Chapter 239
Chapter 239
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Translator: penny
Chapter Title: Chapter 59: The Secret Art of Gu River Stronghold (3)
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Flash.
Underwater, Heo Ryang—the Seventh Heavenly Messenger who had been gauging the tide of battle—opened his eyes.
His heterodox ability to manipulate water, submerged beneath the surface, revealed much to him through the water's vibrations.
Among those revelations was the emergence of another foe.
Not many in number.
Hum... hum...
Near the small boat, blood was spreading out in profusion.
'A guy who knows how to fight decently in the water.'
Accompanying him seemed to be a spear arts expert and a sword arts master.
But it wasn't enough to trigger any real sense of danger.
'If I wanted, I could turn them into water ghosts anytime.'
On the flip side, the disturbances emanating from the water thieves' side grated heavily on his nerves.
Thud. Thud.
The ponderous shockwaves ringing out signified foes of considerable strength.
'Their fighting style is remarkably seasoned.'
It wasn't mere slaughter of the thieves or wholesale destruction of their boats.
'They're targeting just the oars and masts.'
As if intent on crippling the boats' maneuverability.
Bubble. Bubble.
Heo Ryang's gaze fixed on the source of the shockwaves beyond the rushing current.
'Gotta deal with them first.'
Splash!
Cleaving through the fierce torrent, Heo Ryang surged forward.
Crack!
The massive mast tilted as he infused it with a powered kick.
Boom!
When the mast snapped and slammed into the stern, the steering rudder shattered like dry bamboo.
And that was hardly the end of it.
Thanks to his precise aim, the hull of an oncoming boat was smashed as it rammed right into the wreckage.
"Whew. That hits the spot."
Bouncing nimbly across the deck, he had already wrecked six vessels.
He had demolished more of the enemy forces than the Iron Chain Union's infamous Cruel Death Squad, who brute-forced them in half with qi blasts.
"Rampaging Leader! Rampaging Leader!"
Cheers erupted amid the unorthodox fighters bobbing like water striders.
"Seize that bastard!"
The water thieves weren't content to stand idly by.
They desperately tried to intercept him, but none so much as grazed his sleeve.
Thwack!
A water thief's chest caved under a single fist, his body tumbling across the deck like a ball—then sword light flashed.
Slash slash slash!
Ropes tethering the mast tore free, sending the enormous sail crashing down and pinning several thieves beneath it as they screamed.
"Who the hell is that guy?"
"Never heard of an expert like him!"
The water thieves paled visibly at the sight of him vaulting from mast to mast, wielding his might without restraint.
Meanwhile, the unorthodox warriors—catching a brief respite thanks to the thieves' failed blocks—roared in triumph.
"As expected of Lord Cross Ghost Sword!"
"Leader! Avenge us, please!"
Comical as it was, cheering while adrift on the waves.
'Cheers don't feel half bad.'
Receiving heartfelt praise instead of terrified stares mid-battle? It had been ages.
'Anyway, he should be showing up any moment now.'
No sooner had he reduced three more boats to floating hulks than it happened.
Bubble bubble.
Fierce bubbles boiled up from beneath the surface.
'Here he comes.'
An attack that had plagued him plenty in his past life—he knew exactly how to dodge it.
Tap tap!
The instant he sprang up the mast, a colossal water spout engulfed the boat.
"Gaaack!"
"Aaaah! Stronghold Lord! How?!"
He watched the vessel drag under amid anguished wails, then alighted on another.
'Think you can nab me?'
Bubble bubble.
Bubbles rising once more—he leaped again.
Soaring over thirty feet to land on yet another gunwale. Sure enough, that thieves' boat split in twain and sank into the depths, just like the last.
"Pissing you off good, huh?"
Heterodox true qi wielded via secret arts was impressive, no doubt—but hardly omnipotent.
It simply meant there was always a way to crack it once you adapted.
His own martial arts, though? An entirely different story.
Hum hum hum...
Endless power welled from his dantian, spreading wide even underwater to track the messenger's every twitch.
And the swordplay from the blade in his grip? Keen enough to sink fangs straight into the foe's heart.
'Heterodox qi is just a tool, nothing more.'
His ingrained martial arts, by contrast, were himself incarnate.
How could a mere tool-wielder ever surpass the art itself?
"Today, you'll grasp the chasm of that divide."
Boom!
Another boat shattered. Not a single Gu River Stronghold vessel remained seaworthy.
The few survivors merely drifted, masts splintered and rudders smashed.
"Rampaging Leader! Rampaging Leader!"
"Rampaging Invincible! Invincible Leader!"
Amid the chants of his odd moniker, Chu Un-hwi shut his eyes.
'All right. Time for you and me to exit stage left.'
Yours straight to hell, especially.
Boom!
As the final boat vanished into the waterspout, Chu Un-hwi dove into the depths.
Splash.
'Gotcha.'
That damned pest had finally plunged into the water.
Victory assured, Seventh Heavenly Messenger Heo Ryang parted the waves and swam with haste.
Each leg stroke propelled him dozens of feet ahead—so swift no fish, not even a mythical flood dragon, could match it.
But confronting his presumed prey left Heo Ryang in dismay.
—Came, huh?
A cocky grin from the figure sinking leisurely, arms crossed.
Swish swish.
Beneath hair swaying in the current, a spine-chillingly handsome face locked eyes on him.
'Staring right at me?'
Not just the enemy's smirk amid the surreal scene—it plunged his heart into freefall.
'No chance. I'm invincible in water!'
Ominous dread surging, he thrust his palm out in frenzy, birthing a whirlpool.
Gurgle.
A modest start, but he trusted it would wreck even a boat on contact.
Yet hope crumbled short of reality.
Gurgle-crunch.
The foe merely twisted a hand toward the oncoming vortex, severing the flow in an instant.
'Impossible. How does my water control just... break?'
Iron Chain Union's brutal Cruel Death Squad, the Thousand Hidden Assassination Sword—they were mere flotsam before his maelstroms.
Shoo! Shuyuk!
Two more whirlpools launched—gone in a flash as the enemy flicked his wrist again.
—Frustrated it's not working as planned?
'This bastard. How...'
Draining reservoirs emptied by terror, he willed the currents to surge.
Grooooan.
Even unleashing the qi staving off heart-corroding poison for extra force—but the obedient waters refused to stir.
—You crush one flow with a superior one. That's all.
A crisp voice tolled like a death knell in his ears.
—Exhausting, putting up with your arrogant turtle ass that won't crawl ashore.
Groooar!
Heo Ryang's jaw dropped at the palm hurtling toward his face, slicing through the depths.
Those left afloat on the serene surface stomped in panic as Chu Un-hwi failed to resurface.
"Leader! Can't see Leader anywhere!"
"Damn it! Any boats around? Leader's in peril!"
Some vessels, barely reaching the bank, turned back upon hearing of his absence.
Watching it all, Neung Pung-un wrung bloodied hems.
Battles with hole-sinking thieves had drenched decks in crimson rather than river water.
"Hoo."
Exhausted from relentless clashes and rescues, Geum Jeong's eyes still darted anxiously over the spot of his vanishing.
"Is Instructor Chu all right?"
Frankly, leaping solo onto the thieves' decks had seemed utter madness.
No mere junior instructor could solo such foes.
"......"
Beggar Elder, meanwhile, wore a conflicted look.
Pondering deeply before shaking his head wearily to speak.
"It's unfolding exactly as foreseen, isn't it? Shocking, yet Instructor Chu's word holds true."
Neutralizing the thieves' fleet sounded absurd—yet here it lay in ruins.
"Guy's brimming with secrets."
"He's your recommendation, Elder—doesn't he know quite a bit?"
"My recommendation? Ah, right. Slipped my mind."
The mumbling Beggar Elder pressed on.
"Word is Brother Wang-u taught him Kunlun secrets—more valuable than expected, it seems."
"......"
He held his tongue amid the skeptical stares.
"Best head back quick. If he's safe, rendezvous awaits."
"Yes, Elder."
Creak creak.
The small boat shoved through endless flotsam and debris.
"Hahk. Hahk. Hehk hek."
Heo Ryang, fled from the depths, bolted onward without pause.
Toward the lone islet amid nine isles.
Within it lay Falling Dragon Valley.
"How could such a monster exist."
Never dreamed of a powerhouse he'd forfeit battling submerged.
"Conference arts are supreme under heaven—surely..."
Energy sapped or not, the humiliation stung too deep.
His whirlpools bubbled apart against the foe's countercurrents.
Even life-gnawing rage waves inflicted zero harm.
"Monster scum. Monster scum."
Deeper despair than breaching Iron Chain Union's dragnet.
Tap tap tap!
Waterlogged limbs like sodden cotton, knees buckling repeatedly—yet Heo Ryang pressed on.
"If solo won't cut it, I'll borrow strength regardless."
Relief lit his face upon arrival.
A figure towered midst the narrow gorge.
"P-Pung Gaek!"
Third Heavenly Messenger hailed, the man turned quizzically.
"Rough shape you're in. Routed?"
"Routed."
Self-admission ignited wounded pride.
"No. Not routed."
"Routed or not?"
"Merely a setback—full recovery awaits. Third Heavenly Messenger. With your aid."
Words tumbling like gatling fire, Heo Ryang halted.
Pung Gaek's glare chilled too fiercely.
"You... said you'd help?"
"Said come to Falling Dragon Valley if my power's needed."
"Meaning..."
"Never said I'd help."
Chill words blanched Heo Ryang's face.
Stumbling back, bony hand to brow.
"No way. You betrayed?"
"Betrayed? What drivel."
"Ditching North Heaven already. Don't tell me the Conference too."
Answer echoed from valley shadows.
"Watching a dead man walking ain't betrayal."
"Gasp!"
A pallid face ghosted into moonlight from the gloom.
Step. Step.
"Scaredy-turtle runt. Caught ya at last. Slippery little shit—holed up here?"
"Th-Third Heavenly Messenger. Pung Gaek!"
Dread incarnate: lips quivered.
"Cowardly turncoat! Renegade! Conference-grace forsaker!"
"......"
Chu Un-hwi grinned beside the stoic, curse-enduring Pung Gaek.
"God's this, divine that's—ends too pathetically, no?"
Killing intent buckling knees to the dirt, Heo Ryang scrambled distance, howling.
"What are you! Where'd you spawn from!"
"Stings. Precious family heir, y'know."
"Who raises trash like you."
"Dunno. No mom's orphan."
"Kuhuk!"
Thud!
Chest-kick crumpling him, Heo Ryang lashed fingers.
Splash!
Mouth-blood morphed to darts mid-flight.
Pop!
Blood-flash: vanished on contact.
"Seventh Heavenly Messenger Heo Ryang."
"Heuk. Heh heh heh..."
Toward the slobbering lunatic, Chu Un-hwi slowly drew his blade.
"Best shelve that new-heaven pond-to-sea dream."
Shwick. Thump.
Bisected corpse thudded into Falling Dragon Valley's dark, last breath rattling out.
"Tch. What a chore."
Sword sheathed, Chu Un-hwi shrugged under Pung Gaek's stare.
"What? Mourning old teammate?"
"Hardly. Witnessing you fell Seventh Heavenly Messenger proves you're the blade to carve out Nether Heaven Society, as claimed."
"Told you ages ago."
"Your words ring true. My life in your hands too."
Pung Gaek's tone finally thawed.
"Share the strat against Demonic Cult and Blood Cult."
Earnest plea met Chu Un-hwi's hair-toss and smirk.
"Now you're acting the part of ally."
Thus, Nether Heaven Society's twin nemeses clasped hands.