Chapter 118
Chapter 118
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 118
Chapter Title: The Yangtze's Rear Waves (3)
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“Military Advisor.”
At Gwan Ung's call, Hyeong Mu-gang responded politely.
“Yes, Cult Leader.”
“What do you think of the proposal from the Green Forest Eighteen Strongholds?”
After organizing his thoughts for a moment, Hyeong Mu-gang spoke calmly.
“We must accept it without question.”
“Without question? Why?”
Gwan Ung raised one eyebrow slightly as he asked. It was a sign of his displeasure.
“As I mentioned before, in terms of raw power, I'm honestly doubtful whether they'd be of much help to our cult. However, since they have bandit strongholds scattered across various regions of the martial world, their intelligence network is quite impressive in its own right. It's not on par with the Beggars' Sect or the Hao Clan, of course, but it should still provide sufficient aid. Above all, the more shields to take the arrows, the better.”
“That's true. That's why I made the offer. But they dared to refuse. And now they come crawling back with their own proposal? What a joke. What do you think their reason is?”
“I don't have enough information to know for certain, but I've made two guesses.”
“Tell me.”
“First, they've sensed that our cult's movements are unusual. They might even have caught on that we're using the Hahu Clan as an excuse to target the south.”
“Those guys? We've kept it airtight.”
“People who live at the bottom are always sensitive to the currents and information.”
“Like parasites.”
His face still showed clear dissatisfaction.
“The other one?”
“It's Sima Geon.”
“Sima Geon? The Divine Demon Division Leader?”
Gwan Ung's eyes flashed open wide.
“Yes.”
“Green Forest and the Divine Demon Division Leader? That doesn't make sense.”
At Gwan Ung's question, Hyeong Mu-gang's gaze turned to the middle-aged man sitting opposite him. Then, the leader of the Shadow Squad, Sima Ryu, opened his mouth respectfully.
“After the incident in Soheung, the Shadow Squad has been tracking the Divine Demon Division Leader's movements. And in the process, we confirmed a few pieces of information.”
Sima Ryu quickly explained the series of events where Sima Geon and his group got entangled with the Hongik Alliance, the Hao Clan, and even the Yangtze River Alliance.
“In trying to protect the Hongik Alliance, the Alliance Leader of the Yangtze River Alliance effectively became a cripple, and all the top leaders were wiped out, bringing the fight to an end.”
“That was our internal affair, so fine. But seeing someone from our cult pull off such feats feels good.”
Gwan Ung chuckled heartily as he spun the teacup in his hand.
“And Sword Queen, no less. The Yangtze River Alliance was unlucky. The descendant of the master who alone matched blades with the previous Heavenly Demon Emissary. Anyway, so what?”
“There was a report that the Green Forest Eighteen Strongholds might be involved in that incident.”
“The Divine Demon Division Leader?”
“Yes.”
Gwan Ung let out a scoff at Sima Ryu's answer.
“No need to think about it. It's the second one. They saw the Yangtze River Alliance completely annihilated and reached out. Scared they'll end up the same.”
Hyeong Mu-gang bowed his head at Gwan Ung's gaze.
“That's my thought as well.”
“What about you, Squad Leader?”
“Compiling the reports from our agents, the possibility of the Divine Demon Division Leader's influence is over ninety percent.”
“Should I thank the Divine Demon Division Leader? Heh, gives the disease and then the cure.”
Recalling the events in Soheung, Gwan Ung gave a bitter smile before speaking coldly.
“Accept their proposal. But devise ways to exploit them thoroughly.”
“Understood.”
Hyeong Mu-gang bowed his head.
“Squad Leader Sima.”
“Yes, Cult Leader.”
“There's a meeting in the Supremacy Hall shortly.”
At the mention of Supremacy Hall, Sima Ryu's eyes flickered slightly.
The Supremacy Hall decided all major and minor affairs of the Heavenly Demon Cult. There had to be a reason for specifically mentioning this ordinary meeting.
“The Hahu... Clan?”
“Not right now. They're just a pretext.”
Gwan Ung slowly rose from his seat and walked to the large topographic map on the central table. He then picked up a handful of small markers symbolizing the Heavenly Demon Cult.
“Our cult's first target is the Nangong Clan.”
Gwan Ung placed one marker where the Nangong Clan was located.
“The second is the south.”
The markers in Gwan Ung's hand were scattered around the Nangong Clan.
“Much blood will be required.”
Realizing the meaning, Sima Ryu shot to his feet.
“Entrust it to me.”
“I trust you.”
Sima Ryu prostrated himself and shouted at the top of his lungs.
“Heavenly Demon descends! Myriad Demons rise!”
Sima Ryu's impassioned cry echoed thunderously through the Infinite Sky Pavilion.
The Hahu Clan erupted in chaos at the sudden roar of a lion.
All those gathered in the training grounds drew their swords, bracing for any eventuality. Only after Hahu On's order to sheathe their weapons did the commotion subside.
Sima Geon appeared on the path leading north from the training grounds.
Behind him came Neung So-hwa, Lightning Bolt, and Manchu in sequence, while Cheol Woo, carrying Jin Lim over his shoulder, arrived at the training grounds last.
Sima Geon showed no sign of intimidation despite drawing all eyes upon him.
Regulating his rough breathing, he walked toward Hahu Gok standing tall in the center of the training grounds.
“Come on in. Quite the dramatic entrance.”
Hahu Gok said with a gentle smile.
“I worried I might be late, so it turned out this way.”
“Fair enough. Even the grim reaper would've frozen at your roar for a while. But it hasn't come to that yet.”
“Yes. Still, you're much worse off than before.”
Sima Geon couldn't hide his pity at Hahu Gok's clearly sickly appearance.
Even when leaving to strike the Hongik Alliance, his health hadn't been great, but it was incomparable to now. He looked so gaunt, one could believe he was a completely different person.
“I overdid it a bit. I hadn't planned to rush so much, but suddenly it felt like time was running out. No choice.”
“Did you get satisfactory results?”
“Satisfactory? Hmm. Not sure about that, but I left some kind of outcome.”
Though modest, the subtle pride shone through, and Sima Geon congratulated him sincerely.
“Congratulations.”
“Thanks. But that young lady behind you...”
As Hahu Gok's gaze turned to her, Neung So-hwa carefully adjusted her attire and bowed politely.
“Neung So-hwa of the Sword Pavilion greets Senior Sword Ghost.”
“Are you the Sword Queen of this generation?”
Hahu Gok asked, his face lighting up.
“I'm sorely lacking, but I'm striving to uphold my master's legacy.”
“Ha! Amazing. Has there ever been a Sword Queen who revealed herself to the martial world at such a young age? Even the previous Sword Queen, hailed as the greatest, began her Sword Queen Path at thirty.”
“How could I compare to my master? I'm still very deficient.”
Hahu Gok gazed at Neung So-hwa with a pleased expression.
“Is your master well?”
“Yes. She sends her regards.”
“It's been quite some years since we last saw each other.”
Hahu Gok drifted into memories of meeting the Sword Queen just before his effective retirement over a decade ago.
His reverie was broken by a sudden voice.
“Come down already. How long are you going to fake fainting?”
Cheol Woo said toward Jin Lim on his shoulder.
Jin Lim's limp head lifted slightly.
“Since when did you know?”
“Shut up and get down. Before I throw you.”
Before Cheol Woo finished, Jin Lim sprang up and hopped down.
Facing countless stares, Jin Lim blushed and kept his head down, but Cheol Woo paid it no mind.
Looking refreshed as if he'd shed a burdensome load, he approached Hahu Gok.
“Your face says it all, Elder.”
“You don't look so hot yourself.”
Cheol Woo spread his arms wide as he spoke.
“Haha! Isn't it thanks to you, Elder? We smashed the Yangtze River Alliance and were heading to the Green Forest Eighteen Strongholds when that news hit. And why's it raining cats and dogs? Such hardship.”
“Sorry about that. This old man wanted to see you all on my final path, and had something to show you.”
“What kind of talk is that? You're making me out to be the bad guy.”
To Cheol Woo's feigned hurt expression, Hahu Gok offered a serene smile before raising the sword he'd set aside.
“Care to see it?”
“It would be an honor.”
Sima Geon bowed respectfully and stepped back, the others hurriedly creating distance.
Hahu Gok steadied his breath, and his sword began to move.
It wasn't too fast, nor too slow.
His foot moved.
Two steps forward, one to the left.
Then one step diagonally right.
With each step, the sword's motion shifted fluidly. Someone shouted.
“It's the Azure Sea Sword Method.”
At some point, the sword's movements changed drastically.
The speed slowed a touch, but the variations grew far more intricate.
“Mysterious Heaven Sword Method.”
A low groan escaped Hahu On's lips.
The introductory technique learned upon first gripping a sword.
A art ingrained in body and soul after a lifetime, still occasionally practiced.
Yet something was different.
The steps and sword paths were familiar, but the transmitted feel was subtly off.
‘Ha! So that's the difference in enlightenment.’
Realizing it was the gap in depth, between one who'd crossed the wall and one who hadn't, a hollow laugh escaped him.
Meanwhile, Hahu Gok's movements climbed toward their peak.
Nine Dragon Blood, Nine Dragon Press, Nine Dragon Annihilation, Nine Dragon Pierce—the Nine Dragon Sword Technique unfolded.
Containing countless feints, real strikes, and variations, it was hard to learn and progress slowly even after mastery.
The Nine Dragon Sword Technique, which had given bitter defeats to countless geniuses from the Hahu Clan, now flowed effortlessly.
A lifetime of training etched it deep into body and soul.
The body remembered without conscious thought.
He swung the sword continuously.
The world began to change.
Everything around vanished.
A sense of standing alone between heaven and earth.
Thus, Hahu Gok entered a trance, and from then, the Nine Dragon Sword Technique's paths began to transform.
The eighty-one forms compressed and compressed again.
Flashy motions were utterly stripped away, the sword's trajectory simplified to clarity. It perfectly exposed and mended the flaws of the original, a sword technique of entirely different character.
Leading them, all who'd learned the Nine Dragon Sword Technique froze.
The technique before their eyes was the Nine Dragon Sword Technique—yet not.
Right then.
Neung So-hwa unexpectedly joined Hahu Gok's final demonstration for his descendants.
Hahu Gok's sword adapted.
Inconvenienced by the sudden intrusion? Not in the slightest.
A gentle breeze stirred in the still training grounds.
Hahu Gok alternated between the original Nine Dragon Sword Technique and his newly created version infused with personal insights, seemingly showing his descendants their practical differences in combat.
Neung So-hwa responded with the Heavenly Flow Sword Method, tied to the Sword Pavilion and Sword Queen's history.
Astonishingly, despite such fierce swordplay, their blades never clashed directly once.
A spar that was no spar, like exchanging sword principles—everyone was speechless.
“Insane.”
At some point, Cheol Woo had clenched his fists tight.
He already knew Hahu Gok, who'd broken through the wall with Sima Geon's help, was a master of some level. Even his further progress was unimaginable. But what stunned him was how naturally Neung So-hwa matched him.
Neung So-hwa's sword yielded not an inch to Hahu Gok's profound subtlety. In some ways, it seemed sharper, deeper.
‘Damn.’
Now he finally understood why Sima Geon had so firmly declared her stronger than him.
As Cheol Woo grappled with defeat, the seemingly eternal exchange ended abruptly.
Neung So-hwa sheathed her sword and withdrew, her face flushed with excitement. Facing her, Hahu Gok smiled serenely.
“‘The Yangtze's rear waves push forward the front waves,’ they say, and here before me is talent surpassing the previous Sword Queen.”
“This junior has realized there are heavens beyond heavens, thanks to you, Senior. I'm endlessly grateful for broadening my horizons.”
Neung So-hwa trembled, unable to contain the surging excitement and awe from her chest.
“I'm glad it helped this old man too. So, what did you think? I want your words most of all.”
Hahu Gok asked Sima Geon.
“I'll call it the Nine Dragon Sword Technique.”
“Close, but not quite.”
“Yes. Still, I'll name it the Nine Dragon Sword Technique.”
“Do as you like.”
After a pause, Sima Geon spoke in a subdued voice.
“It was one of the greatest techniques I've rarely experienced.”
High praise from Sima Geon's view, but Hahu Gok didn't take it that way.
“I thought it was decent, but it seems it didn't impress you.”
“Far from it. I was awestruck multiple times.”
“Quiet. So, what techniques surpass this old man's?”
“I didn't say better.”
“Then what do you mean?”
Sima Geon's gaze unconsciously drifted to Neung So-hwa.
“I acknowledge it. The Sword Queen's technique is truly remarkable.”
Hahu Gok, having directly crossed swords with her, nodded readily.
“Another is the Heavenly Demon Emissary's technique.”
“...”
“Yet another is the technique some poured their souls into creating to face that Heavenly Demon Emissary.”
“...”
“And the last is Shaolin's Dharma Three Swords. I haven't seen it myself, but judging by the practitioner's skill, probably...”
“You rascal.”
But his expression wasn't dark.
Considering the figures Sima Geon named, they were absolute masters ranking in the top three of martial history.
Placing his creation in their league was the highest praise. And from Sima Geon, no less—it swelled his pride.
“Thank you.”
“No need. It's only...”
Sima Geon couldn't finish. Hahu Gok's imposing figure collapsed weakly.
As the startled Sima Geon moved to catch him, someone was faster.
“I'll do it, Brother.”
Hahu Yeon, cradling Hahu Gok, was already in tears.