Namgung Heavenly Demon - Chapter 114

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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 114

Namgung Cheon’s eyes narrowed as he looked at Sohan.

Beside him, he could see a familiar face and aura.

‘Akmugyeol?’

Next to him, he spotted the Budan-ju of the Black Wind Division he had seen before.

‘The Black Wind Division has come as well.’

The fact that the Black Wind Division was here in Manmangok together with the assassins meant.

‘So these assassins were sent by the Sable Alliance.’

Akmugyeol and the Black Wind Division.

Considering the dozens of assassins on top of that.

‘Cutting down everyone and escaping won’t be easy.’

Of course, it wasn’t impossible, but there was no telling what variables might arise in the process.

And more importantly.

‘Akmugyeol definitely suspected the military as being behind Gwimyeon-gye.’

In other words, he thought the military was eating away at the Sable Alliance from within.

If that was the case.

‘I need to confirm.’

Whether that thinking had changed.

‘Or if he still suspects but came reluctantly under orders.’

Having finished his rapid thoughts, Namgung Cheon’s form moved.

Wooooong―!

The dark blue sword energy that burst from Mukhon violently scraped the ground.

Kwaaaaang!

With an explosive roar, thick clouds of dust shot up in all directions.

The moment vision was obscured.

Tadak!

Namgung Cheon quickly spun around and threw himself into the profound darkness of Cheongang.

“Pursue him! He’s fleeing downward!”

Shushushik!

Black shadows all kicked off the cliff face and poured down into Cheongang.

Namgung Cheon twisted his form in midair and hid his body in a narrow crevice between the rocks.

Then he pressed his back against the cold cliff and employed the Shadowless Stealth Technique and Taeheohosimgong.

He suppressed his energy and lowered even his heartbeat to the extreme.

Tadak. Tadak.

The footsteps of the pursuing assassins grew closer.

The assassins scattered and combed through every nook and cranny of the treacherous cliff.

Then, one assassin approached the rock crevice where Namgung Cheon was hiding.

It was one who had fallen slightly behind the formation while surveying the surroundings.

The moment the assassin stuck his head out to check behind the rocks.

Swik.

Namgung Cheon’s hand shot out from the darkness like a ghost.

“…!”

The assassin’s jawbone crumbled as his neck snapped.

Uddeuk.

The grotesque sound of rupture circled only within Namgung Cheon’s grasp before disappearing.

Namgung Cheon caught the assassin’s limp body and dragged it deep into the shadow of the rocks.

‘I need to finish this before they notice.’

Namgung Cheon quickly stripped off the dead assassin’s mask and black robes and put them on.

And then.

Shik―.

He took out the Thousand Transformation Mask.

As he brought the mask to his face, a strange warmth swept across his skin and clung to it.

In that state, he looked down at the assassin collapsed on the ground.

Udududuk.

His facial muscles and bone structure began to slowly change.

His cheekbones sank, and his eyes became snake-like and narrow.

Not only did the texture of his skin roughen, but even the sinister aura he gave off perfectly matched that of the dead assassin.

Of course, this was closer to an elaborate illusion created by the Thousand Transformation Mask.

His essence itself wasn’t being transformed.

Having completed his transformation, Namgung Cheon walked back out from the shadow of the rocks.

“Over here! He went down below!”

In the distance, assassins carrying torches were sliding down the cliff face.

Namgung Cheon naturally joined the rear of their formation without showing any signs of panic.

“Did you find him?”

One assassin passing by briefly asked.

Instead of answering, Namgung Cheon lightly shook his head.

The assassin continued walking without any suspicion.

Same clothing, same mask, and most importantly, the familiar aura of a comrade.

None of them could even imagine that Namgung Cheon, whom they were chasing, was mixed in at the end of their formation.

Namgung Cheon slowly moved while taking in the assassins’ movements.

‘If they’re assassins from the Sable Alliance… they must be Sayeongdae.’

Even in his previous life, their name had been quite well-known.

Of course, back then their level was actually much higher than now.

Eventually, the pursuit team reached the bottom of Cheongang.

Dozens of torches were lit all at once, driving away the darkness, but there were no traces of Namgung Cheon there.

“Nothing here.”

“Nothing here either.”

With each report, the atmosphere grew coldly tense.

The shoulders of the assassins who knew Sohan’s temperament began to tremble slightly.

Then, a fierce energy poured down from the cliff above.

Kwaaaaang―!

The sword energy Sohan unleashed struck the walls of Cheongang, creating massive falling rocks.

“Find him no matter what!”

Sohan’s roar echoed from atop the cliff.

Namgung Cheon watched the scene with his head lowered, mixed among the assassins.

When Sohan’s order fell, the assassins scattered and began combing through every corner of not just Cheongang, but all of Manmangok.

The group Namgung Cheon belonged to consisted of three members.

“Be careful.”

One of the three whispered low and took the lead.

Namgung Cheon silently followed behind.

And the moment their attention was divided as they surveyed the surroundings.

Shik―.

Namgung Cheon instantly slipped behind one of the assassins.

He covered the assassin’s mouth with his left hand and slashed the throat with the poison dagger in his right hand.

Chiik―.

Before blood could even spurt out, the deadly poison melted through the neck.

The assassin collapsed without even making a groan.

Then.

“…Didn’t you hear something?”

The assassin walking ahead hesitated and looked back.

At that moment.

Namgung Cheon’s eyes flashed purple.

“…!”

An illusion that perfectly deceived all five senses.

In the instant the assassin froze, Namgung Cheon’s hand seized the man’s nape.

Crack.

The assassin’s head snapped with the sound of cervical vertebrae shattering.

After perfectly concealing the two corpses, Namgung Cheon broke away from the formation again.

Namgung Cheon’s gaze, employing the Shadowless Stealth Technique, turned toward the cliff where he had seen Akmugyeol earlier.

‘Now I should go find him.’

To determine whether my sword should cut him down or not.

* * *

The disciplined movements of the assassins visible below the cliff.

Akmugyeol quietly gazed down at the scene.

‘Namgung Cheon….’

His arrogant eyes and attitude rose in Akmugyeol’s mind.

That such a Namgung Cheon would suddenly choose to flee.

‘That can’t be right.’

But then why did Namgung Cheon throw himself below Cheongang and conceal his presence?

Akmugyeol’s eyes flashed.

‘…He’s trying to create chaos.’

Then within that chaos.

‘What is he planning to do?’

Akmugyeol pondered for a moment.

‘He definitely looked at the Sayeongdae leader at the end.’

Then was he planning to cut down Sohan while the Sayeongdae was scattered?

After thinking briefly, Akmugyeol shook his head.

‘No.’

With that arrogant nature, he would have broken through head-on instead of hiding and taken Sohan’s head.

‘Then why exactly….’

At that moment, a thought flashed through his mind.

Himself standing beside Sohan.

‘…He saw me.’

Then what does he want from me?

His past conversation with Namgung Cheon rose in Akmugyeol’s mind.

―You must be suspicious of the military. As the mastermind behind this.

Himself, who had been suspicious of the military.

Namgung Cheon, who had seen right through him.

And now this strange situation.

‘He wants to talk.’

“….”

Akmugyeol slowly turned his head to look at Sohan below the cliff.

Sohan was still unable to contain his anger, pressuring his subordinates and expanding the search range.

“Search every inch!”

Sohan’s gaze was fixed only on Cheongang and the surrounding forest.

Akmugyeol quietly dismounted his horse.

“Budan-ju.”

“Yes, sir.”

“You all wait here. Just go along with the Sayeongdae appropriately.”

“Where are you going?”

Akmugyeol’s gaze turned toward the edge of the forest, toward the upstream of a secluded valley.

That place was cleverly outside the search range while still offering a view of all of Manmangok—a blind spot.

“There’s something I need to confirm.”

“But it could be dangerous. If you go together….”

“No. It’s fine. If anything happens, I’ll signal somehow.”

“…Understood.”

As Budan-ju reluctantly bowed his head, Akmugyeol slowly walked into the forest.

Since he was still within the search perimeter, assassins constantly passed by around him.

Akmugyeol frowned.

‘There are needlessly many.’

Too many assassins had been deployed.

This would make even quietly meeting with Namgung Cheon difficult.

‘I need to avoid them.’

Akmugyeol suppressed his presence.

He read the assassins’ movement patterns and moved through blind spots where their gazes couldn’t reach.

That’s when it happened.

Rustle.

He felt a faint presence behind him.

Akmugyeol listened carefully without stopping his steps.

A tremor even fainter than the sound of leaves brushing.

‘Is it Sayeongdae?’

His brow furrowed.

The place he was heading to was completely separate from the search area Sohan had designated.

Yet someone was following him, which meant.

‘Am I being watched?’

Moreover, if Sohan learned that he had moved alone despite the clear enemy Namgung Cheon, he would surely suspect his intentions.

In the worst case, this fact might reach the military’s ears and be used as evidence of treason.

Akmugyeol gritted his teeth.

‘…I have no choice.’

Akmugyeol quickened his pace toward a corner of Manmangok.

The presence following him maintained a constant distance without the slightest error.

Persistent and secretive tracking.

It was clear evidence that he was being monitored.

Finally, when he reached a dead-end clearing below a sheer cliff with nowhere left to retreat.

Akmugyeol stopped abruptly.

The cold night wind roughly shook his martial robes.

“….”

The presence behind him also stopped.

A terrible silence where even breathing couldn’t be heard.

Akmugyeol gripped the sword at his waist tightly.

‘I must end this in one strike.’

Thoom!

Akmugyeol spun around, kicking off the ground as he turned.

His blade, having closed the distance in an instant, sliced through the pitch-black darkness, rising from low to high.

Swish―!

However.

Clang―!

The assassin blocked it far too easily.

Akmugyeol’s eyes widened greatly.

To think he blocked a strike with his full power behind it.

‘Dangerous.’

Akmugyeol instinctively retreated backward.

Thud!

Having instantly put over ten zhang of distance between them, he readjusted his grip on his blade and glared at his opponent.

The assassin standing in the darkness didn’t move a muscle.

“…What are you, bastard.”

Even at Akmugyeol’s question, the assassin didn’t answer.

Instead, he slowly raised his hand toward the mask covering his face.

Crack.

At the same time, a bizarre sound echoed out.

“To see through my intention so quickly. I’ve felt this before, but you’re quite perceptive.”

A familiar voice was heard.

The assassin’s face was finally fully revealed.

The assassin with handsome yet cold features, Namgung Cheon, quietly opened his mouth.

“Let me get straight to the point.”

Shing―.

Namgung Cheon drew Mukhon.

A chilling aura swirled around the black blade.

“Choose. Whether you’ll die by my hand or…”

The cold sword tip pointed at Akmugyeol.

“Take my hand.”

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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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