Chapter 28
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 28
Chapter Title: Wrath of the Earth Dragons
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Slash!
Her clothes tore open at the chest, fluttering wildly. Then a sword plunged into her thigh as if drawn in by some magnetic pull.
Clang!
With the sound of something shattering, Jo Seol-yeon staggered back a step. The blue-clad warrior retreated as well.
The warrior muttered in disbelief.
"No way... Body Protecting Qi?"
It felt like stabbing an iron fortress. The rebounding energy that numbed his wrist all the way up had forced him back three full steps.
Jo Seol-yeon was just as stunned. She'd thought her thigh was pierced clean through, yet she was unscathed while her foe reeled from the blow. How could she not be shocked?
But she quickly realized why. Something that had filled her body had just drained away. Until now, it was that very power—whatever Dan Hyeong-u had placed inside her—that had shielded her.
"Ah...!"
Only then did Jo Seol-yeon understand why he'd laid his hand on her head. It was preparation for the worst. But now, even that protection was spent. That single burst of Body Protecting Qi had exhausted it all.
The blue-clad warrior approached her warily. He didn't dare charge in recklessly. It might have been Body Protecting Qi just now, so caution was key. One mistake could cost him his life.
The other blue-clad warriors began to move, one by one. They all drew their swords, their eyes gleaming with a mix of lust and murderous intent.
Jo Seol-yeon let her hands fall limply, her expression one of utter resignation. There was no hope left. Better to end it herself.
'I want to see him...'
As death loomed in her mind, the first image to surface was Dan Hyeong-u's face. She wanted to see him one last time before she died.
Jo Seol-yeon lunged at the man in front of her. Caught off guard by her sudden move, he unleashed his strongest technique, swinging his sword with everything he had. Having witnessed Body Protecting Qi, he couldn't hold back.
Whoosh!
Fierce sword qi roared like a storm. It poured down on Jo Seol-yeon from every direction.
She stared at the sword qi exploding brilliantly around her as she threw herself onto the man's blade.
Grab!
Just as the sword tip was about to pierce her belly, someone seized her shoulder. She couldn't move another inch. The sword qi that had hemmed her in vanished into the air without a trace. Trembling, Jo Seol-yeon turned to see who held her.
"What do you think you're doing?"
It was Dan Hyeong-u. To her eyes, he looked furious. His face was expressionless, but the slight droop at the corner of his mouth betrayed his anger.
"Ah...! B-Brother!"
Dan Hyeong-u glanced around as he heard her words. A terrifying glint shot from his eyes in all directions.
The Blue Moon Squad warriors froze the instant that gaze touched them. They were utterly paralyzed by a single force: fear.
"Who the hell are you?!"
One warrior squeezed out every ounce of courage and shouted. The oppressive pressure binding him eased slightly, fueling his resolve.
"Do you even know who we are? Aren't you afraid of the Black Sand Gang?!"
His cry emboldened his comrades. That's right—they were warriors of the Black Sand Gang, destined to rule Sichuan.
"Haaah!"
"Yaaah!"
Harsh shouts erupted one after another. Energy swirled around the men. They couldn't fully break free, but it was better than before. They glared at Dan Hyeong-u with ferocious eyes.
Dan Hyeong-u watched impassively, then drew his sword.
He simply slashed from left to right.
Rumble!
The Blue Moon Squad warriors and Jo Seol-yeon couldn't hide their shock. Along the path of his sword, the ground tore open in all directions, birthing dozens of earth dragons.
It was as if something burrowed beneath the earth, ripping it apart wildly as it surged toward the Blue Moon Squad warriors. There were twenty of them in total. With a single gesture, he'd churned the ground into writhing masses of qi.
"Aaaagh!"
The Blue Moon Squad warriors instinctively felt terror. They leaped away in every direction, scattering in flight, but the earth dragons hidden in the soil pursued at blinding speed.
Escape was impossible from the start. Dan Hyeong-u's earth dragons matched their targets' paces—the swift ones chased swiftly, the slow ones languidly. In the end, they erupted right beneath the men's feet.
Boom!
Dirt and stones shot into the air like a volcano erupting. Every grain of soil, every pebble brimmed with immense power.
Splat! Splat! Splat!
That power erased the Blue Moon Squad warriors without a trace.
Jo Seol-yeon stared at the brutal scene in a daze. Come to think of it, she'd seen this before. Back then, it was just one, but now it was twenty—that was the only difference.
Then, he'd used it to craft a grave. This time, it was pure slaughter. A truly horrifying technique. She'd never imagined it could be this devastating.
"S-such a fearsome technique..."
Dan Hyeong-u cut off her murmur.
"It's the Earth Dragon. The second form of the Three Talents Sword Art."
After explaining, Dan Hyeong-u looked at her. Jo Seol-yeon couldn't meet his eyes and bowed her head.
"Don't ever do that again."
She nodded slowly at his words. Tears trickled from her eyes as her head bobbed. They were tears of joy from knowing someone cared for and protected her—and tears from her desperate wish to see Dan Hyeong-u finally coming true.
The banquet at the Ak Family Manor was cooling off.
Ak Bi-hwan and Ak Ung had stopped drinking, and the mood had soured around the time Dan Hyeong-u vanished. It was practically over.
They were just holding off on cleanup because Dan Hyeong-u had promised to return before it ended.
Ak Bi-hwan stared intently at the wine jar before him. Ten years had passed, yet the image of his young son refused to fade from his mind. But now, he thought he could finally let it go. His son wanted it that way, so he'd honor that wish.
Ak Bi-hwan silently lifted the jar.
Gulp. Gulp.
The wine poured cool and refreshing down his throat.
"Kahaha! That's the stuff!"
Ak Bi-hwan set down the empty jar, his face the picture of refreshment.
Watching him, Ak Ung followed suit, downing his own jar.
Not everyone in the Ak Family Manor was as straightforward and boisterous as Ak Bi-hwan or Ak Ung. If they were, they couldn't have managed a manor this vast or achieved such growth.
Yeon Baek practically handled all the manor's affairs. His skills paled compared to the Ak Family Manor's top experts, but his own martial arts were impressive. More importantly, he was quick with numbers and sharp-minded—perfectly suited to lead a great manor like this.
Yeon Baek sat beside Ak Bi-hwan with a faintly troubled look. He'd barely touched his drink, but as Ak Bi-hwan emptied the final jar, he finally spoke up cautiously.
"Manor Head."
"What's on your mind? Another worry?"
Ak Bi-hwan teased lightly, but he valued Yeon Baek's counsel more than anyone's. Yeon Baek understood his lord's heart well.
"Truthfully, I'm concerned. The Black Sand Gang is capable of any depravity. Taking someone in so defenselessly like this..."
"I know exactly what worries you. But he's my son's friend. No different from my son now. Actually, he is my son. So don't fret."
Yeon Baek's expression grew even graver at Ak Bi-hwan's words.
"That's precisely the issue. What if this whole thing is a scheme by the Black Sand Gang...?"
His concern was entirely reasonable. Ak Bi-hwan and Ak Ung knew it too. But the friend of Ak Se-gi—the son who'd vanished ten years ago, leaving a gaping wound in Ak Bi-hwan's heart—wasn't something reason alone could dismiss.
And it wasn't just anyone; it was Ak Bi-hwan's only son. He had no other children. Ak Se-gi was the last.
That was Yeon Baek's exact worry. The Black Sand Gang wouldn't ignore such a vulnerability. They'd strike somehow. And this friend of Ak Se-gi's might well be a trap they'd set.
Yeon Baek glanced at Umun Hye and Hyeong Pyo. One was a breathtaking beauty that could topple nations; the other, an ordinary escort. They didn't fit together.
Suspect one, and everything looked suspicious. Even the young warrior beside Umun Hye seemed off now. His skills were extraordinary—strong enough to match Ak Ung.
"Ugh, what a headache."
It truly was. Especially since there was little he could do about it.
Still, they needed a plan, or they'd be in trouble. The Ak Family Manor's position wasn't optimistic. Without real support from the Tang Family, annihilation was certain. They wouldn't go down easy, of course.
'Our strength isn't to be trifled with. As long as we don't get careless, even the Black Sand Gang won't dare move lightly. Yeah.'
Yeon Baek's thoughts reached that point when he shuddered.
'What if...!'
When was the Ak Family Manor most off guard?
Right now.
Right after lifting the two-month alcohol ban to hold this brief welcoming feast. It was something they absolutely shouldn't have done, but Yeon Baek had agreed for various reasons. Too much pressure could cause cracks.
He'd also figured the Black Sand Gang wouldn't strike so conveniently. But what if Dan Hyeong-u was their spy? What if his disappearance was to signal the perfect moment?
A chill ran down Yeon Baek's spine. This was dangerous.
And that danger materialized as his fears.
"M-Manor Head! Big trouble!"
A warrior guarding the perimeter came sprinting in, shouting.
Yeon Baek shot to his feet at the sight.
"Damn it! The Black Sand Gang?!"
The hall went deathly still at his cry. The arriving warrior yelled desperately.
"Yes! They've come at us full force—the entire Black Moon Squad and White Moon Squad!"
Ak Bi-hwan leaped up, trembling with rage.
"These bastards pick now?!"
A sharp alcoholic haze spread from Ak Bi-hwan and Ak Ung. They'd expelled the alcohol poison using their inner energy.
The Black Moon and White Moon Squads were the Black Sand Gang's elite of elites—a fact known even to the Ak Family Manor.
The Ak Family Manor warriors at the banquet scattered to their feet. Sober as could be despite the drinks, they glared fiercely and drew their weapons.
"Let's settle this today!"
The Ak Family Manor warriors thrust their blades skyward and roared.
"Haaah!"
A ferocious aura shot toward the heavens.
As the warriors' momentum peaked, Ak Bi-hwan smirked faintly, ready to shout. He could channel this energy into far greater power. The Black Moon and White Moon Squads were formidable, and Yeon Baek's analysis said even the full might of the Ak Family Manor might not prevail—but with this morale, they had a shot.
The moment Ak Bi-hwan opened his mouth to bellow, someone spoke beside him.
"What's going on?"
Ak Bi-hwan, breath held deep, whipped his head around.
"Gah—cough! Cough!"
Startled, he exhaled sharply and hacked. A palm pressed against his back.
A jolt swept through his body, flushing out every impurity and leaving pure refreshment in its wake.
"Wh-when did you get here?"
"Just now."
Ak Bi-hwan clicked his tongue at Dan Hyeong-u's reply. He hadn't sensed a thing—not when he'd arrived, nor from where, nor how. Yet here he was, right beside him. Astonishing.
"R-right. Not the time. We'll talk later."
Dan Hyeong-u simply nodded. But Yeon Baek couldn't let it slide.
"Please, tell us the truth. Are you with the Black Sand Gang?"
Desperation filled Yeon Baek's face. Hiding anything was past them now. Only sincerity could probe the man's heart.
Dan Hyeong-u met Yeon Baek's earnest gaze and eyes, pondering briefly.
But the answer came from the person beside him.
"Those guys earlier said they were from the Black Sand Gang."
All eyes turned to Dan Hyeong-u's side. Jo Seol-yeon stood there.
"Miss!"
Hyeong Pyo cried out in surprise. Jo Seol-yeon had been at the inn in Chengdu. When had she come here?