Chapter 139
Chapter 139
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Translator: penny
Chapter Title: Night of a Hundred Ghosts (5)
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A short while before the raid.
Having volunteered to fetch water, Chu Un-hwi was walking along the forest path.
Sabak. Sabak.
The forest, shrouded in darkness where not even moonlight could seep through, was pitch black like a curtain of night, but Chu Un-hwi simply walked on.
And when he stopped.
"Tch. So you're here."
Leaning against a tree stump was a cooling corpse.
A body that had been devoured by the forest's darkness.
As he approached and placed a finger to the neck, the breath was already nearly gone.
Looking down at the cooling body with cold eyes, Chu Un-hwi's lips twitched.
"Squad Leader Yang."
The man dying, half-propped against the stump, had been a lively comrade just moments ago.
- I'm Yang Dae-cheol, the Nine Hundred Iron Fist.
- Instructor Chu. What in the world are you thinking?
- Squad Leader starting next semester? I'm so nervous my stomach hurts.
The face laughing heartily at a cheap tavern in the darkness resurfaced in his mind.
When the memory stopped, what he saw was little more than a lump of meat on its final breath.
The half-closed eyes had lost their light, and the blood at the mouth had already dried.
Suddenly, he noticed the broken right arm dangling loosely and the half-shattered gauntlet rolling nearby.
Chu Un-hwi's gaze looking down with chilling eyes was utterly frigid.
No, frigid beyond that—it held no emotion at all.
"Humans are beasts of betrayal."
Expectations were unnecessary existences anyway.
"Why do you make my heart so uneasy like this?"
A faint warmth gathered at the corners of his eyes.
"Why do these pathetic things disturb this Lord's peace?"
It was a commonplace death.
He had seen it countless times, and created even more.
A being as common as roadside pebbles, death more natural than autumn leaves.
"Heh."
A hoarse voice leaked from his throat.
Tatataatak!
Before he knew it, Chu Un-hwi found himself beside the fading body, tapping at the flesh, and muttered.
"I thought I wasn't the capricious type."
He was even surprised by his own hands reviving the qi and blood, swiftly infusing life.
"Since I've gone and saved you, I can't just leave you like this."
Cough.
Confirming the resuming breath amid the spat-out phlegm, Chu Un-hwi grumbled.
"I can't just abandon the guy who troubled this Lord."
Igle. Igle.
Two will-o'-the-wisps floated up in the darkness.
Gazes scattering red and blue demonic light pierced toward the beyond.
Sasasasasak!
At the same time, pitch-black energy poured from his entire body in an instant, spreading toward the depths of the darkened forest.
Ten zhang. A hundred zhang.
The black energy spreading farther terrified every living creature in the forest as it passed.
Two hundred zhang. Three hundred zhang.
The endlessly expanding energy soon detected a familiar presence.
"Found you."
The red lips beneath the demonic light split wide at both ends.
Peothek!
Something lying dead-like on a crevice in the valley wall twitched in response to the energy.
"Come here. Baby."
Hide-and-seek isn't my thing.
- Kraaaaargh!
Sensing the roar from afar, Chu Un-hwi cackled.
"Yes. Since you've troubled this Lord, add a bit of value to your worthless life before dying."
Hmm hm. Hmm hm.
Humming a tune, Chu Un-hwi hoisted Yang Dae-cheol onto his back.
And with light steps, he vanished into the valley's darkness.
Here it comes!
"Open battle!"
Creeeeak!
No sooner had Moyong So-hye's shout burst out than Nangong Yun-ho was pushed back in a rush.
"Hm?"
A note of doubt escaped the attacker's lips, who had been confident in his killing blow.
But something was faster still.
Thwack!
As the bonfire exploded, Baek Ri-seol hurled her sword infused with the subtleties of flying sword arts.
"Can't you see over here?"
Chwiriririk!
The bandit's eyes flicked up sharply as he snatched the flying sword from midair.
Chiiiiiik.
The bandit quickly shook his hand as the blade scorched his grip.
By then, Baek Ri-seol had closed in, arms spread wide.
"White Crane Swordsmanship."
No, not that—
- Phoenix Flame Dance.
Sensing mortal peril creeping up her spine the moment they faced off, Baek Ri-seol drew out the secret technique she had hidden from the start.
Chwachwachwak!
With arms flung wide, her pouring sword strikes mingled with the bonfire embers soaring into the air, weaving a dance of flames.
Thud! Clangclang!
The bandit parried the sword with swift palm strikes, but her ever-changing slashes and thrusts struck only empty air.
"Impressive swordsmanship!"
Wang Wu joined in with admiration, closing the distance, forcing the bandit—who had abandoned the ambush—to leap back dramatically.
Sasasak!
Watching the figure soar into the air, Moyong So-hye shouted like lightning once more.
"Brother Jegal!"
Papapapak!
Jegal Tan flicked his sword finger to hurl stones, completing a formation in a brief moment.
"North! Hour of the Dragon!"
Boom!
The instant he shouted, the bandit's palms struck at Jegal Tan from the darkness.
Kwabang!
The terrifying force in the palm blast shattered a boulder a zhang away with dull thuds.
Wooong.
But the air trembled, and Jegal Tan's figure from moments before melted away smoothly.
It was a formation.
"Grk?"
Sensing something off, the bandit instinctively sought another victim and leaped into the air again.
Moyong So-hye shrieked.
"Brother Nangong! Help!"
"Get behind me!"
Creeeng!
With a harsh metallic clash, Nangong Yun-ho slid back, pulling Moyong So-hye into his arms.
Bangbang!
Quickly rolling to evade the palm blast explosion, Nangong Yun-ho straightened his sword.
Wang Wu charged in then, blue sword qi blooming as he bellowed.
"Coward! Leave the young ones and face me!"
Shuuuak!
The blue sword qi cleaved toward the crown of the head, but the bandit blocked with a hand rippling inky light.
Thud.
Just the clash of sword and flesh rang like a massive bell, sinking the ground within a zhang around them.
Fwooooosh.
Followed by the vacuum gale from colliding internal energies swirling up.
Kwagagak!
Turning into fierce ripples that swept the surroundings.
It had all happened in the blink of five eyes.
Moyong Seon-ya and Yeo Mae-hong were dumbfounded.
Moyong So-hye's shout and the intruder's arrival had been in a single instant.
As an excuse, they hadn't anticipated such elusive movement techniques.
But they had heard of it already.
Letting their guard down due to Wang Wu's presence was a grave mistake.
"It's embarrassing enough that words fail."
Being pushed back by novice students on their first outing to the jianghu.
"As instructors, we're disqualified."
Yeo Mae-hong couldn't easily shake her astonishment.
"Everyone's skills are remarkable."
This was beyond student level.
The brief exchange had been so high-level that Yeo Mae-hong felt intimidated.
"We can't just stand here dejected."
"Instructor Eun Hae-weol said it."
Wiping away her usual gentle expression, Yeo Mae-hong gripped her scabbard.
"A true instructor isn't the one with the strongest martial arts, but the one who stands before the students."
"Music to my ears."
Tatat!
The two dashed toward the campsite.
Chaenchaeng!
Wang Wu's continuous thrusts were blindingly fast.
Yet the bandit didn't yield easily, erecting a formidable palm qi barrier around himself.
Whooooosh!
One swing of his hand created dozens of phantom palms flickering along the trajectory—an extraordinary palm technique.
Chaenchaeng!
Papapang!
Amid the chaotic explosions, Wang Wu's eyes gleamed.
"What an incredible palm art."
"Grraaaaa."
"To wield such skill even bereft of reason and intellect—how could heaven's talent dwell in a mere demon spawn!"
Wang Wu's sword speed quickened further with righteous lament.
Shishishishik!
In response, the bandit intensified his inky palm qi, twisting his wrist savagely.
Pupupupung!
His demonic energy was so potent that a mere palm flick birthed a whirling gust.
"Bottomless internal energy!"
His robes flapping from the mere palm blasts, Wang Wu didn't underestimate the fiend and soared into the air.
Boom!
The spot he'd stood exploded, staggering Wang Wu in the shockwave.
Shiiiik!
Spotting the airborne foe off-balance, the bandit flew up with bird-like lightness, targeting Wang Wu.
Wang Wu flipped midair with a smug smile.
"Heh. To challenge me in the air."
Thud! Papapak! Thud!
Changing direction five times in the sky, Wang Wu grazed past the bandit.
"Kraaak!"
The bandit screamed for the first time, shooting upward.
Wang Wu, landing gracefully, was startled.
"Flying on the wind?"
No matter how supreme Kunlun's Cloud Dragon Eight Forms were, they couldn't pursue wind-riding lightness skill.
After chasing for a while.
Shuuuuuaaaaak!
"Oh no, I've been tricked!"
The "fleeing" bandit was striking from behind again.
Creeeeng!
The next target was Jegal Tan.
Fearing Wang Wu, it aimed for the weak ones first.
"Looks like he's underestimating me quite a bit."
Jegal Tan, staggering, had a firefly-like sparkle at his sword tip.
- Illusion Swordsmanship.
Srurruk.
As the firefly on the sword tip danced erratically while he strolled casually, the bandit inexplicably punched into empty air.
Srrrring.
Trapped by the following firefly, the bandit now blasted the ground blindly.
'Why is he doing that?'
Not knowing exactly, but a golden opportunity for Moyong Seon-ya.
"Student Jegal!"
"Enter from five paces right."
Following Jegal Tan's direction instinctively, she locked onto position as the bandit flailed wildly, spinning.
Moyong Seon-ya’s eyes sparkled at the exposed back.
'So this was intentional.'
Coordination skill beyond a mere student.
'Can't miss this chance.'
Flash!
Pure sword qi erupted in jade-green light.
- Jade Divine Art.
An elite sword technique taught only to direct lineage in the Moyong Family.
The evil-purging energy in the green sword qi split the bandit's back wide.
"Kraaaak!"
Maddened by pain, the bandit flailed palms wildly, detonating blasts everywhere.
'Truly fearsome energy.'
Even random shots were hard to block.
Fortunately, reinforcements arrived.
"Sister!"
Shupapap!
Yeo Mae-hong closed in with light steps in a curving footwork, striking Moyong Seon-ya's back.
Fwoooo.
Relief came with the energy flowing through her back, and Yeo Mae-hong joined.
"Two paces and a half left."
Locking position per Jegal Tan's call, they trapped three sides amazingly.
'Incredible. Student Jegal's eye for formations is astonishing.'
Yeo Mae-hong's eyes sharpened anew.
Papapapap!
What followed was exceedingly fluid swordplay.
Sword qi bending supple like bamboo in the wind—Whirlwind Eight Swords, permitted only to Wudang lay disciples.
Thus, one side assaulted with razor-sharp evil-purging strikes, the other with ceaseless shaking barrages; the bandit's hands grew disordered.
Chwiriririk!
Strange glows joined midair, and the overwhelmed bandit finally allowed an opening.
Thudthudthudthud!
"Guhhh."
With a stifled groan, the bandit stumbled back amid frantic footwork.
"Hah!"
"Yahp!"
Pressing with sword shades amid it all, the bandit flung both arms wide again.
"Kaaak!"
Moyong Seon-ya cried out like a scream at the bat-wing leap.
"It's Floating Flight after all!"
Silver Moon Bandits indeed!
"It's a feint!"
Whiik!
As if soaring up, the bandit flipped and palm-struck Moyong Seon-ya's shoulder.
Creeeeng!
She raised jade qi to block, but the sword hummed, then bang!—hurling her back.
"Cough."
Kneeling on one knee after plowing furrows with her feet from the monstrous energy.
"Stoooop—!"
Wang Wu, charging from afar, roared with infused power—a lion's roar.
Startled, the bandit screeched kaaak! and hovered, unleashing palm force at Yeo Mae-hong.
Bang! Pubang!
She tried dissipating the momentum with Whirlwind Eight Swords' flow, but it was tough.
Kwang!
"Agh—!"
Enduring several condensed blasts cracked her blade.
Chaeng. Kagagak!
The bandit gripped her sword between index and middle fingers, shaking it along the blade; Yeo Mae-hong's sword snapped with a ding!
"Instructor Yeo!"
The moment Baek Ri-seol and Nangong Yun-ho moved at the crisis.
"Krrrk."
As if mocking, the bandit's form sank abruptly.
"Kyaaak!"
A shrill scream erupted where the bandit's hand clutched Moyong So-hye's collar, her legs kicking wildly.
Was this intended?
"Kraaaak."
The bandit gaped wide toward her small white nape.
Moyong So-hye froze at the crimson fangs.