Chapter 1404
You were absolutely incredible. (4)
“Anyone who blocks us dies!”
With a thunderous roar, coupled with the gleaming sword in hand, they clearly revealed their determination.
Crack!
Bolts of lightning-like strikes poured towards the members of Maninbang. Faced with attacks of formidable power, the members of Maninbang could only retreat, unable to hold their ground.
“Aargh!”
The crimson flashes of sword strikes rained down on the retreating members of Maninbang.
“These bastards!”
“Gwak Hoe, this brat! Hold your ground!”
“Don’t get carried away! Our goal isn’t to pursue them!”
Gwak Hoe, who was about to rush towards the retreating enemies, bit his lip tightly.
The disciples of Hwasan were filled with rage, yet simultaneously composed. They knew exactly why they needed to wield their swords now.
With each crimson strike, the enemies trembled and fell back. Leading the charge, Hwasan emitted its fiery crimson energy, serving as a clear signal to other sects.
“Follow Hwasan!”
With full force, Namgung and outer Palaces also began to charge alongside Hwasan.
“These damn bastards!”
As they fiercely attacked, the members of Maninbang seethed with anger when their enemies attempted to retreat. Despite orders to withdraw, letting the enemies escape unscathed felt like a disgrace.
However, their boiling rage and fervor quickly cooled in the face of the ominous presence looming over them.
“Protect yourselves!”
Needles rained down like a deluge, each one tipped with deadly poison.
“Ugh…!”
“This is… unbelievable…”
The mere touch of these needles was enough to cause flesh to rot, their poison carrying a terrifying potency. Only insane people would dare to jump into the onslaught of these toxic needles.
“Blast them away!”
Boom! Boom!
The space created by pushing back the enemies by the rain of poisoned needles was quickly filled with dense clouds of black venom.
“Retreat!”
“Hold your breath! Damn it, fall back!”
Evil Sects’ members were accustomed to poison, having used poison-coated weapons and venomous projectiles to achieve their goals without hesitation. However, what now engulfed their vision was poison so potent that it surpassed anything they had encountered before.
Controlled by the masters of all poisons, the Sichuan Tang Clan, the poison they wielded was beyond comparison. Anyone harboring the insane desire to test the power of their poison firsthand would undoubtedly not exist.
A wall composed of poisonous needles and toxic clouds arose, a barrier no one dared to approach recklessly, completely blocking the path of Maninbang.
“Take this opportunity and go! We’ll handle the rear!”
People dashed out, leaving the Tang clan. Even in that moment, the members of Tangga stood firm like iron towers. Gripping their venomous daggers tightly, they watched over Maninbang beyond the poisonous clouds.
“After all our allies have withdrawn, we’ll leave too! Hold the line until the end!”
“Yes.”
The elder of the Tang clan who issued the command wore a strange smile.
‘Never thought we’d volunteer for this role.’
Their family only cared about their own security, indifferent to bloodshed and tears. That was the world’s assessment of the Sichuan Tang Clan, and they had no intention of refuting that.
They were now volunteering for rearguard duty for other sects, without anyone asking them to.
‘The Tang clan has changed a lot.’
The flow of events brought by Hwasan Geomhyeop, who driven out the Council of Elders, was reshaping the Tang clan’s identity.
‘…It doesn’t feel that bad.’
The elder smiled, tightly gripping the flying dagger in his hand.
“Commander! They’re withdrawing!”
“They’re currently breaking away!”
Reports poured in incessantly, hitting his ears like a slap. Ho Gamyeong barely suppressed the urge to retort, ‘I have eyes too.’
They’re getting further away, like waves suddenly rushing in to ravage the coast and then departing.
Ho Gamyeong’s gaze lingered on a spot beyond the dense poisonous mist.
It was where Hwasan’s disciples in black robes stood like an impenetrable fortress. It was where Maehwa Geomgwi, whom he had been relentlessly pursuing, was located.
‘…There’s no way.’
Ho Gamyeong slowly closed his eyes.
He had done everything within his power. He had poured out everything his abilities could muster. Yet, at this moment, that demon was slipping through his fingers once again.
With his skill, his uncanny judgment, and even his incomprehensible luck, he had tried everything.
Ho Gamyeong had to admit it fully. With his abilities alone, he couldn’t capture that bastard.
“Get the injured out of here. Leave them, and they’ll succumb to the poison and die.”
“Commander!”
“We’ll regroup and resume the pursuit.”
At his command, the subordinates nodded solemnly.
At that moment, Ho Gamyeong admitted that all their plans had gone awry. Ultimately, all the sacrifices they had made to capture just one person had been in vain.
How much had they sacrificed? From Hainan to here, the number of dead was over a few hundred. Yet, what they had gained was only slaying about half of Haenam’s disciples.
Defeat was not new to them. But never before had a defeat been as painful as this, throughout the history of Maninbang.
“I said regroup.”
As Ho Gamyung issued the command again, his subordinates nodded in agreement, but there lingered a sense of resignation. It was a feeble gesture, understandable given the magnitude of what they had lost in terms of strategy and execution.
The loss of significant forces was nothing compared to what they had truly forfeited. The dreadful truth was that they had inadvertently built an invincible reputation for Maehwa Geomgwi.
From cutting through Gangnam to rescuing Haenam, and evading the pursuit of Maninbang to return to Gangbuk. His accomplishments will now become myths, the legendary feats achieved by Maehwa Geomgwi.
And Sapaeryeon will once again confront the owner of that legend, Maehwa Geomgwi. Wherever he is present, the morale of the Just Sects will soar to the sky, unaware of their limits, and those who must face him will be engulfed in fear.
One can’t help but get to know. How scary it is to have an unbreakable reputation.
They have shaped him, their ultimate nemesis, with their own hands.
Ho Gamyeong glanced briefly at his subordinates. Just by their expressions, he could tell what they were thinking.
Fools, Ho Gamyeong thought to himself, clicking his tongue.
“Is it all over?”
“…”
“Of course, with our current strength, even if we continue the pursuit, we cannot stop them. That’s a clear fact.”
As the cold assessment poured in, the faces of the aides darkened even more. However, Ho Gamyeong paid no mind and continued speaking.
“But that doesn’t matter at all. Have you forgotten the fact that Ryeonju is heading to the same place they are?”
At his words, his subordinates raised their heads in surprise.
“They are undoubtedly formidable. But do not forget. From now on, their enemy is none other than Paegun Jang Ilso. We are merely pawns in Ryeonju’s hands. And pawns do not know defeat!”
Perhaps it wasn’t the most uplifting speech to boost morale. However, the aides who heard it suddenly seemed to regain some vigor that was absent just moments before.
It was the truth.
They may have suffered defeat. But they are not the whole Maninbang, nor are they the entire Sapaeryeon. Maninbang without Jang Ilso cannot be considered Maninbang, and Sapaeryeon without Jang Ilso cannot be considered Sapaeryeon.
“Move. Ryeonju will foresee all these circumstances. Those who dare to disrupt his plans with baseless self-blame will be torn apart by my own hands!”
“Yes, commander!”
The subordinates moved like lightning to begin assembling the partially shattered formation. Ho Gamyeong, silently observing the scene, turned his head to look at the distant, retreating forces of Cheonumaeng.
It was an undeniable failure without room for excuses, a perfect defeat where not even anger surfaced.
In the midst of this situation, a somewhat whimsical thought flickered through Ho Gamyeong’s mind.
‘What did Ryeonju foresee? Did he anticipate capturing Maehwa Geomgwi? Or did he ultimately expect failure?’
Ho Gamyeong shook his head. There was no need to dwell on it. He simply had to remain faithful to his role.
“Hurry. Quickly repair the formation and resume the pursuit!”
He was just a mere pawn.
There was no need to speculate on the intentions of the one playing the game. No matter how much one pondered, understanding Jang Ilso’s intentions perfectly was impossible.
Ho Gamyeong simply looked with icy eyes at the Tang clan, who were retreating last.
❀ ❀ ❀
“Ah, ow! It hurts!”
“Stop whining, you fool!”
Un Geom struck Jo Geol, who was on his back, with a scabbard.
“Am I, am I dying?”
“Shut up.”
Un Geom shook his head. Until he rescued him, tears kept welling up, making it difficult to endure. But now that he had saved him, there was a sense of relief inside him.
“But how did you even know?”
“Huh?”
“You were in Gangbuk!”
At Jo Geol’s question, Five Swords, nodded as if they too were curious. Thanks to their help, they were alive, but they had never even dreamed that Cheonumaeng would come to their aid.
Crossing the Yangtze River was a matter of determination, but finding them beyond that river was a different story altogether.
“We were lucky.”
“You were?”
Un Geom nodded.
“Alliance Leader made the decision to cross, but… honestly, I was at a loss for what to do. But then that guy suddenly ran like crazy.”
“Which guy?”
“That guy.”
Un Geom gestured towards the back. What he pointed out was Tang Gunak, who was holding Chung Myung. More precisely, it was the white weasel clinging to Chung Myung’s neck.
“Oh, Baek Ah! Baek Ah! Did that guy lead you here?”
“No.”
“…What? Then?”
“We met Haenam where that guy guided us.”
“…Oh.”
“Quite impressive, isn’t it? Remembering the scent of those he briefly encountered. The ones we met were Haenam, who were waiting for the time to cross, as they reached the Yangtze River. They saw us and immediately guided us here.”
“Oh, no, how?”
The one who responded to Jo Geol’s question was none other than Gwak Hwanso, who was running alongside him.
“What’s so strange about it? It’s a mark we’ve used countless times before.”
“…What?”
“Didn’t Jayang go after you? He kept leaving marks along the way. We followed those marks.”
“Oh, but that guy fell behind halfway?”
With everyone racing at full speed, they couldn’t afford to wait for Jayang to catch up.
“That was enough. As long as we got close enough, Baek Ah could find you.”
“Oh…”
Jo Geol chuckled as if he found the situation absurd.
Without even intending to, coincidences piled upon coincidences. But looking at it from the other side, inevitabilities piled upon inevitabilities.
If Cheonumaeng hadn’t risked their lives to cross the river, if Haenam hadn’t assigned Lee Jayang to them, and if Haenam, who had already crossed the hell, hadn’t had the courage to jump back into hell again, then they wouldn’t be alive.
“Well…”
“Why do you say that?”
“Oh, no reason. Just…”
Jo Geol quietly gazed up at the sky.
“Just…”
Everything they had done hadn’t been in vain. Just… that’s what it felt like.
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