Chapter 121
Chapter 121
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 121
Chapter Title: Persistent Pursuit
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Jegal Lin kindly answered Yeom Hye-mi's question.
"Only the Moyong Clan and our group know about that incident. As long as we don't spread it, there's no reason for rumors to start. There's no way the Moyong Clan would circulate a story claiming that their Azure Dragon Sword died without even lasting a single exchange against Young Master Dan."
Only then did Yeom Hye-mi nod in understanding.
"Ah, I see. The Moyong Clan must have their hands full too."
It might be tough for them, but not a single person in the group felt sorry for them.
They had all witnessed the Moyong Clan's despicable behavior with their own eyes. No, they had experienced it firsthand. If not for Dan Hyeong-u, most of them wouldn't have made it out unscathed.
"They'll probably be ousted from the Five Great Clans soon. This alliance meeting will be their last."
Everyone's eyes widened in surprise at Jegal Lin's words. No matter what, the Moyong Clan had been one of the top families among the Five Great Clans. It was hard to believe they would be expelled just because a few people died.
"That's how formidable the Azure Dragon Sword's power was."
"Is the Azure Dragon Sword really that impressive? He didn't seem like much..."
It was Yeom Hye-mi again. Her limited knowledge of the martial world allowed her to say such things.
The others, fully aware of what the Ten Great Masters entailed, simply nodded without comment.
"He just had the bad luck to face you. That's why he fell so pathetically. The Azure Dragon Sword is strong enough to dismantle an entire sect on his own."
Yeom Hye-mi's eyes widened round. Only then did the might of the Ten Great Masters start to feel real to her.
"Then my grandfather..."
"He's on a whole other level. That's what being one of the Ten Great Masters means."
Yeom Hye-mi's eyes sparkled as she nodded vigorously.
She was finally realizing just how extraordinary her grandfather, the Sword King, truly was. Until now, Dan Hyeong-u's shadow had overshadowed everything else.
"Young Master Dan really is something else."
"Of course he is."
After saying that, Jegal Lin fell into thought for a moment. Come to think of it, he should inform Jegal Jung-cheon about the Azure Dragon Sword Moyong Cheon's death.
That way, they wouldn't let the Moyong Clan gain any undue advantages at the alliance meeting.
The Martial Alliance and the Demon Fortress were relentlessly persistent. The Heavenly Demon and the Blood Path Guest had shaken off their pursuers multiple times, yet they refused to give up the chase.
In the process, countless Martial Alliance warriors lost their lives. The Demon Fortress warriors suffered similar casualties.
The Heavenly Demon and Blood Path Guest moved in a way that deliberately exposed their positions. When the pursuers drew near, the Demon Bowmaster and Illusion Demon, hidden far away, took them out.
The Illusion Demon's stealth skills were extraordinary. The Shadow Concealment Demonic Art he cultivated hid not only himself but also the Demon Bowmaster.
The Illusion Demon and Demon Bowmaster operated hundreds of zhang away from the Heavenly Demon and Blood Path Guest. Whenever the Heavenly Demon encountered enemies, they struck opportunistically, assassinating them.
They had barely made it through Shaanxi under such grueling conditions.
The Heavenly Demon's destination was Xuchang in Henan. Originally, they had planned to head straight from Shaanxi to Henan, but the pursuit was too tenacious and vicious, forcing them to change course.
They veered toward Shanxi.
"Fortress Lord, aren't we taking too much of a detour?"
The Blood Path Guest grumbled in a voice full of frustration. Ever since their clash with the Demon Fortress, they had been on the run.
And since they had to cleverly lure the enemy along, it was far more exhausting.
"Damn it, if only the Sword Demon were here..."
What they feared most in their current situation was the Martial Alliance's pursuit. The Alliance had dispatched large numbers of warriors, but even more terrifying was the Demon Extermination Squad.
With Golden Demon Art practitioners mixed in, they couldn't unleash their full power. And no one knew how many there were.
Fortunately, the Demon Bowmaster had managed to kill a few Demon Extermination Squad members, but they remained a dire threat. The Demon Bowmaster and Illusion Demon were also nearing their limits in hiding.
The enemies weren't fools; they wouldn't keep falling for the same trick. From the looks of it, separate detachments were already forming to hunt down the Illusion Demon and Demon Bowmaster.
A more intense pursuit would begin soon. And they'd have to keep running. The Golden Demon Art was that fearsome.
But if the Sword Demon were with them, things would be different. He had escaped the Golden Demon Art's influence. There would be no need to fear the Martial Alliance's Demon Extermination Squad anymore. The Sword Demon was powerful enough to handle any number of the Alliance's rabble.
"Fortress Lord, why not just charge straight for Xuchang? It would save time and be safer. Once we link up with the Sword Demon, we won't have to keep dodging the Martial Alliance scum."
The Heavenly Demon shook his head at the Blood Path Guest's suggestion.
"Do you think the Martial Alliance is staffed by idiots? They already know where we're headed. We might have to evade them even in Xuchang. Hell, they might have already gotten to the Henan Escort Bureau."
Hearing the Heavenly Demon's words made the situation sound grave. The Blood Path Guest grimaced.
"Then how long do we have to keep running like this?"
The Heavenly Demon's group still believed the Sword Demon was in Xuchang. By their logic, it was inconceivable that he would take an Escort Bureau mission and go somewhere else.
"We have to shake them off somehow first. I underestimated the Martial Alliance. I never thought our movements would be exposed this easily."
"Will those tenacious bastards back off that easily?"
"We'll make them."
With that, the Heavenly Demon picked up speed. The Martial Alliance pursuit force was already closing in.
The Blood Path Guest, face still twisted, followed suit and accelerated. The Heavenly Demon's internal energy far surpassed his own, so he was managing fine, but the Blood Path Guest was not. His energy was starting to run dry. At this rate, survival seemed unlikely.
Still, there was nothing else to do right now. They could only keep running.
Dan Hyeong-u's group continued their daily routine without fail, yielding substantial progress for everyone. Developing their senses had a tremendous impact on their martial arts training.
Without fail, after watching the Sword King and Sword Demon get sent flying by Dan Hyeong-u, everyone would spend two shichen on their individual training. And each time, their skills improved rapidly.
The Sword King and Sword Demon gained the most tangible benefits. Sparring with Dan Hyeong-u was like a heavenly opportunity for them.
They had broken through their limits countless times already. Each breakthrough revealed something new, which they pondered and refined for the next day's spar.
The Sword King and Sword Demon devoted all their daytime hours to training as well. Simply reflecting on their spars with Dan Hyeong-u brought greater gains than the meditative practices typical of masters at their level.
Everyone had grown stronger, but the one advancing fastest by far was Jong Chil.
Jong Chil's skills were worlds apart from when he had clashed with the Paeng family warriors. Unfortunately, the pain he endured every night grew in proportion to his gains.
As a result, their travel speed slowed dramatically. It took a considerable amount of time to finally exit Hebei. To be precise, they were crossing the border into Henan.
The location they were passing through was rather delicate. A slight turn west would take them into Shanxi.
"Hm? Someone's coming."
The Sword King, standing atop the carriage, muttered. The Sword Demon nodded as well. He too sensed someone approaching from a great distance, heading straight for their carriage.
"Ho. Are we the target? Who could it be? Not the Moyong Clan dogs, I hope..."
The group tensed slightly. There were a lot of them approaching. And as they drew nearer, the group's sharpened senses picked up on their caliber.
Jong Chil, driving the carriage, turned to the Sword King.
"What should we do? Break through?"
The Sword King shook his head.
"No need to stir up trouble. Slow down a bit."
Jong Chil eased off the speed as instructed. Moments later, a large group of men arrived in front of them.
"Halt for a moment!"
One of the men rushed forward shouting. He appeared to be the leader at a glance—his attire was different, and the band on his arm was a distinct color.
Jong Chil brought the carriage to a smooth stop.
"What's this about?"
Tang Ho-gwan, atop the carriage, called out to the man. The man politely cupped his fists toward Tang Ho-gwan.
"I am Jin Guk-ho of the Martial Alliance's Black Tortoise Unit."
Tang Ho-gwan's eyes gleamed as he sized up Jin Guk-ho. He was a warrior of considerable attainment—likely a deputy unit leader in the Black Tortoise Unit at least.
"What business does the Martial Alliance have with us?"
Jin Guk-ho hesitated briefly at Tang Ho-gwan's response but quickly composed himself and spoke again.
"If it's not too much trouble, I'd like to check who's inside the carriage."
Tang Ho-gwan shook his head with a troubled expression.
"Shouldn't you explain the reason first?"
"We're pursuing a demonic fiend threatening the world. I need to confirm he's not hiding in there."
Tang Ho-gwan sighed and shook his head.
"No such person is inside, so there's no need."
But Jin Guk-ho couldn't just take his word and leave. It was a massive carriage pulled by six horses—plenty of room for the Heavenly Demon's group to hide.
He had to inspect it.
"Please, I'm asking."
Jin Guk-ho cupped his fists again, striving for maximum courtesy. Tang Ho-gwan looked perplexed. This wasn't his call to make.
As Tang Ho-gwan hesitated, the carriage door opened. Five women emerged one by one.
Jin Guk-ho's eyes bulged at the sight of them. It was exceedingly rare to see so many beautiful women at once.
'Gasp!'
Not just Jin Guk-ho—the entire Black Tortoise Unit behind him was stunned speechless. Umun Hye's beauty had grown even more radiant lately, as if she glowed from within.
And Jo Seol-yeon, who followed, was no less stunning. She too was blossoming like a flower, her beauty intensifying day by day.
She nearly matched the old Umun Hye. But currently, Umun Hye still held the edge.
In any case, the sudden appearance of the five women left the entire Black Tortoise Unit dazed.
Jo Seol-yeon quietly addressed the still-gawking Jin Guk-ho.
"Go ahead and look."
Snapping to his senses at her words, Jin Guk-ho cleared his throat awkwardly.
"Ahem. Then, if you'll excuse me."
As he passed the five women to approach the carriage, their fragrance nearly made him swoon. When had he ever walked such a path of flowers?
He peered roughly inside through the open door, then turned back.
"No one's there. Thank you for your cooperation."
Jin Guk-ho cupped his fists once more, then cautiously added,
"A fearsome demonic fiend could appear anytime. If our destinations align, we could provide escort for a while. What do you say?"
The entire Black Tortoise Unit held their breath, hearts pounding as they awaited her reply.
Capturing the Heavenly Demon Castle's fiends was important, but protecting these women felt equally vital—at least for the moment.
Jo Seol-yeon smiled brightly at the waiting Jin Guk-ho. He felt dizzy for a second but focused as she spoke.
"I don't know who this fearsome fiend is, but we're fine. We have more than enough strength to protect ourselves."
Disappointment washed over Jin Guk-ho and the Black Tortoise Unit at Jo Seol-yeon's bold response.
Though refused, Jin Guk-ho didn't want to leave just yet. He added one more line.
"Even if it's the Heavenly Demon?"
"The Heavenly Demon?"
The name made Jo Seol-yeon and the entire group show surprise. Seizing the moment, Jin Guk-ho continued.
"Yes. We received word he'll appear around here. After all, the Heavenly Demon is being hunted by our Martial Alliance."
"The Heavenly Demon, hunted by the Martial Alliance? That's hard to believe. Surely the Alliance Leader himself isn't involved?"
Though the Heavenly Demon was a top Ten Great Master, even he couldn't handle one man: Martial Alliance Leader Mountain Breaking Sword Dugun Un. Because of his Golden Demon Art.
It was famous enough that most martial artists knew it, which was why Jo Seol-yeon asked.
Jin Guk-ho laughed heartily and shook his head.
"Hahaha! Do we need the Alliance Leader himself for a mere Heavenly Demon? We're more than enough."
At those words, the Sword Demon leaped down from the carriage roof in an instant.
"Say that again."