Chapter 316
Chapter 316
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 316
Chapter Title: Pursuit Failure
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“There!”
Danri Mok pointed toward the forest ahead.
Beyond the trees, a blood-red glow flickered. The moment Namgung Jang-cheon and the others turned their gazes, dozens of streaks of blood light pierced through the forest and shot toward them.
Kwa-gwa-gwa-gwa-gwang!
Flames erupted around Namgung Jang-cheon and Danri Mok.
It was the result of the blood light being blocked and dissipating against their protective auras.
“Kaka-kak!”
With a monstrous roar, Ban Go shot up into the air like a dagger plunging into everyone’s eyes.
“W-what is that?”
“Fall back, Young Master!”
The Namgung Family experts leaped in front of Namgung Jang-cheon. The Danri Family experts did the same.
Toward them, the blood light rained down like a shower.
“Watch out!”
Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwak!
“Urk!”
“Argh!”
Two experts from the two families staggered back with screams. The blood light had pierced through their protective auras.
Shuwaak!
Kwa-jijik!
“Ugh!”
“Eugh!”
Two more experts staggered, spraying blood.
Everyone was stunned. No one in the world had ever encountered such bizarre martial arts.
Thud!
Ban Go landed on the ground.
With blood-red hair, blood-red eyes flashing, and fangs bared, he looked exactly like a demon straight out of a book.
“Kikikiki….”
Danri Mok shouted loudly.
“That’s not the one we were chasing!”
Danri Mok, who had faced Jang Cheon-jo directly before, was certain the Ban Go before them was not him.
“What the hell is that guy….”
Chiruruk.
The blood light rose like snakes, soon wrapping around Ban Go’s entire body.
Namgung Jang-cheon’s face hardened like stone.
“Such powerful demonic energy….”
“We have no choice but to attack together!”
Danri Mok pressed close to Namgung Jang-cheon’s side. Having confirmed Ban Go’s strength, the experts from both families no longer dared to charge recklessly and instead closed their distances with each other.
“Kikikiki.”
The demonic energy swirling around Ban Go grew stronger, kicking up dust like a storm.
Kwa-kwa-kwa!
Namgung Jang-cheon’s sword turned blue.
Danri Mok’s sword extended a full foot longer due to his aura. The experts from both families channeled their full power into their swords, watching for an opening to strike together.
But then?
“Kikikiki….”
Ban Go, who had been transforming into a massive mass of demonic energy, suddenly began stumbling backward.
His eyes, which had looked like they might drip blood, now trembled thinly with fear, unlike their previous ferocity.
“He realizes we’re about to strike together and is retreating.”
“Now’s the time. If we all hit him at once, we can take him down. Everyone, get ready!”
Namgung Jang-cheon shouted to the experts from both families.
At that moment.
“Move.”
A tremendous force surged from behind.
Namgung Jang-cheon, Danri Mok, and everyone else turned their heads back.
“…!”
In an instant, everyone’s eyes widened.
A single massive light streaked in at incredible speed.
It was Yi Hwan.
“Kyaaak!”
Kwang!
Ban Go shot up into the air with a monstrous roar.
A single ray of light left Yi Hwan’s hand and flew toward Ban Go like lightning.
The light struck Ban Go squarely.
Kwang!
“Kyaaak!”
The blood light that had enveloped Ban Go scattered, dyeing the air red. Immediately after, Yi Hwan’s sword cleaved through the sky.
But Ban Go was already fleeing far ahead.
The chase resumed.
Namgung Jang-cheon and the others stared in shock at Yi Hwan and Ban Go vanishing from sight in an instant.
Danri Mok muttered like a man in a daze.
“To think a human could be that fast….”
“Someone else is coming!”
“…!”
Everyone’s heads turned back again.
Two people were racing in at tremendous speed. It was Ju Tae and Park Ji-mun.
Namgung Jang-cheon spotted them first. Before he could say anything, Ju Tae and Park Ji-mun shot past overhead and disappeared.
‘What the hell is going on?’
For a moment, Namgung Jang-cheon’s mind grew chaotic.
Ban Go wasn’t the one they had been chasing. He was the one Yi Hwan was pursuing, and despite his terrifying power, Ban Go had trembled in fear at Yi Hwan’s appearance and fled without even thinking of fighting.
And now Ju Tae and Park Ji-mun had chased after them.
‘What in the world….’
“What are you doing? We have to chase them too!”
Danri Mok’s shout snapped him out of his confusion.
Namgung Jang-cheon watched Danri Mok and the Danri Family experts charge ahead first, then let out a long breath.
“Hoo!”
* * *
Ju Tae and Park Ji-mun felt like they were dying. Even after surpassing their limits, they kept chasing Yi Hwan, running and running.
How much time had passed?
Yi Hwan stood ahead.
Ju Tae and Park Ji-mun reached his side and collapsed flat.
Steam rose thickly from their entire bodies. Their ragged breaths and blurred eyes showed they had long passed their limits.
“Hah-hah-hah!”
“Ughhh!”
Yi Hwan silently gazed ahead. Where his eyes reached was a cliff shrouded in thick mist.
“D-did we lose him?”
Yi Hwan nodded silently.
His eyes held bewilderment along with deep suspicion toward the Blood Heaven Messenger.
Ju Tae and Park Ji-mun struggled to their feet.
“What the hell was that guy?”
“The Blood Heaven Messenger.”
“Blood Heaven Messenger?”
Not only Park Ji-mun, but even Ju Tae, a descendant of the Sword King, had never heard of the Blood Heaven Messenger.
At that moment, Danri Mok and the Danri Family experts leaped into the area. Soon after, Namgung Jang-cheon and the Namgung Family experts appeared one by one.
“Great Prince!”
“We greet the Great Prince!”
Chachachak!
Namgung Jang-cheon and Danri Mok approached.
“Did you come here after finding the one you were chasing?”
“Yes. Shortly after Your Highness left, we got word that the target had been spotted, so we came here. We were definitely on the right trail, but somehow we ran into the wrong guy.”
Here, Yi Hwan recalled the man who had been hanging from the cliff while chasing Ban Go. He hadn’t seen his face, but he might have been Jang Cheon-jo.
If that man was Jang Cheon-jo, why had Ban Go attacked him? Were they allies who didn’t recognize each other? Or had Ban Go been so consumed by demonic influence that he couldn’t even recognize his comrade?
As the questions chained together again, Yi Hwan shook them off with effort and took a low breath.
Once his breathing had somewhat stabilized, Ju Tae asked.
“Are we heading back?”
“We can’t catch him in this situation.”
“What if he causes trouble?”
“If his movements are exposed, we’ll move then. Let’s go back for now.”
“…Yes.”
Yi Hwan turned first.
Ju Tae and Park Ji-mun followed at his side.
Namgung Jang-cheon stared at Yi Hwan’s back, his eyes trembling.
‘Is that his true level?’
Move.
Yi Hwan charging toward Ban Go after that single word had been terrifying enough to send shivers down his spine.
But even more astonishing was how Ban Go, who had displayed such horrifying power even before the experts of the two families, had feared Yi Hwan and fled immediately.
Danri Mok approached. Staring at Yi Hwan’s back, he muttered.
“Now I understand why they say there’s always someone above. I never dreamed I’d see it with my own eyes.”
“…….”
“Let’s go, my friend.”
* * *
Cha Ryong, imprisoned in the Thunder Prison.
Unexpectedly, he maintained a very calm demeanor.
But inside, he was far from calm. He was still furious with himself.
Furious at his own excessive complacency. It was hard to suppress. The fact that he had to pretend to be calm under watchful eyes only fueled his rage more.
‘Damn it….’
Unable to channel his internal energy, escape was impossible. The real issue was whether he could protect the secrets he must keep during the torture to come.
He could endure physical pain easily enough.
But here, there was Yang Chan, who wielded poisons with mysteriously profound skill.
A poison that rendered even him, at the Absolute Realm, unable to circulate his internal energy.
He never imagined such a poison existed in the world. The problem was that Yang Chan might have even more unimaginable poisons.
If it wasn’t just physical pain but a poison affecting the mind, he might spill everything regardless of his will. That terrified Cha Ryong.
Kkiiik.
The door opened, stretching a long beam of light.
A man entered. It was Yang Chan. Cha Ryong’s eyes filled with venom as he glared at him.
Yang Chan said calmly.
“You’re the first to endure that level of pain. But keep this in mind: that pain isn’t the end.”
Yang Chan turned to leave after speaking.
“You’d better not expect to get anything out of me.”
“We’ll see about that. It’d be better to confess everything before your lord returns. Once he does and gives the order, I won’t be able to show mercy anymore.”
“…!”
Kkikiki.
Thud!
The Thunder Prison door closed, and the light vanished.
Brrr….
Cha Ryong’s eyes trembled.
Rage surged again, leaving him breathless. Thus, Cha Ryong was crumbling.
* * *
People awaited Yang Chan as he exited the Thunder Prison.
Go Mi and Hwa Ryeong.
“He’s struggling to hold on, but he’s already starting to break. The pain he’s feeling has surpassed human limits, so we’ll get what we want soon.”
At Yang Chan’s words, Hwa Ryeong stepped forward.
“So we just keep waiting like this? We should use a stronger poison to make him talk faster.”
“We’ll decide that when the lord returns.”
Go Mi asked again.
“Is there no way for him to neutralize the poison in his body on his own?”
“Four days. Until then, not even a god could do it.”
“So the effect only continues if we administer more poison before four days pass.”
“That’s right.”
Hwa Ryeong spoke up.
“Why bother with that hassle? Just use a stronger dose of the current poison. It won’t kill him, will it?”
“It will.”
Yang Chan smiled faintly and continued.
“Don’t expect more than that from me. Even I have limits.”
“What kind of Descendant of the Poison King is this?”
“Don’t think of poison as divine omnipotence. Even my ancestor probably couldn’t achieve more than this.”
Yang Chan turned with a smile.
At that moment, a light commotion came from outside.
“Looks like the Great Prince is back.”
Go Mi headed out first.
Hwa Ryeong shot Yang Chan a glare before following Go Mi.
Yang Chan watched Hwa Ryeong’s back with a wry smile.
‘What a temper.’