Chapter 79
Chapter 79
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 79
Chapter Title: You Need a Head to Offer on the Sacrificial Altar
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“Mess with our Black Lion Black Dragon Heaven, and you’ll end up just like them. All dead. Charge!”
A murderous shout burst from Wolla’s mouth.
Thud!
“Urk!”
Wolla’s movement came to an abrupt halt. Na Wolla looked down.
“Why…….”
Spurt!
Blood sprayed from his heart. Na Wolla stared blankly at the blood. The sword he had raised clattered to the ground.
“Which bastard…….”
Thump!
He collapsed atop Arak Siru.
“They’ve come.”
Cheol Mok muttered softly before slumping to the ground.
Thud! Thump! Thump-thump! Thump-thump-thump!
Dull sounds rang out in succession, and the men around Cheol Mok and Arak Siru dropped one after another.
“Arrows! Watch out!”
Black Dragon Squad’s vice leader Naul Mok shouted.
Thud! Thump! Thud! Thud!
But it was no use. The arrows piercing the darkness were invisible. The Black Dragon Squad members hunched down as low as they could, shields raised in front, but the arrows punched through both shields and bodies.
“Over there.”
One Black Dragon Squad member pointed north.
A lone figure stood atop a building roof, drawing back a bowstring.
“It’s the Great Bow Dragon Luha.”
Someone yelled.
“Kill her!”
Three men launched themselves toward the roof.
Thump-thump-thump!
Three sounds echoed, and the leaping men plummeted.
“Go all at once.”
Naul Mok bellowed.
“Waaah!”
“Uwaaaah!”
The Black Dragon Squad members roared as they spurred their camels forward.
Twang! Twang-twong! Twang-twong-twong! Twang-twong!
The Dark Current Arrows kept flying.
Thud! Thump-thump! Thump-thump! Thump-thump!
Dozens fell, but the Black Dragon Squad pressed on. At fifty paces out, Luha wheeled around and fled inward.
“Chase her!”
Naul Mok bellowed again.
―Eliminate that woman and find the Black Dragon.
Parap’s voice transmission rang out.
―That’s the plan.
Naul Mok dismounted his camel. Leaving his spear slung on it, he drew his sword and headed to where Arak Siru lay. Reaching her, he kicked aside a subordinate’s corpse.
Arak Siru slowly opened her eyes.
“Blame being born in Chacha Kingdom.”
Naul Mok raised his sword high.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”
A low voice came from ahead.
Naul Mok looked up. A bowman was walking their way. It was Ak Muyoo.
“Who are you?”
“The husband of the woman lying there.”
“Husband……you say?”
“Yeah. You picked the wrong side. If you’d left her to someone else, you might’ve lived longer…….”
Even as he spoke, Ak Muyoo kept walking. The distance between them shrank rapidly. Naul Mok eyed Ak Muyoo’s bow.
An empty bow.
‘Throw the sword and grab the spear…… No, just charge. It’s only three paces at most.’
He gripped his sword.
“The longer you hesitate, the slimmer your chance and the higher your tension. Heightened tension stiffens muscles, stiff muscles slow your moves. In the end, you…….”
The gap had already closed to one pace.
Even then, Ak Muyoo didn’t stop.
“Know you’ve lost your chance?”
“Me?”
“Ever think we’re too close now?”
“I had no choice but to close in. I’ve only got one Dark Current Arrow left.”
Ak Muyoo pointed to his waist. Sure enough, he had just one Dark Current Arrow remaining. Up to now, the one firing them at the enemy hadn’t been Luha—it had been him.
“I dodge that, and I’ve got the win.”
“True, but you…… won’t dodge. I’ll plant it right in your forehead.”
“Keuk!”
Naul Mok smirked. But while his face smiled, his eyes scanned Ak Muyoo’s body like a hawk eyeing prey—to seize the chance for a single sword thrust.
“You’ll never stab me.”
The distance between Ak Muyoo and Naul Mok had now shrunk to half a pace. They were well within striking range. One swing from either, and death.
Ak Muyoo had closed this distance to save Arak Siru. Trying to take Naul Mok out from afar risked failing and endangering her, leaving no choice.
“Because I’m faster.”
Ak Muyoo lifted his right foot.
Swoosh!
In that instant, Naul Mok thrust his sword. The speed was tremendous, perfectly timed with the foot lift.
A victorious smile curled his lips.
That was when Ak Muyoo collapsed as if crumbling.
As he tumbled toward the ground, Naul Mok’s sword grazed his ear. Blood sprayed from it.
Mid-fall, his right hand went to his waist, nocking the Dark Current Arrow. Before his shoulder hit, he drew and released.
Thud!
Blood and flesh exploded from the back of Naul Mok’s head. He died without a scream.
Boom!
Ak Muyoo bounced off the ground with his shoulder and rose.
“Won again.”
Ak Muyoo turned.
Cheol Mok was gasping for breath.
“Should’ve come sooner. Sorry.”
“I saw the Fear Demon and the Radiant Martial too. Maybe there’s no regrets. Sect Leader, save the Queen.”
“You know I’m no Sect Leader material.”
“No one else, but to me, you are.”
“That spear—Parap’s, right?”
“Yes.”
“I’ll return it personally.”
“Now save the Queen.”
“Got it.”
Just then, Hyunwoo Storm Clan Head Manju Jeokhwa approached with Geo Hwa.
Ak Muyoo scooped up Arak Siru.
“I’ll carry her.”
Manju Jeokhwa picked up Cheol Mok.
“Closest spot…… over there.”
Manju Jeokhwa pointed to a house amid the burning Heavenly Central High Citadel that hadn’t caught fire.
Ak Muyoo carried Arak Siru inside, Manju Jeokhwa carried Cheol Mok.
“Geo Hwa, heat some water. Jang Hwa, warm the room.”
“Can you treat them?”
“With luck, this old man will pull through.”
Manju Jeokhwa indicated Cheol Mok.
“Check the Queen too. I…… don’t know much.”
“Feed this to the old man first.”
Manju Jeokhwa pulled a small porcelain vial from her bosom. Opening it released a fragrant aroma.
“That’s……?”
Ak Muyoo’s eyes widened. It was the same elixir he’d used to save Yo Pung before.
“You know it?”
“Heard it’s a spirit medicine.”
“Spirit medicine that revives even the dead—it’ll work.”
Manju Jeokhwa pried open Cheol Mok’s mouth and poured it in. True to its name, the spear in his body slowly pushed out. Once fully ejected, she pressed pressure points to staunch the bleeding.
“Now it’s up to fate. If luck holds, he lives. Now the Queen.”
Manju Jeokhwa moved to Ak Muyoo’s side.
She gripped Arak Siru’s wrist and infused internal energy. It flowed into Arak Siru unimpeded.
‘Nothing.’
Manju Jeokhwa’s face stiffened.
Normally, foreign energy triggers internal energy defense from the dantian. But nothing stirred inside Arak Siru. She had no internal energy left, not even a spark of life force. Even a fingernail’s worth of either should remain, but she had none. Arak Siru was as good as dead.
Reviving her would take peerless spirit medicine. But they’d just used it on Cheol Mok.
“What’s wrong?”
Ak Muyoo asked.
“She’s as good as dead.”
“She’s still breathing.”
“Not for long.”
“No way to save her?”
“Peerless spirit medicine that revives the dead.”
“We already used the elixir…….”
“I know. Between the Queen and him, I had to pick him.”
“…….”
“He’s Geo Hwa’s father.”
“But why…….”
“You wouldn’t know.”
“I see.”
Ak Muyoo nodded. There was history between them, but now wasn’t the time.
“Even without elixir, could blood from someone who took an inner pellet work?”
“What…….”
“I took one recently. Not even two months ago.”
“So…….”
“If the inner pellet energy dissolved into my blood, maybe it’d act like medicine.”
“Give me your hand.”
Ak Muyoo extended his hand. Manju Jeokhwa infused energy and probed inside.
“Huh?”
She stared at him in surprise. She knew he had no dantian—nothing odd there. But his meridians were unusual.
More than mere energy passages, they held energy like tiny dantians.
“What is it?”
“No idea. I’ll recite a technique for you now.”
Manju Jeokhwa recited the incantation.
“It’s a technique for giving something away.”
“Reverse Energy Absorption Great Law—transfers what you have. Used mainly for passing internal energy.”
“Don’t you need a dantian first, and internal energy second?”
“I can make you a temporary one. Use it to push the inner pellet energy from your meridians.”
“Then let’s start.”
“But…… even pushing the inner pellet energy won’t revive her.”
“Then what?”
“Infuse it while treating simultaneously.”
“How to treat?”
“For husband and wife, yin-yang union is fastest and most effective.”
“I told you—I’m just a nominal husband.”
“No choice now. Only the husband can treat her.”
“……Promise one thing, and I’ll do it.”
After a moment’s thought, Ak Muyoo nodded.
“Keep it secret?”
“Yes.”
“Fine. Now the Reverse Energy Absorption Great Law incantation again…….”
“Already memorized.”
“…….”
“Told Ageukta’s group too—I’m a natural genius except for the dantian.”
“I, I see. Now the yin-yang technique. Yin-Yang Heaven Union Soul Fusion Great Law.”
Manju Jeokhwa recited the incantation.
Ak Muyoo memorized it instantly again.
“Now explain.”
“First, awaken her body.”
“How?”
“Chase and Strike Pressure Blood.”
Manju Jeokhwa then explained the Yin-Yang Heaven Union Soul Fusion Great Law in detail.
Finally, she infused energy into Ak Muyoo, creating a temporary dantian.
“So this is what having a dantian feels like.”
“How’s it feel?”
“Full, satisfied. Confident I could do anything.”
“……It’ll last one incense stick. Start.”
Manju Jeokhwa picked up Cheol Mok and went outside.
“Damn, what a twist.”
Ak Muyoo shook his head and undressed Arak Siru. Her nude form emerged, marred by dried blood from wounds everywhere.
“Better than pretty.”
Ak Muyoo immediately began Chase and Strike Pressure Blood. After about one incense stick drumming her points, he started full treatment.
Treatment ended in one incense stick—the temporary dantian’s limit. He couldn’t tell if it worked; she never woke. Nor if the meridian energy transferred.
He dressed himself first, then her, and went out.
Manju Jeokhwa and Geo Hwa sat together.
“Thanks for the help.”
“Heading up?”
“You need a head for the altar. No sign of the vice captain or leader, though. Them too?”
“Yes.”
“I see. I’ll go.”
Ak Muyoo bowed and left. First stop: the smithy. He grabbed three sets of Seventy-Two Punches. One with a Dark Current Arrow, two with fakes.
Leaving the smithy, he dashed toward the mountains.