Chapter 20
Chapter 20
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: A Brief Companionship (2)
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On the other hand, the masked man fumbled, unsure how to deal with him.
He had never expected Ouyang Jue to react this way.
‘Is he insane?’
He had deliberately waited until Ha Jin-ak was away, and now was the Hour of the Dog.
The world outside had grown dark, to the point where it was difficult to see without candlelight.
*Clang!*
A small spark flew.
For a split second, it illuminated the space between the masked man and Ouyang Jue.
In that instant, the masked man saw it.
The cold gaze that stood out on Ouyang Jue’s face.
There was none of the panic or fear common among the younger generation.
It felt as though he were gauging the distance with a master accustomed to such situations.
‘I have no choice but to retreat and finish this in one blow.’
The masked man silently moved back.
Immediately after.
*Tap, thud!*
Ouyang Jue closed the distance, sticking to the masked man.
It wasn't based on some flimsy prediction like a sixth sense or a hunch.
*Drip.*
A bead of sweat trickled down the side of the masked man’s face.
“You bastard…”
“You’re quicker on the uptake than your skills would suggest.”
Ouyang Jue casually shook the empty cup. The tea that had been half-full was now gone.
Seeing this, the masked man brushed off his already-damp trouser leg.
“You crazy son of a bitch!”
“Did you piss yourself?”
*Whoosh!*
As if to give the masked man no time to react, Ouyang Jue’s hand whipped out like a lash.
In the next moment, the teacup, imbued with Purple Mist Ki, shot toward the masked man like an arrow.
*Crack!*
No sooner had the sound echoed than the scent of blood wafted from his mask.
“I’m going to kill you!”
Even in the dark room, the sneer on Ouyang Jue’s lips was a palpable presence.
“All talk. What good is a man like that?”
For the masked man, it was a tremendous insult.
This brat was supposed to be mere prey.
Contrary to his original plan, he had intended to use him as a hostage to restrain Ha Jin-ak.
‘I thought those Three Evils bastards were idiots…’
But he was wrong.
The masked man retracted his underestimation of Ouyang Jue.
He wasn't just some up-and-coming martial artist with a bit of skill; he was a warrior seasoned with experience.
Noticing the distinct change in the masked man's eyes, Ouyang Jue smirked.
“As if that will change anything.”
“I’ll make you regret saying that.”
“Go on, do your worst.”
*Grit.*
The masked man ground his teeth fiercely.
From his attitude to his un-Taoist-like speech, everything about him was grating.
He would bring that arrogant demeanor to its knees and sever his limbs.
Having made up his mind, the masked man let out a short cry.
“…Hmph!”
*Tat, swoosh—*
The masked man’s form seemed to stretch for an instant, then vanished.
Dark Shadow Assassin.
He was one of the top ten assassins in the Black Dragon Gang. Originally, he was a first-rate warrior who was supposed to be used to subdue and kill Ha Jin-ak.
In particular, his Dark Shadow Steps were a footwork technique that bordered on the pinnacle of mastery, something that could not be achieved without innate genius.
Even if one could see it, a lack of experience would lead to being deceived by the afterimages.
For this reason, the Black Dragon Gang considered the Dark Shadow Assassin to be an irreplaceable asset.
‘There’s no time. I’ll just have to cut his tongue and the tendons in his limbs and take him with me.’
Confidence born from countless experiences bolstered the Dark Shadow Assassin’s power.
In truth, it was a one-sided fight.
A young martial artist who had just descended the mountain for the third time versus him, who had faced more than ten masters.
Anyone would bet on the latter’s victory.
A deep sneer formed on the Dark Shadow Assassin's face as he executed his Dark Shadow Steps.
“Heh heh, can’t even react, can you?”
Ouyang Jue did not answer.
He simply stood still, his eyes darting around.
He was just waiting until his eyes adjusted to the darkness.
‘Tsk, unorthodox bastards and their posturing are the same everywhere.’
Ouyang Jue lightly clenched and unclenched the hand that had held the teacup.
He was imitating the projectile technique Song Muk had used on him before the Nine Dragons Tournament.
It wasn't bad.
Although the martial arts he learned in his past life were far superior, they were limited to movement techniques, footwork, and swordsmanship.
He had never even dabbled in other weapons or miscellaneous skills.
That was the limit of Ouyang Jue, who was called the Purple Mist Sword God in his past life.
But… this time, he planned to try his hand at other things.
‘I have plenty of time, and plenty of strong enemies to face.’
Therefore, to Ouyang Jue, the Dark Shadow Assassin was nothing special.
A wooden dummy on which to test a stolen martial art.
That was about the weight he carried.
*Swoosh!*
A faint light glinted off the swung blade, and the scent of tea that Ouyang Jue had scattered suddenly drew near.
“Die!”
“…”
At the Dark Shadow Assassin’s shout, Ouyang Jue shifted his right foot to the side.
It was the Half-step, a basic technique taught to all who enter the Mount Hua Sect.
With that alone, Ouyang Jue dodged both the Dark Shadow Steps and the Yuexian Sword.
The Dark Shadow Assassin’s jaw dropped.
‘He saw through my real form?!’
Before the Dark Shadow Assassin could even register his shock, Ouyang Jue twisted his right hand.
He needed to neutralize the assassin immediately and find out where Ha Jin-ak was being held.
However, the Taoist-centric sword arts of the Mount Hua Sect had a high chance of failure.
‘If I miss this chance, things will get difficult.’
So, just this once.
He had to strike now, while the Dark Shadow Assassin had left his vital points completely exposed.
‘I didn't want to use that old man’s techniques.’
*Tch.*
Ouyang Jue clicked his tongue lightly and clenched his fist.
He intended to imitate the martial art known as the Divine Demon Fist for its inherent lethality and ferocity.
Ouyang Jue assessed the total amount of internal energy in his dantian and frowned.
Even for the all-encompassing Purple Mist Ki, five years’ worth of internal energy was not enough.
But to fell the Dark Shadow Assassin in a single move, he had no other choice.
*Crackle!*
The moment Ouyang Jue raised his fist, a bolt of lightning struck down.
“Heaven-Shaking Thunder Strike.”
*KABOOOM…!*
***
*Clang! Scraape!*
Under the moonlit night, seven swordsmen were entangled in a fierce battle.
An onlooker might think it was a brawl, but the reality was different.
One against six.
And every one of them was a peak-level swordsman, nearly on par with Ha Jin-ak.
Ha Jin-ak tightened his grip on his sword.
‘Jue must be safe.’
To think that the lay disciple who had been providing information on the Black Dragon Gang would betray him.
‘Was I too naive?’
His belief that a disciple of Mount Hua would never betray him had led him right into a trap.
*This isn’t easy,* Ha Jin-ak muttered to himself before swinging his sword once more.
*Kaaang!*
Feeling the repulsive force in his palm, Ha Jin-ak bit his lip.
They were not only masterful in their sword ki, but had also perfected the sword arts they had learned since childhood.
Normally, the one should have been overwhelmingly defeated.
However, that wasn't the case.
‘They’re quite tricky to deal with.’
Even so, Ha Jin-ak calmly parried his opponents’ sword strikes.
If anything, it was the six opposing swordsmen who seemed weary.
The man at the forefront, Gal Hyeon of the Black Dragon Gang, felt the most pressure.
‘Just what makes him so strong?’
Although the six swordsmen hadn't had time to gather and practice a joint attack formation, they were still warriors who had reached the pinnacle of their craft.
—Hey, Jeong! If you have time for that, get his flank.
By coordinating with telepathy like this, they could at least avoid getting in each other's way.
And there were six such swords.
It was ridiculous to determine superiority by numbers, but to think he could face warriors of the same level with just one sword.
Gal Hyeon was inwardly impressed by Ha Jin-ak, but he did not forget that he was the enemy.
—…Fine.
A chilling aura extended over an inch from the tip of Gal Hyeon’s blade.
*That’s no ordinary attack.*
Making that judgment, Ha Jin-ak retrieved his swinging sword and executed a form from the Heavenly Flow Fire Cloud Sword.
Fire Cloud Over the Sea.
Like summer clouds spreading across the sky like an ocean, the unique violet energy of the Purple Mist Ki seeped into his blade.
And then.
*Fwoosh!*
A wave of hot air churned in a thirty-foot radius around Ha Jin-ak.
“…Kuh!”
“So this is the Heavenly Flow Fire Cloud Sword!”
The heat generated by Fire Cloud Over the Sea instantly seared the six pairs of eyes.
Some of them even clutched their eyes as if they’d been burned.
Of course, Ha Jin-ak was not so foolish a warrior as to miss such an opening.
“…”
Ha Jin-ak’s sword drew an elegant arc.
But the six swordsmen before him couldn't perceive it clearly.
—Attack together with our ultimate techniques!
—That sounds like a good idea.
Since they didn't know what technique Ha Jin-ak was about to unleash, they would simply overwhelm him with greater power.
Moreover, all six swordsmen were from unorthodox factions like the Black Dragon Gang.
If they were to turn their backs and flee in such an advantageous situation, they would be branded cowards.
If that happened, they would have to leave Shaanxi at the very least.
The six swordsmen each began to unleash the essence of their respective sword arts.
—Now!
*Whoooosh—!*
The wind was split by six blades, and the air between them grew thick with the smell of steel.
In an instant, the area around Ha Jin-ak was filled with vicious internal energy from the unleashed techniques.
In that moment of crisis, the sword in Ha Jin-ak’s grip began to slowly pulse.
“…Heavenly Flow White Heat.”
As the ultimate technique of the Heavenly Flow Fire Cloud Sword was unleashed, the sword arts of the six swordsmen lost their paths.
No, it was more accurate to say they melted away.
The paths of their swords, which had been hurtling toward Ha Jin-ak, collapsed all at once.
The air had become so intensely hot and dense that it was impossible to swing a sword.
And even.
“Aaargh!”
Gal Hyeon screamed and tried to pry his hand from his sword.
But he couldn't.
He knew himself that if he tried to force it, the skin of his palm would be torn off.
One wrong move and he could lose all feeling in his hand.
—I’m falling back.
—Wise choice.
The remaining five swordsmen smirked as they recalled Gal Hyeon’s girlish scream.
There was no sense of camaraderie among them.
They had simply gathered to eliminate the peerless genius named Ha Jin-ak.
The problem was that he was not an easy opponent… A long-haired swordsman voiced his doubt.
—When is the Dark Shadow Assassin coming?
—Probably messing with some young pup somewhere again. I told him to finish the job first.
—I wish he’d hurry up.
The swordsmen nodded at the telepathic message.
Although his raw skill was inferior, the Dark Shadow Assassin’s techniques could surely exploit Ha Jin-ak’s openings.
Perhaps fifty exchanges had passed like that.
*Thud, thud.*
As dawn approached, a silhouette began to emerge over the hill.
The five swordsmen’s faces lit up, and they shouted.
“Hurry and join us!”
But the reply they received was strange.
“…Who the hell are you to be acting so familiar with me?”
Ouyang Jue scoffed at them as if they were absurd.
He then passed the message he had received via carrier pigeon to Ha Jin-ak.
“They’ll be here in about the time it takes for a meal, Senior-most Brother.”
“Understood.”
Glancing at Ha Jin-ak’s complexion, Ouyang Jue could grasp the situation.
*He fought six of them alone and doesn't even seem that tired.*
‘…Not as good as me, but well. He’s strong enough.’
As expected of the Senior-most Brother.
A proud smile spread across Ouyang Jue’s face.
At this rate, he could change it.
The name Ha Jin-ak would not be a tragedy of the Mount Hua Sect, but a source of pride.
But something still felt unsettling.
‘For a death shrouded in mystery… wasn’t this a little too easy?’
Just as Ouyang Jue tilted his head in thought.
*Shunk!*
A gruesome sound echoed.