Chapter 354: Into the Trap

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Under the night sky where the moon had fully ripened.

A man who appeared to be in his late forties was gazing at a not-so-distant lateral direction while letting out a pensive sound.

“Hmm…”

Dressed in a crimson vest over white martial attire, he evoked the bearing of a heroic master who dominated a generation.

A dignified-looking face and the solemn intangible Aura/Aura/bearing that wrapped his entire body… a majestic Aura that seemed to represent being a supreme master of Jianghu.

On his left chest, silver characters representing the middle-aged man’s identity and status sparkled, receiving the moonlight.

Tang Clan.

It was the unique embroidery of Sichuan Tang Family, famous as the greatest prestigious family in the Sichuan region among the Seven Great Families.

That’s right.

The man who let out the pensive sound was none other than Tang Chun-chu, the family head of Sichuan Tang Family.

He was a person who had obtained the elegant epithet of Butterfly Dance Great Lord due to his hand techniques that were like butterflies fluttering chaotically, and was an ultra-first-rate warrior who had early on risen to the tier of Four Famous Hands of Sichuan.

Currently, the place where his gaze rested was a streamside where large and small rocks and pebbles were scattered.

Blood-smeared corpses were strewn about there.

All had the appearance of martial artists carrying weapons, numbering as many as over one hundred.

But then.

It wasn’t the first time he had encountered this since coming to the Shiwan Mountains.

The sight of large-scale fallen dead bodies was completely identical to the corpses he had discovered on the first day of exploration aiming for the Divine Martial Sword.

Tang Chun-chu stroked his closely-trimmed beard with an even deeper gaze.

‘Even though the scenery is clearly different, somehow…’

The ominous premonition in his chest was growing stronger.

This was already the third time witnessing the same corpses.

Right, this could never be called a coincidence.

It was definitely an unusual formation that deluded the field of vision.

Most likely, someone had intended this.

Having furrowed his brow, he was particularly watching two of the numerous corpses.

One was a sturdy-built man the same age as himself.

A hairy Swordsman with the character “Loyalty (?)” prominently embroidered on both shoulders of his red martial attire.

The identity of that corpse was Don Dae-deok, the captain of Loyalty Literature Sword Corps, a righteous force within the Guizhou region, whose epithet was Passionate Blood Sword Master.

The other was a thin-framed old man in his seventies draped in cloud-white robes.

Like Don Dae-deok, the Swordsman’s clothes also had a feather pattern embroidered that gave a glimpse of his sect and status.

The old man, who had become a cold corpse, was Hwang Ji-hwan, the gate master of Elegant Feather Martial Gate, a prominent Orthodox force within the Sichuan region, whose epithet was Feather-Soaring Sword Elder.

Those two were masters representing their respective regions, so-called ultra-first-rate famous swordsmen whose names were on Three Upper Seats of Guizhou and Four Famous Hands of Sichuan.

Tang Chun-chu then muttered as if reciting.

“Our guess was right. It’s some kind of trap set by an unknown enemy.”

He wasn’t alone here.

About one hundred seventy elite members of Sichuan Tang Family, as well as about one hundred thirty elite members of Purple Forest Bewitching Gate, an Unorthodox force of the same region, were traveling together.

Originally, the two sides were bitter rivals.

Because there were overlapping areas of their territories, they had engaged in disputes crossing swords with each other for a long time.

That had accumulated and accumulated to become an irreconcilable relationship, but… unexpectedly, they had united as one here.

Like the expression that yesterday’s enemy becomes today’s friend, with the same objective of securing the Divine Martial Sword.

Though it was an extremely precarious tightrope walk.

Suddenly, a young man with a slender build and distinct features approached closely and spoke.

“This is probably something where the one who possesses the Divine Martial Sword has used his skill to manipulate the existing formation, right?”

It was Eight Arms New Edge Tang Yi-yeok, Tang Chun-chu’s eldest son and the talent raising his martial reputation as the family’s greatest future talent.

“Yes, we looked down on the fellow too easily.”

Tang Chun-chu, having nodded, looked at a house-sized boulder situated beyond the stream.

Characters clearly carved in relief on its gray surface.

That was also the third time he had encountered such a stone inscription.

Tang Chun-chu’s thick black eyebrows twitched.

“Impudent…”

Then he looked to his side and opened his mouth again.

“Those corpses are fake. It’s merely that some unknown power of the manipulated formation is confusing our energy sense and making them seem real…”

Immediately after, someone’s quiet voice interjected.

“That’s right. I also agree. It’s a fact that has become crystal clear after encountering them three times.”

The woman in her forties who had chimed in thus was the owner of the voice.

With a snake-like cunning face and her vase-like body wrapped in purple long robes, she was Sol Byeok-ra, the gate master of Purple Forest Bewitching Gate who was among Four Famous Hands of Sichuan.

With a temperament that was cold-hearted and cruel, befitting a female Swordsman called Cold Cruel Peony, she maintained an expression as if she found interest rather than frowning upon seeing the gruesome state of the corpses.

Right at that moment.

SASASASASA, SASASASASA……

Thick fog began to appear in the forest surroundings where the party had gathered.

Was the formation changing?

It was truly something that happened in the time it takes to blink a few times.

Tang Chun-chu and Sol Byeok-ra ordered in unison.

“Stay Alert.”

Simultaneously, the elite personnel of both sides took up stances in preparation for emergencies with military precision.

CHEOCHEOCHEOCHEOK, CHEOCHEOCHEOCHEOK-

Soon, the fog that had been quickly seeping in cleared as if by magic.

“Hoo… would you look at this?”

Tang Chun-chu muttered while pulling up one corner of his mouth.

Like Sol Byeok-ra, he showed interest.

After the brief fog appearance and disappearance, the surrounding scenery had changed.

The stream had disappeared and the forest had changed.

A place that had been full of pine trees was now covered with bamboo.

Moreover, the boulder where the stone inscription was carved, as well as the over one hundred corpses, had vanished.

Seeing that, Sol Byeok-ra deactivated the alert posture with a hand signal while forming a faint smile.

“Hoohoo. It’s certain that this wicked formation that confuses our path is something that wasn’t there before. You came here before, so you’d know well, right?”

Tang Chun-chu spoke while rolling his eyes to observe the surroundings.

“Right, it wasn’t like this at that time. It was merely that the formation activated in a static state. But… now the formation’s mystical application is transforming frequently. Moreover, the intervals are very short.”

“Could this perhaps be the Heretic Cult’s trickery?”

“Well… I’m not certain yet, but there’s a possibility. It could be that the Heretic Cult spread the rumor to steal the Divine Martial Sword from some person and reap benefits, or perhaps they’re loyal to him… We’ll have to find out for ourselves. There’s no other way.”

Having said that, Tang Chun-chu suddenly operated supreme Internal energy and extended his right hand forward.

PIPIPIPIPING-!

Small bead-shaped hidden weapons fired from his fluttering sleeve.

The moment those reached the lush bamboo nearby, a clamorous breaking wind sound erupted.

PEOPEOPEOPEONG, PEOPEOPEOPEONG…!

In tandem with that sound, the entire space ahead rippled greatly and danced like a transparent wave.

A phenomenon proving that the surrounding scenery was an illusion.

In the midst of that.

SEUSUK.

Within the temporarily distorted ripples of the illusion, two figures of different attire suddenly appeared.

“Indeed, befitting the pillar of the Tang Family, your energy sense is outstanding.”

“As I heard, you seem to possess exceptional martial prowess. To sense that we were approaching…”

Surprisingly, those two were Passionate Blood Sword Master Don Dae-deok and Feather-Soaring Sword Elder Hwang Ji-hwan.

Tang Chun-chu emitted fierce eye light.

“You were alive and well.”

Sol Byeok-ra’s two pupils also gave off thick killing intent light.

“Kakkakkak. Things are turning very interesting. Did you two attach yourselves to the one who manipulated this place’s formation?”

At that, Don Dae-deok spoke while radiating heavy intangible Aura/Aura/bearing.

“You ignored the previous warning and set foot here after all. Foolish ones… I told you it wasn’t something you could recklessly covet.”

As soon as his words ended.

SAAAAK-

Hwang Ji-hwan beside him drew the sword symbolizing the position of Elegant Feather Martial Gate’s gate master.

A famous sword called Feather Playing Sword, made of a type of meteoric iron, peculiar iron.

Don Dae-deok also drew the famous treasured sword Loyalty and Passion White Sword that always followed behind the epithet of Passionate Blood Sword Master.

That behavior of the two clearly represented hostility.

Not to be outdone.

SEUREUNG, SEUREUREUNG, SEUREUNG-

The Purple Forest Bewitching Gate personnel swiftly assumed a drawing stance.

Along with that, the Sichuan Tang Family side also quickly took out their weapons.

Also, Tang Yi-yeok had gloves on and held in his right hand the Poison-Soaked Great Needle, a poisonous hidden weapon he rarely used.

It was a long silver needle coated with deadly poison, a terrifying object that induced fatal effects even if it only slightly pierced the opponent’s vital points.

Therefore, he too could only safely use it while wearing specially-made leather gloves.

At that moment, a female Swordsman in her thirties with a curvaceous and seductive body quietly asked.

“Gate Master, shall we strike first with a surprise attack?”

It was Cheop-nang, the vice gate master of Purple Forest Bewitching Gate whose epithet was Bewitching Ghost Sword Lady.

“No need.”

Sol Byeok-ra, having shaken her head, drew her sword.

A blade uniquely tinged with purple.

It was the Bewitching Purple Sword, said to create purple sword shadows when the owner’s Internal energy level is high.

It wasn’t one of the Ten Great Heavenly Weapons, but it was a bewitching sword that could well be said to belong to the divine weapon category.

Sol Byeok-ra, having raised the Bewitching Purple Sword in front of her chest, gave a sidelong glance.

“What are you going to do?”

At that, Tang Chun-chu took out the whip symbolizing his martial reputation instead of answering.

KARAKARAK, KARAKARAK-

An iron whip whose decoration, handle, sections, and tail were all made of steel.

The Heaven-Terrifying Divine Whip, Sichuan Tang Family’s treasured item that, like the Bewitching Purple Sword, belonged in the divine weapon category, trembled fiercely while receiving its master’s True Energy.

Tang Chun-chu, radiating killing intent and Fighting spirit, finally opened his mouth.

“What do you mean what, we must strike them as is proper.”

“You know that those two appeared to lure us into a new formation, right? Otherwise, they would have brought more subordinate personnel.”

At Sol Byeok-ra’s words, Tang Chun-chu smirked.

“Hoo, of course I know. While pretending to be deceived… we can just break through head-on with force. Since they’re enemies we’ll have to fight anyway, measuring and avoiding this and that is just a waste of time.”

It was a tone revealing boundless pride in his martial prowess level.

Sol Byeok-ra laughed heartily and then flashed her eyes.

“You think the same as me. Indeed, you’re the same type as us.”

Having exchanged glances, Sol Byeok-ra and Tang Chun-chu advanced toward the front like streaks of light.

PAPAPAT, PAPAPAPAT-

The weapons of the two, who had covered the distance in an instant, cut through the air while loaded with terrifying power.

JJEOJEOJEONG, JJEOJEOJEOJEOJEONG- KWAKWAKWANG, KWAKWAKWAKWANG!

Starting with a thunderous roar as if the earth’s axis was shaking, ten exchanges passed by as fast as lightning.

In the meantime, the personnel behind rushed in like a wave.

Passionate Blood Sword Master Don Dae-deok and Rain’s Fortune Sword Elder Hwang Ji-hwan spun around and fled as if they had been waiting for that moment.

Seeing that, Tang Chun-chu sent a Secret Sound Transmission while fiercely pursuing.

Sol Byeok-ra immediately responded.

Thus, the personnel led by Tang Chun-chu and Sol Byeok-ra chased Don Dae-deok and Hwang Ji-hwan and disappeared beyond.

After a while.

In the now-empty spot, a middle-aged man presumed to be a sorcerer quietly appeared.

He was Water Direction Master, one of the Heretic Cult’s leadership, the Five Elements Direction Masters.

‘Successful. I knew they would jump in even knowing it was a trap. Especially that Tang Family Head fellow… keukuk. Since I’ve also lured in Sichuan Tang Family and Purple Forest Bewitching Gate’s personnel… now I just need to secure about four or five hundred more usable martial artists.’

In an instant, the sound of robes fluttering was heard, and a black-clothed man appeared beside Water Direction Master.

He was a subordinate belonging to the Heretic Cult.

He immediately bowed respectfully and delivered his report.

“I report. Currently, it has been confirmed that large-scale forces of Zhejiang Son Family and Thousand White Sword Pavilion have entered the mountain.”

At that, Water Direction Master responded delightedly.

“Oh… that’s good. Did you determine the numbers?”

“Combining both sides, it seems to exceed at least four hundred. And on my way back, I also separately discovered parties from Hebei Peng Family and Xiahou Family. Combining those as well exceeds one hundred.”

“Keukkeukuk… things are going smoothly. At this rate, we can move up the schedule.”

“Ah, there’s something to report regarding that as well.”

“What is it?”

“Just earlier, it’s said the otherworldly gate opened a bit more. And… the red eye of the demon god was glimpsed through that gap. Though it was only a moment…”

Water Direction Master, who heard those words, had an expression caught by thrilling shivers.

“Wonderful! Very good! Keukuk… the day to achieve our dream is not far off. Now, let us hurry and move. Since we must successfully lure the four newly-entered forces as well.”

“Yes.”

* * *

Around that time, the party following Cheol Ryu-heun finally arrived at the entrance of the mystical zone and stopped their steps.

Then everyone gazed at the sky and lost their wits, exclaiming.

“Wow!”

“Ugh!”

“G-good heavens…!”

“What on earth is that… thing?”