Chapter 78
Chapter 78
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 78
Chapter Title: Fall of the Water Dragon Lord
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The face of the Water Dragon Stronghold Leader twisted in fury.
The sudden appearance of this intruder, who looked every bit the part, had thoroughly soured his mood.
"Who the hell are you?"
Cheonhwi glanced at the man who had spoken.
The middle-aged man hadn't even bothered to trim his patchy beard, giving him the unmistakable look of a brigand chief proclaiming, "I'm the bandit king here."
"Who else? Your enemy. Can't you tell?"
"You bastard..."
The Water Dragon Stronghold Leader's forehead vein throbbed at Cheonhwi's pitying tone.
"Stronghold Lord. What is the meaning of this?"
A low voice from the Ten Nights Gate warrior cut in.
"Didn't I just tell you to ignore whatever was happening outside?"
At the reprimand—not quite a reprimand—the corner of the Stronghold Leader's eye twitched.
Though his face was half-hidden by his bamboo hat, Cheonhwi could almost see the expression beneath it.
"Deal with him quickly."
The Water Dragon Stronghold Leader shot to his feet and seized one of the massive cleavers neatly arrayed behind him.
Thud!
He paused for a moment to feel the familiar heft of the cleaver, then pointed its tip straight at Cheonhwi.
"I don't know how you managed to sneak in here, but..."
He trailed off mid-mutter.
This room was the deepest sanctum of the Water Dragon Stronghold.
To reach it, one had to pass through areas teeming with his subordinates.
Yet this man had penetrated all the way here.
'...!'
His senses sharpened in an instant.
He strained his ears urgently.
Moments ago, the outside had been noisy, but now... not even a breath could be heard. It was as if the clamor had vanished into thin air.
If even one intruder had been dealt with, someone would have come rushing in to report.
No such report had come. Instead, this stranger had smashed through the door.
'These guys aren't pushovers!'
The Stronghold Leader's face hardened.
"Where are you from? The Righteous Enforcement Squad? Or one of the other river strongholds?"
"From over there."
Cheonhwi jerked his thumb toward the shattered door behind him, smirking mockingly.
A blatant sneer.
The Stronghold Leader ground his teeth.
"Not in the mood to talk, eh?"
"You're not as dumb as you look."
The moment those words left his mouth.
Whoosh—
The cleaver, already swung, cleaved Cheonhwi clean in half.
"I'll get my answers from your friends instea—"
Expecting a spray of blood and a crumpling body, the Stronghold Leader froze.
Cheonhwi's bisected form blurred and vanished.
'B, Body Replacement?!'
In that instant.
"...Gasp!"
A chill ran down his spine from behind. He whipped the cleaver around desperately.
Clang!
Sparks flew in a massive burst.
Unable to fully deflect the impact, the Stronghold Leader staggered back.
'An ex, expert!'
Cold sweat trickled down his back.
That blinding sword strike from before—he hadn't even caught a glimpse of it, let alone tracked it.
He'd blocked it purely by luck.
'If I fight him alone like this, I'm dead meat.'
Having gauged his opponent's skill, he sent a transmission to the Ten Nights Gate warrior.
『I need your help.』
『Oh? My help?』
Urgency laced his voice as he replied to the warrior, who seemed intent on scheming even now.
『If the Water Dragon Stronghold falls, it'll be trouble for you too, won't it?』
A brief silence followed.
『No choice, then.』
A curt transmission returned.
The Ten Nights Gate warrior tossed aside his bamboo hat.
Plop—
His unexpectedly kindly face revealed sharp, narrowed eyes.
"Let's join forces."
The Stronghold Leader's brow twitched at the words, but he nodded.
"You two done chatting?"
Cheonhwi, standing at a distance, straightened the sword draped over his shoulder.
'Figures they'd transmit and team up.'
Already aware of their exchange, he remained utterly calm.
"...Quite the composure you've got."
The Ten Nights Gate warrior's eyes darkened.
Cheonhwi's earlier sword flash had been astonishingly swift and fierce, true.
"Stronghold Lord."
The moment he murmured the title.
Thud!
Both leaped forward in unison.
Seeing them charge from both flanks in an instant, Cheonhwi grinned.
Infused with qi, his sword moved slowly at first, carving a razor-sharp arc.
A sword art buried in a corner of the Ten Thousand Scriptures Pavilion.
Flash Lightning Thunder Sword.
The Stronghold Leader, struggling to track the blinding speed, twisted his cleaver in panic.
Screeech!
The fiercely swung blade targeted the first aggressor—the Stronghold Leader.
Craaaang!
The cleaver bent grotesquely, on the verge of snapping.
"Gahk!"
Dark blood gushed from the Stronghold Leader's mouth, soaking his robes.
"Now!"
The blood-choked shout rang out, and the Ten Nights Gate warrior appeared at Cheonhwi's back.
Having waited for an opening amid their clash, he spread his palm wide.
Aiming straight for Cheonhwi's unguarded nape!
'He can't dodge this!'
The warrior was certain.
Green Radiant Hand, the signature technique of the Ten Nights Gate!
The deadly strike every assassin yearned to master would swallow Cheonhwi whole in one blow.
Swish—
Cheonhwi tilted his head back.
"Too slow."
Meeting those indifferent eyes, chills raced up the warrior's spine.
But he shook it off.
"Die."
Crunch!
The sound of flesh shredding erupted.
At the same moment, a black silhouette shot past the Stronghold Leader and slammed into the wall.
Booom!
"N-No way..."
The Stronghold Leader stared blankly at Cheonhwi, who had hurled the Ten Nights Gate warrior aside.
"Tough bastard."
Cheonhwi looked utterly serene, as if asking what the fuss was about.
The Stronghold Leader bit his upper lip.
At this rate, he'd end up dead.
'D-Do I have to use that?'
Gnashing his teeth, he wrestled with the decision to unleash his hidden ultimate art.
Recalling the martial art he'd luckily acquired in the past, he exuded frigid killing intent.
A supreme technique stronger than any in the world.
But precisely because of that, it had to be concealed—exposure would bring ruin.
'The Ten Nights fool submitted when he found out, but this time it's just one!'
Resolved, the Stronghold Leader poured his hidden inner energy into the gripped cleaver.
The cleaver emitted an eerie hum.
Ssshh—
It slowly dyed black, near to darkness itself.
"Hm?"
Cheonhwi's brows furrowed at the energy blooming from the cleaver.
"Demonic qi?"
The qi coating the blade, the energy form—everything was all too familiar.
'Demonic Dragon Blade Art...?'
In that instant, the Stronghold Leader's eyes glazed over.
The cleaver spat forth its demonic qi, radiating a heavy presence.
The demonic qi spread slowly, weaving together into one.
"Now that you've seen this, you die."
A black dragon emerged from the cleaver.
"Have you lost your mind? Daring to use demonic arts on me?"
Cheonhwi stared incredulously at the black dragon lunging at him.
He had already reached the pinnacle of demonic power.
And now this fool was unleashing the Demonic Dragon Blade Art, learned from some backwater demonic clan, against him?
So clumsily, so deficiently?
He couldn't even laugh.
"This ends it!"
With utter conviction, the Stronghold Leader swung the cleaver.
As the manifested black dragon tore through space to devour Cheonhwi.
Slash!
Dazzling sword light bloomed from Cheonhwi's hand.
The black dragon split in two.
"H-How did you cut a demonic blade...?"
The Stronghold Leader gaped blankly at Cheonhwi, who had halved the dragon.
Clatter!
His cleaver shattered in twain.
And that was the last sight he beheld.
Spurt—
A thin red line slowly etched from his forehead to his groin.
His body followed, cleaving apart.
"Why's the Demonic Dragon Blade Art here in the Central Plains?"
Cheonhwi glanced at the fallen Stronghold Leader and lightly rubbed his chin.
The Demonic Dragon Blade Art was one of the demonic arts from the Zhan Clan, one of the five Demonic Dragon families.
'No way those vicious fighters from the Zhan Clan would ever share their demonic arts with outsiders.'
As he pondered the clan's nature.
"Gahk!"
A retch of blood echoed.
"Oh? Still alive?"
Cheonhwi's form flickered away.
The Ten Nights Gate warrior, knocked unconscious against the wall, clutched his throbbing head as he came to.
"D-Did he counterattack?"
"Sharp one, aren't you."
A reply drifted down like a soliloquy, casting a shadow over his head.
The warrior looked up.
A young man stood there. Behind him loomed the grisly sight of the Stronghold Leader's bisected corpse.
'I'll die like this.'
His throat bobbed.
'Better to pull him to our side...'
Desperately scheming, he opened his mouth toward the overlooking Cheonhwi.
"Judging by your handiwork, you seem like one of the unorthodox paths..."
The warrior tried to sway Cheonhwi to his side.
"How about it? Join hands with us—"
The moment he extended his hand with those words.
Slash!
Cheonhwi swung, severing his head.
"I hate chatterboxes."
Gazing down at the rolling head, Cheonhwi flicked his sword to shake off the clinging blood.
Whatever the man had prattled, it fell on deaf ears.
Cheonhwi had but one goal.
The destruction of the Water Dragon Stronghold.
Sheathing his blade, he scanned the room with satisfaction before turning away.
"Job's done. Time to head back?"