Chapter 273
Chapter 273
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 273
>Chapter Title: King of the Rat Bastards (2)
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Il-mok glanced back at his companions as he approached the brothel where the Hao Sect Leader was said to reside.
To be precise, at Branch Leader An Jeok-un.
For this mission, Il-mok had brought Branch Leader An Jeok-un along with a few shamans.
“Branch Leader An Jeok-un, set up a formation centered on that brothel.”
To ensure no one outside noticed the battle unfolding within.
To prevent anyone from escaping.
And for certain other reasons.
Following Il-mok's orders, An Jeok-un and the three shamans took up positions north, south, east, and west around the brothel.
As An Jeok-un and the shamans, hidden in the shadows, began forming hand seals or quietly chanting spells.
Il-mok and his group approached the brothel with natural strides.
“Sorry, but we're closed for the day, great hero.”
“What are you talking about? There seem to be people still inside. Are you refusing us because we look broke?”
Il-mok replied to the errand boy like that, then reached into his sleeve and pulled out a pouch full of silver.
The errand boy's eyes gleamed with greed as he checked the money in the pouch Il-mok offered.
“Hahaha. For such generous heroes, it's only right to accommodate you even after closing.”
The errand boy led Il-mok and his group inside the brothel.
“Hmm. It's awfully quiet in here.”
As Il-mok looked around the brothel's interior and commented, the errand boy grinned and replied.
“As I said, business is over for today. But don't worry. With no other guests, you can call any courtesan you like.”
“Oh? It feels like we've rented the whole place out. So, there really are no other guests left?”
“Except for one who rented an entire private room, there's no one else.”
Right after the errand boy answered Il-mok's question like that, the flow of qi around the inn subtly twisted.
“Hm?”
The errand boy tilted his head, sensing something off, when Il-mok smiled and spoke.
“That's fortunate. No innocents left behind.”
“???”
The errand boy tried to ask what that meant, but for some reason, his mouth wouldn't move.
“Hm? Is that guy drunk?”
In the errand boy's eyes, the man who had spoken to him seemed to tilt sideways.
No.
The world was tilting.
Thud.
Without even feeling pain, the errand boy's headless corpse crumpled to the floor.
A martial artist working at a branch run by the Hao Sect, where the Hao Sect Leader resided.
No room for hesitation—he was definitely a Hao Sect disciple.
Having confirmed no innocent guests in the brothel, and with An Jeok-un and the shamans activating the formation, there was no reason to drag things out.
Flash!
The moment the errand boy's corpse hit the floor, Il-mok and his group scattered in all directions.
“Something seems to be happening outside.”
“Go check it out.”
As some Hao Sect warriors, sensing the formation's effect, conversed and burst out of their rooms.
Slash!
Heavenly Demon Divine Cult warriors who had moved first ambushed them.
A few warriors from the armed unit active in Gansu Province. And a few from the Shadow Assassins who had come to the Central Plains with Seo Wan-pyeong.
Clang!
“Who the hell are you!”
Some managed to block their attacks here and there, but most died without lasting even a few exchanges.
While they slaughtered the Hao Sect disciples.
Flash!
Il-mok and Seo Wan-pyeong. Jin Ha-yeon and Hyeok-ryeon Seon-a. Joo Seo-yeon and Jeong Hyeon headed toward the private rooms.
Slash!
Il-mok instantly sliced through a Hao Sect thug who burst out of a door, then swung his Soaring Heaven Sword into the air.
Screeech!
The sword qi flew out in a net-like form, shredding the ceiling ahead, revealing the upper floor through the collapsed section.
Flash!
Without hesitation, they used lightness skill to leap through the hole Il-mok had made to the upper floor.
Slash!
A guy leaping down from above froze in shock at Il-mok rising from the floor, then his head came off pathetically.
After that, they slashed through walls, ceilings, and people alike several times.
Slash!
Il-mok slashed the ceiling again and shot upward, spotting the interior of a massive room.
A middle-aged man desperately trying to fling himself toward the window, staring in bewilderment at Il-mok bursting up from the floor.
And on the opposite side, a splendidly ornate door exploding inward as black-clad figures entered.
Boom!
“Leader! We're under attack!?”
The black-clad figures also yelled strangely at the hole in the floor and the unexpected intruders.
“That's the Hao Sect Leader.”
“Young Master, leave this side to us!”
As Seo Wan-pyeong and Jin Ha-yeon, who had quickly climbed through Il-mok's hole, shouted calmly. But Il-mok was already launching toward the Hao Sect Leader.
Because the Hao Sect Leader had twisted his body again, trying to flee toward the window.
The moment Il-mok closed half the distance in one stride with lightness skill.
Screeech!
From the empty shadows, a black dagger shot out, aiming for Il-mok's heart.
Il-mok showed no sign of blocking or dodging it, still focusing solely on the Hao Sect Leader while pressing his lightness skill.
He hadn't failed to anticipate the ambush. He just.
Clang!!
Expected his senior brother Seo Wan-pyeong to handle it.
Leaving the hidden black-clad assassin to Seo Wan-pyeong, Il-mok took one final stride with lightness skill.
Boom!
With the sound of the floor exploding, Il-mok explosively propelled himself, his sword aimed at the Hao Sect Leader.
In response, the Hao Sect Leader, who had pretended to flee, twisted aggressively, hidden weapons shooting from his sleeve.
Clang!!
Il-mok casually deflected the projectiles with minimal motion of his Soaring Heaven Sword, and the Hao Sect Leader, now in stance, thrust his dagger.
Clang!
After Il-mok easily blocked both attacks, the Hao Sect Leader, swords locked, asked.
“Who the hell are you people?”
To that question from the Hao Sect Leader, Il-mok smirked and replied.
“I figured a Hao Sect Leader would be a bit different, but you're asking the same damn thing. Looks like you've got a lot of grudges piled up.”
As if daring him to guess, the Hao Sect Leader chuckled lowly.
“Heh heh heh heh. From the way you talk, you're not one of ours. Then who could you be~? Heretics from the Maitreya Illuminati, perhaps?”
Il-mok let out a hollow laugh at the Hao Sect Leader's response. Not because he'd immediately pegged them as Maitreya Illuminati.
“Suspecting your own first means the Hao Sect is a total mess, huh?”
“There's a saying fights make friends, right? Our Hao Sect has that kind of brotherhood. And you, not denying it—guess you are heretics.”
“From what you've done, you're hell-bound anyway. Ask the King of Hell.”
“Heh heh heh heh. Heretic talk through and through.”
The Hao Sect Leader laughed as if amused, twisting his wrist holding the dagger.
The dagger slid up the Soaring Heaven Sword toward Il-mok's hand, and Il-mok swung to deflect it.
Clang!
Their weapons clashed and bounced off, each stepping back one pace.
This time, the Hao Sect Leader grinned slyly and charged at Il-mok.
“Heh heh heh. Back itched from the shadows, and you walked right into death!”
Unlike his initial feigned flight, the Hao Sect Leader swung his dagger confidently.
Boom!!
The Hao Sect Leader's dagger and Il-mok's Soaring Heaven Sword clashed repeatedly, explosions ringing out nonstop.
* * *
Amid the continuous explosions from behind.
Jin Ha-yeon and the women were battling the black-clad figures who had burst through the door.
These black-clad ones exuded a completely different aura from the Hao Sect disciples being slaughtered by Heavenly Demon Divine Cult warriors downstairs.
It was impossible for someone of the Hao Sect Leader's stature to travel alone. Especially in the Hao Sect, rife with internal strife and betrayals, a personal guard was essential.
They were the Hao Sect Leader's personal guard, hidden near the private room for any contingencies—the Gray Shadow Unit warriors.
Only about a dozen, but all peak-level masters.
Jin Ha-yeon calmly transmitted orders via inner force, barely holding them off.
At the entrance, Jin Ha-yeon, Joo Seo-yeon, and Hyeok-ryeon Seon-a seized the space first, blocking those trying to escape through the narrow door, while Jeong Hyeon supported from the rear.
As the front ones were blocked by the three women, the rear black-clad couldn't advance further.
“What are you idiots doing!”
A shout came from behind, followed by an explosion as the wall beside the door shattered.
“You handle those bitches. I'll join the Leader and Deputy Leader.”
As the black-clad who burst through the wall issued orders and tried to leap toward Il-mok and the Hao Sect Leader, Jin Ha-yeon hurriedly blocked him.
Clang!!
Jin Ha-yeon blocked the Gray Shadow Unit Deputy Leader's saber with her twin palms, channeling her inner force. Yin cold qi flowed through her hands, up the saber, and into the Deputy Leader's acupoints.
But the Deputy Leader didn't panic. He circulated his inner force to expel the yin cold qi and swung his saber repeatedly.
Clang!
After several clashes with Jin Ha-yeon's ice technique.
The expressionless Deputy Leader twitched his brow and shouted.
“You bitch! A Demonic Cult fanatic!”
True to an intelligence group's officer, he recognized the Bare Hand Demon Art.
As if responding to the Deputy Leader's shout, similar cries echoed from everywhere.
“Demonic Cult fanatics!”
Jin Ha-yeon's delicate brows furrowed at the Gray Shadow Unit warriors' shouts from all around.
Not because their identity was exposed. Il-mok Young Master's plan was their total annihilation anyway.
The problem was the current situation.
While she was tied up with one black-clad, their formation was collapsing completely.
Not only were Joo Seo-yeon and Hyeok-ryeon Seon-a being pushed back without her, but following the Deputy Leader, more black-clad were breaking through walls instead of the narrow entrance.
‘At this rate, it'll interfere with Young Master.’
Not them interfering with Il-mok Young Master. She herself was becoming a hindrance to his plan.
Naturally, the nightmare from Baekhak Mountain clawed into her mind.
A heart demon.
Thanks to Il-mok, she had broken the formation and escaped the nightmare, but the memory lingered like a brand.
Incompetence.
The word she hated most echoed in her head.
Hot blood trickled from her bitten cold lip.
She wanted to help the Divine Cult somehow. She didn't want to remain incompetent.
If she was just a hindrance, better to vanish.
Then how could she become useful to the Divine Cult? Walk alongside Il-mok Young Master illuminating it?
She knew the answer.
‘Abandon emotions. Faith in the Sovereign too. Feelings for Young Master. All of it.’
She knew it in her head, but not how to do it.
And now wasn't the time to leisurely seek that answer.
‘If I can't help, better to die.’
With resolve firm, she thrust her twin palms toward the black-clad's swinging saber.
Clang!
The moment her twin palms met the saber. She boldly grabbed it.
Blood beaded and dripped from her palms gripping the saber.
In a way unlike her, Jin Ha-yeon shouted.
“Everyone, fall back!”
With the shout, she began pulling up all remaining yin cold qi from her dantian recklessly.
‘Abandon everything. Even if I fail and die, it doesn't matter.’
With that self-vow, massive yin cold qi began condensing through her twin palms gripping the black saber.
“Hmph.”
Realizing she aimed for mutual destruction, the Gray Shadow Unit Deputy Leader boldly released the saber and stepped back one pace.
As if mocking the foolish woman, the moment he shot a hidden weapon from his sleeve.
The endlessly condensing yin cold qi in Jin Ha-yeon's twin palms erupted.
Rooooosh.
Vast yin cold qi spread everywhere. The hidden weapon thrown at her froze midair and fell.
“!?”
The Deputy Leader who threw it also froze in place.
Rooooosh.
The Gray Shadow Unit members trying to pass her froze solid, swept by the yin cold qi.