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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Chaos
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The overwhelming demonic energy, a clear sign that the Ghost Gate on Longevity Hill was merely a prelude to something far greater, and…
*BOOM—!*
With a heavy thud, the Ghost Gate finally opened.
A thick, dark miasma, visible even to the naked eye, began to pour from the narrow opening.
“HAHAHAHA! It’s done! It was close, but I succeeded!”
Li Zi-long’s maniacal laughter echoed over the ominous presence of the Ghost Gate.
The sound reverberated strangely, as if trapped within an unseen barrier.
The anomaly was immediately apparent. Even without using his Ever-Clear Vision, Namgung-Woo could tell that the space around them was warping.
“Space…”
It closed.
They were trapped. There were no physical walls, but the area around them was clearly isolated from the outside world.
“Hey, young friend.”
Guo Duan appeared beside him, his voice, though not amplified by internal energy, was perfectly clear.
What was happening was unlike anything Guo Duan, a veteran of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, had ever seen.
But that didn’t mean he was ignorant.
Humans learned from the experiences of others.
His predecessors in the Guard had faced similar events, recording their experiences for future generations.
They had written about it.
Black-level Ghost Gates and above weren’t just intrusions. They were incursions.
The yokai that emerged weren’t just creatures. They were harbingers of disaster, their mere presence tainted the world with an otherworldly aura.
They called it…
“A Ghost Domain. We’re trapped unless we destroy that Gate.”
Namgung-Woo rolled the words around in his mind.
[Ghost Domain.]
A land of ghosts.
A territory claimed by those who’d crossed over from the other side.
“And if we do nothing, it’ll keep expanding. Longevity Hill is already part of the Ghost Domain. Next will be…”
“The Forbidden City.”
“Exactly.”
The Forbidden City, located at the foot of Longevity Hill, was the only Imperial Palace in the Ming Dynasty.
Even Nanjing, the Southern Capital, had no comparable structure.
It was the symbol of the Emperor’s authority, his inviolable sanctuary.
But Guo Duan grinned.
“This might actually be better.”
“What?”
“The Forbidden City is a fortress of mystical arts, a worldly pantheon.”
From its feng shui design to the smallest details of its painted decorations, the Forbidden City was imbued with mystical principles.
“Li Zi-long has tampered with it, but it’s not something a mere human can completely unravel. It’ll hold back the Ghost Domain for a while. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
“If we stop it here, Beijing will be safe… That’s what you mean.”
Namgung-Woo had voiced exactly what Guo Duan was thinking.
He was pleased by the young man’s quick understanding.
He wouldn’t have been so confident alone, but with someone of Namgung-Woo’s caliber, they had a chance.
“Perfect. After this, join the Embroidered Uniform Guard. I’ll personally sponsor you.”
“We’ll see. Let’s talk after this is over.”
“Playing hard to get, eh?”
He liked that.
He couldn’t remember the last time someone had refused his offer. They’d all been so eager to please.
But a man should have some backbone.
“Don’t worry. Together, we can win this.”
As he spoke, a surge of energy erupted from the Ghost Gate.
“Here it comes!”
Guo Duan’s shout was swallowed by another ear-splitting screech as the Gate swung wide open.
*Crack!*
A grotesque, twisted, grayish-blue arm shot out from the Gate.
Before Namgung-Woo could react, it was upon them.
“Ugh!”
*BOOM!*
It was an unexpected attack.
He’d seen it coming with his Ever-Clear Vision, but his body hadn’t been able to react in time.
‘But I’m alright. No injuries.’
He’d instinctively used a defensive posture from the Iron Sword Ten Forms. The daily practice had paid off, allowing him to block the monstrous arm.
“Hey, young friend! Are you okay?”
“I’m fine!”
Guo Duan had intercepted the follow-up attack.
Regaining his composure, Namgung-Woo saw Guo Duan battling the grayish-blue creature.
“I’ll assist you!”
Namgung-Woo unleashed his Heavenly Thunder True Qi.
This was no time to hold back.
The first attack had made that clear.
Platinum lightning crackled around him as his Qi surged through his meridians.
He kicked off the ground with the Infinite Steps, propelling himself forward.
During his lightning-fast charge, his Heavenly Thunder True Qi flowed into his swords and formed Sword Qi.
Thirteen Lightning Sword Techniques, Fourth Form: Wind-Riding Lightning Strike.
Riding the wind, he struck like lightning.
His attack, infused with the principles of Light-Foot Technique, sliced through the yokai’s arm as it swiped at Guo Duan.
*Thud!*
No matter how tough its flesh, it was no match for the refined power of a martial artist.
In the blink of an eye, the yokai’s grayish-blue arm was reduced to a lump of flesh and fell to the ground.
“Excellent! But next time, aim for its head, not just defending me. I can take a hit or two. I’m Guo Duan, after all.”
“…Understood.”
Perhaps learning from the loss of its arm, the creature retreated, keeping its distance as it observed them.
Namgung-Woo finally got a good look at it.
A beastman with a lion’s head. But its legs were reverse-jointed, and its mane-covered head sported a large horn.
Its grayish-blue skin was devoid of life. Patches of dark blue, like bruises, were scattered across its body.
Only the faint glow of its eyes indicated it was a living creature.
It was unlike any yokai he’d ever seen, even in Chu-rok Murim.
But Guo Duan seemed to recognize it.
“A Hou.”
“A what?”
“When these monsters cross over, they take on forms based on similar concepts in our world. Soul and spirit influence each other. That’s why it looks like a Hou.”
A Hou.
A yokai said to evolve from a Jiangshi, a hopping vampire, after accumulating enough demonic energy.
Like a caterpillar transforming into a butterfly, the Jiangshi shed its human form, taking on the shape of a beast.
Lions, oxen, and horses were the most common forms. The lion-like head indicated this creature’s transformation from a humanoid yokai to a bestial one.
And there was another clue.
Proof of the monster’s identity was unfolding on the ground beneath them.
“The grass…”
The lush green grass of July was withering, turning a sickly brown. It crumbled into dust, scattering in the wind.
“Its mere presence brings drought. A Black-level yokai… close to becoming White-level. Not your average Hou.”
“Indeed.”
Li Zi-long unexpectedly agreed with Guo Duan.
“Being with the Embroidered Uniform Guard has taught you well. You seem quite knowledgeable about Ghost Gates.”
“Hmph, trying to stall? You can’t be in good shape after forcing that Gate open.”
The wound Namgung-Woo had inflicted, combined with the strain of opening an incomplete Gate…
Li Zi-long had pushed himself too far.
His right arm hung limp, his shoulder a mangled mess.
Yet, he spoke calmly.
“Stall? No. I don’t control the Sky-Gazing Howler. I’m merely…”
Namgung-Woo ignored him.
He moved.
The moment Guo Duan’s attention shifted to Li Zi-long, the Sky-Gazing Howler lunged, its claws aimed at Guo Duan.
*SCREEEEECH!*
Namgung-Woo blocked the claws with his Sword Qi-infused blade, the sound of metal grinding against metal nearly piercing his eardrums.
“Persistent, aren’t you?!”
Namgung-Woo intercepted the Sky-Gazing Howler, but Guo Duan wasn’t idle.
He launched a Sword Qi attack at the Yellow Dragon Guardian, who had renewed his assault.
A whirlwind of energy scattered the blood spray from the guardian’s wounds.
The force generated by a single sword strike was like a miniature tornado.
If Namgung-Woo’s sword was lightning, Guo Duan’s was wind.
His sword, having broken through the Yellow Dragon Guardian’s defenses, sliced through its neck.
“One down! Young friend, switch! I’ll take the Hou, you take Li Zi-long!”
Guo Duan was deliberately taking the more dangerous opponent.
Not because he was stronger, but because it was the most efficient strategy.
While he might be slightly stronger than Namgung-Woo in terms of raw power, he lacked the means to effectively counter Li Zi-long’s unpredictable sorcery.
But Namgung-Woo had demonstrated an uncanny ability to decipher and disrupt mystical techniques, breaking through Li Zi-long’s defenses in their first exchange.
This was the best approach.
Even if he couldn’t defeat the Sky-Gazing Howler, as long as Namgung-Woo killed Li Zi-long and closed the Gate, they could deal with the Howler later.
Having made his decision, Guo Duan finished off the Yellow Dragon Guardian, hacking its body to pieces before turning to Namgung-Woo.
“Go!”
Namgung-Woo used the monster’s momentum against it, redirecting its force.
They didn’t need words. They both understood what needed to be done.
Namgung-Woo’s eyes blazed.
His Ever-Clear Vision revealed the core of Li Zi-long’s mystical defenses.
‘He’s the same.’
He should be dead.
There were ways to enhance vitality and heal injuries, both through martial arts and sorcery, but Li Zi-long’s regeneration was unnatural.
‘He’s not human.’
The flow of Qi within him was similar to the Yellow Dragon Guardian’s.
Namgung-Woo steeled his resolve.
He couldn’t think of it as murder. This creature was no longer human.
And its actions had defied all human decency.
Even if Li Zi-long had been wronged, summoning the Sky-Gazing Howler and unleashing a disaster that threatened countless innocent lives had forfeited any claim to innocence.
‘I have to kill him.’
With his resolve solidified, his spirit aligned with his essence and energy.
Sky Vault True Qi filled his being, forming an inner cosmos, while Heavenly Thunder True Qi flowed into his sword, connecting him to the outer cosmos.
‘I will cut him down.’
A bolt of lightning descended from the night sky, imbuing his sword with its power.
‘Thirteen Lightning Sword Techniques. Secret Art.’
With the intent to annihilate his enemy, Namgung-Woo struck.
‘Flash of Extreme Light.’
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