Chapter 23

Chapter 23
## Chapter: 23

## Chapter Title: The Resolver (1)

—

As Sima Geon and Cheol Woo were busy wiping out Neung Wi and his followers, a separate party was stealthily ascending the mountainside.

There were precisely a dozen individuals. They were clad in indigo combat robes and wore headbands embroidered with the image of a white dragon. These were the elite of the Nangong Clan, infiltrating the area at the behest of the Yeonhwa Escort Agency to dismantle the Golden Fox Bandit Lair.

“The lair of the Golden Fox Bandits will be in sight once we crest this ridge.”

The guide, Escort Leader Ho Yu Gon, gestured toward a hill choked with aggressive, thorny brush.

The Yeonhwa Escort Agency had initially offered to send a full detachment of guards for reinforcement, but the Nangong Clan, prioritizing a rapid and surgical strike, requested only a guide who knew the fastest hidden paths. Consequently, Ho Yu Gon, known for his exceptional speed, had been assigned to lead them.

“Ugh, even more briars?”

Nangong Min, who was helping Ho Yu Gon clear the front of the column, let out a weary sigh.

“My apologies. I chose this rugged terrain specifically to bypass the bandits’ scouts and reach them quickly.”

Nangong Min waved off Ho Yu Gon’s concern with a quick motion of his hand.

“Haha! Don’t mind me, I was just complaining. If a bit of rough brush is the price for catching those thieves, it’s a bargain. This is nothing.”

Ho Yu Gon offered a humble bow, looking a bit sheepish at Nangong Min’s casual attitude.

An elder who had been watching Nangong Min with a piercing, disciplined gaze—Nangong Kyung, known as the Silver Heaven Ancient Sword—spoke to the guide in a soft tone.

“Pay him no mind. He still has much to learn about patience.”

“Not at all, sir.”

Ho Yu Gon shook his head, feeling the weight of the elder’s presence.

As the guide stood there, somewhat overwhelmed by the company, Nangong Kyung turned his attention to the rest of the group while scanning the thickets.

“Everyone, remember this. Our primary objective was the destruction of the Golden Fox Bandit Lair, but the mission has evolved. We have confirmation that the kin of the Juhae Escort Agency are being held here as hostages. Knowing the cruelty of these bandits, there are likely others. While we must defeat the enemy, the preservation of innocent lives is our highest priority. Do not let your blood cool, but do not act recklessly and endanger the captives.”

“Understood!”

The warriors of the Nangong Clan responded with disciplined resolve.

Nangong Kyung gave a sharp nod of approval before turning back toward Ho Yu Gon and Nangong Min.

The two men snapped back to their task, using their heavy blades to hack through the thick, arm-width vines that blocked their path.

A significant amount of time passed in this laborious fashion.

“Wait.”

Nangong Kyung suddenly signaled for the two lead men to halt.

His expression turned grim as he focused his senses on something ahead. Without warning, he unsheathed his own weapon and stepped forward, taking over the task of clearing the brambles himself.

With every precise arc of his sword, he carved out a corridor wide enough for several men to walk through abreast.

Though the ground remained uneven, the progress was vastly superior to what the younger men had managed. There was, however, a noticeable change: while the subordinates had worked quietly to remain undetected, Nangong Kyung was now swinging his blade with total abandon.

“What has happened, Uncle?”

Nangong Hwang, the primary heir of the Nangong Clan and a renowned figure among the Seven Dragons of Jiangnam, stepped forward to inquire.

“There is a conflict occurring up ahead.”

“A battle?”

Nangong Hwang looked startled.

“Yes. And from the feel of it, the fighting has already concluded.”

“Could another group be involved? I heard the Juhae Escort Agency sent out several pleas for help.”

“It is possible. However…”

Nangong Kyung’s voice trailed off as he sensed a lingering, unsettling energy in the air.

“We must increase our pace.”

Showing a rare flash of anxiety, Nangong Kyung began to cut through the forest even faster than before.

Seeing the elder advance with such frantic intensity, Nangong Hwang and the other clan members—who had previously viewed this as a routine bandit suppression—finally felt a cold wave of tension wash over them.

Shortly after, the Nangong Clan warriors broke through the final screen of vines, only to recoil at the sight of the bloody carnage before them.

Nangong Hwang hurried to examine the fallen men, his face darkening as he looked at their uniforms.

“These are greenwood bandits, judging by the insignia on their sleeves.”

“Are they from the Golden Fox Bandit Lair?”

Nangong Kyung inquired.

“I cannot say for certain.”

“The situation is unclear, but we cannot delay…”

Nangong Kyung stopped mid-sentence. His eyes were fixed on the corpse of a relatively small, older man lying nearby. Seeing his uncle’s focus, Nangong Hwang asked cautiously:

“Is that someone you recognize?”

“Gu San… Cho Ja.”

Nangong Hwang tilted his head. The name rang a bell, but he couldn’t place the face.

“Pung Yo Sang, a high-ranking elder of the greenwood bandits. He was infamous for his petty and sadistic nature, but his martial skill was formidable. I am deeply curious as to who could have left him in such a state.”

“It appears to be the work of a master at the peak realm,” Nangong Hwang observed, tracing the wounds on Pung Yo Sang’s torso. “And it looks like it was finished in a single movement.”

“To kill a man of Pung Yo Sang’s caliber with one strike… that is truly remarkable.”

Nangong Kyung turned his eyes toward the heart of the Golden Fox Bandit Lair and bolted forward without another word.

“Uncle!”

Nangong Hwang’s cry went ignored as the elder vanished into the distance.

“Move! Follow him!”

As Nangong Kyung disappeared from sight, Nangong Hwang desperately urged the rest of the clan to keep up, even as the elder’s silhouette grew smaller and smaller.

“Hmm.”

A low sound of acknowledgement escaped Nangong Kyung’s lips as he vaulted over the shattered remains of the main entrance.

Passing into the space between the outer walls and the inner buildings, he came across more than a dozen additional bodies.

The corpses were strewn about haphazardly, featuring horrific injuries like caved-in chests and pulverized skulls.

“The same individual did this.”

Recognizing the signature of the violence from the woods, Nangong Kyung found himself taking three rhythmic, deep breaths—a subconscious reflex he had when his nerves were on edge.

He stopped in the middle of his third breath.

“Ha!”

A dry, mirthless laugh escaped him.

He realized he was becoming preoccupied with the shadow of this unknown combatant. Just then—

“AAAAAAGH!”

A piercing, guttural scream tore through the air of the Golden Fox Bandit Lair, and Nangong Kyung’s body moved on instinct.

Each of his bounds cleared massive distances, covering nearly twenty-five meters at a time.

Moving with the speed of a gale, Nangong Kyung reached the edge of a grove and saw three men: one of immense physical stature, another radiating a freezing, murderous intent, and a third middle-aged man screaming in agony on the dirt.

The source of the noise was the middle-aged man, who was thrashing on the ground as if his very blood were on fire.

Instinctively knowing this man must be the Chief of the Golden Fox Bandit Lair, Nangong Kyung shouted with authority.

“Stop!”

While their mission was to clear the lair, saving the hostages was now the priority. To do that, they needed information.

Since everyone else they had encountered was dead, the chief was likely their only source of information regarding the captives.

Sima Geon and Cheol Woo, who had been ruthlessly dealing with No Geuk out of both old and new grievances, turned to look at the newcomer.

“Who’s this old man?”

Cheol Woo’s face souled as he turned toward Nangong Kyung, stepping forward with an aggressive stride.

To Cheol Woo, Nangong Kyung was just another obstacle in this den of thieves.

Without a word of greeting, Cheol Woo threw a massive fist toward the elder.

A localized windstorm followed the path of his punch, threatening to swallow Nangong Kyung whole.

Startled by the immediate hostility, Nangong Kyung exhaled sharply and drew his blade in a defensive diagonal sweep.

A thin line of sharp sword qi shot out to intercept the crushing pressure.

It wasn’t a strike meant to kill.

Nangong Kyung believed that a controlled block would be enough to halt the man and open a dialogue.

Though he was irritated by the unprovoked attack, he wasn’t certain these men were enemies yet. He assumed it was a case of mistaken identity.

Furthermore, he was confident in his power.

Even if this was the man who had slain Pung Yo Sang, Nangong Kyung believed he could manage the situation.

That confidence was shattered in a heartbeat.

His sword qi seemed to cut through the gale, but it flickered and died against the edge of the pressure, while the storm itself doubled in intensity, rushing toward him.

Caught in the sudden vacuum of force, Nangong Kyung was forced back several paces, his sword moving in a blur to deflect the remaining energy before he could regain his footing.

“You avoided that? You’re not half bad, old timer.”

Cheol Woo looked slightly impressed that his opening blow had been neutralized. He took a moment to study Nangong Kyung’s stance and nodded.

“I see. You aren’t just some random old man.”

Realizing that the energy coming from Nangong Kyung was far more potent than anything Pung Yo Sang had possessed, Cheol Woo broke into a wide, eager grin.

For a man like Cheol Woo, who had spent his life on the brutal front lines for the sake of the Heavenly Demon Cult, a peaceful existence was a dream—but one that often felt dull. Especially after Sima Geon had teased him about getting soft lately.

The chance for a high-level duel made his blood sing and his pulse quicken.

As Cheol Woo’s killing intent swelled into something truly terrifying, Nangong Kyung realized he had to change his strategy.

They had only traded a single blow, neither at full strength, yet he had been the one forced to retreat.

The terrifying part was that the giant hadn’t even reached his peak yet.

Nangong Kyung couldn’t be certain who would survive a true life-or-death struggle.

A voice in the back of his mind whispered that he might actually lose. It was a thought that would have shocked his peers, but Nangong Kyung felt it in his bones.

He cast aside his pride and focused.

The Soaring Heaven One Qi Art activated within his core, filling his meridians with a staggering amount of internal energy.

Sima Geon’s eyes narrowed as he recognized the opening stance of the Azure Cloud Twelve Swords—the legendary technique of the Nangong Clan, revered alongside the styles of Wudang and Huashan as the pinnacle of orthodox swordplay.

It was sharp and lethal, but it was built on a foundation of pure, righteous energy rather than the dark malice of the demonic arts.

“Watch yourself. This one is the real deal,” Sima Geon warned in a low voice.

Cheol Woo snapped his head around to look at his companion.

“Watch myself? Are you kidding me?”

Sima Geon let out a small laugh at Cheol Woo’s indignation.

For a moment, swept up in the elder’s impressive display, he had forgotten the sheer power of the monster standing right next to him.

“My mistake. Carry on.”

Accepting his error, Sima Geon turned his attention back to No Geuk, who was nearing death from the sheer intensity of his pain.

Nangong Kyung was stunned by how little they seemed to care about his presence. However, the sheer pressure coming from Cheol Woo as he cracked his knuckles and approached was too great to allow for distractions.

As Cheol Woo’s massive frame lunged forward, Nangong Kyung’s elegant, slender sword began to move in a fluid, circular pattern.

A fist capable of shattering boulders smashed into the shimmering blue sword gang protecting the blade, resulting in a sound like a thunderclap.

That was only the beginning.

Discovering that Cheol Woo’s defensive energy and physical strikes were even more durable than he had guessed, Nangong Kyung stopped trying to match him force-for-force. He began to look for openings, while Cheol Woo continued his relentless, unyielding assault.

The intricate feints and hidden traps within those seemingly simple punches were enough to shock even a veteran like Nangong Kyung.

It made sense. While Nangong Kyung had decades of traditional training, Cheol Woo had spent every single day in actual mortal combat, living on the razor’s edge—a level of experience that made chronological age irrelevant.

*Vroom!*

A massive shockwave cut through the air as a ball of condensed energy flew toward the retreating Nangong Kyung.

It was the opening movement of the Heaven Shattering Three Strikes, a refinement of the Overlord Sixteen Fists: the Heaven Collapse Fall.

Realizing he couldn’t dodge, Nangong Kyung bit his lip until it bled and channeled everything into his sword.

A beam of sword light, brighter and purer than any he had ever produced, slammed directly into Cheol Woo’s fist energy.

In the middle of the explosive debris and swirling winds, a cry of horror rang out.

Nangong Hwang had finally reached the scene. He watched, his face turning pale as paper, and let out a strangled groan.

Unlike Cheol Woo, who stood there nonchalantly stretching his neck, Nangong Kyung was coughing up blood. The elder had been thrown back violently and had tumbled across the dirt before coming to a stop.

As he struggled to stand, using his sword as a crutch, his face was a mask of pure, unadulterated shock.