Chapter 60
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 60
Chapter Title: What a Headache
Little Wutai Mountain.
A mountain located about five days' journey west from the Pang family estate.
It was of moderate size and moderate ruggedness—just your typical peak scattered across the Central Plains.
In a secluded corner of one of its valleys lay a fairly large and deep cave.
A wooden stockade surrounded the area, and even a sturdy wooden door sealed the cave entrance.
Anyone could tell human hands had shaped this place.
"Urk."
A groan escaped Pang Gun-ho from within.
"Tch. If you're going to whine over something this minor, how do you expect to achieve great success, Young Master?"
A cold voice. An elderly man with eyes even colder looked down at Pang Gun-ho.
Gong Son-gyeong.
He was Haomen's Great Protector.
After slaying the Pang family's escort warriors at the Great Sea Pavilion, he'd tracked the fleeing Pang Gun-ho and dragged him here.
Pang Gun-ho had swung his sword with all his might to take down this old man who'd suddenly appeared and abducted him, hoping to escape.
But every attempt was blocked.
It was only natural.
Gong Son-gyeong was the third strongest in Haomen—and the fastest.
A peak realm master.
No matter that Pang Gun-ho had cultivated the Mixed Origin Flowing River Art; he was still no match.
Even killing two first-rate Pang family warriors had only been possible by exploiting their carelessness.
They'd never dreamed the family heir would attack them.
It had been a full day since his capture here.
He still had no idea what this damned old bastard wanted.
Whenever he tried to flee, the man blocked him—beating him black and blue in the process.
But if he stayed put within the stockade, the old man left him alone.
He even fed him his meals.
The man just watched impassively as he practiced his martial arts.
What the hell was wrong with this lunatic?
"Grk. I'll kill you for sure. You'll regret this."
Pang Gun-ho glared at Gong Son-gyeong and spat the words. His latest escape attempt had just failed.
He didn't care anymore.
The old man let him train undisturbed, so now was the time to focus on the Mixed Origin Flowing River Art. He'd achieve great success, kill this bastard first, then get out.
Wasn't this the perfect spot for secluded cultivation anyway?
"What a headache."
Ha Mu-baek muttered as he scanned his surroundings.
Little Wutai Mountain.
Not too big, but not small either.
Pang Gun-ho was somewhere in here.
The Second Protector had sent a transmission revealing that Haomen's Great Protector, Gong Son-gyeong, had taken him to a hideout he'd prepared here.
Even the Second Protector didn't know the exact location.
Gong Son-gyeong had acted alone, keeping it that secretive.
And of all people, it had to be him.
Ha Mu-baek knew the man well.
An odd one, even among Haomen's thieves and assassins.
Haomen had few thieves to begin with, and virtually no assassins.
None at all, really.
Gong Son-gyeong was the exception.
Hell, being both a thief and an assassin was bizarre enough.
That was the problem.
He was fast. He left almost no traces, and he was a master at erasing even those faint ones while on the move.
In short, Ha Mu-baek had lost the trail.
If not for the Second Protector's tip, he wouldn't have even made it here.
By the time he'd arrived at the Great Sea Pavilion and quickly searched, Pang Gun-ho's traces were gone. That's why he'd pressured them so hard.
"No wonder I couldn't pick up the trail. Who'd have thought that bastard Gong Son-gyeong was involved..."
Ha Mu-baek muttered gravely.
He'd raced here at full speed for two days straight. Yet he'd still missed Gong Son-gyeong—maybe the man had taken a different route. No tracks to read, after all.
Iron Crotch Beggar and the others from the Beggars' Sect and Pang family were long left behind.
No time to travel together.
"Have to comb this whole place..."
Ha Mu-baek grimaced in frustration.
"Maybe just head to Chang'an?"
The thought crossed his mind.
Iron Crotch Beggar was en route here. Mobilize the sect's beggars to sweep the mountain—it might take time, but they'd find him.
Gong Son-gyeong was top-three in Haomen, sure—but still only peak realm.
Iron Crotch Beggar or Pavilion Lord Pang Do-yul could handle him.
"Might as well search till the old man arrives."
Ha Mu-baek expanded his senses to their limit. Darting through the peaks like this, something had to snag eventually.
"Valleys first."
Obvious choice.
If it was a secret hideout for extended stay, it'd be near a water source.
Valleys it was.
Ha Mu-baek leaped into motion.
Two days passed.
Iron Crotch Beggar reached the outskirts of Little Wutai Mountain.
Alone, he'd have arrived a day sooner—but traveling with Pang Do-won and Pavilion Lord Pang Do-yul had delayed them till now.
"Ugh, my poor bones. Wonder where he is."
Iron Crotch Beggar glanced around.
Searching for Ha Mu-baek's markers. The symbols from the last war let the two communicate this way.
Ha Mu-baek had promised to leave signs before vanishing ahead.
"Here it is."
Iron Crotch Beggar spotted one quickly and moved on. It marked the path to their brief rendezvous point.
"Argh!"
Pang Gun-ho screamed in rage.
Another failure today.
Two straight days of focused training, and still he couldn't shake this damned old man.
Two days was nothing, of course.
But Pang Gun-ho thought differently.
He had his reasons.
At the Great Sea Pavilion, when he'd taken down those two escorts, he'd been at four-tenths attainment.
Now, after two days, he'd hit six-tenths.
I'm a martial arts genius. Mastering this divine art so quickly. All those years, I was practicing arts unfit for me—that's why I never shone. Should've found this sooner.
Delusional confidence fueled his charge at Gong Son-gyeong.
One sword stroke sent him sprawling.
Gong Son-gyeong's eyes flickered as he watched.
Almost dodged my strike.
This change in just two days—it startled him, but his icy expression never wavered.
Gong Son-gyeong's sword was an assassin's blade.
Its essence: speed.
Pursuing strikes beyond perception. His was a swift sword.
Even using basic sword forms, the kid hadn't glimpsed the blade's shadow two days ago.
Now he'd nearly evaded it.
Is this the Extermination Technique's power...?
The forbidden art that had chilled him in the last war.
He felt its might anew.
Pang Gun-ho was a test subject.
To observe changes as he progressed in the Extermination Technique.
Of course, at ten-tenths, it'd be time to sever his head.
Any further, and an uncontrollable demon would emerge.
Analysis showed Gong Son-gyeong could still take him even at full attainment, given Pang Gun-ho's level.
Hence this experiment.
"How far have you progressed?"
"Kuhahaha. Starting to fear me now? Wait just a bit. I'll smash you soon. Still at six-tenths, but I'll reach great success in days."
Great success in days? Arrogant drivel.
Even the Pang patriarch had needed years for ten-tenths.
"And two days ago?"
He asked on a hunch.
"Four-tenths."
Gong Son-gyeong's brow twitched at the answer.
Two-tenths in two days? The kid had only started days ago.
This progress was unnatural.
Surpassing the patriarch's years-long effort in mere days.
Need to report this.
Valuable data for analyzing the manuscript.
Uncover why the same art yielded such insane variance by practitioner.
"Wait just a bit."
With that, Pang Gun-ho closed his eyes and sat cross-legged.
"Found you."
After two days combing every valley, Ha Mu-baek murmured with a chilling smile.
He was a mess.
No proper food, baths, or sleep—just endless mountain traversal.
At the edge of his extended senses, he felt the Extermination Technique's aura.
A slight shift, and it sharpened.
Location confirmed.
Now, decide: storm in alone, or wait for Iron Crotch Beggar?
Ha Mu-baek glanced skyward.
"They should be here by now."
Perfect timing.
He'd have charged solo earlier, but ignoring the old man's hard trek wasn't right.
Check the marker spot: if there, team up; if not, grab Pang Gun-ho himself.
He reached it to find Iron Crotch Beggar and the other three milling about blankly.
"Finally here. Worth heading out first? You look wrecked."
Ha Mu-baek nodded at Iron Crotch Beggar's question.
"Found him."
He turned and bolted.
The four hurried after.
Up mountain paths, into a valley—then, in the distance, the stockade appeared.
"Hm?"
Gong Son-gyeong's brow twitched.
His assassin senses picked up four presences approaching.
How?
This was his secret lair, unknown to all. Built by his hands alone—the stockade, the door.
Right after the decision to work on Pang Gun-ho.
Yet four experts converged. Ominous.
Not one was ordinary.
Gong Son-gyeong's sense range rivaled super-peak masters, honed by his thief-assassin life.
Still a brief window.
Decision swift.
"Open your eyes."
Short command to Pang Gun-ho. No interruptions mid-cultivation.
"What?"
As Pang Gun-ho's eyes snapped open, Gong Son-gyeong sealed his pressure points, hoisted him, and kicked off.
The instant he launched—
"Gah!"
Dull agony hit. Gong Son-gyeong tumbled backward.
Confusion reigned.
No one there. No presence sensed.
Yet this gut-piercing pain.
"Knew you'd try to bolt."
The voice made him tremble.
Unforgettable.
How is that bastard here?
Even if someone leaked Little Wutai Mountain from the pavilion, this spot was secret.
Finding it so fast in this not-small range.
Incredulous, he looked up at Ha Mu-baek.
"Gave me a real run for it."
Ha Mu-baek said coldly.
"Y-you..."
Pang Gun-ho shuddered at Ha Mu-baek's face, like a leaf in the wind.
He tried calming himself. Futile.
Terror of Ha Mu-baek was etched into his body.
"Th-this can't be. I've cultivated a divine art..."
Thwack.
Ha Mu-baek's fist launched Pang Gun-ho's jaw.
"Shut it and stay down. Thinking of the grief you caused grinds my teeth. You too."
Ha Mu-baek glared murderously at Gong Son-gyeong.
"Building a hideout like this to snatch him away. What's your game?"
Ha Mu-baek demanded.