Chapter 68: Breaking Through the Death Line (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 68: Breaking Through the Death Line (4)
“Fine, come at me! I’ll kill every last one of you!”
If I showed any weakness here, these bastards would surely pounce and try to kill me immediately.
This was a moment where a bluff was absolutely necessary.
My plan was to stall for even a little bit of time, recover enough internal energy to activate the Golden Qi-Poisoning Bracelet. However, the time it would take for their swords to pierce my heart would likely be faster than the time it took to gather that energy.
I had thrown out the bluff, but what came next was the real problem.
Samho slowly approached me, murderous intent dripping from his eyes.
Then, my gaze fell upon the sword lying on the ground, and an idea struck me.
Right, I still have that.
Clinging to it as my last hope, I flicked my wrist.
Suddenly, the sword that had been stuck in the ground three zhang away rose into the air.
The man named Samho flinched, startled, and took a step back.
The sword drifted slowly through the empty air before being sucked into my hand.
I gripped the hilt and roared.
“I’ll kill you all in one go. Come!”
Even the members of the Ghost Pursuit Squad, who had been seething with rage over the death of their Deputy Commander, froze at the sight of my Telekinesis.
After all, no matter how skilled they were, when would they have ever seen someone perform Telekinesis?
The moment I displayed the technique, it seemed as though their spirits were crushed. They realized that even a mutual death strike would be useless against a master capable of manipulating objects through the air.
Though I had only performed the feat by utilizing a ghost, the effect was profound.
However, the men of the Ghost Pursuit Squad quickly shook off the shock.
Their fighting spirit flared up once more as they spoke.
“Our mission ends here.”
As Samho spoke, the six remaining members of the Ghost Pursuit Squad didn't even think of fleeing. Resolving to die together, they raised their swords.
Damn it, this is why reality and martial arts novels are so different. Usually, when the protagonist pulls something like this, the villains are supposed to tuck their tails and run.
Since things weren't going according to plan, I raised my own sword while my mind wandered to these stray thoughts.
I intended to activate the Golden Qi-Poisoning Bracelet even if I had to squeeze out every last drop of non-existent internal energy.
I funneled what little energy I had into it, but the bracelet remained silent.
With insufficient internal energy, the Golden Qi-Poisoning Bracelet wouldn't react.
That’s a no-go, then. I guess I’m not a martial arts novel protagonist after all. Is this where I die?
Just as I was lamenting my fate, a voice rang out from behind me.
“We’ll take care of these bastards.”
Suddenly, a group of warriors dressed in green martial robes charged toward the enemy.
“Huh?”
Seeing the character for 'Tang' (唐) embroidered in red on their backs, I realized they were warriors of the Tang Clan.
Since I had truly been on the verge of death, I felt like I could burst into tears of relief.
The people who appeared were none other than Tang Ja-seong and Tang Bin.
“Show these wretches the terror of the Tang Clan!”
At Tang Ja-seong’s command, the green-robed warriors unleashed a rain of hidden weapons toward the Ghost Pursuit Squad.
However, the masters of the Demonic Cult League did not back down against the Tang Clan’s experts.
They were formidable enemies, even if they were on the opposing side.
The fact that I had held out against such monsters until now was a miracle in itself.
Taking advantage of the Tang Clan warriors engaging the Demonic Cult League masters, I regulated my breathing and began to gather internal energy.
Tang Ja-seong scanned the surroundings with a look of utter shock.
The corpses scattered about were all men in black.
Yet, even now, his own Tang Clan experts hadn't managed to take down a single one of the remaining Demonic Cult League masters.
The fact that they were locked in a stalemate only added to his surprise.
In an instant, Tang Ja-seong’s lips twisted.
He couldn't bear the thought that the Tang Clan’s elites were somehow inferior to Eo Ja-seo’s Demon Subjugation Group—a group of people who were currently lying on the ground, either dead or unconscious.
There was no way his elites couldn't kill the same men in black that these low-lifes had managed to slay.
“Aaargh!”
A scream rang out.
That’s it, it’s starting now.
Believing that the men in black would soon be turned into cold corpses by his Tang Clan experts, he turned his head.
But the one who had fallen wasn't a man in black; it was a Tang Clan expert.
Wasn't one of those men in black clearly beyond the first-rate level?
That man shouted toward me.
“You and I are going to settle this! I will have my revenge for the Deputy Commander!”
Even as he shouted, he thrust his sword back into the chest of a Tang Clan warrior.
The man was a master. A master whose outcome in a fight against Tang Ja-seong himself would be uncertain.
And Eo Ja-seo had killed that man’s superior?
The Eo Ja-seo standing right here?
Tang Ja-seong had a vague idea of Eo Ja-seo’s skill, but he never imagined it would be to this extent.
Tang Bin was equally astonished as she surveyed the area.
The level of skill displayed here far exceeded her expectations.
They had encountered and fought masters of the Demonic Cult League on their way here, but the skill of these men in black was on an entirely different level.
Every single one of them was first-rate.
It was hard to believe that a mere Demon Subjugation Group had taken them down. It was more logical to assume that Eo Ja-seo, Do Yeon, the youth in black, and the middle-aged man in Taoist robes had handled them.
As Tang Bin watched the red blood dripping steadily from Eo Ja-seo’s sword, her heart grew heavy once again.
I watched Tang Ja-seong, who didn't even blink as his clan's warriors were killed by that bastard Samho, and cursed him inwardly for being a cold-hearted wretch.
“Young Master Tang, you have my thanks. We were at death's door; you arrived just in time. However, those bastards are no ordinary foes. They are quite tricky to handle with just hidden weapons and poison.”
After saying that, I spoke to Jeok Yeong to help Tang Ja-seong, who was standing still out of pride even as his sect's experts were dying.
“Little Brother Jeok, go and help the Tang Clan experts wipe them out.”
“Yes, Brother.”
Jeok Yeong nodded to me and immediately flew toward the men in black.
Seeing this, Do Yeon couldn't just stand by either; she brandished her sword and charged toward the Ghost Pursuit Squad.
She was truly the Ice Jade Ice Sword. She showed neither fear nor hesitation when facing the enemy.
In fact, I felt that Do Yeon looked even more beautiful when she was fighting.
“Stop sending these small fry and come here yourself!”
Samho, perhaps sensing that his end was near, roared at me.
To which Jeok Yeong shouted back:
“How dare a piece of trash like you try to face my brother! Do you want a hole in your head too?”
At those words, Tang Ja-seong’s gaze shifted to the several corpses sprawled in front of me.
My heart skipped a beat.
If he figures out my method, he’ll recognize my sword technique. If I’m not careful, the technique I’ve been trying to hide will be exposed.
With that thought, I subtly led Tang Ja-seong in a different direction as I spoke.
“Young Master Tang, we need to leave this place, but it’s difficult because the members of my Demon Subjugation Group are mostly unconscious. Could you wait here with us until my team wakes up?”
“That shouldn't be a problem. But first, we need to deal with those bastards.”
Tang Ja-seong, seemingly wounded in his pride that his warriors were taking so long against seven men in black, stepped forward himself.
“Tah!”
As Tang Ja-seong moved, the surrounding Tang Clan experts backed away.
In the blink of an eye, his hand flashed, and one of the men in black collapsed.
A pure white flying dagger was embedded in the man’s throat.
I thought Tang Ja-seong would use poison against them.
But he used a flying dagger.
I could understand his mindset.
He likely felt his pride was at stake if he had to rely on poison. He wanted to show his confidence—that he could kill a master using other ultimate techniques.
Once again, Tang Ja-seong’s hand flashed, and a flying dagger streaked toward Samho.
Samho isn't such an easy target, though.
Clang!
As expected, Samho deflected Tang Ja-seong’s flying dagger and launched a counterattack.
“You brat, where do you think you’re going with those parlor tricks!”
Samho roared, bringing his sword down as if to split Tang Ja-seong in two.
Tang Ja-seong retreated, repeatedly unleashing flying daggers, but Samho deflected them with ease.
“Brother! Get out of the way!”
Tang Bin cried out in alarm. Tang Ja-seong was being overwhelmed by Samho’s momentum, unable to properly display his skills.
“Your opponent is here!”
Jeok Yeong intercepted the man, his sword moving in a blur.
Samho, who had been slightly airborne while attacking Tang Ja-seong, was caught in a vulnerable position and was pushed back by the weight of Jeok Yeong’s blade.
Tang Ja-seong stared down at his hands, looking utterly desolated.
He looked as if he couldn't believe that someone like Samho had blocked his Willow Leaf Throwing Dagger. While Tang Ja-seong might have held the upper hand if he had attacked with the Tang Clan’s poisons, in terms of pure martial arts, the men of the Ghost Pursuit Squad were not inferior to him.
He must have thought everyone would just die the moment he threw a Willow Leaf Throwing Dagger. If he keeps spacing out like that, he’s going to get himself killed.
It seemed Tang Ja-seong was experiencing something similar to what the Sword Palace Squad had gone through.
In the end, Tang Ja-seong was no different from a flower in a greenhouse.
After all, at his age, how much actual combat experience could he have had?
True combat skill can only be properly wielded after one has crossed the line between life and death countless times and gained the experience of killing opponents.
Without that, it is difficult to defeat a master forged in the fires of real battle.
The fact that the members of the Demon Subjugation Group could kill the Ghost Pursuit Squad meant that the ancient demons possessing them were far more vicious and experienced in combat than the squad members.
Jeok Yeong stuck to Samho as if they were one body, their movements weaving together exquisitely, before he suddenly broke away.
At that exact moment, Samho’s head was severed from his torso.
Seeing that, one could guess just how much real combat Jeok Yeong had seen, in addition to his training.
Compared to his skill level, Samho died a hollow death.
Jeok Yeong’s skill was simply so great that he didn't miss that split-second opening.
Tang Ja-seong stared blankly at Samho’s head rolling on the ground.
He looked as though his pride had taken a severe blow.
Suddenly, Tang Ja-seong began to fly into a rage, personally striking down the remaining masked men in black one by one.
He truly lived up to his title as the Poison Dragon of the Sichuan Four Dragons.
He’s not the Poison Dragon because of his venom; he’s the Poison Dragon because he’s one poisonous bastard, I muttered to myself.
Like Ye Woon, Tang Ja-seong seemed to be deeply shaken.
Looking at the Tang Clan experts he had brought along, most of them were youths, much like the Sword Palace Squad.
They had undoubtedly been sent out as a Demon Subjugation Group to gain real combat experience because they lacked it.
But like Ye Woon, they must have felt the sting of their own inadequacy.
I know that feeling all too well.
I didn't let any of those thoughts show on my face.
Thanks to the Tang Clan’s intervention, we annihilated the Ghost Pursuit Squad and the Demonic Cult League masters who had blocked our path. We then sat down to rest for a moment.
We had to wait for the members of the Demon Subjugation Group, who had lost consciousness after their possession ended, to wake up.
After about fifteen minutes, they all regained consciousness.
“Is everyone alright?”
They looked drained, but they weren't so weak that they couldn't walk.
“Yes, Squad Leader.”
“Then, let’s get moving again.”
At my word, the members of the Demon Subjugation Group stood up, leaning on each other for support as they walked.
“Take heart; we’ll reach the location of the Emei and Qingcheng Demon Subjugation Groups if we go just a bit further.”
As I spoke, Huang Chu approached me from behind.
“It’s strange. By now, they should have already discovered us. It’s very odd. By the way, Young Hero Eo, how did you know they were there?”
Huang Chu threw the question at me.
“I have someone who provides me with information.”
“Hmm, are you saying there’s a shadow following you, Young Hero Eo?”
“You could say that. A shadow is exactly what it is.”
“Just what is your true identity? To have a specialist capable of moving so secretly that they can gather information in a place crawling with masters... and to possess the strength to kill a Deputy Commander, whom those monsters followed like a god, in a single strike.”
Huang Chu spoke while looking at me with suspicious eyes.
“Isn't that all thanks to the Ghostly Sword?”
Huang Chu let out a short laugh.
“The Ghostly Sword can't produce that kind of power. As I said, at most, the Ghostly Sword can only change the direction of an attack.”
Finding it difficult to explain, I gave a vague answer.
“It just... happened.”
“And what is the name of that technique that 'just happened'? The one that can punch a hole through a person’s head?”
Tang Bin suddenly cut into our conversation.
I found myself at a loss for words.
The Scattering Light Red Sun Flash was a sword technique I had to keep hidden; I couldn't reveal it.
In such cases, there was only one answer that could shut down further questioning.
“It is a secret technique passed down in my family.”
It was against the etiquette of the Murim to pry into another family’s secret techniques.
As expected, Tang Bin pouted and fell silent at those words.