Chapter 104 The Suicide Squad (6)

Chapter 104: The Suicide Squad (6)

The once-sacred Jipchang Mountain was now swarming with evil spirits and demonic energy.

It was because of the corpses of the Ten Demon Cult piled up like mountains.

“Ugh…”

In Hyunjin-in let out a low groan as he took in the horrific sight of all manner of mountain beasts devouring the corpses.

By principle, the corpses should be collected and burned, but this was wartime.

There was no time for that.

I stood behind In Hyunjin-in and cautiously called out to him.

“Master.”

“It’s fine. The Primordial Heavenly Lord will understand.”

“……”

Master Inhyeonjin forced a smile and said.

“Let’s go up.”

“Yes.”

A short while later.

The returning garrison left only a few sentries on watch and immediately fell asleep.

They must have been quite exhausted after the fierce battle.

I sat atop the roof of the bunker, gazing down at Jomcheong Mountain.

Gooo.

Watching the pitch-black darkness settle over it, a sense of unease about the battles to come overwhelmed me.

We won today.

But there’s no guarantee we’ll win tomorrow.

The Ten Demon Alliance probably didn’t use their full strength in today’s battle.

Among the Sipmallyeon who attacked today, it was hard to find any masters beyond those who emerged at the very end.

Moreover, not a single supreme master had participated, save for the Bloodline Elder.

Even so, they were no easy foes. If the masters join the fray, it’s crystal clear the battle will be far tougher than today’s.

Though I felt a sense of foreboding, I didn’t feel fear.

It was manageable.

Because we had the Great Demon Lord, North Palace White.

Just as I was about to clasp my hands together and pray for victory toward the pavilion where he resided,

a large cave caught my eye at the very bottom of the Funta.

I stared at that cave for a moment, then leaped beneath its roof.

The next day.

The defense force’s officers gathered to discuss future plans.

Where had the stubbornness gone? The one who insisted only on his own opinion the first day was now sipping tea and chatting amiably.

When I entered, all eyes fixed on me.

“Why are you all staring at me like that?”

“Hmm, no, it’s nothing. Just…”

“Hey, friend, why so shy! Just say thank you.”

“Hah! Who else but Hwaryongdang would say such ignorant things. Gratitude must be expressed with a bit more subtlety and decorum, you know.”

“What the hell kind of nonsense is that…”

Eunryong and Hwaryongdang’s veteran master, who had been exchanging banter, approached.

Click.

They bowed deeply to me.

“Thank you. Thanks to you, my disciples didn’t have to die.”

“Thank you. I won’t forget this favor. I won’t forget this favor. Once I return to the city, I’ll take you to a good place.“

I wanted to ask immediately what this ”good place” was, but I missed my chance.

The moment the two finished speaking, the others watching them did the same thing.

Click.

All twelve masters bowed their heads in unison.

Embarrassed, I couldn’t help but clear my throat.

“Hmph, no need to go this far…”

“Young disciples are the future of our sect. Since you saved several lives, I suppose you deserve their gratitude.”

In Hyunjin, who had approached unnoticed, spoke.

Taking his advice, I turned to address everyone.

“If you truly wish to show your gratitude, perhaps expressing it through something… steadfast and reliable…”

Smack!

“Ow! No, why are you hitting me?!”

“Tsk! Comparing a martial artist’s pride to some hermit! You deserve that.”

Master Inhyeonjin’s sudden action made everyone burst out laughing.

“Hehehe, enough already. Wasn’t that just to lighten the stiff atmosphere?”

“Exactly. To humble himself for fear of embarrassing us—what a noble young man! Wouldn’t you agree?”

“Quite right. I’d heard long ago that a hidden dragon dwelled in the outer courtyard, but seeing him in person, he truly lives up to his reputation.”

“Lord North Palace has been blessed indeed. Such talent came to him of its own accord.”

Ha ha ha ha!

Everyone burst into laughter once more.

Listening to it made my skin crawl; I wanted to leave the room a second sooner.

Well, honestly, I didn’t exactly hate it.

Only after a long while did the meeting finally begin.

Everyone stared at me with eyes that seemed to demand some ingenious plan.

“We have no choice but to hold out.”

I didn’t have any clever solutions either.

The great victory on the first day was only possible because the enemy hadn’t grasped our strength or the terrain of Jianchang Mountain.

Unless those bastards had heads of stone, they’d now send their best fighters up the mountain, so we couldn’t use the same tactics.

Moreover.

“Since we have to make the most of our supplies, from now on, we’ll have to fight purely with our bodies. Weapons are also scarce, so we must use them sparingly.”

We couldn’t afford to use poison or traps either, since we had to conserve supplies until the next resupply.

In other words, it meant we had to clash strength against strength.

Despite hearing the bad news, everyone gathered here showed not a hint of fear.

Instead, they only looked at me with eyes full of trust.

“…Do you all understand what I mean?”

The veteran of the Hwaryongdang answered my question.

“Doesn’t that mean we just slaughter every last one of those bastards down in the valley?”

“It’s not wrong, but…”

“Why should we fear facing those worthless bastards? Am I right?”

Everyone present lifted the corners of their mouths. It was a smile brimming with confidence.

Only then did I realize I had overlooked one crucial thing.

‘Come to think of it…’

That these men were members of a renowned, time-honored martial arts sect.

They rose before dawn to practice their inner cultivation.

When the sun rose, they trained their bodies relentlessly.

When the sun set, they reflected inwardly, refining their martial arts.

The weight of martial prowess built over a lifetime must be like a mountain.

This was the true strength of a renowned sect.

“Very well. Now, let us discuss our future strategy.”

All eyes turned to me.

* * *

The plan was simple.

Thoroughly block the mountain slopes as we did yesterday, while preparing for enemies climbing up the flanks, not the paths.

However.

“Didn’t you say we must avoid being surrounded?”

“Yes, we absolutely must not be surrounded until we receive at least two supply drops.”

If we were surrounded and couldn’t receive supplies from the main fortress, the situation would become critical.

“Hmm, we could fight for about seven days and nights without eating, but…”

Even the most skilled warriors couldn’t fight on an empty stomach.

“That’s not feasible. One or two days might be manageable, but starving that long would make us lose even winnable battles.”

As soon as he finished speaking, he looked at Inhyeon Jin-in.

He gave a benevolent smile and nodded.

It meant he would explain from here on.

“Descending the cliff behind the fortress, there is a small cave. It is where the founder of the Jomchangpa ascended.”

In Hyeonjin-in looked around at everyone and continued.

“If you break the innermost wall there, you’ll find a passage connecting to the outside.”

“Master!”

The senior master of Cheongryongdang jumped to his feet in shock.

The others reacted the same way.

It was understandable. The ancestral hall of a major sect was treated as sacred ground. To suggest destroying such a place…

“To defile the Founder’s Hall! We’d rather starve and fight!”

Yet, when I discussed this with Inhyeon Jin-in privately the day before, he showed no concern whatsoever.

‘Is a living person’s life not more precious than some cave? The Founder himself would surely agree.’

‘Well, what would a dead man know…’

Thwack!

‘Gah!’

‘This bastard!’

Instead, he even revealed the existence of the secret passage and urged them to use it.

Perhaps sensing Inhyeonjin’s sincerity, everyone murmured in agreement, nodding solemnly.

Inhyeonjin gazed at Jeokil with his characteristic benevolent smile.

“I would like the Jeokryongdang to handle clearing the path, though…”

Jik-il quickly rose and saluted.

“I will accomplish it without a single misstep.”

“Thank you.”

Even with a secret passage, breaking through the enemies surrounding them was no easy feat.

Only the Jikryongdang, boasting the most covert network in the land, could make it possible.

With our remaining rations running dangerously low, this was arguably the most crucial mission.

‘Two days…’

It was the time we had to endure hunger while fighting.

And so, the day of this battle dawned.

* * *

“Hmph!”

POW!

The sudden explosion of the Jeonwangshimssutu struck the enemy.

POW!

It sent a fountain of blood flying.

“Die, you bastard!”

With a battle cry, he executed a kick aimed at the throat of the enemy right beside him.

Thud.

“Guh.”

The enemy blocked the attack with his thick arm.

The enemy’s fighting style was markedly different from yesterday’s.

He could feel it in his bones—there were definitely more masters among them now.

Quickly withdrawing his leg, he simultaneously hurled a bomb.

Kwoo-rang. Kwaaang!

With the explosion of the grenade, the enemy’s body blew apart from the center outwards.

It was the Light Version of the Exploding Light.

It had been a while since I’d used it, but its power was still formidable, leaving me quite satisfied.

But there was no time to dwell on such satisfaction.

“Tsk!”

Attacks were pouring in from all directions even at this very moment.

“Hmph!”

The moment I resolved myself, the Dragon’s Breath erupted, devouring every attack aimed at me.

And that wasn’t all.

Crackle-pop.

The Dragon’s Breath exploded, tearing the bodies of nearby enemies to shreds.

“You’re good!”

“Can’t you tell just by looking?”

The Ten Demon Cultists, their faces drained of color with fear, stumbled backward.

I lunged toward those bastards.

Close-quarters combat.

The range where the Dragon King Style unleashed its full power.

“Yik!”

One enemy desperately unleashed a palm strike.

It was an attack wrapped in a dark aura, clearly imbued with formidable internal energy.

Thwack.

It was merely deflected harmlessly by my Dragon Scale Armor, failing to land a single blow on me.

With gratitude to the merchant who gave me this rare item, I unleashed the Three Yang Strike.

Crack!

As I snapped the bastard’s neck, the others hastily backed away.

Of course.

Heh.

War isn’t fought alone.

Thwack! Thwack!

Like a whirlwind, Wee Jipung’s sword swept across the battlefield, severing the enemies’ heads.

I couldn’t help but marvel at his movements, swift as a swallow.

‘But why that expression?’

Just as I was about to catch my breath, Wee Jipung’s urgent expression caught my eye.

Something must have happened.

I immediately unleashed the Flying Dragon Sword and pursued him.

Sure enough.

“Can’t you stop!”

Before long, I witnessed the young disciples of the Moksryong Sect being driven into a defensive position.

Most were instructors at the Moksryong Martial Academy.

That meant they were my subordinates.

Kwoong.

I immediately deployed the Jeonwangbo and approached the enemies targeting them.

“What?!”

The startled enemies hurriedly turned their heads. Or rather, they tried to.

“How dare you.”

Lay a hand on my staff?

Swoosh!

I slashed my hand, unleashing the Extreme Death Blade upon them.

Even at a glance, they weren’t pushovers, but caught off guard by the sudden ambush, they couldn’t even resist before their bodies split apart.

“Phew.”

“Thank you, Brother.”

The part-time instructors of the Silent Dragon Martial Academy expressed their gratitude.

“From now on, call me ‘Investor’.”

“Huh?”

With fucking charisma, I left them behind and sprinted forward.

Because at the far end of the left sector I was covering, I saw enemies creeping up.

Moving swiftly, I launched a soccer kick at full running speed.

Thwack!

After dealing with the advancing enemies for a moment.

Feeling the battle situation had stabilized somewhat, I surveyed the surroundings.

‘The front is fine. The flanks are holding well too. The problem is…’

Stamina.

No matter how skilled, one can’t fight nonstop all day.

‘Time for a big move.’

He had to crush the enemy’s morale with an unimaginable attack.

He filled his internal energy to the brim and summoned Danun.

He had prepared for this moment the day before, making arrangements beforehand.

“Dan-hyung!”

Danun shot skyward.

The Blue Cloud Slashing Sword.

He was about to unleash the divine skill of the sword, a power said to shatter mountains.

And he was filling it to the brim with the ultimate symbol of power, his ki!

Whoosh!

A surging blue aura, like rolling clouds, obscured the sun.

The sudden shadow drew the gaze of the Ten Demon Riders upward.

And then.

BOOM!

A massive explosion, like an ICBM detonating, echoed, wiping out the Ten Demon Riders gathered ahead.

Their blood flowed down, forming a crimson river.

‘The Yuan Qi Orb?’

The very enemy who unleashed such an attack wished to engage me in a life-or-death battle.

The thought alone made me dizzy.

Regardless of my true intentions, the enemies hit by that devastating area-of-effect attack were thrown into chaos.

And that was an opportunity we absolutely could not miss.

“Charge!”

As I shouted, the middle-aged warriors who had been preparing in advance closed in tightly behind me.

They were the Gwangcheol Squad, the elite combat force of the Hwaryongdang.

Huff. Huff.

I could feel the heat radiating from their excited bodies behind me.

It seemed their bodies had been itching to move while waiting.

“Charge!”

With my shout, they all sprinted forward.

Whack! Crack!

The Gwangcheol Squad’s Taesanbundo began slicing through the enemies’ bodies like cutting through sheaves of rice straw.

The back muscles, honed in the mines, bulged over their clothes like demonic forms.

“Move! Move! Move!”

Whether it truly resembled the face of a grim reaper or not, the enemies began retreating, their expressions filled with terror.

We rode that momentum, driving the enemies back even more fiercely.

‘The end is in sight!’

Soon after, the Guryongseong warriors waiting in the rear all charged forward, ending the second battle.

“Ugh, I’m starving.”