Emperor Namgung Mu of the Thousand Years - Chapter 21

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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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#021

I opened the door and came out.

I quickly escaped from the alley.

If my thoughts are correct, before the full moon passes, I must follow the central path of the Dairim Mountain Range as much as possible.

If my memories from the past are correct.

I definitely won’t miss it.

This closed-off place gathers all the gold, silver, treasures, and accumulated goods at the end of each month and moves them to the center of Anhui.

In that process, those who rule this place gather people.

In that process, skilled fighters usually come along too.

And in that process, today when the full moon rises is the perfect time.

Therefore, if I cross over toward the Dairim Mountain Range, they will be waiting for me with as many troops as possible, and if we encounter each other—.

“Well, well, who do we have here.”

Someone blocked my path.

“….”

It was someone I already knew.

The Wi Family Quartet.

It was Wi Jiseung, the youngest of the Wi Family Quartet, the only one among them who could still move.

I narrowed my eyes.

‘…Already? I haven’t even entered the mountain range yet…?’

—Whoosh….

This was a narrow, long alley.

There were restaurants on both sides.

And those restaurants had set up tables in a semi-street vendor style, selling meat and alcohol.

Many people were sitting there.

There were many passersby, and tall three-story shops were densely lined along the street, with the ground paved with stone.

Red lanterns hung crisscrossing between them, slowly creaking and swaying in the night sky.

In a way, it looked like red stars were densely embedded.

Under that red-lit world, Wi Jiseung, the youngest of the Wi Family Quartet, stood blocking my path.

He said.

“You really came.”

“We meet again.”

I curled up the corner of my mouth.

“Of course, I expected you would do something like this.”

“Ah, our young master is really confident. I thought you must have some scheme. To speak so confidently about your destination and boldly state what you plan to do. Usually, that kind of person is one of two things.”

Fourth brother Wi Jiseung ground his teeth at me.

“Either they have a scheme, or they’re really stupid.”

“Is that so?”

“But either way, it doesn’t matter. You’re going to die today. Did you think nothing would happen after messing with our brothers?”

“Aren’t you afraid of the people watching? I don’t mind you doing this, but I thought you’d ambush me in the Dairim Mountain Range. And.”

Under my cloak, I slowly rotated my wrists and controlled my breathing.

“Back then, all four of you were overwhelmingly crushed, so what shamelessness makes you attack again?”

“I’ll give you two answers to that.”

Wi Jiseung smiled and gestured.

—Scrape.

Following his gesture, five companions who had been eating meat and drinking behind him pushed back their chairs and quietly stood up.

And what was drawn from their hands were blades.

“We’re not idiots, young master.”

Nine in total.

Nine drew their swords.

“Didn’t I tell you before that a life-or-death battle is different from sparring?”

Wi Jiseung smiled coldly.

“Young master, you fight well, but have you ever fought multiple opponents with blades in a narrow alley like this, not an open sparring arena?”

“….”

I looked to the right.

I looked to the left.

I looked up.

The alley was certainly narrow.

And there were various tables, food, and dishes.

On both sides were not just restaurants but various shops.

The typical appearance of a night market.

And sensing something ominous, I watched the owners quietly disappearing and said.

“So nine? And you think having blades will work? Ha, you’re still stupid bastards. And in the middle of all these people, you didn’t even consider witnesses? Really, it’s so pathetic I’m speechless—.”

“No.”

Wi Jiseung said.

“Are you disappointed with just that?”

“…?”

He gestured toward the back.

—Scrape.

The people sitting behind stood up.

—Scrape.

—Scrape scrape.

—Scrape scrape scrape….

Behind them,

And behind them,

People stood up along the alley.

Filling the alley densely, they filled the red path completely.

Various weapons were drawn from their hands.

Wi Jiseung said.

“For you, I even recruited the White Horse Bandits who were scheduled to transport the treasures from the Red Lantern District today.”

Behind them, at the very end of the alley, some cart could be seen faintly.

“What timing this turned out to be. Thanks to that, we gladly poured all the funds we’ve gathered so far into this matter. You know what? You bastard.”

Wi Jiseung ground his teeth.

“You touched someone you shouldn’t have touched.”

An ink-like, suffocating silence began to flow into and fill the alley to the very end.

That silence began to rise from the ankles and climb up to just below the nose.

Under the red lanterns, dozens of shadows writhed, each harboring malice, fear, and desire.

The red lights swayed gently, and from somewhere far away, a short shout rang out once before silence descended again.

“…That bastard, does he have leisure in this situation…?”

The Green Forest members must have received word too.

“That the Wi Family Quartet, especially elder brother Wi Jacheon, was defeated without being able to do anything….”

“Hmph. Even so, he’s just one person.”

They were subtly shaken by my calm behavior.

Youngest Wi Jiseung muttered quietly.

“Everyone, don’t be scared of a mere young master who doesn’t even know the ways of the world. Besides, it’s not just us here today.”

Behind them were the Green Forest members, and beside them stood one green shadow under the dark shadows.

“Is that the one?”

In the red world, a figure approached, fluttering a green shadow.

“The one you said needs to be dealt with?”

“Yes.”

“He doesn’t seem to have any weapons.”

The green-tinted figure speaks.

“But let’s handle this quickly. Is that the Fourth Young Master of the Namgung Family over there? Since he was mixed blood just before becoming the Fourth Young Master, perhaps the title of Fourth Young Master is too precious for him.”

“….”

My eyebrows twitch.

“Don’t resent me for the overwhelming sense of powerlessness. I’ve received payment, and I have a profession that requires me to kill the target.”

“Who are you?”

The green-tinted figure’s eyes gleamed from within his hood as he spoke.

“A young master from a noble family like you wouldn’t know this world. I’m an assassin.”

“…An assassin?”

“Hmph. Since you’re a rich family’s young master, the existence of assassins must be unfamiliar to you, but I, Hwang Pyo, am also called by the alias Green Shadow Assassin. And this is also part of assassin culture that you wouldn’t know, so I’ll tell you.”

Hwang Pyo, the Green Shadow Assassin, said coldly.

“When an assassin reveals his name, it means he will kill you without any compromise.”

“….”

“You didn’t know this world was vast. You should have been humble, but you caused too much trouble.”

Wi Jiseung beside him shouted triumphantly.

“This is someone we went to great lengths to invite…! Do you think someone like you could understand how amazing this person is?”

Wi Jiseung sneered at me.

“Though assassins are below warriors, the world of assassins is also vast and infinite, divided into three categories. First is Whitenight, which focuses on ambushes, second is Darknight, which handles assassination contracts head-on. Third is Eclipsenight, which handles work through schemes and devices, and among them, this person is renowned even within Darknight. Someone like you, a low-class warrior, has completely different real combat experience!”

“….”

“One who conquers all three is called the Dark Emperor, and as someone who looks beyond Darknight toward becoming the Dark Emperor, today! No matter what skills you possess, you’re dead! Kuhaha!”

“…Ha.”

-Snicker.

I laughed.

Scratching the tip of my nose, I muttered.

“Dark Emperor… That’s a very familiar term.”

“Has this bastard lost his mind, laughing…?”

A faint anger began to swirl in the calm eyes of the Green Shadow Assassin.

“Though you’re called the Fourth Young Master, you’re an ignorant fool who can’t even assess the situation.”

“….”

And beside him.

The assassin remained silent.

Only his eyes, half-hidden beneath his hood, reflexively scanned my fingertips, nape, and breathing in turn.

I looked around left and right.

Among them, I picked up iron gauntlets that had been left at what seemed to be a stall operated by the iron workshop.

Perhaps to protect hands from hammers when striking anvils, they were gauntlets made of leather as a base with iron covering from the base of the knuckles to the wrists.

I examined them this way and that,

Nodding my head as I put them on my hands.

“Well, I understand various things, and this was what I intended, but honestly I’m surprised. I didn’t know this many would come out.”

“Nonsense, you’ve gone mad seeing death before you. You intended this situation?”

“Of course.”

-Creak, creak….

I pull the leather straps tight to secure them.

I slowly tighten the iron gauntlets on my hands.

My fists creak once, twice.

Suddenly, the alley fights I experienced before flash through my mind.

Going through Whitenight, Darknight, and Eclipsenight to inherit the title of Dark Emperor from my master.

Then receiving the alias Hundred Dark Emperor meaning I survived a hundred contracts, and once again surpassing that to receive the title First Dark Emperor during my days as an assassin.

In the contempt and disdain that no matter how good an assassin was, they were just an inferior version of warriors, on streets where I couldn’t trust anyone,

I struggled alone until the end.

The only one who could save me was myself.

With that recognition, if you expect the dog fights I continued until the end, my life and fighting methods, to be confined to the standards of warriors who looked down on me, that would be a mistake.

-Whooom….

I’ll show you.

How I’ve lived.

I’ll show you.

With what resolve I survived without committing suicide, not just putting on airs…!

-Crack… Crackle!

The first of the four forms of Pasabeolsik, Body, activates.

‘…As always.’

The Bloodwind Robe flutters faintly.

‘Break through.’

I feel my protective energy strengthening, my body’s vitality growing stronger while my five senses become slightly duller.

It feels like a thick membrane is being placed over me.

-Step.

With each step I take, the surrounding air changes.

Everyone holds their breath and glares at me from the end of the alley.

“This bastard is really going head-on…?”

“Is he crazy, does he think this is some sparring match on the sparring arena where you win or lose.”

They were actually panicking as they watched me approach.

They must have planned this situation thinking they’d drive me like a rabbit hunt.

I would cry and run away,

Flail around throwing a few punches,

Due to the geographical characteristics of the narrow alley, my movements would eventually be blocked, my limbs caught,

And I’d be tormented and stabbed to death.

But.

“That won’t happen. I’m clearly aware of it too.”

I definitely moved forward, not backward, speaking clearly.

“This is a life-or-death battle, isn’t it?”

“This bastard….”

Wi Jiseung ground his teeth.

“Fine, you bastard, let’s see this through to the end.”

Contradictory behavior.

My actions that defied logic rang alarm bells in the minds of those facing me.

-Clang.

One person threw away his scabbard and drew his real sword, gritting his teeth.

-Creak….

I clench my fists.

Behind me, over fifty people grip their swords and focus their attention on me.

Under the red lanterns, the alley becomes completely quiet.

No one moves first.

The night air, the red light, even breathing freezes.

The sound of me gripping my iron gauntlets echoes throughout the entire alley.

Clenching and unclenching my hands to secure them, feeling the heavy weight of the iron pressing from my wrists to my elbows, I coldly recited.

“Ah, let me say one thing before we start.”

“Ha! It’s too late even if you want to surrender now-!”

“Anyone with more than 20% of a sixty-year cycle of internal energy.”

Under the red lanterns, the empty space of the street where one could move freely was an alley that was exactly six and a half steps wide when walked sideways.

My voice rang out clearly toward Fifty, who was approaching with glinting blades filling that alley.

“If there is, tell me in advance. Then at least that bastard.”

-Clank.

I clenched my iron fist.

“I’ll spare him on the condition he becomes half-crippled.”

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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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