Chapter 187
Chapter 187
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 187
Chapter Title: Sun-Piercing Sect's Secret
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Everyone from the four sects right down to the ronin spent some time swinging their weapons in simple drills, syncing their movements and observing each other's martial arts.
Of course, Yang-hui's sole aim was the Sun-Piercing Sect's techniques.
He had already seen plenty of Emei and Qingcheng techniques in his previous life anyway.
'Come to think of it... I had remarkably little to do with the Sun-Piercing Sect in my past life.'
It was one of the Nine Great Sects, no exaggeration to call it the very heart of the orthodox martial world.
So running into Nine Great Sect martial artists no matter where you went wasn't all that unusual.
Sure, there were places like Shaolin, paragons of benevolence and righteousness, that acted half like reclusive mystery sects.
The Sun-Piercing Sect was one of those.
'Once the world's greatest sword sect... a faction utterly obsessed with the blade.'
To a swordsman, the sword was like a lifelong partner.
Most treated their blades as precious as their own lives.
But that was just talk—they didn't truly stake everything on it.
'The Sun-Piercing Sect was different.'
They really did bet their lives on the sword.
The strictest regulators among the Nine Great Sects—no, in the entire world.
Their pursued sword intent was extreme to the point of excess.
'Proof positive: the Sun-Piercing Sword Technique.'
If Wudang had its Taiji Beneficent Sword and the Namgung Clan its Vaulting Sky Thoughtless Sword,
then the Sun-Piercing Sect had the Sun-Piercing Sword Technique.
True to its name, a sword that sought to run the sun itself through.
A pure thrust that disregarded all else—a martial art devoted solely to that one pursuit.
"Taoist Neung-o. Care to exchange a few moves?"
"Of course."
Neung-o, whose composure had faltered moments before, swiftly regained his usual demeanor.
A steadfast expression tinged with a faint smile.
They crossed blades.
Chaaeng! Shrieeek!
"Impressive. The Sun-Piercing Sword Technique truly deserves its reputation as one of the world's peerless arts."
The strikes brimmed with the resolve to pierce the foe even at the cost of mutual destruction.
Considering Neung-o's everyday bearing, it seemed utterly out of character.
'Why did he change up the moment martial arts came up?'
"I'll learn a move or two from the rest of you as well."
As he addressed the Sun-Piercing Sect disciples, Neung-o took a step forward.
"Is that necessary? If it's techniques you want to observe, my sword should suffice."
'As I thought. He perked up at martial arts.'
"It's not just about observing techniques—it's about syncing our teamwork. Naturally, I need to briefly cross blades with everyone."
He deflected Neung-o's objection and traded a few exchanges with every Sun-Piercing Sect disciple.
'These guys... something's off.'
All the Sun-Piercing Sect disciples wielded the Sun-Piercing Sword Technique.
Nothing suspicious there.
Sects like Hwasan started with basics like the Six Harmony Sword or Seven Stars Sword before advancing to profundities like the Plum Blossom Twenty-Four Swords.
But the Sun-Piercing Sect was known for practicing nothing but the Sun-Piercing Sword Technique.
They might access early, mid, or late variations based on seniority and attainment, but it was all the same art.
That made it all the more peculiar.
'Everyone except Neung-o... feels like they barely trained it.'
The Sun-Piercing Sect was a gathering of those who lived and died by the sword.
More precisely, a lair of sword demons willing to forsake everything for the Sun-Piercing sword intent.
It had been that way for centuries, and the jianghu's perception matched exactly.
—Brother Tang. Notice anything?
—I did. The Sun-Piercing Sect always punches above its weight thanks to that extreme focus and momentum. Something's wrong here.
—Like they skimmed the basics and skipped proper cultivation.
—Spot on. That's exactly the vibe.
A quick glance around showed no one else had caught on.
Well, jumping to conspiracies over sloppy swordplay was a stretch anyway.
'Even I'd have brushed it off if I wasn't already suspicious of the Sun-Piercing Sect.'
Besides, it was just more grounds for doubt—no real call to press the issue.
But.
'When you spot the tail... you yank it.'
He recalled the map he'd handed to Qingcheng's Taoist Seongpung.
In truth, Yang-hui hadn't marked everything Won-u had scouted.
"We've gauged each other's skills well enough. Time to move out."
"Agreed. We've set the broad strokes of the plan. Details can wait till we're en route."
The Sok Rang Stronghold, which they'd assumed lurked in some trackless mountain fastness, occupied an unexpected spot.
Riverwood Forest. Mountains breed rivers, and this dense wood lay where dozens of streams from the vast range converged into a broad flow.
Even at the foothills, its hundred-odd zhang width featured shallows barely knee-deep in places.
"Surprisingly close."
"Well, bandits gotta bandit. No helping it."
The Sword Corner range was treacherous enough to daunt even martial artists, so it made a sort of sense.
"Everyone, let's go."
"With this map, we might wrap the subjugation in a single day if we're lucky."
They'd been paid handsomely and were tagging along to boot, but a job was a job.
Finishing fast meant multiplied paydays—no wonder the mood was upbeat.
"Young Master Baek, you've made this a breeze. If you're ever near Emei, look me up—Nun Gye-hwa will treat you right."
"My thanks, Sister."
Unlike the amiable Emei folk, Qingcheng offered no flowery words.
Such aloof authority came with the territory.
"Riverwood Forest starts here."
"Just like the map said."
The ground turned gravelly before long, moisture rising until their ankles submerged.
A bit farther, and it'd reach their knees.
They'd covered ground with lightness skill till now, but the water made it impossible to continue.
Taoist Seongpung looked up, peering into the distance.
"They'd spot us coming like this for sure."
"As planned—split up from here."
The subjugation force's goal was total annihilation of the Sok Rang Stronghold.
Minimizing survivors meant encirclement was key.
'Frankly, I wouldn't have done it that way.'
He'd encircled and wiped out a bandit nest once before alongside the Tang siblings.
But unlike that ragtag crew, Sok Rang boasted several infamous fiends.
Numbers weren't overwhelmingly in their favor—splitting sloppily risked getting picked off piecemeal.
Yet they divided the subjugation force into four groups anyway.
Because it was the most efficient.
The riskiest too. No one breathed a word of complaint.
With three haughty Nine Great Sects assembled, each as prideful as their fame... it was predictable.
—Brother Tang, let's stick with the Young Clan Leader.
—That was the plan. Can't have accidents—we'll handle escort duty.
The Tangs couldn't claim major feats in this sweep anyway.
Just earn glares and wariness from the Nine Great Sects.
They'd link up with Jin Yeong-gil behind the scenes via the Baek Clan soon enough—no need to yield the glory.
Volunteering as guards beat charging for feats when it came to currying favor anyway.
—Perfect. Makes it easier to keep tabs on the Sun-Piercing Sect too.
—Exactly.
The Sok Rang Stronghold adhered to proper military doctrine, in its way.
Backed against a cliff, it had just three avenues of approach.
The front, screened by a hundred-zhang-wide river, was easy to watch—so real assaults were viable from only two flanks.
—Emei and Qingcheng hit the sides while Sun-Piercing blocks the front. We'll shadow them and provide support from the rear.
Offering aid presupposed the Sun-Piercing Sect would hit crisis point.
No helping it. From Won-u's intel, this subjugation was no walkover.
'Let's see how they react.'
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Everything on the map Yang-hui provided was factual.
Not a single lie or fabrication.
Just one thing he'd uncovered but omitted.
'Who'd have thought a mere bandit lair would muster this much firepower.'
The Nine Great Sects and Tang Clan weren't fools. They had their own intel on the Sok Rang threat.
Cross-referencing made fooling them child's play.
And no loose ends later.
Simple reason.
The surge in Sok Rang's forces was a temporary fluke.
"Kuhahahaha! You morons!"
"Strutting all high and mighty when you're perched on mountaintops just like us!"
"Today we get to teach you fools a lesson!"
"Burn this into your memories and blab it in the afterlife: you fell to Black Green Bandit Lord!"
"Giant God Iron Bastion's here too!"
"Blood Lord Gu-ak as well!"
The plan—flank from both sides while sealing the front for encirclement and slaughter.
It unraveled from the jump.
The ambush succeeded at first, but three of the Green Forest Ten Heroes were holed up in Sok Rang Stronghold.
The mightiest ten among the near-ten-thousand bandits of the Green Forest Seventy-Two Strongholds—loyal henchmen of the Bandit King.
All at peak realm, each commanding dozens of underlings. Forces two or three times stronger than expected.
"Damn it all!"
Qingcheng's Taoist Seongpung spat curses ill-suited to his lofty facade.
He and Emei had lunged from the flanks only to get boxed in themselves, barely escaping death to regroup with the frontal group. Small wonder his outburst.
"Why the hell are they at Sok Rang?"
"Young Master Baek! What's going on here?!"
The answer came from the Green Forest Ten Heroes.
"Bad-luck bastards like you hit the jackpot!"
"Three days later and we'd have been gone!"
The Green Forest Seventy-Two Strongholds sent a few of the Ten Heroes periodically to the top ten dens for loyalty checks and inspections.
A mere handful of days per year—and they'd unluckily nailed it.
Talk about rotten fortune.
"Slaughter 'em all!"
"Time to savor some monk and taoist meat!"
Crisis. The sort where corpses piling up wouldn't surprise anyone.
In other words, perfect for dragging the Sun-Piercing Sect's secret into the open.
"Die!"
"Shut your trap, you bandit scum!"
The Sun-Piercing Sect disciples swung their swords.
Sword paths utterly unlike the Sun-Piercing Sword Technique he'd sparred earlier.
Yet ferociously potent strikes regardless.
'That's...!'
His sliver-thin suspicion of the Sun-Piercing Sect had paid off.
Those moves unmistakably carried Ming Cult essence.
The Sun-Moon Holy Cult. Zealots who enshrined light as truth incarnate, the object of pursuit and faith.
Every one of their arts embodied insights and principles of light.
'A sword that cleaves light itself. How intriguing.'
With solid evidence in hand, time to sort this mess.
Yang-hui ghost-stepped into the bandits' midst.
"Brat, what're you?!"
"Got a death wish?!"
He'd volunteered for encirclement—solo, no less.
—Kiyaaaaaaaa!
Yang-hui bared a feral grin and plunged his sword into the water's surface.
"Raising Tiger Bright Formation, Water Convergence." ⟨ Tiger Roar Resonance ⟩
—Kiyaaaaaaaaa!
Every bandit lost consciousness and collapsed.