Chapter 159
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 159
Chapter Title: Retreat (4)
"Is this... even... possible?"
Hanbi was so stunned he couldn't finish his sentence.
Vanguard was just as shocked.
When Four Thousand Four had declared he would kill the Sword Sage and the Dao Sage, Vanguard couldn't shake the question of how? It had seemed utterly impossible in reality.
But he had done it.
Not with dark sorcery or poison arts. He had slain them in a head-on clash of martial prowess.
Four Thousand Four's martial arts had already surpassed those of the Ghost-Faced Killer.
Up until now, the Ghost-Faced Killer had never revealed his true martial arts. There had been no need. Even when they encountered these foes in the Poison Grove, the Ghost-Faced Killer had focused solely on his poison techniques out of concern. The Sword Sage and Dao Sage had been present then too, but they hadn't worried about them at all.
Yet even the Ghost-Faced Killer couldn't have killed those two in this manner.
Shh! Shhh!
Four Thousand Four moved immediately.
His sword sliced through the air, and the corpse puppets toppled over one after another.
The corpse puppets had lost their driving force. They had lost the power to move. The moment the Sword Sage and Dao Sage died, they froze in place like lifeless scarecrows.
Killing them was easier than snapping a child's wrist.
"Ah!"
Vanguard snapped out of his daze and swung his sword.
Shhh! Thud!
A life fell with barely any effort from his casual sword stroke. He'd severed the head clean off, ensuring it would never rise again, plunging it into eternal rest.
Moments later, all the corpse puppets had been dealt with.
During that time, the puppets hadn't resisted at all. They'd assumed someone who could control them was using poison arts... but with no one left to command them, it seemed only the Sword Sage and Dao Sage had been here.
Of course, some were still moving.
"Ugh!"
"No way! Retreat!"
As the corpse puppets dropped one by one, a group of martial artists slunk backward.
They were the Silver Shadow Squad warriors Vanguard had mentioned.
None of the Silver Shadow Squad controlled corpse puppets. They hadn't lifted a finger while the puppets were being slaughtered.
There was only one conclusion.
No one had imagined the Sword Sage and Dao Sage could die here.
They had brought the corpse puppets, so the opposite should have happened... Four Thousand Four, Vanguard, and Hanbi should have been captured. Or executed on the spot.
Four Thousand Four had overturned everyone's expectations.
Step! Step! Step!
Four Thousand Four advanced, bloodied sword in hand.
The Silver Shadow Squad retreated without resistance, pulling back in a line.
They were utterly intimidated by how effortlessly Four Thousand Four had dispatched the Sword Sage and Dao Sage—no matter how taxing it might have been for him, it had looked far too easy from the sidelines.
"If we play this right, we might even make it to the Heavenly Annihilation Division."
Hanbi said in a slightly excited tone.
Truth be told... they'd breached the outer perimeter, but no one had thought they could reach the Heavenly Annihilation Division proper. It was just a matter of whether the path would close off quickly or hold out a bit longer—either way, they'd end up captured or dead.
But if Four Thousand Four's skills were at this level, reaching the heart of the Heavenly Annihilation Division wasn't just a pipe dream.
Four Thousand Four spoke calmly.
"The Lewd Beast Pass is coming up soon."
"Lewd Beast Pass? What's that?"
"I don't know either. The Iron Plate Bridge's resonance awakens the venomous beasts, and then the pass activates right away..."
They no longer questioned where Four Thousand Four's memories came from.
To be honest, even Four Thousand Four didn't know. They fully trusted what he said when he admitted ignorance.
"Venomous beasts... We don't use that term much..."
Vanguard muttered.
The Silver Shadow Squad warriors slunk away bit by bit until they had all vanished.
Whether they'd fully retreated or slipped into some corner—who knew. Then,
Thud! Thunk! Thuuunk!
A bizarre noise echoed from ahead.
The Iron Plate Bridge didn't just amplify sounds from this side. It captured the noises of every living thing traversing the cavern.
What in the world was approaching from up ahead to make such sounds?
Thunk! Thunk-thunk! Thunk-thunk-thunk!
The clamor of something pounding wildly on the Iron Plate Bridge rang out deafeningly.
"Ah!"
Hanbi let out an involuntary sigh.
The cavern was sealed on both sides. Only front and back were open. An attack from either direction with no escape meant they were sitting ducks.
Water attacks were possible. Was there any way to avoid drowning?
Fire worked too. Where would they dodge?
Poison was fine. A spray of it, and capture or death was only a matter of time.
One such method... was the blood hornets.
Among bees, hornets reigned supreme. But blood hornets preyed on those hornets. The same size as hornets, their front fangs were twice as long, sharpened like scissors.
Such blood hornets now swarmed to fill the cavern.
No place to flee, no way to resist. Waving a sword against blood hornets was futile.
"Fall back about ten zhang."
Four Thousand Four said urgently.
Vanguard and Hanbi retreated without a word.
Ever since arriving here, they'd learned: Four Thousand Four's word was law. His commands were the path to survival.
Four Thousand Four thrust both hands forward.
He sheathed his sword and, bare-handed with a dagger tucked away, extended his arms straight out.
Thud! Thud-thud! Thud-thud-thud!
The blood hornets dropped as if slamming into an invisible wall.
They charged endlessly. But whenever they reached a certain point, they invariably lost power and plummeted.
"What is that? Not sorcery..."
"Phantom Annihilation."
"Ph- Phantom Annihilation?"
Hanbi's eyes widened at Vanguard's words as he stared at Four Thousand Four.
Indeed. Thin smoke billowed endlessly from Four Thousand Four's hands. It enveloped him and spread outward, expanding steadily, persistently.
The blood hornets were being poisoned by the Phantom Annihilation.
"Ph- Phantom Annihilation... how...?"
Phantom Annihilation wasn't a poison powder. It was a toxin diffused into the air itself. Impossible to collect or store in a pouch for transport.
Hanbi was simply amazed that Four Thousand Four could freely emit this poison called Phantom Annihilation.
Grrumble! Thud!
Strange noises continued from deep in the cavern.
It wasn't just blood hornets charging them. There were giant pythons five chi long, and venomous blood rats with crimson eyes and savage tempers.
These were the venomous beasts.
Most venomous beasts carried toxins. Blood hornets, giant pythons, venomous blood rats—all laced with poison. They were highly resistant to other poisons too.
Ordinary toxins didn't faze them.
Yet they dropped dead before Phantom Annihilation. Mere contact with the toxin-laden air sapped their strength.
Four Thousand Four said,
"How much antidote powder do you have?"
"A little. Just a bit."
"I'm pushing forward. You know the remedy?"
"I do. Don't worry, go on."
Vanguard replied confidently.
Sss! Ssss!
Four Thousand Four advanced without hesitation.
Vanguard and Hanbi, meanwhile, proceeded very slowly. They wanted to keep right on his heels, but Phantom Annihilation was no joke.
Sprinkle antidote powder and wait. Extend a hand, check the back of it for lingering toxin. If it burned like fire, pull back quick. No sensation? Only then take a step.
They had no choice but to move slowly.
"We're just baggage."
"Don't say that. Forgot my old saying?"
"Even dog shit's useful if you need it for medicine?"
"Right."
"So now we're the dog shit?"
"Exactly. Heh heh!"
"Hahaha! Dog shit. Hahaha!"
Vanguard and Hanbi laughed for the first time in ages.
Hanbi had never liked the prisoners they'd brought from the Nineteen Hells. He'd grumbled constantly. Why bother saving those guys? Let's just stick together. With three top Martial Camp elites, surely they could handle the mission.
Vanguard always countered: even dog shit's useful if you need it for medicine.
The One-Four-Six crew was infamous for letting their prisoners die. And that had been true.
But Vanguard insisted: not these prisoners. Let's keep them alive, survive together.
Hanbi and Jaja hadn't gone against his will.
The prisoners had been ruthless until integrated into the crew, but once they joined, no objections. From then on, they'd done everything to help the prisoners fulfill their roles as assassins.
Now the tables had turned—they were the "dog shit."
Unlike when moving as One-Four-Six, now they had to be extra careful not to hinder Four Thousand Four.
"Where's that Four Thousand Four guy? Can't see him."
"Beats me. Lost him too."
"Ditched us 'cause we're a hassle?"
"..."
Vanguard had no reply, even to Hanbi's joking remark.
Truth was, he thought it often. They'd tagged along to help, even a little... now it felt like a burden. Was dragging his daughter into this just to be dead weight? Had he ruined her future for this?
Hanbi probably felt the same deep down.
They hadn't realized when freely roaming the Martial Camp... the Heavenly Annihilation Division was far larger than expected.
'Clear air!'
Four Thousand Four sensed fresh air.
He'd exited the cavern proper. Not fully out yet, but clean air was seeping in—sunlight couldn't be far.
'What comes after the Lewd Beast Pass?'
Four Thousand Four racked his brain.
Of course, there were no real memories. Even "Lewd Beast Pass" had popped into his head unbidden, not summoned by effort. A term he'd never known, suddenly recalled.
Venomous beasts nested in these caverns naturally.
This place had been their home from the start. The sudden pounding of the Iron Plate Bridge triggered their instincts, prompting a defensive assault.
The Lewd Beast Pass wasn't some contrived trap. It merely exploited the beasts' habits as a stepping stone.
The creator of this place was a genius.
He halted his advance.
The venomous beasts had been cleared out. Many died crossing the Iron Plate Bridge; survivors scattered into crevices before the poison mist reached them.
He'd wait here for Vanguard and Hanbi before heading into the light.
There was work to do meanwhile.
Someone was definitely on the move. The Dao Sage and Sword Sage had come for them, Silver Shadow Squad mobilized. Maybe the Heavenly Commander, North Star, or both.
He needed to figure out what they wanted.
At least they didn't want him dead. If death was the goal, they could've killed him in the cavern anytime. No need for the Sword Sage and Dao Sage.
"Been waiting?"
Hanbi said with a broad grin.
Four Thousand Four silently offered an ointment jar.
"What's this?"
"Good for burns."
"Nice. Better apply it."
Hanbi took it without hesitation, scooping a generous amount and applying it first to Vanguard's hand.
Burns from the Phantom Annihilation.
"What's out there once we leave?"
Vanguard asked.
"Haven't thought about it."
"What? You've been sitting here a while. And you didn't think at all?"
Hanbi said as he applied ointment to his own hand.
"Who knows. Come to think of it, I haven't pondered what's outside. Been thinking about other stuff."
Four Thousand Four chuckled softly.