Chapter 140
Chapter 140
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 140
Chapter Title: Liberation
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The beggar boy didn't even have time to react.
Han Ibi charged forward, shouting at the top of his lungs.
"Elder Seon!"
Seon Mu-jae, who had been barely holding on amid extreme exhaustion, spotted him.
"What? How did you...?"
Han Ibi grinned and replied,
"Never treat even the most insignificant-looking person carelessly. That's my first piece of advice."
From a distance, the old man watching all this chimed in.
"Oh! You're that kid from the inn. Heh heh heh. Let's see what you've got. The better you fight, the better for me."
At that moment,
the female jiangshi's razor-sharp claws were poised to pierce right through Seon Mu-jae's nape.
But Seon Mu-jae, drained and sluggish, seemed unable to block it.
Han Ibi unleashed Zhongli Swift Leopard Step while simultaneously activating the Random Reversal Acceleration skill.
The jiangshi's howls grew even more eerie in slow motion!
The jiangshi were lined up, backs turned, ready to tear into Seon Mu-jae.
Han Ibi executed the Infinite Sawtooth Form of the Ma Hyeon Sword Law.
It was originally a technique combining spiral and zigzag patterns to escape from being surrounded by a large number of foes.
It consumed internal energy in bursts, but it was perfect for situations of numerical disadvantage.
Han Ibi first thrust his sword into the side of the rearmost jiangshi.
Clang.
'Huh?'
A metallic clang rang out.
Regardless, the jiangshi lost its balance from Han Ibi's strike and slowly toppled over.
Without pause, Han Ibi spun his body like a top.
Drawing a spiral, he spun and advanced.
Wherever he passed, clang clang sounds echoed as jiangshi lost their footing and sprawled across the floor.
It was like the miracle of the Red Sea parting—the sea of jiangshi split, allowing Han Ibi to reach the female jiangshi.
Her claws were now inches from Seon Mu-jae.
The Random Reversal Acceleration limit was approaching.
No time left.
Han Ibi activated Shoulder Blockade Art on his shoulder while pushing Zhongli Swift Leopard Step to its limits.
Boom!
Han Ibi's shoulder collided with the female jiangshi's body.
She reeled from the massive impact, launching into the air and crashing to the ground.
Seon Mu-jae smiled faintly.
"Not bad."
"Eh, just average."
Then the old man's laughter reverberated through the chamber.
"Oh ho! Excellent! Excellent! You're mine now! Perfect!"
Han Ibi squinted and muttered,
"What the hell's this guy on about?"
He quickly grabbed Seon Mu-jae's arm and moved toward the wall.
To reduce the area of encirclement.
The two positioned themselves at diagonal angles, bracing to face the jiangshi.
Han Ibi said,
"This is bullshit. I beat the crap out of them, and not a single one died?"
Indeed.
Thanks to Han Ibi's surprise attack, nearly ten jiangshi had been knocked down...
But they rose stiffly as if nothing had happened, preparing to charge again.
Han Ibi muttered,
"Man, these look way different from the illusions in that formation."
"What'd you say?"
"Oh, nothing."
Indeed.
The illusions of the Qi Men Formation disrupted the victim's consciousness through sorcery mediums.
So everything happening inside was within the bounds of one's imagination.
But real jiangshi...
"Look surprisingly clean-cut."
"What are you babbling about?"
"I mean, better looking than I imagined. Anyway..."
Han Ibi pointed at the old man.
"Who's that creep?"
Seon Mu-jae replied,
"Yeon Geuk-byeong. A lunatic kicked out of the Jinju Yeon Clan."
"Figures... He looks like a total perv."
Don't even mention perverts; just thinking about it gives me the chills.
At that moment, a white-haired jiangshi bared its teeth and lunged.
Han Ibi swung his sword, slicing at its neck.
Clang.
A loud noise, and the jiangshi flew back.
Led by that sound, the horde surged toward the two men again.
Han Ibi and Seon Mu-jae swung their swords desperately in defense.
The long-nailed woman was especially formidable, displaying martial prowess rivaling any expert.
Han Ibi dodged her claws, crouching, then kicked out with his front leg at the female jiangshi.
But even as she flew back, she raked her claws across Han Ibi's leg, gouging out flesh.
"Ugh!"
Han Ibi groaned.
"Why's she so damn strong?"
Seon Mu-jae chuckled.
"Because she was an expert when she was alive."
From afar, Yeon Geuk-byeong laughed delightedly.
"The quality of materials for making jiangshi is key. Garbage in, garbage out. She was Yi Chae-min, infamous in the martial world back in the day."
Han Ibi said,
"Manufacturing's all the same, huh."
Seon Mu-jae asked,
"What?"
"Heads up!"
Han Ibi smashed his Fierce Tiger Palm into the chest of a charging young male jiangshi.
The two rallied once more, fighting desperately against the jiangshi.
Han Ibi said,
"No end in sight. I get why you're so beat. But they're not invincible—lucky us. We can win!"
Indeed.
From repeated strikes by Han Ibi and Seon Mu-jae, the jiangshi's mobility had weakened significantly.
Some had dangling broken limbs, others couldn't even stand.
The only differences from humans were...
their rock-hard skin from rigor mortis and their utter lack of pain, driving them to charge relentlessly!
Then they saw Yeon Geuk-byeong slowly moving.
He pulled a cord to open a door, saying,
"Sorry, playtime's over. This old man's a busy man."
Inside the narrow space stood row after row of jiangshi.
Yeon Geuk-byeong swept his arm, ripping talismans from their foreheads, and shouted,
"Tear flesh! Drain blood! My cute, pretty children!"
The jiangshi began opening their eyes one by one.
Han Ibi grimaced at the grotesque sight.
But freshly awakened from the talismans' effects, they were still dazed and hadn't turned aggressive yet.
That was when it happened.
"Protector Ha!"
All eyes turned to the voice's owner.
The beggar boy.
He leaped forward with lightness skill, landing before the newly awakened jiangshi.
Yeon Geuk-byeong said,
"Got a lot of uninvited guests today. But hey, more materials? That's a good thing."
The beggar boy approached an elderly jiangshi in rags.
Han Ibi yelled,
"What are you doing? Get out of there!"
But the boy, in deep shock, stood frozen, mumbling,
"P-Protector Ha... H-how...?"
Then it happened.
The elderly jiangshi's eyes seemed to well up with moisture...
before twisting into a savage snarl, baring teeth and pouncing on the boy.
Clang!
In that instant, a loud crack—Han Ibi's throwing knife smacked the elderly jiangshi's face.
The jiangshi reeled back from the force and tumbled over.
Han Ibi rushed up like the wind and yanked the beggar boy by the arm.
Han Ibi said,
"Snap out of it! That's not the protector you knew."
The beggar boy stammered,
"How... how can that be...?"
Han Ibi hoisted the immobile boy over his shoulder and headed back to Seon Mu-jae.
As he did, Han Ibi explained,
"Listen up. Humans are made of flesh, spirit, soul, and po. Death means they scatter. The spirit shouldn't perish, but soul and po should vanish with the body. Jiangshi forcibly separate the po and puppet it in a preserved corpse. So Protector Ha's already in a better place. That thing's just a moving doll or shell. Snap out of it!"
'Whoa. How do I even know all this?'
The beggar boy blinked wide-eyed.
"A better place...?"
"Of course. Ugh, you're heavy. Time to lose some weight, kid."
Han Ibi set the boy down.
Then he jumped back into the fray with Seon Mu-jae.
Suddenly, tears poured from the beggar's eyes.
"I'll... I'll avenge him, no matter what."
The boy drew a staff from his waist and joined the fight.
Seon Mu-jae, having just shattered a jiangshi's shin, glanced at the boy.
"Kid, are you...?"
The beggar boy, wildly clubbing a young jiangshi's jaw, replied,
"Pleased to meet you, Elder Seon. I'm Sa U-yeon of the Anpyeong Branch."
Seon Mu-jae froze for a moment.
Clang!
Han Ibi shoved aside a jiangshi that nearly bit Seon Mu-jae and shouted,
"Elder Seon! What are you doing?"
Seon Mu-jae burst into laughter.
"You may not remember me, but I saw you as a babe."
Han Ibi flung two jiangshi away with outstretched arms.
"Hey, save the reunions for later. Let's deal with these things first. Those new ones are coming too."
Indeed.
The fresh jiangshi summoned by Yeon Geuk-byeong had finished warming up and were approaching.
Their stiff-legged hops were comically terrifying.
Han Ibi thought,
'I've read so much wuxia, but facing it for real is chaos. Jiangshi... jiangshi... How do you beat them? Talismans? Chicken blood? Damn it, nothing like that's around.'
Suddenly, an idea struck him, and he shouted,
"Hey, beggar pals! Follow me—quick!"
Sa U-yeon, mid-roundhouse kick on a jiangshi, said,
"I won't run until I avenge Protector Ha!"
Han Ibi replied,
"Not running! Trust me and follow!"
Han Ibi swiftly deployed Zhongli Swift Leopard Step and activated Design Analysis.
Then he unleashed Shoulder Blockade Art and charged at the wall.
Crash.
A section of the wall crumbled with a boom.
It seemed like a former passage hastily sealed off.
Yeon Geuk-byeong looked visibly flustered at the sight.
"What are you doing? Not that way!"
Han Ibi sprang up.
"Come on! This way, quick!"
Seon Mu-jae and the beggar boy followed Han Ibi.
The jiangshi horde thundered after them.
Yeon Geuk-byeong gave chase as well.
Han Ibi felt sweltering heat.
He was heading straight for the forge.
He flung open the door and dashed into the large workshop he'd spotted earlier from the beam.
Clang clang clang!
The interior was still noisy with the hammering of metal slabs—no one noticed Han Ibi's arrival.
Seon Mu-jae and Sa U-yeon followed behind.
Han Ibi didn't slow, pushing to the center of the vast workshop.
Only then did a few busy smiths spot him.
A young smith asked,
"Who are you?"
Then it came.
Thud thud thud thud.
With deafening clamor, the jiangshi poured into the workshop.
Yeon Geuk-byeong chased after, panic-stricken.
"No! Not here! Go back! Go back!"
Now every smith stopped work, staring in shock.
Silence.
One second... two... three.
"Aaaah!"
"M-monsters!"
"Jiangshi!"
Terror seized the workers; they dropped their tools and fled for the exits.
The workshop turned to pandemonium in an instant.
Yeon Geuk-byeong scrambled to control the jiangshi.
A few got talismans slapped on their foreheads, but reining them all in seemed impossible.
Han Ibi spoke up.
"Alright, let me demonstrate first."
Han Ibi grabbed tongs and picked up a glowing red-hot blade from nearby.
Jiangshi charged at him.
Han Ibi grinned, raising the blade to chest height.
"Who's first for liberation?"
(To be continued in the next chapter)