Ascension of the Heavenly Demon - Chapter 129
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
Chapter 129
Chima Mountain.
It was a colloquial name given because the mountain ridges stretching long around Dangyang County looked like a woman’s wrinkled skirt.
Shriiiiek!
When the sharp whistle sound echoed, the Black River Gate warriors who were investigating the streets of Dangyang County turned their heads toward the sound like startled deer.
Immediately after, they all ran simultaneously as if by agreement.
“Two! These are the ones we’ve been looking for! They cut down five on the eastern street and are fleeing toward Chima Mountain!”
“Damn bastards… they’ve finally shown themselves! Did you report to the Branch Manager?”
“Yes!”
“Chase them quickly! We absolutely cannot let them escape!”
“But… will it be alright?”
“What do you mean?”
“The message that Violent Dragon sent. Even if we’re looking for the culprits, didn’t he warn us never to fight them?”
“…”
“That makes sense too, considering what those two did to the previous branch…”
“Bah! You stupid fool! Are you believing what those righteous sect bastards say?”
“Huh?”
“Think about it. If those guys were so strong, would it make sense for them to be fleeing now? Does it make sense that the Yi Family’s damage was minimal? Formation techniques and mechanisms? That’s all bullshit. The culprits weren’t that strong to begin with. They might have just been assassins skilled in ambushes.”
“Then why did Violent Dragon send such a message?”
“It’s all a scheme to steal our achievements.”
“Steal them?”
“Both branches were attacked simultaneously. But if the culprits are caught at the Yi Family estate, what do you think will happen?”
“That’s…”
“Meanwhile, the entire Dangyang Branch was wiped out and our Yidu Branch stepped in. Strictly speaking, we’re outsiders. Even though their power was small, this was originally their branch’s territory, so once we catch the culprits and solve the case, won’t they claim rights to it?”
“Ah! That could be possible, couldn’t it?”
“They’re definitely scheming to push us out. That’s why the Branch Manager also noticed that Zhuge Family brat’s black heart and refused their help.”
“Is, is that so?”
“Of course! Where in Jianghu can you find anyone with a blacker heart than those Zhuge bastards?”
“Hmm, we almost had our rightful achievements stolen.”
“So stop talking nonsense and chase them! Our squad must be the first to block their path! Once this matter is resolved, we’ll become the owners of Dangyang County. Our fortunes will change.”
“Understood!”
At the squad leader’s words, the lower martial artist decided not to think about anything else.
How strong the culprits were, why rumors about someone called On Ryu suddenly started spreading.
The immediate benefits obscured his worries and doubts.
And not long after, the pupils of those tainted by greed lost focus and were buried in pools of blood on the ground.
Thus they could not inform their comrades.
That the ones they were chasing were not just ‘humans’ with bear-like builds, but ‘monsters’ with the strength to tear people apart like bears.
And.
“Branch Manager!”
“…”
At Deputy Branch Manager Yeom Ak’s cry, Yangmun’s face contorted.
Corpses torn to shreds.
The clothes they wore were the same as their own.
They had been killed while trying to block the path of those fleeing toward Chima Mountain.
Already the third time, thirty men had died.
Every group that tried to block them became corpses.
But when your mind is occupied with something else, you only realize the first button was fastened wrong after the last button is fastened incorrectly.
‘Damn it…’
He should have listened to Zhuge Munhyeon’s words.
Those words telling him never to confront them…
The culprits were never opponents they could handle in the first place.
“What should we do?”
“…”
“Shouldn’t we send a signal to the guys we ordered to block their path right now? If this continues, they’ll all be massacred…”
“Hmm.”
Two more squads still remained.
Realizing they were fleeing toward Chima Mountain, he had formed five squads of ten men each to block their path sequentially.
Since they sent men on horseback, it was natural they could get ahead and block them.
But he never thought the result would be death…
“Branch Manager!”
“Damn it! Shut up!”
At the repeated call, Yangmun shouted angrily.
He knew without being told.
He was just irritated.
At the fact that his poor judgment had pushed his subordinates to their deaths.
He should have accepted when the Yi Family Head requested cooperation…
He was furious at his own stupidity.
He finally realized he had been fastening the buttons wrong from the very first one.
“Yeom Ak.”
“Yes.”
“Fire the signal flare.”
“Understood.”
“And we continue the pursuit to the end. We cannot lose track of them.”
“What?”
Firing a signal flare meant retreat.
But continuing to chase them?
Unable to contain his bewilderment, Yeom Ak hesitated instead of immediately carrying out the order.
“The signal flare first!”
“Yes!”
At his urging, the hastily fired signal flare shot up into the air and exploded.
Bang!
The faintly scattering sparks colored the mountain slopes.
They would have seen it.
Both the fleeing bastards and the subordinates he had ordered to block their path…
“I stupidly realized it only now. Damn, I prided myself on having some sense… I must have gone temporarily insane, being obsessed only with capturing the culprits and taking Dangyang County into my hands.”
“…”
Yangmun spoke self-deprecatingly only after passing the corpses of his subordinates three times.
“I wondered why they spread rumors about some On Ryu guy in the market, but it seems Violent Dragon devised this scheme to lure those bastards out.”
“What? Then?”
“He seems to have known. Who those bastards were looking for.”
“Then why didn’t he tell us?”
“Because I didn’t listen.”
“…”
“Fuck, I don’t know if he said it or not… but I didn’t listen.”
The self-deprecating feeling grew even thicker, but his running speed didn’t slow down.
Glaring at the fugitive flying away in the distance, he actually increased his speed, and Yeom Ak hurriedly followed behind.
“Violent Dragon is probably waiting for those bastards after setting traps in the Chima Mountain hut. So let’s pressure them from behind.”
“Ah, will that be pressure?”
“How the hell would I know? At least if the advance team members join up, we’ll manage somehow! Damn it… If we retreat here, we’ll get nothing. Only the kids will die and we might end up handing over Dangyang County to the Yi Family Estate intact.”
“But what if Violent Dragon didn’t set traps? Or what if he’s no match for those bastards either?”
“Is this the time to nitpick about this and that? If we fail by any chance, it won’t be too late to run away then.”
“Wouldn’t it be better to report to the Sect Master…”
“Of course we have to report. But not now. We have nothing to say. All we know about those bastards is their appearance, just that the kids are dead. Let’s at least confirm from a distance. If by any chance Violent Dragon catches them, we should have something to say.”
“Understood.”
Yeom Ak’s face was grimacing, but he couldn’t ignore the Branch Manager’s orders.
He had no choice but to chase…
* * *
“Elder Brother, the signal flare…”
“Leave it. Whatever those bastards do, we just need to secure On Ryu who’s in the Chima Mountain hut.”
“Yeah.”
The small man concentrated on running.
Whether they blocked the path ahead or fired signal flares, or whatever other shit they pulled, what mattered was completing the assigned mission.
A man named On Ryu who was said to be hiding in Dangyang County.
He didn’t know why their superior, Great Evil, had ordered them to capture him.
Great Evil was probably following someone else’s orders anyway.
The superior above the superior.
Perhaps it was even an order from the New Sect Leader who had unified the Demonic Sect, which had been groaning in internal strife, in one fell swoop.
But it wasn’t important.
They just had to do what they were told properly, and in return receive slightly more advanced martial arts, or be granted superior weapons or elixirs.
Becoming stronger through that.
That was all that mattered.
Though Hubei was the heart of the Central Plains and the way back was far, that also wasn’t a problem.
How vast was All Under Heaven that they could find them fleeing?
Moreover, the current All Under Heaven was fragmented and didn’t help each other.
The Nine Sects were divided among themselves, the martial families were split apart, and far from uniting, they were only desperate to protect their own. They wouldn’t spread a dragnet to catch them like in the old records.
Because there was no place to control from.
It was merely that some nameless culprits had massacred a Black Steel Gate branch, attacked a Yi Family Estate branch, and kidnapped a man who had been living in hiding.
This was just a small calamity that occurred somewhere in Hubei Province.
So they just needed to kidnap On Ryu and disappear.
“Yang Ung, increase speed. If signal flares go off and flies start buzzing around, the target might get scared and run away.”
“Yeah!”
Seeing Yang Ung answer briefly and run ahead even more vigorously, the man wore a sinister smile.
The small man’s name was Bokhyu.
Along with Yang Ung, he belonged to the Demonic Sect’s intelligence organization called Secret Shadow.
A place composed of those with the martial prowess to break through even when surrounded by a hundred martial artists.
Though their numbers were few, each individual’s martial skills were excellent enough to rival other martial unit group leaders.
Also, when assigned to missions, they weren’t sent alone.
They always formed teams.
Two or three members, up to ten at most.
But Yang Ung was always shunned by his comrades.
Though his martial arts were excellent, he was dim-witted and often botched missions.
The reason Bokhyu chose him was because he was easy to use.
An obedient hunting dog.
Also, he would yield any achievement if Bokhyu wanted it.
Thanks to this, since becoming teammates with him, Bokhyu had been able to accomplish quite a lot. He could receive more rewards than others.
Even so, his comrades actually pitied Bokhyu.
Saying he had it rough…
Because they didn’t know his usefulness.
They didn’t realize that if you manipulated and used that stupid fool well, he was a blessing.
In a pinch, he could even be used as a lifeline.
The guy who regarded him like a real elder brother would risk his own life to help him escape.
“Yang Ung.”
“Yeah?”
“When this is over, I’ll buy you all the sweets you want.”
“R-really?”
“Yeah.”
“Thanks, Elder Brother! I’ll really do well without causing any trouble.”
The sight of him turning around and smiling even while running was laughable.
Stupid bastard…
You’ll die because of sweets someday.
Either from getting sick from eating too many sweet things, or from being used and manipulated by the temptation of those sweets.
Anyway, thanks to this, the distance from their pursuers widened, and the two were able to reach the hut of On Ryu, who was said to be hiding in Chima Mountain.
In front of the hut was a small courtyard made simply.
And visible… two men?
But their clothing was too splendid.
Too conspicuous an appearance for someone supposedly living in hiding.
One man was even wearing a Taoist robe. Though he wasn’t wearing a Taoist cap, he was definitely a Taoist.
But why did they give off a similar scent to themselves?
Unlike Bokhyu who felt puzzled and slowed down, Yang Ung, excited by the promise of sweets, jumped straight into the courtyard.
“Are you On Ryu?”
At the sight of Yang Ung pointing and shouting like a child who had found a toy he was looking for, the white-robed man with splendid patterns embroidered on his clothes chuckled and stood up.
“As expected, I knew you’d come.”
The white-robed man, Zhuge Munhyeon, gave an irrelevant answer and smiled brightly.
Welcome, descendants.
You must have suffered much in this distant Central Plains, where even the food doesn’t suit your taste. I am that very Heavenly Demon whom you respect so much.
It was a smile containing such meaning.
Of course, they had no way of knowing such facts, but that’s how I felt.
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE
