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Translator: uly
Chapter: 17
Chapter Title: Don't Get Cocky or You'll Die
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Paat!
A brilliant light enveloped the two of them.
The inside of the stone gate opened into a circular chamber, the brightest space they had passed through so far. The pair scanned the interior. Platforms lined the edges, each holding weapons and various other items. Nang Ha-sang walked forward slowly.
Moments later, she stopped in front of a platform with two axes. The axe heads were slightly smaller than a palm, and the handles were about a chi long—small enough to pass for toys. She wiped the dust from the surface of one axe.
A pristine white gleam emerged. Lightning patterns were vividly etched into the surface.
Nang Ha-sang gazed at the axe with trembling eyes.
Ice Emotion Thunder Axe.
It was the supreme divine relic that had left the Ice Palace twelve hundred years ago. For the past millennium, the Ice Palace Lord had spared no effort to recover it. But it had eluded them.
As a result, the Ice Palace's strongest martial art, the Ice Extreme Supreme Divine Art, had fallen into disuse. Of course, the Lord trained in the basics of the Ice Extreme Supreme Divine Art. But she could not unleash it.
Without the Ice Emotion Thunder Axe, the Ice Extreme Supreme Divine Art produced only thirty percent of its power.
And now, they had finally found the Ice Emotion Thunder Axe.
After staring at it for a moment, she channeled the Ice Extreme Supreme Divine Art.
Ziiing!
A low hum emanated from the Ice Emotion Thunder Axe.
"Yes, I'm glad to see you too."
Nang Ha-sang smiled broadly.
Beside the Ice Emotion Thunder Axe lay a white waist sash for sheathing axes. It appeared to be made of the same material, remaining pristine after twelve centuries. Nang Ha-sang first fastened the sash around her waist and slotted the axes into it. The design allowed for one on each side or both on one.
Only then did Nang Ha-sang turn her head.
The items on the other platforms were supreme divine relics from the various powers and tribes of the Border Wastelands—nothing worth coveting.
"Where'd he go?"
Searching for Black Wind, she spotted him in a corner. She approached.
Black Wind was staring at something.
"What are you doing?"
Nang Ha-sang asked.
"You think that has an owner too?"
Black Wind pointed to a long, dust-covered object. It was about five chi in length with an octagonal cross-section, and the handle featured a carved lion's head. It resembled the clubs carried by constables. Nearby lay a few more items, piled like junk.
"I've never heard of any tribe or faction using a club as their supreme divine relic. And even if I were a leader, I wouldn't designate something like a club for that."
"Then I can take it."
"You want that thing?"
"I want a lot of things. But snatching something with an owner and getting beaten to death would just be my loss. I'll stick to ownerless stuff."
Black Wind picked up the club.
"What the hell is this?"
He grimaced.
"Why?"
"Too heavy."
"How heavy?"
"Feels like fifty jin."
"Fifty jin? Give it here."
Nang Ha-sang extended her hand. Black Wind handed over the club and picked up another weapon—a pair of crescent-shaped sabers, each about one and a half chi long, with equal handle and blade lengths. The blades resembled bloated pufferfish.
"A bit heavy, but perfect for kitchen knives."
The crescent sabers were substantial too. Together, they weighed about as much as the club.
At the end of each crescent saber handle was an incongruous demon god carving, topped with a ring like a topknot.
He hooked the rings onto the right side of his sash. It had multiple slots for weapons.
The sabers' weight threw off his balance.
"That's unusual too."
Nang Ha-sang remarked.
"For cooking. Gimme the club."
Black Wind held out his hand.
"Isn't it too heavy?"
Nang Ha-sang offered the club while asking. Even a martial artist with inner energy would struggle to wield it as a weapon—and Black Wind had no inner energy at all.
It seemed burdensome for him to carry.
"It seems useless because of the weight, but for some reason, it's calling to me."
"You like it?"
"Yeah."
Black Wind hooked the club to the opposite side from the sabers. Placing the halberd and demon hook alongside the sabers balanced the weight somewhat.
"If it draws you in, you should take it."
"That's the plan. What now?"
Black Wind asked.
"We need to find that man."
"Great Radiant Martial?"
"Yeah."
"Doesn't look like he's here."
Black Wind said.
"Let's check elsewhere."
The two took a few steps.
Puk! Puk! Puk! Puk!
Before they could go far, the surrounding walls burst open, and people poured in.
"Treasures over there!"
"It's the Hell Demon Club!"
"The Energy Wheel Evil Demon Buddha!"
"Don't touch it!"
"Those who covet the Hell Demon Club shall die!"
Ya Hul Jeok-son's shout rang out.
"Don't make me laugh. How could a twelve-hundred-year-old relic have an owner?"
The intruders refused to acknowledge the items' ownership.
"Kill them!"
Chaeng! Chaeng chaeng! Chaeng chaeng!
"Kuaak!"
"Aak!"
"Euaak!"
Screams of agony echoed everywhere.
Nang Ha-sang glanced at Black Wind.
"Shouldn't you check on your men?"
Black Wind said.
"What about you?"
"I'll slip out when I get an opening."
"What about Great Radiant Martial?"
"Finding that guy's grave won't change my life. The Palace Lord will keep looking, right?"
"Yeah."
"Then we should part here. Take the robe."
Black Wind pointed to the long robe.
"Alright. Take care."
Nang Ha-sang gazed at him quietly.
"You too, Palace Lord."
Black Wind turned away. The intruders were tangled in fights along the edges, blocking the way they had come.
As the battlefield expanded, his only path led to the center. Four large stones, like stepping stones, formed a square in the plaza's middle. Each stood about three chi high. Black Wind slipped inside and crouched down.
He had no desire for treasure or fighting. He waited in a crouch for a chance to escape.
The one who spotted Black Wind was Lion Corps Leader Mok Hwi.
—Young master.
Mok Hwi sent a transmission to Ya Hul Ma-ha.
—What?
Ya Hul Ha-ma, fighting beside his father Ya Hul Jeok-son, turned his head.
—That guy's in the center.
—Wind Squad's guy?
—Yes.
Ya Hul Ma-ha scanned the surroundings.
Everyone was blinded by treasure, ignoring everything else.
—Send five men.
—Understood.
Mok Hwi summoned subordinates and ordered Black Wind eliminated. Five Lion Corps members broke from the fray and headed center.
Mok Hwi wasn't the only one to spot Black Wind.
White Sand Dragon Taryu, prince of the White Camel Kingdom, saw him too. He glanced around. His kingdom's supreme relic, White Camel Heaven Storm Flag, had just been reclaimed by his father.
Which meant...
He leaped toward Black Wind in the center.
Closing the distance in an instant, he arrived before the Lion Corps members—who had moved cautiously, wary of eyes on them.
"I'll kill you!"
Taryu drove a fist straight at Black Wind.
It was the White Camel Kingdom's supreme fist art, White Camel Divine Fist. A rock-like mass of qi shot toward Black Wind.
Swish!
Black Wind shifted left while seated.
Puk!
The White Camel Divine Fist smashed one stepping stone to pieces.
"Cha-ha!"
"Ta-ha!"
Following Taryu, the five Lion Corps members charged Black Wind.
Chak!
Black Wind drew his halberd and demon hook, then flattened himself.
"Hand over the treasure!"
One Lion Corps member bellowed as he rushed in—shouting to make it look like a treasure grab.
"Can't do that, you bastard."
Black Wind's form shot right like a spring.
"Hup!"
His attacker flinched in surprise.
He hadn't expected Black Wind to move so fast.
"Ten damn years, you bastard."
Black Wind swung the halberd down at the Lion Corps member's neck. The man raised his saber to block.
Puk!
A dull thud came from the man's neck. The decisive strike wasn't the falling halberd, but the demon hook in Black Wind's left hand.
Black Wind yanked the hook, embedded from below into the neck, and kicked off the ground.
His form soared a zhang high.
"Keuk!"
A scream accompanied spurting blood.
Swaak!
Another Lion Corps member's attack struck where Black Wind had been.
Chaang!
A sharp clash sent stone shards flying everywhere.
Chak!
Black Wind flipped in midair, landed, and stomped the ground hard. His coiled body unfurled forward.
"Cha-ha!"
Another foe swung a saber at Black Wind's waist while descending. Black Wind's extended form curled like a pill bug—head fixed, body twisted into a ball. He spun. Slightly airborne, he spotted the falling enemy. He tensed his left leg.
Clack!
A half-chi blade sprang from his toe—the last of his hidden weapons. It plummeted after the man, stabbing down.
Puk!
The small blade pierced the man's neck from behind.
Puk!
Then a thud hit his back. The attacker was White Sand Dragon Taryu.
Black Wind tumbled rolling. Even rolling, his eyes stayed on the enemies.
One charged at terrifying speed.
Demon hook and right foot lashed out together.
Chaang!
The hook blocked the enemy's saber first.
Shwaang!
The saber-user had saber qi mastery—the hook sheared off instantly. The saber flew toward Black Wind's head.
As it neared his skull, a piercing sound came from the man's gut. His motion froze.
The intruder in his belly was the toe blade. Black Wind pushed with his foot.
"Kuaak!"
The man's belly split open, contents spilling.
Puk!
Palm force struck Black Wind's chest again. He rolled another zhang, then sprang up, charging the two oncoming Lion Corps members from the right.
Pushing Savage Blood Demon Art to its limit, his eyes blazed bloodshot.
"Cha-ha!"
"Ta-ha!"
The pair swung weapons in unison.
Black Wind tossed the severed hook. The sudden flying hook startled one man. Seizing the moment, he thrust the halberd.
"This little... Hup!"
The man's face paled.
The unremarkable halberd had transformed beyond visual tracking. It was Death Bind of the Life-Death Bind.
Puk!
The changing halberd bound the man's neck.
"Kuaak!"
Hearing the scream, Black Wind whipped his left hand. A crescent saber was now in it—drawn unbeknownst. It tangled with the Lion Corps saber. Again, Death Bind.
Chaeng! Chaeng chaeng!
Shwaang!
"Kuaaak!"
A agonized scream erupted from the Lion Corps man. The crescent saber had severed his weapon and neck.
"This... not bad."
Black Wind grinned.
Puk!
"Keuk!"
Immense impact hit his back.
Even with Black Demon Vajra Body perfected—immune to ordinary blows—he felt internal injury.
"Ugh!"
Black Wind's mouth gaped, blood surging up.
He turned.
White Sand Dragon Taryu glared coldly.
"I don't even have treasure..."
He gripped halberd and crescent saber. This was a treasure melee. Attacking treasure-holders made sense, but he had nothing. Yet they attacked. There must be another reason.
"I know."
"Then why attack?"
"Seeing a worthless nobody act big is just disgusting. Does that make sense?"
"For that alone..."
"No greater reason for trash like you."
Taryu smirked.
"Spit! ...Fucking hell!"
Curses spewed from Black Wind's mouth.