Chapter 80
Chapter 80
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 80
Chapter Title: Asura Field
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The Martial Alliance was located in Henan Province, famed for the Shaolin Temple and Bao Qingtian's Kaifeng Prefecture.
This place with Mount Qingcheng was Sichuan Province.
In terms of the vast Central Plains, it wasn't all that far, but even by carriage, it would take at least a full day or two of hard travel.
On horseback, it would be no less than ten days at minimum.
The agreed-upon deadline with the Martial Alliance was a month and a half.
That meant they'd allotted a fairly generous amount of time, including the journey there.
The problem, however, was the people.
It was a group of individuals who were awkward around one another to the extreme.
The four rode side by side, their horses' heads level as they galloped along the path.
Things were ambiguous between Han Ibi and Jong Ri-hyeok, and strained between So Eun-ri and Yeo Nan-ju.
Their tangled family ties didn't help matters.
In practical terms, Jong Ri-hyeok and Yeo Nan-ju—predecessors in the Qingcheng Sect—were technically one generation below So Eun-ri and Han Ibi, who were direct disciples of Bok Yeon-hwa.
And to top it off, wasn't Jong Ri-hyeok Han Ibi's brother?
In this mess, the only one who seemed genuinely excited was Yeo Nan-ju.
She had admired Jong Ri-hyeok for a very long time, after all.
Yeo Nan-ju looked positively thrilled, as if she were off on a vacation.
She peppered Jong Ri-hyeok with questions whenever she got the chance, but he responded only with curt, one-word answers.
In the end, even she was forced to fall silent.
The only sound was the rhythmic clop of hooves.
They rode all day and stayed at inns at night in a monotonous routine.
There was none of the romantic travel adventure Yeo Nan-ju had hoped for.
Then one day.
Perhaps around the midpoint of their journey.
It was late afternoon when they reached the border between Sichuan and Shaanxi Provinces.
The overcast sky felt ominous, and sure enough, thick raindrops began pouring down like a sudden deluge.
Jong Ri-hyeok scowled.
This border region wasn't as treacherous as Mount Qingcheng, but it was still rugged mountain terrain that demanded respect.
If they didn't cross the mountains quickly, they'd be forced to camp outdoors—and with the rain pouring, that would be a disaster.
Yeo Nan-ju spoke up.
"Shouldn't we take another route?"
Jong Ri-hyeok shook his head.
"There's no major road passable with horses anywhere else."
"Then... wouldn't it be better to turn back?"
Jong Ri-hyeok thought for a moment before replying.
"We've come too far already. If we have to push through this rain anyway, pressing forward will save us time."
Han Ibi made a miserable face.
"So we're camping in this downpour?"
Jong Ri-hyeok said,
"No. If it keeps raining like this, camping won't be an option."
At that moment, So Eun-ri chimed in.
"The horses have been running all day. Forcing them through this muddy slog all night would exhaust them to death."
Jong Ri-hyeok nodded as if she had a point, then reined in his horse and dismounted in a single leap.
The rest of the group had no choice but to halt as well.
Han Ibi dismounted, looking puzzled.
"What's up, brother?"
"Little Miss So is right. We need to conserve the horses' stamina."
"Huh? So we're walking?"
"Yes. We'll walk until the rain stops or we find an inn."
Yeo Nan-ju grumbled,
"Ugh, my shoes and clothes will be ruined."
Jong Ri-hyeok replied dryly,
"Then ride ahead on your horse if you want."
Yeo Nan-ju clicked her tongue in annoyance and dismounted with a huff.
At that instant, the darkening forest flashed brilliantly white.
Rumble.
A massive thunderclap echoed through the woods.
Lightning had struck.
Han Ibi sighed.
"Talk about insult to injury... Looks like this rain isn't letting up anytime soon."
Rumble-crash.
Another deafening boom shook the ground.
"Kyaaak!"
Yeo Nan-ju shrieked, her face pale with fear.
"It... it struck right next to us... right next to us!"
Han Ibi chuckled teasingly.
"What, Miss Yeo? Afraid of heavenly retribution for some wicked deed?"
Yeo Nan-ju's face twisted in anger.
"What did you say? You... Argh!"
Crack-boom.
Fresh thunder interrupted her before she could finish, swallowing her outburst.
Han Ibi burst into hearty laughter.
He'd never been fond of her anyway.
That was when it happened.
Jong Ri-hyeok, leading the way, stopped abruptly and raised a hand.
A signal to stay quiet.
Han Ibi froze mid-laugh.
So Eun-ri asked softly,
"What's wrong?"
Jong Ri-hyeok pressed a finger to his lips.
"I hear strange noises ahead."
The other three fell silent and listened intently.
Sure enough, metallic clangs pierced through the rain—sharp sounds like weapons clashing.
Yeo Nan-ju said worriedly,
"We shouldn't get tangled in trouble. Let's go around."
Han Ibi replied,
"Didn't you hear brother earlier? There's no other way."
He seemed to be enjoying teasing her.
Yeo Nan-ju shot him a glare.
Silently, Jong Ri-hyeok tied his horse to a thick branch.
The others caught on and did the same.
Horses were cleverer than most beasts, but a stray neigh could spell disaster.
Jong Ri-hyeok said,
"I'll scout ahead and check it out."
So Eun-ri objected,
"No. Separating could be more dangerous."
Yeo Nan-ju added,
"Yeah. It's scarier alone."
Jong Ri-hyeok rubbed his jaw, rain dripping from it, then nodded.
"Fine. But no one makes a sound."
Yeo Nan-ju replied,
"Of course."
Jong Ri-hyeok took the lead.
So Eun-ri and Yeo Nan-ju adjusted their stances to muffle their presence and followed.
Their movements were nimble.
Han Ibi thought to himself,
'They look like carefree young folks at first glance, but in moments like this, they really do seem like martial artists.'
He activated Zhongli Swift Leopard Step and hurried after them.
After about a dozen zhang,
Jong Ri-hyeok halted suddenly and ducked under tall underbrush.
The women found their own spots to hide.
Yeo Nan-ju grimaced at her mud-soaked pants, but...
Han Ibi concealed himself behind a massive tree and peered ahead.
His pupils dilated.
There were far more people there than expected.
Including those sprawled on the ground—dead or alive—it was a lot.
It looked like a fierce battle had just ended.
Things had quieted now; no more swordplay.
A voice rang out then.
It came from a man in a pointed hat, extremely short in stature. Three or four men stood behind him.
"Damn... If you kill them all, how do you plan to deal with the fallout?"
Another voice responded.
This man was the opposite: a hulking giant, rippling with muscle.
His head alone was two or three sizes larger than average. He too had four or five men with him.
And between them stood a middle-aged man clutching a chest-like box.
His attire screamed...
'He's an escort.'
Han Ibi thought.
He glanced back at the fallen men on the ground.
Their clothes matched the middle-aged man's.
Probably from an escort agency.
The giant spoke.
"What're you saying? I don't get it. You lot did the killing—why push the blame on us?"
The pointed-hat man sneered.
"Hmph. Your trashy habits haven't changed a bit."
The giant chuckled darkly.
"Whatever. Doesn't matter anyway. This is Horse Pasture Mountain, under your Crimson Dragon Stronghold's turf, right?"
From their conversation, they seemed to be what folks called greenwood bandits—mountain robbers.
But Han Ibi couldn't make heads or tails of what they were arguing about.
Plus, in most wuxia tales, these bandit lairs preferred haggling tolls over outright raids like this.
That was when it happened.
The middle-aged man with the chest shook like the wind and unleashed his lightness skill.
It was so sudden both groups were caught off guard.
And worst of all, he bolted straight toward Han Ibi's group.
'Damn it all.'
Han Ibi cursed inwardly.
Things were going south fast.
He'd racked his brain, but there was no such episode in Dream of the Ant Snake.
This was total chaos!
'Damn it. Why the hell did it turn out like this?!'
Han Ibi desperately wanted to bolt from there.
As the box-carrying man strained to burst through their hiding spot...
Ping ping ping.
Something whistled through the air.
Han Ibi saw they were darts.
A few bandits had fired them from odd, slingshot-like devices.
Some kind of enhanced hidden weapon.
The darts sliced through the rain, closing in fast.
But the man's lightness skill was no joke.
He dodged two and parried the third with his sword.
Clang.
The dart embedded in a nearby tree.
Ping ping ping.
Before he could recover, three more came flying.
The middle-aged man wasn't ready.
Still, he thrust out a hand reflexively.
Thud thud.
Two darts hit the ground.
But...
"Urk!"
A pained groan.
Finally, a dart struck his left heel.
He collapsed with a thud.
Right next to the massive tree where Han Ibi hid.
'Damn it... Why here of all places.'
The giant bandit pursuing him called out,
"Cheon Sin-u. How does the head of the mighty Yeoseon Escort Agency think of turning tail? Heh heh heh. I'm worried the jianghu will hear about it."
Cheon Sin-u groaned in response,
"Urk. You bastards... Do you even know... who commissioned this...?"
The giant laughed.
"Don't know, don't care. You know how this world works anyway. We just gotta wipe 'em all out. Heh heh."
With that, the bandits surged toward him en masse.
Han Ibi, right beside the scene, and his hidden companions all tensed, sharpening their senses.
That was when it happened.
The pitch-black view flashed bright for an instant.
No need for grade-school science to know what came next...
Rumble-crash.
Thunder shook the earth.
Right next to Yeo Nan-ju.
"Aaack!"
Her scream pierced the air.
A moment of dead silence.
Only then did the bandits realize they weren't alone.
That was when it happened.
A scrawny little man darted forward at lightning speed toward the fallen Cheon Sin-u.
He'd been standing quietly with the giant's group.
With swift lightness skill, he snatched the chest in a blink.
(Continued in the next chapter)