Chapter 147
Translator: uly
Chapter: 147
Chapter Title: Martial God
Finally……
“Damn it all!”
Western Xia Alliance’s Third Division Leader Yi Jang-do spat out a curse. He had walked and walked. He couldn’t even tell anymore if his throat was parched or if his stomach was empty.
His belly had long since clung to his backbone, and his dry throat ached so badly it felt torn, blood welling up. Exhausted, the squad members staggered along, barely able to walk straight.
“Pull yourselves together! Keep moving! If you stop, you die!”
Yi Jang-do bellowed.
“W-water!”
“A lake!”
An ecstatic shout suddenly rang out from the vanguard.
“Snap out of it!”
Yi Jang-do barked.
This wasn’t the first time the squad had spotted a lake. Several times before, they had cried out in joy and rushed forward, only to smash their heads into piles of dead leaves.
As their thirst worsened and their minds grew hazy, they had started seeing mirages.
He assumed this was another illusion.
“Water!”
“It’s water!”
“Real water!”
A few more voices shouted as men bolted forward.
“Is it really water?”
Yi Jang-do’s eyes widened.
“It’s water, sir! Real water!”
This time, over a dozen men raced off.
“Water?”
Yi Jang-do quickened his pace. Soon, he unleashed his movement technique and soared forward.
“Water!”
Yi Jang-do shouted, his face alight with joy.
It was a lake. About five zhang wide and ten zhang long, the oval-shaped body of water rippled gently.
Yi Jang-do summoned all his inner energy. Though less than five zhang away, it felt like hundreds of li.
Splash!
He plunged into the center of the lake.
The moment he hit the water, he opened his mouth and gulped it down.
Splash! Splash! Splash!
The others leaped into the lake as well. They dunked their heads into the water in unison.
The lake water quickly turned muddy, but no one complained. They quenched their thirst and filled their bellies. Having drunk until their stomachs felt ready to burst, the group collapsed in a heap.
“We’re gonna live.”
The squad members smiled in bliss.
“My belly’s full, now I’m sleepy.”
“Let’s rest a bit.”
Those sitting down flopped onto their backs.
“Have we made it out?”
Yi Jang-do, emerging from the lake, asked his squad leader.
“Look up at the sky.”
The squad leader pointed upward.
Yi Jang-do raised his head.
“Pfft!”
Yi Jang-do let out a chuckle.
Stars twinkled in the night sky—something impossible inside the True Food Formation.
“Ke ke ke! Ha ha ha! Pfft! Ha ha ha ha!”
He burst into laughter.
“Ha ha ha ha!”
“Ke ha ha ha!”
As Yi Jang-do laughed, the others joined in. Though only they had escaped, they felt no guilt toward those still trapped inside. Nor did they have any intention of going back to rescue them.
“I wouldn’t go back in there even if you killed me.”
When one squad member spoke up, the others nearby nodded vigorously. They all thought the same.
“What do you think happened to the Alliance Leader?”
The squad leader asked Yi Jang-do.
“He’ll find his own way out. No need to worry about them.”
Yi Jang-do replied.
“Our luck turning like this is all thanks to you, Division Leader. Thank you.”
“Thanks for what. But what’s that?”
Yi Jang-do pointed at the sky. Hundreds of black dots were piercing the darkness, flying toward them.
“Birds?”
“They’re too small for birds…”
Swaaaa! Swaaaa!
“Ar-arrows!”
A squad member who had been staring at the sky shot to his feet with a yell.
“Gasp!”
Yi Jang-do paled in horror. He leaped up as well.
“D-dodge!”
The men lying down scrambled to their feet.
Thud! Thud thud thud! Thud thud thud! Thud thud thud!
In that instant, thousands of arrows rained down. They mercilessly pierced the bodies of the Third Division members.
“Aaack!”
“Uwaaack!”
“Kraaack!”
The brief joy of escape turned the Third Division’s camp into a hellish inferno.
Over half were slain in that single volley. And a second wave of arrows was already incoming.
“Run!”
Yi Jang-do shouted as he charged forward.
The survivors of the arrow barrage launched themselves forward. Some of those hit by arrows still clung to life, but there was no time to help them.
Swaaaak! Swaaaak!
Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!
“Kraaack!”
“Aaack!”
“Uwaaack!”
Dozens more fell to the arrows.
“Run!”
“Run with everything you’ve got!”
The Third Division men sprinted like madmen. Soon the forest ended, giving way to desert. Even as they entered the sands, they pressed on, eyes fixed ahead.
“Kill them!”
Black figures popped up in front of the fleeing men, swinging weapons at the Third Division.
“Aaack!”
“Uwaaack!”
Screams of agony erupted from all sides.
Clang! Clang clang!
A few blocked the enemies’ weapons. But they were no match. They might fend off one strike, only to crumple under the next.
“Gahk!”
“Keuk!”
It wasn’t that the enemies were strong.
The Third Division was simply too weak.
They had filled their bellies with water, but their stamina was rock bottom. Defending against attacks in that state was impossible.
“Those are…”
Yi Jang-do stared blankly at the foes.
The ones slaughtering the Third Division were warriors from the White Five Union and the Black Sand Alliance.
“Tak Tan-ya!”
Yi Jang-do roared.
A black-clad man flew toward Yi Jang-do’s position.
“Why are you attacking us?”
Yi Jang-do demanded, face flushed with rage.
“We’ve sided with him.”
“Him?”
“Black Wind, the Wind Division’s Commander.”
“You’ve become his underlings?”
“We’re allies… but whatever, underlings or not, it doesn’t matter.”
“You’ve got no pride, do you?”
“Compared to the grace he’s shown me, this is nothing.”
“You plan to kill us all?”
“If you don’t surrender, you die.”
Tak Tan-ya raised his hand. Archers stood and took aim at the Third Division.
“…”
“I’ll count to three. Drop your weapons by then! One…”
“We surrender.”
One squad member tossed his weapon aside.
The others followed suit, dropping theirs.
“Damn it.”
Yi Jang-do had no choice. He discarded his weapon and sank to the ground.
“Wise decision.”
Only then did Tak Tan-ya approach.
“Got any food?”
“Give us something to eat.”
Tak Tan-ya glanced back. A Black Sand Alliance warrior brought jerky and distributed it to the group. The Third Division devoured it ravenously.
“Anyone else make it out besides us?”
Once their bellies were somewhat full, Yi Jang-do asked.
“No. You’re the first group, Division Leader. And this is the only exit.”
“Then the others?”
“They chose the wrong side.”
“They’re all dead, then.”
Yi Jang-do turned toward the fog forest. Thick mist blanketed it.
“Pretty much.”
Tak Tan-ya settled in a spot with a view of the fog forest.
Clang! Clang clang! Clang clang clang!
“Aaack!”
“Uwaaack!”
“Kraack!”
Unlike the Third Division, which had ended its fight, the fog forest echoed nonstop with the clamor of slaughter.
Western Xia Alliance Leader Yi Yang couldn’t escape the carnage either. He pressed forward, eliminating those charging through the mist and darkness. Nearby, there were neither his subordinates nor his brother Hwe Ong or the assassins.
Swaak!
A viscous killing intent approached from the shadows.
Yi Yang lowered his stance and thrust his sword. Sword energy surged from the tip, burrowing into the killing intent.
“Gahk!”
A low cry sounded as the attacker revealed himself.
“Alliance… Leader…”
“…”
Yi Yang silently watched the man die. He was a Western Xia disciple. He had no idea how many he’d killed like this already. At first, he’d felt sorry, but now it barely registered.
“No choice.”
He moved on.
He took down many more after that. Some were allies, some Black Demon Poison Clan warriors. At some point, he broke into a run.
His body was drenched in blood, dripping with every step. Most was from those who attacked him, but plenty was his own.
He climbed trees several times to escape. But arrows always came flying from somewhere—the same ones that killed Yi Mu-gwang.
“I’m getting out. And I’ll have my revenge for sure. That bastard Black Wind…”
Yi Yang ground his teeth.
He had no clue how the situation was unfolding. He’d called for his brother Hwe Ong repeatedly, but got no reply.
“Hwe Ong…”
If he survived, Hwe Ong would go on the list of people to eliminate. Brother or not, he couldn’t forgive him anymore.
“I’ll kill you for sure. Definitely.”
He clenched his fist tight.
He had no idea what happened to his men, and screams still echoed from all around.
He halted his sprint.
Then he looked up at the sky. The fog hid everything. It felt like gazing at his own future.
“Thirty years of blood and sweat…”
He was too stunned for words.
Others might point fingers and call Western Xia a bandit gang, but it was a precious asset built over thirty years of effort. No one knew how hard he’d worked to turn it into a proper organization.
He’d never been content with mere banditry. That’s why he’d saved every coin earned. Last year, he’d even secretly bought a manor.
The estate in Hebei Province was vast enough for three thousand men. He’d kept it hidden from everyone. This job was supposed to be the last.
But all those plans had gone up in smoke.
“Black Wind…”
Yi Yang froze in place.
A thick killing intent emanated from ahead. It was stronger than anything he’d felt before. He slowly turned in place. He sensed the intent, but couldn’t pinpoint the source.
“I’ll count to three. If you don’t take your own life by then, this skewer will burrow into the child’s heart. It’s already half an inch in, right before the heart.”
A voice devoid of emotion rang out—dry as a dust-choked wasteland.
“What the… huh?”
Yi Yang’s eyes bulged.
“Spare the child.”
“The choice isn’t mine—it’s yours. My target is you. Once you’re dead, there’s no reason to harm the child.”
“…Can you swear it?”
“I swear.”
“I’ll… trust you.”
“You… who are…”
.