Chapter 73: I Have Arrived
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CRASH-CRASH-CRASH-!
When Divine Wind abruptly stopped his gallop.
Crash-bang, crash-bang.
The Thousand Snake Gang thugs who had been dragged along the bumpy ground while tied to ropes tumbled forward violently.
Just then.
THWACK!
Divine Wind moved his hind legs to send the Thousand Snake Gang thugs flying far back again.
WHIRRR-
Along with the long stretched rope.
Crash-bang, crash-bang, crash-bang.
They tumbled violently again and again, letting out pained sounds.
“Guh…”
“Uugh…”
All dozen of them had torn clothes, scraped skin, broken teeth – their appearance couldn’t be more wretched.
The blood-soaked unconscious Geum Ja-jeom was the same.
However, Cheol Ryu-heun wore an expression of not even caring whether the prisoners behind got hurt or died.
The extreme of heartlessness and indifference.
It was so bad that Yeop Hwon and Hyeop Mu-geuk felt pity seeing the enemy’s state.
Of course, they had no intention of forgiving the scheme the Thousand Snake Gang had concocted.
Cheol Ryu-heun’s gaze soon fixed on the manor about forty jang ahead.
“It’s quiet as a tomb, so no one would know even if someone died. Perfect.”
Hearing those words, the Thousand Snake Gang thugs in the rear inwardly stuck out their tongues despite their pain.
What? Perfect? Does that young bastard have no fear?
No matter how exceptional his pride in his personal martial prowess, inside that manor were no less than thirteen first-rate unorthodox masters.
Meanwhile.
Seop Pyo, who had been hiding on an old tree beyond the eastern wall of the manor, was thinking.
‘He appeared right on time.’
As he stepped on the tree branch and quietly rose, intending to move to a tree closer to Cheol Ryu-heun’s party.
Right at that moment.
CRASH!
The door of the building inside the manor shattered all at once and a figure rapidly burst out.
Having quickly ducked down, Seop Pyo tilted his head while watching that place.
‘What’s this?’
The figure in question THUDDED onto the garden floor on their back, then soon used their sword as a cane to quickly raise themselves.
A body swaying slightly.
At a glance, they had received someone’s powerful attack and been knocked outside, pushed by its force.
In an instant, a strange light passed over Seop Pyo’s black pupils.
‘Has internal strife broken out?’
Sharpening his vision to confirm, it was a young swordsman wearing the Dark Hall martial attire.
The second-in-command within the Dark Hall, a sword genius of the sword path, and also Netherworld Sword Fork Jeo Gyeom’s one and only disciple.
Indeed.
It was Dark Sword Fragrance Mun Bin.
It was strange.
Who would dare recklessly touch him?
Jeo Gyeom, one of the foremost sword path masters in the Hunan region, surely wouldn’t stay silent.
‘Could it be!’
Seop Pyo suddenly realized.
That the one who had attacked Mun Bin was none other than Jeo Gyeom.
Sure enough.
From beyond the shattered door, Jeo Gyeom walked out with drawn sword, showing off his imposing presence.
‘My, what an unexpected turn…’
It was clear that for some reason, the master-disciple relationship had broken.
Just then.
Swish.
Cheol Ryu-heun over there lightly raised his left hand.
A hand signal aimed at Seop Pyo himself.
‘I must make my report…!’
Using Space Concealment Stealth Technique, he absorbed the colors of the surrounding scenery and hid his whole body completely, moving quietly to a large tree beside where Cheol Ryu-heun’s party was positioned.
Following that.
Swoosh-
The moment he dropped onto the ground light as a feather, he stopped the concealment technique and calmly revealed his true form.
Seeing that, Yeop Hwon and Hyeop Mu-geuk let out admiring exclamations internally.
‘Indeed…’
It was a truly unfathomable profound use befitting the skill that represents the majesty of the alias Head-Severing Yama.
The Thousand Snake Gang thugs tied to ropes were each startled to discover Seop Pyo who had suddenly appeared without warning.
Good heavens, who’s that masked person now? A ghost?
Movement so incomprehensible and mysterious that even the expression “appearing and disappearing like a ghost” was insufficient.
Now they understood.
The fact that the mysterious masked person had been lying in ambush here in advance meant that Cheol Ryu-heun had seen through everything about the secret meeting from the very beginning.
‘Ah… What will become of us now?’
The dozen-plus Thousand Snake Gang members lamented their fate with gloomy expressions.
Where had things gone wrong?
They could only resent Gul Ma-hun and Geum Ja-jeom.
If they had never targeted White Peak Sword Sect in the first place, wouldn’t they never have suffered this catastrophe?
Still.
It wasn’t as if there was nowhere left to lean on.
There was.
A final hope existed.
The Dark Hall Master who boasted the strongest martial reputation among the unorthodox masters here.
Currently, Cheol Ryu-heun seemed to intend to storm the manor, so if Jeo Gyeom could make him kneel, this crisis situation would naturally be resolved.
The Thousand Snake Gang thugs desperately hoped inwardly.
Please, let Jeo Gyeom called Netherworld Sword Fork crush Cheol Ryu-heun underfoot with martial prowess befitting his lofty reputation.
“Sect Master Cheol, you’ve arrived.”
Seop Pyo, having given a brief salute, reported in a quiet voice.
“Currently, all the secret meeting personnel are gathered inside the manor, and I’ve confirmed there are thirteen of them. There were no unusual developments until Sect Master Cheol arrived, but… It seems an unexpected internal strife just occurred.”
In an instant, the expressions of Yeop Hwon and Hyeop Mu-geuk changed.
‘Internal strife?’
Curiosity and suspicion swirling in their chests.
They should have all gathered with the same purpose and been waiting for the Thousand Snake Gang party to arrive, so why had internal strife suddenly broken out?
Seop Pyo’s quiet voice continued.
“A moment ago, the Dark Hall’s Mun Bin was attacked by his master Jeo Gyeom and burst outside, breaking through the entrance. Judging by appearances, the master-disciple relationship has definitely soured.”
Yeop Hwon and Hyeop Mu-geuk couldn’t hide their surprise.
‘What?’
‘Why…’
However, even hearing that, Cheol Ryu-heun had no particular reaction.
“Got it.”
He only threw out that lukewarm voice.
Rather, it was Seop Pyo who asked with a bewildered expression.
“Wouldn’t it be better to observe the internal situation a bit more? It doesn’t seem like there’s any need to rush into the manor right now…”
But Cheol Ryu-heun’s reaction was the same.
“Waiting is tiresome.”
“…”
Seop Pyo had nothing to say.
Oh my, so that’s how it is. You’re just tired of waiting.
Well, what can you do.
Let him do as he pleases.
Cheol Ryu-heun soon waved his hand and said.
“You can go now.”
At that, Seop Pyo received with an awkward face.
“Um… Is it really okay for me to leave like this?”
“Yeah.”
“Hmm. Yes. If that’s your will, understood.”
Cheol Ryu-heun, who had nodded, was adjusting his grip on the reins when he suddenly stared at Seop Pyo’s face.
“Why is that? Is there something you wish to say…?”
“Ah, so that’s what it was.”
“Huh?”
“You weren’t asking because you’re sad to leave.”
“What do you…”
At that point, Cheol Ryu-heun pulled out a money pouch and dropped it on the ground with a thud.
“Here, the meal money you wanted.”
“…”
“You were hinting earlier that you wanted more money.”
“…”
“What are you standing there staring for? You should say ‘Thank you for understanding this lowly servant’s heart.'”
“…”
“No manners.”
“Thank… you.”
The demon of anger blazed wildly in Seop Pyo’s chest as he picked up the money pouch.
Urk, can’t I just hit him just once?
Regardless, Cheol Ryu-heun whipped his head around and captured the distant manor in his eyes.
Then, gently stroking Divine Wind’s long mane, he said.
“You don’t need to hold back your strength this time.”
Immediately after, Divine Wind perked up both ears and exhaled a great cloud of breath like mist.
PSHHHH-!
“Let’s go.”
Simultaneously with Cheol Ryu-heun’s short command, Divine Wind charged with a BOOM!
Watching that, Seop Pyo couldn’t help but snicker.
‘Heh, with that level of energy, calling it a divine beast beyond the category of spirit creature wouldn’t be an exaggeration.’
Then he kicked off the ground and vanished like a ghost.
Just then.
In the brush far from where Cheol Ryu-heun and the others had been, Ximen Yue and Nu-heum had just revealed themselves.
“Young Master, the horse is racing toward the manor.”
“It seems he has business inside.”
“What should we do?”
“I’ll climb the big tree outside the western wall and observe the internal situation. You take the east. I’ll send a separate signal.”
“Understood.”
* * *
CRASH!
Along with the sound of the wooden door shattering.
THWACK-
Dark Sword Fragrance Mun Bin quickly tumbled out into the spacious garden beyond.
THUD!
Having slammed his back onto the ground, he had no time to even blink before hurriedly propping himself up with his sword.
Spring up.
His back was fine.
However, due to the heavy impact that had seeped into his body, he momentarily lost his balance.
Having swayed slightly, he soon looked ahead and gritted his teeth.
‘Damn it…!’
A clearly dismayed expression.
Earlier, Jeo Gyeom had drawn his sword and swung it with meaningful words of warning, and as a result, Mun Bin had no choice but to operate his internal energy and exchange eight or nine blows.
But the gap was large.
Like a small lake versus a vast sea.
His own sorry state, pushed by Jeo Gyeom’s power to break through the door and be knocked outside, clearly demonstrated that difference.
Though neither had unleashed their full cultivation, the same was true for the opponent.
In an instant.
Jeo Gyeom, with cold eyes, walked out with long strides, tilting the sword in his right hand downward.
A truly suffocating intangible aura.
A voice as heavy as that feeling crossed the distance and touched Mun Bin’s hearing.
“Shall we hear it?”
He was asking the reason why he had tried to betray him.
Mun Bin quickly made a judgment.
Escape.
Currently, it was the only way to save his life.
He quickly turned and ran toward the main gate.
But then.
Flick, fli-flick, flick-
Three figures who had deployed lightness technique were suddenly standing with their backs to the main gate, blocking Mun Bin’s path.
‘Damn…!’
Having faltered, Mun Bin confirmed the identity of the three blocking his way.
The Brandished Sword Three.
Brandished Sword Pavilion Master Fierce Blade Mok Geun-geum, and Savage Blade Seong Pan, Ferocious Blade Jang Yeol.
Breaking through would be difficult.
In a one-on-one fight it might be possible, but taking on all of the Brandished Sword Three was too risky.
First of all, time was insufficient.
Subduing the Brandished Sword Three would take at least fifty exchanges.
Moreover, those three weren’t all.
The eight masters who had followed Jeo Gyeom out and were blocking the left and right directions of the garden were also a problem.
Especially Ashen Heart Sect Master Cold Blood Evil Sword Peak Wenren Yindao and his subordinate elite swordsmen the Four Heartless Evil Swords were formidable opponents he couldn’t avoid a hard fight against.
‘If they launch a combined attack here… I’ll ultimately meet a wretched end.’
Mun Bin felt all the strength draining from his body.
There was no escape route.
Now only one path remained to choose.
Dying while swinging his sword.
Mok Geun-geum soon raised his sword before his chest and sneered.
“Heh, Hall Master Jeo is asking you something. You should answer before you go, right? Ah, to the underworld, of course.”
In that instant, the enraged Mun Bin spun around to glare at Jeo Gyeom’s face and roared.
“You killed my family and lied! You said it was the Wave Gang’s doing! Because of that, I took the life of the innocent Wave Gang Leader!”
Yet Jeo Gyeom wore a nonchalant attitude.
“And?”
“What!”
“Thanks to that rage back then, didn’t you complete the rest of your martial arts? It was actually a great help.”
Mun Bin was dumbfounded.
“You call that…!”
With flashing eyes, Jeo Gyeom spoke without caring.
“Our master-disciple bond is finished.”
Then, as if speaking for the surrounding unorthodox masters to hear, he continued in a cold voice.
“Anyone who recklessly defies my will and points a blade at me shall meet their end only in death.”
Ashen Heart Sect Master Wenren Yindao, who had been listening quietly, suddenly felt goosebumps rise.
‘A truly merciless man. Not content with killing his disciple’s family… Hmm, I’m newly fearful.’
Right at that moment.
Some tremendous energy was detected rising from far beyond the manor’s main gate.
‘Huh?’
The moment everyone’s expressions hardened.
-BOOM!
As soon as an explosive roar rang out, a massive tremor shaking the ground approached at a terrifying speed.
-THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD, THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD-!
The sound of a horse madly galloping on four hooves.
‘What? A horse?’
The instant everyone in the venue was bewildered, Divine Wind leaped high over the main gate’s roof tiles.
WHEEEEE-
Having thus crossed the air, Divine Wind fiercely descended to the side of where Mun Bin stood in the blink of an eye.
CRAAAAAASH-!