Chapter 50 The Great Southern Campaign (3)

Chapter 50: The Great Southern Campaign (3)

“Didn’t you hear? We’re not turning back.”

“What do you mean…?”

“We’ll advance as planned and complete the mission.”

Startled by this sudden additional quest, I immediately confronted North Palace Lord Baek.

“Advance now? Don’t you know our men’s capabilities? We could all be wiped out!”

That was true.

Breaking through enemy lines with only Oedang warriors, who were barely second-rate on average, was practically a death sentence.

I pressed him with this reasoning, but North Palace Baek remained utterly unyielding.

“On the battlefield, superior orders are absolute.”

“Even so!”

Thud.

As he tried to raise his voice again, Baek raised his hand to stop him.

“What do you think those outside are thinking?”

“Well…”

His counterquestion instantly cut him off.

While I hesitated, Baek’s voice came through.

“Remember what they say about warriors? That they live on the edge of a blade?”

“Yes.”

“That’s the only answer I can give you. Regardless of their skill, as warriors, the moment comes when they must stake their lives. That moment is now. And…”

He continued with his characteristic sneer.

“Who said we’re going alone?”

“……?”

“Heuksanho will be joining us.”

* * *

A short while later.

All the Oedang warriors, including the squad leaders, were gathered, and Baek’s orders were relayed.

Their reactions were very different from what I had expected.

“Well, what can you do.”

“True, it’s about time we showed them what we’re made of.”

“Frankly, I’ve been sick of seeing those Inner Sect bastards come and go while ignoring us. Let’s use this chance to earn some merit.”

“If we earn merit, do we get a reward?”

“You’ve got to be kidding me. It’ll pour down like heavy snow.”

Contrary to my fears that morale would hit rock bottom, they surprisingly showed enthusiasm.

Stunned into silence, I couldn’t find words. Then someone quietly approached.

“First Sergeant, no, Mujeon.”

It was Second Sergeant, who had looked after me like a younger uncle since I first joined the Oedang.

“I can guess what you’re thinking, but don’t worry too much. They’re warriors too, aren’t they?”

“······I suppose you’re right.”

He grinned.

I nodded, and he smiled warmly.

“Then we’ll put our trust in you, Captain. Lead us well.”

“Is that so?”

Looking around, I saw the Oedang warriors watching me with eyes full of trust.

Something tickled my heart.

Shortly after, we set out for the Namman Jungle.

As always, North Palace White led the Outer Court from the front, while I brought up the rear, ready for any unexpected attack.

Three days passed like this.

After several battles, we entered a mountain range and encountered thirty warriors clad entirely in black robes.

‘Are those the Black Mountain Warriors?’ I’d only heard of them before; this was my first time seeing them in person. They weren’t all peak masters, but their aura was no joke.

‘Are they the Black Mountain Bandits?’

I’d only heard of them before; this was my first time seeing them in person.

They were said to be nothing but peak masters, and their aura was no joke.

Overwhelmed by the intense killing intent they radiated, the Outer Sect warriors dared not utter a word.

They were truly worthy of being called the human crushers of Nine Dragon City.

We stood facing each other in that tense standoff.

“Long time no see.”

“Indeed. Have you been well?”

As Baek stepped forward, the elder who seemed to be the leader of the Heuksanho greeted him warmly.

And with considerable courtesy, at that.

Considering the image I’d heard about them, it was an unexpected reaction.

The elder who exchanged greetings with Baek recognized me, his eyes brightening as he spoke.

“Are you the boy they call the Fighting Dragon?”

“Yes, I am… but…”

“Your aura isn’t bad. Keep at it like this, and you’ll become a decent fighter.”

It felt like he was predicting some incredibly bleak future, but since the old man meant it as a compliment, I bowed and replied.

“You flatter me.”

“Heh heh. If you want to get stronger, come find me anytime. With your potential, you could become a fine Black Mountain Tiger.”

The very thought was terrifying.

“……Yes.”

Then, Baek Gung-baek interrupted the conversation.

“Enough. He’s a disciple I cherish.”

“Oh! I’ve overstepped my bounds. Please don’t take offense.”

“I don’t care.”

Listening to their exchange for a moment, I couldn’t help but feel indignant.

‘Seriously, if you care about him, show some affection.’

Stop beating him up.

Anyway, with Heuksanho joining us, our strength increased dramatically.

We picked up speed and began advancing even faster.

Ten days after crossing the heart of the jungle like that.

I witnessed a sight that made me frown.

A mountain of corpses clad in familiar attire.

They were the Nanman tribesmen I’d seen before at Jianchang Mountain.

“······.”

Just as everyone stood frozen, mouths tightly shut at the horrific sight, Baek’s voice rang out.

“From this moment, we move at full speed.”

At his command, the second-in-command questioned.

“What if we encounter the enemy?”

“Execute them all.”

And so the advance began.

Before long, we encountered the enemy.

After seeing the tribal corpses, we were somewhat prepared for this.

The Outer Court warriors swiftly took their positions and began fighting back.

Clang! Bang!

As always, North Palace Baek led the charge, seizing the initiative.

The thirty Black Coral warriors burst forward, clearing the path.

“Kill them all!”

The warriors forced their way through the gap, engaging in fierce combat.

Clang. Gah!

The clanging of weapons and screams filled the heart of the jungle.

I watched the situation from the rear, covering those in danger and directing the fight.

“Iljo, block the enemy with me!”

“Yes!”

With Woo Je-jun’s reply, Iljo’s squad members began to follow behind me.

Nearly twenty men stayed close behind and beside me, swinging their swords.

The Jeam Sword Technique.

The heavy, defense-oriented swords excellently parried the enemy’s attacks.

I heard they spent their own money to train at the Moolryong Martial Arts Academy after the special intensive training. Whether it was effective or not, their sword skills had greatly improved.

Clang, clang.

They might be pushed back against warriors of a higher rank than themselves, but they didn’t die easily.

Thanks to that.

Thwack.

An opening appeared for me to step in.

“Gah!”

As I unfolded the Zhen Wangbo and moved, the target I’d chosen stabbed his sword at me in shock, but it was deflected by the Dragon Scale Armor.

Boom. Thud. Thud.

I thrust out a single strike, and with a sound like an exploding bomb, flesh flew everywhere.

A cry filled with fear rose from the enemies watching that scene.

“A monster! A monster!”

“If I’m a monster, then that gentleman in front of me must be the King of Hell?”

With that, he unleashed all the Zhenwang Qi raging within his body.

Crackle.

A storm of energy surged through his entire body, including his hands and feet.

Trusting his sword and dragon-scale armor, he plunged straight into the midst of the enemies.

Whoosh. Thud!

Flying blades slid off his armor, and thrusting swords shattered against his dragon-scale armor.

“Guh!”

He slammed his fist into the startled enemy’s face, obliterating it beyond recognition.

Thud.

The ground split beneath the downward strike of the Jin-gak.

Swoosh!

Each time the Gak technique was unleashed, the Geuksa-gyeong erupted.

Enemy bodies were cleaved in half, creating openings for our warriors to charge in, swords swinging.

Of course, allied casualties followed.

The risk of blocking versus attacking was worlds apart.

One by one, the Oedang warriors began falling to the enemy’s attacks.

To minimize casualties, I moved faster and more frequently, focusing on slaying the enemies.

Pwoong! Thud.

Creating as brutal a spectacle as possible to break the enemy’s morale.

This went on for a moment.

Confirming the situation was roughly under control, I raised my head.

To survey the overall battlefield situation.

I saw Heuksanho and Bukgungbaek charging toward the enemy commander.

They carved a path through the blood-soaked battlefield.

Thud. Crunch.

As one Heuksanho swung his sword, another following behind severed an enemy’s neck.

“Gah!”

Somehow, one enemy froze stiff as a log and collapsed. The Heuksanho warriors forced their way through the gap, wildly swinging their swords.

Thud. Swoosh.

Blood spattered in all directions, transforming the scene into a slaughterhouse.

Watching their martial prowess, he couldn’t hide his admiration.

‘Their swordsmanship has no fixed form.’

The perfect battle sword.

When heavy, it became infinitely heavy; when swift, it advanced like a beam of light.

Though sharing the same essence as the ronin’s battle sword, its power was worlds apart.

As if repelled by such a blade imbued solely with pure killing intent, the enemies began to retreat, soon fleeing entirely.

But.

“Kill them all!”

As Heuksanhoju shouted, a black wave began to sweep over the enemies’ rear.

And then.

Thud. Crash!

Under the earth-shattering strike of Baekgongbaek, the figure of the apparent leader vanished without a trace.

That day’s battle was over.

* * *

We pressed onward without taking any rest.

Three thousand li from Guryongseong to this place.

On top of that, the several recent battles had taken a heavy toll on everyone.

Naturally, everyone’s condition deteriorated day by day.

Moreover, the high temperatures and venomous insects of the Namman Jungle only contributed to worsening their state.

“Guhhh…”

A squad member who had sustained minor injuries in the previous battle collapsed, losing consciousness.

Perhaps because this had happened several times before, another nearby member skillfully hoisted him onto their back and carried him onward.

‘…This isn’t good.’

With no certainty how many more days lay ahead, slowing down like this risked depleting our water and food supplies.

‘Dangerous.’

Even if they were unmanned, they couldn’t escape hunger and thirst.

If enemies attacked in that state, unexpected casualties could follow.

‘If I’d known this would happen, I should’ve watched some survival shows…’

If it were Bear Grylls, he’d know how to find water and food in a jungle like this.

But my worries were soon resolved.

“Welcome, people of the Central Plains.”

A massive man appeared before us, leading dozens of tribesmen.

And seeing who came with them, I couldn’t help but be surprised.

“You must have endured a grueling journey to reach us.”

“It was easier than I expected.”

Because Garip, the Chieftain, had stepped out from among them.

As I stared, flustered, unable to look away, he approached me and patted my shoulder.

“Good work.”

“Chieftain…”

“We’ll catch up later. Let’s get moving first. We don’t have time.”

“Yes.”

After replenishing water and provisions, the march that resumed was even more arduous than before.

We advanced toward places that weren’t paths.

We walked with our shoulders pressed against sheer cliff faces.

We crossed ravines without bridges, relying on a single rope.

Three days passed like this.

We arrived at a mountaintop where no one ever came.

“…So this was Songsan?”

“Yes. This is the very summit.”

A vast number of Nanman tribespeople had gathered in a clearing as large as four or five football fields combined.

‘…It’s a crater.’

Temporary shelters made of wood and vines lined the terrain, similar to Baengnokdam.

Just as I was startled by this unexpected sight, Baekgong Baek’s voice rang out.

“First, let’s rest.”

At his words, everyone flopped down anywhere and began to sleep.

After arriving following over ten fierce battles, their exhaustion had reached its peak.

And that was true for me as well.

‘I should eat before sleeping… ’

I was so exhausted I fell into a deep sleep, so deep I couldn’t even hear the thunderous rumbling from my stomach.

Had half a day passed?

When I came to, the sun was already high in the sky.

Growl.

“Ugh… I’m starving.”

I was the first to leave the tent to fill my belly.

Murmur murmur.

I saw an overwhelming number of Nanman tribesmen surrounding us in a circle.

As soon as I appeared, they all approached at once and began piling food in front of me.

“……?”

Staring at it, unable to hide my bewilderment, the voice of the Great Chieftain reached me.

“They want you to avenge their dead kin. Think of it as a kind of tribute.”

The man, as big as a bear, plopped down beside me and handed me a small wooden bottle.

“Care for a drink?”

“Ah, yes.”

Gulp.

It was alcohol. And a very potent one at that.

“Guh. Guh-guh.”

“Seems it doesn’t suit your taste.”

“It’s strong.”

“It’s aged with viper venom.”

Once again, I was reminded that in this world, you shouldn’t just eat anything anyone hands you. I looked at the food in front of me.

“You can eat that.”

“······Really?”

I was slightly suspicious, but what could I do?

My stomach was screaming its last cry, as if I were starving to death.

If my grandmother from my past life had seen this, she would have hurriedly prepared a 21-course banquet and heaped rice into a cold noodle bowl for me.

Gulp gulp.

The side dishes were just fruits and mixed grains, but they tasted incredibly delicious.

A moment later.

“Ugh. I’m alive.”

Only after filling my stomach did I notice the Outer Court warriors and the Black Coral warriors.

They too were inhaling the mountains of food piled before them.

“Thirty thousand died.”

I turned at the abrupt statement.

The Great Chieftain glared at the tribe members with eyes brimming with fury.

“That was more than half our entire tribe.”

“······.”

“We were powerless. We could only watch them die.”

“May I ask why we came to oppose Namcheongung?”

Truthfully, this was what I was most curious about.

Had they not resisted, they might have lived as slaves, but they wouldn’t have died.

The chieftain answered my question with great difficulty.

“······Namcheongung demanded we sacrifice virgins and children. A thousand of them.”

“Those bastards.”

“You know what’s truly laughable?”

“What is it?”

“That they obeyed out of fear.”

“…”

“They foolishly thought closing their eyes just once would suffice.”

“Wasn’t the demand just once?”

“For some reason, they demanded the same number every month.”

“That was an impossible demand to meet.”

“So we resisted. As you can see, the result was the mass slaughter of the tribe’s young men.”

He followed his gaze and looked around.

He hadn’t noticed before, but now that he heard the story, he saw almost no young men.

Only the old man, a few children, and women remained.

The Grand Chieftain continued, his body trembling.

“…Prince Namcheon was truly a monster. Every time he swung his sword, dozens of bodies were cut to pieces. The terrified warriors began to flee and were hunted down one-sidedly by the pursuing soldiers.”

With those words, the Great Chief rose from his seat.

“I beg you. Please avenge us.”

“……I will undoubtedly win. No matter how skilled Princess Namcheon may be. But…… do you trust Guryongseong?”

“I cannot know without experiencing it. Still, he wouldn’t order us to sacrifice our tribe’s people.”

“That is correct.”

“Then I am satisfied.”

Watching his departing back left a bitter taste in his mouth.

This is truly a hardcore martial arts world.

That evening.

Bukgungbaek summoned everyone.