Chapter 101
Chapter 101
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 101
Chapter Title: Dark Current Illusion Arrow
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Ak Muyoo loaded the Transparent Demon Gang Iron onto a cart and headed to the forge. The one guiding Ak Muyoo was Zaboo.
The forge was located to the north.
The people here didn't completely avoid going outside. It was just impossible to go to the old Nuram Kingdom ruins, but other places were freely accessible. However, they couldn't go out during the day. There was more water near the underground city than expected. It came from the Wuying Lake in the Nuram Kingdom. That water was used not only for farming but also for daily needs. A stream flowed next to the forge.
Zaboo entered the forge first.
Moments later, an old man with particularly developed upper body came out. His skin was white like the others.
"I am the Iron Forge Master."
The old man introduced himself first.
"I am Ak Muyoo."
"What do you plan to make?"
The Iron Forge Master asked.
"This... and..."
Ak Muyoo took out a Dark Current Arrow and placed it on the table, then pulled out the Great Heaven Demon Bow manual from his bosom. The manual recorded not only archery techniques but also methods for making bows and arrows. Among the archery skills were qi arrows that formed qi into arrows and fired them, and qi-controlled arrows like qi-controlled sword arts, but they were mere pipe dreams for Ak Muyoo without internal energy. So, what caught his attention was the curved arrow.
A curved arrow referred to an arrow made slightly bent. Normal arrows flew straight, but curved arrows flew in an elliptical path. The Dark Current Arrow was only as long as a cheek, so it was uncertain if it would trace an ellipse even with curvature, but he intended to try.
First, they decided to make curved arrows using ordinary iron. He planned to improve the Seventy-Four Carriages to fire not one but two shots at a time.
That way, they could load not seventy but one hundred forty arrows.
They made ten molds in the shape of curved arrows.
Each mold had slightly different curvatures.
They poured molten iron into the molds and let it harden.
Clang! Clang! Clang-clang! Clang-clang-clang!
He threw off his upper garment and immediately began the work. Every time he lifted the hammer, sweat streamed down. What Ak Muyoo was hammering was the red-hot iron shaped like a Dark Current Arrow.
Ak Muyoo named it the Dark Current Illusion Arrow.
The Iron Forge Master helped a lot in designing the Dark Current Illusion Arrow. The biggest differences between the one he was hammering and the Dark Current Arrow were the curvature and the fletching.
The fletching wasn't noticeably wide. It was almost imperceptible, but it would have a big impact in flight.
"Will you use only one curvature?"
The Iron Forge Master asked.
"Yes."
"Then distance adjustment will have to be done by positioning the bow."
"Exactly. If the radius drawn by the Dark Current Illusion Arrow when fired straight ahead is fifty paces, moving left will make the radius gradually smaller, and right will make it larger. It's just like adjusting the angle up and down when shooting arrows."
"So, move the bow left and right instead of up and down when shooting straight arrows."
"Correct. You can make it fly right or left, or shoot toward the sky and have it draw a large circle before diving into the back."
"Endless possibilities."
"Indeed."
Ak Muyoo resumed the work.
After making all ten, he numbered each Dark Current Illusion Arrow. Then, he moved to a spot for testing. There was a wide open field near the forge. He fired the Dark Current Illusion Arrows there. At first weakly, then gradually increasing the strength.
"Success."
A smile formed on Ak Muyoo's lips.
Out of the ten, two drew parabolic arcs even at maximum power. When fired straight ahead, they traced a radius of fifteen paces, and the circling Dark Current Illusion Arrow returned to Ak Muyoo.
Once the Dark Current Illusion Arrow to produce was decided, they returned to the forge with it. From that day, he made Dark Current Illusion Arrows and Dark Current Arrows together with the Iron Forge Master.
The Seventy-Four Carriages were modified to hold one hundred forty arrows per carriage. The weight was considerable, but it was no issue for Ak Muyoo.
He left the making of Dark Current Arrows to the Iron Forge Master and went outside with the Heavenly Divine Solar Bow and Dark Current Illusion Arrows. From that day, he began practicing to shoot the Dark Current Illusion Arrows wherever desired. Since it was a short bow, not a long one, minute differences in shooting translated to huge deviations at the target. To reduce this deviation, he had no choice but to shoot as precisely as possible. Every day from early morning until late at night, he fired tens of thousands of shots. He fired so many that the tip of the Transparent Demon Gang Iron Dark Current Illusion Arrow dulled. Problematic Dark Current Illusion Arrows were sent to the forge for repair, and he practiced with others.
At first, he shot while standing in place. Once standing shots were perfect, he shot while walking. After that, while running, and finally while deploying the Mad Thousand Blood Steps.
He finished archery practice a month later.
Besides Dark Current Arrows and Dark Current Illusion Arrows, the Iron Forge Master made many more Dark Current Arrows from ordinary iron.
They loaded them all onto camels.
The camels were left by the Black Sand Black Dragon Heaven warriors. After loading the luggage, he bid farewell to Ma Dunjirang.
"Thank you for everything."
"We're the ones who should thank you."
Ma Dunjirang smiled faintly.
"We're off."
Ak Muyoo's group mounted the camels.
"Zabujong, let's go."
Hrumph!
At Zabujong's call, the camels dashed off.
"Giddyup!"
Then the camels carrying Ara, Mok Woo, and the others raced forward.
"May fortune be with you..."
Ma Dunjirang's group clasped their hands toward the departing Ak Muyoo's group.
* * *
To go from the Central Plains to the Western Regions, or from the Western Regions to the Central Plains, Dunhuang was a must-visit city. South from Dunhuang led to the southern route to the Western Regions, north to the northern route.
Dunhuang was built on an oasis where water from the Qilian Mountains flowed crisscross. When the Central Plains empire weakened, it became an independent state; when the Central Plains grew strong, it was annexed as a vassal. Then, with the establishment of Jade Gate Pass and Yang Pass, it was fully subjugated to the Central Plains. In truth, looking at the people living in Dunhuang, it was hard to call it Central Plains territory.
More than half the passersby were Westerners with large eyes and noses. Sometimes, even blue-eyed people appeared. Most buildings here had round roofs. Though Central Plains land, Dunhuang was filled with a sense of otherness.
The small city of just tens of thousands began to brim with a tense atmosphere a few days ago.
The source of the tension was warriors carrying swords.
Warriors were rare sights in Dunhuang. To Central Plains martial artists, it was too remote; to Border Wastelands martial artists, it was Central Plains soil, so they consciously avoided it.
Yet warriors started appearing.
At first just a few, then in droves, bringing unprecedented prosperity to Dunhuang's inns. The warriors who appeared belonged to renowned factions known by name alone.
The five sitting in an inn, sipping tea, were also recent arrivals to Dunhuang.
Unlike the others radiating sharp auras, they didn't seem like warriors.
They had ordinary looks, the kind you could pass by hundreds in a marketplace.
What made them stand out somewhat was that Westerners outnumbered Central Plainers in Dunhuang.
These five, with their subdued presences, were Life-Death Society assassins sent from Beiping to eliminate Ara and Ak Muyoo.
Among the five, the one with the least presence, eyes transcending joy or sorrow—like a village elder, not out of place—was the special-class assassin Gong Yeol of the Life-Death Society.
Life-Death Society assassins had seven ranks total.
The top couldn't be ranked, called unranked, and below that was the special class where Gong Yeol belonged. Then first-class, second-class, third-class, fourth-class, and fifth-class.
Life-Death Society leader Ta Ya Hwoong sent Gong Yeol, two first-class assassins, and two second-class.
The two in gray robes were first-class: Mu Ja and In Hon.
Mu Ja and In Hon were so similar in demeanor they were hard to distinguish, differing only in beards.
Mu Ja's beard was patchy like wasteland weeds; In Hon's was neatly trimmed from sideburns to chin.
The two in dark blue robes—one tall, one short—the tall was Pal Bi, the short Nan Jang, both second-class assassins.
None of the five emitted even a chilling trace of energy.
"Any news?"
Gong Yeol asked.
Mu Ja had gone to the Yellow Bees for Ara's info and just returned.
"They're heading south from Turpan."
Mu Ja answered.
"You found them?"
"Yes. But they're not alone."
"Then?"
"Coming with five unknowns."
"Hmm... Which bounty hunters are here?"
Ghost Soul Five Guests and Underworld Three Demons."
Nan Jang answered.
Ghost Soul Five Guests referred to Ghost Guest Shin Su-gil, Heaven Remnant Demon Guest Jo I-rae, Death Shadow Guest Jeon Chung, Underworld Guest Gan Pyeong, and Divine Water Shadowless Guest Hak Il. Righteous or evil, they pursued only bounties, sometimes called Money Guests.
Underworld Three Demons were Hell Demon Ma Ok, Yama Demon Yu Pae, and Luo Feng Demon Jong Ri-ak. The three wandered sects in youth, turning bounty hunters in old age.
"Where are they?"
"At the Ten Lion Inn."
"Leak info about the bounties to them."
"Yes."
Nan Jang bowed.
"But there's a strange rumor circulating here."
In Hon said.
"What rumor?"
"They say three items—Mad Demon, Ruyi Sword, and Heavenly Sword—were found in the Absolute Six Heavens ruins."
"Aren't those supreme treasures of Geupcheon, Eunmilcheon, and Taeyangcheon?"
"Correct."
"Who owns them?"
"No one knows."
"No idea?"
"Yes."
In Hon nodded.
"A rumor spreads out of nowhere without knowing the owner?"
"Yes."
"Probably fake."
"In cases like this, nine out of ten are."
"Who started it?"
"No idea. No evidence, no basis, just spreading."
"Someone wants martial world bloodshed."
"Seems so."
"Not Absolute Five Heavens—they're already Central Plains strongest. No reason to stir chaos unless they don't want unification. Must be a new force."
"Spreading the Paradise Country rumor to lure Absolute Five Heavens to Heavenly Mountain—was that them too?"
In Hon said.
"Could be. Whoever it is, chaos in Central Plains martial world means more work for us—not bad."
Gong Yeol smiled faintly. Then continued.
"Go check."
"Yes."
In Hon rose.
* * *
The five left Dunhuang, heading north. Four shouldered swords, one bare-handed. Seeming very strong warriors, each step covered ten paces.
These five were the bounty hunters Gong Yeol mentioned: Ghost Soul Five Guests.
The bearded one on the far right was Ghost Guest Shin Su-gil. Next, running beside him, was Heaven Remnant Demon Guest Jo I-rae, face scarred long.
"Two hundred thousand taels, right?"
Shin Su-gil asked.
Not out of ignorance, just to kill boredom.
"Two hundred thousand now, but soon a million."
The cold-faced man said. He was Death Shadow Guest Jeon Chung.
"How long should we drag this out?"
The rough-looking man asked. He was Underworld Guest Gan Pyeong.
Their money-making was unique.
They didn't take the head of a bounty target to the issuer right away. They preserved the head, had one act as the target doing evil in their name. The issuer raised the bounty. Once reaching their set price, they delivered the head.
"Half a year should do."
Shin Su-gil said.
"Something coming that way?"
Heaven Remnant Demon Guest Jo I-rae pointed ahead. Seven rode camels approaching. Camels outnumbered people two-to-one.
"Hide?"
The white-robed one said. He was Divine Water Shadowless Guest Hak Il.
"Where to hide."
Shin Su-gil said.
"Sand dune there."
Hak Il pointed aside.
It was a forty-pace-high sand dune.
"Pathetic—not even warriors, erasing one soldier and hiding?"
"Just draw weapons and wait?"
Hak Il shrugged.
The five drew weapons in unison.