Ascension of the Heavenly Demon - Chapter 282

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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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Chapter 282

The news brought by the pigeon that had flown high was relayed through the surveillance team outside the formation to I Eokgi, Bu Duryeong of the Daebyeolsan faction.

“Three?”

“It seems Han Bulhae’s gang has joined them.”

“Han Bulhae? Who’s that?”

“He’s… well, I don’t really know either?”

At the surveillance team’s words, I Eokgi frowned.

Since it was a name he’d never heard before, it was probably a subordinate that Jang Kwae, leader of the Gyegong Mountain faction, had recently recruited.

He must have betrayed them when faced with crisis.

“This is why we must follow proper procedures when accepting outsiders. Taking in all sorts of riffraff without properly checking their backgrounds leads to this mess. Tsk tsk.”

Clicking his tongue, I Eokgi glanced toward the main building.

It was filled with laughter.

This was because an important guest had arrived who required the leader’s personal attention.

A person commonly called the Honored Guest.

In such a situation, there was no need to make a fuss over just one small outpost being destroyed.

Occasionally, young masters from prestigious families would attack one of the small outposts to build their reputation, or newly appointed officials would send subjugation forces to win public favor.

Each time, one or two small outposts would fall.

It wasn’t frequent, but it happened often enough, meaning it was better to handle it at his level without reporting.

“Hmm, but the Gyegong Mountain faction are those who received cups from the leader, so I can’t just ignore it.”

If the main sect ignored an attack on a small outpost, who would remain loyal?

“How many small outposts are near Gyegong Mountain?”

“There’s one more within ten li.”

“One isn’t enough. What about within fifty li?”

“About five.”

“Good. That should be sufficient.”

Nodding, I Eokgi looked around and pointed to a bandit whose face was covered in scars.

“Mak Sam!”

“What?”

“What do you mean ‘what,’ you bastard. When Bu Duryeong calls, you should say ‘yes’ and come running immediately.”

“You’re going to give me some annoying task anyway.”

Grumbling and pouting, Mak Sam shuffled over.

But despite his surly attitude, he was reliable when it came to completing assigned tasks.

Daebyeolsan faction, Leopard General.

Typically, bandits forming large factions divide the bandits under the leader and sub-leader into several organizations, dividing combat units in the order of Tiger, Leopard, Bear, Wolf, and support units as Weasel, Badger, Flying Squirrel, Monkey.

In other words, Mak Sam, who led the Leopard unit, had the second strongest combat ability after the leader and sub-leader.

Official rank fourth.

Meanwhile, he had a sturdy build befitting the name leopard, and was swift, brave, and even cruel.

Look at that face that says he’s dying of annoyance.

Scars upon scars…

It was hard to find an uninjured spot.

As they say, people live up to their names – he was someone who had lived recklessly, not caring about wounds.

“I’ll mobilize five small outposts for you, so go capture the bastards who caused the disturbance.”

“How many are there?”

“Three, and about thirty worthless guys?”

“What? I have to go personally for such a trivial matter?”

“The Honored Guest is here, isn’t he? We need to finish this as quickly as possible.”

“Haah…”

His attitude suggested he was being used for something insignificant.

“Hey, man. Cooperate a little. This is a good chance to show the Honored Guest our mountain inn’s organizational strength and combat ability, isn’t it?”

“Damn it, fine.”

Mak Sam picked up his blade with missing teeth and stood up.

It was his beloved weapon.

The black blade with missing teeth that looked like a saw would mercilessly tear at opponents like a beast’s fangs.

“Going alone?”

“Then how many should I take? You said you’re mobilizing five small outposts. That should be enough.”

Mak Sam set off trudging down the path without mobilizing the subordinates sitting with him.

Well, he alone would be sufficient.

The only concern was…

“Hey! Don’t kill them, bring them back. Don’t go tearing off flesh with that damn blade of yours.”

“What?”

“We need to see their faces after capturing them. And who knows? If we take them hostage, we might be able to extract money.”

“Damn it, what a pain… Fine.”

At I Eokgi’s command, Mak Sam waved his hand dismissively as he walked away.

“That guy really… he better not kill them.”

That was the worry.

He was someone who considered killing people a trivial matter.

* * *

Night had fallen in the mountains.

As the sun slowly set beyond the western mountains and dusk settled, torches were lit throughout the Daebyeolsan Main Sect.

It became as bright as a city that never sleeps, but it wouldn’t be visible from outside.

This was thanks to the Jamsanjin passed down in bandit circles.

It was a large-scale illusion formation that hid the massive village in the shadows of lush trees.

“The evening banquet is about to begin, so why isn’t this bastard back yet?”

Bu Duryeong I Eokgi, who needed to check the progress of the event prepared for the Honored Guest, kept glancing outside the formation with a frown.

Mak Sam had left a little past midday, so he should have returned long ago.

But there was no word at all.

This had never happened before…

“Damn it, should I have sent a few guys from under the Flying Squirrel General with him?”

He thought perhaps tracking might have been necessary.

But maybe he was worrying for nothing?

Mak Sam wasn’t incompetent, and he was a seasoned bandit, so he’d return soon.

Whether empty-handed or with his hands full.

For now, preparing for the banquet was more urgent.

He needed to set up a stage for the dancers they’d captured in advance to perform their exciting dances…

“How’s the alcohol situation?”

“We’re bringing it now.”

“What about the meat?”

“We’re roasting it.”

“You damn bastards, I told you to prepare this ages ago and you’re still roasting it? Hurry up!”

“Yes.”

“Over there, that’s too close. Move it back a bit! You bastards, why are you so slow? Move faster!”

It was while he was meticulously checking and managing everything.

At a strange feeling that pierced his senses, I Eokgi whipped his head around.

What was that?

Suddenly a chill ran down his spine as if cold wind had swept through his bones…

But looking around everywhere, there was no change.

Was it just his imagination from being pressed for time?

Feeling puzzled, he was about to turn his head away, losing interest.

But suddenly, a slight tremor occurred from the outer wall of the main building.

“Huh?”

It was strange.

It wasn’t that his courage was shaken, but rather it felt like space itself was slightly distorted.

No, that change became increasingly clear.

Space was being distorted.

The scenery changed as if paper had been crumpled up.

There was definitely a problem with Jamsanjin.

But suddenly?

It would be one thing if there was heavy rain, heavy snow, or strong winds, but for the formation to have problems on such a clear night with twinkling stars?

Feeling uneasy, I Eokgi slowly approached the formation.

Thud…

A very small noise accompanied by minute vibrations.

Thud… Thud…

The vibrations gradually grew stronger.

And each time, the formation became more distorted, and I Eokgi’s eyes grew wider.

It was an external impact.

Who on earth?

Could it be the work of those who attacked the small outposts? Was that also why Mak Sam hadn’t returned?

I Eokgi pondered.

Since there was a problem, he naturally had to check it out.

But wasn’t this when the banquet preparations were nearly finished?

‘The leader and honored guest will be coming out soon, so what should I do?’

It was a moment when his judgment was delayed due to such concerns.

Crack!

The formation that had been crumpled to its limit suddenly expanded and tore apart.

And something burst out through the gaps in space that fluttered like torn cloth.

“Gasp!”

Startled, I Eokgi quickly pulled his body back and dodged the flying object.

Thump.

The object fell to the ground.

“Huh?”

It was a person.

From his attire, he seemed to be a bandit.

Whether he had lost consciousness or not, he was curled up with his body folded in half and didn’t move at all.

Meanwhile, as if he had rolled down some slope, his whole body was covered in dirt, and his clothes were torn in places, making him look like he could be called a ragamuffin.

But somehow he felt familiar.

It was probably because of his clothing. Bandits’ clothes were all similar, making them look alike.

That’s when it happened.

Whoooosh!

Wind blew through the torn formation gap, revealing the man’s face that had been hidden by his hair.

Despite being so swollen that his features were hard to recognize, the scars were clearly visible.

Could it be…?

“M-Mak Sam?”

Shocked, I Eokgi quickly approached the fallen man.

“Uhhh…”

When he carefully laid the curled-up body flat, Mak Sam let out a labored groan.

Fortunately, he was alive.

What on earth had happened?

Since there were no bloodstains visible, it wouldn’t be excessive bleeding…

“…Bruises?”

Soon, I Eokgi discovered a bluish tint through the torn clothes and opened his mouth wide in shock.

Had he really been beaten to the point of hovering between life and death?

Who on earth had beaten him so brutally?

That question was quickly resolved.

“Damn it, what a cursed formation. It took forever to break through.”

“…”

A young man slowly walking into the formation that was tearing larger and larger, losing its strength.

Spotlessly clean, snow-white… scholar’s robe?

He wasn’t wearing anything like a square cap, and his hair was disheveled and hanging loose, but judging by his clothes, he was definitely a scholar.

However, he was holding not a brush but a wooden club in his hand.

But he wasn’t alone.

One man with pitch-black eyes, one woman with such stunning beauty that she seemed to steal one’s soul, and behind them, a stream of… bandits?

“Who the hell are you people?”

At I Eokgi’s words, the man in the white scholar’s robe at the front, Zhuge Munhyeon, chuckled and replied.

“Who would we be? If we broke through the formation and entered like this, we’d be enemies. How is a bandit’s perception worse than Gwan Hwiping’s?”

“…”

He didn’t know who this Gwan Hwiping person was, but he seemed to understand their identity.

The culprits who destroyed the small outposts and the traitors.

And only then did I Eokgi look at what was beneath their feet as they entered the formation.

What they were trampling on like stepping stones were none other than people.

The bandits from the small outposts who had been mobilized to catch them.

“Bastard, how shocking. You sent quite a lot of kids. Thanks to that, they were useful for opening the formation.”

“What?”

“I couldn’t get a grasp on what kind of formation it was. Reverse of the basic, then reverse again. In the end, it was about forward movement, so what was all that trouble for? I got tired of solving it, so I used some of your kids.”

Zhuge Munhyeon grumbled with a frown.

At first, he had been confident he could easily pass through the formation.

He was a descendant of the Zhuge Family, after all.

Moreover, his father was the most outstanding formation master among them.

But it wouldn’t solve easily, which hurt his pride.

So he forced his way through.

Worried that there might be mechanisms installed within the formation, he brought the subdued bandits and created a path by throwing them in one by one and stepping on them, throwing and stepping repeatedly.

Indeed, ‘force’ seemed to be the best traditional method for breaking formations.

But it took quite a long time, and the day had ended.

Most importantly.

“Oh! Did you grill meat? There’s alcohol too? Well, this is perfect timing. I was getting hungry.”

Since he had been getting hungry, he was pleased, saying it worked out well.

But from the bandits’ perspective, there was no way they could feel good about it.

Honored guest or whatever…

“Attack!”

At I Eokgi’s furious shout as he held Mak Sam, the bandits who had been standing awkwardly, unable to grasp the situation, grabbed their respective weapons and charged forward.

“Hmm…”

His face naturally frowned.

“Hey kids, don’t do that. I’m hungry right now, you know?”

When a person is hungry, they naturally become irritable and don’t tend to show mercy.

Whether human or beast, that’s when they become most ferocious.

But his quiet warning was drowned out by the bandits’ battle cries.

It was their misfortune.

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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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