The Granddaughter of Manhyang Escort Bureau Hides Her Magic - Chapter 125
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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 125
Taehono grabbed his long spear that he had placed beside him and shot up from his seat, turning to look at Noksa.
“A wild beast must have touched it.”
It was the moment Noksa said those words.
Someone was lightly leaping over the tall wooden fence and leisurely entering the mountain stronghold.
Noksa was greatly surprised.
‘I had densely strung threads around the trees and ground surrounding the stronghold and even hung bells on them. I set them up widely and meticulously, yet he only triggered one bell while coming all the way here?’
Unlike the startled Taehono and Noksa, the young man who had walked into the tiger’s den with his own feet remained completely calm.
“Are you the leader here?”
His composure caused the guards on watch to panic.
“What is this, a guest?”
“At this late hour?”
“Then is he an enemy? A thief?”
“Idiot, we’re Green Forest Bandits, so why would a thief come here? Wait, then… is he an enemy?”
“He still looks young though? But his build is impressive.”
“The stronghold leader will give orders, let’s just watch.”
The murmuring underlings seemed to have sorted things out in their own way as they stealthily moved to form a circle centered around the stronghold leader and Mugyeol.
At the commotion, those who had been preparing for battle inside the stronghold also came rushing out.
Meanwhile, Mugyeol and Taehono assessed each other. Noksa was sending hand signals to his subordinates from behind, preparing them for any emergency.
It was Taehono who broke the tense silence.
“You’re the porter from Manhyang Express that we saw today. Who sent you? Did that young Escort Warrior girl drive you to your death? What did she say when she sent you?”
Taehono was asking unusually many questions. It was because he had recognized that the person before him was a master.
Noksa would think that the bell not ringing was either a coincidence or his mistake, but Taehono was different.
That bastard had infiltrated the stronghold without touching the bells. He must have deliberately triggered one at the end to announce his visit.
Considering the range of the warning bells they had set up, he must have lightly stepped only on the tips of high tree branches and moved by leaping through the air over long distances.
It was impossible unless one was a master who had trained in high-level Footwork Techniques.
And the killing intent that made his skin tingle was extraordinary.
‘If it’s this intense even when he’s hiding it, it would be chaos if he revealed it openly.’
Taehono tightened his grip on his spear.
“Young girl? You couldn’t possibly be referring to our young miss, could you?”
Mugyeol’s eyes flashed with a fierce blue light. Killing intent exploded from him like an eruption.
Several Green Forest Bandits with lower cultivation levels trembled and collapsed to the ground.
Taehono’s hand also trembled slightly, but he pretended to be unaffected and clenched his fist.
“Just state your purpose for coming here. If you want us to clear the path at dawn…”
“Who decides the toll?”
“The stronghold leader decides.”
Mugyeol frowned at the voice he heard from beside him.
It was the person who had been next to Taehono the whole time. He knew the man had been moving stealthily. So he had been preparing for a surprise attack, but the man unexpectedly introduced himself.
“I am Noksa, the strategist of Taehang Stronghold.”
And very politely at that.
“Noksa Lee! Come here immediately!”
Taehono let out a thunderous roar.
Noksa glanced at Taehono.
“Chief, please calm down. We’re all just trying to survive, aren’t we?”
What Noksa was worried about wasn’t the safety of the mountain stronghold, but his own life and death.
Being quick-witted, he had gauged Mugyeol’s skill from Taehono’s reaction and decided to abandon the chief and follow Mugyeol in order to survive.
“You, I always knew you were a cunning bastard, but you snake!”
Taehono gripped his spear with both hands and broke it at the joints. The long spear transformed into a three-section staff in an instant.
He looked ready to hurl the three-section staff at Noksa immediately.
“Wait, why are you two fighting?”
When Mugyeol asked, Taehono hesitated.
Now was the time to focus on defeating the enemy before him.
The strategist Noksa’s betrayal could be dealt with later according to Taehang Stronghold’s discipline.
Taehono, barely managing to collect himself, asked.
“Did you bring the toll?”
Taehono tried to think logically.
What reason would a porter have for coming to the mountain stronghold alone in the dead of night?
‘He must have come to pay the toll.’
This wasn’t exactly logical either, but if he was in a hurry, it wasn’t incomprehensible.
Mugyeol shook his head and looked back at Noksa.
“You said earlier that the chief decides the toll, right?”
“Yes, sir Porter.”
Mugyeol was annoyed by how this Noksa fellow addressed him, but he let it slide since he had things to find out.
“What should I do if I don’t like that decision?”
“You could try persuading him with words, and if that doesn’t work, you can fight the chief and win.”
The first method had already been attempted by Shin Ah but failed.
Without hesitation, Mugyeol chose the second method and drew his sword.
“I see. Then I’ll have to defeat you.”
Taehono, who had already anticipated a fight, launched the end section of his three-section staff the moment Mugyeol finished speaking.
The three-section staff flew like an arrow and caught on Mugyeol’s sword, its chain wrapping around it.
‘Got him!’
Taehono sensed his victory.
No warrior who had lost their sword to his three-section staff had ever returned alive.
However, there are always exceptions in this world.
“Hahahaha! You speak carelessly with that hole in your face! Kill me? If you can do it, then… Gack!”
Mugyeol, moving with the pulling force of the sword and shooting forward like an arrow, struck Taehono’s solar plexus.
With just one straight punch, Taehono’s internal organs shook and twisted. It was a punch imbued with the mysteries of internal energy cultivation.
Looking at him writhing in pain, Mugyeol said.
“You’re noisy.”
Tae Hono was not only struck by the Internal Energy technique, but also suffered a great mental shock.
Even though he had entangled and pulled the sword with his three-section staff, he couldn’t even see Mugyeol approaching.
Feeling a sense of crisis, Tae Hono retreated greatly and shouted.
“A surprise attack, how cowardly!”
It wasn’t something he should say after suddenly launching his three-section staff.
Gripping the end of the three-section staff, he shot the last section like an arrow.
Whoosh, the power of the three-section staff cutting through the air was tremendous. Even a slight graze would seem to shatter one’s skull.
But that was only if it made contact.
Mugyeol twisted his body and dodged the three-section staff.
Then Tae Hono burst into laughter and swiftly swung his three-section staff.
“Hahaha, you fool! I already knew how you would react.”
The three-section staff changed direction as if dancing and flew toward Mugyeol’s back.
Mugyeol quickly corrected his stance and powerfully struck the three-section staff flying from behind with his palm filled with Internal Energy.
Bang, along with the sound, a sharp pain arose in Mugyeol’s wrist.
Mugyeol clicked his tongue and used the Golden Fishing technique to hook and pull the three-section staff.
“This brat! I was going to go easy on you because you’re young, but you’re unbelievably arrogant.”
Tae Hono wouldn’t just let his weapon be stolen. He puffed up his chest and planted both legs into the ground, holding firm. They seemed to be buried at least half a foot deep.
Mugyeol and Tae Hono engaged in a tug-of-war over the three-section staff. The tautly stretched staff trembled.
Tae Hono’s strength was terrifying.
Mugyeol’s arm muscles bulged prominently.
‘Don’t be deceived by names, don’t be misled by appearances.’
Ok Chifung’s teaching came to mind.
An old tiger indeed, he was truly not an opponent to underestimate.
Now what should he do.
While Mugyeol was pondering, Tae Hono suddenly released the three-section staff.
“…!”
As the pulling force suddenly disappeared, Mugyeol staggered, and the three-section staff that had shot up high came flying toward him.
Mugyeol immediately regained his balance and struck away the two sections of the flying three-section staff with sharp taps.
And as he turned his head to look for Tae Hono, he was already right in front of Mugyeol’s nose.
“You didn’t expect this, did you?”
Tae Hono drove his fist into Mugyeol’s solar plexus. It was revenge for earlier.
“You’re still far from being able to defeat me. The position of Taehang Mountain’s leader wasn’t bought with money!”
While Mugyeol staggered, Tae Hono snatched back his three-section staff.
He spun the end section of the three-section staff with a whooshing sound.
“Don’t resent me too much. If not me, you’d face a more cruel death at the hands of another master. I’ll cut off your breath in one strike.”
Knowing well that dragging out the fight would only be disadvantageous to him, Tae Hono poured all his strength into striking down with the three-section staff from top to bottom.
It was a devastating blow that gathered momentum by striking upward from below, drawing a semicircle, and delivering a powerful strike.
However, large movements in attacks tend to have many openings.
Mugyeol, who quickly regained his senses, sat down and kicked with all his might, channeling internal energy into his foot.
What did he kick?
Taeho-no’s ankle.
Crack!
Right after the sound of something breaking, the three-section staff, unable to overcome inertia, crashed into the ground.
“Aaaaaargh!”
At the same time, Taeho-no let out a scream. Something white was protruding from Taeho-no’s left ankle.
Mugyeol didn’t miss the opportunity when he lost his balance and grabbed his scabbard, swinging it at Taeho-no’s right ankle.
Thwack!
“My ankle, aaaaaargh, you, damn, bastard, aargh, my ankle!”
Taeho-no couldn’t endure the pain and screamed with his eyes rolling back.
Unless one was a supreme master, when both legs became unusable, the fight was as good as over.
However, Mugyeol, who had learned through bitter experience from following Ok Chifung that finishing moves must be certain, wasn’t satisfied with that and threw his fist with all his might toward Taeho-no’s solar plexus.
Strange Power Eighteen Fists – Mountain Breaking Pulverization.
The mountain-crushing fist brought down Taeho-no.
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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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