Chapter 85
Chapter 85
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 85
Chapter Title: She Has a Reason to Bring Him Back Alive
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She had a reason to save him and return.
It hurt.
It was the first time in his life he'd felt pain like this.
Heat surged through his entire body, and a devastating emptiness washed over him like he was about to die. He spent days in a stupor of helplessness, staring only at the halberd and demon hook. He wanted to end it all with those two weapons.
He screamed inside his mind.
'That's enough now. You've done all you could. What more is there to do? No, even if you did, what would it change? It's over.'
But choosing to end his own life was harder than being killed by someone else.
The living had to keep living. Even if it was a cesspool, they had no choice but to cling to the memories of the dead. That was... the fate of survivors.
He'd fallen that ill after the kid died.
"I am the Heaven Lord of Great Desert Wolf Heaven. Who are you?"
The one who broke the tense standoff between the two sides was Adalta, the Heaven Lord of Great Desert Wolf Heaven.
"I am Sun Woo Chang Cheon, the Grand Commander of Boundless Heaven Squad from Boundless Heaven."
Twitch!
Adalta's eyes narrowed sharply.
Sun Woo Chang Cheon was speaking so casually even though Adalta had declared himself the Heaven Lord of Great Desert Wolf Heaven. It was infuriating, but he had no choice but to hold back.
He'd led the Great Desert Wolf Heaven warriors here partly because of Parap's message, but he also shared a personal friendship with Parap.
Parap's report had mentioned discovering a passage leading to a new area. That's why he'd rushed over with his men in tow. But by the time they arrived, Black Dragon Temple was already wiped out. Black Dragon Temple corpses littered the ground everywhere. If the Black Dragon Temple forces had been annihilated, it was proof their enemies were no pushovers.
"This is our Border Wastelands territory. What business do Central Plains folk have here?"
He asked as he inspected the corpses. He wanted to know if Parap had fallen too.
"It's not Border Wastelands territory. It's our ancestors' land."
Sun Woo Chang Cheon replied.
"Ancestors?"
"Boundless Heaven is the successor to Self-Protection Heaven. This is Self-Protection Heaven's homeland. Therefore, this isn't Border Wastelands—it's our land."
"Keh! Hahaha! Claiming ownership over a place abandoned thousands of years ago? Isn't that a bit too much?"
"It feels far more reasonable than the Great Desert folk claiming ownership."
"You merchant scum dare..."
A sticky killing intent poured from Adalta's body.
"Think you can take me one-on-one?"
Sun Woo Chang Cheon stepped forward.
"Keuk!"
Adalta smirked.
"Border Wastelands warriors have no pride, it seems."
"It's not a lack of pride—it's not being stupid. Why fight one-on-one when we hold the advantage?"
"No. You're filthy stupid."
A low voice came from the left.
Adalta and the Great Desert Wolf Heaven warriors turned their heads.
"Gasp!"
"Ugh!"
"H-Huh, Black Wind!"
To their left, a man in black robes approached, carrying a bow. He wore a flat-crested hat with his head uncovered and a sand-proof mask.
It was the Black Wind they'd seen countless times on the battlefield. In his right hand dangled a severed head.
"You..."
"The bastard with the halberd topped with Jeok Rang's head. For the past five years, I've scoured everywhere for you. I might not know your face under that flipped mask, but I damn well remember that halberd—the one that beheaded my friend as he knelt, pierced by a spear..."
Ak Muyoo placed Parap's head on a rock and raised the Celestial God Sun Bow, aiming at the Great Desert Wolf Heaven warriors.
"P-Parap!"
Someone who recognized the head shouted.
"Halt!"
A booming voice echoed from behind the Great Desert Wolf Heaven forces. Then, around a hundred men charged toward them.
Peak masters, by the look of it—they leaped over ten-some paces in a single bound. They arrived at the rear of the Great Desert Wolf Heaven lines in an instant.
Ak Muyoo eyed them.
A suffocating aura poured from the hundred men. It was none other than the demonic qi emanating from those who'd cultivated Absolute Demon Art.
"Hundred Mad Demons..."
We muttered lowly.
"I am Noe Baek, Chief of the Hundred Mad Demons from Latent Demon Heaven. How about we pause the fighting for now?"
A white-haired elder stepped forward, cupping his hands toward our group.
Ak Muyoo looked at the old man.
He had a rugged, imposing face.
Seeing him suddenly reminded him of Gun Cheok Jeon. Noe Baek eyed Ak Muyoo in return.
"Why should I?"
Ak Muyoo asked.
"......?"
Noe Baek's eyes widened. He'd clearly introduced himself as Noe Baek, Chief of Latent Demon Heaven's Hundred Mad Demons.
The Great Demon Noe Baek.
A name that could hush a crying child.
Wherever he went—inns, taverns, restaurants—he took the best seat. Not because he demanded it, but because people recognized him and tipped off the owner or the occupant to yield. Yet here he was, addressed casually after giving his name. By some green kid, no less.
"Do you know who this is?"
A triangular-faced man among them spoke, glaring at Ak Muyoo. He was Neungak, the Intelligent Demon, ranked twentieth among the Hundred Mad Demons.
"Do I have to?"
"You don't need to know the name. What you need to know is that now's not the time to fight."
This time, Noe Baek spoke.
"Whether it's time to fight is for me to decide, not you, old man. Go conspire with them or whatever suits you. I'll handle my business."
Flash!
Ak Muyoo charged toward the Great Desert Wolf Heaven warriors.
Thung! Thung-thung-thung! Thung-thung-thung! Thung!
His right hand moved like lightning, and ten dark current arrows sliced through the air.
"Gahk!"
"Kuhk!"
"Ugh!"
"Euk!"
Those near Adalta collapsed with muffled screams. Blood spurted from the backs of their heads before they hit the ground.
"Gasp!"
Adalta hurriedly assumed a defensive stance.
"Red wolf pup, don't worry. You're last on my list."
Ak Muyoo said coldly, drawing back the Celestial God Sun Bow's string.
"Gahk!"
"Kuhk!"
"Ugh!"
They were helpless. The Great Desert Wolf Heaven warriors couldn't dodge or block.
"Close in and kill him!"
Adalta shouted.
Roooar!
Jabjong raced after Ak Muyoo.
Thung! Thung-thung-thung! Thung-thung! Thung-thung!
Ak Muyoo kept drawing and releasing.
Each time, blood sprayed from the backs of Great Desert Wolf Heaven warriors' heads.
—What will you do?
Noe Baek asked Sun Woo Chang Cheon.
—Well...
Sun Woo Chang Cheon trailed off.
On the way here, he'd spoken with the Heaven Lord about various matters. One key point was to avoid clashing with Border Wastelands forces if possible.
It was out of concern that war might break out with the Border Wastelands martial world. The empire had just ended a decade-long war and was fostering peace; they wouldn't tolerate warriors pouring cold water on that.
The fight with Black Death Black Dragon Heaven was unavoidable—they'd attacked first.
But now, three of the Central Plains' Absolute Five Heavens were here: Boundless Heaven, Latent Demon Heaven, and Ten Thousand Heavens.
If all three attacked Great Desert Wolf Heaven, outsiders would assume the entire Central Plains martial world was invading the Border Wastelands. It could spark war. And if war broke out, the blame would fall squarely on them. The problem was it wouldn't end with just blame.
It would burden each Heaven's Heaven Lord, and they might even be summoned to the imperial court to face the emperor's interrogation.
—But who is that arrogant punk?
—I don't know the details. He showed up out of nowhere, jumped into the fight, and cut off Parap's head.
—That kid took down Parap?
—Yes.
—How...
Noe Baek stared at Ak Muyoo in disbelief.
Parap was the Heaven Lord of Black Death Black Dragon Heaven, a powerhouse even Noe Baek couldn't guarantee victory against. It was hard to accept that some thirty-something kid had done it.
Suddenly, Noe Baek's eyes bulged.
"My god...!"
His jaw dropped. It was Ak Muyoo's fighting style. Great Desert Wolf Heaven weapons struck Ak Muyoo's body without respite. A normal person would've been bisected, but as if wearing protective robes, Ak Muyoo was unscathed. He took the hits and, in that split second, fired his bow to fell foes.
"How can he fight like that..."
Noe Baek muttered, stunned.
Even with protective robes, warriors' weapons carried inner force. That force pierced clothing to strike skin or deeper, accumulating damage until the body broke.
"I've never seen anyone fight like that either. He did the same earlier."
"His style and archery are both insane."
Then, a woman leaped into the fray. It was Ara.
"Bu Jeong Ah!"
Geumjeong Sinni called out to her.
She turned to look at Geumjeong Sinni, then said,
"My life belongs over there, not here. Right next to that bastard. I have to save him and bring him back to the Central Plains."
"Why does it have to be you?"
"Because that's the reason I've survived this long."
Shing!
Ara drew her sword.
Reaching the rear of the Great Desert Wolf Heaven lines, she swung. Sword aura erupted from her blade, slicing through a Great Desert Wolf Heaven warrior's torso.
"One-Stroke Sumeru... No, that's not One-Stroke Sumeru Sword."
Geumjeong Sinni shook her head.
Ara's swordsmanship was clearly based on One-Stroke Sumeru Sword, but it was mixed with other arts. Far stronger than One-Stroke Sumeru Sword.
The Secret Heaven arts Ak Muyoo had dictated had melded into hers... Or perhaps her arts had melded into Illusion Demon Twelve Forms. Either way, her martial arts were evolving into something new. Ara just hadn't realized it yet. Her sword was swift and brutal. Ak Muyoo could only manage Illusion Island, but she unleashed Illusion Island, Island Thunder, Thunderbolt, and Lightning Flash—all of them.
Island Thunder wasn't literal lightning. It was named for leaving traces like a lightning strike.
"Gaaahk!"
"Kraaak!"
"Aaak!"
Great Desert Wolf Heaven warriors dropped in droves.
The killing intent flowing from Ara's body grew ever stronger.
Iron Blood General Gun Cheok Jeon, Plain Iron General So Dae Hwa, Supreme Harmony General Ak Gun-eok, Full Flower General Cho Yu. They all could have gone back alive.
Gun Cheok Jeon could've been a good father, Ak Gun-eok a dutiful son to his dad. So Dae Hwa could've proven himself right to his father, reconciling with the old man, and Cho Yu could've returned to his happy life. But only he had to go back to no one waiting. They might even curse him for surviving.
He, who had no need to live, survived—while those who absolutely had to return all died.
All of them.
"Kyaeeeeeee!"
Tears streamed from Ara's eyes.
Like Ak Muyoo, she let out a feral scream, swinging her weapon madly. Indiscriminate attacks that disregarded her own life.
Thud! Thud-thud-thud! Thud!
"Gahk!"
"Kuhk!"
"Ugh!"
Screams erupted right beside her.
From those hit by Ak Muyoo's arrows.
"Get a grip!"
Ak Muyoo yelled while drawing his string.
"You get a grip, you little shit. Think those protective robes will save you forever?"
Ara shot back.
"That's just how I survive. Can't be helped."
Ak Muyoo tossed the Celestial God Sun Bow aside and shook out both arms vigorously.
Clang! Clang!
The bow floated up and slid into the sheath on his back as Geopma emerged.
The moment he drew Geopma, he unleashed Mad Thousand Blood Steps. His gait twisted oddly, and Geopma danced wildly.
"Th-that's..."
Noe Baek, watching Ak Muyoo, felt his eyes nearly pop out.