Chapter 247
Chapter 247
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 247
Chapter Title: Crisis
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Deputy General Yu Woo-seong burst into Yi Hwan's office.
“Great Prince! A massive brawl has broken out in the marketplace. It seems connected to the Blue Wolf Tribe princess!”
Yi Hwan closed the book he was reading and fixed his gaze on Yu Woo-seong. Yu Woo-seong continued without pause.
“Someone spotted a man and two women fleeing toward the northern part of the city, chased by ruffians! They couldn't confirm faces or outfits, but it doesn't feel right!”
A man and two women? The gender ratio matched perfectly with Cheol Mu-ok, Tae Sun, and the others. It might not be them, but the odds were high.
“Dispatch search teams around the city immediately and coordinate with signal flares.”
“Understood.”
Yu Woo-seong dashed out.
Yi Hwan donned the outer robe hanging on the wall, grabbed his sword, and stepped outside.
Just then, Ju Tae, Kim Mu-gwan, Park Ji-mun, and others came running. The door to the adjacent room opened, and Go Mi and Hwa Ryeong emerged as well. They must have heard the news first.
Ju Tae asked,
“Is it Mu-ok?”
“No one knows for sure right now. But the odds are pretty high. Everyone, head to the northern mountainous area of the city.”
“Yes!”
Yi Hwan headed out.
The others followed behind him.
‘If it is Mu-ok's group, who are they targeting?’
Cheol Mu-ok? Or Tae Sun? And who sent them for what purpose?
‘They moved in the opposite direction of headquarters, which means the situation isn't good.’
“First to the palanquin.”
Boom!
Dust erupted where Yi Hwan had stood.
Everyone leaped after Yi Hwan, whose figure turned pitch black in an instant.
Ju Tae overtook the others, flames blazing in his eyes.
‘Whoever these bastards are, when I catch them, I'll grind their bones and drink the marrow.’
Grit!
* * *
The foes shifted into a hazy mist like fog.
Cheol Mu-ok finally realized who they were.
“No wonder they looked familiar. So you're the Ghost Valley underlings, faces masked in skinskins.”
“……!”
The Ghost Valley Lord flinched inwardly just before launching his attack.
‘She recognized us this easily!’
Their identities were exposed. No matter what, he had to kill Cheol Mu-ok and Tae Sun, even if the heavens split.
“Not bad. But that fact won't reach anyone else. You're all going to die here no matter what.”
“If you're so confident, give it a try.”
Cheol Mu-ok taunted them while guarding Tae Sun's side.
Right now, the most important thing was Tae Sun's safety. If she died here, Yi Hwan's grand vision could crumble to nothing.
“Wrinkly prune, you sure talk a lot!”
Ptoo!
Tae Sun spat at the Ghost Valley Lord with curses and let her sword dangle from both hands.
[Don't get excited.]
[Got it. But that's easier said than done.]
Tae Sun displayed remarkable composure. But inwardly, she was far from it. Facing death at the hands of unknown assailants in a foreign land, who wouldn't be?
[Keep your back to a tree, but secure an escape route at all times. When I give the signal, head straight for headquarters without looking back.]
“……!”
[If the princess falls, Yeon Kingdom and the Blue Wolf Tribe will face an irreversible crisis. Remember, that's exactly what they want.]
Tae Sun grasped Cheol Mu-ok's intent. Her wavering eyes soon filled with resolve.
[Let's fight together. I can't run away alone, not even if I die.]
[Princess, you must see the bigger picture.]
[No use talking. Focus!]
Realizing words were futile, Cheol Mu-ok exhaled softly and stepped forward.
That was when the battle began.
The demonic foes charged first. Cheol Mu-ok saw they were targeting only him.
His broadsword cleaved the air.
Boom!
Cheol Mu-ok repelled two demonic foes, then spun his body to smack away a sword thrusting at his chest.
Bang!
Crunch-crunch-boom!
Dust billowed as the afterimage of the Ghost Valley Lord emerged from the haze. The flickering mirages, like heat haze on a spring day, rapidly dwindled to reveal his true form.
‘No way…….’
The Ghost Valley Lord was stunned speechless. He knew Cheol Mu-ok was strong, but he never imagined this level.
Crackle!
Unable to withstand the impact, tears ripped through Cheol Mu-ok's robe, exposing bare skin in places.
“You bastards!”
Tae Sun's sword sliced the air. A demonic foe feinting an attack on Cheol Mu-ok targeted her instead but twisted back, retreating from her faster-than-expected strike. By a hair's breadth, her blade shredded a long strip from the foe's garment.
Flutter!
Not just Cheol Mu-ok, but Tae Sun proved stronger than anticipated, shifting the demonic foes' momentum in an instant.
‘Those trees are acting as obstacles!’
The surrounding giant trees positioned themselves cunningly like living barriers. This prevented the foes from exploiting their numerical superiority to attack from blind spots.
Of course, Cheol Mu-ok had chosen this spot from the start to leverage that very point, digging in for a last stand.
Cheol Mu-ok coldly shouted at the Ghost Valley Lord.
“If you want to live, scram back to the Zhao Kingdom now. You know full well Golden Army headquarters isn't far from here.”
“You seem anxious. Worried you can't protect the princess? Or scared of losing your own life?”
“Of course I'm scared. I haven't even gotten married yet.”
“You two can get engaged in the afterlife once you're dead. Heh heh heh.”
The Ghost Valley Lord believed he still had plenty of time. Even if Golden Army headquarters was nearby as claimed, discovering this place would take considerable time.
“Time to end this.”
Roar!
Fierce demonic energy surged from the Ghost Valley Lord's body like a storm. The other demonic foes followed suit, acknowledging the tough opponents and unleashing their full power.
Cheol Mu-ok was well aware.
[When I give the signal, dive into the forest immediately. I'll follow.]
[You're really coming, right?]
[For the sake of your pride, I won't stay behind alone. Believe me.]
Cheol Mu-ok exhaled long and thin, slowly circulating his deep inner energy.
In that instant, an overwhelming aura, an untouchable pressure, emanated chillingly from his entire body.
Rumble!
The next moment, Cheol Mu-ok's broadsword cleaved the air.
“Heaven Breaker!”
Heaven Breaker.
The ultimate technique encapsulating all of Blade King Cheol Mu-gwang's sword arts in a single stroke.
As it unfolded, dozens, hundreds of swordgangs blanketed the area, pouring down with the momentum to annihilate everything living within dozens of feet.
Crunch-crunch-crunch!
Giant trees shattered and toppled. Soil and broken branches swept up in the storm gale obscured all vision in every direction.
Boom-boom-boom-boom!
Successive explosions rang out.
When the dust finally settled, the area around the Ghost Valley Lord and his demonic foes lay in ruins, as if thousands of catties of gunpowder had detonated simultaneously. Several foes lay dead, throats slit or chests pierced.
“You dare……!”
The Ghost Valley Lord's sword gleamed. He had spotted Cheol Mu-ok and Tae Sun fleeing into the forest.
But his strike cleaved only empty air, and the pair vanished from sight.
“Pursue them!”
Whoosh!
* * *
“Hey! Are you okay?!”
Tae Sun's eyes widened. She saw blood trickling from Cheol Mu-ok's mouth.
“Focus. I'm fine.”
The two plunged blindly through the forest.
Cheol Mu-ok gritted through the searing pain rising from his dantian, focusing on maintaining his energy flow.
‘As expected, it was too much.’
The ultimate technique, Heaven Breaker.
Unfortunately, Cheol Mu-ok had not fully mastered it.
Legends told of Blade King Cheol Mu-gwang using Heaven Breaker to generate not dozens or hundreds, but hundreds or thousands of swordgangs, wiping out an entire enemy force hostile to Daye Fortress in one fell swoop.
Compared to that, Cheol Mu-ok's Heaven Breaker was sorely lacking.
Moreover, Heaven Breaker demanded profound inner energy to match its power. For Cheol Mu-ok now, unleashing it once consumed most of his energy—and even that required enduring some internal injuries.
But given the circumstances, there was no choice. Still, it had opened an escape route and bought them a little time.
“A bit farther, and we'll reach the waterfall. Be prepared to jump if needed.”
“Got it.”
One fortunate point: Cheol Mu-ok knew the terrain well. Crucial in a chase.
“They're already catching up!”
Tae Sun shouted, staring up through the canopy.
The demonic foes closed in ferociously. Unhindered by branches like the pair below, they moved much faster.
Cheol Mu-ok had good reason for sticking to the forest floor despite knowing this.
‘A little farther, and we'll hit the dense broadleaf woods. We can make it to the waterfall using that.’
The current forest was mostly pines. But broadleaf thickets had far greater density, inevitably limiting the foes' vision. Cheol Mu-ok planned to exploit that to reach the waterfall.
Whoosh!
The two sprinted with all their might.
Cheol Mu-ok's internal injuries brought escalating agony, but he had no room to pace himself. One slip here, and they'd be forced into a desperate fight for survival.
Scree!
A chilling energy rained from above. But the giant trees blocked it.
Thud-thud-boom!
Swish!
Two demonic foes plummeted to the forest floor.
At that moment, a flash erupted from Tae Sun's hand. The silent gleam pierced a foe's leg straight through.
Thuck!
“Urk!”
The dense underbrush below had obstructed their view.
“Give me one too.”
“Last one.”
Cheol Mu-ok switched his broadsword to his left hand and slipped the star-shaped hidden weapon Tae Sun handed him between his fingers.
How much farther did they run?
Finally, the dense broadleaf forest appeared.
Tae Sun leaped in first. But Cheol Mu-ok feinted toward it, then whirled like lightning and hurled the hidden weapon.
Flash!
It grazed a foe's shoulder and pierced the giant tree behind. Had it hit true, it would have bored a fatal hole through the body—truly formidable power.
As the foe hesitated for a split second, Cheol Mu-ok pursued Tae Sun into the forest.
Ruuuumble……
The waterfall's roar began to echo faintly.
“Huff huff!”
Rough breaths tore from Tae Sun's lips. Midway, she'd infused energy into the hidden weapon, accelerating her energy drain.
Ruuuumble!
A bit farther, and the waterfall came into view beyond the trees.
Cheol Mu-ok, having caught up to Tae Sun, wrapped his left arm around hers.
“When you hit the water, protect your body with protective energy. Never close your eyes—keep that in mind.”
“Got it.”
Ten feet to the waterfall. Even injured and exhausted, one leap would suffice.
“They're blocking the path!”
As Cheol Mu-ok glanced back, Tae Sun cried out urgently. His eyes pierced like daggers at the Ghost Valley Lord and two demonic foes standing squarely in their path.
‘Damn…….’
In that fleeting moment, Cheol Mu-ok hesitated.
Fight here, or choose another way?
He chose the latter.
“Maintain speed.”
“What are you planning?!”
“Trust me.”
Cheol Mu-ok's broadsword brimmed with energy. Grasping his intent, Tae Sun channeled her remaining energy into her sword.
“Remember what I said earlier.”
“Got— Ahh!”
Tae Sun's body shot rightward like an arrow. Cheol Mu-ok had shoved her. She escaped the trio's range and plummeted straight under the waterfall.
For an instant, time seemed to freeze for Tae Sun. In her eyes, the light flashing atop the waterfall gleamed white.
Boom!
Ruuuumble!
Countless fragments rained down like hail.
“I said we'd fight together!”
Tae Sun's eyes widened to the tearing point.
Her scream was swiftly swallowed by the waterfall.
Thud!