Chapter 80
Chapter 80
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 80
Chapter Title: Shadows of Pursuit
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A group of shadowy figures had gathered inside a dimly lit, abandoned building.
Guiyeong's gaze passed over the black-clad man and fixed on Nangong So, who was bound to a pillar.
Nangong So's eyes shook with unease.
Trembling, he looked into Guiyeong's pupils, which emitted a ghostly aura from the darkness.
‘Wh-who are these guys…….’
A wave of terror rose from his gut, causing Nangong So's gaze to furtively drop downward.
A heavy silence flowed.
The black-clad man asked in a low voice.
“What should we do?”
Guiyeong turned his head. His expressionless eyes swept the surroundings before he spoke.
“Not yet. The old fox is moving too slowly. We’ll have to wait until the Harmony Alliance gathering.”
The black-clad man cautiously added.
“Then we should relocate.”
“Why?”
“The Nangong family has sent people looking for him, and flies from the area are starting to swarm.”
Guiyeong let out a low breath and asked.
“Who’s searching?”
“The old fox and the black path thugs leeching off An-hui.”
“Black path thugs?”
It made sense that Nangong Baek, Nangong So’s father, would send people, but Guiyeong couldn’t understand why black path thugs were after Nangong So.
The black-clad man quickly explained.
“We must’ve caught their eye since we’re in their territory.”
Guiyeong gave a barely perceptible nod.
“No need to stir up trouble. Move when the time’s right. Do it without drawing attention.”
“Yes.”
The black-clad man bowed deeply and withdrew.
Nangong So, tied to the pillar, perked up his ears and rolled his eyes.
‘……Fox? Black path thugs? What? What’s going on?’
The words were muffled and incomprehensible, leaving him frustrated.
It seemed like the Nangong family was searching for him.
Nangong So strained to listen, but no more conversation came.
At that moment.
A small noise accompanied another black-clad man entering the ruin.
He spoke in an urgent voice.
“The black path thugs are searching our way as they move.”
Guiyeong’s eyes narrowed.
If they were combing the area, it was only a matter of time before they hit this spot.
It was far earlier than expected.
Even so, had these mere black path thugs already spotted them?
“Were we tailed?”
“……My apologies.”
The black-clad man flinched and trembled.
Guiyeong waved his hand dismissively, as if annoyed.
“Handle it yourselves.”
“All of them? Won’t that make things bigger?”
“Better than leaving traces.”
Guiyeong spoke without emotion and turned his body.
His eyes briefly glanced at Nangong So before he stepped away.
Before he’d taken a few steps, his form vanished into the darkness.
The black-clad man straightened his bowed waist and commanded.
“Kill them all.”
* * *
Nangong Hyeok sauntered toward the spot he’d marked on the ground.
Behind him followed the Thunder Dragon Squad and the Ilseon Society thugs.
Over a hundred people moving at once inevitably drew eyes.
“This way.”
Pa Ho-un, sweating bullets, guided Nangong Hyeok.
“Here?”
It was an unmistakably dingy alley.
A stench rose from the ant-hole-like lane.
Vagrants startled and scattered.
Deeper in, a fairly open space appeared.
Pa Ho-un pointed at a dilapidated building standing like a wall.
“This is where they were last spotted.”
“Yeah?”
Nangong Hyeok boldly pushed open the door of the ruin.
“No one here?”
“……Y-you need to search the area.”
“No need.”
“Huh?”
“They’ve been gone for a while.”
“Th-then if we search around here…….”
“Tch, what’s with your Black Spot intel?”
Pa Ho-un shrank back with a pout as Nangong Hyeok clicked his tongue.
Nangong Hyeok scanned the ruin.
“Hmm.”
After a quick look inside, he turned away.
‘Gone about half a day.’
He wandered the surroundings, glancing around as if strolling.
Peeking here and there like he was sightseeing the alleys, people stared oddly.
Do Dae-ung and the other Ilseon Society leaders, curious, asked.
“Young master, what’re you doing?”
“Huh? Where you headed?”
“Find something?”
Nangong Hyeok’s lips twisted.
He circulated the Heavenly Thousand Perceptions Technique.
The supernatural art, perfected to hold ten thousand pieces of information, activated.
Every bit of data from the alley filled his mind.
His cognition expanded, taking in more info.
A red glow flickered in Nangong Hyeok’s eyes before fading.
Step by step.
He moved without hesitation.
Strolling leisurely, he swept his gaze around.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
It looked like light walking, but the scenery rushed past behind him.
The Ilseon Society leaders watching from behind gaped.
“Huh?”
“Y-young master?”
“Gasp! What?!”
“Shrinking earth technique?!”
In the blink of an eye, Nangong Hyeok had gone far ahead.
It was ghostly.
He was clearly walking casually, yet faster than a sprint!
“Follow him!”
The Thunder Dragon Squad chased after Nangong Hyeok at full speed.
The stunned Ilseon Society leaders snapped to.
“Damn it, run! Catch up!”
The Ilseon Society tailed the Thunder Dragon Squad.
Boom boom boom boom!
Clouds of dust billowed like waves.
Veins bulged at Geon Cheon-hwi’s temples.
‘Is this lightness skill or footwork?’
It was an absurd speed no footwork could match.
It surpassed most lightness skills.
Grinding his teeth to keep up, the gap stayed at five zhang.
Geon Cheon-hwi squeezed his inner energy to accelerate.
Tak Hyeok-dong and Jang Ung strained to follow.
“Hah! Hah! How long we running?! Gonna collapse, hah!”
“Where’s he going? Any traces? I saw nothing!”
“Traces my ass. Just dust flying! See the formation?”
Geon Cheon-hwi was much the same.
They’d found signs of recent occupancy in the ruin, but no clues to pursue.
He honestly doubted.
The traces were faint—how could anyone spot them and move at this speed? It was unbelievable.
Was he really tracking properly?
But that was just his perspective.
Nangong Hyeok’s vision and senses were beyond his comprehension, so he must’ve seen something else.
Geon Cheon-hwi said firmly.
“……He saw something, that’s why. Shut up and follow!”
“R-right?”
Tak Hyeok-dong nodded vigorously as he ran.
The Thunder Dragon Squad sped up.
But even the elite squad struggled to keep up with Nangong Hyeok.
Only Geon Cheon-hwi, Tak Hyeok-dong, and Jang Ung tailed his heels.
The Thunder Dragon Squad, lost in the twisting alleys, panted to a halt.
If they struggled, the lesser-skilled Ilseon Society black path thugs were worse off.
They’d long dropped out, drooling and spent.
Even the stubborn ones halted at the forks.
The black path thugs foamed at the mouth and cursed.
“Huff huff! F-fuck!”
“Hah! Heugh! Haaah! Where’d he go!”
“Damn it! They ditch us?!”
Like stud horses—what’s with this speed!
Chasing’s gonna kill us!
Thud!
“Groooar!”
A heavy thud widened the Ilseon Society leaders’ eyes.
“He really collapsed?”
“Who?!”
“Ah…….”
Pa Ho-un lay sprawled, spewing white foam.
People offered silent condolences to the twitching Pa Ho-un.
“Fan out and search! Chase!”
“You lot move too! Find the warriors at least!”
“Find the young master, quick!”
The black path thugs, desperate to impress Nangong Hyeok, redoubled their efforts.
* * *
An old hall at the end of a crumbled wall.
Nangong Hyeok headed toward the structure that looked ready to collapse.
“Picks the crappiest spots.”
Consistent taste.
How does every place he finds end up a ruin?
“Even inns have annexes.”
Nangong Hyeok clicked his tongue and casually approached the hall.
He glimpsed inside through the split door planks.
Geon Cheon-hwi arrived behind, face flushed red.
“Young master, in here?”
Shing!
Drawing his sword from his waist, Geon Cheon-hwi said.
“We’ll go first. Stay back a bit.”
Geon Cheon-hwi stepped forward with a serious face.
Nangong Hyeok stared blankly at him, then shrugged.
“……Fine.”
Letting them clash first wouldn’t hurt.
Nangong Hyeok clasped his hands behind his back and stepped aside.
Geon Cheon-hwi signaled.
Tak Hyeok-dong positioned behind him, Jang Ung to the left.
Geon Cheon-hwi suppressed his presence and cautiously opened the door.
Creak!
The rusty hinges screamed, shattering the silence.
Geon Cheon-hwi carefully stepped inside.
In that instant.
Flash!
A dagger flew from behind the pillar in a streak of light.
Clang!
Geon Cheon-hwi deftly twisted his blade to deflect it and shot forward.
Then, thugs burst from behind the pillar, scattering the clustered trio.
Geon Cheon-hwi swung at one.
“Hah!”
His energy-charged blade fell toward the thug.
Chaaang!
Blade light flashed.
Swoosh!
Kaaang!
The thug parried with his sword.
Sparks flew as the thug’s power surged up Geon Cheon-hwi’s arm.
“Urk!”
The unexpected force nearly made him drop his sword, startling him.
But he pressed in, swinging.
Circulating Ten Thunder Arts, he unleashed Thunder Dragon Ten Blades.
Flash!
Rumble!
Thunder roared as lightning surged toward the thug.
Heavy blade force pierced the thug’s guard.
The thug twisted away forcibly, batting the strike aside.
Craaaash!
A roar echoed as Geon Cheon-hwi’s balance crumbled, and the thug counterattacked.
The thug’s blade climbed his own toward his throat.
A serpentine technique slithering up the blade.
Geon Cheon-hwi spun, kicking the thug’s leg while blocking.
Clang! Ka-ka-clang!
Blade lights flashed in the dark with continuous booms.
They traded blows outwardly, but Geon Cheon-hwi panicked inwardly.
‘What the hell is this guy?’
Something oddly familiar about the technique.
Similar to the black-clad men from the bandit subjugation.
‘No way?’
Those guys?
What’s their deal?
Doubts piled up, but he shoved them aside amid the fierce assault.
Down the foe first.
Boom! Kaaang! Craaash!
Each clash sent jolts through his wrists, drawing stifled groans.
The rebound was immense.
Each thug swing whistled menacingly.
Swoooosh! Swoooosh!
Weird footwork closed in; the blade flowed elegantly, sticking fast and vicious.
Slash! Boom boom!
Cuts appeared on his body in seconds.
‘Gah!’
Geon Cheon-hwi gritted his teeth.
His arm muscles bulged, crushing the rebound with raw power.
He twisted his wrist sharply, altering the blade’s path.
Thunder Dragon Ten Blades wove dozens of afterimages, dazzling the thug.
Swift, heavy strikes shifted abruptly.
Geon Cheon-hwi lunged into the momentarily stunned thug’s guard.
“Haaaap!”
A beat faster—thug’s blade grazed his back, his pierced the thug’s gut.
Thud!
“Huff! Huff!”
Geon Cheon-hwi caught his breath, elated.
His martial arts had advanced; triumph over a superior foe eased his tension.
Then.
Grab!
“……!”
The thug yanked the impaling blade and leaped forward.
“Crazy bastard?”
Pulling himself onto the sword?
The unimaginable move slowed Geon Cheon-hwi’s reaction.
Thud!
“Urk!”
As the blade dug into his shoulder, he gripped tighter.
Squelch!
The thug’s waist half-severed, he collapsed.
“Heugh! Heuk!”
What kind of madman……
Beyond ruthless—pure insanity.
Geon Cheon-hwi stared at the thug, chilled.
Then, Tak Hyeok-dong’s urgent voice from behind.
“Boss! Hey! Over here!”
Riiip!
His axe tore the air brutishly. Turning hurriedly, thugs had slipped from the shadows to press Jang Ung and Tak Hyeok-dong.
Geon Cheon-hwi ground his teeth and hurled himself into the fray.