Chapter 127
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 127
Chapter Title: The North Blade Alliance Flag
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"Over there, beyond that mountain, is Cheonyang. Huff... huff..."
"......"
Yu Hyun stared silently ahead at Gae Dusin's words.
They had left Mount Wudang and traveled roughly a thousand li.
Cheonyang, on the western edge of Shaanxi Province, was where Yu Hyun and the four dragons had arrived after three straight days of nonstop riding.
According to the carrier pigeon message exchanged right before departure from Wudang, the Righteous Alliance had been winning victory after victory, advancing toward Shaanxi and the Gansu border, securing six strongholds...
"The North Blade Alliance?"
"North Blade Alliance, huh."
"Hmm, North Blade Alliance it is."
"Definitely North Blade Alliance."
The Latent Dragon Squad members, excluding Gae Dusin, echoed Yu Hyun's sullen remark with nods.
"Huh?"
Gae Dusin, who had been clutching his knees and panting while staring at the ground, jerked his head up in surprise.
"Look over there at the flag."
"......"
Yu Hyun pointed toward the mountain peak.
The characters on the boldly planted flag flapping vigorously in the wind were unmistakably...
North Blade Alliance (北刀聯)
"...Right?"
"......"
As Yu Hyun's face soured, Gae Dusin blinked, then rubbed his eyes in disbelief.
Of course, that wouldn't magically turn it into the Valiant Spirit Banner.
"No, why the North Blade Alliance?"
"Yeah, why is the North Blade Alliance all the way out here?"
"......"
Yu Hyun and the other three narrowed their eyes at the bewildered Gae Dusin.
"Kids."
"Yes, Captain!"
"Did I hear wrong or something?"
"......"
"Didn't they say to leave the navigation to Ssibul-i here?"
"That's right! He swore up and down."
"Absolutely! He said it was a matter of pride as the Beggars' Sect Leader's youngest disciple."
"He promised the fastest shortcut."
Thanks to charging straight ahead at Yu Hyun's words, they had crossed mountains and rivers, scaled cliffs, hacked through underbrush...
The Latent Dragon Squad members, who had endured what was closer to ordeal than hardship, glared at Gae Dusin as if they wanted to devour him.
"Th-this is weird? No way, that can't be?"
"......"
Gae Dusin flinched and quickly pulled a map from his bosom, spreading it on the ground.
"Wait just a moment, please. No way. That mountain over there, the river... the village... It matches, so why the North Blade Alliance?"
As he frantically gauged directions, compared the map to the terrain, tilted his head, and grumbled, Yu Hyun subtly clenched his fist.
Yeah, exactly. Why the North Blade Alliance?
If you had any shame, you'd answer that yourself. Instead of asking us, who only sinned by trusting you implicitly.
"Ssibul-i."
"Y-yes! Captain."
"By any chance, you..."
"Yes?"
"You're not about to say this isn't the right mountain or something like that, are you?"
"Well... haha."
"......"
This bastard, splitting hairs?
"So you know where we are then?"
"Well... I was thinking of figuring it out from now on... Maps aren't always precise anyway, and landscapes all look kinda similar, right? Haha!"
"Oh, I see. So our Ssibul-i was planning to find the way starting now."
"......"
Yu Hyun grinned broadly, nodded, and patted Gae Dusin's shoulder.
"But Ssibul-i."
"Yes?"
"Were you the grim reaper by any chance?"
"...What do you—"
"How else would you lead us straight into hell?"
Yu Hyun, still smiling warmly, rolled up his sleeves.
"Haha, Captain? Everyone makes mistakes sometimes..."
"Sure, that happens."
"......"
"But you know mistakes come with a price, right?"
"Th-that..."
"Yeah, considering the trouble, just one hit."
"......!"
Crack!
With a fierce smack to the back of his head, Gae Dusin pitched forward face-first.
"Urgh..."
Grimacing, he barely pushed himself up and examined the map again.
"I'm sorry. I deserve it. I've been punished, so now I'll hurry and find the way again."
"What are you talking about?"
"Yes?"
"Punished?"
"Yes? But you said just one hit..."
"Sheesh, how do you figure that?"
"......"
"It's not just me who suffered from your wrong turn, right?"
"Yes?"
He looked around with wide eyes, and sure enough, Nangong Seong, Tang Sadok, and Unhyeon had him surrounded in a品 formation.
"H-hey! Fellows! How can you look at a brother like that! Seong, we've known each other for years! Hey! Put down that poison, Sadok! Unhyeon, don't you dare draw that sword!"
"......"
The three shot him disdainful looks for still yapping senselessly, then turned to Yu Hyun in unison.
At their glance seeking permission, Yu Hyun smiled warmly and nodded.
"You gotta pay the price. Fairly, to everyone who suffered... That's the rule."
"W-when did that become a rule?"
Starting now, you directionless beggar scum.
"......I don't know anything about that. Suddenly my eyes are blurry, can't see. Ears ringing, can't hear."
Yu Hyun murmured softly and turned away, upon which the Latent Dragon Squad members unleashed a barrage of merciless kicks as if waiting.
"Die! Die, you stupid beggar bastard!"
"Get struck by lightning, you scum! Do you know how hard we pushed to get here!"
"We haven't slept a wink, and what? Wrong mountain?"
"Kwek! Kweeeek!"
Gae Dusin wailed pitifully as he was pummeled into the dirt, but the squad ignored him, venting their pent-up frustration.
You should've done better, Ssibul-i.
Look over there. They've already spotted us and are swarming.
About thirty of them.
Yu Hyun raised his hand with a deep sigh, shaking his head at the North Blade Alliance warriors closing in formation.
"Kids, stop. The North Blade Alliance came to greet us."
"......!"
Only then did the Latent Dragon Squad halt their punishment. Gae Dusin, sprawled on the ground with his tongue lolling out a good foot, staggered to his feet.
"...It really is Cheonyang."
Whether Cheonyang or somewhere else, the key was the enemy forming a encirclement.
So, now what? Flee? Fight?
None looked that strong at a glance, so either choice seemed low-risk.
That number screamed scouting party... and their mismatched outfits confirmed rabble.
But with the alliance proposal already on the table, better not pick a fight and sour things.
Resolved to smooth it over and head into Righteous Alliance territory, Yu Hyun offered a polite greeting.
"Greetings. We are the Latent Dragon Squad of the Righteous Alliance."
"Latent Dragon Squad? Since when did the Righteous Alliance have a unit with a lame name like that?"
"......"
He'd sent them off nicely, but their response was downright provocative.
Well, unorthodox rabble probably never learned basic etiquette...
Still, enduring was enduring, and rudeness called for rudeness.
"New unit, so you haven't heard."
"New? Yeah, looks like it. Bunch of kids. Righteous Alliance must've scraped together some brats for make-believe play."
"......"
"Were you spying on North Blade Alliance turf?"
Sneers spread among the surrounding North Blade Alliance warriors at their leader's mockery. A small cross vein popped on Yu Hyun's forehead amid his forced smile.
"Not spying..."
"If not spying, then what's your business in Cheonyang, already taken by the North Blade Alliance?"
"Oh, well... Huh?"
Yu Hyun paused mid-explanation—about getting lost thanks to one idiot and ending up in North Blade territory—and blinked.
Turning, he saw the squad members sharing the same realization.
"Hey, where are we exactly?"
"Ha, look at this fool panic. What kind of idiots haven't even heard Cheonyang fell to the North Blade Alliance?"
"......"
Yu Hyun's head tilted sharply at the blatant taunting.
"...See? It is Cheonyang, Ssibul."
"......"
Gae Dusin grumbled, cheeks puffed.
We'll settle his grievance later. Point is, he actually navigated right...
Did the war situation change that fast?
The front here was under Heavenly Mechanism Diviner Zhuge Mulin and the Mystic Dragon Squad, a pillar of the Righteous Alliance.
Hard to believe they'd been stopped, let alone lose ground in Shaanxi.
"Idiot Righteous Alliance scum. Must've fled with tail between legs after losing their kid strategist and Mystic Dragon Captain, too spineless to even report back."
"......"
"What are you waiting for! Grab these brats and make 'em kneel!"
At the barked order, the North Blade Alliance warriors tightened their encirclement.
"Wait!"
"......!"
The North Blade warriors froze at Yu Hyun's sudden raised hand and shout.
"...What did you just say?"
"......?"
As Yu Hyun's eyes sharpened, the North Blade warrior blinked in confusion.
"Repeat that. Who got what?"
"Huh?"
"Are your ears clogged? Who got what, just now?"
"......"
"Did the Mystic Dragon Zhuge Mulin get captured?"
"Y-yeah... that's what we..."
Visibly cowed by Yu Hyun's menacing glare, the warrior slipped into deferential speech.
"Zhuge Mulin captured..."
"......"
Murmuring softly, Yu Hyun stared grimly at the North Blade Alliance flag on the peak.
Officially, coming to the Shaanxi front was to push the alliance.
But Yu Hyun's real goal was meeting Heavenly Mechanism Diviner Zhuge Mulin to recruit him into the Latent Dragon Squad—only for him to be captured by the North Blade Alliance.
Now it made sense why the advancing front lines had crumbled.
And why they rejected the Righteous Alliance's alliance offer.
"Haha, would you look at that. The North Blade Alliance stole my pick first."
Yu Hyun's gaze turned icy.
No choice now.
Fight. And rescue.
Zhuge Mulin was one of the teachers he'd need to pester relentlessly going forward.
"Seong."
"Yes, Uncle."
"You handle things here. I need to head up there."
"...About thirty. I'll follow as fast as I can."
Sensing the chill in his voice, Nangong Seong's eyes gleamed as he nodded.
"Y-you crazy bastards! Who said you could—"
Before the North Blade warrior could block, Yu Hyun bent his knees, stomped the ground, and shot forward.
Boom!
With a thunderous blast, he pierced the encirclement in an instant. The North Blade warriors gaped and shouted.
"Ch-chase..."
But no one in the encirclement could move.
"Who do you take for scarecrows? Think we'd let you?"
"......"
Nangong Seong and the Latent Dragon Squad had already broken free, swords drawn and gleaming with qi, lining up to block the path up the mountain.
"Better here than up top. That place is about to become hell."
"......"
At Nangong Seong's courteous warning, delivered with a chilling smile and surging sword qi like Yu Hyun's, the North Blade Alliance warriors realized.
The Righteous Alliance "brats" were actually monstrous little fiends...
* * *
"Those crazy lunatics!"
On the far side of the peak held by the North Blade Alliance.
A curse burst from a Righteous Alliance scout hiding and monitoring the enemy.
What the hell were those guys?
Five popped up out of nowhere, openly surrounded by North Blade warriors, exchanged a few words, and suddenly combat erupted.
Worse, one bolted straight for the peak.
Where hundreds had set up camp...
"Team leader, what do we do?"
"......"
At his subordinate's question, a woman with delicate features and sharp eyes bit her lip in irritation.
Their mission was surveillance—no leaving position.
Especially now, with the strategist and Mystic Dragon Captain captured by the North Blade Alliance, utmost caution was needed.
Couldn't act rashly.
But though too far to make out faces, they were clearly Righteous Alliance warriors.
Charging into the jaws of death with just five... suicidal.
"Team leader!"
"...Damn it! We move!"
"Yes?"
"Got to save whoever we can! Hurry, signal the main camp! We'll use those fools to draw eyes and hit the enemy's flank!"
"Yes!"
The woman launched herself forward, and a carrier pigeon shot skyward vigorously.
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