Chapter 346
Chapter 346
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 346
>Chapter Title: The Lowest Fools Do Not Shift (4)
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Sichuan Province, Guangwon County. A branch of the Maitreya Divine Cult.
One of the Maitreya Divine Cult's warriors came rushing to Il-mok in a frantic state.
“Incarnation! Nuns from the Emei Sect are approaching Guangwon County!”
A cold sneer curled at the corner of Il-mok's mouth.
‘Right on cue.’
Il-mok, who had been sitting cross-legged, rose smoothly and stepped out of the hall.
“Nuns from the Emei Sect are approaching.”
When Il-mok infused his voice with inner energy and shouted, people emerged from all corners of the branch. Among them were Hwang Bo-yeon and Hwang Bo-se-hee.
‘The Lowest Fools Do Not Shift, huh…’
Il-mok turned to Hwang Bo-yeon, who was recalling what her sister had said, and asked.
“What will you do about Kwon Bong?”
“As promised, we'll lend the might of the Hwang Bo Clan to the Maitreya Divine Cult and stand against them. But please, let my sister retreat to safety.”
As Hwang Bo-se-hee looked flustered by her words, Il-mok nodded in agreement.
“That would be best.”
Hwang Bo-se-hee's martial prowess wasn't exceptional, so evacuating her was the wiser choice.
“Branch Leader, take the branch members and escort Lady Hwang Bo back to Gansu Province.”
The Branch Leader hesitated briefly at Il-mok's command before bowing his head.
“I shall obey the Incarnation's will.”
The Branch Leader quickly issued orders to those remaining at the branch, and the members sprang into bustling action.
In the meantime, Hwang Bo-yeon exchanged farewells with Hwang Bo-se-hee.
After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, those who had hastily prepared departed the branch, leaving only eleven behind.
“If we fight here, innocent civilians could get caught in the crossfire, so it would be best to go out and meet the Emei Sect.”
Il-mok stated calmly and exited the branch, followed by the other ten.
On the way out of Guangwon County, Hwang Bo-yeon asked with a face full of worry.
“I don't doubt your skills, great hero, but isn't it dangerous to face the Emei Sect with so few?”
In response to her question, Il-mok shrugged lightly and replied.
“Don't worry. If it gets dicey, we retreat. Simple as that.”
“???”
As Hwang Bo-yeon wore a baffled expression, Il-mok smiled faintly.
“That's why we're leaving Guangwon County and evacuating Lady Hwang Bo to Gansu. This isn't our main base anyway. For hit-and-run tactics, a small elite force is actually advantageous.”
He had planned to fight this way from the start, so Il-mok hadn't called in many reinforcements.
From the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult's forces operating in Gansu and Sichuan, he had only selected five of the more skilled ones.
‘If we had enough manpower, I might have considered a head-on clash.’
The Heavenly Demon Divine Cult was still short on hands, making it an inevitable choice.
They couldn't pull everyone tending to civilians and spreading doctrine in Gansu and Sichuan just to deal with the Emei Sect.
Moreover, to conceal their demonic cult identity, they had to hide their demonic arts, so bringing in mediocre demonic practitioners risked bigger problems.
Thus, he had summoned four squad leaders from the armed unit plus Gu Yang-mun, totaling five.
“So keep watch on the rear to avoid encirclement. And if your inner energy runs low or you're injured, don't hesitate—just flee. We'll do the same.”
Hwang Bo-yeon couldn't hide her bewilderment at Il-mok's successive orders.
She had never seen a commander who, instead of boosting morale before battle, told everyone to run away comfortably.
Whether Hwang Bo-yeon was flustered or not, Il-mok secretly sent a transmission to Jin Ha-yeon out of earshot of the others.
—Lady Jin, I'll dive deep into their ranks to draw the Emei Sect's attention. Don't get swept up in my movements—hold the rear, and if our lines look like they're collapsing, protect our allies and withdraw. I can escape on my own just fine.
It was trust in Jin Ha-yeon.
More precisely, trust that she could make cool-headed judgments without letting emotions sway her.
Having already transcended the Extreme Demon realm, Jin Ha-yeon had regained some emotions, but she replied without the slightest hesitation.
—I will.
She trusted him too. Il-mok would survive no matter what.
It hadn't been long since they advanced under the bizarre order to fight with retreat in mind.
As they left Guangwon County, they spotted women in unified attire swarming from afar.
Il-mok gauged the enemy's numbers by eye and pondered.
‘Hmm. Over a hundred, but under a hundred fifty.’
The Heavenly Demon Divine Cult estimated the Emei Sect's disciples at well over two hundred.
Of course, wars with the Tang Clan and Blood Cult had thinned their ranks considerably, but they still pegged it at least two hundred.
That even excluded sects founded by Emei lay disciples or those serving as errand runners in Emei territory.
Yet only a bit over a hundred had come here, leaving Il-mok puzzled.
Only when the nuns drew closer did Il-mok resolve his doubts somewhat.
‘The young disciples are all absent.’
Judging by the nuns' appearances and auras, it seemed all the third-generation disciples were missing. Probably some second-generation ones lacking skill too.
From their attire, it looked like they hadn't called any lay disciples at all.
While Il-mok assessed the Emei Sect's forces, an elderly nun stepped forward and shouted.
“You're the leader of this perverse Maitreya rabble!”
The old nun fixed her gaze squarely on Il-mok as she asked.
“What a joke. What gives you the right to call us perverse?”
At Il-mok's retort, the nun glared at him with bloodshot eyes and shot back.
“You dare claim to be Maitreya before us Buddhists and deceive sentient beings—what could be more perverse than that!”
“Don't you check the mirror? With those blood-red eyes of yours, we look more like the Buddhists here.”
No sooner had Il-mok finished than the nuns behind her shrieked like banshees.
“You wretch!!”
“How dare you insult the head of mighty Emei!!”
As the nuns collectively wailed and howled, Il-mok dug into his ear with his left pinky and said.
“So, what do you want?”
Il-mok's nonchalant attitude made Geumjeong Sinsu's already red eyes burn even redder.
At that point, they rivaled Hyeok-ryeon Seon-a's crimson eyes.
No—while Hyeok-ryeon Seon-a's irises were red, Geumjeong Sinsu's entire eyeballs were blood-red, giving an even more eerie vibe.
“Looks like backing from the Hwang Bo Clan makes you fearless! Did you think you'd get away with killing Emei nuns?!”
“What a load of nonsense.”
Il-mok started to respond in disbelief, but the enraged Geumjeong Sinsu had no intention of listening.
“Shut your mouth!! Today, I'll soothe my fallen sisters with your head!! Disciples of Emei! Open the precepts of killing! Capture Kwon Bong alive—spare not a single one of the rest of this Maitreya trash!”
At Geumjeong Sinsu's shout, the Emei nuns charged en masse.
Watching them, Il-mok let out a light sigh and said.
“Maintain formation to avoid encirclement. Command to Lady Jin.”
After reiterating precautions before battle.
Flash!
Il-mok unleashed his lightness skill alone, plunging toward the Emei nuns.
The masked man hurtling toward them at tremendous speed startled the frontline Emei elder, who swung her sword in alarm.
Supporting her, a first-generation disciple behind thrust her spear.
Emei Sect.
Unlike Shaolin or Western Temple's Potala Palace, they practiced arts using bladed weapons despite being a Buddhist sect.
The Emei Mountains had long been infested with tigers, and to protect novices and travelers, Emei nuns willingly wielded edged weapons.
Frequent violations of the no-kill precept to hunt tigers perhaps explained why Emei exuded a more worldly air than other Buddhist sects.
Even while emphasizing repentance, reflection, and ascetic enlightenment, they tended to justify killing the irredeemable.
Tigers qualified, as did wicked evildoers.
Thus, Emei martial arts often featured characters like "tiger" or "exterminate," ill-suited to a Buddhist sect.
The nuns swung their bladed weapons, unleashing arts honed over decades for slaying tigers.
But today's foe was no mere tiger they could handle.
Clang. Clang.
Il-mok's Ascending Heaven Sword clashed with the Emei elder's blade, resounding with metallic shrieks.
The first clash was their swords meeting; the next, the repelled elder's sword blocking the first-generation disciple's spear.
Then, a chilling slicing sound rang out.
Slash!
The Ascending Heaven Sword bisected the frontline Emei elder's torso, and an Emei disciple from the side swung her sword at Il-mok.
But Il-mok neither blocked the sword nor attacked the nun wielding it.
Flash!
As if no time to waste, he simply stepped forward with footwork.
Slash.
The first-generation disciple thrusting her spear behind the elder lost her head.
Meanwhile, Emei disciples on both flanks swung weapons or bare-handed strikes at Il-mok, but he parried or dodged with minimal motion before unleashing lightness skill again.
His path straight ahead made it seem like he was deliberately seeking encirclement.
Slash!
Yet no one blocked even a single exchange of his charge.
Slash!
With every step Il-mok took, another gruesome slicing sound echoed across the battlefield, paving a trail of blood.
His blood path blatantly aimed at Geumjeong Sinsu.
The nuns scrambled to encircle the masked man who blew past them toward Geumjeong Sinsu in an instant.
Sudden turns mid-charge led to a messy tangle among themselves.
Watching from the rear, Geumjeong Sinsu ground her teeth and bellowed.
“Deploy the Demon-Exterminating Tiger-Subduing Formation to subdue that wicked demon!”
At her order, forty-eight nuns forming the array moved swiftly.
“Other disciples, eliminate the rabble's minions!!”
At Geumjeong Sinsu's follow-up command, the remaining nuns wheeled back toward the enemies left in the rear.
After cutting down over ten nuns, the distance to Geumjeong Sinsu had narrowed to about ten zhang.
Forty-eight nuns formed a circular array, encircling Il-mok.
“Perverse demon! Let's see if you can rampage before mighty Emei's Demon-Exterminating Tiger-Subduing Formation!”
A sneer curled on Il-mok's lips at Geumjeong Sinsu's bold shout.
“Demon-Exterminating Tiger-Subduing Formation, huh. Laughable compared to Potala Palace's Vajra Lamas Formation.”