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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Chaos
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The moment he heard those words, Namgung-Woo understood their true objective.
Wuhan, the Zhuge Family’s home turf.
Even they couldn’t control everyone who entered the city.
That was the government’s domain.
Officials and martial artists shall not interfere.
This well-known principle dictated that the government wouldn’t intervene in Murim affairs, even if it involved bloodshed.
Even now, constables were present on the street.
But they merely observed, whispering amongst themselves, showing no intention of intervening in the escalating situation.
Even if the Zhuge Family and the Banun Clan openly clashed in the streets, the government wouldn’t interfere unless civilians were directly harmed.
However, despite the government’s non-interference, the Zhuge Family’s reputation had suffered a blow.
They couldn’t prevent unorthodox martial artists from entering Wuhan?
Everyone understood that.
But the Zhuge Family should have known how many unorthodox martial artists were in the city, what they were planning, and prevented this provocation.
They were the de facto rulers of Wuhan and a party to this conflict.
The fact that their most important reinforcements, the Wudang Sect, were being confronted by the Banun Clan in the streets was a major embarrassment.
‘But was that their only goal? Their reputation would be damaged, but the Zhuge Family would be even more determined to eliminate them, even at the cost of their own strength.’
Unorthodox martial artists had entered the tiger’s den, Wuhan.
If they were easily defeated by the Wudang Sect without achieving anything, it would only tarnish the Banun Clan’s reputation and boost the morale of the righteous factions.
They wouldn’t have sent weaklings.
Even to Namgung-Woo’s eyes, they seemed as strong as the Wudang Daoists.
The Dragon-Slaying Demonic Blade, in particular, seemed comparable to the Black Sword Devil or Myeol Seom-ma.
The mention of his name had changed the atmosphere, not only among the martial artists but also among the civilians.
He was clearly a renowned expert, famous even beyond the Murim.
But even if they managed to defeat the Wudang Sect, they couldn’t withstand the subsequent attack from the Zhuge Family and the righteous factions.
‘It’s a waste. They might not even win against the Wudang Sect. It’s too much of a risk for a simple diversion. So…’
He turned towards the Zhuge Family estate.
‘This is a setup for something bigger.’
A classic diversionary tactic.
Draw attention to the central district by provoking the Wudang Sect, then attack the estate on the outskirts.
But the Zhuge Family wasn’t foolish.
They had anticipated this.
Their confidence had simply been their downfall.
The Zhuge Family estate was a massive formation, like the Forbidden City fortified with countless spells.
They were confident they could defeat any Transcendent Realm expert within its walls.
Even the smallest creature had an advantage in its own home, let alone the Zhuge Family.
Conversely, the Banun Clan must have been confident they could break through.
Even if they had a secret method, it would still take time.
He reached this conclusion in mere minutes.
“Geum-shin.”
“Yes.”
“Go and…”
“Leader, what’s all the commotion?”
“No need to go.”
He turned to the Yang brothers, who had rushed out of the inn, and stopped mid-sentence.
“What about your training?”
“We were training, but we sensed a clash of True Qi…”
“Never mind. You’re here just in time. The two of you, go to Ha-ryeong with Geum-shin. Signal me if anything happens.”
Peng Ha-ryeong and Zhuge Seon-ah were at the Zhuge estate.
If the Banun Clan was targeting the estate, they were in danger.
Sensing the urgency in his tone, the Yang brothers nodded grimly.
“Understood.”
“Hey, Monk. You heard him. Let’s go.”
The three of them quickly disappeared into the crowd, using their movement techniques.
He had taken precautions.
There was still time.
He turned his attention back to the confrontation.
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Despite his bold challenge to the Wudang Sect, the Dragon-Slaying Demonic Blade felt uneasy.
‘Damn it. What kind of Six Harmonies Sound Transmission is this? I can’t even sense the direction of his gaze. It’s like the Six Harmonies All-Encompassing Vision. They said he had strange eyes, but his sensory abilities are monstrous.’
He felt observed, but he couldn’t pinpoint the source.
This unsettling feeling unnerved him.
He quickly regained his focus.
Even within the Banun Clan, filled with powerful experts, he was considered one of the strongest.
Yet, even he had to be cautious against the Wudang Sect.
If that mysterious young expert the Black Sword Devil and Myeol Seom-ma had mentioned intended to help the Wudang Sect, he would have intervened already.
His observation implied he wasn’t planning to interfere immediately.
‘Then I need to finish this before he joins the fight.’
A wave of murderous intent erupted from him.
He didn’t care if it attracted attention.
“Daoist Go-won, what’s your answer?”
Daoist Go-won-jin, the leader of the Wudang reinforcements, spoke.
“There’s nothing to discuss. You should be the ones leaving.”
His Pine Patterned Sword was drawn.
Like a supple pine tree with a sturdy trunk.
His gentle yet firm Qi deflected the Dragon-Slaying Demonic Blade’s aggressive energy.
He wouldn’t avoid the confrontation.
Following his lead, both sides drew their weapons.
“Fight!”
“Everyone back! You’ll be crushed by the force!”
“Back! Get back!”
The crowd surged back.
The Wudang Sect and the Banun Clan.
Even skilled martial artists retreated, acknowledging the power of these giants.
The clearing, previously shrinking as people gathered, rapidly expanded.
Even with their precise control, the aftershocks of a clash between Transcendent Realm experts were unavoidable.
Stray bursts of energy could injure even skilled martial artists.
A direct hit to a vital point could be fatal.
Of course, this didn’t apply to Namgung-Woo.
He stood his ground.
Those who tried to push him back felt like they were pushing against an immovable wall and quickly moved away in surprise.
He wasn’t the only one.
Amidst the retreating crowd, others stood firm like rocks in a storm.
Naturally, they attracted attention, and Namgung-Woo took note of them.
‘Prime recruitment candidates.’
This alone made his decision to stay worthwhile.
A wide, ten-meter road became the battleground for the Wudang Sect and the Banun Clan.
Daoist Go-won-jin faced the Dragon-Slaying Demonic Blade.
The other seven Wudang Daoists faced the remaining Banun Clan members.
With their opponents chosen, neither side hesitated.
“Attack!”
“Kill those Wudang bastards!”
With the Dragon-Slaying Demonic Blade’s shout, the Banun Clan charged, their killing intent exploding.
“I’ll handle the Demonic Blade! Form the True Martial Seven Wonders Formation!”
“Yes, Elder!”
The Wudang Daoists moved swiftly, forming their formation as Daoist Go-won-jin blocked the Dragon-Slaying Demonic Blade’s path.
To Namgung-Woo, it was all new.
Unlike the chaotic free-for-all on Mount Seonu, this was a proper Murim group battle.
The Banun Clan members, despite using different martial arts styles, moved in coordination, each holding their own.
But the Wudang Sect’s formation was even more impressive.
Namgung-Woo wasn’t completely ignorant of combined attack techniques.
He hadn’t used them himself, but the Yang brothers were quite skilled.
However, the True Martial Seven Wonders Formation was different from the intuitive coordination of siblings.
It was precise and structured.
Despite facing more than twice their number, the Wudang Daoists held their ground.
‘Truly worthy of the Wudang Sect. But the true deciding factor…’
While impressed by the formation, he analyzed the situation dispassionately.
The Transcendent Realm experts on both sides.
They would ultimately determine the outcome.
But it seemed he wouldn’t get to witness the clash between Daoist Go-won-jin and the Dragon-Slaying Demonic Blade.
Boom!
A massive explosion rocked Wuhan from behind them.
“That’s…!”
“The Zhuge Estate! The Zhuge Estate is under attack!”
The Banun Clan’s true offensive had just begun.
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