Chapter 1386
You underestimate people. (1)
“Ooooh!”
The member of Maninbang, who was at the lead, swung his sword towards Chung Myung with bloodshot eyes.
Crash!
The blade, imbued with all the spirit of the wielder, clashed with Chung Myung’s slender, indifferent sword, instantly losing its strength. It felt like striking a solid iron wall with a sword.
But there was no time to tremble.
The sword flowed diagonally and got stuck in his neck.
Thud!
“G-guh…”
With eyes filled with astonishment, the member of Maninbang reflexively tried to grab the sword lodged in his throat, but before his hand could reach it, the sword twisted. With a gruesome sound, his breath was ruthlessly cut off.
“Aaargh!”
Excited by the sight of blood, Maninbang’s warriors surged towards Chung Myung with increased fervor.
Swish!
And in response, they were met with a dazzling, swift sword. Like a sword Jo Geol displayed, the myriad of split shadows of the sword rushed towards the oncoming attackers. But these sword shadows were far more intricate and faster, than Jo Geol’s!
Thud! Thud! Thud!
As the enemies charged forward, their bodies were swiftly pierced, leaving gaping holes. Without even a chance to scream, their bodies crumbled as if falling apart.
In an instant, a wide open space formed around Chung Myung. But that space was quickly filled once again by the rushing crowd.
It was like water rushing back into a place where it had been pumped out.
“Dojaaaang!”
From behind, Namgung Dowi shouted loudly as he witnessed Chung Myung in such a state. The members of Maninbang continued to surge towards Chung Myung with terrifying momentum. Like a whirlpool rushing towards a hole in the ground, nearly a thousand of them poured forth, all aiming solely for Chung Myung.
It was a terrifying sight unlike anything they have seen before. Just watching it was enough to make one’s heart race with fear.
“Ah, no…!”
Thud!
Someone grabbed Namgung Dowi’s shoulder just as he reflexively moved forward. Turning around, he saw Hye Yeon standing there with a stern face.
“You must not act rashly!”
“But, Dojang is…”
“Do not forget your mission, Namgung Siju!”
Namgung Dowi flinched. Hye Yeon was right. His mission now wasn’t to save Chung Myung, but to delay their pursuers even for a little while.
And Chung Myung was likely thinking the same thing. It would be foolish to try to assist him here. What he needed to do was to stand his ground, hold off the enemy, and swiftly rejoin the retreating main forces.
“Kahaaha!”
And when he calmly assessed the situation, it was realistically impossible to assist Chung Myung. As Maninbang surrounded Chung Myung, the remaining enemy forces began to viciously attack Namgung Dowi and Hye Yeon as well.
“Hayap!”
Namgung Dowi swung his sword, emitting a burst of white energy. The powerful force of the attack struck down the oncoming enemies, turning them into lumps of blood and flesh.
However, the space that had briefly opened up amidst the carnage was quickly filled by others. No, perhaps even more of them poured into that space.
Hye Yeon shouted firmly.
“Retreat!”
“M-Monk! But right now…”
Before Namgung Dowi could utter another word, he felt a strong grip on his shoulder from Hye Yeon’s hand. As a dizzying sensation overwhelmed him, their bodies suddenly moved back nearly ten jang.
At the pinnacle of one’s skill, the Diamond Immovable Technique [금강부동신법(金剛不動身法)]. But the enemies, unfazed by the extraordinary skill, relentlessly unleashed their killing intent and pursued them.
Whoom!
Hye Yeon waved his hands in all directions.
Along with his fingertips tinged with gold, palm-shaped afterimages appeared one after another in the air. Resembling the Thousand-Armed Avalokiteshvara, these palms swiftly intercepted the attacks pouring in from all sides.
‘Thousand Teachings of Buddha!’
It’s the famous technique of Shaolin, renowned throughout the world. The enemies hesitated to approach the formidable wall of energy that lay before them. In fact, even before they could approach, the force emanating from each palm afterimage pushed them back.
“Eeik…!”
As the members of Maninbang were pushed back, they suddenly widened their eyes. The moment the illusionary palm wall vanished with a dazzling glow, a powerful burst of white energy engulfed them.
Kwaaaaang!
Namgung Dowi’s sword energy surged forward towards the space opened up by Hye Yeon. A seamless flow that continues perfectly, as if they have joined hands for decades! However, the faces of those who successfully executed the maneuver didn’t appear particularly bright.
Since other members of Maninbang would surge forward to fill the opened space anyway, over a thousand of them rotated around Chung Myung, again and again. The malevolence and obsession to never let go of Chung Myung hung in the air.
And in that moment.
Hwaaaaaa!
Amidst the black and crimson waves, a splendid plum blossom bloomed. Like a plum tree that rooted itself in filthy mud yet still managed to bloom beautifully.
“Dojang! What in the world…!”
Namgung Dowi exclaimed in astonishment.
It was magnificent. Incredibly powerful. The kind of sword energy that could only evoke admiration. It sent shivers down one’s spine to think that a person could create such a spectacle with a sword.
However, everything comes with a price. The energy consumed by that sword technique must have been immense. Chung Myung, whose physical condition was not normal, was not wielding a sword suitable for such a situation.
“Siju!”
Hye Yeon, too, looked perplexed as he looked at the blooming plum tree.
Chung Myung usually deployed a sword technique that was efficient to the point of being extreme. He was not one to waste energy unnecessarily. But the sword he was wielding now was excessively flashy, bordering on extravagance.
It’s as if… he’s trying to captivate everyone’s attention with that sword.
As of now, it was natural to expect Chung Myung to withdraw, which only added to the confusion.
“It’s too late! Siju, what on earth are you thinking!”
A roar erupted from Hye Yeon’s lips.
Before he knew it, they had accumulated a lot of time together. Hye Yeon’s trust in Chung Myung was unwavering. Namgung Dowi also trusted Chung Myung to unimaginable extent.
But Chung Myung’s current actions were so bewildering that they shook that great trust to its core.
Namgung Dowi shouted as if screaming.
“Monk! Look over there!”
Slicing through the splendidly blooming plum blossoms, a black line surged forth in the air. The identity of this line was none other than Chung Myung, deploying his light body arts with extreme precision. In that moment, both of their faces showed a fleeting sense of relief.
He won’t shatter like a jade*. Chung Myung they knew would never do such a foolish thing.
It was just a little later than they thought, that’s all, and he was in the process of pulling out from there. Hye Yeon shouted.
“Let’s retreat too!”
“If we hold out a little longer, we can join them together!”
Namgung Dowi’s words silenced Hye Yeon. There was logic in it. If they helped Chung Myung and withdrew together…
But in that moment, Hye Yeon’s eyes wavered. The black line drawn in the air was moving in a somewhat strange direction. If he was pursuing the main forces, he should naturally come toward them. Even if it was meant to confuse the enemy’s tracking, he shouldn’t stray too far from the north.
But now, the black line was clearly moving away from them.
“What in the!”
Before Hye Yeon could further assess the situation or follow Chung Myung, the mass of Maninbang’s attackers completely engulfed his field of vision.
“Oh, oh no!”
Hye Yeon desperately exerted his power. The power he unleashed in such a hasty manner couldn’t match his usual force, and it was impossible to suppress all the enemies with just that power.
“Dieeeee!”
The lower body of the person struck by Hye Yeon’s fist was crashed completely. Yet, the enemy didn’t lose consciousness. Even as he fell, he relentlessly swung their sword.
Clang! Clang!
The enemy’s sword struck Hye Yeon, whose energy was elevated to its peak.
While the martial arts of Shaolin could protect him to some extent, it couldn’t prevent his skin from splitting and blood from spurting out when struck by swords.
“Guh!”
Hye Yeon, previously nearly collapsing, unleashed a roar, stepping firmly on the ground.
Deploying the Supreme Power of Nothingness, he pushed back the enemies rushing like a torrent with incredible force. Yet, it was only for a moment before the enemies began their assault again.
“Back, back!”
In the blink of an eye, the situation had changed. One small mistake could result in being surrounded and overwhelmed, ending in certain death.
“Guh!”
Hye Yeon and Namgung Dowi were pushed back like pieces of debris on a rapid stream.
It wasn’t due to their will, but because they couldn’t withstand the enemy’s offensive.
And what caught the eyes of these two was the rapid movement of Maninbang, resembling black water.
“Siju!”
Hye Yeon let out a deep roar.
The forces pushing them back had all veered in one direction, unmistakably leading toward something.
Chung Myung.
He was drawing the enemies in, but in a direction completely opposite to where Hwasan and Haenam were fleeing.
“Damn it! This cursed bastard!”
Rarely did a curse escape Hye Yeon’s lips.
Trying to turn the situation around was futile – it was already impossible. Just resisting the oncoming tide of enemies was challenging enough. It was their limit.
Kuwung!
With a movement as swift as it could get, he instantly threw a barrier in front of him. Seizing the brief moment of clarity, Hye Yeon looked intently. The elite warriors of Maninbang, clad in crimson robes, dashed in a direction entirely opposite to where they were supposed to go.
“Sijuuuuuuuu!”
A desperate cry erupted, a sound that would never reach Chung Myung who was so far away. The gaze of Ho Gamyeong, observing the situation, remained chillingly composed.
“Commander, the enemies have split directions! What is our strategy?”
“We shall divide our forces as well.”
“Pardon? Our objective is…”
“Once their main force secures safety, that fiend Maehwa Geomgwi will do everything to shake us off and slip away. However, if he still perceive their main force threatened, he’ll hesitate to let even one of us slip through his grasp. Despite knowing it’s more dangerous.”
“…”
“It’s the predetermined course of action. Just do as you’re told.”
“Yes!”
Ho Gamyeong bit his lip lightly.
‘I should have done this sooner.’
It was a revelation to realize that he had mistaken Hwasan and Chung Myung as a single entity. It was so simple to divide them like this.
‘So this is why I pledge such loyalty to Ryeonju.’
Even from afar, Jang Ilso effortlessly painted the picture he desired.
“When humans are cornered, they seek an escape. But if there are only two options, they’ll follow the path they perceive as better.”
Though he had heard such words countless times…
Ho Gamyeong pondered.
If indeed there were only two outcomes, would Maehwa Geomgwi choose his own life, or the insignificant lives of those few Sahyeongs?
“Whichever it is, you will fall because of it, Maehwa Geomgwi.”
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