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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Chaos
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Goreokgal’s lips curled into a sneer at Namgung-Woo’s dismissive tone, as if addressing mere training dummies.
“Those two brats…? Against me, Goreokgal?”
An even stronger stench of blood, accompanied by a surge of killing intent, erupted from Goreokgal. Wi Seong-ha gasped for breath, choking on the oppressive aura. Only after Lee Gong-seo and Wi Ji-ryang stepped forward, shielding her from the killing intent, could she breathe normally again.
The pressure Yang Kwai and Yang Jeong felt, standing closer to Goreokgal, was even greater.
Though they considered themselves seasoned veterans, Goreokgal’s killing intent was different. A lifetime of bloodshed. The rumors of him secretly learning the Blood Cult’s techniques seemed true; his True Qi felt alien, somehow distorted.
As Peng Ha-ryeong had heard, he wasn’t a Transcendent Realm expert, but he was clearly on a different level from ordinary Peak Realm martial artists.
But Namgung-Woo, seemingly unconcerned by Goreokgal’s rage, simply turned his head.
“And the rest of you, stop hiding and come out.”
His words weren’t a bluff or a random guess.
His voice was steady, unwavering. It carried the weight of absolute certainty.
Realizing their concealment was futile, the hidden figures emerged from the shadows, following Goreokgal.
“Sorcery? His cultivation doesn’t seem that high, yet… impressive.”
A middle-aged man with a sly smile. He was the embodiment of the idiom “hiding a knife behind a smile”.
However, unlike Goreokgal, whose appearance had elicited gasps of recognition, no one seemed to know who he was.
They simply tensed, sensing that his level of power wasn’t far below Goreokgal’s.
“Tsk, the Unnamed Blade of the Smiling Ferocious Wolf doesn’t seem so impressive after all.”
“You’d best hold your tongue, Blood-Blind Elder.”
The two exchanged insults.
The Smiling Ferocious Wolf maintained his smile even as he threatened Goreokgal.
But Namgung-Woo saw the glint in his narrowed eyes, devoid of any warmth or light.
“Did you not hear me? I said stop hiding.”
This time, Namgung-Woo infused his voice with True Qi.
It was a threat. A clear warning that he would act if they didn’t comply.
He was ready to move at any moment, channeling Heavenly Thunder True Qi to his feet.
The air, which had been heavy with Goreokgal and the Smiling Ferocious Wolf’s presence, shifted, now centered on Namgung-Woo.
The last hidden figure finally stepped forward.
“Hiding? I simply didn’t think my presence was necessary.”
This time, the reaction was different.
Mostly from the people behind them.
“Flying Dragon Spear!”
“Elder Noh, what are you doing?!”
Wi Ji-ryang and Wi Seong-ha cried out in disbelief.
“Do… do you know him?”
Yang Kwai, who had already drawn his sword, gestured towards the newcomer with its tip.
The Clear Water Sect disciples, who had moved closer for safety, answered immediately.
“Don’t you know him? Noh Hae-rip, the Flying Dragon Spear! He’s a famous expert in the southern regions!”
“But why is Elder Noh…?”
Wi Seong-ha seemed particularly shocked by No Hae-rip’s presence on the enemy side, suggesting a prior acquaintance.
But Namgung-Woo was more interested in Wi Ji-ryang’s words.
‘A famous expert.’
So, someone renowned throughout the region.
He added another data point to his understanding of this world’s power levels.
‘About the same level as Peng Mu-ho. He could enter the Transcendent Realm with a moment of enlightenment.’
Peng Mu-ho was a complete martial artist. His physical conditioning, True Qi cultivation, and understanding of martial arts were all exceptional.
But he lacked one crucial element: enlightenment.
That was why Peng Ja-ryeong, not Peng Mu-ho, had become the Peng Family’s third Transcendent Realm expert.
Noh Hae-rip was similar.
His essence, energy, and spirit were balanced and harmonious. His martial skills were exceptional.
Yet, he remained at the Peak Realm. A challenger standing at the threshold of the Transcendent Realm, but unable to cross it.
“He’ll be a good opponent for Ha-ryeong.”
“Leave it to me.”
Peng Ha-ryeong had been itching to unleash the lightning Qi she’d been accumulating.
A strong opponent? That was even better.
Who had she been sparring with lately?
Peng Mu-ho, who was at a similar level to No Hae-rip.
During the Beijing incident, she had faced the Transcendent Realm expert, the Black Tortoise Guardian.
Since returning to Tianjin, she had trained with Peng Hou-sang and Namgung-Woo, both peerless experts.
She could no longer be satisfied with weaker opponents.
In that sense, No Hae-rip was a perfect match. He was an ideal opponent to test her growth and see how much stronger she had become since her sparring sessions with Peng Mu-ho.
“Hold on. There’s no need for bloodshed.”
Noh Hae-rip, sensing Peng Ha-ryeong’s eagerness to fight, stopped her and addressed Namgung-Woo, who appeared to be the leader.
“My demands are simple. The Dragon Eye Orb. Hand it over, and we’ll leave peacefully.”
“Despicable! Consorting with such villains for a mere treasure…! Aren’t you ashamed to be called an expert?!”
Perhaps due to his position as Junior Sect Leader, or perhaps because he believed Namgung-Woo and his group would protect them, Wi Ji-ryang boldly stepped forward.
But Noh Hae-rip ignored him, his gaze fixed on Namgung-Woo as he repeated his demand.
“What do you say? I’m warning you, if this turns into a fight, I won’t hold back.”
Wi Ji-ryang, intimidated by Noh Hae-rip’s aura, stumbled backward.
Even within the same realm, there were vast differences in skill.
A novice who had just entered the Peak Realm was no match for someone who had spent decades honing their skills at that level.
The difference was greater than that between a third-rate and a first-rate martial artist.
“N-Nam Oppa…”
Wi Ji-ryang’s only hope was Namgung-Woo.
If they fought, the three members of the Clear Water Sect would be slaughtered, even if they combined their strength.
Ignoring Wi Ji-ryang’s desperate plea, Namgung-Woo spoke.
“So, the treasure the Clear Water Sect was hiding was the Dragon Eye Orb.”
He had suspected from the start that the Clear Water Sect was hiding something.
How had the rumors of Goreokgal’s attack spread? There were no survivors from the Seogeum Gate group who had been supposedly slaughtered by Goreokgal.
That meant there had been other people with them. People who had escaped the attack and fled back to Nanjing.
“Was the Seogeum Gate group used as bait?”
Wi Ji-ryang paled and waved his hands frantically at Namgung-Woo’s cold question.
“T-that’s absurd! We didn’t even know Noh Hae-rip was targeting us!”
“So, initially, it was just Goreokgal. That makes sense. If you had seen all three of them, you wouldn’t have returned to Nanjing. Even if you had miraculously survived, you wouldn’t have simply hired mercenaries and left again. Hmm… Was I wrong? Or is your relationship with them worse than I thought?”
Namgung-Woo’s words were a mix of questions and musings, blurring the line between inquiry and self-reflection.
Goreokgal, who had been momentarily silent after Noh Hae-rip’s arrival, finally lost his patience and drew a pair of kama from behind his back.
“Enough talk! Save your babbling for the afterlife!”
“Wait! I haven’t heard your answer yet!”
“Answer my foot! Can’t you see? He’s already decided to fight. This is why I can’t stand working with the righteous sects.”
The Smiling Ferocious Wolf also drew his uniquely serrated blade, radiating a menacing aura.
“That old man is quick to catch on. And Noh Hae-rip, was it? You’d better choose your words carefully next time. When we act, it’s not ‘I,’ but ‘we.’”
Noh Hae-rip had spoken of his demands, not their demands.
That meant Noh Hae-rip might be satisfied with the Dragon Eye Orb, but the other two weren’t.
There was no avoiding a fight. They all had different goals, and there was no way to negotiate a solution that would satisfy all three.
“Well, if there is a next time.”
While Noh Hae-rip’s negotiation skills were lacking, he was quick to act.
“Kahh!”
With a shout, he lunged forward, thrusting his spear. At the same moment, Peng Ha-ryeong’s arm shot out like lightning, drawing her saber.
“How dare you attack Oppa!”
Clang!
Saber and spear clashed, unleashing a shockwave that sent ripples through the air, whipping clothes and hair around them.
“That’s a sharp move for a young girl!”
Noh Hae-rip was a true martial artist. He hadn’t been holding back.
That thrust was Flying Dragon Thrust, the first move of his signature Flying Dragon Spear technique.
And it had been blocked by a mere draw from this young woman.
‘Her True Qi is stronger than mine?’
Thirty years of training… All that time spent honing his skills, and this young girl’s cultivation was comparable?
‘A genius, huh… You too…?!’
Noh Hae-rip’s face contorted.
Why did the Withered Hope Society target promising talents?
It stemmed from envy. They hated those who were more talented, but they couldn’t defeat those their own age who had already surpassed them. So they killed younger talents to soothe their bruised egos.
Cowards taking the easy way out, avoiding the difficult path of self-improvement.
But the members of the Withered Hope Society weren’t untalented. On the contrary, they had once been considered prodigies themselves.
True inferiority didn’t breed envy. A beggar might envy a slightly more successful beggar, but not a wealthy official riding in a luxurious carriage.
Their talent, just enough to fuel their envy, was also the reason they couldn’t overcome it and ultimately crumbled.
Noh Hae-rip, once a respected member of the righteous sects, had fallen prey to this envy and joined the Withered Hope Society.
“Die!!”
With a roar, Noh Hae-rip twisted his spear, aiming for a blind spot.
A cunning strike, meant to exploit a weakness. But for Peng Ha-ryeong, there were no blind spots.
‘Oppa’s lightning Qi…’
Drawing upon the Heavenly Thunder True Qi Namgung-Woo had shared with her, Peng Ha-ryeong’s saber technique transformed.
The Linking Rings Soul-Stealing Saber Art shifted into the Heaven and Earth Thundering Saber Art.
Crack!
With a thunderous boom, her saber struck Noh Hae-rip’s spear and body, sending him flying.
He instinctively retreated, minimizing the damage, but a trickle of blood ran down his chin, a sign of internal injury.
But Peng Ha-ryeong didn’t pursue him. She stood calmly, as if inviting him to recover and attack again.
Sensing her intent, Noh Hae-rip’s face, contorted with rage and envy, tightened his grip on his spear.
Three exchanges.
Three moves executed in the span of two breaths.
As the Clear Water Sect disciples, along with Goreokgal and the Smiling Ferocious Wolf, watched in stunned silence, Namgung-Woo nudged the Yang brothers.
“What are you waiting for? Go fight.”
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