Chapter 519
The absurdity of the situation hit him before the pain.
He was knocked back...? What kind of bastard dared to attack him?
Wei Chang raised his head. Another spell flew toward him.
“Die, enemy of the Chinese people!”
He had heard that line many times before.
After Wei Chang joined forces with some party executives to rebel, the media affiliated with the party fiercely rebuked him!
-The enemy of the Chinese people...
-The weak reaction from the West...
For a moment, Wei Chang thought that hunters loyal to the party had come to assassinate him. However, it was Han Seha, a Korean A-grade hunter, who had launched the magic attack.
“...What?!” Wei Chang shouted, clutching his aching body.
It was ridiculous. Of course, Wei Chang had stabbed the party in the back and done as he pleased, but it should be Chinese people swearing at him. Why was a Korean hunter rebuking him for being an enemy of the Chinese people?
It was frustrating.
“How dare you say that to me...?”
“I condemn you on behalf of the one billion Chinese people out there!” Han Seha shouted proudly before rushing at him.
“Seha, you don’t have to keep saying that...” Choi Yeonseung mentioned from behind her. “I’ve cut off all the CCTV anyway.”
“Ah, really?” Han Seha shrugged. In any case, if the Chinese government later tried to persecute her for attacking Wei Chang, she could argue, “I took care of him because you hate him!”
However, even though Wei Chang was considered a rogue, the fact that a foreign hunter was dealing with him would be a bitter pill to swallow for the Chinese government. After all, there weren’t that many A-grade hunters out there.
“Then just die!”
“You dog...”
Wei Chang raised his sword and unleashed Du Fu’s Lamentation, a skill that erupted with enough force that it seemed like it would destroy everything around him.
A-grade hunters hadn’t just leveled up and learnt skills at random. They all had their own unique fighting style. Wei Chang was a damage dealer who combined swordsmanship with sonic magic skills.
Clang!
Du Fu’s Lamentation reverberated through the air, shaking everything with powerful magical sound waves. The glass walls of the nearby airport shattered, the cars parked in the vicinity were overturned, and various facilities were damaged.
Han Seha instantly used a defensive skill to protect herself against the sonic shockwave.
Wei Chang’s attacks were particularly advantageous in duels, but conversely, he lacked firepower. His skill would be devastating against a low-grade hunter, but an A-grade one wouldn’t have much trouble defending against it.
“Wei Chang, I’ll knock you down for attacking the citizens gathered at the airport!”
“Drop the bullshit, you robbers! What the hell is this?”
Wei Chang jumped up. It wasn’t until he was hit a few times that he realized the situation he was in.
He had rushed over after hearing that the Chinese hunters who participated in the international competition had escaped to the airport and were trying to seek asylum, but it was hard to believe that Korean A-grade hunters were here.
It was obvious that these madmen had helped the hunters defect.
‘Even if they’re crazy, this is too much!’ Wei Chang gritted his teeth. He didn’t understand what gave these Korean hunters the confidence to get involved in this, but he would make sure they paid for it once this mess was resolved!
...He couldn’t think of a way to make them pay right then, but once he went back and put his mind to it, he was sure he could come up with something.
However, Wei Chang was still missing something.
Han Seha was genuinely trying to crush him!
“Die, enemy of the people!”
“!!!”
Wei Chang was taken aback by Han Seha, who activated a bunch of skills and rushed at him once again. His shockwaves were supposed to keep Han Seha at bay, but since she was clad in magic defense, they were doing nothing. Her red hair fluttered as she attacked him.
Han Seha, a household member of the Hound of Instinct and Liberation, boasted tremendous power in this chaotic hand-to-hand duel. They exchanged blows with their swords, but Wei Chang quickly felt himself being cornered. He had been ambushed, and his stamina and magic power were starting to run out.
‘You bastard... She’s actually trying to kill me...’
Initially, Wei Chang had thought that Han Seha was just trying to block his access to the airport. Since she had already dealt him a heavy blow, it would’ve been normal to stop attacking him.
However, Han Seha’s eyes burned with determination as she maintained her vicious attacks on Wei Chang. She was accusing him of being an enemy of the people, but Wei Chang, aware of her notoriety, felt that this was bullshit. Since when did she...?!
“Han Seha! Please!”
“Please kill Wei Chang!”
“?!?”
The Chinese citizens near the airport started cheering for Han Seha.
Wei Chang hurriedly widened the distance and shouted, “Are you crazy, you bastards?!”
"Shut up! Enemy of the people!”
“You betrayed the party!”
“...”
It was only then that Wei Chang remembered he had stabbed the party in the back.
Having only seen the articles rebuking Wei Chang, the people here in Shanghai were bound to misunderstand the situation. “You worthless idiots! Look at the situation right now! Who is doing what...?”
“Hunter Han Seha! Have strength!”
“Kill that bastard!”
Wei Chang’s abusive language had no effect on the civilians gathered at the scene. Perhaps he could’ve reasoned with them if he had a decent image, but given his notoriety and the fact that he had hurt civilians as he rushed to the airport...
“Shit...!”
In order to prevent Han Seha from lunging at him like a rabid dog, Wei Chang took out his stored artifacts and used potions at random. Besides using up a lot of valuable resources, this would also take a physical toll on him. However, he had to do everything in his power to survive.
Wei Chang used Qu Yuan’s Li Sao, the skill he was most proud of, on his sword. The sword imbued with the bloody sound of death wreaked havoc with every swing. The blade let out an eerie sound every time it hit Han Seha and shaved off a layer of her magic armor.
The impact of his hits were so devastating that the remaining streetlights around them were smashed and sent flying.
Wei Chang steadied himself and took another swing at Han Seha.
‘Breathe...’
“You bastard! You dare-!”
Bam!
The most powerful attacks were the unexpected ones.
Wei Chang was overcome by intense pain as he felt his body contort under the heavy force of a surprise attack.
Choi Yeonseung had joined in after seeing Wei Chang aiming for Han Seha.
“What...?”
Choi Yeonseung hadn’t waited one second. In an instant, Origin of the Celestial Fist pierced Wei Chang with a white flash. With that, the Tai’a Sword, Wei Chang’s signature weapon, shattered. The A-grade artifact with great historical value was destroyed just like that.
Wei Chang’s armor also failed to withstand the impact of Choi Yeonseung’s concentrated energy and shattered. It was King Mook’s Armor, a legendary artifact that the Chinese government had secured by using hundreds of first-generation hunters.
Choi Yeonseung was taken aback.
‘Whoops... Maybe I should’ve taken his artifacts first.’
-Well, they’re all broken now, so just beat him up.
The goddess of sloth was right. With a nod, Choi Yeonseung resumed his attack.
Perhaps it was because he was an A-grade hunter, but Wei Chang proved to be quite tough and managed to hold his own for a bit. Of course, he eventually collapsed, coughing up blood as he lay on the ground.
“Ch... Choi Yeonseung...! This... International...”
“Shut up! You attacked civilians at will and even Hunter Han Seha, who was just trying to subdue you. What a disgrace to A-grade hunters!”
“You damn bas–”
Choi Yeonseung promptly gagged Wei Chang. The witnesses, who didn’t know exactly what was going on, started cheering.
“Hooray, Hunter Choi Yeonseung!”
“Thank you!”
“Everyone, you have nothing to worry about! I’ve caught this guy and properly dealt with him!”
“Ngh... Nnngh!”
Ma Jun, who had been caught unharmed, shook his head frantically. The situation at the airport was becoming more twisted before his very eyes!
‘What is this...!’
He hadn’t imagined that things would get to this point.
Kwon Yeongseung came up to them and apologized.
“Well, Hunter Choi Yeonseung won’t treat you badly.”
“How can you say such things?” Ma Jun’s subordinates, who had also been captured as they tried to save him, were bewildered.
“How can someone like Hunter Choi Yeonseung act like this? Think about it again!”
“This really is an international issue...”
Kwon Yeongseung listened silently before looking around. He then shut up the subordinates as well.
“Nnngg!”
“Oommff!”
The subordinates were shocked that Kwon Yeongseung had done this to them. They would’ve expected Han Seha or Choi Yeonseung to silence them like this, but not him...
-How could you?
“I’m sorry, but you should’ve thought about this before causing trouble.”
With that, Kwon Yeongseung turned around nonchalantly.
***
-A brawl at the site of the international competition... A fierce battle between the Chinese and Korean hunters...
-A great defection drama! The Chinese side claims it was a kidnapping!
-Is it true that a Chinese A-grade hunter went on a rampage and attacked citizens?
-The Chinese government declares, ‘A-grade hunters have never attacked civilians...’ It is alleged that the circulating video is doctored...
-China’s Foreign Minister furiously made a public statement... ‘The US and South Korean governments have kidnapped valuable Chinese hunters. They should issue an official apology and reflect on themselves! Those vandals are destroying the peace in East Asia...’
-South Korea’s government declares, ‘We have nothing to do with this defection... This misunderstanding is most regrettable...’
-The US government declares, ‘The hunters sought asylum out of their own volition. We respect the will of the hunters...’
As one would expect, the media was on fire after the incident in Shanghai. It was truly unprecedented for so many A-grade hunters to defect.
Two rookie A-grade hunters who participated in the competition, along with the veteran A-grade hunters Ma Jun and Wei Chang, defected to the United States!
Of course, the Chinese side was in an uproar, claiming it was a case of kidnapping. But in reality, only a few Chinese officials actually believed it.
-My brother-in-law’s cousin is a hunter. He said they’re all looking for asylum opportunities.
-In any case, those hunters...! They have no patriotism at all!
-Would you want to stay in China if you received orders like that from above? They kill countless monsters, and all the rewards go to the party executives.
-Putting aside that traitor Wei Chang, even Hunter Ma Jun? I can’t believe it!
-Hunter Ma Jun has been kidnapped!
-No way, that’s a bunch of nonsense. Hunter Ma Jun is only human. Many A-grade hunters have rebelled, and he’s probably had enough as well.
-Hunter Ma Jun was at the scene. Why couldn’t he stop them? He must’ve been a collaborator.
-I heard that the Korean A-grade hunters helped them seek asylum?
-Do you believe that? They’re trying to erase their defeat in the competition!
The reaction of the public shocked the Chinese government.
No matter what the party did, the people suspected that this was all a plot to divert attention from the defeat in the competition.
...It was really a case of kidnapping!
-Deleted message.
-Deleted message.
-Deleted...
The government officials trembled with anger and proceeded to do what needed to be done. First, they tried to silence the people and draw attention to other news topics on the Internet. Then, they tried to contact Choi Yeonseung behind the scenes.
-Choi Yeonseung, if you don’t release the hunters you kidnapped right now...
-Hunter Choi Yeonseung, let’s talk about the kidnapped hunters.
-Hunter Choi Yeonseung, let’s meet up and talk...
The secret diplomatic envoys sent by the Chinese government initially carried themselves with their usual arrogance. Of course, Choi Yeonseung kicked them out.
After running wild and threatening others, the envoys finally settled down and took a calmer approach. They politely requested a meeting once again.
“Let them in.”
After refusing a few more times, Choi Yeonseung finally decided to hear them out.
The main gate of Hwang Gyeongryong's huge mansion slowly opened. The Chinese envoys walked in and asked the bodyguards guarding the main gate, “How can you treat us so poorly...?”
-Kick them out again.
“Oh, we’ve just been told to kick you out.”
“Hunter Choi Yeonseung! Hunter Choi Yeonseung! Don't do this! I know you’re watching!!”