1569화. 산책은 이런 날에 가는 거란다. (4)
"Ah..."
Black Dragon King's expression twisted somewhat complexly.
Mount Hua.
The reason Black Dragon King came to the north of the river in the first place was to tear apart those Mount Hua bastards one by one.
But now that he actually faced those Mount Hua bastards, Black Dragon King's expression wasn't as bright as he had hoped. He had a gut feeling that things had taken a turn in a direction different from what he wanted.
"Why... why are they here!"
"D-Don't back down! There are only a few of them!"
Screams erupted from all around, piercing Black Dragon King's ears.
The most bewildering moment for a hunter isn't when the prey escapes. It's when the prey, thought to flee straight away, instead turns to attack the hunter.
If the hunter had anticipated and prepared, there wouldn't be much of a problem. But if the prey suddenly turns aggressive, even the life of a skilled hunter may be at risk.
The river bandits, who were hunting down the Nangong Family, suddenly found themselves facing another group of hunters: the Mount Hua members.
Black Dragon King turned his gaze towards Nangong Dowi.
"...Did you buy time?"
"*Cough*"
Spitting up black blood, Nangong Dowi looked at Black Dragon King with labored breath.
"...Those... those people... are..."
Black Dragon King, as the leader of the Eighteen Bandits of the Yangtze River, was more skilled than anyone in plundering and causing chaos.
Therefore, he could perfectly understand Nangong Dowi's words.
If the river bandits had been given just a little more time, they would have spread even further north of the river. If that had happened, the Mount Hua members would have had to disperse their forces even more to prevent further harm to innocent people.
Black Dragon King could have easily waited patiently and then ambushed the Mount Hua members who had come to capture the river bandits.
After all, the Mount Hua members wouldn't have been able to simply ignore the dying screams of innocent people.
It was just a matter of one day. If they had been given just one more day, the plan could have been easily realized.
However, contrary to expectations, the Nangong Family had charged straight here, causing the river bandits to be pinned down as well.
"...Your schemes seem quite elaborate, but they're just petty tricks in the end. Do you really think you can face the heroes of the Yangtze River with those petty tricks?"
Black Dragon King's words were not wrong.
If the entire Mount Hua had come here, or if even the Tang Family had arrived, the situation might have been different. However, it was impossible for them to handle the river bandits with just their own forces.
But Nangong Dowi didn't waver in the slightest.
"If the opponents are... the river bandits, then maybe..."
"What... did you say?"
Nangong Dowi turned his head with difficulty to look at the approaching Mount Hua members.
"I know."
Nangong Dowi gripped the sword stuck through his body tightly, steadying his trembling body. He forced the corners of his mouth up.
"I learned this... from those people..."
"...?"
"I... I'm just... doing my duty."
With great effort, he drew the sword. The sound of the sharp blade scraping against bones as it was pulled out was eerie.
"I'm still alive... It's not over until I die."
With a trembling hand, Nangong Dowi somehow managed to lift the shaky sword. Black Dragon King's hair stood on end at the sight.
"Get out of the way! You bastards!"
*Bang!*
Jo Gol's sword gleamed like lightning.
A river bandit who was hastily retreating was pierced by his single strike. But Jo Gol's face only contorted more and more.
"Damn it!"
There are more enemies than anticipated.
Too many, in fact.
Of course, they could break through. But at this rate...
"It's too late."
A voice devoid of any emotion whispered in his ear.
"When we arrive, the young family lord will be dead."
Jo Gol bit his lower lip with a sense of frustration. No matter how angry he was, he couldn't curse out loud at his senior sister.
"But what else can we do here?"
Just leading the ones behind him forward was the most...
"Jo Gol! Yun Jong! Yiseol!"
At that moment, Baek Cheon's voice rang out.
"Stick with me!"
"Elder brother!"
"What are you planning to do?"
"Baek Sang!"
"Yes, senior brother!"
Instead of answering Jo Gol's question, Baek Cheon commanded Baek Sang.
"Take command!"
"S-Senior brother! I..."
"You can do it! You're more than capable!"
Pushed by the forceful command that sounded like an order, Baek Sang found himself nodding involuntarily.
"Ah, understood."
Finishing his words, Baek Cheon immediately stared ahead. If he didn't act now, he would have to watch as Black Dragon King killed Nangong Dowi and escaped.
They could probably save the remaining soldiers of the Nangong Family, but what would be the point if they lost Nangong Dowi?
"We need to break through as quickly as possible!"
"No, elder brother! It's too risky!"
Yun Jong tried to dissuade him, but Baek Cheon remained firm.
"There's no time to argue! Move aside!"
"But..."
Just as Yun Jong was about to try to intervene, Yu Yiseol and Jo Gol surged forward as if they had planned it.
"Ha!"
"Ooh!"
The crimson plum blossoms they emitted swept through the enemies in front of them in an instant.
"Aaargh!"
In an instant, a gap was created in the space. Seizing this opportunity, the two rushed forward with the air of competition.
*Bang!*
Caught off guard by the attacks of the two, the enemies were unable to regain their senses. Baek Cheon's sword mercilessly pierced through their bodies.
Taking advantage of the opening created by the falling enemies, Baek Cheon lunged forward and struck.
"If you don't want to come, then take command from behind!"
But just as a river bandit was falling to Baek Cheon's sword, their eyes regained a moment of clarity. Their last desperate act was to hurl a harpoon, charged with fierce energy, towards Baek Cheon.
Just as Baek Cheon realized this and hesitated...
*Kaang!*
"Damn it."
Yun Jong swiftly tore the harpoon away and swiftly cut off the enemy's breath, sticking close to Baek Cheon's side as he growled.
"Are you just going to talk big in this situation?"
"This bastard..."
"If you want to go that badly, then stick close to my back. It's not my fault if you can't keep up!"
With that, Yun Jong dashed forward without waiting for a response.
His sword reached out in all directions simultaneously. It wasn't a sword for killing enemies; it was a sword for threatening and pushing them back.
Baek Cheon, seeing the determination in Yun Jong's eyes, stiffened his face slightly. But only for a moment.
"I'm counting on you, Sang!"
"Yes, senior brother!"
Baek Cheon also followed behind Yun Jong, advancing forward.
While there had never been a verbal agreement, their goal was clear.
"Black Dragon King!"
Baek Cheon roared loudly.
In a battle, you aim for the head of the enemy. Of course, enemies are not fools and won't easily expose themselves to be targeted.
But at this moment, Black Dragon King, Jeksigwang, was undoubtedly within their reach.
Nangong Dowi had risked his life to create this opportunity. They couldn't afford to miss it. If they missed Black Dragon King here, how many more lives would they have to risk to kill him?
"Arrgh!"
Baek Cheon's sword painted crimson flowers in the air.
*Thud!*
At the same time, a pain akin to being cut with a knife assaulted his dantian.
In the past, he had effortlessly created clear plum blossoms like breathing. But now, he had to endure this much pain just to draw dull petals that couldn't compare to the past.
"So what if it's different?"
It didn't matter.
They hadn't fought because they were strong. They hadn't thrown themselves into battle because they could win.
They fought because they had to. They threw themselves into battle because they had to. It was no different now.
"Young family lord!"
Jo Gol's shout echoed from up ahead.
Soon, the sight of Nangong Dowi being pushed back by Black Dragon King's guandao, blood spraying as he fell, came into view.
"Get out of the way, you bastards!"
At that moment, dozens of nets burst overhead.
"Block them!"
"Don't kill them! Just trip them up!"
Jo Gol shouted furiously, thrusting his sword upwards.
"A predictable trick...!"
In the past, the nets that had tormented them so much were torn apart by Jo Gol's sword in an instant. Jo Gol's sword had become incomparably sharp compared to before. Now, Baek Cheon couldn't even hope to imitate his internal qi.
Yu Yiseol's sword also displayed an unprecedented elegance and grace. Following her sword path was no longer easy.
But even for these powerful individuals, breaking through the crowd closing in on them and the hooks flying from all directions was still difficult without relying on internal qi.
"At this rate, we'll be too late!"
Baek Cheon bit his lip.
His hand holding the sword trembled.
If his ability were intact, if his sword were as sharp as it used to be, it would have been Baek Cheon leading the charge. And such obstacles would have been easily overcome long ago.
But he couldn't do that now. He knew that standing at the front would only delay their advance.
A sense of powerlessness overwhelmed him as it clung to him.
Was it martial arts after all? Was the honorable behavior shouted by the weak nothing but vanity from the start?
"You stubborn fool!"
Nevertheless, Baek Cheon gritted his teeth and continued to move forward, albeit slowly and laboriously. Because he had to.
Then it happened.
"You're still as foolish as ever. At this rate, you'll end up dead."
A familiar yet unfamiliar voice reached his ears.
Baek Cheon turned back in surprise.
And there he saw a man who looked like him, now closely following behind as if examining his face in a mirror.
"Uh...?"
"Your recklessness is beyond belief. But..."
Jin Geumryong muttered under his breath as he moved forward.
"Just this once, I'll join in your madness. Just this once."
"I'll clear the way, Deputy Sect Leader!"
Li Songbaek, with a resolute expression, brushed past Baek Cheon's side.
It was a moment's work for Li Songbaek to catch up to the front. His sword descended like Mount Tai, cutting through the river bandits on both sides.
"I am Li Songbaek of Southern Edge! If anyone wants to die, step forward!"
With a resounding shout, accompanied by red blood, Baek Cheon couldn't hide his astonishment.
"W-What are you guys?"
"Don't thrash around like a monkey."
"W-What the hell... No. What did you say?"
"Move aside! You're in the way!"
Jin Geumryong pushed Baek Cheon aside and sent out a flurry of white snowflakes with his sword.
Jo Gol, seeing this spectacle, also swung his sword with all his might, drawing out crimson plum blossoms.
White sword qi and red sword qi, like snow and plum blossoms, intermingled.
Sword qi that had always seemed to shoot towards each other and never mix were now heading towards the same target.
"...It seems we'll be seeing each other for a while."
Yun Jong murmured dazedly. His words perfectly reflected Baek Cheon's state of mind.
But there was no time to indulge in emotions. Baek Cheon shouted.
"Yun Jong!"
"Yes?"
"Clear the way!"
"...."
"I beg you!"
Yun Jong bit his lower lip.
"It seems faster to move forward than to go back."
"...."
"Stick close to me, elder brother!"
"Got it!"
Yun Jong's face lost its hesitation.
Their intentions were still different. He didn't think this was right.
But if their goal was the same, then it didn't matter.
"Yaaah!"
Yun Jong charged forward, swiftly reaching the front and swiftly slashing at the side of a retreating river bandit.
"What are you doing! Are you going to lose to those Southern Edge guys!"
"I know! Damn it!"
Jo Gol raised the corners of his mouth as if grinning in response to Yun Jong's shout.
"That's right, this is it!"
With eyes full of excitement, Jo Gol laughed as he swung his sword.
"Don't fall behind! Let's go straight ahead!"
With a resounding thud, he surged forward like an arrow.