Chapter 147: Honey! Did You Miss Me?
The woman in the green three-part dress burst into laughter.
"Hahaha! How about you give me some face instead?"
The white-robed elder looked flustered.
"You insist on seeing this through to the end?"
"Are you threatening me right now?"
The woman in green pointed at the elder and declared,
"If you're so confident, come at me!"
At her words, the white-robed elder slowly clenched his fist.
But he couldn't recklessly strike at an opponent who had ascended the Yo Yeolbang platform.
It was nearly impossible for ordinary martial artists to even get their names on the Yo Yeolbang list. Nine out of ten had powerful backers behind them.
Moreover, there was an unwritten rule in Jungto Sinju: senior martial artists must not interfere in battles between the younger generation.
If he, the Ho Won Lord of Chang Mok Academy, attacked the Green Three Lady of Yo Yeolbang, he'd turn her backers into enemies and lose all credibility in Jungto Sinju.
The elder's expression darkened further. He was growing uneasy as time passed and Yeop Hyeon entangled himself deeper with more warriors from Jungto Sinju. They were already acting like brothers.
This was beyond the calculations of Chang Mok Academy and the Dark Realm.
Turning his head, the elder saw over twenty corpses strewn at Yeop Hyeon's feet.
And still, Yeop Hyeon unleashed his terrifying might on the remaining Chang Mok Academy martial artists and assassins.
Their plan had been for Yeop Hyeon to be tied up with I Mok-rim while the others swept away the rest. But that plan had already crumbled.
The white-robed elder glanced at the sky. Dawn was at most half a gak away.
No time left!
Suddenly, the elder shouted toward the left.
"Strike!"
From the silent darkness, a longsword shot out toward Yeop Hyeon.
Cheong Sam-nyeo couldn't even move at the sight. I Mok-rim was glaring at her from right in front.
At that moment, Yeop Hyeon halted and thrust his sword to the right.
Puk!
The longsword was blocked by the Spirit Water Sword, but its momentum lingered.
Yeop Hyeon casually twisted his wrist, infusing sword intent into the Spirit Water Sword. Only then did the blade bounce away. Right then, a hand shot from the shadows, snatched the sword, and swung it down at Yeop Hyeon's crown.
The Spirit Water Sword flew up, blocking the blade's edge.
Bang!
Yeop Hyeon retreated over ten jang with his sword.
The moment he stopped, the blade came crashing down again at his head, with enough force to split a mountain.
Yeop Hyeon kicked off the ground and charged.
Once more, sword clashed against blade!
Kwang!
The ground around Yeop Hyeon cracked instantly, forcing his form back another ten jang.
As he finally steadied himself and looked up, a long-haired man charging at him came into view.
The man's hair reached his waist, black iron chains wrapped around both arms. His eyes, fixed on Yeop Hyeon, were cold as ice.
Meanwhile, with Yeop Hyeon's feet tied down, the other martial artists and assassins rushed at Neung Han's back.
The white-robed elder watched, clenching his right fist tight.
It's over now!
But just as certainty filled him, a man blocked the path to Neung Han's back.
The man bore a striking resemblance to Neung Han. At that instant, as he eyed the charging assassins, his arms burst into flames.
The next moment, he slammed his palm into the ground.
Puk!
The earth split, a streak of fire erupting skyward. In a flash, two martial artists were engulfed in flames, while the rest scrambled back in panic.
The man rose, glanced at Neung Han, then turned toward Yeop Hyeon. Just then, the enemy martial artist's blade bore down on Yeop Hyeon.
The long-haired man's swordsmanship wasn't flashy, but it brimmed with an overbearing momentum that could sweep away a thousand soldiers.
Yeop Hyeon didn't retreat. He swung his sword wide once more.
One Sword Determines Life and Death!
Yeop Hyeon's sword was no more ornate than the man's blade. But as the technique unfolded, a grave light flickered in the eyes of Cheong Sam-nyeo and the man resembling Neung Han.
Sword and blade,
two different weapons collided without yielding an inch.
Kwang!
A massive shockwave erupted, shoving both figures back over ten jang in unison. But then, cracks spiderwebbed across the long-haired man's blade, shattering it to dust on the ground. His right arm tore apart in shreds, blood oozing out.
The long-haired man glared at Yeop Hyeon, clenching his fist. At that moment, the Dark Realm assassins melted away like receding tide.
Dawn had broken.
The soldiers atop the walls brightened instantly.
Daylight meant the assassins' strength would wane significantly, allowing the soldiers to fight harder.
Of course, assuming they could muster in numbers.
As dawn spread, the darkness melted like snow, revealing everything in sharp clarity.
Before Yeop Hyeon and the others, only four remained.
The white-robed elder, the long-haired man, I Mok-rim, and the black-robed middle-aged man who had clashed with Luk Ban-jang.
The white-robed elder glared at Yeop Hyeon.
"Don't think this is over. Let's see who wins in the end!"
With that, the four martial artists vanished from the arena.
Yeop Hyeon looked down at his arm. In that instant, sensation had fled his right arm. The long-haired man's final strike had been no light blow.
Of course, anyone brought to capture him wouldn't be ordinary.
And with each fight, stronger foes emerged.
This ambush had clearly been meticulously prepared by Chang Mok Academy and the Dark Realm.
Cheong Sam-nyeo approached Luk Ban-jang nearby. Amid all eyes on her, she suddenly pulled Luk Ban-jang into a tight embrace and kissed her.
Not on the cheek—on the lips.
Yeop Hyeon and the others' faces filled with shock.
Releasing Luk Ban-jang, the woman in green smiled brightly.
"Honey, did you miss me?"
Luk Ban-jang stared at her with a blank expression.
"The world's full of men, and you like women? Are you insane?"
"Hehe, you wouldn't get it, but it's actually better with women…"
"……."
Hearing that, Yeop Hyeon shook his head unwittingly. Cheong Sam-nyeo was definitely not right in the head.
Cheong Sam-nyeo turned to Yeop Hyeon and the others.
"Made some friends, huh?"
Luk Ban-jang nodded.
Cheong Sam-nyeo scanned Yeop Hyeon up and down.
"Sword and martial prowess unmatched—no, even your body is tempered. Impressive, but it's a shame you're only at Sword Master level. If you reached Sword Lord, you could challenge Jungto Sinju itself."
At those words, Luk Ban-jang's expression turned profoundly serious.
Of everyone in the arena, only Luk Ban-jang truly grasped what Cheong Sam-nyeo meant by "challenge." And that word hid even deeper implications.
Gang Gu emerged from the fortress with soldiers. Seeing the mountain of Jiang Kingdom soldiers' corpses around Neung Han and the others, her face grew heavy. These were elite veterans with countless battles under their belts.
Moments later, Gang Gu spoke.
"Take the bodies and bury them in a sunny spot. Care for their families so they never starve."
The soldiers beside her carried off the corpses.
Gang Gu turned to Yeop Hyeon. His body was covered in wounds, even his face scarred by several sword cuts.
Yeop Hyeon looked at Gang Gu.
"Watch out. Those assassins might target you next."
"Father already sent three hundred Death Guards. They're our kingdom's hidden elites—they'll handle my safety from now on."
Yeop Hyeon nodded.
"Good."
He turned to Neung Han and the others. They were still focused on breaking through their realms. Reaching Divine Fusion Realm would take at least two days.
Neither Yeop Hyeon nor Luk Ban-jang could leave their side until then.
Yeop Hyeon glanced at the man resembling Neung Han.
"And who might you be, sir?"
"Neung Yak, Neung Han's cousin."
Yeop Hyeon bowed politely.
"Thank you for your help."
Neung Yak shook his head.
"I should thank you. Without you, my worthless little cousin would've been dead already."
"It's not over yet. The Dark Realm and Chang Mok Academy will come again soon…"
Yeop Hyeon cupped his fists toward Cheong Sam-nyeo and Neung Yak.
"Regardless, thank you both."
Neung Yak nodded lightly and took position beside Neung Han. Protecting him was his purpose here.
Cheong Sam-nyeo smiled at Yeop Hyeon.
"I don't move cheap, you know…"
She trailed off, eyeing Yeop Hyeon like she was caressing him with her gaze.
"Your body… and face aren't bad either… hehe…"
Yeop Hyeon pondered briefly, then spoke gravely.
"Just say the word. Any position, I can handle it."
"What?"
Yeop Hyeon—who was he?
A man who yielded to no one in any contest.
Who would he fear?
His unexpected reply flustered Cheong Sam-nyeo for a moment. She recovered, approached, and stroked his chin with her pinky. Flashing a sensual smile, she purred,
"Any position? Shall we test that?"
She had no intention of backing down either.
Luk Ban-jang interjected flatly from the side.
"Can I watch?"
Cheong Sam-nyeo winked.
"Honey, don't just watch—join us."
Yeop Hyeon shook his head in horror. This woman was not to be provoked lightly. Far more perverse than he'd imagined!
Saying no more, Yeop Hyeon sat cross-legged and swallowed a Golden Wound Pill.
His condition was dire. Most of his profound energy depleted, wounds everywhere. His right arm still tingled like an electric shock.
He needed to recover fast.
Chang Mok Academy and the Dark Realm could strike again any moment.