Chapter 153
Chapter 153
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 153
Chapter Title: Surrender of the Guiyu Sect
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“S-Sect Leader!”
The Ilhwa Sect Leader, Jusoong, who had been treating the disciples, furrowed his brow as a sect member burst through the door.
“What is it?”
“Th-the Guiyu Sect Leader is here!”
“What?!”
The moment Jusoong tried to stand.
Boom!
An explosion rang out from outside.
“What in the world...”
While the flustered Jusoong stared blankly at the completely shattered front gate.
Crunch—
A sturdy middle-aged man stepped in, trampling the debris that had been the door just moments ago.
“Is the Ilhwa Sect Leader inside?”
“...Guiyu Sect Leader.”
Jusoong swallowed hard, tension rising.
The Guiyu Sect Leader was publicly recognized as the unrivaled master of the current Yeonan region.
“What is the meaning of this?”
“Hahaha, what do you mean?”
The Guiyu Sect Leader's eyes narrowed.
“We of the Ilhwa Sect merely accepted your declaration of war.”
With those words, he raised his saber.
It was his cherished weapon, the Nine Rings Saber, which he had wielded since earning the moniker Blood Ghost Blade before establishing the Guiyu Sect.
“What nonsense is... Hup!”
The Ilhwa Sect Leader leaped back.
Whoosh!
A sharp gust sliced through his sleeve, making his robes flutter wildly.
“...So you want to see this through to the end?”
“Didn't I just say so?”
With the Nine Rings Saber in hand, his eyes gleamed.
“We accepted your declaration of war.”
Jusoong bit his lip.
“Everyone, fall back inside.”
“But Sect Leader!”
“Get inside, now!”
At Jusoong's shout, the Ilhwa Sect disciples squeezed their eyes shut before opening them and moving.
“Ho, so you do have some spine as a sect leader.”
The Guiyu Sect Leader twisted his lips into a smirk as he watched Jusoong stand alone to guard the gate.
“But you're mistaken. Did you think I'd face you alone?”
He slung the Nine Rings Saber over his shoulder.
“Everyone, come in!”
No sooner had the words left his mouth.
“We're here!”
“Sect Leader!”
The Guiyu Sect disciples poured in.
Jusoong couldn't hide his dismay upon seeing the Guiyu Sect disciples who had occupied the Ilhwa Sect compound.
“Wasn't this supposed to be a one-on-one duel?”
“Why would I do something that stupid?”
The Guiyu Sect Leader grinned.
“When we have the advantage in numbers.”
The Guiyu Sect Leader addressed his disciples.
“Kill every last Ilhwa Sect disciple.”
“Understood!”
“Did you all hear? The Sect Leader orders the extermination of the Ilhwa Sect!”
The Guiyu Sect disciples let out cheers.
The drawn-out war with the unorthodox sects was finally coming to an end.
Just as they were about to unleash their killing intent.
“Sect Leader!”
One Guiyu Sect disciple shouted urgently.
The Guiyu Sect Leader frowned at the man running in breathless haste, wondering what could be so urgent.
“R-right now, there's an attack from behind.”
“What?”
The Guiyu Sect Leader's expression twisted.
'I rushed here the moment I heard they'd gone to the Black Tiger Gang,'
He quickly asked.
“Have the Plum Blossom Sword Guards already arrived?”
“N-no, it's not them...”
“Not them?”
The Guiyu Sect Leader furrowed his brow.
“Then who?”
“It's the Sohung Fortress!”
At his words, it was as if time had frozen—everyone stiffened in place.
“What? Sohung Fortress? Why them?”
The bewildered Guiyu Sect Leader spoke in disbelief.
Jusoong felt the same.
“Sohung Fortress?”
Sohung Fortress was unorthodox, so it made no sense for them to aid the orthodox Ilhwa Sect.
At that moment.
“Everyone, attack the Guiyu Sect!”
A lion's roar echoed from outside.
At the same time, both the Guiyu Sect Leader and Jusoong snapped to attention and looked toward the gate.
“These bastards!”
“Why...?”
There stood dozens of Sohung Fortress warriors, led by their Fortress Lord.
“Fortress Lord, is this right?”
“Even so, helping the orthodox sects...”
The Sohung Fortress Lord scowled at his subordinates' uneasy words.
He was going mad himself right now.
What unorthodox faction in the world would attack fellow unorthodoxy to help the orthodox?
Sohung Fortress was surely the first.
But what could he do?
'That devil ordered me to help the Ilhwa Sect if they were in danger...'
Recalling Cheonhwi for a moment, he shuddered, then swept his gaze over his complaining subordinates and spoke.
“This is all part of the plan.”
“Pardon? The plan?”
“What plan would require...”
His subordinates perked up their ears.
“We just joined forces with Mount Hua Sect.”
“What?!”
“...Is that even possible?”
Everyone looked skeptical.
Mount Hua Sect was one of the Nine Great Sects, a Daoist sect that utterly despised the unorthodox.
Allying with them?
It was hard to believe.
Then the Sohung Fortress Lord added an explanation.
“Think about it. Why did the Plum Blossom Sword Guards attack and then leave you all unharmed? Even if you surrendered, wasn't it strange?”
“Ah!”
“So they held back midway...”
The subordinates exclaimed in admiration.
They had thought it odd, but now the Fortress Lord's words cleared up all doubts.
At the same time, they looked up at him with eyes full of awe.
Allying with Mount Hua Sect, of all places.
It was something no unorthodox faction could ever achieve.
“Ooh!”
“As expected of our Fortress Lord!”
As the mood lifted.
Swipe—
The Sohung Fortress Lord raised his hand high.
“Now that you understand, attack the Guiyu Sect immediately!”
At his command, the Sohung Fortress warriors charged toward the Guiyu Sect.
Waaah!
The Guiyu Sect disciples panicked at the sight of the Sohung warriors swarming like bees.
“Wh-what's going on?”
“They're really fighting? Ignoring the Ilhwa Sect to fight us?”
They had thought they'd just show up, not actually clash directly.
“Attack them too!”
“Show these bastards a lesson!”
Soon, the two forces collided.
Clang! Clang!
Watching his subordinates fight from afar, the Sohung Fortress Lord sighed in relief.
'We got past the hurdle for now.'
Then, a chill wind blew, and the Guiyu Sect Leader appeared before him.
“Sohung Fortress Lord.”
“...Long time no see, Guiyu Sect Leader.”
The Guiyu Sect Leader's eyes sharpened.
“What is the meaning of this?”
“What are you referring to?”
“Shouldn't attacking the Ilhwa Sect come first?”
The Sohung Fortress Lord snorted.
“Since when have we cared about such things?”
“An unorthodox faction helping the orthodox Ilhwa Sect? What a disgrace.”
“I'm not helping any orthodo...”
Stung by the blow to his unorthodox pride, the Sohung Fortress Lord started to shout but froze.
More precisely, he stiffened in place.
A devil all too familiar to him stood at the Ilhwa Sect's front gate.
'Wh-when did he get here?'
Then the devil smiled.
Seeing that sinister grin, the Sohung Fortress Lord felt like shedding bloody tears as he moved his lips.
“As fellow factions who've coexisted in Yeonan for so long, helping is only natural, isn't it?”
“What nonsense is...”
While the Guiyu Sect Leader looked incredulous.
“Enough talk—come at me!”
The Sohung Fortress Lord drew his sword.
“...You won't listen to reason.”
The Guiyu Sect Leader also raised his Nine Rings Saber.
Soon, the two clashed.
Kaang! Kaang!
Sharp metal rings exploded, and those nearby hurriedly backed away.
Meanwhile, the Ilhwa Sect was in chaos.
As the Guiyu Sect disciples who had occupied the compound rushed outside, Jugoyul entered.
“Father!”
He rushed to Jusoong, who lay on the ground bleeding.
“A-are you okay?”
He had clearly taken a blow from the Guiyu Sect Leader; a saber wound slashed across his chest.
“Cough, kuh... G-Goyul?”
“Don't speak! We need to treat that wound right now...”
“Hah, huff... No. It's already... too late. The wound is... too deep.”
“B-but...”
Pale-faced Jusoong gazed at his weeping son.
“Just as you... said, I should have... asked Mount Hua for help... This leaves you... with a heavy burden.”
“Father...”
As father and son shed tears.
“Making such a fuss over a little cut.”
A shadow fell over them.
It was Cheonhwi.
“Even for a young hero, that's too much...”
Cheonhwi sat beside the outbursting Jugoyul, his hands moving swiftly.
Tap tap tap—
In one breath, he sealed forty-two acupoints.
Color began returning to Jusoong's face.
“Let me see. Just some blood loss.”
Examining the wound, Cheonhwi infused his finger with internal energy.
“S-sword energy?!”
“...!”
Never having seen such clear sword energy, Jugoyul and Jusoong were stunned.
Cheonhwi tore his sleeve thinly.
It thinned like thread, soon extending long between his fingers.
“There, that should do it.”
Cheonhwi's hands moved rapidly.
Swish—swish—
The thread-like silk wove gracefully, suturing the wounds in an instant.
At that divine technique, Jugoyul gaped, eyes wide.
Moments later, Cheonhwi dusted his hands.
“The seals will release later, and once he eats, he'll be fine.”
As Cheonhwi spoke, Jugoyul snapped out of it and gripped his hand tightly.
“Th-thank you!”
“No big deal.”
Cheonhwi waved him off.
'If the Ilhwa Sect Leader dies here, it'll just get more annoying.'
Cheonhwi glanced away.
“I'll go clean up outside.”
At those words, the flustered Jugoyul tried to look, but he was already gone.
“So that's why the Sect Leader said to rest assured.”
“Nothing beats real combat experience.”
Cheonhwi nodded as he watched Jeokgeom and Seollan fighting the Guiyu Sect disciples.
The Guiyu Sect disciples were perfect sparring partners for them right now.
Even at their best, their third-rate to second-rate martial arts posed no threat...
But it was a rare feast of exotic weapons.
One swung a jagged saw-tooth saber vigorously, another hurled a chained sickle.
In the jianghu, such opportunities to face all sorts of weapons were priceless.
“They've grown quite a bit.”
Even against unheard-of bizarre weapons, the two didn't act rashly.
'So that's how you swing it.'
'Compared to Martial Uncle's sword and the iron balls of Plum Blossom Unity...'
They responded with remarkable calm.
Jeokgeom and Seollan steadily parried the weapons swung at them.
Compared to Cheonhwi's harsh training and their day with Plum Blossom Unity, these attacks were laughably sloppy.
After blocking and deflecting a few, they exchanged glances naturally.
'I'll take the left, Junior Sister!'
'Got it!'
Communicating with their eyes, they moved.
Taat!
It was the Seven Stars Step they had diligently practiced under Cheonhwi's guidance.
“Much better than before.”
Cheonhwi smiled faintly.
His continuous instruction had paid off—they were far improved.
“When we get back to Mount Hua, I should teach them other techniques.”
Muttering words that would make them jump for joy if heard, Cheonhwi stepped forward.
Swish—
Outside the Ilhwa Sect was a battlefield.
Perhaps because both were unorthodox, the clash between the two factions was filthy and merciless.
Ambushes during one-on-one fights were par for the course, and some even feigned death.
And that was not all.
Splash!
Some threw sand into eyes.
Cheonhwi walked through their midst.
“Hm?”
“What was that?”
The fighters sensed something off but couldn't pinpoint it.
To be precise, Cheonhwi had already passed before they could react.
Moments later, he arrived where the fiercest whooshes rang out.
“Wow, intense.”
The duel between the Sohung Fortress Lord and Guiyu Sect Leader was, as Cheonhwi said, fiercely matched.
“You bastard, throwing sand like a coward!”
“Pah! You did it first when I nearly had the upper hand!”
“You dare mock me after using that technique!”
Rather than martial arts, they busied themselves with hoarse insults.
“Dodge this!”
“Hmph! That level of martial art—ow!”
“Running away with your tail between your legs!”
...Pathetic.
Cheonhwi started to intervene but stopped.
'Jumping in here would be awkward. Better to let the Sohung Fortress Lord win.'
Thinking that, he grinned.
『Left foot behind that step. Raise the sword in your hand to chest level.』
“...!”
'This voice?'
Startled by the sudden transmission, the Sohung Fortress Lord hurriedly followed the instructions.
'Damn it, whatever!'
At that instant.
Puk!
“H-how...”
The Guiyu Sect Leader's eyes widened.
He had been gaining the upper hand.
So he closed in for the finishing blow.
“You saw through that gap—gurgh—”
The Guiyu Sect Leader collapsed to the ground.
Thud!
As his massive body hit the dirt, the nearby Guiyu Sect disciples cried out in shock.
“S-Sect Leader...”
In contrast, the Sohung Fortress warriors raised their arms toward their lord.
“Waaaaah!”
“The Fortress Lord slew the Guiyu Sect Leader!”
Meanwhile, the Sohung Fortress Lord was bewildered.
'What... what just happened?'
It was a ghostly deed.
He had simply followed the words verbatim, yet his sword pierced the Guiyu Sect Leader's heart, taking his life.
'Why's he spacing out like that?'
Cheonhwi shook his head as the Sohung Fortress Lord stared blankly at the corpse.
He had merely read the flow of the Guiyu Sect Leader's martial arts and pointed out the moment to break it.
However, contrary to Cheonhwi's thoughts, it was an astonishing feat.
Who in the world could read the flow of an unfamiliar martial art and pinpoint the breaking point?
Only Cheonhwi could.
Yet the one who did it thought little of it.
『Snap out of it—what are you doing?』
“Ah!”
At Cheonhwi's transmission, the dazed Sohung Fortress Lord came to his senses.
He raised his sword high and shouted.
“The Guiyu Sect Leader has fallen by my hand!”
His voice, infused with internal energy, spread far.
Clunk, clunk.
The Guiyu Sect disciples dropped their weapons.
With their leader defeated in a one-on-one, the Guiyu Sect had no reason to fight on.
“We surrender.”