The Legend of Red Cloud - Chapter 64

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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 64. The Hidden Ghost
“Something?”
Joa Ryang, his body crouched low, posed the question, and Ryu answered.
“Eun Sin.”
“How many?”
At Joa Ryang’s question, Ryu’s left hand opened two fingers and his right hand three.
Thirteen!
Not an insignificant number, but not one that should inspire fear.
“Bi Do?”
At Joa Ryang’s question, Ryu shook his head quietly and called for Jang Min Soo.
When Jang Min Soo stepped forward, Ryu asked him a question.
“Did you bring the bow?”
“Yes. I have it with me.”
“Then bring it here.”
Following Ryu’s words, Jang Min Soo went to Dong Pil and rummaged through his bag, producing a bow and arrows.
Yet they seemed smaller than what was typically used, and the arrows appeared shorter as well.
Seeing this, Cheol Ja Yong asked a question.
“Will that actually fly properly?”
“Underestimate it and you’ll be struck dead before you even know where it came from.”
At Dong Pil’s answer, Cheol Ja Yong’s eyes widened.
“To that extent?”
“Those short arrows are called Aegi Sal, and that thing that looks like a flute is called a Tong A. The destructive power is tremendous. Even without internal strength infused into them, they’ve pierced reinforced iron shields before.”
“What is that thing to possess such destructive force?”
Cheol Ja Yong’s curiosity was answered by Gwak Ki Ryang.
“It’s a Pyeon Jeon. From Haedong.”
“Haedong? Ah! Their bows are indeed the finest.”
The moment Cheol Ja Yong nodded in agreement, Jang Min Soo, following Ryu’s directions, drew the bow and released the arrow.
Whistle!
Impossible as it seemed for such a small arrow to produce such a piercing sound, it flew into the forest’s depths with a terrible Pa Gong Seong.
But no scream followed.
When Jang Min Soo looked at Ryu, he nodded.
“A direct hit. The fact that they died without making a sound tells me these are assassins.”
At Ryu’s words, Joa Ryang quickly drew his Bi Do and prepared himself.
Seeing this, Ryu instructed Jang Min Soo on a new location and angle, and soon the bow was drawn and another Aegi Sal was released.
Whistle!
With the same terrible piercing sound, the arrow flew into the dense forest of Hwan Do and vanished as if swallowed by the woods.
“Direct hit.”
Ryu spoke quietly, his eyes fixed on the forest as if waiting for something.
And a moment later, as Ryu glanced at Joa Ryang, a blade flew.
As if they had been waiting for that precise moment, Joa Ryang, who sent the blade flying, Jang Min Soo, who lowered the bow and fitted on the Su Tu, and Yi Song all rushed in.
Confused by the sudden turns of events, Dong Pil explained to the five bewildered men.
“When the second arrow found its mark, the assassins judged they’d been discovered and broke their Eun Sin to move. Joa Ryang threw the blade the moment they emerged.”
“Then, exploiting the instant when the assassins were disrupted and searching for a new place to hide, we launched our assault.”
At the explanation that followed Dong Pil’s words, the eyes of the five men widened further.
“Can an attack succeed in such a brief opening?”
“Most assassins, when their current hiding place is discovered, prepare their body to move and pre-select one additional space to hide in advance. But if they take damage even as they move to that new location?”
“Time. The time they need to find another hiding place grows longer.”
At Cheol Ja Yong’s words, Dong Pil’s head nodded.
“You see it clearly. That’s exactly it. Striking down confused enemies is nothing.”
Just as Dong Pil finished speaking, the distinctive bird call they had heard before at Saja Gwan echoed out.
Following the signal of the Jeok Sa Jo, which mimicked a bird’s cry, the members of the Jeok Sa Jo who had moved into the Hwan Do forest saw twelve corpses scattered dead and Yi Song, Joa Ryang, and Jang Min Soo standing among them.
“Twelve?”
At Dong Pil’s questioning expression, Joa Ryang answered.
“There was one fast-moving bastard mixed in. He was so quick I let him slip away.”
“Probably a messenger. He’ll move before we close in.”
At Ryu’s words, the members of the Jeok Sa Jo began moving quickly.
However, unlike at Saja Gwan, they did not collect necessary supplies from the enemy corpses.
Finding this strange, Hwangbo Jang Seong asked Dong Pil as they ran alongside him.
“We’re not collecting supplies?”
“Ah! Nothing comes from these ones.”
“Pardon?”
Dong Pil answered Hwangbo Jang Seong, who didn’t understand what he meant.
“These men are trained to leave no trace, so they don’t carry anything on them.”
In short, there was nothing to find even if you searched.
Only then did Hwangbo Jang Seong grasp the meaning, nod, and hurry after those ahead.
After running a while longer, Jeok Sa’s hand rose again.
And his gesture pointed toward Dong Pil.
“Yes!”
Dong Pil let out a short, quiet cheer, set down all the baggage, and quickly moved forward.
To Dong Pil as he took the lead, Jeok Sa spoke.
“The forest thickens ahead, and visibility is poor. From here on, you’re our vanguard.”
Dong Pil nodded at his words and moved ahead, and the others retrieved their own bags.
Jang Min Soo carried Dong Pil’s bag.
It had been the same even before the five newcomers arrived.
Though Hee Jun was the youngest, he was struggling simply to keep up without falling behind.
Noticing this, Hwangbo Jang Seong extended his hand to Jang Min Soo.
“I’ll take it.”
Jang Min Soo, seeing how fully Hwangbo Jang Seong had adapted to the Jeok Sa Jo, smiled faintly and replied.
“Next time. I’ve got it this round.”
“Understood. I’ll take my turn next time, then.”
Jang Min Soo nodded at his words and moved after Dong Pil, and the rest of the unit soon matched his pace.
Upon reaching the center of Hwan Do, the Jeok Sa Jo began digging without warning.
For some reason, the hole was narrow and deep.
It went down two body-lengths, making it quite substantial.
Once they’d dug that deep, they carefully layered gravel across the bottom.
They lined the surrounding area with stone as well.
The whole thing resembled the bottom of a well being tamped down.
Hwangbo Jang Seong, watching this, asked.
“Why are you digging?”
“Just wait and see.”
Yi Song said nothing more, and neither did anyone else.
So after about half an hour had passed, the eyes of Hwangbo Jang Seong and the other newcomers peering into the pit widened.
Water was slowly rising from the bottom.
“This is—!”
Yi Song explained to the astonished newcomers.
“It won’t hold much. But we’ll have enough to drink.”
By all accounts, Hwan Do had no water.
Had the Maeng Ui Dan or Hyeol Gwi Dae known of such a method, they would have seized Hwan Do.
The very reason they’d abandoned it was the inability to supply drinking water.
“Then why…?”
“Why haven’t they reported it?”
“Yes. If such a method exists, they could control this place…”
“They’d want to seize it.”
“Of course. If they controlled this place, they’d hold half of Saja Plain in their grasp, giving them considerable advantage.”
“Exactly.”
“Sir?”
Yi Song continued his explanation to Hwangbo Jang Seong and the other bewildered newcomers.
“You think the Hyeol Gwi Dae doesn’t know? So the Maeng Ui Dan wouldn’t let them hold it. It would inevitably trigger a bloodbath. Deaths would multiply exponentially in the process. Do you truly believe this place is worth such a cost?”
The newcomers had no answer to Yi Song’s question.
While they stood silent, the existing members of the unit quenched their thirst from the water in the pit and filled their water vessels.
The water that had collected in the stone-lined pit was surprisingly clean.
Sediment and impurities had settled to the bottom.
Clean enough to drink straight away.
As the Jeok Sa Jo drank and rested, the members grew noisy and playful.
Though they were unusually rowdy, Jeok Sa made no move to silence them.
This struck Gwak Ki Ryang as odd, so he asked.
“There was an ambush, and it seems there are more concealed enemies about—shouldn’t we be quieter?”
At Gwak Ki Ryang’s question, Jang Min Soo quickly brought a finger to his lips.
The meaning was clear.
“Shh!”
Jang Min Soo’s voice transmission cut through to the recruits, including Gwak Ki Ryang, whose eyes had widened in confusion.
“We’re executing a lure. Look—we’re here, out in the open. So strike now. That’s all there is to it.”
“But the enemy is hidden while we’re exposed. Won’t we be in danger if we’re attacked in such a state?”
“Danger, yes. But they’re in worse danger. The moment they attack, we have two people capable of pinpointing their location.”
The recruits understood that one of the two skilled individuals Jang Min Soo mentioned was Ryu. But the other one…?
Dong Pil, whom they all stared at, glared back with an expression that seemed to say, “What do you want from me?”
Just as they were thinking it couldn’t possibly be him, Dong Pil’s gaze suddenly shifted toward the forest.
And moments later.
A small squirrel emerged from the undergrowth.
The newcomers—recently dubbed “veteran novices” by the others—couldn’t hide their astonishment that Dong Pil had detected the movement of such a small creature, something none of the other unit members had even sensed.
So it was confirmed: the other gifted one was indeed Dong Pil.
While Ryu and Dong Pil kept their focus fixed on the forest, waiting, the rest of the unit members were busy talking and joking around.
Of course, their attention too was wholly directed toward the forest.
Though not quite matching Ryu or Dong Pil’s level, they couldn’t completely let their guard down when they knew perfectly well that enemies were out there.
As they chattered noisily, Ryu, who had been sitting leisurely, was observed by the Jeok Sa Jo members shifting position slightly to better draw out Yu Myeong.
Those who understood what it meant tensed all at once.
Though of course, they kept laughing and talking as before.
Then, after roughly another half a quarter of an hour had passed, Dong Pil, who had been chatting about Hwangbo Jang Seong and the garrison nearby, suddenly bolted forward.
Joa Ryang and Hwangbo Jang Seong responded and moved with him.
They hadn’t sensed anything themselves, but they ran after Dong Pil unconditionally.
Their movements were so lightning-fast that the rest only managed a startled twitch before losing sight of them.
Those chasing Dong Pil had already vanished into the forest.
And now Ryu’s figure was nowhere to be seen either.
The remaining members positioned Hee Jun and Yun in the center and formed a circular perimeter, preparing for any contingency.
The warriors of the Hyeol Gwi Dae, who had been approaching quietly to draw their blades for the attack, started in shock.
Rustling sounds erupted as three masters descended upon them at terrifying speed.
Their velocity was ferociously fast, and their technique savage beyond measure.
Seven of their ten companions fell with their necks severed before they could even manage another breath, and only then did a counteroffensive become possible.
But even that fell short.
Just as they thought they’d blocked the enemy’s blade, another sword shot up suddenly from beneath their chin.
Joa Ryang and Hwangbo Jang Seong, having finished off the remaining enemies, turned their full attention to Dong Pil, who had severed the last opponent’s lifeline with his twin blades.
Understanding the signal, Dong Pil’s senses activated, and moments later, moving with lightning speed, Joa Ryang and Hwangbo Jang Seong launched their bodies after him.
The movements of these top-tier masters were terrifyingly swift.
Blood trickled down the edge of Yu Myeong as Ryu extended his arm to retrieve it.
Ryu, his gaze turning slowly inward into the forest, was surrounded by corpses numbering in the dozens strewn about haphazardly.
As though paying no mind to those bodies at all, his form dispersed deeper into the forest.
***
As the Mil Gwi organization recovered from their previous losses, new members were integrated into their ranks.
They were sent from the Moyong Family, possessed considerable Assassin Martial Arts training, and demonstrated exceptional prowess in Eun Sin, making them skilled combatants indeed.
The Mil Gwi called them the Eun Gwi—spirits that lingered in the shadows.
Their number was fifty.
That fell slightly short of half the Mil Gwi’s total force of one hundred and thirty.
Yet because they were rated as equivalent in combat strength to all the rest combined, their ability could be easily imagined.
Eun Eun Mil, the commander of these Eun Gwi, was now bewildered.
Despite having sounded the assembly whistle, only twelve people had gathered.
Excluding the two under his direct command, thirty-eight were unaccounted for.
As Eun Eun Mil looked about for an answer, his eye caught sight of a figure tearing through the forest and rushing forward with terrible force.
A strange weapon with long blades protruding from both ends of the hilt.
That notorious warrior of the Hyeol Gwi Dae—it was Ryu himself!
“Scatter—”
Eun Eun Mil’s roar never finished.
Yu Myeong’s edge, which had closed in before he knew it, caught his throat halfway through and passed beyond.
‘Too fast.’
That was Eun Eun Mil’s final thought before death.
Around Eun Eun Mil, who collapsed with his throat half-severed, corpses of Eun Gwi members who had met equally helpless fates accumulated.
Having swept away the last of the Eun Gwi, Ryu’s form vanished once more into the forest.
Following the traces of movement through the woods at high speed, Ryu emerged at a place where Dong Pil, Joa Ryang, and Hwangbo Jang Seong were locked in hand-to-hand combat with dozens of Mil Gwi warriors.

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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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