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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 99
Chapter Title: 99
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The one raging amidst the bandits, swinging his sword, was none other than Namgung Cheongun, Seolhwa's father.
The Namgung Sega, which she had only hoped would arrive, had truly appeared faster than expected.
'They recognized the markers I left!'
The fact that they caught up so quickly meant they had been relentlessly searching for the markers all night without rest.
It showed how desperately they had pursued her across such a vast area.
*Crash! Boom!*
It wasn't just Namgung Cheongun.
Through the breached entrance, the Namgung Golden Dragon Guard poured in, and among them, Hwarin's parents, Namgung Cheongsan and Moyong Yeonhwa, could also be seen.
*Clang! Clatter! Clang!*
Moyong Yeonhwa, as befit a daughter of the Moyong Family, wielded a soft yet powerful sword, cutting down the bandits who blocked her path.
Her rapid twin-blade technique, unlike Cheongun's, which scattered blue Sword Aura, was quiet yet potent.
"Shoot! Fire the arrows! Take down the woman!"
Someone shouted.
Immediately, dozens of arrows rained down on Moyong Yeonhwa. However.
*Clatter-clatter-clang! Clang!*
A massive greatsword deflected the incoming arrows, and those it couldn't deflect were blocked by its flat blade.
"Who dares harm my wife!"
It was Namgung Cheongsan.
*Thud—!* The burly figure exploded from the ground, instantly charging towards the archers.
"Gah!"
"Argh!"
The bandits collapsed, unable to even resist the greatsword that swept through them, stirring up a fierce wind.
"Give me back my daughter, you brutes!"
*Whoosh— Whoosh—*
Cheongsan's greatsword tore through the heart of the bandit ranks.
He literally ripped through them. With sword strikes devoid of hesitation or mercy, the bandits were swept away, unable to even contemplate resistance.
"R-Run!"
"Aargh...!"
That merciless attack was.
*Clang—!*
Blocked by a sharp spearhead.
"Stand down."
It was Maeng Deungho, the chieftain of Surochae.
* * *
*Woong...*
A fierce aura swirled around Maeng Deungho's spear. It was a Sword Aura, something only those who had reached perfected Peak Transcendence could wield with such freedom.
"...!"
A look of alarm spread across Namgung Cheongsan's face.
"Dodge!"
Moyong Yeonhwa cried out. But it was already too late for Cheongsan to evade.
*Whoosh—*
With a sound of tearing air, the thick spear shaft swung towards Cheongsan.
Cheongsan instinctively raised his blade to block the attack, but.
*Crash!*
"Argh!"
With a loud bang, Cheongsan's body was sent flying through the air, towards the direction where fragments of a broken fence lay scattered.
Moyong Yeonhwa launched herself from the ground, gathering energy in both hands.
As Cheongsan flew back, she extended her palms towards his back, blocking his body as if using a palm technique.
Maeng Deungho's lingering energy on Cheongsan and Moyong Yeonhwa's energy collided in mid-air, creating another thunderous explosion.
"Cough!"
Namgung Cheongsan spat out a mouthful of blood.
"Ugh..."
Moyong Yeonhwa, too, could not escape the impact.
Both of them tumbled onto the dirt. With Moyong Yeonhwa's strength, all she could do was twist the direction of their fall.
"Cheongsan! Sister-in-law!"
Cheongun, who had been fighting the bandits, rushed towards the two in alarm.
"C-Chieftain!"
"The Chieftain is here!"
The bandits cheered.
Relief washed over their faces, knowing they were safe now that a master of Peak Transcendence had appeared.
Maeng Deungho's arrival had instantly flipped the tide of the battle.
"Are you alright?"
"Ugh... I'm fine."
"I'm alright too."
Cheongun, having checked on their condition, fixed Maeng Deungho with a fierce gaze. A blue aura shimmered in his eyes.
"I'll handle him."
"You, alone, Brother?"
"Considering the masters he brought, we're already at a disadvantage."
In addition to the four masters of the Peak Realm already present, another four had joined with the chieftain.
Cheongun's group only had six masters of the Peak Realm.
'I was too hasty.'
To think there were so many masters in just one Surochae.
He knew the chieftain's martial prowess was at Peak Transcendence, but his subordinates' martial arts were not to be underestimated either.
With this level of power, they must be among the strongest within Surochae.
Cheongun tightened his grip on his sword hilt and stood up.
He faced Maeng Deungho, who stood at the center of the bandits' cheers.
Seolhwa, who had been observing the entire situation from hiding, watched her expression darken.
'This battle is lost.'
Seolhwa had anticipated this outcome from the moment she saw the Namgung Sega's forces rushing into Surochae.
Although her father, Namgung Cheongun, had reached the Peak Transcendence realm, he was still in an unstable state, having only recently ascended.
There was no way he could defeat Maeng Deungho, a perfected master of the Peak Transcendence realm, especially when he had halted his cultivation for the Cheonmuje before he could even familiarize himself with the realm and stabilize his energy.
'And besides...'
The disparity in the remaining forces was also significant. The Namgung Sega's forces, which had been pushing forward with such vigor, were already starting to falter.
Even if Seolhwa added her strength to the Namgung forces, it would be a difficult battle to win.
'This won't do. I need to find a way.'
A way to turn the tide of battle...!
*Thud—*
Seolhwa moved quickly. Just as she was heading back to where Yugang and Hwarin were.
"!"
Seolhwa abruptly stopped, lowered her body, and peered over the roof of a shack.
She saw Yugang holding Hwarin in his arms, and opposite him...
'Ma Jongui!'
Seolhwa stayed low, listening to their conversation.
"I told you to hand over the child?"
Ma Jongui was telling Yugang to hand over Hwarin.
Yugang tightened his grip on Hwarin and replied.
"I cannot! The Chieftain ordered me to take good care of the child!"
"Ah— so. I'm the one who ordered your chieftain to bring this child to me, got it?"
"Unless it comes directly from the Chieftain, I cannot believe you!"
"This brat?"
Ma Jongui sighed, a sound of exasperation. It was absurd, yet also true, making it difficult to retort.
How could he fault such deep loyalty to the chieftain that it led to suspicion?
"It's been a long time since someone left me speechless like this."
Ma Jongui clicked his tongue.
With a visibly annoyed and exasperated expression, he beckoned to Yugang with a finger.
"You're making this troublesome when we're going to the Chieftain anyway. Just carry the brat and follow me. Tsk."
Then he turned and walked ahead.
Yugang swallowed dryly and followed behind him.
"It's okay, Hwarin. It'll be alright."
Seolhwa, watching Yugang pat Hwarin and follow Ma Jongui, moved again.
'Ma Jongui will use Hwarin to force Namgung's surrender.'
To Ma Jongui, Hwarin was just a card in his hand. So, before Ma Jongui could play that card.
'I need to make the first move.'
Seolhwa extended her senses to their maximum to search for Jin Soyak.
The fact that Yugang only had Hwarin with him meant that Jin Soyak must have been evacuated to a safe place.
'Did he go to the Chieftain's quarters?'
No. That couldn't be right.
Jin Soyak hadn't gone to the Chieftain's quarters last night either. It seemed his actual living quarters were separate.
Should she look for that place?
But how could she search through all these shacks...?
"..."
Seolhwa stopped walking. After a moment of thought, she turned and started running towards a specific spot.
She arrived behind the Chieftain's quarters, Jin Soyak's secret place.
*Rustle.*
Passing through a small hole and pushing aside the bushes, she saw the back of a small child huddled and trembling.
'He's really... here.'
She knew this place was special to Jin Soyak. She had come on a hunch, just in case.
But she hadn't truly expected him to be here.
Startled by the rustling sound, Soyak carefully turned around.
He was crying. Big, messy sobs.
Upon seeing Seolhwa, Soyak burst into tears, crying, "Hwaaang," and threw himself into her arms.
Seolhwa furrowed her brows.
"I was so, so scared...! W-What if the bad guys caught me? I was so scared...!"
The child burst into tears again.
The child who had been swallowing his tears, not wanting to show his pain to his father, could no longer hold them back.
'A familiar fear.'
"...This isn't the first time this has happened to you, is it?"
"The bad guys caught me. They said they'd kill me... and they hurt Papa... I... I was so scared..."
'So that's why.'
That's why he didn't use Maeng Deungho's surname, used a separate shack, and pretended not to know anyone in Surochae.
It seemed like a clumsy strategy, but it wasn't bad.
While someone who stayed long might easily figure out who the chieftain's son was, those who suddenly raided Surochae probably wouldn't even consider Jin Soyak to be Maeng Deungho's son.
'This place... it's the unorthodox factions, after all.'
Taking young, weak children hostage must be a frequent occurrence here, just as she had thought.
"Huuuong..."
Seolhwa sighed deeply, looking down at Soyak, who was trembling and crying in fear.
Seolhwa firmly pressed down on Soyak's shaking shoulders, then knelt to meet his gaze.
"Listen closely."
Soyak wiped his tears, sniffing, and asked, "Huh?"
"From now on, I'm going to use you to threaten your father."
"...Huh?"
