CHAPTER 410: THE HONOR FLOWER DISCIPLES (2)

“Damn it! What is that awful smell!”

The person who appeared while saying that was wearing thick clothes with an overcoat on top.

Thanks to that, he seemed unharmed by the explosion of the pocket watch.

Well-made leather clothes can rival even decent cloth armor.

The debris from the pocket watch explosion was embedded in that leather overcoat.

“Oh, Do Won-myeong!”

The Honor Flower Disciple who appeared earlier was surprised and pointed at the man in the overcoat.

The man wearing the overcoat also noticed something unusual.

Dark smoke was rising from the overcoat that had been hit by the pocket watch explosion.

Startled, he screamed and hurriedly took off the coat.

The coat burned up in an instant.

The green liquid inside the pocket watch mechanism was an extremely potent poison.

It was chilling that he had kept such a thing in his bosom all along, but Dam Hyun laughed at the ridiculous scene before him.

“In-seok, what’s so funny?”

The one who got pranked snorted.

“Calm down. Didn’t you meet a familiar face?”

“What’s familiar about it? He’s so slick.”

The two Honor Flower Disciples bickered like that.

Their names were Do Meng and Do Won-myeong.

The broad-shouldered and tall one was Do Meng, and the red-faced, sturdy lower body one was Do Won-myeong.

Both were Honor Flower Disciples and Yu Jeong-shin’s juniors.

Though Yu Jeong-shin was considered the youngest among the first generation disciples, in fact, there were disciples among the Honor Flower Disciples.

They were familiar faces to Dam Hyun.

They were the ones who constantly bullied him when he first entered Azure Forest in his childhood.

“Why are you senior uncles dressed so thickly? It’s warm.”

“Because we came from the North Sea, the North Sea”

“The North Sea is cold, but isn’t it warm here?”

“You dare talk back to your senior uncles after such a long time!”

Do Won-myeong shouted angrily.

Shouting in a situation where they were being pursued was extremely dangerous.

But Dam Hyun was neither surprised nor scared.

Because there was no need to be.

Now that two Honor Flower Disciples, Do Meng and Do Won-myeong, had joined…

“Why are you here?”

“We got a message from Senior Brother Jeong-shin. He told us to return to Azure Forest immediately. On the way, we were told to stop by the Kunlun Mountains and wait. But… it seems that boy Yi-gang isn’t here?” ⱤάＮ𝐎BΕs̈

Instead of the hot-tempered Do Won-myeong, Do Meng spoke.

Dam Hyun nodded.

“Yi-gang will arrive a little later.”

“…Hmm. Doesn’t matter. Senior Brother Do cheon should be there. What a pity.”

“What’s so pitiful?”

“I’d like to meet that kid. Do you know how we feel every time we hear news about him?”

Had Yi-gang’s story spread even among the Honor Flower Disciples outside?

Dam Hyun showed no curiosity at all.

But Do Won-myeong stuck his face forward and shouted.

“I want to meet that amazing guy in person.”

“Yeah, exactly. He’s very famous among us.”

“They say something incredible has come in, so I want to see what he looks like.”

His voice carried feelings close to admiration or longing.

It seemed Yi-gang was famous among the Honor Flower Disciples.

Feeling disgusted, Dam Hyun muttered.

“What does he look like? He looks slick.”

“Hmph, Dam Hyun, haven’t you learned Power Borrowing yet?”

They called it Power Borrowing.

Like how Yi-gang borrowed the power of Heavenly Thunder White-Tailed Fox to control lightning. It means borrowing strength.

Dam Hyun frowned at Do Won-myeong’s words about not having learned Power Borrowing yet.

“I didn’t fail to learn it, I just didn’t learn it. I don’t want to flatter immortals and pick up crumbs.”

“Hah! Speak properly. Isn’t it because your talent was yellow that the Forest Lord forbade it? With great power comes great responsibility, and Dam Hyun still needs spiritual growth.”

Eventually, harsh words came out of Dam Hyun’s mouth.

“You… damn it.”

“Swearing in front of your senior uncles! You shameless one who stabbed your master in the back!”

That story was Dam Hyun’s sensitive spot.

Why bring up old stories of repentance again?

That’s why he disliked these senior uncles.

Memories he had long forgotten began to surface one by one.

“Why the hell did you suddenly come here and cause a fuss!”

“Oh? You dare talk back to your senior uncles like that? Do you know the code of chivalry, you brat!”

Do Won-myeong answered with a flushed red face.

“We came to safely escort you all to the Central Plains.”

“Fine! Then do well without me!”

Dam Hyun thought, whatever.

Anyway, two senior uncles had stepped up to help.

If they were the senior uncles he knew, there would be no lack in escorting.

Even in this crisis, they could escape.

In fact, Dam Hyun had no reason to endure this hardship any longer.

“Damn it!”

Dam Hyun turned and strode forward.

He didn’t care about the encirclement of the Dark Heaven Execution Pursuit Squad.

The reason Dam Hyun struggled with the pursuit was because of the many burdens he carried.

Even the Transcendent masters Go Yo-ja and Gal Dong-tak were just obstacles to Dam Hyun.

If he were alone, he could escape anytime.

He could kill his presence, break the encirclement, and run away with Cheongho.

“Look at that guy!”

But Dam Hyun stopped after walking a short distance.

He thought about quitting everything and returning to Azure Forest… but something was holding him back.

When Dam Hyun hesitated, Do Won-myeong said.

“Why aren’t you going? You said you would!”

“…Damn it!”

Dam Hyun turned around.

Come to think of it, hadn’t he promised Yi-gang?

To properly lead the others to the Central Plains.

“Senior Uncles, since I’m thankful you came, let’s behave properly, okay?”

“Geez.”

Do Meng and Do Won-myeong were expected to sneer or get angry.

But they grumbled but kept quiet.

Then, crossbows fired from the bushes.

Do Meng drew a halberd from his back.

It was a weapon called a ji1.

The iron bolts that could pierce iron plates were lightly deflected.

Since they caused a commotion, it was natural that the Dark Heaven Execution Pursuit Squad noticed.

The crossbows carried by the Dark Heaven Execution Pursuit Squad were powerful, but that was not all.

The feathered needles flying along with the crossbow bolts were more dangerous.

If even one hit, the body would stiffen due to the paralysis acid coating.

Do Meng swung the halberd again.

The thin feather-like needles were all blown away by the strong wind.

Do Won-myeong moved.

His sturdy leg muscles tensed, and the red-faced Taoist entered the bushes at an astonishing speed.

Then people who seemed to be from the Dark Heaven Execution Pursuit Squad flew out from the bushes.

Do Won-myeong grabbed and threw them.

Even in this situation, the Dark Heaven Execution Pursuit Squad members did not scream.

But that did not change their fate.

Because Do Meng stabbed the halberd at an incredible speed.

Popopopok!

Each time the halberd stabbed, the heads of the Dark Heaven Execution Pursuit Squad members were smashed.

It took only a blink of an eye for a squad of four from the Dark Heaven Execution Pursuit Squad to be wiped out.

“Let’s go.”

Dam Hyun took the lead.

“Ugh. Hoo.”

Do Meng and Do Won-myeong followed briskly, each holding their weapons.

They returned to the place they had come through the bushes.

Dam Hyun’s martial arts had barely reached the peak level.

It was difficult to disperse the full force of the Dark Heaven Execution Pursuit Squad alone, but now with two senior uncles, it was different.

The way back was unimpeded.

Swish—

Beyond the bushes, the presence of pursuers was felt.

They seemed not to hide their presence deliberately.

Their numbers gradually increased.

Dam Hyun and Do Meng walked without wavering.

They stopped in front of a tree.

The tree’s bark was stripped, and a special mark was carved.

Dam Hyun had carved it himself recently.

Looking down at the foot, stones and wood pieces were arranged for a formation.

Dam Hyun kicked them to scatter the formation.

Swoosh—

Then, the dark shadow disappeared.

The dense forest in front was actually a Mysterious Gate Formation.

Inside was a hidden clearing.

Noh Shik and the Kunlun disciples who were laying on the ground dying.

Peng Mu-ah and Go Yo-ja held weapons and guarded.

Dam Hyun pointed at Do Meng and Do Won-myeong and said.

“These are my senior uncles.”

Peng Mu-ah was flustered.

Go Yo-ja was surprised to see the Honor Flower Disciple marks on Do Meng and Do Won-myeong’s clothes.

“Could it be…?”

“Do Meng. The one beside him is his fellow junior brother Do Won-myeong.”

They bowed respectfully to Go Yo-ja, who was also a Taoist.

There was no time for lengthy greetings.

All the pursuers scattered on the way here gathered.

Of course, it was a deliberate trap.

“We will break through.”

Do Won-myeong grinned.

Do Meng drew his halberd, and Do Won-myeong stood beside him.

There was no proper ‘path’ in such a forest.

They had to make the path themselves.

Breaking through the demon martial artists of the Dark Heaven Execution Pursuit Squad who glowed with eyes in the bushes.

Go Yo-ja tried to stop them in surprise.

“Let’s watch. If they can’t break through, we’ll go ourselves.”

“This brat’s attitude!”

Do Won-myeong spat and bent his waist.

Then, something happened that surprised even the Demon Cult members.

Do Meng suddenly climbed onto Do Won-myeong’s hunched shoulders.

Do Won-myeong, far from being embarrassed, stood up carrying his senior brother on his shoulders.

In other words, they were piggy back riding.

“…They do all sorts of things.”

“Look, Dam Hyun! This is Power Borrowing!”

Do Won-myeong stood up and roared.

His face was flushed red.

One might think it was hard to carry the large senior brother, but surely a Transcendent master wouldn’t struggle.

Do Meng, riding on his junior brother’s shoulders, began swinging the halberd wildly.

Dam Hyun frowned.

Power Borrowing means borrowing strength.

Then whose strength were they borrowing?

There was no clue from Do Won-myeong.

The halberd Do Meng was swinging wildly seemed to be a clue.

Who was the most famous among those who used halberds?

Moreover, the halberd Do Won-myeong held was more ornate and larger than usual.

Something came to mind.

Dam Hyun unconsciously opened his mouth.

‘…Sky Piercer?’

That halberd might not be the genuine legendary weapon.

Do Meng’s eyes were dyed red.

Strong winds blew from the swinging halberd.

Then the one whose power Do Meng borrowed was…

The dragon among humans.

His courtesy name was Feng xian.

His name was…

Then what power did Do Won-myeong, who carried him, borrow?

A roar that no human mouth could produce gave the answer.

“Heeheeheehing!”

His face was flushed red for a reason.

Among men, there was Lü Bu.

Among horses, there was Red Hare.

Master Do Won-myeong borrowed the power of the legendary horse.

The pair of Taoists piggy back riding did not look cool at all.

“What a sight.”

But no matter how they looked, their power could not be underestimated.

They didn’t care if trees blocked their way or if the demon martial artists threw iron nets and fired crossbows.

Like Lü Bu riding Red Hare rampaging on the battlefield in ancient times.

Kwak kwak kwak kwang!

People were thrown into the air, trees were broken and smashed.

No one could break through the halberd imitating Fangtian Huaji.

Do Won-myeong, as if he had become a real warhorse, trampled the demons who fell and rolled.

Dam Hyun shouted.

His group lifted Noh Shik and started running forward.

They escaped the crisis in Kunlun.

That was the last pursuit.

A few days later.

They entered the territory of the Orthodox-Unorthodox Alliance.

It was the moment when Yi-gang’s group, having escaped Sky Shattering Island, entered the Great Desert.

1. TL/N: Chinese polearm / halbard ️