Chapter 63
Chapter 63
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 63
Chapter Title: Black Dragon Gang (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Two days after the death of Bai Dong-il, who had been blocking the path.
A man with bewitching eyes came to Dongting Lake. He held a letter in his hand.
The letter was an ominous shade of red.
The man stood on the shore of Dongting Lake and read the letter's contents.
"…I see."
Muttering to himself, the man with bewitching eyes burned the letter with Samadhi True Fire.
‘Is the Black Dragon Gang now a card to be discarded?’
A chilling smile touched the man's lips.
It had lost its value faster than expected, but it had produced a significant result.
Keeping the Mount Hua Sect in check.
The Black Dragon Gang had served as a counterbalance for the unorthodox factions scattered throughout Huguang.
An ordinary person might think the landscape of the martial world would shift with the fall of the Black Dragon Gang… but that wasn't the case.
The man with bewitching eyes always saw the future.
Even if the Black Dragon Gang disappeared, its replacement would be just another tiger on a leash he held.
Could a world where only the names changed truly be called different?
The man with bewitching eyes looked down at the one who had delivered the letter.
"Your name… what is it?"
"I am Hang Jeok-san, my lord!"
"Hang Jeok-san, you say. Are you the 'Iron Note Thrower' of the Black Dragon Gang?"
"Yes, sir!"
The man regarded him with profound eyes.
"You, an elder of the Black Dragon Gang, why have you brought this letter to me?"
"I do not wish to remain a subordinate."
At those words, the man laughed as if in disbelief.
Hang Jeok-san interpreted it as a sign of interest.
In his mind, visions of himself becoming the master of a new faction, the successor to the Black Dragon Gang, were already in full bloom.
"I will become your hands and feet. I will be the blade that accomplishes anything you command, no matter what."
"You would truly do so?"
"Yes!"
As Hang Jeok-san nodded eagerly, the man approached with a smirk.
"Very well. But first, I must test your loyalty."
"…Ugh?!"
*Thump!*
With lightning-fast skill, the man struck a critical pressure point on Hang Jeok-san.
His technique was so exquisitely subtle that even Hang Jeok-san, a peak master, noticed it only a moment too late.
Hang Jeok-san's voice trembled.
"M-My lord?"
"Go and deal with the advance team currently racing toward the Black Dragon Gang."
The man with bewitching eyes said coldly.
"We will talk after you succeed."
Hang Jeok-san felt a new power coursing through his body and prostrated himself.
After remaining that way for a time, Hang Jeok-san realized the man was gone and finally set off to the north.
***
*Hee-hee-hing!*
A startled horse reared back. The Wudang Daoist riding it was thrown the very moment he shouted, "Who's there?"
A hidden weapon was lodged in the center of his throat.
Things had been proceeding as smoothly as a gentle breeze. What was this sudden disaster?
Ouyang Jue frowned.
"Who goes there?!"
Despite his shout, the enemy did not appear. The other Daoists had no choice but to dismount.
It was strange.
He couldn't fathom why someone would attack the Wudang Sect—which enjoyed the government's protection—not on a mountain path, but on a well-paved road.
Ouyang Jue turned his head and asked one of the Wudang Daoists.
"Did you happen to bring any shields?"
"We don't. We borrowed ten horses from the government office and departed immediately."
No sooner had he finished speaking than a hidden weapon shot out from between the trees.
The Daoist sensed death and let out a short scream.
"Gak...?!"
*Clang!*
But Ouyang Jue was faster.
The profundity of the Six Harmonies that Ouyang Jue unleashed was even swifter than the hidden weapon flying in a straight line.
The Daoist, stroking his own neck, turned to look at Ouyang Jue.
"Th-Thank you."
"Don't mention it."
Ouyang Jue stared into the trees, as if even the time spent replying was a waste.
‘If only I had a bow right now.’
He lamented not having the archery skills he had picked up from a government general during his time as a wanderer.
Bows, shields, and horses—all forbidden to civilians by the government.
And yet, here he was, traveling with the Wudang Sect, who could use all of them, albeit with restrictions.
"They never have them when you need them."
Ouyang Jue let out a strange smile.
It just so happened that no true master was accompanying them on this trip.
And at that very moment, a master of hidden weapons appears, hmm?
A convenient coincidence, or an enemy's ploy to strike at their weakness?
While everyone else was in an uproar, Ouyang Jue calmly flared his nostrils, catching the scent of a person among the trees.
"I'll be back in a moment."
"W-Wait."
Before a nearby Daoist could stop him, Ouyang Jue's knees bent in a flash, and he kicked off the ground with force.
*BOOM!*
‘Was the Mount Hua Sect's footwork always this fast?’
Watching from a distance, Hang Jeok-san's eyes widened. His opponent was closing in with every passing second.
*Shhk.*
Hang Jeok-san estimated the distance by eye.
The distance between them was about twenty paces. Far, perhaps, but for a master at the peak realm, it was short.
*Ttok!*
Hang Jeok-san's hand snapped the iron brush tied to his belt.
His thumb turned white. Immense power struck the piece of metal.
*TWACK!*
An Iron Fragment Shot flew through the air.
Despite the dozens of trees and hundreds of branches between him and Ouyang Jue, its path was unimpeded.
‘Is that his unique ultimate technique?’
Ouyang Jue sensed the danger.
"...Hoo."
Ouyang Jue leaped into a half-spin.
Beneath him.
*CRUNCH, CRACK!*
The Iron Fragment Shot slammed into the ground.
The power contained within it was so fierce that dirt erupted into the air.
A normal marksman would have waited for the dust to settle.
But as if it were no obstacle at all, Hang Jeok-san snapped off another piece of iron.
*TWACK, TACK!*
Hang Jeok-san's arm muscles bulged. They swelled abnormally, turning a shade of purple, looking unhealthy.
Yet Hang Jeok-san, as if feeling no pain, unleashed another Iron Fragment Shot.
Instead, there was only a sense of pleasure, a feeling that his body was so light it could fly.
"Die!"
"Hmph."
Ouyang Jue scoffed as he dodged the Iron Fragment Shot.
‘Is he ignorant, or is he dreaming of something else?’
Their eyes met for only an instant, but it was enough for him to recognize Hang Jeok-san's condition.
‘The Instant Expansion Seal? I've run into a troublesome opponent.’
It was a medical art—and a type of sorcery—that strengthened the body to its absolute limit.
Ouyang Jue quickly recalled who could use the Instant Expansion Seal.
Because no matter how vast the martial world was, there were only one or two such people.
One was the Omniscient One.
The other was the Demonic Doctor, Heavenly Dragon.
The former was surely on Mount Mao, and the latter's whereabouts were unknown even to Ouyang Jue.
So this was his chance.
A chance to ask where the Demonic Doctor was. Ouyang Jue's eyes gleamed.
"Do you know the Demonic Doctor?"
"Trying to distract me with nonsense!"
"Did his eyes happen to have a bewitching gleam?"
"...."
For a moment, Hang Jeok-san's momentum faltered. That turned his suspicion into certainty.
At the same time, he broke through in a single line.
Ouyang Jue's body shot through the trees like a beam of light.
The distance between Ouyang Jue and Hang Jeok-san was now less than ten paces.
Just then, Ouyang Jue's brow furrowed.
‘Demonic energy?’
He felt a foul, dark energy from the Iron Fragment Shot.
He circulated his Purple Mist True Energy, wondering if he was mistaken, but his guess had been correct.
Ouyang Jue's movements became slightly more cautious.
What should have been a simple matter of closing in and cutting him down now carried a different weight, simply because demonic energy was involved.
‘Demonic Doctor… what in the world is he thinking?’
The commotion at Mount Hua had been concealed because it would do no good for it to be known, but this situation was different.
If it became known that the Black Dragon Gang, which had attacked Mount Hua and Zhongnan, was a subordinate of the Demonic Cult that wielded demonic energy, it would be no good for them either.
Furthermore, it was an issue that not only the Martial Alliance but also the government would frown upon.
One misstep, and they would draw the eyes of the entire world.
If that happened, Mount Hua would be reduced to just another useful pawn for the likes of Shaolin, the Nangong Clan, or the Martial Alliance.
‘I can't let that happen.’
Ouyang Jue abandoned his plan to hide more than half his strength.
I'll finish this before anyone else witnesses it.
The moment Ouyang Jue made up his mind.
…*KWA-AAK!*
As Ouyang Jue clenched his fist, an overwhelming fire energy erupted from the Diamond Fist-Seal Armor.
The force of it made Hang Jeok-san flinch for a moment.
The fire energy violently repelled the demonic energy, pushing it back.
"Y-You bastard?!"
"...."
Despite Hang Jeok-san's repeated cries of shock, Ouyang Jue did not answer.
There was no need to, and besides, he had to finish him before the Daoists in the rear arrived.
"Demon-Sealing Sword."
The fire energy from the Diamond Fist-Seal Armor began to coalesce, then instantly enveloped Severing Manifestation.
At the same time, Ouyang Jue kicked off the ground and stepped onto the bark of a tree.
As if he felt no resistance at all.
His steps carried him up the tree in an instant, with the fluid grace of someone gliding on ice.
"How dare a punk like you!"
Shaking off the oppressive fire energy, Hang Jeok-san roared in fury and unleashed his internal energy.
This immense power, this internal energy that felt like it could destroy anything.
He couldn't imagine losing to that tiny brat with all this at his disposal.
In fact, it felt like he could even annihilate the advance team as the man with bewitching eyes had ordered.
Right now.
Right now, with power boiling in his veins!
"Kuaaargh!"
Hang Jeok-san let out a roar. The demonic energy was swelling his internal energy beyond his control.
Twice his usual amount? No, three times?
What did it matter? At this moment, he felt he could take on anyone, whether they were at the peak realm or beyond.
A dark smile spread across Hang Jeok-san's face.
"Come on!"
At his words, Ouyang Jue smirked.
"Alright, here I come."
*Shhhk!*
Severing Manifestation sliced through the branch supporting Hang Jeok-san. At the same time, an Iron Fragment Shot flew from his hand.
*PANG!*
Fired from an unstable stance, its power should have been diminished, but it was strong enough to warp the air.
The noisy mountain birds fell silent for a moment, and its cutting power was enough to shred the leaves on the branches.
"What a pain."
Even facing that, Ouyang Jue was at ease.
‘Compared to the masters I've faced on the razor's edge of life and death, this is less than a gentle breeze.’
Even if his current body was shabby and weak compared to his previous life.
He was confident he could defeat a mere fool drunk on the power of the Instant Expansion Seal and demonic energy.
Indeed, Ouyang Jue's movements were beyond swift; he dodged the Iron Fragment Shots with perfect freedom, as if he had anticipated them in advance.
Then, Ouyang Jue's body blurred for an instant.
"…What?"
Hang Jeok-san let out an involuntary, shrill cry.
The form of Ouyang Jue he had been seeing was gone, replaced by a hazy purple mist.
Severing Manifestation shot out from within the mist.
The cool blade came to a stop just under Hang Jeok-san's chin.
If he pushed it just a little further, his life would be over in an instant.
Hang Jeok-san's voice trembled faintly.
"Who… who in the world are you?"
"...."
"Where in the hell did you come from, to be able to toy with a peak master so easily...?"
His words were lost on Ouyang Jue, whose attention was focused on the approaching Daoists.
Thus, Hang Jeok-san's question went unanswered. There was no reason to tell a man who was about to become a corpse.
How should I inflict the wounds to make it look like we had a fierce battle?
He was solely focused on that thought.
Then, on a sudden whim, Ouyang Jue swung his sword.
*Fwsh!*
Hang Jeok-san's head flew into the air.