Chapter 148
Chapter 148
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 148
Chapter Title: The Escape and the Traitor
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Boom!"
Baek Yang-hui had to block a sudden ambush instead of swinging his sword at Hyungsan Eumhyeol.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
He barely managed to fend it off, but his internals churned violently, sending blood surging up.
Baek Yang-hui eyed the peak experts exploding with ferocious momentum and spat out a single word laced with regret.
"Ah, you bastard."
So he wouldn't use his own qi, but sacrifice his men instead.
The four peak experts serving as his guards had detonated their qi reserves. It was more than enough to force Hyungsan Eumhyeol to pull back.
"Yang-hui, I'm sorry!"
A-du rushed over in a panic, unable to stop the interference from those he was fighting, but Hyungsan Eumhyeol was already fleeing for his life.
Charging into the black faction's formation now to catch him would be suicide.
"It's fine. He sacrificed four peak experts to save his skin—what can we do?"
Next time, he'd have to weave a tighter net and go fishing more perfectly.
"For now, let's kill them."
Though the four had detonated their qi and temporarily widened the power gap, the moment Hyungsan Eumhyeol fled, they were all dead men walking.
It took time, but he slaughtered every last one of the warriors Hyungsan Eumhyeol had brought, without losing a single man on his side.
'Well, this still counts as a great victory.'
The battle was winding down. With their leader Hyungsan Eumhyeol having fled, it was only natural.
Forty-odd white path warriors against over a hundred and twenty black path foes.
The victory belonged to the white path.
'Missing Hyungsan Eumhyeol is a bit regrettable... no.'
He didn't feel as disappointed as he'd expected, so he thought about why and realized it quickly.
'I was disappointed that I couldn't kill him cleanly in one go.'
In his previous life, Hyungsan Eumhyeol had insulted his father.
He'd wanted to make the bastard taste bone-deep regret and searing resentment before dying, and killing him too neatly felt lacking.
'There'll be plenty more chances ahead. I've already gotten everything I could.'
Hyungsan Eumhyeol would watch with his own eyes as everything he'd built over a lifetime crumbled bit by bit, before meeting a horrific end.
It was certain to happen.
That's why he'd allied with the Tang Clan through the ten-year vow, looking ahead from his regression to now.
'Grow the main house while getting revenge—one stone, two birds. Speaking of revenge...'
Another target: the Namgung Clan.
He looked toward Namgung Cheon-hu. Just then, Namgung Cheon-hu turned his head toward Baek Yang-hui.
Their gazes crossed briefly.
Baek Yang-hui smirked, lifting the corner of his mouth.
'So it was the Hyungsan Eumhyeol side after all.'
The reason for his certainty was simple. He'd sensed Hyungsan Eumhyeol desperately sending a telepathic message, like a man in love pleading with his beloved.
Instead of replying, Namgung Cheon-hu had shouted something strange, so maybe he'd anticipated it. In any case, Baek Yang-hui could detect others' telepathic transmissions.
It hadn't been possible even in his previous life, but his hypersensitive qi sense combined with what he'd learned from the Sound Demon about qi and sound had made it so.
Well, he still couldn't make out the contents.
'Telepathy with his subordinate. Telepathy from Hyungsan Eumhyeol. Add in the other circumstances...'
There was still no ironclad proof.
But even as mere circumstantial evidence, it was as good as a confession.
How Namgung Cheon-hu acted from here on would make it even clearer.
'He caught and killed about seventy black path bastards but lost half his Heavenly Covering Sword Unit. That must sting.'
All the Heavenly Covering Sword Unit members were peak experts.
So Namgung Cheon-hu had lost ten peak experts today!
Considering a peak realm master could dominate an entire region, it was an enormous loss.
'To harm the main house now, he'll have to collude even deeper with the black path scum.' Sending more troops from the Namgung main branch was an option, but unlikely.
For a giant prestigious clan like Namgung to lose over ten peak experts brawling with mere Jiangxi black path rabble?
If they claimed victory after everything with just ten losses, fine—but taking losses from the start and sending more would bruise their pride.
'I've really gotten everything I could. Blocked greater Namgung interference, stung the Honam bastards, and set up the situation to easily grab evidence of their collusion later.'
The ingredients were plenty. Now, how to cook them into the tastiest dish?
As he pondered, he looked toward A-du, Zhuge Seol-ha, and the other allies.
"Little brother. A great victory."
Gu-ak approached Baek Yang-hui, his twin axes soaked in blood.
After Hyungsan Eumhyeol's flight, the black path thugs had lost morale and scattered, leaving Gu-ak without opponents.
"Good work, Brother Gu."
And it wasn't empty praise—Gu-ak had shone brightly.
Just moments ago, rampaging like a madman, it was like seeing his old black path days.
Thanks to that, Baek Yang-hui had fought more safely even while using himself as bait against Hyungsan Eumhyeol.
"A-du did great too. Thanks, both of you."
A-du had more than pulled his weight.
It hit him anew: meeting A-du on the way to Sword King Hall had been luck upon luck.
How much help had he received since?
And all for free!
'A peak expert I can command with a lump of rice cake? What a steal.'
Not just any peak expert, either—this guy could handle one-on-one or even three-on-one against most peaks.
"Nah. Sorry, Yang-hui. My mistake."
A-du looked downcast, probably over the guards' qi detonation letting Hyungsan Eumhyeol escape.
"No rice cakes for you. Reflect on it."
"It's okay. We'll kill him next time. I'll give you double."
"For real?!"
His sullen face brightened.
Baek Yang-hui chuckled and turned to Zhuge Seol-ha.
"Thanks for everything today, little sister."
"...No, it's nothing."
Zhuge Seol-ha was sullen for a different reason.
Baek Yang-hui instantly grasped her feelings.
"Seol-ha. This was your first real fight. With swords clashing and people dying all around, very few can perform at their peak like normal."
"Senior Brother fought well from the start."
'Well, I've been eating sword rice for twenty years.'
Not something to say as an excuse in front of her.
"You did more than your share today. No need for self-blame."
Zhuge Seol-ha stared at the ground, kicking a pebble.
This wasn't the picture she'd imagined at first.
She'd become the direct disciple of Pa-cheon Eum-hu, the top of the Heavenly Martial Ten Lords.
Yet today, she hadn't shown her true skills.
Even though her sound arts were specialized for multi-man battles.
All she'd done was send a few sound waves at the rabble her orders had her gather.
'Even if I'm only first-rate realm... I was too stiff.'
First-rate at her age was top-tier among the world's young talents, but her benchmark was Baek Yang-hui.
A few years ago, he'd reached first-rate, and at the same age, he was already a peak expert who could clash with a faction leader.
Not just top-tier worldwide—he was unmistakably the world's best young talent.
And even A-du was a master beyond comparison to her.
"The 'share' Senior Brother mentioned wasn't as a first-rate sound arts user, but as a Zhuge clansman, right?"
"... "
He couldn't reply immediately. Honestly, she was right.
"See? It's fine."
"Sorry."
"I said it's fine. Guess I need to train harder, haha."
Baek Yang-hui looked at Zhuge Seol-ha with admiring eyes.
Reflection on her shortcomings, and the drive for improvement stemming from it.
Having that mindset wasn't easy.
'When we get back, I should give her a better gift. She really pulled her weight big time today.'
"Everyone, let's head back!"
Time to return to the main house, discuss merits and rewards, and plan next steps.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Our forces' losses are around twenty. The Honam black path suffered over seventy casualties and routed."
As Baek Yang-hui finished his report, cheers filled the senior council chamber.
"A great victory!"
"Beating twenty with forty was impressive enough, but this overwhelming win!"
"The Young Lord suddenly changed plans—I wondered why, but he brought back such fortune!"
Then, Baek Mu-ryang spoke up.
"What of our main house warriors' losses?"
Silence fell instantly. All eyes turned to Baek Yang-hui again.
"Six. Mostly new additions who hadn't mastered the joint formation yet."
Here, "losses" was a euphemism for lives lost.
In the martial world of the sword, injuries weren't counted as losses unless severe.
"I see. First, let us honor them."
"... "
"... "
Baek Mu-ryang closed his eyes first.
The chamber held not just White Garment Gate warriors like the scholars, but also the new month's hall leaders and Heavenly Covering Martial Hall master.
Awe and admiration for Baek Mu-ryang's character shone in their eyes.
'What a father. Instead of basking in great victory's glory, he doesn't overlook even small sacrifices.'
In the martial world, death wasn't distant.
Thus, victory with minimal losses deserved celebration, and there was an unspoken rule not to dwell on the fallen.
Baek Mu-ryang declared he wouldn't follow it.
"Now speak, Hui-ya. The full story of your sudden move."
Baek Mu-ryang knew about Baek Yang-hui meeting the Black Sentinel Hall leader.
But the other elders didn't yet.
Baek Yang-hui explained.
"Heavens...!"
"You did something that dangerous?"
"Requesting a private audience with the enemy leader in their camp. The Young Lord's boldness is something else."
"Thank you all. Once I had the info, I judged we couldn't just wait. So I acted."
He could speak so openly because Namgung Cheon-hu wasn't in the chamber.
Only trusted allies, so no need to hold back...
They'd take it that way.
'People repay trust with loyalty when they feel trusted.'
Truth be told, their time together was short for full trust.
Didn't matter.
If someone leaked to Namgung Cheon-hu, it'd even be better.
He could use that, and identify the rat as a bonus.
"Speaking of, why hasn't Young Lord Namgung returned?"
"The Heavenly Covering Sword Unit fought at the forefront, so many are badly wounded. They'll recover a bit and come back."
It sounded reasonable on the surface.
Fitting for a clan's young lord and his unit's leader.
But.
"Well, even if not, he'd be busy anyway."
A truly meaningful remark.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Not far from the battlefield, in a manor.
This was the base of one of the black path factions Hyungsan Eumhyeol had gathered.
"Damn it all!"
The chair arm shattered to powder in his grip.
Hyungsan Eumhyeol, a water arts master, was still disheveled-haired.
Baek Yang-hui had sliced off his topknot intact, leaving him unable to tie it neatly.
"Namgung Cheon-hu... You, of all people, I'll kill for sure...!"
Hyungsan Eumhyeol's rage wasn't aimed at Baek Yang-hui.
He'd definitely gut that arrogant brat and crush his insides later—but first, Namgung Cheon-hu.
'Dare betray me? Dig that kind of trap?'
He hadn't trusted him fully, of course.
But that's why the defeat stung so much.
Getting backstabbed after trusting would earn some leniency, but failing despite distrust was the leader's fault.
Then.
"Sect Leader."
"I said I want to be alone!"
"...A guest has arrived."
"Guest?"
Sensing something, Hyungsan Eumhyeol leaped outside like a beast.
His hunch was spot on.
"Namgung Cheon-hu!"
Even taking Hyungsan Eumhyeol's lion roar full-force, Namgung Cheon-hu kept his expressionless face.
"Hyungsan Eumhyeol. Let's talk."