Chapter 73
Chapter 73
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 73
Chapter Title: The True Identity of Ghost Valley
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He was a man who carried an evil and eerie aura.
The gaze peeking out from beneath the dark hood was chilling like that of the dead, and his emotionless voice naturally instilled fear in anyone who heard it.
“Did you confirm the man’s martial arts?”
“We threw in two subordinates as bait to check, but it wasn’t the martial arts we were looking for.”
“Are you certain?”
“Yes, Valley Lord. We confirmed it without doubt.”
The hooded figure was the Ghost Valley Lord, who held the power of life and death over everyone in Ghost Valley. Right now, he was receiving the report that two of his subordinates had lost their lives to Namgung Jang-cheon.
The Valley Lord muttered coldly.
“We should be out searching for the one who used the Soul Separation Technique in the Yeon Kingdom, yet here we are playing at war.”
“Ignore the Commander’s orders right now.”
“We can’t do that. The Commander is one trusted by the Emperor. If we clash with him before we’re fully prepared, the Emperor—who already sees us as a thorn in his side—will strike us first. We must not fall into peril before fulfilling our ancestors’ great undertaking.”
“Why not eliminate the Emperor first? We have to get rid of him anyway, don’t we?”
“Now is not the time.”
“But…”
Twitch.
The Valley Lord’s eyebrow curved like a blade.
“Enough.”
“My apologies!”
Ssssh…
A biting chill swept through the room, and in an instant, white frost settled on the brows and beard of the one giving the report.
“For now, focus on this war while checking the warriors of the Qin Kingdom. Understood?”
“Yes, Valley Lord!”
It was then.
An eerie voice drifted in from outside.
“Valley Lord, the Hwangbo Family Patriarch has arrived.”
“Let him enter.”
Creak.
The door opened, and Hwangbo Tae-jin stepped inside.
The Valley Lord’s bloodshot eyes turned toward Hwangbo Tae-jin. Hwangbo Tae-jin subtly furrowed his brow at the intense cold permeating the room before speaking to the Valley Lord.
“The Commander intends to raid the enemy camp tonight. He hopes that Ghost Valley will step forward directly.”
“Is it not the Patriarch’s own will, rather than the Commander’s?”
“Whatever the source of the will, the decision has been made—so we should simply follow it.”
Crackle!
The chill intensified, causing the walls to freeze white. Frost settled on the iron armor, but Hwangbo Tae-jin did not so much as blink.
Their gazes clashed fiercely in midair.
Hwangbo Tae-jin added one more word.
“Must I wait longer for your answer?”
“I heard you crossed swords with that young upstart Namgung Jang-cheon. Do you have anything to say about him?”
“Nothing.”
The corner of the Valley Lord’s mouth slyly curled upward.
“Out of pride?”
Twitch.
This time, it was Hwangbo Tae-jin’s eyebrow that curved like a blade. The Valley Lord’s words were a blatant provocation.
But Hwangbo Tae-jin did not press further. Such clashes were everyday occurrences between the two.
The Valley Lord laughed coldly.
“Heh heh heh. We will follow the Commander’s will, so return now.”
Hwangbo Tae-jin, who had been glaring at the Valley Lord, turned wordlessly and departed. The Valley Lord sank deeply into his chair, his eyes flashing with bloodlight.
“Insolent wretch.”
He fell silent for a moment.
The others in the room held their breath, waiting tensely for his command. In the meantime, the chill swirling through the chamber slowly subsided.
A short while later, the Valley Lord spoke.
“Tonight, I will go out myself. Prepare.”
“Understood!”
Once everyone had left, the Valley Lord brought a cup filled with some unidentified blood-red liquid to his lips.
Thud!
“Through that young upstart Namgung Jang-cheon, I’ll make you realize once and for all that you and I exist on entirely different planes, Hwangbo Tae-jin.”
* * *
Yi Hwan’s group made a cave fairly close to the lake their temporary base. Dense forest shrouded the area around it, making it an utterly concealed spot that no one could discover unless they deliberately searched for it.
The elevated terrain also offered the advantage of overlooking the lake surroundings at a glance by simply stepping outside a short distance.
Everyone arranged their sleeping spots.
Such as they were—simply laying down dry branches and topping them with blankets.
Go Mi claimed a spot a little farther inside, away from Yi Hwan and the others. With her internal energy being the weakest, it was an unavoidable choice for preparing against any unforeseen events.
Everyone settled in to rest.
Cheol Mu-ok turned to Yi Hwan and asked.
“To learn anything, it seems there’s no way but to capture one and interrogate him.”
“I’m thinking on it.”
Go Mi asked.
“What is it we need to confirm from them?”
“I’ll tell you later.”
‘Again with that.’
Go Mi turned her head away sharply without asking more. Cheol Mu-ok and Ju Tae exchanged bitter smiles as they watched her.
[Why not just tell her everything?]
[Our lord will handle it as he sees fit.]
Ju Tae soon furrowed his brow and muttered.
“The humidity is insane… We need to start a fire…”
“Can’t. The smoke.”
“Right.”
As the words suggested, the cave interior was far cooler than outside—and with the lake so near, the humidity was extremely high. A campfire would solve it, but the smoke made that impossible.
Ju Tae turned to Go Mi and asked.
“You all right?”
“I’m fine.”
At that moment, Yi Hwan lay down in his spot.
“I’ll catch some sleep, so wake me when it darkens.”
“We’ll handle the watch, so the Moon Lord should rest her eyes too. You barely got any on the way here.”
“I’ll manage.”
Go Mi leaned obliquely against the cave wall, gazing at Yi Hwan. Just watching him, the irritation she had felt earlier refused to fade.
Treating her little brother as her lord…
Yi So’s words surfaced in her mind.
‘If it weren’t for Your Highness, I would have stayed in the Imperial Palace.’
Go Mi let out a quiet sigh and closed her eyes.
It was then.
Ju Tae, who had been sitting at the entrance, rose quietly to his feet. Go Mi opened her eyes and looked toward Cheol Mu-ok.
[What is it?]
[Someone’s approaching.]
Go Mi heightened her senses to the maximum. But all she detected was the sound of wind.
‘I’ve never once thought of myself as weak, yet the difference between me and those men is just too vast.’
Go Mi turned her gaze back to Yi Hwan.
Had he fallen asleep?
He remained utterly still, eyes closed.
‘So utterly carefree.’
Ju Tae stepped outside.
Go Mi shifted to the entrance and peered out. But the dense forest blocked any view.
At that moment, a faint presence registered in her senses.
The rustling of underbrush mingled with faint footsteps.
‘Irregular stride, and breathing that’s rough.’
Go Mi sent a transmission to Yi Hwan.
[Seems like someone who doesn’t know martial arts.]
With his eyes still closed, Yi Hwan shook his head.
[Did it not occur to you that it might be a wounded martial artist?]
“……!”
[In a situation like this, the most dangerous thing is jumping to conclusions like you just did. Wait a little longer.]
‘Why didn’t I think of that?’
Go Mi felt as if she had been struck on the head. This had nothing to do with levels of martial prowess—it was a matter of experience, focus, and lateral thinking.
It was then.
Swish!
Following the presence, Ju Tae returned. Go Mi first checked his sword. But it remained sheathed, giving her no clues.
“It was a wounded warrior from the Zhao Kingdom. We learned from him that it’s true—the Hwangbo Family and Ghost Valley’s fiends have joined the Zhao Kingdom’s camp.”
Go Mi had already reported this part earlier.
“The state of the battle?”
“They’re locked in stalemate across the water. It’s a back-and-forth struggle, but he died before we could get any more information.”
“You disposed of the body properly?”
“Yes. Moved it to a place where it won’t be found.”
Yi Hwan leaned back against the cave wall once more and closed his eyes.
“There’ll be much to do from here on, so rest deeply.”
“Yes.”
Go Mi closed her eyes as well. She wanted to sleep, but the lingering irritation from Yi Hwan made it impossible.
She stared fixedly at Cheol Mu-ok, who sat opposite her, and asked.
[Is there something between you three that I don’t know about? No—something you’re hiding from me?]
[Why would you think that?]
[You always dodge the answers. Yet it seems like you two know something. So tell me the truth?]
[There’s nothing like that.]
“……!”
Seeing her eyebrow rise, Cheol Mu-ok smiled faintly.
[It’s true. And he dodges with us just the same, so don’t take it to heart—just let it be.]
‘What’s the use in saying more.’
Go Mi promptly turned away.
Cheol Mu-ok and Ju Tae exchanged glances and gave bitter smiles.
Whooo!
Occasional gusts of wind blew even into the cave depths. Laden with moisture, they only fueled Go Mi’s irritation.
Go Mi drew a deep breath to calm herself.
It was then. Yi Hwan opened his closed eyes and muttered.
“Looks like the battle has begun. Everyone, up.”
“Yes.”
Go Mi cracked her eyes open slightly.
‘Battle has begun?’
Not a sound reached her ears.
* * *
Jeoksu was perpetually shrouded in thick fog, earning it names like Ghost Lake or Dragon Pool. The Zhao and Qin Kingdoms normally kept no troops stationed here because of that fog.
Thick fog meant high humidity—and thus, in summer, all manner of diseases ran rampant, a natural scourge they feared. Yet when war broke out, Jeoksu served as the most crucial defensive line for both nations.
The geographical conditions made it impossible for either side to launch an easy assault, which was precisely why the Qin Kingdom—riding a clear upward momentum as of late—could advance no farther north.
Kakang!
Flash!
“Kraaak!”
“Uwaaak!”
Piercing death cries erupted ceaselessly from within the fog. The occasional dazzling flashes indicated that experts of considerable caliber were locked in fierce combat.
Namgung Jang-cheon was there.
Flash!
A streak of bloodlight hurtled toward Namgung Jang-cheon. But a senior expert of the Namgung Family struck it down and plunged into the fog.
Kkang!
Kwachik!
“Guk!”
With a strangled gasp, the fog rippled as someone collapsed limply.
Namgung Jang-cheon stared straight ahead into the fog.
At that moment, the Namgung senior expert burst through the fog and revealed himself. Relief flickered in Namgung Jang-cheon’s eyes—until the man’s intact head suddenly dropped clean off.
“……!”
Flash!
Two more streaks of bloodlight arose.
Namgung Jang-cheon spun his body, erecting a sword barrier. The bloodlights failed to pierce it and bounced away.
Kwaang!
Slightly shaken, Namgung Jang-cheon—his sword held high overhead—unleashed a one-stroke-two-cuts technique.
Flash!
A single powerful sword beam pierced into the fog. From beyond came a burst of flame.
Kwaang!
Chiiing.
Namgung Jang-cheon bit his lip at the intense shock traveling up his wrist from the clash and took two steps back.
‘Just who…’
An opponent who never revealed himself within the fog. It felt to Namgung Jang-cheon like fighting a ghost.
It was then.
Saaah…
With no wind at all, the fog parted to left and right—revealing a hooded figure beyond.
It was the Ghost Valley Lord.
His bloodshot eyes gleamed through the fog like will-o’-the-wisps, utterly eerie. But what Namgung Jang-cheon focused on was not his eyes—it was the sword.
From the blood-red blade, tendrils of blood mist slowly rose. It was an energy distinctly different from sword aura or sword force.
‘Demonic qi this powerful.’
The eyes of Namgung Jang-cheon—who seemed as though he would not tense even if anyone in the world appeared—grew heavy.
“Impressive. To reach this level at your age.”
“If that’s praise, I’ll accept it gladly.”
His eyes may have grown heavy, but Namgung Jang-cheon’s characteristic tone remained utterly unchanged.
He had already surmised it.
The identity of the man before him: the Ghost Valley Lord.
A figure thoroughly veiled in mystery. Yet the one every warrior feared stood right there before him.
“Your father should have come.”
“Was there any need?”
“You sufficient?”
“Of course.”
Pat!
Bloodlight burst from the Valley Lord’s eyes. He bared his teeth in an evil grin.
“I’ll make you realize that your brashness is nothing but empty posturing without the skill to back it. And of course, that end will be death, you brat.”
“By all means.”
Chiruruk.
Namgung Jang-cheon’s blade erupted in radiance. A blue glow as mesmerizing to the eye as the bloodlight.