Chapter 24
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 24
Chapter Title: Saving Jong Sobin
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Hoo, what a fool. Prepare yourselves for battle. We're all going to die here anyway."
Jong Sobin forced herself to her feet as she spoke.
I turned to face her.
"Rest for a moment, please. I'll handle this."
Jong Sobin scowled, and Hwayeong whispered to her.
"Little Palace Lord, the Scholar must have some trick up his sleeve to be so confident. Why not just watch?"
"Third Protector, does that even make sense? One of them is a peak master, and the other four are first-class experts. Even fighting alongside the Scholar, we can't guarantee victory."
One of Jong Sobin's subordinates fetched a leather pouch from another medicine hall.
Unable to steady herself properly, she planned to use the needles as hidden weapons.
Hwayeong showed no sign of intimidation even with the five Blood Cult experts right in front of her.
"I trust Scholar Cheon."
Her unwavering resolve against Blood Cult masters stemmed from her faith in me.
"So this is where you meet your end. Not a bad place for graves."
The man dressed as a constabulary chief stepped forward and spoke.
Jong Sobin said quietly,
"Why does the Blood Cult want an Ice Sacred Body?"
"You asking because you don't know?"
"You're aware that the Ice Sacred Body is only useful in our palace. There must be something else to it."
The chief looked at Jong Sobin with pity.
"You know how to create an Ice Sacred Body, yet you know nothing."
"Chief, do we really need to reveal our secrets to these dying fools?"
One of the constables approached and spoke, but the chief shoved him aside.
"It's more frustrating to die ignorant than knowing."
The chief continued.
"The Ice Sacred Body is a purely immaculate physique. A perfect vessel. They say possessing an Ice Sacred Body means possessing the world. If the user masters our cult's strongest martial arts, who could stand against them?"
I responded to his words.
"A soul in a pristine state, perfect for indoctrinating with the Demonic Cult's filthy ideology and turning into a war machine."
The chief finally noticed me and asked with a sneer.
"That's right. But who the hell are you? Where does this scholar scum butt in?"
He had completely overlooked me since scholars showed no trace of inner energy.
"Just think of me as a scholar who came for treatment because he was sick. That'll make things easier for you."
"This bastard's acting all high and mighty. Drag him over and make him kneel before me."
At the chief's command, two constables charged at me like lightning.
True to the Blood Cult elites, they showed no carelessness even against a scholar.
But I saw this as an opportunity.
A chance to thin their numbers.
The moment the two grabbed my shoulders to snap them, I narrowed mine and slipped backward.
Using the Phantom Ghost Shadow Divine Art, I evaded like a specter, and they reacted as if expecting it, thrusting swords at my chest and throat.
A thoroughly practical and ruthless move.
Smack!
But I struck the backs of their hands with my palms.
In that single strike, their sword hands shredded like rags.
As they flinched in shock, I pushed their foreheads with my palms.
Boom!
With the sound of bursting leather drums, the two flew three zhang into the air before crashing limply to the ground.
"Great Power Diamond Palm!"
The chief immediately recognized my technique.
I had folded and extended my index finger; it was unmistakable. Shaolin palm techniques, modeled after the Buddha's hand, mostly involved flexing and extending the fingers.
The most suitable palm art for maximizing strength and agility was the Great Power Diamond Palm.
My mind held knowledge of most major Nine Great Sects' martial arts.
As part of the Inspection Unit with access to martial arts secret records and annals, I could easily study them.
Moreover, Murim Alliance warriors dismissed scholars, continuing their forms training even if I watched.
Just as scholars scorned warriors as illiterate brutes, warriors belittled scholars as weak cowards.
"Are you from Shaolin?"
The chief's voice weakened as he glanced at my head.
"Which sect are you from?"
As the chief tried to buy time with words, another constable sneaked behind me for a stab.
A despicably insidious ploy.
But I drew my fan and flicked the sword away.
Clang!
Fearing my palm strike like the others, the constable hastily retreated.
I had anticipated that and, the moment I deflected the sword, hurled the fan.
Whirr!
The fan shot like lightning, grazing his nape.
Flutter!
At my gesture, it returned to my hand.
"Kunlun Sect's Clear Cool Thread!"
The chief shouted in surprise.
He recognized the Kunlun Sect's Clear Cool Thread at a glance, though it wasn't particularly famous.
"You know the orthodox martial arts well. You've done your research."
I fanned myself leisurely before darting forward with the Phantom Ghost Shadow Divine Art.
The chief noticed and dodged three zhang to the side, but the remaining constable couldn't react.
In the martial world, failure to react meant death.
My fan smashed down on his crown.
Crack!
With the sound of splitting rock, his skull caved in, and he crumpled.
Since he reacted to the Phantom Ghost Shadow Divine Art, the chief was at least a first-class master.
The chief muttered, his killing intent rising.
"Great Power Diamond Palm, Clear Cool Thread. You must be that joint vanguard the Murim Alliance has been secretly raising. Who'd have thought I'd find the one we couldn't track down here."
"Oh, that rumor? But I'm not the one."
"Deny it all you want now. What warrior possesses both Shaolin and Kunlun arts in one body?"
"Sheesh, you won't believe me even if I say no."
That instant, I went from Murim Alliance secret weapon to their secret joint vanguard.
To face a first-class or higher master, I needed my most confident techniques. I picked up a dead constable's sword.
"Whose sword style is that?"
"Hm, yeah, plenty of room for misunderstanding. The sword art I'm about to use is from the Nangong Family."
"Heh heh heh, denying it even as you do that."
The chief showed no fear despite losing four subordinates.
Jong Sobin spoke to keep me from getting careless.
"He's a peak master. You can't handle him alone. We need to coordinate with you."
"I can manage him by myself. Just rest there."
The chief interjected.
"Arrogant brat. Still too young to know the world's dangers."
As we prepared to clash, Jong Sobin quickly asked,
"Just one question. How did you know we had an Ice Sacred Body? Only the Ice Palace leadership knows it's me."
"Kuh hah hah, girl. So naive. Isn't it strange even Demonic Cult rabble know? The elders must have sold the info everywhere."
After the Palace Lord's mysterious death, the elders seized control. Suspecting they targeted the Ice Sacred Body, Jong Sobin fled with it.
'The elders are ruining the Ice Palace. Greedy fools... in the end.'
The chief drew his blade.
"That little girl lying there must be the Ice Sacred Body. I can feel the chill from here."
A frosty aura emanated from the girl who had consumed the Ice Crystal.
"No need for the rest. I'll kill you all."
Hummm!
His iron blade glowed red-hot.
'A blade technique that heats the weapon—Jeomchang Sect's Crimson Dragon Eighteen Blades. Inner energy strong enough to make iron glow that red?'
A warrior came to mind.
Crimson Dragon Jeomchang Demon Wanbok.
He popularized Jeomchang Sect's Crimson Dragon Eighteen Blades in the martial world but became their shame.
Entering as a lay disciple, he killed his master, stole the art, and defected to the Blood Cult.
Many orthodox luminaries had fallen to his Crimson Dragon Eighteen Blades.
The problem was Wanbok's mastery as a seasoned peak expert.
'No wonder he's unfazed with all his men dead. He has confidence handling us all.'
I said to him,
"Never thought I'd encounter the infamous Crimson Dragon Jeomchang Demon here."
Wanbok tilted his head at my calm response.
"You know who I am and still talk like that?"
"This seat? Your ego's inflated."
Wanbok didn't know.
The Jeomchang Sect had disclosed the Crimson Dragon Eighteen Blades manual to the Murim Alliance to deal with him.
I already knew its weaknesses.
"Young upstarts are always fearless."
As Wanbok swung his red blade, it felt like a crimson dragon lunging.
I had long exchanged blows with him in my mind to hone the fully comprehended Vault of Heaven Unfettered Sword Technique in real combat.
Crunch!
Our blade and sword clashed, emitting an odd tone.
Normal inner energy clashes boomed, but mine used spirit energy, muting the impact.
Kwang!
Whoom!
Controlled clashes rang repeatedly, furrowing Wanbok's brow.
The fight unfolded differently than he expected.
As Wanbok amped his inner energy, I circulated my primal energy to accelerate strength and agility.
"Urk!"
My sword strike shook him so hard his arm wavered.
Wanbok's eyes bulged.
Nearly one jia of inner energy pressure, yet the scholar's sword didn't shatter—instead, his own blade bounced back.
'What the hell is this guy? No way his inner energy matches one jia?'
If so, thunderous clashes would have erupted on impact.
Moreover, his swordsmanship was the Vault of Heaven Unfettered Sword Technique.
He had once killed a Nangong Family elder, but it wasn't like this.
'Is this bastard stronger than that Nangong elder?'
Resolved to die, Wanbok unleashed all his inner energy.
He didn't care if his innate essence shattered, shortening his life.
He sensed this was a do-or-die moment.
"Ugh!"
The force behind the Crimson Dragon Eighteen Blades changed.
Each block felt like it would wrench his wrist and elbow apart.
When exploiting weaknesses, he countered with suicidal mutual destruction, preventing clean finishes.
"I'll teach you how real combat differs."
After ten more exchanges with Wanbok, I realized my misjudgment.
A peak master staking his life meant I had to be ready to die too.
I unleashed Vault Flash Sea-Splitting to push him back and said to Jong Sobin,
"I know this sounds lame now, but I'm overwhelmed alone. Let's team up."
As if anticipating it, Hwayeong and Jong Sobin flanked me the moment I spoke.
Her subordinates guarded the girl to avoid interfering.
"We'll use hidden needles, so attack freely."
Jong Sobin and Hwayeong opened pouches filled with large and thin needles.
Wanbok didn't dare bare his fangs as we coordinated.
As Hwayeong and Jong Sobin showered him with large and thin needles, he deflected them with his blade.
I exploited the openings to unleash the Vault of Heaven Unfettered Sword Technique without restraint.
Only then did the battle balance.
I realized—even as a genius, I couldn't be a combat genius from the start.