Chapter v11c23: Thunderbolt Valley

**Thunderbolt Valley**

– A Blood Wind Blowing in the Mist

Thunderbolt Valley

The Land of Falling Lightning

These seven characters were engraved on a boundary stone that had weathered decades of wind and rain.

“Whew!”

Jang Hong whistled lightly.

“Wow! What an incredible view!”

Hyo-ryong exclaimed at the magnificent natural harmony spread out before him.

“So this is the place called Thunderbolt Valley, said to look as if lightning had split the earth. It truly lives up to its name.”

It was a massive gorge located on the border of Hubei and Shaanxi provinces. Sheer cliffs that could only be marveled at as nature’s handiwork faced each other in a silent standoff. Between them, a moderate mist, not thick enough to obscure vision, moved like a living creature riding the wind. This made the gorge’s scenery appear even more mysterious. The width of the gorge seemed to be less than ten zhang, and its height was immeasurable. Above, white mists or clouds created a haze that made it difficult to gauge the height.

“If we were attacked in a place like this, we wouldn’t even be able to collect our bones.”

Namgung Sang lacked the peace of mind to enjoy such natural beauty.

“Stop with the ominous talk.”

NoHak grumbled. He seemed to be an appreciation enthusiast. He didn’t want to associate with worry enthusiasts like Namgung Sang. He didn’t want to invite misfortune with such words.

“The mist is particularly thick today!”

“I’ve never seen it this thick before…”

Binggeom frowned slightly. He had passed through here several times before, but never had the mist been as thick as today. It didn’t feel right. Binggeom started to feel a bit uneasy. He was particularly irritated by Yeomdo, who was walking along carefreely, looking as if he didn’t have a care in the world.

‘Does that guy live without thinking at all?’

Even if the kids were all carefree and happy, the leader should be worried. But to have the same mental age as the kids… It felt like he had to take on three times the burden, which was frustrating.

‘Stupid fool!’

He felt the need to curse inwardly to feel better.

‘He needs to experience a surprise attack once to come to his senses! It might be a blessing for everyone if he just died…’

Just as Binggeom was thinking this…

“Ugh!”

The person who groaned was Neok Gi Han.

“What’s wrong?”

Binggeom asked urgently. His nerves were on edge, making him sensitive to even the slightest sound. Neok Gi Han’s face had turned pale, looking like someone who had been poisoned.

“You don’t look well. What’s the matter?”

Then, a secretive voice transmission reached Binggeom’s ear.

[This must not be known to anyone else.]

[Understood!]

Binggeom also responded cautiously via voice transmission.

[I, I think the fish I ate this morning didn’t agree with me.]

Neok Gi Han’s face was full of embarrassment. He looked like someone about to reveal an enormous secret. Well, he was the type of person who believed in maintaining a clean and tidy appearance in front of others, regardless of how dark his insides might be.

[Is that all…]

Binggeom’s tense face returned to its usual stoic expression. Was that really worth using voice transmission for?

[Go quickly!]

Neok Gi Han, feigning nonchalance, moved away towards the path they had come from. He apparently didn’t want to lose face in front of the many disciples. It seemed to be his principle to always appear neat in front of the disciples.

He probably thought it would be a sin worthy of divine punishment to let women know that a handsome man like himself was going to the toilet. While his delusion was excessive, Binggeom had no obligation to indulge in someone else’s fantasies.

At the top of the gorge, piercing through the mist, the setting sun in the west was painting the white mist red with the glow of twilight. As the red sunset cast long shadows on the mountains, a line of faint black figures was positioned on both sides of the gorge.

They were currently watching the bottom of the gorge, suppressing their presence and concealing their killing intent.

“All squads from the 1st to the 12th are in position.”

Red Blood nodded at Xue Jian’s report. His gaze was now fixed on the Cheonmu Academy delegation like a hawk eyeing its prey from the sky.

‘They said they would definitely pass through here, and the information was correct.’

“What about Xue Suo, the 10th squad leader?”

“All preparations are complete.”

“And Xue Gong, the 9th squad leader?”

“Awaiting orders.”

“What about you?”

“My sword is ready to drink blood at any time.”

Xue Jian answered confidently.

The Twelve Blood Demon Squad’s duties were divided according to their squad numbers. Each squad had its own assigned meaning. Basically, the lower the squad number, the more likely they were to engage in direct attacks. They were the central core attackers.

The 1st squad was called the Blood Sword Squad, and its leader was named Xue Jian. Whatever his original name was before didn’t matter. They primarily specialized in sword techniques filled with killing intent. The 2nd squad, the Blood Saber Squad, was led by Xue Dao and specialized in cruel saber techniques. The 3rd squad, the Blood Spear Squad, was led by Xue Chang and specialized in spear techniques.

As the numbers decreased, each squad was responsible for direct attacks with different characteristic weapons, while higher-numbered squads were responsible for rear support, long-range attacks, tracking, encirclement, and various technical skills. Therefore, the higher-numbered squads carried heavier and more diverse equipment.

The double-digit squads often worked in groups of three, with one member each from the 10th, 11th, and 12th squads, as they were in positions to assist and coordinate with each other.

The 10th squad, in particular, carried the heaviest load among the Twelve Blood Demon Squad. Their load looked like a thick, solid wheel, and only the Twelve Blood Demon Squad knew what was inside. This was because anyone who had seen the contents had died. Since dead men tell no tales, no one except the Twelve Blood Demon Squad knew what was inside.

The 9th squad was called the Blood Bow Squad, and as the name suggests, they possessed the most fearsome archery skills in the martial world. Xue Gong, the 9th squad leader, was now eyeing his target with a sharp gaze. His prey had very distinctive physical features – red hair and a red beard – making him easy to distinguish from the group. His task was to prioritize targeting the most troublesome and difficult opponent. He took out an arrow with a reddish tint from his quiver and nocked it on the red bowstring.

The arrow was named Blood Demon Arrow, also known as the Cursed Demon Weapon. He was the only one here who could use both the Blood Demon Bow and the Blood Demon Arrow simultaneously. The downside was that he couldn’t shoot two top-tier masters at the same time. It wasn’t impossible, but the chances of success were slim. So he decided to take down one and then the other.

It took only the blink of an eye to shoot one arrow and nock another. He slowly drew the string of the Blood Demon Bow. His arrows had never missed in the past 30 years.

“What about those three?”

Red Blood asked.

“They’re waiting for their turn.”

“Good!”

The preparations were perfect. Red Blood raised his hand to signal. A red flag went up in Xue Jian’s hand.

Whoosh!

A sharp sound that tore through the air echoed in the gorge.

‘Hit!’

Xue Gong, the 9th squad leader, clenched his fist inwardly. The feeling of penetration, it was unmistakable. But…

‘What?’

It was a product of instinct. Yeomdo needed a moment to understand why he had taken a step to the side.

Swish!

A wind of sharp killing intent grazed his cheek.

Thud!

A liquid the same color as his hair flowed from Yeomdo’s cheek. Yeomdo raised his left hand to touch the wound on his face. His gaze turned to where the arrow had struck. There was no arrow there.

Only a single point remained.

“Elder! Are you alright?”

A few disciples who sensed something amiss rushed over. The arrow was nowhere to be seen. The powerful arrow had buried itself completely in the ground, from arrowhead to feathered tail. How strong must it have been to have such power… Tension spread across people’s faces.

Yeomdo extended his hand towards the ground, and as the earth split, the arrow suddenly popped out. Without hesitation, the floating arrow was caught in Yeomdo’s grasp. It was an excellent display of attraction energy.

The arrow was blood-red, and the arrowhead was slightly curved like a fishhook. It was viciously designed so that once it pierced flesh, it couldn’t be removed without cutting the flesh. Then again, with this much power, it seemed like it would pass right through a person. Yeomdo soon understood. Although he had never seen it directly, he had heard rumors.

“Blood Demon Arrow…”

Yeomdo muttered.

“Why has this cursed demonic weapon, which plunged the martial world into a bloody storm a hundred years ago, appeared now?”

A chill ran through his body like a warning signal, along with a sense of unease. At that moment, Im Seong-jin approached and asked.

“What exactly is this thing?”

Yeomdo exploded in anger that he didn’t know something even someone like himself, who was far from studious, knew.

“You ignorant fools! What on earth did you study during your martial world history lessons?”

He roared.

“The Blood Demon Bow and Blood Demon Arrow were one of the ten great demonic weapons that swept the martial world with blood during the Heavenly Tribulation a hundred years ago. Because of its terrifying speed, it can never be caught, and the only way to avoid it is to dodge. It’s called the hunter that never misses its prey, and if you can survive this arrow, it’s considered an incredible stroke of luck…”

Suddenly, Yeomdo fell silent. The other disciples did the same. Yeomdo and Bi Ryu-yeon’s gazes met.

“Damn it!”

This was no time for idle chat.

“Danger! Everyone, defensive positions!”

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

At that moment, a rain of arrows poured down from the sky like a downpour.