Heaven-Defying Hero - Chapter 77

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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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#077

Geumgang-gae had sensed something was up from the moment Cheon-gu asked to meet.

“You really found Yongmyeong Tomb?”

“Yes.”

“Incredible.”

He had thought something had changed since they’d been holed up for ten days, but he never imagined they would have found Yongmyeong Tomb.

“It’s been ten days since Jangju entered Yongmyeong Tomb. We can’t even open the entrance with our abilities, so we came to ask for help.”

“Ten days…”

It was enough time for many things to happen.

Ten days wasn’t particularly long for martial artists to be pessimistic about. Even so, something had definitely happened.

“Fine. I’ll help.”

While checking on Ja-gang-cheon’s safety was part of it, he couldn’t deny his curiosity and greed.

“Then we’ll see you tonight.”

They returned to their respective places and gathered again at the appointed time.

Geumgang-gae witnessed Cheon-gu seemingly disappearing into the tidal flat and unconsciously let out an exclamation.

“You found a place like this?”

“Our hyeongnims never fail. Please go in quickly, beggar hyeongnim.”

“Beggars don’t like water.”

Despite his words, Geumgang-gae entered the water without delay.

Arriving at their destination, Geumgang-gae stood before the stone gate.

“It absorbs internal energy?”

He lightly tapped the stone gate.

While Pansuk and Cheon-gu couldn’t move any further from here, Geumgang-gae was different.

Tap. Tap.

After hitting the wall a few times, he quickly figured out the flow of energy and touched several spots.

Then he pushed the same spot as Ja-gang-cheon had and opened the stone gate.

“Oh? It opened! Beggar hyeongnim! You’re the best!”

Just as Pansuk cheered and Cheon-gu sighed in relief.

“Everyone’s gathered here.”

A gentle voice came from behind them, and five people appeared, dripping with seawater.

It was North Cheon City’s group of five.

“Miss, are you alright?”

Cheon Seolhwa, who had climbed onto land holding the Bald Man bodyguard’s hand, frowned.

Unaccustomed to being wet, she looked at her drooping clothes and shook her head.

With her displeased expression unchanged, she moved forward and gave a look to the three bodyguards standing behind her.

Then the three bodyguards except for the Bald Man moved quickly.

Geumgang-gae raised his internal energy in preparation, but only one person approached him. The other two targeted Pansuk and Cheon-gu.

“Haap!”

Pansuk threw a punch at the corpse-like bodyguard rushing toward him. The Gangsi Bodyguard crossed both arms to block the unexpectedly powerful strike.

Bang!

The Gangsi Bodyguard was pushed back by the impact but quickly regained his balance and charged again.

“Hueup!”

Pansuk didn’t hesitate and ran toward his opponent. But just before collision, the Gangsi Bodyguard’s body disappeared.

“Huh?”

The bodyguard cleverly twisted his body to avoid Pansuk’s eyes, went around to his back, and struck his spine.

But this time the Gangsi Bodyguard was surprised.

A counter-force came up from Pansuk’s body as if he had hit solid rock.

‘He’s stronger than he looks.’

His body was unbelievably solid for his age, but the Gangsi Bodyguard didn’t think he would lose.

They were the ones responsible for each of North Cheon City’s four gates: east, west, south, and north.

In terms of martial arts alone, he was skilled enough to rank in the top twenty in North Cheon City.

Acknowledging Pansuk’s skill, the Gangsi Bodyguard became more serious. When he deployed his martial arts considering his opponent an equal, the tide of battle shifted rapidly.

‘Huh?’

The Gangsi Bodyguard didn’t meet Pansuk’s attacks head-on but deflected them to the side, approaching cautiously step by step.

As he gradually attacked joints like wrists, elbows, and knees, Pansuk’s movements began to falter.

With limited experience, once Pansuk was pushed into defense, he couldn’t turn the tide.

Bang!

Finally, the Gangsi Bodyguard’s palm technique struck Pansuk’s solar plexus.

While Pansuk could endure most impacts with his body, a palm strike infused with internal energy wasn’t something he could withstand through spirit alone.

“Kuk!”

Just like Pansuk being subdued, Cheon-gu also fell into crisis.

His process was similar – at first, he even launched an offensive that surprised the sword-wielding bodyguard.

With his ever-changing swordsmanship, he seemed to have the advantage for a moment, but the situation changed from the moment their swords clashed.

Not only was his internal energy being pushed back, but there was a significant difference in the time it took to return a weapon that had deviated from its sword path back to position.

Eventually, once he was pushed into defense, he couldn’t recover and ended up dropping his sword.

“Stop!”

Geumgang-gae sent a beast-like glare at the remaining bodyguard facing him.

Though he was prepared for a life-or-death battle, he heard sounds of strength leaving from behind him.

“Just stay still. Then no one will get hurt. If you move now, those two with bright futures will die first.”

“How despicable!”

“Let’s speak correctly. Shouldn’t you be grateful to me just for promising not to kill them?”

Yowol-nyeo Cheon Seolhwa slowly walked toward Geumgang-gae.

“Since we both stole information from each other, we can’t determine who’s right or wrong. Now we’re competitors for Yongmyeong Tomb, and killing competitors where such treasures exist is very common, isn’t it?”

Logically, there was no way to refute it.

“Capturing and tormenting the weak deserves condemnation.”

“If I gain advantage from that, I’ll accept the criticism, but if the goal is peace that saves everyone, it deserves praise.”

Cheon Seolhwa boldly stood right in front of Geumgang-gae.

“Daehobbeop of Gae-bang. If I had been in a position to be stubborn in North Cheon City today, blood would definitely have been spilled. So if you want to save those two and avoid all-out war between Gae-bang and North Cheon City, quietly accept the situation.”

Geumgang-gae looked at the two who had already been captured.

Seeing their frustrated expressions, he could no longer resist.

“Let me ask one thing. How did you get here while avoiding Gae-bang’s surveillance?”

“There was a young beggar. I had a brief conversation with him.”

“How dare you!”

It meant a young Gaebangdo had been seduced by beauty and betrayed them. Geumgang-gae was furious enough for his face to redden. But Cheon Seolhwa, receiving that anger, remained confident this time too.

“Winning over opponents is something Deungmyeong Manor, protected by Gae-bang, did first. To the herb gatherers who made promises with me. It’s called karma. You have no right to feel wronged.”

Geumgang-gae again couldn’t find words to refute.

“Now. Decide.”

“Promise me one thing.”

“What is it?”

“Don’t harm Deungmyeong Jangju.”

Cheon Seolhwa curled up one corner of her mouth.

“If he doesn’t covet what’s mine, I’ll do so.”

When Geumgang-gae dispersed the internal energy he had raised, Cheon Seolhwa went to the stone gate with the Bald Man.

“Wait here.”

She passed through the stone gate accompanied only by the Bald Man.

Since the path was the same, the process was the same too.

Cheon Seolhwa started with high spirits, but that path was by no means smooth.

Thanks to the experienced Talbohoe, they managed to pass through, but even from the first checkpoint, minor injuries were sustained.

“Uncle Talbohoe. Are you alright?”

“This much is no problem.”

The problem occurred at the second checkpoint.

“I smell poison.”

It was when they, having taken antidotes in advance, were trying to quickly pass through the underground stone chamber.

“Hup!”

As colorless and odorless poison was added, Talbohoe grabbed Cheon Seolhwa’s hand and quickly retreated.

The second poison mist seeped through the skin, causing intense pain.

“Excuse me, Miss.”

Seeing the movement of the poison mist, he grabbed Cheon Seolhwa’s waist and leaped forward.

“Hold your breath.”

Realizing that the poison mist had the property of sinking downward, Talbohoe held Cheon Seolhwa and jumped up as if to hit the ceiling.

And when he saw the upward exit, he immediately threw her up.

Instead, he had to land on the floor once and then go back up. In that split second, he used this method to protect Cheon Seolhwa.

His conviction was great, but the results weren’t as excellent.

Talbohoe fell into a much worse situation than he had thought.

“Cough!”

After coughing up a handful of blood, he leaned against the stone chamber wall, gasping for breath.

“Uncle!”

She who had been so cold to Geumgang-gae trembled when she saw Talbohoe’s wounds.

“The wounded area is turning purple.”

Normally, it wouldn’t have caused this much damage.

‘The wound from the first checkpoint was the problem.’

The poison mist penetrated directly through the wound, causing immediate poisoning.

“Please give me a moment.”

After temporarily soothing his insides with the antidote he usually carried, he began circulating his internal energy.

Black blood began dripping from his wounds, and his exhaled breath reeked.

His pale complexion gradually improved, but the purple-colored wounds didn’t heal.

After treating himself for about an hour, Talbohoe stood up.

“Uncle. Your wounds are still deep. Let’s treat them first.”

“No. Finding a safe place first is the priority. The energy here is unstable and there are sounds. We don’t know what might happen, so it’s better to pass through quickly.”

Cheon Seolhwa could also feel those sounds and energy.

“Alright. I’ll take the lead now.”

“Miss. That’s my job.”

It was when they entered the third checkpoint.

Thud.

Suddenly the solid floor disappeared and they fell downward.

Splash!

What awaited them was the swirling sea.

The current that endlessly swirled in the narrow area dragged them into the deep water.

‘The Miss doesn’t know how to swim.’

Even when entering this place, Talbohoe had held her hand and brought her in. She had just held her breath tightly.

His heart racing, Talbohoe tried to find Cheon Seolhwa underwater.

The more he did so, the worse his poisoning symptoms became, but now wasn’t the time to worry about that.

‘I can’t see her.’

The dark sea blocked his vision to the point where he couldn’t even see his own hands.

‘No!’

Just when Talbohoe was despairing.

Cheon Seolhwa was flailing her arms and legs in panic.

No matter how much strength she used, her body moved on its own and she couldn’t maintain balance.

The deeper she was sucked into the abyss, the greater her fear became, but there was nothing she could do.

Salt water rushed into her mouth that opened in panic, and all thought seemed to stop.

‘Save me! Please!’

At death’s threshold, she cried out inwardly.

Was it because her prayer was so earnest?

A faint light seemed to be approaching.

She was scared, thinking it might symbolize death, but this too wasn’t something she could choose.

Fortunately, the light pulled her upward, not into the abyss.

It was slow at first, but the speed gradually increased, and at some point she heard a loud noise.

Splash!

At the sound of splashing water, she instinctively inhaled, and cool air entered her lungs.

“Why are you doing this here, sister?”

It was Ja-gang-cheon.

Seeing his face, Cheon Seolhwa instinctively cried out.

“Save uncle! Please!”

Only then realizing there was one more person, Ja-gang-cheon jumped back into the swirling sea.

And shortly after, he came up dragging an unconscious man.

After all the checkpoints ended, at the point where the natural cave began, Ja-gang-cheon pushed internal energy into Talbohoe’s body.

And shortly after,

“Gasp!”

Talbohoe’s breathing returned.

“Ah! He’s alive.”

Seeing this, Cheon Seolhwa also lost strength and collapsed.

How much time had passed like that?

When her dazed mind returned, what caught her eye was an object.

“You didn’t originally use a sword.”

Ja-gang-cheon was holding a sword she hadn’t seen before. When she pointed this out, Ja-gang-cheon spoke as if boasting.

“Ah! This? It’s the legacy Song Jin-baek left behind. There’s this sword and a secret manual too.”

Ja-gang-cheon took out the secret manual from his chest and showed it.

“Anything else?”

She couldn’t bring herself to ask about Gongcheong Seokyu.

“There wasn’t anything else.”

The pupils of Ja-gang-cheon saying this were strangely clear and transparent.

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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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