Chapter 148
Chapter 148
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 148
Chapter Title: The True Identity of the Southwest King
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Jo Gwang closely observed the men entering the ravine. But both were strangers.
He sent a transmission to Pa Pa.
[Are these the ones called the Southwest King's shadows?]
[Probably.]
[Did they come after me?]
[The Southwest King hasn't confirmed that Your Highness is with the Northern Legion. So they might be after the Great Prince.]
“…….”
Pa Pa continued.
[Actually, the Great Prince asked me in detail about the martial artists around the Southwest King. So I told him everything I knew about them. I'm sorry. The atmosphere made it impossible to refuse...]
[No. If the Southwest King is targeting the Great Prince, shouldn't we inform him first rather than waiting to be asked? Don't worry about it.]
Jo Gwang's eyes darkened heavily.
The ones who had mercilessly slaughtered the martial artists following him. Their terrifying prowess, which had brushed aside even the experts hired at great expense like leaves in the wind, remained a nightmare that still haunted him.
And now they had appeared before him.
Just two for the moment, but who knew how many more might be lurking nearby.
[Pa Pa.]
[Yes, Your Highness.]
[If it comes to a fight with them, assist the Great Prince.]
[Understood.]
At that moment, Pa Pa's eyes widened round.
She had seen Yi Hwan launching himself toward the yellow-robed man and blue-robed man.
Pa Pa!
Pa Pa kicked off the ground and leaped into the air.
Jo Gwang desperately hoped this situation would pass without incident.
* * *
The seven beams of light rising from Yi Hwan's body shot toward the yellow-robed man at a speed beyond anything before.
Clang clang clang clang!
The lights failed to pierce the yellow-robed man's sword barrier and dissipated.
“……!”
Whoosh!
The powerful impact forced the yellow-robed man back five steps. Then a single beam of white light flew toward him.
Boom!
The blue-robed man deflected the white light.
Crackle!
Unable to withstand the shock, the blue-robed man's sleeve tore to shreds and scattered.
“Damn it! They were waiting for us!”
The blue-robed man and yellow-robed man quickly pressed their backs together and assumed formation. Yi Hwan, Cheol Mu-ok, Ju Tae, and the Blade King lineage warriors landed one after another in front of them.
Finally, Pa Pa revealed herself.
[What the hell? That guy didn't seem this strong before...]
The yellow-robed man's transmission carried shock and thick bewilderment. A single clash had made him realize Yi Hwan's power was far greater than what he had shown on the battlefield.
[Then the others might not have gone all out on the battlefield either.]
“Damn it...”
The two stared straight at the approaching Yi Hwan as they poured energy into their swords. Yi Hwan asked them indifferently.
“Did the Southwest King send you?”
The two did not reply.
A cruel order fell from Yi Hwan's lips.
“You may kill one.”
“Yes.”
Cheol Mu-ok and Ju Tae began to move. The Blade King lineage warriors did not advance but blocked the escape route.
Yi Hwan sent a transmission to Pa Pa.
[Hide your Emei Sect techniques, Pa Pa.]
[Understood.]
[And calm yourself down.]
“…….”
In truth, Pa Pa was extremely agitated. The men before her were comrades of those who had practically massacred her subordinates.
* * *
Thump.
Yi Hwan's heart raced.
The descendants of his archenemy, the Blood Demon, had appeared before him after transcending two hundred years.
To confirm once more just in case, he had attacked with over ten layers of energy, and sure enough, it was unmistakably Blood Demon Qi.
‘The Southwest King knows of Daye Fortress's existence, and his subordinates practice the Blood Demon's martial arts. Does that mean the Southwest King is a descendant of the Blood Demon? Or is there someone else behind the Southwest King?’
As Yi Hwan's mind grew complicated, Cheol Mu-ok and Ju Tae unleashed a fierce barrage.
Flash!
Cheol Mu-ok's great sword radiated light.
Boom!
Ju Tae's sword sparked like lightning.
Crack!
The blue-robed man blocked Cheol Mu-ok's great sword and dodged Ju Tae's blade, retreating repeatedly. The mere fact that he withstood their combined assault was shocking enough to preclude any counterattack.
Yi Hwan approached the yellow-robed man and asked indifferently.
“Is the Southwest King a descendant of the Blood Demon?”
The yellow-robed man did not reply this time either.
He was solely focused on how to escape this crisis.
‘One wrong move, and I'll die here.’
Sizzle.
White light flowed along Yi Hwan's blade.
Given the opponent, he could not afford to hold back.
“The Southwest King seems to know who I am and sent you accordingly.”
Sizzle!
Crimson light rose again on the yellow-robed man's sword. It was undoubtedly Blood Demon Qi.
“I'll ask once more. Is the Southwest King a descendant of the Blood Demon?”
“If you're curious, find out yourself.”
“Fine. I will.”
Sizzle.
The white light enveloping Yi Hwan's sword grew larger and writhed ferociously.
“I'll spare one of you. If you want it to be you, wouldn't it be wise to surrender?”
Smirk.
“What nonsense.”
Boom!
Explosions rang out incessantly right beside them.
The blue-robed man was already bleeding from wounds all over his body under Cheol Mu-ok and Ju Tae's combined assault. Yet he somehow held on without collapsing.
‘I must survive!’
Whoosh!
The yellow-robed man vanished.
At the same instant, Yi Hwan's sword dropped vertically.
Boom!
It struck empty air, but an explosion erupted with sparks. The vanished yellow-robed man then distorted back into view and soared into the sky. Yi Hwan kicked off the ground in pursuit.
Thud!
It was right then.
The blue-robed man, under attack from Cheol Mu-ok and Ju Tae, charged toward Yi Hwan.
“Huh!”
Caught off guard by the unexpected move, Cheol Mu-ok and Ju Tae hurriedly chased after him.
‘Damn...’
Yi Hwan could not pursue the yellow-robed man.
The blue-robed man was rushing at him in a mutual destruction technique. Yi Hwan twisted his body mid-air and thrust his sword straight forward.
Thud!
The sword pierced the blue-robed man's throat. At the same time, the blue-robed man's sword grazed Yi Hwan's shoulder. The severed long robe fluttered upward.
Thump!
The blue-robed man hit the ground and breathed his last.
“My lord!”
Cheol Mu-ok and Ju Tae quickly came to Yi Hwan's side.
“You should have stayed focused.”
“...My apologies.”
Yi Hwan swept a cold gaze over them and turned his eyes toward where the yellow-robed man had fled.
Regret and anger welled up.
‘I should have captured at least one.’
Had the yellow-robed man exploited the blue-robed man's death? Or had the blue-robed man sacrificed himself to save the yellow-robed man? Either way, their ruthlessness was no different from the Blood Demon's forces of old.
Then Cheol Mu-ok spoke in a heavy tone.
“He saw through all our techniques.”
Ju Tae continued.
“It was like he knew our trajectories, so we used forms our ancestors rarely employed, but he saw through those too. That's why it took time. My apologies.”
“Is that true?”
“Yes.”
Yi Hwan was inwardly shocked.
To see through the Sword King and Blade King's techniques. If true, it meant the enemy had thoroughly analyzed and prepared over the two hundred years.
Even preparing for the possibility that they might never reappear?
‘The enemy was thoroughly prepared, while we wandered the world unaware of each other's existence...’
What was this? This sense of defeat.
‘If the Blood Demon's descendants survived, then the Madness Demon's descendants must be living somewhere in the world as well.’
His heart grew heavy.
Perhaps more important now than uncovering the lost history of Daye Fortress was to beware the Blood Demon's descendants who had learned his identity—and the unknown descendants of the Madness Demon who could appear anywhere, anytime.
‘Descendants of the Blood Demon who devoured an entire nation... The game has grown bigger than two hundred years ago.’
Everyone gathered around Yi Hwan.
Even the envoys from the Qin Kingdom.
Was it the heavy atmosphere? No one could bring themselves to speak to him.
Clack!
Yi Hwan sheathed his sword and turned.
“We move.”
* * *
[Did you see that?]
[I did.]
[What the hell is that guy's deal? How is he that strong?]
Danri Mok's expression as he stared at Yi Hwan's retreating back was a sight to behold. Namgung Jang-cheon wasn't much different.
Having witnessed Yi Hwan's prowess up close, it was downright shocking.
Even Namgung Jang-cheon, who knew Yi Hwan was strong, had to doubt his own eyes.
[The Great Prince of Yeon Kingdom is a transcendent expert. Now that's top-tier intelligence among top-tier.]
[Calm down and watch the path ahead.]
“...Ugh!”
A dangling tree branch scratched Danri Mok's face. He rubbed the sore spot with an embarrassed look.
Namgung Jang-cheon entrusted his body to his horse's movement, unable to tear his eyes from Yi Hwan's back ahead.
‘That last technique was unmistakably the Energy Swordsmanship. To see it in person, something you can't unleash without at least four layers of energy.’
Rustle...
Goosebumps rose over his body again.
What gave even more chills was that Yi Hwan seemed to grow stronger every time they saw him.
Then Yi Hwan's low voice rang out.
“Full speed.”
“Full speed!”
Thud thud thud!
* * *
“Urk!”
Having vomited up a basin's worth of blood, the yellow-robed man stared at Yi Hwan's receding back, his eyes trembling.
‘He was hiding his power on the battlefield... Then he's not just some offshoot of Daye Fortress—he might be a descendant of the Lord of Daye Fortress.’
He had sustained internal injuries from a single clash.
He had pretended otherwise to the end, but if he had delayed even a moment longer, he would have collapsed on his own before the blue-robed man rushed in to save him.
“Urk!”
The yellow-robed man vomited blood again.
He wiped the blood from his mouth and gazed at the blue-robed man's cooling corpse.
*I was wrong. Escape and tell the Southwest King that the power he showed on the battlefield wasn't everything.*
The choice the blue-robed man had made in his final moments. Thanks to that, he had survived.
His eyes gazing down at the blue-robed man held complex emotions. He had been wary of him lest his mistake be exposed, yet the man had given his life to save him.
“I'll repay the debt by burying you in a sunny spot. Go to a good place.”
Shouldering the corpse, the yellow-robed man reached a sunlit area and began digging a pit. But his severe injuries made it take time.
“Damn it.”
The yellow-robed man took a brief rest. His stomach still churned, blood rising to his throat and receding repeatedly. The pain near his dantian was excruciating.
“I'm going mad.”
He lay flat on his back. The sky had cleared before he knew it, with fluffy clouds drifting lazily like cotton balls.
After about an incense stick's time?
A shadow suddenly stretched long over the yellow-robed man's face.
Realizing too late that someone approached, he shot up like lightning.
“Amitabha Buddha.”
A single chant flowed in.
The yellow-robed man yanked his sword from the ground and retreated swiftly.
‘Shaolin Temple!’
Two monks.
One monk quietly scanned the yellow-robed man's body and muttered.
“What is that corpse, and what is that demonic qi flowing through the benefactor's body?”
“Hey, monk. Why not just keep going on your way?”
“As a Buddhist, I cannot pass by this hideous scene. Confess honestly, benefactor.”
He feigned composure, but the yellow-robed man was inwardly on high alert.
‘Why are Shaolin martial monks here...’
Shaolin Temple, natural enemies of demonic practitioners who used demonic qi. Encountering their martial monks now could end the life he had barely saved.
“Why delay your answer?”
The monk's voice didn't even register.
He had an absolute mission left.
He had to inform the Southwest King, who regarded Yi Hwan as merely a minor branch of Daye Fortress, that Yi Hwan had been hiding his true power.
It was then.
The other monk urged.
“Martial uncle, His Highness awaits. This demonic evildoer has committed murder—dispose of him quickly and let's return.”
“Very well.”
Golden light radiated from the monk's body. Before the yellow-robed man could react, it obliterated his head without a trace.
Thud!
The headless body collapsed limply.
That was the moment Yi Hwan's secret was buried.