VIP Early Access
Eksklusif untuk member VIP
Password Protected
Chapter ini dikunci dengan kode khusus
Chapter 396: Personal Revenge (6)
The hour when dawn crept over the horizon.
In the outskirts of Wuhan, Hubei Province, screams heralding the new day rang out from every direction.
SHRIEEEEK—
Through the lightning-fast barrage of Emei Sect's Jade Void Thirty-Six Swords, Cheol Sun-jik narrowly dodged and spun half a rotation, detonating an explosive burst of qi.
BOOM—!
Е́ nu̇m̃ а . і̂ d
Caught off guard by Cheol Sun-jik's counterattack, the figure—presumed to be an Emei Sect disciple—whipped his head around to locate him, but Cheol Sun-jik had already slipped into a blind spot.
"Take a rest, if you would."
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
THWACK-THWACK—!
"Ngh!"
Without even a chance to retaliate, the Emei warrior crumpled like a puppet with severed strings.
Cheol Sun-jik then surveyed his own body.
W̆е̂b nӧvе l̊ Е̇nǔ m̆.а̃
He might have seemed to dispatch his enemies with ease, but long gashes marked his arms and legs.
"This is a bit different from a martial duel."
In truth, outside of formal duels, he'd never once imagined crossing swords with members of the Nine Sects and One Gang—who were, for all intents and purposes, allies. The damage was that much greater because of it.
Of course, it also helped that his opponents were genuinely strong.
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
Could Cheol Sun-jik of the Bamboo String Gang—a member of the One Hundred Eight Peaks and the Twelve Peak Citadels at that—ever have imagined fighting in earnest against the Righteous Path Association's elite, the very cream of the Nine Sects and One Gang?
It was beyond absurd. It was surreal in the extreme.
W̊e b̀ñōv е̊ l̊ Ë núm̆ã
And the reason this absurdity had come to pass was entirely because of Jin So-un.
'Honestly, that man pulls the most outrageous stunts.'
Extracting Dam Ak, of all things.
Of course, Cheol Sun-jik hadn't blindly accepted the claim that the Righteous Path Association had attacked Dam Ak.
But Jin So-un had stated it as absolute fact.
He'd said that if those obstructing the escape turned out to not be the Righteous Path Association, they could turn back halfway.
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
That level of conviction had left his Academy classmates with no choice but to move.
Though, admittedly, the promise that this was 'a golden opportunity to go all-out against the Nine Sects and One Gang' had been the bigger hook—a fact none of them could deny.
One way or another, those who'd taken their positions under cover of night had been forced to accept that Jin So-un was right—the Righteous Path Association truly had attacked Dam Ak.
The assassins hadn't bothered with even the bare minimum effort to conceal their identities. It was bewildering.
'What on earth is going on?'
Now he understood why Dam Ak had tried to escape in such haste.
Еṅ.um̈а́ ..і d̂
If he'd been clumsily dragged into the Righteous Path Association's schemes, he might never have left the Murim Alliance for the rest of his life.
The best course was to ignore it all and run.
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
But both Dam Ak—for asking Jin So-un for help—and Jin So-un—for agreeing—looked certifiably insane from every angle.
Anyone with the judgment to tell right from wrong in the current moment would say Jin So-un hadn't done anything wrong, but since when did the world follow the correct answer?
Perhaps there had always been a reason Jin So-un was called not a 'traitor' but a 'madman.'
The things others might shrug off and let pass—this mad...... no, this man threw his entire body against them, screaming don't you dare.
Ẅе̌ bńо̇ṽе l Е ǹu m̄ а̇_
He hurled himself headlong into injustice, bled for it, and refused to retreat.
To the eyes of ordinary people, it simply looked like the behavior of a lunatic.
'A madman. Yes, he's definitely a madman. And yet......'
The seventy-first class of Murim Academy students loved that Jin So-un.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
Even those who had initially pointed fingers and criticized him as a madman, just like everyone else, had come to love him beyond all measure.
In the Black Forest, when every student had given up on survival, he alone had declared, 'I will bring everyone back alive.'
W̄ еb ńо̆v̆.е ĺ E ǹ u̇ṁа
And to keep that declaration, he had bled countless times.
Even as he bled, he never once retreated from the very front.
Every one of those scenes had been seared, grain by grain, into the students' minds.
If even ordinary people would feel their hearts burn watching someone's back like that—
How much more so for Academy students who had chosen the warrior's path?
There was a reason the White Wolf Pavilion had not only filled its roster but was bursting at the seams.
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
This time was no different.
Even knowing they might be making an enemy of the Righteous Path Association, the Academy graduates had stepped forward without hesitation—because they wanted to believe in his back once more.
No—perhaps it went further than that. Perhaps they wanted to protect it.
"How many did you run into on your end?"
"......"
Jong Chu-ak of Zhongnan appeared from nowhere to toss the question.
Ën̈ùm̊ а
Cheol Sun-jik's brow twisted as though he'd encountered some inexplicable creature.
"......Why are you out here in the first place?"
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
"Why? The Unit Leader told me to come, so I came."
"You might run into Righteous Path Association seniors, you know."
"Righteous Path Association my ass...... There's no way the Righteous Path Association would do something like this."
His words said one thing, but his eyes drifted uneasily toward the distant mountains.
Ѐ n ū m а .і d̈
What kind of extreme denial was this? But Cheol Sun-jik understood.
If he didn't cling to that, accepting the reality that his own people were rotten would be unbearable.
Perhaps the betrayal by his own sect at the Ten-Thousand-Poison Sect had planted the seeds of this vendetta.
The crushing agony of being betrayed by someone you trusted was undeniably hard and painful to endure.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
After staring down at his own clenched fist for a moment, Jong Chu-ak conveyed the reason for his a serious tone.
"Ma Sae-jin of the Kunlun Sect has requested backup. We need to move fast."
Ё n̄ u m а̃ .ĩd
"Tough opponent?"
"Tough, I don't know. He says there are too many of them."
"Isn't the Kunlun Sect's standard tactic hit-and-run? He's trying to fight head-on?"
At Cheol Sun-jik's question, Jong Chu-ak let out a light chuckle.
"Ma Sae-jin is just some guy who got a meteoric promotion thanks to Unit Leader Jin. Isn't even the White Wolf Pavilion too good for that kid?"
"......"
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
Had Jong Chu-ak always been one for jokes? Cheol Sun-jik had thought him a stiffer sort.
'Well, he probably picked it up from the wrong Unit Leader.'
Cheol Sun-jik set aside his idle thoughts and began moving.
The sun was already rising, and their Unit Leader wanted to get as far away as possible.
The sun climbed gradually, as if to illuminate the entire world.
For some reason, they thought it looked like the back of Unit Leader Jin—the back that had always stood firmly before them, shielding them.
Ẁe b_ňо v̈еl Ё n u̇ m̄ӓ
This time, it was their turn to bleed in his place.
"Let's go."
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
***
The fastest route from Hubei Province, where Wuhan was located, to Shanxi Province was through either Shaanxi or Henan.
Under normal circumstances, a standard escort run would go straight through Zhengzhou in Henan Province and into Shanxi.
Shaolin Temple sat near Zhengzhou in Henan, and no route in the world was safer.
Еn ùḿ a .і.d̃
But that supremely safe route had now become a dead path for us.
Hubei, Henan, and Shaanxi were practically the Righteous Path Association's front yard.
Going through Anhui meant reaching Shanxi only via Jiangsu, Shandong, and Hebei.
Effectively a detour around half the continent, but Dam Ak chose that route.
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
"If we can just reach Anhui, my escorts will be waiting."
"For your Shanxi personnel to reach Anhui, they'd have to pass through Henan."
E̊ n̈ u mа
The northeastern part of Henan jutted out geographically, bordering both Shandong and Hebei.
The fastest way for his Shanxi forces to reach Anhui right now was through Henan.
"I had them depart when I set out, so by now they should be waiting for me in Anhui."
"......Did you predict something like this would happen?"
When I asked in surprise, Dam Ak tilted his head.
"Even without predicting something like this, isn't that level of preparation only natural?"
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
He asked it back as though I were the odd one.
Fuck, what kind of preparedness is that?
Then again, this was a man who'd correctly predicted routes in the previous life without even seeing the Demonic Cult forces. Nothing should be surprising.
And with that came one great realization.
'Who the hell did those Righteous Path Association idiots think they were picking a fight with......?'
They should have been on their knees begging for friendly relations, yet instead they'd tried to take his head and failed. If I were a Righteous Path Association executive, I'd already be under the covers clutching my pillow and trembling.
Ẃе̃b̊ ń о̃ v̆ ё l Еṅù m ă
In any case, thanks to Dam Ak's insane level of preparedness, we were heading for Anhui Province.
Conveniently, both the Taeul Sect and the Wang Estate were based in Anhui, so even racing carriages there was something I could explain away later.
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
'So it's a contest of who can keep a straighter face while lying. Lovely.'
They would desperately hide the fact that they'd attacked Dam Ak, and I had to hide the fact that I'd helped him.
This wretched cesspool of scheming was making my chest tight.
This is the battle between the murim's light and dark? This is the murim? Fuck, I'm just overflowing with righteous spirit.
W̆е̂bnо v̄e l̇ Eñ ú m̄а
The problem was that our side had no time, while theirs had all the time in the world.
With enough time, I'd have mobilized every Academy graduate and Wang Estate operative, marching forward as publicly as a parade. But right now, Black Path warriors across the land were throwing fits demanding 'Give us back our precious Dam Ak.'
If even one of them decided to 'Oops, my hand slipped!'—war.
And from that point, the 'Extract Dam Ak' operation would transform into the nightmarish 'Defect to the Black Thought Alliance Together with Dam Ak' plan. No matter what, I had to deliver Dam Ak to the Black Thought Alliance forces reportedly waiting in Anhui before time ran out.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
The other side surely knew this too, which was why they'd deployed operatives at every chokepoint to buy time.
Then a sudden voice broke through my thoughts.
En u_m̃а̌
"Halt! A brief inspection......"
A checkpoint with a fire lit, at this hour of the predawn? Even the Green Forest Alliance let people pass at this time without hassle.
How did I know? Well, I happen to have a friend in the Green Forest Alliance.
"Halt! If you do not stop, in the name of the Murim Alliance...... AAAAGH! You crazy bastard!"
"Hyah! Hyah!"
No matter how imposing the Murim Alliance's name was, how long could it hold against the momentum of warhorses at full gallop?
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
The men running the checkpoint cursed and scrambled aside.
Shuriken hurled by the guards behind me drew a brief 'Aagh!' from somewhere.
Clatter.
The carriage's small window opened, and Dam Ak poked his head out.
"Hmm...... they said it was an inspection. Shouldn't we cooperate?"
"......"
Еň um̃ a . і̆.d
I'd love to. If only they didn't want your head.
Unamused by the joke, I shut his window and seized the reins.
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
"Hyah! Hyah!"
Pushing the speed higher, we soon reached the Horyeong Mountain area.
In terms of distance, we were still far from clearing Hubei Province, but once past Horyeong Mountain, we could consider ourselves free of Wuhan's reach.
If we could make it to the rendezvous point at Maseong undetected, the mission was already half a success.
Ẽ ň.ů mа̀
But things were never that easy.
'Four? No, six.'
Six pursuers had latched onto our carriage.
No matter how hard Cheol Sun-jik and the Academy graduates fought to hold them off, I'd never expected them to block every single Righteous Path Association operative.
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
No—this much was already impressive. Their opponents were the Righteous Path Association's Special Operations Force, after all.
In any case, our identity couldn't be revealed yet.
Е̌n̂ûm а̇ .і.d
If we were exposed here, we'd have to fight and claw our way all the way to Anhui.
There was no time for that.
"I'll take the reins."
"More pursuers?"
The veteran driver was sharp.
Instead of answering, I asked.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
"Can you keep running at full speed without slowing?"
"Of course. I've got thirty years of experience."
"Then please maintain maximum speed."
I handed off the reins and climbed onto the carriage roof.
The guards drew swords and made to rise with me, but I stopped them.
For the hundredth time—if you people step in, the pursuers will know Dam Ak is right here.
Ẃ ëbn̊.о̊ v̂ е̄ l Е ǹ ú m а
The ideal strategy was to keep the pursuers guessing which carriage held Dam Ak until we crossed out of Hubei Province.
The encirclement would stay that much thinner.
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
And we'd be able to punch through the Righteous Path Association's Special Operations Force.
"Not yet. If I can't hold them, then step in."
"......"
The guards gave small nods, and I looked over the weapons stacked on the carriage roof.
Е n û m ӑ
Escorts carried various weapons beyond their primary arms to handle different threats during a single run.
After a moment's deliberation, I picked up a worn spear and a few old shuriken from among the bows, axes, great sabers, and staffs.
I'd never used a spear in this life.
And I happened to know just the right spear art for the occasion.
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
'That "Six-Damn" bastard should be getting kicked out of the Yuk family and joining the White Wolf Pavilion right about now.'
This lunatic, who'd given himself the epithet Six-Form Wolf, had dared to steal six forms from the Yuk Clan's spear techniques and pass himself off as a warrior.
Еṅuṁа . і́d
The only reason he'd survived using the Grand General's Bureau's martial arts without permission was because the Great Righteous-Demonic War had erupted.
We used to tease him constantly, telling him to bow twice daily in the direction of the Demonic Cult.
'Every time that "Six-Damn" bastard unleashed his spear art on the battlefield, the Murim Alliance's top brass would flinch. I wonder what kind of face Clear Water True Man will make when he sees this spear art.'
Savoring the image of that insufferable face crumpling like a sheet of paper, I began channeling qi into the tip of the spear.
The pursuers, who'd been sprinting through the trees, launched themselves skyward against the breaking dawn, spreading their arms like birds in flight.
Konten Bab Belum Tersedia
Bab ini belum memiliki konten teks atau sedang dalam proses penyuntingan.
