Chapter 378
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 378
Chapter Title: The Western Wall
Swish.
The blade cleaved through space.
Thud.
The head tumbled to the ground.
Yet the blade, still slashing wildly, only stopped after splitting the foe's body clean in half.
"Huu."
Kwan Ha-kyeong let out a deep breath as he scanned his surroundings.
He wanted to make sure there were no other jiangshi besides the one he'd felled.
There weren't any.
The Fierce Dragon Corps members stood vigilant, shields at the ready.
"Hua. Ha-kyeong, go easy. You haven't even hit a full year yet, but you're fighting like a vet who's clocked five solid ones."
Demon-Sealing Corps Black Squad Two Team Leader Pung Geon cracked a grin.
"You're too kind. I've got a long way to go."
Kwan Ha-kyeong replied flatly.
"By the way, the inner core good? Hope I didn't nick it."
He'd sliced the beheaded jiangshi right down the middle.
A jiangshi's inner core was usually tucked in the dantian or near the heart.
Near the heart? No issue.
But dantian? That strike would've shattered it.
Yet.
Kwan Ha-kyeong's blade had deftly skirted the core.
Coincidence or skill? Impossible to say.
"Alright, Radiant Glow Herbs collection ends here. One jiangshi popped up, so who knows what else might crawl out. Run into a Darksteel Jiangshi or Darkblood Jiangshi by bad luck? You know how that ends."
Pung Geon swept his gaze over the team.
They all nodded gravely.
Especially the guy who'd last time wandered off to take a piss and summoned a Darksteel Jiangshi. His face was set like stone.
Since then, he'd stick to the path even if it meant soiling himself.
That thing had been pure nightmare fuel.
If that weirdo Nam Hwi hadn't shown up...
He shoved the memory down deep.
Pung Geon's eyes shifted to Yu Gwi-gwang, the Fierce Dragon Corps team leader tagging along.
Yu Gwi-gwang nodded.
"Secure the retreat!"
At his order, three men moved out.
Demon-Sealing Corps: five strong.
Fierce Dragon Corps: four.
A sparse crew.
Had to be. Fierce Dragon Corps always ran light compared to Demon-Sealing.
Their sacrifices hit harder, numbers dwindled faster.
This Black Squad Two held steady only 'cause Pung Geon never threw Fierce Dragon Corps under the bus as fodder.
Started with ten.
Even facing that Darksteel Jiangshi last time.
Then reshuffles split six off to other squads.
No replacements came.
Couldn't be helped.
Fierce Dragon Corps losses mounting.
Not like the old days, but still.
Nine souls slipped out of jiangshi turf, eyes sharp on every shadow.
They'd changed, alright.
After tangling with that Darksteel monster, something set them apart from other Demon-Sealing or Fierce Dragon grunts.
They split the gathered Radiant Glow Herbs among themselves.
'Heaven-Severing Demon-Slaying Blade. One hell of a saber art.'
Kwan Ha-kyeong replayed the skirmish while sweeping the area.
Growing smoother with the blade by the day.
Getting stronger, too.
But still miles off.
Like that enigmatic swordsman he'd glimpsed.
Needed to solo a Darksteel Jiangshi cold.
Only then could he cut down on buddies dying in this godforsaken hellhole.
Mountain-Crossing Great Wall loomed into view.
'Three months left?'
A faint smile tugged at Yu Gwi-gwang's lips.
Four years, eight months solid.
Beaten this inferno and lived.
Luck.
All luck.
Lucky batch of recruits. Lucky run overall.
Worst streak? That Darksteel run-in.
Even then, luck struck—a mystery master dropped in.
Surviving (contemporary): twenty.
His class hung tough.
Old stats said five in ten made it.
Shields changed the game.
Yu Gwi-gwang eyed his shield.
Joined Fierce Dragon Corps mid-Martial World Great War. Shuffled across fronts. Landed here.
Seniors beat him to it.
Most bought it.
Hence the five-in-ten odds.
Not just Mountain-Crossing Demonic Forest survival rate.
Factored the whole war.
Tons fell in the meat grinder battles.
Now?
Fierce Dragon Corps pegged as Mountain-Crossing Demonic Forest meat shields.
Post-war, full redeploy here.
Scraping by in hell, then rookies roll up packing shields.
Word was one Dragon Training Pavilion Hidden Dragon Corps instructor drilled 'em hard.
Yu Gwi-gwang picked up shield work from those juniors.
Survival edge? He'd learn from a dog if it worked.
Kept him breathing. His calm too.
Better numbers than feared.
Seniors just above? Six punched out safe.
He and his lot finish clean, Fierce Dragon Corps stats rewrite themselves.
'Service up, hit Wuchang. Pay respects.'
Jegal Myeong.
Never seen the guy's face.
But owed his life to the effort. Manners demanded thanks.
Thoughts churning, they made base.
Day slipped by.
Then Pung Geon stormed the barracks, face purple with rage.
"What happened?"
Yu Gwi-gwang asked.
"Haa. Six months of bullshit. Fuck that squad leader prick."
Raw curses flew from Pung Geon.
Way off-brand. Black Squad Two and leftover Fierce Dragon Corps crowded in.
Eight sets of eyes locked on him.
"Mission's switched."
"?"
White Radiance Herb push was hot?
"Supply's flush lately. Kicking off shelved ops. Us first."
Face screaming disbelief.
"Shelved op?"
Yu Gwi-gwang cocked his head.
"Jiangshi territory recon."
Faces locked up tight.
Most zones mapped solid.
Unmapped spots?
First glitch zone.
Old quiet, stable turf.
Glitch snowballed from there. Whole Mountain-Crossing Demonic Forest went haywire.
"West Wall..."
Yu Gwi-gwang muttered.
Pung Geon nodded.
Demon-Sealing Corps HQ: north zone.
Hottest spot. Closest Righteous Heaven Alliance hub.
North cracks? Straight shot to Anhui Province. Prime blockade turf.
Ditch north wall for west one.
Tangled mess. Total unknown.
"Just us?"
Yu Gwi-gwang pressed, half hoping no.
Pung Geon nodded, grim.
"Fuck."
Yu Gwi-gwang spat it too.
Nine heads scouting west wall? Suicide note.
Old ghost town. No patrols post-scan.
Now post-chaos wildcard.
Darksteel or Darkblood turf? Maybe.
Air turned lead.
"Route?"
Kwan Ha-kyeong piped up careful.
Eight stares swung back.
Praying no cross-country suicide hike through Mountain-Crossing Demonic Forest.
"Skirt the wall west. Hit west gate, hop on. Map west wall jiangshi zones. That's the brief."
Not total doom.
West wall accessible.
"Sorry."
Pung Geon eyed Yu Gwi-gwang's Fierce Dragon crew.
Then his own Demon-Sealing boys.
"Sorry for weak leadership."
No blame thrown.
Everyone knew his caliber.
"Gear up fast. Long haul."
Yu Gwi-gwang broke the ice. Demon-Sealing and Fierce Dragon Corps jumped to prep.
"We're here."
Wall silhouetted afar.
Gulp.
Pyeong Deok-jo swallowed hard.
"That place..."
Wandered the world wide.
This spot? Virgin turf.
Had to be.
Mountain-Crossing Great Wall boxed it now.
War days?
Blood Cult heartland. Mountain-Crossing Demonic Forest raw.
No walls.
Death zone. Pyeong Deok-jo steered clear.
His tier? Corpse bait.
Never dreamed he'd breach it.
"West gate's a hike further... too much hassle. Vault here."
Did it back then too.
Parked the cart.
Unhitched horses, lashed to nearby tree.
That same nook.
Pyeong Deok-jo craned at the towering wall.
"How the..."
Ropes? Ladder? Racked brain—yeah, packed 'em.
Spotted in cart trunk.
Rope. Definite.
Stepped to fetch.
"Hop it. Fetching what?"
Ha Mu-baek halted him cold.
"M-my lightness skill won't clear this..."
"Will. Easy. I'll teach you."
Vermilion Bird Soaring Heaven.
Hocheon Corps Leader days.
Birthed to dodge high-leapers, outmaneuver jiangshi.
Simple setup. Killer payoff.
Same drill passed to Fierce Dragon Corps cadets.
Now? Pyeong Deok-jo's turn.
That day.
Pyeong Deok-jo leaped skyward nonstop. Full day sunk.
Smile stuck anyway.
Clicked once drilled.
Vermilion Bird Soaring Heaven.
Built on Soaring Lightness Technique secrets.
Top-shelf footwork. Him mastering it? Wild.
All-in effort.
One day flat.
Nailed the flow.
Wall in single bound.
"Solid. Breach tomorrow."
Ha Mu-baek crashed in the cart. Pyeong Deok-jo in his pup tent.
Hit the sack. Question bubbled up.
'Why me drilling this? Grab a few jiangshi, he said...'
Slept on the riddle.
Answer dropped easy.
Dawn. Breached wall with Ha Mu-baek. Into Mountain-Crossing Demonic Forest.
Ha Mu-baek beamed.
"Shifted. Figures."
Clashed Yeon Baek-ryang. Mopped every jiangshi local.
Ha Mu-baek shrugged off ripple effects.
Old runs said local splash only.
"Eh? Ehhh..."
Pyeong Deok-jo jumped, unlike cool Ha Mu-baek.
Locked eyes with a nearby jiangshi.
"Kreuh. Kreuuuh."
Spotted 'em. Lumbered in.
Freakish terror show.
Pyeong Deok-jo locked rigid.
Rotting dead shambling? First peek.
Flummoxed, eyed Ha Mu-baek.
Ha Mu-baek stared back.
"Doing?"
"Huh?"
Pyeong Deok-jo blinked blank.
Ha Mu-baek jaw-jutted the jiangshi.
"Huh?"
Pyeong Deok-jo again.
Jaw to jiangshi anew.
Meantime, it closed steady.
"Y-you mean fight that thing..."
Ha Mu-baek nodded.
"Mind the fangs. Bite means jiangshi toxin. Turns you."
Tip dropped. Backstepped.
Wonder hit him.
'Bitten now? What then?'
Poison-proof maxed. Absolute.
Jiangshi brew pierce that?
Itched to test.
Nope. Just in case.
"Tahat!"
Sudden.
Pyeong Deok-jo sword out. Charged the jiangshi.
Prime Chaos Sword shredded it stem to stern.
"Ueeeng."
Hurt?
Weird wail, arm groping still.
"Off the head."
Ha Mu-baek's follow-up. Pyeong Deok-jo's blade flashed. Neck parted clean.
Ha Mu-baek nodded.
Yup.
Talent.
Swordplay prime too.
"Huk. Huk. Huk..."
Breeze fight.
Tense as hell though. Pyeong Deok-jo heaved.
"Gassed already? Long road ahead."
"Huh?"
Pyeong Deok-jo startled, batted eyes. Asked back.