Chapter 63
Chapter 63
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 63
Chapter Title: Seventy Deaths Belt
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“What’s that?”
“It’s a martial arts manual.”
“A martial arts manual?”
Cheol-mok showed interest.
“There’s no name for the technique. It just says it’s a technique performed with the Solar Heaven Sword, or one performed with the Divine Demon Solar Ring. And this robe is the Solar Cloak. Is this the Solar Heaven technique?”
Cheol-mok looked at Ak Muyoo.
Just then, Ak Muyoo happened to glance their way.
“Can you hear us over there too?”
Cheol-mok asked.
“I can hear everything once I’ve mastered the Beast Blood Demon Art and Six Claw Sense Command.”
“You’ve mastered those?”
“That’s not all. I’ve also mastered the Black Demon Diamond God, Silent Void, Flying Heaven Void Step, Myriad Phenomena Great Heaven Force, and Life-Death Bind.”
“You’ve learned quite a lot.”
“Even with all that, if I run into a master, I have to use Flying Heaven Void Step to escape.”
“That’s depressing.”
“I’m even more pathetic for not being able to give it up despite that. Go ahead and learn it.”
Ak Muyoo said.
“…….”
Cheol-mok was speechless.
These were absolute divine techniques that no other warrior would ever show anyone. No, it wasn’t just about not showing them—they’d commit murder and wipe out entire families if someone tried to peek. Yet Ak Muyoo was handing them over without any conditions.
It wasn’t just gratitude he felt; it was overwhelming.
“It’s not something I give to just anyone. I’ve bounced around all sorts of jobs since I was eight, so I’ve got a good eye for people. I only give it to those who deserve it. Looks like there’s no one left I’d show it to, so go ahead and erase them. And I have one request…….”
“Speak it.”
“Could you change the shape of these?”
Ak Muyoo drew the Fear Demon blades and asked.
“You want to alter them?”
“I’m wearing the Mad Demon Armor too. These things are bound to cause trouble. It wouldn’t matter if I had the strength to protect them, but I don’t.”
“How do you want them changed?”
“Make them more like spits.”
“Spits?”
“The meat grilled on them is out of this world.”
“Ah, got it.”
Cheol-mok’s throat suddenly tightened.
“Keep the weight the same. If the weight changes, it’ll mess up my Blood Steps.”
“Of course. I’ll make them the coolest spits in the world.”
“And swap it for the Solar Heaven Sword manual.”
“Is this the Solar Heaven Sword manual?”
“There was no name for the swordsmanship. I just called it the Solar Heaven Sword technique since it’s performed with the Solar Heaven Sword.”
“I see.”
“Here.”
Whoosh!
The two Fear Demon blades flew straight at Cheol-mok simultaneously. He caught them.
“Ugh!”
He let out an inward groan and staggered back a step. Each blade carried tremendous weight.
He looked at Ak Muyoo, but Ak Muyoo had already turned to face Arak Haru.
“Where were we?”
“We were about to practice the final form of the Beast Meat Feast style, Present World.”
“Alright! The basic stance for Present World is like this.”
“It looks like a stance for throwing a sword?”
“Present World is a flying sword technique. Honestly, the stance doesn’t matter for flying sword arts. I’m just doing it to look cool.”
“Then what does it depend on?”
“Internal energy.”
“Internal energy?”
“Yeah.”
“How do you do it with internal energy?”
“Zabjong!”
Ak Muyoo called the puppy. Hearing his name, Zabjong came running up.
“Fetch!”
Ak Muyoo tossed a wooden stick.
Paat!
In an instant, Zabjong shot forward at incredible speed.
It was hard to believe he was just a puppy—his movements were almost feral. He snatched the stick before it hit the ground and raced back to Ak Muyoo.
“Make your internal energy like Zabjong, and you can perform flying sword techniques.”
“Is that…… possible?”
“You said you have no friends, right?”
“Yeah.”
“How do you make friends?”
“You have to meet often. Chat about nothing important. Laugh and giggle like that uncle said.”
“And you hate all that stuff?”
“Yeah.”
“You have to meet it a thousand times more often than you would a friend. Meet it endlessly, and eventually, your internal energy will speak to you. That’s when you make it your friend.”
“…….”
“That’s as far as I can teach you. The next stage after flying sword arts is Heart Sword, but that’s something you discover on your own, not learn from someone.”
Ak Muyoo returned the sword and headed to the forge.
“Thank you.”
Arak Siru bowed her head toward Ak Muyoo.
“I just gave you something I didn’t need. No need for thanks.”
“It’s still not an easy decision.”
“Mileun would say it was the right call too.”
Ak Muyoo grinned and looked at Cheol-mok.
“Yes. Try it on.”
Cheol-mok lifted the Solar Cloak.
“The Dark Current Arrow quiver crosses the chest?”
“I made rings above and below the frame. Flip them open, and it detaches.”
“Let’s give it a try.”
Ak Muyoo undid the rings, slipped on the Solar Cloak, and refastened them.
Cheol-mok attached the Dark Current Arrow quiver.
“Did you name it?”
“I called it the Seventy Deaths Belt.”
“Meaning it holds seventy deaths?”
“Yes.”
“How many Dark Current Arrows will there be in total?”
“At least three hundred.”
“Then we’ll need a few more Seventy Deaths Belts?”
“I plan to make ten in total.”
“You said only three hundred Dark Current Arrows?”
“Use the real ones only in critical moments. Fakes for everyday.”
“Is that the Heavenly God Solar Bow?”
Arak Siru asked.
“Yeah.”
Ak Muyoo picked up the Heavenly God Solar Bow.
“I’ll need to make a spot for the Heavenly God Solar Bow too.”
Cheol-mok said.
“Attach it where it won’t interfere with the Fear Demons.”
“Got it.”
Ak Muyoo left the forge.
“Practice, huh…….”
Outside the forge stood five large trees, fifty paces away.
“Is it hard to shoot that thing?”
“It’s not a regular bow—it’s a composite bow, so yeah, very difficult.”
Whoosh!
Clack!
He drew a Dark Current Arrow and nocked it, but didn’t shoot. He slotted it back.
Whoosh!
Then drew it again.
Clack!
Each time he drew a Dark Current Arrow, the Seventy Deaths Belt shifted up one notch.
Whoosh! Clack!
Whoosh! Clack!
Ak Muyoo kept practicing drawing and holstering. He’d pause to think, draw again, practice a few times, then zone out.
“Does this thing rotate backward too?”
He turned to Cheol-mok and asked.
“It rotates either way.”
“This motion seems better.”
Ak Muyoo swung his arm from front to back in a big arc, drawing and nocking the Dark Current Arrow.
“That’s one smooth motion now.”
Arak Siru was impressed. Before, he’d swung from back to front, requiring two motions: draw, then nock. Now, the arrow and string were both incorporated into the arm’s path—one motion to draw and shoot.
After that, Ak Muyoo continued drawing and holstering relentlessly.
“Show us already!”
Arak Haru finally yelled, unable to wait.
“I’m curious too.”
Arak Siru nodded without thinking.
Whether they waited or not, Ak Muyoo’s practice continued. An hour passed, but he showed no sign of stopping.
“Whew!”
Just as everyone was about to give up, Ak Muyoo exhaled. Even the Heavenly God Solar Bow, held straight until now, was lowered.
‘He’s shooting.’
Arak Siru’s eyes widened.
That’s when a strange energy flowed from Ak Muyoo’s body. An inexplicable aura emanated from his entire form, enveloping him like a Buddha’s halo.
Whoosh! Twang! Clack!
Whoosh! Twang! Clack!
Whoosh! Twang! Clack!
Insane rapid fire. His draw-nock-release was too fast to follow with the naked eye.
Thud thud thud thud thud!
The sounds of Dark Current Arrows burying into the trees came in a continuous barrage. Ak Muyoo moved.
He wasn’t shooting from a standstill—he charged toward the trees.
“Mad Thousand Blood Steps!”
Cheol-mok muttered like a groan.
Incredibly, Ak Muyoo was firing his bow while executing Mad Thousand Blood Steps. He loosed arrows while seeming about to crash into the ground, twisting his body into impossible angles to shoot. As he closed in on the trees, his hands sped up even more.
“Why shoot the bow like that?”
Arak Siru asked.
“He seems to be assuming close-quarters combat.”
“Close combat with a bow?”
“That’s what it looks like.”
Thud thud thud thud! Thud thud thud!
Over ten Dark Current Arrows sank into the trees, and Ak Muyoo’s shooting stopped. His Seventy Deaths Belt was empty.
“With that level, he wouldn’t even need internal energy.”
Ak Muyoo and Arak Haru went behind the trees to retrieve the arrows. Soon, they returned to the forge with all seventy.
“How was it?”
Cheol-mok asked.
“Perfect. A bit more practice, and I can shoot even faster.”
“Even faster?”
Arak Siru asked.
“Yeah.”
Ak Muyoo took off the robe too, to make space for mounting the Heavenly God Solar Bow.
“I’ll have everything done by tomorrow.”
Cheol-mok said.
“Thanks. Make it so no one notices unless they look closely.”
“Understood.”
“I’ll head out now.”
Ak Muyoo bid farewell to Arak Siru and left.
Zabjong trotted after him.
Arak Siru and Cheol-mok watched Ak Muyoo’s retreating figure.
“Come for dinner the day after tomorrow!”
Arak Siru shouted at him.
Ak Muyoo, walking away, turned, looked at Arak Siru, and bowed his head.
“No!”
This time Arak Haru yelled.
Ak Muyoo looked at her quizzically.
“What the uncle taught isn’t killing techniques.”
“Then what is it?”
“Self-defense to protect my body!”
“……I’m going.”
Ak Muyoo turned and strolled off leisurely.
“Haru, let’s go too. See ya!”
“Old man, bye.”
Haru said goodbye and left the forge.
“Back to work.”
Cheol-mok, who’d been watching Ak Muyoo leave, picked up his hammer. Soon, the forge rang with hammering.
Meanwhile.
Ak Muyoo, leaving the forge, headed for the Heavenly Mid-High Citadel Market. The boundary between Heavenly Mid-High Citadel Market and World Subduing Heaven Rak Clan was the Guja River, which split the Chacha Kingdom down the middle north-south. Twisting tributaries of the Guja River flowed through each clan’s territory, providing water.
Dozens of bridges spanned the river and tributaries.
The bridge Ak Muyoo usually took from the forge was Heavenly Fortune Bridge.
He took a slight detour to use it purely because of the name ‘Heavenly Fortune.’
“May heavenly fortune come to me too.”
He clasped his hands toward the stone marker reading Heavenly Fortune Bridge.
“Let’s go, Zabjong.”
He set off immediately. Heavenly Fortune Bridge was fifteen zhang long (45 meters), arched upward in the center. It was one-and-a-half zhang wide, enough for two carriages to pass comfortably.
“Not a bad spot, huh?”
Ak Muyoo looked down at Zabjong walking beside him.
Woof!
“‘Don’t talk nonsense’?”
Woof!
“Bullshit, kid. Caterpillars don’t have to eat only pine needles forever. Sometimes they crave oak leaves. You gotta eat anything to stay healthy. That woman seems fine too.”
Truth be told, he didn’t have real feelings for Ruha yet. She was just a really good woman, with a vague thought of ‘I could be with someone like her.’ Plus, to Ak Muyoo’s eyes, Ruha hadn’t yet overcome her grief over losing her husband.
Bathing together, doing laundry, washing his hair—it all seemed like desperate efforts to forget her husband and protect her family.
He’d seen her crying alone a few times.
Having never truly lost someone precious, he didn’t know the feeling or how to help. All he could do was watch.
“She’ll get through it someday. The living always find a way. Right…… huh?”
Halfway across, he spotted a carriage. It was quite ornate. Over two hundred guards in fine armor escorted it.
‘That’s gotta be the head of the Yunjung Go-dok Present Lament Clan…… Meeting’s tomorrow, but they’re going early. Means they’ve got me targeted.’
“Clear the path!”
Someone ahead of the carriage bellowed.
“Zabjong. Should we move, or not?”
Woof!
“Alright, let’s move.”
Ak Muyoo stepped to the bridge’s edge.
The carriage approached slowly.
“Stop.”
Suddenly, it halted right in front of Ak Muyoo.
Snap!
The carriage window opened.
Four people rode inside: Yunjung Go-dok Present Lament Clan head Present Cheol-ryeong and his three sons.
“Never seen your face. Who are you?”
Present Cheol-ryeong asked.
“Pfft!”
Ak Muyoo snickered.
“How insolent, you rat! Who do you think you’re mocking?”
A horseman beside the carriage roared. This was Present Jak-jung, captain of the Heavenly Squad of Yunjung Go-dok Present Lament Clan. He was a relative of clan head Present Cheol-ryeong.
“You guys…… really set out to pick a fight, huh?”