Chapter 112
Chapter 112
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 112
Chapter Title: Comrades
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Martial God (112)
Comrades
"Where did they go?"
Seo Pung muttered as she looked around.
She had increased her movement speed to steadily close the distance with Ak Muyoo, and now only about a hundred paces remained.
Yet the two people ahead had suddenly vanished. With the four camels still grazing nearby, they had to be somewhere close.
"They must have noticed us following and hidden themselves."
Dong Pung said, staring straight ahead.
"If the guy hides, we won't be able to find him."
Seo Pung said.
"You're right. If I hide, no one can find me. Not even martial artists like you."
A low voice came from the darkness.
"It's us, Black Wind."
Dong Pung said.
"I know. What I want to know is why you're chasing us."
'Ten paces!'
Dong Pung muttered inwardly.
He seemed to be using some special method when speaking to avoid detection, but pinpointing his hiding spot wasn't difficult.
"We're not chasing you."
"Then?"
"We're going with you."
"......"
Ak Muyoo didn't respond. The five people, led by Dong Pung, whom he knew, had no reason to help him. It was a situation that naturally bred suspicion.
"Let me explain."
So Pung stepped forward.
Then he shouted toward where Ak Muyoo was.
"It's us, Captain."
"So Pung?"
Ak Muyoo emerged from the darkness in surprise.
"Ugh."
The five, including Dong Pung, grimaced.
The spot where Ak Muyoo had appeared wasn't the ten paces away they had thought, but just three paces ahead. If they had tried to ambush him, they definitely would have been caught.
"Come here."
Seo Pung used Void Grasping to pull Ak Muyoo over, then pressed her left palm against his dantian.
"Where do you think you're touching, you punk?"
Ak Muyoo yelled.
"It's not there...?"
Seo Pung tilted her head.
"Isn't there something amazing there?"
"Not that, you idiot."
"Then what?"
"Your internal energy."
"I told you before, I don't have any."
"How does a guy without internal energy evade our senses? Being around you makes me, a trained martial artist, feel pathetic enough to die!"
"You're all so focused on Ara that you can't spot me. After all those fights, you still can't do it?"
"......"
"From what I see, you all rely too much on internal energy. Try reducing your dependence on martial arts and using your innate strength instead."
"Huh?"
Seo Pung looked at Ak Muyoo with wide eyes.
"Why?"
"That's what my master always said."
"Whether it's martial arts or anything else, it all starts with the body. He must have meant you need to develop the body first."
Just then, Ara approached the group.
'That's right.'
Seo Pung nodded.
The presence leaking from ten paces away had come from Cheon Yu Jang-gun, who was traveling with Ak Muyoo.
"You're all alive?"
Ak Muyoo asked So Pung.
"We're fine."
So Pung grinned.
"That's a relief. But... why are you here?"
"What do you mean?"
"Do you know what situation I'm in?"
"That Ju Jang-cheol guy seems to be trying to kill you, right?"
"Do you know why he's trying to kill me?"
"Not the details."
So Pung shook his head.
"Come here."
Ak Muyoo beckoned, and Ara approached.
"Say hello. This is Cheon Yu Jang-gun."
"Huh?"
So Pung was startled. He hadn't imagined Cheon Yu Jang-gun would be a woman.
"She was originally Adal, but changed to Ara three years ago. The imperial court doesn't know that Cheon Yu Jang-gun Adal became a woman. Ju Jang-cheol didn't know either, but since he's trying to kill us, he must have found out."
"Then what happened?"
Yo Pung asked as he approached.
"Huh?"
Ak Muyoo looked at Yo Pung curiously.
"Why?"
"Didn't you go?"
"I didn't go because I couldn't."
"......"
"How could I leave when these guys would die without me?"
"You seemed pretty selfish, but you're not?"
"I'm a very loyal guy, you punk."
"This is surprising. What tribe are you originally from?"
"White Wolf Clan."
"Isn't Tal-li from the White Wolf Clan too?"
"Yeah."
"I see. Anyway, we'll hear your story later when there's time. First, you need to understand the Great Desert Wolf Heaven situation to grasp what Ara and I are dealing with."
"You have ties to Great Desert Wolf Heaven?"
"Yeah. The one who joined hands with Ju Jang-cheol was Adalta, Ageukta's younger brother. That guy started a rebellion and became the lord of Great Desert Wolf Heaven."
"So that's what happened?"
Yo Pung was shocked.
"But recently, Adalta died, and Ageukta, who we thought was dead, appeared as the master of the Heaven-Earth Sun Command Token."
"Did Ageukta reclaim the lord position of Great Desert Wolf Heaven?"
"Yeah. We're somewhat acquainted. If I say you're comrades who fought with me on the battlefield, he'll give you a good position."
"You're that close?"
"Close enough to grant favors."
"Would it help if I said we slept together?"
"We didn't sleep together."
"We shared a cave countless times—what are you talking about?"
"Hey, that's comrades bunking together. Don't you know comrades are like family?"
"Anyway, it would be advantageous for me if you said we did?"
"Your treatment would improve a lot. But are you really going to say that?"
"Think about it. Anyway, I'll go after this is over."
"What business?"
"This situation right now."
"Did you not hear what I said?"
"I heard it all."
"What did I say?"
"That most of you will die if you come with me."
"You know that and still want to come?"
"Like I said earlier, I can't go because no one will look after these guys. If I hadn't eaten that snake, I never would have turned back for you. This is all because of that damn snake."
"Not the snake—you probably chugged a whole jar of Pure Blue Oil that revives the dead with one drop, right?"
"That's why I'm doing this to pay back that debt."
"So now you can at least hold your own against Tal-li?"
"At minimum, I won't lose."
"Anyway, everyone else is doing great except me."
"Don't worry, this big sister will protect you. Just say the word if you need a woman."
"We're comrades, you punk."
"Continue the story from before."
"That Ju Jang-cheol used Great Desert Wolf Heaven and us to eliminate his rival, Iron Blood General Gun Cheokjeon, and the other five generals. He used Great Desert Wolf Heaven to wipe out Gun Cheokjeon and his group, then pinned their deaths on our Wind Corps. Thanks to that, there's a 200,000 nyang bounty on my head as the Wind Corps captain, and bounties from 50,000 to 10,000 nyang on all of yours."
"Filthy bastard. Didn't even pay our salaries, and now bounties."
So Pung grumbled.
"It's not like you have no way to live."
"What is it?"
"Go somewhere no one knows you. Even if someone recognizes your face, as long as they don't know you were Wind Corps members, you can live out your days in peace."
"You have no family or acquaintances either, so you could just run too."
Yo Pung said.
"I'm the Wind Corps captain, the ringleader of the rebellion. My bounty is a whopping 200,000 nyang."
"That's not all."
"And those camels are carrying the belongings of Iron Blood General Gun Cheokjeon, Plain Iron General So Daehwa, Great Harmony General Ak Guneok, and Full Flower General Choyu."
"Their belongings..."
"When we first met, they were all alive. They died one by one while fleeing Great Desert Wolf Heaven's pursuit. Full Flower General first lured the enemies and died, Plain Iron General died in the Heaven-Earth, Great Harmony General fell to Hell Thousand Evils assassins, and Iron Blood General to Enemy Flame Heaven. They left me their final words before dying."
"Why you and not Cheon Yu Jang-gun?"
"We couldn't be sure even she would survive."
"I see."
Yo Pung and the others nodded.
"The problem is Ju Jang-cheol knows Ara and I are alive and sent people to kill us. Warrior General Hwangbo Seung is coming with five hundred warriors from his clan. From Beijing, hundreds of Life-Death Society assassins are heading this way."
"So you're scared?"
Yo Pung asked.
"It's not me I'm worried about—it's you guys dying."
"And you?"
"My lifeline is tough; I won't die easily."
"You're full of crap."
Yo Pung glared at Ak Muyoo.
Then he turned around. In the back, about a hundred Wind Corps members were scattered, sitting.
"Yeol-pok, So-so, Gang-gang, Jang-pung, you four scout the rear. Scout range is ten li."
Yo Pung said quickly.
"Got it."
The four jumped up and dashed to the rear.
"You're really not going?"
Ak Muyoo asked the group.
"Comrades live together and die together, man."
Yo Pung said.
"You're full of crap. Anyway, no one will blame you if you go. Those who want to leave, go now."
Ak Muyoo said again.
But no one stood up.
"Anyway..."
Ak Muyoo shook his head.
Then he looked at Dong Pung.
"What should I do?"
"Scout ahead."
"Why ahead?"
"In this state, we can't fight. To save even one more, we need to learn martial arts."
"You think martial arts can be learned overnight?"
"Even so, learning superior martial arts increases survival chances."
"You're not saying we should teach you, right?"
"You're too quick on the uptake for someone so dense; that's your flaw."
"You're really asking us to teach?"
"You should have been instructors. Then way more members would have survived."
"You have martial arts to teach?"
"I won't make you reveal your secrets, so don't worry."
"Alright. I'll leave traces as I go, so follow them."
"No need to scout ahead specifically."
Yo Pung said.
Ak Muyoo turned to Yo Pung.
"I know a place."
"Is it good?"
"Yeah."
"Dong Pung, you don't need to go."
The group sat and waited for the rear scouts to return. They came back after half a shichen.
"No enemies within ten li."
So-so said.
"Good, then let's head into the desert right away."
Ak Muyoo stood up.
It was two shichen from their position to the desert.
"You still remember how to erase tracks in the desert?"
"We do!"
The members shouted.
"Lure time is three shichen."
Ak Muyoo shouted again.
"Lure time is three shichen!"
"Three shichen of luring!"
Ak Muyoo's orders were relayed back.
The Wind Corps members lined up in a long single file. The last ten walking behind tied their windbreakers around their waists and inserted their poles underneath. To erase the tracks on the sand.
The first of the ten erased the first pass, the next the second. By the third, fourth, and fifth passes, the tracks grew fainter toward the rear. For the first three shichen, they left enough so wind wouldn't erase them completely. After three shichen, they erased perfectly.
Slight marks from the windbreakers sweeping the ground remained, but the wind soon blew them away.
No traces of their passage lingered.
Warrior Hwangbo Se-u's warriors arrived at the forest half a day after the Wind Corps entered the desert.
"They stayed here."
The guide looked around and said.
"Where did they go?"
Hwangbo Se-u asked.
"That way."
The guide precisely pointed the direction the Wind Corps had gone.
"Move out."
The group advanced, groping along the path. After another half day, the forest ended, and sand appeared.
The southern starting point of the Paedan Gilrim Desert.
The group turned their gaze toward the desert.
Countless dunes undulated like waves. In some places, sand dust rose where wind blew.
"Where did they go?"
Hwangbo Se-u asked again.
"There are tracks there."
The guide pointed to the indented tracks. Even with wind blowing, the traces remained intact.
"Lead the way!"
Hwangbo Se-u said.
"Yes."
The guide entered the desert. As they stepped in, sweltering heat enveloped them. Just a few hundred paces from the forest, it felt like another world.
The guide lost the trail after three shichen.
"The tracks are erased."
O Jeon-seung went to Hwangbo Se-u and said.
"Can't find them?"
Hwangbo Se-u asked, frowning.
"We can find them, but catching up will take too long."
"Two days won't cut it, then."
"Yes."
O Jeon-seung nodded.
"Seung-a."
After a moment's thought, Hwangbo Se-u called his son Hwangbo Seung.
"Yes."
"You need to go to Dunhuang."
"For supplies?"
"Do you know the way back?"
"I've spent ten years in the desert. Retracing a path I've taken once is easy."
"Then go."
"I need horses too."
"Horses..."
"Horses are just baggage in the desert. I'll trade them for camels and bring supplies on those."
"Do that."
Hwangbo Se-u nodded.
Soon after, Hwangbo Seung departed with a hundred members, leading the horses.
"We camp here tonight."
Hwangbo Se-u dismounted.
"We rest here until the general returns. Build a rest camp."
Warrior Vanguard Captain Meteor Sword Yang Baekmun shouted to the members.
The guide explained how to sleep in the desert. The members followed: layered two windbreakers, covered with sand, and crawled between them. Soon, snoring echoed from all around.