Chapter 189
Chapter 189
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Translator: penny
Chapter Title: Inferno Battlefield (6)
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Listening to the story, Chu Un-hwi furrowed his brow.
"Why do I have to go?"
"The other instructors are exhausted from the intense battles."
Looking around, the open area was filled only with people circulating their energy and adjusting their breathing.
"More importantly, there's no one who reads the terrain as well as you do."
Instructors could read maps and terrain, of course.
But no one could glance once and grasp where the enemy would advance or retreat, or spot a narrow mountain path.
'Spotting it at a glance is in the realm of the impossible.'
Only renowned trackers in the world or mysterious experts might manage it.
"We need the extraordinary ability you showed when rescuing the students."
"Even without me..."
He tried to think of someone else out of laziness, but no one came to mind.
'Damn it.'
He hated the hassle.
Nangong Il-jun quickly added,
"The students from other areas are in danger too. Above all, we've lost contact with Yong-ho, which worries me."
"Yong-ho..."
"He went with Instructor Ja-gyeom. Accompanied by Senior Instructor Eo-jeong-geun."
Now he understood why Nangong Il-jun was so urgent.
"Even the Baek Geom Corps from our family can't be reached. It's an emergency."
Bowing his head, Chu Un-hwi glanced sideways.
There, Wang Wu was subtly nodding.
[An opportunity to secure the principal wife.]
From the look, Wang Wu had quietly egged Nangong Il-jun on.
'Uncle Sima is indeed skilled at behind-the-scenes work.'
With that thought, Chu Un-hwi reluctantly accepted.
"Fine. But."
Empty promises wouldn't do.
"On one condition. Grant me one favor later."
"Trying to bargain even in this emergency?"
"Can't you make a promise like this in an emergency? It's a matter of life and death."
His whining made Nangong Il-jun crease his chin.
"That's..."
He had expected no easy acceptance.
'No telling what condition this fiend might demand.'
His mind was probably racing with worries about outrageous requests.
'Still, he'll have no choice but to accept.'
Sure enough, after his expression shifted several times, Nangong Il-jun heavily shook his head.
"Very well. But it must not harm the Nangong Family."
"It won't harm the Nangong Family."
To the Nangong Family.
He seemed slightly irked by the implication but added another condition.
"Furthermore, it must not go against justice and righteousness."
"Of course."
"Good. I accept. Best of luck, temporary instructor."
Watching him firmly clasp his fists in salute, Chu Un-hwi grinned.
'Got him. A keeper.'
His eyes gleamed like a spider eyeing prey in its web, inwardly smacking his lips.
A short while earlier.
Led by Nangong Mu-san, the Soaring Heaven White Sword Corps raced beyond their destination.
"Family Head! We're under attack!"
Dudududu.
Nangong Mu-san's eyes twitched at the shout.
"Attack?"
Who would dare disrupt the Nangong Family's procession?
"Push them back."
He thought little of it, but soon Nangong Mu-san was greatly flustered.
Kwabang!
With the roar of an explosive orb, over ten leading horses soared into the air.
Parararak!
True to the Nangong Family's elite reputation, the riders kicked off their mounts, flipped mid-air, and landed gracefully like paintings come to life.
Not everyone emerged unscathed, however.
Peok! Ududuk!
Some failed to control their momentum and tumbled headfirst alongside their horses.
"Disperse!"
At the White Sword Captain's shout guarding the family head, the single-file horses scattered chaotically, forming a massive three-layered formation.
Kwang! Kwang!
More explosions followed with pillars of fire, but the Soaring Heaven White Sword Corps, abandoning tight formation for distance, easily dodged while controlling their mounts.
Dudududu.
It was acrobatic horsemanship bordering on circus feats.
The crisis passed in an instant, but Nangong Mu-san in the carriage clicked his tongue.
"Our movements have been exposed?"
Beyond his widely extended senses, countless presences were closing in.
"No idea where the leak came from."
The rendezvous with the Murim Alliance contact holding the Blood Dew Stone was right ahead.
An ambush here meant the contact's movements had likely leaked to the Mangcheon Society.
"The Murim Alliance's handling is disappointing."
With that thought, Nangong Mu-san felt a massive heat wave approaching and gripped his sword.
Thud.
He tapped the sword sheath on the carriage floor, then calmly drew and slashed the roof.
Flash!
As the sword flash severed the roof, Nangong Mu-san kicked off and soared like a phoenix.
Parararak! Kwang!
Beneath his form, rising three jang, the carriage that had raced fiercely exploded in flames moments ago.
Whiriric! Tak tak!
Flipping mid-air, he stepped on flying debris and launched again, eyes flashing.
"Which fools dare target the banner of the Heavenly First House!"
With a thunderous roar, Nangong Mu-san unleashed terrifying momentum from his sword tip.
Wuuuuuung.
Though not matching the Sword King's fame.
Drdrdrdr.
His sea-like power of three gapja, fused with centuries of Nangong martial arts, radiated immense presence.
- Imperial Swordsmanship.
First stance. Emperor's Manifestation.
Whoooooo-.
Kicking once in the air and thrusting the sword in all directions.
Kwakwakwakwa!
The ground grazed by sword energy exploded, turning the charging crimson horde into minced flesh on one side.
Tatat! Tatat!
Racing swiftly along the mountain path, Nangong Il-jun was quite surprised to see Chu Un-hwi keeping pace beside him.
"Are you really alright?"
"Any reason I wouldn't be?"
"Maintaining lightness skill all day isn't easy."
This was precisely why he insisted on a small vanguard.
Unlike swordsmanship influenced by talent, lightness skill allowed no luck.
To go far, fast, and long required substantial inner power to support it.
Yet in reality, the instructors, including Jang Cheol-sim, were falling behind.
"We'll circulate energy and catch up."
"This is embarrassing."
"Utterly shameful."
Even the surveillance division's experts, considerable masters, were panting heavily.
Only Baek Ri-seon and Moyong Ju followed.
But this guy...
'After running all day, he hasn't even broken much of a sweat.'
Asking out of curiosity elicited a simple reply.
"From a rural sect, so I've always been confident in my stamina."
His lightness skill form made it somewhat believable.
Typically, lightness skill propelled the body far and fast by expelling power from the Yongcheon acupoint in the sole.
But this bizarre creature's method was unprecedented.
Instead of elegantly maintaining balance while running, he pushed off the ground with hands when needed or bounced lightly over rocks.
It resembled a wild beast more than a human.
'From a rural sect, yet so versatile it's unbelievable.'
His highest praise was for command ability.
Even instructors subtly acknowledged it, despite the students' inferior backgrounds unworthy of comparison.
'Of course, turning the tide from the front isn't simple.'
Nothing he did surprised anymore.
On the contrary, Nangong Il-jun now saw him as someone to stay close to at any cost.
"Stop."
Chu Un-hwi, who had been a gale, halted and rummaged through nearby grass.
"Someone stayed here recently."
"You spotted it already?"
"Two people. Light footsteps—martial artists."
"You can tell that much?"
His enemy-tracking skills rivaled a ghost's.
As he muttered, fiddling with the grass, Chu Un-hwi spoke.
"But uneven strides suggest injury."
"Can you tell where they went?"
"West. They changed direction here."
A Soaring Heaven Corps member exclaimed in admiration.
"Our family hideout is ahead. Injured on mission, they stop there."
"Could be your family members."
"Likely."
Nangong Il-jun looked at Chu Un-hwi with newfound eyes.
The sly face still irked him, but greed stirred in a corner of his heart.
'I see why Elder Wang Wu chose him as heir for Kunlun Sect's secrets.'
A pity he started martial arts so late, but too talented to abandon lightly.
"Leave markers for the followers and press on. No time to rest if injured."
Yet upon arrival, a grim scene unfolded.
"...All dead."
"We were too late."
Two cooling corpses lay near the hideout.
Both with charred black limbs, signs of fierce combat.
"Yeong-gwa. Why lie here?"
"Kuhk. Open your eyes."
Mourning his comrade, Nangong Il-jun looked at the bodies and gravely bowed his head.
"The ones guarding Yong-ho."
The young heir in peril was dreadful enough, but the code they left signaled the worst.
- Engaged. Nangong Family Head. Critical.
An unbelievable development.
"Heh heh."
Having toyed with the Sword Saint and finally landing a palm on the Nangong Family Head's heart, the Eight Thousand Demon Emissary Jeok Mu-kyeong felt excellent.
"Moving after being struck by Solar Divine Power? Worthy of claiming the Nangong Family's top seat."
Regrettable not to finish with the Soaring Heaven White Sword Corps' desperate resistance, but he didn't mind.
Solar Divine Power was utmost yang martial art.
From the moment struck in the heart, the victim would writhe in agony as their body burned from within.
"All that awaits him is excruciating pain, despair, and sweet death."
However, Jeok Mu-kyeong soured at the Red Flame Corps' report.
"The sacrifice escaped..."
"F-Forgive us, Emissary!"
"My nurtured Red Flame Corps defeated by mere brats... How should I take this?"
As he raised his foot toward the trembling subordinate's head.
"Emissary."
The Blood Person in blood-red robes.
Red Flame Corps Leader Yang Gang stepped forward.
"There was a mishap."
"Mishap? You dare claim mistake as 'mishap' when I moved personally?"
Wuuuuung.
As the room's temperature soared, Red Flame Leader Yang Gang prostrated urgently.
"Assassins intervened."
"Assassins?"
"Wounds show one precise slash per kill."
"Assassins clean enough to grant death neatly against Red Flame Corps..."
"...I suspect the ones who raided the Nameless Manor."
"Forgot about them."
Having inspected the Nameless Manor massacre, Jeok Mu-kyeong clicked his tongue.
"With Nangong Family in hand, who would've thought such unexpected pests would annoy us."
"Give me the Red Flame Corps. I'll claim their blood myself."
At the sharp tone, Jeok Mu-kyeong smirked.
"Quite confident."
"They left traces in their assassination. Assassins without stealth are ash in a moment."
"Kekeke. The rats showed their tails..."
Licking his lips with a red tongue, Jeok Mu-kyeong drew a small stone from his bosom.
Swipe.
The rice-grain stone pinched between index and thumb gleamed eerily.
"Awakening Stone lacks blood to offer. You know no mistakes allowed?"
"Of course."
"Take ten squads of Red Flame Corps."
Chak.
Catching the tossed Awakening Stone mid-air, Jeok Mu-kyeong's eyes flashed.
"Slaughter the unbelievers and dye the altar red."
Finally, I shall.
"Open the heavens of Mangcheon!"
At his shout, all prostrated and roared.
"Glory!"