Chapter 68
Chapter 68
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 68
Chapter Title: The End of the Rebellion
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“Kill them!”
The moment they burst in, they swung their weapons indiscriminately.
“Aaack!”
“Uwaaack!”
“Kraaack!”
Dozens fell, spilling blood, accompanied by agonized screams. Those inside then surged toward where Arak Siru and Ak Muyoo stood.
“Stop!”
Arak Siru bellowed.
The formation split into two. Inside stood Arak Siru and the high officials, while the soldiers gathered by the door. The soldiers parted left and right, and Hyeokse Ul-myeong stepped forward.
“Are you staging a rebellion?”
Arak Siru demanded.
“We are not staging a rebellion.”
Hyeokse Ul-myeong replied.
“Then what do you call pointing swords at the king?”
“We could not entrust this nation to the incompetent. We rose up righteously.”
“You’re not alone in this?”
“No. I am here as well.”
Mujak Cheolli and Hyeonul Cheolryeong stepped up beside Hyeokse Ul-myeong.
“You’ve made up your minds, then.”
“Step down, and we will spare your lives.”
“Still, one clan is missing.”
Ak Muyoo murmured softly. Though quiet, all three heard him.
“Hyeonwu Pokpung Manju, the clan head, will arrive soon.”
Hyeokse Ul-myeong said coldly.
“Brats. If you crave the throne, just say so. Spare us the nonsense about the nation.”
Ak Muyoo reached back and drew the Heavenly God Sun Bow.
“Kill that one!”
Hyeokse Ul-myeong pointed at Ak Muyoo.
In truth, Hyeokse Ul-myeong knew next to nothing about Ak Muyoo. What worried him was not Ak Muyoo, but Mok Busung and Seo Haran standing beside him. He believed the annihilation of five hundred Wind Sand Clan warriors was their doing, with Ak Muyoo contributing little.
The only one who had seen Ak Muyoo fight was Hyeonul Cheolryeong, but he had not mentioned his guard unit falling to Ak Muyoo.
Over a dozen men charged at Ak Muyoo on command.
That was when Ak Muyoo’s hand moved.
Twang! Twang twang! Twang twang twang!
In an instant, ten Dark Current Arrows sliced through the air.
Thud! Thud thud! Thud thud thud!
“Gahk!”
“Keuk!”
“Euk!”
The ten halted mid-air, then plummeted below.
“Gasp!”
A groan escaped Hyeokse Ul-myeong’s lips.
Shock was plain on his face as he stared at his fallen subordinates. What stunned him was that he had not even seen the Dark Current Arrows Ak Muyoo fired. It meant he could not dodge if targeted.
“A-all at once!”
The rattled Hyeokse Ul-myeong shouted.
“Chaha!”
“Taha!”
“Haa!”
Twang! Twang twang twang! Twang twang twang!
Ak Muyoo’s hand moved at terrifying speed.
He was not the only one nocking arrows. Luha also drew her Great Heaven Demon Bow and aimed at the enemy. She was a master archer who had joined the Yellow Heaven Ten Dragons with her bow skills.
As the two released, New Wind Thousand Li Revolution Clan warriors toppled in droves.
As the distance closed, Ak Muyoo dodged weapons while firing Dark Current Arrows.
“Chaha!”
With a shout, Ageukta, Mok Woo, and the others leaped into the fray. With the experts joining, the New Wind Thousand Li Revolution Clan warriors were pushed back.
Ak Muyoo stowed the Heavenly God Sun Bow, shook out his arms, and drew Geom Ma. As he charged the enemy lines, his senses sharpened, and his skin darkened.
“Kraaaang!”
With a roar, Geom Ma cleaved the air.
Slash!
Slaash!
One man’s throat was severed, another’s torso split.
Splat!
The severed torso hit the floor, blood spraying everywhere. Ak Muyoo dashed through the gushing blood, swinging Geom Ma left and right. Blocking was futile. Geom Ma, moving at horrifying speed, overpowered even weapons infused with qi.
Moreover, most New Wind Thousand Li Revolution Clan weapons were spears. Spear shafts were wood, making them useless against Geom Ma from the start. Throats or torsos were sliced along with the spears.
Screams chained endlessly, severed torsos and heads scattering everywhere.
“Why haven’t they come yet?”
Hyeokse Ul-myeong, who had come outside, yelled.
He awaited the soldiers camped across the river.
“I’m waiting too!”
Hyeonul Cheolryeong answered.
“Jin Ha, go check.”
Hyeokse Ul-myeong shouted to his third son.
“Yes.”
Hyeokse Jin Ha leaped out. Piercing the darkness, he climbed the ramparts.
“There ahead... Gahk!”
Pointing outside, Hyeokse Jin Ha clutched his chest and fell.
“J-Jin Ha!”
Hyeokse Ul-myeong dashed toward the ramparts.
“Father! It’s dangerous!”
His second son, Hyeokse Jaik, shouted and followed.
Thud!
“Gahk!”
Hyeokse Jaik screamed and froze in place.
“F-Father...”
Hyeokse Jaik collapsed.
Thud!
This time, struck by a Dark Current Arrow, it was Hyeokse Ul-myeong’s eldest, Hyeokse Jeon Su.
“Gahk!”
Hyeokse Jeon Su clutched his chest and dropped to his knees.
“This is...”
Hyeokse Ul-myeong stared blankly at his two fallen sons. It felt like a dream, not reality. Otherwise, his three sons could not all die in such a short span.
“This one I saved for you.”
A low voice came from twenty paces away.
Hyeokse Ul-myeong turned. Luha aimed her bow.
“You bitch to kill.”
Viscous killing intent poured from Hyeokse Ul-myeong.
“An eye for tenfold. That’s my way.”
Twang!
Luha released.
“Taha!”
The twang sounded, and Hyeokse Ul-myeong kicked off the ground. His form soared into the air.
“You dodged, wench.”
“No, brat.”
An unexpected voice drew Hyeokse Ul-myeong’s gaze downward. Over ten paces away, Ak Muyoo nocked his bow.
Hyeokse Ul-myeong paled.
“I’d normally take your head, but this will do.”
Ak Muyoo drew the string mercilessly and released.
Thwang!
Thud!
Hyeokse Ul-myeong looked down blankly. Blood gushed from his heart.
“Damn...”
His form plummeted.
Thud!
—Hyeokse clan head is down.
Hyeonul Cheolryeong sent a transmission to Mujak Cheolli.
But Mujak Cheolli had no time to reply. Because of the man before him. A one-armed warrior stood there: Ageukta.
“I hate traitors most. Especially those who betray for their own ambitions—I don’t consider them human.”
Ageukta’s right hand gripped a blade dripping blood. He wielded the Sovereign Iron Wolf Dance from the Heaven Earth Sun Command tablet.
“You’re no ordinary man. Who are you?”
Mujak Cheolli gripped his blade and demanded. His was a Central Plains blade. Unlike the narrow, sword-like Border Wastes blades, Central Plains blades were broad and curved. Mujak Cheolli had taken up the Central Plains style young, thanks to a fortuitous encounter in the Martial God Tower.
After a decade wandering there, he obtained the Flying Heaven Blade Art manual. It surpassed any technique he knew.
He held his blade before his chest.
“You don’t deserve my name.”
Whoosh!
Ageukta lunged.
“Gasp! This technique...”
Mujak Cheolli’s eyes widened.
Thousands of wolves charged him.
“S-Sovereign Iron Wolf Dance...?”
Slaaash!
The thousands of wolves bared fangs and tore into Mujak Cheolli’s head.
“Kraaack!”
With a wretched scream, Mujak Cheolli’s head flew into the air. Huanglong Great Heaven Mujak Clan head Mujak Cheolli could not even withstand one exchange with Ageukta. In truth, Ageukta ranked sixth among the Desert Ten Heroes, but that was in the past. Betrayed by his brother, nursing grudges, and recently empowered by the Heaven Earth Sun Command techniques from Ak Muyoo, he was far stronger now. Mujak Cheolli stood no chance.
Having felled Mujak Cheolli, Ageukta swept through the enemy ranks like a storm.
Screams and blood flew, chunks of flesh scattering. The tide turned sharply toward the queen’s side. The rebels, who had charged boldly, began to falter, shadows of despair darkening their faces.
“Why...?”
Hyeonul Cheolryeong scanned about.
Reinforcements should have arrived by now. Yet none had entered.
Thud!
“Gahk!”
Hyeonul Cheolryeong dropped to one knee. An object had pierced his knee from somewhere.
“Father!”
His second son Hyeonul Jugrang and third Hyeonul Samrang supported him.
Thud! Thud!
“Gahk!”
“Keuuk!”
Hyeonul Jugrang and Hyeonul Samrang’s upper bodies jerked back, blood spurting from their foreheads.
Dark Current Arrows had pierced their brows.
“Jugrang! Samrang!”
Hyeonul Cheolryeong reached for the falling pair. But his hand grasped only air. Hyeonul Jugrang and Hyeonul Samrang crashed down hard.
Thud!
Hyeonul Cheolryeong knelt again.
“You shouldn’t have indulged in pointless greed.”
A low voice came from behind.
Hyeonul Cheolryeong turned. Ak Muyoo approached, bowstring drawn.
“You worm!”
Hyeonul Cheolryeong erupted toward Ak Muyoo.
Thwang!
Thud!
Before covering half a pace, blood burst from the back of his head.
“Gahk!”
Hyeonul Cheolryeong’s mouth gaped. Glaring at Ak Muyoo, he dropped straight down. Ak Muyoo stowed the Heavenly God Sun Bow.
The fight neared its end; he had little left to do.
An incense stick later, the battle concluded. Three hundred fifty warriors from the three clans, the three heads, and their sons—all slain.
“Arak Cheonjang!”
Ak Muyoo called the guard captain.
“Yes! Father King.”
“Follow me!”
“Yes.”
Ak Muyoo first went to Hyeonul Cheolryeong’s corpse.
“Give me your blade.”
He extended a hand to Arak Cheonjang.
“Here.”
Arak Cheonjang offered his blade.
Ak Muyoo took it and slashed at Hyeonul Cheolryeong’s neck. He picked up the head and collected the other clan heads’ as well.
“Bring ten torches and follow.”
“Yes.”
Moments later, Ak Muyoo and ten torch-bearing guards stood atop the ramparts. Across the drawbridge before the walls, over three thousand two hundred soldiers from the three clans awaited the bridge’s descent.
“Raise the torches and illuminate these.”
The torchbearers approached Ak Muyoo and lit the heads. Unease stirred in the soldiers’ ranks.
“The rebellion has failed!”
Ak Muyoo roared.
“Those who joined against their will—prove your innocence!”
Ak Muyoo handed one head to Ageukta.
Ageukta took it and looked at Ak Muyoo.
“Toss it.”
“Yes.”
Ageukta hurled the head mercilessly. Thus, the three clan heads’ heads fell amid the soldiers.
“Disperse!”
Ak Muyoo roared again.