Chapter 94
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 94
Chapter Title: Ambush at the Sea Entrance Valley
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Yang Mu-seung could barely contain his rage, but he couldn't follow the sailboat either.
‘Catching up to that speed is impossible.’
With no other choice, he swallowed his anger and focused on tending to the wounded.
“Take care of the injured and gather all the bodies in one place!”
He was in the midst of cleanup when a group arrived.
It was the Heavenly Chaos Sect members led by Yi Jeong-myeong. He had gathered the scattered sect members and brought them here.
“……?!”
Yi Jeong-myeong immediately spotted Yang Mu-seung.
“What happened here? Where are the North Sea Ice Palace bastards?”
Yang Mu-seung replied with a blank expression.
“Why didn’t you come a little sooner? They’ve been gone for a while now.”
Yi Jeong-myeong’s face twisted.
“What? How the hell is that possible?”
“We had them cornered…… but those damn Yangtze Waterway Fortress bastards showed up and ruined everything!”
“What?!”
“The fortress leader himself came! With his elite guards!”
“Wol Ah-do……?”
Yi Jeong-myeong already knew that Seol Hwa-un had made contact with Mae Jong-pyo.
‘He came all this way just for a single encounter?’
Yang Mu-seung shouted with an angry expression.
“What the hell were your scouts doing? Didn’t they know the Yangtze Waterway Fortress was coming here?”
“That’s impossible…… We confirmed it…….”
Yi Jeong-myeong had thoroughly checked everyone who might possibly aid Seol Hwa-un’s group.
There were some who mobilized upon hearing the news late, but the distance made it meaningless.
By the time they arrived, everything would already be over.
That was why the Heavenly Chaos Sect members had set out a month ago.
“They came on a massive sailboat! And you didn’t know?”
“A sailboat?”
It was absurd. Waterway fortresses possessing sailboats were extremely rare, and for the Yangtze Waterway Fortress’s sailboat to reach the Yellow River, they would need to use the Grand Canal.
No matter how formidable the Yangtze Waterway Fortress was, the Grand Canal was strictly managed by the imperial palace, so unauthorized passage was impossible.
Without the Grand Canal, they would have to take the sea route, but he had heard no such reports.
‘No way……!’
Not long ago, he had heard that a sailboat from the Yellow Dragon Water Fortress was heading this way.
‘Since it wasn’t a subordinate fortress of the Yangtze Waterway Fortress, I dismissed it as unrelated…….’
It seemed the Yangtze Waterway Fortress had been aboard that sailboat.
‘Damn it!’
Yi Jeong-myeong looked around and asked.
“But where are the Eighteen Battle Ghosts? Did they go in pursuit?”
“Hah, as if.”
Yang Mu-seung pointed to one spot with his finger. There was a massive crater there.
“What the hell is…… Huh?”
Now that he looked, there were corpses in particularly gruesome states nearby, along with blood-soaked warriors collapsed on the ground.
Yi Jeong-myeong’s eyes widened.
“No way, those are the Eighteen Battle Ghosts?!”
“That’s right. All of them…… fell to the North Heaven Dragon.”
“…….”
Yi Jeong-myeong’s face flushed red. He had no interest in the fact that Seol Hwa-un had taken down the Eighteen Battle Ghosts single-handedly.
‘They’ve slipped out of my plan again…….’
A chilling smile crept onto his lips.
“Kekeke! This is interesting.”
* * *
Aboard the sailboat, Seol Hwa-un’s group received medicinal tonics from Mae Jong-pyo as a courtesy and focused on circulating their qi in their cabins.
How much time passed.
Seol Hwa-un emerged from his cabin and climbed onto the deck. At the bow, Mae Jong-pyo stood with arms crossed, staring straight ahead.
“…….”
As Seol Hwa-un approached, Mae Jong-pyo spoke without turning his head.
“Have you already healed your internal injuries? That shouldn’t be something you recover from so easily.”
As he said, Seol Hwa-un’s complexion was still pale. But it was far better than when they first boarded the sailboat.
“I can move now.”
“Hahaha, is it because you’re still young? You recover fast.”
Seol Hwa-un clasped his hands in a formal salute.
“Let me greet you properly once more. Thank you truly for your help.”
“Didn’t we already exchange greetings earlier? That’s enough.”
“…….”
Seol Hwa-un quietly stood beside him.
“How is it?”
“It’s a magnificent sight.”
“Exactly, right? It’s on a whole different level from what you see on a small boat.”
The sailboat glided along the Yellow River’s massive current. The view from the bow was truly breathtaking.
“The Yangtze is several times more spectacular. The water is much cleaner than the Yellow River.”
Long ago, the Yellow River was the heart of the Central Plains, and people lived centered around it.
But as the Yangtze region developed, the balance shifted.
The overwhelming productivity drew people in, and flourishing commerce easily surpassed the Yellow River’s prestige.
Thanks to that prosperity, the Yangtze Waterway Fortress grew as well. There was a reason the Yangtze had several times more waterways than the Yellow River.
After admiring the view for a while, Seol Hwa-un asked about something that had puzzled him since the sailboat appeared.
“But how exactly did you get here? Did you pass through the Grand Canal?”
“Haha, nothing like that. Truth is, I used some connections. The Yellow Dragon Water Fortress leader greatly respects our fortress leader. This sailboat belongs to the Yellow Dragon Water Fortress.”
“To go that far…….”
“Don’t worry about it. We did it because we wanted to.”
He didn’t mention the hefty sum they paid to borrow the sailboat.
“Since you’re here, let me ask. Where can you drop us off so we can safely return to the North Sea?”
“……Where are we now?”
“We just passed Hwaha Lake region.”
Seol Hwa-un thought for a moment and said.
“We’ll stay one more day. After that, drop us at the nearest port.”
Mae Jong-pyo looked puzzled.
“Hm? Is that enough? You can stay on the sailboat as long as needed.”
“If we stay too long, the Evil Path Eight Gates will target this sailboat too. I’ve already imposed enough without causing more harm.”
“That’s disappointing. Do you think I came without that resolve?”
Seol Hwa-un shook his head.
“I don’t want to trouble you further. Besides, it’ll take at least a month for me and my group to fully recover. Can you withstand the Evil Path Eight Gates’ assaults that long?”
“……!”
“I’m saying it’s best to hurry back as soon as possible. Recovery will be faster in the North Sea anyway.”
Since they all cultivated yin cold arts, without special elixirs, the North Sea’s dense yin qi would aid recovery far more effectively.
Mae Jong-pyo nodded as if he had no choice.
“……If that’s your wish, so be it.”
Seol Hwa-un smiled.
“Thank you truly, Fortress Leader Mae.”
The next day, Seol Hwa-un’s group disembarked from the sailboat.
The North Wind Brigade Leader stepped forward as representative.
“We are truly grateful, Fortress Leader Mae. Our palace will never forget the Yangtze Waterway Fortress’s aid.”
Mae Jong-pyo burst into hearty laughter.
“Hahaha, seeing those bandits’ stupid faces was satisfaction enough for me.”
With that, the sailboat carrying Mae Jong-pyo departed.
They had rested and focused on treatment for two days, but no one had fully recovered.
Even so, the group’s eyes gleamed sharper than ever.
Seol Hwa-un looked at them and said.
“You all…… held out well.”
“…….”
“It’s my fault for underestimating the enemy that we lost North Wind Brigade members. I’m truly sorry.”
As Seol Hwa-un bowed his head, the group panicked and said.
“N-no, it’s not like that, Young Palace Lord!”
“Everyone knows the Young Palace Lord did his utmost!”
“Rather, we were lacking and let the Young Palace Lord get hurt. We apologize!”
Seol Hwa-un lifted his head with a bitter expression.
“Thank you, even if it’s just words.”
“Young Palace Lord…….”
Seol Hwa-un’s expression grew even more serious.
“This is the final hurdle now. There’s no enemy threat at the moment, but anything could happen on the way back. Don’t let your guard down until the end.”
“Yes, Young Palace Lord!”
Seol Hwa-un’s group resumed heading north.
Their movement speed was slower than before due to everyone’s condition, but there was no helping it.
On the seventh day of travel.
Whiiiii!
A fierce gale blew. It was a bone-chilling wind that cut like knives, but Seol Hwa-un’s group felt their energy surging instead.
‘Finally…… we’re almost there!’
‘We’ll arrive soon!’
Though thoroughly exhausted, their steps gained strength.
Then, one North Wind Brigade member shouted.
“There! Sea Entrance Valley is in sight!”
“Ooh!”
Sea Entrance Valley was a massive canyon. Passing through it marked the true North Sea territory.
The North Sea was so vast that they still had a long way to go before reaching the North Sea Ice Palace, but arriving here alone gave them great strength.
The North Wind Brigade Leader raised his voice.
“Just a bit more! We’ll rest in Sea Entrance Valley!”
“Yes, Brigade Leader!”
Thus, Seol Hwa-un’s group arrived at Sea Entrance Valley.
As they were about to rest, Seol Hwa-un’s expression hardened.
“Wait.”
“……?!”
“Come out!”
At Seol Hwa-un’s shout, a group of warriors burst out from somewhere. His group was startled and immediately assumed combat stances.
“As expected of the North Heaven Dragon. I don’t know if it’s sharp instincts or keen qi sense.”
Among the fifty-plus warriors, Yi Jeong-myeong stood at the front with hands behind his back.
“You…….”
“We finally meet like this. Nice to meet you. I’m Yi Jeong-myeong.”
Seol Hwa-un knew his name too.
“Yi Jeong-myeong?! You’re the Iron-Faced Rogue?”
“That’s right. I’m also the one who made all those preparations to catch you.”
“You’re the one who set those traps.”
“Correct. It started when you met the Fist Demon. You slipped away like an eel, truly impressive.”
“For the Iron-Faced Rogue’s preparations, they weren’t all that impressive.”
Yi Jeong-myeong gave a wry smile.
“I admit it. I thought that was enough, but I underestimated you too much.”
A chilling killing intent rose in his eyes.
“I’ll praise you for making it this far. But that ends now. This time, you’re all going to die.”
Seol Hwa-un hadn’t expected them to arrive first.
Northern geography wasn’t something Central Plains folk could easily grasp.
But Yi Jeong-myeong had mastered even that. It meant his preparations were that thorough.
“…….”
“Since it’s the end anyway, let me introduce them. These are the elites of our sect, the Nether Vanguard.”
The Nether Vanguard normally numbered five hundred, but Yi Jeong-myeong had brought only some.
Even that number held enough power to crush an average mid-sized sect.
Seol Hwa-un’s eyes deepened.
‘Each one rivals our North Wind Brigade members. And…….’
Among the Nether Vanguard was a middle-aged man with exceptionally strong presence, on par with the North Wind Brigade Leader.
‘Is he the Nether Vanguard Leader?’
As Seol Hwa-un guessed, he was the Nether Vanguard Leader, Gwan Il-sang.
‘And…….’
Behind Yi Jeong-myeong stood three more warriors. They were his bodyguards, all peak masters who had reached the Martial Soul Realm.
‘The Nether King Sect truly lives up to its name. To have so many experts.’
The North Wind Brigade Leader still hadn’t fully healed his internal injuries, unable to exert even half his true power.
Eom Mu-hwi, Dong Ho-won, and the rest of the North Wind Brigade were the same. Feeling the Nether Vanguard’s aura, the group’s expressions darkened.
‘Even I…….’
Thanks to steady qi circulation, he had healed considerably, but the injuries had been severe to begin with.
There was still significant hindrance in movement and qi operation.
“…….”
Seol Hwa-un turned to his group with a stern expression.
‘Can we overcome this one too?’
They had surmounted many crises, but this time the situation was truly dire.
Seeing Seol Hwa-un’s expression, Yi Jeong-myeong’s smile deepened.
“Huhu, looks like you’ve grasped the situation. Seeing your face makes me feel a bit better. Now…….”
Just as he was about to issue the attack order.
Dududududu!
A massive sound of galloping hooves shook the entire Sea Entrance Valley. It came precisely from inside the valley.
“W-what is that!”
A smile appeared on Seol Hwa-un’s lips.
“What a shame.”
“What?”
Not just Seol Hwa-un—the entire group’s faces brightened.
“Our palace’s Ice White Cavalry Brigade has arrived.”
“……!”