Chapter 400: Suddenly Appears
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Two great names disappeared in succession.
The futile end of Eulji Sword Hero Mak-mon and Butterfly Dance Great Lord Tang Chun-chu, warriors of the Guangxi and Sichuan regions respectively.
The now-quiet space was filled only with pungent blood scent.
The martial power of Black Tortoise Divine General Wang-ryu, one of the Four Divine Generals… the Heaven Emperor Society’s highest fighting force… was truly formidable.
Truly an overwhelming power that transcended fear and even bestowed unprecedented wonderment.
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call him invincible.
He moved his hand as if to prove it once more.
At the lightly waving gesture, something rose floating from the ground and approached.
DEOKSEOK.
What he had grabbed in his hand was precisely a whip.
An iron whip made entirely of metal from the ornament to the handle, tail, and lash.
Though not one of the Ten Great Heavenly Weapons, it was a whip and treasure considered one of the divine weapons and strange artifacts…
The Heaven-Terrifying Divine Whip that had symbolized the martial fame of Tang Chun-chu, Four Famous Hands of Sichuan and the current Family Lord.
Within it were contained the history and tradition of the Sichuan Tang Family, with countless tales of martial exploits.
That was precisely what Tang Chun-chu’s martial achievements meant.
However.
Now it was nothing but a lonely weapon that had lost its master.
At that moment.
PIPIT… CHACHING… !
When Wang-ryu gripped the Heaven-Terrifying Divine Whip with both hands and injected True Energy, the whip straightened out.
“He built an excessive martial reputation with this trivial object.”
No sooner had he muttered to himself like that.
JJAJAJAJAJAJAK, JJAJAJAJAJAJAJAK… HUDUDUDUDUDUDUK, HUDUDUDUDUDUDUK…!
A precious heirloom of the Sichuan Tang Family shattered to pieces and scattered in all directions.
Thus, even the name Heaven-Terrifying Divine Whip was erased from the world.
It was a futile end, just like its owner Tang Chun-chu.
The moment Wang-ryu clapped his palms together as if brushing off dust.
SEUSEUK.
A figure clad in a rain cape appeared to one side.
A person with his face half-hidden by a bamboo hat, carrying what looked like a quite large and heavy bundle on his back.
His age judging by the exposed lower face seemed to be in his thirties.
Looking at him carrying an iron sword, he was clearly a Swordsman.
His bearing was extraordinary.
It felt as if a large blade was standing there.
Even compared to the deceased Mak-mon and Tang Chun-chu, he was no less…
Most certainly a warrior.
Though it was unclear whether he belonged to the Jianghu of Jianghu.
For his part, Wang-ryu showed no particular reaction despite discovering the uninvited guest.
Why.
Because he was a trusted subordinate who had followed him.
It was Xianyu Ershan, a name belonging to an elite subordinate currently performing the duty of Vice General, assisting each Divine General.
“How come you’re not even wearing armor…”
At Xianyu Ershan’s words, Wang-ryu spoke quietly.
“You want me to arm myself against mere gnats?”
“Ah… but still, wouldn’t it be good to prepare armor in case of emergency?”
At such advice from Xianyu Ershan, Wang-ryu wore a faint smile.
“Hu. I am the body that creates those emergencies. From those bastards’ perspective, that is.”
“Yes, well, that’s true. My apologies. I’ve spouted nonsense. It was merely advice from loyalty. Please be lenient…”
“It’s fine. Because I know well your exceptional devotion.”
“Thank you.”
As the trusted subordinate answered courteously, Wang-ryu’s gaze moved to the side.
A look heading toward the forest beyond.
“Have you surveyed over there?”
Xianyu Ershan nodded his bamboo-hatted head slightly and reported in a quiet voice.
“Yes, I’ve scouted and returned.”
“Have they joined hands with each other?”
“Yes. Sichuan Tang Family and Purple Forest Enchanted Gate, Thousand White Sword Castle are currently identified as being in a temporary alliance.”
“Foolish ones, not knowing what the price of yearning and ambition for the Divine Martial Sword is.”
Wang-ryu, having so said, let his eye-light sink heavily.
“Also… Heuk Ma-yung is no exception. The end of foolish acts is death alone.”
“Yes, a most fitting statement.”
Xianyu Ershan, having chimed in, spoke again.
“Shall I dispose of the corpses?”
“Nonsense, we must further fan the flames of their scramble.”
Wang-ryu, with those words, extended his hand toward Tang Chun-chu’s belongings.
What he soon pulled out was a blue firecracker.
A signal flare exclusive to the Family Lord.
Wang-ryu, having quietly let out a laugh, immediately fired the firecracker into the sky.
PIHIIIING… PEOPEOPEOPEONG!
Blue sparks and smoke spread through the sky.
Having withdrawn his gaze, Wang-ryu turned his head and gave an order.
“Let’s get moving now. It won’t do to start a fire here, so we’ll take everything.”
“Pardon?”
“Those things.”
What Wang-ryu indicated with a chin gesture was the carcasses of hunted beasts.
“Ah… do you plan to take all of them?”
“Of course, I must fill my stomach. Since I went to the trouble of catching them.”
“Understood.”
“Having come a long way, would it do to forgo the pleasure of eating? That is greater even than the pleasure of killing. Don’t you think so?”
Xianyu Ershan grinned and then bundled up the beast carcasses together.
Thus the two people vanished somewhere without sound or Aura.
Not long after, countless figures poured in from all directions like a flood and appeared here.
It was personnel from the Sichuan Tang Family, Purple Forest Enchanted Gate, and Thousand White Sword Castle, including Tang Yi-yeok, Eight-Arm New Edge, the eldest son of Tang Chun-chu.
Everyone had been scattered and came rushing upon seeing the signal flare.
“No…! F-Father!”
The complexion of Tang Yi-yeok, who had burst out a sharp cry, turned pale white.
The reaction of the Sichuan Tang Family martial artists was the same.
Their pillar, the Family Lord, was dead.
It was a sight unbelievable even seeing it directly.
“EUAAA… EUAAAAA…! How could such a thing happen…!”
Tang Yi-yeok cried out loud, embracing the gruesomely torn corpse of his father.
Thus he, including the Sichuan Tang Family personnel, sank into grief.
Groans and wails leaked out from here and there.
In the midst of that, Thousand White Sword Castle Lord Lake-Emerging Martial Family Head Eon Po-Wook and Purple Forest Enchanted Gate Master Cold Cruel Peony Sol Byeok-ra conversed through Secret Sound Transmission Mind-to-Mind.
Trailing off, light flashed in Eon Po-Wook’s pupils.
Killing light.
A chilling gaze that flickered past like lightning, seen by no one.
No, except for one person.
Sol Byeok-ra, who had seen his eye-light, sent a Secret Sound Transmission to ask.
Thus, as the two made a secret pact and laughed, Tang Yi-yeok, knowing nothing, could only shed tears of resentment.
* * *
‘Oh no!’
The complexion of a young man in splendid attire turned ashen.
It was because of the blade energy rushing in like a flash from the side.
It was a saber energy in a transcendent form, powerful and fierce.
JJEOJJEONG… KWAKWANG!
Metallic sound and booming sound burst out.
“Euuuk!”
The young man who had let out a groan flew off to one side and collided heavily with a dead tree.
WAJIKEUN!
The large tree was smashed by the weight crashing into it and collapsed with a KUNG!
The young man who had likewise fallen to the ground spewed blood in a WALKAK!
He had barely managed a saber technique to defend against the swift attack, but the impact that had penetrated into his body had shaken some of his main meridians and acupoints.
Though his robust formless Aura suggested otherwise, his internal injuries were severe.
It wasn’t only his body that was hurt.
Even his expensive silk clothes made of fine quality had been torn off in places.
Two tigers splendidly embroidered on those shoulders.
They were completely crimson-colored tigers.
With jaws open wide and claws raised.
Those who knew, knew.
That the red tigers on both shoulders were patterns symbolizing the highest Orthodox noble martial family of the Northern Jianghu.
The foremost of the Seven Great Families and the house with the longest tradition.
That’s right.
It was precisely the paramount power of the Hebei region, the Hebei Peng Family.
The young man in his early twenties was a rising star representing that Hebei Peng Family and the current Young Master.
His name was Peng Ya-hwi, twenty-two years old this year, with the sobriquet Tiger Step Saber Young Master.
He was a new rising expert whose martial fame resounded not only in the Hubei region but throughout the Northern Jianghu.
A genius and prodigy often compared to the third son of the Ximen Family, Celestial Wind Sword Youth Ximen Yue.
Yet he was struggling mightily.
And against an opponent who used the same saber, no less.
CHEOCHEOK!
The figure that appeared before Tiger Step Saber Young Master Peng Ya-hwi.
Standing about ten paces away, he was a saber-wielding man in his seventies.
“Brat, will you only run away like a rat? If there’s Mount Shaolin for the Nine Great Sects, there’s the Peng Family for the Seven Great Families, they say… it was all an empty rumor.”
“Shut up!”
Peng Ya-hwi, having shouted fiercely, propped his blade on the ground and sprang to his feet.
However, he didn’t rashly charge.
His internal injuries were one thing, but the old saber-wielder’s martial power was burdensome.
The old man in brown martial uniform was precisely a former-era expert.
The next-in-line Master of Great Monster Mountain Manor that had once fallen to Head-Severing Yama Seop-pyo, owner of the sobriquet Raging Saber Monster… Uk Bon-sa.
After Monstrous Saber King Bul-bi died, he had taken over that seat and then one day went into secluded hiding.
About forty years had passed since then.
But.
Such a man had now appeared as a Division Commander of the Detached Three Army Corps under the Heaven Emperor Society.
Peng Ya-hwi finally intuited death.
‘Damn it…!’
Uk Bon-sa alone was already a problem, but about a dozen martial artists in identical attire had appeared around him.
Now there was nowhere else to flee.
But just then.
-Stay right there.
Suddenly, a Secret Sound Transmission rang out.
SEUSSEUT.
Cheol Ryu-heun, hands clasped behind his back, suddenly appeared in the center of the gap.
The enemies each flinched in surprise at that sight.
Because they couldn’t even feel the tiny sound of his approach.
Cheol Ryu-heun, for his part, looked at Peng Ya-hwi with an expression of disinterest toward the enemies.
“Looking at your attire, you seem to be a Peng Family martial artist. Where is Lord Peng?”