Chapter 1348
He intends to take that guy’s life. (3)
“Stay still.”
Namgung Dowi slowly lowered his raised hand.
Seeing this signal, the disciples of Haenam held their breath and stopped their movements as much as possible.
Tap-tap-tap!
With swift footsteps, a group passed by the bushes where they were hiding.
“This way!”
At loud shouts from above, the disciples of Haenam bowed their heads even deeper and concealed themselves further. Their throats tightened, and their hearts raced.
Fortunately, those who passed by didn’t notice their trail. Of course, this was somewhat expected.
“Aaaargh!”
From the distant, agonizing screams, it was evident that there were other enemies nearby, but how many people would try to look for traces of other enemies just because they might be around?
‘Dojang.’
Namgung Dowi resisted the urge to turn his gaze in the direction of the screams. Right now, his only way of aiding Chung Myung was to lead them out of here as quickly as possible.
“We are moving.”
“Yes!”
Phaaaat.
Namgung Dowi spurred on, leading the way. His gaze was fixed on a prominent peak ahead.
‘The fifth to the left from the highest peak.’
However, their path was leading towards the left side of the peak. If everyone chose the same path, splitting up the group would be in vain. They needed to choose a different path to avoid the enemy detecting them and then reunite.
“What the…?”
Without hesitation, Namgung Dowi lunged with his sword. The throat of Maninbang’s warrior, who was about to turn in surprise, was immediately pierced.
Squelch…
Pierced through even to the vocal cords, the man collapsed without even a scream, convulsing in agony. Namgung Dowi swiftly caught him before he could make a sound, intending to hide him in a secluded spot where he wouldn’t be easily noticed.
“Huh…”
Thick beads of sweat trickled down his forehead. While his stamina was adequately replenished, constantly scanning for the enemy’s whereabouts and advancing wasn’t as easy as he had thought.
Dispersing his internal energy was ultimately an exhausting task. As he expanded his internal energy while displaying his martial skills, it felt like his mental strength was being depleted multiple times over.
‘Don’t whine.’
Even if he wanted to, it was barely feasible.
He couldn’t afford to show any signs of exhaustion. Baek Cheon had led them for two days, and Chung Myung had been guiding them for even more.
To claim to be tired at this point was something the pride of the prestigious Namgung clan wouldn’t allow.
“Let’s hurry!”
“Yes, Young Lord!”
Namgung Dowi hit the ground once more, silently speaking from his heart.
‘Please don’t lag behind and follow us, Dojang!’
❀ ❀ ❀
Chung Myung’s sword twisted mercilessly, ripping through the enemy’s chest with a brutal force.
“Aaaaaaaaaaagh!”
The terrifying scream was enough to distort faces just by hearing it, promising to draw more enemies to his location like a beacon.
“There he is!”
“It’s…”
Those who rushed in upon hearing the cries stopped in their tracks, frozen in horror. Even in the darkness, the grim sight of the sprawled bodies was unmistakable.
There seemed to be more of them than the ones who had gathered just now. A sense of dread crept in, wondering if they had stumbled upon their own grave instead.
However, pausing for a moment didn’t alter their fate.
Swiftly, Chung Myung lunged forward, his sword slashing through the air.
“Run, run awa-“
Before the desperate plea could fully escape, a sharp red streak of light sliced through the darkness.
Thud. Thud.
The bodies of those who hadn’t even had a chance to resist crumpled.
With a sharp gesture, Chung Myung flicked the blood off his sword. His gaze darkened slightly.
It seemed that the number of attackers had diminished slightly since a while ago. Perhaps he had simply managed to eliminate all the enemies in the vicinity, or…
Boom! Boom!
At that moment, a spectacular firework erupted in the sky of Gangnam. It was a large flame that could be seen from anywhere in the Hundred Thousand Mountains. Chung Myung narrowed his eyes.
‘Definitely… a troublesome one.’
It was likely a signal to rally those scattered throughout the mountains.
Ho Gamyeong had made two mistakes.
First, he underestimated Chung Myung’s familiarity with the terrain here. However, this was not something Ho Gamyeong could have prevented or overcome. How could he have known that Chung Myung was familiar with the Hundred Thousand Mountains and had engaged in guerrilla warfare countless times against overwhelming numbers?
And the second mistake, which was an inexcusable one, was overlooking what their own strength was. The absolute advantage Maninbang had over Cheonumaeng’s group was their overwhelming numerical superiority. A large number of troops could become a threat in any situation.
Ho Gamyeong made a mistake in utilizing this numerical superiority. No matter how many people they mobilized, if they were scattered across this vast area, it would inevitably lead to a series of skirmishes between small groups. In such fights, there was no way Chung Myung would lose. From the beginning, Ho Gamyeong’s defeat was almost certain in unfavorable terrain and under unfavorable conditions.
However, Ho Gamyeong was definitely not someone to be underestimated. It was clear that he recognized his mistake and started to regroup his forces.
Yet, Chung Myung remained calm in his thoughts.
‘Even so…’
The mistake Ho Gamyeong made was somewhat absurd. Could it be that Ho Gamyeong had been shook to the point of making such a mistake?
Considering that it’s much harder for someone who has fallen once to get back up than someone who hasn’t fallen at all, his immediate response this time is somewhat surprising.
Did he underestimate Ho Gamyeong? Or perhaps…
“Hmm.”
Chung Myung’s gaze returned to the sky. Far in the east, the sky was gradually brightening. Regardless of what happened over there, prolonging the time now that they had retreated would be pointless.
‘I guess that’s enough.’
His original goal wasn’t to increase the enemy’s casualties but to buy time for others to escape, so there was no need to exert unnecessary effort.
As Chung Myung prepared to leave, he glanced back discreetly. With an inscrutable gaze, he looked somewhere in the south, then swiftly became a streak of light shooting towards the north.
❀ ❀ ❀
Step.
Ho Gamyeong’s eyes carefully examined the ground.
Just moments ago, he appeared visibly disheveled, but now he seemed to have returned to his usual self as if nothing had happened. His complexion remained pale, but his attire was neatly arranged, and even his gaze seemed sharper than before.
“Have you found them?”
“Yes, commander! They are here!”
The individuals scanning the ground nodded quickly in response to Ho Gamyeong’s inquiry.
“There are traces of movement from the group.”
“How many?”
“About twenty.”
“…How many tracks did we find just a moment ago?”
“About twenty as well, commander.”
Ho Gamyeong nodded slowly.
“They are quite meticulous in their movements.”
Dividing the group while evading pursuit is indeed not a bad choice. It not only allows to avoid surveillance but also induces confusion among those tracking us.
‘But they are overly honest.’
For those who have never been pursued, it’s natural not to pay much attention to traces. Even if they do consider it, leaving no footprints while desperately fleeing is not easy. Moreover, with the ground covered in grass, they might not have even thought that traces would be left behind.
Ultimately, it’s a mistake born from lack of experience.
‘I don’t necessarily have to be perfect.’
After all, the enemy is not perfect either.
“Then let’s head in that direction.”
Ho Gamyeong’s gaze turned towards the towering mountain in the distance. Considering the form and direction of the traces they’ve discovered so far, it’s clear where their target lies.
“They’re on the move.”
“Yes!”
Ho Gamyeong rallied his subordinates and moved swiftly.
They failed to block those fleeing from the Hundred Thousand Mountains. However, if they could ascertain where they were headed, the spark of pursuit could still be kept alive.
“Commander! Over here!”
Some of those running ahead had discovered traces on the ground, examining something intently in and measuring with their palms.
“Two groups… No, three groups or more. People from different directions have gathered here.”
“Was this the rendezvous point?”
“Well…”
At the slightly hesitant response, Ho Gamyeong’s eyebrows twitched.
“What is it?”
“…The arrival times are different for each group.”
“Is there a reason for that?”
“The arrivals didn’t wait to join but moved immediately.”
“They moved?”
“Yes, here!”
The one explaining cleared the bushes aside and revealed deeply imprinted footprints.
“There’s pressure behind the tracks. If they had continued running through here, the front, not the back, would have been more distinct.”
“Go on.”
“However, the number of footprints lingering here is not significant. It suggests that they arrived here, confirmed something, and then moved on without waiting for those behind.”
“Hmm.”
Ho Gamyeong nodded slowly.
“Experience teaches us that nothing comes easy.”
Attempting to clumsily join here would have been an invitation to attack.
But was there really a reason to resort to such a cumbersome method?
What would Im Sobyeong have thought?
“…He couldn’t be sure if there were ambushes behind, that Nokrim King. And he couldn’t trust the others.”
So, he would have relayed the escape route he confirmed here to those following behind and moved to secure the path first.
The events that unfolded here played out in Ho Gamyeong’s mind.
The first arrivals would survey the situation and decide on an escape route. Then, those who arrived later would follow the route they secured.
“But one thing is missing.”
There was a meaningful glint in Ho Gamyeong’s eyes.
If Im Sobyeong had arrived here, surveyed the situation, and decided on a path, he would have needed a means to communicate the direction they were going to the rear.
An immediately devised signaling system? That’s not possible. This plan wasn’t something they pondered over for long.
To avoid clumsy confusion, they must use established means. And that’s probably…
Ho Gamyeong’s head snapped back. Someone who caught his gaze flinched momentarily. One corner of Ho Gamyeong’s mouth lifted faintly.
“We may not know, but…”
The face of the person receiving Ho Gamyeong’s gaze contorted grimly.
“There must be a sign recognizable among those who know.”
“…”
“Isn’t that right?”
The disciple of Haenam, Yu Gong, who received Ho Gamyeong’s gaze, nervously bit his lip.
Comments