Chapter 1711
That will be enough. (6)
Im Sobyeong’s mouth slowly dropped open in shock.
White… no, the cliff stained red was suddenly covered in dozens of cracks spreading rapidly, like countless hungry dragons racing up its face.
At the sight of what could only be described as ‘collapse,’ Im Sobyeong let out an involuntary scream that tore at his throat.
“Get back! It’s collapsing!”
Those who had been staring blankly at the cliff, just like him, turned pale and flung themselves back with all their might. Although the place they retreated to was filled with Sapapaeryeon’s warriors, that was hardly an obstacle in the current situation.
They weren’t the only ones trying to pull away after seeing the state of the cliff.
Rumble! Rumble!
The red cliff twisted. Following the web-like cracks, the rocks split, grating and grinding with a sound so eerie that it made the hair on one’s body stand on end.
And then, finally…
Crash!
The cliff collapsed with a thunderous roar.
Everyone scattered in panic, fleeing in the opposite direction of the cliff.
Rumble, rumble, rumble!
The shattered rocks tumbled down, clashing with one another midair, creating a cacophony of explosive sounds. All of it came crashing down towards the base of the cliff, bearing the name of ‘terror.’
“Further! Move back further! More!”
Moyong Weigyeong shouted at the top of his lungs.
In Hubei, he had already witnessed a hellscape unlike any other, but the collapse before him now filled him with a different kind of fear.
“Damn it, why aren’t you moving further back!”
The collapse of the cliff was all but inevitable. It was no exaggeration to say that those who had withdrawn early would remain unscathed. Yet, even knowing this, it was impossible to stay calm in the face of such a catastrophe unfolding before their eyes. Everyone’s faces had turned ashen with despair.
“Aaaaaaaagh!”
“Ahhhhhhh!”
The deafening roar of the collapsing cliff was pierced by the screams of people. Human bodies were being crushed and buried among the landslide of rocks cascading down the cliff. It was a truly horrific sight.
Crash!
A massive boulder broke off from the lower part of the cliff, plummeting to the ground with a resounding thud. Even those who had retreated far from the cliff shuddered as the earth trembled violently beneath their feet – a strange and unsettling sensation.
And this was just the beginning.
Larger, more numerous boulders began to fall like a hailstorm, swallowing up the hundreds of people who had been standing on the cliff.
As Im Sobyeong watched the horrifying scene unfold, he slowly lifted his gaze to the heights above.
‘Please…’
Unconsciously, he gripped his fan tightly. His knuckles had turned ghostly white.
Namgung Dowi’s body trembled restlessly.
Before the collapse began, Namgung Dowi had already made it across the cliff, stepping onto the earth and grass on the other side. But his heart was still trapped within the collapsing cliff behind him.
Rumble, rumble, rumble!
The massive collapse might very well be swallowing Hwasan who were on the top of the cliff. But now, all he could do was watch helplessly.
“This…!”
“No, Dowi, you can’t!”
Namgung Myeong gripped Namgung Dowi’s shoulder with an ironclad hold, refusing to let go.
“Aaaaaaaaaagh!”
Bloodshot veins filled Namgung Dowi’s eyes.
And yet, something else tormented his heart.
People who had lost their footing were falling like rain. Even amidst the swirling dust that clouded everything around them, Namgung Dowi’s trained eyes could clearly read the expressions on their faces as they plummeted to their deaths.
Disbelief, despair, and an overwhelming sense of betrayal.
These were the faces of those who, until the very last moment, couldn’t bring themselves to believe they had been abandoned, now facing the certainty of death. It was a sight so harrowing that it was nearly impossible to keep one’s eyes open.
“What… what in the…”
Not far away, Lee Songbaek’s dazed voice broke the silence.
The scale of the collapse far exceeded anything they had anticipated.
Even if this was only half of what Sapaeryeon had originally planned, the sight of the entire mountain seeming to collapse was no less shocking. Lee Songbaek was frozen in place, unable to move, as if turned to stone.
Could anyone survive in that chaos? There was no need to ponder the question. If they were made of flesh and blood, they could never escape alive. Never…
“Don’t be reckless, Jin Geumryong!”
At that moment, Jongli Gok’s sharp voice pierced Lee Songbaek’s ears. Startled, he turned to see Jongli Gok pressing down on Jin Geumryong’s shoulder with the sheath of his sword.
It wasn’t just the abruptness of Jongli Gok’s movement that shocked him, but more so the horrifically contorted expression on Jin Geumryong’s face.
“Jin Geum…”
“I know, Sect Leader!”
Jin Geumryong interrupted, shouting. His lower lip was bleeding from how hard he had bitten down on it.
Even if Jin Geumryong charged forward now, there was nothing he could do. All they could do was wait. Jin Geumryong knew this as well as anyone.
But still…
After a brief silence, Jin Geumryong clenched his fist tightly.
“It’s just… the sight of us escaping the cliff like this, leaving them behind, it’s too miserable to bear!”
“You fool…”
Jin Geumryong stared silently at the spot where the top of the cliff had been.
If it were them… they would surely have made it out of that cliff. If Hwasan was such a weak sect, there would have been no need for the entire Jongnam Sect to suffer such humiliation.
‘…Jin Dongryong.’
They must have escaped, they had to!
❀ ❀ ❀
Rumble, rumble, rumble!
Gwak Hoe’s legs gave out, and he collapsed on the spot.
Thud.
The impact must have jolted Jo Geol, who was strapped to Gwak Hoe’s back, causing him to flinch and open his eyes. Forcing his heavy eyelids to lift, Jo Geol weakly glanced around and then grasped Gwak Hoe’s shoulder. Even that slight movement elicited a pained groan from his lips.
“Ugh…”
The cliff where they had just been standing and fiercely fighting had transformed into a bizarre shape.
The cliff that had once jutted high into the sky now appeared as though it had been hollowed out by a massive hoe.
And those who had been atop it were now gone.
Rumble, rumble, rumble!
The only explanation for what had happened was the noise coming from below and the violent tremors reverberating through their bodies.
“Oh…”
It was a disaster far beyond anything they had vaguely anticipated. All Jo Geol could do was gape in horror, trembling uncontrollably.
A newly formed void stretched out before them, right in front of the sun warriors who had been blocking their retreat.
Jo Geol suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. Cold sweat trickled down his face.
What did this mean? It meant that if they had been just a little slower, they would all have been buried along with the cliff. Not a single one would have survived.
‘A miracle…’
The reality of their escape, so close to a miracle, began to sink in. Yet, they could not bring themselves to breathe a sigh of relief.
To the left and right of the collapsed cliff, there were narrow spaces that had barely survived the destruction. Clinging to the remnants of the mountain were a few Sapaeryeon’s warriors, utterly exhausted and slumped to the ground.
These were the ones who had narrowly escaped death, a fate that human strength alone could not have averted.
Of course, those fortunate enough to survive were less than half of those who had climbed the cliff. The hundreds who were not so lucky had plummeted to their deaths in an instant, becoming lonely spirits – victims of their own allies’ schemes, not the enemy’s.
A grinding noise, the sound of someone suppressing their fury, echoed through the air. There was no need to check who it was. Everyone watching this scene likely shared the same feelings.
“The ones below must have managed to stop those who were trying to sabotage the cliff from above to some extent. Otherwise, the entire cliff would have completely collapsed.”
Hearing Tang Gunak’s murmur, Jo Geol let out a bitter laugh.
What he meant was that, had it gone according to Sapaeryeon’s plan, all their warriors should have perished. But thanks to the resistance of Cheonumaeng’s forces, nearly half of them had survived.
How could one even begin to describe this situation?
“Lord Tang, those people…”
“The battle is over.”
“…What?”
Tang Gunak looked intently at a point somewhere beyond the collapsed cliff. Deep within his eyes, a cold fury simmered.
“The one who orchestrated this must be the one who knows best.”
❀ ❀ ❀
Ho Gamyeong stared at the collapsed cliff, his face as hard as stone.
He remained utterly still, as if he himself had become a rock in place of the fallen cliff. He neither spoke nor uttered a single sound of astonishment.
His subordinates, noticing his rigid expression, hesitantly began to speak.
“Commander, what should we do next…?”
Ho Gamyeong silently closed his eyes. After taking a moment to steady his breath, he slowly opened them and, unexpectedly, let out a faint, bitter smile.
“Next…?”
As if the words had stuck to his tongue, refusing to come out, they finally flowed forth, masked in a facade of calmness.
“Retreat.”
“W-what? Commander! Did you just say retreat?”
“…Yes.”
“But, Commander, we still have…”
“The battle here is already over.”
“But there are still troops on top of the cliff. Our forces can still…”
“That’s precisely why.”
“…What?”
Ho Gamyeong fixed his gaze on the partially collapsed cliff. Enough space remained that perhaps half of Sapaeryeon’s warriors had survived.
If one were to think simply, it could be seen as preserving their strength, but in truth, it was like holding onto a bomb that could explode at any moment.
They were no fools – they surely understood what had just happened to them. If their rage were to become inflamed by the heat of battle, there would be no way to control the direction of their blades.
Cheonumaeng’s forces stationed below the cliff would certainly not miss such an opportunity.
If they were to risk everything for a decisive victory here, they might continue the attack despite the dangers. However, the significance of this battle was never so grandiose.
Still, there was a lingering sense of regret.
‘If only…’
If only the entire cliff had collapsed, turning even the remaining Sapaeryeon’s warriors into nothing more than spirits of the dead…
‘No, that’s not right.’
But Ho Gamyeong quickly shook his head.
What’s done is done. The fact that the collapse was partially averted was due to the skill of their opponents, and that could not be denied.
Sapaeryeon, under Ho Gamyeong’s command, had been defeated by Cheonumaeng. That was the reality. Any further regret would just be a pathetic excuse.
“Send the signal to retreat. We’re pulling out.”
“Commander…”
“How many times do I need to say it?”
“N-no, understood!”
The subordinates quickly sent out the signal. Immediately, those around them fired signal flares in all directions.
Ho Gamyeong stood silently for a moment before letting out a bitter laugh.
“Those little bastards…”
He had been defeated by those young ones, with no room for excuses.
This was the same Sapaeryeon that had mercilessly trampled even Shaolin.
Even after using ‘Jang Ilso,’ his most powerful trump card, to keep Maehwa Geomgwi away from this place, he still couldn’t withstand the combined forces of Hwasan and Cheonumaeng.
“It’s just that I…”
Ho Gamyeong muttered quietly, his gaze fixed endlessly on the cliff, as if trying to pierce through it.
Only after a long pause did he finally turn away.
As he descended the mountain, leaving the collapsed cliff behind, a fleeting trace of despair crossed his face.
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