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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 14
Chapter Title: Heavenly Thunder
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In the blink of an eye, more than forty corpses littered the hall—bodies split clean in two, amid scorch marks like those left by raging fire or a violent earthquake.
Hyeong Pyo gaped in utter shock.
"H-How did you take down dozens in a single instant...?"
Not just Hyeong Pyo—the porters stared at Dan Hyeong-u in astonishment as well. But the man himself simply stood there, utterly unfazed.
"Urk!"
Amid the chaos, Ma Yuk staggered, a massive gash across his shoulder. All the other Greenwoods Bandits were dead, yet the five who had been attacking him stood unscathed. Even though they had been within range of Dan Hyeong-u's strike.
"H-Hey! Why are you just standing there? That guy..."
Hyeong Pyo urgently called out to Dan Hyeong-u. But Dan Hyeong-u merely regarded him with impassive eyes.
"Why?"
"Why? He's your comrade, isn't he?"
Dan Hyeong-u tilted his head slightly at Hyeong Pyo's words.
"Comrade?"
He muttered indifferently, watching as blood spurted from Ma Yuk's thigh without a flicker of emotion.
"Who knows. I don't really care, but he asked me to do it, so I did."
With that casual reply, Dan Hyeong-u took a single step forward. That one step alone brought him right beside Ma Yuk.
And then lightning struck.
"Hah... hah..."
Ma Yuk panted raggedly, staring up at Dan Hyeong-u with eyes full of disbelief. He wanted to demand to know who—or what—this man was, but his breath came too short to speak. Or perhaps... he didn't really want to know.
"Are you alright, Escort Leader Ma?"
As Ma Yuk caught his breath, Hyeong Pyo approached and asked.
"I-I'm fine. What about the others...?"
Ma Yuk trailed off midsentence as he checked on his comrades. In the heat of battle, he hadn't noticed, but now he saw only Hyeong Pyo standing among the escorts.
"Damn it."
Ma Yuk muttered under his breath and turned his head away. He couldn't bear to look at the pile of his comrades' corpses any longer. As he turned, his eyes fell on the Tang family warriors.
Despite the fierce struggle, the Tang family warriors had somehow held their ground. Their black-clad attackers were formidable, but the Tang warriors' coordinated defense—supporting each other organically—proved too resilient to break easily. Unlike the Tang warriors, the black-clad foes attacked independently, ignoring the overall flow, which caused them to repeatedly miss their chances for decisive strikes.
Ma Yuk watched with a puzzled expression. Among the black-clad assailants, one man still hadn't joined the fray—and he looked by far the strongest.
Ma Yuk turned to glance at Dan Hyeong-u. He too was watching the clash between the Tang warriors and the black-clad attackers.
"Why are you just standing there?"
Ma Yuk demanded. But Dan Hyeong-u didn't even turn his head, let alone reply. Ma Yuk seethed inwardly but held his tongue. Until he knew Dan Hyeong-u's true nature, he couldn't afford to provoke him. In Ma Yuk's mind, this man was no ordinary porter. And given that the bureau chief had forced him onto this escort mission, he might well be an expert hired in anticipation of trouble like this.
"We need to help them. It's urgent."
Dan Hyeong-u finally spared Ma Yuk a brief glance. But that was all—he went right back to watching.
Finally, Hyeong Pyo could stand it no longer.
"Um... hey. Wouldn't it be good to lend a hand?"
Dan Hyeong-u's brows furrowed ever so slightly—too subtle for anyone else to notice.
He pondered briefly. The reason he'd first swung his sword was because he hadn't wanted Hyeong Pyo to die. He'd kept swinging for the same reason: he hadn't wanted Jong Chil or the other porters to die.
Hyeong Pyo was someone quite special to Dan Hyeong-u. And Jong Chil and the others had treated him extraordinarily well. Sure, it was out of fear of his strength, but that didn't matter. What counted was that Dan Hyeong-u didn't want them dead.
Saving Ma Yuk, though... that was different. Ma Yuk dying wouldn't bother him at all. Truth be told, Dan Hyeong-u had only met him when the escort mission began. If it had been someone like Sama Cheol on the brink, he might have helped without hesitation or reluctance.
Still, Hyeong Pyo's desperate plea had swayed him. And it hadn't been difficult anyway.
Now Hyeong Pyo was pleading again.
After a moment's thought, Dan Hyeong-u drew his sword and took a step. The Tang warriors were still a good ten-odd zhang away. But that single step closed the distance in an instant. To the onlookers behind him, it looked as if he'd been there all along.
And then lightning struck repeatedly.
Tang Ho-gwan was stunned. In a flash before his eyes, every black-clad attacker crumpled to the ground. All he caught was the lightning's strike and a faint human silhouette.
And even he could barely make it out. The other Tang warriors—even Tang Cheol-gi—saw only the attackers struck down by lightning.
"Wh-What in the world...!"
Tang Cheol-gi stammered in confusion. He and the Tang warriors looked around in bewilderment but found nothing. Only the porters standing some ten-odd zhang away.
"First, recover the bodies."
At Tang Ho-gwan's command, Tang Cheol-gi bowed his head.
"Yes, sir."
Tang Cheol-gi hurriedly directed the warriors. Though their coordinated defense had minimized casualties, the damage was still severe. Thirty had come; only twenty survived. Ten dead from this attack alone. They were lucky, though—the enemies had been felled by lightning.
As Tang Cheol-gi oversaw body recovery, Tang Ho-gwan stared intently at the porters. It was too hazy to see clearly, but it was definitely porter garb.
Tang family warriors all wore black to conceal poisons and hidden weapons. Henan Escort Bureau escorts wore blue, embroidered with the character for "river" on chest and back. Porters wore dark gray.
What Tang Ho-gwan had glimpsed was that gray.
He felt a twinge of unease. The Greenwoods Bandits lay dead too—most bisected. Nearly all the escorts were down, yet not a single porter had fallen.
Tang Ho-gwan slowly walked toward the porters, scrutinizing each one. Suddenly, his eyes gleamed. One porter stood out: the one with a sword at his waist.
"Was it you?"
He demanded bluntly. But Dan Hyeong-u didn't even acknowledge the question, standing silently. A frown creased Tang Ho-gwan's forehead.
"Didn't you hear me?"
"H-Hey, what are you doing? Answer the elder!"
Hyeong Pyo interjected urgently from the side. One didn't treat Tang Ho-gwan lightly—he was a Tang family elder. Yet Dan Hyeong-u didn't even glance his way. Panicking, Hyeong Pyo spoke up.
"Yes, it was him. He saved us."
Tang Ho-gwan eyed Hyeong Pyo. He was irked by the blatant disregard, but at least he had an answer, so he let it slide.
"What's your sect?"
Hyeong Pyo shot Dan Hyeong-u a startled look at the question. Of course—with martial arts this profound, he must have a master from some renowned sect.
Dan Hyeong-u finally looked at Tang Ho-gwan. It was the first reaction he'd shown him. The word "sect" suddenly brought the Heavenly Qi Master to mind. He could call him his master... but not quite. The arts he wielded now stemmed from the Heavenly Qi Master, yet they weren't truly his. These were skills forged through countless desperate battles on the knife-edge between life and death—his own.
"None."
Tang Ho-gwan's eyebrow twitched at the curt reply. This insolent attitude, the utter lack of respect—it grated more and more.
"S-Sir, he's lived his whole life in the mountains, so he's ignorant of the world and manners. Please forgive him."
Hyeong Pyo's plea calmed Tang Ho-gwan somewhat. That explained it. But why would the Henan Escort Bureau employ such a rude porter? Especially one with such profound skill.
"There are too many suspicious points to count. Fine, I'll overlook it for now. No sect? I'll accept that much. Then what's the name of that technique?"
Tang Ho-gwan dropped all pretense of formality now. No need to show respect to someone speaking so casually.
"Th-Three Talents Sword Art."
Hyeong Pyo jumped in, knowing Dan Hyeong-u wouldn't answer. But Tang Ho-gwan's face twisted at the words.
"You think you're funny?!"
He'd asked to gauge Dan Hyeong-u's origins from the technique's name. Three Talents Sword Art? Unless he was mocking him, how could he give such an answer?
"N-No, really! That's the sword art he practices. It's just... not the common version."
Tang Ho-gwan sighed at the explanation.
"Hmph. So complicated."
He paused, then eyed Hyeong Pyo.
"How do you know so much?"
"We've traveled together a few days. Truthfully, I don't know much. Just that he's unfamiliar with the world, practices the Three Talents Sword Art, and that move today—the Heavenly Thunder."
"Heavenly Thunder..."
Tang Ho-gwan nodded thoughtfully. It fit perfectly. He'd clearly seen lightning crash from the heavens. If that wasn't Heavenly Thunder, what was?
As he mulled it over, his gaze sharpened on Hyeong Pyo.
"You're no ordinary man yourself."
Hyeong Pyo panicked.
"M-Me, sir?"
Tang Ho-gwan nodded firmly.
"Far from it. So, what's next? I'd like to see the escort mission through."
Hyeong Pyo's eyes naturally drifted to Ma Yuk. He'd heard, and as the lead escort, he was in charge now.
Ma Yuk had been sitting on the ground, circulating his qi to stabilize his injuries. Recuperating in such a situation was suicidal, but he had no choice—his internal wounds were too severe, threatening irreversible damage otherwise.
"Nngh."
Ma Yuk forced himself up. He'd doused the immediate fires, but pushing further was impossible. He glanced sidelong at Dan Hyeong-u.
If only he'd helped sooner, it wouldn't have come to this. Sure, he'd saved his life, but that was separate. He couldn't shake the resentment.
"Whew... I don't think I can continue. I'd just be a hindrance."
Hyeong Pyo looked puzzled. The mission needed to go on. The Tang warriors would handle protection anyway. The bureau only needed the porters. No issue there.
"Abandoning the mission, then?"
Tang Ho-gwan pressed. Ma Yuk shook his head.
"From here, Escort Hyeong Pyo will take charge. Assuming you permit it, sir."
Tang Ho-gwan nodded vigorously.
"No objection."
Not just no objection—it was far better. He'd sized up Ma Yuk's condition at a glance. Continuing together might delay things. The Tang family needed porters, not escorts.
"Thank you for understanding."
"No need. And you?"
Ma Yuk smiled bitterly.
"I'll head back to the bureau."
Tang Ho-gwan nodded. Obvious question, obvious answer. He'd need to report what happened. Nearly thirty escorts dead—that was catastrophic for the bureau, enough to shake its foundations.
"Do that. No point moving more today anyway—rest till tomorrow. You look rough; let me take a look."
Tang Ho-gwan finished and headed to his warriors. Ma Yuk offered a respectful fist salute.
The Tang family's medical arts were as renowned as their poisons. His personal treatment would help immensely.
As Tang Ho-gwan departed, Hyeong Pyo sighed in relief. No incidents. Now to find a campsite. He had the porters tidy up.
Enemy corpses went into a pit and burned. Escort bodies were buried in a sunny spot for now. Once Ma Yuk reported back, proper handling would follow.
The ten Tang casualties were processed by Tang Cheol-gi somehow and loaded onto the wagons with the cargo. No rot concerns, apparently.
By the time cleanup finished, night had long fallen. The current site wasn't bad for camping, but with fresh graves and the stench of blood, no one could rest. Hyeong Pyo quickly found a spot nearby.
A clearing deeper in the mountains—spacious enough for everyone, with water nearby.
Wagons at the center, Tang warriors and porters sprawled around. No escorts left, so night watch fell solely to the Tang warriors. Even with escorts, they wouldn't have trusted them anyway.
Despite losing ten, the remaining Tang warriors had few injuries—just minor internal ones from overexertion, mostly healed with secret elixirs. Ma Yuk had used them too, but his state was too dire for quick recovery.
Thus ended the brutal day.
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"Failure?"
The eerie voice from within the tent made the man prostrated on the ground—nose to the dirt—tremble violently.
"K-Kill me, please."
"No need to shake like that. You may have planned it, but I approved it. Why would I kill you?"
Relief slowly returned to the man's face. He prostrated himself deeply once more.