Chapter 288
Chapter 288
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 291
Chapter Title: Rampaging Thunder Dragons
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The Azure Dragon Squad Leader felt his heart pounding fiercely. Not because of internal injuries, but due to the Thunder Dragon Squad's exploits as they rampaged through the enemy lines.
Geon Cheon-hwi, Tak Hyuk-dong, and Jang Ung surged over the enemy ranks like a tidal wave, dominating the battlefield.
Every time Tak Hyuk-dong swung his massive axe, Dark Mist Hall warriors scattered in terror, and Geon Cheon-hwi's Thunder Dragon Ten Strikes repelled the oncoming foes.
Blood sprayed in violet mists each time Jang Ung slipped in low like an assassin and whirled his twin blades.
Just three men, yet the trio evoked the image of an entire legion.
They defended, attacked, scattered, and regrouped in endless cycles.
It was movement and martial arts beyond astonishing.
Even the Azure Dragon Squad could scarcely hope to pursue them.
Kwaaang!
Tak Hyuk-dong shoulder-checked a Dark Mist Hall warrior into the air.
Geon Cheon-hwi's lightning-fast Thunder Dragon Ten Strikes pierced an enemy's chest.
Peurk!
“Keuk!”
Tak Hyuk-dong's axe came crashing down on an enemy slipping into the brief opening.
Peurk!
Blood spurted as the foe split like firewood.
While eyes were drawn to the two, Jang Ung cleverly circled behind, slashing a thigh and punching a hole through a throat.
The Nangong family warriors naturally assembled behind the Thunder Dragon Squad.
The Azure Dragon Squad Leader let out a cry of admiration.
Seeing the Thunder Dragon Squad's famed prowess firsthand delivered a shock of immense proportions.
There was no comparing hearsay to witnessing it directly.
He thought the rumors of them annihilating the Black Dragon Sect might not be exaggerations after all.
Especially Nangong Hyuk and Nangong Ryong's skills weren't merely shifting the battlefield's balance.
Their appearance alone shattered it completely.
That was the essence of a true master in the martial world.
A single master could reverse the tide of battle and shift the momentum.
In other words, such game-changing masters were exceedingly rare.
Yet Nangong Hyuk and Nangong Ryong were achieving exactly that.
The Azure Dragon Squad Leader felt a thrill beyond shivers—a kind of ecstasy—at the sight of these youths barely past their early twenties overwhelming the Dark Mist Hall.
Truth be told, he hadn't fully trusted the decision to deploy them as a separate unit at first.
But watching the Thunder Dragon Squad move with Nangong Hyuk made him realize just how right that choice had been.
His heart pounded wildly.
‘……We’ll win.’
We can win.
We can win!
The Azure Dragon Squad Leader swallowed the rising blood and charged at the Dark Mist Hall.
Seok! Seok!
Amid screams echoing through the Heping pass and spraying blood, Nangong family warriors advanced ferociously.
The desperate defense had suddenly turned into pushing back the enemy.
The Nangong family warriors pierced the Dark Mist Hall like spears.
Skakakakakak!
“Sp-Spare me!”
“Uwaaaak!”
“Keuk!”
Dark Mist Hall warriors fell one by one.
The pace quickened, like mowing down grass.
The Dark Mist Hall warriors, who had been gnashing their teeth and attacking Nangong family men, collapsed at a rapid rate.
The situation had spiraled utterly out of control.
The wide avenues of Heping, which had enabled them to encircle the Azure Dragon Squad, now worked against them, shattering their cohesion.
The Dark Mist Hall warriors fled in panicked rout.
In an instant, the fight turned into a pursuit.
The Dark Mist Hall warriors convulsed and showed their backs.
“Run, run away!”
“Uwaaaaa!”
“R-Regroup! Regroup at the south gate!”
“Don’t run! If you run, I’ll kill you my…… Keuk!”
Victory lit the faces of the Nangong family warriors.
Dark Mist Hall warriors scurried like ants from the wide Heping avenues into the alleyways like ant burrows.
The Azure Dragon Squad Leader and his men cheered.
“Waaaa!”
“We won, we won!”
“We’ve won!”
Nangong family warriors raised their arms in joyous exultation.
They had literally come back from the dead.
Having achieved complete victory over such formidable foes, an indescribable thrill surged through them.
Some collapsed to the ground as tension released.
Their pale, blood-drained faces truly bespoke a brush with death.
It was then, as all reveled in triumph.
“Is the war over?!”
Those cheering froze at Nangong Hyuk’s bellow and turned to him.
People panicked at the fury etched on his previously impassive face during the fight.
Before they could exhale in relief, Nangong Hyuk roared.
“Azure Dragon Squad! Pursue the fleeing enemy to the west!”
“But, Young Master Hyuk……!”
“No buts, freeze to death! Aren’t backs-turned bastards still enemies? If they regroup west, we just face more foes! I won’t leave any future threats!”
The Azure Dragon Squad Leader flinched at Nangong Hyuk’s words.
Because he was right.
He felt ashamed for getting drunk on a minor victory.
Nangong Hyuk, who seemed the most excited, proved the calmest and most rational, leaving him greatly surprised.
‘Is Young Master Hyuk this cold-blooded?’
As he marveled, Nangong Hyuk issued swift orders.
Pointing the way the enemies fled, he deftly commanded the Azure Dragon Squad and regular warriors.
The Azure Dragon Squad Leader was repeatedly stunned.
While they basked in victory, Nangong Hyuk had eyes on the retreating foe.
People’s vision narrows under tension, but Nangong Hyuk was the opposite.
He commanded with the natural ease of a seasoned war veteran.
“Move!”
At Nangong Hyuk’s order, the Azure Dragon Squad Leader turned to his men.
“From now on, we hunt and slay the enemy!”
The Azure Dragon Squad Leader commanded, leading his men in the direction Nangong Hyuk indicated.
Nangong Hyuk turned toward the south gate.
Horn signals blared deafeningly.
‘This is just the beginning.’
Soon, there wouldn’t even be time for a single breath.
War was always like that.
It tangled into complexity, shifting unpredictably, drawing all into its depths.
The Nangong family had merely entered its gateway.
Nangong Hyuk stepped forward.
‘It’ll be different from before.’
Every breath he spared let the enemy close one step nearer.
“Run!”
Whoosh!
The Thunder Dragon Squad trio, who had dashed like storks pursuing a heron, snapped their heads up.
Without a moment to catch breath, Nangong Hyuk bolted ahead.
Nangong Ryong silently followed as always.
The Thunder Dragon Squad maintained their Ghost Valley Linked Formation in pursuit.
Even Nangong family elites couldn’t easily keep up with their relentless pace, but for those who had traversed five thousand li in a week, it was nothing remarkable.
The five kicked up dust as they raced toward the south gate.
* * *
Kakakakang! Peurk!
Metallic clashes rang out as sword gleams flashed in the darkness.
“Kraaaak!”
“Keuk!”
“Block themmm!”
Nangong family warriors stationed at key passes clashed with the unorthodox horde, screaming.
“Form sword barriers!”
“Hold formation! Don’t break!”
“Block! Block!”
Unorthodox warriors swarmed between alleys like hyenas stalking prey in the dark.
Flesh sliced, blood sprayed.
Severed arms without owners and headless torsos piled up one by one, dyeing the Heping passes red.
Clouds parted, the moon emerged, casting pale moonlight on the carnage.
Atop that horror, Nangong family warriors swung swords at the endless unorthodox onslaught.
“Fall back! Retreat to Pure Sword Gate!”
“Retreat to Pure Sword Gate!”
“Retreat! Retreat!”
In a desperate struggle, Nangong family warriors withdrew into the now-empty Pure Sword Gate.
Nangong family warriors guarded the Pure Sword Gate entrance.
They unleashed fierce attacks on those vaulting walls and blocked enemies shoving at the doors.
Then, the Tyrant Yong U-san charged with his massive frame.
“You idiots!”
Kwaaang!
His battering-ram charge splintered the wooden gate like paper.
“Keuuk!”
“Kwaaaak!”
Nangong family warriors clinging to the gate flew with the shattered fragments under Yong U-san’s body slam.
“Kraha ha ha! You cowardly bastards! Thought hiding here changes anything?! I’m the Tyrant Yong U-san, kraha ha!”
With mad laughter, Tyrant Yong U-san seized and hurled Nangong family warriors.
Unorthodox hordes poured through the open gate like swarms of bees.
“You bastard!”
The Nangong family outer yard White Tiger Squad Leader lunged at Yong U-san.
His sword flew fiercely at Yong U-san—the Heavenly Thunder Single Sword, honed alongside the Seven Thunder Sword Forms.
Blending swift sword and forceful sword arts, the Heavenly Thunder Single Sword spewed blue lightning toward Yong U-san’s throat.
“Hng!”
Yong U-san tensed his body. His thick muscles rippled.
Tdeung!
The White Tiger Squad Leader’s eyes bulged.
A sword infused with inner energy failed to pierce flesh and blood.
Paaaak!
“Keuk!”
Struck by Yong U-san’s fist, the White Tiger Squad Leader tumbled across the ground.
“Kra ha ha ha! Think your puny sword can pierce my Iron Body?!”
“Kuht!”
“Die!”
Yong U-san charged at the White Tiger Squad Leader.
The Leader countered with footwork, but couldn’t penetrate Yong U-san’s thick torso.
Casualties mounted even amid their fierce duel.
Pure Sword Gate stained with Nangong family blood.
Yong U-san flung the White Tiger Squad Leader aside.
Ppeung!
“Keuk!”
The White Tiger Squad Leader clutched his broken ribs and groaned. Shattered bones prevented movement.
Yong U-san grinned hideously.
“Clear ‘em out quick and regroup at Ghost Valley Manor!”
“Yes, Gate Master!”
“Kra ha ha!”
It was then, as despair clouded Nangong family warriors’ faces.
Shyaaaak!
Peurk!
“Guk!”
A flying dagger from the darkness pierced a subordinate’s brow beside Yong U-san.
Surprise flashed in Yong U-san’s eyes.
The precision and speed of the dart technique were extraordinary.
As he marveled, five darts whirled from the rooftop like beams of light.
Fired from varied angles and directions, they struck five throats as if homing in.
Peupeupeupeuk!
“Keu ruk!”
“Guk, keuk.”
The fallen writhed in agony before slumping limp.
As Yong U-san panicked.
Jyaaaaaak!
“Kraaaak!”
“Keuuk!”
Something whipped out from a rooftop corner, slaying two more subordinates.
Yong U-san bewilderedly backpedaled and shouted.
“Ambush!”
Chwachachachacha!
Shwaaaaa!
Dozens of needles and darts flew over torchlight.
The hidden weapons bypassed clashing Nangong family warriors, slamming like thunder into unorthodox foes surging through the entrance.
“Hidden weapons!”
“P-Poison!”
The White Tiger Squad Leader gaped at the rooftops.
‘Th-Those are?’
The Tang siblings who trailed Nangong Hyuk everywhere.
Tang Myeong-jin and Tang Myeong-ok dashed across rooftops, scattering hidden weapons like salt.
Thrown casually, yet they struck enemies dead-center.
The White Tiger Squad Leader stuck out his tongue at their ghostly dart skills.
Hidden weapons in darkness amplified their terror.
Enemies dropped with each flick of their wrists.
Seeing just two decimating the horde stunned the White Tiger Squad Leader.
‘……Young Master Hyuk commands such monsters?’
Nangong Hyuk wielded elites from another sect—no, direct descendants of the Sichuan Tang Clan—like limbs.
Only now did the White Tiger Squad Leader truly grasp Nangong Hyuk’s immense presence, commanding such masters.
“You fuckers!”
Yong U-san pointed at the rooftops, face red with rage.
“Grab those bastards! Over there, you morons!”
As the unorthodox horde turned toward the Tang warriors.
Kwaaang!
“Keuuk!”
“Enemy!”
“Another ambush!”
The Thunder Dragon Squad burst through the front gate, slaughtering foes distracted by the Tang siblings.
With the three Thunder Dragon pairs crashing in, the tide turned instantly.
The Ghost Valley Linked Formation and hidden weapons maximized power in tight spaces.
The Thunder Dragon Squad, in three pairs, battered and crushed enemies.
The White Tiger Squad Leader and Nangong family warriors gasped in admiration at their overwhelming might.
Yong U-san ground his teeth.
“You dare!”
He hurled himself at the Thunder Dragon Squad.
The formation dulled his movements, but Yong U-san was confident.
No mere array could pierce his body.
“This guy’s pretty tough, huh?”
A Thunder Dragon Squad pair leader struck with his blade, frowning at the numbing rebound.
He’d stabbed casually since the body presented itself, but the recoil hit harder.
Yong U-san sneered at the sight.
“You dog bastards, think your weak-ass blades work on my Iron Body?!”
“Hm? Iron Body?”
The Thunder Dragon Squad pair leader cocked his head while pummeling Yong U-san.
Iron Body.
Iron is hard.
Hard things meet Iron Soul Thirteen Paths.
“Hey! Stomp him! Stomp him flat!”
“What?”
Stomp a body swords can’t dent?
Are they insane?
Fine, once caught, he’d snap their spines in half!
Yong U-san bared murderous fangs in a grin, but the Thunder Dragon Squad lunged with gleaming eyes.
Pathetic fools, his Iron Body laughs at puny fists….
Kwaaang!
“Keuuk?”
Yong U-san freaked at the brain-rattling impact.
Flesh on flesh rang like metal.
He who prided himself on an Iron Body became bloody pulp in moments, then butchered in gruesome death.
The White Tiger Squad Leader’s jaw dropped.
‘……What kind of monsters did he create?’
Beating barehanded a body that repelled blades—Yong U-san!
Even Shaolin warrior monks would applaud such external arts.
And each one’s prowess was extraordinary.
Those monsters, with the Tang siblings, were carving up enemies inside Pure Sword Gate.
“Smash ‘em all!”
“Turn it into a blood sea!”
“Poison ‘em, poison!”
“Stab and rip ‘em apart!”
In the chaos where friend and foe blurred, the White Tiger Squad Leader could only gape.