Chapter 333
Chapter 333
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 89
>Chapter Title: Sichuan Turmoil (5)
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“Hyah! Run faster!”
Precept-Breaking Monk Ja Geum-jeong, who held the reins of the carriage, shouted as he urged the horse onward.
The horse that had been galloping responded with a dumbfounded expression, as if it couldn’t believe what it was hearing.
“You damned monk. Do you really think I’m just a horse? And I’m already running at full speed, so quit nagging.”
Though it took the form of a horse, its true identity was the demonic beast Al-yu.
When Al-yu ran in earnest, its speed was incomparable to that of any ordinary horse.
That was why all of Mok Kyung-un’s subordinates were riding on the roof of the carriage.
“To think I’d live to see sword flight one day.”
Sword flight.
It meant exactly what it sounded like—flying while riding a sword.
It might sound simple at first glance, but freely riding and maneuvering a sword required a technique as profound as sword control arts.
Seop-chun stuck out his tongue in amazement, and Mong Mu-yak recalled the scene from moments ago.
His liege, Mok Kyung-un, had suddenly stepped down from the carriage with a grave expression, said he’d go ahead, and soared off riding his sword.
Why the sudden rush?
Was it because of the confrontation between the Sichuan Tang Clan and the Green Forest bandits?
Either way, they needed to hurry and catch up to their liege.
* * *
The face of Tang Clan Head Tang In-hae hardened.
It was due to the sudden appearance of yet another individual.
‘Who the hell is that guy?’
He had arrived standing atop a single sword amid a whirlwind of black mist, his presence both mysterious and awe-inspiring.
“...Clan Head. Isn’t that sword flight?”
Outer Hall Leader Tang Cheol-yong gaped in shock, unable to contain his astonishment.
Sword flight was impossible without reaching a realm that mastered sword arts, lightness skills, and true qi.
Even he, who had surpassed the wall to reach the Flower Realm, could not perform such a feat.
Tang In-hae’s gaze remained fixed on the mysterious figure riding the sword.
Though he was far away, the man appeared extremely young at first glance.
However, reaching such a level could involve profound inner energy and shedding one’s mortal form to regain youth, making it hard to judge.
‘What in the world is going on?’
Rather than the man’s identity, Tang In-hae found the overall situation bewildering.
Not only had the Tang Clan’s hidden protectors, the Yu Clan, appeared, but now an absolute master who could be called one of the Eight Stars—or even a Grandmaster—had shown up.
He could guess the Yu Clan member’s appearance was due to the conflict with the Green Forest.
But this other one made no sense.
Why would a monster like that appear at a time like this?
* * *
What an uncanny coincidence.
Just moments ago, without anyone orchestrating it, the Green Forest bandits had been in an uproar over the clash between Green Forest Overlord Seok Pae-ung and the enigmatic youth Yu Mu-jin.
Now, however, an eerie silence hung over the scene, as if no one was there.
Everyone present was tense, gripped by the overwhelming pressure from a single newcomer’s arrival.
That person was Mok Kyung-un.
-Roooaaar!
It felt just like standing before a ferocious beast as prey.
‘...This is insane.’
Green Forest Battle King Seok Pae-ung stared at Mok Kyung-un with a face full of tension, unable to look away.
An aura of savage, domineering black energy emanated from his entire body, suffocating to even behold.
It wasn’t his first time feeling something similar.
It reminded him of the first time he met that one among the Six Heavens.
Even then, the pressure had crushed him, making it hard to speak.
He never imagined he’d feel that sensation again.
‘Who the hell is he?’
Aside from that single figure from the Six Heavens, he knew the general appearances of all the others.
Yet this was someone he’d never seen before.
Judging by his face alone, he didn’t even look twenty, but it was hard to take that at face value.
One thing he could be sure of, though.
‘He’s definitely... not one of the orthodox faction.’
No orthodox martial artist possessed such a ferocious aura.
The energy radiating from him felt like darkness incarnate.
That suggested he was from the unorthodox faction, but he’d never heard of anyone like this even in the Unorthodox Alliance.
It was then.
-Tak!
Mok Kyung-un, who had been riding his night sword Ak-juk, landed lightly on the ground.
The moment Mok Kyung-un’s form touched down, the Green Forest bandits in the surroundings unconsciously drew in a deep breath and then exhaled.
It hadn’t been long, but the pressure had made it impossible for them to breathe properly.
Someone then spoke up.
“I don’t know what your purpose is, but if you’d just left, you’d have nearly missed out big time.”
It was Yu Mu-jin.
Even Green Forest Battle King Seok Pae-ung, one of the Eight Stars and a supreme master, had been silenced by the pressure, but he was different.
His demeanor toward Seok Pae-ung had been markedly different, yet he still exuded composure.
It was a leisure born only from absolute confidence in one’s own strength.
-Ching!
At that moment, the night sword Ak-juk hovering in the air slotted itself into the sheath at Mok Kyung-un’s waist.
As the sword sheathed, Mok Kyung-un swept his gaze over the surroundings once before turning to Yu Mu-jin and speaking.
“You were fighting the Green Forest, so I assume you’re on the Tang Clan’s side?”
Yu Mu-jin scratched his head in response.
“In this situation, yeah, I guess so. But asking that means you’re not exactly friendly toward the Sichuan Tang Clan, huh?”
“Friendly... For now, you could say that.”
At Mok Kyung-un’s words, Yu Mu-jin brushed down his disproportionately puffed-up chest muscles in a way that didn’t suit him and said,
“See? Good thing I didn’t leave after all.”
“Good thing?”
“The bandits here could’ve been left alone, but you seem like a problem.”
-Roooaaar!
A glint appeared in Yu Mu-jin’s eyes.
He possessed exceptional eyes inherited from his ancestors.
They allowed him to perceive an opponent’s strength as colors, and the Mok Kyung-un he saw now was completely different from anyone he’d encountered before.
It was the first time he’d seen someone cloaked entirely in black.
The magnitude of that black aura overwhelmed everyone present.
‘If I’d left, things would’ve gone south.’
The bandits’ threat level wasn’t even comparable.
No matter their numbers, the Tang Clan’s hidden strength was no joke.
But this guy looked seriously dangerous.
He wasn’t the only one thinking that.
‘Strange.’
With his third eye open, Mok Kyung-un could clearly see Yu Mu-jin’s energy.
It was utterly unlike that of ordinary martial artists.
It resembled innate true qi yet differed.
Beyond mere purity, it seemed as if the surrounding natural qi had coalesced.
It circulated through his entire body, which was intriguing.
-Grrrrr!
What was even more peculiar was that the energy was condensed and suppressed by something.
It seemed to be,
‘That?’
Likely due to the golden ring on his right hand.
Mok Kyung-un’s eyes narrowed.
The golden ring didn’t appear to be an ordinary item.
An immense innate true qi emanated from it, incomparable to that of So Ye-rin or Joo Un-hyang. Beyond that, it formed hundreds—no, thousands—of interlocking spells, fused as one.
This was beyond the level of a treasure; it was a divine artifact.
Yu Mu-jin cracked his neck and rolled his shoulders as he spoke.
-Krack! Crack!
“Since you’re not on the Tang Clan’s side, I can’t just leave. Guess I’ll have to subdue you.”
“...Subdue me? An interesting choice of words.”
Mok Kyung-un’s eyes sharpened at his declaration.
To sever ties with the Tang Clan, it seemed he’d need to deal with this man first.
If this guy got serious about interfering, nothing would get done.
-Shing!
Mok Kyung-un drew his night sword Ak-juk from his waist.
-Rrrring!
As if sensing the aura of a new formidable opponent, the blade trembled, emitting a powerful resonance.
It was akin to fighting spirit.
“...Battle King. What do we do? Are you just going to stand there and watch?”
Green Forest Battle King Seok Pae-ung inwardly struggled at the question from his left arm, Wave-Slaying Guest Hyeong Taek.
The newcomer and Yu Mu-jin were conversing as if he and his men didn’t exist, gearing up to clash.
It was humiliating, but inserting himself between these two monsters seemed like asking for trouble.
‘Damn it.’
Still, with so many subordinates watching, he couldn’t easily admit defeat and suggest retreat.
“Battle King?”
As Wave-Slaying Guest Hyeong Taek called out persistently, Seok Pae-ung furrowed his brow before shifting his gaze to the newcomer.
‘Wait... He said himself he’s not friendly to the Tang Clan.’
That’s why he was now opposing the monster Yu Mu-jin.
Which meant there was something to consider.
The enemy of my enemy is a friend, right?
If the newcomer’s goal was the Tang Clan too, maybe he could coax him into an alliance.
With that, Seok Pae-ung called out to Mok Kyung-un.
“Hey. If your goal is the Tang Clan too, how about teaming up?”
‘Perfect.’
It was a solid justification.
He could spin it to his subordinates, and while these monsters fought, he could pressure the Tang Clan and gain real benefits.
If this guy had any brains, he wouldn’t brush off the offer.
“While you handle him, we’ll take on the Tang Clan...”
-Paaaang!
Before he could finish.
An ear-shattering sonic boom and surging energy assaulted him. Seok Pae-ung crossed his arms on instinct, without time to think.
“Huh?”
-Shrrrrk!
Even with his protective battle aura up, the immense shockwave overwhelmed him, shoving his body back over ten paces.
Wondering what just happened, he uncrossed his arms, and his eyes widened.
Mok Kyung-un’s sword and Yu Mu-jin’s fist had already clashed, locked in confrontation.
Shockingly, from just a sword and fist colliding, the ground where they stood had cratered over ten zhang wide, fissures spiderwebbing outward.
“Urgh.”
“B-Boss!”
Wave-Slaying Guest Hyeong Taek and the nearby Green Forest executives were flung back by the aftershock, tumbling across the ground.
They couldn’t withstand the power at all, even suffering internal injuries.
At this sight,
-Gulp!
Seok Pae-ung swallowed dryly.
These two monsters were on another level entirely.
Not even a full clash—just an exchange of one move—and the aftershock was this devastating. A mistake could wipe out his men.
Sacrificing them for pride would be foolish.
Pride be damned, Seok Pae-ung poured inner energy into a shout to his subordinates.
“Retreat!!!”
No sooner had his cry ended than the Green Forest bandits retreated in perfect order, deploying lightness arts to swiftly put distance between them.
As the bandits withdrew, Yu Mu-jin grinned and said,
“Now that the nuisances are gone, let’s do this properly.”
-Crack! Crack!
With those words, the muscles in his flushed right arm swelled even further.
Consequently, Mok Kyung-un’s form, pressing his night sword Ak-juk against Yu Mu-jin’s fist, began to gradually slide backward.
-Shrrrrk!
After about five paces.
Ripple-like waves emanated from Mok Kyung-un’s blade.
Along with them, Yu Mu-jin’s overpowering fist was deflected upward by the profound technique of the Transfer Qi True Scripture.
‘Huh?’
But it didn’t end there.
-Boom!
Mok Kyung-un stomped the ground forcefully.
He then pulled back on the blade before thrusting it forward.
A vortex of sharp energy erupted from the tip, surging toward Yu Mu-jin’s abdomen like a storm.