Chapter 95: War (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 95: War (1)
Even after crossing into Shanxi, Seo-jun and Jang-geuk maintained their rapid pace.
However, their destination was a battlefield. Knowing they couldn't afford to exhaust themselves before arriving, they decided to set up camp for the night.
Drawing on his past as a bandit, Jang-geuk insisted Seo-jun rest while he expertly handled all the preparations.
Crackle— crackle—
Rabbit meat roasted over the campfire, releasing an appetizing aroma. Jang-geuk handed a skewer to Seo-jun with a grin.
"Meat eaten out in the wild is a true delicacy, my Lord."
"Heh, don't mind if I do!"
Seo-jun eagerly took a bite of the meat.
…Setting aside the gamey smell, it was incredibly bland. Was there no salt? He patted his pockets, but of course, he didn't have any.
As Seo-jun forced himself to chew and swallow the tasteless meat, Jang-geuk let out a hearty laugh.
"It seems it doesn’t suit my Lord’s palate."
"The seasoning is way off. And the heat wasn't even."
"Seasoning? Even?"
"Never mind. It’s just that I grew up a bit sheltered."
"…Is that so?"
"…What’s that supposed to mean?"
When Seo-jun glared at him, Jang-geuk hurriedly waved his hands.
"Anyone who saw my Lord that day would find that hard to believe. You know, with the extra arms sprouting out, and then you ripping them off… Hmm. Even thinking about it now, it was quite a spectacle."
"Yeah, yeah, you're right. I'm actually a back-alley thug, damn it."
Jang-geuk’s eyes widened as he scratched his head.
"And yet, now you are the son-in-law of the Namgung Clan… You truly are amazing."
"It’s all thanks to my Chun-bong."
"Ah, yes, Lady Chun-bong. I’ve heard her name hundreds of times by now. It’s a shame I haven’t had the honor of meeting her."
"If you even think about hitting on her, you’re dead, got it? Your head will literally go pop. Think I’m joking?"
"You sound quite serious…"
"I can't blame you, though. I get it. My Chun-bong is quite famous by her title, The Cutest in the World, after all…"
After enduring Seo-jun’s endless praises of Chun-bong for about an hour, Jang-geuk laughed awkwardly and subtly changed the subject.
"By the way, my Lord, there was something I was curious about while practicing the Giant Spirit Divine Art."
"Something you’re curious about? It’s not a complex enough martial art to leave you with questions."
Jang-geuk’s expression instantly soured.
"Please do not measure the world by your own standards. I’ve been called a genius my entire life, yet standing before my Lord, I feel like a clueless village brat."
"Ah, well, Chun-bong did say it before, right? That my talent is unparalleled in history…"
As he was subjected to yet another hour of Chun-bong worship, Jang-geuk’s eyes darted around.
Just what kind of woman is this Chun-bong to have my Lord so thoroughly bewitched? It couldn't be some kind of forbidden demonic art, could it?
Harboring thoughts that would have earned him a caved-in skull had Seo-jun heard them, Jang-geuk stood up.
Having received a few pointers on the Giant Spirit Divine Art amidst the relentless Chun-bong worship, his hands were itching to test them out.
"Are you taking the first watch again, old man?"
"As your subordinate, I can hardly let my Lord stand guard while I sleep."
"I wouldn't mind."
"Kuhahaha! I won't get tired even if I stay up for a few nights straight anyway."
At the boisterous response, Seo-jun gave a small smirk and lay down on the makeshift bed of clothes he’d spread out. Suddenly, his gaze shifted to the side.
From the pitch-black darkness of the forest, black-coated daggers came flying in.
His eyes flashing dangerously, Jang-geuk stepped in front of Seo-jun and swung his broad blade.
Clang—!
Sparks flew into the night. Jang-geuk scowled and roared.
"Show yourselves this instant, you vermin!"
The furious shout of a Super Peak Realm master shook the forest. Flocks of birds took flight in a panic, their flapping wings mingling with the rustling wind.
Thwack—!
Jang-geuk snatched a flying arrow out of the air and found a piece of paper tied to its shaft.
"What the…"
Clicking his tongue, Jang-geuk unfolded the paper. There was writing on it, but being a former bandit, he was completely illiterate. Scratching his head sheepishly, he handed the note to Seo-jun.
"Let’s see here."
Taking the paper, Seo-jun read the text without even bothering to sit up.
"Uh… It basically says to watch our necks. They claim to be from the Black Lotus Union. How polite of them to introduce themselves."
"I shall go and slaughter them all."
"Ah, have fun~."
Jang-geuk lunged forward like a tiger, vanishing into the dark forest.
Staring at the crackling campfire, Seo-jun fell into thought.
It’s a bit tricky.
His Qi sensing was incredibly sensitive to the flow of internal energy, but it was far less effective at detecting purely physical movements.
The Shadow Hiding Technique used by these assassin friends seemed to rely on erasing their Qi, which explained why his detection had been slightly delayed.
There had still been plenty of time to react, but against a truly high-level assassin, that split-second delay could be fatal.
"Alright, let's try this out."
A sudden burst of inspiration struck him. Seo-jun jumped up and sat in the lotus position.
The Emperor Sword Form he had been deeply immersed in lately—wouldn't it be possible to monitor his surroundings by utilizing the Emperor’s gaze that looks down upon the world from the heavens?
He had only recently begun learning the Emperor Sword Form, so his proficiency wasn't very high. However, stripping away specific concepts and integrating them into his own martial arts was his specialty.
Wung—
As he circulated his internal energy, Seo-jun’s body floated slightly off the ground. A faint blue light flickered within his half-closed eyes.
The Emperor in the heavens. As Seo-jun visualized that majestic image, his thoughts naturally connected to the Giant Spirit Divine Art.
He recalled the faint phantom of the giant he had seen during his battle with Jang-geuk.
The moment the two concepts aligned, the Giant Spirit Divine Art automatically unfolded, flooding Seo-jun’s body with formidable power.
‘The Emperor looks down upon the world and governs all things.’
It was a passage from the oral chant of the Emperor Sword Form. Embodying the Emperor who oversees and rules all creation, Seo-jun extended the overflowing power in his body toward the sky, manifesting the Form of the Emperor.
"Oh."
He could see it. Everything in the vicinity, spanning outward with him at the center, felt as if it rested perfectly within the palm of his hand.
It was yet another moment of enlightenment.
A refreshing breeze seemed to blow through Seo-jun’s mind as he glimpsed a fraction of the true profundity behind the Emperor Sword Form.
I probably won't be able to unleash the true power of the Emperor Sword Form until I reach the Transcendent Realm.
But did that mean the martial art was useless until then? Not at all.
Swish—
More assassins lunged from the shadows. They were a completely different group from the ones Jang-geuk was currently chasing.
Seo-jun’s consciousness, looking down upon them from the heavens, issued a silent command:
‘I forbid movement.’
Abruptly, the assassins froze mid-air. Even these killers, whose emotions had long been severed through brutal training, could not hide the sheer panic in their eyes.
With his eyes still half-closed, Seo-jun slowly waved his hand.
Splurt—!
A gale of blood swept through the clearing. The assassins who had lunged forward were instantly pulverized into a fine mist of gore.
The remaining assassins, having survived only because they hadn't yet attacked, desperately suppressed their presence and tried to flee.
It was utterly futile. Seo-jun, tracking them from his omniscient vantage point in the sky, simply curled his fingers.
Thud-thud-thud—!
The Finger Pellets he fired shot through the darkness, accurately piercing their skulls.
Only a few remained alive. Seo-jun broke his lotus position and stood up.
His feet touched the earth. He drew the sword at his waist and held it high, like a general commanding an army.
The bodies of the fleeing assassins stiffened involuntarily. The leader’s eyes locked onto Seo-jun.
A man standing tall with his blade raised to the heavens. In the eyes of the overwhelmed assassin leader, the image of an absolute, arrogant monarch overlapped with the young man.
The raised sword acted as a war banner; with a singular, grand downward swing, he commanded the execution of his enemies.
We were supposed to just deliver a warning to a monster like this?
The leader let out a crooked, despairing smile. Those bastards who hired us... I hope they all burn in hell.
Fwaaaaaaaa—!
In an instant, the world was dyed in a brilliant, blinding blue.
Seo-jun panted slightly as he surveyed the absolute carnage he had just created.
An entire section of the forest had been cleanly erased from existence. Looking at the perfectly flattened ground, he let out a hollow laugh.
"So… Father-in-law’s basic attacks are like this?"
This was completely ridiculous. If this was just a fraction of the power, wasn't his father-in-law simply the strongest person in the world?
Come to think of it, once a martial artist reached the Profound Realm, they were treated more like gods than humans, so technically, he wasn't even a "person" anymore.
Wait. Then maybe Father-in-law really is the strongest under the heavens?
He suddenly felt a surge of curiosity. Maybe he’d ask him about it later.
Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Seo-jun gathered his belongings and moved his sleeping spot.
Since the ground had been so perfectly leveled, he figured it would make for a rather comfortable bed.
* * *
A short while later, Jang-geuk returned from chasing down his group of assassins.
"…A few of them managed to slip away."
Seeing the man immediately bow his head in apology, Seo-jun waved him off.
"Don't worry about it. They scattered in all directions; how could you possibly catch them all?"
Assassins were specialists in hiding and fleeing, after all. It was actually impressive that a Super Peak Realm master like him had only missed a handful.
That’s true, but…
Jang-geuk smiled awkwardly.
Anyone would feel inadequate after returning to see an entire swath of the forest turned into a barren plain in the short time they were gone.
In fact, he had witnessed the strike from a distance. The moment the forest was dyed in that majestic blue light, Jang-geuk had felt his breath hitch in his throat.
He felt an immense sense of pride that such a monstrous genius was his Lord, but he also harbored a deep, instinctual fear that such devastating power might one day fall upon his own head.
"Let’s get some good rest tonight. We'll resume our rapid pace tomorrow."
"Understood, my Lord."
Jang-geuk bowed his head respectfully.
* * *
Crazy bastards.
Seo-jun clicked his tongue at the sheer persistence of the "night guests" who visited them every other day.
How did they even know I left the clan in the first place?
Thinking about it now, the situation was incredibly strange.
The only people who should have had access to that information were the core members of the Namgung Clan or the higher-ups of the Murim Alliance, who were currently overseeing the war effort.
Perhaps the information had leaked from one of the cities they had passed through, but that seemed highly unlikely given their pace.
That meant the leak had to come from either the Namgung Clan or the Murim Alliance…
Is it the Murim Alliance? Those bastards are really starting to get on my nerves.
Naturally, he suspected the Murim Alliance far more than he did his own in-laws at the Namgung Clan.
However, there was no point in endless speculation right now.
Seo-jun simply clicked his tongue and continued to badmouth their uninvited night guests.
"I mean, do they just have an infinite supply of people to throw away?"
"They probably do, my Lord. Just think of how many people populate the Central Plains."
"Ah, that’s a fair point."
Come to think of it, this was a world where the phrase "an army of a million" wasn't mere hyperbole.
It was simply that there was no strategic value in forming an army out of ordinary commoners in the Central Plains. But if the major factions truly wanted to, raising a million-man army wouldn't be difficult at all.
The Central Plains seemed vastly larger than modern China. If they really pooled their resources, couldn't they easily form an army of a hundred thousand First-rate or Peak Realm martial artists?
Or maybe not?
Seo-jun clicked his tongue again, pushing those thoughts aside as he accelerated his pace.
He had never personally experienced war, but as they ventured deeper, he could physically feel the oppressive atmosphere of conflict pressing against his skin.
As they neared Daedong-hyeon, the air grew increasingly heavy—a suffocating tension that anyone with a shred of empathy couldn't help but notice.
The hollow expressions on the refugees' faces. The eerily silent marketplaces. The occasional, sickening stench of rot that stung the nose, and the blackened husks of burnt-out villages.
Along the way, he had already encountered and beheaded rogue martial artists looting defenseless villages on three separate occasions.
Standing atop a high hill, Seo-jun looked down at the sprawling plains in the distance.
The fields were littered with countless corpses, the gruesome aftermath of a recent, massive battle.
Frowning at the thick scent of death carried by the wind, Seo-jun silently gathered fire Qi into his hands.
Judging by their state of decay, the bodies had been abandoned for quite some time. It would be impossible to recover and identify them all. It seemed better to just send them off peacefully.
Whoosh—!
The massive fireball that left Seo-jun’s hands erupted outward, washing over the entire blood-soaked plain.
The rotting lumps of meat that were once human beings burned away, their remains scattering into the wind as fine white ash.
Seo-jun watched in silence. By the time he finally withdrew his flames, nothing remained but the blackened, scorched earth.
"Just what exactly are they trying to gain by doing all this?"
What could possibly justify the purpose of starting such a horrific war? With a heavy sigh, Seo-jun tilted his head back to look at the sky.
His mind was an absolute mess. Clicking his tongue one last time, Seo-jun pushed forward.
"Let’s go ask the bastards in charge what the hell they’re thinking."
Those miserable bastards who didn't understand the simple happiness of a peaceful life spent squeezing Chun-bong’s soft cheeks.
The lives of countless people, swept away by the insatiable greed of a few, had been scattered in vain as ash.
What was the use of comforting the souls of drafted soldiers who hadn't even wanted this war in the first place?
They were already dead. They had already been reduced to ash.
As he walked down the hill, his steps felt incredibly heavy and deeply unpleasant.