Chapter 149
Chapter 149
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Translator: True Detective
Chapter: 149
Chapter Title: Red Ghost Squad
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The figures that appeared before Yong Hwi's eyes were bizarre.
Staring blankly into empty space with red eyes, growling noises endlessly spilling from their mouths.
That appearance was unmistakably that of someone ensnared by the demonic nature of the Blood Burst Technique.
Yet, even with prey named Yong Hwi right in front of them, they neither bared their teeth and charged nor let out roars—they simply stood there obediently.
A stark contrast to those trapped in the first cavern earlier.
Like well-trained hunting dogs, perhaps?
“This wasn’t how I originally intended to use them, but if it means obtaining the Sword Qi Merchant, it’s a loss I can afford.”
As Yong Hwi twisted his lips while gazing at them, an unwelcome sound reached his ears.
Hearing footsteps pursuing him from the passage behind, he clicked his tongue lowly.
“Tch, useless things. Can’t even buy me time.”
Disparaging the sacrifice of his subordinates who had remained faithful to orders until their dying breath, Yong Hwi pulled something from his bosom.
What he drew out was none other than a small whistle.
He placed the mouthpiece between his lips and blew hard.
-~!
But no sound came from the whistle.
If an outsider had seen it, they might have thought the whistle was broken.
In truth, it was entirely different.
This whistle was designed from the start to emit sounds inaudible to humans, meant to awaken those who were no longer human.
“Grrr...!”
The red eyes that had been staring blankly into space regained focus.
Beast-like growls echoed louder and clearer.
Faces twisting, baring teeth—beasts in human form.
Their gazes turned toward the two who had just entered the cavern.
*
What the hell is this now?
Emerging from the passage following the deranged old man, we were greeted by yet another vast cavern and dozens of shadowy figures.
Every one with red eyes and beastly growls.
Like those in the first cavern, they had clearly cultivated the Blood Burst Technique.
How many more test subjects could there possibly be?—the thought made me furrow my brow involuntarily.
“Th-this is...!”
Meanwhile, Jegal Geun-yeong, who had come with me, widened his eyes upon seeing the faces of the Blood Burst Technique cultivators.
“Ho-chan...! Dae-heon...!”
His face filled with dismay as he murmured names.
Seemed like familiar faces.
“Are these all people from the Jegal Clan as well?”
“...Yes. Most are faces I recognize. They left the clan recently under the pretext of long-term missions.”
Regret and guilt surfaced on Jegal Geun-yeong’s face.
But it twisted in fury at the hoarse, rasping voice echoing through the cavern.
“How about it, Il Gong-ja? A bit different from the previous failures, no?”
“Elder Council Head...!”
Jegal Geun-yeong’s usually composed face turned savage, flames leaping in his eyes.
At the end of that gaze stood the deranged old man, the Elder Council Head.
“I’ve subdued the souls of those who lost their minds to the Blood Burst Technique using a supreme art from a now-extinct clan. Thanks to that, I can command ones stronger and faster than ordinary martial artists, bending them to my will.”
He spoke gleefully of turning innocent blood kin into mindless puppets.
Ha, what the hell do I do with this hopeless bastard?
“I’ve named them the Red Ghost Squad. They were originally meant to be the clan’s new enforcers. Though things didn’t go as planned, if they can help obtain the Sword Qi Merchant, it’s what these children would want too.”
“How many blood kin have you sacrificed in the meantime—!?”
A heartrending cry, as if vomiting blood.
But the Elder Council Head remained utterly nonchalant, as if it were nothing.
“Please don’t call their devotion a sacrifice. The ones you saw earlier, and these here—they all chose this of their own will.”
“What nonsense...!”
“Is it truly nonsense, that you’re so certain?”
The Elder Council Head’s rasping voice cut off Jegal Geun-yeong’s indignant shout, eyes bulging in disbelief.
“Everyone in the Jegal Clan knows it, feels it. How we’re viewed in the murim, how we’re treated.”
“......”
“Il Gong-ja harbors it in his heart, as do I. Do you think they didn’t?”
They couldn’t not have.
Especially since they weren’t in high positions, it was likely even worse.
Jegal Geun-yeong fell silent at the Elder Council Head’s words.
Silence is affirmation, and the old man’s hateful wrinkles deepened.
“They were the same. Unable to endure the persecution and mockery from other clans and sects. So when I said there was a way to revive the clan, they gladly accepted.”
At those words, Jegal Geun-yeong looked at the mindless ones—the Red Ghost Squad—with shaking eyes.
Seemed like he was being swayed by the old man’s silver tongue.
I couldn’t hold back and cut in.
“Bullshit, you crazy old geezer.”
“...Goon So-hyeop?”
Two pairs of eyes turned to me at my cursing.
I met the startled gaze of Jegal Geun-yeong among them.
“Don’t get suckered by the old man’s sophistry, Branch Head. It’s all empty talk missing the key points.”
“Empty talk? What exactly is empty about it?”
The one retorting to my words was the Elder Council Head.
Outwardly furious at having his words dismissed as nonsense, but to my eyes, even that seemed fake.
“You already know, so why ask? Fine, since it came up, let’s hear it. You’re saying these people stepped up voluntarily for the clan, right?”
“That’s right. These children all did so of their own...”
“And they all knew they’d be cultivating the Blood Burst Technique?”
“...That’s.”
The Elder Council Head faltered for a moment, at a loss for words.
Caught you—I smirked faintly.
“No, right? You just lured them in with talk of ‘for the clan,’ deceived them, and made them cultivate the Blood Burst Technique.”
It was a claim without evidence, but I was fairly certain.
The way that old man toyed with Jegal Geun-yeong’s tongue—it was clearly the work of someone experienced.
“...Is that true?”
Jegal Geun-yeong cast a suspicious glance at the Elder Council Head upon hearing me.
The old man, briefly flustered by the look, stroked his impeccably maintained pure white beard.
“What does it matter? What matters is that they’re devoting themselves to the clan...”
“So it’s true.”
The Elder Council Head revealed his hidden intentions at Jegal Geun-yeong’s cold voice cutting him off.
“Il Gong-ja. I’ve been giving you chances all along. Just agree with me and join us, and everything can be fine.”
“What would be fine? You’ll keep using blood kin as scapegoats!”
“It was a necessary sacrifice! Thanks to it, the clan’s glorious future is within reach!”
Spittle flying as he ranted fervently.
He looked like a zealot lost in blind faith.
“It’s almost complete. With the task fulfilled, the clan will rise as the world’s foremost martial house, and Il Gong-ja will succeed the family head and lead the clan’s brilliant revival. Just one step back—one step—and that future is yours!”
Now he was practically begging.
The Elder Council Head gazed at Jegal Geun-yeong with desperate eyes.
But Jegal Geun-yeong’s response was ice cold.
“To reach that glorious future you speak of, you’ll have to trample over my corpse.”
A resolute voice, unyielding eyes.
It was a declaration that he and I would forever run parallel, never meeting.
“Hah...”
A sigh of resignation leaked from between his pure white beard.
Shaking his head, the Elder Council Head hardened his face.
“...If you want to live, beg for your life. Then I’ll stop them.”
Changing his tone to a menacing warning, the Elder Council Head placed the whistle’s mouthpiece back in his mouth and blew twice.
-Kya-aaah!
-Kuaak!
Whether reacting to the whistle’s inaudible sound, the Red Ghost Squad’s roars intensified.
“Go kill them.”
At the Elder Council Head’s low command, they charged at us madly.
Looks like the old man thinks he can take me down with this Red Ghost Squad or whatever.
Stronger and faster?
Still just mindless beasts.
I slowly drew my sword and stepped forward, when Jegal Geun-yeong’s hesitant voice came from behind.
“G-Goon So-hyeop...”
“Hm?”
Glancing back, I saw Jegal Geun-yeong opening and closing his mouth as if wanting to say something.
But the words that emerged carried an entirely different meaning.
“B-Be careful.”
“......”
I stared silently at the sighing Jegal Geun-yeong.
The words he’d nearly choked out were probably not ‘Please show mercy.’
Though reduced to mindless beasts, they were still blood kin connected by the same veins.
No matter what, he didn’t want to see them slaughtered mercilessly.
“Hmm...”
I looked ahead again.
The Red Ghost Squad had crossed the cavern and closed to within a few paces.
Mad, frenzied red eyes gleaming, mouths drooling with bloodlust.
Monstrous dangers through and through.
Yet their true nature was victims deceived by the Elder Council Head’s sweet lies.
With that thought, I let out a small sigh, sheathed my sword, and gripped the scabbard instead.
Jegal Geun-yeong looked startled at my action.
“Goon So-hyeop...?”
“If I’m subduing them without killing, I can’t cover your side properly, Branch Head. That okay with you?”
His face brightened at my question, and he nodded vigorously.
“Yes!”
That spirited shout was the signal, and we clashed with the Red Ghost Squad.