Chapter 128
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 128
Chapter Title: Plunging Assault
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Shwaaaak!
A single streak of light climbed up the mountainside.
By the time the layered branches shattered into a handful of debris and fell to the ground, the fiercely surging beam reached its peak.
The warriors of the North Young Master's forces, stationed at the mountaintop barricades and watching below, naturally lifted their heads to gaze at the sky.
Yu Hyun, who had begun his descent from the apex, narrowed his eyes and scanned the North Young Master's front lines.
The hastily erected barricades along the ridgeline, the stunned sentries staring up at him, and the encampment.
His rapidly passing gaze locked onto the largest tent among them.
“That's it.”
A chill like frost from a frozen wasteland emanated from his entire body.
His heart pounded wildly soon after, spreading spirit energy to every corner of his body, and a searing heat surged through him like a furnace.
North Young Master.
What did he care if the orthodox and unorthodox factions bickered among themselves?
But if they touched what was his in the process, that changed everything.
“Fire!”
As a shout erupted from the North Young Master's front lines where they had been staring in daze, arrows nocked on fully drawn bowstrings launched in unison.
Puk! Pyupyupyupuk!
Yu Hyun took a deep breath and clenched his fist with all his might as he saw the arrows slicing through the air with vicious momentum.
Spirit Heart Core Method, Pulling the Onslaught.
Kuuu......
His extended spirit energy clung to the earth's force like glue.
Just as an arrow was about to pierce his body, Yu Hyun yanked the spirit energy linking his body to the earth's force with all his strength.
Shweeeak!
The blind arrows pierced empty air, and his body plummeted swiftly along the firmly anchored spirit energy to the ground.
Kuuuung!
A massive explosion rocked the entire mountaintop, and one section of the North Young Master's front lines erupted entirely.
Whoooosh.
Dust billowed thickly in all directions.
One of the North Young Master's warriors, who had unwittingly collapsed flat on his ass, stared ahead in terror.
As the dust slowly cleared with a gust of wind from somewhere, the deeply gouged earth and his comrades' corpses, mangled into bloody pulp in places, came into view.
One step—if just one step inward—and his fate would have been no different from theirs.
From within the lingering dust emerged a pair of eyes.
The utter indifference, devoid even of killing intent, amplified his fear.
Step, step.
Hearing the heavy footfalls echoing where the earth still reverberated from its scream, he trembled violently all over. Sweat poured out as if under the blazing sun, soaking his body.
“......”
Shuk shuk, chulk.
He gulped once and fumbled desperately on the ground for the weapon he had dropped, his hand shaking. It was pure instinct.
Anything—anything to block with...!
Soon, a familiar grip met his fingers. He seized the weapon crudely and thrust it with all his might toward the foe who had drawn near.
“Die!”
Shuuuk!
The straight-thrust sword pierced the opponent.
He hadn't aimed for any particular spot, but as the blade sank into the chest, a mad gleam of ecstasy flashed in his eyes.
I killed him. Killed...
Thud.
“......”
Huh? Why is my arm on the ground...?
“Huuuuh......”
Was it too sudden?
Still unable to comprehend, he stared blankly at his arm rolling on the ground and lifted his head.
The man whose chest should have been pierced loomed over him.
That indifference, that abyssal blankness, constricted his heart.
“I hold no grudge. Just as you faithfully pursued your duty, I treat you as an enemy, nothing more.”
“......S-spare me.”
Those were his last words.
Puaak!
A single backhand punch severed his head, and his body crumpled limply.
“......”
Yu Hyun shook his hand a couple times and gazed ahead with his still impassive eyes.
The North Young Master's warriors had swarmed in and formed a circular encirclement, but he felt no particular emotion.
Compassion, pity, all those sentiments for the unfortunate—what use were they?
From the moment they targeted what was his, they were merely enemies.
He didn't enjoy killing, but if they obstructed his goal, he crushed them without mercy or method.
Stronger foes with stratagems, weaker ones with raw power.
That's how he had been taught, how he had been raised.
No matter who won now, they would all eventually turn on the chief culprit behind the chaos, and Zhuge Murin was a precious card prepared for that moment.
Thus, if the North Young Master had kidnapped him, he would crush even them.
“Y-you damned Righteous Alliance...”
Pakak!
The face of the encircled warrior who had glared and shouted caved in from a fist that struck in an instant.
“......?”
The remaining warriors whipped their heads around. Not toward the outside of the encirclement, but inward.
When? He had clearly been in front, and no one had seen him move...?
“Block me, and you all die.”
“......!”
With that cold, unyielding declaration, Yu Hyun stepped forward, then stomped the ground and shot forth like an arrow.
“B-block him!”
Those in his path instinctively shouted and thrust out their swords straight, while the laggards chased his tail along his path.
Though he had obliterated a section of the front with a single strike and moved too fast for the naked eye, they trusted their numerical superiority.
That which must never be trusted before true masters......
Shwaaaak!
Even amid the killing intent and sharp blades raining like arrows from all sides, Yu Hyun's speed never slackened. He dodged while running and struck simultaneously.
His attacks were fast, simple, and concise.
Shwaaaak!
He evaded enemy strikes by subtly twisting his body as if calculating their trajectories in advance, then precisely crushed his foes.
Not merely disabling vital points, but thoroughly destroying one part of the body.
Whether they collapsed or not, ensuring they could never rise to attack again.
No flourish of exquisite energy arts. Terse, restrained single blows ravaged the North Young Master's warriors.
No need to flaunt his prowess or pulverize every charging enemy.
Yu Hyun advanced like the eye of a typhoon, drawing in and overwhelming all who lunged at him.
“Kuaak!”
“Uwaaak!”
Enemies swept up in the cruel, icy whirlwind of attacks collapsed, only to be mercilessly trampled by surging comrades, injured or slain.
He tore through the front lines like a demon, finally reaching his target.
The enemy command tent, where Zhuge Murin might be held.
“......”
Surviving foes who had crowded in blocked his view once more.
Yu Hyun halted, his eyes narrowing faintly.
“......Out of sight. Move.”
With those curt words, a radiant energy gathered in his fist, glowing hazy white, then slammed down toward the ground.
Nangong Fist, the Spirit Heart Core Method channeling spirit energy into thunderous explosion: Explosive Annihilation Strike.
Spirit energy radiated from the fist's impact like cracks in the earth.
For an instant, it seemed time froze, everything suspended—then the energy spiraled along the embedded, twisting fist and collided, detonating.
Dududuk! Kwaaaang!
“Kuaaaak!”
Those at the explosion's center vaporized with screams, and chunks of earth ten paces wide upheaved around Yu Hyun like torn sod.
Kung! Whiririk!
Yu Hyun stomped powerfully to launch himself, spinning like a top.
Pak! Shwaaak! Puuk!
His whip-like kicks smashed the rising dirt clods. Stones and sand grains shot out at blinding speed, piercing everything in their paths.
Ppak! Ppababapak! Puupuuk!
When he landed after ceasing his kicks, the North Young Master's encirclement no longer functioned.
Within ten paces radius, only Yu Hyun stood.
Even the latecomers trembled in fear, none daring to approach.
At last, he swept a chilling gaze over the fully revealed command tent and stepped forward.
One step, another.
As he reached to part the flap—
Sgek!
Yu Hyun retracted his extended hand and arched his back, retreating from the sharp whoosh grazing his ear.
Palak.
“......”
He stared impassively at the slit across his robe's front like a scratch, then turned his gaze to his attacker.
“What the hell is this brat?”
“......”
A man who appeared carrying a hefty cleaver sword over his shoulder let out a incredulous chuckle.
Then, ten warriors in red cloaks behind him leaped to block the tent.
“Can you believe this bastard? I step away for a moment, and he turns the place into this mess?”
“......”
“And you're alone?”
“......”
“Ha, you idiots. Letting a single brat wreak this much havoc?”
The man irritably shouted as he glanced around Yu Hyun.
“What are you lot standing around for! If the Righteous Alliance attacks now, we're done! Hold the front lines!”
“Yes!”
At his command, the North Young Master's warriors who had been gawking scattered urgently back to the lines.
“Tsk tsk, fools. Even holding Zhuge and the Mystic Dragon Captain, relying on these incompetents to guard Cheonyang...”
Yu Hyun quietly asked the tongue-clicking, head-shaking man.
“You the leader?”
“What?”
“Where's Zhuge Murin?”
“......”
The man smirked in disbelief at the calm question.
This punk had wrecked havoc in the heart of their camp—on what confidence? And just a kid barely twenty?
“You don't mean...? Here to rescue Zhuge Murin? By yourself?”
As Yu Hyun stared silently, the man's sly smile deepened.
“Cocky little shit. Well, you made it here through those morons, so I guess you're full of yourself. What are you waiting for! Beat the crap out of him!”
At the man's yell, one of the warriors cracked his knuckles and stepped forward.
“Leave it to me. Been bored without decent Righteous Alliance trash to fight.”
“......”
The approaching warrior seized Yu Hyun's head.
“Hey, kid. Why aren't you moving? Scared?”
“......”
Yu Hyun, who had stayed silent till then, slightly raised his head to look at the warrior.
“You'll die.”
“What? You little blood-clot...”
“......”
His words cut off abruptly.
Everyone stared puzzled at the warrior gripping Yu Hyun's head, frozen in place.
Tok.
Moments later, as Yu Hyun lightly pushed with his hand, the warrior's massive frame slowly toppled.
Thud.
“......?”
With his view blocked, he couldn't tell exactly what happened.
Yu Hyun slowly swept his gaze over the wide-eyed red-cloaked warriors and spoke again.
“I'll ask once more. Where is Zhuge Murin?”
“......”
His voice remained even, but the sight of their comrade down with eyes rolled back was enough to enrage them.
“You son of a bitch! Thought you were someone, so I went easy—now I'll take your head, not just your clothes!”
“Oh, this?”
“......”
As the furious man, having lost a subordinate in a blink, lunged forward, Yu Hyun lightly brushed the severed hem and chuckled.
“Proud of slicing my hem?”
“What?”
“What a joke.”
“......!”
“Well, fine. Last chance anyway. Answer, or die.”
No sooner had the icy question ended than the man swung the cleaver from his shoulder.
“Drop dead!”
Shwaaaak!
Yu Hyun casually stepped forward, slipping into the path of the fiercely swinging cleaver.
“......Can't even gauge your opponent's skill, you midget.”
“......!”
The cleaver cleaved empty air, and Yu Hyun's upright elbow drove deep into the man's side.
Jjeeek!
“Keuuk.”
“......!”
As the man's eyes bulged and he crumpled powerlessly with a groan, his watching subordinates gaped blankly.
Then Yu Hyun smiled brightly at them.
“You'd better answer my questions sincerely from now on, if you want to keep your heads on your shoulders.”