Chapter 47
Chapter 47
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 47
Chapter Title: Severing the Blood Flames
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The moment Dan Hyeong-u's body was engulfed in flames, a streak of lightning cleaved through the fire and came crashing down.
Flash!
The flames, split in two by the lightning, scattered into nothingness. A fierce gale erupted from the point of impact, blasting outward in all directions.
Whoosh!
Ma Yeong clamped his mouth shut. This strike had been one of his most reliable techniques.
"To cleave through Blood Fire in a single blow... As expected, you're no ordinary man."
Blood Fire was flame conjured from blood itself. It was a technique drawn from the Blood Demon Great Art that Ma Yeong cultivated, igniting inner energy to birth the blaze. Once formed, the flames would never extinguish until the fueling inner energy had burned itself out completely.
Yet Dan Hyeong-u had shattered it with one move.
Ma Yeong could scarcely believe his eyes. The energy emanating from Dan Hyeong-u felt utterly ordinary. No—more precisely, it was slightly above that of a commoner, but still firmly in the realm of the mundane. Moreover, there was no dantian, the core that every martial artist should possess. He had never cultivated inner energy.
'How in the world is that possible!'
The single stance Dan Hyeong-u had just unleashed—like a bolt from the heavens—was something no one without inner energy could possibly perform.
Chaos swirled in Ma Yeong's mind.
Dan Hyeong-u took a step toward Ma Yeong. Amid his turmoil, Ma Yeong tried to retreat at the sight. But in an instant, Dan Hyeong-u was right before him. Ma Yeong barely managed to raise his sword. The image of that thunderbolt from moments ago flashed vividly in his eyes. It was surely coming again.
Flash!
Clang!
Ma Yeong just managed to block the descending bolt. He staggered back.
Crack!
The sword in Ma Yeong's hand shattered into fragments.
"Ho!"
The Sword King atop the carriage nodded in admiration. Ma Yeong's skill had impressed him enough to draw the motion involuntarily. Blocking Dan Hyeong-u's attack meant he had surpassed the Sword King's own prowess from his prime.
The Sword King was impressed, but Ma Yeong could not afford to be. His sword had been destroyed in a single exchange—even after anticipating and parrying the blow. The shock was beyond words. Cracks spiderwebbed through his hard-earned pride and self-confidence.
Dan Hyeong-u stood motionless, surveying his surroundings. The Ma Yeong Corps remained in place but was visibly shaken. They had never seen their leader suffer like this.
Ma Yeong made his decision.
"Withdraw!"
At Ma Yeong's command, the Ma Yeong Corps retreated in perfect unison. Their movements were silent yet swift—fast enough that even most experts couldn't pursue them.
The Sword King let out a low murmur of admiration at the Ma Yeong Corps' vanishing act.
"Heh, truly remarkable bunch. I wonder who trained such men..."
His words carried deep meaning, but the only one in the carriage to ponder them was Geum Yuhwa.
Dan Hyeong-u's group only learned of the Demonic Alliance's collapse upon nearing Hongze Lake.
They had stopped in a few villages, but there had been little time to heed the rumors. Geum Yuhwa had been utterly preoccupied with the Ma Yeong Corps' final assault, while Dan Hyeong-u showed no interest whatsoever.
The only ones who might have paid attention to the gossip were the Sword King and Jong Chil, but both had been consumed by training. The Sword King had spent days forcing the now-disinterested Jong Chil back into practice—a boon for Jong Chil, though he certainly didn't see it that way.
In any case, Jong Chil had regained his momentum, freeing up the Sword King just as they arrived at Hongze Lake.
"The Demonic Alliance has collapsed?"
Geum Yuhwa was the most shocked by the Sword King's words. The Golden Lotus had indeed planned to strike the Demonic Alliance, but no one had expected it to crumble so easily.
"The Demonic Alliance overextended themselves, that's for sure. Seems the Greenwoods Bandits are in utter disarray too."
Geum Yuhwa breathed a sigh of relief at the Sword King's explanation.
"At least that means no more ambushes ahead."
A faint smirk tugged at the Sword King's lips as he watched her.
"No more ambushes, true—now that the Demonic Alliance is gone. The Golden Lotus's strategy was brilliant."
Geum Yuhwa flinched at his words but quickly composed herself, flashing a bright smile.
"What do you mean? From what I saw, it looked like the Demonic Alliance pushed us too far, and we got our revenge."
"Heh. The merchant's daughter shines through, eh? Do you take me for a fool? I nearly died not long ago, and here you are spinning tales. Were you prepared to die too?"
Geum Yuhwa's face paled slightly. She had no choice but to admit she'd underestimated him. She'd dismissed him as a sword-obsessed old man, forgetting he was a ginger steeped in the jianghu's waters for decades.
As Geum Yuhwa fell silent, the Sword King grinned.
"Looks like it hit a nerve. No matter—we survived. And I met an entertaining fellow besides."
Geum Yuhwa's tense expression eased a fraction.
"Still, I'm curious how much the Golden Lotus will pay as ransom for my life. My granddaughter's wedding isn't far off; need to prepare her dowry. Heh heh heh."
As the Sword King rose with those words, Geum Yuhwa wore an awkward smile. As he'd said, it couldn't end so simply. They had leveraged his life as collateral, after all.
The Golden Lotus would have anticipated as much. Merchants always prepared multiple contingencies for every scenario.
"Now the only issue left is those strange fellows."
As Geum Yuhwa changed the subject, the Sword King nodded.
"No need to worry there. Provided that one's as formidable as he seems."
Geum Yuhwa had to nod in agreement. To her, Dan Hyeong-u was utterly inscrutable—a man beyond valuation.
And a man she coveted.
'If we could bring someone like that into the Golden Lotus...'
Geum Yuhwa felt a spark of greed.
From Hongze Lake onward, the group decided to proceed by boat. Jong Chil handled disposing of the carriage, and with the Golden Lotus's influence, they secured a suitable vessel.
The boat was quite comfortable—only to be expected with Golden Lotus funds involved. They wouldn't transport the next leader's future wife in anything less, ulterior motives aside.
From the moment he boarded, Dan Hyeong-u stationed himself at the prow, quietly taking in the surroundings. True to its reputation as Jiangsu Province's largest lake, Hongze Lake was vast beyond imagining. Riding a boat like this to somewhere new was a first for him.
Memories before age ten were as good as gone, so whatever he'd done then didn't count. From ten to thirteen, he'd been trapped in a cave, never seeing water. And in the gray hell where he'd spent the longest stretch after that, even procuring water had been a monumental struggle. Desperate enough to slake his thirst with monster blood.
Thus, simply gazing upon such an expanse of water stirred something profound in Dan Hyeong-u's heart. Feeling the boat's gentle rock, a faint smile touched his lips.
Dan Hyeong-u recalled first meeting Jo Seol-yeon and visiting Dongting Lake together. The awe from that first sight flooded back. He'd been stunned by the sheer volume of water then, and the wonder was no less now.
"Young Hero Dan. There you are."
Dan Hyeong-u wiped the smile from his face and glanced back at the speaker. It was Geum Yuhwa. He turned forward again, silently, smile returning.
"You seem to like water."
As Geum Yuhwa spoke again, Dan Hyeong-u gave a perfunctory nod. Right now, gazing at the water trumped conversation.
"Sometimes you baffle me, Young Hero Dan. I can never tell what you're thinking."
Geum Yuhwa kept talking. Dan Hyeong-u merely listened. Regardless of his interest, she persisted doggedly. Her experience taught that such taciturn types were hard to approach but formed deep bonds once engaged. Dan Hyeong-u struck her as exactly that.
"Do you dislike talking with me?"
Dan Hyeong-u turned to look at her. It wasn't a matter of like or dislike. He generally enjoyed conversing with others—though listening far more than speaking.
As he offered no reply, Geum Yuhwa smiled brightly.
"Then it's fine, right?"
He couldn't fathom her logic, but it didn't feel bad. In any event, he didn't want to ruin his good mood. And mealtime was approaching besides.
Sensing his thoughts, Geum Yuhwa clapped her hands.
"Ah! Speaking of which, lunch is nearly here. I'll have them prepare something especially delicious today."
Dan Hyeong-u nodded. The most welcome news he'd heard.
And so, Geum Yuhwa inched closer to Dan Hyeong-u, bit by bit. ◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The waterway from Hongze Lake to the sea was quite long, lined with numerous villages. Naturally, several water bandit strongholds dominated these routes.
The largest among them was the Hell King Stronghold.
It effectively controlled not only Hongze Lake but the waterways stretching toward Suzhou.
The Hell King Stronghold's chief, Yeon Jeok-sim, sat with a grave expression, receiving a visitor.
"So you're saying you'll mobilize the entire Hell King Stronghold?"
The masked man nodded silently at Yeon Jeok-sim's question. Yeon Jeok-sim looked troubled.
"For just one merchant convoy's boat? You'd have us empty the stronghold completely?"
"That is the first command."
Yeon Jeok-sim shut his mouth as the words left the masked man's lips. He shot to his feet and offered a respectful cupped-fist salute.
"We receive the thousandth command."
His demeanor had shifted entirely from its prior nonchalance. But once the salute was done, he reverted to form.
"Ugh. A command or not, this'll drag our Hell King Stronghold's face through the mud."
The man murmured quietly in response.
"It won't. The Sword King is aboard that boat."
Yeon Jeok-sim's face changed at the mention of the Sword King.
"Did you say Sword King? You call that intel? Even on water, you're asking us to face the Sword King?"
"Is it difficult?"
"Of course! You should've led with Sword King!"
"Would that change anything?"
Yeon Jeok-sim was momentarily speechless, but this was outrageous regardless.
"It's too much! How are we supposed to handle the Sword King?!"
"Is the Hell King Stronghold only worth that much? Utterly inadequate to swallow the Yangtze whole."
Yeon Jeok-sim's face twisted at the man's words.
"We're grateful for the Assembly's support. Repaying it with just three commands is a steal. But if it tightens the noose around our necks, that's a problem, no?"
Yeon Jeok-sim was right. Power to dominate the Yangtze meant little if it led to their downfall. The man smiled faintly.
"Not entirely brainless, then."
As Yeon Jeok-sim bristled, the man spoke first.
"What if we had this? Changes the equation, doesn't it?"
In the man's hand was an iron orb the size of a man's head. Yeon Jeok-sim stared, falling silent. Then his eyes widened. Upon seeing the "thunder" character etched on it, his body began to tremble.
"N-No way. Th-This is...!"
"True Heavenly Thunder."
True Heavenly Thunder!
Yeon Jeok-sim's heart plummeted. How could he not tremble before the legendary explosive? Mishandle one, and the Hell King Stronghold would be reduced to ashes.
"D-Does it truly possess the power of legend?"
"Of course. Even more so. It could obliterate the Hell King Stronghold in one shot, leaving no trace."
Yeon Jeok-sim swallowed hard.
"I'll give you three."
Yeon Jeok-sim nodded frantically. With these, they could manage. Heavenly thunder in hand—if it lived up to the tales—even the Sword King's grandfather wouldn't daunt him. On water, at least.
"The Hell King Stronghold's Flood Dragon Unit fears no one in the depths! Ha ha ha ha!"
Yeon Jeok-sim laughed boldly. Two at most would suffice; one for the Stronghold's future leap forward.
The masked man vanished. Yeon Jeok-sim hurried preparations. Heavenly thunder or not, the foe was the Sword King. Fighting in the open expanse of Hongze Lake was key—once ashore, they stood no chance.