Chapter 134: Chasing the Night Pursuer (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 134: Chasing the Night Pursuer (2)
Thwack!
"Urgh!"
I turned at the sound of a groan to see Chu Bong-hwa destroying the man’s dantian and sealing several of his blood vessels.
By sealing specific dead blood points, the body becomes so frail that it can no longer exert any strength. With his dantian shattered and his meridians blocked, the man would never be able to live a normal life again.
"I have to do at least this much to make sure he doesn't get any other ideas," Chu Bong-hwa said.
I replied, "Still, I’m supposed to be a righteous hero. Is this really necessary?"
Chu Bong-hwa gave a thin smirk. "What a load of rubbish about being a hero."
She flashed a cold smile and walked past me. I felt a sense of relief, as if a nightmare from my childhood had finally been erased. I took a deep breath of the cool night air, feeling refreshed.
Just then, I spotted someone flying toward us in the distance using a lightness skill. And behind them, someone was in hot pursuit.
It looked like a classic case of a fugitive and a pursuer, so I stepped aside to avoid getting involved. The fugitive whizzed past me in a flash. They were so fast I couldn't even make out their face.
However, I did catch a glimpse of the pursuer’s face.
‘Silver Dragon?’
He was definitely wearing a silver mask and black robes. I recalled the rumors I’d heard over drinks recently—that the Silver Dragon had been capturing several notorious thieves in Sichuan.
This meant he was searching for something incredibly important. It could be something he had lost himself, or perhaps he had been hired to find it. Either way, the object had to be something extraordinary.
I stole a glance at Chu Bong-hwa.
‘With the Blood Witch by my side, what do I have to fear?’
In the past, I would have been too terrified to follow, but now my own martial arts were decent, and I had Chu Bong-hwa—arguably the greatest master in Sichuan—with me. Why hesitate?
But then, I shook my head.
‘I must be losing my mind. I forgot why masters die young. I almost ignored the lesson that curiosity leads to a short life.’
In typical martial arts novels, the protagonist follows people like this, a fun story unfolds, and the hero gets to shine. But I wasn't the protagonist. Instead of shining, I’d probably just end up dying a dog’s death. It would be much better for my lifespan to just go home, wash my feet, and go to bed.
Even though I was curious because the pursuer was the elusive Silver Dragon, one of the Four Dragons of Sichuan, I decided to drop it.
However, I soon realized that even if I wasn't interested, someone else was—and that fact would plunge me into danger just like a novel's protagonist.
"The one being chased is the Shadowless Fighting Ghost," Chu Bong-hwa remarked.
"Oh, really?" I replied half-heartedly.
"I need to go after him," she said.
"Huh? What for?" I asked reflexively.
"He stole a treasure I cherish. Two years ago. I think it’s time I got it back."
A sudden surge of killing intent radiated from Chu Bong-hwa. It seemed the stolen item was truly precious to her.
"Alright. I'll head back first, then. Good luck."
But I had forgotten one crucial detail.
"No, you're coming with me."
Chu Bong-hwa suddenly struck my paralysis point and tucked me under her arm. It happened so fast I didn't even have time to try and dodge.
"What the—?!"
"If you aren't by my side, my internal energy will scatter, won't it?"
I was left speechless. I had forgotten that if I were more than thirty jang away from her, her internal energy would vanish and the aphrodisiac would take effect. Since things had turned out this way, I decided to just relax. As long as Chu Bong-hwa was acting as my bodyguard, I was safer than anyone.
Chu Bong-hwa trailed the Shadowless Fighting Ghost and the Silver Dragon from a distance. It seemed she intended to wait for them to exhaust each other before stepping in to reap the rewards.
Soon, we saw the Shadowless Fighting Ghost leap onto a roof and disappear into a large manor. The Silver Dragon vanished into the manor right after him. Even after they disappeared, Chu Bong-hwa remained motionless on the roof.
"Why aren't we following them?" I asked as she released my paralysis point. I massaged my stiff muscles.
"That place isn't just some ordinary house. There are masters inside."
It was the first time I had seen Chu Bong-hwa look this tense.
"Even so, they’re probably no match for one of your punches," I said, testing the waters.
Her expression softened slightly. "Well, that’s true."
"So, what now? Are we going back?"
Instead of answering, Chu Bong-hwa grabbed my wrist and leaped down into the manor.
"Hey! I wasn't mentally prepared for this yet!"
We landed in the rear garden of the manor, which was strangely deserted. Straining my ears, I could hear the violent clashing of weapons coming from the main gate.
We climbed onto the roof of the manor and looked down. The Silver Dragon was surrounded by four warriors and was in the middle of a fierce battle. Behind the four warriors stood three middle-aged men who were merely watching the fight without lifting a finger. It was immediately obvious that the Silver Dragon had fallen into a trap.
The "masters" Chu Bong-hwa had mentioned were likely those three older men. Even from this distance, I could faintly sense an aura from them that marked them as super-peak masters. The Shadowless Fighting Ghost was standing quietly beside them, looking like their subordinate.
As I watched the Silver Dragon fight the four warriors, the techniques they used looked familiar.
‘Wait, those guys...’
I hadn't looked closely in the heat of the moment, but focusing now, I realized who they were.
"They're from the Divine Light Sect."
"Divine Light Sect? Never heard of them."
"They're around. Very bad people."
I gave a vague explanation and continued to observe the fight. They were definitely members of the Heavenly Wind Squad. How could I ever forget the battle in the canyon where two of the Seven Heroes died? The battle where I almost buried my bones. They were attacking the Silver Dragon with the exact same sword forms used by the Heavenly Wind Squad.
But as I looked closer, even the Silver Dragon’s sword path seemed familiar.
‘Who is that?’
In this world, many martial arts and techniques look similar. However, every style has its own unique movements, just as every person has their own handwriting even when writing the same words.
While I was lost in thought, the Silver Dragon was pushed onto the defensive. One of the three older men, who had been watching, joined the fray. He pulled a judge's pen from his robe and swung it with such blinding speed it was hard to track.
The Silver Dragon’s martial prowess was formidable enough to earn him a title among the Four Dragons of Sichuan, but he was no match for the level of this elder. Still, his footwork was profound, allowing him to dodge narrowly.
"The Shadowless Fighting Ghost is right next to those old men. It won't be easy to snatch him away," I noted.
Chu Bong-hwa didn't respond. She seemed to be deep in thought.
At this rate, today would be the day the Silver Dragon disappeared from Sichuan. It was nearly impossible for anyone to escape that situation.
When the elder’s judge's pen struck the Silver Dragon’s shoulder, the masked man trembled. He staggered back, his shoulder clearly wounded.
"You filthy old man... coating your judge's pen with poison!"
The elder laughed at the Silver Dragon’s shout.
"Hahaha! Why make a fight harder than it needs to be? Your internal energy will scatter soon. When it does, let’s see what that famous face of yours looks like."
I also focused my attention on the Silver Dragon. This was a chance to see the face behind that mysterious silver mask.
The elder approached the Silver Dragon. Just as he was about to strip off the mask, three people suddenly leaped into the manor like lightning and launched an attack.
"Who goes there?!"
The four Heavenly Wind Squad masters and the three elders swung their swords to meet the intruders.
"Agh!"
However, one of the Heavenly Wind Squad members was struck down instantly before he could even put up a fight. To kill a Heavenly Wind Squad master in less than three exchanges... they were incredible masters.
I couldn't help but let out a gasp when I saw him.
"It's the Phoenix King!" I shouted without thinking.
Then I saw the old man and the young man who had entered with him. The young man was definitely Han Wol-baek, the disciple of the Fist King whom I had sparred with.
‘Han Wol-baek said he came here on business... I guess he came with the Phoenix King.’
The Phoenix King, the Fist King, and Han Wol-baek engaged the three elders. However, the tide of battle didn't turn as much as I expected. When the three remaining Heavenly Wind Squad members joined the attack, the Phoenix King and the Fist King were unable to immediately break free.
Just then, the Shadowless Fighting Ghost began to slink away, trying to escape. The Silver Dragon moved to block him.
"Let's go."
Chu Bong-hwa leaped forward. I followed, using Feather-Step Flight to glide through the air toward the Shadowless Fighting Ghost.
Instead of fleeing the manor, the Shadowless Fighting Ghost ducked into the guest hall. When someone doesn't run away but heads further inside, their intention is obvious.
‘He’s trying to take something.’
The Silver Dragon also chased him inside. Chu Bong-hwa and I entered the hall and found the Shadowless Fighting Ghost.
"Hand it over!" the Silver Dragon barked, keeping the thief in check with his sword.
When we arrived, the two were in a standoff.
"I'm sorry, but you shouldn't have a single drop of internal energy left by now, right?"
"I have enough to kill you, so don't you worry."
The Silver Dragon’s voice was distorted and raspy.
"You have no use for that. Why did you steal it?"
It seemed the Silver Dragon was trying to distract him.
"Hehe. It’s not that I need it, but I was ordered to steal it by those who do. I had no choice."
"Are those people from the Divine Light Sect?"
I was surprised that the Silver Dragon knew about the Divine Light Sect.
"Return it to me, and I'll let you leave in one piece."
The Shadowless Fighting Ghost chuckled at the Silver Dragon’s words.
"Don't be like that. If I don't give this to the elders, I'm a dead man."
"Then I'll kill you right here."
"Don't come any closer!"
I wondered why the Shadowless Fighting Ghost was acting so pathetic despite his legendary lightness skills, but then I saw that his left Achilles tendon had been severed. It seemed the Silver Dragon had cut it to ensure he couldn't flee. It was cold-blooded, but it showed how desperate the Silver Dragon was to stop him.
As the Silver Dragon approached with his sword raised, the Shadowless Fighting Ghost limped backward and held up a stone box.
"If you take one more step, I'll smash this box! You know exactly what will happen to this Thousand-Year Snow Blossom Fruit if I do, don't you?"
I flinched at his words. How did the name of the Thousand-Year Snow Blossom Fruit come out of his mouth? That fruit was supposed to be with the woman named Danyeong. There couldn't possibly be two of them.
Just as I was about to lung at him, Chu Bong-hwa held me back.
"It doesn't have to be you."
I wondered what she meant, but then I saw the Phoenix King and the Fist King flying toward the Shadowless Fighting Ghost. They were truly masters worthy of the title "King." They had apparently dealt with those elders, who seemed to be beyond the super-peak level, and made their way here.
I thought the matter would be resolved without me having to step in, but I was wrong.
The moment the Fist King was about to strike the Shadowless Fighting Ghost, someone suddenly vaulted over the wall and threw a dagger at him. The newcomers consisted of five old men and two young men.
"Oho, so the elders and guardians of the Divine Light Sect are gathered here in Sichuan. You really are plotting something," the Fist King said, eyeing the old men.
"Well, well. If it isn't the Fist King and the Phoenix King themselves."
Good grief. For the first time in my life, I was seeing a whole crowd of genuine masters. I had no idea there were so many super-peak masters in this manor. Even though they were greeting the enemy boldly, the Phoenix King and the Fist King were in a dangerous spot.
There were five old men with martial prowess similar to the Kings, and the two young men didn't look like pushovers either. They were likely part of the same group as the one who had called himself one of the Six Villains before. Even with Han Wol-baek there, they were outnumbered.
The Silver Dragon looked like he was barely standing, having lost his internal energy to the poison. Even so, it was impressive that he was holding his ground, refusing to let the Shadowless Fighting Ghost escape.
Regardless, if the elders and guardians of the Divine Light Sect were swarming Sichuan as the Fist King said, this was no small matter. They were definitely up to something big.
I stayed quiet and just watched, knowing that if I jumped into that fight, I wouldn't even have bones left to bury. People could call me a coward all they wanted. Honestly, I wanted to help the Phoenix King out of respect, but the gap in skill was so vast that my interference would only be a burden.
While I was distracted, the fight broke out in an instant.
Does a fight between masters have dignity? I used to think that whenever I saw masters fight or spar—that there would be some extraordinary grace to it.
I was wrong. I realized that not every master fights with dignity. A fight is dictated by a person’s personality. If a master has the personality of a dog, they fight like a dog.
The Fist King was exactly like that. He was a master who fought like a beast when the time came. Those were the scariest kinds of masters.
Despite their numerical advantage, the Divine Light Sect elders were pushed back by his ferocious assault. Furthermore, the Phoenix King’s staff was overflowing with sword glare, making the very air shimmer. Even in the dark of night, the sight was vivid.
‘As expected, the Phoenix King has mastered the Circulating Dantian.’
While the Phoenix King, the Fist King, and Han Wol-baek were locked in a fierce battle with the elders, the two young men moved to surround the Silver Dragon.