Chapter 17
Chapter 17
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 17
Chapter Title: North Heaven Alliance Leader 4
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Baek Moo-jin's expression was gravely serious.
Because of that, even though their numbers overwhelmingly outnumbered his, Baek Moo-jin's words left people utterly bewildered, as if they were the mutterings of a ghost.
Baek Moo-jin's gaze swept over the rebel forces. No one openly stirred at his words, but a few cast fearful glances at Dan Mok-heon or stole looks at the Danmok Sword Family experts.
Baek Moo-jin didn't miss those looks.
It meant there were people mixed in who had been pushed into this by those stronger than themselves. Even if not, they were at least uncertain about what he intended to do.
Baek Moo-jin looked at Dan Mok-heon.
'The ringleaders are Dan Mok-heon and the Danmok Sword Family... Crushing them decisively will change everything.'
Dan Mok-heon sensed the crowd growing restless at Baek Moo-jin's words and immediately bellowed an attack order in a furious voice.
"Attack!"
Yet among all those gathered here, the first to move—and the fastest—was none other than Baek Moo-jin himself.
Without even the sound of a leap, Baek Moo-jin soared into the air.
Then came the sleek shing of a blade drawn in midair...
A pure white sword qi erupted from the dazzlingly bright blade, engulfing the Danmok Sword Family experts.
With sharp whing, whing! sounds, the Danmok Sword Family experts swiftly drew their swords to deflect the sword qi.
But the sword qi pouring down on them wasn't meant to slice.
With a chra-la-la-rak, the lower bodies of four Danmok Sword Family experts instantly froze solid in crystalline ice.
Craaack, crackle!
A truly shocking sight.
Even more shocking was Baek Moo-jin's martial prowess.
Moreover, it was a chilling sword qi rarely seen in the martial world. Friend and foe alike widened their eyes in an instant.
But if Goo Yang-hoo let this golden opportunity slip, he wouldn't deserve the title of Alliance Leader, let alone supreme expert.
The surprise attack Baek Moo-jin had unleashed was the perfect chance for Goo Yang-hoo to conserve his strength.
Goo Yang-hoo spun in place like a whirlwind, then unleashed blade qi from his Tyrant Blade with a sweeping arc through the air.
Goo Yang-hoo's Tyrant Blade Double Severance.
Unlike Baek Moo-jin's sword qi, no form was visible as Goo Yang-hoo's blade qi rained down on the upper bodies of the Danmok Sword Family experts.
Splurt, splurt, splurt! Blood sprayed into the air.
But Dan Mok-heon was a different story altogether.
Dan Mok-heon dodged Baek Moo-jin's widespread icy sword qi, then deflected Goo Yang-hoo's blade qi in quick succession.
Without hesitation, Dan Mok-heon shot forward like an arrow to clash with Goo Yang-hoo.
Goo Yang-hoo burst into wild laughter as if pleased with Baek Moo-jin's preemptive strike, slamming his Tyrant Blade against Dan Mok-heon's sword.
Sparks flew, and Goo Yang-hoo's laughter echoed longer and louder.
But was there still a rebel leader figure left standing?
Someone shouted at those still hesitating.
"What are you waiting for! The only way to leave here alive is to kill those two! Kill them! Kill—gurk."
The man, who had been whipping his head around in frenzy, suddenly cut off mid-sentence.
Baek Moo-jin stood there, his longsword thrust into the instigator's abdomen.
Upon inspection, this man was somewhat unusual.
His attire was North Heaven Alliance garb, but the shape of his longsword was distinctly Danmok Sword Family.
He was a spy and agitator.
As Baek Moo-jin withdrew his sword, the man dropped to his knees with a thud, clutching his gut. He gasped out a few words before breathing his last.
"You fools... You're all doomed..."
Baek Moo-jin shook the blood from his blade and scanned the crowd with a bitter expression.
Even as Goo Yang-hoo and Dan Mok-heon clashed fiercely, no one else stepped forward—for some inexplicable reason.
They were up against just two opponents, weren't they?
These people were frozen in shock, more by Baek Moo-jin's bizarre techniques than by Goo Yang-hoo.
Seizing the moment, Baek Moo-jin spoke in a gentle tone that bordered on threat.
"Those who were coerced into this would do well to stay put."
How many people had gathered here?
Staying still would be foolish.
But the image of Baek Moo-jin's ice arts lingered in their minds.
Baek Moo-jin tossed out another cryptic remark, splitting the hearts of the conflicted rebels in two.
"Of course, the entire Danmok Sword Family will die."
This stirred up the conflicted ones once more.
Sure enough.
Danmok Sword Family swordsmen scattered among them—or disguised as North Heaven Alliance warriors—leaped out on their own to charge at Baek Moo-jin.
Baek Moo-jin vaulted into the air and landed on one side of the rear garden. The attackers widened into a circular formation, gripping their swords as they closed in on him.
Baek Moo-jin clicked his tongue.
'Today marks quite the accumulation of karmic slaughter.'
He plunged his scabbard into the garden floor and conjured a single White Flower of external qi manifestation in his left hand, then detonated it in all directions.
With a shooooaaa, chilling palm force poured onto the charging foes.
Thud-thud-thud! The Danmok Sword Family warriors froze mid-motion, just as they had been advancing.
Then Baek Moo-jin slashed forward with his sword, spun his body once, and cleaved backward.
Who could have imagined such a brutal scene?
The frozen men's heads hit the ground with dull thunks.
The gap in their martial skill levels was incomparable.
Everything—the freezing and the severing—had happened in a split second, leaving onlookers unable to grasp exactly what had transpired.
All that was clear was that the heads of those charging at Baek Moo-jin were gone. The spectators could only gulp repeatedly at his overwhelming prowess.
After sheathing his sword, Baek Moo-jin glanced toward Goo Yang-hoo.
Just then, Dan Mok-heon, who had been retreating step by step toward the pond, was bisected diagonally across the torso. Goo Yang-hoo, drenched in blood, wiped his face with his left hand and turned around.
Bodies littered the area around Baek Moo-jin, and those who had followed Dan Mok-heon stared at Goo Yang-hoo and Baek Moo-jin with faces pale as the dead.
Goo Yang-hoo scanned the crowd and spoke.
"Is this it? You fools."
At his words, weapons began clattering to the ground here and there, like waves crashing.
Then came thuds and thump-thumps as knees hit the floor.
No one could even beg for mercy.
They had already lost all will to fight.
No one dared think of breaking through Baek Moo-jin to join Dan Mok-heon.
But Goo Yang-hoo looked at Baek Moo-jin reproachfully.
"You've stirred up something strange. Aren't you more ruthless than I? You don't think I'd let them live, do you?"
Goo Yang-hoo intended to swing his Tyrant Blade at each one personally, turning the rear garden into a sea of blood. Despite all the schemes, complaints, and grudges over the years, he had endured, waiting for this day—to weed them out in one fell swoop.
Dan Mok-heon's swordsmanship had been sharper than expected, dragging the fight longer, but Goo Yang-hoo believed even more like him piling on wouldn't have changed the outcome.
Baek Moo-jin's handling was just bizarre—and impressive.
'What a strange fellow we've got here.'
In any case, Baek Moo-jin had hastened the conclusion. Goo Yang-hoo eyed him grudgingly, and Baek Moo-jin replied calmly.
"Please hear me out before killing them all."
"What is it?"
"First, detain them all, then root out and execute the Danmok Sword Family."
"And the rest?"
"Bind them and send them out. Then I'll explain."
Baek Moo-jin met Goo Yang-hoo's gaze with a stern look. Goo Yang-hoo snorted and nodded.
"I'll expect something interesting."
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3.
Some Sword Unit forces waiting outside the rear garden moved in at the Alliance Leader's command, hauling away the rebels.
Thirsty, perhaps, Alliance Leader Goo Yang-hoo ordered a servant to fetch liquor to the garden in haste.
A rare drinking setup in the rear garden.
Goo Yang-hoo, without even changing his bloodied clothes, poured liquor into Baek Moo-jin's cup and said,
"They're all gone now. Speak."
"Yes."
Baek Moo-jin scratched his chin briefly, cleared his throat, and continued.
"Did you intend to kill them all, Alliance Leader?"
"Why ask when you know?"
"You could have. The gap was too wide."
"It was. Is that a problem?"
"Word will spread that rebels rose in the North Heaven Alliance, invaded the rear garden, and were all slain by the Alliance Leader's hand."
"So?"
"Their comrades are in the Alliance. Even if each has just one friend here, over a hundred Alliance members will be shocked the moment the news spreads. Factor in family... and even more will be stunned."
"Isn't that the natural consequence of rebellion?"
"I have more to say."
"Go on."
"While they're imprisoned and vetted, their acquaintances will rage, curse, and vent at their foolishness. Whether you kill or spare them is your call, Alliance Leader. But executing them personally versus handling it by Alliance law—with the delay that entails—yields different results. Above all, it gives those around them time to accept and understand what happened."
"Enough. I get it up to there. So you're the real villain here, more than me?"
"Am I?"
"If you get it, drink up and be off. That's your penalty brew."
Baek Moo-jin downed the penalty shot.
Goo Yang-hoo was a man of strong pride.
Even belonging to the righteous path, he was called Tyrant Blade.
This much talk from Baek Moo-jin was already quite a lot. Yet Goo Yang-hoo sent him away without a hint of anger.
He simply couldn't refute Baek Moo-jin's point about giving time for others to come to terms.
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