Chapter 598
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 598
Chapter Title: What a Nuisance
GRRRROOOO.
A sinister aura rose from Bang Sa-uk's body, letting out an eerie growl.
"Prepare yourselves thoroughly!"
The moment Gwang Kwon-gae issued the command at the ominous sight...
Squelch.
A chilling sound of flesh tearing rang out.
"Guhk."
A Black Iron Corps member vomited blood from his mouth.
Bang Sa-uk's fist had pierced straight through his gut.
"H-How..."
It had all happened in an instant.
His movements were completely different from before.
And above all...
The man Bang Sa-uk had just taken down held the pivotal position in this round's striker formation.
As a former vice leader of the Beggar Clan, Bang Sa-uk knew well how the striker formation operated.
"Kuhk. Change formation!"
Gwang Kwon-gae shouted urgently, shifting the formation.
Though one had fallen, the rest moved in perfect unison.
"Impressive."
Bang Sa-uk nodded.
Back in his vice leader days, when he roamed the martial world fiercely battling the Demonic Cult and Blood Cult...
Gwang Kwon-gae had been part of the squad he led.
Even then, he'd shown promise, and Bang Sa-uk had taken note of his disciple. Now, that potential had fully bloomed into a brilliant flower.
The formation's core had shifted to Gwang Kwon-gae.
And it operated differently now.
The formation, previously in a circular wheel setup, transformed into a penetrating assault array.
They had abandoned the encirclement.
"Heh heh."
Bang Sa-uk chuckled at the sight.
This was the key difference between the striker formation and the defensive formation.
While the defensive formation relentlessly encircled a few foes with a rotating wheel of many, the striker formation's shape wasn't fixed—it was ever-changing, adapting to the enemy.
The penetrating assault array was originally a wedge-shaped deployment meant to pierce through enemies like an awl.
However, the striker formation used it to concentrate the array's offensive power on a single point against a powerful foe.
Those lined up behind the point funneled their internal energy into it via energy transfer.
Those arrayed diagonally to the sides launched joint assaults on the enemy.
That was the formation's structure.
As such, the "single point" aimed at the enemy was crucial.
This point, bolstered by layered internal energy, smashed or withstood the foe ahead, allowing the followers to strike and pass through.
And in the penetrating assault array, that point was the striker formation's core.
In other words, Gwang Kwon-gae had taken on that role.
Bang Sa-uk, of course, knew all this perfectly.
The red aura around his body deepened further.
Bloody energy billowed up as blood-red blade energy coated both fists.
Gwang Kwon-gae stared at Bang Sa-uk with a tense expression.
As his name Gwang Kwon—Broad Fist—suggested, Gwang Kwon-gae's specialty was fist techniques.
None other than the Eighteen Divine Fists.
A fist art renowned throughout the Beggar Clan.
The masses knew of the Eighteen Divine Fists even more than the Explosive White Iron Divine Fist.
It paired seamlessly with the Eighteen Divine Steps.
Yet Gwang Kwon-gae knew the truth.
That the Explosive White Iron Divine Fist stood one level higher.
Still, he had to clash with it.
Before long, blue blade energy gathered on the gauntlets he had donned.
A deep blue hue.
Not just Gwang Kwon-gae's internal energy, but that of those lined up behind him as well.
Nine who hadn't reached the peak realm and thus couldn't manifest blade energy.
Their internal energy.
Through the formation's mysteries, it layered upon layers, surging into Gwang Kwon-gae's body.
A massive surge of power welled up.
Gwang Kwon-gae charged straight at Bang Sa-uk.
His form shot forward like an arrow.
The striker formation, now in penetrating assault array, moved.
To beat down a rabid dog.
Boom!
A massive explosion rang out.
Gwang Kwon-gae's fist and Bang Sa-uk's collided head-on.
Blue blade energy tangled with blood-red.
A deadlock ensued.
This was a strike infused with the internal energy of all ten, including Gwang Kwon-gae.
Yet it only matched Bang Sa-uk evenly.
'How the hell did you become such a monster, Vice Leader?!'
Gwang Kwon-gae screamed inwardly.
The striker formation kept moving.
The point breakthrough had failed.
All that followed was a storm of clashes between Gwang Kwon-gae and Bang Sa-uk.
Meanwhile, blade energy howled in from both flanks toward Bang Sa-uk.
The nine peak realm experts would swiftly advance, unleash their blade energy at Bang Sa-uk, and sweep past.
Bang Sa-uk's fists moved.
As he deflected the incoming attacks, Gwang Kwon-gae's fist flew in once more.
"What a nuisance."
Boom!
Bang Sa-uk blocked that too.
But the assaults kept coming.
The relentless barrage from the sides would sweep through that spot.
Before long, the formation shifted to reverse penetrating assault, trapping Bang Sa-uk within.
Gwang Kwon-gae's Eighteen Divine Fists intertwined chaotically with Bang Sa-uk's Explosive White Iron Divine Fist, unleashing deadly punches at each other.
"Ngh."
A groan leaked from the Black Iron Corps members behind Gwang Kwon-gae, who were channeling their energy to him.
The fiercer the two men's battle grew, the greater the strain on their internal energy.
Gwang Kwon-gae's face hardened.
He could feel it.
The internal energy being transferred via energy channeling was running dry.
Bit by bit, Gwang Kwon-gae retreated a step, then another.
He had no choice—his energy was dwindling, while Bang Sa-uk's attacks grew fiercer and more powerful.
"Corps Leader!"
The formation shifted again at once.
This time, the core was someone else.
The striker formation, now a small circle, targeted Bang Sa-uk's flanks and rear.
A bloody storm whirled from Bang Sa-uk's body.
"Ngh."
"Ugh."
The Beggar Clan members were flung backward.
In that gap, Bang Sa-uk's martial art changed.
No longer the Explosive White Iron Divine Fist—a weapon had appeared in his hand.
The sword hanging at his waist was now gripped firmly.
The Beggar Clan had no sword arts.
But in life, Bang Sa-uk had been famous for his swordsmanship.
The Striker Staff Method, which only the Clan Leader could learn.
As vice leader, he had mastered it and adapted it into swordplay.
Not staff arts, but sword arts—thus he named it Self-Studied Eighteen Swords.
Shuuuuk.
Bang Sa-uk's body soared into the air.
There, the Self-Studied Eighteen Swords unfolded.
Shuuung. Shuuung.
Blood-red sword energy lashed out in all directions.
It was instantaneous.
Slash. Slash. Slash.
Nine chests were rent open.
Clang! Kang! Kang!
Ten unleashed their blade energy, barely holding it off.
"You're stronger than I thought, Gwang Kwon-gae."
Bang Sa-uk's voice dripped with murderous intent.
Even with the formation's aid, he'd held out longer than expected against him.
But now it was over.
Another storm of sword energy raged.
"Ngh."
The remaining ten held with all their might, but...
They were gradually pushed into a defensive corner.
They had no attention to spare for the nine already down.
Their split chests were surely fatal, but there was no time to check amid the terrifying onslaught.
'N-No way...'
'This can't be...'
The Black Iron Corps members' minds were filled with shock.
And rightly so—for twenty in the Black Iron Corps' striker formation could hold their own against even a Dark Blood Stiff Corpse, depending on individual strength.
By exploiting energy transfer techniques.
Yet look at this now.
In less than half an incense stick's time, half had fallen.
No telling when the other half would crumble.
This strength exceeded all expectations.
At the initial clash, he'd been exactly as anticipated, but the time it took for the ever-strengthening Bang Sa-uk to overwhelm the striker formation was a mere half incense stick.
He was overpowering their unified energy.
Still, they couldn't give up like this.
The remaining nine Beggar Clan members exchanged glances and nodded.
Four unleashed their blade energy with full power and charged at Bang Sa-uk.
The other five, following the striker formation's flow, moved behind Gwang Kwon-gae and poured every last drop of their internal energy into him via energy transfer.
"Y-You lot!"
"The corps leader's the strongest—that's why. We beg you, Corps Leader."
The internal energy surged in all at once.
They held nothing back, emptying their reserves completely.
The four who charged ahead had bought that time.
"Krahk."
"Ugh."
"Guhk."
"Hahk."
By the time the four met their ends...
The five collapsed in heaps.
Having poured out every drop without reserve, they were utterly exhausted.
"As expected, that was all you had left, huh?"
Bang Sa-uk grinned.
Gwang Kwon-gae fell into anguish.
Only now did Iron Bastion Dog's command come back to him.
Prioritize safe return above all.
But already fourteen had been sacrificed.
In this situation, clash head-on with Bang Sa-uk or flee?
Fleeing would leave only Gwang Kwon-gae alive.
The exhausted ones would meet their ends at Bang Sa-uk's hands.
He couldn't allow that.
Even if fleeing, others should go first—the corps leader must hold the line until the end.
That was his duty as leader.
But now, all survivors except him were drained.
"Damn it. You idiots."
Gwang Kwon-gae cursed himself as he stepped forward to face Bang Sa-uk.
So they could regain their senses, recover even a little, and escape.
Buying that time was his final mission, his responsibility.
Yeongbu County, Henan Province.
It was the first county they encountered upon entering Henan Province via the official road after leaving Sangnam.
A few more days beyond here would bring them to Nakyeong Castle.
This was the backdrop that made Sangnam in Shaanxi Province inevitable.
Both Sangnam and Yeongbu existed amid rugged mountainous terrain.
The difference lay in Chang'an—also called Xi'an—to the south: Shaanxi was all treacherous peaks, while Henan to the east was plains and mountains to the west.
Henan's people avoided the harsh mountains, while Shaanxi's endured them.
That divide, right next door, led to a fortress city like Sangnam on one side and a county seat like Yeongbu on the other.
Ha Mu-baek's group entered Yeongbu County around noon.
The first thing they did, naturally, was find a suitable inn and secure rooms.
They ate, washed, and rested in their rooms.
Were they that worn out from the journey?
The kids fell asleep the moment they hit the beds.
Ha Mu-baek gazed down at them with an understanding look, then left the room.
His destination was the horse market.
He bought a decent packhorse, then headed to a cart seller and purchased a cart.
He'd assumed walking was fine, recalling his own youth wandering the world with his master.
But that had been a mistake.
Realizing a cart would make things easier for the ride ahead, he'd acted the moment they entered Yeongbu.
Ha Mu-baek bought the cart at a fair price, picked up other necessities, and returned to the inn.
He slipped some iron coins to the stable hand and went back to the room.
Gong Hae-bin and Gong Hae-jun were still sleeping soundly.
"This should make things more comfortable from now on."
Muttering that, Ha Mu-baek sat cross-legged and sank into meditation.
The demonic energy trapped in his dantian kept raging.
Yet it was slowly melting into the energy of emptiness.
No matter how it thrashed, it couldn't rebel against its origin.
By the time he finished meditating, the kids had woken and were cultivating on their own.
He'd sensed their presence already, but their diligence was praiseworthy all the same.
Ha Mu-baek smiled faintly at the sight.
They rested a full day at the Yeongbu inn, and the next morning...
As they prepared to resume their journey...
The two kids were startled to see the cart Ha Mu-baek had brought.
Of course, they'd traveled by cart from Luoyang to Sangnam.
They'd actually passed through Yeongbu County back then too.
But they hadn't expected to ride in one now, as martial artists.
"Weren't we walking?"
Gong Hae-jun asked cautiously.
Ha Mu-baek replied as he took the horse's reins.
"Go comfortably if you can."
"But we're martial artists..."
The eleven-year-old hesitating to board the cart while invoking martial artists was utterly adorable.
"Martial artists are people too."
At Ha Mu-baek's words, the two kids scrambled onto the cart.
In truth, the moment they saw the cart, they wanted to ride rather than walk.