Chapter 339
Chapter 339
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 347
Chapter Title: Burning the Golden Flower Hall
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The warriors of the Branch Squad gasped in horror as Namgung Hyeok grabbed Hwangbo Chil by the hair and yanked his head up.
“Protect the Vice Leader!”
“You damn villains!”
“Do you think the Hwangbo Family is a joke?!”
“You bastards!”
Geon Cheon-hwi leaped forward, blocking the charging warriors.
Tak Hyeok-dong and Jang Ung took positions in the Ghost Valley Chain Formation, securing the space.
Boom! Clang clang clang!
The Branch Squad warriors swung their swords and fists.
True to their origins in the Hwangbo Family, their fierce strikes and chained attacks were top-notch.
Soon, powerful fist winds and sword qi swept in all directions.
“Haaap!”
“Hup!”
“Ki-yah!”
Over a dozen warriors charged ferociously.
Geon Cheon-hwi blocked one group and shouted.
“Don’t let them through!”
“Damn it! Can’t we use martial arts?!”
“Just beat ‘em! We can just pound ‘em!”
“Watch that side, you idiots!”
The Thunder Dragon Squad trio grappled with the warriors rushing to rescue Hwangbo Chil.
So Hye-yeon struck their acupoints with the flat of her blade, while Namgung Ryong bashed them with his sword sheath.
Smack! Crack!
“Gahk!”
“Gurk!”
As chaos erupted, Geon Cheon-hwi yelled.
“Hurry with the interrogation……!”
No, what the hell are you doing?
Namgung Hyeok shook Hwangbo Chil by the collar.
Shake shake shake!
Gasp gasp!
What kind of interrogation is shaking him by the collar?!
“Hey, hey! Snap out of it! Where’s the ledger?”
Slap slap slap!
“Hey, hey!”
“Ugh, uuuuh…….”
“Where’s the ledger, huh? Is this not enough?”
Namgung Hyeok tilted his head, then raised his hand above his shoulder.
Slaaap!
The fiery slap jolted Hwangbo Chil fully awake.
“Huhk!”
Dazed by the stinging heat, Hwangbo Chil stared at Namgung Hyeok with wide, bewildered eyes.
Who the hell is this guy……?
No, what’s going on right now?
‘No way, did I pass out?!’
This can’t be!
Hwangbo Chil whipped his head around frantically.
At the path leading to the Golden Flower Hall, the Branch Squad was clashing with six masked figures.
But something unimaginable was happening.
Thirty Branch Squad warriors couldn’t break through just six people!
Slaaap!
Another fiery slap drew a scream from Hwangbo Chil.
“Gurk! You……!”
“Huh? You’re awake?”
Namgung Hyeok raised his palm again, then grinned.
Flinch!
The lingering sting made Hwangbo Chil react instinctively.
“Ha, that works real good.”
“You, you…… you’re the leader…….”
“Don’t need to know that. Where’s the ledger?”
Shake shake shake!
“Hand over the ledger, ledger. Too many words.”
“Gasp, guh! N-neck, my neck!”
“Hm? Neck?”
“You crazy bandit bastard!”
As Hwangbo Chil thrashed and screamed, Namgung Hyeok released his chokehold.
“Gahk, guh! What ledger are you talking about?!”
Namgung Hyeok answered as if he’d been waiting.
“The Hwangbo Family’s ledgers!”
He spread his hands as if expecting Hwangbo Chil to hand them over.
Hwangbo Chil’s face twisted in absurdity, then he shouted.
“You think I’ll hand that over to you?!”
“So you do have it?”
“Huh?”
“Just answer the question. Where’s the trade ledger?”
“……Who the hell are you? What’s your goal…….”
Slap slap!
Namgung Hyeok lightly caressed Hwangbo Chil’s cheek and pointed at the masks.
“Hey, don’t you see the masks over there?”
“…….”
Hwangbo Chil ground his teeth.
“I don’t know who you are, but you won’t get what you want! My family will hunt you to the ends of the Central Plains and kill you all, so you’d better run now!”
“Yeah, chase us all you want. Just give me the trade ledger?”
“Hmph! Look at the situation! Your commotion has drawn warriors from the main hall and headquarters!”
Hwangbo Chil chuckled darkly.
Namgung Hyeok twisted his lips.
“Oh no, I’m so scared. So scared my hand’s slipping.”
Slap slap slap!
“Guhk, gurk! You bast……!”
“Better hand it over when I ask nicely?”
“You think I’ll bend to threats like that?! And instead of threatening, why don’t you run?! That way you might live a little longer!”
“Run?”
Ho, this guy still doesn’t get it?
Slap slap!
“You bast……gurk!”
“Run? Our backup’s here just in time.”
Namgung Hyeok turned his head and grinned.
Almost simultaneously with his grin.
Boom!
Leading the charge like a wild boar smashing through a wall came Paeng Jung-hyeok, followed by the Tang siblings and So Geol-gae.
“Ha, solid backup, solid!”
Yeah, that’s right.
This quick pursuit is what makes it solid……
Solid……
……What the hell are they yelling?
Run……away?
Why?
Paeng Jung-hyeok kept bellowing.
“Run-! Awaaay-!”
“Ca-! tch-! It’s-! Oveeer!”
“Eeeek!”
“Fuuuck! There’s so maaaany!”
Huh?
Namgung Hyeok stared blankly at them flailing desperately, and at the same moment, the ground began to shake with thunderous roars.
Thud thud thud thud thud thud!
And finally.
Whoosh!
Kicking up a massive cloud of dust, a horde chased madly after the four.
Their momentum was savage and wild, like a stampede of enraged water buffalo.
‘……They brought a whole army.’
Don’t these guys have any sense?
They should’ve split up and scattered them, not herded them all here.
Namgung Hyeok smacked his lips.
People were closing in fast on the Golden Flower Hall.
“Kill themmm!”
“Capture the intruders!”
“Kill!”
Damn…… no mercy for intruders, huh?
Hwangbo Chil laughed lowly.
“Fuhuhu! Fools! You’ve stepped into hell. Didn’t I say you’re rats in a trap?”
“…….”
“Surrender now, and I’ll just sever your limbs and let you live. Heh heh heh!”
Namgung Hyeok stared silently at Hwangbo Chil.
Hwangbo Chil glared back with mockery and scorn.
Geon Cheon-hwi subdued a charging Branch Squad warrior and turned to Namgung Hyeok.
“There’s too many! We have to give up on the ledger!”
“Hey, forget the ledger—let’s kidnap this bastard! Take him somewhere quiet and work him over!”
“You think beating him gets the ledger? If we’re running, let’s run clean!”
Bickering among themselves, the Thunder Dragon Squad trio leaped at the incoming foes.
Enemies surrounded them on all sides.
If the pitch-black horde closed in, they wouldn’t even retrieve their bones, ledger or no.
They’d come to steal, and now it was turning into war.
“Decide quickly!”
“Hyeok!”
“Run, ruuun awaaay-!”
Urgent voices rang out from all directions.
Namgung Hyeok smacked his lips as he watched his fleeing comrades and the charging enemies approaching the Golden Flower Hall.
“No time for torture.”
“No, there’s no time for torture! One wrong move and our escape route’s cut off! We need to run now!”
“Yeah, gotta run if we’re running.”
“Yes…… Wait, why are you going that way?!”
People stared at Namgung Hyeok in confusion.
As he spoke, he was already walking toward the Golden Flower Hall.
Step step step!
Why that way?
Not running?
“We have to give up the ledger?!”
Namgung Hyeok smacked his lips, then grinned.
“Yeah, I said I won’t take it.”
Wait, hold on.
But why grab the torch?
“If I can’t take it, oh well?”
Huh?
What?
Laughter leaked from Namgung Hyeok’s mouth.
“Uhihihihi! Uhihihi!”
“N-no way?”
“Uhihi-!”
As even his comrades stared at him in shock and confusion.
Hwangbo Chil’s eyes bulged.
“You mad bast……?!”
Namgung Hyeok laughed while staring straight into Hwangbo Chil’s eyes.
“If I can’t take it, I’ll just burn it.”
“What?”
“Heh heh, not taking it—burning it!”
No way?
No way, for real……?!
Whoosh!
No sooner had the words left his mouth than Namgung Hyeok hurled the torch.
Hwangbo Chil’s eyes nearly popped out.
“Hey, you craaaazy bastaaard!”
Roarrr!
Even as Hwangbo Chil freaked out, Namgung Hyeok overturned a nearby brazier, setting the Golden Flower Hall ablaze.
In that instant, a scorching hot wind erupted from Namgung Hyeok’s robe.
The Heavenly Bright King Art spun furiously, drawing out its ultimate yang energy.
He unleashed a powerful palm strike infused with the profound secrets of the Fire King True Formula—once called the strongest ultimate yang technique in the martial world!
KABOOOM!
Flames from the brazier exploded outward, igniting the Golden Flower Hall in seconds.
Everyone’s jaws dropped.
Whoa, insane. Burning the whole building?
What about the ledger?
What’re you gonna do about the ledger?
Burning it all without a second thought?
Everything?
Hwangbo Chil’s mind went blank.
“You madman…… The ledger wasn’t your goal?!”
Namgung Hyeok chuckled darkly.
“I told you.”
What?
“Hand it over when I ask nicely. You didn’t listen, so it’s come to this.”
……This lunatic.
His comrades slapped their foreheads, speechless at Namgung Hyeok’s madness.
Whoa, never saw that coming.
“I’ll hunt you down for li……!”
“Hunt what, punk.”
“Huh?”
Crack!
“Gurk!”
Namgung Hyeok’s fist slammed powerfully into Hwangbo Chil’s face.
Thud thud thud! Bam! Crack!
“Kuaaaagh!”
“This punk’s been talking down to me! You wanna die?!”
“Kraaagh, gurk!”
“You weren’t gonna tell me the ledger’s location anyway! Damn, pissing me off!”
Thud thud thud!
As Namgung Hyeok unleashed his brute violence, Geon Cheon-hwi rushed in.
“Stop, stop! We really gotta run now!”
Namgung Ryong jumped in and grabbed his arm.
“Let’s go! Run!”
Namgung Hyeok ground his teeth.
“You damn punk, I’ll remember your face! Let go, hey, let go! Just one more hit!”
He shook off those holding him, dashed forward, and slapped Hwangbo Chil once more.
Slaaap!
“Gurgle gurgle!”
Hwangbo Chil was already foaming at the mouth—what did another slap matter?—but Namgung Hyeok landed it anyway.
Then, with a satisfied expression, he turned.
“Let’s bounce!”
A bright, refreshing shout.
“Grab a torch each on the way out and burn everything!”
Damn.
Groans erupted everywhere, but Namgung Hyeok ignored them.
Roarrr!
Arson broke out across the Golden Flower Hall grounds.
“Chase, ch……huhk!”
“Fireee!”
“Fiiiire!”
“Crazy, these mad arsonists! Not thieves—pyromaniacs!”
The Golden Flower Hall warriors panicked amid the surging flames.
Hwangbo Chil had lost his mind, and amid the groans and flickering fires, everyone was dazed.
Extinguish the fire first? Tend the wounded? Chase the fleeing enemies? They floundered in confusion.
The Golden Flower Hall’s chief steward shouted at the stunned crowd.
“P-put out the fire first! Forget those damn thieves—extinguish the fire! Protect the ledgers!”
Nothing was more important than the trade ledgers in the Golden Flower Hall.
The ledgers had to be guarded above all else.
If they burned, the hall’s operations would halt, crippling even the Hwangbo Family.
As the Golden Flower Hall scrambled to douse the flames, Namgung Hyeok and the arsonists(?) slipped away leisurely.
Geum Cheom-sang, pulling oars from the speedboat, widened his eyes.
“Why the sudden fire…….”
No way?
Before he finished, Namgung Hyeok burst from the Golden Flower Hall and boarded the speedboat.
“Whew!”
“Y-Young master, over there, it’s on fiiire!”
“Yeah?”
Namgung Hyeok turned, saw the blazing Golden Flower Hall, and let out a sigh of admiration.
“Whoa, burning real nice.”
That’s not the point!
As flustered as he was, everyone else was too.
Especially since they’d done the arson themselves.
So Geol-gae stared blankly at the roaring inferno and muttered.
“……What about the ledger?”
“Ledger?”
“Yeah. Weren’t we gonna steal it and use it to blackmail them?”
Or use it to siphon off the Hwangbo Family’s wealth.
Namgung Hyeok shrugged.
“Too bad, but what can ya do? Would’ve been nice.”
“You don’t look bummed at all.”
“Of course not.”
Namgung Hyeok grinned.
“We still screwed over the Hwangbo Family good.”
Blink blink.
Everyone on the speedboat gaped, eyes like saucers.
“Burning that much? They’ll be paralyzed for a month or two?”
Until the ledgers were restored, Hwangbo Family operations would grind to a halt.
And that paralysis would hit them with losses incomparable to the damages the Namgung Family suffered from their betrayal.
Missing delivery deadlines on trade goods alone would rack up penalties and shatter trust.
They’d paid back more than they received.
Namgung Hyeok chuckled as he muttered.
“This is just the start. You’re in for it now.”
Everyone on the speedboat shivered at his voice.
Just the start?
‘……Can’t kill ‘em with swords, so he’s gonna choke ‘em out slow.’
So Geol-gae sighed inwardly.