Chapter 60: Things Get Complicated (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 60: Things Get Complicated (2)
As we followed the path further in, we saw two groups locked in a fierce battle.
One group consisted of about five individuals dressed in black with masks. The other group was made up of six people wearing brown robes, and they were quite peculiar.
The masked men in black moved with ethereal lightness skills, and their sword techniques were incredibly bizarre, putting immense pressure on the brown-robed warriors.
However, the brown-robed men showed no fear. Even when struck by swords, they remained unscathed, instead charging forward and forcing the masked men onto the defensive.
After watching the fight for a while, Smiling Face Sword whispered, "They have mastered the Ancient Wood Divine Art."
Now that he mentioned it, their movements were indeed stiff.
The fact that they didn't take significant damage even from the blades of first-rate experts meant they had either mastered an external art like the Iron Cloth, or their skin had become impervious to blades through techniques like the Jiangshi Art or the Ancient Wood Divine Art.
The skin of the brown-robed men had a deep, brownish tint.
Usually, those who practiced the Jiangshi Art saw their skin turn a corpse-like gray, while the Iron Cloth turned it black. The Ancient Wood Divine Art, as the name suggested, made a person's body as hard as wood, rendering it invulnerable to blades.
Consequently, most practitioners of this art used their hands as weapons, specializing in techniques like the Ancient Wood Hand or the Ancient Wood Claw.
"They are from Ancient Wood Valley."
Looking closer, I saw the character for 'Divine Valley' engraved on the backs of their brown robes. That mark was the unique identifier of Ancient Wood Valley martial artists.
"I don't see Young Hero Hwang. Move a little to the left."
To the left, several large trees blocked our line of sight. Thinking Hwang Chu might be there, we repositioned ourselves.
Sure enough, a masked man in black was there, holding a bound Hwang Chu.
"This is strange. Why are the masked men and the Ancient Wood Valley warriors fighting?"
"I'm not sure either. We'll have to observe the situation a bit longer to find out."
I felt a prickling sense of foreboding in the back of my mind.
Though their faces were hidden by masks, their lightness skills and sword techniques were far too familiar. I tapped my temple.
You idiot! Those guys are from the Ghost Pursuit Squad. How could you forget the very people who almost killed you?
The memory of that brush with death came flooding back vividly.
Not every masked man in black belonged to the Ghost Pursuit Squad, but with that specific style of movement and swordsmanship, there was no doubt—they were the same ones who had tried to kill me before. I even had their identification tokens; it was absurd that I hadn't recognized them immediately.
As the memory of nearly dying after being mistaken for a member of the Candlelit Shadows resurfaced, I also thought of the girl who had suddenly screamed "Candlelit Shadows!" and fled, using me as a decoy. A surge of murderous intent rose within me.
I suppose I really am the type to hold a grudge, considering how much resentment I still harbored from that incident.
"Squad Leader?"
Do Yeon called out to me, staring intently. She had noticed me drifting off into my thoughts and even leaking a bit of bloodlust.
"Ah, yes. I was just lost in thought for a moment."
"I recognize the Ancient Wood Valley warriors, but what about those masked men?"
"Well, I'm not entirely sure..."
I trailed off. I figured there was no benefit in revealing the identity of the masked men. If those bastards realized their identity had been compromised, they would try to kill us just to keep their secret.
"But why are they fighting the Ancient Wood Valley warriors?"
When Do Yeon asked me, Po Zhongyin answered in my stead.
"It seems to be because of Young Hero Hwang. Why else would Ancient Wood Valley attack them without knowing who they are? It looks like they're trying to stop the masked men from kidnapping him."
Xing Youzheng added his thoughts.
"I think you're right. Look, the Ancient Wood Valley warriors are constantly trying to push toward where Young Hero Hwang is."
Indeed, the Ancient Wood Valley warriors were clearly struggling to seize Hwang Chu.
Why are they trying to take him? And why did the Ghost Pursuit Squad kidnap him in the first place?
Thinking about it only gave me a headache. Why was I even bothering with these thoughts? I should be focusing on my own survival, yet here I was, overthinking everything.
Since we had tracked Hwang Chu all the way here, it was out of the question to just retreat. We had to find a way to get him back.
Fortunately, the two groups were busy killing each other, so I decided to wait until they were both exhausted. Their skills seemed evenly matched, so there was a high probability of mutual destruction.
"Squad Leader, should we launch a surprise attack and rescue Young Hero Hwang?"
I glared at Poison Wolf Ibu for suggesting something so absurd. With our skills, you think we can just waltz in and take him? We'd be lucky to escape with our lives, you blockhead.
Swearing at him inwardly, I spoke aloud.
"As you know, Poison Wolf, if we step in now, these two fighting factions might actually cooperate to attack us. That would be the worst possible move. The best strategy is to wait until they've exhausted one another. That is the optimal way to rescue Young Hero Hwang while minimizing our own losses."
When I wrapped my cowardice in such plausible words, Poison Wolf Ibu responded.
"As expected of the Squad Leader. I've been in many battles, but I've rarely seen anyone as quick-witted and experienced as you. You're like a veteran of a hundred wars."
You moron. Anyone with a brain could figure this out. I gave him a thin smile and replied.
"Just be patient and wait. The tide of the battle will be decided soon."
The clash between Ancient Wood Valley and the Ghost Pursuit Squad grew increasingly violent. Finally, the first scream rang out.
"Aaargh!"
A masked man drove his sword through the eye of an Ancient Wood Valley warrior. Even as he fell, the warrior didn't pull back; instead, he thrust his hand through the masked man's chest.
As the two warriors collapsed and died side by side, the battle became even bloodier.
"Finish them quickly!"
The masked man holding Hwang Chu shouted, and his subordinates attacked with even more ferocious momentum. However, the experts of Ancient Wood Valley didn't retreat an inch. It was a neck-and-neck struggle.
Once again, an Ancient Wood Valley expert and a masked man died together. The warriors of Ancient Wood Valley refused to die alone. When a masked man shoved a sword into one's mouth, the warrior grabbed the man's neck and snapped it before falling.
Just as I had predicted, they were slaughtering each other. I cheered inwardly, realizing they would likely all end up dead. This was the true beauty of waiting.
"Wait!"
I was startled by a sudden change in the situation. The man holding Hwang Chu tied him to a tree trunk and leaped into the fray. Simultaneously, the warrior leading the Ancient Wood Valley experts rushed forward to intercept him.
"It's about to be settled."
Jeok Yeong muttered as he watched the fight.
"Jeok Yeong, who do you think will win?"
At my question, Jeok Yeong thought for a moment before answering.
"I think the men in black will win."
I agreed; the Ghost Pursuit Squad seemed to have the upper hand. However, the one who would actually 'win' was someone else entirely. It was a classic case of one person setting the table and another eating the meal.
While the two groups were fighting for their lives, a figure quietly crawled down from a tree and untied the ropes binding Hwang Chu. The intruder moved as stealthily and silently as a cat, and the combatants were too preoccupied to notice this 'stray cat's' appearance.
"Who is that?"
Since the two groups couldn't see Hwang Chu behind the tree trunk, they didn't notice the cat-like thief untying him. The thief struck Hwang Chu's silence and paralysis points, tucked him under one arm, and bolted.
None of us asked, "Should we chase him?"
This was because the thief was running straight toward us. Since our hiding spot was the only area with thick brush nearby, it was the natural choice for someone looking to vanish.
"Catch him!" the Ancient Wood Valley experts shouted upon spotting the thief.
However, neither the Ghost Pursuit Squad nor the Ancient Wood Valley warriors could easily disengage from their fight to give chase. Since neither side would let the other go, they were forced to continue their struggle.
Watching the thief fly toward us, I turned to Jeok Yeong.
"Jeok Yeong, can you take him down?"
Jeok Yeong gave a small smile.
"Of course, Brother."
It seemed that even though his memory loss had made his personality a bit more flexible, his confidence remained unshaken.
"I'll leave it to you."
Jeok Yeong leaped out to meet the thief. His sword flashed, cutting through the air dozens of times in an instant. The thief twisted and flipped mid-air repeatedly to evade the strikes.
It was an incredibly exquisite display of lightness skills. It was one thing to say it, but quite another to actually twist one's body in mid-air multiple times to dodge Jeok Yeong's blade.
However, to fully escape Jeok Yeong's reach, the thief was forced to drop Hwang Chu. Without needing to be told, Poison Wolf Ibu snatched the falling Hwang Chu out of the air.
The thief's face was hidden by a veil, making them unrecognizable. The mysterious figure glared at me for a moment before backing away.
Thinking the thief might charge at us to reclaim Hwang Chu, I ordered Jeok Yeong and Do Yeon to guard him. But to my surprise, the figure retreated even further.
I was bewildered by how easily they gave up. The thief then stripped off their outer garment, stuffed it with fallen leaves, and rolled it up. Tucking the bundle under their arm, they bolted in the opposite direction.
At that moment, a voice drifted into my ears.
[Candlelit Shadow Agent No. 4, I'm so glad to see you're safe. I never expected to reunite in a place like this. I'll lead them away, so you take Hwang Chu and get out of here.]
It was a far too familiar voice. It was that cursed voice that had often made me bolt upright in anger in the middle of the night.
It was that guy—no, that girl—who had used me as bait for the Ghost Pursuit Squad before running away.
"You... you! YOU!"
I was trembling with rage, pointing a finger at the retreating figure.
"After him!"
The Ghost Pursuit Squad broke away from the Ancient Wood Valley warriors and gave chase to the 'Candlelit Shadow.'
"Everyone, hide!"
At my command, the Demon Subjugation Group pressed themselves flat against the ground to avoid being spotted. Fortunately, because the thief had fled in the opposite direction, the Ghost Pursuit Squad didn't see us. Eventually, the Ancient Wood Valley warriors also vanished, following the pursuit.
I thought quietly to myself.
Why on earth are the Ghost Pursuit Squad, Ancient Wood Valley, and even the Candlelit Shadows all trying to kidnap Hwang Chu? He's hiding something. A secret that's incredibly dangerous.
But as curious as I was, I didn't want to know. My logic was simple: if such powerful forces were after him, knowing the truth would bring nothing but trouble.
Don't get involved in other people's business.
Reciting one of my ironclad rules, I quietly led my group away from the area.