Almighty God of War - Chapter 43

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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043

Splash—

Ice-cold water pierced through every wound on his body.

In an instant, his breath stopped, and he was engulfed by pitch-black darkness and tremendous water pressure on all sides.

Guyang Cheongang desperately circulated his internal energy to avoid losing consciousness.

It was right then.

A powerful current dragged them deeper into the pond.

As Guyang Cheongang was swept away helplessly, he saw a pitch-black hole beyond the faintly glowing moss.

It was an underwater cave leading to the outside, like an abyss opening its mouth.

‘That’s the only way!’

Guyang Cheongang firmly wrapped his arm around Heo Choryeong’s waist and signaled to Golden King with his eyes.

The group surrendered their bodies to the fierce current and was sucked into the cave’s darkness that seemed to absorb all light.

Time passed slowly in the dark waterway.

Guyang Cheongang could endure it with the help of Golden King and Akasha, divine beings that solved his breathing problems, but Heo Choryeong’s situation was different.

‘Huff…!’

As time passed without being able to breathe air, her lungs began to cry out in burning pain.

No matter how much she endured with internal energy, it was impossible for a human body to hold its breath for so long.

Her vision gradually blurred, and her consciousness began to fade.

Golden King, who had been clinging to Guyang Cheongang’s shoulder, realized her condition was serious and made urgent gestures.

Breaking the silence of the pitch-black water, Heo Choryeong heard Guyang Cheongang’s clear voice in her ears.

[Elder Sister, stay conscious. I’m going to breathe air into you from now on, so don’t be startled and close your eyes. You must trust me.]

What he used was the technique of sound transmission, converting qi into sound and delivering it only to a specific target.

Heo Choryeong was shocked, but in this desperate situation, she had no choice but to trust him.

She quietly closed her eyes.

Soon after, she felt a cold but gentle touch on her lips.

[Please open your mouth.]

When she opened her mouth, fresh air filled deep into her lungs.

Her fading consciousness became clear again.

But the kiss didn’t end with just once.

The underwater cave was too long for that.

As the number of kisses repeated, Heo Choryeong’s heart began to race madly for a different reason.

The first kiss was purely a desperate act for survival.

But as the second and third kisses continued, the situation subtly changed.

This strange act of sharing each other’s body heat and breath in the darkness created a peculiar and subtle atmosphere between the two that hadn’t existed before.

Heo Choryeong could no longer see Guyang Cheongang merely as Uncle’s son.

In his appearance of kissing her without hesitation to save her, she felt the strong will of a man protecting her.

Her cheeks burned hot even in the piercingly cold water.

Before completely escaping the underwater cave, the two had to repeat such desperate kisses more than ten times.

After more than half a hour had passed, a ray of light began to appear ahead.

It was the end of the underwater cave.

The two people and one beast who escaped the cave used their last remaining strength to surge up out of the water.

Splash—

“Gasp! Cough, cough!”

“Whew…”

Where they emerged was below the sheer cliff of Daeyang Mountain Island, where only the sound of waves could be heard.

Cold dawn air penetrated deep into their lungs along with their bursting breaths.

Heo Choryeong and Guyang Cheongang leaned against each other’s bodies for a while, surrendering to the waves and gasping for breath.

All around was still submerged in the deep blue darkness before dawn.

Heo Choryeong, who had regained her senses, was startled and fell away from Guyang Cheongang’s embrace.

Her face was flushed red enough to be visible even in the darkness.

Right then, Golden King cried out and pointed at one spot.

Screech— Screech—

Guyang Cheongang and Heo Choryeong could see a small dot swaying on the waves of the coast facing the cliff, caught at the tip of the creature’s finger.

It was a small fishing boat, and on it was a shadow standing motionlessly like a faithful wife’s stone, gazing at the island.

It was Elder Hwang.

He had been waiting alone through the sleepless night in the pitch-black darkness and vast ocean for his lord who might or might not return.

Seeing that loyal figure, warmth filled the hearts of Guyang Cheongang and Heo Choryeong, and relief washed over them.

Golden King also seemed relieved as he burrowed into Heo Choryeong’s embrace with a smiling face.

When Guyang Cheongang and Heo Choryeong swam to within ten zhang of the boat, Elder Hwang, who spotted them, eagerly rowed the boat over.

“Young Master! Are you safe!”

As he examined Guyang Cheongang’s complexion after he boarded the boat, he suddenly gasped.

“Young Master… your appearance…!”

Unable to finish his words properly, his eyes clearly showed shock.

It had been only two days since they parted.

Yet Guyang Cheongang had appeared as a healthy and handsome, peerless young man with all traces of his sickly appearance gone.

It would be abnormal not to be surprised.

Guyang Cheongang smiled calmly and said.

“I was fortunate, Elder Hwang. I had a fateful encounter on the island.”

He briefly explained to Elder Hwang that he had discovered Ten Thousand Year Cold Jade and spirit medicine, that he had been attacked by an unidentified masked man, and that he had fallen into the underground cave of Saam Peak before escaping.

Regarding Golden King sitting on his shoulder, he only introduced him as a friend he had met underground.

‘It’s not yet time to speak of Ghost Hand Divine Thief’s legacy and the sword marks on the wall. Secrets that are too enormous only bring unnecessary suspicion and danger. For now, the Ten Thousand Year Cold Jade and spirit medicine are sufficient.’

The group that escaped Daeyang Mountain Island avoided the fishing village and docked their boat at a secluded harbor about ten li away.

They thought it would be best not to be seen by people while carrying spirit medicine, secret manuals, and a divine beast.

And the group immediately returned to Bamboo Forest Manor.

Heo Ilbi opened the door to his study and nearly dropped the tea cup he was holding when he saw Guyang Cheongang’s transformed appearance as he entered with his daughter.

His eyes widened as he jumped up from his seat and asked.

“Gang-a, what on earth happened to you?”

Guyang Cheongang, sitting across from him, told him the same story he had told Elder Hwang.

Heo Ilbi looked like he wanted to ask for more details, but noticing that Guyang Cheongang was hiding something, he didn’t press further.

He decided to trust and wait for this extraordinary nephew.

His gaze turned to his daughter, Heo Choryeong, whose eyes were now fixed on Guyang Cheongang.

Heo Ilbi noticed that his daughter’s gaze toward Guyang Cheongang was filled not with pity or sympathy, but with complex and deep emotions of looking at a man.

Though he was worried, he decided to pretend not to notice, like the seasoned Gangho warrior who had experienced everything.

Guyang Cheongang took out a jade box from his bosom and opened the lid.

Seeing the jade wrapped in cold energy, Heo Ilbi exhaled deeply and asked.

“Is this truly Ten Thousand Year Cold Jade?”

“Yes, Uncle.”

“Put it back. I fear others might see it.”

“Yes.”

Watching Guyang Cheongang put the jade box back in his bosom, Heo Ilbi asked.

“What are your plans going forward?”

Guyang Cheongang answered in a calm tone.

“I plan to begin crafting the Pure Yin Energy Storage Vessel starting tomorrow. At the same time, I’ll also proceed with producing Dragon Nourishing Pills.”

“That’s too much, Gang-a.”

Heo Ilbi continued with a worried expression.

“It’s only been one day since you returned from that harrowing experience on Daeyang Mountain Island. Even though you say you had a fateful encounter, you’re still suffering from Nine Yin Severed Meridians. Doing two difficult tasks simultaneously—pill refinement and device crafting—would put too much burden on your body.”

Guyang Cheongang shook his head.

“I’m fine, Uncle. I know my own body best.”

Sensing that it would be difficult to break his stubbornness, Heo Ilbi swallowed a sigh inwardly and nodded.

“If you’re that determined, I won’t try to stop you anymore, but promise this uncle that you absolutely won’t overexert yourself.”

“I promise. And there’s something I need to tell you.”

“What is it?”

Guyang Cheongang spoke with a stern expression.

“It’s about the Masked Man who tried to kill Elder Sister and me at Saam Peak on Daeyang Mountain Island.”

A light of anger flashed in Heo Ilbi’s eyes as his eyebrows shot upward.

“Do you know who it was?”

“He was wearing a face mask, so I couldn’t identify him. He probably doesn’t know who we are either.”

“Hmm…”

“He was an incredibly skilled master. If by any chance he discovers our whereabouts, unnecessary trouble could befall you and Elder Sister. If possible, it would be better to restrict Elder Sister’s outside activities for the time being.”

He added.

“I won’t be going outside for a while anyway due to Dragon Nourishing Pill production and equipment crafting.”

Heo Ilbi nodded with a heavy expression.

“Understood. The Masked Man was most likely someone who came targeting the Divine Weapon Aura at Saam Peak. If so, the possibility of him continuing to target you two isn’t high.”

“Why do you think that?”

“Because the Divine Weapon Aura incident has already concluded.”

“What?”

Guyang Cheongang asked with a bewildered expression.

“I understand that greed for Divine Weapon Aura and things like secret manuals, spirit medicine, and other divine treasures doesn’t easily fade. But how has it already concluded? Has the owner of the Divine Weapon Aura been decided?”

Heo Ilbi nodded and continued.

“Come to think of it, you two were practically imprisoned underground for two days, so you wouldn’t know how that matter turned out.”

He continued with a bitter smile.

“Heh, that incident ultimately ended as nothing but a futile commotion. Gangho is always such a place. A place where hundreds shed blood over a single false rumor.”

Guyang Cheongang’s eyes sharpened as he immediately understood his meaning.

“Then are you saying the Divine Weapon Aura that emitted the Seven-Colored Treasure Light was fake?”

“How do you know about that…?”

“I thought something was strange at the scene.”

“Hmm… Anyway, that’s correct.”

Heo Ilbi nodded and continued.

“The person who ultimately obtained the jade box said to contain treasure at Saam Peak was Eight Direction Divine Sword Namgung Pung of the Namgung Family.”

Though Guyang Cheongang already knew this fact, he listened silently.

“The excited warriors pursued him fiercely, and ultimately fearing a great bloodbath would occur, Namgung Pung publicly opened the jade box under the protection of the Namgung Family and Wudang Sect.”

“If the Divine Weapon Aura was fake… what was inside the jade box?”

Heo Ilbi clicked his tongue and answered.

“Inside, instead of a Divine Weapon Aura, there was only an elaborate mechanical device that amplifies the light of rare luminous stones dozens of times and shoots it into the sky at midnight. Someone played a very malicious prank.”

Most of the disappointed warriors returned to their respective sects feeling deflated, and the commotion at Daeyang Mountain Island ended so anticlimactically.

Of course, the relatives and acquaintances of the warriors who died at Saam Peak were said to be sharpening their blades of revenge with fire in their eyes, trying to find the culprit who caused this disturbance.

Guyang Cheongang quietly closed his eyes.

‘As expected, my prediction was correct. The Divine Weapon Aura never existed from the beginning. All of it was a grand play staged by someone for a specific purpose. That purpose was… targeting those who were assassinated at the summit.’

Having finished their conversation, Guyang Cheongang and Heo Choryeong left Heo Ilbi’s study.

At the door, Guyang Cheongang asked Golden King.

“Golden King, will you continue staying with Elder Sister?”

Golden King, nestled in Heo Choryeong’s arms, nodded vigorously toward Guyang Cheongang and waved his hands dismissively as if telling him to get lost.

It was a clear expression of intent that said ‘I don’t like men.’

The little beast smugly nestled into Heo Choryeong’s arms and rubbed his cheek against hers as they moved away.

Guyang Cheongang couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity of the sight.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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