Chapter 42
Chapter 42
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 42
Chapter Title: Subjugating the Black Dragon Society
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Two days passed.
Yonggak was holding a meeting with his executives at the Black Dragon Pavilion, preparing for the Overlord's sudden intrusion.
"The Overlord has been staying at the White Serpent Hall for two days?"
"Yes, that's correct."
"I can't figure out what he's scheming."
Just then, someone came from outside and knocked on the meeting hall door.
"The masters of the Black Serpent Hall and the Red Serpent Hall have arrived."
"Hmm, my disciples are already here. Let them in."
They had come to receive martial arts instruction after successfully completing Yonggak's test.
-Creeak
As the door opened, a man in a black serpent mask and another in a red serpent mask cupped their fists and bowed to Yonggak.
""We greet you, Master!""
Their voices were filled with vigor.
"Yes. Sit."
At Yonggak's words, they immediately took the empty seats at the executive table.
Their stiff movements and rigid posture made it clear they were quite nervous.
"You've come a long way. Well done."
""Not at all!""
Despite being leaders of the most powerful dark factions in their respective regions, they were nothing before the head of the Black Dragon Society.
The same was true for Yonggak's children, who sat facing them.
They were seated there under Yonggak's orders to learn about managing the society, but they were still too young.
"I simply can't fathom why the Overlord has come all the way from Guangxi to Hunan."
"Could he have made some sort of deal with the master of the Black Ghost Guild?"
"Of course, he must have... "
-Thud
A loud vibration echoed from outside the meeting hall, and the society head and his executives, who were in the middle of their meeting, all turned to look at the door.
Since the vibration occurred only once, the head of the Black Dragon Society was about to resume the meeting.
"Hmm, well, anyway, without a reason like that, for him to suddenly come here... "
-Thud. Thud.
"...What's going on outside?"
Yonggak frowned, and the executive sitting at the farthest end of the table stood up.
"I'll go give them a warning right away."
The moment the executive placed his hand on the doorknob,
-Thud! Thud! Thud!
A series of violent vibrations followed, and then the meeting hall door shattered.
-Craaash!
Splinters of wood flew in all directions, showering the inside of the hall.
-Fwoosh-
Yonggak, along with the two Serpent Hall masters and most of the executives, immediately deployed their energy barriers to block the debris.
"Guaaah!"
"Aaaargh!"
However, the executives who were too close to the door had no time to defend themselves and were immediately exposed to the wooden fragments.
"Who's there?!"
Yonggak quickly rose to his feet and grabbed the Black Dragon Sword he had placed next to his grand chair.
The two Serpent Hall masters and the executives around him also drew their weapons and took defensive stances.
A human silhouette emerged from the thick smoke.
The man, walking slowly with a massive glaive slung over his shoulder, swung it in a wide arc, instantly clearing away the dense smoke.
"Hey, you Black Dragon Society vermin. Have you been well these past two days?"
Wi-ak, his black and gold robes fluttering, appeared alone with a smirk.
Seeing him, Yonggak was the first to shout.
"Overlord! How dare you come here!"
-Thump.
Behind Wi-ak, a martial artist from the Black Dragon Society collapsed in the cloud of dust.
Then, Gwiyeong appeared behind him, followed by the executives of the Black Ghost Guild and the White Serpent Hall.
Gwiyeong announced the situation in an endlessly cold voice.
"We've nearly taken over the Black Dragon Pavilion. The main estate and other buildings will be cleared out soon."
"You hear that?"
Only then did Yonggak and his executives fully grasp the situation, and they all charged forward with their weapons drawn.
"Intruders!"
"The Overlord's Society and the Black Ghost Guild have joined forces!"
The Black Serpent Hall Master and the Red Serpent Hall Master also rushed at the Overlord, swords in hand.
"Master! Leave this to us!"
"I'll take care of him!"
Just then, Gwiyeong, who had been watching from behind, swung the Gale Blade fiercely, creating a gust of wind.
-Whoosh! -Craaash!
Their leap blocked, the Black and Red Serpent Hall masters stared at Gwiyeong, who had unleashed the wind at them.
"Your opponent is me."
-Dash-
-Craaaash!
Charging with the flat side of the Gale Blade forward, Gwiyeong plowed through the Red and Black Serpent Hall masters, smashing through the meeting hall wall and into another room.
The executives of the Black Ghost Guild and the White Serpent Hall all rushed toward the Black Dragon Society's executives.
In terms of individual combat prowess, the Black Dragon Society's executives were at a higher level, but with three or four executives from the Black Ghost and White Serpent groups ganging up on each one, they couldn't help but struggle.
"Kughh!"
"How dare you attack the Black Dragon Society! You insane bastards!"
The solemn atmosphere of the Black Dragon Pavilion's meeting hall was instantly filled with the sounds of clashing blades and fierce battle cries.
In the midst of it all, the head of the Black Dragon Society and the Overlord stared intently at each other, as if they were in a different realm.
"Overlord, how do you intend to handle the consequences of this?"
"I'll take care of it, so worry about yourself first. I gave you two days to recover your strength. How is it? Feeling a bit better now?"
"Ha, haha! How absurd! Overlord! What do you take me for! I'll crush that arrogant face of yours right here, today!"
The head of the Black Dragon Society, wreathed in black flames, leaped toward the Overlord.
-Craaash!
The fiercely burning black flames surged forward, gaping open like a dragon's maw, ready to swallow the Overlord whole.
Facing the searing flames, the Overlord grinned, drew back his glaive, and swung it wide.
"Let's go at it! Until one of us is shattered!"
-Craaaaaaaash!
***
-Crash! Crash! Crash!
Gwiyeong plowed through the Red and Black Serpent Hall masters with her Gale Blade, smashing through wall after wall.
After breaking through five walls, they emerged outside the Black Dragon Pavilion.
-Crash!
Sent flying with wood splinters, the Black and Red Serpent Hall masters rolled across the ground, groaning in pain.
"Kugh!"
"This, you brute...!"
Their backs were a mess from crashing through the walls, but the tension of battle kept them from fully feeling the pain.
Following that, a tremendous vibration and a deafening roar erupted from the Black Dragon Pavilion they had just exited.
-Ruuuuuumble-
[That sounds brutal. Looks like the Overlord and the Black Dragon Society's head have clashed.]
Gwiyeong glared at the two off-balance Serpent Hall masters and spoke to the Gale Blade.
"One of them would be easy, but fighting two at once is a bit much. That technique you showed me last time. Can you do it, but a little weaker?"
[I can maintain it for as long as I receive energy. It's up to you.]
"Alright. Let's give it a try."
As Gwiyeong shot forward like a spring, the two Serpent Hall masters scrambled to their feet and deployed a sword barrier.
But there was no way the technique would be effective when they hadn't even properly set their stance.
The Black Serpent Hall Master, his shoulder slashed, grunted and retreated.
"Kughh!"
Just then, the Red Serpent Hall Master quickly twisted his body and aimed for Gwiyeong's exposed side.
"So you're that rumored Gwiyeong!"
-Claaang!
Gwiyeong stabbed the Gale Blade into the ground to block the Red Serpent Hall Master's attack. Immediately after, the Black Serpent Hall Master, despite his wounded shoulder, quickly raised his sword and leaped at Gwiyeong.
-Whoosh!
Attacked simultaneously, she had no choice but to let go of the Gale Blade and retreat.
Given its size and weight, it was difficult to perfectly dodge and block the swift attacks of two opponents while wielding the Gale Blade.
"Haha! Dropping your weapon right at the start!"
the Red Serpent Hall Master shouted with a twisted smile.
"Even if you're a transcendent master, do you really think you can take on both of us at once?!"
Hearing this, Gwiyeong scoffed and replied.
"Who said I was alone?"
-Rustle-
Just then, a red plum blossom petal brushed against the cheek of the Red Serpent Hall Master as he swung his sword fiercely.
"...Plum blossoms?"
In that instant,
-Wham!
a man with red hair and a black wolf mask suddenly appeared from behind—the Gale Blade in human form—and landed a flying kick to the Red Serpent Hall Master's waist.
[There are two of us, too! Keh heh!]
The Red Serpent Hall Master quickly executed a rolling escape, then looked at the Gale Blade and shouted.
"Wh-what is that thing?!"
The Black Serpent Hall Master was just as shocked to see the Gale Blade's sudden appearance.
"Who the hell are you?! Where did you come from?!"
The Gale Blade landed next to Gwiyeong, tapped her on the shoulder, and said,
[Not bad. Let's show these guys our power.]
Immediately, the Gale Blade's physical body dissolved into red smoke and plum blossom petals.
In its place was only a savage greatsword, its dark red eye gleaming.
Gwiyeong smirked, pulled the Gale Blade from the ground, and said,
"Right. If it's the two of us, guys like them are nothing."
Watching this, the two Serpent Hall masters couldn't hide their bewilderment.
"Wh-what kind of sorcery is this?!"
"Turning into a weapon all of a sudden. What is... "
Gwiyeong immediately drew the Gale Blade far back and lunged.
Seeing her leap toward them, the Black Serpent Hall Master quickly deployed a sword barrier, while the Red Serpent Hall Master prepared to counterattack.
Seeing this, Gwiyeong abruptly halted and threw the Gale Blade between the two masters.
-Swiiiiish-
The Gale Blade, imbued with powerful energy, flew through the air and slammed into the ground, creating a massive shockwave that broke the two masters' stances.
-Craaash-
"Kughh."
"Tch, damn it!"
Just then, the Gale Blade, having taken human form again, grabbed both masters by the neck and slammed their heads into the ground.
-Slam! Slam!
Their heads smashed into the ground simultaneously, the immense impact nearly causing the two masters to lose consciousness.
"Keoheok!"
"Kuhak! This, this bastard!"
The Black Serpent Hall Master, who had a stronger will, quickly spun and swung his sword, but in that spot was only the cold, hard blade of the Gale Blade, which had transformed back into a weapon.
-Clang!
"N-no way...!"
-Thwack-
Gwiyeong appeared, kicked the Black Serpent Hall Master away, and pulled out the Gale Blade, swinging it wide.
The Red and Black Serpent Hall masters, who had once again rolled away to dodge, stared blankly between Gwiyeong and the Gale Blade, their bodies covered in dirt and dust.
"What in the world... "
"What kind of sorcery are you using?! Fight fair and square!"
At those words, Gwiyeong snorted and replied.
"Hmph, you're from the underworld, and you're talking about fighting fair?"
The Gale Blade also spoke, his eyes curving like crescent moons.
[Isn't it already a fair fight, with two of us against two of you?]
Just then,
-Ruuuuuuuumble-
-Craaaash-
a series of roars erupted from the Black Dragon Pavilion behind Gwiyeong.
The battle between the leaders seemed to be intensifying, and soon, a massive vibration, incomparable to any before, shook the entire area.
-Rumble-rumble-rumble-
The black dragon that had majestically adorned the pavilion's roof could not withstand the tremendous impact and shattered, tumbling down the roofline.
"R-run!"
"It's falling!"
-Craaash!
The Black Dragon Society members crushed by the structure were flattened into a pulp without even a chance to scream.
Gwiyeong watched this with a cold smile and said,
"Looks like things are wrapping up over there. Gale Blade, shall we finish this up, too?"
[Sounds good. Let's smash them with everything we've got.]