Chapter 187
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 187
Chapter Title: Birds of a Feather (4)
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Father wouldn't die even if struck head-on by the Shandong Evil Clan's signature technique, the Evil Clan Spear Method. If such a method could kill him, he wouldn't have survived this long. In a sense, it was tantamount to shielding the attackers.
Of course, the attackers themselves wouldn't see it that way.
"Why the hell didn't you worthless bastards just go home instead of lurking around and launching this ambush? Oh, I see—you came to attack me and my son to nullify our betrothal. Wow, scary stuff. If the world found out, it'd be a huge scandal."
"You think we'll give you the time for that?!"
With their identities exposed, Ak Jungpil and Ak Hyosang ripped off their masks. There was no point in wearing them anymore. If they didn't eliminate these two witnesses here and now, the Shandong Evil Clan would face the scorn of the world. They bared their killing intent without restraint, determined to kill.
"So you're going for murder and silencing witnesses. Fitting for so-called righteous faction scum. Even the unorthodox would be better than you lot."
"Atone for your sin of eyeing a tree beyond your reach—with your lives!"
"It's not like we're poking at sour grapes, but you're spouting some ridiculous nonsense. Too bad for you? I don't think I'm dying to the likes of you."
"The rat hiding behind his brat sure has a mouth on him."
"Having a capable son is a parent's blessing. The former head of the Shandong Evil Clan must have been rotten to the core to raise trash like you and your nephew."
"...What?!"
Ak Jungpil ground his teeth as he glared at Mujin, who mocked them from behind his son. The more he looked, the more infuriating the man seemed—a clueless punk flapping his gums without knowing his place. And now he was dragging their late patriarch through the mud.
"I'll rip that impudent mouth of yours to shreds!"
"You'll have to get past my son first."
Ak Jungpil and Ak Hyosang readjusted their grips on their spear shafts.
Listening to that punk's drivel was grating on their ears. They wanted nothing more than to charge and crush him right then, but the culprit who had foiled their ambush stood firmly in their way.
'This kid's no ordinary punk!'
Ak Jungpil didn't underestimate Taejin, who had blocked his ambush at such a young age. It was the first time—even excluding the clan head—that his pinnacle spear arts had been so easily repelled.
'How dare a punk like you block my spear!'
Ak Hyosang refused to accept that some brat younger than him had fended off his uncle's spear. Yet it was undeniable reality. Regardless of his feelings, he couldn't charge in recklessly.
'I can't accept this! I'll kill him!'
At this age, the kid had the potential to become a sword master. For a no-name sect's whelp—not even from a prestigious house—to possess such skill was unacceptable.
"You might have a trick or two, but it won't work anymore!"
"I'll make you die a gruesome death right in front of your rotten old man!"
The malice harbored by Ak Jungpil and Ak Hyosang was far from ordinary. Their gleaming eyes burned with murderous intent. The fact that they felt no qualms about killing spoke to their ample experience.
"Is the whole Shandong Evil Clan just full of big mouths? Anyone can talk a big game about killing. If words could kill, I'd be dead a long time ago."
Ak Jungpil and Ak Hyosang glared daggers at Mujin for his taunt. The bastard using his son as a shield wouldn't shut up.
What a shameless cur who doesn't even know shame!
Kwak!
Ak Jungpil and Ak Hyosang gripped their spears tighter, forgoing words as they thrust, jabbed, spun, and swung at Taejin from both sides.
Chaeng! Cha-chang!
Sword clashed against spear, sparks flying. Spears held an advantage over swords in street fights. But Taejin didn't yield ground easily.
As they tried to keep their distance, Taejin used footwork to close in, disrupting Ak Jungpil and Ak Hyosang's intentions.
Ak Jungpil and Ak Hyosang's spear arts weren't sloppy.
They fused the basics of the Evil Clan Spear Method with Shandong Evil Clan footwork for exquisite coordination. They disrupted his vision from front, back, left, and right, stabbing from blind spots to shake Taejin's sword path.
Ta-ang!
Ak Jungpil charged straight on while Ak Hyosang shadowed him from behind. Using the Evil Clan Spear Method's Six Delusions Star Return, they sealed Taejin's sword path. The moment his sword was blocked, Ak Hyosang blinded him and unleashed Black Blood Cannon.
Chajak!
It was a seamless linked assault, the two moving as one. Their coordination was astonishing. As expected of a clan derived from military origins, they were optimized for group tactics like an army.
Though the Shandong Evil Clan's individual prowess fell short of the Five Great Clans, they wielded unmatched power in numbers. It was true.
The Shandong Evil Clan exerted entirely different strength alone, in pairs, or in tens. That was why even the Huangbo Clan, hegemons of Shandong Province, never encroached on their territory. In group battles, the Shandong Evil Clan was a nightmare opponent.
Tatang! Tu-aang!
Ak Jungpil and Ak Hyosang's spears wove together organically, like a single fighter, unleashing a relentless barrage. Considering spear length, it shouldn't favor combos, yet the Shandong Evil Clan had devised principles to offset that flaw. Especially when adjusting length from unexpected blind spots to thrust in—it was incredibly dangerous.
Shushu-shung!
Spear tips targeted head, chest, and dantian in One Road Death Point strikes. A brilliant move to neutralize defenses and shatter Taejin's sword arts in one go.
But they pierced empty air.
Sararak!
Like an afterimage, like smoke, it dispersed.
Where?
Taejin had circled behind, targeting Ak Hyosang.
Ossak!
Facing Taejin head-on, Ak Hyosang felt his body stiffen. Those calm eyes held no emotion. They clashed with the death road of the spear tip, evoking an eerie disconnect.
That rattled Ak Hyosang's mind.
"You scum!"
Sensing his nephew's peril, Ak Jungpil whirled around, unleashing Black Thunder Kill from the Evil Clan Spear Method.
But it was a blunder.
Taejin hadn't truly targeted Ak Hyosang. As if anticipating it, he spun horizontally, channeling rotational force into his sword.
Swak!
The sword sliced flesh and pressed on. Taejin returned to his original stance. Ak Hyosang realized his mistake and went for Taejin's back, but Ak Jungpil's left waist was staining red.
"A shallow hit."
Umjjeok!
Taejin, unshaken by their vicious killing intent, faltered weakly at his father's voice. The sword had entered shallow at the last moment—not perfect. Even that tiny error was intolerable to Father.
Ppaduk!
Ak Jungpil barely twisted to protect his spine and organs, seething with rage. To think this punk could neutralize their combo so effortlessly. A bit deeper, and he'd have been crippled for life.
"Damn you! I won't let you die easy!"
Ak Hyosang's pride stung just as badly. He'd been cowed by the punk's aura, feeling fear. He couldn't accept that—rebellion surged within him.
"I'll kill you!"
Like wounded beasts snarling, Ak Jungpil and Ak Hyosang's faces twisted demonically. Their surging Dense Cloud Iron Dragon Qi flickered like asura flames. They invoked the Shandong Evil Clan's secret art, Swift Blood Technique. It maximally accelerated blood flow in an instant, merging it with inner energy.
Hwarururuk!
It doubled their power, but only briefly. The backlash afterward was severe. To minimize depletion from potential amplification, they popped Equilibrium Pills into their mouths.
Hm.
Mujin recalled memories upon seeing their sudden change.
'Feels familiar.'
-Similar to Mad Blood Technique.
'You mean Gwangcheon Army's ultimate art?'
-Too different to compare.
'Fair enough. Gwangcheon Army was something else.'
Among the Nine Great Star Armies, Gwangcheon Army stood out. He operated solo without a faction, yet his raw power rivaled One Strike One Kill masters. Pure martial might approaching the Demon King.
'Why didn't he use Divine Spear then?'
-Even offsetting backlash with pills has limits in an incomplete state. It wasn't perfected back then, so he might not have wanted to reveal it carelessly.
'So he tested it on his family? What a mad bastard.'
-If he ranked among the Hundred Masters, he'd have partially tamed Mad Blood Technique's blood qi.
Imperfect, yet devastating. Mujin had taken a real hit from Divine Spear's strikes initially. Later, when it gained fame, few surpassed it.
'Connected to the Demonic Cult of the Demon God, then.'
-They lure with incomplete arts to draw into the cult, but not necessarily. Gwangcheon Army's roots might trace to the Shandong Evil Clan.
The Demonic Cult of the Demon God corrupted with incomplete arts, turning victims into demons before they realized. But Mad Blood Technique wasn't quite demonic— it just seemed so due to explosive power.
'Tch, thought it'd be easy.'
-Nothing free in this world, but their persistent appearances before you scream fate.
It irked Mujin.
He wanted to storm the Shandong Evil Clan, grab Divine Spear by the collar, and force a confession. But if not, it could backfire. Many collaborated unwittingly.
'Pressure the clan to snag Gwangcheon Army?'
-Those who thrive on tricks perish by them. If Heavenly Army steps in directly, the board shifts. Your surroundings suffer even if you don't.
The Demonic Cult of the Demon God's full mobilization was a decade away. Confronting now endangered those around him, as the Demon King warned.
'I'm the War King. I won't waver that easily.'
-Overconfident types don't earn monikers like Providence Fist.
Damn Demon King hitting the nail on the head.
Confidence was fine, but not at family's expense. As told to his son, family safety came first. Hence the rigorous training for brother and son.
Huuuu!
The fierce clash reached its climax. Taejin, drenched in sweat, finally exhaled. Battle scars marked his clothes. Even he, who handled the melee effortlessly, found them tough.
Beaddeuduk!
They couldn't pierce his sword domain. Ak Jungpil and Ak Hyosang trembled with fury. Unbelievable—they'd unleashed the clan secret and still couldn't clinch victory.
"This can't be!"
"How dare you!"
Impossible for Ak Jungpil and Ak Hyosang to accept. But Swift Blood Technique's effects were fading. Even with Equilibrium Pills minimizing backlash, their inner energy and stamina plummeted.
Using it again was impossible.
Hwiiik!
Despite their ferocious malice, Taejin remained impassive. The benefit of immovable mind, unshakable in any crisis. Daily hell forged it.
"Son."
Hwaddeok!
There were exceptions.
At Father's call, Taejin's composure crumbled. He swallowed hard, swiftly reviewing his flaws. He'd fought well, but maybe not to Father's standards.
"Good job. Step back."
"Yes, Father."
Huuuu!
Taejin sighed in relief and promptly cleared the way without hesitation. If Father said he'd handle it, he would. No refusing there.
Sseik!
Switching places with his son, Mujin flashed a brilliant smile. The sheer audacity of now you'll face me was peak confidence.
"Letting you reach my turn shows some skill. But you're woefully inadequate against me."
Mujin clasped hands behind his back, puffing up arrogantly.
Ak Jungpil and Ak Hyosang were dumbfounded. Armed to the teeth with worldly shamelessness.
How can he be so brazen?
He acted magnanimous, deigning to face them personally after acknowledging their skill—but really, just delivering the killing blow on prey his son had cornered. Dog ate the kill... damn it!
Hwik! Hwik!
Mujin shadowboxed the air, flaunting Heavenly Fist might. Obvious posturing, yet utterly shameless.
"Care to taste my fist?"
"Where does a mangy cur like you get off barking?!"
"So vulgar! I'll fix that mouth with righteous fists."
"Don't spout nonsense!"
To spew such confidence after failing to even react to their ambush! Ak Jungpil and Ak Hyosang's minds shattered. They eyed Taejin warily, catching his breath behind the blustering Mujin.
But not feasible now. They needed time to recover inner and outer strength. Provoke to draw out talk— that was their situation.
"I've given you recovery time. Now take my fist."
Recovered my ass?