Chapter 93
Chapter 93
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 93
Chapter Title: Alive but Dead
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Boom! Crash! Crash!
Lightning crashed down right beside them. But the camel kept charging forward as if nothing had happened. It was well-trained, but it had no spare energy to worry about the chaos in the sky.
The group raced ahead, eyes fixed straight forward.
"Are you okay?"
Ara shouted at Ak Muyoo.
"Not okay."
"Looks like you are, since you can talk."
Ara breathed a sigh of relief. He could still hold on, at least.
"Lightning's striking everywhere—aren't you scared?"
Ak Muyoo glanced back as he asked. Countless bolts were raining down. The ground where they struck turned a vivid blue, as if splashed with glowing paint, before returning to its original color.
The sight was both terrifying and beautiful.
"Why would I be scared? I've got nothing to feel guilty about."
"You know how many people we've killed?"
"...True."
"Don't look at the sky. Just keep running, no matter what."
"Got it."
Boom!
"Argh!"
A desperate scream echoed from behind.
Without thinking, she turned to look.
"My God."
Ara's jaw dropped. The scene of a thousand riders charging through the blanket of falling lightning toward them sent chills racing across her skin.
The enemy was just thirty zhang away.
And the distance was closing.
"Hah!"
"Tah!"
The group whipped their camels' reins again. The camels charged full speed through the lightning storm. That's when Ak Muyoo, who had been slung over the camel like wet laundry, suddenly sprang up.
"What are you doing?"
"With both of us on here, the camel can't run properly."
"You think you can ride like that?"
"It's fine. Zabjong!"
Ak Muyoo called out to Zabjong, who was riding alongside on his own camel.
Roar!
Zabjong let out a bellow.
"Pull up beside me."
"Got it."
Ara maneuvered her camel next to Ak Muyoo's. He leaped over and landed on hers, then immediately turned to face the enemy.
"Zabjong, keep it steady!"
Woof!
Ak Muyoo drew his Heavenly God Sun Bow.
He flipped open the lid of the box hanging from the saddle. Inside were five hundred Dark Current Arrows made from ironwood. All fakes. The real ones were packed separately with the Seventy-Four Seats.
"Let's begin."
From that moment, he started drawing the bowstring toward the enemy.
Twang! Twang! Twang! Twang! Twang! Twang! Twang! Twang! Twang!
Slower than firing the Dark Current Arrows lodged in the Seventy-Four Seats, but not a single shot missed. With so many enemies, it was impossible to miss anyway.
"That guy's shooting arrows again!"
Someone up front shouted.
"There are only seven of them. Chase them down!"
Tarl paid it no mind. She spat out a murderous yell and kept riding.
Twang! Twang! Twang! Twang! Twang! Twang! Twang! Twang!
Boom! Boom! Crash! Crash!
Amid the crashing blue lightning, Ak Muyoo relentlessly drew his bow.
Whoosh!
Now a downpour joined the storm.
Ak Muyoo glanced at the box. It was emptying fast. He regretted not making a thousand instead of five hundred. Still, as the box lightened, the camel picked up speed. But the enemy stayed at thirty zhang.
"How long are we running?"
Mok Woo asked as he pulled up beside him.
"Until this is empty."
Ak Muyoo yelled, pointing at the box.
"So we're fleeing for now?"
"Yeah."
Even as he spoke, Ak Muyoo kept drawing the bow. Rain poured, lightning and thunder crashing without end. Through it all, the group ran and ran.
Clack!
"Ungh!"
Ak Muyoo's face twisted.
The box was empty before he knew it. Five hundred shots gone.
"The enemy must be down five hundred too, so now..."
Ak Muyoo grabbed his spear.
"Cliff ahead!"
Gwangja shouted from up front.
"Go where there's no cliff!"
Ak Muyoo called out, staring at the enemy lines. Their numbers had visibly thinned.
"Left and right are both cliffs, you bastard!"
Gwangja bellowed.
"Then jump!"
"Are you insane?"
By then, even Ak Muyoo at the rear had reached the cliff edge.
The enemy was still thirty zhang back.
"Zabjong, go!"
Ak Muyoo shouted.
Roooar!
Zabjong howled. The camel didn't stop—it kept charging.
Flash!
A streak of blue light plunged from the sky. The seeking lightning spotted the spear in Ak Muyoo's hand and veered toward it.
Crack!
"Cough!"
A scream burst from Ak Muyoo's mouth.
"Muyoo!"
Ara yelled, urging her camel over the cliff. The five Heavenly Center Five Absolutes followed suit, leaping into the abyss. Moments later, Tarl and her subordinates reached the edge. Unlike Ak Muyoo's group, they couldn't jump.
The cliff was sheer, the bottom lost in shadow. Even in the desert, no one had the guts for a drop that deep.
"Find a way down!"
Tarl roared.
* * *
If there was one place in the Central Plains at peace right now, it was Beiping. The war with the Border Wastelands had ended a decade ago. Supreme Commander Chu Jangcheol had returned with his four generals amid victory drums, greeted by throngs of cheering crowds.
The Emperor sent a welcome party with a military band all the way to the city's outskirts to honor the heroes.
For his victory, Chu Jangcheol was granted the title of Imperial Guard General, a position one rank below the Emperor himself.
With Chu Jangcheol as Imperial Guard General, crowds flocked to him. His clan home, House of General Thousand Autumns, buzzed with visitors day and night.
Not long after returning to Beiping, he had become one of the top power brokers.
"Your Highness, the War General and his group have arrived."
A servant's voice came from outside.
"Bring them in."
"Yes."
Moments later, four men entered.
Dressed in casual robes, they were War General Hwang Bo-seung, Seven Banners General Paeng Suk, Flame Flower General Ok Cheo-gi, and Thousand Defeats General Dok Gunpae.
"No troubles in your absence?"
The group bowed with clasped fists in greeting.
"Come in, have a seat."
Chu Jangcheol smiled broadly and gestured to the chairs. Then he called out.
"Bring tea."
"Yes."
Soon, teacups were set before everyone.
"Find anything out?"
Chu Jangcheol asked Hwang Bo-seung.
Not long ago, he had tasked the four with gauging the current Beiping situation. Today was for their report.
"There are three factions in Beiping. The first is the Second Empress's faction. It includes Minister of War Cheok Jun-hyeong and Yellow Dragon Heaven, one of the Absolute Five Heavens of the martial world."
"I heard Yellow Dragon Heaven has two internal factions. Learn about that?"
"It's not two factions within—when Nine Dragons Heaven became Yellow Dragon Heaven, it split into Yellow Dragon Heaven and Dragon Forest."
"Dragon Forest still exists?"
"Not certain, but it seems so. However..."
"Go on."
"They say Dragon Forest's leader was Gun Cheokjeon."
"Then North Forest Great Heaven Clan is Dragon Forest?"
"Not confirmed."
"Hm. What's the second faction?"
Chu Jangcheol asked after a pause.
"Eastern Depot."
"Isn't the Eastern Depot just opportunists who switch sides with power?"
"True, but the Chief of the Eastern Depot holds immense authority."
"Then the third is the Three Dukes?"
The Three Dukes were the imperial court's highest officials.
"Yes."
Hwang Bo-seung nodded.
"The strongest is the Empress faction."
"With Yellow Dragon Heaven under them, yes."
"So which way do we go?"
"We need the Three Dukes first. The Embroidered Uniform Guard will follow."
"We should meet the Three Dukes soon."
"Agreed."
"Handle that, General."
"Understood."
"And the martial world?"
Chu Jangcheol turned to Flame Flower General Ok Cheo-gi, a Spear Sect man tasked with martial intelligence.
"They're buzzing over the discovery of an old Absolute Six Heavens ruin."
"Most of their strongest arts came to the Central Plains to form the Absolute Six Heavens anyway. Do we need to care?"
"True, but Black Wind has appeared there."
"Black Wind?"
Chu Jangcheol's eyes widened.
"Yes."
Ok Cheo-gi nodded.
"He's not dead?"
"Apparently. But..."
"But what?"
"Ara, who went to the war in place of Heavenly Escort General Adal, is with him."
When Chu Jangcheol's group returned to Beiping, Adal was the first to visit. He confessed his half-sister had fought in his stead; Chu Jangcheol forgave him on condition of subordination.
"And Gun Cheokjeon's group?"
"No sign of them."
"Dead, then."
"Seems so."
"Then just eliminate those two."
"For now, yes."
"Summon Adal."
"Understood."
Ok Cheo-gi bowed.
That evening, Heavenly Escort General Adal rushed into House of General Thousand Autumns.
"You called for me?"
Adal knelt before Chu Jangcheol.
Adal's deference stemmed from the fact that one word from Chu Jangcheol decided his fate.
Chu Jangcheol had already reported Gun Cheokjeon and the five generals dead, including Adal as a casualty. Being listed as dead posed no survival issue, but his biggest problem was inheriting Heavenly Escort Merchant House's wealth. He needed to come back to life, and Chu Jangcheol held the key.
Only if Chu reported to the Emperor that the "dead" Heavenly Escort General Adal had returned alive could he live as Adal again.
"Any word on your sister?"
Unlike with the other four generals, Chu spoke down to Adal.
"My sister?"
"Ara, who went to war in your place."
"She's already dead, isn't she?"
"She's not."
"What?"
Adal's eyes bulged.
"Ara's returning to the Central Plains with Black Wind."
"Th-that..."
"I don't know how she survived. But remember: if she returns, she'll be Heavenly Escort Merchant House's sole heir."
"Wh-where is she now?"
Stunned, Adal stammered.
"They found her in Chacha Kingdom."
"C-can I go?"
"Do it."
"Use this... where needed."
Adal pushed forward a silk-wrapped bundle.
"What's this?"
"One million taels."
"...I'll put it to good use."
"Farewell, then."
Adal bowed and left.
Knock knock!
After Adal departed, a knock sounded.
"Come in."
The door opened, revealing a tall, handsome man in his early thirties. He was Zhuge Hyukjung of the Zhuge family, chief steward of House of General Thousand Autumns. His moniker: Evil Demon Brain.
"What to do with that Adal fool?"
Chu Jangcheol asked as Zhuge Hyukjung sat.
"Better focus on the living than the dead."
"So Adal's already dead?"
"Officially, yes."
"Then..."
"We'll handle Adal's sister. We focus on A Seokbu, head of Heavenly Escort Merchant House."
"Eliminate A Seokbu first?"
"Yes."
"How?"
"When he hears about his daughter, A Seokbu will head to Chacha Kingdom himself. That area's in chaos from the Absolute Six Heavens ruin treasures. Battles rage; many martial artists are dying."
"Take him out there."
"Yes."
"And Yi Bongryeong?"
"Eliminate after securing all of Heavenly Escort Merchant House. Yi Bongryeong adores Adal—we can use that."
"Handle it, steward."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Zhuge Hyukjung bowed.
Rising, he stepped out. Dusk had fallen.
"Heh."
A sly smile curled Zhuge Hyukjung's lips.
"Heavenly Dragon Pavilion? Ridiculous. You'll all kneel and kiss my feet. Without fail."
He turned his palm skyward. In its center, a red orb slowly rose like the sun from the sea. The crimson sphere resembled a demon's pupil.
Demon Blood Eye.
Among the martial world's top ten arts, the Ten Great Martial Arts, Demon Blood Eye ranked tenth. It was also a forbidden technique no one should learn.
Zhuge Hyukjung slowly clenched his fist.
Pop!
The Demon Blood Eye vanished like a snuffed flame.
Another ambitious soul waited beneath Beiping's skies to take flight.