Chapter 118
Chapter 118
Sudden Intrusion (1)
"Aaaah! No more, no more!"
A man's scream echoed loudly through the densely layered mountains.
The assassin Mu-myeong was sprawled flat on the ground.
"How can we keep moving nonstop for days and nights straight from Sichuan?! This is seriously too much!"
Mu-myeong protested as if he were dying of injustice.
The target of his complaints was, of course, Se-woon standing right in front of him.
This guy's at it again.
Se-woon furrowed his brows without a hint of sympathy.
But truthfully, Mu-myeong had a point.
After negotiating with the Nine Heavens Fairy, Se-woon left the Tang family with only a letter for Tang Mu-yeol before immediately departing.
He had set out for Yunnan, where the Southern Barbarian Beast Palace was located.
Unlike usual, he had brought only Mu-myeong along.
'We have to finish this within half a month. Speed is the top priority.'
The reason for such an extreme reduction in numbers was mobility.
The moment they left the clan, Se-woon stopped concealing his true strength and pushed his movement techniques to the limit.
Maintaining a speed akin to a gale, he traversed all kinds of treacherous terrain in the shortest possible path.
The problem was that he hadn't allowed a single break in between.
'Seriously, is this guy even human?!'
Because of that, Mu-myeong was truly at his limit.
For assassins, who often found themselves in situations where they had to chase enemies or flee from them, mastering movement techniques was essential.
Mu-myeong possessed movement skills befitting the successor of the Assassin Sect—skills that weren't just "decently advanced" but surpassed even those of the Body Preservation Realm. Few among the Ten Great Masters could match him in this regard.
But the lunatic in front of him was on a completely different level.
At the very least, he should've given him time to circulate his qi properly!
Instead, Se-woon had dismissed every plea with the excuse of urgency, forcing them into this grueling march.
Seeing no sign of Mu-myeong's strike ending, Se-woon spoke in a cold voice.
"Should I really leave you behind?"
"Tch, fine! Go ahead and abandon me, you heartless bastard of a disciple."
Se-woon turned away without hesitation, and Mu-myeong's face twisted into a pitiful expression.
"Ah, but seriously, we have to rest! I'm only pushing through because it's me. Anyone else would've succumbed to Demon Qi Deviation ages ago and be shivering next to that rock over there!"
"So you're saying you're fine?"
"How the hell did you interpret it like that?!"
Thud, thud.
Se-woon walked away without looking back.
Damn disciple. Bastard disciple.
A torrent of curses was being hurled at the back of his head, each one prefacing his name.
Haa, this isn't working.
Click.
Finally, Se-woon stopped and let out a deep sigh.
"Sigh. Fine. We'll rest for exactly half an hour. No more."
"Oh, yes!"
The moment Se-woon relented, Mu-myeong cheered loudly.
He immediately began calming the chaotic qi inside him, which had been in disarray for days.
A faint flush returned to his haggard face.
Once he regained some semblance of composure, Mu-myeong opened his eyes—only to see Se-woon scanning their surroundings without pause.
Seriously, this guy doesn't even take shelter in the shade.
After crossing Sichuan and entering Yunnan, the weather had become unbearably hot and humid.
It was like being trapped in a steamer—even breathing was difficult.
Yet, Se-woon didn't shed a single drop of sweat from his forehead.
'......Honestly, compared to you, that Blood Demon or whatever seems downright normal.'
As that thought crossed his mind, Mu-myeong suddenly voiced a question that had been nagging him.
"But seriously, disciple, what exactly are you planning to do once we reach the Beast Palace?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, that Wildfire thing—or whatever it's called. If it's on the same level as the Flaming Jade or the Thunderous Pearl, then it must be a Divine Artifact the Beast Palace treasures. How do you plan to take it from them when you have no connection to them?"
Actually, does the Beast Palace even have such a Divine Artifact?
Mu-myeong wanted to ask that outright but held back.
Se-woon stared at him with half-lidded eyes.
"You talk too much. The enemy might extract information from you."
"Ah, just give me a hint—just enough to get a taste."
Mu-myeong readily admitted the possibility that he might leak information.
Even after regression, his shamelessness remained intact.
Se-woon smirked and continued.
"Do you know what the Beast Palace and the Demon Cult have in common?"
"The Demon Cult?"
Mu-myeong tilted his head before answering.
"Hmm, let me think. Both are full of lunatics?"
"Well, that's not wrong, but it's not the answer."
The Southern Barbarian Beast Palace was located deep within the Thunderous Love Mountains in Yunnan—a land so remote it could be considered the edge of the martial world.
Unlike other foreign factions that openly sought expansion into the Central Plains, the Beast Palace lived like a fortress with its gates tightly shut.
They only emerged when someone dared to harm their kin, and each time they did, they left a bloody mark in martial history.
'They'd keep hammering away until their enemies surrendered or were utterly destroyed.'
Warriors—or rather, berserkers—who embodied the word "savage" more than "martial artist."
That was the identity of the Southern Barbarian Beast Palace.
Then, Se-woon spoke.
"The Strong Rule."
"......!"
"The Demon Cult and the Southern Barbarian Beast Palace. In the martial world, these two factions are the only ones that operate solely on that principle."
The Law of the Strong.
Only the strong survive; the weak perish.
Only the strong monopolize everything.
And Se-woon's plan to resolve all problems this time relied on that very principle.
True to his word, the break ended in the blink of an eye, and Se-woon immediately resumed their journey.
The increasingly steep terrain and the sight of venomous snakes and insects scurrying underfoot signaled their approach to their destination.
'At this rate, we'll reach the outskirts of Thunderous Love Mountain in half a day.'
For the common folk of Yunnan, Thunderous Love Mountain was the most forbidden of forbidden lands.
Its winding ridges stretched over a hundred li, and the mountain was covered with ancient, grotesque trees whose age was impossible to guess.
But that wasn't all. Deadly swamps filled with terrifying toxins sprawled everywhere, and one wrong step could send you plummeting a thousand feet down a cliff.
Yet, none of those were the true reason it was forbidden.
The biggest reason the common folk avoided it was simple:
'Because the Beast Palace's main stronghold is located there.'
The Southern Barbarian Beast Palace was an extremely insular faction.
No—in truth, it was closer to a small kingdom.
The Beast Palace warriors revered their Palace Lord like a true king and lived in groups scattered throughout Thunderous Love Mountain, surrounding the main palace like a fortress wall.
They considered one another true blood-bound family and brothers.
But for Se-woon, who needed to infiltrate them unnoticed, this was the worst possible condition.
'The best method is still the one I already thought of.'
Of course, Se-woon had already devised a plan to blend in naturally by the time they arrived.
Se-woon's eyes narrowed again.
'If we sacrifice just one person, infiltration will be easy...'
Suddenly, Se-woon openly stared at the back of Mu-myeong's head.
Mu-myeong shuddered as if he'd felt a chill and trembled violently.
Then, blinking rapidly, he frantically scanned his surroundings.
Tsk, sharp bastard.
Just as Se-woon clicked his tongue—
Clang!
Kwaaa!
"!!"
"......!"
The sharp clash of blades and a thunderous roar erupted simultaneously.
Whoosh!
Boom!
The resonance of ominous energy and explosions followed in quick succession.
Instantly, Se-woon and Mu-myeong exchanged glances.
It was unmistakably the sound of battle.
Whoosh!
The two shot forward like arrows, their surroundings blurring past them as the sounds of clashing steel grew louder.
Soon, Se-woon's eyes landed on two groups locked in fierce combat.
"You shameless bastards!"
"Today, we'll settle this with you!"
One group consisted of Daoists clad in robes and southern-style hats, wielding sharp swords.
"Hah! These Daoist bastards are getting cocky!"
"We'll smash every bone in your limbs to pieces!"
The other group was entirely made up of burly, muscular men dressed in beast hides—looking every bit like mountain bandits.
I can roughly guess the situation.
Se-woon, hidden in the thick foliage, thought to himself.
One of the Daoists was someone he remembered from his past life.
Slitted eyes like a weasel's, pale skin, and a gaunt frame that resembled a finely honed blade—
"Stay sharp! Any disgrace to Diancang's honor will fall by my hand first!"
"Yes, Senior Brother!"
It was Yun Gil, the chief disciple of the Diancang Sect's leader, the Sword Emperor of Four Suns—also known as the Solar Dragon.
He was a member of the current generation's Nine Dragons and was considered only a hair's breadth behind the Sword Dragon, Namgung Baek.
But what stood out more vividly in Se-woon's memory was—
'Demon Tang Se-woon! Under the name of the Anti-Blood Alliance, I will execute you!'
—the image of him relentlessly unleashing the Four Suns Sword Technique, consumed by vengeance.
In his past life, if the Blood Sect had the Ghost Slayer Sword Demon, Do Ye-cheon, guarding the Nightless City Lord—
The Anti-Blood Alliance had Yun Gil, the Soul-Stealing Solar Dragon, protecting the Sword Emperor.
After the Sword Emperor of Four Suns met a tragic end at Poison Demon Yayul Seung's hands, Yun Gil led Diancang's survivors into the Anti-Blood Alliance, slaughtering countless Blood Sect demons.
"Wait here."
"Huh? You're leaving me out of the fight? Seriously?"
"Tsk, don't make me say it twice."
"Sniff. You've finally come to your senses. Thank you, disciple."
Mu-myeong's eyes shimmered with emotion.
Ignoring his gaze, Se-woon quickly donned a Human-Skin Mask.
Because of that, Mu-myeong missed the smirk curling at the corner of Se-woon's lips.
'Don't worry. You'll suffer even more later.'
Whoosh!
At the same time, Se-woon burst out of the foliage.
"I'll help!"
Crash!
Se-woon deliberately unleashed a surge of energy from his entire body to announce his presence on the battlefield.
"Senior Brother! Reinforcements from the rear!"
"It's backup—!"
The Diancang disciples who spotted him first cheered in delight.
Though his attire was disheveled, it was unmistakably that of a Central Plains native, and his speech matched theirs.
Se-woon charged like lightning.
"Thank—Gahk?!"
Thud!
The next moment, one of the Diancang martial artists was sent flying as if struck by a slab of meat.
'Sorry, but this time, I'm not on your side.'
Then, Se-woon roared toward the bandits—
No, toward the warriors of the Southern Barbarian Beast Palace.
"Warriors of the Beast Palace! Your brother has returned!"