Chapter 124
Chapter 124
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 124
Chapter Title: Prodigy Alliance
-----------------------------------------------------------------
SSoon, a burning pain flared up in his right ankle.
Han Ibi had hurled two more throwing knives in quick succession.
"Ugh!"
An involuntary groan escaped his lips.
Looking down at his ankle, he saw the path grazed by the knife torn open long and ragged, blood streaming out steadily.
And then Han Ibi approached slowly.
"Surely you didn't forget I might have more throwing knives? Sorry, but you've taken a hit."
Han Ibi walked toward Bang Gwang-sil with one hand extended openly.
"Here. Thanks so much for donating the towel."
At that moment, Wang Qinglin's voice came from behind.
"Looks like you two senior brothers can head down the mountain side by side now."
In her hand was Jugeum-ryeong's silk towel.
Wang Qinglin said,
"By the way... we ended up wiping out the entire Huashan Sect and Kunlun Sect without meaning to."
Han Ibi replied,
"Yeah, who told them to stick together like that?"
Don't put all your eggs in one basket, after all.
Wang Qinglin said,
"Well... it's not like anyone else will care. Oh, right! How did you do that thing, anyway?"
Han Ibi asked,
"Do what?"
"You know, that thing where the sword spun like it was flying."
"Hmm... it's complicated to explain... but yeah, there's a way."
"Then teach me too."
"Hang on, weren't you ready to beat me to death just a minute ago?"
Wang Qinglin put on an exaggerated angry face and said,
"Well, I thought you'd ditched me and run off."
"Good eye. I probably would have, so don't trust me too much. Keep that towel safe too."
Wang Qinglin instinctively touched the silk towel around her neck and said,
"Ugh... what am I even doing talking to you? Monk! Let's go together. I can't deal with this guy anymore."
Hyejeong, who had been following behind, hesitated before replying,
"Pardon? Oh... sure."
Wang Qinglin stuck her tongue out just enough to be seen, then matched pace with Hyejeong.
At that moment, Hyejeong said,
"Amitabha. Benefactors. Where do you plan to go now?"
Han Ibi said,
"That's the question. Where the hell is the Demonic Cult leader hiding?"
Wang Qinglin said,
"If I knew, I'd have gone there first."
Han Ibi said with a laugh,
"If we run into him, be careful. From that spoon-throwing skill last time, Leader Heo seems like a real expert."
"Hmph. We all saw that... Wait, what's that?"
Wang Qinglin pointed in surprise at something.
Han Ibi activated the Eagle's Eye Technique, focusing his gaze ahead.
"Hmm. Looks like someone collapsed..."
Indeed.
Ahead lay a man sprawled out, bleeding.
Wang Qinglin whispered,
"One of the Ant Society trainees?"
He was face-down on the ground.
Han Ibi said,
"Hmm... hard to say. The clothes look familiar, but I can't see his face."
Then came a whooshing sound.
Hyejeong was rushing toward the fallen man.
"Amitabha. Benefactor. Are you all right?"
He turned the man's face to the side.
His face was caked in blood, making identification impossible.
"Grr..."
Foam mixed with blood bubbled from the man's mouth.
Hyejeong said urgently,
"Benefactor. Where are you injured?"
But the man only growled.
His injuries seemed extremely severe.
As Hyejeong examined the man's body, he called out to Han Ibi and Wang Qinglin,
"Benefactors. Come help, please."
Wang Qinglin scurried over to Hyejeong and the injured man.
Hyejeong said to her,
"Benefactor. Hold his head for a moment. I need to check the wounds."
Wang Qinglin nodded.
"Sure."
As Wang Qinglin took the man's head from Hyejeong, she wrinkled her nose.
"Ugh. The stench of blood. Who did this to him?"
Hyejeong was parting the man's robes, searching for wounds.
Then.
"Hee... hae... o."
A faint sound leaked from the man's mouth. But it was unintelligible.
Hyejeong brought his ear close to the man's mouth and said,
"Benefactor. Do you have something to say? It's hard, I know, but please try once more."
The man strained as if squeezing out every last bit of strength and opened his mouth again.
"Hee... hae... o."
Hyejeong and Wang Qinglin exchanged glances.
Still no clue what he meant.
The moment Hyejeong leaned in again.
Han Ibi, watching from the side, shouted as realization dawned.
"Wait! Monk Hyejeong. Get back here now! That guy..."
The man's lips moved again. This time, it was clear.
"Sorry."
As Hyejeong and Wang Qinglin exchanged puzzled looks.
Pang!
With the sound, both shot up into the air.
Upside down, no less.
Yes.
Shockingly, Wang Qinglin and Hyejeong ended up dangling upside down from a thick tree branch like ornaments.
Wang Qinglin screamed,
"What the hell?!"
Hyejeong mumbled,
"Amitabha."
Then came a scene that beggared belief.
The man, who had looked on the verge of death from his wounds, sprang up and leaped into the air.
In an instant, he snatched Wang Qinglin and Hyejeong's silk towels.
The shock sent the two swinging wildly left and right in midair.
Looking closely, nooses like knots were tied around their ankles.
"Kyaa! What is this?!"
Wang Qinglin's shriek echoed everywhere.
Han Ibi clutched his face and said,
"You should've listened till the end when people talk... He meant he still had the silk towel around his neck. He wasn't attacked."
Then he glared at the man and continued,
"Right, Son Lok?"
The blood-smeared man bared white teeth and said,
"Spot on, Brother Jong. Sharp eyes as always. I was debating whether to drop you myself if needed. Though the end result wouldn't change much."
Han Ibi twisted his lips and said,
"You... I never knew you were this sneaky."
Gil Son-rok shrugged and said,
"Hey, it wasn't my plan alone. Just my turn this time. Hmm... but smearing myself in squirrel blood is something I just can't get used to."
He made a retching gesture.
Han Ibi's eyebrow twitched.
"What? Not your plan alone?"
Then, from the bushes about five zhang away, three people emerged with rustling steps.
Faces Han Ibi knew well.
Bok Mu-sin of the Aurora Sect like Gil Son-rok, Yuk Hyeon-rip of the Myeonghak Society, and Jegal Yeon of the Jegal Clan.
The representatives of the so-called brainy sects!
One might call them the "Prodigy Alliance."
The first to speak among them was Jegal Yeon of the Jegal Clan, his refined noble air standing out.
"If Brother Gil were a Demonic Cultist, you two would already be dead."
Han Ibi grinned and said,
"Oh ho! So you personally demonstrated a Demonic Cult ploy? Wrapping your dirty tricks in weird logic like that? As expected of Jegal Clan blood."
Jegal Yeon shrugged again and said,
"Well, if you insist on twisting it that way, I can't stop you."
Then Yuk Hyeon-rip of the Myeonghak Society said,
"Brother Jong looks down on our methods, but we've secured six towels without spilling a drop of blood. Our opponents unscathed, too."
Han Ibi said,
"Ah ha~. Is that so? Quite the peaceful approach. Must be proud."
True to his Myeonghak Society roots, Yuk Hyeon-rip wore white robes, a blue scholar's cap perched on his head.
Then.
"Hey! You bastards! Let me down right now!"
It was Wang Qinglin, thrashing upside down for all she was worth.
Then.
Crash! Thud!
With a loud noise, Wang Qinglin and Hyejeong tumbled to the ground.
It had happened too fast for anyone to react.
The one who cut their ropes was none other than Jegal Yeon of the Jegal Clan.
Wang Qinglin jumped up and yelled,
"That hurt! This is cheating, you jerks!"
Jegal Yeon said,
"One rule: Take the opponent's silk towel. Nothing more, nothing less. Now, please return carefully with the monk."
Wang Qinglin was furious to her core, but their airtight logic left her no room to argue. She grumbled as she turned away.
"This is why Master said never eat with Jegal Clan scum. Talk about bad luck. Ugh, so annoying! Let's go, monk. I can't stand another second here."
"Pardon? Oh... sure."
And so Wang Qinglin and Hyejeong vanished from sight.
Han Ibi said,
"Hmm. So next, you'll come after me."
Bok Mu-sin of the Aurora Sect shrugged and said,
"Maybe, maybe not. But... we don't like getting blood on our hands."
Suddenly, he swung the dagger in his hand, slicing something.
Ominous premonition.
Snap!
With the sound, the unnaturally bent branches sprang back.
At the same time, sharpened branch tips rained down toward Han Ibi.
'These guys are exploiting the rule that injured players are out.'
He panicked a bit but first stepped into the Eight Trigrams Footwork, dodging the branches' aim points.
Still, three or four branches couldn't be fully evaded.
In the heat of the moment, Han Ibi channeled the Mystic Illusion Sword Technique, arching his back and deflecting the branches elsewhere in a flash.
Jegal Yeon and the others' faces lit up with interest.
"Ho. Impressive."
Now it was Han Ibi's turn to curse as he barely escaped.
"Damn it. As expected of the Aurora Sect. Skipping the actual mission to set traps!"
A voice called out then.
It was Bok Mu-sin of the Aurora Sect.
"Hold up. Brothers. It's my turn now. Don't interfere. I lost the draw, so I haven't got a single towel yet. I need this one."
Jegal Yeon, the unspoken leader, said,
"Fine. Handle it your way. We'll watch."
Bok Mu-sin said,
"Thanks."
Then he turned to Han Ibi.
"Come on. Let's have at it."
Han Ibi glanced between Bok Mu-sin and the others and said,
"The rest of you won't butt in, right?"
Bok Mu-sin smiled leisurely.
"Won't have time. Promise."
Han Ibi said gravely,
"Good. But..."
All eyes turned to Han Ibi.
"...no sneaky tree branches popping out or pitfall traps, right?"
Bok Mu-sin looked baffled.
"Of course not."
"Perfect. Let's go then."
Gil Son-rok, wiping blood from his face with his sleeve, said,
"Senior Brother. Brother Jong's record is flashy. Don't let your guard down."
Bok Mu-sin chuckled.
"I know. But I've heard nothing about his martial arts."
He drew his weapon: a long, hefty iron staff.
Bok Mu-sin tucked the staff under one armpit, extending the other hand in ready stance.
His bold posture evoked the Great Sage Equaling Heaven from Journey to the West.
(To be continued...)