Chapter 290
Chapter 290
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 293
Chapter Title: Blood Cloud's Onslaught
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Yeom Chung stepped toward the Nangong Family warriors, raising his signature weapon, the curved blade.
The crimson-handled saber, bent like a new moon, whipped through the air.
Splash!
Gray saber energy erupted from the red-glowing blade, slicing through the Nangong Family warriors blocking the path in an instant.
Boom!
“Gah!”
“Kuaaagh!”
“Huh!”
The saber energy lashed out like a whip in all directions.
The warriors charging in with fierce momentum were mercilessly shredded by the erratic and savage strikes.
It was an unpredictable saber style combining blinding speed and infinite variations.
With lethal strikes swinging in for the kill, the Nangong Family and Hefei alliance warriors were swept away in a flash.
The corner of Yeom Chung’s mouth curled up.
‘Hefei, huh.’
He had little interest in the alliance. Unlike Mu-gyeong of the Soul-Severing Sword Sect, whose roots lay in the main stronghold, Yeom Chung had always been a man of Blood Cloud Fortress.
Having slain the first Fortress Lord to become the new one, changing his name and dominating Fujian Province, his reason for striking Hefei alongside Ghost Valley Manor was not just the alliance’s orders—it was driven more by personal ambition.
Claiming the Nangong Family’s wealth and prestige would be the ultimate prize for him as Blood Cloud Fortress Lord.
‘No unorthodox leader has ever toppled the Nangong Family in nearly a century. What greater achievement could there be!’
Yeom Chung swung his curved blade even more ferociously.
In the unorthodox world, a fearsome reputation was prestige itself.
It was a strange place where the more ruthless and intense the impression, the greater the fame.
‘I’ll become a nightmare etched in terror today!’
Thud!
Slash slash slash!
Flesh and blood sprayed in every direction.
Yeom Chung’s eyes locked onto Nangong Jangcheon, who was carving through the unorthodox forces opposite him.
“Take out those guys first!”
Yeom Chung bellowed.
Blood Cloud Fortress’s elite, the Blood Cloud Ten Guests, sprang into action.
Ten death gods cloaked in blood-red robes scattered around Yeom Chung.
Slash slash slash!
Clang!
Clang clang clang clang!
Red sword lights flashed repeatedly as Nangong Family warriors and Hefei alliance fighters moved to block the suddenly rampaging Blood Cloud Ten Guests.
“Maintain formation!”
“Fall back! Fall back!”
“Seal the Birth Gate! Escape through the Birth Gate! Hurry!”
As the Blood Cloud Ten Guests charged, the Nangong Family warriors began to waver.
The Nangong warriors fled in panic from the Blood Cloud Ten Guests whirling their blood-red robes and sweeping through the battlefield.
The Ten Guests’ prowess was beyond what ordinary warriors could handle.
They dominated the field, unleashing sticky, erratic saber energy.
Their movements were swift and light, their sword force overwhelmingly fierce.
Any half-hearted defense would result in holes punched through bodies and flesh torn away.
“Hup!”
“Urgh!”
The Blood Cloud Ten Guests cleared a path in an instant.
Nangong Jangcheon turned his head toward the rapidly approaching Ten Guests.
The Grand Elder Nangong Wi-gyeong and others matching his stride raised their voices.
“Family Head! The right flank is breached!”
“It’s Blood Cloud Fortress! They’ve joined the fray!”
“Black Flame Gang too! These bastards!”
The elders growled, glaring at the enemies pouring into the battlefield.
The core forces of this war were now committing to the fight.
A similar thought flashed through their minds.
Nangong Jangcheon shouted urgently.
“Grand Elder! Block them!”
“Understood!”
“The right flank!”
No sooner had the order been given than Nangong Jangcheon led the Grand Elder Nangong Wi-gyeong and the leadership straight into the rampaging Blood Cloud Fortress contingent.
Yeom Chung grinned wickedly.
“Coming right to me!”
His curved blade glowed with red lightning.
As he prepared to lunge forward with full force, the Black Flame Army and Blood Rakshasa followed suit. Dozens more elites trailed behind them.
The ordinary warriors caught in their aura recoiled in terror.
Boom!
The Nangong Family’s finest clashed head-on with the unorthodox elites, pushing the melee to its peak.
The Black Flame Army soared into the air, channeling the Black Flame Blazing Heat Art.
“I’ll go first!”
“What nonsense!”
Blood Rakshasa kicked off the back of a Blood Cloud Ten Guest using his mourning rite technique, grabbing his twin wheels as he launched skyward.
“You bastards!”
Refusing to be outdone, Yeom Chung leaped in.
He shot forward like lightning.
Dodging sword lights from all sides, he bore down on Nangong Jangcheon.
Through the sword lights, Yeom Chung’s curved blade writhed like a living serpent.
Slash!
The red saber energy whipped like a lash, drawing blood.
“Gah!”
“Cough!”
“Keurgh!”
Leaving the screams behind, Yeom Chung gauged the distance to Nangong Jangcheon.
‘Thirty paces!’
Whoosh!
Covering seven jang in a single stride, Yeom Chung flew forward and swung his curved blade with full might.
Swoooosh!
As the red saber energy tore through the air toward Nangong Jangcheon, a sword blade suddenly thrust out from beside him.
Clang!
With a sharp ring, Grand Elder Nangong Wi-gyeong deflected the incoming sword energy and blocked his path.
Yeom Chung regained his balance, narrowing his eyes as he faced off against Nangong Wi-gyeong.
Nangong Wi-gyeong roared.
“You bastard! Who do you think you’re pointing that blade at!”
“You old fool! Who do you think you’re blocking!”
“You’ll have to get through me before facing the Family Head!”
“Don’t you want to live out your days in peace? Come on, if you want to die, I’ll grant it!”
Yeom Chung sneered, channeling his energy.
Nangong Wi-gyeong’s presence was no joke, but Yeom Chung didn’t consider him a real threat.
A Nangong Family elder was undoubtedly among Anhui Province’s top masters, but Yeom Chung couldn’t care less.
As Fujian’s supreme expert, he had no reason to fear Nangong Wi-gyeong.
His Blood Cloud Killing Saber surged toward Nangong Wi-gyeong.
Saber energy rose like blood-red clouds, obscuring the elder’s vision. The clouds writhed, then lunged at him in a flash.
Nangong Wi-gyeong raised his sword to his midsection, assuming a poised stance.
Before he could fully settle, the Blood Cloud Killing Saber’s initial form pierced like the wind!
A terrifying technique that deceived the eye with blood clouds while unleashing thirty-six saber strikes.
Even if it didn’t end it in one go, Yeom Chung was certain it would seize the advantage.
The Blood Cloud Killing Saber was that insidious, piercing gaps with razor sharpness.
‘An old man like you? Piece of cake!’
Elder or not, to Yeom Chung aiming for the Family Head’s neck, it was laughable.
As the erratic, sticky sword energy whipped like a lash!
Nangong Wi-gyeong’s sword traced a soft circle, swallowing the blood clouds in an instant.
“Hm?”
Yeom Chung barely had time to be surprised.
A bolt-like sword thrust pierced the clouds, aiming for his nape.
Slash!
Rumble!
Boom!
“Hup!”
Thunder crashed and lightning split the air as Yeom Chung sucked in a breath.
‘What the hell?’
It was a single exchange, yet it contained variations and killing intent beyond ten fingers’ count.
The speed and sword force were astonishing.
Nangong Wi-gyeong regarded him with solemn eyes.
Having tested the Soaring Bow Invincible Sword against an enemy general in real combat, he’d been momentarily startled but quickly composed himself.
‘...Sparring with that kid Hyeok has made this possible!’
Without those spars to master the Soaring Bow Invincible Sword, could he have blocked and countered Yeom Chung’s Blood Cloud Killing Saber so easily?
Nangong Wi-gyeong drew a low breath.
He fixed his sunken gaze on the enemy.
Led by Fifth Elder, the other elders were engaging the Black Flame Gang Leader and Rakshasa Palace Lord.
Nangong Wi-gyeong took a bold step toward Yeom Chung.
“I’ll show you the Nangong Family’s sword!”
“You old bastard!”
“Hah!”
“Die!”
The two tangled, unleashing killing blows at each other.
Mu-gyeong watched the battlefield where the three faction leaders clashed.
“What... what sword style is that?”
It was unmistakably a Nangong Family art.
But something was off.
The swordplay Nangong Wi-gyeong displayed clashed sharply with known intelligence.
Moreover, the Nangong elders were stronger than reported.
They hadn’t all consumed spirit pills or anything—yet their internal energy and swordsmanship were profoundly deeper than expected.
By plan, Yeom Chung, the Black Flame Army, and Blood Rakshasa should already be fighting Nangong Jangcheon, but they were still struggling against the elders.
“Tch.”
Mu-gyeong clicked his tongue lightly.
He’d played his hidden trump to end the grueling fight, but it hadn’t worked.
‘Not a good picture.’
The alliance wouldn’t want this drawn-out battle.
It needed to end quickly.
Prolonged faction wars benefited no one.
No telling how long the government would stay silent.
The two factions’ momentum was fierce now, but if casualties mounted and Hefei shook, the imperial troops might intervene.
The war’s outcome hinged largely on breaking Nangong Jangcheon.
In that instant, across the distance, Nangong Wi-gyeong and Mu-gyeong’s eyes met.
As if entranced, the two silently closed the gap without a word.
Sching!
Amid sparks flying everywhere, the pair charged each other in silence.
Ghost Valley Manor experts followed, heralding a full-scale clash as the battlefield’s flow shifted once more.
* * *
Screeeeech-!
Rustle!
Pop pop pop pop pop!
“The east gate! The east gate’s breached!”
“The unorthodox scum are pushing in!”
“Fuuuuck! The west gate’s defense line collapsed too!”
One Line Society members frothed at the mouth as they rushed in.
So Geol-gae dashed frantically around, matching the society’s pace as they spat out intel.
Information from the One Line Society was swiftly transcribed onto the paper in his hand, while Beggars’ Clan members below relayed reports to him.
“Thunder Dragon Squad annihilated the Blood Ghost Sect!”
“How bad?”
“White Tiger Captain severely wounded! Half the White Tiger Squad combat ineffective!”
“Elsewhere?”
“South gate clashed with Fujian’s martial artists! It’s a stalemate!”
“A stalemate?”
“Yes!”
“Keep relaying! Tell Do Dae-ung to pursue the Thunder Dragon Squad! Don’t let that Lee Gong-ja escape, no matter what!”
The One Line Society, clueless about proper martial arts, was more useful than the clan right now.
It was clear why Nangong Hyeok had tasked them with commanding the intel network.
Thanks to that, So Geol-gae could continuously gather and disseminate information.
The problem? Every report was an emergency.
‘Damn! No time to breathe!’
Battles were erupting simultaneously everywhere.
With enemies hitting east, west, and south at once, intel poured in chaotically.
The ever-shifting reports felt alive.
Ordinary folk would’ve lost it—ripping up paper or silencing subordinates by force.
But So Geol-gae unleashed terrifying focus, mapping every detail in his mind.
Then transcribed it.
‘Thunder Dragon Squad gathering at Heavenly Pavilion. South gate: Family Head and elites holding off Fujian factions.’
Enemies swarming from all sides.
East and west gates breached, unorthodox thugs roaming Hefei’s streets.
Nangong Family and Hefei minor sects were giving their all, but some breakthroughs were inevitable.
If Thunder Dragon Squad hadn’t cut them off mid-way, they’d have hit the Nangong residence or linked up at south gate already.
It was that precarious.
‘The Nangong Family needs to consolidate too.’
They knew Hefei like their palm.
They wouldn’t go down easy—Nangong Jangcheon and Geum Gwang-mo had counterattack plans.
Yet the enemy advance was fiercer and stronger than anticipated.
“Don’t pursue—relay all Thunder Dragon Squad to Heavenly Pavilion! Tail-chasing risks the south gate too!”
Fujian factions were the war’s crux.
If they pushed through, it might rally routed or fleeing unorthodox groups.
The flow had to be broken somehow.
As So Geol-gae issued orders, he froze.
‘...Main force?’
The sudden thought made his pupils tremble faintly.
He snapped his head up.
“White Cloud Sword Wave!”
“Yes?”
“White Cloud Sword Wave—why haven’t those bastards shown up yet! They came the most noisily—why aren’t they in Hefei!”
“Th-that...”
“Track them! Mobilize every beggar to find their trail! They’re dangerous!”
West gate breached, yet no White Cloud Sword Wave in sight? It didn’t add up.
The unseen arrow was deadlier than the seen sword.
No telling when or where White Cloud Sword Wave might strike.
Amid the urgency, unwelcome news arrived.
“White Cloud Sword Wave heading to Heavenly Pavilion!”
“White Cloud Sword Wave moving on Heavenly Pavilion!”
So Geol-gae’s jaw dropped.
“W-what?”
Why were those lunatics going to Heavenly Pavilion!
Scowling, So Geol-gae yelled at the Beggars’ Clan disciples.
“Relay to Thunder Dragon Squad! Escape Heavenly Pavilion! Hurry, hurry!”
The beggar disciples scattered in all directions in a panic.