Chapter 17
Chapter 17
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 17
Chapter Title: Die, You Crazy Bitch! (3)
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Huangbo Hyo-seon briefly regretted dragging this man along, clinging to her side, as she felt the empty sensation under her feet—like there was nothing there at all.
She might have survived just fine on her own.
But true to her devotion to justice, she quickly shook off the thought.
This mess was her mistake. She couldn't just abandon an innocent person caught up in it and left to die.
No, even if she died here, she had to save this man. If she tossed him over the cliff...
"Hold on tight!"
Huangbo Hyo-seon's hands froze mid-motion at the man's shout.
Then she felt his arms wrap around her waist, his legs stretching out.
And she watched in shock as his feet impossibly stepped on the scattered footholds in midair, kicking off like it was nothing.
'Impossible...!'
It was a feat even she, a peak master, couldn't dream of pulling off.
He didn't look like someone with footwork skills at that level. Mid-thirties at most, generously?
But this was reality right before her eyes. At that young age, his lightness skill was at least a cut above hers.
"Ngh...!"
In that instant, he successfully crossed to the opposite cliff and roughly set Huangbo Hyo-seon down on the ground.
"Huff... huff..."
He collapsed beside her, gasping for breath.
He'd burned through his qi in a burst to escape danger, clearly exhausting his mental energy.
As she prepared to apologize and thank her savior, her eyes caught the mask still covering his face.
It was the very thing that had made him suspicious from the start.
A mysterious young expert descending Mount Emei with a mask on.
'This seems pretty shady.'
He lay there defenseless. She might be able to subdue him if she timed it right.
'I can question him, and if he's innocent, let him go.'
Huangbo Hyo-seon approached cautiously—and immediately regretted it. There was no need to sneak up like that.
She could've just approached naturally with her thanks, but instead, she put him on guard.
As he sprang up, regulating his breathing in an instant, she changed tack and revealed her identity first.
"I owe you my life. Come to think of it, we haven't even introduced ourselves. I'm Huangbo Hyo-seon, vice leader of the White Tiger Squad under the Martial Alliance."
She'd gauge his reaction and decide how to proceed.
Let him go if he seemed innocent? Pin him with force? Or lure him back to her grandfather, the Sword Saint, for judgment?
"My apologies. I'm Lee Tae-hyun."
Huangbo Hyo-seon hesitated at his polite bow.
Huangbo? Huangboooo?!
Fuck, is she related to the Sword Saint or something? If I'd known, I'd have just ditched her!
But she tried to save me out of some sense of conscience, so I couldn't just leave her... and now this shit?
Stepping on that collapsing foothold back there was a gamble close to suicide.
I had to go for it since yelling "choose" would've ended us both.
It seemed utterly impossible, but my instincts screamed it was doable, so I bet on it.
I barely made it through some process even I can't explain...
'And the woman I saved turns out to be Sword Saint-connected? I'm fucked!'
Should've just let her drop... This is a goddamn mess...
"Young hero, I'm truly sorry. I've wronged you with my suspicions and owe you my life besides. I have no face left."
Good, fake name worked. But who's Tae-hyun? Sounds familiar... Samcheong Tae-hyun?
"If you hadn't carried me that far, I'd be dead too, Lady Huangbo. No need to say that..."
"No. Cutting that bridge was my fault to begin with. And I couldn't have stepped on that crumbling foothold and lived. I want to repay you properly—will you travel with me?"
Her words were perfectly reasonable and polite, but my gut was screaming.
'She wants to drag me in?'
"I'm sorry, but I need to see my mother soon... You can repay me next time if the chance comes."
"No, that won't do. Didn't I cost you your money? For your mother's sake, at least, come with me."
Not even the method acting excuse works. I slowly rose from the ground.
"If it might offend, I hesitate to say this, but I find it hard to fully trust someone from the Martial Alliance who threatened me out of nowhere."
"My grandfather is the Sword Saint. He's the most trustworthy man in the martial world."
Oh, his actual granddaughter, huh.
"You seem to have your suspicions, so I'll be blunt. You strike me as extremely shady. Especially how you hid your martial prowess and bowed so submissively to me despite that level of skill."
"..."
"Come with me. Face my grandfather, and if you're innocent, I promise no harm. But if you refuse..."
Milky sword qi poured from the massive sword she slowly drew.
"You might end up seriously hurt."
Damn, the mask, hidden skills, and method acting snowballed into this?
I concluded resistance was pointless.
"Crazy bitch picks a fight first, steals my money, nearly kills me, shows zero remorse, and now wants to drag me off?"
Huangbo Hyo-seon's eyes narrowed at my fact barrage.
"...Don't blame me if my hand slips."
Her sword thrust at me with terrifying speed.
At least I got to vent—feels good.
Or so I thought back then.
"Uh, miss? Terribly sorry, but I'd like to apologize properly..."
"Will you come quietly?"
"No, not that, but..."
"Then finish your nonsense!"
"Aigoo, Lady Huangbo!"
I was getting my ass handed to me by Huangbo Hyo-seon. Our internal energy was comparable at peak levels, but her technique usage crushed mine—par for the course.
Block her slash at my left shoulder with a palm deflection, and a ghostly stab comes at my right gut.
One in three times, I couldn't block in time, wounds piling up uselessly.
Her sword style had minimal feints, so I thought it manageable at first. Wrong.
Grand, sweeping motions blocked my options wide, then brutal thrusts exploited the openings from my slowed reactions.
That was Huangbo Hyo-seon's sword: simple, unavoidable.
Few feints meant efficient motion, blinding speed. Her woman's lack of raw power? Covered by the blade's weight.
Lucky part: such attacks had predictable lethal paths. Even a qi-heavy hack like me could guard them easily.
"How could an ignorant fool like me grasp Lady Huangbo's noble intent and speak disrespectfully over a few lost coins? I dare not beg forgiveness."
"...Wasn't it money for your mother? I understand."
That backstory's still running? Ah, fuck!
Clang!
"Be careful. I don't want to kill you if I can help it. At least let me hear the full story before I do, right?"
Fuck, you nearly split my skull!
But her sword paths were getting familiar. Timing felt right now?
I backpedaled slowly, dodging into thicker underbrush. Her speed noticeably dropped.
"Ngh..."
Huangbo Hyo-seon's face twisted.
Even with few feints, swinging a massive sword amid trees wasn't easy.
Not even for a peak master. Her mind grew hasty, vision narrowing naturally.
"Change your mind even now and let me go. I haven't committed evil or practiced demonic arts, have I?"
"Ngh... Cocky bastard realizes now he led me here."
Sword qi thickened along her blade, pressing in. Honestly, each clash shook my meridians—no room for complacency.
But I kept yapping like nothing was wrong.
"Exactly, exactly. Feels great coming here late, doesn't it? Like this!"
I unleashed palm force laced with Heavenly Yang Finger Qi. She took it head-on.
Palm strikes that her sword qi had effortlessly sliced apart before now forced her to pay a price.
"Even palm force gets through... Ngh, good, very good."
Taunted, she charged like a wild boar again. She's coming, she's coming.
"What was that? Don't blame me if my hand slips? Pfft!"
Keep provoking, retreat to ideal terrain bit by bit—I'd reached my spot.
"Enough talk from a loudmouth!"
Screeeeech—
Her qi-coated sword stabbed in.
She must think she'd cornered me. Even I'd assume the same if the guy retreating didn't notice the rock wall behind.
Crunch!
Her massive sword thudded deep into the rock.
But I wasn't there.
I floated leisurely in midair, looking down at Huangbo Hyo-seon, victory assured.
Enemy attacks with quick thrusts to exploit openings.
Obstacles hindering her sword all around, fraying her focus.
Add a way to neutralize her blade instantly?
Easy big picture—no, small picture.
"Die, you crazy bitch!"
I unleashed Dragon Claw Kick from the Dragon Soaring Step forms.
Like a dragon's talons: three sharp slashing kicks to shred the foe.
Face hit? Instant express ticket to the afterlife.
Yeah, right in that face...
'Fuck!'
The moment I saw her despairing face facing death, my foot hesitated—just a fraction, less than half a breath.
Result? Dragon Claw Kick didn't even graze her skin.
But I kept my cool facade.
"Close one. But now you're empty-handed, right? Surrender and be on your way."
In that split second, she'd released the sword and dodged—her chest torn slightly, that's all.
This has to be my win, right? Sword Saint's granddaughter without her sword—what can she do?
Whether she heard or not, Huangbo Hyo-seon stared blankly at her embedded sword... then began unfastening her belt.
Saying it again: Huangbo Hyo-seon is a smoking MILF. Her undoing her belt? Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah...
Gawking like an idiot, I cursed next instant.
"Agh, shit."
Sword qi coated the belt, snapping it taut. It was a flexible sword.
"There it is—your true colors. there will be no mercy now. Brace yourself."
Fucking phase two, uncalled for.