yeong's respect for his captain deepened endlessly, yet at the same time, he felt disillusioned with the clan rife with schemes and plots.
'The Tang Clan is clannish, sure, but their blood kin are tightly bonded... while our home clan is...'
No family was as fractured as scattered beans.
Namgung Yeong recalled the clan's chronic flaws, shook his head, and bowed to the Yin Thunder Divine Sword.
"With you stepping in personally, Elder, I see no difficulties at all."
"Hohoho. Painting gold on this old face—I'm truly grateful. But I hear the new Stormwind Corps has not just the Resurrection Half-Fiend, but also kids like the Thousand Leaf Sage, Pure Moon Fairy, and White Sword Orchid. The Exiled fellow poked around and got burned badly, so I can't afford to do the same."
"How could we compare a old monster like the Exiled to you, Elder?"
"Even the words are appreciated."
The Yin Thunder Divine Sword spoke modestly, but exuded full confidence.
The Exiled Sword Emperor had been famous in the past, but he'd neglected training for ages and wasn't what he used to be.
The Yin Thunder Divine Sword, meanwhile, had remained focused on training up to this very moment as a Sword Elder of the White Thunder Sword Division.
He had faith in himself.
Absolute faith.
"According to the Flying Heaven Network fellow, the Tang Clan kids will arrive in this area soon, so we'll wait here and strike when they've fully passed through the gorge."
The plan was to collapse the gorge and bury them all alive.
Namgung Seong and the squad members all nodded.
The Tang Clan wielded poisons and explosives, so who knew what bizarre weapons or tactics they might unleash.
Better to use the terrain than clash head-on, minimizing their own losses.
No matter how skilled they were, no one could survive a gorge dozens of spans long crashing down.
In the meantime, the Yin Thunder Divine Sword could snatch the Resurrection Half-Fiend, seize the North Nether Sword and Hell Art, and be done.
"Then we'll go ahead and prepare."
"Do that."
"Let's go."
With the Yin Thunder Divine Sword's permission, Namgung Seong turned to lead them.
As Namgung Yeong and the squad members formed ranks to follow—
They witnessed it.
A red hole punched through the forehead of their respected captain, Namgung Seong's head snapping back.
Thud!
The sudden event happened so abruptly.
They thought it was a daydream.
But when the ensuing sword wind decapitated Namgung Yeong at the front and several squad leaders in one stroke, the Yin Thunder Divine Sword belatedly shouted.
"What are you doing?! Hurry and—enemy atta—"
The Yin Thunder Divine Sword's urgent bellow cut off midway.
Whoosh!
A strikingly handsome young man appeared like a ghost before his eyes, grinning like a fiend.
It was Unhwi.
Rumble!
The Fearstorm Fan moved. Lightning crashed down, cleaving the Yin Thunder Divine Sword's head in half.