Chapter 47
Chapter 47
-----------------------------------------------------------------
>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 13
>Chapter Title: Ambush (2)
>-----------------------------------------------------------------
-Shwaaaaa!
It was an amount incomparable to the energy produced by a single person's death.
The death qi born from the demise of dozens was not only vast in quantity but also incredibly pure.
That was because it contained all the阴 cold emotions from the very moment of death.
'Good.'
As he circulated his energy with the reverse circulation absorption technique, it was far more than when he had absorbed the energy of that monstrous nine-tailed fox spirit.
This was beyond expectations.
The risk he had taken in this danger had paid off.
With this much, he could reach his target even faster than planned.
'Double... no, maybe even triple.'
He aimed to expand the diameter of his dantian even further.
By concentrating the pure influx of energy through circulation, he might even achieve three times the size.
Of course, he had no idea what level of internal energy cultivation that would equate to.
While Mok Kyung-un was fully focused on his circulation like this, Go Chan—who was supposed to be protecting him—was on high alert.
'...Impossible.'
If even Ha Chae-rin's body, at the peak realm, was tensing up in caution, there was no chance of victory.
Where had this monster come from?
At that moment, the scarred man shifted his gaze from him to Mok Kyung-un, who was in the midst of circulation.
He then spoke with an intrigued expression.
"An unknown enemy appears amid the bloodbath, and you enter a meditative trance. You're an interesting one."
With that, he began striding toward him.
It looked like a casual walk, but in just a few steps, he closed the distance across the entire hall.
'Huh!'
Startled, Go Chan called out to Mok Kyung-un, realizing he had to act.
"Young Master?"
Deep down, he wanted to shake him awake, but interrupting circulation carelessly could lead to qi deviation.
"Young Master?"
Go Chan called out once more.
But there was no response.
If anything, he seemed even deeper in trance, pushing his circulation harder.
-Shwaaaaa!
All the death qi around him was being sucked in at tremendous speed, making it nearly impossible to stop midway.
In the end, Go Chan concluded that his only option was to buy time.
In a way, he was already dead.
He couldn't let Mok Kyung-un get hurt just to protect the possessed body.
-Pat!
Go Chan channeled energy to his Yongcheon acupoint and kicked off.
In that instant, Ha Chae-rin's possessed body shot forward at astonishing speed.
It was incomparable to his original body's swiftness.
-Tatata tatak!
In a flash, he circled the scarred man twice.
"Hoh. Not bad speed."
The scarred man muttered.
But it didn't sound like praise, and he wasn't even assuming a defensive stance.
Go Chan bit his lower lip hard.
'He thinks I'm a joke, huh? Flying Assassination Arts, Third Stance: Silent Phantom Chain!'
The technique flashed in his mind.
The Flying Assassination Arts—trademark of the Flying Death Guests—unfolded instinctively from his body in its third stance, Silent Phantom Chain.
-Papapapapap!
Go Chan flipped through the air, unleashing a flurry of kicks at the scarred man.
Six whirlwind kicks targeted the vital acupoints along the centerline precisely, like a pinwheel.
He expected the man to dodge or block somehow,
-Shiver!
Startled by a sharp premonition of danger, Go Chan twisted his body sideways.
-Slash!
Severed strands of hair scattered everywhere.
'When?'
A moment later, and that massive odachi would have cleaved him in two.
Seizing the opening, Go Chan flicked three silver hidden needles from his sleeve toward the man's face.
-Shoo shoo shuk!
-Clang clang clang!
But the man casually parried them with his sword blade.
And as if that weren't enough,
-Thud!
"Urk!"
A left fist struck precisely from a blind spot into his abdomen.
Go Chan let out a dying scream and flew backward, tumbling several times.
-Kudangtangtang!
"Cough!"
Blood trickled from his mouth with the cough.
Just one exchange, and the skill gap was glaringly obvious.
Yet a glint appeared in Go Chan's eyes.
Not because the scarred man was overwhelmingly strong, but because that blow hadn't hurt at all.
'What is this?'
Strangely, his guts churned and he felt nauseous.
But the sensation of pain itself was absent.
This made Go Chan realize it.
He was possessing someone else's body.
'Something feels off.'
But now wasn't the time to dwell on the odd sensation.
Go Chan shakily rose to his feet.
Even without the pain, the body's shock was real—his legs wouldn't support him properly.
"Woman. Block me again, and you die."
The scarred man warned in a low voice.
The word irked Go Chan.
"Who're you calling a woman..."
"Halt!"
-Papapa pak!
Someone shouted and shot toward them.
He swiftly positioned himself in front of Go Chan, aiming his sword at the scarred man.
It was none other than Mok Yu-cheon.
"Young Master Mok?"
"Are you alright, miss?"
'Huh?'
Go Chan's face went slack at the words.
Goosebumps prickled his skin.
Glancing at the cringing Go Chan, Mok Yu-cheon cleared his throat emphatically.
"Ahem. Miss. It's dangerous—fall back. I'll handle this one."
"......"
As a man, Go Chan could tell.
Mok Yu-cheon was putting on quite the bravado.
It was so cringeworthy he could barely endure it.
Ignoring him, Mok Yu-cheon politely bowed to the scarred man, perhaps to look good.
"I am Mok Yu-cheon, fourth young master of Timber Sword Manor. What business brings you into our clan to cause this chaos?"
The scarred man smirked at Mok Yu-cheon's words.
He then looked him up and down before speaking.
"Amusing. To find two promising sprouts in a place like this."
"What do you mean?"
"Brat. You don't qualify to question me."
With those words, the scarred man exuded intense pressure.
It was mere killing intent, yet Mok Yu-cheon's heart pounded fiercely.
'He's strong.'
As someone at the early peak realm himself, Mok Yu-cheon could gauge the man's power.
He might even rival Father before he lost his arm.
It had been ages since he'd felt this tremor.
The scarred man asked him.
"Mok Clan. Where's your father?"
"Don't speak of my father so casually."
Offended by the man's words, Mok Yu-cheon raised his voice.
The scarred man sneered.
"Don't shout. It only makes you look weaker when you're trying to hide your fear."
"What?"
Unable to hold back, Mok Yu-cheon lunged with a sword strike.
"Still a child."
Falling for such a simple provocation.
-Sruk
In an instant, as if the ground pulled him, the scarred man's form appeared before Mok Yu-cheon.
'What speed...'
He hadn't even seen it.
Panicking, Mok Yu-cheon twisted left to redirect his sword path.
In that moment, the man's hand snaked out flexibly like a serpent toward his face.
"Huh?"
Mok Yu-cheon hastily raised his left arm.
The man's palm grazed his wrist.
A heavy surge of energy invaded, flinging Mok Yu-cheon away like a feather.
-Pang!
"Keuk!"
The force sent him flying over fifteen feet before stopping.
After rolling several times on the ground, Mok Yu-cheon vomited blood.
"Keurk."
He had tried to circulate protective energy to deflect it on contact, but the true qi pierced his five viscera and six bowels.
It was the advanced realm of explosive energy known as Penetrating Force.
Devastatingly effective against weaker opponents—and to the scarred man, Mok Yu-cheon was just that.
'Not even worth considering a proper opponent...'
The odachi in his right hand still rested on his shoulder.
The gap was utterly overwhelming.
But he couldn't give up here.
This wasn't a spar or training.
'Real combat.'
This man was an intruder into Timber Sword Manor.
Yielding meant the end.
Mok Yu-cheon steadied his breathing and stood.
Go Chan moved beside him, assuming a stance, and said.
"Young Master. We need to attack together."
"Miss?"
'This guy!'
Go Chan almost snapped at him not to call him "miss," but held back.
It was natural with a woman's body, and now wasn't the time to argue over titles.
As the two prepared a joint assault, the scarred man grinned wickedly.
"Fools."
He stepped toward them.
It was right then.
"Hah!"
With a booming shout, someone appeared and slashed down at the scarred man with a single sword strike.
Up until facing the two, the scarred man hadn't used his full power, but now he gripped his odachi and countered upward.
-Chaeaeaeaeang!
Sword and blade clashed, the metallic ring echoing everywhere.
The clash of their auras whipped up fierce winds in all directions.
Yet one held the advantage.
-Pang!
The one who struck first was repelled, staggering back five paces.
"Father!"
It was Mok In-dan, clan head of Timber Sword Manor.
-Drip drip!
Black blood trickled from Mok In-dan's mouth.
He had just risen from his sickbed, expending much vital energy, and with his unfamiliar left hand, he couldn't muster even half his prime strength.
"Father!"
As Mok Yu-cheon rushed forward, Mok In-dan extended a hand and shook his head.
"Stand back. He's beyond you."
"But..."
"Enough!"
With that, Mok In-dan's eyes flicked toward Mok Kyung-un, seated in lotus position, circulating.
Why was that boy doing that?
Was he injured?
He looked fine outwardly.
Puzzled briefly, Clan Head Mok In-dan turned to the approaching scarred man and said.
"Who are you to invade our manor?"
"Invade? Hahaha!"
At the question, the scarred man burst into laughter and pulled something from his bosom.
Mok In-dan's expression hardened instantly.
It was a seal.
'A seal?'
Mok Yu-cheon's eyes narrowed.
It looked like a seal—why was Father so shocked?
The scarred man tossed the seal up and caught it repeatedly as he spoke.
"You know what this is, don't you, Clan Head Mok?"
"...How do you have that?"
"How? Hahaha. Clan Head Mok, you sure know how to play innocent. After stealing 'that'—our society's treasure—what gives you the right to ask?"
'Stolen?'
Mok Yu-cheon looked at Mok In-dan in confusion.
Then, shocking words came from Mok In-dan's mouth.
"...From the Heaven and Earth Society?"
The scarred man smirked in affirmation.
'!!!!!!'
Mok Yu-cheon and Go Chan alike widened their eyes in shock.
The reason was simple.
Heaven and Earth Society.
One of the three colossal powers dividing the central plains martial world.
Worshipping the law of the strong, they had once plunged the world into chaos, claiming unification.
Countless righteous martial artists had perished then.
Thus, the martial world still feared the name Heaven and Earth Society.
'T-The Heaven and Earth Society?'
Go Chan was dumbfounded.
No wonder—few factions would dare such madness against Timber Sword Manor, a famed house of Anhui Province.
If it truly was them, it spelled doom.
Timber Sword Manor had a reputation as a martial clan, but if they came with intent to destroy, extermination was inevitable.
"Aaah."
A sigh escaped Clan Head Mok In-dan.
To think it was the Heaven and Earth Society.
His gaze swept over his youngest son Mok Yu-cheon, Mok Kyung-un in circulation, and the Timber Sword Manor warriors fighting nearby.
'Is this my karma?'
Why had he yielded to greed back then?
If he hadn't brought it back, none of this would have happened.
Mok In-dan spoke with effort.
"...If I hand it over, will you withdraw from our manor?"
'Father?'
Mok Yu-cheon stared at Clan Head Mok In-dan in astonishment.
The words were meant to save everyone, but tantamount to surrender.
Seeing his father's never-before-seen weakness tore at his heart.
"You revealed our society's identity needlessly. I hoped for more resistance."
The scarred man muttered regretfully.
Mok Yu-cheon seethed inwardly at the attitude.
He wouldn't act so condescending without utterly looking down on them.
Clan Head Mok In-dan signaled with his eyes to stand down.
'Don't act rashly. Endure it, no matter the anger. My son.'
With such a monster here, the situation was hopeless.
Weakened or not—even at full strength, Mok In-dan lacked confidence against the scarred man.
The scarred man rested his odachi on his shoulder and asked.
"Where is it?"
"Man to man, make a promise first."
"Clan Head Mok. You have the bearing of a leader. Fine. I, Myeong Do-wang Son Yun, one of the Five Kings of the Great Heaven and Earth Society, promise you this: hand it over, and we withdraw without further harm to Timber Sword Manor."
'...One of the Five Kings.'
Mok In-dan was inwardly stunned.
To think Myeong Do-wang Son Yun—one of the eight executives leading the Heaven and Earth Society—had come personally.
He must have arrived prepared to raze the manor if needed.
Cold sweat beaded on Mok In-dan.
The scarred man—no, Myeong Do-wang Son Yun of the Five Kings—asked again.
"Where is it?"
Mok In-dan pointed somewhere and said.
"Our manor's medicine hall is over there. In the drawer labeled 'O-yang' among the herb containers, open it, and the underground entrance will reveal itself."
"Hoh."
"Inside, there's a stone door marked 'Ding.' The passage has traps—either cross twenty paces in one burst of lightness skill or cling to the ceiling."
"Well hidden."
"There, you'll find a wooden box with a talisman attached."
"Got it?"
One of the masked men beside Myeong Do-wang Son Yun replied.
"Yes."
"Retrieve it."
"Yes, sir!"
The masked man vanished toward the medicine hall.
'...Hidden in a secret space inside the medicine hall?'
Go Chan frowned in dismay, sneaking a glance at Mok Kyung-un, still absorbing death qi.
This felt like things were going seriously wrong.
────────────────────────────────────
────────────────────────────────────
────────────────────────────────────
────────────────────────────────────