Chapter 229
Chapter 229
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Translator: penny
Chapter Title: Short Companionship (5)
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The unorthodox fighters, infected by fear, floundered without direction.
"You bastard!"
The other squad members tried desperately to turn the tide, but Neung Pung-un and Geum Jeong came charging in right after.
Chaeng! Chaeng chaeng!
Neung Pung-un showed no more hesitation.
"You've definitely changed. Now that's the hero of the future."
In that fleeting moment, it was as if he'd gained some enlightenment—the sharpness at his sword tip had noticeably improved.
Every strike was a lethal technique aimed straight for the opponent's throat.
'As expected of the future Murim Alliance Leader. His growth is on another level.'
The Iron Blood Beast Squad members were each peak experts verging on the absolute realm.
Above all, the Beast Arts personally crafted and taught by Iron Snake Alliance Leader Cheol Mu-hon were in no way inferior to the famed supreme arts of the Nine Great Sects.
Gaining the upper hand against equals like them was proof of Neung Pung-un's talent, one could say.
"Meanwhile, this one's a total flop."
She was trying her best, but Geum Jeong couldn't bring out her full potential against their domineering saber arts.
Frightened by the ferocity of the Nangong Sabers, she kept flinching back in overreaction.
"Kekekeke. Wench. Come quietly. I'll show you a hot night out of pity."
"Shut your filthy mouth!"
After falling for that simple taunt and unleashing her forms in a frenzy, only to stagger back from the counterattack—it was enough to make him want to close his eyes.
"Ugh. Embarrassing."
It looked pretty dangerous, but he'd just let it be.
'Whether a nasty-tempered girl lives or dies isn't my problem.'
But regrettably,
Geum Jeong ultimately succeeded in toppling an Iron Blood Beast Squad member with her superior inner energy.
'Damn Ami Sect.'
It had been by a hair's breadth.
Ak Jin, who had been directing the encirclement hunt, frowned at the returning wounded squad members.
"A failure?"
"The ones traveling with that Ami Sect wench were quite skilled."
"They said Plum Blossom Sword Sage was with them. Looks like she lived up to her name."
"It wasn't the Plum Blossom Sword Sage. There was someone who knew how to exploit fear."
Ak Jin scratched his chin at the explanation that they had repeatedly succeeded in breaking through the encirclements, only to dominate the field with ruthless hands before escaping.
"That's unusual for those flashy, half-baked righteous faction types."
"That's him! He's the one I told you about!"
Ak Jin shot a warning glance at the hysterical Yang Ak before asking again.
"Did they have any wounded?"
"The Ami Sect nun took a deep sword wound to her side, and the Plum Blossom Sword Sage has minor injuries."
"What about the last one?"
"He looked pretty exhausted, but no visible wounds."
"The unorthodox way of fighting isn't something you get used to easily. Quite mysterious. Hmm."
Setting aside the expendables, two Iron Blood Beast Squad members dead and three injured, yet the enemies' forces were still intact.
In the end, Ak Jin made his decision.
"Send all the remaining expendables at them too."
"All of them?"
"With nearly a hundred men, even they won't escape unscathed. We'll hit them right after they're worn out."
There was no need to invite unnecessary danger.
They were the Iron Blood Beast Squad.
As long as they fulfilled the Alliance Leader's orders, that was enough. Expendables like those could be bought anytime with money.
"Understood!"
As the squad member bowed and turned to leave,
One of the members who'd gone out just moments ago to scout their movements came running back.
"Squad Leader! It's him!"
"Who's him?"
"The unidentified one with the Ami Sect nun..."
Ak Jin tilted his head at the squad member who trailed off.
Only then did he notice the vivid red line across the man's neck.
It looked like a red thread wrapped around his throat. As he opened his mouth to ask what it was,
Tuk.
The subordinate's head, who had just been about to speak, fell off cleanly.
"......"
Silence descended on the field without a sound.
The man who had been running up perfectly fine to report had his head suddenly severed.
Or was it a dead man who'd run up to complain?
"Everyone, swallow a Burst Pill!"
Ak Jin shouted, sensing an ominous dread.
"Burst Pills?"
Burst Pill.
A drug that amplified inner energy to produce several times the normal power.
But laced with narcotics, and with aftereffects requiring at least a year of recuperation once taken—it was a poison of last resort, used only in the direst circumstances.
"Everyone!"
His resolute shout was cut through by a leisurely voice emerging from the darkness.
"Wow. You were hiding pretty far out."
The figure revealing himself beyond gazes mixed with shock and confusion
"Took some effort to find you guys, huh?"
was a fairly youthful-looking young man.
"That's him! That's the guy!"
Ak Jin turned his gaze back to the man at Yang Ak's shout, taking him in.
'This is the Death Ghost?'
A sturdy build, with long bangs as his only distinctive feature.
No overwhelming pressure one would expect from a master, either.
Yet Ak Jin couldn't ignore the alarm bells ringing in his mind.
'Guys like this are usually either complete nobodies... or monsters.'
Gulp.
Swallowing dryly, Ak Jin posed his question.
"So you're the rumored Death Ghost."
"Death Ghost? Why slap a random nickname on an innocent guy? I was just fighting to survive."
"And who might you be, exactly?"
"Dark Venerable."
'Dark Venerable?'
A name he had no memory of.
With skills like what he'd just witnessed, it should already be known in the martial world.
"May I ask why you've come here?"
"After clashing swords, what kind of slick reason do you need?"
"You think you can take us all on? Quite the confidence."
Hmm.
Ak Jin glanced sidelong at the subordinate sprawled on the ground, spilling hot blood, and steeled his nerves.
"Ghostly swordsmanship. I'm curious who raised a sword demon like you."
"Sorry, but I can't waste time with long explanations. I just stepped out for a bit 'cause the water was calling."
'Do I have no choice but to fight after all?'
Feeling uneasy, Ak Jin sent out a transmission without delay.
[Everyone, prepare for battle!]
At the same time, he fully channeled his Burst Pill-amplified inner energy into his sword.
"Your arrogance will be your end! Dark Venerable!"
Shwaaaa!
Like crows perched on branches waiting for their moment, the Iron Blood Beast Squad members leaped up all at once.
Sreung.
Even as three chi-long crimson sword qi hurtled toward him, Chu Un-hwi slowly drew his sword, his voice utterly relaxed.
"Who knows. That might just be wishful thinking?"
Gazing at the vanished cave entrance, Neung Pung-un muttered anxiously.
"He'd better be safe."
"He'll come back safe."
As she tried to stand, Geum Jeong clutched her side and slumped back down.
"By the way, what kind of person is Instructor Chu Un-hwi?"
"What do you mean?"
"I've never seen swordsmanship that practical and fast. Decisive, straight for the kill."
"He certainly shows no hesitation in taking lives."
"Even the elders from headquarters can't compare."
Geum Jeong's voice was laced with shock and fervor.
In short, she was like someone who'd picked up what she thought was a stray mutt, only to realize it was a purebred tiger.
"Just who is he?"
Neung Pung-un closed his eyes as he listened.
Now wasn't the time to mull over complicated emotions—he needed to recover his stamina as quickly as possible.
'I can sort out my thoughts after we survive.'
While reflecting on today's enlightenment.
Wooduk! Hududuk!
"Tch. What a racket."
The Iron Blood Beast Squad fought desperately to the bitter end.
Thanks to that, everything within thirty paces was swept up in sword qi and turned to wreckage.
"Went as far as self-destructing."
Mangled chunks of flesh scattered like mush.
After killing three, judging they couldn't win, they'd chosen to self-destruct.
Good thing he'd pulled back quickly when those drugged superhumans started swelling up all at once—otherwise, it would've been a hassle.
Tuk tuk.
Dusting himself off, Chu Un-hwi approached the one trembling in the corner.
"Hey."
"Eek! P-Please spare me!"
It was Yang Ak.
Having fled before the fight started, he was mostly unscathed, but his eyes were filled with despair.
"Told you I spared you once. Why come back for round two?"
"I-I must've been crazy. Forgive me just this once."
"Depends on how you behave."
Forcing him to kneel, Chu Un-hwi pointed to one side.
"Come here and write on the ground."
"W-What should I write?"
"Do Not Covet the River of Oblivion."
"Do not covet the River of Oblivion? What does that mean?"
"Just write it."
At the low growl, Yang Ak flinched and clumsily scratched the words into the dirt.
"D-Done?"
"One more. Add 'Death Demon Appears' below it."
Yang Ak wrote that too.
"Good job. Nice handwriting."
"Ha. Haha. I'm pretty good with a brush. So now, as promised..."
As Yang Ak forced a grin and tried to stand,
Puk.
A hole pierced through Yang Ak's heart.
"Why'd you have to show up again?"
"S-Spare... me... li..."
Puk.
His trembling fingertips dropped off, and Yang Ak's head lolled.
A quiet death.
Returning to the cave, Neung Pung-un asked from the darkness.
"Why'd you take so long?"
"The unorthodox bastards had set up an ambush, so I had to go around to fetch water."
"Glad you're safe."
Geum Jeong, leaning against the cave wall, chimed in.
"Instructor Chu. Nothing happen?"
"Not sure. But they seemed all flustered—like something went wrong on their end."
"Ha. Hope that's true."
"Let's recover first."
Geum Jeong limply took the water jug from the damp cave wall.
"Thank you, Instructor Chu. For today too. And the water."
Her tone had softened considerably.
Bad temper, but knew gratitude? Too late, though.
'I don't forget.'
He had zero intention of forgiving her past rudeness with a mere verbal apology.
His warmth was reserved for courtesans alone.
A lavish manor overlooking Poyang Lake.
In one corner of the Thunder Flame Sect—a sect boasting considerable scale among unorthodox factions—the Brutal Death Squad flew into a rage at the report.
"What did you say?"
He'd been in high spirits, with nearby sects voluntarily bringing tribute just from his show of power.
That good mood plummeted in an instant.
"Squad Leader Ak is dead?"
The Iron Blood Beast Squad member delivering the news bowed his head.
"Squad Leader O hasn't returned, so Squad Leader Sa went looking and reported it."
"Who was the fiend?"
"From the traces, it looks like a Death Demon got them. The inscription left after stealth kills, and they all died even after taking Burst Pills. A powerhouse capable of that..."
"There isn't one."
Damn Death Demon.
"The problem is, it seems those guys took the item we were after too."
"Nothing goes right."
It was absurd just hearing the news.
Hadn't the so-called Death Demon fled down the Yangtze waterway in fear the moment they mobilized?
"Thought it was prey, but it knows how to hunt too?"
"The ones Squad Leader O was chasing."
"You idiot. The righteous faction small fry aren't the issue."
The Iron Blood Beast Squad was the Alliance Leader's direct strike force.
With his favored squad members dead from carelessness, the Alliance Leader wouldn't stay quiet—he'd surely use it as an excuse to purge him.
'That snake will scheme something.'
Having sent away his hands to chase them down, the Brutal Death Squad turned to Seo Jin of Thousand Silent Assassination Sword, who sat grimly to the side.
"What now?"
"...We need to think of a way to soothe the Alliance Leader's wrath first."
"Tch. No wonder the Murim Alliance idiots kept getting stymied by the River of Oblivion lot."
Brutal Death Squad Mo Il-san slammed the table with a thud amid his lament.
"It's not just about acquiring their martial arts. What the Alliance Leader wants is fear trailing the Iron Snake Alliance's name."
"Show overwhelming might, you mean?"
The plan had been to egg on the unorthodox sects from behind to annihilate the Yangtze Waterway Channel.
Thousand Silent Assassination Sword Seo Jin said,
"Not only do we step up ourselves, but we need to liquidate those too as a bonus."
"Gotta dispose of the gifts too?"
"Money moves ghosts. No other way for a quick resolution."
"Son of a bitch."
Grumbling, he had no choice but to agree.
Even he thought liquidating money and treasures was better than facing the furious Alliance Leader.
"Decision made? Then move now. Settle it before word reaches the Alliance Leader."
"We'll make that Death Demon pay dearly for this."
Glaring out the window at Dongting Lake, the Brutal Death Squad's eyes flickered with murderous light.