Chapter 87
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 87
Chapter Title: The Alliance Leader's Dream
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“Alliance Leader?”
At the familiar voice, ‘Do-cheon’ turned his head.
“……Captain Mun?”
A handsome young man was staring at him with wide eyes.
Though in his early thirties, his youthful features made him look barely into his twenties. It was none other than Mun Jeong-ho, leader of the Martial Alliance Guardian Corps.
“Is something wrong?”
“Hm?”
“You suddenly stopped and stood there staring blankly.”
Do-cheon tilted his head. A fog clouded his mind.
“Ugh!”
He shook his head. His thoughts cleared a bit.
‘But what was I doing just now?’
Suddenly, Do-cheon’s head throbbed. He clutched his forehead and staggered without realizing it.
The startled Mun Jeong-ho quickly supported him.
“Alliance Leader, are you alright?”
“Ugh, sorry about that.”
Do-cheon gathered his thoughts and asked,
“……My mind’s elsewhere, but where were we headed?”
Mun Jeong-ho looked puzzled but soon answered readily.
“Ah, yes. We’re returning to headquarters after dealing with the last of the Outer Realm Evil Forces, the North Sea Ice Palace.”
“……North Sea Ice Palace?”
It was just one of the subjugated Outer Realm factions. Yet hearing the name stirred an odd feeling.
‘Come to think of it, what did I do with the Ice Palace Lord?’
According to Mun Jeong-ho, he must have defeated him. But he had no memory of it.
‘……Something’s off.’
As he frowned, Mun Jeong-ho asked again.
“Alliance Leader, are you really alright?”
Do-cheon shook his head. Shaking off the doubts, he forced a smile.
“Sorry about that. Everyone must want to get back quickly.”
“No, sir. Your well-being is what matters most.”
“Hahaha.”
Do-cheon burst into laughter, then gazed at Mun Jeong-ho with a newfound expression.
‘This guy…….’
Sensing the unusual look, Mun Jeong-ho asked,
“Why are you staring like that?”
“What was your sect again?”
“Swordless Sect. It’s a forgotten school now.”
The Swordless Sect was a Daoist sword school pursuing the realm of swordlessness.
Its techniques were generally mediocre, with only the Ascending Sword Formula being noteworthy. Yet Mun Jeong-ho had become the world’s top young expert with it alone.
“I’ll ask one last time. Become my disciple.”
Mun Jeong-ho scowled.
“I wondered what it was, but it’s that again?”
“Your talent’s too good to waste as the last remnant of a fallen sect…….”
Mun Jeong-ho’s expression hardened.
“I’ve told you many times. I respect you, Alliance Leader, but I can’t abandon my sect.”
“It’s a shame. As my disciple, you could succeed me as the world’s greatest master.”
“Don’t worry. With my sect’s arts, I’ll surpass you and become the greatest.”
Mun Jeong-ho was rated higher in pure talent than even Do-cheon. But with just the Swordless Sect’s formula, it would be tough.
‘I want to be honest, but…….’
Mun Jeong-ho was as stubborn and steadfast as they came. Do-cheon knew further words were pointless.
Instead, he flashed a gentle smile.
“Captain, two jars of liquor specially for you.”
“……Pardon?”
Do-cheon slowly surveyed his surroundings. Over a thousand Martial Alliance Guardian Corps members stood arrayed behind him.
‘……We’ve dwindled quite a bit.’
The Guardian Corps had started with five thousand elites, handpicked from across the Central Plains.
But after successive subjugations of the Outer Realm Evil Forces, only this many remained.
Do-cheon called out boldly.
“Everyone’s prepared, right? Once we reach headquarters, you’ll all drink with me for at least three days straight! Each one accountable for at least a full jar!”
Smiles spread across the members’ lips.
“Hahaha! Of course, Alliance Leader!”
“We might run short on liquor.”
Only Mun Jeong-ho, who particularly disliked drink, wore a sour face.
“Hahahaha.”
As Do-cheon laughed heartily, his surroundings began to fade. Starting with Mun Jeong-ho, they vanished one by one.
He was aware now. This was a dream.
‘Guys. Someday…… let’s meet again.’
Seol Hwa-un’s eyes snapped open.
“……!”
The moment he did, he spotted a steel needle dropping toward his head.
Sssit!
It was an almost silent, razor-sharp hidden weapon.
Pak!
Seol Hwa-un turned his head to dodge it and thrust out his hand.
Shuwaaak!
The Ice Ring Finger pierced the brow of the assassin who had launched the needle at Seol Hwa-un.
Peuk!
The dead assassin collapsed without a groan.
Thud.
His body soon hit the floor.
‘An assassin inside the guest room?’
No matter how deeply he slept, this was inexcusable.
‘Then…….’
Sensing danger to his group, Seol Hwa-un gathered his inner energy and unleashed the Lion’s Roar.
“Get out!”
Kugugu.
The roar shook the entire small inn. Even in deep slumber, its potent sound energy would jolt one awake.
‘This should…….’
As Seol Hwa-un rose, his head suddenly rang.
‘This?!’
His body felt heavy as waterlogged cotton. Only then did Seol Hwa-un realize what had happened.
‘Dream Soul Incense?’
Dream Soul Incense was a paralytic in smoke form that induced deep sleep upon inhalation.
Not lethal, but insidious and hard to guard against.
Inhaling it during sleep explained why he hadn’t noticed the assassin’s infiltration.
‘This much…….’
Standing, he rapidly circulated the Ice White Divine Art. Its pure yin energy dispelled over eighty percent of the incense’s effect in moments.
‘Not fully, though.’
Had he noticed sooner, he could have purged it entirely. But unleashing the Lion’s Roar had consumed substantial energy, allowing the incense to linger.
‘No choice.’
He could meditate to clear it later, but not in the current situation.
“…….”
Seol Hwa-un recalled the recent dream.
‘A dream of the Heavenly Collapse Fist Emperor…… because of the Dream Soul Incense?’
It wasn’t even a past-life memory.
Precisely, it was after safely escaping the North Sea Ice Palace in that life.
In other words, something that never actually happened.
Yet it was a moment so joyful he didn’t want to wake from it.
‘I miss you all.’
He shook his head to dispel the thoughts. That wasn’t important now.
‘My Lion’s Roar should have woken everyone.’
As Seol Hwa-un moved to act, he paused. A glint entered his eyes.
‘Impressive.’
Then, urgent footsteps sounded, and the guest room door burst open.
“Young Palace Lord, are you alright?”
It was the North Wind Brigade Leader.
“I’m fine.”
Seeing Seol Hwa-un unharmed, he sighed in relief.
“Phew. Thank goodness.”
Looking closely, the Brigade Leader’s hem was torn.
“An assassin in your room too?”
“Yes. If not for your Lion’s Roar, Young Palace Lord, I’d have been done for.”
Thud!
Kukukung!
Dull thuds echoed here and there—North Wind Brigade members clashing with assassins.
“Brigade Leader, the troops.”
“Yes, Young Palace Lord!”
The North Wind Brigade Leader bellowed.
“All North Wind Brigade, out!”
He dashed to another room, while Seol Hwa-un punched toward the wall.
Kwaang!
The wall shattered in one blow.
‘Hm. Inner energy flow’s a bit off, but this’ll do.’
He leaped through the hole.
Soon, North Wind Brigade members emerged one by one. Most were fine, though some had minor wounds.
“More assassins may lurk! Stay vigilant!”
The brigade formed a circular formation, eyes sharp.
Yet their faces were uniformly pale—they hadn’t fully shaken off the Dream Soul Incense.
No need to worry, though. Few assassins could breach vigilant North Wind elites.
“……!”
Seol Hwa-un spotted a fallen North Wind member at the inn’s entrance. No need to check—he was dead.
‘Damn it!’
He’d sworn they’d all return to North Sea Ice Palace alive. He’d failed.
‘Evil Path Eight Gates!’
Seol Hwa-un gritted his teeth. He waited anxiously for the others to emerge.
He hadn’t rushed in himself for a reason.
Even under the incense, these were assassins skilled enough to infiltrate undetected. But their personal martial prowess was weak.
Once alert, no one would fall to them.
Which meant if they hadn’t woken, it was already too late to save them.
He’d sent the Brigade Leader just in case, but inwardly doubted it would matter.
‘Have to trust the North Wind Brigade.’
And there was an even greater reason.
Since waking, a chilling, sticky killing intent had targeted him relentlessly.
So subtle, only Seol Hwa-un could sense it.
‘Remarkable.’
Even his sharpened senses couldn’t pinpoint the source.
He’d deliberately lured it outside cautiously, yet failed to detect its presence.
“…….”
It surpassed even the stealth of Gu-ho, the Ghost Assassin from Misty Forest who ambushed him. Top-tier among elite assassins.
Likely, this one had slain the entrance guards and deployed the Dream Soul Incense.
‘At this level…….’
A certain Ming force from the King Yama Sect came to mind.
The Dark Nether Squad, an elite unit of assassins even superior to Assassin Valley Ghosts.
The King Yama Sect’s hidden blade, a terror to the martial world.
‘This must be the Dark Nether Squad Leader.’
Seol Hwa-un scanned surroundings warily while glancing at the inn.
“…….”
Time passed, yet Eom Mu-hwi and Dong Ho-won hadn’t appeared. A bad premonition stirred, but Seol Hwa-un shook it off.
‘I didn’t raise them to be weak. They’ll come out alive.’
Sure enough.
Finally, the two emerged. Eom Mu-hwi unscathed, Dong Ho-won’s shoulder bandaged.
Spotting Seol Hwa-un, they hurried over.
“Young Palace Lord.”
“You’re hurt?”
Dong Ho-won gave a wry smile.
“It’s nothing. My mind wandered for a moment…… just a graze.”
“Treating this guy’s shoulder delayed us.”
Individually stronger than North Wind members, but Eom Mu-hwi and Dong Ho-won lacked experience. Surviving was commendable.
“Good. At least that’s a relief.”
“Young Palace Lord, you’re unharmed…….”
That instant.
An assassin dropped from above onto Dong Ho-won and Eom Mu-hwi’s heads. So sudden, they hadn’t noticed.
Seol Hwa-un’s face paled as he shouted.
“Watch out!”
Seol Hwa-un’s body shot forward.
Flash!
And then, as if lying in wait, a sinister metallic gleam flashed—a sharp dagger plunging toward Seol Hwa-un’s chest.