Chapter 80
Chapter 80
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 80
Chapter Title: Ruins of Yu Family Manor
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The only men nearby were the Sword King, the Sword Demon, Tang Ho-gwan, and the envoy.
The Sword King and Sword Demon looked to be in their forties, but they were old men well over seventy. Tang Ho-gwan was also past sixty. The envoy was the only young one among them, but even he was well over thirty, so he couldn't exactly be called young.
Yet these were men who had lived long enough to fully master control over human emotions and desires—yet even they felt their hearts quake in that instant. It spoke volumes about just how overwhelming Umun Hye's sensuality truly was.
But that sensuality and beauty meant nothing to Dan Hyeong-u. To him, she was just a slightly frightened woman.
"I don't mind. Keep going."
At Dan Hyeong-u's words, not only Umun Hye but the entire group stared at him in stunned silence, wondering if they'd misheard.
"A-are you serious?"
Umun Hye sought confirmation, and Dan Hyeong-u nodded. She let out a sigh of relief.
Jegal Lin and Tang Mun-yeong shook their heads as they watched the scene.
"Men are all the same."
Tang Mun-yeong nodded in agreement at Jegal Lin's mutter.
"You got that right."
To them, it looked like Dan Hyeong-u had completely fallen for Umun Hye's allure. Anyone would have thought the same.
In any case, Jegal Lin and Tang Mun-yeong felt a twinge of jealousy toward Umun Hye. Possessing a beauty that seemed almost inhuman, and instinctively knowing how to wield it—she was, in their eyes, the most terrifying kind of person.
"Who knows? Maybe the Three Peaks Fairies will soon have a fourth member."
Jegal Lin muttered without realizing it, and everyone who heard couldn't help but nod in agreement.
Umun Hye had kept herself hidden from the world until now. But at the recent Jeong Cheon Alliance founding ceremony, she had revealed her stunning beauty to all under heaven.
Thanks to the group's bizarre and unique aura back then, no one had dared approach them properly. Otherwise, there would have been countless incidents.
Before long, a new flower would bloom in the martial world.
The group followed the official road into Jiangxi Province. Continuing along it would lead to Nanchang. They could have used lightness skills to get there much faster, but they saw no need to push the pace.
Part of the reason for heading to Nanchang was to meet the Sword King's granddaughter, but it was also meant as a journey in itself.
They traveled in silence for a while. Even Umun Hye kept her mouth shut, simply walking quietly. Dan Hyeong-u had said it was fine, so she could have kept flirting, but with him laying out the welcome mat, she somehow couldn't bring herself to continue.
It was Jegal Lin who finally broke the prolonged silence.
"About an hour's walk from here, there's a pretty big village. I know a great place there, so let's stay the night."
Tang Ho-gwan nodded, trying to lighten the mood, and continued the conversation.
"That sounds good. And a place you know well—must be somewhere connected to the Jegal family, right?"
"Yes, exactly. It's called Yu Family Manor. The manor head and I have a small connection."
"Oh? Yu Family Manor, huh. There's only one in Jiangxi—the one famous for the Seven Star Sword Formation."
Jegal Lin beamed and replied to Tang Ho-gwan's words.
"That's the one."
Thanks to the exchange between Tang Ho-gwan and Jegal Lin, the group's mood lightened considerably. Umun Hye, regaining her courage, sidled up to Dan Hyeong-u and started chatting about this and that.
The atmosphere returned to how it had been when they first set out from the manor.
About an hour later, a large village came into view. It was far too prosperous and ornate with its buildings to be called just a village.
"Quite the sizable village."
The village's growth was all thanks to Yu Family Manor. The manor was of considerable scale, and it naturally brought wealth flowing into the area.
There were plenty of guests visiting Yu Family Manor, and the manor spent lavishly. Its businesses were extensive too, ensuring the village's prosperity.
"Something feels off, though."
Tang Ho-gwan frowned as they entered the village. It was large and ornate, yes—but the atmosphere was utterly subdued, almost devoid of life.
Jegal Lin leaped forward with an uneasy expression. A bad premonition flashed through her mind.
The group followed as Jegal Lin took off toward Yu Family Manor. But along the way to the manor, they didn't see a single soul.
It clearly wasn't an abandoned village. Vitality emanated from inside every house and building. Experts like the Sword King and Sword Demon could sense it.
"Strange. Everyone seems terrified."
The Sword King picked up his pace as he spoke.
Jegal Lin arrived at Yu Family Manor's front gate. She stared at it in shock.
The gate lay in shattered ruins, scattered everywhere. The connecting walls had crumbled too.
"Wh-what in the world...!"
Jegal Lin moved to rush inside, but the Sword King, who had approached silently, grabbed her shoulder.
She whipped around in surprise to look at him.
"Don't rush in. There are still people inside."
At the Sword King's words, Jegal Lin calmed her pounding heart and nodded. Only then did he release her shoulder. The reason was simple: someone was hiding in the shadowed space behind the gate.
And that hidden person's internal energy felt far from ordinary.
"Let's take a look."
The Sword King muttered softly and stepped through the gate. The moment his foot crossed the threshold, two sharp sword energies shot toward him from both sides.
Shweeeek!
Clang!
Without even drawing his sword, the Sword King swung his hand and shattered the sword energies. Glancing to the sides, he saw two stunned men standing awkwardly with swords in hand.
"Your basics are lacking."
The Sword King's hand moved with blinding speed.
Flash!
"Kugh!"
"Gah!"
The two men clutched their chests and collapsed. They had been struck by the Sword King's emanated energy. Overpowered by his qi, they couldn't move a muscle.
The Sword King fully entered the courtyard. Jegal Lin and the rest followed behind him.
Destroyed pavilions came into view. Traces of battle and bloodstains littered the area.
"This can't be..."
Jegal Lin couldn't hide her panic. Yu Family Manor had ties to the Jegal family and was a martial sect affiliated with the Martial Alliance.
As the group entered, a band of warriors surged out from deeper within the manor. Like the two by the gate, they wore black garb—and they too possessed considerable skill.
"Not your average thugs..."
The Sword King frowned as he scanned them. The faint auras rising from their bodies were anything but pure. If anything, they resembled the qi of Greenwoods Bandits or unorthodox sects.
"Who the hell are you?!"
Jegal Lin couldn't hold back and shouted at them. It looked like Yu Family Manor had been utterly destroyed. She had to uncover the culprits' identities somehow—to enable vengeance.
None of the men spoke. Like mutes, they merely breathed in perfect unison. There were over fifty of them, all synchronized in their breathing, moving as one.
The realization sent chills down Jegal Lin's spine.
"A wench from the Jegal family? Perfect sacrifice to herald the Demonic Alliance's new beginning."
Jegal Lin turned toward the voice. Atop a pavilion beside the gathered men stood a figure. He too wore black, his face masked, identity unknown.
"Demonic Alliance? Didn't they get wiped out?"
The Sword King's eyes gleamed at the name. He had no love lost for the Demonic Alliance.
"We nearly were. But not quite. No—this is just the true beginning. It won't end until we've drowned the world in blood and exacted our revenge!"
Madness laced the man's words. Even his low murmur carried it in patches. A massive wave of power surged centered on him.
"Kuhahaha! Behold this power! The Demonic Alliance's strength to wash the world in blood!"
Krunch!
The pavilion he stood on crumbled completely. Riding the backlash, he leaped back into the sky and bellowed.
"Kill them clean!"
At his command, the black-clad warriors moved in perfect unison.
"They're trying to form a sword formation."
The Sword King muttered. He'd faced one recently. That sloppy attempt wouldn't work on him. But this felt different. Even incomplete, the aura enveloping the area was immense.
"Better smash it before it forms. There are kids here too."
At the Sword King's words, the Sword Demon moved.
Whoosh!
Thick demonic qi poured from the Sword Demon's body, enveloping the black-clad warriors attempting to form the formation.
The warriors froze momentarily from the demonic qi. In that instant, the Sword King's sword shredded them.
Kaboom kaboom kaboom!
In a flash, five black-clad warriors were diced into minced meat and vanished. The Sword King's blade held no hesitation or mercy. These were Demonic Alliance scum—the ones who had once driven him to the brink of death.
"What are you?! Who the hell are you?!"
The black-masked man shouted in shock at the Sword King and Sword Demon's power. He'd dismissed them as mere Jegal family warriors. But they were anything but.
"I can't just stand by either."
This time, Tang Ho-gwan stepped forward. With Dan Hyeong-u nearby, it was the perfect chance to practice and refine his skills. He moved swiftly, before the Sword King and Sword Demon could wipe out the rest.
Countless needles emerged from Tang Ho-gwan's sleeve and shot into the sky.
Shwaaaa!
The sky filled with needles from his hand. Gazing at the sight, Tang Ho-gwan shouted.
Heavenly Thunder
Hundreds of lightning bolts strike foes
Zzzzzzap!
Hundreds of thunderbolts rained down. They deftly avoided the Sword King and Sword Demon, plunging only into the black-clad warriors.
BOOM BOOM BOOM!
The thunderbolts exploded on impact with the ground or warriors, turning the manor into a wasteland in one move.
Tang Ho-gwan nodded in satisfaction, then flicked his hand to retrieve the scattered needles from the ground.
The Sword King and Sword Demon shot him a slightly exasperated glance. But inwardly, they had to acknowledge it. Tang Ho-gwan's Heavenly Thunder was impressive. Hadn't it wiped out the black-clad warriors clean in one go?
Now, only the masked man remained.
"I-impossible. This... this can't be. The Black Warriors taken down so easily... What are you?! Who the hell are you?!"
As he screamed, he noticed the Sword King and Sword Demon moving.
"Damn it!"
The man's figure vanished in a blur. His movement was lightning-fast, so swift even the Sword King and Sword Demon hesitated to pursue.
"That guy's movement technique is at the pinnacle level."
The Sword Demon nodded at the Sword King's mutter. They might have caught him if they'd moved at the exact same instant. But neither had bothered.
Jegal Lin was different. She needed him. To find out why they'd attacked Yu Family Manor—and the Demonic Alliance's true goal.
Her eyes fell on Dan Hyeong-u beside her. As if entranced, she spoke.
"I need that man. Please."
Dan Hyeong-u smiled faintly at her plea. It was delightful having someone ask him for a favor. Or perhaps just having someone talk to him. Either way, he wasn't displeased.
Dan Hyeong-u took one step forward—and vanished from the spot.
Jegal Lin jumped in shock at his sudden disappearance. He was a man who constantly shattered her knowledge and common sense.