Chapter 25
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 25
Chapter Title: Betting One's Life
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Movement-restricted Jong Sobin hurled acupuncture needles as hidden weapons, while Hwayeong targeted Wanbok with the North Sea Ice Palace's ultimate technique, the Ice White Asura Sword.
Yet Wanbok's swordsmanship was so refined that she easily parried both women's attacks.
On top of that, since they didn't know the weaknesses of the Crimson Dragon Eighteen Paths, they couldn't strike effectively.
Whenever that happened, Cheon Taesan had to exploit those weaknesses with the Vault of Heaven Unfettered Sword Technique to restore the battle's balance.
'Peak experts are this terrifying.'
He hadn't truly grasped what a peak expert was like from the occasional encounters with Murim Alliance martial artists, but now, fighting one firsthand, he could feel their greatness.
Even when Cheon Taesan accelerated his vital energy to maximize his strength and agility, targeting Wanbok—who was drawing out her inner power with resolve unto death—was no easy task.
"Try blocking this!"
Wanbok poured all her inner energy into the Crimson Dragon Eighteen Paths, boosting its speed.
Her insides burned with frustration.
Even giving her all, she hadn't taken out a single one of the three.
Having reached the peak long ago, she had always been confident in any fight.
But these three were no pushovers either, refusing to go down easily.
Then, the staggering Little Palace Lord of the Ice Palace caught her eye.
'The Ice Palace's Little Palace Lord is injured. I should focus on her, take her out, and escape.'
Wanbok decided to retreat and regroup with her subordinates later.
She unleashed the Crimson Dragon Eighteen Paths' ultimate strike, God-Path Unity.
Jong Sobin had deliberately exposed an opening to lure Wanbok in, seeing no chance to counterattack otherwise.
'I have to block her with my life on the line. If she escapes and brings her subordinates back, we won't hold out. Anyway, I'm not long for this world...'
She gathered icy cold qi to her sword to its limit, preparing her final ultimate technique—and Wanbok took the bait.
A blizzard howled forth from her sword strike.
Her inner energy was already depleted from fighting the Blood Cultists, and her wounds weakened the technique's power, but as a desperate strike betting her life, its might was tremendous.
Boom!
As icy cold qi clashed with Wanbok's inner energy, thunder roared.
The impact made Jong Sobin spew fresh blood.
Cough!
Wanbok pierced through the blizzard, flying toward Jong Sobin.
Her God-Path Unity had lost none of its power.
Jong Sobin had unleashed everything she had; she had no regrets.
Sensing her end, she squeezed her eyes shut.
Seeing Wanbok's God-Path Unity aimed at Jong Sobin, Cheon Taesan pushed the Ox Demon Ghost Shadow Divine Method to its limit.
"Phantom Shift!"
An exclamation burst from Hwayeong's lips.
The scholar reached the Little Palace Lord in an instant.
Cheon Taesan said to the wide-eyed Jong Sobin.
"Don't close your eyes, my lady. You have to see this villain's end to tell your fallen subordinates, don't you?"
At the scholar's absurd words, Jong Sobin let out a chuckle amid the blood.
To shatter Wanbok's God-Path Unity, Cheon Taesan realized he too would have to stake his life.
'Fine. I'll break your God-Path Unity myself.'
Feeling even maximum acceleration of strength and agility wouldn't suffice against Wanbok's God-Path Unity, he spun his vital energy faster than its limit.
His spirit energy drained out in torrents.
'This is shortening my lifespan.'
Spinning vital energy at max speed to maximize power, he felt his own lifespan ticking away rapidly.
'To break a peak expert's God-Path Unity, I have to bet my life. Coldly speaking, this is my current level. With two vital energies, facing a peak expert is too much.'
Dragon's Roar, Ocean's Overflow.
Meaning a dragon's breath stirs tidal waves, Cheon Taesan judged this the most suitable eighth form of the Vault of Heaven Unfettered Sword Technique against God-Path Unity.
An ultimate technique injecting spirit energy into the sword and projecting it as void slashes.
As Cheon Taesan suddenly appeared and swung, Wanbok was slightly startled but raised her sword to block.
Cheon Taesan unleashed the eighth form, Dragon's Roar, Ocean's Overflow, over Wanbok's head.
Thud!
The impact and vibration shook the ground like a house-sized boulder crashing down.
Wanbok, colliding with Cheon Taesan's sword, flew back sword-in-hand before planting her feet.
The shock of her feet hitting ground made her head whip side to side.
Crack!
Suddenly, her head split open like a ripe watermelon.
Spirit energy from Cheon Taesan's sword had cleaved her skull.
In that moment, Jong Sobin and Hwayeong's jaws dropped wide.
Every orifice on their faces gaped, refusing to close.
Hwayeong exhaled and muttered.
"It's true. A secret weapon of the Murim Alliance... a Joint Battle Elite."
Shaolin's staff arts, Kunlun's fist arts, Nangong Family's sword arts.
For one man to wield ultimate techniques of the Nine Great Sects—unviewable even by non-successor disciples—it could only be explained as a Joint Battle Elite.
As Cheon Taesan caught his breath and approached Jong Sobin, she flinched in surprise.
"...Why?"
"Your bleeding won't stop. It seems you've severely damaged a major blood vessel. May I take a look?"
It was the inner thigh, an embarrassing spot.
But as a former physician, Jong Sobin knew it was medical treatment and didn't mind much.
Cheon Taesan re-pressed the acupoints near her thigh and infused spirit energy.
Inner energy could soothe meridians but not mend blood vessels.
Spirit energy, however, permeated even into vessels, granting the power to reconnect severed ones.
'Damn, using up all spirit energy in battle then spending more has me dizzy.'
Only by maxing both vital energies to emit spirit energy could he barely reconnect the vessel.
Cheon Taesan suppressed the urge to collapse from vertigo.
As the bleeding slowed, he splinted the thigh and wrapped it tightly with bandages.
"Try not to move this leg if possible. If the reconnected vessel tears again, it can't be fixed."
Amazed by the scholar's skilled handling, Jong Sobin nodded.
As a physician, 'How did you reconnect a severed blood vessel?' nearly escaped her throat, but now wasn't the time for curiosity, so she swallowed it.
"Thank you."
He'd glimpsed it earlier, but infusing spirit energy for treatment let Cheon Taesan confirm her constitution once more, so he said.
"I know where the possessor of the Solar Body is."
At those words, Jong Sobin and Hwayeong were stunned.
'Who is this man?'
I knew Jong Sobin's unique meridian.
'The Cold Command Three Yin Severed Meridian is known to appear in North Sea Ice Palace martial artists. Specifically, in the Palace Lord's direct lineage who master icy cold qi to the extreme.'
This meridian was infamous for dooming one to a short life without absorbing Solar Body energy.
'No heat in Jong Sobin's body means she hasn't absorbed Solar Body energy.'
Jong Sobin still couldn't regain her composure.
Feeling utterly exposed, she adjusted her clothes.
"I'll tell you the Solar Body possessor's location later. Right now, your safety is most urgent. Do you have anyone to protect you?"
Jong Sobin opened her mouth with a grim gaze.
"Everyone here is all we have."
I knew they'd made great sacrifices to guard Yeoseol.
"Why create a fake Ice Sacred Body?"
Jong Sobin ordered her subordinates to clear the physicians' corpses strewn about, then explained.
"To protect the Ice Sacred Body completed after centuries, the Palace Lord passed away. As Little Palace Lord, I'm following her will to guard it. Because we believe the Ice Sacred Body will return to the Ice Palace."
I thought there might be a greater purpose, but it was a sense of duty.
"Since you know everything, Scholar, no need for more explanation. We just hope that once the Ice Sacred Body gains power, she'll save the Ice Palace from external threats and become Palace Lord."
To her steeped in defeat, I offered hope.
"There is someone to protect you."
"Us?"
Hwayeong shot to her feet at my words.
"Who?"
"The Murim Alliance."
"Ah!"
At the unexpected answer, Hwayeong and Jong Sobin gasped.
"I don't understand why you didn't request help from the Murim Alliance. As North Sea Ice Palace's Little Palace Lord, they'd protect you actively."
"The Murim Alliance might covet the Ice Sacred Body too."
"Possible. But right now, no other group can shield you from the Blood Cult or Demonic Cult."
"What about the Nangong Family?"
"Not a bad choice. But the Nangong Family sees much traffic. Securing safety here would be hard."
Jong Sobin nodded.
"That makes sense. Places like Mount Hua Sect or Wudang Sect, isolated from the world, would be better. But they're too far."
I continued.
"If you're willing, I'll request protection from the White Tiger Unit Leader. With their guard, you can evade Blood Cult and Demonic Cult infiltrators in Hefei and reach the Murim Alliance safely."
As Jong Sobin and Hwayeong pondered deeply, I added.
"Then, gather your scattered disciples nationwide and reclaim the Ice Palace, right?"
Seeing Jong Sobin's situation—living apart as Little Palace Lord—I understood her predicament.
They realized it was the best option.
"We'll follow your lead, Scholar."
Jong Sobin stared straight at me.
"Once I'm safe, if I ask for the Ice Sacred Body, will you hand her over?"
I'd expected this.
"If the Ice Sacred Body were an object, I'd give her. But if she's a thinking being, shouldn't we follow her will? If she wants to stay with Jong Sobin, I'll send her."
Jong Sobin said to me.
"Keep that promise. The Ice Sacred Body is the Ice Palace's treasure, but also its history."
"I'm not keeping the Ice Sacred Body out of greed. You keep calling her that, but she's a girl who's lost her memories. And that girl sees me as her big brother. How could I force her out?"
Hwayeong and Jong Sobin nodded.
Anyone else would never leave the Ice Sacred Body alone.
They'd keep her even chased by Blood Cult or Demonic Cult.
But entrusted to a scholar possibly the Murim Alliance's secret weapon or Joint Battle Elite under Nangong protection, it was safest.
Even now.
"As the Ice Sacred Body's big brother, may I ask? Does she have a name?"
"Yes. I introduce her as my cousin, and named her Cheon Yeoseol."
"A pretty name. Treasure her. She must become the Ice Palace's Palace Lord someday."
"Urk!"
Mid-sentence, Jong Sobin paled and trembled violently.
"Oh no!"
Hwayeong startled and checked her.
"Scholar, sorry, but can you tell us now where the Solar Body possessor is? Using innate qi has disrupted the Little Palace Lord's balance. We need Solar Body energy immediately."
"First, to the Murim Alliance safehouse. It's not far. Prepare there before going. Can you hold on?"
Jong Sobin nodded, lips quivering.
"About half a shichen..."
I recalled the Murim Alliance safehouses scattered locally from the secret manual.
"Wouldn't going to the Nangong Family be better?"
At Hwayeong's question, Jong Sobin shook her head.
"Not even to protect the Ice Sacred Body. If we go to Nangong Family, no. Probably why the Scholar requests Alliance protection."
Jong Sobin's words were spot on.
For Cheon Yeoseol's safety, them going to Nangong Family wasn't ideal.
I took the fake Ice Sacred Body and Jong Sobin's subordinates to the safehouse.
The agents there were startled by our arrival.
I explained everything and contacted the White Tiger Unit Leader to protect them.
An agent dashed off somewhere.
Hwayeong said.
"We can't go like this. Get clean clothes for me and the Little Palace Lord quickly."
Hwayeong and the Little Palace Lord's clothes were torn and bloodstained everywhere.
I shook my head.
"Wear the martial robes here for now. And only Jong goes."
"Pardon? I need to escort the Little Palace Lord, especially injured."
"When the White Tiger Leader arrives, who'll believe that girl is the real Ice Sacred Body without the branch leader here?"
"No, Blood Cult and Demonic Cult chase us knowing we have the Ice Sacred Body, but the Alliance might not know. The White Tiger Unit's just hunting their thugs."
Jong Sobin listened then told Hwayeong.
"Third Protector, the Scholar's right. If trouble hits here, escape with Yeowon immediately."
I sighed.
"If so, head straight to Nangong Family without hesitation."
Thinking it over, for Yeowon's protection, leaving a first-rate expert seemed wise.
"You really are the Alliance's secret weapon or Joint Battle Elite, right?"
Hwayeong, uneasy about sending the Little Palace Lord alone, asked me.
I stared at her and shook my head.
"I'm just a lowly scholar."
At my words, Hwayeong smiled instead of disappointing.
"Confirmed."
"Pardon?"
"Hiding your identity even in crisis means rigorous training. Revealing it would've made me doubt you."
"Sigh."
I was frustrated that truth sounded like lies here.
But no time to clear misunderstandings now.
"Alright, let's go."
As Jong Sobin stood blankly, I recalled her thigh injury.
"Sigh. This really isn't my thing."
I knelt back-facing her, and Jong Sobin hesitated.
A Little Palace Lord never carried on a man's back.
"Think of me as your patient. You've treated plenty of male patients."
At that, Jong Sobin climbed on my back.
I swiftly headed to the outskirts.
"Where to?"
"Just a geng away. The Solar Body possessor will be there."
"Will be? Not certain?"
Her breath tickled my ear.
"Eighty to ninety percent sure. Possibly several."
Jong Sobin spoke.
"We searched a year without finding the Solar Body. Multiple?"
Her skeptical sigh tickled my nape.