Return of the Sword Emperor - Chapter 34

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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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Chapter 12: As Long as It Lands (3)

“The Cheonrang Dan Master has arrived.”

At her subordinate’s report, Jeong Yu-hwa’s eyes—the Dan Master of Jeokwol Dan—turned cold and sharp.

“Hmph! Still as sluggish as ever. Bring him upstairs.”
“Yes, ma’am.”

Once her subordinate had withdrawn, Jeong Yu-hwa rose from her seat, brushing back the hair that had fallen across her face, and found herself straightening her robes without quite meaning to.
She had just reached the guest room where Yi Hyo, bearer of the Tal-hon Sword, was staying when Ye Do-hwang, the Cheonrang Dan Master, appeared at the far end of the corridor.
Jeong Yu-hwa halted instinctively, waiting for him to approach.

“It’s been a while.”

Ye Do-hwang greeted her with a slight nod.

“It has. I never thought we’d meet again like this.”
“Neither did I. Things have certainly taken an unexpected turn.”
“I heard the Cheonrang Dan had suffered a defeat.”

The corner of Jeong Yu-hwa’s mouth curved upward slightly.

“That’s rather harsh language.”

At the word “defeat,” a flicker of irritation crossed Ye Do-hwang’s brow.

“But it’s not wrong, is it? You’re right. That’s why I couldn’t simply stand by.”
“Your arrogance hasn’t changed. In any case, don’t let your foolishness shackle us this time. Like before.”
“You worry over nothing. That will never happen again.”

With those words firmly spoken, Ye Do-hwang opened the door.
Inside, not only Yi Hyo, the bearer of the Tal-hon Sword, but also elders from the Eunma Hall and the Elder Hall, along with several Law Protectors, had gathered.

“The Cheonrang Dan Master, Ye Do-hwang, pays his respects to the esteemed ones.”

As Ye Do-hwang offered a formal bow, welcoming voices rose from all around the room.

“So you’ve finally returned from the main house. It’s good to see you again.”
“I heard you’d come back. How delightful to see you face to face.”
“Tsk, tsk—how did the Cheonrang Dan fall into such a state? You have your work cut out for you, Master.”
“Still, I do worry whether your blade has dulled in the interim.”

Ye Do-hwang took his seat, receiving words of welcome, encouragement, and concern in equal measure, and surveyed those around him.
Three masters from the Eunma Hall, three from the Elder Hall, and six from the Law Protection Hall had moved to support both the Cheonrang Dan and the Jeokwol Dan.
Though only a dozen in number, their strength was formidable beyond measure.

‘Originally, only the Elder Hall and the Law Protection Hall were supposed to move.’

Ye Do-hwang’s gaze turned toward the elder masters of the Eunma Hall.
In stark contrast to the grave atmosphere surrounding them, those elders exuded a leisure that seemed to hail from an entirely different world.

‘The Yahon Dan Master once said that the Eunma Hall elders had grown weary of their monotonous days and simply stepped out for a walk. Now I understand his meaning. Yet, as circumstances have unfolded, it has proven a blessing.’

For an assault on Chamhoe-ok alone, the full mobilization of both the Cheonrang Dan and the Jeokwol Dan would have seemed excessive. But once the involvement of the Tang Family and the Mudang Sect had been confirmed, the situation had become one where even such numbers might prove insufficient. Yet the operation had not been cancelled—precisely because the elder masters of the Mado Alliance had begun moving in force. The participation of the Eunma Hall masters in particular was worth a thousand soldiers and ten thousand horses.

“Now that the Master has arrived, let us begin the meeting.”

At Yi Hyo’s words, the clamorous atmosphere settled into quiet.

“Ban Cho.”
“Yes, Elder.”

Yahon Dan’s Vice Master Ban Cho rose quietly and answered.

“How much farther to Chamhoe-ok?”
“Roughly seven days, sir.”
“When will the Tang Family and Mudang Sect dogs heading to Chamhoe-ok arrive?”
“At our current pace, they should arrive about a day ahead of us.”

Yi Hyo nodded and asked again.

“What of the Sahon Group?”
“By now they should be launching their assault on the Yang Family compound.”
“Swift.”
“They have fewer men than the Cheonrang Dan or Jeokwol Dan, but they moved first—that’s their advantage.”
“We mustn’t fall into the same trap as Ta Cho-gyeong. That worries me.”

Yeom Yu, the Asura Old Devil, raised his cup and voiced his concern.

“Tsk, worry’s written in the stars. But there are no experts quite like those scoundrels when it comes to this sort of work—best to leave it to them.”

Jang Rae, the Tyrant Heavenly Divine Demon, clinked his cup against Yeom Yu’s and clicked his tongue approvingly.
Yi Hyo glanced sideways at the elders of Eunma Hall who had quietly inserted themselves into the conversation, then turned toward Ye Do-hwang and Jeong Yu-hwa.

“According to the military advisor’s plan: the Cheonrang Dan strike the Tang Family, the Jeokwol Dan strike the Mudang Sect and Daeho Sect. After we eliminate them, we move on Chamhoe-ok. Understood?”
“Understood, sir.”

Ye Do-hwang and Jeong Yu-hwa answered in unison.

“To strike them before they reach Chamhoe-ok, we’ll need to move swiftly—I think we should hurry a bit.”
“Elder.”

Ban Cho called out to Yi Hyo carefully.

“Speak.”
“There’s a timing difference between when the Tang Family and Mudang Sect arrive at Chamhoe-ok. The Mudang Sect will arrive slightly sooner.”
“You’re saying the Cheonrang Dan needs to move faster to strike the Tang Family and then rejoin at Chamhoe-ok in time.”
“Precisely, sir.”

Yi Hyo turned his gaze toward Ye Do-hwang.

“See that you don’t fall behind. Move with haste.”
“Understood, sir.”
“The Mudang Sect and Chamhoe-ok can be handled adequately by the Jeokwol Dan alone, Elder.”

At Jeong Yu-hwa’s words, Yi Hyo’s eyes narrowed.

“What do you mean?”
“You yourself know the Cheonrang Dan’s strength has been halved, do you not? I worry that rushing needlessly could lead to failure instead. Though their numbers are fewer, the Tang Family is hardly a trivial opponent. I suggest we disregard Chamhoe-ok for now and focus all effort on contending with the Tang Family—that seems the wiser course.”

On the surface she seemed to express concern for the Cheonrang Dan, but Ye Do-hwang knew full well she was contemning and mocking them instead.

“Right now you—”

Just as Ye Do-hwang was about to object, Yi Hyo raised his hand and cut him off.

“It’s true the Cheonrang Dan suffered a grave setback before. So then—no need for excuses. Prove it. Prove that the Jeokwol Dan Master’s concerns are groundless. Isn’t that right?”

Ye Do-hwang bit down hard on his lip and nodded.

“Understood. I’ll prove it.”

Yi Hyo caught the fierce gleam in Ye Do-hwang’s eyes—pride wounded, anger kindling—and offered a thin smile. Then he turned to Jeong Yu-hwa.

“If the Jeokwol Dan spoke boldly, then you’ll need to back it up with skill.”
“Leave it to me.”

Jeong Yu-hwa’s reply came confident and steady, her gaze fixed on Ye Do-hwang.

* * *

The Training Ground belonged to the guards of the Oeok Department.
At blazing noon, Namgung Ho moved desperately across the sun-scorched ground, sweat streaming down his face.

“Slower.”

The wooden sword cut through the air with cold precision, striking Namgung Ho’s shoulder dead-on.

“Agh!”

A sharp cry tore from his throat as he stumbled, and another stroke came immediately. Namgung Ho twisted away and swung his blade in desperation, the steel whistling through empty air.
Before his strike even completed its arc, the wooden sword came down on his wrist.
He barely kept his grip, but the pain that shot up his arm made his whole body shudder.

“Your counterattack is too crude. No matter how dire the situation, you have to stay calm.”

Dokgo Jin spoke matter-of-factly as his wooden sword never paused.
The strikes kept coming, targeting every vital point on Namgung Ho’s body, and no matter how he twisted, retreated, or desperately struck back, it was all futile. Dokgo Jin’s wooden sword hunted his weaknesses with relentless precision, finding its mark every time.
Each hit tore a scream from Namgung Ho’s throat; each strike sent him writhing in agony.

“Oho! That one had to hurt.”
“He’s too busy dodging. When it gets that bad, it’s better to lean into it and push forward—it hurts less that way.”

Jong Gak and Yu Seol-ran traded remarks, laughing as Namgung Ho thrashed across the ground in a blur of motion.
Their companions on the other side flinched and sighed with each blow Namgung Ho took, sharing in his torment.
It was only natural that the two sides watched with such opposite expressions and reactions.
Jong Gak and Yu Seol-ran had already suffered far worse than Namgung Ho.
Their clothes hung in tatters, their hair lay matted and wild, their faces caked with sweat and dust—proof enough of what they’d endured.
The others hadn’t even begun yet. But they knew all too well the ordeal waiting for them.
Dokgo Jin had been sparring with them for five days straight now.
In one corner of the Training Ground, where the shade pooled deep, Won Jong and Woo Gon sat nursing cups of wine, conducting their own leisurely critique.

“They’ve all improved quite a bit.”

Woo Gon swirled his empty cup and spoke; Won Jong poured fresh wine and nodded.

“True enough. Look at the Vice Master—today he lasted thirty seconds. Remember how he fell to pieces in five on the first day?”
“That was a different caliber entirely. To be honest, I still don’t understand it. When he first came to the Milgeom Dan, he wasn’t anywhere near this level.”
“He did spar with the Vice Master back then.”
“A stalemate.”
“Come on—everyone saw that he was holding back.”
“Even so, how could the gap widen this much in just a few months? It doesn’t make sense. And look at his movements. I could accept a sudden leap in skill, sure. But those motions… I just can’t make sense of them. He moves like someone who’s spent a lifetime rolling across battlefields. The ease of it is unnatural.”

Won Jong gave a hollow laugh at Woo Gon’s words.

“You still don’t see it? Common sense only applies to ordinary people like us. For that kind of monster, it doesn’t apply at all.”
……
“Don’t try to make sense of it. Just accept it.”
“You’re right—I’ve never seen growth like that before.”

Woo Gon could only nod in agreement with Won Jong’s words; common sense didn’t apply here.

“But now that you mention it, there’s another monster in the mix.”

Won Jong gestured toward Namgung Ho, who knelt on one knee, gasping for breath.

“True. Dokgo Jin—that bastard’s shadow is so enormous we overlook it, but he’s a monster in his own right. The Samhwa Chukjeong realm at that age! I could hardly believe it even seeing it with my own eyes.”
“If Yu Seol-ran and he fought, who would win?”

At Won Jong’s question, Woo Gon’s gaze drifted to Yu Seol-ran, sitting side by side with Jong Gak, utterly exhausted.

“Hard to say. In a practice match, he might have a shot. But in real combat? I’d still give it to Yu Seol-ran.”
“Why?”
“Why? We saw how she fights on the battlefield.”
“A madwoman.”

Won Jong lowered his voice considerably, worried Yu Seol-ran might hear.

“Heh! That’s exactly the reason.”
“Ha ha, fair point.”

As Woo Gon and Won Jong snickered between themselves, Namgung Ho finally collapsed entirely.

“Good work.”

Dokgo Jin tossed out words that were hardly comforting, then flicked the wooden sword toward Yong Cheol-seung.

“Come on.”

Yong Cheol-seung shuffled forward like an ox being led to slaughter.

“Take it easy, would you? Tomorrow’s the day I leave, and I need to go back in one piece.”

Before Yong Cheol-seung had even finished speaking, Namgung Ho—who’d been lying there beaten—lifted his head and shouted.

“That’s nonsense! Because you’re leaving, we have to work even harder!”

His voice carried an unmistakable determination not to suffer alone.

“You bastard…….”

Yong Cheol-seung gritted his teeth and glowered, but nothing changed. He could see from Dokgo Jin’s expression that his protest had fallen on deaf ears.
Yong Cheol-seung raised his sword.

“Damn it! Fine, do as you like.”

Yong Cheol-seung steadied his breathing and swung with all his strength. Not merely the form of a practice bout, but an attack indistinguishable from real combat.
His Internal Force was drawn to its peak, and the blow carried enough force to tear flesh and shatter bone if it landed.
Yet even as Yong Cheol-seung attacked, there wasn’t a trace of hesitation in his movements.
The dread had vanished on the first day of live combat, when he’d watched Jong Gak and Yu Seol-ran get beaten mercilessly.

From that moment on, he was thrashed like dust beaten from cloth on a rainy day.

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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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