Chapter 108
Chapter 108
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 108
Chapter Title: The Paeng Clan's Formation
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If Jegal Rin hadn't dramatically improved her skills through her research on the Heavenly Isles, she never would have noticed it. The formation enveloping the Paeng Clan was that extraordinary.
'Who on earth set up such an incredible array?'
The first person who came to mind was the Heavenly Qi Master, but she quickly shook her head. The flow of this formation was very different from his style. The Heavenly Qi Master pursued far more logical arrays than this.
"What do you think? Impressive, isn't it?"
Jegal Rin nodded lightly at Paeng Man-ho's words as he approached her side. She felt a slight aversion, but since he wasn't wrong, she responded.
"It's amazing. It doesn't fall short even compared to the Jegal Clan."
"Hahaha! I'm thrilled to hear that kind of praise. To be on par with the Jegal Clan, no less! Hahahaha!"
As Paeng Man-ho laughed heartily, Jegal Rin added a small comment.
"The one who set up this array is truly remarkable. It's so intuitive. It feels like they just tossed together three arrays and they happened to interlock perfectly by chance."
Paeng Man-ho's laughter cut off abruptly. Jegal Rin could see the shock in his eyes. A faint smile tugged at her lips.
She'd called it chance, but it wasn't truly random. A formation master would never set up an array without certainty—they knew the repercussions all too well.
The person who laid this array in the Paeng Clan must have had some conviction. But it was far too arbitrary.
'I wouldn't have done it this way.'
Jegal Rin pierced through the Paeng Clan's formation with her gaze, organizing her thoughts. Interweaving three arrays wasn't something ordinary. No, it was nearly impossible. But the current Jegal Rin could manage it.
"Still, once it's activated, it won't be easy to break."
Paeng Man-ho gave an awkward smile at her words. What Jegal Rin had just said was exactly what the formation master who'd installed it had told him.
"Yeah, that's what they said. In any case, an array made to protect the clan should be something no one can easily breach. That's the best, right? Hahaha!"
Jegal Rin merely nodded slightly in response. She had more to say but held back.
In truth, an array set up like this had no room for further development. It couldn't be modified. Even if someone figured out the exact way to dismantle it, the array couldn't be reworked. Not even the original formation master could do it. It relied too heavily on intuition.
'Formations should be logical, after all.'
Jegal Rin had felt this even more clearly while studying the Heavenly Isles. There were occasional formation masters who grasped only the flow of qi and relied on gut feeling to set them up.
In the past, Jegal Rin had been captivated by their genius. But researching the Heavenly Isles had made her realize just how foolish that admiration had been.
There was no need to broadcast that realization here. This level of array was more than sufficient for the Paeng Clan.
"Come on, the clan head must be waiting. Let's hurry."
Paeng Man-ho quickened his pace. He no longer wanted to discuss the array with Jegal Rin.
The group arrived at a grand hall under Paeng Man-ho's guidance. He stopped in front of it and glanced over the group.
"Not everyone can meet the clan head. So..."
He meant he would select who to bring inside. At his words, everyone's expressions soured slightly.
Tang Ho-gwan stepped forward hurriedly to prevent things from escalating. If the Sword King or Sword Demon lost their temper, the situation would spiral out of control.
"It doesn't matter."
Tang Ho-gwan froze mid-sentence at the sudden voice, his eyes widening as he turned.
It was Dan Hyeong-u who'd spoken. Confusion crossed Tang Ho-gwan's face. But one thing was certain: if Dan Hyeong-u said it, they had to follow.
Tang Ho-gwan retreated with an awkward expression. Naturally, the rest of the group shot surprised looks at Dan Hyeong-u.
Paeng Man-ho eyed Dan Hyeong-u with a strange look. This was the first time he'd paid him any attention since they'd arrived together. He'd deemed him insignificant before.
But that was it.
'Be grateful for even this momentary notice.'
That was Paeng Man-ho's assessment of Dan Hyeong-u.
In any case, as planned, Paeng Man-ho led everyone inside except Dan Hyeong-u, the envoy, and Jong Chil.
A few of the women protested strongly but fell silent upon seeing Dan Hyeong-u shake his head and quietly followed Paeng Man-ho.
Once the group had entered, Jong Chil grumbled again.
"Damn, this is humiliating."
They weren't even being shown to lodgings. They just had to wait out front. Paeng Clan warriors who'd come with them stood glaring nearby.
Jong Chil glanced at the warriors and plopped down on the ground.
"Sigh... They'll come out after a bit of rest, I suppose."
"Hahaha. Isn't that just how it is for porters and escorts?"
The envoy amiably sat beside Jong Chil. The two had grown somewhat close.
Who would want to squeeze between the Sword King and Sword Demon? During the carriage ride, the envoy had often sat with Jong Chil on the driver's seat.
The Paeng Clan warriors eyed the two sitting on the ground with displeasure. They hadn't said it, but this was a hall where the clan's key figures gathered.
"Well, I'm used to this kind of treatment, but..."
Jong Chil trailed off, cautiously glancing at Dan Hyeong-u. His irritation stemmed from how Dan Hyeong-u was being treated. No matter how great the Paeng Clan, could they compare to him?
"I don't get why you're putting up with this. If it were me, I'd just wipe them all out."
Jong Chil muttered under his breath. It was meant as a soliloquy. But no matter how quietly, it reached the Paeng warriors' ears.
Their faces darkened instantly. But they couldn't act rashly here.
The Paeng warriors exchanged glances. They hadn't been assigned to guard this place. They just needed to await Paeng Man-ho's orders.
In the end, three stayed behind while the rest decided to step forward.
One Paeng warrior approached Jong Chil. Startled, Jong Chil flinched. He wondered if they'd heard his mutter.
He'd let his frustration slip without thinking, but he knew it would spell trouble if the Paeng Clan heard.
"Hey, instead of lounging here, how about moving to a wider spot to rest? We can prepare some drinks and snacks too."
Jong Chil's eyes widened at the unexpected offer. Without a second thought, he nodded vigorously.
"That'd be great, thank you! Heh heh."
Jong Chil sprang to his feet. The envoy sighed inwardly at the sight. It seemed they wouldn't get off quietly.
The envoy scanned the Paeng warriors. They were all elite. Carefully selected from the Paeng Clan—on par with the Serpent Spirit Party's White Serpent Squad. And there were over twenty of them. He couldn't handle them alone.
'Ugh, this is a headache.'
Still, he wasn't worried. Dan Hyeong-u was with them. With him, even if the whole world came at them, there was no fear. The envoy truly believed that.
The Paeng warriors led Jong Chil to the clan's training ground. It was spacious, but no place to drink. Only then did Jong Chil realize something was off.
He'd grown a bit dull lately, but he'd once survived on his wits as a porter.
'Damn, they heard me.'
That was the only reason to lure him to such a secluded(?) spot.
"Alright, shall we get started?"
The moment they arrived at the training ground, the Paeng warriors' eyes gleamed. They were guests' companions, after all. They couldn't show overt hostility.
Of course, beating or killing the servant they'd brought wouldn't cause much fuss.
'The vice leader will handle it appropriately. If he'd heard what the punk said, he'd have stepped in first.'
That was the common thought among the Paeng warriors. The vice leader was, naturally, Paeng Man-ho. They were the elite Fierce Tiger Squad, composed of the clan's top warriors.
"Heh heh, w-what's this about? We're guests of the Paeng Clan..."
Jong Chil forced a servile smile and backed away slowly. But escape was impossible. Three Fierce Tiger Squad warriors had already blocked the entrance.
"To be precise, you're the servant the guest brought."
Jong Chil flinched at the warrior's words. That single phrase revealed how harshly they planned to treat him. As crisis loomed, his mind raced.
His eyes darted around until they landed on Dan Hyeong-u.
"D-Dan Hero."
Dan Hyeong-u merely stared at Jong Chil's call.
'Gulp, this feels ominous.'
Dan Hyeong-u wasn't stepping in. Despair settled in as Jong Chil turned to the envoy.
The envoy started to move forward but straightened up upon seeing Dan Hyeong-u's demeanor. Dark clouds gathered in Jong Chil's mind.
"S-So, why are you doing this?"
Gathering his courage, Jong Chil spoke again. The Paeng warrior smirked chillingly and tilted his head.
"I thought you'd know, but you don't even remember what you said?"
"Ehehehe, w-what did I say..."
The Paeng warrior snorted at Jong Chil's fawning laugh.
"Hmph, doesn't matter if you don't remember."
His eyes caught the sword at Jong Chil's waist. Curiosity sparked.
"Oh, a sword, huh? So not just a porter, but an escort of some sort?"
To a Paeng warrior, porter or escort made no difference.
"Fine, I'll give you a chance."
Jong Chil's eyes lit up at "chance." But the follow-up plunged him into despair.
"Beat me in a duel, and you're forgiven."
It was absurd. His opponent was an elite from one of the Five Great Clans. He was just a mere porter, not even a full escort. The outcome was obvious. His head drooped in hopelessness.
The Paeng warrior drew his blade as Jong Chil hung his head.
Shing.
"Won't you draw yours? Hmph, at least you know your place. I'll let you off with an arm."
Jong Chil snapped alert at the words. But the warrior's blade was already swinging.
Whoosh!
A sharp wind whistled, carrying a deadly chill. Jong Chil twisted reflexively and retreated.
The blade sliced through empty air. Surprise flickered in the warrior's eyes. Even caught off guard, it wasn't a strike one could dodge so easily.
"Oh, so you've got some skill?"
Sensing danger, Jong Chil drew his sword.
Clang!
A sharp ring echoed.
Jong Chil raised his sword, pointing it at the Paeng warrior. Strangely, gripping it calmed his mind. Memories flooded back of the countless beatings from the Sword King.
Shiver.
His body trembled involuntarily.
Swoosh!
The Paeng warrior's blade tore through space toward him.
Clang!
Jong Chil parried it. He was slightly overpowered in strength, but astonishingly, he blocked it perfectly. He was shocked at his own success. Blocking a full strike from a Paeng elite!
He wasn't the only one stunned. The Paeng warrior was even more shocked. He'd never imagined his deliberate strike would be deflected.
The surprise hit simultaneously, but Jong Chil recovered first. Thanks to the Sword King's mental and physical torment, he'd been tempered for all sorts of situations.
Any lapse in focus meant unimaginable pain, so his body had adapted instinctively.
Surprise creates openings. And Jong Chil had learned to exploit them—another gift from the Sword King's abuse.
Swoosh!
Thud!
Jong Chil's sword pierced the Paeng warrior's shoulder. He'd thrust with desperate force, punching a massive hole through it.
"Gah!"
The warrior stared at Jong Chil in horror, blood gushing from his shoulder, too shocked to staunch it. His eyes dimmed toward death.
"You bastard! What have you done?!"
The Paeng warriors charged. Rage overtook them at their comrade's wound. Some rushed to aid him, others at Jong Chil.
Slash slash slash!
Dense blade qi erupted from over a dozen swinging blades. Jong Chil felt despair at the sight. But his body moved on instinct, seeking gaps.
Crack!
Several strands of blade qi vanished against his sword. Seizing the opening, Jong Chil leaped forward.
Rip!
His clothes tore slightly from the qi, but miraculously, his body was unscathed.
"Ugh! W-Wait! Hold on!"
Jong Chil shouted as he fled. Amid the chaos, he spotted Dan Hyeong-u and dashed toward him. The choice was spot-on.
Flash!
A brilliant bolt of lightning rent the air. The net-like blade qi pursuing Jong Chil melted away like snow. Leaving the Paeng warriors' faces etched in horror.