Chapter 98
Chapter 98
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Translator: True Detective
Chapter: 98
Chapter Title: The Circumstances of Others
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Shenmu Corps.
A combat unit shrouded in secrecy, created after Joo Do-han became the fortress lord.
This beauty was none other than the corps leader of the Shenmu Corps, Ilji.
Ilji approached Do-han without the slightest hesitation and caressed his shoulder.
Do-han naturally stroked her slender willow waist in return, making it clear at a glance that their relationship was anything but ordinary.
“Your shoulders are so tense. Relax your mind.”
“…The Bloodlight Corps got wiped out by mere bandits. I can’t believe it.”
The Bloodlight Corps and Dark Heaven Corps had served as Do-han’s personal enforcers ever since his days as vice leader of the Heavenly Net Division.
Yet the Dark Heaven Corps had been halved, and the Bloodlight Corps had been utterly annihilated.
‘What the hell are those damn bandits?’
What kind of bandits could inflict such devastating damage on Tyrant Heaven Fortress?
They must harbor a grudge against Tyrant Heaven Fortress.
Could they be remnants of a vassal clan?
In reality, the situation was a bit different, but Do-han had no way of knowing that. In his mind, Hwang Cheon-hyeon’s Mineshaft Bandits had already transformed into a menacing shadowy force.
Ilji smiled softly at Do-han’s gravely serious expression.
“They’re just common thugs at the end of the day. What reason is there to take them so seriously?”
A small, seductive hand slipped inside Do-han’s robes.
Do-han let out a low groan at the soft touch against his bare skin.
A sweet voice whispered in his ear.
“No matter how mighty a force may be, it can’t stand against the reborn Tyrant Heaven Fortress and its divine arts. Relax.”
“…Speaking of which, what’s the status on distributing the Tyrant Heart Seal?”
At Do-han’s question, Ilji’s smile deepened.
“Most of the new low-tier warriors are already cultivating the divine art. We’ve also secretly spread it to martial sects across the regions. They’re all thrilled with its effects and practicing diligently.”
“That makes sense. Even I’m amazed by the Tyrant Heart Seal’s power.”
Tyrant Heart Seal.
It was a profound manual that Ilji had passed on to Do-han—a divine art worthy of the name.
Its inner energy cultivation was incomparably faster than any existing method, making it an irresistible treasure for any warrior.
Having obtained such a thing, everyone would naturally go mad practicing it.
‘Without knowing its true effects, of course.’
A triumphant smile crept across Do-han’s face.
Thinking of the exhilarating future ahead eased his mind completely.
“You’re right. Mere bandits can’t possibly obstruct my grand vision. No, they can’t.”
Ilji glanced sideways at Do-han’s restored composure and subtly changed the subject.
“But… still no word from Hefei?”
“Hm? Ah… come to think of it, no contact yet. It should be wrapping up by now… Tsk, what are they dawdling for?”
“…….”
Ilji fell silent.
Do-han seemed convinced that the Heavenly Light Corps in Hefei had succeeded in ousting the Nangong family, but she already knew things had gone awry.
‘The seventh one withered.’
Every member of the Shenmu Corps was spiritually linked to their leader, Ilji.
Yet a few days ago, her connection to Chilji—who had gone to Hefei with the Heavenly Light Corps—had suddenly severed.
This meant something had happened to Chilji.
In other words, the Nangong ousting had likely failed.
‘…Not a good start.’
Ilji clicked her tongue inwardly.
They had planned to spread the Tyrant Heart Seal across the entire martial world while simultaneously purging the Nine Great Sects and Five Great Clans that stood in their way.
To think the very first step, targeting the Nangong family, had already gone wrong.
What was even more shocking was Chilji’s death.
‘Who the hell took out the seventh?’
Chilji had received power transcending human limits from the great sacred tree.
Harming her would be impossible without someone on the level of the Ten Supremes…
‘Did another of the Ten Supremes show up in Hefei?’
Do-han’s voice pulled Ilji from her thoughts.
“What’s our next target?”
Snapping back to reality, she answered without hesitation.
“Shaolin.”
“…Shaolin.”
Do-han’s expression turned slightly uneasy at her words.
Shaolin Temple.
The pillar of the Central Plains martial world, from which all martial arts are said to originate.
Tyrant Heaven Fortress had been established in Luoyang largely to check Shaolin on Mount Song, at the emperor’s command to restrain the righteous sects.
That was precisely why Do-han felt cautious about Shaolin.
“Is that wise? Of all places, Shaolin… We can’t just rashly—”
“No need to worry. We’ll handle this one discreetly and quietly. The Shenmu Corps will take direct action.”
“The Shenmu Corps?”
Do-han looked surprised.
The Shenmu Corps rarely mobilized, usually sending just one or two to support other units.
For them to step up personally this time…
“Yes. Leave it to us. Soon enough, you won’t have to worry about Shaolin anymore.”
Sweet words, pleasing to the ear.
And utterly reliable ones, too.
Ilji had never once let him down.
Do-han pulled her close with a satisfied expression.
“Kyaa—!”
Ilji let out a sharp squeal as she fell into Do-han’s arms.
She glanced around, feigning embarrassment.
“This is the office. Anyone could walk in…”
“I’m the lord of this fortress. Why should I worry about the underlings’ eyes?”
“Oh….”
Do-han buried his face in the neck of the playfully pouting Ilji and began undoing her robes.
Her cheeks flushed as if embarrassed, and she embraced him— but her expression changed in an instant.
A face chillingly cold amid the room’s heated atmosphere.
A sneer rose on features as devoid of warmth as frozen tundra.
‘That’s right. Keep struggling with your futile ambitions. We’ll use you to exact our revenge—on this empire, on the Central Plains martial world.’
Whether he sensed Ilji’s thoughts or not, Do-han focused entirely on devouring her.
Soon enough, moans of pleasure began echoing from the fortress lord’s office.
*
Henan Province, southern forest path.
Over a few dozen burly men trudged along the road carefree.
“Chieftain~. Let’s take a break.”
“We just did!”
“That ‘just now’ was two hours ago. My legs are killing me.”
“You lazy bastards…!”
Im Chun-il, the former Mineshaft Bandit chieftain leading the way, ground his teeth at the complaints from his trailing subordinates.
He promptly smacked the deputy chieftain on the back of the head.
*Whack!*
“Ow!? Why’d you hit me?!”
“Why? Whyyy? You asking because you don’t know? This is all your fault!”
“…How’s it my fault? You didn’t even bring a map.”
“What’d you say?!”
“Nothing.”
The deputy chieftain grumbled but pretended innocence when Chun-il barked at him.
Chun-il ground his teeth staring at that slippery face.
As he debated beating the damn deputy half to death, the ever-jovial First Squad Leader jumped in.
“Whoa, whoa. Water under the bridge, let’s drop it. We all survived, didn’t we? That’s what counts.”
“Counts my ass! We’re all broke now!”
Just as Chun-il said, the Mineshaft Bandits were now penniless vagrants.
“If that deputy had prepared properly beforehand, none of this would’ve happened!”
Here’s what had gone down with them.
Chun-il and his Mineshaft Bandits, harboring a grudge against Tyrant Heaven Fortress from past events.
Disguised as bandits, they’d ambushed the fortress’s transport convoys and disrupted their operations at every turn.
Their efforts had paid off— Tyrant Heaven Fortress warriors even came to the stronghold on bandit suppression missions.
Chun-il had slain or driven them off with his clan art, the Mountain-Splitting Axe.
But he soon sensed Tyrant Heaven Fortress would launch a full-scale purge against them.
-Prepare to abandon the stronghold and flee at any moment.
Rather than dying gloriously in battle against Tyrant Heaven Fortress, Chun-il wanted to harass them indefinitely, so he ordered the deputy to prepare for assaults.
-Hey, squad leaders. You heard? Get ready.
The deputy, finding it a hassle, dumped it on the squad leaders.
-Kids. You hear that? Handle it yourselves.
The squad leaders, also lazy, passed it to the grunts.
But what did the grunts know?
Told to “handle it,” they dithered and ended up packing only daily sundries.
Then, the Bloodlight Corps—an enemy far stronger than expected—appeared.
*We must’ve pissed off Tyrant Heaven Fortress more than we thought* (total delusion), thought Chun-il.
Judging a head-on fight insane, he lured the Bloodlight Corps into the stronghold.
He then escaped via a secret passage, sealed all entrances, and set it ablaze.
Trapped inside, the Bloodlight Corps burned to annihilation.
Chun-il and the bandits cheered wildly.
What the grunts handed over wasn’t the stronghold’s hidden loot, but useless junk like bowls and spoons.
-W-Wait, so all the loot we took from Tyrant Heaven Fortress is…?
The bandits stared in dismay at their stronghold reduced to ashes.
And so, they became wandering vagrants heading south, having lost everything.
‘If only that bastard had done his job…!’
The idea that *he* should’ve handled it never crossed Chun-il’s mind.
He griped for a while about how incompetent his men were.
As the quietly listening deputy started seriously considering just decking him,
“But… where the hell are we even going?”
A question flew from the squad leader known for his pragmatic, cool-headed nature.