Chapter 132
Chapter 132
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 132
Chapter Title: A Family Head Shouldn't Say That
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Martial God (132)
The group silently watched Ak Muyoo.
"All right! Enough chit-chat. Now you've got a damn good reason to learn martial arts, don't you?"
"Yes. But has Haru gotten stronger?"
"He's probably training his ass off as we speak."
"But I don't have any martial arts."
"You do."
Ak Muyoo turned his head.
Ara came over with a cloth bundle.
It was the one containing Gun Cheokjeon's sword.
Inside the bundle wasn't just the sword—there were also manuals bound together with the martial arts of the North Forest Great Heaven Clan. Ak Muyoo had bound the manuals himself.
Ak Muyoo first pulled out the manuals.
There were five in total.
He handed one to Gun Seol.
"That's the North Forest Great Heaven Divine Art. It's the foundational martial art of the North Forest Great Heaven Clan and their strongest one. Master it, and you'll manifest a massive peng bird aura with wings spanning six feet. You'll also unleash the North Forest Great Heaven Divine Demon Gang—a peerless aura that can shatter the Indestructible Diamond Body."
"Did Daddy write this?"
"No, we weren't in any shape to write when your dad left his final words. The four of us, excluding Cheon Yu General, left ours one by one. I memorized them and wrote them down later."
"This must be what you wrote, Uncle."
"Right. Now let me explain these three. The martial arts in them are called the Three Absolutes Demon Release. Think of them as practical techniques built on the North Forest Great Heaven Divine Art. Each has three forms, and this one's the first: Human Absolute. It's the Sword Stream Invincible Sword Aura—like the name says, it unleashes sword aura. It details everything inside, but it's only complete when the aura flows like a river."
Ak Muyoo held out the manual on Sword Stream Invincible Sword Aura to Gun Seol.
Gun Seol stared at the manual.
Ak Muyoo picked up another book while watching her.
"This is Earth Absolute, the second form: Hellstorm Bullet. Just like it sounds, it's a storm of sword bullet aura. Remember, it's sword bullet aura, not plain sword qi. Ever seen a blizzard raging across a field?"
"Yes."
"Imagine that blizzard is all sword bullet aura."
"No one could survive in there."
"Exactly. Even just the Hellstorm Bullet is enough to stop most foes. But it requires ten cycles of inner power."
"......"
"You can do it."
Ak Muyoo slid the manual toward Haru.
"And this is the final form: Heaven-Earth Annihilation Rain. I racked my brain through every martial art I know to annotate it, but it's still not enough. You'll carry Heaven-Earth Annihilation Rain with you until you die."
Ak Muyoo slid the Heaven-Earth Annihilation Rain manual toward Gun Seol.
"And this one's a movement technique called Sea Breeze Phantom Shadow Divine Step. Your dad said the family head needs to master the North Forest Ring and the North Forest Great Heaven Divine Art."
"I know."
"Now comes the most important part."
"Tell me."
"Memorize all five manuals Uncle gave you. Then burn them. Burn them where lots of people can see."
"Is that to survive too?"
"You're no dummy. Right. Those formulas in your head will be your shield. So memorize them hard if you want to live."
Ak Muyoo ruffled Gun Seol's hair wildly.
"I'll start memorizing now. You hold onto this, Uncle."
Gun Seol slid the North Forest Ring toward Ak Muyoo.
"Why?"
"I'm not qualified yet. Doesn't even fit my finger."
"Then give me your mom."
Ak Muyoo looked at Gun Seol's mother.
"I'm Na Yun Bong."
Gun Seol's mother introduced herself.
"I'm Ak Muyoo."
Ak Muyoo offered the North Forest Ring.
"That person seemed to give the North Forest Ring to Great Hero Ak. Or not?"
Na Yun Bong asked Ara.
"Yes."
Ara nodded.
"Hey!"
Ak Muyoo glared at Ara.
"You can't add or subtract from final words. You have to relay exactly what the dead said."
"What else did they say?"
"I'll explain the situation back then. The five of us were fleeing an attack from the Blood Wolf Clan, riddled with arrows. The Wind Squad never attacked us. They might've gotten hit even sooner. Anyway, we couldn't pull the arrows out—we just cut off the protruding parts and ran. We hid when we spotted this place. That's when he showed up."
Ara pointed at Ak Muyoo.
"He treated us all right away. Pulling arrows from our bodies counts as treatment. But we five all knew we were done for. No recovery possible. We kept running, and Cheon Yu General was first to draw the enemy away. Before he did, he left final words with this guy. The others followed, entrusting items too. General Gun said if he didn't return, his wife and daughter would be cast out, so he entrusted them to this guy. Even said to hand over the clan. Plain Iron General So Dae Hwa died here in Cheonji, General Gun stayed to hold back Jeok Yeom-cheon of the Desert Ten Heroes, and Ten Thousand Fire General Ak Gun-eok fell fighting Hell's Myriad Evils assassins. They wouldn't let me die. Said I had to return to Beijing and expose the plot."
"That's an excuse."
Ak Muyoo said.
The group looked at Ak Muyoo.
"They knew even if Ara went back, nothing would change. No matter how she claimed to have come in her brother's place, they'd just say it wasn't allowed. Best way is to drag out Adal hiding in Cheon Yu Merchant House, but Joo Juang-cheol won't let that happen. If you don't die, Ara, Adal gets killed soon."
"So the general sent me because..."
"You had the best shot at surviving, so he entrusted you to me."
"I..."
Tears streamed down Ara's face.
"I'm always a burden. Always... Born a burden to Mom, grew into one for Dad. In the war, a burden to four generals, and after they died, a burden to you. Someone like me..."
"No."
Ak Muyoo shook his head.
Ara looked at Ak Muyoo.
"You're never a burden. Someone who lives that hard can't be. You weren't a burden—you were the victim. Always alone. But not anymore. You're not alone. You're with your four generals. Live for their share too. No dumb thoughts. Got it?"
"......"
"Answer."
"Got it."
"Good."
"Now then..."
"Enemies, Captain."
Chung Kwang's voice came then.
"This..."
Ak Muyoo drew Gun Cheokjeon's sword and offered it to Na Yun Bong.
"Young master should keep that. And this too."
Na Yun Bong offered the North Forest Ring back to Ak Muyoo.
"Why the North Forest Ring...?"
"Better give it to Seol yourself."
"Understood. I'll make it into a necklace."
Ak Muyoo slipped the North Forest Ring onto his finger and stepped outside. Chung Kwang and the Wind Squad members waited there.
"Where?"
"Over there."
Chung Kwang pointed toward the town center.
About two hundred were charging this way from there. A red flag fluttered in the lead, whipping in the wind. They were roughly three hundred feet out.
"Who are they?"
Ak Muyoo asked the white-haired elder.
"Red Sand Squad."
"Red Sand Squad?"
"The father of Cheolmokdae-gil, the guy Uncle beat earlier, is the Red Sand Squad leader."
Gun Seol answered.
"How many in the Red Sand Squad total?"
"Thirteen hundred."
"All still around?"
"Yes."
"Perfect."
"What is?"
"If they're all here, we end it in one go."
"You're saying fight the Red Sand Squad now?"
"No choice."
"Why?"
"Got a two hundred thousand nyang bounty on my head. Bandits can't resist."
"Two hundred thousand nyang?"
Gun Seol stared at Ak Muyoo.
"I can hear you swallowing."
"Who says I'm swallowing?"
"Gave you all the martial arts and that's how you react."
"I'm not swallowing, geez."
"Dong Pung!"
Ak Muyoo called Chung Kwang.
"Yes."
"Reinforce the east woods perimeter. Everyone else, ambush right where those guys are."
"Got it. Let's go."
The Wind Squad members swiftly headed down.
Ak Muyoo watched the approaching foes, then drew the Heaven God Sun Bow from his back.
"Ara."
"Yeah."
"Bring four quivers."
"Got it."
Ara leaped away. Moments later, she returned with four quivers holding fifty arrows each.
Ak Muyoo took them and handed two to Gun Seol.
Gun Seol looked at Ak Muyoo.
"That's our lifeline, so hold it and stick with me."
"Showing a kid how to kill?"
Gun Seol said.
"North Forest Great Heaven Clan heads aren't kids. Can't be."
"I'm eleven now."
"My old man said, 'You're grown, so go earn money.' How old was I?"
"How old?"
"Three."
"......"
"Got the manuals?"
"Yes."
"Don't ever forget them."
"I'll treasure them like my life."
"That's what a family head does."
Ak Muyoo, scanning ahead, turned.
Jeonma's group, the white-haired elder's crew, and Myoyo's group held their positions.
"You planning to fight with me too?"
He asked, eyeing Myoyo.
"No."
"Not here to take me?"
"Was."
"Changed your mind?"
"You said taking Ara is pointless. So we're following your plan."
"My plan?"
"Wait."
"I got no plan."
"Anyway, I wanna watch from here."
"Those three behind you not joining?"
Ak Muyoo eyed the four sand shadows standing behind Myoyo.
"You want our help?"
Sa Sa-yeong asked.
"Yeah."
"What do we get?"
"I'm broke. Even the inn bill was covered by Huangbo Clan."
"Huangbo Clan helped you?"
Sa Sa-yeong's eyes widened. The Huangbo Clan mobilized to kill Ak Muyoo. Helping? Didn't make sense.
"Yeah. Came with fifty camels loaded with cash and food. Still using it gratefully."
"Kek!"
Sa Sa-yeong burst out laughing.
Not actual help—the Huangbo Clan tried to wipe them out, but they took the camels and supplies.
"You really surnamed Ak?"
Mo Gwang of the Gold Heaven Bandits asked.
"Yeah, why?"
"You look like someone I know."
"Who?"
"There's this guy."
"What's his surname?"
"Joo."
"Emperor's clan?"
"Imperial family."
"Nope."
"You're sure?"
"'That bastard' named me when I was over a year old and still kicking. Said, 'Survived a year, so I'll name you. From now on, you're Muyoo.' 'That bastard' is what I call him... no, my old man."
"Named you after surviving a year, so can't be imperial?"
"Imperials got class. I'm trash."
"I'm Red Sand Squad Vice Leader Takballa!"
A booming voice rang out from ahead.
Ak Muyoo stepped forward.
"Where you going?"
The white-haired elder asked.
"Too far, arrows might miss. Gotta get closer. Gun Seol, come on."
"Me too?"
"When arrows run out, you hand over quivers."
"......"
"Scared?"
"I-I'll go."
Gun Seol followed Ak Muyoo.
"Mu Hyang."
He called Mu Hyang next.
"Yes."
"Protect Gun Seol."
"...Got it."
Mu Hyang leaped after Gun Seol. After a dozen paces, Ak Muyoo stopped.
"Why're you here?"
He shouted toward the enemy lines.
"To catch Black Wind."
He'd already heard about Black Wind from Im Chung. Info wasn't free—cost a hundred nyang.
"Why Black Wind?"
"He beat Leader's son for no reason—smashed his nose bone, cracked the cheekbone. Leader ordered us to grab that brute now. Hand over Black Wind and we leave. Where's Black Wind?"
"Me."
Ak Muyoo nocked an arrow, aiming at Takballa.
"You?"
"I'm Black Wind, asshole!"
Twang!
The arrow shot toward Takballa.