Chapter 599
Chapter 599
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 599
Chapter Title: Radiant Ascension Path
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Oh Son-mo's hearty, boisterous laughter echoed loudly through the main hall of the mountain stronghold as he greedily gulped down the refined liquor poured diligently by his third wife, whom he had recently taken into his home.
All around him sat the ruthless bandits who served as the trusted executives of O Young-chae, drinking together in high spirits and constantly vying with one another to shower Oh Son-mo with blatant flattery.
“Boss, you were absolutely incredible out there today, and watching your prowess gave me goosebumps from head to toe!” one executive shouted, while another chimed in, “That is exactly right, those foolish bastards are probably frolicking away happily right now, completely oblivious to the fact that tonight is going to be their bloody funeral!”
“How on earth did you manage to come up with such a brilliant and flawless scheme, Boss?” they asked, continuing their naked bootlicking, which Oh Son-mo thoroughly enjoyed receiving since it was the ultimate proof that he sat undisputed at the very top of the food chain.
“But Boss, is it truly safe for us to mess with the Jikga Escort Bureau like this?” one of the more cautious bandits inquired, knowing that although the bureau was located a fair distance away, it was a highly famous outfit that had been aggressively expanding its turf lately, making it crucial for bandits to keep close tabs on whether such agencies were potential customers or deadly enemies.
“Heh heh, there is absolutely no need to worry about them because once this final job is successfully completed, we are going to hang up our bandit hats for good,” Oh Son-mo replied with a smug grin.
“Gasp! No way, Boss, we just claimed this lucrative territory, so retiring out of nowhere like this seems completely insane to us!” the bandits exclaimed in shock.
“We are not retiring from the martial world entirely, but rather switching our career path, because if we nail this specific job, we will officially shed our identity as outlaws and become recognized martial artists!” Oh Son-mo explained, causing the bandits to stare at him with intense curiosity as they tried to decipher his words.
“Since we are already in the final stretch of the plan, I suppose I can spill the details to you all, meaning that if we succeed here, we will be integrated directly into the prestigious Ahyeon Shin Clan as their loyal retainers,” Oh Son-mo revealed, speaking of the powerful Shin family rooted in Ahyeon City, which was a massive powerhouse capable of rivaling the Jikga Escort Bureau itself.
“No way, so hitting the Jikga Escort Bureau caravan was actually an operation tied directly to the interests of the Ahyeon Shin Clan all along?” one bandit asked in awe.
“Yep, about a week back, one of their highly ranked martial artists secretly showed up with this official offer, and even though we will land on the fringes of their territory, it still beats living the dangerous lifestyle of a bandit by a landslide, wouldn't you agree?” Oh Son-mo said proudly.
“Of course it does, the mere thought of us becoming a part of the legendary Ahyeon Shin Clan makes my heart pound wildly against my ribs, and suddenly this premium booze hits so much harder than before!” an executive cheered, prompting Oh Son-mo to laugh, “Ha ha ha, the mood is certainly right tonight, but you lot better go easy on the sauce, because if you screw up this operation because you are completely hammered, we will plunge straight to rock bottom!”
The raucous revelry erupted into full swing, but Oh Son-mo caught a strange anomaly about an hour into the drinking session when one of his subordinates suddenly lurched forward and face-planted heavily into the wooden table.
The other bandits sitting nearby assumed it was just a typical case of a drunkard collapsing from too much alcohol and continued boozing, but Oh Son-mo's face immediately turned grave as his instincts flared.
“Poison, it is poison!” Oh Son-mo barked at the top of his lungs, causing the festive atmosphere to freeze instantly like a bucket of ice water being poured over the room.
“He did not drink nearly enough liquor to pass out like that, which means the alcohol has definitely been dosed, so everyone must halt drinking immediately, drop into position, and circulate your qi to expel the toxin!” he commanded urgently.
“Yes, Boss!” the executives shouted, immediately assuming the lotus position on the floor to purge the hidden poison from their bodies.
“H-honey, what on earth am I supposed to do?” his beautiful third wife freaked out, possessing zero martial arts knowledge despite her stunning appearance, which caused Oh Son-mo's harsh demeanor to soften as he looked at her.
“Easy now, my dear, the poison is likely only inside the booze itself, and since you skipped drinking it tonight, you are perfectly safe, so go bar the entrance and let no one in while we finish our purging and hunt down the culprit,” he reassured her gently.
However, the moment those words left his mouth, the meditating martial artists began to topple over onto the floor one by one, filling the silent hall with the loud sounds of heavy, rhythmic snoring.
“This is not a lethal poison, but rather a powerful sleeping drug,” Oh Son-mo muttered to himself, a wave of profound unease mixing with his relief, because if the enemy had lethal intent, they would have used straight poison, making him wonder why they resorted to inducing a deep slumber instead.
‘These are definitely not professional hitmen, because pros would have poisoned us dead without hesitation, so what is their goal then? Are they knocking us out to slaughter us while defenseless, or did they just come to loot our treasury?’ he thought frantically as his own head began to swim under the rising influence of the drug.
‘How can this drug be potent enough to affect someone like me who has achieved the Realm of Outflow? This is no ordinary concoction, and regular qi circulation is barely denting its effects as my mind continues to fog over,’ he realized grimly.
Stumbling slightly on his feet, he spotted his anxious wife looking at him, which renewed his determination not to drop unconscious in front of an invading enemy.
Oh Son-mo maxed out his Golden Power Technique to its absolute limit, causing his muscles to harden instantly like steel while a faint, shimmering golden aura seeped out from his skin.
‘I am the undisputed lord of O Young-chae, and I will force this pathetic drug out of my system even if it severely bruises my internal meridians!’ he vowed, using the sheer brute force of his Golden Power to flush the drug away, knowing that temporary internal damage beats taking a defenseless nap during a raid.
‘Who could have possibly spiked the booze? Is this an inside job by a traitor, an external raid, or could it be a direct sabotage operation orchestrated by the Jikga Escort Bureau?’ he pondered, but then the heavy front door creaked open slowly, and two men dressed in black garb with plain, unforgettable faces strode into the hall with total confidence.
Oh Son-mo's eyes flashed with pure rage as he stared at the strangers, immediately roaring at them, “You pathetic scum, those are human skin masks, aren't they? Are you assassins sent here to die?!”
???
I completely blew off Oh Son-mo's angry yapping and ignored his questions entirely, casually scoping the large room only to find that the entirety of the bandit brass was completely conked out on the floor.
‘Yuria was the one who originally brewed the mixture, and when boosted by the special effects of the Radiant Ascension Path, the potency of the sleeping drug increased exponentially, meaning there is absolutely no chance these lower-tier chumps will wake up anytime soon, though the fact that Oh Son-mo is resisting it is quite a surprise, indicating that he must have strained his meridians severely to stay awake,’ I calculated inwardly.
My gaze quickly shifted until I spotted a woman standing by the entrance, who exuded a surprisingly prim and elegant vibe with her silky long black hair, droopy eyes, full breasts, and a slim waist that gave her a very proper aura.
She was undoubtedly Oh Son-mo's prized third wife, and I couldn't help but think that it was an absolute shame to waste a beauty of her caliber on a mere bandit boss, though given his martial arts realm, it made logical sense that he could secure such a woman.
After all, achieving the prestigious Realm of Outflow made it incredibly easy for a martial artist to snag the top beauties from any neighboring village without facing any resistance.
“Heh heh, she really possesses a remarkably juicy figure, and I am definitely digging everything about her,” I commented casually to my partner.
“You arrogant little punk!” Oh Son-mo bellowed in my direction, but his noisy shouting was nothing more than a waste of breath because his clear play was to summon the outside guards, completely unaware that I had dosed the entire compound, leaving the outside crew snoring away into slumber as well, bar a few stragglers.
“Are there truly no other girls to my liking left inside this main hall?” I asked, turning my head toward my companion.
“Not in this specific room, but I definitely spotted a few women who match your exact type while we were making our way through the outer corridors earlier,” Seong Ji-gon replied smoothly.
“In that case, I am going to go fetch them right now, but what should we do with him in the meantime?” Seong Ji-gon added, thumbing directly toward the enraged Oh Son-mo.
“Considering that we were nearly toyed with by that pieces of shit, we certainly cannot just off him quickly without making him suffer first,” I answered with a cold smile.
“That is very true, and the mere sight of his face pisses me off even more than usual,” Seong Ji-gon muttered, appearing much more edgy and aggressive than his ordinary self since executing operations while wearing these plain human skin masks always seemed to flip his psychological switch.
“You worthless rats, you must be the pathetic trash sent by the Jikga Escort Bureau, but do you honestly think that a great organization like O Young-chae is going to fold to a couple of masked assassins like you?” Oh Son-mo yelled as he suddenly snatched his wall-mounted greatsword and bull-rushed straight toward me, the tip of his massive blade gleaming with a sharp golden light.
I tightly gripped the handle of my Flame Lotus Sword and stood my ground, meeting his furious charge head-on as a loud crackle echoed through the air and the crimson blade sparked with intense crimson lightning.
Boom!
A massive, violent shockwave rippled through the hall upon impact, and the sheer momentum of his power forcefully shoved me back several steps, leaving my arms completely numb and a sharp tingling sensation spreading across my shoulder.
‘We technically belong to the exact same martial arts realm, but his physical strength is clearly several tiers above mine because his specific technique spikes his physical physique in short-burst intervals, making his brute force style incredibly obvious to deal with,’ I analyzed calmly.
Oh Son-mo immediately executed another boar-like charge, showcasing beastly strength but paired with incredibly mediocre, linear, and telegraphed moves that allowed me to easily dodge his blade without even resorting to using my Moment skill.
‘He is nothing more than a self-taught martial hack who relies entirely on power,’ I thought, knowing that while he possessed a higher raw realm, my overall tactical matchup, superior gear, and high skill mastery provided me with an abundance of deadly edges over him.
“Thunderbolt!” I roared, blasting a sudden surge of blinding lightning directly into his chest before zipping in closer and unleashing a powerful slash that clean severed his left arm, causing a geyser of fresh blood to spray into the air as the limb arced airborne and thudded heavily onto the floor.
“Arrrghhh!” Oh Son-mo screamed in absolute agony as his body reeled backward, violently vomiting a mouthful of dark blood because the electric current from the lightning had completely wrecked his internal qi channels due to his sloppy defensive guard.
‘This is the prime kill window that I have been waiting for, and I must seize it without a single second of hesitation!’ I determined, activating a sudden burst of my Moment skill to close the remaining distance and cleanly severing his right arm before he could even register my movement.
Oh Son-mo collapsed silently onto the ground, completely neutralized as the residual lightning continued to ravage his internal organs and nervous system.
“So, Jin won this round after all, huh?” Seong Ji-gon commented as he walked over, his eyes scanning the bloody scene.
“What about you, Gon? Were you actually secretly betting on my loss this entire time?” I asked with a smirk.
“Nah, I always knew you would take him down in the end, but I am just a bit shocked by how incredibly quick you managed to finish the job,” he admitted honestly.
“What should we do with the rest of these sleeping bandits then?” I inquired.
“I will ice some of the dangerous ones immediately, and then we can securely rope the rest of them up according to the plan,” Seong Ji-gon suggested.
“Roger that,” I replied, watching as Seong Ji-gon drew his dual swords and calmly walked over to the unconscious executives, the tips of his blades quivering with a faint light as he prepared to deliver real, fatal kills to the sleeping men without displaying a single ounce of hesitation before slashing their throats clean open.
Whether he was dealing with rogue yokai practice or culling bandit trash, he always handled the wet work smoothly, systematically executing the extra executives and roping the survivors exactly as we had planned beforehand.
As for Oh Son-mo himself, I made sure to secure him with special, heavily reinforced iron chains, and as I ruthlessly yanked him up to his knees, the veins on his forehead popped violently as he glared at me with pure venom.
“Keep your filthy hands off of her!” Oh Son-mo hissed through his teeth.
“You expect me to keep my hands off a prime, high-quality pussy like this? You need to chill out, bandit boss, because I am not going to kill your precious wife, but rather ensure that I pleasure her incredibly good in front of your very eyes, heh,” I mocked him openly.
“Sob... honey... please help me...” Wi Jo-hee sobbed softly, her body trembling with absolute terror.
I forcefully ripped her silk garb wide open right before his face, exposing her creamy, unblemished skin to the cold air before letting my palms glide slowly down her torso, finding her flesh to be silkier than the finest silk available in the empire.
I firmly cupped her full breasts, enjoying the perfect palm-fit size they offered, and began to pinch and finger her tan nipples hard enough to elicit a sharp gasp from her lips.
"Hahk!"
“It seems her nipples are quite the sensitive hot spots, so you better tell me your name right now,” I commanded her.
“Stop... I beg of you, please stop this...” she pleaded desperately as tears rolled down her cheeks.
“I asked for your name, and if you continue to ignore my questions, do you want your beloved hubby's legs to be chopped off next?” I threatened coldly.
The sudden threat caused the tears to freeze on her beautiful face, and her quivering red lips slowly parted as she submitted to the pressure.
“Wi Jo-hee... that is my actual name,” she whispered softly.
“Well then, Jo-hee, here is a fair heads-up for you, meaning that you better play nice from here on out, because if you annoy me even a single time, the consequences will be dire,” I warned her.
“You absolute dog! Get off of her right now and take me instead if you must, but ravishing a defenseless woman like this is the lowest form of filth!” Oh Son-mo screamed from the floor, his chains rattling loudly.
“A delusional bandit twit like you always dies an ugly death, heh, so go ahead and riot all you want while you watch a notorious wife-stealer like me ravage her right in front of you,” I laughed, ignoring his desperate howls completely.
“Do not dare to slight him or speak down on his name, because he sacrificed everything he had to protect all of us in this stronghold!” Wi Jo-hee suddenly cried out in defense of her husband.
“Blah blah, I give zero fucks about his pathetic past or what he supposedly sacrificed, because right now, I am completely obsessed with this glorious pussy of yours,” I retorted sharply.
I violently yanked her bottoms down to her ankles, revealing a thick black bush of pubic hair, and as her thighs clamped together in a desperate attempt to hide herself, I firmly cupped my hands over her warm mound to reassert control.
“Take your hands... off of her...” Oh Son-mo groaned, his strength fading fast.
“...”
“Have you already forgotten my warning? Hands off!” I ordered her coldly as she tried to pull away.
“...Hic...” she let out a small, defeated hiccup as her resistance completely crumbled.
Her hands dropped to her sides in total submission, allowing me to easily pry her thighs wide open to inspect her slit, which revealed a vivid crimson coloration and a remarkably neat shape that was highly pleasing to the eye.
“Uwaaagh! You absolute scum, cease this madness at once, because if you take this any further, my vengeful ghost will haunt you until the day you die!” Oh Son-mo howled in pure despair.
I completely ignored his useless howls and proceeded to toy with her delicate folds in every imaginable way, actively turning on my Sensitivity Boost skill to ensure that every single touch felt overwhelmingly intense for her body.
“Heh, this truly is an incredibly snug and warm hole you have here,” I commented, glancing around the room to look for Seong Ji-gon, only to realize that he was still outside grabbing the rest of our female targets.
‘I guess that means I can enjoy a nice little solo warm-up session before he returns,’ I thought to myself.
Jo-hee's wet slit drenched my fingers remarkably quick under my relentless teasing, and I tightly hooked her thighs over my elbows, hoisting her entire lower body high into the air so that her exposed pussy was flaunted directly in her helpless hubby's face.
“Look closely at your precious wife's fuckhole, do you see how it is dripping entirely clear for me? Keep your eyes glued to it, because a massive dick is incoming right now,” I taunted him mercilessly.
“Uwaaagh, you absolute motherfucker!!!” Oh Son-mo screamed, his sanity snapping entirely.
I unleashed my fully erect cock from my pants and gently nudged the tip against her soaking wet lips, preparing to plunge inside.
“Eek! It is... it is far too huge...!” terror completely laced her trembling voice as she stared at it.
I grinned to the hilt, ready to thrust all the way in, when the heavy side door suddenly swung open with a loud bang, and Seong Ji-gon dragged another woman into the hall who was dressed in fine, luxurious threads and appeared older, though she was wide awake due to having been freshly dosed with a powerful stimulant.
“M-Mother?!” Wi Jo-hee gasped in absolute horror.
“Son-mo!” the older woman shrieked as she took in the bloody, chaotic scene before her eyes.