Chapter 154
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 154
Chapter Title: Dongting Lake Incident (2)
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A rat in a trap.
That was Hyeokryeon Gwang's impression upon seeing Seo Dohee on the lakeshore, unable to hide her panic.
And who could have anticipated his appearance here?
He himself hadn't expected to run into her in a place like this.
Besides, he had more than enough forces to bring that fierce tigress to her knees.
Unlike her side, which showed no signs of bringing along any Green Forest elites, nearly a third of the Western Waterway Fortress's full strength had assembled here intact.
"Lads! Give 'em everything we've got!"
No need to shove their heads into the jaws of an enraged tiger—just peppering them with arrows from afar would whittle down their stamina bit by bit.
Of course, if he stepped in himself, he could end it quickly.
But why should he?
Leave his men idle?
Hyeokryeon Gwang, endowed with the command prowess of a primeval ancient Central Plains general on par with Hahoumu, had no need to take the field first.
The only wildcard was...
The two men near Seo Dohee.
One was so slender and refined he barely seemed like a man at all, but it didn't matter anyway.
He wasn't one to indulge in such tastes, and with the orthodox factions now fully at odds—total annihilation was the only path.
Not just them, but everyone left on the island had to die to tie up loose ends.
Already, the men on the wing boats were scattering shrewdly, positioning themselves to encircle the island.
True to their lives scraping by on numerical superiority like vermin, they grasped their roles perfectly.
"Kehhehe. So, once their strength fades, who steps up first? Thunderclap Bow? Crimson Ghoul Beast? Evil Heart Guest? Or maybe Soul-Chasing Death Sword?"
"Where's an archer gonna go? That bitch'll come straight for me first—better hit her with a big one beforehand."
"Boss, she's too much for one of us alone. Why not all three pile on at once?"
"Kehihil, two holes but...?"
"Foolish, Evil Heart. Isn't the upper mouth a mouth too?"
With eyes sharp enough to pierce the leisurely balance of power, Hyeokryeon Gwang and his men's banter brimmed with ease.
Meanwhile,
The boats halted briefly at a deliberate distance from the island—just within arrow and javelin range, but too awkward for a proper charge.
The key to a successful hunt was minimizing variables.
And foolishly, the Green Forest Bandit King was pouring out his internal energy to shield the two men behind him.
Within half a shichen, she'd exhaust herself and collapse on her own.
They believed it without doubt.
Until the moment Seo Dohee's aura fully dissipated, and the man behind her—who'd been frantically waving his fingers in the air—froze in place.
Hyeokryeon Gwang noticed the anomaly first.
"What the hell is that...?"
In the gap where Seo Dohee, like a lightning-struck tiger, spewed her energy wildly to conceal them unconsciously.
Of the two men who looked like glaring weak points, the one who seemed utterly devoid of internal energy thrust his hand forward.
That instant.
From his palm erupted a massive, iridescent energy sphere, shimmering like a rainbow condensed into form, slicing through the air.
Along with an unreal beauty.
"...!"
"No way?"
"What, what is it?"
And an oppressive pressure unlike anything they'd felt before.
Hyeokryeon Gwang felt the hairs on his body stand on end.
If he had to liken it...
The living embodiment of death creeping ever closer.
His survival instincts screamed in alarm.
"Tch...!"
The Crimson Ghoul Beast, as second-in-command, and the Soul-Chasing Death Sword unleashed their sword auras simultaneously.
Imbuing them with desperate prayers to collide and explode before it reached them.
But.
"Impossible...?"
Far from exploding on impact.
The drifting energy sphere devoured their palm force and sword auras whole, vibrating even fiercer as it rent the air.
Hyeokryeon Gwang channeled energy into his crescent blade while his mind raced.
Could he block it?
No.
Well, he could try.
If he was willing to die in the aftermath.
But.
Did he have reason to sacrifice himself for his men?
What nonsense.
"Dodge... dodge it...!"
True to his role as Waterway Fortress Chief, his decision was swift and astute.
Splash...!
His massive frame plunged into Dongting Lake in an instant.
The quick-witted ones followed suit.
Pop, pop, pop, pop.
Pop-pop-pop, pop-pop-pop.
One by one, kicking up sprays of water.
Not even swimming—just diving down toward the unseen bottom lurking in Dongting Lake's endless darkness, grasping for it desperately.
And moments later.
───────!
───────!
A deafening roar that numbed their ears completely, paired with the sensation of a whip lashing their backs viciously.
Behind them rose a second sun.
* * *
After a ferocious shockwave swept past, shaking even the island firmly rooted to the lakebed like a storm.
"What... in the world..."
Baek Liyeon stared wide-eyed.
A sight unbelievable even after seeing it with her own eyes.
She'd vaguely known Geum Sihyeon was hiding his power, but this was beyond excessive.
The fleet of over thirty vessels of varying sizes packed tightly together, and the swaggering pirates.
Now?
Not a single intact ship remained on the horizon.
First, the explosion.
The moment the orb left Geum Sihyeon's hand and reached the pirate flagship, it gaped open like the maw of the underworld, reducing everything around it to nothingness.
Second, the shockwave.
A blast fierce enough to shake heaven and earth—exaggerated slightly—stirred winds that nearly exposed the lakebed, sweeping away ships barely outside the radius on the waves.
Truly earth-shattering.
A power far transcending human limits.
In Baek Liyeon's mind, only her master could unleash such might.
The instant she turned back to Geum Sihyeon, swallowing her shock.
"If I'm popping Sun Spear, gotta follow with QEW too..."
"Pardon? Oh."
Baek Liyeon caught Geum Sihyeon as he crumpled bonelessly, drained like a rag soaked in water.
"Junior, hold on—let's pull back for a bit..."
Supporting his limp form with her whole body, as if he'd expended all his innate true energy.
Baek Liyeon glanced at Seo Dohee.
She'd leaped from the boat just in time to survive and was now battling the pirates who'd done the same.
Better to hide Geum Sihyeon quickly and return to help.
Hoisting him onto her back, Baek Liyeon dashed toward the island's interior.
.
.
.
The irregular breaths and heartbeat from his back transmitted straight through her body.
Hardly surprising.
After unleashing such absurd power, how could his body emerge unscathed?
Mingled with guilt for being useless...
Right now.
She could take him out.
An irreverent thought seeped in.
Her master had said: Watch him closely on the surface, get friendly.
But after over a month by his side.
Baek Liyeon was certain.
This man stood utterly opposed to her—someone she could never befriend.
Of course.
How could the Emperor Star Zi Wei leave the Heavenly Slaughter Star alone...?
Born bearing the karma of Heavenly Slaughter, sooner or later she'd cross blades with him—and one would fall from the heavens.
Her master must have foreseen it all when enrolling her in the Hundred Flowers Academy.
The faint breath on her shoulder felt like sweet temptation luring her in.
Now.
Never again.
Burst this man's heart now and walk the path of Heavenly Slaughter.
Especially in his wounded state—a single heavy internal strike from her would seal his fate.
Yet.
"Kyau?!"
Not far off.
By the time she returned to where the wolf pup guarded their gear, Baek Liyeon hadn't moved a muscle.
Because she needed him to escape this crisis?
Fear of repercussions?
Lack of courage?
None of that.
Simply...
She didn't want to.
"Urgh."
Geum Sihyeon, laid on the ground and slobbered over by the wolf pup's tongue, groaned.
His first words.
"Junior... what incense do you use? Smells nice..."
"...Is that what you're curious about right now?"
It left Baek Liyeon dumbfounded.
But realizing it was a joke to ease her tension, she sighed and replied with a prickly tone.
"Hurry and circulate your energy. I'll go help Instructor Seo soon."
"Last... lesson..."
"Don't talk—circulate first...!"
"When you trust... trust fully..."
With that,
Geum Sihyeon forced himself up into a cross-legged position to meditate.
Baek Liyeon's pupils trembled for an instant.
Trust.
Why trust, of all things?
...Did he suspect her true identity?
It wouldn't be strange if he did.
Just as she instinctively sensed hostility, the Emperor Star could feel the same from her.
Then why...?
She couldn't shake his shoulder mid-meditation to ask.
Nor push past the wolf pup puffed up protectively around its master.
"Grrr...!"
Baek Liyeon swallowed her unspoken question and retraced her steps.
But.
On the path empty on the way in.
A middle-aged man stood in the middle, hands clasped behind his back, blocking the way.
As their eyes met.
"Haha, hahaha! Just as I thought."
The man burst into laughter that grated on her nerves.
No killing intent or hostility, yet her instincts rang alarm bells.
"...A pirate?"
"At last, I've found the final piece of my lost art. Child of Baek, it's been ages."
In response to Baek Liyeon's question.
The Illusion Demon grinned as if reuniting with an old comrade.