Chapter 30
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 30
Chapter Title: Handover of True Heavenly Thunder
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"So what are we going to do about the Tang Family? They've ended up with the Thunderclap Bombs. Do you really think we can stop the Tang Family from using them without True Heavenly Thunder?"
"Urgh."
In the end, even the blue-robed man had no choice but to back down. He could easily imagine just how formidable the Tang Family would be with those Thunderclap Bombs in their possession. The Tang Family had long been renowned as masters of hidden weapons. It wasn't an exaggeration to say no other sect could match them when it came to hurling projectiles at foes. And now, with weapons like the Thunderclap Bombs added to their arsenal, how terrifying would they become?
The only answer was True Heavenly Thunder.
Thunderclap Bombs and True Heavenly Thunder.
Both were fire bombs originating from the Thunderclap Gate. Legend had it that the Thunderclap Gate, which rose to prominence thanks to the Thunderclap Bombs, ultimately fell into ruin because of True Heavenly Thunder.
True Heavenly Thunder was far more versatile than Thunderclap Bombs and packed much greater explosive power, but it was also incredibly tricky to handle. In the end, it dragged the entire Thunderclap Gate into a pit of fire.
"Even just two of the three True Heavenly Thunders should be more than enough for the Tang Family, don't you think? Sure, the Thunderclap Bombs are a threat, but if we play our cards right, we might even turn them against the Tang Family. What we have isn't some ordinary fire bomb—it's True Heavenly Thunder."
After agonizing over it for a long while, the white-robed man finally nodded.
"Fine. Then I'll hand one True Heavenly Thunder over to you. But if you fail this time too, you'll surrender the Silver Moon Unit to me and step down as Pavilion Lord."
The blue-robed man's eyes widened at those words. He scowled, but in the end, he had no choice but to nod. Things wouldn't be in his favor from here on out anyway.
The only power left to the blue-robed man was the Silver Moon Unit. Having lost the White Moon and Black Moon Units, the balance of power had crumbled completely. They had originally shared the Pavilion Lord position equally, each commanding half the forces, but the incident at the Ak Family Manor had shattered that equilibrium.
The white-robed man rose from his seat and walked over to the wall. He pressed certain spots on it, and with a click, a section of the wall popped forward, revealing a small hidden door.
From inside, he retrieved a lump of metal about the size of a man's head. The pitch-black surface was engraved with the character for "thunder."
The white-robed man carefully handed it over to the blue-robed man, who accepted it and left the room.
The white-robed man stared piercingly at his retreating figure with a meaningful glint in his eye.
As soon as the blue-robed man exited, the white-robed man let out a sinister chuckle.
"Heh heh heh heh. At last, the Black Shadow Pavilion will be entirely mine. It's taken so long. So very long."
Trembling with barely contained glee for a moment, the white-robed man straightened up and murmured softly.
"Danwol."
His voice echoed through the room, and a black-clad figure appeared out of nowhere, bowing deeply before the white-robed man.
"Have you tracked down the ones who went to the Great Heaven Gate?"
"They vanished without a trace. We know they eliminated some Great Heaven Gate riffraff in one of the holy city's inns, but their trail goes cold after that."
"No trace? Then recite what you've pieced together, even if it's rough."
"They pursued a girl who was in the inn and vanished afterward. So she must be connected somehow."
"Hmph, connected? She's the prime suspect. If the Blue Moon Unit fools chased after her in a pack like that, she must be quite the looker. Go fetch her. Use as many men as you need. If you can't capture her, just kill her."
"Understood."
Danwol buried his head to the floor in a deep bow, then melted into the ground like ink soaking into paper.
Watching him go, the white-robed man furrowed his brow.
"That aside, driving off the Red Moon Unit... the Tang Family's reserves are more impressive than I thought. This might prove quite difficult."
The white-robed man shook his head vigorously. No need for such ominous thoughts right now. Soon, the Black Shadow Pavilion would be entirely his, regardless of whether his younger brother succeeded or not. And before long, all of Sichuan would be in his grasp.
At that point, he would be king. King of Sichuan.
The day after resting at the Ak Family Manor, Dan Hyeong-u and his group rose early in the morning and went to seek out Ak Bi-hwan. Since he had been training in the martial arts field since dawn, they headed there.
Upon arriving at the field, they beheld Ak Bi-hwan swinging his blade in a frenzy.
Blade energy spread out like a net, blanketing the area. Even from a distance, his companions could feel the power carried in each strand of that energy.
Umun Hye nodded at the sight, murmuring to herself.
"As expected of the Ak Family Manor. Impressive."
Umun Hye compared herself to Ak Bi-hwan. No matter how she looked at it, she was several levels below him. She might be able to handle Ak Ung, but Ak Bi-hwan was out of her league.
Her gaze flicked briefly toward Yeong-sa. He could probably manage it. Catching her look, Yeong-sa understood and nodded. A faint smile tugged at Umun Hye's lips. A reliable subordinate indeed.
Ak Bi-hwan, deep in his blade training, sensed the newcomers' presence and finally halted. He approached Dan Hyeong-u with a genial smile.
"What brings you here so early?"
Ak Bi-hwan treated Dan Hyeong-u like a son. And Dan Hyeong-u showed no awkwardness in return. Those around them watched the pair with genuine curiosity.
"We must depart."
Ak Bi-hwan nodded crisply at Dan Hyeong-u's reply.
"Duty calls, then. Is it that young lady's matter?"
Ak Bi-hwan glanced at Jo Seol-yeon as he asked, and Dan Hyeong-u nodded.
"Yes."
Ak Bi-hwan grinned at the polite response.
"The martial world is no easy place. And not everything can be solved with brute strength alone. Always stay cautious."
Dan Hyeong-u bowed his head slightly at Ak Bi-hwan's words.
"Yes."
Ak Bi-hwan regarded him with a satisfied look, then turned to Hyeong Pyo and Jo Seol-yeon.
"I leave him in your care."
Ak Bi-hwan offered a respectful fist salute, startling Hyeong Pyo and Jo Seol-yeon into hastily returning the gesture.
"N-No need for such words."
Ak Bi-hwan then looked to Umun Hye and Yeong-sa, offering another polite fist salute. They, too, flustered, returned it.
With the simple farewells concluded, Ak Bi-hwan resumed his training as if nothing had happened.
The group was a bit taken aback but had no choice except to withdraw, thinking him a truly peculiar man.
Dan Hyeong-u waited until the others had fully left the field before bowing slightly toward Ak Bi-hwan one last time.
"I'll be off."
As even Dan Hyeong-u departed, a subtle smile graced Ak Bi-hwan's lips. His blade cleaved through the air with even greater vigor.
Leaving the Ak Family Manor, Dan Hyeong-u's group returned to the holy city. There was no particular rush, but they hurried a bit due to the escorts still waiting at the inn.
The escorts had been lingering at the inn, anxiously awaiting Jo Seol-yeon. Half of them had been scouring the area for news, fearing she might be dead.
When Jo Seol-yeon, whose fate had been uncertain, walked back into the inn, the escorts' faces lit up with joy.
"Miss! Thank goodness you're safe."
One escort rushed over to greet Jo Seol-yeon and the group. Behind him, the gold and silver escorts welcomed Umun Hye.
"Now we should head back to Henan."
The escorts beamed at Jo Seol-yeon's words. No matter what had happened to the bureau or the Jo Family Manor, Henan was the most comfortable place for them.
The escorts scattered hurriedly to prepare for departure. They needed to round up their comrades outside and call in those still at the inn. They also had to pack their scant belongings.
While the escorts bustled about, Jo Seol-yeon mentally sorted out her future plans. What she wanted was vengeance for her family. But she didn't know who had orchestrated it or what forces they commanded. To uncover all that, she first needed power of her own.
"First, we'll rebuild the bureau."
Jo Seol-yeon spoke cautiously. Hyeong Pyo nodded at her words.
"We must. Though my strength is meager, I'll lend an arm."
"Thank you, Escort Leader Hyeong."
And so their journey back to Henan was set. The sooner they arrived, the better, so they decided to depart without delay.
Having made the decision, Jo Seol-yeon glanced at Umun Hye. She still showed no sign of leaving and was watching Dan Hyeong-u and Jo Seol-yeon from a corner of the inn.
There had been hints of ulterior motives from the start of their alliance, and it seemed they were spot on. She had claimed business in the holy city, but she clearly had no intention of going anywhere.
Jo Seol-yeon quietly shook her head. For now, they could only wait and see. It wasn't as if they could ask her to leave at this point.
Soon, the scattered escorts returned. But their expressions were grave.
"M-Miss. Those warriors from yesterday...!"
Jo Seol-yeon's face hardened as she heard the escort's words. More Black Shadow Pavilion warriors? She rushed outside the inn and scanned the surroundings.
Countless blue-clad warriors were swarming in. Their destination was unmistakably this inn where she stood.
As Jo Seol-yeon stood frozen in shock, Dan Hyeong-u approached her side.
"Black Shadow Pavilion?"
Jo Seol-yeon looked at Dan Hyeong-u with slight surprise at his murmur. His face remained impassive as ever. But this time, she realized there was a definite warmth flowing beneath it. Unknowingly, a smile formed on her lips.
"Yes, the Black Shadow Pavilion."
"Perfect."
Jo Seol-yeon had no idea why he would say that, but she nodded anyway.
Before long, Black Shadow Pavilion warriors had the inn completely surrounded, packed so densely their numbers were impossible to count. And among the blue-uniformed men were some with golden lines on their arms.
They were the Gold Moon Unit, the elite warriors of the Black Shadow Pavilion.
The Blue Moon Unit was the most numerous faction in the Black Shadow Pavilion, while the Gold Moon Unit was the smallest. Comprised of just ten members, each one's strength surpassed that of dozens of Blue Moon Unit warriors combined.
Among the horde encircling the inn were three Gold Moon Unit members. Danwol had assigned them at his discretion, per the order to use personnel freely.
Not knowing the enemy's full strength yet, it was a safety measure. He didn't believe they'd actually need to fight.
Danwol watched the inn quietly from the third floor of the Flower Moon Tower. Though it was quite a distance from the Henan Escort Bureau's inn, the view was unobstructed, making it ideal for observation.
This time, he had mobilized a full hundred Blue Moon Unit warriors, plus three from the Gold Moon Unit. Failure was impossible.
Seventy Blue Moon Unit warriors surrounded the inn, while thirty more waited in reserve behind them.
Danwol nodded to himself and shifted his gaze. No need to linger; he judged it time to move on. Now he just had to wait for it to end and handle the aftermath.
Danwol poured himself a drink from the cup before him.
Regardless of Danwol, Jo Seol-yeon standing before the inn looked at Dan Hyeong-u with worried eyes. She knew he was strong—had witnessed that terrifying martial art with her own eyes—but facing such overwhelming numbers filled her with unavoidable dread.
Dan Hyeong-u gently stroked Jo Seol-yeon's head. An immense energy flooded her body through the crown of her skull.
"Ah...!"
Jo Seol-yeon knew what this energy filling her was. It was the power protecting her. Confidence surged through her alongside it.
Dan Hyeong-u stepped forward.
"Come to kill me?"
No Blue Moon Unit warrior could open their mouth at Dan Hyeong-u's words. It wasn't just the overwhelming pressure; they hadn't been told about anyone like him. They had simply been ordered to seize one girl from the Henan Escort Bureau.
"You must have steeled yourselves for it."
Dan Hyeong-u's form blurred for a moment, then suddenly multiplied. In an instant, dozens of him appeared, each facing a Blue Moon Unit warrior.
Craaaack!
Rumble rumble!
Dozens of lightning bolts crashed down simultaneously.
And every Black Shadow Pavilion member surrounding the inn collapsed. Blue Moon or Gold Moon Unit—it made no difference.
As the lightning faded, the dozens of Dan Hyeong-us vanished as well. Only one remained, standing silently amid the corpses. The sight was downright eerie.
Danwol gaped in shock. The drink he hadn't even sipped spilled onto the floor from his cup. The now-empty cup shattered noisily against the ground.
Clang!
Danwol rose stiffly from his seat. He hadn't expected failure. Though thirty Blue Moon Unit warriors remained, there was no chance left. Withdrawing them quickly was the way to preserve his forces.
Danwol's body trembled. It was truly terrifying. How could a human possess such power?
Even from afar, Danwol had seen Dan Hyeong-u multiply into dozens. It was as if he had used some cloning technique.
Danwol leaped urgently from the building. He had to recall the Blue Moon Unit reserves waiting behind as fast as possible, return to base, and prepare for any contingencies.