Chapter 153
Chapter 153
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 153
Chapter Title: Mountain-Covering Gorge Flow Art
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Dr-r-r-rrk.
'It's opening!'
Indeed.
The massive stone door slid open with surprising smoothness.
Buoyed by newfound confidence, Han Ibi channeled even more inner energy and thrust his hand upward.
And at last...
The stone door rose all the way overhead.
Just as Han Ibi let out a cheer of triumph.
Pung Gyo-gon's voice rang out.
"The stone door won't stay open for long."
Snapping to attention, Han Ibi unleashed the Zhongli Swift Leopard Step and dashed toward Pung Gyo-gon.
Was it the influence of the formidable inner energy from the Mountain-Covering Gorge Flow Art?
His footsteps were as light and graceful as a butterfly flitting through a flower garden.
Watching this, Pung Gyo-gon remarked,
"Impressive. Very impressive."
Han Ibi hurriedly scooped Pung Gyo-gon up in both arms.
No matter that a wizened elder lurked within; externally, it was the frail body of a child, weighing next to nothing.
Gr-r-r-ind.
A loud rumble echoed.
Sure enough, the stone door was closing.
Leaning forward, Han Ibi leaped out just in time, slipping beyond the stone door.
Han Ibi scanned his surroundings.
The outside was another cave.
A similar landscape.
The only difference was a door-like opening visible about three zhang away.
With Pung Gyo-gon still in his arms, Han Ibi trudged steadily toward it.
Kreeeak.
Fortunately, the door wasn't locked.
Beyond lay what appeared to be an ordinary cabin.
It seemed the secluded training ground for important figures was disguised as a mundane site.
Han Ibi exited the cabin.
Dawn was just breaking.
He had pulled an all-nighter.
Yet he didn't feel particularly fatigued.
Whether mentally or physically, the Mountain-Covering Gorge Flow Art's potency was exerting a profound impact on him.
Ding.
Huh? Another chime?
'Yes.'
Name: Mountain-Covering Gorge Flow Art
Classification: 5th Tier
Lineage: Internal Art
Features: The Mountain-Covering Gorge Flow Art was created by Pungu Baek, the manor lord and a lay disciple from Wudang.
This technique, meticulously crafted by the once-in-a-generation prodigy Pungu Baek on the foundation of pure Wudang heart methods, encompasses the characteristics of all Taoist internal arts...
'Whoa! No way! The Mountain-Covering Gorge Flow Art is one of the 108 Fortuitous Encounters! But... I already heard the explanation. Time's short, so just skip...'
As Han Ibi moved to close the DB, an unusual detail caught his ear.
He ended up waiting for the full explanation.
[...Rare Attribute: Can be learned as an attribute for any Taoist-lineage martial art.]
'Oh! What's this?'
If true, this Mountain-Covering Gorge Flow Art held tremendous value!
Truly a 'special-grade' among the 108 Fortuitous Encounters.
Han Ibi couldn't suppress his pounding heart.
'Huh? What's that? Qualification—what's that mean?'
But before he could dwell on it, another chime resounded.
+ HP fully restored
+ Level-Up Bonus: Heavenly Insight Probing Technique unlocked
'Whoa! This is fantastic. I've felt frustrated sometimes not knowing enemies' styles.'
He promptly activated Heavenly Insight Probing Technique on Pung Gyo-gon.
Doong-chak.
A peculiar sound effect accompanied the explanation.
Hmm.
Useful, but awfully basic.
That's when he noticed Pung Gyo-gon's bewildered expression from his arm.
Pung Gyo-gon said,
"What are you spacing out for? How long do you plan to hold me like this?"
Han Ibi snapped back to reality and carefully set Pung Gyo-gon down on the ground.
He then used his outer robe to bind Pung Gyo-gon securely to his back, tying a firm knot.
No way it'd come loose now.
Preparations complete...
"So, what now?"
Han Ibi thought for a moment before replying,
"First, I need to deal with those arrogant inspection squad pricks. Things'll get noisy once they realize I've slipped away."
Han Ibi used his Design Analysis skill to find the path back to the wall-facing training hall.
The caves interconnected internally, but the route to the mountain's outer edge was quite distant.
Still, his steps felt invigorating.
The level-up restoring his stamina surely helped.
Even the cool, bluish air felt welcoming.
The day had fully brightened.
As Han Ibi neared the training hall, he crept forward, muffling his footsteps as much as possible.
No night watch in sight.
A peek at the outer gate showed the iron door ajar.
They must have already discovered his escape.
Han Ibi swiftly vaulted through the iron door and slipped inside.
Bathed once more in the faint glow of the luminous pearls, he headed toward the stone chamber where he'd been confined.
Voices drifted from ahead—members of the Murim Alliance inspection squad who had captured him.
"Jang Do-myeong! What the hell happened?"
The man who seemed to be the squad leader barked.
"How do you stand guard? Letting a clueless brat slip away and cause all this chaos..."
The one called Jang Do-myeong replied with a troubled look.
"I... I never left my post for a second. He definitely didn't exit through the entrance. I swear it."
Then one squad member pointed to the hole where an underground stream flowed.
"Maybe he escaped through here."
The leader snapped,
"Damn it. Why didn't that Wudang pup mention this place? Bold kid, jumping in bound hand and foot."
Another squad member chimed in,
"Hey! Traces of the Celestial Silken Rope bindings being cut here."
The leader scoffed incredulously,
"Impossible. Even top masters can't snap our Celestial Silken Rope easily."
The squad member picked up the fallen rope from the floor.
"It's charred black. Looks like he used fire."
"What?"
The leader approached with disbelief to inspect the evidence.
That was the moment.
"Ta-da! Pretty shocked, huh?"
Han Ibi stood grinning at the training hall entrance.
Unaware of the full story, the inspection squad could only gape in confusion.
The leader stammered,
"W-What... How did you..."
Han Ibi replied,
"Too complicated to explain—no need for you to know. Just one thing to make clear."
By now, the squad members had drawn their weapons and begun closing in.
True to their training as jianghu elites.
The leader sneered,
"Spouting nonsense, traitor."
Han Ibi snapped his fingers with a crack and said,
"That's exactly what I'm saying. I've never betrayed the Murim Alliance."
The leader, tension easing slightly, smirked.
"So you're claiming innocence to us now? If it's true, state it at inspection HQ."
Han Ibi grinned back.
"No, no. Think I'd get through to you lot? Never figured folks with 'inspection' in their title would listen anyway."
The leader asked,
"So what do you want?"
"I won't kill you."
The squad stared in bewilderment.
The leader blinked.
"What?"
"Won't kill you. Might break a bone or two, though—bear with it. It's how I prove my innocence."
The squad members exchanged glances and burst out laughing.
And rightly so—the Murim Alliance inspection squad consisted of shadowy elites specially trained and appointed from various sects.
These were top reps from the Hubei branch.
One squad member noted,
"This punk's got something on his back."
The others then spotted Pung Gyo-gon strapped to Han Ibi's back.
Another said,
"Looks like a kid?"
Jang Do-myeong, relaxing further, sneered contemptuously,
"Hey, runt. If you were gonna run, do it clean. Couldn't hold it in and popped out a whelp to drag along? What a future you've got."
Han Ibi shot back,
"Hey now, you old geezers are hopeless. Daring to insult my new master to his face."
Pung Gyo-gon, who'd been listening quietly, twitched his brow and muttered,
"I told you I'm not your master."
Hearing this, Han Ibi dramatically exclaimed,
"Oh no! My master's furious—what do we do now?!"
A thunderous shout.
In that instant, they were stunned, losing their composure.
And the next moment, they saw Han Ibi charging at lightning speed.
Straight for the leader.
The off-guard leader flinched and raised his saber.
But...
Han Ibi seamlessly transitioned from Zhongli Swift Leopard Step into an Eight Trigrams Step right before him, pivoting ninety degrees.
Aiming for Jang Do-myeong beside him.
Do-myeong startled even more and fully drew his sword.
But again, Han Ibi whipped around 180 degrees in front of him, preparing to strike another man.
Do-myeong, deeming it a feint, lowered his sword and bellowed,
"You filthy rat—urk!"
Do-myeong's words cut off mid-sentence.
His back kick had slammed squarely into Do-myeong's solar plexus.
Do-myeong doubled over like a shrimp, gasping.
Two squad members lunged at Han Ibi simultaneously.
Han Ibi suddenly hooked the writhing Do-myeong's arm and began spinning him around.
At tremendous speed...
The leader muttered unwittingly,
"That... mad..."
The remaining squad hesitated, wary of harming their ally.
Do-myeong shook his head, somewhat recovered, and swung his sword hilt at Han Ibi's head.
Han Ibi quipped,
"Quick recovery."
He nimbly twisted his head to dodge the hilt.
Then seized Do-myeong's arms with both hands.
Infusing mighty inner energy and leveraging rotational centrifugal force, he hurled Do-myeong at the cave wall with monstrous power.
"Catch him or he'll die on impact."
Before the words finished, two squad members flashed forward like lightning to intercept Do-myeong.
Shwick.
Astonishingly, a dart flew toward the tall squad member.
Of course, courtesy of Han Ibi.
The tall man startled, twisting to thrust his sword and block.
But...
Han Ibi's dart abruptly plummeted mid-flight, veering toward the lower body.
Yet this man was an elite of the Murim Alliance inspection squad.
He instantly crouched and deflected the dart.
Clang!
As the dart hit the ground with a loud crash.
Thud.
A grotesque sound like smashing a melon erupted.
The sound of a face being pulverized.
Han Ibi's knee had smashed into the tall man's visage.
(To be continued)