Chapter 1393
He’ll be waiting for us. (3)
“Do not slow down! Anyone lagging behind will die by my hand!”
Jong Gwak [종곽(宗廓)], the aide under Ho Gamyung’s command, shouted until his throat was hoarse, but the speed did not increase.
Jong Gwak glanced around with a hint of anxiety.
Were they disobeying his command?
No, that wasn’t it. These men were also running with all their strength. But their legs could no longer keep up with the desired speed.
‘It’s only natural.’
It was only natural if one thought about it. From Guangdong to here, they hadn’t even taken proper rest, relentlessly pushing forward.
Even if they were as resilient as ‘thousand li horses’, enduring a forced march that would tire out even a horse would eventually wear down the strongest human body.
It is a given for those Haenam bastards to feel pressured by those pursuing them, but the pursuers themselves were equally desperate.
Was having more numbers an advantage?
Not necessarily for the tracking party. They were none other than the disciples of Gupailbang, and comparing their average martial skills to those of the ordinary members of Maninbang would be meaningless.
If both sides were in perfect condition, no matter how hard they tried, they wouldn’t have been able to keep up with their speed. The only reason they could somewhat keep up was because Haenam was burdened by the wounded and exhausted from ongoing battles.
Jong Gwak bit his lip slightly.
‘There’s no room for weakness. If we’re tired, they must be even more exhausted!’
Moreover, Jong Gwak’s mission wasn’t to chase them down and kill them. It was simply to pressure them so that commander could obtain what he wanted.
Even that was a daunting task, and there was no point in lamenting how difficult it was.
“We must catch them before they reach the Yangtze River!”
Jong Gwak shouted until his throat was hoarse.
The eyes of those who heard those words gave off an eerie light. It was no exaggeration to say that what is driving them now is partly resentment. It was a wish they didn’t even know where it started.
Jong Gwak clenched and loosened his fist slightly.
‘They’re the enemy, but…’
They never imagined that they would break through the inescapable net formation and reach this place. If they had been dealing with the incompetent disciples of Gupailbang, it would have been impossible.
But they did it. Even though they hadn’t breached the Yangtze River yet, just the fact that they had reached this far with nearly half their strength left – there was no doubt about their capabilities.
But now, it’s all coming to an end.
The fate of Maehwa Geomgwi, the one who made that absurd miracle a reality, will now come to an end.
Even if they all manage to escape to Gangbuk, if they could strike down Maehwa Geomgwi, this fight will be their victory.
‘I have never thought I’d value one person’s life more than a whole sect of Gupailbang.’
Just a month ago, it would have been unthinkable. But now, no one within Maninbang would question that fact anymore. Maehwa Geomgwi Chung Myung had proven it himself.
‘Now, let’s focus on the task at hand…’
Right at that moment.
“Deputy commander! There’s someone ahead!”
“Hmm?”
Jong Gwak’s eyes narrowed slightly.
Had they caught up to the enemy’s rear? It was faster than he had anticipated.
But the subsequent voice shattered Jong Gwak’s thoughts without mercy.
“Approaching! A group of enemies is approaching this way!”
“What? Approaching?”
Jong Gwak’s pupils dilated in disbelief.
“This can’t be a misunderstanding…”
“Here they come!”
At that moment, around ten figures burst out of the forest ahead at an incredible speed.
“Ooooooh!”
White sword energy soared into the sky.
Without a moment of confusion, without a chance to issue an order to evade, the soaring sword energy descended upon them without mercy.
Kwaaaaaang!
“Aaaaargh!”
“Eeeeeeek!”
Amidst the desperate screams, the vanguard was thrown backward with force.
And Jong Gwak saw it. The carefully laid formation they had set up to pursue the enemy collapsed at the same time as the vanguard, twisting and contorting like a wave.
“Oh, no…”
“Let’s go!”
“A-mi-ta-bha!”
Wooooooong!
Without a chance to catch their breath, a glorious golden light surged in the gap. That mesmerizing radiance seized the opportunity created by the white sword energy and widened the gap in an instant.
“We’re being pushed back!”
“Aaaargh!”
The immense weight that felt like an entire mountain bearing down on them. The members of Maninbang, unable to resist that force, were mercilessly pushed aside. Then, amidst the wide formation of Maninbang’s warriors on either side, a clear, straight path opened up.
And now, those who had become all too familiar with that path soared through it like the wind.
“It’s… it’s Hwasan!”
“They’re Hwasan’s bastards! Watch out!”
Clad in black robes, Hwasan’s swordsmen dashed towards the open path.
And what would follow next was now all too predictably anticipated even by Maninbang.
Waaaaaargh!
The crimson plum blossoms bloomed one after another. Those who knew just how deadly and dangerous those beautiful flowers truly were turned pale with horror and rolled on the ground in all directions.
“Don’t hesitate, run, you bastards!”
“Seriously!”
Breaking through and twisting open the path, this group began to sprint along it.
“Deputy commander! Orders!”
“N-No, they’re breaking through our lines!”
Jong Gwak’s gaze wandered, unable to find a focus.
“Ho-Hold… No, why are they attacking us?”
Why were they suddenly being attacked by Hwasan? Had they suddenly lost their minds?
“Deputy commander!”
“I said, shut your mouth!”
Jong Gwak roared and swiftly turned his head forward.
‘What about the main force?’
If the enemy had suddenly launched a surprise attack, there was a high probability that the main force’s attack towards the center would follow! If they hesitated and changed direction haphazardly, the damage would only worsen.
But no matter how much he spread out his senses, he couldn’t feel the enemy’s presence behind him.
‘Just them?’
It couldn’t be. It absolutely couldn’t.
Unless those bastards had suddenly gone mad, there was no way they could stand up to them with just a handful of people.
“They’re breaking through! Deputy commander!”
In that moment, Jong Gwak’s eyes saw the group rushing through their formation like a spear piercing through a net, dashing out towards the rear.
In the blink of an eye, the formation he had meticulously crafted was broken through as easily as flipping a child’s hand over.
“T-This…”
Jong Gwak looked on with a bewildered expression. Those who had broken through were quickly distancing themselves.
“Shouldn’t we… chase after them?”
“…”
Jong Gwak couldn’t answer, biting his lips tightly.
Just because those here had been breached didn’t mean Maninbang had been breached. More people were coming from behind. Going after them would only lead them to get swept away by the waves of pursuit.
Originally, it would have been simple to ignore them and chase after Haenam’s main force. After all, that was the mission he had been given.
What made Jong Gwak hesitate was nothing other than the identity of those few individuals.
‘Cheonumaeng.’
If they were Cheonumaeng who did not accompany Haenam, and if they were Cheonumaeng who came this far and chose to separate from Haenam, isn’t the purpose of that reckless deed quite obvious?
“Are they trying to save Maehwa Geomgwi? With just around ten people?”
It was an absurdly reckless act.
“Send a report to commander about the situation.”
“Yes!”
Regaining his composure, Jong Gwak, with a mocking glint in his eyes, looked at where Cheonumaeng’s members had disappeared.
“That’s not courage.”
With a sneer full of contempt, Jong Gwak turned his head with cold eyes.
❀ ❀ ❀
“Uwaaaaah!”
Ssssssssh!
With a chilling sound, the sword slashed deeply into the enemy’s chest.
Thunk!
But strangely, no blood flowed from the wound. All the blood that should have spurted out had frozen cold. The one whose heart had stopped beating due to the cold that had penetrated their body collapsed right there.
Thud!
“Get out of the way, you bastards!”
“Palace Lord, you mustn’t push yourself!”
Yoon Jong tried to calm Seol Sobaek with a shout, but Seol Sobaek continued to swing his sword with even more fervor, as if not hearing his words, channeling his chilling energy into the tip of the sword.
Thunk!
With each swing of his sword, transparent ice crystals emerged in the air.
“That little brat really doesn’t listen, damn it!”
“Who are you calling a brat! That’s a Palace Lord!”
“Ah, who doesn’t know that?”
Jo Geol spat out his words bluntly.
In the midst of the ordeal to save Chung Myung, the one who went wild was not Jo Geol, Yu Iseol, or even Baek Cheon, but Seol Sobaek.
Throughout the journey to Hainan, Seol Sobaek, who hadn’t shown much presence, was now wielding his sword as if possessed by madness.
“Ah! It’s cold!”
“Are you joking at a time like this?”
“No! It’s really cold! What did that little brat eat?”
“…He is the Ice Palace Lord.”
“Would you like to live in filth because you were a commoner?”
“What are you saying? You rich bastard!”
Jo Geol was prickled by Yoon Jong’s voice, which seems to be truly overcome by evil.
Yet amidst this, Seol Sobaek continued to throw brutal sword strikes at the enemies blocking their path as if he could not hear any words.
‘Dojang!’
Seol Sobaek’s eyes blazed with fire. While his sudden frenzy might seem unfamiliar to others, it was all too natural for him. He agreed to rescue Haenam, but understanding all these sacrifices for them was difficult. It’s hard to sympathize with Haenam’s struggles, which weren’t worse than the situation at the Ice Palace. Above all, he couldn’t find a reason to risk his life for those who could abandon their own home.
He supported Chung Myung because it is simply what he could do. He tried his best because it was Chung Myung’s decision. But truly empathizing with the meaning and purpose of those actions remained a challenge for the young boy.
Not now. They were now rushing to save none other than Chung Myung, both his savior and the benefactor of the Ice Palace.
They absolutely could not let him die in a place like this. He still hasn’t repaid Chung Myung for anything.
At that moment, countless enemies rush toward Seol Sobaek, screaming.
“How dare you!”
The blue brilliance emitted from Seol Sobaek’s left hand while it was pulled back momentarily before extending forward in an instant. From his right hand, a light blue energy shoot out like a small avalanche of snow.
“The, the White Ice Divine Palm [빙백신장(氷白神掌) – bingbaeg-sinjang]?”
“Unbelievable!”
Witnessing this spectacle, disciples of Hwasan screamed in terror.
What everyone had witnessed in the Northern Sea was now being reproduced in Seol Sobaek’s hands. The assailants rushing towards him were frozen in an instant. Without hesitation, Seol Sobaek kicked them away, shattering their frozen bodies.
“Hurry!”
“Y-Yes!”
“Got it! Lord!”
Seol Sobaek ran without looking back, biting his lip until it bled. Chung Myung’s life was hanging by a thread.
Right now.
“Attack! I’m going now!”
The boy Chung Myung had saved. Now the boy became a swordsman, and he was rushing to save Chung Myung.
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