Chapter 586: Sword Phoenix
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 586: Sword Phoenix
Dozens of mangled corpses lay strewn across the ground.
It had taken Kang Hyun-woo less than fifteen minutes to annihilate the Blood Wolf Bandits.
“You said you’re bandits?”
“Ye-yes...! We’re the Blood Wolf Bandits...!”
“Hmm, never heard of you.”
Ah, let me correct that.
One was still alive.
Since this didn't seem like an ordinary bandit stronghold, Hyun-woo had spared a low-ranking grunt to interrogate. He figured he could use the guy as a coachman later, too.
Of course, he could have just absorbed the man's memories without the hassle of an interrogation, but reading someone else's memories wasn't exactly a pleasant experience.
Memories were inherently laced with emotions.
Taking in someone else's joys and sorrows was, in the long run, akin to letting oneself be slowly eaten away.
Well, Kang Hyun-woo was an exception.
He was a man who had remained perfectly fine even after a mental attack from a bizarre creature that was neither god nor demon. What harm could absorbing a few human emotions do?
The real reason he hadn't absorbed the bandits' memories was simply that he didn't want to see memories of them jerking off in some corner.
Besides, absorbing their internal energy didn't seem like it would help much either.
“Hehe, we mostly operated around Gansu and Ningxia, so many people probably don't know us. Plus, the last time we were active was four years ago...”
“Why did a bandit group from the north settle here in Mukam Mountain?”
“That... well, we were being chased by the authorities...”
“The authorities? The government is actually hunting bandits?”
Hyun-woo’s eyes widened in surprise at the bandit’s words.
In South Korea, the military existed to protect the lives and property of the citizens, but in the Central Plains, the army existed to protect the property of the Emperor and the imperial family.
As long as they weren't provoked first, the authorities didn't care if bandits burned down villages or slaughtered commoners.
Cruel?
In the Central Plains, the very idea of soldiers protecting the people was considered strange.
“We accidentally killed the sixth cousin of the Assistant Regional Vice Commissioner of Gansu Province...”
‘...Are these guys actually insane?’
Hyun-woo let out a hollow laugh, dumbfounded.
An Assistant Regional Vice Commissioner was a high-ranking official belonging to a military institution called the Provincial Military Command.
Specifically, the third-in-command of military power at the provincial level.
Furthermore, if it was Gansu Province, he would be an official of the Gansu Provincial Military Command—a place where elite soldiers gathered in droves to block invasions from the northern barbarians.
“What were you thinking, touching someone that powerful...? No, more importantly, how did you even get out alive?”
“We got a bit lucky. And a lot of us died. We used to be about two hundred strong. It really was an accident. Who would have thought the fifth cousin of the Assistant Regional Vice Commissioner would be teaching kids in some backwater village...”
“So, you think it’s unfair?”
“...Hehe, of course not. It was divine punishment.”
Seeing Hyun-woo’s fist clench, the bandit quickly rubbed his palms together and forced a smile.
“Stop smiling before I pull every single one of your teeth out.”
“Hup!”
“Head on the ground.”
“Sir, yes, sir!”
Thud!
The bandit immediately slammed his forehead against the ground like a terrified recruit.
It was only natural.
If he still had the guts to resist after watching his leader, deputy leader, and every executive get slaughtered with equal indifference, that would be even stranger.
Hyun-woo sat atop the bandit, who was in a perfect push-up position, and slowly calmed his demonic energy.
True to its grand name, the Heaven-Shattering Demonic Energy continued to surge through his meridians even after the fight was over.
Of course, it didn't take long for his Vajra Qi to grab it by the scruff of the neck and beat it like a dog on a midsummer day.
‘By the way, it’s already at the 3rd Stage? Is it because I used it in real combat?’
He had only used it briefly for practice, yet he had already reached the 3rd Stage. His progress with the Heavenly Demonic Cultivation Method was much faster than expected.
‘Is our compatibility just that good?’
It felt a bit unsettling, but on second thought, it wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
It wasn't like he was going to discard the Heavenly Demonic Cultivation Method now.
This was all the more reason to be careful not to be swayed by the martial art.
Handling demonic energy didn't automatically make one a Demonic Human. To be precise, those who were swayed by their martial arts and could not control themselves were called Demonic Humans.
“Is it all finished?”
Yeo-hwa returned just in time.
Thick, fresh blood was dripping from her fingertips.
Since she seemed to want some real combat experience, he had let a few first-rate bandits escape her way, and it appeared she had finished them all off.
“Sorry. I tried to leave at least one Transcendent Realm expert alive, but I had trouble holding back.”
“Most Demonic Humans who have just begun learning demonic arts are like that, so do not dwell on it. You are actually doing quite well. That aside, what a strange-looking chair.”
“Hmm? Oh, this? I spared him to use as a coachman.”
Whack!
“I! Am! Gwak! Do! Sam! I will do my absolute best to ensure the honored guests have a comfortable journey!!”
As Hyun-woo’s hand slapped the back of his head, the man shouted reflexively, as if his survival instinct had kicked in.
“You’d better do a good job.”
“Yes!! Thank you!!”
Gwak Do-sam didn't know what he was thankful for, but since Hyun-woo planned to hand him over to the authorities at the next city anyway, his fate was already sealed.
“By the way, do you know the way to Kaifeng?”
“Yes!! Once we leave Mukam Mountain, we’ll hit the main road. If we pass through Huangchuan, Hangcheng, and Qixian in order, we’ll reach Kaifeng!!”
“Oh, really? How does a bandit who operated in Gansu and Ningxia know that?”
“My hometown was Nanyang, in the southwest of Henan Province!!”
“Is that so?”
A smirk played on Hyun-woo’s lips at Gwak Do-sam’s desperate shout.
Since he’d confirmed the "navigation" worked well enough, he figured he could change his plans slightly.
Even if he found a new coachman in the next city, there was no guarantee a similar situation wouldn't happen again.
In that case, it wouldn't be bad to just head to Kaifeng with the current members.
“Alright, you’re hired as the coachman.”
“Thank youuuu!!”
“At ease.”
“At ease!!!”
Thud—
The moment Hyun-woo stood up, Gwak Do-sam collapsed to the ground.
It was a monumental moment where the youngest member of the Blood Wolf Bandits was re-employed as the coachman for a top-of-the-line British carriage.
He was so moved that he was even shedding tears.
Hyun-woo smiled with satisfaction and turned his head toward the dense forest.
“So, how long are you going to keep hiding?”
*
It was commonly said that the forces representing the Orthodox Faction were the Nine Great Sects and One Alliance and the Five Great Families.
However, that was half-outdated news.
Nowadays, it wasn't the Five Great Families, but the Ten Great Families.
This was the result of expanding their influence over a decade ago to avoid being overshadowed by the Nine Great Sects and One Alliance.
And among those Ten Great Families, there was one that reigned as the de facto leader—
The Namgung Family, where the Sword Emperor, one of the Three Sovereigns, reigned as the Grand Elder.
Despite such fame, however, the internal situation of the Namgung Family was not very bright.
A few years ago, Namgung Yicheon, the Meteor Sword—son of the Sword Emperor and younger brother of the current head—had been murdered by the Old Monster Mangong, Wang Chwiong.
Furthermore, their pride as the world's greatest sword family had been partially shattered when the Mount Hua Sect produced a Sword Saint.
Hmm? Since the Mount Hua Sect wasn't a family, wasn't it fine?
Usually, people would use such flimsy excuses to save face.
However, the situation was a bit awkward because the Sword Saint, Baek Un-hak, and the Sword Emperor, Namgung Hwang, had once been fierce rivals.
In their youth, Namgung Hwang had been superior, but at some point, the gap between the two widened uncontrollably.
His pride wounded, Namgung Hwang would often lament losing the title of Sword Saint whenever he drank.
Otherwise, he would silently empty his glass while thinking of his late son.
At those times, he couldn't help but think.
Perhaps the guilt of being a pathetic father who couldn't avenge his son was holding him back, preventing him from reaching the next realm.
He wasn't sure.
But he was certain that as long as that grudge remained unresolved, he would never be able to overcome the wall before him.
Yet, if he touched the Black Crow Sect Leader, who was under the protection of the Evil Alliance Leader, the entire family could end up in a conflict with the Evil Alliance.
As a martial artist of the previous generation who was practically retired, he could not bring trouble to the family, so today, he once again soothed his heart with alcohol.
And as his young granddaughter grew up watching Namgung Hwang’s back, her dream naturally solidified into one.
To one day slay the great demon of the Evil Faction who murdered her uncle, and further, to ascend to the position of Sword Saint and spread the name of the Namgung Family across the world once more.
That was the grand goal of Namgung Seorin, the youngest daughter of the Namgung Family and the one who held the title of Sword Phoenix among the Five Dragons and Three Phoenixes.
For the record, the fact that the Old Monster Mangong had died at the hands of Kang Hyun-woo was not yet known to the world.
In any case, from the day she set her goal, Namgung Seorin had trained her sword day and night. She was currently on her way to Kaifeng to participate in the World's Greatest Martial Arts Tournament.
While traveling, she heard rumors that a bandit stronghold had been established in Mukam Mountain. She slipped away from the family procession and rushed toward the mountain alone.
This caused quite a stir within the family, but regardless, Namgung Seorin’s only goal was to build her reputation as a rising talent by subjugating the bandits.
Accumulating chivalrous deeds in her youth would provide the justification for her to claim the title of Sword Saint in the future.
Although there was the minor issue of her not knowing that the bandits in Mukam Mountain were no ordinary bandits, this wasn't her fault.
Commonly speaking, it made no sense for a stronghold containing two Transcendent Realm experts to appear right in the middle of the Orthodox Faction's territory.
With that much power, they would be a force to be reckoned with even among the 72 strongholds of the Green Forest Clan.
The only saving grace was that Kang Hyun-woo had visited the bandit stronghold fifteen minutes before Namgung Seorin arrived.
But where there is good news, there is also bad news.
‘Wh-what in the world...’
Hiding in the bushes, Namgung Seorin’s eyes shook violently.
She had seen it.
The sight of Kang Hyun-woo ruthlessly slaughtering the bandits (not really) like a ferocious beast.
Blood soaked the dirt, and the screams didn't last long. Every time an ominous black starlight flashed, a life was extinguished.
Holding her breath, Namgung Seorin’s fingertips trembled involuntarily.
‘Wh-why is a Demonic Human here...?!!’
Of course, the bandits were no ordinary group.
There were two experts who had reached the peak level, and below them, first-rate and second-rate martial artists were common.
It was a force capable of threatening an entire sect.
Even if Kang Hyun-woo hadn't arrived first, Namgung Seorin wouldn't have been captured by them.
Namgung Hwang, who doted on his granddaughter, had drilled it into her ears that when facing many enemies, she should never rush. Instead, she should hide and first assess the enemy's strength and the surrounding terrain.
Furthermore, since he had taught her stealth techniques whenever he had the chance, she was second to none among her peers when it came to hiding her presence.
So, even without Kang Hyun-woo, she would have had no problem keeping herself safe.
And that was exactly why Kang Hyun-woo had only noticed her presence late.
Part of it was that he was intoxicated by the domineering power of the Heaven-Shattering Demonic Energy, which narrowed his vision, but who would have imagined someone would be hiding using advanced stealth techniques?
Of course, once his Vajra Qi dragged the demonic energy back like a mother-in-law grabbing a daughter-in-law by the hair, he was able to quickly sense her.
“So, how long are you going to keep hiding?”
“?!!”
Dash!
The moment Hyun-woo finished speaking, Namgung Seorin kicked off the ground and took flight.
She squeezed her internal energy from every meridian in her body, channeled it into her Yongcheon acupoints, and blasted off, leaping onto a tree in a single bound.
It was the Nine Heavens Soaring Movement Technique passed down in the Namgung Family.
It was a peerless technique that, at its peak, allowed one to fly through the sky at will.
Of course, it had the disadvantage of extreme internal energy consumption, but thanks to Namgung Hwang’s love, Namgung Seorin had consumed several more elixirs than others.
She was confident that in terms of absolute internal energy capacity, she wouldn't lose to anyone among the Five Dragons and Three Phoenixes.
So, escaping like this shouldn't be impossible!
But there was one fact Namgung Seorin had overlooked.
“Pant, pant!!”
‘If I hide in that cave I saw earlier...!!’
“You’re pretty fast for a Peak Realm expert.”
“?!!”
The fact was that her opponent was a monster in the Flower Realm who had mastered peerless techniques like the Formless Electric Body and Heavenly Demonic Flight.
Seeing Hyun-woo, who had already overtaken her and was blocking her path, Namgung Seorin’s pupils dilated.
She grit her teeth and hurriedly changed direction.
But—
Slip!
“?!!!”
Unfortunately, there is a law in this world called inertia, where a moving object tends to maintain its direction and speed.
And Namgung Seorin’s body, which had been fleeing with every ounce of strength she possessed, was honestly following that law.
“Kya, kyaaaaak!!”
In short, because she couldn't control her speed, her feet got tangled.
Since she was running atop trees dozens of feet high, a strange sense of weightlessness enveloped her, and she soon began to fall rapidly.
Falling from this height, even a peak-level martial artist couldn't avoid injury.
The ground was too uneven to perform a proper landing roll, so Namgung Seorin grit her teeth and scraped together her remaining internal energy.
She activated her protective aura to absorb at least some of the impact and squeezed her eyes shut!
Flump—
“...Huh?”
But a moment later, what greeted her wasn't the dull pain of colliding with the hard ground.
It was the opposite.
It was a bit firm, but strangely stable and even warm... a comfort as if she were being held in someone's arms.
“Are you alright?”
“...?”
At the deep voice that seemed to echo in a cave, Namgung Seorin cautiously opened her eyes.
And—
“...Hic!”
Deep-set eyes, a sharp nose, and an unfazed expression even amidst the scent of blood.
The face of a man so handsome it was hazardous to her heart filled her vision, and her face turned as red as a ripe persimmon.
Thump, thump, thump, thump—
At the same time, her heart began to beat wildly.