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Translator: uly
Chapter: 19
Chapter Title: Artificial Stone Cave
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The ground beneath Black Wind's feet suddenly caved in.
Black Wind plummeted down along with the shattered fragments into the pit below.
Thud!
The spot where Black Wind had fallen was atop the sand.
Shhh... Shhh...
"Damn it!"
Black Wind hooked his crescent blade onto his belt before closing his eyes and covering his mouth and nose with the sand-proof mask. Soon, his figure was sucked into the sand.
Tarokha, who had attacked Black Wind, approached the edge of the pit and peered down. The interior of the pit was too dark to see anything.
"What was that noise?"
Taru, who had come up beside Tarokha, asked.
A scraping sound came from below.
"I don't know. You okay?"
Tarokha looked at Taru and asked.
"I've become a cripple."
Taru's face twisted as he raised the hand where his fingers had been severed. His hands had been the part of his body he was most confident in. His face was just average, but his hands were exceptional. Especially his fingers, which were very long—women would gaze at him with ecstatic eyes whenever he played the flute. He had put even more effort into caring for his hands. Yet three fingers had been cut off. With the thumb positioned differently, it almost looked like only one finger remained.
Now he couldn't even play the flute. He'd have to learn to use chopsticks with his left hand too.
"At least two are left."
"Whether it's three fingers or two, the fact that I'm a cripple doesn't change."
"Don't blame others—blame your own skill."
"If that bastard hadn't used sorcery, my fingers wouldn't have been cut off."
"I think so too. From now on, you'll have to learn how to live with just two fingers."
"That son of a bitch..."
"He's dead. Forget it."
It wasn't just any technique—he had been struck by the full-force Dou Gang. His chest and heart must have been torn to shreds. It would be more bizarre if he were still alive.
"Even with only two fingers, can I still become the Heaven Lord?"
"The Heaven Lord isn't determined by the number of fingers..."
Tarokha let out a deep sigh.
"There's a new passage over there!"
Someone shouted then. At that, everyone who had been fighting halted their movements and turned to look at Tarokha and Taru.
"A passage!"
"Let's go."
The fighters stopped their battle and leaped toward the center. What those present desired most was the tomb of Great Radiant Martial, the Solar Heaven Martial Sect's Dae Guang-mu.
Since the tomb of Dae Guang-mu—the most important site in the Solar God Temple—had yet to be found, all were on high alert for any new passages. The discovery of a pit leading elsewhere naturally excited them.
Tarokha felt the same.
The first to arrive were the White Camel Kingdom warriors.
"Bring torches!"
Tarokha commanded.
"Hand over the torches."
When a White Camel Kingdom warrior shouted, several men brought torches.
"Throw them!"
At Tarokha's order, one White Camel Kingdom warrior hurled a torch downward. It wasn't a mere pit but a vertical cave. The cave plunged about twenty-odd zhang deep. Soon, the torch hit the bottom.
"What's that...?"
Tarokha's eyes widened.
The ground where the torch had fallen was moving.
"No way—a quicksand river?"
He quickly scanned the left and right of the torch.
Fortunately, there was a broad open space to the left. The quicksand river flowed beside it. The open space looked quite large even from above—enough for fifty or sixty people to land comfortably.
The torch, caught in the quicksand river, soon vanished, and darkness returned.
"We shouldn't go down where the torch fell, Father."
Taru said.
"We need to descend to the left. Otherwise, we'll get swept into the quicksand river."
Tarokha said quietly.
Though addressed to the White Camel Kingdom warrior, everyone else heard him too.
"I'll go first—give me a torch."
As Tarokha spoke, someone handed him a torch.
Tarokha leaped into the cave holding the torch.
There were slight protrusions along the left and right walls like shelves, making descent easy.
Near the bottom, he flung himself to the left and landed.
He illuminated below with the torch.
Soon, the other warriors confirmed the situation and leaped into the vertical cave.
"This place..."
Tarokha looked around the interior.
"It seems like a natural cave."
Taru murmured softly. It was just as he said. The open space was the entrance to a cave. A massive cavern yawned ahead.
—Shouldn't we go in first?
Taru sent a transmission. He was anxious that someone else might find the treasure first.
—No. Even if they get the treasure, there's no guarantee they'll keep it. You'll have to fight many others, and in the end, it becomes the property of the strongest. No need to go in first and waste energy.
That was why he hadn't entered despite arriving first.
Shhh... Shhh... Shhh...
An odd sound came from the side.
Tarokha shone the torch toward the source.
"What's that?"
The warriors' eyes widened.
Beside where they stood, sand flowed slowly like a river.
"Quicksand River!"
Someone muttered like a groan.
"How could there be a quicksand river here..."
"Did he fall into it?"
Taru whispered to Tarokha.
"Who... are you talking about?"
"You know who."
"He fell into the quicksand river."
Tarokha turned his gaze to the quicksand river. Falling straight down from above would land right on it. And like a swamp, once caught in quicksand, escape was impossible. He wasn't even in normal condition after taking the final stance of White Camel Divine Fist, Dou Gang.
"Unless he's a god, he can't come out alive."
Tarokha said with conviction.
"Let's head inside."
The torch-bearer moved toward the cave interior.
Some followed the torch-bearer, while others remained before the quicksand river.
Tarokha stayed, staring at the quicksand river.
Whoosh!
Then dozens fell from above.
They descended to the bottom by stepping on the left and right walls of the pit. It was Nang Ha-sang and the Ice Palace warriors, along with Red Witch Tali's group. Following them came the Hell Fortress warriors led by Yagul Jeoksun.
Nang Ha-sang stared piercingly at Tarokha.
"What is it?"
"You pulled off quite the despicable act."
"What are you talking about?"
"They say a father and son ganged up on someone without martial arts. Did I hear wrong?"
"That's..."
Tarokha was at a loss for words.
"He did have martial arts. I was the one who got hit."
Taru showed his severed-finger hand.
"Shifting your own mistakes onto others is a terrible habit."
Nang Ha-sang said.
"That bastard insulted me."
Taru burst out.
"You're the one who unleashed Transparent Thread Technique to eliminate them, aren't you?"
"That's..."
"You not only broke the Border Wastelands' unwritten rule against killing or fighting in the Central Plains, but you also have this peculiar trait of blaming others for your failures."
Though speaking to Taru, Nang Ha-sang's gaze turned to Tarokha.
Tarokha's face flushed red.
It felt like Nang Ha-sang was saying, 'Raise your son properly.'
"That bastard insulted me too."
"What about the insult I received?"
Tali, who had been listening, said softly.
Tarokha looked at Tali and asked.
"You say I insulted you?"
Tarokha asked.
"I promised to protect his life, and I told everyone. Yet you father and son tried to harm him. That means you don't take Red Witch Tali seriously at all."
"I had no intention of slighting Red Witch."
"My words must have sounded funny then."
"No."
"Then why..."
"Why are you defending that Central Plains bastard so much?"
Taru burst out.
Tali stared at Taru.
"It's not defense—it's because I made a promise. You might flip your own promises based on mood, but Red Witch Tali is different. Once I say something, I keep it. Even if it costs my head."
"You're doing this because you like that Central Plains bastard and are trying to..."
Shing!
"Gah!"
Taru's eyes widened. Before he knew it, the tip of Tali's sword was at his throat.
"Don't speak carelessly. If you think your father or the White Camel Kingdom will save your life, you're mistaken. I could kill you right here."
Tali said coldly.
"Apologize."
"Father!"
"Is what I said unreasonable?!"
Tarokha burst out.
"I-I'm sorry."
"I have no desire for insincere apologies. What I want to say is that your father could resolve the White Camel Kingdom's millennium-old wish thanks to that man."
As Tali slid her sword back into its sheath, she continued.
"We've never received help from that bastard."
"You're wrong. You received enormous help. Because he was the original owner of the Solar Medallion I presented. If he hadn't handed over the Solar Medallion, you never would have found White Camel Kingdom's strongest art, Heaven Storm Whirlwind Gang."
Tali's gaze turned to Tarokha.
"I didn't know. But even if I had, the outcome would have been the same."
Tarokha said.
"I suppose so. A king's love for his son is famously excessive. I have no intention of interfering in your family education. But you know, that man's words keep echoing in my head."
"What words?"
"He said at the end, 'What kind of scum kills someone without martial arts and calls himself Heaven Lord? That's why you can't escape the Border Wastelands.'"
Thud!
Tarokha's feet sank into the ground. Tali quietly watched him.
Their gazes clashed fiercely in the air.
"Do you think the Desert Ten Heroes are the strongest?"
Tarokha ground out.
"Yes."
Tali nodded without hesitation and continued.
"It's not my decision—it's the common view of all Border Wastelands warriors."
"I disagree."
"That's just your personal opinion."
"How dare you..."
Tarokha's lips trembled.
"You're the one who disrespected me, Tarokha."
Tali no longer called him 'king'.
"Do you want to die?"
Tarokha switched to informal speech.
"Are you coveting a Desert Ten Heroes seat?"
Tali also switched to informal speech.
Tali swept her robe aside. A sword with a pure white wolf-head carving on the hilt was revealed—the Iron Wolf Battle Demon Blade she had found here.
Tension crackled taut between them.
Clap!
The sound of applause broke the tension.
Tali and Tarokha turned. It was Yagul Jeoksun who had clapped.
"Please stop. While we fight here, the Solar Heaven relics might fall into others' hands."
Yagul Jeoksun said.
"I'm not interested in Solar Heaven martial arts. I don't even think their arts surpass our White Wolf Clan's. I came here to check on the life or death of the Heaven Treasure Chief I promised to protect. And today's insult..."
Tali glared at Tarokha and Taru. Then she said softly but firmly.
"I will never forget it."
Tali soared upward. Taru glared murderously at her retreating figure.
'Just you wait, wench. I'll repay this humiliation. Definitely.'
Taru ground his teeth.
"I'm going inside."
Yagul Jeoksun led his subordinates inward. Tarokha's group followed. Nang Ha-sang quietly gazed at the quicksand river.
'I believe you're alive.'
She pressed her palms together toward the quicksand river.
She trusted in the Black Demon Vajra God and his rich combat experience.
"Let's go."
She said to her disciples. Soon, the Ice Palace warriors flew upward.
Just as Nang Ha-sang said.
Black Wind, who had fallen underground, was alive.
The place he fell was inside the quicksand river. The moment he sank into the sand, he unleashed the Great Flow Breathing Method. Even buried in sand, he could breathe. It was very shallow breathing.
'Where does this go?'
Black Wind entrusted his body to the sand's flow with eyes closed.
How far had he gone?
Suddenly, his body hit something.
He reached out with his left hand and groped.
Something hard.
'A wall!'
He climbed up, gripping the wall. Moments later, his head emerged.
"Hah!"
Black Wind took a deep breath and crawled up. The place he climbed to was a cave. But it wasn't dark. Night-luminous pearls embedded in the ceiling brightly illuminated the surroundings.
"An artificial cave..."
Black Wind's eyes widened as he looked deeper inside. There lay a mummified corpse.