Chapter 228
Chapter 228
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Translator: penny
Chapter Title: Short Companionship (4)
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Squeak-!
Squeeeeeak-!
He tried to advance quickly, but the ones closing in from all sides weren't just one or two.
Neung Pung-un, blocked by the sound of rustling bushes, changed direction several times before coming to a halt.
"It looks like a clash is unavoidable."
It was a quick judgment.
Just from what he could sense with his qi perception, over a hundred foes were heading their way.
"How did they know we were coming and prepare like this?"
"It seems the demonic cults are deeply involved in this journey."
"What do you plan to do now?"
"We'll have to break through with force."
The kind-hearted Neung Pung-un had apparently still been searching for a way to minimize bloodshed up to that point.
'He's still too steeped in righteous faction thinking.'
In the cutthroat world of the reversed strongholds, the sword comes out before peaceful solutions.
Shring.
Fortunately, once he made up his mind, his aura shifted immediately.
'Quick situational awareness is commendable.'
Chu Un-hwi smiled at the sharp, well-honed sword-like presence.
"The enemies are approaching."
As Geum Jeong said, a group emerged from beyond the narrow path.
'About thirty in number?'
This would be quite a workout.
"We're breaking through!"
Chaeng!
Neung Pung-un drew his sword and charged toward the enemies.
***
No less than fifty men.
Even as he rushed at the horde radiating killing intent, Neung Pung-un didn't bat an eye.
"Haat!"
Far from fear, he leaped over the front line with astonishing lightness skill and pressed forward relentlessly.
"You fool! You've walked right into your grave!"
The enemies sneered and swung their swords and blades at Neung Pung-un.
"Such rough fellows."
Flutter.
As the sword tip quivered, blossoms of sword light bloomed.
One, two.
The sword flowers bloomed into dozens in an instant, deflecting the stabbing blades all at once.
"Sword flowers? Mount Hua Sect!"
"It's Plum Blossom Swordsmanship! He's a Plum Blossom Sword Expert!"
The enemies, glancing at their swept blades amid the sword flowers, began to waver.
Clang clang clang clang!
Once resolved, Neung Pung-un's sword showed no mercy.
Slash!
With each swing, someone clutched their arm or leg, staggering back.
He cut down the foes one by one with incredible speed and ferocity, but Chu Un-hwi wasn't satisfied.
'He's focusing on incapacitation rather than killing.'
Underestimating unorthodox warriors?
As expected.
Unorthodox fighters didn't retreat from mere severed limbs.
"Grit. Damn brat."
"If he cuts us once, we return the favor. Fair's fair."
"Heh heh. Let's see who wins."
Instead, they charged with even fiercer venom, forcing Neung Pung-un to fall back in surprise.
'Eight out of ten are back in the fight.'
It must be disorienting to see enemies that wouldn't dwindle no matter how many he cut.
'Unorthodox folk don't gracefully admit defeat and withdraw.'
As Neung Pung-un fell into a defensive position, Geum Jeong shrugged and stepped up.
"Instructor Neung! I'll join you!"
Even with Geum Jeong joining, the situation didn't improve.
'Is it because she grew up in a peaceful world? She's also hesitant to take lives.'
Time for some guidance from an experienced instructor?
Chu Un-hwi drew his sword and bellowed.
"What is this, child's play?!"
"Child's play?!"
"These are unorthodox scum who've rolled in the gutters. Survivors of every filthy ordeal imaginable—think they'll flinch at that?"
"Then what do we do?"
"Make them shrink back just from facing you."
Chu Un-hwi gauged the weight of his sword and rolled his neck.
"You bastard!"
Spotting someone charging at him swinging an iron club, Chu Un-hwi kicked the ground with his toes.
Slash!
He kicked sand into the foe's face and closed in swiftly.
Slice-.
A simple stroke.
Without any flourish, the drawn slash grazed the opponent's forearm precisely.
Slash.
Both hands gripping the iron club flew into the air.
"Argh! My hands!"
"What, over a couple hands?"
Thud thud.
Passing by, he struck the neck and abdomen once each.
"Kih... Hick."
The foe deflated with a gasp and crumpled.
"Aren't you afraid of becoming Iron Snake Alliance's mortal enemy?"
"We're all out to kill each other. Worry about the hassle after you survive."
"......"
"If you need time, come back after we've settled things."
"You scum!"
Dodging a roaring foe's sword, he grabbed the shoulder, pulled in, and stabbed the gut twice.
Thud thud.
"Cough!"
As the foe clutched his belly and bent, an elbow to the back of the head.
Crack.
"Argh! Revenge for me!"
Twisting to evade the next charging sword, he slashed the back.
"Cough!"
Seeing the foe shudder like a gutted fish, he slid the embedded sword horizontally.
Grind.
A slight resistance—the spine severed—and the body collapsed.
'Next one's this guy.'
Blood fountained in an instant; a panicked enemy backed away.
'What are you looking at?'
The terrified foe startled only when Chu Un-hwi appeared right in front.
Thud thud.
A beat too slow; Chu Un-hwi punched holes in the side easily.
"The enemy is just one..."
Still got breath to yap.
He advanced on the snarling foe, blades poised at both sides.
Slaaash!
Brushing close, the upright blades sliced as he passed; their bellies split, spilling innards.
"Ugh. Urk."
"No. Why is this coming out."
"Go back in. This can't be."
The four gutted enemies desperately tried shoving their guts back in, collapsing in horror.
"Th-that's an incredible killing sword..."
Geum Jeong trailed off, unable to believe her eyes.
"------."
Watching former comrades writhe like bugs in their death throes, the enemies were utterly cowed.
'Now they're showing familiar emotions.'
Fear and terror.
The proper reactions for enemies.
Only then did Chu Un-hwi halt and flick his sword into the air.
Swish!
Thick blood trailing the blade splashed red across the grass.
"Lost in thought? Ten more died in that time."
"...You always surprise me."
"Need more time? I'll kill about thirty while you think."
"Hoo."
Neung Pung-un, now at his side, had all traces of hesitation wiped from his face.
"How far do you intend to shame me?"
"Feeling sane now?"
"Thanks to you. Isn't it your turn to worry? I'll buy you thinking time—thirty should do it?"
With even Neung Pung-un exuding viscous killing intent, unrest rippled through the enemies.
"This isn't what we were told!"
"They said greenhorns."
"What's this mad killer, and a Mount Hua expert?!"
Some even turned tail to flee.
"Why are they acting like this?"
"Unorthodox habits. Flee when facing the strong."
"Fleeing in fear? Definitely different from righteous factions."
Is it, though?
In his past life, cowards fled regardless of righteous or unorthodox.
"It's just not shameful to them."
You need to live to avenge or whatever.
Neung Pung-un didn't seem to grasp that unorthodox fighters who resolve to fight to the death become entirely different beasts.
'If a decent leader shows up.'
And sure enough.
A fine teaching aid appeared.
"What is this disgrace?!"
Slash!
One turning to flee collapsed with a wretched scream.
"Iron Blood Beast Squad."
The five black-clad figures landing quietly bore roaring wolf emblems on their chests.
"The enemy is just three! Scared of mere whelps?!"
Some glared defiantly, but...
"Fleeing cowards will face Iron Blood Beast Squad's retribution!"
The sharp rebuke paled their faces.
"R-retribution from the Iron Blood Beast Squad?"
"Better a clean death than that."
"Just three anyway. One hand can't beat ten."
The fear-glazed eyes of the unorthodox shifted.
'Not bad.'
He knew how to handle unorthodox types.
Geum Jeong swallowed dryly at the savage aura he emitted.
"This is the worst-case scenario."
"Worst what."
Far from proper forces—this was just a scouting probe.
'Their strongest hasn't even moved yet.'
The enemy was testing their strength with scraped-together rabble.
'Still using people like chess pieces, that nauseating style.'
Chu Un-hwi shook his head.
"Forgot? Worry about worst after surviving."
"I mean—"
"No time for empty talk."
Thud!
Kicking off, he hurled himself forward with parting words.
"Give 'em one more slice."
Boom!
With a harsh whoosh, Chu Un-hwi charged the Iron Blood Beast Squad.
***
Thud thud thud thud!
The Beast Squad seemed taken aback as the enemy charged them instead.
"Fearless fool?"
Normally, no one charges headlong into a crowd.
Especially now, with morale restored.
'But now's the perfect moment.'
They'd just barged into the fray.
The five had been focused on rallying the fleeing unorthodox before fighting themselves.
"A brave one for once."
"Heh heh. Brave or stupid—we'll see soon."
"Doesn't know the Iron Blood Beast Squad's name."
And they were off-guard.
Probably planning to weather a brief assault then swarm with the rabble behind.
'Fat chance. Fear of me is still etched in their instincts.'
As expected.
Charging boldly, the freshly venomous foes scattered in panic, clearing a path.
"Wh-what idiots."
Thanks to them, the squad a beat late gathering qi, drawing their serrated sabers.
Flutter flutter!
The sword wind alone flapped their clothes—a league above the rest.
'So what.'
Five beast sabers splitting his crown—Neung Pung-un shouted a warning.
"Watch out!"
"Don't stop!"
Shouting back, Chu Un-hwi poured more force into his toes, channeling qi as the world slowed.
Flutter flutter flutter!
Amid the fierce wind tousling his hair, his pupils captured every foe precisely.
'Cheol Mu-hon’s Beast Technique.'
The domineering aura felt familiar.
'Proficiency around sixty percent?'
In the slowed world, only his eyes darted, taking it all in.
'Weapons: serrated sabers. Saw-like blades—not for cutting, but ripping flesh.'
The world slowed, but time hadn't stopped.
Slither.
The saber teeth, wolf-fang-like, neared an inch from his crown.
'Analysis done. Now for the instructor's demonstration.'
Shrieeeek!
Vision sped up; the world flowed fast again.
A hair's breadth—pulling his head from the saber arc, he barreled in with momentum.
"Instructor Chu!"
"Chu Un-hwi!"
From behind, it must look like his head was splitting.
"I'll cleave you in one go!"
The foe clearly didn't anticipate this.
'Can't be helped?'
Grasping the world's flow and glimpsing a move ahead is no easy realm.
'Maybe Nangong's foresight level to mimic it?'
Whoosh!
Severed forelocks fluttered past his shoulders.
The toll of extreme acrobatics for dramatic effect.
Slide.
Left hand up, nudging the saber now descending on shoulder.
The moment he thought he'd pushed to safe distance.
Thwack!
Flipping palm to backhand the saber tip; the foe staggered.
"Huh?"
Heavy saber yanked his torso forward; the beast squad member's face blanked.
"That your last words?"
Thud!
Stepping on the grounded saber, he leaped.
Crunch!
"Keurk!"
Boosting jump with saber step, knee to the nose bridge.
"Didn't like looking down on me."
Grabbing the tumbling head, repeated knee strikes.
Thud thud thud thud!
Face smashed, the beast squad member toppled like rotten timber.
Landing lightly, Chu Un-hwi grinned.
"Scared of whelps, he said?"
Oh dear.
"Guess you don't know how scary kids these days are. Right?"
---.
The unorthodox who met his gaze began backing away, faces drained of color.