Chapter 346 |
Chapter 346
Truth
Bang!
The Changcheon Sword wielded by Namgung Chang-hwi clashed with Hyeok Jin-gang's sword, making Hyeok Jin-gang's eyebrows twitch.
No matter how invincible Unyielding Will, renowned as the toughest weapon in the martial world, might be, it was ultimately wielded by Hyeok Jin-gang.
'What a brutish martial art.'
Because of the unique brutish power of the Namgung family's heavy sword, a dull weight was transmitted to Hyeok Jin-gang's right wrist holding the Unyielding Will.
Even though the Changcheon Sword was thinner compared to Unyielding Will, it was similarly made from the eternal cold iron, making it equally unbreakable.
If the Namgung Sword Emperor had used the Changcheon Sword in their life-and-death duel, Hyeok Jin-gang would have been dead.
It was because the pain brought back memories of that fight.
The memory of barely surviving after losing to the Namgung Sword Emperor.
'But, in the end, I am the one who survived.'
As if trying to erase those memories, internal energy surged from Hyeok Jin-gang's danjeon and gathered in the Unyielding Will.
Clang!
With a displeasing noise, fragments of shattered sword energy spread as if breaking the world apart.
Clang!
Namgung Chang-hwi, who was facing Hyeok Jin-gang, had to step back and deflect each fragment of sword energy.
And while Namgung Chang-hwi was deflecting the fragments,
"Haaa!"
Namgung Jin-cheon, who had sneaked in from the right, swung his sword.
"You brat!"
Hyeok Jin-gang swung the Unyielding Will again to block Namgung Jin-cheon's sword.
Namgung Jin-cheon's sword screamed as it clashed with Unyielding Will.
Despite the Namgung family's young lord wielding the esteemed Blue Dragon Sword, its strength could not compare to Unyielding Will or the Changcheon Sword.
"Hrmmm!"
But Namgung Jin-cheon, with his veins bulging on his face, forcibly infused internal energy into his long sword, creating sword energy to endure the struggle.
And while Namgung Jin-cheon bought some time,
Swish.
A chilling energy aimed at Hyeok Jin-gang's back.
"Click."
Hyeok Jin-gang, feeling disgusted, turned his body.
With his right hand still blocking Namgung Jin-cheon, he extended his left to block Jegal Jin-hee's fan from behind.
The icy energy from her fan tried to penetrate Hyeok Jin-gang's body, but he resisted with his internal energy.nn
At that moment, Namgung Chang-hwi, having deflected all the fragments, charged again, catching Hyeok Jin-gang's eye.
Hyeok Jin-gang used a stepping technique while moving both hands.
He diverted half the strength of Jegal Jin-hee and Namgung Jin-cheon's combined attack, using the recoil to take a large step back.
As a result, Jegal Jin-hee and Namgung Jin-cheon, who were thrown off balance, ended up swinging their weapons at each other.
Bang!
As the fan and sword of the two, who couldn't withdraw their full strength while attacking Hyeok Jin-gang, clashed,
Bang!
Hyeok Jin-gang and Namgung Chang-hwi exchanged three swift blows at close range.
"Click."
Hyeok Jin-gang clicked his tongue again, dealing with the combined attack of three.
When only facing the brute force of the Namgung father and son, he could push through to some extent, but the battle dynamics had changed uncomfortably after the young lord of the Jegal family joined.
'Annoying woman.'
From Hyeok Jin-gang's perspective, her level was nothing special.
If it were a one-on-one match, he could have killed her in three moves.
The problem was her clever tactics.
Using the brute force attacks of the two Namgung men, she repeatedly launched sneak attacks and retreated.
With her ambushes in mind, Hyeok Jin-gang had to conserve some energy even while fighting the Namgung father and son.
Without reserving some internal energy, he could be instantly frozen by her ice techniques.
However, Hyeok Jin-gang's feelings were closer to discomfort or annoyance rather than urgency.
He was confident that soon, the So-cheon-ju would kill Kwon Je and join him.
This belief gave Hyeok Jin-gang a semblance of leisure.
Bang!
And Somewhere on the Battlefield
Boom!
A massive explosion resonated through the battlefield, louder and more formidable than when Hyeok Jin-gang's Sword Breaking Technique collided with the Namgung father and son's Emperor's Sword Form.
"Aaargh!"
Upon hearing the subsequent scream, Hyeok Jin-gang was certain.
Finally, the So-cheon-ju had reached the end.
However, the emotion that followed this certainty was a strange unease.
'That was definitely the So-cheon-ju's voice.'
Realizing the source of his unease, Hyeok Jin-gang unleashed his Sword Breaking Technique to push back the Namgung father and son, and turned his head towards the direction of the energy surge.
What he saw made his eyes widen in disbelief—So-cheon-ju's limbs were twisted in bizarre angles, and Kwon Je was delivering a final blow to him.
"!!!"
While Hyeok Jin-gang's eyes were filled with astonishment,nn
"Where are you looking!!"
Namgung Chang-hwi, who had already dealt with all the fragments, swung his sword at Hyeok Jin-gang again.
"Click."
Hyeok Jin-gang clicked his tongue and swung the Unyielding Will to block Namgung Chang-hwi's attack, but this time, the clicking sound held a different emotion.
'What in the world is happening?'
So-cheon-ju's skills were not much different from his own.
The only reason Hyeok Jin-gang held the advantage was due to the power of the Unyielding Will and his decades of combat experience.
In terms of martial arts level, they were similar, and So-cheon-ju even had deeper internal energy.
Yet, So-cheon-ju had lost his life to Kwon Je, who was at the peak age of his late teens or early twenties.
Naturally, countless thoughts crowded Hyeok Jin-gang's mind.
'Should I use it?'
The forbidden technique that would cause an explosion of latent energy but would definitely result in his death after a short time.
Should he use it to avenge So-cheon-ju?
Or should he flee?
'Kwon Je's condition was also abnormal.'
From his brief observation, Kwon Je, who had delivered the final blow to So-cheon-ju, was also severely injured.
However,
'Even if he is wounded, he is still strong enough to kill So-cheon-ju.'
If such a person joined the fight, there was a risk that using the forbidden technique would result in a meaningless death.
Thus, escaping seemed the best choice, but,
'Would the Heavenly Lord forgive me?'
This was the biggest problem.
Currently, he was a defeated general fleeing after the death of the only heir, So-cheon-ju.
As these complicated thoughts clouded his mind, they naturally reflected in Hyeok Jin-gang's movements.
"Lost in thought during a battle!"
Bang!
Noticing this, Namgung Chang-hwi pressed Hyeok Jin-gang even harder.
Namgung Chang-hwi could not contain his anger at the thought that a mistake by someone like Hyeok Jin-gang had led to the death of the Supreme Master, Tae-sang Ga-ju.
With his thoughts distracting him, Hyeok Jin-gang began to falter under Namgung Chang-hwi's relentless assault.
Swish!
Jegal Jin-hee's fan flew towards Hyeok Jin-gang's side.
Normally, Hyeok Jin-gang would have easily evaded or blocked it with his left hand, but distracted by his thoughts, he was slow to react.
Slash.
A thin line appeared on Hyeok Jin-gang's side as he narrowly dodged, the icy energy from Jegal Jin-hee's fan attacking his insides.n
Oddly enough, the ice technique prevented any blood from flowing, which was fortunate in a way.
The chilling pain from his side instantly cleared Hyeok Jin-gang's mind of all distractions.
Resolved, Hyeok Jin-gang poured his internal energy into the Unyielding Will.
Seeing Hyeok Jin-gang's intent to unleash his ultimate technique, the Namgung father and son raised their swords to perform the Emperor's Sword Form, while Jegal Jin-hee quickly retreated and created a thick ice wall around her with her fan.
Hyeok Jin-gang's Sword Breaking Technique clashed with their ultimate techniques, spreading energy in all directions.
Boom!
As the fierce wave of energy spread with a thunderous noise,
"You wretch!!"
Namgung Chang-hwi's enraged shout echoed across the battlefield.
In a shocking turn of events, Hyeok Jin-gang, who had trapped the three with his ultimate technique, used his speed technique to escape.
'The Heavenly Lord is a rational person. Rather than dying in vain, I will gain merit next time.'
That was Hyeok Jin-gang's conclusion.
After all, the Heavenly Lord did not care for So-cheon-ju. The Heavenly Lord's goal was solely the grand plan.
So-cheon-ju was merely a tool for the next generation.
In other words, as long as the grand plan succeeded, So-cheon-ju could be replaced.
They could create a new heir, find suitable elixirs across the Central Plains, and raise the new child as the So-cheon-ju.
Moreover, since he was wounded in the side, he had a valid excuse of having fought his best but 'unfortunately' had to flee.
That was the conclusion Hyeok Jin-gang reached despite his injury.
"!!!"
However, Hyeok Jin-gang's eyes wavered as he fled, disregarding the deaths of his subordinates.
He belatedly noticed So-cheon-ju, who he had thought dead from Kwon Je's last strike, unconscious and slung over Kwon Je's shoulder.
But.
'So-cheon-ju is already dead. I must have seen it wrong.'
Realizing it was too late to turn back, Hyeok Jin-gang repeated these words to himself as he escaped the battlefield.
* * *
Two days later, in Deokheung County, Jiangxi Province.
Jegal Muhwan, unusually, was walking somewhere with an unrestrained, joyful smile.
The battle at Guanyin Mountain had ended in a great victory.
Without needing to use the other harpoons prepared, Mu-gung and Mu-gyeong alone had successfully hunted the Noklim Leader.
Although there were some losses at the beginning while cornering the Noklim Leader, after that, they managed to wipe out all the bandits without further casualties.
Particularly noteworthy was Hwang Bo-ak, who fought his hardest to gain merit, and once Mu-gyeong and Mu-gung joined after dealing with the Noklim Leader, everything proceeded smoothly.
However, even though it was a great victory, there were many injured. After taking care of the injured in Sang-san County for a day, they returned to Deokheung County in Jiangxi Province.
Jegal Muhwan was heading to the meeting hall to reunite with those who had also returned to Deokheung County.
Accompanying Jegal Muhwan was Hwang Bo-ak, who had also contributed significantly in the recent war, wearing the same confident smile as Jegal Muhwan.n
'Hehehe.'
Jegal Muhwan's inability to hide his smile was not just because they had won the war.
When they arrived at the designated meeting hall, the warrior guarding the entrance announced their arrival.
"The Chief Military Strategist and Hwang Bo-ak have arrived."
Immediately, the doors of the hall opened, revealing those who had arrived earlier.
"It's been a while, Namgung Leader."
To his surprise, the head of the Namgung family, not affiliated with Jeongmumaeng, was present in the meeting hall.
"It has been a while."
As he watched the indifferent Namgung Chang-hwi respond, Jegal Muhwan unfurled his fan with a 'pah' sound to hide his involuntary smirk.
"I heard the news. Despite the assistance of Namgung's Young Lord and Jegal's Young Lord, you failed to capture Sa-doryeonju? Truly unfortunate."
Though his words expressed regret, there was an underlying tone of mockery.
There could be nothing more satisfying for Jegal Muhwan than seeing the Namgung family, who always ignored him and acted superior, fail.
Despite Jegal Muhwan's taunts, Namgung Chang-hwi remained indifferent.
"I accepted your invitation because of that very matter."
"Do you need our help? Hahaha."
"No. Sa-doryeonju is our responsibility. I came to warn you not to interfere."
"……"
Jegal Muhwan, who had been ready to mock Namgung Chang-hwi, couldn't hide his astonishment.
"You're asking us to leave that man to the Namgung family even after you failed?"
"We are the Namgung family. Do you know why a prestigious family is called so? Because no matter the failures or hardships, we ultimately emerge victorious. Since we will inevitably win in the end, if you interfere with our fight again, we will not forgive you."
"……"
Jegal Muhwan couldn't conceal his expression, which screamed, 'What kind of lunatics are these?'
How could they be so confident after failing?
Their mindset was fundamentally different from his.
Regardless of Jegal Muhwan's reaction, Namgung Chang-hwi continued to speak.
"I came to deliver this warning. Now, say what you have to say. Since I'm here, I'll listen."
Namgung Chang-hwi then turned his gaze away from Jegal Muhwan and looked somewhere else.
"After all, you called me here because of that person, right?"
"……"
Jegal Muhwan, speechless at Namgung Chang-hwi's brazenness, eventually sighed and looked in the same direction as Namgung Chang-hwi.
Logically, rejoicing over Namgung's failure while letting Hyeok Jin-gang escape was insane.
Yet, Jegal Muhwan was delighted because, in addition to Namgung's failure, they had succeeded in capturing someone as significant as Hyeok Jin-gang.
The focus of Namgung Chang-hwi, Jegal Muhwan, and everyone else in the meeting hall.
There, bound with his limbs twisted, was So-cheon-ju.