Almighty God of War - Chapter 80

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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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080

Guyang Cheongang’s eyes sharpened at Cheon Ungi’s sudden question.

“I have heard of it. They say it’s a massive trading house with enemies in the Merchant Alliance, one of the Five Great Powers that controls Shaanxi and Shanxi Province.”

“It seems the Trading House Master of that place is looking for one of his grandsons. A grandson named Guyang Cheongang, they say. For the grandson of such a wealthy family to go missing, isn’t that quite strange?”

“….”

Cheon Ungi continued speaking while looking at Guyang Cheongang with meaningful eyes.

“But worldly affairs are often different from what they appear. Though they say he’s missing, in reality that grandson might have left on his journey for his own reasons….”

“Elder Brother Cheon, why are you suddenly telling me such a story?”

“I’m someone who always rambles about whatever comes to mind, so what reason would there be? Hehehe”

Cheon Ungi chuckled softly and continued speaking.

“Xiahou Young Master, be careful when you disembark in Nanjing.”

“What? What do you mean by that out of nowhere?”

“Among Gangho’s assassin groups, there’s a sect called Blood Sea. They’re people who kill anyone for money, and they’re quite skilled enough that there are rumors they’ve never failed an assassination.”

Gulp- Gulp-

After drinking a few sips of alcohol, Cheon Ungi continued.

“There are rumors that they recently received an assassination contract for an enormous sum to kill someone and are sweeping through the Jiangnan region.”

“What does their assassination have to do with me?”

“It wouldn’t be related. But I told you, didn’t I? They’re sweeping through the Jiangnan region.”

Cheon Ungi looked at Guyang Cheongang with deep eyes and continued.

“There’s a golden saying in Gangho that blades have no eyes. Nanjing is also part of Jiangnan. If you’re unlucky while wandering around there, you might fall to their blades without knowing why. So be careful. It’s not like you lose anything by being cautious.”

“Thank you for the advice.”

Guyang Cheongang found it difficult to determine whether Cheon Ungi was giving him a warning or making a threat.

‘Just how much does this man know? I feel like I’m dancing in the palm of his hand. To think he’s someone even Akasha’s analysis can’t penetrate….’

As if answering his thoughts, Akasha’s voice echoed in his mind.

[Doctor, data analysis on Cheon Ungi is still at a deadlock. I cannot determine the truth of his statements. However, it would be good to be wary of the Blood Sea he mentioned. We cannot rule out the possibility that it’s true.]

Guyang Cheongang swallowed a sigh inwardly.

Akasha’s words made his mind even more complicated.

Cheon Ungi was an enigmatic man with incomprehensible abilities that made it impossible to distinguish friend from foe.

Looking at him, Guyang Cheongang thought for the first time that there might exist unknown realms in this world that far surpassed his knowledge and Akasha’s abilities.

That was truly a chilling and terrifying thought.

He said.

“But for an idle man with nothing to do, Elder Brother Cheon knows tremendous amounts of information.”

“When you wander All Under Heaven, you make various friends. I just picked these things up from them.”

“I’m extremely curious about who those friends are.”

“If there’s fate, you’ll be able to meet them too. Hehehe.”

The next day at noon, the Blue Dragon reached Nanjing’s bustling harbor.

The dock overflowed with vitality, mixing the boatmen’s vigorous shouts, the creaking of unloading cargo, and the fishy river breeze.

Cheon Ungi, who had pushed through the crowd and stepped onto land, stopped for a moment and looked back at Guyang Cheongang.

“I have a feeling I’ll meet Xiahou Young Master again before long.”

“All Under Heaven is vast.”

“Fate is truly mysterious – people destined to meet will meet again anywhere.”

With those final words, Cheon Ungi turned his back without lingering.

It was a farewell like the wind, without a trace of regret.

After leaving Nanjing, Guyang Cheongang deployed his Light Body Technique and began heading north.

Using the Heavenly Meteor Movement Technique, he crossed the earth like the wind.

Each moment his toes touched the ground left afterimages, and even those afterimages soon scattered in the wind.

Even while running without rest, Guyang Cheongang kept pondering Cheon Ungi’s meaningful warning.

‘Blood Sea… he said they’re sweeping through the Jiangnan region. If his words are true, and their target really is me….’

He couldn’t rashly head to the Imperial Capital.

He couldn’t go around with the shadow of death trailing behind him.

‘Akasha, before leaving Jiangxi Province, I need to confirm whether Blood Sea is really tracking me. If Cheon Ungi’s words are true, they should be chasing me even now.’

[However, Doctor, the current surveillance detection range of the nanobots is 100 meters. I cannot confirm their existence until they approach within that range.]

‘I know. That’s why I’m thinking of setting up the stage myself.’

Guyang Cheongang’s eyes glinted coldly.

He left the official road and deliberately entered a path leading through sparsely populated plains and wild mountains.

He deployed his Light Body Technique at a steady pace, as if he knew nothing.

About an hour passed.

Having reached the middle of plains open in all directions, he said.

‘Akasha, send the nanobots up to 33 zhang (100 meters) altitude. At that height, I should be able to confirm any pursuers who haven’t entered the surveillance network.’

[Understood. Executing high-altitude reconnaissance mode. With optical observation at 33 zhang altitude, identification is possible up to a maximum of 5 kilometers. However, please note that visual information sent by nanobots at this distance has reduced precision.]

Shortly after, Akasha’s report echoed in his mind.

[4 kilometers behind. Five human figures maintaining regular intervals while approaching have been confirmed. They may be the ones tracking you, Doctor.]

‘Are they martial artists?’

[Yes. Judging by their movement techniques, they are highly trained individuals.]

“Hmm…!”

A low groan escaped from Guyang Cheongang’s mouth.

Cheon Ungi’s warning had been true.

‘How can they track me when I’m wearing a human skin mask?’

Questions arose in his mind like clouds.

At that moment, the sky suddenly became covered with dark clouds and raindrops began to fall.

Patter… Patter… Whoooooosh-

Before he could count to ten, the raindrops turned into a fierce downpour that made it difficult to see three zhang ahead.

‘Akasha, find the most advantageous terrain in this area for fighting multiple enemies.’

[There is an old abandoned temple surrounded by forest 2 li ahead. It’s not small in scale, and the surrounding terrain is also complex, making it an optimal location for combat against multiple opponents.]

‘Good. We’re going there.’

Guyang Cheongang’s eyes became as cold as ice.

‘Whoever you are, whatever methods you use, I’ll make you regret to your bones that you made me your prey.’

He naturally changed direction toward the abandoned temple, like a traveler seeking shelter from the pouring rain.

Now it was time for the roles of hunter and prey to be reversed.

The Main Buddha Hall of the abandoned temple.

Rumble-!

Lightning flashed along with thunder that shook heaven and earth.

Each time, the eerie forms of rotting pillars ready to collapse and Buddha statues with their faces fallen off were revealed.

Inside the temple, a damp atmosphere pervaded, mixing musty dust smells, rotting wood odors, and the scent of rain-soaked earth.

Guyang Cheongang looked around the interior with deeply sunken eyes.

‘Akasha, scan all the structures and terrain inside the Main Buddha Hall in three dimensions, and analyze the most efficient movement routes and attack points.’

[Understood. Beginning 3D mapping and tactical analysis.]

Outside, a storm raged as if heaven and earth were turning upside down, but inside, Guyang Cheongang’s heart waiting for enemies was settling as quietly as a lake.

* * *

Whoooooosh-

In the torrential downpour.

The Seventh Shadow Lord of Blood Sea looked at the forested mountain where Guyang Cheongang had entered and said.

“We capture him in that place.”

His voice mixed with the sound of rain was filled with such eerie killing intent that it sent chills down the listener’s spine.

The Eighth Shadow Lord with his robust build, standing beside him, nodded.

“I agree. A place like that is perfect as our hunting ground.”

The Ninth Shadow Lord frowned as he gazed at the pouring rain.

“I still can’t understand how the Ten Shadow Master and his elites were completely annihilated by just one brat.”

His voice carried disbelief mixed with an ominous premonition.

The Seventh Shadow Lord coldly responded.

“There’s no need to understand. Our job isn’t to understand, but to kill.”

He continued with a sinister smile.

“Enough chatter. Ninth Shadow Lord, block his escape route with your subordinates. And Eighth Shadow Lord, you’ll come with me to cut off his breath. This time we absolutely won’t let him slip away. Move!”

With his command, over thirty black shadows pierced through the pouring rain and silently surged toward the mountain with the abandoned temple like a black wave.

Blood Sea has ten lords under the Sect Master, and each lord commands two special-grade, eight first-grade, and ten second-grade assassins.

Today they had mobilized three lords and thirty first-grade and special-grade assassins.

* * *

“Come out!”

The cold voice from Guyang Cheongang, who stood tall with his hands clasped behind his back in the center of the Main Buddha Hall, echoed throughout the empty hall.

As if responding to his words, countless shadows in the darkness began to move alive.

Through the cracks of broken windows, behind shattered Buddha statues, even on top of rotting rafters…

Over thirty black shadows moved in perfect unison, silently blocking all escape routes Guyang Cheongang could take.

It was a perfect encirclement, but Guyang Cheongang remained calm.

This was the stage he had set.

So no matter how formidable the enemy might be, there was no reason to be intimidated by the atmosphere.

‘Akasha, analyze the enemy’s numbers and skill level.’

[Analyzing… Total of 33 intruders confirmed.]

Akasha’s composed voice continued to resonate in his mind.

[These individuals are using the same Hidden Infiltration Art as the group that kidnapped Guyang Cheongcheong last time.]

‘They must be the Blood Sea assassins that Cheon Ungi mentioned.’

[There are three individuals with peak master-level qi signatures, estimated to be on the same level as the leader of the assassins from that time.]

‘What about the rest?’

[Six possess qi signatures slightly below theirs, and twenty-four are at the level below that.]

Akasha continued.

[It’s certain that each of their individual martial arts skills is weaker than yours, Doctor. But don’t forget that they’re not ordinary martial artists, but assassins.]

A chilling smile appeared on Guyang Cheongang’s lips.

‘To think they mobilized this many assassins just to catch me… What an excessive honor.’

Instead of feeling fear, he felt intense rage and fighting spirit toward an enemy that had evaluated him so highly.

[Doctor, activating Maximum Combat Mode. At your current Two Jiazi internal energy level, maximum maintenance time is 20 minutes. From now on, all computational power will be focused on combat support.]

Along with Akasha’s voice, Guyang Cheongang’s senses transformed.

The sound of pouring rain became so clear he could distinguish each individual droplet hitting surfaces, and every structure of the abandoned temple hidden in darkness was perfectly rendered as a three-dimensional map in his mind.

That’s when it happened.

Whiiiiik-

With a faint sound of cutting air masked by the loud rain, a single red trajectory flying through the darkness was drawn in his mental image.

Simultaneously, Guyang Cheongang’s pupils dilated and the world began to flow slowly.

His cognitive ability accelerated and his dynamic vision was maximized.

Guyang Cheongang’s body movement unfolded the Nine Palace Maze Step, smoothly sliding to the side like flowing water.

Spot-!

A pitch-black hidden weapon that pierced through where he had been standing embedded itself in a wooden pillar behind him.

Thunk! Hissss-

With an eerie sound, black smoke rose from where the hidden weapon had struck.

The hidden weapon was clearly coated with deadly poison that would kill with just a graze.

At that moment, lightning struck.

Kwarrrrung-

In the flash of an instant, the sinister sight of dozens of black shadows charging toward Guyang Cheongang through the darkness was revealed.

At the same time, Guyang Cheongang’s impassive face watching them was visible before being swallowed by darkness again.

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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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