Chapter 195
Chapter 195
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 195
Chapter Title: Afternoon Gate (3)
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“Charge!”
At Gandok's shout, the escorts rushed toward Cheol Woo.
The alley was so narrow that even two people could barely walk side by side, making it impossible to surround him or launch coordinated attacks. The escorts, unable to leverage their numerical superiority at all, were essentially forced into one-on-one fights with Cheol Woo.
Thud!
Accompanied by the sound of leather tearing, one of the escorts who had boldly charged at Cheol Woo collapsed on the spot.
His neck twisted halfway around, teeth flying into the air, and crushed jaw all demonstrated the terrifying power packed into Cheol Woo's fist.
Cheol Woo didn't rush.
One at a time.
Every time Cheol Woo swung his fist, an escort dropped without even managing a proper scream.
“M-monster!”
It wasn't until more than ten comrades had fallen that the attacks on Cheol Woo finally stopped.
“What are you doing? Attack him!”
Gandok bellowed, but the escorts, already gripped by fear, backed away while eyeing Cheol Woo warily.
“If you're so confident, stop barking orders from behind your underlings and come at me yourself.”
Cheol Woo crooked a finger at Gandok.
The escorts' gazes turned toward Gandok.
Gandok knew he couldn't handle Cheol Woo with his own skills, but he had no choice but to move.
“Die!”
Gandok charged in a fury.
“Not bad.”
As the leader of the escorts, his movements were noticeably different from his subordinates'.
His sword work was much faster and sharper. Of course, that was only by their standards. To Cheol Woo, Gandok's skill level was something that could be neatly dismantled even at the Overabundance realm.
Losing interest, Cheol Woo snatched the sword thrusting at his throat and slammed his shoulder into Gandok's chest.
Crack.
With the sound of bones breaking, Gandok's body soared into the air. Before it could crash to the ground, Cheol Woo charged toward the escorts.
“B-block him!”
Pyeon Gwang yelled, but the terrified escorts couldn't even dream of stopping him.
He wasn't even swinging his fists—just barreling in with his body—and they couldn't handle it. Fighting an opponent immune to swords didn't make any sense to begin with.
Judging that the escorts couldn't stop him, Pyeon Gwang immediately leaped into action.
He stepped on the shoulders of the hesitating escorts and sprang again, his form soaring through the air like a night bird.
As the sect leader of the Afternoon Gate and a protector of the Blood Death Cult, Pyeon Gwang's martial arts weren't weak. But he had already realized who his opponent was.
A massive build reminiscent of a black bear, a filthy demeanor that would make even Yama flinch, a body hard enough to repel blades, and overwhelming might—there weren't many in the martial world who fit that description.
In this situation, only one name came to mind.
'It has to be Cheol Woo.'
Questioning why Cheol Woo had appeared, Pyeon Gwang dashed mindlessly across rooftops when a massive object hurtled toward him.
Pyeon Gwang swung his fist at it in panic, but he failed to block its approach.
“Gah!”
A strangled scream escaped Pyeon Gwang's gaping mouth.
The impact felt like being struck across his entire body with a giant hammer, and he plummeted powerlessly.
“What? You ran off like that, and you end up here anyway?”
Cheol Woo, who had appeared out of nowhere, roughly stomped on Pyeon Gwang's chest as he lay on the ground and laughed.
“H-how dare you vermin...”
As the monstrous form—Black Wolf— that had downed Pyeon Gwang mid-leap slyly poked its head in, his mouth snapped shut.
“All that fear, huh.”
Cheol Woo sneered and gripped Pyeon Gwang's nape as he walked off.
Sima Geon, approaching from the opposite direction, glanced at the limp Pyeon Gwang and asked,
“The Afternoon Gate leader?”
“He was escaping with what looked like his escorts. Probably is.”
“Since he's one caught from the two escape routes the Beggars' Sect mentioned, it has to be him. Let's go.”
By the time Sima Geon and Cheol Woo returned to the Afternoon Gate headquarters with their captive, the battle was already over.
The Nanjing branch of the Beggars' Sect, the largest among its branches, consisted of beggars with relatively superior skills compared to the Afternoon Gate disciples. Add to that the forces of Minority Forest, Thunderbolt, Late Autumn, and Overabundance, and they stood no chance.
“Is this guy really the Afternoon Gate leader?”
Sima Geon pointed at Pyeon Gwang, who was being dragged in by Cheol Woo.
“He seems like it, but honestly, I'm not sure. I've only seen him from afar once or twice.”
Mouuk, who had rushed over from Hangzhou with them, shook his head.
“That's him, the Afternoon Gate leader.”
Cheol Du-gae, the Iron Head Beggar and Nanjing branch leader, emerged from inside carrying stacks of documents and glared at Pyeon Gwang with murderous eyes.
“You filthy worm! I've suspected something was off with the Afternoon Gate ever since those strange incidents started.”
Without anyone else around, Cheol Du-gae looked ready to snap Pyeon Gwang's neck right there, radiating ferocious hostility.
“We'll deal with his crimes later. What's that you're holding? Did you find something?”
At Mouuk's question, Cheol Du-gae turned with an oh expression.
“We searched the Afternoon Gate leader's quarters and found documents containing serious content.”
“What kind?”
Sima Geon asked.
“I don't know about the rest, but one thing's clear.”
“What?”
“The Blood Death Cult seems to be concentrating all its efforts on eliminating Sword Sovereign and Sword Pavilion as they move toward Shandong. They've already been relentlessly tracking them through the Afternoon Gate.”
At the mention of the Blood Death Cult targeting Sword Sovereign, Sima Geon's expression hardened. Cheol Woo, listening from behind, had a face like a wrathful demon.
After the Afternoon Gate headquarters in Nanjing fell, the Beggars' Sect launched a massive assault on its various branches, which they had temporarily held off due to information leaks.
People initially condemned the Beggars' Sect for their petty attack or persecution on Afternoon Gate territory. But once word spread that the Afternoon Gate had become lackeys of the Blood Death Cult, the target of the outrage shifted.
It wasn't just spies—it was a renowned sect like the Afternoon Gate falling to become Blood Death Cult puppets, delivering a massive shock.
The shock wasn't limited to outsiders. Most Afternoon Gate disciples, who had simply gathered information routinely and followed orders from above without question, were furious to learn they'd unwittingly become Blood Death Cult lackeys. The problem was they had no way to prove they weren't. Once branded, the stigma didn't wash off easily.
“You idiots!”
Yeonghojung crumpled the report in his hand amid curses. He gulped down the cold tea, his throat parched, then asked,
“Any chance this could backfire on us?”
“We used thoroughly disguised names, and the number of contacts was minimal. Nothing special in the contents, so no need for major concern.”
Biikdan Unit Leader Baekan replied politely.
Having ascended to family head with the Blood Death Cult's help, Yeonghojung had fully seized control of the Yeongho Clan. But only a select few knew of their de facto alliance with the Blood Death Cult—including Baekan.
“Double-check everything. If any links remain, sever them completely. Our ties to the Blood Death Cult must never be exposed.”
“Even if issues arise, I've prepared scapegoats to take the fall.”
Yeonghojung finally exhaled in relief at Baekan's calm response.
“Welcome, Sword Sovereign. It's truly a pleasure to meet you.”
Upon hearing that Sword Sovereign and Sword Pavilion had arrived at the Righteous Heaven Alliance, Jwa Ikseon rushed out to greet them at the main gate.
“Such a warm reception leaves me at a loss.”
Neung Sohwa bowed with utmost courtesy. The sight of a hundred sword guards bending at the waist in unison behind her was spectacular in itself.
“Come, let's head inside.”
Sword Sovereign and Sword Pavilion disciples entered the Righteous Heaven Alliance under Jwa Ikseon's guidance.
Considering Sword Sovereign's fatigue from the long journey, Jwa Ikseon suggested rest, and their meeting resumed half a day later.
“Try some. My skills as an old man may be lacking, but it's edible enough.”
Jwa Ikseon poured tea with an endlessly benevolent expression.
“Thank you.”
Neung Sohwa lightly bowed her head and lifted the teacup.
“The aroma is exquisite.”
“Da Hong Pao.”
“Ah, so this is the famous Da Hong Pao.”
Neung Sohwa gazed at the cup in her hand with renewed appreciation.
“Thanks to you, I get to savor something so precious.”
Da Hong Pao was an ultra-rare tea produced in tiny quantities even on the famed Wuyi Mountain—worth a fortune per call.
“I received it as a gift myself. I enjoy such luxuries now and then by chance, but I'm not much for tea. Liquor suits me better...”
Neung Sohwa offered a faint smile at Jwa Ikseon's sheepish chuckle.
After some light conversation, Jwa Ikseon spread a large map on the table, and they delved into the main topic.
“This is the current situation.”
Jwa Ikseon pointed to the areas marked in red and continued.
“Sects that suffered annihilation or equivalent damage at the Blood Death Cult's hands.”
Neung Sohwa let out a low groan at the considerable number of red marks.
“More than I expected.”
“Even this is thanks to Shandong Evil Clan mobilizing in earnest and our alliance elites heading north to curb the damage. When the Blood Death Cult first stirred, the casualties mounted so rapidly no one could keep up.”
Jwa Ikseon's regretful sigh turned sharp.
“Our delayed response due to the North Sea Ice Palace was a factor, but it's no exaggeration to say the Blood Death Cult rampaged thanks to the Afternoon Gate's aid.”
“I know.”
Neung Sohwa nodded gravely.
She had been shocked just before arriving, upon hearing the Afternoon Gate were Blood Death Cult puppets.
“A top-tier information network in the martial world, second only to the Beggars' Sect, aiding the Blood Death Cult—how could we detect their moves? And with our own actions fully exposed...”
Jwa Ikseon shook his head with a heavy sigh.
“Now that the Afternoon Gate's treachery is exposed and they're neutralized, the Blood Death Cult can't act recklessly either. No need to worry too much.”
“That's what pains me. If their betrayal had been uncovered sooner, we could've prevented so much needless loss. So many lives...”
Unable to contain his emotions, Jwa Ikseon even shed tears.
“Ah, forgive me. It's embarrassing for an old man to show such weakness before a guest.”
As Jwa Ikseon gave an awkward smile, Neung Sohwa instinctively bowed to the elder who cared so deeply for the martial world.
“Not at all. How could I not understand the alliance leader's heart?”
“Thank you. With Sword Sovereign here, I feel truly secure.”
Expressing genuine gratitude to Neung Sohwa, Jwa Ikseon took a deep breath to steady his shaken feelings and spoke calmly.
“The Blood Death Cult is scattered everywhere now, but their main force is centered around Phoenix Mountain here.”
“Shandong Evil Clan pressuring from above, Righteous Heaven Alliance from below.”
“Exactly. And Shandong martial forces blocking east and west. The problem is the encirclement is too wide and loose. I'd love to coordinate closely with Shandong Evil Clan for an assault, but that's not going smoothly.”
Neung Sohwa picked up on the unexpected friction between Jwa Ikseon and Shandong Evil Clan. Even in this crisis, the five great clans were wary of the Righteous Heaven Alliance's growing power.
'Infighting even now!'
A faint, enigmatic smile flickered across Jwa Ikseon's lips as he noticed the disappointment on Neung Sohwa's face, vanishing in an instant.