Chapter 71: Dark Clouds (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 71: Dark Clouds (2)
Dan Ri-geon had come here of his own volition.
Unlike Hong Geom-baek, who had been a mere pillar of the Black Snake Union’s primary organization, Dan Ri-geon was the Black Tyrant. As one of the Five Tyrants—the core of the Samu Alliance—he had been specially dispatched to this location. Consequently, he held little respect for Hong Geom-baek, the former Great Lord of the Black Snake Union.
It wasn't just a matter of martial prowess; there were numerous things about the man that grated on his nerves. In truth, arriving a day earlier than scheduled was his way of keeping Hong Geom-baek under surveillance.
However, even before reaching the Black Snake Union’s headquarters, he sensed that something was amiss. The fortress gates stood wide open, and the servants who should have been bustling about the union were nowhere to be found.
He soon discovered where they had gone.
His gaze shifted toward two figures dressed in black walking out from the eastern gate.
“…What should we do?” Hyeok-jin asked Seok Myeong in a low voice.
He had guessed instinctively. The aura of the man staring at them with such nonchalance was far from ordinary.
“I’ll handle him. Close the gates quickly and take the people to safety.”
“Understood.”
Hyeok-jin didn't ask for details. He knew better than anyone that the safety of the people was the priority.
“Who are you people?”
While Hyeok-jin closed the gates, Dan Ri-geon attempted to strike up a conversation with Seok Myeong.
“Do I really need to tell you?” Seok Myeong replied with feigned composure, though he couldn't entirely hide his inner anxiety.
If the man were to raise his voice, it would be impossible for the people to move safely toward the village. He hoped the conversation would remain quiet. Fortunately, the man facing him responded smoothly.
“Well, I suppose I can guess just by looking at you.”
“Then can you also guess what happens next?”
“What?”
As the man asked in confusion, Seok Myeong took a step forward and drew his sword.
“Heh, so that’s how it is…” The man nodded, then let out a smirk. He seemed to find the situation amusing.
This won’t be easy.
The man remained unruffled despite the provocation. He was simply enjoying the situation. Behind that amused laughter, Seok Myeong felt eyes that had turned cold and calculating. A chilling murderous intent began to seep into his skin. He realized that Dan Ri-geon’s relaxed expression was a confidence born from a lifetime of slaughter.
Ssh.
Seok Myeong approached within arm's reach and paused. He couldn't see a single opening to exploit.
“You look like a fledgling who just stepped into the Jianghu. What were you thinking, pulling a stunt like this?”
“…!”
It happened just as Seok Myeong momentarily let his guard down at the man’s mocking tone.
Simultaneously with his question, the man raised his hand. In that instant, a chain erupted from his wrist as if spring-loaded. Like a hidden mechanism triggered by a pressure plate, the chain lashed out before he even swung his arm.
Clang!
Seok Myeong hastily shoved his sword back into its scabbard. At the same time, he ducked and thrust the scabbard high into the air.
Rumble!
The chain, making a thunderous noise like a howling wolf, snatched the scabbard and pulled it back with immense force. Seok Myeong, still gripping the hilt, was shaken and dragged backward.
The smile vanished from Dan Ri-geon’s lips.
Shink!
Seok Myeong drew his sword from the upward-tilted scabbard and charged forward like a gale.
The scabbard had been a feint. His intention was to let the iron whip wrap around the scabbard to divert the opponent's attention before launching his own attack.
“You’re better than you look.”
Seeing Seok Myeong go beyond simple adaptation to launch a counterattack in an instant, Dan Ri-geon’s eyes grew calm. Despite having his opening exploited, he showed no sign of panic.
The reason became clear the moment Seok Myeong’s sword reached him.
A tiger-skin sleeve peeled back, and something suddenly lunged out to block the sword’s path.
Vroom!
Seok Myeong retreated, feeling a sharp pain as if the webbing of his thumb was tearing. The shock traveled up his wrist, making the bridge of his nose tingle.
“Gauntlets?”
The man’s hands were covered in finely woven gray scales that extended up to his wrists.
“It’s Fish-Scale Armor. To think I’d have to show something like this to a brat like you… I must have been far too careless.”
Rattle!
He began to manipulate the iron whip he had momentarily released. He moved the iron whip—which was over thirty feet long—as if it weighed nothing. Normally, a weapon of that weight would cause the wielder's body to shake from the recoil with every movement, but there was none of that.
An expert!
Clatter! Clatter!
As the iron whip lashed out, Seok Myeong had no choice but to retreat further to maintain distance. The iron whip, which scraped the ground and whipped left and right incessantly, allowed him not a moment’s respite. The speed at which it pierced through the air was so subtle and agile that it defied common sense.
Watching the iron whip gradually hem him in, Seok Myeong felt a realization.
The Jianghu is truly vast.
The opponent hadn't been acting leisurely out of arrogance, but because of an extraordinary level of self-confidence. Though Seok Myeong hadn't fought ordinary people during his travels, he felt it once again: the world was wide, and masters were many.
If a mere branch of the Black Snake Union had an expert of this caliber, how many more must there be in the world?
However, Seok Myeong had no reason for such self-reproach. Dan Ri-geon was a genuine master.
Jeok Ya-seong, who had been dispatched by the Samu Alliance and currently served as the Great Lord of the Black Snake Union, was one of the Five Tyrants. He had belonged to the Enlightenment Hall within the Black Tyrant’s faction before coming here at his superior's call.
The man who came with him was Dan Ri-geon. He was a man who had displayed fearsome prowess as the Enlightenment Hall’s top personal bodyguard. In terms of skill and experience, he was a warrior who rivaled Jeok Ya-seong, a man said to have surpassed the Peak Realm.
“Haa… Haa…”
Naturally, Seok Myeong had no way of knowing this background.
Whirr. Whirr.
Once the iron whip exceeded a certain speed, it began to emit a low, growling sound. Simultaneously, Dan Ri-geon’s hand movements were so rapid they were invisible to the eye, reminiscent of the face-changing art where masks are swapped in a heartbeat.
Seok Myeong stood frozen in place. The tension was mounting, like a string pulled so taut it was about to snap. Since the iron whip was invisible to the naked eye, he was forced into a dilemma of how to dodge or block.
Crack!
The iron whip, which had been appearing and disappearing before his eyes, suddenly manifested and struck Seok Myeong’s shoulder.
“Urgh!”
Seok Myeong twisted his body belatedly, but the blow had already landed. The piece of iron, possessing both weight and sharpness, tore through his shoulder. The sound of flesh ripping reached his ears a moment too late.
Drip.
Blood began to trickle down from below Seok Myeong’s ear.
“Was it an External Style?”
Dan Ri-geon, who had been watching Seok Myeong closely, furrowed his brows. The iron whip had been pushed back by an invisible force, but it didn't feel like it was being deflected by Astral Energy; it was something more peculiar.
Snap! Rattle!
His attacks continued in succession. Believing his opponent had mastered an External Style, he did not hold back. His speed increased, and the wounds on Seok Myeong’s body began to multiply.
How… how can I win?
As the situation grew increasingly dire, Seok Myeong agonized. His opponent was a master on a completely different level than anyone he had faced before. A speed the naked eye couldn't follow. The immense weight inherent in the weapon itself. Furthermore, though made of iron, the whip was essentially a long-range weapon. It attacked freely from a distance.
He couldn't decide how to respond to such an opponent while unable to use his internal energy.
What did Master say to do when I can’t follow them with my eyes…
Hummm—!
It was then. The Dark Heaven Bracelet began to vibrate, and a memory of the past flashed before his eyes.
“In such times, you must sense the Qi and move.”
“Sense the Qi? Is that even possible?”
“It’s difficult. If you had the skill to do that, you wouldn't be worrying about this in the first place.”
“Sigh… then what should I do? Is running away the only option?”
“Yes, you should run.”
“…”
“Unless…”
“Unless?”
“You steal their breath.”
Ching!
I must steal his breath. I have to induce an opening and take control of the flow of the attack.
In his moment of crisis, Seok Myeong’s mind raced. To steal one's breath meant creating an opening where none existed, or showing a deliberate opening to bait an attack.
But what comes after that?
Seok Myeong pondered for a brief moment. What should he do after creating an opening? What kind of attack would be most effective? And how should he prepare for the aftermath?
Then, Seok Myeong’s eyes fell upon Dan Ri-geon’s iron whip. If he could just tie up that whip, he felt he could make something happen.
“Have you given up?”
Dan Ri-geon grew irritated as he saw Seok Myeong seemingly letting his sword drop. Though he was of the Unorthodox Faction, he was a master. Giving up easily was the behavior he loathed most, even in his subordinates. Thus, a note of anger crept into his voice.
Rattle!
He circulated his cultivation and lashed out with the iron whip. This time, it wasn't a feint but a sincere, lethal strike aimed at Seok Myeong.
Seok Myeong’s eyes shone brilliantly as he waited for that very movement.
A brief motion.
The moment he felt something focusing on him, Seok Myeong lunged to the right. He hadn't looked at the iron whip directly, nor at the hand movements. He had dodged by reading the opponent's gaze.
Whoosh!
With an eerie sound, the iron whip whistled past Seok Myeong’s face.
Tap!
Seok Myeong immediately leaped into the air, and Dan Ri-geon’s iron whip followed him upward.
“Fool.”
A smile played on Dan Ri-geon’s lips. It was over. Jumping into the air while facing him was nothing short of suicide. The iron whip was even more expansive and fierce in the air. In such a situation, there were limits to how much one could maneuver using Body Lightness Laws.
Rattle!
Just as Seok Myeong kicked off the air to move in the opposite direction, the iron whip surged toward him even faster.
“Huh?”
A look of bewilderment crossed Seok Myeong’s face. He thought he was out of range, but the iron whip, made of metal, had visibly lengthened like a supple leather whip.
Thump.
Seok Myeong kicked the air and moved. He was faster than the whip’s movement. Just as the iron whip was about to pierce through his body…
Ssh!
A thick mist began to swirl, and Seok Myeong’s form vanished. Then, in an instant, two phantoms appeared. Both phantoms bore Seok Myeong’s likeness.
“The Illusory Lost Track Step?”
Dan Ri-geon’s smile vanished, replaced by wide-eyed shock. A movement technique that created phantoms in mid-air—there was only one sect in all of the Central Plains that used such a martial art.
“Qingcheng? Why is the Qingcheng Sect here?”
He muttered the question to himself, his voice laced with confusion.