Chapter 137
Chapter 137
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 137
Chapter Title: Don't Mess with a Bad-Tempered Bastard
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Before the Wind Corps lost two hundred men, the Red Sand Corps numbered thirteen hundred strong.
Squad Leader Cheol Mokharam divided the Red Sand Corps into four ranks. The weakest were fourth-rank, then third, second, and the strongest were first-rank. He classified them by rank for the sake of pay. After a raid, they divided the spoils, and the difference between first and fourth-rank was tenfold.
Even the assignment of barracks in the Red Sand Corps followed rank.
The main headquarters stood atop a low hill. At the very bottom level were fifty barracks for the fourth-rankers, ten men per building, totaling five hundred.
Cheol Mokharam named the fourth-rank barracks the Paulownia Barracks, after the paulownia tree used to build a mountain stronghold.
The Paulownia Barracks formed the Red Sand Corps' first line of defense.
The second checkpoint lay thirty zhang above the Paulownia Barracks. The Assault Barracks, home to four hundred third-rankers, consisted of thirty buildings and were the roughest bunch in the Red Sand Corps.
The ones who had mobilized against Ak Muyoo's group were precisely the Assault Barracks members. Now, after two hundred were massacred, only two hundred remained.
Thirty zhang above the Assault Barracks lay the Rogue Barracks, with three hundred men—the Red Sand Corps' elite. Fifty zhang higher still was the Red Sand Barracks. It housed the strongest of the Red Sand Corps, who guarded Cheol Mokharam.
There were one hundred of them.
What set them apart from other organizations wasn't just the building layout. The shape of the defensive walls around the headquarters was different too.
It was a typical Central Plains wall, piled ten zhang high with stone and earthen bricks.
Shoo! Shoo-shoo-shoo! Shoo-shoo!
Over a dozen arrows sliced through the air.
"Gah!"
"Ugh!"
"Kuh!"
The sentries on the wall toppled down with screams.
"Who the hell are you!"
A guy dozing in the corner spotted the Wind Corps and bellowed.
So Pung nocked an arrow and drew his bowstring at the man.
"Kuh!"
The fellow screamed and collapsed, but even as he fell, he yanked on the rope beside him.
Dong! Dong-dong-dong! Dong-dong! Dong-dong!
Bells rang out from all directions.
In the meantime, So Pung's group descended to the base of the wall, eliminated the guards at the gate, and swung it open.
"Light the torches!"
Song Won Do bellowed. At his command, the Non-Moon Squad members ignited the torches strapped to their saddles.
"Burn it down!"
"Waaaaah!"
"Uwaaaaaah!"
Dudududu! Dudududu!
The Non-Moon Squad members galloped left and right, hurling torches at each building.
"Enemies!"
"The enemy is attacking!"
"Wind Corps, grab your bows!"
Dong Pung shouted.
The Wind Corps members all drew the bows slung on their backs and nocked arrows.
These were the weapons used by the Forest Rangers.
The instant the bowstrings were drawn, doors flew open from every building, and Red Sand Corps members poured out.
"Fire!"
Twang! Twang-twwang! Twang-tw! Twang-twtwang!
A hundred arrows rent the sky at once.
Puk! Puk-puk-puk! Puk-puk! Puk-puk!
"Kuh!"
"Krrk!"
"Ugh!"
Dozens collapsed screaming.
The fourth-rankers weren't strong enough to block the arrows. Meanwhile, the Wind Corps members nocked, drew, and loosed a second volley.
The second wave burrowed into enemy flesh as well.
"Kill them!"
The Non-Moon Squad members spurred their horses toward the Red Sand Corps.
"Kraaa!"
"Aaaak!"
"Euaak!"
Screams of agony erupted from every side.
"Wind Corps, head to the Assault Barracks!"
The Wind Corps members stowed their bows and charged along the avenue between the buildings.
"Enemies!"
"The enemy is attacking!"
Chaos erupted in the Assault Barracks. Those roused by the screams hastily donned clothes, rushed out, and assembled.
"First squad, scout and identify the bastards!"
Assault Barracks Chief Yagul Ram shouted.
"Yes!"
Fifty of the assembled men broke off and raced downward.
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
"Kra!"
"Aak!"
"Euaak!"
Amid agonized screams, the heads of those charging down bobbed into the air. Wind Corps members hidden in the chaos with their stealth techniques had slit their throats.
In an instant, fifty were dead.
"We can't see the enemy."
"They're concealed with stealth arts. Stay sharp!"
Twang! Twang-twtwang! Twang-twtwang!
The Wind Corps loosed another volley. Their arrows seemed to spring from thin air.
Puk! Puk-puk! Puk!
Clang! Clang-clang! Clang!
"Krrk!"
"Kuh!"
"Ugh!"
Some deflected them, some blocked.
"Kill!"
Ak Muyoo charged into the fray, shaking out both arms violently. Ghostfiend revealed itself.
"Kill them!"
The Assault Barracks members charged with murderous intent.
Swooooosh!
Ghostfiend cleaved the air, slashing into the enemy.
Pow!
A severed head floated up.
"Kraaak!"
Pow!
Another head rose amid screams.
Pow! Pow! Pow! Pow!
Legs were lopped, heads hewn, torsos split, weapons shattered. A trail of corpses formed behind Ak Muyoo.
"Block that bastard!"
Yagul Ram pointed at Ak Muyoo and roared. Dozens heeded the order and rushed him.
"Charge!"
Dudududu! Dudududu!
The Non-Moon Squad that had swept the Paulownia Barracks now surged toward the Assault Barracks.
"Take them out!"
Spotting the Assault Barracks locked in combat with the Wind Corps, the Non-Moon Squad leaped from their mounts.
"Kraaaaaang!"
A beastly roar burst from Ak Muyoo's mouth. Those charging him burst into chunks of meat and scattered.
"My god...."
Song Won Do watched, mouth agape. He'd never seen Ak Muyoo use martial arts. In his mind, Ak Muyoo wasn't a powerful warrior. True masters exuded energy even without channeling inner power. Ak Muyoo had none of that.
But this display now....
"Kraaaak!"
Yagul Ram's severed head soared into the air amid a wretched scream.
"Chief Yagul Ram...."
Song Won Do muttered like a groan.
"Wind Corps, on to the next checkpoint!"
Dong Pung bellowed.
"Yes, sir!"
The Wind Corps disengaged and raced upward. Their target was the Rogue Barracks.
Thud-thud-thud! Thud-thud-thud!
One of Cheol Mokharam's greatest flaws was that once he fell asleep, he wouldn't wake even if carried off.
Despite nonstop pounding on his door, he didn't stir.
"Squad Leader!"
The knocker channeled inner power into his shout.
"Huh!"
Only then did Cheol Mokharam open his eyes.
Thud-thud-thud! Thud-thud-thud!
"Squad Leader!"
"Kraaak!"
"Aaaak!"
"Euaak!"
Sudden screams jolted him bolt upright.
"What happened?"
"Enemies, sir. The enemy is attacking."
"Enemies?"
Cheol Mokharam blanked for a moment. This was no ordinary place—it was the Demon Realm, city of bandits. And the Red Sand Corps ranked second in its hierarchy.
To attack them...
Only a madman would dare.
"The Paulownia and Assault Barracks are gone. They're fighting at the Rogue Barracks now."
"Paulownia and Assault... wiped out? Then we're down to four hundred...."
Cheol Mokharam's face drained of color. He took "lost" to mean "annihilated."
With four hundred, they couldn't join the Ten Great Demon Legions—that thought hit first.
"Who? Who the hell?"
He snatched his sword and burst outside.
"It's the Non-Moon Squad, confirmed."
"The Non-Moon Squad betrayed us?"
"It's not all of them. There are even stronger ones with them—unknown identity."
"Aak!"
"Euaak!"
"Kraaak!"
Screams continued.
His gaze, heading downward, shifted to the open window.
"Damn it all!"
A curse flew from his lips.
The sky over the Red Sand Corps headquarters blazed red. Flames shot from dozens of buildings.
"Just what the hell...."
He hurried downward.
He flung open the door and stepped out.
"Dong Pung!"
Ak Muyoo, eliminating foes, called to Dong Pung.
"Yes?"
"I can go now?"
"Don't worry. We didn't survive the battlefield to fall to trash like this. Go."
"Got it. Mu Hyang, Ha Mi, Ara, Yo Pung, Muk Jawoong, Wolma, Song Won Do—follow me."
Ak Muyoo raced along the path, shouting.
The straight route from Rogue Barracks to Red Sand Barracks was fifty zhang.
"The Red Sand Barracks has one hundred first-rankers guarding Squad Leader Cheol Mokharam."
Song Won Do said, keeping pace.
"I know. They say they're even stronger than Cheol Mokharam, right?"
"Well... I've never fought them."
"Leave him to me."
"Understood. But...."
"But what?"
"N-no, nothing."
—Father.
Song Won Do sent a transmission to Wolma.
—What is it?
—About Young Master Black Wind.
—You mean he doesn't seem to use inner power?
—Yes.
—He doesn't have any.
—...
—Young Master Black Wind has no dantian.
—Really no answer?
—He has no inner power, yet he's stronger than I am.
—How is that possible?
—You saw earlier.
—They were weaklings.
—You'll see his true form soon enough.
The group arrived at the Red Sand Barracks. There stood the one hundred first-rankers and Red Sand Corps Leader Cheol Mokharam. He glared at Ak Muyoo's group, face twisted in fury.
He still hadn't grasped their identities.
"Song Won Dooo!"
Spotting Song Won Do among them, Cheol Mokharam roared.
"You tried to hijack the Blood Society on your own whim, Cheol Mokharam. It wasn't just hitting the Wind Corps. No—even that would've been fine. The real reason I abandoned the Blood Society... no, abandoned you... was your shamelessness in shoving the blame for your defeat onto us."
"Then you could've just left. You dare attack your old comrades?"
"Do you know how many organizations you've wiped out since claiming to have left the Blood Society?"
"I don't know about the rest, but you—I'm definitely killing you."
"You're mine, you bastard."
Ak Muyoo stepped forward.
"Who the hell are you?"
"Black Wind."
"Then the ones attacking us...."
"We don't live in debt. You messed with the wrong bad-tempered bastards. Get ready."
"Ready?"
"Get ready to die."
Paat!
Ak Muyoo shook out his arms, drawing Ghostfiend as he charged.