Namgoong the Sword Ghost - Chapter 197

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 197. Sword Demon’s Woven Tribute
―Hurling a dagger at Mu Ga Yak! What in blazes were you thinking!
Wolwang Gucheon Geom cried out, his face drained of color.
Namgung Ho Yeon answered.
‘Quiet. I saved her because of it, didn’t I?’
―……You were planning to stop it with that Uigi Yeondong ability, weren’t you?
‘Perhaps. But the man doesn’t seem foolish enough to fight while holding a hostage.’
Namgung Ho Yeon studied Jong Ri Pae of Narakdo Jang.
Thump-thump-thump!
The man unleashing his Qi Force was undeniably an Ascended Master.
Moreover, that magnificent flow showed no weakness whatsoever compared to Jin Heuk Cheon of the Cannibal Demon Palace.
‘Narakdo Jang. One of the Fifty-Two Generals, then.’
To be counted among the Cheonha Baekpal Seong required not only martial prowess but also a reputation that echoed across the four seas.
In Jin Heuk Cheon’s case, there was the terrifying infamy of the Cannibal.
If that were true, then Jong Ri Pae must also bear a martial reputation no less daunting.
“You sensed the ambush?”
“Hmph, less sensed than distrusted her from the start.”
“Cough! Hack! Hack!”
At Namgung Ho Yeon’s question, Jong Ri Pae’s eyes rolled toward Mu Ga Yak.
The moment she slipped from Jong Ri Pae’s grip, she’d bolted away and now stood at a distance.
“If she knew, then it’s hardly a secret, is it? I reinforced surveillance as a precaution. Sure enough, she showed up brazenly.”
“There was no surveillance within thirty zhang or so?”
“Kekeke! Then she must have been observing from beyond thirty zhang.”
At Jong Ri Pae’s scornful remark, Namgung Ho Yeon sensed there was something else at play here.
“Still, this is remarkable.”
Jong Ri Pae lowered the corners of his mouth, his expression turning grave.
While Namgung Ho Yeon studied him, Jong Ri Pae was studying him in return.
“I thought the rumor that the Thunder God Guanglong had reached the Ascended Master realm was nonsense.”
Jong Ri Pae couldn’t believe it.
He’d heard that Namgung Ho Yeon hadn’t yet reached twenty years of age.
In all of Zhongyuan’s martial history, had there ever been a warrior who achieved such mastery in their teens?
As far as he knew, Namgung Ho Yeon was the first.
‘……Talent unmatched in ancient and modern times?’
Within Jong Ri Pae’s heart, bewilderment, fury, and inferiority surged up.
And the last emotion to rise was but one.
Killing Intent!
‘He must be killed! Such talent must never be allowed to exist in this world!’
Yet contrary to such thoughts,
Jong Ri Pae’s mouth opened with a gentle voice.
“Truly remarkable. Talent worthy of gracing an entire era. As a senior on the path of martial arts, I offer my respect.”
“Hmm?”
“A battle between Ascended Masters is a poor choice. Why don’t we negotiate instead?”
“What negotiation?”
“Hand over Wolwang Gucheon Geom and Mu Ga Yak. In exchange, I’ll spare your life.”
At Jong Ri Pae’s words, Namgung Ho Yeon let out a scornful laugh.
“That’s not negotiation—that’s extortion.”
“Hehe, the lives I spoke of are those of the Later Generation Disciples of Baekmu Academy who came with you.”
The moment Jong Ri Pae finished speaking,
Boom—!
Thump-thump-thump!
A series of explosions erupted from the direction of Hakjong opposite them.
“Heh, did you think I came alone? I sent the Chuksaeng Gwangsudae to Hakjong.”
“…….”
“Moreover, this area is surrounded by the assassins of the Deunghwal Guiyeong Dae and the iron demons of the Junghap Swae Okdae.”
“…….”
“Kehehehe, you may escape, but your friends will be annihilated here. The Naraksan Dae shows no mercy.”
Jong Ri Pae stretched out his hand with a bloodthirsty smile.
Flick!
“Now, hand over Wolwang Gucheon Geom. Otherwise…….”
“Kekekeke! Kahahahaha!”
Cutting off Jong Ri Pae’s proposal, Ho Yeon burst into unrestrained laughter.
Jong Ri Pae, his brow furrowed, asked him a question.
“What’s so funny?”
“Ha-ha! How could it not be?”
Snap.
Ho Yeon stifled his mirth and spoke with a crooked smile lingering on his lips.
“You two-faced bastard. You should’ve at least hidden your killing intent before speaking.”
…….
“And what’s this? A negotiation? That’s mercy the strong extend to the weak. In other words, I’m the one who should make you an offer.”
Ho Yeon chuckled and continued.
“Here’s my proposal: you retreat, and I’ll spare whatever those Naraksan Dae bastards are.”
“……So you’ve truly decided to drink from the cup of consequences.”
“I’m not one to refuse a drink.”
“You’ll regret this.”
Crack! Crunch-crunch!
Jong Ri Pae lowered his stance and began channeling force into his thighs.
Whoosh!
Ho Yeon drew the Cheonrae Geom and shot back a reply.
“Regret is tedious. I’ve decided to embrace meetings instead.”
* * *
“Amitabha. Something seems to have gone wrong.”
“Tell me about it. Where’s our boat, and what are these beasts?”
“Heheheh! Look at that murderous energy billowing everywhere. The stench of blood is practically vibrating, isn’t it?”
Beom Seok, Peng Gu Pae, and So Gyu stared at more than thirty martial artists standing before them.
Or rather, they were emanating a sharp, bestial killing intent that transcended anything merely human.
“Kreheheh! I am called Hyeol Gyu, the Cruel Beast Soul, master of the Chuksaeng Gwangsudae!”
At the head of these rag-clad figures stood an elderly man with a filthy beard and wild, unkempt hair, his saliva dripping freely.
“Krehihi! That boat of yours—the moment it saw us, it fled with its tail between its legs. How does abandonment feel?”
Hyeol Gyu taunted them.
But the members of the separate contingent remained composed.
‘Amitabha. The boatmen must have moved to the designated fallback position. Retreat to the North Sandy Bank.’
Beom Seok’s transmission echoed through the minds of every contingent member.
They had arranged in advance a rendezvous point with the boatmen in case of emergency.
“The squad leaders will hold them off. In the meantime, the squad members are to move to the position.”
“But Squad Leader Peng, there are thirty of them! The numbers are equal!”
“That’s right—let’s finish this quickly and cross over together.”
“Don’t talk like a fool!”
Peng Gu Pae’s roar cut through the air.
“We have no confirmation that those are all of them! If reinforcements arrive while they’re stalling us, we’re finished!”
“Krehit! The one who looks the most foolish just struck the vital point!”
At Peng Gu Pae’s words, Hyeol Gyu laughed with his mouth split from ear to ear.
“Kehahat! You’ll all be annihilated here! Baekmu Academy? This Jianghu is no place for milk-reeking brats playing house!”
Boom-boom-boom!
Hyeol Gyu began to circulate the Yasik Gwiwon Gong.
His pupils lost all focus, and the veins across his body began to bulge and writhe like earthworms.
Crunch-crunch-crunch!
“Kyaaahhahahat!”
Whoooosh!
Hyeol Gyu pulled crimson Qi Force from both his hands and let out a bestial cry.
The Yasik Gwiwon Gong cultivated by the Chuksaeng Gwangsudae was, as the name implied, a martial art that returned one to the primal source of savage instinct.
This technique had been extracted by the Asura Damnation King Jong Ri San from the Animal Realm secrets of the Yugdo Jeonryun Singgong.
When mastered, the five senses—sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch—became acute, and at its extreme, a sixth sense awakened, allowing one to intuitively grasp the essence of all things.
“Kill them!”
“Kreeeyahahat!”
“Yaaaaah!”
“Kihihit!”
Pabababak!
The Chuksaeng Gwangsudae advanced in unison, their Menghho Chuibo steps as swift as tigers.
“Amitabha! Leave at once!”
“Sub-leaders, maintain control of the personnel and protect the boat at all costs!”
“Krah-haha! Today is not a day for slaying demons—it’s a day for purging beasts and expelling evil!”
Crack! Swoosh! Rustle!
As the three squad leaders took up combat stance in unison, the first squad’s vice-leader Hye Il shouted.
“Everyone, move! We’ll secure an escape route while the squad leaders buy us time!”
“Go, now! If there are more of them, the boatmen are in danger!”
Pat! Thud-thud-thud!
As Gwang Myeong cried out as well, the separate force began rushing rapidly toward the North Sandy Bank.
“Kee-hee-hee! Where do you think you’re going!”
Tap!
Hyeol Gyu planted the Monkey Leap Step, bounding forward like an ape to intercept them.
He meant to hold the rear and prevent the separate force from scattering.
But.
Burst!
“Kuh!”
With a shriek of air tearing apart, an unknown blow from the ground struck his abdomen.
Hyeol Gyu tumbled across the sandy bank like a sparrow hit by a stone.
Crash! Boom-boom-bang!
“Kuh, who the hell are you!”
“Amitabha Buddha.”
As Hyeol Gyu raised his head with bloodshot eyes to glare, Beom Seok withdrew his straight punch and clasped his hands in prayer.
“You who dwell in the darkness of ignorance, relying only on base instinct—today I open the gate of slaughter to free you from the bondage of beasts.”
“Uh-haha! Reverend Beom Seok! Why must you speak in such riddles? Just say you’ll kill them all and be done with it!”
“Kuh-kuh! Peng Gu Pae speaks truth! Namgung Ho Yeon would have said it this way! Slice them to pieces and leave without hesitation!”
Burst!
Boom-boom-boom!
Thud-thud-thud!
A soft flash of enlightenment’s golden light rippled from Beom Seok.
Peng Gu Pae channeled a threatening grey Qi Force into his blade, ready to explode.
From So Gyu’s sword rose a dark blue Qi Force that held both mystery and malice.
A battle.
* * *
Silence.
As if the world had frozen before a storm, only two martial artists remained on the sandy bank while time itself held still.
Whoosh.
Namgung Ho Yeon’s right shoulder twitched.
Click.
Then Jong Ri Pae’s left hand bent.
Tap.
Next, Namgung Ho Yeon stepped forward with his left foot.
Hiss.
Then Jong Ri Pae’s right foot scraped the sand, tamping the ground.
They were minute movements.
But masters recognize masters.
‘Not a worthless novice, then.’
‘…He calculates tactics against me? What manner of boy is this.’
Yet their expressions differed.
Namgung Ho Yeon’s smile deepened by degrees, while Jong Ri Pae’s faded.
He was sensing it.
That the youth before him was his equal.
“Nonsense! The tower of martial skill that Jong Ri Pae of Narakdo Jang has built is far from shallow!”
Jong Ri Pae was the first to lose patience.
Tap.
Ending his probe, he raised the Narakdo above his shoulder and took his stance.
The Narakdo was a blade of hybrid form, between flat and straight.
Its handle was long enough to grip with both hands, a dual-grip binding.
Whooom!
Rumble-rumble-rumble!
At the same moment, the Six Paths Wheel Divine Art spun to life in Jong Ri Pae’s dantian, rolling forth the grand wheel of combat.
‘Heh-heh, I have awakened four of the six paths. You have no chance of victory.’
As the War Wheel Qi circulated through his entire body, Jong Ri Pae’s last shred of doubt vanished.
The Yugdo Jeonryun Singgong was, as its name suggested, a divine technique that built up six stages of attacking power.
The first stage, the Ingan Do, was the entry point into external training that tempered body and mind.
The second stage, the Agui Do, was the phase of absorbing Qi through endless thirst and yearning.
The third stage, the Chuksaeng Do, was where combat instinct reached its peak through animalistic intuition and the maximization of physical ability.
And the fourth path that Jong Ri Pae had awakened was none other than the Jiok Do.
It was a realm that wielded the Narakse Gi—fine threads of suffering from the abyss itself, inflicted upon one’s opponent.
“Khaahaha! Scream as you fall into the torment of the abyss! That moment shall be your end!”
Slice, slice!
With Jong Ri Pae’s wild laughter, crimson blade threads erupted like serpents from the Narakdo.
Crackle!
The warp and weft intersected, forming the Jikgang Gi.
Watching this, Ho Yeon thought to himself.
‘At my current will and concentration, I can weave the Jikgang Gi for just over a quarter of an hour. Tch, far too brief.’
The situation was grim besides.
This was enemy territory, and reinforcements could arrive for him at any moment.
‘Swift victory, swift resolution!’
Rumble!
A boundless azure expanse began to bloom endlessly from his Qi Sea.
Ho Yeon’s eyes turned brilliant blue, and with his heightened vision, he began to analyze Jong Ri Pae’s Jikgang Gi.
‘Warp and weft crossing in one-to-one formation. The count roughly between twenty and thirty. A typical Plain Jikgang Gi.’
Count was a unit measuring the thickness of thread.
The larger the count, the finer the thread; the smaller, the thicker.
The Jikgang Gi Jong Ri Pae had drawn forth was sturdy, thick-threaded fabric that maximized intersections of warp and weft—a solid Plain Jikgang Gi.
In other words, coarse cloth.
Or rather, rough cotton.
‘Plain weave is coarse and uniform. Thus its durability is excellent, its structure sound. A path of rigid strength and overwhelming dominion, I’d say.’
From the Qi Force alone, Ho Yeon had already penetrated Jong Ri Pae’s martial art to a considerable degree.
‘Meeting rigid force with rigid force in limited time would be folly. Then…’
Whisper, whisper!
Ho Yeon drew forth his sword using the Changgung Gi and began to weave his own Qi Force.
Yet the pattern was entirely different from Jong Ri Pae’s rigid threads.
The threads were far finer, and the intersections of warp and weft were minimized in a floating structure that rose upward.
‘The count reaches sixty at maximum? I cannot draw it finer than this. But even so, this alone qualifies as the Juja Jikgang Gi!’
Whissssh!
The Qi Force Ho Yeon had woven was smooth, lustrous, and supple.
This was the Juja Jikgang Gi—inferior in durability and raw power, yet far swifter and more flexible in execution.
A fine silk fabric, also called Gongdan, mimicked in Qi form.
Where Plain Jikgang Gi suited hard, domineering martial arts, the Juja Jikgang Gi was perfect for swift, changing, and illusory sword techniques.
And Ho Yeon had once known a school that, based on swiftness, change, and illusion, unleashed the Cheonbyeon Manhwa—transformations without end.
‘Let me see what blooms, then. A blue plum blossom!’

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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