Chapter 255
Chapter 255
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 255
Chapter Title: Let's Show Them (2)
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The area with the largest deployment in the Alliance Army was toward the South Gate.
There were the Eon Family younger brothers from Azure Bamboo Hall—excluding me and Dang Ok-gi—the direct strike team led by the Alliance Leader, the warriors from North Sea Ice Palace, and the soldiers from the Horn Bow Escort.
"So-ryeong."
"Yes, hyung-nim."
Among them, those who moved at Perfect Courtesy Kong Son's command were me, So-ryeong, and the members of the Alliance Leader's direct strike team.
Shh-
Shasha-
Our task was to quietly seize the South Gate and open the walls.
As we stealthily approached the walls to carry it out...
That Kong Son guy seems to be telling you to use him as a stepping stone? Perfect Courtesy Kong Son stared at me, lowered into a stance, and interlocked his fingers to volunteer as a platform.
I immediately sent back a transmission.
[...You're telling me to step on the Alliance Leader?]
[A Murim Alliance Leader like me appointed a greenhorn junior as vanguard, so I have to volunteer for this much.]
[But that's because one of my spells is optimized for stealth, isn't it?]
[That's separate. I'm doing it because I want to. No need to feel burdened.]
[If the Alliance Leader insists, I'll do it... but honestly, I'd prefer tangible rewards over this.]
[Hahaha. I've got that covered too. Don't worry—just come up.]
[Yes, sir.]
[Be careful.]
Using Perfect Courtesy Kong Son as a stepping stone, I leaped up.
Whoosh!
I wrapped qi around my hand and thrust it firmly into the wall.
Stone-
My finger, infused with dense qi, tore through the bricks forming the wall and secured a hold.
Immediately after, U So-ryeong followed me upward.
Tap!
I calmly caught the leaping youth.
[Put your hand in this gap.]
[Yes!]
I yielded the gap I'd made in the wall and drove my finger into a new spot, then slowly climbed the wall.
We suppressed our presence and steadily scaled the wall for a time.
As we reached a vantage point, the voices of Demonic Cult sentries conversing drifted over.
"Will the Lord be alright?"
"Who knows. They lost a fair number of corpse soldiers in the North Sea—severe punishment's bound to follow. Four Blood Corpses and one Mara Corpse among them."
"Blood Corpses. What a shame."
"The Mara Corpse is the bigger loss."
"When I say shame, I mean the Southeast boys and girls that went into making those Blood Corpses. So tender..."
After steadying my breath, I hauled myself fully onto the wall.
Saha-
I activated Dark Shadow Assimilation and drew Regret.
That was all it took.
The wall guards collapsed without even knowing who struck them down.
Slash-
Slash-
U So-ryeong, diligently following me, lowered a rope toward the ground in the meantime.
Perfect Courtesy Kong Son and the strike team members seized the rope and ascended the wall at a run.
Tatata-tak!
At Perfect Courtesy Kong Son's hand signal, around ten headed for the South Gate tower while the rest moved east along the wall.
They were using the circular design of the walls to open the East Gate.
As the strike team scattered, U So-ryeong and I descended to the gate, removed the bar, and flung the gates open.
Creeeeak!!
After signaling the main force, the Eon Family younger brothers, Horn Bow Escort, and North Sea Ice Palace warriors came dashing over.
"Eon young hero! U young hero!"
"Any injuries?"
"They look perfectly fine!"
After the Eon Family brothers, the Horn Bow Escort's deputy leader Ya Hul-wi grinned at me.
"Your eyes look deeper since returning from the North Sea—your martial arts have definitely sharpened. Thrusting your fingers in like the bricks were tofu."
"Various matters boosted my internal energy a bit. Anyway, I leave it to you, brother Ya Hul."
I relayed the same to Palace Lord Dam Yong-ju.
From here on, the Horn Bow Escort and North Sea Ice Palace had to handle the area around the South Gate.
"Brother Dam. Please take care of it. And both of you, be careful. As I mentioned, this South Gate has the highest chance of seeing the fiercest fighting."
"Just what we hoped for. We'll make the Demonic Cult pay for touching the North Sea."
During this brief exchange, Perfect Courtesy Kong Son—who had secured the gate tower—called out to me.
"Yong-un."
I nodded to Ya Hul-wi.
Ya Hul-wi then fired a signal arrow toward the South Gate tower.
Fwoosh!
Roar!
Flames erupted from the tower, and the enemy finally realized we'd infiltrated, raising their voices.
"Enemy raid! Enemy raid! Fire at the South Gate!"
This was a meticulously calculated ploy.
Causing this uproar would inevitably draw enemy troops to the South Gate—but in turn, leave the other gates more vulnerable.
'It also signals the Alliance Army that we've secured the South Gate.'
Moreover, it would reveal the movements of key figures within the fortress.
In a crisis like this, reporting chains would activate, and executives would rush to secure valuables.
I climbed back atop the wall and quietly observed the Demonic Cultists' movements.
"How did they get in here?! Even if they knew, the formation should've triggered—no signs, and now fire at the South Gate?"
"How doesn't matter now! It's happened! We need to alert the executives!"
"You go report and ask orders. I'm heading to the South Gate!"
Sure enough.
Soon, figures heading elsewhere came into view.
"Alliance Leader."
"I saw it too."
Perfect Courtesy Kong Son and I nodded in unison.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Perfect Courtesy Kong Son led his subordinates while I led the Eon Family younger brothers.
We raced toward what appeared to be the fortress's key buildings.
The first foes we met were a band of swordsmen led by a mid-tier executive.
"Enemies!"
Their uniforms were far cleaner than the small fry we'd dispatched en route.
"Deploy Reverse Heaven Ghost Killer Sword Formation!"
As if guarding something vital, they unleashed a sharp linked formation.
Swoosh!
Swoooosh!!
Their sword formation was geared purely for slaughtering foes.
Clang!
Clang-clang-clang!!!
Every stance bristled with lethal intent.
The leader had sharp eyes too.
"...Azure Red Sword? The Murim Alliance Leader?"
"Indeed. Any thoughts of surrendering peacefully?"
"Die!"
Swoooosh!
But Perfect Courtesy Kong Son was leagues beyond them.
"I figured as much."
Though I'd witnessed it many times before.
His swordplay in battle touched the realm of art.
He picked out a seemingly weaker attacker amid the dozen strikes and countered.
Kang!!!
Chwaaak!
Even as the Demonic Cultist clumsily blocked with qi-wrapped blade, his sword shattered, cleaving him in two.
Swoooosh!
Parrying an enemy's thrust with his sword,
Kang!
Then drove his minimally qi-clad blade into their gaps without hesitation.
Puk! Puk!!!
A display of swordsmanship dignified by the grace of the overwhelmingly superior.
'And yet he never loses himself in the fight.'
He tracked his allies' positions precisely and left them foes they could handle.
No wasted strength or internal energy.
It felt like a masterclass just watching.
"Yong-un."
"Yes!"
Of course, the Eon Family brothers and I lent a hand along the way.
Azure Bamboo Hall's signature linked formation was the strike team's Chejak Formation, so we meshed seamlessly as if we'd always been his direct aides.
Slash!
Slash!!!!
The Demonic Cultists unfolding the Reverse Heaven Ghost Killer Sword Formation were ultimately ensnared by blue peacock wings and sent as guests to the afterlife.
As we caught our breath after dispatching them,
Perfect Courtesy Kong Son regarded us with approving eyes.
"First time running Chejak Formation together, but it was worth passing it on, eh? No shaking at all. Makes sense—you've got plenty of real combat under your belts."
He playfully jabbed a finger at the other strike team members and grinned.
"These guys might even be better than you lot, no?"
The strike team members grinned back.
"Hahaha. You're right. Might be time to expand the strike team."
As laughter rippled,
A few strike team members entered the building the Demonic Cultists had guarded.
They called for Perfect Courtesy Kong Son and me.
"Alliance Leader! Monster Dragon! You need to see this!"
We stepped inside.
The air reeked of aged blood's metallic tang mingled with herbal scents, and there were jade coffins and vats used for crafting corpse soldiers.
I voiced my immediate impression.
"They made Blood Corpses here, looks like."
"Mm. Then this crusted blood must be the resentful blood you described. Explains the chill permeating the whole building."
"But no corpse soldiers."
"Didn't North Sea Ice Palace use them up? Dam Palace Lord absorbed one, beheaded the rest."
"That was five total. Twenty coffins here."
Perfect Courtesy Kong Son furrowed his brow.
"...Possibly sent to the main base at Ten Thousand Great Mountains or elsewhere?"
"Reverse Heaven Demon Gu's Monster King Division targeted the North Sea Ice Palace, the steppes, and Shansi along the Iron Path linkup—low odds."
"Then high chance they're somewhere in here."
"Yes. Probably a separate warehouse."
Yin Ha-ryeon entered then.
"Alliance Leader! Eon young master! A signal flare just went up from the west side where Ok-gi is."
We exited and peered at the western sky.
A sinister aura was massing there.
"Alliance Leader. Warehouse looks to be over there."
"West Gate overlooks the canyon—didn't we send the fewest there?"
Indeed.
The West Gate overlooked a canyon.
We'd committed barely ten based on the judgment that seizing it would let a small force hold firm.
"We'll check it out."
"Just you all?"
"Corpse soldiers are my specialty anyway. Tang Patriarch and Namgung young lady should be there by now."
"......"
"Alliance Leader, you should stay here. If the West Gate's truly dire, the fortress interior is the fallback—you have to hold it."
"Sigh. Fine. But absolutely no heroics."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Ding-a-ling! Ding-a-ling!
With eerie bell tolls, the corpse soldier legion appeared.
Dang Ok-gi wasted no time firing a signal flare at the horde marching up the canyon before the West Gate, defying the natural order.
Pew-
Namgung Hon narrowed his eyes at her action.
"What do you think you're doing, Dang Ok-gi apprentice? Who gave permission for a flare?"
Tang Ho-tae shot back with a scowl.
"Listen here, Thundercloud Sword. Fellow outer court alumni or not, I put up with a lot—but yelling at another man's precious daughter? That I won't stand."
"Yes, and I'm scolding her. We have a plan. The flare's for true peril—wasting it like this endangers elsewhere? Without even asking an elder."
"......"
But Namgung Hon's point left him speechless.
Dang Ok-gi spoke up boldly.
"You wouldn't know."
"What?"
"Ahem. Oh, Ok-gi?"
"This is a real crisis. We need people—no, Eon Yong-un. Right, Namgung Yun?"
"...Agreed."
"Those corpse soldiers stack up and scale walls. They breached North Sea Ice Palace's inner keep. Poison barely works—Dad and I can't help much."
"Well said, Ok-gi. That's my girl. ...Though why am I useless? If I tried, I'd melt those corpse rags to a puddle of blood."
"...Handling that many's impossible."
"Ahem."
As they bantered, the surging corpse soldiers pressed tight against the wall and began piling to scale it.
From there, no more sparks flew between Tang and Namgung houses.
Slash!!!
They were too busy beheading those cresting the wall.
Sizzle!!
The old Demonic Cult sorcerer directing the horde from afar cackled at the sight.
"Climb! Over the wall and wipe out every living thing! Keh keh! Righteous scum! I'll show you exactly what you've provoked!"
Eon Yong-un appeared then.
"Show us what?!"
He bellowed as he appeared, swiftly surveying the West Gate situation.
Then vaulted onto the gate tower's roof.
"That way!"
With a word to his allies,
Whiiiiiish!!!
He unleashed palm force at a snow mound frozen like eaves along the canyon's edge.
Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa!!!
The moment avalanches crashed from both canyon sides.