Ascension of the Heavenly Demon - Chapter 78

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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 78

 

 

The reason people ride horses is because they’re the fastest thing humans can tame and ride.

But sometimes, people can be faster than that.

Namely, martial artists who have learned light body techniques.

In long-distance travel, the clear limitations of internal energy and insufficient muscle strength make it impossible to compare with horses, but in short distances, they often achieve much faster speeds than horses.

Especially for the elite Namgung Family Warriors, closing a gap of a few moments was nothing at all.

Unlike horses that can only properly display their speed on paved roads, martial artists can cut through dense forests and leap across valley streams in a single bound.

 

* * *

 

Peep, peeep!

If it had been an ordinary flute, such sounds would surely have been heard, but only Sayo could hear those sounds.

The Beggar’s Sect’s silent whistle, designed so that only trained individuals at close range could hear it.

Sayo perked up her ears, caught the signals sent by nearby Beggar Sect members, and spoke.

“Young Master, it seems the warriors from Jongsang Branch have passed the stronghold.”

At Sayo’s words, who had joined after the Blood Shadow Pavilion’s recruitment was completed, Zhuge Munhyeon nodded.

“What about Anryuk Branch?”

“They’ve already completed their retreat. Pavilion Master Ok from Blood Shadow Pavilion is coming with the warriors, so there shouldn’t be any casualties.”

“That’s fortunate. Now we just need to block this side.”

At Zhuge Munhyeon’s words, Gwan Hwiping frowned deeply.

Fortunate?

What was fortunate about it?

The fact that Anryuk Branch was safe meant that the Azure Sky Sword Unit bastards who were going to attack that side would join the pursuit of Jongsang Branch.

In other words, the number of enemies had doubled.

And these were Azure Sky Sword Unit warriors who could be called sword demons.

The moment Anryuk became safe, the safety of the warriors retreating from Jongsang became endangered, and damn it, they were currently running toward that dangerous place.

Just as he was naturally sighing, Sayo’s face suddenly contorted.

It must be another signal.

Judging by her expression, it wouldn’t be good news.

“Y-Young Master.”

“What? What’s wrong?”

“The Namgung… they seem to have caught up to Jongsang Branch’s tail.”

“What? They’ve already caught up?”

“Yes.”

“Damn, they’re faster than I thought. Did they notice the escape and immediately give chase?”

They had fled recklessly.

Even if they hadn’t had time to erase their traces, if they were pursuing this quickly, it meant the Azure Sky Sword Unit had a skilled tracker.

Those bastards… they prepared a lot.

Having a tracker in the unit meant they had considered the enemy’s escape from the beginning.

In other words, they wouldn’t let a single person live.

I thought they were guys who only learned martial arts day and night, but it seems there are some who use their brains quite well.

Underlying that was probably anger toward the Zhuge Family.

How much must they have hated us for sword-wielding bastards to work their brains so hard?

And acting like that meant.

“These bastards have absolutely no intention of apologizing.”

The corner of his mouth twitched again.

“I thought it wouldn’t matter if a few of them died.”

That’s how the world works.

The weak are devoured by the strong.

That’s the law of nature.

The same goes for the warriors from Jongsang Branch who are fleeing.

Since they would have run without looking back, the fleeing procession would have stretched out long according to the differences in their abilities.

Naturally, those with good skills would be ahead, while those lacking would trail behind like a long tail.

And eventually, they would be hunted by the pursuing Azure Sky Sword Unit.

So I thought it would be profitable to save only the strong ones who ran ahead.

But now I can’t just leave it be.

Namgung…

I should thoroughly crush them so they can’t even hold their heads up. Of course, I can’t let them achieve even small victories and become triumphant.

The moment he made his decision, Zhuge Munhyeon stopped in place.

“Whoa!”

Since they had been running well, the group passed by Zhuge Munhyeon before barely managing to stop.

“Hey! Why are you suddenly stopping?”

“Why? Is someone there?”

“What is it?”

Zhuge Munhyeon grinned at Gwan Hwiping, who was grumbling out of habit, and said.

“I’m changing the strategy.”

“What?”

“Sayo. Right now, immediately relay the retreat order to the scattered Beggar Sect members.”

“Huh? But the warriors from Jongsang Branch haven’t all retreated yet…”

“Make them retreat.”

“…Understood.”

A brief command.

Since he seemed to have already made up his mind, Sayo answered without argument.

Right now, their decision-maker was Zhuge Munhyeon.

“Elder Brother Munho.”

“Yeah?”

“Help the Jongsang Branch warriors retreat along with the Beggar’s Sect.”

“Well… wait, what are you talking about?”

The moment Zhuge Munho made a puzzled expression, Zhuge Munhyeon grinned and lowered his stance.

The moment his bent legs extended and kicked off the ground.

Bang!

The ground made a sound like rock being struck by a chisel and shattering, and Zhuge Munhyeon’s form shot out at tremendous speed.

“M-Munhyeon!”

At his figure disappearing in an instant, Zhuge Munho could only frown.

“Hah, that bastard is doing it again.”

“He’s always so selfish, isn’t he?”

“Elder Brother Munho, what will you do?”

Perhaps because the terrifying tiger they had to watch out for had disappeared, the fox, bear, and wolf no longer whispered.

“You’re not really planning to go just because that bastard told you to, are you?”

“What?”

“The retreat is something the Beggar’s Sect can handle.”

Zhuge Pyeong shrugged and smiled.

“Don’t tell me you guys?”

“What can we do? Like it or not, he’s our younger brother. If we don’t go when he told us not to come, wouldn’t we be worse than dogs?”

“…”

“Still, don’t jump straight into a fight. Let’s go nearby and watch, then if it becomes dangerous, that’s when… you know what I mean, right?”

At the sight of Gwan Hwiping grinning, Zhuge Munho shook his head back and forth.

These guys have changed a lot too.

He let out a hollow laugh and handed Zhuge Junggi over to Sayo.

“This is the guy Munhyeon considers his strategist. Please take care of him.”

“Pardon?”

“When you join up with the Blood Shadow Pavilion warriors, wake him up and inform him of the situation. Then he’ll devise a strategy on his own.”

“But what about you four?”

“We have to follow.”

“Follow? What do you mean by that? Didn’t Young Master Munhyeon clearly say he was changing the strategy?”

“He did change it.”

“Pardon?”

We didn’t hear anything about it.

He just said he was changing it, that’s all.

“Having traveled with that guy for so long, I roughly understand, you know? That bastard is someone who himself is the strategy.”

“What do you mean by that…?”

“At first, he probably had no intention of saving everyone. That’s why he would have matched our pace coming here.”

“…”

“But it looks like he plans to save them all. Judging by how urgently he ran off like that.”

“A-alone?”

“That’s the kind of guy he is. That bastard thinks he’s something like the best under heaven.”

“But Young Master Munho, how… didn’t Young Master Munhyeon clearly tell you to help with the retreat?”

“He did.”

“Then why are you saying you’ll follow him?”

“How could I maintain my dignity as an elder brother by sending my younger brother alone? And if I really didn’t go, he’s obviously the type who would scold me for not coming… If I’m going to get scolded anyway, it’s better to go and fight together before getting scolded. We’re quite stubborn too, you know.”

When Zhuge Munho grinned, Gwan Hwiping laughed along and stood beside him.

“Then we’ll see you later. That guy is incredibly fast, so we need to hurry and chase after him.”

Zhuge Munho gave a light nod as greeting and spoke to Gwan Hwiping.

“Don’t fall behind.”

“Hmph! You’re the one who shouldn’t fall behind, Elder Brother. Originally, I was much faster at Light Body Technique!”

They soon ran off in the direction where Zhuge Munhyeon had disappeared.

Watching their retreating figures, Sayo couldn’t hide her bewilderment for a while.

“They’re fast. When did they become like that…”

While she could understand Zhuge Munhyeon since he originally possessed unmeasurable strength, even those brothers had skills completely different from not long ago.

Seeing one thing tells you ten.

The Zhuge Family is changing.

Starting from their younger generation.

When they grow up and become representatives of the family, it seemed the Zhuge Family would have a position that no one could look down upon.

 

* * *

 

The surrounding scenery rushes past so quickly that their shapes cannot be discerned.

Since those things rooted in the ground couldn’t possibly have legs to run with, it was because Zhuge Munhyeon’s speed was too fast.

There was no need to specifically search for where the pursuit force was. Among the things that had rushed past, there were also human-shaped ones. Those running in the direction he had come from. They were the fleeing warriors from the Jongsang Branch.

He just needed to run toward their tail end.

Then, when he saw not those fleeing in panic, but those with fierce eyes holding swords filled with killing intent, they would be the pursuit force.

Just like those bastards right there ahead.

Thump!

Having spotted his target, Zhuge Munhyeon kicked off the ground while still running and soared upward.

Flying up in an arc, he gripped the Silver River Staff tucked at his back and looked down below.

Countless masses of people were running.

Those being chased were terrified like refugees fleeing from catastrophic fire, while the pursuers had frenzied expressions as if they would cut those necks at any moment with their killing-intent-filled swords.

At some point, his gaze began emitting a red radiance like catastrophic fire and fixed on those giving chase.

Namgung…

This is as far as you go.

The last ground where you can set foot in Hubei.

Now I’ll become the catastrophic fire and crush you.

A smile appeared on Zhuge Munhyeon’s lips.

But unlike his previous smiles, this one was tinged with cruelty.

Internal energy seeped into the Silver River Staff held high, and soon Zhuge Munhyeon plunged down like an eagle that had spotted prey on the ground.

His target was the very tail end.

A Falling Star plummeted toward the earth.

Shwaaaaa!

At the sight of a streak of light drawing a vertical line, the leader of the pursuit force cried out in shock.

“W-watch out…!”

But his warning-filled cry could not continue to the end.

Because the speed of the lightning-like sword strike falling was much faster than his cry.

Kwaaaaang!

And its power directly struck a warrior’s head, crushing it and shaking the ground.

Crrrack! Bang!

The ground couldn’t withstand the tremendous internal energy carried by the Silver River Staff and exploded, with the aftermath spreading out like a fan and engulfing the pursuing force.

“Damn it! Fall back!”

As the entire area instantly became thick with dust, making it impossible to distinguish directions, the Namgung Family warriors tried to flee in confusion.

But a single hand that suddenly shot out from within the dust grabbed their necks and slammed them into the ground.

Bang!

Another heavy shockwave followed.

The sound of bones being crushed mixed within it, followed by terrible screams.

“Kyaaaah!”

Those who were startled pulled on their horse reins to stop their pursuit and tried not to touch the dust.

However.

Shwaaaaa!

As if mocking such efforts, a crescent-shaped energy filled with sharpness simultaneously cut both man and horse in half.

Slash!

The warriors who couldn’t even scream were cut vertically, diagonally, and horizontally before collapsing.

Crack!

The still-thick dust swallowed up, bit, and crushed nearby warriors like a butchering monster.

But nothing could be seen.

Leaving only cruel sounds, the terrified Azure Sky Sword Unit warriors instinctively hesitated and retreated.

“You pathetic fools! Do you still call yourselves the Azure Sky Sword Unit representing Namgung!”

Enraged by his subordinates’ frightened appearance, So Rokpa stepped forward and simultaneously swung a sword strike with the flat side rather than the blade.

Whoooosh!

The gale created by the sword stretched out fiercely toward the dust.

Claaaang!

With a violent metallic sound, the dust was blown away and scattered, revealing the scene within.

A young-faced man.

And around him, corpses crushed beyond recognition.

So Rokpa glared at the man amid the carnage that naturally made one squint.

Then the man, gripping his octagonal iron club, drew a long line on the ground and smiled.

“Right now, this is the line I’ve drawn. Cross it and you all die.”

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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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