Chapter 1768
Who did you just say it was? (3)
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“Geol-ah!”
Yoon Jong’s face twisted at the sight that unfolded as he rushed into the village. He wanted to turn away from the gruesome scene, but given his position, he couldn’t bring himself to do so.
“Where is that brat?”
“Yoon Jong-ah! Over there!”
A Baek disciple, who spotted Jo Geol first, shouted while pointing ahead. Yoon Jong, seeing Jo Geol’s figure getting farther away, erupted in fury.
“That damned brat!”
It felt like dragging around a young calf that refused to listen. Baek Cheon or Chung Myung seemed to have managed to keep a leash on that guy somehow. How on earth did they do it?
“It looks like he’s chasing Sapaeryeon. What do you want to do?”
Yoon Jong bit his lower lip tightly.
Chasing them down was certainly important, but there was something equally important.
“Sasuk!”
“Hmm?”
Baek Sang flinched and turned around at Yoon Jong’s call.
“There may be survivors hiding inside the houses. They won’t come out, fearing us armed with swords, so please persuade them and move them to a safe place. Take a few more people with you.”
“Ah, understood.”
“And, Soso! Treat the wounded. Hurry!”
“Yes, Sahyeong!”
“About ten of you, stay in the village and put out the fire! If we’re not careful, the people hiding inside the houses could be in danger. Move! Now!”
“Got it!”
“Yes!”
Yoon Jong swiftly turned his gaze in another direction and shouted.
“And the rest of you, follow me! We pursue the enemy!”
Without waiting for a response, he sprinted at full speed towards the enemy.
‘Don’t overdo it, Geol!’
They needed to provide support for Jo Geol and Yu Iseol immediately. They must not be put in danger.
“Commander! The enemies…!”
Ho Gamyeong glanced back silently. His eyes were cold and emotionless. The enemies had almost caught up to the rear.
There were only two of them, but…
‘They’re fast.’
An astonishing speed.
He hadn’t heard that Hwasan’s Body Lightening Techniques* were particularly exceptional, but judging by their speed alone, they seemed to rival the likes of the Beggars Sect or Kunlun.
Of course, there was still some distance before they could reach Ho Gamyeong in the center, but the fact that the rear had been caught up with so quickly was certainly threatening.
“Oh, oh no!”
The person at the very rear turned pale. The momentum of those chasing was no ordinary matter.
Those who had already fought countless battles knew from experience.
In truth, fighting against a stronger opponent isn’t as difficult as one might think.
You can leverage numerical superiority, or hold out by stalling for time. Even if not, there are countless ways to confront a powerful opponent.
But there is one situation where you cannot stand against a stronger foe.
“Ugh, ugh, aaaaaah!”
That is when a strong opponent pounces on you from behind as you flee.
Slash!
A severed head flew into the air.
With the eyes tightly shut, as if sensing the oncoming fate, the head spun in the air before crashing into the dirt. It was a miserable end, but compared to the atrocities they had committed, it was a death close to a blessing.
“Where do you think you’re running, you bastards!”
Slash!
Jo Geol’s sword pierced through the enemies’ bodies without hesitation.
Blood and flesh splattered in all directions.
His sword, honed through real combat experience, had now reached a level that ordinary Sapaeryeon’s members found hard to handle. To face such a sword head-on would cost them their lives, and to be struck from behind? The result was so obvious that even a child could guess it.
Like a tiger’s fangs chasing a flock of sheep, Jo Geol’s sword mercilessly stabbed into the enemies’ backs.
“Aaaaah!”
Every time the sword spun swiftly, tearing through flesh, a scream burst out. When Sapaeryeon’s members’ legs gave out and they collapsed, Jo Geol, showing no mercy, would decapitate them immediately.
Paat!
Blood spurted out like a fountain, but Jo Geol didn’t have the chance to see it properly. He was already leaping over them, moving forward.
“Commander!”
“Hmm.”
Ho Gamyeong’s cold face showed a moment of contemplation.
‘Only two?’
He had thought the pursuit was faster than expected, but it made sense if there were only two of them. Who would have imagined that just two people would dare to chase this many people?
Those Hwasan’s people never seem to stay within expectations.
“Commander! The damage is increasing!”
A rational response would be to halt the troops and confront them, but that wasn’t feasible.
These were not the opponents that could be handled while fleeing.
Ho Gamyeong looked beyond the rear, which was being helplessly attacked.
‘Hwasan.’
The main force of Hwasan was pursuing them. If they were tied up here and lost time, they would soon be overtaken. Confronting Hwasan with only the forces present here? That would be nothing short of suicide.
Hwasan might not be the strongest sect in the world, but at least from the perspectives of Ho Gamyeong and Sapaeryeon, it was the one they least wanted to face.
“Damn it! Why does it have to be like this…!”
Curses burst from the mouths of the subordinates. It was understandable – whenever they got tangled with Hwasan, things always seemed to go disastrously wrong.
Had they moved just a moment earlier, they could have escaped easily without any sacrifices. But in the end, that moment’s difference came down to skill. Ho Gamyeong’s subordinates, being strategists themselves, understood this better than anyone.
“Commander! Go on ahead. We’ll hold them off!”
In the end, they proposed an alternative.
“Commander, you must return safely! Leave the rear to us.”
However, Ho Gamyeong glanced back at his subordinates and calmly replied,
“No need for that.”
“Commander!”
“Tell everyone to stop.”
“What?”
At the incomprehensible order, the subordinates’ eyes widened in shock. But Ho Gamyeong calmly halted his steps, and only then did the subordinates, panicking, stop the others who were fleeing.
“E-Everyone, halt!”
Those who had been terrified managed to regain their formation and pointed their weapons at the pursuers behind them.
“Hah…”
By now, Jo Geol, covered in blood from head to toe, had stopped. The space he had run through was marked by a long trail of corpses and blood – a literal Blood Path [혈로(血路)].
He panted heavily, casting a glance behind him. Yoon Jong was rapidly approaching, leading the other disciples.
In that case, there was no need to rush in and attack.
All they needed to do was buy time. Yu Iseol seemed to have the same thought, as her slightly rising shoulders began to calm.
Jo Geol sneered.
“So, you finally realized there’s no point in running away? Took you long enough, you dumb bastards.”
“No, there’s simply no need to run.”
Ho Gamyeong calmly responded to Jo Geol’s words.
“…What?”
“Bring them out.”
“Yes, Commander.”
The subordinates, looking somewhat skeptical, exchanged glances but followed the order.
‘What are they up to?’
Jo Geol watched them with a suspicious gaze, when an angry voice erupted from behind him.
“What the hell are you doing, you punk!”
Yoon Jong, who had chased after them like his life depended on it, grabbed Jo Geol’s shoulder roughly.
“We’ve caught them, haven’t we?”
“Is that something to say right now?”
“Ah, we can talk about that later. Let’s deal with these scum first.”
Jo Geol raised his sword.
Yoon Jong let out a deep sigh. He was seething with irritation he could hardly contain, but Jo Geol was right. Besides, there were too many things that didn’t add up.
‘Why did they stop?’
Why would they wait patiently until the main force of Hwasan caught up? It wasn’t like those guys were planning to fight fair and square.
“What… What is that?”
“Huh?”
A few Hwasan’s disciples, who had been eyeing Sapaeryeon with suspicion, widened their eyes in shock.
“Those lunatics…!”
They hadn’t seen any survivors in the village earlier. Even though Jo Geol had arrived before they could finish their massacre…
Yoon Jong had assumed that the terrified villagers had hidden themselves inside the burning houses, too afraid to come out.
There was no other explanation that made sense to him.
But at this moment, Yoon Jong realized too late that another possibility existed – a horrifying possibility that Chung Myung or Baek Cheon would have immediately noticed.
“Aaaah!”
A group of people was dragged out by Sapaeryeon’s members. They were bleeding from deep wounds on their arms and legs, making their movements appear strained and painful.
These people… there wasn’t a single trace of martial arts training in them – they were ordinary commoners.
The moment Yoon Jong saw their terrified eyes, his fists clenched so tightly that his bones could have shattered.
“Please, spare us! Please! Please!”
Women, children, the elderly… they were all weak and vulnerable. There were more of them than could be counted on the fingers of both hands.
Soon, Sapaeryeon’s members’ weapons were pointed at the necks of those who had been dragged out. The threat was clear – they could end these fragile lives at any moment.
“There’s no need for us to run. We’re not the ones who should be fleeing.”
“You… you son of a bitch…”
Blood vessels popped in Jo Geol’s eyes.
He wanted to tear apart Ho Gamyeong’s face, who was watching the situation without any trace of emotion. It was unbearable to see a creature like that speak as if he were human. Jo Geol’s rage burned so fiercely that he felt like his body might explode at any moment.
“Let’s see what your response would be.”
Despite the fury directed at him, Ho Gamyeong remained calm. He extended his hand and grabbed the nape of a woman’s neck.
“If you don’t retreat, they all die.”
“You…”
“I promise you this. If you back off, no more blood will be shed today. I can’t promise for tomorrow, but at least these people will live today.”
A faint sneer appeared at the corners of Ho Gamyeong’s lips.
“If you truly care about these people, you know what you have to do.”
“Shut up…”
Crunch!
A horrific sound echoed, and a momentary silence fell over the scene.
Everyone’s eyes widened.
The sharp tip of a blade protruded from the chest of the woman Ho Gamyeong had grabbed. She stared blankly into the void as if frozen in place, and then her body went limp.
“I mean it.”
“You son of a biiiiiiiiitch!”
Unable to hold back any longer, Jo Geol tried to lunge forward, but Yoon Jong desperately held him down.
“Calm down, damn it!”
“Sahyeong! That bastard! Sahyeong! Aaaahhhhh!”
Thud.
Ho Gamyeong carelessly tossed aside the lifeless woman and grabbed another hostage. His expression remained unchanged, devoid of any emotion.
This time, it was a very young girl. She was so terrified that she couldn’t even cry, only letting out small, choked sobs.
For a moment, Jo Geol’s rationality seemed to vanish into thin air. Yet amidst this, a chilling fear crept in.
If he charged in and that child died… what then?
How could he ever bear such responsibility?
“It seems you misunderstand – these aren’t some negotiations. This is an order. Retreat. If not, everyone here will die.”
Ho Gamyeong’s eyes darkened.
“Since we have some old ties, I’ll give you advice: not retreating is also an option. If you could sever my head at the cost of a few dozen commoners, it might indeed be a profitable deal for you.”
“You…”
“In any case, no one will ever know. Isn’t that right?”
Crunch!
“Aaaargh!”
Ho Gamyeong’s dagger sank into the child’s arm.
“It seems that it hurts. Tell me, who do you resent more right now? Me? Or those fools standing there with their useless pride?”
The child couldn’t manage to say anything.
“I promise you, if they retreat, you will live. I won’t lay another finger on you, and I’ll let you go.”
“…”
“If, even after such a promise, you end up dying here, it won’t be my fault.”
At that moment, Jo Geol saw it.
Not just the child’s, but the eyes of all the commoners captured by them filled with resentment. Hwasan, who had rushed in to save them, had instead become the target of their blame.
“You… what on earth..”
But it wasn’t their fault. It was that vile bastard’s doing. That heartless demon.
How could a person be like this?
Jo Geol stared at Ho Gamyeong with a blank expression.
There was a time when he might have thought that perhaps those people weren’t so different from them – just humans. If he could, he wanted to rip out his own tongue for ever having said such things.
“It seems you still don’t understand, given that you’re not moving.”
Crunch! Slash!
In an instant, two more heads rolled to the ground.
“Stop! You crazy bastard! I said stop!”
“I don’t waste time with petty threats. Make your decision. Retreat, kill me, or..”
Ho Gamyeong’s voice was so calm it felt disturbingly out of place.
“Or perhaps, you’ll look away, buy time, and escape from the guilt you’ll have to face.”
“You..”
Yoon Jong, who had been biting his lips until they bled, finally spoke.
“…I swear, I will kill you.”
“Whenever you’re ready.”
Yoon Jong gritted his teeth and turned his head away.
“Let’s go.”
“Sahyeong!”
“The hostages must be released. If we want their bodies to remain intact, at least.”
“Now that I’ve gotten what I wanted, there’s no need to deal with unnecessary trouble.”
“Get lost.”
Yoon Jong glared at Ho Gamyeong with eyes filled with murderous intent. After a moment, a deep sneer spread across Ho Gamyeong’s face.
“My respect for your esteemed sense of righteousness.”
With these words, Ho Gamyeong turned his back.
“Let’s go.”
“Yes, Commander.”
Sapaeryeon slowly moved away from them.
There was no sign of haste. It was as if they were mocking them.
The swordsmen of Hwasan could only stand there like petrified statues, watching the scene unfold.
“Ugh…!”
They had been utterly defeated, utterly humiliated.
“…l will kill you. I swear it.”
It was a moment when everyone from Hwasan carved the name of Ho Gamyeong, the Poisoned Heart Rakshasa, deep into their hearts.
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