Chapter 16
Chapter 16
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 16
Chapter Title: Midnight Raiders (2)
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Dang Baek eyed Cheol Woo with a cautious gaze.
Even with over thirty men arrayed before him, the man stood there leisurely, exuding no particular aura.
That fact troubled him all the more. It made him suspect that this nonchalance wasn't mere bravado, but absolute confidence.
'A master. And not just any master—a formidable one.'
As a shadow operative of the Shadow Fox Clan, Dang Baek had crossed paths with countless experts from the clan and beyond. His instincts told him Cheol Woo was no pushover. But it was far too late to turn back now. Even if he tried to retreat, they wouldn't let him off easily.
Dang Baek's gaze shifted to Hwan Su and the others, who awaited only his command. No words were needed.
"Attack!"
With his sharp cry, Hwan Su's sword shot toward Cheol Woo's heart.
Led by Hwan Su, the Black Ox Squad surrounding Cheol Woo and Sima Geon launched their assault in unison.
Faced with attacks pouring in from all sides, Cheol Woo let out a scoffing laugh and reached out toward the blade thrusting at his heart.
Hwan Su questioned this suicidal move even as he drove his sword harder.
The fiercely advancing blade halted in midair.
"What the hell..."
Hwan Su stared in horror at his sword gripped in Cheol Woo's hand.
It was a masterfully honed blade that could slice through anything with a mere graze.
He had never imagined a mere human hand of flesh and blood could withstand it.
Clang!
With a piercing metallic ring, the blade snapped clean off in Cheol Woo's grasp.
Snatching the broken shard, Cheol Woo lunged it toward Hwan Su's face.
'N-no!'
Hwan Su's eyes bulged wide.
Cheol Woo's left hand had already seized his nape.
Attacks rained down from every direction to rescue Hwan Su.
Cheol Woo ignored the barrage, driving the broken blade fully into Hwan Su's face.
Hwan Su thrashed desperately to escape Cheol Woo's grip, but his body went limp as the shard pierced clean through the back of his skull.
In that instant, the swords aimed at Cheol Woo swept across his body.
Not a single fold of his clothing was torn. The Overlord Blood Victory Aura enveloping him had repelled every strike.
The Overlord Blood Victory Aura left by his unyielding master didn't match the devastating offensive power of the Ink Gang Asura Qi that Sima Geon had passed on after his encounter with the Ghost Gate Clan. Yet as a protective aura, it was exceptional—rivaling any technique, even the Ink Gang Asura Qi itself.
Cheol Woo looked pityingly at the Black Ox Squad members stumbling back in terror.
"Tsk tsk. You put on a decent show, but is this all you've got? When a comrade drops, shouldn't you charge in with everything you've got? You worthless pests."
Irritably hoisting Hwan Su's limp corpse, Cheol Woo hurled it at the retreating Black Ox Squad.
"Here. A gift for you."
With a casual clench of his fist, he unleashed a powerful punch.
A bluish fist aura slammed into Hwan Su's body, which exploded like fireworks.
Bones and flesh scattered in all directions, turning into deadly projectiles that ravaged the Black Ox Squad.
"Argh!"
"Gah!"
Screams echoed as their spilled blood formed a red mist that filled the bamboo grove.
An unimaginable display of overwhelming force.
The Black Ox Squad, crushed by Cheol Woo's might and too intimidated to resist, shattered utterly. Meanwhile, Dang Baek—who had circled left to strike Cheol Woo from behind—found himself plunging into disaster.
With all attention fixed on Cheol Woo's terrifying presence, Dang Baek had made the fatal mistake of forgetting Sima Geon.
As Dang Baek slipped toward Cheol Woo's flank using the Dark Smoke Steps of his poison sect's lightness skill, Sima Geon casually extended his foot.
Even if he did nothing, Cheol Woo wouldn't fall to Dang Baek. More likely, Dang Baek would end up as a bloody pulp under Cheol Woo's counterattack.
Wanting to confirm a few things about the situation, Sima Geon couldn't just let him die yet.
"Guh!"
A strangled cry escaped Dang Baek as he vanished like smoke.
True to his role as Black Ox Squad leader, his reaction was swift.
The moment he felt pain, he twisted like lightning and thrust his sword.
A streak of light hurtled toward Sima Geon.
Sima Geon, who had crushed Dang Baek's ankle underfoot, watched the quick counter with an amused expression and flicked his finger.
Cling!
The charging blade collided with his finger, ringing sharply.
The shock traveled through the sword, arm, and shoulder, shaking his body.
Unable to withstand it, Dang Baek dropped his sword and stared at Sima Geon in a daze.
Sima Geon picked up the sword and drove it into Dang Baek's instep.
The motion was slow, yet Dang Baek couldn't react.
"Gaaah!"
A scream tore from Dang Baek's lips as pain overwhelmed him.
Sima Geon, who had muffled sounds to avoid disturbing his brother's treatment, waited patiently until the screams subsided before asking quietly.
"Who sent you? What are you after here?"
"Y-you... who the hell are you?"
Sima Geon furrowed his brow at the retort and twisted the sword in Dang Baek's foot slightly.
Dang Baek's mouth gaped open as agony split his foot.
No scream came out.
Biting his lip with bloodshot eyes, Dang Baek glared at Sima Geon.
"Who... are you... guk!"
Sima Geon twisted the blade again to silence him, then stepped back.
"I ask the questions. You just answer. What are you after? The Clear Heart Clinic? The Living Immortal Medical House? Or the Celestial Pure Jade Milk?"
Probing with each question and watching reactions, Sima Geon caught the flicker in Dang Baek's eyes at "Celestial Pure Jade Milk."
"So it's the Celestial Pure Jade Milk."
Dang Baek bowed his head and fell silent.
"Few know I obtained it. Where did you hear? The Water Dragon..."
Sima Geon chuckled and shook his head mid-question, recalling the assassins from the Heaven Killer Hall targeting the Celestial Pure Jade Milk on the way back from Hangzhou to Shaoxing.
"If back-alley thugs knew, calling it a secret is laughable from the start."
"Y-you obtained the Celestial Pure Jade Milk? D-does that mean you're Sima Geon?"
Dang Baek jerked his head up, voice trembling.
"You even know my name. Looks like the intel leaked thoroughly. Yes. I'm Sima Geon."
At the name, Dang Baek's face twisted like a rotten potato.
'What an idiotic blunder!'
He bitterly regretted confirming only that the Heaven Killer Hall had been repelled by the Living Immortal Medical House retainers—without investigating Sima Geon himself.
'We mocked these monsters for running a butcher shop.'
People with wealth enough to buy the Celestial Pure Jade Milk operating a butcher shop was suspicious from the outset.
He would normally have questioned it, but somehow he'd brushed it off. He couldn't understand why.
"I've answered. Now you answer. Where are you from?"
Dang Baek's body prickled at Sima Geon's calm tone.
From experience, such composed foes were far more terrifying than constant threats.
"Don't want to talk? Fine, doesn't matter..."
Sima Geon's face changed abruptly as he smirked coldly.
He clamped Dang Baek's jaw, but it was too late.
Dang Baek convulsed violently, blood oozing from his seven orifices.
Sensing mortal danger from Sima Geon's demeanor, he had bitten down on the poison pill in his mouth.
Seeing no way to stop it, Sima Geon whipped his head around.
"Don't kill them all. Leave a few ali..."
Sima Geon couldn't finish.
Cheol Woo sauntered over, having wiped out every last one without mercy.
"Boss, these guys were too weak. Looked decent enough, but no substance. They reminded me of the Black Heaven Gang, so I had hopes... but the gap's huge. Why the long face? What happened?"
Cheol Woo halted, noting Sima Geon's grim expression.
"All dead?"
"Obviously. Couldn't spare any even if I wanted. Too fragile."
Cheol Woo shrugged with a grin, then glanced at Dang Baek sprawled at Sima Geon's feet.
"He's croaked too?"
"Yeah."
"Learn anything?"
Sima Geon shook his head wearily, and Cheol Woo couldn't hide his surprise.
"The boss got his hands dirty and got nothing? Impressive in a way."
"He offed himself before I could. Idiot. Didn't even notice the poison pill."
Sima Geon sighed in self-reproach. Cheol Woo pointed at the Clear Heart Clinic with a chuckle.
"With all your nerves on that side, it's natural. Still, he was top dog. Kept the secret by dying. Shame we couldn't trace the backers. Who knows when more flies will buzz around."
"No more flies. The Celestial Pure Jade Milk won't exist after tonight. But if any do..."
Sima Geon's indifferent gaze fell on Dang Baek, writhing in agony before bleeding out.
"They'll end up like that."
"Heh heh. Might not be so bad having flies buzz in. Liven up the boring routine."
Cheol Woo snickered, earning a displeased look from Sima Geon.
"Boring routine? Spice? After all that blood, you want more?"
"Not exactly."
"I hate this peaceful life getting disrupted."
"Me too."
Cheol Woo gave an awkward smile. Sima Geon snorted.
"Empty words."
"No, really."
"Shut it!"
Sima Geon ignored the excuses.
"Clean this place up properly. Folks will freak seeing corpses everywhere."
"Here?"
Cheol Woo startled.
"You planned to just leave?"
"Not that, but how am I supposed to handle all this alone..."
Cheol Woo scratched his head, surveying the devastation. Over half the corpses were shredded beyond recognition, the rest mangled. Blood soaked the ground and stained the entire bamboo grove red.
"Who told you to make such a mess? Could've handled them neatly and less hassle."
"You're the one who always said to go all out, even on rabbits."
Cheol Woo grumbled indignantly.
"I said go all out, not turn 'em into butcher scraps. Enough chatter—get to it."
Sima Geon glared and turned away.
Staring blankly at his back, Cheol Woo sighed deeply.
"Haa... When will I..."
Despite his dejected look, his heavy feet were already digging into the earth.
