Chapter 159
Chapter 159
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 159
Chapter Title: A Grave Miscalculation
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*BOOM!*
He barely blocked the incoming fist, but his body was sent flying backward.
Hyang-i, who hadn't been able to block it in time due to the suddenness of the attack, belatedly drew her dagger.
“This is not your place. Step back. You'll get hurt.”
“…”
But the one who blocked her path was Mak Cheong-ju's attendant, Cheon-hyu.
As he barred her way with his menacing broadsword aimed at her, Hyang-i's eye twitched.
“Hurt? Who? Me-e-e?!”
She instantly slashed her dagger at his throat, but not a hint of panic could be seen on Cheon-hyu's face.
*Kaaaang!*
“…”
And the dagger was repelled.
Even though she hadn't used her full strength, Hyang-i couldn't hide her bewilderment.
Not by Mak Cheong-ju, but by his guard…?
The tingling numbness in her palm made Hyang-i's anger erupt.
“You son of a bitch!”
But what mattered was Neung Un-bi's safety.
Wasn't Mak Cheong-ju chasing after Neung Un-bi, who had been thrown back by the blow?
“Shit! You just wait! I'll be right back to slit your throat!”
Hyang-i spun around to pursue Mak Cheong-ju, but she couldn't move forward.
The sword was once again aimed at her.
“I told you to step back.”
“…”
“This is not a fight for a little girl like you to interfere in.”
Her path blocked, Hyang-i stared at Cheon-hyu.
*What did he just say?*
*Little girl, little girl, little…*
As the words echoed in her mind, a dimple appeared on Hyang-i's cheek.
The smile that appeared with the dimple deepened, and her unbound hair whipped wildly in the air.
“You… want to die right now, don't you?”
“...?”
The moment her eyes, stained with a killing intent so thick it belied her brilliant smile, flashed, the world before Cheon-hyu's eyes suddenly went dark, as if a gloomy night had fallen.
“…An Evil Eye?”
Realizing the sudden darkness was an illusion created by Hyang-i's eyes, Cheon-hyu scowled.
It was a type of bewitchment. Like a mouse facing a snake, it overwhelmed the will of anyone who met her gaze, trapping them in an illusion…
“Hmph! You think I'd fall for such petty sorcery! Hah!”
Cheon-hyu roared, infusing his shout with internal energy to break the spell.
*Craaaack!*
The space Hyang-i had created and Cheon-hyu's internal energy collided violently.
“…Huh?”
The illusion didn't disappear.
He was still in darkness, and from within it, a chilling voice echoed.
「You fool… Did you think my Dark Heavenly Rain could be broken so easily?」
Cheon-hyu's eyes widened at the voice that seemed to come from all directions.
He had been so sure he could break free from the sorcery…
「You… will surely die.」
*Swoooooosh!*
The rain falling from the darkness, Dark Heavenly Rain.
“Damn it all!”
As the darkness, like a storm cloud unleashing a downpour, rained down rays of light imbued with sharp energy, Cheon-hyu gripped his broadsword tightly.
Just as she had to protect Neung Un-bi, Cheon-hyu had to protect Mak Cheong-ju. He had no choice but to block it somehow.
No, even if he couldn't block it, he had to hold her here. To prevent her from interfering with Mak Cheong-ju.
“Hah!”
With a shout, the broadsword began to swing ceaselessly.
Rain of Blades, Ten Thousand Waves.
*Kwooooo!*
In the darkness, Hyang-i's daggers, pouring down like rain, and Cheon-hyu's broadsword, surging like the waves of the great sea, clashed relentlessly.
*CRASH! KWA-CRASH! CRASH!*
The battle between the daggers that pierced all and the broadsword that swallowed all had begun.
And elsewhere, in the meantime.
“Wait! Just stop for a second!”
“Silence!”
The fight was in full swing, with Mak Cheong-ju, blinded by rage, unleashing a storm of attacks, and Neung Un-bi fleeing for his life using the Three Nothings Footwork to its absolute limit.
“Lunar Eclipse Squad! Stop the Chief!”
Startled by the sudden fight, Ju Seung finally came to his senses and tried to intervene.
Hyang-i's fight was also raging, but the urgent matter was Neung Un-bi.
“You crazy bastards! Stay put! Why are you getting involved too!”
But even while fleeing, Neung Un-bi roared like thunder.
“My lord!”
“Stay back! That's an order! If you don't listen, I'll kill you all! Hyang-i! You better not kill him either!”
“…”
The situation was beyond difficult.
It was a fight he clearly couldn't win.
No matter how much Neung Un-bi had grown, Mak Cheong-ju was one of the supreme masters in the Central Plains. To tell his guards not to interfere when his life was being threatened by such a person…
But they couldn't ignore an order given with such fury. What in the world were they supposed to do?
If only the Guard Captain were here…
He would have surely disobeyed the order and helped Neung Un-bi.
But this was Ju Seung. The loyalty ingrained in his very bones made him hesitate.
Hyang-i, who was fighting Cheon-hyu, also grimaced at his words.
*This is bullshit…*
But what could she do when Neung Un-bi was being so insistent?
Having seen what he was capable of, Hyang-i believed Neung Un-bi must have a plan.
*In that case... haa, I have no choice.*
Hyang-i had planned to kill the leech sticking to her and immediately help Neung Un-bi, but she changed her mind and decided to just subdue him for now.
“Hoh? You're quite confident, aren't you! Are you saying you're more than enough to handle me alone? And you're even holding back?”
Neung Un-bi's shout only fueled Mak Cheong-ju's rage.
*Then what am I supposed to do? Tell them to all jump in and die together?*
That wasn't an option.
Hyang-i was already fighting, which couldn't be helped, but if the Lunar Eclipse Squad joined in, how would that be any different from declaring war?
First, he had to calm Mak Cheong-ju down.
“Chief! Please stop for a moment! Let's talk, let's talk this out!”
“Silence!”
“…”
“I've been chasing that thing for two whole years! And you're the one who caught it? I will never forgive you!”
Despite Neung Un-bi's earnest plea, Mak Cheong-ju's anger did not subside. In fact, he seemed even more enraged, the killing intent in his attacks surging ferociously.
*That goddamn Yellow Dragon Fish.*
*I mean, it roams the Yellow River like it's its own home. What does it matter who catches it?*
*If it was so important, you should have carved your name on its scales! How was I supposed to know it was the one you were after!*
But dodging any longer was impossible.
He had only been able to last this long because of the Three Nothings Footwork.
Furthermore, by training his other senses, his level of insight had risen, allowing him to vaguely see the man's movements. He could faintly predict the next attack through the sound of the wind by his ears and the killing intent he felt with his entire body.
But that was as far as he could go.
Mak Cheong-ju's movements were already catching up to his Three Nothings Footwork, and if he was pushed back any further, he'd be at the water's edge.
If he fell into the water, the Three Nothings Footwork would be useless, and he'd be a sitting duck.
He couldn't dodge, nor could he counterattack.
There was only one way left to persuade him.
“Chief! Do you truly intend to go to war with the Demonic Cult?”
“What?”
“Do you think the Cult Leader will stand idly by? He will immediately march down and lay waste to the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers, no, this entire Central Plains!”
“…”
*Did the threat work?*
A flicker of hesitation appeared in Mak Cheong-ju's fist.
*As expected, the Demonic Cult is not a name to be taken lightly.*
*I have to press the advantage!*
“Are you really going to plunge your fortress, no, the entire Murim into crisis over a single fish?”
Neung Un-bi shouted reproachfully, his face full of conviction, and Mak Cheong-ju's movements finally stopped.
*Phew, it worked.*
*He must have understood by now.*
*It's not like it's the son of the Dragon King. A war over a simple fish? That's ridiculous.*
*Be rational, be ration... huh? Why does this old man look like that?*
“A single fish?”
“…”
Mak Cheong-ju's expression became bizarre. The corners of his mouth were curled up, so he seemed to be smiling, but his eyes were gleaming like a madman's.
“There are times when one must.”
“…”
“Times when one must risk their life for something very trivial.”
“…Pardon?”
“Because sometimes, that very thing becomes one's purpose in life, the reason for living.”
“Just… a f-fish?”
“To me, it was a goal. A goal to soothe this tedious life.”
“…”
*Over something like that?*
*This old man wasn't just crazy, he was completely insane.*
“The Demonic Cult? Dam Un-cheon? Kehkeh, tell them to come if they dare.”
“…”
“Whether a war breaks out in the Central Plains, whether my fortress is destroyed, what does any of that have to do with me? To you, it may be just a fish, but to me, it was a goal I was determined to achieve.”
“…?”
“And now that this goal has vanished, only one thing is important to me. Slicing open the belly of the man who killed the Yellow Dragon Fish!”
“…!”
Mak Cheong-ju's aura, which had subsided, erupted once more.
At the same time, his body shot forward like a flash of lightning.
*Son of a bitch! Anyone watching would think I ate some mythical spirit beast.*
But there was nowhere left to retreat.
His shoes were already soaked and soggy.
Moreover, there was no way to dodge anymore.
*In that case... sink or swim, I have no choice but to face him!*
“Hoo…”
Neung Un-bi let out a long breath.
His tense body calmed, and he could feel every wisp of energy flowing through his meridians.
*Fwoosh!*
The moment he solidified his will, Neung Un-bi's pupils dilated rapidly, and the world began to move in slow motion.
And into that world shot a streak of light—Mak Cheong-ju.
Neung Un-bi strained his eyes until the man's form became clear, listened intently to the sounds his movements created, and felt the resulting flow of the atmosphere on his skin.
Soon, the immense pressure of internal energy crushed down on his entire body.
*But not yet. If I don't grasp it completely, even if I dodge, I'll be hit by the follow-up attack.*
The moment he heightened his senses and focused even harder.
He saw the fist.
As the fist came right before his nose, Neung Un-bi stretched out both hands, grabbed it, and twisted.
*Swish!*
Its direction changed in an instant, the fist grazing Neung Un-bi's cheek as it cut through the empty air.
“…!”
Surprise flickered in Mak Cheong-ju's eyes, but he did not stop his attack.
*But I already predicted it.*
The moment he saw the fist, the moment he twisted it, Neung Un-bi chose one of the possible next moves he had pictured in his mind and bent his back.
*Whooosh!*
Immediately following the fist, Mak Cheong-ju's kick swept past, narrowly missing Neung Un-bi's chest.
He had only predicted two moves.
But the motion was large, creating a momentary opening, and Neung Un-bi snapped his bent body upright and took a step.
*Pang!*
As he activated the Three Nothings Footwork to its peak with that light step, Neung Un-bi's body moved as if it were pulled.
However, it was a speed that even Neung Un-bi himself had never experienced before, and he couldn't maintain his balance.
*Thud, tumble…*
He ended up missing his step and rolling on the ground, but thankfully, he had managed to escape.
*I have to hurry and prepare for the next atta... huh?*
As Neung Un-bi used his rolling momentum to spring to his feet, he saw Mak Cheong-ju standing perfectly still.
“Just now… how in the world?”
Mak Cheong-ju stared at Neung Un-bi with eyes full of disbelief.
The space used by warriors of the Aura Blade realm.
Only another warrior of the same realm could enter and exit it at will.
The space he had created was perfect; with Neung Un-bi's skill, he should never have been able to escape.
And yet, he had narrowly dodged his attacks twice. He had rolled on the ground unsightly, but for a moment, he had vanished from his senses and escaped.
That was why he had stopped.
Because, for an instant, he couldn't pinpoint his exact location.
He carefully examined Neung Un-bi once more, but it was clear he was still at the level of Will-Forged Energy.
So how in the world did he dodge his attack?
“Ha!”
A laugh escaped him out of sheer absurdity.
And seeing that laugh, Neung Un-bi realized the man's aura had changed.
*Could it be... that?*
*Didn't I experience this once before?*
*The battle with the King of the Green Forest, Jong Ri-gang.*
*It was a fight I had no chance of winning, but he admitted defeat simply because a rookie like me had dodged his attack.*
*Then Mak Cheong-ju too?*
A glimmer of joy appeared in Neung Un-bi's eyes.
*Yes, that's it!*
*He's friends with the King of the Green Forest for a reason, right?*
*Now he's going to say something like, 'To dodge my attack at your age... I can't possibly kill such a promising talent.'*
*I'm sure of it. It seems I've found a way to live.*
“Haha, Third Young Master.”
“Yes, Chief.”
The anger had vanished from Mak Cheong-ju's face. His voice was also much softer.
“It seems I've underestimated you, Third Young Master.”
*I know, right?*
Neung Un-bi nodded, a smile on his face.
“You praise me too highly. I barely managed to dodge.”
“I was blinded by my anger and used too much force. I have committed a great discourtesy.”
“Not at all. A discourtesy? Don't be ridiculous.”
“I'm glad to hear that.”
Mak Cheong-ju smiled, and Neung Un-bi, filled with relief, waved his hands dismissively and smiled along.
*Such a heartwarming…*
But Mak Cheong-ju was lightly clenching his fists.
His stance, too, with one foot forward and his upper body lowered…
“Chief? Why are you in what looks like a starting stance?”
“From now on, I will not underestimate you. I will kill you calmly and deliberately.”
“…”
*Ah, so that wasn't it…*
*Shit, I'm well and truly fucked.*