Chapter 256
Chapter 256
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 256
Chapter Title: The Best Option (1)
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Kwaaakwaaakwaaakwa!!!
Thinking of the avalanche from the snow-capped mountains, eternally frozen for thousands of years, as just a bit of snow pushing down would be a grave mistake.
'Snow frozen for hundreds or thousands of years is as hard as rock and steel.'
As it barrels down, it greedily swallows up dirt, trees, and rocks.
The endlessly swelling avalanche gains tremendous destructive power, sweeping away everything in its path.
It becomes the literal wrath of Mother Nature.
Before such power of nature, divine arts or personal internal energy become meaningless.
Ding-a-ling-ding-a-ling!!
As if aware of this, the Demonic Cult shamans shook their bells frantically.
I leaped down from the ramparts and shouted.
"Everyone, run! This wall won't hold back the avalanche!"
At my shout, my Eon family brothers immediately turned and fled.
Namgung Hon and Dang Ho-tae, who had been guarding the west gate, also jumped down from the walls in haste and started running.
Kwaaakwaaakwa!
Not long after, a tsunami of ice and snow engulfed the west gate.
Kwaaaang!!!
Not satisfied with that, it pushed forward another hundred paces or so.
Kwaaakwaaakwa!!!
Once our avalanche-chased steps halted, Namgung Hon looked at me in disbelief.
"Dang Ok-gi said we had to call you, so I thought you'd pull off some Eon family sorcery... but this is your trick?"
Then Dang Ok-gi bellowed.
"Kyaak! We nearly had a disaster. What if someone had been fighting outside the walls or moved too slowly?!"
"If anyone was outside the walls, I wouldn't have used that method."
"...Huh?"
"There's no way warriors from the world's Tang Clan or Namgung family would be slow."
"...Hmph, hmph. Well, that's true, but!"
Calming Dang Ok-gi, I replied to Namgung Hon.
"It was a bit extreme, yes. But I believe it was the best option."
- Leaving aside that sorcery you boast about, using an avalanche was the best? Are you serious?
At my master's words, I recalled the moment I triggered the avalanche.
When I saw the gorge filled with corpse puppets, the first idea that flashed through my mind was a black magic spell to neutralize the low-grade ones in one go.
"There was a way to destroy the souls of the low-grade corpse puppets."
At my words, Woo So-rung and Yin Xia Lian spoke up.
"You mean that sorcery you used in Shanshi?"
"When Young Master Eon activated it back then, the corpse puppets dropped like puppets with cut strings... That one, right?"
Jeong Hyun nodded and added.
"I did use that sorcery. But as the ancient military texts say, make use of the terrain. The method I used this time follows that principle and..."
Before he could finish, Namgung Hon said to me.
"If you had such a method, but chose the avalanche as the best... That sorcery must consume a lot of internal energy, right?"
"Yes. It takes considerable mental power and internal energy. We don't know how many more enemy forces are out there, do we?"
There could be more corpse puppet storehouses.
We didn't even know which executives of the Monster King's faction remained.
That's why I used the terrain at the west gate.
"At the academy, we learned to hide three-tenths of our true strength in the jianghu. It's not just about not revealing yourself too much—it's also about always reserving some strength."
At my words, Namgung Hon muttered something cryptic and nodded.
"It connects to the answer you gave my earlier question. What Yun-i said wasn't wrong."
For some reason, Namgung Yun looked pleased.
- Why is Gongyun making that face?
'...Beats me.'
At that point, Dang Ho-tae cleared his throat.
"Ahem! She's right—Ok-gi's judgment was spot on! Anyway, calling Eon Yong-un cleared out the corpse puppets! Honestly, for a brain-muscled sword guy like you who thinks enemies must be cut down with a blade, that's not an idea you'd come up with easily, right?"
"Family Heads aren't all that different."
"I am. Us Tang Clan folk always check the terrain first wherever we go. If you had time, you'd have thought of it too."
"Ah. Yes."
As we caught our breath,
A faint bell-like sound reached my ears.
Ding-a...
"...Dang Family Head. Sorry to interrupt, but it seems they weren't all swept away."
"What? What do you mean?"
"There's a surviving shaman."
No sooner had I spoken than something burst from the snow pile.
Pak!
The old shaman who commanded the corpse puppet legion climbed over the snow-covered west gate wall.
"You there, you flashy gigolo. You're Eon Yong-un, huh? I've heard about you from the Lord and Lady Jo... What a freak. Who'd think a righteous faction junior would pull a stunt like this."
Behind the disheveled shaman stood blood-red blood corpse puppets at attention.
I clasped my hands behind my back and stepped forward.
"Stunt? I merely borrowed nature's power. Even the heavens despise scum like you Demonic Cult bastards and sent down punishment."
"What?"
"But how did you dodge the heavenly punishment?"
While tossing out nonsense, I signaled our allies.
It was the signal to position for attack.
"I barely used the terrain and corpse puppets to make a barrier. If what you say is true, doesn't that mean the heavens watch over our cult?"
"Yeah. No. A messenger pigeon from the Yamra Division said some names are missing—hurry up and handle it."
"Your mouth lives up to the rumors. Today, I'll drag a few of you to the afterlife!"
As our side took positions per my signal,
The old shaman shook his bell and commanded the blood corpse puppets.
"You've gathered nicely like yolks in an egg! Undead, wipe out those chicks over there!"
Kraaaah!!!
I charged at the lunging blood corpse puppets and shouted to my Eon brothers.
"We'll do it like at Binghyeol Mountain."
My Eon brothers nodded as one.
I followed up to Dang Ho-tae and Namgung Hon.
"Dang Family Head and Namgung Young Patriarch, take out the shaman."
Unlike my brothers, they voiced concerns.
It was inevitable.
They'd never seen me handle corpse puppets in person.
"Will that work?"
"Isn't it dangerous?"
But Namgung Yun and Dang Ok-gi piped up together.
"Father!"
"Dad! Less talking, more killing the shaman!"
"That's the best plan."
I added my piece.
They nodded and charged ahead.
With the Demonic Cult shaman left to them, I pushed it from my mind and warned my Eon brothers again.
"There are more corpse puppets than at Binghyeol Mountain, and fewer of us. Don't get cocky just because your internal energy has grown! Especially..."
"Me?"
"Yeah, Ha-seong, you. How'd you know?"
"I had a feeling."
"Incoming."
Facing the charging blood corpse puppets, my Eon brothers and I moved as one.
Jeong Hyun and Namgung Yun took the left and right flanks.
"Jeong Hyun. I'll take the right."
"Yes, Namgung Young Hero!"
Kaang! Kaaaang!!!
Yin Xia Lian and Woo So-rung drew the blood corpse puppets' attention.
"Young Master Eon!"
"Over hereee!!"
I slipped through the gap, alternating Traitor's Brand and Heaven-Splitting Swordsmanship to neutralize the corpse puppets.
Chwaaaak!
Eon Ha-seong and Dang Ok-gi guarded my back.
How long had we been thinning the blood corpse puppets?
Rumble!!!
With thunder crashing, a faint poison scent wafted, and the remaining blood corpse puppets halted abruptly.
Namgung Hon and Dang Ho-tae must have taken out the Demonic Cult shaman.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The battle at the west gate ended.
As we took a single breath,
Pfiu!
A signal flare rose from the north gate this time.
The north gate was guarded by Father, Yong-myeong, and the Hubei warriors.
- Yong-un?
'I saw it too.'
Led by my master, my Eon brothers all looked at me.
I said to Namgung Hon and Dang Ho-tae.
"We'll head there now."
"Take Yun-i and some of our clan warriors."
"Ok-gi, you go too."
But I shook my head.
"The avalanche blocked the path, so no enemies from below, but there might be those fleeing inside the fortress toward here. We can't weaken the west gate's already thin forces further. Reinforcements from elsewhere will come."
Dang Ho-tae patted my shoulder silently.
Namgung Hon nodded and spoke.
"...Then go quickly."
I gave them a fist salute and dashed north with my Eon brothers.
Near the north gate, we ran into the Alliance Leader and Great Master Gongryang on the road.
"Everyone's safe!"
"Amitabha. You've all worked hard."
While running, I summarized the west gate situation.
"The west gate crisis is over."
"Got it. Details later."
At the north gate, about half the original guarding force and Yong-myeong awaited us.
Gongson Mu-gyeol cut straight to it and asked Yong-myeong.
"Where's the Eon Family Head?"
Eon Yong-myeong pointed to a spot visible from the north gate.
"There's a gap down there. A group emerged. Seems connected to the fortress interior—Father chased them down."
Gongson Mu-gyeol immediately ordered.
"Confidential Agents and two units stay here. Report to Zhuge Family Head at the east gate and oversee the fortress interior for advice."
"Yes."
"The other two units, follow me. Great Master Gongryang. Will you lend a hand?"
"With a righteous hero like the Hubei Fist King possibly in danger, of course."
"Thank you. Will you come too?"
"Yes!"
Shortly after dashing down the direction Yong-myeong indicated,
"Alliance Leader! Fork in the road!"
We hit a fork.
As Gongson Mu-gyeol moved to split forces,
"Split in half. Half with me, half with Great Master Gongryang..."
Whoosh!
Eung-yong-i swooped overhead, guiding us.
"Alliance Leader, no need to split! That way!"
"Really?!"
"Yes!"
"Left!"
Guided by Eung-yong-i down the mountain path,
Bam! Kwaang!
The echoing clash of energies grew closer.
Kwaaaang!!!!!!
We saw Father and the Hubei warriors facing off against the Demonic Cult group.
Our arrival instantly reversed the tide.
The Demonic Cultists retreated, reforming their formation.
Father saw me and spoke.
"Yong-un?"
"Yes."
A sigh of relief escaped me at Father's unharmed figure.
"...Whew."
Somehow, affection for Father had grown without me realizing.
There was a time he felt merely awkward, but now this.
As a wry smile tugged at my lips in wonder,
I pushed aside the ticklish feeling and addressed the demon facing Father.
"Jo Gyeom?"
In the original, the name of the inner aide who served Yeon Ok-ran like a limb was Jo Gyeom.
I tossed it out casually.
Sure enough, light flickered in the demon's eyes.
I immediately told Gongson Mu-gyeol.
"He's the one who served Demon Prison Lord Yeon Ok-ran up close."
Jo Gyeom ground his teeth.
"Eon Yong-un. So you're the mastermind. How'd you find this place? You didn't just tail the Lord, did you?"
"Tell me where that withered old demon Gu Cheon-seo and Yeon Ok-ran are, and I'll tell you how."
"Heh heh. Where they are? They've probably reached the main base at Mount Shipan by now. Come fetch them if you're confident!"
Then he lunged at me.
Swaaaaek!
At the same time, the other demons attacked us.
But they were evenly matched against Father's Hubei warriors.
The moment we arrived, victory was sealed.
Bam!!!!!!!
Great Master Gongryang stepped forward, deflecting the demon's palm strike with golden force.
His attack never reached me.
As Jo Gyeom twisted to dodge Gongson Mu-gyeol's sword and foot technique,
Swaaaaek!
Whirl!
Father's fist slammed into his ribs.
Paaaak!!!!!!!!!
Meanwhile, we formed one axis of the striking formation, cutting down the demons led by Jo Gyeom.
Chwaak!
Chwaaaak!!!
Wondering why that side went quiet, I glanced over.
In moments, blood-soaked Jo Gyeom knelt, while Father, Gongson Mu-gyeol, and Great Master Gongryang stood at a distance.
Great Master Gongryang's voice rang out.
"Listen, Jo Gyeom, was it? I don't know much about this Heavenly Demon you serve."
"......"
"But even rolling in shit, this life is better. How about surrendering? Stop the pointless mutual destruction. Halt your subordinates too. Let's end the needless deaths."
What was that about?
A high executive of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult surrendering? Absurd.
"That won't hap..."
As I started to say it absolutely wouldn't,
Jo Gyeom nodded to Great Master Gongryang.
'?'
Great Master Gongryang approached.
Sensing something off, I halted and raised the scattered corpses around us.
"Rise."
I shoved them toward Jo Gyeom, who wore a faint smile.
"Heavenly Demon Reincarnation!"
At that instant.
Jo Gyeom's pupils dilated, his blood vessels swelled and burst.
Puuuung!!!
Thanks to the corpse soldiers I hastily sent as buffers, Great Master Gongryang was pushed back only a step or so.
"Are you alright?"
He gave me a hollow smile as I rushed over.
"...Amitabha. How do they instill such ruthless loyalty in their followers? Anyway, this foolish monk lives thanks to your aid."