Chapter 93
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 93
Chapter Title: Going Awry (1)
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"Stop."
A sharp shout rang out, and at the same moment, a sudden surge of azure sword energy sliced through the path ahead. As the left and right were severed by the blade, the shadowy figure blurred and vanished.
Ching!
The man from the Yin Evils, who had executed a Yin Phantom Step within the sword's domain, grimaced slightly. Then, with evident curiosity, he examined the one who had blocked his way.
"How did you know? Was it this?"
"Put her down and beg for mercy. I might spare your worthless life."
"The swordsman of the Southern Wudang doesn't seem to grasp the basics of negotiation. How about this? Clear the path. Then I'll let the girl live."
"You shameless cur!"
Cheonghyeon nearly drew her sword but hesitated. The Yin Evil had seized the woman by the throat, threatening to snap it the instant she attacked.
"I want to live. Clear the path now. Make one wrong move, and this innocent beauty dies. By the way, she's quite the looker at this range. Beauties shouldn't die—they're meant to be cherished, adored, and ravished."
"You must truly crave death."
Cheonghyeon had no intention of compromising with the fiend. His movements were anything but ordinary. He had unleashed the Phantom Shadow Form from the Specter Seven Severing Sword—one of the fastest techniques in her arsenal—yet it had only cut through his afterimage. And he was carrying the woman, no less.
This isn't some average thug.
This man, radiating an eerie aura, was undoubtedly the leader of the Yin Evils. Anticipating they would scatter and flee, she had split her group to predict and cover their directions.
I can't let him escape.
For Cheonghyeon, who needed results, this was a chance to claim credit. She pitied the woman's plight, but letting the Yin Evil go would only lead to more victims. Sacrifice for the greater good was inevitable.
"Block their retreat."
"Senior Sister, that's Ok Sohyang, the young lady and daughter of the Tianyi Sect Leader."
"Unavoidable sacrifices can't be helped."
"We have to at least try."
"Will you defy me?!"
Baek Yuhwa and Baek Yugyeong felt for the dire situation amid Cheonghyeon's firm stance. They understood her intent—letting him go here would cause greater losses. He wasn't likely to surrender quietly anyway. Better this than dancing to the enemy's tune.
"What principled folk. Willing to sacrifice such a lovely girl."
"Shut your filthy mouth. You won't escape."
Cheonghyeon circulated her Taiji Heavenly Harmony Art and raised her sword into position, her resolve to not let him slip away shining through.
Baek Yuhwa and Baek Yugyeong moved to cut off his escape routes, applying pressure. With her Cloud Drifting Sword reaching a new realm, her insight into foes had sharpened too. Just as Senior Sister Cheonghyeon had discerned, they recognized the Yin Evil leader's Evasion Meridian had reached mastery.
He's no ordinary Yin Evil.
And there were acupuncture marks on young lady Ok's wrists. If he had no other motives, it was odd he hadn't touched her until now. It was almost as if he'd discarded the other women like bait.
Hmm.
Baek An, gripping the woman's throat, let out a sigh. Things weren't going as planned.
"I don't see a way out. If I surrender, will you swear on the Wudang name to spare me?"
"I swear it on the Taiji."
The Taiji was Wudang's symbol. Denying it would tarnish a Daoist's honor.
Swish!
Baek An shoved the woman forward and stepped back, raising both hands.
"Don't try any tricks."
"Such little faith."
Baek An put distance between himself and Ok Sohyang, stepping into the range of Baek Yuhwa and Baek Yugyeong's sword strikes as a sign of non-resistance. If he made a move, they could strike first.
"Why hasn't she woken up?"
"I sealed her Blood Convergence point. To release it, inject internal energy into her Sea of Qi point. If that's too hard, I could do it for you."
"Don't move a single step!"
The Sea of Qi was in the woman's most intimate area.
Ok Sohyang was a forbidden treasure cherished by the Tianyi Sect Leader, as beautiful as could be. Cheonghyeon decided to unseal her Blood Convergence to wake her, unwilling to waste time.
"Shouldn't a woman handle a woman's body? Imagine her shame when she wakes. Tsk, tsk, tsk."
Cheonghyeon paused just as she was about to act.
Damn this bastard.
If her junior sisters weren't watching, she'd have proceeded without hesitation. In such situations, one didn't nitpick. But now that he'd spoken, she couldn't ignore it.
"Junior Sister Baek."
Cheonghyeon called to her junior.
At that moment...
Ok Sohyang, who had been unconscious, opened her eyes and thrust a hidden dagger into Cheonghyeon's side.
Puuk!
A martial artist's instincts kicked in, spinning her body reflexively, but the total surprise meant Cheonghyeon's side still bled red. Fortunately, it missed vitals and wasn't severe.
"What treachery!"
Ok Sohyang shot to her feet, her eyes unfocused. She moved unnaturally, like a puppet controlled by strings.
All eyes turned to Baek An.
"It was you!"
"Heh heh heh heh. Lacking real combat experience, aren't you?"
Cheonghyeon easily subdued Ok Sohyang, whose skills weren't exceptional. But the stinging wound on her side bruised her pride more with every throb. As the fiend said, she hadn't considered such a ploy. Her inexperience was exposed.
"You'll pay for using sorcery."
"Sorry, but that's not happening."
Baek An's pupils turned gray as he smacked his lips. The plan had deviated, but prime material had appeared. Up close, it was even more thrilling.
Circulating his Yin Phantom Art, Baek An's Gray Eyes fixed on Cheonghyeon and the others.
Ecstatic Gray Eyes. Blissful Rapture.
Flash!
Dizzying!
Baek Yuhwa and Baek Yugyeong felt vertigo. Even resisting, the sensation flooded in like a tide, wildly disrupting their minds. They immediately circulated Pure Azure Divine Art to resist the foul energy.
Hummm!
Cheonghyeon pushed her Taiji Heavenly Harmony Art to its limit to counter the unnatural sorcery.
Zing!
What?
As she tried channeling energy through her meridians to expel the evil, a sinister chill spread from her side wound. It burrowed inward, blocking her channels and vessels.
Poison.
The extraordinary toxin interfered with her energy, and Cheonghyeon glared murderously at Baek An.
"Coward!"
"Fools deserve no mercy. Without an antidote now, you'll never use internal energy again. It's quite vicious."
Baek An had cast sorcery on Ok Sohyang and given her a dagger coated in Blood Dew Powder—just in case. Righteous fools, especially men, fell for it easily.
Blood Dew Powder wasn't lethal on its own but clung and ravaged when energy circulated. Unless one had an inexhaustible energy body, no one escaped.
"Grit... I'll kill you!"
"Calm your mind. Wouldn't want to fall to illusions and taste the rapture of ravishing her."
Facing the Gray Eyes, Cheonghyeon felt lust boiling with the poison. To resist the sorcery, she needed to circulate energy—but doing so only worsened the blockage.
Urk!
She needed to sit in lotus position and assess. But the situation allowed no such luxury.
"Senior Sister, circulate your energy."
Baek Yuhwa and Baek Yugyeong countered the sorcery with Pure Azure Divine Art while blocking Baek An. They'd suspected something when he surrendered so readily.
Yet they too lacked rivers-and-lakes experience. Even veterans fell to sorcery often.
"Let me go, and I might give you the antidote."
"Really?"
"Of course."
Baek An toyed with them to the end.
Blood Dew Powder had no antidote. Only a supreme master of Three Tribulations or higher could extract it manually. Sadly, no such expert lurked in these mountains, and he wouldn't give them time anyway.
Screeech!
Baek An, pretending to check his pouch for the antidote, twisted away from the sword's trajectory. Baek Yugyeong's horizontal slash was no joke.
He'd nearly lost his head. No room for carelessness.
They gave him no breather.
A frontal slash from one, then Baek Yuhwa leaped back, her sword crashing down vertically. Their similar builds allowed them to mirror paths, blocking him perfectly. To him, it looked like one attacker.
Booom!
An explosion erupted from the cleaved ground, dust billowing.
As Baek Yuhwa's sword wave cloaked the dust, Baek Yugyeong soared up, unleashing Cloud Drifting Heavenly Wrath.
Clouds flowing with the wind were free. Depending on the user's will, they wielded immense power. Sword energy from the tip shook the space.
Pum-pum-pum!
Baek Yuhwa and Baek Yugyeong's individual sword arts fell short of Cheonghyeon's, but together they shone. The Cloud Drifting Sword, fused with Dragon Flower Heavenly Thread Sword Canon, was optimized for joint strikes—like it was made for them.
Offense and defense meshed like gears.
"Smarter than the fool, at least."
Baek Yuhwa and Baek Yugyeong's response exceeded Baek An's expectations. He'd feigned offering the antidote to cast Ecstatic Gray Eyes, but they didn't bite.
"This is awkward."
Though not going as planned, Baek An didn't panic. Instead, he revealed his true colors, unleashing palm strikes.
Poooow!
His transcendent palm force savagely shook the space. His hidden ultimate, Yin Killing Palm, unleashed repeatedly. It grew stronger by absorbing women's yin energy and grudges.
Kuh!
Each time Baek Yuhwa and Baek Yugyeong projected sword energy, Baek An's insidious palm force invaded, disrupting their energy flow.
"Surrender quietly. It's best."
Hmph!
The gap in power was clear.
Even at full strength, Cheonghyeon would struggle against Baek An. For them, odds were slim.
Resistance changed nothing.
Resistance?
Baek An's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Definitely not ordinary."
Realizing the sisters' intent, Baek An switched tactics. Direct hits were tough. They desperately blocked and dispersed the yin blood energy in his palms with exquisite teamwork.
"Then."
Baek An shifted targets to the circulating Cheonghyeon and fallen Ok Sohyang.
"Cowardly villain!"
Baek An's footwork was profound. Capturing him was near impossible. He kept distance while aiming for Cheonghyeon and Ok Sohyang.
For a moment, their coordination faltered.
"No, I'm far more cowardly."
As if baiting them, Baek An pivoted, slamming a palm into Baek Yugyeong's opening.
Kwaaaang!
Baek Yugyeong tumbled across the ground from the impact, but Baek Yuhwa stayed composed and thrust her sword. It was her best option.
Swish, swish.
Baek An shook his form left and right, throwing off her sword path. A far cry from their combo.
Taaang!
She scattered the palm force with her sword but couldn't fully react. If Baek Yugyeong hadn't risen and struck then, she'd have been done for.