Chapter 435
Chapter 435
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 113
>Chapter Title: Ruins of the Collapsed Old Fortress (2)
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“Huff huff.”
A beautiful woman was wandering through the dark mountains.
Her true identity was none other than Escort Go Chan, who had possessed the body of Wei So-yeon, the youngest disciple of the Heaven and Earth Society Leader.
His clothes were stained with blood, his body covered in wounds, and drenched in sweat from exhaustion as he warily scanned his surroundings, searching for something.
‘No way. Damn it, he clearly said it was about ten li southwest, nonstop, on the mountain opposite the tallest peak. Where the hell is it?’
Even after pushing his lightness skill this far despite his injuries, Go Chan’s stamina had hit rock bottom—he could barely move.
No matter that it was a possessed body; keeping it going required recovery.
Finally, after glancing around, Go Chan slipped into a dense thicket where he wouldn’t draw attention and sat down to circulate his qi and regulate his breathing.
-Shwaaaaa!
As the cold energy coursed through his body, Go Chan inwardly clicked his tongue.
‘This is bizarre.’
He’d heard there were experts in the North Sea beyond the four seasons of frost and snow who wielded chilling qi.
But how could a human body harbor chill like this?
He’d heard the owner, Mok Kyung-un, had purged the rampaging cold qi, yet even without circulating qi, the chill was steadily building up in the body.
‘...This is odd.’
It didn’t seem like a problem with the flesh itself.
With the comatose state and his own possession putting the original soul to sleep, it seemed connected to that.
He was pondering this strangeness when—
-Rustle!
At the sound of approaching footsteps, Go Chan tensed, halting his qi circulation and breathing.
Ally or enemy? As he braced himself—
Someone suddenly burst through the bushes shielding him.
“Wah!”
“Eek!”
Even though the body was exceptional, Go Chan had spent more time as a weakling, so he startled, instinctively falling on his butt and unleashing a palm strike without thinking.
-Pak!
White frost bloomed from Go Chan’s palm strike, but the figure that had leaped out twisted aside, barely dodging it.
The bushes struck by the force promptly froze solid.
-Crackle crackle crackle!
The figure glanced at the frozen bushes in disbelief, then touched them.
They snapped with a crack.
The figure stuck out their tongue and said,
“What’s that? This body’s pretty strong.”
“Damn. Thought my heart was gonna stop.”
Recognizing the figure, Go Chan let out a relieved breath and lowered his frost-covered hand.
The one who’d popped out and scared him was none other than Seo Hye-in, leader of the Superb Leisure Corps of the Four Mountains under the Five Mountains Society, which served Jang Neung-ak, the second disciple of the Heaven and Earth Society Leader.
More precisely, it was Gui So-ha, one of Mok Kyung-un’s familiars possessing her body.
Gui So-ha grinned cheekily and said,
“Scared ya? Scared ya?”
“Hey, Lady So-ha, isn’t your pranking a bit much?”
“Oh, sorry. You looked so funny, all huddled up in fear.”
Go Chan clicked his tongue at Gui So-ha’s response.
Every time he saw her, he felt the same: even as a long-turned grudge spirit, her mental age didn’t seem all that high.
“So you scare me in a situation like this? What if I’d accidentally hit you with that palm strike...”
“Hey.”
‘!?’
Gui So-ha approached Go Chan.
Wondering what was up, he froze as she grabbed his cheeks and tugged.
“Wanna switch bodies?”
Go Chan sighed at her words.
Gui So-ha got antsy to swap into any pretty body she saw.
As Lady Cheongryeong had said, this one definitely wasn’t a man.
If she were even a little bit of a man, she’d cha—
“You look so reluctant. Fine if you don’t want to. Tch.”
“Anyway, it’s a body you have to give back eventually. If you target it, the Master will chew you out big time.”
“...Hmm. That’d be trouble.”
“Then let’s hurry. If they realize the one they recaptured wearing the face mask is a fake, they’ll track us down to get it back no matter what.”
“No need to worry about that. Their senses are dulled from exhaustion, right?”
“Senses?”
Puzzled by Gui So-ha’s words, Go Chan released his suppressed presence and focused on qi sense.
Then he felt it: hundreds of auras not far off.
All of them experts.
Enough force for a proper battle if needed.
‘To send this much power just to rescue a mere assassin dropout like me...’
Go Chan was deeply moved.
It had started with enmity from Timber Sword Manor, yet here they treated him like a right-hand man. His heart was truly swayed.
He resolved to devote even greater loyalty to Mok Kyung-un.
Seeing Go Chan’s reaction, Gui So-ha scratched her head.
[Protect that body at all costs.]
Somehow, Go Chan was misunderstanding.
But it wasn’t a bad misunderstanding, so best to let it slide.
No need to shatter the sentiment.
* * *
-Grooooan.
-Shoooooo!
The demon beast Heumwon flapped its tattered wings and plummeted toward the ground.
It tried slowing its fall by flapping one wing, but its massive bulk made it hard to check the speed.
“Da-damn it!”
“Amitabha!”
Mok Kyung-un’s subordinates clinging to Heumwon’s wing feathers and talons could do nothing in this situation.
Falling from above the clouds, jumping off at the right moment seemed their only option.
That was when Heumwon neared the ground.
-Shwaaaaa!
“Huh?”
Heumwon’s descent was gradually slowing.
As the fall not only halted but reversed, everyone looked puzzled, then spotted Mok Kyung-un, who had landed first, below them with hands raised.
“Ah!”
“Milord!”
The faces of those pale with fear lit up.
Meanwhile, Great Protector Eight Venom Serpent Lord Gu Yang-so and Right Protector Mara Hyun marveled at Mok Kyung-un’s profound inner energy.
“Ha! Unreal power. Still got reserves left.”
Unlike them, barely able to block Yi Mae-mang-ryang’s attacks due to limited mobility high in the sky, Mok Kyung-un had slain them all alone with his formless sword.
Yet his true qi still had leeway—stronger even than during the Heaven and Earth Society civil war.
‘...No way I can catch up.’
Mara Hyun, who’d inwardly aimed to match Mok Kyung-un’s prowess, found it utterly inhuman now.
Thanks to Mok Kyung-un’s deep true qi slowing their fall, they landed safely.
But they couldn’t simply rejoice.
Their ride, the demon beast Heumwon, had its wings torn, making a return to the skies difficult.
Recovery would take time, at least.
“Tch, reminds me of that Shaolin mess.”
Seop Chun’s words drew nods of agreement.
Back then, Heumwon’s wings were damaged by the Shaolin demon-subduing monks, forcing ground travel until healed.
Same situation now.
The difference: then, they fled pursuit; now, they had to pursue and catch up.
Thus, trouble with their fastest transport meant serious delays in the chase.
Moreover,
“Milord, this won’t end with just this once.”
Great Protector Gu Yang-so said worriedly.
Having worked closely with the Secret Society for years, he knew their habits well.
They moved covertly, but when committed, they hounded targets relentlessly until victory.
They’d keep blocking Mok Kyung-un’s path to northern Shaanxi.
“The Great Protector is right. They’ll try to tie our feet down. Milord, let us be the decoys instead.”
Mong Mu-yak then offered.
Seop Chun blinked in confusion.
“Be decoys? You mean...”
“Exactly. Split into two groups to draw their eyes.”
“...”
Seop Chun swallowed dryly, at a loss for words.
It was a solid plan, no doubt.
The problem: the decoy group would face far greater risk.
“...So who’s gonna be the decoy?”
Seop Chun asked outright after hesitating.
Mong Mu-yak gazed steadily at Seop Chun.
“Me alone as decoy? Why not just hold a funeral?”
“Not alone—you, me... and maybe one more Protector here.”
“What?”
“We two are the weakest here anyway. Better if the Protectors stay with Milord.”
“Urgh.”
It made strategic sense; he couldn’t argue.
The Protectors nodded too, concurring with Mong Mu-yak.
With aerial travel stalled, they had to adapt strategically if they wanted speed.
‘Hmm.’
But Mok Kyung-un thought differently.
Using them as decoys wasn’t bad, but it meant those chosen were essentially doomed.
In the past, to Mok Kyung-un, they’d be mere pawns.
Disposable if utility ran out.
No longer.
As Cheongryeong advised, to become a great sect leader commanding multitudes, he couldn’t view allies as expendable pieces.
Unless in true desperation, sacrificing comrades was a bad move for the future.
Thus, Mok Kyung-un decided.
“No. All of you, return like this.”
“Pardon?”
His unexpected call left them stunned.
They were prepared to die as decoys for their lord.
“Milord, why?”
“You’re not alone anymore, Milord. How can you shoulder everything by yourself...”
“Return.”
But Mok Kyung-un’s will was firm.
Traveling solo would be more efficient, with no sacrifices.
Right then—
“Ahh. No need to go that far—there’s a perfectly safe, comfy way.”
All eyes turned toward the sudden voice.
Its owner: Chun-chu, first of the Secret Society’s Four Seasons.
Unlike the others on the broad cart, she was bound to one of Heumwon’s talon ankles.
Even a seductress like her might tempt release, but Mok Kyung-un saw no one but one person as human, treating her properly as a prisoner.
“What’s that mean?”
Seop Chun asked her.
Chun-chu scoffed.
“Brat, butt out.”
“Again!”
As Seop Chun angrily reached for his sword, Mong Mu-yak hurriedly stopped him.
Mok Kyung-un spoke in a bored tone.
“What do you want?”
At his question, Chun-chu smiled slyly.
“You know what I want.”
Staring at Mok Kyung-un, she stuck out her tongue and licked her upper lip seductively.
Seop Chun clicked his tongue at the sight.
‘...Crazy bitch.’
Bound head to toe in ropes around Heumwon’s talon pillar—save her head—yet still trying to seduce? Impressive in a twisted way.
* * *
Six days later,
In a bamboo grove not far from the collapsed old fortress ruins at northern Shaanxi.
Deep in the bamboo forest spanning dozens of jang.
A man in a bamboo hat there breathed raggedly, wiping blood from his blade.
-Swish swish!
Dozens of corpses littered around him.
Each slain by a single sword stroke.
One man, not yet dead, struggled to speak.
“Huff... huff... Be... betrayal... that it?”
“...”
“As... as expected... betrayal... huff huff... He... He will... never... forgive... you...”
-Puuk!
Before he finished, the bamboo-hatted man stabbed his sword into the man’s head.
The man died mid-sentence.
Gazing down, the bamboo-hatted man shook his head lightly and muttered,
“...No. This is for him.”
As he shook blood from his blade to sheath it—
He paused, scanning the surroundings.
But—
-Drip drip driiiip!
Blood rapidly drained from the corpses, pooling.
Dozens dead in a bamboo field should’ve soaked into the earth, yet this was eerie.
The bamboo-hatted man tried to flee.
Blood now oozed from surrounding bamboo, staining everything red.
A sinister, chilling ghostly energy filled the air, unmistakable.
‘Ghost Intent Domain...’
A domain woven from ghostly power by a high-grade spirit of intense grudge.
[End of Chapter 113: Ruins of the Collapsed Old Fortress (2)]