NOVEL NEXT Chapter 150
Chapter 150
The Invisible Battle is Scarier
Located in the northern part of Hubei, Gyoguchae was the newest among the bandit groups known as Noklimchae.
Surprisingly, despite its short history of less than ten years, Gyoguchae grew to compete with Sangunchae as the top bandit group.
This was entirely thanks to Gyoguchae’s leader, Blood Shark Saber Dochil.
Blood Shark, indeed. He was originally a prominent captain of the river pirates in the Yangtze River Waterway.
No one knew why he became a bandit. What mattered was that his martial skills were exceptional, and his tactical prowess was formidable.
He even excelled in military strategy. It was not easy for a pirate to be proficient in land-based tactics, yet he knew how to employ strategies.
Dochil, the top strategist and martial artist of Noklimchae.
A disaster befell such a Dochil.
*Clang!*
“Ugh!”
Dochil gritted his teeth and retreated under the onslaught of the ferocious sword strikes.
“You brat!”
“Shut up.”
The young man relentlessly attacking with his sword was Jangsan.
*Whoosh!*
A vigorous sword wind, sounding like it could burst out at any moment, accompanied the resonant sword cry.
Feeling cool didn’t mean avoiding it; one couldn’t escape death. The sword Jangsan wielded was the Pine Wind Sword, the ultimate technique of the Cheongseong Sect, one of the nine great sects.
Dochil’s straight saber swirled wildly.
*Clang, clatter!*
The clash of swords sparked flames.
Astonishingly, Dochil’s saber strikes were stronger than Jangsan’s. The explosive sabers contained a perfect blend of power and skill, making it difficult for even a seasoned master to handle.
However, Jangsan had the martial arts of Cheongseong, which had been renowned as one of the pillars of the orthodox factions for hundreds of years.
*Ting, clang!*
Dochil’s eyes wavered.
‘This guy again!’
The ferocious attack of the Shark Tooth Killer Sword once again slashed through the air.
It was a dazzling evasion. Though not particularly fast or exquisite, he had already slipped to the side.
‘What a ghostly trick!’
It was Cheongseong Sect’s secret technique, Byeokwoonbo.
His steps flowed like blue clouds, causing him to lose the attack line. If executed properly, this footwork technique would provide a very solid foundation for offense and defense.
“Hurrah!”
*Bang!*
With a shout, Dochil’s straight saber scattered.
*Clang!*
Jangsan once again retreated to the rear.
There was a look of surprise in his eyes.
‘He’s strong.’
Though not the strongest, he had honed his sword skills in Cheongseong for over ten years.
Dochil possessed real prowess that surpassed those ten years of training. He was not someone to be underestimated as a mere bandit leader.
‘If I hadn’t combined Byeokwoonbo with swordsmanship to enhance my combat skills, I’d have been dead long ago.’
That wasn’t all.
Each bandit in Gyoguchae was a skilled martial artist. It was puzzling where he found such men to make them bandits.
*Clang, clatter!*
“Argh!”
“Left! Push from the left!”
“Yeongyeong! Group up!”
“Attack coming from behind! Block the rear!”
It was utter chaos.
Fewer than fifty men and women were attacking Gyoguchae’s bandits. They were the soldiers of the Myeolsagun.
*Thud!*
“Eek!”
Dong Ho gritted his teeth, beheading two bandits with his Three Swords Technique.
He had cut off the enemy’s head. The chilling sensation made his fingertips tingle.
‘No! Don’t hesitate!’
Gritting his teeth, Dong Ho charged again and thrust his hand vigorously.
*Thud!*
Another bandit collapsed, vomiting blood. It was a direct hit with the Bamboo Leaf Hand, the ultimate technique of the Huashan Sect.
“You little brat!”
*Whoosh.*
A bandit suddenly leapt high and swung a giant blade.
It was an overwhelming killing intent. The killing intent was so strong it seemed to block out the sunlight.
Yoon Ho shouted.
“Danger!”
At that moment, a cloud-like force hit the side of the bandit wielding the giant blade.
*Thud!*
“Ugh!”
The bandit, who lost his balance in midair, staggered.
Dong Ho roughly swung his sword at the falling bandit.
*Slice, splat!*
The bandit, whose neck was half-severed, fell, spraying blood.
“Huff, huff!”
Dong Ho’s breathing became rough.
If he hadn’t allowed that force just now, his life would have been in danger.
No matter how strong one’s martial arts, one would be caught if their vision wasn’t broad. He realized anew the horrors of real combat.
“Thank you, Yeoguk Hyung!”
“This is no time for thanks!”
*Clatter, clang!*
Yeoguk, approaching at a terrifying speed, grabbed Dong Ho’s collar and pressed him down.
Naturally, Dong Ho’s upper body tilted diagonally. Yeoguk extended his sword as if he had been waiting.
*Thud!*
A precise cut to the throat. It was a fast and precise single strike.
“Stay focused! You’ll die if you get distracted!”
“Yes! Don’t worry!”
“Don’t make me worry, you idiot!”
Yeoguk, Dong Ho, and Yoon Ho dashed in three directions, swinging their swords.
*Splat!*
The constant spurts of blood dimmed the sunlight, and the shadow of death cast on the ground created a sense of futility.
The fifty soldiers of the Myeolsagun formed teams to drive Gyoguchae into a corner.
Although they had undergone hellish training for three months, they were still incomplete. Some showed gaps momentarily, and others shivered at the sensation of piercing flesh.
Moreover, the opponents were bandits who had even trained in martial arts. Their number was three hundred, and they were used to killing as if it were a daily meal.
Crucially, this was their main stronghold.
Even for the rigorously trained Myeolsagun, they were not easy opponents. It wouldn’t be surprising if anyone died from a single mistake.
A deathmatch requiring extreme concentration.
Of course, among them were those who displayed splendid martial prowess as if a fish had met water.
*Thud!*
With a powerful kick, a bandit collapsed, vomiting blood.
One Kick, One Kill. It was the merciless strike of Cheok Gang, using the Flying Bow Trampling Wave Kick of Jeomchangpa, which landed squarely on the opponent’s abdomen.
“Gang, aren’t you too brutal? Oops!”
“Watch the left side!”
*Slice!*
“Argh! Hey! You said the left side!”
“I meant my left side! Ah, damn!”
*Whoosh! Clang!*
Another bandit fell dead to a sword strike that shot out like a beam of light.
No matter what, the Myeolsagun was still weak in actual combat. Their coordination was poor, and they couldn’t keep a cool head to assess the situation.
However, they now had a new weapon that they didn’t possess before.
It was their guts.
Flash!
A sharp blade whizzed past her nose.
If it had come just a bit closer, both her eyes would have been slashed. Yet, Song Yeongyeong didn’t even blink.
“This is nothing.”
Thud!
The forward strike of the Descending Demon Spear pierced through a bandit’s chest.
“Compared to the captain’s axe.”
Crack!
The spear’s shaft smashed down, breaking another bandit’s collarbone.
“It’s like a gentle breeze.”
Snap!
A bandit’s neck snapped from a single strike of the Indestructible Divine Kick.
The Ami Sect worships Buddha. Their martial arts skills are renowned, but there’s no interpretation as lethal as this.
The Ami martial arts used by Song Yeongyeong and the spearmen were different.
As secular disciples, they were talented enough to have access to the secret techniques of the main temple. With such determination and murderous intent, each of their strikes became an unstoppable lethal blow that ravaged their enemies.
Their achievements on this battlefield were the most notable. The spear techniques of the Ami Sect disciples, centered around Song Yeongyeong, turned into a moving iron fortress that crushed their enemies.
Crash! Clang!
Before they knew it, they had penetrated the heart of the enemy camp.
They advanced, smashing every approaching enemy. They had grown the most from the training so far.
“Not bad.”
Yeon Hojeong, who was watching the Myeolsagun from a hill overlooking the battlefield, nodded.
“For three months of training, this level is not bad.”
“…Jeong-ah.”
Yeon Hojeong looked at Jegal Ahyeon.
Her face was slightly pale.
“What on earth have you done?”
“What?”
“Who would have imagined that this is the martial arts of orthodox sect disciples…?”
She was so shocked that she couldn’t even finish her sentence. Peng Manho felt the same.
‘Is this hell?’
Dong Ho’s clumsiness? The clumsy responses of the Cheongseong disciples?
None of that mattered.
The Myeolsagun, having awakened to real combat, was demonstrating a truly terrifying power. The bandit group, which aimed to be the best in the Green Forest, had the power to reduce minor sects to ashes in a single night.
The Myeolsagun was pushing such a group to the brink. Not a single one of them had died.
“In the end, this is it.”
Yeon Hojeong tapped his chest with his fist.
“The guts to advance and attack even when a spear is flying at your face. The resolve to crush the enemy even if you die.”
“…”
“That’s what they’ve learned over the past three months.”
Yeon Hojeong sighed.
“In the first few days, they couldn’t eat or sleep properly. Some of them were actually cut.”
“Gasp! Really?!”
“Yup, even Okcheong. Look at him, his movements aren’t precise. His external injuries have healed, but the internal injuries from the first day still remain.”
Both were shocked.
“His internal injuries haven’t healed?”
“Yeah.”
“And you still put him in? What if he gets a chronic illness!”
Yeon Hojeong’s eyes turned cold for a moment.
“The enemy’s blade has no eyes. There’s no kind enemy who will consider my condition while fighting.”
“…!”
“If you die despite sufficient training, then that’s your limit. It’s nobody’s fault but your own and simply a matter of luck.”
Yeon Hojeong spoke bitterly.
“That’s real combat and war. The ones meant to survive will survive, and those meant to die will die.”
His words carried a heavy weight.
He had lived through such experiences himself. Even after learning the Reaper’s Martial Arts and descending the mountain, he was nothing but a novice in real combat.
It was by fiercely killing enemies and surviving that he became notorious as the most dangerous figure in the dark path within a few years.
Yeon Hojeong looked up at the sky.
Why? Watching the Myeolsagun fight made him reminiscent of his time at Black Emperor Fortress.
The real warriors who risked their lives to bring order to the dark path.
Out of those, only seven survived to establish Black Emperor Fortress, including himself.
“They’ll live.”
“…?”
“They’ll survive. They aren’t ones to die in a place like this.”
“…How do you know?”
“They’re not the only ones who risked their lives. I also risked my life teaching them.”
“…”
“If I thought anyone might die, I personally drilled into them the severity of life and death. If they understand that effort, they can’t die easily.”
Yeon Hojeong smiled.
“They’ll do well. When the Myeolsagun disbands someday, they’ll go back and do great things.”
Jegal Ahyeon, quietly watching Yeon Hojeong, smiled tenderly.
The tips of Yeon Hojeong’s fingers, crossed over his chest, were trembling slightly. The fierce man who feared no enemy was anxious watching the Myeolsagun fight.
“Don’t worry.”
“Huh?”
Jegal Ahyeon grinned like a hero.
“You want me to be the strategist for the Myeolsagun, right? I’m known as a genius in that field, you know.”
“Is that so?”
“I won’t let our friends die. Never.”
There’s no such thing as ‘never’ in this world. Not in fights, martial arts, or human relationships.
However, Yeon Hojeong didn’t want to dampen Jegal Ahyeon’s spirit with unnecessary words.
“Sure, I’m counting on you.”
“Hehe.”
“Don’t laugh so slyly.”
“Slyly?”
At that moment, Mok Bi spoke.
“It’s over.”
The fight ended with Cheongseong’s Jangsan beheading Dochil of the Blood Shark Death Blade.
It took longer than expected, but no one had died.
Jegal Ahyeon let out a deep breath.
“Phew, my heart was pounding just watching.”
“No time to be surprised. We treat quickly and move to the next target right away.”
“Gasp! Again?!”
“Yes.”
Yeon Hojeong looked up at the sky again.
“By this fall, we’ll clear as much of the dark path as possible.”